Dark Dragon: The Summoned Hero Is A Villain-Chapter 351: House of Gold

Daisy gave one final nod to Tom, who bowed, before climbing into the carriage.

Noah followed after her, sitting opposite her as he'd previously done.

Daisy had handled questioning the staff, while Noah stood to the side, alert and watchful. Like he'd been instructed, he didn't speak until he was spoken to.

With a gesture from Daisy, the enchanted carriage began moving on its own, and a few seconds later, they were out of the Fontaine family compound.

Silence filled the carriage as it traveled down the street, the sound only broken by the ambient noise of the street around them and the creak of the carriage wheels.

"What do you think?" Daisy finally spoke, meeting Noah's gaze.

Noah already knew the woman didn't particularly care about his opinion. Her question's purpose was twofold.

The first was to gauge if the compulsion ritual was really holding. If he hesitated to mention things or suggested anything disadvantageous to Camelot, she would immediately drag him back to the palace.

The second was to help her structure her own thoughts.

So, Noah answered immediately. "None of them looked particularly suspicious, but that still tells us nothing. But there are two people I would suggest keeping an eye on. Lady Fontaine, and the butler, Tom."

Daisy nodded. "Just as I thought."

Noah said nothing, going back to watching the view outside the window. He began replaying all they knew in his head.

James Fontaine had left his home to check on his interest, only a handful of people knew his itinerary, and had disappeared on his way back home.

His family had kept the news private, making sure there were no leaks, in order to keep their business interests safe from their business rivals.

The key was to find exactly where the man had disappeared, and from there, trace the details. And with Daisy's mind reading skills, she should be able to find the thread.

A minute later, they arrived at the next gated compound. Unlike the Fontaine property, this one was more ostentatious.

The gates were painted black, and the designs upon them a shiny gold that gleamed under the light of the sun.

The guards wore polished steel armor and a no nonsense expression.

Daisy presented her badge, but this time, a runner was sent up to the mansion to verify that she was indeed expected before they were allowed entry.

The gates were pulled open, and the carriage rattled inside, moving on a driveway of smooth stones. They stopped in front of the mansion and stepped out.

Noah gazed up at the mansion, impressed. It was large and was painted white, and designed with palladian windows. Waiting for them was a neatly dressed group of maids and standing before them was the butler.

Unlike Tom, this butler was young, in his early twenties, and bowed slightly, an arrogant smile on his face. "Welcome to House Armand, investigator. My lady requests your presence."

Noah's brows twitched at the name. House Armand. Wasn't that House Fontaine's business competitor?

"Lead the way," Daisy said, her expression blank.

The butler nodded, before leading them up the stairs and into the mansion. As they walked through the halls, Noah allowed his lips to curl up a little.

Who were the Armands trying to impress? In every direction, all he could see was gold. Gold plated portrait frames, gold threaded curtains, gold ornaments, and even a golden vase to hold what looked like camellias. At this point, he wouldn't be surprised if the family itself was made of gold.

After a minute of silent walking, they finally arrived at a door. The butler opened the door without knocking, the same smug smile still on his face.

Lady Armand, who was seated on one of the couches near the study's fireplace, looked up.

Noah had to admit that she was beautiful. She had green eyes, full red lips, and golden colored silky hair. However, the looks were ruined by her smeared makeup. Her sclera had tinges of red, making her look like she'd been crying.

She sniffled, wiping her face with a handkerchief, and after visibly composing herself, welcomed them in.

"Welcome, investigators. I'm glad the palace was willing to send someone to help us with this. Please have your seats."

Daisy sat, then motioned for Noah to do the same. He sat, before glancing at the butler, who stood in the room, watching them closely. Noah made no mention of it.

"Would you like to tell us what happened?" Daisy asked.

"Oh, yes." Lady Armand sniffed. "It's not particularly a secret that at the end of every week, my husband always goes down to the racetracks with his friends, and after spending hours horseracing, they go for a round of drinks and discuss business."

Daisy nodded along.

"And that day, he left the house as usual, with his guards of course, but he never made it to the racetracks. We only knew when his friends sent someone to remind him to come, but he'd already left."

"I sent some of our guards to discreetly search for him. You know we can't let our business rivals know that the head of the house has gone missing. Our son isn't old enough yet to take on the responsibility. But the guards never found him. It's as if he just disappeared off the face of the earth."

"I see." Daisy finally spoke. "And how many guards were with him that day?"

"Four."

Same as James Fontaine.

"How many people knew when your husband left the house?"

"Most of us knew, especially the staff." Lady Armand answered. "My husband is always loud and rowdy whenever he leaves for the racetracks."

"I see. Do I have permission to question your staff and take a look around the building?"

"Of course." Lady Armand turned to the butler. "Follow him. He'll get you everything you need."

"Very well." Daisy stood, turning to the butler. "Lead the way."

***

Daisy and Noah climbed into the carriage, which began moving, riding out of the Armand property.

Daisy's eyes were narrowed in concentration. "That butler..."

Noah had noticed it too. The smug look on the man's face. The way his eyes lingered on Lady Armand. It was enough to tell him two things.

The first was that they were having an affair. The second was that the butler definitely knew something.

Daisy raised her head, meeting Noah's eyes. "Get ready. We'll soon be back here for a... private conversation."