Chapter 50: The Only Way

Caelan woke up a little earlier the next day. After washing up and changing into a fresh set of clothes, he headed downstairs to have breakfast at the stall next to their inn. Eveline was still sleeping, so he ended up eating alone.

He ordered a simple breakfast and spent the next half hour enjoying his food while occasionally watching the people coming in and out of the inn.

While he was eating, he just waited for Theo to arrive. Fortunately, he didn’t have to wait too long.

Just as he was about to finish his breakfast, he noticed a familiar figure walking along the street. It was Theo, who was looking around as if looking for someone.

"Theo! Over here!" Caelan raised his hand and waved at him when he realized that it must be him that he was looking for.

Upon hearing his name, Theo immediately turned toward the stall. His eyes widened slightly when he spotted Caelan sitting at one of the tables. He quickly made his way over to him.

"Good morning, my lord!" Theo greeted him respectfully before lowering his head.

"Morning!" Caelan smiled. "Have you eaten breakfast yet?"

"Ah, yes. I already ate before coming here."

"Oh, that’s good. Come on, take a seat." Caelan gestured toward the empty chair across from him. Theo hesitated for a moment before following his instructions and sitting down.

"Did Jack send you here?" Caelan asked as he placed his utensils aside.

"Yes, my lord. Sir Jack instructed me to deliver the information you might need."

"Oh! Great!"

Caelan immediately became interested. He had been waiting for this since yesterday, so he was quite eager to see what the Night had managed to gather.

Theo then reached into the leather bag hanging from his shoulder and carefully pulled out several documents.

"These are the records our Second Branch has gathered regarding the Renswort ducal family, particularly their eldest daughter." He placed the documents on the table, making sure to keep them away from the plates and cups.

"That’s quite a lot." Caelan looked at the stack of papers with mild surprise. "Is all of this about her?"

"Not entirely. Some of the documents contain general information about the duke’s family, including their businesses, political connections, and household members. Sir Jack believed it would be useful for you to understand their background before beginning the investigation."

"I see." Caelan nodded before picking up the first document.

He glanced around the stall for a moment. There were still a few customers eating nearby, but nobody really cared what they were doing.

"Alright, let’s take a look."

Caelan pulled the papers closer to his face and began reading through the information while Theo sat patiently across from him. He was ready to answer any questions Caelan might have.

As expected, the Renswort family was one of the most influential noble families in the kingdom. Aside from their political standing, they also owned several businesses and large territories outside the capital.

Damn. These people are seriously rich. Caelan couldn’t help but think about the gold coins they had spent on his gemstone.

To him, that was already an absurd amount of money. But now that he thought of it, that should only be a few coins for the Renswort family. He continued reading until he finally reached the section concerning the duke’s eldest daughter.

"Oh, here it is." Caelan adjusted his position and focused on the document.

According to the information gathered by the Night, the eldest daughter of the Renswort family had suffered from poor health since childhood. Because of this, she rarely attended public gatherings and spent most of her time away from the capital.

Several months ago, she traveled to a remote mountain temple to recuperate, accompanied by a small group of servants and guards. However, the details of what happened during her stay were limited.

"Hm?" Caelan frowned slightly. "There’s not much information about her time at the temple."

"Yes, my lord." Theo nodded. "The Renswort family has been rather private about it. Even our members are having difficulty in obtaining reliable information regarding her stay there."

"Really?"

"Yes. Most of what we know comes from servants and other individuals who have had contact with the family."

Well, that makes things a little more complicated. Caelan looked back at the document.

He originally thought that he could just ask around and gather whatever information people already knew about her. But judging from these records, the Night had already done most of that.

And if even their information-gathering branch couldn’t find out much about her time in the mountains, then how was he supposed to do it?

"By the way, Theo. Do we know if she’s currently staying at the Renswort estate?" Caelan scratched his head.

"According to our latest information, yes, my Lord. She returned to the capital several days ago and has remained at the family’s residence since then."

"I see..." Caelan slowly nodded before looking back at the documents.

Well, at least he knew where she was staying. The problem was figuring out how he could gather information about her without attracting too much attention.

"My lord, there’s actually something else Sir Jack wanted me to tell you," Theo suddenly spoke.

"Oh? What is it?"

"Sir Jack believes that the most effective way to complete this request would be to get close to Lady Renswort."

"Hm?" Caelan slowly raised his head, his forehead creasing at the suggestion.

"Since the information our members have gathered is limited, Sir Jack suggested that you should try getting close to the lady. That way, you may be able to learn more about her."

"..." Caelan stared at Theo for a moment. What was this guy even saying?

"According to new information, Lady Renswort is expected to pass through this street later this morning since she will go to the nearby temple to offer some prayers."

"Here?"

"Yes. So take your time and create an opportunity to get close to her today, my lord. That is the only way."