The group arrived at the study, which was guarded by two police officers.
The moment she saw Yuu Hoshimiya enter, Sakurako Yonehara lowered her head.
She didn't even dare to make eye contact with Shizuka Hattori or the other women.
In truth, she held a tiny grudge; Yuu had made her panties soaking wet just a moment ago.
Because of the police presence, she hadn't dared to return to her room to change, and could only sneakily use a hairdryer to dry them. It was beyond humiliating!
Seeing Sakurako acting like a timid quail, Yuu chuckled inwardly but kept a straight face. His gaze shifted to the three people surrounding Serika Wakamatsu.
Ikuro Wakamatsu had only just died, yet these four were already hard at work—truly "diligent" beyond belief.
The gray-haired Manager Shiina offered a brief explanation.
"This is a design proposal for a major client, and the deadline is tonight.
Their requirements are strict; we have to select the most suitable one from the company's fifty backup options, so we have to work overtime.
We've already cleared this with the police; working in the study won't interfere with the investigation."
Yuu remarked with a light smile, "It seems Ikuro Wakamatsu's character was truly lacking. Not a single one of you seems sad that he's gone."
Sumio Fujinami, the pockmarked man with yellow hair, looked up and spoke without filters. "Of course. That spoiled brat spent his days acting like a tyrant at the company. He was just a low-level clerk but used his status to boss everyone around. I've hated him for a long time."
"It's better that he's dead. Working under him was honestly worse than dying."
Yuu finally understood why this guy had been fired from so many companies. With a mouth like that, who wouldn't fire him?
He was a complete idiot; based on those words alone, the police could easily bump his suspicion level up a notch.
The ever-righteous Sakurako couldn't help but snap, "Enough, Mr. Fujinami! Stop talking like that."
"I know Young Master Ikuro was distant with you, but he's just passed away. His body isn't even cold. We should respect the dead. How can you say such horrible things?"
Sakurako then cast a fearful glance around the room. "What if his ghost is wandering around right now? What if he follows you home?"
Fujinami's face turned pale instantly. He suddenly felt a cold draft behind him and stammered, "D-don't talk nonsense! Ghosts? I don't believe in that junk!"
Serika Wakamatsu, who was occasionally licking her index finger to turn pages, stopped and spoke up. "Both of you, pipe down."
"Sakurako, go brew some more tea. We have many proposals to get through, and we need to stay sharp."
Hearing her mistress's order, Sakurako gave an obedient reply and turned to leave.
But as she passed Yuu Hoshimiya, her body stiffened.
The back of her neck flushed red instantly as she quickened her pace out the door.
Yuu had surreptitiously given her a firm squeeze—the elasticity was top-notch!
Next, Secretary Satake, dressed in her OL suit and glasses, adjusted her frames and addressed Yuu.
"Consultant Hoshimiya, I'm afraid we don't have time to answer your questions right now. Not until we finalize this proposal."
She then turned to Serika. "President, the remaining proposals are all in the digital files. We need you to confirm them one by one on the screen."
The withered Serika frowned as she put on her glasses, complaining, "I told you I'm no good with computers. Next time, remember to print them out."
Seeing that everything was proceeding as he anticipated, Yuu didn't linger in the study and stepped back out.
The moment he reached the hallway, Masumi Sera appeared, grabbing his large hand and leading him further into the corridor.
"Sensei, come with me. I've found something."
They soon reached the door to Ikuro Wakamatsu's room. A forensics officer was crouching down, collecting data from the doorknob.
"The 'evil fruit' planted at the beginning—was it this? The poison on the doorknob? The moment Ikuro Wakamatsu walked out of his room, his hands were coated in poison."
"No matter what he ate, as long as he used his bare hands to put it in his mouth, he was doomed. So there was never any poison on the cake at all."
"The killer dropped the capsule in the teacup just to mislead us, making us think the poisoning happened in the living room, right?"
Yuu showed a satisfied expression, reaching out to ruffle the girl's wavy black hair.
"Excellent. You truly deserve your reputation as a famous high school detective. You're much more perceptive than Heiji and the others."
Hearing the praise, Masumi's eyes crinkled into crescent moons, looking thoroughly delighted by the head-pat.
"Not at all! You're the one who's amazing, Sensei. You saw through the trick from the start, didn't you?"
Yuu asked, "So, does Masumi know how to identify the killer?"
Masumi turned to the forensics officer with a confident air.
"Excuse me, sir. Is there a gap of about ten centimeters on the floor where no poison was detected?"
The forensics officer nodded. "Yes. How did you know?"
The smugness on the girl's face grew even more apparent.
"Because it was blocked by the killer's slippers. When the poison powder was sprinkled, it landed on the slippers, naturally leaving a ten-centimeter void on the floor."
"Therefore, all we need to do is test everyone's slippers. The pair with the poison reaction belongs to the killer."
"Sensei, you'd better have my gift ready!"
Yuu nodded approvingly. "It seems this case really couldn't stump Masumi."
"But since we're already at the door, why not go inside and investigate a bit more?"
Masumi followed his lead and pulled Yuu into the room.
The door slammed shut with a loud bang, causing the forensics officer to wobble in his crouch. He looked up with a flash of annoyance.
Fortunately, the evidence had already been collected and photographed, or those poison samples would have been ruined.
Inside the room, Masumi activated her detective mode, focusing on the investigation.
Yuu watched from the side; he had already done everything he needed to do.
The girl's gaze soon settled on a computer in standby mode. It required a password. She leaned down to inspect the keyboard.
Standing behind her, a smile curled on Yuu's lips.
He hadn't expected an extra surprise.
Mmm, pale yellow. Quite cute. It fit Masumi's energetic personality perfectly.
After a brief appreciation, Yuu shifted his gaze.
He hadn't intended to look.
And to be honest, there wasn't much to see; everything was visible at a glance.
He moved to Masumi's side.
However, she didn't seem to need a hint. Masumi noticed the oily residue on the number pad and began her trial and error.
On only her third attempt, the computer unlocked.
She began searching for useful information.
As reports of embezzled funds and records of extravagant spending appeared, Masumi's eyes grew brighter. It seemed the mystery of the Karuizawa villa was also being unraveled.
Then, she clicked on several video files. Her expression shifted instantly, and she turned the volume down to the lowest setting.
The girl's pupils contracted violently, filled with pure indignation.
"Scum... absolute trash! How can people be like this? How could they do such things?"
"Sensei, was the Karuizawa case committed by the mother and son together?"
Yuu nodded. "I just had an officer from Nagano check. The luminol results are in. The dying message left behind was 'Son'—meaning Ikuro Wakamatsu."
"According to Sakurako's testimony, the person who appeared in the bathroom afterward was Serika Wakamatsu. She sent Sakurako away, and the dying message vanished."
"The truth is self-evident. With that poisonous woman and her traitorous son, such an act isn't surprising."
"Kohei Wakamatsu was a man with a flawed personality. He couldn't handle intimate family relationships, yet he possessed extraordinary design talent. With the help of his friend Masashige Shiina, his career flourished."
"But the level of abuse he suffered from that pair was truly unexpected."
Looking at the video of Kohei Wakamatsu kneeling at a door for hours, being beaten and cursed at, suffering the humiliation of his wife and son without a shred of resistance, Yuu actually felt a bit of pity for the man.
Pity the unfortunate, but hate their weakness!
He was the head of the household, yet he was trampled upon by his wife and stepson, who were in an incestuous, colluding relationship. It was revolting!
Those videos were more graphic and depraved than most Japanese adult films, enough to spark a towering rage in anyone.
This family was truly twisted!
Ikuro Wakamatsu—a shut-in NEET and a parasite on society—held the power of life and death in the house like a demon king.
His stepmother, Serika, relied on him.
Meanwhile, Kohei Wakamatsu—a social elite and company president—suffered from a personality defect that made him endure his son's insults in silence, not daring to fight back.
Sakurako's understanding of the Wakamatsu family was purely superficial.
But that was normal. Most of what she knew came from her late mother, who obviously wouldn't have told her these things.
Sakurako herself had been the housekeeper here for less than three months, and during that time, she had even taken a part-time gig at the Itou house through the union.
At night, Sakurako returned to her own rented apartment, so she was naturally unaware of the filth hidden in the darkness.
What Sakurako perceived as "arguments" were actually one-sided verbal assaults against Kohei.
Kohei Wakamatsu's personality—a mix of social withdrawal and a people-pleasing complex—was an extreme and rare form of weakness.
When Sakurako's mother was alive and serving as the housekeeper, she was the one who protected Kohei.
Because Kohei was close to Sakurako's mother, he had been so kind to Sakurako.
It was in the years following her mother's death, when the house had no regular housekeeper, that the situation devolved so rapidly.
Weakness only serves to empower evil!
And some people are born malicious. Ikuro Wakamatsu was a prime example.
Actually, Ikuro hadn't wanted to kill his father; having a man like that earning money to fund his lifestyle was ideal.
But the amount he was embezzling grew too large and was eventually discovered by Manager Shiina.
That was the real cause of the argument between Shiina and Kohei Wakamatsu.
Kohei was weak, and Ikuro thought he could control him.
But Manager Shiina was a normal person and a high-ranking executive.
The fat NEET was a coward who only bullied the weak; he cowered when faced with an outsider.
So, at his stepmother's birthday party, he took a dagger and threatened his father, demanding he fire the manager.
But Kohei and Shiina had been friends for decades—they were best friends.
Most of the company's success was credited to the manager's external handling; Kohei would never fire him.
So, Kohei ignored his son's threats, turning his back to continue tiling the bathroom.
Ignored, Ikuro's rage boiled over. He conceived the plan to kill his father and inherit the company, and he carried it out.
That was the origin of the tragedy at the Karuizawa villa!
After hearing Yuu's explanation, Masumi could barely contain her fury.
"Sensei, I don't want to investigate anymore. That scum deserved to die, and that old hag deserves it too."
Yuu gently stroked Masumi's back, soothing her. "The case still needs to be investigated. But how we 'solve' it is a matter of technique. One must learn to be flexible."
"Masumi, do you know why I say you have great potential?"
"You've suffered much since childhood, yet you aren't cynical. You are kind, resilient, and brave."
"You've lived in many countries and believe in the law, yet you aren't a pedant."
"You aren't restricted by dogma. You're far superior to Heiji or Shinichi in that regard. To me, that means you have infinite potential."
At these words, Masumi's anger vanished, replaced by a bashful flush. She stammered, "Sensei... am I really as good as you say?"
It was a rare sight to see the tomboyish JK beauty acting so coy!
And what's with that pigeon-toed stance?
Yuu chuckled, rubbing Masumi's head.
"Remember, if you want to use your intellect as a weapon—especially against clever opponents—you cannot have any mental restrictions. You cannot be bound by dogma. Only with a mind free of shackles can you truly dominate the board!"
Masumi stared at Yuu blankly, seemingly beginning to understand his meaning.
"Alright, enough lecturing."
"The information on this computer is useful. Just give it to the police directly. When you make your 'deduction,' try not to use it, or it might end up hurting people who don't deserve it."
"Let's go. We have some slippers to find!"
Masumi followed Yuu out obediently.
They stepped into the hallway and ran right into Kazuha.
"Yuu-sensei! Masumi! I was just looking for you. Inspector Megure wants everyone in the living room for a re-enactment. Everyone is waiting!"
The three of them headed down the corridor. But as they passed the study guarded by the police, Yuu heard a dull thud from inside.
He asked, "Did you hear something fall? Is there someone in there?"
Kazuha replied, "Mrs. Wakamatsu said she wasn't feeling well. Since she didn't touch the cake, she said she wouldn't participate in the re-enactment and stayed inside alone."
Yuu knocked on the door immediately. Receiving no response, he turned the handle.
There lay the withered Serika Wakamatsu, collapsed on the floor, her eyes wide as if she died in agony.
The two officers guarding the study turned pale. One took off toward the living room to get Inspector Megure.
Masumi was the first to enter, and she immediately smelled that familiar scent of bitter almonds.
No examination was necessary; the cause of death was obvious.
Yuu walked to the girl's side and teased, "Masumi, I didn't know you had the power of 'Spirit Speech.' You just said she deserved to die, and now she's gone and dropped dead for you."