The night was deep, and the streets of the City of Flowers remained bustling and alive. Only in the heart of the city, within the police station, did a completely different scene unfold.
The Palieu Police Department of the City of Flowers, formally known as the Palieu Police Headquarters, was a storied institution tasked with maintaining public safety and order across the city of Palieu and its surrounding suburbs.
As one of the most vital law enforcement bodies in the Kingdom of Posen, it answered directly to the Ministry of the Interior of the Kingdom of Posen while also operating under the oversight of the Palieu municipal government.
Constructed centuries ago, the headquarters bore the deep etchings of time across its weathered stones.
Deep within the station, Lanqi and Talia sat in a cold cell, pitilessly separated from freedom by an iron gate. The dim, yellowish lamp cast their shadows against the gray stone walls.
The lock on the iron gate was firmly shut.
A heavy silence stretched between them for a long time.
"Lanqi, I want to ask you a question."
Talia sat on her knees on the cell floor, her back held impeccably straight.
Though such an environment would panic an ordinary person, not a flicker of disturbance crossed her eyes.
She looked softly over at Lanqi.
Lanqi, on the other hand, was slumped dejectedly against the corner, one hand resting on his knee.
"Let's hear it."
Lanqi tilted his head to look at her.
"Why are the two of us here?" Talia asked, looking at him.
"Do you even hear what you're saying?"
Lanqi straightened his head slightly and stared at her.
A thousand words were written in his gaze.
By all rights, they should have convened court right now to review exactly why they had ended up locked in a police cell, but he didn't dare to anymore.
He didn't want to get pinned down for a fifth time.
Honestly speaking, Lanqi had never in his life imagined he would end up behind bars. Even in the Northern Continent, where he had started with only a cat and no legal registration whatsoever, he had worked his way up steadily and never once set foot in a police station.
Yet how long had they even been in Palieu, the City of Flowers, before he was already tossed into the clink?
"In any case, haven't we successfully checked off one tourist attraction already?" Talia asked.
Before setting out, she and Lanqi had discussed their itinerary. Another objective of this trip to the Kingdom of Posen was to cultivate mutual understanding and teamwork between them. On Professor Borao's recommendation, they had indeed agreed to travel together.
Among their destinations, Palieu Police Headquarters was a notable landmark. Its history dated back more than three centuries, established by Jean-Baptiste Colbed, the Minister of the Interior during the reign of King Lanyi XIV of Posen.
Its original purpose had been to elevate the security of Palieu and manage civic order more effectively.
Over centuries of evolution, the establishment had gradually grown into a multifaceted public service institution with a broad mandate, ranging from traffic management and counterterrorism to routine civil security.
"…Traveling with you truly leaves a deep impression," Lanqi mumbled, words failing him.
Perhaps he would never forget this police station for the rest of his life.
"Actually, if we had just lied earlier, we could have walked out," Talia mused aloud, reflecting on what had happened.
The officer hadn't really given them a hard time.
During the questioning back at the station, the officer had stated that as long as they admitted they were a couple, he would let them go.
Yet the two of them would rather sit in jail than concede to the officer's words, so in the end, it could only be categorized as a public brawl.
"Would you have admitted it?" Lanqi asked.
"No," Talia replied flatly.
"Do you think I would have admitted it?" Lanqi asked again.
"No," Talia denied once more.
"Then what is there to talk about?"
"Fair point."
And so the two killed time like this.
They had lost track of how long they had been in this cell—probably close to an hour.
Aside from chatting with each other, they had nothing else to pass the time.
Although they were prone to bickering, compared to when they first met—where they wouldn't exchange a single word while sharing a space—perhaps their relationship had improved somewhat.
Suddenly, quiet settled over the cell once more.
Conversations always ran their course eventually.
"So hungry," Talia muttered, touching her stomach. It felt as though she hadn't eaten anything all evening.
"Here."
Lanqi produced a small packet of coconut cheese biscuits from his pocket and tossed it to Talia.
Talia caught it in mild surprise.
She hadn't expected Lanqi to carry snacks around whenever he went out, just like Antanas.
What was more, he had somehow slipped it past the pat-down like a magician.
He definitely hadn't had this habit before.
"Aren't you hungry?" Talia looked at the wrapper, hesitating before asking Lanqi.
"Nope." Lanqi shook his head.
"You haven't eaten dinner either," Talia stated, dead serious.
"I'm definitely less hungry than you," Lanqi replied as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"…"
Talia started to speak, then stopped.
For a moment, she didn't know whether to feel annoyed or touched.
"Half each."
Talia tore open the packet, snapped the biscuit in two, and held one half out to Lanqi.
"…"
Lanqi hesitated for a second, then squinted with a grin. "My, you really must like me, being willing to share the only food you have."
"You…"
Talia instantly wanted to stuff both pieces into her mouth.
Yet she realized that if she did, she would likely fall right into Lanqi's trap.
He was probably just trying to provoke her into finishing the whole thing herself.
She raised her hand and thrust the biscuit straight to Lanqi's lips.
Lanqi didn't budge, and neither did she.
Helpless, Lanqi had no choice but to take the biscuit between his teeth, tilting his head back to chew.
As time trickled by, the silence of the corridor outside was broken by approaching footsteps.
The sound drew near and finally halted right before Lanqi and Talia's cell.
A middle-aged officer with curly hair, clad in the Palieu police uniform, appeared before them holding a hefty ring of keys. Skillfully selecting one, he turned the lock with a crisp click and swung the iron gate open.
A fresh beam of light illuminated the long-isolated space.
"You two can leave now. Someone bailed you out."
The sergeant drew a small card from his pocket and handed it to Lanqi.
On it were a few concise lines and an address:
The Asturias Manor.
Signed: Countess Rosalinda.
Evidently, the card bore the details of their benefactor.
"Thank you, sir," Lanqi said, putting the card away and thanking him as he followed the middle-aged officer out.
"It's fine for young lovers to squabble, but don't go having real brawls out in the street. We're cracking down on public order lately."
The sergeant glanced back at them.
"We really aren't a couple," the two stressed, both sounding slightly irked.
"Just make sure you don't end up here again. A second visit means mugshots in prison garb, and those always look like couple photos no matter how you slice it."
The sergeant acted as though he couldn't care less whether they confirmed or denied it.
The Palieu Police Headquarters carried a wide purview, dedicated to the safety of Palieu residents and visitors alike, covering public security, criminal investigations, traffic control, counterterrorism, and public event services. What was more, their photographers were top-notch, and not a few people came here just to have their identification photos taken.
After leading the two to the entrance, the sergeant handed them another card, which prominently displayed his information: Sergeant Zefa.
"I'm a sergeant at this station. If you need any civil services in Palieu, aside from contacting the Hutton Embassy, you can reach out directly to us. We serve the citizens and visitors of the City of Flowers twenty-four hours a day," Sergeant Zefa told them. "Also, on weekends, I do a bit of fortune-telling on the side. Feel free to seek me out if you ever need that."
He seemed to recognize that they were distinguished guests; after all, they had been bailed out by Countess Rosalinda Asturias.
Lanqi flipped the card over and spotted the services Sergeant Zefa had handwritten on the back.
"Can a police officer sell intelligence like that?" Talia exclaimed in surprise, catching a glimpse of the card in Lanqi's hand.
"Who said anything about intelligence broking? That's called being a diviner," Sergeant Zefa said placidly, his hands clasped behind his back. "Besides, I don't take money."
He only traded information for information, or for favors.
"…"
Lanqi didn't know what to say.
This city seemed even freer than he had imagined.
Surely there wasn't a police chief whose side job involved wearing a balaclava, right?
Speechless, Lanqi bid farewell to the sergeant alongside Talia.
Palieu Police Headquarters was located on Yifan Island in the heart of the City of Flowers, near the famous Palieu Notre-Dame.
"To be fair, the transportation around the station is quite convenient," Lanqi remarked as he and Talia looked back at the first tourist attraction they had successfully checked off.
The building was not only a striking sight in central Palieu, but had also witnessed numerous pivotal events in the history of the Kingdom of Posen, including the Posen Revolution, the North-South World War, and several recent social movements and terrorist attacks.
"Meet here again next time?" Talia asked deadpan.
"Sister Tata, please don't mess around. You're genuinely scaring me."
Though Lanqi had grown used to hearing the occasional quip from Talia nowadays, he was truly terrified of her turning into a troll.
Chapter 665