I stared blankly at Masera’s back as he headed out of the tower.
I had improved a little, but I still had trauma and couldn’t fight, so there was nothing I could do.
But this wasn’t about being helpless; it was just that our roles were different.
“I am the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Director of Military Intelligence.”
I wrapped the cloth tightly around my ankle and stood up from my seat with a determined look. It was to prevent me from spraining my ankle while running.
Soon, I saw Major Rodriguez, Brigadier General Steve, Captain Declan, and soldiers from the official residence entering through the main gate.
I immediately left the tower, looked around, and approached them.
“Princess? Are you alright?”
Major Rodriguez, who found me, rushed over and checked my condition.
“To be kidnapped by such a cruel Organization… They probably didn’t even feed you properly. You must have suffered so much…”
Knowing I was a glutton, he worried about my food first.
At that, Brigadier General Steve, with a grumpy face, scanned me up and down.
“You seem to be doing well. Your cheeks are plumper, and you look radiant.”
“Do you want to die?”
It wasn’t wrong, so I had nothing to say but curse.
Pretending not to hear, Major Rodriguez leaned in and whispered to me.
“The Duke’s wife is well hidden, without anyone knowing. Not even the Brigadier General knows, so don’t worry.”
“I’m so grateful…”
Masera knew everything, but it was enough that she was safely hidden with the Major’s help.
I nodded, and then I saw Captain Declan standing there with an awkward look.
We had become awkward since the Anita incident.
“I… I was worried.”
Captain Declan said hesitantly.
“And, I’m sorry. I should have apologized right away…”
“You’re apologizing so late.”
I patted him on the back to show that I was okay.
“Let’s get along in the future. Let’s have a meal together after this is over.”
“Understood.”
After a quick reconciliation, Captain Declan and the soldiers from the official residence entered the castle.
Brigadier General Steve, Major Rodriguez, and I began to climb the snowy mountain to reach the place where Grand Princess Charlotte was waiting with the soldiers.
The altitude wasn’t very high, but the bitter cold in the middle of the night made my lungs feel like they were freezing with every breath.
If it weren’t for the cold-weather fleece clothes that Stan and his men had bought me, I would have frozen to death.
As I followed the two men, I suddenly felt something was wrong and stopped walking.
“….”
“What’s wrong?”
Major Rodriguez asked.
I stood there blankly, looking down at the fortress.
“Lend me that for a moment.”
I snatched the military binoculars hanging around Brigadier General Steve’s neck and looked around again.
I had heard that the Organization’s reinforcements were coming, but why was no one visible around the fortress?
The mountain range surrounding the castle like an isolated fortress. The terrain with a large forest and a large lake nearby.
According to the information I had gathered, the Organization could mobilize at least a company-sized force within an hour.
Lost in thought, I looked around the area and realized something, widening my eyes.
Could there be another secret passage?
Suddenly, I remembered the waterway that Nadia had pointed out as a dog hole.
“…!”
There couldn’t be just one waterway, could there?
If so, there might be an underground passage connected to the inside of the castle.
If this continued, Masera and the troops inside the castle would be in danger.
Guarding the fortress and blocking external intrusions was one thing, but a full-scale battle with a large number of enemies entering through the underground would be very disadvantageous.
I urgently grabbed Brigadier General Steve.
“Brigadier General Steve, we need to concentrate our forces on the castle. There’s a high possibility that the enemy is entering through an underground passage. Send up a support flare immediately.”
“On what basis? If our position is revealed now, the Princess will be in danger…”
“There’s no time to explain!”
I grabbed Brigadier General Steve’s arm and glared at him sharply.
“Are you trying to take command? What right do you have as a civilian who isn’t even a soldier!”
As they were arguing, Major Rodriguez raised a hand.
“Unidentifiable personnel detected below. It’s highly likely they are enemies, so lower your bodies and take cover.”
As soon as his urgent report ended, the flash of gunfire was seen in the dark.
Bang-!
Soon, a bullet flew and made a dull sound as it hit a tree.
“F*ck, really!”
Brigadier General Steve suddenly picked me up, tucked me under his arm, and dove behind a large tree.
Major Rodriguez, who had also taken cover behind a rock, fired an emergency flare.
Boom-!
“There, the dogs of the state. Or are you traitors who have rebelled against the military?”
Soon, the arrogant voice of an Organization member was heard.
“If you hand over the Princess and surrender, we’ll spare your lives. If you cooperate with the testimony that Brigadier General Vicente committed treason, the military might spare you from being shot.”
Where on earth did they come from? Could there be a secret passage in this area as well?
I could hear Brigadier General Steve sighing as he pressed down on my head.
I had expected that Brigadier General Steve, as I knew him, would choose to throw me away…
“Have you been practicing your shooting since then?”
Brigadier General Steve made a ‘hmph’ sound as he looked at me, who didn’t answer.
“I told you to come to my indoor shooting range to practice.”
He handed me a pistol.
“The Major and I will protect the Princess, but there may be times when you have to protect yourself. You never know.”
He showed an unexpected sense of duty.
At this, the Organization member clicked his tongue.
“Only innocent officers are going to die because of one Princess.”
“Die my ass.”
Brigadier General Steve took out a grenade from his chest, pulled the pin with his mouth, and muttered.
I was horrified and covered my ears.
Kwaaang-!
A grenade exploded in the distance with screams. Snowflakes scattered, and dirt and debris fell in showers.
The acrid smell of gunpowder made my head spin.
Soon, a fierce exchange of gunfire began.
The Major and the Brigadier General began to retreat upwards, using the trees and rocks as cover, eliminating the Organization members one by one.
No matter how many members the Organization had, two active officers who had participated in the war for many years were not easy opponents.
“I’m almost out of ammo.”
However, the problem was the limited amount of supplies.
They intended to hold out until reinforcements arrived, but the heavy snowstorm in the middle of the night was slowing down the arrival speed.
Cynthia held out the pistol she had received, but Brigadier General Steve shook his head and refused.
“That’s for the Princess to use when she needs it. Keep it.”
Then he sighed deeply.
He was going to die protecting another man’s woman, and that too, the Princess of that damned Brigadier General Vicente.
Since he had turned his back on the military, he wouldn’t even be buried honorably.
‘But I have pride as an elite officer, I can’t surrender to such insignificant Organization bastards.’
“Now the Princess must go alone.”
He said, taking out a smoke grenade that emitted white smoke to obscure the view.
“If you go straight up to the southwest, you will be able to join Grand Princess Charlotte.”
“What about you two?”
At Cynthia‘s question, Major Rodriguez, who was loading the last bullet next to him, smiled kindly.
“The ultimate goal of this operation is to rescue the Princess. We must fulfill our duty as soldiers.”
“You’re being a hindrance, so hurry up and go. Read the room.”
Brigadier General Steve grumbled.
What could a weak Princess, who looked like she was about to cry at any moment, do?
Just as he was thinking that, Cynthia suddenly pinched Brigadier General Steve’s cheek.
“Where are you trying to act cool? Don’t forget that you only have one life to lose while being intoxicated by your own coolness.”
She tightened the cloth tied around her ankle and made a serious face.
“Since I am the top priority target, I will become the bait, so you guys join the Grand Princess and form a search team to find the underground passage and come in.”
“What…”
At that moment, Cynthia snatched the smoke grenade and threw it upwards, in the direction the two were supposed to escape.
Boom-!
“Try and catch me, you horse-faced bastards!”
“Princess!”
Before the two could stop her, she started running down, drawing aggro.
“Sir! What should we do?”
“Damn it, catch that woman first!”
The flustered Organization members hesitated before starting to chase Cynthia.
“Ouch.”
Cynthia, who had been running away quite well below the mountainside, made a regretful face.
It was because she saw Organization members holding oil lamps lined up across from her. They seemed to be from outside, judging by their unfamiliar faces.
And among them, she saw those who had rebelled against the Organization kneeling.
“Chief? Stan? Nadia?”
They all seemed to be held hostage.
An Organization member who found Cynthia grinned and pointed a gun at the Chief’s head.
“I don’t know if you have any intention of saving them, but it would be best to obey us quietly.”
“Cynthia! Don’t worry about us and go! Ugh!”
The Organization member forcefully struck the Chief’s neck, who was shouting urgently.
She couldn’t ignore those who were in danger because they had helped her.
Besides, with this many enemies, Brigadier General Steve and Major Rodriguez would be in danger as well.
Cynthia, who had quickly made a decision, began to walk towards them.
‘…Playing the hostage role is my specialty. It’s okay.’
Inside the castle.
Ta-ta-ta-tang-!
A battle was raging between the Organization members who had entered through the underground passage and the official residence troops.
The troops, who were fighting fiercely, were gradually being pushed back.
No matter how well-trained the soldiers were, they were far outnumbered, so there was no more time to wait for reinforcements.
‘If we wait any longer, everyone will die.’
Cynthia should have had enough time to escape.
Masera, who was sitting with a gun, using the wall as cover, sent a retreat signal to his subordinates.
It was to cover the retreating subordinates as a sniper.
“Haa, haa.”
Masera, who had tightly bandaged his arm where a bullet had grazed, leaned his back against the wall.
Then, he took something out of the front pocket of his uniform and looked down at it.
It was Cynthia’s opal hairpin, which he had been carrying to return to her along with the ring.
He put the hand holding the hairpin to his chest, closed his eyes as if in prayer, and took a deep breath.
Then, like a token of good luck, he put it in his left front pocket.
Afterwards, Masera, who was trying to cover his subordinates and retreat from the rear, stopped in his tracks.
“…!”
Masera’s pupils dilated in an instant as he looked up at the tower.
Cynthia was visible in the window of the north tower.
Yeah. That’s who she is.