The Devil’s Cage

A sudden explosion went off in Augen Manor in the morning, raising clamor again in the quieted-down Edland City.

10 minutes later, several police cruisers drove towards the manor.

It was Chief of Police Gregory leading a dozen more officers paying a visit.

Of course, it was none of Kieran’s business that Police Chief Gregory wagging his tail, flattering Anne Aldrich Augen.

Kieran pulled another all-nighter while reading again, he felt his temple swell in pain again. He knew if he continued like this, it wouldn’t do him any good to be in such condition so he chose to take a rest appropriately.

Both his index fingers were rubbing softly over his temples with his eyes closed. His slow and steady breath made him look like he had fallen asleep.

But when a set of footsteps clearly echoed in his ear, Kieran opened his eyes immediately.

Before Chelsea knocked on the door, Kieran went up and opened the door first.

“What is it?” Kieran asked.

He had given instructions before to not bother him if there weren’t any important matters, including his three meals which he himself would go down to the kitchen and settle himself.

So, when Chelsea the secretary appeared on his door, something must have happened.

Kieran frowned when he recalled the explosion that went off in the manor a while ago.

“Mayer needs help?” Kieran asked.

The longer Kieran stayed in touch, the better he understood the relationship between Mayer and Anne Aldrich Augen and just as he had guessed, it was just a working relationship between them, similar to his, or more precisely a promise.

The difference from his promise was that Mayer and Anne Aldrich Augen’s promise had certain limitations.

Mayer would only deal with the matters within Augen Manor and once the matter had left the premises, he would not interfere at all.

Therefore, during the first time Kieran came in contact with Mayer, Mayer didn’t go after him when he left Augen Manor and the explosion that went off within the premise was categorized into the matters that he had to deal with.

Besides, Kieran didn’t think Mayer couldn’t handle the sudden occurrence.

What kind of commotions can a bunch of crying losers cause?

The secretary shook her head right away when she saw the curiosity on Kieran’s face.

“It isn’t Sir Mayer who requires help but its the boss who requires your presence… It’s about Police Captain Teresa.”

Chelsea respected Mayer from the bottom of her heart, likewise she didn’t neglect Kieran as well. She reported to Kieran honestly after slightly bowing.

“Teresa?” Kieran subconsciously thought of the police sirens that shouldn’t have been heard last night.

He then nodded to Chelsea.

Teresa was already considered as a familiar acquaintance. If Kieran could help her along the way and within range, he wouldn’t mind.

Kieran followed Chelsea and reached the dining area like it was his own house.

The sunshine shone through the 15 meters long and 4 meters tall glass window, shedding its radiance over the white table sheets.

A sumptuous amount of food was arranged all over the table, giving out an alluring glow under the sun.

Anne Aldrich Augen who had become the highest authority in Edland City in one night was sitting on a tall back chair at the end, listening to the reports Chief Gregory brought her concentratedly. She didn’t seem a bit interested in the table full of food.

When Kieran entered the dining area, the police chief halted his words right away.

Anne Aldrich Augen slightly turned her body around from the chair, asking Kieran with a smiley face, “What kind of breakfast do you prefer?”

There wasn’t the slightest sign of weirdness on her face and manner but Kieran could tell, the lady before him was angry.

Otherwise based on her sticky character, she would have leaned over to Kieran by now.

Kieran turned his eyes to Police Chief Gregory beside her.

His face was swollen and the bridge of his nose was covered with bandages, plus the bruises over his face looked like an irregular shoe print.

Kieran was extremely familiar with that shoe print.

Teresa!

Kieran was absolute certain where the shoe print on the director’s face came from since he did go into actions with Teresa before.

“An explosive temper as usual,” Kieran commented in his heart.

Then he turned to Anne Aldrich Augen.

Anne Aldrich Augen didn’t dodge Kieran’s gaze, instead, she maintained her smiling face as if she was waiting for Kieran’s answer.

It made Kieran sigh heavily in his heart.

Although Kieran was quite certain when Teresa took the bold move, she would have expected consequences. However, she wouldn’t have thought it would be used by Anne Aldrich Augen, turning it into one of the methods to test Kieran.

Anne Aldrich Augen was a vigilant, dubious, and smart woman. Kieran never denied that fact, just like how he never thought his operations last night were smart enough to fool everyone.

Anne Aldrich Augen who plotted the whole thing would have noticed some inklings here and there, it was within Kieran’s expectation as well.

Kieran too had his own corresponding excuses, whether Teresa brought a huge batch of police officers to intervene or not, nothing would have changed.

But after glancing over the dining table, Kieran gave up his original excuse because he found a more convincing fact.

“Is this the wine you liked?”

Kieran slowly walked over to Anne Aldrich Augen’s front and took the wine glass in front of her.

The white wine’s sourness and the sweetness were rich and its aroma was showering Kieran’s nose from within the glass, yet the taste and aroma were covering a slight unusual inside.

A regular person would never notice the unusual inside the wine but Kieran’s S+ Intuition plus his Grandmaster [Medical and Medicinal Knowledge] could easily tell it apart.

“Yup.” Anne Aldrich Augen replied but the expression on her face changed a little.

She was smart enough to realize Kieran had discovered something from his movements and actions but she didn’t panic.

She even swiftly tidied up the process in her mind, why would the wine glass appear in front of her so righteously.

Naturally, the thought linked her to several suspects in her mind as well.

The faint dissatisfaction and tests she had prepared for Kieran were instantly discarded from her priority.

Anne Aldrich Augen knew clearly what kind of attitude she would use against Kieran who just saved her life again.

“It seems like once a habit stays for too long, someone else will try to exploit the opportunity against me.”

Anne Aldrich Augen sighed before standing up from her chair.

The way she stood up looked like a flower dancing in the wind, her eyes on Kieran were overflowing with deep affection as well.

“But I’ve gotten used to staying beside you. What do you want me to do about it? I smell the scent of death but still, I fly over like a moth darts into the flames.”

Anne Aldrich Augen’s hands once again tried to reach for a hug at Kieran while she was sighing.

Similar to previous attempts, Kieran too dodged her hug subtly.

“If you have time to put up an act, you should try to go after the guy who is still in hiding. A friendly reminder, Mayer being occupied wasn’t part of the coincidental guess of that person.”

Kieran said slowly to Anne Aldrich Augen whose face was looking bitter as if it was weeping and complaining.

He then handed over the wine glass to her and throughout the little process, Kieran’s hand was giving out a steady radiance. It looked like the sunlight but much brighter.

Spots of black visible to the naked eyes were exposed under the radiance.

Anne Aldrich Augen widened her eyes unconsciously and even Chief Gregory beside had his jaw dropped.

“This…This is…” Anne Aldrich Augen asked in a stuttered tone.

“A poison detection, a common hand among the knights and friars of churches. It’s quite useful to examine what kind of poison is in play.”

Kieran placed the wine glass in Anne Aldrich Augen’s hand with a smile before turning around and heading outside.

As he walked along the glass French window, the sun shone on his body as if it covered him with a layer of brilliance.

Kieran slowly went away but his straight figure swiftly coincided with a certain figure from some epic tails in Anne Aldrich Augen’s mind.

“Kn…Knight?” she muttered softly unconsciously.