DYBAR - Chapter 137 < Justification and Practically, A Plan for the Empress >

DYBAR - Chapter 137 < Justification and Practically, A Plan for the Empress >

Do Your Best And Regret

Dean opened his eyes wide. And then he reflexively shook his head and muttered.

"Something..."

The words spread through the silence. At the same time, a harsh air began to flow.

Still, he smiled as if it was no big deal. His raised eyebrows were awkward, but he tried to dismiss it as being due to his surprise.

Because it couldn't have been that way.

"You must have misunderstood something, Miss. These are Lord Calter and Lord Interfield. Lord Interfield is a noble and is at the imperial palace representing Vikander. Also, not many people know that Lord Calter went to the Islands......!"

Dean's speech, which had become increasingly smooth, suddenly stopped. Bethany's face, who was looking at me earnestly, also hardened.

 I nodded my head lightly.

"Yes. There is a high probability that I was wrong. But at least it's not a good situation for the Crown Prince to know that Lord Calter is in the system."

"Right now, let's tell His Highness right away and bring the knights with us, Miss."

Dean's light green eyes shined fiercely. How dare he say that he imprisoned Vikander's deputy division commanders, two by one.

"Vikander is not afraid of the Empire, Miss. If you go back and tell His Highness right now, we can rescue those two within ten days."

The voice he was spitting out between his teeth was terrifying. Unlike his face, which seemed to be bursting red, the energy he gave off was eerily calm. Dean Szellin. He was now angry as a knight.

But I shook my head.

"If you bring the knights along, the imperial palace will consider it treason."

"What if it's treason? Anyway, Vikander will soon become a principality.....!"

"What I value is their lives."

"But..."

"If a real war begins, they will keep Lord Calter and Lord Interfield alive at the beginning as if they were pawns. But as Sir Szellin said, if victory or defeat is clear, they will deal with Vikander's two knights according to the law of the land."

National law? Only from those words did Dean realize that he had not been told why the two knights had been detained. Wasn't it just something that was forced on them?

"The two are being held on charges of insulting the royal family."

"But Lady. What idiot would dispose of a useful prisoner? As victory and defeat become clearer, they will eventually have no choice but to give up their castles to us."

"I don't know about war, but if a conflict breaks out due to insulting the royal family, as a result, all those who insulted the royal family will die."

For a moment, Dean paused. He felt embarrassed by the difference in outcome from the countless wars he had experienced.

"... Why."

"Because Franz is an empire."

Dean made an incomprehensible face. I continued my words in a quiet voice.

"In the only empire on the continent, 'Insulting the royal family' is considered high treason. Also, if a war breaks out because of this, it will become the 'spark that started the war' itself."

"..."

"Until the war is decided, traitors will be kept alive under the pretext of dealing with them all at once, but when victory and defeat are decided, they will be dealt with with a single blow and then try to end the war under the pretext of eliminating the 'ember that started the war.'"

"The hostage is gone, but who would stop the war in that situation?" 

Just imagining it was too far away. Dean muttered, clenching his fists.

"Of course, it won't stop. Then the allies will declare their participation in the war under the pretext of helping the empire. No matter how Vikander led the way in strengthening the empire, it was the imperial family with 'Franz' as its last name that formed alliances with friendly countries."

"Participation in the war ultimately......."

Dean clenched his fists before speaking. I calmly continued my words.

"If the allies help the imperial family, it could become an even bigger war. Of course, Vikander could become dangerous too."

"This crazy person is the Prince of the empire...."

Bethany trembled and muttered. I agreed with Bethanny.

Leopold is truly crazy. The conditions he presented to me now were walking a tight line between justice and practicality, which he considered most important.

There is a lot of practicality that can be hidden under the excellent justification of treason and civil war that started by Insulting the royal family.

At the banquet last summer, the visiting kingdoms of Franz had already seen the rift between Vikander and the imperial family.

A gap between the most powerful sword that protects the empire and the imperial family.

While there are countries like Heferti that view Vikander favorably, there are also kingdoms that view Vikander as a thorn in their side.

My leap had every chance of becoming a reality. Therefore, if I accompanied the knights to retrieve the two knights, I would only be giving the imperial family an excuse for treason.

I looked at Dean again.

Dean bit his lip, perhaps feeling the reality of this incredibly sloppy and powerful situation. Then, as if he had not lost hope, he clung to Bethanny.

"Bethanny! What about your magic, Bethanny?"

".... It's impossible because there is barrier magic in the Imperial palace."

Bethanny said, barely suppressing her boiling heart.

It's not any other place, it's the imperial palace.

Plus, countless court wizards will make all her magic useless. Bethanny clenched her fists.

Senua's Valley aside, she couldn't believe that she, a wizard, was so incompetent. If she had a little more power, that boundary magic wouldn't have been a problem at all.

Meanwhile, the Young Lady spoke clearly.

"My goal is to safely return Lord Calter and Lord Interfield to Vikander territory."

"Still, you must tell His Highness. His Highness must know the whereabouts of the two deputy knight commanders..."

"I want to save what I tell Edwin for last. If Edwin finds out, he will be brought up to the system right away."

Then Olivia added softly.

".....I can't let him leave the side of the previous Grand Duke."

It was impossible to tear him away from the side of the previous Grand Duke, who never knew when he would wake up.

All explanations are over. There was no longer any reason to stop me. Nevertheless, Bethanny spoke with concern.

"But, Young Lady, it is too dangerous to meet the Prince."

"Prince?"

"Yes?"

"The reason I am going to the imperial palace Is not to see the Crown Prince. I don't know if it will be useful, but we also have one hostage."

"A hostage?"

"The Empress's brother and the center of the noble faction."

Duke of Elkin?

For a moment, realization flashed across Dean and Bethanny's dazed faces.

"I don't know about the Emperor and the Crown Prince, but won't the Empress at least do her best to get him back?"

I don't know the value of blood, but I know well that the Empress and the Duke of Elkin tried to control the noble faction by putting each other first.

Perhaps by now, some time had passed since the Princess had gone into seclusion, and the Empress would have tried to somehow reform the Princess's image through the Duke of Elkin.

"But that alone..."

Bethanny looked anxious.

"I know. It's better to have barriers on all sides."

I nodded my head, looking behind Bethany and Dean. In the distance, Baron Javron looked at the knight ready to depart with a determined look on his face.

"There were many fiefdoms that needed the help of not only Barons but also 'Saints."

Tristan was not the only estate that sent me letters.

Retail territory, Miner territory, Javiel territory. In addition, there are large and small estates where the Princess is the Lord.

"Tell all estate agents. Just as the Baron had heard. If they do that, they will be able to obtain grain and bread that can solve the immediate food crisis."

The things the Princess told me to do were imprinted on the Lord's agents. It was a funny thing that neither the Princess nor I expected.

There may be some who reject it, but I thought that at least retail, which went through the spring crisis, would be on my side.

"Are you okay with two barriers?"

"If there's one more......."

I, who was answering Dean's words, swallowed my words. My hand, which had been subconsciously stroking my hair, suddenly stopped.

When Dean saw her silver hair flowing between her fingers, he suddenly remembered her sad face looking at him.

I shook my head.

My face and expressions were uncertain. An imperfect joker who I can't be sure will completely take my side in an official setting.

"Do not worry."

I spoke deliberately and raised my head. And like a ritual, I wiped my empty neck and said,

"I came after praying. May Lord Calter and Lord Interfield return to us safely."

***

"Your Majesty. Please look at me. Don't you feel sorry for me, who continues to wait for Your Majesty's permission without saying a word?"

Two hours have passed since the Empress stood in her office. It's already been a week. It was shameful to stand in the Emperor's office and desperately hope for his calling.

In the end, the Empress collapsed on the sofa and cried out.

Sad teardrops flowed down her pretty face, but the Emperor sitting at his desk did not pay her a single glance.

"Oh my God, Your Majesty. Things are going well, aren't they? After imprisoning Vikander's two bastards in the dungeon, the Crown Prince summoned the Princess. Isn't it time for you to relent from your anger?"

"Stop going, empress."

However, as the Emperor said, he could not Just go back. The Princess had been lying down crying for several days, and her skin and bones were already dry.

"Your Majesty, Mother. Your Majesty the Emperor is not abandoning me like this, is he? Mother, please tell my story to His Majesty the Emperor just once."

The Empress cried with a hint of tickle in her voice, desperately hoping that the scent of the perfume she had carefully sprayed would have an effect on the Emperor.

"The Princess is truly reflecting, Your Majesty."

"..."

"Your Majesty. Isn't she the only Princess of the Empire?"

"Because she is the only Princess of the empire, I did not send her away like Maria Ethel."

"Your Majesty, how can you compare the Princess with the daughter of the Marquis?"

"empress!"

A terrifying voice rang loudly through the office. The Empress held her breath and blinked her eyes.

She thought today's silence was the right time, but the Empress was wrong. The Empress trembled involuntarily at the holy anger that seeped into his sea-colored eyes.

A bitter sneer spoke towards the Empress.

"Empress, don't you still know? That the Marquis's daughter whom the Empress ignores is already claiming to be the Prince's mistress in Auslan?"

"...... Yes?"

For a moment, the Empress couldn't believe her ears. Apparently, Maria Ethel was sent to a middle noble so that she could never come up again. Why does a Prince suddenly appear?

If he is the Prince of Auslan, he is also the one who was thought of as the Princess's spouse until she sent Maria Ethel away.

As if finding the Empress's reaction funny, the Emperor clicked his tongue and spoke.

"Yes. That cheeky thing has even tangled the Prince in Auslan by mentioning the relationship with the Prince."

"..."

"If the Princess had that kind of talent, I wouldn't have had to worry about something like this when I caught the Grand Duke right away"

"Uh, how......!"

For a moment, the Empress's hands trembled. The words were so shocking that tears dried up in an instant. Like a Princess...

"How can you leave the Princess like that...."

"That's why. The Empress said, take care of yourself. You should have prevented the Princess from acting recklessly when she had the image of a Saint."

The cold thorn pierced the Empress's heart like a dagger. His cold gaze drove a wedge Into her.

"You have been unable to be a mother and protect your daughter, so don't expect only so much from me, Empress."

***

"Ahh!"

The Empress's screams rang out.

The Marchioness confirmed that the door was completely closed and then lowered her head.

The Empress swept away all the items on the dressing table and threw them away. Amid the loud crackling sound of the breaking, the Empress looked at herself in the mirror with her poisonous eyes.

She was so angry that she felt ashamed.

"How could you say that to me.....!"

She didn't even think about the fact that after becoming Emperor, he couldn't solve the Grand Duke's affairs himself and left it to her children, and in the end, it was her fault as the Empress...... 

Then how dare he compare the vulgar Maria Ethel with her precious daughter?

The Empress gritted her teeth.

"If only my brother had been here, my hands wouldn't have been tied like this."

The Empress was breathing in exasperation.

The Duke of Elkin, who had been pushing Maria Ethel so much but had been ignoring her since things went wrong, bowed his head to the Empress after her disgrace. 

His words that he would help the princess stand tall again were not pure intentions. But she couldn't help but believe it.

If only the Duke of Elkin had been around, he would have been able to make a comeback by pushing the Princess back to the center of the banquet.

However, not long ago, the Duke of Elkin, the central point of the aristocratic faction, disappeared as if evaporating.

The Empress looked behind her hysterically. Her maids, including the Marchioness Offem, bowed their heads without even moving.

"Do you mean to say that no one still knows about the Duke of Elkin's whereabouts?"

A sharp shout echoed through the room. All of this happened just three days before the strange letter arrived for the Empress.

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