Wally and Sunny have finished capturing all of the staff members. They all claimed innocence so far, but Sally assured them that they were lying. Not that they needed her to know.
"We should do another round of the Goliath," Wally suggested. "in case we missed anyone."
"...We've yet to hear from Lady (L/n), have we?" Sunny said, his gaze turned to where the study was located.
"As you said, they must've found the temple at this point."
"Still. Something is bothering me."
"What?"
"I can't quite put my finger on it..."
Wally was taken aback. Sunny sounded unusually serious.
"Maybe we can go back to the temple and wait for them there."
"Good idea!" he snapped then pointed at him. "Besides, someone must keep a watch on those crates."
Suddenly, they heard the front doors slam open.
"Where is she?!" a voice resonated throughout the manor.
That voice made the guests gasp.
"Arnold?" Wally mumbled.

Him, Sunny, Catherine and Sally, along with other guests who wanted to see the King of Spades, quickly went to the entryway. Arnold was looking around, with him were members of the royal guard. He looked pissed, which Wally knew meant that he was worried.
"Arnold." Wally went up to him. "What are you doing here?"
"(Y/n) told me she'd send me a letter today. I didn't get anything. I figured something terrible happened." he took off his cape and tossed it to the side.
"Something terrible did happen, your young Highness!" Sally beamed. "A double murder!"
"What?! Who?!"
"Not our fair lady, worry not!"
"You don't know?" Catherine frowned.
"No shit!" he glared. "Good thing I brought some men along then!"
He then noticed how everyone looked at him, their eyes big.
"...Hey it was hard to navigate in this rain, okay?!" he opened his arms.

"Arnold. I wrote you an urgent letter by bird." Catherine said. "Like... Five hours ago."
"Didn't you hear what I said? I didn't get any letters!"
"Oh...Dios mío." Sunny's eyes widened in realization, he then closed them as he rubbed his face. "I'm such an idiot."
"What? What?" she frowned.
"Lady Tempertuft, you yourself didn't actually send that letter, correct?"
"N-No? I gave it to Francis..." her voice trailed off as her confusion was replaced by horror.
"Who the hell's Francis?!" Arnold exclaimed, getting frustrated.
"Then, the guards..." she pointed to the stairs. "You didn't send them?"
The young man then understood that something was very, very wrong.
"Wally." he turned to him with a grave expression. "Where is (Y/n)?"

Wally didn't answer, he wasn't listening. The entire room shook. The candles' flames grew wilder. The floorboard beneath him cracked as he slowly levitated off the ground. The guests around him stepped back, agitated.
"Your Highness, please." Sunny grabbed his shoulder. "Keep a clear head."
Wally stared into his eyes, his pupils small, dark and shaking in anger.
"Fuck a clear head!" Arnold pushed the detective away to then grab him by the collar. "Where is she?! Tell me before I beat the answers out of you!"
Wally left with quick steps, Arnold clicked his tongue and let Sunny go.
"How many were there?" he quickly asked Catherine.
"A dozen, but there might be more." Sunny answered for her. "The servants are in on it and we've captured them."
"Good." he nodded, then told his guards to stay here to protect the guests, before running after Wally.
"You're going alone?!" Catherine asked. "We said there might be more of them-!"
"And I'll easily kill them if I have to!" he exclaimed, not turning back.
'It's true that, with King Darling, these two might be unstoppable...'

Sally started to follow the two men, very excitedly, but then Sunny's voice made her stop.
"Lady Starlet. You simply must stay here with me. I will be in need of your help."
Though it sounded more like an invitation, it was more of a polite order.
"Oh must you spoil the fun, detective?" she walked back to him, dragging her feet. "A man like you must be as envious as I am to witness the dénoument of this case!"
"I'm a detective, not a fighter. Besides, I have a feeling that this will be no fun..." he looked towards the direction the two Kings left, with a small frown on his face. "We can only pray they're not too late and that Lady (L/n) can still be saved."
"Detective. We're talking about the two most powerful magic-users on Earth. She is Darling's wife, and Doombarrow's mother. They will save her, even if they have to move Space and Earth to do it."
Sunny smiled.
"Of course." he clapped his hands so as to close the subject. "In the meantime, gentlemen!" he turned to the guards. "Now that we have professionals here with us, I have a mission for you. This mission will also require your light, Lady Starlet." he bowed his head to her.
"Oh! Sublime!"

Arnold followed Wally to a study room. There was a covered corpse on the floor and Arnold froze for a second. But seeing how Wally dismissed it, he figured this wasn't someone either of them were close to.
Wally went to the bookshelf and forced the secret door open by pushing it like a regular door. It easily opened with the loud noise of cracking wood. Arnold rushed towards him to look at the staircase.
"In here." Wally finally spoke.
"Let's go then!" he conjured a ball of light and the two of them ran down.
"No killing. The priority is to find (Y/n)."
"You should tell yourself that as well."
"Hold on." he grabbed his shoulder just as the young man began to go down the stairs.
Arnold looked back at him.
"If you see someone wielding a weapon you've never seen before, don't play though."
"What are you-?"
"Listen to me, Arnold." his grip tightened. "Do not play tough. Dodge and run."

Arnold had a lot of questions. But he could tell that Wally was worried, despite his cold tone.
"...A'ight." he nodded.
Wally nodded back and let go of him.
They reached a tunnel that went under the earth. It didn't take long for it to split into different directions. Wally closed his eyes, concentrating on his magical sense, and punched the nearest wall, a wave of red light spread throughout the tunnel. This was a spell Julie taught him.
"...There are people that way." he pointed to the right. "All non-magic users."
"Then this will be easy!" Arnold smirked before they went to the right.
Soon enough, they've reached a larger room that seemed to have been converted into a workshop. It reminded Wally of Howdy's, except this would be to make weapons on a much larger scale.
'Must be where Henry made them.'

In the room there was a singular 'guard', who clearly didn't expect anyone to come here, especially not two Kings. He stood up, though he seemed paralyzed by fear.
"Dibs." Arnold reached for his sword.
Before he could even finish that short word, Wally was suddenly in front of the man, grabbed him by the collar and pulled him down so he could be at eye level.
"Where is my wife." he asked quietly, his eyes wide open and unblinking.
Speechless, the guard just pointed at a door with a shaky hand. Wally let go of him only to grab the man's face and use a spell to knock him out. Arnold couldn't be mad about Wally for not respecting the 'dibs'. As soon as the guard pointed, he went to the door and kicked it open.
"We're also looking for an old lady." Wally said.
"Ruth Ashwood, right?"
"Careful with her, she's now the primary suspect in this case. We're also looking for her daughter."
"Is she also a suspect?"
"...Let's not take any chances."

The two men kicked down any door in their way and interrogated anyone they came across. All of that at lightning speed. Some brave men tried to fight back but it was over in a few seconds.
They found Miriam... Now they were certain she wasn't a suspect.
Eventually, they reached the dungeons. They briefly froze when they heard voices coming from far away. Screams of pain and rage. They dashed forward. They saw a 'guard' running towards them. Arnold launched himself at him and hit him across the jaw with his still unsheathed sword. The man fell with a dry grunt and Arnold slammed his foot on his shoulder. He might have broken it.
"Where's (L/n)?"
"Oh you can have her!"
"Huh?" he frowned, confused.
Just as he asked that, they heard more people coming this way. Voices came closer along with wails of pain.
"I can't do this anymore man! This bitch is insane!"
"She's a fuckin' witch, I'm outta here!"
"That bitch took my knife!"
"I know, she stabbed my fuckin' eye with it!"
"That's no woman, that's a gods damn demon!"

The group of men froze when they noticed the two Kings staring at them. Their faces turned paler. They all had various injuries and were all in pretty bad shape, bleeding, with they uniforms torn and cut.
"Take care of them, Arnold." Wally said as he began to quickly walk to the direction they came from.
"Don't have to tell me twice."
The men all pressed their backs on the wall to let him through.
"Now." Arnold's voice made them shiver, a big smirk forming on his face. "I dare you to say that again."
Wally could hear the violence behind him, but he was solely focused on finding the cell his beloved was in.

Luckily, only one door was opened. Though there was no more guards in sight, he still readied himself for battle, just in case. He stood in the doorway, looking into the small dark room. He didn't see her at first, but in the silence, he heard uneven breathing and looked to one of the corners of the small room. His heart shattered at the sight before him.
Her dress was torn, her hair was a mess. She was curled up, pressed against the wall. She was bleeding with cuts and bruises, but some of the blood on her wasn't hers. She was breathing fast. Her eyes were wide open, awake and alert yet in a sort of trance as she automatically raised the knife at the silhouette that appeared before her, ready to use it in any way possible for the sake of survival. She was shaking like a leaf.
"My love..." Wally whispered as he slowly went up to her.
She tensed up, still raising the knife, like she couldn't hear him over the sound of her own heartbeat, alerting her of potential danger. He stopped a few steps away and crouched.
"It's me." he raised a hand and made his palm glow in a soft pink-ish light so she could see his face better, so she could recognize his magic. "It's over now. You can breathe."
Her eyes widened a little bit, finally recognizing him. The knife slipped through her grasp, dropping on the ground as she began to quietly weep. Wally didn't hesitate to embrace her tightly in his arms.
"I'm sorry." he whispered. "I should've realized it sooner. I'm so sorry."

"Mom?! Mom!"
Arnold rushed in. His heart dropped when he saw her in this state.
"Hey. It's okay. It's okay!" he crouched by her side, forcing a smile on his face. "You made them all run like cowards! And I gave them the finishing blow! They'll never hurt you or anyone again, it'll be okay!"
(Y/n) gasped sharply.
"Ruth. Where's Ruth?!" she looked at them two.
"We haven't seen her."
"We have to find her!" she clung on to Wally. "She did it! She killed-!"
"First, we're taking you back up where it's safe." he stood and picked her up, bridal style.
"N-No!" she shook her head as the three of them left the cell. "We have to-"
"(Y/n). We went through this entire tunnel system." Arnold said. "There's nobody left."
"Don't worry." Wally smiled. "She won't get far into this rain. And besides, I'm sure detective Santana had thought about it."
She looked down. There was a moment of silence.
"What the hell's a 'detective'?" Arnold frowned.

Outside in the rain, a trap door opened, disguised as a patch of grass. Ruth had left alone, going on her own way out while her men either packed the goods and left or were taking care of (L/n).
'Hopefully she just dies soon.' she grunted as she climbed up the ladder. 'This bitch really put me through the wringer toni-'
Before she could even finish her thought, a bright light blinded her and she quickly raised her arm above her eyes.
"Why hello there!" she heard a booming voice above her.
She looked up to see a glowing star person flying above her. Sally had made a small circle with her index and finger and put it above her eyes, concentrating her light on the old lady emerging from the ground, like a spotlight. The wind was rising, but she stayed still in the air, with only her cape flying about.
"She's right here detective!" she exclaimed, not looking away as she slowly descended. "Mrs. Ruth Ashwood, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the royal court of Spades. If you do choose to use that right, let it be noted: Guiltiness will speak, though tongues are out of use." she smirked as she finally landed, with her hands on her hips.
"Fantastic job, Lady Starlet." Sunny walked up to them, an umbrella in hand and a lit pipe in the other. "I believe that's the last of them. Let's escort her to the others."
Looking towards the Goliath, Ruth could see that all her goons were being handcuffed and dragged back inside by the actual royal guards.
"If I was to give you any advice, madam." the detective inhaled and exhaled some white smoke. "I'd tell you to exercise your right."
She gave him a dark glare, but didn't resist as they all walked back in the house.

"From the very start, Robert and Ruth Ashwood were driven by their thirst for fame and money. For decades, they were the most famous doctors in the world. But as time passed, and as they grew older, they were longing for the glory days, when they tricked everyone into thinking they were kindhearted doctors who revolutionized medical science. They've decided to create a situation where they could relive those days. So they've hatched a plan: help in the creation of a war. One even greater than the one that gave them their status of celebrity.
"The goal was to invent a weapon that could kill someone in an instant. Something even a non-magic user can wield. They found a buyer and a blacksmith brilliant enough, and desperate enough, to accept such a commission. Robert Ashwood even got a 'firearm' of his own. And so, the deal was to smuggle hundreds of those weapons to that mysterious buyer, who even funded their project. They've exchanged letters, and the Ashwoods would always sign with their shared initials: R.A. The buyer would eventually send an undercover spy to see the merchandise first hand. And to make that cover more convincing, they set the spy up with their own daughter. The plan went into motion smoothly. For a year now, they'd test out these weapons in the basement, deep enough underground so that no one would hear, or maybe they'd just do it at night. They'd even add more and more scented candles throughout the Goliath, to mask the smell of the black powder, in case it would linger in the air.
"But then, their anniversary came up, and they received a letter from the Lady of Spades, offering her services to organize a party in honor of their marriage and of their long career.

"(Y/n) (L/n), whose family – for the longest time – was known as the Nothing Nobles, had not only elevated herself in the esteem of the nobility, but had done so with earnest intentions and hard work. Seeing their complete opposite succeed, it must've been enraging to watch for the Ashwoods. They made themselves believe that it was just an act, an act even better than theirs. And when they learned of the news of her being crowned Queen of Hearts – the long-time rivals of Spades – it must have been the final straw.
"Here's the thing, once their smuggling operation was over, they couldn't afford loose ends. And their blacksmith, Henry Pillar, was an outspoken fellow. He could talk if given the right motivation, or so they believed, at least. They needed him gone. So they've come up with the most gruesome plan, hit two birds with one stone: Kill Lady (L/n) and frame Henry for it. Having someone from the Hearts Kingdom kill the beloved Lady of Spades would surely spark conflict between the two Kingdoms, a war would be well on its way, and they'd be rid of the woman they despise.

"Before the first murder occurred, I've noticed how Henry Pillar got drunk very quickly, but his dear cousin Howdy assured us he wasn't a lightweight drinker. And when we went into his room, I checked the glass of water he had been given regularly. It was rather cloudy, and when I dipped my pinky to taste it, it had a somewhat salty taste. All the signs pointed to the drink being drugged! It's clear – now that we know that most of the staff members were in on it – that the Ashwoods wanted him to be out of commission. After sending threat letters to the Lady, the plan was to kill her and dispose of her body in a way that would incriminate Henry, after planting other threat letters in his bedroom. And maybe even kill him as well, staging the crime scene to make it look like there was a fight and that the two parties killed each-other in the process. Since Henry could easily give up important information, having him stay alive would be too risky.
"Personally, I never once believed Henry made those letters. In fact, I always knew they were made by someone from inside the Goliath. The sender had cut out letters from a newspaper to make these letters. And they have a very particular font, one that only old Spades newspapers used. And when I say old, I mean the kind of old newspapers one would have kept for years. Say, like an old couple? I've found newspapers just like this in both the study and the library.

"This was their initial plan anyway. But then, something unexpected happened. After a discussion with the Lady, Robert Ashwood realized that she wasn't who they believed she was. That she really was as earnest as can be. This realization must've made him look back on his own action with a whole new perspective. Whatever conclusion he drew, he then went to talk to his wife privately in his study and asked for this to stop. Ruth Ashwood felt betrayed and in an act of rage and heartbreak, she used her husband's own firearm to kill him.
"Thinking fast, she disassembled the weapon and scattered the parts throughout the room. She couldn't just put it back in the hidden compartment, it'd be too easy to find. If it was in pieces, since it wasn't anything any of us had seen before, it surely would've been much more difficult to identify. She then made a mess of the room to further hide the evidence and quickly escaped through a hidden door in the bookshelf. She knows these tunnels better than anyone, it was certainly easy for her to go back to her bedroom without anyone noticing.

"From then on, things should've been easy. She just had to stay in her room and keep up her act as the meek old lady she made everyone believe she had become. But she didn't account for the fact that a professional detective was here! And that the truth of her secret operation would be peeled off little by little. It all started when her daughter's fiancé's true identity was exposed. He didn't speak so as to not reveal his true accent, and even if he tried to escape, he wouldn't have gone far in this rain. Ruth must've been watching the scene as it unfolded, probably from behind the eyes of a painting. She couldn't run the risk of having him expose her as well."
The detective paused, putting his hands in his pockets.
"When I said there were three murders before, it actually wasn't for the sake of dramatization. Raymond was indeed murdered. When Ruth launched herself at him, she inserted that poison capsule into his mouth."

Everyone gasped.
"How could you tell, detective?!" Sally asked.
"Poison capsules tend to be disguised as a golden tooth. And I'm sure none of us has seen one in Raymond's mouth tonight. That in and of itself didn't really mean anything." he shrugged. "He could've simply put it on at a later point in the night. But then there was the smell. There was some poison remaining in the capsule. I couldn't recognize the smell until later in the night. The Ashwoods were growing hemlocks in their garden. I saw them when I was with Lady Tempertuft, but it was only when I went outside with his Majesty the King that I finally smelled a familiar scent. Hemlock is a poisonous plant.
"I haven't pieced together the truth at the time. But even then, Ruth's relief would be short lived. The Count of Tremontes – real name 'Rodney', Miriam's childhood sweetheart who came back after years of disappearance – decided to take action. After Miriam pushed him away all these years ago, he became associated with organized crime." he paused. "If anyone was planning to smuggle new weapons to another country, some people in the underground world of crime must have heard about it. Who knows, maybe Rodney conducted his own investigation, and put the pieces together on his own end. Either way, during an emotional conversation between him and Miriam, Ruth – or someone working under her direct orders – was watching in secret. And just when Rodney left and was alone, he was attacked, strangled to death with a rope before being disposed of, thrown out the window. This was the third murder of the night. And he might have stayed under that window if it wasn't for Lady Tempertuft's stalker.

"You see, while all of this was happening, members of the staff had to check on the merchandise – which they hid away in the temple outside – to see if the rain had damaged any of it. They could've used a secret passageway, but the only access was guarded due to the fact that it was within the crime scene of the first murder. So they'd go outside in the rain. Since there are a lot of staff members here, and the Goliath is a big place, having one or two leave the premises while the others cover for them would be easy, even after they come back all drenched.
"And, just as one of them had gone out, Lady Tempertuft had spotted her stalker, right outside her window. Of course, his Majesty went out without hesitation. Which was really bad for the guilty party. A group of butlers ran out with him, in the panic no one noticed that another one was added to the mix, no one except me of course – seven went out, eight came back – I was wondering what he was doing out there. However, they couldn't risk having him search the temple which could be a potential hiding spot for the stalker. They needed something to stop the search, to distract everyone. So one or two of the butlers went to fetch the Count's body and bring it closer to the King. In the dark, the rain and the panic, it was easy to go by unnoticed. The search came to an abrupt stop and the body was brought inside.
"But Lady Tempertuft's stalker was still there, and when he wasn't creeping on his former fiancé, he noticed that people were regularly going back and forth between the Goliath and the temple. I must admit, he did hold a key piece of information." he mumbled that last part.
Catherine huffed and rolled her eyes, but she couldn't deny it.

"Staff members were checking on the firearms, because indeed, the smuggling operation was still in effect. Ruth Ashwood hasn't given up on her plan. She kept having Henry be drugged and even planted a threat letter in her husband's study, making it look like he was a target as well. I believe she was planning on stabbing the Lady of Spades with a knife she was concealing somewhere on her person. However, once again, something unexpected happened. The Lady found out she killed Robert, and had told Miriam about it. But, they had the context surrounding the murder mixed up. Believing she was just a victim of circumstances, Miriam pleaded for her mother to admit her crime, saying that Lady (L/n) could help them."
Hearing this, (Y/n) looked away, her lips pursed with a pained look, clutching the blanket wrapped around her. Wally wrapped pulled her closer in an embrace.

"Ruth must've felt like this was a betrayal. The same kind as her husband's. So she used the knife meant for the Lady of Spades to kill her own daughter. Thus committing the fourth murder of the night. The rest I believe is history."
There was a moment of silence. After (Y/n) told Sunny what happened while he and Wally were gone, the detective put all the facts together and gathered all of the 'people of interest' into one room – (Y/n), Wally, Catherine, Arnold, Howdy, Henry and Sally – so that they may hear his monologue, explaining the murders from the start.
"And... What about those fake guards?" Catherine asked. "Where did they come from?"
"They're criminals." Arnold replied, his arms crossed, leaning against a wall. "They all had the same ring, either on their fingers or in their pockets."
"Excellent observation, your Highness!" Sunny snapped and pointed at him. "Indeed they are. From a different crime organization than Rodney's, still it must've been how he heard about this operation. Ruth must've hired them as backup in case things didn't go as planned, to further gain legitimacy."

There was another moment of silence.
"...Fuck, man." Arnold mumbled as he shook his head.
"Come now, everyone!" Sunny waved his hands as he looked at his small audience. "Don't look so glum! I explained it all so brilliantly! Are you not impressed?!"
"I am!" Sally quickly raised her hand. "Such a thrilling tale you've weaved for us, detective! I'll be sure to take notes of your storytelling skills!"
"Well, detective Santana, sir. It's just... It's not such a happy ending for some of us..." Howdy rubbed the back of his neck as he glanced at his handcuffed cousin (who had finally 'sobered up').
"I'm... I'm so sorry." Henry hung his head down. "I needed a job, and they offered so much money."
Wally went to stand in front of him.
"Did you know what these weapons were to be used for?"
"I didn't!" he quickly looked up at him. "I swear it! I was just commissioned to make loads of this new weapon, I didn't ask any questions! I didn't want to know!"
"So you don't know who they were going to be handed to?"
He quickly shook his head. Wally sighed.

"For your honesty, and because Howdy, my trusted friend, vouched for you. You'll receive a lighter punishment."
The caterpilar man's face lit up.
"Lighter than execution is life in dungeon."
His face fell. He hung his head down.
"Guess this is over for this daddy-o." he mumbled.
"Don't be sad Henry!" Howdy pit an arm around his shoulders and shook him. "I'll come visit you! And if you write any letters to the family, I'll be sure to send them myself!"
"...I own mum money."
"Geez man..."

"This is all my fault."
Everyone looked at (Y/n), sitting on a chair looking down and holding herself.
"No it's not." Arnold quickly said sternly. "It's that old hag's, she's fuckin' insane! You didn't do anything-"
"Exactly. How could I have not realized...?" she shook her head. "I figured she killed Robert, but I was still wrong. How could I have been so blind?" she covered her face. "She was right, Miriam died because of me."
"You shouldn't trust a word that woman said." Wally quickly went to her side, kneeling down in front of her and holding her hand so he could see her face. "She's nothing but deceit."
"I'm truly not meant for this..."
"As a detective, maybe not." Sunny went up to her. "But, you have a good heart." he spoke softly, making her look at him. "You have faith in your people. That compassion makes you a good leader. It's not something to be ashamed of." he smiled.
"...Thank you, detective." she nodded with a faint smile.
He bowed with a hand over his heart.

"Your Highness- Um, Highnesses." there was a knock at the door.
"Enter." Arnold said.
The door opened, the (real) Captain of the guards stood in the doorway, holding a handcuffed and gagged Ruth by the shoulder.
"I brought the culprit, just like you asked."
"Good. Thank you." he went to pull her into the room. "Go make sure the others are ready to go back to the castle."
"Yes sir." he saluted before the door closed on him.
Arnold pushed the old lady so that she was in the middle of the room. Him, Wally and Sunny went up to her and undid her gag.
"Welcome back, Mrs. Ashwood." Sunny smiled. "How was your time with the royal guards?"
"Spare the fake politeness, Santana!" Arnold exclaimed before grabbing her by the collar. "Who were you going to ship these weapons to?!"
"If you won't talk, we'll make you talk." Wally said with a piercing stare.
Ruth snickered and laughed.

"You think my benefactor is dumb enough to give me their identity?! We pitched our plan to the crime world and many responded! Things run deep over there! Every puny gang in the Four Kingdoms responded, but that one?! That one was from outside, that one was legit!"
"Who?!" Arnold shook her.
"They just sent a letter! And when we met 'Raymond' for the first time, we knew it was the real deal! You'll never get any info from me!" she cackled.
"You devious woman!" Sally pointed while everyone glared at her.
(Y/n) closed her hands into tight shaking fists.
"You won't get away with this." Wally said. "You'll be executed for-"
"No."
Everyone looked as (Y/n) stood from her chair and walked up to Ruth. Arnold let go of her and stepped back. The Lady leaned over to be at eye level.

"You are a senile old lady. And in your madness, you killed Robert. That is the story. That is what the public will get, because that's what happened. Raymond was a spy here to collect information and killed himself before we could find any more. His mission was unrelated to the case. Rodney fell out a window, and Miriam... She killed herself after learning that both of the men she loved died. The staff members helped cover the murder, because they wanted to protect you. And the fake guards are simply just opportunistic gangsters, unrelated to the case."
"What...? Why?" Arnold frowned. "Why are we covering it all up?"
"I understand." Sunny nodded, with a grave expression. "Ruth Ashwood is still a celebrity, beloved by a lot of people in and outside of the medical world. If the public finds out she was executed for treason. They will surely ask questions. If they were to find out about her weapon smuggling operation. Tensions and paranoia will rise. Even we have yet to know who this 'benefactor' is..."

"Isn't there supposed to be a trade tomorrow? We can come up with a plan to-"
"Surely, they'll learn of what happened to their spy, and of everything that happened here tonight. They won't show up."
Ruth snickered.
"Exactly! You have to keep me alive-"
"We can't execute you. There's a difference." (Y/n) said in a monotone but pressing voice. "But we have other ways of making you disappear and making it look like an accident. I'm sure you've heard of all the mysterious deaths of nobles throughout King Michaelis' ruling. Though they sounded simple on paper, I can tell you with certainty, the moments before their deaths were anything but."
Ruth kept giving her a defiant stare, but she had become paler.
"Now, here's what's going to happen. You will keep blabbering on about ghosts and reapers haunting these halls. You will keep up your senile and and you will rot in a dungeon for the short rest of your life until you truly become what you made everyone believe you were."
Ruth spit in her face and (Y/n) slapped her so hard she fell on the floor. She then called her the worst insult in the old Spades language, which shocked her, Catherine and Arnold. Even Wally and Sally recognized it.
"Put the gag back on her and take her away. We're done here." (Y/n) said as she wiped her face with the back of her hand.

"Actually," Sunny said after Arnold left, taking Ruth back to the guards. "there's one last thing we must do. My Lady, your Highness, care to join me?"
(Y/n) and Wally followed him to the study. Robert's body was finally removed from the premises, along with the others. Sunny took Robert's firearm with him and opened the secret door – which was easy now that it was broken – Wally led them to the basement, where the weapons were made. The three of them looked around and (Y/n) eventually found Henry's blueprints, first drafts and all.
"I found them."
"Wonderful." Wally smiled. "Now let's go to the temple and destroy the weapons along with them."
But the Lady didn't move. With her back to both men, she kept staring at the weapon's schematics.
"...My love?"
She slowly turned to look at them, her eyebrows furrowed, clutching the papers in her hands. Wally's eyes widened.
"You're not thinking of..."

"We don't know who that benefactor is." she said. "But Ruth said that a lot of people want these weapons. Someone out there wants to take over the Land of the Four Kingdoms. They want our homes to be divided again."
"It's nothing new." Sunny casually said, putting his hands in his pockets. "Every ruler wants to rule more land and there are few exceptions. But, my dear Madam, I can't help but think there's something more to that."
He stared into her eyes. She began to frown.
"A firearm, they call it. Something able to kill someone almost instantly, with just some powder and a marble. Surely, to a nation that is 90% non-magic users, this could be the perfect leverage. A way to balance the scales, if you will! Once again," he spoke in a deeper voice. "always putting your people first."

"Things are changing. Technology is advancing. Threats of war are on the horizon and we don't even know where they come from." she said coldly. "We have to be ready."
She looked at her husband and her stern expression fell when she saw the soft look in his eyes.
"My love." he walked up to her, his voice just above a whisper. "My darling, light of my life, my everything."
He stopped in front of her and raised a hand, palm up. She gave him a pleading look, but then sighed, looking down. She gave him the schematics, which started to slowly burn as soon as she let go.
"We won't have to be ready if we can prevent it." he said, making her look at him. "We'll find whoever is behind this and take care of them together. Without these." he let the ashes fall through his fingers. "This is the weapon of the enemy. We won't use it."
She glanced away, a tear in the corner of her eye which he gently wiped away.

The bags of black powder were watered down, rendered useless, and the crates were set on fire. (Y/n) walked out of the temple and into the garden. The rain had finally stopped, and the Sun was rising. Black smoke came out of the holes in the ground and slowly rose in the air, like a stain on the peaceful landscape of her homeland. She stood there and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. There was still a knot in her stomach.
She opened her eyes again when someone held her hand. She looked over to see Wally, standing beside her. They smiled at each-other and hugged. Sunny stood a bit farther behind, to give them privacy. And when they kissed, he looked away, smoking his pipe.
"Well." he exhaled white smoke. "I suppose this is it. I should get going now, before the media shows up. As much as enjoy the attention, staying away from the public eye is essential if I want to keep the element of surprise." he walked past them and faced them. "This sure was one hell of a party!"
"We couldn't have done it without you, detective." (Y/n) said. "Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts." she bowed, with both hands over her heart.
"You're welcome in the Four Kingdoms any time." Wally bowed his head and shook his hand.
"Good to know, because I might visit again! As a friend this time." he nodded. "Hopefully, the next case I'll work on will be something far simpler."
(Y/n) smiled with a small chuckle.

"Hopefully, yes."
"You were right, my Lady. This might be the beginning of something big. But don't worry, I'm a professional," he smirked. "I'll make sure to find who this benefactor is."
"Oh no," she shook her head. "this has nothing to do with you nor your kingdom. You don't have to-"
"My dear Madam, please. What kind of detective would I be if I didn't see a mystery through to the end?!" he asked with a big smile. "This shall be the biggest case of my career yet!" he opened his arms, then his expression softened as he relaxed. "Worry not, if I find anything important, you'll be the first to know."
"...Alright then." she nodded with a smile. "If you need anything, our doors are open."
"Will do." he bowed. "Adios, mi amigos." he walked away, waving a hand.
"At first, I had my doubts about this detective." Wally said as they watched him leave. "But now, I'm glad we've met him."
"We're not the only ones." (Y/n) chuckled as they saw Sally running to join him, surely to ask him more questions about his profession.

They walked back to the Goliath. The staff members were being put in windowless carriages, to be sent to the dungeons in the Spades royal castle. The four corpses were wrapped up and put in a hearse. Olga and Dr. Osman were having a discussion in which he offered to either have her in his employ, or, even better, to help her have her own place in the LFK Medical Committee. This offer made her so emotional that she began to cry. Catherine was yelling at Brahms some more, saying she'll ask Arnold to make up a law that would force crazy exes to stay away from their exes. Arnold noticed (Y/n) arriving and he rushed up to her.
"They're all ready to go. I'll make sure they pay for what they've done, and that they won't say a word of what really happened here-"
He was cut off by (Y/n) embracing him tightly. He was caught off guard.

"Thank you Arnold." she said in a quiet tone. "If it wasn't for you, Wally and detective Santana may not have realized that I was taken away." she looked at him, her hands on his cheeks and gave him a kiss on his forehead. "You acted quickly. And you saved my life."
He cleared his throat, his cheeks a little pinker.
"Now we're even."
She chuckled and let go of him.
"I would never stop saving you if I can, though."
"Don't say stuff like that so lightly!" he folded his arms, blushing even more. "I'll just go bring these assholes back to-"
"Hold on." she raised a hand. "There's one last thing I want to say to her."
The two men looked at her, surprised.
"And I'd like to be alone."
Their eyes became even bigger.

Ruth Ashwood had her own carriage. She didn't look up when the door opened, but she did look up when someone sat in front of her after closing the door behind them. She was surprised to see the Lady, but quickly relaxed. Once again, her posture changed to be more upright. (Y/n) could tell by her eyes that she was smiling under her gag.
'Go on,' she must be thinking. 'show me your true face, now that it's just the two of us.'
"...You said I seduced Robert, that I tricked him into betraying you." the Lady said with a monotonous voice. "But there's something in his final moments that proves you wrong."
Ruth frowned, confused.
"Your 'firearm', it didn't kill him instantly. Olga's autopsy said that he even tried to dig the metal marble out of his chest right before he died."
Ruth said something. Though her words were muffled, (Y/n) figured she was asking 'what are you getting at?!'
"Why didn't he scream?"
That question made her freeze.

"Me and Olga were right outside the door to the study as he was dying. Surely he could've used his last bit of strength to cry for help, or even shout the name of his attacker. Instead he kept quiet. He chose to protect you, even after what you did."
She let a moment pass, for the information to really settle. Ruth's eyes darted around, like her mind was racing. (Y/n) calmly stood up.
"I just wanted to share this with you." she looked down at her. "So that you may dwell on it over your time in the dungeon."
Ruth began to struggle and scream. (Y/n) ignored her and stepped out, locking the door behind her and leaving everyone to believe just what in the world she told the old lady to make her this distressed...

The windowless carriages rolled away, Arnold was about to get on his horse, Blizzard, when he went to say goodbye to everyone.
"A shame you couldn't say goodbye to either detective Santana nor Lady Starlet." Catherine said, a little disappointed.
"I'm okay with that." he shrugged. "Wait. Did they leave together?"
"I believe so, yes."
They both looked into each-other's eyes, and silently prayed that these two won't get into trouble. Arnold then went to (Y/n), who was looking over the Goliath one last time. He got himself a cup of cocoa, as he himself also didn't sleep much.

"...Are you happy or sad right now?" he asked, feeling like he could ask such a question, since they were alone.
"I'm happy to leave, but sad that this isn't over."
"Eh, who knows?" he shrugged looking at the manor with her. "Maybe whoever these people are that are conspiring against us, they now understand who they're dealing with and they'll give up. Whatever comes next, we'll face it together."
"You and me?" she looked at him.
"And everyone else, of course!" he huffed.
She smiled, happy that he included all of their friends as well. This wasn't like the young man she first met, after all. She held his prosthetic hand.
"[I love you, son.]"
"...[Love you too, mom.]" he gently squeezed it.
A moment passed. Eventually, Arnold let go of her.

"One more thing." he said. "This whole story about madness, the Count simply falling off the window, Miriam killing herself and all that. You really think people are gonna believe that?" he raised an eyebrow.
"...Maybe this place is cursed. This will surely be the conclusion people will come up with. And they wouldn't be wrong."
"People from here, sure. But what about the others? The larger public."
She tilted her head, humming.
"Either they like a good ghost story, or it'll be the same as Ivan's death 'of old age'."
"I see..."
"I have an idea." she looked back at the manor. "How about you turn this place into a museum? And you can give the profits to the Ashwoods' charities."
"That's a cool plan, yeah." he nodded, smiling. "Cursed place stories are really good for marketing."
"You shouldn't think like that Arnold." she looked at him, concerned.
"What?! It's true!" he shrugged.

"(Y/n). My wife, my dear, my beloved." Wally went up to her. "We're ready to leave."
"And I'm ready to sleep throughout the day." she linked arms with him. "I can hardly believe we haven't slept at all."
"You get used to it."
"...What do you mean by that?" she gave his a suspicious look.
"Nothing." he quickly said. "Let's all go home, now."
The two of them began to walk to their carriage. Despite wanting to press her darling husband about his sleeping habits, the moment the two of them took their seat inside, they fell asleep in each-other's arms. And they will later be carried to bed via Poppy's levitation magic once they've reached their home in the Kingdom of Hearts. Arnold watched the carriage leave, finished his cup and got on his horse.

"Your Highness!" a guard ran up to him before he could leave. "We've received a telegram!"
'Right. The postal service is much faster now that the rain has stopped.'
"A precious historical relic has been stolen in the capital. And they're saying that a bird man calling himself a 'detective'-" he slowly read the word. "has taken charge of the case, with the help of Lady Starlet of all people!"
Arnold grunted and rubbed his face.
"Geez they're fast- Does Julie know her girlfriend ran out in the middle of the night?!" he turned his horse around, facing the direction of the capital. "I better get there before this gets out of hand."
And with that, he left in a gallop. He went faster than usual because he knew these two drama queens would somehow get in trouble. It was totally not because Arnold has heard of detectives before and he wanted to see one solve a mystery with his own eyes. Totally not.
And just like that, life continued its course. It wasn't perfect, but it can never be. And at least, our protagonists had each-other, so they knew things would eventually be okay.

–  ♠️  The End  ♥️  –

[And this time, it's for real! I know I said three bonus chapters (one of which turned into this fun sequel) but honestly? I want to focus on other stories, maybe even go back to ones I abandoned because of this one, oopsie 😅
Sure this is very open ended, you are welcome to use your imagination 😌 (Example! A Sunny spinoff with a different assistant(s) for each case!) However, I am BEAT! Writing mysteries is haaaard! 😫 But I had fun! And I'm really happy with how it turned out 🥰 I do hope you liked it too!
Once again, thank you to the artists and their beautiful fanarts that I love so much. Thank you to NeonRoss for starting it all. Thank you Clown for creating these wonderfully charming characters. And thank you guys. thank you so much for reading, your comments mean the world to me. 💖💖💖
Aight, love y'all, byeeeee 💖]