Chapter 208 Case File 3: The Mysterious Dinner Party at Rose Villa (12)
It was already 7:15 pm when Takumiu received the advance notice of the dinner. Following the seating arrangement the butler had given her, she and Leila were setting up the banquet hall with plates and cutlery, as well as the first appetizer: witch finger cookies.
A thick layer of rose petals was placed on the small silver plate in front of each guest. Five "fingers" of different lengths were arranged in the shape of a "hand" and then drizzled with a little rose jam. It looked like bloody fingers cut off from some unlucky person.
Takuyu used a toothpick to draw the wrinkles of the skin on the finger biscuits. The baked color and the fine lines unique to the shrinkage of the dough also added some texture to the skin.
There are two versions for the nails: for guests who have no dietary restrictions, the one is made of roasted almonds. The round part of the almond is the nail root, and the pointed part is just right to become the witch's sharp nails.
And Baron Chandler's version is different. His witch nails are dried cranberries, which look like the fingers of a witch with ruby red manicure.
Jiang You was quite satisfied with his work, and then he heard from the housekeeper who came hurriedly that there was one less guest.
"Huh?!" Jiang You was shocked by the skull face: "Do we still need to serve the dishes that have already been prepared for him?"
"Madam means that since the dishes are ready, you should serve them all so that your hard work will not be in vain," said the housekeeper.
Baron Chandler's accident happened at 5:22 p.m. The butler started running around the manor after receiving the notice from Madame Butterfly at 5:30 p.m., and finally gathered the guests scattered throughout the manor and the valley. When he looked at the time, it was already 7 p.m.
Butler: “…” In this case, what difference does it make whether the dinner is held earlier or not?
However, the boss's words made his subordinates run around. Although there was a slight discrepancy between reality and ideal, the workers still had ways to deal with it. After the housekeeper confirmed with Jiangyou that the dishes were basically ready, he still moved the meal time forward to 7:30 in the evening.
——Workers only need to complete the boss's orders. As for whether doing so is meaningless, that is not something that a housekeeper at this salary level should consider.
The guests entered the restaurant one after another, and Andre and Winston, who had just completed the on-site investigation and collected the bodies, also returned.
The two men had already washed the dirt from their hands and whispered for a while before going their separate ways. Winston slid gracefully into his seat while Andre went into the kitchen.
"Hey! Andre, you're back!" Jiang You's eyes lit up when he saw the black-haired knight. "What happened? The butler said Baron Chandler is dead?!"
"Yes, someone ground roasted almonds into powder and sprinkled it on the roses, and the Baron inhaled and touched them," André said. "His allergy attack was severe and rapid, and it was fatal."
"Eh? Roasted almonds?"
"What? Has anyone ordered this?" Andre asked vigilantly.
"That afternoon, that golden-haired Count Valentine came over to ask for food," said Jiang You. "We bumped into each other and knocked over two bottles of white pepper! Then he took away a lot of witch finger cookies. The nail part of the cookie is roasted almonds."
"Can anyone else get the roasted almonds besides him?"
"That's all," said Jiang You. "But roasted almonds are certainly not something unusual. Perhaps the murderer prepared them himself?"
Andrei silently noted down this information - Valentine was suspicious? He would have to keep a close eye on him.
Jiangyou was busy serving the dishes and only had time to pull Andre over and whisper to him a few words about what Leila said about the young master and the princess giving him to a count for adoption. Andre's eyes moved slightly and he felt that Valentine was even more suspicious.
"What's wrong?" Jiang You couldn't help but ask curiously when he saw his expression.
"Valentin's father, the previous Earl of Rosewood, was also a playboy," Andre said concisely. "He never married, but he had countless lovers. It is said that Valentine was the son of one of them..."
"You mean..." Jiang You's gossip spirit suddenly ignited, "Valentine is the young master who peed high in the mouth that Leila mentioned?"
Andrei coughed violently. He felt that the playboy image of Valentine left in his memory seemed to have disappeared in an instant.
What's up with this little bone?
Why can she always change the tone of a serious and solemn thing with just a few words?
Andre was puzzled, but Little Bone was always weird and unique, which was not the point to be discussed now.
"The key point is that Count Valentine's age is close to the theoretical age of the princess's descendants. We suspect that the princess gave birth to her offspring a few years before her death.
"Although we haven't found the exact time record, Valentine was no more than 26 or 27 years old, which is roughly consistent with this estimated range."
Jiang You said, "Huh?" "Are you all about the same age?"
"Yes," Andrei admitted. "Thirty years ago, there was a great battle against the Rock and Iron Giants on the border. The situation was dire, and many princes and nobles either fled in haste or requested orders to lead troops into battle. Many couples were separated as a result.
"The war took two or three years to settle, and too many people died, leaving behind many orphans. The hard-earned peace also brought many people together again.
"Being near death, experiencing separation and loss, can change the minds of many couples and lead to more children being born. I am one of them."
"Oh! It's the baby boomer!" Jiangyou said knowingly.
Andre: “……?” I’ve never heard of this expression, but I think it’s a pretty accurate description.
He coughed. "Anyway, a son whose mother is unknown, yet acknowledged by Earl Rosewood, whose age and background are similar to Leila's story... plus, he took the almond cookies. All of this is very suspicious."
"Oh!" Takumi placed the last serving of spicy plasma deviled eggs on a tray and had the servant bring it out. "He had the opportunity and the means to commit a crime. So, what was his motive for killing Baron Chandler?"
Andrei was stunned for a moment. "How would I know such a thing? Maybe it's because the former Baron Chand wrote something about his life in his notes, and he wants to bury this secret forever?"
Jiang You scratched his head. "But if he's a descendant of the former royal family, wouldn't that be a good thing? Wouldn't that mean he could inherit the vast unclaimed property of the Delman royal family and even have a chance to compete for the throne?"
Andrei was silent for a moment. "That's not necessarily true. Opportunities may exist, but there will only be more troubles... The relationships involved are very complicated."
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