With the quest to uncover the Duke's hidden treasure in full swing, it was no surprise that one of the most sought-after locations to explore was the Master Bedroom. Fortunately, Momota and Harukawa had been able to get in mostly unimpeded. Unfortunately, Occam's Razor was not in effect, and the obvious answer was not panning out as well as either had hoped.
Strangely, the room was fairly sparsely decorated. Other than the basic amenities, the only notable item was a large-scale portrait of Amami dressed in upscale attire.
"Man... guess I really am an idiot, huh?" Momota lamented, lying face-down on the bed.
"If you're asking for a supportive lie, you're looking to the wrong person," Harukawa replied, rifling through the drawers of a nearby dresser.
"We're supposed to be married. Supportive lies are the bedrock of romance," the astronaut argued.
Harukawa turned in an attempt to refute the purple-haired boy, only to stop and consider this. "That's not... untrue..."
Momota flipped over, to better address his investigative partner. "Hey, did your thing include anything about how we got together?"
The character files were the single most important weapons each player had. Each held critical information, and no one could be certain who was connected to who else and how. And the people you chose to share your secrets with was one of the key strategic elements of the game.
Though, to Harukawa, strategy needed to take a backseat for a brief moment, as she turned away to avoid looking at her newfound object of interest. "No," she answered. And frankly, it was the truth. Her information had been very light on backstory. Which she was fine with, as it had more than enough for her to absorb as it is.
"Mine did," Momota explained. He began to smile. "It's kinda nice, really. Turns out Charlotte used to be one of my maids."
"I worked for you?" the red-eyed girl replied with shock.
"Crazy, huh? But after wife number one died, natural causes, Charlotte was always there for me, and, well, we just kind of hit it off," Momota recounted.
"So, the Florence Nightingale story?" Harukawa assessed.
"I guess," Momota muttered. "I thought it was sweet."
Harukawa paused. "I never took you for a romantic," she threw out.
"I'm not, really, but... I appreciate that sort of thing. If you find someone who cares about you that much, you just gotta go for it, you know?" the astronaut shared.
Harukawa's investigation stopped cold as she processed this. "How do you know?"
"Huh?"
"How do you know the difference between someone truly caring about you, and normal kindness?" the assassin clarified.
The astronaut sat up as he answered, "I'd say... when you know that they accept you for everything you are. And they care because of it, instead of in spite of it. At least, that's what I think."
Harukawa swallowed. For the moment, the only other student who knew her true talent was Ouma. She hated that he knew. Hated that he had some semblance of control over her because of it. But... could she tell anyone? How would they respond? How would he respond?
And all of it hinged on one troubling detail. The rule she was obligated to follow.
"Countess Charlotte Corduroy must share what she's been hiding with her husband."
She breathed a heavy sigh. She didn't have to yet. But... how long could she hold out.
But little did she know Momota was facing a similar struggle. He, too, was saddled with a rule he was not excited about following.
"Count Charles Corduroy must tell his wife what's been happening to him."
Both rules were referring to their characters, rather than themselves. But it hit close to home. Each dancing around a secret they had no intention of ever sharing. And now, feeling the pressure to do so.
As well as the desire.
"My, my, my, how the tables have turned."
"I know."
Saihara was none too pleased with his current state of affairs. Ouma's request to interrogate each individual player was causing more harm than good in the actual detective's eyes. Though, it was a brief reprieve from Akamatsu's control, which was a welcome change for the capped boy.
Ouma, however, was having a field day with this. "The foreign bodyguard. Feh. We know that's not really what you do with her body..."
"Ouma-kun!" Saihara shouted, highly embarrassed.
"You will address me as either 'Mister' or 'Detective' Pebbleford, sir!" Ouma shot back.
"You're a terrible detective! You haven't left this room since the game began!" Saihara countered.
"Yes, meaning no one is free to tamper with the body," the dictator explained, "The crime scene is completely intact."
"But what about the necklace?"
"You seem awfully concerned about that necklace... how much do you make, Raoul?"
"Ouma, if you knew the first thing about classic detective fiction, you'd know that the foreigner is never the culprit because they're meant to use their foreignness to distract you from the real culprit," Saihara declared.
"Which would exclude both you and our chef," Ouma pondered, "and yet he is clearly hiding something."
"Ouma, do you really think I'm the culprit?" Saihara asked very plainly.
"I don't know, do you want to go back to the girl you love but can't trust dragging you wherever she wants you to go?"
Saihara blinked. "...how do you...?"
"We all have a few perks, Saihara-chan," Ouma revealed with a wicked grin, "You get your 10 minutes with Akamatsu-chan, I get to know a select few rules other characters have."
"That gives you a huge advantage..."
Ouma shrugged. "And yet, I'm still here. So ask yourself... am I that untrustworthy?"
The library was proving to be less than successful. Yumeno was certain that one of the bookcases held a secret passage behind it, but she had yet to discover it. Wasn't that something you always found in an old detective story? After all, there was one in the actual library.
Sadly it seemed in this case that art had chosen not to imitate life, as Yumeno had long since given up checking each book. And examining each bookend had yielded no greater results.
"How's it shaking, Red?"
Yumeno turned to face the now-present Iruma and pondered her options. She was an enemy within the context of the game, of course. But she also had information no one else had. Curiosity won out in this case. "You helped program this, right?"
"Uh... yeah, why?" Iruma replied.
"Then do you know any secret passages or codes or whatever that could help us?" the mage inquired.
Iruma scoffed. "'Fraid not. I programmed base-ass stuff, like physics and textures and shit. Monokuma added all the detailed crap. All I know is what was in my character folder."
Yumeno groaned in exasperation. "Uggghhhh... what are we even supposed to look for here?"
It was at this point a light bulb went off in Iruma's memory. "Wait, I think I remember something."
"What?"
"I remember that the books weren't fully programmed, obviously. Didn't wanna waste space, so each one only can be opened to a single page..." Iruma considered.
"So, the books might have a hint?" Yumeno realized.
"Maybe..." Iruma said, already perusing the shelves.
With the inventor distracted, Yumeno hit the shelves as well. Already having examined the library thoroughly, she knew exactly which book to grab. Discreetly, she took a book labeled, Ancient Treasures and began to read what it had within.
"The Necklace of Gia Nostelle was long-thought to be lost to time. However, in recent years, the jewels were re-discovered in a forgotten holy site in Africa. Shortly after their recovery, the necklace was removed from this location, and is rumored to be in the private collection of an unknown connoisseur."
Yumeno put the book back as quickly as possible, trying to avoid alerting Iruma. "I think I'm tired of books for now, I'll check somewhere else."
"Whatevs," Iruma called back.
The trophy room was arguably the most frightening room in the house. From the brief description listed on the map it was quite unclear as to what the trophies were for. Hoshi, being a former athlete naturally assumed that the late Duke's trophies were tied to some sort of sport. Once he entered the room though, all his questions were cleared up.
If the bearskin rug wasn't enough indication, then the mounted heads of deer on the wall certainly did a great job of illustrating the Duke's passions. The late man was a hunter, and enjoyed taking down big game.
Hoshi had never put much thought toward hunting before. Japan's strict gun laws meant that it never seemed like a topic worth discussing. But with the imagery right in front of him, he was horrified. His one-man crusade of taking down organized crime was one thing, but these were innocent animals.
"I see you're not quite enjoying yourself, Pierre."
Hoshi turned to see it was Toujou, still keeping character to the best of her ability.
Hoshi cleared his throat, and followed suit, "Madame, I beg your pardon. I care too much for animals to properly appreciate the Duke's efforts."
Toujou sighed. "Yes. I had always tried to talk him out of it, but he always seemed interested in the next adventure. New locales, new trophies to take home, and finding a way to make me think it was worth it."
"Did he acquire the necklace during such an expedition?" Hoshi inquired.
Toujou suddenly grew defensive. "Yes. Why do you ask?"
"Simple curiosity, Madame," the former prisoner replied. "I know that many a man dreams of finding hidden treasure. When I was a youth in the French countryside, I too, dreamed of a life of excitement."
"And here you are as a chef," Toujou cut back.
"A chef who has born witness to a murder," Hoshi argued, "So much has happened already. And there is much more to be done before this night's end."
As Hoshi made his exit, Toujou nodded in acknowledgement.
"He has taken to his character quite well," she observed. Toujou was quite surprised as to who had jumped into their roles and who hadn't. Ouma's eagerness was no shock, and Kiibo was definitely willing to go along for the ride. However, Harukawa's willingness to play along was a mystery to her. But most fascinating was herself. Toujou knew from the outset she would give her all to this role, it was just the kind of person she was. But the maid had found that she felt very comfortable in a position of power.
Almost as though she was always meant to hold one.
"There it is!"
Akamatsu took great pride in this incredible victory. The map had been of no help, but with a little time, effort, and dedication, it had been found. The goal she had been searching for since the game had begun.
She had finally found the broom closet. Of all places, it was just off of the Duke's private study.
"Great, now all that's missing is Saihara-kun..." she muttered. "Interrogation shouldn't take that long. Mine didn't..."
Ouma's questioning of Akamatsu had been odd. She had assumed it was due to the 'casting' as it were of Amami as the deceased. Either it was so blatant that Akamatsu must be the killer, or it was a clear indicator that she was not. As such, all he had asked was about how long she and Raoul had been together.
She had been quite proud of the response, "Not long enough."
There was something liberating about this role-play. The freedom to shed her previous self and be someone new entirely. A version of herself who didn't need to be concerned with her former hang-ups and fears. Lady Ivory was unafraid of the opinions of others, and as such, Akamatsu wasn't either.
"Miss Ivory?"
Akamatsu turned to face Kiibo, who was now standing in the doorway.
"Oh, Kiibo-kun. Can I help you?"
Kiibo waved off her concerns. "I was simply curious as to whether or not you would like a snack. I would be more than happy to oblige you."
"No, that's okay," the pianist replied. "But... have you seen Saihara-kun? He should be back by now."
"I fear he may have taken advantage of his brief freedom to begin an independent investigation," Kiibo theorized. "However, he will need to come to this study sooner or later."
"True..." Akamatsu noted. "Have you found anything of interest?"
"I have primarily been observing the other players," Kiibo noted. "I was able to see who went to which rooms first."
"Hmm... care to share?"
"To my recollection, you and Saihara-kun began by investigating one of the guest rooms, Yumeno-san the library, Hoshi-kun the kitchen, Iruma-san checked the master bedroom, Harukawa-san and Momota-kun the parlor, whereas I was in the main hall, and Ouma-kun and Toujou-san were in the dining room for her interrogation," Kiibo recounted.
"There's gotta be something significant to all of that..." Akamatsu considered.
As the two spoke, the sound of footsteps passed by the door. To Akamatsu's delight, it was the previously missing Saihara.
Upon seeing the pianist, Saihara's eyes widened and he prepared to try and move along. But the call of, "Raoul, be a dear and get in here!" stopped him in his tracks. To his dismay, he had no choice but to enter the study.
"Is there something you need me for, milady?" he barely muttered.
Akamatsu smirked, and merely pointed to the nearby closet. Saihara's face became flush with embarrassment as he realized what was about to transpire.
"Can I just grab a few things from the Duke's files beforehand?" he requested.
"That seems reasonable," Akamatsu replied. "Kiibo, would you mind keeping track of the time for us?"
Kiibo quirked his head. "I suppose... but what is happening?"
"Just don't interrupt for 10 minutes, and open the closet door when we're done, okay?" the blonde explained.
The robotic boy nodded. "Very well."
With files in hand, Saihara took a shaky breath. "Alright, I'm ready."
"Splendid!" Akamatsu cheered.
Kiibo held the door open as the two made their way into the cramped location. The door shut behind them, and the two noted that the only source of light was a small candle.
Akamatsu's enthusiasm suddenly melted away as she reabsorbed the gravity of the situation. This would likely redefine the course of every interaction she had with Saihara from here on out.
Saihara tried to focus on the files, but he was perfectly aware he wasn't going to be able to read much of anything in this dim light. The only thing he could look at was Akamatsu.
This would be a very long ten minutes.
A/N: This thing is tricky, and it's gonna end up longer than the last Daily Life. Why did I think writing two mysteries in a single section was a good idea?
As a wise dog once said, "The things I do for love."