“Who are you, really?”

“I believe I already told you my name, I am Kristoff Wellesley”

Lu Han sighed “Not that, I know you aren’t some rich young master. You have a title”

“And connections, to be precise”

“Is there any chance you would actually tell me about yourself?” Lu Han puffed his cheeks in which Kris found weird “I believe you are my employer and employees ought to know their masters”

“Is that an Asian thing or is it just you?” Kris questioned, still bugged about his servant’s gesture “You are quite submissive for someone who was paid to kill me”

Lu Han rolled his eyes “I was paid and framed.”

Kris snickered, “Unlucky for you”

“You need my help and” Lu Han smirked “you entertain me. If I get bored I’ll just have to kill you myself”

“I believe you are quite entertained” as Kris eyed Lu Han from head to toe “A young master such as you got out from his mansion because he’s bored. You do not seek money; you seek to be entertained because that is who you are. You trust no one to be betrayed by no one. Intelligent”

Lu Han raised a brow “Is that one of your deduction?”

“No” Kris shook his head “just careful observation”

“Why do you know that?” It piqued Lu Han’s curiosity to meet such a man, it was intriguing but at the same time he felt danger.

It was exciting him.

“You have a jade earing on your left ear with a dragon engraving. Only one family possesses that in England, the Alphonsius family. It was a gift given by King James II as he was quite entertained by Shen, the first Chinese to visit Britain. He was given the name Michael Alphonsius Shen Fu Tsung. And so, their family’s heirloom became a jade dragon. Only family members can attain those.”

Lu Han scoffed “How do you know I didn’t steal it? I believe I do not share his blood.”

“Of course, you don’t” Kris mocked “He doesn’t have a direct descendant because he’s a martyr. But he has a brother and that means you are his great grandson. You are the closest descendant he ever has and the jade proves it. There is only one kind of jade dragon and it’s passed on to every head of the family. Plus, you have mannerisms only noblemen possess. That is deduction” Kris paused as he eyed Lu Han further. “And I believe you have a wife.”

“Arranged”

“See?” Kris taunted “Arranged marriage do not fancy peasants. Your left hand has a ring mark which means you have recently removed you ring. It’s impossible for you to be a widower, you are very young which can only mean you are either engaged or recently married. Tell me, how awful does your betrothed look that you have to leave?”

Lu Han was speechless, Kris was right on point.

He sighed in defeat “You are a dangerous man. And no, I never met the lady.”

“You are also an intelligent chemist”

Lu Han’s eyes shot up “How did—“

“You recognized the smell as soon as you saw it” Kris smirked “the murder weapon I mean”

Lu Han smiled pleasantly “Am I really that easy for you to get caught red handed?”

“Only for someone who has brains” Kris stood up from his chair “grab my coat, we have some sightseeing to do”

“Kew Gardens” Theo whispered in astonishment “so this is the famed Royal Garden”

“A beauty, ain’t it?” Moran spoke fondly.

It was almost twilight when the four of them arrived. Duncan, Harrison, Moran, and Gregory had volunteered themselves to do the job. They had again asked Yi Xing to come but the latter refused. Duncan sighed in regret, if they had to chat with someone intelligent, Yi Xing would have been the best shot yet the archive officer said nothing but ‘You will be fine’.

“Let’s go” Duncan commanded, he was not going to waste any time now.

He is anxious but the game is just beginning.

“I never thought it would be this amazing entering the greenhouse”

“Careful Gregory, a fly may enter your mouth” commented Moran playfully.

“I didn’t expect you to come here this early, was my telegram too easy?”

The foursome’s attentions were suddenly centred into a single direction.

There, he was.

Tall and aura full of charisma. His stature immediately gave inferiority to the officers as the said man walked graciously with etiquette, his valet— as what they presume walked behind him in the same gracious manner as if born with high intellect.

It was mesmerizing.

But Harrison felt danger.

The man halted his tracks, removing his top hat as if to show politeness along with his valet who bowed in the process “Welcome”

Theo pointed at the two strangers “You! So you were the ones playing around—“

The man’s valet immediately stepped in, dangerously eyeing at Theo’s finger.

Moran’s eyes widened at Theo’s unreasonable gesture and immediately retreated his junior’s hand “You imbecile! Don’t you know who you’re pointing rudely at?”

Theo’s eyes were filled with confusion; he doesn’t know why his superior is correcting him or why Chief Inspector Duncan was giving him disapproving look or why the valet seem to want to kill him.

He was practically clueless.

“Gentleman” Duncan cleared his throat, still eyeing his senseless junior in the process “This is Marquis Kristoff Leonard of the house Wellesley”

Gregory and Harrison’s eyes widened. It can’t be.

They heard stories but they never met the man themselves.

The rumours were true. He is young and an epitome of perfection.

The man himself is impeccable.

“And the heir to Dukedom of the house Wellington”