[Isekai Lady Cozy Mystery] Episode 7: The Writer Lady's Countryside Escape Mystery Diary ~I was told 'Marry me,' but I'm starting a detective agency in my hideout~

Previous Episode

31

We arrive at Phili Village and head toward the destination villa. There is a villa area in Phili Village, but perhaps because it is depopulated, I don't even pass by any villagers. The villa is also in a lonely, isolated spot, and it is eerily quiet. It is certainly not a bad environment for focusing on work.

The villa was a two-story brick building. Perhaps they didn't hire a caretaker, as the garden was full of weeds. It was creepy that there was no sign of life and it was too quiet, but this was a clue I had finally obtained. There shouldn't be a corpse here, surely. I went into the villa with Chris.

It was dustier than I imagined. I opened the windows to ventilate, but there didn't seem to be a corpse in any of the rooms, and I felt relieved.

“Lady Anna, you're overthinking it. There's no way there's a corpse. Well, shall we go to the study on the second floor, or what looks like a workroom?”
“I suppose so.”

Chris, who is bossy even at times like this, walks in front of me and briskly climbs the stairs. I hurriedly follow him and enter the study.

This room was also dusty. I immediately ventilated it and turned on the lights, but the bookshelves in the study were packed with literary criticism, and there were many works by Mr. Tristan. It seems Mr. Tristan was working here. Submissions from new writers and unpublished manuscripts from big-name authors also appeared. There were also valuable manuscripts from deceased writers. I realized why Editor-in-Chief Edmond didn't tell the White Guard about this villa. This place is full of confidential work information. No matter how much it's the White Guard, he wouldn't want it leaked.

“Oh, look at the bookshelf. There are Lady Anna's works too.”
“Really?”

The tall Chris took down the one on the top shelf for me. It was my debut work. Works serialized in literary magazines were also filed away.

He had read both of them thoroughly. Sticky notes were also attached.

“Look closely, Lady Anna. Why are there tear stains on the galley proofs for your new work?”
“Eh, what do you mean?”

I snatched the galley proofs from Chris and stared at them. It was a mystery written based on the Tarrant Village incident. The cafe manager and the widow are the main characters, and while no full-scale mystery tricks appear, it is a story where the cafe manager and the widow diligently repeat inquiries, uncover a past disappearance case, and solve a murder case.

Of course, not everything imitates the Tarrant Village incident. There are parts that are quite different from reality. In particular, the final scene where they corner the culprit is entirely fictional. The widow uncovers the mystery and confronts the culprit directly, but the culprit gets angry. The widow is about to be killed, but the cafe manager throws water and flour to repel the culprit. This is the climax, and there is also the cafe manager's signature line: “There is no crime that will not come to light! Confess!”

For some reason, there are tear stains on this line. Moreover, it is written in red pen, “I want to repent. I want to confess my sins.”

I was startled. This was also in the fan letter sent to me. And the handwriting is the same. It is beautiful writing, like a typewriter. Was Mr. Tristan trying to make some past crime public?

“What does this mean? Does it mean my work made Mr. Tristan have a change of heart?”
“That might be it. Tristan was likely trying to make some crime, some dark secret, public to the world. The people who were hindered by that killed him.”

While listening to Chris's voice, my mind began to race. I understood the motive for Mr. Tristan's murder. I saw the light. Until now, I had been groping in the dark, but it felt as if my surroundings had suddenly brightened.

Deduce, me. Deduce. What was the crime Mr. Tristan was trying to make public?

Everything I have investigated so far. Things that bothered me. I recall everything I felt was strange. It's okay if I don't have evidence yet. Remember every possible possibility.

Could it be, Tristan-sensei? Was he prostituting Sybil...?

As a woman myself, I didn't want to think about it, but the possibility was high. Sybil had received support from Tristan-sensei during the plague outbreak ten years ago, and they must have entered into a mistress contract then. It's unclear who proposed it, but the accessories Sybil wore looked like those of a nouveau riche. A mere bar manager wouldn't be able to afford them.

Besides, there's the matter of Paula, who was almost forced into selling her body. Paula barely escaped it, but a woman driven into a corner has lowered judgment, and it wouldn't be strange if she did something similar. There is also the reality of male chauvinism in our country. And the party where I encouraged Paula. Sybil was acting strange then, too.

I had always assumed Sybil was cheating with multiple men, but it seems it was prostitution. Sybil dressing as a man was also to protect the honor of high-status clients. After all, Asarion Village has gossiping widows. It would be easier to protect herself from rumors by disguising herself and becoming someone else.

I also think about Tristan-sensei, who was angry at my debut work. In my second work, there is a description of past crimes coming to light. From Tristan-sensei's perspective, my work might have been scary, like a prophecy from God. It's just a coincidence, but it would make sense if he sent a letter saying he wanted to confess.

Looking only at Tristan-sensei's actions, he was bad. If he took advantage of weak women and prostituted them, I can't sympathize, but he seems to have felt guilt. He was even planning to make it public. Unfortunately, prostitution is legal in our country, but that doesn't mean he deserved to be killed.

The culprit is Sybil. She was about to have her prostitution exposed, and Tristan-sensei became a nuisance, so she killed him. The perpetrator could be Chef Cedric, Manager Ghislain, or Dr. Rodolphe. It's unclear if it was one of them or multiple people.

Once I understood the motive, my reasoning suddenly progressed. As Miss Margaret said, I might have been too focused on the superficial tricks.

What do you think? Does this reasoning hold up?

When I explained my reasoning quickly, Chris applauded. The clapping sound echoed in the dusty study.

Wonderful, Miss Anna. It's certain that Sybil is the culprit. Let's go meet the culprit right away and make her spill it.

And then Chris switches to his villainous mode. His eyes are more fixed than usual, and his mouth is curled into a nasty, smug grin.

Well, the perpetrator is probably Chef Cedric. Miss Anna, marry me.
Can you stop proposing in the middle of all this? I've gotten used to you saying that so many times.
D-damn it...

Chris crouches down on the spot, his face bright red and looking frustrated. As Paula said, this figure doesn't look like a high-spec executive at all. It's truly disappointing.

Be that as it may, the culprit is now determined. There is no evidence, but considering the motive, I am convinced that Sybil is the culprit.

Well, let's go back to Asarion Village. And let's go see Sybil.
That's right.

Chris nods deeply. Let's leave the villa and return to Asarion Village.

We are finally going to meet the culprit like in a serious mystery novel, but I can understand Sybil's circumstances. I don't intend to blame her either. There is a high possibility that I can persuade her. I believed that the case would head toward a resolution just like this.

32

Chris and I were rushing to Asarion Village.

"Hurry up, Lady Anna. Sybil might escape."
"I know that."

After getting off the carriage, Chris and I ran toward the villa area, rushing to Sybil's bar. It was already evening. The sky was dyed orange, and the wild birds were chirping leisurely, but we were in a hurry.

"Hey, you two. You're in disguise, but what's going on?"

It was when we finally approached Sybil's bar. We were called out to by Manager Colette from the cafe next door. Manager Colette seemed to be preparing to close up and was putting away the shop's signboard, but she seemed to find our appearance strange.

"Eh, what is it? Was Sybil the culprit?"

When I explained the situation briefly, Manager Colette grinned. She was clearly enjoying it. I could picture her and Eme being happy about this rumor, but now was not the time for that.

"Hey, hey, Manager Colette. Don't enjoy the incident. Is Sybil there?"
"Whoa, Chris. You're one to talk, considering your own situation."
"Well, well, you two. Why don't you just try going into the bar for now?"

Manager Colette took the lead and entered the bar in no time. There was a "Closed" sign on the board at the bar, but she didn't care. I followed behind the light-footed Manager Colette, but there was no one inside the bar.

There were eight counter seats, and it wasn't a large bar. The counter table and stools were old, and there didn't seem to be many types of liquor. The kind of liquor my nouveau riche father used to drink wasn't there. The wallpaper was also peeling in places, giving it the atmosphere of a typical small countryside bar. The state of this bar confirmed it for me. It would be difficult for Sybil to buy nouveau riche-style accessories. If she had been making other men like Mr. Tristan pay for them, it would make sense.

"Oh, what a shame. Sybil isn't here. Hey, where did Sybil go?"

Manager Colette went behind the counter on her own, filled a glass with ice, and started drinking. Chris was stunned by her overly free behavior, and I felt my tension drain away as well.

I didn't intend to drink here, but I went behind the counter. There might be some clues.

Ignoring Manager Colette, who was drinking and had started pestering Chris, I rummaged through the shelves. I found recipe books for cocktails and sweets, as well as account books.

"I found evidence."

I pulled out the account books and showed them to Manager Colette and Chris. There were two types of account books. One was for the bar, and the flow of money was clean, but the other type of account book was not good.

It contained a record of all the money contributed by men. It wasn't just money; there were also records of gifts such as accessories, bags, and clothes, which made me feel sick.

"Wow! This is a record of money and gifts received from Mr. Tristan, Manager Ghislain, Chef Cedric, and Mr. Rodolphe! No way! Sybil, since when have you been doing this..."

Manager Colette had been noisy at first, but she was a woman after all. Perhaps she had thoughts as a woman herself. She was at a loss for words.

Chris also had a complicated expression. "I wouldn't treat a woman like this. I don't understand it," he muttered quietly. It seems Chris was unexpectedly fastidious, but this was major evidence. We decided to leave the account books with Manager Colette for the time being and go look for Sybil.

We left the bar and searched the forest around the villa, but Sybil was nowhere to be found.

"Where did you go, Sybil?"

I was starting to get anxious. The ledger was detailed. It properly accounted for wig expenses, and there were even entries for donations to women's independence support groups. It seems Sybil also had her own thoughts on our country's male-dominated society. She didn't seem like a villain at heart.

“Don't panic, Lady Anna. She shouldn't have gone that far. She didn't even lock the bar. Besides, if she were going to run away somewhere, she would have taken that ledger with her.”
“That's true.”
“This is exactly when you need to stay calm.”

Although his words were imperative, Chris's voice itself was gentle, and I began to calm down as well.

“Lady Anna, I'll help too. If it's about rumors among the villagers, leave it to me.”

We also reunited with Manager Colette. She had left us temporarily to prepare for closing the cafe, but she seemed unable to stop worrying about the incident. She had a telescope hanging around her neck and the rumored notebook in her right hand. It seems she was even more motivated than we were.

This was a reliable ally. I asked Manager Colette to predict where Sybil might go.

“Let's see. How about the lake?”
“Why?”
“As Lady Anna said, why the lake?”

At this, Manager Colette showed off her rumor notebook and puffed out her chest confidently.

“There have been sightings of a blue bird around the lake. Maybe Sybil went to look for it? That girl was surprisingly curious about the whereabouts of the blue bird.”

I decided to trust Manager Colette's prediction. Chris agreed, and the three of us headed to the lake.

Even though it was evening, there were many tourists around the lake. We followed Sybil's trail while asking the tourists for information. Chris was disguised in a dowdy way, but it seems he couldn't hide his good looks. Female tourists in particular would turn bright red and let their guard down.

There was no notable testimony right away. Sybil might have been cross-dressing, so we asked about that too, but we didn't get the testimony we were hoping for.

“That boyish-looking person? I think I saw them heading into the forest by the lake during the day.”

In the midst of this, we got testimony from one tourist. It seems Sybil had gone missing while in her cross-dressing version.

The sun was already setting. The sky was changing from orange to indigo, but having come this far, there was no option to turn back. Together with Chris and Manager Colette, I entered the forest at the back of the lake.

Perhaps because it was evening, this forest felt even gloomier. It was deserted and deathly quiet.

“It's true that there are rumors of ghosts in this forest. Even the locals don't come near it much.”

Manager Colette didn't seem scared at all as she flipped through her notebook. She marched straight into the forest. I wasn't particularly scared either, but for some reason, Chris stood in front of me and wouldn't let me walk ahead at all.

“Honestly, what is it?”

Watching Chris's back, I had no choice but to follow him.

“Look!”

Manager Collette peered through the telescope and shouted. At the same time, the sound of wild birds echoed. It wasn't the sound of cute birds. Rather, it was a sound similar to a child's cry.

For some reason, I got goosebumps. I had a bad feeling. When I realized it, my palms were damp with sweat, but Manager Collette started running, and Chris followed.

“Hey, everyone, what's wrong?”

Without understanding the situation, I followed the two of them, but my bad feeling only grew. Perhaps it was because Manager Collette and Chris were acting differently than usual.

“Miss Anna, don't look from here.”
“That's right, Anna. It's better if you don't look.”

The two of them suddenly became a wall. For some reason, I couldn't see anything in front of me at all.

“What is going on?”

Unable to grasp the situation, my voice sounded pathetic.

“Miss Anna, don't look. Sybil's body is there. Though she's dressed in men's clothing.”
“Eh?”

I doubted my own ears. I couldn't believe Chris's words at all.

“Judging by this, I wonder if it's suicide...”

Manager Collette's voice was trembling. This was rare. It was strange for Manager Collette, who loved gossip and would drink at the bar on her own, to use such a weak voice.

“W-what does this mean...”

Because Chris was acting as a wall, I couldn't see anything. I didn't know what was happening. Even so, there was one thing I did know.

It seemed the culprit had died.

33

I don't remember much about what happened after that. We were taken in by the White Guard who rushed to the scene, and I was thoroughly interrogated along with Chris and Manager Collette, but I told them everything honestly.

Aurelien of the White Guard was, for some reason, composed during the interrogation. It was as if he were saying that this case was already solved. Furthermore, unlike when they initially framed me, I was released once the interrogation was over.

Manager Collette was indignant about this. Even though she had always been anti-White Guard, she muttered complaints like, “Aren't they just investigating this half-heartedly?”

Chris is the same. He never had a good impression of the White Guard to begin with. He seems to have a strong sense of unease, wondering, 'What is this sloppy handling?' I feel the same way.

That said, it is still unclear how Sybil died. We don't even know if it was suicide or murder. We decided to calm down for a moment; Manager Colette went to the cafe, and I headed back to the villa.

Chris offered to walk me back, but he was so angry, shouting, 'The White Guard is useless!' that for some reason, he ended up staying at the villa instead of his hotel. Since there were no rooms left, he slept on the sofa in the villa's living room, but the next morning, Paula found out what happened and burst into laughter.

Paula teased him, saying, 'You're just worried about Anna, aren't you!', which sent Chris's grumpiness to the max. Even the old butler tried to soothe him, but it seems there is no limit to how poorly Paula and Chris get along. After such an incident, seeing the bickering Chris and Paula was stressful, so I snuck out of the villa and headed to Manager Colette's shop.

The shop had just opened, and it seemed there were no other customers. I wasn't in the mood to watch wild birds from the window, so I sat at the counter and ordered tea and toast. I was shocked that the culprit had died, but Manager Colette was not at all. In fact, she was humming while toasting the bread, arranging the jam, and serving it to me.

Even in times like these, the toast is delicious. The sweetness of the strawberry jam soaks into my body. The gentle aroma of the tea also seems to be cheering me on with all its might. I felt a little more relaxed. Besides, as long as Manager Colette, who seems as energetic as ever, is right in front of me, I think I'll be okay. The morning birdsong was lovely, making me feel even more relieved.

Once I finished my breakfast, I asked Manager Colette about yesterday's situation. It's not a topic to discuss first thing in the morning, but if I don't ask now, I might miss the chance forever.

“By the way, what did Sybil look like when she died?”
“Oh, don't be like that. Chris went to all the trouble of shielding you from seeing it. Are you going to ask anyway?”

Manager Colette looked exasperated as she poured me a refill of tea, but she opened her rumor notebook and told me the details of the time.

She said she saw a figure near the telescope, thought it was suspicious, and followed it. Chris seemed to have sensed something too. And when they approached, they found Sybil's body. Moreover, she was hanging. There was a footstool left behind, so it looked like a suicide.

“Was it really suicide?”

I couldn't help but blurt it out. In serious mystery novels, a suicide body is rarely what it seems. Besides, the marks left on the body from manual strangulation and hanging by a rope are different. If a doctor performed a proper autopsy, such a trick should be debunked in an instant.

“The coroner is probably Dr. Rodolphe.”
“Wait, really?”

Manager Colette flipped through her rumor notebook and revealed an outrageous fact. Dr. Rodolphe is apparently an illegitimate child of the royal family. And a high-ranking one at that, so even if he faked an autopsy, it would likely be covered up.

“Wait, why?”

I hate that such things happen, but there were rumors that Dr. Rodolphe had performed sloppy autopsies during past plague outbreaks as well. For starters, he only got his medical license through royal connections, and his skills are apparently poor.

“That’s…”

I was too stunned to speak.

“It’s common in the countryside. It’s basically a lawless zone, after all.”

The words of Manager Colette, who makes collecting rumors her life's work, are persuasive. Besides, Chris just arrived at the cafe. Chris was also born in the countryside. Even hearing this, he didn't even flinch.

Is it possible that Rodolphe would falsify an autopsy report? Rodolphe must be the culprit too.

Chris says this boldly, but I am confused. Is this countryside such a lawless zone?

It seems that fair play like in a classic mystery novel doesn't apply here. If so, should I just discard such upright behavior for now?

While I was thinking about that, Aurelien walked into the shop. He ordered coffee and a donut, and was eating while humming. It's sarcastic. It's as if he's mocking the fact that the culprit we found is dead. Aurelien's glasses glinted, making it even more sarcastic.

Although Manager Colette said it was a pity that he had fallen from the career track in the countryside, and he looked annoyed at that too. I felt a little relieved for Aurelien's sake, but then he started laughing again.

Haha, what a shame, Miss Anna. Sybil's death was a suicide.
Huh?

A voice that didn't sound like a lady's escaped my lips, but Aurelien pressed on.

The autopsy result is also suicide. A suicide note was found in Sybil's pocket. The note also confesses to the murder of Mr. Tristan, so there is no room to doubt it was a suicide.

The suicide note said she confessed that she couldn't escape after reading Miss Anna's novel. What is this, did you kill her indirectly?
Ugh...

Aurelien's voice is like a knife. It stabs into my heart, but Chris and Manager Colette stood up for me. Chris argues that there were other customers when Sybil was there, and that Rodolphe's autopsy results might be fraudulent. He claims that Rodolphe might be involved in the incident or was threatened into performing a fake autopsy, but Aurelien ignores him. He munched on his donut, smiling as broadly as he could. I couldn't offer any counterargument.

With this, the Tristan case is solved.
Could a woman like Sybil carry Tristan's body?

Aurelien ignores Chris's calm retort as well. He says that since this case was solved early, he can return to the royal capital and get back on his career track.

So! Don't get in my way anymore! The culprit is Sybil. Yes, argument refuted.
You haven't used any logic or deduction. You just twisted the ending to be exactly what you wanted. It's a sloppy conclusion. It's boring. I object to that.

Ignoring Manager Colette's statement, Aurelien glared at me, who had been silent the whole time.

Don't do any undercover investigations at the hotel either. We are keeping track of everything you do!

Being glared at right in front of me, I couldn't even make a sound anymore. He even spat while talking, and it was so filthy it made me want to gag.

Miss Anna, stop playing detective. Go write some romance novels that women and children would enjoy. And become the wife of this villainous business owner and just raise children at home!

Aurelien spat that out. After paying, he glared at me one more time and left.

Hmm? In that case, shall we raise children together?

The atmosphere in the cafe had turned terrible, but Chris's silly remark made both me and Manager Colette smile bitterly.

The situation is dire, but the list of suspects might be narrowing down. It seems Sybil also felt guilty about the prostitution. She might have been planning to go public with it. If so, the culprit is even more restricted. The person who would be most troubled by it being made public is the culprit. The person who killed Dr. Tristan and Sybil is likely the same.

Manager Ghislain. Dr. Rodolphe. Head Chef Cedric.

They are all people who had a relationship with Sybil, but who would be most troubled by the prostitution being made public?

34

The news of Sybil's death and the accusation that she killed Dr. Tristan seemed to spread through the village in an instant. Rumors also circulated that Aurelian was returning to the royal capital, and while it seemed as though peace had returned to the village, I couldn't smile at all.

I simply cannot believe that Sybil committed suicide. It wouldn't be strange for Dr. Rodolphe to have falsified the cause of death. With the possibility of a culprit, or the possibility that she was threatened by the culprit, I don't feel like this case is solved at all.

On top of that, I'm being pressured by Editor-in-Chief Edmond, who is staying in the village, to create a plot for a romance novel about a poor noblewoman and a villainous manager, but I can't write it well. My hair is falling out from the stress.

When I was working at the hotel for my undercover investigation, it was a good way to relieve stress, but I can't do that anymore. Aurelian had warned me, and in fact, when I inquired at the hotel, it seems my true identity has been exposed via the White Guard. I can no longer conduct undercover investigations.

And so, I was alone in my room, struggling with both my deductions and the romance novel plot, but neither was making any progress.

“My lady. Let's take a break. Why don't you go to Manager Colette's cafe?”
“I suppose so...”

I received advice from Jeeves, who had brought me tea. He seemed to be completely recovered.

“Right, well, shall we do it at the cafe? Will you come with me, Jeeves?”
“Yes. I shall accompany you.”

With that, I decided to take my case investigation notebook and the romance novel plot book with me and head from the villa to Manager Colette's cafe. Paula also seemed to have some free time from her duties as a caretaker, so in the end, the three of us went to the cafe.

The cafe was usually empty, but today it seemed to be full. According to Manager Colette, it seems the village is abuzz with rumors about Sybil, and many villagers are flocking there. The rumors from the villagers echo even from outside the cafe.

Even as we wait in front of the cafe, the content of the rumors reaches our ears. There are many rumors critical of Sybil. It seems many outsiders are also feeling relieved. As a noblewoman, even if I have fallen, I sighed at the rural nature of this land.

“That's how it is, Anna. The countryside is vulgar and a lawless zone.”

Paula accepted such a countryside as normal, but she even went as far as to say, “It's troublesome when rumors start, so I'll stop selling my body.”

“You're quite fickle, Paula.”
“Yes. Well, you might not be able to survive in the countryside unless you're this tough.”

Paula stuck out her tongue and showed a mischievous expression.

“My lady, that is certainly true. Let's stop being well-behaved in our deductions and stop playing fair. If we deduce by exploiting the gaps in the rules, we might be able to catch the culprit.”

It was the moment Jeeves finished saying that, but several customers left the cafe, and we were able to enter.

Inside the cafe, there was of course Manager Colette, as well as Aime and Editor-in-Chief Edmond. There were other tourists, but Aime got so excited about rumors with Manager Colette that they left, looking slightly put off.

“Well, come on in.”

I was relieved to be welcomed by Manager Colette, that much is true. Sitting at a window seat, I enjoyed parfaits, coffee, and sandwiches while birdwatching with not just Jeeves and Paula, but also felt my peak stress levels beginning to subside.

Editor-in-Chief Edmond at the counter seat seemed to be getting friendly with Manager Colette while reading the newspaper. Upon hearing the details of the incident, he commented, “The culprit committed suicide? That’s impossible. In a mystery novel, suicide is never the first option.” I agreed with that. Manager Colette also seemed to hit it off with Editor-in-Chief Edmond, saying, “This guy is interesting!”

Then, Chris arrived as well. He said the hotel acquisition had just been settled, and the current management had been wiped out.

“Phew, it’s finally over.”

Chris sat at the same table as us and carelessly unbuttoned the top of his shirt. He had the air of someone who had just finished a big job, but there was something that bothered me.

“By any chance, did you fire Manager Ghislain and Chef Cedric?”
“Of course. That hotel is mine now, after all. The decision-making power lies with me.”

Chris was acting arrogant as usual, but both Manager Ghislain and Chef Cedric were suspects. Is there a possibility they might take some action over this incident?

Moreover, Chris went on to declare something even more unexpected. This left not only Aime and Manager Colette, but also Editor-in-Chief Edmond and Paula bewildered. Jeeves, meanwhile, was smiling and leisurely engrossed in birdwatching.

“Lady Anna. You, become the manager of that hotel.”
“Why would you say that!?”

I felt like I was going to lose more hair at this outlandish proposal, but he said it was to see if Manager Ghislain or Chef Cedric might slip up. Is this what you call a sting operation?

“Chris-san, do you really think they’ll slip up like that? That’s too far-fetched. But, well, Manager Ghislain is sexist, so maybe he’ll get angry that a woman is the new manager and slip up?”
“Oh, Paula. That’s a possibility, isn’t it? Why not, Chris-san, that’s a great idea!”

Aime’s noisy voice echoed.

Surprisingly, both Paula and Aime were on board with Chris’s idea. Chris looked proud of himself and wore an even more arrogant expression, but if I were to become the manager, would they really slip up for a reason like that?

“Never mind that, Lady Anna.”

Editor-in-Chief Edmond, who had been at the counter seat the whole time, seemed to have grown tired of us chatting about the incident and came over.

Seeing Editor-in-Chief Edmond’s exasperated face, I realized I had completely forgotten the purpose of coming here. I hurriedly took out my romance novel plot notebook and showed it to him.

“Yes, rejected.”

It was judged in an instant.

"Is this a romance novel? Why is the heroine getting caught up in a murder case right at the beginning?"

Editor-in-Chief Edmond's retort was reasonable. At this rate, it's just a standard mystery novel.

"As I thought, you should have Chris be the model."
"That's right, Editor-in-Chief. I will teach Lady Anna about romance step by step."
"Oh, Chris. That's reliable."

I was put off by Editor-in-Chief Edmond and Chris getting excited on their own. My mouth must have been twitching quite a bit.

"Come on, everyone. The cookies are baked! I have so much flour left over from a ordering mistake, I don't know what to do with it!"

Manager Colette was handing out cookies to everyone for free. The smell of freshly baked cookies filled the cafe, and they were indeed exceptionally sweet and crunchy, but still.

With things going like this, time just passed by with everyone messing around in the cafe, and neither the mystery nor the romance novel was making any progress at all.

"Huh? Everyone, aren't you all being a bit too free and noisy?"

Lady Margaret, who entered the cafe later, looked at the state of the cafe and was genuinely put off.

It seems the countryside is a lawless zone. This cafe is apparently no exception.

35

Lady Margaret entered the cafe. Even though she was a refined lady in the royal capital, it seems she has been dyed by Asarion Village. Today, she was dressed in lace-up boots, black leather pants, and a white shirt, with a birdcage in her right hand. She had a telescope around her neck, and it was obvious at a glance that she had been looking for the blue bird.

"Sigh, I'm tired. No blue bird today either. Manager Colette, please give me an iced coffee."

Lady Margaret was pestering Manager Colette while crunching on cookies at the counter seat. She was also talking to Editor-in-Chief Edmond, whom she was meeting for the first time, but she seemed rough around the edges. Since Chris had successfully acquired the hotel, Lady Margaret's family, who were originally the management, seemed to be in chaos.

"Lord Chris. You really are a villain."

Lady Margaret was also pestering Chris, but the image of a refined lady had evaporated. The atmosphere of her being hung up on romance had also disappeared. Lady Margaret's demeanor was as refreshed as if a spirit had been exorcised from her, and this made both Eme and Manager Colette burst into laughter.

"I like the current Lady Margaret."
"Eme is right. Stop chasing after that disappointing handsome man. It's a pretty pathetic look for you, Lady Anna? If you're going to chase something, it's better to only chase the blue bird."

Encouraged by Eme and Manager Colette, Lady Margaret nodded firmly.

"Yes. It's uncomfortable at my parents' house anyway, so maybe I'll become a wild bird observer in this village."
"Huh, what do you mean?"

Paula was the next to jump on Lady Margaret's statement. Apparently, while chasing the blue bird, Lady Margaret had become interested in wild birds and was now researching them at the library.

That sounds great, Margaret! I like wild birds too. Let's look for the blue bird together!
Paula is right, Lady Margaret. Birdwatching is surprisingly profound!

Welcomed by Paula and the old man, Lady Margaret seemed even more motivated to go birdwatching. Seeing Lady Margaret like this, Chris also seemed relieved to have some distance. It must be tough to have someone harbor a one-sided crush on you, after all. I, too, am certainly bewildered by the strange approaches Chris keeps making toward me.

My romantic aptitude was zero, but staying in Asarion Village has helped me see love a little more clearly. I took out my romance novel plot notebook, added a setting where the protagonist, a poor noblewoman, has a crush on a handsome count, and decided to start the story from the point where she gets rejected by him.

Editor-in-chief, what do you think of this plot?
Oh, this one is good. Starting with a heartbreak is nice, isn't it? Oh, so the heroine tries to enter the sex industry because of the pain of heartbreak, and a ruthless businessman saves her? Good, go with this direction.

My rewritten plot received a stamp of approval from Editor-in-chief Edmond. It was a plot created from my experiences in Asarion Village, but has my romantic aptitude subtly increased from zero?

It was while I was thinking about such things that the old man, who was birdwatching by the window, let out an 'Ah!'. The old man rarely raised his voice. When everyone looked out the window, was there a blue bird in the trees ahead?

There was no mistake. It was a small bird, the size of a palm, but its feathers were the color of the blue sky. Moreover, its song was beautiful. It was like an angel's lullaby.

Here I go!

At this, Lady Margaret's expression changed, and she dashed out of the cafe.

We followed Lady Margaret. Editor-in-chief Edmond muttered, 'I'm not interested,' and decided to stay behind to watch the cafe alone.

Lady Margaret, who had been searching for the blue bird for so long, was the fastest on her feet and ran into the forest as if she were flying.

I had a feeling there might be another dead body once we entered the forest, but as we all chased after the blue bird, I quickly forgot about it. Just running with everyone with all my might started to feel fun in itself.

It seems the blue bird itself doesn't necessarily bring happiness. Perhaps it's fun because I'm searching for it with everyone like this. Besides, it wouldn't be interesting if the blue bird were easily obtained. Things that are easily obtained are easily lost. So, for now, there's nothing wrong with enjoying the act of running with everyone.

This might be the same for both mystery solving and writing romance novels. When I thought that, the tension in my shoulders eased. I started to smile too.

At that moment, Lady Margaret, who was running in the lead, shouted out loud.

I did it! I caught it!

Lady Margaret caught the blue bird, which had just been drinking water on the ground, with her bare hands and put it into a birdcage. It happened in an instant.

Chirp!

Despite being captured, the blue bird was chirping nonchalantly. Its song was certainly cute, though.

"Is this child really a blue bird?"

I stared at the birdcage, bewildered. It wasn't just me; everyone was confused.

"Chirp!"

Only the blue bird (?) chirped nonchalantly.

Next time is here