Chapter 64

Sixty-Fourth Chapter: Renting

Looking at the two cups of black tea brought by the assistant before the counter, Dorothy pursed her lips and then spoke.

“Thank you for thinking so thoroughly, boss, but I think we don’t need the tea. My brother and I have just had a full meal, and we’re not ready to drink anything else now. Right, Gregor?”

While speaking, Dorothy looked towards Gregor beside her. Gregor, who was casually flipping through an old magazine, nodded in agreement after hearing her.

“Yeah, the juice at that restaurant was quite good. We ended up drinking too much by accident. Now, we’re not in the mood for more drinks.”

Listening to the response from the siblings, the assistant behind the counter appeared somewhat embarrassed. He glanced over at Colif, who was searching for books among the shelves in the distance.

“Boss… This…”

“Hehe… If the guests don’t want it, then just take the tea back. We can taste it later.” Colif, who was still looking for books, smiled at the assistant and said. After hearing this, the assistant nodded and took the tea back.

Colif continued his search for books. From an angle unseen by others, his expression suddenly turned cold.

‘Cursed… They didn’t drink? And I didn’t expect that man to be Gregor Os. In this case, I can’t use force. Such a good opportunity shouldn’t be wasted…’

Thinking these thoughts, Colif glanced at Dorothy nearby with the corner of his eye, then looked at the old book in his hand. Soon after, he made a decision in his heart.

Then, Colif feigned surprise.

“Oh my… It seems there are a few books missing down here. Sorry, I need to check upstairs. Please wait for me, guests. I’ll be right back.”

“Yeah, we’ll wait here,” Dorothy nodded and said. Then, Colif immediately returned to the counter, climbed the stairs, and soon arrived on the third floor.

Next, Colif approached the wall and turned a candlestick mechanism, revealing a hidden room behind a silent rotating cabinet. Entering the dark room, Colif picked up a thick, red-covered book from a desk.

‘If you won’t drink the medicine, then surely you’ll read, little girl. Experience the temptation of the Cup…’

As he thought, Colif opened the book and tore out the first few pages, then slipped them into one of the books in his chest.

Afterward, Colif closed the dark room and came out. He picked up several more books from the shelves in the house and carried them downstairs. When he saw Dorothy and her brother again, he smiled.

“Hehe… Sorry for making you wait. Here are all the books you wanted, young lady.” While speaking, Colif cheerfully placed the books on the counter.

Dorothy carefully examined each book’s title and said with some confusion.

“Hmm, they are indeed the books I wanted, but why are a few missing?”

“Well, I’m very sorry. Many of these books are rare, so they can only be rented, not sold. Also, you can’t rent too many at once. Miss, remember to return these books after reading them, then you can rent more.” Colif continued, nodding as Dorothy listened to his words.

“Yeah… That makes sense. Rare books aren’t something you can just sell. So, now… Gregor, please pay for these.”

“Oh, have you finished? Then it’s my turn.”

While speaking, Gregor began to reach for his wallet to pay. According to common sense, Dorothy currently lacked the financial means, so it naturally fell to Gregor, as the head of the household, to pay.

Then, Dorothy packed the books from the counter into her bag and left the bookstore with Gregor. Watching the siblings leave, Colif revealed a sinister smile.

…

Sitting in the carriage on their way back, Dorothy touched the books in her bag and said to Gregor.

“By the way, Gregor, what do you think of that bookstore we visited earlier?”

Listening to Dorothy, Gregor thought for a moment and replied.

“The atmosphere felt a bit strange, but most shops in White Pearl Street are like that. It seems everyone has secrets. That’s normal there. Also, that boss… Hmm, seemed overly enthusiastic… Oh, Dorothy, were the books he gave you okay? Were there any fakes?”

While pondering, Gregor spoke, and Dorothy nodded in response.

“Yeah, they’re all fine. These are exactly the books I needed.”

“Is that so? That’s good…”

…

On the carriage ride back to Nan Yang Flower Road, Gregor went to bathe after arriving home, while Dorothy directly carried her bag to her room and closed the door, sitting at her desk.

Then, she took out the old books she had rented, flipping through them rapidly. Finally, Dorothy found several hidden pages while flipping through “The Gospel of Glimmer” Volume Three.

She extracted these pages and carefully examined them, a faint smile appearing on her lips.

“As expected, you delivered the Secret Transmission…”

Indeed, the pages Dorothy held in her hands were a fragment of the Secret Transmission of the Cup.

After realizing that the Saint Communion’s outpost in White Pearl Street was a bookstore, Dorothy began to consider how to handle this outpost.

Dorothy knew that the Saint Communion aimed to corrupt Gregor by corrupting herself first. According to Audric, the Society of the Cup usually had two ways to corrupt people: one was drug control, and the other was poison temptation. Upon seeing the bookstore run by the Saint Communion, Dorothy immediately decided to focus on the second method.

How could a bookstore serving as the Saint Communion’s outpost lack Secret Transmissions?

Since the Saint Communion wanted to corrupt her, if she went there to buy books, they would definitely not miss such a great opportunity and would try to corrupt her either through drugs or poison.

What Dorothy needed to do was find a way to avoid the drugs and make them resort to poison.

This was why Dorothy insisted on bringing Gregor to the bookstore.

If Dorothy went alone, the Saint Communion might directly use force upon seeing her, forcefully control her, and then administer drugs. Even if she managed to escape, her status as an Extraordinary Being would be exposed.

But as long as Gregor was with her, they would be wary of Gregor and wouldn’t dare to use force. As long as neither Dorothy nor Gregor ate or drank anything in the bookstore, using drugs would be ineffective.

Dorothy knew the truth and thus avoided eating anything easily. To prevent Gregor from inadvertently eating anything prepared by them, Dorothy suggested having a meal at a restaurant first before buying books. As a result, neither she nor Gregor ate what the Saint Communion served.

Therefore, after failing to drug Dorothy, the Saint Communion would only have one option left to corrupt her.

That was poison… By inserting the Secret Transmission into the books rented to Dorothy, they hoped Dorothy would be unknowingly twisted by the poison while reading, ultimately achieving their goal of corruption.

And this was exactly what Dorothy wanted…

…

Emmm, everyone, the book will be available tomorrow.

—

Acknowledgment:

Yes, as mentioned, it’s time for the book to go live. This is my second book under a contract. I write in genres that aren’t particularly popular, and I don’t have any innovative ideas. Thank you all for your support that allows me to continue writing.

As stated in the acknowledgment of my previous book, this new book is somewhat inspired by the works of the great author Squid, incorporating elements of a modified version of the Mystic Simulator. However, the core remains under my own control. I wonder if you’ll enjoy it.

Due to my writing habits, I struggle with writing and require a lot of mental effort. Without inspiration, I can barely produce five hundred words in an hour. This book is no exception; I need several times the effort compared to others. Therefore, I’ve never burst out with updates and don’t have the ability to do so. Similarly, I’ve never offered rewards because I know my capabilities are not enough. To burst out with updates, I would have to disrupt my schedule and risk my health, which I cannot afford. For this, I am very sorry.

In any case, I will strive to maintain my state and keep writing. I also ask for your continuous support in the future.