My suspecting was correct! Shuying is the killer. The Jesuit showed me two proofs, one was the undusted book, both I and Shuying saw it. The other was Shuying's dress. It was only shown to me by Jesuit.
The proof was always sitting here. I had it figured out way earlier but all these distractions delayed me.
Wait, that means Dannyal is in danger. I must hurry. While I was running, on those marble floor, the cold ones like when I met Jesuit, a realization flickered in me.
How does the Jesuit know it all? I thought it as a question which if bothered, might delay everything.
I reached Dannyal's room but it was locked. I opened it hastily but my trembling fingers delayed it. At that moment, Chen tapped on my shoulder from behind,"What are you doing here?"
The moment I turned around, I felt scared and terrified. But not by Chen. But because of who was staring at me from far away. It was the Jesuit.
His head tilted slightly. But his smile was evident. He looked at me as if I was the only one to give him justice.
"What are you looking at?" Chen asked waving her hand in front of my face. "Uh, nothing." I looked at her but when I looked back at the Jesuit, he was no more there. Must have been my mind messing with me.
"Why do you look scared?" Chen asked tilting her head.
"I–I found out who killed your brother." I said straightening her head.
"The Jesuit?"
"No, not him." I exhaled while Chen still holding my shirt's collar.
For that moment, her holding my collar didn't feel caring but alarming.
I slowly held her hands and gently removed from my collar.
"Then who?" Chen asked with narrowed eyes. But surprisingly it felt like she already had an answer anticipated.
"The French Jesuit." I lied to study her reactions.
"Oh, I was talking about him as well." She seemed relieved but why I wonder.
"I'll meet you in the evening, I have some adventure plans to talk about with Dannyal." I said sweetly. She agreed and went away.
How does she even know the Jesuit was the one who killed even though we haven't blamed him yet?
So many unanswered questions. Some of them probably doesn't even have answers. I entered Dannyal's room without thinking any further.
Only to see him entangled in care by Shuying. What if he doesn't believe me? My only hope would be lost.
I call,"Dannyal! Hear me a bit, will you?"
Calling him like that made me feel how much distance was created between us in this palace.
Dannyal came without hesitation." Yes?"
"I need you to listen to me." I said with sharp eyes and voice.
"I'm always here to listen to your bragging." He said with a bright smile.
"We need to get out of this room."
"Just tell me in here?"
I let my eyes answer that.
He hesitated but then said,"Shuying, could you give us a moment?"
"You guys can talk, I'm holding my ears."
"No, we are going out for a bit."
"What?" She asked but Dannyal closed the door without answering.
I said in lower voice, barely above whisper,"Listen to me, the Jesuit isn't the killer." "Wait, what?"
My gaze lowered as my next sentence would either help me or make me look like a stupid to him,"Shuying is the killer."
The brightness in his eyes disappeared,"How?"
"The Jesuit showed me blade in Shuying's dress."
"That's a common beauty tool in musician's dresses." He said with relief.
"I know, but sharp enough to cut through. But that's not all, she was way too swift in the library, as if someone who has visited a thousand times."
"But still–"
"She said the undusted book was of the same poison used, right?"
"Yes."
"But how does she know which poison was used? If it was never told to her."
"That–"
"She isn't formally educated but she still helped me find a book."
"She helped you and you are blaming her for that?" He said backing inches away.
His words weren't accusing even if they sound like that. Just a terrified man trying to relieve himself with lies he knows is unreasonable.
"You do understand that excuse sounds–" I said leaning forward, putting my hands over his.
"I know." He said interrupting me.
"Remember yesterday, I fell down unconsciously?"
"Yeah, what of it?" He said. I could feel that he knew, it was another proof that might break him more.
"While in the library, she gave me a mask due to motes in the air. That must have caused it."
He didn't argue back anymore.
"So, do you believe me?" I asked.
"Wish I couldn't."He said sorrowfully. Then he turned his hands and held mine in sorrow.
"Will you then confront her?"
"Do I have another choice?"
"Otherwise, I will."
He looked up but then again down.
"It's fine."
He slowly opened the door. Shuying already standing there as if she had expected it all,"I can explain it, Dannyal."
"NO, YOU CAN'T. "He yelled in pain. Shuying blinked in shock.
"I believed in you." Dannyal said with his fists tightened.
"I know you did." Shuying said calmly.
"For you, I was going to name a good person guilty." Dannyal said.
"So, it was all about your ego of being always correct?"
"Don't try to manipulate me, you bastard."
"Just to survive, I turned from dear to bastard. See how life works?" Shuying started walking away without looking back.
Dannyal tried to yell something out but what could he have said?
"WAIT, why did you even kill him?" Dannyal asked in despair, looking down at the floor, where he once dropped a vase looking at her.
"The authority threatened to starve me, if I hadn't killed the prince." Shuying replied without turning back.
"What?" He said looking up.
"If I hadn't, the file would've reached later, but it did anyway."Shuying said slightly turning back and looking at me.
"Which file?" I said with trembling fingers.
"The two files Chen gave to you. One of them had animal attack on a village, right?"
"Yes."
"That village was mine but it got destroyed anyway." Shuying said trying to hold her cold contrast in her breaking voice.
"But it said just two deaths a day." I tried fighting back.
"Just? Plus, they were wrong numbers." Shuying replied without tightened fists.
While she was leaving, I asked for clarification"You blamed it all on the Jesuit?"
"Not me. Highers."
She didn't look back. Not because she wasn't brave enough to, but because she couldn't.
She left leaving a huge silence.
Dannyal broke down on the floor." Everytime, every God damn time. Lovers always betray."
"Or do betrayers always love? Or was it love at all? Or just attraction?"
I said knowing I shouldn't have. I hugged and said,"Love at first sight doesn't exist, it's just attraction."
"Are those your words of condolences?" He said smiling, just a bit, "Those sound so harsh."
"Truth always does so. But at least I'm still alive for you." I said tightening the hug.
" Hug doesn't match you." He said laughing a bit, recovering from his sorrow." But I like when you give me one."
"I'll leave now. Get some rest." I said and went out of the room." I'll come back at night...with some snacks." I said with a smile.
The saddest fact is...like in the Mughal Empire, here no one is interested to find the killer. After all it was Qianlong itself who killed its prince.
The killer just broke hearts and trusts for its own survival. But my questions still found no answer only my confusions got resolved.
Thing is I solved the murder.
I saved Dannyal.
So why did it feel like someone else had won?