The full silver moon was long gone, along with the fateful night. What replaced it was its golden counterpart- the Sun. The Zeitmann's tower dinged ten times, marking the end of the 12th hour since the duel that shook Derbury began.
"Is she awake yet?" Eulene asked.
The matron closed the door behind and shook her head. The lifelessness she had shown yesterday disappeared, although the worry had yet to completely wash away.
"Let me take a look," Xavier said. He had taken refuge in the Maisel household for the night as a guest.
He checked the sleeping teen's conditions without even needing to touch her. His eyes and senses were enough to check the temperature, pulse, pressure and other abnormalities before coming to a conclusion.
"She's fine," he said, "just tired from whatever happened last evening. What's troubling is her inability to eat. If she doesn't wake up soon, I'll have to arrange a saline injection for her."
"Are you a physician?" Eulene asked.
"Was."
"Thank you." The mother bowed.
"So when are we going out to investigate?" Eulene turned to Xavier.
"Now."
A quarter of an hour later, both of them departed from the house and walked across the cropfields to the main road. Xavier was wearing the same gentlemanly attire, while Eulene donned a sky blue dress. Though it was not lavish, this new year gift she received from her aunt was many times better than the cotton dress she wore yesterday. Moreover, her own beauty added to the presence of the dress.
Before they could walk their way to the closest carriage stand, an open carriage neighed to a stop right before them..
"How small the world is!" said the coachman as he took off his hat. It was the same coachman who taxied Xavier from the station. "Good morning, young sir!" He had the same cheerful aura as the last day.
Xavier nodded and hopped onto the open carriage. Eulene gave the coachman a smile and followed. She sat opposite Xavier.
The coachman was caught in a daze, "Young miss, is this your first time wandering out of your home in Derbury?"
"Not exactly my first. But this is my first time getting on a carriage." Eulene smiled. "How did you know?"
"There is no way someone as pretty as you lives in Derbury and I wouldn't know." The coachman wore back his hat. "I don't think anyone knows the city better than us coachmen, not even the Electal Lord himself."
Eulene laughed. "Is that so? I am Eulene, and I live past the cornfields- on the other side. What is your name?"
The coachman whipped the reigns, jerking the carriage to a start. "I am Wilbur Hanks. Young miss can call me Will. So, where shall we go?"
Eulene turned to Xavier.
"I came from Amaron for a survey. Take us to the man who holds the most information in the city."
Wilbur knitted his brows, before relaxing again. "Young sir, if you don't mind, can you reveal what's the survey about? I have some gossipy friends, and I can assure you- us coachman who needs to know the whole town as the back of our hands have great memories. The information broker I know is a… swine… untrusted and greedy."
Xavier began to contemplate.
"Besides," Will continued, "I still owe you for the silver coin yesterday. Thanks to you, I was able to fulfil my promise and feed my children the expensive candies they have been desiring for long." A smile formed on his face.
Xavier decided to give it a try. "It's about missing children."
"Missing children?" Will frowned. His carriage kept wheeling towards the core of the city.
"Has there been any events you know of where children went missing, but returned not long after?"
The coachman thought for a moment. "I know of four such precedents… where the child's whole family tried to scour the city for the missing child, but hours later, the search was called off… as if the child never went missing."
"Four?" Xavier raised a brow. "Was there anything common among the cases? Like… the events happening on the night of full moon perhaps?"
Wilbur widened his eyes, realising something. He turned back and faced the duo, "Now that I think of it, yes. Three of these four children went missing on a night of full moon."
Both Xavier and Eulene exchanged glances.
Before Xavier could say anything Eulene spoke, "Take us to any one of their addresses."
"There's one five minutes away from here." Will whipped the reigns hard, prompting the horses to whinny and pick up the pace.
As they were at the outskirts of the town, the houses were all one-storeyed, with a few two-storeyed ones mixed here and there. The pavements were filled with pedestrians rushing to their workplace. Even the hard road was busy with speeding carriages and expensive bicycles.
Wilbur's carriage sped past everything and soon arrived at their destination. The building was one of the rare two-storeyed ones in the region. Bright red bricks and a small green front yard made it look like a palace against all the surrounding shabby houses. There was even a signboard above the main steel gate.
Bailey Residence.
Both Xavier and Eulene hopped down. He flicked another silver coin to the coachman. "Try to find out if there are other such cases, don't limit it only to children."
The smile on the man's face widened as he caught the coin. "Thank you! I will try my best."
"Come back here in two hours."
"Good luck on your endeavour young sir! And so to you, Young miss." Will tipped his hat before driving the carriage away.
Before Eulene could take two steps towards the designated house, Xavier grabbed her shoulder from behind- stopping her.
"Aren't we asking them?" Eulene turned back and raised a brow.
Xavier shook his head and pointed at the building behind him- a cafe across the street.
"No. We listen."
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