Licia sneezed. Just my luck to be stuck at home on Valentine's Night, with an upcoming –she sneezed again- cold. Haru dashed into the living room to grab his wallet.
"Bye! Have a nice time!" Licia told the departing Haru and Elie. Haru nodded, giving her a brief grin. Elie smiled at Licia.
"Yes, you too," she said rather abstractly.
Licia patted her book. "I will!" She returned Haru's cheery grin as best she could under the circumstances. Elie raised an eyebrow.
"I wouldn't doubt the magic of Valentine's Night if I were you...it works in strange ways" she murmured. It was only just audible to Licia's ears. Licia stared at Elie in surprise.
"W-what??" she stammered out. What does she mean by that weird statement? Elie was odd sometimes. Elie jumped as if startled.
"What? Oh! Nothing, nothing," she said just a bit too hastily. She nodded at Haru. "Ready?! Let's go!! I want to eat cotton candy!" Licia heard the latter being cheerily shouted at Haru just before the front door slammed shut.
Cattleya had already left, and so had Griff. Licia shivered. What the hell is Griff, anyway? I wonder if the female counterpart is just as perverted as Griff It was a debatable point. Licia's amused smile faded as Remi entered the living room.
Remi and Musica still hadn't left.
Licia rallied her nerves to face a simpering Remi (who had at every available opportunity flung at her the fact that Remi was spending Valentine's Night with Mucia shamelessly) and worst of all, Musica. Musica had had a permanent sneer on his face whenever he saw her. She had not deigned to notice, though within her hearts of heart she cringed.
"Have a nice time, Remi." She almost choked with delight over how smooth and uncaring and calm her voice sounded. Unfortunately, Remi didn't seem to notice. She breezed about the room shoving things into her little bag.
"Thanks! I will! Musica brought me a bouquet of flowers...red roses! Isn't that romantic?" Remi gushed, plonking her hand phone carelessly into her handbag. It was the fifth time she had mentioned that teensy fact to Licia.
Said Licia: "I'll come to your wedding for your sake, Remi; because you're so sweet." Thought Licia: I wouldn't come near you with a ten-foot pole, you old cat! As for Musica With difficulty, she stifled another choke. Well...who is Musica, anyway?
The last thought ended as Musica himself stepped into the room. Immediately, Licia mutterd a hurried, "Well, have a great time, Remi!" and opened her book at a random page and began to read.
The hair on the back of her neck prickled as she felt Musica's gaze-no, it was probably a glare-on her. Doing her best to ignore it, she focused on the nonsensical words in front of her.
She ignored Musica walking to Remi. She ignored Musica hand Remi a flower, and Remi's loud simper after. Was it just a bit too loud in her direction? Either way, she ignored it. She ignored Musica's loud kiss –Licia's soul writhed within her- on Remi's cheek.
Why should I care? It's just that a worthless person like him doesn't deserve even Remi's love wasted on him. I hate him.
She ignored Musica's even louder ,"Let's go,baby!". The only thing she didn't ignore was the front door's bang.
Dropping the book, she sighed loudly. "I hate him" she whispered, ignoring the pain inside. She was getting good at ignoring. "I don't love him, I hate him." Picking up the book, she patted it. "Sorry, dear book." Still patting it absently, she thought deeply.
Why should I be here and put up with this? For everyone else's sake? No; I'm pretty sure I'll be doing them a favour if I wasn't here. They all try so hard to be nice, and I know it's horribly uncomfortable for them around me and Musica.
Maybe...maybe I should leave. Licia sat up straighter."I could see the rest of the world, and maybe something will trigger off my memory. Like it did Elie's!!" she muttered excitedly. "But I'll be all alone" She slumped again.
Absently, she opened the mystery book at a random page, and began to read
"If this was murder," argued the detective. "Which I'm sure it was, the murderer must have a motive! It cannot be her; she has no motive to kill him!"
Yukiri and Miera exchanged wary glances. "Then who was it? Who had the motive? Who had the means?"
The detective sat down on the armchair, frowning. "We must think of everyone in the house that night"
"Think of everyone in the house that night.," murmured Licia. Haru, Elie. Remi, Solacido. Shiba, Griff and Plue. Melodia. Myself. Only Musica wasn't there. Fascinated, she read on.
"Which one of those people had a reason to kill him? What would anyone gain by killing him? Answer me those questions; after all, you know them better than me." The detective fixed Yukiri and Miera with a steely glare.
Yukiri went white. "Well, Shieri would have come into a great inheritance if he died. He bequeathed all his property to her. The same goes for Ledor; he gave his entire business to Ledor."
Miera falteringly took up. "And-and Kae could have killed him because they were both in love with â€with..Yukiri, in fact." She winced under Yukiri's death stare. "He has to know, Yukiri!"
The detective nodded thoughtfully. "And of course, Taica you say has no motive at all? That's unusual, but I will trust you on this."
Licia stared at the page which suddenly became unreadable because of her trembling hands. They were both in love with...She sat bolt upright. From her mental list, she eliminated Haru Elie, Cattleya, Plue and Griff immediately. And Melodia; everyone in the house had heard briefly about the letter she had written Musica. No one who was so deeply in love that she was about to run away would commit suicide.
"That leaves me, Musica, Shiba, Remi and Solacido," she murmured under her breath. Realizing what she had done, she looked around the room, terrified. Solacido was still in the house, and no one should hear her crazy ramblings.
Both Remi and I have a motive; but only us. I can't think that Musica, Shiba or Solacido have any motives.
She jumped up energetically. "I had better start packing if I'm leaving tonight." She also had to write Musica a letter informing him that Remi had killed Melodia. If it wasn't me, and it wasn't outside work, and nobody else has any motives, then it has to be her!
Clutching her book protectively, she raced upstairs, eager to get gone before any of the others returned home.