"I apologize…"
Elin spoke slowly, watching the two of them, and Theon, who nodded as if it was alright, fixed his gaze on Orhan. Soon, Theon's sharp voice echoed inside.
"Did you investigate what I told you?"
"I have investigated all the places I could, including neighboring countries, but it has been confirmed that the missing Queen's Elegance has not appeared as a stolen good."
"What about Kyle and Duke Daniel?"
"I tried to track their actions as you told me, but… There is no connection with the deceased Baron Noir."
"You mean you didn't find anything in the end? I'm not paying that much money for this. Orhan."
"…"
Theon's sharp eyes turned to Orhan.
‘What a great day to meet.'
Orhan, who looked at Theon without a word, frowned and pursed his lips.
At the same time, he looked down while holding both hands together, as if he had no excuse.
A heavy silence flowed between the three of them for a while.
Orhan, who had been biting his lip while maintaining a firm expression, made up his mind and slowly opened his mouth.
"If there is one thing… I found out who distributed the potion found in the Baron's mansion."
***
It was a journey that started suddenly without any preparation.
He was far from being spontaneous, but this time was an exception.
There wasn't much time. He might miss her again if he delayed it.
‘There was another person who said they saw Countess Catherine Serdian in the community of merchants I mentioned before.'
He picked up the coat he had put down even before Mattel's report was over.
He couldn't remember what he was thinking or what he was doing.
"I think it's nearby."
A sign indicating the border between the Stellen Kingdom and the Raff Kingdom came into Louis' red eyes.
He felt extremely tired as he had been running for a long distance without a break.
The dark sky began to brighten little by little as the sun rose.
Clippity-clop, clippity-clop.
His red hair fluttered in the wind as the horse moved at a high speed.
Growl.
He went out of the house as soon as he got home from work, so he couldn't even eat properly.
His stomach, now at its limit, was sending him a signal asking for food.
As he looked carefully at the path surrounded by tall trees, he slowed down as if he had found something.
Louis, who had been muttering that he could rest for a while now that he had arrived at his destination, slowly came down from the saddle. The thick mud dirtied his expensive shoes, but it was fine. For now, he was just happy to have a place where he could fill his stomach.
At a glance, there was a small, shabby restaurant in front of him.
He was worried about the hygiene of the restaurant, but he had no choice but to sacrifice something like that in order to satisfy his hunger right away.
Suddenly, Louis, who was standing in front of the restaurant, peeped through the window to see if there was anyone inside.
Fortunately, the lights were on, and it seemed that they were doing business.
Screech.
Louis' forehead contorted slightly as the old wooden door made an unpleasant noise.
Contrary to the shabby exterior, the small interior was more well-organized than expected.
An old woman with white hair came into Louis' eyes as he looked around while taking slow steps.
As business seemed quite good despite how it looked, the old woman cooked the stew with busy hands.
As he felt the smell of savory beef stew on the tip of his nose, his already-hungry stomach growled a little more intensely.
"A customer at this hour? You can take a seat anywhere."
The old woman, who had turned around as if she had felt his presence, spoke in a blunt voice.
At the same time as Louis, who was hesitant, took a seat, the old woman approached with a slow pace and set a well-baked whole-wheat bread on the table.
Louis, drunk by the clean smell, picked up the golden whole-wheat bread and took a careful bite.
A light smile was drawn on the corner of his mouth as if he liked the savory taste that spread inside his mouth.
"What business does a handsome young man have in such a remote place?"
"I heard that there is a community of merchants called Libro around here… May I ask where it is?"
"Hm. Don't be reckless, just eat this and go back. Why would a handsome young man go to such a chaotic place?"
Anxiety hung over the old woman's wrinkled face, who brought the steaming beef stew.
Instead of answering the old woman's words, Louis smiled shyly and picked up the wooden spoon in front of him.
The stew, which was generously prepared, tasted quite good compared to its crude shape.
Because Louis lost his mother when he was young, he sometimes missed this warm taste.
The food made by the white-haired old woman contained the flavors he ate as a child.