Chapter 1292: Chapter 1292: Closing Argunts
After half a minute of silence, Mr. Henry Mafal, who was constantly wiping his sweat, finally couldn’t help but speak:
"Alright, I admit."
"Hmm?"
Now it was Shard’s turn to be surprised, because the murderer was not this gentleman who had just invited him to play cards.
"I admit, I went to that corridor because I had arranged a date with a girl. Yes, I actually have a childhood friend, but my father always plans my marriage. At ho, I never actively opposed any of my father’s instructions, but only this matter, only this matter..."
He seed to be sowhat collapsing, crying while covering his face, and then suddenly shouted:
"Oh, I love you, Emily, yes, I love you. Now I need to say these words, tomorrow I’m going to propose to you, I can’t bear this concealnt any longer."
"Emily" was also on that corridor at the ti and was one of those who knew. At this mont, hearing those words from a small study room separated by a door, a girl with sowhat blond hair also ran over crying, and the two embraced each other tightly.
"Is this considered a scandal?"
Shard asked Angelina, and Her Highness the Princess thought for a mont:
"For the Mafal Family, it certainly counts, as Emily Churchill is only the daughter of a baron. This marriage won’t receive a blessing."
Shard nodded, held out a finger and waved it in front of the Little Princess, who naturally knew what it ant; now there was only one person left.
"In this way, Mr. Mafal’s suspicion is cleared, as long as we get hold of his correspondence with Miss Emily Churchill, we can confirm what he said is true. So, gentlen..."
As Shard spoke, people’s gazes followed his words and moved back to the two remaining people on the sofa, where a servant looked shockingly at Raphael Birmingham, dressed in a black tailcoat on the other side of the sofa. The handso young noble was the first to speak, pointing surprisingly at the servant:
"It is actually you! I knew it, how could a Duke’s son commit such a horrendous cri!"
Here, the insinuation is that the suspicion is cleared for Mr. Mafal, but it actually refers to himself.
George Wayne, the non-verbal servant, looked at the finger pointing at him in astonishnt, stamring and wanting to explain but not knowing how to prove himself. He looked to Shard for help, only to find Shard also seriously looking at him:
"Mr. George Wayne, what exactly was it that brought you to that corridor at that ti?"
The detective’s sharp gaze made his scalp tingle, as if those eyes directly illuminated his soul. The servant cowered:
"I, I..."
The serious interrogation and the detective’s imposing presence imdiately plunged his mind into a brief turmoil. And at this mont, the tightly closed door was hurriedly opened, and Tifa, dressed in a black and white maid’s outfit, using Shard’s coat, ca in holding a ginger-white cat that was peeking around.
The small cat seed quite uneasy about being here, until it saw Shard and called out before darting forward. Trying to get this cat out of the house was not easy; even having Tifa go would almost be impossible, so Shard had Tifa bring his coat, and that was how Mia ca to Yordle Palace.
"Look, my detective assistant has brought back another assistant. Miss Servit, well done."
He smiled at Tifa, the Black-haired Girl smiled slightly and nodded, then stood again behind Shard.
Holding the cat, Shard asked the people behind him:
"Have you all heard about the many rumors about ?"
Senior Superintendent Mr. Johnson suddenly understood:
"That cat which is even better than police dogs? I’ve heard about it when my daughter ntioned reading the ’Hamilton Detective Stories... I an, when she was reading ’Hamilton Detective Stories’."
Dorothy’s detective stories are currently the most popular and successful comrcial novels, even increasing the sales of the Steam Bird Daily by three tis and exploring more distribution areas. People certainly know the stories within detective novels have fictional elents, but most believe the truth in them is predominant.
Thus, the cat often able to play a significant role in the stories—essentially a patch for the Circle Sorcerer’s abilities Dorothy couldn’t write—appears to have extraordinary abilities in the eyes of readers.
"Alright, since the servant George Wayne doesn’t want to admit. Co, Mia, sll this."
Shard had soone bring the murder weapon, and Mia sniffed it. If soone else did this, they would surely be considered crazy, but since Shard did it, everyone felt it was quite appropriate, because the story and rumors had him solving one enigmatic case after another with the cat’s keen sense of sll. The significance of Dorothy’s stories is not just about her personally but also about making Shard the most famous, though not necessarily the best, detective of the era.
"ow~"
The cat held by Shard reluctantly sniffed the murder weapon, then Shard carried it closer to the two people on the sofa. The servant took a deep breath and stopped talking, while the young and handso Mr. Raphael Birmingham, displaying slight panic, pointed at Shard sowhat in disbelief:
"Wait, do you all really trust a cat’s judgnt? No, this isn’t fair, I refuse to let that cat approach !"
"But that cat has indeed solved many problems; I saw it in the story of ’The Missing Third Coin’ in Hamilton Detective. Oh, and I also saw it the first ti I t Hamilton Detective."
Princess Angelina laughed and said, "The first eting" refers to when she and her friend were at the Prophet’s Society and got injured due to the Tortoise Shell Divination result.
Her words were also t with agreent from others.
"Yes, I also saw it in the ’Old Man Living Alone’ Chapter."
The Eunuch Servant sent by His Majesty the King to oversee the case progress also said.
Little Birmingham trembled at the corner of his mouth:
"Are you all crazy? That’s just a detective story; how can you believe it?"
Seeing Shard getting closer, he suddenly stood up:
"Even if you brought in a police dog, it would be better than this. No, I won’t accept this result!"
"What result? I haven’t given a judgnt yet."
Shard seriously asked, the young man instinctively wanted to step back, but then he realized he was standing in front of the sofa.
Shard pointed the cat towards the servant, the cat had no reaction. Then he pointed it towards Raphael Birmingham, the cat still had no reaction.
Shard discreetly poked its rear.
"ow~"
Mia imdiately yelled and turned around, baring her teeth and claws, trying to scratch Shard.
Shard’s eyes beca sharp:
"Mr. Birmingham, I didn’t expect it was really you. Why did you murder Daniel Philip?"
Upon seeing the results, people cast scrutinizing glares at Raphael Birmingham, who was open-mouthed:
"This... How could it be?! This is insane! I can’t let a cat fra , no, I don’t accept it!"
"You cannot explain your presence in the hallway!"
"To switch gifts!"
"You have no witnesses!"
"That’s because this matter shouldn’t be known by others!"
"Everyone else has legitimate reasons!"
"That attendant doesn’t!"
"You’ve been acting strange since earlier!"
"I’ve been completely normal!"
"I bet you’ll be haunted by the victim’s vengeful spirit!"
"You’re actually cursing !"
"My cat has already sniffed the scent of blood on your right hand!"
"It’s clearly the left..."
He was stunned for a mont; the quick exchange between them made him reveal sothing significant instinctively.
"Left what?"
Shard slightly tilted his head, widening his left eye at him.
"Oh?"
People also understood, and Mr. Birmingham opened his mouth even wider:
"I, you, I, you, you..."
Seeing this, Shard tossed the cat to Tifa standing behind him while Mr. Birmingham swung his fists as he rushed forward:
"You damn **"
He cursed.
"If you’ve read the ’Hamilton Detective Stories,’ you should at least know I’m skilled in flying cards and combat. Coincidentally, this detail isn’t Miss Luisa’s fabrication."
Shard raised his hand to deflect the fist, sidestepped forward causing the charging Birmingham to lose balance and fall backward. Then he swiftly raised his leg, his knee striking Birmingham’s abdon, causing him to groan, as Shard grabbed his hand, turned, and perford a beautiful shoulder throw—
Bang!
Clap clap clap~
Applause erupted as the case’s truth was uncovered. Besides the moaning murderer on the floor, only Little Mia was extrely dissatisfied. Even nestled in Tifa’s arms, it remained disgruntled.
"And you, speak honestly, what exactly were you doing in that hallway?"
Shard didn’t forget to question the maid, who, having been cleared of suspicion, looked at Mr. Birmingham moaning, hunched on the floor, and instinctively swallowed:
"I’ll tell! I’ll tell! I went to steal from the guests attending the banquet. I heard so beautiful ladies were there too."
Though cleared of suspicion, he had essentially lost his job... Hopefully, Yordle Palace’s number of Eunuch Servants will not increase by one due to this incident.
"But we still don’t know what the motive was for the murder."
Angelina eagerly watched the scene and said, making Shard pull Mr. Birmingham up, grab his collar, and ask:
"What was the motive?"
"You damned..."
"Your Highness, he said he fell in love with Daniel Philip. But the latter refused this immoral affair, rejecting him tonight, which made him kill out of rage and sha. Let’s use this as the closing argunt and wrap up the case quickly, as that is the priority. Using this sensational news to capture the citizens’ attention will prevent anyone from focusing on the cri’s location."
"Oh, you damned devil! Is this what you call being a famous detective? You can’t sully the Birmingham family’s na! I killed him because he knew about the mistress I had kept outside and tried to blackmail
into withdrawing from pursuing Her Highness Angelina! I was so mad at the ti, oh my God, what have I done?"
Struggling to breathe due to the collar, Birmingham started crying as he spoke.
Shard released the collar, letting him cry on the ground.
Wiping his hand with a handkerchief, he turned to the Little Princess and said:
"Look, Your Highness, we’ve concluded the case. I think we can report this to His Majesty. Tomorrow’s newspaper can choose the smallest corner to explain this case in moderation. But the truth, it may be better not to let the public know too much about it."
Angelina Cavendish watched him, her face flushed:
"Very well, Knight, your performance was excellent, this is absolutely the most entertaining..."
"Cough cough."
"I an, the most unforgettable birthday banquet."
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