The next day, Chris boarded a flight to Brixton, the capital of Oxwoods.
This was his second visit to Brixton. The first time, he had come with Esther.
As soon as Chris stepped out of the airport, staff from the Amerosia Embassy in Oxwoods arrived to pick him up.
He was driven to the embassy, where he met Elowen Starfield, the daughter of Ambassador Alaric Starfield and Esther’s college friend.
Knowing that Chris would be arriving, Elowen personally came to greet him at the door. She appeared riddled with guilt over Susan’s disappearance, as Esther had entrusted her to look after her mother during Susan’s visit to Oxwoods.
Chris fixed his eyes on Elowen and asked, “What exactly happened?”
“It’s like this…”
Through Elowen’s account, Chris pieced together the events.
When Susan arrived in Brixton, Elowen had taken her sightseeing and to various high-society events. At one of these gala events, Susan had been abducted.
While Elowen spoke, Chris scrutinized her expressions. From his observation, she wasn’t lying.
Chris asked, “Who could attend this event?”
Elowen explained, “It was an upscale gala. The man who took Susan was a stranger. No one knew him, and the name he used to enter the event was fake.”
Even now, Elowen had no clue who the man was. However, she showed Chris the surveillance footage from the gala.
The recordings revealed a high-society gathering, attended by Brixton’s elite. The guests were impeccably dressed and carried themselves with grace and sophistication.
But Chris soon spotted a suspicious figure: a young man who had arrived alone and kept to himself.
What caught Chris’s attention was how this man’s eyes were fixed on Susan the entire time.
While Elowen was busy entertaining other guests, Susan had stationed herself at the buffet, eating to her heart’s content.
Watching this, Chris shook his head in exasperation. His mother-in-law truly had a gift for embarrassing herself, no matter where she went.
The man eventually approached Susan and spoke to her. After a moment’s hesitation, Susan followed him out.
Chris noted the man’s incredibly pale complexion. Even among the predominantly white attendees, his skin was unnaturally pale.
Turning to Elowen, Chris asked, “Miss Starfield, do you know who this man is?”
Elowen thought for a moment before replying, “From my investigation, he called himself Martin.”
Chris nodded.
“Miss Starfield, if there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave. Please contact me immediately if you hear anything about my mother-in-law.”
Elowen, guilt-ridden, said, “Mr. Shelby, this was my oversight. Please, you must rescue Mrs. Jefferson. I can’t face Esther if you don’t.”
Chris reassured her, “Don’t worry. She’s my mother-in-law. I’ll get her back.”
As Chris left the embassy, a convoy of luxurious cars caught his eye. He immediately recognized them as part of the Oxwoods royal fleet.
An elderly man in a tailcoat stepped out of one of the vehicles and approached Chris.
“Good day, Mr. Shelby,” the man said. “I am the royal butler. Her Majesty the Queen has invited you to the palace.”
Chris hadn’t expected the Queen to notice his arrival so quickly.
He was curious about the palace and also wanted to see Princess Medusa again.
“Alright,” Chris replied with a nod.
He got into one of the cars, and the convoy slowly departed.
An hour later, Chris arrived at the Oxwoods royal palace.
The butler led him to a grand hall. “My apologies, Mr. Shelby. Her Majesty is occupied at the moment. She will be with you shortly.”
Chris nodded. “Understood.”
The butler left, and moments later, the sound of footsteps echoed through the hall.
“Mr. Shelby, you’re finally here!”
Chris turned to see Princess Medusa approaching.
Dressed in a princess gown, she looked charming and doll-like, as if she had stepped out of a fairytale.
“Medusa,” Chris said, curious, “how did you know I was here?”
Medusa had changed since their last meeting, appearing more mature now.
She giggled. “The moment you arrived in Brixton, I knew you were here.”
Her eyes fell on Chris’s empty sleeves.
“Mr. Shelby, what happened to your hands?” she asked, astonished.
Chris smiled faintly. “Nothing much. Just an accident-I lost them both.”
Hearing this, Medusa’s eyes reddened with sorrow.
“Mr. Shelby, how can you still smile at a time like this?” she asked, her voice trembling.
Chris chuckled. “Don’t worry. With today’s technology, I’ll have my arms back in no time.”
Medusa nodded resolutely. “Alright. Mr. Shelby, I’ll take you to my mother.”
Soon, Medusa led Chris to the Queen.
Chris bowed slightly. “Your Majesty.”
The Queen’s eyes fell on Chris’s arms, or lack thereof.
“What happened to your hands?” she asked, surprised.
Chris sighed. “An unfortunate accident.”
The Queen frowned. “Isn’t Archer Wintersong your mentor? Can’t even he heal you?”
Chris hesitated. “My mentor is… far away. I can’t reach him for now.”
The Queen sighed. “I see.”
She studied Chris. “So, what brings you to Oxwoods this time?”
Chris had a knack for stirring trouble, and the last time he visited Oxwoods had left the Queen dealing with a mess.
Upon learning of his return, she had immediately instructed the butler to bring him to her, keen to understand his intentions.
Chris, of course, understood her concerns.
“Your Majesty, my mother-in-law has gone missing in Brixton…”
He explained the situation in detail.
The Queen’s expression darkened. “You mentioned that the man who took your mother-in-law called himself Martin?”
Chris nodded. “Yes, but I suspect it’s an alias.”
The Queen shook her head. “No, it’s not an alias.”