Edited by Aelryinth
“What is the thing that you said you wanted to borrow?” Brianca asked, looking confused.
They needed to find the culprit as soon as possible under the current circumstances. Since Herr Casa was taken away, they were unable to find out which people he had come into contact with at the school. Not only did they have no clue about the culprit’s identity, they only had a day to find them! Just as Mo Fan mentioned, they could only hope that the culprits of the two incidents were the same person!
Mo Fan did not answer the question, being all mysterious. “Li Yu’e, I’ll need your help regarding this,” he told Li Yu’e.
Li Yu’e nodded. She said softly, “I’ve been doing this for the past few days. I was hoping that Amelia could see her work finished from Heaven.”
——
Dusk eventually came. A strong uneasiness lingered in the Alps Institute. Many students had gathered together under the tremendous pressure, as if they were determined to fight the Casas to the very end.
They would teach the Casas that the people of the Alps Institute were not helpless targets they could slaughter as they pleased!
Dusk lasted for a long time. While the people were feeling anxious toward the next sunrise, a unique fragrance lingered in the air. It was an elegant and unforgettable scent, one that the people of the Alps Institute were extremely familiar with.
“Isn’t that the fragrance of the Snow Lavenders?” someone asked.
“Yes… that’s right, it’s the seventh dusk of Spring, the first time the Snow Lavender will bloom. Look, the gardens, around the pool, and the waterfall… there are so many of them!”
“It’s so beautiful. I didn’t even notice so many Snow Lavenders were planted around the school. It looks like the whole place is covered in snow!”
“Come up here, quick!”
“Is it prettier up there?”
Girls were often sentimental, and were distracted by the blossoming of the Snow Lavender. The topic spread rapidly among the students. Most importantly, the Snow Lavender were as beautiful as a painting at dusk. Some of the insignificant corners of the Alps Institute, paths that were no longer used, and its ancient structures resembled a magical kingdom after they were surrounded by the pure Snow Lavender flowers.
As the angle of the sunlight shifted due to the setting sun, the flowers reflected different sacred lights, turning the Alps Institute into a world inside a kaleidoscope. Everyone’s faces were filled with disbelief, replacing the uneasiness and fear they had previously!
Dusk came to an end. Faerun School’s appearance shifted magically throughout it. The miraculous sight left the students utterly astonished…
—
Headmistress Perry, Brianca, Ceylan, Jessie, Heidi, Sheryl, Edith, Professor Zheng, Professor Li, Mo Fan, Li Yu’e, and the others were standing high on a tower. Their hearts were beating rapidly.
They were extremely touched when they noticed the Snow Lavender actually formed a huge emblem on the school grounds when they were observing them from a certain height. It was the Alps Institute’s school emblem!
The school emblem covered an area ten kilometers square, including the lengthy paths, insignificant gardens, backyards of some buildings, the church, training grounds, and prayer altars… they walked past these places almost every day, and even though they noticed the vines of the Snow Lavender, no one expected them to combine into such a spectacular sight. They were overwhelmed by the peace and beauty of the Alps Institute, even as the school was facing its greatest danger!
“Amelia, are you planting Snow Lavenders? I keep seeing them everywhere.”
“Yeah, I’ve spent a long time on this. I only have a few places left to work on. Sister Heidi, do come and check it out when it’s done.”
Heidi suddenly recalled the last conversation she had with Amelia. She remembered Amelia’s excited smile, one of great anticipation.
Heidi finally realized the meaning behind her smile. The girl had had a great conspiracy in mind all along. She wanted the whole school to witness her spectacular work over the years on a certain day, the dusk that would bring them such miraculous sight…
Instead, the girl was murdered. Heidi was the one who had found her body. She initially thought the girl had a hollow look in her eyes from fear, but she finally realized the girl was afraid that the others would never be able to see her work completed!
Having the thought while enjoying the stunning view of the school, Heidi uncontrollably burst into tears. She happened to cross paths with Amelia right before her death. Why didn’t she stay behind to talk with her? Perhaps it might have prevented her from being murdered. She was such an innocent but impressive girl!
“This… unbelievable… this is unbelievable…”
A few teachers were experiencing a similar surge of emotions. Such an insignificant girl in the Alps Institute had brought them such an unforgettable sight. She had such a strong love for the Alps Institute, but now she was gone forever.
“Headmistress, didn’t you notice anything strange?” Mo Fan asked.
“Not at all, it’s very beautiful. I am utterly grateful to Amelia. I think I know how I should handle the Casas now.” Headmistress Perry’s heart had finally calmed down.
“No, no, take a closer look,” Mo Fan said.
The observant Ceylan seemed to have noticed something. She pointed down at the mountain and said, “It feels like something is missing there.”
“You’re right, it feels like there’s a part missing there. It’s a very important part of our school emblem. Did Amelia carelessly forget about it, or was she unable to complete it in time?” Sheryl wondered.
Headmistress Perry looked toward the spot. Her expression shifted slightly.
“I believe you all know where that place is, right?” Mo Fan said.
“Roia Garden…” Headmistress Perry slowly uttered.
“The place is off-limits. Amelia wasn’t able to go inside, so she wasn’t able to complete the emblem,” Edith said.
Mo Fan shook his head. He looked at Li Yu’e, since he had gotten the information from her. She knew Amelia better than anyone. If she had not insisted on helping Amelia complete her work, they would never have been able to find out who the culprit was.
“Mo Fan, what are you trying to say? Stop being so mysterious,” Zhao Manyan blurted out impatiently.
“Call me Detective Mo,” Mo Fan blurted out. He added when no one reacted to his lame joke, “Amelia is a stubborn girl. She actually went inside Roia Garden, even though the area is off-limits, as she knew she couldn’t afford to not fill in the most important part of the emblem… but it’s also the reason why she was murdered!”
