chapter_0023

22 – Change of Plans

22 – Change of Plans

My heart began to race, and my breathing became erratic.

I tried to maintain a calm expression, but the corner of my lips trembled slightly.

‘Calm down! Think of an excuse!’

If I couldn’t answer now, Daniel’s suspicion might turn into certainty.

In a fleeting moment, Alistair ran countless simulations in his head and barely managed to speak.

“…Oh. Is that so? When I went, they were selling it just fine, so I didn’t know there had been such an incident.”

This was the answer Alistair had come up with after much deliberation.

Considering that Daniel had started working at the General Staff Headquarters immediately after graduating from the academy, he wouldn’t have gone to Jack’s restaurant last year.

It was, in a sense, a deception that exploited a gap in information.

“Hmm. You didn’t know there was such an incident…”

Daniel tapped the banquet table leisurely.

The small gesture and soft noise instilled anxiety in Alistair, who was already on edge.

Alistair could feel that Daniel suspected him.

On the other hand, Daniel didn’t think much of it.

‘…Did they start selling it again last year?’

It was a delicious dessert, so the owner might not have given up.

Besides, it wasn’t the restaurant’s fault if a customer with allergies accidentally ordered it.

Daniel, thinking it was probably something like that, nodded once and looked at Alistair.

“It seems they’ve started selling apple strudel again. Of course, we’d have to ask Jack’s restaurant to be sure. Oh, and one more thing…”

Just as Daniel was about to ask a question, classical music played by the orchestra filled the banquet hall.

At the same time, the people in the banquet hall began to applaud, and their gazes naturally turned.

From the third floor of the banquet hall, the imperial family members were slowly descending, holding onto the banister of the stairs.

That meant the main event that Phillip had mentioned was about to begin.

As an Officer of the Empire, Daniel was obligated to show respect to the imperial family, so he couldn’t continue the conversation any longer.

“Oh dear. It’s time. I’m afraid we’ll have to end our conversation here.”

Daniel smiled, picked up his Officer’s cap from the table, and stood up.

“I hope you have a good time.”

Daniel nodded once, tucked his Officer’s cap under his arm, and walked towards the crowd.

Thanks to that, Alistair felt a sense of relief.

‘Thank goodness. If I had been interrogated any further, I might have been exposed…’

Relieved by that fact, Alistair turned to look at Daniel and paused.

He could see Daniel talking to someone who appeared to be the Chief of the Operational Staff, occasionally glancing back at him.

‘Damn it…!’

Daniel still hadn’t let go of his suspicion.

He was clearly telling the Chief of the Operational Staff that ‘that man is suspicious.’

Alistair sighed and quickly got up from his seat and walked towards the restroom.

Entering the restroom, Alistair checked that no one was around and pressed the transmission button on the miniature radio disguised as a watch on his wrist.

“Speaker, respond! This is the Photographer!”

After a moment, a reply came from the radio.

─ What is it? Is it time to report the list?

Alistair shook his head.

“No! I’m under suspicion! They’ve probably increased security with a high probability. So cancel Operation Mad Dog immediately! Disperse the agents to the old city! We have to go to Plan B!”

─ Under suspicion? The identity forgery was perfect. Your disguise should be undetectable by the Imperial Army.

“The situation was bad. The one who suspects me right now is none other than Daniel Steiner.”

Daniel Steiner. The weight of that name was considerable.

The radio crackled for a moment before a voice came through.

─ Understood. We will withdraw the existing operation and switch to Plan B. I will broadcast to all agents. Good luck.

The transmission cut off abruptly.

Alistair stared down at the watch and rubbed his forehead.

‘Damn it. We have no choice but to go to Plan B…’

Unlike the original operation, the probability of failure for Plan B was exponentially higher.

Even if the operation succeeded, it would not only result in the annihilation of the agents but also give the Empire the justification to start an expansionist war.

But there was no other way.

As long as he was suspected by Daniel Steiner, the original plan wouldn’t work.

Alistair ran a hand over his face and clasped his hands together, muttering reverently.

“God…”

Please protect us.

*

“He’s going to the restroom. Your new friend, that is.”

“Hmm. He must have been in a hurry.”

I shrugged once, watching Alistair enter the restroom.

Ernst, seeing me, chuckled.

“Let’s leave the story about your fellow countryman for now and focus on the ball.”

“…The ball, you say?”

“Ah. Come to think of it, this is your first time at an imperial banquet, isn’t it? Usually, when the banquet starts to get lively, the imperial family members come out and enjoy dancing. It’s about preserving the traditions of the past.”

I wondered what dancing had to do with tradition, but I didn’t want to argue about the imperial family’s culture.

After nodding vaguely, I turned my gaze to the central hall where the imperial family was preparing for the dance, and the first thing I saw was Selvia wearing a purple evening dress.

The dress had a daringly exposed back, but the blue-tinged necklace and earrings distracted the eye, giving it a more antique feel than a revealing one.

Frankly speaking, the atmosphere was very different from the Selvia I had met in the north.

Was it because she was wearing light makeup? After watching her closely, I quickly realized why Selvia’s atmosphere was different from usual.

‘She seems to dislike this place.’

Selvia wasn’t smiling.

The playful or triumphant smile she had shown in the north was gone.

Well, thinking about it from her perspective, it was understandable.

If I had to be all dressed up as part of the imperial family’s tradition and dance while being watched by people I didn’t even want to see, I wouldn’t like it either.

But regardless of Selvia’s feelings, the lights in the banquet hall dimmed, and a song announcing the dance was played.

As the music began, the imperial family members began to dance with their partners, each with a smile on their face.

Selvia was no exception, but one thing was different: unlike the other imperial family members, she remained expressionless throughout.

Of course, even that expressionless face was quite attractive to me.

I tend to think of myself as a fairly rational person, but it seemed that my rationality was not high enough to overcome looksism.

If someone else had made such a sulky face, I would have told them to cheer up, but because it was the beautiful Selvia, even that looked like a painting.

Looksism was truly frightening. It was something to be wary of.

So, I crossed my arms and watched as calmly as possible, and before I knew it, the dance was over, and the lights brightened.

Immediately afterward, everyone applauded the imperial family as if they had promised to do so.

Selvia, receiving the applause from the pseudo-galleries, shifted her gaze here and there as if she was annoyed, and then her eyes met mine.

Selvia’s eyes widened slightly. I realized what I had done and was about to applaud.

─ Don’t.

Selvia’s lip movement made me stop my praise.

Thanks to that, I stopped in an awkward posture, and the high-ranking officials of the banquet hall approached the imperial family and spoke to them.

Selvia was no exception.

I stared blankly at Selvia, who was smiling and talking with the high-ranking officials, and tilted my head.

‘What did I do wrong?’

Was it against the imperial family’s etiquette to applaud when our eyes met?

As curiosity and bewilderment overlapped, Selvia politely excused herself from the high-ranking officials and came out through the crowd.

Selvia was coming towards me, so I stepped aside to make way for her.

But Selvia was still coming towards me.

Selvia, who had arrived at close range, looked up at me and gave a faint smile.

“It’s been a while. Should I call you Daniel… Captain?”

She was coming to me. I was dazed for a moment and nodded.

“Yes. I’ve been promoted to Captain.”

“I see. Well, you’ve accomplished a lot, so it’s only natural. By the way, you’ve changed your hairstyle?”

“Yes. I didn’t want to, but my superior is so extreme…”

Selvia chuckled.

“I should give that extreme superior an award. It suits you. You look even more mature.”

“I’m already an adult…”

“Just getting older doesn’t make you an adult, does it? Especially when you look at those people.”

Selvia glanced back at the men who had approached her.

“They all think the Empire should wage an expansionist war. They don’t even think about what kind of repercussions that would have on the international community.”

Well. In fact, that kind of thinking was natural in this era.

The modern era was full of people who thought of colonizing civilizations more primitive than their own as a kind of business or salvation.

It wasn’t that they were ignorant, but that Selvia was more enlightened.

“It can’t be helped. Now that the Empire has gained the upper hand, it’s a natural trend to advocate for war. Not everyone can be as wise as Her Highness…”

I stopped talking.

My fellow countryman who had gone to the restroom was running towards us.

And with a very determined face.

Just as I was wondering what was going on, he reached into his arms.

Instinctively judging that it was dangerous, I opened my holster and took out my revolver.

The moment he was about to throw something, I pulled the trigger.

Bang!

The bullet that flew shattered his head.

However, the unidentified object that had left the man’s hand was flying towards us.

“Your Highness!”

Feeling a sense of crisis, I grabbed Selvia’s wrist and pulled her towards me.

After embracing Selvia, I instinctively turned my body and closed my eyes.

And.

Flash─

A light that seemed to blind me occupied all directions.

*

…I took a breath and slowly opened my eyes.

The vision is dark. First of all, this was not the banquet hall I had been in until just now.

In the midst of the silence, I waited for my eyes to adjust to the darkness.

It would be troublesome to make a sound if I moved rashly.

“Daniel…”

“Quiet.”

After silencing the wriggling Selvia, I waited for a while until I could see the inside of where I was.

‘A hotel?’

I was in a large living room decorated with luxurious interiors.

I glanced back and saw the city spread out below the glass wall.

Only then could I identify the object the man had thrown.

‘Etherium Conversion Grenade.’

It was a disruptive grenade that literally converted the location of the person who was directly hit.

It was an item that was not in high demand because it was expensive and the location of the target to be converted could not be specifically determined.

I had heard that it was sometimes used for special occasions, but I never thought I would be the one to be hit by it.

“Um…”

“I told you to be quiet.”

“That’s not it…”

Wriggle. Selvia’s hand moved as if trying to push me away.

Only then did I realize that I was holding Selvia tightly and not letting go.

I was so nervous that I belatedly realized the rudeness of my actions.

“Ah.”

As I released my arms, Selvia took a step back.

Selvia, who was looking at me displeased, had ears that were somehow very red.

Her breathing seemed a little rough too.

“I’m sorry.”

As I apologized, Selvia brushed the hair that had fallen forward behind her ear and said.

“I know it was to protect me. But be careful next time. And…”

Selvia, with a different look in her eyes, hid behind a nearby sofa.

“They’re coming up. I can hear footsteps. Seven, no. Is it eight?”

Footsteps? After hiding next to Selvia and listening carefully, I could really hear footsteps nearby.

They didn’t seem to know the exact location of this place, but they seemed to be searching, thinking it was nearby.

I couldn’t help but sigh.

“…Things have become very difficult, but I will do my best to protect you.”

“There’s no need for that.”

Selvia lifted the hem of her evening dress.

Then I saw a pistol strapped to her thigh.

Seeing that, I let out a hollow breath.

“Do you always carry a pistol like that?”

“You never know when something might happen.”

“I guess it’s not me who’s the adult, but Her Highness.”

Selvia, who took out the pistol from her thigh, smiled faintly.

“Let’s just say it’s both of us.”

“Alright. Then…”

The footsteps were getting closer and closer.

I looked at the door and said.

“Let’s be adults and protect ourselves.”

Click─

Selvia, who had loaded her pistol, replied triumphantly.

“That’s what I wanted.”

So this is what they call iron-blooded.

Frankly speaking, I couldn’t feel more secure than this.

Author’s Note

It got longer as I wrote it…!

More than that, today is Friday! I hope you all have a great weekend!

Thank you!