A saintess? She's just a bad woman.

Page 147

The cabin class is even cheaper than economy class, not even a hard sleeper. A group of sweaty people are crammed into a cabin without blankets or pillows, and the accommodation is worse than a prison cell.

Everyone sat and slept on the ground. The food rations were very simple. Three meals a day consisted of black bread. Water could be obtained from the restrooms and was unlimited, free of charge and enough to fill you up.

After everyone had entered the elevator, Santa Karina seemingly unintentionally revealed her left wrist.

She had a bracelet on her wrist that looked like a watch and could be used as one, but it was actually an identification token issued to first-class passengers on the Avrov.

It's shaped like a watch, with a flat, rectangular, dark gold body and a flexible mechanical clasp. Inside the "box" is a special chip that can be used to swipe elevator doors and other electronic locks.

Upon seeing the token in her hand, those who wanted to kick her off the elevator had to shut up.

The elevator ride was smooth, and Santa Karina arrived at the top-floor restaurant. The restaurant was divided into different sections according to countries, and she ignored the Western-style names, specifically looking for the sections with Chinese characters.

"Isn't it a bit strange for someone with Western features to eat Chinese food for breakfast?"

Saint Karina was worried about arousing suspicion, but then she thought that she was currently disguising herself as an ordinary person, neither a noble nor a politician, so there was no need to worry about other people's opinions when having breakfast.

After searching through each section, she finally found those familiar words.

——Huang.

The Radiant Empire, the land of the Kui dragon from the East, is also a wonderful paradise that countless Westerners yearn for.

So, Santa Karina went to the dining area for Asians, ordered a vegetable fried rice from the yellow-skinned, black-haired waiter, and then went to the window across the street to order borscht.

Rice soup, followed by a cup of black tea – the life of the middle class is truly pleasant.

The waiters wouldn't question why guests ordered food that didn't suit their tastes; they would simply say, "Enjoy your meal." Santa Karina, unconcerned with others' opinions, devoured her food with a gleaming metal spoon.

It's called vegetable fried rice, but it contains not only vegetables like corn, carrots, onions, and green peppers, but also crunchy shrimp. Since I can eat my favorite rice, there's no need to force myself to eat bread.

Just as I finished the plate of fried rice and was about to finish the remaining half bowl of soup, two very elegantly dressed women passed by. They wore long dresses in light gold and light blue, and topped with matching feathered hats.

The tight-fitting waist and exaggerated petticoat make for a truly classic design.

The women, each carrying a small, fragrant folding fan, moved with graceful ease, their words and actions revealing their refined manners. Their conversation drifted to Santa Karina's ears; it was about the first-class passenger who had been turned into a work of art.

Saint Karina put down her soup bowl and pretended to walk in the same direction to follow.

The woman in the long gold dress covered her face with a fan and sighed, "My God, Madame Fremont is so pitiful. Her husband was brutally murdered and posed like that. I hope she can get out of her grief."

"How could Mr. Fremont have suffered such a cruel fate? Mrs. Fremont told me that he was once a proud Victoria Mounted Police officer who had to leave the army after being wounded. Who could possibly kill a retired Mounted Police officer?"

"..."

The two chatted about trivial matters, with only a few words related to the deceased. They were going to the card room next, but St. Karina wasn't interested in playing cards and started wandering around the Avrov.

First-class passengers have unrestricted access to all leisure and dining venues, except for some important cabins.

"Next, let's go to—"

She stared at the floor plan of the Avrov on the wall. There wasn't anything she wanted to do, but she was quite interested in the observation deck on the upper deck. Standing at the highest point of the observation deck, overlooking the vast sea, bathed in the morning sea breeze, waiting for the sunrise—it all sounded so romantic.

Despite the absence of companions, the absence of the rising sun, the overcast sky, and the thick fog at sea, her mood remained unaffected.

The sea ghost usually appears between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. The ship will be 6% safe once the sun rises. The only thing to watch out for is the murderer who brutally killed the retired mounted police officer.

Without further ado, Santa Karina took the elevator straight to the upper deck.

The air inside the cabin was stuffy and stagnant. But once she left that enclosed rectangular space, the fresh outdoor air entered her lungs through her breath, and she immediately felt refreshed.

The sea breeze was cold and strong in the early morning. Santa Karina pulled up her coat and took a walk on the wide deck to digest her food.

The sky was dark and gloomy, the blackish-gray expanse devoid of any light, the murky colors swirling overhead like boiling mud. There was no thunder or lightning, so she wasn't worried about rain.

If she is unlucky enough to not be able to get back to her cabin before the downpour, the ship's stewards will do their best to help this VIP guest, such as washing and drying her clothes and preparing medicine to ward off the cold.

"hiss--"

"call--"

Saint Karina took a few deep breaths and then stretched her body over the fence.

A wisp of smoke drifted from a distance. Less than five meters away, by the fence, stood Miss Williams, the gray-haired woman she had seen at the crime scene, lighting a cigarette with a lighter.

She was dressed lightly, wearing only a black shirt, light beige casual pants, and flip-flops.

They met again by chance.

247. Become an assistant

Let's eliminate the least likely option first, which is tracking.

Miss Williams couldn't have followed her for so long without being discovered; the mahogany cane and the heavy footsteps during her first appearance both indicated that she had difficulty walking.

Holding the cane on the right side indicates that the right leg is not conducive to walking.

It is truly regrettable that such a beautiful young woman, seemingly flawless, was deprived of her right to walk normally due to the jealousy of heaven.

Saint Karina didn't pay special attention to Miss Williams' right leg, lest she be perceived as intentionally offensive. Staring at someone's flaws is bound to make them feel uncomfortable.

If they were to "bump into" each other again in the capital, Niakal, many unpleasant things would inevitably happen.

Since we can't stare at the person directly, let's look at something else. Our gaze naturally moves to the mahogany cane, one of the most precious woods in the world, especially sought after and loved by the upper class in Victorian society, and often used to make furniture and musical instruments.

Mahogany is hard, has a fine texture, and is very stable. It is easy to polish, does not easily deform, and is durable and long-lasting for making furniture.

The darker the color, the older the wood. The cane is a deep reddish-brown, and its age is unknown, but it is clearly sturdy and durable, living up to its reputation as a noble among woods.

Saint Karina's assessment of Miss Williams's identity deepened further. She wasn't just an ordinary government employee; she was at least a well-to-do noblewoman.

When speaking to someone like this, it's best to carefully consider every word and sentence, with a sense of trepidation and walking on thin ice.

The memories in this body told her that Victoria was a place where the rich and nobles called the shots, and she should not provoke them. Secondly, she should not provoke the gangsters and the Silver Lance Knights.

If the conversation could end sooner, it would be better to end it sooner. Saint Karina had no intention of speaking to Miss Williams; as long as the conversation hadn't started, trouble wouldn't come her way.

The sea breeze on the deck grew stronger and stronger, and the two people's long hair danced wildly in the raging wind, making them seem so small that they might be blown off the deck at any moment and fall into the embrace of the azure sea.

Before dawn, the eastern sky remained a hazy blur, a mixture of warm and cool colors. A warm orange-yellow burst forth from the deep blue, permeating and eventually driving it away, ending the long night and ushering in daylight.

Although the sky was clearly visible, the sea presented a completely different scene.

An eerie sea fog lingered around, refusing to dissipate. Like a damp, white wall, it isolated the ship in this sea. The people on board could see neither the distant scenery nor other vessels.

This situation is quite frustrating.

St. Karina turned and walked away in silence, but Miss Williams, engrossed in smoking, suddenly raised her mahogany cane to block her path.

"Don't leave yet, stay a little longer."

"..."

"Why didn't you speak first?" Saint Karina thought to herself.

"Miss, what can I do for you?"

"I know you're carrying a gun. Were you a policeman before?"

His sharp gaze shifted from the sea, and his blue eyes stared at Saint Karina with a hint of arrogance.

“No, I’m just an ordinary person, Miss. There’s no explicit rule in Niakar that civilians are not allowed to own guns. The gun is just a way for me to protect myself.”

Miss Williams raised the hand holding the cigarette with exquisite grace, flicking her fingertips lightly to send the glowing ash into the sea.

"As far as I know, ordinary people can't afford a first-class A-class ticket on the Avlov."

Saint Karina, dressed in a hoodie and jeans, stood out enough among a group of well-dressed gentlemen and ladies. Miss Williams had no interest in prying into other people's pasts; her conversation was purely out of boredom.

She found life on the ship monotonous and needed some variety.

The case that occurred in the first-class lounge of the passenger ship early this morning will become her opportunity to while away the rest of her time. Investigating and reasoning require gathering evidence and conducting investigations, both of which are very time-consuming and energy-intensive.

She has plenty of time right now, and coincidentally, the ship's captain has entrusted her with the investigation, which is exactly what she wanted. A personal investigation would inevitably be difficult and slow, so she would need an assistant.

Miss Williams took a liking to Santa Karina. Faced with the bizarre and gruesome death of the corpse, she merely frowned, a stark contrast to the passengers vomiting nearby, the ship's police officers, and the crew—a breath of fresh air indeed.

"Miss, please get straight to the point and state your purpose."

Riddlers are the kind of creatures that annoy Saint Karina the most. They have countless opportunities to be open and honest, to condense what they want to say into concise and easy-to-understand words, but they insist on complicating simple content, adding all sorts of meaningless, seemingly profound but actually incomprehensible embellishments, or deliberately going around in circles and not getting to the point.

"Sorry, I've gone off-topic."

For the first time, his deep blue eyes truly met Saint Karina's gaze. A swirling blue vortex emanated from it, carrying an undeniable air of authority.

"I would like to ask you to investigate the case that happened today. Let's begin now."

"I reject."

Almost without hesitation, Saint Karina gave a negative answer.

"Detective games aren't for me; it's better to leave them to the police officers or the Night Investigators."

Seeing that Saint Karina remained unmoved, Miss Williams used her trump card.

"The captain is willing to pay 20 Victoria dollars as a reward for solving the case. The Avlov is backed by Ferguson Shipping, one of the most famous shipping companies in Victoria, and they do not want this incident to negatively impact the company's reputation."

"20 million..."

The thought that she only had a few thousand Victoria dollars left in her pocket suddenly made her offer a hundred times more tempting.

No one can refuse money.

However, St. Karina was not short of money. The amount she had in her pocket was negligible, and the two hundred thousand Victoria dollars that Miss Williams promised was far too little to sway her.

The other party was unaware of Saint Karina's inner thoughts. In fact, Miss Williams threw the last bit of her cigarette butt into the metal trash can next to her and calmly leaned against the railing, waiting for a reply.

The sky had fully brightened, but thick, dark clouds blocked out the sunlight, shrouding the upper deck in a gloomy and deathly atmosphere. The only sounds were the wind and the crashing waves against the ship's sides.

"Even if it's just money, I would still refuse."

Wealthy people are more or less influenced by capitalists. If you work hard for them but don't get any benefits in return, you're just wasting time that would have helped you understand the world better. You might as well enjoy the facilities on the cruise ship now and make the ticket price worthwhile.

St. Karina's guiding principle is to avoid doing things that don't benefit her and to stay out of things that don't concern her.

The "Chronicle of Victoria" that lay on the table had a sentence written on its title page.

Goodwill without principles becomes empty and meaningless, a weapon that wounds oneself.

"Miss, I hope you can offer me conditions that will sway me."

Miss Williams gripped the brass handle above her palm. The T-shaped metal was polished smooth and shiny. Her slender, long fingers wrapped around it looked somewhat incongruous.

There were calluses at the junction of her thumb and forefinger, as well as on both sides of her forefinger, indicating that Miss Williams had been with a gun for a long time.

The cane, a symbol of civility and etiquette, and the firearm, a symbol of death and violence, are two extremes.

An arrogant smile appeared on her indifferent face, like a cool breeze brushing against her cheek, fleeting in an instant.

"I need to see your skills first. Also, what should I call you? I don't know your name yet."

"Lina."

Saint Karina did not reveal her real name, nor did she intend to shake hands with the other party. Generally, nobles disdain shaking hands with slovenly commoners, believing that it would dirty their noble hands. Even if they did shake hands, they would immediately wipe them with a handkerchief, showing their disgust to the fullest extent.

She disliked dealing with wealthy people unless it was something she had to do, requiring her to put on a smile and force herself to face those well-dressed aristocrats.

Living in Niagara inevitably involves contact with the upper class, so this trip can be seen as a rehearsal. In this way, the feeling of resistance will be much less.

Given the client's outstanding appearance, working with her wouldn't be too painful. From the perspective of appreciating beauty, Miss Williams's appearance deserves the praise of the golden ratio; she is flawless from any angle.

"Virginie Williams, just call me Williams."

"learn."

Santa Karina didn't mention hearing her last name before, nor did she want to be seen as a gossipy stranger who liked to eavesdrop. Exchanging names was the first step in their cooperation, even though neither of them had any particularly strong feelings for the other.

There's no need for goodwill between strangers who meet by chance.

"I have one last question."

Before they began exchanging information and discussing the case in depth, Santa Karina asked a question that had been on her mind for ten minutes.

"why me?"

"The reason is probably that I'm bored with all the other passengers. Since I'm looking for a partner to relieve my boredom, why not choose someone different? I observed everyone at the crime scene, and your indifferent expression caught my attention. People who are terrified by corpses or vomit all over the place are not qualified to be my partner."

“It would be my pleasure, Miss Williams. Last but not least, could you please use a quarter of the prize money to motivate me? A bearing without lubrication will only jam.”

She doesn't lack money; it's all an act. Greed can lower people's guard, and Saint Karina's promise to help Miss Williams wasn't as simple as it seemed. Her character's love and desire for money remained unchanged.

Virginia pulled a thick black leather wallet from her pocket, containing an enticing amount of money. She took three crisp bills from a stack of banknotes: two 1-dollar notes and one 5-dollar note.

"Here is 25000 Victoria dollars in cash. Please do something befitting my role as an assistant immediately."

The fragrant banknotes, like the internal combustion engine and fuel in a steam train, instantly ignited Saint Karina's interest and motivation to investigate the case. She folded the banknotes and stuffed them into the inside pocket of her coat while organizing her thoughts.