Scarlet Moon Goddess Irina

"Goodness, why would Mr. Robony choose to commit suicide? In the past, he was clearly such a cheerful man—his smile is unforgettable, and I cannot accept his death."

"Why would our mentor choose such a path? What could have happened to him? Even if he had faced tremendous setbacks, he should not have given up on life so easily."

"I just can't accept it. Mr. Robony was such an amusing person, always joking with everyone. And yet, he is just gone… just like that?"

Murmurs erupted around the room, creating an atmosphere of chaos and confusion. What was supposed to be a celebratory banquet had turned into a death scene that no one could bear to accept.

"Ladies and gentlemen," began the lead officer, Grace Minternerva, in a measured tone, "although this is an extremely tragic event, I urge everyone to remain calm for now. I will be asking each of you a few questions in turn, and I kindly request your full cooperation with our investigation."

At his words, the assembled guests nodded silently.

The first to be taken aside was Mr. Robony's wife, Aileen Traal—a middle-aged woman who still retained a hint of her former beauty. Once vibrant in her youth, she now appeared distracted and unsteady as she followed Grace into an adjacent room for questioning.

Irina tugged at Feilin's maid outfit and, as Feilin leaned in, whispered, "Feilin, do you have any idea what happened?"

In a similarly hushed tone, Feilin replied, "Perhaps Mr. Robony encountered something so devastating that he chose to end his life."

Feilin wasn't very familiar with Robony and could only offer a simple judgment.

"You mean he committed suicide? But I just don't think it fits…" Irina murmured. She recalled the vacant look in Robony's eyes at the moment of his death—as if even he hadn't expected it. Yet, the dagger was undoubtedly the one he plunged into his own heart. How else can it be explained?

"Not suicide? Could it be murder instead? Your Highness, you're overthinking," Feilin shook her head. She believed it was a clear case of suicide.

Irina said no more, her eyes flickering with uncertainty.

Before long, Grace finished questioning Mrs. Traal and then summoned Robony's protégé, Frederick, for questioning. Next came another instructor from the Foreign Languages Department, Scandine, and a student who had studied under Robony the longest, Lomingfu. When it was time to call the fifth person, Grace's gaze fell upon Irina.

"Princess from the Kingdom of Moonlight, may I ask you a question? I realize this may be rather presumptuous, but in accordance with my duty, I must. Please forgive me," Grace said apologetically and with the demeanor of a true gentleman.

"Yes, I would like to know the truth behind Mr. Robony's death," Irina replied, nodding and rising to her feet.

The truth?

Grace regarded Irina thoughtfully. Everyone else assumed Robony had taken his own life, yet this young lady used the word "truth"—a term that wouldn't be necessary if it were a simple suicide.

At that moment, Irina followed Grace into a nearby office, now empty of bystanders.

After inviting Irina to sit at a table, Grace took the seat opposite her. A pen rested atop a notebook in front of him. Once seated, he flipped through the pages—skipping four—until he reached the fifth page.

"Your Highness, may I ask: how well did you know Mentor Robony Traal?" Grace asked, pen in hand and ready to record her answer.

"We aren't exactly close. Including this meeting, this is the fifth time we've met—fourth time was just this morning when he invited me to tonight's banquet. As for the previous three meetings, there were two instances where we barely exchanged words, and only once did we exchange greetings," Irina replied calmly.

"And what kind of person do you think Mentor Robony was?" he inquired.

"Um… he appeared very refined…" Irina answered.

Grace continued with his questions, and soon all necessary inquiries were completed.

After a short while, Grace put down his pen and smiled. "Very well, Princess, that will be all for now. You may return."

But Irina did not move. Instead, she fixed her gaze on Grace and asked, "Mr. Grace, do you know who the murderer is?"

"Murderer?" Grace paused, his hand momentarily halting its motion as he was about to close his notebook. He looked at Irina and asked, "Princess, why do you believe there is a murderer involved in this case? No matter how you look at it, it appears to be nothing more than a suicide, doesn't it?"

Irina shook her head. "No, this is a homicide—the murderer is right here at the scene!"

Grace smiled gently. "Your Highness, your concern regarding this matter is far greater than I had anticipated. But you mentioned that you were not particularly close with Mentor Robony, so why are you so deeply troubled by his death? Oh, forgive my words—I suppose you simply have a compassionate heart. If that is the case, please forgive me."

Irina sighed as she looked at Grace, not giving his strange tone much weight. Perhaps, in others' eyes, it would be odd for her to insist that this case is murder rather than suicide.

"Please do not misunderstand, Mr. Grace," Irina said calmly, "as I suspected, I believe the murderer is present at the scene. This indicates that the murderer is one of us from Silverleaf Academy. If you classify this case as suicide, then the murderer would be free to roam. And for those of us at Silverleaf Academy, having to coexist closely with the murderer would be extremely dangerous. We can never assume that someone who has killed once will not kill again."

As Irina spoke, Minternerva unconsciously tapped his fingers on the desk.

Once Irina finished speaking, Grace withdrew his hand, interlaced his fingers with his thumbs touching, rested his elbows on the desk, and asked, "Then, Princess, who do you believe the murderer is?"

Irina pressed her lips together and said, "Sir, I am not entirely sure—it's just a rough guess. However, if you could show me the interrogation records of the others, I might be able to piece together a clearer picture from what I already suspect."

"Princess, the testimonies of the others are not available for public viewing—that is a regulation of the Security Bureau," Grace replied with a wry smile.

"But you are not just any officer. Shouldn't you be exempt from such rules?" Irina looked pointedly at him.

Grace's eyes flashed as he replied, "What do you mean by that, Princess? How could I not be an officer? You should know that I am not only an officer but also the head of the investigative team for this case."