Chapter 504
Lucia, who had been sipping wine while leaning against the bed, greeted Ian with a smile. "You're back earlier than I thought. I expected you to be late."
"Well, it turned out that way," Ian replied as he crossed the room.
Lucia's smile faded. Although his face was as impassive as usual, she had noticed that he was not in a good mood.
"Looks like you've read all those documents," Ian added, stopping in front of the dining table.
He picked up a cigarette that had been left leaning against a wooden mask next to the food tray. It was a cigarette that Diana had left half-smoked.
Lucia nodded. "Yes. Though there wasn't much you needed to know."
As Diana, just awakened, groggily sat up from the opposite bed, Lucia paused briefly before adding, "Something must have happened, didn't it?"
"The most fundamental problem has arisen," Ian replied, picking up the candlestick by the window.
He lit the end of the cigarette in his mouth and added, "That old fellow didn't even show up."
"What?" Lucia's eyes widened at once. Her lips parted in disbelief. "But... doesn't it always respond when you call it?"
"That's what I thought. Until now," answered Ian.
He then placed the candlestick back and plopped down onto the chair next to the table. He exhaled a long stream of smoke.