Two days after returning from the education center, Jorge devoted some time to reviewing the international press, although his mind was elsewhere. Since Yusuf's escape, unease had been accompanying him at all hours, and although Kamar tried to calm him with kind words, that morning he couldn't dispel his unease. He even thought that the fugitive might not have abandoned the hacienda, but was hiding in some corner of the big house, letting them search for him far away. It wouldn't be strange if he had accomplices or, at least, friends willing to help him. With this suspicion in mind, he ordered his personal security to be reinforced: from then on, armed guards would permanently watch the big house.

Meticulous searches were organized to find Yusuf, but to no avail. It seemed that the one who had been Benassur's right-hand man, and later Jorge's, had fled with haste; however, he hadn't left with just what he was wearing: personal objects were missing from his rooms, and he had taken the horse he usually rode.

Jorge decided to recover the habit of eating in the company of Kamar and Lakua, who still remained on his hacienda, as well as Eukario. The news of his lord's supposed betrayal had generated doubts among his closest employees, such as Miceros and Eukario himself; but when the situation was resolved in Jorge's favor, he opted for magnanimity, instead of firing them and looking for more loyal staff, he kept them in his service, which proved to be a wise decision; from then on, their loyalty was absolute.

However, there was a subtle but significant change: meals began to be served in the gala dining room, a room that Benassur despised, but Jorge found spacious, elegant, and in line with his refined taste. Amidst jokes and wine glasses, the trust between the three landowners was strengthened. It was during one of those lunches that Jorge learned that it had been Lakua who had found the evidence against Yusuf, which allowed him to clear his name; Kamar, although he had always trusted him, had initially doubted his innocence. This episode ended up strengthening Jorge's relationship with Lakua, making it closer and more affectionate.

Jorge imposed the schedules of his old life in Spain, which brought new customs to the hacienda; lunch was not served before 2 pm, and the afternoon snack usually lasted until it merged with the 4 pm tea, a new tradition that he had adopted with enthusiasm. Nobody seemed bothered by these changes; on the contrary, the employees seemed to enjoy the new, slow, and ceremonial rhythm.

It was precisely during the tea on that Wednesday when a messenger from Kamar burst in with news. Every time a message arrived, everyone pretended to be indifferent, but in the air, there was an expectation that they had finally caught Yusuf, or at least located his whereabouts. This time, their hopes would not be in vain.

"They found Yusuf in the port of Fez," Kamar said with visible emotion...