Chapter 56

“I only acknowledge her as a princess.”

The guests’ faces showed subtle expressions, a mix of holding back laughter.

Ji Songyu pursed her lips, tapping Xu Heran’s arm with her notebook, “So this little cat might seem disdainful of Xin Nuo-rella, but deep down, does it secretly like her?”

The guests all shouted in unison, “Yes!”

Only the little cat refused to admit it.

“This is a serious insult! Accusation!” Rannyan angrily said, “Whose little cat would like humans!?”

“That’s not necessarily true.” Xin Nuo walked back leisurely, lifting her skirt as she sat down in a chair. She exchanged a glance with Rannyan. Xu Heran pouted, showing a dissatisfied expression, while Xin Nuo smiled gently.

“Let’s interrupt the two’s romantic exchange for a moment. Miss Princess, may I ask how old you are this year?” Ji Songyu asked.

Xin Nuo raised her hand, “I’m twenty this year.”

“Twenty?”

The butler asked, “You’re this young this year? After divorcing the prince, it’s been a year and a half, and you’re only twenty?”

“Mhm.” Xin Nuo explained, “I got married to the prince when I was eighteen, divorced six months later.”

“Tsk tsk tsk.” Xu Heran shook her head on the side, telling Ji Songyu, “See, flash marriage, or early marriage, just get divorced, right?”

“A marriage with no foundation of feelings at all, knowing each other for less than two days and getting married. Young people treat marriage as a joke!”

Ji Songyu said coldly, “Prohibit the little cat from commenting on human marriages!”

Xin Nuo continued with her information, “I received an invitation from the prince to attend today’s Christmas ball. As you all know, I’m now a free and wealthy princess. Every day, besides sleeping and having beauty treatments, I take princess lessons and sing with the little animals—”

She raised her hand and pinched the cheeks of Xu Heran, who was shaking her head repeatedly.

“It’s just attending the ball and getting to know some young sisters.” Xin Nuo said.

Many people looked at the noble young lady who suddenly crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.

“Seems like she’s flirting with young boys.” The noble young lady sneered.

Xin Nuo-rella sighed, “This is serious defamation.”

The butler said, “What’s strange is that the prince and the princess divorced a long time ago. We didn’t expect the prince to suddenly send an invitation to the princess. We were all surprised.”

“Yeah, yeah,” a maid nodded.

“It’s indeed the prince who invited me. I arrived at the castle around seven o’clock today. The knight came to pick me up. I met Rannyan at the castle entrance. She saw my invitation letter,” Xin Nuo-rella said, “Afterward, we all entered the castle together.”

Xu Heran immediately raised her hand, “I was sunbathing behind the fountain during the day. The music in the castle woke me up. I smelled an annoying scent, and sure enough, it was this princess here!”

Xin Nuo rolled her eyes, not daring to look at Xu Heran.

“Alright, thank you, next!”

The butler said, “I am the castle’s steward. My last name is Lu. You can call me Steward Lu or Lu Steward. As you can see, I am a faithful and reliable man.”

The butler straightened her slender shoulders.

“Cough.”

The crowd chuckled lightly.

“My family has served the royal family for generations. In preparation for the Christmas banquet, we have been busy at the castle from morning till night today,” the butler said. “Before the banquet started, I and the maid were at the castle entrance to welcome the guests, until the banquet began.”

“I am forty years old this year.”

“Yes, my timeline is similar to the butler’s. I am the castle’s maid. My name is Yueji, and I am sixteen years old this year,” the maid Yueji said.

“Oh~” Ji Songyu glanced at the two whose timelines were similar.

At this moment, the knight stood up and drew the long sword from his waist.

“I am the knight of this kingdom! I am handsome and suave, attracting countless girls. But in my heart, there’s only a glimpse of beauty!” The knight looked sharply at Xin Nuo-rella.

Xin Nuo-rella raised her left hand, reaching out toward the knight, but she turned her head to the right, her right hand covering her mouth, looking shy.

Xu Heran was humming on the side.

“Yeah, she deserves a good beating.”

Ji Songyu immediately raised her notebook and tapped it on Xu Heran’s head.

“I, with a bright future ahead, am also a noble aristocrat. I am twenty-two years old this year. I excel in lone riding, covering a thousand miles in one ride. You can call me Lone Knight.”

“Ha!”

“Lone Knight?” The noble young lady beside the knight couldn’t help but raise her hand. “Where are you riding alone?”

“Don’t be like this, I haven’t finished yet.” The Lone Knight sat back in her chair and smiled, “Today, I went out to pick up the princess. My timeline matches the princess’s.”

The noble young lady said, “I am a duke’s daughter. My last name is Li, and I am called Mona Lisa Li. This is my twin brother, Mont Li. We are both twenty years old.”

“Hello, everyone,” the noble young man raised his hand.

“Shouldn’t your last name be Mona then?” Xu Heran asked.

“Either is fine, either is fine,” the noble young man waved with a smile.

Mona Lisa Li said angrily, “Hmph, useless stuff.”

After everyone introduced their identities, they began discussing the timeline.

“The prince’s body was found at midnight, twelve o’clock. It was discovered by Yueji. So, his time of death must have been before that. The ball ended at ten o’clock. We can set the time of the crime between the end of the ball and twelve o’clock,” Ji Songyu said.

Xin Nuo said, “Between ten and twelve is plausible. During today’s ball, after rejecting the prince’s invitation, I saw him dancing with several young girls. Afterward, he stayed among the girls. We didn’t approach him.”

“You seem to care about him quite a bit,” Xu Heran coldly snorted.

“Maybe it’s because human brains remember more things than a little kitty’s,” Xin Nuo teased.

Other guests chimed in, “What we saw is the same as Xin Nuo-rella’s.”

“Then it’s between ten and twelve.”

Xin Nuo said, “At ten, I returned to my room. At ten past ten, I went out for ten minutes. I met the prince, we exchanged a few words, and then I stayed in my room the whole time and didn’t go out.”

Xu Heran replied, “I came out at ten forty, took a stroll, played with some bugs, and then went back to my nest.”

Xin Nuo-rella put on Xu Heran’s cat gloves and tugged at her clothes.

“I came out from 10:25 to 10:30 for a five-minute stroll,” the noble young man said. “At eleven, I wanted to talk to the prince about something. I ran into the butler halfway, and he saw me. He can vouch for me.”

The butler nodded, “Yes, at eleven, I delivered wine to the prince and then left. People, when they reach a certain age, need to rest.”

“The prince was still drinking at eleven in the evening?”

“Of course, it’s nighttime. Beauty and wine are a perfect match~” Mona Lisa Li flirted, “From 11:10 to 11:15, I was with the prince. I initially wanted to spend a wonderful night with him, but he had something to attend to and rejected me, so I had no choice but to leave.”

Xin Nuo raised an eyebrow, “Seems like you wanted to become the next princess.”

Mona Lisa Li touched her hair, “Hmph, what’s a princess? I’m aiming to be the queen.”

“You got rejected?” Mont Li asked his sister.

“Shut up.”

At this moment, Yueji smiled shyly, “Um… because the prince called me over at half past eleven, we spent fifteen minutes together.”

“What?” Mona Lisa Li was shocked, “You have this scene too?”

“Aren’t you only sixteen?”

Yueji sighed, “So we chatted about poetry, literature, and moonlit nights. The prince promised me that he would marry me and make me the next queen once I come of age.”

Everyone’s gaze immediately turned toward Mona Lisa Li.

Mona Lisa Li gritted her teeth.

“Damn it!”

“Beast!” Everyone cursed the prince one after another.

“Not even worthy of a little kitty!”

Xu Heran’s head turned back and forth, her mouth slightly open, feeling as if she was being mocked.

“Good riddance!” Ji Songyu patted Xu Heran.

After explaining the timeline, everyone began to collect evidence. Since the castle was large, they all went together.

“Before we start gathering evidence, I have something to remind everyone of! The culprit might not necessarily be just one person. In our 《Crazy Interpretation》 city, there’s a rule: the culprit might have an accomplice. This accomplice doesn’t know their own identity, but if they deduce their identity, they can choose a side – assisting the culprit or helping us find the culprit. However, the accomplice can’t lie, only hide certain information.”

“So everyone, be cautious!” Ji Songyu narrowed his eyes. “Don’t let me catch you!”

“Want to team up with me?” Ranyao extended her hand, inviting Xin Nuo-rella.

The princess slapped her hand, making a sound.

“I won’t team up with you. Are you trying to confuse me with some inexplicable things again?” Xin Nuo sneered.

“How could I?” Xu Heran smiled at her. “But princess, are you too scared to gather evidence with me? Are you feeling guilty?”

Both of them exchanged hums.

“Leave Xin Nuo-rella’s room to me! I’m going to search it!” Xu Heran shouted.

“Then I’ll head to your room now!” Xin Nuo lifted her dress and went upstairs.

“No problem!” the guests shouted.

Watching Xin Nuo’s figure disappear around the corner, Xu Heran finally rolled up her sleeves and searched the brightly lit banquet hall.

“Breaking news! A year and a half after their divorce, the prince actually invited Xin Nuo-rella to return to the castle for the dance party. Are the two possibly reconciling?” Xu Heran read the newspaper’s headline at the entrance.

“So, the princess was invited by the prince, huh? This prince is quite idle. He’s dancing with so many noble young ladies, having drinks with the duchess, and having heart-to-heart conversations with the maids. Is he exhausting himself to death?” Xu Heran tossed the newspaper onto the table, searched around, then went upstairs to Xin Nuo-rella’s princess room.

“Wow~”

The princess’s room was very beautiful. The princess bed had graceful lace curtains hanging down, the white bedding was soft, and the furry carpet was comfortable to step on. Xu Heran took off her shoes, jumped onto Xin Nuo’s bed.

“Let me smell, see if there’s a princess scent.” Xu Heran sniffed around the bed, turning over. “Ah, comfortable.”

Someone with cat ears closed their eyes.

Outside the door, someone sneaked over and stood there for a while.

“Detective! I report, there’s someone being lazy and not searching for evidence here!”

Ji Songyu’s voice echoed through several rooms, “Throw her in!”

Xu Heran immediately bounced up, “Xin Nuo is sleeping!”

“Who’s Xin Nuo? I don’t know her.” Xin Nuo-rella walked in, picked up a stuffed animal, and threw it at Xu Heran’s face. “Lazy cat.”

Xu Heran defended herself, “We cats are just lazy.”

She jumped off the bed and started rummaging through things right in front of Xin Nuo.

“Did you know there are several cats in your room?” Xin Nuo said with a smile.

Xu Heran’s eyes widened in surprise, “Really?”

“And two little kittens.”

Xu Heran was about to walk out immediately, “How didn’t I see them this afternoon? Let’s go, let’s go.”

“Not so fast!” Just as she reached the doorway, Xu Heran suddenly stopped in her tracks, “You deliberately blocked me from searching for evidence!”

“If you think so, there’s not much I can do.” Xin Nuo shook her head, raised her shoulders, “I’ve found a lot of amazing things. Ranyao, you’re quite mysterious…”

She glanced at Xu Heran.

“Of course, we cats are very mysterious! I’m a magical cat.” Xu Heran pulled out a box, and Xin Nuo glanced at it and immediately walked away.

“The happiest day of my life… huh?”

“Which day was the happiest for you—” Xu Heran turned her head, “Where’s that person?”

“You should feel guilty!” Xu Heran shouted loudly. She started looking for the password, and during the search, she found more evidence. As she was taking photos, she suddenly felt something warm and furry placed on her head from behind, before she could even raise her head.

“Meow…”

“Meow, meow~”

A small cat, slightly larger than a palm, hooked its paws onto Xu Heran’s ear.

Xin Nuo asked with a smile, “Kitty, is this big meow-meow your aunt?”

“Meow…”

“No, is it your mommy?”

“Meow~”

“Ah, she’s not giving you food, that’s so naughty.” Xin Nuo pinched Xu Heran’s real ear, “Bad kitty.”

Xu Heran carefully reached out and placed the small cat down.

The white, soft kitten obediently nestled in her arms, its blue eyes moist.

“I’m her godmother. This is my neighbor’s kid. Didn’t you understand animal language? Princess didn’t study for classes, huh!” Xu Heran said to Xin Nuo.

“Isn’t this your own kid?” Xin Nuo pinched the back of the small cat’s neck and placed it on Xu Heran’s face. One big and one small pair of cat ears stood up, their blue eyes simultaneously looking at her.

“Please add a bit of purple to the kitten’s eyes in post-production, thanks.”

“Sweetie, this princess is very kind. Let her feed you milk.”

“Humans and cats are different.” Xin Nuo pinched Xu Heran’s neck, “Feed it yourself!”

An hour later, the joyful evidence gathering time ended, and everyone gathered in the reception hall.

“Please sit.” Xu Heran leaned against the luxurious chair with an imposing posture, “From now on, this castle belongs to me. Everyone, don’t be polite, treat it as your own home, sit!”

“Cough!” Ji Songyu stood next to her.

“Hey, I allow the detective to sit in my seat today.” Xu Heran stood up and patted the chair, “Please.”

“Then thank you.” Ji Songyu smiled, “Can this country still function? The little kitty rules over humans!”

Xu Heran waved her hand grandly, “From now on, everyone’s mission is to eat and sleep, sleep and eat! This is the victory taught by the kittens!”

“Great!” Everyone immediately applauded, “Please take the throne right away!”

Xin Nuo shook her head repeatedly.

“Then let our soon-to-be crowned ‘Rannyan’ be the first to speak,” Ji Songyu said with a smile.

Kitty kat elegantly took the stage of human history.

“I went to Xin Nuo’s room~” Xu Heran’s expression became serious, “But before I went there, I searched in the hall and found evidence that indeed proves Xin Nuo was invited by the prince.”

“But then, you’re saying they’ve been divorced for a year and a half. Why would the prince, who’s already full, invite his ex-wife? Could it be their old flames reignited?”

Seven people in the room, including the detective, raised their hands and crossed them.

Xin Nuo remained calm, raising her hand to support her cheek.

“Dah meow.”

“From the Dah Meow Daily News: ‘Prince and ex-wife Xin Nuo divorced, royal property split in half. After the divorce, the prince extravagantly squandered, hosting parties every night, spending lavishly to please various beauties, leaving the commoners disheartened!'”

Xu Heran continued, “Here’s a newspaper from last year, reporting on the division of property when the two divorced. It’s marked in red pen that after the prince and princess divorced, a precious magic gem was awarded to Xin Nuo. It’s said to have magical powers and can summon a legendary dragon with countless treasures of gold and silver.”

“So, I suspect that the reason the prince invited Xin Nuo is indeed for remarriage. After all, as everyone can see, this princess is quite wealthy now and can even afford a grand carriage,” Xu Heran said sarcastically.

Xin Nuo immediately raised her hand, “You’re sitting in the hot seat tomorrow.”

“Hmph!” Xu Heran pouted, “Even if it’s not for remarriage, it’s for money. The prince has squandered his family and wants to get back at his ex-wife, or perhaps he wants to steal that magic gem.”

Xin Nuo said, “In his eyes, he probably thinks he’s taking back what belongs to him. At 10:10 in the corridor, I had an encounter with the prince. We had an argument, and during that quarrel, this newspaper fell from his pocket. I picked it up.”

“I also only found out about his purpose for inviting me tonight.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Xu Heran tossed the photo onto the table, giving Xin Nuo a cold look, “Don’t portray yourself as so innocent.”

Xin Nuo smiled and looked at Xu Heran.

“Let’s all take a look at this princess named Xin Nuo-rella,” Xu Heran finished speaking and immediately, everyone around the table turned their gaze to Xin Nuo’s face.

“Look at her beautiful little face.”

Xin Nuo held her face in her hands.

“That innocent expression.”

Xin Nuo raised her gaze, smiled gently, tilted her head, blinked her eyelashes, and widened her eyes.

“And these gorgeous clothes!”

Xin Nuo immediately stood up, spun around, and her white palace gown swirled.

“Come here,” Xu Heran beckoned, having Xin Nuo stand beside her. She said, “It’s this lovely, beautiful girl. Can you believe that she used to be a cleaning maid?”

Ji Songyu shook her head helplessly, “Can’t you give up this description?”

“I won’t! We little cats have always been honest!” Xu Heran grabbed Xin Nuo’s wrist, not letting her leave. “And, who would have thought, Xin Nuo-rella is actually her alias!”

“Alias?” everyone exclaimed in surprise.

“Yes!”

Xu Heran pointed at the table, “Her original name was Xin! Her last name is Gray!”

“Her real name is Gray Xin!”

“Snort!”

“Hahaha!”

The guests burst into laughter, “What the hell!”

Xin Nuo-rella clasped her hands together at her abdomen, stood upright with grace, and an elegant demeanor. “No, we call it Xin Gray.”

“Still, Gray Xin sounds better,” Mona Lisa Li said.

“Tell everyone about it,” Xu Heran leaned her hand on the table, sitting diagonally on the tabletop, giving space to Xin Nuo. “All my evidence is right here.”

“You’re quite impressive. You managed to find all this?” Xin Nuo glanced at the photo in her hand.

“Heh.”

“That’s right. Originally, my surname was Gray. In the Dream Kingdom, our Gray family was once a barony,” Xin Nuo-rella said softly. “Back then, everyone respectfully called me Miss Gray.”

“My father and mother were originally a happy family, until my mother passed away. My father quickly brought back a new wife and her two daughters,” Xin Nuo-rella’s once gentle eyes gradually glazed over with frost. “A man’s heart is truly fickle. Promises of eternal love can be given to another in an instant.”

“Perhaps it was karma at work. After my father married the new wife, he soon passed away. And I, once a young lady of the family, was bullied by my stepmother and stepsisters, forced to do menial tasks every day. Since then, no one called me Miss Gray anymore, only Cinderella.”

“Ooh—”

A knight asked, “Your father died of natural causes?”

Xin Nuo’s lips curved slightly.

Everyone’s expressions immediately changed.

“So, you really worked as a cleaning maid, all the way until eighteen,” Xu Heran said, “And then this fairy godmother introduced you and the prince. It’s quite ridiculous—just a pair of glass slippers, and you two got married?”

Rannyan curled her thumb and forefinger, flicking the photo. “Or is it that this country has a shortage of people? Are there only a few girls, all with the same shoe size? Does the shoe shop only sell shoes for you guys throughout the year?”

“It’s one pair per size,” the knight promptly said.

Xu Heran’s eyes lit up, “Exactly, they sold out right away!”

“But the princess’s pair didn’t sell. Being a cleaning maid, she had no money to buy shoes. She had to rely on the matchmaker’s generosity!” the maid said.

“Then this prince is just foolish. Couldn’t he have gone directly to the shoe shop to ask?” Mont Li said disdainfully.

Xu Heran grinned, her eyes narrowing, “So, he washed them!”

“What a dumbass,” the butler remarked.

The knight clapped his hands, “Case closed!”

“Get serious, all of you!” Ji Songyu slammed the table.

“Cough.” Xu Heran put down the photo, rubbing her nose, “Where was I… In short, everyone’s heard their love story, but well, it didn’t last. The princess divorced the prince soon enough!”

Rannyan enthusiastically applauded.

Xin Nuo-rella’s smile faded, “Because I found out he was cheating, fooling around, being unfaithful to love.”

“I suddenly remembered my parents’ love story. Indeed, in this world, love is unreliable.”

The knight said in disbelief, “What about me?”

“You?” Xu Heran looked at him with disdain, “You’re just a toy!”

At this point, both Mont Li and Mont Li shouted, “What about my father?”

“What?” Ji Songyu was shocked, “The princess has a connection with your fathers?”

“Isn’t she two years younger than both of you?” Ji Songyu pointed at Xin Nuo-rella.

The princess calmly looked at her own hand, turning it over to admire the lace pattern on her glove.

“I found a box in the princess’s room. The clue on top was about the happiest day of the princess’s life. I tried her birthday and the day she married the prince, but they didn’t work. Finally, I opened it with the day they divorced!” Xu Heran exclaimed loudly.

“Inside was a diary and a gemstone!”

“The diary recorded her journey from Miss Gray to Cinderella, and then to Xin Nuo-rella. You can see how she transformed from innocence to pain, confusion. She even witnessed her stepmother poisoning her father while hiding in the cupboard!”

“And after she found out about the affair with the prince, she wrote down this passage: ‘Indeed, in this world, the ones who won’t betray you are money and power’!” Xu Heran pointed at Xin Nuo-rella and said, “She’s far from being a pure princess!”

“What—?” Everyone was shocked, looking at Xin Nuo, whose expression was gradually turning cold.

“That’s right.” Xin Nuo extended her hand, pressing it against the table, her body slightly leaning forward. The gentle emotions disappeared from her pitch-black pupils, replaced by a cold, icy gaze. A sense of chill emanated from her eyes.

“Only the things held in the palm are real – money, power… and,” she rose with a mocking smile, her gloved hand adorned with white lace gently caressing her soft, fair cheek, “a bit of beauty.”

“Hiss…”

Ji Songyu’s pen tapped continuously on the table, “What about that gemstone?”

“Is it that magic gemstone?”

“Yes,” Xin Nuo nodded.

“Do you know the purpose of the gemstone?” everyone asked.

Xin Nuo’s tone was slow, “I know.”

“Not only does she know, she used it!” Xu Heran said, “This gemstone was originally silver, but after using it, it turns transparent. It can only be used once and summons the legendary dragon that possesses treasures of gold and silver!”

“After using it, the back of the summoner’s hand will bear the mark of a silver dragon!” The noble lady sitting next to Xin Nuo hastily grabbed her hand, pulling off her glove. Her beautiful eyes widened as she pointed to the silver dragon mark on the back of Xin Nuo’s hand.

“She used it!”

“She summoned a dragon!”

“Ah! Ah! Ah!”

Everyone shouted, “So she’s wealthy not just because she received property from the prince!”

Mont Li said to Xin Nuo, “I thought my father gave you money!”

Xin Nuo didn’t say anything. She cast a glance at him, her cold face dripping with disdain. The corner of her eyes was laden with scorn, as if saying—

What’s your father even worth?

The noble twins hugged each other in fear.

“Oh my god…”

“How did you know about the gemstone’s purpose?” Ji Songyu asked.

“Naturally, Prince told me after we got married, and he promised me that if we divorced, the gemstone would be mine.” Xin Nuo took off her other glove, saying nonchalantly, “Given to me, naturally it’s mine. Why not use it? After all, it’s money.”

“Hmph.”

“…”

“Hiss.” Ji Songyu rubbed her arm.

“Have you ever seen your stepmother kill your father? Did you stay silent about your resentment towards your father? The prince betrayed you. Don’t you want to kill him?” the steward asked Xin Nuo.

Xin Nuo said, “I’ve thought about it, but I feel that compared to the risk of exposing myself to execution by killing him, it’s more important to enjoy a happy life.”

“A happy life?” Xu Heran suddenly sneered, “You think you’re happy.”

Xin Nuo immediately turned to her, smiling, “Don’t I seem happy?”

Xu Heran squinted, “Well, indeed, you do seem happy.”

“With so much money, of course, you’re happy.” Xu Heran opened her diary and spoke with a solemn tone, “It’s not just money that makes you happy. Toying with these men, making them argue for you, watching them rack their brains to please you, that makes you even happier.”

“Hmm, not wrong.” Xin Nuo chuckled lightly.

“So, my father was just your plaything too?” Mont Li exclaimed in shock, “But he loved you so much, he was willing to abandon this family for you!”

“And because of you, he was killed by the prince!” Mont Li said.

“Oh, really?” Xin Nuo’s tone was disinterested.

Xu Heran looked at the twins with a pitiful expression.

“What, what’s wrong?”

The twins swallowed hard, “Don’t be like this.”

“Dear friends, don’t focus on money or dragons. Because inside this box, there are two more smaller boxes.” Xu Heran lowered her eyelashes, “Hints for happier days.”

“Among them, I opened one on February 1st.”

“Waaa!!” The twin nobles jumped up with a “bang,” covering their mouths, looking at Xin Nuo, “No… could it be?”

Ji Songyu stared excitedly with wide eyes.

“What happened on February 1st?”

“February 1st is the day our father passed away!” Mona Lisa Li’s voice trembled, looking at the delicate girl standing by the table, as fragile as a lily, “Could it be… could it be…”

Xu Heran flipped open a photo, depicting the portrait of the twin nobles’ father with a red cross drawn over it.

“Hiss—”

Everyone around the table collectively shrank their shoulders, looking at Xin Nuo-rella standing at the edge of the table, playing with her gloves, her expression indifferent.

“Was… it you?” Ji Songyu asked, “Or did you have someone else do it?”

“Was it the dragon?”

“Dragon?” Xin Nuo-rella frowned displeasingly at this speculation, her fingers pinching the lace on her glove as if to tear it apart, “Don’t casually give away my happiness to others. I wouldn’t be happy about it.”

“…”

Gulp. The knight swallowed hard.

“You fell for someone…?”

Xu Heran had already hopped off the table. She picked up another photo and smiled.

“Of course, it’s you. Why wouldn’t it be you? The code to open the other box is 0205, February 5th. They reported in the newspaper that the fairy godmother died at home, the killer unknown!”

“In your box, there’s a photo of the fairy godmother with a red cross drawn over it! Both their father and the fairy godmother, you killed them!” Xu Heran exclaimed loudly.

“Hmm.”

Xin Nuo-rella chuckled, lifting the hem of her dress, moving along the conference table as gracefully as she had descended from the carriage, standing tall with her chest held high. Like a delicate, fluttering snow-white flower, she moved slowly along with the wind.

Everyone at the table instinctively huddled inside.

“After the divorce, Duke Li was very enthusiastic, very eager to help me, claiming to become my good friend and take care of me. But how could I not see the nauseating desire hidden in his eyes?” Xin Nuo chuckled lightly, stopping beside Mona Lisa Li, her hand gently resting on her shoulder, whispering close to her ear.

“I wanted to play with him.”

Mona Lisa Li shivered.

“A noble duke, at my beck and call, wagging his tail faster than a dog’s, I reward him with a couple of glances when I’m happy, and even if I slap him when I’m unhappy, he thanks me for it with joy,” Xin Nuo’s voice was teasing, a hint of nonchalance in her pitch-black eyes. She innocently widened her eyes and turned to her twin sister, “Your father, kneeling before me, wagging his tail, begging pitifully. It’s just too amusing.”

“You really should have seen how comical he looked swearing to pluck stars from the sky for me. Stars, hm…”

Xin Nuo chuckled softly.

Bang!

The twin sister slammed the table hard, “You!”

“Shh… don’t be in such a hurry,” Xin Nuo gently pressed her shoulder, speaking tenderly, “I haven’t finished yet.”

“However, perhaps I gave him too many bones, and this old man developed unnecessary fantasies. He truly believed he could possess me. It’s too laughable,” Xin Nuo curved her eyes, shaking her head, “So, I found a young man to prepare for the next game. Your father, on the other hand, flew into a rage, saying he would forcefully marry me. Men… One cup of poisoned wine, and that towering man fell.”

Xin Nuo burst into laughter, her clear voice resonating through the vast and silent hall.

“Ah~ watching him die without peace in his eyes, I suddenly felt a surge of excitement. Could it have been the same feeling my stepmother had when she killed my father? I regretted it suddenly. I shouldn’t have let go of the prince. But alas, after divorcing him, I couldn’t see him again.”

Holding her skirt, Xin Nuo continued to walk slowly and leisurely. This time, she stopped behind the detective’s chair, and the detective instinctively lowered their neck.

“But, there’s still one person, the source of my betrayal! She’s such a kind-hearted soul, isn’t she?” Xin Nuo-rella bent over, addressing the detective.

Ji Chacha trembled, “But she did help you! And the source of your suffering shouldn’t be your stepmother and sister?”

“Well, I didn’t say that. They’re still alive and well, aren’t they?” The fair-skinned girl with bright eyes smiled, “Just that, those three of them aren’t worth keeping photos of. They’re nothing more than three humble commoners.”

“…”

“…………”

Silence filled the reception room, a heavy atmosphere prevailing.

Humming a tune, Xin Nuo-rella stood up, moving to the side of the detective. She locked eyes with Xu Heran across the long table.

“So, little kitty, what do you think of this kind of princess? Do you like her?”

The black-haired girl raised her eyebrows, her smile sweet.

Behind the long table, with sharp cat ears and a rosy mouth, the pinkish kitten licked her lips. She arched her eyebrows, chuckled, and her bluish-purple eyes were deep like the sea, with rolling waves and glistening ripples.

“I really… I like it a lot.”

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The author has something to say:

Here comes the villain Xin Nuo-rella!

I’m late! Sorry! Muamuamua~

There won’t be an update tonight! Because I can’t finish writing! So I want to rest secretly tonight and update during the day tomorrow~ Love you all! Mua!

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Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Sinensis

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