Chapter 44

In the middle of the square, there was a large statue honoring someone, benches everywhere, and trees and gardens were well harmonized along the edge of the square.

Dana sat on a bench facing the Palace and looked at the wagons and people coming in and out of the Great Wall.

They all went in showing some identification cards. Dana didn’t have it, so she was just staring at them blankly, and a person passed by in front of her.

A handkerchief fluttered down on the floor where she passed by. Dana picked it up and called the person quickly.

“Excuse me! You dropped this!”

It was a wonderful middle-aged gentleman who looked back. He looked at Dana and made a hesitant face.

“Oh… Thank you.”

Dana gave him the handkerchief and saw the man’s face with a strange expression.

Leon and… looks familiar. I think I’ve seen it somewhere…

Even after receiving the handkerchief, the man didn’t know how to take his eyes off Dana’s face. Dana slightly covered her face with her hands with an awkward expression.

“Is there something on my face?”

Only then did the man know that it was rude, and he bowed his head politely.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Lady, I saw you for a moment and you looked so similar to someone I knew before.”

“…I see.”

Dana was surprised inside but answered without showing when their thoughts were the same.

“If you don’t mind, can I sit next to you for a moment?”

Dana gently allowed his first impression because it wasn’t bad. And she also recalled someone who looked like him.

It was sparsely gray, but the dark black-haired gentleman had red eyes like Leon.

“Why are you here, Lady?”

“I was out for a while because I was resting after work.”

“I think you were looking at the Palace.”

Dana nodded her head gently. She didn’t even know who he was, but she thought she could be more honest because she didn’t know him.

“Yes, I’m thinking of a way to get in there.”

“Hmm, you’re the opposite of me.”

“What?”

A middle-aged gentleman smiled awkwardly and directed his eyes away.

“I was thinking about how to get out of there.”

Dana looked at him with strange eyes. A gentleman who appeared to be a nobleman and a visitor to the Palace. Does he hate Leon? However, as Dana knew, Leon was not in that Palace now.

“Why… You don’t want to go?”

“Usually, it is because of the people one likes and dislikes in places. Lady, why do you want to go to that Palace?”

“Well, for a person… I think it’s because of that.”

Sadly, if Dana took out Leon, that Palace had no meaning. Suddenly, she wasn’t sure if Leon would feel the same as her.

“What? Why are you suddenly feeling down?”

“You said I looked like someone, and I know someone who looks like you.”

At that, the gentleman tried to talk about something more, but when he saw a knight coming to him, he shut up.

“I should get going now. Thank you for being my companion.”

Dana also stood and greeted him politely, bowing down in manner until the end. The gentleman smiled meaningfully as he saw her greeting in old work clothes.

“My name is Owen.”

Didn’t know he’d say his name, Dana blinked several times and answered. Come to think of it, the family name is important to the nobility, and individual names were rarely called except for those close to them.

Saying the name without the last name also meant that he didn’t want to reveal who he was.

“Oh… Goodbye.”

“Yes, Lady. May the day come when I see you again.”

The man disappeared somewhere with the knights. He had to go to the Palace. Furthermore, he did not go straight in but went somewhere else.

* * *

Akine Palace near the northern border was busy preparing to receive envoys. Leon and his party had received a message that Christine and other envoys will soon arrive.

Leon opened the gate, stared far away from the door, and tried to hold back his nervousness. The red eyes, which looked relaxed at first glance, were swaying into the whirlpool of Mana.

He looked farther away than others by enhancing his eyesight as much as possible.

It’s later than I thought.

Leon’s waiting was, of course, not a delegation of the kingdom of Elard. He was waiting for the knight he sent two days ago to return.

In the meantime, it was not too late if it arrived in two days. However, from Leon’s point of view, time went by too slowly.

I need to find a faster means of contact.

It was not intended by him, but the military power of the Haschel Empire was facing an opportunity to be further strengthened thanks to his concerns.

After a while, a flame erupted in Leon’s eyes.

Daniel was surprised to see his superior walking forward suddenly, and followed him.

“Your Grace, Your Grace?”

When he was waiting here, the envoys came through the door, and Leon had to greet them on behalf of the emperor.

However, Leon left his seat and was heading toward the door. Soon after, the sound of horses’ hoofs came close to Daniel’s ears as he chased him.

“Wait, stop! The envoys will arrive soon and cannot enter this door.”

The knight guarding the door seemed to block the knight trying to ride in.

“Ah, Grand Duke Tertius himself gave me orders.”

“Even so…”

“Your Grace!”

The knight who had been running saw someone and jumped off the horse and bowed. The knight who was blocking his access also knelt in surprise.

“Report.”

Leon asked what he wanted to hear straightforwardly. However, the knight, who seemed urgent, hesitated and couldn’t open his mouth easily.

“Well, it’s…”

“Your Highness, you have to go back to your place! You can see the flag of the kingdom of Elard over there!”

Daniel urgently delivered it to Leon, and Leon was forced to turn around, ordering the knight.

“Follow me and report me. Hurry up and wake up.”

“Yes, Your Highness. That is, Sarah has been missing for the last few days.”