Chapter 73
Chapter 73. Young Lady (Not) in a Greenhouse (2)
A breathless day passed.
The single room at the Costa Governor-General's Office's direct hospital was a clean guest room with a faint scent of disinfectant wafting through.
Slam!
"Serena!"
Breaking the quiet stillness of the peaceful hospital room, the door burst open.
It was Penelope, who had returned to Costa after receiving contact at the Airship's midway stopover heading to Nortaris that 'Serena had returned safely.'
"Please be quiet in the hospital room, Miss Penelope."
Jurgen sitting and peeling an apple.
"Omph! Heheh-hoheh-ee!"
Serena receiving and eating apples until her cheeks puffed out.
"Haah......"
This must be what it feels like to have all strength drain from your legs.
If Jurgen had decided to remain at the scene and try any means to rescue Serena, Penelope's role was to bring Vic from Nortaris.
She truly couldn't describe how anxious she'd been during that half day.
Though she'd received contact over the wired communication that Serena had returned well without major incident, only after seeing the two people's relaxed appearance could she finally feel relieved.
"What happened?"
"Ah, shoh-eeh......"
"Finish eating first, then talk."
Serena gulped down the apple, then explained the whole story.
Serena, whose identity as a noble was revealed due to the insurance certificate while continuing negotiations with the kidnappers.
The Montagra Cartel was completely flipped upside down.
In the midst of that, someone who seemed quite high-ranking, having learned through the family name 'Renoir' written on the insurance certificate that she was a 'technical noble,' apparently dragged over his beloved Caliburn Model M asking her to repair it.
"Why would they make you do that?"
"I-I don't know either, but...... Maybe there aren't proper mechanics in Soltera."
Even if there had been proper mechanics, whether they could have properly handled it was questionable.
After all, that Caliburn Model M was over 20 years old.
Naturally, the vehicle's condition was seriously terrible, at elder abuse level.
The engine was arbitrarily misfiring, and there was even oil leakage in the brake oil.
However, Serena was both a competent engineer and a devotee of the famous automobile company 'Caliburn.'
She was a Carlslam who considered insults to Caliburn as insults to Serena.
With a spanner in her left hand and a wrench in her right, she went tap-tap repairing it.
And.
"They seemed to look away for a moment, so I just ripped out the wiring, started the engine, and fled......"
"......?"
Penelope was flustered.
"Wait, it feels like a lot was skipped......?"
"Driving is my hobby, you see......"
"Even so, in the middle of a cartel headquarters with just one car...... escaping...... works? Jurgen, does this normally work?"
"I don't think it usually would."
Well, even Jurgen who saw it directly doubted his eyes, so there was no way Penelope, who only heard about it, would believe it.
"Haah...... Do you have any idea how scared I was?"
To summarize the rest of the story, Serena, having succeeded in escaping, charged toward the Britannia Governor-General's Office main gate instead of returning to the resort.
The soldiers stationed at the Governor-General's Office rushed out and tried to detain Serena as she caused a disturbance saying 'I was kidnapped! Please protect me!', but seeing the insurance certificate that could prove her identity, they escorted her to a nearby hospital.
Though she wasn't seriously injured, Serena, whose fatigue was extreme, had just woken from sleep.
"You've got more guts than you look."
"Me? Really......?"
Penelope clicked her tongue.
Since Serena always showed only a timid appearance, her great exploits couldn't be visualized at all, but......
"Anyway, I'm really glad."
But the incident hadn't concluded yet.
Penelope's eyes grew cold.
"......Now it's time to hold people accountable."
It was an incident that could have turned into a terrible tragedy, fortunate only because Serena displayed the maximum performance a kidnapped civilian could show.
They must certainly catch and hold accountable not only the Montagra Cartel but also the resort staff who colluded with them.
Knock knock knock.
"I'll be entering."
After the knock, a man wearing a dark-colored suit entered.
He was a man whose thin cheeks gave a nervous impression with low-prescription rimless glasses.
"I'm Colbrook, in charge of handling this incident."
He set down his bag on a chair, then bowed his head toward Serena.
"First, Miss Serena Renoir who was involved in this unfortunate incident, on behalf of the Governor-General's Office, I express deep regret."
"Ah, yes, well......"
Even at the seemingly polite greeting, Serena nodded her head perfunctorily.
Because......
Perceptive Serena had already noticed how the Governor-General's Office intended to handle this incident.
"This incident clearly shows part is to be blamed on the office of the Governor-General, so we plan to compensate through proper procedures, but."
First, the atmosphere of Colbrook who just entered was somehow subtle.
If he was assigned to handle the incident, the proper thing would be to also reveal his affiliation and position, but he vaguely mentioned only his name.
Most importantly, his expressionless face didn't look regretful at all.
"Before that, there are a few things to confirm. Lady Renoir, did you not leave the safety zone designated by the resort?"
"......I didn't."
"The Governor-General's Office advises tourists in Soltera to be careful about their personal safety."
"No......"
"Also, if there is no clear evidence that Lady Renoir was kidnapped by the Montagra Cartel, according to internal regulations, the Governor-General's Office's intervention is difficult."
Sure enough, Colbrook entered insurance company employee mode, spouting the line 'Is there no fault on the customer's part?'
With this, the estimate became certain.
The Governor-General's Office intended to cover up this matter.
The characteristic inertia of bureaucracy that says don't make things bigger unnecessarily.
Though Serena was a mainland noble, she was merely a first-generation noble of Viscountcy rank.
If she'd been kidnapped by the cartel with unknown life or death, it would be different, but she'd returned without particular problems.
The severity of the incident had changed.
Moreover, the reason Soltera cartels were notorious was because they conducted massive lobbying to local nobles and high-ranking officials.
Rather than having relations with the cartel sour, cutting off pocket money that came in regularly, and fearing decreased tourists when the kidnapping incident was publicly announced, laying steel plates on their faces and shouting 'nothing happened' was the choice with the least problems.
"However, if you would sign a confidentiality agreement about this incident, we would provide considerable compensation for mental shock......"
"Tsk."
Serena clicked her tongue.
Colbrook's eyes widened as if he couldn't believe that sound came from the mouth of a young lady who looked so gentle in every way.
Actually, if it were Serena alone, she would have had no choice.
The Governor-General's Office's approach would have political calculations involved.
Serena, at least for this moment, sweetly tossed to the person who felt more reliable than anyone.
"Lady Rosemore, is all work handling at the Soltera Governor-General's Office like this?"
Directly to bloodline genius Penelope.
"Rosemore? Ro-Rose......more?!"
Colbrook whipped his head toward Penelope with force that made one worry his neck might sprain.
Only then did he notice the young lady he hadn't received prior reports about, but who clearly exuded an atmosphere of precious bloodline.
"Are you the young lady of Count Rosemore's family?"
"Yes, that's right. I also stayed at that resort as part of the same party. I could have been dragged away instead."
Colbrook felt his vision swim.
If this incident involved not just a mere Viscount but the young lady of Count Rosemore's family, the Governor's position would become difficult.
If one wasn't well-versed in Britannia politics, this might seem strange.
Even a mongrel eats at least half before entering in front of its own house, yet the Governor who boasts omnipotent power limited to Soltera must watch the reactions of just one northern prestigious family's young lady.
However, the Governor was an appointed position.
The vein of power flowed from 'the mainland.'
Simply put, if the Governor was like an overseas branch manager of a major corporation, Lady Rosemore is the daughter of a close friend of the headquarters' chairman.
What if that chairman's friend said to the chairman, 'That fellow's work handling isn't trustworthy at all'?
If this situation was inadequately resolved and the Governor's career was tarnished, Secretary Colbrook's political life would also end.
But eliminating the Montagra Cartel that regularly paid tribute involved too many entangled interests.
A situation where he could do neither this nor that.
However, Colbrook was calm.
"So you were the young lady of Count Rosemore's family. For your friend to be embroiled in an unfortunate disturbance after coming all the way to this remote frontier, this is our Governor-General's Office's oversight."
Crisis comes together with opportunity.
If he covers up this problem well, an opportunity for advancement to receive the Governor's warm grace!
"However, Lady Rosemore, the Governor-General's Office also has things called procedures and regulations. Also, there exists what's called local political strife. From your position of having suffered damage, you might think what's the big deal with such things, but if this situation becomes public, innocent people will lose their jobs and lives. Please show merciful magnanimity and leniency."
For a greenhorn noble young lady who clearly looks inexperienced.
"Also, it would be an undesirable matter for your friend, Viscount Renoir. Sensational rumors that a noble lady was kidnapped by ruffians would decorate cheap tabloid newspapers. In this case, I'm concerned it would damage your friend's reputation."
I'll grill and boil you well-done!
"So, how about listening to my proposal?"
Now to naturally continue the flow,
'Even if you don't publicize it, we'll strengthen internal enforcement and punishment ourselves.'
'Instead, we'll provide the best compensation! So please consider your friend being kidnapped by the cartel as something that didn't happen!'
Just as he was about to say this slickly.
Colbrook ended up seeing it.
"......?"
Lady Rosemore with her mouth half-open tilting her head to one side.
Her ruby-red eyes were somehow hazy and blank.
"So you're saying you'll punish all of the Montagra Cartel, those bad people...... right?"
"Pardon?"
"Of course you'll also execute all the bad criminals and colluding staff at the resort by hanging, right?"
"......What?"
No, until just now he'd been saying that was difficult?
"Th-that's...... I'm saying it's difficult for the Governor-General's Office to step forward when the kidnapping hasn't been clearly clarified. The Montagra Cartel is classified as a legally profit-making corporate company......"
"Profit-making? Corporation? I don't really understand such difficult words! You're deliberately going around in circles speaking difficultly!"
From the appearance of Lady Rosemore protesting with tears welling up, Colbrook instinctively felt fear.
"Bad people did bad things, so why won't you say you'll execute them by hanging? And why does it have to be secret? We didn't do anything wrong!"
This......
Penelope stamped her feet in place, then whined.
"......I'm going to tell everything to my elder brother."
This......
"These aren't just empty words! I'm saying this prepared to get terribly scolded when I go home! I'll tell my elder brother Mr. Colbrook's name too!"
It seems utterly fucked.
Colbrook had prepared for politics and negotiation like a skilled chess player.
But what if the opponent was a blockhead young lady with zero interest in chess rules?
Whatever he says, if she rushes to her family saying 'Elder brother, I suffered a terrible thing in Soltera, boo-hoo!'?
Communication doesn't work.
Logic, appeasement, pressure, 'Hehe, let's just keep things nice'—nothing works.
"......I'll contact the Governor and return."
Colbrook, gripped by fear, hurriedly left.
And.
"Phew...... Acting arrogant over nothing."
Serena and Jurgen were terrified in a different sense.
Especially Serena was stuck flat like a spider against the hospital room wall.
"Wh-who are you? That is Miss Penelope...... right?"
"What."
Because......
The 'empty-headed young lady act that exists one or two in social circles' that Penelope just showed was too detestable and creepy.
"He kept annoyingly adding this and that. I thought pretending to be someone impossible to communicate with would work."
"Well done, Miss Penelope."
"This much is basic to survive in social circles."
Actually Penelope was also slightly embarrassed, so her earlobes were reddening.
"......"
Serena, who confirmed that and debated whether to crack a joke or not.
"But will you really tell your elder brother?"
Whack.
"Kyaah......!"
In the end, Serena, who couldn't resist adding a word, received a lightning-fast forehead flick on her noggin.