Just as the truth was about to surface, a young police officer rushed in, claiming to have crucial evidence.
The evidence he presented was Primordial Sea water identical to that found in Cowell's box, discovered in Lyney's luggage.
A collective gasp swept through the room!
"Impossible!"
Lyney knew exactly what was in his luggage—this was a frame job!
Before he could speak, Navia silenced him.
At Navia's instruction, members of the Spina di Rosula began reassembling the Magic Box on stage.
Navia then invited Lyney to recreate his original illusion—the one that had vanished the young girl Halsey—just once more.
"Miss, I fear I may disappoint you. Creating such miracles lies beyond the capabilities of a mere magician like myself."
"Hey, Great Magician," Navia countered, "isn't magic all about misdirection? People often mistake illusions for truth, captivated by the spectacle. But what if, when everyone has accepted the illusion as reality, magic could reveal the genuine truth before their very eyes?"
Navia's unwavering confidence made Lyney realize something. He agreed to her request.
After the Magic Box was set up on stage, Lyney snapped his fingers at it.
"Ta-da!" Lynette chimed in.
The stage lights focused on the Magic Box. The door slowly creaked open, revealing none other than Halsey, the young woman who had been presumed missing!
Apart from Navia and the Spina di Rosula members, everyone in the Opera House stared in stunned disbelief at Halsey inside the box.
Halsey stepped out of the Magic Box.
"...Uh, uhm, sorry for the interruption."
Audience: "Is that really Halsey, the missing girl? So the whole 'dissolving people' thing was fake after all?"
Under the intense scrutiny, Halsey grew visibly nervous.
"Let me explain first! This person told me if I testified honestly, I could get a lighter sentence as atonement for my crimes. That's why I came..."
"I've been hiding outside, listening to the trial, terrified they'd try to judge me instead..." I was relieved no one noticed me, but then she caught me off guard.
By "she," Halsey meant Navia, who grinned confidently. "Heh, don't underestimate us three."
Halsey: "Where do I even start...? Ugh, anyway, I'm sorry. I killed Cowell."
Furina: "What?! Ah?! Why?!"
"I'm not Halsey," she said. "My name is Liliane, and I'm from Mondstadt. I heard Lyney's performances were legendary, but I missed the ticket sales, so I stole one."
"That's what I do—stealing is second nature to me. Easy as pie, and I've never been caught..."
Halsey—no, Liliane—even seemed a little proud of herself.
"But a few days ago, I was spotted in Romaritime Harbor and barely managed to escape. Lyney was one of the officers chasing me."
Liliane recounted her story slowly. After being selected by the Selection Device, she pretended to cooperate with the performance, planning to escape at the first opportunity.
First, she was inexplicably drenched with water. Then, someone jumped into the underground passage to capture her. Liliane subdued the man, stuffed him into the Magic Box, changed into his clothes, and hid inside a box of performance costumes.
She finally slipped out when the first Maison Gardiennage officer arrived on the scene, disappearing into the Opera House to hide.
Liliane swore she had no idea the water tank would fall. If she had, she never would have shoved Cowell into the Magic Box.
When Liliane finished speaking, the entire hall fell silent.
Fidelle gazed at Liliane with curiosity. She had first knocked Cowell unconscious, then escaped from the underground passage under the very noses of the Maison Gardiennage officers, and finally hid overnight in the Opera House while it was under lockdown.
This woman is seriously impressive, Fidelle thought.
-
Lumine summarized the entire sequence of events, exonerating Lyney from any involvement in the case.
Neuvillette turned to Furina, the prosecuting party, for her opinion. Furina stated she had no objections.
The swift resolution of this case was largely due to Furina's investigation, with Liliane's appearance serving as the decisive factor. With the facts laid bare, Furina's defeat in this trial had been inevitable from the start.
Just as she had previously said, the guilty cannot make a convincing argument for innocence. Conversely, with Lumine's help, even the innocent would struggle to secure a guilty verdict in Fontaine.
"Since there are no objections, allow me, the Chief Justice of Fontaine, to reconstruct the entirety of this case for all present."
"Cowell, the true perpetrator of the Missing Persons Case, selected his target from the audience roster. By tampering with the Selection Device, he ensured that his pre-selected victim would be chosen during the draw."
"To conceal his tracks during the crime, Cowell planned to use the falling water tank to hide the water remaining after dissolving the girl. He tampered with the tank's suspension ropes, timing their failure with the finale fireworks to ensure the tank would fall and mask the water stains."
"The Primordial Sea water used to dissolve the girl was pre-loaded into balloons and attached to the Magic Box's ceiling during the setup phase. Finally, as Cowell placed the girl inside the Magic Box, he slipped a pre-prepared hooked rope through the door seam."
"The magic show officially began. The Magic Box, containing the girl, entered the underground tunnel. The hooked rope gradually tightened, puncturing the balloons filled with Primordial Sea water."
"According to the original plan, the girl should have dissolved by this point. However, Liliane was not a Fontainian. She escaped the Magic Box, causing a loud commotion."
"Realizing something had gone wrong, Cowell jumped into the tunnel and confronted Liliane. Assuming the Primordial Sea water had merely failed to take effect immediately, he decided to proceed with his plan."
"But Liliane proved to be exceptionally skilled in combat. After a fierce struggle, she knocked Cowell unconscious and placed him inside the Magic Box, making him the final victim."
"Liliane, as she claimed, changed clothes and hid in the underground passage until the magic trick was completely finished, then slipped away to another part of the Opera House."
"Lyney, meanwhile, remained in the Opera House's underground structure throughout the entire performance and remained unaware of the tunnel's existence."
"Based on the fully reconstructed sequence of events, Lyney, the accused, should be found innocent."
"While Liliane and Lyney's actions still require separate investigation and trials... this case can now be submitted to the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale for final judgment."
The case was quickly handed over to the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale for final judgment, and the verdict was soon delivered.
"Therefore, I hereby formally declare Lyney and Lynette innocent!"
Paimon was the most overjoyed, planting her hands on her hips, her small face beaming with pride. "Great Detective Paimon strikes again—a resounding victory!"
Navia: "Well done, partner!"
Lynette: "Thank you all, truly, thank you so much!"
Lumine glanced down at the Maison Gardiennage officer who had given false testimony earlier. "Don't celebrate just yet."