She blinked owlishly. Giving a curt nod, she greeted, "Hello."

Today was a rather odd day for the young mistress of the household. One moment, she was enjoying the remaining half of the first book of the Konjaku Monogatarishū that she'd left the previous morning; the next thing she knew, she was called to her grandfather's office. Inside, there were her grandfather, Fukuzawa, and another guest. A teenager, most likely. He had short, messy hair, and his eyes were closed. He was wearing a gakuran underneath a black coat with the top button fastened, along with a matching student cap, a pair of black-framed glasses, and an old-fashioned flat satchel hanging around his waist. Just how many people does Ojii-sama know that he began allowing so many guests into the house?

The boy bounced forward, his cheery face right in front of hers as his curious stare fixated on her. "So you're the reputable granddaughter of Natsume-dono. My name is Ranpo, the world's greatest detective. Nice to meet ya!"

"Nice to be of your acquaintance, too?" Fumiko responded, although hesitantly and very confused.

"Hey," Fukuzawa sternly called. "You're too close. Step back." Ranpo did as he was told, reluctantly.

"Fumi." The said girl's attention diverted to her grandfather. He stepped away from the desk he'd been leaning on, standing in front of her and bending down to look her in the eyes. "Do you remember that dream you told me about a few nights ago?" She nodded, prompting him to continue, "Well, I've given it a thought for some time. I think it's just like you said, a premonition for something good in your life. It's time for you to explore the world."

"Eh?" the girl uttered incredulously.

"I've seen how you utilised your ability to take the books from the higher shelf," he explained. "And how you were able to carry all those books while teleporting back inside."

Fumiko's eyes widened, and a sweat drop appeared on her temple. "Y-You actually saw all that?"

Natsume nodded, letting out a chuckle at her expression. "I can assure you, my dear, that was no child's play. You possess a powerful ability, which has finally awakened. If I may be frank, I had been dither about when the appropriate time to let you leave this house was. But after observing your health for a few years, I believe that it is time that I let you go and experience life. Not alone, of course; not yet, at the least. So I've spoken to Fukuzawa-dono, and he has agreed to bring you on an investigation with the Armed Detective Agency."

Her gaze riveted on the said man, bewildered. "Really? You're willing to give me such an opportunity?"

"Yes," Fukuzawa replied. His arms remained crossed underneath his haori sleeves. "During our discussion yesterday, Natsume-sensei expressed his concern about hindering your potential by keeping you inside this building. I told him that if he permits it, you may join me and Ranpo on our next investigation. It won't be perilous, I can assure you that, and I think it's an important stepping stone for you."

Fumiko's grey eyes gleamed. She suddenly launched herself onto Natsume, hugging him around the waist, which caught him off guard. She buried her face into his abdomen, muffling her voice as she uttered, "Thank you, Ojii-sama."

Natsume's heart swelled, as he placed a hand on her back and held a tender gaze. "You're welcome, Fumi."

"Okay!" Ranpo drawled deliberately. "We have another member onboard; well, a temporary one." As soon as the two released each other, the young detective grabbed Fumiko's hand and spun her around.

"Ranpo!" The silver-haired man scolded.

But the boy heeded no attention, for the giggles coming out of Fumiko said that she was enjoying this as well. After a few rounds, he stopped, his hand still holding hers. "So, Fumiko-chan, are you ready for an adventure?"

"I think so," she replied hesitatingly. "Should I dress more appropriately?"

Ranpo, finally, released her hand and took a step back. He placed a finger under his chin, humming as he surveyed her outfit attentively. It was very casual; white long-sleeved t-shirt tucked in wide-leg jeans, and black sneakers on thick white soles. Her hair, freshly cut to shoulder-length, was braided into pigtails. "Nah, it's fine," he assured. "There won't be any running involved. So you're good to go."

"Okay. May I go to my room to get my bag? I'll be quick."

"Of course," Fukuzawa said. "We'll be waiting for you downstairs."

Nodding curtly, Fumiko dashed out of Natsume's room, turning to her right which would lead her to her bedroom. She went to her closet, pulling out the first drawer at the bottom. Inside, there were a few types of bags that were gifted to her, but it's a shame that she hadn't been able to use them. Today was different, though. She was going on an adventure, so she could finally use them! Maybe a simple crossbody bag would suffice. She took the bag, pushed back the drawer, and then went to the cupboard next to her bed. There laid a light pink DoCoMo P253i, a gift from her grandfather on her last birthday, and a calico cat coin purse where she'd been keeping all the savings she accumulated from helping out with the minor chores. She put them both inside the bag and rushed out of the room, heading towards the staircase where she saw Natsume, Fukuzawa and Ranpo waiting at the bottom.

"Have you brought everything you need?" her grandfather asked.

"Yes!" she replied excitedly.

Natsume had a fond smile as he gently patted her back. "Enjoy yourself, Fumi. I trust that these two gentlemen will keep an eye on you and guide you the best that they can."

"You may leave her to us, Natsume-sensei," assured Fukuzawa. "We'll ensure she's out of harm's way and gains an abundance of experience during our investigation."

"I appreciate you both for doing this."

The silver-haired man bowed lowly to him and straightened himself up, before turning around and walking towards the door. Ranpo then followed, walking backwards and waving both hands up high as he said, "See ya later!"

"I'll get going now!" Fumiko beamed.

"Have a wonderful day ahead," Natsume said fondly. "I shall see you at dinner tonight." Fumiko gave him an eager nod. With her bag slung over her, she ran towards the door, which Watanabe had already opened for her and the guests to leave. "Thank you, Watanabe-san! I'll see you later when I return."

"Have fun, My Lady," the servant responded cheerily. Once the three stepped outside, she shut the door behind them.

"So, Fumiko-chan," Ranpo began as they walked along the stone path, going further away from the building. "How about we start by going somewhere to celebrate your freedom? We can go to a sweets restaurant, where you can order whatever you want. The President's treat, of course."

"Don't decide things on my behalf unsolicitedly," the said man warned. "Also, we're pressing for time so we don't have any to spare on other trivial matters."

"Nah, we have ample." The young detective then adjusted his glasses, grinning as he confidently said, "With my Special Ability, we can complete it in a few hours."

"You have an ability?" Fumiko queried. There's someone else like her, too?

He eagerly nodded. "Yeah! It's called Super Deduction. With one look, I can deduce the truth about any case, as long as I have the information about it. Pretty neat, huh?"

"That's amazing!" she gushed. "Now I'm more excited about going on this mission."

"You should, because we're going to investigate a very interesting case. That's why I suggest we should talk it out over some desserts." Nonchalantly, his sharp gaze shifted to the silver-haired man who'd been walking ahead of them with his arms still crossed over his chest. "Think of it as a welcoming gift for Fumiko-chan. After being in the house for so long and eating only the food prepared by Natsume-dono's personal chef, I'm sure she's bored with it. Not to say that Chef Sonoda's food is bad, but I can imagine how poor Fumiko-chan feels having to eat hospital food every day."

"Ranpo," Fukuzawa sternly scolded.

But the said boy merely continued, "I'm sure Fumiko-chan has never tried traditional Japanese desserts before, right?"

"How did you know?" was her question. She looked at him with eyes widened, taken aback.

"Your build is towards the skinnier side, plus I deduce your current height to be around 130cm, which is shorter than an average Japanese girl's height of your age. I assume that you hadn't been able to get sufficient nutrition during the first five to six years of your life, which probably led to a lot of diseases relating to digestion and, probably, skin conditions. During the years of treatment, you had to be very vigilant of your diet; hence, having to sacrifice certain types of nutrition in case of reinfections. Even after all the treatments you've received, you still have a weaker immune system than the average, which can only explain why Natsume-dono was very hesitant about allowing you to be independent, including letting you leave the house often or having desserts. It must've been lonely, huh?"

Fukuzawa halted in his tracks, turning around, and reprimanded, "Ranpo, that's enough! Fumiko-san, I apologise for his behaviour. Please understand that's just the way he is." There were moments were he thought Ranpo was too intelligent for his own good, and this was one of those times. This boy had a reputation for his no-holds-barred approach to his investigation, which unfortunately got him into trouble numerous times. He'd just met Natsume's granddaughter, and suddenly he started deducing her backstory so bluntly. Has he no shame? He could only pray that she took no offence-

"Wow, you're really the greatest detective in the world!"

The older man's eyes widened as he surveyed her awestruck expression with incredulity. She's actually... amazed?

"You got everything right even though we've met less than an hour ago," she beamed. "You remind me of William J. Burns!"

Ranpo had a smug smile on his face, crossing his arms as he held his head up high. "Right? The only difference is that I'm younger and alive." He took a big step forward, standing right next to her and pointed ahead. "Anyway, let's go have something to eat. I'm hungry!" Excitedly, Fumiko nodded her head, and the two began walking ahead, leaving behind a befuddled Fukuzawa who'd been staring at them. "So, Fumiko-chan, what do you want to try first? I know a place that sells pretty decent soba and traditional desserts. Don't worry about the price. The President will pay for it."

"Hm... I've always wanted to try anmitsu, but Ojii-sama wouldn't allow it because he used to be concerned about the sweetness and the ice. Oh, I'd also like to try some dango! I love Chef Sonoda's cooking, but traditional sweets are not his forte..."

"Oh~ Our young lady here has refined taste!"

The silver-haired man could only heave a sigh and face-palm himself. 'What have I gotten myself involved in, Natsume-sensei?' he thought.

And he still couldn't fathom it when the trio arrived at Sankeian Saryo. As requested, Fumiko had a bowl of anmitsu, made of small agar jelly cubes topped with sweet azuki bean paste and mochi. On the tray, there were also a small serving of black sugar syrup and tiny amounts of pickles on the small porcelain dish. In front of the tray was a plate with sanshoku dango comprising of red bean, walnut and sesame. Ranpo had bowl after bowl of Oshiruko, leaving only the mochi which the young lass happily ate. Fukuzawa only had a cup of hot green tea. Should a stranger notice them, one would've thought it was a typical day out for a family of three, with the father being indifferent to his two sweet-tooth children.

"Are you enjoying yourself, Fumiko-chan?" asked Ranpo, whose corner of mouth had tiny smears of red bean soup.

"I love it!" she replied gleefully, after swallowing a mouthful of agar jelly. "It's been a long while since I've had something this refreshing!"

"Feel free to order more. No need to be shy~"

"Do remember that I'm the one who has to pay," reminded Fukuzawa. "As a matter of fact, you shouldn't be teaching a child how to take advantage of others."

"I know, I know," shrugged the boy.

After taking a small sip of green tea, Fumiko finally asked, "May I know what is this case you are investigating?"

To which, Ranpo casually replied, "Inheritance. Family squabble."

She was, of course, confused at first. Until her mind recalled the early morning news she saw on television while having breakfast. "Is it related to the recently deceased Head of the Musashi Academy of Ikebana?"

"Bingo!" he chirped with a mouthful of red bean soup.

"The wife of Musashi-dono suddenly dropped by our office this early morning with a request," explained Fukuzawa. "According to her, since his passing, she's been having trouble with his family. To be more specific, the three children from his previous marriage."

"So she's the second wife?" queried the girl.

He nodded curtly in response. While he rummaged through his haori sleeve, he continued, "Right after her husband's death, she received this letter." He then handed her a brown envelope addressed to "Musashi Shiori". Fumiko took it from him, pulled out the content and opened the letter which typed:

SLUTTY WOMAN!
You're unfit to succeed in this family business.
Take your son and get out!

The girl felt another piece of paper underneath the letter, which prompted her to bring the letter to the back, revealing the other piece. In her hand was a printed advertisement for a brothel, detailing the woman's name, height, bust, waist and hip measurements. But what coloured her surprise was that the woman in this advertisement was the wife of the prestigious ikebana academy.

"This is?"

"A decade ago, her father's factory went bankrupt, and he was pressured by debt collectors every day. Out of desperation, she worked at a sex club for about half a year. She implored that this does not reach not only the son but the press for fear of disgracing her husband's honour. She's admitted to already being prepared to take the son and herself out of that house, but we strongly advised that she doesn't do so as the threats would only follow her."

"I volunteered to solve this case with my Super Deduction," admitted Ranpo. "But President brought up Natsume-dono's concern. So why not let you take this as an opportunity to learn a thing or two about solving cases?"

"You're giving me my first mission already?" Fumiko asked in disbelief.

"Of course! I can imagine how bored you must've been in that house. So a little adventure might make things more exciting."

She then turned to Fukuzawa sitting on her right, seemingly wanting to confirm with him. It felt so surreal! One moment she thought she'd spend her day reading like usual, and now she's here on a mission; her first mission, to boot. She must've been dreaming, right? But the nod she received was more than enough to convince her that it wasn't. Her whole face lit up so much, it was as if sparkles suddenly appeared around her. "Thank you! I'll do my best!"

Fukuzawa didn't respond. He's a man of few words, nor was he one for open displays of affection. But that isn't to say that he's cold-hearted, for the soft smile on his face was enough proof of how infectious the simple joy of a young child longing for adventure was.