EPISODE 1

“Don’t make a fuss—just get out of here.”

“Very well. I shall.”

“Eh?”

As her interlocutor goggled at her, Octavia looked back quizzically. He had told her to get out, and so what sense was there in being shocked when she agreed? Octavia’s travel bags, coat, hat, and other items, which she had often taken from her room when going out in the past, lay scattered in the marble hallway at the entrance to the Earl of Reine’s manor. They had just been thrown down there from the top of the staircase. She wondered if it had really been necessary to throw things, but she was also relieved that they had saved her the trouble of doing her own packing. Octavia had been thinking that it was about time for her to be going. She hadn’t expected things to progress this far the day after her grandmother’s funeral, but from her family’s perspective, this had been a long time coming.

Picking up her caramel-colored coat, Octavia spoke to a servant standing by the wall in the entrance hall, who had held his breath while watching the scene unfold.

“Did you put the dress my grandmother gave me in my luggage?”

“Y-Yes. You’ll find three nights’ worth of clothes and other essentials.” He paused. “Err, that’s all I could prepare.”

“That’s fine. Thanks. You’ve been a great help.”

“I-Is this... all right?” someone asked gingerly from the top of the staircase. Octavia looked up curiously at her family, who looked back down at her. On the landing at the top of the split staircase stood Octavia’s half sister; Octavia’s former suitor, who had his arm around her sister’s shoulder; and Octavia’s own father. Could they, in fact, be worried about me?

“It’ll be fine. Don’t worry about her,” spat her former suitor venomously, after making an expression of such astonishment that one might think he had been poisoned himself. He was the very man who had directed Octavia to get out. He spoke to her now: “Don’t be so conceited as to imagine that we’d worry about you. A daughter like you ill befits the noble house of Reine. Now that I have married into this family, I have decided that you can no longer remain part of it.”

“I suppose you’re right. I’ll leave the rest to you.”

“Th-The Earl of Reine has said himself that he merely adopted you at the behest of the previous earl’s wife, despite knowing nothing of your background.”

“Oh? To call my grandmother the previous earl’s wife is not quite right. My grandmother was the previous earl. And although it’s true that my grandmother was very fond of me, you’re wrong to claim that my background was unknown. You just don’t want to acknowledge that my mother was a servant, with whom my father had carried on an affair in his younger days.”

“Octavia! Watch your tongue!” Octavia’s father flushed crimson with anger, but this scandal was well-known. Not only was everyone in the manor aware of it, but most likely everyone in the earl’s realm knew.

While engaged to the daughter of a noble household, Octavia’s father—the prodigal son of his own household—had conducted an affair with a servant girl prior to his marriage. This had produced his eldest daughter, Octavia. Since the servant girl belonged to a lower class, Octavia’s father had thought that he could readily sever their relationship with a financial settlement. He may have been her father, but Octavia thought this was despicable.

The final straw had been the revelation that the Reine household had been given special dispensation at the founding of the Kingdom of Angelus, allowing female members to be recognized as full peers under the title of earl. Octavia’s father had been under the false impression that her grandmother had been called the Earl of Reine as a proxy for her deceased husband, Octavia’s grandfather. Until very recently, no one had realized that “the previous Earl of Reine” referred to Octavia’s grandmother, and now they looked so foolish that Octavia couldn’t even be angry at them. She felt sorry for them.

“Father, it’s a little late to try and hide it. Everyone knows already.”

“J-Jessie is my only daughter! I’ve never thought of you as my daughter, not even once!”

“Please rest assured, I’ve never once thought of you as my father either. My grandmother was the one who raised me. However, for the sake of convenience, I can find no term of address more suitable than ‘Father,’ so please excuse me for using it.”

“Y-Y-You...” Octavia’s father could only open and close his mouth in response to Octavia’s apology. Perhaps he was having trouble getting enough oxygen.

Standing beside him, Octavia’s half sister frowned and interjected, “Sister, don’t say such unhappy things.” Octavia’s half sister, with her tidy countenance, had a voice like a small bird chirping, which was pleasing to the ear.

“Jessie, I’m really not so unhappy.”

“I know that. I must say, I really am sorry about what happened with Edward.” Jessie looked up at Octavia’s former suitor, Edward, who still had his arm around her shoulder. Edward met her gaze, then placed his cheek against Jessie’s forehead.

“Put your mind at ease, Jessie. All along, I was only supposed to have been courting the daughter of the House of Reine. His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, who sent me here, never specified Octavia by name.”

“But our grandmother intended for my sister to inherit this house.”

“That was because she believed to the last that Octavia was properly descended from the House of Reine, was it not? The House of Reine may hold special dispensation allowing women to inherit the title of earl, but it’s not as if they would disregard lineage. Since we are only correcting her mistake, I am sure your grandmother would not object.”

Of course, thought Octavia, my grandmother will never say anything ever again. Octavia’s grandmother, who had given her more attention and love than anyone else in the family, had died abruptly two days earlier.

Octavia’s last sight of her grandmother, lying in the coffin, still didn’t seem real to her. Remembering her kind face, resplendent with makeup; the wedding ring still on her finger; the leisurely strides she took when walking through her garden; her voice, which made you want to share your secrets with her... It felt like at any moment she might emerge from the room in the back and reproach the family for this quarrel: “Are you all still at it?” This daydream felt much more real to Octavia than her death. Don’t despair. How many times had she said that to Octavia?

Octavia’s grandmother had said that she would definitely die first; Octavia must not die before her. That was why she had taught Octavia so many things, and why they had made so many promises, like what to do in the event that she inherited the title of Earl of Reine. Or, indeed, what to do if she were driven out of her home.

No one can choose the circumstances of their birth. If one can be so easily disowned, one shouldn’t speak too highly of family, lineage, or noblesse oblige. Therefore, to avoid misfortune, live in hiding with confidence. That will be what grants you your freedom.

“To allow you to stay here any longer would be tantamount to plotting against the Royal Family of Angelus. Her Highness the Queen has already acknowledged that I will be the next Earl of Reine. Those documents allowing a woman to inherit a peerage are outdated. An element of discord like you can only bring calamity upon this family in the future,” said Edward.

“It was the Royal Family of Angelus that created those outdated documents. Are you sure you want to say that? Won’t Princess Eliza be cross with you?”

“Do you expect me to recoil at the sound of my sister’s name?!” When he shouted like that, it was obvious that Edward was scared. But Eliza was the most distinguished of all of the Queen’s forty-seven children, the princess that most agreed should be the next to ascend to the throne. Octavia’s grandmother had also said that the princess possessed bottomless political ambition. Her youngest brother, Edward, must have had a hard time. Octavia deliberately didn’t press the topic. Showing that much kindness was important.

“I will simply say this to Her Majesty the Queen—that the woman known as Octavia was not suitable for the House of Reine, that my sister’s judgment was clouded!” declared Edward.

“Don’t tell me you wanted so badly to disparage your sister to your mother that you withdrew your proposal to me? However you look at it, that’s terribly short-sighted.”

“I don’t wish to be lectured by someone like you, who cannot even behave like a lady. I favored you because you had my sister’s concern, but there was a limit to the disappointment I was willing to put up with.”

“I was a disappointment. I can only apologize. For my part, I thought you were a good fellow.”

Edward sneered at Octavia’s response. “Now you’re trying to flatter me?”

“No. I really did think you were a good, honest fellow. Even though you were forty-third in line—the youngest prince—you came here begrudgingly to seek your bride, wondering why you had to come to a lowly earl’s house. Then, after frowning upon me, you looked at Jessie with stars in your eyes. Even my grandmother burst out laughing. She said you’d struggle to live in the Royal Palace like that.”

“Do you mean to insult me?!”

“I’m not trying to insult you. I thought you might not be a bad man to have children with.”

Edward was startled and deflated.

Octavia’s father shouted, his face turning red, “So you are plotting something, aren’t you, Octavia?!”

“But I made a promise to my grandmother,” Octavia went on. “I promised that I would only have children with a man I truly loved. Therefore, I can only apologize to you.”

“Why are you apologizing to me?!”

“Because I find you lacking,” declared Octavia, staring Edward squarely in the eye. She thought she heard him gasp.

Practically foaming at the mouth, her father cried, “H-H-How can you show a prince such discourtesy?!”

Restraining their furious father, Jessie cried, “Octavia, what do you intend to do? I’ll work to convince Edward and our father to let you stay. You need only say that you will relinquish your claim to the peerage!”

“Don’t worry. I can go to the Royal Capital, where our grandmother left me a mansion. Princess Eliza also told me to call on her, should something like this happen.”

“Eh?” Octavia’s father made an idiotic noise, her former suitor’s face stiffened, and her half sister frowned. She didn’t know what they were all still worrying about, but it was public knowledge that the mansion in the Royal Capital had been left to Octavia, and that she had become acquainted with Princess Eliza through her grandmother.

“I’ll leave the rest to you.” Octavia left behind her peerage, her former suitor, and her family without regrets. Picking up her bags and her hat, still strewn across the floor, she turned toward the front door, her back to her family.

“Wai—”

She was not interested in knowing who had finally raised their voice to stop her. Octavia strode confidently out the door, then adjusted her grip on her luggage. The weather was fine outside. She stretched both hands out toward the blue sky.

“I can’t believe they really kicked you out,” a voice piped up. It came from the hat Octavia clasped to her chest. Bright red, triangular eyes and a zig-zag mouth appeared upon it. He had been her partner since before she could remember. She had heard that “Hat,” as she called it, was a name she had learned not only before “Father,” naturally, but before even “Grandmother.”

“You shouldn’t be surprised, Hat. This is exactly what Grandmother predicted. Didn’t you also bet that I’d be kicked out?”

“I guess. But to think they really kicked you out,” sighed Hat. “Not only are they after the title, but they’re probably about to start dividing up your Granny’s inheritance. On the day after the funeral... They’re a pack of hyenas.”

“I thought that we’d at least have another week or so left, too.” There had certainly been no outpouring of emotion. She recalled her grandmother once saying, “Well, there’s no time to waste on crying,” and smiling.

“How foolish they are! They haven’t realized that the true inheritance of the House of Reine is me, in my omniscience and omnipotence,” declared Hat.

“Well I’m no longer suited to be the earl’s daughter, so this is perfect. Grandmother always said that times would change. That one might be much freer without any titles at all.” As Octavia walked, she shook the dust from Hat. If she treated him too roughly, he would complain; but to regular people, Hat looked like a normal piece of headwear. They could not see his eyes or mouth, nor hear his voice. There were people around them at this very moment, but no one looked at them strangely.

“So, what are you going to do now?” asked Hat.

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m going to fulfill my promise to my grandmother.”

“How exactly do you plan to do that?”

“I’ll go to the Royal Capital, follow in my grandmother’s footsteps, and become a detective!”

Hat stretched himself out and spoke in a beguiling voice. “I don’t think a good-for-nothing like you is qualified to be a detective,” he sighed, “but, well, Eliza will probably give you a hand. Most of all, with our powers combined, we can do anything. Detective work is a perfect profession for those who are seeking something, after all. Shall we obediently follow Granny’s plan, then?”

“I also need to look for a husband. I do need to have children, you know.”

“Yes, that is also part of your duty, but do you have to say it like that? Just say you want to get married. You’re still only a maiden of seventeen, right?”

“I know. But before I get married, I want to try being deceived by the sort of bad men my grandmother told me about. That seems to be an essential experience for becoming a good woman.”

“Even though I am all-knowing and all-powerful, I’m really starting to worry about what awaits us.” Hat seemed weary, but Octavia found herself with a spring in her step. The cobblestone path, bordered by flower beds, led directly to the main street in town. She would grab a carriage there, and then head to the station on the outskirts of town. She was pretty sure she would find a vehicle called a steam locomotive there. If she booked a trip there she would arrive at the Royal Capital. The steps her grandmother had told her to take were etched on her heart. Beyond that was a world Octavia knew nothing about, but she had no choice but to stand up straight and carry on.

“By the way, what’s your idea of a bad man?”

Replacing Hat on her head, Octavia replied, “The kind of villain who schemes to overthrow the world?”

“Promise me you won’t get involved with anyone like that!” cried Hat. Octavia laughed and told him it was a joke.

“The only empty seats are in first class?”

“That’s right. Today’s train only has one private compartment for two left. Please accept my apologies.”

“Wh-What about tomorrow?”

“Every seat on tomorrow’s train has already been taken by reservations alone. There will be a vacancy in second class...in half a month.”

“Half a month?!”

“The travel season is almost upon us. I’m very sorry.” With the attendant at the ticket counter bowing his head to her, Octavia shook her head anxiously and left. The large station platform was crowded with people coming and going: gentlemen standing on the platform, women seeing them off, children waving to the steam train, station attendants carrying luggage, and many others. So that she wouldn’t get in the way of hurried passengers, Octavia retreated to a corner and touched the white brim of her hat.

“Why don’t you just take the compartment? You have money, don’t you?” Hat asked from atop Octavia’s head, looking for all the world like a regular bonnet.

Octavia gave this some thought.

“That’s true, but thinking of what’s to come...” In the Royal Capital was the mansion Octavia’s grandmother had left her before her death, and although it was somewhere to live, she could not afford to live in luxury. Furthermore, the steam train she was trying to board was the first long-distance, overnight train in the kingdom. Naturally the fare was on the expensive side. If she purchased a private, first-class compartment, the kind used by aristocrats, it would be more expensive still.

Nevertheless, if she waited half a month for a vacancy to open in second class, she would have to pay for accommodation in the meantime. That definitely wouldn’t be cheap, either. Since boarding the train right now would get her to the Royal Capital in just one night and two days, the time and money that it would cost to wait didn’t seem worth it. Half a month in the capital should be enough time to establish her detective agency.

“Still, it would be nice if there were a cancellation in second class, with the cheaper bunk beds...”

“Aren’t the rooms in second class shared between men and women? Whatever your family might say, you are a lady of the House of Reine— No, you’re an even nobler woman than that. I won’t let you sleep in the same room as a man of unknown character.”

“You may say that, but sacrifices must be made.”

“Don’t we have a tool somewhere that can conceal part of the train, along with the space in between?”

“Hat, please don’t suddenly suggest a plan that might get us caught by inquisitors.”

“Outside of the capital, their lot don’t tend to travel by train.”

“Out of my way!” A loud voice from behind tore through their surreptitious conversation. The sounds of commotion and agitation mingled with screams and the whinnies of horses. A man wearing a hat pulled down low over his eyes pushed aside some children and a lady holding a parasol as he ran toward the train platform.

“Thief! There he is!”

“Guards! Seize him!”

“Blast!” The man clicked his tongue, struggling to slip past the crowd of people. Then his eyes met Octavia’s. A knife flashed in the sun. The man suddenly yanked Octavia toward him and held her there tightly; she could only blink in surprise. His blade glinted at her throat. Hat, who had fallen to the ground as the man grappled with Octavia, muttered, “To think misfortune would strike again, and so early in our journey...”

“If you value this woman’s life, stay back!” The guards who had been pursuing the man stopped in their tracks, then formed a semicircle around him, still maintaining their distance. Wrapping one arm around Octavia’s neck, the man brandished the point of his knife at the onlookers. He seemed to be laughing. “G-Good. Get the train ready! Chase off everyone on board, except for the conductor!”

“What to do?” Hat mused. “Out of the tools currently in my index, the most useful would be... Weapons would draw too much attention. Something inconspicuous... Ah, how about the sewing kit? If you prick his finger, you can probably get away.”

Octavia turned her head as a calm voice broke into the tense scene. It came from beyond the guards and onlookers. “Let us accept your demands. In exchange, won’t you let the young lady go?”

“Marquis Osvard, it’s dangerous. Please stay behind us.”

“He has a hostage. If I, the victim, don’t negotiate with the criminal, we will not gain his trust.” Pushing past the guards, a young man emerged. As he did so, he doffed his gentleman’s hat in greeting. His silky, lustrous blond hair flowed in the sea breeze. His almond-shaped eyes looked sharp, but the expression around his eyes was cool, and his smile was soft. In the middle of the crowd on the platform, his posture was especially straight, as if he were standing in wait at a ballroom dance. It gave him a sense of refinement.

The women who had contorted their faces in fear of the ruffian holding Octavia hostage until a moment ago, and even the thief himself, were motionless, as if enchanted by this youth.

He was a beautiful young man. Still, Octavia frowned in spite of herself. Who is he? A con man? Underneath his sophisticated black frock coat, he wore a fashionable checkered waistcoat. His shirt-collar was fastened with a wine-red necktie, and he wore leather boots in a caramel color. There was nothing in his dress to concern her. On the contrary, in attire, he was the perfect image of a nobleman. Even so, something didn’t sit right with Octavia.

“I don’t intend to take back the wallet you stole from me. I shan’t pursue you, either. So, please, see that you release the young lady.”

“H-How am I supposed to believe that?”

Indeed. With those long eyelashes that cast such languorous shadows, something about the man’s expression seemed forced, Octavia realized. The look of concern he turned on Octavia was too beautiful. It looked contrived.

“I’m telling the truth. I have no need for it. I’m giving it to you.”

“N-No need, you say?” The thief repeated, his voice trembling. He must have sounded shocked to those around him. But Octavia could tell from the strength exerted by the man’s arms that the gentleman wasn’t negotiating with the thief—he was taunting him. Handing his cane to one of the guards, the youth approached the thief, his arms spread, the heels of his leather boots clicking against the ground. He seemed to be signaling that he held no weapons and had no hostility. All the same, he left not even the slightest opening for the thief. The bemused half-moons of his hazel eyes accompanied a sneering grin.

“Quite. I’ll give you as much as you like. That will be the price of your life.”

“Why, you...!”

“Stop, or your life will end,” Octavia warned the thief in a low voice. The man lifted his foot in preparation to throw his knife at the youth when she lightly swept his leg aside. The man gasped as he lost his balance, and she ducked low and escaped his grasp as she pushed him over.

“Hey, now’s your opportunity. Grab him!” The guards hurried over to the man and held him down. To everyone else, it must have looked as if the thief had stepped forward too quickly in a fit of anger, tripped, and fallen over.

“Well, if that’s all there was to it, then it was hardly worth our getting involved,” said Hat.

“I hope that’s all.” Octavia picked up the unusually prideful Hat. The people around them still had their hands full, resolving the incident. It would’ve been best to leave while the crowd was still scattered in confusion. If she were asked for a statement, she’d be stuck here a while longer.

But then a hand was offered to Octavia, right before her eyes. “Are you hurt in any way, young lady?” It was the aristocratic youth from before. With the sun at his back, she couldn’t read his expression. Octavia was hesitant, but she felt that ignoring him would only lead to more trouble, so she tentatively put her hand in his. Upon doing so, she was yanked to her feet. “I’m terribly sorry that you were caught up in that.”

“No, I’m fine.” As he apologized, Octavia tried to pull her hand away from the youth, frowning, then stopped. She couldn’t pull away.

“It would seem I was so focused on finally returning to the Royal Capital that I let my guard down,” he went on. “How embarrassing.”

“Aha... Um, your hand.”

“You certainly kept a level head throughout that ordeal. Do you have some knowledge of martial arts?”

Octavia’s eyes narrowed. Was he able to follow my movements? Well, I did think he wasn’t one to be trifled with... Her first impression of him was that of a con man. What was more, no matter how hard she tugged, he would not let go of her hand. Without any recourse, she left her hand where it was and answered him.

“I learned the basics from my grandmother, for self defense.”

“From your grandmother? A woman? How unusual. Was she a soldier? A knight, perhaps? Or possibly a police officer?”

“None of those. My grandmother only said that she had learned it because her line of work demanded it.”

“In that case, might you be the daughter of the House of Reine?”

“How did you know?” Octavia, without thinking, answered him directly.

The youth narrowed his eyes gently and smiled. “From your attire and your belongings, anyone might have concluded that you were the daughter of a wealthy household. And you were standing near the ticket counter, holding a large trunk. If you were looking to board a train right now, it would have to be the overnight train, bound for the Royal Capital. All this means that you are the daughter of a wealthy household, living in an area where you might use this station to head to the Royal Capital. Furthermore, your grandmother was neither a soldier nor a knight, but had a job somewhat resembling a police officer’s. The Lady Detective, the Earl of Reine, is very famous.”

Now that he put it that way, it did seem like he could have figured it out, but they hadn’t been speaking properly for more than a couple of minutes. To think that he had guessed her identity correctly in such a short time struck fear into Octavia, beyond mere shock.

“Octavia de Reine. I’m pleased to make your acquaintance.”

“The nerve of this fellow,” Hat cried out from under Octavia’s arm. “How did he even guess your name?! He has to be dangerous!”

In silent agreement with Hat, Octavia pulled back slightly and inquired, “I-Indeed, I am Octavia...but what are you, some sort of con man?”

“Con man,” the young man repeated, chuckling good-naturedly. It made his undeniably noble visage look almost childish. He smoothly drew away the hand that grasped Octavia’s. “I-I have never once been addressed in that fashion before.”

“Am I wrong?”

“In the House of Reine, there are two young ladies around your age. And I happened to see Lady Jessie’s face at the time of her societal debut. After that, it was merely a process of elimination.”

Octavia had heard that at the time of Jessie’s debut, many young women had shared an audience with Her Majesty the Queen. Could he really have remembered all of them?

“You have a good memory, don’t you?”

“I wonder about that. Although I do remember everyone in the directory of nobles.”

“Everyone?! All of the nobility in the kingdom of Angelus?!”

“That’s just essential knowledge in my world. After all, I am a young brat who just inherited the title of marquis.”

Is that how things are in society? Octavia, who still hadn’t been afforded a societal debut, knew nothing about noble society except for the smattering she had picked up here and there. But the creepiness of this conversation could not be dispelled so easily, and Octavia finally started to withdraw entirely. “W-Well, I think it’s about time for me to be leaving.”

“If we’re both headed to the Royal Capital, won’t we be taking the same steam train?”

“Well, no. I wasn’t able to get a ticket. I’ll be waiting for someone to cancel. The only vacancy is in first class.”

“Ah, that is most vexing. In that case, shall we ride together?” Octavia, thoughtlessly turning her face upward, was greeted by a broad smile. “Please allow me to at least grant you a ticket. As an apology for earlier.”

A ticket on a first-class carriage cost a sum that even a nobleman could not call cheap. What was the meaning of this, to purchase one so casually for a woman he didn’t even know? Octavia had heard from her grandmother that, in the present-day Kingdom of Angelus, even the nobility, who occupied the upper class of society, had to become destitute just to maintain their seats in Parliament.

“But, well,” said Octavia, “wasn’t your wallet stolen just now?”

“Ah, right. There was nothing inside it. Putting money in your wallet is like asking someone to steal it, wouldn’t you say?”

He’d told the perpetrator that his very life was the price of that wallet. Now, to find out it was empty? Octavia somehow found that quite chilling.

“So I guess you are a con man, after all...”

“It’s a mystery why anyone would be suspicious of me. As a marquis, isn’t my standing in society above reproach?”

“What if that’s part of your con?”

“Were you chased out of the House of Reine?” inquire the youth in a whisper, abandoning his polite demeanor. Octavia took a step back in shock.

“H-How did you know?”

“It’s simple. Look at the fact that your father, wishing to avoid declaring your mother’s identity publicly—not to mention very existence—chose to present your younger sister over you for a societal debut. Also, the obituary of the late earl, who made the decision to adopt you in the first place, was recently published in the newspaper. Considering all this together with the fact that now you are here, alone, seeking passage to the Royal Capital, the conclusion more or less emerges by itself.”

“If you really aren’t a con artist, then I suppose you’re about to put all con artists out of work!”

“Octavia, I understand what you’re trying to say, but you had better come up with better rejoinders than that,” muttered Hat.

“By the standards of the Royal Capital, where evil spirits run rampant, I’m quite a straightforward fellow. After all, it’s in the capital that the Demonic Heirlooms gather, isn’t it?”

The Demonic Heirlooms. At the sound of those words, Hat, clutched to Octavia’s chest, fell silent. After a spell, Octavia looked up to see the young man putting his hat back on.

“Why not consider this an act of fate, young lady, and join me on a short journey?” The young aristocrat resumed his air of formality and smiled. Octavia felt somehow as if she were being bewitched.

“All right. But dispense with the formalities. How shall I put it? It just gets on my nerves.”

The young man blinked, and then a wry smile made its way across his face. “If you say so. Oh, right. I haven’t introduced myself yet.” Octavia looked up again to see the youth bow theatrically.

“Belatedly, I am Raven L. Osvard. I look forward to our trip together. I’d like you to call me Raven. Marquis Osvard always sounds a bit stuffy.” Perhaps it was this overfamiliarity that had crept out of his facade, but he seemed all the more like a child now. From his bearing and his rank as marquis, Octavia had thought him older than her. Could he be younger than she had thought? Perhaps even the same age as her?

“Understood. Lord Raven, was it? Thank you for escorting me.”

“Lose the title.”

“Huh?”

“Raven.”

“No! I mean, I come from an earl’s household, and you’re a marquis—”

“Raven.”

“Raven.” He’d pushed her into it. Seeing the man smile irritated Octavia, so she added, “In that case, I don’t mind if you call me Octavia. Apparently I can’t behave like a lady, anyway.”

“Indeed? Octavia.” Hearing his voice sound out each syllable of her name caused Octavia to stiffen reflexively. Raven swept the hem of his coat behind him and extended a hand, bowing gracefully. “You are a perfectly lovely lady. Now, give me your hand.”

Despite never really having been escorted by a gentleman before, Octavia wound her arm around Raven’s as a matter of course. Then, with the ticket counter behind them, they started walking. Octavia wondered what they were going to do about her train ticket, but from his manner, she knew without a shred of a doubt that he had all of this in hand.

Is this man a con artist after all? What was it about him? She suspected this was the last man she should be traveling with, but she also felt that having him around might make things more interesting.

“There’s no such thing as a free lunch, Octavia,” sighed Hat from atop Octavia’s head, as she stepped onto the platform with a strange sense of elation.

The long-distance overnight train, which at its inception had catered almost entirely to the royal family, had added many more carriages as a result of the recent travel boom. The interior of these carriages was also quite spacious.

There were two first-class carriages, which were sleeper carriages; a dining car; two carriages in second class, as well as third class; and a freight car. It was a rather lengthy consist. The steam train, which departed at three o’clock in the afternoon, was scheduled to make a number of stops at major stations to pick up passengers. It would arrive at the Royal Capital by morning. Although the journey spanned two days and one night, the total time aboard the train would be just over twelve hours, or half a day.

“Your compartment is meant for two, so I don’t think you’ll find any trouble with the space,” said Raven, and handed Octavia her ticket from out of his frock coat.

“When did you... Is this sleight of hand?”

“I’ll be in the adjacent compartment. I’ll come to fetch you later. Let’s have supper together in the dining car. If we take supper just after five o’clock, we should be able to see the ocean.”

“The ocean. It’ll be my first time seeing it. Though this is my first time on a steam train, as well.”

“Well, well. It’s an honor to be able to accompany you through so many of your firsts.” Leaving Octavia with that unnatural turn of phrase and a pleasant smile, Raven opened the door of the adjacent compartment. Even as he left, his manner was elegant.

Octavia, left alone in the shuddering corridor, muttered sidelong to Hat, “Could he be...a decent man?”

“No, this man is no good. Don’t get too deeply involved with him.”

“Is he no good?”

“You’ll only be tricked.”

“I surely won’t be. Not when I’m this vigilant.” She no longer seriously suspected him of being a con man, but something about him just got on her nerves. She knew she was being disrespectful, but she couldn’t help it; she just felt uncomfortable. Could it be that she was just nervous, encountering such a young nobleman for the first time?

“In any case, just be careful,” Hat went on. “No one thinks they’re being tricked while they’re being tricked.”

“I guess that’s true,” sighed Octavia. “Hm? Hmm? Does that mean that, now that I’m convinced I’m not being tricked, I am actually being tricked...?”

“Just get in the compartment, already. We don’t know who might pass by, or when.”

Octavia opened the door to her compartment. She made sure it was shut behind her before sitting down on the loveseat. It was fluffy and could apparently turn into a bunk bed. A card had been left next to her on the seat, reading, “If you have any questions, please come to the crew cabin.” On the shelf next to the doorway was water and a newspaper. The washstand, shoved into a corner, had towels and even skin cream. Now it seemed they were passing through the country, as a river of greenery streamed past the train window.

“First class is just as luxurious as you’d expect, isn’t it?” Hat, hopping up and down on the sofa to test its softness, was extremely satisfied. Octavia also threw herself onto the sofa, lying down.

“Now that you mention it, I don’t think we’ve had a chance to relax since we were chased out of the manor.”

“Quite. You’ve taken a number of wrong turns along the way.”

“Ah... I wish I had a map.”

“If we had that fellow, indeed, we wouldn’t get lost again. But where might he be?”

“It would be nice if we could be friends.”

“There are no tools which would fail to live up to your desires— What’s that?” At the sound of a knock at the door, Hat flopped over, lying still. Thinking it might be the conductor, Octavia pushed her trunk into a corner and placed her hand on the doorknob.

“Who is it? Raven?”

“Octavia. Sorry. I’m coming in.” Raven slipped smoothly into the room, while Octavia stood by the door with a vacant expression.

“The nerve of this fellow! He can’t just barge into a lady’s room! Though,” Hat added, “it might be a stretch, or even a fib, to call you a lady.”

Octavia’s way of thinking wasn’t as antiquated as Hat’s, but she, too, was shocked. Had Raven just been buttering her up? It still seemed a bit too soon for him to be showing his true intentions.

“Wh-What’s the matter?” she asked. “It’s still a bit early for supper, isn’t it?”

But Raven’s eyes were serious as he looked back at Octavia. “Have you done something?”

“Huh?”

“Some men in black, accompanied by the conductor, just came in—one by one—from the carriage behind us.” Bang, came a noise that wasn’t the jostling of the train. It came from next door. They heard a door open, a man speak sharply, and then a woman speak in a high voice. Octavia couldn’t make out the words, but it was clear they were quarreling over something.

Raven quickly leaned out of the open window, then pulled his head back inside and closed the window. “They’re looking for you, all right. I heard them ask if she knew a woman named Octavia.” As Raven locked the window shut, his expression was severe. “What is it that you’ve done?”

Asked a second time, Octavia started to fret. “W-Wait. I have no recollection of doing anything that I should be tracked down for.”

“But there’s no doubt that you’re the one they’re looking for.”

“The House of Reine might have come after us,” Hat mused, “under the orders of that shit of a prince.”

As Octavia struggled to come up with an answer, she heard the sound of disorderly footfalls in the corridor. This room would probably be next. Raven sighed and raised his head. He was thinking about something. Seeing Raven’s too-sharp gaze, without thinking, Octavia grabbed his sleeve.

“Don’t do anything.” Those were the words that finally came out of Octavia’s mouth.

Raven, looking back at Octavia, replied bluntly, “So you do know something about this?”

“I don’t. I don’t, but I’ll be all right. I’ll manage, somehow.”

Octavia didn’t know who her pursuers were, but they were rummaging around a first-class carriage like they owned it, dragging the conductor along behind them. These were not mild-mannered men. Even so, she would be fine. Octavia had allies.

“So, you can keep out of this.”

Raven looked back at Octavia, his eyes wide. Amazement, bewilderment, wariness—all of these emotions were laid bare now that she had thrown him off his guard, swirling around behind his eyes. As they exchanged looks, sizing each other up, a knock at the door interrupted them.

Raven seized Octavia’s arm as she sat up to answer the door. Then he swiftly locked the door from the inside. But the conductor stood on the other side; the lock could easily be opened.

“What are you doing?”

“Being told to keep out of something makes me want to stick my nose into it even more.”

“Huh?!”

Octavia was transfixed by the voice on the other side of the door: “That’s enough! Unlock the door.” Suddenly she found herself looking up at the ceiling, having been pushed onto the sofa from above. Hat, who had bounced to the floor when the cushion he sat on rebounded, cried, “D-Damn you! In the name of my omniscience and omnipotence, I’ll rip you to shreds!”

A man’s hand was clasped over Octavia’s mouth. Failing to understand the meaning of this, Octavia looked up at Raven, who leaned over her. He was close enough that she might have been forgiven for kicking him straight out the door. Still, she couldn’t read any harmful intent in his hazel eyes, which sparkled with delight above his nose. Strangely, there was no look of distaste, either. Only elation, the kind a child might feel upon overturning a box full of toys.

“Leave them to me,” Raven whispered in her ear. As Octavia felt an unfamiliar shiver go up her spine, the door opened.

They were vaguely aware that the two black-suited men who barged into the compartment had stopped in the doorway.

“Now, what’s this, then?”

With Octavia still sprawled on the sofa, Raven slowly got up from his place on top of her. He looked over at the men frozen in the doorway. “I’m fairly sure I locked that door, but can I help you in some way?”

There was a pause. “We’re looking for a woman. A woman named Octavia. That woman there—”

“Yes, that is what I’ve been calling her. Now, whether or not that happens to be her real name...”

“What?”

Raven gave them a throaty laugh. “Calling each other by our real names would be thoughtless, since we’re traveling in secret.”

“Hey, what’s this fellow’s name?” one of the men asked the conductor.

The conductor hesitated a moment, but then whispered to them. Upon hearing the name, the two men clicked their tongues in annoyance.

“So this woman is your companion?”

“Quite. But please, try to keep our presence here together a secret. We don’t want our stimulating journey to be spoiled.”

“Well, as long as you’re in good health,” spat one of the men, and left. The other man looked furtively at Octavia.

“Are you sure about this?” quizzed the conductor.

“The woman we’re looking for is almost certain to be traveling alone. I’ve also heard that she isn’t carrying much with her. Even if she was able to hide in first class, she can’t have reserved a seat. I’ll search the next compartment. We still have time before we reach the Royal Capital.”

“But...”

“What is this woman, Octavia, supposed to have done?” Raven asked, standing up before the man could close the door.

On the other side, with the door still ajar, the man narrowed his eyes viciously. “That’s none of your concern.”

“I do wonder about that attitude of yours, after you caused us so much trouble.”

In a quiet voice, the conductor answered, “She stole something, apparently, so we’re conducting an inspection. Please forgive the disturbance.”

The other man slammed the door shut, clicking his tongue. Through the door, they heard him say, “Be careful what you say.”

Octavia sat back up and sighed with relief. She picked up Hat, who had fallen on the floor. “You saved me,” she said, then paused. “I suppose I should say...thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Did I alarm you?”

“You did. If it weren’t for the circumstances, I would make you take responsibility for that.”

Raven, who had been grinning, slightly stiffened his expression. “Responsibility, you say. Once again, I must say—that seems a rather severe way of putting things.”

“My grandmother taught me to seize any misbehaving men at once, and force them to take responsibility.”

“For future reference, I’d just like to ask, what will you do if you catch hold of a man who can’t take proper responsibility?”

“Such men can be disposed of.”

Raven, who had now assumed a serious expression, stood with his back against the closed door and his arms folded. “You’re an unexpectedly wicked woman, aren’t you?”

“What do you mean? Flirting with men is proof of a lady’s discretion,” declared Octavia, clenching her fists tightly. “It was after many rounds of deliberation that my grandmother chose my grandfather. I must follow her example!”

“I see. Though now I only feel more disturbed.”

“What a coincidence. So do I,” agreed Hat, though there was no chance of reciprocation.

Raven placed his hand on his chin. “By the way, those men said something had been stolen. Do you really know nothing about that?”

“Nothing at all. In the first place, who were those men?”

“They were constables in the service of the royal family of Angelus.” Seeing Octavia blink in response, Raven stood up his own collar and showed her. “They had a star-shaped badge on their collars, right? And they wore black uniforms, with black shoes. Those men are the eyes and ears of the royal family of Angelus, scattered throughout the kingdom. They’re an organization subordinate to the Inquisition—you could say they’re in charge of doing odd jobs at the behest of the royals.”

“In that case, could they have been sent by Edward?”

“So you do know something.”

Raven bent forward and peered closely at Octavia’s face. Though it was a private compartment, they were still aboard a train. With the distance between them suddenly shortened, Octavia backed up slightly toward the window.

“Well, yes. Edward is my former suitor—” She broke off. “Well, no. More importantly, he’s a prince.”

“His Royal Highness, Prince Edward? Forty-third in line to the throne?”

Octavia nodded firmly, whereupon Raven straightened. “This is a surprise. A prince courted you?”

“No. More accurately, he courted the daughter of the Earl of Reine. In order to marry into the House of Reine, he came to our realm, seeking to marry me. Though I heard that he did so at the recommendation of his uncle, the queen’s younger brother.”

“Hmm? So, then, from the moment he laid eyes on Jessie, he undertook to drive you from the household, since you were an impediment to his plans to claim the right of inheritance?”

“Isn’t this fellow a bit too quick to understand things?” grumbled Hat. To Octavia, though, who wasn’t particularly well-spoken, this simply made the conversation easier.

“Your guess is correct, for the most part, but I really didn’t steal anything. If, by some small chance, something had been mixed in with my luggage, I still don’t think there was anything in our house worth sending men like that after me to search for it. Besides, it wasn’t me who packed my suitcase.”

As Octavia pondered this, furrowing her brow and crossing her arms, Hat spoke up, snapping to attention, though he still seemed like an ordinary piece of headwear. “Could it be that, after you left, following a concerted search of the house, they realized that there was even less left of Granny’s assets then they had expected, and so they started to suspect that you had run off with something? Or else they might be thinking that there’s something of value in the mansion in the Royal Capital.”

“Impossible. I’m sure they searched the mansion in the capital most thoroughly.”

“What? A mansion in the Royal Capital?”

Octavia, who had replied to Hat without thinking, hurriedly explained herself to Raven. “Before my grandmother died, she left me a mansion. This was some years ago. My family may have only grown suspicious of it now. As my grandmother was so fond of me, they may think some heirlooms of the House of Reine are hidden there.”

“Ah, I see. Might this mansion in the capital be the mansion your grandmother lived in, when she worked as a detective?”

“That’s right. This mansion, which my grandmother owned personally, was separate from the House of Reine’s townhouse in the Royal Capital.”

“The mansion that belonged to the Lady Detective, the Earl of Reine... Certainly, one might expect something to come out of a place with such a lofty history.”

“But my father supposedly already checked it a number of times.”

Thinking that Octavia’s grandmother might have left her some great inheritance in secret, concealed somewhere within the mansion, they had investigated the estate many times before the paperwork for the transfer was completed. Since they had found nothing of value there, they had concluded that it was just a mansion full of rubbish. Their conclusion was not incorrect. Without Hat and Octavia there to use them, the contents of that mansion might as well have been rubbish.

“Why would they begin to suspect again, after all this time?” she mused. “The transfer of the mansion was officially concluded years ago, with Princess Eliza’s approval.”

“Princess Eliza? You’re acquainted with Her Highness, the crown princess?” Raven gasped in amazement.

Octavia hurriedly shook her head. “No, we’re not personally acquainted. More accurately, she was one of my grandmother’s connections. I was told to call on her if I ever found myself in the Royal Capital.”

“Her Highness the Princess, who, it is said, will be the next queen?” When Raven put it like that, it did sound like Octavia had caught the attention of someone extremely important. But Raven merely hummed to himself in reflection.

“If I’m not mistaken, Prince Edward supports the faction opposing Princess Eliza’s succession—His Highness the prince, the queen’s younger brother.”

“I’m not too familiar with such matters, but I’ve heard that, too.”

“In that case, your family presumably thinks there is something in that mansion—something that could give Princess Eliza an advantage in the struggle for the throne, for example—and resolved to catch you before you could make contact with Her Highness the Princess.”

Octavia frowned in response to Raven’s conjecture. “But why wait until now?” Her family had known long before her grandmother’s death that the mansion had been left to Octavia—and that her grandmother had known Princess Eliza. Neither had the contest for the throne begun recently. In spite of all that, why had her family only become suspicious after they had driven her out of the household?

Raven grinned at Octavia, whose face was screwed up in contemplation. “Could it just be that they’re idiots, without any imagination?” he asked. A rather harsh appraisal. Even as part of a hypothetical, he had to have some nerve to speak so nonchalantly about a prince.

“Even I wouldn’t have put it so bluntly...”

“I often have,” said Hat.

“Now I understand the situation. As long as you’re with me, not even the constables will be able to lay a finger on you so easily. I am a marquis, for what it’s worth.”

“Would you believe me if I said I was innocent?”

“I’d sooner believe a pretty girl like you than rough men like them.”

“Pretty...?”

“I thought you might react that way.”

Although Octavia was simply bewildered, he was laughing at her.

“I’ve never seen someone so pleased by a perfectly predictable reaction. This is a first. How refreshing.”

“Your attitude really revealed itself in that remark. That was no compliment, Octavia,” grumbled Hat.

“I’ve made up my mind. I shall escort you safely to your mansion in the Royal Capital.” As Octavia blinked silently, Raven placed his hands on his hips and continued, “Prince Edward will only be able to take such drastic measures as long as you are outside the capital. If he tried something like this there, Princess Eliza would surely hear about it. Besides, the capital is the residence of Her Majesty the Queen. Nothing gets past her within its borders. There, neither the queen’s brother nor Prince Edward will be able to do as they please, and, more than anything, they’ll be afraid of scandal. If you can evade them until this steam train reaches the Royal Capital, you’ll have won.”

“Certainly, I don’t think my family would be very understanding if I went back and tried to explain things to them...but helping me won’t benefit you in any way, will it? Are you all right with that?”

Raven intended to protect Octavia from two princes. Although that prince was at the end of the line of succession, and Raven was a marquis, it was still a dangerous road for him to go down.

“I don’t mind at all. I mean, it sounds like fun, doesn’t it?” The corners of Raven’s mouth curled up, as if he’d just received a new toy.

Octavia could only be amazed at this unbelievably innocent reason. “Fun, you say...”

“If you feel obliged to repay me in some way, I’d like you to show me your mansion when we arrive in the capital.”

“Even if there’s nothing there?”

“Of course. I’m not thinking of doing anything unscrupulous. The truth is, I was a fan of the Lady Detective, the Earl of Reine.” Raven returned Octavia’s blank expression with a smile full of mischief. “I even have a copy of her memoirs.”

“Th-That’s the first I’ve ever heard of...”

“About that. The Earl of Reine— Ah, your father said, quite angrily, that we should no longer discuss that matter at our soirees in the royal capital. I wasn’t sure whether or not I should mention it to you.”

That a member of the nobility should work, let alone a woman, and in the lowly profession of a detective— After many years of hearing her father and the people around him severely criticize her grandmother’s choices, Octavia could guess at what Raven was implying.

Raven slowly lowered his eyes and placed a hand on his chest. “I know this is belated, but I would like to offer my condolences. I would have liked to meet her once, when she was alive.”

The sincerity in his voice stung Octavia’s heart. It rang differently from any of the makeshift condolences she had heard at the funeral. “I-Is that right? So that’s why you knew so much about my family.” After understanding and acceptance, the next sensation that slowly welled up within Octavia was that of joy. “In other words... You’re a fan of my grandmother’s! You’re a good person, aren’t you?!”

“I’m glad you think so.”

“No, wait,” cautioned Hat. “Let’s not jump to conclusions. Calm down, Octavia!”

“My grandmother was amazing, you know!” For the first time ever, Octavia had found someone who approved of her grandmother. Hat’s admonishments were no longer audible to her.

After blinking for a moment at Octavia, seeing the sparkle in her eyes, Raven smiled himself. “I can see that you truly loved your grandmother.”

“Of course! She taught me so many things. I lost my mother at a young age, so it was my grandmother who raised me.”

“Really? I’d be grateful if you told me more about her.”

“Yes, I’d be glad to. Raven, I’m beginning to think we could be friends!”

“Friends, you say. It looks like I still have a long way to go.”

What did he mean, a long way to go? In response to Octavia’s look of puzzlement, Raven just said, “Oh, nothing,” with a richly mischievous smile.

They decided that they would continue their conversation over dinner. Naturally, since they didn’t know who might be listening in, they resolved to avoid mention of the Earl of Reine as much as possible.

“I never thought I’d see you all dressed up,” grumbled Hat, seeing Octavia struggle to tie her hair back in the cramped corner with the washstand. Although they would be in a dining car, it was still dinner.

“Well, I am dining with a marquis, after all. If I do anything too out of place, he may doubt the value of the upbringing my grandmother gave me.” Octavia had never been interested in the opinions of people who disliked her grandmother, but when it came to one of her fans, it was a different story. She wanted to appear at least somewhat like a respectable young lady.

But as she attempted to gather up her silky silver hair and tie it back in a style befitting an adult woman, she found that, though the individual hairs were fine—like a light rain cascading down her shoulders—it was surprisingly hard to work them. They tended to slip through her fingers. Her hair just wouldn’t listen to her.

“I guess it’s pointless.”

“You’re also quick to give up, just as I expected.”

“Hat, as a piece of headwear, couldn’t you do something to tie my hair back?”

“I am not a cosmetic item. I am an all-knowing, all-powerful administrator! Besides, I haven’t registered any hair accessories!” Thinking it rather slovenly, after all, to continue wearing the same clothes she had worn up to this point in her journey, Octavia took a change of clothes out of her trunk. She now held her favorite dress, whose slender, not-too-formal cut she found most lovely.

“Well, I suppose I have no choice but to demonstrate my sincerity to him.” Having said that, she took some lipstick out of her pouch and began applying it. She managed to do so without going over the lines. After she’d run her tongue quickly over her lips, a knock came at the door.

“Octavia, are you ready?”

“I’ll be right there,” answered Octavia. She then quietly called Hat over. He sighed, then hopped atop Octavia’s head and performed a spin. With a faint clapping sound, he transformed from a white-brimmed hat to a tiny hair ornament in the shape of a hat, which wouldn’t look out of place indoors.

After checking her appearance in the mirror one last time to confirm that Hat had landed cleanly in just the right spot, Octavia opened the door. “Sorry to keep you waiting... Raven?”

Raven, leaning with his back to the wall of the corridor, widened his eyes with surprise.

“Hmm,” said Hat, “are you so surprised, you whelp? My lass may be a good-for-nothing, but she’s not all bad. In fact, she’s quite an arresting beauty! Behold her proud and majestic bearing! Don’t lump her in with ladies you could find just anywhere! She was born with quite different qualities, bahahahahaha!”

“What’s the matter, Raven? You look quite dazed. Does your stomach hurt?”

“Although her conduct can be a bit lacking!” Not quite understanding what Hat was saying, Octavia decided to leave him be. When she greeted Raven, he let out a long, deep sigh.

“No, sorry about that. I was just so captivated.”

“Ah, it’s this dress, isn’t it? It was a birthday present from my grandmother. It’s my favorite.”

After a pause, he said, “Oh, is that so? So your mind went straight to your clothing...”

“What’s with that attitude? Keep trying till you get your point across, you bounder!” cried Hat. Octavia backed up a few steps along the corridor and spun around to display her dress. Then she stood triumphantly before Raven, who still looked curiously vexed.

“Actually, it’s my first time wearing it. My grandmother said to wear it if I should ever find myself dining alone with a man.”

Raven blinked, then smiled wryly. “Now I feel a little guilty.”

“Why?”

“Because if that’s the case, I should have taken you somewhere much lovelier.” After briefly begging her pardon, Raven reached out and carefully took a lock of hair resting on Octavia’s shoulder and pushed it back behind her head.

“You have only yourself to blame,” chided Hat. “You shouldn’t have spoken to my lass so familiarly!”

Octavia spoke up in Hat’s place, who sounded especially boastful, for some reason. “A dining car on an overnight train is a perfectly lovely place. I think my grandmother would say the same.”

“If so, I’m glad...though I’m starting to feel like I’m being tested.”

“In what way?”

“It’s just a feeling. Oh, that’s right. May I ask what you plan to do once you arrive at the Royal Capital?”

“Yes. Didn’t I say? I’m going to be a detective! Just like my grandmother.”

Raven slowly lowered his gaze to the floor. “I thought you might say that. This is most distressing.”

“Why?”

“It looks like I’ll end up being a fan of yours as well. Now, let’s go. It’s time for dinner.” Raven extended a hand, lightly pushing on Octavia’s back to hurry her forward.

The dining car was opulent. It was so spacious that one wouldn’t think oneself still aboard a train. Waiters stood at attention by the entrance and guided patrons to their tables. Octavia sat down at a table by the window. Just as Raven had said, they could see the ocean. Octavia looked out across the water, her eyes sparkling. There sprawled the sky and the sea, with nothing blocking the view. The water closer to them was colored a deep ultramarine, but as it spread out into the distance, it was dyed in sunset tones. Between day and night, a fantastical array of colors shone.

Gradually but inexorably, the fiery red glow drew back behind the horizon; little by little, the sea and the sky changed their colors.

“This view is incredible.”

“The blue sky in the daytime is lovely, too. This is, after all, a luxury train, running under the auspices of the railway baron.” The pair peeled their eyes away from the window and looked to the table. The menu resting on the tablecloth described a full-course dinner worthy of a hotel. In other words, Octavia didn’t really know what kind of food it was. Under aperitifs, she couldn’t even distinguish what was juice and what was alcoholic. She was still screwing her face up at the menu when the waiter arrived.

“What would you like to drink?”

“I’ll have a kir,” said Raven. “Do you like sweet things?”

Octavia nodded in response to this sudden question. “Y-Yes, I do.”

“In that case, the lady will have a Cinderella.”

Before Octavia could open her mouth to ask what that was, Hat answered her question. “It’s a non-alcoholic cocktail. Basically just juice.”

“Now, then. What would you like to eat?”

“Have you any recommendations?” asked Raven.

“We have both fish and meat dishes, but today we’re inclined to recommend the meat.”

“Then I’ll have that. And you?”

“I-I’ll have the same, please,” said Octavia.

The waiter bowed his head in acknowledgment, retrieved the menus and departed. Letting out a sigh of relief, Octavia said softly to Raven, “Thank you. You saved me.”

“I shouldn’t like to become the sort of man who’d get you drunk.”

Silver cutlery was lined up along the tablecloth, followed by cocktail glasses. Raven tilted his glass, filled with a translucent ruby-colored drink, toward Octavia, and smiled.

“Let’s make a toast to your grandmother, in heaven.”

“All right.” Octavia wasn’t used to such refined exchanges, but she smoothly accepted Raven’s invitation. I suppose this is what people mean by “smart.” Octavia took a first sip of her cocktail, which was sweet, sour, and delicious.

“Are there a lot of men like you in the royal capital?”

“If by that you mean aristocrats, then I suppose so.”

“What a fearful place. Is everyone there a con artist?”

“I feel you may have hit the nail on the head, but for now, I’d just like for you to enjoy yourself. Let’s see—look, over there.” With his gaze, Raven indicated a spot above the entrance to the dining car. Putting down her cocktail glass and following his gaze, Octavia suddenly froze.

“That is a treasured possession of the railway baron, said to be an heirloom passed down from the United Empire.” Raven spoke of an antique map. The map, drawn on paper worn by the passage of many years, was framed in silver. But to Octavia, there was no mistaking it.

“A piece of the map is displayed on each of the railway baron’s trains. Apparently, this segment is supposed to be special even amongst these prized heirlooms, since it depicts the capital of the now fallen United Empire.”

“The map.”

“Octavia?” At the sound of Raven’s voice, Octavia came back to her senses.

“Octavia, for now, just stay calm and sit down.”

Cautioned by Hat as well, Octavia returned to her seat. She had not even realized that she had stood up.

Raven peered back at her with a look of concern. “Is something the matter?”

“I-It’s nothing. I was just a bit surprised to hear that it’s an heirloom of the United Empire. I mean, those are dangerous, aren’t they? The Imperial Heirlooms are also called Demonic Heirlooms...”

“True. But right now, this one has the queen’s seal placed upon it. That means it’s safe.”

“Is that right?” she asked slowly.

“In celebration of the opening of this overnight train, Her Majesty made a gift of the map to the railway baron.”

Hat glared at the item displayed above him and said bitterly, “It’s no good. There’s no response. It looks like it really has been sealed.”

“It’s possible that the frame around it would currently fetch a higher price than the map, actually.” Hearing Raven’s explanation, Octavia looked up at the map once more. He went on, “I’ve heard that Her Majesty the Queen imbued that frame with magic power personally. It is that frame which keeps the Imperial Heirloom sealed away, preventing it from running amok and becoming a Demonic Heirloom.”

“A-Are there many such things in the Royal Capital?”

“I suppose so. Enough for the Phantom Thief to bother showing his face.”

“Ph-Phantom Thief?” This abrupt combination of words wrested back Octavia’s attention, which along with Hat’s, had been firmly fixated on the contents of the picture frame.

Raven gave Octavia a comically exaggerated look of surprise. “Haven’t you heard of him? He’s rather famous in the capital. Crow, the Phantom Thief.”

“Th-This is the first I’ve heard of him.”

“He’s the great villain of this century, who seeks to steal Imperial Heirlooms right out from under Her Majesty’s nose.” The last light of day that broke in through the window cast Raven’s face in a dark shadow. Why? With her attention fixed on Raven’s face—which wore an expression she couldn’t read—she was slow to respond.

“Excuse me.”

She quickly corrected her posture. A waiter in a black suit was standing beside her. In his hand, which seemed to be concealed by the napkin resting on his arm, was a gun. The barrel of that gun was pointed at Octavia’s head.

“Octavia?” Raven, seated in the opposite chair, probably couldn’t see the gun.

Softly, in a manner that was appropriate for a waiter delivering a message to a lady, the black-suited man bent forward and whispered in her ear, “Come with me, Lady Octavia de Reine.” Somehow, it seemed that her true identity had been discovered.

Is it just this man right here? If so, she should’ve been able to handle him by herself. On the other hand, it might’ve been a good idea to get him to tell her what he was after, first. Then Octavia noticed the gun barrel move minutely in Raven’s direction, so she stood up. Feeling Raven’s gaze on her, she smiled broadly. “Excuse me. I’m just getting up for a moment. I’ll be right black.”

“I see.” Octavia waited to see Raven nod in response, then moved away from her seat. At that moment, Raven kicked over the table and landed a precise blow to the man’s solar plexus, which sank in deeply.

“Gah!”

“R-Raven, you...”

“There’s more than one of them! Run!” Throwing his jacket over Octavia and pushing her forward with her head down, Raven ran. He barrelled past the sounds of screams and clattering dinner plates, causing a woman to tumble to the floor as he pushed past. In the blink of an eye, a wave of confusion spread through the crowd; Raven wove deftly through it.

“Stop right there, you two!” Out of the corner of her eye, Octavia saw a man throw down his serving tray and point a gun at the exit to the dining car. She gasped, and then the gun’s report echoed through the carriage. This was only a warning shot. Although there were screams, it didn’t look like anyone had been shot.

“All right, everyone, stand still!”

However, his warning shot happened to land directly on the picture frame hanging above the exit. With one of its four corners now missing, the frame creaked and came apart.

Hat cried out, “Octavia, this is bad! If that was really the seal placed upon it, then that map is about to run amok!”

“We’re only after that woman! The rest of you can—” The man’s warning stopped at that point. Fear darted across his eyes, and he aimed his gun a second time.

With Raven still hanging onto her, Octavia cried, “Don’t shoot! If the frame is damaged any more than this—!”

“U-Uwaaaaah!” After several more gunshots, the frame and the glass inside it were shot to pieces, and its contents fell to the ground. A moment later, black tendrils seized the man holding the gun, strangling him and then swallowing him whole. Who was it who had called the heirloom of the former United Empire a Demonic Heirloom, and when?

“Run away!”

“We’ll be killed!” No matter how quickly they ran, the magic was faster. The black orb that had just swallowed a man whole released black waves of magic in all directions. In another moment, it would swallow the entire dining car. There was a shrill, metallic ringing sound, and the train began to shake violently.

“Hey, get the map!” cried Hat, and then: “It’s no use, the train’s about to be taken over!”

“Raven!” Octavia tried to yell at Raven, to tell him to run—knowing there was probably no use in doing so—then broke off. She was too late. Raven shook violently, then keeled over. It wasn’t just him. Everyone around them was affected in the same way. Supporting Raven’s body, which had gone limp, Octavia fell to the ground.

Looking around, Octavia saw she was the only one still awake. The orb that had swallowed the man was nowhere to be seen. As if the commotion earlier had been a fantasy, her surroundings were deathly silent.

“Octavia. If this goes on, the train will be pulled to the other side, along with everyone on it.”

“I know. The map,” she said haltingly, “will be at the head of the train, right?”

A tool never forgets its purpose, and a map’s purpose is to guide people. Octavia was sure that it would be trying to guide this train to the other world, where the empire, along with its god, was sealed away.

It was Octavia’s duty to stop that from happening. She went to stand up, but suddenly the sight of Raven caught her attention. She placed her hand on her own shoulder, and the words naturally came out. “Thank you.”

“What’s the matter?” asked Hat.

“Nothing.” Octavia shook her head and stood up. But in truth, she felt she had witnessed something she should never forget. As everyone around him had fled in a frenzy, Raven, up until the very last moment, had held Octavia’s shoulder tightly, trying to protect her.

“Hat, have we any weapons?”

“As you very well know, there’s only the gun. Until I’ve registered the tools Granny collected in my index, which are currently in her mansion in the Royal Capital, we won’t be able to use them. Besides that—we have a land mine. What’s that doing in there?”

That’s right, thought Octavia as she opened the door to the dining car and returned to the first-class carriage. “Remember? We found it buried at the beach on holiday that one time. It was the first tool I ever registered. How nostalgic...”

“Ah, that’s right. I found it so lamentable that your first registration should be a land mine, of all things, that my mind chose to forget...”

Still making light conversation, they walked cautiously through the first-class carriage. To their disappointment, it was silent throughout.

“Why aren’t they coming out to bother us?” Nothing suggested the presence of those enemies that always appeared when an Imperial Heirloom ran amok and tried to draw the world, along with its inhabitants, to the other side. Where were the living dead?

Octavia glanced out a window, but it was pitch black—a lightless void. The train was moving through a space of complete nothingness. In other words, this couldn’t be the mortal realm.

Hat answered Octavia’s concerns. “It’s probably because it was only a piece of the map. It didn’t look like he had the power to drag us to the other side in an instant.”

“That also must’ve been the reason the passengers were left sleeping and retained their forms.”

“Right. But there’s a chance we’ll be stuck here forever, wandering between our side and the other side. If that happens, the passengers will all die eventually in their sleep. Naturally, we’d starve to death, too.”

“I’d much sooner make my excuses and leave,” muttered Octavia, opening the door to the next first-class carriage. Her eyes widened. There was nothing there. They were simply in a lone runaway train car, traveling through the pitch darkness. Buffeted by a strong wind, Octavia put another query to Hat: “Tell me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure there was another carriage in first-class beyond this, wasn’t there?”

“Octavia, look closer. The driver’s cab is there, on the other side. The man who shot the picture frame and got sucked in is sitting in the driver’s seat.” Since the frame had been broken, the map was activated. The map probably recognized the man who had shot the frame as its user, choosing him as its guide—or, in other words, as the driver. Octavia couldn’t see the map he held, but she was sure it was the map controlling the man.

Squinting through the darkness, Octavia managed to make out the driver’s cab, its faint lights bobbing up and down. The rail, which she couldn’t see no matter what, seemed to curve, to rise and fall along with the mountains.

Octavia took off one of her earrings and threw it ahead, where the next first-class carriage was originally supposed to have been. Hurled into the darkness, the earring for some reason created ripples as it was silently swallowed up. This sent a slight shiver up Octavia’s spine.

“Do you think the next carriage still exists, and we just can’t see it?”

“No. It’s going to be completely swallowed by the other side. You and I should be able to get back safely, but the train—and the map—we might well lose.”

However, they could still see the driver’s cab. Octavia looked up above her head. “I’m jumping across.”

“Well, that,” began Hat, and paused. “That might be safe.”

Placing her feet on the wall of the carriage they had passed through so far, she leapt up on top of the train. The hem of her favorite dress fluttering noisily in the wind, she stood up and took a few steps back. Then, after a running start, she jumped toward the driver’s cab.

Her first step, with her right foot, landed on the invisible first-class carriage. Before her high-heeled shoe could sink into the darkness, she kicked it off and jumped again, using only her other foot. Her second footfall was much the same, her left foot landing on an unseen platform; she kicked off her other high heel and jumped yet again. At the same time, she shouted, “Hat, my gun!” That was an order.

Hat answered in a language long lost from this world. “Yes, Your Majesty!” At the same time as Hat pronounced this resounding declaration, Octavia’s right hand began to glow. “System startup. Authentication cleared. Summoning ‘Handgun.’”

Octavia gripped the light that appeared in the palm of her hand, and it swelled up before her eyes, taking the form of a weapon. It was a small pistol. From midair, she trained its sights upon the driver’s cab.

“Glorify Our Majesty’s victory!” In lockstep with Hat’s final blessing, Octavia pulled the trigger. Her shot blew away the wall of the driver’s cab, revealing the man who sat in the driver’s seat. It was the man who had been swallowed up earlier. The object he clutched in his hand, his eyes glazed over, was, just as expected, the former contents of the picture frame.

That was the source of all this trouble. All the same, it was a precious friend that Octavia should save. After fixing her eyes directly on the heirloom, she cried. “Hat! Its name is ‘Map’!” As administrator of the Heirlooms, if Hat registered the map in his index, it would return to its ideal state.

Hat, looking at just the same spot from atop Octavia’s head, cried, “‘Searching... Error!’”

“Huh?!” shouted Octavia in response to this phrase, which indicated failure. “Why didn’t it work?! It is a map, isn’t it?”

“I don’t know! That should be right, but—”

“As long as I can guess the name of the tool, aren’t you supposed to be able to register it?!” Thanks to this confusion, Octavia accidentally placed a foot on the roof of the first-class carriage. With a blub, she felt the sole of her foot begin to sink.

“Octavia!”

“Blast...” I’ll be swallowed up. She didn’t know whether or not it would be effective, but she at least wanted to try, so she aimed the barrel of her pistol down at the roof. At that moment, she was abruptly hoisted back up, hips first.

“Huh?!”

Her feet, which had begun to sink into the invisible swamp, were pulled free. A man’s arm was wound around her waist.

What...

Struggling to see in the pitch darkness, Octavia could just make out the edges of a mask and a hat, as well as a black cape. The man floated in the air, almost as if by some conjuring trick, and lowered Octavia onto one of the following carriages, where there was still firm footing. Raising her head, Octavia gasped as she saw red eyes glowing behind the mask. This was evidence of the magic of much earlier generations.

“That map is only one piece, you know. It isn’t broken, but it has been torn apart,” whispered the man in the mask. “Perhaps there’s still some element you need to pinpoint its identity. For example, where is it a map of?”

Her eyes wide, Octavia murmured, “A map of where... A place name? There’s no way—” I’d know that, she almost said, then stopped. She must have heard of it. It was a place that no longer existed: the old capital city that had fallen into ruin, along with its god. The man turned his back to Octavia, who had fallen silent.

“You’d better do it quickly. After your attack just now, I’d say it’s aware of you. It looks like we have company.” It was then that Octavia realized what the masked man was looking at. A mob of the living dead, emerging as if they had sprouted from the train itself. Their skin was the color of soil and had melted off in places.

Their aim was to devour the flesh of any human that possessed enough magic to live in this world, and thereby to return to the mortal realm. To obtain the power they needed to break the seal on the god that had fallen into evil. In other words, they had come to devour Octavia and the mysterious masked man. Still, the masked man remained calm, even seeing the undead. In profile, Octavia saw that his expression was unwavering, as if he had known the inner workings of this world from the very start.

“Who...are you?”

“Just a phantom thief passing through.” Hiding his eyes beneath the brim of his top hat, the man smiled.

Octavia’s legs shook as she tried to stand back up. Hat cried out, “Octavia, there’s no time! Deal with this man later. Go!”

After she’d gotten to her feet, Octavia turned on her heel and broke into a run. The wall of the driver’s cab, which she had shot away only moments ago, had already repaired itself, hiding its occupants. If the heirloom wasn’t within Hat’s field of vision, he couldn’t register it.

“What’s your plan?”

“Isn’t it obvious? We jump.”

“That’s just what I meant—how do you intend to jump all that way?”

“Hat, the land mine!” commanded Octavia as she jumped once again. “Attach it to the roof of the invisible first-class carriage, in exactly the spot where my feet will touch down!”

“Whaaaat?! How are you going to make a foothold out of a land mine?”

“I’ll use the shock wave to fly across! Suppress the force of the blast!” Even if Hat had wanted to stop her, she had already jumped. Given the choice between flying across with the blast from the land mine and being swallowed up by that mysterious first-class carriage, he decided he’d have to go with the former.

“Y-You good-for-nothing girl! Yes, Your Majesty!” In tandem with Hat’s cry of despair, a glowing land mine appeared. Octavia kicked off from the mine as she jumped a second time. A deafening roar echoed around them as the blast sent Octavia flying forward. The shock wave acting as a tailwind, Octavia adjusted her flying stance and sailed over the unseen carriage.

“What kind of ludicrous method of flight is this?! We may not have any other tools, but I’m still sad to see this!”

“Quiet down and look, Hat!” Octavia once again took aim with the pistol still clutched in her hand and fired. A window pane shattered, revealing the driver’s seat. Without any concern for the fact that she was now plummeting, Octavia cried out the name of a realm that no one uttered any longer.

“You come from the United Empire of Ercadia, and you are called ‘Map of the Imperial City, Draine’!”

“‘Searching... Target confirmed. Unlock!’” The very same moment as Hat’s shrill declaration, the driver’s cab exploded. As Octavia was blown backward, the map floated up to meet her, as if drawn into her hands.

Your Majesty. Clutching the map to her chest, Octavia closed her eyes as the blast carried her away.

I have been waiting for you.

Your Majesty, Queen Octavia Draine of the United Empire of Ercadia. By the grace of God, queen of Ercadia, Defender of the Faith, etc.

Glorify Our Majesty’s victory.

Octavia nodded. Quite right. Don’t worry. I won’t let you heirlooms, who fought to protect our world, fall under our god’s curse. Nor will I let you kill the angels who betrayed us.

“Young lady, come on, now. Breathe.”

We may have lost our kingdom, where you would have served alongside your queen, but I will always be your queen. To ensure that you tools never betray humanity, I will never betray you, either.

“Octavia! Hey, Octavia! Don’t let too much of the map’s magic build up inside you. Spit it out!”

“I guess it can’t be helped,” said another voice. “Forgive me, Your Majesty.”

“Huh? Why, you... Ah—!”

Something soft was pressed against Octavia’s lips. She remembered the time her grandmother had pressed a squishy marshmallow against them. Yes, that was a sweet memory, but her grandmother was no longer with her. The feeling was kind and sweet, and it made her want to cry.

Octavia opened her eyes. She suspected that the soft sensation she had just felt had not been a dream. After all, right before her eyes was a stranger’s masked face. On her lips still lingered that unfamiliar sensation, which she had felt just then for the first time. Soft and sweet. She felt something trace her bottom lip gently, and then she came back to her senses.

H-Have I just been kissed? The moment she finally realized this, her body started moving on its own. More specifically, she moved to grab the man by his head and snap his neck. Before she could, the man stepped back lightly to evade her.

“If you have the energy for that, then I suppose you’ll be fine.”

“Y-Y-You... What do you...?!” Octavia was so shaken that she couldn’t get the words out.

From atop her head, Hat cried, “Octavia, take your gun back out! You can even use the land mine! I’ll kill this bounder!”

“I was helping you. That was just assisted breathing, magical edition. You weren’t breathing, you see.” Though the man’s mask obscured his face, he seemed to smile mischievously.

Her whole body still trembling, Octavia glared at the man. “Y-Y-You,” she breathed, “surely intend to take responsibility for this, don’t you...?!”

“Take responsibility? There’s no way a phantom thief would ever do that.” Seeing the man sneer at her, Octavia felt a blood vessel burst in her head.

“Hat!”

“Leave it to me!”

“Now, then, it looks like it’s about time.”

The train rocked violently. A patch of the darkness around them peeled away, and light streamed in.

“We’re returning to the mortal realm.”

The darkness continued to fall away in pieces as the scenery around them was rebuilt. Once more they saw the indigo blue sea, painted over by the sunset. The sky was still in the interval between day and night, the red sun gradually descending. It was exactly as Octavia had seen it from the dining car a short while ago.

“Well, I’ll be taking my leave. You had better return quickly, too.”

Octavia—who, in spite of herself, had been transfixed by the sight of the sea—returned to her senses. Before she realized what was happening, the masked man had kicked off from the roof of the train and was floating up into the air. In a panic, she shouted, “Don’t you dare run away! Get back down here, you coward!”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Th-That was the first time anyone’s ever kissed me!”

The masked man blinked, looking for a moment to be lost in thought.

A strange feeling of embarrassment welled up inside Octavia along with her anger, and she cried, “In spite of that, do you really mean to run away, without even giving me your name?!”

“Crow, the Phantom Thief.”

Octavia shut her mouth, hearing this familiar name. Then she asked quietly, “Are you...the same phantom thief who’s after the Imperial Heirlooms?”

“I hope you will find me a worthy opponent.” Crow chuckled faintly; it struck a nerve for Octavia.

“You scoundrel! Come down here so I can show you how to take responsibility for your actions!”

“Well, I suppose I really did lack restraint, this time. Sticking my nose into this mess, just for fun, without even sending a letter of notice, is an act unbefitting the character of a phantom thief. By way of apology, allow me to tidy up your troubles. That way, you’ll be able to reach the Royal Capital safely.”

“You’re the only thing troubling me right now, though!”

“See you again, Miss Detective.”

“No, I’m telling you, you need to take responsibility—” She broke off. “Hey, don’t run away!”

With a whirl of his cape, the phantom thief vanished, just as the last of the darkness peeled away. At the same time, an intense light suffused the space around Octavia, turning her vision pure white.

“Octavia... Octavia!” Someone is trying to wake me up. As Octavia realized this, she remembered that kiss—the height of irresponsibility—and sat up quickly, her eyes opening wide in anger.

“I’m awake, all right!”

“I-I see. That’s good to hear.” Octavia saw Raven’s face. He batted his eyelashes in surprise. She was no longer on top of the train, exposed to the roaring wind. She was back inside the dining car.

Octavia looked around. Many people were still slumped on the floor beneath their tables, but as she worked her way around, calling out to them and shaking them awake, they all began to rouse from their slumbers. The conductor, remembering his own duty, called out to the passengers, asking if anyone was injured.

“It looks as if everyone suddenly fainted, somehow.”

So I’ve returned. With this confirmation, Octavia breathed a sigh of relief. Atop her head, Hat said, “It’s all right. In our reality, not even a second has passed. Don’t give us away—this is reality, right here.”

Reality. Comprehending the word, Octavia remembered. “By the way, what happened to the men in black?” Those men had caused the commotion in the first place.

As Octavia remembered this, Raven screwed up his face. “The thing is... Just look.” Raven glanced over to where he wanted her to look, where everyone else’s attention was gathered, too. Octavia looked up as well, and she blinked.

The picture frame that had been broken by the men in black suits was still broken, and the map that had been inside it was gone. Of course it was—Hat had just registered it. However, in the map’s place, someone had slipped a card inside the frame.

I’ve helped myself to the Imperial Heirloom.

From Crow, the Phantom Thief,

To Detective Octavia, with love.

As Octavia stood there, dumbfounded, the voices of the other passengers, looking at the same thing, began to reach her ears.

“Don’t tell me those men in black suits from before were sent by Crow, the Phantom Thief?”

“Where did those men disappear to?!”

“Hey, was anything else stolen?”

“Who’s Detective Octavia...?”

“Everyone, please be calm! We’ll be making an emergency stop at the next station, so for now, make sure your own belongings are secure!”

The confusion and excitement dissipated in the blink of an eye as the passengers all hurried away. Rising unsteadily to her feet, Octavia read the message in the broken picture frame one more time.

“But the map was...?”

“It’s in our hands, Octavia. Don’t worry. In fact, we should be thanking him. With this, we needn’t be caught up in the commotion surrounding the missing map. It seems the men in black have disappeared, too. That was probably the Phantom Thief’s work.”

By way of apology, allow me to tidy up your troubles.

So those words had been sincere. She should probably have felt grateful. But what welled up in her heart was indignation—the indignation of the encounter having ended with her being toyed with.

As a detective, suffering that, of all things, from a phantom thief? But Octavia still wasn’t a detective, so it didn’t count. She wanted to think that, but she couldn’t. With love? What’s that about? Don’t tell me he’s decided to take responsibility for that irresponsible kiss.

“Detective Octavia... Would that be referring to you?” At this murmur from Raven, Octavia clenched her hands into fists. This letter was a challenge to her.

“That’s right.”

“Don’t tell me you’re acquainted with the Phantom Thief?”

“Of course not. But that man...” She wanted to grind her teeth, but she kept them apart somehow. She groaned, “I swear, I’ll break both his legs—and I’ll make him take responsibility for his actions!”

“Somehow, I feel like that’s exactly what he wants,” murmured Hat, his voice muted. Octavia didn’t hear him. Nor did she notice, naturally, that the young man behind her smiled slightly as he licked away the lipstick stuck to the corner of his lips.

Around an hour after the scheduled time, the overnight train arrived at the station in the Royal Capital. News of Crow, the Phantom Thief, had evidently already been circulating there; the train was quickly surrounded by journalists. Of course, the conductor was quite beset upon, but so were some of the passengers, and they each gave some sort of comment.

“Crow—the Phantom Thief—was in cahoots with those men in black suits! After all, they vanished at the same time.”

“One of them took out a gun, all of a sudden! After that, the map just vanished.”

“Would you happen to know a Detective Octavia?”

Gingerly, as if she were herself a criminal, Octavia slipped past the crowd. The vast station called to mind something like a theater, with its many train lines and covered platforms. It was so crammed with people that Octavia had to walk carefully to avoid bumping into anyone, so if she simply kept her head down as she went, she wouldn’t stand out.

But on all sides was a landscape she was seeing for the first time. As she flipped over her map of the Royal Capital, Raven snatched it from her. “I’ll see you off. You can take a coach from over here.”

“R-Right.”

“Lady Octavia, I presume.” A hooded man, whose presence she had completely failed to notice, appeared in front of her, a coach behind him. Octavia tensed up reflexively.

Raven reacted just as quickly, coolly opening his mouth to speak. “It is impolite to be so abrupt. Who might you be?”

“You have been summoned by Princess Eliza,” announced the man dispassionately.

Raven frowned. This was a direct summons from the royal princess. He had to doubt the truth of the man’s claim. However, the crest of the royal family of Angelus upon the coach spoke most eloquently to the identity of the one who had called it. A crest colored in purple, said to be favored by the royal princess in particular. One would require substantial resolve to forge that crest. It made more sense to believe that this was genuine, and that Princess Eliza was already aware of Octavia’s movements and had sent someone to attend to her.

“Understood. Escort me, then. Raven, you needn’t come any further.”

“If you say so, I suppose...”

“Oh, right. Do you have anything I can write with?” It was the attendant — the man in the hood — who smoothly produced a fountain pen and a notepad. “Thanks,” said Octavia, leaving it at only a word. Then she wrote her address down on the notepad and handed it to Raven. “You said you wanted to see my grandmother’s mansion, didn’t you? This is my address. If you’d like, come visit me at a later date. I’d also like to thank you for today. At the moment, the mansion is far from any state in which I could invite anyone inside. Perhaps next month, though—some time around then.”

Octavia had heard that the mansion was cleaned and maintained once every few months, but that was all. It surely wouldn’t be in any condition to receive guests now. More importantly, Octavia knew not what state the tools there were in. It would be terrible if they did something nasty to Raven.

“You’ve really been a great help. It’s thanks to you that I was able to make it to the Royal Capital in one piece.” Come to think of it, she only knew Raven because she had been caught up in the scene of a robbery, but even then, he had been such a help that she felt apologetic. In the commotion aboard the train after the map had been stolen, the fact that she hadn’t fussed or fretted herself—and had instead managed to pass the rest of the journey quietly—was thanks to Raven’s consideration.

“Thanks again,” said Octavia, and held out her hand.

However, Raven did not take her hand, smiling faintly instead. “If you’d like to thank me, then I’d really like you to make me your assistant.”

After a beat, Octavia looked back at him quizzically. “Huh? Assistant? Why?”

“You’re going to be a detective, aren’t you? In that case, you need an assistant, as detectives always do.”

“W-Well. I mean, I haven’t actually advertised my services as a detective yet—”

“I’ll help you with that. So it’s settled. I am, after all, Detective Octavia’s very first fan.” Now Raven took Octavia’s outstretched hand and planted a small kiss on the back of it. Leaving Octavia dumbfounded, he kept smiling, his face quite like a con artist’s. “We shan’t lose to the Phantom Thief, Miss Detective.”

Octavia didn’t understand why he was bringing up the Phantom Thief at this juncture. All the same, with that, Raven turned on his heel and disappeared in the bustling crowd. Perplexed, Octavia muttered to herself, “Assistant?”

“That’s why I told you not to associate with a fellow like that. He’ll come barging in as soon as tomorrow, he will,” admonished Hat.

“S-Surely not. Why, he can’t possibly have the time to spare.”

“I assure you, he will. I’d even bet on it.”

“Lady Octavia, if you’ve concluded your business, then please come quickly. The princess can only take so much time for you,” said the attendant as dispassionately as before, hurrying her along.

“Right,” said Octavia, nodding.

The coach adorned with the royal house’s crest started to move at once.

The coach arrived, of all places, at the address Octavia had just written down for Raven. For a noblewoman’s townhouse, it was somewhat cozy; it was a two-story house. It was too large for a single woman to live in, but too plain for the daughter of an earl. As a matter of fact, the current Earl of Reine’s townhouse was a little closer to the royal castle, and that was a more opulent mansion. But somehow this place gave Octavia a sense of warmth, like the garden her grandmother had treasured so much.

“Princess Eliza is here?”

“She awaits you inside. It would seem that the previous earl entrusted her with the key.”

Now that he mentioned it, Octavia had completely forgotten about the key. “That’s a relief,” muttered Octavia, before entering the mansion.

Inside, it was a little dusty, and the only light was sunlight shining through the windows. It was still more than enough light for her to discover the woman sitting on a sofa by the large window at the end of the entrance corridor.

The woman’s light silver hair was tied up, and she wore a white dress that matched the color of her hair. Her smile seemed to draw the sunlight into itself. The wings that sprouted from her back were also white.

“Welcome to your new home.” The princess’s smile was gorgeous, but it held a hint of mischief. She was a princess of this kingdom and a descendant of angels.

“It’s been some time. It’s been about ten years, hasn’t it, Princess Eliza?”

“Please, call me Eliza, Your Majesty.”

Even if no one else was around, Octavia would be the one who got in trouble if anyone heard that she had addressed the princess without her title. But she also knew that if she responded to Eliza seriously, she would still receive her graciously.

Hat snorted. “She’s showing you respect. Accept it.”

“Even if you call it respect...” Eliza, like most, couldn’t hear Hat’s words. But she at least had to be aware that Hat could talk. Octavia shook her head. “I hesitate to address my elders without the proper titles.”

“Having lived for eight hundred years, I sometimes feel much happier being addressed without a title.” An elegant smile spilled across Eliza’s face. “Please, let us forget my age. Angels have no lifespan. As you know, even I, hatched from an earthly egg, am long-lived. After living this long, I wonder how much meaning age even holds.”

“I think that’s a very angelic viewpoint.”

“I suppose you’re right. Now, please, I’d like you to find our time together enjoyable. Consider this a request from your elder.” Eliza tilted her head as she pleaded with Octavia. It looked very cute, and it hardly seemed the mannerism of a woman over eight hundred years in age. Then again, perhaps this was because she had seen eight hundred years pass.

“Understood. I can’t refuse a request from someone to whom I owe my life. If not for you, the bloodline of the imperial throne of Ercadia would have perished long ago. My grandmother probably could not have walked free, and I wouldn’t have been born.”

Hat seemed discontented, but he made no objection. That was because he knew of the savage days when the inquisition had hunted those with imperial blood in their veins.

Eliza’s long eyelashes suddenly cast shadows over her eyes. “It’s also fair to point out that I couldn’t do any more than that. For eight hundred years, nothing. Even now, the imperial bloodline of Ercadia is like a candle in the wind,” she sighed.

“But I was born, so I’ve always wanted to thank you properly.” Octavia knelt without hesitation on the dusty floor, causing Eliza to fret.

“Your Majesty, such... I beg you, stop.”

Still, Hat said nothing. Therefore, this was probably right. The princess might have been a descendant of the angels who had betrayed the empire, but Octavia still owed her a debt. In the manner of a knight, Octavia took Eliza’s hand and kissed the back of it.

“I thank you for your courage and conduct.”

Eliza slowly pulled her hand back and clenched it in front of her chest. “My...my goodness. My heart is all aflutter.”

“I’m glad. I’ve always wanted to be your friend, if that were possible.”

As Octavia stood back up, Eliza laughed in amusement. “I would have never expected to hear such kind words from you, especially after my younger brother’s foolish behavior.”

“You’re talking about his withdrawal of courtship? That’s right. I guess I would have been your sister-in-law, if that had gone through. Still, I can’t say I feel any sense of loss.”

“I was shocked when my uncle brought up the matter of my younger brother’s engagement. For a moment, I thought you might have realized what I was up to, and I broke out in a cold sweat,” said Eliza. “But then I thought that this might’ve been another means to the same end, so I deliberately didn’t oppose it. My brother, who doesn’t have wings, is no different from a human. More and more of my brothers and sisters have turned out that way. This is proof that the power of the angels—of the queen—has diminished. That being the case, by mixing the blood of angels with the imperial bloodline, I considered whether I might not be able to set your family free, but it hasn’t gone according to plan.”

“I’m happy to hear that you gave me such consideration.” Octavia smiled, then sat down on the sofa next to Eliza. Then she got down to business. “My grandmother told me to accept your requests. That if I did so, you would also protect me. Protect my tools.”

“I hope that I can. I believe that we angels have been on the earth for too long. Our way of thinking has come to resemble the humans’, so that my uncle has become desirous of power and has started to vie for the throne. And the queen’s—my mother’s—way of thanking your people, who sealed away the mad god...” Eliza trailed off. “Already having lost your kingdom, you chose to recover the Demonic Heirlooms, cursed by that god. Not only did my mother choose not to help you, she has excitedly captured and jailed any members of your family that she could find. Just how many have passed away, only able to look up at the sky from within the castle...”

“Let’s put these difficult matters aside. That has all already passed. I want to repay you for protecting me, my mother, and my grandmother. Just think of me as a detective.”

Eliza narrowed her eyes at Octavia. When Octavia smiled slightly, Eliza smiled as well. “I suppose you’re right. There’s no helping what’s already long since past. Now, then, please allow me to make a request of you. There’s someone I’d like you to find.”

“Sounds like a job for a detective. Can I ask you for some details?”

“The one I’d like you to look for,” she said, “is this child.”

EPISODE 1.5

Raven L. Osvard placed a finger on his shapely chin as he worried. He stood outside a bakery in the Royal Capital, where lines formed day after day. Baked goods could be glimpsed through gaps in the bakery’s wooden shutters. They’d been made with more consideration for appearance than taste.

At the florist’s shop next door, however, flowers bloomed proudly right outside, their mellow aromas wafting into the street. Tulips, daffodils, and wattles announced the season, arranged as if they were in a flower garden. Just looking at them would’ve cheered anyone up.

On the other side of the street was a jewelry store. Its calm blue signage gave off the impression of high quality. In the display window, behind one large pane of glass, was a display shelf, and upon it there rested such items as small diamond earrings, a large emerald brooch, and a topaz ring, delighting the eyes of passersby.

Any of these items would, in their own way, make a woman happy, if given as a present. The problem lay with the recipient’s personal tastes. “Hmmm,” intoned Raven, tilting his head as he pondered it. “Buying a lady something to wear might put her off, especially since we’ve only met twice. That’s where personal preferences matter the most. Still, if it’s not too expensive, perhaps I could get away with it. Something like a pair of earrings to go with that dress... Come to think of it, didn’t she toss an earring away?”

She might not be very interested in accessories, but if I went with those diamond earrings in wrought gold, which happen to be on display in the window just now—they might make a good replacement. If I said something like, “It appears you lost one of your earrings in all that commotion on the train,” she’d probably accept it. She wouldn’t want anyone to press the question of where exactly she lost it, after all.

“It might still feel a bit cumbersome, if I only give her these. Thinking of something else she lost, I could buy her some shoes. But if I got her size exactly right, that might be off-putting, too, and besides, there aren’t any shoe shops nearby. It would probably be better to get them bespoke, anyway...”

I should leave that until after we have an established relationship—the kind where she’ll let me touch her feet.

Raven glanced away.

“That being the case, the next candidate would be...flowers, I suppose. After all... Yes, flowers should seem innocuous, given in celebration of her new life here. They should pair well with the jewelry, too. Maybe one flower would be best, though; if I gave her a bouquet, she might have trouble finding a place to put it.”

A rose would be too on the nose, so I’ll pull back and go with something like a daffodil. Why not? Something about it just feels well-suited to the noble atmosphere of her mansion.

“Now, I’d like her to make me some tea, anyway, so let’s give her some to go with the baked goods. They can be stored for a long time as well.”

Right, then. I’ll get something from all the shops around me. It almost feels pointless to have worried over it all now, but I consider the recipient of these gifts puzzling enough to be worth the worry. I don’t know what sort of gift would please her. I still know nothing, understand nothing, about her. But learning what I don’t know will be fun.

Fun was the standard by which Raven measured his life. No other conception of value really made much sense to him. Slipping the diamond earrings into his jacket pocket and placing the single daffodil in the paper bag, already crammed with baked goods, he set out toward the address that Octavia had given him yesterday.

It was in a quiet neighborhood, a short walk away from the center of the Royal Capital. It was not among the terraced houses, but was a detached home. It did seem a bit small to be called an earl’s villa, but to a single woman, living alone, it probably seemed large. I wonder if she plans to employ servants and the like. Without thinking, he counted the number of windows, noted whether or not it had a garden, and tried to judge the house’s interior dimensions from the outside. Bad habits like this were an occupational hazard for Raven, and he hoped Octavia would overlook it.

Although no one had given him permission, Raven stepped up to the front door, coughing. The door was inlaid with stained glass panels. After ringing the doorbell, he took a deep breath. Perhaps he was getting a little carried away. Despite his boldness, this was his first time visiting a woman’s house without any prior arrangements. A single woman, at that.

But the front door did not open.

“Huh?!”

Instead, a sash window on the second floor opened. The mansion’s owner—Octavia herself—frowned down at Raven.

“So, you really did come today.”

“Oh, should I not have?”

“I’m still busy cleaning.”

“So it would seem.”

Octavia had a kerchief wrapped around her head, and she held a broom. The circumstances were obvious. If Raven were curious about anything at all, it would’ve been the question of whether or not that kerchief on her head was one of the Imperial Heirlooms.

“Er, as you’ve come all this way, I feel terrible saying this, but today is...”

“I’ll help you.” More than any sweets, flowers, or accessories, it was help that she needed. She was not like other young ladies of the aristocracy.

Having made this offer with all due self-discipline, Raven watched Octavia panic to quite an amusing extent.

“Eh? No! There’s no reason you should go to so much trouble.”

“I’ll just come in, now.”

“No, wait! The door is lock—”

“No, it isn’t. You forgot to lock it. Really, quite careless of you. I’ll be intruding now.”

“Ehh?! That can’t be.”

Raven, who had deftly picked the lock on the door while Octavia was still searching for a response, promptly opened the door. If she thought she could keep out the oft-rumored Phantom Thief with such an old lock, she was sadly mistaken.

But she was quick, too. By the time Raven had stopped in the entrance hall and cast an eye around his surroundings, she had already come running down the stairs.

“Wait, what do you think you’re—”

“Here you are. A housewarming gift.” First, he whipped out the daffodil and presented it to her. He knew it was vital to make a preemptive strike. Octavia, who was closing in on Raven, came to a halt. She appeared to be startled. Raven kept his gaze firmly fixed on her, to be sure he wouldn’t miss a thing. It was just as if he were stalking his prey.

“The house may not be ready for you to display this just yet, but if you wouldn’t mind accepting it, at least...”

“R-Right. Thanks. Actually, this is perfect timing. I’ve just put a flower vase on this windowsill,” said Octavia, indicating a large window at the end of the entrance hall. Beyond a small bush outside, one could see more buildings. Apparently, it faced the back alley. She had better buy some curtains, thought Raven.

“That being said, I’m far from done tidying up. For today—”

“Next is this. I might call this a present, rather than a housewarming gift.” Raven took the bag with the earrings inside out of his jacket pocket. To prevent the gift from seeming too ostentatious, he had asked for them to be wrapped plainly. He was aware that he had gotten slightly carried away in this offensive move.

Octavia took the gift as prompted and looked inside. As expected, rather than simply looking delighted, she opened her eyes wide in astonishment. “Y-You... This... Jewelry?”

“They’re only small diamonds.”

“Even if they are small, the c-cut,” she stammered, “is expensive, I’ve heard.”

That kerchief was indeed an Imperial Heirloom. It was saying things like, “These are bloody expensive.” Of course, Raven pretended not to hear it. After all, it went on to say, “You should sell them.”

“Say, didn’t you lose an earring in all that commotion on the train over? I’ve been worrying about it this whole time.” Raven began delivering the excuse he had prepared.

Octavia went stiff as a post. “Hmm?!”

“I was, after all, the one who dealt the first blow in that conflict. I feel a sense of responsibility, in my own way.”

“N-No, no! That’s not something you need to take responsibility for. Besides, that earring was only made of crystal.”

“I thought you might have lost it in all that commotion, so I inquired at the company that operates the railway, but they weren’t able to find it.” He was lying about the inquiry. Still, his words had an immediate effect. Octavia closed her mouth. “Take them. Put my mind at ease.” After that, he had only to remain modest and keep on looking troubled, and everything would be perfect.

That was putting aside the fact that the kerchief on her head was saying, over and over, “Take them, sell them, and put the money towards your living expenses.”

“A-All right. Yeah, I’ll accept it. Gladly...”

Rather than being delighted to receive such an expensive accessory, she only gingerly accepted the earrings. This wasn’t outside of Raven’s expectations, but perhaps it was that she wasn’t particularly fond of accessories at all. He had a feeling there also may have been a problem with how he had given them to her. He thought, I wonder if I bungled that somewhat. He told himself that, in the future, he would take greater care with any kind of accessory he wanted to give her as a present.

“They’ll probably go well with that dress, too, I think,” Raven added.

At this, Octavia blinked—and then her face broke into a smile. “Oh, I see. You chose them to match that dress. I’m pleased,” she said. Then, after a pause, she added, “Thank you.”

Raven was glad that he hadn’t lied, after all. Now, he was able to look upon an honest smile from Octavia. After this, she surely wouldn’t just sell the earrings to cover her living expenses. Of course, he wouldn’t have minded if she did. All the same,if he could help it, he’d rather not leave her with anything to feel anxious about.

“Sorry about this. You’ve shown me so much consideration, and I can’t repay you with any hospitality. For today—”

“Next,” he interrupted, “I have these.”

“There’s more?”

With Octavia frowning on, Raven showed her the paper bag. Before he’d even told her what was inside, Octavia’s face lit up.

“This...is from that bakery!” Apparently, she knew of the shop. Starkly contrasting her demeanor up until now, she extended her hand to take the bag.

“I thought we could have tea together. How about it?” he asked.

“Yes, that would be fine. I’ve finished cleaning the kitchen! Ah, but we still can’t use the drawing room...”

At Octavia’s reply, all-knowing, all-powerful Hat pointed out, “With that excuse alone, we’ll still end up having tea!”

“Ah,” said Octavia, noticing her own slip of the tongue, but Raven would not miss this opportunity. Octavia, who had somehow managed to hold Raven off up until this point, had finally let down her guard.

“The kitchen table will be fine. I can brew the tea, if you like.”

“No, that really wouldn’t be...”

“Let’s eat quickly. There are freshly-baked scones in here. They recommend spreading honey on them before eating. Ah, yes—I had them spread the honey for us, so it’s already on them. How about you take a break?”

“I-Is that right? Freshly-baked,” she sighed. “Then we’d better eat them quickly.” Perhaps because she wanted to hide her delight, she suppressed her smile. But she couldn’t hide the restless shuffling of her feet.

I see. So baked goods were the way to go. Raven, having received the answer he had sought, wound his arm casually around Octavia’s waist and pointed her in the direction of the room that looked to be the kitchen.

After he’d taken his tea, he would, of course, help Octavia with her moving. If she really wouldn’t have him in the house, he’d invite her out shopping with him. He had no intention of being sent home so easily.

This is fun. Raven’s curiosity was perverse in the extreme; he always lost interest the moment he uncovered the subject of his analysis. In the end, I wonder just how much she will surprise me. How much will she entertain me?

“Ah, Raven, wait. I put a cabinet here for the time being, so it’s in the way.”

“Eh? Ah. Shall we push it aside, then?”

Sure enough, just where the door to the kitchen opened up, a piece of furniture was wedged as if enshrined. It was a walnut cabinet in an amber color. Its ring-shaped brass handles were embossed with a feather motif. From the shade of the timber that had been used, to the polished finish of the handles, and—most of all—the feather motif, it was made in a style that had been popular fifty years earlier. In another two or three years, it would fetch a good price.

More than anything, the antique demonstrated the good taste of its previous owner. Just as Raven was thinking that the late Earl of Reine really had been fond of Octavia, she turned back to look at him.

“Hold these.” Octavia thrust all Raven’s gifts back into his arms. As he stared blankly into space, Octavia rolled up her sleeves and, with a heave-ho, lifted the cabinet—which was at least half her height—all by herself. With a few brisk steps, she carried it over to the wall.

“Sorry for the wait. After you.”

Raven was utterly silent.

“Raven?” There hadn’t even been time for him to roll up his sleeves, let alone take his jacket off.

I do tend to think of this sort of thing being a man’s job, he thought, though it would be insensitive to say so.

Octavia clapped her hands together to brush the dust off of them. From the look of her, she was the type to pull her own weight.

“You’re formidable.”

“In what way?”

“No, of course—you possess magical powers. I was just surprised.”

Having had this careless display of her powers pointed out to her, Octavia looked flustered. “Oh, that’s right,” she said.

Atop head, the kerchief groaned, “You good-for-nothing.”

Octavia was still full of mysteries. This was still fun. Unbidden, Raven felt his face break into a smile. Like solving a puzzle, he would fit the pieces of her together, one by one.

I mean, I am a phantom thief, after all. “Well then, I’ll make the tea, shall I?” Now, does she prefer her tea black, with lemon, or with milk? That is yet another of the pieces to her puzzle.

EPISODE 2

To my darling sister,

Have you been well? I heard that you arrived safely in the Royal Capital, and that you have now opened your detective agency. I must say, I was surprised. I never thought you would really leave the House of Reine. Prince Edward and Father were shocked as well, and they are worried about you.

I think that you might have misunderstood our intentions, as we never actually tried to drive you out. We only thought that, if you were to remain in the earl’s estate, it might feel cramped; so, in consideration of that, we wanted to have a proper talk about the future. Now, with the sudden departure of your positively vital self, I am left bewildered, along with everyone else.

Why, our grandmother has only just passed away, so we are still not done divvying up her mementos...and, well, it must have been difficult for you, living in that mansion without our grandmother there. Someone like Father might have been angry with you, but I understand how you feel.

Only, I think dealing with the inheritance properly would benefit you as well. As for those effects that are inherited along with the Earldom of Reine, Father has already made progress with the necessary formalities. Still, I imagine that our grandmother left behind some personal property, too, just like the mansion in the Royal Capital that she bequeathed to you.

Perhaps you found something of hers in that mansion.

If there were something there, you could be criticized for having hidden part of her inheritance. I’d like to avoid that. Any such items would be mementos of a grandmother who was dear to us as well, so I think we should manage them appropriately.

I’ve spoken with Father and Prince Edward, too, about what we should do. For now, Edward has decided to set out for the Royal Capital, in order to discuss the matter with Her Majesty the Queen. It would appear that Her Majesty is busy, and it will take time to arrange this discussion; but, as we have decided we’d like to speak to you directly as well, we intend to head to the Royal Capital as soon as we’ve heard from Prince Edward.

This discussion will take place at Prince Edward’s invitation, so you may receive some communication from the royal palace. If you do, I would like for you to come and say hello. I know this is a rare occurrence, so you may feel nervous, but I have heard that Her Majesty is really very kind.

That’s right—Father said that he would also like to properly discuss the matter of you working as a detective in the Royal Capital, like our grandmother. He said something to the effect of this: regardless of the fact that you weren’t able to make your societal debut, an earl’s daughter working like a common laborer is one provocation too far. I, too, am worried.

Besides, Father said he would consider introducing you to potential husbands! I heard him say that, within the year, you would be able to choose a partner and sort out your engagement. That would place your wedding next year at the earliest. As for me, I am marrying into the royal family; no matter how much we hurry our marriage along, the wedding will have to be some time from the year after next. Because of this, your wedding will come first, which I don’t think sounds too bad.

On the subject of marriage, I must say that I feel terrible about what happened to you. In the matter of Prince Edward, I feel I must have caused you all manner of distress. Perhaps you no longer feel enthusiastic about marriage, but you are already seventeen. The truth is that you will have to hurry to find a good match.

I’ve heard you lament in the past about having children, so surely it can’t be that you have no desire to get married. I’ll do my very best to encourage you. So, in order to prevent the spread of any strange rumors in the Royal Capital, be very careful in your dealings with other people, and especially with men. As a matter of fact, I’ve heard it said that a young man has been seen coming in and out of the mansion where you are living. I have heard that he is your assistant, though. As we are talking about my sister here, I am sure he isn’t your lover; such a thing would be unthinkable. All the same, the most improbable of things can happen. If it is something like a wayward romance with a servant, please let me know in secret. If, conversely, he is a nobleman or a merchant, please be careful. He may have ill intentions for you.

You may be worrying about a great many things, but Father surely wouldn’t want you to be subjected to the struggles of working life. I am sure he will find a perfect suitor to introduce to you. Please rest assured, and look forward to your engagement.

I know we’ve nagged you quite a bit, but neither I, Prince Edward, nor Father is angry with you in the least. We have only been worried about you. After all, we’re all family! Some may speak ill of you, and we may only be half sisters, but please do not forget our family bonds.

Now, I must sign off, but I look forward to the next time I will see you, this time in the Royal Capital.

Your loving sister,

Jessie

This letter from Octavia’s half sister was most puzzling. Octavia put the kettle on the fire to boil, then frowned and groaned, “Hat, what on earth is Jessie trying to say?”

Her partner, Hat, had retreated to a corner of the kitchen for fear of grime and flames. Now he spun around to face her. Ever since Octavia had started advertising her services as a detective, Hat had begun taking the shape of a deerstalker hat. This was said to be an indispensable item for a detective.

“That’s a good question, Octavia. I, who am all-knowing and all-powerful, shall deliver your long-awaited answer! To be all-knowing and all-powerful means to know that there are things in this world that we do not know, and cannot know.”

“Hmm,” mused Octavia. She took a breath, thinking about this. “You mean to say that I don’t understand what Jessie wanted to say in this letter? And I never will?”

“Precisely.”

“But if I leave it at that, I won’t be able to write a reply. It would be nothing but trouble if she were to suddenly show up at the mansion. If even more doubt is raised about the inheritance, I may have to worry about more people coming after me...”

Recalling last month’s commotion on the overnight train, Octavia sighed. Since she had safely entered the Royal Capital, she hadn’t seen any more pursuers, but judging by the contents of this letter, they were investigating her again. That must have been because of the mansion that her grandmother, known far and wide as the Lady Detective, had bequeathed to her.

Her father had searched this mansion from top to bottom and judged that there was nothing left inside but rubbish. All the while sneering at her grandmother’s eccentricity, he’d agreed to the transfer of the property to Octavia while her grandmother was still alive. The moment her grandmother had passed away, though, having driven Octavia out of his house, he’d begun to feel more deeply apprehensive about the fact that he hadn’t paid any attention to the distribution of her grandmother’s mementos. Once again, he’d begun to suspect that there might be something of value in this mansion after all. So Octavia supposed, at least.

Even if he did find something, though, it wouldn’t do him any good. There was indeed a full complement of furniture and appliances in the mansion, so one could live there comfortably. Apart from those, her father had judged everything else in the mansion to be rubbish, or else lacking in monetary value. That was correct. In fact, if one considered these items in economic terms, their value would probably be negative.

The rubbish her grandmother had left behind was, in fact, the Imperial Heirlooms. If anyone besides the rightful heir to the empire tried to use them, they would run amok as Demonic Heirlooms, cursed by the exiled god. Possession of these tools was liable to lead to one being pursued by inquisitors.

Neither her father nor her half sister were heirs to the empire. The only successor was Octavia herself.

“I can’t very well explain the circumstances, either. I’ll be sent before the inquisitors.” Octavia had checked the dusty furniture and Heirlooms in the basement one by one, and she’d had Hat register them, so all of the Heirlooms stored in the mansion were safe. Octavia could only do this because of who she was. To any other person, unable to communicate with Hat, this would have been impossible. And this matter was a secret that could not be found out in this kingdom, ruled by a queen who did not recognize the liberty of any successor to the imperial throne. In order to live confidently while holding that secret, Octavia had become a detective in the Royal Capital.

“But I wonder what all that about an assistant was?”

“Just leave con men like that alone. Don’t get involved,” spat Hat.

Octavia took the can of tea leaves she had been looking for off the kitchen shelf and frowned. She said, “Don’t tell me that by ‘assistant,’ she means Raven?”

“Don’t know. We are talking about a typical piece of aristocratic scum, who doesn’t even have a job.”

“The man himself said he was working as an art dealer or an antique dealer.”

“He probably meant to say con man.”

“I’m interested to know myself whether or not he’s a con man, but if people are spreading rumors about him, that’s a problem.” Octavia rummaged through the cabinet in search of a teacup and sighed. “We aren’t prosperous enough to hire an assistant. On the contrary, we’re quickly running out of money to live on.”

She had put a sign up for her detective agency the very moment she had arrived at the Royal Capital, and yet she still hadn’t received a single job request. As a result, she had nothing to do besides clean the mansion, and now the floors all sparkled. Wondering if Hat could provide some useful wisdom, she looked up at the ceiling and groaned.

“That has been our problem recently. I suppose humans do require more than just shelter from the elements...”

“If things carry on like this, we’ll go out of business.”

“If we’ve never had a proper job request, is it really correct to say ‘go out of business’?”

Octavia held up the letter from her half sister. “Failing that, I suppose there is marriage...as long as it’s not my family looking for a candidate.”

“Any proposal of marriage that lot brings can’t be any good,” asserted Hat. “I’m opposed!”

“Don’t worry. I made a promise to my grandmother. I won’t be fooled by any bad men.”

“Frankly, I wonder about that as well!”

“Besides, if I get married now, then I won’t be able to go after the Imperial Heirlooms. It also might require wedding preparations and a dowry. Regardless of whether I get married or continue my detective work, in the end, the one thing that matters in this world is money,” Octavia quietly declared.

In response, Hat backed up slightly. “You know, for a lout, once in a while you speak the truth.”

“It would all be fine if we had some sort of job, though. Hmmm.” Octavia opened up a newspaper that was lying nearby. She had used some of her paltry funds to subscribe to the paper, citing the need to gather information. Besides, newspapers could also be used to wrap things; they could be burned as fuel or used to wipe windows, too. You could even take a look at the classifieds page.

“Here, a lost kitty cat. That sounds like it’s up our alley. Oh, here’s another one, looking for a lost doll.”

“A cat is one thing, but a doll? Doesn’t that sound suspicious? Plus, the reward offered is ten times higher. Did they make some kind of mistake?”

“I’d like to at least make an inquiry, or otherwise hire someone else to do it,” she sighed, “but as for someone to hire, I really don’t have anyone besides Raven.”

“That fellow is no good. He’s the sort who’d squeeze all the blood out of you, then move on to the marrow in your bones!”

“Octavia, help me!” someone cried.

“Wha?!” Octavia raised her voice in unison with Hat and quickly turned around. A young man, out of breath, was standing in the kitchen doorway. “H-How did you get in here?”

“That isn’t important right now.”

“No, it really is,” Hat butted in, quite rightly. “The front door was definitely locked!” Of course, only Octavia could hear Hat’s voice.

The young man walked over briskly and took Octavia’s hands firmly in his.

“Raven, what on earth’s the matter?” Octavia, her hands seized by Raven, looked quizzically at him.

His demeanor was different from usual. Today, he was once again wearing a well cut frock coat, matched fashionably with a parrot-green tie. Perhaps owing to his considerable hurry, however, his agate tie-pin was bent slightly; and, more than anything, the expression on his face was desperate.

“Won’t you please marry me?”

He spoke these words so suddenly that Octavia could only stare blankly.

“Huh?”

“For the sake of argument, I want you to become my lover.”

“Huh?”

“What is this damned fool saying?” Even Hat, who would normally have had a great deal to say about a joke like this, was at a loss for words.

Raven, showing little concern for Octavia’s unfavorable reaction, groaned in anguish.

“If you don’t, I will be forced to marry a little girl in a bid for the peerage!”

A little girl, wondered Octavia. Does that mean a girl whose age is only one digit?

“For the nobility, marrying a girl about a decade younger is, well,” she mused, “not unusual, is it?”

“The only one I feel sorry for is the little girl. Well, congratulations,” muttered Hat. “Never darken our door again.”

“Your reaction is even more curt than I anticipated. But you must know—I believe in marrying for love.”

Octavia’s eyes widened. This young man, who looked like someone had put a suit of clothes on the concept of frivolity, had just said he believed in marrying for love.

At the same time as she widened her eyes, Raven narrowed his.

“You’re thinking that doesn’t suit me, right? You’re thinking, ‘You, of all people.’”

“N-No, not at all. At any rate, I’ll listen to what you have to say. Now calm down.”

Octavia was no good at lying. As if chiding her for her poor attempt at deception, the kettle on the stove whistled with perfect timing.

In the drawing room, which Octavia had now finished cleaning, there were biscuits and tea with milk. Raven had prepared both. This skilled young man even knew how to prepare tea.

Looking at it from a different angle, perhaps he simply knew that sweets would be effective in reeling in Octavia, whose demeanor toward him so far had been lukewarm.

Since childhood, Octavia had always had a weakness for sweets. In the hopes of receiving the chocolate fudge that her grandmother had sometimes produced from her pocket, she had often helped her grandmother with tasks, or made great efforts in studying subjects she didn’t like.

She couldn’t remember telling Raven this, but the biscuits in front of her were filled with cream, and the tea he’d prepared for her was heavy with milk and sugar. He had to know; she could think of no other explanation.

Am I really that easy to understand?

It had only been about a month since they’d met. Raven had visited the mansion at least once every two days, but how and when had he seen through her?

If she refused to acknowledge it, she might still be safe.

What exactly am I fighting against, she sighed internally. Still, she had a feeling that it wouldn’t do for Raven to see through her in any way. Stiffening her face, which had started to break into a smile, she broke the ice. “Now, then, what are you so worked up about? As you are a marquis, a strategic marriage is surely only natural.”

“Even to a little girl?

“I do think that part is dreadful, but I am sure someone like you can manage to find a way out of it.”

“For now, I’ll take that as a compliment.”

The most unusual thing about the present situation was that a marquis like Raven didn’t have a fiancée or a lover already. When Octavia pointed this out, Raven puffed out his cheeks in discontent. Raven was already twenty—older than Octavia—and yet he could be so strangely childish.

“I do still believe in marrying for love, even if you don’t seem to believe me.”

“Let’s put that aside. You’ve surely had offers of engagement before now?”

“This time is different. I’m being threatened.”

That was a serious accusation. Octavia paused in the middle of bringing her cup of tea to her lips. “You’re being threatened? You? Not threatening someone else?”

“I think you’ve misjudged me terribly. Why is that?”

“I don’t think I’ve misjudged you too much. In any case, won’t you explain the situation to me?”

“It was Mrs. Smile who approached me with this offer,” he began. “The bride in question is Mrs. Smile’s daughter. The young lady’s name is Colette. Six years old. Her chief hobby is playing with dolls.”

If they were to be married, that would make conversation between husband and wife rather difficult.

“Mrs. Smile is the lady in charge of an emerging trading firm known as the Smile Trading Company. She’s an impressive woman. She was the one responsible for the company’s growth. After her husband died, their son took his place, but she’s the one with the real power. She’s even been kind enough to broker several deals for me.”

So she’s a work acquaintance. Whether he’s an art dealer or an antiques dealer, it sounds like he really is working, thought Octavia as she made appropriate remarks. “So, was there a problem with one of your deals?”

“She said that the antique doll I procured for her daughter is a Demonic Heirloom.”

Octavia nearly dropped her cup of tea.

With his chin in his hands, Raven somberly resumed his tale. “When I met you, I was on my way home from that very delivery.”

About two months ago, Mrs. Smile had asked Raven to procure an antique doll for her daughter. She had ordered it as a present for Colette’s sixth birthday, since her daughter was fond of playing with dolls, and also as a keepsake that she could put on display once she had grown up.

Both Mrs. Smile and Colette had seemed satisfied with the item Raven procured, and the deal had been concluded. The item and payment smoothly changed hands. Soon after, however, the strangest of things happened.

“Evidently, the doll vanished. When Mrs. Smile and her daughter searched their manor, they found it quickly enough, but then this happened again and again.”

They would be sure that it had been placed on the mantelpiece, only to find it lying on the floor in another room. At some point, the ornament on its head had been replaced with a ribbon.

“Soon, there were rumors that the doll was moving all by itself.” It didn’t stop at rumors among the manor’s servants, who said they had seen it walking through the corridors or peering into the kitchen. Soon, the rumors spread. It was only natural that eventually they began to whisper, Could it be a Demonic Heirloom?

“Mrs. Smile apparently tried to throw it away, but her daughter was dead set against it. Besides, when she did throw it away, it only came back.”

“I say,” Octavia put in. “Isn’t this simply a horror story now?”

“Mrs. Smile at least wanted to take the doll in question away from her daughter, but each time she tried, it led to an argument between them, creating a vicious cycle. So, this time, she decided to come to me. She asked me to take responsibility for making her daughter lose her senses. After all, I was the one who procured the doll.”

“You’re joking. Marriage, based on that?”

“If the doll really is a Demonic Heirloom, no one will ever accept her daughter. Don’t you see? It is a bit forced, but it makes sense. Mrs. Smile, who has always been ambitious, wants to use my peerage as a foothold to climb into upper class society. Two birds with one stone, you might say.” Shrugging, Raven once again rested his face in his hands. “I know it may sound like an essentially baseless accusation, but I’m not in a very good position to brush it off. I can’t shirk responsibility, now. If it really is a Demonic Heirloom, the inquisitors will have their eyes on me as well.”

In this kingdom, it was illegal to own or use Imperial Heirlooms. There were cases where those who used them were executed. Even if they managed to avoid that, they would be ostracized, losing their livelihoods and social statuses. In the first place, nobody besides Octavia could use an Imperial Heirloom without suffering harm. If one of the tools ran amok and became a Demonic Heirloom, the user would be pulled to the other side, and that would be the end of them. In the worst case, the people around them would be caught up in it as well. For ordinary people, it was sensible not to get involved with them at all.

For that reason, the inquisition was tasked with retrieving and sealing away—or destroying—Imperial Heirlooms. They were experts on Demonic Heirlooms. The queen of Angelus had shared a portion of her power with these inquisitors; Her Majesty’s personal troops were permitted to carry weapons and to use magic, and they were granted broad jurisdiction and license to use those weapons.

Keeping order in the Kingdom of Angelus behind the scenes, they mercilessly hunted down the Imperial Heirlooms and anyone involved with them. If someone were found to have brokered the sale of something that appeared to be an Imperial Heirloom, be they a marquis or otherwise...

No. Precisely because of his rank, Raven would not be let off easily.

“If the rumor has already spread, then this is very bad. Have any inquisitors come to investigate yet?”

In answer to Octavia’s question, Raven shook his head. “No, not yet. The Smile Trading Company has a branch office in the Royal Capital, but it is headquartered in a harbor town, a short distance away from the capital. Her daughter and the doll are both there, and so far, the rumor is only being spread between local gossips.”

“Meaning that it hasn’t yet caused enough of a disturbance to attract the attention of the inquisitors?”

“So far, it seems like nothing more than a mere ghost story. There’s been far too little harm for a Demonic Heirloom to be involved. Still, it seems that it has been brought to the attention of the police. It appears that Mrs. Smile intends to sue me for tricking her and selling her a suspicious item.”

It was a stickier situation than Octavia had thought. She was on the verge of sympathizing with Raven, if only just a little bit, but she still had a problem.

“All that being said, still, why did you come to propose marriage to me?”

“Mrs. Smile targeted me like this because I don’t already have a match. If I’d been married already, she surely wouldn’t have attempted this method of extortion.”

Octavia did not quite take his meaning. She looked back at him quizzically, her head tilted to one side.

Raven gave her a wry smile. “Mrs. Smile doesn’t believe in the Imperial Heirlooms. To her, they’re just a cock and bull story. She’s just that kind of lady. She considers reports of the doll’s antics to be nothing more than nonsense on the parts of her daughter and servants. She’s only interested in quashing these scandalous rumors. And she’s not the sort of woman who’d ever let an opportunity slip through her fingers. She knows that if she were judged to be involved with any Demonic Heirlooms, she wouldn’t escape unscathed. But if she dragged me into it, she’d surely fare at least a little better. She’s merely hedging her bets.”

“Yes,” sighed Octavia. “I understand now that she’s a shrewd lady.”

“But suppose I already had a suitable partner! However large her enterprise is, she runs a trading company; she’s no stranger to the balance of costs and benefits. She wouldn’t directly pick a fight with the daughter of an earl.”

Octavia pointed at herself, and Raven nodded, smiling slightly. His eyes, however, weren’t smiling in the least. Was he inwardly irritated at Mrs. Smile’s unreasonable demand?

There was something frightening about how one never knew what Raven might do next.

With some reluctance, Octavia nodded. “I-I see. In that case, wouldn’t any other young lady do just as well? Surely someone like you has many acquaintances?”

“Not at all. I want you,” replied Raven, immediately and definitively. Octavia could only blink. Raven uncrossed his long legs, then crossed them again. He picked up his teacup and sneaked a glance at Octavia. “I believe in marrying for love, you know.” Again, his tone was strangely childish.

Bewildered, Octavia set down her own cup. “Really? Well, I believe in marrying strategically and prioritizing my own benefit. Since it seems that we are incompatible, let’s each of us do our best to find a match elsewhere.”

“I thought you might say that. You really are formidable. No, wait a minute. In that case, what if there were some benefit to you?”

“Hmm? Well, that would be a different story.”

Raven frowned at Octavia, who had nodded all too easily. He glanced back down. After a moment, he slowly opened his eyes again, and a smile crept across his lips. Octavia shuddered and nearly pulled herself back, along with her chair.

“Why, don’t you want some detective work?”

“Huh? Let me tell you, pretending to be someone’s lover is not the business of a detective.”

“I’m asking you to solve the mystery of the doll. Mrs. Smile herself, concerned about her reputation, has already made calls to a detective’s office. This, with the added purpose of establishing a scandal centered on me.”

Well, solving mysteries was the business of a detective, after all. As Octavia fell silent, Raven leaned forward.

“I’ll recommend you to Mrs. Smile. Because a Demonic Heirloom might be caught up in this case, no detective is likely to take it on, so she’ll be delighted.”

“But I don’t know if she’ll be happy with a detective like me, with no track record...”

“Don’t worry about that. After all, you were recognized as a worthy adversary by the Phantom Thief, Crow.”

On hearing that name of her adversary, Octavia’s voice lowered. “Huh?”

“The Phantom Thief specializes in Demonic Heirlooms. As a detective, you’ve caught the thief’s attention. Therefore, people in society have started to whisper the rumor that you might be able to deal with him, and they seem to accept it.”

“Why would they say that?”

“Because Crow, the Phantom Thief, mentioned you by name on the overnight train.” He was talking about the card that Crow had left. Octavia would never forget its humiliating contents.

“You are something of an underground celebrity now, expected to do great work as a detective.”

Thunderstruck by this news, Octavia grew flustered. “Th-Then why hasn’t a single job come my way?!”

“Because no one wants to get involved with someone associated with Demonic Heirlooms, of course.”

If anyone were to bring their case to Octavia, other people might begin to suspect that it was somehow tangled up with Demonic Heirlooms. Indeed, people were feeling apprehensive of late.

As a matter of fact, part of the reason I started work as a detective was to reclaim the Heirlooms! That wasn’t Octavia’s only goal. Even her grandmother had taken cases that weren’t related to the Heirlooms, and Octavia had listened to many of her accounts, which sounded like adventure stories, with her eyes sparkling. In spite of that, Octavia herself had fallen at the first hurdle.

“I-In other words, it’s the Phantom Thief’s fault that I have no work and am struggling to make ends meet?!”

“I suppose it would be,” said Raven, hesitating.

“No matter how you look at it, of course it’s his fault! That frivolous Phantom Thief!”

Stealing a kiss from Octavia’s very lips was bad enough; stealing the food from her table as well was taking irresponsibility too far.

“Next we meet, I’m going to break both his legs, after all. I’ll be taking some of his money for compensation, too!”

After a pause, Raven replied, “Let’s take the opposite view, shall we? Everyone is reluctant to discuss any matter related to the Demonic Heirlooms. Because it’s too dangerous, there are no detectives, and so there’s no investigation agency specializing in this field.”

“Isn’t that the same as saying that there are no jobs?!”

“That means it’s an untapped market—a wide, blue ocean of jobs, in fact. If you factor in hush money, you’ll be richly compensated.” Octavia, whose fists had been trembling, looked Raven hard in the face. He went on, “The fee offered by Mrs. Smile has continued to increase, and has already reached quite a large sum.”

“A-About how much?”

Raven gently leaned across the table, and Octavia offered him one of her ears. Upon hearing Raven’s whisper, her eyes grew wide.

“Th-That much?” she gasped. “But what happens in the event that the doll really is a Demonic Heirloom?”

“Naturally, if you can dispose of it neatly, so that no blame comes down upon her daughter’s head, I’m sure she’ll pay extra.”

In other words, whether or not it really was a Demonic Heirloom, she was to make it as if the case had never existed in the first place.

That sounds manageable, right? Seeing as all I have to do is recover it... And could it be that she really was standing at a crossroads before a wide, blue ocean, just as Raven had indicated? But am I all right with doing this? As things stand, that almost sounds like...

“I-It almost sounds like a scam, the way you’ve put it.”

“But you’ll accept the request, won’t you?” As if he were making Octavia an accomplice in one of his cons, Raven smiled, quite calm.

Octavia balled her hands into fists atop her lap. She couldn’t allow herself to be dragged along by him too easily. “Under what conditions will I be able to meet Mrs. Smile?”

“I really don’t know whether you’ve misunderstood me or understood me perfectly,” muttered Raven quietly, before slapping another perfectly calculated smile on his face. “If you aren’t able to solve the mystery, I’ll have you ‘take responsibility’ by getting engaged to me.”

“Mrs. Smile may be excessive herself, but you really take things too far, Raven.”

“Well, it sounds more fun this way.”

Again with the fun? If Raven seemed childish in contrast to his appearance, it was because he acted entirely based on his curiosity. Octavia felt more amazed than angered by his particular brand of haphazardness.

Still, without hesitation, she nodded. “Understood. Introduce me to Mrs. Smile.”

“Really? If you aren’t able to solve the mystery of the doll, you’ll wind up engaged to me.”

“Then I’ll just have to solve it. Besides, don’t you believe in marrying for love?”

Raven, who’d had that smile—the one that Octavia absolutely detested—plastered all over his face, blinked as if he had misread Octavia’s intent. Then cheerfully, naturally, the corners of his mouth turned up again.

“I think you’d probably end up calling off the engagement yourself. I’ve had no success with men; I’ve been told that I’m burdensome.”

A romantic marriage wouldn’t take shape unless both participants fell in love. It was well within her expectations for Raven to respond to her warning with an expression of slight astonishment. Her love life had been lackluster, but as the daughter of an earl, at least a few men had attempted to court her in the past. For the most part, after she had declared herself unfit, they would tell her, “That’s not true,” and a string of flippant promises would follow. The gentlemen never understood that Octavia was speaking sincerely, and they only ever ended up embarrassing themselves. Therefore, she had a rough idea of just how “burdensome” she was.

In spite of that, Raven returned Octavia’s warning with a defiant smile. “Is that right? That’s just how I like it.” He didn’t take his eyes off her.

She felt a shiver—only a slight one—go up her spine.

Raven’s deftness in negotiations was truly superb, and the very next day, Octavia was clutching her trunk, ready to travel to the harbor town where she had been told Mrs. Smile and her daughter lived. The harbor town was a few stations away from the Royal Capital by steam train. It was a distance such that if one departed in the morning, one would arrive just after noon.

However, after Octavia had finished preparing for travel, she was not picked up by a steam train or a horse-drawn coach.

“A motorcar?”

“Hop in,” said Raven encouragingly.

Octavia’s eyes were like saucers. She had heard the word “motorcar” before, but she had never seen the real thing. Although it had four wheels, it was, unlike a coach, propelled entirely by a machine. After she had thrown her luggage in the back seat, Raven opened the door for her and directed her to sit in the front passenger seat. She gingerly sat down.

After the car started moving, Hat raised his voice. “Well, well! You have some nice stuff, don’t you? It’s been a while since I’ve ridden in a car! I guess the ban on technology of this level has been lifted.”

“I-It’s amazing,” breathed Octavia. “Are such things commonplace in the Royal Capital?”

“They’ve not yet been adopted widely. Petrol would need to become even cheaper. The roads also need paving.”

With Octavia in the front passenger seat, Raven took the wheel. “When I’m just traveling within the Royal Capital, I guess I’d use a coach, too. Only, I have a weakness for novel things, and I find I always need to get my hands on them.”

“This fellow really is a ball of curiosity. It’ll land him in deep trouble, one of these days,” muttered Hat.

“I-It’s so clean inside, too.” The car was comfortable, but because the road was bumpy, Octavia’s voice was shaky.

Nonchalant, Raven replied, “Well, today is my first time driving it.”

“Huh?!”

EPISODE 2.5

Lately, I have really enjoyed the feeling of her eyes fixed upon me. Those eyes—which proclaim that from now on, she will be observing me closely, so as not to miss a single action I take—are a source of great enjoyment for me. Even after I gave her some of her favorite biscuits from that bakery she loves, she just kept on staring, which really was something.

“Is there something stuck to my face?”

“No,” she said after a pause.

It’s cute, that frustrated expression she makes whenever—in spite of all her dedication—she can’t find anything suspect.. She must have been thinking, I’ll be ready the very moment he does or says anything suspicious. But I don’t intend to indulge her as far as that.

I chuckled internally, then returned to my work sorting the mail like a good assistant. The drawing room we were using in place of an office was silent. Ever since Octavia had begun to suspect me, even her partner Hat seemed to have decided to keep quiet, so it truly was silent.

Octavia had also begun to choose her words carefully. I was feeling somewhat discontented by this, naturally. I was unable to enjoy a typical conversation with her now, and it was like an unopened toy chest; one never knew what might come out.

Still, in place of that was a surfeit of enjoyable silence. Nor was I bothered by the wary eyes of the girl she had brought back from the harbor town.

I said, “Thanks to an introduction from Mrs. Smile, we have a job offer.”

“What is it?”

“To search for a runaway. The young master of a certain household seems to have acquired an undesirable pastime and hasn’t come back home. No wonder I haven’t seen him recently.”

“Do you know him?”

“I suppose, if by ‘know him’ you mean know his name and face. I sighted him once at a soirée. I have some idea of where he might have gone. He definitely had a bar that he liked to go to. I’d say there’s a high probability that he’s there. I guess the parents don’t know about it.”

“If you’ve already solved this case, what am I supposed to do?” said Octavia, sulking.

“This time was just a coincidence. But it’s a special kind of bar. I’m pretty sure that it opens at very particular times.”

“Huh. Do you know when?”

“Um... I’m pretty sure it was only open between eleven and twelve o’clock at night, on the third Wednesday of the month.” Having said this, I realized something with a start. Octavia, sitting on the sofa opposite me, met my gaze. She had realized the same thing. That would be the same date that Crow, the Phantom Thief, had specified in his latest announcement.

We stared at each other in silence. As if testing each other, seeing who would make the first move.

“What do you want to do?” I decided to take the lead for now.

“What do you think we should do?”

Even posed with such a dilemma, as the Phantom Thief, I could hardly withdraw an announcement. It would inconvenience the police, who had strengthened their security preparations in response to my letter.

My prey’s whereabouts was the street of luxury residences where the mansions of nobles and capitalists were densely concentrated, even for the Royal Capital. It was a substantial distance away from any dubious bars. And my prey was said to be a rose that would not wilt. At present, it seemed the gardens and vineyards managed by the estate’s owner were in full bloom in spite of the season, and the grape harvest had been fruitful. This capitalist had made an immense profit from the sale of the wine made from these grapes, but there were reports that the workers in the gardens and vineyards had been seen staggering around as if sleepwalking. Without a doubt, a Demonic Heirloom was involved.

Octavia had doubtless come to the same conclusion.

In other words, she had to prioritize Crow’s announcement. I made every effort to transmit that thought to her with a slight smile. You’ll prioritize the Phantom Thief—prioritize me—won’t you? Such was the message I tried to convey, like a pestering lover. I’m sure she received it. Even if not, considering her duty, it was obvious which of the two options she would choose.

In spite of this, she was staring me down, as if waiting for me to make a move. “Would you like me to prioritize Crow the Phantom Thief?”

I suppressed the reflex to ask, Why are you asking me that?

“I wonder,” I mused instead. “It looks like either job will come with a reward. The amount would be greater if we went with Crow, though.”

“But if we consider the effort involved, looking for a young man who ran away from home would have a better benefit-to-cost ratio.” This detective had a surprisingly strong sense for economic concerns.

I shot back, “If you catch the Phantom Thief, you might become an overnight celebrity.”

“On the other hand, taking a job from an aristocrat will lead to further job offers. Besides, thinking of our success rate, won’t focusing entirely on Crow call my abilities as a detective into question?”

She also seemed to have an excellent sense for risk management.

“It sounds like you want me to prioritize Crow.” She also had enough acting talent to say this with a straight face.

“No, it isn’t that. But if you’re worried about losing to him, and you want to give him a miss this time, I won’t try to stop you.”

However, she couldn’t keep calm when it came to Crow, the Phantom Thief.

“I didn’t say that.”

“That’s how it sounded to me.”

“What about you? Which job do you think we should accept? As an assistant.”

So it’s come to this. I grinned, all the while thinking that she was also quite the skilled negotiator. “I don’t mind which. You’re the detective, so do as you please.”

Octavia’s expression soured, the corners of her mouth turning down. Just getting to see that gave me a feeling of satisfaction. What a cheap assistant to hire I am. I’m surprised at myself. But there was no escaping the truth. More than any jewels or paintings, it was Octavia who continued to steal my attention.

See there—as I blinked, she sighed somberly, uncrossing and crossing those gorgeous legs again. There was a refinement and arrogance in her demeanor that I truly found beautiful.

“All right. We’ll turn down the commission to find the runaway young man. However, include all the details you have about the bar—and anything else you know—along with our letter of refusal.”

“You’re giving them free service?”

“We’re refusing their kind offer of work. Besides, it came through Mrs. Smile. Really, that Phantom Thief is nothing but a thorn in my side...”

Hearing her say that so hatefully, I couldn’t help but laugh. She glared back at me, but I couldn’t bring myself to apologize. Instead, I offered her a better plan.

“What if we split up, and I go to that bar by myself? If I’m only confirming whether or not the runaway is there, I should be able to manage. I know his face, after all.”

“Huh? As my assistant, you have to stay by my side.” Octavia’s expression was so disgruntled that my hands froze in the middle of my work.

If she let me excuse myself from the scene of the burglary, she might miss her chance to grasp the true identity of Crow, the Phantom Thief. That was probably the judgment she had made, but the way she put it was most unfair. It was as if she had said, You need to be with me so I can catch you.

If I’m stuck working alongside her, hasn’t she caught me already? Coming to this sudden realization, I thought I might choke. But no, it hasn’t yet come to that. I haven’t conceded as far as that yet.

“Perhaps if the matter of the Phantom Thief is easily wrapped up, or if he flees in the direction of the bar, we may just be able to fit it in.”

Without even knowing of the conflict in my heart, the detective had made such a convenient request of me. The way her eyes interrogated me was so unfair and yet so cute. It frustrated me to find them so adorable. Very well, I said, nodding plainly.

Then, when the time came, I fled in the opposite direction from the bar.

After she had been registered and repaired by Hat, Ann the doll automaton still lacked a great deal of expression, but she had started to talk more and now worked around the house. Also, she was strict with Octavia. Though she had had no choice, Octavia quietly thought that this might be her revenge against Octavia for erasing her memories of her friend. That being said, she and Colette were now pen pals.

“It is that attitude of yours that allows Marquis Osvard to take advantage of you.”

“Wait. What are you talking about?”

“Today, once again, we received refreshments from him before work. He said you would probably be tired after work.”

Was he so far-seeing? Or was he simply confident that he wouldn’t be caught? Just the thought of that playful smile, surfacing at the back of her mind, robbed her of the will to resist Ann’s instructions.

“All right, all right. I’ll go to bed properly, after changing.”

“Very good. But first, please glance over this.” Ann briskly handed a letter and paper knife to Octavia. Hat hopped onto Octavia’s head as she read the name of the letter’s sender.

“What, another letter from home? Do they expect a reply? Do they have so much time on their hands?”

“I wonder. It looks like it’s from Jessie.” Octavia wanted to put off reading it, but with Ann glaring at her, she broke the seal with the paper knife and removed the envelope’s contents. Then she frowned. This was not a typical letter from home. Something else was inside.

“A summons...from the royal family of Angelus?!”

“What have those rotters been up to?”

Seeing a need for us to properly discuss our grandmother’s inheritance, we made a request of His Highness, the queen’s brother, who has always been fond of Edward. Once we did, we were lucky enough to receive an audience! Her Majesty the Queen will be there as well.

So let us meet in the Royal Capital.

“Don’t tell me they’re planning to take this mansion from us,” muttered Octavia in a daze. Her sister’s adorable handwriting seemed almost to dance with excitement on the page.

Wherever they looked out the window of their horse-drawn coach, the wheels rolling underneath them, the streets of the Royal Capital were orderly. Its overall construction was circular, with castle walls around it. The bowlike arc of the Nouer flowed directly through its center, forming a boundary between the northern and southern halves of the city. On the far side of the river’s bridges was the crescent-shaped northern half, where the luxury residences of nobles and royals were concentrated. The fan-shaped southern half was lined with such institutions as banks and schools, along with the homes of the middle and working classes.

As for the royal castle itself, it could be found in the very center, floating in the sky above the Nouer River. Several bridges, large and small, connected the northern and southern halves of the city. As the coach approached a bridge on the eastern side, Octavia narrowed her eyes.

Today was a clear, balmy day, with not a cloud in the sky. The flying castle, usually only dimly visible in the distance, could now be seen clear as day. Since the fall of the United Empire, this was the only castle allowed to reside in the sky, this close to the heavens. It was inhabited by the royal family—the angels and their descendants, a winged race.

“I wonder what makes it float,” said Raven. He sat across from Octavia in the coach, looking in the same direction.

Octavia had heard that, long ago, the castle had been known as the Imperial Castle. Her ancestors had chosen to restore the tools that their god had cursed after they’d struck him down, and they had entrusted the palace to the angels, who had resolved to rebuild the kingdom. To the royal family of Angelus, in other words. But today, Octavia did not think of this castle as her home. Instead, she thought of it as a prison in the sky, used to lock up members of her family.

Perhaps it was because of that sense of connection to her family, but Octavia wished to avoid talking about the castle. She changed the subject.

“Sorry you ended up having to come along.”

“Of course I’d come with you. I’m your assistant.”

After a pause, she said, “Right. So you are.” Though I still think you might be the Phantom Thief. Octavia looked at Raven, suspicious, but he only grinned back at her. His expression seemed to say, If you have something you say, go right ahead, which left Octavia uninterested in saying anything at all.

To be safe, I did contact Eliza, but...I don’t know how this might turn out. Although the royal castle itself floated in the sky, the palace—where those that had been granted an audience were received—was on the ground. The coach crossed the bridge before turning onto the main street on the northern side. They passed by a plaza with a fountain, then came to a stop in front of the stairs leading up to a palace that, with its high steeples, looked very much like a cathedral.

A tail-coated servant appeared, guiding them inside. He did not have wings; he was human.

Angels preferred to be in the sky. Octavia had heard it said they believed that if forced to walk upon the ground, they would be no different than the wingless humans. Which meant that this earth-bound palace, used for audiences with the royals, was likely managed by humans.

Before the servant could even ask them what their business was, Raven had explained everything. He was a man who could thoroughly anticipate other people’s questions. This wasn’t an area in which Octavia was especially skilled, so she decided to leave the talking to him.

I suppose he is my assistant, after all.

After they had climbed to the top of a wide staircase, which seemed about two stories high, a great hall stretched out before their eyes. There was no sign that anyone was there, and it was silent. Perhaps it was only the limestone statue of an angel in the center of the hall, but there was an air of serenity throughout the room that made it feel more like a temple than a palace.

“Octavia, this is a rare chance. Use the parallel ruler and sketch out a plan of the palace,” said Hat, who today had taken the form of a small hat, the sort befitting the daughter of a noble house.

“Here is the waiting room,” said the servant guiding them.

Her eyes trained on Raven’s back as she followed, Octavia quietly answered Hat. “Won’t someone notice?”

“The angels cannot use our tools, and they cannot trace the tools’ magic, either. If they were going to notice something, it would be the man in front of us, who might be the Phantom Thief. If some alarm does go off, just look confident and counter by asking what’s the matter. You can draw the floor plan itself on the notepad in the mansion.”

I see, Octavia thought. That might be fun. Her voice so soft the words could have been mistaken for a sigh, Octavia summoned the parallel ruler. It appeared in the palm of her hand for only a moment before vanishing, as if it were aware of its surroundings.

“It’s big, isn’t it?” Raven said, turning around, just as Octavia breathed a sigh of relief.

Here we go again, she thought with a smile. “Why’d you turn around all of a sudden?”

“I had a feeling that you really wanted me to.”

Octavia asked slowly, “Why would you think that?”

“You seemed lonely, with only my back to look at. Ah, yes—your face looks exactly how I thought it would. How amusing.”

“I was only thinking, ‘What is this fool saying?’ And it’s rude to call my face ‘amusing.’”

“You’re cute,” sighed Raven. “And your face is all the more marvelous. Thank you for that.” Laughing, he turned to look ahead again.

For some reason, a feeling of defeat spread through Octavia’s chest. “I have no idea what you’re so happy about.”

“Just happy to get a reaction out of you, I guess. After all, you possess such an expansive heart—almost like Her Majesty the Queen.”

Octavia frowned, panicking. This was the palace where the queen resided, and Raven was a noble.

The servant who was guiding them turned back and glared at Raven. “Show some respect.”

“Oh, that’s right. Please, think of that as merely the babbling of a fool in love.” If he meant to convince the servant of his earnestness, there was no contrition in his words. Quite the contrary—he almost sounded like he was taunting the man.

He’s the sort of person who might pick a fight with an angel just for the fun of it, thought Octavia, beginning to feel worried. “Don’t try anything,” she warned. “You’re my assistant, so you should be attending to me.” Octavia frowned as Raven turned around with a look of surprise. “Why do you look as if you’d forgotten that?”

“No, you’re right. Yes, I’ll be careful.”

“Really?” Octavia pressed the matter, unconvinced by Raven’s response. He only said, “Yes,” again, nodding like a child. “I won’t misbehave. I’m not a child, you know.”

“Octavia, my darling sister!”

Octavia turned to face the source of the voice that came flying in from behind. It was her half sister, running down the corridor to greet her, her long hair swaying behind her.

Octavia had not seen her in quite some time. “Jessie.”

“Oh, how wonderful to be able to see you again! I was so worried about you!”

“So worried that you decided to reach out to her with a summons from the Queen of Angelus?” said Hat.

He had made a good point, but Octavia could not bring herself to feel too angry with her half sister, who fawned over her now, clinging to her arm. In person, Jessie’s attitude was plainer than it had been in her letter, enough that Octavia couldn’t help but be taken aback.

“What will you do, Octavia? You’re up against Her Majesty the Queen. Father was upset, and Prince Edward was also worked up, saying that the matter must be straightened out,” she sighed. “Prince Edward also has His Highness, the queen’s brother, as his ally. Try as I might, I couldn’t defend my sister...”

“Is that right?”

“Yes, it is! But if I were to speak on your behalf, Father and Prince Edward just might decide to withdraw before we meet with His Highness.”

“You might be right.”

“Of course I am! So, my dear sister, won’t you at least tell me the whole story? Where is our grandmother’s inheritance?”

“Don’t worry. There’s nothing for you to worry about.”

Jessie watched Octavia. For just a moment, her gaze—which had been uneasy—turned perilous. But she quickly clasped both hands in front of her chest, bowed her head, and looked up at Octavia. “But, sister...”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Um...”

“I’m fine.”

“But,” protested Jessie.

“I’m fine.”

Jessie was silent.

“I...am...fine.”

Sounding the words out one by one seemed to communicate to Jessie that Octavia did not wish to continue their conversation any further.

Suddenly, Jessie’s expression turned to one of appraisal. She was, as ever, a docile girl of meager endurance. “Are you quite sure you wish to maintain that attitude? You’re sure you won’t regret it? Edward is a prince, and His Highness is Her Majesty’s younger brother. Her Majesty the Queen will herself be my mother-in-law one day!”

“Congratulations.”

Jessie received Octavia’s heartfelt blessing with a vacant expression. Then she turned bright red.

“Why, I never! You’ll regret this! Even if you apologize afterwards, I won’t forgive you—” Jessie looked like she was about to turn and storm off, but then she froze. She took a step back. For the first time, she was aware of Raven, who was standing behind Octavia. Her eyes widened, and she began to fidget as if in a panic.

Seeing this, Hat snorted. “I suppose he does have a nice face, at least. His status is also desirable. If he knew to what extent, he’d never shut up.”

Raven did certainly seem to possess all the qualities that Jessie might find attractive. Moreover, Octavia realized, Raven—frivolous as he was—would probably fancy a girl like Jessie, too.

At that moment, a gloomy feeling suddenly came over Octavia. She was surprised at herself. Hmm?

While Octavia stood perplexed, Jessie addressed Raven, her cheeks flushed. “I beg your pardon for subjecting you to such an unsightly scene—I am Jessie de Reine. And, er, who might you be?”

“He’s my assistant.” Without delay, Octavia stepped in between the two of them, blocking off Raven behind her back.

Jessie scowled. “I wasn’t speaking to you, sister. Erm...”

“Octavia.”

Octavia thought Raven had called her name more politely than usual. That’s what she thought, at least, until he grabbed her by her shoulder and pulled her back. She looked up in irritation, right into Raven’s grinning face.

His was a shining smile that seemed to contain a sweet venom.

“Let’s go into the waiting room.” Then, practically dragging Octavia behind him, Raven opened the door the servant was standing by.

“Ah,” gasped Jessie. “Wai—”

For the briefest moment, Octavia thought she had seen Raven shoot Jessie a disparaging glance. Before she could be sure, he closed the door behind them. What she did know, without needing any confirmation, was that he had shut Jessie out. In short, he had ignored her.

At Octavia’s suspicious look, Raven inclined his head meaningfully. “I haven’t done anything bad.”

But judging from his expression, he was clearly enjoying himself. He was probably aware that he had hurt Jessie’s pride.

“Well, I’m just glad they were separated before any complications could spring up,” said Hat.

“I suppose so,” Octavia agreed. She nodded in resignation. Perhaps it was only the shock of their sudden departure, but the gloomy feeling in her chest from earlier had cleared.

“What a cute sister you have.” Once again, Raven’s words stirred up those complicated feelings in Octavia.

Smack dab in the middle of the room, there was a table with cabriole legs, surrounded by sofas. Raven sat down on one.

“You—” Octavia broke off. “Do you understand the gravity of the situation you’re in? Jessie—she’s, well...very good at telling on others.”

“That’s not a compliment, Octavia,” muttered Hat.

“I’m a marquis. Ignoring an earl’s rude daughter won’t cause any problems for me.” Raven spoke calmly, pouring water into one of the glasses that had been prepared for them.

Octavia sat on the seat opposite Raven and admonished him. “Jessie is Edward’s fiancée. That reasoning won’t necessarily wash.”

“Ah, that’s right. Now that you mention it, I suppose she is. So there’s a prince involved as well. Curses! Why, I should have dressed up a little more for today.”

“Huh?” Octavia looked Raven up and down, surveying his outfit. His high-quality, well-tailored jacket—with only one lapel embroidered—clearly showed off his sense of fashion. It was a smart outfit, with obvious attention paid to the color of the tie, waistcoat, and even cuffs. And with the silky hair that framed his face, and his long lashes...

Even nibbling on a biscuit, he managed to look beautiful.

Octavia was the one with sartorial problems. After all, Ann was always complaining, telling her to straighten out her dress.

“Is what you have on lacking in some way?” Octavia asked.

“I’ve only seen him once, at a soiree, from a distance, but I’m the shorter one out of the two of us. He has a better physique, too.”

After a pause, she said, “I think you’re right, but what of it?”

“I need to make an effort.” The sentiment was commendable, but Octavia didn’t sense any urgency from Raven. Quite the contrary, as he licked off a biscuit crumb that was stuck to his finger. The faint smile that appeared on his face was an expression of overwhelming dominance.

“With that attitude,” said Octavia, “you look more like an evil emperor than a con man.” She rubbed her arms, where goosebumps had stood up.

Raven smiled in delight. “Oh, but I’m your assistant, remember?”

Octavia was starting to feel like her greatest challenge wouldn’t be her relatives or His Highness, the queen’s brother, but rather keeping Raven under control. Octavia was beginning to nurse a headache when a knock finally came upon the door. A voice from behind the door informed them that the preparations for their audience were complete, and they rose to their feet.

They were shown to a chamber that looked more like a meeting room than a space for an audience. Underneath a chandelier was a large, round table, which encircled the area over which the chandelier hung. In the part of the room farthest back from the entrance was a seat upon a dais, surrounded by a gauze curtain. It was the queen’s seat, which overlooked the round table. But there was no sign of the queen herself.

As Octavia and Raven were directed to sit on the left side of the round table by their guide, a voice came from behind.

“Marquis Osvard.”

The voice was familiar to Octavia, although she had never heard it say that name before. She turned around to look at the speaker. It was Edward. It had been three months since she had last seen him, and his hair, which had been cropped short before, had grown a little longer. But why had he called out to Raven? Had he called the wrong person? Before Octavia could seek confirmation, Raven moved.

“It is an honor to be spoken to by you, Your Highness, Prince Edward.” Raven placed a hand on his chest and bowed gracefully. At the moment, the person with the highest status in this room was Edward.

Raven’s deference made perfect sense, but Octavia was still shocked, to be honest. So he does have some common sense. He was capable of acting like a proper noble, after all. She’d forgotten he even could, since recently all she had seen him do was stick his nose into other people’s business in the name of “fun.”

Raven’s head was still bowed. With a calm expression, Edward said, “Let’s dispense with the formalities.”

This, too, was a normal step in proceedings. Jessie was clinging to Edward from behind; each time Octavia’s eyes met her sister’s, Jessie smiled triumphantly. Failing to understand why, Octavia looked back in puzzlement.

“And what might you be doing here?” asked Edward. “Did Octavia make some request of you?”

“No, Your Highness. Right now, I am helping her—I’m her assistant.”

“Assistant?”

“Yes. I couldn’t help but be charmed by her skills as a detective.” In stark contrast to Edward, whose face was full of suspicion, Raven maintained a serene smile.

After a moment, Edward said, “I’ve heard the rumors about you. That you’re exceptionally skilled, and you manage your estates superbly.”

“Thank you very much.”

“You must have assets, too. Surely there’s no need for you to act like a common laborer. In spite of that... Well, if you’re obligated to her in any way, I’ll hear you out. Octavia is a selfish woman, after all. Indulging her would be folly.”

For just a moment, Raven clammed up. But before Octavia turned to look at him again, he was smiling again.

“Incidentally, please excuse my rudeness from earlier, Jessie.”

Jessie blinked in surprise at hearing her name spoken so suddenly. Raven’s demeanor toward her was quite different from earlier. Now, he smiled sweetly and bowed to her.

“I am still young and inexperienced, you see, and do not yet fully understand what behavior is appropriate for a nobleman in a private setting. Just now, a captivating young lady suddenly appeared in front of me—naturally I was nervous, and I couldn’t manage even the simplest of greetings to my own satisfaction,” sighed Raven. “Were your feelings hurt in any way?”

“Well... No, not at all. I also find such encounters...difficult.” Jessie emerged from behind Edward, her cheeks a deep shade of crimson.

Edward was clearly annoyed by this exchange, but neither Raven nor Jessie gave him so much as a glance.

“I hope you haven’t come to dislike me already,” said Raven, inclining his head mischievously.

Jessie shook her head hurriedly. “Of course not. Please, let us get along well.”

“I’m glad, though it would appear to be about time for our audience.” Raven added, almost whispering, “Let’s continue this later.” Those last words sounded rather intimate.

Jessie turned bright red.

Edward stepped forward to hide her behind him, speaking roughly. “Why, you! Jessie is my fiancée!”

“I’m well aware of that. And what of it?”

“What, you say! You were flirting with her just now, weren’t you?! Don’t tell me that you got closer to Octavia in order to get closer to Jessie—”

“I don’t think a mere greeting warrants such an overreaction. It’s not as if you’re a virgin yourself.”

For a moment, silence completely dominated the room. Octavia too was at a loss for words. She had never heard an insult like this before.

“Excuse me,” said Raven. “Only a slip of a tongue. Let’s go, Octavia.”

Leaving Jessie and the flabbergasted Edward with a snicker, Raven turned on his heel. Octavia hurried after Raven.

“Raven,” she cautioned, “what you said just now—that was really going a bit too far!”

“Don’t worry. Your sister is very kind. I’m sure she will comfort him. There was nothing bad about what I said.”

“You meant to insult him, didn’t you?! Apologize now! Besides, everyone has to start with their first time.”

“Octavia, you just casually rubbed salt in the wound,” said Hat.

At that very moment, the Earl of Reine arrived. “Edward, Your Highness, apologies for the wait. Oh, and Jessie, too. What’s the matter?”

“You have the device, don’t you? The one that can test for a person’s blood relations?”

As for whose relations, that I won’t say. Of course, Edward and Octavia’s family, who knew nothing, would say nothing—but neither could Henry, who would not wish for it to be known that he had produced a fake, nor that he had worked to create a test subject in order to utilize the Imperial Heirlooms. They could not prevent the queen of the angels from seizing upon an incorrect answer to her question—that the girl in the photograph was Crow, the Phantom Thief, and a scion of the empire.

“You need only to check.”

Raven L. Osvard was not a descendant of the imperial line. Therefore, Raven would definitely be set free. But he could never become the Phantom Thief again. If he did so, he would lose his freedom. This was the same thing as saying that Octavia had put the Phantom Thief’s crimes to an end; she had in essence captured him.

“I am certain that the answer you seek is here.” With a daring smile, Octavia presented the playing card to the queen.

This was a frightfully dangerous gamble. At the very least, the queen would learn that an imperial heir was still alive.

Thinking of Raven, I really shouldn’t smile. However... The joy of finally being able to catch that man won out over the fear of her own survival, of being discovered. Octavia didn’t quite know what to call this feeling she had, but she was sure that her grandmother would have forgiven her.

You were fooled by a bad man, weren’t you?

I was, Octavia would have replied, prompting laughter and praise from her grandmother.

“Now then, Queen.” I’ll let you have that title, so let me go on being a detective. Otherwise, I won’t be able to catch the Phantom Thief.

Behind the gauze curtain, the queen rose to her feet, as if hooked by Octavia’s bait.

A voice descended suddenly from the ceiling: “One.”

At the sound of it, Octavia opened her eyes wide.

“Two.”

There was a commotion in the corridor outside. A sentry came barging in.

“What is the meaning of this?” cried Henry at the sentry.

The sentry replied, “We’ve received a message from the police! Crow, the Phantom Thief, has stolen the music box from the art museum, and now he’s made his way he—”

“Three!”

The stained glass in the ceiling of the audience chamber shattered, falling down in shards. Reflexively, Octavia raised her hands to protect her head.

“Protect the queen!”

“Octavia, the card!” shouted Hat.

“Ah.” Prompted by Hat, Octavia realized that the playing card she had just presented to the queen had vanished from her hand.

“I can’t let you do that, Miss Detective.” The Phantom Thief was suspended amid falling shards of stained glass, which glittering all around him with reflected light; he planted a kiss on the playing card and smiled. “I can’t let you get away with exposing my identity with this little playing card. I’ll be taking this back.”

“Why, you... Give that back! I need it—”

“Now, then, Your Highness, Prince Henry the Foolish. I’ve come to exact my revenge.”

“Y-You what?” Henry, who had been cowering on the floor, raised his head. He likely had no idea how to deal with this sudden development. He looked more pitiful in this moment than Octavia would have ever thought.

Crow made the playing card vanish, like in a conjuring act; he produced the music box in its place. Octavia goggled at him, shocked.

“Don’t tell me he intends to activate it?!” cried Hat.

“I should have done this from the very start. These are your just deserts.” Crow forced the music box open, then hurled it at the prince.

He hadn’t simply activated it. He had torn away the queen’s seal upon it. It no longer played the clear melody that it had played last time. Now, it played out of tune, and a black mist spilled out of it. As if it had already determined its target, the mist began to make its way toward Henry, who was crouched on the floor nearby.

“Before the queen’s seal was placed upon this Heirloom,” said Crow, “its last owner was you, Prince Henry.” In other words, now that the seal was broken, the Demonic Heirloom would consider Henry to be its user. Underneath his mask, Crow sneered. “Now, then—go mad as it engulfs you.”

Seized by the black mist, Henry let out a scream.

“Why, he’s sent the box amok!” Hat cried, finally regaining his composure. “The cur!”

Panicked, Octavia shouted, “Wh-What should we even do in this situation?!”

“Simple. We’ll let Her Majesty stop it.”

At Crow’s cavalier answer, Octavia turned to look beyond the gauze curtain.

Just as she did so, she heard the queen’s staff ring out as it struck the floor. The curtain billowed upward, and a magic circle rushed out from behind it. The queen’s magic circle soon engulfed the area around the music box, even as it continued to spout black mist. Eventually, with a creak, the lid of the box closed again. The music box, no longer playing its tune, fell down from where it floated in midair.

Octavia instinctively reached out to grab it, but it was snatched away from her. Crow had taken it.

Quite unexpectedly, Octavia now found herself facing Crow at point-blank range. She gasped. From this distance, she could see his beautiful red eyes perfectly. But before she could blink, this flash of color vanished, and a shadow descended over her in its place.

“Ah!” cried Hat.

Something stifled Octavia’s mouth. As she opened her eyes, a sweet sensation withdrew from her lips.

“You won’t catch me just yet, Miss Detective.”

Octavia heard a blood vessel burst somewhere around her temple. “H-How dare you,” she said slowly, “k-kiss me...a second time?!”

Crow floated back into the air, laughing gleefully. “Ha ha ha ha ha!” In his right hand, he held the music box. With his left arm, he was holding the young girl who had been brought here to serve as an impostor for the girl in the photograph.

Forgetting her fury, Octavia cried, “Wait, what are you planning to do with that girl?!”

“She met with this fate while standing in for me. I don’t mind performing the odd act of charity.”

The girl was unable to speak and could only goggle in astonishment. She timidly looked up at the Phantom Thief. Feeling her gaze on him, Crow looked back at her with a surprisingly kind smile on his face.

“It’s not as if you have a home to go back to, right? You might say we’re in the same boat.”

She was silent.

“I’m happy to abduct you, if you wish. It’s your decision to make. Now choose.” The way Crow phrased this would have set anyone’s teeth on edge. But the girl, her eyes as wide as saucers, simply nodded in response.

“That’s settled, then.”

“Wait! Stop! That man is definitely up to no good! He’s tricking you!”

“That’s awfully harsh, Miss Detective.”

“Come down here at once! Before you get the chance to fool that innocent girl, I’ll break both your legs! I swear I will!”

“Is that jealousy I hear?”

“Huh?!”

Tucking the girl under his arm, the Phantom Thief bowed gracefully. “Well, bye for now, everyone. Think you can catch me, Miss Detective?”

The queen’s staff rang out again, shuddering as she slammed it against the floor. As soon as she had done so, however, Crow had vanished, as if by sleight of hand.

Atop Octavia’s head, Hat murmured in astonishment, “What do we do? The way things are going...”

“What did he say just now?”

It was not Hat who answered Octavia’s question, but the queen. “He invited you to catch him if you can—Detective.”

In other words, they were back to square one. Once again, things were just as they had been after that first infuriating kiss. Octavia slammed her fist down on the round table—bang!

Why, that cad... He’s got some nerve!

“Now,” proclaimed the queen suddenly, “I will state my decision regarding the request I made of those gathered here.”

Octavia wasn’t the only one startled by this. Her father—who in the recent commotion had retreated to one of the walls in the room, taking Jessie with him—now gingerly approached the table again.

“F-Forgive my impertinence, Your Majesty, but I really do not think this is the time for that...”

“Th-That’s right, Mother. Uncle is...” Edward, clinging to the round table, used only his eyes to point in Henry’s direction.

Henry still cowered on the floor, trembling and holding his head in his hands. He didn’t appear to have been injured, but however one looked at him, his condition was clearly abnormal. He had only just begun to be dragged to the other side, but Octavia had not brought him back using the correct steps, after all. Most likely his consciousness had been consumed by the other side.

“Leave him. We do not even know if he is in his right mind.”

Hearing the queen dismiss her brother with such indifference, Edward could not help but speak up. “You can’t mean that!”

“He would be facing punishment, in any case. To think that he would dare to try and deceive me, bringing an impostor before me.”

“Th-That’s only according to Octavia! Nothing has been prov—”

“Well, then, Edward, is it true that you produced a fake, just as Henry claims?” asked the queen in an icy tone.

Edward gulped and fell silent.

“Recall what the Phantom Thief said—that the girl was brought here to stand in for him. In other words, can we not say that he did, in fact, acknowledge that the girl in the photograph was him? Detective Octavia. Your deduction—that the girl in the photograph was Crow, the Phantom Thief himself—was correct.”

Though this was indeed the case, Octavia’s feelings on the matter were complex. It was only proven to be true because the Phantom Thief admitted it himself. In other words, did Crow not still have her in the palm of his hand? She didn’t feel pleased in the slightest.

“You, Detective Octavia, have fulfilled my request.”

“P-Please, wait, Your Majesty!” Octavia’s father, reading between the lines, spoke up in a pitiful voice.

Jessie, realizing the same thing, turned deathly pale and clung to Edward. “P-Prince Edward. Do something. You’re a prince, aren’t you?!”

“Be quiet. This is unsightly.”

At the queen’s cold declaration, Jessie shrieked, gulped, and gingerly looked up at the dais where the queen sat, her eyes full of flattery. “M-Mother-in-law, I only—”

“Edward. Take that wretched woman with you and leave this chamber at once.”

“M-Mother... I find your choice of words to be uncalled for...”

The queen declared, “The next Earl of Reine shall be you, Lady Octavia.”

Jessie let out a tiny scream, and her father turned white as a sheet.

“Y-You can’t... I beg you to reconsider, Your Majesty!”

“I suppose you’re right,” Octavia interjected, “but I must respectfully decline.”

“That’s right! This girl is not worthy of leading the House of Reine...” Octavia’s father trailed off, looking at her with a daft expression on his face. “Eh?”

Edward and Jessie were also startled.

“What did you say just now?” Even the queen felt the need to seek confirmation.

Octavia, feeling fed up, repeated herself offhandedly. “I said that I decline. I have not fulfilled your request, my queen. That was all merely a hypothesis. All we can say for certain is that the targets of Crow’s burglaries are shown in the photograph. We still have no way to verify the girl’s identity. With all the material evidence carried away by Crow, we cannot discover his true identity, either.”

“But Crow admitted it himself.”

“Can you really believe the words of such a rogue? Perhaps that really was the girl from the photograph, and he only claimed otherwise to sow discord amongst us! She certainly appears to be in the photograph. Therefore, there’s every chance that she could have become one of Crow’s targets.”

The more Octavia tried to explain the counterarguments, the more fascinating they became. Probably Crow had only appeared in order to prompt Octavia to say these things.

Choosing her words carefully, the queen murmured, “I have information which suggests that Henry did indeed conduct unethical experiments.”

“I see. However, I had no part in proving that. What I’m trying to say is—if you’re going to raise your estimation of my value, couldn’t you wait until after I’ve caught Crow, the Phantom Thief?”

After thinking for a while, the queen finally asked, “So you’re saying you’d like to continue being a detective for now?”

The queen was still able to follow what she was saying. Octavia nodded. “To be honest, if you asked me to manage a realm right now, it would only be a burden. I’m happy for my father to go on managing it in my stead.”

“Wh-Why, you—how dare you speak about me in that manner?!”

“Just as long as he doesn’t get in my way.”

Octavia’s father fell silent. He was rather busy, what with his face alternating between bright red and blue.

“More than anything, if I inherited the House of Reine just after being beaten by the Phantom Thief, I think my grandmother would turn in her grave.”

Silence now descended over the entire chamber. Jessie and Octavia’s father both looked as if they were holding ticking bombs; they frantically looked at the queen and Octavia in turn. Edward clenched both his hands in fists, rooted to the spot. Doubtless none of them spoke because they knew Octavia held their fates in her hands.

“Very well.” As if to restore order, the queen sounded her staff again. “In that case, let’s do the following.” Her tone of voice was severe. “Octavia de Reine, I name you the next Earl of Reine. However, you will only formally inherit the peerage if you manage to capture Crow, the Phantom Thief. In the event that you fail to capture him, then, just as Edward has insisted, the peerage will go to him, Jessie de Reine’s groom.”

Saved by the skin of their teeth, Jessie and Octavia’s father clasped their hands together. However, the queen’s stern voice interrupted their celebration.

“Edward. You are to be stripped of all the privileges you have attained as a prince for one year.”

“Eh...? Wh-Why?” It was Jessie who spoke up, her voice hysterical.

The queen responded evenly, “He misused our sheriffs and, far from contributing to the uncovering of the truth, confused the matter. Though his crimes are not as serious as Henry’s, he still must be dealt with. From now, for one year, you are not a prince or anything of the sort.”

“B-But, mother-in-law, Prince Edward did his best...”

“Know your place. Have some shame.”

This merciless remark from the queen froze the smile on Jessie’s face. Edward knelt to display his obedience. “As you wish...”

“Th-This can’t be,” breathed Jessie. “Then...what will become of our marriage? Darling?”

“J-Jessie. Stop this at once!”

“Detective Octavia.” At the sound of the queen’s stately voice, Octavia turned to face her once more. “Do you find this satisfactory?”

“You have my gratitude, my queen.”

“Then there is nothing more to discuss, and I declare this audience to be at an end. We will make preparations to release Marquis Osvard at once.”

At this reminder, Octavia released all of a sudden that she had forgotten about Raven. Where is he now?! He hasn’t run off, has he?! And just what did he intend to do with the girl he’d carried off with him? Octavia hurriedly turned to leave.

“Sorry, but I must excuse myself! Please handle the details however you wish!”

“O-Octavia, wait! Don’t you care about what happens to your family?”

“That’s right, Sister! You’re on good terms with Marquis Osvard, aren’t you? That being the case...”

Before she opened the large door to the audience chamber, Octavia came to a halt. Then she slowly turned only her head to look back at Jessie. “The next time you do anything to Raven, I won’t let you off so easily.”

Octavia’s father had been looking at her with pleading eyes; Jessie, smiling wickedly; and Edward, still crestfallen—but at this, they all collectively gasped. Without waiting to hear Jessie’s response, Octavia promptly opened the door and stepped out of the chamber.

The tower where Raven was being held was not far from the palace. If Octavia ran, she should make it there in no time.

“I do wonder about your choice of words just now,” said Hat.

“Was there something wrong with what I said? I just think of him as my prey, and mine alone.”

“Is that how you think of him? Well, probably better not to announce it to society at large...”

Octavia didn’t know what Hat was so worried about, but right now, Raven came first. Ah, right! I should check to see if there’s any evidence that Raven left his cell! As Octavia stepped outside, the sun had reached its apex in the sky. The brightness of its rays instilled hope in Octavia. Full of enthusiasm, she broke into a run.

To cut a long story short, there were surveillance images demonstrating that Raven had been in his cell for the entirety of the Phantom Thief’s appearance.

“Thank you, Octavia! I was right to place my trust in you.”

Octavia said nothing.

“When you look at me like that, I can’t help it if my heart pounds in my chest. That’s the most fearsome and fascinating face you’ve shown me up until now.”

Octavia was still silent.

“By the way, I heard that Crow, the Phantom Thief, appeared during your audience with the queen. Is that true? Are you all right?”

“Don’t you think we would have been better off not saving such a cheeky git as him?” wondered Hat.

Perhaps Hat was right. As Raven boldly stepped out of his iron-barred cell, a glowing smile on his face, Octavia fought the urge to punch him—just once!—and sighed.

That would be right, wouldn’t it? There’s no way he’d make such an elementary mistake as that.

Naturally, Raven, who wasn’t carrying the music box, didn’t have the girl with him either. He had nothing but the clothes on his back. Just what he had with him when he had been thrown in that cell, and nothing more. Of course, even if Octavia asked him what had become of the spoils of his theft, he would only play dumb. Though his abilities may have been achieved by forceful subversion of the rules, if he could use the Imperial Heirlooms, then there was very little he could not do. That meant that Octavia had simply been sent on a wild goose chase, didn’t it? A feeling welled up in Octavia that her efforts had been wasted, and her shoulders slumped.

“I wish you’d answer my question,” prompted Raven.

“I’m just glad to see that you’re all right.”

“As this is such a rare occasion, might I request something with a little more emotional impact? Like a kiss, to mark our reunion?”

Octavia ignored Raven and began descending the stairs to the tower.

“What came of the audience with the queen?”

She continued to ignore him.

“Octavia?”

“If it’s the House of Reine you’re asking about, I am to inherit it, on the condition that I capture Crow, the Phantom Thief.”

“Ohh?” Raven lowered his voice, following after Octavia. Without any warning, Octavia had been selected as guarantor for Raven’s release from jail, so she had no choice but to accompany him until they were out of the tower.

“Speaking only of the outcome, we have more or less maintained the status quo. Nothing will change. Only, my family might quiet down a little, and for one year, Edward will be stripped of his rank as prince.”

“My, oh, my. But why was your appointment to the peerage made contingent on the capture of the Phantom Thief?”

“Because I want to break his legs and make him take responsibility for his actions.”

“It sounds like what you really want to say is that you intend to capture Crow and make him your husband.”

“Huh? Why would I want to do that?”

“Hmm, so that’s not what you want...”

Octavia stepped outside the tower, leaving Raven behind. He seemed to have a lot on his mind. After he’d filled out the simple paperwork for his discharge and exited the tower himself, he found Octavia standing in front of him, her hands on her hips.

“Don’t try any other funny business. It’s time for you to go home.”

“Let me see you home first.”

“No need. I’m tired, so I’ll be going home myself. Don’t follow me.” Octavia had no interest in being led on another wild goose chase by Raven. After making her parting remarks, Octavia turned her back to Raven to walk away, but after a few steps she heard his voice again.

“I’ve decided to employ a little girl I happened to come across. Consider it a small act of charity. She’s a rare black-haired girl.” Octavia came screeching to a halt, and without thinking, looked over her shoulder. Raven grinned. “I wouldn’t want you jumping to any wrong conclusions, so I thought I should let you know before you meet her.”

“What conclusions did you think I would jump to?”

“I was worried you might mistakenly think that I was being unfaithful to you.”

“As if I would think that. In the first place, what do you mean by ‘unfaithful’? It’s almost as if you think we’re a couple.”

“It seems that something terrible happened to this girl, and she doesn’t speak much. But just hearing her say ‘thank you’ once nearly moved me to tears.”

Raven was talking about the young girl he had taken with him, the one who couldn’t speak. In between sighs, Hat said, “He must have mended her voice box. There’s definitely a tool we haven’t registered yet that could do that. He really does do as he pleases...”

An unregistered Heirloom meant one that Octavia had not yet discovered, which also meant that she couldn’t yet use it. She would rather that Raven didn’t take it upon himself to use such Heirlooms, but in this specific case—she probably ought to admit that he had done a good deed.

“Is that right? There really is no telling what you might do next,” said Octavia.

“There’s no telling with you, either,” said Raven with a smile, approaching Octavia one step at a time.

Octavia leaned away from him slightly. “Wh-What do you want? Do we have anything left to talk about?”

“I don’t remember my parents’ faces.” This admission struck Octavia like a bolt from the blue. “I have no memory of anything besides a life spent in desperation, doing whatever it took to win my freedom. That’s why I find it strange that I still stand before you, that I haven’t run away yet.”

The sun was in Octavia’s eyes, so she couldn’t quite make out Raven’s expression. It seemed to her that he might be smiling, but he also might have looked troubled. He isn’t lying, she thought. But it still might be a trap, so she was wary.

“Haven’t you only stuck around...for the fun of it, or some such reason?”

“That might be it. But the truth is that I don’t really know. Therefore, I’d like to make a request of the detective.”

Raven had come so close that their bodies were almost touching. She pushed back against his chest. “Y-You’re too close, Raven.”

“Detective Octavia.” The movement of his lips as he spoke her name was seductive. Considering all that had just occurred, this was all the more incongruous. But she couldn’t tear her eyes away from him. After all, he was being sincere. His hazel eyes were clearly troubled. His face was not covered by a mask right now, so she couldn’t help but notice.

“I want you to uncover my true identity, the one even I don’t know,” Raven whispered in Octavia’s ear.

She opened her eyes again. There was a click deep in her heart, where her wishes and his request meshed together perfectly like a pair of cogs.

“What will be my compensation?”

“My salary as your assistant. I’ll even throw in some sweets for you to enjoy at work.”

Not a bad deal.

“No, this clearly won’t do! Isn’t it obvious?! He’s just trying to extract information from you!” cried Hat.

“I’m a detective,” Octavia said after a pause. “I won’t be fooled.”

“That’s right, Octavia! Now that I think about it, if you can steal back the emergency activation key from this scoundrel, then the case will be done and dusted!”

“I have no intention of fooling anyone,” said Raven.

“Just how are you able to tell such bold lies?! I’m actually impressed!” blurted out Hat.

“My first priority is to catch Crow, the Phantom Thief!”

Raven could only blink in response. Hat was also silent.

Octavia stared back earnestly at Raven. “Only then can I focus on your case. Isn’t that right?”

“Ah... Yes. Well, I...suppose?”

“That’s right. It’s pointless for you to try and sneak in ahead of him. I will not let him get away.” Octavia held her head high, full of confidence.

Raven, his expression suddenly sober, murmured, “I wasn’t expecting that reaction.”

“Neither was I,” muttered Hat. “Who knew this good-for-nothing was so inflexible?”

“But don’t worry. I still accept your request.” I’ll take my compensation, too. It’s win-win. I almost feel like the world is on my side.

With the wind blowing against her face and soft earth under her feet, Octavia smiled. She now knew what it was that she wished for.

“I, too, want to know everything there is to know about you.”

She was also sure that one day, she would understand why the man before her had just stopped breathing. The thought of learning this filled her with excitement.

“This concludes our negotiations. I look forward to continuing to work with you, Raven.”

“...”

“Ah, that’s right. I have to say thank you to Ashton as well. He gave me some useful information. I’d like to stay in his good books from now on, as I continue to pursue Crow, the Phantom Thief. The police are an essential source of information for a detective, after all.”

Eliza must be worried, too, Octavia thought. She would make her report to Eliza and, while she was at it, ask her to see that Ashton would be promoted. Everything was just getting started.

Octavia held her head high, but Hat, sitting atop it, looked weary. “In my omniscience and omnipotence, one thing has finally become clear to me. This is not going to work out well.”

“I guess I really don’t understand you after all,” said Raven, smiling sheepishly.

Octavia had never seen him wear such an expression. She could hear an involuntary pounding in her own chest; in a hurry, she turned her back to him. Then, only after she’d taken a deep breath, she turned to face him once more.

“So you say. But even I can’t say that I truly understand myself. Isn’t that true for everyone?”

“I guess so. Now that you mention it, you, too, are a bundle of mysteries to me.”

“Would you like to try solving them? Go ahead. I’ll catch the Phantom Thief, so you can work on that.”

She still didn’t know the first thing about him. So she wanted to know. She backed away from Raven—one step, then another, then a third step.

Then, at last, she threw down the gauntlet between herself and the one who still dwelt deep in his heart.

“Just try and steal my heart, Phantom Thief.”

The thing I want to know most is what you’ll do after hearing that. Spinning away from Raven a final time, Octavia set forth, with Raven following after her a moment later. She decided to do him the favor of not turning to see his expression this time. She had some pity in her heart, after all.

They could not help but pursue each other’s mysteries. They hoped to uncover everything. They knew full well what to call a trap such as this, even as it continued to ensnare them, ever still more inexorably. But it wouldn’t be any fun to solve such a puzzle so quickly!

The sun was still high in the sky. There was still plenty of time until the silhouettes of the detective and queen, and the assistant and Phantom Thief, would fade into the night.

EPISODE 3.5

How nostalgic, I thought, looking at the lipstick, with its rich color of blood. From the vaulted ceiling hung many sparkling chandeliers. The marbled floor had been polished diligently, so that it reflected the dancers twirling upon it almost like a mirror—so that if I looked down, I would end up dizzy.

I was in a ballroom, a place of opulent socialization. The sound of voices, gossiping and bargaining, floated into the air and scattered like a shower of flower petals.

“I hear this year’s vintage is particularly fine. I can’t wait to taste it.”

“Say, do you know her? That lady over there.”

“Indeed. I’ve heard that of late she has been extremely prosperous. She even looks younger, in her face and her clothes.”

I, Raven L. Osvard, listened intently. The words I overheard were barbed.

“Perhaps you might call it sophistication? But that woman’s daughter is already of an age to make her debut.”

“I’ve heard that she’s a handful to be around. I’ve heard that even her servants are constantly in a daze!”

“It seems a young noble has been sending her flowers, one after the other. The fellow in question doesn’t look too bad to me, but, like every such night, I can’t tell who she has her sights set on...”

“Shh, she’s coming this way.”

“Lord Osvard!”

I could sense the wives and daughters of nobles who had been nattering away behind me gasp collectively. I turned to face the one who had greeted me with a grin on my face. It was those vivid red lips that had called me, but it seemed now that I could smell the heavy fragrance of wine. Ah, I imagine this alone would leave a normal human intoxicated.

“If you wouldn’t mind, might we speak over here?”

I do not detest flatterers, actually. It is people who live their lives without ever giving flattery that I dislike. I think them arrogant.

But this—the color of her lips—this would not do. A red so vivid that it threatened to blot out my retinas. The intoxicating feeling they imparted might have convinced another man that he was in love.

“Your lipstick is lovely.”

“Indeed, it really is. I only recently acquired it.”

“From where did you purchase it?”

“My, interested, are we? Well, let me see. Where was it...again...?”

She had suddenly fallen into a daze. This lady was most likely just a victim—it was only lipstick, after all. Even so, it was lipstick that could grant wishes. I knew it well. I had seen it before. After all, I had once worn it myself, using it to transform into a young girl when I’d had my picture taken.

The lipstick was magical, able to completely change one’s appearance. It was one of the Imperial Heirlooms that even the angels had not been able to wipe out entirely.

Could it be that the Heirlooms were scattered across the earth? That might have been the best way to dispose of them. There was no upper limit to a human’s ambition. Even when warned of the danger, some humans would still try to get their hands on them. The angels’ cover-up had capitalized on that weakness. The thought suddenly crossed my mind: if I exposed this scheme, I wondered, what would happen? I wasn’t thinking of revenge or anything so lofty as that. Something simpler, more innocent. I would call it playfulness.

It was around this time that I’d become used to the rank of marquis that I had so skilfully obtained. In fact, I’d begun to grow tired of it. There was still no sign that His Highness, the queen’s brother, had noticed me yet. He probably thought I had died. Angels can be surprisingly foolish.

That being the case, I thought that starting a new game wouldn’t be too bad. I’ve got it—what about becoming some sort of phantom thief? Of all things, a phantom thief who targets Demonic Heirlooms. An act of direct provocation against the angels.

That sounds like fun. They’re always that simple, really, the thoughts that inspire people to embark on a new course of action.

It was the same sort of thinking that led me to become Octavia’s assistant. At least, I believe it was. It sounded fun. That alone was enough. The pursuit of nothing but pleasure, ephemeral and unproductive. Without such a stimulus, I cannot truly feel that I am free, that I am alive. So, of course, it wasn’t as if I had any objective in mind.

“Just try and steal my heart, Phantom Thief.”

Receiving such words as these is...

“So troublesome,” I murmured.

“What’s the matter, Raven?” asked Octavia now. “That was sudden. If something is troubling you, I’ll happily discuss it with you. For a fee.”

“Thank you for your consideration. You’re a truly dependable employer. But this is a problem I have to deal with myself.”

“I see,” said Octavia, returning to her paperwork. I was dissatisfied with how easily she had withdrawn from the conversation, but I was also aware of how unreasonable my excuse must have sounded. I, too, returned to my work opening mail.

Then I chanced upon a particular envelope, and my eyes opened wide. “Octavia, it’s from Reine Manor—from your father.”

“Just open it for now. And see what’s inside. Thanks.”

“Are you sure? It might be private.”

“I don’t mind. It’s too late to keep you out of my family matters.”

Did she say this out of her faith in me or her lack of concern with her family? I decided to take it as the former; that was more favorable to me, after all. With a twist of my paper knife, I opened the envelope and ran my eyes across the letter.

“What does it say? Ah, but I’m sure it’s another letter I won’t quite understand...”

I couldn’t prevent my voice from becoming lower. “He says he has more suitors to introduce to you.”

I heard another voice respond at the same time, which said, “He what? That rubbish family of yours again!”

It could’ve been that the hat had cottoned on to the fact that I could hear him, now. Probably he was hollering with the intention of provoking a reaction. Either way, I decided to treat this as an auditory hallucination.

Octavia’s hand, which had been writing with a quill pen, froze. She sighed.

“Not again...”

“Again?” I repeated thoughtlessly, dreading what I might learn. I tried to convey that this was the first I’d heard about any new suitors.

But Octavia only shrugged. “This is the third time he’s sounded me out since the start of this month. I’ll happily ignore it.”

“Are you sure? You won’t even ask who your prospective suitors are?”

“They’re all the same.”

“I might be misremembering, but I thought you believed in marrying strategically.” What had caused a note of sarcasm to slip into my voice was the fact that the candidates Octavia’s father had offered up were all of quite high standing. Though I wouldn’t have called them men of the very highest pedigree, all things considered, Octavia’s father had nevertheless made quite a good effort, it seemed. It wouldn’t have been strange for Octavia, set as she was on a strategic marriage, to seize upon any one of them.

This was the same father who hadn’t wanted Octavia to make a societal debut. I never would have imagined that he would come to her with an offer like this. Perhaps he had finally acknowledged the fact that Octavia would inherit his peerage, contingent as this was on her capturing Crow, the Phantom Thief. This was a ploy to ensure that she at least married a man he could support.

Come to think of it, I had heard a rumor that Edward was now working on the ground. Octavia’s father would probably have to resort to someone else for his other daughter, too.

“Well, in the first place, your income is higher, isn’t it?”

My mind had been so occupied with these strange concerns that I took a while to respond. “Hm? What? Income?”

“What I mean is, there’s no room for comparison, is there?” Octavia looked at me with an expression as if to say, Don’t you get it?

I couldn’t help but think I was being stupid. No, wait a moment. No, this is not a cause for celebration. Presently, Octavia—without the slightest hint of embarrassment—returned to her work. She had given me as much consideration as she would when comparing two items in a shop, one in each hand, and judging one of them to be better value.

To be sure, I was a high-value prospect. Given my income, my title, my reputation, and my looks, young noblewomen around my age would surely line up around the block. In short, Octavia had finally realized that fact. That was all. In other words, this was nothing for me, a believer in marrying for love, to celebrate.

No, I suppose it’s good that she’s at least become aware of that. I may have managed to slip past her defenses. Or have I?

Could it be that those words of hers—just try and steal my heart—were not the charming invitation I had taken them for, but a proclamation of defiance? A declaration that I would never manage that feat? I became aware of an icy feeling in the bottom of my heart.

“She is formidable...” Her assistant’s resentful muttering did not seem to reach the ears of the detective, enthralled in her work as she was. Touching the tip of her quill to her lips, she pondered something. Though I had already touched those lips twice, there was now not a hint of eroticism between us.

But—challenge accepted. Isn’t stealing the unstealable what makes me the Phantom Thief? What fun is there in stealing treasure from an unlocked chest?

“Raven. The figures on this invoice are wrong—” Octavia broke off. “Raven? What’s the matter with you?”

“Nothing, sorry. I was lost in thought. I’ll be right there.” With a smile worthy of an assistant, I rose to my feet.

I had slipped a letter of announcement into her opened mail. Almost like a love letter.

That night, the Phantom Thief flitted across the sky. This time, to steal the detective’s heart.

Afterword

Nice to meet you—or otherwise, good to see you again. My name is Sarasa Nagase. On this occasion, I humbly thank you for reading this work of mine. This story was reworked and retitled from a work that was first posted and serialized on the web. The parts from Raven, the male love interest’s perspective, are all original to this volume, and the main text has been revised and expanded extensively, to the extent that I think even those who read the web edition will find something to enjoy about it.

This story once bore the title “The Young Lady Detective Will Not Make Deductions, Really,” but I never imagined it would be turned into a book. I’d only knocked it out to serve my own proclivities, since with the promise of a phantom thief as the male love interest, I could live quite happily on nothing but white rice.

Now, seeing it become a book—complete with gorgeous illustrations—is almost like being in a dream. I really hadn’t thought anything through at first, so when I finally began the work of rewriting it for print publication, there were many moments when I held my head in anguish. But if there is anyone else out there who enjoys it, who also likes the pairing of a detective and a phantom thief, then I will be satisfied.

Now for the acknowledgments. Firstly, Hatipisuwan-sensei. I am so thankful for the gorgeous illustrations you provided, despite your busy schedule. Just seeing your depiction of my Phantom Thief love interest is enough for me to feel happy that I’m alive.

Next, the editor in charge. Thank you for always dealing with me politely. As this was my first paperback, I did not know what was expected of me, and I believe I caused you trouble, but I enjoyed working with you very much!

I must also thank profusely the proofreaders, everyone in the editing department, the designers and marketers, and everyone who participated in the creation of this book.

Furthermore, it is only because of the support of everyone who read the story while it was still in its web edition that Octavia and Raven can now be found in the pages of a book. Thank you so much for your encouragement.

Finally, to everyone who was kind enough to pick up this book—what did you think of Octavia and Raven’s story? Hopefully, I will be able to write the continuation of their story. Until then, I pray that we will meet again.

Respectfully yours,

Sarasa Nagase

Bonus Short Story

The All-Knowing, All-Powerful Hat Makes His Deduction

Hat was an all-knowing, all-powerful artifact. To put it another way, he was the administrator of the Imperial Heirlooms, which were themselves crammed with all of mankind’s wisdom. As he was no less intelligent than a human—on the contrary, he was more intelligent—nothing should be able to escape his notice.

Least of all an obvious trap like this.

“Going shopping with Ann, she says. Even though I would have been quite willing to help her myself.” The man who sat elegantly on the sofa was gazing at the door. He wasn’t looking at Hat, who rested on the table in front of him. Indeed, he comported himself as if he were only talking to himself. “Though I suppose the fact that she left me here to watch the place means that she trusts me.”

But his tone of voice betrayed the truth. He was definitely speaking so that Hat would overhear him.

“I’m sure she only thought that it would be ridiculous to remain on her guard around you,” Hat replied. “Don’t get carried away.”

“Even so, there’s nothing to do here. Perhaps I should set up some sort of surprise for her.”

“How old are you?”

“When she’s startled, perhaps she’ll misattribute her excitement. That could be to my advantage. When she feels her heart pound, she might mistake it for love. Shall I try it?”

“Are you stupid?”

“But nothing promising comes to mind... I feel like Octavia would brush that sort of thing off surprisingly easily. Ah, it’s so boring to be left alone,” said Raven, before turning his head to look at Hat.

Raven was pretending he could not hear Hat, but Hat felt as if their eyes had met. A brief moment of tension passed.

Then Raven reached out toward Hat. Before Hat knew what was happening, he found himself placed on top of Raven’s head. Hat was currently in the guise of Octavia’s quintessential detective’s accessory, the deer-stalker hat.

“If only this would allow me to know what Octavia was thinking.”

“You can’t tell? You must be even dimmer than I thought.”

“Oh, my, this hat is so small. I wonder if it’ll stretch when I tug on it. Ha ha ha! Or will it tear?” Gripping him tightly, Raven began to stretch Hat’s brim out.

“As for my good-for-nothing detective, her head is probably still filled with thoughts of you—”

Raven let go of Hat suddenly, as if his hands had been burned.

Pretending to simply flutter downwards, Hat alighted neatly on top of the table once more.

Hat was all-knowing and all-powerful. Therefore he understood the meaning behind the man’s expression, as his face turned red and he covered his mouth with a hand.

“Did you really think it would be that easy?”

Raven’s expression stiffened, but he seemed to have enough self control left to stop himself from hurling abuse at Hat.

“You fool,” Hat went on, “of course it wouldn’t be that easy. Just who do you take our queen for? You spineless coward—you, who cannot even begin to confess your own feelings.”

Raven didn’t offer a retort to this either.

“You’re out of her league. Know your place, Phantom Thief.”

Perhaps Raven felt he couldn’t talk back. After all, it was taken for granted that Hat and Raven could not converse.

On top of that, Octavia—whom he had keenly awaited—had now returned. “Raven, we managed to find some good tea leaves. We bought milk too.”

Raven could do nothing but frantically feign a smile. “Welcome back, Octavia. Would you like me to make the tea?” He greeted her with his usual calm expression. Hat rather admired the speed of this transformation.

“Yes, would you? Ann is just handling the rest of the bags for me, so let’s all have tea together once she’s done.”

All together. At these words, Raven looked slightly disappointed, but he said nothing. As garrulous as he had been in front of Hat under the pretense of talking to himself, he once again fell flat on his backside at the final hurdle. The next time Octavia told him to wait here while she went out on an errand, he would surely torment himself in the same futile way.

“My, how pitiful,” muttered Hat.

“Hat? Did something happen between you and Raven?”

“No. How did it go? You were going to buy that fellow a gift in place of his salary, weren’t you?”

“W-Well... The truth is, I couldn’t decide, so I thought I’d try again next time I’m out shopping.” Octavia smiled wryly in an attempt to smooth things over.

Hat was having none of that. “I think he’d be delighted no matter what you got him, like a puppy.”

“Ann said the same thing, but shouldn’t I want to get him something amazing?”

“What is this strange sense of pride? Good grief... Why does everyone around me insist on wasting their time so?”

Hat’s criticism left Octavia in a huff, but he was sure that her spirits would lift as soon as she drank the tea that Raven had just brought into the room. Once she had, all her worries—and his, too—would be swept away.

Good grief, what a waste of time. But the all-knowing, all-powerful Hat knew the truth. This waste of time was what people called love.