Chevreuse said that not long ago, she had sent the Rainbow Rose from the crime scene (the copycat case) to Emilie.
According to Emilie's conclusion, this particular Rainbow Rose was an extremely rare variety.
Paimon, as usual, started joking around. "Rainbow Roses have different varieties? Aren't these flowers everywhere in the wild in Fontaine?"
"Any flower will show differences between artificial cultivation and natural growth conditions."
Chevreuse explained patiently.
They had already known at the crime scene that the flowers were an artificially cultivated variety.
This time, Emilie used her professional expertise to help the Special Patrol Team narrow down the search range even further.
After cross-referencing purchase records, the Special Patrol Team discovered that only one person in all of Fontaine grew this specific variety of Rainbow Rose.
[Uh… this is way too coincidental, isn't it?]
[It does feel overly coincidental.]
Although the fact that someone was growing these flowers was already lucky, the identity of the person growing them was even more unexpected.
Because the person growing these flowers was none other than the original author of The Two Musketeers.
Chevreuse still stood by her opinion — she still didn't believe the author had ever killed anyone.
But that didn't mean the culprit had never been to his house, or that he had never sold his roses to the culprit.
[Oh no, why do I feel like it really is the author himself?]
[Premeditated crime, huh?]
["Based on a true story"]
But no matter what, an interrogation of this writer was unavoidable.
The group continued forward and arrived halfway up the mountain.
The house at the foot of the mountain belonged to the author.
Even Paimon could immediately notice how strange this place was.
What normal person needed so many security mechanisms patrolling day and night?
"According to what he said the last time I met him, he claimed it was to avoid being disturbed."
Chevreuse explained.
"But precisely because of that, anyone who could obtain those flowers must have a very close relationship with the author."
To be safe, Chevreuse decided to deal with the security mechanisms using her musket first.
— — — — — —
Little Gui looked confused. "Why isn't Mu Yang doing anything this time? Is everyone just slacking off now?"
[No, this is the security team enforcing the law. Why would you get involved?]
[Yeah, what if you break something and they make you pay for it?]
[Mu Yang really thought it through.]
[Isn't it just because the streamer is too lazy? She's just clicking the mouse and still complaining here.]
"This isn't just a few clicks of the mouse, okay? You still have to aim properly!"
Guinaifen's mouth was the toughest part of her entire body.
— — — — — —
"Done. Let's go."
"Wait, wait, wait. Just thinking that there might still be a murderer inside makes me nervous. Tell me again — what are we supposed to do?"
Paimon was getting anxious.
She was either starving or something. Not to mention they had a Special Patrol Team captain with them — with Mu Yang and Lumine's level, they had already taken down the All-Devouring Narwhal and Rene's transcendent will.
And she was worried about some novel-imitating murderer???
Don't be ridiculous!
What she should be worried about was the possibility that the culprit would suddenly rush out, get instantly killed by the overly reactive group, and then they'd have no way to prove anything…
Chevreuse said the plan was simple. She would go knock on the door and ask questions.
Lumine could help steal one Rainbow Rose.
As for Paimon and Mu Yang, they just needed to stay in the distance.
Obedient Mu Yang followed the arrangement and stayed halfway up the mountain.
Chevreuse walked through the flower field and rang the author's doorbell.
"Mr. Baptiste, are you home?"
A voice from inside answered, "It's so late…"
Before he could finish, he recognized Chevreuse's voice and opened the door to welcome her.
Chevreuse didn't waste time with pleasantries. "Mr. Baptiste, would you mind coming with me to the Garde? There are still some questions about the case I need to ask you."
"Is it still about that musket murder case from last time?"
"I can't comment on that for now."
"That means it is."
"Mr. Baptiste, what is your answer?"
Baptiste sighed. "Sigh… Miss Chevreuse, let me save you some trouble. And that person over there can also save herself the effort of picking flowers. These buds haven't reached the blooming stage yet."
Lumine stopped what she was doing and stood up. She looked left and right, covered her mouth with an awkward smile, and scratched her head…
[Don't be ridiculous, miHoYo. Lumine the "scholar," huh?]
[You did all these actions just to make a meme?!]
[You know what, it actually made me laugh.]
[Sister can never go back to being the sweet girl at Wangshu Inn.]
[miHoYo, you ruined my sister, wuwuwu.]
"What do you mean by 'save the effort'…?"
"I'm the one who killed them," Baptiste admitted directly.
He raised both hands. "Everyone, relax. I'm not carrying any weapons. The gun is buried in the backyard."
Chevreuse's expression was serious. "I have a duty to remind you, Mr. Baptiste — every word you say right now will become important evidence in court."
"I know that."
"I hate this feeling." There was no joy of solving the case on Chevreuse's face.
"Do you hate that I confessed, or do you hate that you were wrong?" Baptiste seemed determined to pin the crime on himself and started saying some arrogant things.
He claimed that his motive for the crime was the same as what he wrote in the novel — revenge.
He would never forget that person's face.
"He's the one who killed my mother."
Chevreuse reminded him, "Your mother is still alive and well today."
"You know I was adopted. Of course I'm talking about my biological mother."
None of this was written in the orphanage records.
Of course Chevreuse didn't know.
Watching his mother die in front of him was enough to teach a six-year-old child to use lies to protect himself.
Although the novel had been artistically processed, what happened in reality wasn't much different.
Baptiste was the illegitimate son of a wealthy man.
That wealthy man had killed his mother.
Chevreuse was confused. "The person you killed didn't have money."
"He was a killer hired with money — a beast who attacked a defenseless mother for Mora."
Chevreuse still didn't believe him. She felt that if this were true, Baptiste shouldn't be saying these things.
Because the real mastermind behind everything — that wealthy man — was still alive.
"…Haha. I never thought I'd hear words like this from a Special Patrol Team captain."
What Chevreuse wanted wasn't just to solve the case — she wanted the truth.
Her intuition told her that Baptiste was lying.
"I'm very suspicious of your motives," Chevreuse said bluntly.
"It's simple. I'm tired. I don't want to carry all of this anymore."
Baptiste admitted it honestly. Maybe he didn't look like the type who would dare pull a trigger.
But now he understood that everything that came after pulling the trigger was the real torment.
"You're just giving up on your revenge like that?"
"That person has too much power and too much money. I know very well that I can't complete my revenge alone."
At this moment, Chevreuse — who was supposed to be on the side of justice — was actually trying to persuade the "murderer."
"So what? That's not what you wrote in your book."