Chapter 101

The room fell silent after the Emperor’s absurd official announcement.

Watching the Emperor’s dignified image on the screen, I kept recalling the times I had met him with Nine.

We had only met once, but my favorable impression of him was genuine.

Of course, people aren’t always what they seem, so thinking this way might be pointless.

Still, it was a very puzzling choice.

‘Even setting aside my good feelings toward Eclipse, this is strange.’

The Imperial Family isn’t even neutral, so what could they possibly gain by taking Count Laurel’s side?

All they stand to risk is losing the strongest sword in the Empire.

“This is strange.”

Nine said, getting up from his seat.

He approached the table and tilted his head, as if trying to scrutinize the already-stopped projection of the communication orb.

At first, I thought he was saying there was something wrong with the communication orb, but his subsequent instructions made me realize the problem wasn’t technical.

“Tell our informants to compile and send all recent information regarding His Majesty. Every last insignificant detail must be gathered.”

As soon as Nine’s order dropped, Norman immediately stood up and left the conference room.

The remaining vassals sat in their seats, looking at Nine and me. The situation was clear, and it was time to discuss the next course of action.

An opinion was voiced immediately.

“We must send an official envoy to the Imperial Family as quickly as possible to state Eclipse’s position.”

Everyone present agreed. Since a statement of our stance needed to be made urgently, the practical topic for discussion was only one: ‘who’ would go to the Imperial Family as the envoy.

The vassals poured out their suggestions.

“An individual who can represent the Ducal House must go. We should send someone with a status that the Imperial Family cannot easily disregard.”

“Couldn’t Deputy Norman go, as usual?”

“He must remain! Is he not the military strategist we need to prepare for a possible territorial war? That won’t do.”

While Nine and I listened in silence, several candidates were brought up and dismissed.

As expected, the first mentioned was Norman.

However, I agreed with the vassal who dismissed him. He was a card we needed to keep in hand.

After that, familiar names flashed by: Roana Eclipse, Kroel Bihailnea, and others…

They were all dismissed for valid reasons, and no single person was agreed upon.

Lost in thought, I suddenly felt a gaze and looked around at the actively debating vassals.

A few of them made eye contact with me, only to look away quickly as if escaping, which made me realize the situation.

‘Nine.’

I turned to the man beside me, who looked unnecessarily on edge.

It was then that I realized what the vassals wanted and why Nine’s mood was so low, and I raised my hand.

The noisy conference room quickly fell silent, and Nine’s surprised eyes turned towards me.

Without looking at him, I spoke to those seated in the conference room.

“I will go.”

“Wife!”

Nine immediately objected.

But, come to think of it, I was the most suitable person for this role; I should have stepped forward sooner.

The vassals had also realized this early on but were hesitant to speak up, mindful of Nine’s mood.

Nine looked at me with an imploring gaze, but I had no intention of backing down.

I was not a woman to be merely protected by Nine, but his partner to walk alongside him.

“Duke. The Imperial Family cannot ignore me, the Duchess, unless treason is definitively established. Furthermore, if the Silver Wolf Knights take military action, it could provoke a territorial war, so it is appropriate for me, who commands a separate military force, to go.”

“By a separate military force, you mean?”

“I will entrust my escort to the Pink Marten Private Army of the Blueberry County.”

Although they are called a private army because they are not a knight order approved by the Imperial Family, unlike the Silver Wolf Knights, they are a military group that protects the great merchant guild Ortrancia and the county.

Their skill was sufficient, and so was the trust to entrust them with an escort in this situation.

“And there is no one else besides me with the connections to sway public opinion in a pinch.”

Most of the northern vassals had little interaction with central politics. The same was true for Norman and Nine.

This was natural, as they had not involved themselves since the time of the Duke before Nine’s predecessor.

But I was different. I had connections from my Academy days, and connections linked to the merchant guild.

This meant there was no one better suited than me to gather the opinions of the central nobles.

“…”

Nine looked down at the table, lost in thought with an expressionless face.

My heart ached as I sensed the worry that must be burning behind that seemingly placid mask.

He wouldn’t want to send me, but he would also know that there was no suitable person to counter my arguments, making him all the more distressed.

I subtly lowered my hand under the table and tightly grasped his.

Just as he had tried to ease my tension, I held his hand firmly, signifying that he could trust me and lean on me.

Nine eventually returned the grip and looked into my eyes.

The faint light in his black pupils looked like a hairline crack etched in his heart.

But ultimately, seeing the firm resolve in my eyes, Nine declared in a low voice:

“The envoy for Eclipse shall be Duchess Eclipse herself.”

Just as everyone fell silent at this firm declaration, Norman returned.

Norman immediately handed a bundle of documents he was carrying to Nine. Nine released my hand and took the documents.

He quickly skimmed through the papers, then let out a short ‘Hmm’ at one part, and underscored it with a pen.

The underlined document was immediately passed to Norman, who also looked at that section and cocked his head in bewilderment.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, he put the document down on the table and shared the contents with us.

“Four days ago, after Count Laurel’s envoy had a private audience with His Majesty, everything proceeded rapidly. His Majesty was so resolute that he even dismissed the objections of his ministers, but he did not provide any convincing reasons.”

Everyone’s faces instantly hardened upon hearing this.

All citizens of the Empire knew that while the current Emperor presented himself as a muscular, martial type, he was in fact a master strategist.

For him to dismiss the objections of ministers and nobles without explanation was definitely strange.

“Before the private audience, the envoy of Count Laurel was thoroughly inspected for any disguise or dangerous items. Since this was done with magic, it should be conclusive. Yet, after the audience with the envoy, His Majesty’s demeanor was reportedly not his usual self.”

“What do you mean by not his usual self?”

“He wore a vacant expression, as if he had lost his vitality. He ate ingredients he normally never touches, and the envoy has not left His Majesty’s side since the private audience.”

The vassals began to murmur upon hearing Norman’s report.

It seemed clear that something was definitely up with that envoy.

I considered various possibilities: mind-control magic, poison, and drugs.

If this was true and could be proven, it was a crucial matter that could immediately brand the Laurel family, not the Eclipse Ducal House, as the traitors.

Organizing my thoughts, I looked up and saw Nine staring intently at me. He looked as if he wanted to revoke his decision to send me as the envoy right then and there.

“…”

I simply smiled at him and said brightly,

“I’ll have to leave quickly then. I will prepare to depart tomorrow morning. The rest of you, please prepare for any contingencies.”

“Yes!”

“…Well, let’s conclude today’s meeting here then. You’ve worked hard.”

Nine closed his eyes, seemingly collecting his thoughts, and immediately wrapped up the meeting.

The vassals bowed at his words and quickly left the conference room.

Once Norman was gone, only Nine and I remained in the room.

He slumped into his chair and buried his face in his hands.

I reached out to pat his shoulder, but seeing my outstretched hand tremble slightly, I withdrew it.

Truthfully, I was just as afraid, not knowing what lay ahead.

“…”

“…”

After a moment of silence, and after my trembling subsided, I approached him and embraced him.

The warmth within my arms was both pitiful and gave me courage.

I whispered into his ear,

“I told you. You are the protagonist of this world. Protagonists don’t lose, and they get a happy ending. So don’t worry too much.”