Inside the main office of the Waldeurk estate.

Robert Lyn Waldeurk, the head of the family, sat solemnly at his large desk.

He spoke to the man standing politely opposite him.

"So, what you're telling me is that the situation with [Turning White] has changed abruptly, leading to a delay in our schedule."

The man was Thomas, the Acting Head of [Ford Company] and Maitri's right-hand man.

Following Oswald's death, he had been granted more authority.

Of course, this also meant he had access to more of [Turning White]'s secrets, and he now fully understood the nature of the covert agreement that existed between Robert and [Turning White].

Thomas nodded.

"Yes, Lord Robert. One of our key personnel has gone missing, causing complications in the project we were advancing with your family."

The key personnel referred to Oswald, who had recently been killed by Theo Lyn Waldeurk during a covert Polaris bombing mission.

However, the truth couldn't be disclosed so openly.

The Polaris bombing mission was a rogue operation, conducted without any report to their superiors, and here was Robert, the very owner of Polaris.

Bang!

Robert slammed his desk, bursting out angrily.

"All the money I've invested there so far! And now you're telling me a key person just vanishes out of thin air during such a crucial period? This is some nonsensical bullsh*t if I've ever heard it. I didn't see it before, but you're nothing but a bunch of con artists!"

"I'm truly sorry, Lord Robert. But everything I've said is the truth. Moreover, including Maitri, many employees of [Turning White] are making every effort to quickly resume the project, so please retract your anger."

"Hmph. Do you know how many like you I've dealt with? All just talk, no real results. Ha, hahahaha. Is it because my expectations were too high? The disappointment is even greater."

"I am truly sorry, Lord Robert. I will make every effort to ensure that we can restart at the earliest opportunity."

Thomas bowed his head at a 90-degree angle to apologize.

Apologizing was the only option he had left.

'The project needs Robert's continued investment.'

Robert was, in essence, a major financier.

He was one of the biggest investors in [Turning White] over the past year, with his contributions amounting to half a year's Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) of the major city Polaris.

'But Robert can't afford to drop us either.'

Robert believed [Turning White] to be a conglomerate of reputable businesses, and he was aware that [Ford Company] was a subsidiary of Turning White.

Moreover, [Ford Company] was among the most successful startups across the continent.

Currently, [Ford Company] was testing 'alternative bodies', 'artificial artifacts', and even 'robots' - mechanical devices capable of thinking and acting like humans, all yet to be commercialized.

Driven by the fear of wasting the funds already invested, Robert was likely to invest more, albeit grudgingly.

And Thomas's prediction proved accurate.

"Tell me right here and now. When will the project be completed?"

Robert asked with a sigh.

Thomas immediately bowed his head and answered.

"According to Maitri, the project should be completed by the end of the second quarter or the beginning of the third quarter next year. As the new head in charge of this project, I also believe that timeframe is achievable, Lord Robert."

"Alright. I'll take your word for it."

"But... we will need additional financial support. The missing personnel were irreplaceable, so we are in need of hiring several high-tier talents."

"Hahahaha. Fine, I'll provide more. But remember this one thing."

Robert stood up, gazing calmly at Thomas.

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree; his gaze was strikingly similar to Theo's.

"No more delays. You say you can't disclose the progress because of damn security reasons? You need to bring results by July next year at the latest."

Thomas bowed his head again, 90 degrees.

"Is there any other way?"

Thomas didn't raise his head again.

Though now retired, Robert was a top-ranking hero on the continent, ranked third in his active days.

The energy he radiated made one's body tingle.

There was a chance he could make a mistake in managing his expression.

'I should be thankful to Lunaplora...'

If he hadn't been toughened up by Luna, who had recently stormed into [Ford Company], things would have been much harder...

Thomas murmured, still bowing.

"I will ensure the project is successfully completed so you can hear her voice again, Lord Robert."

Clunk.

Theo, Aisha, and Irene were on their way to Polaris in a carriage.

Aisha's lips were still pouting.

'Haaah~ How can one deceive someone not once but twice?'

To entertain the usually quiet Theo, she had prepared dozens of topics to talk about in the carriage.

She even made sandwiches with healthy ingredients for them to eat together in case they got hungry on the way to Polaris and packed them beautifully.

'Really, this is too much.'

Thus, Aisha's sense of betrayal was not easily quelled.

However, Theo did not offer a single apology to Aisha.

He didn't talk to Irene, who was sitting next to him either, just stared out the window.

On closer inspection, his gaze was soulless.

'What's with him? Is something wrong?'

Curiosity overtook her feeling of betrayal.

Aisha carefully observed Theo and Irene in turns.

'Hmm?'

Eventually, Aisha noticed something was off.

While Theo was in his usual well-ironed uniform, looking sleek but with a vacant expression, Irene was different.

Irene was in a disheveled uniform, her lips cracked, and her nails bitten, showing signs of physical distress, yet her expression was one of pure happiness.

'What exactly happened between those two... Ah, I can't figure it out.'

Up until now, Theo had consistently exceeded expectations with his unconventional actions.

Already feeling gloomy, she didn't want to waste any mental energy speculating. If her guesses were wrong, it would only lead to greater mental exhaustion.

Regardless, the carriage continued on its journey without stopping.

As time passed, the outside became enveloped in darkness.

They were in a meadow with not a single light in sight.

Gurgle

Irene's stomach growled loudly, filling the previously silent carriage, which only echoed intermittently with the clunking of its wheels.

Irene's face turned red instantly as she fumbled for an excuse.

"Ah, uh... Since Monday evening, I haven't eaten anything..."

The mention of 'Monday evening' caught Theo off guard, prompting him to speak.

"I should have mentioned earlier. There aren't any places to eat nearby, so it'll be about an hour before we reach a village."

"If this is okay, please have some."

Aisha pulled out a neatly wrapped sandwich from her bag.

Irene's eyes widened in surprise.

"Can I really eat this? It looks like you put a lot of effort into it..."

"It's not important anymore, so it's fine."

"Really...? Then I won't hold back."

Irene took the sandwich, bit into it with a big "Ahn," her eyes filled with happiness.

Meanwhile, Aisha's expression, which had briefly brightened, turned gloomy once again.

The carriage carrying the three of them arrived in Polaris just past midnight.

As usual, they were not stopped for inspection. It was a free pass.

The hero of Polaris, Young Master Theo! Welcome back!

The carriage carrying Theo received salutes from the guards as it made its way through the immigration office.

Then, a man who appeared to be the captain of the guards approached.

He politely knocked on the carriage window.

As Theo rolled down the window, the guard captain spoke.

"Sorry to detain you, especially after such a long journey, Young Master Theo. There's an urgent message I need to deliver."

"No problem. What is it?"

"It's from the head of the immigration office. She said she has something important to tell you. Would you mind waiting at the immigration office for a moment? I'll contact Ms. Eve immediately."

Instead of replying, Theo fell into a moment of contemplation.

'Eve has something to discuss with me...'

In the story, Eve played a significant role.

She was from a branch of the Waldeurk family, just like Aisha, and had actively supported Aisha when she began to take charge of the Waldeurk family.

'Something unusual must be happening in Polaris.'

Theo recalled that recently, every incident he became involved in led to some major or minor trouble.

He felt like he had become like that kid from a certain Japanese detective manga who's good at football[1]...

Despite being incredibly tired, Theo decided to trust his intuition once again.

"Alright. I'll wait."

The three of them waited in the VIP room of the immigration office.

Eve arrived shortly after.

"Sorry, have you been waiting long?"

Aisha greeted Eve warmly.

"Eve, hi~ Nice to see you again."

"Ah, Aisha, hello. Is it vacation time already? Must have been tough traveling that far, right? Theo, Irene, you both must have had a hard journey as well."

Despite his fatigue, Theo, who had been sitting elegantly on the sofa, responded.

"We haven't been waiting that long. What brings you here, Eve?"

Eve hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Please, let's not discuss this anywhere else."

"Understood."

Worried that their conversation might be overheard, Eve carefully checked the room before speaking.

"It seems there has been a significant change. And not for the better."

"Could you elaborate?"

"Today, a decree came from the palace. Starting next month, taxes will be significantly increased. It's only been three months, and half a year before that, when they were raised..."

Eve couldn't continue her sentence.

Theo was smiling, rather eerily, which was quite rare for him.