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n?Initially suppressing his anger, the Duke erupted in fury upon hearing those words.

nHe lunged at Nora, attempting to strangle her.

nNora and the other two managed to subdue the Duke of Savoy together.

nThe Duke’s castle guards, who had hurried over, were also intimidated and dared not enter the room.

nUnder Laurent’s directive gaze, they hesitantly held their weapons but retreated from the room.

nThe Duke cursed, “I’ve provided for you for so many years, bestowed upon you many benefits, yet you stand by and watch me struggle within my own castle without offering aid!”

n“Cowards! Timid souls!”

nPortia responded, “Duke, even your guards see the situation more clearly than you do. Don’t you think it’s time for some reflection?”

nThe Duke spat disdainfully, “Hmph, reflect on what? To learn from them and surrender obediently?”

nNora, maintaining a distance from the Duke, tried to stand tall, showing no fear.

n“Duke, I understand why you harbor such resentment towards me.”

n“It’s simply because after I became Emperor, you were declared war upon, and I did not come to your aid.”

n“But there were reasons for that… I was not yet firmly established when you were plotted against. I had to make a choice to maintain the stability of the nation…”

nThe Duke struggled more fiercely, retorting, “Nonsense! You weren’t firmly established? If that was the case, then why did you end up giving the entire Oungria region to that Howard lad?”

n“What’s so great about Howard? If it came to distributing Oungria, why couldn’t I have received a part?”

n“I too shed blood for you in battle, nearly didn’t dodge a lance from the Castile troops, almost bleeding out on the spot.”

n“Why don’t you care about me? Why only Howard?”

n“Tell me! Do you fancy Howard? Are you using your power for personal gain?”

nNora turned her head away.

n“What are you talking about? Howard is a married man, why would I have feelings for him?” 𝑖𝘦.𝑐𝘰𝘮

nThe Duke’s eyes reddened with fury, shouting, “You just won’t admit it!”

nSeeing the situation unfold, Laurent felt it was time to intervene, speaking earnestly to the Duke, “My dear Duke, we’re both seasoned politicians. Not every decision or choice should be seen through the lens of personal emotions.”

n“Although I was in the Fran Kingdom at the time, I too heard about the war for the crown that engulfed the continent. My investigations afterward revealed that the coalition of nobles you were part of didn’t fare well against the Castile troops, did it?”

nThe Duke stubbornly admitted, “Indeed, it didn’t start well, with continuous defeats. But what does that have to do with the rewards that followed?”

nLaurent slowly explained, “From what I understand, it was Count Resarite, under Howard’s command, who rallied the noble coalition in the mountains and struck a decisive blow against the Castile forces, thereby averting a crisis for the throne.”

nThe Duke spoke less vehemently but still showed some disagreement, “That’s because Resarite is capable. What does it have to do with that seventeen or eighteen-year-old Howard lad…”

nAs the Duke’s struggle lessened, Laurent sensed a shift in his attitude, and with a tone of significance, he said, “Since you acknowledge the battle was won by Lord Resarite, then Howard, as Resarite’s feudal lord, also deserves credit, doesn’t he?”

nNora turned back to face the Duke, “Do you understand now? That’s why I later awarded the Oungria region to Howard, making him the king of Oungria. It wasn’t favoritism; he genuinely provided substantial assistance to me.”

nThe Duke said to Laurent, “Let me go.”

nPortia looked at Laurent, who gave a nod, and they both released their hold.

nThe Duke of Savoy relaxed his body and said, “Fine, Nora, no matter how much you say, in the end, after becoming Emperor, you still forgot about me.”

n“Even when war broke out, three months passed without any troops arriving at the battlefield, quickly seeking peace and leaving me behind. After all these years, I don’t want to argue with you; I just wanted to resolve an old grievance that’s been weighing on my heart.”

nLaurent looked at the Duke with a hint of pity and said lightly, “Are you satisfied now?”

n“Old rules then. Since both Venice and the Sirei region chose to surrender under conditions, I, Savoy, must also secure my own rights. Laurent, make your offer.”

nPortia chuckled, “Hey, after all this time, it turns out you’re quite well-informed. Were you just putting on a show with us earlier?”

nThe Duke didn’t answer, fixing his gaze on Laurent.

nLaurent said, “Prepare yourself.”

nMerely three days later, Savoy swiftly concluded negotiations for its incorporation.

nIt was evident that the Duke of Savoy’s recklessness was merely his own caprice; as a political figure of a duchy, his mind was still clear.

nVenice had commerce and trade hubs; the Sirei region had fame and the world’s premier mercenary system.

nBut Savoy had almost nothing.

nLaurent’s terms were harsh, but given the brutal reality of their power disparity, the Duke of Savoy agreed.

nHe was granted one-third autonomy, and all else would belong to Howard.

nThe Duke of Savoy pledged his loyalty to Howard, who took the Duke’s sword, raised it high before thousands, and proclaimed, “From this day forward, Savoy is officially incorporated into my Oli Kingdom!”

nMilan felt the crisis looming.

nThe once fragmented territories of the Northern Empire were rapidly being consolidated by the Oli Kingdom, unsettling the delicate status quo Milan had maintained with them.

nCompelled by the situation, the Governor of Milan took a carriage to the Fran Kingdom to meet Edward.

nThe Valuva family, with its long and storied history, adhered to many traditional protocols.

nThe Governor of Milan waited outside for a full half-hour before being granted an audience with Edward.

nDressed in a finely buttoned uniform adorned with several military medals, Edward looked at the Governor of Milan and asked, “What’s the rush?”

nUnsure of Edward’s implication and wary of diplomatic double speak, the Governor played dumb, responding, “Rush? What would I be rushing for?”

nEdward smiled, as if encountering a worthy opponent, and remarked, “Interesting.”

nA servant presented a map, which Edward then lifted towards the Governor of Milan, saying, “Care to look at a map? The latest edition.”

nWatching Edward’s ease and poise, the Governor wanted to curse him but restrained himself, managing instead a stiff smile.

n“Alright, let’s have a look.”

nAs the map unfolded, the Porlia Kingdom remained the Porlia Kingdom, and the Westia Kingdom remained the Westia Kingdom.

nHowever, the territories of the Fran Kingdom and even Provence had gradually changed.

nThe Northern Empire’s domains had completely collapsed, now fully annexed by the Oli Kingdom.

nBoth men waited for the other to speak, but after a silence lasting five or six seconds, they exchanged looks, inadvertently revealing awkward expressions.

nEdward was the first to break the silence, saying, “Since both you and I are terribly afraid of the Oli Kingdom, perhaps we should just surrender as well.”

nThe Governor of Milan was stunned, not expecting Edward to speak of surrender after such a long wait.

nThe very next second, the Governor immediately retorted, “If you want to surrender, go ahead, but I absolutely will not.”

nEdward hummed in acknowledgment, nodding once before walking to the other end of the table and pointing to a different side of the map.

n“Since that’s the case, I won’t deceive you. I don’t plan to surrender either. But the two of us uniting against the Oli Kingdom still seems precarious; we need to find a powerful ally.”

nThe Governor of Milan looked puzzled at the map of the Osland Kingdom.

n“Are you suggesting you have connections with Suleiman? He’s considered an enemy across our entire continent. If you get too close to him, you’ll be despised by the people.”

nEdward responded, “Can’t help it. Besides, I have another card up my sleeve. Guess who?”

nThe Governor of Milan’s heart skipped a beat.

nHe already had an inkling of who it might be.

n…

nHoward, indulging in a jar of whipped cream, couldn’t help but praise, “Delicious, but it must be expensive, right?”

nNora responded, “Not really, just 10 silver coins a jar.”

n“That’s pricey, best to eat less next time.”

nLaurent arrived with the Duke of Savoy’s letter of surrender.

nHoward, examining the document, burst into laughter, “Hahaha, to annex territory without waging war, had I known such good fortune awaited, who would bother with constant battling?”

nBosiden intended to offer Howard some clarification, but noticing Laurent’s unfazed demeanor, as still as an ancient well, decided to hold his tongue.

nLaurent harbored no such concerns, aware that Howard’s words were merely an expression of delight.

nWith the Sirei region resolved and Savoy annexed, what remained were the diplomatic issues with Provence and Bretany.

nBretany, having been absorbed by the Fran Kingdom early on, had recently regained its independence.

nIf Howard wished to counterbalance the Fran Kingdom, forming an alliance with Bretany could be a strategic move.

nSuch an alliance would caution the Fran Kingdom, restraining its growth by presenting a dilemma.

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