The waiter soon arrived with their food. Asher had ordered a croque monsieur and white tea, while Renée simply asked for a parfait with blueberries and strawberries.

She nibbled on her crepe and licked some whipped cream from her spoon, wearing a satisfied expression. Asher, captivated, forgot about his own meal altogether.

"Like what you see?" Renee teased

Asher coughed, trying to regain his composure before tucking into his food.

"Yes, it looks delicious the food I mean! Anyway ! So, what do you do for work?"

Renée giggled at his quick diversion.

"I work at a bookstore off Furlough. It's quite lovely—usually calm, and only regulars come in. That shop has a personality all its own. It's older than the street it’s on. The owner is the great-grandson of the founder. They've been open since the 1600s."

"Incredible! I can only hope for that level of family loyalty... well, maybe someday. I’m glad you’ve adjusted to Menthil. It can be a tough place to make a living. I used to work as a research fellow for Hearth University, but the pay was miserable."

"That’s unfortunate. What were you researching? You struck me as the scholarly type from the moment we met."

"History—though most of the old-timers in the faculty only cared about recent history. My focus was on ancient history, at least two hundred years back."

Asher paused, contemplating whether to dig a little deeper. "Specifically, I was interested in the Knights Stella and their relics."

Renée’s expression shifted, growing serious. Asher thought she wasn’t very good at hiding her emotions—definitely not one for clever word games.

"Oh? Which relics interested you?"

"How curious, have you studied them too? What a coincidence. I was particularly focused on Jester's Guise for a while. Lately, though, I’ve been searching through records for a ring relic."

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Renée's demeanor cracked at his words. She cast a suspicious glance at him.

"You don’t say… Was anyone else researching Jester's Guise?"

Asher realized she was reading between the lines. He decided to offer a discreet warning without revealing too much.

"Several members of the Church of the Night Goddess funded my research. They already had leads on where the relic might be when they hired me to investigate. In the end, I had to inform them I couldn’t help locate it. I hope if… ah *cough*, perhaps Madame Duval knows someone who could? You might inquire on my behalf," he added with a meaningful look and a wink.

Renée relaxed slightly, understanding he meant her no harm.

"I don’t know anyone personally, but I’ve read a couple of books on the subject. That’s where my knowledge comes from. If you'd like, I can lend them to you sometime."

Asher smiled, finishing his meal and sipping his tea.

"That would be greatly appreciated, Madame."

Renée fished out some of the sweet yogurt from her crepe.

"I’ll send them to your flat. So? What do you do now? Are you working for the Mother?"

Asher felt a bit of pressure under her gaze and knew he had to keep things professional.

"No, I work for a consultancy agency. We usually assist the police department with their investigations. I’m an assistant detective."

Renée didn’t believe him for a second and knew he was spouting bollocks .

"I see… Well, I’ll keep your words in mind."

Asher flicked open his pocket watch, noticing it was almost 7 o’clock.

"Madame, I believe I must retire for the evening—I have a big day ahead of me. Would you like me to walk you home? Beautiful flowers are often the first plucked, after all."

Renée was delighted by his offer, nodding energetically. Asher paid for their meals and walked her to her home on Market Street.

Afterward, he returned to his flat, undressed, and washed himself before settling into bed. As he buried his head in his pillow and drifted off, strangely he thought he caught the faint scent of vanilla and lilies.

The next morning, Asher arrived at the office, punctual at 7 a.m., brimming with confidence.

"Ah-ha! It’s time for me to officially debut as Secret Investigator Moretti! Flee in terror, miscreants of the Night! Wahahaha!"

Just then, Liz opened the door, quietly walking up behind him. She gave him a sympathetic look.

"It’s okay, Asher, the voices will go away soon—or at least, that’s what Henry told me." She smiled reassuringly.

Asher froze, mortified.

"Ah, it’s nothing like that! I’m fine, really. Thanks for the coffee, Liz."

Looking around for a hole to bury himself in and realizing there was no escape from his embarrassment, Asher took his coffee and entered Mr. Bolard’s office.

Bolard appeared to be having a physical altercation with his tie when Asher stepped in, and the door had been left ajar. Asher cleared his throat awkwardly. "Sorry, the door was open. I thought I might need a briefing before heading out with Henry."

Giving up on the tie, Mr. Bolard tossed it aside, surrendering to the blasted thing for the time being. He sat down and sipped his coffee while his breakfast waited on the desk.

Asher couldn’t help but envy the luxury of breakfast at work.

"Yes, you’re right. The target—or targets, we suspect there are two—are bloodfiends. Our informant, a preacher at St. Joan Cathedral, says there’ve been at least fifteen victims. And those are just the ones he knows about. They prey on the unfortunate, trying not to raise alarms. Start your search in Kensington and work your way to Hobble and the cathedral. But since you’re a newly turned Jester, you may have a few… advantages."

Bolard slid a small jewelry box across the desk.

"Take this—it’s a standard-issue dowsing stone for fortune-telling emissaries. Also, make sure Henry gives you some sacred bullets. You probably won’t need them, but it never hurts to be cautious. And don’t forget your mask—you’ll regret it if you do."