The atmosphere shifted.
Lucy, who had worked as a spy for many years, could instinctively sense it.
Princess Selvia wore a playful smile, but Lucy knew she was calculating and cold inside.
‘Dangerous.’
A sense of impending doom hung in the air—any wrong word might cost her life.
Because of this tension, Lucy remained on edge as Selvia slowly rose to her feet.
“I’ll be honest. I had the Intelligence Bureau conduct a background check on you, and some suspicious circumstances came up.”
Selvia’s smile faded as she adopted an expression of feigned curiosity.
“Why has Lieutenant Lucy not interacted with the nearby villagers? Strangely enough, the villagers seem completely unaware of who Lieutenant Lucy even is.”
“That’s… ”
Stay calm.
If she explained it the way she was trained, there would be no room for suspicion.
“When I was young, I was afraid of people. My parents abandoned me, and I was raised by my grandfather. He always advised me never to leave the cabin.”
“Why?”
“There were many wild animals outside the cabin, and my grandfather didn’t get along well with the villagers. He worried they might harm me.”
Lucy was naturally explaining herself without falling into Selvia’s trap.
But Selvia wasn’t one to let things slide so easily.
“Is that so? It’s strange because what I’ve heard doesn’t match your explanation. Why are you… ”
Selvia’s sharp eyes narrowed as she looked down at Lucy.
“…hiding the truth from me?”
Lucy’s hand trembled slightly.
Her heart raced—had she been found out?
But the cards were still in Selvia’s hands.
With no way of knowing her opponent’s hand at this moment, Lucy maintained her composure.
“With all due respect, I don’t understand what you mean. What exactly am I hiding?”
As Lucy probed further, Selvia paused briefly before responding.
“You know better than anyone. I’m not accusing you—I’m giving you an opportunity. Remember, this is your only chance.”
In short, Selvia was saying she had evidence and wanted a confession.
Though Selvia was threatening her, Lucy found peace in her words.
‘There’s no evidence.’
If there were proof, there’d be no need to ask for a confession.
Since there was no concrete evidence, Selvia was trying to coax one out of her.
This was a common interrogation technique used by the United Nations, and Lucy was familiar with it.
‘Of course…’
It seemed unlikely that Selvia was deliberately employing such tactics. To Lucy, it appeared Selvia was acting on instinct, unknowingly using interrogation methods.
Regardless, Lucy now knew that Selvia lacked any real evidence, so there was no reason to back down.
With her hand on her chest, Lucy bowed respectfully.
“Your Majesty, I was born in the Empire and have devoted myself to serving it. Though I don’t understand why you suspect me, I’ve never done anything to harm the Empire.”
One of Selvia’s eyebrows twitched subtly.
She realized her bluff had been called.
“…So you refuse to confess until the end? Let me add that the Intelligence Bureau is continuing its investigation into you. This may be your last chance.”
“Forgive me…”
Lucy lifted her head and stared directly at Selvia.
“I truly don’t understand what you’re implying.”
If you can find evidence proving I’m a spy for the enemy nation, then by all means, try.
Selvia gritted her teeth at Lucy’s defiant attitude.
She wanted nothing more than to dishonorably discharge Lucy and exile her from the Empire.
Even without concrete evidence, few would object to exiling a mere lieutenant.
But Daniel was the problem.
Would Daniel view favorably a princess who exiled her aide-de-camp based solely on suspicion and no evidence?
Clearly, he wouldn’t.
For Selvia, who sought Daniel’s approval, this would be a self-defeating move.
‘So…’
Even though Lucy acted brazenly, Selvia couldn’t do much about it.
Lucy understood Selvia’s thoughts well enough to remain confident.
It was truly a battle between sword and shield.
After glaring at Lucy for a while, Selvia decided to step back.
“Hmm… Listening to Lieutenant Lucy, I realize I may have been too sensitive. Please accept my apology. Would you care to join me for a meal?”
“If you’re kind enough to offer, I’d be delighted to accept.”
Though they exchanged smiles, their inner thoughts differed greatly.
‘Don’t think you can keep slipping away. Eventually, I will uncover your true identity.’
‘You should stop now. I have no intention of giving up.’
Yet neither intended to reveal their true intentions.
*
Meanwhile, Daniel was conversing with Cedric about various topics.
The conversation had started with their favorite foods but eventually turned to the war situation. Seizing the moment, Daniel cautiously brought up his request.
“Your Majesty, although things may appear favorable for the Empire on the surface, the broader picture remains unfavorable.”
“Yes, once winter passes and spring arrives, the great powers will prepare to invade us.”
“Exactly. That’s why I humbly ask if you could give me the opportunity to serve on the battlefield.”
Cedric looked at Daniel in surprise.
“On the battlefield? You? Why? Princess Selvia wouldn’t want that, and the higher-ups certainly don’t plan to send you there.”
The military leadership likely believed keeping Daniel Steiner as a propaganda hero within the capital would benefit the country more.
However, Daniel didn’t enjoy staying in the capital.
Because the Emperor was watching him closely.
‘Even though I warned him that attacking me would lead to retaliation, I shouldn’t let my guard down just yet.’
Ironically, human ambition often peaks late in life.
Power holders feared most the destruction of everything they had built, like sandcastles washed away by waves.
Daniel couldn’t predict what the Emperor might do before his death.
Thus, Daniel planned to stay on the frontlines until Selvia ascended the throne and Berthelm handed over full authority.
He judged this to be the most advantageous strategy for survival.
Still, Daniel couldn’t openly express these thoughts and instead replied seriously.
“While our soldiers continue to die on the frontlines, how can I live comfortably here as a war hero? In service to the Empire, I believe I should actively participate in battles while I’m still young.”
Impressed by Daniel’s seemingly noble justification, Cedric inwardly marveled.
‘Truly. For the sake of the Empire, he’s willing to sacrifice his own life.’
He was indeed a model soldier.
Daniel wasn’t content to rest on his laurels; he was looking ahead.
Acknowledging this, Cedric nodded.
“Fine. I’ll relay your wishes to the upper command. The Chief of Staff appreciates courageous young men, so I’m sure he’ll agree with you.”
“Thank you for your support.”
“Indeed. By the way…”
Cedric glanced toward the banquet table where Lucy had been sitting.
There, he saw Selvia dining with Lucy.
Assuming their conversation had concluded, Cedric continued.
“You’ve been away for quite a while. Perhaps you should return.”
“Understood.”
Agreeing with Cedric, Daniel headed back to the banquet table.
There, he saw Selvia and Lucy chatting amiably with faint smiles.
‘Have they become friends already?’
Curious, Daniel approached, and Selvia noticed him immediately.
“Oh! Colonel Daniel! You arrived just in time. I was having dinner with your aide-de-camp. Would you like to join us?”
Seeing no reason to decline, Daniel nodded.
“It’s an honor to share a meal with Your Highness.”
Daniel pulled out a chair and sat down, prompting a passing waiter to set additional utensils.
Noticing this, Selvia casually remarked,
“Speaking of which, the Royal Family still uses silverware. Do you know why?”
This comment was directed at Lucy, whose hair was silver.
Unaware of the answer, Daniel calmly responded,
“Silver oxidizes easily. In medieval times, nobles believed that silverware could detect poison in food. That tradition seems to have carried forward.”
“That’s correct. But did you know?”
Selvia glanced at Lucy as she continued.
“Silverware isn’t very effective at detecting poison. There were many cases where people died after eating poisoned food served on silver plates.”
Lucy’s eyes half-opened at Selvia’s veiled criticism.
After pausing for a moment, Lucy countered smoothly.
“That may be true, but the fact that they continued using silverware instead of replacing it with other materials suggests it wasn’t entirely ineffective.”
Selvia frowned, clearly annoyed by Lucy’s natural rebuttal.
“…”
“…”
An awkward silence descended upon them.
Sensing the subtle tension between the two women, Daniel thought to himself,
‘I want to go home…’
He wished he could leave the banquet hall immediately.
