Murdering the Heart

"Princess Chloe is the Sixth Princess of the Kingdom of Salter, a rather unremarkable member of the royal family."

Miss Valente looked at Lynch, who was nodding vigorously with a knowing expression, as if he truly understood, and sighed softly:

"The Kingdom of Salter was established by pioneering expeditions on the New Continent at the beginning of the Fifth Age... you do know what the New Continent is, right?"

"Yes, yes, yes, I really do know that." Lynch nodded forcefully, thinking she probably took him for a fool. "Mythological Era civilization originated on the Old Continent, flourished on Middle Earth from the Fourth Age, and from the Fifth Age, the New Continent was explored. I may be only an intermediate archaeology student, and I might not have recognized my own archaeology professor, but I still know basic facts like these."

"During the Fourth Age, that area was still a subsidiary territory of Lande, but under the influence of the great catastrophe at the end of the Fourth Age, sea routes were cut off for a hundred years. When the three continents reconnected, those subsidiary territories on the New Continent had all established their own kingdoms. The Valente family was a baronial family back then, and they even lost a large farm."

The noblewoman sighed with a regretful expression and said faintly:

"However, the relationship between Lande and Salter isn't like that between the neighboring Friedman Kingdom and its subsidiary territories, where they fight every few decades. Lande and Salter have a rather good relationship. The Salter royal family is originally a branch of the Rose family, and they still maintain sufficient respect for the Rose family. Every year on Salter's National Day, they present symbolic gifts to the Rose family to show they haven't forgotten their origins. Royal family members from both sides also visit each other frequently."

My past self must have been a real fool. How could I not know any of this? But then again, for an ordinary, muddle-headed commoner, just being fed and clothed was good enough.

Lynch magnanimously forgave his past self's ignorance and pressed, "So that Princess Troy came here to study?"

"It's Princess Chloe. Remember, if you really forget her name, vaguely refer to her as Her Highness Princess or 'that' princess. Try not to get names wrong; some nobles value their names highly, and calling them incorrectly might get you a shotgun blast to the head."

"Only one person would do something like that, 'that' lady."

"Heh, actually, Princess Chloe didn't come to study because of the close relationship between our countries. Mr. Lynch, did you really graduate from secondary school?" Miss Valente shook her head with a sympathetic expression. "Lande's higher education standards rank among the best in the world. Many royal families and great nobles send their children to Lande for further studies, not just to gain knowledge, but more importantly, to meet descendants of prominent families and expand their networks. Rhine is actually one of the less busy places; in Norin, with its four institutions of higher learning, you can see noble children from foreign countries everywhere, it's quite lively."

Isn't that just like an Ivy League alumni association?

"I'm not very familiar with Princess Chloe, I only know she exists. Flaming Red Lips, on the other hand, caused quite a stir a few months ago, even making it into the newspapers. It was said to be a very beautiful ruby that appeared out of nowhere and eventually fell into the hands of a member of the Salter royal family. So, it was her."

"I heard Flaming Red Lips has some special significance, do you know what it is?"

"Special significance? Do you mean something related to mystery?"

"I'm not sure either, I just heard it from the police."

"My apologies, I've been troubled by that matter for a while now, and haven't really been in the mood to inquire about such things." Miss Valente pondered for a moment. "How about this: I'll look into it tonight and try to get back to you tomorrow."

"You don't have to be so formal."

"No, we must be careful. This invitation is a bit strange; I suspect Princess Chloe isn't up to any good."

Lynch frowned: "Is it a trap?"

"Not the direct kind of trap you're thinking of, there won't be any life-threatening danger." Miss Valente gently toyed with her folding fan, her faint brows furrowed as she whispered, "Many noble schemes are darker and more subtle than you imagine. Many seemingly normal, even entirely benevolent actions, often hide the most sinister intentions. Many traps capable of affecting a person's entire life or even a family's reputation are often hidden within minor incidents. So, when dealing with us 'black-hearted' nobles, you must be extremely cautious."

Is it that exaggerated? Lynch was momentarily stunned.

"Heh, it's hard to imagine, but it's actually not an exaggeration."

Miss Valente straightened up, her smile gone, a faint hint of anger in her brows, instantly gaining an air of nobility and sharp authority:

"For example, your invitation has a big problem. High society etiquette has very strict rules for everything—not just speech, attire, or seating, but even when one can speak, when one must be silent, or whose permission is needed to speak. These are all unspoken agreements that cannot be violated. Introducing someone who doesn't belong to this circle into a gathering is, in itself, a form of hidden malice. Perhaps she doesn't have another motive and simply finds it convenient, but it at least shows that she doesn't care about your honor or interests. Such malicious intent might fool the public, but it won't escape my eyes."

By the end, her tone was clearly laced with anger.

Watching the indignant Miss Valente, Lynch's gaze softened, and he smiled, saying softly, "Thank you, Miss Diana, for taking the trouble for me."

Miss Valente turned her face away, her cheeks slightly flushed, and said with a fleeting gaze, "You don't need to thank me. I'm also doing this for the family's interests. You are a friend of the Valente family. If she dares to show malice towards you in this manner, it’s a provocation against the Valente family, and I will absolutely not allow her to do so."

"Yes, yes, family interests." Lynch couldn't help but chuckle, only straightening his face and nodding when those beautiful, pouting eyes turned back to him. "If this continues, what will happen?"

"If nothing unexpected happens, you'll make many blunders, face discrimination, and become the object of ridicule for the entire ball." Miss Valente sighed and said, "In other situations, these wouldn't be major problems. Many experiences need to be cultivated slowly, and making a fool of oneself is a form of tuition, not necessarily malicious intent."

Lynch nodded, genuinely not minding this much.

"But this is only under the premise that you make a fool of yourself discreetly. If anyone with malicious intent were to temporarily push you into the spotlight of most attendees, it would be an extraordinarily huge disaster for you. Because this is your first public appearance in high society. Once you make a blunder, you will leave the entire upper class with a first impression of being comical and a clown. In the future, when people mention you, they won't think of the formidable Great Detective Levive, but rather Mr. Levive, the clown who knows nothing of etiquette and embarrassed himself in front of a foreign princess."

Miss Valente offered a cold smile and said chillingly:

"Perhaps she wouldn't do it herself, but she can't guarantee that no one else at the ball would. That's why I say her sending you this invitation is an act of malice. You wouldn't suffer any tangible losses, but once a first impression is established, it's very hard to overturn. At that point, it's almost certain that you'd no longer receive commissions from nobles and great merchants. No matter how capable you are, those people wouldn't consider someone they perceive as a clown. And those are just the long-term consequences; the more immediate one is that you would inevitably be excluded from the investigation of this case. Due to your own perceived failings, you wouldn't gain the princess's trust, and others would only blame you."

The more Lynch listened, the colder he felt. The schemes of these influential figures were truly impossible to guard against:

"So, Chloe actually didn't want me involved at all, which is why she used this method to indirectly exclude me?"

"Very likely."

Hiss, killing the spirit without shedding blood. Lynch looked at Miss Valente, filled with emotion. If he hadn't become friends with her, he probably would have been completely ruined without ever knowing who was behind it.

Lynch narrowed his eyes, a flicker of anger rising within him. However, now that Miss Valente had seen through the scheme in advance, the situation's development was no longer entirely up to the opponent. As long as he could counter every move and defuse all attacks, it would be like the other party setting up the perfect stage for him to make a high-profile entry into the circle of influential figures.

As for whether he could do it, Lynch wasn't worried at all. The girl had just insisted on accompanying him to the ball, and it was probably more than just her being a detective novel fan.

"Of course, you are the Valente family's best friend. If I let them scheme against you right in front of me, then my years of noble education would have been for naught." Miss Valente smiled confidently, pulling back the curtain to look at the scenery outside the carriage. "We've arrived. It's time to sound the horn of counterattack."

"Hm?"

"This is the first step." Miss Valente pulled open the carriage door and, taking Lynch's hand, jumped out. "First, let's get you a few changes of clothes."

"Huh?"