"Mm, very well…"
Neuvillette tapped his cane against the floor.
"Just now, the Gardes contacted me with new investigative findings."
"Please come to the center of the stage and present your report."
A Garde stepped forward.
"Thank you, Chief Justice. Just moments ago, we continued our inspection of the involved parties' belongings…"
"And in Lyney's luggage, we found the same Primordial Sea Water that was discovered in Cowell's possession!"
Lyney's eyes went wide.
"W-What?!"
Lynette quickly spoke up.
"That's impossible!"
Furina let out a laugh, her hand over her mouth.
"Hahaha… What a dramatic twist—ammunition meant for a counterattack nearly turned into a fatal blow instead…"
"Now then, doesn't this resolve all remaining doubts?"
"Wouldn't you agree, dear Garde~?"
The Garde's pupils shrank slightly, but he forced a calm expression.
"I don't know what you mean, Lady Furina."
Furina sneered.
"Hmph. Acting in front of me? You still think you can lie your way out of this?"
"All this back-and-forth… I'm sure the audience is exhausted by now. Wouldn't everyone prefer one last magic show?"
"After all, magic is most adept at misdirection, isn't it? It hides the truth and presents a delightful illusion."
"But when everyone believes the illusion is the truth, perhaps magic can reveal what truly lies behind the curtain."
"…And that kind of magic—that's what deserves the title of 'grand finale,' don't you think?"
"A magic trick that brings back the 'vanished' girl right before our eyes. I'm counting on you, Mr. Lyney."
Lyney chuckled and clapped his hands.
"Understood. The real performance begins!"
With a crisp snap of his fingers, smoke billowed across the stage.
As it faded, the very same wooden box from yesterday slowly came into view.
The box creaked open.
The once "missing" lucky audience member—Halsey—reappeared before them.
"Haha… Hello everyone… sorry to interrupt…"
The audience gasped in astonishment.
"Is that really Halsey? So turning into water was fake after all?!"
The girl scratched her head awkwardly.
"Let me be clear—it was Lady Furina who told me that if I testified truthfully in court, I might get a reduced sentence… That's the only reason I came forward…"
"I've been hiding outside the whole time, listening to the trial… I was scared—I thought I was the one on trial…"
"Where to begin… sigh, anyway, I'm sorry. I killed Cowell."
"I'm not Halsey. My real name is Liliane. I'm from Mondstadt."
"I heard Lyney's performance was amazing, but I missed the chance to buy a ticket, so I stole one."
"Stealing's nothing new to me—I'm a seasoned pickpocket. Never been caught before…"
"But a few days ago in Romaritime Harbor, someone started tailing me. I barely escaped. One of the people chasing me was Lyney…"
"I thought it was over, but when I came to see the show, the number picker actually selected me."
"And then he mentioned 'Fortress of Méropide'—that prison—I freaked out, thought he'd recognized me."
"I pretended to cooperate, waiting for a chance to escape… But I suddenly got drenched, and then someone jumped into the passageway trying to catch me."
"I wasn't going to surrender, so I knocked him out and stuffed him into the magic box."
"I had nowhere to run, so I changed clothes and hid in one of the costume trunks."
"When the first Garde arrived, I slipped out and hid in the opera house's ventilation ducts."
"But I swear—I didn't know the water tank would fall! I swear!"
"If I had known, I never would've stuffed him in that box! I steal, but I don't kill!"
Neuvillette gave a small nod.
"Very well. As Chief Justice of Fontaine, I shall now reconstruct this case for all present."
"The true perpetrator behind the girl's disappearance was Cowell. He selected his target from the audience roster."
"By rigging the number selector, he ensured that his chosen girl would be called onstage."
"To erase evidence during the act, he planned to drop the water tank and use the splash to cover the dissolution of the girl."
"He tampered with the tank's rope so that, triggered by the finale fireworks, it would fall and erase the traces."
"The Primordial Seawater meant to dissolve the girl was sealed in a water balloon and attached to the roof of the magic box during setup."
"During the performance, as the box entered the underground passage, a pre-tied rope tightened and burst the balloon, releasing the fluid."
"According to the plan, the girl would dissolve right then—but Liliane wasn't from Fontaine. The fluid had no effect. She escaped the box and made a loud noise."
"Cowell, realizing something went wrong, jumped into the passage and confronted her. Assuming the fluid just hadn't worked yet, he tried to continue the plan."
"But she fought back. Skilled and quick, she knocked Cowell out and stuffed him into the magic box, making him the final victim."
"She then did as she stated—hid and waited until the performance was over before fleeing into another part of the opera house."
"As for Lyney, during all this, he was still within the opera's underground structure. He had no knowledge of what happened in the passage."
"Given this complete reconstruction, the accused—Lyney—is innocent."
The Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale lit up, and a verdict document materialized before Neuvillette.
He glanced at it, then announced:
"Thus, I formally declare—Lyney and Lynette: not guilty!"
…
Furina clapped, then pointed directly at the Garde.
"This whole act—accusing Lyney—was just to draw you out~"
"Now why don't you explain something for us…"
"How exactly did you 'find' the Primordial Seawater in Lyney's luggage?"
"The partner mentioned in Cowell's notebook—I don't think it was Lyney at all."
"It was…"
"You!"
_
Please support my patreon, patreon. com/TravelerDouluo
And get early access to my 90 advance chapters.