NOVEL NEXT Ch. 14
Chapter 14: Mr. Deer
Returning home, the empty room let Mel breathe a slight sigh of relief.
Veronica was still working at the library today and wouldn't be back until evening.
Mel prepared a simple lunch for herself, but found she had no appetite at all.
At this moment, her mind was completely occupied by the knowledge that had suddenly flooded into her brain.
The knowledge wasn't special, nothing more than content from books.
But even so, Mel still felt uneasy about it.
That knowledge was as if someone's memories had been forcibly stuffed into her brain.
After forcing herself to finish lunch, Mel changed into a set of ordinary casual clothes, then walked out the door and headed to the nearest clothing store.
She needed to prepare for tonight's gathering.
Mel walked into a clothing store.
The copper bell on the door let out a crisp sound.
The store was filled with a strong smell of camphor, mixed with the unique old scent of various fabrics.
“Is there anything I can help you with, miss?”
The shop owner was an old lady with graying hair.
She sat in a rocking chair behind the counter, mending a piece of clothing in her hands.
“I need a cloak,” Mel said softly, her eyes scanning the shop.
Most of the clothes here had patches or faded marks, clearly a lot of second-hand goods, but they had the advantage of being cheap.
An ordinary dress sold for between five to seven shillings, while the same style in new clothes would cost ten shillings or even more.
On a rack in the corner, Mel found a dark brown cloak.
Although the fabric was a bit old, the workmanship was excellent, and the hood was long, perfect for covering most of her face.
More importantly, this cloak didn't have any obvious patches or damage.
“How much is this cloak?”
Mel asked softly, pointing to the cloak in the corner.
Hearing this, the old lady put down her needle and thread and slowly walked over, “This was brought in by a noble young lady last year.”
She said, stroking the fabric of the cloak, “It was originally going to be sold for twenty shillings, but if you really want it, it can be cheaper. After all, very few people buy cloaks.”
“How much is that?”
Mel asked, while calculating her savings.
Veronica gave her one shilling a week for pocket money, and she had almost no place to spend it, so she had saved up quite a bit.
“Fifteen shillings.”
The old lady said, “How about it?”
“Fifteen shillings....”
Mel thought for a moment, then added: “Do you.... have masks here?”
The old lady gave her a meaningful look, then took out a wooden box from under the counter.
The box was covered in dust, obviously having been untouched for a long time.
“These are all rejects from the opera house last year.”
The old lady said, opening the box, “Six pence each.”
Mel walked over.
The box was filled with all kinds of masks—there were full-face masks, and also opera masks that only covered the upper half of the face.
She thought for a moment, and finally chose a silver half-face mask, on which a simple moon pattern was painted.
“That will be fifteen shillings and six pence in total.”
The old lady said.
Mel took out three silver coins from her wallet, as well as six small copper coins, and handed them to her.
The old lady took the money, packed the cloak and mask together, and handed them to Mel.
“Thank you for your patronage, miss.”
Mel returned home, holding the bag with the cloak and mask, then placed them on the bed and spread them out.
The dark brown cloak had a soft luster under the sunlight.
The fabric felt a bit rough to the touch, but it was sturdy.
She spread out the cloak and found that it was a bit larger than she had imagined.
“I hope it won't be too conspicuous....”
Mel murmured to herself, then tried to put the cloak on.
The large cloak completely covered her figure, and the wide hood cast a shadow.
Then she picked up the silver mask and gently put it on her face.
The inside of the mask was a bit cool, but it was soon warmed by her skin's temperature.
Through the eye holes of the mask, the world seemed to be covered with a hazy veil.
Mel turned her head to make sure the mask would not fall off easily.
“It looks pretty good...”
The young girl said softly to the mirror.
“Veronica won't be back so early today. If everything goes well, I should be able to get back before she does....”
Thinking of this, Mel nodded lightly, then drew a moon wheel on her chest.
“I hope everything goes smoothly....”
Night fell, and the Red Moon replaced the sun, hanging high in the night sky, casting its crimson light.
Mel left the house.
When she was about two or three hundred meters away from her destination, she put on the cloak and the mask.
The dark brown cloak was like a moving shadow on the dimly lit street, the silver mask glimmering faintly in the moonlight.
Mel walked through one dark alley after another, the air filled with the stench of decay.
This was the dark side of the city, a breeding ground for shady deals and secrets.
The buildings on both sides of the street were dilapidated, their mottled walls covered with dark green moss.
A peculiar smell floated in the air, a mixture of moldy wood, rotten food, cheap alcohol, and unknown potions.
These smells formed turbid mists in the air, writhing like living things.
From time to time, rustling sounds came from the shadows by the street, it was unknown whether they were from rats or some other creatures.
Occasionally, the curses of a drunkard or the wanton laughter from some brothel could be heard in the distance.
Mel kept her head buried low, trying her best not to pay attention to those things, carefully avoiding the foul-smelling puddles of sewage on the ground.
It seemed like something was floating in some of the puddles, but she didn't dare to look closely.
Turning a corner, an even narrower alley appeared before her.
The buildings here were more densely packed, almost blocking out the sky above.
The light of the Red Moon shone down through the narrow gaps, casting fragmented light and shadows on the ground.
Following the memory in her mind, Mel finally stopped in front of an inconspicuous wooden door.
She cautiously approached, looked left and right, and after confirming no one was around, she reached out and gently knocked on the door.
“Knock——knock, knock, knock——”
One long, two short, one long.
This was the secret code to join the gathering.
As the knock fell, the wooden door let out a low creak and slowly opened a gap wide enough for one person to pass through.
As the wooden door opened, a scent mixed with mustiness and an unknown spice rushed out, smelling like both incense and some kind of potion.
Mel took a deep breath, then walked in.
The room was not large, about the size of half an empty classroom.
A round table was placed in the middle, and there were six seats around the table, five of which were already occupied.
Everyone wore a mask, but not everyone wore a cloak.
Mel's gaze swept over them one by one, observing each person.
They were all entangled with varying degrees of filth, some like a light veil, others like a dense fog.
“Welcome, newcomer.”
The person sitting in the head seat spoke.
He wore a deer antler mask, his voice deep and magnetic.
“I am the witness for this gathering.”
He said.
“You can call me——Mr. Deer.”