After eating the trifle and leaving the dessert shop, Daniel began his sightseeing in earnest.
He wandered around the tourist spots of the port city Tentarvahem, ate the local specialty grilled squid with butter, enjoyed some fresh oysters, and leisurely strolled through the streets.
Just as he was fully savoring this rather peaceful life, a man in a tailcoat suddenly approached.
“Are you Mr. Ribellard?”
Thinking it might be someone important, Daniel stared at him intently. The middle-aged man placed his hand on his chest politely and spoke.
“I am Brabresh, the butler who serves Lady Ref. I heard that Mr. Ribellard was invited to Lady Ref’s dinner, so I’ve come to escort you. Is this you?”
“Ah, yes, it’s me.”
When Daniel confirmed, Brabresh smiled and pulled out a blindfold from his coat.
“Would you mind putting this on, please?”
“A blindfold, you say?”
“Yes. Lady Ref’s mansion requires a high level of security clearance, thus access for ordinary people is extremely restricted. Please understand.”
Though bewildered, Daniel decided to accept since there were many eccentric nobles around.
Nodding, Daniel removed his sunglasses and put on the blindfold, after which Brabresh took his hand.
“Please follow me.”
Seeing no reason to refuse, Daniel followed Brabresh.
Not long after, the sound of a car door opening could be heard.
“Get in.”
Nodding, Daniel entered the backseat, and the car smoothly started moving.
About thirty minutes later, while leaning against the seat trying to figure out their route, Daniel’s nerves sharpened.
‘The car keeps circling the same place. It’s meant to disorient the passenger’s sense of direction.’
Why go through such extensive security measures?
A creeping sense of unease began to rise beyond mere curiosity.
However, once inside the car, there was no way to just get out on a whim.
Deciding to wait and see how long it would last, the vehicle eventually arrived somewhere.
The sound of an iron gate opening was heard, then the car drove in and slowly came to a stop.
Shortly after waiting, the car door opened, and someone grabbed his hand.
“I’ll guide you to the dining room.”
Recognizing the voice as Brabresh’s,
Is Lady Ref so secretive she doesn’t even want to show her mansion?
Despite wanting to chuckle at the absurdity, Daniel silently followed Brabresh without complaint.
After walking through the corridors of the mansion for some time, Brabresh stopped in front of a door.
Adjusting his appearance, Brabresh knocked lightly.
“Lady Ref, I’ve brought the person you met at the tavern.”
“Got it, hurry up and open.”
With permission granted, Brabresh opened the door and gently pushed Daniel’s back.
“Once inside, you can remove the blindfold.”
Following Brabresh’s words, Daniel walked into the room and lifted the blindfold.
What greeted his eyes was a long dining table filled with luxurious delicacies.
Amidst the elegant candlesticks casting soft light, Lady Ref sat at the head of the table wearing a black dress with a red brooch around her neck.
Oddly, apart from Ref, there was no one else present at what was supposed to be a dinner gathering.
Ref seemed genuinely happy to see Daniel again and waved enthusiastically.
“Ribellard! I thought all the food would get cold! Come here quickly!”
Still somewhat flustered, Daniel approached Ref.
Taking a seat offered by Brabresh, Daniel glanced around and looked at Ref.
“I’m surprised. When you said dinner gathering, I thought it would include your family or other ladies.”
At the mention of family, Ref’s eyebrows twitched subtly.
“I’m also surprised you’d think that. I didn’t expect you to look for my family. We’re not getting married anyway, so why bother seeing them?”
“That’s not what I meant…”
“Enough with that. Continue telling me about your past. That’s why I invited you today. If the story satisfies me, I’ll give you as much money as you want.”
The way Ref deflected the topic was suspicious no matter how you looked at it.
Daniel frowned, deciding not to let it slide.
“This is unpleasant. I came here as an invited guest. Yet, Lady Ref not only had your butler blindfold me but is now unilaterally demanding stories.”
“…So?”
“If Lady Ref truly sees me as an equal guest, shouldn’t you at least tell me who you are and what your family does?”
With Daniel pushing strongly, Ref seemed slightly guilty, realizing she had indeed treated her guest poorly.
After pondering for a moment, Ref finally sighed.
“Alright. Revealing my identity to you won’t cause any major problems. Even if you spread the word about my true nature, as an illegal immigrant, no one will believe you.”
At the term “illegal immigrant,” Daniel gained a small realization.
‘So they investigated me.’
This was the reason the dinner date was postponed until a few days later.
‘They wanted to check if inviting me to the mansion would cause trouble.’
Under the alias Ribellard, there wouldn’t have been any record of him in the registry of the port city Tentarvahem.
Even if there were someone with the same name, their age and appearance wouldn’t match.
The butler must have reported back to Ref saying, “It seems like an illegal immigrant.”
As Ref said, no one would seriously trust the word of an illegal immigrant.
‘So, she probably thought it would be fine to invite me to the mansion even if secrets leaked.’
Ref’s impulsive nature likely played a part too.
To Daniel, Ref seemed like someone who lacked caution.
“There are various complicated circumstances, but simply put…”
Unaware of Daniel’s thoughts, Ref shrugged.
“I’m an illegitimate child. You can consider me the bloodline Father most wants to hide.”
At the mention of being an illegitimate child, Daniel pretended to be shocked but quickly regained composure.
‘Ah, so that’s why…’
Everything made sense now regarding the strict confidentiality when inviting guests to the mansion.
“Our meeting could be considered a miracle in its own way. That cursed father doesn’t want me wandering outside the mansion, but occasionally I sneak out. That’s when I met you.”
Ref casually mentioned this while picking up a nearby wine glass.
Anxiety began to intensify.
In the midst of this strange tension, Daniel spoke.
“Could you tell me who your father is?”
After taking a sip of wine, Ref placed the glass down and replied.
“Hmm… How about describing him as a big rat sitting atop this miserable country?”
Ref chuckled softly and looked at Daniel playfully.
“Lowell Tailwise. That’s my father’s name.”
Because of this, Daniel could only gape dumbfounded.
Lowell Tailwise.
He was the prime minister who effectively ruled the neutral nation Belanos.
*
‘Damn it. When exactly will the Allied Nations send someone?’
In the rear seat of the military vehicle, Colonel Edvol, the commander of the 12th Naval Defense Zone of the Belanos Navy, gritted his teeth.
“Didn’t they promise to grant asylum in Edria, one of the permanent members, if we open our territorial waters to their submarines?”
Believing Count Kaledra’s proposal, he had opened the territorial waters, yet no one from the Allied Nations had come.
‘If I don’t escape Belanos as soon as possible…!’
With the Allied Nations dragging their feet, Edvol felt like his insides were burning.
He had heard that the Empire had notified Belanos to open their territorial waters under the guise of a large-scale search operation and had already dispatched their fleet.
The moment the Imperial fleet arrived in Belanos, it was only a matter of time before Edvol was pointed out as the culprit.
That’s why he was desperately waiting for contact from the Allied Nations, but it was futile.
Currently, the Allied Nations remained silent, acting as if the terrorist incident had nothing to do with them.
Sweating cold sweat and clenching his fists, Edvol noticed the military jeep gradually coming to a stop.
“We’ve arrived, Colonel.”
Looking out the window, a house with a spacious yard came into view.
Thinking he should first go inside and organize his thoughts, Edvol opened the door and stepped out.
“I need to pack my bags. And inform my family…”
He needed to prepare to flee at any moment.
While pondering what to pack first, Edvol hesitated upon opening the front door.
“Why is the power off?”
It was strange because the housekeeper hadn’t left yet.
Still, not suspecting anything serious, Edvol turned on the light switch and froze.
Under the illuminated lamp, a black man dressed in a dark suit was seated.
“Come over and sit down.”
Wearing a fedora on his head, Hamtal’s words made Edvol break out in cold sweat.
Clearly, this wasn’t someone sent by the Allied Nations.
Moreover, the ominous aura Hamtal exuded made Edvol reluctant to approach.
‘I need to escape…’
The moment Edvol stepped backward in panic,
Click—
He felt something cold and hard press against his back.
Realizing it was the barrel of a gun, Edvol turned his head slightly to find the soldier who had guided him here glaring menacingly at him.
He was actually a member of the Black Crow disguised as a soldier.
‘Wh-when did…?’
Just as Edvol realized he had been caught,
Hamtal casually removed his fedora and placed it on the table.
“To avoid any misunderstanding…”
Turning to Edvol, Hamtal narrowed his sharp eyes.
“Sitting down was not a request, but an order.”
With that chilling tone, Edvol understood there was no resisting them.
