The Arkan capital square was bustling with more people than usual due to the Ruschef family’s charity event.

While Biare used to only be in charge of hosting events in the past, now she had to oversee the Cheilo Trading Company’s affairs as well, making her days incredibly busy.

Her loyal subordinates were also contributing to making the charity event shine from their respective positions.

Thus, the curtain rose on the charity performance, and dazzling exotic shows typically seen in Eastern countries poured forth.

A few weeks ago, when the scheduled performer’s personal matters caused a hitch in the charity performance schedule, Biare had hurriedly sent a letter to Ushua.

She was worried about bothering the already busy Ushua with what was essentially an urgent message, but she gladly selected performers from Eastern countries and sent them on a fast ship.

As Biare watched their performance, she thought she should write a letter to Ushua first thing when she returned to the mansion.

It was when Biare, who had arrived at the Cheilo Trading Company for the subsequent donation event, was checking the ordered items.

With heavy footsteps, Tonio, who had been moving boxes, approached her side.

“Sir, you’re working hard. But where’s Gaizen?”

“Wasn’t the young lady with the young lord?”

At his questioning look, Biare furrowed her brow, reminded of her troublesome brother.

‘Where on earth is he…’

Lately, as if he had caught a late-life romance, Gaizen had been disappearing suddenly, neglecting his busy work.

Biare had been concerned about his attitude of evasively brushing off questions about where he had been.

Letting out a shallow sigh, she finished examining the prepared items and headed to the charity venue with Tonio.

At the venue, many imperial citizens had gathered in a chaotic manner to receive donation items, and knights were standing guard to prevent any unforeseen accidents.

As soon as high-quality products typically used by nobles were taken out of the boxes, they began to murmur.

As the already good financial situation of the Cheilo Trading Company was getting better day by day, the Duke had ordered more items than before.

In the scattered and chaotic situation, those who had received number tags approached one by one, and Biare carefully handed out the donation items to them.

Biare, who was looking adorably at a young child who had come holding his mother’s hand, patted the child’s head and asked.

“You look clever. How old are you?”

The child then grinned, counted his fingers one by one, and then held them up, saying,

“I’m four years old!”

The child’s mother, flustered by the sudden situation, bowed her head deeply and held the child’s hand tightly.

To them, nobles were still difficult beings, and she must have been worried that her child might make a mistake.

Seeing this, Biare deliberately approached them in a friendly manner and handed over the donation items, to which the child greeted with an excited voice.

“Thank you, pretty princess!”

“Oh my. I’m not a princess though.”

At those words, the child seemed confused and thought hard with his small head, then spoke in a clear voice.

“No. Mom said all princesses are pretty!”

‘Right, Mom?’ The child’s expression as he looked at his mother made Biare and her attendants smile brightly.

“I’m sorry, My Lady.”

Biare, feeling sorry for the woman who was bowing her head as if she were a criminal, shook her head and said,

“There’s no need for that. Your child is very clever indeed. Isn’t that right, Sir?”

“Yes, it seems the young child has good eyes.”

The quick-witted Tonio nonchalantly played along with Biare’s playful words.

Reassured by those words, the child’s mother’s face relaxed, and after a deep bow, she quietly left.

As he watched them walk away, Tonio, with his eyes curved in a friendly manner, turned to Biare and said,

“I didn’t know My Lady would play such jokes.”

“What jokes? Don’t tell me, Sir, you’re joking about my appearance?”

As Biare glanced at him mischievously, Tonio waved both hands, claiming innocence.

“No, how could that be?”

Biare burst into laughter at her knight who was so naturally good at social interactions.

After some time had passed and the donation items were gradually disappearing, the people gathered at the venue were also fading away.

As Biare turned around to finish organizing the remaining items, taking a breather,

“Are there any items left?”

As a low, middle-aged voice was heard, Biare turned back to look at a man wearing a robe.

‘Why is he wearing a robe in broad daylight?’

As Biare was watching him with suspicious eyes, just as she was about to hand over the donation items.

As his hand rose to receive the items, a cufflink sparkled between his robe.

‘…That is?’

Biare, unable to close her mouth, briefly glanced at the cufflink and swallowed hard.

It was certainly the same as the button she had.

Upon discovering the same pattern as the cufflink she had been questioning every day, Biare inwardly screamed with joy.

‘Maybe I can get closer to the truth now.’

She pretended to be nonchalant as she handed over the donation items, and the man left without looking back.

At this, Biare hastily spoke in a quiet voice that only Tonio could hear.

“Sir, can you help me?”

“Just say the word.”

“Please follow that man.”

“Understood.”

Without asking for a reason, Tonio took the lead and began to follow him, concealing his presence.

Biare soon followed him as well, but it was difficult to keep up with the speed of a trained person.

After diligently pursuing for some time, she was finally able to spot Tonio.

“Sir, where is that man?”

“He seems to have noticed and disappeared just ahead.”

Biare felt frustrated at the thought of missing the chance to get closer to the truth right before her eyes, but on the other hand, she thought it was fortunate.

No matter how well-trained and capable a knight Tonio was, it would have been dangerous to subdue a member of an assassination organization alone.

“I’m sorry, My Lady.”

“It’s not your fault, Sir.”

As she was comforting him, who was blaming himself, Biare suddenly looked around curiously and asked.

“Sir, do you know where we are?”

As if just now noticing his surroundings, Tonio looked at the brightly lit place and answered.

“It seems we’re in the casino district.”

‘Maybe he went in there.’

Biare followed his gaze to look at a building.

It was located in a secluded, out-of-the-way place, but it was a casino building that rose higher than the others.

“I caught a unique herbal scent from that person earlier.”

“Then he must be someone who has dabbled in prohibited substances.”

Nodding at Tonio’s words, Biare then looked at the dazzling casino sign.

While working at the Cheilo Trading Company, there were times when she would converse with merchant traders, and they would often inform her in detail about cultures she hadn’t experienced.

‘I didn’t think it would be helpful at the time…’

“You’ve been trained, so you should be able to find him, right?”

“Yes, I will find him without fail.”

The casino interior was adorned with lavish gold moldings and chandeliers that shone as splendidly as the duke’s mansion, indicating how much profit they must be making.

Biare had been visiting the casino for several days, as finding someone by scent alone was no easy task.

She had considered reporting to the military police since the man with the cufflink had dabbled in prohibited substances.

However, if he were to be arrested before they could even have a conversation, it would have been pointless.

Biare was mingling with others in their poker games while wearing a mask to avoid suspicion.

She had never imagined she would be playing poker in a casino.

As she was biting her lip, frustrated at not catching any distinct herbal scent throughout the game, Tonio approached her, looking somewhat surprised at the chips she had won in the poker game.

“Your skills seem to be improving day by day.”

“I didn’t know I had such talent.”

Then, in a voice only he could hear, Biare quietly asked,

“So, any suspicious individuals?”

At those words, Tonio immediately nodded towards the direction where he had found someone.

“The man at nine o’clock is certainly him.”

While it wasn’t easy to find someone by scent alone, the trained Tonio must have figured it out in his own way.

Inwardly rejoicing, Biare replied with a satisfied smile.

“Let’s go over there then.”

As Biare approached the man sitting at the Hold’em table, she became increasingly certain the closer she got.

The man had a deep, distinctive herbal scent.

Smiling slightly, Biare suggested a game to him.

“Would you like to play Hold’em with me?”

‘The odds are fifty-fifty, so it should be fair.’

In poker games, Hold’em requires high-level strategy, but also a bit of luck.

“Why should I play with a young kid?”

The man, looking at Biare with bleary eyes at her sudden approach, seemed to be slightly intoxicated.

Biare then pointed to the chips Tonio was holding and said to the man,

“If you win, I’ll give you all these chips.”

“…What? All of them?”

“It seems you lost a lot of money in the previous round.”

“Shut up, what do you know to talk so carelessly?”

“That’s why I’m suggesting we play a game, aren’t I?”

It was the moment the unsuspecting man stepped into the snake’s nest.