Her Royal Highness the Princess asked Xiang Xiade:
"I wonder if what happened to the Earl of the Southern Kingdom is related to that 'emotionless killer'?"
"The emotionless killer" is a rumor in the city. According to the increasingly outrageous rumors, the one who assassinated the earl was a kind of death warrior trained by harsh means, specifically to provoke conflicts between the two countries and trigger a war. Xia De can only say that it is better not to read too many knight novels.
The witch also smiled, and Shade shook his head:
"What does this have to do with me? I was at home all night. However, this may be related to the perfumed handkerchief I accidentally lost. The handkerchief was lost at the party last weekend. It is cursed. I hope whoever finds it will throw it away as soon as possible."
Xia De said nonchalantly. After being nudged by Mia, he scooped a spoonful of applesauce and spread it on its high-end cat food. Xia De had secretly tasted this cat food before, and it actually tasted quite good.
Leicia decided to go back to Yodel Palace with Miss Carina, so she also ate breakfast at the table and talked to Shad about her brothers and sisters' attention to the game. The princes and princesses of the Cavendish family also had their own followers or so-called "friends" participating in the competition, and they regarded whether the person they favored could win the competition as a competition within the family.
In Xia De's opinion, this was simply the king deliberately indulging his children in fighting. It was fine now that His Majesty was in good health, but once it really involved a fight for the throne, Xia De didn't dare to imagine what would happen.
Not only the children of the royal family, but also the attention paid to this match has become the biggest thing in the city recently. Even the time, place and arrangement of the negotiations between the two countries have been relegated to the second page of the newspaper. People are everywhere holding newspapers to discuss the schedule and odds. Those who can buy tickets to watch the game can become the focus of social occasions.
"The widow of Earl Franklin said yesterday at the club that she would like to spend a wonderful evening with the winner of this competition."
As Leisia picked up the teacup, she said:
"The morals in the city have been getting worse in the past few decades. How could such a slut be called a lady?"
Miss Carina smiled very ladylike:
"Everyone has their own way of life, as long as they don't mess with us. Besides, I don't think Shade is interested in that kind of woman. Although our knight is suave and charming, I have to admit that his standards are really high."
Xia De didn't know whether this was a mockery of him or a compliment to herself, so she simply shut her mouth and pretended not to hear it.
Since the relationship between Shade and Miss Carina changed, the relationship between Resia and the witch has also improved. The atmosphere during breakfast was actually very leisurely. Resia talked to Miss Carina about the border and trade route negotiations, which also let Shade know that while arranging the negotiations, both countries were gathering troops in the Pantanal region to increase their bargaining chips.
At around 7:30, there was a knock on the door downstairs.
Xia De frowned, closed his eyes and said:
"Three heartbeats, stranger."
"Who would come to see you so early?"
The witch asked lazily, motioning her maid to go downstairs and take a look. Meanwhile, Resia wiped her mouth methodically with a napkin, then stood up and temporarily went to the bedroom. Her tableware was not put away, and Tifa sat there directly.
The visitor downstairs did not expect that the maid would open the door. Xia De heard the voice, and then the maid returned to the second floor and said:
"Miss, Mr. Hamilton, the visitors are Mr. Michelson Scott, the deputy chief of the Redwich Field Police Station, Mr. Marlin, the senior detective of Redwich Field, and Mr. Roman, the eunuch of the Yodel Palace."
“What do these people want from me?”
Xia De didn't quite understand, but he still asked the maid to invite the three people up.
The three gentlemen quickly came to the second floor. When they saw Miss Carina sitting with Xia De, they stopped in panic and bowed respectfully to greet her:
"Hello, Miss Carina."
The Duchess had no intention of speaking to them, and Shade did not get up from the table:
"Good morning, gentlemen. What can I do for you?"
He asked.
"Good morning, Mr. Hamilton."
The deputy director of the Redwich Field, whom Shade had only seen in the newspaper, greeted him nervously:
"It's like this. There is something that requires your cooperation in the investigation. Something happened last night, but it has not been reported in the newspapers yet. His Majesty is very concerned about this matter, so he sent Mr. Roman to visit the suspects with us... I mean, the people who are related to this matter."
He did not hide the general situation:
"Mr. Enhor Serridge, the second son of the Duke of Serridge, was murdered outside the city last night outside the Arena of Edward III."
"Who is that?"
Shade blinked and then remembered that it was the man who had deliberately provoked him before the race yesterday morning because he loved Leicia. However, after Shade won the first place in the horse race that morning, the young Mr. Seric had not come to see him again.
He noticed that Tifa and Miss Carina both looked at him. They also knew about this, and then they both thought of the topic about the "accidentally lost handkerchief" at the dinner table just now.
But this time Shade really did nothing:
"That gentleman was murdered?"
He said in surprise that at least ten people saw the "conflict" between Mr. Seric and Shade yesterday, and he was indeed suspicious. The reason why the king took this matter seriously was because this was the first player to die during the game this year. This gentleman, unfortunately, consumed the only death indicator this year:
"No problem, please ask me. However, if I am ruled out as a suspect, please tell me more details of the case."
"Of course you can."
Deputy Chief Michaelson Scott nodded, then turned to Senior Detective Marin and asked him to speak. The latter was obviously reluctant to accept the job:
"Mr. Hamilton, may I ask what time did you leave King Edward III Arena last night?"
Shade recalled:
"Around half past five, after the competition, I left with my friend Miss Dorothy Louisa and the maids. Afterwards, we went to Miss Carina's manor for dinner, and returned to the city from outside the city around seven o'clock."
"Could you please tell me more about your itinerary after returning to the city?"
"Of course, but there is nothing to say. When I got back to the city, I dropped Miss Dorothy Louisa off at Quill Street in the University District, where her apartment was, and then I returned to 6 St. Teresa's Square. After that, I did not go out."
Xia De said, and Mr. Marin confirmed carefully:
"So, you were in this house between eight and one last night?"
"Yes, I am sure of that."
"So, is there anyone who can prove your whereabouts?"
The senior detective asked, and the Duchess, who had been silent, spoke up:
"I can prove it."
She glanced at Xia De and smiled:
"From eight o'clock last night to six o'clock this morning, I can guarantee that the knight never left my sight. We were together the whole time."
The three people who came to visit all showed expressions of fear of being silenced:
"Since you are here to vouch for Mr. Hamilton, I think his suspicion can be cleared."
Senior Detective Mr. Marin immediately promised, and Deputy Chief Michaelson Scott also gave the clues about the case as agreed:
"Duke, Mr. Hamilton, I don't want to disturb your breakfast appetite, so I'll keep the cause of death brief. The time of death was between ten and eleven last night, and the body was found at the edge of the market outside Edward III Arena, in the gap between the barrels used by merchants to pile up swill. He was found by a country farmer who was collecting swill around four o'clock this morning."
Mr. Scott flipped through his notebook:
"The body was in a terrible condition. Um... 31 clear human bite marks were found on his body. But the cause of death was not that. He was strangled to death by hand. The cause of death was suffocation. In addition, we received new information on the way here. In his stomach..."
He looked at the three people at the table worriedly, and Xia De nodded:
"Go on."
"Undigested tissues of his own body were found in his stomach. But the strange thing is that some of the bite marks on his body are definitely not in places that his mouth can touch... At least I don't know how anyone can bite his own back."
Because the body was discovered not long ago, including the time it took to be transported to the city and the time it took the police department to organize personnel to investigate, there was no time to get more clues. Xia De pretended not to care, and after asking about other situations, he sent away the three gentlemen who came to investigate.
When he returned to the second floor, Leicia had already come out of the room:
"Shade, I thought it was you again, but I didn't expect it to be the faceless man who is an angel-level humanoid relic."
"The information I received was that the relic was haunting the city limits. How did it appear in the Edward III Arena and kill people?"
Miss Carina also frowned slightly. The humanoid angel-level relic was also troublesome for a twelfth-level witch:
"The body was found at around four o'clock. The church should have received the news and started an investigation. I don't think the humanoid relic is still around the arena, but we can't rule out the possibility that it really hasn't left."
She looked at Tifa who was standing next to Shade:
"Today, except during Shade's game, you have to follow Shade at all times."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Shade, you should be more careful. Really, it's a spring festival, how come something like this happened again?"
Although Miss Carina was worried, Shad's luck was actually not that bad.