“Yes, I would appreciate that. I can’t very well go back to that room on my own,” I admitted.
“Splendid. I’d resigned myself to being a wallflower tonight, you know.”
“Surely not a man like yourself, Lord Bahr!”
After that, Gunther began asking about Cadiz. Since I’d only spent a short time there, I had to deflect his detailed questions and turn the conversation back on him to avoid making any missteps.
“And where in the kingdom of Randall did you grow up, Lord Bahr? What games did you play as a child? What does your territory produce?” I asked, peppering him with questions as I plastered a curious expression on my face.
Gunther answered my inquiries smoothly, without hesitation. When the second song ended, I heard someone call out to me.
“Hello there, Anna. You seem to be enjoying yourself.”
“Hello, Lord Edward. Jeffrey is still speaking with His Highness and the duke,” I said.
“Hmm, yes. I’d wager they’re going on about swords.”
I introduced Gunther to Lord Edward and Lady Blythe, who stood behind him. My brother-in-law began conversing with Gunther, his usual smile on his face.
For the first time, I witnessed how masterful Lord Edward was when it came to conversation. He spoke smoothly, with a warm smile.
“Lord Cedric seems to be fascinated by martial arts. Are you as well, Lord Bahr? Oh, your father trained you? When did you arrive in Ashbury? Ah, yes. A fine season for a visit. What inn did you choose to lodge with in the duchy? Oh, you stayed at my brother’s estate? He must be quite fond of you, then! I can see why, since you’re so personable. Hmm, is that right?”
Lord Edward continued conversing with a smile, and in no time flat, he discovered when Gunther had arrived in our kingdom, where the man was staying, whether Gunther had attendants with him, and how he’d met Lord Cedric. The most impressive thing was that this felt neither intrusive nor forced.
As it happened, Gunther had been accosted by three thugs in the city and had fended them off with nothing but a nearby stick. Lord Cedric had happened to witness the incident while conducting an inspection of the city, and the two of them hit it off from there. Gunther had also brought one attendant with him.
Jeff had always told me Lord Edward was a social butterfly, but seeing the man in his element firsthand was quite something. Despite his superior status and age, Lord Edward never made Gunther feel inferior or intimidated. His every word shined with his wisdom.
As I listened on in admiration, I heard Jeff’s voice from behind me.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Anna. The palace chefs have brought out some brand-new kinds of sweets over there. Care to try them?”
“I’d love to, darling.”
“Well then, if you’ll excuse us.”
“Of course.”
Jeff led me over to the refreshments area, where there were all sorts of light snacks and drinks available. He began pointing at the dishes. “This one, that one, and those, too.”
“But we can’t possibly eat all this!” I exclaimed as the server piled food onto two plates.
Now with our plates full, we found a nearby table and sat down.
“So? Was everything fine? You’re suspicious of that Gunther fellow, aren’t you?” Jeff said.
“What makes you say that?” I asked.
“We’ve been married for almost six years now. I can tell when you’re wary.”
That was one of Jeff’s appeals; although he had a rugged demeanor, he was also surprisingly sensitive. But now wasn’t the time to dwell on that.
“I’ve seen the man before, but his name wasn’t Gunther Bahr. I know I ran into him a long time ago, during my days as an agent, but I’m sure he wasn’t a target. I think we should tell Mike.”
“Agreed. Shall we stop by Chester’s place on the way home?”
“I think that would be a good idea,” I said.
After we savored the royal cuisine and chatted with various nobles who approached us, we finally left the castle.
Jeff directed our driver to the house where Miles used to live. It had grown late, but that wouldn’t be a problem. Chester, the current resident, served as a liaison between me and the Third Order.
Our carriage headed straight to the eastern quarter. Once we arrived at Chester’s house, I recounted tonight’s events.
“So the man’s name is Gunther Bahr? Sounds like a possible alias. And if you say you encountered him when you were active, then we need to investigate. Can you describe his features to me, along with any notable characteristics?” Chester asked, grabbing a pen.
I told him everything I remembered, including how Gunther had met Lord Cedric, then supplied a visual description. “He seems to be in his late thirties, is around one hundred eighty centimeters tall, and weighs about maybe seventy kilograms. He’s slender, with dark-brown hair and dark-brown eyes. No moles on his face, neck, or hands. I did notice a thin scar on the back of his right hand, about two centimeters long. He claimed his father taught him swordsmanship, and he had the kind of calluses on his palms one would get from using a sword. Apparently, he liked fishing for trout as a child and would often catch large fish. Of course, I can’t confirm the veracity of his childhood stories,” I said.
“Yes, we’ll need to look into that.”
“He spoke Ashburian fluently, with no Randallish accent. Unremarkable gait. There were also calluses on his right index and middle fingers, presumably from using a pen. He mentioned bringing a single male attendant on his travels, though I didn’t see him,” I said.
“All right. I’ll have our operatives in Randall investigate immediately. Thank you for the information,” Chester said.
“You’re welcome.”
I lifted my teacup to take a sip, only to pause. There was one more thing I ought to mention. “This may be presumptuous of me, but I believe it’s also worth investigating the men who accosted Gunther in Cadiz. I feel like the odds of a brawl occurring at the exact time and place Lord Cedric happened to be are very low, especially since the duke’s interest in martial arts is well-known.”
“You mean you think it was a setup.”
“It’s possible. And if it was, we need to find out why Gunther approached Lord Cedric and what his intentions are.”
“Yes, I’ll look into it. You’ve been a great help, Victoria.”
Once I finished my tea, Jeffrey and I left Chester’s house.
Chester bid good-bye to Victoria and Jeffrey at the door, then returned to his room and sighed, raking his hand through his short red hair a few times to smooth it back.
“I’d expect nothing less from Victoria. If only she’d agree to become an instructor for us… But there’s no way Lord Asher would allow that. Not to mention, she probably has no intention of going back to this line of work.”
Although it was now close to midnight, Chester quickly mounted his horse and headed to Mike’s residence.