Chapter 100

Returning home from the Grand Duke's residence, I cut some flowers from the garden while thinking.

Sabrina is the king's cousin. It's hard to imagine that there would be a noble who would hide such a young lady.

Even if there were nobles who were enemies of the Grand Duke, Sabrina is the sixth daughter. Her betrothed is from a marquess family within the country. The benefits of kidnapping and imprisoning her would be minimal, yet the risk would be incredibly high.

Moreover, if there were a noble who would risk the execution of their entire family to kidnap and imprison Sabrina, Lord Lawrence would have already found out.

I plan to start the search in the commoner district of the capital.

"This case is likely one where Sabrina herself is cooperating, I think."

I could search for her alone, but it would be better to have some help. After thinking for a moment, I decided to ask Il. I also wanted to know how Il was doing since returning to Lord Edward's residence.

It was around three in the afternoon. I decided to consult with Zahar before Jeff returned, and I would take Il with me. Without prior notice, I headed to Lord Edward's residence, but fortunately, Il was exercising in the garden when he noticed the carriage and ran over with a smile.

"Victoria, welcome."

"Il, are you willing to help me search for someone?"

"I am."

He answered immediately. Il ran to change, and in his place, Lady Brides came out.

"Anna, you're not coming in? I'll be lonely."

"I'll visit again another day."

"Indeed, Nonna has been visiting frequently, and my mother-in-law is delighted. I'm also grateful for her help."

"I'm glad Nonna can be of assistance."

She had been visiting Elizabeth's house every day, but it seemed she had also been visiting Lord Courtney.

Il and I got into the carriage and headed to the Black Thrush.

"If Victoria is involved, it's not just a simple search, right? Is it an interesting task?"

"Why do you think so?"

"The atmosphere is different. You're sparkling."

I couldn't help but look into Il's black eyes. Only his eyes were smiling on his well-structured face.

"We're searching for a young lady."

"That's all? It seems like there's more to it."

"I'll explain when we arrive. By the way, did you ask Lord Edward about that matter?"

"I did. His response was, 'What's the Third Knight Regiment? Can you teach me, as I'm not well-informed?'"

"Hehehe."

"Well, I didn't expect it to be that easy. It's within my expectations. I haven't given up."

The carriage arrived at the Black Thrush. Zahar was cleaning the store before opening.

"Welcome. It's rare to see you during the day."

"Today, I have something I want to ask you."

"Sure, what is it?"

Zahar looked at Il. Il smiled politely and bowed, saying, "I'm Il."

"Il is the son of the family that helped me in the Shen Kingdom. Zahar, I need your help to search for someone. It's a troublesome request, and I apologize for it."

"Don't be so formal. You saved the bookstore. I owe you one. A search, huh? Who are you looking for?"

Zahar treats me as if I visited yesterday, even though it's been months since I last came. I think the comfort of this place comes from his attitude.

I unfolded the portrait of Sabrina that I had brought.

"I'm looking for this young lady. She's a noble's daughter, but she's missing. I think she probably ran away on her own, but there's a possibility she was deceived. I need information."

"Hmm. Golden hair and purple eyes. She looks like a noble's daughter. Is it urgent?"

"Yes. If we can find her with this information, I'll offer a reward. How about thirty gold coins?"

"Thirty? That would certainly motivate many people to help."

"Her real name is Sabrina, but she's probably using a fake name. I also want to catch the person hiding her. I'll offer ten gold coins for that."

Zahar looked surprised.

"Can I take the job? I need a bit of money right now."

"Sure, but what about the store?"

"I have someone who can manage it, so it's fine."

"Understood. Then, you, me, and Il."

We decided to start searching tonight, and the meeting point would be at seven o'clock. On the way back, Il was in a good mood.

"Victoria, leave it to me. I've learned the knowledge and skills for searching for people."

"That's reassuring."

"Then, see you at seven at the Black Thrush."

Il entered Lord Edward's residence with a smile.

When I got home, Nonna greeted me politely.

"Welcome back, Mother."

(I see, she has something to say,) I immediately realized. When Nonna has a request, she suddenly starts practicing noble manners.

"Mother, you went to the Black Thrush with Il today, didn't you?"

I couldn't help but look at Nonna. Did she follow the carriage? Run? No, that's unlikely. On horseback? Nonna shook her head slightly.

"No, I didn't follow you. Elizabeth and I were at a nearby store. It sells clothes suitable for visiting the commoner district."

"Oh, the Hina-giku Clothing Store."

"Yes, that one."

I hadn't noticed Nonna's gaze. Am I getting old? Or can Nonna hide her gaze pressure as well as her footsteps?

"Why was Il with you? I'm jealous. Il is an adult, so he can go to the Black Thrush whenever he wants."

"I had something to talk about with Il."

"I see. Got it."

Nonna quietly returned to her room.

When Jeff came home in the evening, I told him about the Grand Duke's story.

"Oh, so the rumor is about the Grand Duke's youngest daughter. What a reckless criminal. I don't oppose you searching for the young lady."

"Did you know about this? I have a feeling she disappeared on her own or was deceived."

"If it's the youngest daughter, Sabrina, she's an adult. An adult young lady running away. I heard this from the secretary in my room, who heard it from the lady of the house, who heard it from a servant, who heard it from another servant of another house."

Is there a reason why no one is acting even though they've heard the rumor?

"The servants hear such rumors when they meet outside. For them, scandals and gossip are their only entertainment. But why isn't anyone acting even though they know?"

"High-ranking noble young ladies' disappearances can't be acted upon until a formal search request is made. Scandals spread quickly. If a scandal spreads, the young lady might be sent to a remote convent and never allowed to leave, or in the worst case, die in an 'accident'... We can't act rashly."

"I see. That's the kind of thing that could happen with high-ranking nobles."

Since even Jeff, who works for the kingdom's army, knows about this, we need to hurry. There's a high possibility that people from the underworld have also heard about it.

That night, Il, Zahar, and I met at the Black Thrush.

"Zahar, it seems the rumor about Sabrina's disappearance is quite widespread."

"How high-ranking is the noble's daughter? A count's daughter? Not a marquess's daughter, I hope."

"She's the sixth daughter of the Grand Duke."

"Wha—"

Zahar closed his eyes and shook his head.

"I understand. It's surprising that it involves the Grand Duke's family."

"No, I'm not surprised by that. I'm amazed at how you've managed to get close to the royal family one after another."

"I'm not intentionally trying to get close to them."

"That's even more terrifying! Anyway, let's go to a job placement agency. There's an old man named Abram who has a wide network and is well-informed. It's probably better not to involve Hector this time, right?"

During the prison break, we used Hector, a key figure in the underworld. At that time, I was wearing a red wig, but if Hector is good at remembering faces, it's better not to meet him. He's a man who has always wanted to recruit me into his group.

"Right. Let's avoid Hector. Let's go to Abram's place."