Transmigration: Step Into The World of Books And Become The Strongest!-Chapter 66: A letter from Vanessa?

Nathan slowly shook his head and fixed his gaze on Arthur.

"Well, let’s set that question aside for now," he said, waving his right hand.

Although Aron’s answer wasn’t technically wrong, it felt subtly mocking. Without solid evidence, however, he had no choice but to swallow his suspicions.

"I want to ask you about a man named Avaron. Do you know him? If you do, explain everything." His eyes narrowed, a cold glint shining in them. "Don’t lie. Or you’ll face severe punishment."

Anyone else would have been terrified by the pressure he radiated.

But Arthur remained unaffected—calm and composed—which left Nathan momentarily stunned.

"Your Majesty, I do know a man named Avaron," Arthur answered truthfully.

"Oh?" Nathan’s eyes lit up. "Then tell me everything you know. The more details, the better."

He had tried to gather information on Avaron, but the results were frustratingly inconsistent. One report claimed the man came from the southern region.

Another insisted he was from the north.

The conflicting reports made Nathan suspect that someone was deliberately concealing the truth.

It was possible that the intelligence reports had been tampered with by a powerful force—though he didn’t know who.

Still, he suspected the Maple Leaf Trading House. After all, few others had the power to pull it off.

"That man, Avaron, is quite mysterious, Your Majesty," Arthur said with a serious expression, though doubt and confusion lingered in his eyes. "I heard he’s the representative of Young Lady Vanessa, the heiress of the Maple Leaf Trading House. And he—" 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Nathan cut him off before he could finish.

"That’s enough. I already know that," he said with a frown, waving his hand dismissively.

He had hoped Arthur would reveal something valuable, but it turned out to be information he was already aware of.

He silently blamed himself for expecting too much from a servant. If even he couldn’t uncover more about Avaron, how could someone like Arthur?

"Forgive me, Your Majesty. That’s all I know about Avaron. I didn’t realize you were already aware," Arthur said, bowing slightly, his voice tinged with guilt.

Nathan failed to notice the faint, mocking smile that briefly played on Arthur’s lips.

"Very well. Let’s move on." Nathan leaned forward, interlacing his fingers and resting his chin on his thumbs. "Tell me—how did Sharon come into contact with a man like Avaron? You were always by her side. Surely, you would know."

To this day, he still hasn’t received a clear answer about the connection between Sharon and Avaron.

Their relationship had formed so suddenly—and in such secrecy—that not even his intelligence network could uncover the details.

At this point, Aron was his only hope.

Arthur appeared to think for a moment before finally speaking. "Your Majesty, I don’t know exactly when they began interacting. But if my memory serves me right, it all started during your birthday celebration last year."

"My birthday party?" Nathan frowned, clearly surprised.

"Yes," Arthur nodded slowly. "At the time, you invited many guests from noble circles—both from within and outside the kingdom."

"If I’m not mistaken, the owner of the Maple Leaf Trading House and Young Lady Vanessa were also among them. It was then that I saw Princess Sharon speaking with a handsome man, whom I suspect was Avaron."

Of course, everything he said was a lie. On the night of Nathan’s birthday party, Sharon hadn’t spoken to anyone.

Let alone speaking with men—her very presence had been ignored and belittled by her own siblings.

It had been one of the most miserable nights of her life.

Many nobles had mocked her openly, laughing and humiliating her during a celebration meant to be joyful.

Arthur dared to lie because he knew Nathan would never find out.

That night, Nathan had been busy entertaining high-ranking guests.

There was no way he would’ve spared even a glance for the daughter he’d long ignored—Sharon.

Even if he ordered an investigation, Arthur had nothing to fear.

He had deliberately avoided mentioning a specific time or detail, making it nearly impossible to verify.

Nathan remained silent after hearing the explanation, as if lost in thought.

Aron’s words offered a significant clue about the beginning of the relationship between his daughter, Sharon, and the mysterious man known as Avaron.

Of course, Nathan didn’t accept it at face value. It was entirely possible that Aron had lied.

But he couldn’t be certain it was a lie either. That uncertainty meant one thing—he would have to investigate further.

Taking a deep breath, he looked at Arthur calmly and said, "Well, thank you for the information. You may leave now."

Arthur gave a slight nod and bowed respectfully.

"In that case, Your Majesty, I request permission to take my leave."

Nathan nodded wordlessly and gestured with his hand.

Without another word, Arthur turned and walked out, quietly closing the door behind him.

As he watched the man leave, Nathan’s expression turned cold.

"This man is truly strange and suspicious..."

Anyone else would have been too intimidated to meet his gaze. His presence alone was enough to make most people tremble in fear.

Yet Aron hadn’t flinched. He had remained calm, relaxed—almost indifferent—as if he were speaking to an ordinary man, not a king.

"What incredible mental fortitude... I’m becoming more and more curious about him," Nathan muttered.

Considering all of Aron’s odd behavior, Nathan suspected that there was something unusual—something hidden—about the man.

What exactly that was, he didn’t yet know. But one thing was certain: he would need to dig deeper.

***

’Nathan is sharper than I thought.’

Arthur took a deep breath, briefly glancing at the door behind him.

Though he hadn’t shown it openly, he knew very well that the king suspected him of being the mastermind behind Sharon’s sudden change in behavior.

Fortunately, his secret identity as Avaron was enough to deflect most of that suspicion. Nearly all of the credit—98% of Sharon’s transformation—would be pinned on Avaron.

And the remaining two percent? Well, that was his burden to bear.

Just as he was lost in thought, a maid approached from the right.

"Aron, there’s a letter for you."

She handed him the envelope, catching Arthur slightly off guard.

"Who’s it from?" he asked, puzzled, as he took it.

"I’m not sure," the maid replied with a shake of her head. "But the one who delivered it was a woman named Lina."

At the sound of that name, Arthur’s eyes widened.

"Lina? That means..."