Henrietta's Self-saving

Chapter 22

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Fleur is a popular restaurant in the imperial capital. Situated in the high-end part of the city, this has always been the noble's favorite place to eat and socialize.

It was owned by a highly praised chef who once served the imperial family. He creates the menu every day, offering gourmet dishes that suit the nobles' taste buds perfectly.

Today is the day I meet Cain Eandritt. I specifically chose Fleur as our meeting place for many reasons. It was the most inconspicuous place for two nobles to meet. Despite being high-end, it was a huge restaurant that caters to many nobles every day. It was also the type of place the original Henrietta would hang out.

And apart from the restaurant offering private dining rooms, Cain Eandritt has a connection to the owner.

It was a place where he can be 'himself', as the merchant Lev and not Baron Cain.

I picked the most unnoticeable dress I could find in Henrietta's closet. Just a pastel pink afternoon dress, paired with lacy white gloves and a bonnet.

I arrived 30 minutes before the lunch hour to avoid running into other nobles. I waited in the drawing-room as Giselle went to ask about my reservation. A few minutes later, she came back with a butler.

The butler then lead us to the second floor where the private dining rooms are located. The room I chose was perfect for two people to have a conversation, free from other people's ears.

I immediately stopped in my tracks the moment I entered the room, surprised to see a man already standing in front of the huge window.

He already removed his coat, an indication that he arrived a few minutes earlier than me.

His back was facing us, but one could already tell that he was good-looking. He was tall and lean, probably a few inches shorter than Alaric. Without his coat, he was left with a khaki-colored vest that hugged his torso, and a white shirt underneath with its sleeves rolled up to his elbow.

His hair was the color of sand on beautiful beaches during the summer solstice. The light coming from the window highlights every strand like how some grains of sand reflect the sun. His hair was long, reaching his shoulder but it was tied neatly in a low ponytail with a thin ribbon.

He held a wine glass in his right hand and a smoking pipe in the other.

It was my first time meeting Cain Eandritt but somehow, he looked strangely familiar. As if I've seen him somewhere before.

"The Baron Eandritt has arrived a few minutes earlier than Lady Lovell," the butler informed.

I nodded and signaled Giselle to hand the butler a small bag of gold coins. It was just a small bribe to remove my name from the list of guests who visited the restaurant today.

The butler closed the door behind us which caught the man's attention. He put down his smoking pipe and slowly turned towards us.

My eyes widened the moment I saw his face.

It was the branch head of the Aquiline guild.

There was no mistaking it. The man standing before us was the same man I met in the slums. The only difference was how he dressed and carried himself. He looked like a completely different person wearing the same face, from a charming mercenary to a charismatic nobleman.

A grin appeared on his face. He then placed the wineglass on the table and tapped the smoking pipe into the ashtray to remove its contents.

He made his way toward me and the moment he stopped in front of me, he offered his hand.