It was quite a memorable event, but as time passed, like everything else, that memory became vague.

In the years following that incident, the relentless threats to life did not allow him the luxury of dwelling on the past. Even after escaping from the imperial palace and hiding in some noble’s house, he had little respite. The leisure he had gained was spent enduring the terrifying obsession of the noble lady of the house. Therefore, the events of that day seemed almost entirely forgotten.

However, as the terrifying lady of the house became his wife and the greatest mystery of his life, unexpectedly, that memory was summoned.

In the process of unraveling the secret held by his wife, delving into the depths of memory, the memory of that day suddenly resurfaced.

“Yes, there was such an incident.”

Hersis remembered the boy he had seen that day. He had black hair and eyes with a mysterious blend of red and purple.

Except for trembling in fear, he looked very much like the young version of his uncle seen in a portrait.

Hersis calculated how old his uncle would have been at that time.

Twenty-seven.

“Hmm… It’s not entirely impossible.”

His uncle had been meeting women from a relatively young age. So, it was entirely possible that the boy was his uncle’s illegitimate child, the one who had once tied a handkerchief around his uncle’s arm.

It needed to be investigated. His keen intuition was commanding him to do so.

The two hats had been abandoned in the house Hersis had infiltrated a long time ago, but there were plenty of ways to find out even after they had moved.

Hersis remembered the woman’s name. That day, her name was embroidered on the handkerchief she had wrapped around his arm.

Thanks to that, he could easily find her, but there was an unexpected fact waiting.

“A foster mother?”

Hersis raised an eyebrow in response to the report from the information guild.

“Yes, the woman raised Bernard from infancy as a foster mother. She has a separate birth mother who only sends money and visits once a year or so.”

It was quite surprising. The woman’s boldness he had seen that day didn’t seem to come from maternal instincts.

“What about the boy? Where is he living now?”

The name ‘Bernard’ was a decent name, but Hersis was more accustomed to referring to him as ‘the boy.’

“He separated from her when he came of age, but his birth mother took him away. She mentioned that she doesn’t know if they are living together.”

He provided the mother’s name at the end of the report.

「Silvia Reyon.」

Such was her name.

It was not as easily found as the previous foster mother’s name. It could be a pseudonym, Hersis thought.

Considering the information gathered through the guild, that possibility seemed quite likely.

“They advised to raise the child indoors as much as possible. And if someone ever asks about the child’s parents, they were told to say that they died.”

It seemed unlikely that someone would readily reveal their real name.
Hersis became increasingly curious about the boy.

It seemed certain that something would be revealed once the veil surrounding him and his mother was lifted.

Hersis instructed the guild leader to secretly investigate the whereabouts of the two hats, utilizing all available resources. The guild leader obediently accepted the command and withdrew.

However, for a whole season, no meaningful news reached Hersis.

“Could they have disappeared without a trace?”

Considering the difficulty in finding them, such a possibility could not be ruled out. There were quite a few children in similar situations.

Just as he was considering whether to give up and withdraw, a piece of news that caught his attention arrived after a long time.

“Your Highness.”

The content of the letter sent by the guild leader was as follows:

“I managed to find someone similar, but Your Highness should judge for yourself.”

Below were detailed descriptions of the information he had uncovered and the process.

Upon inquiring about the alias ‘Silvia Reyon,’ it was found that she shared the name with a mime who had worked in a local theater group a long time ago.

According to the theater owner, she was an extraordinarily beautiful woman filled with charisma. She had been in a public romantic relationship with one of the actors, but one day, she abruptly turned cold towards him and left.

The exact reason was unknown. However, the theater owner speculated:

“She was a woman with strong ambitions, so perhaps she found someone else who could fulfill her desires.”

Hersis grinned.

Originally, betrayal by his uncle should have been the reason, but…

“The timing doesn’t match.”

The woman they found was older than Hersis had thought. She was almost the same age as his mother. Moreover, his uncle did not fancy older women.

“Is it another false lead?”

Hersis concluded. There was no need to explore the rest of the story. He was about to dismiss the letter to the side.

Then, abruptly, his hand stopped.

“…!”

It seemed like he had seen something.