Chapter 100

Upon Count Laurel’s sudden declaration of war, all eyes turned to me.

“…”

“…”

Even in a situation where being stared at without emotion would be burdensome, the surprise and reverence in their gazes overwhelmed me with embarrassment. Their reactions were as if they had met a prophet.

Due to their slightly excessive response, I discreetly hid behind Nine’s back. I heard Nine lightly chuckle, and the back I touched trembled slightly.

“Ahem.”

The vassals suddenly cleared their throats and averted their eyes from us. I poked my head out slightly and saw their sheepish faces, but it didn’t seem to be embarrassment from staring at me. I subtly looked up at Nine, who was gazing down at me with affectionate eyes.

‘They must be surprised because Nine, the man called the Iron-Blooded Duke, is making an expression like that, right?’

No one would want to witness their superior’s romantic antics.

In the midst of that awkward, only-we-feel-the-tingle atmosphere, only Norman spoke, asking with an unaffected, gruff face.

“What do you intend to do now?”

“We wait for now. If he has declared war, he will send an envoy with a negotiation proposal.”

Nine, who had been smiling at me, instantly composed his expression and answered Norman.

Everyone nodded at his words. The knight, who had finished his report, saluted and left the conference hall.

A heavy air settled back into the hall. Since the declaration of war had just been delivered, discussion would only be meaningful after the Count’s envoy arrived.

‘…!’

I was startled. Nine had secretly squeezed my hand beneath the table amidst the serious atmosphere. Surprised by the sudden warmth, but not wanting to let go, I cautiously looked around and tightly grasped his hand back.

It was incredibly amusing that Nine was trying hard to keep a straight face and not look at me, so I had to stifle my laughter.

Even though I had anticipated the territory war because I knew the original story, I couldn’t help but feel nervous when the situation actually arrived. As the Duchess, I couldn’t show that tension and tried to sit stoically, but it seemed Nine noticed it.

‘That must be why he held my hand.’

Although the thought that he might just have wanted to hold my hand crossed my mind, too.

Either way, holding Nine’s hand significantly eased my tension. Was it because he was more adept at showing composure than I was, making him someone I could rely on?

Thinking that, I realized it must be because he took the Ducal title at a young age and had endured many hardships. A little bit of sympathy arose in me, and I held his hand even tighter.

“Tsk.”

Norman, sitting next to me, clicked his tongue.

It wasn’t visible to the other vassals, but sitting right next to me meant he had a clear view of us holding hands.

‘Well! If you’re jealous, go get married!’

I subtly glared at Norman with that expression. We were a married couple, and what was the problem with a little bit of affection?

A few minutes later.

A clanking sound echoed from the corridor. The sound of metal armor came to a sharp halt in front of the conference room door.

Nine commanded the knights standing outside.

“Let him in.”

When the door opened, a heavily armored knight was revealed. He was an envoy sent by Count Laurel, not a person from the Ducal family. Despite his heavy armor, he glanced nervously at the Silver Wolf Knights flanking him and wore a terrified expression.

Norman stepped forward to greet him.

“Are you the envoy from Count Laurel?”

“Y-Yes! Yes!”

The envoy’s heavily armored body flinched, and he hastily took an object from his pocket and handed it to Norman. As if wanting to flee immediately, he backed away the moment he handed it over, clasping his hands politely.

Norman passed the documents to Nine, who spread them out on the conference table for everyone to see. The envoy had delivered two documents: a declaration of war and a negotiation proposal.

I craned my neck to examine the documents laid out.

Nine’s lips curved into a sneer after reading the content.

“…Admit to plotting treason and apologize to the Imperial Family and the people of the Empire. Furthermore, as a gesture of apology, the Eclipse Ducal family must relinquish the Ducal title and promptly return Miss Iris Laurel, whom they have kidnapped and imprisoned, to her family. Also, the Blueberry Count family, who funded the Ducal family, must also surrender all their assets to the Imperial Family.”

If words had temperature and texture, Nine’s words just now would feel like a sharply honed sword blade held to an opponent’s neck.

Count Laurel’s envoy seemed to sense Nine’s aura and his legs gave way, causing him to slump to the floor.

During the brief silence brought about by the murderous atmosphere, I asked the slumped envoy with a smiling face.

“I have a question.”

The ill-fitting armor he wore, the fear he showed since entering, and the way he collapsed like this. By all accounts, this man was an envoy sent by Count Laurel as a disposable pawn.

But it wouldn’t hurt to gain something, even if it was small. There was nothing to lose.

The envoy looked up at me quizzically and swallowed hard. I waited for him to calm his nerves and asked what I was most curious about.

“Your declaration of war does not bear the Imperial seal, yet you repeatedly mention the Imperial Family. Did Count Laurel truly receive the Emperor’s sanction to declare a territory war?”

The vassals’ gazes turned to me. They seemed to notice the detail only then and re-examined the declaration of war.

As I pointed out, the declaration of war delivered to us did not have the Imperial seal stamped on it. This meant it was not sanctioned by the Imperial Family. Since a territory war involves raising an army, proceeding without Imperial sanction would certainly be considered treason.

‘But that’s strange. Even so, would they act so thoughtlessly?’

Of course, even without prior sanction, there would be no problem if the Imperial Family supported Count Laurel’s territory war and gave post-approval. However, the Emperor I had personally met did not seem like someone who would harm the Eclipse Ducal family.

“W-Well, that is…”

Everyone’s eyes focused on the envoy. His answer could change the course of the Eclipse Ducal family’s actions. If the Emperor’s sanction existed, accepting the territory war would become evidence of our treason, but if there was no sanction, it would be a righteous response to defend our territory.

The envoy’s pupils shook violently as he looked at my smiling face once, then at Nine, who was pressuring him with his aura, once. The envoy, his face growing increasingly pale with fear, closed his eyes tightly and said,

“L-Lady Roon went as an envoy to receive sanction a few days ago, so they said an announcement would be made by the Imperial Family today.”

“Lady Roon?”

“She is a guest of the Laurel Count family, and others call her the ‘High Priestess’.”

“…High Priestess?”

At his words, I immediately thought of Urkelism. The suspicious religion that was spreading among the people of the Empire, and which Count Laurel also believed in.

Thinking it was opportune, I opened my mouth to immediately question him about Urkelism.

Just then.

Bang!

Deputy Commander Kroel burst into the conference room, flinging the door open.

All attention was drawn to him, who entered with an extremely flustered and urgent face.

“Kroel Bihailnea.”

“Duke.”

He entered the conference room with a hardened expression and placed something on the table. What he brought was a communication orb.

The vassals spoke up at his sudden appearance.

“Deputy Commander, what’s going on?”

“Please look at this.”

A chilling premonition swept down my spine even before I saw anything. I clutched my chest with an inexplicable pounding heart and quietly watched Kroel’s actions.

He injected mana into the communication orb he brought, amplified the screen, and took a step back.

A large screen appeared above the communication orb like a phantom.

On the large screen, the Emperor was making an official announcement from the Imperial Palace.

– I, the Sun of the Empire, the Master of the Continent, and the Descendant of the Dragon, in the name of Grendal von Dragon, declare. If the Eclipse Ducal family does not accept Count Laurel’s negotiation proposal, they shall be considered traitors and suppressed, and no objection shall be permitted regarding this matter.

The Emperor’s majestic voice issued a threat.

Everyone in the conference hall stared blankly at the screen, utterly unprepared for the unexpected turn of events.

‘…What?’

I recalled the Emperor who had smiled and called me his nephew’s wife just a few months ago, making the current situation even more absurd.

‘He didn’t seem like the type to stab in the back?’

This was the worst possible scenario for Eclipse.