He rested at home for two days.
Apart from recording the prison warden’s whereabouts reported in the newspaper and doing some basic intelligence gathering, Ronald didn’t do any unnecessary things. Knowing which events Bach Krichens would be attending was sufficient for him.
Meanwhile, within Blenheim City, Swift was also using his extensive social network to inquire about recent balls being held in the city.
Since the planning and invitations for balls had to be prepared well in advance, the gentleman investigator’s duties became somewhat troublesome, as he still hoped to come across this information ’by chance.’
After all, the more one acted during such times, the more likely it was to spook the quarry.
He and Swift both understood this, so they were each collecting information in their own way, silently waiting for the best opportunity to act.
However, on Wednesday.
Ronald indeed had one more thing to do.
—Nicole’s invitation.
He was not inherently someone who liked to break promises.
So, as soon as he finished copying down the recordings from the morning newspaper on Wednesday, he decided to visit the young investigator’s home.
Even if it was considered a change of pace from the tense life, it would be quite good.
Thinking thus, Ronald bid farewell to the landlady and left his lodgings.
The weather in Blenheim City was clear today.
While it was still the coldest period of the year, according to the locals, the temperature would start to rise slowly from next week, until spring returned after about forty days.
It is worth mentioning that the holiday customs of this world are also different from Earth’s.
They did have cross-year holidays, but they were not considered very significant.
As far as Ronald knew, within the nation of Gride, there were three most important days of the year.
The first rain at the end of winter or the beginning of spring would be known as Rainfall Festival;
The last day of autumn, celebrated for the harvest, was Harvest Day Festival;
And the Queen’s birthday, which was going to change in the future.
These unique holiday customs of the otherworld were something Ronald had only learned about through special study.
That included the division and naming origins of the twelve months of the year.
Walking leisurely alone in Blenheim City,
Half an hour later, more than an hour before noon, Ronald arrived at a residential street in the White Dew District.
This was where Nicole had told him she lived.
Ronald searched by the house numbers and soon arrived at the young investigator’s residence.
Looking at the house in front of him, Ronald murmured softly.
Nicole’s private residence was located on a very ordinary street within a vast residential area of Blenheim City.
From the outside, the investigator’s house was nearly indistinguishable with any notable features. It was a simple two-story dwelling with a common private garden, and the customary mailbox standing at the front.
Of course, if there had to be a difference.
It would probably be that the garden of Nicole’s home was well-cared-for—the vegetation, flowers, and trees all tended nicely, showing a lively vitality within their branches even during the winter.
Recalling the plant maze that Nicole had created before, this made sense quite easily.
Thinking this, Ronald walked up to the front.
The fence was some distance away from the house, and he simply called out:
"Nicole, are you home?"
As Ronald’s voice carried out, Nicole’s figure almost instantly appeared within the house, extravagantly waving to Ronald through the window facing the street.
Subsequently, the young investigator disappeared behind the window.
In less than a few breaths, she pushed open the front door and ran out from the house.
Rushing towards Ronald, she opened the fence and invited him in:
"Come on, let me show you around my house."
"And just so you know, I prepared a lot of delicious foods for today, guaranteed to satisfy you!"
Following Nicole’s lead into the house, Ronald only then discovered that the interior of this building was a hidden paradise, quite different from what he had seen outside.
The house, which appeared unremarkable from the outside, had actually been transformed by Nicole into a natural plant garden. Rare and unusual vegetation covered the surroundings, and vibrant flowers bloomed out of season inside the house.
If not for Nicole’s efforts to conceal it, the fragrance from within might be discernible even from the outside.
In addition to that, green vines were especially prevalent.
They spread across every corner of the room, their climbing and twining nature letting them cover various spots almost turning the place into a maze made up of a primeval jungle.
And what’s even better was—
Nicole’s sense of aesthetics and layout abilities were also quite remarkable.
Beneath the coverage of various types of vegetation, she managed to blend beauty with the necessary empty areas for daily activities.
Sensing Ronald’s surprised expression, Nicole immediately puffed out her chest proudly:
"This is my house; isn’t it decorated in a super interesting way?"
In Ronald’s mind, only the treehouses that the protagonists of "Lost World" lived in could compare to this place.
While reflecting on this, Ronald then asked:
"So Nicole, did you invite me over today just to admire these plants?"
Faced with Ronald’s question, Nicole lowered her head slightly, her eyes flickering somewhat:
"Actually, that’s not it."
Saying this, the young investigator tapped the vines on the wall behind her. Shortly after, two vines tugged together, and the door automatically closed while the latches on all the windows were firmly fastened.
Sunlight was blocked out from the room, and flowers of a particular plant on the ceiling began to emit light, illuminating the space for the two of them.
With a soft clap of her hands, two wooden vine chairs were pulled over from another room by the vines and placed behind Ronald and herself to offer them seats.
"Come, let’s sit down first."
At this moment, while inviting Ronald to take a seat, Nicole also spoke with a somewhat conflicted tone:
"Ronald, the night I saw you, someone was following you, so it wasn’t convenient to talk. Now let’s have a serious discussion."
The demeanor of the young investigator was quite serious now, no longer lively as before.
After putting forward her thoughts, she sat down straightforwardly, waiting for Ronald’s response.
But hidden in the depth of Nicole’s gaze, one could still discern her current nervousness.
Faced with this situation, Ronald also seated himself with proper posture:
"It seems, Nicole, that you had me come over because you have something very important to discuss?"
"It’s not about what I want to say!"
Seeing Ronald’s reaction, Nicole naturally assumed a serious attitude as well.
"Ronald, no normal person wanders the streets at that time of night, and besides, I know about your current job."
"If you were coming back from outside the city, there’s no way you’d end up on that street!"
Saying this, Nicole seemed to make some sort of decision.
Her tone softened, and her gaze began to drift around the room:
"Ronald, tell me what exactly happened."
"I promise by the queen’s name that I will keep your secret."
"And if you need help, as long as it’s not too illegal or troublesome, I’ll absolutely offer it without hesitation."