Thank You

Lynch opened his eyes to see an unfamiliar ceiling.

Sitting up, his mind was a bit foggy, leaving him momentarily dazed.

Why am I in a grand hall?

Oh, wait, this is a bedroom. It just looks as large as a grand hall.

Sunlight streamed through the bright glass windows, making the room warm and cozy. The fresh scent of gardenias drifted through the air, and the chirping of birds drifted in from outside. Aside from that, it was completely silent, with none of the chaos and noise of Charles Square reaching his ears.

The spacious bedroom was carpeted with thick cashmere, and the beautifully carved solid wood furniture exuded the refinement and elegance unique to the Victorian era. Beneath uniquely shaped glass lampshades, polished brass gas nozzles extended from the walls in various artistic forms, resembling either reliefs or hanging ornaments, blending seamlessly with the room's decor.

The exquisite four-poster bed was draped with cloud-like canopy curtains. The fluffy bedding made one feel as if they had fallen into the clouds, and the silk sheets were so smooth and cool that one couldn't help but reach out to touch them.

Though devoid of any gold, silver, or gemstone decorations, it exuded an overwhelming air of elegance and luxury. This was the property purchased by the Valente family in Rhine City—which, according to a certain noble young lady, was merely a temporary residence barely fit for resting.

So, a bedroom that's too big ruins one's sleep, which is why I don't like big houses. This is scientifically proven. Yes, it's definitely not jealousy.

Lynch hadn't returned to his apartment last night, coming straight to the Valente residence instead. It wasn't for any other reason, but rather because he was holding a hot potato right now. Lynch didn't want to bring trouble back to his apartment and risk involving Mrs. Maggie and her daughter.

But the Valente family was different. Although they were also ordinary people, only someone out of their mind would rashly provoke such a grand family. Therefore, Lynch felt perfectly safe staying overnight at the Valente residence, planning to return to his own home after resolving the issue today.

In a little while, he would go straight to the Count of Lorand's residence to settle the final score with Princess Chloe.

With a "gong," the simple grandfather clock chimed. Only then did Lynch realize that he had actually slept until eleven o'clock. This put him in an exceptionally good mood, akin to the pleasant relief of being startled awake by the morning sun and panicking to get ready for work, only to remember that today was a holiday.

Stepping barefoot onto the soft carpet, he walked to the window. Outside was an open courtyard. On this quiet early summer afternoon, the fountain in the yard sprayed water quietly. In the pavilion beside the pool, a young lady dressed in casual home attire reclined on a bench, flipping through a thick book.

It must be another detective novel—either 《The Moriarty Case Files》 or Great Detective Helo. This girl was truly obsessed.

As if sensing his gaze, the young lady looked up and spotted the figure at the second-floor guest room window. She immediately ran gracefully out of the pavilion, took off her hat, and waved it. Her loose blonde hair shone exceptionally bright in the sunlight.

This girl is really beautiful. No, wait, I mean, it's already so late, I need to get out of bed quickly.

His clothes had already been washed and pressed, left right outside the guest room door. Lynch quickly freshened up, put on his various accessories, and headed downstairs.

This family is so strange. What's with those maids looking at me with such bizarre smiles? Do I have clown makeup on my face? And those valets—even if you look at me with such admiration, I'm still not giving you a tip.

And so, under the watchful eyes of seven or eight people, Lynch ate the most awkward meal of his two lives. He had no idea if the food was exquisite or if the tableware was luxurious; his mind was entirely consumed by the bizarre stares of the servants. He ate as if sitting on pins and needles, his mind going almost blank by the end.

The worst part was that the culprit was actually still smiling. Neighbor above, no matter how beautifully you smile, I will not forgive you.

【Oh, then I'll keep that in mind for you.】

‘Don't cause trouble.’

With great difficulty, he endured until the end of lunch. Lynch grabbed Miss Valente and ran outside, fleeing the courtyard as if escaping for his life, only to be dragged back by a doubled-over, laughing Miss Valente to board the already prepared carriage.

This time, it wasn't the old butler, Mr. Louis, driving the carriage. The elderly man's body couldn't handle such exertion. Besides, this was merely an open visit between nobles, not a secret operation, so there was no need for the old butler to personally drive. It was better to let the elderly man rest.

The problem is, you wretched old man, why did you have to tell the coachman to keep a close eye on me, and even instruct him to call the police immediately if he saw me doing anything? I'm really not a bad person—wait, I mean, I'm really not a bad guy. There's no need to watch me like a thief, is there? I didn't steal anything. If your house loses something, you can't blame me. Really.

In any case, having finally escaped that visual hell, Lynch let out a sigh of relief and opened the newspaper that had been prepared in the carriage.

"Pirates suddenly appear on the coastline; heroic detective courageously fights the thugs." The promise of a steak set meal certainly hadn't gone to waste. This description was so flattering that he couldn't even recognize himself.

The Hall of Order had temporarily sealed off White Bird Port in the early hours of the morning, strictly screening suspicious personnel. Tsk tsk, at first glance, it looked like they had lost their fish and chips. Under last night's circumstances, the Rangers and Mayor Howard probably wouldn't in their wildest dreams think that we had turned the tables on them; they would only assume someone else was secretly pulling the strings. What a pity he couldn't see the expressions on their faces with his own eyes; he could only make a fortune in silence.

However, before Lynch could even finish reading a single page, the carriage came to a halt once more.

They had arrived.

It was originally only a ten-minute carriage ride, and that was mainly because the estates were quite large. Strictly speaking, there were only three households between them, so ten minutes was already considered slow.

The Iris District was the noble district of Rhine, boasting the best environment, the best security, and the best facilities. Money alone couldn't buy one's way in; at most, one could only buy land in the Valley District. Only those with a certain status were qualified to live here.

Visits among nobles always took place in the afternoon. In fact, they should have been even later—two or three o'clock was best, under the pretext that the afternoon atmosphere was more stable and better suited for nobles to make decisions. However, Lynch's explanation was much simpler: they just couldn't wake up in the morning. Well, it was the same in ancient times back in his hometown, so it wasn't shameful.

However, the two of them had no intention of following the other party's rhythm, so they arrived two hours early. The letter of visitation had already been delivered, and the carriage drove straight into the courtyard. Not long after they were shown into the parlor, Princess Chloe, wearing a trailing white gown, appeared before them.

The obese Count of Lorand did not make an appearance, and Princess Chloe was as unlikable as ever. Although she didn't dare say anything to Miss Valente, she scrutinized Lynch with a critical gaze, her tone dripping with arrogance:

“With how highly City Hall and the Hall of Order praise you, I thought you would be someone impressive. Aren't you the ace of City Hall and the Rangers? How is it that after just one day, you've come knocking on my door for help? Regrettably, I have already told you everything I know. If you have any questions, go back and ask those two inspectors. I am very busy and have no time to repeat myself.”

As expected, she mistook me for one of Mayor Howard's people, which is why she was so ruthless to me. No, her ruthlessness was probably just because she was a naturally obnoxious person.

Facing the arrogant gaze of this beautiful princess, Lynch didn't get angry. He merely said with a half-smile, “There has been a slight change in the case. There is something I would like Your Highness to confirm if you have ever seen.”

“I am in no mood for such trivial matters right now. Unless you can produce the Flaming Red Lips, I might have some interest in confirming it. Otherwise, please do not disturb my life. Hehehe, Detective Levive, if you cannot produce it, then please leave... Hm?”

Her mocking voice ground to a sudden halt, and her sneering gaze froze in her eyes. Princess Chloe stared blankly at Lynch, watching him pull out a crimson gemstone and place it on the coffee table.

Blinking, and blinking again, Her Highness was momentarily too shocked to speak. Staring at the gemstone, she couldn't utter a single word, only able to open her mouth and let out a few meaningless syllables.

“You have been referring to it as the Flaming Red Lips all along, not the replica. I didn't hear wrong, did I?”

Lynch's very first sentence made Princess Chloe's face turn pale. Her gaze grew increasingly incredulous, and even her breathing turned rapid.

“Hehe, I've seen plenty of cases of swapping a fake for a real one, but this is the first time I've ever seen swapping a real one for a fake. It's truly an eye-opener. Stealing the gemstone, replacing the fake with the real one to return to the owner, and then letting someone else steal the real gemstone from the owner's hands... Everyone was fooled by you, Your Highness. Everyone was running around in circles for a real gemstone, without knowing that the replica you actually wanted had already been hidden away by you. This way, you didn't offend anyone or break the cooperation, and you didn't actually have to hand over the replica. As expected of a princess, your methods are truly astonishing.”

“I... you... I... I don't understand what you are talking about.”

“Whether you understand or not, we both know the truth. There is no need to explain.” Just as Princess Chloe was turning pale and trying to explain in a fluster, Lynch suddenly raised his voice, “Now shut up, and listen to me.”

“You...”

“I said shut up. Do you not understand? Telling you to shut up is pitying you, charitably offering you a chance to listen to what I have to say. If you don't plan on accepting this charity, we will leave right this instant.” Lynch tapped the Flaming Red Lips on the table. “After all, you wouldn't want your actions to become public knowledge, would you, Your Highness?”

Chloe's face instantly flushed bright red. Her clenched fists trembled, and she pursed her lips tightly, but she remained completely silent, only glaring at Lynch with furious eyes.

“Heh, a smart person, just lacking in manners.” Lynch said with a half-smile, “Since you've accepted my charity, shouldn't you say something to show your appreciation, respected Princess Chloe?”

With a face full of anger and humiliation, she spat out a single word:

“Thank you.”