‘Did I bring sothing?’
I tilted my head in confusion as he watched with a grin, revealing his teeth. His long, spider-like fingers pointed at , or more precisely, at my coat pocket.
“Take out what’s in your pocket.”
With a puzzled expression, I retrieved the withered dahlia I had brought just in case. How did he know?
Plurititas’s expression beca peculiar. I heard a curious murmur, “Hoo…”
“This is sothing I didn’t expect.”
Then, he violently grabbed the dahlia. With a snap, the dahlia’s stem broke off. It shattered into pieces as it hit the table.
“What is this?”
“It’s just an ordinary flower now,” Plurititas replied. “But it seems soone took so drastic asures with it before. While I can’t use it, I can read its traces. Ti is quite terrifying.”
Plurititas shrugged as if he were deeply troubled. Yeah, I get it, you look younger than your age. I watched the dahlia crumble in his hands.
“It looked like it was delivered to Liam. When I wasn’t around.”
“Did Liam Moore receive this?”
“No. It was found in another Greenwich mber’s room.”
Plurititas rcilessly crushed the dahlia into powder and spread it across the glass table. It looked like ashes. His spider-like fingers pointed at the powder.
“It appears to be just a regular flower, but when the target cos into contact with it, it automatically tracks their location. It’s a sort of tracking device.”
“A tracking device…”
It was a term I hadn’t heard in a long ti. In the 19th century, machines were rare, and people discussing such topics were often considered drears. Can humans walk on the moon? Can people fly in the sky? Asking such questions usually gets one labelled as crazy.
My face must have looked strange. The man clearly seed knowledgeable about science and engineering. Plurititas’s white eyebrows went up, though it was hard to notice.
“The sender can track the receiver until they capture them. It’s fascinating. Whoever it is must have a lot of malice.”
He added with so wit, “Of course, Liam Moore isn’t soone who would die just because of a curse.”
True enough. Even if Liam were cursed a hundred tis, he would finish knitting, enjoy his snack, and then say, ‘Oh? I’m cursed? Should I at least faint?’ He’s that kind of person.
“So this isn’t the first ti.”
“Exactly.”
“Have other victims received this too?”
“Very likely.”
I stared at the powder and asked, “Is there any way to trace it back? Using the signal or sothing? It would be good to identify the sender.”
Plurititas looked at with interest and shrugged. “If it were a machine, it might be possible. But curses aren’t my specialty.”
“You should have learned it, given how long you’ve lived.”
“You ungrateful young person.”
“That’s how young people are.”
“You’re just like Liam Moore.”
He shook his head.
“Anyway, this is as far as I can help. The rest is up to you.”
Well, it couldn’t be helped. I held back a sigh.
“Running around is what I do best…”
At least it wasn’t a complete loss. The dahlia was a smoking gun for solving the case. So my job now was to find the mbers of Greenwich and check if they had received a dahlia recently. If soone had, I needed to act quickly to protect them. With luck, I might even catch the attacker.
Then, out of nowhere, he said, “I’d like to take a cast of your hand.”
Despite the situation, he stared at my hand with longing eyes, smacking his lips. My patience was wearing thin.
Now I understood why Liam left quickly after achieving his goals. Plurititas tended to cling if you stayed too long. Not just cling, but also try to cut off your head.
I cautiously asked, “What will you use to make the cast?”
“I’ll start with a drawing, then use plaster. For structural understanding, I’d like to open it up, but fortunately, there’s enough data in drawings. Bringing in a new specin would be a waste of resources.”
Is he crazy? This man confessed he wanted to dissect my hand without my consent. I looked at him with a bit of disgust.
“No need to worry. I won’t open it up.”
How could I not worry? I wiped my face dry with anxiety.
“Get the plaster quickly. No drawings, I don’t have ti. I’ll give you ten minutes.”
Plurititas smiled contentedly like a well-fed cat.
＊ ＊ ＊
In any case, Plurititas let go. Unlike with Liam Moore, he didn’t threaten . He just handed a gift as compensation for the satisfactory specin and cooperation, telling to open it outside. What is it, a bomb?
“But be careful.”
He warned like an old man who had lived long.
“Hunting people that way is rare. There’s nothing easier than catching a defenceless prey. If hunters are in London, it’s not entirely safe. They could be near you, wearing human skins.”
It was a cryptic warning.
“You’re easier to target than that annoying and spoiled Greenwich mber.”
“Geez.”
I nodded ekly, acknowledging my defencelessness.
“I’ll be careful. I’ll be going now.”
He grinned mischievously.
“Let know if Liam Moore’s head is intact.”
So he wanted to co back. He sounded like a grandfather saying, ‘Hurry and go!’ before the holidays.
“Yes, Grandpa.”
I mumbled nonsense and quickly ran out of the house. Surely, he wouldn’t drag back just because I talked back once?
Even as a cold gaze lingered on the back of my neck, Plurititas said nothing more. He just watched with a strange smile, like a picture. Nothing happened until the black iron gate opened and closed. Once outside, I finally relaxed. I actually t Plurititas! And it wasn’t in vain!
I stepped away from the mansion and opened the box. Lately, I’ve been receiving more gifts. Inside the box was a plain silver ring, set with a gem that resembled Plurititas’s eye colour. It was wrapped in velvet. It seed like a high-quality, custom-made piece. Inside the lid, there was a small note: “Reacts to danger.”
How does it react to danger? Can it monitor ?
It was a creepy thought. Why did he choose a gem similar to his eye colour? Normally, gifts match the recipient’s eye colour. It’s soone else wearing it, after all.
Feeling uneasy, I spoke to the ring, “Um, Plurititas…? Can you hear ? This ring doesn’t have such functions, right? Eavesdropping is a cri…”
No response. It seed like just a ring.
Putting aside my discomfort, I placed it on my right finger. It was too big for my finger, fitting only on my thumb. It felt heavy. I wouldn’t forget I was wearing it.
‘Next ti, I should bring a gift too…’
I walked out of the residential area. I pulled my hat down to cover my eyes. Just around the corner, I could see people bustling about. It was a busy street.
People in various outfits passed by. There were many street stalls, and so people were selling eggs in baskets. And then…
“Excuse .”
A hand grabbed , causing to turn around. The person had their face wrapped in a scarf. Their coat was twice their size, and they wore thick gloves, making it impossible to identify them.
“What is it?”
I asked.
“Sir, how do I get to Greenwich from here?”
A ridiculous question. But not unfamiliar. For a mont, I wondered which Greenwich they ant, but I naturally answered.
“Try heading to the train station. The station attendant can guide you better than I can.”
And the person imdiately disappeared into the crowd.
…What was that about?
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