Am I going to be controlled by the players too?

Chief Inspector Suiyue led a team of police officers into the office and "discovered" Liu Ruyan's body.

"Quickly! Seal off the scene!"

"Notify the forensic pathologist!"

"Contact the media!"

Sergeant Suiyue stood beside the body, his face serious, his brows furrowed, watching his officers in a chaotic scene, some taking photos, others gathering evidence.

"Sir!" a young policeman ran over. "All the surveillance equipment is broken; they didn't capture anything!"

"Report!" another policeman raised his hand. "Traces of anti-divination magic were found at the scene, most likely left by the murderer!"

"Sir! We've found signs that the wine cabinet has been opened!"

"Bring the breathalyzer! Check if the deceased had been drinking! Damn it! Why didn't she blow into it!"

"You have to have an end to your jokes."

Sheriff Suiyue took a deep breath and said in a deep voice:

"Inform the Supreme Judge, Lady Vilette."

…………

A stone stirred up a thousand waves.

That night, the entire Kingdom of Kornoma was jolted awake by the news. Liu Ruyan's name was everywhere – on television, in newspapers, and on magical screens.

Shocking Assassination! Queen Candidate Liu Ruyan Murdered!

Political assassination? Financial retaliation? Or the work of a demon? — Three speculations about the murder of Liu Ruyan

"Liu's Group's stock price plummets, sending shockwaves through the financial world!"

Will the Queen's election process be affected? Expert analysis.

A Silver-Rank Mage Killed in One Shot?! The Power of Firearms Sparks Panic!

Firearms: Weapons that allow ordinary people to kill Silver-tier opponents? Or the key to opening the Demon Gate?

Public Panic: Can Anyone with a Gun Threaten Our Lives?

News reports were playing on various channels, with guests arguing heatedly and each sticking to their own version of events. The hosts constantly interrupted with the latest news, switching between scenes so frequently it was dizzying.

Until 10 p.m., all channels switched to the same screen simultaneously.

The Supreme Court.

Violet de Claire stood before the podium, her face grave.

Behind him was the kingdom's highest emblem—the scales and the sword.

"Citizens of the kingdom."

His voice was deep, and every word was clear and powerful:

"Tonight, we have lost an outstanding citizen, a candidate full of ideals and passion. The murder of Ms. Liu Ruyan is a blatant disregard for the laws of the kingdom, a malicious interference in the Queen's election, and a provocation against every citizen of the kingdom!"

"As the Supreme Judge, I swear to all citizens—there will be no leniency towards criminals!"

"No matter his identity, who stands behind him, or what his motives are—I, Violet de Claire, in the name of 'justice,' will bring him to justice!"

"Please trust the laws of the kingdom; the queen's election will not be affected by this incident."

"Justice will surely prevail over evil!"

The scene cuts back to the studio, where the host excitedly repeats Villette's words, and the guests nod in approval.

…………

13 Mink Street.

In the living room, Sylvia and Freya sat in front of the television, looking at their father's stern face on the screen, exchanging bewildered glances.

It was 11 p.m., and Cheng Cheng had already left the game, leaving them with this mess.

On the television, Violet's image was still playing on a loop.

"You..." Freya began cautiously, "What do you think?"

Sylvia tilted her head: "It's...pretty exciting?"

As she spoke, she blinked and said, "I used to help my father with cases in court. This is the first time my father has investigated a case and it's gotten to me."

Freya: "...Aren't you afraid at all?"

“What’s there to be afraid of?” Sylvia said matter-of-factly. “It was Liu Ruyan who was wrong to assassinate me first. What’s wrong with Mr. Mambo turning her into a puppet? On the contrary, she left us with such a big problem after she died—it’s all Liu Ruyan’s fault!”

Freya: "..."

It seems like there's nothing wrong?

"But what did she mean by her last words?" Sylvia frowned. "'Gun'... Li Xianyu said she had a pact with a demon. Which demon could it be?"

She thought about it for a long time, but couldn't figure it out.

"Never mind." She stood up, patted her skirt, and said, "I'm going back."

"Now?" Freya was taken aback.

“Hmm.” Sylvia nodded. “I haven’t stayed at home for a while. If my father hadn’t been so busy lately, he would have given me a good scolding. I need to go back and check things out to see how far his investigation has progressed.”

She walked to the door, glanced back, and said, "Stay put and don't wander off."

Freya waved.

The door closed.

…………

Claire Family Estate.

Sylvia pushed open the door, and the living room was brightly lit.

The mother was sitting on the sofa, holding the remote control, with news about the Liu Ruyan case still playing on TV. Hearing the door open, she turned around.

"Sylvia?"

The mother put down the remote control, her brow furrowing: "Where have you been these past few days? You haven't been home for days, and you haven't even called once. Do you know how worried I was?"

Sylvia changed into her slippers, went over, and hugged her mother's arm affectionately: "Mom, didn't I text you that I was hanging out with my friends..."

"Friends, friends, all you ever think about is friends!" Her mother poked her forehead. "What do you mean friends are more important than family? Look at the time! A young girl like you, in the middle of the night..."

"Okay, okay, I know I was wrong."

Sylvia leaned on her shoulder and asked softly, "Where are Dad and Brother?"

The mother sighed and pointed upstairs: "The study. These past few days, the house has practically become a conference room. Ministers and nobles from all walks of life come and go, all asking for your father's opinion. People from the court and the police station have also been coming to deliver the results of their case investigations."

She paused, her voice weary: "Your birthday is in a few days, and with this happening every day, how am I supposed to dress up and make it special... Your coming-of-age ceremony can't be anything less than a proper one; it has to be respectable. We need to invite nobles from all walks of life, as well as talented young men, but unfortunately, the court is in turmoil lately..."

Sylvia didn't speak, quietly leaning on her mother's shoulder, listening to her nagging.

After a while, she stood up and said, "I'm going to check on Dad."

…………

The study door was ajar, and the father's voice could be heard from inside.

Sylvia gently pushed open the door, and then she saw her father standing in front of his desk, holding a stack of documents, which he slammed to the ground!

"This is outrageous!!!"

"At such a crucial moment! To assassinate a queen candidate! Whose henchmen are they! Do they even respect the 'laws of the kingdom'?!"

The documents were scattered all over the floor, and a middle-aged man stood trembling beside the desk.

It was Sheriff Suiyue.

"Shattered Moon!!!"

"Your subordinate is here!"

Sheriff Shattered Moon suddenly stood up straight, raised his head shakily, and secretly glanced at Vilette.

Lady Vilette clearly knows what's going on, yet she acts so angry; her acting is superb...

"Catch him!" Vilette's eyes widened. "We must catch this man! We can't let him get away!"

"Yes!"

Sheriff Suiyue stood at attention, saluted, and turned to leave.

Sheriff Shattered Moon walked to the door, exchanged a glance with Sylvia, nodded slightly, gave her a "don't worry" look, and then quickly left.

Sylvia entered the study and gently closed the door.

"Father."

Villette glanced at her, said nothing, and simply sat down in the chair, rubbing her temples.

Julian, the elder brother, spoke up: "Father, I think this is clearly a political assassination. A police investigation alone won't yield results. We should focus on the victim's interpersonal relationships—is it discontent among the financial elites? Or is it a tactic employed by other candidates for the Queen?"

He paused, then lowered his voice: "Or perhaps... it's interference from the Elven Empire?"

"Investigate! We must investigate!"

Villette slammed her hand on the table in frustration: "These queen candidates are all playing innocent! They even openly declared on television that they would catch those who interfered in the election! I think they are the most suspicious!"

"Ha, everyone's pretending to be heroes! Let heroes investigate heroes, and let heroes investigate heroes!"

"Send them secret messages, let them report and implicate each other! Let's see who gets implicated!"

The older brother hesitated for a moment: "Father, um... the first gender of all the queen candidates is female, shouldn't they be 'heroic and virtuous women'?"

"Get out!" Vilette glared at him. "I think you've been misled by that woman Harari's ideas!"

"Just kidding," the older brother chuckled. "There's another idea..."

He wiped the smile from his face and said seriously, "Liu Ruyan died from a gunshot wound. Guns are a relatively recent weapon, and only our Court of Justice, the Sword Saint family, and military forces possess them. Although the Elven Empire and some civilian forces are trying to replicate them, it shouldn't be so soon..."

"hehe."

Villette slammed her hand on the table: "The design concept for the firearms was actually proposed by Sylvia! Sylvia even ordered a batch of firearms for hunting the other day—so, according to you, my daughter is also a thief?"

"Don't dare."