Melissa and Benson were extremely excited about the marriage ceremony and it showed with the way they talked over Amon's plans that Amon had sent over extensively and did not allow Klein to go to his own room to divinate Amon's well-being like he had planned.
"It's your marriage, Klein, try to act at least a little more excited," Melissa said accusingly. Amon and her had grown closer over the past few weeks and somehow his own sister had turned against him- Amon really was the best at winning people's hearts.
"It's just-" Klein opened his mouth but paused.
From his other side, Benson placed a warm hand over his own and said with a tender smile, "If you have any sort of problems, you can tell us. You know that right, Klein?"
"I know... sorry you two, but it's just that Amon's sick right now so I guess I'm a little worried." 'Little worried' was a major understatement though...
"He's sick?" Melissa mused out loud, "Well, the weather is changing and it's becoming a bit colder nowadays so he might have caught something. Why aren't you with him, Klein?"
"He... kind of kicked me out?" Klein laughed nervously.
Benson laughed out loud, "He's just worried his fiance might catch something from him! Don't worry, he'll get better soon no problem."
"Hm... yeah." Klein smiled but he was still unconvinced.
"How about this- just a few days after your wedding date, "The Return of the Count" is going to play at the theatre. How about all four of us go there- as a family?" Benson suggested with a smile.
A family...
Was that what they were to him now? Not just Amon... but even Benson and Melissa his 'siblings'...
Family...
Somehow that word did not feel foreign or wrong to Klein when he thought of that word alongside his siblings and to-be husband Amon.
Although he had been terribly worried about his own family as Zhou Mingrui back at home- this place had also quickly become his Home.
"Yes..." for the first time since after the talk with Amon, Klein smiled.
That was when the doorbell rang.
Klein stood up before Melissa or Benson could, "I'll take that."
Klein opened the door and was greeted by the sight of his Captain, Leonard. Leonard was still in a thin white shirt despite the chilly September weather. He had paired it with beige pants. He swept his green eyes at Klein.
"Leo- uh, Captain?"
"You can just call me Leonard you know," Leonard sighed, scratching his neck. He looked oddly ragged and sleep-deprived for a sleepless. "Anyways, we just received an anonymous request to look into Madam Sharon again. And since the previous times we tried investigating, it did not work- this time I want us to use a different method. You've read all the material I had picked for you right?"
"Yes, I did," Klein responded slowly. What was the reason that Leonard had personally arrived at Klein's house to inform him of this rather than wait half a day till he was at Blackthorn Security Company again?
"Good, let's talk the specifics in the carriage." Leonard pointed at the carriage behind him, waiting for them.
"Right now- wait, let me tell my siblings first..."
"Alright, be quick," Leonard said with a smile.
Klein quickly ran back inside and informed his siblings about the sudden call in from work as he gathered his coat and hat.
"You really work overtime a lot... is a translator's job really that hard?" Even Benson couldn't keep the worry out of his face.
"At this rate, you might even miss your wedding you know?" Melissa poked.
What was he, spiderman? Not going to lie... Klein did feel like that sometimes. All these secret identities and secrets stacked one over the other...
"I'll try to come back as soon as possible, but don't wait for me." Klein bid his siblings goodbye as he exited the house.
"Klein, you can travel in the spirit world right?" Leonard suddenly asked right as they boarded the carriage- almost making Klein slip and fall.
"H-huh?!" How did Leonard know?!
Apparently, that question must have been on Klein's face because Leonard coughed into his hands and answered quickly, "Of course I would know. Why wouldn't I know, I'm your Captain!"
Klein stared at Leonard, that made no sense.
But he was also the one who figured out that Klein was actually a Sequence 8 Clown and no longer a Sequence 9 Seer just from one single fight...
Maybe his dear poet really did have a functioning brain in that head of his.
"Why do I feel like you're thinking lowly of me in your mind again?" Leonard huffed before he quickly changed the topic, "Never mind all that, although I do not know how- I won't dig into your secrets. In exchange I want you to investigate Madam Sharon for me once again tonight."
Leonard did say there was an anonymous report or something...
"Who was the anonymous reporter?"
"Klein... they're anonymous for a reason..."
"...Right."
Klein sighed, it seemed like he really was going to get no rest tonight...
"By the way, Amon will be gone for like a day or so." Leonard suddenly started.
"Amon will?" Klein blinked. Wasn't he sick? And why did he tell Leonard and not Klein?
"Yeah, he..." Leonard seemed to drift off for a second before he replied, "He's going to visit his brother. Something or the other about his condition flaring up again..."
Condition?
Wait-
So Amon did not just suddenly get sick but was already suffering from one for a while?
"He... Amon's terminally ill?!" Klein's eyes were wide.
Leonard hummed awkwardly, "Kind of like that...? Don't worry- it's not that serious. He just needs to visit his brother to get it fixed."
"Ah... okay... I do remember Amon mentioning something or the other about his brother being some kind of doctor..." Klein remembered, "But he still did not tell me that he was terminally ill..."
Weren't they going to get married in just a few days?
How could Amon... still be keeping secrets from him?
But... wasn't Klein the same? He had not told Amon that he was The Fool from the Tarot Club all this time... how can Klein expect Amon to be honest with him about everything when he himself was lying about the biggest things?
But aren't couples who are meant to marry supposed to share everything with each other?
Did he... not trust Amon?
No that couldn't be the case- it was just that... his secrets were just too huge and explosive and could potentially ruin everything they had built together.
But... lying to Amon, a man he had started to love and started thinking about living the rest of his life with him till they grew old and wrinkly, it just did not feel right.
When would the chance even come to fess up about everything?
The longer he waits... the more severe the repercussions and Amon's ire he would earn.
"Leonard... there is something I want to ask you- as my friend." started Klein slowly as he gazed out to the dark scenery.
"What is it?"
"I.. I'm hiding something real big from Amon... although I want to fess up and tell him everything- I fear that telling him would break our entire relationship. But withholding the truth from him will only make the lie more and more severe. I don't know what to do..."
Leonard sighed, just when did he become Amon and Klein's relationship advisor?
"I reckon you should tell him, as soon as possible at that." Leonard doubted there was any secret of Klein's Amon did not know about with his ability to mind read and his creepy tendency to basically stalk Klein wherever he went, "Amon... loves you. I'm sure he'll understand. Maybe he'll even laugh about it? I doubt he's the sort of person who would drop you at the hat because of a secret. Yes maybe he would be angry and distant for a while but I'm sure anyone would appreciate the truth being told to them rather than them finding out about it years later and all forms of trust shattering then and there."
"Huh... you're right." Klein closed his eyes, "When he comes back... I'll tell him." He had made up his mind. Whether it is about him being The Fool who rules the gray fog or his identity as Zhou Mingrui from China- he will tell Amon everything. Even if Amon decided to break off their marriage and engagement, then that was fine too. Amon did not deserve to be lied to... or maybe Amon could accept him as all three of his identities... even if he wasn't the original Klein Moretti- he had his memories in his mind. Then what was the difference between the real Klein Moretti and Zhou Mingrui who transmigrated into his body? Even if the matter of not having memories about Amon was a major problem... he was sure they could work it through.
Wasn't that what couples promised to each other in their vows? No matter what problems they'll face in the future they'll work through it hand to hand and come to an agreement...
"Thanks." Klein smiled at Leonard.
"Don't thank me, I should be the one thanking you for taking my mind off the case for at least a few minutes. It's a real headache, that one..."
Wasn't he leading the investigation into the Lavenous case?
"How is your investigation going?" Klein asked casually.
"I might have just tracked down a building rented by Lanevus under a false name," Leonard replied, pride obvious in his voice.
"How did you figure it out?" Klein asked out of curiosity.
And thus they discussed Leonard's case till they reached the Blackthorn Security Company. As Klein got off the carriage, he realized that Leonard wasn't getting off.
"I'll continue my investigation, anything you find from your 'special' investigation, I'll need you to report to and work with Captain Dunn since I won't be there." Leonard recited the words Amon had told him to say.
"Alright, stay safe."
"Same to you." Leonard waved at Klein.
Klein made his way to Leonard's office after waving a greeting to Roxanne and informing her about some urgent thing Leonard asked him to handle. After locking the door and creating a wall of spirituality around him, Klein finally took a deep breath and prayed to himself. It was time to investigate Madam Sharon for real this time.
In an isolated place, a place unreachable by both the Spirit and Astral realms.
A majestic cathedral stood with pitch-black stone columns. Inside this cathedral, each column, arch, and dome's surface is embedded with the bones of different races. In the middle is a cross that was more than a hundred meters tall. It was as though countless souls were sealed inside. In front of the cross, a blurry figure stood there as though he was watching everything with compassion. This was a cathedral of corpses, but instead of appearing eerie, it was filled with holiness.
The baby blue eyes looked at the black-clad intruder, "Amon."
It was as if at that instant his body just gave up and could no longer hold itself together- Amon's body broke into multiple worms of times but only after the Angel of Time glared sharply at his 'brother' and mouthed, 'Don't look into my mind.' before finally losing consciousness.