A short while later, Rulu and the Suzaku Guard Captain arrived before an exquisitely crafted door inside the palace. The Suzaku Guard Captain knocked and spoke toward the room within: "Lord Euphemia, Mr. Qin has arrived."
"Come in——" A slightly weary female voice drifted from inside. The Suzaku Guard Captain pushed the door open and led Rulu into the room. Rulu took a quick look around and found it to be a spacious, well-lit study. Euphemia sat alone at a desk, reviewing a large stack of paper documents piled before her. As Rulu entered, she immediately set down the papers in her hand and turned her gaze toward him.
"Please, have a seat, Mr. Qin." Euphemia said softly, extending her right hand forward to gesture toward a chair not far in front of her. Rulu sat down at once. The Suzaku Guard Captain closed the door and took his position a short distance to Euphemia's left, standing motionless like a statue, his gaze fixed straight ahead.
"I'm sorry — these past few days I've had so much to handle that I haven't been a proper host to you or your friends. How have you all been getting on, Mr. Qin?" Lord Euphemia smiled as she spoke to Rulu, her voice gentle and entirely unpretentious, as though she were an old friend of his.
Rulu smiled in return and replied with easy casualness: "My friends and I have been very comfortable here. They all say Lord Euphemia is warm and lovely — they've taken quite a liking to you."
A sincere smile spread across Lord Euphemia's face. "I'm so glad to hear that. After what happened the other day, everyone went through such hardship, and I felt terribly guilty about it. Hearing you say that puts my mind at ease."
Rulu said, "What happened was something no one wanted to see. Lord Euphemia, you were one of the victims yourself — there's no need to feel guilty. By the way, have you found out who was behind it all?"
Lord Euphemia said, "We do have some leads. We suspect it was another imperial faction——"
Before she could finish, the Suzaku Guard Captain cleared his throat loudly. Lord Euphemia caught herself and quickly corrected course: "The matter is still under investigation, and we have yet to identify the one behind it. However, we have already tightened security in the area around Yufei City, and I believe nothing like what happened the other day will occur again."
Rulu nodded. "That's good to hear."
At that moment Lord Euphemia recalled why she had summoned Rulu, and her expression grew serious. "Mr. Qin," she said, "there is something I would like to ask your thoughts on. I hope you might be able to help."
"Please go ahead. If it's something I can help with, I certainly will."
Euphemia said, "It's like this — I have a friend who received a large house from someone else. One day a fire broke out without warning, burning a great many things inside and causing him tremendous losses. Because of this, many people questioned him, saying he had failed to manage the house properly and demanding he take responsibility. If you were in his position, Mr. Qin, what do you think he should do?"
Rulu thought for a moment and said, "A fire is an unforeseeable calamity. As long as he did his best to put out the flames and minimize the damage, making amends for what was lost should be enough — he needn't concern himself with what others say."
Lord Euphemia said, "But when my friend received the house, he made a promise — he was bound to fulfill his duty as its steward. If he failed in that duty, he would have to surrender the house and hand it over to someone else to manage. He doesn't want to lose it. What should he do?"
"If that's the case, things get a bit more complicated…" Rulu said, considering carefully. "In that situation, he would have to investigate the cause of the fire and expose whoever set it from the shadows — only by making the true culprit bear the responsibility can the matter be resolved."
Lord Euphemia blinked and said, "But what if the culprit can't be found? And how would he even know the fire was set by someone else?"
Rulu smiled faintly and said, "Before I answer Lord Euphemia's questions, I'd like to ask something first — is the friend you're describing actually yourself? And the fire you mentioned — is that the Hydra creature attack on Yufei City the other day?"
Lord Euphemia looked a little embarrassed. "Well… I'm sorry, I can't answer that directly, so…"
Rulu waved his hand. "It's all right. Let's stay with the house you mentioned. In truth, it isn't difficult to find the one who set the fire from behind the scenes — you only need to understand his motive and intent, and that gives you a way to track him down."
"And how would one go about that?"
Rulu said, "Based on what you just described, Euphemia, the arsonist's goal was to put Lord Euphemia in an unfavorable position and then seize the house from her. So I would think the true culprit is someone among those who stood to gain the house themselves."
Euphemia said, "We've thought along those lines as well. But there are dozens — perhaps even a hundred — people who could potentially acquire the house. It's very difficult to distinguish which one is actually behind it all."
Rulu said, "In that case, Lord Euphemia, gather every single one of them and examine them with your own eyes, one by one."
"I don't follow you."
"I have a proposal. Lord Euphemia, you could announce publicly that you will be convening a meeting to determine the future ownership of the house — but with one condition: only those who attend in person will be eligible to receive it. The culprit, eager to obtain the house, will surely show up himself. That is when Lord Euphemia will have the opportunity to identify him."
"I see — Mr. Qin, you're brilliant!" Euphemia exclaimed softly, unable to resist clapping her hands together.
At that moment, the Suzaku Guard Captain's voice broke in from the side: "Forgive the interruption. While I also find Mr. Qin's idea quite sound, I'd like to raise a concern — what if we hold the meeting and still fail to identify the true culprit? In that case, Lord Euphemia may very well lose the house regardless."
Rulu said, "Of course, there is risk in this approach. But even without it, Lord Euphemia will eventually lose the house one way or another. Rather than taking blows passively, it's better to take the initiative and seize control of the situation yourself — that's the only way to have a chance at turning things around."
The Suzaku Guard Captain said, "Then what are the odds of success with your plan, Mr. Qin? Can you guarantee that the true culprit will be found?"
Rulu said, "I can't guarantee that the culprit will be found. But if you're willing to take my suggestion, I will do everything in my power to assist you. If you allow me to attend the meeting as well, I can observe everyone present — their every move — and analyze who carries the greatest suspicion, giving you actionable intelligence."
"Are you really that capable? Can we trust you?" The Suzaku Guard Captain fixed Rulu with a skeptical gaze.
"Whether or not to take my suggestion is entirely your decision. I'm only offering my own perspective."
The Suzaku Guard Captain fell silent. Euphemia, too, sank into deep thought. Both of them were carefully weighing Rulu's proposal. After a moment, Euphemia spoke again: "Thank you for your help. I will give your suggestion serious consideration, Mr. Qin. It's getting late — please go and get some rest."