81. My Name is Roselia, I’m a Detective (1)
“Please don’t speak nonsense.”
A deadly intent, sharp enough to cut a throat, was aimed at Countess Goth.
“Wait!”
Roselia burst into the reception room and blocked her path.
“Roselia?”
Icart’s expression turned puzzled at her sudden appearance.
“Why are you here…?”
What was even stranger was why she was suddenly shielding Countess Goth.
But in this situation, that wasn’t the important issue.
“Step aside.”
Icart cast a cold glance at Roselia.
Seeing his icy gaze after so long, Roselia swallowed dryly without realizing it.
That’s right.
This was the real Icart.
Cold, intelligent, and capable of being merciless beyond anyone else.
It wasn’t without reason that the royal family coveted him.
Of course, the fierce hostility he was currently showing was aimed at Countess Goth, not Roselia.
“W-well…”
Roselia forced an awkward smile in response to her brother’s question.
She had rushed in because the situation seemed urgent, but in truth, she had no special justification to stop him.
Yet, there was a particular reason.
A reason that was special only to her in this world.
One hour earlier.
“To think the mastermind behind this incident is my own sister… She couldn’t have done it.”
When Icart pointed to Countess Goth as the culprit behind the carriage explosion, Count Vermon’s face turned pale.
But Icart didn’t even flinch.
“This could have cost not just my life, but yours as well. If the accompanying servants had gotten involved, the damage would have been uncontrollable. Even if she’s your sibling, you can’t simply ignore such a serious situation.”
“But…”
“Remain calm and make a rational judgment. Dispatch the mansion guards immediately.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
After ordering the captured bandits to be confined in the underground prison, Icart instructed that Countess Goth herself be brought to the mansion.
Whether it was due to the pain in his wounds or the emotional shock of his sister’s betrayal, Count Vermon’s face contorted in anguish.
Just as the guards moved efficiently, and Icart and Philip left the ward, a notification sounded:
Ding!
【SYSTEM: A follow-up mission for the “Icart’s Death” event has appeared!】
“?”
【SYSTEM: Mission! “Who is the True Culprit?”】
[The mystery of the carriage explosion!
Thanks to protagonist bias, he survived, but it was a major incident where Icart almost died.
Amazingly, the culprit is pointed to be Count Vermon’s younger sister…
But is she really cruel enough to try to kill her own brother?
Investigate the hidden truth behind this case and catch the real culprit.♥]
[Success reward: Benefactor of the Vermon family
Failure penalty: Grudge of Countess Goth]
This was why I had no choice but to intervene.
The mission window that appeared right in front of me made it unavoidable.
‘What is this?’
This was the first mission unrelated to the original story. The mission description also felt very different from before.
‘It’s not even a riddle.’
Previously, mission windows had been concise, but this one felt unusually detailed and polite.
Most importantly, the rewards and penalties seemed moderate.
Thankfully, the failure penalty wasn’t something drastic like “death and regression,” though the reward was also rather trivial.
‘Just becoming the benefactor of the Vermon family?’
I silently observed Count Vermon groaning in the hospital bed.
He had already declared he would serve Icart loyally, so the reward felt meaningless. Even if the effects of the love potion wore off and his feelings changed, it didn’t matter.
Icart had already had him sign a pledge.
‘This is a case I probably don’t even need to interfere in.’
Since Icart had decided to punish Countess Goth himself, there wasn’t much room for me to intervene.
‘Icart will handle it well.’
He wasn’t chosen as the male lead for nothing—intelligent, rational, and even armed with power.
Even if something went wrong, he would ultimately resolve it.
Thinking that, I was about to dismiss the mission window when a sudden urgent sound rang:
Ding!
【SYSTEM: Some details of the mission “Who is the True Culprit?” have been updated.】
[☞Check Detailed Information☜]
What now?
When I clicked “Check Detailed Information,” I frowned.
[The mystery of the carriage explosion!
Thanks to protagonist bias, he survived, but it was a major incident where Icart almost died.
Amazingly, the culprit is pointed to be Count Vermon’s younger sister…
All her statements, evidence, and witnesses point to her.
But is she really cruel enough to kill her own brother?
Investigate the hidden truth behind this case and catch the real culprit.♥]
[Success reward: Benefactor of the Vermon family, Lucky Points Shop upgrade, Icart’s affection +30
Failure penalty: Grudge of Countess Goth, Tragic events +17]
‘What now?’
The same mission window, yet something had subtly changed.
For starters—
[All her statements, evidence, and witnesses point to her.]
A line had been added that made it impossible to accuse anyone but Countess Goth. Rewards and penalties had also been expanded.
‘Lucky Points Shop upgrade?’
The Lucky Points Shop was a kind of item shop, so an upgrade could be helpful.
Curiosity was piqued.
Another thing that caught my attention:
[Tragic events +17]
+17… not a percent. It felt strangely arbitrary, clearly a hastily prepared stat.
‘Whoever designed this mission needs to write a report.’
Either way, it seemed that failing to catch the real culprit would increase the likelihood of a tragic outcome.
“Hmmm.”
I was debating whether to accept the mission.
Ding!
【SYSTEM: Surprise discount available at the Lucky Points Shop!】
‘A surprise discount? Now?’
At this point, I was convinced.
The system window was aware of my reaction, subtly trying to coax me into accepting the mission.
I opened the Lucky Points Shop.
[▷▶Lucky Points Usage◀◁]
【Original Work Search】
[Description: Search for protagonist information, key events, branching points from the original story.]
[Cost: 250 Lucky Points per use]
【Check Expected Ending】
[Description: Check the expected ending based on current affection and branching decisions.]
[Cost: 300 Lucky Points per use → 100% special discount! Free]
【Peek Male Lead Keywords】
[Description: Check major keywords of the male lead to see compatibility with your keywords.]
[Cost: 400 Lucky Points per use]
Only one item was on special discount, completely free.
‘Even so, free…’
It felt overtly pushy, but not a bad deal.
Checking the expected ending was something I’d always been curious about.
It only predicted the ending based on the current situation, so it didn’t seem dangerous. It could even help me plan my future actions.
‘Whatever the system intends, I’ll try it.’
I made sure the physician’s attention was on Count Vermon, then sat on the empty bed.
【SYSTEM: Would you like to use “Check Expected Ending”?】
[▶Yes (0 Lucky Points)]
[▶No]
I selected Yes. Immediately, my vision blurred.
Zzzzt!
A noise like a broken television filled my ears, and then everything went dark like an old black-and-white film.
When light returned, bold letters appeared before me:
【Destruction Ending 62. Irrevocable Fall】
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The dull sound of a wooden hammer jolted me awake.
“Where… am I?”
Startled, I looked around. Beyond the brightly lit stage, a wide audience hall spread out.
The steeply sloped audience formed a semi-circle around the stage, reminiscent of an ancient acropolis.
The stage was brightly lit, but the seats were dark.
Elegantly dressed spectators held small placards, watching the stage intently. Their solemnity was overwhelming.
Then, a lively voice, entirely at odds with the atmosphere, echoed through the hall.
“The item we’ll present today is the highlight of this auction!”
A well-built man, seemingly the auctioneer, stepped onto the stage.
Lights followed him to the center, revealing a massive curtain hiding something behind him.
For a moment, the audience’s attention sharpened.
“This is an item that has stirred the world. I’m sure our esteemed guests have been waiting for it. I, too, am very excited. Without further delay, let’s proceed. Today’s final item is…”
With a flourish, the auctioneer spread his arms, and the violet curtain was drawn aside.
Behind it was a massive painting of a mansion.
Though just a painting, it was immediately recognizable. The familiar mansion was—
“The estate of the Duchy of Serteia!”
It was the symbol of our family—the Serteia family mansion.
“A mansion as glorious as the history of the empire itself. It was a place of long-standing honor, but alas, the gods of fate were not on Serteia’s side. After the heir’s death, reckless investments continued until it eventually fell into ruin.”
The auctioneer, speaking like a bard narrating a tragedy, suddenly changed his expression.
“Now, let the auction begin. Who will buy the estate of the Duchy of Serteia, a piece of the empire’s long history?”
Dun dun duuuun!