Mistaken for a War Hero

Chapter 89 - Cornered, Yet Unbowed

『 TL – Divinity 』

『 PR – Vein 』

While a large-scale search operation was underway in Bellanos, Princess Sylvia was spending time in the vast indoor garden of the detached palace.

"......"

Sylvia walked along the path lined with red and white poinsettias, her steps heavy and lifeless.

Her usually bright blue eyes, which always held a spark of energy, were now dull and unfocused, staring blankly at the poinsettias.

The maids, watching Sylvia from afar with concern, whispered amongst themselves.

"Is she going to collapse?"

"I'm worried sick. She's been skipping meals lately, saying she has no appetite..."

"It's not just the meals. Even today, the chief lady-in-waiting advised her to go to bed, as she had been focused on state affairs all day, but she insisted on coming to the detached palace, saying she wasn't sleepy."

One of the maids sighed deeply and said,

"It must be because of Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Steiner, right? She's been listless ever since the diplomatic vessel incident."

"You think so too? I hope she recovers soon..."

The maid stopped mid-sentence.

Jobenth, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, was approaching.

The maids hurriedly bowed their heads, and Jobenth spoke in his usual polite tone,

"Ladies, where is Her Highness?"

"Her Highness is on the path lined with poinsettias."

Jobenth turned his head at the maid's words.

He saw Sylvia lost in thought, staring at the poinsettias.

He nodded his thanks to the maids and approached Sylvia.

"Your Highness."

Sylvia turned her head at the voice beside her.

Seeing that it was Jobenth, she blinked her eyes blankly.

"...What brings you here at this hour? I thought the meeting was tomorrow."

"I apologize for the intrusion, but I came to deliver the news from Bellanos."

"Bellanos? Did the fleet arrive safely?"

Jobenth nodded.

"The Prime Minister of Bellanos accepted the Empire's demand to open their borders. It was only natural, as refusing would not only worsen diplomatic relations with the Empire but also lead to accusations of supporting terrorists."

A smile appeared on Jobenth's lips.

"Thanks to that, the Imperial fleet safely arrived at the port city of Tentarbachem in Bellanos at 8 p.m. today. The troops that disembarked are conducting a large-scale search operation as you ordered, and the Bellanos government has also agreed to cooperate with the Empire's search."

Despite the positive developments, Sylvia's expression remained unchanged.

This was already within her expectations, and what mattered to her now wasn't the process, but the results.

Jobenth, aware of this, cleared his throat and said,

"I have some good news to report to Your Highness."

"...Good news?"

"Yes. We received a telegram from Lieutenant Colonel Hartmann, the chief bodyguard who participated in the search. He said there's a very high possibility that Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Steiner is alive."

Sylvia's eyes, which had been devoid of life, widened.

After a moment of stunned silence, she took a deep breath and said,

"What do you mean? Please explain clearly."

"As you wish. The troops that disembarked began their search with the coastal areas, following the orders of the fleet commander. If we were to consider the possibility that Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Steiner survived and drifted ashore, searching the coast would be the top priority."

"And?"

"Lieutenant Colonel Hartmann found Daniel Steiner's military uniform there. We assume that he changed into civilian clothes at a nearby hut and left his uniform there to hide his identity."

Sylvia gulped and asked urgently,

"Is he hurt? Is he injured?"

"No, Your Highness. There were no tears or bloodstains on his uniform, so we believe he's unharmed. Also, considering that he changed clothes and walked to Tentarbachem, it's likely that he didn't suffer any physical disabilities from the incident."

In short, there was a high probability that he was alive and well, operating in Tentarbachem.

'That's a relief.'

Life returned to Sylvia's eyes.

She breathed a sigh of relief and placed her hand on her chest.

'This is such a relief...'

Tears welled up in her eyes.

She felt an overwhelming surge of emotions at the thought that she might be able to see Daniel again.

As she took a deep breath to calm herself, a question arose in her mind.

Why did he leave his uniform and change his clothes?

If he had gone to the Tentarbachem City Hall in his uniform, he could have received help.

After a moment of contemplation, Sylvia had a realization.

'Daniel must have judged that there was a traitor in Tentarbachem colluding with the enemy.'

If he couldn't trust the Tentarbachem City Hall and was trying to hide his identity, everything made sense.

'Poor man...'

In Sylvia's eyes, Daniel Steiner was fighting alone in a distant land, unable to tell friend from foe.

'He must be wandering the streets, trembling with fear.'

The thought brought tears to her eyes.

Sylvia wiped her tears with the back of her hand and looked at Jobenth.

"Inform the commander of the fleet that has landed in Tentarbachem."

Sylvia, regaining her imperial demeanor, narrowed her eyes.

"Tell him to secure the safety of Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Steiner, no matter what."

═ ⋆★⋆ ═

"Hahaha! Is that true?"

Contrary to Sylvia's worries, Daniel was enjoying a pleasant conversation at Lef's mansion.

He had been surprised to hear that Lef's father was the Prime Minister, but it didn't matter much.

He wouldn't be involved with them after today anyway, so it wasn't a big deal.

So, since he was invited, Daniel decided to entertain Lef with various stories, and Lef, seemingly enjoying his stories, also spoke freely about her past.

"I'm serious! How else would I escape this damn mansion? I had to train my jumping skills to climb over the walls and even bribe the servants watching me to get them on my side."

Daniel, after listening to Lef's 'Great Mansion Escape,' waved his hand with a chuckle.

"I wouldn't have gone that far. I might have just adapted to reality."

"You can't adapt. That's the same as losing."

"That's good advice, depending on how you interpret it. But it's getting late..."

Daniel glanced at the wall clock and smiled awkwardly.

"It's quite late. If we continue like this, we might end up talking until dawn."

"...I don't mind. I think we get along well. How about staying at my mansion? We have plenty of spare rooms. Or you can work at our mansion. I'll create a new identity for you and even offer you a high salary. What do you think?"

It was a decent offer, but Daniel had to refuse.

He felt uneasy about the possibility of running into the Prime Minister if he lingered around the mansion.

"Thank you for the offer, but I'll have to decline both."

Lef narrowed her eyes at his polite rejection.

"Alright. So you're a free spirit, unlike me, trapped in this mansion?"

"That's a misunderstanding. I think you're closer to freedom, considering how often you escape the mansion. Freedom essentially stems from resisting oppression."

Lef chuckled at Daniel's words.

He was the type of person you couldn't hate, as he could even turn unpleasant words into something positive.

"Alright, I'll stop bothering you. There will be other opportunities."

Lef clapped her hands twice, and the dining hall door opened, with Butler Van Buresh entering.

He was holding the blindfold Daniel had worn on his way here.

"I'll escort you back to your accommodation."

Daniel nodded and stood up.

Just as he was about to follow Van Buresh, Lef grabbed his sleeve.

"Wait. Don't you have any last words for my good-for-nothing father? He's the Prime Minister, after all. This is your chance to climb the ladder."

Climb the ladder? Daniel's life had been too tumultuous to be tempted by such superficial words.

For Daniel, who simply wanted to open a bakery in a quiet countryside town, this was an unnecessary opportunity.

But he felt that she wouldn't let him go without saying something, so he just said whatever came to mind.

"Please tell him to practice good governance."

"What? How boring..."

Lef clicked her tongue and nodded.

She instinctively realized that she couldn't hold him back any longer.

"I had a good time. Let's meet again if we have the chance."

"Yes, if we have the chance."

Daniel replied politely and bowed his head.

Of course, he had no intention of meeting the daughter of the Prime Minister of Bellanos ever again.

═ ⋆★⋆ ═

Daniel, blindfolded and led by Van Buresh's hand, got into the car and arrived at his inn after about an hour's drive.

"You can take off the blindfold now."

Daniel nodded and removed the blindfold.

He could see the familiar inn outside the window.

Van Buresh opened the car door, and Daniel stepped out.

As soon as he was outside, Van Buresh bowed deeply.

"Thank you."

His politeness was overflowing with gratitude.

"It's been a while since I've seen the young lady laugh so much. It's all thanks to you, Mr. Liberad."

Daniel, flustered, waved his hands.

"Not at all. It was a meaningful experience for me to be treated to such a feast. And the young lady was quite witty, unlike other nobles, so I wasn't bored either."

"I'm honored to hear that. Then..."

Van Buresh straightened up and bowed his head one last time before getting back in the car.

After watching the car drive away, Daniel put on his sunglasses, which were hanging from his vest, and started walking.

'Now...'

Thinking that it would be dangerous to stay in Tentarbachem any longer, Daniel opened the door to the inn.

At the same time, he felt a wave of fear wash over him.

An Imperial officer, accompanied by soldiers, was standing in the inn's lobby.

The officer was arguing with the innkeeper at the counter.

"Have you seen this man?"

"I told you, I haven't! Why would such an important figure come to our humble inn?"

"Look again carefully. Just in case..."

The officer was holding a flyer with a portrait on it.

'That's...'

Daniel broke out in a cold sweat as he recognized himself in the portrait.

He knew that the Empire would send troops, but this was too soon.

Just as he was about to quietly back away,

"Hmm?"

The officer, sensing his presence, turned around.

Daniel stopped backing away and casually walked into the inn.

As he tried to head towards his room, he felt their gazes on him.

'Please...'

He pleaded inwardly for them to let him pass, but no miracle occurred.

"Hey there."

The officer called out to him, and Daniel stopped.

The officer looked back and forth between the portrait and Daniel with a suspicious gaze, then slowly approached him.

"We're conducting a large-scale search operation, so could you cooperate with us? Do you happen to know a man named Daniel Steiner?"

Daniel gritted his teeth.

If he was caught here, he would be forcibly taken back to the Empire.

Back to the Empire where his spy of an adjutant was trying to kill him, where he had a crazy, nationalistic subordinate, and where the Emperor was wary of him, ruled by a princess who resembled her father in personality.

He didn't want to go back, not at all.

He couldn't lose this hard-earned opportunity.

After taking a deep breath, he looked at the officer and said as calmly as possible,

"Hmm, Daniel Steiner..."

He had been lost in thought, but his decision was swift.

"Who's that?"

He decided to simply play dumb.