Chapter 79 - The Escape
"W, why are you alive!?"
"I came back to life."
"Th, that’s impossible! Hey! Don’t you see the situation you’re in! If you don’t move, this woman dies!"
It was Cole’s roar that spoiled their emotional reunion. Cole held a knife to Opal, his hand trembling uncontrollably. Claude’s face tightened at the sight, and he then raised both hands.
"Taking a frail lady hostage. You’re quite the coward."
"Who are you calling frail?"
Julian snorted at Claude’s words. Opal glared at Julian, but of course, it had no effect.
"…What are your demands?"
"L, let us pass to the station without harming us."
"And make sure a train is ready for us, obviously."
While listening to Cole’s stammered demands, Claude’s gaze remained fixed on Opal. Opal quietly met his gaze.
"All right. I’ll accept your terms."
"Huh…?"
"Are you an idiot? You’re going to let us go for the sake of this one woman? What do you think Alessandro will say?"
"He’ll agree."
"Are you all idiots?"
When Claude agreed, Cole let out a dumbfounded sound, as if he couldn’t believe it. It was Julian who responded instead, and his words angered Opal so much that she tried to kick him from under her skirt. But he dodged it easily. This only infuriated her more, and she shot him another glare.
"There, there, the princess is displeased. Won’t you hurry and prepare the carriage, no, the train?"
"…Opal, are you all right?"
"I’m perfectly fine. Though I am incredibly angry. Once I’m free, the list of people I want to punch has grown to two."
"I won’t let you."
Ignoring Julian’s mocking tone, Claude asked after Opal. Of course she wasn’t all right, but Opal’s anger seemed to reassure him. She was still holding on. Julian sneered at their exchange.
"R, right. L, let’s go, Julian."
"…What a foolish man."
To their surprise, when Claude waved a hand, the soldiers surrounding the inn parted to make a path. As Cole called out nervously, Julian shot Claude a mocking smile. It was the smile Opal detested, but Claude merely shrugged, seemingly unbothered.
It was difficult to walk with a knife held to her back and her hands tied, but the station wasn’t far, so she managed. Then she was put on a train. It seemed the train couldn't depart right away, so they had to wait for a while. During that time, she watched Claude from the window. When the train finally started moving, a loud explosion echoed from behind them.
"Did you blow it up?"
"Yes, I gave the order."
"Well done, Julian!"
Seeing Cole so happy that they couldn’t be pursued, Opal thought he was simple-minded. If the only railway in the Boccelli Duchy was destroyed, it would take time not only for pursuers but also for their own reinforcements to arrive. Did they have another escape route secured for when Alessandro’s army came to attack through that natural fortress of a mountain range? Cole probably hadn’t considered it, but Connally might have a plan. With this thought, Opal glanced at Julian sitting beside her.
"Anxious?"
"…Nadia is safe, I presume?"
"She’s probably much more relieved being away from you."
Opal studied Julian searchingly at his reply, then turned her face away in annoyance. She stared out the window. The train was running smoothly and would arrive at the station near the estate by early afternoon.
"…Are the people at the estate… all under Connally’s control?"
"Servants just need to do as their superiors say. They don't have the brains to think for themselves."
At first, the servants had been distant, but once Opal began to seriously tackle the fief's reforms, the female staff, starting with the housekeeper, had started to warm up to her. She was worried about the servants she brought from the capital mansion, but she hoped the housekeeper and the others would protect them as fellow staff. Duncan, though blunt…
It’s no use. I can’t imagine Duncan siding with me.
He was more likely to resent her for the possibility of his precious land becoming a battlefield. Still, the fact that he was on the side of the people, not just Connally’s puppet, was a comforting factor for Opal.
"They’re celebrating as if they’ve already won."
"They got away from that many royal soldiers without a scratch. They’re bound to be elated, right?"
"Without a scratch? Really?"
The rebels inside the train were celebrating joyfully. But even on the short walk to the station, she had seen evidence of clashes before the Royal Army had secured the area, including the bodies of what looked like dead rebel soldiers and bloodstains. When Opal pointed this out, Julian just shrugged, apparently having no intention of rebuking his soldiers.
"It went well this time because Claude was the commander, but who knows about next time?"
"What, you knew Alessandro was a ruthless man?"
"Of course. The first acting lord of this place was said to have died of illness, but he was poisoned, wasn’t he? The second one realized he was being poisoned and fled to report it to His Majesty. So for the third, he must have sent someone who could skillfully pretend to be manipulated by Connally."
"And you? Are you all right? You weren’t being skillfully manipulated, were you?"
"I’m here because I was all right. Either they thought there was no need to deal with me because I’m a woman, or His Majesty had already taken measures to prevent me from being poisoned."
Undoubtedly, Alessandro’s agents had prevented any poisoning attempts. By doing so, they had directed Connally’s attention toward the stubborn Opal. In that time, Opal had no idea how many moves he had made within the duchy.
Now, this is the critical moment…
For the past four years, Alessandro has been slowly cornering the Anti-Royalist Faction. How many of them have noticed? It seemed that Claude, just like Opal, had played a part in the diversion.
"We’re here."
"You don’t have to tell me, I know."
"You’re not very charming, are you."
"You’re only just noticing?"
Lost in thought, Opal was brought back to reality by Julian’s voice. She replied defiantly and was tied up with the rope again.
"Come on, get up."
When the train stopped, the rope was yanked, and Opal was forced to her feet. She stood in front of Julian as she disembarked from the train, only to be loaded into a carriage bound for the estate.