Chapter 1519: The Deceased of the Tournament

The Princess asked Xia De:

"I wonder if the incident encountered by the Count of the Southern Kingdom has anything to do with that 'emotionless killer'?"

The "emotionless killer" was a rumor in the city. According to increasingly absurd hearsay, the person who assassinated the Count was a kind of death-sworn warrior raised through harsh methods, specifically to provoke conflict between the two countries and incite war. Xia De could only say that it was better not to read too many knight novels.

The Witch also smiled, and Xia De shook his head:

"What does that have to do with me? I was at home all last night. However, this probably has something to do with the handkerchief covered in perfume that I accidentally lost. That handkerchief was lost during the banquet last weekend, and it had a curse attached to it. I hope whoever found it will throw it away as soon as possible."

Xia De said indifferently. After being pawed at by Little Mia, he scooped a spoonful of applesauce and smeared it onto her high-end cat food. Xia De had once secretly tasted this cat food; it actually tasted quite good.

Lei Lei Qianya decided to return to the Yodel Palace with Miss Jia Jia Lin Na, so she was also eating breakfast at the table, chatting with Xia De about her siblings' attention toward this tournament. The princes and princesses of the Cavendish family all had their own followers or so-called "friends" participating, and they treated whether the people they favored could win the tournament as a kind of internal family competition.

In Xia De's view, this was simply the King deliberately indulging the infighting among his children. It didn't matter while the King was in good health, but once it truly involved the struggle for the throne, Xia De dared not imagine what would happen.

It wasn't just the royal children; attention toward this tournament had become the biggest thing in the city recently. Even the time, location, and arrangements for the negotiations between the two countries had been relegated to the second page of the newspapers. Everywhere, people were holding newspapers, discussing the schedule and the odds. Those who could buy tickets to watch the tournament in person were even able to become the focus of social occasions.

"The widow of Count Franklin said at the club yesterday that she is willing to spend a wonderful night with the champion of this tournament."

Lei Lei Qianya said as she picked up her teacup:

"The atmosphere in the city has been getting worse and worse in recent decades. Such a slut can actually be called a noble lady."

Miss Jia Jia Lin Na smiled very ladylike:

"Everyone has their own way of life, as long as they don't come to provoke us. Besides, I see that Xia De has no interest in that kind of woman. Although our knight is dashing and romantic, I have to admit that his standards are truly high."

Xia De didn't know if this was mocking him or praising herself, so he simply kept his mouth shut and pretended not to hear.

Since the relationship between Xia De and Miss Jia Jia Lin Na changed, the relationship between Lei Lei Qianya and the Witch had also been improving. The atmosphere during breakfast was actually quite leisurely. Lei Lei Qianya discussed the negotiations regarding the borders and trade routes with Miss Jia Jia Lin Na again, which also let Xia De know that while arranging the negotiations, both countries were gathering troops in the Pantanal region to increase their bargaining chips.

And around 7:30, the door downstairs was actually knocked on.

Xia De frowned, closed his eyes, and said:

"Three heartbeats, strangers."

"Who would come to find you so early?"

The Witch asked lazily, signaling her maid to go downstairs to take a look. At the same time, Lei Lei Qianya wiped her mouth methodically with a napkin, then stood up and went to the bedroom for the time being. Her tableware was not cleared away; Miss Difa sat directly there.

The visitor downstairs did not expect the person opening the door to be a maid. Xia De heard the sound of voices, and then the maid returned to the second floor and said:

"Young Lady, Mr. Hamilton, the visitors are Mr. Michaelson Scott, Deputy Commissioner of the Ridgewich Yard Police Department, Mr. Malin, a senior detective from Ridgewich Yard, and Mr. Roman, an attendant from Yodel Palace."

"What are these people looking for me for?"

Xia De didn't quite understand either, but he still let the maid invite the three of them up.

The three gentlemen soon arrived on the second floor. When they saw Miss Jia Jia Lin Na sitting with Xia De, they all stopped in panic and then bowed respectfully to greet her:

"Good day, Miss Jia Jia Lin Na."

The Duchess had no intention of talking to them, and Xia De did not get up from the dining table:

"Gentlemen, good morning. May I ask what is the matter?"

He asked.

"Good morning, Mr. Hamilton."

The Deputy Chief of Ridgewich Yard, whom Xia De had only seen in the newspapers, greeted him quite nervously:

"It is like this, there is a matter that requires your cooperation in the investigation. Something happened last night, but it hasn't hit the papers yet. His Majesty is very concerned about this matter, so he sent Mr. Roman to visit the suspects with us... I mean, those related to this matter."

He did not hide the gist of the matter:

"Mr. Enhor Serich, the second son of the Duke of Serich, was murdered outside the Edward III Arena last night."

"Who is that?"

Xia De blinked, and immediately thought of the person who had deliberately provoked him because of his admiration for Lei Lei Qianya before the competition yesterday morning. It was just that after Xia De won first place in the horse race in the morning, that young Mr. Serich did not come to find him again.

He noticed that Miss Difa and Miss Jia Jia Lin Na both glanced at him. They also knew about this matter, and then both thought of the topic of the "accidentally lost handkerchief" at the breakfast table just now.

But this time Xia De really didn't do anything:

"That gentleman was murdered?"

He said in surprise. At least ten people saw the "conflict" between Mr. Serich and Xia De yesterday, so he did indeed have some suspicion. And the reason the King attached importance to this matter was that this was the first contestant to die during the competition this year. This gentleman, unfortunately, used up the only death quota for this year:

"No problem, please ask me. However, if my suspicion is cleared, please also tell me more details about the case."

"Of course that is fine."

Deputy Chief Michaelson Scott nodded, then turned his head to signal Senior Detective Malin to ask questions, and the latter was obviously not very willing to accept this job:

"Mr. Hamilton, may I ask what time you left the Edward III Arena last night?"

Xia De recalled:

"Around 5:30, after the competition ended, I left with my friend, Miss Dorothy Louisa, and the maids. Afterward, we went to Miss Jia Jia Lin Na's manor for dinner, and returned to the city from outside the city around 7:00."

"May I ask if it is convenient to describe your itinerary after returning to the city in detail?"

"Of course, but there is nothing to say. After returning to the city, I sent Miss Dorothy Louisa to Quill Street in the University District—her apartment is there—and then I returned to No. 6 St. Theresa Square. After that, I didn't go out."

Xia De said, and Mr. Malin confirmed cautiously:

"In other words, you were in this house between 8:00 last night and 1:00 this morning?"

"Yes, I am very sure of this point."

"Then, is there anyone who can prove your whereabouts?"

The senior detective asked, so the Duchess, who had been silent, spoke up:

"I can prove it."

She glanced at Xia De, the corners of her lips curling into a smile:

"From 8:00 last night to 6:00 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 vouching for Mr. Hamilton, then I think his suspicion can be cleared."

Senior Detective Malin immediately guaranteed, and Deputy Chief Michaelson Scott also stated the clues about the case as agreed:

"Duke, Mr. Hamilton, I don't want to disturb your appetite for breakfast, so I will keep the cause of death simple. The time of death was between 10:00 and 11:00 last night. The body was discovered at the edge of the market outside the Edward III Arena, in the gap between the barrels used by merchants to dump swill. A rural farmer collecting swill discovered him around 4:00 this morning."

Mr. Scott flipped through his notebook:

"The condition of the body was quite tragic, um... 31 clear human bite marks were found on him. But the cause of death was not this; he was strangled by hand, and the cause of death was asphyxiation. In addition, we received new news on the way here, in his stomach..."

He looked at the three people at the table with concern, and Xia De nodded:

"Continue."

"Undigested body tissue of his own was found in his stomach. But the strange thing is that some of the bite marks on his body were in positions that his own mouth could absolutely not reach... at least I don't know anyone who can take a bite out of their own back."

Because the body had just been discovered not long ago, counting the time it took to be transported to the city and the time it took for the police department to organize personnel for the investigation, there was simply no time to obtain more clues. Xia De pretended not to care on the surface, and after asking about other situations, he sent away the three gentlemen who came to investigate.

When he returned to the second floor, Lei Lei Qianya had already come out of the room:

"Xia De, I thought it was you again just now, I didn't expect it to be that Angel-level humanoid relic 【Faceless Man】."

"The news I got said that the relic was haunting the city area, how did it appear at the Edward III Arena to kill people?"

Miss Jia Jia Lin Na also frowned slightly. Humanoid Angel-level relics were also troublesome for a 12th-tier Witch:

"The body was discovered after 4:00. By now, the Church should have received the news and launched an investigation. I don't think that humanoid relic is still staying around the arena, but the possibility that the other party really didn't leave cannot be ruled out."

She looked at Miss Difa standing beside Xia De:

"Today, except when Xia De is competing, you must follow Xia De."

"Yes, Young Lady."

"Xia De, you should also be careful yourself. Really, it's clearly a spring celebration event, how did we encounter this kind of thing again."

Although Miss Jia Jia Lin Na was very worried, in reality, Xia De's luck was not that bad yet. ===== CHAPTER 1520 =====