In the end, I got off the carriage without saying a word.

Arnold also escorted me without asking anything further.

I should have felt relieved that the uncomfortable and awkward conversation was over, but somehow I felt uneasy.

Despite having other things to focus on, the uneasy feeling wouldn’t go away.

I couldn’t even remember what excuse Arnold gave to the cafe owner as we entered.

“This way, please.”

The cafe was quiet.

No. Amidst the silence, there were occasional embarrassing sounds mixed in.

My guess before coming here, that I roughly knew what kind of place this was, turned out to be correct.

A place frequented by people working in the shopping district, aristocrats, or others who needed such a venue.

While surprised that this was the meeting place, I understood why Leoprick had told me to wear a bonnet to cover my face as much as possible when getting dressed today.

Most of the women I encountered in the corridor had their faces covered, and even the men came out with their faces hidden.

No one was curious about each other, not even sparing a glance.

It seemed like this was the final destination for secret lovers seeking a place for clandestine meetings.

If not, their gazes would have darted around trying to figure out who the others were.

“Four people today?”

The cafe owner guiding the way asked, glancing back.

And Arnold, as if accustomed to such questions, simply moved on without answering.

John, who also had his face covered, kept his mouth shut just like Arnold.

Seeing them, I also walked in silence.

There was no point in responding, as the two were demonstrating that it wouldn’t be good.

Fortunately, the owner didn’t ask further and guided us to a room inside.

“This way. Your companions have already arrived.”

Saying that, he turned around and disappeared towards the entrance.

Even while standing in the corridor, the secretive sounds didn’t stop.

I gestured with my chin for Arnold to open the door.

Arnold briefly put his ear to the door and knocked, knock knock. At regular intervals.

It seemed there was a pre-arranged signal, so I waited for a moment.

And after a while, a slightly different interval of knocks was heard from inside, and the door slowly opened.

As the three of us entered through the open door, it closed again.

“Welcome.”

Entering the room, the embarrassing sounds coming from various places seemed to be heard more clearly.

But the three people excluding me seemed unconcerned, greeting each other and taking their seats.

And when it was time for me to greet him……

“I am Zero from the Wayne’s Company, miss. We met before when you visited the company, do you remember?”

I was momentarily flustered by the unexpected face.

Zero said he came to the capital at Leoprick’s suggestion.

On his way to the capital to deliver a letter, he met Leoprick, and then went straight to Wayne’s to request a leave of absence before coming up.

“I wanted to help you, miss, no, Your Highness, in any way possible. His Highness the Crown Prince gave me the opportunity.”

He said he had heard a lot about me from the company people.

Because the company people who practically raised him after he got a job as an errand boy at a young age praised the young lady so much.

And when I visited the company before, he vividly remembered how everyone reacted.

He wanted to do something helpful for me, as the company people wished and of his own will.

So he came to the capital, received special training from Arnold, and now works as Lloyd’s assistant.

“It wasn’t difficult? It must not have been easy to cater to the whims of aristocrats after working for the company.”

“On the contrary, I’m glad to learn more. I might ask the branch manager to reassign me as a secretary when I return.”

Zero responded with a grin.

He joked with me, saying that although Lloyd is a bit particular, he’s simple-minded and easy to handle.

“It’s not as hard as Your Highness worries. It’s less physically demanding than when I was at Wayne’s.”

“Still, I appreciate the thought. If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to tell me.”

“I will, Your Highness. I will also strive to become someone who can be of more help.”

Zero bowed with an attitude befitting an aristocrat’s assistant rather than a company man.

Seeing that, I thought I should tell Jennifer to definitely consider hiring Zero as a secretary when he returns to Wayne’s, as it was both satisfying and admirable.

And the real conversation began.

“You know about the kidnapping of Lady Valois, right?”

“Yes. I know. I was the one driving the carriage then.”

“We need the exact date, time, and location.”

“Of course. I even kept the clothes the viscount was wearing that day, just in case.”

In response to Arnold’s question, Zero took out a small notebook from his pocket.

Opening the notebook, it was densely filled with drawings of the clothes, accessories, carriage, and accompanying knight that Lloyd had that day.

“You know how to draw?”

Arnold, who received the notebook, looked surprised, and John and I were the same.

The skill of the drawings was of a high level with vivid details.

It was as good as the paintings by various artists who learned it as a social grace.

As we all looked at him with surprised eyes, Zero blushed as if embarrassed.

“It’s just a hobby, a hobby.”

“It’s too high-level to be just a hobby.”

“I agree. With this level, you could draw montages for the knight order.”

“Ah, really, it’s not. I just drew it in case it might be helpful.”

Zero spoke with modesty, but that wasn’t all.

His notebook had detailed drawings of the people Lloyd met, the places he went, the carriages he rode, and the clothes he wore.

Although some lacked detail, even those clearly captured the distinguishing features to be recognizable.

It’s a waste for him to work as an errand boy or secretary in the company.

Arnold’s expression was also one of utter surprise, so I wasn’t the only one who thought that.

As we silently flipped through his notebook for a while, Zero laughed awkwardly, “Ha, haha.”

“Weren’t we supposed to meet to discuss work? I think we should start talking about other things……”

Because the viscount doesn’t like it when I’m out for too long.

As Zero spoke, rolling his eyes, Arnold finally closed the notebook.

But still in shock, I added one last thing to him.

“Zero. If you want, I can help you work as a painter in the capital. Let me know if you’re interested.”

“Ah, haha. I appreciate your words, Your Highness. But I like Wayne’s.”

Zero declined, waving his hands.

But really, it’s such a waste of talent.

I told him sincerely to come to the palace if needed and straightened my posture.

“So, anyway, it’s true that Lloyd kidnapped Lady Valois, right?”

“Yes. I am a witness. The viscount told me to destroy the carriage we used then, but I hid it somewhere else. If we look, we can probably find people who saw the carriage at that time.”

Zero spoke confidently.

It was a reassuring attitude, as if he had something to rely on.

At his words, Arnold flipped through his notebook and asked.

“Does the carriage have any distinguishing features?”

“Yes. Instead of patterns, the carriage wheels have a unique shape. If you look in the notebook there……”

Zero pointed to the notebook.

And when we looked at where he was pointing……

“Indeed, the wheels have a unique shape.”

“Yes. The viscount grew up pampered, so he considers the ride quality of the carriage very important. I know that the price of one of those wheels is equivalent to several years’ living expenses of an average commoner household. Those who know will recognize it.”

Listening to Zero’s words, I carefully examined the sketch of the carriage wheel.

Unlike the usual round shape with several long support rods, this carriage had wheels made of rounded wood without any support rods.

It was distinctive enough for anyone to recognize.

“Then we can find witnesses with this sketch.”

“Yes. Although it was early, there were still some people wandering around. Even if they didn’t witness the actual scene, there should be people who saw the carriage passing by.”

Indeed. Even if no one saw the carriage, there were a few witnesses who saw Arianna walking the streets in a daze, wrapped in a robe.

So even if they didn’t witness the moment of the kidnapping, there must be people who saw the carriage going back and forth.

I nodded and reached out for the sketch.

“Then may I take this?”

“Of course. I will tear out that page and give it to you.”

Zero quickly tore the page from his notebook and handed it to me.

Looking at the meticulous sketch, I thought finding witnesses would only be a matter of time.

I thanked him and carefully put away the sketch.

“By the way. Are there any people Lloyd has been meeting recently?”

But my business wasn’t finished yet, so I decided to ask Zero a few more things.

On the other hand, Arnold and John seemed to be done, as they sank into their chairs.

“He meets a lot of people. As you may know, Count Felice drops by occasionally, and people from the Valois family come by sometimes too. Usually, Lady Valois used to bring most of the Valois family’s business, but now that she can’t……”

“So does that mean the Duke of Valois also knew about this kidnapping scheme?”

I asked one more thing, having expected it to be unlikely.

For more definitive evidence that could implicate the Duke of Valois.

“Of course. It was the Duke of Valois who originally informed that the young lady wanted to meet Your Highness.”

And Zero nodded, as if it was obvious.