Lord of Perverted Ladies

The alarm rang at seven.

I was already awake.

For several minutes, I had been lying on my back, staring at the ceiling while the System’s last notification replayed in my mind.

Do not actively pursue Lucien.

It wasn’t a suggestion.

It wasn’t advice.

It was an objective.

That alone was unusual enough.

The System had never cared how I reached an answer before. It only cared about the outcome. Whether I investigated, questioned people, or stumbled into the truth by accident had always been left to me.

This time, it had drawn a line.

And Lucien had done the same.

I sat up slowly and looked toward the coffee table. The envelope was exactly where I had left it, untouched since Ryan had gone home. Morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, falling across the folded letter.

Part of me wanted to lock it away and pretend yesterday had never happened.

The other part knew that was impossible.

I showered, made a quick breakfast, and slipped the envelope into the inside pocket of my blazer before leaving the apartment.

The streets were noticeably busier than yesterday.

Families carrying cameras walked toward the academy, and several buses had stopped nearby to drop off visitors. Colorful banners stretched across the entrance road, fluttering gently in the morning breeze.

The academy had expected a good turnout.

Judging by the crowd outside the gates, today would exceed every prediction.

Ryan was impossible to miss.

He was standing beside the entrance wearing the detective hat from yesterday and proudly holding a cardboard sign that read:

CAN YOU SOLVE THE MYSTERY?

”...Morning,” I said.

He grinned.

”I upgraded.”

”I can see that.”

”You like the hat?”

”I’ve accepted that nothing I say will stop you from wearing it.”

”Exactly.”

Marcus walked over carrying a box of fresh clue sheets.

”I told him to leave it in the club room.”

Ryan looked offended.

”The hat is part of the experience.”

”The hat is cardboard.”

”It has emotional value.”

Daniel arrived a moment later, laughing before he had even reached us.

”I knew he’d still be wearing it.”

”You all doubted me.”

”We absolutely did,” Ethan replied as he joined us with a stack of visitor notebooks.

Noah was the last to arrive.

He looked over everyone, nodded once, and checked his watch.

”Good.”

”We’re all here.”

He glanced toward the growing line outside the academy.

”I have a feeling today will be much busier.”

Ryan looked behind him.

”...That’s not a line.”

”What is it?”

”A challenge.”

Marcus adjusted the box in his hands.

”It’s definitely a line.”

”We’ll settle for both,” Noah said with a smile.

”Let’s get everything ready.”

The Mystery Research Club looked exactly as we had left it the previous evening.

Marcus uncovered the cardboard victim.

Ryan gave it a solemn nod.

”...Welcome back.”

Daniel couldn’t help himself.

”You seriously greeted it.”

”It deserves respect.”

”It’s cardboard.”

”It was cardboard yesterday too.”

Ethan chuckled as he placed fresh pencils beside the visitor notebooks.

Within twenty minutes everything was ready.

The doors opened at nine.

Visitors entered almost immediately.

Some had heard about us from yesterday.

Others had seen the academy map and decided to stop by out of curiosity.

A father and his two daughters argued over every clue.

Three university students finished the investigation in under fifteen minutes before insisting on solving it a second time without taking notes.

An elderly couple ignored the evidence board completely and somehow reached the correct conclusion anyway.

Ryan stared after they left.

”I don’t understand people anymore.”

Marcus looked at the answer sheet.

”They were right.”

”I know.”

”That’s the terrifying part.”

Laughter filled the room again.

For a while, everything felt wonderfully ordinary.

The conversations flowed naturally.

Ryan entertained the visitors.

Daniel quietly helped anyone who became stuck.

Marcus reset the displays with almost military precision.

Ethan kept the evidence table organized.

Noah observed each group, occasionally making notes for improvements they could use in future events.

And I...

I watched.

Not just the visitors.

The exits.

The hallway.

The windows.

Every unfamiliar face.

More than once Noah caught me glancing toward the corridor.

Around eleven, he quietly walked over while another group examined the evidence board.

”You’ve been distracted since this morning.”

”I’m managing.”

”I know.”

He lowered his voice.

”Did something happen after we left yesterday?”

I considered denying it.

Instead, I reached into my pocket.

”The letter.”

He looked at the envelope.

”You brought it.”

”I wasn’t comfortable leaving it at home.”

”...Understandable.”

He didn’t ask to read it again.

Instead, he asked something I hadn’t expected.

”Do you trust the person who wrote it?”

The answer came surprisingly quickly.

”No.”

”...Do you fear them?”

I hesitated.

”...I’m not sure.”

Noah nodded thoughtfully.

”Sometimes uncertainty is worse.”

Before I could respond, Ryan’s voice echoed across the room.

”Emergency.”

Marcus sighed.

”What now?”

Ryan pointed toward a boy who couldn’t have been older than ten.

”He solved it.”

Everyone looked toward the child.

The boy proudly handed Noah the completed answer sheet.

Every deduction was correct.

Noah blinked.

”...Excellent work.”

The boy smiled brightly.

”My grandpa likes detective novels.”

Ryan crouched until they were eye level.

”...Can I hire your grandpa?”

The boy laughed before running back to his family.

Ryan slowly stood.

”I’ve been defeated by a fourth grader.”

Daniel patted his shoulder.

”You’ll recover.”

”I don’t think I will.”

The club room filled with laughter once more.

It was almost enough to make me forget.

Almost.

Shortly after noon, Noah announced another break.

”We’ll rotate again.”

Marcus nodded.

”I’ll stay this time.”

”So will I,” Ethan said.

Ryan immediately looked toward me.

”Come on.”

”I refuse to let you eat lunch alone while thinking mysterious thoughts.”

”I wasn’t planning to.”

”You were absolutely planning to.”

Daniel smiled.

”I think he’s right.”

I gave up.

”...Fine.”

The four of us headed toward the courtyard.

Compared to yesterday, the festival atmosphere had grown even livelier.

The Music Club was performing on the outdoor stage.

The Robotics Club had gathered an enormous crowd around a small competition.

The Culinary Club had doubled the number of food stalls.

Ryan’s eyes practically sparkled.

”...Beautiful.”

Daniel laughed.

”You say that like you’re admiring art.”

”I am.”

After buying lunch, we found another table beneath the large tree from yesterday.

Ryan took his first bite before speaking.

”You know...”

”What?”

”I’ve been thinking.”

Daniel nearly choked on his drink.

Ryan looked offended.

”I do that occasionally.”

”I’m sure you do.”

Ryan ignored him.

”That Lucien person.”

My attention sharpened immediately.

”What about them?”

”I can’t explain why...”

He frowned.

”...But when I saw them yesterday...”

”I had this weird feeling.”

”What feeling?” I asked.

”Like...”

He searched for the words.

”...Like they were looking at everyone.”

”But only seeing one person.”

Nobody spoke.

Ryan scratched his head.

”Does that make sense?”

Daniel answered first.

”...Actually...”

”I think it does.”

Ethan slowly nodded.

”They walked through the room without really looking around.”

”They only stopped once.”

Ryan looked at me.

”...When they reached you.”

I remembered it perfectly.

Lucien had barely glanced at the evidence.

Instead...

They had looked directly at me.

As though that had been the reason for visiting in the first place.

The thought settled heavily in my chest.

Before anyone could continue the conversation, applause erupted from somewhere nearby.

The Music Club had apparently finished their performance.

Visitors began moving between exhibitions again.

Ryan stood up and stretched.

”Back to work.”

As we returned toward the old academy building, I glanced across the courtyard.

Hundreds of people filled the campus.

Parents.

Students.

Teachers.

Alumni.

For a brief moment, they blended into one moving sea of faces.

Then...

A familiar figure caught my eye.

Standing beneath the shade of an old oak tree near the edge of the courtyard.

Grey hair.

A dark coat.

A polished wooden walking stick.

Exactly as Ryan had described.

The elderly man wasn’t watching the stage.

He wasn’t watching the exhibitions.

He was looking toward the Mystery Research Club building.

Toward us.

The moment our eyes met, he gave a small, courteous nod.

Not a wave.

Not a smile.

Just a single nod.

Then he turned and disappeared into the crowd before I could react.

”...Adrian?”

Ryan noticed I’d stopped walking.

”What is it?”

I looked toward the place where the old man had vanished.

”...Nothing.”

The answer came automatically.

But deep down...

I already knew it wasn’t nothing.

If Lucien had been the first thread...

Then the old man was the second.

And for the first time since receiving the letter...

I had the unmistakable feeling that someone else had begun watching me.