The ride home was silent with the occasional crying and sniffling. While Irene told them about her discoveries, it did very little to lighten the depressing atmosphere.

Once back at the manor, everyone just went their separate ways doing their own thing trying to cope with what happened tonight. Jesabelle was probably in the kitchen as she hadn’t eaten yet. Ella was in the library reading to distract herself. Violet was with Magnolia and Charles, this affected her the most, and her mother and father are doing their best to calm her down with some of her favorite hot chocolate. As for Irene, she decided to just jump in a bubble bath in her private bathroom, one of the privileges of being a noble. 

The bathroom was large and white but not so bright that it hurt her eyes, a problem Irene has sometimes. In the middle of the bathroom, there was a large bathtub in the ground with four marble pillars on each side. On the left of the bathroom was a special standing shower with a special hanging pot that automatically heats up when water is filled up and rains once it’s at the temperature you want you let it loose and you get your shower. There were also blue curtains around the shower for privacy and very different from the average showers from Irene’s home world. 

On the right side of the bathroom was a large sink with a big mirror with a gold intricate frame. It had all the things that are common like soap for washing hands, toothbrush, and drawers for hair and face products. Across the entrance was the chamber room, this world’s equivalent of a bathroom. While the toilet inside looks like an average toilet, plumbing and all, it has golden intricate designs on it. A perk of being wealthy when one wanted to show it off. 

Whatever, Irene is not complaining. The baths she likes to take are very refreshing and relaxing. Once she prepared the bath, Irene got into the bathtub and sank into the water, letting the warmth and the scent of bath oils in the air relax her tired body and mind. 

She had expected to have a nice time with her friends today, and instead, it ends with her accepting a request from the royal family to solve a murder. It's a lot to take in for a woman with Asperger’s if Irene was being honest. 

Still, a part of Irene was excited about all this as it all reminded her of the detective and mystery books she and her parents would read together. Mysteries, riddles, and puzzles always excited her as she likes to challenge her brain in figuring things out. Solving an actual crime should not be all that difficult from those shows her birth mother watched a long time ago. 

But those were puzzles and television shows. This is real life, so it’s going to be very dangerous. Moreso since magic exists in this world as well. 

The question is, can Irene do it?

These thoughts plagued her mind as she cleaned her body. Once done she got dressed in a light pink long-sleeved nightgown with matching robes and headed back to her room. 

The room was spacious with a bed with lavender, pink, and white bedding and sheets with beautiful dark purple canopy curtains with star patterns on them. There’s a light pink couch and armchairs with a wooden coffee table by a fireplace, now lit and warming her room up with a fluffy, lavender carpet to complete the area, and a writing desk by the bed where the picture of her birth parents was placed. 

She also had a magic wardrobe that acted more like a walk-in closet where all her dresses, clothes, and other accessories were along with a large mirror right next to the magic wardrobe. There were also some pictures, flowers, and other decor pieces that completed the room. 

Irene was sitting down on the couch drinking tea with a warm fire flickering in the fireplace and the photo of her and her birth parent from the writing desk now on the coffee table. She talked to the picture as if they were there about the events of the ball. 

"So now they want me to figure out who killed Aoife. Looks like I'm now a detective like Sherlock, guys," Irene smiled as the idea of being a detective brought back memories of that day, just as they arrived in Fantasyworld. 

~.~.~

The family entered the park and eight-year-old Irene was amazed by all the sights around her. It looked like a European village straight out of the fairytale books she loved to read all the time. There were vendors out dressed as villagers selling their wares and lots of park guests out taking photos most likely for their social media page for views. 

"Mommy, Daddy, everything looks beautiful!" Irene smiled excitedly. 

"Yeah, it definitely hasn't changed much," Irene’s mom smiled, filled with nostalgia. 

"There's definitely some changes made," Irene’s dad agreed, noticing the new buildings and colors in the main village. “Now I’m going to grab some fairy passes, you ladies hang around here in the meantime.” 

“What’s a fairy pass?” Irene asked. 

“It’s a special ticket that lets you get on the ride faster than waiting in line for hours,” Irene’s mom explained.

“Awesome!” Irene smiled excitedly. Both parents laughed at how adorable their daughter was and soon the father was off to get the passes. 

“So what do you want to check out first while we’re waiting for Daddy?” Irene’s mother asked. Irene looked around and noticed a crowd gathering around some people in costume. 

“Let’s go over there, Mommy,” Irene said, pointing at the crowd. There were two men that were dressed like Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in the corner where everyone was gathering 

“Can you solve Sherlock Holmes’s riddle?” Dr. Watson asked the crowd gathering around them. 

“If you have the brains for it, then come right up and give it a shot! If you manage to solve it, you get a free copy of my book!” Sherlock encouraged the crowd, which got them excited. Irene and her mother were in the crowd and they, too, were interested in the challenge. But poor Irene was too short to see anything and tried to jump up and down to get a better view, but everyone was too tall for her.

Irene’s mom, noticing this, grabbed her daughter and hoisted her up for a better view. 

“Mommy, is that Sherlock Holmes?” Irene asked excitedly. 

“Yep, looks like he’s challenging the parkgoers to solve his riddle and anyone who gets it right wins a prize,” Irene’s mother told her. 

“Oh! Can we please try it?” the little girl asked excitedly. 

“Well, alright. But it might be hard, sweetie, so don't be too upset if you don't get it right," Irene’s mom reminded her daughter. 

"Okay!" the eager eight-year-old nodded. 

"Now, here's the riddle," Sherlock began. 

You can’t see me, but I am deadly

I started in central Asia and traveled all the way to Europe. Millions are dead because of me but an ocean kept me from reaching the Americas

I strike about three times and even today I still lurk around ready to strike anyone

What am I?

Everybody in the crowd began pondering over the riddle, especially Irene. Her mom thought it was too complicated for her daughter and was about to say something to her but her daughter shouted, “I know the answer! I know the answer!” excitedly, practically jumping out of her mother’s arms.

 “Calm down, sweetie,” Irene’s mother said, trying to not drop her daughter by accident. 

“This little lady seems eager, Holmes,” Watson smiled pointing at the excited girl in her mother’s arms. 

“Well, come right up, young lady!” Sherlock encouraged Irene’s mother. She happily brought her daughter up to where the two men were, but a part of her is worried that her daughter might be very upset if she gets it wrong, so she made a mental note to get her a big teddy bear in the event that it happens. Once her mom placed her on the ground, Irene happily walked up to Holmes and Watson. 

“So little lady, do you know the answer to my riddle?” 

“I do!” Irene smiled happily. “It’s the bubonic plague.” 

Both Holmes and Watson stood in shock along with Irene’s mother, who was mostly confused over how her daughter even knew such a thing. 

“It’s also known as the Black Death,” Irene continued. “You can’t see it ‘cause you need a microscope to see the deadly germs. It originated from Asia and spread all across the world thanks to the Silk Roads all the way to Europe, hitting them three times. It never reached the Americas cuz unless you were a Viking it wasn’t on the map back in medieval times. Not to mention it hasn’t fully been eradicated as it is still here today,” Irene said before saying, with a huge smile on her face, “Elementary, Holmes.” 

“I think she’s got you, Holmes,” Watson laughed. Even Irene’s mom couldn’t help but laugh at this, along with the crowd. The poor guy in the Sherlock Holmes costume stepped aside to try and calm down. 

“Mommy, is Sherlock going to be okay?” little Irene asked, worried that she might have done something wrong. 

“I think he’s just overwhelmed by how smart you are,” her mom said once she calmed down. “Plus, when you said ‘Elementary,’ it was funny!” 

The Sherlock actor eventually calmed down and walked right back to Irene, getting back into character. 

“I must say, it is surprising to find an intellectual like me at such a young age” the guy smiled. He then crouched down to Irene’s level and asked, “What is your name, young lady?” 

“I’m Irene Doyle,'' the eight-year-old happily introduced herself. 

“Well, what a coincidence, Dr. Watson!” Sherlock said, getting up. 

“What is that Holmes?” Watson asked. 

“Why, this young lady has the same last name as my creator!” Sherlock pointed out. 

“Doyle?” Irene asked. 

“Well, the author of the Sherlock Holmes books is named Arthur Conan Doyle,” Irene’s mother explained. 

“Really?” Irene asked, surprised. “Why do we have his last name?” 

“Well, that’s because both you and your father are the author’s descendants, he’s your great-great-great-grandfather,” Irene’s mother explained. 

A twinkle appeared in Irene’s eyes as she excitedly asked, “Really?” 

Her mother nodded confirming it. 

“What are the odds of that, Holmes?” Watson commented surprised. 

“Indeed Watson” Sherlock agreed. The guy dressed as the detective then motioned to Watson to hand over the book and did so immediately. 

“Since you have solved my riddle, young Doyle, I am honored to give you my book on how to be a detective,” Sherlock crouched down to Irene’s level and handed the book titled Sherlock Holmes’s Guide to Become a Great Detective. Irene looked at that book in awe and excitement. The green leather-covered book with Sherlock’s iconic logo on it looked so beautiful that she was actually afraid to touch the book for fear of ruining it. Instead, she carefully took it and held it in her arms, determined to protect her precious gift. 

“I promise I will make you and my great-great-great-grandpa proud, Sherlock Holmes,” She smiled before giving the guy in the Sherlock Holmes costume a hug with her free arm. The man playing Sherlock Holmes meanwhile was resisting the urge to hug the girl right back as he had to stay in character, but Irene was so cute the way her eyes twinkled with determination, so he instead patted her on the head.

“With that brilliant mind of yours, I have no doubt you can make it possible. Now you better return to your mother there, I bet she’s eager to celebrate your victory.” 

“Ok, goodbye, Mr. Holmes!” she said before running off to her mother who happily carried her off the stage and away from the crowd. 

“I can’t believe you won! I’m so proud of you!” 

Irene felt like she was on top of the world.