Lord of Perverted Ladies

The newcomer stood in front of the evidence board with both hands in the pockets of their dark blazer, studying every photograph, every red string, and every handwritten note without saying a word. The academy director waited patiently beside them, almost as though he wanted to see their reaction before introducing them properly.

The room had grown noticeably quieter.

Not because visitors had stopped talking.

Because everyone inside had unconsciously begun watching the same person.

Ryan leaned toward Daniel and whispered just loudly enough for me to hear.

"...They’re taking this really seriously."

Daniel nodded.

"They haven’t looked away from the board once."

Marcus folded his arms.

"They’re actually reading everything."

Ryan looked offended.

"People usually read everything."

Marcus looked at him.

"You skipped your own clue cards yesterday."

"...That was different."

"How?"

"I already knew the answer."

Marcus sighed.

"I walked into that one."

The newcomer slowly stepped closer to the evidence board, their eyes moving from one clue to another with remarkable speed. They didn’t pause at the obvious evidence like most visitors did. Instead, they examined the smaller details first. The incorrect date on the receipt. The muddy footprint. The witness statements.

They weren’t solving the mystery the way ordinary visitors had.

They were dismantling it.

Noah noticed the same thing.

"They’re following the timeline backwards," he murmured.

I looked at him.

"You noticed?"

"They skipped every misleading clue."

He sounded more impressed than surprised.

"Most people don’t."

The academy director smiled proudly.

"I expected you to notice that."

Ryan blinked.

"...Notice what?"

The director looked around the room before answering.

"They haven’t wasted a single movement."

As if to prove his point, the visitor picked up the final witness statement, read it once, then quietly placed it back exactly where it had been.

"I know who did it."

Ryan stared.

"...Already?"

"It took you..." Daniel glanced at the clock.

"...Four minutes."

The newcomer smiled faintly.

"Three minutes and forty-two seconds."

Ryan looked personally attacked.

"I spent two hours helping write this."

Marcus quietly corrected him.

"You spent two hours suggesting detective hats."

"I contributed emotionally."

Noah walked toward the evidence board.

"I’m curious."

He gestured politely.

"Would you mind explaining your reasoning?"

The visitor nodded.

"The muddy footprint was intended to distract visitors toward the gardener."

Ryan’s eyebrows shot upward.

"...It was."

"But the footprint is too obvious."

They pointed toward the torn photograph.

"This clue matters more."

Their finger shifted to the receipt.

"The incorrect date proves the witness lied."

Another step.

"The broken watch isn’t evidence."

"It’s a timeline marker."

Daniel slowly looked toward me.

"...That’s exactly how we designed it."

The visitor smiled.

"It was well written."

They turned toward me for just a moment.

"The person who wrote this understands fair mystery design."

I felt strangely uncomfortable.

Not because of the compliment.

Because of the way they looked at me while saying it.

It wasn’t admiration.

It wasn’t curiosity.

It felt...

Measured.

Like they were comparing me against something only they knew.

Ryan folded his arms.

"I’ve decided."

Marcus sighed.

"What now?"

"I don’t like how smart they are."

Daniel laughed.

"They solved it."

"In under four minutes."

"Exactly."

"I feel threatened."

The academy director chuckled.

"Don’t be."

He looked toward Noah.

"I suppose introductions are overdue."

Everyone’s attention shifted toward him.

"This student is attending as a guest representative from St. Aldric Academy."

Ryan quietly whispered to Ethan.

"...I’ve heard of that place."

"So have I."

"It’s supposed to be ridiculously hard to get into."

The director continued.

"They’re one of the student representatives visiting today’s exhibition."

He looked toward the newcomer.

"Would you like to introduce yourself?"

For the first time since entering the room, the visitor seemed to hesitate.

Only slightly.

Then they smiled.

"My name is Lucien."

No surname.

Just...

Lucien.

Ryan waved cheerfully.

"I’m Ryan."

"I talk too much."

Marcus answered before Lucien could.

"That’s accurate."

Daniel laughed.

"I’m Daniel."

"Ethan."

"Marcus."

Finally Noah spoke.

"We’ve already met."

Lucien nodded politely before looking toward me again.

"And you."

The room suddenly felt smaller.

"I’m Adrian."

A brief silence followed.

Then Lucien smiled again.

"It’s nice to finally meet you."

Finally?

The word hit me immediately.

Ryan apparently didn’t notice anything strange.

"You’ve heard about Adrian?"

Lucien’s expression didn’t change.

"I’ve heard this academy has interesting students."

A perfectly reasonable answer.

Too reasonable.

The system remained silent.

No warning.

No explanation.

Nothing.

The conversation naturally drifted back toward the exhibition after that. Ryan insisted Lucien try solving the optional bonus puzzle. Marcus argued with Ryan about whether guests should be allowed hints. Daniel quietly reset one of the clue markers another visitor had bumped into.

From the outside...

Everything looked normal.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t.

Almost half an hour passed before Director Whitmore checked his watch.

"We should continue our tour."

Lucien nodded.

"I’d like one more look."

They walked slowly around the room one final time, stopping briefly beside the evidence board.

Then, just before leaving...

Lucien stopped beside me.

Close enough that nobody else seemed to notice.

Their voice was barely above a whisper.

"You’ve changed more than I expected."

I froze.

Before I could answer, Lucien stepped away as though nothing had happened.

Ryan waved enthusiastically.

"Come back next year."

Lucien smiled politely.

"I might."

The academy director thanked us again before leading the group into the hallway.

The room gradually returned to its usual atmosphere.

Visitors entered.

Questions resumed.

Ryan immediately started explaining the rules again.

Life continued.

Only...

Mine didn’t.

"...Adrian?"

Noah’s voice brought me back.

"Hm?"

"You’ve been staring at the doorway."

I realized Lucien had already disappeared into the crowd.

"...Sorry."

Noah studied me for a second.

"You know them?"

The question caught me completely off guard.

"...No."

"You’re sure?"

"I’ve never met anyone named Lucien."

That was true.

At least...

I didn’t think I had.

Noah nodded slowly.

"I believe you."

He didn’t sound entirely convinced.

Neither was I.

A faint blue glow flickered at the edge of my vision.

______

[Main Story Updated]

Secondary Participant Identified.

Lucien

Synchronization Complete.

Warning:

Host has been recognized.

Further interaction probability:

Very High

______

The notification faded almost immediately.

Recognized.

Not introduced.

Not encountered.

Recognized.

I looked toward the open doorway where Lucien had disappeared only minutes earlier.

The exhibition continued around us.

Visitors laughed.

Students chatted.

Somewhere outside, applause broke out again as another club finished a performance.

To everyone else...

It was just another successful academy exhibition.

To me...

The game board had just gained another player.

And unlike everyone else I had met since arriving in this world...

Lucien looked at me as though they already knew exactly who I was.