No one expected Tia to stand up at this moment.
Viola looked at Tia instinctively, her eyes filled with shock.
Then she shook her head frantically, her gaze full of worry and embarrassment.
She really did not want to drag her into this.
However, Tia simply gave her a reassuring look before stepping past her to look directly at Raymond.
Raymond seemed to only now truly notice this young lady of extraordinary temperament.
After seeing Tia’s face and recognizing her identity, his sharp expression softened slightly, replaced by a somewhat stiff expression.
“Lady Tia, you are here as well?”
“I have been here the whole time; you have only just noticed me.”
At this, Tia folded her arms, the mockery in her tone no longer concealed.
“But that is normal. After all, your eyes only see your own interests. To prove yourself, you will even resort to any means necessary, ignoring the truth of the facts.”
Raymond’s face darkened instantly.
Being accused to his face by a young noble lady made him feel his authority was being challenged.
“Lady Tia, everything requires evidence! It is impossible for this peasant to have killed these two men alone. Her sister must have taken part as well.”
“Evidence? Peasant?”
Tia softly repeated those two words, her tone cold.
What she hated most was people using their status and identity to refer to the city’s residents as peasants, looking down on them.
After all, in her eyes, everyone was equal.
Nobles were not nobles because they were born superior, but because their character, contributions, and abilities far exceeded those of ordinary people.
Only then were they worthy of being called nobles.
Therefore, Raymond, who could spit out the word “peasant,” was no different from those street thugs in her eyes.
“Is this the quality of an Inquisitor? Please watch your words, Inquisitor Raymond.”
She frowned slightly.
Her fingertips, covered in white lace gloves, pointed gently at the still-terrified Viola and Lily as she announced, “They are maids of the Manor of Earl Harris!”
Silence fell over the surroundings as soon as those words were spoken.
Viola was stunned for a moment, then her eyes turned red, and she nearly burst into tears of gratitude.
Although she had not wanted to involve Tia, deep down, she still longed for someone to settle things for her.
No matter how mature she was, she was still just a helpless teenaged girl.
But it would be different from now on.
From now on, she had Lady Tia’s backing; she was a maid of the Earl’s Manor.
No one would dare bully her easily again.
If they were not still in a confrontation, Viola might have rushed forward to hug Tia tightly and let out all her emotions in her arms.
Unlike Viola’s excitement, Raymond’s pupils constricted, and an endless rage surged in his heart.
In his view, this noble young lady was slapping his face by doing this!
“Are you sure you want to speak up for them?”
“Speak up for them? This is the truth, Inquisitor Raymond.”
Ignoring the threat in Raymond’s words, Tia’s voice was clear and calm.
“When you deduced that they both took part, did you not hear her say that these men came to the door to collect a debt? Combined with the wound on Viola’s head…”
She paused for a moment, letting everyone’s eyes focus on the wound on Viola’s head, then continued.
“It is obvious that they were forced to act against them in self-defense, right? In this situation, according to the city’s laws, they are innocent, even if they killed these persecutors.”
As she spoke, she glanced at the two corpses.
“Furthermore, as far as I know, these two deceased were quite ‘famous’ in this city. They had committed numerous misdeeds. Getting rid of them is less a crime and more a service to the people.”
Raymond fell into a temporary silence.
Indeed, if he thought about the scene carefully, it was much more likely that Viola and her sister had killed Scar and Skinny Monkey in self-defense.
He also knew these two scumbags and was well aware of how much evil they had done.
If they had not had a relatively powerful boss in the city, they would have been hanged at the execution grounds long ago for their crimes.
Killing them really did count as purifying the city’s air.
But… to back down just like that?
What would happen to his dignity? It was bad enough that his face had been slapped by the Witch Incident earlier, but now he was out judging a case and someone had to jump out and slap him again?
What did they take him for?!
Raymond’s nails nearly dug into his palms.
He forced out a cold laugh, trying to regain some ground.
“Since it was self-defense, why did she hide part of the truth? In my opinion, it is because they have a guilty conscience that they have concocted an incomplete story to escape their crimes! Lady Tia, you are young and kind-hearted; do not be deceived by the appearance of these people.”
“Does an Inquisitor judge a case based on assumptions and prejudice instead of solid evidence and logic?”
Tia turned to Lily.
At this moment, Lily was leaning weakly against her sister, her face pale, her breathing shallow and hurried.
Her thin body looked as if it would collapse with a puff of wind.
“Her sister, Lily, has been bedridden for years. The nearby neighbors and doctors can testify to this. Her body is extremely weak; her breathing becomes disordered and her heart beats terrifyingly fast after just walking a few steps.”
Tia’s gaze returned to Raymond’s face, her tone almost questioning.
“Please tell me, how did a patient who could be blown over by the wind kill two strong men armed with knives with her bare hands? Did your deduction ignore the most basic facts?”
…Indeed.
Raymond’s chest felt tight, and the muscles in his cheeks twitched imperceptibly.
He could not refute this visible fact, so he could only change the subject.
“Fine, even so! Where did his body go? Why is there only one head at the scene? How do you explain this!”
He pointed to Skinny Monkey’s lonely head, which wore a terrified expression.
A look of perfect bewilderment appeared on Tia’s face.
At the same time, she spread her hands, her lace gloves tracing an elegant arc in the dim light.
“How should I know? When I arrived, there was only a head left. Are you suggesting, Inquisitor Raymond, that you suspect Viola and Lily had the strength and means to hide an adult male’s body after killing him in self-defense?”
“To do that, they would probably need to know magic, wouldn’t they? Besides, why would they hide the body?”
Raymond’s breath hitched.
Just as he was about to continue his rebuttal, a cold and clear female voice interrupted the confrontation that was devolving into an argument.
“Enough.”
Mephia stepped forward to join the group.
She did not even look at the pale-faced Raymond, instead nodding directly at Tia as a greeting.
Then, her calm gaze swept over Viola and Lily before landing back on Raymond.
“Raymond, haven’t we in the Inquisition lost enough face today? As an Inquisitor of Hela City, do you actually judge cases based solely on your own conjectures?”
Raymond looked as if he had been slapped in public; his face turned from green to red. “Mephia, you…!”
Mephia shook her head slightly, cutting him off.
“I am officially taking over this case. You can take your men and deal with other cases. Don’t forget, you only have seven days left for your Witch.”
These words were like a bucket of ice water, instantly suppressing Raymond’s rage and turning it into a deep, stifling frustration.
He glared fiercely at Mephia, then swept his gaze over Tia and the others.
With a heavy huff, he finally waved his hand and led the other Inquisitors away from the room that had caused him to lose face, looking like a beaten dog.
The pressure lessened significantly with Raymond’s departure.
Tia seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
She turned to Mephia with a polite and slightly grateful smile.
“Lady Mephia, thank you for your help.”
Mephia did not respond to her thanks.
She grabbed Tia’s wrist and, under the puzzled gazes of Viola and Lily, led her out of the room.
*Bang!*
Shyness, surprise, and confusion…
Once outside, under Tia’s complicated gaze, Mephia forced her against the wall, then reached out and pinned her there.
The dim light of the evening sunset outlined Mephia’s deep features, allowing her shadow to completely envelop Tia.
“All right, Lady Tia. Now, tell me the truth of the matter.”
The sweet smile on Tia’s face faltered slightly at these words.
A flash of doubt and vigilance crossed her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a look of perfect confusion.
“…Pardon?”
Mephia gently raised her left hand and pinched Tia’s chin, forcing her to meet her eyes.
The atmosphere gradually leaned toward something ambiguous.
However, Mephia’s next words made Tia feel chilled to the bone.
“You can fool Raymond, but you can’t fool me. My nose never fails. A Witch has been here, hasn’t she?”