Ludger walked through the streets of Rederbelk.

The mansion where Casey Selmore was staying wasn’t far from the city center.

Steam-powered cars rolled down the roads, and carriages drawn by golem constructs moved steadily alongside them.

Across the street was a man-made park, where an old man sat on a bench, feeding pigeons.

Ludger naturally sat down on the empty space beside him.

The old man, still tossing feed to the pigeons, spoke first.

“Detective Casey Selmore is still staying inside her residence.”

“The reason?”

“Since returning from the capital, her complexion hasn’t been good. It’s not a physical illness— seems to be something weighing on her mind.”

“I see.”

“Somehow, word got out, and fans have been visiting with gifts. Her little assistant has been turning all of them away. That’s all.”

“Good work.”

Ludger handed the old man a banknote from his pocket.

The old man stood and left [N O V E L I G H T] the park as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Soon he’d be sitting somewhere else, acting like another pitiful old man, quietly gathering news to pass along.

Flap!

The pigeons scattered as their feeder left.

Ludger stared at a second-story window of a nearby house.

Vines with bright green leaves cascaded down the iron railing like a waterfall—probably Casey’s doing.

The homeowner wouldn’t have permitted such a thing, but judging by the fact that no one had stopped her, she must have been paying a generous rent.

Ludger rose from the bench and approached the house.

Just as he was about to step inside, someone came out.

“Honestly, do people not realize that sending this many gifts just creates more work for us?”

A young girl, effortlessly carrying a bundle three times her size.

Though she looked like a frail girl, she was, in truth, an automaton—built of steel and clockwork gears.

Code Beta.

Currently, she was known as the genius detective’s assistant—Betty.

Betty dumped all the useless fan gifts by the entrance and brushed her hands off.

“Hm. At least this one is worth keeping.”

She picked up a bouquet placed atop the pile.

So the plants on the balcony railing weren’t Casey’s idea after all.

Finished with her task, Betty turned to head inside—only to stop when she noticed Ludger.

“Huh?”

At first, she tilted her head, trying to place him, but Betty rarely forgot a face. After a moment, she recognized him.

“Ludger Cherish! Right?!”

“That’s right.”

“I’ve seen you in the papers. Though honestly, I know more about you because Casey talks about you all the time.”

To Betty, Ludger was the man who occasionally appeared in newspapers—or, more importantly, the man Casey was strangely obsessed with.

“You’re here to see Casey, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm. That’s tricky. She’s not in any state to receive visitors right now.”

“Is her health that bad?”

“Her body’s fine. It’s her mind. She was weird before, but now she’s really weird.”

Weird before, huh...

Ludger let out a small, amused breath. He couldn’t exactly deny that.

“Well, since you seem to know her, and I need to step out for a bit, I’ll let you in—on one condition: take care of her for me while I’m gone!”

“A condition?”

“Of course! Casey has lots of fans who show up every day, completely clueless that they’re being a nuisance. Then again, they’re exactly the kind of fans Casey deserves.”

“I see.”

“So I chased them all away!”

Betty struck a pose, flexing a delicate arm as if showing off muscles—though visually, it was just the arm of a petite girl.

But Ludger didn’t laugh. He knew full well that Betty’s strength could probably crush an industrial steam golem with her bare hands.

He stared at her for a moment.

The successful product of the Steel Choir, just like Arpa.

Considering her name, her codename was definitely Beta.

Then whose soul resides inside that body?

The thought crept into Ludger’s mind.

Perhaps the soul inside Betty’s mechanical body belonged to Arte’s younger sister—Shelly.

“Here!”

Betty suddenly shoved the bouquet into his hands.

“Take this inside for me.”

“Where are you going?”

“We’re out of food. I need to get groceries. And pay the utility bills while I’m at it.”

“...Efficient.”

“Then I’m counting on you!”

And with that, Betty darted off, her steps strangely light—perhaps a little too happy to dump the responsibility on him.

Good grief.

Ludger shook his head.

Still, despite her bluntness, Betty had been the one looking after Casey all this time.

Letting him in like this meant she trusted him.

So Casey never told her about what happened between us back then.

She probably hadn’t said anything.

Ludger entered the house with the bouquet.

Casey’s room was on the second floor.

He climbed the carpeted wooden stairs and knocked.

Knock, knock.

No response.

She was definitely inside—Betty had said as much.

Ludger tried the doorknob, just in case.

Creak.

Unlocked. Too easily unlocked.

If a thief broke in, what then?

But his thoughts evaporated when he saw the state of the room.

What is this... a pigsty?

Books and papers were scattered everywhere, along with newspapers and random junk.

It wasn’t that no one cleaned—the signs of cleaning were there.

Likely Betty’s work.

But it was messy again simply because the mess accumulated faster than it could be cleaned.

A faint chemical smell hung in the air.

Had she been experimenting with chemicals here?

Carefully stepping over the clutter, Ludger moved deeper into the room.

Most people imagined that a beautiful woman’s room would be clean and fragrant, but this was anything but.

He spotted a bed tucked into a corner.

Someone lay beneath the white blanket, light blue hair spilling out—obviously Casey.

Ludger placed the bouquet on the nearest dresser, dragged a chair over, and sat.

Feels like I’ve done this before...

Who would have thought he’d spend his life playing nursemaid to people?

He looked around the room.

The deep red patterned wallpaper over wood panels gave the place an oddly old-fashioned feel.

Shelves held strange bottles, random statuettes, and glass ornaments—souvenirs, no doubt, from her travels across the continent.

Ludger glanced at the bulge under the blanket, then lifted the edge slightly.

Casey’s sleeping face was revealed.

She didn’t stir, meaning she was in a deep sleep.

Or maybe just utterly exhausted.

It had been some time since she returned from the capital, and yet she was still like this.

Her skin was flawless, even without having washed recently.

Is it because she works with water magic that her skin stays moisturized?

A frivolous thought, quickly replaced by something more serious as he noticed the dark shadows under her eyes.

Though asleep, her complexion was poor—like someone plagued by nightmares.

Her body was resting, but her mind clearly wasn’t.

It was no wonder she spent her days lying in bed, trapped in constant fatigue and mental fog.

Not a curse—more like trauma, or crushing psychological pressure.

Ridiculous. Casey Selmore?

The arrogant, self-proclaimed genius detective didn’t fit the image of someone haunted by trauma.

But everyone had a past no one else knew.

Near the pillow, Ludger noticed a torn medicine packet.

So she was prescribed something to cope. At least it isn’t alcohol or something stronger.

“Mmm...”

Casey frowned and let out a soft groan.

She tossed and turned, sweat beading on her forehead.

“...”

Ludger scanned the room and spotted a washbasin and a damp towel among the clutter.

With a flick of his fingers, he used Telekinesis to lift the towel, wring it out, and bring it over.

Gently, he wiped the cold sweat from her forehead.

Swoosh... swish...

Ludger’s touch was careful and gentle.

It seemed to help—Casey’s complexion softened a little.

“W-water...”

Her parched lips moved, mumbling for water.

The thought of it almost made Ludger laugh.

This was a woman who could pull water out of thin air even in a desert, yet here she was asking for a drink.

Maybe it was a kind of childish plea she only ever showed to Betty when being taken care of.

The fact that she was like this at all spoke volumes about how bad her condition really was.

Ludger poured her a glass of water, cooling it with a bit of frost magic, and even added a straw.

“Here.”

Casey wrapped her lips around the straw and drank.

Sluuurp, sluurp.

It felt like feeding a baby bird.

When she finally quenched her thirst, Ludger set the half-full glass on the nearby table and reached a hand toward her.

I don’t know if this will even help...

He stirred his mana. A faint glow gathered at his fingertips.

The soft energy spread, covering Casey’s body.

It was a miraculous healing magic, something modern sorcery could barely replicate—strong enough to erase old burn scars.

But whether it could ease a weary mind, Ludger didn’t know.

Still, the results were clear—her pallor improved almost immediately.

And then, Casey’s closed eyelids fluttered open.

“...You.”

Her pale blue eyes found him. Ludger half-expected her to jolt upright, blushing, maybe even yell at him.

But her reaction was one he hadn’t predicted.

“...I’m sorry.”

The first words out of her mouth weren’t anger, interrogation, or reproach.

They were an apology.

“I’m sorry... for making you carry that disgrace and run...”

Ludger’s pupils widened.

Why are you apologizing? You don’t owe me that.

He wanted to tell her—Don’t apologize. I’m the one who used you. I’m the one who pushed you to act that way. If anyone should be sorry, it’s me.

He could have said it. He should have said it.

Even if she didn’t believe it, the words themselves would’ve mattered.

But what came out instead was the opposite.

“It’s fine.”

“...!”

“I accept your apology.”

He wiped away the tear slipping down her cheek with the cool, damp cloth.

Casey’s eyes widened, then slowly softened into a relieved smile. Her eyelids drooped, and this time she sank into sleep—deep, peaceful sleep, free of nightmares.

Click.

With a wave of his hand, Ludger used magic to open the window, letting fresh air into the stuffy room.

He rose quietly so as not to wake her and stepped outside.

At the front door, he ran into Betty returning with groceries.

“Oh! Did you see Casey?”

“Yes.”

“She’s not doing well, is she? I’m sorry you came all this way...”

“It’s fine. She’s better now. Just make sure she gets some proper rest.”

“Huh? Really?”

Betty’s face brightened at that. She dashed upstairs to check on Casey herself.

Watching her hurry away, Ludger allowed himself a faint smile before leaving.

Casey woke up half a day later, as the sun was setting.

“Someone came by?”

“Yes. You didn’t know?”

“I don’t really remember... Feels like I had a nice dream, though.”

As she brushed her hair from her face, she asked, “So who was it?”

“The person you always talk about, of course!”

“The person I always talk about?”

“Ludger Cherish.”

“...What?”

He was here?

But she didn’t remember seeing him at all.

Wait... No way...

Her face flushed bright red in an instant. She swayed, then collapsed back onto the bed.

“Casey? Your face is red. Are you sick?”

“No, just... dizzy all of a sudden.”

She glanced around the room—half wondering, irrationally, if he’d stolen something while she was asleep.

But nothing was missing.

In fact, something new had been added.

Her eyes landed on the bouquet placed on the dresser beside her bed.

“Betty... What’s this bouquet?”

“That? The guest brought it.”

The guest. There had only been one.

Wait... Is that... hibiscus?

Bright red petals.

The flower’s meaning?

A love kept secret, unspoken...

Poof!

Casey’s face turned crimson, steam practically bursting from her head.