Zoey questioned Vi in detail, asking how she hade across Oliver, what state he was in now, and whether he had brought his child with him.


    Vi recounted, "I was out yesterday to buy a stew pot, hoping to make some medicinal broth for Mom. After I purchased it, he came up me. I was startled at first, thinking it was some pervert.


    "But when he called my name, I recognized his voice. His face was so dark and haggard, and his eyebrows were shaved off. He has lost so much weight. If I hadn''t carefully examined him, I wouldn''t have believed it was Oliver."


    Vi paused as she recalled the encounter and Zoey''s earlier words, still feeling a sense of unease.


    She continued, "He didn''t have a child with him. He was alone. He told me he was forced to flee, and now there are arrest warrants for him everywhere. He has no money left, and with a child to support, things are really difficult for him. He asked me to talk to Mom about gathering 3,000 silver coins."


    Zoey quickly asked, "If you did manage to get the money, how were you supposed to give it to him?" Vi shook her head. "He didn''t say. He just told me to get the money and he would find a way toe to me."


    Zoey cursed inwardly. Oliver didn''t take precautions against outsiders, but the little bit of vignce he had was all directed at his own family.


    She mulled over Vi''s words, then asked, "He doesn''t have eyebrows?"


    "Yes, it looks like they were shaved off. Oliver''s eyebrows were thick and easy to recognize. If he shaved them off, who would think it''s him?" Vi said.


    Zoey nodded thoughtfully. It made sense. If his eyebrows were missing, he would be harder to identify. But now that they knew, they could use it to their advantage. She could tell Carissa to keep a watchful eye.


    However, eyebrows could be drawn on. If they only focused on looking for people with no eyebrows, they might miss him entirely.


    "You should go out tomorrow," Zoey suggested. "Try the Ministry of Defense and see if you can get a meeting with Isaac. If Oliver is still around, he might try to follow you. I''ll have Ms. na speak with Lady Carrisa and have her increase the patrols. It''ll put pressure on him to reveal himself sooner." Vi nodded. "Got it."


    Then, she hesitated, asking, "How should we deal with Mom in the meantime?"


    "Tell her that Isaac has agreed to help but we''re still gathering the money by selling off some of the shops," Zoey replied.


    Vi looked uncertain. "But why lie to her? Why not just say Isaac refused to help? Wouldn''t that be easier?"


    "If we tell her that, she''ll go to Isaac herself. We can''t let her do that," Zoey said firmly.


    Vi thought for a moment, then agreed. Given how much Evelyn favored Oliver, there was a real chance she would drag her sick body to saac if she knew he had refused. And if she did, it would bring attention to his family ties, causing his businesses to be seized by the court.


    "Alright, I know what to do now," Vi said, standing up and heading for the door.


    Zoey also set down her work and went to find na. She briefly


    exined the situation and instructed her to pass the word along to Carissa, trusting that she would know what to do. na didn''t ask any more questions and left immediately.


    The next day, both the Capital Guard and the Garrison Unitunched a city-wide search, iming to be after the escaped traitor.


    Following Zoey''s instructions, Vi went out the next day, sneaking around as if she were up to something.


    Oliver was aware of Isaac''s identity. One of the letters sent to him from home had informed him of this fact. If Oliver was secretly following Vi, he would naturally assume she was working on things on his behalf.


    Carissa arranged for the Capital Guard to disguise themselves asmoners and follow Vi in shifts. She gave strict orders that if any unfamiliar man approached her, they must not intervene, as it could very well be Oliver testing them. They were to wait until the man left, then send someone to discreetly follow him and verify his identity.


    Sure enough, a man approached Vi on the third day. He was about the same height as Oliver and wore a wide-brimmed hat. The man spoke a few words to her before turning to leave.


    Michael had someone tail him and quickly determined that he was not Oliver. As expected, the Capital Guard didn''t intervene, but they kept following him for a while. When he entered a gambling den, they followed him inside.


    The people in the gambling den greeted him as Timmy, teasing him about having money to gamble again. He exined that he had met a fool who had given him a small sum just for some casual conversation. Worried that Oliver might be nearby, the Capital Guard feigned interest in gambling and won a little money, then left.


    Carissa reported the details to na, who quickly ryed the information to Zoey. As soon as Vi returned, Zoey asked if she had encountered anyone unusual that day.


    Vi answered honestly, exining that a man had approached her, trying to sell some perfume. She had refused, but he had insisted, annoying her until he finally left.


    Zoey nodded grimly. "That was your brother''s test to see if anyone was following you. He''s worried you might betray him."


    The word "betray" made Vi''s heart sink with difort. But when she thought of that dark, hellish prison, she couldn''t help but feel that Oliver deserved what wasing for him.