In the midst of an extensive search operation taking place in Belanos, Princess Selvia was spending her time in the vast indoor garden of the secondary palace.
“…….”
As Princess Selvia walked along the path lined with red and white poinsettias, there was no strength in her steps.
Her usually sharp blue eyes lacked vitality, and though they were gazing at the poinsettias, they were unfocused.
From a distance, the maids who observed Princess Selvia’s melancholic figure whispered worriedly among themselves.
“Is she going to faint or something?”
“I’m so worried. She hasn’t been eating lately… skipping meals…”
“It’s not just about meals. Today, the chief steward advised Her Majesty to rest after focusing on state affairs all day, but she insisted on coming here to the secondary palace, claiming she wasn’t sleepy.”
One of the maids sighed deeply and said,
“It must be because of Colonel Daniel Steiner, right? Ever since the incident where the official vessel sank, she’s been low-spirited.”
“You think so too? I hope she regains her energy soon…”
The maid stopped mid-sentence.
Because Yobenf, the Empire’s Foreign Minister, was approaching.
As the maids hastily bowed their heads, Yobenf began speaking in his characteristic polite tone.
“Ladies. Where might Her Highness the Princess be?”
“She is on the path lined with poinsettias.”
Upon hearing this, Yobenf turned his head.
There, he saw Selvia staring down at the poinsettias, lost in thought.
Yobenf nodded to thank the maids and approached Princess Selvia.
“Her Highness the Princess.”
At the sound from beside her, Selvia turned her head.
Upon confirming it was Yobenf, Selvia blinked blankly.
“…What brings you here at this hour? I thought the meeting was scheduled for tomorrow.”
“I apologize for disturbing you, but I’ve come to deliver news from Belanos.”
“Hmm. Did the fleet arrive safely?”
Yobenf nodded.
“The cabinet prime minister of Belanos has accepted our empire’s notification to open the border. Refusing would have inevitably worsened diplomatic relations with the empire and exposed them as supporters of terrorists, so it was a natural choice.”
A smile appeared on Yobenf’s lips.
“Thanks to that, the imperial fleet successfully arrived at Tentarvahem, the port city of Belanos, at 8 PM today. The disembarked troops are conducting a large-scale search operation according to Your Majesty’s orders, and the Belanos government has also agreed to cooperate with the empire’s search.”
Despite the positive developments, Selvia’s expression remained unchanged.
It was something she had anticipated; what mattered to Selvia now was not the process but the outcome.
Knowing this, Yobenf cleared his throat and spoke.
“I believe I have good news to share with Your Highness.”
“…Good news?”
“Yes. A telegram came from Colonel Hartmann, Chief of the Imperial Guard, involved in the search. He says there’s a high possibility that Colonel Daniel Steiner is still alive.”
Selvia’s lifeless eyes widened in surprise.
Stunned, Selvia took a deep breath before speaking.
“What do you mean? Please explain more clearly.”
“Understood. The disembarked troops searched the coastline first, following the admiral’s orders. If Colonel Daniel Steiner had survived by being carried by the current, searching the coastline would have been the top priority.”
“And?”
“Colonel Hartmann found Daniel Steiner’s military uniform there. It seems he changed clothes in a nearby shack to conceal his identity and left the uniform behind.”
Swallowing hard, Selvia asked anxiously.
“Any injuries? Is he hurt anywhere?”
“Yes. There were no tears in the uniform, nor any traces of blood, so we assume he’s uninjured. Additionally, considering he changed clothes and walked to Tentarvahem, it’s unlikely he suffered any physical harm from the accident.”
In short, the probability was high that he was active in Tentarvahem without injury.
“Thank goodness…”
Life returned to Selvia’s eyes.
Relieved, Selvia placed her hand on her chest as if lifting a great burden.
“Thank goodness… really…”
Unknowingly, moisture gathered in her eyes.
The thought of seeing Daniel again filled her heart with overwhelming emotion.
To calm her trembling body, Selvia took a deep breath and suddenly remembered something strange.
Why did he discard his uniform and change clothes?
If he had gone to the Tentarvahem city hall wearing his uniform, he could have received help.
After pondering for a while, Selvia reached a small realization.
“Daniel must have judged that there’s a traitor inside Tentarvahem working with the enemy.”
Thus, it made sense why he concealed his identity—because he couldn’t trust the city hall either.
“Poor thing…”
In Selvia’s view, Daniel Steiner was fighting alone in a foreign land far away, unsure of who was friend or foe.
“He’s probably shivering somewhere on the streets even now…”
Thinking this made her tear up.
Wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, Selvia turned to Yobenf.
“Pass this message to the admiral who landed in Tentarvahem.”
Regaining the demeanor of an empress, Selvia narrowed her sharp eyes.
“Ensure the safety of Colonel Daniel Steiner no matter what happens.”
Contrary to Selvia’s worries, Daniel was happily chatting at Ref’s mansion.
Though initially startled upon learning Ref’s father was the cabinet prime minister, Daniel didn’t see it as a big deal.
Since he wouldn’t meet Ref after today anyway, it wouldn’t matter much.
So, enjoying the invitation, Daniel entertained Ref with various stories, and Ref reciprocated by openly sharing tales from her past.
“Really! Otherwise, how would I escape this damn mansion? Building up enough jumping power to clear the walls is basic, and bribing the servants watching me to make them allies is essential!”
After listening to Ref’s “Great Escape from the Mansion,” Daniel waved his hand and chuckled.
“I don’t think I’d go that far. I might have just adapted to reality.”
“You can’t adapt. I think adapting means losing.”
“That sounds like good advice when you think about it. But now, it’s getting late…”
Looking at the wall clock, Daniel awkwardly smiled.
“It’s way past bedtime. At this rate, we’ll be talking until dawn.”
“…I’m fine though. You seem to get along well with me. Why don’t you just stay over at my mansion? We’ve got plenty of spare rooms. Or work here. I’ll create a new identity for you and offer a high salary. How does that sound?”
Though tempting, Daniel had to refuse.
He felt uneasy about running into the cabinet prime minister while aimlessly wandering around the mansion.
“Much appreciated, but I must decline both offers.”
Ref half-opened her eyes at the polite rejection.
“So, you’re a free spirit unlike me, trapped in this mansion?”
“There’s some misunderstanding there. I think someone who escapes the mansion regularly might be freer than me. Freedom often stems from resistance against oppression, after all.”
Hearing Daniel’s words, Ref smirked.
You can twist even unpleasant things into something nice—impossible not to like this guy.
“Alright. I won’t hold you anymore. There will be another chance sometime.”
Ref clapped twice, and the butler Brabresh entered, carrying the blindfold Daniel wore when he arrived.
“I’ll escort you to your lodging.”
Nodding, Daniel stood up and followed Brabresh.
Just as he was about to leave, Ref grabbed his sleeve.
“One last thing. Any messages for our damn father? Even if he’s a pain, he’s still the cabinet prime minister, right? An opportunity to advance.”
Advancement? That flashy word held no allure for Daniel, whose life had been anything but smooth.
All Daniel wanted was to quietly open a bakery in some rural area. This was an unnecessary opportunity.
But knowing Ref wouldn’t let him go unless he said something, Daniel blurted out whatever came to mind.
“Please tell him to pursue proper politics.”
“Eh? That’s boring…”
Ref stuck out her tongue and nodded.
She instinctively realized she couldn’t hold onto him any longer.
“That was fun. Let’s meet again if there’s a chance.”
“Yes, if there’s a chance.”
Daniel politely replied and bowed.
Of course, he had no intention of meeting the daughter of the Belanos cabinet prime minister again.
Wearing a blindfold and guided by Brabresh, Daniel boarded a car and arrived at an inn after about an hour of driving.
“You may remove the blindfold now.”
Nodding, Daniel took off the blindfold.
Outside the window, a familiar-looking inn came into view.
Brabresh opened the car door for him, and Daniel naturally stepped out.
As he exited, Brabresh bowed deeply.
“Thank you.”
Gratitude overflowed from the overly polite gesture.
“It’s been quite some time since Miss laughed so much. All thanks to Mr. Ribellard.”
Embarrassed, Daniel waved his hands.
“Not at all. I enjoyed the feast immensely. The lady also displayed considerable wit, making the time pleasant and not dull.”
“Your kindness overwhelms me. Then…”
Brabresh straightened up and gave one final bow before boarding the vehicle.
Watching the car slowly disappear down the alley, Daniel put on the sunglasses hanging from his waistcoat and moved forward.
“Now…”
Realizing staying in Tentarvahem was dangerous, Daniel pushed open the inn’s entrance door.
Simultaneously, he couldn’t help but feel immense fear.
An officer of the empire stood in the inn’s lobby with soldiers.
The officer was arguing with the innkeeper at the counter.
“Have you seen this man?”
“I haven’t, I told you. Why would such a big shot come to our inn?”
“Take another look carefully. You never know…”
The flyer in the officer’s hand showed a portrait.
“This is…”
Recognizing it as undoubtedly himself, Daniel broke out in cold sweat.
He had guessed the empire might send troops, but this was way too fast.
Deciding he couldn’t be discovered, Daniel was about to quietly take a step back when…
“Huh?”
Sensing movement, the officer turned around.
Caught in the act of stepping back, Daniel froze and casually walked into the inn instead.
Trying to head toward his room, several gazes followed him.
“Please…”
He silently prayed to just pass through unnoticed, but miracles didn’t happen.
“Hey!”
Stopped by the officer, Daniel halted.
The officer meaningfully compared the portrait to Daniel as he slowly approached.
“We’re conducting a major search operation, so could you assist? Do you happen to know a person named Daniel Steiner?”
Clenching his teeth tightly, Daniel considered his options.
If discovered here, he’d have to return to the empire against his will.
Back to the empire where a spy aide-de-camp was after his life, where insane nationalist subordinates roamed, and where both the emperor and princess, resembling each other in character, viewed him with suspicion.
He absolutely didn’t want to go back.
How could he blow this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?
After a deep breath, Daniel turned to face the officer and said as calmly as possible,
“Hmm. Daniel Steiner…”
The dilemma was deep, but the decision was swift.
“Who’s that?”
With no other option, Daniel decided to brazen it out.
