Rei forcibly suppressed the cloying sweetness churning in his stomach, piled a smile onto his face, and asked, "Lady Furina, have there been any spectacular performances worth watching lately?"
Furina looked listless. "None! It's either operas with cliché plots or cases with absolutely no suspense. Boring to the extreme."
The corners of Rei's mouth ticked upward slightly, curling into a faint smile. "There was a drowning case involving a young girl recently. Have you heard about it?"
Furina nodded gently, a trace of regret surfacing on her face. "I heard it was due to excessive academic pressure and unsatisfactory grades; she couldn't think it through and chose to end her own life."
Hearing this, Rei couldn't help but let out a sneer. "But from what I know, she just received a scholarship last semester."
Furina froze for a moment and pressed, "Then why?"
Rei didn't continue down that path. Instead, he said, "Lady Furina, why don't you go investigate it personally? I guarantee this will be a case of unparalleled brilliance."
Furina's interest was hooked by his words. She placed her hands on her hips, brimming with confidence. "This Goddess will personally investigate the truth! An unexpected and brilliant twist is about to unfold!"
Rei played along perfectly, offering his flattery. "Your spectacular performance will surely astound the mortal world! It will become an eternal legend."
Seeing that his objective had been achieved, he offered a few more sycophantic remarks before rising to take his leave.
When Rei stepped out of the Palais Mermonia, it was already evening.
The sky was dimming, and the streetlights on both sides of the road lit up one after another. The warm yellow light illuminated his path forward.
Rei walked with brisk steps toward the direction of his home.
About half an hour later, he stopped in front of a somewhat dilapidated house, took out his key, and opened the door.
After turning on the light, the simple furniture inside came into view.
Rei walked into the kitchen and skillfully boiled a bowl of macaroni.
After the steaming noodles were plated, he poured beef sauce over them; this would serve as his dinner.
After a simple wash-up, he lay on the bed. Looking through the window at the bright moon hanging high in the night sky, his thoughts gradually drifted into the distance.
Right now, there were roughly three years left before the main storyline began.
In other words, he only had three years.
Because once Neuvillette became the true "Complete Dragon," he would have almost no chance.
In the face of absolute power, any schemes or intrigues were futile.
Early the next morning, Rei woke up very early.
After simply eating a bowl of macaroni, he tidied his clothes and pushed the door open to leave.
Morning light paved the stone road, as if sprinkling a layer of crushed gold foil.
Pedestrians hurried by, rushing about for their respective livelihoods.
The Court of Fontaine was a refined city, but for most ordinary people, life was neither romantic nor elegant.
Before long, Rei arrived at the detention center of the Maison Gardiennage.
The staff at the detention center knew him. After a short chat, they finished the paperwork and let him visit Luke, the guard who was there for fighting while drunk.
Rei walked down the dark hallway and went into a small, crowded cell.
Inside, on an old iron bed, a middle-aged man with a short beard—Luke—was sleeping and snoring loudly.
Rei walked up and kicked him in the butt.
The man woke up instantly, yawning as he slowly sat up in bed.
He looked at Rei with sleepy eyes and said, "Vice Captain Rei, even people in jail should be able to rest!"
Rei glanced at him. "Old Luke, during the time you've been detained, the brothers' workload has skyrocketed. Do you deserve a beating?"
Luke laughed a little. "Yeah, I guess I deserve it."
Subsequently, he put away his smile, his expression turning serious. "You came here specifically for Flora's case, didn't you?"
Rei nodded, admitting it frankly. "She was Federic's sister. I must help him seek justice."
Luke looked at Rei and shook his head. "Forget it. Someone like you... you won't get justice, you'll just get into trouble."
"I have to try my best, otherwise I can't face my own conscience," Rei said, his tone revealing immense determination.
Luke looked into Rei's eyes. For a moment he remembered his younger self.
He sneered and asked, "How much do you know about the Cappet family?"
Rei answered calmly, "The Cappet family is very old and powerful. The head of the house, Oldman, is a chief judge. Their family has a lot of influence everywhere."
"Since you are clear about the Cappet family's power, why do you still want to do something this borderline stupid?" Luke couldn't help but raise his volume.
Rei spread his hands. "I already told you. Flora was Federic's sister."
Luke was rendered speechless for a moment, falling into a long silence.
After a moment, he took a deep breath and started to talk quickly.
"This was not just an accident. The murderer tricked the victim to come to his house. When she said no, he got angry and killed her. Then, with help, he put her body in the river to make it look like she drowned herself."
Rei waved his hand, a bit annoyed. "Old Luke, anyone could guess that. You were a top agent—can't you do better?"
Luke's face instantly flushed red, veins popping out on his neck. "I haven't even been to the crime scene! Being able to deduce this much is already the limit!"
"I don't want deductions; I want key evidence that can close the case!" Rei frowned.
"The simplest method is to arrest Olev and interrogate him directly. How could a playboy like him withstand an interrogation by professional agents?"
"Do you think I haven't tried? The result was that not a single one of those insects was willing to sign the arrest warrant."
"Did Flora undergo an autopsy?"
"Just as she was fished out and identified, she was sent to the funeral parlor for cremation."
"When Flora was taken to Olev's residence, there must have been quite a few witnesses."
"No one dares to offend the Cappet family. I asked them one by one, but they all pretended not to know."
"..."
The two exchanged words for a long time, discussing back and forth, yet they still remained clueless.
Just as Rei was preparing to leave in disappointment, Luke suddenly spoke. "Perhaps there is someone who can provide a clue. You can try looking for her."
"Who?"
"Emilie."