The detective is dead, I did it.

Chapter 51 Stab Me

Li Ang gently patted his sister's shoulder and said, "Charlotte and I have something to talk about. You should go back to your room first."

Ketula nodded understandingly, and when she reached the corner of the stairs, she looked back at him one last time, her eyes full of reluctance.

She wanted to stay with her brother a little longer, to hear what he had been doing yesterday and why he hadn't come back all night.

But Ketura was a sensible and good child, so naturally she wouldn't force her brother to tell her the story now.

Li Ang watched her figure disappear at the end of the corridor, then turned and walked through the foyer and up the stairs.

Charlotte was walking halfway up the stairs, her long white hair swaying gently behind her, and her skirt swaying slightly above her knees.

He walked at a leisurely pace, his fingertips resting on the wooden handrail, seemingly intending to return to his room.

"Wait a minute." Li Ang quickly caught up and stopped her at the corner of the stairs.

Charlotte stopped, turned around, and looked down at him.

Morning light streamed in through the window at the top of the stairs, shining down behind her and casting a pale golden glow on her silhouette, making it difficult to discern her expression for a moment.

"Is there anything else?"

She had already told the other person on the carriage that there was nothing else to do today and that they could go back to their room to rest. She was now preparing to do just that.

Although she had a short nap just before dawn, it wasn't nearly enough for Charlotte, who usually needs nine hours of sleep.

Li Ang walked up to her, looked her in the eye, and lowered his voice to ask the question he had wanted to ask for a long time.

"How exactly did you manage to block Helena's life alchemy magic?"

"Didn't I already explain it?" Charlotte tilted her head, puzzled. "Or have you forgotten?"

"I haven't forgotten. I just know the specifics."

Charlotte had only briefly mentioned it at the Viscount's mansion, and Leon hadn't had a chance to ask for details at the time.

"Simply put," Charlotte explained, "my ability is to absorb damage. Therefore, the life force that the magic circle was trying to draw away was absorbed by my ability."

The reason she used this ability was not because she was kind-hearted, but because Li Ang was within the range of the magic at the time, and the others were just incidental.

After all, as long as he uses his ability, he will absorb all the deadly effects of Helena's magic.

The remaining power has no effect on ability users at all; even ordinary people would only be unconscious for a few hours.

"So, what are the side effects of doing this?"

Li Ang asked, frowning.

Unexpectedly, Charlotte absorbed all the damage, so there must be some side effects.

Judging from the girl's current performance, it seems that there is no impact whatsoever.

Charlotte did not answer. She turned around and continued walking upstairs at a leisurely pace, her skirt swaying gently at her feet.

"Come with me," she said.

Her room was at the very back of the third floor. There was another room next to the corridor. The light here was dimmer than downstairs. The wall lamps were not yet turned on, and only some light came in through the skylight at the end.

As Li Ang walked behind Charlotte, the door of a room next to the corridor was suddenly pushed open a crack, and a face appeared through the crack.

If it weren't broad daylight, and if the face peeking through the crack in the door wasn't so frightening, Li Ang might have been startled.

She was a very beautiful woman.

Her features were soft yet refined, with lines between her eyebrows and eyes that seemed to be meticulously drawn stroke by stroke. Her white hair, just like Charlotte's, fell loosely to her shoulders, with slightly curled ends.

His skin was so pale it was almost transparent, not like he was sick, but more like he hadn't been exposed to the sun for too long.

She was like a white rose kept indoors, with thin, fragile petals and edges that gleamed with a cold luster.

What Li Ang cared about most was her eyes.

Those eyes look so much like Charlotte's.

The same blue eyes and slightly upturned corners, but the feeling they give is completely different.

If Charlotte's eyes give a sense of calm and indifference, then the pair of blue eyes before me convey a sense of utter chaos.

Especially as the other person stared intently at Charlotte, muttering, "Bitch..."

Hearing her murmur, Li Ang subconsciously stopped in his tracks.

His gaze lingered on that face for a moment, then fell on Charlotte. Without any introduction, he immediately understood who this woman was.

Donald had previously stated that only Charlotte and her mother lived in the mansion, so the woman in front of them must be Charlotte's mother.

But why did the other person have to watch Charlotte call her a bitch? They were such a good mother and daughter, yet they acted like enemies.

Charlotte also heard her mother's murmur, but her expression didn't change. She simply turned around, went to the door, placed her fingertips on the doorknob, and closed the door.

"Don't worry about it. Your mother's mental state has always been poor."

After offering a casual explanation, Charlotte turned and walked to her room door, pushed it open, stepped aside to let Li Ang follow.

Seeing the other person's indifferent expression, Li Ang made the decision not to press the matter further.

Charlotte's room was much simpler than he had imagined.

There wasn't much luxurious furniture; a double bed stood against the wall, the sheets were plain white, and the blankets were neatly folded.

Charlotte walked to the dressing mirror, took out a wooden comb, and began to dress herself at a leisurely pace.

Her movements were slow, starting from the ends of her hair and combing upwards section by section, the comb teeth making a soft rustling sound as they passed through the hair.

After combing her hair, she took out a small white porcelain bottle from the drawer, dipped her fingertip in something, and gently applied it under her eyes.

Li Ang stood at the door, looking at her profile in the mirror, somewhat puzzled.

Why did this woman start dressing up as soon as she got back? And why did she specifically call me up, just so I could be her audience?

Charlotte's technique was very skillful; in just a few strokes, she completely covered up the faint bluish-black marks left by staying up all night, restoring the porcelain-like luster to her face, which had appeared somewhat dull due to lack of sleep.

Seeing her radiant reflection in the mirror, Charlotte finally put down the jewelry box and took out a fruit knife from the drawer.

The blade was not long, but it was polished to a high shine, reflecting a dazzling white light in the sunlight.

She handed him the knife, the hilt facing Li Ang and the blade facing herself, as if to suggest that he take it.

Leon didn't take it. He looked at the knife, then at Charlotte's calm face, his mind swirling with questions.

"Stab me." Charlotte held the knife forward, uttering something extraordinary in a calm tone.