Mystery: The Stars Returner

Earl Hall's house.

A week has passed since the Backlund smog incident, and Audrey finally got permission to go out.

During this period, she also participated in a Tarot session. During the Tarot session, Mr. Fool said that this was a disaster caused by a witch.

Mr. Hanged Man said that many people died in the Backlund smog incident this time, and coupled with the death of Duke Negan, it had a great impact on the Kingdom of Loen.

Even Miss Magician said that the ordinary people living in Backlund were miserable, especially the dock area, which was already poor and backward. This time, they were facing despair. Only the nobles living in Queens and the West District escaped this disaster safely.

And she, Audrey Hall, knew very little information about this matter, because she couldn't go out of her house, she couldn't know what the outside world was like, let alone how many people had died in this smog incident. .

Earl Hall attaches great importance to her protection and does not allow her to leave the house at all. Even if she goes for a walk in the back garden, he must set a time to avoid being affected by the toxic haze that may remain in the air.

Today, Earl Hall allowed her to leave the house and go out to relax.

She took Susie with her, followed by two maids, and a few servants from Earl Hall's family a little further away.

She was surprised to find that the shops on both sides of the street were still crowded with aristocratic ladies and ladies who came to choose goods. They had bright smiles on their faces and were not affected by the smog incident at all.

As she continued walking along the King's Road, everything around her seemed the same as usual, and it was as if the so-called smog incident did not exist.

After wandering around for a while, she was sure that everything here was the same as usual, no different.

There was no sight of corpses lying on the street as Miss Magic said, with people picking up branches and coal during the day and burning the corpses in the falling snow at night.

There was no panic, tension or dangerous atmosphere as described by Mr. Hanged Man.

Audrey always had a strong sense of separation, between the words of Miss Magician and Mr. Hanged Man on one side, and the still bustling and bustling streets in front of her on the other.

The smiles on people's faces cannot be faked. The happiness on the faces of people you see on the street is truly happy.

There are many people gathering in groups along the street to drink tea and chat, with brisk laughter and sweet smiles, everything is beautiful.

Has the impact of the Great Smog Incident really passed?

Or maybe this matter is not as serious as Miss Magician and Mr. Hanged Man said?

She really wanted to chat with someone and find out the real changes in Backlund during this period.

But Susie next to her, the personal maid, and the attendant behind her who were responsible for protecting her were obviously not suitable chat partners.

She thought of Mr. Hastur. She had not met Mr. Hastur since the last time they said goodbye. It was said that he was very busy now and was preparing to leave Backlund.

Is it really okay to bother me like this now?

Audrey sighed slightly. In the end, she did not choose to disturb him. Instead, she chose a shop that looked relatively deserted and quiet. She ordered a cup of hot tea and some small desserts and looked along the window to the street outside.

Carriages passed by on the road, and the horses' hooves intertwined with the ground to create an intricate piece of music.

Do you want to go to the dock area that the magician mentioned?

Audrey suddenly had such an idea in her mind. She had never really been to the dock area except when she went out on a ship. She had the impression that there were many busy workers there. She didn't know the details. But it is obviously impossible for her to go there alone, she needs someone to accompany her, such as her eldest brother Hibbert, or Earl Hall, Mr. Hastur.

"It's a little annoying."

Audrey pouted slightly, but before the maid could speak, she returned to her elegant and dignified side.

Ten minutes later, a familiar figure suddenly appeared outside the street. Mr. Hasta was walking with a little black cat in his arms.

"Susie, please go and call Mr. Hastur for me."

Audrey handed over the task of striking up a conversation to Susie, who was lying on the ground in a daze of boredom.

"Wang?"

"Go ahead, I believe you can do it."

"..."

Susie got up, shook her golden hair, and then ran towards the door.

At this time, a maid said: "Susie is getting smarter and smarter now."

"Yes, because it's uniquely Susie."

Audrey was a little proud. This was an extraordinary golden retriever she had trained by herself, and she would become a psychiatrist in the future.

Soon, Susie brought Mr. Hastur, who was holding the little black cat, to Audrey, and Audrey stroked Susie's head as an encouragement.

"Miss Audrey, good afternoon."

"Good afternoon, Mr. Hastur."

Audrey asked her maid to arrange a seat opposite her for Mr. Hastur.

"Why is Miss Audrey free to hang out today?"

"I have been staying at home during this period and could not go out until today. Unexpectedly, I met Mr. Hasta. I am really lucky."

"It's also my good fortune."

After the two exchanged some pleasantries, Audrey asked about the smog incident in Backlund.

"Living in Queens and living in the Docklands are two completely different lives, and the impact of the smog incident on them is naturally different."

"Here, many aristocratic ladies and ladies can still happily go shopping and buy things every day. Occasionally they get together to have tea parties and talk about jewelry and dress styles."

“To them, the Great Smog incident is more like a line of words in a newspaper, or a term mentioned by others in gossip exchanges. It is light and has no weight or anything worth thinking about deeply.”

Audrey was silent for a while, raised her bright eyes, and said softly: "In Mr. Hastur's opinion, am I also one of these noble ladies?"

"This is an attribute you possess when you are born. It does not change based on someone else's thoughts. There is no need for you to deny it, because this is your daily life."

"Then can I see a different life?"

"Of course you can. What we mean by broadening your horizons and observing more different lives is also a way to expand your horizons."

"Mr. Hastur knows a lot of things that I don't know. He seems to have experienced a lot of things?"

"I'm just talking on paper. It's fine for chatting. After all, I haven't been to the dock area since the smog incident."

Hastur thought for a moment and then said: "But I can imagine what is happening there, or what has happened in the past."

"Is this the benefit of reading more?"

"No, this is because I knew what kind of place it was from the beginning, so I could guess what would happen to them when they encountered a major haze event based on the actual conditions there."

"Mr. Hastur, I want to go to the dock area. Can you accompany me?"

"If Earl Hall agrees to your going, I will be happy to be your guide."

"..."

Audrey frowned slightly. It was not an easy task to persuade Earl Hall to agree to go to the dock area.

"Mr. Hastur, are you worried about something?"

"I'm just looking at this from the perspective of a father, Earl Hall."

Audrey couldn't understand this sentence, and Hasta didn't explain it.

Audrey is now well protected, and she has no right to destroy the safety barrier that Earl Hall has built for her over the years.

The current dock area is not a good place to be. Although there are church personnel there to help solve the problem, the actual situation is still very serious.

The impact of the smog incident is not only the death of people, but also for those who are still alive but can no longer live well, the real disaster has just begun.

"Mr. Hastur, can't you take me to see him secretly?"

"No."

Hastur ruthlessly rejected Audrey's small request, ignoring her annoyed look.

"Don't even think about taking Susie secretly. Count Hall will definitely send someone to keep an eye on you."

Hasta said another word, breaking Audrey's little thoughts at the moment.

"Mr. Hastur!"

Audrey slightly clenched her little fists hidden in her sleeves and waved them twice before she let out a small expression of anger.

"The tea here is not bad. I want to continue taking Azshara shopping, so I'll excuse you now."

Hastur was wise enough to leave at a time like this.

Audrey watched Hastur leave and snorted: "Susie, you can't learn from Mr. Hastur to talk like this in the future, otherwise you will be beaten up by me."

"Wang?"

Susie looked confused and subconsciously moved to a position farther away from Audrey so as not to become the punching bag for Audrey's unhappiness.

Even though it knew Audrey wasn't really angry, why should it take the risk?

Stay away, wait for Audrey to feel better, and then go home together.

……

At night, after Earl Hall came back, Audrey, who had been thinking about it for a long time, took advantage of Earl Hall's good mood to propose that she wanted to take a look at the dock area.

"No, let's wait until after the new year."

Earl Hall also refused ruthlessly and did not give her the slightest hope.

"The Chinese New Year is coming soon. You have to learn the etiquette and procedures of the coming-of-age ceremony. You can also practice dancing. I will hire some more teachers for you in other aspects."

Earl Hall said something again that made Audrey's scalp tingle.

She really didn't want to waste her limited time on these things.

But it was obviously impossible for her to directly resist Earl Hall's arrangements. She could only tell him that she was very busy now and didn't have much time to learn new things.

In the end, the reasonable Earl Hall reduced the original six or seven teachers to two.

"..."

Audrey had no choice but to accept this arrangement, and a thought arose in her mind.

Could Mr. Hastur have anticipated this result?

So he asked himself to ask Earl Hall's opinion?