The Confession
"Yes, yes, of course! He brought back so much money when he came home," the man said. "He told me he was working for a rich family and his masters gave it all to him, it was thousands of taels!"
The moment he said the word "money," a flicker of greed lit up the brawny man's eyes, but it was just as quickly swallowed by fear.
"I'm just a simple man, you see," he stammered. "I've never seen that much silver in my life."
Hearing this, Cassidy drew her bowstring taut, her voice sharp. "So you plotted to steal his money, poisoned him, and then tried to frame The Food Cauldron for it?"
"No, that's not right," the Fourth Princess cut in, looking confused. "If he was trying to frame them, he wouldn't have been the one to call the authorities."
Cassidy ignored her, her focus locked on the lead bailiff as she aimed the arrow right at him. "He keeps looking at you. Why? Is there something going on between you two?"
If there was one thing Cassidy had picked up from her time around the Emperor, it was his paranoid nature. She had a gut feeling that everyone here, except for her, was up to something.
The lead bailiff looked stunned, as if he couldn't believe the suspicion had suddenly landed on him. "Princess, please, be reasonable! My men and I are from the Magistrate's Court. We got a report about a murder and an extortion attempt at The Food Cauldron, so we rushed over to make an arrest."
He glanced at the arrow pointed at his face and swallowed hard. "I don't know this man at all. He was probably just panicking and glanced over by accident. I'm begging you, Princess, you have to understand."
Cassidy just snorted. She was far too smart to be fooled by that.
"I heard you perfectly clear just now," she said, her voice dangerously low. "You claimed the victim's family filed a complaint against The Food Cauldron for a fatal poisoning. But now you're saying someone *from* The Food Cauldron reported it. Are you trying to play me for a fool?"
The bailiff froze. Wasn't this princess supposed to be a total troublemaker? How could she be this sharp?
"I... I was in such a rush to get here," he stammered, scrambling for an excuse. "I must have gotten the details mixed up."
The moment the words left his mouth, Cassidy let go. The bowstring hummed, and the feathered arrow shot through the air, heading straight for the bailiff. With a sharp *crack*, the arrow shattered the decorative bead on his official hat, the force of it knocking the hat clean off his head.
The bailiff was scared senseless, a phantom chill crawling up his spine as if the arrow had taken his head with it. His legs gave out, and he collapsed to his knees with a thud.
"Princess... Princess... I..." he trembled, unable to form a complete sentence.
Cassidy didn't wait for him to finish. She just drew her bowstring again, aiming at the brawny man still on the ground. He had been shaking like a leaf ever since he saw the princess shoot the hat off the bailiff. Now, with the bow aimed at him, he completely fell apart.
He started clawing at the dirt, sobbing and begging for his life. "Princess, spare me! Please, I'll confess! I'll tell you everything!"
The words came tumbling out of him in a desperate rush.
"Someone paid me to do this! They gave me a hundred taels and told me to bring my friend's body here to The Food Cauldron and demand money. They even told me what to say! They promised I could get even more if I just made a big enough scene. I wasn't thinking straight, I was blinded by greed.
I beg you, Princess, spare my life!"
The man was regretting this with every fiber of his being. If he'd known, he never would have followed Leo to Argent in the first place. This city was terrifying; people here would kill you without a second thought.
Cassidy stared down at him. "Who gave you the money? What's their name? What did they look like? Tall or short, fat or thin? What were they wearing? Any distinguishing features?"
The barrage of questions left the man dizzy, his voice weak and flustered. "I... I don't know. The person was wearing a veiled hat, with the brim pulled down low. I never saw their face, not once. I couldn't even tell if they were tall or short."
As he spoke, his voice grew even more terrified. "And their voice... they were disguising it, making it sound thin and hoarse. I couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman. I just know that when they spoke, it felt so cold... no emotion at all. That's all I know, I swear! Please, Princess, spare me!"
Cassidy turned her gaze to the lead bailiff.
Terrified she was about to shoot again, the bailiff immediately pointed a shaking finger at the man kneeling beside him.
"Princess, spare my life! It was him! He gave me silver! He said... he said all I had to do was help him cause a scene and make sure everyone knew The Food Cauldron had poisoned someone!"
He was practically crying now. "I thought it was all for show! That I'd just go through the motions, ask a few questions, and then let the restaurant manager go, all while making some easy silver. I just got greedy for a moment and agreed. Princess, please, you have to believe me!
I never meant for anyone to get hurt. I beg you, spare my life!"
After hearing both men confess, the Fourth Princess looked at Cassidy, her eyes sparkling with admiration. "How did you know they were working together?"
Cassidy thought to herself, *I had no clue. But could I really admit that? I've got a reputation to maintain!* She had just been suspicious of everyone on principle; she never expected them to just crack and confess on their own.
She looked at the Fourth Princess, pointed to her own head, and said with a dead-serious expression, "Because I'm brilliant."
The Fourth Princess was speechless. As much as she hated to admit it, Cassidy's cool confidence, sharp questions, and aggressive attitude had made her seem incredibly smart.
A few months ago, Cassidy had been just like her.
She started to suspect that being an official actually made you smarter.
That settled it. She had to become an official, too.
The Fourth Princess stared hopefully at Cassidy. "Does your Capital Inspection Bureau have any openings? I want in."
Cassidy looked her up and down, then shook her head dismissively.
She cleared her throat and raised her voice for all to hear.
"No way. The Capital Inspection Bureau isn't a place just anyone can join. Everyone in it is a top-tier talent."
She gestured grandly. "They know everything from the stars above to the ground below. They can write up a case file with one hand and take down a thug with the other. They're not just brilliant strategists; their courage is beyond anything you've ever seen."
She finished with a final, cutting remark.
"Without real skill, you couldn't even get in the door. As a princess born to privilege, I'm afraid you couldn't handle the work."
Reid Donovan and the other agents standing nearby immediately stood up a little straighter, chests puffed out. So that's how highly the Princess thought of them.
The Fourth Princess looked at the agents standing behind Cassidy. They really did look impressive, which only made her want to join even more. She quickly pulled a few banknotes from her dress and shoved them at Cassidy. "This is all for you. Just let me join and investigate cases with you."
Cassidy righteously refused. "Don't you dare try to bribe me! I will not allow that kind of corruption to infect my Bureau."
The Fourth Princess just pulled out a few more banknotes and handed them over.
In her mind, money could solve any problem.
If it didn't, you just weren't using enough of it.
She didn't care about entry requirements or hard work; she just wanted a government job to make herself smarter.
She already thought she was brilliant, but she'd just realized Cassidy might be a tiny bit more brilliant, and that was something she simply could not accept.
Cassidy stared at the thick stack of banknotes in her hand.
"But then again," she said slowly, her tone shifting completely. "You do have a kind heart, sincerity, and a real passion, Fourth Princess. Wanting to do your part for the people of the capital is a rare and precious quality."
She patted the Fourth Princess on the shoulder, her expression the picture of integrity. "And as it happens, our Capital Inspection Bureau is currently in need of someone just like you, righteous, sincere, and passionate. Welcome aboard."