The detective is dead, I did it.

Chapter 77 Bridget's Decision

The two continued their discussion for a while and finally decided that they should try to persuade Bridget to protect Lilith.

After all, Lilith's ability is the only way to actively find the witch in this game.

Charlotte stood up, brushed the dirt away with the tip of her shoe, and completely wiped away the marks the two of them had made.

"Then, you go and persuade Bridget to protect Lilith. I'll go check on the others."

"Are you planning to follow them?" Li Ang also stood up.

"No need to follow me." Charlotte tucked her long white hair behind her ear, revealing a section of her fair neck and a clean-cut jawline.

"After they disperse, some will travel in groups, while others will go alone. I only need to pay attention to the actions of those who go alone."

"Be careful," Li Ang cautioned.

"You too." Charlotte turned and walked away, her figure slowly disappearing.

Leon walked in another direction, while Bridget did not go far.

She sat with her eyes closed, leaning against the iron bars in an empty cell not far from the round table. Her long, dark hair was tied into a simple low ponytail at the back of her head, revealing her beautiful red eyes and delicate features.

She was relaxed, not like she was waiting for someone, but she had chosen a clever spot. The cell faced the corridor, so she could see anyone coming from that direction immediately.

She opened her eyes after hearing footsteps.

"Bridget." Leon stopped outside the iron bars.

She slightly raised her chin, but instead of standing up, she slowly said, "You've come."

Li Ang was somewhat surprised by her reaction, so he walked through the iron gate to her and asked, "Did you know I would come to find you?"

"I guessed. After all, you didn't try to persuade me again, so I thought you would definitely come looking for me again."

"What if I hadn't come looking for you?" Li Ang asked tentatively.

"Then what I just said was the truth."

Bridget was referring to her statement earlier when everyone was together, in which she expressed her desire to protect her on the first night.

However, to Li Ang, it seemed the other party already had her own plan. Could it be that this woman was deliberately speaking to the witch?

So he continued, "And what's your answer now?"

Bridget straightened up from the pillar, her hands in her pockets, her long, dark hair swaying gently behind her.

She walked up to Li Ang, the two of them less than a step apart.

"What I just said was a lie. I said it on purpose for that witch to hear, so she wouldn't know who I would be protecting at night."

"I understand. Actually, the reason I had everyone disperse was to create opportunities for one-on-one interaction."

"So, who do you want me to protect?"

"Lilith".

Leon told Bridget about the results of his discussion with Charlotte.

After a moment's thought, the other party realized that the key to winning this game lay with Lilith.

As long as the other party remains alive, they can continuously eliminate incorrect options, and with a bit of luck, they might even find the real witch directly.

As expected of a detective. She saw through the essence of this game at first glance. She hadn't even considered this aspect.

For a moment, Bridget's gaze toward Leon became somewhat admiring.

"You want me to protect Lilith." She repeated it, not as a question, but as a confirmation.

"Yes." Li Ang nodded.

"I see."

"I understand." Bridget said, walking past Leon, stopping at the cell door, turning her head slightly. "Anything else?"

Li Ang shook his head.

"Then I'll go explore the surroundings." She stepped out.

Clearly, from the very beginning, she had been waiting for Li Ang to come to her.

Li Ang noticed that when she passed by the iron railing, she lightly ran her finger along the rusty railing, leaving a layer of dark red rust on her fingertip.

"I hope your guess is right. Tonight, the witch will choose Lilith," Bridget said, turning her head.

"I hope so too. And I sincerely hope that Lilith will get through tonight safely."

Leon didn't look away until Bridget had completely left.

There's something he didn't say: if Lilith dies tonight, then Bridget will be the witch, without a doubt.

All they need to do is vote for the other side when the election is held the next day.

Now, all we need to do is wait for night to fall.

As evening fell, everyone gradually returned to the room they had started in.

Bridget was the last to walk in.

Her long, dark hair was tied up again, the low ponytail was tied even tighter than before, and a few strands of hair were wet and stuck to her forehead.

Her gaze swept across every face in the room, lingering on Lilith for a fleeting moment—a pause so brief that it would go unnoticed unless one looked closely.

Then she looked away, sat down in the chair at the far end of the round table, crossed her arms, and half-closed her red eyes.

Lilith sat on the other side of the round table, her dark brown hair braided into a loose plait hanging down her chest, her fingers unconsciously twisting together under the table.

She had no idea that Bridget had glanced at her, nor did she know that she was destined to be safe tonight.

Once everyone had arrived, Charlotte sat down next to Leon, as if silently declaring her status.

At this moment, Li Ang noticed that there was a withered leaf stuck to her long white hair, which seemed to have drifted in from somewhere, and her skirt was wet, as if she had stepped in a puddle.

So he reached out and helped the other girl remove the leaf, which naturally aroused the curiosity of the girls at the table, but no one asked the question.

Even the usually cheerful Shirley, for some reason, was resting her head on her right hand, her eyes vacant, as if she were in a daze.

"Did you find anything?" Li Ang asked, taking the initiative to speak.

Boudica was the first to speak.

Her deep purple braid hung down to her chest, the leather strap at the end of her hair had loosened a bit, and a few stray hairs escaped from the braid and clung to her cheeks.

She walked to the round table and, using a charcoal pencil she found somewhere, drew a simple picture on it.

"This is a prison," she said as she drew. "Completely enclosed. The iron gates are locked from all exits. Looking out from the cell bars, I see the sea; I can't see anything but water."

“I’ve tried it too,” Li Ang continued. “My knife can split an iron gate, but outside the gate is the sea. I don’t know how long I can swim in the water, or which direction to swim in. If there’s no land for hundreds of nautical miles around this island, swimming out means death.”

A moment of silence fell around the round table.

“There’s one more thing,” Caltasia stepped forward. “I found some traces. They weren’t left by us. Besides some unknown, clear slime, there were some hairs.”

She reached into her pocket, pulled out a small, grayish-brown object, and placed it on the table.

It resembled the fur of something, but was coarser and stiffer than animal hair, and gleamed with an unnatural cold light under the lamp.

"There are other people in this prison. Or rather, there are other things," Caltacia said slowly.

No one spoke. Emily's body trembled slightly, and she subconsciously leaned closer to Leon.

Sherry's blue ahoge (cowlick) stood up high, and her golden eyes stared at the tuft of grayish-brown hair, clearly trying to recall something.