Chapter 31

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If a princess from another country goes missing in her own country, it is certainly necessary to report it to the king urgently.

While Alan was writing a letter to the king on behalf of the group, Olivia spread out a map of the area on the table and marked it with a pen.

Silas is searching the surroundings with Colin.

According to the reports so far, a man with the same characteristics as Legion bought an armchair and brought a large amount of jewels to a jeweler. The characteristics match Legion's.

Olivia stood up with the map, on which she had marked several places.

"Miss, where are you going?"

Olivia smiled.

"Just... you know."

"Are you going to a real estate agent who sells houses around here?"

As Olivia left the room, she caught a hotel staff member walking nearby.

"If you're looking for a real estate agent, I think the one who does the most business is a man named Gaspar, who operates on the outskirts of town... But why would you want to buy a house in such a rural area? There's nothing but fields everywhere."

The staff member looked puzzled, but Olivia didn't answer and simply thanked him before heading downstairs.

When she had the nearby real estate agents investigated, there was no trace of a man with Legion's characteristics. However, if Olivia's guess was correct, Legion must have visited some real estate agent.

(If he prepared everything in just two days after the princess complained of illness, he can't have gone far. Besides, if he intended to escape to the Calzor Kingdom, he wouldn't have left this area. ...If he knocked out the maids and escaped before we noticed, this area is the farthest he could have gone.)

The princess's illness was probably a feigned one to buy time. And—

(Tiana probably...)

It all made sense if she was used.

Tiana spoke of being persuaded by a man. She was angry that the underground passage in the White Rose Palace, which was said to lead to the Calzor Kingdom, turned out to be a lie. She also said that a man offered to help her escape from here and promised to secure her life after escaping to the Calzor Kingdom. Although she wondered why she would believe such a suspicious offer, Tiana might have believed it. She doesn't doubt things that suit her.

If the man was Legion, he likely used Tiana to lure Olivia and the others away from the inn to prepare for his escape while they were gone.

(Princess Florenzia's love interest, it's probably him, right?)

She had been suspicious for a while. The trust between them seemed different from that of a master and servant. Princess Florenzia seemed to rely too much on Legion, and now that she thought about it, the way Legion looked at the princess was not normal.

If they really ran away together, it might be better to leave them alone for their sake. However, if that happened, it would create a rift between the Brieur Kingdom and the Lebonneur Kingdom. As a princess, Florenzia should have understood the importance of her role. The Brieur Kingdom has no obligation to overlook the actions of two people who prioritized their own convenience.

(It would have been better if they had run away in their own country. But since that was impossible, they probably took this opportunity...)

Although it's regrettable, as the daughter of this country's prime minister and Silas's fiancée, Olivia cannot stand by and let her own country suffer a disadvantage.

Since the real estate agent named Gaspar operates on the outskirts of town, which is quite far, Olivia asked a guard to prepare a carriage for her.

As she waited for the carriage at the inn's entrance, she saw Silas returning from searching the town.

"Olivia, where are you going?"

"To a real estate agent on the outskirts of town. Did you find anything?"

"I did. If you're going to the real estate agent, I'll come with you. Let's talk in the carriage."

Olivia nodded and got into the carriage with Silas.

According to Silas, a man in his forties who runs a carriage service was asked by a man resembling Legion to sell his carriage. The carriage service man initially refused because he couldn't work without a carriage, but he changed his mind when offered a large sum of money, more than enough to buy a new carriage and horse. The carriage he was using was old, and the horse was aging, so he had been planning to replace them anyway. He sold the carriage to the man resembling Legion.

"A carriage... I see. I didn't think of that. I assumed they caught a carriage and moved around..."

In that case, they might have escaped farther than expected. —No, a carriage service carriage is a small, two-horse carriage not designed for long-distance travel. If they tried to travel long distances, they would attract more attention. They probably didn't move that far.

"Still, I didn't expect to find a clue so easily. Why didn't Legion hide his face?"

"He might not have thought he would be recognized, but hiding his face might have made him more suspicious. If he acted confidently, the shopkeepers wouldn't have found it strange, and the information wouldn't have come to light unless we investigated."

"Ah, I see."

"Princess Florenzia in a dress would have been suspicious, but Legion could blend in with a change of clothes."

"Ah, I see."

"Your Highness, you would stand out, so it would be useless."

"I'm not planning to run away, but why?"

"Your mannerisms. Even if you're not recognized as a prince, people would notice your high status. Legion, being a noble, has the skill to blend in, especially after years of serving as a guard. Your guard, Colin, is the same."

"Ah, that's true."

Silas snapped his fingers.

A guard's job isn't just to stand confidently next to their charge. Sometimes they need to keep a distance and blend in with the surroundings. This requires the skill to fit in with the environment.

By the time they finished talking, the carriage had arrived at Gaspar's real estate office.

Gaspar's office wasn't very large, but the man who appeared from the back as they entered was a flashy, profit-driven man. He was adorned with gaudy jewels, which seemed out of place for a small shop. He looked at them with probing eyes and then suddenly broke into a friendly smile, approaching them with clasped hands.

"Welcome, welcome. What brings you here today?"

The shopkeeper's friendliness was likely due to Olivia and Silas's attire. They were dressed simply for their journey, but anyone who looked closely could tell the fabric was expensive. To the shopkeeper, they were potential good customers.

Olivia didn't intend to stay long, so she got straight to the point, spreading the map she had brought on the negotiation table.

"Have you had a man purchase a house in cash in the areas I've marked in the past few days?"

When Olivia asked, the shopkeeper's expression turned suspicious.

"Why are you asking about that? I'm in business, you know, and I can't just spill out customer information."

(That means he's probably the one.)

From Gaspar's response, Olivia deduced that a man had indeed purchased a house in the area she marked recently. If there was no such person, he could have simply said, "I don't know." The fact that he emphasized the confidentiality of customer information suggested he had a lead.

However, he didn't seem willing to share the information easily. As Olivia pondered how to extract the information, Silas reached into his pocket and placed a gold coin on the table.

"We're in a hurry."

The effect of the gold coin was immediate.

Gaspar, who had been insisting that customer information couldn't be sold, quickly changed his tune, took the gold coin, and spoke cheerfully.

"Yes, yes, he did come. Eppicar, that's his name. He bought an empty house. He was a generous payer. This area has a lot of empty houses because of the increasing number of elderly people, which has caused land prices to drop, making business difficult. But he paid double the asking price. I don't know what he saw in that old, rural house, but he was a good customer."

"Did he pay double the price for any specific reason?"

"Well, he wanted to move in quickly and asked for furniture, even if it was old. I had some from a house I bought recently, so I gave it to him. It was practically free furniture, and he paid double the asking price, so it was a good deal for me."

Olivia and Silas exchanged glances, nodded, and thanked the shopkeeper before leaving the store.

"We need to inform Prince Alan urgently."

If Legion and the others found out they were investigating, they might escape.

Olivia and Silas hurried back to the inn to consult with Alan.