Today, Miss Servite finally wasn't wearing her usual long maid dress. Xia De was momentarily stunned when he opened the door downstairs and saw the young woman outside, before he could confirm that it was indeed the maid.
Her long black hair was tied into an intricate style with a wide purple ribbon, gathered and hanging behind her. Only a silver-white four-leaf clover hairpin adorned her hair. Her thick black hair parted on her right forehead; the right side hung down, with stray strands tucked behind her ear, while the left side was combed diagonally to the left, the ends almost covering her eyebrows.
She wore a quality blue fabric dress, with only some slender silver-white patterns on the sleeves, otherwise, it was a single color. An inconspicuous black belt cinched her waist, and she wore a pair of black flat leather shoes.
Seeing Xia De's surprise, Miss Servite looked down at her attire, then raised her head and looked at Xia De with her pretty brown eyes:
“Excuse me, is there something wrong with my outfit?”
“Nothing at all, I just haven't seen you dressed like this before... It's pretty.”
Xia De nodded, stepping aside from the doorway to let her in, and a full day of Detective work officially began.
After organizing the information they had gathered at home, Xia De left Mia to watch the house and took Miss Servite by carriage to St. Anthem Square in the Lower City, then entered the Three Cats Inn located around the square.
The last time Xia De investigated the spice merchant, he had chatted here with the Doctor and the Doctor’s friend. Today, the Three Cats Inn was no different from that day; long-distance travelers stayed here, while idlers sat drinking and chatting on the first and second floors.
A female Poet played a lute, softly singing on a high stool on the small stage on the east side of the inn. The song was somewhat melancholic, seemingly praising the love story of an ancient legendary hero.
If not for the very bright gas lamp above her head, Xia De would probably have thought he had instantly traveled back to the distant medieval adventure era.
During the day, the Three Cats Inn did not have prostitutes, drunkards, or gamblers; it was now running a legitimate business.
After Xia De and Miss Servite entered the inn, they each ordered some drinks and sat at a table near the counter on the first floor. Xia De introduced the features of the place to the maid, who rarely came to this area. After a while, they both stood up and went to the counter. Xia De called out to the formidable landlady, who was about to go to the kitchen to scold the noisy chefs.
She was a woman of about forty, with a reddish-brown cloth headscarf, dull skin, and a face full of small marks. She was slightly shorter than Xia De but appeared large-boned and wide-bodied. To be able to run such a large inn in the bustling St. Anthem Square, this woman was definitely not simple.
“Excuse me for bothering you, do you still remember Mr. Frank Bondi?”
Xia De asked while placing a one-shilling coin on the counter. The landlady naturally took the coin:
“That blind man who lives nearby?”
Her words were impolite. She observed Xia De's expression, then said insincerely:
“Sorry, that phrasing might be a bit off, after all, his eyes are fine now.”
Xia De gestured for his assistant to start taking notes, and he continued to ask:
“Have you known that musician for many years?”
“Yes, he used to come here often to drink, and each time he only ordered Coldwater Port light rum made from sugarcane dregs. Even though he was blind, he would still find some cheap girls here every week. But bachelors don't have many expenses, so he was quite generous. A few months ago, after his eyes were somehow cured, he started to enjoy playing rhode cards with guests here, but the stakes were small, so he didn't owe any… Oh!”
She suddenly widened her eyes, as if she understood something:
“Did Bondi gamble rhode cards at your place, owe money, and then run away? I was wondering why I hadn't seen him for so long.”
The landlady thought she had found the truth, but Xia De shook his head:
“I don't run a casino, and Mr. Bondi didn't run away. He committed suicide in the middle of last month.”
Hearing this news, the landlady, who had just been speaking impolitely, twitched her mouth. The expression on her face was a bit strange, as if she wanted to show sadness for a moment, but in the end, she simply said:
“How unlucky, another regular customer of several decades is gone.”
Her voice suddenly deepened, and she lowered her head to fiddle with the cups on the counter. After a while, seeing that Xia De didn't speak, she asked again:
“So who are you? What do you want to do? I don't think you're here to find girls. The one behind you is much prettier than all the girls I know.”
Xia De looked at the young woman beside him. Miss Servite smiled but didn't speak, continuing to take notes, maintaining her usual habits as a maid.
Xia De then handed over the business card he had prepared:
“I am a Detective. I am currently commissioned by the Nuo Shan Opera Troupe to investigate the cause of suicide of the blind musician, Mr. Frank Bondi.”
The landlady was clearly literate, raising her eyebrows when she saw the address on the business card:
“Saint Delan Square? Tsk tsk, his friends are truly rich. All right then, what do you want to ask?”
“What was Mr. Frank Bondi's mental state like the last few times he appeared?”
The landlady picked up the rag on the table again:
“I remember that. During the period when his eyes had just been cured, he was very keen on chatting and playing cards with the guests here. But the last few times he appeared, he was like when he was blind, sitting alone in a corner drinking silently.”
She pointed to the table in the corner of the first floor. Since there weren't many guests in the morning, the corner was empty now.
“Then, did Mr. Bondi show any signs of mania or anything similar?”
Xia De asked again.
“That, he did not.”
The landlady shook her head while wiping cups:
“He didn't talk to others, and others, of course, wouldn't disturb someone who was drinking silently.”
That made a lot of sense, but it also meant that there were no valuable clues here at the Three Cats Inn.
“However…”
The landlady hesitated and looked at Xia De:
“Bondi had a very good girl here with us; most of the time when he spent money for entertainment, he would find her. Because he often stayed overnight at her place, I think our girl not only knows Bondi's recent mental state but might even have some of his relics.”
“I need that The Lady’s address.”
“I can't tell you that directly; after all, we run a sensitive business.”
Xia De knew this was an excuse; the other party just wanted him to pay another information fee. So he took out another one-shilling coin, but the landlady shook her head:
“Not enough, I need this much.”
She held out her somewhat large right index finger, which bore old scars, and shook it.
“10 shillings?”
“No, 1 pound.”
“Oh, The Lady, I won't even earn that much from this single business.”
Xia De immediately shook his head. The landlady smiled:
“Bondi told me that the Nuo Shan Opera Troupe is very rich, you must be earning a lot from this business.”
But the problem was, Xia De hadn't received the commission from the opera troupe at all.
Miss Servite behind him wanted to speak, but Xia De shook his head to stop her. He wasn't unable to pay one pound, he just didn't want to be taken advantage of for no reason:
“How about this.”
To the landlady’s surprised gaze, he took out his rhode cards deck from his pocket, pulled out the 【Carson Rick Southern Folk · Moon Dance Festival】 blessed by two ghosts, and displayed it:
“Let's gamble one game. If I win, you tell me that The Lady’s address. If I lose, I'll give you two pounds, and you tell me that The Lady’s address. I heard you're also a rhode cards master and like to play with players who have special cards. How about it, interested in playing a game with me?”
The fact that the landlady was a rhode cards master was told by the Doctor’s friend, Mr. Madison, who sold special spices. (Chapter 362)
The woman behind the counter showed a smile after her surprise:
“No, since we're gambling cards, we naturally have to gamble bigger. I really like playing with players who have special cards. How about this: you use your card as the stake, and I use my card as the stake. The loser gives up their special card. Whether you win or lose, I'll give you the information for free.”
She leaned forward slightly:
“Detective, do you have the guts?”
Xia De looked down at the stake the landlady had taken out—
【King's Edict · Substitute】, Suit Flowers 2: When this card is drawn, you can swap this card with an opponent's unrevealed face-down card, but you cannot stop playing in this round. If the opponent has no unrevealed face-down card, this card has no effect. (Note)
On the card face, a man in a magnificent robe wearing a crown sat on a throne, with what looked like a person hidden in his shadow.
Seeing this card, Xia De raised an eyebrow. The 【King's Edict】 series of rhode cards were issued approximately 120 years ago when Carson Rick and Delarion signed the first version of the “Continental Peace Treaty.” This set of cards was created to commemorate the hard-won peace.
The entire series has 15 special cards, one for each number from 1 to 13, and one for the King and Queen. Five of them were given to the Delarion royal family, five to the Carson Rick royal family, and five were issued normally. More than a century has passed since the initial release of the 【King's Edict】, and most of these fifteen special cards are now treasured by nobles in both countries, possessing not only inherent value but also historical commemorative significance.
Only three cards from the series were missing, and Xia De hadn't expected to see one here:
“A genuine article?”
“Of course, the certificate of authenticity is in my hand.”
“This card is much more valuable than my Moon Dance Festival.”
Xia De pointed out, but the landlady smiled:
“It doesn’t matter, I like to gamble special cards with others. This card itself was also won, and in my eyes, all special cards are of equal value.”
“No, I won't take advantage of you. I'll gamble with this.”
Xia De pulled out the Moon Nine's 【demon series · Soul Stealer Bishop】 (Note), and this time it was the landlady’s turn to be surprised:
“The legendary demon series? A genuine article.”
“Of course, but the certificate of authenticity is at my home. I imagine you wouldn't doubt that a Detective from Saint Delan Square would speak truthfully in such a situation. I have a reputation to uphold.”
“This card of yours is more valuable than the Substitute.”
“To me, the value of special cards is the same.”
Xia De replied with a smile, shuffling both cards back into the deck.
Actually, it was because he believed his chances of losing were very small.
“What an interesting opponent… Detective, next month's Great City Player has entered the official registration phase. Have you signed up?”
The woman behind the counter seemed intrigued.
“Of course, and it was the Prophet Association that gave me the invitation letter. I am a special participant.”
Xia De said.
“Alright then, let's treat this as a warm-up match before the Great City Player begins. This is truly interesting; I didn't expect to have such an interesting event so early in the morning. Detective, please wait a moment. Since I'm playing with a seasoned rhode cards player like you, it should be more formal. Also, you can call me Mrs. Sangmei.”
Saying this, she left the counter and called the inn's waiters to help clear the central table on the first floor of the inn and combine two other large tables to form a rhode cards gambling table.
Xia De and Miss Servite stood aside, waiting. The idlers drinking in the Three Cats Inn early in the morning, hearing that someone was challenging the landlady, and using their respective special cards as stakes, all excitedly gathered around.
The maid held her notebook and quietly asked Xia De:
“Mr. Hamilton, that conversation just now was truly splendid, exactly like the descriptions in Detective novels. However, do you often obtain information by playing cards?”
“Not often, because not everyone plays rhode cards. And generally, Detectives don't obtain clues by playing cards.”
Xia De said, then turned to look at the black-haired young woman beside him. Although her eyes were a common, almost blackish brown, they were still very pretty. This was not only because her eye shape made her eyes slightly alluring, but Xia De believed it was more important that Miss Servite had a rare light in her eyes, clear and pure.
“And I actually don't play cards very often, at least I've never actively sought people out to play cards.”
Xia De explained his habits, and the black-haired young woman chuckled beside him:
“I even thought you were the type of gambler who plays cards everywhere to collect special cards.”
Perhaps because she wasn't wearing that maid dress, she could also joke with Xia De.
“No, no, although I like special cards, I'm not so obsessed as to play cards everywhere. For example, when I went to Coldwater Port a while ago, I only played cards with one person during those two weeks. This demon series was won there.”
“So that's how it is, that also seems like a very legendary story.”
Miss Servite said. At this point, the table was set up, so Xia De walked over and sat down on the chair on the west side, taking off his coat and draping it over the back of the chair. Miss Servite, as before, stood behind him, resting her hands on the back of his chair.
The landlady, Mrs. Sangmei, sat on the chair on the east side, and people gathered around, but out of politeness, they could not touch the card table or stand directly behind the players.
“This is a fair gamble between 【King's Edict · Substitute】 and 【demon series · Soul Stealer Bishop】.”
She announced loudly, her voice even attracting many guests staying on the third floor and above of the inn.
Daylight streamed from the second-floor atrium, through the eastern windows, onto the central table on the first floor. Xia De touched his nose, a smile playing on his lips; he still really enjoyed this kind of match.
