Two Murder Cases (Asking for Recommendation Votes

Sifa easily spotted the owner of the voice. She was a sixteen-year-old girl. Her privileged upbringing had given her a full, lovely face and fair, delicate, lustrous skin. Especially her smooth, gleaming golden hair, which seemed to carry the brilliant sunlight of summer, flowing with a golden sheen beneath the lamps.

Her features were radiant, her lashes long and curled, and she wore an elaborate scarlet dress like a flower in full bloom.

Though her words dripped with mockery, her azure eyes, like lakes beneath a clear sky, revealed restrained concern.

Of course, Sifa knew who she was.

This was his younger sister, the Disraeli family's treasure, Helibel!

Influenced by the original owner's memories, Sifa felt a surge of affection. It seemed that this ill-reputed eldest young master had been quite fond of his younger brother and sister.

This little sister was rather inconsistent, though. She clearly cared about her elder brother, yet insisted on speaking such cutting words.

"Belle, I don't recall teaching you to speak so rudely to your brother."

A gentle voice, like a spring breeze, rang through the hall as an elegant woman approached gracefully. Though no longer young, every line between her brows and every faint wrinkle on her face overflowed with tolerance and warmth.

Her dress was simple, yet she wore it with unmistakable dignity. Though summer had arrived and the weather was gradually growing hot, she still wore long sleeves.

Sifa knew that she wore long sleeves throughout all four seasons because her left hand had once shielded him from flying shards of shattered glass, leaving scars that could never heal.

If not for her, the faint scar beneath his left eye, like a tear track, would not have been the only injury. He would have lost the entire eye.

She was the mistress of this household and the mother of Sifa and his two siblings, Enilu.

"Welcome home, Sifa."

An uncontrollable surge of emotion welled up in Sifa. He set down his younger brother, strode forward, and embraced his mother.

"Good evening, Mom."

His eyes grew moist and his nose stung as intense emotion burst forth from the depths of his heart.

Even when he had met his father, he had not felt such powerful emotions.

Enilu smiled and gently patted Sifa's back. "All right. The journey must have been tiring. Go wash up and get some rest early."

Sifa agreed, released her, and stepped back a few paces.

Enilu turned around and called softly, "Matthew, come here."

A young man about Sifa's age walked over, dressed in a male servant's uniform. He had dark skin, light gray hair, and crimson eyes like flames.

"This is your personal manservant."

Ever since he had had an improper relationship with a maid, the household had stopped assigning maids to him, so Sifa was not surprised in the least.

The manservant named Matthew gave a slight bow and said respectfully, "Sir, your room is ready."

Sifa gave a small nod and was about to return to his room to wash up when he heard footsteps. Then Sebas, the gray-bearded butler, hurried into the house.

"Sir, Chief Kaoxi has arrived."

At the mention of that name, an image surfaced in Sifa's mind.

A middle-aged man in his fifties, with pale golden hair, sparse eyebrows, dark brown eyes, and a somewhat plump build, though his appearance remained dignified. Although he still wore a wedding ring, he was in fact a widower. After his wife had died of illness, he had never remarried.

This was Kaoxi, chief of the Enqi Town police station.

What was he doing here?

Sifa thought of the police officers who had appeared at the hotel on Mermaid Road. He did not linger, instead walking to his room while thinking.

After washing up, he changed into comfortable pajamas and opened the window. He saw that the lights in his father's study below were still on, and behind the curtains, he could vaguely make out a plump figure.

The police chief stayed for a long time. Even when Sifa went to sleep, he had yet to leave.

The next day, after breakfast, Sifa's family took a carriage to Saint Witte Church, which belonged to the Church of the Evernight Goddess.

As a family of believers, it was only natural for them to go to church and pray after their son had returned home safely.

Afterward, Sifa did not return with his family. Using the excuse of "taking a walk around," he left with the manservant Matthew.

They arrived at Memorial Square. The square had been named in memory of the White Rose War. During that war, Enqi Town had once been reduced to ashes, and only a small number of buildings in town had survived to the present day.

This square was one of them, though it had naturally undergone some renovations. Aside from it, there was also the ancient city gate outside Enqi Town and several other old buildings.

Many white pigeons in the square showed no fear of people, chasing after the feed thrown by passersby.

In the distance, a group of people wearing gray-blue workers' uniforms and flat caps had gathered. There were also quite a few vagrants in patched clothes among them. They were listening to an old woman give a speech.

Sifa found an inconspicuous corner in the square and sat down. He casually took out some feed and scattered it on the ground. In no time at all, white pigeons surrounded his feet.

Glancing at the somewhat restrained young manservant beside him, Sifa casually asked, "You wouldn't happen to know which ladies in town live alone, are young and beautiful, and can be visited without bringing gifts, only money?"

Matthew's expression became slightly awkward. He cleared his throat. "Sir, you've only just returned. It may be somewhat inappropriate to engage in that sort of socializing already."

I think so too. Besides, I was only joking. You don't need to look at me like that, really.

Sifa smiled and shrugged. "Then let's change the subject. Tell me, has anything interesting happened in town while I was away?"

On the way back, he had already been considering how to improve his reputation so that he could gain more support from his family.

He had come up with several plans, but in the end, he realized that he did not know Enqi Town all that well.

In the original owner's memories, his impressions of the town centered more on bars, art salons, and ladies who were either glamorous, uninhibited, or reserved.

And the impressions from that last category were especially profound.

Unable to help it, Sifa could only gather information himself.

Matthew thought for a moment before answering, "Sir, Enqi Town isn't large. There truly aren't many things that could be called interesting."

"I can only think of a few."

"Not long ago, an old man named Ain suddenly bought a large number of livestock, saying that he wanted to start a farm, but he hasn't made any further moves so far."

Sifa racked his brain, but could not remember who Ain was.

Matthew continued, "Also, the livestock on your father's farm, as well as those raised by several households outside town, have all been visited by wild wolves from the mountains. The Baron has hired Leon, a well-known hunter in town, to organize other hunters and enter the mountains to kill those wild wolves that came from who knows where."

The manservant raised an arm and pointed toward the old woman giving her spittle-flying speech. "In addition, Old Madam Paris recently suddenly declared herself Blessed of Evernight. Of course, Saint Witte Church does not recognize this, but that has not stopped her from giving speeches in the square every day."

"Blessed of Evernight?"

Sifa was genuinely stunned and could not help looking toward the old woman.

Her head was full of silver hair, her nasolabial folds were deep, her nose hooked like an eagle's, and her face looked grim. She looked more like a Witch than any Blessed of Evernight.

She wore a patched dress and carried a basket covered with a blue checkered handkerchief. Who knew what was inside.

"However, if we're talking about the most sensational matter, it would be the bloody case that happened recently."

After a pause, Matthew gave an "oh." "No, if we count the one at the Blue Fish Hotel last night, then there have already been two cases."