Just a few blocks down the street, I arrived at another apartment complex, though it was slightly less run-down compared to Henry's.
'I wonder what story Lucy Harris is going to tell me.'
I chuckled softly to myself.
Step by step, I walked up the stairs to the fourth floor and knocked on the wooden door.
"Ms. Harris are you home?"
There was no answer.
"Knock, knock."
Even when I knocked once again, there was no answer.
Unlike my visit with Henry, there were no signs of life even after I stood there for a few minutes.
'Is she not home?'
From my pocket, I took out a silver pocket watch, flipping it open.
The clock showed half past ten in the morning.
'I was planning to have a session with her before finding a place to get lunch, but if she is not home should I just head straight to the Braveheart Bar?'
Just as I was thinking about what to do next, an old man came out from the apartment right next to Lucy's.
He looked at me, glancing at my suit and pocket watch before looking at the door I was in front of.
"Are you by any chance... looking for Lucy?"
"Yes I am in fact looking for Ms. Harris. Do you know where she is?"
I gave a polite smile towards him.
"You don't know? Ah of course a vixen like her would have a few clueless rich boyfriends like you."
He sighed while shaking his head.
My eye twitched slightly at his comment but I decided to play along.
"What do you mean?"
"Ha. She is a prostitute. Where else would she be but the red light district's Red Grand Hall."
'Hmm? I thought she quit being a prostitute due to the demon incident.'
This was out of my expectations, as in the files I was given the incident happened with one of her clients and she quit straight after. However, it seems like she recently returned to her old job, and it was not documented by Carrow's organisation yet.
Though if she is back working, does that mean she overcame her trauma from the incident? If that is the case, then my service would not be needed.
'I should talk to her first before coming to a judgement on how to proceed next.'
I wore a polite smile, thanked the old man for the information, and exited the building with my next destination in mind.
***
Red Grand Hall.
I stood outside the huge red building, which stuck out like a sore thumb in the lower-class residential area.
The sounds of women of various ages could be heard calling out, advertising their services.
As I walked closer to the building, countless beauties started to try and seduce me. They pushed their bodies against mine while whispering into my ears gently.
"Hey young man, would you like to spend the day with me?"
"You seem rich, why don't you help a poor maiden like me."
"O handsome fellow why don't I show you what true pleasure is."
Usually upper-class and rich people would just hire workers like these to go straight to their houses. For the middle class, they occasionally come here but it is quite rare, and the lower-class people mostly make up the clientele.
Maybe it was due to how I dressed, they classified me as a high-paying customer.
"Sorry, but I am currently looking for Lucy Harris, is she here?"
I gently pushed away one of the women who was pressed tightly against my body.
"Lucy that girl? Come on she may be young and plump but she lacks experience why don't you have some fun with me?"
"Forget about the vixen why not join me."
"Hey! Get off him bitch, he's mine."
"You—"
"Enough! Like I said I am looking for Lucy and her only. I have no interest in any of you."
My shout reverberated through the hall, scaring the two women who were fighting over me.
'Tsk. So irritating. If I have to do this every time to find her, I would rather just come up with some reason to Carrow about how she doesn't need a psychiatrist!'
After my proclamation, the women surrounding me backed off a little, but they were still clearly eyeing me.
Then, from the group of women, a well-dressed man walked out.
"Dear customer hello! I am the manager of the Grand Hall, I heard your loud proclamation earlier and I would be happy to guide you to Lucy."
He spoke to me in a very exaggerated manner, his expressions and actions all over the top.
"Hah, is that so? In that case I will take you up on the offer."
With a smile, I shook his hand.
He then led me to the third floor of the building before instructing me to wait outside one of the rooms while he went inside.
Soon after, he came out with a smile and gestured for me to enter.
"Dear customer, though she may be slightly inexperienced, she is young, still full of vigor, and her beauty is top of the line. Enjoy yourself."
He patted me on the back while showing a wide smile.
I thanked him and entered the room. As soon as I walked in, I saw a girl dressed in red cloth that barely covered her skin.
She had emerald green eyes that sparkled, her lips a rosy red. Her face still had traces of baby fat, with long black hair cascading down to her chest.
Like a doll, she sat still on the bed staring at me, using her delicate jade-like fingers to signal me in.
"Hello Ms. Harris."
I cut her off and greeted her with a serious expression while closing the door behind me.
Immediately, that fake smile of hers faded.
"As you probably already noticed, I am not here for that kind of service."
I took off my coat and tossed it to her.
"I—"
"MANAGER!"
My eyes widened in shock as I quickly rushed to her side, covering her mouth.
"Hey hey listen I am not here to harm you there is no need to call for him—ARGH!"
'She bit me!'
As soon as my hand left her mouth she tried to scream again. Knowing I would get kicked out if the manager came, I just shouted the first thing that came to mind that could possibly get her to stop.
"I work with the people who saved you from the demon! I am here to help you so don't shout."
"..."
'Phew...'
Taking a few steps back, I breathed a sigh of relief. Lucy, on the other hand, though she did not seem like she was going to shout, still glared at me, not letting her guard down.
I looked around the room and spotted a chair.
"Do you mind if—never mind I'll just take a seat."
After I sat down, she continued to say nothing.
"Ms. Harris why don't you change into something more comfortable—"
"Spare me the courtesy what do you want?"
She cut me off, continuing to stare straight at me.
"Like I said, I work for the guys that saved you from the demon. More specifically I was hired to be your psychiatrist."
"I don't need one."
"I thought so too..."
I rubbed my temples, feeling a headache from the situation.
"But it is still my job, so let me just ask you a few questions so I can at least pretend I did have a session with you then I will be on my way."
She seemed to be reluctant at first but eventually gave in and replied with a small nod.
"First, why did you return to... this kind of profession? In most cases like this people will be too traumatised to even come back to the place where it happened."
She scoffed at my words.
"I have bills to pay ok? I am not like you rich folks that only pretend to care for us lower-class people!"
'What a bad personality. Tsk.'
"Next, would you mind recounting the incident for me."
"What is there that you don't already know? I was with a patient who turned out to be some cult worshipper that tried to summon a demon and use me as a sacrifice."
"Is there any other details besides that?"
'Of course I already know that! So tell me something that I don't know.'
"How about I ask you a question. What makes you think you are qualified to try and treat us!"
"Well I have a degree as a psychiatrist so I think—"
"That is not what I meant. What would you, some rich stuck-up man, know about the hardships we lower-class citizens have gone through that makes you qualified to understand and pity us!"
At her words my expression darkened as I looked right into her emerald eyes.
"Who said I don't know your hardships? I grew up without a father and I was barely a middle-class citizen. The only reason I am here right now is through my hard work and perseverance!"
I stood up from my chair as I berated her.
"I understand that you feel betrayed by the world for being born unprivileged and forced into this situation, but that does not excuse your horrible behavior!"
"I am here to offer you help and yet this is how you treat me? I am not qualified to understand or pity you? In my opinion I am more than qualified!"