Chapter 55. The Stilen Joint Operation
The corridor leading to the Queen’s chamber was bathed in bright beams of light.
The goddesses painted on the walls gazed benevolently at those who passed.
The subtle fragrance of flowers placed in vases filled the hallway.
The path toward the Queen was wrapped in warmth and serenity.
And yet, in that beautiful corridor, two men who did not belong there were lurking in the shadows.
“Wait, how can you possibly expect me to do this?”
Dyke pressed himself against the shadow of a large column, glancing nervously around.
He looked out at the brilliant light flooding the corridor with a heart full of dread.
He could not summon the courage to step into that brightness.
“Assistant Colin, I… I can’t do this.”
“Don’t worry. Just do it exactly as we practiced.”
“There’s no way that will work!”
Colin patted Dyke’s shoulder, trying to steady his nerves.
“I courted my wife that way, didn’t I?”
“That was only because Baroness Drestar has such a generous heart!”
“No, no. I’m telling you, if you do it like this, it always works.”
Colin gave Dyke a look of utter disappointment.
Why was he making such a fuss over something so simple?
The plan was straightforward:
Seduce one of the Queen’s handmaidens.
Win her favor.
Through her, monitor the Queen’s schedule and movements.
Find a chance to separate the Queen from the Princess.
And finally, snatch the fawn-like little Princess away from her mother deer of a Queen.
“This is simpler than marching off to war.”
“If it’s so simple, then why don’t you do it yourself, Assistant?”
“If I did it, it would succeed instantly… but I’m already married. I can’t betray my beloved wife.”
“But, Assistant…”
Colin, finally losing patience with Dyke’s protests, delivered a sharp warning.
“This is a commander’s order. If you refuse, you’ll be charged with insubordination under military law.”
With no way out, Dyke stared in despair at the corridor filled with light.
Never before had light seemed so terrifying.
“Just do exactly what I taught you.”
Colin adjusted Dyke’s epaulets with meticulous care.
“And don’t forget—put strength in your eyes. Look at her like you’re about to devour her. Just like the Commander.”
Dyke’s eyes twitched, so tense they looked ready to burst.
“But Assistant Colin, how am I supposed to—”
Just then, a click echoed through the corridor.
The door to the Queen’s parlor opened. Someone was coming out.
Dyke froze. The moment he most dreaded had arrived.
The sharp clack, clack of heels rang out, slicing through the light.
‘I can’t do this. I really can’t.’
He shook his head violently, ready to cling to the pillar—
—but Colin shoved him out with brutal force, straight into the light.
“Oh my!”
“Waaah!”
The sudden appearance of an imperial soldier caused a stir in the corridor.
A handmaiden hurrying somewhere let out a scream, while Dyke, shoved forward against his will, shouted incoherently.
“Ah… ha, ha.”
Flustered, he steadied his staggering body and bowed quickly.
His ears burned red as he forced out an awkward laugh.
The bouquet in his trembling hands shook violently, just like his heart.
If only he’d been ordered to kill ten enemy soldiers—this would have been easier.
The mission he had been given seemed nearly impossible.
“What business brings you here?”
The handmaiden, her steps interrupted, looked directly at him.
The bouquet quivered between them, scattering a faint fragrance into the tense silence.
Dyke stood frozen, unable to answer, until her sharp voice pressed again:
“I asked you what business you have here, in front of the Queen’s chambers.”
He gripped the bouquet so tightly the veins stood out on his hands.
A soldier survived only by staying calm in any situation—that was what he’d been taught.
So Dyke forced himself to recall, step by step, the instructions Colin had drilled into him.
First: powder on the face—because a man should also look pretty.
“My name is Dyke Leberini. I serve as aide to the Imperial Army’s Supreme Commander.”
Second: offer a gift.
The powder’s scent tickled his nose, but he endured it as he extended the bouquet.
“Please accept this.”
He kept his head bowed low, staring only at the floor.
But even after presenting the flowers, silence filled the corridor.
Huh? Why isn’t she taking them?
Oh, right. Colin said just handing them over wasn’t enough.
He also had to compliment her beauty.
Struggling, Dyke forced the words out:
“I prepared this for you… because you’re beautiful.”
And then—he had to look at her as if to devour her. Like the Commander.
He raised his head, eyes straining so hard double eyelids seemed about to form.
“For someone as lovely as—”
The moment Dyke looked directly at the handmaiden, everything Colin had taught him evaporated.
“Ah…”
The powder, the carefully arranged bouquet, the endless rehearsed compliments—
Everything he’d prepared over the past week lost all meaning in an instant.
Dyke gazed at her and whispered in despair:
“…I’m doomed.”
The first day the Imperial Army stormed the royal palace,
they had forced a reluctant handmaiden onto the throne as bait.
She cried and resisted, but one of Dyke’s comrades threatened her with a gun,
while Dyke held her hands tightly so she couldn’t run.
Under duress, she had impersonated the Queen in the grand banquet hall.
That handmaiden was Meredith.
And now, Meredith was staring coldly at Dyke.
“Assistant Dyke, I asked what business brings you here—
right in front of Her Majesty’s quarters.”
Her clear voice rang out with icy sharpness.
Dyke, heart sinking, slowly withdrew the bouquet.
Of all the countless handmaidens, why did it have to be her?
Her glare was as fierce as the gun barrel he had once aimed at her.
Colin’s plan to seduce a maid and steal away the Princess had failed before it even began.
“My apologies.”
I never should have listened to Colin.
Realizing the mission had already failed, Dyke hid the bouquet behind his back.
“If you have nothing further to say, then I shall be on my way.”
“W-wait.”
Dyke called out to Meredith just as she turned to leave.
“Are you… very busy right now?”
“I am on an errand for Her Majesty, heading to the workshop. Do I need to inform you soldiers of even that, and seek permission?”
“Ah, no, of course not.”
“Then please, step aside.”
At her firm words, Dyke hastily moved out of the way.
He watched her retreating figure, cold as winter wind, with a dazed expression.
What do I do?
He didn’t know the answer, but instinct told him he couldn’t let her leave like this.
He strode forward in sudden resolve, catching up and blocking her path again.
“Please, wait a moment.”
Meredith’s voice rose sharply at being stopped again.
“What is it now? Do you plan to grab my hands and force me to sit somewhere again?”
“No. This time, I want to apologize.”
Dyke’s timid demeanor vanished; he looked at her with firm resolve.
As a soldier, fighting armed men was expected.
But Meredith that day had been unarmed, an ordinary civilian.
Threatening her with a gun, restraining her, and using her for the mission—
those had not been the actions of a true soldier.
So now, he offered a soldier’s proper apology.
“Back then, the situation was urgent, and I could not explain.
But it was wrong to forcibly involve you in our mission. I am truly sorry.”
Meredith stared at him, stunned.
The memory of that day—the gun, the blade, the threats—was still vivid.
And now, suddenly, an apology?
The meeting itself was unexpected, but his words even more so.
She couldn’t even process what was happening.
But Dyke, calm and steady, repeated:
“I sincerely apologize for that day.”
Meredith studied him carefully.
He looked like a boy raised to be upright, bowing in earnest regret.
Finally, she spoke slowly:
“Then why are you blocking my way now? Has another urgent situation arisen?”
Dyke felt her hostility soften ever so slightly and drew a steady breath.
Colin’s methods would never work.
He had to proceed openly, in his own way.
He straightened his posture and met her gaze directly.
“Yes. The situation is urgent, which is why I must stop you.”
His expression grew serious.
“You’re aware of the peace treaty recently signed between Stilen and Iorenti, correct?”
The sudden mention of the treaty made Meredith tense.
The war had ended only recently, and everything remained unstable.
Though peace had been declared, bitterness still lingered.
The two nations were like two people walking hand-in-hand across thin ice,
never knowing when it might crack.
As a close attendant of the Queen, Meredith composed herself carefully.
“Yes. I heard that the Stilen Peace Treaty was signed recently through negotiations.”
“Our Imperial Army, in this new phase of peace, is conducting an operation to solidify the alliance. The hard-won treaty must not be broken by any unfortunate incident.”
“Yes, I suppose that’s true.”
“However, we’ve encountered difficulties. We lack sufficient information about Iorenti, and our operations are severely limited within its borders. It’s making the mission nearly impossible.”
“I see…”
“After much discussion, we concluded that Stilen and Iorenti must work in close cooperation. Peace cannot be maintained by the effort of one side alone.”
“I follow. And…?”
“So, to carry out the Stilen Joint Operation, we have come to request Iorenti’s cooperation. That is why I approached you.”
“…What?”
Meredith blinked, stunned.
Was he even speaking the same language?
Exasperated, she finally asked bluntly:
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because we need your help.”
“…Wouldn’t it make more sense to speak with the Senate or His Majesty the King?”
“No. This is something only you can do.”
“…Me?”
Dyke nodded firmly.
“Yes.”
“And what exactly is it that I can do to help preserve peace between our nations?”
Dyke clutched the bouquet tightly, puffing up with pride as he declared:
“Help us secretly take the Princess away from the Queen.”
