Breaking the Ice

But now,

All the guests still lingering in [Iselma] came to this area that should have been a forbidden zone, and the reason was...

Something's happened.

When the two rushed to the scene, looking at the broken door and the crowd crammed into the room, Touko Aozaki and Wang Xiaoming exchanged a glance, a vague sense of foreboding growing in their hearts.

The room had apparently been cleaned by a maid; it was very tidy both inside and out.

From the furniture around the room to the four-poster bed in the center, and even the jellyfish-shaped bedside lamp, one can immediately tell that they are all works of art by renowned designers. The entire room exudes an elegance and grandeur befitting the historic [Iselma] family.

The only surprising thing is that there's no mirror in the room. It's hard to imagine a woman's room without a mirror; perhaps the room's owner has a special reason for this.

However, this minor anomaly failed to arouse anyone's curiosity, as everyone's attention was drawn to what was in the center of the room—

That was a sight that would instantly shut down your brain.

Red, bright red.

Beneath the canopy, on pure white sheets.

Its vibrant red color resembled a freshly picked Gáe Dearg.

And in the very center of that [rose] stood a young girl—

Her eyes were tightly closed.

Her lips were tightly closed.

She wasn't breathing.

Below her neck—there was no body.

Her body was scattered around like rose petals, while her head lay in the very center of the soft sheets.

How cruel, and how beautiful.

Life and death, the moment when beautiful things wither, give people an unprecedented shock, making their hearts bleed while they cannot bear to look away.

However, this also proves one point—

[Golden Princess], the girl whose unparalleled beauty was revealed just a few hours ago, died in her own room.

The news of [Golden Princess's death] spread like wildfire throughout the Twin Towers, and all the guests who had lingered at [Iselma] after the banquet rushed over upon hearing the news.

[Mao], a pale-faced young man, was from the Heritage Department (Brisisan) of the Neutral Faction. He already looked weak, and now he looked as if he was about to faint.

[Islo Thurbnan], a man with an unusual hairstyle, similar to the thin braids popular among Black people, but more complex, like an intricate textile, and like Mao, belongs to the Neutral Faction.

Although they belong to a different faction than Iselma, these two individuals and their families are Iselma's most steadfast allies. They have always been supporters of Iselma's ideals, and their bloodlines have transcended factional barriers, working together to create "humans who possess supreme beauty."

Arriving around the same time as the two was a man with a buzz cut and exceptionally muscular build. [Mick Gulagiere], a member of the Cursed Department (Gig), also belonged to the neutral faction.

"Trouble is brewing--"

At this moment, Touko Aozaki, who had been observing coldly from the sidelines, spoke to Wang Xiaoming beside her. As Touko Aozaki finished speaking, the sound of a cane striking the stone slab echoed from the doorway, and at the same time—

When Lord Byron and Silver Princess Estella had Iselma to the scene upon hearing the news, saw the corpse on the bed... a chorus of agonizing whispers, as if the world were being destroyed, echoed through the room.

"How could this be... Tia Escardos..."

"... elder sister."

The trembling voice seemed to be portraying the event as a tragedy.

In this blood-soaked room, perhaps the most cruel thing was the arrival of these two people.

"Can anyone tell me what happened... Tia Escardos, she..."

After a while, Lord Byron, having composed himself, asked everyone about what had happened. From his tone, everyone could still sense the deep sorrow in his heart.

As Lord Byron's voice faded, everyone's gaze involuntarily fell upon the two young girls in the center of the room.

--Reines and Gray, two girls from the El-Melloi Classroom, were also the first to discover the crime scene.

"We've come to ask [Golden Princess] some questions."

Seeing that everyone's attention was focused on her, Reines answered in a calm voice. However, anyone with a discerning eye could see the forced composure beneath her calm expression.

"What do you want to ask? Why do you have to visit so late at night?"

Lord Byron pressed Reines for answers, and considering his grief over losing his child, everyone could understand Lord Byron almost rude behavior.

However, Reines, who had grown up in social circles, keenly sensed something amiss regarding Lord Byron's somewhat exaggerated behavior, and her voice gradually turned cold:

"I'm sorry, this involves [El-Melloi's ] secrets, and I cannot disclose them. If you have any questions, Lord Byron, please wait for my elder brother to arrive."

"You--"

Although Lord Byron was furious at Reines's cold and hard attitude, he was helpless.

After all, the El-Melloi faction has been the most prominent in the Clock Tower in recent years. Although the previous generation Kayneth has retired, Lord El-Melloi II, as his disciple, although not as skilled in Magecraft as Kayneth, has taken a different path and led the El-Melloi faction to new heights in a different way.

Even when facing the established noble family of Baruereta, El-Melloi wouldn't lose his confidence, let alone the mere branch family of Balyereta, Iselma.

During this brief standoff, a trembling voice suddenly came from the side—

"Just before, at the end of the banquet... Lady Tia Escardos... visited Lord El-Melloi II's room."

Everyone's gaze followed the direction from which the sound came, and there stood a girl dressed as a maid—[Golden Princess]'s personal maid.

"Karina?"

Having recognized the girl, Lord Byron pressed the maid for answers:

"What did Tia Escardos and the Lord of El-Melloi say?"

"I wasn't present when Lady Tia Escardos was discussing important matters, so..."

Karina lowered her head as if to say she knew nothing.

"As Tia Escardos's personal maid, even if you weren't there at the time, you could probably guess what she was planning to do, right?"

Lord Byron urged her to continue.

Unable to disobey her master's orders, Karina finally stammered:

"... Lady Tia Escardos... she wants to flee to El-Melloi."

The author put a lot of effort into the plot; here is a brief summary:

Reborn as Kurumi Tokisaki?

And he's still wearing a +12 orphan set and Prey gear?

Hehe, there's nothing to be afraid of anymore.

Goodbye, Mio Takamiya. -- The girl's clear eyes were full of mockery.

"Why... why is this happening!"

"Because I'm Xin Yue 3~"

"Huh???"

Ding--The initial dungeon has been cleared and is currently being evaluated.

Kurumi Tokisaki:

???

This is the story of a reborn girl who happens to save the world along the way.

Chapter 329. Breaking the Ice

"Lady Tia Escardos wants to flee to El-Melloi..."

As the maid's voice faded, the entire room suddenly fell into an even more eerie atmosphere than before.

"This matter... cannot be ignored under any circumstances."

As if acting, Lord Byron turned his gaze to Reines was biting her lip.

"..."

By this time, Reines had fully realized that this was a scheme, a conspiracy targeting El-Melloi Classroom.

Although she was on guard from the beginning.

After the Golden Princess left the Lord El-Melloi II's room, the Lord El-Melloi II found Reines and discussed the matter. Given the ambiguous points they had discussed and considering the differences between men and women, Reines took Gray to the Golden Princess's room that very night, wanting to thoroughly understand her thoughts to avoid any unforeseen complications.

But Reines hadn't expected this—

From the moment she knocked on [Golden Princess]'s door, the conspiracy surrounding [El-Melloi] quietly began to entangle her.

Moreover, Reines discovered that even if she hadn't visited [Golden Princess] tonight, and even if she wasn't the first to discover the murder scene, [El-Melloi] still couldn't clear his name, because as long as he insisted that [Golden Princess]'s last visitor was her brother, then no matter how she explained, it would be useless.

Moreover, Lord Byron certainly didn't just learn of his daughter's death. To be able to obtain this information so accurately, he must have already grasped the general situation sometime between learning of [Golden Princess]'s death and arriving here.

And indeed, after receiving "conclusive" testimony, Lord Byron, whose arrogance had grown increasingly unchecked, once again launched into questioning of Reines:

"I hope you can explain... the princess of El-Melloi."

Faced with this situation, even Reines, who was used to seeing big scenes, couldn't help but feel a sense of powerlessness.

"Miss Reines..."

Just then, she heard Gray's delicate voice. Glancing at her from the corner of her eye, Reines realized that Gray had quietly entered a state of combat readiness, seemingly preparing to fight her way out.

"Don't--"

Before Reines could stop them, the sound of footsteps approaching from outside the door once again drew the attention of everyone in the room.

" By Lord Byron, your current actions seem completely at odds with the gentlemanly demeanor you claim to uphold."

As a male voice rang out, a tall, thin figure appeared at the doorway.

"Brother."

"Teacher."

"Lord..."

The reactions of those present varied upon seeing that tall, thin figure.

Leaving aside the other bystanders, Reines and Gray, who were at the center of the "vortex," swept away their panic and frustration. As for the other party involved, a complex emotion flashed in Lord Byron's eyes before disappearing in an instant.

"Lord Byron, I would like to ask you a question..."

The Lord El-Melloi II, having entered the room, gently adjusted his glasses, his sharp gaze fixed on the gentleman before him:

"When did I [El-Melloi] become the subject of your endless questioning?!"

It's hard to believe that this middle-aged man, who always has a grumpy face and is surprisingly caring towards his disciples, could also be so domineering.

Faced with Lord El-Melloi II's imposing questioning, Byron involuntarily took a step back. But once he recovered, his already somber expression, clouded by the loss of his daughter, darkened further, and his voice crackled with anger:

"Lord, what do you mean? I just want to know who killed my daughter, is that wrong?!"

"In this situation, everyone present should be a suspect."

Just then, a lukewarm voice suddenly came from the side.

Enraged, Byron turned around, intending to demand an explanation of who was being so rude, but upon spotting the figure, his imposing aura immediately vanished.

"Miss. Aozaki..."

"Thank you for speaking up for me, Miss Aozaki."

The Lord El-Melloi II Prince nodded slightly in the direction of Touko Aozaki and Wang Xiaoming to express his gratitude.

Despite having no connection whatsoever, she still stood up for El- El-Melloi, probably because of the Grand Puppeteer beside her.

His gaze returned to Lord Byron, and the Lord El-Melloi II continued:

"As Miss Aozaki said, Lord Byron, weren't your remarks just now too arbitrary?"