If I Killed Clervie Off Again, Would You Blame Me?

"Ugh~"

The guards who had been Spirit Separation in the secret chamber gradually woke up, each raising their hands to rub their dizzy heads, their faces full of confusion.

"What happened?"

"I can't believe it! I opened my eyes and found ourselves standing here."

The group looked at each other, their minds blank.

"What are we doing here again...?"

"It seems... Valerius told us to bring our weapons here... what were we going to do?"

One of his men scratched his head. "Bringing someone to the restaurant means they're here to eat!"

The others were instantly swayed and nodded in agreement.

"So what shall we eat?"

"Yes."

"Yes."

What do you want to eat?

Bang--

The heavy wooden door was kicked open violently.

Clorinde and Chevreuse led the way, one on each side, followed closely by a large number of special training officers, their guns all pointed at the house.

"Put down your weapons! Court of Fontaine Special Patrol Unit! Everyone, immediately put your hands on your heads and squat down!" The authoritative command echoed through the room, and the thugs, whose minds were still not quite clear, instantly panicked.

"Oh no! It's the Special Patrol Unit!"

"The gun, where's the gun? I remember bringing a gun..."

"Huh? Aren't the utensils for eating knives and forks?"

Chaos erupted inside the house. Police officers pressed forward relentlessly, shouting orders throughout. In their panic, the group was unable to mount a resistance. After several shoving and pulling, the thugs were soon pinned to the ground, lying obediently on the cold floor tiles.

"Report to the Captain! Valerius's body has been found in the room ahead, along with a suicide note. It appears he committed suicide out of guilt."

Chevreuse's gaze fell on the dagger deeply embedded in his heart, her brows furrowing tightly. Valerius still had several wounds of varying depths on his body, but they were not enough to take his life; the only fatal wound was the one to his heart.

"... Who would cut themselves first before committing suicide?" Chevreuse muttered to herself. "These wounds were clean and swift. Looking around the room, the tables and chairs were neatly arranged, and apart from the bloodstains, there were no signs of a violent struggle on the floor."

She looked up at the group of guards who had just been subdued outside the door, her doubts growing stronger.

"Valerius a large number of guards waiting around this room, so how did the murderer manage to bypass everyone and carry out the crime silently? The so-called suicide out of guilt is probably just a fabrication."

Clorinde walked slowly to her side, glancing down at the corpse on the ground, then at the dagger piercing the heart. "Secure the suicide note, preserve all physical evidence as is, seal off the entire cliffside mansion, question everyone present one by one, then call it a day."

"Call to a halt? Aren't we going to investigate anything further here?" Chevreuse asked, puzzled.

Clorinde didn't say anything and slowly walked out.

After a long period of busy work, Chevreuse and Clorinde walked out of the grand and luxurious garden together. The evening breeze, carrying a faint scent of lake water, blew against their faces. Chevreuse pulled out a large bag of fish and chips from somewhere, tore open the package, and began to eat heartily. She turned to look at Clorinde beside her, took out a golden and crispy fried fish, and handed it to her.

"Want some? To tide you over?"

Clorinde frowned slightly and shook her head gently in refusal. (Clorinde didn't like fish.)

Chevreuse withdrew her hand, took a large bite of fried fish, and sighed, "I heard that this nobleman has some terrible hobbies behind the scenes. His men are not only involved in L㏒s and loan sharking, but also in human trafficking. Unfortunately, we searched the entire mansion, but we still couldn't find any conclusive evidence to convict him."

Clorinde casually took out a soft cloth and slowly wiped the blade of her sword; the metal gleamed with a cold luster in the twilight.

"Don't worry, the evidence will come."

"Sigh," Chevreuse sighed, "It's only because you're not in a hurry."

As she spoke, she grabbed a few more fries and popped them into her mouth, comforting her body after a busy day.

Mmm! Delicious!

Inside the dessert shop, Xingsu took a bite of the dessert in her hand. The crispy outer shell and sweet fruit pulp, mixed with a unique aroma, melted on her tongue.

"Hehe, isn't it delicious? This is my newly developed char siu apple pie. Today, a little red-haired girl almost bought it all." Claire leaned against the counter, her eyes crinkling with a smile, a hint of pride in them.

"How's business lately?" Xingsu asked, feigning nonchalance.

"Business is good; many children enjoy my cooking, but for some reason, I rarely see their parents. Mr. Xingsu, you mentioned before that you taught those children, so what's the situation with them?"

"These children... are all from an orphanage. I was a teacher there, teaching the children things."

"Wow! Mr. Xingsu seems to be a very kind-hearted person."

"I guess so. Let's not talk about that. What do you plan to do after you make money from your dessert shop?"

"Hmm... I was originally planning to pay off the money I owed for opening the dessert shop first, but the person who borrowed money from me a few days ago suddenly disappeared... so I want to donate this money."

"Hmm? Donate it all?"

"Um... Mr. Xingsu may not know, but I'm also an orphan. Luckily, I was adopted by an elderly couple, but sadly they passed away a few months ago."

"I see... So how did you decide to become a pastry chef?"

"Hmm... I don't know. Maybe some people just like to eat them, so I like to make them. It makes me happy to see that they enjoy my desserts."

Xingsu was somewhat moved.

Clervie, it's still the same Clervie.

She was Clervie, who used to enjoy making tea and snacks for everyone at the House of the Hearth; she was Clervie, whose kindness and gentleness had not been erased by time and amnesia.

"By the way, Mr. Xingsu, that orphanage... could you take me there?"

"Hmm... I'll take you there when there's another chance."

"Mr. Xingsu, those borrowers suddenly disappeared... it was all your doing, wasn't it?"

"Hmm? I'm just an ordinary teacher, how could I possibly..."

The Damselette shook her head. "You can't fool a chef's nose. You... have a faint smell of blood on you."

"... Oh, that was an accident..."

"Mr. Xingsu, I actually know you, don't I?"

"I..."

"You definitely know something, don't you?"

"..." Xingsu remained silent. He truly hadn't expected Clervie to discover it so quickly.

"Mr. Xingsu, please... tell me the truth, after all... my time is running out."