NOVEL WEB Chapter 87
Daniel, having finished his trifle, stepped out of the dessert shop, ready to kick off his sightseeing adventure.
He strolled through the harbor city of Tentarvahem, visiting tourist attractions, devouring the famous butter-grilled squid, and casually munching on fresh oysters.
While he was soaking in such a peaceful life, a man in a tailcoat suddenly approached him.
“Are you Lord Ribellard?”
As Daniel stared at the middle-aged man in surprise, he placed his hand over his chest and spoke politely.
“I am Brabresh, the butler in service to Lady Ref. I’ve come to fetch you, as I heard Lord Ribellard has been invited to dine with her. Is that correct?”
“Ah, yes.” Daniel nodded in confirmation.
Brabresh smiled and pulled out an eye mask from his pocket.
“I hate to put you out, but could you please wear this?”
“An eye mask?”
“Yes. Lady Ref’s mansion has a high security level, so entry is extremely restricted for outsiders. I hope you understand.”
Though it was absurd, Daniel decided to go along with it, knowing many nobles had their quirks.
He nodded, took off his sunglasses, and donned the eye mask. Brabresh then took Daniel’s hand.
“Just follow me.”
With no reason to refuse, Daniel walked alongside Brabresh.
Before long, the sound of a car door opening reached his ears.
“Get in, please.”
As Daniel nodded and hopped into the back seat, the car smoothly started, emitting a gentle purr.
After about thirty minutes of driving, Daniel, leaning back in his seat and trying to decipher the route they were taking, felt his nerves sharpen.
‘We seem to be going in circles. They’re trying to disorient the passenger.’
Why on earth was so much security necessary?
His confusion soon morphed into a vague sense of unease.
But with no choice now but to stay in the car, he resolved to endure it and see how long it would last when the vehicle finally pulled into a location.
He then heard the sound of a steel door opening just before the car crept to a stop inside.
After a brief wait, the car door swung open, and someone reached in to help him out.
“I’ll guide you to the dining room.”
The voice belonged to Brabresh.
Was this a way of hiding the mansion’s appearance?
It was almost laughable, but Daniel followed Brabresh without a word.
After entering the mansion and walking down a corridor for a while, Brabresh stopped in front of a door.
Adjusting his attire, Brabresh knocked lightly.
“Lady Ref, I’ve brought the person you met at the tavern the other day.”
“I get it, just open the door already!”
Receiving permission, Brabresh opened the door and gently nudged Daniel inside.
“You can take off the eye mask now.”
As Daniel walked into the room and raised his hand to remove the mask, before him was a long dining table laden with a feast.
Amidst the soft glow of candles on ornate candelabra, Lady Ref sat at the head of the table, dressed in a black dress with a red brooch adorning her neck.
Oddly enough, despite it being a dinner setting, there was no one else at the table except for Ref.
Seeming happy to see Daniel again, Ref raised her hand in greeting.
“Ribellard! I thought all the food would be cold by now! Hurry up and come over!”
Though a bit dazed, Daniel moved toward Ref.
He pulled out a chair and sat down, glancing around before looking at Ref.
“This is unexpected. I figured for a dinner, I’d at least be dining with your family.”
At the mention of family, Ref’s brow twitched slightly.
“That’s kind of surprising for me too. I didn’t think you’d care about my family. We’re not even getting married, so what’s the point of them being there?”
“I didn’t mean it like that…”
“Forget it, just keep talking about your past. That’s why I called you here today. If your story’s good enough for me, I’ll give you as much money as you want.”
Trying to change the subject seemed suspicious, to say the least.
Determined not to let it slide, Daniel furrowed his brows.
“I find it quite offensive. I’m only here as a guest who was invited. Yet you not only have your butler blindfold me but also unilaterally demand me to share my story?”
“… So?”
“If you genuinely see me as an equal guest, at the very least you should tell me who you are and what your family does.”
As Daniel took a firm stance, Ref, perhaps feeling a slight twinge of guilt, wore a somewhat apologetic expression.
It was indeed true that she was treating him like an uninvited outsider.
After a moment’s contemplation, Ref finally sighed softly.
“Fine. Even if I tell you my identity, it shouldn’t be a huge issue. Even if you were to leak it, no one would believe you, seeing as you’re an illegal alien.”
Ref’s words about being an illegal alien provided Daniel with a moment of clarity.
‘She must’ve done some digging on me.’
This was the very reason why their dinner had been postponed by days.
‘She wanted to ensure I wouldn’t pose a threat before inviting me.’
Ribellard was a fake name, so naturally, he wouldn’t appear on any lists in the harbor city of Tentarvahem.
Even if a namesake existed, age and appearance wouldn’t match up.
Certainly, the butler would have reported back to Ref that he seemed to look like an illegal immigrant.
Just as Ref said, no one would take the word of an illegal immigrant seriously.
Perhaps she thought it would be fine even if some secrets slipped out, hence her invitation.
With Ref’s capricious nature, it was likely she reveled in recklessness.
Daniel assessed that Ref was someone who had little regard for caution.
Unaware of his true thoughts, Ref shrugged her shoulders.
“There are various complicated circumstances, but in short…
“I’m an illegitimate child. Think of me as the bloodline that my father desperately wants to hide.”
At the mention of being an illegitimate child, Daniel feigned surprise.
However, he quickly regained his composure.
‘Ah, so that’s why.’
It was now clear why she was so adamant about maintaining security, even for an invited guest.
“Meeting you could be considered a miracle in a way. My damned father doesn’t want me wandering outside the mansion. But sometimes, I sneak out without his knowledge. That’s when I happened upon you.”
Ref casually mentioned this as she picked up a nearby wine glass.
Unease started to creep back in.
Grappling with a strange tension, Daniel decided to speak up.
“May I ask who your father is?”
After taking a sip of her wine and setting the glass down, Ref replied.
“Well, you could say he’s a big nasty rat at the top of this filthy country.”
With a low chuckle, Ref playfully eyed Daniel.
“Lowell Tailwis. That’s my father’s name.”
Thanks to that revelation, Daniel could only sit there in shock, mouth agape.
Lowell Tailwis.
He was the Prime Minister effectively ruling over the neutral nation of Belanos.
*
‘Damn it. When on earth will the United Nations send someone?’
Inside the back seat of the military vehicle, Colonel Edvol of the Belanos Naval District 12 Defense Command clenched his jaw.
‘Didn’t they say they would allow access to the territorial waters if I opened it to their submarines, and they’d get me asylum in Edria…?’
He had trusted Kaledra’s proposal and opened the waters, yet the United Nations had not yet sent anyone.
‘I need to escape Belanos as soon as possible…!’
As the United Nations delayed their response, anxiety churned within him.
Edvol had heard that the Empire was conducting a large-scale search operation and had sent a notification to Belanos to open the territorial waters, deploying their fleet.
The moment the Empire’s fleet arrived in Belanos, it would only be a matter of time before Edvol was marked as the perpetrator.
Desperate to hear from the United Nations, all he got in return was silence as if the terrorist incident had nothing to do with them.
As cold sweat dripped from Edvol, a military jeep gradually came to a stop.
“We’ve arrived, Colonel.”
Looking out the window, he saw a house with a large yard.
Deciding he needed to enter and gather his thoughts, Edvol opened the door and stepped out.
‘I need to pack my things. And the same goes for my family…’
He had to be prepared enough to escape at a moment’s notice.
Wondering what to gather first, Edvol opened the front door, only to pause.
‘…Why is it dark?’
The lights were off when it wasn’t yet the housekeeper’s quitting time, raising suspicions.
Still, he didn’t think much of it and flipped on the light switch, only to freeze in place.
Under the fluorescent light stood a man in a black suit— a Black person.
“Come over and sit down.”
At the words of Hamtal, who wore a fedora, Edvol broke into a cold sweat.
There was no way this guy was sent from the United Nations.
And with the aura Hamtal exuded, Edvol had no desire to approach.
‘I need to run…’
It was in that moment of panic, right as Edvol took a step back.
Click—
He felt something cold and hard press against his back.
Realizing it was the muzzle of a gun, Edvol dared to turn his head, only to find the soldier who had guided him here glaring menacingly at him.
It was one of the members from the Black Crow disguised as a soldier.
‘W-When did this happen…?’
As panic set in, Edvol’s breath quickened.
Just then, Hamtal slowly lifted his fedora and placed it onto the table.
“Just to clear up any misunderstandings…”
Turning his gaze back to Edvol, Hamtal narrowed his eyes.
“When I say sit, it’s not a request; it’s an order.”
At that chilling tone, Edvol understood he had no way to resist them.