The entire Imperial Army camp, which had been asleep in the darkness, was thrown into chaos. The prisoner personally captured by the commander had vanished—from right in the middle of the camp, from the commander’s own tent.
“Find the missing prisoner.”
That was the new order issued to the troops loyal to the commander. Not only the soldiers on guard, but even those who had been asleep were mobilized to scour every inch of the camp. Soldiers bustled in and out of the tent to report the results of their searches.
“She’s not near Tent 2.”
Aaron sat slanted in his chair, resting his chin in one hand and listening closely to the steady flow of reports. Lost in thought, he tapped the armrest rhythmically with the long fingers of his other hand. His cold, ash-gray eyes were fixed on the robe neatly folded on the table—it belonged to Delia. His intense gaze made everyone in the room stiffen with tension. It felt like walking on the verge of breaking, thin, gray ice.
“She’s not near Tent 5.”
“She’s not near Tent 7 either.”
With another string of fruitless reports, Aaron’s tapping fingers stopped. The soft tapping that had echoed through the tent ceased, and at that moment, everyone held their breath.
A single prisoner had breached the Imperial Army’s camp. No one would be free from blame if the commander chose to hold them accountable. The command staff silenced themselves, closely watching Aaron’s mood.
“We’ve searched the entire camp but couldn’t find her.”
Aaron didn’t take his eyes off the table as Dyke reported in. The prisoner’s robe, still damp with liquor, lay on it. It was the only trace she had left behind. The strong scent of brandy soaked into the fabric stirred Aaron’s nerves.
“Couldn’t find her, huh…”
Repeating Dyke’s words slowly, Aaron glanced around the tent. This wasn’t a proper military camp built to attack or defend against the enemy. It had been hastily erected just to spend a night in the forest. The command tent wasn’t reinforced with iron bars—it was merely a fluttering piece of fabric. There were no proper defenses to keep anyone in or out.
It was a shoddy prison, easy to escape if one simply had the will.
Aaron had thought it manageable because he was watching her himself. But the prisoner had slipped through his fingers. Fooled by her feigned drunkenness, he’d let his guard down and lost her.
“Mobilize everyone and expand the search beyond the camp perimeter.”
“Yes, Commander.”
She was a prisoner who had desperately wanted to reach the capital. She must have headed in that direction.
Aaron added a new order.
“Concentrate the search on the roads leading to the royal capital.”
Rustle. The eerie sound of leaves brushing against each other in the night wind echoed through the dark forest, along with the restless snorts of horses. The rustling through the underbrush stirred the sleeping mountain. Over a hundred soldiers lined up to surround the forest, startling birds into flight. The shadows of trees swayed ominously in the red torchlight.
From atop his horse, Aaron surveyed the soldiers as they searched for the escaped prisoner.
“How could she have escaped so quickly? Avoiding the eyes of so many sentries—and without a horse?”
Dyke, riding beside him, asked cautiously.
“Someone must have helped her.”
“Who?”
“Overly loyal subordinates. Loyal to a foolish degree.”
Aaron’s cold tone drew a sigh from Dyke.
“So they helped her escape.”
Those ominous presences that had always loitered whenever Aaron brought the prisoner out… They hadn’t dared attack because she was in Imperial custody, yet they couldn’t simply walk away either. Their presence had always kept the soldiers on edge.
So, they finally took her.
But still, Dyke tilted his head, sensing something off.
“But there’s no trace of contact. She had no time to plan or communicate with them.”
Aaron stared into the pitch-black night with an icy gaze. He had thought that if they moved for her, he’d finally confirm her identity. That’s why he’d taken her hunting—to show them she was still alive and well.
Yet now she was gone.
He’d been outwitted by that cunning prisoner.
“If there’s anything suspicious… it’s the flowers. There must’ve been something in them.”
“Ah. She did always ask for flowers. I thought it was strange.”
Aaron stared at the torches flickering in front of him. He saw a phantom image of the prisoner, nibbling flowers, red lips contrasting against vibrant petals. It could have been seen from afar.
“It must’ve been a signal. Indicating time or place.”
Aaron’s voice, sorting through his thoughts, suddenly stopped.
“Stop.”
Someone had blocked the Imperial Army’s path.
At the front line of the forest search, the troops had encountered an unexpected force and could not advance.
“Halt the march!”
The strangers raised their guns, threatening the Imperial soldiers at the front.
“Who are you?!”
In response, the Imperial troops raised their own weapons. The muzzles of both groups tangled in the dark woods. Tension electrified the air as rough breathing filled the forest. A man slowly stepped forward amid the standoff.
“We do not intend to attack the Imperial Army. We seek peaceful negotiation.”
As his voice rang out, Aaron gritted his teeth. That voice—he recognized it.
A loyal dog who blindly followed his master.
They were her subordinates—the volunteer soldiers of Iorenti.
But why? Why were they here?
While Aaron struggled to find the answer, the captain of Iorenti’s royal guard, Jer, spoke again.
“Tell us what you want.”
Aaron urged his horse forward to approach Jer. As the commander of the Schtillreich Empire moved, both armies made way. They stopped just close enough to see each other clearly under torchlight.
Their eyes clashed in midair like swords.
Aaron’s low voice rang out through the tense forest.
“What do you mean, what we want?”
“Exactly as it sounds. We seek a deal.”
“A deal?”
“Do you want gold? Do you want assurance we won’t launch a surprise attack? State your conditions.”
“Why?”
“If you safely return our commander to us, we’ll meet your demands as best we can.”
Aaron sucked in a sharp breath. The unexpected proposal knocked the air from his lungs. Battling a growing sense of dread, he asked slowly and firmly,
“So. Right now. You’re asking the Imperial Army for negotiations—to rescue your commander?”
“That’s correct.”
Jer responded without hesitation.
Aaron clenched his teeth to hold back the curse rising in his throat. His heart pounded unnaturally fast.
“Damn it.”
That wretched prisoner.
He yanked on his reins sharply. His loud voice rang through the dark forest.
“All troops, return to camp!”
With that, Aaron turned his horse around and galloped back. Dyke was momentarily stunned but quickly passed on the order.
“All troops, return to camp!”
The commander’s orders spread to the far end of the Imperial forces.
“Return to camp!”
The echoing commands swept away the tension in a single wave. Though confused, the Imperial soldiers obeyed without question.
As the sound of retreat filled the forest, it gradually returned to silence.
“What now, Captain Jer?”
The soldiers of Iorenti looked at each other in confusion. They had assumed the Imperial Army was there to track them, but now they had suddenly retreated after hearing a word about negotiations. Otto, the captain of the royal guard, couldn’t hide his bewilderment and asked Jer,
“They came all this way just to chase us, but turned back the moment they saw us. Why?”
Jer recalled what he had witnessed earlier that day—how the commander had clung tightly to the princess, shielding her completely. The royal guards had come to retrieve the princess, but the way the commander had held her, it had seemed like he was the one trying to keep them away.
And now that same commander had personally led the search—and retreated at the mere mention of negotiations.
Jer let out a deep sigh.
“I think… we made a mistake.”
A cold chill ran down his spine.
The sound of galloping hooves pierced through the dense forest. Aaron cursed under his breath.
Damn it. It wasn’t a joint operation with her subordinates. She had done it alone. Escaped by herself.
But how?
He had lost sight of her in just a brief moment—after taking a sip of liquor, poking at the fire, and issuing a few commands. There hadn’t been enough time for her to escape the camp alone without help.
Aaron rushed back to the command tent, dismounted in a single leap, and strode in with long, urgent steps. He flung the curtain aside and scanned the inside with a cold gaze.
Everything looked as it always had. The neatly made bed. The clean table. The robe, still folded atop it. The strong scent of alcohol, and the faint floral fragrance hidden within.
But something was different.
The scent that had so strongly filled the tent… was fading.
And the commander’s uniform jacket—was missing.
It was a small change, but its meaning was clear.
The prisoner had remained in the tent until the moment Aaron left to search for her.
Only now did Aaron finally understand Delia’s actions.
So that’s why she drank so aggressively.
She had deliberately poured liquor on herself to soak her robe in alcohol, creating an excuse to change clothes. To hide her own scent behind the lingering aroma of brandy.
Aaron had assumed the sweet smell was from the spilled drink, never imagining the prisoner herself was hidden there.
He narrowed his eyes and traced her movements. She must have stripped off her wet robe and hidden somewhere inside the tent—silently waiting, listening, and watching.
And as soon as he left for the search, she took the commander’s uniform and slipped out.
Waltzing out of the empty Imperial camp.
Mocking the commander who had fallen for her charm.
With golden hair fluttering behind her.
Like fading smoke, she had vanished.
Aaron clenched his teeth.
He had been outwitted—by that sly, cunning prisoner.
That’s exactly what I assumed had happened.