Chapter 49: Walking Himself
Beika Town 5-chome
Not far from Café Poirot.
Natsukawa and Anya both looked in the direction Bond was pointing.
At nine o'clock in the evening, there weren't many people walking the streets in this residential area. Those who were out were mostly walking their dogs.
In the direction Bond indicated, there was a man walking a German Shepherd.
"Bond, have you taken a liking to that dog?" Natsukawa stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Is spring in the air?"
From Natsukawa's perspective, there was nothing else noteworthy besides the man and his dog. So, if he wasn't mistaken, Bond must be feeling lonely and wanted a companion.
"Woof?"
Bond tilted his head, sticking out his tongue, his eyes wide as he looked at Natsukawa in confusion.
That's not it at all!
Anya, however, stared intently in that direction.
She'd just heard Bond's inner voice clearly—Bond had a premonition that someone resembling Anya's ideal mother was about to appear.
Anya waited anxiously, her heart racing.
Finally, at the corner at the end of the street, a woman emerged.
A pale pink coat enveloped her entire figure, revealing only her lower legs. Black tights made her exposed legs appear elegant and alluring, and she wore pale pink heels that perfectly matched the coat.
Her lustrous black hair cascaded past her shoulders, swaying gently along with her teardrop-shaped earrings as she walked.
Her eyes gazed downward thoughtfully, as if lost in contemplation.
Suddenly, Yor felt a gust of wind rush past her, her hair fluttering and her bangs lifting.
Someone's approaching!
Her assassin's instincts made her instantly step back two paces, evading the lunging figure.
In the instant she looked up, a white blur had already swept past.
It appeared to be a dog—a large white dog.
Wait, there's a child riding on it!
With her exceptional memory, she quickly recalled seeing this child and dog before, at Café Poirot, when they'd watched her and Yuri through the window for quite a while.
Skrrrrrt!
Bond's lunge failed, and as he landed, his claws scraped against the pavement, digging in to counteract his momentum.
Anya, meanwhile, was casually tossed by Bond's sudden stop and landed smoothly back on his back as if it were a practiced maneuver.
"Are you alright?"
Yor looked at Anya with genuine concern.
Are kids these days so reckless? Too young to ride motorcycles, so they're using large dogs instead?
"Anya's fine! Auntie, do you want to walk Bond with me?"
Anya blinked her adorable big eyes and extended the leash toward Yor.
"..."
"That's good." Yor breathed a sigh of relief, glanced at the offered leash, and felt a little flustered. "N-no need, really."
Natsukawa came jogging up from behind.
Bond was just too fast—he hadn't even had time to react.
"Are you okay, Anya?" Natsukawa looked slightly annoyed, shot Bond a reproachful glare, and scooped Anya up.
"Woof!"
Bond felt incredibly wronged.
Why is he glaring at me when I'm helping him find a wife? He doesn't appreciate my good intentions at all!
Anya gave Bond a reassuring look, silently promising that his dog food rations would be doubled tomorrow.
Bond: Oh, well in that case, it's fine.
"Anya's okay! Anya just wanted to invite Auntie to walk Bond!"
She held out the leash again insistently.
"Sorry, Anya isn't usually like this." Natsukawa apologized quickly, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
He'd seen this woman several times before—she was the beautiful woman from Café Poirot.
She must have gone there again today, though it was unusual to see her out so late.
"It's alright. Anya is very cute." Yor shook her head, revealing a gentle smile. The evening breeze blew softly, causing her long hair and pale pink coat to flutter gracefully, creating a picturesque scene.
"Thank you. You're very beautiful too."
Natsukawa held Anya in one arm and scooped up Bond with his other hand, afraid the dog might charge again.
"Auntie, I want a hug!" Anya smiled innocently, her pale pink eyes sparkling like precious gemstones in the streetlight.
The dog-walking plan had failed, so she'd take matters into her own hands. Anya had plenty of confidence in her abilities.
Her short arms stretched out barely thirty centimeters before reaching their limit. However, she didn't give up. She twisted her body and managed to wiggle free from Natsukawa's embrace slightly, leaning her entire upper body forward until her fingers finally brushed the hem of Yor's coat.
"Uh, sorry, I..." Natsukawa felt embarrassed, giving an awkward but polite smile.
"It's perfectly fine." Yor's smile didn't fade—she genuinely liked this adorable little girl.
Her pink hair and pale pink eyes made her look like a living doll. Her soft voice was captivating, and her outstretched little hands were delicate and pale, incredibly endearing.
Anya's gesture made the 27-year-old Yor feel a sudden, overwhelming urge to have a child of her own someday.
Looking at Anya, Yor was reminded of Yuri when he was little.
Yuri was adorable as a child too.
Yor gently gathered Anya into her arms, softly stroking her hair. Her tender expression made Anya completely reluctant to leave this warm embrace.
This auntie is destined to be my mama! Isn't that right?
Anya looked down at Bond for confirmation.
"Woof!"
Receiving Bond's affirmative bark, Anya became even happier, unable to resist snuggling against Yor's shoulder.
"It's a good thing she's a girl, otherwise..."
Natsukawa couldn't help but think of certain perverted children from other series. Those types were absolutely disgusting.
"What's wrong?" Yor heard Natsukawa murmur something but didn't quite catch it.
"No, nothing at all." Natsukawa continued with a smile. "Pardon my intrusion, but may I know your name?"
Anya's behavior seemed quite intentional. He'd already been considering finding a mother figure for her, and now it seemed there might be some promising progress.
However, thinking about his own identity as a spy, Natsukawa still felt hesitant, creating conflicted feelings.
But Anya had already set the tone for this encounter, and it would be impolite not to at least introduce himself properly.
Natsukawa smiled warmly, maintaining a calm and elegant expression, as graceful as a gentleman should be.
"Yor. Yor Briar."
"Just call me Natsukawa."
"Yor Briar..." Natsukawa hesitated for a moment, then asked curiously, "Is Miss Yor not from Japan originally?"
Yor's appearance and features were predominantly Asian. Without knowing her name, Natsukawa would have assumed she was a native Japanese.
"My mother was Japanese, and my father was from Eastern Europe."
"I see." Natsukawa nodded with understanding.
"Papa, Anya wants some hot cocoa!"
Anya was a little disappointed in her father. How could he let Miss Yor stand out here in the cold?
If Bond wouldn't cooperate properly, then he could go get the cocoa himself.
As for Bond...
"Bond, you're all grown up now. You need to learn to walk yourself!"
Anya tossed the leash onto Bond's back and waved her hand dismissively, indicating it would be much easier for him to do his business this way anyway.
"Woof?"
"Don't worry! There are definitely no dog thieves in Beika Town. This place is full of much worse criminals anyway."
"Woof?!"
"Bond, I advise you not to be ungrateful!" Anya stared at Bond seriously for several seconds.
"Woof..."
Bond shook his head in frustration, but he clearly couldn't resist Anya's insistence. He could only pick up the leash in his mouth and pad off on all fours, looking back every few steps with a betrayed expression.
Watching Bond walk away alone, Anya thought for a moment and called out, "Remember to find a secluded place to do your business, and make sure to cover it up when you're done!"
I'm not a cat! Bond didn't turn around, and his pace increased considerably.
"Anya is so clever! She can even communicate with her dog." Yor tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, looking genuinely amazed at the scene.
Natsukawa crossed his arms and remained silent. Was this how Anya always walked the dog?
The several times Anya had taken Bond out for walks by herself—could it be she'd run off to play and left Bond to walk himself?
This clearly wasn't the first time; she was quite practiced. It was truly a sad story for poor Bond.
It seemed he'd have to treat Bond to something special when they got home. Otherwise, this long-suffering dog might run away the next time Anya tried to "walk" him.
"Then shall we go to Café Poirot for some hot cocoa? I've seen Miss Yor there before—you must be a regular customer, right?" Natsukawa suggested casually.
"Yes, sometimes I stop by after an evening walk," Yor replied somewhat shyly.
Actually, she'd made plans to meet Yuri today, but it seemed her brother hadn't arrived yet. Having a drink with Mr. Natsukawa wasn't a bad alternative—after all, Anya was so adorable, and she wanted to spend more time with her.
"Auntie, was that man you were with before your boyfriend?" Anya remembered clearly that Miss Yor had been with a male companion at Café Poirot that day.
But it doesn't matter. As long as you're persistent, even the strongest walls will eventually crumble!
However, it was important to gather intelligence first—it would be helpful for planning the next steps.
At this moment, Anya displayed extraordinary strategic thinking, her thoughts crystal clear and focused.
If Conan saw this version of Anya, he would definitely be shocked speechless. This couldn't possibly be Anya—this wasn't the Anya he knew. The real Anya was clearly a bit of a goofball with occasional flashes of genuine brilliance mixed with complete chaos.
(End of Chapter 49)
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