NOVEL WEB Chapter 89
“A massive search operation is underway in Belanos, yet Princess Selvia was spending her time in the colossal indoor garden of the villa.”
As she strolled through the path lined with red and white poinsettias, there was no strength evident in Selvia’s steps.
The spark that usually danced in her azure eyes had vanished, her gaze fixed downward on the poinsettias but lacking focus.
The worried maids watching from a distance began to whisper amongst themselves.
“Isn’t she going to faint from all this?”
“I’m worried sick. They say she hasn’t had an appetite lately and has been skipping meals…”
“It’s not just the meals. Today, the head maid advised her to rest in her chambers given that she focused on state matters all day, but she stubbornly insisted on going to the villa, claiming she wasn’t tired.”
One of the maids sighed heavily.
“It must be because of Colonel Daniel Steiner, right? She’s been looking drained ever since the incident with the naval vessel.”
“You think so too? I hope he gets his act together soon…”
The maid fell silent as Yobenf, the Empire’s Foreign Minister, approached.
The maids hurriedly lowered their heads, and Yobenf spoke in his characteristic polite tone.
“Ladies, where may I find Her Highness the Princess?”
“Her Highness is in the path with the poinsettias,” replied one of the maids.
Yobenf turned his head and spotted Selvia, lost in thought as she gazed at the flowers.
Nodding in gratitude to the maids, he approached Selvia.
“Your Highness.”
At the sound of the voice beside her, Selvia turned her head.
Confirming it was Yobenf, she blinked in confusion.
“What brings you here at this hour? I thought the meeting was scheduled for tomorrow.”
“I apologize, but I’ve come to share news from Belanos.”
“Belanos, you say? Did the fleet arrive safely?”
Yobenf nodded.
“The Prime Minister of Belanos accepted the Empire’s notice to open the borders. It was obvious that refusing would sour diplomatic relations with the Empire and leave them open to accusations of supporting terrorists.”
A smile appeared at Yobenf’s lips.
“Thanks to that, the Imperial fleet arrived safely in the port city of Tentarvahem at eight this afternoon. The disembarked forces are conducting a massive search operation as per your order, and the Belanos government has also agreed to cooperate.”
Despite the positive turn of events, Selvia’s expression remained unchanged.
She had anticipated this, and what mattered most to her now was not the process, but the outcome.
Aware of this, Yobenf cleared his throat and continued.
“I believe I have good news for you, Your Highness.”
“Good news?”
“Yes. A telegram from Colonel Hartmann, Chief of Imperial Guard, states that it is very likely Colonel Daniel Steiner is not dead.”
Selvia’s eyes, which had been lifeless until now, widened in shock.
After a moment of stunned silence, she took a deep breath and said, “What do you mean? Please be more specific.”
“Under the orders of the fleet commander, the disembarked forces were to search the coastline first. If we consider the possibility that Colonel Daniel Steiner survived by drifting in the currents, searching the coastline is the top priority.”
“And?”
“There, Colonel Hartmann discovered Daniel Steiner’s military uniform. It seems he changed his clothes nearby to hide his identity and left the uniform behind.”
Selvia swallowed hard and urgently asked, “Were there any injuries? Is he hurt?”
“No. There were no tears in the uniform, nor was there any blood, so we believe he is uninjured. Moreover, assuming he changed and walked to Tentarvahem, he likely didn’t suffer any physical harm due to the accident.”
This meant there was a high chance he was active and unharmed in Tentarvahem.
‘Thank goodness.’
Life returned to Selvia’s eyes as she sighed in relief, placing her hand over her heart as if to calm her fluttering emotions.
‘I’m so relieved…’
Unbeknownst to her, tears welled up in her eyes at the thought of possibly seeing Daniel again.
As Selvia took deep breaths to settle her trembling body, a strange thought suddenly crossed her mind.
Why did he discard the uniform and change clothes?
If he had gone to the Tentarvahem City Hall in uniform, he could have received help.
As she pondered, a faint realization dawned on her.
‘Daniel must have suspected that there are betrayers collaborating with the enemy inside Tentarvahem.’
That would explain why he felt he couldn’t trust the Tentarvahem City Hall and chose to conceal his identity.
‘Poor man…’
Selvia thought of Daniel Steiner, fighting alone in a distant country, uncertain of who was friend or foe.
‘He’s probably trembling in fear on the streets even now.’
As she thought about it, tears pooled in her eyes.
Raising her arm, Selvia wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and turned to Yobenf.
“Inform the fleet commander who disembarked in Tentarvahem.”
Regaining her royal demeanor, Selvia narrowed her eyes sharply.
“No matter what, ensure the safety of Colonel Daniel Steiner.”
*
“Hahaha! Is that really the case?”
Meanwhile, disregarding Selvia’s worries, Daniel sat joyfully conversing in Lev’s manor.
He had been taken aback upon learning that Lev’s father was the Prime Minister, but really, what did it matter?
Obviously, after today, he wouldn’t be seeing Lev again, so it wasn’t a big deal.
So, having accepted the invitation, Daniel regaled Lev with various tales, and Lev, seeming to enjoy his stories, unabashedly opened up about her past.
“I mean it! Otherwise, how would I escape this wretched manor? I had to develop the jumping ability to clear the wall and bribe the servants watching me to turn them into my allies!”
After listening to Lev’s ‘Great Manor Escape,’ Daniel waved his hands, trying to contain his laughter.
“I don’t think I could go that far. I’d probably just adapt to reality and live with it.”
“You can’t adapt! That means you lose!”
“That sounds like good advice, depending on how you look at it. But now it’s getting late…”
Looking at the wall clock, Daniel managed an awkward smile.
“It’s quite late. If this goes on, we might be talking until dawn.”
“…But I’m fine with that! You and I seem to hit it off. Hey, why don’t you just stay the night at my manor? I have plenty of spare rooms. Or you could just work for us. I’ll set you up with a title and a good salary. How about it?”
It was a tempting offer, but Daniel had no choice but to decline.
He felt a nagging worry that simply loafing around the manor might lead to an unpleasant encounter with the Prime Minister.
“I appreciate the offer, but I must refuse for both of us.”
At Daniel’s polite refusal, Lev’s eyes widened slightly.
“Oh, I see. So unlike me, you’re a free soul, huh?”
“That might be a misunderstanding. I’d say the lady who frequently escapes from her manor is much closer to being free than I am. Freedom is, at its core, a resistance against oppression.”
Lev chuckled at Daniel’s response.
It was impossible to hate someone who could twist even unwanted words into something pleasant.
“Alright then. I won’t keep you. I’m sure there will be another opportunity in the future.”
Lev raised her hand and clapped twice, the dining room door swung open, and Brabresh, the butler, entered.
In his hand was the blindfold he had worn upon his arrival.
“Allow me to escort you to your accommodation.”
Nodding, Daniel stood and was about to follow Brabresh when Lev grabbed his sleeve.
“Wait! Do you have any last words for my damned father? He’s a miserable excuse for a Prime Minister, but still, a chance for you to climb the social ladder!”
Climb the social ladder? Daniel had been through far too much in his life to be swayed by such superficial words.
All he wanted was to open a bakery in some quiet countryside, making this opportunity irrelevant.
But sensing that Lev wouldn’t let him leave without saying something, Daniel muttered whatever came to his mind.
“Please tell him to practice proper politics.”
“What? That’s it?”
Lev rolled her eyes, but nodded, clearly realizing she could hold him no longer.
“It was a good time. If there’s another chance, let’s meet again.”
“Yes. If there is another chance.”
Daniel replied politely, bowing his head.
Of course, he had no intention of meeting the daughter of the Prime Minister of Belanos again.
*
Wearing the blindfold and being led by Brabresh, Daniel arrived at the inn after about an hour’s drive.
“You may take off your blindfold now.”
Daniel nodded and removed the blindfold.
He recognized the familiar exterior of the inn outside the window.
Brabresh opened the car door for him, and Daniel got out effortlessly.
Once outside, Brabresh bowed deeply.
“Thank you.”
His overly courteous demeanor reeked of gratitude.
“It’s been such a long time since the lady smiled so much. All thanks to you, Lord Daniel.”
Flustered, Daniel shook his hands.
“No, thank you. It was a meaningful time for me too, getting to enjoy the lavish feast. You are quite witty for a noble lady; it made the conversation delightful.”
“I am honored to hear that. Then…”
Brabresh lifted his head and gave one last bow before getting in the vehicle.
As the engine started, and the car slowly drove out of the alley, Daniel put on the sunglasses he had hung on his vest and moved on.
‘Now…’
Thinking it would be too dangerous to stay in Tentarvahem, Daniel opened the door to the inn.
At that moment, an overwhelming sense of dread gripped him.
There stood an officer of the Empire in the inn lobby, accompanied by soldiers.
The officer was arguing with the innkeeper at the counter.
“Have you seen this person?”
“I told you, I haven’t! Why would such a bigwig come to our humble inn?”
“Take a closer look. Just in case…”
The officer held up a flyer with a portrait of Daniel.
‘That’s…’
Upon seeing his own face, Daniel broke into a cold sweat.
While he had suspected the Empire would send forces, it was happening far too fast.
Realizing he couldn’t be discovered, Daniel quietly began to back away.
“Huh?”
The officer sensed his presence and turned around.
Thus, Daniel stopped his retreat and naturally entered the inn.
As he tried to make his way to his room, he felt several eyes on him.
‘Please…’
Deep down, he silently pleaded to pass by unnoticed, but the miracle didn’t happen.
“Hey there.”
The officer called him to a halt, and Daniel stopped.
The officer stared meaningfully between the flyer and Daniel before slowly approaching him.
“There’s a massive search operation happening, so could you cooperate? Do you happen to know a person named Daniel Steiner?”
Daniel bit his lip in frustration.
If he was discovered here, he would be forcibly sent back to the Empire.
With a spy aide hunting him down and a nationalist fanatic in the ranks, he certainly didn’t want to face the Emperor and the princess, who resembled him so much.
He absolutely did not want to go back.
This opportunity he had worked so hard for? He couldn’t blow it.
Taking a deep breath, Daniel looked back at the officer, trying to remain calm.
“Hmm. Daniel Steiner, you say?”
Though he had pondered deeply, his decision came quickly.
“Who’s that?”
Resolving to play the fool, Daniel fully embraced the act.