Perhaps there is nothing wrong with that. Besides, she has been here for a while, although not for a long time. The most important point is that she has learned a lot as an intern. This girl, using the excuse of not wanting to inherit a portion of the Antoinette family's wealth, despite having full and legitimate control, has a bright future ahead of her.
Sometimes, adolescent girls like her are quite rare. Usually, in this era, they are content with a flashy lifestyle, following trends or celebrities. It could be said that inheriting a portion of the riches from a wealthy family should not require much thought. In fact, many of them compete fiercely, even to the point of shedding blood, just to claim a share of that wealth.
But not for Feline. She is a 20-year-old girl with a somewhat naive nature and a high level of curiosity. Her attitude hasn't changed at all since I first met her on another case. She is still that curious and annoying girl who always asks a lot of questions. She wants to become someone selective and analytical, like me, or her late brother who was a writer. Although I have to admit, answering all her questions can be quite annoying. In a rough sense, Feline is a troublesome girl in other aspects as well.
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Previously, a few members of the Antoinette family and I tried to persuade her to have a brighter future by attending a specific school. Lilia Antoinette, her older sister, has had many discussions with me lately about secretly sending Feline to a boarding school in Switzerland. It sounded like a promising plan. However, when it comes to the details, the plan is quite foolish.
That happened two weeks ago, she called late at night.
"Well, here's the thing... You'll take her to a fun place... and then she'll be kidnapped and sent to Switzerland! Don't worry, she will be informed that it was the Antoinette family who did it, how about that?"
"With what will you do it?" I replied casually.
At that time, I glanced at the digital cube clock showing 12:30 a.m. I couldn't believe I had to wake up to listen to her foolish ramblings.
"With anesthesia, of course! You're a detective, can't you imagine? Ah, don't worry, the anesthesia is safe! We've planned it without any side effects! So... do you have any additions? Or is there something wrong with this plan?"
"Your minds are messed up."
See? How could that question come from Lilia Antoinette, a designer and model whose glamorous beauty is unquestionable? How could such a silly question come out of her pretty mouth?
That's why...
Since Feline started working with me diligently and without much complaint, despite the Antoinette family's clumsy intentions, my emotions have started to surface. Of course, I don't want to empathize too much.
Perhaps there is nothing wrong with that. Now, both of us are walking on the wide and busy sidewalk. Many couples, and even families, are around. But where the road stretches wide, there is no shade, making it feel extremely hot, especially in this summer. Well, even though, in reality, we are walking near the beach.
However, I didn't plan on enjoying the sandy beach.
"If we walk together like this, we somehow look like a couple. Don't we, Mr. Cake?" she said innocently, looking up at me from under her boater hat, shielding her eyes from the blazing sun.
I only responded with a brief glance. It doesn't mean that when surrounded by couples, we are one of them. Of course, if I were to answer like that, Feline would argue with a bothersome reason.
I glanced in all directions, searching for at least a couple holding hands. This is my way of avoiding troublesome questions. We were in the Norfolk region, precisely in Great Yarmouth. This place is located near the North Sea, separating England from other eastern European regions.
The place is famous for its smoked herring, which I plan to bring back as a souvenir. It's not surprising for an area located near the sea like this. If one is not careful, the smoked herring they bought could be stolen by seagulls.
As I mentioned before, I invited Feline for a vacation, but not at the beach. Instead, we were at an iconic place in Great Yarmouth.
It was a joy beach with a small parade that made the place more lively and crowded than before.
The Great Yarmouth Joy Beach. Three days ago, I booked two tickets online. Of course, I got premium tickets where Feline could experience all the rides for a week. Although I didn't have plans to stay that long, there was a nearby local accommodation that might be budget-friendly.
"There it is." I pointed to a couple holding hands. Finally, I found one. The man wore a white t-shirt and shorts, while his partner wore a sleeveless dress and a white Panama hat.
How did I know they were a couple? Well, the woman wasn't just holding the man's hand; she was actually embracing him. Oh, and yes, she had a black string tightly gripped in her right arm.
"I knew it would be like this! I knew sooner or later you would fall for my new appearance! But the problem is, I can't accept that love. I see you as a senior and nothing more, hehe!" she said confidently while smirking.
From this moment on, she had gone too far. Overly confident because of her changed appearance. But I admire her self-confidence.
A day ago, Miss Galvinca, a customer whom I considered like a relative because she often stopped by to order and chat, Feline asked for her advice. Although I signaled to Miss Galvinca from behind, slapping my own forehead while closing my eyes in resignation, it seemed like she supported Feline more. What can I do, right?
In short, Feline wanted to make her appearance more appealing. It wasn't a significant change, to be honest. Naturally, I can admit that her shoulder-length wavy black hair suits her innocent face quite well. However, because one bang covered her left eye, she appeared gloomy. Some customers in our store even asked if Feline was a slave from this era. That's just plain mean! How can there be slaves in this day and age? Instead, I just answered, "She looks like a pet."
With Miss Galvinca's hands and creativity, trimming the bang that covered Feline's left eye was the best choice. With both of her wide eyes, Feline now appeared more feminine. Moreover, the generous Miss Galvinca gave Feline her old dress. It was a brown and white checkered dress with a butterfly-shaped waist tie that Feline was currently wearing. Her appearance was truly transformed compared to before.
Oh, I didn't expect her attitude to become arrogant and overly confident. Did this girl think I fell for her? She even dared to reject me when I hadn't said anything yet.
"Idiot! Look closely." I pointed to the black string carried by the woman in the sleeveless dress and white Panama hat while she was flirting with her partner. They walked straight instead of turning towards The Great Yarmouth Joy Beach and queuing up to enter the amusement park.
Feline's gaze followed the direction of the string.
Got her. Four legs and fur, that's what she saw.
"A-cat?! Am I like a pet?" she stuttered.
Yes, an Angora cat. That's what I wanted to throw at her. But it seems that an Angora cat is too good for her. Especially one that matches her arrogant attitude.
"Well, you're a slow loris. So I am your owner. Surely keeping a pet confined under one roof all the time would only stress the animal, right?"
"Hey! I'm not a pet!" Feline raised her eyebrows, her cute lips pouting.
For some reason, seeing Feline's grumpy face made me feel relieved. Contrarily, seeing her smiling face was tormenting. Of course, after she dared to act so arrogantly towards me.
We quickly joined the queue. Despite the crowd, the ticket attendant processed people's tickets very quickly and skillfully. So, after around two minutes of queuing behind eight couples, it was only one couple in front of us.
We were right behind a very romantic couple. They were far more romantic than any romantic film or anime that Feline has been watching lately. They were even more interesting than the romantic comedy plays of commedia dell'arte.
They fed each other cotton candy, sweetly and playfully. Their feelings might be warm, but I saw it with a cold gaze.
"Pffft! I know you're just lonely! So instead of me, when will you invite my sister Lilia alone? Or perhaps you prefer Miss Flemming? Xixixixi!" Feline giggled. See? She's really insolent.
"Hah... listen, little round-eyed loris, can you stop guessing?" I sighed, as if tired of dealing with this gal. She only makes me regret inviting her. She makes my intuitive sense feel like tasteless bread, meaningless.
"Hohoho! This is actually a new experience! Set aside Mr. Mark the mystery solver! Welcome to the romance phase! I finally understand why you invited me to the amusement park! For that, right? For the experience, right?"
Oh my goodness, this gal is sometimes something else. I really want to buy her arrogant mouth. How much does her mouth cost so that she can keep quiet? I thought irritably.
As soon as our line faced the ticket officer, I handed him my phone so that he could scan the tickets I had ordered online. The tickets contained a barcode.
"Two premium tickets, sir... Keymark, and..." the ticket officer asked, glancing in my direction.
The ticket officer looked up from the window to observe Feline's face carefully. "Miss... Feline?" He was very cautious in observing our faces. That's because the security here is very strict. When ordering tickets online, I had to go through the hassle of attaching a photo.
"Yes!"
"Slow loris," I replied.
"Hey!"
"Hm..." The man nodded confidently. Something like the sound of a dot matrix printer echoed, and then he pulled the paper from the printer twice.
Then the man handed me the physical ticket paper.
"Have fun with your loved one, Mr. Keymark!" After giving me a map of the rides, he turned to Feline. "Miss slow loris!"
For the first time, we agreed that the ticket officer was our enemy.
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