Chapter 87
Chapter 87. Heart-Pounding Summer Vacation!
“It leads to Count Berner’s mansion in the second district of the capital. The water in the waterway has long since dried up, so people can pass by.”
“I see….”
The man who tilted his glass and looked up at the refracted night sky soon let out a satisfied laugh. Count Berner was a noble who ruled a port city near the capital, but he also had a separate mansion in the capital.
“That’s really a blessing.”
Count Berner did not show an active attitude toward the great undertaking they had planned, but he was somewhat involved. He was more than willing to let the guard of that mansion go for a while.
“We can use the Berner mansion to sneak the crown prince out.”
“But… the crown prince’s condition seems a little strange.”
“Strange?”
The golden l*quid that had been leisurely rippling suddenly stopped. When the man holding the glass looked at him with a puzzled gaze, the knight continued talking lowered his head as if he was sorry and answered.
“The security is tight, so I can’t confirm the details… but he seems unconscious. He barely shows any signs of life.”
“…He’s dead?”
“That doesn’t seem to be the case. We found a rag with red soup and herbal remnants in the incinerator.”
Red soup and herbal remnants.
The man took a sip of the cold whiskey from his glass and clapped his fingers together, lost in thought.
If he was eating red soup, it was likely that he was unable to chew on his own, or that his body functions were weakened to the point where he couldn’t digest food with solids.
However, if there was a rag to wipe off the soup… the first hypothesis was even stronger.
At least seriously injured, at most unconscious.
The man who had gathered his thoughts clicked his tongue as if he was displeased. If he couldn’t move on his own, he would need a few more hands to get him out. It wasn’t good news, since he had to sneak out of the capital.
“I didn’t hear any news that he was injured during the capture process.”
“…There’s no way to know what’s going on inside the tower.”
Perhaps the Emperor had done something. Whatever it was, as long as he wasn’t dead, it would be fine. If he was unconscious, it would be a bit annoying.
“Once they find out that the Crown Prince is gone, it’s only a matter of time before they find out about the waterway.”
“We’ll need something to attract attention until we leave the port.”
“What are you going to do?”
“We’ll have to bring in as many people as possible.”
It would be best if an unspecified number of innocent people gathered.
The man who had put his empty glass down on the table straightened up his body that had been buried deep in the couch.
“First, I need to meet Count Berner.”
“The Count is on vacation at his own estate.”
“Oh, I can’t leave the capital right now.”
The man who had smiled brightly opened his mouth again toward the knight in front of me.
“Soon, my little princess will be coming back from her summer vacation. Sir Joan would do well and go to the port of Berner to meet the princess.”
“Yes.”
The knight bowed his head and turned around to leave the dark room. The man who had been staring blankly at his back soon turned his gaze to the brightly shining night sky.
The boring summer vacation was coming to an end.
***
Dangdangdangdang.
The loud sound of bells echoed through the bustling port. Henelone, who had just stepped onto land, turned around to look at the large and small ships that filled the horizon.
Ships carrying countless people who had returned from their vacations were coming into the port of Berner one after another. The sound of the bells announcing their arrival could be heard from all directions, making the already noisy port feel even more crowded.
Henelone, who had been staring blankly up at the cruise ship she had come on, turned around at the sound of people approaching her. Milena was staggering, drunk from sleep.
“Whew, it seems like all the nobles of the empire have gathered at the port. There are many ships and even more people….”
“That’s right. It seems unusually crowded.”
Because Berner Port is the closest port to the capital, it was always bustling with people coming and going. But today, it really seemed like there was no room to set foot.
Not only people who had just gotten off the ship, but also people who had come to send off those who had left. People waiting for the carriage to be ready, and people who couldn’t go anywhere were everywhere she looked.
In the meantime, the line of ships arriving at the port was endless, so it seemed best to hurry and leave the port.
“Countess Greta must be smiling from ear to ear.”
Henelone tilted her head at Milena’s squinty words. What could Countess Greta have to do with Berner Port being full of people? He couldn’t really guess.
“Why Countess Greta?”
“More than half of the ships over there are Count Greta’s ships.”
Indeed. Looking at where Milena was pointing, there were quite a few cruise ships with the Greta emblem engraved on them.
There were even several docks where only the Counts’ cruise ships could dock. Henelone was surprised by the enormous scale and stuck out her tongue.
“They said she was going to the Harfield Kingdom to do something. I don’t know when they got so big. The business is a total hit.”
Harfield Kingdom. Suddenly, sweet golden eyes like honey appeared in Henelone’s mind.
‘Come to think of it, Adrian and I were going to go to the lake near the capital…’
Henelone’s worries deepened as she recalled the face of the man who had been flirting with her.
If one asked if she had any feelings for him, the answer would be ‘no’. She clearly felt a rational attraction to him. Could she go on a trip alone with the man she had been with?
“Lord Joan!”
