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Chapter 4 - Chapter 4 — What Frost Covers

Perry stood in the center of the kitchen. Behind him, the cauldron's warped lid still tilted over Lord Clenworth's lifeless body. Ahead, velvet shoes creaked on polished floors as the suspects filtered in once more—tension trailing them like smoke.

The magical barrier shimmered faintly across the windows now, like heat rising from stone. No one could leave.

"I'll make this quick," Perry said, eyes scanning them with clinical boredom. "Some of you lied. Some of you lied poorly."

The silence that followed was brittle.

"I'm not accusing anyone yet," he added, walking past the butler without looking at him. "I'm giving you the same courtesy this house gave your lord: time to stew."

Evi stood to one side, scribbling silently. She didn't smile, but her lips twitched.

He turned to the cousin—Ardell.

"You said you went into the cellar for a drink."

Ardell nodded warily. "Yes."

"And didn't return with one."

"I changed my mind."

"No," Perry said flatly. "You didn't change your mind. You opened the ice cellar, cracked the preservation crystal, and dragged your uncle's corpse upstairs to fake a boiling. You even tucked him in nice and neat under a pot lid."

Ardell paled. "That's—!"

"Sit," Perry said sharply. "If you panic now, you'll look guilty even if you aren't."

Ardell slowly backed into a chair, jaw clenched.

"Your boots are damp. The cellar floor is enchanted with frost runes. But there's no sign you took anything out. Not a bottle. Not a jug. You came up empty-handed, but the condensation says otherwise."

"I—I thought it was something else."

"What? An opera house?"

Perry stepped closer. "The system logs inconsistencies. You're already flagged."

A flicker of sweat.

Ardell broke. "Fine. I thought the butler did it. I found the body, and I panicked. He came from the cellar last night—I assumed…"

Perry moved on.

"Lady Venra. You said you were reading when it happened."

"I was," she said coolly. "Historical fiction calms me."

"Fascinating. I noticed the singed edges of your book."

She frowned.

"No fireplace was lit in the lounge. Not even a melted candle stub. That burn came from this kitchen—same odor, same curl. You were here. You lied."

"I—That's absurd. I simply—"

"You weren't reading. You were watching. Possibly even helping."

She stood sharply. "How dare you—!"

But Perry had already turned away.

He now addressed Clenworth Jr., the son.

"You claimed to be at training. I checked the wand log. No check-outs. Your wand case is dusty."

"I was… unwell," the boy muttered.

"You said earlier you left for town."

"I misspoke."

"Your story's changed three times in twenty minutes. Either you're the killer, or you should be arrested for general stupidity."

A short sputter. "I—I just didn't want to get involved!"

"Too late."

Then finally, Perry faced the butler.

"You heard the bubbling. Smelled nothing. Called no one."

The man lowered his head.

"I was instructed not to disturb the master during his… experiments."

Perry crossed his arms. "What kind of noble stews himself in secret without ingredients, with a cold fire, and a cracked cooling crystal buried under the ashes?"

The butler didn't answer.

"You said you were shocked when you saw the body. Yet the scene had been deliberately arranged. The pot was warm, but not steaming. Body cold, but posture adjusted."

"I didn't touch the body—"

"Exactly. You didn't panic, didn't call for help, didn't even check for a pulse. You already knew he was dead."

He circled once around the group.

"Now, let's work backwards."

His voice cooled.

"Lord Clenworth was not boiled. He was frozen. Most likely via the crystal now shattered under the cauldron. That crystal was activated yesterday and kept the body fresh."

He looked at Evi, who gave him a confirming nod.

"The cook never saw the lord this morning. She only heard something bubbling. Likely a staged illusion—perhaps steam generated with a minor heat rune. The fire was weak, recent. There's no broth smell, no soot buildup. The entire scene was for show."

He stepped toward the center again.

"Only one of you had a reason to preserve the body temporarily."

He turned to Ardell.

"You."

The cousin's eyes widened.

"You panicked. Maybe he collapsed. Maybe you saw something. Maybe you caused it. But you needed time to decide what to do. You moved the body, hid it in the cellar, bought time."

"No!" Ardell cried. "He was already dead when I found him!"

"That doesn't help you," Perry said dryly. "If that's true, you tampered with a crime scene. Lied to an officer. Lied under a Bureau barrier."

"I didn't kill him," he muttered. "I swear. I thought—I thought the butler did."

All eyes shifted.

"Why would you think that?" Perry asked.

"Because I saw him come out of the cellar... late last night."

Perry turned to the butler. "That true?"

The man straightened his spine. "I—I did go down. But only to check the frost. The master insisted the meat stay fresh for his next brew."

Evi arched a brow. "He keeps meat in the wine cellar?"

"Not meat," Perry said. "Something else."

He looked back at the body.

"No signs of forced trauma. No burns, no wounds. No smell of poison. But the lips are slightly discolored. Purplish."

"Blood magic?" Evi guessed.

Perry nodded. "Or hemotoxic herbs. There's one that fits."

He turned to the son.

"Three weeks ago, a shipment went missing from the apothecary: Bellshade root. Powerful coagulant disruptor. Leaves no trace after twelve hours, but discoloration and muscle spasms match the signs."

The son backed away. "I—I was testing it! I never used it!"

"You stored it in the wine cellar," Perry said. "Which only you and the butler had keys to."

"I never touched it again!"

"But someone else did."

Lady Venra's jaw clenched. Her fingers trembled at her sides.

Perry's voice dropped. "You're protecting him again, Venra. But now you're cornered. And he's watching you lie for him."

That broke her.

She slowly stood.

"I told him not to provoke the boy. I told him to stop tormenting the staff. But he wouldn't listen."

The room watched her, stunned.

"He was cruel. Selfish. Hateful. And when I found out what my son had hidden down there, I warned Clenworth."

She exhaled.

"And he laughed. Said he'd frame the boy for trying to kill him, and use it to strip his inheritance."

Her hands trembled now.

"I—I didn't plan it. I just wanted to scare him. I poured the root into his nightly wine. Just enough to cause pain. But he collapsed."

She covered her mouth.

"And I panicked."

Perry's eyes narrowed.

"Then why preserve the body?"

"I needed time. To make it seem like I wasn't here when it happened. I left for the village before sunrise—shook hands, smiled, paid for breakfast. I was seen. I thought that'd buy me safety."

She sank slowly into the chair.

"I told Ardell what I did. He helped me hide the body. The cauldron was his idea."

System Message:

Case Report Generated.

Guilty Party Identified: Lady Venra Clenworth.

Crime Scene Obstruction Logged: Ardell Clenworth. Penalty Pending.

Case Success: Full Score.

Silver Reward: 8 coins.

Reputation: +2. Mission Cycle Reset.

Binding Authorization Released. Confirmed Confession + Logical Chain Matched. Magical Restraint Enabled.

Note: System credit is based on identification of Principal Offender. Accessory involvement noted for Bureau follow-up.

Evi exhaled.

"That... was insane."

Perry turned to her.

"You think this is bad, wait till we get one with dragons."

She blinked. "Dragons commit murder?"

"I hope not," he said. "I don't have fireproof gloves."

As magical cuffs clicked onto Lady Venra's wrists and Ardell was handed a warning slip shimmering with Bureau sigils, the barrier dissolved into golden dust. The remaining suspects stood motionless, pale and silent.

Perry walked to the side table, poured himself a glass of water, then turned to Evi.

"Let's go before someone offers me stew."

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