Unveiling Secrets

Before entering the old man's room, Elin used his right hand to push back a strand of hair falling onto his forehead, but it stubbornly fell back down, and Elin decided to ignore it. The guard opened the door, and he walked in, standing in the center of the room, locking eyes with the old man. There was no one else in the room.

"Lord Shawl," Elin said, "I've come to report on the progress of the investigation."

"Go on."

"Yes. Um, both suspects were very cooperative during the interrogation..." Elin paused, adjusted his collar, and cleared his throat. "Overall, Ivanov was manipulated by Aved. Ivanov had a lover named Gythra who became pregnant. However, before that, she had relations with a blacksmith named Holmyr, so I can't determine whose child she was carrying. This is not crucial. What matters is Ivanov wanted the child. He severed ties between Gythra and Holmyr, and she stayed hidden in an apartment awaiting childbirth."

Elin recalled the scene in the interrogation room. Ivanov, who had avoided eye contact, suddenly widened his eyes and slammed his hand on the table. "The child is mine," Ivanov said. "She loves me. That old man was just pestering her...nothing happened between them." A hesitant gaze conveyed how much he wanted to believe these words.

"To Gythra, the woman, we have no information." Elin continued, "But her intentions differed from Ivanov's. I believe she deceived Ivanov about the accurate timing of her pregnancy, causing him to miss the day of delivery. Ivanov's strong resistance to considering this possibility supports my speculation. Personally, I think it's not crucial...In any case, it's certain: in Ivanov's absence, Gythra gave birth to twins, and perhaps on the same day, handed them – a pair of twins – to two other people. It could have been a transaction, but that can't be confirmed. As for why they were twins and who received the children, please allow me to explain later. Anyway, when Ivanov saw Gythra after childbirth, he naturally asked where the children had gone. It was during this process that Ivanov lost control, drowned her in the water tank, and then fled."

During Ivanov's confession of this part, he spread his five fingers on the table and stared at his fingertips. Initially silent, Gythra soon transformed into mockery. She admitted that the child was more likely Holmyr's, using this to continuously provoke Ivanov, who remained almost silent. "I didn't want to kill her," Ivanov's eyes showed chaotic agitation, as if the water that drowned Gythra's mouth and nose was flowing out of his fingertips. "How could she do this to me? She...I just wanted to know where the child went. That was my only request! But she..."

Elin drifted off for a moment. Upon hearing the old man say "Continue," he said, "The breakthrough in the case was a journalist named Skeeny, whom Jorgen had visited before the incident. I believe there may be a connection, so I searched Skeeny's house. Skeeny had died shortly before, reportedly by suicide, but I have doubts about that. In any case, he had a strange habit of incessantly pressing cigarette butts on the table. I found the same traces in his house, office, and Gythra's room. I investigated everyone who had contact with him in the past two months – not difficult, as he lived a secluded life – and found a nanny. She admitted to being employed by Skeeny to look after a recently born pair of twins at his home. At the time, she was suspicious why someone like Skeeny would raise a pair of twins. Of course, she didn't question it."

"Now, where are those twins?"

"Not found. I guess Aved killed Skeeny and then..."

"You mean Aved and Skeeny were accomplices."

"Yes, that's the only plausible conclusion at the moment. This is a speculative summary based on Ivanov's confession, combined with some of the findings I mentioned earlier. I must say I have no physical evidence. Also, I can't confirm whether Gythra had a plan with these two men from the beginning to exploit the child for some purpose, such as blackmailing Ivanov or his father Deza Gallmont."

Elin paused, waiting for the old man to criticize his work or dismiss his hasty conclusions. However, all he received was another "Continue."

"The main basis for this speculation is still Ivanov's testimony. He said Aved approached him, claiming to know where his child was. Before that, they were strangers, and Aved gained Ivanov's trust through a risky but effective method: he admitted to taking the child and then..." Elin glanced at the floor, then looked at the old man. "He also said he had already sold the child to Lady Dalia's charity organization. After the deal, he regretted it and promised to do whatever it took to find the child for Ivanov. He instigated Ivanov to approach Lady Dalia, pretending to investigate, to find non-existent records of the orphan's transfer. It's indeed strange behavior. As for his motive, please allow me to explain later. Now we must connect it to another suspect: Lady Dalia's maid, Daisy."

Elin didn't really think Daisy was a suspect; she was most likely manipulated by Aved. Elin knew this girl who had been with Lady Dalia for several years, understanding how caring and innocent she was. In the interrogation room, he didn't handcuff Daisy, even prepared tea for her, but she still trembled in panic. And this panic was not only because she was involved in a crime but also because she learned what happened in the house when she was absent. This was the most distressing interrogation for Elin.

"Aved once patrolled around Lady Dalia's house under Jorgen's orders, but that was months ago. After gaining control over Ivanov, Aved claimed to Daisy that he received a long-term order to protect Lady Dalia's safety and requested Daisy's full assistance without Lady Dalia's knowledge. Regardless of who Lady Dalia met or what important events transpired, he asked Daisy to report to him. Sometimes it was a meeting, other times leaving a letter at a secret location. Through this, he learned the date of Lady Dalia's final meeting with Bishop Lindy. As this meeting marked the initiation of the orphanage's handover, and Ivanov couldn't continue the fake investigation, Aved saw this as the last chance. He had been waiting for this opportunity. Based on Daisy and Bishop Lindy's testimonies, I reconstructed the events of that day."

For Elin, questioning Lindy, with bandages wrapped around his head, wasn't a pleasant memory. The bishop still spoke eloquently, but his voice grew weaker, even coughing towards the end. Though Elin didn't know Lindy's relationship with Jorgen or Lady Dalia, judging from Lindy's collapsed eyes and the frequent act of taking off his glasses to wipe them, he was still deeply shaken.

"Firstly, it must be pointed out that Aved knew Ivanov had killed Gythra in an uncontrollable state, understanding Ivanov harbored abnormal violent impulses. From Ivanov's recollections during their conversations, it's evident that Aved was constantly hinting at using similar means against Lady Dalia. Aved was skilled in acting, as if he were more anxious about reclaiming the twins than Ivanov. But everything he did was still a gamble – a half-success, half-failure gamble. He informed Ivanov of the date of Lady Dalia and Lindy's final meeting, telling him, 'We're running out of time,' urging him to make the 'final choice.' According to Bishop Lindy's testimony, he realized immediately that Ivanov's so-called investigation was non-existent, prompting Ivanov to take action."

Elin took a deep breath, his pace quickening.

"He knocked out Bishop Lindy and then attacked Lady Dalia. According to Daisy's testimony, Aved had been waiting outside the house under the pretext of patrolling all day. In short, Daisy saw the injured Bishop Lindy and, following Aved's past instructions, immediately fled the house, informing him of everything she saw. Daisy involuntarily became Aved's informant. Aved instructed Daisy to find Jorgen and then entered the house alone. I think, at this point, Aved was in a dilemma because he couldn't control Ivanov's actions and couldn't be sure Jorgen would return to the house. Unfortunately, his plan succeeded halfway. Bishop Lindy woke up from his stupor, probably shortly after Jorgen entered the house. Knowing he was still in danger, Lindy didn't dare to wander aimlessly, merely hiding in the nearby woods to tend to his wounds while finding a shovel for defense. At this time, the struggle between Jorgen and Aved took place. Bishop Lindy heard Aved saying, 'Killing you was not my first choice. If you want to complain, blame the prosecutor for not cooperating enough.' So, I believe Aved's true goal was for Jorgen to witness Ivanov killing Lady Dalia."

"What did he expect Jorgen to do?" the old man asked.

"Kill Ivanov."

"Do you think Jorgen would do that?"

"If he really witnessed that scene... yes. Without a doubt. Jorgen would kill anyone who harmed Lady Dalia."

The old man slightly raised his chin, his gaze carrying a more scrutinizing meaning. His right index finger tapped the table twice in an inaudible rhythm.

"Continue."

"From this perspective, Daisy became more deeply involved in this case because through her, Aved learned about Jorgen's deep feelings for Lady Dalia. You know, talkative maids...they make such mistakes. Aved's motive stemmed from jealousy towards Jorgen and dissatisfaction with not receiving his favor. For this motive, he hoped to entice Jorgen to kill Ivanov, causing Jorgen to lose his current position. Although Jorgen had investigated Skeeny beforehand and was cautious of Ivanov, without Ivanov's testimony, this conspiracy wouldn't have surfaced because Ivanov's accusation against Aved was crucial. Aved hoped for a clean victory, but as I mentioned earlier, his gamble only won half – Ivanov abandoned the attack on Lady Dalia midway and encountered Jorgen prematurely. Seeing this scene, Aved realized it was a catastrophic failure for his entire plan. So, he made a second decision: kill everyone. Jorgen, Lady Dalia, Bishop Lindy, and possibly even Daisy, leave no one alive. This was the only way to avoid exposure. After this, he might choose a lie: Ivanov killed Jorgen and Lady Dalia, and he had to kill Ivanov. Of course, this would result in a potentially endless investigation, but he was willing to take the risk – after all, framing Jorgen according to the original plan didn't guarantee his favor. However, if he could become the hero avenging Jorgen and Lady Dalia, even though the likelihood was very low, it was a different matter. All in or reveal the plot – that was the choice he faced at that moment. I really don't want to say this, but... I have to admit that Aved had strong capabilities. He accurately grasped Ivanov and Daisy's weaknesses, boldly exploited them, and even attempted to manipulate Jorgen's feelings for Lady Dalia. Confidence in his abilities made him psychologically imbalanced when he couldn't get the favor he wanted."

The old man nodded but remained silent.

"Of course, there are still many unanswered questions in this case, such as Aved's collaboration with Skeeny. There's also evidence that Deza Gallmont met Jorgen shortly before the incident, which is not to be ignored; perhaps he played some role. Additionally, tracing the whereabouts of the twins is also necessary work."

"Good job. Continue investigating, and I authorize you to freely use resources on this case. You can leave now."

"Lord Shawl." Elin didn't move. "There are some things I must say."

The old man furrowed his brow. "Speak."

Elin reached into his pocket with his right hand, took out a silver badge, and placed it on the old man's desk before stepping back to his original position.

"...What do you intend to do?"

"What I'm about to say will undoubtedly offend you. And as Jorgen's partner and friend, I can't escape the responsibility for the suffering he's endured. So, I hereby resign from my position as a direct investigator and am willing to accept any punishment. The main investigation of this case is nearing completion, and everything I've left behind will facilitate its smooth progress. But regardless, I must say these words now."

The old man didn't respond, just stared at him.

"I believe you bear some responsibility for the occurrence of this case. Aved became Jorgen's assistant with your approval. And... I believe, to some extent, Aved was your way of observing Jorgen, undoubtedly providing Aved with false confidence."

"You're accusing me of monitoring Jorgen through Aved."

"...If you're willing to put it that way. Yes."

The old man leaned back a bit. "What do you want me to do, Elin?"

"I don't know. I only know that my two best friends have suffered greatly. I will blame anyone responsible for this, and now, everyone except you has been more or less punished."

"You understand I can throw you into the dungeon for saying that."

"Yes. I've said what needed to be said."

Elin stared directly at the old man, unflinching. At this moment, he knew there was no way to completely hide his unease, but it didn't matter. This speech was decided to be spoken long ago, with no possibility of turning back. The old man in front of him wasn't some colossal and ruthless entity, Elin told himself—he was just a hunched, beardless, and clouded-eyed departed soul. However, the psychological suggestion had no effect in the face of the old man's gaze. Elin didn't regret speaking these words, but he was equally trembling at the prospect of what he might experience next.

"Take it back." The old man tapped his right index finger next to the silver badge. "Take it away."

Elin hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward, picked up the silver badge, examined it in his hand, and put it back into his pocket.

"You can go now. Continue the investigation."

"...Yes."

As Elin turned to leave, the old man spoke again.

"How are they... both of them?"

"Lindy arranged for comprehensive treatment and care for them," Elin said. "But neither of them has woken up yet."

The old man didn't respond. Elin knew it was time to leave.

Now only Panthonia remained in the room. He coughed twice; because there was no one in the room, he could cough out loud. After this round of coughing, his head felt unbearably painful. He should ring for the doctor, but he didn't do it immediately.

All in for power. Even if he couldn't gain power himself, he had to pull down those who obstructed him. He was familiar with such things; he always believed that the world was nothing more than struggles and struggles after failure.

Perhaps about five years ago, someone did something similar to him. All in, taking away his grandson. Even knowing it was impossible to gain power, they tried to leave lasting damage to those who obstructed them.

The person who rescued him from that predicament at the time was Jorgen.