The atmosphere shifted in an instant.
As a spy with years of experience, Lucy instinctively understood.
Though Selvia was smiling playfully, her true intentions were far from innocent—her gaze was as cold and calculating as ice.
This is dangerous.
A single misstep in her words, and she could very well lose her life.
Sensing Lucy’s tension, Selvia slowly straightened herself.
"I’ll be honest. I had the Intelligence Bureau conduct a little background check on you. And I came across some rather odd discrepancies."
The smile faded from Selvia’s lips, replaced by a look of curiosity.
"Why is it that Lieutenant Lucy never interacted with the people of the nearby village? Strangely enough, none of the villagers seem to know anything about you."
"That’s...."
Stay calm.
If she answered as she had been trained, there would be nothing for Selvia to latch onto.
"As a child, I was afraid of people. I had been abandoned by my parents and raised by my grandfather. On top of that, he always warned me never to leave the cabin."
"Why?"
"There were many wild animals outside, and my grandfather did not get along well with the villagers. He was worried they might harm me as well."
Lucy smoothly explained her circumstances without falling into Selvia’s trap.
But Selvia was not someone to let things slide so easily.
"Is that so? Strange. Why doesn’t that match what I’ve heard? Why is it, Lieutenant Lucy...."
Selvia’s sharp blue eyes narrowed as she looked down at her.
"That you’re trying to hide the truth from me?"
Lucy’s fingers trembled ever so slightly.
Had she really been found out? A sense of urgency clawed at her mind.
But Selvia was the one holding the cards here.
Lucy had no way of knowing how much Selvia actually knew, so she maintained her composure and acted as though she were unaffected.
"I beg your pardon, but I don’t understand what you’re implying. What exactly am I supposed to be hiding?"
Testing the waters, Lucy threw the question back at her.
Selvia paused for a moment before speaking again.
"You know better than anyone. I’m not interrogating you right now—I’m giving you an opportunity. And you’d better remember, this is the first and last chance you’ll get."
In other words, Selvia was saying, I have evidence. Confess now.
It was a threat.
But rather than being shaken, Lucy found relief in Selvia’s words.
She has no proof.
If she did, she wouldn’t need to ask for a confession.
She was only pressing because she lacked solid evidence.
It was a classic interrogation tactic often used by the Allied Nations.
Of course...
It was unlikely that Selvia had mastered interrogation techniques from the Allied Nations.
From Lucy’s perspective, it seemed more like Selvia was simply following her instincts, unknowingly employing an interrogation strategy.
Regardless, now that she was sure Selvia had no actual proof, there was no need to be intimidated.
Lucy placed a hand over her chest and bowed gracefully in accordance with etiquette.
"Your Highness, I was born in the Empire, and I have dedicated myself to serving it. I don’t know why you would suspect me, but I have never done anything to bring harm to the Empire."
One of Selvia’s eyebrows twitched ever so slightly.
She had just realized that she had shown her hand.
"...So, you refuse to confess. For your information, the Intelligence Bureau is continuing their investigation. There won’t be another chance after this."
"I beg your pardon, but...."
Lucy lifted her head and stared directly at Selvia.
"I truly don’t understand what you’re implying."
It was as if she were saying, Go ahead, try to find proof that I’m a spy if you can.
Selvia clenched her teeth.
Her instinct was to have Lucy dishonorably discharged and banished from the Empire.
Even if there was no solid evidence, there wouldn’t be many who would object to removing a mere lieutenant.
But the problem was Daniel.
Would Daniel see the princess in a favorable light if she dismissed his aide on nothing but suspicion?
No—he would undoubtedly see her in a negative light.
For Selvia, who wanted to win Daniel’s heart, that would be nothing short of self-sabotage.
Which means....
Even if Lucy acted insolently, Selvia couldn’t take action.
And Lucy, fully aware of Selvia’s predicament, was able to stand her ground without fear.
It was truly a battle between the spear and the shield.
After staring at Lucy in silence for some time, Selvia finally chose to take a step back.
"Is that so? Listening to you, I suppose I may have been overly suspicious. To make up for it, would you join me for a meal?"
"If Your Highness is willing to share a meal with me, I would be honored."
Though both women smiled politely at one another, their thoughts were anything but cordial.
Don’t think you can keep slipping away. I’ll uncover the truth about you, no matter what.
You should give up. I have no intention of surrendering.
But neither of them had any intention of revealing their true thoughts.
****
Meanwhile, Daniel was engaged in conversation with Cedric.
What began as a lighthearted discussion about favorite foods had gradually shifted toward the state of the war. Seizing the opportunity, Daniel carefully broached the topic.
"Your Excellency, as you’ve mentioned, the Empire may appear to be in a strong position on the surface, but on a broader scale, we remain at a disadvantage."
"That’s right. Once winter ends and spring arrives, the great powers will begin preparing in earnest to strike against the Empire."
"Yes. That is precisely why I wanted to ask if you could grant me the opportunity to take an active role on the battlefield."
Cedric looked at Daniel in surprise.
"You want to go to the front? You, of all people? Why? Her Highness certainly wouldn’t want that, and the higher-ups have no intention of sending you to war."
The military leadership likely considered it far more beneficial for the Empire to keep Daniel Steiner within the capital as a celebrated war hero.
But from Daniel’s perspective, remaining in the capital was far from ideal.
The Emperor was wary of him.
I made it clear that attacking me would mean retaliation, but I can’t afford to be complacent.
Ironically, a person’s thirst for power reaches its peak in their final years.
The greatest fear of a ruler is to see everything they built crumble like a sandcastle before the tide.
Daniel had no way of predicting what the Emperor might attempt before his death.
Until Selvia ascended the throne and inherited Bertam’s authority, Daniel planned to stay on the battlefield—where he would be safest.
That was the logical choice for survival.
Of course, he couldn’t reveal his true thoughts. Instead, he spoke with solemn conviction.
"Our soldiers are dying on the front lines as we speak. Yet because I am called a war hero, I am to remain in comfort within the capital? If I truly wish to serve the Empire, then I must fight while I am still young."
Cedric found himself silently impressed by Daniel’s reasoning.
A true soldier, willing to lay down his life for the Empire...
Daniel was a man who refused to grow complacent, always thinking ahead.
Ashamed of his own momentary hesitation, Cedric nodded.
"Very well. I will relay your request to the higher-ups. The Chief of Staff favors brave young officers, so he will likely grant your request."
"I sincerely appreciate your consideration."
"Good. Now then..."
Cedric glanced toward the banquet table where Lucy was seated.
Selvia was there, dining with her.
Believing their conversation had concluded, Cedric continued.
"We’ve been away long enough. Let’s return."
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"Understood."
Agreeing with Cedric, Daniel made his way back to the banquet table.
As he approached, he saw Selvia and Lucy sitting across from each other, both smiling as they conversed.
"Did they get close while I was gone?"
Puzzled, he walked up to them, and Selvia turned to greet him.
"Oh! Lieutenant Colonel Daniel! Perfect timing. I was just having a meal with your aide. Would you care to join us?"
Seeing no reason to refuse, Daniel nodded.
"It would be an honor to dine with Your Highness."
As he pulled out his chair and sat down, a passing waiter quickly set his place at the table.
Watching this, Selvia spoke casually.
"Come to think of it, the imperial family still uses silverware. Do you know why?"
Her words were aimed at Lucy, who had silver hair.
Unaware of the underlying meaning, Daniel responded matter-of-factly.
"Silver is a metal prone to oxidation. In the Middle Ages, nobles believed silverware could detect poison in food. I assume the tradition carried on from there."
"Correct. But did you know?"
Selvia’s gaze shifted to Lucy as she continued.
"Silverware was never actually effective in detecting poison. In reality, many nobles still died from poisoned meals despite using silver utensils."
Lucy’s half-lidded eyes flickered briefly at Selvia’s veiled accusation.
After a pause, she calmly countered.
"I see. However, the fact that they continued using silver rather than switching to gold suggests it must not have been entirely ineffective."
At Lucy’s smooth retort, Selvia frowned in disbelief.
"......."
"......."
An inexplicable silence fell over the table.
Sensing the subtle clash of wills between them, Daniel had only one thought.
"I want to go home."
Right now, more than anything, he wanted to escape this banquet hall.