Eggward was a creature of habit. Each morning, he filled the coffee pot with a generous helping of ground coffee beans and water. The beans danced and sizzled in the pot as they were transformed into the delicious, dark brew he cherished. It was the cornerstone of his morning.

After the coffee had percolated to perfection, Eggward poured himself a steaming cup, a rich shade of brown. He took a moment to savor the aroma, appreciating the way the fragrant steam curled around his shell. Satisfied, Eggward took his coffee through the door into his private office. It was a cozy space bursting with case files and maps pinned to the walls. His oak desk contained various gadgets and coffee mug rings.
"Morning, Eggsy. Mail's in when you're settled." His secretary, Cherry, a doughdin with immense patience for Eggward's oddities, sat sipping a steaming cup of tea at her station opposite his office.
"Ooh, any magazines today?" Eggward placed the mug on his desk and returned to the main room.
"Ugh, Durian Durian is on the cover of Thyme this month. When were they last relevant?" Cherry flipped through the magazine before Eggward was able to rip it from her grasp.
"Quit bending the edges." He smoothed the papers against her desk. "If you want to spit on the glory that is 'Hungry for the Loaf', get your own subscription."
In his absence, something peculiar had transpired. When Eggward came back to his office, he felt a strange chill. He settled back into his armchair, preparing to savor the first sip of his coffee, but Eggward's eyes were met with utter confusion. The coffee's aroma was familiar, but the rich, dark hue he'd come to adore was absent.
"Sabotage!" The cup halted halfway to his lips. The coffee was a pale shade, a far cry from the deep, dark brown that it should have been. What sorcery was this? Who's sorcery was this?

An initial pang of panic gripped him. Had he been targeted? Had someone tampered with his morning elixir? Eggward put down his coffee, convinced that a sinister force was at play. This was a calculated assault. An attempt on his life, not through poison, but by undermining the one thing he held most dear - the perfect cup of coffee.
Eggward's pulse quickened, his mind racing as he imagined shadowy figures in the background, plotting to rob him of his cherished morning ritual. Not again.
He didn't need much to convince himself to act. He sprang from his chair, his fedora toppling as he did so, and stormed towards Cherry's desk with a level of intensity reserved for the most dire crises.
"Eggsy, back already? Miss me?" Cherry looked around her desk for any missed mail.
"Something smells not so sweet, Miss Cherry." Eggward leaned in, his face inches from his secretary. He smacked his hands on her desk to draw her attention. "What do you know about this coffee tampering, Cherry? This isn't just sabotage. This is a culinary conspiracy! A diabolical plot to ruin the best part of my day! I must find out who did this!"
Unfazed, Cherry slowly turned her head back to her tea. "Can't say I know anything about that, boss."
"I ain't buying it! A crime this diabolical must have inside help. Now spill the beans before things get scrambled!" Eggward narrowed his eyes.
"Sorry Eggsy, but I think you've cracked. Why don't you get in there and do your job if you're such a great detective?"
With a scoff, Eggward scuttled back to his office. He was on the hunt. Each element he discovered became a clue, a lead into the depths of the conspiracy.
The exact placement of his coffee cup on the desk seemed to hold the key, as if it concealed a hidden message in its angle. He scrutinized it with a protractor, sure it indicated the direction of the malevolent coffee sabotage syndicate. Eggward couldn't overlook the importance of the clock on his office wall. The exact moment he discovered the pale coffee must be the pivotal point when the coffee caper began. He stared at the clock's hands, waiting for some revelation, but the face was silent.
Each new twist in his investigation left him more scrambled than before. He couldn't help but wonder if he was chasing shadows, or in this case, coffee stains.
Eggward's brain began to spin intricate theories. Someone, or perhaps a group of culprits, must be draining the color from coffee beans for an as-yet-unknown nefarious purpose! His world swirled with an endless string of bizarre deductions. From behind his office door, a faint sound reached Eggward's ears, a soft but unmistakable giggle. Curiosity piqued, Eggward burst through the door. There, amidst the playful ruckus, he caught sight of the true mastermind behind this morning's chaos.

Cole, his mischievous Saladmander sidekick, attempting to flee the scene.
"Did you enjoy your coffee 'Eggstra Light'?" she winked as she turned to face Eggward.
Realization struck Eggward and he cracked a smile. It wasn't a sinister plot; it was Cole, playing one of her classic capers. She produced a tiny creamer cup from her bag and wiggled it in the air.
"Egg-gads, creamer! How could such a simple solution slip through my grasp! You and your silly pranks. I suppose my morning routine could use some shaking up."
"That's the spirit!" Cole gave him a playful nudge. "Now let's go solve a real mystery. I heard there's a case of missing macarons in the pastry shop down the street!" Eggward chuckled and followed his spirited sidekick out towards the front office. He'd have to bring Cherry a pastry apology later. Their laughter echoed through the cozy detective agency. Eggward realized that in Culinaria, every day was a new adventure, even if it started with pale coffee.

For in the realm of Culinaria, where darkness brews in the most unexpected places, the people can always rely on detective Eggward Benedict to crack the case!