Chapter 2

“Are you serious?”

Clink. Clink.

Tossing a pouch full of gold coins into the air and catching it again, Shiorin grumbled.

Lying on an old sofa, she looked completely different from the elegant woman from earlier.

Her light brown hair was tied up tightly above her head.

A pair of thick-rimmed glasses covered much of her face.

And she was wearing an oversized sweater that looked like it belonged to a man.

“Only seventy Serdin…? Isn’t this way too much? At this rate, when am I ever going to save enough money to buy a house?”

Sigh.

Shiorin let out a long breath and rolled across the sofa.

The Crown Prince was always like this.

He approached people as if he were about to hand them a fortune, then paid them like the owner of a small struggling business.

But she couldn’t exactly refuse a paying client either.

“I feel like he used to pay me more than this… Don’t tell me he’s doing this because I turned down his recruitment offer?”

Her eyes widened as she suddenly sat upright on the sofa.

Come to think of it, she had first accepted a job from him about two years ago.

Back then, there had been a case involving the theft of an amethyst tiara treasured by the Empress.

Everyone was convinced it had been an inside job committed for money.

Eventually, the culprit was caught.

It was Angela Trion, one of the Empress’s maids.

Everyone expected a terrible punishment.

Angela could do nothing but cry.

After all, she had been caught red-handed with the tiara.

What defense could she possibly have?

Yet in a surprising twist, she was ultimately declared innocent.

All thanks to the Crown Prince of the Therman Empire.

Sasha Colby.

“No, actually, thanks to me.”

The day Angela was arrested, Shiorin happened to be there because of a request from her second older brother.

And she noticed something strange.

As someone who had thoroughly studied criminal psychology in her previous life, the scene simply didn’t make sense to her.

While carefully examining the surroundings, she spotted Angela’s five-year-old son, Patrick.

As expected, the moment she took the boy’s hand, the hidden truth revealed itself.

Angela had been overcome with anxiety after seeing the tiara that her son had brought home.

Eventually, she had secretly tried to return it.

Unfortunately, she was discovered before she could.

After learning the truth, Shiorin deliberately brought Patrick to Angela’s trial.

When the child suddenly burst into tears and confessed everything, the Crown Prince urged the court to declare Angela innocent before the judge could even issue a verdict.

Thanks to that, the entire Empire praised Sasha as a merciful and wise future ruler.

“That’s when it started. That’s when the Crown Prince began giving me jobs… And honestly, it’s still amazing. Until then, nobody had ever figured out my ability.”

Sasha Colby was an exceptionally sharp man.

His instincts were frighteningly good.

He lured her in with generous rewards and, after only a few jobs, figured out her secret.

“You know, Shiorin, the Imperial Palace is filled with affairs, conspiracies, and endless schemes. Maybe that’s why I’m so observant. But from where I’m standing… it almost seems like you have supernatural powers.”

He presented evidence after evidence while questioning her.

It felt as though he had planted people everywhere to investigate her.

There was no way she could win against him.

Eventually, she admitted the truth.

And then he said something strangely familiar.

“You… become my partner.”

But she refused.

Because she wanted to become the Sherlock Holmes of Estreet’s Twelfth Avenue.

Not the partner of the future Emperor of the Therman Empire.

For a moment, Sasha was speechless from the shocking rejection.

Then, after hearing about her dreams and ambitions, he reluctantly respected her decision.

“In that case, I’ll just hire the famous detective you’ll become someday.”

And so their connection continued.

Two years had already passed since then.

For some reason, however, the payment kept getting smaller and smaller.

“Could this idiot be obsessed with that mine because he’s completely broke? Forget Imperial law and everything else. Maybe he just wants the gold!”

She was punching the air in frustration when—

Ding.

“Huh?”

Ding. Ding. Ding.

A series of impatient bell chimes suddenly rang through the building.

Her green eyes widened.

Rolling her head toward the wall, she looked at the crooked oval clock hanging there.

“It’s midnight…”

She quickly looked herself up and down before hurriedly putting on a camisole.

Women who looked like exhausted exam students weren’t exactly common around here.

After that, she removed her thick-rimmed glasses and automatically reached for her gloves, putting them on out of habit.

Then she descended the long staircase.

Just as she reached the first floor—

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The visitor had started knocking on the door.

A hint of irritation rose inside her.

It was probably some woman who had discovered her husband’s affair and suffered emotional trauma.

Otherwise, why would someone ignore all the men who mocked the idea of a woman working as a detective and come rushing here this late at night?

Click. Creak.

The moment she unlocked and opened the door—

“…”

“…”

For a few seconds, neither spoke.

Because, from Shiorin’s perspective, the person standing there looked nothing like a distressed woman.

And from the man’s perspective…

“Isn’t this the Howard Detective Agency?”

The person standing before him looked nothing like his grandfather.

Shiorin slowly looked the large man up and down.

He smelled strongly of dirt and earth.

And he looked as though he had stolen the very thick-rimmed glasses she had just taken off.

With a doubtful expression, she answered,

“This is the Howard Detective Agency.”

“What? It is? Then… who are you?”

“Isn’t that usually what the homeowner asks?”

“You’re the homeowner?”

“Yes.”

“Uh… really? That can’t be right…”

The young man was visibly flustered.

Usually, there was only one explanation for this kind of reaction.

“Do you know Bern Howard?”

The direct question made the man freeze.

Then a huge smile spread across his face as he nodded enthusiastically.

He looked exactly like a friendly country puppy.

“Yes. Actually… I’m Bern Howard’s grandson.”

The man finally revealed his identity.

Shiorin stiffened as if struck by lightning.

“Bern Howard’s grandson…?”

Her mind immediately became chaotic.

She had never once heard that old man mention having a grandson.

Then again, hadn’t he once said he had a child with his ex-wife?

So that child had grown up…

And then had a child of his own…

The man stretched his neck and peeked inside the building.

Shiorin immediately slammed the door shut.

Then she leaned against it.

In the dark alleys of Estreet’s Twelfth Avenue,

with damp fog surrounding them and wet black bricks covering the streets,

she faced the man.

Only the faint orange light at the end of the alley illuminated their faces.

“Mr. Bern Howard isn’t here.”

“What? Then where is he?”

She raised an eyebrow.

“How should I know? He left without telling me. That was two years ago. He was always complaining that life lacked romance, so maybe he’s off searching for his precious romance.”

Her tone dripped with cynicism.

The kind reserved for someone she was thoroughly sick of.

The man’s deep blue eyes widened.

“Oh, then maybe…”

“…?”

“Then are you perhaps…”

“…”

“Could you possibly be my grandfather’s…”

“Do you want to stop talking?”

Shiorin immediately cut him off, seeing exactly where his imagination was going.

She would rather die than be mistaken for one of Bern Howard’s wives.

Finally, she exploded.

“I’m the owner of this place! Can’t you see the giant sign? Howard Detective Agency! I’m the owner of this detective agency!”

“Ah… well…”

“What? You can’t believe a woman owns a detective agency? I told you Howard left two years ago! If I were romantically involved with that man, do you think I’d still keep this sign hanging here? People would keep bothering me! I would’ve torn it down ages ago and sold it to a junk dealer for living expenses!”

“Ah… I’m sorry.”

The large young man immediately raised both hands in surrender and apologized.

Still fuming, Shiorin roughly brushed back her hair.

Then she gave a firm order.

“Then leave.”

“…Huh?”

“Bern Howard isn’t here, and I can’t exactly wish you a good day, so just leave.”

She yanked the door open.

Then, just as she was about to slam it shut—

“Wait!”

The man grabbed the door.

Shiorin pushed with all her strength, trying to close it.

But strangely, it didn’t move at all.

“W-what?”

In fact—

It opened wider.

Creeeak—

The man stepped inside, and their eyes met directly.

Her surprised green eyes collided with his blue ones from only a foot away.

Caught off guard by the sudden closeness, Shiorin accidentally let go of the doorknob.

The door swung open behind her.

As she tried to avoid it—

Slip.

She lost her footing and fell backward.

Or rather—

She was about to fall.

Thud.

A strong arm wrapped around her waist.

Instinctively, she threw her arms around his neck and took a sharp breath.

“…”

“…”

It had been too dark earlier to see clearly.

But under the bright light, his features were nothing like the rustic image he gave off.

No, rather than rustic…

He looked—

“Daniel Howard.”

“…”

“I made a promise with my grandfather.”

“…”

“When I turned thirty, I would come to the capital…”

“…”

“And work as a doctor.”

Right.

There was a sharpness about him.

The kind that only came from a highly trained professional.