“The 73rd case.” Yeonwoo groaned. “I’m bloody tired.” 

“Yes, but it’s your shift.” The teen rubbed his forehead. “I’ll help you round up the witnesses.”

“Thanks.” Yeonwoo was grateful she had such an enthusiastic partner.  

“Don’t be.” The teen left, leaving Yeonwoo with the 73rd file today.

Four hours later, Yeonwoo returned to the office.

“How did it go?” The teen asked.

“Not good. It’s about theft.” Yeonwoo replied. “Problem is, the two people both think- or at least say- that the other person stole their belongings.”

“Hmm.” The teen opened the file. “Stealing a... jade lion?” 

“Yes.” Yeonwoo replied. “The lion has gone missing.”

“Missing?” The teen arched an eyebrow. “Why, that’s the core of the case altogether!”

“Yes. I have sent some soldiers to search their homes, but nothing came up.” Yeonwoo sighed, rubbing her brow. “Very complicated indeed.”

“What did they say?”

“There was a fat woman and a skinny woman. The fat woman said that at midnight, she heard rustling in her house. She quickly jumped out of bed and headed to her safe, but found that the jade lion had already been stolen.” Yeonwoo reported. “On the other hand, the skinny woman presents a more complex report. She said that she kept the jade lion beside her table, and a pen was put on top of it. At a little past midnight, she heard the pen drop on the table. She quickly looked at the table and the surrounding area, but no one was there. Furthermore, the jade lion was also gone.”

“Both homes were locked?” The teen raised an eyebrow.

“There’s a connecting door between the houses. And so that’s why both of the women argue that the other stole the jade lion.” 

“Oh...” Even the teen realised that this was a hard case without any evidence.

“Let’s go to the crime scene.” Yeonwoo suggested. The teen nodded.

“What a small house.” The teen commented. “If they sold their supposed ‘jade lion’ they could afford a much more suitable environment.”

“They said it was their heirloom.” Yeonwoo noted. “And so that’s why they even wanted to kill each other. Suppose their jade lion is real, then this is a matter of pride.”

“Pride is an obstacle.” The teen replied. “Without pride, you could have absolute power over the deluded.”

“Hmm.” Yeonwoo murmured. “Anyways, let’s go inside.”

“Wow, it’s pretty damp here.” The teen remarked as they stepped into the skinny woman’s house. “Truth be told, I was expecting a much more comfortable room.”

“Like I said, if they wanted a better home, they should’ve sold the jade lion.” Yeonwoo replied. “People like these tend to be beggars in the end.”

“It’s a shame.” The teen inspected a corner. “They even lost the one thing that could renew their lives.”

“Only if we can prove they existed in the first place.” Yeonwoo peered at a clump of particularly suspicious dust. “The jade lion is not even found yet.”

She looked at the skinny woman’s bedside table. Nothing was on it, apart from some ruby pins. “Hey. Was the crime scene tampered with?”

“No. Not even the most moronic of guards would allow that.” The teen patted away at his shoes. “Let’s look at the connecting door.”

The connecting door was made out of tough wood, and swung steadily. “Well