Volume One, Chapter Seventeen: The Murderer Is Within the Manor

Meng Yuan was completely stunned, wondering how things had come to this.

The young maid immediately notified the butler of the situation through the service robots outside. The butler reported the matter to the Colonel at once, awaiting his orders, and proceeded to lock down the entire estate. As the butler, he had the authority to manage the manor but lacked the command over the soldiers stationed there, so he could only follow the Colonel's instructions.

At the Imperial noble restaurant, Rested sat face-to-face with the female sent by his family. She was said to be from the White Fox clan associated with his family. The female lived up to her clan's reputation; she was dressed in a seductive and charming manner, enough to bewitch any man with a single glance. However, Rested felt no interest in her, only a hint of impatience. Between the skimpy amount of fabric she wore and the generous display of her chest, she lacked even half the grace of Meng Yuan. He suddenly thought of the times they had eaten together—the girl’s clumsy, reserved demeanor was far superior to the woman sitting before him.

"Colonel, our families arranged this blind date. I’m not sure what you like, so please, go ahead and order," she said, as the electronic screen beside her automatically slid over.

Most beastmen on this planet simply consumed nutrient solutions; few enjoyed eating solid food, and even fewer preferred raw meat. Rested frowned and ordered a few of the restaurant's signature dishes, then gestured for her to choose what she wanted. The woman gave a coy smile, claiming she would enjoy whatever the Colonel liked and that there was nothing else she wished to order. Once confirmed, the menu was sent to the kitchen, and the chefs began preparing the meal.

Throughout the wait, the woman did all the talking, while Rested responded only with "Oh" or "Mm," his expression remaining blank. The woman clearly felt the awkwardness, but fortunately, the restaurant was quiet, and the food arrived quickly. As the robots laid out the dishes, the woman couldn't wait to taste the city-style cuisine. She cut into a piece of raw meat with her knife and fork. The meat was still oozing blood, yet she seemed delighted, spearing a piece and chewing it with great enjoyment.

"Mm, the meat at these city restaurants is truly delicious. Colonel, you should eat too!"

When soldiers were on field duty without nutrient supplies, they would hunt wild animals and tear into them, eating the raw meat—Rested had done this himself—but seeing it now, he felt a wave of nausea.

"Colonel, something has happened."

The adjutant burst in without knocking. Rested felt an instant sense of relief.

"My apologies, there is a military matter. Someone will see you home shortly," he said, rising and leaving immediately, leaving the woman behind in a state of bewilderment.

Before the Colonel’s orders had even arrived, Meng Yuan and the young maid were already searching the area around their rooms. Although the butler could not mobilize the soldiers, he could command the other servants and the service robots. Ever since Hekun had broken in, Rested, in a fit of rage, had strengthened the estate's defenses. The only mystery was that no one in the manor admitted to taking the snake eggs, implying an enemy had infiltrated the grounds. But how?

Meng Yuan suddenly recalled the florists and workers she had seen moving flowers earlier. She immediately had the butler gather them for individual questioning. With the estate now under maximum-security protocols—far beyond its usual mid-level defense—it was impossible for an outsider to have entered. The culprit had to be among them.

The florists and workers stood in rows as the butler questioned them one by one. On the far right of the worker line stood a young boy with a fierce, cold expression, the kind that made people instinctively look away. The butler started with the florists, but after questioning the first one, the boy became impatient.

"Can you hurry up? I have another part-time job to get to," the boy said. His voice was devoid of emotion, sounding starkly out of place in the quiet atmosphere.

The lead worker scolded him immediately. "How dare you speak to a guest like that? If you don't want to work, get out, don't ruin my business!" He then turned to the butler with a fawning expression, desperate to keep such a high-paying client. "Butler, please don't mind him. He’s new and doesn't know any better. Please, don't be angry."

The butler was intrigued by the boy’s demeanor; he looked like a classic rebel. "New, you say? What is your name?"

"Lang Ye."

The butler checked the information transmitted to his terminal. "Lang Ye, your records show you left your post several times while planting trees. Where did you go?"

"Nowhere. I had a nicotine craving, so I hid nearby to smoke."

"A boy that age, and he's already picked up smoking," the butler sighed helplessly.

"My family is poor, and the pressure is high. It just happens."

Lang Ye’s answer didn't raise any suspicion. After questioning everyone, there were still no clues. Where was the culprit hiding? Meng Yuan stood by, anxious, but could do nothing but wait. The butler seemed to be waiting for the Colonel’s return, trusting that the Colonel’s powerful spiritual energy would flush out the thief.

For Lang Ye, he knew that once Rested returned, his chance to escape would vanish. He had to leave the estate before the Colonel arrived.

"I need to go smoke."

The voice cut through the crowd. Rebellious teenagers were difficult to manage, and as long as they met his basic needs without him causing trouble, and since he was not yet a prime suspect, the butler agreed, provided he didn't wander too far.

Carrying a spatial item was dangerous, especially when facing someone with higher spiritual energy—the password would be useless. To avoid suspicion, after placing the two snake eggs into his spatial ring, Lang Ye had swallowed the ring itself. He reached a secluded corner, regurgitated the ring, and slipped it back onto his finger.

Relying on his memory, he reached the perimeter of the estate. The gates were heavily guarded; he had to ensure he could break through and live to report his success.

When the rebellious boy hadn't returned, the butler grew uneasy and sent servants to find him, only to report that he was nowhere to be found. The culprit was obvious now; no one had suspected the boy. The butler immediately alerted the soldiers, especially those at the gate, to be on high alert—not even a fly was to be let through.

Seeing more soldiers gathering at the gate, Lang Ye cursed to himself, wishing he had just made a run for it earlier. In the distant sky, military transport vehicles were already descending. Seeing Rested was about to arrive, Lang Ye looked up, transformed into a black wolf, and charged toward the gate.