A blonde girl walked through the gates of the Royal Academy of Medicine, looking rather cheerful. Just then, a freckled brunette appeared behind her with a grin and tapped her on the shoulder.
"Betty!"
"Whoa! Maggie... you really startled me."
The startled blonde turned around and sighed in relief when she saw her friend.
"Good morning."
"Good morning."
Grinning at Betty, Maggie walked up beside her.
"You look happy today. Did something good happen? Did the professor praise your paper?"
"No, it's just... I had a dream last night."
Betty blushed a little as she said this, and Maggie's eyes immediately lit up.
"What kind of dream? Did you dream about your Prince Charming? What did you two do?"
As she spoke, Maggie leaned toward Betty's ear, grinning at her. Although they were both outstanding students at the Royal Academy of Medicine, they were still only sixteen- or seventeen-year-old girls. It was only natural for them to share little secrets.
"I suppose you could call him Prince Charming..."
Betty hesitated before answering.
"I had a nightmare last night. I dreamed I was in Fog City, but the whole city was silent, and there wasn't a single person on the streets. I kept walking, and then a terrifying stranger suddenly appeared. He had a dagger and wanted to kill me, so I hurried away as soon as I realized I was in danger, and then... then..."
"Then what happened?"
Maggie's interest was piqued, and she asked eagerly.
"Then I met someone. He killed the strange man who was chasing me, and then I threw myself into his arms..."
The more Betty spoke, the redder she became, until she was practically burying her face in her chest.
"Ooh! A Prince Charming who rescued a princess from danger? Who was it? Harry from the literature department? Or Klein from the law department?"
Seeing Betty's flushed face made Maggie even more excited, but Betty hesitated and shook her head.
"It... it was that detective."
"Detective?"
Maggie froze at Betty's answer, then realized who she meant.
"You mean Mr. Li Wei, the detective who solved the Courtesan Killer case?"
"Yes..."
Although the Courtesan Killer had only killed three people, the unusual circumstances and this world's well-developed media meant that practically everyone in Fog City knew about the case. Naturally, once it was solved, Li Wei's name became a household name as well.
And there was another factor-he really was handsome.
Maggie recalled the photograph of Li Wei printed in the newspaper, showing him from the waist up: his well-tailored formal attire, smooth black hair, handsome face, and confident, courteous smile... yes, she had to admit that he had become Prince Charming to quite a few girls lately.
"So that's the kind of man you like..."
"Don't you like him, Maggie?"
"Of course I do! A handsome, clever young detective who can solve crimes! Getting to go on an exciting adventure with him would be absolutely worth it... unfortunately..."
Maggie sighed.
"We don't even know him."
"That's true..."
As they spoke, the two reached the entrance to the Royal Academy of Medicine's teaching building. At that very moment, a dark shape suddenly plummeted past their eyes and hit the ground with a thud.
"Huh?"
The sudden turn of events left both girls stunned. Then they lowered their heads and looked down at their feet, and... piercing screams instantly shattered the campus's tranquility.
By the time Li Wei arrived at the scene by car, half an hour had passed.
After breakfast, Li Wei had originally gone to the Police Station to request an examination of Lady Claytie's financial transaction records. This was not yet an age that placed great importance on personal privacy. Nobles were naturally protected by law, but for someone of Lady Claytie's relatively modest standing, simply following the application procedure would usually secure permission for an audit.
But while Li Wei was waiting for the result, Inspector Lestrade grabbed him and told him there had been a death at the Royal Academy of Medicine. As the police's special investigative consultant, Li Wei-well, naturally, he had to earn his allowance.
And so Li Wei came to investigate the scene.
Incidentally, Katie had not come with him today. She and Li Wei had agreed that if she could not come, she would contact him in advance by Telephone. While he was eating breakfast that morning, Katie had called to say she had classes and could not get away. She had also reminded him not to forget to tell her afterward if anything interesting happened...
Well, this case is certainly interesting enough.
Looking at the pieces of the body before him, Li Wei made a silent, sardonic remark.
Yes, pieces of a body.
The man had jumped from the rooftop and hit the ground. Everyone knew what happened when a block of tofu smashed against the ground.
The body before him was much the same.
However, Inspector Lestrade had brought Li Wei in to investigate this case for two reasons.
The first was that Li Wei knew the victim.
Li Wei stared at the barely recognizable face beside his feet and the shattered, thick-lensed glasses nearby. He could more or less identify the victim as none other than Edwards, "Amelia's ex-boyfriend," whom he had questioned during his earlier investigation.
As for the second reason...
Li Wei looked at the ground before him in silence.
Normally, after a fall that left someone in this state, blood and flesh would inevitably have splattered everywhere. Yet there was not a single drop of blood beside Edwards's body!
There were not even any traces of blood on him!
Li Wei crouched beside the body and examined it carefully. The skin was deathly pale, without a trace of blood. Even the wounds showed not the slightest hint of red, as though all the blood in his body had been drained away into thin air!
Could it be...
Li Wei frowned and reached out to turn the corpse's neck slightly. Then his sharp eyes caught two small holes in the pallid skin.
At the sight, a word immediately sprang into Li Wei's mind.
A vampire!
What's going on? First a ripper, now a vampire. Can't I get a normal case for once?
Grumbling inwardly, Li Wei sighed helplessly, then stood and gestured to the police officer beside him.
"Take him away for examination."
The officer nodded at Li Wei's order. Soon, people stepped forward and began expertly collecting the body to take it away. Nothing unusual had been found nearby, and the entrance to Shuo Academy had been cordoned off. Students stood at a distance or watched curiously from windows, whispering among themselves from time to time.
Li Wei surveyed his surroundings, then focused his gaze.
Soul Sight!
In an instant, his surroundings turned black and white. Li Wei scanned the area, but found no soul trails connected to the body.
Well, it seems not every criminal returns to the scene of the crime.
With that thought, Li Wei deactivated Soul Sight and withdrew his gaze.
"Take me to the eyewitnesses."
When Li Wei reached the Royal Academy of Medicine's infirmary, he saw two female students sitting on beds. Wrapped in blankets, they were pale-faced and trembling as they held cups of coffee. Only when Li Wei entered and they heard the door open did they instinctively raise their heads to look his way.
At the same time, Li Wei got a clear look at them, which made him pause.
The reason was simple: he had seen one of these girls before!
In that dream not long ago!
But Li Wei quickly composed himself and remained calm. Then he looked at the two girls and gave them a warm smile. At the sight of his smile, a faint blush appeared on their pale cheeks, and their anxious expressions faded.
This was quite familiar to Li Wei. Usually, whenever he wanted to reassure someone, all he had to do was look at them and smile, and they would calm down considerably.
Betty and Maggie stared wide-eyed at the gentleman approaching them, their hearts pounding. To them, the young gentleman was so gracious, his expression as warm as sunlight. The girls, who had been terrified by the shock, now felt much of the fear gripping them begin to dissipate.
"Hello, ladies. I'm sorry to disturb you."
Li Wei removed his top hat, approached the two girls, and bowed to them. They hurriedly stood and fumbled to lift their skirts in a curtsy.
"Ah, hello, Mr. Detective..."
"If you don't mind, may I ask you a few questions?"
"O-of course."
They exchanged a glance, then sat down again at Li Wei's gesture.
"I'd like to know what happened at the time. What do you remember?"
"We..."
At Li Wei's question, Maggie grew uneasy again. After all, they were only ordinary girls who had never seen anything like this before. Having to describe it now filled Maggie with anxiety and fear.
But when she saw Li Wei's smile, the anxiety and fear deep within her melted like the first snow. She even began instinctively recalling what had happened, just as Li Wei had asked.
"I was talking to Betty, and then something suddenly fell from above..."
"Yes, yes, that's right..."
Betty nodded repeatedly, agreeing with her friend's account.
"We looked down and saw someone lying facedown on the ground... we screamed because we were frightened, and then a teacher took us away..."
"I see... did you know him?"
Maggie fell silent for a moment, then shook her head. Betty merely glanced at Maggie without saying anything.
"All right, I understand. Thank you for your cooperation."
Li Wei nodded to the two girls again, then asked another question.
"By the way, did you see anything unusual at the time? Even if you think you imagined it, that's fine."
"Well..."
The two girls frowned and thought for a moment, but still shook their heads.
Nothing, then.
Li Wei sighed inwardly and smiled at them again.
"Thank you. You may go now. Well... of course, this must have been very distressing for you, so I suggest you go home and get some proper rest. Leave this to me..."
"I believe in you, Mr. Detective!"
Before Li Wei could finish, Betty clenched both fists and stared at him without blinking.
"I believe you'll definitely catch the murderer!"
Looking at the innocent girl before him, what else could Li Wei say?
He could only smile.
"Thank you, miss."
Before you continue