As An Antique Shop Owner, It's Only Reasonable That I Know A Bit Of Magic - Chapter 20

The first half of the black nun’s resume was utterly unremarkable—just the typical record of a devout, rule-following Catholic woman.

But her recent history? Downright bizarre.

Two entries in particular caught Su Fan’s attention.

“What’s the story with this ‘inherited property’?”

He pointed at the line in the file.

“Ah, that.”

The detective leaned over for a glance before explaining.

“It’s common knowledge where she’s from.”

“Before coming here, the nun lived in New Orleans, Louisiana.”

“She cared for an elderly, childless couple until their deaths. In gratitude, they willed their house to her.”

“It became something of a local legend in her convent—a heartwarming tale of kindness repaid.”

But to Su Fan, something felt off.

After inheriting that property, the nun’s life took a dramatic upswing.

Her academic performance skyrocketed overnight. She obtained multiple licenses. Then, against all odds, she swiftly established herself in this unfamiliar city.

Did she have some kind of epiphany?

Even stranger—why would someone with such abilities settle for running a no-name orphanage?

A major church would’ve been the natural career move for someone like her.

And then there was… marrying a white lawyer?

Becoming a nun required solemn vows—temporary, renewed, and ultimately perpetual. Once final vows were taken, marriage was forbidden.

Yet she’d not only married—but to a white man?

Wait.

Lawyer?

A realization struck Su Fan. He looked up sharply.

“Do you remember the name of the lawyer who got Lena acquitted? The one who got her committed to a psych ward instead of prison?”

The detective rubbed his chin, thinking hard.

“Luke something… Can’t recall the last name.”

“Luke Sathgaard?”

The name rolled off Su Fan’s tongue—and the detective snapped his fingers.

“That’s the one! How’d you know?”

Silently, Su Fan slid the file toward him.

Under “Husband’s Name,” the detective read:

Luke Sathgaard.

“Is this… a coincidence?”

The detective frowned, bewildered.

“Even if it is, what’s the connection to Lena?”

Su Fan shook his head.

Coincidence? Hardly.

Lena and the nun couple were clearly in cahoots.

According to Kate, when the black nun introduced Lena—or rather, “Esther”—to the Colemans, she’d conveniently omitted any red flags.

But here’s the kicker: Her husband was Lena’s defense attorney.

You’re telling me she didn’t know Lena’s true nature?

The deeper Su Fan thought, the clearer it became—this was no simple case.

Had he acted rashly and subdued Lena without digging deeper, he’d have missed this critical lead entirely.

The realization made him quietly grateful for his caution.

“Su, you think the nun and her husband are involved?”

The detective, trained in criminal investigations, finally connected the dots based on Su Fan’s earlier questions.

“But the nun herself wasn’t directly handling the case—”

“Not ‘think.’ Know.”

Su Fan cut him off.

“Lena’s condition is extremely rare. The method—burning a family of seven alive—is exceptionally cruel. Do you honestly think a lawyer like Luke wouldn’t discuss such a shocking case with his own wife?”

The detective froze.

As law enforcement, they dealt with humanity’s darkest horrors daily—that’s why he’d been so quick to accuse Jamie of killing Lisa.

He’d seen it all before.

Hell, the department had mandatory therapy programs for cops who dealt with particularly gruesome cases.

If he had worked on something this disturbing, he’d have talked about it with his spouse too.

The odds of the nun not knowing? Slim to none.

“If possible, I’d like you to keep investigating—but shift focus to that couple.”

“You got it.”

Su Fan then retrieved three talismans from the desk.

One Calming Talisman, and two Protection Talismans.

“These are what I mentioned earlier.”

“The first stabilizes your mind—no more nightmares, restful sleep.”

“The other two guard against supernatural harm and physical accidents.”

“Supernatural? What level of threat can they stop? Something like Mary Shaw?”

The detective’s eyes lit up with fascination as he examined the yellow paper inscribed with cryptic symbols.

“Yes. One talisman = one life saved.”

The detective’s outstretched hand jerked back. He hastily wiped his palms on his coat.

Those intricate patterns were clearly the key to their power—if sweat smudged them, he’d never forgive himself.

“You’ll pay for the first. The other two are free—consider it hazard pay for the risks you’re taking.”

“Wha— Wait, seriously?”

“Did I stutter?”

“N-no, it’s just—”

The mental image of a giant golden pie smacking him in the face left the detective dizzy.

Two. Two talismans.

Two guaranteed defenses against vengeful spirits.

That’s two extra lives!

Hell yes!

Gingerly, he tucked the talismans into his inner pocket.

“This investigation is dangerous. Don’t push your luck—if anything feels wrong, leave.”

Su Fan’s tone was deadly serious.

After reviewing the files, he’d already pieced together a rough theory—he just needed confirmation.

While these enemies posed little threat to him, for an ordinary human like the detective? One misstep meant death.

“Understood. Crystal clear.”

The detective nodded like a woodpecker on caffeine.

“Hey, Su… Can I ask a favor?”

“If you’ve got more… high-risk jobs in the future, can I be your first call?”

He rubbed his hands together, grinning like a kid eyeing a cookie jar.

Su Fan didn’t need psychic powers to read that greedy glint.

“Get out.”

Once the detective left, Su Fan grabbed pen and paper, annotating the files.

Louisiana… New Orleans… Black woman… House… Elderly couple…

Sudden enlightenment… Drastic personality shift…

Orphanage… Adoptions…

Finally, his pen stilled. He exhaled.

Now he understood.