Chapter 58.1

“It was you who killed him!”

“The dagger was inserted by the knight. He’s the direct murderer, but you’re the mastermind!” Maid Yue Ji shouted, her eyes somewhat panicked, subconsciously looking in the direction of the production team.

Could Xu Heran directly step forward and admit to being the murderer?

You can’t play like this!

“Wait a moment,” Xin Nuo raised her hand, gesturing for everyone to calm down. She turned to Xu Heran, who had a calm expression and wasn’t flustered at all, “What time did the knight move?”

Xu Heran put on her cat paw gloves again, using her furry palm to prop up her chin. She raised her eyes, looking like she was seriously pondering.

“Well… the time he moved was probably 11:55,” Xu Heran sniffed.

Everyone is skeptical of her now, and they immediately questioned her.

“How do you remember so clearly? Are you lying and making up the time on purpose?”

Someone else asked, “Why does a little kitty like you know human time so well?”

Little Meow rolled her eyes, “Hmph, cats are much smarter than humans! They’re loyal and know how to admit mistakes. Not like you humans, so foolish and greedy.”

“I know the time because after the knight stabbed the prince and left his room, I watched him walk through the garden into the guest room. When the light in his room went out, the flower in the garden that only blooms from 11:00 to 12:00 closed. Dawn had arrived.”

The knight also said, “My room is on the other side of the garden. It takes two minutes to walk from the prince’s room through the garden to my room.”

Ji Songyu nodded.

“Adding the three minutes it took for him to go to the prince’s room and carry out the action, and the two minutes to return to his room, that’s reasonable,” Yue Ji raised her hand.

“So, when the knight entered the prince’s room, his room wasn’t locked?” Xin Nuo looked at Xu Heran.

Xu Heran raised an eyebrow.

Xin Nuo asked Yue Ji again, “You mentioned earlier that you were chatting with the prince from 11:30 to 11:40?”

“Yes,” Yue Ji nodded, “We wanted to talk about the flowers used at the ball. The prince was very happy tonight, and he even gave me a ruby. I was pleasantly surprised because this ruby could guarantee a worry-free life for the rest of my days. Afterwards, he said he was very tired, stumbled over to the sofa, and asked me to leave him to rest for a while.”

“Stumbled over?” everyone exclaimed at once.

“Yes!” Yue Ji nodded.

Xu Heran calmly said, “I was standing at the doorway watching the knight take action. The prince was lying on the sofa with his face up, very docile, without making any noise. That’s why the knight’s plan to kill the prince went so smoothly.”

“Please note that it’s your murder plan!” the knight couldn’t help but clarify, “I was enchanted!”

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

“So, the dagger bears the marks of Rannyan and the knight, but at the moment, we can’t be sure if this was the cause of the prince’s death. We need to find out if the poison that caused the patterns on the prince’s hands was lethal or just intoxicating. If it’s lethal, we can eliminate the Rannyan and knight from this scenario. If it’s just intoxicating, it’s unclear for the two of them,” Ji Songyu said.

“Now, to make everyone’s train of thought clearer, let me consolidate the timeline and organize everyone’s motives.” Ji Songyu drew a long line on the board behind her.

“At 10:00, the Christmas ball ended, and the guests returned to their rooms. At 10:10, Princess Xin Nuo-rella went for a stroll outside, and she encountered the prince. They had an argument, and she found a newspaper in the prince’s pocket, learning about the magic gem from their divorce. At 10:20, she returned to her room. Based on the current information, the princess didn’t have the necessary conditions to harm the prince unless it was due to the unhappy marriage she had with the prince a year and a half ago.”

Ji Songyu, dressed in elegant noble attire, maintained a calm expression and spoke with a clear tone. The seven suspects listened attentively to her summary.

“After the princess, it was the twin brother of the noble family, Mont Li. He strolled in the hallway for five minutes, from 10:25 to 10:30, and then returned to his room. At 11:00, he entered the prince’s room with the butler, stayed for five minutes, and then left. His motive to kill the prince involves avenging his father’s death and the delay in acquiring the title and estate due to the gap between him and the prince. However, your father died in February, and now it’s December. Isn’t it a bit late to seek revenge for your father?,” Ji Songyu drew a question mark beside Mont Li’s motive.

“At 10:40, two individuals left their rooms. One is our lovely and cute little cat, wandering in the hallway, catching insects.” Ji Songyu drew two pointed ears and a small heart next to Xu Heran’s name. “And the other is the knight who lives alone in the guest room across from the castle garden. The knight initially wandered around his room’s doorway and then entered the garden. The cat that was catching insects saw him using magic, but due to either lack of skill or a curse, the knight fell asleep in the garden. The knight believed he had returned to his room at 10:45.”

“The little cat only stayed outside for five minutes.”

“The little cat’s motive was resentment toward the owner of the castle. Only when the owner was completely dead and no one inherited the castle, could she be free. But she couldn’t kill on her own. The castle always had someone inheriting it, so she remained trapped here,” Ji Songyu said. “The knight’s motive was to protect his and the princess’s lives…”

“Detective, I believe his degree of self-preservation is greater,” Xin Nuo’s voice was cold.

The knight looked at Xin Nuo guiltily, “I still really like you!”

“He likes your money,” Xu Heran whispered, raising her palm.

“And the knight’s motive is urgent because the princess has already arrived at the castle. The prince could attack them at any time and retrieve the gem,” Ji Songyu wrote “money” and “life” next to the knight’s name.

“At 11:00, the butler delivered wine to the prince, then left. During this time, Mont Li and the butler verified each other,” Ji Songyu continued. “Mont Li left after five minutes. Afterward, from 10:10 to 10:15, Mona Lisa Li came to the prince to drink. She only stayed for five minutes before being dismissed.”

Mona Lisa Li: “…Saying it like that makes me seem very unappealing!”

“Hahaha.”

“Mona Lisa Li’s motive hasn’t surfaced yet, and from the evidence we’ve found, she had affection and loyalty toward the prince. Moreover, she’s very eager to become queen and the most honored woman in the kingdom. Currently, among all of you, she has the smallest suspicion.”

Mona Lisa Li finally showed a satisfied smile.

“Lastly, it’s our father-daughter duo.” Ji Songyu looked at the butler and the maid. “The maid came to chat with the prince from 11:30 to 11:40. The prince felt sleepy and left. After that, at 11:55, the knight acted.”

“The maid’s motive was that she discovered the prince’s madness and intent to kill. He nearly harmed her several times, so she became fearful and wanted to protect herself. This motive seems urgent. As for the butler, it’s because he harbored hatred from October when he witnessed the prince killing the former king. This intention to kill is rather weak.”

Ji Songyu lowered her hand. “This is the deduction we’ve made based on the evidence we gathered in the first round. Have any of you noticed the pattern? Between 10:00 and 12:00, within the span of two hours, before 11:00, we have Xin Nuo-rella, Mont Li, Rannyan, and the lone knight. After 11:00, we have the butler, Mont Li, Mona Lisa Li, Rose, the lone knight, and the hidden Rannyan.”

“What’s the connection between those who appeared before 11:00 and those who appeared after? Is there a secret communication going on? In this case of the prince’s death, is there an accomplice? What’s the relationship between the accomplice and the perpetrator? Did the accomplice choose a side? I’m still quite bewildered.”

Ji Songyu took a breath. “Even if I’m bewildered, I still need to vote…”

Xu Heran immediately raised her hand. “Go for it! We believe in you!”

“Detective, you can do it!” Everyone encouraged the detective.

At this moment, the maid suddenly raised her hand and addressed the detective, “Detective, I want to remind you that you just said my motive is urgent. I admit that, but please don’t forget, I’ve grown up in this castle since I was little. I know nothing about poisons or how to use weapons. I’m an artistic girl, and I’ve hardly ever left the castle. Where would I get poison?”

Ji Songyu nodded and walked into the voting area.

“Based on the current evidence, the only two people we can pinpoint are Rannyan and the knight. However, their conspicuousness actually lowers their suspicion. Right now, I’m leaning more towards the idea that the prince was poisoned.” Ji Songyu gazed at the seven arrest warrants on the table.

The wanted posters displayed photos of each person, and beneath the photos, their names were written in elegant floral fonts.

“I think today, there is a murderer and an accomplice present. And from the atmosphere in the room and everyone’s relationships, it seems the accomplice has chosen the side of the murderer!” Ji Songyu looked into the camera, softly analyzing, “Father and daughter, siblings, and the princess and the little cat who can understand animal language and owes her a favor.”

Ji Songyu’s finger pressed against the two very attractive wanted posters on the wall, a slight smile playing on her lips. “These two, their relationship is so subtle. They seem to dislike each other but also have a ‘I like you, you’re cute’ vibe.”

“Also, Rannyan, why did you try to push the princess’s motive away? Could it be that you’re the accomplice?” Ji Songyu respectively placed the two wanted posters in ornate frames on the wall.

“It’s these two, the murderer and the accomplice!”

“Selection complete!”

“Let’s continue the next round of evidence gathering with pleasure!”

Everyone cheered, picked up their notebooks, and left the meeting room.

“Is it you two?” Ji Songyu held one of each, asking Xu Heran and Xin Nuo.

Xin Nuo chuckled lightly, while Xu Heran shook his head like a tambourine, “No, it really isn’t me!”

“I don’t know about her.” Xu Heran tilted his head towards Xin Nuo.

“It’s not me either,” Xin Nuo said, chuckling softly, “I swear by the little cat.”

Xu Heran made a dismissive sound.

Due to the larger space, everyone continued to search for evidence separately, but they could collaborate in their search.

“Rannyan,” the princess stood in the hallway, holding her dress. In front of her was a closed side door.

Xu Heran, who had gone inside to play with the little cat, responded.

“Come over here,” Xin Nuo said. “Accompany me to the knight’s room and take a look.”

“Sure,” Xu Heran said, carrying the little cat as she walked outside.

In the corridor, several heads popped out all of a sudden.

“No way, could it be that some people are strategizing?” the maid said.

Xin Nuo raised her chin, her posture proud.

“Rannyan, be careful, she might offer you bubble tea!”

Xu Heran immediately responded, “Little cats can’t have bubble tea!”

She walked over to Xin Nuo with a smile, and Xin Nuo raised her hand to gently touch the head of the docile little cat nestled in her arms.

“What’s the matter?” Xin Nuo pointed with her chin towards the closed door in front of them.

Behind the door was the garden, the real garden.

Xu Heran responded with an “Oh,” raised her hand, and without hesitation, opened the door. Outside the door was a bit dark, but the garden was illuminated by streetlights, and colorful lights hung on the railing, casting light on the beautiful flowers.

Little Pearl descended the steps and suddenly thought of something, swiftly turning around.

Xin Nuo, following behind her, also halted, innocently looking at her. Little Pearl held up her snow-white dress with both hands, and her bundled-up hair cascaded down. Her black eyes were gentle and bright.

“Beautiful princess, you could’ve opened the door yourself. Are you… afraid?” Xu Heran looked around, surprised, and said, “Are you afraid of the dark?”

“You’re the one afraid of the dark,” Xin Nuo’s expression darkened as she walked past Little Pearl, “Don’t say weird things.”

“Am I weird?” Xu Heran suddenly became excited. She followed behind Xin Nuo, holding the little cat in her left hand and lifting her dress with her right. She grinned and said, “There’s been a ‘homicide’ in this castle tonight. It’s understandable if you’re scared.”

Xin Nuo snorted coldly, straightening her back and walking ahead.

Just as the two were about to reach the knight’s door, Xu Heran let go of Xin Nuo’s hand.

“Ah—what’s that!” Xu Heran screamed, pointing at the nearby silhouette and shouting.

“Ah!”

Xin Nuo let out a low exclamation, quickly turning around and tightly embracing Xu Heran’s body. The little cat in Xu Heran’s arms got startled and raised its round eyes to look around.

Xu Heran’s hand wrapped around Xin Nuo’s waist. Xin Nuo had a slender waist, and even with the heavy and intricate dress she wore, her waist was still easy to grip. In the palm of her hand, Xu Heran felt the warmth and slight trembling coming from the girl’s body.

“Oh, my mistake, it’s the photographer,” Xu Heran said calmly as she embraced Xin Nuo.

Xin Nuo: “…”

Xin Nuo: “…………”

In the castle, several people shouted “What’s happening, what’s happening?” and ran out, only to discover that it was Xu Heran playing a prank on Xin Nuo.

“Disperse, the culprit is these two!” Mont Li shouted loudly, “Not looking for evidence properly!”

The butler closed the side door, and outside the door, sounds of Xu Heran being scolded could be heard.

“I actually thought something serious had happened!” Ji Songyu shook her head as she walked back, “Unlucky kids, deserve a scolding.”

Xu Heran was pulled into the room by Xin Nuo by the ear. She pleaded, “I was wrong, forgive me.”

“Let’s properly gather evidence and see if it’s your family’s dog shrimp that’s the prince,” Little Pearl blinked her eyes.

Xin Nuo said coldly, “We only have one dog at home.”

She squinted her eyes, her pitch-black pupils staring fixedly at Xu Heran, before releasing her grip.

Xu Heran hooked the corner of her mouth and touched her nose.

“It’s my pleasure, my princess.”

Xin Nuo snorted lightly and scratched the chin of the cat in her arms, saying, “Gather evidence.”

In the second round of evidence gathering, some more in-depth evidence would appear. Xu Heran placed the cat on the bed and began searching through boxes and cabinets. Her clothes were simpler, and Xin Nuo’s large dress made it difficult for her to bend over, so Xu Heran took charge of finding evidence at the bottom.

Both of them threw all the evidence onto the bed, sat cross-legged facing each other, and compared the evidence with what the knight had said earlier.

“I found the letter where the prince threatened him. The knight’s words are correct. I feel like the knight’s motive to kill is urgent, but it doesn’t prove that he’s the culprit tonight,” Xu Heran whispered.

“If you help him clear his name, you’re clearing your own name,” Xin Nuo said without looking up, “You two are bound together now. If he’s guilty, it means you’re the accomplice!”

“Who’s bound with him? Our family can only have one dog!” Xu Heran’s tone was exasperated as she picked up the little cat and had it put its two front paws together in a bow.

“Aren’t you the little cat?” Xin Nuo said, placing all the evidence aside, looking puzzled, “As a skilled knight, facing the prince’s threat, did he really do nothing?”

“If he’s a man, he’d engage in a one-on-one duel,” Xu Heran said, her eyes starting to scan around. The room was in disarray as they had flipped everything upside down, and various items lay scattered on the floor.

At this moment, a black shadow slowly rose outside the window. Xu Heran was taken aback for a moment, then clicked her tongue, “Tch, trying to scare us?”

The knight stood outside the door, poking his head in, “Have you found my evidence?”

Both shook their heads.

“Definitely not me.”

Xu Heran immediately retorted, “It’s not necessarily.”

“Don’t drag me into this, we’re like crickets on the same rope. You can’t catch me even if you catch me!” The knight pointed at Xu Heran.

Xu Heran grinned.

“Can you two please decide on a common species?”

“I don’t want to be a cricket, I have nothing to do with you!” Xu Heran loudly protested.

The knight waved his hand, intending to leave, but Xin Nuo asked him, “Haven’t you thought about harming the prince?”

“And no lying,” Xu Heran added.

“Of course, I wanted to take action against him. He was about to kill us both. Should I just stand there waiting for him to kill us?” the knight said.

“How were you planning to kill him?” Xu Heran asked.

The knight drew his longsword from his waist.

Xu Heran and Xin Nuo nodded in approval. In the knight’s introduction, it was mentioned that his swordsmanship was quite good; he had even slain a neighboring forest bear. Killing a prince who liked to linger around flower bushes should be within his capabilities.

Xu Heran and Xin Nuo intended to head to the next room when shouts came from the direction of the castle.

“Someone come quick! I’ve found evidence!” Mona Lisa Li shouted loudly, “Super, super strong evidence!”

“Let’s go.”

Xu Heran grabbed Xin Nuo’s hand and ran towards the castle.

Xin Nuo, wearing a white princess gown, held up the hem of her skirt with her right hand as she and Xu Heran dashed through the flower bushes under the night sky, entering the corridor with a curious expression.

“Look, the runaway princess of the dream kingdom,” Mont Li said, “If the cat’s character were a boy, it would be a different story.”

“What’s wrong with being a girl!” Xu Heran retorted, refusing to back down, “Girls can also have stories.”

“Exactly.” Mont Li nodded, waiting for them to enter before closing the side door.

Everyone gathered in the steward’s room.

“Look, everyone!” Mona Lisa Li held up a portrait. The outer layer of the landscape in the portrait had been torn away, revealing the characters inside. Mona Lisa Li lifted it with both hands, walked around the room excitedly, and exclaimed, “I found it!”

“Great job, whose portrait is it?” Ji Songyu tilted her head back, her eyes shining brightly as she recognized the face of the girl in the painting. She took a breath and said, “It’s Yueji!”

“You’re a forty-year-old grown man, why did you secretly hide the portrait of a sixteen-year-old girl inside a painting!” The knight drew his sword and questioned the steward, “Explain quickly. If your explanation isn’t satisfactory, my sword won’t spare you!”

The steward stroked his beard, annoyed, and said, “I’m her father!”

“Didn’t you say you didn’t know she was your daughter?” Ji Songyu asked.

“I didn’t say I didn’t know,” the steward smiled mischievously, “And you didn’t ask me either.”

Everyone thought back and realized they hadn’t asked indeed.

“Hmph!” Ji Songyu sneered, threateningly pointing at him, “I’m voting for you.”

“Hold on a second.” Xin Nuo lifted her skirt and looked up at the portrait. She asked Mona Lisa Li to lower the portrait a bit, then tore off the still-attached lower layer of the scenic painting. Written on the portrait was “Dream Kingdom, Year 105, September.”

“This year is Year 105.” Mont Li said.

“Look at the necklace around Yueji’s portrait, it has the other half of the keepsake that matches the steward and Yueji’s mother’s. So, the steward knew Yueji was his daughter in September of this year,” Xin Nuo said calmly.

Xu Heran immediately spoke, “The steward’s intent to harm has surfaced. Were you trying to go after the prince to protect your daughter?”

“And where’s Yueji?” Ji Songyu suddenly asked.

“Ah—”

A sharp voice rang out, and everyone rushed to the corridor. Before they reached the source of the sound, Yueji, dressed in a maid’s outfit, appeared surprised as she walked out of Xin Nuo’s room, holding a photo in her hand. In the photo, a beautiful woman sat on a chair with two young girls standing behind her. The three of them had arrogant expressions, looking down from a height, but their faces were crossed out with red marks.

“What’s going on, my precious daughter?” The steward took the photo, looked at it closely, and took a breath, “Hiss…”

“What’s this, do you know them?”

The excited expressions of the onlookers shifted between the startled steward and maids and the composed Xin Nuo.

“You…” The steward pointed at Xin Nuo.

Yueji asked in terror, “How do you have a picture of my mom and sisters?”

“Hmm?” Xin Nuo’s tone rose, “You were abandoned by your mother when you were young. Could you really remember her face?”

“Because I had a picture, and I didn’t want to see my mom’s face, so I stuffed it into the bed seam,” Yueji explained.

The air conditioning in the corridor was a bit chilly, and everyone returned to Yueji’s room.

“I didn’t know she was your mother; I only knew she was my stepmother. But she’s already gone to keep the prince company now. Mother and son can’t be reunited, such a pity,” Xin Nuo laughed lightly.

When she said “such a pity,” her tone made it sound like she was complimenting Yueji’s cuteness.

Yueji shivered and rushed into the steward’s embrace, “Dad! She’s so scary, waaah!”

The steward followed suit, “Waaah!”

“Dad’s scared too!”

“So, after Yueji’s mother left Yueji and the steward, she married Xin Nuo-ella’s father, who had grown up with two children, leading to Xin Nuo-ella’s unfortunate childhood,” Ji Songyu said.

Mona Lisa Li asked, “Why only abandon Yueji?”

“Maybe she was too young. Both my older sisters had grown up. When my father was still around, it was just the two of them serving my stepmother. Even after my father was poisoned by my stepmother and died, my two sisters still served her,” Xin Nuo said.

“It’s a hidden subplot,” the detective nodded, looking at the steward. “Tell us about you and Yueji.”

The steward said, “It’s quite simple. This September, the king felt his end was near, so he had an artist paint a group portrait for everyone. My daughter is young, beautiful, lively, and cheerful. The artist liked her, so he painted her separately. While he was painting, I noticed the necklace around Yueji’s neck and realized she was my daughter.”

“Later, after the king died, the prince became delirious at night and turned murderous. After I received Yueji’s plea for help, I was furious. At that moment, I developed a murderous intent towards the prince. Tonight, I intended to take action.”

Everyone’s spirits lifted. “What do you plan to do?”

The steward smiled but didn’t speak.

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Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Sinensis

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