45 Gule Avenue.
Here lies an unremarkable residence. Under Freya's guidance, Xiao Mu Yu has just knocked on the wooden door.
The two stand in front of the street for only a short while before the door swings open, revealing a girl with a smattering of freckles peeking out from behind it. Upon seeing the smiling Freya, she exclaims in surprise, "Oh? Afu? You're back! When did you return? Why didn't you let me know?"
As she speaks, the girl named Lin Ye hurriedly pushes the door open, inviting Xiao Mu Yu and Freya inside.
Upon noticing the cold man behind Freya, Lin Ye pauses, her surprise evident as she asks, "Afu, is this gentleman... your boyfriend?"
As she speaks, the girl carefully scrutinizes Xiao Mu Yu from head to toe, then turns to Freya, raising her eyebrows mischievously and grinning, "Aside from looking a bit frosty, he's quite a handsome fellow... Afu, you have good taste!"
The teasing from her friend causes Freya to slump her shoulders in exasperation. The blue-haired girl nudges Xiao Mu Yu from behind and says, "No, no, Lin Ye, you've misunderstood. This is Mr. Xiao Mu Yu; he's an officer from the Guard. He said he needed to speak with you, so I brought him along; he's not my boyfriend."
"Oh? An officer from the Guard?" Lin Ye tilts her head, examining Xiao Mu Yu curiously. "Does the Guard need something from me? Uh... could it be related to the death of the Earl of Little?"
"Yes, that's correct," Xiao Mu Yu replies coldly, nodding as he retrieves his officer's badge from his pocket. This badge was delivered to him by Shivana after he left the Guard yesterday. "This is my identification. I have some questions regarding the Earl of Little's death."
"Uh... Senior Inspector?" Lin Ye stretches her neck, almost brushing her head against Xiao Mu Yu's hand, her face nearly touching the badge as she reads the words aloud, "Senior Inspector Xiao Mu Yu, Chief of the Special Investigation Division under the Third Guard of the Empire of Demacia, capital city of Maple Snow?"
Raising her gaze in surprise to meet Xiao Mu Yu's eyes, Lin Ye exclaims, "You're so young and already a Senior Inspector? That's impressive! The youngest senior inspectors I saw while working at the Earl's house were all middle-aged men."
"..." The girl's astonishment fails to elicit any reaction from Xiao Mu Yu; he coldly retracts his badge, disregarding her surprise, and directly inquires, "Now that you've confirmed my identity, will you please cooperate with my investigation?"
Observing Xiao Mu Yu's icy demeanor, Lin Ye discreetly nudges Freya and leans closer to whisper with a smirk, "This handsome guy you found is really quite cold... By the way, Afu, do you have a preference for these aloof, cool types? No wonder so many of them, like Reid, pursued you, yet you never accepted."
Freya, caught between laughter and frustration, defensively replies, "Mr. Mu Yu and I really have no connection, Lin Ye. You're overthinking it."
"What do you mean I'm overthinking? Hmph... This is the first time I've seen you so close to a man in years. Although you're kind-hearted, even Reid and the others never received such treatment. You personally brought him here, you know!" Lin Ye winks mischievously at Freya, then turns to Xiao Mu Yu, grinning, "Since you're a friend of Afu, I promise to be completely forthcoming. Please, ask whatever questions you have."
"..." With a cold gaze sweeping over the room, Xiao Mu Yu inquires, "According to the statement left by Officer Ni, you were the first to discover the Earl of Little's death. Is that true?"
"Yes, that's correct, I was the first to find him," Lin Ye recalls, her mind flashing back to the gruesome scene she witnessed that night. Despite the passage of time, a shiver runs down her spine. "The Earl died in such a horrific manner; blood was everywhere, staining the entire room, the walls completely soaked in it. It was terrifying."
"Then... how did you come to discover this?" Xiao Mu Yu asks coldly. "Or rather, what prompted you to go to the Earl of Little's study? At the time, a ball was being held in the Earl's home, and as a serving maid, you shouldn't have been free to leave the ballroom, right?"
"So, what reason led you to abandon the ballroom, where you were needed, and venture into the Earl's study?" Xiao Mu Yu presses coldly. "Logically, there shouldn't have been any tasks awaiting you in the Earl's study at that moment."
"Uh... it was the Countess," Lin Ye explains. "The Countess instructed me to go to the study to find the Earl. I was indeed working as a maid in the ballroom, but the Countess seemed to have an urgent matter and couldn't leave, so she asked me to fetch the Earl for her. But, Mr. Mu Yu, speaking of which..."
Lin Ye casts a curious glance at Xiao Mu Yu, asking, "These questions you're asking, didn't the officers already take my statement on the night of the Earl's death? Why do you need to come and ask me again this early in the morning?"
"..." Xiao Mu Yu remains silent, rubbing his forehead without answering Lin Ye's question.
A flicker of crimson light briefly flashes in his dark eyes, and for a fleeting moment, a sinister and chilling energy courses through him.
Freya, who had been engrossed in their conversation, suddenly pauses, sensing something amiss. She furrows her brow and glances around, but discovers nothing unusual.
Xiao Mu Yu slowly lowers his head, the crimson glimmer in his icy eyes gradually fading into the depths of his dark gaze.
No... no lies? Then...
"Do you remember why the Countess was unable to attend to her duties at that time?" Xiao Mu Yu coldly raises his head to ask. "Was it because she was entertaining guests? Or was she unwell?"
Lin Ye looks at Xiao Mu Yu with curiosity and reiterates her previous answer from the Guard, "The Countess was attending to Lady Dana Connolly from the Connolly family. Although Lady Dana is only eighteen, she is actually the Countess's cousin. Most of the Connolly family's business is in the province of September, and their members rarely come to the capital."
"This time, as the host and also Lady Dana's cousin, it would be unthinkable for the Countess to abandon her, right?" Lin Ye shrugs. "I happened to be nearby, so the Countess called on me to run an errand."
"..." Xiao Mu Yu coldly contemplates her answer, remaining silent.
In the recesses of his mind, the mocking laughter of a demon echoes ominously.
(Hahaha... Human boy, what madness has overtaken you? Didn't you read all this in the documents last night? Why must you waste time confirming it again? You're such a fool... Wait, could it be...)
(Could it be that you anticipated our lovely little songstress was nearby, and your ostensible purpose of investigating the case is merely a ruse to pursue her? Hahaha... So, you've succumbed to mischief too? Have you forgotten that your adorable, pitiful little wife is still waiting for you in the Winter Embrace Forest?)
(You scoundrel, you're utterly despicable! How shameless! Your wife is still alive, yet you're already up early trying to woo another. Where was this diligence when it came to your real duties? Hmph... I truly pity your poor little wife!)
(You're nothing but a rogue! A scoundrel! A lowlife! A pervert! Hahahaha...)
The demon's taunts go unanswered as Xiao Mu Yu, with a frigid expression, glances at Freya behind Lin Ye, then nods to Lin Ye and says, "Thank you for your cooperation, Miss Lin Ye. I... have gathered a general understanding of the situation."
"I have some matters to attend to, so I must take my leave for now. I hope you will continue to support the work of the Guard. Thank you." With that, Xiao Mu Yu turns coldly and departs.
"Uh... hey... hey..." Watching Xiao Mu Yu's retreating figure in disbelief, Lin Ye turns to Freya and remarks, "Afu, your boyfriend seems rather rude, just leaving like that... And the most important thing is, he didn't even invite you to come along! He's quite the inadequate boyfriend!"
"I've told you he's not my boyfriend," Freya replies, exasperated. "How many times must I say it for you to believe me? Mr. Mu Yu and I really have no connection... uh, it's not the kind of relationship you're suggesting."
"Oh? Not that kind of relationship?" Lin Ye keenly seizes on the inconsistency in Freya's words, raising her eyebrows with a mischievous grin. "Then what kind of relationship is it? A marital bond? An affair? Or... you wouldn't be suggesting a one-night stand, would you? Hehe..."
"Well..." Freya opens her mouth to respond, only to realize that Xiao Mu Yu's figure has vanished beyond the door. She hastily chases after him, exclaiming, "Oh dear... we can discuss this later!"
As she runs after Xiao Mu Yu's retreating figure, she waves her hand backward. However, the gesture appears somewhat clumsy, prompting the girl behind her to chuckle mischievously. "Hmph... With that kind of performance, who would believe you when you say there's nothing between you two? It's hard to believe, you know," Lin Ye smirks as she watches Freya leave. "I didn't expect that after such a short time away, you'd return with such a handsome man... Hehe, I must share this with everyone so that Reid and the others can feel a bit heartbroken!"