Chapter 209 The Secret Observer
The literary salon that made Angel feel extremely embarrassed finally ended with the guests reluctant to leave. As the nobles left, Angel followed Sylvia out of the luxurious villa and returned to the carriage parked outside.
"After a busy afternoon, how are your 'social achievements'?"
Sylvia withdrew her gaze from the gradually darkening sky outside the window, then pulled the curtains and looked at Angel.
The latter glanced at the maid in the carriage and found that neither the master nor the servant had any intention of avoiding the topic. Considering that Sylvia's question was probably not related to the "Witch Cult", he answered carefully:
"Unfortunately, Miss Audrey Hall was not at the salon, so I didn't have the opportunity to meet her."
"Of course I know that, but you talked with that dwarf for so long, didn't you gain anything?"
dwarf……
Angel thought about Hugh Dilcha's height and compared it to her own. She guessed that she was probably only a little over 1.5 meters tall, which was relatively short even among adult women. But was it too rude to call her a "shorty" directly?
She looked at the maid sitting beside her and found that she had already turned her gaze to the window, pretending not to hear her master's words, but the window curtains were still drawn...
"Miss Xiu should be familiar with Miss Audrey and may even know her whereabouts, so I tried to approach her first." After thinking for a moment, Angel decided to answer truthfully, "Do you have any impression of this person? I saw that her dress was not... sociable."
Sylvia frowned and thought, but soon gave up and shook her head and said:
"I only saw her once at the salon last month, and we've never met before. She never joined in on the conversation, just quietly drinking her wine. She was also wearing trousers instead of a dress, and looked more like a guard of a noble than a guest."
If they were guards, they wouldn't even be able to enter the hall. Even the nobles' personal servants would have to stay outside the door...
"Both Audrey and Viscount Glint know her. I chatted with her for a while and we became friends. Maybe I can use this opportunity to get to know Miss Audrey in the future."
"That would be best, but I noticed she looked at you with some hostility. Are you sure you want to be friends with her?"
Sylvia nodded first, then asked in confusion.
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After receiving the latest news, Xio, who was originally planning to leave the Viscount's residence, stayed at the Viscount's house and continued to wait in the corner until night fell. Fors and Audrey returned here together.
"Xiu? I thought you had gone back a long time ago, why are you still waiting here?"
"Fors Wall," her best friend asked curiously. Miss Audrey behind her seemed to see that she had something to say. She sent the maid away and took the two of them to a study, which was the room where they often discussed mysticism.
"Grelint still has to send those writers away and can't come over for the time being. Is there something important that you're waiting for me here for?"
After locking the door, Audrey sat at the desk and looked at Hugh, who seemed to be hesitant to speak.
Taking a deep breath, Quinn told Audrey the new information he had obtained that afternoon.
"East Balam Dockyard?" Audrey asked in surprise. "That place is full of workers and vendors. How did he hide under their noses?"
"Miss Irene said Lanevus's appearance has changed. He's completely different from the one on the wanted poster," Xio added, adding the new information. "And his location matches the one I...my friends have located. Their actions of silencing witnesses also prove that our search is on the right track."
She had informed Audrey at noon of the deaths of Williams and another informant who was gathering information at the East Balam shipyard.
"If there are two pieces of information confirmed by different sources, then the information should be credible." Audrey nodded, her blonde hair swaying. "Who is Miss Irene you are talking about? Is she your other informant?"
"No, she was a guest at Viscount Glint's salon, but she soon contacted me through the Viscount, pointed out my Beyonder identity, and informed me of this information."
"How did she recognize you?" Fors interrupted.
"I was standing with you at Mr. A's rally, and she must have spotted you... I told you to wear a hood, and it would be better if you could wear a mask, and you even laughed at other people's masks."
Hugh looked at his friend angrily.
"Did Ms. Irene state her requirements? Money, or future cooperation?" Audrey promptly brought the subject back on track.
"She just said it was a meeting gift and didn't ask for anything else."
Quinn repeated the other person's words, confusion written on his face.
A meeting gift?
Audrey Hall was filled with questions, but the most important thing right now was to confirm Lanevus's whereabouts and complete the mission assigned by Mr. Fool. She looked at Xio, who was full of doubt, and then at Fors, who was looking at the latter with concern.
"Please describe Miss Irene in detail. Perhaps I have seen her somewhere before."
Audrey actually had some suspicions that the other party was coming for her. Although her status as a Beyonder had not been made public, as the daughter of Earl Hall, she was aware of the weight of her identity.
"She has long black hair, brown eyes, a round face, and unremarkable features... Well, she's very tall, at least 1.75 meters, and almost 1.80 meters in high heels." Xio's eyes flashed with envy. "The Viscount said she's Lady Severia's niece, but she doesn't seem familiar with aristocratic etiquette... Oh, and she claims to have just arrived from Tingen and isn't familiar with Backlund yet..."
Over 1.75 meters tall, Tingen came to Backlund... Isn't this, isn't this the characteristic of Miss "Queen"?
Trying her best to suppress her expression with her audience instincts, Audrey asked back as if to confirm, "Are you sure her eyes are brown, not something else, like purple?"
"I'm sure." Xio nodded affirmatively.
That doesn't make sense... Among the characteristics provided by Mr. World, the purple eyes are very important information... Audrey sighed with some regret.
But perhaps Miss Queen has some means of changing her eye color. For example, I heard that some nobles in Intis, in pursuit of fashion, put very thin colored glass lenses into their eyes to change their eye color...
She decided to find another opportunity to confirm this matter later.
Taking out an envelope from her bag, Audrey handed it to Hugh and said softly:
"Thank you very much for the information. I also know that a friend of yours unfortunately died during this commission. This is my way of thanking you and offering him some compensation."
Xio took the envelope in a daze, pinching it subconsciously to check its thickness. His mouth moved as if he wanted to refuse, but he couldn't say it in the end.
"As long as this information is useful, I'm glad. I just hope that Lanevus receives the punishment he deserves."
"Yes, he will."
Audrey could see Xio's frustration and regret for his own lack of strength, so she offered comfort.
"But I don't know Mr. Fool's true purpose in searching for Lanevus. It might even go against Xio's wishes... Alas, Audrey, you're becoming more and more hypocritical. You can lie without blushing, almost like those politicians."
Audrey mentally examined her actions.
After Xio and Fors left, Audrey prepared to call her personal maid and leave Viscount Greylint's mansion. Once she got home, she would pray to Mr. Fool and tell him the latest information.
"Audrey."
Following the others into the study, Susie, a large golden retriever who had been lying nearby unnoticed, suddenly spoke in human language, speaking not very standard Loenese.
Its owner, Audrey, was not surprised. She first locked the study door again, and then looked at her beloved dog.
"Susie, what's going on?"
Susie nodded, raised her front legs, and squatted instead of lying down. She looked serious, like a well-behaved child.
"Your friend, Miss Hugh, has not told you the truth."
The dog tilted its head, seeming a little confused.
"The lady I spoke with this afternoon, her height should be correct. Well, she is a head taller than Miss Xiu, but she doesn't have black hair..."
"Her hair is light blonde, a bit lighter than yours, and her eyes are purple."
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