Beneath the Surviving Princess's Joyful Facade - Chapter 159

When the messenger from Cladis arrived, Miesa stood there, her mouth opening and closing like a broken doll.

“So, you’re saying… Eirik, Eirik…”

“Though we’re still confirming the details, it seems he may be in a third country.”

Miesa let out a deep sigh of relief. The tension that had gripped her for so long melted away, and she collapsed into a chair, her face glowing with joy.

For months, they had searched tirelessly for Eirik without any clue of his whereabouts. But now, they had finally discovered something. When Sidate launched a sudden raid, Madam Cladnier had mobilized spies, and after many failed attempts, they had finally found a lead just days ago.

“Though the initial disappearance at Batina Castle was difficult to verify due to the ongoing battle, this time, a lead came to light when the ruler of Trea sent someone to investigate.”

Apparently, Eirik hadn’t been moving alone. He had abducted Count Semenov and disappeared. But recently, Count Semenov had sent a letter from Trea to the ruler of Sidate.

“Eirik… in Trea….”

Miesa wiped away her tears and nodded. She had known all along that he was safe.

“It’s such a relief.”

Back in her seat, Gella, tearful, sniffled, while Duke Salachez, who had been fidgeting for a while, was about to make a boisterous congratulations when Miesa waved him off.

“Send someone to Trea. No, if the enemy already knows where Eirik is, it could be dangerous. We should send troops.”

“But, Your Majesty, we don’t yet know for certain that the margrave is there. If we send soldiers recklessly, it could lead to complications.”

“Then I’ll go myself. I can take my guards to escort me.”

As Miesa spoke urgently, Grand Duke Hagail, who had been silent until now, shook his head. “Your Majesty, where do you think you’re going? If the margrave has already left, you’ll miss him on the way.”

“That’s true.” Miesa nodded. But what should she do?

While she pondered, Grand Duke Hagail groaned and, with a reluctant expression, spoke up, “I suppose I’ll go. It could be a good opportunity for a honeymoon.”

“What?”

When Miesa asked in surprise, Grand Duke Hagail explained in his slow manner, “I’m saying I’ll go to Trea with Gella. While I’m there, I’ll meet the king, so if there’s anything you need sorted with that country, put it in writing and give it to me by tomorrow.”

Miesa blinked. She herself wasn’t fond of sailing, but would the grand duke be alright?

“Grand Duke, are you sure you can handle the sea?”

Of course, Grand Duke Hagail would manage just fine. But he made a show of sighing deeply and complaining.

“…I’ll manage. But traveling by sea twice in a row will be too much, so I’ll stay there for about a month.”

It would take two months to get there and back, meaning he’d be away for three months in total. His plan was to make the most of this opportunity to spend time alone with Gella, but Miesa simply felt relieved.

“That’s fine by me. Thank you.”

However, Gella hesitated. “Can’t His Grace go on his own? It seems inappropriate to go on a honeymoon during wartime. Besides, I shouldn’t leave Your Majesty’s side for so long….”

“Hmm.”

Grand Duke Hagail was already irritated by the formal way Gella addressed him and even more by her suggestion that he go on the honeymoon alone.

Miesa, noticing his displeasure, quickly tried to convince Gella. “No, Gella, don’t think that way. The grand duke needs you with him for the sea voyage. So go, and make sure to bring my husband back.”

Reluctantly, Gella nodded. Miesa immediately contacted Marquise Crispin, the commander of the Central Defense Force, to prepare troops to accompany Grand Duke Hagail.

***

The next day, everything went as Eirik had predicted. As soon as the boy emerged from the Sidate consulate, clutching the wooden box, a tail followed him.

Eirik, hiding in the alley, swiftly reached out his hand the moment the boy turned the corner. Though startled at first, the boy, already familiar with Eirik, handed over the box as instructed and continued on his way.

Eirik, still concealed in the alley, ducked down a side street before the tail could catch up and climbed into the carriage. The entire operation was executed smoothly in the blink of an eye.

“Did you get the goods?” Count Semenov, disguised as an elderly woman and waiting inside the carriage, asked Eirik.

“Here it is. Let’s check it in a safer place.”

The carriage headed for the Esquillir consulate. They entered through the back door, avoiding attention, despite the fact that the consulate had been alerted to their arrival.

The consul was startled to see them. “Is that you, Margrave?”

The consul was visibly shocked when a hulking mercenary and an elderly woman with a covered face walked in.

Instead of answering, Eirik removed his hood and asked, “Is everything prepared as requested?”

Two days prior, Eirik had sent a letter through a street courier to the Esquillir consulate, asking them to arrange for a ship to Esquillir.

“I was going to notify you, but I didn’t know where to find you.” The consul nervously explained the situation, “We were informed three days ago. At Sidate’s request, they’re searching for everyone entering and leaving the port for the next two weeks.”

“What?”

“They claim a traitor has fled to Trea, but it seems like an excuse. Regardless, Sidate is fully participating in the search.”

Just when Eirik thought everything had been settled, a two-week delay had caught him off guard. Now, the most important thing was to ensure the antidote was safely kept until they could leave.

“Any suspicious movements around here?”

“With the war going on, Sidate hasn’t dared come near our side.”

“How are the guards stationed around the consulate?”

The consul brought out a blueprint and explained the security details around the consulate. Eirik reviewed and adjusted the positioning to improve efficiency.

Once everything was settled, Eirik turned to Count Semenov, who was still awkwardly standing there. Both of them were still wearing ridiculous disguises.

“The count will need a change of clothes.”

The consul jumped as if scalded. “Wait a moment. Why is Count Semenov here?”

The consul, who had previously worked in Sidate before being assigned to Trea, knew Count Semenov well. Finally realizing the gravity of the situation, he stammered his questions, “Wait, Margrave, you too… Count Semenov, why are you…?”

Eirik frowned as he looked at the consul. Could this man really handle diplomatic relations between Trea and Esquillir?

“It seems Sidate has rather friendly ties with Trea, unlike us.”

The consul hesitated at the pointed comment, then answered defensively, “Well, you know about the unspoken agreements regarding the slave trade between the two countries. Esquillir, of course, bans it outright.”

The consul did have his reasons. As he passionately explained, Eirik came to understand the situation.

“Ah, yes. Sidate doesn’t seem to care that their citizens are being traded here.”

All this time, Count Semenov, the only Sidatean in the room, stood with a bitter expression. He had seen too much to deny it.

Breaking the silence, the consul spoke up, “I think it would be best if the count returned to the Sidate consulate. If word gets out that he’s here, it could cause serious diplomatic issues not just between Sidate and Esquillir, but also with Trea.”

Eirik paused to consider. Now that they had the antidote, he wondered if it would be safe to move forward. But surprisingly, Count Semenov shook his head. “No, I will return to Esquillir in the finest carriage available.”

“Sorry?”

“Not alone. I want to take the villagers captured in Ferba with me. They can testify to what happened.”

Count Semenov added firmly, “As you know, Sidate wrongly believes that Cladnier secretly sells innocent villagers into slavery while hypocritically outlawing the practice. How long must Sidate and Esquillir remain enemies? I’m tired of war and bloodshed.”

“…You’re saying you want to take the villagers through Esquillir to Sidate?”

Eirik thought for a moment. Resolving one misunderstanding wouldn’t end the war, nor would it break the deep-seated animosity between the two nations. However, looking toward the future, it might prove helpful in some way.

“Consul, can you accommodate about twenty people?”

“We can, but arranging a ship for them right now would be difficult.”

“No need. We’ll leave first, and when they lower their guard, you can send them after us.”

After getting a silent nod of agreement from Count Semenov, Eirik removed his outer garment and handed it to the consul.

“Now, show us to our room.”

The consul, suddenly remembering something, spoke up again, “By the way, you told us not to send word back to the capital, so we haven’t reported anything yet. But given the current situation, even that wouldn’t be easy.”

Eirik nodded. For now, safely transporting the antidote was more important than informing the capital of his whereabouts.

“We’ll return to the capital soon anyway, so there’s no need.”

Relieved by Eirik’s response, the consul led them to a guest room and provided them with a change of clothes.

“I’m afraid all we have are Trean-style garments.”

“That’s fine. As long as they’re men’s clothes, I’m grateful.”

Count Semenov, simply relieved to be rid of the elderly woman’s attire, seemed satisfied. Eirik chuckled and followed him into the guest room.

Eirik placed the wooden box on the table and took a deep breath. He had been through so much to obtain it, but the most important thing was that he now had it in his hands.

Carefully, he unlocked the box. What lay inside was not at all what he had expected.