>>6224
Let's try the stairs.

>>6225
You go down the stairs, instead of getting colder as you go down it gets hotter, at the bottom there is a large metal door.

You enter the door. It gets hotter once you enter. This must be the boiler room. Inside there is a large boiler in the right corner. There are a good amount of tools in here too. Over in the back there are two more metal doors.

>>6226
I take a closer look at the tools.

>>6227
From what you can tell they are tools for building such as wrenches, nails, hammers, cleavers, and there are a few broken hoes and shovels.

>>6228
I'll take as many nails as I can with me, as well as the hammer. Then I'll go through the first metal door.

>>6229
You go over the first metal door...It is locked.

At that moment you hear footsteps descending the stairs you came from.

>>6230
I quickly try the other door. If it doesn't open then I'll hide behind something.

>>6231
The other door is also locked, it has a small window on it, it seems this one leads outside.

You quickly hide behind the one of the tool closets and the front door opens and in walks...

>>6232
Ruon. She walks over to the boiler and starts to fiddle with it.

>>6233
I'll wait to see what happens.

>>6234
She continues to look at the machine.

"Hmm now where is that wrench?" she says to her self. As she starts to look around the room from where she is standing.

>>6235
I continue to wait...

>>6236
Ruon walks over to the tool closet and sees your still figure behind standing still.

She lets out a load ear piercing shriek and jumps back in shock. Luckily she notices who she is looking at.
"Jesus, Kinjo! What the hell are you doing, scaring me like that!?"

>>6237
"I should be asking you the same thing! Anyway the wrench is right there!"

I point to where the wrench is at, moving away from my hiding spot, toward her back.

>>6238
"Oh thanks... Hey hold it! What do you mean 'asking you the same thing'? I work here, someone was complaining about the temperature so I came to adjust it."
She gets all up in your face in a 'matter of fact' way.

"What are you doing here? "

>>6239
"I didn't like the temperature either. I'm here to warm this cold case back up!"

I step back to get some personal space.

"How long have you been working here, Ruon? And how much do you know about this family?"

>>6240
"Cold case?" She shuffles nervously.

"Weren't you invited here by Krauss to join the festivities?"

>>6244
"It's a long story. I'd rather not get into the details at the moment. But you can trust me, Ruon. Can I trust you too?"

>>6245
Ruon doesn't say anything right away. If one were to guess what she was thinking, she would probably be trying to size you up.

"Who exactly are you? Who are you really?"

>>6246
"I'm a detective, and I need all the cooperation I can get. For my father's sake."

I show her my badge.

>>6247
"You're a detective... So that's what it meant..."

>>6248
"...What do you mean, what 'it' meant?"

>>6249
"A few minutes ago... upstairs... a letter was found in the parlor. It was written to "Culprit-san" and inside..."
She takes a pause to calm herself,
"Was a threat towards the culprit's life. No.. that wasn't a threat, it was a promise. A promise to murder."

>>6250
"What?! Where's this letter?! I wonder, is the writer the same as the one who invited me here?! Whoever they are they sure have been mysterious about it, not even leaving me a name to go on! What did the letter say?!"

>>6251
"After Battler had read the letter Krauss ripped it into pieces and threw it into the trash.
The letter said that it wasn't a coincidence that 'he' was here, and then went on to say that once 'he' finds the culprit, the writer of the letter would personally kill the culprit.

When you told me your true nature I assumed 'he' was referring to you."

>>6252
"That's...not good. So whoever invited me here did so in order to get me to expose the culprit...so they could kill them. Looks like I'll have to track down not one but two people. This won't be easy though, considering Krauss is less than pleased with how I've been acting around here. Just know that I have entirely good intentions, and I want what is best for the family."

>>6253
She looks straight into your eyes for the first time since you said you were a detective. No doubt she is wondering if those words are true.

"Alright, I'll believe you."

>>6254
"Maybe Krauss and the rest would be more open to the idea of a detective now that there's a potential killer on the loose. Are they all still in the parlor?"

>>6255
"No, everyone left the parlor after that.

Even with that letter here it will be hard to gain anyone's trust. You wouldn't know this, but three years ago, there was another like you. A girl proclaiming that she was a detective. She..."

It must be a hard topic, Ruon is shaking"

"did terrible things..." she finishes.

>>6257
"...Terrible things? So gaining the family's trust might be harder than I thought. Really reminds me of that riddle game we played earlier."

I walk up to the tool closet, take the wrench and hand it to her.

"By the way, you might want to adjust that temperature now. They might wonder what happened to you if we just sit around here doing nothing."

>>6258
"Umm, Right... talk to you later then. I guess."

She takes the wrench and gets to work adjusting the boiler.

>>6259
"Later."

I go back up the stairs and explore the door in front of me (where I haven't gone in yet).

>>6260
You leave the boiler room and head back to the room you had previously past. The door is slightly open so you take a peek inside. It seems to be the kitchen.

Inside it is a typical kitchen setting, fridge, pantry, stove, over and the like. There are also two metal doors in this room, luckily you can tell which these lead too. The first one leads to the deep freeze as the words suggest. The second one leads outside judging from the window on the same wall. Gohda and Berune are inside washing dishes, they don't seem too happy.

>>6261
"I heard about that letter. Rest assured that I have no bad intentions; I don't even know who wrote it. But it looks like I fell into their trap perfectly, and I'd like to dig myself out of it."

>>6262
Gohda and Berune both turn around from the unexpected voice. When they see it's you they both seem put off.

"Is that so?" Gohda says simply "Well then if you would excuse us we have work to do"

The two turn their backs on you.

>>6263
"...I see. Well if it means anything I loved the food tonight."

I decide to go back to the entrance hall.

>>6264
As you live you can see the Gohda's hand paused for a second while washing a dish. Regardless you decide to go back to the entrance hall.

As you enter you see Battler alone. He is looking up at the portrait of Beatrice. He doesn't seem to notice you.

>>6265
"...Battler."

I try and get his attention.

>>6266
You see him wipe his face quickly before turning around. The skin around his eyes are slightly red.

"Oh... Kinjo. Weren't you supposed to be in the Guesthouse?"

>>6267
"Probably. But if I just sit there and do nothing, well......Even I don't know why I'm here anymore. It's better to just be honest about things, don't you think?"

>>6270
"Honesty? Only if this world was honest. That would be a hoot, honesty in this world?. If only there wasn't so much lying and deceit. If only everything was clearly stated, instead of hidden behind closed curtains. Then they might not have had to... However that's not the case, this is real life. And life is rough."

You see Battler's eyes water up and he turns away.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to be alone right now."

>>6272
"...I understand."

I'll go down the right corridor and enter the room I haven't been inside yet.

>>6273

Remember3

You are about to enter the room when you notice a voice coming from inside.
"Well where am I going to iron them then? Oh? The old one? Alright then, if I have too."
You then here a sound of a phone being put on the receiver, followed by a loud clicking/crunching sound. You decide to satisfy your curiosity and enter the room.

Turns out this room is the servants room, not to mention it also looks like the equivalent of the utility room in the guesthouse. You see Manon ironing some clothing on a ironing board coming from the wall. She looks up as you enter.

"Oh, Goldebar-sama." She says your name with a rather pronounced pause. "Is there something you need?"

>>6274
"Oh, hello Manon. I don't really need anything right now. Just taking a walk to stave off some boredom."

>>6275
She gives you a narrow glance.
"Alright then, make sure you stay on the first floor. The floors above are family rooms; it's off limits to guests."

She continues to iron the clothing.

>>6276
Taking Manon's advice, I backtrack a bit to visit the only room I haven't been to on the first floor.

>>6277
You find it is locked.

>>6278
I check my watch.

>>6279
It's 9:30pm

second thread
>>6281