A War of Nerves
A War of Nerves
The atmosphere shifted completely.
Lucy, who had worked as a spy for years, could tell instinctively.
Selvia was smiling playfully, but inside, she was cold and calculating.
'Dangerous.'
She sensed that a single wrong word could cost her her life.
Because of that, Lucy was tense, and Selvia slowly rose from her seat.
"I'll be honest. I had the Intelligence Bureau do a little background check on you. They uncovered some strange circumstances."
Selvia, her smile gone, wore a puzzled expression.
"Why didn't Lieutenant Lucy interact with the nearby villagers? Oddly enough, the villagers had no idea who you were."
"That's..."
Stay calm.
If she explained as she'd been trained, she wouldn't get caught.
"As a child, I was afraid of people. I was abandoned by my parents and raised by my grandfather. Furthermore, my grandfather always advised me not to go outside the hut."
"Why?"
"There were many wild animals outside, and my grandfather was not on good terms with the villagers. He was worried they might harm me as well."
Lucy smoothly explained her reasons, sidestepping the trap Selvia had set.
But Selvia wasn't one to let it go so easily.
"Really? That's odd. The information I received doesn't match your story. Why, Lieutenant Lucy..."
Selvia's eyes, looking down at Lucy, narrowed sharply.
"Are you trying to hide the truth from me?"
Lucy's hand flinched slightly.
She grew anxious, wondering if she had truly been found out.
But it was Selvia who held the cards.
Since she couldn't reveal her hand at this moment, Lucy feigned calmness.
"My apologies, but I don't understand what you mean. What am I supposedly hiding, and how?"
When Lucy probed, Selvia paused briefly before speaking.
"You should know that best. I'm not interrogating you; I'm giving you a chance. Bear in mind that this is your first and last opportunity."
In short, it meant she had evidence, so confess.
Selvia was making a threat, but Lucy found reassurance in those words.
'She has no evidence.'
If there were evidence, she wouldn't need to encourage a confession.
She was fishing for a confession because she lacked evidence.
That was a common interrogation technique in the Allied Nations, so Lucy was familiar with it.
'Of course...'
Selvia wasn't doing this because she was well-versed in Allied interrogation methods.
From Lucy's perspective, Selvia seemed to be using interrogation skills unconsciously, driven purely by instinct.
In any case, knowing Selvia had no evidence, there was no need to feel intimidated.
Lucy placed a hand on her chest and bowed her head courteously.
"Your Highness, I was born in the Empire and have dedicated myself to its service. I do not understand why you suspect me, but I have never done anything to harm the Empire."
One of Selvia's eyebrows twitched subtly.
She sensed that her hand had been exposed.
"...So you refuse to confess to the very end. I might add that the Intelligence Bureau is continuing its investigation of you. Know that there will be no opportunity later."
"My apologies, but..."
Lucy raised her head and stared at Selvia.
"I cannot comprehend what you are saying."
'If you can find evidence that I am an enemy spy, go ahead and look.'
At the defiant attitude Lucy displayed, Selvia clenched her teeth.
If she had her way, she'd dishonorably discharge Lucy and banish her from the Empire.
Even without evidence, few would protest the expulsion of a mere lieutenant.
But the problem was Daniel.
Would Daniel really look favorably upon a princess who banishes his adjutant based on mere suspicion without proof?
He would surely view it negatively.
For Selvia, who wanted to win Daniel's heart, it would be a self-defeating move.
'Therefore...'
She couldn't stop Lucy from acting so insolently.
Lucy also sensed Selvia's thoughts to some extent, which allowed her to be so bold.
It was no exaggeration to call it a clash between spear and shield.
After glaring at Lucy for a while, Selvia finally decided to back down.
"Is that so? After hearing you out, Lieutenant Lucy, I think I may have been too sensitive. As an apology, I'd like to share a meal with you—would that be alright?"
"If you offer me the chance to dine together, I will of course accept."
The two faced each other with smiles, but their inner thoughts were vastly different.
'Don't think you can keep slipping away. I will eventually uncover your identity.'
'You'd better give up. I have no intention of yielding.'
But neither of them intended to reveal the intent behind their masks.
*
Meanwhile, Daniel was talking with Cedric about various things.
The conversation, which had started with favorite foods, shifted to the war situation; sensing an opportunity, Daniel cautiously broached a topic.
"Sir, as you said, the Empire may appear to be doing well on the surface, but from a broader perspective, it remains at a disadvantage."
"That's right. Once winter passes and spring comes, the great powers will prepare to strike the Empire in earnest."
"Yes. So, if I may, could you give me the opportunity to serve on the battlefield?"
Cedric looked at Daniel as if caught off guard.
"You want to go to the front? You? Why? Her Highness the Princess would not want that, and higher command wouldn't try to send you out there."
The military leadership likely judged that having Daniel Steiner active in the capital as a propaganda hero would benefit national interests.
But from Daniel's perspective, being active in the capital was not to his liking.
Because the Emperor was keeping him in check.
'I've warned him that if he attacks me, he'll be attacked in return, but it's too early to feel safe.'
Ironically, the peak of human ambition for power comes in one's later years.
A ruler fears nothing more than seeing everything they've built crumble like a sandcastle before the waves.
Daniel dared not predict what the Emperor might do before his death.
So, at least until Selvia became empress and fully transferred authority to Bertram, he intended to stay away at the front.
He judged that this would be more advantageous for his survival.
Unable to say what he truly thought, Daniel spoke with a rather serious expression.
"Even now, our soldiers are dying on the front lines. Could I live a comfortable life in the capital just because I'm a war hero? If I truly mean to serve the Empire, I believe I must go to the battlefield while I'm still young."
Cedric inwardly admired Daniel's plausible excuse.
'I see. So he would readily give his life for the Empire.'
He was a model soldier, through and through.
He wasn't resting on his laurels; he was looking to the future.
Ashamed of himself, Cedric nodded.
"Good. I'll relay your opinion to headquarters. The Chief of Staff is fond of courageous young people, so she'll certainly accept your view."
"Thank you for your kindness."
"Right. By the way..."
Cedric shifted his eyes to glance at the banquet table where Lucy had been sitting.
Selvia was now seated there, dining with Lucy.
Thinking that the conversation had likely ended, Cedric continued.
"We've been away from the table too long; let's head back."
"Understood."
Agreeing with Cedric, Daniel headed toward the banquet table.
There, he saw Selvia and Lucy conversing with faint smiles.
'Did they get close already?'
Puzzled, he approached, and Selvia turned to look at him.
"Ah! Lieutenant Daniel! What perfect timing. I was just having a meal with your adjutant; would you care to join us?"
Having no reason to refuse, Daniel nodded.
"It would be an honor to dine with Your Highness."
As Daniel pulled out a chair and sat down, a passing waiter took notice and set the tableware for him.
Seeing that, Selvia remarked in passing.
"Come to think of it, the Imperial Household still uses silverware. Do you know the reason?"
It was a remark aimed at silver-haired Lucy.
Daniel, unaware of the hidden barb, answered calmly.
"Because silver is a metal that oxidizes easily. Medieval nobles believed that using silverware could detect poison in their food. I suspect that tradition has been passed down."
"Correct. But you know what?"
Selvia said, casting a glance at Lucy.
"It's that silverware wasn't very helpful in detecting poison. In fact, there were many cases of people dying after eating poisoned food with silverware."
Lucy's eyes narrowed in response to Selvia's subtle criticism.
After a pause, Lucy retorted.
"I see. However, if there were so many cases of death by poison, the fact that they didn't switch from silverware to gold suggests it wasn't entirely ineffective."
At Lucy's quick-witted retort, Selvia frowned as if dumbfounded.
"..."
"..."
A strange silence fell.
Sensing the subtle war of nerves flowing between the two, Daniel thought.
'I want to go home...'
In other words, he wanted to escape this banquet hall right this instant.