Beneath the Truth

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## Beneath the Truth

**Beneath the Truth** is a manga/light novel series that takes place in a parallel universe to the main *Identity V* storyline. It revolves around the story of Lady Truth, Mr. Inference and "D.M.".

It is a light novel/manga adaptation of the game based on the Truth & Inference Series.

## Mélodis Manor Investigation - The Goddess Lost to a Foggy Night:

https://ncode.syosetu.com/n6185ha/

One day, a poor novelist received a party invitation from the wealthy Count D. M.

Yet, that very night, a priceless painting named "Muse" was stolen from the count's manor.

The novelist, suspected as the thief, visited detective Mr. Inference and his secretary Lady Truth as an attempt to prove himself innocent.

Who is the perpetrator?

It seems all participants of the party, the servants, and Count D. M himself have a secret to hide.

* Updates daily starting June 18th, for fourteen consecutive days
* First Chapter: An Invitation from D. M

### Synopsis

A struggling novelist received invited by Count D.M. to his manor on Guy Fawkes’ Day, with D.M offering sponsorship. On the first day of Guy Fawkes' Day, the novelist finds a business card for Orpheus Detective Agency in his invitation's enveloped. While waiting in the exhibition hall, the novelist sees a painting of "The Muse" and a small fire broke out during his stay. Amidst the his visit, the novelist meets two maids, Daisy and Ruth, and butler Rogers, the latter being a long-time servant of D.M. He also meets playwright Jonathan, who D.M also funds and is part of the Jonathan family of literary geniuses that has lost its wealth. Around 8:00 PM, the novelist encounters Richard, an auctioneer with ties to D.M, and witness the mutual dislike between Richard and Jonathan. After D.M showed up and fireworks began, the novelist is informed a fire supposedly started at his apartment and leaves the manor to deal with it. However, the novelist learns that there was no fire and is confronted by police, accused for stealing "The Muse" painting, moments later.

The novelist quickly ran to Mr. Inference and Lady Truth for help and they agreed to take on the case, as they have previous encounters with D.M. As they investigate the crime scene at Mélodis Manor the next day, they look into the relationships between the other guests and staff. Jonathan's family owned another painting of "The Muse" and sold it off to pay off his family debts and Richard was in charge of the auction for the painting. Jonathan is also in the middle of love triangle with Daisy and Ruth, with Jonathan having feelings for Ruth while Daisy possessing a one-side love towards him. Mr. Inference also shared a cryptic and tense exchanges with D.M throughout the day. When questioned about "The Muse"'s origins, D.M claimed he doesn't know the creator or where it hail from. After examining routes the thief could have take, Inference and Truth deduced that the missing painting is hidden inside the manor and show proof of the novelist's innocence.

Upon finding a piece of in candlestick on the novelist's clothes, the detectives accuses Richard for the frame-up since he was the only person to make physical contact the novelist at the party. While Richard explosively denied involvement, Inference look into the activities of the other servants and guests to make a timeline of the party. At D.M's suggestion, Truth goes to inquire an "estrange friend" about art while Inference stays in the manor. Meanwhile, the novelist and D.M goes over the the former's manuscripts and talk the novelist's family. After finishing his interviews, Inference has everyone gathered and list through everyone's testimonies. With Ruth and Richard's testimonies constantly overlapping and were seen arguing at the party, Inference prodded them about the reason, but both refuse to answer. Inference also questioned how Ruth injured her ankle, with Ruth stating she felt unwell and fell down the stairs. Inference then dismissed everyone for the day and agreed to stay the manor for the night due to D.M hinting "misfortune" might happen soon.

The next day, the novelist is awoken from his deep sleep and learn that Daisy tried to murder Ruth via poison last night. Daisy willingly turned herself into police custody and a copy of the exhibition hall's key is found in her belongings. Ruth is sent to the hospital, with Jonathan attending Ruth with police permission. Inference believes the novelist has been drugged, but D.M's family doctor didn't find anything of note. Examining Ruth's room on the second floor, Inference figures out there was a secret storage, which hold the the burn remains of "The Muse"'s frame, scraps of clothing, and pieces of letter paper that matches the one the novelist received at the party. When visiting Ruth, Inference bluntly reveals he deduced that she stole the painting and shows all the evidence to her, but Ruth didn't confess. Inference states he'll have the "other person" confess in her place and reunites with Truth.

Truth explains the significance of "The Muse" paintings - there are a total of nine paintings of "The Muses". While their origins are unknown, "The Muses" within the painting were known as "Goddesses" that able to grant inspirations to create. Truth reveals a particular rumor - one painting is nothing of value, but possessing all nine is could lead one to getting extraordinary, priceless treasure. She also has photos of replicas of the paintings that can be used as references and explains House Jonathan's "Muse" painting is titled "The Seven-Stringed Lyre". Inference, Truth, and the novelist goes to interrogate Daisy, who confessed that she attempted to steal "The Muse" painting for Jonathan. After being informed that Ruth is alive, Daisy states the painting was already gone by the time of her own theft attempt. While taking care of Ruth last yesterday, Daisy discovers part of the painting frame in her room and that Ruth has hiding the painting under skirt, using her ankle injury to pass off her slow, awkward gait. Daisy also states that she thought she used a sleeping drug on Ruth and didn't know it was poison. Inference figures that Ruth was planning to use the poison on the novelist because she served him a drink last night, hoping to further frame him or cause a distraction, but got the sleeping drug by mistake.

The trio goes to examine the underground storeroom with D.M and found the bottles and contains of the sleeping and poison appears identical. As to why the two bottles were put together, Rogers states the storeroom was closed off to replace old medicine bottles and didn't think anyone would sneak in. Based on Ruth's position when she collapsed, Inference believe that "The Muse" is still in the exhibition hall and that her accomplice is unable to retrieve it since the police are guarding it. In order to catch Ruth's accomplice, D.M proposes a quicker and more interesting method, which lead the novelist and Truth being shooed away by Rogers as D.M and Inference shares another cryptic exchange.

By nightfall, D.M announces the case is solved and police leaves the premises. To apologize for his maids' actions, D.M allows the novelist, Jonathan, and Richard to take one of his artworks from exhibition hall. Since the novelist couldn't make a choice, D.M bestows a rose painting made by famous painter that was also a poet. During the coach ride home, the novelist is attack by Richard, believing the "The Muse" is hidden behind the rose painting, but found nothing. Inference, Truth, and the police quickly save the novelist and captures Richard, revealing they purposely set this up to arrest Richard. It is reveals Richard's first attempt to steal "The Muse" was when the small fire happened at the party, but he didn't have enough time and stole the spare key. He pass on to Ruth when they pretend to fight, allowing her time to remove the painting from its frame and hide it behind the rose painting.

At Mélodis Manor, D.M express satisfaction at the entertainment from the case to Rogers as he stares at real "The Muse" painting. With the drama over, Rogers burns the forgery of painting, which has the painting Ruth and Richard has been chasing the whole time. At Orpheus Detective Agency, Inference stares diagram centering around nine "Muse" paintings and D.M. Truth reads a letter from a "young master", which warns them anyone that who owns a "Muse" painting would never shows it carelessly and to beware "that man's tricks".

## Chapters

### Chapter 3: Lifeline

https://wangyidiwurenge.lofter.com/post/1fce5dfa\_1cc4b28d1

*See Beneath the Truth/Chapter 3*

### Chapter 4: My Nemesis and I Reunite

https://wangyidiwurenge.lofter.com/post/1fce5dfa\_1cc4c9da4

*See Beneath the Truth/Chapter 4*