Nicole Tesis's logistics warehouse is located on the outskirts of the capital.
Count Martina paced around the warehouse anxiously, looking at his pocket watch.
The current time is 9:20.
Adele, who was supposed to arrive by 8:30, hasn't been heard from for an hour now.
'I hope nothing happened.'
As time passed, his sense of unease grew.
Count Martina wanted to find out right away, but he couldn't because he was afraid that if he did, he would be caught and in trouble.
There was one more thing that was troubling him.
“How long do you plan to keep us waiting, Count Martina?”
It was the northern nobles who had gathered in the warehouse.
Count Martina secretly summoned the nobles of the Northern Territory here as Adele had requested.
The Northern Territory nobles who came to the warehouse without knowing anything were very upset that they had been called to such a dirty place.
It seemed like they had prepared well, with fancy tables and chairs and soft carpets on the floor, but it was still a warehouse, so it was natural for them to be upset.
However, Count Martina said that he had something important to say, so they waited patiently, but as the night grew deeper and he didn't say anything, all the suppressed complaints came pouring out.
“I think an hour is enough time to wait.”
“I waited for an hour and a half.”
“Now, tell us why you called us here, Count.”
“Um, that’s...”
As complaints poured in from all sides, Count Martina wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, at a loss.
Adele had told him not to say anything until she got there, but he was reaching his limit.
Just as he was about to speak, feeling that the nobles would storm out if things continued this way, the huge warehouse door opened.
Count Martina and the other nobles who had been expressing their discontent towards him all turned their gazes towards the door.
Two people with long shadows extending from their heads walked briskly into the warehouse.
“Sorry I’m late.”
It was Adele and Perdes.
Count Martina, who was relieved that she had finally arrived and was breathing heavily, opened his eyes wide in surprise when he belatedly discovered that Adele's clothes were covered in blood.
The other nobles were also surprised.
“Your Excellency, there is blood on your clothes...”
“There was a minor accident on my way here.”
Adele said blandly as if it were nothing.
“I’m late because of that, so please understand.”
“Oh, I see.”
The nobleman who spoke to Adele nodded, looking bewildered.
The other nobles exchanged glances.
They don't know what happened to Adele, but it was definitely no small accident.
If it had been a minor accident, there wouldn't have been blood on her clothes like that, and Adele wouldn't have had cuts on her face or other places.
'Did she get attacked?'
'That seems to be the case, but who on earth would have thought of Her Excellency the Duke...'
'There are so many accidents and incidents, like someone deliberately erupting the volcano in the dukedom.'
While the nobles were talking with their eyes, Perdes closed the storeroom door and stood guard in front of it, while Adele sat at the highest seat.
She walked over as if nothing had happened, but in reality, her body was covered in wounds. She had no feeling in her legs, and her left arm, which had been directly hit, could not move at all.
As her body gradually got hotter, she started to feel dizzy.
But there was work she had to do, and she didn't want to appear weak to the nobles, so Adele held on tight.
“First, let me apologize for unintentionally keeping you waiting for so long.”
When Adele bowed her head slightly in apology, the nobles who had been murmuring silently all looked at her as if they were slightly embarrassed.
Adele raised her head again, a bright smile forming on the corners of her lips.
“And I would like to thank you for gathering here.”
“...Was it the Duke who called us here, not Count Martina?”
“Yes. I have something important to tell you, and I asked Count Martina to do it.”
“What do you want to tell us?”
Understandably, they'd feel offended by the request to speak quickly and not waste time.
Adele said without wavering as if that was not the case at all.
“I intend to make the Duchy of Leopold a nation, not just a fiefdom within the Empire.”
A huge story called.
“What are you talking about...!”
“Oh, a country!”
The nobles who were hit by the bomb thrown by Adele were so shocked that they jumped up from their seats.
The same was true of Count Martina.
He opened his eyes as wide as lanterns and asked Adele.
“Are you serious, Your Excellency the Duke?”
“Yes. I’m serious.”
“But that is...”
When Count Martina could not bring himself to continue speaking and closed his mouth, Adele smiled and spoke in his stead.
“You mean to say that it is a treason against the Empire and the Royal Family?”
Count Martina bowed his head in silent agreement.
The other nobles all fell silent as if they shared Count Martina's thoughts.
“I think this story will be long, so sit down.”
“...”
“Even if you want to sit down.”
The nobles sat back down awkwardly, watching the situation closely as the command seemed somewhat forced, even though it seemed like a recommendation.
“As you all know, the northern territory of the empire, including Leopold’s territory, was not originally part of the empire. It was an unknown land that no one had developed.”
A quiet but powerful voice echoed quietly throughout the warehouse.
“But the reason the Northern Territory came to belong to the Empire was because the first Duke Leopold made a deal with the royal family.”
The first Duke Leopold made a deal with the imperial family to return the Leopold Estates he had received from the Red Dragon to the Empire and fulfill his duties as a nobleman, in exchange for receiving the title of Duke and recognition of his autonomy.
Other landowners in the Northern Territory who saw this also made contracts with the imperial family, and as a result, the current Northern Territory of the empire was created.
What was different from the Duchy of Leopold was that the other northern territories had no autonomy.
The Duchy of Leopold was the only fiefdom within the empire that was recognized as autonomous.
“My family has been loyal to the imperial family as per the contract. However, the current Emperor is not satisfied with that and is trying to completely swallow up Leopold’s territory.”
Adele clenched her fists as she remembered what the Emperor had done to her so far.
“Leopold’s estate is strictly the property of the Leopold family. I have no intention of handing it over to the Emperor or anyone else.”
“...”
“But since the Emperor is looking down on Leopold’s territory, breaking our long-standing trust and contract, I have no choice but to fight back. That is my will, and the will of my family.”
After Adele finished speaking, a quiet silence flowed through the warehouse as if cold water had been poured over it.
Everyone stared at their desks or into space with their mouths shut as if they had forgotten to breathe.
Meanwhile, their heads were spinning, thinking about why Adele had told them such an incredible story.
No, matter they could already guess what she was thinking, but they couldn't bring themself to say it, so they hesitated and Adele continued speaking.
“If Leopold’s territory falls into the hands of the Emperor, your territory will be next. The greedy Emperor will never be satisfied with Leopold’s territory.”
“...”
“So I hope you will join me in fighting against the Emperor.”
This part was something they had guessed while listening to Adele's story, so they weren't as shaken up as when she first threw the bomb.
However, while the nobles were at a loss as to what to do and just rolled their eyes, Count Martina opened his heavy mouth.
“What happens if we reject Your Excellency the Duke’s offer?”
The other nobles also perked up their ears and watched Adele, as this was the part they were most curious about.
Then Adele lifted her lips smoothly and smiled meaningfully.
“Well, I wonder what will happen.”
“...”
The expressions of the nobles, including Count Martina, turned slightly pale at the spine-chilling expression and tone of voice.
Among them, some were trembling and looking at the warehouse door as if they wanted to get out of there right away.
However, when they made eye contact with Perdes, they flinched and turned their head again.
“You don’t have to be so scared.”
Adele said, sinking deep into the back of the chair.
“There’s no way I would do anything to you.”
I guess it really doesn't exist.
The dozens of eyes that had finally settled on Adele were filled with deep doubt.
“Even if you reject my offer, I won’t harm you or cause you any harm right now.”
Right now, yes, but later you can.
The expressions of the nobles who immediately understood the hidden meaning became even more pale.
Since most of the people here depend on Duke Leopold's family, they couldn't take her words lightly.
It also bothered them that if the Duchy of Leopold fell into the Emperor's hands, it would be their turn next.
However, they couldn't readily join her cause because the risk of failure was too great.
Adele never explicitly explained why she would do this.
Several other questions also blocked their decision.
“It’s so unscrupulous to insist on accepting my offer without showing anything.”
As if she knew the minds of those nobles, Adele continued speaking.
“In two days, I will show you my will. After seeing that, you can decide whether to follow me or the royal family.”
Previous Next
Count Martina paced around the warehouse anxiously, looking at his pocket watch.
The current time is 9:20.
Adele, who was supposed to arrive by 8:30, hasn't been heard from for an hour now.
'I hope nothing happened.'
As time passed, his sense of unease grew.
Count Martina wanted to find out right away, but he couldn't because he was afraid that if he did, he would be caught and in trouble.
There was one more thing that was troubling him.
“How long do you plan to keep us waiting, Count Martina?”
It was the northern nobles who had gathered in the warehouse.
Count Martina secretly summoned the nobles of the Northern Territory here as Adele had requested.
The Northern Territory nobles who came to the warehouse without knowing anything were very upset that they had been called to such a dirty place.
It seemed like they had prepared well, with fancy tables and chairs and soft carpets on the floor, but it was still a warehouse, so it was natural for them to be upset.
However, Count Martina said that he had something important to say, so they waited patiently, but as the night grew deeper and he didn't say anything, all the suppressed complaints came pouring out.
“I think an hour is enough time to wait.”
“I waited for an hour and a half.”
“Now, tell us why you called us here, Count.”
“Um, that’s...”
As complaints poured in from all sides, Count Martina wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, at a loss.
Adele had told him not to say anything until she got there, but he was reaching his limit.
Just as he was about to speak, feeling that the nobles would storm out if things continued this way, the huge warehouse door opened.
Count Martina and the other nobles who had been expressing their discontent towards him all turned their gazes towards the door.
Two people with long shadows extending from their heads walked briskly into the warehouse.
“Sorry I’m late.”
It was Adele and Perdes.
Count Martina, who was relieved that she had finally arrived and was breathing heavily, opened his eyes wide in surprise when he belatedly discovered that Adele's clothes were covered in blood.
The other nobles were also surprised.
“Your Excellency, there is blood on your clothes...”
“There was a minor accident on my way here.”
Adele said blandly as if it were nothing.
“I’m late because of that, so please understand.”
“Oh, I see.”
The nobleman who spoke to Adele nodded, looking bewildered.
The other nobles exchanged glances.
They don't know what happened to Adele, but it was definitely no small accident.
If it had been a minor accident, there wouldn't have been blood on her clothes like that, and Adele wouldn't have had cuts on her face or other places.
'Did she get attacked?'
'That seems to be the case, but who on earth would have thought of Her Excellency the Duke...'
'There are so many accidents and incidents, like someone deliberately erupting the volcano in the dukedom.'
While the nobles were talking with their eyes, Perdes closed the storeroom door and stood guard in front of it, while Adele sat at the highest seat.
She walked over as if nothing had happened, but in reality, her body was covered in wounds. She had no feeling in her legs, and her left arm, which had been directly hit, could not move at all.
As her body gradually got hotter, she started to feel dizzy.
But there was work she had to do, and she didn't want to appear weak to the nobles, so Adele held on tight.
“First, let me apologize for unintentionally keeping you waiting for so long.”
When Adele bowed her head slightly in apology, the nobles who had been murmuring silently all looked at her as if they were slightly embarrassed.
Adele raised her head again, a bright smile forming on the corners of her lips.
“And I would like to thank you for gathering here.”
“...Was it the Duke who called us here, not Count Martina?”
“Yes. I have something important to tell you, and I asked Count Martina to do it.”
“What do you want to tell us?”
Understandably, they'd feel offended by the request to speak quickly and not waste time.
Adele said without wavering as if that was not the case at all.
“I intend to make the Duchy of Leopold a nation, not just a fiefdom within the Empire.”
A huge story called.
“What are you talking about...!”
“Oh, a country!”
The nobles who were hit by the bomb thrown by Adele were so shocked that they jumped up from their seats.
The same was true of Count Martina.
He opened his eyes as wide as lanterns and asked Adele.
“Are you serious, Your Excellency the Duke?”
“Yes. I’m serious.”
“But that is...”
When Count Martina could not bring himself to continue speaking and closed his mouth, Adele smiled and spoke in his stead.
“You mean to say that it is a treason against the Empire and the Royal Family?”
Count Martina bowed his head in silent agreement.
The other nobles all fell silent as if they shared Count Martina's thoughts.
“I think this story will be long, so sit down.”
“...”
“Even if you want to sit down.”
The nobles sat back down awkwardly, watching the situation closely as the command seemed somewhat forced, even though it seemed like a recommendation.
“As you all know, the northern territory of the empire, including Leopold’s territory, was not originally part of the empire. It was an unknown land that no one had developed.”
A quiet but powerful voice echoed quietly throughout the warehouse.
“But the reason the Northern Territory came to belong to the Empire was because the first Duke Leopold made a deal with the royal family.”
The first Duke Leopold made a deal with the imperial family to return the Leopold Estates he had received from the Red Dragon to the Empire and fulfill his duties as a nobleman, in exchange for receiving the title of Duke and recognition of his autonomy.
Other landowners in the Northern Territory who saw this also made contracts with the imperial family, and as a result, the current Northern Territory of the empire was created.
What was different from the Duchy of Leopold was that the other northern territories had no autonomy.
The Duchy of Leopold was the only fiefdom within the empire that was recognized as autonomous.
“My family has been loyal to the imperial family as per the contract. However, the current Emperor is not satisfied with that and is trying to completely swallow up Leopold’s territory.”
Adele clenched her fists as she remembered what the Emperor had done to her so far.
“Leopold’s estate is strictly the property of the Leopold family. I have no intention of handing it over to the Emperor or anyone else.”
“...”
“But since the Emperor is looking down on Leopold’s territory, breaking our long-standing trust and contract, I have no choice but to fight back. That is my will, and the will of my family.”
After Adele finished speaking, a quiet silence flowed through the warehouse as if cold water had been poured over it.
Everyone stared at their desks or into space with their mouths shut as if they had forgotten to breathe.
Meanwhile, their heads were spinning, thinking about why Adele had told them such an incredible story.
No, matter they could already guess what she was thinking, but they couldn't bring themself to say it, so they hesitated and Adele continued speaking.
“If Leopold’s territory falls into the hands of the Emperor, your territory will be next. The greedy Emperor will never be satisfied with Leopold’s territory.”
“...”
“So I hope you will join me in fighting against the Emperor.”
This part was something they had guessed while listening to Adele's story, so they weren't as shaken up as when she first threw the bomb.
However, while the nobles were at a loss as to what to do and just rolled their eyes, Count Martina opened his heavy mouth.
“What happens if we reject Your Excellency the Duke’s offer?”
The other nobles also perked up their ears and watched Adele, as this was the part they were most curious about.
Then Adele lifted her lips smoothly and smiled meaningfully.
“Well, I wonder what will happen.”
“...”
The expressions of the nobles, including Count Martina, turned slightly pale at the spine-chilling expression and tone of voice.
Among them, some were trembling and looking at the warehouse door as if they wanted to get out of there right away.
However, when they made eye contact with Perdes, they flinched and turned their head again.
“You don’t have to be so scared.”
Adele said, sinking deep into the back of the chair.
“There’s no way I would do anything to you.”
I guess it really doesn't exist.
The dozens of eyes that had finally settled on Adele were filled with deep doubt.
“Even if you reject my offer, I won’t harm you or cause you any harm right now.”
Right now, yes, but later you can.
The expressions of the nobles who immediately understood the hidden meaning became even more pale.
Since most of the people here depend on Duke Leopold's family, they couldn't take her words lightly.
It also bothered them that if the Duchy of Leopold fell into the Emperor's hands, it would be their turn next.
However, they couldn't readily join her cause because the risk of failure was too great.
Adele never explicitly explained why she would do this.
Several other questions also blocked their decision.
“It’s so unscrupulous to insist on accepting my offer without showing anything.”
As if she knew the minds of those nobles, Adele continued speaking.
“In two days, I will show you my will. After seeing that, you can decide whether to follow me or the royal family.”
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