“Bertha, coffee. Oh right, Karon, what would you like?”

“I already have something.” Karon picked up the glass of water that had been placed on the coffee table in front of the sofa earlier.

“I’ll refill it for you. The ice in your glass is almost melted,” Bertha said with a smile.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Bertha walked out of the office.

“Come, sit, Karon.” Piaget pulled his office chair from behind the desk and moved it to the side, sitting down. Karon sat diagonally opposite him. They were not separated by the whole desk, but just a leg.

“In Roja City, I think you mentioned wanting to come out and see the world, but I really didn’t expect you to come to York City, and so quickly.”

“Ninety percent of young people from Swillen think their future stage is in Veyn. Isn’t it normal for me to come here?”

“No, you’re different.” Piaget shook his head. “Many young people from Swillen carry an unrealistic and illusory Veyn dream in their hearts. They are genuinely simple and naive. You must have a clear reason supporting your decision to come.”

“My girlfriend is from Veyn,” Karon said.

“Oh, right, Miss Eunice. I remember meeting her at your home. A very beautiful and gentle lady.”

“Yes. I came to Veyn because of her.”

“Very good, very good.” Piaget opened a drawer and took out a black briefcase. “While I know you’re lying to me, I’ll pretend to believe it.”

“Lying to you?”

“Yes. Do you know what your gaze looks like when you truly love someone? I know you have a good impression of Miss Eunice, but back then, it definitely hadn’t reached the point where you would come to Veyn on your own solely for her.”

“Feelings can warm up.”

“It’s hard for you to truly fall in love with someone. When I say love, I mean something like what I had for Linda, or the kind of obsession portrayed on the comedy stage. You are too mature for your age. At an age when you should believe in love and pursue love, you are overly rational.” When not entangled in the question of Linda coming back or leaving him, Piaget was indeed a very perceptive person.

“So, you came to see me.” Piaget opened his briefcase and took out a checkbook. “Short on money, right?”

“In a way.”

“How much do you need? I’ll fill it in.”

“I need a job.”

Piaget’s hand paused, still holding the pen. “Oh. I see.”

At that moment, Miss Bertha knocked and entered, placing a cup of coffee in front of Piaget and a new glass of ice water in front of Karon before leaving.

Piaget lifted the coffee and took a sip. “You want to work here?”

“Is that possible?”

“Of course.” Piaget smiled. “My clinic just opened. Although more than half of the clients are the type who go to the opera on weekends and think having a bit of psychological trouble is fashionable, there are indeed some who have serious psychological problems that need timely treatment.

“I already have enough so-called doctors who have read a few books, half understand things, but are eloquent. I need you. A base salary of ten thousand rels per month, with a commission calculated separately. How about it?”

“Isn’t that too high?” Karon asked. “There’s no need to be so generous.”

“That’s the normal rate. Consultations are by appointment. You don’t even need to sit in the clinic every day. The secretary will schedule your appointments at least one day in advance.”

“Alright.”

“Then it’s settled?”

“It’s settled.”

“Good.” Piaget stood up with his coffee and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. “Karon, how do you find the view here?”

“It’s beautiful. Very captivating.”

“How about I give you this office? Other than formal meetings, I usually see patients in a smaller workroom. The layout here is too large, with too many elements. Real patients feel insecure chatting here.”

“No need. You’re the boss.”

“There’s no need to be so polite between us.”

“You also said it’s not suitable for conducting work here. The base color of my workspace is best kept black.”

“Alright. I’ll have Bertha arrange renovations as soon as possible.”

“Wallpaper will do. No need to make it troublesome.”

“By the way, Karon, where are you living now?”

“In an apartment in the Bluebridge Community.”

“Bluebridge... I don’t recognize that name, so it must be far.”

“It’s a bit out of the way.”

“Let the clinic arrange a new residence for you. Or simply live with me. I live alone.”

“No need. I quite like my current place.”

“Does Miss Eunice live with you?” Piaget asked with a smile.

“You just invited me to live with you. What do you think?”

Piaget laughed. “I realized my question skipped a step, so I rounded it out. So my good friend Karon, who came to Veyn for Miss Eunice, is now separated from her?”

“Yes.”

“I feel like you’re about to tell me a story about loving wealth and despising poverty, but I hope you’ll stop there.”

“Alright, then I’ll skip a step too.”

“It’s lunchtime. Let’s eat together. There’s a Swillen restaurant nearby which I think is decent.”

“If I’m starting work tomorrow, I’d like to go back and tidy up first.” Karon gestured to himself. “I need to buy two more sets of clothes suitable for work; softer colors.”

“Not even officially employed yet and you already dare refuse the boss’s lunch invitation.”

“I’m not a female employee; There’s no psychological burden in refusing the boss’s meal invitation. Besides, the difference between Swillen cuisine and Veyn cuisine to me is that one is bad, the other is very bad. When you have time or the clinic is closed, come to my place and I’ll cook personally.”

“Oh right, I remember your cooking is excellent. I’m looking forward to it. By the way, buying clothes counts as work expenses. Keep the receipts. The clinic will reimburse you.”

“Thank you, but that won’t be necessary.”

“Alright then. In any case, if there’s anything I can help with and you need, just ask.”

“What is a true friend?”

“A true friend is someone who feels happy helping you with anything, without calculating gains and losses.”

“I can feel that. Thank you, Piaget.”

Karon stood to leave. When he reached the office door, Piaget spoke again.

“Oh, right. One more thing.”

“What is it?”

“Never mind. It’s not urgent. I want you to give me some psychological counseling, but that can wait until after I’ve tasted your cooking at your place.”

“Are you alright?” Karon asked.

“Recently I’ve been quite fulfilled. The problem is still there, but I can temporarily shift my attention. Choosing Bertha as my personal secretary was also a way of telling myself not to avoid the problem.”

“I’m worried it might worsen it,” Karon countered.

“Just because she looks like Linda? Please. My love for Linda goes straight to the soul, not just the skin.”

“Then see you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow.”

Karon walked out of the office. Alfred was sitting in the waiting room outside, reading a newspaper. Seeing Karon come out, he immediately stood and followed.

Bertha moved to personally escort Karon out, but the bell on her desk rang. She instructed another secretary to see the guests out and pushed open the office door to enter.

“Karon will start work at the clinic tomorrow. Make arrangements.”

“Yes, boss. I’ll go call Mr. Karon back to complete onboarding documents.”

“No need for that trouble. His physician rating within the clinic will be the same as mine. As for the rest of the information, just make it up.”

“Yes, boss. Understood. And his surname...”

Piaget stroked his chin. “Make one up as well.”

“Yes, boss. It’s obvious you and Mr. Karon must have been very good friends before.”

“Of course. I believe if you interact with him more, you’ll discover his charm too. But he has a girlfriend, possibly even a fiancée, though they seem to have developed some issues. You’re not without a chance.”

“Is that so? Then that’s good news. I’ll tell the clinic’s female staff and doctors.”

“Oh no, then no one will have their mind to work. Also, arrange for some client recommendations for Karon. The patients recommended to him... follow my client standards. His ability is no less than mine.”

“Yes, boss.”

“And if there are wealthy widowed clients, you can recommend them to him as well. He’s good at handling that demographic.”

“Yes, boss.”

“Order lunch for me.”

“Right away, boss.”

Bertha left, and Piaget moved his chair back behind the desk and opened the drawer to his left. It contained many photographs, mostly of him and Linda. Looking at the photos, a warm smile appeared on Piaget’s face, until he picked up the last photo, and his smile gradually turned solemn.

“You broke your promise,” Piaget said. “I’ve been waiting for you to come to me during this time. Why haven’t you come? Instead, Karon came to see me.”

Piaget picked up the second glass of ice water that Karon had not drunk and took a large sip. He continued to mutter to himself, “It’s a pity I don’t know your real name, nor your true identity. But before, in the dark, there was always a voice telling me that here, I would meet you in hysteria.

“And you would lead me into a new world, a world Linda always longed for.”

Piaget closed his eyes. In his mind appeared the scene of Linda flying into the air that day, and the giant woman in the sky. He crossed his hands and pressed them to his chest. You whom Linda pursued even at the cost of leaving me, what kind of charm do you have?

“Praise... Rilsaar?”

The background of that photo was a café. In the picture, three people held coffee cups: the middle-aged Bede, the young Linda, and the young Piaget.

***

Bertha first instructed another secretary to order lunch from the Swillen restaurant for her boss, and then went to the restroom. It was outside of the clinic proper. In front of the entrance to the office was a relatively open space, and Bertha walked over to an open window and let the wind from the high-rise blow through her hair.

She silently took out a pack of slim cigarettes, placed one between her fingers, and lit it. The smoke she exhaled was blown back by the wind, brushing against her face. She enjoyed the sensation.

In her mind, the scene from the office replayed.

“Listen. I hope you can be clear-headed right now...” Karon’s warning as he held her wrists echoed again in her ears.

Has he already seen through my identity? Was he urging me to wake up and turn back? Bertha gazed at the city buildings ahead and the traffic flowing between them. There had been regret and sympathy in his eyes, and an irrepressible concern.

Bertha took another drag and carefully replayed the details of Karon’s earlier facial expressions in her mind. Was he sympathizing with me?

No, perhaps he was sympathizing with us?

At that moment, a female security guard from the clinic walked up behind Bertha. There were many female clients in the clinic, so there were equal numbers of female and male guards.

“Rebecca, did you observe his attendant?” Bertha asked.

“I did, Apostle, but I couldn’t see through him.”

“Couldn’t see through him?”

“He carries the aura of demonkin, but also the aura of a believer. He might be demonkin, he might be a priest, or perhaps merely a very charismatic male attendant.”

“Would a very charismatic man be willing to be an attendant?” Bertha asked.

“It’s my inadequacy.”

“No, it’s not your fault. That young man is not simple.”

“Was he sent by another church?”

“Probably not. If he were sent by another church, we wouldn’t still be standing here talking.” Bertha said, “He seems to have come specifically for Piaget. He and Piaget are likely true friends.”

“Perhaps other forces have also noticed Mr. Piaget. He might have the same objective as us.”

“I don’t think it’s that complicated, but we need further observation. Even the boss is not simple. Even though I have changed myself to resemble his late wife, he still treats me ordinarily.”

“I suggested before that you didn’t need to go to such lengths. Using your original appearance might have been even more effective. Not all men endlessly long for their deceased wives and seek substitutes. In fact, most men grow tired and want something new.”

A slap rang out.

A handprint appeared on Rebecca’s face. Bertha looked at her seriously. “You are not allowed to speak of Mr. Piaget like that.”

“Yes, Apostle. I was wrong.”

“Continue waiting. I don’t believe the guidance of the Altar of Light is mistaken. The opportunity for the revival of Light is here, a being who may rise in response to fate and inherit the opportunity of the Wall God Church.”

“The Altar of Light must be pointing to him.”

“The opportunity of the Wall God Church can also become the opportunity of our Church of Light.”

“We will continue waiting here.”

“We have waited for a long, long time already. A little longer makes no difference.”

“By the way, has the new round of gathering notices been sent?”

“Yes, Apostle. They have been sent.”

“No accidents?”

“There were accidents. Two messenger crows failed to return. According to memory backtracking, one crow was trapped by Arts.”

“And the other?” Bertha asked.

“The other was caught by a cat. A genuine accident.”

Bertha nodded.

“Apostle, should the gathering still proceed as scheduled?”

“As scheduled.”

“But...”

“Light will assimilate any other colors that attempt to mix in. I would rather they try to infiltrate.”

“Yes. Understood.”

“Go about your work. I’ll have another cigarette.”

“Apostle...”

“Something else?”

“Elder Dock asked me to pass on a message.”

“A warning, I presume.”

“Elder Dock wonders if you have truly fallen for your boss.”

“He is a very charming man.” Bertha lit a second cigarette. “Isn’t it normal to fall for him? Especially when he treats patients, he is very captivating.

“Also, that mysterious Mr. Karon today. I have a good impression of him as well. Very handsome, very attractive, and very deep. He will start work tomorrow, so you don’t need to monitor him anymore to avoid side effects. I will personally make contact.”

“Yes, but is it truly alright?”

“There’s no problem. Mr. Karon seems to... sympathize with our Church of Light. He urged me to wake up today. I could feel his gaze was not false.”

Rebecca softly praised, “Light Eternal.”

Bertha exhaled a ring of smoke and echoed, “Yes. Light Eternal.”

***

After exiting the elevator and stepping outside, Karon and Alfred got into the car parked by the curb.

“Young Master, when I was sitting in the waiting area earlier, a female security guard in the clinic seemed to pay extra attention to me.” 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

“A female security guard? Maybe she took a liking to you.”

“I don’t think so. She used a low-level detection Art to probe me.”

“With Piaget’s father’s status, arranging a few low-level clergy as bodyguards in York City isn’t entirely unreasonable.”

“But probing once should be enough. She probed me a second time, and then a third...”

“Are you saying she detected your demonkin identity?”

Alfred lowered his head and sniffed both his arms. “Young Master, there’s something I only recently realized.”

“Speak.”

“Since coming to Veyn with you, especially in the past few days after leaving Allen Manor, I feel that my demonkin aura has grown faint.”

“Did Pu’er and Kevin say something?”

“They may have overlooked the change because they’re always around me. When we get home, they can sniff again to confirm, but I truly feel the demonkin aura on me has faded, and instead there is another special aura...”

“Special aura?”

“Similar to the aura of clergy I’ve met before. Proper, solemn, aloof. I used to despise that aura and thought it pretentious, but now, I seem to genuinely carry that aura.”

Karon asked, “Are you saying that recently you’ve secretly converted to another church behind our backs?”

“No! Absolutely not! When I served under Sir Tiz, I had no interest in the Church of Order. How could I secretly believe in another—”

Suddenly, Alfred froze. Ecstasy slowly spread across his face, and he shouted, “Yes, I have!”