“I’ll turn the light off now.”

“Mm, thanks, Violet.”

With the flick of a switch, the flickering gas flames of the chandelier were promptly extinguished, leaving only the soft silvery moonlight streaming in through the window as the only source of illumination. I wandered over to my bed and squeezed myself into the narrow space between the edge and Rapunzel.

“Scoot over a bit, will you? I’m gonna fall off the bed at any moment.”

“Don’t worry, if I hug you like this, you definitely won’t fall.”

“What are you doing?”

“Come on, come on~”

I felt her snuggle up to my side and wrapped her arms around my waist like a clingy bodyguard.

“…”

I would be lying if I said I disliked having a girl so close to me on the same bed, so I didn’t say anything as Rapunzel caressed the fold of my nightgown hand lovingly.

‘In fact, am I liking her touch a little too much…?’

Heaving a small sigh, I surrendered to her gentle embrace. My half-open eyes wandered towards the window, and with a sense of quiet admiration, I watched the moon-bathed landscape pass by.

The velvet night sky, untainted by clouds or pollution, revealed a brilliant tapestry of stars that twinkled like distant jewels. The moon, a pale, radiant orb, hung proudly among the starry sea like a silver beacon, its delicate light spilling over the landscape. In the distance, the countryside was cloaked in a veil of darkness, its contours softened by the ethereal glow of the moon.

‘I haven’t noticed it before, but the night in this world…wow, how do I even begin to describe it? It looks like something straight out of…’

“…a painting, doesn’t it?” Rapunzel breathed, looking at the same night sky. “One can hardly come across such a magnificent nighttime view when in the city.”

“Well, that’s because there is no artificial light blocking the sky here.”

“Mhm, you’re right.”

She gave a wistful sigh.

“You know, Violet, I really do admire you.”

“Mhm? What is that supposed to mean?”

“I mean, you are the great detective, Violet Guinevere,” she murmured. “People all around the world think of your name when it comes to solving cases the police wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole. You’ve been to so many incredible places, met so many fascinating people, and gained so many extraordinary experiences that I can never begin to fathom. Meanwhile, I’ve always been stuck here, like I’m living inside a cage…”

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“No, Rapunzel. You’re wrong.”

I bit my lip and hesitated.

“I…I’m not…”

‘I’m not who you think I am,’ was what I wanted to say so desperately, but the words simply couldn’t leave my mouth.

Well, they would be useless anyway.

“You’re not?” she asked curiously.

“I…it’s not as simple as that,” I muttered.

“Silly, of course it’s not.”

She paused and shook her head.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to undermine your line of work. It’s just, I’ve always dreamt of exploring the world, meeting people from different walks of life, and having a lifetime’s worth of stories to tell…just like you, Violet.”

I averted my gaze. “That’s…”

She pulled back, her eyes searching mine, and gave an apologetic smile. “My bad, I made this conversation so awkward. Let’s talk about something else, shall we?”

“Don’t worry about it,” I replied, managing a reassuring smile back. “What do you want to talk about?”

“Well, you see, I’m quite an avid reader of detective novels,” she confessed. “In those stories, they often depict the detective as some brilliant yet aloof genius who possesses an absurdly keen intellect and analytical demeanour. They use their superb observation skills and memory to dissect a complex case into tiny sensible bits and connect the dots in a way that’s both logical yet surprising to others. They usually suck at personal connections, but they can perfectly analyse and understand the motivations and emotions of their suspects and find the cracks in their facades.”

I pursed my lips as I considered her words carefully.

“Is that so?”

“Yes!”

She snorted with laughter. “Sometimes, the detective feels as scary and cunning as the villain, you know? I’d feel bad for the criminal being hunted down like a cornered rabbit.”

“Well, if the detective doesn’t catch the criminal, they’ll lose their job,” I pointed out with a chuckle.

“You may be right, but…”

“But?”

“How should I put it…”

Rapunzel paused to meet my gaze.

“When I’m with you, I don’t feel like that at all. Everyone says that you’re someone special, that you’re the world’s greatest detective…but to me, Violet, you don’t behave or talk in a way that differs from a normal, average person. Certainly not how I’d imagined a famous detective to be acting, for sure.”

I stiffened.

‘This…doesn’t this mean that she already…’

“When did you figure it out?” I whispered tentatively.

“From the start,” she admitted with a satisfied grin. “Though, I must apologise to you as well, Violet. I lied about the part where Madame Renelle sent for me to be your assistant—it was actually out of my own volition that I tracked you down and offered my assistance.”

“That means…Rapunzel, you—” I blinked in surprise “—you weren’t supposed to be here on the Orient Express originally, right?”

She nodded her head without saying a word.

“Who are you exactly?” I asked, swallowing hard.

Rapunzel lifted her head towards me, a gentle smile on her face, and raised a finger to her lips.

“That’s one mystery for the detective to crack.”

“But you already know that I—”

She kissed her finger, then placed the finger lightly on my quivering lips.

“I’m your assistant, Violet, am I not?”

『Room No. 6』

【Single】Mlle. Violet Guinevere, the (fake) Detective

【Extra】Ms. Rapunzel Persinette, the (extra) Assistant