Theodora's name was nowhere to be found.

I quickly realized my oversight. The altered work only mentioned her being raised by hunters, not that she was a hunter herself. It made sense why her name wouldn't be in the lists. It seemed that I had to start looking for her from scratch. As the hunters here were familiar with each other, given that I knew her name and appearance, it wouldn't be that difficult to find her. The problem was, I would attract too much attention to myself if I were to ask around her whereabouts. This job had to be completed as discreetly as possible.

I decided to retire for the night and figure out something the next day.

****

The next morning, Gemma opened the curtains to wake me up. My usual attendants, Brett and Brenda, were absent, and seeing Gemma in their place caused a slight feeling of dissatisfaction. Suppressing my irritation, I inquired, "Have you served as a personal maid before? Can you handle the task?"

"Don't worry, Miss," Gemma replied cheerfully. "Brett and Brenda taught me well. It might take some time to get used to it, but I'll work hard and do my best."

"Good," I responded, allowing her to assist me in getting ready.

After the incident at Maple Street, Gemma had become remarkably obedient, just as I had hoped. I asked, "What do you think of this place?"

"It's good. The people at the manor have been very kind to me," she replied.

As she guided me to the mirror for makeup, I noticed the array of tinted powders, eye shadows, and lip pigments neatly organized in the drawers. The head butler had indeed prepared meticulously for my arrival.

Gemma reached for a box containing rouge, but before she could apply it, I kindy reminded her, "Start with the rice powder, Gemma."

"Ah... I'm sorry!" she quickly put it back, flustered.

With a sigh, I said, "It's alright. You don't know how to apply makeup, do you?"

"I-I'm sorry, Miss," she stammered, bowing deeply. "I'll go and fetch a maid who knows how to."

"Forget it," I replied, deciding not to bother with makeup every morning. These medieval beauty products probably weren't ideal for the skin in the long run. Maxine's face was naturally beautiful, and she had no need for makeup. I could apply makeup myself for special occasions, if necessary.

"I-I've deeply disappointed you, Miss... Pl-please don't punish me," Gemma pleaded anxiously.

"Who do you take me for?" I responded. "I won't punish you for something like this. Anyway, you don't have to put on makeup anymore. Just do my hair."

"Thank you, Miss," she said, sounding relieved. With that, she began brushing my hair and secured it with a simple clip. It seemed that she wasn't much of a hair stylist either. Makeup or no makeup, it didn't particularly matter to me.

It was still early in the morning when I picked up the documents Lucas had brought me and headed for the balcony, donning the shawl from yesterday. There, I found the butler from yesterday placing a tray containing a cup, a simmering teapot, a plate of biscuits, and that day's newspapers underneath.

"Ah," he said, noticing my arrival. "I had a feeling you'd come here, so I decided to leave these here. I hope it's alright."

"You did well," I replied as I took a seat at the table.

"In that case, I'll take my leave," he said with a respectful bow.

"By the way, what's your name?" I asked, sifting through the documents.

"You finally thought about asking my name, My Lady," he replied with a smile. "My name is Leandro, but please call me Leo."

Leandro... Leo...

Something sparked in my mind. Theodora seemed too grand a name for someone with a commoner upbringing. In this world, there was a stigma preventing commoners from adopting names similar to those of nobles. People who dared to give their children such grandiose names were considered ambitious and often faced ridicule. While it was a foolish way of thinking, I couldn't help but feel grateful for it now, as it might help me find Theodora.

"My lady, are you alright?" Leandro asked, concern lacing his voice. "You look like something has troubled you."

"It's nothing," I replied hastily. "Please, fetch me the inkwell and feather pen quickly." Clinging to this glimmer of hope, I scrutinized the lists of hunters' names once more.

I didn't want to miss this chance, so I took note of all the names that bore even the slightest resemblance to Theodora—2 Teddys, Tia, Theo, and even a Dottie. It didn't matter if the names sounded more fitting for males; I had to consider all possibilities.

With the list in my hands, I made my way to Lucas' room, my heart filled with trepidation. I desperately hoped that my intuition was right. I couldn't afford to attract attention in town by openly seeking a girl from Rutherford. If word reached William Albertine's ears, all my plans would be laid to waste.

Knocking on Lucas' door, I heard him answer from within. Stepping inside, I found that his room had a layout similar to mine, but lacking the ornate mirror and velvet curtains.

He was having breakfast at his table as I entered. I couldn't help but notice his elegant and impeccable manners. It dawned on me that he possessed a grace and charisma rare even among nobles. The only people in my host's memories who exuded such refined manners were the countess, William Albertine, Rosalind Tenebris, and the members of the royal family.

Shaking off the distraction, I quickly approached the table and placed the documents before him.

"I've marked some names in the lists you brought yesterday. See if you can find a girl around my age with silver-white hair and green eyes among them. If you do, gather all the information you can about her—her family, upbringing, personality... everything you can find. Once you complete this task, I'll reward you with five gold coins," I promised.

Sir Hartwood's calm grey eyes bore into mine, and for a moment, I felt startled. I was certain he had his doubts about my true intentions. He probably guessed that I had come all the way to Rutherford to find this person. Fortunately, he refrained from asking any probing questions.

"Fine," he replied simply. "Get the money ready by the time I come back."

Now, a new problem surfaced. My funds were dwindling rapidly. I had exhausted all the money the earl had provided me for my journey, along with some of the Countess' remaining funds after granting Sir Lucas his 60 gold coins. It was becoming clear that I needed a new source of funds.

From what I knew, the Central Bank of Valerion, which was run by the imperial family, had at least one branch in every territory, including Rutherford. Considering the Ashbournes' noble status and their manor in this region, it was likely they maintained an account at this branch. If I inquired with the butler, James, I might be able to gather more information about it.

With that in mind, I left Sir Lucas' room and set out to find Butler James.

After walking around for a while, I spotted James engaged in conversation with another man in the courtyard. The man was covered in dirt, wearing a large hat to shield himself from the sun.

"This is Bart, one of our gardeners," the butler introduced him to me.

"Bart, this is Miss Ashbourne, the eldest daughter of Earl Ashbourne," he said.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss," the gardener said, doffing his hat and bowing deeply. His bald head glistened in the sunlight.

"Thank you for your hard work, Bart," I expressed. "The garden looks beautiful."

"Why, you're welcome, Miss," the gardener replied with a modest smile. "I'm just doing my job."

"If it's not too much trouble, could I have a moment alone with James?" I requested.

"Oh... alright," Bart responded, moving away to give us some privacy.

Once I was certain we were out of earshot, I inquired, "James, are you in charge of paying the employees?"

"Yes, that's correct," he confirmed.

"Do you make those payments directly from the Ashbournes' bank account?" I asked.

"Oh, no, no," he responded. "The earl transfers a fixed sum of money every month to my personal account. From there, I pay the employees accordingly."

"I understand," I replied, a hint of disappointment fleeting through me, though I quickly recognized that this approach was better. "Then, do the Ashbournes have an account in Rutherford?"

"As far as I know, they do," he answered. "However, for specific details, you'll need to make an inquiry at the bank."