âMy name is Noah Leonard. I didnât bring my business card, but my last name would suffice, right?â
Iâm sorry for stealing your family name, butler. Still, I used it for something much more productive than when I bought it for ice cream.
Noah displayed a pompous attitude as best as she could while muttering a bland apology to Kyle inwardly. The Duke of Leonard is an extremely outstanding personality that it is almost impossible to steal the name âLeonardâ.
Therefore, most ordinary people donât even doubt it, and even if they suspect it, a request for confirmation is sent to Duke Leonard, which will be under Kyleâs jurisdiction anyway. The probability of danger was virtually zero percent.
However, the employeeâs face was somewhat skeptical. He asked, âWhatâs your relationship with the gentleman who came a few days ago, Madame?â
âWhat?â
âMr. Leonard, who was here last time, said something similar. I didnât hear that the Leonard family is going to visit two mines at a timeâ¦â
Wait, what? Noah frowned, hastily interrupting the employee from speaking. âA few days ago, a man named Leonard came here?â
âYes, five days ago.â
âBy any chanceâ¦â Noah trailed off. âIs his name Derek Leonard?â She only asked just in caseI, but the employee nodded in delight. âOh, you know him! Are you a family member?â
âYes⦠Yes. Heâs my husband.â Without thought, the words fell from her mouth. Derek Leonard. A page of memory unfolded and a scene from a few weeks ago, when they were boarding the ferry in Battuanu, flashed in Noahâs mind. At that time, Kyle had operated under the alias Derek Leonard. The conversation between Kyle and his subordinate vividly replayed in her eyes.
âMr. Derek Leonard, then this lady must be Mrs. Leonard.â
âThatâs right.ân/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
âConfirmed. Letâs go in.â
There couldnât be more than two people who would dare to steal the surname âLeonardâ in Laurent, or Derek. While she gathered her thoughts, somewhat embarrassed, the employee explained the situation with his hands clasped together in delight.
âMr. Leonard seems to have sent his wife instead. Then weâll talk fast. Just in time, Iâve compiled the data that Mr. Leonard asked for that day.â
âIf itâs dataâ¦â
âHave you asked for advice on mining data with companies that have a distribution partner? Mr. Culton was also thinking of selling Maobiana, so he was willing to give us the data. Iâve been up all night organizing them. Shall we go up?â
As he heard the end of his words, Noah arrived at a conclusion. It was certainly Kyle Leonard. He was the only person to come to Maobiana under an alias and ask the owner of the mine for such information.
Youâre hereâ¦? The corners of Noahâs lips curled into a smile. He had said he was demoted to Central Edman, but he sneaked out on the way, just like how Noah escaped with Muell to Noviscosha instead of doing her volunteer service in Fugin.
Noah, clutching the little boy in her arms, followed the employee up to the second floor and asked, âYou must have crossed paths. When did my husband say he would come back?â
âI said I needed some time to organize the data, and he said heâd come back in three days, but he didnât have any connection. I was wondering if I should contact Leonard, but Madame just happened to be here.â
Then, Kyleâs objective must have been to acquire data and carry out an undercover investigation. For a moment, Noah was elated upon discovering Kyleâs presence in Noviscosha, but her joy soon turned into worry. You havenât heard from him?
âIf you had contacted me in advance, Mr. Culton would have been here to meet you, but now heâs on a mine inspection⦠Itâs lunchtime soon, so heâll be right back. If you go in, Iâll get you a cup of tea.â
âOh, yes. Thank you.â Noah trailed behind the man who led the way.
It was not long before anxious thoughts invaded Noahâs mind. Couldnât it be possible that he was missing as he was in and out of a strange place? Such speculation was not even farfetched owing to the recent matter regarding the group of veteran miners, commonly known as mining slaves, who were reported missing from the Noviscosha mine, specifically in Maobiana.
Kyleâs skill as an investigator was indeed superior, but considering the history of his fearless descent to the mana operating room of the Angelicâ¦
ââ¦Mu.â She placed Muell on the window frame after making sure that the employee had left the room. âGo look around here and see if thereâs anyone like Uncle Kyle. Plus, letâs look at the places beyond here. You can do it, right?â
The red-eyed child, who managed to catch Noahâs quick whisper, nodded enthusiastically. The window, which had been unlocked, opened by itself. Muell flew out of the balcony and soon disappeared into the skies.