Chapter 60

"Is this where you were, Mademoiselle Delphine?"

The leader of the soldiers who entered said this with a look of relief.

The men around me were already all holding large knives. Impressive.

"What do you intend to do with Mademoiselle Delphine?"

"We came to protect Mademoiselle Delphine. Who are you? From your appearance, are you perhaps from the Special Task Force?"

"What if I say yes?"

"Then I would like you to act with us."

"What proof do you have that you're not on the side of the rebellion?"

"Here it is."

The lead soldier took out something like a note from his chest and held it up. It had a short message and a seal on it.

"Something like that can be forged by anyone with nimble fingers."

"Oh, how troublesome! That's why you're disliked. You probably don't trust anyone but your own, right? What a hassle."

"Can we trust an organization that stages a rebellion!"

"What did you say!"

"Stop it. I understand. I will join forces with you. Hiding here, we will eventually be found. It's better to have more allies."

"…Understood. As you wish."

My voice and way of speaking, along with the interaction with the Third Knights, made the soldiers believe I was Mademoiselle Delphine. The authenticity of the note and whether they were enemies or allies were still unclear, but this delayed the moment when the veiled hat would be taken off.

If Mademoiselle Delphine could use this time to escape a little further, that would be good. I pushed Nonna out of my mind. Thinking about Nonna made me unable to act calmly. But worrying about her here wouldn't help at all.

I moved, surrounded by the Third Knights in front and the soldiers behind. The guide was the leader of the Third Knights.

"Where are we heading?"

"According to information from the Special Task Force's messenger, the kingdom's army is nearby. It's a place where we can join them."

"Has the rear guard already returned?"

"Yes."

"The Special Task Force always monopolizes valuable information."

"Can we give important information to an army that stages a rebellion?"

"What did you say!"

"Stop it, I said!"

Indeed.

Jef is definitely part of the vanguard, so he's not here.

Our group entered a room. A small room that could fit about thirty people. The leader of the Third Knights turned to the soldiers.

"The Prime Minister said to bring Mademoiselle Delphine here if we move."

"You were told this place. Finally, we can believe the Special Task Force isn't on the side of the rebellion."

"Hah. Who are you to say that?"

It seems the army and the Third Knights usually don't get along.

Watching, the leader of the Third Knights approached the corner of the back wall and traced it with his finger. He then stabbed a knife into the wall and started cutting the wallpaper. He cut a square just wide enough for a person to fit through and kicked it with his foot. With a thud, a door without a handle opened inward.

"Mademoiselle Delphine, this passage is a last resort."

"Understood. I will be prepared."

We entered the passage one by one, and once everyone was inside, the entrance door was closed. It immediately became pitch black. We all moved quickly, touching the walls with our hands. I held up the hem of my dress with my left hand and touched the wall with my right, hoping the path ahead wasn't blocked. This place, from its position, was between the outer wall of the castle and a room. It was probably a prepared escape route when the castle was built.

It was completely dark inside, and the air was dusty. We moved quickly through the wall, and continued down a steep and narrow staircase in a zigzag pattern.

As we descended, the air became damp, and I could tell we were getting closer to the ground.

At a slightly wider spot, the front stopped, doing something I couldn't see in the darkness.

Then came a series of rustling sounds, followed by a "thud! thud!" as if something was kicked, and it suddenly became bright.

The bright area was a greenhouse built right next to the castle wall.

The bright greenhouse, with its expensive glass, was filled with a variety of potted plants. In front of the door we came out of, bricks from inside and outside the greenhouse were piled up. They shouldn't be able to open it with just a few body slams.

The place we came out of was a tool shed. From a tool shed about 1.5 meters deep and 2 meters wide, dozens of people came out one after another. If someone who didn't know saw this, they would think it was magic.

The Third Knights moved quickly, each taking on their roles without being told.

Some searched the area inside the greenhouse, some went a little further to check, and some guarded me.

"We can go now."

"Alright, let's run."

"Can you run, Your Highness?"

"I can run."

The Third Knights know I am the Shadow, but there might be enemies mixed in among the soldiers. I should continue to act as the Shadow until the end.

From there, we ran.

But with such a large group, I was sure we would be found. As expected, voices like "There they are!" and "Over there!" rang out. The Third Knights drew their large knives, the soldiers their swords. I lifted my dress and took out a knife from a holder on my thigh, which left one of the soldiers stunned.

Now, gaining time was more important than hiding the fact that I am the Shadow.

About thirty rebel soldiers surrounded us, their bodies splattered with blood.

But we outnumbered them, with over forty in total.

(I have to make a big scene, it seems) and I crouched, ready for battle. As the enemy attacked, the battle became a chaotic mix of friend and foe.

The most troublesome thing was that the soldiers all wore the same uniform. But I quickly figured out who the enemies were.

They were the ones targeting me.

The melee continued. Both sides had casualties. The smell of blood was thick in the air. The knives dulled from blood and fat. The dress was a hindrance.

Even during my days as an agent, I had never experienced such a group melee. I fought with my knife, my nerves on edge.

Just as we started to gain the upper hand, a roar, the sound of hooves, footsteps, and the clashing of weapons.

Reinforcements. The returning kingdom's army had arrived in time.

Seeing the overwhelming number of the kingdom's army, the remaining twenty or so enemies dropped their swords and raised their hands.

The battle ended suddenly.

◇ ◇ ◇

"Mademoiselle Delphine! I'm glad you're safe!"

The commander of the kingdom's army knelt before me. I puffed out my chest, raised my head, and smiled. The other soldiers were bowing, so no one noticed my brown eyes.

"Take these men to the dungeon. Let's return to the castle."

Surrounded by hundreds of soldiers, I returned to the castle. The main gate was open, and soldiers were stationed throughout the castle. In the tense atmosphere, we reached the grand hall.

There, the king, the crown prince, Duke Sedric, and Gunther were waiting. The queen, known to be frail, was not there. Neither were Mademoiselle Delphine and Nonna.

"Delphine!"

Crown Prince Conrad ran over. (Is this acting? Or does he not notice?) I thought, but I couldn't say "I am the Shadow" in front of everyone, so I let myself be embraced.

"I was worried! I'm glad you're safe!"

After saying that and looking at my face, the crown prince flinched. Finally, he noticed.

"Please pretend you didn't notice."

"Where is Delphine?"

"She is hiding somewhere on the grounds. We can't be sure there are no remaining rebels."

"Is she safe?"

"Probably. We will search for her now."

We exchanged whispers that couldn't be heard by those around us, appearing to share a sweet embrace. The crown prince, who had been hugging me, smoothly released me and led me to the king.

When we were close enough to reach the king, I whispered.

"Your Majesty, I am the Shadow, Kate."

The king, as expected, nodded calmly and said,

"Delphine, you must be tired. Come, rest in your room. The rebellion has been suppressed."

He spoke loudly.

I slowly and gracefully bowed and left the grand hall. About ten soldiers and the leader of the Third Knights accompanied me.

Entering Mademoiselle Delphine's room, I had the soldiers wait outside the door. Once inside, it was just me and the leader of the Third Knights, and I dropped the act.

"Where are Mademoiselle Delphine and her daughter?"

"I don't know yet. She is in one of three possible locations. To keep the location secret, we can't go there openly. My comrades are currently verifying. As soon as we know where she is, I will go to fetch her."

"I will go with you."

"Permission granted. We must bring the princess safely to the king and the crown prince for this rebellion to end. Let's go."

I changed into a maid's uniform, wrapped a cloth around my arm to hide the knife, and left the room.

"By the way, the First Knights are supposed to protect the royal family. What are they doing now?"

"They are supposed to be protecting. The king, the queen, the crown prince, and Duke Sedric are dispersed. Oscar and Lucas are also dispersed. Protecting the royal family by dispersing them is a basic security measure."

I see. The direct royal line is carefully protected, while Mademoiselle Delphine, who married from another country, is in hiding. Mademoiselle Delphine was right to judge that "saying too much would endanger her own and her home country's position."

I have been worried about Nonna all this time.

(It's okay. That child is stronger than the men around her. Now is not the time to think about unnecessary things; I must find Mademoiselle Delphine and Nonna.)

I repeated this to myself to maintain my calm.