Chapter 247: The Testimonies of Suspects One and Two
At that moment, Ran Mouri and Sonoko Suzuki, who had been standing off to the side, couldn't help but turn their gazes toward Natsume. They both sensed a distinct shift in her demeanor; she had grown unusually quiet. The change had been immediate, occurring the very instant Barbara mentioned the "Holy Lyre der Himmel." Now, a subtle shadow of worry clouded her features, and her mood seemed to have soured.
In stark contrast to Natsume's quiet concern, the members of the Detective Boys were practically buzzing with excitement.
The name "Holy Lyre der Himmel" struck them as something out of a fairy tale, and such a beautiful name immediately captured their imaginations. The children swarmed around Barbara, their voices a chorus of eager chirps as they peppered her with questions about the legendary instrument.
"Sister Barbara, is the Holy Lyre really, really beautiful?" Genta asked, his eyes wide with curiosity.
Ayumi followed up, practically bouncing on her feet. "What color is it? Is it as pretty as the sky?"
Mitsuhiko, ever the intellectual, was more focused on its musical properties. "What kind of sound does a lyre like that make? Is there anything special about it?"
A warm smile graced Barbara's lips. She patiently answered each of their questions, clearly amused by their innocent and unrestrained enthusiasm.
Meanwhile, Conan stood quietly to the side, his gaze fixed thoughtfully on the scene unfolding between Barbara and the children. He had also keenly observed the change that came over Natsume. Her sudden silence, her withdrawn posture—it all began the second the lyre was mentioned. 'Is there something special about this instrument?' he wondered.
But Conan kept his suspicions to himself, tucking the observation away in the back of his mind for later.
"Hey, hey! This is an investigation scene," a sharp voice cut through the chatter. Heiji Hattori, who had been engrossed in examining the room, finally looked up, a frown creasing his brow. "Even if there were no casualties, Miss Barbara, you're still a suspect. It's not a good look to be so casual right now."
His intervention successfully shattered the lighthearted atmosphere, pulling everyone's focus back to the matter at hand.
"So," Heiji began, his expression turning serious as he addressed the three suspects, "I need each of you to explain why you entered this practice room." As he spoke, he shot a sideways glare at Conan, a flicker of annoyance in his eyes.
'What's gotten into Kudo?'he grumbled internally.'Usually, he's all over a case the second it drops, but today he's just spacing out.'
Heiji shot the boy detective another pointed look, a clear signal that it was time to get serious, before turning his full attention back to the suspects.
The first to be questioned was Mizuno Ai. She had been in the practice room with Nilou earlier. However, surveillance footage showed that Nilou had left at eleven o'clock, while Mizuno Ai remained inside for another fifteen minutes before departing.
Faced with the questioning stares of everyone present, Mizuno Ai crossed her arms, her brow furrowed in defiance. "What, can't I practice a little longer?!" she declared, her voice loud and confident. "Yes, I'm a bit jealous that Nilou dances better than me. But I just wanted to practice a few more times to try and close the gap. As for harming Nilou, I would never have such a malicious thought, okay!"
By now, Conan had shaken himself from his thoughts, refocusing his attention on the incident. He still knew far too little about Teyvat and its history; it was premature to get lost in speculation.
He listened to Mizuno Ai's testimony, studying her expression carefully. There wasn't the slightest hint of guilt or deceit in her eyes, which left him feeling puzzled.
'This girl doesn't seem to be hiding anything,'he mused.'Could it be that it really wasn't her?'
The others noted down her statement without further comment, their collective gaze shifting to the second suspect.
Suspect number two, Murata Yoko, was a staff member responsible for the preliminary stage design. She had entered the practice room five minutes after Mizuno Ai left and had stayed for approximately five minutes.
Being treated as a suspect had clearly rattled her. As all eyes fell upon her, Murata Yoko began to explain in a halting, uneasy voice. "I... I came here to find Miss Nilou to discuss the stage layout for her performance. We had some... disagreements when we discussed it yesterday. Miss Nilou's requirements were just too high. I... I really couldn't do it."
At this, Murata Yoko lowered her head, her shoulders slumping as if under a great weight. A moment of silence passed before she continued, her voice tinged with grievance. "So, I came over today just to find Miss Nilou and plead with her, to see if she could be less strict and lower the requirements a bit. It just so happened that the practice room was empty when I arrived, so I left."
Her words, heavy with implication, did not go unnoticed. Natsume's eyes narrowed, a flicker of displeasure crossing her face as she stared at the staff member.
Paimon, too, was incensed. "This Yoko person, was she just implying that Nilou was making things difficult for her?" she whispered indignantly to Natsume. "That's too much! Nilou has such a good personality; there's no way she would give someone a hard time for no reason. I think the culprit who wanted to hurt Nilou is this narrow-minded woman!"
Natsume gave a small, almost imperceptible nod, her silence a clear sign of her agreement.
[Inorin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me!
Want to read ahead on our official home, or unlock 50 advanced chapters (plus an Ad-Free experience) to feed your addiction? Help keep this shameless translator alive here:
(P.S. Replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
🌐 Official Website: elysianreads[.]com
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters & Ad-Free): patreon[.]com/InorinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/InorinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]