Chapter 90
As she stepped out onto the street, Scarlett couldn’t help feeling uneasy, even though she could see with her own eyes that Victor had assigned several guards to protect her.
The streets were already sparsely populated—most people had fled. Scarlett made her way toward the Navy Headquarters through the once-bustling main street, now as desolate as if a war had already swept through.
When she entered the building, the naval officers greeted her.
“Good morning!”
“Hello, miss!”
Without being stopped by anyone, Scarlett walked further inside.
Whatever the state of the nation, the high-born naval officers were as cheerful as ever. They spent their days leisurely within the spacious building.
Scarlett headed straight to the meeting room where Victor was. A sailor opened the door for her, and she stepped inside.
Everyone in the room turned toward the door. She hadn’t realized a meeting was in progress—she’d only been told to come in. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she took a half-step back.
Victor noticed her, stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, and gestured with his hand. A few men immediately stood up, saluted Scarlett in naval fashion, and left the room.
Once the door closed, Scarlett asked,
“Why did they… leave?”
Feeling suddenly intimidated by Victor sitting at the head of the table, Scarlett spoke more formally than usual. Victor pulled out another cigarette and said,
“Because you’re not Air Force, Miss Scarlett.”
“I see.”
Scarlett replied with all the dignity she could muster, though she quickly looked away from the curious stares of the remaining officers. After spending so long working alone, being around so many people felt uncomfortable.
“I came because I have a proposal,” Scarlett said.
A naval officer who looked at least twenty years older than Victor asked,
“What kind of proposal, Miss Scarlett?”
Instead of answering aloud, Scarlett leaned closer and whispered into Victor’s ear,
“Is it okay to talk about the aircraft here?”
Victor turned his head toward her and answered,
“Of course.”
The softness in his eyes startled her—it was a look she wasn’t used to.
Scarlett took a breath.
“I’d like to publicly announce that I’m building a flying machine.”
A flicker of displeasure crossed Victor’s face.
She continued,
“The whole point of building the aircraft is to show Vestina that there’s no benefit in fighting Salantie. So I think it’s important that we make it known now that we’ve started construction. The Crimson family is a well-known family of engineers. If I, as the heiress, put my name on it, it’ll have credibility.”
Even as she spoke, she worried they’d laugh off her suggestion as naive. To hide her nervousness, she forced herself to look resolute.
Then Evan said awkwardly,
“The royal family won’t just sit by. Even if His Majesty is ill, the Crown Prince continues to uphold the late King’s decree against new technology.”
Scarlett replied,
“I’m sure the gentlemen here will protect me.”
A few of the officers laughed at that.
But Palin said, his voice uneasy,
“Even so, we can’t guarantee your safety. The fanatics will come after you.”
“I know that,” she said quietly. “But… I think it’s necessary.”
Victor said nothing, simply lighting his cigarette again. Palin went on,
“Even if we protect you now, once the peace treaty is signed, you’ll be treated like a hunting dog after the hunt—discarded.”
Victor finally spoke.
“Then we’ll root out and punish the spies. That’ll drag the Crown Prince down with them. After that, no one will dare call a person evil just for having knowledge.”
His calm tone shocked everyone in the room—including Scarlett. Not only had he dropped all honorifics for the Crown Prince, but he’d spoken so casually of punishing him.
Evan, ever quick to adapt, said cheerfully,
“Well, that settles it. Shall we contact the newspapers then?”
Victor looked around the room.
“If anyone objects, speak now.”
The officers at the table responded one by one.
“No objections.”
“Our only concern is how to protect Miss Scarlett.”
As everyone voiced agreement, Scarlett felt a wave of pressure and let out a soft sigh.
Evan scribbled something on a sheet of paper, handed it to his aide seated near the back wall, and said,
“Take this to the newspaper on Third Avenue. The capital’s press is too closely tied to the royal family—they’ll censor it.”
“Yes, sir.”
The sailor wrapped the paper in several layers of leather, tied it securely with a cord, and dashed out of the room.
Afterward, Scarlett spent some time in the reception room. A few officers waited there as well, so even with Victor seated across from her, there was no need for private conversation.
By sunset, Evan’s aide returned. He handed Evan a freshly printed newspaper, which Evan placed on the round table in the reception room.
“They printed and sent us a copy immediately. It’ll start circulating soon.”
Scarlett, impressed by their efficiency, picked up the paper and looked at the front page.
The headline of the famously neutral Third Avenue Times blazed in bold letters larger than she’d ever seen before:
[Is Light Coming to Salantie as Well?]
[Lady Scarlett, True Heir of the Crimson Family, Begins Construction of a Flying Machine]
Evan said,
“The part below the headline’s mine. The top one was written by the newspaper staff.”
Scarlett’s hands trembled as she held the paper.
“So now… I really have to build it,” she murmured. “The aircraft.”
Evan smiled.
“Honestly, just putting your name out like this is incredibly brave.”
“Is it?”
“Yes. Braver than most of our Air Force pilots.”
His men grimaced playfully at that, and Evan laughed before turning to Victor.
“Technically, doesn’t that make her one of us now?”
Victor said,
“Palin, among the students staying at the vineyard villa, are there any who are unfit to serve as maintenance officers?”
Palin, who’d been personally overseeing those students, replied confidently,
“None at all.”
“Then we’ll accept their applications,” Victor said.
“I’ll ask them myself,” Scarlett volunteered.
“Please do, Miss Scarlett. Take Palin with you—he’s the chief engineer.”
Palin flinched slightly, having momentarily forgotten that title applied to him.
He’d stayed aboard the Rubid because he wanted to follow Victor, serving as chief engineer in name only. He knew nothing about machinery—he handled security while the real engineers did the work.
Still, since Victor had assigned him to escort Scarlett to the engineering college, Palin looked at her with a mix of loyalty and anxiety.
Scarlett said to Victor,
“As you probably know, the engineering students don’t have much… physical strength.”
“What kind of strength?” Victor asked.
Palin answered for her,
“She means literal strength. They can’t even open jam jars.”
Scarlett nodded. “Too much?”
“Ridiculous,” Palin agreed with a sigh. “I’ve never seen such weaklings.”
“Anyway,” Scarlett continued, “it’d be good to have someone strong around.”
“Draft someone from the Air Force,” Victor said.
“I was thinking of hiring two people I met before—Aisha and Johnny. They’re siblings. I saved Johnny’s life once.”
Evan nodded. “They’re trustworthy.”
Scarlett had worried Victor might object, but Evan’s quick support brightened her face.
“I’d like to hire them.”
To her surprise, Victor agreed easily.
“Do it.”
Scarlett blinked. “Really? They’re acceptable?”
The room went quiet for a moment before Palin said softly,
“Aisha killed her own father.”
“…What?”
“Her father was a pirate captain. At first, people thought the piracy on their island was just survival. But over time, they grew cruel—killing Salantie civilians for sport. They’d raid ships, kidnap women, burn the rest, and call it a ‘pirate’s funeral.’”
“…”
“When her father brought kidnapped women home after one of these raids, Aisha killed him that same night. She turned his body over to the Navy and asked them to take the women and her younger brother Johnny safely to Salantie.”
Scarlett’s lips trembled.
Victor added,
“I also heard that when you were kidnapped while helping Johnny, Aisha stopped the others from hurting you.”
“Yes… she did,” Scarlett said quietly.
Victor nodded. “Evan, send for them.”
“Yes, Captain. Pirates don’t raid anymore—it’s hard for them to make a living. They’ll be glad to have honest work.”
After everything was decided, Scarlett drew a deep breath.
The speed of the decisions left her breathless—and afraid. She didn’t know how much this choice would change her life from now on.
