Lady Frances's efficiency exceeded expectations.
Perhaps out of loyalty to Her Royal Highness, or perhaps because she was tired of Sir Conroy's authoritarian nature, just two days later she secretly delivered a note into Arthur's hands through her nephew, who served at Scotland Yard.
Of course, it was not an easy process.
Arthur had never intended to remain completely hidden from the start. He knew that Conroy's men were openly searching for him, while the Princess's people operated in the shadows. He needed a channel that would allow her to find him while avoiding the others.
So he turned to Fat Boss.
"I need you to help me spread a message," Arthur said. "Tell them that in London there is a tall, blond, blue-eyed young man who doesn't steal or rob; every day he works to figure out how to develop his future projects. He is embarking on a career as an entrepreneur."
Fat Boss frowned: "You're walking straight into a trap! Sir Conroy's men are searching for you everywhere, and you dare to show yourself?"
Arthur smiled: "The most dangerous place is the safest. They think I'm a carefully planned pawn, so they would never imagine I would appear in the lower districts like this. Besides, the clues I leave behind will be noticed only by those who truly care about me."
He was betting on Princess Victoria's curiosity and initiative. A mysterious young man who had saved her and was building his future: this image would be enough to divert her attention from Conroy.
It turned out he was right.
Thanks to this clue, Frances's nephew, the young police officer, found Arthur among the crowd and delivered the Princess's note to him.
The note contained only one line of elegant handwriting, with a hint of command and a subtle urgency:
"Tomorrow at 3:00 p.m., Kensington Gardens, under the oak."
Arthur held the note to the candlelight and burned it with a slight smile.
The bait had taken.
The next afternoon, London was unusually clear. Sunlight filtered through thin clouds, casting a warm golden glow over the city.
Kensington Gardens were filled with visitors, mostly well-dressed bourgeois and aristocrats. Ladies carried lace parasols, and gentlemen wielded their walking sticks with elegance. The air was a mixture of grass, earth, and fragrances.
Arthur walked alone along the tree-lined path.
He had completely changed. No longer the usual rough and worn clothes, but a well-made dark blue wool coat and gray trousers. He had carefully chosen them in a secondhand shop with the money earned from selling soap. Though not expensive, they made him look like a scholar from a declining family, yet still dignified.
But the most important transformation was in his demeanor. After systematic self-improvement and a wealth of knowledge, he walked without haste, back straight, eyes calm and deep, with a detachment that did not suit his surroundings. He did not look around; he focused on the Goethe book he held in his hand, as if the world's noise did not concern him.
He was like a pearl dropped into gravel: not immediately obvious, but his unique brilliance could not be hidden.
He quickly found the designated oak.
Beneath the tree, a small figure had her back to him, seemingly admiring the lake in the distance.
She wore a long blue dress, its hem swaying gently in the wind. A wide-brimmed hat with a white veil covered most of her face, revealing only her smooth blond neck and a few playful strands of light brown curls resting on her shoulders.
Even seen from behind, her innate nobility and elegance captivated anyone.
It was Princess Victoria.
Not far behind her, her lady-in-waiting Frances carefully monitored the surroundings, while further away, several guards disguised as tourists were casually positioned.
It was clear that this meeting had been a carefully orchestrated adventure by Her Royal Highness.
Arthur closed the book in his hand and approached slowly.
The sound of his steps made her startle.
Victoria turned, and the moment she saw who it was, a flash of surprise, a touch of nervousness, and an almost imperceptible shyness shone in her beautiful blue eyes.
She removed her hat, revealing the exquisite and delicate face that Arthur had often thought of when he had saved her, recalling the moment when her courage had struck him so deeply.
In the sunlight, her skin glowed pale, her blue eyes were clearer than the sky, and her rosy lips were slightly parted as if she wanted to say something but didn't know where to begin.
"I apologize for my presumption," Arthur finally said, breaking the silence.
He did not address her as "Her Highness," but with an equivalent title. His voice was clear and firm, and his aristocratic English left Victoria and Frances slightly taken aback.
This… was not what a poor boy from the lower classes would have said!
"I have always wondered what kind of life could raise a young woman like you, with such vivid eyes and natural elegance," Arthur said, his gaze straightforward and sincere, without offense, only pure admiration.
Then, in a gentle, slightly poetic tone, he recited:
"I remember that wonderful moment: you appeared before me, like a fleeting ghost, like a spirit of pure beauty."
Those words struck the tender heart of the young princess like an invisible arrow.
Victoria's face turned red instantly, from her cheeks to her earlobes. She had been seventeen years old and had received countless compliments, yet no words had ever made her heart beat so strongly, so sweetly.
She lowered her head slightly in panic, not daring to look Arthur in the eyes, while her hands nervously twisted the ribbon of her hat.
"You… you…" she stammered, forgetting for a moment that she had wanted to question him about his sudden departure.
Seeing the future queen display such pure and youthful emotions made Arthur quietly chuckle, knowing the second step of his plan had succeeded.
At their first meeting, he had won her eyes with his courage.
This time, he would use his talent to fully open the door to her heart.
"Forgive my brusqueness." Arthur bowed slightly, executing an impeccable aristocratic gesture. "You have sought me out, without doubt, to learn about my origins. My name is Arthur Lionheart, a young man with a complicated past, striving to build his own future as an entrepreneur."
He presented his identity half candidly, half mysteriously.
Victoria finally gathered all her courage, raised her head, her blue eyes filled with curiosity and a subtle glimmer of wonder: "Really? So… all this work and your plans… it's truly your own effort?"
Arthur nodded with a slight smile: "Yes. It is not deceit or theft; every day I work hard, study, and try to build step by step what will be my future. I am learning, planning, and striving to become someone who can leave a mark."
He began to speak of knowledge, strategies, and entrepreneurial projects, without mentioning politics or military matters, only the method by which he was organizing himself to become a successful man.
Victoria listened, completely captivated, her beautiful eyes sparkling. Arthur had opened the doors to a new world for her, full of possibilities and initiative, more vivid and original than anything she had ever observed before.
Even Frances, a short distance away, was mesmerized, forgetting her duty to supervise.
Time passed unnoticed.
The glow of the sunset bathed the entire garden in gold.
"I apologize, I have spoken too much," Arthur paused at the right moment, a shadow of shyness on his face. "I have taken up your precious time."
"No!" Victoria replied, with a hint of reluctance. "I… I have never seen someone so passionate about what they believe in. Mr. Lionheart, is… all of this really your own effort?"
"Of course." Arthur smiled, taking some notes and sketches he had brought with him. "These documents and notes are part of the studies and plans I am using to organize my life and build my future. Perhaps you would like to take a look and see how a young man can create something tangible on his own."