After the zoo, Arianne gave the driver an address, and the car pulled away from the gleaming new exhibits and into the older, narrower streets of the city. The restaurant was tucked between a tea shop and a bookstore, its entrance so discreet that Franz would have walked right past it if Arianne hadn't pointed it out. There was no sign in any language he recognized. Just a dark wooden door with a single lantern hanging above it.
Inside, the restaurant was warm and low-lit. The tables were spaced far apart, the walls decorated with calligraphy scrolls and small potted plants. A woman in a dark uniform greeted them at the door, and Franz watched her eyes flicker with recognition when she saw his face. But she didn't react. She didn't gasp or whisper or pull out her phone. She gave a polite nod and led them to a table near the back, away from the windows.
