Chapter 25: Escape
“Truly... the ways of the world are unpredictable.” Lin Wei’s lips curled slightly.
That Selmea, who appeared so dignified and gentle, was actually the daughter of a marquis from the Snowthorn Kingdom—this was something Count Lamo found difficult to accept.
Currently, the Radiant Kingdom and the Snowthorn Kingdom had already entered a covert state of war, soon to be announced to the public. The tensions between the two countries had escalated to the point where they were detaining each other’s citizens. At such a sensitive moment, Jon had brought home the daughter of a powerful noble from the Snowthorn Kingdom, and she might even become his daughter-in-law!
Count Lamo’s face instantly turned pale. He forced a strained smile. “So you’re the daughter of the Buwell family—no wonder you’re so outstanding.”
Selmea keenly noticed the change in the count’s demeanor, but she simply thanked him softly for his praise. Jon, however, frowned.
“What’s wrong, Father? You don’t look well.” Jon’s voice brimmed with concern.
At any other time, receiving such care from his son would have cheered Count Lamo’s heart, but now, his feelings were impossibly complex.
“Oh, perhaps it’s just that there have been so many matters in the territory lately. Handling them has drained much of my energy,” the count said, his tone suddenly lightening.
...
After Selmea revealed her background, Lin Wei could clearly sense the gloom in Count Lamo’s thoughts. Though the countess tried hard to maintain a cordial atmosphere, there was an undeniable strangeness to the air.
The banquet dragged on for another half hour before Jon escorted Selmea from the table.
“My lord…” Watching Jon and Selmea depart, the countess spoke gently—she had long noticed something amiss. “You seemed quite distracted tonight.”
Count Lamo glanced at her but did not answer directly. “Mm, just thinking about some official matters. Go on ahead to your room; I have a few words to discuss with Lin Wei.”
The countess gazed deeply at Lin Wei, then quietly left the dining hall.
The vast room was left with only Lin Wei and Count Lamo.
“Lin Wei, you grasp the gravity of the situation now, don’t you?” The count picked up a dinner knife, absentmindedly polishing it.
Lin Wei nodded, keeping silent.
A flicker of inexplicable frustration crossed Count Lamo’s face. “Jon’s return was meant to be a joyous occasion, and he even brought back a prospective daughter-in-law who pleased both me and my wife. Yet... Selmea is the daughter of a Snowthorn noble.”
“The timing is simply too sensitive. If His Majesty learns that the daughter of Marquis Buwell from the Snowthorn Kingdom is here in the Tulip territory, and that she has a close relationship with our heir, the Tulip family... could easily be stricken from the rolls of the Radiant Kingdom...”
A ruthless glint flashed in Count Lamo’s eyes.
Lin Wei remained silent, awaiting his orders.
“Lin Wei…” The count seemed to have made a decision, but still hesitated. “Tell me—if I send Selmea as a hostage to the capital, would the Tulip family rise because of it?”
The Buwell family wielded enormous influence in the Snowthorn Kingdom. If Selmea were delivered as a hostage, the count could almost foresee His Majesty recognizing this as a tremendous accomplishment.
Still, Lin Wei did not speak; he knew the count was only searching for answers within himself.
“What a pity... I’ve failed Jon.” The count sighed.
Lin Wei looked at him and asked, “My lord, what would you have me do?”
“Restrict Selmea’s freedom. Tomorrow morning, I’ll escort her to the capital myself.”
In the end, the count chose to be an ambitious minister rather than a compassionate father.
“What if Young Master Jon tries to intervene?” Lin Wei asked softly.
“If Jon stands in your way, tell him about the war between the two kingdoms. In matters concerning the life and death of the Tulip territory, he should be able to make the right decision.” The count’s tone was so cold it chilled the marrow.
“Yes, sir!”
Lin Wei answered at once.
...
No sooner had they left the banquet hall than Selmea seized Jon’s sleeve.
“What’s wrong, Selmea?” Jon looked in confusion at her uncharacteristic agitation.
Selmea stopped and fixed her gaze on Jon, speaking earnestly, “Jon, I have a bad feeling. Something is about to happen…”
“Hm? What do you mean?” Jon was baffled.
“Think carefully about what happened just now…” Selmea’s words came quickly, but with clarity. “The moment I revealed I was the daughter of the Buwell family, your father changed. After that, every look he gave me was unnatural. And I felt a deep hostility from him.”
Jon’s eyes grew vacant as he tried to recall the scene.
“Perhaps... you’re just being sensitive? Maybe you were nervous in front of my father?” Jon suggested, as if trying to convince himself.
“This brought something to mind,” Selmea said. “Half a month ago, I received a letter from my father. He alluded, quite tactfully, to the relationship between the Radiant Kingdom and the Snowthorn Kingdom. He warned me that major conflict might erupt. At the time, I didn’t think much of it, but now, it seems the rift between the kingdoms has already widened.”
“If that’s truly the case…” Selmea fell silent and looked at Jon.
Cold sweat broke out on Jon’s brow. “War…”
Jon suddenly realized that after his return to the Tulip territory, he hadn’t seen Leruman or Naken. Unless something extremely urgent had happened, those two would have been there to welcome him.
He was no longer the spoiled scion of before. A year at the war academy had taught him much about military affairs, and the atmosphere now made him think of the calm before war.
His father’s strange behavior, the marquis’s letter, Naken and Leruman’s absence—everything, at this moment, felt far too coincidental.
Jon took a deep breath and made up his mind. “Selmea, quickly, come with me!”
...
Lin Wei led a dozen Tulip guards, subtly surrounding the guest room where Selmea stayed.
“Hm? No lights inside?” Lin Wei frowned at the darkened room, puzzled. “How could that be? The