Chapter 227. Urgent Request

Translator: Lili

Weekly Chapter 1/6

Shushu had been exchanging occasional letters with Bluebird and Carrot instead of phone calls, but now there was no time to wait for a reply. Speaking carefully, she reiterated her request to the bewildered staff member.

“I urgently request a phone consultation with the foreign criminal, Bluebird! This is extremely important—could you expedite this, please?”

— Pardon? I mean, um…

The hesitating staff member snapped back to attention and spoke firmly.

— I’m sorry, but immediate phone consultations are not possible. You’ll need to specify a time, and we’ll need to process the application…

At that, Shushu gritted her teeth. Time was of the essence. There was no guarantee that Elma’s parents had chosen Bluebird’s homeland as their immigration destination, but at the very least, she might be able to obtain some valuable information. This was no time for leisurely waiting.

What should she do? Shushu wracked her brain, recalling the name of the law firm Bluebird had mentioned in one of their past conversations. It was the firm representing her.

“This won’t do! I, uh, I need an urgent phone consultation with the prisoner, Bluebird, regarding a serious legal issue! Right now!”

— Oh, in that case… are you her lawyer?

Shushu paused at the question. Next to her, a little angel on her shoulder frantically waved its arms, shouting,

‘Wait! Don’t do it! Impersonating a lawyer is a serious crime!’

But when the staff member hesitated and added,

— If that’s the case, we can process an immediate phone consultation…

A small devil resembling Henriad whacked the angel on the head with a cutting board and sneered,

‘You idiot. She’s already considered a murderer. Being a fake lawyer is better than that.’

Shushu squeezed her eyes shut. Before she could change her mind, she shouted,

“Yes! That’s correct!”

— Understood… I’ll approve the immediate phone consultation.

“I’m so sorry! Thank you!”

— No need to apologize…

Though the staff member seemed startled, Shushu bombarded them with apologies and thanks, as if trying to atone for her deceit. The flustered employee left to confirm with the prisoner, leaving Shushu on edge, practically vibrating with impatience.

After what felt like an eternity, the sound of the receiver being picked up was followed by the staff member’s slightly more composed voice.

— The prisoner has accepted the phone consultation request. Shall I connect you now?

“Yes, please!”

— Alright, I’ll connect you.

Shushu’s enthusiastic response made the staff member falter for a moment before they silently connected the call. A few rings later, the line clicked as someone answered.

— …What? Why now, of all times?

The voice was laced with annoyance. It had been a while, but Shushu instantly recognized Bluebird’s voice. Overcome with emotion, she couldn’t speak for a moment.

— Hello? Can you hear me? Why aren’t you saying anything?

“B-Bluebird…!”

— …Huh? That voice…

Bluebird had been expecting the smug tone of her lawyer but instead heard a completely different voice. There was a pause, and Shushu could feel her hesitation even through the phone.

— Wait, is that you, Cabbage? Not the lawyer? You’re not… pretending… ah, forget it.

Bluebird caught herself mid-accusation and lowered her voice, her tone suddenly wary.

— But seriously, what’s going on? Why’d you call like this?

“B-Bluebird! Thank you so much for taking the call…!”

Bluebird, clearly flustered, listened as Shushu stammered in relief, her voice trembling.

— Well, I’ve got nothing better to do, so… What’s this about?

“It’s… do you know anything about immigrating to your country?”

— What? Immigration?

Bluebird’s voice rose in disbelief at the unexpected topic.

— What’s this about immigration all of a sudden? Don’t tell me you’re planning to…

“No! I’m not leaving! I just… I don’t have time to explain everything, but I’ve heard that people I need to meet—people who can help clear my name—are preparing to immigrate. They might have already left… But I don’t know anything about foreign countries, so…”

Bluebird had been half-expecting Shushu to be planning an audacious escape abroad, but her explanation sounded genuine. After a moment’s pause, Bluebird responded.

— Immigration, huh… Hmm… I know someone whose dad’s in charge of immigration management.

“Really?”

— Yeah. From what I’ve heard, allied nations have a single method of transport for immigrants. They all take the same train on specific days.

“Could you find out more about that train?”