Edward's mind was a complete mess. He couldn't understand why he felt this way; she was just some plain, ordinary woman who couldn't even take care of herself. So why was he feeling like this?
"Aaaah!" text-pushed to his limit, he swept everything off the table.
"Brother, what is wrong with you?" Eller asked anxiously. "Ever since you came back, you haven't been yourself. Please, can you tell us what's happening?"
"Yes, brother," Edmond added. "Yesterday you left with that woman. Did something happen between you two?"
"Brother, you have never lost your cool like this, no matter what type of woman you've met," Eller pressed. "Can you please explain this to us?"
"She has her perfume on her... her natural scent," he said, slamming himself down onto the couch.
"Who?" the siblings asked in unison.
"That woman. She has a distinct body fragrance," he muttered.
Edmond's eyes widened. "So you mean... the woman you've been looking for is her?"
"Brother, are you still looking for that girl?" Eller asked softly.
"I never stopped looking for her," Edward said flatly. "She is the only woman who can make my blood boil. I have to find her."
"But you were with her the whole night," Edmond pointed out. "Why are you acting like this now?"
"She left. I woke up early and realized she was gone. This is all she left behind by mistake," Edward said, holding up a piece of jade. "And this jade is very valuable to her."
Eller leaned in closer. "Wait, brother... this white jade, isn't it from the royals? I once saw George with a jade just like this."
"No way," Edmond countered, shaking his head. "That lady was miserable and plain. She could never be from a royal family. Besides, look at George—he has never had a sister."
"So then, who is she?" Eller asked aloud.
Why is everything happening lately so weird? Edmond thought to himself.
Right then, three gentlemen walked into the room.
"Hello, guys," Carl greeted them. "What's up with brother Edward?"
"Everything is happening!" Eller snapped, exasperated. "My brother is losing it. Why can't you see that? Are your eyes just for decoration?"
Lee smirked. "Well, Edward, you've been keeping yourself away from women for so long. Tell us, how was the plain-looking woman?"
Edward ignored the teasing. "Tell me about the results. Who is she, and where is she?"
Carl's expression turned serious. "I will tell you the truth. The facial recognition software matched her to an old woman living in Zanza, Nation P. She left her family to travel the world for her retirement, but she passed away, was taken back to her hometown, and buried."
Edward frowned. "What do you mean?"
"That face isn't her real face," Lee explained. "In short, even if we ran into her right now, we wouldn't recognize her in real life."
Edward went quiet for a moment. "Okay. I will stop looking for her if that's what she wants."
"I think this woman had a specific target when she visited the Loveless Bar," Eller mused.
"I think so too," Edmond agreed.
Trying to break the heavy mood, Eller looked around at the group. "Hey guys, today is the weekend and I was planning to visit our new neighbor. How about we prepare something and go over together? What do you think?" She was incredibly curious about the new billionaire who had just moved into the estate.
"Okay. At least you're thinking of expanding our social circle," Drake said, intrigued. "I'm curious about our new neighbor, too."
After preparing some food, the group walked over to the neighboring house.
Inside, Jessy didn't want these people to recognize her, so she quickly switched to a different face mask. When the gate bell rang for the second time, she pressed the remote, and the heavy gates swung open.
"Welcome to our residence," a synchronized automated system announced through the speaker.
"I've been wanting to step into this heavenly place," Eller gasped as they walked up the path. "Wow, this person lives like they're in a historical drama. Everything is blue. I am absolutely in love with this environment."
When they reached the front door, it slid open automatically. A young man walked toward them and bowed.
"Welcome, gentlemen and beautiful miss. My master is still playing her music, but she will be here shortly," the young man said.
Carl blinked, staring closely at him. "You... you're artificial? A robot?"
They had heard rumors about this level of advanced robotics, but they never expected to find one functioning in a residential home.
"Hey, can I hug you?" Eller asked excitedly. As one of the country's most powerful ICT experts, she was obsessed with programming.
The robot, Neit, winked his eyes playfully. "My master will disfigure me if I let you. I still want to serve her until the end."
Eller laughed. "Wow, so you actually know how to interact naturally with people!"
"Please, come this way. I will prepare some soft drinks for you," Neit said politely before heading toward the kitchen.
The gentlemen stood there, completely terrified. They couldn't believe their eyes.
"Who on earth is the master of this house?" Lee whispered.
"To own a robot that even the government couldn't afford... this person is definitely not simple," Drake noted grimly.
"I can feel my legs turning weak," Edmond admitted.
Edward, however, remained silent, marking every single detail within the house. Everything here was unique, rare, and incredibly expensive. If this isn't someone coming after my life, he thought, then who else could it be?
Neit returned carrying a tray of glasses and a bottle of an unknown wine dated 1804.
"Young masters, please serve yourselves. Young miss, here is a glass of warm milk for you. As a woman, it is better if you do not drink the heavy wine," Neit said.
Carl suddenly broke into a cheerful dance, completely unfazed by the bizarre situation.
"What are you laughing at?" Eller asked him, rolling her eyes.
Meanwhile, Edward's mind drifted right back to the woman from the bar. He wanted her, no matter what. Plain or beautiful, he had to have her.
Just then, a slender young woman walked out of the inner rooms wearing a stunning dress.
"Neit, I hope you have served our visitors well?" she asked smoothly.
"Yes, master," the robot replied.
"I welcome you all to our humble home," she said, pouring herself a glass of warm milk. "My friend and I are happy to host you."
Lee stepped forward politely. "Thank you. We are your neighbors from down the road, and we just came by to welcome you to the neighborhood."
"Thank you, Carl, Drake, Edward, Edmond, and Eller. You are all welcome here," she said with a calm smile. "Don't be surprised—all of your information was scanned the moment you walked through that gate. As long as you have a device or an ID on you, I know exactly who you are."
The group stiffened.
"I am Nancy Brook, your new neighbor," she continued. "But technically, this is my ancestral land. My mother and grandmother once worked as house helps in this very residence. It's a shame we never met back then; after they tragically died in an accident, I left the city."
"Oh, we are so sorry for your loss," Drake said softly. "But if you don't mind us asking... how did you come to acquire Neit?"
If they recalled correctly, this specific robot model was secretly developed by one of the top masters in the Neithworld Organization—a group they were actually a part of. Why would a young girl have it?
"Oh, a friend of mine gave him to me," she replied casually. "He said it was a birthday gift."
None of them bought the story for a second. The original creator of Neit had always stated that this robot was his mother's dream. Could this young woman somehow be connected to the creator?
"Tell us the truth," Edmond pleaded, trying to sound reassuring. "We are good people. You can see that we mean no harm."
Nancy turned to the robot. "Neit, tell them."
"I was given to master by my boss," Neit repeated mechanically.
"We trust you," Carl said aloud, though internally he knew they weren't going to get the real truth out of her today.
"Welcome, guys, let's have something to eat. Lunch is ready," Nancy said, gesturing toward the dining area.
"Lunch is ready? You already prepared lunch for us?" Edmond asked, surprised.
"No, they prepared it," she said, pointing toward two other female androids standing near the kitchen.
"You have two more?!" Edward narrowed his eyes. Is this woman a kept mistress of the owner of Blue Corporation? Does she have ties to the underworld? Why is her house overflowing with black-market technology?
Nancy laughed lightly at their tense expressions. "Haha, don't worry, guys. I'm not a good person, but I'm not a bad person either. This technology was invented by a few of my friends. Though I am a nobody, I am surrounded by very talented people."
They sat down, enjoyed the delicious lunch, and chatted for a while. As things began to wind down, Edward spoke up, his tone surprisingly polite.
"Miss Nancy, can you play the flute? I heard you playing earlier."
"Fine, no problem. I accept your request," she smiled. "I badly need the music to calm me down anyway."
"Yes, please play for us," Eller added eagerly.
"Though I am not perfect and still just a student, I will try not to disappoint you. You are my visitors, so I want to host you well," she said, lifting the instrument to her lips.
The song she chose was The Saints. As the first cool, crisp note filled the room, the entire atmosphere shifted. It wasn't just music; it was a vivid story of light and shadow. The melody whispered a profound truth: everyone in the world is a demon, and everyone is an angel—so who on earth is a true saint?
Edward sat frozen. This wasn't just "good" playing—the vibrato, the precise frequency, it was the exact same style as the woman from the bar. His heart hammered violently against his ribs. Is it possible? No... Nancy Brook is young and beautiful, while the woman from the bar was plain and old.
He opened his eyes, staring intensely at her fingers. They were long, slender, and moved with a precision that felt almost supernatural.
The music was so flawless, so breathtaking, that Drake literally collapsed back onto the couch in awe. Edward was completely lost in thought, while Eller stood petrified, her mouth wide open.
At the end of the song, she paused and smiled gently before playing the final, fading note.
Eller's eyes turned bright red, tears welling up. "Don't tell me you are her...?"
"Who?" Jessy asked, assuming her childhood fans had completely forgotten about her after all these years.
"The Beautiful Doll...?" Eller's voice trembled. "The little girl who used to record herself playing musical instruments in City K!"
Without waiting for an answer, Eller rushed forward and threw her arms around her, hugging her tightly.