CHAPTER 34: HE KILLED YOUR BROTHER

Encouraged by Lucas, Sarah’s mindset steadied.

She nodded to Blanche Nord and said, "Then let’s find a quiet place."

They went to the cafeteria nearest to the teaching building, which was also exquisitely decorated like a luxury hotel, and chose a private room on the top floor.

It wasn’t mealtime yet, so they didn’t order any food.

The server brought drinks and then consciously closed the door and left.

"Senior Blanche, what did you want to tell me?"

Blanche Nord glanced at the doors and walls of the private room, feeling reassured that the soundproofing was well done.

She collected herself and spoke slowly, "Sarah, your brother probably never told you that I... am actually his girlfriend."

As these words were spoken, both Lucas and Sarah were shocked.

Lucas was surprised that Jameson’s confidentiality measures were so thorough—such a beautiful, delicate girlfriend, and even his own younger sister didn’t know.

But on second thought, both Jameson and Blanche Nord were direct descendants of the eight noble families. Marriage between them was forbidden anyway, so a secret relationship made sense.

Sarah’s shock, however, was more disbelief. Her beloved brother, whom she had always respected and adored, had been keeping a girlfriend secret from her. It felt like a thunderbolt.

Although rationally Sarah knew her brother had the right to love freely, she still felt utterly betrayed.

Her body trembled slightly with anger, her fingertips secretly digging hard into the skin of her arm, using the pain to maintain her composure.

"So that’s how it is," Sarah bit her lip. "Should I call you sister-in-law?"

"It might be too late for that now," Blanche Nord said with a bitter smile. "Sarah, I just want to tell you about these matters concerning your brother, to seek closure."

According to Blanche Nord, she and Jameson were the same age and in the same grade. They had known each other since childhood and had feelings for one another, but both had tacitly avoided addressing it directly.

It wasn’t until early this year that things progressed.

But less than four months after they established their relationship, Jameson had an accident.

Before summer vacation this year, unusual mana fluctuations appeared in the Ten Thousand Woods Mountain Range. The Imperial Academy decided to send senior students to form teams and investigate the cause as a form of training.

However, a landslide occurred. Jameson died protecting other team members, crushed under falling rocks.

"This jade pendant was your brother’s token of love to me," Blanche Nord said, taking out an ancient-styled jade pendant from her bosom. "Now, I return it to you."

Sarah reached out with trembling hands, took the pendant, and clenched it tightly in her palm. The warmth of the jade seemed hot enough to burn a hole through her hand.

Sarah recognized this pendant because she had an identical one herself.

The two pendants were originally a pair, the only mementos left by their biological mother, Maya, before she returned to her maiden home.

Sarah had always treasured her pendant because it and Jameson’s were "a pair." She never imagined Jameson had already given his away to someone else.

"Then... Senior Kai Bond..." Endless grief and anger made Sarah’s voice tremble. "You came to see me with Senior Blanche... did you also have something to say?"

"I came... to comfort Blanche," Kai Bond said, looking somewhat awkward.

"But I participated in that training mission with your brother. If you have any questions about the accident, you can ask me. I can explain the specific details of what happened during the incident."

"Thank you," Sarah said, closing her eyes and forcing back the tears that were about to fall. "I don’t want to know too many details."

"I want to know," Lucas, who had been silent until now, suddenly interjected. "May I ask?"

As part of the noble circle, Kai Bond naturally knew Lucas’s identity. He held only contempt for Lucas, this branch child, and was puzzled by Sarah’s closeness to him.

He glanced at Sarah and, seeing she didn’t object, agreed. "Sure."

"Did you... have physical contact with my brother within the ten minutes before his death?"

Kai Bond’s eyelid twitched. "No."

"I understand," Lucas signaled to Sarah with his eyes, then stood up and said, "Sorry, I need to use the restroom. Excuse me."

Though in extremely low spirits, Sarah understood Lucas’s meaning. She also excused herself to go to the restroom and followed Lucas out of the private room.

"What is it?" As soon as they reached a quiet spot, Sarah asked in a low voice.

Lucas glanced around, confirming there were no bystanders or surveillance cameras, then whispered, "Your brother’s death is related to Kai Bond."

"What?" Overwhelmed by grief, Sarah was stunned for a long moment before processing the meaning of Lucas’s words. "How do you know?"

Lucas couldn’t answer because he had asked the System.

The System had an all-knowing function, but it could only answer objective facts of a relatively low level.

Lucas hadn’t used it for a long time because finding the right way to phrase questions was really troublesome.

But today, Lucas urgently activated this function because he had a bold idea.

"This idea originated from Kai Bond’s attitude. Although Kai Bond disguised it well, Lucas easily saw that he had feelings for Blanche Nord.

Later, when Kai Bond mentioned he was present at Jameson’s death, Lucas immediately wondered if Kai Bond had killed Jameson to get Blanche Nord?

At that time, Lucas silently asked the System if Jameson had had physical contact with Kai Bond within the ten minutes before his death. The System confirmed it.

This alone couldn’t prove anything.

But when Lucas asked Kai Bond about it, Kai Bond lied, which meant he had a guilty conscience.

Though Lucas didn’t know the specific method, there was no doubt Kai Bond had directly caused Jameson’s death.

"I can’t tell you the reason, but I just know. You have to believe me," Lucas said to Sarah. "As long as you cooperate, I have a way to prove it."

Sarah agreed without hesitation. She didn’t trust Lucas’s motives, but she trusted his abilities.

Lucas immediately activated Invisibility, simultaneously grabbing Sarah’s hand, causing both of them to disappear.

Sarah instantly understood Lucas’s plan. The two returned to the private room in perfect sync, moving softly and trying not to make any sound.

They went behind the seats of Kai Bond and Blanche Nord. Sarah took out a fine needle, quickly pricked Kai Bond’s little finger to draw blood, hesitated for a second, and also casually took Blanche Nord’s blood.

Kai Bond and Blanche Nord suddenly felt a sting in their fingers, as if pricked by a bee, and a small amount of blood seeped out.

Though puzzled, they didn’t pay much attention to it.