Chapter 65: Meeting a God

Chapter 65: Beholding a Deity

Deputy Director Malmo arrived at the Immels' residence carrying his Wofitz camera, snapped photographs of the two welfare clients, and departed cheerfully with the notebook containing the tip Mason had slipped inside.

"So, what do we do next?" Aunt Winnie asked, looking at everyone present.

Karen then spoke up: "Since some unknown party has provided the money, let us proceed accordingly. After all, burying the deceased under better conditions is by no means an immoral thing."

Immediately following this, Karen pointed at the corpse of the male magician: "As for him, just send him straight to be cremated."

In truth, it would have been more fitting to feed the magician's corpse to the dogs;

yet abandoning a body in the city was not only unethical, it was also highly likely to trigger undesirable consequences, which was precisely why every great civilization evolved rituals and customs for handling human remains, not merely due to religious factors, but because the initial primary reason was that failing to dispose of corpses properly could easily damage the environment and even prove severe enough to ignite a plague.

Since he was already dead anyway, it was best to burn him.

Karen then pointed toward Mandira, saying: "As for her, since someone is willing to pay for her, let us trouble Aunt to allocate a reasonably priced coffin from the basement for her immediate use, and we must also trouble Uncle to go pull some strings right now to secure a plot at the cemetery.

Furthermore, since even the person paying remains anonymous, there is naturally no need to hold a wake. Given that her identity is still uncertain, it is impossible for any friends or relatives to come.

Oh, and one more thing, her name was written in the letter as Mandira, so Uncle must remember to add it to the tombstone."

After delivering these words, completely disregarding that Dis was still standing there clad in his priest's robes, Karen directly mimicked Dis's tone and said to everyone:

"In short, everything is principally geared toward satisfying the guest's demands."

Aunt Winnie nodded and said, "Very well." She then called out, "Alfred, Ron, go to the basement and carry out that orange-red coffin for her burial."

The household generally kept two or three cheaper coffins on hand for readiness, whereas luxurious ones typically required a custom order.

Uncle Mason remarked, "Then I will call Paul to have him drive his hearse over and take this man straight to the crematorium, while we take her to the cemetery to prepare for interment."

As for pulling strings, Uncle Mason said nothing, as he felt it presented no issue whatsoever.

About half an hour later, Paul arrived driving the Immels' vintage, modified hearse.

"Sir, Mister, Young Master," Paul greeted the members of the Immel family, just as he always had.

"Young Master, Mister, Young Master," Paul's father-in-law, who had come along with the vehicle, mimicked Paul and offered greetings down the line.

Paul's father-in-law was a former coffin factory worker, a very simple and honest old man.

Next, Paul and his father-in-law joined forces to hoist the magician's body onto the hearse and drove away.

Welfare orders offered meager returns and little profit for the Immel family, but for a crematorium where margins were already razor-thin, they were opportunities that could not be cast aside.

Following that, Alfred and Ron together loaded the coffin bearing Mandira into the hearse;

"Karen, you are coming along too?" Uncle Mason asked in confusion.

"Yes."

"All right then."

The hearse set off, bound for the cemetery.

Uncle Mason quickly sorted out all the arrangements, rapidly completing the procedures to purchase a burial plot at the lowest possible price.

During the burial process, Uncle Mason uttered a quiet note of confusion: why hadn't Father come?

Because under normal circumstances for an inhumation, regardless of the price, Dis would always stand there in his capacity as a priest to guide everyone through the final mourning ritual.

Karen, however, knew precisely why Grandfather had not come—it was because he himself had come.

After the earth was filled in, Karen reached out and touched the tombstone:

From this moment forth, you may rest in peace, and you will never be cold again.

Once the burial was concluded, Karen and the others boarded the hearse to return home.

In front of the house, Karen spotted a black Tyr sedan parked there, which was considered quite an inexpensive model of automobile.

Mink Street possessed no dedicated parking lot, because the area consisted entirely of villas and townhouses with a generous layout, allowing everyone's cars to be parked quite casually before their doors without obstructing traffic; consequently, the road in front of each residence essentially functioned as a "private parking space" belonging to each household.

The presence of another car parked before the house generally implied that a guest had arrived.

Uncle Mason looked at the black Tyr and spat upon the ground:

"Pah!"

Evidently, Uncle Mason knew exactly who had arrived.

When everyone entered the living room, Karen also realized who the visitor was; it was Aunt Winnie's ex-husband, which made him the biological father of his cousin, Chris.

Dis had always been deeply invested in the education of his family;

his own deceased biological father had pursued the path of the holy church, entering the clergy early on, but he had also been a graduate of an excellent church university.

Uncle Mason and Aunt Winnie had both studied finance, and both were top graduates of a business school.

Uncle Mason had once enjoyed a glamorous and brilliant career in the financial arena, though in the end he had played his hand recklessly until even his house was seized to satisfy his debts, forcing him to return dejectedly with his wife and child to Mink Street;

Aunt Winnie, meanwhile, had met her ex-husband during her university years. The two quickly fell in love, and she helped him establish a small garment factory. According to Aunt Mary, the initial investment to start the factory had actually come from the private savings Aunt Winnie had accumulated over time, and despite being a highly accomplished graduate, she had served as the accountant in that small factory for many years to help her husband build his business.

The outcome was somewhat melodramatic; it was framed as emotional incompatibility, but in reality, the husband's infidelity had been discovered by her. With her fierce temperament, Aunt Winnie chose to leave with absolutely nothing save for the custody of Chris, returning to her maternal home.

At this moment in the living room, Aunt Winnie sat upon the sofa with a frozen expression;

meanwhile, a middle-aged man whose style of dress nonetheless exuded an air of flamboyant vanity was kneeling beside the sofa, incessantly begging her and weeping in grievance.

In truth, one could discern a person's character from their attire, provided they dressed with conscious intent.

For instance, Uncle Mason's clothing was managed entirely by Aunt Mary, remaining steady yet elegant—a quintessential portrait of domestic harmony;

Alfred's seemingly endless variety of different suits, on the other hand, manifested his pursuit of refinement as well as his obsessive narcissism.

The former uncle-in-law before them dressed in a manner that was somewhat inappropriate for the occasion, lacking the stability a man of his age ought to possess, and instead still chasing after so-called "dashing style" and "splendor."

Humans are social animals, and social customs and habits attach generalized labels to everyone;

for a man at Karen's current age, being described as "handsome" or "good-looking" was indeed a form of praise.

But later, once Karen approached thirty years of age, to still be described as "handsome" would prove that at such an age he truly possessed no other merits worth mentioning, which would actually carry a somewhat mocking connotation.

"Parker, get out, get out of here!"

Seeing her brother and nephew return, Aunt Winnie could no longer tolerate the harassment from her ex-husband.

"I won't leave, I regret it, Winnie! I realized that the one I truly love is you, I cannot live without you. And Chris, I am Chris's father, and Chris cannot grow up lacking a father's love, can she?"

"You must have incurred debts outside, haven't you?" Uncle Mason jeered. "A while ago, a friend of mine informed me that my former brother-in-law's factory had been mortgaged away, so now you think of coming back to find my sister? To let her continue squandering her money on you?"

"No, Second Brother, how can you speak of me that way? I didn't come back to find Winnie because of money matters, but because certain recent events made me realize that the people I truly cannot live without are Winnie and my daughter, Chris.

I did make some mistakes in the past, but I have realized my errors now. I will change in the future, I will turn over a new leaf to give Winnie a shoulder to lean on and give Chris an excellent father."

"Parker, you are truly shameless," Winnie stood up, pointing at her ex-husband's face as she rebuked him fiercely.

"I do not want a father like you." Chris's figure suddenly appeared at the doorway of the living room, with Mina and Lunt standing beside her, having already returned from school by tram.

"Chris, oh, my dear daughter, I love you. Come, let Father hug you."

Parker actively stepped toward Chris.

Chris manifested a glaringly clear expression of disgust toward this father, even directly uttering a curse:

"Why don't you just go die!"

To provoke a young girl into uttering such "foul language" proved that her disgust and disappointment toward this father had reached a breaking point long ago.

Because she knew all too well how many tearful nights her mother had endured during these past years since returning to her maternal grandfather’s home;

After all, Aunt Winnie had once spared no effort in breaking relations with Diss, choosing "love" and going away with Parker;

When that marriage ultimately failed, she was forced to return and seek her father’s aid once more, for the sake of a livelihood and her daughter’s future.

Unlike Uncle Mason, who was inherently blessed with a thick skin,

And could shout aloud: "Father, you are getting on in years and I worry for your health, so I have brought my wife and children to fulfill our filial duties."

Aunt Winnie was a traditional woman, and because of this, she bore far more pressure within her heart.

Furthermore, Chris was old enough to remember things when her parents divorced, so she vividly recalled how the other woman her father found had come to their home to humiliate her and her mother, and how a distinct smile had surfaced on her father’s face upon hearing her mother declare that she wanted only her daughter and no property.

At home, she had always envied Mina and Lent for having such a wonderful father.

Indeed, though Uncle Mason had once failed in his career, at home, he had always been a good father and an excellent elder; even Karen felt this way.

Hearing his daughter curse him,

Karen noticed a surge of fury gleam in Parker’s eyes, yet he continued to feign that family affection reigned supreme, stepping forward in an attempt to embrace Chris.

Chris hid behind Karen, and Karen looked at Parker, refusing to yield the way.

Just as Parker was about to push Karen aside, Alfred moved, directly gripping Parker’s wrist; Parker tried to break free, yet he could not budge an inch.

"Parker, please leave, and please never appear before me and Chris again—you only make us mother and daughter feel disgusted!" Aunt Winnie pointed outside, practically roaring.

Karen spoke up: "Get out."

"You..."

Alfred lifted Parker up; this man, who was by no means short, resembled nothing more than a little chick before Alfred.

However, lacking any explicit instructions to the contrary, Alfred merely carried Parker out beyond the courtyard gate, set him down, and made no further moves.

After all, this man counted as former family.

As a host who excelled most at the emotional segments of the *Roya Story Hour*, how could he not understand the nuances to observe?

Had he not seen that Ron had remained silent and motionless from beginning to end? Had the man not walked directly toward Karen, Alfred would have continued to watch quietly from the side;

It was a family matter, and it was unseemly for outsiders to intervene.

Carried out to the exterior, Parker could only return to his car rather dejectedly; as he started the engine, his mouth silently cursed:

"Shameless whore, ignorant bastard!"

Unfortunately, Alfred could read lips.

Upon returning to the living room, he stood at Karen’s side and repeated the words.

Karen nodded.

...

Aunt Winnie, holding two sweaters, came to the third floor, stood before her father’s study door, and knocked.

"Come in."

Aunt Winnie walked inside.

She remained for roughly half an hour.

Aunt Winnie opened the study door and stepped out, the rims of her eyes reddened, clearly having just wept bitterly, yet she was smiling even as she wiped her tears with the back of her hand; evidently, after speaking her mind and apologizing to her father, she had received his forgiveness;

No, her father had always been infinitely forgiving toward her; she had received his consolation to ease her heart.

Once Aunt Winnie went downstairs, Karen stepped out of his bedroom.

Prue, sprawling on the windowsill, spoke up: "The Inmeles family has always possessed a tradition of loving one another and valuing the family; Diss is like this, your parents were like this, Mason and Mary are like this, and then there is Winnie. Alas, poor Winnie.

But Karen, I have confidence in you; you will treat Eunice well, won't you?"

As an old grand-aunt, Prue had certainly fretted quite a bit for her grand-niece.

Seeing that Karen had no intention of picking up the conversation, Prue quickly added:

"I believe she is a clever girl—oh no, one shouldn't put it that way; in fact, I rather wish she were a foolish little girl, wholeheartedly admiring your handsome looks and then following you foolishly and devotedly. Sometimes, a girl can be too clever."

"You can go find Alfred," Karen said.

"Hmm? What should I find him for?"

"Have him invite you to be a special guest, analyzing emotional issues for people on the radio; at any rate, the listeners before their radios couldn't possibly know that the host speaking is a cat."

"But I’ve never been married, and I haven't even been in love."

"It doesn't matter; usually, it is precisely people like you who sound the most eloquent and organized when discussing relations between the sexes."

"Hmm... though I sense you are mocking me, I also feel what you say makes a great deal of sense."

Prue leapt down from the windowsill.

"I’m going to find that radio goblin."

Prue walked toward the stairs with light, brisk cat steps, as if she had suddenly found a new direction in her feline life.

Seeing this, Karen could not help but remind her: "Alfred is not at home right now."

"Oh." Prue turned around with a hint of disappointment. "How unfortunate."

"But you can use tonight's time to prepare your speech draft." Karen pointed toward his bedroom. "There are paper and pens on the desk, use them as you please."

"An excellent suggestion."

Prue entered Karen’s bedroom and jumped onto the desk.

Because the door was not closed, Karen could clearly see this black cat of the household sitting upon the paper, its feline face turned at a forty-five-degree angle toward the bleakness outside the window, motionless, as if petrified.

Seeing this, Karen lightly tapped on the bedroom door.

Prue said, "Do not disturb me, I am brewing my emotions."

"Hmm?"

"If the emotions are not in place, the written words will have no soul."

"All right, keep it up."

Karen closed the door for Prue, lest the circulating air outside disturb its train of thought;

Then, Karen walked to the door of Diss’s study and knocked.

"Come in."

Walking into Diss’s study, Karen saw Diss wearing a white sweater.

"Oh, heavens, is this the new sweater Aunt Mary bought for you, Grandfather? This color and style truly suit you wonderfully; the designer of this sweater ought to be on the cover of a fashion magazine."

Diss glanced at Karen and said, "Your aunt knit it for me."

"Oh? To think it was knit by Aunt, that is truly unexpected; I feel Aunt should not favor one over the other, and ought to knit one for me, her nephew, as well."

Diss knew that Karen had long known who sent the sweater, and Karen also knew that Diss knew he knew who sent the sweater;

It was just like the many times Karen would proactively offer seemingly off-the-mark flattery, only to wait for Diss to choke it back with a simple sentence;

How should one put it—Karen knew Diss liked this feeling, after all, Prue had once said that in terms of manner of speech, he was simply identical to the young Diss.

Since Diss enjoyed it, he might as well set the stage himself; after all, it was an act of filial piety toward his own grandfather.

"Winnie apologized to me, for her insistence back then on being with that man."

"There is nothing to apologize for, and Grandfather could never truly blame Aunt. Still, by doing this, Aunt can finally find peace within herself."

"Yes," Diss said with a nod. "Before her marriage, Winnie was actually quite cheerful."

Purr had mentioned this to him once—an aunt driven mad by love, rebelling against the feudal hierarchy of the grand family.

"Grandfather, Parker came by today," Karen remarked, a redundant reminder.

For he knew well that as long as Diss was home, he possessed keen insight into everything that transpired within these walls.

"I know he came, but I did not wish to see him."

Diss looked at Karen, a phantom of a smile gracing the corner of his lips.

The temperaments of grandfather and grandson were cut from the very same cloth; their manner of communication brooked no nonsense or circumlocution—the opening banter and sharp retorts aside, as those were merely to warm the room.

Thus, nonsense too had its uses at times.

"I have always felt that it is Winnie's own affair. Whatever the case, he was the man she once chose, her former husband, and moreover, Chris's biological father."

"Aunt said she hopes never to lay eyes on him again, and Chris asked him today why he hadn't died yet."

"Those are merely words spoken in anger. You ought to understand that a woman's angry words cannot be taken as gospel."

Karen shook his head

and said,

"Grandfather, I am dull-witted; I believe others easily. Whatever people say, I take to heart."

"We have no right to dictate the lives of others, do we?" Diss inquired.

"Grandfather, are you not angry?" Karen asked.

That night, Diss had taken him along to eliminate Mr. Morf, the editor-in-chief, and so many others; Karen did not consider Diss a benevolent man—or rather, his benevolence was reserved strictly for his family.

Therefore, that Parker could abandon his daughter and still be breathing today was a stroke of immense fortune.

"Of course I am angry, but I still believe that as a father, one ought not to commit acts too extreme."

"Yet, not counting today which is drawing to a close, you have only five days remaining."

"The matter between him and Winnie should be left to Winnie and Chris to decide whether to forgive him. Perhaps in a year, or five years, perhaps when Chris grows up, marries, and bears her own children, things will change, will they not?"

"You promised me you would not die in five days, but I am also curious whether you possess the confidence to live long enough to see with your own eyes Chris marry, or even give birth to your great-grandchild."

Diss raised a finger and pointed toward the ceiling, saying, "Even if Chris refuses to forgive this father of hers, his transgressions should be delivered unto the God in heaven for judgment, rather than us venting our personal wrath in the name of family."

"Yes, Grandfather, you speak with absolute correctness."

Karen nodded forcefully,

and then said,

"Therefore, I have already dispatched Alfred to send him up to heaven to meet God."