Shadows of London: 2-3 Bed of Withered Leaves

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Shadows of London

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Priscilla comes up with an idea to help Caroline with her investigation.

Info

Style: Event Logs: Burke's Peerage, King George IV Recommended: The Year 1666 Rewards: 3,000 , 600 , 3 , 1 , 1 , Blueprint: Northeastern Bell Chimes

Northeastern Bell Chimes

Dialogue Choices

Mr. Erskine, perhaps it's not my place to comment on your relationship with my aunt, but—

• Aunt Petit has her own struggles
  • Story continues
• You should be more understanding
  • Story continues

Transcript

Expand for script.

• The next day is a gloomy, foggy day, and Aunt Petit goes out early in the morning again.
• On the one hand, I'm secretly happy that I can sneak out of the house today. On the other hand, I feel guilty that Aunt Petit is so busy.
• Because I know Aunt Petit's tireless efforts are all for me.

• Priscilla Barnet: ...Caroline! Caroline! Are you listening to me?

• I snap back to reality and find myself staring into Priscilla's angry eyes.
• You: I'm listening.

• Priscilla Barnet: Ha, look at your distracted expression! I don't think you heard a word I just said!

• I smile with embarrassment.
• You: I was a little distracted, but I really was listening to what you were saying. Weren't you talking about "Burke's Peerage"?

• Priscilla Barnet: Yes. Investigating the Baroness... or rather, the noblewoman known as "Madam A," will take more than asking around town.

• Priscilla Barnet: After all, as a vampire who's lived for a long time, her former human peers will have long since passed away.

• Priscilla Barnet: Last night, I even tried asking my mother to see if she knew something about Madam A's background, but I came up empty-handed.

• Priscilla Barnet: A woman who is so knowledgeable about the genealogy of London's upper-class society has never heard of our Madam A, which means that her past is truly mysterious.

• Priscilla's tone is vaguely irritated. She must have had enough of the kind of life that's always concerned with people's family background and genealogy.
• Priscilla Barnet: However, one advantage of society's fixation on family background and genealogy is that as long as Madam A was truly a noble, her date of birth and genealogy would have been recorded.

• You: As long as can figure out when Madam A was born, we can pinpoint her true identity...

• You: Then we'll investigate her social circle and try to determine when she came into contact with the Blood Clan, right?

• Priscilla Barnet: Exactly!

• Priscilla Barnet: In London, if you want to find out about a person of note's family background, you look in "Burke's Peerage"!

• Roger Evans: Burke's Peerage?

• You: Simply put, all information and genealogy of the English royal family and noble families are recorded in it.

• You: Including personal information such as someone's date of birth, biological parents, family relationships, and education...

• Priscilla Barnet: More importantly, it also includes a person's marital status, titles, and order of succession...

• Priscilla Barnet: In summary, this book helps unmarried men and women across the country uncover the background of their potential spouses.

• Priscilla's voice is full of scorn. Roger supports his chin on his hand, laughing.
• Roger Evans: So, are both of your names also in this book?

• You: ...

• Priscilla Barnet: ...

• Priscilla and I quickly exchange glances, our smiles vanishing.
• Priscilla Barnet: I shouldn't be in there. My father didn't inherit Grandpa's title, and he didn't inherit the ability to maintain his family's interests either.

• Priscilla Barnet: Thank goodness. It's saved me a lot of trouble.

• You: My situation is similar. My father voluntarily gave up his inheritance in order to marry my mother.

• You: It should be my uncle Philip's name that's recorded in the book now.

• To our families, unmarried women like us who won't inherit anything have only one purpose in life—
• To try to find a wealthy single man of high social status, and marry ourselves gloriously.
• As I think about this, I can't help but shake my head.
• Priscilla Barnet: Alright, our affairs are not important. What's important now is investigating Madam A.

• Priscilla Barnet: There's just one thing I'm concerned about. A new edition of "Burke's Peerage" is released every year. But Madam A might have been born decades ago.

• Priscilla Barnet: She won't be in any of the newer volumes. We'll need to access the oldest edition.

• Priscilla Barnet: But who would keep an outdated edition for so long...

• Priscilla murmurs to herself, racking her brain to search for potential candidates within the ton.
• You: Ah.

• I know.
• You: Burke's Peerage is a book, so it needs a publisher. Which means—

• You: (Maybe Mr. Erskine will have the first edition?)

• Bernard Erskine: I never expected you to come looking for me. Have a seat, Caroline.

• Bernard Erskine: Is there anything I can assist you with?

• You: I'm sorry to bother you at work, Mr. Erskine, but I was hoping to borrow a copy of "Burke's Peerage".

• Mr. Erskine raises his eyebrows. But in just a second, he reverts to his usual expression.
• Bernard Erskine: I see. The passing of young Mr. Lindvall was a great loss to you.

• Bernard Erskine: But don't worry, Caroline. Just trust in your dear aunt.

• Bernard Erskine: Her guidance when it comes to choosing a husband will be far more valuable than any book.

• You: Um...

• I had already guessed this might happen.
• Mr. Erskine's tone is full of disdain and sarcasm.
• Bernard Erskine: What's more, there are very few persons of note remaining in London. So what's the point of going through this book?

• Bernard Erskine: Why not go to France with your aunt, where you'll have much better chances of finding an eligible young nobleman?

• You: Mr. Erskine, perhaps it's not my place to comment on your relationship with my aunt, but—

Aunt Petit has her own struggles

• You: I know you've always harbored resentment towards Aunt Petit for her aloof attitude, thinking she's too proud of her status to have a closer relationship with you.

• You: You may have felt that your pride's been wounded and that your feelings haven't been reciprocated, causing you to feel disheartened.

• Bernard Erskine: ...

• You: But Aunt Petit's situation is different from yours. With her background, fame, social image, and even her position as a woman—

• You: She faces far more social pressures and constraints than you, meaning that she's constantly on her guard, and often has to hold back her own emotions.

• You: I know it can be hard to understand someone else's difficulties when you haven't experienced them yourself.

• You: But I've never seen Aunt Petit look as sad as she did after your argument yesterday morning.

You should be more understanding

• You: With all due respect, the relationship between you and my aunt has been built on mutual respect, hasn't it?

• You: If you really want to deepen your relationship, you should be more understanding and patient with her...

• You: Instead of interfering with her personal life like you did yesterday morning.

• Bernard Erskine: What?

• You: Aunt Petit has her own considerations when it comes to deciding whether or not to leave London, Mr. Erskine.

• You: What I'm trying to say is that you have no right to upset her over this matter—but she certainly was upset yesterday!

• Mr. Erskine's eyes twitch, and for a moment, his true feelings are on display. But he quickly forces a carefree smile.
• Bernard Erskine: You have a way with words, Caroline. Your aunt would be delighted if you put this talent to use during the social season.

• Bernard Erskine: Do you want to see the latest edition of "Burke's Peerage"?

• His sudden question catches me off guard and reminds me of the true purpose of my visit.
• You: No, what I actually want is the earliest edition.

• He gazes shrewdly at me.
• Bernard Erskine: The first edition? Two-thirds of the people recorded in it are no longer alive. Why are you interested in it?

• I keep my head up and meet his questioning gaze, pursing my lips without answering. After a minute, he rings a bell and summons his secretary.
• Bernard Erskine: Go get a copy of "Burke's Peerage". Make sure it's the first edition.

• Secretary: Right away, Mr. Erskine.

• The secretary quickly returns, holding a thick book with a red cover in her hands. The pages of the book have turned yellow, but it is still well-preserved.
• You: Thank you very much, Mr. Erskine. And...

• You: Please don't tell Aunt Petit about this.

• Bernard Erskine: Don't worry, kid. A smart person like her doesn't need me as an informant. Just be careful yourself.

• Priscilla Barnet: Did you get it?

• As I walk out of Mr. Erskine's office, Priscilla's carriage awaits me outside the door. I hand over the book.
• You: Let's get started. I have to return it after we're done.

• Priscilla has a stack of books recording estates, salons, and social gatherings beside her. We immediately begin searching through the materials.
• Priscilla Barnet: Start with "A". Search for surnames first, then first names.

• You: We'll focus on the Georgian period.

• Recalling what Aunt Petit said to me before, I swiftly begin flipping through the pages of the book.
• The faint smell of mildew wafts from the pages, and countless names and titles flash before me.
• This tedious process is extremely soporific. Soon, I feel my patience slipping away like sand through an hourglass.

• Priscilla Barnet: Absolutely nothing!

• Two hours later, Priscilla, who's dizzy and overwhelmed, can't help but lose her temper.
• Priscilla Barnet: Not even a little clue! There isn't a single person here who matches the rumors about Madam A's life—not one!

• Priscilla Barnet: That woman doesn't seem to be anywhere in this book!

• You: ...

• I rub my tired and swollen eyes, take a deep breath, and release my exhaustion and frustration.

• Priscilla angrily opens the carriage door and gets out.
• You: Priscilla?

• Priscilla Barnet: I'm going to take a walk. I'll suffocate if I stay in this carriage any longer.

• Priscilla Barnet: Do you want to come along, Caroline?

• You: I'm not that tired yet. I can still keep searching...

• Priscilla Barnet: You're going to keep searching? Give it up, Caroline. It seems that the Baroness isn't in "Burke's Peerage".

• Priscilla Barnet: I suspect she made up a false identity many years ago and just pretended to be a lady to enter the ton in London.

• Priscilla Barnet: I think it's better to return that book to Mr. Erskine...

• Priscilla mutters to herself as she walks away. I stay inside the carriage, my fingers still resting on the yellowed pages.
• You: (Did the Baroness really just pretend to be a noble?)

• She was arrogant and conceited, exuding an unmistakable air of nobility that's difficult to fake.
• My intuition tells me that her air of nobility didn't just come from being a vampire.
• You: (Vincent, whom Aunt Petit bluntly referred to as middle class, completely lacks her noble demeanor...)

• When I think of Vincent, the memory of his pale face and icy breath engulfs me like a tidal wave.

• You: You... You're a vampire?

• Vincent Savile: Yes. Are you scared?

• You: I'm not scared, because you saved me.

• Vincent Savile: Don't force it. Your terror is written all over your face.

• You: No, I believe you. If you meant to hurt me, you could have done so many times.

• You: But you haven't, and you keep warning me and helping me...

• Vincent Savile: Caroline, even if I haven't harmed you, you shouldn't treat vampires as kind benefactors.

• Vincent Savile: If you manage to escape, you must forget everything that happened tonight.

• You: My friend... Priscilla is still in the cemetery! If I don't go rescue her, the Baroness will...

• Vincent Savile: You should worry about yourself first. You're the Baroness' target.

• Vincent Savile: You're in a lot of danger right now, Caroline. You should leave London as soon as possible.

• Vincent Savile: The Elder's underlings are watching you. The Baroness is dead, but there are others who can hunt you down.

• You: What's so special about me? Why did the Baroness say I'm a perfect "vessel"?

• Vincent Savile: I don't know what she meant by that either, but I can smell something of the Blood Clan from you.

• Vincent Savile: However, you are not a vampire, and you are clearly a human being. So there is only one answer.

• I hold my breath, and wait nervously for Vincent to confirm the suspicion I've been hoarding within me.
• Vincent Savile: You are the child of a human being and a vampire, Caroline.

• His low warning still echoes in my ears, reminding me of the crisis I'm currently facing.
• You: (My body is highly valuable to vampires.)

• You: (If other vampires were to discover this...)

• I shiver slightly, and involuntarily flip through the book even faster.
• Suddenly, a capital letter "A" jumps out at me, and my heart starts pounding.
• You: (...no, this isn't the Baroness.)

• This page describes the backgrounds of several local gentry, and the "A" that I saw was just an abbreviation of someone's middle name.
• You: (Hold on... A middle name?)

• You: (What if the "A" in Madam A's name is from her middle name?)

• This thought ignites like a flame, instantly setting ablaze the scattered clues in my memory.
• You: Middle name, middle name... I think I've seen this before!

• My fingers flip through the pages as if drawn by an unknown force, until they finally come to rest on a certain page.
• On this page is the description of a person who was embroiled in a famous scandal.

• Priscilla Barnet: Maria Anne Fitzherbert?

• Priscilla Barnet: Anne... A... Madam A?

• Priscilla, whom I've dragged back into the carriage, looks at the name I point out with surprise.
• Her expression changes rapidly. She obviously remembers the same popular scandal, and reaches out to the stack of record books to verify it.
• Priscilla Barnet: Fitzherbert, I remember that surname... Aha!

• Priscilla Barnet: In 1785, Mrs. Fitzherbert entered into an unacknowledged marriage with a prominent figure, and the person in question was—

• Priscilla pauses, her eyes widening slightly.
• Priscilla Barnet: The Prince of Wales.

• You: The crown prince?!

• We look at each other, and tacitly turn back to the section of the book about the royal family.
• You: So... Madam A had two brief marriages, and later entered London's social circle as Fitzherbert's widow.

• You: There, she met the crown prince at the time, who later became King George IV, and they fell in love...

• Priscilla Barnet: Her background matches perfectly. Do you remember how the rumors described her? Madam A became obsessed with black magic after losing her lover...

• You: The King passed away over fifty years ago, not long after my grandfather was born.

• You: In other words, after the King passed away, the human Mrs. Fitzherbert completely perished—

• Priscilla Barnet: —and Madam A, a vampire of the Blood Clan, was born.

• No one speaks for a moment.
• I unconsciously turn the yellowed pages, imagining the emotions of this woman who lost her lover half a century ago.
• The differences in their beliefs, marital misfortunes, the pressures of public opinion, the fear of her youth slipping away... all of these made her grasp the hand of creatures of darkness in her panic.
• To her, although the hands of the Blood Clan were icy cold, they were also inviting.
• At this moment, two knocks on the door bring us back to our senses. Roger, who's been driving the carriage, languidly speaks up.
• Roger Evans: I overheard your conversation. So, what was Madam A's social life like during that period of time?

• Roger Evans: If I wanted to drag her down, I would definitely have chosen the moment when she was the most heartbroken and isolated.

• Priscilla Barnet: Yes, after the King's death, Mrs. Fitzherbert basically became a recluse. At that point, the people who were close to her were most likely vampires.

• Priscilla Barnet: At that time, she lived in Park Lane in the Western District, and the people who came to visit her were... Oh, Caroline, hand me that list that's next to you.

• I hand over the list casually. On the page are densely written names in faded ink.
• A name on the list catches my attention.
• You: (Oliver... Oliver Savile!)

• My heart sinks suddenly. I quickly glance over the list again.
• You: (And Ben Hawke. Was this Vincent's companion? Will there be—)

• You: (!)

• I glance up at a few more lines and find my ultimate target.
• You: (Lavinia Girdenis!)

• Priscilla Barnet: Caroline, what's wrong? You don't look too good.

• I close my eyes for a moment, then hand over the list casually.
• You: It's nothing. Maybe I'm just a little dizzy from reading in the carriage for so long.

• Priscilla Barnet: Why don't you go home first? It's getting late, and Madam Petit will probably worry if she doesn't see you.

• Priscilla Barnet: I'll take care of investigating Madam A's social circle.

• Priscilla Barnet: Don't worry, give me three days, and I'll definitely be able to identify the people most likely to be vampires!

• You: Then I'll leave this to you, Priscilla.

• I guiltily avoid her confident gaze.
• As the sky darkens, the carriage turns around and heads towards Aunt Petit's residence.

• Dread settles in the pit of my stomach.
• When I saw my mother and Vincent's names prominently displayed on the Baroness' social list, I recalled Vincent's words of wisdom.
• Caroline, even if I haven't harmed you, you shouldn't treat vampires as kind benefactors.
• What has Mrs. Fitzherbert, who was once a reclusive widow, experienced in the past half-century—
• —such that she became the cruel vampire who mercilessly killed innocent believers on the night of the full moon?
• The vampire clan hidden in the darkness may have their own traditions and practices, but they are certainly completely different from human society's moral standards.
• When I think that my mother and Vincent may have followed such traditions and practices, my heart fills with inner turmoil.

• Priscilla Barnet: Are you really alright? Your lips still look a bit pale.

• Priscilla Barnet: Madam Petit is so astute. She'll definitely notice that something is amiss with you.

• You: Don't worry, Priscilla. I'll just say my clothes were a little thin today and I've caught a cold.

• Priscilla Barnet: Pretend all you want, but don't actually catch a cold. Our investigation has just begun!

• She reminds me to take a good rest, and then turns around and gets back in the carriage.
• I watch as the carriage drives off. The smile on my face slowly fades.
• You: (I'm sorry, Priscilla.)

• The names of those people still linger in my mind.
• That was the first time hearing that my mother's maiden name was Girdenis.
• You: (That doesn't sound like an English surname.)

• You: (Also, Oliver...)

• Oliver Savile, or Vincent Savile. No matter which name he goes by.
• You: (Vincent... Is he alright? Is he still in London?)

• He once confided in me that he was bound by the Elder and forced to live a life in London, living a life that went against his principles.
• He saved my life, but now I'm investigating him. Will I uncover a dark past he doesn't want to reveal?
• Conflicts churn in my heart. I wring my hands, anxiously turning around to head home.

• Vincent Savile: ...

• You: Vincent—

• He stands perfectly still at the entrance of the alley across the street, concealed in deep shadow, gazing in my direction.
• Under the dim sky, his eyes are filled with shock and confusion, and glowing crimson.
• Vincent Savile: !

• There seems to be some movement coming from the alley. He quickly turns around and crouches down alertly.
• I see him clearly as he gives me one last glance.
• Vincent Savile: Run.

• His thin lips mouth the word at me, though I don't hear his voice.
• Then he completely vanishes.

• My whole body shivers. I stumble and run towards the grand entrance of my aunt's residence, knocking on the door.
• It isn't until Anna welcomes me in with a surprised look on her face that I realize that my heart is pounding and my throat is dry and sore.
• It's the same feeling that I had when I rested my head against his chest.