Bailonz Street 13

“Didn’t I tell you? It’s just a habit.”

It’s not hard to get up early in the morning if you go to bed early. Knowing that, it’s odd that he insists on staying up late.

Liam grumbled softly.

“I want to wake up in the evening and sleep during the day.”

“What are you, a nocturnal animal?”

Liam shrugged and quietly stood up. He groaned with every movement. He was fine last night; why is he suddenly like this? Maybe I should take him to the hospital? I’m starting to worry. Did Liam Moore always have low blood pressure?

“Wait a moment. I’ll get you a cup of chamomile tea, good for headaches.”

He waved me off, stopping me.

“There’s no need for that—”

It seemed necessary. His pale complexion was not a good sign.

So, it’s not my imagination. Liam Moore was definitely sick. Looking closely, he had a clear look of illness, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

“Don’t get up. Lie down! Don’t come out of the room!”

I shouted in surprise. Then, I hastily threw on a gown and dashed out of the room.

As I ran downstairs in my pyjamas and gown, George (the landlord’s son) and Mary, who were preparing breakfast, screamed.

“Oh my God, miss!”

“Sorry, Mary.” I interrupted her. “Mary, can you contact a doctor nearby?”

Mary quickly put down the spatula and wiped her hands on a cloth. George, who was left holding two frying pans, stammered. Mary approached me with a serious expression and asked,

“Why? Is it Mr. Moore?”

“Yes, I think Liam has a fever. It might be a cold…”

“There’s a doctor nearby! I’ll go right away!”

I couldn’t be more grateful. I hugged the busy Mary tightly with my apologies. Mary smiled and quickly put on her coat before leaving the house.

George, now alone with the frying pans, looked at me with tearful eyes.

“Uh. Sorry, George. Thanks for your hard work.”

I went back upstairs. I heard a bit of wailing behind me. My conscience pricked me, but there was nothing I could do.

＊ ＊ ＊

“It’s the flu.”

Liam, who had a thermometer in his mouth, protested.

“Huh, ridiculous. There’s no way.”

“It is the flu. You have muscle aches, chills, headaches, and a mild fever. Fortunately, it’s not too severe, so a few days of rest should do the trick.”

I knew it. I looked at Liam Moore sceptically. Of course, he was still under the illusion that he was healthy. He spat out the thermometer and said,

“I have several cases to deal with, and you expect me to rest for a few days?”

That workaholic. The doctor looked at Liam with a stern expression. I sighed. Something drastic was needed to snap him out of it. Preferably the most threatening thing.

“Doctor, don’t you have an injection? The thickest and most painful needle, please.”

“…I’ll rest quietly.”

He agreed immediately, but I didn’t believe him.

“Preferably something that will make him sleep for a whole day. A sedative would be perfect.”

“Jane, I’ll really rest quietly.”

Yeah, right. For Liam Moore, rest is a nonexistent word. He more often sleeps on the sofa than in bed!

I quietly glared at Liam Moore, and he hurriedly grabbed my hand.

“…I hate injections.”

Exactly. Nineteenth-century needles are painful.

In the end, I surrendered and sat down. Until the doctor left after receiving his fee, Liam Moore held my hand tightly.

He must have gotten worse. His lips were peeling white, and his pyjamas were soaked with cold sweat. I patted him.

“Take the medicine and get some sleep.”

“I need to send a telegram.”

“I’ll do it, so please, just sleep. You look like you’re dying.”

“Is it that serious?”

“You look like you’ve lost ten percent of your charm.”

“Oh, dear.”

Liam Moore seemed genuinely shocked by that, and he quietly closed his eyes and buried his face in the pillow.

I found the stationery from the drawer and placed it in front of him. I also propped up a cushion to make it easier for him to write.

“Write the telegram. I’ll deliver it while you sleep.”

“Sorry, Jane. I’ve inconvenienced you….”

If you’re sorry, get well quickly. Your groaning scares me.

He hesitated and then started writing the telegram. Glancing at it, I saw it was a letter to Greenwich, inquiring about the ‘Meridian’ anomalies.

“Rumours of seeing dead people aren’t entirely unbelievable. It could be a collective phenomenon,”

Seeing him explain it in a way I could understand showed his improvement. The old Liam Moore wouldn’t have told me anything and would have tried to solve everything on his own.

“If that’s the case, there might be changes in the Meridian too.”

He drew his finger along the envelope, sealing it perfectly. His everyday magic never ceased to amaze me.

“Owen couldn’t do it this freely. He needed chalk and various things.”

“Everyone has their own capacity.”

“So, Owen has a small capacity?”

He chuckled and handed me the letter.

“Let’s just say my capacity is exceptionally special.”

I waited until Liam Moore took his medicine before leaving the house. Mary arranged for a carriage for me.

＊ ＊ ＊

On my way back after sending the letter, I was ambushed.

I had noticed several people following me all the way, but I thought they were just observing me. However, as soon as I entered a deserted area, they immediately surrounded me, and I realised my mistake.

“You need to come with us for a moment.”

As if anyone would obediently follow such an order. I took a step back and answered.

“Sorry, but I don’t have time today.”

Why am I so unlucky? Do I have a death wish or something?

One thug swaggered up to me and spoke nastily.

“Where’s your confidence coming from without the detective around?”

Another one chimed in.

“You’re just a lady, after all. Probably only good at embroidery. How about we knock her out and take her?”

“We were told to bring her unharmed.”

“Hey, I can hear you.”

They ignored me.

I had fortunately learned basic self-defence. After being kidnapped by Philip Peterson, Liam Moore had almost obsessively taught me self-defence, pointing out human pressure points one by one. Thanks to that, I was now like a pirate roulette. Touch me, and I jump. And this pirate roulette had sharp eyes.

‘Left-handed!’

I saw the watch on the right wrist as he reached out. Left-handers often wear their watches on their right wrist. So, his punch would likely come from the left. Liam Moore’s training paid off.

“Wouldn’t it have been easier if you had just quietly followed us, miss? It’ll hurt if your pretty face gets hit.”

‘Wow, these guys are something else.’

As he tried to grab my shoulder, I bent my waist to dodge. With his target gone, his body tilted forward.

When a person loses their balance like that, there’s a slight delay before they can recover. At this point, if you hit both ears hard,

“Argh!”

The sudden pain will make them freeze.

The man slowed down due to the pain in his eardrums. He threw a left punch, but I blocked it with my cane.

“Why are you taking so long with a woman?”

“Damn it, this woman isn’t an ordinary person!”

“I’m just an ordinary person.”

Just a specially trained ordinary person.

Don’t give them time to recover. I quickly struck the man’s face with my elbow. My strength might be less than theirs, but I could use momentum to deliver an effective blow.

Seeing me take down one of their men, the other thugs hesitated simultaneously. Watching them was almost amusing. It seemed they hadn’t considered I might fight back. Maybe they were used to people surrendering easily when threatened.

I smiled confidently. Uh-oh, it seems Liam Moore’s arrogance is rubbing off on me.

“You should’ve at least brought a carriage. My ransom is quite high. Lots of people want me dead.”

“Wasting time! Grab her! Miss, don’t think that detective will come save you!”

“Hah! Him?”

Him? Save me? What a joke. I saved him. The one who got rescued like a princess was William Schofield Moore, not me!

I swung my cane widely, causing them to flinch. Now that it’s come to this, I decided to fully mimic Liam.

“Isn’t the sound intimidating? If you knew what’s inside, you wouldn’t even come near me.”

My threats created a small circle around me. They all hesitated, not daring to come closer but not willing to leave either. I was contemplating who to strike next.

Just then, I heard a voice in my ear.