Afterward, Anastasia mobilized the entire intelligence network of the Hoshin Trading Company to investigate the red-haired girl who called herself “Theresia Lin,” but the result was nothing.
There were no background records, no family information, and no traces of her past.
This person seemed to have appeared out of thin air on the trade routes of Kararagi.
For the Hoshin Trading Company’s intelligence network, being unable to find someone’s background was, in itself, a background.
Either there was a force even greater than the Hoshin Trading Company covering for her, or this person simply did not belong to this world.
Of course, the latter possibility was too absurd.
Anastasia only let the thought flash through her mind before casting it aside.
“What is Big Miss thinking about?”
Mimi tilted her head to look up at Anastasia, her amber eyes filled with curiosity.
“It’s nothing.” Anastasia withdrew her thoughts and put back on that composed smile, her curved brows and eyes making it impossible for anyone to tell what she had just been thinking.
“I just think it’s quite a coincidence. We just arrived in the Royal Capital, and Miss Theresia is here too. Mimi, did Miss Theresia say what she came to the Royal Capital to do?”
“She didn’t say.” Mimi tilted her head and thought for a moment, her cat ears twitching in confusion.
“Big Sister just said she was shopping, and then she treated Mimi to burgers and potato wedges, as well as a delicious glass of honey lemon water. Oh right, Big Sister said she’s staying at the Feather Pavilion Inn on the Royal Capital’s Central Street. Mimi is going to go find Big Sister to play tomorrow!”
“The Feather Pavilion, huh…”
Anastasia nodded slightly, committing the name to memory.
It was a high-class, luxurious inn on the Central Street of the Royal Capital; right outside was the commercial district, and it was only a few minutes away from the Royal Castle by dragon carriage.
The cost for one night’s stay was equivalent to a month’s rent at an ordinary inn.
Choosing to stay in a place like this showed that Theresia had at least some understanding of the Royal Capital’s layout—at the very least, she knew which inn had the best conditions and the most convenient location.
Furthermore, although the Hoshin Trading Company’s investigation hadn’t uncovered Theresia’s origins, it had at least confirmed one thing.
During those few days in Kararagi, whenever she bought things, she would just toss gold coins over, not even bothering to collect the change.
“Mimi, when you go to see Miss Theresia tomorrow, help me pass on a message.” Anastasia bent down and reached out to gently rub Mimi’s head.
“Just tell her that the Hoshin Trading Company welcomes her to visit anytime, and if she needs anything, she should feel free to come to me. Miss Theresia helped us out so much half a month ago; we have always remembered this favor.”
“Okay, Mimi will definitely pass on Big Miss’s words. Big Sister is super nice, you know.”
Mimi puffed out her small, flat chest, her cat tail standing straight up, looking as if she had accepted an important mission.
“It seems you and Miss Theresia get along quite well.”
Looking at Mimi’s adorable appearance, Anastasia couldn’t help but smile.
She could tell that Mimi’s affection for Theresia was genuine.
To be able to make Mimi, who was always friendly to people but never truly clingy, rely on her so much, meant that Theresia truly possessed some special charm.
It wasn’t just that she was powerful; more importantly, her attitude toward Mimi was sincere.
For the Hoshin Trading Company, this was a signal worth noting.
A free-roaming powerhouse with unfathomable strength, who had a close relationship with the vice-captain of the Iron Fang, and whose current stance was unknown.
If she could win Theresia over to her side, it would undoubtedly be an extremely heavy trump card in the Royal Selection.
Of course, Anastasia would not speak of these calculations in front of Mimi.
A merchant could calculate in their heart, but there was no need to flick the abacus beads into a child’s face.
“Big Miss, can Mimi go find Big Sister again tomorrow?”
Mimi asked, looking up.
“Yes, but you must finish your work first. If you sneak off again, the Captain won’t just punish you by making you run laps.” New chapters come out on g.com first.
“Mimi knows~”
“Alright, go wash your face first. Your face is covered in sauce, and your nose is a mess.”
Anastasia pulled a white handkerchief from her sleeve, bent down, and carefully wiped away the remaining sauce stains from the corners of Mimi’s mouth and the tip of her nose.
“Wipe it for me…”
Mimi obediently tilted her face up to let Anastasia wipe it, her amber eyes squinting into two slits, and her cat ears twitching comfortably.
The little cat-girl loved having her face wiped, especially when Big Miss did it; the handkerchief was always fragrant, and her movements were gentle—much more comfortable than when the Captain used a rough towel to scrub her face indiscriminately.
“All done.”
Anastasia said.
“Then Mimi is going to find Hetaro~ I have to tell her the burger was super delicious, a hundred times better than the grilled meat the Captain makes.”
After wiping her face, Mimi ran toward the stairs with high spirits, her two short legs tapping out rapid pattering sounds on the wooden steps.
Watching Mimi disappear around the corner of the stairs, Ricardo let out a long sigh:
“Big Miss, you spoil her too much.”
“Mimi is still a child; this is the age for playing.” Anastasia put away her handkerchief, her face returning to that shrewd and composed merchant expression she usually wore.
“Besides, Mimi’s sneaking off this time wasn’t entirely without gain. Miss Theresia is also in the Royal Capital—this piece of information itself is very valuable.”
“Miss Theresia coming to the Royal Capital…” Ricardo stroked his chin thoughtfully, his gray canine tail swaying slowly behind him.
“Could it be because of the Royal Selection?”