Chapter 8
The presidential palace became a big mess.
The situation that Su Shi had been painstakingly creating for a long time finally bore fruit. In a split second, the Terence government, which had become accustomed to operating under the central command of Marshal Daniel, lost their chief executive officer and was almost completely paralyzed.
The president was urgently called from his bed, and eventually the panicked situation was stabilized. However, the meticulous arrangement of many matters was still left unattended, and many orders were difficult to communicate immediately and effectively.
The increasingly chaotic staffing had finally caught Wayne"s attention.
"Exactly what happened? You"ve been here all along, but where is Daniel?"
When Nathan came to deliver breakfast, Wayne took the chance to question him. The lieutenant was always by Daniel"s side. Some ominous premonition was beginning to stir in his heart.
The lieutenant met his gaze. Only after a moment of silence did he then open his mouth to reply. "The insurgent army seized the marshal. They are demanding the release of Your Royal Highness Wayne. The two sides are still negotiating for the time being. Please be patient."
The hand that held his wrist suddenly tightened and the lieutenant raised his head. For the first time, he saw a mixture of shock, anxiety, and pain on Wayne"s face.
Turbulent emotions roiled in Wayne"s eyes. However, it was only for a moment, and then it was forcibly suppressed by rationality. "When did this happen? Is there no protection detail around him? How could his whereabouts be leaked?"
"Just last night. The marshal did not want others to see his weak state, so he refused the guard escort. His whereabouts are top secret and we don"t know why it was leaked."
Nathan slowly pulled the grip off his arm. He bowed his head and broke off their gaze. Then he meticulously pushed the soup bowl forward.
"The marshal gave up on resisting and asked the insurgents to let me go. I was ordered to look after Your Royal Highness. Your condition also determines the safety of the marshal, so please eat properly and heal up your injuries as soon as possible."
"But you should also know that they will not be merciful to him…"
Not at all.
Wayne"s gaze fell upon that bowl of soup. The tepid surface of the soup was calm, without a trace of turmoil.
The plan to send him back to Isaton Palace was flawed. Although the ident.i.ty of the royal family was enough to temporarily save his life, there were many radicals in the Terence government who would rather use their own death to intensify the situation and wage war.
As long as he returned to Isaton Palace, there would be an a.s.sa.s.sin tailing him, so he had hoped that Daniel would not be present.
He had long perceived the hidden dangers, but he did not poke at the holes in the plan, because for someone of Daniel"s ident.i.ty and circ.u.mstance to do this much to protect him, it was already to the limit.
But now, there were enough bargaining chips.
The marshal was still in the hands of the insurgent army. The president definitely would not allow anything to happen during the hostage exchange. No one would have the courage to a.s.sa.s.sinate Wayne at this time.
The exchange location was top secret, and even the lieutenant was not fully informed.
It was Daniel who personally disclosed the information of his whereabouts to the insurgent army and voluntarily fell into their hands, all to ensure Wayne"s absolute safety.
"Nathan, at that time… did he have anything to say to me?"
Wayne tried hard to keep his tone calm as he questioned Nathan in an unhurried manner.
He still remembered, before Daniel stepped out the door of his cell, he had swallowed back some words.
There must have been something he wanted to convey to Wayne, but he wasn"t able to say it. Perhaps it was because their past scars were too deep, or perhaps they still have not found the right time.
Or maybe it was due to that bullet he shot at Daniel.
Meeting his gaze, the lieutenant"s eyes turned faintly red, and he quickly lowered his head.
This action caused Wayne"s heart to tighten fiercely. It was like a stream of hot water rolling over his internal organs, stabbing him, and stealing his breath away.
He must know.
Wayne"s voice was hoa.r.s.e, but his tone was still calm, calmer than any previous sentence, "Tell me, what does he want to say to me?"
That unswervingly determined body trembled lightly. Nathan raised his head and he met that gaze, which was burning so hot that it seemed like magma might spill out.
The marshal"s pale face seemed to be floating in front of him. Daniel"s faint smile was soft and relieved, so relieved that Nathan couldn"t help but have a strong fear.
The lieutenant"s chest violently fluctuated a few times before he finally muttered, "The marshal said to tell you to remember to eat well, take care of your injuries, and live well…"
He just wanted to tell him to live.
Wayne silently lowered his gaze and sat motionless. His figure solidified into an icy statue.
The magma cast everything into a hard sh.e.l.l. All the emotions were firmly sealed in it, leaving only a subtle shadow of pain.
"Nathan, I know you can be trusted. Listen to me."
All the plans were overthrown in a split second. Wayne spoke in a deep voice. His tone had become unquestionably tough and firm.
"He must have been planning for this all along. Daniel has been sitting in the executive center for a long time. The current government does not have a competent administrator. On the day of the hostage exchange, the internal government would definitely be in a mess. Launching an attack at this time will be the most favorable for the insurgent army."
Nathan"s gaze quickly became focused and he nodded silently.
"This fight will happen after the exchange of hostages. Daniel will not be able to help the government win this battle. According to his previous performance, he did not even leave any back road for himself."
Wayne quickly integrated all known situations, but his thoughts became more and more submerged.
He met the lieutenant"s gaze and his throat tightened faintly.
"He didn"t intend to come back from the beginning. We must stop him… no matter what happens, we must make sure that he lives. Nathan, do you understand?"
Author Corner
Su Shi: N- n- no, shut up, shut up… (ノQ口Q)ノ