So it really is Frank... Even with transmigrators interfering, he managed to stay true to his "original intentions" and followed his original life trajectory... How fascinating...
Or perhaps, this Lady Lamia isn't a transmigrator and played the role of Frank's adoptive mother in the original story, which is why the impact wasn't that significant?
Hmm... Judging by the handwriting on the plaque at the entrance, she does seem like a beginner when it comes to writing Chinese characters...
So, she might not be a transmigrator herself but could have known one, such as the person who brought the "Tudor Emblem" here.
And the inspiration for the plants she created, reminiscent of games from my previous life, might also have come from that person...
Of course, it's also possible that she's a transmigrator from another country and isn't familiar with Chinese characters, which is why she tried copying them after discovering Roselle's diary? But that doesn't explain how she managed to correctly combine the four characters for "Zen Garden"...
As his thoughts raced, Ebner wanted to ask more about Lady Lamia, but Judy shook her head, indicating that she only knew this much. After all, the lady's last visit to the church was thirty years ago, and Judy was only 18 this year.
Ebner wasn't too disappointed. If Judy didn't know, he could always ask Ms. Closfia in Indor Harbor. She would definitely have a clear understanding.
But come to think of it, Lady Lamia was at least in her twenties or thirties thirty years ago, or she wouldn't have achieved such accomplishments... And as a "Desolate One" from the same era, Judy's father, Lord Loreto, should be around the same age... So, Lord Loreto is now in his fifties or sixties?
But Ms. Closfia looks very young, and Miss Judy is only 18... It seems the lord married someone much younger...
As Ebner's thoughts drifted further, Cullen and Captain Asenov had already gathered all the books and experimental reports they could find and packed them into the large box on the captain's back.
Cullen dusted himself off and smiled at Ebner, "These need to be handed over to the church... But I'll make a copy for you later."
"That's fine," Ebner replied, snapping out of his thoughts and nodding.
Having those materials would certainly add to his knowledge, but it wasn't a big deal if he didn't. After all, this was the "ancient alchemist's" core expertise, and he'd need to at least become a demigod to "imitate" it.
After "cleaning out" the study and laboratory, the four of them returned to the previous fork and headed to the left, toward the living quarters and bedroom.
The living room wasn't very large, furnished with a sofa, tables, and chairs. On the other side was a billiard table with two cues on it.
The table was covered with translucent papers, some filled with writing, others half-written, but all of them were in "Roselle script."
Underneath the translucent papers was a piece of cardboard, also covered in Roselle script...
This setup... Is she really practicing calligraphy?
Hmm, Lady Lamia probably isn't a transmigrator. The person who taught her calligraphy is!
As Ebner pondered, Cullen picked up the cardboard filled with writing and mused, "This should be one of Roselle's manuscripts... Although I haven't seen this particular one, my intuition tells me it's not just a random collection of symbols. It seems to have been copied from an actual manuscript...
"Though the person who copied it altered the symbols, making it look quite neat..."
Hearing this, Ebner glanced at the cardboard curiously, then his eye twitched. He managed to control his expression, not letting any odd looks show.
The cardboard was filled with the entire Thousand Character Classic... written in standard Song typeface. If Ebner didn't know better, he'd have thought it was printed from a Word document.
So, the person who wrote this is the real transmigrator!
But their handwriting is too perfect... Even as a teacher in my previous life, I practiced "Song typeface" and couldn't write like this...
Wait, no... With the "Pure White Eye," it should be possible to simulate this... But why go to such lengths for something so trivial?
Thinking this, Ebner picked up the cardboard Cullen had put down. After a few glances, he pondered further:
Moreover, this transmigrator went to great lengths to make his writing look like Roselle's diary. Not only did he add dates every few paragraphs, but he also deliberately unevenly distributed punctuation and line breaks...
What a painstaking effort... Did he do this to please Lady Lamia but couldn't find a real Roselle diary, so he forged one himself?
This is really... I've also provided fake diaries to Klein, but at least I put effort into them, occasionally including some useful information. I wouldn't just mess around like this...
Well, actually, I couldn't mess around even if I wanted to, since Klein knows Chinese characters... If I handed him a Thousand Character Classic, Hundred Family Surnames, or Memorial on the Expedition, he'd probably call me out immediately.
So, from this, we can conclude that the transmigrator didn't teach Lady Lamia Chinese but only had her practice calligraphy...
Picking up a half-copied translucent sheet from the table, Ebner compared its handwriting to that on the cardboard. The difference was quite noticeable—the former was visibly immature and awkward.
Ebner nodded thoughtfully, feeling that this further confirmed his hypothesis.
At that moment, Judy, after looking at the traced characters, commented with a strange expression, "So, Lady Lamia enjoyed copying Roselle script… My father always thought she preferred more thrilling activities. I never expected her hobby to be so… peaceful."
Your father actually studied her hobbies? No wonder Lady Closfia got jealous… But if that's the case, then she must know Lady Lamia even better!
Ebner ridiculed internally but said nothing. Meanwhile, Judy realized she had misspoken and quickly changed the subject. "Oh, by the way, when we were temporarily staying at Harvest Church, we noticed that Bishop Utravsky had the same habit… According to him, copying Roselle script helps calm the mind and resist another personality…"
"Later, Hazel was influenced by him as well."
That's true. Hazel loves copying things now… I just wonder how she'll feel when she eventually realizes she's been diligently transcribing stuff like 'The Taste of a Witch' all this time…
After mentally roasting Hazel for a moment, Ebner didn't pursue the topic. It wasn't unusual for different people to have the same hobbies, so there was no need to dwell on it.
Next, the four thoroughly searched the bedroom behind the living area but found nothing particularly valuable. Only a framed photograph caught their attention.
It was a portrait of a man and a woman. The man looked to be in his twenties, handsome, with deep, captivating eyes. He wore an old-fashioned suit and held a cane in one hand.
The woman appeared to be in her early twenties as well. She had a dignified look, a full figure, and was dressed in a grass-green dress. There was a gentle smile in her eyes.
"Is this Lady Lamia and her husband?" Cullen pointed at the woman in the photograph and asked Judy.
"I don't recognize her…" Judy replied with some difficulty. "Other than pictures and portraits of my mother and me, there would never be any other woman's image in our house… So, I really don't know if this is Lady Lamia."
However, Ebner had been staring at the man in the photograph for a long time. For some reason, he felt an odd sense of familiarity, yet he was sure he had never seen him before…
After some thought, he figured this photograph might prove useful in the future, which explained the strange feeling he had about it. So, he spoke up, "Would it be alright if I keep this for safekeeping?"
Since it was just an ordinary photograph, the three Desolate Ones didn't mind, allowing Ebner to take it.
With this, their preliminary search was complete, and they confirmed with regret that Lady Lamia hadn't perished here. In fact, she had taken most of her valuable belongings with her before leaving…
As a result, aside from the plant seeds and the compiled experimental records known as the Book of Nature, the only other significant find was the Tudor Emblem.
Next, they planned to return to the central altar to assist Ebner in securing the emblem…
But just as they stepped into the main cavern, the world around them suddenly changed—the reds became redder, the yellows became yellower, and the whites became whiter. The colors intensified and overlapped, creating a surreal oil painting!
Before the four could react, a silver-white, translucent-winged bird suddenly darted out from the "painting", flying straight to Cullen's chest, chirping loudly.
At the same time, the distorted colors around them quickly returned to normal.
"Silica!" Cullen's expression softened as he gently patted the little bird's back, smiling. "I made you worry."
Hearing this, the previously excited bird turned away, its little head facing the other direction, clearly expressing its dissatisfaction.
At that moment, a bronze-skinned gentleman, clad in a black tailcoat and wearing a half-tall silk hat, appeared before them. He scanned the surroundings, then spoke in a deep voice:
"Looks like you've already taken care of your problem…"