"I mean," Janet eagerly asked as they got into the carriage heading home, "can you really decide on this? The collaboration with Helen Paper Dolls? That shop owner seemed really eager to sign a deal with you."
"Of course," Elena glanced at the confused and worried expressions on Janet and Susan's faces, then smiled reassuringly, "Don't worry, when it comes to Helen Paper Dolls, I have full authority to make the decisions."
Teacher Susan pondered for a moment, then nodded as if understanding. Janet was still a bit puzzled, but since Elena had given her assurance, she stopped worrying and instead excitedly recounted the earlier conversation. "I really didn't expect the shop owner to agree so quickly. They didn't even ask Mr. Voss's opinion."
"Well, Mr. Voss is far away in France," Teacher Susan understood, "and it seems he won't be coming to Luntown anytime soon, just like El. The shop owner can probably take full responsibility."
The cooperation with the tailor shop was not limited to promoting the paper dolls. As a partner, Elena was entitled to VIP treatment at Voss Tailors, meaning whenever she needed custom clothes, her name would be prioritized—maybe not the absolute first, but definitely ahead of regular customers.
Meanwhile, Charlotte, who had been eavesdropping intermittently on the whole conversation, returned to her tailor shop with a heavy heart. Besides the shock of overhearing such secrets, she was more worried about the future. Many customers used to come to her shop with paper dolls for custom clothes. Once they all went to Voss Tailors, her business would definitely suffer.
Although she held a glimmer of hope that Voss might outsource some simple work to her, the profits would naturally decrease after a middleman step.
Charlotte felt lost.
"When will I become the exclusive tailor for Helen Paper Dolls?" she thought bitterly. "That girl just now seemed so young but could represent Helen Paper Dolls in cooperation—so enviable."
As she was feeling discouraged, the familiar shop owner who had bumped into her earlier suddenly came to her shop. After looking at the apprentice working inside, he walked straight over to Charlotte.
"You heard the news about Voss just now, right?" the familiar friend whispered. "We can't just sit back and watch them steal our business."
"Do you have any ideas?" Charlotte asked.
The shop owner proposed that since things were like this, they should unite all the tailors on Savile Street and refuse to accept outsourced orders from Voss Tailors until they gave up on this cooperation.
"Isn't that too risky?" Charlotte got nervous. "There are so many tailor shops in Luntown. We might lose more than we gain."
But the familiar owner insisted on rallying the entire Savile Street tailors to disrupt this cooperation. They couldn't let Voss Tailors take all the benefits while they didn't even get a sip of the soup.
Charlotte felt she needed to think it over, but she wasn't optimistic. After all, her skills weren't irreplaceable. Losing big orders from the major tailor shop would definitely impact her income, and the orders from paper dolls might not be enough to compensate.
Elena, having arrived home unaware of the "tailor feud" unfolding on Savile Street, received a letter from Duke Berkeley as soon as she returned.
She carefully opened it in her room. The duke mentioned her luggage—it was still at the countryside. Due to urgent circumstances, Vera had taken her luggage back there, and because the situation was tense, Vera and her group hadn't returned yet, so the luggage wouldn't be back for some time.
Elena understood. Besides, she had bought new daily necessities, so having the luggage in the countryside didn't affect her life much. Luckily, she had buried her treasures from Hollywell Street in the club's garden, hoping those from the tribunal wouldn't be curious enough to dig up the garden—otherwise, it would be social death for her.
In the letter, Berkeley also complained about the rampant vampire rumors outside and asked when she would visit the so-called "haunted house." Thanks but no thanks—she recently had to sneak out quietly and didn't have a chance to see any haunted house.
"The vampire rumors are everywhere, and that's not good for us," Berkeley wrote. "I want the wax museum to create a big news story to divert the public's attention and suppress these rumors. Do you have any ideas?"
Elena had never seen the wax museum. Even if she had some ideas, she needed to visit in person before speaking. So she coldly replied to Berkeley, saying unless she personally visited, she couldn't think of any ideas no matter how many brains she had.
But now she was stuck at home like a poor little thing, couldn't even go to the music hall to broaden her horizons until the vampire rumors died down—forget about the haunted wax museum. That was beyond her mother's bottom line.
No one knew how Duke Berkeley reacted to her letter, but soon, the Campbell family's calling card holder gained a new visitor card.
"Lady Claire," Mrs. Campbell asked her two daughters in the living room, "who is this lady? Why is she visiting us? Do you know her?"
Janet and Elena exchanged confused glances and shook their heads.
Mrs. Campbell decided to find out more about this lady's background herself. She visited neighbors and friends that day and only returned at night, sharing what she learned.
"She's said to be a distant relative of Duke Berkeley. She married and moved to France, but after her husband died, she returned here and now lives in Berkeley Palace. She rarely goes out, but why would someone with such a prestigious identity suddenly visit us?"
She was full of doubts but didn't share more. Actually, she had heard some gossip about the distant relative moving into Berkeley Palace, and rumors about their relationship, but there was no evidence—just idle speculation.
Hearing Duke Berkeley's name, Elena's eyes widened—wait, Berkeley never said any of this.
However, since it was related to Duke Berkeley, Elena had to brace herself for this sudden situation. "Come to think of it, I do know a graceful noblewoman but never learned her name. Now it seems she must be this Lady Claire." Help! What kind of script is Claire's side playing? Why didn't Berkeley mention any of this in his letter?
"Now I see," Mrs. Campbell said skeptically. Janet looked at her sister, then at their mother, and quickly laughed, "Mother, don't worry. Didn't Lady Claire say she'd visit tomorrow? We'll ask her directly then, and everything will be clear."
The next day, when Lady Claire came to visit, she frankly recounted how she and Elena met.
"We're actually pen pals," Claire said in her script. They bonded over a shared love of literature and began exchanging letters through magazines. This explained why Elena knew nothing of Claire's true identity.
The visit was mainly because Elena had expressed wanting to visit the popular wax museum in Luntown but couldn't go alone. Her mother and sister were also afraid to venture into such a place, so Claire volunteered to accompany her.
Mrs. Campbell's doubts lessened upon hearing this. Elena wrote letters constantly and seemed very busy, and as the only other adults at home besides Susan, they indeed never dared to go to the haunted wax museum.
At social events, ladies' corsets were tightly laced, causing their breathing to be shallow, with air trapped in the chest and unable to reach the lungs. When startled, they could easily faint—this explained the many fainting noblewomen in literature and why they avoided uncomfortable or embarrassing situations.
Although this lady was radiant, her every move showing the elegance and manners taught in a noble family, Mrs. Campbell still hesitated to entrust her daughters to a stranger. Lady Claire gently assured that with time, everyone would become familiar.
When Elena was called downstairs by Mrs. Campbell, she saw a lady sitting on the sofa, as beautiful as Duke Berkeley himself. The lady wore a refined, elegant dress with the fashionable puffed sleeves and wide skirt favored by noblewomen. On her head was a wide-brimmed hat embroidered with delicate patterns and pearls. Judging by her attire alone, she was undoubtedly a genuine noblewoman, not a fake.
But her posture, expression, and gestures… the more Elena looked, the more familiar she seemed.
Lady Claire smiled and waved at her. Then, with her gloved hand, she deliberately adjusted the badge on her chest and winked at Elena.
Elena was puzzled, then realized, then shocked!
That badge looked so familiar—wasn't it the same kind of transforming badge she often wore? Could this Lady Claire actually be Duke Berkeley himself?
Elena was so shocked she was momentarily speechless. But thinking about her own male disguise, it was somewhat similar. No smiling from the eldest or second brother—damn it, she was still shocked, unable to imagine a grand duke openly dressing as a woman, and so convincingly that even Mrs. Campbell didn't recognize him.
"Dear," Mrs. Campbell introduced, "this is Lady Claire, your… pen pal?"
Elena hesitated, glanced at "Lady Claire," and received a confirming look from her. She quickly put on a performance. "Oh, you're… I really didn't expect…" Her tone was full of surprise and delight, as if she had a real connection with the lady.
Lady Claire gracefully stood, walked over, and gently took Elena's hand, speaking warmly, "Dear Elena, I am also glad to meet you face to face. Though we have never met, your words always surprise me."
At that moment, Elena subtly touched Lady Claire's pulse and realized there was no heartbeat. Her suspicion was confirmed.
Who would have thought? The broad-browed and big-eyed… no, the duke had also transformed into a woman! It exceeded all of Elena's imagination.
In Mrs. Campbell's blind spot, Elena cast a complicated glance. Lady Claire merely smiled lightly, unbothered.
Elegant and humorous Lady Claire quickly became a popular guest at the
Campbell household, much to Janet's bewilderment.
Janet was increasingly confused. Why would a powerful duke dress as a woman and mingle with their family? What secret was behind this "Lady Claire"? Elena herself was silent, only smiling mysteriously whenever Janet asked.
"Wait," Janet whispered to herself one night, "if Lady Claire is really Duke Berkeley, then… does that mean?"
Elena had become Duke Berkeley's ally, and the mysterious Lady Claire was the duke himself, disguised as a noblewoman, to personally observe and maybe assist Elena?
What a tangled web!
Certainly! Here's the English translation of the provided passage:
---
Just as Duke Berkeley, in the guise of Lady Claire, was actively working to increase the Campbell family's favorability, the renovations for the Ghost Tour were also proceeding smoothly. The undead actors gradually mastered various movement techniques, instinctively learned all kinds of zombie makeup, and finally, the chubby boss felt everything was ready to launch the new Ghost Tour to the public.
Thus, the latest issue of *The Strand* once again featured a sensational headline:
**"Ghost Tour Revamped—Bloodthirsty Creatures Resurface in Covent Garden!"**
In the article, Elena went all out to exaggerate the horror of the bloodsucking creatures. She described how these monsters slept in coffins, never saw sunlight, and only appeared at night. Not only did they drink human blood, but those bitten would also turn into monsters just like them. These descriptions made the already far-fetched rumors even more outrageous. Before long, the entire city of Luntown was swept up in a frenzy about vampire monsters.
Naturally, the frenzy made its way to the countryside castle, reaching the ears of the club members.
Vera, tormented by the antique castle, had lost several pounds. She read the article with a stomach full of words:
"Hah? We sleep in coffins now?"
She glanced at the castle's decor and fell silent.
"Well… it *does* look like a coffin, I guess."
Grace burst out laughing at her reaction.
"Is the article really that scary?"
"Of course it is! It even says that people bitten by us turn into monsters just like us."
Vera rolled her eyes.
"If ritual magic were really that simple, life would be a breeze. This is pure fearmongering!"
"Fearmongering!" the word echoed through the halls of the Tribunal.
"These people will write *anything*!"
Norman sighed as the argument around him grew increasingly heated.
The Tribunal had long been divided into two factions. The radical faction wanted to kill or expel all heretical races. The conservative faction believed that wasn't realistic—mainly because these races were still creations of the gods. Did they really want to anger the gods?
The two factions were in constant conflict. When a vampire creature was discovered in Kent recently, the radicals became invigorated. That led to the city-wide investigation in Luntown—since even the conservatives didn't want monsters lurking at their doorstep.
However, after the investigation yielded nothing, the conservatives began criticizing the operation as time-consuming and wasteful. Now, the vampire-themed article had become the radicals' last-ditch effort. They hoped to stir public fear and encourage more people to report these monsters. Even fabricated reports could serve as justification for continuing the search—or even launching a second round.
Unfortunately for them, this plan was completely derailed by the Ghost Tour. After such a ridiculous article was published, who could take the vampire threat seriously anymore?
Norman listened to the arguments with a blank expression—until a new order came down:
**"Go check out the Ghost Tour. Maybe there's something real hidden in there."**
… Emmmm. Hard to say anything.
This was definitely a "last resort" kind of move. But since this was Norman's job, no matter how much he internally complained, he could only go and investigate.
Norman didn't have strong opinions about other races. If he found traces of a heretical species, he would hunt them. If they hid well enough, he couldn't be bothered to dig deeper. In short, he was a qualified—but disengaged—employee.
So the working stiff signed up for the very first day of the Ghost Tour. The sooner he finished the job, the sooner he could go home and rest.
Meanwhile, at Elena's strong insistence, Mrs. Campbell finally agreed to let the trustworthy "Lady Claire" accompany Elena to visit the newly revamped Ghost Tour.
"I didn't know you were interested in this sort of thing," Mrs. Campbell said with a complicated expression. "Sigh… if you want to go, go ahead."
Elena: It's not that I'm interested—I really have no interest at all.
She just needed to see how effective the attraction was. If anything was lacking, she could ask the chubby boss and the others to make improvements. So, she also chose to go on the first day.
And so, on the grand opening day of the new Ghost Tour, the elegantly dressed Elena (herself) and the poised, ever-in-character Lady Claire (transformed) bumped into a certain black-haired, black-eyed man in Covent Garden—Count Norman.
Elena recognized the man immediately. He had once led a group to surround the club—clearly a member of the Tribunal. She had been politely holding Lady Claire's arm, but now she unconsciously clutched it even tighter.
"Relax," Lady Claire leaned in and whispered in her ear,
"We're just tourists here to enjoy the Ghost Tour. No need to be nervous."
Elena wasn't nervous for herself—she was worried about the performers. Although William had confidently claimed that his human disguise was flawless and no one could see through him, what if—?
"It's fine," Lady Claire seemed to sense her lingering anxiety and added jokingly,
"At worst, we'll just kill him."
While killing people was obviously wrong, the absurd comment oddly helped Elena relax.
Right—she wasn't the one stepping into a monster den. The one who should be nervous… was him.
"Here is your candle," said a staff member she didn't recognize, handing her a candle and wristband.
"Please wait a moment."
Elena absentmindedly accepted the items, then looked up—and to her surprise, Count Norman was also receiving a candle and wristband… and standing right next to them.
Great. Just great. They were in the same group.
"Lady Claire," Norman greeted with a bow. "What a surprise to see you here."
In response to Elena's stunned look of *"You two know each other?!"*, Lady Claire gave a sweet smile and a graceful curtsey.
"Count Norman. A pleasure."
So his name was Norman. Elena quickly committed it to memory.
Then, two more gentlemen arrived—along with William, who was clearly part of the "plant" actors in the group. Count Norman showed no signs of recognizing that a real "undead" was hiding among them.
Soon, two child guides holding candles walked up, marking the beginning of this fantastical Ghost Tour.