Chapter 878: Chapter 438: Baron Farrow (Part 2)

However, there were no logs burning in the fireplace at the moment, and the harp stood silently in the corner, unattended.

Like what they saw on the way, the several servants, moving quietly in pairs or threes among the columns, the air in the Baron Mansion was filled with a sense of oppression.

It was clear that the baron, who the butler said hadn’t slept all night, still hadn’t closed his eyes by then.

Xia Nan and the others didn’t wait long, just a few minutes, before they heard hurried and somewhat disordered footsteps coming from outside the door.

"Creak!"

The door to the reception room was suddenly pushed open.

Baron Farrow stood there.

As a noble and special approval officer, the dignity and propriety were utterly gone.

The always perfectly combed medium-length golden curls were now disheveled and hung over his forehead, and his pair of azure eyes were bloodshot, filled with shadows and anxiety, even his coat and shirt were crumpled.

"Hai Yin?" He walked in slowly, his tired gaze falling upon the druid in the reception room, "Was the mission smooth this time? Don’t worry, there are no issues at the coral reef side, it’s still the same as usual."

As he spoke, his gaze swept across the room, pausing slightly when passing Xia Nan, vaguely sensing familiarity, as if they had met somewhere before.

But he didn’t dwell on it, the burden brought upon his heart by his daughter’s disappearance left him without the mental energy to delve into memories.

"Baron, I’ve heard about Miss Ai Li."

Not wanting to waste time, Hai Yin cut straight to the point without much small talk.

Coming to the Baron Mansion at this special timing, Baron Farrow certainly knew their intention.

But when he heard the name "Ai Li" from Hai Yin’s mouth, his body couldn’t help but tremble slightly.

"Just yesterday afternoon."

He didn’t know how many times he had repeated this to countless people, yet Baron Farrow still tirelessly explained the information he knew to everyone present, not daring to omit a single word.

"Every week, Ai Li would go to the outskirts of the city for her equestrian lessons, she has loved horse riding since childhood, and I even bought her a pony..."

Halfway through his words, Baron Farrow suddenly noticed the wine stain he left on the carpet earlier, frowning heavily, he shouted towards the door: "Graces! Clean up this mess here!"

His voice carried a hint of uncontrollable anger.

But as soon as he finished speaking, he seemed to realize something, inhaling deeply: "Forget it, forget it, we’ll talk about it later."

The footsteps rushing from outside then paused.

Throwing himself onto the small sofa by the window, the baron waved towards the few people looking at him.

"Sorry, I... it’s hard to remain rational now."

"Let’s continue."

"The class usually ends three quarters before sunset, the family’s driver would pick her up on time," Baron Farrow continued from where he left off.

"Logically, even if she was playful on the way, stopping a while to watch some street performers, or spending a moment in a flower shop... at the latest, she’d be back before it got completely dark."

"That’s for sure, she always listens."

"Moreover, last night the kitchen specially prepared her favorite blueberry jam cakes, something she had specifically asked Graces to instruct the chef to make before class, saying..."

Suddenly lowering his head, Baron Farrow hid his eyes in the shadows cast by his brow ridge, making it hard for others to see clearly; his voice, however, carried a slight tremble.

"Saying ’it’s been a long time since I’ve had dinner with dad, today we must make something delicious.’"

He shook his head.

"So when she didn’t show up by dinner time, I knew something was wrong."

"You sent people to search immediately back then, right?" Hai Yin asked.

"Of course!" the baron immediately replied, "Although it’s also possible that something minor happened to the carriage, like a stuck wheel."

"But back then, I still promptly sent Graces with a few servants to search along the way, and also sent people to inquire at the equestrian center."

Barely seated for a while, Baron Farrow stood up again, gazing out the window, though his eyes were unfocused.

"Lady Laver, the equestrian instructor, confirmed that Ai Li left at the normal time, including several other students like the daughter of Viscount Bertand and the nephew of the tax officer who could prove that they saw Ai Li get on the carriage and wave goodbye to them."

"What about that carriage? Did anyone see where it went?" Hai Yin continued to ask.

The baron nodded, taking out a piece of parchment with scribbled notes from his pocket.

"I had Graces ask every resident along the route, and the baker living at the corner of Jade Road said he saw a carriage with our family crest heading straight east."

East?

Xia Nan recalled the rough map of Suo Yu Bay memorized in his mind, comparing the directions.

"That’s towards ’Rose Park,’" the baron continued.

"More crucially, old sailor Cole, who passed by after work, said he saw with his own eyes a ’tall, strong’ man driving the carriage into the park, which he found odd because noble carriages don’t usually enter the park at that hour."

"And Thomas, the driver we’ve employed for over a decade, who’s nicknamed ’Shorty’ in the house, doesn’t remotely fit ’tall and strong’ at all."

Saying this, the baron couldn’t help but close his eyes, seemingly unable to bear the memory.

"Later we found Thomas’s body in the parked carriage at the park; someone had brutally killed him and wore his uniform."

"And my Ai Li, vanished along with it."

That’s the course of events.

Baron Farrow stopped speaking, turning silently to look at everyone in the reception hall.

Xia Nan knew, it was time for them to state their purpose.

Thought Hai Yin would take up the conversation, but turning his head, he found the druid was also looking at him, signaling for him to speak up.

A kind gesture perhaps.

After all, the clue from "Blood-nosed Rat" Jerry was discovered by Xia Nan, thus Hai Yin ceded the initiative to him in front of Baron Farrow.

Slightly nodding, Xia Nan organized his thoughts a bit before speaking again.

"Baron, we’ve discovered some potentially useful clues."

After all, it was merely speculation, with a chance of being off-target, hence he spoke vaguely.

Even so, Baron Farrow’s weary and anxious eyes still visibly contracted at the words.

"Go on."

"While visiting a friend this morning, I came across a gang; leading them was a thug nicknamed ’Blood-nosed Rat’..."

Xia Nan’s reply was succinct, conveying their encounters and his speculation without omitting key information.

"Corner Shark Gang!?"

Baron Farrow roared, pacing rapidly in the room, his boots thudding on the carpet.

"Did you provoke them?"

"No, absolutely not!" the baron shook his head vigorously, "I’ve only heard of this small gang from the Saltwater District, having no intersection in either life or work."

That was very odd.

The question again returned to Xia Nan’s initial doubt.

If indeed as Baron Farrow in front claimed, having no ties with the Corner Shark Gang, then why would such a small gang take such a risk to kidnap the daughter of a baron and special approval officer?

For money, there were countless better and lower-risk choices in Suo Yu Bay, with numerous lower-ranking wealthy merchants;

For fame, Farrow was merely a baron, not very famous even in Suo Yu Bay, let alone for a gang’s matter, fame wouldn’t matter if lives were lost.

Yet regardless, for the current Baron Farrow, this was probably one of the very few clues that could advance the search progress.

Suddenly pausing, his bloodshot azure eyes locked onto the crowd in the conference room.

"Whether it’s gold coins or anything else, anything goes!"

"As long as you can help me find my daughter..."