"Which one?" I said with a grin, "I don't see anyone other than just the two of us."

            "Charmed," the younger detective giggled, "but we aren't the stars of tonight's gathering, Detective." She added, whereas I took her retort as a huge decline to my flattery.

            Detective Eliza Frisk Mercy, a rookie investigator from the Southern Ebottropolis Police Department, as well as the younger sister of my client's fiancée. Known to be blunt and stubborn, the detective was infamous for her inferiority to the better meaning of justice.

            She was reported to have no intention in the inheritance struggle amongst their family, and supports Charmelia wholeheartedly as heiress to the company beneath their name—however, I ain't a tad convinced at all, therefore, of all guests present, she is whom I've kept my eye on the most.

            "Did the commissioner send you?" I assumed. Frisk was no doubt, a favourite of Undyne—it might've been for the huge chow her surname was worth.

            "Eh, no, uhm—" she immediately straightened her composure, although it seemed a bit awkward with the dress, her petite figure stiffened, and shot me a dedicated salute. "Detective Eliza Frisk Mercy, at your service, sir!"

            "..." I stood there, agape. It took me a minute to realize why she did a gesture of respect, and unfortunately, it sent me in a grimaced euphoria.

            "No, no, no!" I shook my head in defense as I backed away from her, "I don't need your help."

            "You mustn't decline, it's my mission! Inspector—"

            "It's forkin' Detective! Not Inspector, it's Detective! And I ain't letting any of you EPD scumbags interfere with my work here." How the fck did they even know I had a case here??

            "Whether you like it or not, it's already final, I will still collide with your case. Just think of it as me doing this for my sister, and you, for your client—besides, it's not every day I get to work with a famous private eye like you!" she squealed excitedly, harmonizing with the spark that glittered her eyes in elation.

            "Kid, this is serious work."

            "I'm not a fckin' kid, and I am fckin' serious." Eliza yelled at me in exasperation. I couldn't help but muffle my screams of frustration. This rookie will be the end of me!

            "What I'm trying to say is that, this work isn't for you, sweetheart. I know you might've trained for this your whole life, but trust me, someone will die tonight, and it's too late for you and I to even find out who will do the deed before that happens." As much I wanted to save my client from a fate so horrible, I was never a hero to begin with.

            That me was already gone, so go ahead and criticize me as a monster for deciding to at least have one survivor tonight.

            Hearing me say that someone will die tonight, she stepped back with eyes widening from shock. "You sound so sure that we might encounter a corpse as soon as this night begins." She paused, before saying, "If I know who'd die first, would you let me work with you?"

            "What—" I stared at her in disbelief, which was suddenly cut by the cheers coming from the guests.

            I averted my focus to the couple who suddenly appeared, hand-in-hand, down the marble staircase in the center-front of the room. There were my client and his lovely fiancée, all dressed in matching white evening attire. Although I'd say Mr. Papyrus looked splendid in his tuxedo and dress shoes, Ms. Charmelia stole the night, like a lunar nymph that dazzled with grace and poise as she descends softly on pearl-stricken waters.

            They were both smiling at each other with gazes full of nothing but love, and the small crowd greeted them eagerly.

            "Beautiful!"

            "A match made in heaven!"

            "How chic! How adorable."

            Deafening oohs and ahhs echoed across the room, which was not I was expecting from such a limited amount of people invited here. I watched as the couple received these compliments with grateful hellos and thank-yous to which one might mistake this as a smooth and peaceful sail of plans.

            To me and Eliza, however, this moment was only the beginning to a series of unfortunate and unexpected events.

            "Tsk, so jealous." I heard the detective beside me mutter, which I took note of.

            "Why? Do you also wanna be engaged to someone?"

            Upon hearing this, I laughed halfheartedly at her flustered reaction, her bare skin reddening to the tip of her small nose. "N-no! I'm just jealous 'cuz she's always in the spotlight." She said in defense, tucking a strand of her brown hair behind her blushing ear.

            "I heard you aren't interested in the group's inheritance."

            "I'm not! That's not what I meant when I said I was jealous—I want to be acknowledged as well, being a detective and all... Like you, Mr. Sans." Once again, her eyes sparkled at the mention of the word, detective.

            I paused in consideration of her eyes... It wasn't a look of admiration for me (I know, I sound so narcissist here), rather, it was the gaze of passion that I've seen nothing in the stares of every detective that I have encountered throughout the years. There can be passionate investigators in the southern region, but none here at North where I reside.

            The Northern Ebottropolis is as cruel and cold as it seems—no detective would even want to put their hopes on.

            But of course, dedicated or not, I can't let my guard down on this girl. I smell too much hidden motives from her, it was starting to itch.

            "Now, now! Ladies and gentlemen," Mr. Papyrus began to speak, "my dear, Chara and I would like to express our humble and sincerest gratitude for gifting us your presence, and such wonderful congratulations this evening. It's a marvelous time of the year for you, but..." he grinned, taking his partner's hand gently as he said this with his focus not at all leaving her, "to us, a memorable core of our lifetime."

            "Aww..." the guests began to express endearment at their remark of faith—I, on the other hand, obviously cringed.

            Charmelia chuckled, and playfully dropped his hand away from her, "You're awfully cheesy." Everyone began to laugh, and I couldn't help but let out a light chortle as well.

            "It's true, though! It's our engagement party, a once in a lifetime importance to us, my dear."

            "Say it in private, my dear—"

            "You're adorably shy." Papyrus nodded his skull in goodwill, "I hope you have enough courage to tell them what we've planned to do tonight."

            I'm not shy, I read her lips say silently.

            "Right, so as you may have noticed," the fiancée began to turn to the crowd, who were patiently watching their sweetness in amusement, "we sent you very unusual invitations. We hope you all have already familiarized yourselves with what was written in it because tonight—" Chara said in thrilling extravagance as replacement to her intended dead air,

            "We will be playing a little game called, Murder Mystery."