Then Ryo turned to the next page…
He noticed the year had changed, displayed clearly in the top right corner — 1701.
Ryo thought. "Wait a minute… could that be this year? Four years have passed. This is the year Cinderella was taken to the castle and got engaged to the Prince… but it's also the year she went missing."
He kept reading — and what he saw hit him like a bombshell.
His eyes widened. He gasped.
The next line read…
"One day, when I visited Mama's grave again, something strange happened. The hazel tree above her resting place began to shimmer with light—not from the sun, but something… otherworldly. And there, hanging gently from one of its low branches, were a pair of delicate glass slippers. As if… as if Mama had sent them down from the heavens herself. A gift. A blessing. A sign that I wasn't forgotten."
Ryo shot up straight.
"HOLD ON!!!" he blurted out.
All the animals around him jumped, startled. The dove beside him tilted its head, and even the squirrel blinked in confusion.
Ryo clutched the diary, his eyebrows furrowed in pure disbelief. "What… the hell… is going on?"
Back in his world—when the Fairy Greatmother appeared in his detective office—she had looked at his trench coat and said…
"My goodness… you look amazing, Mr. Detective! It reminds me of when I summoned that magical gown for Cinderella before the royal ball!"
That line stuck with him.
But now… this diary just revealed that the glass slippers weren't summoned by the Fairy Greatmother at all. They had appeared—magically—on the hazel tree above Cinderella's mother's grave.
Ryo groaned and scratched his hair roughly in confusion. "This doesn't even make sense anymore…!"
He was right. In the classic Perrault version, the fairy godmother gave Cinderella both the gown and the glass slippers.
But in the Grimms version, it was the spirit of her mother from the hazel tree who gave her the same magical gifts.
Both before the Royal Ball.
And now… in this world?
It was split.
The gown was from the Fairy Greatmother.
But the glass slippers… came from Aurelia, Cinderella's late mother.
Ryo let out a long sarcastic groan. "Oh great… So the gown's from the replacement fairy godmother, and the slippers are from her late mom—because why not? A beautiful, totally normal plot twist. Yep. Makes perfect sense. Just your everyday fairytale drama."
He flopped back against the creaky bed frame, his brain spinning. But one thing stood out in all this…
The Fairy Greatmother never once mentioned the glass slippers. Not even a word.
Did she not know? Or was she hiding something?
Ryo narrowed his eyes, now even more curious than ever. "…Looks like I'll have to ask her about it tomorrow."
Then he sat back up and opened the diary again.
There was one last page.
Ryo stared at it for a moment. Just one page left.
He narrowed his eyes, said…
"Did she really write something here? Like—after receiving the magical gifts? I mean, she went to the royal ball, danced with the prince, the whole fairy-tale thing... then what? She just came back and wrote one last thing before the slipper fit her foot and boom—engaged to Prince Vaelric, who suddenly has a name now?"
He blinked, bewildered.
"Seriously... she fled the ball at midnight, ran down the marble steps, lost a slipper, got chased by the prince, and somehow still had time to sit in a dusty attic and write one last trauma dump in her diary?"
He let out a quiet, dry laugh, tension in his throat.
"What's next? Did the protagonist say, 'Dear diary, sorry I ran, anyway, here's one last horrifying secret before I become royalty'?"
Ryo's sarcasm faded as the weight of the moment returned. His fingers hovered just above the final page.
His hand trembled.
He began to turn the page—slowly. His breathing grew heavier, his chest rising with every breath. A bead of sweat ran down the side of his face.
And then… he saw it.
The final words.
His eyes widened in shock.
His entire body froze.
His fingers went numb.
The diary slipped from his hands and hit the attic floor with a soft thud.
Ryo clamped a hand over his mouth.
"What… That's… completely… messed up…" he whispered, his voice shaking.
The animals looked up at him with concern, but Ryo couldn't speak.
Whatever he just read—it wasn't just sad.
It was horrifying.
Something no fairytale story had ever included.
Whatever Cinderella wrote in that final entry… it made his stomach twist. It made the hairs on his neck stand. It made him sick.
But at the same time, he knew—this was a clue. A real one. A piece of the puzzle that could expose the real culprit who kidnapped her.
Just… not yet.
Not until he gathered the rest.
Ryo took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, steadying himself. His heart was still pounding, but he forced his thoughts to settle.
Ryo stood up and retrieved Cinderella's diary from the floor. Carefully, he slipped it into his backpack, as if guarding a fragile secret.
Then he pressed his thumb to his chin, his mind working through the chaos. One step at a time.
"Okay… tomorrow, first things first," he muttered, voice calmer now, "I'm gonna need to talk to Ma'am. Ask her about the gown—and if she even knew about the glass slippers."
He began pacing slowly across the attic, eyes focused on nothing in particular.
"Then I'll ask around. See if the villagefolk in this kingdom know anything useful… gossip, rumors, whispers—anything."
His tone picked up with a spark of excitement as he added…
"After that, I'm heading to the grove. The hazel tree. Cinderella's mother's grave. I've got to see it for myself! If something magical happened there once, maybe there's more. Something left behind. Something hidden!"
The fanboy in him stirred again. Beneath the detective's calm exterior, Ryo felt that familiar thrill—like flipping through a secret chapter of a story no one else ever got to read.
But then, reality struck again.
He sighed, dragging a hand through his hair.
"Now… how the hell am I supposed to get into that castle?" he muttered with a frown. "It's still under strict lockdown—and that's where she vanished."
That was the real problem.
Even with everything he'd uncovered so far—the attic, the dress, the diary, the grave—Cinderella had vanished from inside the grand castle. And he couldn't get answers unless he could get in.
Especially not with what he'd heard about her bedroom—where the bed was covered in ice. He needed to see it with his own eyes.
He needed to get permission to enter the castle, meet the mysterious Prince Vaelric and his parents—the king and queen of Evendelle—and investigate every corner of the castle before more time slipped away.
The Fairy Greatmother was growing increasingly worried about whether Cinderella was still safe… so he had to find her as soon as possible.
Ryo rubbed his temples, frustration curling at the edge of his voice.
"How on earth… I mean, how in Evendelle, can I find Cinderella if I can't even investigate the one place she was last seen?"
And the moment those words left his mouth—"find Cinderella"—the attic stirred.
The animals all perked up. Their ears twitched. Eyes widened. Every single one of them blinked and turned toward him, as if the phrase alone lit something deep inside them.
Ryo sat back on the bed with a long sigh, still trying to untangle the ever-growing knot in his head.
"How the hell do I get into that castle…" he muttered, rubbing his temples again like it would magically make a royal gate open.
But just as his thoughts sank deeper, something strange happened.
All the animals—every last one—gathered together on the attic floor beside the bed, forming a perfect little circle like they were about to hold an emergency meeting of the Cinderella Rescue Committee.
Ryo raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"
And then…
They started talking.
Not in any language Ryo could understand—just a flurry of chirps, growls, yips, squeaks, and tail-wagging fury.
Dog, furrowing his brow with a serious grunt. "Did this human just say… find Cinderella?"
Squirrel, arms crossed, nodded firmly. "Yeah. I'm surprised. I am worried about her though."
Dove 1, tilting its head. "You think this weird coated human who clearly doesn't belong here can actually find her?"
Dove 2, already raising the roof. "THEN WE MUST HELP HIM FIND HER! I MISS CINDERELLA ALREADY!!"
Everyone—everyone—flinched at Dove 2's volume, including Ryo, who winced from the bed like he'd just heard a firecracker.
"Agh! What was that?!" Ryo muttered, hands twitching to cover his ears. "I need subtitles for this damn wildlife conference!"
Back in the circle…
Squirrel, ears twitching in rage, raised a tiny clenched paw. "WHY THE HELL ARE YOU ALWAYS SO DAMN LOUD?!"
Dog, letting out a world-weary sigh. "To be fair, this birdy being loud did help Cinderella wake up on time. Though… she did fall out of bed once."
Ryo, arms crossed, watching the intense squeak-and-chirp debate unfold, deadpanned.
"Seriously. Where are the subtitles when I need them?"
Kitten, eyes watery and lip trembling. "I… I want Mommy to be safe and sound…"
Squirrel, softening, looked over and nodded. "Oh yeah. You always did call Cinderella 'Mommy,' huh?"
Puppy, tail thumping like a drumline, barked determinedly. "Then we MUST help the strange human find her! I miss the times when she rubbed my tummy!"
Dog, tail now wagging too. "Yeah! Let's go! I miss when she combed my back with that soft brush!"
Dove 1, flapping its wings proudly. "I want to stand on her shoulder again while she sings—those were the days!"
Dove 2, predictably booming. "AND I MISS WHEN SHE RUBBED MY NECK!"
Kitten, bouncing with excitement. "And when I played yarn ball catch with her!"
Squirrel, groaning. "Yeah… and then you got tangled every single time."
Kitten, giggling adorably. "But it was still so much fun!"
Squirrel, exhaling and nodding slowly, eyes misty with nostalgia.
"Yeah… yeah. I usually just eat acorns… but when Cinderella gave me those berries… I found a new purpose in life."
Their eyes glimmered with determination. Tails wagged. Wings fluttered. Tiny hearts burned with loyalty.
The Cinderella Search Squad had just been formed—and Ryo had no idea he was about to get the WILDEST backup team the kingdom had ever seen.
All the animals suddenly turned their eyes to Ryo.
Eyes blazing.
Bodies tense.
A united aura of wild, fluffy resolve.
Ryo blinked. "…Why are you all looking at me like that? What—finished your secret wildlife meeting or something?"
They didn't answer.
Not in a way he understood, anyway.
They just… moved.
Dog stepped forward with a proud bark. "WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!"
Dove 1 flapped its wings and swooped down—plop!—right onto Ryo's head, delivering a rapid-fire pecking spree.
PECK! PECK! PECK!
"OW! OW! OW!! WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS PECKING ME, DAMN IT?!" Ryo flailed helplessly, batting at the air.
Then Dove 2, the loudmouth menace, landed squarely on his knee.
"COO COOOOO!!!" It boomed up at his face like a bird-shaped alarm clock.
Ryo groaned, slumping.
"Ughhh… I should've packed earplugs. But nope, they're probably back on my desk on Earth… just sitting there… mocking me."
And then—more movement.
The kitten, eyes fierce with adorableness, walked up to his foot and placed a paw on it—like a loyal knight making a promise.
"MEW!" it declared, face serious.
Puppy bounced onto the bed beside him, tail wagging like crazy, barking with giddy determination.
"Arf! Arf! Arf!"
Squirrel launched himself onto Ryo's arm, climbed up to his shoulder, let out a defiant "CHI!" and then pointed a tiny paw right out the attic window—toward the castle glowing faintly in the night.
They were ready.
They were united.
They were not taking 'NO' for an answer.
Ryo blinked at the squirrel, then at the others.
His expression slowly shifted from confusion… to stunned realization.
"…Wait." He sat up straighter. "Are you guys saying… you wanna help me find Cinderella?"
The entire squad responded at once, like a magical orchestra of loyal chaos.
Dog: "WOOF!"
Puppy: "Arf!"
Dove 1: "co cooo!"
Dove 2: "COO COOOOO!!"
Kitten: "MEW!"
Squirrel: "CHIII!!"
Ryo stared at them.
They stared right back.
This wasn't just a team anymore.
This was a mission.
A rescue op.
And he had just been promoted to Commander of the Furry Recon Unit.
Ryo then closed his eyes and smirked. "I see."
He stood up with a swift motion, eyes snapping open, arms now crossed like a commanding officer about to brief a squad before a top-secret mission.
With a dramatic lift of one hand, he declared with total authority.
"Since all you furballs wanna help me find Cinderella, then I'll have to give you all code names. I'm not gonna keep calling you 'squirrel,' 'dove,' 'dog,' or whatever. That's just lazy writing!"
The animals straightened up, chests puffed, beady eyes sharp, and stood in line before him—like a squad of tiny, adorable soldiers awaiting their titles from Commander Ryo.
Then suddenly…
Ryo's terrible-naming-skills mode activated—like he just tapped into an overpowered cheat code from a bootleg RPG.
He crossed his arms, eyes glowing with mock seriousness, and dramatically pointed at Dove 1.
"You! From now on… you'll be called Agent McPecker!"
Dove 1—now McPecker—tilted its head, visibly confused.
Ryo, arms still crossed, offered the explanation with a shrug.
"You're always pecking my head like it's a drumstick at a family dinner. So yeah. McPecker it is."
McPecker blinked.
Then… nodded proudly. "Coo cooo!"
Ryo grinned wider and pointed to Dove 2, the louder one. "And YOU… will be Agent McDrama!"
Dove 2 flapped in place, eyes wide—offended yet intrigued.
Ryo explained flatly. "You yell louder than a T-Rex stomping through a city. You are the drama."
McDrama paused.
Then sparkled with delight. "COO COOOOO!!" Clearly thrilled.
Next, Ryo turned to the wagging puppy. "You… shall be Agent Barkface!"
The puppy—now Barkface—tilted its head adorably, waiting.
"Because you bark. And… well, I ran out of creativity." Ryo explained, not knowing how to come up with a top-tier explanation for the puppy's name.
Barkface didn't care. His tail wagged like a helicopter.
Tongue out, proud bark. "Arf arf!"
Then Ryo turned to the big dog with mock gravity. "And you… will be Agent Barkzilla!"
The dog tilted his head in majestic confusion, unaware he'd just been named after a Kaiju.
"You bark loud enough to wake the dead… well, not as loud as McDrama here. So yeah, Barkzilla. Boom. Roar. Laser breath and all that," Ryo explained, making a dramatic laser-beam gesture from his mouth.
The dog—now Barkzilla—just wagged his tail, thinking it was the coolest name ever.
Then came the kitten.
Ryo lowered his hand gently, looked into those wide, curious eyes and said. "You… are Agent Whiskers."
The kitten, now Whiskers, absolutely exploded with excitement, bouncing in place and meowing happily like it had just been crowned royalty.
Didn't even care what it meant. The name was just too cool.
And finally…
Ryo slowly turned to the squirrel.
No pointing. Just a stare.
The squirrel stood taller, tail puffing in anticipation.
"I need a leader for the wildlife squad… someone who can go nuts," Ryo said with mock seriousness, lowering his voice like a general and clasping his hands behind his back.
The squirrel's mouth dropped open in awe at the word 'leader', and trembling from excitement.
"Since you're the most reasonable one among the squad… the leader title suits you," Ryo said, gracefully extending a palm toward the squirrel.
The squirrel began to vibrate.
And then—Ryo finally pointed, dramatically.
"As of today… you are now known as Agent Nutso. No—scratch that— CAPTAIN Nutso!"
The squirrel—now Captain Nutso—let out a screech of pride, flipped backward in a high-flying spin, and landed with a salute. His tiny eyes burned with heroic fire.
Ryo then walked over to his backpack, unzipped it, and pulled out a snack bag.
From inside, he revealed… a single peanut.
Holding it up ceremoniously, he handed it to Captain Nutso.
Ryo, standing tall, hands clasped behind his back like a Commander addressing a war hero, spoke solemnly.
"Now, to commemorate your leadership of the Wildlife Squad, I—Commander Ryo—ask you to crack that peanut upon the floor. Smash it like it's destiny itself."
Captain Nutso's eyes blazed.
He raised the peanut high with both paws, let out a fiery cry…
"CHIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!" And smashed it to the floor with glorious dramatic flair.
CRACK!
The peanut split. The squad cheered.
Ryo clapped slowly, eyes closed, looking proud like he'd just awarded a medal to his little soldier.
"Congratulations, Nutso… you are now officially the Captain of the Animal Squad."
Captain Nutso stood tall, paw raised in a proud fist pump into the air. "CHI!"
He accepted his duty with honor.
The animals burst into joyous celebration.
Barkzilla howled.
McDrama cooed like a megaphone.
Whiskers spun in happy circles.
Barkface rolled on the floor.
McPecker saluted with its wing.
And Captain Nutso did a victorious jump, striking a heroic pose.
The squad was assembled.
The time in Evendelle is now 7 p.m.—dinner time.
Elise, the young kitchen girl, made her way to the door at the bottom of the attic staircase.
Elise, looking concerned, murmured.
"I really hope Sir Holmes is okay… but still, why did he choose the attic when there are plenty of lavish rooms for guests?" she wondered, puzzled.
But that wasn't important now. She raised a fist and gently knocked on the door.
Knock! Knock!
Everyone in the attic heard it.
Still deep in full army mode, Ryo stretched out a hand with commanding flair and declared.
"Prepare yourselves, my elite agents — we shall march to the dinner table!"
The animals saluted in unison, their faces dead serious, like they were heading into enemy lines instead of down to dinner.
McPecker and McDrama flapped their wings, landing heroically on Ryo's head like a pair of elite scout drones.
Captain Nutso climbed up and stood firmly on Ryo's right shoulder, paws behind his back like a true squad leader.
Whiskers let out a soft "Mew!"—eyes wide, tiny paws raised, begging to be picked up.
Ryo knelt down and scooped up Whiskers, placing the kitten carefully on his left shoulder.
"Permission granted," he said with a nod of approval.
On the ground, Barkface and Barkzilla waited, standing at attention like bodyguards awaiting their orders.
Ryo dramatically pointed toward the attic door. "TO THE BATTLEFIELD!"
With military precision, Ryo advanced toward the attic door, opened it, and stepped through like a spy emerging behind enemy lines.
He descended the stairs slowly, one hand gripping the banister, gaze sharp and focused—like a secret agent making his final approach to the mission's climax.
Barkface and Barkzilla followed silently behind, their tails wagging like soft drumbeats of determination.
Downstairs, Elise stood just outside the staircase entrance, waiting politely, unaware of the ridiculous sight that was about to come her way.
Elise straightened her apron, her expression serious.
"Madam Rosalind said to treat Sir Holmes with the utmost hospitality and respect." She gave a firm nod, clenched her fist, and whispered to herself, "Alright! I can do this!"
Then, she heard the approaching footsteps.
Elise perked up.
"Oh! Is that Sir Holmes?" She smoothed down her dress, folded her hands neatly over the front of her apron, and smiled politely.
The attic door CREEEAAAKED… open.
Ryo stepped out with a dead serious expression, looking like he'd just returned from a covert mission.
And there they were — animals perched on his head and shoulders, more flanking him on the ground like a furry entourage of elite agents.
Elise's mouth dropped. "Eh…?"
Her eyes grew as wide as a pair of enchanted pumpkins. "Ummm…"
Her brain caught up. "EEEHHHHHHHHH?!"
Ryo raised a brow. "Why the shocked face, Elise?"
She stammered, pointing. "B-B-But those… animals…!"
And rightfully so.
Sir Holmes hadn't just come down for dinner.
He descended from the attic like a myth reborn, backed by a squad of the most fearsome, adorable secret agents Evendelle had ever seen.
Meanwhile, at the dining room…
The entire family was already seated, waiting for Ryo Holmes. The tension in the air was thick, as each member of the family silently anticipated his arrival.
As for the stepsisters... they were no longer wearing makeup, their faces now shadowed, but their usual bickering was still in full force.
Clarisse, blushing and blinking, her hands folded in front of her.
"Where's my handsome Sherlock? Ooooh, I need to feed him! I'll feed him like he's a king—fresh bread, warm soup, maybe even a slice of pumpkin pie to make him fall head over heels for me~"
Seraphine, sitting next to her, eyes twitching as she stared at her sister.
"No, no, I'm feeding him! I'll give him the finest sandwich—grilled cheese with extra butter. Sherlock deserves the best, not some pumpkin leftovers!"
Clarisse, not pleased.
"HAH?! Sherlock is practically in love with me! He's always looking at me like I'm the perfect fit—he probably sees me as his glass slipper, and you're just the worn-out shoe he left behind!"
Seraphine stuck her tongue out at her.
"BLEEEEH! Sherlock's definitely in love with me! He's probably dreaming about my sandwich while you're still stuck with your burnt pie! He'll never forget the first bite I gave him!"
The argument between the two went on, as it usually did, but neither noticed their mother and step father exchanging a tired look at the end of the table.
Edmund, chuckling awkwardly.
"Our daughters sure have more energy than usual, huh, Rosalind honey? I think they're even more excited than when they laid eyes on Prince Vaelric at the royal ball."
Stepmother slowly facepalmed.
"Exactly... What is it about Sherlock Holmes that drives them this crazy? At least Cinderella was the calmest one when she lived here."
Sophie, the scullery maid, stood at the side of the dining room, sighing at the bickering.
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps could be heard from outside the dining room.
Clarisse, jumping from her seat, eyes sparkling like stars.
"OH MY, IS THAT SHERLOCK?! It's like the ball is finally starting, and I'm the one who gets to welcome him in!"
Seraphine, gripping the spoon tightly with determination.
"I've got the spoon ready to feed him! Come in, darling Sherlock, I'm ready to treat you like the prince you are!"
The door swung open, and Ryo, now in just his dark red T-shirt without his trench coat, stepped in with Elise behind him—her eyes wide, still completely speechless at the small army of animals gathered around him as she followed closely.
Ryo raised a hand toward the family, grinning happily. "Hey guys, man, I'm starving!"
There was a long, deafening silence.
The entire family just stared at Ryo and his animal entourage, dumbfounded. The zoo surrounding him was beyond anything they could have expected.
Ryo shrugged, his sarcasm fitting the awkward mood like a slipper no one else could wear.
"Yeah, not surprised by that reaction. Totally normal, right? I'm basically Cinderella herself, with her entire animal kingdom. Nothing weird about that."
He turned his attention to the stepsisters, who were sitting side by side. The nightmarish clown makeup was gone, and Ryo couldn't help but blink in disbelief.
They were absolutely stunning.
In fact, the two "ugly" stepsisters Ryo thought would be, well… ugly, turned out to be even more beautiful than Cinderella—more breathtaking than Cinderella herself in any version of the story he'd read or movies he'd watched.
It was a sight he hadn't seen coming.