“Back then, Master Hayes looked so cool…”
Lure let out a puff of air and wiped the window with a newspaper.
His hard work paid off, as the glass became squeaky clean, reflecting the outside world transparently.
“Once I got to know him, though, he was completely different from what I expected.”
To the current Lure, Master Hayes wasn’t much different from this window. At first, he was opaque and impossible to read, but as they spent time together, they gradually learned more about each other.
Master Hayes wasn’t the owner of incredible deductive powers or a grand sense of justice as Lure had once imagined.
Though he occasionally displayed brilliant intuition that was hard to comprehend, he often struggled with solving cases or followed the wrong leads. Sometimes, he even resorted to illegal means to settle a matter.
Only one of the initial impressions of Master Hayes remained consistent.
It was the fact that he would use any means necessary to solve a case.
‘I should have known from the moment he told me to lock someone up and keep watch over them…’
He had asked Lure to forge a culprit’s handwriting, suggested they break into a baron’s office to steal something, and even told Lure to create a distraction because he planned to sneak into a grand duke’s bedroom at midnight.
At this point, Lure wasn’t sure if he was a detective’s assistant or a phantom thief’s accomplice.
And yet, despite all that, Master Hayes always solved the case. That persistence—the refusal to let any obstacle stand in his way—was what brought him victory.
He always caught the criminal and brought peace of mind to the victims or their grieving families.
Because of that, Lure did not regret his decision to follow him.
“Alright, that should do it!”
Lure smiled proudly in front of the window, which was now spotless.
Suddenly, he noticed something inside the mailbox across the window.
“What? I already collected the mail earlier. More arrived already?”
When he went down to check, it wasn’t a letter addressed to Master Hayes.
“It’s for me? The sender is… Senior Jayden?”
Feeling a strange sense of novelty, Lure tore the letter open.
[To the junior who saved me,
How are you, Lure? Although we’ve been exchanging news through Shelman, it’s been a very long time since we’ve spoken directly like this. I have some good news recently, and I wanted to tell you personally, so I’m sending this letter. (If you heard it from Shelman, I’m certain you’d only hear a completely biased version! Haha, don’t tell Shelman I said that.)
I heard from Shelman that you were cautiously worried about my employment. (Unless Shelman made up those stories using your name to say what he wanted to say.) Thank you. You were worried I wouldn’t be able to find a job because I had been kidnapped for so long, right?
I appreciate your kind concern, but fortunately, that didn’t happen. The papers published under Tophus’s name—the ones that damned Tophus forced me to write—were belatedly recognized as my own work.
In a way, it’s a better result than if they had been published under my name from the start. No one would have looked twice at a thesis written by a student who just graduated from the Department of Criminal Investigation, but thanks to Tophus’s name, they received proper recognition. Now, that reputation has boosted my own name. (Not that I’ll ever be grateful to Tophus, not even if I die!)
Thanks to that, many people in the academic world are looking for me now. The other friends who were kidnapped with me are in similar situations, and it seems everyone has succeeded in finding jobs with good conditions. Tophus might have lacked other skills, but he had an eye for talent. (You know you were a talent he had his eye on, too, right?) However, I couldn’t readily accept any offer, no matter how good the conditions, because my long-held dream lies in the field rather than academia.
And you see, Lure, I received a truly unexpected proposal yesterday evening. I mentioned at the beginning that I had good news, right? This is it.
Don’t be shocked. Janus of the East scouted me! He asked me to be his assistant!
Haha, I know. You’re feeling some déjà vu, aren’t you? Shelman almost fainted when he heard the news. He asked if another madman like Tophus was trying to kidnap me. But this time, it’s the real deal. This time, Janus himself actually came to my house. Can you believe it? Janus of the East visited my home in the Imperial Capital in person!
He said the papers I wrote were very impressive. Not only that, but he said he wanted to give me even more credit for never giving up while imprisoned by Tophus and for constantly trying to escape by sending clever messages. I was truly touched!
I’m still considering whether to accept Mr. Janus’s offer. It’s definitely a great opportunity for me and something I’ve wanted, but ever since that incident, I don’t want to be even an inch away from Shelman.
I talked to Shelman about it, and he asked how I felt about moving down to the East together after he graduates. Mr. Janus readily agreed. He said it’s not like he doesn’t have anyone assisting him now anyway, so waiting a little bit isn’t difficult.
If I really do accept Mr. Janus’s offer, I hope you’ll teach me well then, Lure. I was your senior in school, but you’re the senior when it comes to being a detective’s assistant, aren’t you?
Sincerely, Jayden, who wants to be your junior.
P.S. Shelman suggesting we start a new life together in the East… he’s basically asking to get married, right? I think I need to prepare a proposal. As Shelman’s roommate, could you give me some advice? Please, please, please!]
“What the… This was just a letter for the postscript.”
Even as he grumbled, a warm smile spread across Lure’s lips.
“It’s good to see everyone is doing well. What a relief.”
That aside, the East.
He always knew Shelman and Senior Jayden would get married eventually, but he never dreamed they would move all the way to the East.
‘If it’s the East, it’ll be hard to stay in touch, right?’
At least Ursula was going to become a police investigator in the Imperial Capital after graduation, so he could see her face every now and then, but he would be completely separated from Shelman.
‘A wedding right after graduation… that’s not far off at all.’
Let’s see, he had about three months left until graduation?
His emotions felt complicated. As Lure sank into sentimentality, he began to write a reply to Jayden.
He was in the middle of writing, ‘If you prepare something tacky like 100 roses, Shelman will probably try to hit you over the head with them, so just one pretty flower would be better,’ when suddenly…
“Is anyone here~?”
A voice drifted in from outside the office.
Lure, who had been deeply focused on the letter, answered half-heartedly without even looking back.
“I’m sorry, but the Hayes Detective Agency is closed for the time being.”
“Oh, dear. Is that so?”
But wait.
That person’s voice sounded familiar.
Just in case, Lure turned around and opened the office door.
“Ch-ch-ch-Christine?!”
He almost fainted on the spot.
“Christine? Is it really you?”
Christine!
Wasn’t she the most famous opera singer in the Imperial Capital?
Such a person actually sought out the Hayes Detective Agency?
‘I did imagine Christine might visit earlier, but…’
It was extremely rare for Lure’s imagination to become reality, and she knew that better than anyone.
But, but Christine had actually come to visit!
‘C-calm down, Lure. Just react the way you planned.’
Lure stood stiffly in front of Christine and spoke in a shrill voice.
“I… I’m sorry, but the master is currently drunk—I mean, he’s resting, so he won’t be taking any clients for a while. Could you come back another time?”
‘Drunk! What am I saying?!’
Lure was very concerned about her slip of the tongue, but she took comfort in the fact that she had at least said the latter part correctly.
“Ah… are you truly not accepting any requests at all?”
‘Huh?’
But Christine’s condition was somewhat strange.
It was the same face he had seen in the newspapers, but the confident attitude he had seen there was nowhere to be found.
Christine’s famous hazel eyes were flickering anxiously as they scanned the surroundings, and the voice that had been compared to a heavenly instrument was trembling just as much as Lure’s had been a moment ago.
In short, the current Christine looked desperate for help.
“If you need a detective’s help, it might be better to look elsewhere,” Lure said with a troubled expression. “Our detective has declared a break. But unless it’s a case like our master’s, I don’t think any detective in the Imperial Capital would dare reject a request from you, Ms. Christine.”
If it was Christine, couldn’t she even hire a famous detective she’d only heard rumors of?
Lure thought so, but Christine shook her head vigorously.
“No, it can’t be someone else. Mr. Hayes—only he will do.”
“Why?”
“That is…”
Christine bit her lip and didn’t open her mouth easily.
Just as Lure was shifting her eyes, unsure of how to handle the situation…
“What is it? What’s going on?”
“Master!”
A savior appeared.
Lure wanted to explain this difficult situation to his master immediately, but the other party was much faster.
“Mr. Hayes, you remember me, don’t you? It’s me. Christine, the one you saved.”
“Ah… the singer on the stage? Is that right?”
“Yes! That’s right!”
“But what brings you to our detective agency…?”
“There’s a request I absolutely must entrust to you. It’s an assignment I can’t give to anyone but you.”
Christine clasped her hands to her chest and looked up at Hayes with shimmering eyes.
‘She looks like Puss in Boots…’
Lure thought that if someone had a heart, they wouldn’t be able to ignore that expression.
“Please forgive the rudeness of my sudden visit. I wanted to request this politely through a letter, but the situation became urgent, so I had no choice but to come here. Please, Mr. Hayes. I am in a very difficult situation right now. My life might even be in danger. Could you please save me?”
However, it seemed the master didn’t have a heart.
Or maybe he only had half of one.
“My desire to help you is immense, but it will depend on the nature of the request. If it’s a request that takes a long time, it’s impossible for now. So, what kind of request is it?”
“I can’t explain the details until you accept the request. It’s a job where I need you to protect me safely from a certain threat for about ten days.”
“You should look for a security firm. I’m sorry, but it’s impossible for me.”
“What? Wait, wait a moment!”
Christine hurriedly grabbed Hayes as he was about to head further into the office.
“Why? I absolutely need the help of a trustworthy detective like you, Mr. Hayes. I can pay you any amount as long as you help me. Why are you refusing my request?”
Hayes wore a troubled expression.
However, perhaps he couldn’t bring himself to be entirely cold toward a client who was pleading so earnestly, for he began to explain in a softer tone than before.
“I am currently facing an investigation into a case that is very important to me personally. It’s a case involving a real heavyweight, so even gathering information isn’t easy. I need to gather information related to the case for the next two weeks and then begin the full-scale investigation in two weeks’ time. I cannot take on a request that takes ten days during such a critical period.”
This was a situation regarding her master that even Lure was hearing for the first time.
‘Why did he explain it so easily to Ms. Christine when he never told me?’
A small lump of resentment formed in Lure’s heart, but she thought that Christine would surely understand given that explanation.
However.
“If it’s a case involving a heavyweight, my side is just as significant!”
“I’m sorry. Regardless of who is involved, I—”
“It’s a case involving the Grand Prince of the East!”
*Thud.*
Hayes’s movements stopped.
“Gasp.”
Christine quickly covered her mouth as if she had said something she shouldn’t have, but her wavering eyes proved that the name she had just uttered was the truth.
“…Who?”
Did she think there was no helping it since things had already turned out this way?
Christine quietly spat out the name.
“The son of the Iron-Blooded Grand Duchess Catherine of the East, Grand Prince Wilhelm Eduard. It’s a case linked to him.”
*Creeeeak.*
the door of the Hayes Detective Agency, which had been halfway closed, opened once again.
“Let’s hear the story.”