Margaret didn't have much.
The poison bottle and the Soviet medical kit were found in the secret room, but the effect of the sedative had not yet worn off, and she had not yet had time to do anything to harm herself or others.
Leo breathed a sigh of relief and was finally able to use his confused brain to think about how to treat Melanie.
"This is not a decent thing." Hollen recovered calmly and said, "Let's solve it before it causes speculation."
Leo still hesitated. He loved Melanie so much that even though he knew she wanted to kill him and had already killed Kimberly, he still found it difficult to make up his mind immediately.
However, he won't have to worry about it soon.
It was during their visit to Margaret that Melanie committed suicide.
She said she wanted to go to the bathroom, and George, Carl and Si Yingjie, who stayed behind, were unable to stop the lady from solving her physiological problems.
When she was found, she was already dead.
The cause of death was poisoning, the same cyanide, and it was over in the blink of an eye.
It is ironic that the fourth murder attempt on Melanie was finally successful.
I was supposed to be attending a wedding, but now it has become a funeral.
Leo was devastated, and the entire funeral was handled by Kang Mucheng, Huo Lun and Mary, while Si Yingjie was responsible for comforting the unfortunate groom and widower.
He told his own story.
The same experience can bring people closer together and make them feel each other's pain. Such understanding is far more effective than care.
When they left Bana, they were already familiar with each other and made an appointment to go skiing together.
Well, without Jian Jing.
Si Yingjie conveyed Leo's apology with regret: "He is grateful to you, but he doesn't want... Jingjing, you know, this has nothing to do with you, but seeing you..."
Jian Jing was extremely depressed.
Si Yingjie added: "Please be considerate of him. He is even going to sell the castle."
This time she was really surprised: "No more?"
"Although he is a little reluctant, there are too many unhappy things. Only by leaving here can he start over." Si Yingjie said, "Moreover, he is determined to send Margaret to a special nursing home. She may not come back in the future."
Jian Jing was silent for a while, then said faintly: "Isn't it because of the curse?"
Si Yingjie: "… It's possible. Tell me, is there a curse? If not, this is just too much of a coincidence. Melanie is dead after all."
Jian Jing glanced at the system panel and sighed.
It was the first time that she encountered a special mission among ordinary missions. On the day she entered the mirror house and reached the secret passage, the elusive system burst into new tricks.
[System: Specific conditions have been triggered, and a special task has been issued]
[Quest Name: The Count's Curse (Side Quest)]
[Description: Count Sarr ***** died tragically, a vicious curse is attached to *****, history always repeats itself. Find the cursed ***** and end *******]
[Task rewards and penalties: 10 special contribution points for success, no penalty for failure]
Looking for the source of the curse? Where to look? Who knows why the curse exists - does it really exist? Leo himself has a scientific explanation, and Melanie's death was caused by her own hands.
Where is the curse
Not to mention cracking it, she is not a Taoist priest. Can she perform a ritual to save Count Sal's soul
It's just... it can't be completed.
Jian Jing didn't need contribution points much recently, so she just left it there.
After the funeral, she and Kang Mucheng returned to Ping City. Before leaving, George bought her a large pizza and told her to eat it on the plane.
The effect was outstanding, the aroma filled the entire cabin, and made the caviar eaten by the people next to me tasteless.
Mary exchanged contact information with her and agreed to contact her when they were free.
Hollen followed her on Twitter.
Carl walked away in disgrace—Leo didn't pursue his theft, and he disappeared without a trace.
Leo did not say goodbye to her, and Jian Jing also understood his avoidance. This is probably the special aura of a detective.
Sometimes saving, sometimes cruel.
But the next month after returning home, Jian Jing unexpectedly received a huge package, which was delivered across borders.
Also arriving was a handwritten letter, both from Leo.
The letter was long and written very sincerely. He first thanked her, thanked her earnestly for saving his life, and asked her to forgive his negligence.
“… My mind was overwhelmed with information, and I was overwhelmed by shock and indescribable sadness. I avoided your help - I was so ashamed and didn’t know how to face you…
"I did a lot of wrong things. If I hadn't stopped you from investigating the poisoning, maybe Kimberly wouldn't have died... I should have trusted Peggy a little more instead of assuming it was her fault from the beginning... Most importantly, if I had a good talk with Melanie, she wouldn't have chosen this path...
"I thought I loved her deeply and nothing else mattered, but she didn't feel safe. I couldn't understand why she did anything for money. For her, I could give up my inheritance rights. I didn't care... But maybe, this was the reason why she made this choice. I never understood her... I regretted it, but it's too late."
He went on to say that he had already contacted a nursing home and was preparing to send Margaret there for treatment, hoping that her condition could be controlled. He also began to clean up the castle and would put it up for sale after it was empty.
"In fact, I don't like Winter Castle. It's too cold in winter, and there's little sunshine in a day. Although the heating is sufficient, I am always surrounded by the cold, as if I am trapped in an endless abyss. I spent my childhood here, and most of my memories are dark, like a nightmare that I can't wake up from.
"I have always wanted to leave there. Peggy should have noticed it. She is very scared. For her, the castle without sunlight is the freest place. She is unwilling to leave here, and I don't have enough courage to insist on sending her away... From the beginning, I was wrong... But now, it's time to go to the sunny place..."
The letter was beautifully written, but it had too many adjectives and the words were a bit poetic. I even looked up the dictionary several times during the writing process.
Turning the page, the origin of the giant package was finally explained.
"I remember you said you liked Winter Castle very much. I'm sorry that I can't invite you to visit me again in the future. When I was sorting out my things, I found some souvenirs that you might like. I hope they can comfort you for not being able to come to the castle again.
"Jane, thank you, I wish you happiness and health, and never cry."
Signed: Your loyal friend: Leonardo Salviklutz
Jian Jing opened the package with curiosity.
Half an hour later... She decided to call Kang Mucheng: "Mr. Kang!"
"Did you receive the package?" Kang Mucheng should be in the office, the background was very quiet.
"Just opened it. Do you know what Leo sent me?"
Kang Mucheng: "He didn't tell me."
"I just checked online, it's the same desk that the Roentgen family made for Frederick II." Jian Jing took a breath, "It has a lot of mechanisms and secret compartments inside."
This is a very famous artifact, made in 1779, and currently collected in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The collection of the Saar family is slightly different from it, the shape is not so gorgeous, but the mechanism is not inferior at all. There can be three or four secret compartments in a drawer, and the gameplay is as complicated as a puzzle game.
Kang Mucheng smiled and said, "He probably heard that you are a writer, so he gave you the desk."
"It's not just that." Jian Jing glanced at the desk that was mostly opened and said slowly, "I just opened a few mechanisms. He put something in every compartment."
How can I describe Leo's personality? He is gentle but a little weak, and there is still some romance in his innocence.
He probably felt that an empty desk would not look good, so he placed small gifts in the secret compartments of each drawer. Perhaps he thought that in this way, she would feel surprised every time she opened a secret compartment
In short, she opened a lot of gifts bit by bit.
Feather pens, lighters, ink bottles, sewing boxes, cuffs, cigarette cases… They range in age from the 16th to the 20th century and are all very fine little items. They are not expensive, but very rare.
"Most importantly, there's a ring."
In the small secret cabinet in the center above the desk, if you turn the gear next to it, a secret compartment will appear. Inside is a ring.
The antique ring that Melanie used to poison.
A note was included:
This is a family relic. I don't want to sell it, nor do I want to see it. After much thought, I decided to give it to you. I don't know why, but I always feel that you won't mind its past. P.S.: If I made a mistake and you don't like it, please throw it away or re-set the gemstone.
Of course Jian Jing didn't mind.
Not only is the ring itself an antique, but it also has a unique charm after being stained with blood.
But, "Is it appropriate for me to accept this?" she asked.
Kang Mucheng said, "Since Leo gave it to you, it's appropriate, accept it." He added, "Don't worry about its monetary value, this is the least important thing to him."
"What if... this is an important item from the old earl's, uh, Sal family?" she asked.
"Leo must know." Kang Mucheng was surprised, "Aren't these all his family's collections?"
Jian Jing was speechless for a moment.
She couldn't tell Kang Mucheng that this ring was the source of the curse of the Sal family.
To be honest, I can't tell at all.
But the moment she picked up the ring, the side quest was decoded.
[Quest Name: The Count's Curse (Side Quest)]
[Description: Count Sal is unwilling to accept his tragic death, and a vicious curse is attached to the poisoned ring. History always repeats itself. Find the source of the curse and end the tragedy of love.]
[Task rewards and penalties: 10 special contribution points for success, no penalty for failure]
At the very beginning, the source of the curse was that the princess poisoned the count, and the prop she used was this ruby ring that held a hidden secret.
However, the descendants of the old earl were unaware of the secret. The ring was a family item, passed down from generation to generation, and was basically inherited by the new countess.
The curse has continued ever since...
Outrageous.
But the system said so, so let’s explain it this way.
"Then I'll accept it." She said to Kang Mucheng, "From now on, Leo will start over."
Kang Mucheng sighed: "I hope so."
After hanging up the phone, Jian Jing picked up the ring, eager to try it on.
But I held back.
"System, is my side quest completed?" she asked.
[System: The host has only found the source of the curse, but has not ended the tragedy]
"What does it take for this to end?"
[System: Please explore on your own]
Jian Jing asked again: "What will happen if I wear this ring?"
[System: Bear the curse of the Thrall family]
Jian Jing: “…” Is it possible
In the end, she didn't dare to challenge and locked the ring in the safe.
As for the desk, it was immediately moved to the window of the study. The sunlight shone through the snow-white gauze curtains onto the antique desk, and the texture of the wood was beautiful.
What a great place to hide things.
She liked it very much, took a photo and sent it to Si Yingjie, asking him to show it to Leo and convey her gratitude.
Si Yingjie successfully completed the task and said to her with emotion: "I, Leo, said that we should learn more from Mucheng."
Jian Jing: “Uh…” Mr. Xuekang, don’t do that
Si Yingjie: "Less talk about feelings, more money."
Jian Jing comforted them: "Leo said that the curse has left them, let him start over."
Si Yingjie said, "You don't understand. Marriage is easy, but love is hard. If you lose it this time, you may not encounter it again in the future."
Jian Jing didn't say anything, feeling that this topic was a bit heavy.
Si Yingjie immediately realized that something was wrong and laughed at himself: "Hey, why are you talking about this? You are still young, it is better that you don't understand."
After a pause, he asked her again, "Do you think they have ever loved each other?"
"I have loved before." Jian Jing said, "Women have more or less love for the men who love them."
Si Yingjie sighed and was also curious: "If there is a man who loves you very much, will you be with him?"
Jian Jing: "Why do you ask this?"
"Let's chat. Mu Cheng will definitely not let you say these things and can't open your mouth." After getting along for a long time, Si Yingjie already regarded himself as half a big brother.
Jian Jing thought about it and said, "Not necessarily."
"Why?"
"There are too many men who like me," she said. "I can't have more than one girlfriend."
Si Yingjie: “…”