absurd deduction game.

The carriage came to a stop after a slight jolt. The driver nimbly jumped down and opened the door for the three people inside.

Yu Xing stepped out of the carriage first, a cool night breeze brushing against his face, carrying the unique dampness of plants. He looked up, and even though he had some expectations, the scale of the scene before him still made him raise an eyebrow.

This is by no means a "villa" in the ordinary sense.

It is located on the relatively quiet edge of the town, surrounded by large areas of untended woodland and wasteland that appear dark and desolate at night, giving this land an almost desolate sense of privacy.

This is why the building was able to spread out so unrestrainedly—towering cast-iron fences encircled the vast land, and through the gaps one could see the outline of the main building deep inside, a colossal structure made of warm-colored stone, with steep roofs, countless chimneys, and staggered wings, casting large, somber shadows under the thin moonlight.

It's less of a residence and more of a fully-equipped small private estate.

“No wonder…” Yu Xing muttered to himself. Seeing the scale of the manor, he instantly understood part of Professor Anthony’s behavioral logic.

In such a vast space, as long as the couple doesn't live together in the same room every minute, it's incredibly easy to hide some secrets.

Countless rooms, corridors, separate small living rooms, and even side halls provided natural barriers for lovers to meet in secret.

"Isn't it impressive?" Carlos's voice rang out from the side. He was clearly not a first-timer and seemed quite calm about the grandeur of the place. He joked, "When I was first invited by Mrs. Fernail to investigate, it took me quite a bit of effort just to figure out the layout of each room and the possible 'rendezvous' locations."

Maid Martha was already standing impatiently by the manor's iron gate, which was slightly ajar. A male servant in a uniform of the same color was silently pulling the door open until the gap was large enough for the three of them to walk side by side.

Martha's face was filled with anxiety, but she maintained her good manners, speaking in a hurried yet polite low voice, "Mr. Carlos, Mr. Yu Xing, this way, please hurry, I'm worried about Madam..."

"Lead the way." Yu Xing withdrew his gaze from surveying the manor and gestured for Martha to proceed.

Martha immediately turned around and almost jogged along a wide stone path lined with low shrubs toward the main building.

Carlos and Yu Xing took long strides and easily kept up with her pace.

"This place was bought by Mrs. Fernail with her dowry when she married into the family," Carlos said as they walked, adding background information to Yu Xing's ears clearly. "The previous owner of the manor was a nobleman whose family had long since fallen on hard times. After his death, his descendants couldn't afford the maintenance costs of such a large house, so they had to put it up for sale and move to another town to make a living. The Fernail family was looking to acquire a prestigious property in this emerging industrial town, and the two sides quickly reached an agreement."

“Oh.” Yu Xing nodded.

He knew for certain that Fernail's wealth was considerable in the town. If she weren't rich enough, no matter how well she did in business, she wouldn't have reached her current status in just eight years, a position that even established local tycoons had to respect.

Didn't you see that even Evan, who was openly sponsored by nobles at the art exhibition, had to be very polite to Fernail?

Martha was somewhat saddened by the two investigators' nonchalant discussion of the manor's origins, feeling that the two gentlemen were not taking the seriousness of the matter seriously enough.

But it's good that you came!
The three of them quickly approached the main building.

The massive oak double doors were open, letting in a warm light that seemed to carry a hint of tension.

The foyer was spacious enough to host a small ball; the marble floor gleamed, and a magnificent crystal chandelier hung from the dome. Yet, at this moment, an invisible sense of oppression permeated this opulent space.

Faint sounds of arguing drifted up from upstairs, mixed with a woman's suppressed sobs and a man's raised, angry rebuttal.

Martha's face paled even more. She glanced back at Carlos and Yu Xing, her eyes almost overflowing with pleading. Without further hesitation, she led them up the thickly carpeted, curved staircase and strode quickly toward the direction from which the sound came.

Martha led Yu Xing and Carlos straight to a luxuriously decorated small living room on the second floor.

The door was ajar, and the heated argument was coming from there. Several male and female servants stood at the door; clearly, they were not allowed to go in and interfere in their master's love affairs, but they were still responsible for ensuring their master's safety.

Upon seeing Martha arrive with her entourage, they all showed expressions of relief and stepped aside to let the three of them in.

Martha pushed open the door, and the scene inside came into Yu Xing's view.

What first caught his attention was a young woman huddled in the shadows of heavy velvet curtains.

The incessant sobbing wasn't Mrs. Funnel's, but hers.

She wore an unassuming black dress, and her waist-length brown curly hair cascaded down like seaweed, partially obscuring her face.

At this moment, she was still covering her face and sobbing softly, her thin shoulders trembling slightly, filled with helplessness and shame.

Hearing the noise at the door, she looked up, revealing a face with light makeup, which could be described as pure and beautiful. Her large amber eyes were filled with tears, showing her embarrassment.

When she saw Martha bring in two strange men, she shrank back like a frightened animal, almost burying herself in the curtains.

This must be Sarah Jones, the female student.

Her appearance was indeed far from the "mistress" that people usually imagine; she was more like a naive young girl who had made a mistake and was at a loss—if one were to judge a book by its cover.

However, she wasn't exactly the center of attention in the room.

Yu Xing glanced at her briefly before turning her gaze to the other side.

The man standing in the center of the living room was the source of all the tension.

He looked to be in his forties, with a refined appearance and wearing gold-rimmed glasses. Because he didn't have a beard, he looked younger than his actual age. It was Professor Anthony, whose photo Yu Xing had seen on the wall of Yolikev University.

But at this moment, his usual refined demeanor vanished; his face was as pale as paper, his chest heaved violently, and his eyes were confused and agitated.

Most shockingly, he was gripping a small silver knife tightly in his right hand, the blade stained with fresh, slowly dripping blood, which spread into a small dark red patch on the expensive Persian carpet at his feet.

Mrs. Furnel, on the other hand, sat upright in a high-backed armchair on the other side of the room.

She was still wearing that expensive turquoise silk dress, which made her skin appear even whiter, but her well-maintained face was now bloodless, her lips were tightly pressed together, and her eyes were as cold as the Siberian permafrost. She sat upright, like a queen judging a sinner.

"Oh my God!" Martha exclaimed in shock when she saw the knife and bloodstains in Anthony's hand. She immediately rushed to her mistress's side, anxiously trying to check if she was injured.

Mrs. Fernail raised her hand to stop Martha's movement. Her voice was as cold as her eyes, filled with undisguised sarcasm: "This is not my blood."

Her gaze, sharp as an icicle, pierced Anthony in the center: "It was our Professor Anthony who, to prove his ridiculous 'innocence,' not only swore oaths but also had to pull out a knife and mutilate himself. As if cutting himself could change the fact that I discovered him with his mistress in our bedroom—"

She paused deliberately, her gaze sweeping over Sarah, who was trembling in the corner, and sneered: "—Can't you see? Miss Sarah is so ashamed that she can only hide there and cry."

"You!" Anthony was further agitated by Fernail's words, his hand gripping the knife trembling. But he also noticed two strangers entering the room. He took a deep breath, looked at the uninvited guests at the door, his face a mixture of anger, embarrassment, and a hint of wariness. "Who are these two?"

His questioning broke the tense atmosphere in the room and drew everyone's attention to Yu Xing and Carlos.

But to be honest, although the scene before them was filled with tension and hostility, it was much "milder" than the bloody, life-or-death situation that Yu Xing and Carlos had anticipated.

Before they came in, they were even prepared to see Funel or Anthony fall to the ground and the manor descend into complete chaos.

Since everything's already in complete chaos, let's just drink it while it's hot. That way, we might be able to fish in troubled waters and find out some deeper information.

Carlos stepped forward, a flawless smile with a touch of professional aloofness on his face, and calmly introduced himself: "Good evening, Professor Anthony. I am Carlos, a detective. It is my regret to meet you for the first time under these circumstances."

His gaze swept meaningfully over the still-dripping knife in the other man's hand.

Upon hearing the word "detective," especially recalling Fernail's previous accusations, Anthony's facial muscles twitched violently, his hostility almost materializing. His gaze was fixed on the seemingly ordinary brown paper bag in Carlos's hand. Perhaps realizing that it likely contained evidence or something similar, he unconsciously took half a step forward, seemingly with an urge to snatch it.

Carlos seemed oblivious to his subtle movements and continued in a calm tone, "And this is my colleague, Mr. Yu Xing. We are both investigators from the Ideal Country."

The words "Investigator of the Ideal State" seemed to possess a magical power, instantly striking Anthony.

He froze, the anger and hostility on his face receding like the tide, replaced by a complex expression of fear, apprehension, and unease.

His earlier thought of snatching evidence vanished completely, and his hand gripping the knife trembled even more violently.

Seeing this, Madame Furnel finally smiled slightly, her icy expression melting a little as she regained the elegance and composure befitting an upper-class lady.

She stood up and walked gracefully to Carlos and Yu Xing, nodding slightly: "Thank you both so much for making this trip for me so late at night."

Then, she turned to the pale-faced Anthony, her tone regaining its calmness, yet carrying an undeniable resolve:
“Anthony, stop with your pathetic tricks. I already have solid evidence. Your performance right now, whether it's swearing oaths or hurting yourself, is meaningless and will only make you look more… ridiculous.”

Anthony swayed, as if all his strength had been drained away.

With a clang, the blood-stained knife finally slipped from his trembling hand and fell onto the carpet with a dull thud.

He lowered his head dejectedly, his voice dry and hoarse: "...Okay, I admit it. It's me...I'm sorry, Fernell."

He looked up, a pleading glint in his eyes: "But...please, don't let this scandal get out. It's not just about my reputation, it'll make you a laughingstock! We...we can settle this privately..."

Fernail did not respond immediately, but stared at him coldly with her all-seeing eyes, her silence like an invisible pressure.

In the suffocating silence, Anthony seemed to grasp at the last straw, hastily promising, "I only love you, Fernail! I swear! I can break off my relationship with Sarah immediately, make her drop out of school, and disappear forever! As long as... as long as you don't make me lose my professorship, I will definitely behave myself from now on and be a 'model husband' who satisfies you and earns you face in social situations!"

His eagerness to distance himself, even at the cost of Sarah's future, silenced the sobbing in the corner.

Sarah, who had been huddled in the corner, slowly raised her head, stared silently at the man, and then suddenly rushed forward. Before Anthony could react, she raised her hand and, with all her might, slapped Anthony hard across the face!

The crisp sound of a slap echoed in the room.

Anthony was knocked to the side, and a clear finger mark instantly appeared on his face.

He gritted his teeth and actually held back, seemingly wanting to say something to Sarah to comfort or threaten her.

However, perhaps because of her overwhelming emotions, Sarah's body suddenly stiffened the next second. Her face was covered with extreme pain, her eyes were wide open in terror, and her hands were tightly covering her chest, as if something invisible was squeezing her chest cavity.

Her breathing became extremely difficult, emitting a grating "hoarse...hoarse..." sound like a broken bellows, and her face quickly turned from red to a horrifying bluish-purple.

“Sarah?!” Anthony stared at her in astonishment.

But Sarah was no longer able to respond.

Her body convulsed violently twice, then fell straight backward like a puppet with its strings cut, crashing heavily onto the carpet with a "thud," her limbs twitching slightly.

Everything happened so fast that the living room fell into a deathly silence, followed by a commotion from the servants outside the door.

Mrs. Fernail's composure vanished, replaced by astonishment. Martha, the maid, gasped and covered her mouth in shock, while Professor Anthony stood frozen, then, after a couple of seconds, rushed over to check on Sarah: "What's wrong?! Sarah! Sarah!"

Yu Xing and Carlos exchanged a glance.

Well, the scene ultimately turned into complete chaos.

“Anthony, don’t you know your mistress has a history of heart disease?!” In the midst of the chaos, Mrs. Furnell pressed her temples, sighed deeply, and said to Martha, “Call our family doctor, and quickly.”

She looked at the woman in the black dress on the ground, her eyes cold yet revealing a hint of mercy: "We can't let anyone get into trouble on my estate. And you, Anthony, bandage your undignified wounds, then we can talk about other things." (End of Chapter)