After taking my seat opposite Leslie, an awkward silence settled between us.
For the next few moments, neither of us spoke. Although the commotion inside the inn had gradually died down and the customers had returned to their meals, I could still sense the occasional curious glance drifting toward our table. Fortunately, no one seemed interested enough to approach us. Satisfied that the situation had more or less returned to normal, Leslie quietly raised one hand.
A nearby worker immediately noticed the gesture and began walking toward our table to take the order.
However, before he could even reach us, another figure suddenly darted past him with surprising speed.
Miguel.
He practically appeared beside our table in an instant, wearing the brightest smile I had ever seen.
"Yes, Madam?" he asked eagerly, his voice overflowing with enthusiasm.
The worker who had originally been heading toward us stopped midway. Seeing that Miguel had already beaten him to the table, he simply shrugged, shook his head with a helpless smile, and returned to attending his own customers.
Leslie looked at Miguel for a brief moment, clearly taken aback by his unexpected enthusiasm. A faint look of confusion crossed her face, but she chose not to question it. Instead, she turned her attention toward me.
"What would you like to eat?"
The moment she asked, Miguel's gaze immediately shifted in my direction.
I looked back at him.
The playful grin plastered across his face made it obvious that he was enjoying every second of this situation, almost as though he were eagerly waiting to see how I would respond.
Ignoring Miguel's expectant gaze, I answered calmly.
"Anything is fine."
Leslie gave a small nod before turning her attention back to Miguel.
"What is the best dish your inn serves?"
Miguel immediately straightened his posture, his expression becoming unusually professional.
"Our signature dish is roasted chicken served with rice, accompanied by a selection of freshly prepared starters," he replied confidently. "It's also the most expensive dish on our menu."
"I'll have that."
"Certainly, Madam."
Miguel gave a respectful bow before turning toward the kitchen. However, just before leaving, he deliberately cast a sideways glance at me. The playful grin stretching across his face made it painfully obvious what was going through his mind.
I simply looked away, pretending not to notice him.
Apparently satisfied with himself, Miguel quietly chuckled under his breath before disappearing into the kitchen.
Once Miguel disappeared into the kitchen, silence settled over our table once more.
I looked at Leslie, still unable to understand why she had gone to such lengths just to speak with me.
"Why are you doing all this?"
A hint of awkwardness immediately appeared on her face. She lowered her gaze slightly, gently fidgeting with her fingers for a moment before answering.
"Well..."
She hesitated, seemingly searching for the right words.
"I just wanted to talk to you."
For a brief moment, I wasn't sure how to respond. I still couldn't understand why she had come all the way to the Green Leaf Inn just for that.
Eventually, I let out a quiet breath and folded my hands on the table.
"Alright," I said calmly. "What did you want to talk about?"
Leslie remained silent for a few moments, seemingly gathering her thoughts before finally speaking.
"As soon as I returned home, I told my father and the rest of my family everything that had happened that night. The people you captured were brought back to our estate for questioning."
I remained silent, allowing her to continue.
"My father personally interrogated them, but neither of them was willing to say anything. No matter what they were asked, they refused to answer. When ordinary questioning failed, my father ordered the interrogation to continue."
Her expression gradually became more solemn.
"They tried every method they could think of to make them reveal the truth... and eventually, they finally said something."
A slight frown formed on my face.
"What was it?"
Leslie drew a slow breath before answering.
"They said they belonged to a secret organization." She paused briefly before continuing, her voice lowering almost to a whisper. "Its name... was the Heavenly Order."
"The Heavenly Order?"
The words escaped my mouth almost instinctively.
Leslie gave a small nod.
"Yes."
However, the solemn look on Leslie's face quickly deepened.
"But..." she said softly, her voice dropping even lower. "The moment they revealed the organization's name... something happened."
Her fingers unconsciously tightened around each other beneath the table as though recalling the scene still unsettled her.
"Their bodies suddenly began to change. They became horribly disfigured, and within moments their bodies rapidly swelled until..." She swallowed lightly, a trace of fear flashing across her face. "...they exploded."
For a brief moment, I simply stared at her, unable to hide my surprise.
"They... exploded?"
Leslie gave a slow nod.
"My father believes they were placed under some kind of curse. The moment they revealed information forbidden by the organization, the curse activated and took their lives."
She paused briefly before adding,
"He said it was likely a safeguard created by the Heavenly Order to prevent its members from exposing any of its secrets."
Silence settled over the table once again.
I quietly contemplated everything Leslie had just told me.
A curse that activated the moment someone revealed information about the Heavenly Order...
If Leslie's father's conclusion was correct, then this was no ordinary organization. The fact that its members carried such a safeguard spoke volumes about how far they were willing to go to keep their existence and secrets hidden.
A trace of sadness gradually appeared on Leslie's face.
"So... we still couldn't find any clues about my friend."
I gave a small nod before asking, "Did your family investigate the route they were taking you? You might have found some kind of trace along the way."
"We did," Leslie replied softly. "But unfortunately, it didn't lead to anything."
Her voice gradually lost its strength. She lowered her gaze, and I noticed her eyes slowly becoming moist.
"I don't even know if she's still alive..."
For a brief moment, silence settled between us.
I could still remember the young woman who had been traveling with us in the horse carriage. Seeing Leslie like this, it wasn't difficult to understand what she was feeling.
"Don't worry," I said quietly. "Until there's proof that something happened to her, there's no reason to assume the worst."
Leslie slowly looked up at me.
"...You're right."
Although the worry in her eyes remained, she gave a small nod, as though trying to convince herself to hold on to that hope.
At that moment, Miguel returned from the kitchen carrying a tray of food.
As he approached the table, his eyes fell on Leslie's slightly tearful expression. He immediately froze in his tracks before slowly turning to look at me, his face filled with complete disbelief.