Chapter 35: The Lavender Villa Locked Room Murder Case
Superintendent Kiyochika Matsumoto slowly lowered his phone, the rigid, scarred lines of his face softening with deep relief. Sayuri was safe. Taking a deep, steadying breath, the imposing police chief turned toward Toshihiko Takasugi. To the absolute shock of the surrounding officers, Matsumoto bent at the waist, bowing deeply to the young man who had just tried to poison his daughter—a solemn apology for the tragic mistake that had indirectly claimed Toshihiko's mother years ago.
Toshihiko stared at the broad back of his lifelong enemy. The image of Sayuri's gentle, trusting smile flashed through his mind. His knees buckled. Hot, uncontrollable tears spilled over his cheeks, hitting the floorboards as the suffocating knot of hatred that had twisted his heart for decades finally began to unravel.
Seriously, why didn't you idiots just talk to each other sooner? Natsume crossed her arms, watching the melodramatic display with a deadpan expression. Do none of you have mouths? You just bottle up decades of trauma until someone almost dies? Unbelievable.
Her internal grumbling was cut short when Superintendent Matsumoto straightened up and marched directly toward her. Natsume blinked, caught slightly off guard.
"Miss Natsume," Matsumoto's deep voice rumbled with absolute sincerity. "Thank you. Truly. Thank you for reasoning with my daughter today. Regarding the request you mentioned earlier... I swear on my badge that I will do everything in my power to help you locate your older brother."
Ah. Right. The 'missing brother' excuse.
Natsume felt a sudden wave of awkwardness wash over her. Staring up into the grizzled superintendent's intensely grateful gaze, she forced a polite, entirely stiff smile and nodded her thanks.
With the truth out in the open, the wedding was officially canceled. Honestly, Natsume wasn't surprised. The moment she had spotted Conan Edogawa wandering around the venue, she knew any chance of a peaceful ceremony had been doomed from the start. The kid was practically a walking disaster magnet.
Still, a lingering spark of irritation gnawed at her. She turned to leave, took exactly three steps toward the exit, and stopped. Her irritation boiled over. Spinning on her heel, Natsume marched right back to the weeping groom.
Smack!
Her hand connected sharply with Toshihiko's cheek. The sharp crack echoed through the quiet room.
Hmph. What an absolute idiot, she thought, glaring down at the stunned man. Too blind to figure out the truth, so he resorts to hurting an innocent girl who loved him!
Conan, standing a few feet away, adjusted his glasses with an utterly speechless expression. Hey, hey, Natsume... what are you doing?! he screamed internally. Is it really okay to slap a suspect so directly in a room full of cops?!
He frantically looked around, expecting someone to intervene. Instead, he watched in disbelief as every single police officer in the vicinity suddenly found the ceiling tiles incredibly fascinating. They instinctively averted their eyes, collectively deciding to pretend they hadn't seen a damn thing. Clearly, despite the agreement not to press charges, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police still harbored plenty of resentment toward the bastard who had tried to murder their beloved superintendent's daughter.
On the train ride back to Beika, Natsume pulled out her phone. Her fingers flew across the screen, drafting a detailed message to Diluc about the day's chaotic events.
Honestly, the Takasugi Group is incredibly unlucky to have an heir that stupid, she mused, hitting send.
Sayuri had begged everyone to keep the poisoning incident quiet, but Natsume was a pragmatist. There was no such thing as an airtight secret, especially not with dozens of guests and police officers involved. Rumors would inevitably leak. The moment the high society gossips got wind of the canceled wedding and the groom's murderous intentions, the negative impact on the Takasugi Group would be catastrophic.
And wasn't a plunging stock price the perfect opening for outside intervention?
Currently, Diluc's corporate empire and underground influence were heavily concentrated overseas. But Japan was the epicenter of this world's main plotline. The Teyvat Organization needed a solid financial foothold here eventually. With the Takasugi Group teetering on the edge of a massive PR disaster, Diluc could swoop in and buy up their assets for pennies on the dollar before any rival corporations even realized there was blood in the water.
Ah, the Takasugi Group is already so pathetic right now. Is it evil of me to kick them while they're down?
Natsume paused, reflecting on her own ruthlessness for exactly one second.
Nope.
She immediately went back to typing out aggressive acquisition strategies to the red-haired tycoon.
Later that evening, back in the comfort of her own home, Natsume lounged on the couch and summoned the system interface to review her daily task rewards. A glowing notification icon immediately caught her eye. To her absolute surprise, a World Mission had been triggered today—and it was already marked as completed.
Curious, she tapped the glowing text to expand the details.
[World Mission: Prelude to the Detective Koshien]
[Description: In this world overflowing with brilliant minds, a grand 'Detective Koshien' event will soon be held. But before the main stage is set, a tragic prelude has already begun to echo within the beautiful walls of the Lavender Villa.]
[Mission Requirement: Solve the Lavender Villa Locked Room Case.]
[Status: Completed.]
Time rewinds to a few hours earlier.
Shikoku, The Lavender Villa.
"Miss Lisa, we have arrived. This is my current place of employment."
Noelle, dressed in her immaculate maid uniform, pushed open the heavy wrought-iron gates and led the elegant librarian onto the sprawling estate grounds.
When Noelle had first manifested in this world, the system had assigned her a fitting identity: a newly hired maid at this very mansion. Apparently, the previous maid had been involved in a terrible incident, leaving a sudden vacancy that Noelle was all too happy to fill.
However, Noelle felt terribly guilty about submitting her resignation so soon after being hired. But the Traveler needed her, and Natsume's safety was her absolute highest priority. Fortunately, the estate's head butler had been surprisingly understanding. He hadn't made things difficult, only politely requesting that Noelle finish out her current pay period before departing.
Noelle was deeply grateful to the man—Butler Renzou Koya. During her short tenure, she had learned the dark history of the estate. The previous maid's 'accident' was directly tied to the tragic, locked-room murder of the villa's young mistress. Driven by her innate desire to help, Noelle wanted to uncover the true killer before she left, hoping to bring some measure of peace to the grieving Mr. Koya.
The problem was, Noelle was a knight in training, not a detective. Brute force and perfect housekeeping were her specialties; deductive reasoning was not. She had managed to gather a few scattered rumors, but she needed a sharper mind to piece them together. Knowing how exhausted the Traveler had been lately, Noelle couldn't bear to burden Natsume with another problem.
Luckily, Lisa had plenty of free time. When the brilliant librarian heard about the dilemma, she had proactively offered to make the trip to Shikoku to lend a hand.
"My, this estate certainly has an abundance of lavender," Lisa observed. Her emerald eyes swept over the vibrant purple blooms that choked the gardens and lined the walkways, filling the air with a heavy, almost suffocating floral scent. "Did the young mistress have a particular fondness for it?"
"Yes," Noelle nodded earnestly after a moment of thought. "According to Mr. Koya, the young lady adored lavender above all else. Even after she was so unfortunately murdered, Mr. Koya refused to change the landscaping. He continues to maintain the lavender all around the villa in her memory."
"How sentimental," Lisa murmured. "Well then, Noelle, why don't you take me to the room where the young lady met her end? I'd love to have a look."
"Understood, Miss Lisa! Right this way, please." Noelle beamed, enthusiastically leading the older woman through the grand halls of the mansion.
As they climbed the sweeping oak staircase, Lisa casually adjusted her witch's hat. "Tell me, Noelle... is it truly alright for you to bring an outsider like me directly to a sealed crime scene?"
"Oh, please don't worry about that, Miss Lisa! I already spoke with Mr. Koya," Noelle replied, glancing back with a bright, trusting smile. "He was actually quite happy to hear I had found someone to investigate the matter. He even expressed his sincere hope that we could uncover the truth as soon as possible."
"Is that so?" Lisa purred softly. A strange, knowing smile curved her lips, her sharp mind already picking apart the psychological threads of that reaction.
As they approached the heavy mahogany door at the end of the corridor, they nearly collided with a tall, impeccably dressed man.
"Mr. Koya!" Noelle greeted the butler with her usual warm deference.
"Ah, Noelle," Renzou Koya replied, his posture stiffening slightly. His gaze immediately shifted to the striking, purple-clad woman standing beside the young maid. "Is this the friend you mentioned? The one coming to investigate the incident? Is she... a detective?"
"Oh, heavens no. I'm certainly no detective," Lisa chuckled, waving a gloved hand dismissively. "I am merely a humble librarian. Noelle has been incredibly grateful for the kindness you've shown her during her employment here, Mr. Koya. She simply asked me to come and see if I could offer any clarity on the matter."
"I... I see. Is that so?" The butler's polite facade faltered for a fraction of a second. His shoulders, previously wound tight with invisible tension, visibly dropped. He had clearly been hovering near the room to gauge the threat level of Noelle's mysterious guest. Realizing she was just an ordinary librarian and not a seasoned police investigator, a wave of relief washed over his features. He quickly bowed his head and turned to leave.
Lisa's emerald eyes narrowed into sharp, calculating slits as she watched the butler's retreating back.
My, my, she thought, a dangerous amusement dancing in her gaze. It seems this devoted butler is hiding quite a few secrets regarding his precious young lady.
"Tell me, Noelle," Lisa asked, her voice light and conversational. "Did this Mr. Koya care for his young mistress very deeply?"
"Oh, absolutely. He cared for her more than anyone," Noelle answered without a second of hesitation. She reached out and turned the brass doorknob. "Even after she passed away, Mr. Koya personally requested that her room be cleaned regularly, insisting that every single item be kept exactly as she left it."
With a soft click, the heavy door swung open.
"Miss Lisa, this is the crime scene from back then," Noelle announced, stepping aside to let the librarian enter. "If there is any heavy lifting required, or if you need assistance searching, please leave it to me!"
Seeing the earnest, eager-to-please sparkle in the young maid's eyes, Lisa tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Well then, my sweet girl, why don't you check the lower areas for me? See if you can find any hidden clues in the corners of the room or beneath the heavy cabinets."
"Right away!" Noelle saluted, immediately dropping to her knees to inspect the baseboards.
Leaving the physical labor to the energetic knight, Lisa strolled gracefully toward the far wall. Her eyes scanned the architecture, focusing on the structural integrity of the doors and windows that supposedly made this a 'perfect locked room.'
She paused in front of a large window frame. Running a gloved finger along the edge of the glass, she felt a slight give. She pressed a little harder. The pane shifted.
Lisa raised an eyebrow. The window wasn't sealed shut at all. The frame was merely held in place by a thin, brittle layer of adhesive—something that could easily be popped out from the outside and pressed back into place.
A chilling smile touched Lisa's lips as the pieces of the puzzle instantly snapped together in her mind.
So, it was never a locked room to begin with, she mused, staring out at the sprawling fields of purple flowers. Which means the young lady didn't commit suicide. She was murdered.
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