DYBAR - Chapter 149 < Shaky Territory and The Beginning of War >
Do Your Best And Regret
Duke Madeleine gritted his teeth and ran up the stairs, leaving behind the servants who stood still as if dumbfounded. Jade's voice, screaming fiercely, whipped the Duke in his ears.
“Olivia being in the imperial palace is not of her own accord!”
Last night, Jade, who returned to the mansion late in the morning, was not alone.
There are four knights in total, including two knights who are in terrible shape but have fierce eyes, a knight with light green eyes, and one who is barely breathing.
The Duke realized that three of the four were prisoners, and Jade screamed at him like he was crazy.
As the Duke's employees came out one by one to the loud noise, Jade shouted with half-closed eyes.
“The Prince threatened me with Vikander’s knights. So, he is in the imperial palace...”
He chewed his lips as if he couldn't continue speaking. The moment Giovanni, Duke of Madeleine, deduced the rest of the words, his mind turned blank and he became dazed.
And at that moment, a crying voice came into his ears, as if they were wet with water.
"How...! It’s because of me!”
Ethella, who had been avoiding even meeting her father face to face, ran down the stairs in tears. And she clung to Giovanni in front of numerous employees. In her panic, Veronica and her maid Sally rushed to her and helped her up, but it was no use.
“Father, please. I delivered His Royal Highness’s letter to my sister.”
For the first time, Giovanni thought of Olivia, who was far away, rather than his daughter who was sad even with a single tear. The girl who met the Empress whom she was so afraid of, the girl who is now in the imperial palace under the pressure of the Crown Prince...
“If you don’t, I’m going to kill them all.”
When Giovanni remembered the face that couldn't even let out a cry over her wet voice, he felt a thrill as if his heart had been cut out.
Olivia must be saved. For once, he thought he should do what he could instead of regret.
And he was clearly aware that now was the time, not only for Giovanni but also for Conrad and Jade.
Upon hearing that the Duke was requesting an audience, Leopold rushed into the audience room. Could it be that the Duke's mansion is where Olivia disappeared?
Is that why Duke came to see him right away?
However, as soon as the door to the throne room opened and the Duke, who had not even straightened his disheveled hair, opened his mouth in a hurry, Leopold recognized it.
“...Where is my daughter? Your Highness...!”
Those words pouring out in sorrow are by no means words that would be beneficial to Leopold.
Olivia's whereabouts were back to square one. If it's a place that even a wizard can't track down... After all, is it an anti-siege?
So Leopold shrewdly decided to take advantage of this moment. He quickly rolled his head and rolled his words into his mouth.
“...The Princess who will be my wife and your daughter...”
Earnest eyes turned to Leopold. Leopold narrowed his eyes shallowly.
“... She was kidnapped at this very moment.”
"Your Highness!"
“Vikander...”
For a moment, the Duke's eyes widened as if he had been struck by sudden death. Seeing the vivid emotions revealed by the Iron-Blooded Duke, Leopold frowned and then chuckled inwardly.
He liked being emotional like that right now.
“...By the Grand Duke.”
As emotional as it is, it would be nice to have it in his hands and use it as he pleases. Leopold waved a white handkerchief as if to cover the Duke's mouth before he could say more.
“Not only that. Vikander threw this at me.”
Now, it should have been Vikander, not Olivia, who threw this handkerchief at him. The bright blue eyes spoke with clear hatred in them.
“A declaration of war has been made. Is it worth using when the empire has suffered so helplessly?”
Leopold slowly twitched the corner of his lips.
The Duke seemed to have found his composure at some point and seriously closed his mouth. When Leopold saw that shiny silver hair, he thought of his father, who was absent-mindedly sweeping away a burnt-out portrait with his gray hair.
He is no longer fit for the position of Emperor.
Still, as his son, Leopold must protect his last steps. Leopold grinned and spoke slowly.
“Convene a meeting, Duke."
“...”
“For Vikander and the war.”
“Your Highness, do you know what you mean?”
"Of course."
Leopold lied without even blinking. Well, it couldn't be said to be a complete lie. The Emperor's only interest now was the portrait of the fallen Princess.
If he only wanted to buy the portraits he was so fond of, he could have searched through Vikander and found at least one portrait.
Of course, Leopold will gain both Vikander's great wealth and Olivia.
At that moment, the Duke of Madeleine stumbled. Leopold clicked his tongue as he watched the helpless leaning figure.
It seemed that every family now needed a generational change.
He didn’t know how many emergency meetings had already been called.
As soon as the morning sun rose, the faces of the nobles who entered the palace showed a look of annoyance.
Until just a few months ago, meetings were simply a place to covet and confirm each other's interests, but these days, the more people attend noble meetings, the more their interests are taken away.
However, when they entered the conference hall, the nobles were a little embarrassed.
The Little Duke was sitting in the place of the Duke of Madeleine. The Little Duke, who only nodded to the greetings of the nobles who approached him as if he was representing them, stood up and spoke only when the meeting began.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness. His father was unwell, so I attended on his behalf.”
"But, he looked good when he was talking about the agenda earlier.”
So far, the Duke of Madeleine has never once failed to attend a meeting. So he is called iron-blooded. Could it be that he was really not feeling well?
The conference hall, where speculation abounded, became quiet as if cold water had been poured right after the Prince brought up the agenda. While all the nobles could not believe their ears, Count Comode screamed like a scream.
“Vi, there’s a war with Vikander! This is so...!”
It’s dangerous...!
Everyone in the hall understood what Count Comode had swallowed.
It was not uncommon for the Empire to go to war with other countries, but internal strife...! Regardless of its appearance, this was a threat to the Empire. After all, it is the most powerful archer!
It was the Prince's next word that immediately defeated the nobles who were noisily protesting.
“...It seems to me that not everyone remembers the Grand Duke’s demands.”
The ratio of war reparations to mineral taxes.
That alone made the eyes of some nobles turn red. At those words, the nobles changed their stance and looked for a justification for war with fire in their eyes.
“Now that I think about it, what His Highness the Crown Prince said is correct. At first, they arbitrarily distributed war reparations to the people, and then even the mineral tax amount was adjusted at an absurd rate!”
“They even imprisoned the Duke of Elkin, who was the representative of mineral tax negotiations, and kidnapped a Princess from the solemn imperial palace. Oh my. I can’t even bring myself to say it out loud.”
Not only did Vikander kidnap the nobles of the empire, but they also kidnapped the Prince's fiancée...!
“Olivia being in the imperial palace is not of her own accord!”
Last night, Jade, who returned to the mansion late in the morning, was not alone.
There are four knights in total, including two knights who are in terrible shape but have fierce eyes, a knight with light green eyes, and one who is barely breathing.
The Duke realized that three of the four were prisoners, and Jade screamed at him like he was crazy.
As the Duke's employees came out one by one to the loud noise, Jade shouted with half-closed eyes.
“The Prince threatened me with Vikander’s knights. So, he is in the imperial palace...”
He chewed his lips as if he couldn't continue speaking. The moment Giovanni, Duke of Madeleine, deduced the rest of the words, his mind turned blank and he became dazed.
And at that moment, a crying voice came into his ears, as if they were wet with water.
"How...! It’s because of me!”
Ethella, who had been avoiding even meeting her father face to face, ran down the stairs in tears. And she clung to Giovanni in front of numerous employees. In her panic, Veronica and her maid Sally rushed to her and helped her up, but it was no use.
“Father, please. I delivered His Royal Highness’s letter to my sister.”
For the first time, Giovanni thought of Olivia, who was far away, rather than his daughter who was sad even with a single tear. The girl who met the Empress whom she was so afraid of, the girl who is now in the imperial palace under the pressure of the Crown Prince...
“If you don’t, I’m going to kill them all.”
When Giovanni remembered the face that couldn't even let out a cry over her wet voice, he felt a thrill as if his heart had been cut out.
Olivia must be saved. For once, he thought he should do what he could instead of regret.
And he was clearly aware that now was the time, not only for Giovanni but also for Conrad and Jade.
***
Upon hearing that the Duke was requesting an audience, Leopold rushed into the audience room. Could it be that the Duke's mansion is where Olivia disappeared?
Is that why Duke came to see him right away?
However, as soon as the door to the throne room opened and the Duke, who had not even straightened his disheveled hair, opened his mouth in a hurry, Leopold recognized it.
“...Where is my daughter? Your Highness...!”
Those words pouring out in sorrow are by no means words that would be beneficial to Leopold.
Olivia's whereabouts were back to square one. If it's a place that even a wizard can't track down... After all, is it an anti-siege?
So Leopold shrewdly decided to take advantage of this moment. He quickly rolled his head and rolled his words into his mouth.
“...The Princess who will be my wife and your daughter...”
Earnest eyes turned to Leopold. Leopold narrowed his eyes shallowly.
“... She was kidnapped at this very moment.”
"Your Highness!"
“Vikander...”
For a moment, the Duke's eyes widened as if he had been struck by sudden death. Seeing the vivid emotions revealed by the Iron-Blooded Duke, Leopold frowned and then chuckled inwardly.
He liked being emotional like that right now.
“...By the Grand Duke.”
As emotional as it is, it would be nice to have it in his hands and use it as he pleases. Leopold waved a white handkerchief as if to cover the Duke's mouth before he could say more.
“Not only that. Vikander threw this at me.”
Now, it should have been Vikander, not Olivia, who threw this handkerchief at him. The bright blue eyes spoke with clear hatred in them.
“A declaration of war has been made. Is it worth using when the empire has suffered so helplessly?”
Leopold slowly twitched the corner of his lips.
The Duke seemed to have found his composure at some point and seriously closed his mouth. When Leopold saw that shiny silver hair, he thought of his father, who was absent-mindedly sweeping away a burnt-out portrait with his gray hair.
He is no longer fit for the position of Emperor.
Still, as his son, Leopold must protect his last steps. Leopold grinned and spoke slowly.
“Convene a meeting, Duke."
“...”
“For Vikander and the war.”
“Your Highness, do you know what you mean?”
"Of course."
Leopold lied without even blinking. Well, it couldn't be said to be a complete lie. The Emperor's only interest now was the portrait of the fallen Princess.
If he only wanted to buy the portraits he was so fond of, he could have searched through Vikander and found at least one portrait.
Of course, Leopold will gain both Vikander's great wealth and Olivia.
At that moment, the Duke of Madeleine stumbled. Leopold clicked his tongue as he watched the helpless leaning figure.
It seemed that every family now needed a generational change.
***
He didn’t know how many emergency meetings had already been called.
As soon as the morning sun rose, the faces of the nobles who entered the palace showed a look of annoyance.
Until just a few months ago, meetings were simply a place to covet and confirm each other's interests, but these days, the more people attend noble meetings, the more their interests are taken away.
However, when they entered the conference hall, the nobles were a little embarrassed.
The Little Duke was sitting in the place of the Duke of Madeleine. The Little Duke, who only nodded to the greetings of the nobles who approached him as if he was representing them, stood up and spoke only when the meeting began.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness. His father was unwell, so I attended on his behalf.”
"But, he looked good when he was talking about the agenda earlier.”
So far, the Duke of Madeleine has never once failed to attend a meeting. So he is called iron-blooded. Could it be that he was really not feeling well?
The conference hall, where speculation abounded, became quiet as if cold water had been poured right after the Prince brought up the agenda. While all the nobles could not believe their ears, Count Comode screamed like a scream.
“Vi, there’s a war with Vikander! This is so...!”
It’s dangerous...!
Everyone in the hall understood what Count Comode had swallowed.
It was not uncommon for the Empire to go to war with other countries, but internal strife...! Regardless of its appearance, this was a threat to the Empire. After all, it is the most powerful archer!
It was the Prince's next word that immediately defeated the nobles who were noisily protesting.
“...It seems to me that not everyone remembers the Grand Duke’s demands.”
The ratio of war reparations to mineral taxes.
That alone made the eyes of some nobles turn red. At those words, the nobles changed their stance and looked for a justification for war with fire in their eyes.
“Now that I think about it, what His Highness the Crown Prince said is correct. At first, they arbitrarily distributed war reparations to the people, and then even the mineral tax amount was adjusted at an absurd rate!”
“They even imprisoned the Duke of Elkin, who was the representative of mineral tax negotiations, and kidnapped a Princess from the solemn imperial palace. Oh my. I can’t even bring myself to say it out loud.”
Not only did Vikander kidnap the nobles of the empire, but they also kidnapped the Prince's fiancée...!
The nobles talked to each other, saying that it was clearly to take advantage of the image that was held up as a Saint.
Just as Leopold was looking at the well-organized board with a wry smile, someone cautiously raised his hand and spoke.
“But, a Princess was kidnapped from this heavily guarded imperial palace. How dare to do that?”
“What did you hear when Your Highness spoke? Didn’t you tell me that they took the Princess as the hostage?”
“I mean, yeah.”
Baron White pursed his lips several times with a perplexed look on his face, choosing his words. And he glanced discreetly at Conrad. He, who never made eye contact, recited exactly what he had said indifferently before entering the conference hall.
“...I am concerned that the Grand Duke is powerful enough to take a Princess from an imperial palace full of magic barriers and guards.”
Only then did the nobles realize what they had missed and regretted it. For a moment, he forgot about the Grand Duke’s power. The Baron seemed to gain strength from the chaotic atmosphere and added a word.
“If there is a war with such a Grand Duke... Obviously, victory or defeat will be decided in the hands of the empire, but I told you this because I was wondering whether there was a need for us to take the risk.”
No nobleman refrained from talking about the danger. Everyone was looking at each other, and there was a lot of tension in the conference hall.
“...How can you restore what Vikander is trying to take from the Empire without taking the slightest risk?”
The Prince with a slow voice smiled and looked at the nobles in the hall. And he whispered softly.
“We have allies who will join us for our cause. Does Grand Duke Vikander have any allies?”
“...”
“Their fighting power was high because they were with the Empire, but the moment they abandon their loyalty to the Empire and try to take wealth, they are no longer honorable knights. Just...”
Brightly shining bright blue eyes. The stained glass shining in the morning sunlight depicted the first Emperor, who looked exactly like the current Prince.
The nobles listened to the Prince's words without even being able to breathe.
“...They are just the barbarian people of the north.”
The nobles' excitement grew at the indifferent voice that downgraded the noble family to mere barbarians.
A barbarian after a murderous demon.
One more word that belittles the Grand Duke has been added. It was very sweet to see someone who was much higher in rank than they be disparaged and brought down by the pinnacle of power.
And that sweetness made the nobles slowly become consumed by the Prince's words.
“Do you think it is right for them to possess the great power created by the Empire?”
"No!"
Strong negativity rained down from everywhere. Wealth and strength. The ouster of the grand ducal family that supported the empire will create a new power structure. There was no law preventing their family from being involved in the issue of power.
Leopold, who had cleverly shaken up the aristocracy, smiled sweetly. Then he sent an attendant to the stern-faced Duke of Madeleine and spoke to him.
“After the meeting is over, Little Duke, please wait for a while.”
After hearing the servant's words, the Little Duke calmly nodded his head.
***
When the start of the war was announced, everyone became busy preparing. Those who financed the war behind the scenes tried to buy weapons using bonds as collateral and gathered knights from the family, including mercenaries.
Meanwhile, Leopold prepared a gift package for Count Hodges. And he said to the Duke.
“I was planning to send a gift to the Duke of Madeleine as a visitation. Wouldn’t it be nice if we went to the Duke’s residence together?”
“Thank you for your consideration despite your busy schedule. I will deliver it for you...”
“That can’t be possible.”
Indifferent tone and narrowed eyes. His gaze, which was scanning the other person like a snake, stickily checked every part of Conrad and spoke.
“Still, isn’t he the one who will become my father-in-law in name and reality? I would like to show my sincerity, so please accompany Count Hodges.”
***
“...The Duke of Madeleine is not someone who will just fall down. Go and check if there’s anything strange.”
“If you say it’s strange...”
“Anything that seems to be related to Olivia.”
However, contrary to what the Crown Prince said, there was nothing strange about the Duke's residence. After completing his search, Count Hodges briefly concluded,
The colorless Duke Madeleine and the little Princess who nursed him with red eyes. And Jade Madeleine, who looks like a gloomy bitch.
Even the employees of the Duke's residence were anxious about the Duke, who was bedridden.
“...Once again, I hope you recover well.”
Count Hodges politely greeted the Duke and returned to the imperial palace. The Prince frowned and asked about his next business with a steamed face after hearing Count Hodges' report.
"Then... Have you sent a letter to your allies?”
“...I have completed everything except the Kingdom of Auslan.”
“Why Auslan, ah.”
Leopold furrowed his brows. To keep the momentum going, he sent it to a middle noble. Ironically, the rumor that Maria had become the Prince's mistress resurfaced.
“...Well, it’s no different if one kingdom is missing.”
***
Even after Count Hodges' carriage returned, the Prince's guards kept an eye on the Madeleine duchy for quite some time.
Only when Dean, who had confirmed with sharp eyes that the presence had disappeared, nodded his head, did the butler and Veronica, Ethella's maid, inform the residents of the ducal residence that the play had ended.
The Duke, who had been lying down as if in pain, opened his eyes. Unlike when he collapsed in front of the Prince, his eyes fell on the red-haired knight standing a short distance away.
“...If it’s a kidnapping, does that mean Olivia isn’t in the imperial palace?”
Comments
Post a Comment