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Page 107
Because I am an atheist, I am more vigilant than others. When faced with an uncertain future, I should not blame fate for being unfair and remain inactive, but should strive bravely and be true to my soul. This is the greatest charm of this middle-aged man: enduring hardships that others cannot bear, and dedicating his life solely to fighting for what he believes is right.
The Karl couple and Friedrich, like Gisela, should have belonged to the "elite" and "high society," but they ultimately chose to forge a deep bond with this class they had never met before and fought for them their entire lives.
Gisela was captivated by the middle-aged man's charm and gave him a heartfelt round of applause.
“Miss, it’s getting late. I need to buy a copy of the ‘Taiwan Daily’ and then go home to continue my work.” The middle-aged man smiled as Gisela bowed to him before preparing to leave.
"Mr. Carl, why do you favor the 'Taixi Daily'?" Gisela, as the true head of the newspaper, naturally cared a great deal about his mentor's opinion.
"Because compared to most newspapers on the market that are full of praise and scandals, it allowed me to see the people, those ordinary people who I may not be able to meet one by one, but who truly exist there." As the man said, this was also Gisela's original intention in starting this newspaper. It analyzes all aspects of society from a relatively neutral perspective and then reveals the issues of people's livelihood. Because to outsiders, this newspaper is an American newspaper, it naturally does not belong to any country in the Old World, and its stance is relatively objective.
Although she also harbored some selfish motives related to the media battle, it was still better than the vast majority of newspapers on the market...
"Then goodbye, Mr. Carl." Gisela stood up and walked over to the middle-aged man, giving him a hug and discreetly slipping a check into his pocket. The amount wasn't large, but it was enough for his family to live frugally for a whole year.
"Child, your intelligence and talent must not be wasted. Your future will be bright. I hope to see a different new world in my lifetime, even if that world is not perfect..." After giving Gisela his blessings, the middle-aged man disappeared into the crowd.
“Sir, I am one of the exploiters you want to overthrow.” Gisela pursed her lips slightly, but her mood was surprisingly pleasant, because today she had fulfilled a long-cherished wish: to have a conversation with that great man that spanned a century.
"Where to go next?" Gisela stretched and looked around the park. After a moment's thought, she decided to go back to 220 Baker Street to rest for a while. After all, she still needed to go to the theater with Hannah that evening to watch a play and chat about the progress of the plan.
Just as Gisela stepped out of the park gate, a ragged little boy who looked like a newsboy suddenly called out to her.
"Sister, this is a letter a gentleman asked me to give to you."
"A letter?" Gisela took the white envelope from the boy with some doubt, first observing the French letter written on the front: "(A letter to Gisela)." The signature below was Lpin (Robin).
Who is Robin? Gisela recalled with some confusion, but she didn't seem to have any connection with anyone named Robin, and the French handwriting above indicated that he was French. In fact, the only French person Gisela was truly familiar with was Jeanne Alter.
"Thank you, little boy." Gisela thanked him and was about to leave, but she noticed that the little boy was still standing there, looking at her with some expectation in his eyes.
"Is there anything else?" Gisela crouched down, lowering her height so that she could look the boy in front of her at eye level.
"Pretty sister, could you give me a little tip?" The little boy's bright eyes looked at Gisela. Not far behind him, three other little girls, also dressed in tattered clothes, were peering over the wall, secretly observing them. It seemed this older brother, though young, still needed to take care of others. With that thought, Gisela knew the answer.
“Of course.” With that, Gisela took four pounds from her bag and handed them to the boy. The boy caught a glimpse of the glittering gold coins in Gisela’s hand, and a bright smile instantly bloomed on his face.
"Take this and buy your sisters some treats and a nice new outfit." Gisela patted the boy's head, waved goodbye, and watched him run into the alley where the three girls were. The pound sterling still held considerable purchasing power in this era, much like the country itself, which was still at its strongest.
Sadly, beneath the Queen's glory, countless children toiled for a living, and the employment of child labor was commonplace. It was a beautiful era, and also the worst of times.
Gisela raised her hand and beckoned a carriage.
"Where are you going, miss?"
220 Baker Street.
“Okay.” Gisela sat in the carriage and gently tore off the ink seal on the envelope, taking out the letter inside.
The text begins with numerous flatteries of Gisela, then abruptly shifts to say that Gisela's ring should belong to the people, so he steals the ring for the poor.
This ring was a precious gift presented by Nina, on behalf of the Kingdom of Bavaria, to the Austrian Empire at Gisela's wedding to Prince Leopold of Bavaria. Although Gisela did not wear it, it was a fact that she possessed this ring.
Three days later, Gisela immediately recognized the letter's author during the planned heist. This Frenchman, an anarchist, and self-proclaimed righteous thief, was none other than the famous gentleman thief, Arsène Lupin. Not only was he a master of disguise, able to transform into anyone at will, but he was also an art connoisseur with a keen eye for oil paintings. Arsène Lupin, a detective on par with Sherlock Holmes, was also a chivalrous thief with a strong sense of justice and compassion; his stories are widely known in the Arsène Lupin series…
PS1: Interactive History
Chapter 400 The Two-Headed Eagle Reborn: Capter 19 Sherlock Holmes in the Attic (Seeking Votes)
But now the question arises: shouldn't these be characters from a novel? Did they actually exist in reality?
If, given the nature of the gods in this world, the existence of any character is possible, then could Sherlock Holmes also be a real person? If so, then it's foreseeable that this trip to London will be quite exciting, and perhaps we'll even meet this legendary detective.
In that case, it would be better to entrust the ring to Holmes for safekeeping, and then, as the client, watch the contest between the two from the sidelines. This would be much more interesting and exciting than watching it in movies or TV shows.
This is an IP collaboration that will sell like hotcakes even in later years: Watson and Holmes, the golden duo, take on the gentleman thief.
"Miss, we've arrived at Baker Street." With the coachman's words, the carriage came to a smooth stop on the north-south street. Gisela snapped out of her thoughts and jumped off the carriage, but instead of heading to her own number 220, she focused her attention on a two-story house next to number 220, and then knocked on the door of number 221.
"Who's knocking?" As Gisela knocked, a middle-aged woman's voice came from inside the room.
"I am a client. Is Mr. Holmes here?" Gisela answered the woman in the room with her prepared response.
"Please wait a moment, I'll open the door right away." As the woman spoke, Gisela soon heard the sound of heels tapping on the ground getting closer and closer, eventually reaching the door. With the doorknob turned, the door was quickly opened.
"Are you looking for Miss Holmes?" The middle-aged man inside frowned at first, but when he saw a beautiful young woman dressed in fine clothes standing outside the door, his smile returned.
"I thought they were here to cause trouble, so I had my pistol ready." The middle-aged woman took out the pistol hidden behind her back.
After all, London's security situation is far from good, with all sorts of cases occurring frequently, and Miss Holmes is London's most famous detective and a master at fighting crime, so it's inevitable that she would be targeted by criminal organizations.
"Madam, you're from out of town, right?" The woman took out a cigarette from her pocket, lit it, took a deep drag, and exhaled the pale gray smoke.
"So you're really here to see Sherlock Holmes?"
“Of course!” Gisela was somewhat puzzled as to why the woman kept questioning her like this.
"We don't have a Mr. Holmes here, only a Miss Holmes. Of course, if you need someone to do something, asking her is no problem. After all, she's a famous detective in London, and she's solved several cases at Scotland Yard." (Scotland Yard is a nickname for the London Metropolitan Police.)
"Miss Charlotte, a guest has come to visit you! Come down quickly." The middle-aged woman called out twice towards the stairs, but unfortunately, there seemed to be no response from upstairs.
"I wonder what that child is doing up there," the woman complained again.
"Madam, may I go up and visit her myself?" Gisela glanced in the direction of the stairs leading to the attic, then turned to look at the woman.
"Go on, go on. I haven't had my hot cocoa yet. I'm going out to meet some friends later. If I'm not home when you leave, remember to close the door behind you." With that, the woman twirled the gun in her hand and went back to her room.
Gisela climbed the creaking wooden stairs to the second floor, and soon a rich, fragrant aroma filled her nostrils, causing her to frown.
"Is Miss Holmes here?" Gisela gently knocked on the open second-floor door, but there was still no response.
What on earth was Miss Holmes doing, drawing all the curtains in broad daylight and leaving the room in a complete mess? This room made Gisela, who was used to being tidy, extremely unhappy.
"Who's there?" A lazy voice came from the corner of the room, soft and even cute, clearly a girl's voice.
“Sherlock Holmes?” Gisela picked up a chair from the table and sat down in the corner in front of Miss Holmes.
"It's Charlotte, not Sherlock," the girl in the corner said, yawning as she shakily stood up. Gisela couldn't see the girl's face clearly due to the lighting.
Seeing the famous detective looking so dejected, Gisela became curious about her appearance. So she decisively stood up, walked to the window, and skillfully drew back the curtains. Because it was noon, the fog had dissipated somewhat, and the midday sun could now shine into the room without any obstruction.
"Stop! I hate the strong sunlight!" the girl cried out, which only amused Gisela. She then yanked the curtains open, letting even more blinding sunlight into the room.
The black-haired girl in front of her was writhing on the ground in pain. One of her legs was wrapped in a gray stocking, but the stocking on the other leg was nowhere to be found. Her white shirt was not properly buttoned, and her skirt was wrinkled. No matter how Gisela tried to deceive herself, she just couldn't compare this teenage girl to the famous detective.
"Is this Cocaine?" Gisela stared at the bottle on the table. Cocaine is a chemical substance that was extracted and named by the Austrian chemist Neumann in 1859. In medicine, it is often used as a local anesthetic or vasoconstrictor. Due to its good anesthetic effect and strong penetrating power, it is mainly used for surface anesthesia.
Due to its special nature and the fact that excessive consumption can lead to addiction, it has become one of the most harmful drugs in the 21st century.
"Have you been taking this for a long time?" Gisela observed the girl who had finally calmed down, which allowed Gisela to see the girl's face clearly. Apart from the light dark circles under her eyes, she was pretty. Although she couldn't compare to Rita or Aponia, and she had some freckles on the tip of her nose, she was still a pretty girl.
“I advise you not to take this stuff; it will harm your health,” Gisela said out of concern for the woman.
"Cigarettes are just as harmful to health as nicotine, but many people still love them, don't they? Besides, they keep me energized to face any difficulties that may arise." (This quote is from the original novel, *A Scandal in Bohemia*.)
"As someone who is doing something so harmful to their health, your words have no persuasive power whatsoever." With that, Gisela threw the Cocaine on the table out the window. This was for the child's own good; long-term use of this substance could cause serious damage to the digestive and immune systems.
In short, they will be more physically weak and prone to illness than the average person...
PS1: Sherlock Holmes 0v0!
Chapter 401 The Two-Headed Eagle's Rebirth: Captain 20 The Princess's Request (Seeking Votes)
"You!" Charlotte pressed herself against the window as if she were greased, trying to grab the bottle, but it was impossible.
“You’re just like Mr. Watson! I’ve had enough of you both!” Miss Holmes almost roared.
"So your partner Watson also comes here often? Where is he?" Gisela became curious when she heard Holmes mention Watson. Logically speaking, with Watson keeping Holmes up to his feet, he shouldn't be so listless.
"He recently got married! He's currently on holiday in Scotland with his wife. Oh, damn it! I hate married people the most, Miss, you should understand how I feel." In Holmes's eyes, this beautiful young woman must be one of his kind.
"Hmm! I understand." Looking at Miss Charlotte's hysterical state, Gisela felt embarrassed to admit that she too had been married, and with the blessings of the Empire's subjects...
"So, what brings you here that you need my help with?" Holmes took a pipe from the cupboard, put on his coat, picked up a stool, and sat down in front of Gisela.
"I'd like to entrust you with protecting something." Gisela took out a small box and placed it on the table.
"Hey, why aren't you criticizing me for smoking?" Miss Holmes fiddled with her pipe, but didn't put any tobacco in.
"Because I guess you don't like smoking."
"Oh?" Holmes observed Gisela with interest, awaiting her reasoning.
"Because your teeth are white and straight, and there are no burnt or blackened marks on the pipe, I assume you don't smoke." People who smoke for a long time certainly don't have good-looking teeth, and cigarette butts, if used for a long time, will definitely have a lot of oil stains and burnt marks, but this pipe is exceptionally clean.
“That’s true. So what’s inside this little box?” Charlotte gently opened the box, and a blue crystal-like ring was displayed in front of her.
"This is called the Heart of Bavaria. It has been kept for generations by the Wittelsbach family, who have ruled the Kingdom of Bavaria. Not long ago, Prince Leo of Bavaria gave it to the princess of the Austrian Empire. Now, a thief named Arsène Lupin is trying to steal it, so we hope you can protect it."
"I see." Although Holmes was a well-known detective in London, she wasn't a household name throughout Europe, so she was genuinely puzzled as to why His Highness would seek her out. Of course, Holmes didn't know that Gisela was the owner of the ring; after all, it was unusual for someone of her rank to handle such a matter personally, and it was simply impossible for her to travel all the way from Vienna to London.
So……
As if an idea had formed in her mind, Miss Holmes began to carefully examine the woman in front of her. She wondered why the woman was wearing a rather large sun hat, and even though she was indoors, she did not seem to want to take it off. Could she actually be bald or wearing a wig?
No, the hair extending from under the brim of the other person's hat could not possibly be a wig, and the clothes the other person was wearing were not from a common brand and were obviously custom-made. Such a distinguished foreigner could only lead Holmes to one conclusion.
However, she needed to confirm one thing before that:
"Although I am a detective, in order to uphold the principle of being responsible to myself and my clients, could you please remove your hat now? Otherwise, I cannot determine whether there is anything dangerous hidden in your hat." Holmes was not good at fighting and usually relied on Watson, a retired military doctor, for protection.
“Miss Charlotte, I can satisfy your curiosity, but once you see what’s next, your life or death will no longer be in your own hands…” Gisela’s lips curled up slightly as she observed the great detective before her with great interest, wondering what he would choose.
“Then please take it off…” Perhaps it was Gisela’s words that aroused Holmes’ curiosity, or perhaps it was not her style to linger at the door of the truth, so she made a decisive choice.
“Very good, I like your decisiveness.” With that, Gisela took off her sun hat, revealing her beautiful fox ears to Miss Holmes, who, despite his extensive experience, widened his eyes in surprise.
Her extensive knowledge made it easy for her to learn from the newspapers that, at that time, the only lady in all of Europe with this characteristic was His Highness.
"You must be Princess Gisela..."
"Shh! Miss Holmes, I've told you the truth you wanted. How about we talk about the matter I've commissioned?"
“Alright! I accept this commission.” Miss Charlotte is also very interested in dealing with Arsène Lupin, the outstanding phantom thief.
"Shall we discuss the details?"
"of course can."
Conversation divider
“Miss Charlotte, I live right next door. Feel free to contact us anytime if you need anything. I’m entrusting the Heart of Bavaria to you for the next few days.” With that, Gisela gently knocked on the door of room 220, and soon a beautiful woman with gray hair and purple eyes opened the door for her.
The instant the switch was turned on, Holmes noticed that the woman gave her an unfriendly look, as if she were warning him. Faced with this strange scene, Charlotte quickly withdrew her head and went back to her room.
“Your Highness! Who is she?” Rita silently followed Gisela up the stairs, and after a moment she asked softly.
“Sherlock Holmes, a brilliant detective, I asked her to help me protect the ring Nina gave me from a thief.”
“Thief?” Rita frowned slightly when she heard Gisela mention those two words.
“Your Highness, if it’s a thief, you can hand him over to us. If he really dares to steal, we’ll make sure he dies a horrible death.” Gisela knew Rita’s character well. For her, anyone who threatened her safety would be eliminated without hesitation. Moreover, she was now in charge of a portion of the newly established Imperial intelligence department, so she had her own channels for gathering intelligence.
“I am very pleased with Rita’s loyalty to you, but more than that thing, I want to see which of these two is more powerful.” Gisela’s eyes gleamed with purple light. She gently lifted Rita’s chin, looked at the maid with her fair cheeks slightly flushed, examined her for a moment as if she were a treasure, then released her hand and continued to walk upstairs.
Rita is definitely more charming when she gets serious...
PS1: May Day holiday is coming soon.
Chapter 402 The Two-Headed Eagle's Rebirth: Capter 21 Before the Storm (Seeking Votes)
As night fell in London, social gatherings began to bustle. Gisela, already dressed and ready with Rita's help, sat comfortably in a chair, waiting quietly as Rita made final preparations for her departure.
It's worth mentioning that Gisela wore a snow-white evening gown and a flat little hat today. Although it didn't look big, it was just enough to cover her fox ears. The feeling of being restricted might be uncomfortable, but it was better than being seen by others.
"Is Nina still asleep?" Gisela asked Rita, who was tidying her clothes, while fiddling with the toy soldier in her hand. This toy was a souvenir she had bought by chance on the street; it depicted the famous "Lobster Soldier" from British history, symbolizing the glory of British military power.
"Yes, Lady Nina, I've taken some sleeping pills and I'll probably be sleeping until tomorrow morning." Gisela couldn't help but chuckle at how embarrassed she was, despite being a mage.
"Alright, let her get some rest today." Gisela raised an eyebrow and secretly observed Rita today. She had changed out of her professional maid outfit and into a purple evening gown, making her look exceptionally charming.
If I had to use a metaphor, it would be like a purple rose—mysterious, elegant, and beautiful. Of course, the truth is that there are no purple roses in the world.
"The 7 pm show, the private box has already been booked by Miss Rothschild. It's right across from the most famous Lycem Teater in the West End, the Duke of Somerset's House." Anyone familiar with London should know that most of London's theaters are concentrated in the West End, and the Lycem Teater is the most famous in the West End, with a history dating back to 1765, more than a hundred years before Gisela's time.
“Yes, Your Highness, I understand.” Rita nodded knowingly upon hearing Gisela’s words, then gracefully sat down on the armrest of Gisela’s sofa, slightly lifting her skirt and slowly putting on her black stockings. This natural movement made Gisela involuntarily steal glances at the faintly visible scenery at the hem of Rita’s skirt. Indeed, compared to open observation, this allure of the glimpse was the greatest romance for a man!
Unfortunately, it always feels like something's missing!
“Rita, could you…go a little…over?” In the end, Gisela blushed slightly and made a difficult decision—to remind Rita, after all, she had important things to do.
“Alright, Your Highness, let’s go.” Rita, unaware of the intense internal struggle Gisela was going through, simply smiled and said to Gisela.
"Mmm!" Gisela nodded instinctively, but why did she feel a little regretful?
Travel dividing line
Even in the evening, the Lysham Theatre was still bustling with activity and crowds. After all, it is London's largest theatre, famous for its 2000 seats, and its fame and popularity speak for themselves.