Sir Edwin Moriarty, Deeply Moved
Sir Edwin Moriarty was profoundly moved.
In the steampunk streets of Windom, the iron-willed Finance Minister watched his daughter receive such high praise and felt his usual stern facade crack. The only child who had so often tested his patience with her eccentric ways had earned genuine admiration from the Chief of Police. Unlike the ruthless statesman the kingdom knew, his heart melted like wax under a summer sun.
They say no parent can win against their own child…
Seong-il couldn’t shake the feeling that he was witnessing something akin to the outright sale of government posts, yet he decided to roll with it. Good is good.
Well… after the Phantom Thief’s Letter event, Charlotte was supposed to become a special advisor anyway.
The real issue is that this particular event didn’t exist in the original story…? Don’t tell me the plot’s already derailed?? I played as close to the source material as possible, watching every step… No way… surely not…
Of course, he had “touched” Yuna a little and toyed with Luphtesia just a bit, but he had only twisted events slightly in his favor. Compared to the previous game worlds, he consoled himself with the thought that minimal intervention should still be fine, right?
Besides… when the heroines look like that, how could anyone keep their hands off them? If I entered a straight-up erotic game and spent the whole time ignoring beauties like these just to follow the story, I might as well drop dead. It’s not like I’m some kind of eunuch…
Having thoroughly brainwashed himself, Seong-il sat quietly and listened to the conversation flowing around the table. Charlotte suddenly turned to him.
“Seong-il! As a member of the Moriarty Detective Agency, what is your opinion on the Metropolitan Police’s offer of the special advisor position?”
“I am, of course, in full support! It is both the realization of a dream and a chance to serve the nation as a citizen. When such a glorious opportunity knocks, we must seize it with both hands!”
“Ohhh!! Splendid words! As expected of my dear Lupin!!”
“Thank you!! Great Detective!!”
Chief Felton watched the pair with a warm, satisfied smile. After a moment, he addressed them both.
“Do either of you have any questions regarding the special advisor role…?”
“Eh? Ummm…”
Charlotte’s eyes darted around in mild panic as she struggled for a response. Seong-il leaned close and whispered into her ear.
“Would it be all right if I asked a few things?”
Charlotte’s face lit up as if she had seen her savior. She patted Seong-il firmly on the back and declared to the Chief, “Oh! My partner Seong-il says he would like to ask questions on my behalf. May he proceed?!”
“But of course, Detective!”
Chief Felton offered Seong-il a kindly smile.
“Ask away, young man.”
“Then… if you’ll excuse me, I have a couple of questions…”
Seong-il continued smoothly, “If we accept the special advisor position, will we be required to report to the Metropolitan Police headquarters every day? And what exactly would our duties entail?”
“Ah, excellent questions! To be precise, there is no need for daily attendance at headquarters. We intend to establish a direct hotline between Inspector Lestrade and the Moriarty Detective Agency. When a case arises that requires your expertise, we will send a messenger with a formal request. The work will primarily involve matters difficult to resolve through ordinary police authority—tracking phantom thieves, for instance…”
“I see! That makes perfect sense. And this is a rather delicate question, but…”
“……?”
The Chief looked puzzled. Seong-il put on an awkward expression and pressed on.
“Given that Detective Charlotte comes from such a distinguished family, it would be beneath her dignity to bring up certain topics. So I’ll ask in her stead… Regarding compensation…”
“Ah ha!!”
Chief Felton nodded in understanding. “Quite right! It would be unseemly for a noble lady of the Moriarty house to discuss such vulgar matters. We were thinking of offering around fifty shillings per month from the Metropolitan Police budget.”
“Oh?!”
Both Seong-il and Charlotte let out simultaneous gasps of surprise. They glanced at each other, then broke into slightly embarrassed laughter.
In the original story, the clueless Charlotte probably couldn’t say a word and barely managed to secure twenty shillings… But because I stepped in, they’re offering more than double. Not bad at all.
Seong-il felt satisfied that he had spoken up. Chief Felton studied their expressions and asked, “How does that sound? Is this arrangement acceptable…?”
“Of course it is!! This is a chance to show patriotism and love for our people! I have no reason to refuse!!”
“Ohhh!! As expected of the great Detective Charlotte! Thank you! Thank you!”
Chief Felton actually rose from his seat and bowed ninety degrees to Charlotte. Sir Edwin Moriarty watched the scene with open approval.
Wow… he’s bowing that deeply to a girl who would be his granddaughter if he’d married earlier. I don’t even need to ask how he climbed the ranks.
As Seong-il sighed inwardly at the Chief’s blatant flattery, Sir Edwin spoke up.
“Charlotte! This is wonderful news!!”
“Thank you, Father!”
The meal ended on a warm, harmonious note. As the group enjoyed dessert—sweet cake and fragrant black tea—Chief Felton stood.
“Oh dear! Sir Edwin, I have a security audit this afternoon and must take my leave.”
“Is that so? Then you had best be on your way. Thank you for your hard work.”
“Not at all! I am the one who is grateful. I have enjoyed a magnificent meal and acquired a truly outstanding talent. I could not be more satisfied.”
“Haha…”
Sir Edwin chuckled at the Chief’s skillful flattery. Felton smiled obsequiously and added, “Ah, one more thing… if I may ask personally… how is the supplementary budget request for the Windom Metropolitan Police coming along?”
“Ah, that matter? The other departments in the Finance Ministry did express some reluctance… but do not worry. This is not just any request—it comes from the very force responsible for the safety of Windom itself. I will see that it is handled properly.”
“Thank you!! Thank you so much!!”
So that was the real objective all along…?
Having successfully secured extra funding for his department and established a direct connection to the next Chancellor, Chief Lucius Felton rose with a beaming face. He bowed repeatedly to Sir Edwin before finally taking his leave.
Once the Chief had gone, Sir Edwin turned to Charlotte.
“Congratulations, Charlotte. You are now a proper detective in your own right.”
“Hohoho! I may still be lacking, but I suppose I am! I will work even harder to spread my name further, Father!”
“Good, good. That said, with this special advisor work, you will need to keep the office open at all times to receive messages. How do you plan to manage that?”
“Eh…?”
Charlotte’s face went blank; she clearly hadn’t considered it. Sir Edwin let out a small sigh, then smiled and continued.
“You silly child. No matter how brilliant a detective you are, going to crime scenes alone is dangerous. That is why Seong-il must accompany you as both bodyguard and assistant at all times. Yet if you take on cases unrelated to the Metropolitan Police, the office will often be empty. You could miss important telegrams. You must prepare for that eventuality.”
“Ah… that’s true, isn’t it?”
“Why not hire an office clerk while you’re at it? That three-story building belongs entirely to you, after all. A maid who can also handle clerical work would be ideal. The second floor has three rooms plus storage, so board and lodging could be provided. The position would be attractive, and I imagine you would have many qualified applicants.”
“Um… that does make sense, but…”
“……?”
Sir Edwin looked puzzled as Charlotte’s voice trailed off. She put on an adorably sheepish expression and confessed in a sweet, coaxing tone.
“Well… I used up almost all the startup capital you gave me in the beginning… so hiring additional staff is a little…”
She looked up at her father with big, sparkling eyes. Sir Edwin gave a wry smile, let out a small sigh, and finally spoke.
“Originally I had no intention of providing additional funds even if you held a knife to my throat… However, not only have you achieved a great feat, you have also obtained an honorable position. It would be remiss of me not to offer a reward.”
With those words, Sir Edwin quietly opened the briefcase he had brought and handed her a small box from inside.
“Take it. Half is my own money, and the other half is a courtesy payment from House Aibeck.”
“Eh?!”
“House Aibeck wished to reward you for your great service, but they felt it would be presumptuous to ‘bestow’ anything upon you—a member of the ancient and noble Moriarty family. So the Duke himself visited me yesterday and asked me to deliver this reward. Use it well for your business.”
“Father!!!”
Overjoyed by the unexpected windfall, Charlotte leaped into her father’s arms.
“Hohoho… this girl, really…”
Sir Edwin looked exasperated by his grown daughter’s coquettish behavior, yet his face was wreathed in a smile that said he didn’t mind at all.
Hmm… I wonder if he’ll raise my salary too…?
Seong-il entertained pleasant fantasies while the three of them continued their cheerful conversation. After finishing dessert and chatting for a while longer, they parted ways and returned to the detective agency.
“Seong-il! Seong-il!”
“Yes, yes! Charlotte!”
“Thanks to the rather… substantial sum Father gave us, we won’t have to worry about the agency’s finances for a while. So I was thinking…”
What does she want now…?
“What do you think about hiring a maid-slash-clerk like Father suggested?”
“Oh!! That sounds like a great idea!!”
“Right? Right?”
The moment the words left his mouth, Seong-il felt a chill run down his spine.
Wait…?! Isn’t this another element that wasn’t in the original story?
Memories of games that had spiraled into ruin because the plot went off the rails flashed through his mind, making his back grow cold. Oblivious to his sudden anxiety, Charlotte continued.
“In that case, do you have any particular type of person in mind?”
“…Eh? Me?”
“Of course! We’re partners, aren’t we? Also, I’ll be raising your salary again to the amount we originally advertised!”
“Hiiik?!”
“Why are you so surprised? Your brilliant wit has impressed me more times than I can count! Someone of your caliber deserves proper compensation! Ohohohohoh!!”
“Thank you! Thank you so much!!”
Seong-il was genuinely moved by Charlotte’s generous spirit. She smiled at him and asked again.
“Anyway… what kind of person would you like to hire?”
“Hmm…”
Seong-il fell into thought at the sudden question. After pondering for a while, he began to answer.
“First, since they’ll be handling cooking and cleaning, a woman would be best. Given Windom’s rather patriarchal culture, men tend to be less skilled in those areas, so we can rule them out. If we hire a competent maid, we’ll be freed from worrying about cleaning and meals, which will let us focus entirely on external cases. Also…”
“Also…?”
“They’ll need to organize documents and handle situations when the Metropolitan Police contacts us, so a reasonable level of clerical ability is essential. It would be even better if they could manage basic accounting. And most importantly…”
“Oho… most importantly…?”
“They must be beautiful.”
“Suddenly…?”
“Hehe…”
“Ohohohoh! So that’s your preference, Seong-il?”
Charlotte teased him mischievously as he floundered. “There’s no need to be embarrassed! A taste for maid uniforms is surprisingly common even among the nobility. Ohohohoh!!”
“Ah… it’s not only for that reason…”
“……?”
“The main duties at a detective agency, aside from maid work, are secretarial tasks and client reception. A beautiful woman handling reception would leave a strong impression on clients. The impact of appearance on customer service cannot be ignored! This is statistically proven!”
“Ooh!!! Statistics!!! Ooh!!!”
Charlotte had no idea what statistics were, but it sounded impressive, so she cheered enthusiastically and played along. “Then you approve of hiring a maid-slash-clerk?”
“Absolutely!! A competent administrative assistant will give our agency wings!”
“Indeed!!! Then let’s go create the recruitment notice right away!!”
“Yes! Charlotte! I’ll prepare everything immediately!!”