After quickly polishing off breakfast, Itefeil went to the door and put on the cape and hat reserved for a chief superintendent. She gave herself a twirl in the full-length mirror by the door, making sure everything was in place, then opened it to leave. Before heading out, she poked her head back inside and, addressing La Luna, who was lazily lounging in the sun beside the bath, said:

“La Luna, be good while I’m gone, okay? Don’t cause any trouble. I’ll be back around noon.”

La Luna didn’t pay Itefeil any attention. She kept her eyes half-closed, basking lazily in the sunlight. Itefeil didn’t think much of it, shut the door, and headed to work. If the Woodpeckers had arrived in time, she was sure to run into this elite force of the Empire at the police station today.

“Ahh… If only I could meet a handsome guy.”

That was what Itefeil was thinking.

And here was where she stood in life: twenty-eight years old, with absolutely no romantic experience. When it came to men and dating, she was a complete novice.

Though she looked like a girl in her early twenties, she was actually about to hit thirty. Itefeil herself acted as if she didn’t care much about it (she did). Her parents, though, were getting worried.

Itefeil’s father was a teacher in the city, and her mother was a physician. Both had earned a certain amount of respect around town. Their daughter had done them proud, too, becoming a chief superintendent at such a young age. They should’ve been overjoyed at her success—but when it came to relationships with men, she had a serious problem.

In the years since she graduated from the police academy and started working at the station, their daughter hadn’t managed to land a single boyfriend. And once she was on the job, her ruthless approach to solving cases won her the appreciation of her superiors—but also earned her the nickname “tigress” around town. Even when her parents arranged a blind date for her, the poor guy ended up trembling in fear.

So Itefeil’s parents were terribly worried about their daughter’s future marriage prospects.

Itefeil, meanwhile, always acted as if she couldn’t care less. In truth, she kept finding fault with the men her parents set her up with. They were either weak and spineless, with not an ounce of manliness, or career-minded men who cared only about work and money and just wanted a woman to marry so they could settle down.

It was awful.

Itefeil considered herself a romantic. But she also wanted someone strong enough to protect their family someday—a man like the prince on a white horse in a little girl’s dreams: strong, gentle, and romantic.

“Tch…”

The thought made Itefeil bristle. Why had no perfect man like that ever shown up in her life?! Damn it, damn it!

Thinking carefully about the men in her life, the chief superintendent was certainly strong and a gentleman—but he was far too old! There were plenty of wrinkles on his forehead and around his eyes, and his hair was looking a little dry. He was nothing like the prince on a white horse in her dreams.

Some of the other male superintendents were decent candidates, but they were already married. The rest were either cold and heartless, with no sense of romance at all, or there was one young, handsome, powerful superintendent—unfortunately, he wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed. A total goofball…

“Hey, Itefeil!”

When Itefeil reached the police station, a blond young man’s eyes lit up. He called out to her from a distance.

Itefeil didn’t even need to look to know who it was. That familiar voice could only belong to her “partner in justice” again.

“Hey, Justice. Did you catch that thief from the alley the other day?”

The man called Justice stood in the sunlight outside the police station. The morning sun set off his golden hair, and the gold embroidery on his superintendent’s cape gleamed along with it. Standing in the sun, he practically sparkled. A different girl might have fallen for the sight.

Too bad it was Itefeil. And Itefeil couldn’t help thinking what a shame it was that a guy like this had to be Justice…

“Oh, that little thief from the other day? Of course I caught him. With skills like his, how could he possibly escape the grasp of yours truly?”

Apparently remembering something amusing, Justice flashed a charming smile.

Damn…

Itefeil felt like that sunny smile was about to blind her.

“Oh, right! Did you hear? A cavalry unit rode into the city first thing this morning. Guess who they are?”

Justice leaned in close to Itefeil and whispered, wearing an overly mysterious expression.

“The Woodpeckers’ cavalry?”

There was no suspense.

“Wow! You really are my closest partner. You got the right answer in one shot!”

Justice put on an astonished expression, earning a roll of Itefeil’s eyes. What else would a cavalry unit be doing in a major city this far west? If the Empire’s Woodpeckers weren’t here to clear out abnormal thieves, what other reason could there be? None, right? If Itefeil couldn’t figure that out, she’d have to wonder whether she was still cut out for working at the station.

“So? Where’s the cavalry unit?”

Justice gestured toward a spot nearby.

“Over there. They’ll be coming out any moment.”

As soon as Justice had pointed them out, a cavalry unit emerged from the station courtyard. The moment they appeared, Itefeil’s eyes locked onto a man among them. He had slightly curly short blond hair, a high-bridged nose, and deep blue eyes. He sat astride a pure-white unicorn.

Suddenly, Itefeil felt as if something had pierced straight through her.

“Ah… Could this be love at first sight?!”

Feeling her heart pound in her chest, Itefeil was beside herself with excitement.

This was the prince on a white horse, descending right before my eyes!!