Chapter 134: Initial Clues Emerging

Every nerve in Luo Hanyan’s body tightened. He pricked up his ears like a sensitive hound, searching for the source of the sound. Yet, regrettably, apart from the chiming of the clock and the rustling of the ivy outside the wall, no other sound reached him. Instead, a wave of heavy drowsiness washed over him, as if the system were urging him to go to bed and sleep.
…………
The next morning, when the first ray of sunlight pierced through the ancient manor, the morning scenery awoke, simultaneously rousing Luo Hanyan from his deep sleep.

Gazing upon the fresh and beautiful morning scenery, the terror and gloom that had gripped Luo Hanyan upon his first arrival at Bach Manor were somewhat dispelled.

"Good morning, Mr. Han."

Sir Bach raised his fork casually, inviting Luo Hanyan to sit down and join him for breakfast.

At this moment, the sunlight filtered through the high lattice windows, casting pale and feeble shafts of colored light through the coat-of-arms-shaped windowpanes, while the dark wood-paneled walls glowed with a bronze-like sheen in the golden morning light.

"Oh! What an incredible place! Is this really the same room that cast such a shadow over my heart last night? It's simply unbelievable!" Sir Bach exclaimed in wonder.

"I suppose we can only blame ourselves for that, not the house!" Luo Hanyan said lightly.

"Indeed, back then, due to the gathering dusk and the cold, we formed an unpleasant impression of this place. Now that our minds and bodies have been refreshed, we feel cheerful once again."

"However, it is not merely a matter of imagination," Luo Hanyan said, raising an eyebrow and lowering his voice. "For instance, did you hear someone—a woman, I presume—crying in the night?"

"How strange, I did indeed hear crying when I was half asleep and half awake. I was startled, sat up, and waited for a long time, but heard nothing more, so I concluded it must have been a dream."

"Sir, I heard it quite clearly. It was by no means a dream, and I can say with certainty that it was a woman's weeping."

"Then it is quite simple; we can clear the matter up at once." Sir Bach smiled lightly, rang the bell to summon Remor, and asked him whether he could offer any explanation for the crying that had suddenly occurred in the middle of the night.

Luo Hanyan keenly observed that upon hearing his master's question, the butler's pale face turned even paler.

"Sir Henry, there are only two women in this house," he replied. "One is the maid, who sleeps in the opposite wing; the other is my wife. But I can assure you that the weeping certainly did not come from her."

"Look, what did I tell you? It was just a dream. We must have been far too exhausted yesterday to have had such a strange dream, and coincidentally the exact same one at that."

"Ahem..." Luo Hanyan was drinking his morning tea and nearly choked. He forced himself to swallow the tea just in time to avoid making a spectacle of himself, while inwardly he was already cursing up a storm. He simply could not understand why the newly minted baronet before him would so easily trust his servant and come up with such a seemingly plausible excuse...

"Sir Bach, I believe this was by no means a dream. That crying woman definitely exists," Luo Hanyan said bluntly.

"Remor is an old fixture of this estate; he has been here for decades. I trust his character; he would not lie."

"Sir!..."

"Sit down, Mr. Han! Remember that you are a gentleman! Do not lose your composure like this!" Sir Bach said sternly.

"Sir Bach! Please understand, I did not come here to keep you company while you drink tea and eat meals; I came to ensure your survival and break the curse of this place! I am a detective, and I have the right to suspect anyone here. For the sake of your life and safety, please cooperate with me, won't you?" Luo Hanyan refused to yield, speaking with righteous severity.

"You..." Sir Bach's expression shifted. Seemingly remembering that terrifying curse once more, his imposing manner instantly collapsed, and he slumped heavily back against the sofa.

"Remor, bring your wife and the maid here."

"My lord!" Remor's expression changed abruptly as he looked nervously at Sir Bach.

"Go on. I trust that you would not lie, so what harm is there in proving it to this detective?"

Remor opened his mouth as though he had something to say, but swallowed the words back down. He lowered his head and walked toward the door.

"As you wish. Let us hope your needless nervousness yields some harvest for us," Sir Bach said gloomily with a sneer.

" Trust me, you won't be saying that much longer." Luo Hanyan stared straight into Sir Bach's eyes and said proudly, "I am not one of those good-for-nothings at Scotland Yard. All you need to do right now is cooperate with me and wait for the case to be solved."

"I suppose I understand now why you are so unpopular among your peers."
…………
Remor quickly returned to the dining table accompanied by his wife and the maid. The maid was utterly ordinary—so ordinary that after glancing at her several times, one still could not recall what her face looked like.

Remor's wife, however, left a deep impression. She was of sturdy build, cold in demeanor, somewhat plump, with a stern expression at the corners of her mouth. The sunlight happened to fall upon her face, and her eyes were unmistakably red—swollen to such a degree that it was utterly impossible to conceal.

Without a doubt, she was the one who had been crying last night. And her husband must have known the reason, yet he had risked discovery to deny the fact outright. Why on earth would he do such a thing?

"Well, look at that." Luo Hanyan curled his lip, a dangerous gleam flashing in his narrowed eyes as he said to Sir Bach, "Now you must believe me."

Sir Bach sat dumbfounded, his face flushing crimson, rendered speechless with anger for a long time.

"My lord, I..." Remor's face turned ashen. "I have failed you. I shall leave at once."

"Leave? Where do you think you're going?" Luo Hanyan sprang to his feet, drew the revolver from his inner pocket, and aimed it at Remor, who was attempting to leave.

Shifting the perspective back to the previous night, after Luo Hanyan had returned to his room, he had carefully organized his luggage. In his suitcase, he had discovered a revolver, fifteen rounds of ammunition, a pair of white gloves, a set of night-walking clothes, and a bottle of pills for treating heart disease.

Luo Hanyan had loaded the revolver fully and placed it in his left pocket, put the pills in his right pocket, and then returned the remaining ten bullets, the clothes, and the gloves to the suitcase.

It was evident that the body he now inhabited likely suffered from sudden heart attacks, and he had to carry the pills with him at all times just in case.

As for this revolver, it gave him a sense of reliance in this utterly insecure place, for after all, bullets were sometimes the most dependable things of all.