After searching the kitchen for quite some time, they only found one clue — a missing knife.
Xiao then led the group to Jade's utility room.
At present, Jade had the highest suspicion, so her work area needed inspection.
The moment they pushed the door open, they immediately smelled a faint trace of blood.
"…Hmm?"
After countless years of battle, Xiao was extremely familiar with that scent.
"Search!"
Without hesitation, he strode inside.
This was the maid's tool room, mostly filled with cleaning supplies. It looked messy, but the space itself wasn't large.
Searching it was easy.
Within moments, Xiao pulled out a sharp knife from the corner — still stained with blood.
"Oh ho ho."
Furina's eyes lit up.
Still pretending? You're completely exposed now.
"I found something too."
Right after Xiao, Raiden Ei pulled out a bloodstained coat from inside a storage box.
"This…"
Jade's lips twitched.
The way everyone looked at her — like she was already convicted — made her extremely uncomfortable.
Only Herta remained calm.
"Isn't there one more search opportunity? Let's check another location."
"Alright."
Xiao didn't object.
They only had three searches per day — no reason to waste them.
Although Jade's suspicion was currently the highest, nothing was absolute.
They then went to Furina's storage shed.
Nothing.
No clues whatsoever.
With no further discoveries, they returned to the hall.
Su Ze glanced at Jade with amusement.
"Alright. The three locations have been searched. You may now analyze. Afterwards, tell me whether you wish to initiate voting."
He then stepped aside to watch the drama unfold.
"Is there even anything to analyze? The killer is obviously Jade."
Furina was the first to speak up.
To her, this was practically an open-and-shut case.
The others all looked toward Jade.
Care to explain?
Jade took a deep breath.
She didn't feel good — but she began speaking anyway.
"First, I'll repeat myself. I've been framed."
"The knife and the bloody coat could very well have been planted by the real killer to mislead us."
Raiden Ei immediately objected.
"You have keys."
That was the dying clue Jing Yuan left behind.
Surely he had known who the killer was.
"Yes, I have keys. But who's to say I'm the only one?"
"And are we sure the word 'Key' was written by Jing Yuan?"
That statement stunned everyone.
They had focused entirely on the bloody message — but had they considered it might have been written by the killer?
And the murder weapon just happened to be found in Jade's tool room?
Wasn't that a little too convenient?
"Hmph. Stop making excuses. You're the killer."
Furina smiled confidently.
She felt completely assured.
She was the Hydro Archon of Fontaine.
She had presided over countless trials.
This level of trickery was child's play.
Seeing her confidence, everyone fell silent and turned to her.
She basked in it.
This was her moment.
She would deliver the finishing blow.
"First: As the maid, you have access to everyone's rooms. Yesterday, you must have familiarized yourself with all room layouts. That's why you were able to assassinate Mr. Jing Yuan while he was off guard."
"Second: Also because you're the maid. Yesterday, while washing dishes in the kitchen, you secretly hid the murder weapon on yourself."
The others nodded.
That logic checked out.
"No. I did not take a weapon while washing dishes. Mr. Su Ze can testify."
Jade remembered clearly — after washing the dishes, she saw Su Ze still in the hall.
He could confirm she wasn't carrying anything.
But Su Ze waved his hands repeatedly.
"Don't look at me. I don't participate, and I don't testify."
That complicated things.
The only person who could verify her innocence refused to intervene.
"Still wrong. Even if I took the knife, how could I leave my room? Xiao was guarding all night."
Jade clung to this final point.
Xiao never left the third floor.
She couldn't have exited without him noticing.
"Heh."
Furina smiled triumphantly.
"You didn't need to use the front door."
"What do you mean?"
Furina stood up.
Her expression radiated victory.
"I'm the Gardener. Last night, I surveyed the exterior layout."
She looked around proudly.
Just sit back and enjoy the carry.
"All the windows have thick water pipes running beside them. You could climb down the pipe, exit from outside, then use the same method to enter Jing Yuan's room."
"What?!"
Herta was shocked.
She hadn't gone outside — she had no idea about the pipes.
If the killer had targeted her, even Xiao guarding her door might not have saved her.
"Confirmed. The killer is Jade."
After hearing Furina's reasoning, Raiden Ei immediately agreed.
No doubt about it.