Supernatural detective story + classic nineteenth-century mysteries + melodramatic romance + time loops
"If the world were left with nothing but the moon, the west wind, you, and me by the campfire."
[The Stormy Manor and Time Loops]
When the old earl dies under mysterious circumstances, the detective Claire is invited to solve the case. A storm cuts off everyone's escape. The suspects all have their own agendas, and strange magic and gruesome murders keep erupting. Whenever someone is killed in the manor, time rewinds to midnight that day. Through countless repetitions and deductions, Claire slowly parts the layers of fog...
[Main Characters]
The witch detective and the aristocratic monster (the leads): A society belle who works as a detective, yet has the blood of an ancient witch in her veins; a handsome, elegant golden-haired gentleman who is actually a monster possessed by forbidden magic.
The black goat and the false holy father: A sweet-faced, cold woman who was forced into marriage by the old earl, and a false priest willing to descend into darkness for her.
The mad countess and her devoted slave: A beautiful countess with a cruel personality, forever followed by a tall man willing to become her slave.
[Darkness, Romance, and Fantasy]
Long, long ago, on a wasteland swept by the west wind, a black bird broke out of an eggshell like the moon. Singing a merry shepherd's tune, she watched a black goat charge toward her, a crescent moon hanging behind it. The moon fell and became a beautiful girl...
[The Comedy Version]
"Who gets dragged into a ridiculous family melodrama out of nowhere? There's the old earl who takes what he wants, the young widowed stepmother, the dangerous and alluring heiress... Let's recap, including but not limited to: 'The Earl's Family Soap Opera,' 'My Goddess Turned Bitter with Love, Same Here,' 'My Dream Guy Turned Bitter with Love, Same Here,' and 'You Killed the Wrong Person,' among others... This is practically a workplace injury."
"The young earl, a bashful puppy, coolly warns off his wickedly beautiful stepfather, declaring that he'll protect his own stepmother."
"The brutal old earl becomes a kept man for love?! When he can't win her love, he destroys her whole family?!"
"A French magical girl claims the Bourbon family is her sugar daddy and says British gentlemen are boring."
"The unsolved mystery of this county: just how many people has Rodrigo offended?"
The little crow picked up gossip here and there, then ended up becoming the subject of it herself.
Little Crow: "I... I'm actually everyone's mother!" (Not literally x)
Reader's Guide:
1. Light mystery, featuring a melodramatic aristocratic love polygon, a snowbound manor, twisted relationships, magical duels, time loops, xungo, cheating, and more... That's a lot of elements ;)
2. This novel draws on the historical setting of the Victorian era, but has been adapted by the author and differs from actual history. Please don't read too much into it. The characters' positions, beliefs, and morals do not represent those of the creator. (This warning is here because there are "bad" women and "bad" men.)
3. This novel includes time loops, which are still related to magic.
4. The leads: a handsome blond man, Bai Ma, and a mysterious woman, Crow.
5. The romance is concentrated in Volume Four, Le Vent dans la plaine, which is unrelated to the main cases.
Theme: Lay down your butcher's knife and become a Buddha
