"Don't you intend to leave something behind for your grandchild?"
Those words echoed endlessly in Lord Dean's mind.
"But… I don't have a grandchild, Your Highness," he said blankly.
Even Yanfei froze.
As far as she knew, Hua Chu had never married—nor had she borne any children.
So where would a grandchild come from?
The Divine Detective General also looked at Severin in confusion, waiting for an explanation.
Severin took a few steps forward and stopped in front of the fisherman who had discovered Hua Chu's body.
"Y-Your Highness…"
The fisherman panicked instantly, his eyes darting around.
"You can confess yourself," Severin said calmly,
"or I can say it for you."
"I—I'll talk!"
The fisherman collapsed on the spot and confessed everything.
It turned out that every time Hua Chu met Jian Qiu in secret, they used his small fishing boat.
Hua Chu was generous, paying him handsomely each time. Over time, his boat became their exclusive means of transport.
In truth, Hua Chu and Jian Qiu had been lovers years earlier—far earlier than most people believed.
They had lived together unmarried for over a year.
And during that time—
Hua Chu gave birth to a baby boy.
Lord Dean rushed forward, trembling with excitement.
"Then… then I have a grandson?!"
"Where is he?!"
"I—I don't know," the fisherman stammered.
"Maybe they hid him somewhere…"
Severin, however, turned toward the edge of the crowd and pointed at an elderly woman holding an infant.
"What is your relationship to the fisherman?"
"He's… my husband," the old woman said, her voice shaking.
"And the baby in your arms—whose child is that?" Severin asked coldly.
"Your husband has already lied to me once. If you lie as well, neither of you will survive this."
"Y-Your Highness… I'll tell you everything!"
The woman broke down.
"This child… this child is Miss Hua Chu's. He's Lord Dean's grandson."
"A few days ago, Jian Qiu suddenly came to our house with the baby. He said he wanted us to raise the child for a while and left a large sum of Mora."
"We… we were tempted. That's why we agreed."
"We never imagined he would kill the child's mother…"
"We were blinded by greed—please spare us!"
The truth was laid bare.
Lord Dean hurried forward, taking the infant into his arms.
He rocked the child gently, tears streaming down his face.
"He looks like her… the eyebrows, the eyes—just like Hua Chu."
"I really have a grandson… good… good…"
The murder case revealed yet another shocking twist.
Yanfei now looked at the Snezhnayan Prince with unrestrained admiration.
"Your Highness," she said earnestly,
"please tell me—how did you know Lord Dean had a grandchild?"
"When Jian Qiu and his fiancée were arrested," Severin replied,
"they kept looking back at the infant in that woman's arms."
"Not just them—the fisherman did the same."
"So I deduced that the child was likely connected to Hua Chu."
Yanfei smiled brightly.
"To infer all of this from such a tiny detail… incredible."
A case that once seemed hopelessly tangled was solved with stunning clarity.
Even the Divine Detective General—seasoned by countless investigations—found it hard to believe.
The surrounding townsfolk were equally amazed.
"So this is the Snezhnayan Prince? He's a master investigator!"
"There are still so many cold cases in Liyue—if only he could stay longer."
"Brilliant deduction. Truly classic!"
"What we thought was a simple murder turned out to involve so many people. Thank goodness the Prince was here today."
Cradling his grandson, Lord Dean approached Severin with tears in his eyes.
"Your Highness," he said humbly,
"I dare ask you to give my grandson a name."
"In Liyue, there is a stone called Huayan Stone," Severin said.
"It's used to build houses and bridges—structures that endure."
"Hua Chu's child lost his mother at birth. That is a great misfortune."
"I hope he grows into someone useful to Liyue."
"Let him take his mother's surname Hua, and the name Yan from stone."
"Hua Yan. What do you think?"
"A fine name!"
"From today on, my grandson shall be called Hua Yan!"
Lord Dean laughed loudly.
After experiencing the highest highs and lowest lows of his life,
that laughter carried an unmistakable trace of sorrow.
Composing himself, he continued,
"Your Highness, I agree to cooperate. Minghua Money House will work with Northland Bank."
"In truth, I've been considering this for days."
"Minghua is Liyue's last local money house. It carries the hopes of countless people—I cannot allow it to collapse in my hands."
"To survive, we must change with the times."
"Northland Bank's operating model is advanced and aligned with the future. Cooperation is the right path."
Yanfei teased with a smile,
"Lord Dean, are you still planning to give your money house to me?"
"Of course not!" he laughed.
"I'm leaving it for my grandson."
After everything was settled, Severin began walking back.
Yanfei followed behind him.
"Lawyer Yanfei," Severin asked without turning around,
"do you need something else?"
"No—nope," she said quickly, shaking her head.
"Mm."
Severin responded indifferently and continued on.
"Your Highness."
Yanfei hurried after him again.
The sharp-tongued lawyer, so eloquent in court, now looked strangely shy.
"Is it really true," she asked hesitantly,
"that a woman in love… has zero intelligence?"
"That statement," Severin replied,
"can explain why Jian Qiu's fiancée was willing to die for him."
"But it cannot answer your question."
"The answer you seek—
you'll have to find yourself."
He laughed lightly and strode away.
Yanfei stood frozen in place.
As a half-adeptus, she had never fully understood humans.
After thinking for a long time, she murmured to herself,
"Your Highness… I will find the answer."
"But first—
I need to verify whether that statement is true."
Lord Dean had entrusted her with Hua Chu's case. She would spare no effort in sending Jian Qiu to the execution ground.
And Jian Qiu's fiancée—being an accomplice—would face interrogation as well.
Time was of the essence.
Yanfei headed straight for the Millelith camp.
Inside the prison, Jian Qiu's fiancée had already changed into prisoner's garb.
Recognizing Yanfei, she spoke eagerly,
"Lawyer Yanfei, I admit it—I killed Hua Chu. Please hurry and sentence me."
"Pushing someone into a river and causing death constitutes intentional homicide," Yanfei said coldly.
"Under Liyue law, you—"
"I know," the woman interrupted with a smile.
"It's the death penalty. Just carry it out."
"Aren't you afraid of death?" Yanfei asked.
"Jian Qiu loves me," she replied serenely.
"I'm willing to die for him."
She was smiling.
At that moment, Yanfei finally understood Severin's words.
This woman had been completely brainwashed.
For what she believed was love, she would give up even her life.
Calling it "zero intelligence" was no exaggeration.
A surge of disgust rose in Yanfei's chest.
She said coldly:
"Enough with the act. Jian Qiu confessed to everything."
"He was the one who pushed Hua Chu into the river—
not you."
To read advanced Chapters, head over to p@treon:
patreon.com/SwritesTL