Fortunately, they didn't have to wait long.
Valerius emerged with a bowl of noodles in hand.
"Gurgle—!"
The sound came from several stomachs at once.
After starving yet another day, everyone's mood instantly soured.
You really have no heart, they thought.
Is squeezing our points all you care about?
Valerius sat down beside them, slurping his noodles casually as he spoke.
"Last night was peaceful—no murder occurred. There's no crime scene to investigate."
"You may now initiate a vote, or choose free activity."
"Heh heh."
Furina stood up without hesitation.
"Of course we'll—"
"I accuse Xiao as the killer!"
The words came out before she could finish.
It was Herta.
Furina froze.
"You—y-you—you—?!"
She was completely blindsided.
What are you doing?!
I was going to carry everyone to victory!
And you just go solo?!
Herta didn't even spare her a glance.
She leaned back lazily in her chair, arms crossed, smugness written all over her face.
"Valerius. You can announce the result now."
Livestream Chat
[Arataki Itto]: Huh?! Just like that?!
[Beidou]: The Conqueror of Demons is the killer?!
[Kaeya]: I don't understand—but I am deeply shaken.
[Ruan Mei]: …What a pity.
[Screwllum]: Hypothesis: Lady Herta misunderstood "Bodyguard" as a non-existent profession. Conclusion: Misidentification likely.
[Luocha]: Agreed. She probably assumed the role itself was false, and the true identity was killer.
[Keqing]: So… Xiao isn't the killer?
[Seele]: How could he not be? Herta had clues—how could she be wrong?
[Jing Yuan]: The killer is not Xiao.
[Jade]: The killer is not Xiao.
At this point, Jade already understood the truth of the game.
And the regret nearly crushed her.
Herta… you're unbelievably unreliable.
I should've done it myself.
Valerius calmly finished the soup in his bowl, set it down, and looked at Herta—who was still wearing a triumphant smile.
Then, slowly, he spoke.
"Accusation incorrect."
"Eliminated."
"What?!"
Herta's expression shattered.
"How could it be wrong?! All the clues clearly pointed to Xiao—why?!"
Then—
A horrifying realization struck her.
"You… you bastard—!"
She didn't even get to finish.
Her body dissolved into motes of light and vanished from the hall.
"Alright," Valerius said calmly.
"Do you wish to continue with accusations, or initiate a vote?"
Watching Herta disappear, Furina's entire body trembled.
That was close.
Way too close.
"I initiate a vote."
This time, Raiden Ei didn't hesitate.
She raised her hand decisively.
"I vote for Furina."
The situation was clear to her now.
She herself wasn't the killer.
Xiao had effectively been proven innocent by Herta's failure.
That left only one possibility.
Furina.
As she voted, Raiden Ei shot a look at Xiao.
What are you waiting for? Vote already.
"…!"
But Xiao hesitated.
His gaze moved back and forth between Raiden Ei and Furina.
He genuinely couldn't tell which of them was the killer.
And with their identities… this final vote carried weight.
If he chose wrong, it wouldn't just be a mistake—it would be a disgrace.
"To the Geo Archon as well," he thought grimly.
"What are you hesitating for? She's obviously the killer!"
Raiden Ei grew anxious.
"This is basically face-up already!"
"Wait."
At last, Furina spoke.
Her expression was unreadable—stormy, uncertain.
From her perspective, Raiden Ei was the most suspicious.
That urgency, that pressure—it felt like a gambler making a desperate final push.
If she could mislead Xiao now…
She would win.
But—
There was still one more suspect in her mind.
"Diary… Xiao… Herta…"
Figures flashed through her thoughts, then faded one by one.
Time stretched.
Just as Xiao was about to raise his hand—
Furina opened her eyes.
"I accuse Valerius as the killer!"
The hall went silent.
Raiden Ei stared at her.
"…What?"
"You can accuse him?!"
Livestream Chat
[Jean]: …Huh?
[Kujou Sara]: That's allowed?!
[Xiangling]: I—I don't get it…
[Diluc]: Why did it suddenly turn into Valerius?
[Ruan Mei]: Herta… what a shame.
[Herta]: That Valerius is pure evil—deception and ambush!
[Thoma]: Wait—how is it Valerius? Isn't he the host?
[Jing Yuan]: Heh… do you remember what Mr. Valerius said when he explained the rules?
[Keqing]: "This game is called Night Falls, Please Close Your Eyes. Within this castle, there exists a killer…" I understand now.
[Ningguang]: So that's how it is. Enlightening.
[Jiao Qiu]: Classic fixed-mindset trap. Learned something today.
Valerius wasn't upset in the slightest.
In fact, he'd never planned to win this game.
The first round had to give the players some sweetness—otherwise enthusiasm would plummet.
This particular scenario was chosen deliberately.
As long as two players remained, someone would eventually realize the truth.
The only difference was how many points he could squeeze out before being exposed.
What he hadn't expected—
Was that Jade missed it.
Herta missed it.
And Furina was the one who saw through everything.
That genuinely surprised him.
"So," Valerius said with a smile,
"care to explain your reasoning?"
He was genuinely curious.
Surely… she hadn't just guessed at random.