Chapter 19

He brushed the crumbs off his hands and spoke.

“Thanks. It was delicious.”

“…I’m glad it suited your taste.”

“How should I pay for the cookies?”

“…Pardon?”

“They say nothing in this world is free. Come to think of it, I don’t have any money either.”

Was he joking?

From what Diana could see, the clothes the man wore were of much higher quality than what commoners usually wore.

His clean-shaven jaw and shiny hair looked as though they were cared for with something like coconut oil.

For such a man to say he didn’t have a single coin to his name was hard to believe.

Not to mention, it was deeply suspicious.

“If you need trash, I can go pick some up for you right now.”

“No, that’s not necessary.”

“Then what would you like?”

“Well…”

Diana couldn’t think of anything she could immediately ask from a complete stranger in exchange for a single jam cookie.

When she hesitated for too long, the man pondered for a moment, then decided on his own.

“Then I’ll help you once when you need it.”

“…What?”

She was about to ask what he meant by that—

When suddenly, the children, who had been busy playing amongst themselves, screamed and ran toward the roadside.

“Mister! Mister Orlando!”

“Mister Orlando, there’s a visitor! Over there, the pretty lady!”

“Look! She even gave us cookies!”

Diana quickly stood up.

From the distance, a man in a worn frock coat and bowler hat was shooing the children away with words alone as he walked toward the office.

“Hm? That’s my office over there… Are you here for a consultation?”

“Hello, Mr. Orlando. Yes, I came because I’d like to hire you.”

“Oh my, have you been waiting outside all this time?”

“It hasn’t been that long.”

“Well, you’ve come to the right place. Hey, you brats! Stop making a racket and go play over there!”

When Orlando shouted in a loud voice, the children, cookies in both hands, made exaggerated cries of fear with smiling faces and scampered away.

Clicking his tongue, the detective opened the office door and gestured to Diana.

“Please, come inside.”

“Yes, thank you. …Ah.”

She nodded briefly.

Just as she was about to say she would go in first, Diana realized the man who had been right next to her had vanished like a mirage.

“…Why the sudden look?”

“Um, just now, there was a man here…”

“A man? Who are you talking about?”

“…”

What on earth? Could someone really disappear without making a single sound?

Was she daydreaming while standing there?

A brief chill ran through her, but the cookie crumbs on the ground told her it wasn’t her imagination.

“…It’s nothing.”

Closing her mouth under Orlando’s suspicious gaze, Diana stepped into the office, ignoring the unusually fast thumping of her heart.

That strange man was on her mind, but the reason she had come here took priority.

Orlando looked older than Diana had imagined.

“Leaving a guest standing outside… I truly apologize. We don’t get many visitors at this hour, so I didn’t expect…”

“No, it’s fine. I’m the one who showed up without an appointment.”

Diana gladly accepted the coffee Orlando handed her.

It had been a long time since she’d had real brewed coffee, and even its aroma was different.

‘Up close, he looks even older.’

His naturally square jaw gave him a familiar impression, but perhaps because of the nature of his job, the laugh lines around his mouth were deep.

“Did the kids bother you?”

“Do you mean those children from earlier?”

“Yes. If they think you’re not the type to scold them, they’ll stick to you. Even if I tell them not to scare my guests, they won’t listen.”

He let out a groaning sigh.

Though the detective grumbled, there was warmth in his words.

“They’re not bad kids, so please be generous with them. Still, I apologize.”

“No need for that. I’m glad I brought extra cookies. It’s nothing much, but here’s a gift.”

“Oh? Oh my… this is…”

When Diana belatedly handed him two boxes of cookies, Orlando accepted them awkwardly.

They wasted a bit of time in a back-and-forth as she stopped him from trying to bring out some of the cookies for her in return.

“Cookies are fine, but please hear me out.”

“Ah, right. My mind wandered.”

The detective quickly put on his glasses and took out a notepad.

“From cheating spouses to chasing fruit thieves, I’ve done it all. Your secrets will be safe.”

“That’s reassuring. I came because there are people I need to find.”

“People? Not just one?”

“Yes.”

Diana nodded.

“I should have introduced myself sooner. I’m Diana Wellington, the new manager of the Royal Casino.”

“…The Royal Casino?”

A hint of discomfort clouded Orlando’s eyes.

Diana wanted to finish explaining before her coffee got cold, but that was easier said than done—there was simply too much to say.

“I need you to keep everything I’m about to tell you confidential.”

“Of course.”

Diana explained the Royal Casino’s current closure, the manager who had embezzled the operating budget, the dealer’s collusion with players, and the scams that had been run—laying out the operational difficulties plainly.

The more she spoke, the more Orlando stroked his beard with a groaning “hmm.”

When she finally finished, the detective stayed silent for a long while before speaking.

“Hah… that’s quite the mess you’ve taken on. So, Miss—no, Manager—you believe the person in charge embezzled the budget under the pretense of building renovations?”

“Please, just call me Diana. I’ve checked the books myself—there’s no mistake. I saw several numbers written with absurdly large figures.”

Her voice carried determination.

“There’s a lot to investigate. I plan to confirm the whereabouts of the manager and the dealer, and if necessary, meet them in person.”

Diana didn’t miss the flicker of thoughts passing through Orlando’s dark gray eyes.

“I’ve heard you can find almost anyone in two days.”

“Hah, that’s just something the neighborhood kids say. You shouldn’t take it seriously.”

“I would. Children’s instincts are sharper than most think.”

Not a good sign.

Diana got the sense Orlando was looking for a way to avoid getting tangled up in something complicated.

“I understand why you came. But isn’t there no real reason to hire a private detective like me?”

Her hunch was dead on.

“A family like the Wellingtons could easily hire someone to dig up information for money.”

“This isn’t a family business—it’s my personal venture. It’s not something I’d ask a butler or maid to do.”

“Does your family know about this?”

“They can’t. Ever.”

If her mother knew her daughter—supposedly meeting the young duke—was wandering around the casino district, she’d faint on the spot.

I need someone who can act as my hands and feet.

Someone sharp, who understood things with just a hint.

As a count’s daughter who had lived a sheltered life, Diana had no shadowy network of informants or underworld contacts.

Right now, with her limited reach, Orlando—the reliable side character from the original story—was a card she absolutely had to secure.

“I’m worried I won’t be able to investigate this alone…”

“If you need trustworthy people, I can mobilize as many as you want. I’ll also pay accordingly.”

Thankfully, she had set aside some emergency funds.

It wasn’t nearly enough to renovate the entire casino, but it was more than enough to hire people.

Yet, the detective’s easygoing smile didn’t return.

Instead of the ready acceptance she expected, what came from his mouth—after a heavy sigh—was unexpected.

“…I’m sorry, but I’ll have to decline.”