The Rogue, Genius, Chaebol's Daughter is a Baby Master Detective! - Chapter 20

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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A delinquent, a genius, and a tycoon’s daughter walk into a baby detective!
Chapter 20
Haru tugged gently at Gong Dae-in’s pant leg.
“Good evening.”
“Haru, good night to you.”
Gong Dae-in’s expression softened.
“Why is Dodo lying down?”
“We’re going to update him.”
“An update? What’s that?”
“A surgery to make him smarter.”
“S-surgery!”
Haru’s eyes widened.
“It’s good for Dodo.”
Haru pressed her small hands together, fidgeting slightly as she spoke.
“Then make sure it doesn’t hurt.”
“Robots don’t feel pain, ugh—”
Kang Tae-jun had appeared out of nowhere and poked Gong Dae-in sharply in the ribs. Gong Dae-in quickly corrected himself.
“It’s a completely painless procedure.”
“When will the surgery be done? Can I bring him on tomorrow’s outing?”
Gong Dae-in pushed his glasses up.
“It will take at least twenty hours. I’ll need the equipment in the Research Laboratory, so I’ll take Dodo with me.”
One, two—
Haru counted on her fingers. Two hands weren’t enough. She had to count on her toes too. Her face began to crumple.
“Sniff. So Dodo can’t go on the outing? But I was supposed to do Stakeout Investigation with him…”
“Stakeout Investigation?”
Clap—Haru clapped her hand over her mouth, then her eyes darted around before she spoke.
“Detective play.”
Kang Tae-jun and Gong Dae-in nodded in understanding.
“When you get back, a smarter Dodo will be waiting for you.”
Haru’s shoulders sagged. She’d have to give up bringing her assistant.
Haru carefully stroked Dodo’s exposed belly.
“You have to be brave about your surgery, Dodo. And I’ll be brave too, going on the outing.”
Dodo said nothing. It was the man with glasses who answered.
“He’s in Power Save Mode.”
Kang Tae-jun continued.
“Dodo’s snoring away, so you should head to bed too. If you sleep late, you’ll be tardy tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
Padding back to her bed, Haru hugged Gomi tightly to her chest.
Tomorrow was Haru’s first outing. And the day the villain was making his move!
She wouldn’t have her assistant, but that was fine. Haru was a genius detective who could handle things alone.
***
The morning of the outing.
Kang Tae-jun stood with his arms crossed, his brow furrowed. Somehow Gong Dae-in and Lee Hyun-woo had shown up early and were now spreading Bento Boxes across the table.
“Hey, Haru, look at this. Daddy made you a Bento Box.”
“Wow!”
Inside the container, cute little kimbap rolls shaped like rabbits, bears, and chicks lay in a neat row.
The chick’s face was a little scary, though…
“Kimbap is the thing for outings.”
Lee Hyun-woo said proudly with a pleased smile.
“I made it while watching YouTube at three in the morning. Pretty cool, right?”
Haru clapped her hands in delight, and Gong Dae-in broke in with a satisfied smile.
“A four-item Bento Box set that children love. Beef short ribs, sausage, pork cutlet, and chicken nuggets.”
“Wow!”
All her favorite things!
Lee Hyun-woo interjected.
“Wait, don’t you usually fuss about health and nutrition?”
Gong Dae-in pushed his glasses up.
“An outing is a day of joy. For one day, Haru eating only delicious things poses no health risk.”
“You sneaky punk! Trying to score points with Haru!”
Haru grabbed at Gong Dae-in’s sleeve.
“Where’s Dodo, mister?”
“In surgery.”
Gong Dae-in showed Haru the Tablet. The moment she saw the image on the screen, Haru let out a sharp cry and stepped back. People were peering down at Dodo, whose belly lay open.
Thud.
At the heavy sound, everyone’s attention snapped toward the table. A lacquered Three-Tier Lacquered Food Box had been set down.
“What is that?”
At Haru’s question, the corners of Kang Tae-jun’s mouth curved upward ever so slightly.
“Well. Haru, you only need to eat from Dad’s bento box. The first tier is Korean beef tenderloin, the second is abalone rice balls, and the third is fruit.”
“Really? What are you, taking a school trip for toddlers…?”
“A five-year-old’s outing only comes once in a lifetime—just once, never again.”
Haru pressed her small hands together, her eyes shining bright.
“Wow! It looks so delicious!”
“Haru, whose bento looks the most delicious to you?”
“Mine, obviously.”
“It must be my bento box.”
“They all look delicious!”
The moment Haru saw the appetizing food, her stomach growled loudly. Wait—but that wasn’t… Sniff-sniff. Her small nose twitched.
Beneath the delicious aromas, something else lingered in the air.
A detective’s nose never lies!
Haru began sniffing her way toward the kitchen.
“Hold on.”
Kang Tae-jun stepped into her path. Behind him, suspicious smoke was rising. Haru’s eyes gleamed with curiosity.
What was that? She desperately wanted to know, but being so small, she couldn’t see anything.
Without warning, Haru spread both arms toward Kang Tae-jun.
“Pick me up?”
The moment her small hands reached out to him, Kang Tae-jun went rigid, as if his soul had been paralyzed. Just as he began to thaw and awkwardly raise his arms, someone swooped in and snatched Haru away.
“Haru. Your dad can bounce you around way more fun than that guy!”
Creak-crack.
Watching Lee Hyun-woo flash a shameless victor’s smile, Kang Tae-jun ground his teeth, his voice dropping dangerously low.
“You sold your conscience to the devil.”
Catching the ominous expression, Lee Hyun-woo spun on his heel and bolted.
With her new vantage point, Haru could finally see where the smoke was coming from. She knew exactly what it was—genius Haru had seen it all in cartoons.
‘The villain’s thing that villains use to kill people….’
Lee Hyun-woo fled to the living room, still cradling Haru in his arms. Over his shoulder, Haru’s eyes met Kang Tae-jun’s as he receded into the distance.
Gasp—scarier than the final boss from the Great Detective Dodo episode!
Haru quickly buried her head in Lee Hyun-woo’s embrace.
Kang Tae-jun’s expression grew even more sinister.
Once in the living room, Lee Hyun-woo lifted Haru up and down repeatedly in a bouncing motion through the air.
“Kya-ha!”
“Fun, right?”
“Yeah!”
Whoosh—
This time, he tossed Haru lightly into the air.
Haru’s eyes went wide as saucers.
‘I’m flying! Haru’s flying through the sky!’
She flailed her short limbs frantically…
Plop.
…and landed safely in his broad arms.
Haru’s eyes met Lee Hyun-woo’s mischievous gaze, and she broke into an enormous grin, showing all her baby teeth.
“Do it again! More flying!”
“All right, here we go!”
Kang Tae-jun, having snapped to attention and followed them out, let out a shriek of alarm as he watched Haru laughing and soaring through the air.
“Are you insane?”
Gong Dae-in also burst out, still wearing an apron.
“Put her down this instant.”
Forcibly separated from Haru, Lee Hyun-woo drooped his eyes and spoke with wounded indignation.
“You’re all no fun. Haru, you’d rather live with Dad, right? Dad can keep you entertained every single day.”
“Don’t fill the kid’s head with nonsense.”
“It’s not nonsense! Haru, sure, that guy burns even rolled egg omelets, but Dad can make character-shaped sushi rolls!”
“Since when did you make those? You bought them, didn’t you?”
“I made some of it too!”
“You mean you just stuck seaweed on top for eyes?”
Lee Hyun-woo fell silent, his expression caught red-handed.
‘An egg roll?’
Haru’s eyes trembled with shock. That sinister, dangerous-looking thing wasn’t meant to eliminate villains at all — it had been made for her.
She was deeply moved.
Haru approached Kang Tae-jun and grasped his pinky finger tightly with her small hand.
“Thank you for cooking for me!”
When their eyes met, Kang Tae-jun’s pupils wavered. Haru giggled.
“Can I take the egg roll and eat it?”
Kang Tae-jun’s expression, which had been melting like summer ice cream, suddenly hardened.
“No.”
“Come on!”
“That’s not advisable.”
Two answers erupted at once. Gong Dae-in pushed his glasses up as he spoke.
“Burnt food isn’t good for your health.”
“But you made it for me! I want to eat the egg roll!”
Yet the expressions of all three men looking down at her were equally resolute.
Haru simply threw herself flat on the floor.
“I want to eat the egg roll!”
Then she swept her arms and legs across the ground in wild, windmill-like motions.
“Dad will make a fresh one! An egg roll is a piece of cake!”
“It might be harder than you think.”
“Temperature control is the key. Just trust me.”
“I’ll make it for her.”
“I will!”
“No, I will!”
The three men jostled one another as they headed toward the kitchen.
Left alone, Haru scrambled to her feet.
She glanced at the watch on her wrist — the numbers read 8 and 45.
“If I don’t hurry, I’ll be late….”
But it didn’t matter. She’d gained something after all!
Haru pulled out a notebook from her pocket and began scribbling in shaky handwriting.
Black-haired man
—Black egg roll (not cooking)
Great Detective Haru, gathering clues one by one!

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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