《Why are you obsessed with your fake wife?》 Chapter 1 A marriage between the family of the Duke of Balazit and the family¡¯s enemy, the Marquis of Winterfell. Would this historical marriage help the two families reconcile? The majority of the public answered yes. Now that they have become in-laws, they would put the old bad blood behind them. However, if they could see the scene in the reception ceremony, they would immediately realize that their thoughts were completely wrong. At the wedding party venue to celebrate the birth of newlyweds. The place that was supposed to be full of joy was filled with only a cold atmosphere. And then, the cause of such an atmosphere was neither due to the weather outside nor ice, but due to one particular person. ¡°Newlywed room?¡± The groom, who had a sour look on his face throughout the reception, raised his eyebrows. Anyone would notice his displeased tone, even though he only spewed out two words. He turned to the butler sharply. ¡°Did you say newlywed room? As in sharing a bed?¡± ¡°Yes, now that you are legally a married couple¨C¡° ¡°Are you saying I am going to share a bed with a woman who might have come to this family to assassinate me?¡± ¡°Oh, my, what do you mean by assassination!¡± The bride raised her voice, shocked at the unexpected word. Her beautiful face quickly turned into tears. Her pale complexion could not be concealed by makeup. But Glenn, the groom, didn¡¯t trust her at all. From Glenn¡¯s point of view, it was just a despicable act. He burst into laughter as her show dumbfounded him. ¡°Well, Nadia Balazit, let me ask you a question. Why did you want to marry me? You¡¯re spying, or you¡¯re trying to counterfeit a copy of the treasonous document? You¡¯re going to put treason on our family?¡± ¡°That¡¯s..¡± ¡°Speak the truth. There¡¯s no one here who would help you.¡± Anyone could hear intimidation in his voice. The terrified bride¡¯s body began to tremble. She finally opened her mouth after contemplating for a long time. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been admiring the Marquis for a long time.¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Grit. The sound of grinding teeth could be heard. ¡°Do you want me to believe such a lie?¡± ¡°I do! Please believe me. I fell in love with you at first sight.¡± Nadia, the bride, answered with her sad eyes lowered. Her trembling eyelids were about to burst into tears. It was such a realistic performance that Glenn would have been fooled if it wasn¡¯t because she was his enemy¡¯s daughter. Maybe that¡¯s why he felt disgusted. ¡®I¡¯m sure her father made her say it.¡¯ Including the nonsense of loving him. Glenn was not a fool enough to believe that his enemy¡¯s daughter happened to have a crush on him at first sight. All of this was just a trick for the Duke of Balazit to plant spies in the static territory. The King, the Duke¡¯s puppet, actively promoted the marriage. ¡°Have you ever spoken to me before? Are you telling me to believe that you fell for a man you hadn¡¯t talked to before to the point that you followed him to the North? ¡° ¡°Do I need a reason to fall in love?¡± ¡°You¡¯re crazy¨C¡° ¡°I love you! Please accept my heart!¡± He gnashed his teeth as he stared at Nadia, who was still shivering as if she were scared. Glenn was very suspicious of her intention of willingly walking into this family, but he couldn¡¯t even question the bride. He couldn¡¯t do her any harm at the moment. His fist was shaking. Glenn reminded himself to be patient over and over again and not to act impulsively. ¡®There is a very limited amount of things that a vulnerable woman can do in an enemy land without any allies anyway.¡¯ Especially if she was a wife who was not acknowledged by her husband, her range of movement would be restricted. It wouldn¡¯t be long until he could dispose of an unwanted wife after dealing with his political opponent. He had to avoid the suspicion that the North was seeking independence until the day he could build his strength. Glenn clenched his teeth and said. ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll see how long you can lie about love.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Nadia¡¯s face brightened up when he said she would tolerate her existence. However¡­ ¡°But you¡¯d better not dream of being recognized as my wife. There is no way I would have a successor with Balazit¡¯s daughter.¡± ¡°But, I¡¯m not my father¡¯s spy! How could you doubt my true feelings?¡± Nadia cried at Glenn¡¯s warning. She covered her mouth and buried her face in her palm as if in despair. It was because she almost responded the same thing. ¡®Keep your word, Marquis.¡¯ She was somewhat worried that she might be kicked out if she refused to share a bed with him. She couldn¡¯t believe her ears when he came at her like that. With the sound of shoes hitting the marble floor, the cold-blooded man becomes distant. The sound of servants rushing out of Glenn was heard in her ears. Possibly leaving his seat. Nadia asked with her head down, pretending to be heartbroken. ¡°Marquis¡­ Did he leave?¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s..¡± The maids were nervous and began to look around. One maid replied with a cautious voice. ¡°Yes¡­ He just left.¡± Hooray! Her voice roared in her heart. Glenn couldn¡¯t take what he said back because he had declared that he wouldn¡¯t sleep with her with this many witnesses. Wasn¡¯t it the virtues of men of this era not to take back what he said? ¡®Don¡¯t ever come. I am going to use the bed for myself.¡¯ Nadia Balazit was married out of the blue to a long-time enemy family. By long, how long exactly was it? It¡¯s long enough that she had to go back to the first generation to explain it. Nadia¡¯s life, born a daughter of a Duke, seemed to sail smoothly. Though she was a child born out of wedlock, no one made a big fuss about it. Nadia never crossed the line, while the Duchess wanted to play the role of a great woman who even embraced her husband¡¯s illegitimate child. Although her half-sister, who was about the same age, quarreled with her all the time, it was within tolerable limits. It was pretty bearable, considering the small amount of annoyance in exchange for a comfortable life. In the end, she was used for a political marriage as soon as she reached adulthood, just like the usual case with other women in the family. It would be a waste if they didn¡¯t marry her off, and thus they sent their daughter to the enemy family. On the day before the engagement ceremony, her half-sister came, and her sarcastic voice was still vivid in her mind. ¡®So what if he was a savior of this world? You don¡¯t know where he¡¯s from. What if he was born in the countryside? If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t live with such a man.¡¯ Of course, she would have said that and mocked me. Nadia replied, holding back the laughter. ¡°Are you saying you don¡¯t want to waste him now? Didn¡¯t you say that he is just a dirty, lowly man?¡± ¡°Watch your mouth. You are the lowly one.¡± In front of Nadia was a blonde woman in fine fur standing in a striking dress. Her face, which looked down on Nadia, filled with a sense of victory and superiority. She was the only daughter and half-sister of the Balazit family, Calaine. She was grinning with joy. ¡°For someone who played dirty with another man behind your fiance¡¯s back, you are good at talking back.¡± ¡°Your head who came up with such an idea is way dirtier.¡± ¡°Oh, my! There are still a few witnesses, and you¡¯re making excuses!¡± It was something that happened at the masquerade. Due to the nature of the masquerade party, the atmosphere was more free than regular banquets, and therefore, many people offered drinks to Nadia. It would be ridiculous to attend such an event without knowing your drinking limits. The number of glasses Nadia drank that day was clearly less than half of her limit. Nevertheless, she lost consciousness at some point, and after she barely came to her senses, everything had already happened. When she opened her eyes to the people¡¯s buzz around her, Nadia found herself half-naked, rolling over a stranger male on one of the sofas in the lounge. What¡¯s worse was that countless people witnessed the scene. Rumors spread quickly that she spent a one-night stand with another man while she was engaged. She didn¡¯t know that something that could reach a thousand miles that fast actually existed. ¡®Her mother also seduced the Duke and got herself a better life. She can¡¯t even live without a man. Gosh¡­ Like mother, like daughter. Tsk, tsk. What did Duke Balazit say again? If an illegitimate daughter had disgraced the family¡¯s reputation, she would have nothing to say if she got kicked out of the house naked. He was so generous that he just punished me with house arrest in a separate house. Oh my, he sure is merciful.¡¯ Nadia wasn¡¯t stupid enough to think that her father loved her and wouldn¡¯t throw her away. He just didn¡¯t want to be called a heartless father. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only Anyone could tell from the fact that he locked Nadia up in a basement, not in a separate house. It was so frustrating and ridiculous that she couldn¡¯t help but laugh. She never thought that he would put honor preciously to the point that he would throw her aside like that. ¡°I wondered who made this ridiculous script up¡­ Of course, it was father and you, Calaine.¡± ¡°Me and father?¡± Chapter 2 At that moment, a smile spread over Callaine¡¯s face. ¡°You are so naive. Do you really think your fiance doesn¡¯t know about it? You don¡¯t think it was planned by only me and father didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± It was the first time Nadia had a crack in her expression. There was nothing to be disappointed about her half-sister and her father because there was nothing to expect from them in the first place, but her fiance was different. She couldn¡¯t believe he agreed to this stupid scheme. She couldn¡¯t believe it. Looking at Nadia¡¯s shocked expression, Callaine was becoming more pleased. ¡°What¡¯s so surprising about it? Shouldn¡¯t you have expected it?¡± ¡°There¡¯s.. No way¡­¡± ¡°Things got different after you got engaged to him. He will become one of the most important figures in the country. The fact that such a man is getting married to an illegitimate child¡­ Well, I am sure you got the idea.¡± Lee Jiho was no longer a nobody compared to when he got summoned to this world before. Throughout the war against the demons, his fame rose to heaven. Callaine laughed mockingly at her half-sister¡¯s engagement yet coveted her position at the same time. ¡®So¡­ That¡¯s the reason he didn¡¯t come to see me after that day?¡¯ Instead of blindly denying the reality, Nadia¡¯s head thought that that could happen. Sir Jiho often told her about the hardships he had gone through when he was first summoned here, and how he vowed to himself that he would rise and made sure that no one ignored him. That¡¯s probably why he made such a significant contribution in the wars against the demons. Nadia couldn¡¯t have imagined that the man was far from a ¡°warrior¡± image in public. Turned out, the power of a wife¡¯s family also made a significant contribution for him to go up to a higher position. It was less likely that he would refuse to have someone better as his wife. No, maybe he considered his engagement with an illegitimate child as ¡®discrimination against stranger¡¯ from the beginning. ¡®He is a man who put his career first in this world.¡¯ If he had told her to cancel their engagement, she would have stepped down¡­ No, probably he didn¡¯t want to be known as a coward for abandoning his fiancee after rising to the top, right? Then, Callaine continued to talk to her, who was frozen like a statue. ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t look at a man if he turned into someone with a higher class? A wife¡¯s status also represents a man¡¯s dignity. This is the difference between you and me. Do you understand?¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was funny. Everything was ridiculous. A very selfish fianc¨¦. A father who uses his daughter as a horse and abandons her. And a half-sister who came all the way to this dirty place in excitement. Nadia asked, holding back her laugh. ¡°That¡¯s why a noble lady like you came all the way down here to talk about it?¡± ¡°No way.¡± Callaine¡¯s eyes were bent sharply. How annoying it was for her that an illegitimate child to be treated like a Duke¡¯s blood. She should be the only one to be treated as the daughter of the Duke of Balazit. Callaine couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the miserable sight of her half-sister, who has been tormented all her life. Now it was the time to execute the highlight of this brilliant ploy. Callaine continued talking as if she weren¡¯t done singing. ¡°I am here to help you. Which noble family would accept a woman who got dumped from her engagement because of seeing another man behind her fiance¡¯s back? Not to mention that you are an illegitimate child¡­ It would be too hard for you to get married unless with a commoner. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to die honorably than ended up like that? Therefore, I will help you just this once.¡± Clap, clap, clap. Right after she clapped three times, the basement door opened, and the male servants came in. What was in their hands was a thick rope. A rope that was so thick that it looked like it wouldn¡¯t break even if a person got hung with it. It wasn¡¯t so hard to predict what was going on after seeing the item. Nadia could feel the goosebumps on her back. ¡°You ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡± ¡°Our father tried to accept that her daughter is a fool, but you are too ashamed of yourself that you committed suicide, and Sir Jiho lost his fiance. Wouldn¡¯t this keep our family¡¯s honor and his honor? It¡¯s only your name that gets dirty. Still, at least people will remember you as a woman who knows shame.¡± Callaine relaxed gesture was followed by the servant¡¯s movements. Rigid-looking men tied Nadia¡¯s arms and legs while holding down on Nadia. Nadia desperately resisted, but there was no way she could overcome the power of several men. ¡°Let me go!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no use to resist.¡± Soon after, a knot in the rope was tied around her neck. There was no hesitation in the hands of the men who tied her to the ceiling. ¡°Cough!¡± Nadia¡¯s throat was choking. She couldn¡¯t breathe. She struggled with her tied feet, but her feet couldn¡¯t touch anything. Even though she was confused, she could still think how unfair it was. ¡®Is it really going to end like this?¡¯ Nadia lived her whole life obediently following her father¡¯s orders. When she was young, she never breathed comfortably because her stepmother was watching her. Everything nice was always taken away by the half-sisters. She couldn¡¯t believe she was being used as a pawn all her life, and then now she was framed to death until her last minute. It was such a cruel fate. Nadia could see my half-sister smiling joyfully beyond the blurred vision. Callaine¡¯s eyes were smiling, and she waved her hands. ¡°Goodbye, Nadia. I will watch you until your last second in this world. Afterall, aren¡¯t we sisters?¡± Nadia Balazit¡¯s life was cut off as she heard a giggle. It happened when she was 24. As soon as she realized that she had returned to her past, Nadia¡¯s first thought that came to mind was she would betray them before they could betray her in this life. Four years before her death. When she was 20 years old. Nadia murmured, stroking the neck where the thick rope had been chocked her tight. ¡°I¡¯m back¡­¡± She contemplated whether she was really back in time, or it was just a long dream? ¡®It was too real to be a dream.¡¯ The moment when she was losing her breath came to flash in her mind. In her blurry vision from tears, her half-sister smiled as if she was having fun. Nadia had to listen to her long-time enemy¡¯s laughter until the moment she lost her life. The misery of being ridiculed to death. The helplessness of being unable to do anything in the face of death. Nadia tightened her jaw. ¡®This time, I will never¨C¡® ¡°Get out of the way, miss! What are you doing standing there when I am cleaning!¡± Bump. Someone pushed Nadia¡¯s body hard, and her delicate body wobbled like a reed. ¡°Stay out of the way until I am done cleaning. You¡¯re only disturbing me.¡± It was Amber, the maid of the Balazit family, who pushed Nadia. She brushed the shelf behind Nadia with a dusting cloth while pouring out complaints from her mouth. ¡°If you could clean up your room by yourself, can¡¯t you just leave the room? Huh? How many times do I have to tell you, tch.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Initially, they were ordered to clean the room only when the owner was away. If this was Callaine¡¯s room, not Nadia¡¯s, Amber wouldn¡¯t dare to step in. ¡®It seemed that you aren¡¯t afraid of a girl without any backing.¡¯ The father, who was the Head of the household, was indifferent toward house chores matters. He had the mindset that if he was involved in housework management, which was supposed to be the Hostess of the household¡¯s responsibility, it would make him lose face. That was why the maids had no reason to be polite to Nadia. As for Callaine¡¯s case, she always took special care of the maids who were rude to her half-sister; therefore, there was no reason for the maids to be friendly to Nadia. Still, most of the maids felt sorry for her poor situation and treated her considerately nice. Except for the clown-like Amber. ¡®That¡¯s the face that brought me a cocktail on the day of the masquerade party.¡¯ Nadia lost consciousness after drinking the alcohol that Callaine¡¯s maid brought me. It was too coincidental to be a coincidence. Nadia¡¯s gaze at the foolish maid went cold. ¡°W-what? What are you going to do looking at me like that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Amber, who got stared at, shivered while opening her eyes ferociously. Like she didn¡¯t want to admit she was scared by the first young lady of the house whom she thought was easy. ¡®What should I do with this kid?¡¯ Nadia was lost in thought for a moment and then smiled. ¡°Nothing. I¡¯ll be out now. Clean up hard.¡± ¡°Ah¡­.¡± Then Amber¡¯s expression, which seemed to be scared for a moment, went relieved. That¡¯s right. There¡¯s no way the unassertive first young lady would get mad. ¡°I was wondering what you were going to say. Hurry up and go out. I will call you back when I¡¯m done cleaning up.¡± Amber sighed briefly and turned. Because of that, she couldn¡¯t see. The unassertive young lady who was passing by her put something shiny in the back pocket of her apron. After leaving the room, Nadia sat by the window in the hallway and killed some time. This was a hallway where people come and go frequently. It wouldn¡¯t be long before someone else came. ¡°Oh, my lady? Why are you here?¡± Sure enough, a maid appeared at the end of the hallway in less than ten minutes. Nadia guessed the maid came because she had a message for her. ¡°It¡¯s because the bedroom is being cleaned.¡± ¡°Pardon? But you don¡¯t have to wait in the hallway¡­.¡± ¡°Amber said that she won¡¯t be able to relax while cleaning, so she said it would be better if I get out of the room. I really don¡¯t mind¡­¡± ¡°But there¡¯s a living room next to the bedroom.¡± Nadia replied, shrugging her shoulders. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡°I guess she just mind about me being around. There¡¯s nothing I can do about it.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The maid had a doubtful expression on her face. A maid kicked the room owner out of the room for cleaning. It was a case that she had never heard or seen before. Chapter 3 ¡°By the way, what¡¯s going on? Didn¡¯t you come to see me?¡± ¡°His Majesty will come to see His Grace in a moment. You need to get ready to see His Majesty.¡± ¡°What a great timing. I will get ready quickly.¡± ¡°Yes. Please go to the main building.¡± By great timing, Nadia didn¡¯t mean to say it because she was glad to have a schedule when she was bored. Nadia realized she returned to 20 years old self, but she didn¡¯t remember exactly what had happened around this time. No matter how trustworthy the Duke family was, it was unusual for royalty to visit his servant¡¯s home. The King¡¯s visit would help her to remember what happened during this period. Nadia was lost in thought as she walked along with the maid. ¡®If the King came to father around this time of year¡­ Oh, it must be because of the problem of the progress of the Karla¡¯ai expedition triumph.¡¯ The Karla¡¯ai expedition team made a contribution to drive out the immigrants and stabilize the western border. The problem was that one of the expedition commanders was the Marquis Winterfell, the Northern Territory. The Southern-based Balazit was blatantly at odds with the Northern Lords. As much as Nadia¡¯s father hated the Northern Lords, they naturally hated the Duke of Balazit just as much. What kind of local lord had the authority to manipulate the King and control the affairs of the state? Even the stupid King was wary of the North after falling for Balazit¡¯s lies. At the same time, they had to fulfill their obligation as vassals, so it was obvious that no one expected them to fight tooth and nail, and they did a great job. ¡®The King doesn¡¯t want to give his enemy the honor of a triumph ceremony.¡¯ It was not the time to feel sorry about the Marquis of Winterfell, who had to fight with the King after the victory. Around this time, the matrimonial alliance with Lee Ji-ho, her fiance who betrayed her in her previous life, was decided. If Nadia remembered correctly, there would be news about her engagement today. ¡®I am running out of time. It would have been better if I could have gone a little far back¡­¡¯ Nadia thought as she walked nervously. When Nadia headed to the main gate after fixing her appearance, a carriage with a royal symbol already arrived. Nadia guessed that it was the one that the King rode. She walked faster as her father was seen across from her. ¡°Why are you so late?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I tried to prepare faster, but¨C¡° ¡°You should be glad that His Majesty is still looking around the garden. More than that, I have something to tell you.¡± It seemed that Nadia didn¡¯t remember it wrongly that there would be a talk about her engagement today. Sure enough, the Duke of Balazit brought it up. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard that you and Callaine are going to enter the marriage market, right?¡± ¡°Yes, the housekeeper* said.¡± ¡°Today there will be talk about the triumph ceremony. There will be a talk that you should bestow a laurel wreath to Sir Jiho, and you just have to agree that it is a good idea. Do you understand?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± A marriageable woman bestowed a laurel wreath to a hero in a triumph ceremony. What was the meaning? It was basically a love confession. They couldn¡¯t omit a triumph ceremony for the expeditionary who have driven out the western immigrants. However, they didn¡¯t want the most notable war hero, Marquis of Winterfell, to be the centre of the triumph ceremony. A beautiful young Lady of a Duke, who was at her marriageable age, publicly confessed to a promising knight. And the young knight was willing to accept her courtship and promised to marry her. It was a perfect romance that the public would cheer for. All those who were absorbed in the heroic story of the Marquis Winterfell would be distracted by it. ¡®To solidly tie the matrimonial alliance.¡¯ Nadia¡¯s father wanted to make Lee Jiho completely his people, but it wouldn¡¯t be suitable if he gave him to his legitimate daughter, Callaine. The Duke must have decided so and made a plan to marry his illegitimate daughter to him. The mention of the laurel wreath from the Duke¡¯s mouth meant that his mind was set. He wouldn¡¯t listen if Nadia said she didn¡¯t want to get married. ¡®I wished I had gone back to being a little younger. There is not much time left until the engagement. ¡­Should I accept the engagement and find a way to break up the marriage later?¡¯ Let¡¯s say they broke up the engagement anyway. What would Nadia do after that? The fact that her fate rested within her father¡¯s hand didn¡¯t change. It was not easy for a woman with no maternal family, wealth, or lineage to stand on her own feet. While Nadia was nervously chewing on her lips, the two had reached the garden before she knew it. She could see the King looking around the garden a few steps away. And next to him was Callaine, who seemed to be his companion. From her long blonde hair, Nadia could recall a little bit of her face from her last memory. Nadia¡¯s expression was slightly distorted when she saw her half-sister. But she soon managed to pretend to be calm. ¡°I greet Your Majesty the King.¡± The first person to greet the King was Duke Balazit. Nadia also followed her father and offered a formal greeting to the King. ¡°¡®I greet Your Majesty the King.¡± ¡°Oh, you are the first young Lady of Lord Balazit. You are beautiful as the rumor says.¡± The King was a middle-aged man in his late 40s, a figure that unexpectedly looked ordinary for someone who led a country. ¡®My father¡¯s stupid puppet.¡¯ It wouldn¡¯t take much to make the Northern Lords hate such a man as Nadia¡¯s father. The Duke of Balazit said, ¡°Your Majesty, my daughters knew you were coming and they would like to treat you with some refreshments. Please allow my daughters to join us.¡± ¡°Why would there be any reason for your daughters not to join us? Aren¡¯t they more trustworthy than anyone else? Hahaha. It¡¯s chilly outside, let¡¯s go inside.¡± ¡°Thank you for your generosity.¡± The King urged loudly as if to hurry them in. Once he¡¯s inside, he walked on the carpet that the servants¡¯ had prepared. The destination was the drawing-room attached to Duke Balazit¡¯s study. It was mainly a room used for secret talks. The King and Duke Balazit, Callaine and Nadia went into the drawing-room together. When the King settled down on the sofa in the drawing-room, Callaine began to take out the refreshments first. Because of that, it naturally became Nadia¡¯s responsibility to brew the tea. She took this chance to listen carefully to the conversation between the two, pretending to prepare the tea leaves. ¡°As you already know, the Karla¡¯ai expeditionaries has requested for a triumphal celebration.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t holding a ball good enough?¡± ¡°I know that! But the Marquis of WInterfell is the biggest contributor among the expedition commanders! He will get the most attention if the triumphal celebration is held. He just inherited the title, so he will take this opportunity to establish himself.¡± ¡°But we can¡¯t ignore their request. The expedition supported not only the Marquis Winterfell but also other Lords. If we don¡¯t hold a triumphal celebration, there will be criticism from all over the country toward the royal family for neglecting veterans.¡± ¡°But can¡¯t you do something to those Northern people? Do you have any idea?¡± ¡°I have an idea. A plan to shackle the northern people¡¯s necks by turning the hero of the triumph to someone else.¡± ¡°As expected from Duke Balazit. What is it, how do we do that?¡± The plan to make the main character of the celebration another person meant Nadia and Lee Jiho¡¯s engagement. ¡®But what is their plan to shackle the Northern people¡¯s necks?¡¯ Nadia focused more on the conversation between the two. ¡°Marriage.¡± ¡°Marriage?¡± ¡°Yes, a couple of marriages. First of all, let¡¯s talk about Marquis Winterfell¡¯s marriage. Use your authority to urge him to get married. Of course, the marriage partner should be a woman from your loyal aristocrat.¡± There was one thing that came to mind when Nadia heard that. Marquis Winterfell¡¯s wife was a woman from a family that was sponsored by her father. ¡®So their intention was to put spies in the enemy¡¯s den while preventing the Northern Lords from establishing power through marriage.¡¯ In fact, Duke Balazit¡¯s ulterior motive could only work to some extent. Until Marchioness Winterfell was caught leaking the internal situation in the North to outside. This would make the relationship between the Northern Lords and Duke Balazit worse, and the Marchioness Winterfell was expelled from the North. ¡®Marquis Winterfell¡¯s wedding is probably¡­ after my engagement with Lee Jiho?¡¯ Apparently, the scheme that cost Nadia her life was a part of her father¡¯s scenario to shackle the Northerns. Nadia felt sorry for the women who had to marry into the Winterfell family at such a young age only to be not welcomed¡­ ¡®Wait.¡¯ Something flashed through Nadia¡¯s mind. ¡®Can¡¯t I replace that role?¡¯ Marquis, who protected the North, and a daughter of a Duke. In terms of status, it was a pretty good combination, and their age was similar. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only Moreover, Nadia was nothing but an obedient daughter to her father. He wouldn¡¯t mind sending Nadia to the North, as he would never have imagined that his daughter, who had always been well-behaved, would betray him. There was no one more suitable than Marquis Winterfell to avenge her previous life, and she could avoid her engagement with Lee Ji-ho. In a hopeless situation, it felt like a rope of salvation had come down for Nadia. (*Housekeeper refers the title of the head of all female employees in a noble house.) Chapter 4 Chapter 4 ?While Nadia drowned in joy, the conversation was progressing further. ¡°Why did you think so?¡± ¡°There are two advantages if we make our person as the Marchioness of Winterfell. First of all, if the North shows signs of planning independence, we can notice it immediately. And secondly, we can rule out the possibility that Marquis Winterfell solidifies the alliance by marriage with the other of the northern family.¡± ¡°But I am sure they are going to reject the wife that I choose.¡± ¡°Yes, of course they will. However, the hostess of the family has the authority to access documents related to the house. It will never be easy to simulate rebellion conspiracy without the Marchioness doesn¡¯t get caught. But, if this plan works out well, she could infiltrate as a spy to steal their information.¡± ¡°Ho¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± There was no reason not to listen because the Duke¡¯s plausible arguments were added with reasonable grounds. Nadia looked at the King¡¯s expression as she put the teacup down on the table. Seeing him nod up and down, he seems to have already been half persuaded. ¡®When exactly was the Marquis of Winterfell married?¡¯ Nadia didn¡¯t remember the exact date, but she was sure it was the following year. In other words, it meant that if she didn¡¯t hurry, she could miss the opportunity. However, if Nadia intervened in the conversation, she would only receive her father¡¯s rage. When Nadia checked the surrounding mood, the King, who had been thinking for a while, spoke. ¡°Of course, that¡¯s a good idea. But I¡¯m concerned if anyone will voluntarily send their precious daughter to the enemy¡¯s den. Who would want to send their daughter to such a place?¡± ¡°You underestimate the faithfulness of your servants to the royal family. If it¡¯s just a child, they can give birth to them again. However, it is not every day to meet the Lord who will devote their best. They don¡¯t have to worry about that because giving up their daughter will benefit them.¡± ¡°Hahaha! Your speaking skills are getting better and better. I am all buttered up.¡± It was then that Nadia, who hesitated, saw the opportunity. Her father¡¯s words of giving up daughters if you were loyal servants to the royal family. If she just waited and saw, she could miss this opportunity. Now was not the time to hesitate. Having made up her mind, she raised herself and said. ¡°Your Majesty! There¡¯s something this Balazit daughter would like to ask you.¡± ¡°Nadia!¡± Before the words of telling her to stop came out of her father¡¯s mouth, Nadia quickly continued her words. ¡°If you need a woman who has to go to the North, I want to play that role! Please let me make a contribution for Your Majesty!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The King¡¯s face was filled with astonishment. Shatter! The sound of a teacup breaking could be heard from behind Nadia¡¯s back. Not to mention the expression of the Duke of Balazit, even Callaine whispered in a shocked voice. ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Nadia bent her knees in front of the King after ignoring the reactions of her father and sister. ¡°My father just said this to Your Majesty himself, didn¡¯t he? If it¡¯s my father¡¯s person, she would be trustable more than anyone else. ¡°He did told me that, but isn¡¯t the Northern a bit rough for you to go in person?¡± ¡°Your Majesty has always cared for my father as your loyal servant. Thanks to that, I was able to live a peaceful life as a noble. It is all thanks to your grace that I have been able to live beyond my heart content. Please take this opportunity to repay my kindness.¡± Nadia said so and then fell on the floor. ¡®Father can¡¯t stop me.¡¯ A while ago, the Duke of Balazit said this with his own mouth. If you were a loyal servant, you would be more than willing to give up your daughter. If Nadia was dissuaded here, it might seem that the Duke didn¡¯t want to send his own daughter to the North. He was furious at his daughter¡¯s unexpected behavior, but he couldn¡¯t stop her. ¡°How commendable of you. But as you know, isn¡¯t your father the enemy of Winterfell among all? There is no way Winterfell could easily accept the marriage proposal.¡± ¡°I will dedicate the laurel wreath to the Marquis of Winterfell at the triumphal celebration.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± The King¡¯s face became even stern. From behind her back, her father¡¯s deep groan could be heard. ¡°Do you even know what it means for a woman who has passed the coming-of-age ceremony to offer a laurel wreath to a man at the triumphal celebration?¡± ¡°It¡¯s like a confession of love, I know.¡± ¡°Then you also should know what your honor will be like when you get rejected. How an unmarried young lady get rejected when she publicly courting a man. If that happens, it will be hard for you to marry someone from a proper family.¡± ¡°There has been no case where the laurel wreath has been rejected at the triumphal celebration.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because we made prior agreement before the ceremony is held! It¡¯s a play that the public will like!¡± That was the whole point. Just like Nadia¡¯s act of offering a laurel wreath to Lee Ji-ho was planned in advance, the same went with all other triumphal celebrations. It was just a narrative play that people could cheer for. Nevertheless, Nadia¡¯s expression remained calm. ¡°But he will not be able to reject my laurel. That is because offering a laurel wreath at the triumphal celebration is like pouring cold water on a blazing fire. Isn¡¯t this triumphal celebration held at the request of Marquis Winterfell? He couldn¡¯t ruin the celebration he requested himself.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°He will definitely wrapped up the celebration after dealing with the situation by accepting the laurel I offered. After that, please arrange the marriage between Marquis and me in the name of Your Majesty¡¯s earnest plea to justify the daughter of founding contributor. Your Majesty is a benevolent monarch who could not be able to turn a blind eye to the loyalty he was given so far, and is trying to make the love of the Duke¡¯s young lady come true.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­.¡± What a spiteful scheme. It was the first thought Nadia had when she heard what came out of her own mouth. However, it was a very effective method despite her guilt. But wasn¡¯t Nadia the daughter of the Duke of Balazit? If the King had to drive his loyal servant¡¯s daughter to a dangerous place, Duke Balazit might be disappointed in him. Noticed that the King was hesitating, Nadia continued. ¡°Your Majesty, please allow me to pay back the favor of the royal family and my father had given to me. My father would never give me the opportunity to prove my loyalty.¡± ¡°Ho¡­.¡± As Nadia spoke so earnestly, the King was starting to get convinced. Then the King looked at the Duke Balazit and asked. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I didn¡¯t know my daughter would have such a commendable thought.¡± Though it wasn¡¯t easy to maintain her expression, she handled the situation nicely. Nadia forced a smile, but there was no laughter reflected in her eyes. Unfortunately, however, the King was neither clever nor quick to notice. The King claps as if he was admiring it. ¡°Balazit is a true loyalist of this country! Even though she is a young woman, she is as confident as any other knight!¡± ¡°You are flattering too much, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t comfortable having to send someone to the North, but I feel much relieved when you came forward. I will never forget your loyalty.¡± Perhaps the word ¡°relieved¡± was not a lie as a bright smile hung appeared on the King¡¯s face. Nadia wondered how a King could easily fell for words. ¡®It¡¯s a good thing for me, but¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡¯ The King, who praised Nadia¡¯s loyalty repeatedly, began to bring up another topic. Nadia stepped back carefully because it was a conversation not related to her. Now she began to serve refreshments, which had initially been her task. Glancing at her father, as expected, Nadia could feel his anger. His face was smiling, but the muscle on his clenching hand stood clearly on the sofa armrest. ¡®Although the King has given his consent, it¡¯s difficult to accomplish this plan without father¡¯s approval.¡¯ Nadia knew that persuading her father somehow wouldn¡¯t be easy. ¡®How am I supposed to convince him?¡¯ As she lowered her eyes, her head began to brainstorm fast. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ?¡±I know you¡¯re crazy but I didn¡¯t know you are this crazy.¡± As soon as the King left the mansion, a stern voice could be heard as the owner of the voice grabbed Nadia¡¯s hair. It was her half-sister, Callaine. Nadia sighed briefly and looked back. Standing next to her father, Callaine was looking at her with a complicated face. ¡°I knew you are an idiot, but I didn¡¯t know it would be this extend. You¡¯re going to volunteer and go to the North? Do you even know what kind of treatment you will receive there¨C¡± ¡°Callaine, stop it.¡± Duke Balazit confronted his daughter in a stern voice. ¡°I don¡¯t think it isyour place to intervene, Callaine.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± In front of her stern father, Callaine had no choice but to step back. Then, with his quiet daughter behind him, Duke Balazit took a step forward. After the King left, the smiling facade had been completely stripped off from the face of the Duke of Balazit. Wham! He swung his cane on the floor with a terrifying stiff face. ¡°Explain, Nadia. Why did you do that? I have made it clear that your role is to offer the laurel wreath to Sir Ji Ho. You must explain until I understand what you are trying to do.¡± Chapter 5 ¡°Father.¡± Nadia looked him in the eye. It was the time to throw a final move. ¡°I don¡¯t want to marry a stranger I don¡¯t even know.¡± ¡°You fool. If you were to marry Lee Jiho, you could have remained in the prosperous capital! Do you know what the northern part is like?¡± The angry Duke suddenly stopped talking. He realized that nothing would change even if he took it out on Nadia now. ¡°Ha¡­..¡± After sighing deeply, he continued to talk again while rubbing his forehead. ¡°So, do you think marrying the Marquis of Winterfell is any better? I don¡¯t think he¡¯s dumb enough not to understand what kind of relationship he has with me.¡± ¡°I understand, that¡¯s why I¡¯m volunteering myself. Marquis Winterfell hates father. There is no way he would welcome someone with father¡¯s influence as his wife. Do you have any specific plans on how you are going to send him a bride?¡± At that, the Duke of Balazit shut his mouth. Nadia shouted in cheers in her heart. ¡®As expected, there is a way out!¡¯ The marriage to shackle Marquis of Winterfell took place about a year after Nadia engaged with Lee Jiho. Considering her father¡¯s nature, which he had to finish up what he had set in the beginning, he looked like he could not think of anything at the moment. Of course, he could sneak someone with his influence into the Winterfell family within one year successfully, but it was still an unclear future. Nadia was determined to highlight this matter to persuade her father. ¡°You have to make the event merrier. People all over the country should be interested in this marriage. There¡¯s no event as suitable as a triumphal celebration to attract people¡¯s attention.¡± ¡°After the triumphal celebration, if His Majesty orders Marquis to marry me under the royal order, he wouldn¡¯t dare to refuse. If he dares to refuse the royal order while the whole nation is interested in it, his loyalty would be suspected.¡± The King was nothing but a puppet. In fact, it was more suitable to say that there were no aristocrat lords who were loyal to the King. So it was never about his sincerity toward the King. The only important thing was that it could become the merit of the lords to avoid the stigma of ¡®disloyalty toward the King.¡¯ An era in which local lords were active and competed with each other for their interests. Marquis of Winterfell would not take the risk of being driven into public enemies. The Duke of Balazit, who couldn¡¯t find anything to refute, replied in a more relaxed voice. ¡°¡­ You have a point. However, if that happens, he will be the one who draws the most attention at this triumphal celebration. What are you going to do about that?¡± ¡°Just give him the moment of honor. Isn¡¯t preventing any possible rebellion the most important thing?¡± Cunning aristocrats. The power to control the foolish King. The complicated politics. 30 There were many precedents where local lords who were dissatisfied with the messed-up central politics were revolting. Among them, there were cases where the ruler changed. That was why Nadia¡¯s father was wary of the North and felt threatened. Anxiety that his position might be threatened. He must felt triggered psychologically. ¡°Didn¡¯t you make a plan today because you¡¯re predicting the risks, too? The hostility between the South and the North are going intensify. One day, you are going crash with each other.¡± ¡°Ho..¡± All of this was something she could say claim because she knew what would happen in the future. However, not knowing that she had returned from the future, he agreed with Nadia¡¯s reasoning. ¡°Please let me make a contribution for you, father. If you sacrifice me this time, you can put forward the credit that you have given up your child to keep Marquis Winterfell in check. Your position will become stronger.¡± ¡°To make my contribution stand out ¡­.. That¡¯s a very interesting suggestion.¡± The Duke burst into laughter. From his point of view, which regarded daughters only as chess pieces of political marriage, it was a very interesting suggestion. He couldn¡¯t believe that the chess piece could proudly assert itself. Duke Balazit liked those who wanted to prove their value. Because they tended to be valuable and quick-witted negotiators. ¡°So, what do you want in return for your contribution? If you marry Lord Jiho, you can live comfortably as the wife of a great knight. On the other hand, shouldn¡¯t you know that being the wife of Marquis Winterfell and leaving to the North comes with a lot of risks?¡± ¡°All I want is freedom, father.¡± It was now the last step to trick her father. It wouldn¡¯t be the right move to say that it was purely out of a daughter¡¯s devotion to her father. It would be more effective to say what she wanted. ¡°I don¡¯t want to live in a stuffy capital all my life, tied up as someone¡¯s wife.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re willing to go to the North just because the capital is stuffy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. Sometime ago when you said about knocking down your enemy¡­ that meant I could be either | will be a widow or a divocee. If that day comes, promise me my freedom and abundant mount of support.¡± ¡°So what you mean is that you want to be a rich widow or divorcee.¡± ¡°Unmarried women are bound to be criticized by the public, but widows and divorcees are acceptable in the society. Even if I don¡¯t remarry, I won¡¯t be tainting the name of Balazit.¡± ¡°What in the world are you talking about?¡± Callaine, who couldn¡¯t stand the conversation anymore, screamed. How could anyone say that they were planning to live alone without a husband so easily? Anyone with that mindset must have lost their common sense. But what she couldn¡¯t believe more was her father¡¯s reaction. ¡°Sure, I understand what you are trying to say.¡± ¡°F-Father? What¡¯s wrong with you?!¡± ¡°Silence, Callaine. It¡¯s none of your business!¡± The stern rebuke put Calleine into silence. Stroking his jaw, the Duke was lost in thought. ¡®She¡¯s a clever child, so she will behave well on her own even after getting married in the North. Someday she will be useful to me.¡¯ In addition, the Duke thought that he could boast his contribution of sacrificing his daughter to the King and other nobles. Even if he thought it over in many ways, what Nadia proposed was tempting It was then that a nervous-faced Callaine suddenly intervened. She didn¡¯t know what was happening, but she wanted to prevent things from going as Nadia wanted. ¡°Wait, father. What are you going to do with Sir Jiho? Didn¡¯t you tell her to agree to the exchange marriage? l-If you suddenly change your mind like this¡­ he will be offended.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t something that the public have known either, is it? You can just introduce him to other lady.¡± ¡°However¡­.¡± However, no matter how hard she squeezed her brain to come up with an excuse, it was too late to reverse her father¡¯s already decided mind. The Duke looked at Nadia again and said. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know after discussing it further with His Majesty. Until then, stay still in the mansion.¡± ¡°Yes, father.¡± Nadia couldn¡¯t hold her smile. Considering her father¡¯s answer, it seems that she got his permission. ¡®With father¡¯s support, I could leave with enough dowry.¡¯ Bringing her fund from home would help her plan what she was going to do in the future. Avoiding engagement with a stranger like Lee Ji-ho was only the first step toward changing the future. ¡°I have something to think about alone for a while. Nadia, Callaine, go back to your own rooms.¡± ¡°Yes, father.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Feeling angry, Callaine bit her lips. However, there was nothing she could do as their father told them to leave. The two had to leave his office as ordered. Nadia slightly bent her knees to excuse herself and left the room. As soon as the door closed, half-sister¡¯s fierce voice followed. ¡°You¡­ What are you up to?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡± ¡°Just because you got father¡¯s little attention¨C Where are you going? Are you listening to me?!¡± She wasn¡¯t listening. Behind Nadia¡¯s back, she could hear the sound of her half-sister stamping her feet when she followed her. However, Callaine didn¡¯t dare to make a fuss in front of his father¡¯s office; therefore, she didn¡¯t pick any further fight with Nadia even after she caught up with her. Before anything more tiring happened, Nadia hurried out of the main building. However, when she entered the pathway to the annex, a sudden noise caught her attention. ¡°I-I¡¯m innocent! It wasn¡¯t me, really! Please believe me, Head Maid!¡± A familiar voice. It belonged to Amber, the maid who was in charge of cleaning Nadia¡¯s room. Nadia turned her head toward the source of the noise. She could see dozens of people gathering in front of the annex door. And there was a girl who was kneeling in the middle of the angry crowd. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only Amber, the maid who was teary, was begging the Head Maid with both hands. Nadia stopped for a while and decided to watch it. ¡°I got the evidence, how dare you lying to me?¡± ¡°I really didn¡¯t steal it! I¡¯m telling you the truth!¡± Chapter 6 ¡°Then explain why you sent Miss Nadia out. If it wasn¡¯t for the intention of stealing, I¡¯m sure you could explain why!¡± ¡°I-It was¡­¡­¡± Her items and bags that seemed to be Amber¡¯s personal belongings were scattered around her feet. It seems that the jewel in her pocket was found by the maid. ¡°I-It was because¡­ In uncomfortable¡­¡± ¡°You should have at least come up with something that makes sense! Get rid of her now!¡± ¡°P-Please 1 beg you! If I don¡¯t work here, where¡­.Aah!¡± Two bulky male servants stepped forward and pulled Amber out like a piece of luggage. She struggled desperately, but it was not enough to withstand the power of the two men. It didn¡¯t take long for her yelling to disappear in the distance. Nadia approached the sighing maid and asked. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. A maid stole something. It¡¯s nothing for Miss Nadia to be concerned about.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a big deal. It must be hard to manage the staff.¡± ¡°No. I am just doing my duty, Miss Nadia.¡± A smile formed on Nadia¡¯s lips slowly disappeared. She didn¡¯t think that Amber would be kicked out so fast. ¡°From tomorrow, another maid will be in charge of cleaning your room. I will educate them thoroughly so that this incident doesn¡¯t happen again.¡± ¡°Then I will be in your care.¡± On the first day of returning to the past, Nadia didn¡¯t only manage to avoid her engagement with Lee Jiho but also kicked out Callaine¡¯s right hand. In addition, she was able to collect her funds in the form of a dowry. She couldn¡¯t believe she had achieved them all from the very first day. Nadia could feel that her steps back to the annex were light. * ** By gathering unanimous agreement among the nobles, the Karla¡¯ai expedition triumphal celebration was held. There was no reason to oppose the event, and no one had been daring enough to vote against it, as long as the Duke of Balazit, the head of the aristocracy, expressed his support. As time went by quickly, on the day of the triumphal celebration, Nadia was sitting in the VIP seat on the altar and watching the army¡¯s procession like in her previous life. The only thing that has changed from the past was that the recipient of the homemade laurel wreath has changed. Her dress matched all types of jewelry that were worn all together for the event. Nevertheless, it would be a lie if you weren¡¯t nervous. Nadia sighed quietly and touched the jewelry on the necklace. This necklace was one of the few legacies left by her mother, and she said it was a jewel given by the Duke when she was pregnant with Nadia. ¡°Just try to make a scratch on my jewel. I only lent it to you for a while because of father¡¯s order.¡± ¡­ Though it was questionable how such a precious object for her was in Callaine¡¯s jewelry box. Nadia glanced to the right. The seating arrangement was also the same as in the past; therefore, her half-sister was seated next to her. Callaine muttered, openly staring at her up and down. ¡°I lent it to you because I felt sorry for you. It¡¯s my first time talking to someone who has to beg for marriage.¡± ¡°Congratulations on your wedding in advance, sister. Although I don¡¯t know if your husband¡¯s family will welcome you.¡± Nadia didn¡¯t respond because she didn¡¯t even want to answer back. Callaine just smiled even though her words were ignored. Perhaps the silence was interpreted as Nadia feeling defeated by her sarcasm. Soon she turns her head with a cocky smile. Not long after, the Duke whispered into Nadia¡¯s ear. ¡°He will be there soon. Prepare yourself, Nadia.¡± As if confirming her father¡¯s sign, the voices of onlookers cheering were growing louder and louder. It meant that the highlight of the procession was getting closer. Only a few soldiers could approach the altar where the King was seated. Soon after, four commanders, who were recognized for the expedition leaders, began to come up to the altar one by one. Nadia looked at the man nervously. The first figure that stood out was Lee Jiho, a blackhaired man who came from another world. His darker skin color than the people of the kingdom, his black hair like crow feathers, and his black eyes; It was inevitable that the man caught her eyes. It was as if he was telling the world that he came from a different place with his whole body He dressed up more lavishly than usual, probably because of the triumphal celebration. Nadia¡¯s eyes sank deeply as she stared at Lee Jiho. ¡®I didn¡¯t really love that man.¡¯ It was only because of the Duke¡¯s order that he promised to marry her. And for her, Lee Jiho was just a good business partner. Since the relationship was initially established based on self-profit, it would be a given if he abandoned her for a more significant benefit. Nevertheless, betrayal was painful. If she didn¡¯t have to deal with the aftermath of her father, she wanted to slap him on the cheek right now. Her expression gradually hardened as she tried to suppress her anger. The Duke talked to her again, which made her calm her anger. ¡°As you already know, that silver-haired guy is Marquis Glenn Winterfell. Make sure you don¡¯t make any mistakes.¡± ¡°..Yes.¡± Nadia tried to think rationally. What¡¯s important now was to successfully execute the play that she has planned. Her eyes landed on the Marquis of Winterfell. Nadia was sitting a little far away, but it was not difficult to recognize him. Reine Fleurs His significantly larger body than the average person made his presence stand out even from a distance. Short silver hair, dark eyebrows, and aesthetic features. He was just like how she vaguely remembered him. Walking across the wide altar, he stopped in front of the King ¡°I dedicate the glory of victory to His Majesty.¡± In the past, Nadia didn¡¯t pay attention to him, so this scene was blurry in her memory. No matter how many times she processed it in her head, she still couldn¡¯t believe that the faint memories were reproduced vividly in front of her eyes. Marquis of Winterfell set an example for his subjects by bending one knee in front of the King. The same went for Lee Jiho and other commanders. The King, who was praising the expedition with a celebratory speech, picked up Glenn and said. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. I heard that Marquis Winterfell made a remarkable contribution in this expedition.¡± Glenn replied calmly. ¡°It is just an exaggerated rumor.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be shy about. The predecessor Marquis Winterfell was also a very outstanding knight. Your father in his sickbed will be happy to know the achievement you made.¡± ¡°It¡¯s so commendable that you¡¯ve been loyal for generations. I will have to reward your loyal family.¡± ¡°It¡¯s enough for Your Majesty to know my loyalty.¡± ¡°My, my, young people are so serious.¡± He burst into laughter and said to the people standing on the altar. ¡°This is a place to congratulate the heroes of the Karla¡¯ai expedition who brought victory to us. I will reward the heroes who went through suffering from the expedition.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so grateful, Your Majesty.¡± The first one to step forward was the Duke of Balazit. The tension between the Duke of Balazit and the Marquis of Winterfell was very well known. When the two faced each other in the same room, the temperature on the altar went cold. Only the insensitive King looked happy. ¡°The little Marquis of¨C No, it wouldn¡¯t be right. It would only be right to call you Marquis of Winterfell, wouldn¡¯t i?¡± The atmosphere was so tense that even the senior ministers could read the room. It was the Duke of Balazit who began to be sarcastic first. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I saw you.¡± It was a mild response. For someone who didn¡¯t know Marquis Winterfell during his young days, Duke of Balazit dared to show such an attitude to the head of the Winterfell family, who had inherited the title and territory. Glenn¡¯s eyebrows are slightly raised. He was also not an easy opponent. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long since I succeeded with the title. It was chaotic because the Karla¡¯ai expedition overlapped with the title succession.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Such manner simply ignored the age difference between the Marquis and the Duke, who was almost the same age as his father. This time, it was the Duke of Balazit who had a subtly hardened expression. ¡°My, my, it¡¯s understandable. Anyone could be immature at this age.¡± Don¡¯t be arrogant, you stupid little brat. Glenn, who quickly recognized the hidden meaning, immediately responded. ¡°What¡¯s the problem about being young? It would only be a problem if we have too much energy to spend.¡± I¡¯m young, but I¡¯m not going to die soon like you, you greedy old man. ¡°T-This¨C!¡± At the insult, the face of the Duke of Balazit turned red. But after a moment, he skillfully kept his expression calm as he was an experienced noble. Soon after, the Duke burst into laughter exaggeratedly. ¡°H-Ha ha ha!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you found funny. Why don¡¯t you share it with everyone here?¡± ¡°Oh, it was nothing. It¡¯s because I feel like I¡¯m looking at the predecessor Marquis. Indeed, a lion-like child is born from a lion-like father.¡± This time, Glenn¡¯s expression was distorted. It was a public secret in the political circle that the predecessor Marquis was involved in a conspiracy accident. And there were only a few people who wanted to kill and eliminate the predecessor Marquis. It was not easy to maintain composure when the person who harmed his father openly provoked him. It was the moment when Glenn was about to get angry. ¡°Stop it. Not on such a great day.¡± The King intervened between the two and waved his hand. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡°On days like this, please refrain yourself. Isn¡¯t today the day we give honor to the hero? Even your daughter is preparing a gift for the hero.¡± ¡°I was rash. Your Majesty is right.¡± A gift for a hero? Upon hearing the King¡¯s words, Glenn¡¯s one eyebrow went up. Come to think of it, he could see a young woman standing behind the Duke holding a laurel wreath. Chapter 7 Chapter 7 ?¡¯No wonder they were happily granted the triumphal celebration¡­.¡¯ It seemed that they were trying to make the main character of the triumphal celebration with the typical romance narrative. It was a dirty trick, but Glenn decided to be satisfied that the triumphal celebration was held. If he could bring glory to the faraway northern army who sacrificed their blood, he could overlook this kind of ploy. ¡°Nadia, go ahead and give your wreath to your hero.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The Duke¡¯s young daughter, called Nadia, followed the tradition by wearing a white dress. Like the goddesses in the old myth, the skirt fell straight to the ground. Her slender body created a clean vibe, but it did not catch his eyes. In fact, Glenn was not very interested in her. Because he was convinced that he wasn¡¯t the owner of the laurel she prepared. If the daughter of the Duke of Balazit wasn¡¯t giving the laurel to Lee Ji-ho, who else would she give the laurel wreath to? There was a very famous rumor that a black-haired knight was sponsored by the Duke of Balazit. ¡°¡­¡­¡­?¡± That¡¯s why when she stopped in front of him, Glenn had no choice but to panic. No matter how long he waited, the young daughter of Duke Balazit wasn¡¯t showing any intention to move away from in front of him. Perhaps he wasn¡¯t the only one who was surprised because there were nobles on the altar who were murmuring in confusion. ¡°That laurel wreath isn¡¯t for Sir Jiho?¡± ¡°Why is the Duke¡¯s daughter giving Marquis Winterfell¡­¡± ¡°Just wait a minute. She is probably going to move soon.¡± The young lady seemed to have made a mistake due to nervousness. Glenn whispered quietly in a bewildered voice. ¡°I think you misunderstood someone because you were nervous. It¡¯s not me, he is on that side.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not mistaken.¡± ¡°What?¡± If she made a mistake in this place, she wouldn¡¯t be safe at home, considering the nature of Duke Balazit. Although she was the daughter of a nemesis family, Glenn would feel bad if something terrible happened. Glenn tried to quietly remind her of her mistake once again. ¡°No, I think you got the wrong person¨C¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been keeping the Marquis of Winterfell in my heart for a long time! My heart grew even bigger because of the heroic stories I heard from the western border. Please accept my laurel wreath.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡± As she offered Glenn the wreath, Nadia made her confession. At that moment, the cheers of the public who were watching the whole confession became even merrier. Wow!! Pop! Pop! Boom boom! The sound of fireworks exploded in the afar sky as if offering the couple a congratulatory fire. Glenn, who was never briefed of the possibility of this situation, could not help but be bewildered. Nadia said again to Glenn, whose mouth was opened in shock. ¡°When I first saw you, I fell in love at first sight. I realized it the first time I saw you. I believe that you will be the one whom I could devote my life to.¡± Nadia was saying crazy things with all her heart. Just talking in a pretty tone didn¡¯t change the fact that she sounded crazy. Glenn hurriedly continued to reply. The cheers surrounding them were becoming noisier. If Glenn was too late, it might be impossible to fix this situation. ¡°Lady Balazit, you¡¯re not so foolish that you don¡¯t know what it means for a woman who has reached the coming-of-age to offer a laurel wreath in this event.¡± ¡°Yes, I know. I¡¯m confessing my love to you!¡± The last word was shouted loudly that it could reach the ears of the nobles gathered on the altar. The murmur got even worse at Nadia¡¯s persistent behavior. Unlike the public, who cheered without knowing the actual situation, those who knew the political clash between the two families were confused. Some nobles, who weren¡¯t notified of the plan in advance, began to murmur in shock. ¡°Did she discuss this with the Duke first?!¡± ¡°Of course she did! How could an unmarried daughter do such a thing without her father¡¯s consent¡­.¡± ¡°But them marrying are another problem!¡± If Nadia did this on impulse, it would be a scandal discussed in society for the next few years. How would the King and the Duke of Balazit react to this? People glanced at the top altar where the King was. Then, the King opened his mouth with a calm face. ¡°Marquis Winterfell, a beautiful woman is waiting for your answer there. What are you doing?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Glenn¡¯s expression was distorted. He noticed that this was a play that involved not only the Duke of Balazit but also the King. ¡®How could you throw away your own child¡¯s reputation?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t be swayed like how the King and the Duke wished for. Glenn looked at the King and said, ¡°Your Majesty, I am so grateful that Balazit¡¯s young daughter is offering me a laurel wreath. However, I couldn¡¯t accept this crown.¡± Glenn¡¯s expression was as cold as the ice caps in the North. He looked like he wanted to kill her right away, and Nadia trembled slightly at the thought. ¡®I-I¡¯m sorry¡­ But it would be beneficial for you to marry me.¡¯ At least she wouldn¡¯t act as a spy as her father wanted. It was a ridiculous play from the start to even finish with, but it was none of her business. The only thing that mattered was that she had to change the future somehow. Nadia got goosebumps from the murderous aura that flowed out of Glenn. It was a well-expected reaction, but Nadia made an expression like she was hurt by Glenn¡¯s rejection. It was time to squeeze out all the acting skills that she didn¡¯t even have. Nadia looked up at Glenn with a tearful face and said. ¡°You don¡¯t like me because I¡¯m not a legitimate daughter?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°T-Then you don¡¯t have to feel responsible for my confession But please accept this wreath. For my heart has been conveyed to you is more than enough.¡± This crazy¨C Glenn could see through her acting. And Glenn wasn¡¯t the only one who thought that Nadia was absolutely out of her mind. ¡°W-What in the world did she just¨C¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t have to take responsibility, she said?. Did I hear it correctly?¡± ¡°Oh my God.¡± Everyone on the altar began to buzz. The man didn¡¯t have to take responsibility for her confession just to let him know how much she loved him? It was more like she was proudly declaring that she was a shallow woman. However, she did put her reputation at stake to offer him the laurel wreath, so it wasn¡¯t the right thing to refuse it. Those who were briefed in advance about the plan by the Duke of Balazit began to heat the situation. ¡°Marquis Winterfell, are you going to humiliate the young lady in such a happy celebration? Why are you so cold-hearted?¡± ¡°Lady Balazit purely just admired the Marquis Winterfell!¡± ¡°Did you have a ill feeling toward the Duke from your dispute? How could you be so pathetic?¡± The more the altar filled with a voice pressing him, the more Glenn¡¯s expression hardened. Anger was slowly flowing out of the pumpkin-colored eyes. Even the cheering public was buzzing curiously as Glenn continued to not receive the laurel wreath offered to him. If he refused her laurel, the atmosphere of the triumphal celebration would be spoiled. This celebration was held at the request of Glenn, after all. To honor the soldiers who died in the distant land and console those who have barely returned alive. ¡®If they think I couldn¡¯t ruin this celebration with my own hands, they could just dream on it.¡¯ Glenn closed his eyes and opened them. For a brief moment, Nadia could notice that he had endured the urge to kill her. ¡®F-Forgive me..¡¯ Everything that happened today was probably too sudden for the man. Nadia felt sorry for Glenn, who suddenly got stabbed in the back, but she hoped that he could think that he made the right choice by marrying her one day. ¡®I¡¯m going to do something more brazen now.¡¯ Nadia, who begged for Glenn¡¯s forgiveness in her heart, began to immerse herself in acting more. She even had to think of her late mother to act in tears. As she recalled her longing for her mother, Nadia¡¯s eyes got to tear up. ¡°Sobs.¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± Glenn¡¯s head turned toward the sound of a cry heard near him. There stood a woman with a laurel wreath who was crying sadly. Glenn was going crazy. The moment Nadia woman made a fuss, the triumphal celebration was ruined. The crowd, who noticed something unusual, was buzzing curiously. Now only those who gathered around the altar noticed the strange atmosphere. But as time went by, the agitation spread among the crowd. Grit. The sound of grinding teeth came out violently between Glenn¡¯s lips. Nadia, who heard how it sounded so harsh that she was worried about his condition. Finally, Glenn unclenched his jaw and answered. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the full story later, Lady Balazit.¡± If a Northern snow breeze turned into a human voice, it must be sounded like this. If he could kill people just by living, Glenn had already killed them dozens of times. Nadia quickly lowered her eyes and continued to act. It was time to end this ridiculous play. ¡°If you accept this wreath, I will regard this moment as an honor for the rest of my life¨C¡± Smack! However, even before Nadia finished speaking, Glenn took the laurel wreath as if he wanted to prevent her from lying through her teeth any further. His hand obviously got scratched from the branch of the wreath, but it was an invisible scene for the far crowd. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only Wow! The last chapter of the legendary hero story ended with a romance with a beautiful woman. The crowd cheered for the epic scene. Before she was engulfed with the loud cheers, Nadia tried to close the distance between her and Glenn. Chapter 8 Chapter 8 It was the only thing that contained her sincerity of all these ridiculous theatrical lines she had said so far. ¡°Thank you so much. I will try not to be a nuisance to you.¡± ¡°You have already caused me enough trouble. Why don¡¯t you go back to your place now that you¡¯re done with your show?¡± Though her sincerity did not seem to have been conveyed to him. Since her task was done, there was no reason to stay anymore. Right when she was about to return to her father quickly, Nadia saw Lee Jiho. He was looking at Nadia with a betrayed face. He had a shocked expression on his face. ¡®What¡¯s with his expression? Did he¡­. Oh, did he not get a word from father in advance?¡¯ Lee Jiho believed Nadia would give him the laurel, but for her to give it to someone else was utterly ridiculous. ¡®No matter how urgent my father is, he should have told Lee Jiho in advance.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t like Nadia didn¡¯t understand his disappointment. He was willing to risk his life for success, only to be treated like this. However, she wasn¡¯t generous enough to show compassion to a man who betrayed her in her previous life. Nadia, who turned away from Lee Jiho¡¯s gaze, went straight back to her place. The festive atmosphere of the triumphal celebration was getting merrier. ?The sun crossed the sunset horizon as the evening came. It was the time for the triumphal celebration to end, and people returned home one by one. The father and daughters of the Balazit family were also preparing to return to the mansion. Just before getting on the carriage, the Duke patted Nadia on the shoulder and praised her for her excellent job. ¡°Nadia, you did a good job today. His flustered face was worth seeing. Ha ha ha!¡± ¡°My pleasure, father.¡± I could feel the Callaine bore a hole on her back, but Nadia didn¡¯t care at all. It was when she ignored her half little sister¡¯s glare and was about to get into the carriage, someone called out the Duke. ¡°Duke! I have something to tell you.¡± The familiar voice heard from afar made her stop. Nadia looked back reflexively. ¡°Sir Jiho?¡± It was none other than Lee Jiho dressed in formal attire who was approaching the Duke. The Duke¡¯s expression was as hard as ice as the said man was approaching close. Considering that he was good at putting a polite facade in front of his people, the Duke of Balazit couldn¡¯t even control his expression, which meant he wasn¡¯t happy with the young man¡¯s behavior. The Duke of Balazit said. ¡°What¡¯s going on? You must have been tired from coming a long way, yet you didn¡¯t take your rest.¡± ¡°I have something urgent to ask you. I heard that the laurel wreath¡­ of today¡¯s celebration was definitely promised to me, but what happened?¡± ¡°Ah, about that¡­.¡± The Duke¡¯s face showed signs of annoyance. If your master made a change in his plan, it wasn¡¯t his place to come and argue about it. The Duke continued, waving his hand. ¡°Something came up. I¡¯m sorry that I couldn¡¯t give you a heads up because we had a last-minute plan change. I will find you another marriage partner, so you don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not here to be introduced to someone else! Why did you change your plan? I¡¯d like to hear the reason.¡± ¡°There was a good reason for that. I don¡¯t think it is a topic to talk about in such a place, so let¡¯s set up a meeting another time. I¡¯m going back for today.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too much! I¡¯m sure that before I went to the war¨C¡± The Duke finally became furious at Lee Jiho¡¯s persistent attitude. ¡°What do you want me to do now? The event has already ended! Are you asking me to put a notice on the Capital to meet what you wanted?!¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Uh.¡± It was a voice that drew a line that shouldn¡¯t be crossed. The furious Duke¡¯s forced him to shut up. He still needed the sponsorship of Duke Balazit. When Lee Jiho clenched his fist without saying a word and held himself, the Duke opened his mouth again while pinching his forehead. ¡°Anyway, it was my mistake not to tell you in advance, so I will compensate you for that. I will pair you up with the woman you want. There are as many beautiful women as stars in the Capital.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°You understand what I said, right?¡¯ This time, it was a soft voice as if trying to soothe his own anger. Nadia knew very well that was how her father handled his people. Offering compensation of giving Lee Jiho his desired marriage so that they would be able to stop Lee Jiho from bothering him with the same issue again. However, there was one thing that the Duke of Balazit overlooked, which was¡­ ¡®It means they didn¡¯t get along very well from the start.¡¯ Even before she returned to the past, there was no one who didn¡¯t know the rivalry between Lee Jiho and Glenn Winterfell. The two have never directly clashed with each other. However, what the two had in common was the reason why people thought so. Similar age, one of the war heroes, and was good looking. Nobles who loved to talk about others couldn¡¯t help but compare both of them. Even if they had no bad feelings about each other, the rivalry sentiment encouraged by people around them created a sense of competition that didn¡¯t even exist before. In addition for Marquis Winterfell¡¯s side, Lee Jiho was a knight sponsored by his long-time enemy, Duke Balazit. Therefore, it was only natural that everyone assumed that their relationship was not nice. ¡®Though at this point, the conflict between them isn¡¯t revealed on the surface¡­.¡¯ Nadia remembered it took some time before their rivalry would be in the spotlight. Lee Jiho, who had been underestimated for being a stranger from another world, was inferior to the Marquis Winterfell, a descendant of a historic, prestigious family. Although Lee Jiho never admitted it out of pride. Perhaps this incident would speed up the deterioration of the relationship between the two. Wouldn¡¯t it be a shame if something that was supposed to be his long time ago was taken away by the person whom he hated? As if it was a rule that they could take away anything they wanted from someone more inferior. Even if it wasn¡¯t something that held a great value. The conversation between the two continued while Nadia recalled things before her return to the past. The Duke continues to speak in a soft voice. ¡°I¡¯m not going to take with your rude attitude today seriously because it was probably my mistake. You should go back and take a rest.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°I will try to introduce you to any woman you want. There is no one big enough to refuse my request in this Capital. Do you understand?¡± ¡°¡­Thank you for your kind consideration.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you understood.¡± Even if he said so, Lee Jiho was constantly biting his lips as if he could not swallow his resentment. However, Duke Balazit was neither attentive nor generous enough to seek the understanding of his subordinates. As he felt that there was no more business with the young man, the Duke turned around and said. ¡°Nadia, Callaine. Let¡¯s go back.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± At this point, Nadia almost felt a little sorry for the treatment her ex-fiance received. Just before getting on the carriage, Nadia inadvertently looked back. Lee Jiho, who was still standing tall on his spot, showed an unsettling expression. At one moment, their gaze met. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± But her gaze did not stay long. After looking back for a short time, she got herself into the carriage. And the door closed with a crackling sound. The wagon carrying the family of Duke Balazit began to move. As the carriage gradually moved away from his sight, Lee Jiho stood tall and stared at it for a long time. ¡°And then the first Miss said this.¡± ¡°What did she say? What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t leave us hanging and tell us.¡± ¡°I love Marquis Winterfell so much! Please accept my heart!¡± ¡°Oh my God, oh my God!¡± ¡°Wow, isn¡¯t Marquis Winterfell not on good terms with our Duke? Is she allowed to do that?¡± ¡°The mansion hasn¡¯t been overturned yet, so it means the Duke allowed it.¡± ¡°Wow. No parent can beat a child. That must be why. But how did she get his consent?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know our Duke was so generous.¡± It was not only the aristocratic society that was surprised by the open courtship of the Duke¡¯s young daughter. Even the maids working in the mansion were busy talking about it. They were chatting that they didn¡¯t even realize that they were gossiping right under Nadia¡¯s room. Their voices could be clearly heard in Nadia¡¯s room which was located on the second floor. Very clear and vivid. ¡°So are they really getting married? Really?¡± ¡°She has already courted him. What can she do about that? If she doesn¡¯t marry the Winterfell family, she won¡¯t be able to marry to any family for the rest of her life.¡± ¡°Which man would accept a woman who offered a laurel to another man? It would be a shame for the unmarried daughter, so they have to get married somehow. His Majesty also seems to be putting pressure on the Marquis.¡± ¡°No, but why? Why does she want to marry him and live in the cold North? If she just stayed still, the Duke would have introduced him to a gentleman from a good family in the Capital.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my point. Why would she give herself the trouble¡­¡± Nadia leaned against the window and listened to the maids¡¯ conversation. Even though it was considered an impudent conversation, there was no change in the color of her face. Instead, the maid next to her was getting upset. ¡°T-Those impudent¨C I told them to watch their mouths! I¡¯ll go down immediately and go to head¨C¡± Nadia beckoned to the maid to stop. ¡°No, just let it go.¡± ¡°But if you leave it as it is, you don¡¯t know how far the rumors will spread.¡± ¡°The rumors must have been spread in the Capital anyway, so stopping some of them wouldn¡¯t solve anything. Moreover, it¡¯s a good thing that things get bigger.¡± Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡°¡­..?¡± She wanted to be a subject of rumor in the Capital? Chapter 9 Chapter 9 ?The maid looked at her strangely, but Nadia just smiled meaningfully. The maids working in the mansion were busy talking about their first young miss offering a laurel wreath at the event. Even though people who worked in the mansion were under strict restriction not to talk, those who had eyes and ears could know how obvious the excitement among the people in the capital was. This situation was supposed to be something that she didn¡¯t wish for. ¡®The bigger it gets, the more Marquis Winterfell couldn¡¯t resist the proposal.¡¯ The whole country¡¯s attention was focused on this marriage. In this situation, if he refused the King¡¯s command to marry her, Marquis Winterfell would be considered disagreeing with the King¡¯s order. There was no room for him to justify himself properly to request for assessment of the possibility of a political opponent¡¯s scheme who wanted to bring him down. He had no choice but to accept the marriage with Nadia in order not to be taken as a political threat. By now, the House of Marquis Winterfell would be in a state of chaos. They couldn¡¯t believe that they had to take the daughter of none other than the Duke of Balazit as the hostess of the house! Nadia¡¯s eyes turned out of the window to the direction of the Winterfell family¡¯s residence. She felt a little bad for surprising Marquis Winterfell, however¡­ ¡®I will never make you regret marrying me. After everything was over, she would gladly stamp the divorce agreement. Nadia turned her head again and looked at the jewel box spread out on the table. As she expected, her father promised to provide a lot of dowries. It wasn¡¯t really a heartfelt gift for her daughter, but rather luxuries to save his face. ?¡±By the way¡­ Is this all?¡± ¡°What? J-Jewelries are all here, but these are all worth several times when gold coins, silk, livestock, and grains are combined. If you want to look at the list¨C¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡± Nadia¡¯s gaze slowly skipped over the table. Among them, the object she was looking for wasn¡¯t here. The necklace that she wore at the triumphal celebration. ¡®I can¡¯t give my mother¡¯s legacy away to Callaine, right?¡± Nadie couldn¡¯t care less about anything else, but she had to find the necklace. Meanwhile, at the residence of the Winterfell family, inside the study of the head of the family. Glenn Winterfell was listening to his aide¡¯s report while sitting in a chair. His facial expression was covered as he was burying his forehead on the back of his hand. He wasn¡¯t feeling okay; though people around him got a little picture of what might have caused him to feel that way. Looking at his master¡¯s mood, the aide carefully opened his mouth. If it weren¡¯t because of the reports, it was easy to guess what made him sink into such a cranky mood. ¡°Even in the most secluded part of downtown, people are still talking about the triumphal celebration. I heard even His Majesty was pressing this marriage to you in the celebration ground because it was a fait accompli that the Balazit daughter already handed you the wreath.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°But again, it wouldn¡¯t be unusual for people in the capital¡­ No, people from all over the country know.¡± ¡°My Lord, you have to do something. Otherwise, you will be forced to walk the wedding aisle¨C¡± ¡°It¡¯s too late.¡± The Marquis of Winterfell, Glenn, replied in a stressed voice. Then, he took a box of correspondence from the drawer and threw it onto the table. It could be considered rude toward the letters stamped with the royal family¡¯s pattern. ¡°These are¡­.¡± ¡°Read it. It¡¯s probably something you can guess.¡± The rustling sound of a piece of paper rang quietly in the study room. Glenn¡¯s aide¡¯s face darkened after he looked at the contents of the letters. ¡°He is beating around the bush, but anyone could tell that he is telling you to get married.¡± ¡°If I keep refusing his suggestion, my action would be taken as opposing the royal¡¯s order.¡± When Glenn said that, he shouted as if he was angry at his aide. ¡°They are being too much. What did My Lord do wrong? Why are they doing this? Didn¡¯t you participate in the expedition this time? Huge numbers of military force, the armaments; All covered by our territory¡¯s taxes. Yet, they are still suspicious of us?¡± ¡°Duke Balazit must have raised suspicions against us. He is just an old man who had the need to step on the bothersome young one to be satisfied.¡± Winterfell territory that was located in the North wasn¡¯t even originally a part of the kingdom territory. This land was subjugated to the royal family 100 years ago, but some of the Northern people didn¡¯t even consider themselves a citizen of the Kingdom. Their culture was also quite different from the South, and for that reason, the capital nobles often ignored the Northern people and considered them barbaric. They were seen as savages, so they kept trying to interfere in the Northerns affairs. Wasn¡¯t the fact that the South could be prosperous and safe thanks to the Northerners guarding the North border? In a way, it was natural that the loyalty of the Northern lords toward the King died down. The consequences of clashing with the Northern lords and trained military forces embracing a different mind were obvious. And from the perspective of the Duke of Balazit, such a situation would be an uneasy one. ¡°I think there are two reasons why he is trying to promote this marriage. First, to prevent Northern lords from forming a marriage alliance. And to plant a spy in the middle of the enemy camp.¡± ¡°If the spy sees any signs of rebellion, it will reach the Duke¡¯s ear immediately.¡± ¡°I thought so. I never imagined the Duke would use his child like this.¡± As long as he could endure a tiny bit of shame, that plan would be very effective. If it was a marriage that had been schemed behind their back, there should be some way to put it off. However, Glenn couldn¡¯t do that as the rumors regarding this marriage had already spread across the country. How could they use a triumphal celebration to attract people¡¯s attention like that? ¡°I don¡¯t know who is behind this. It gives me a headache.¡± ¡°But it sure is effective.¡± ¡°Except for the fact that the Duke put his daughter¡¯s future at stake.¡± What was he going to do if the plan went wrong and the marriage with Glenn didn¡¯t take place? As long as Glenn accepted her heart, he didn¡¯t have to take further responsibility, did he? All Glenn could say was that the Balazits were out of their mind. When he remembered the face of the young woman hanging on to him just because she loved him, his head began to ache again. It made Glenn bury his forehead in his hand. Then, his aide opened his mouth again with a careful voice. ¡°By the way, it¡¯s about Sir Lee Jiho.¡±¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°According to our man who was on the altar at the celebration, he looked very flustered when Lady Nadia offered her laurel wreath to you.¡± ¡°That guy?¡± ¡°Yes, it seemed like he thought Lady Nadia would offer him the wreath.¡± At that time, Glenn didn¡¯t notice any of that because he didn¡¯t have time to look at Lee Jiho¡¯s reaction. In fact, Glenn also thought it was Lee Jiho¡¯s until she gave him a wreath. Lee Jiho was the hand-foot-and-mouth of Duke Balazit. Hence, it was strange in many ways that he didn¡¯t know the Duke¡¯s plan in advance. ?¡±Before the celebration, there is a rumor saying that Lee Jiho and Lady Nadia have exchanged marriage vows in secret.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s understandable that he was flustered. If such a rumor were circulating, of course he would have thought that she would give him the wreath.¡± ¡°The original plan to give it to Sir Jiho seemed to have changed urgently during the process. It is highly likely that they went on the plan without telling Sir Jiho.¡± ¡°¡­..Is that what happened?¡± If Lee Jiho didn¡¯t receive the changed plan in advance, it would be given if he was confused. Glenn¡¯s gaze turned to the laurel wreath, which he dumped into the corner of the drawer. It seemed that the owner of that object was initially someone else. Glenn clicked his tongue. ¡°Tsk, I feel sorry for him. He joined the battlefield as he was told, but that¡¯s how the Duke treated him.¡± ¡°Maybe the plan changed so suddenly that the Duke didn¡¯t have time to give him a heads up in advance. But why did he change his mind?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. He may have thought that it was more important to plant someone to monitor us than to steal the attention of the triumphal celebration. But it¡¯s a little suspicious. He could have used one of the vassal¡¯s daughters for this kind of work.¡± Then the reason why the Duke sent Nadia to the North was¡­. Glenn¡¯s troubled face gradually grew. Then his aide brought up another topic. ¡°What are you going to do now?¡± ¡°Are you talking about marriage?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°First of all, I have to comply with what your Majesty wants. Otherwise, they are going to find a good justification to attack us.¡± ¡°B-but if you accept this marriage, the Duke will act as he wants.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help it. We can¡¯t cry over spilled milk. If I back out now, the whole country will point their finger at my loyalty.¡± ¡°However, bringing that person¡¯s daughter in to our territory¨C¡± It was no different from having a knife being pointed behind their back. Glenn, who understood his aide¡¯s concern, said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. How could a beautifully raised Duke¡¯s daughter who had no allies snooping around? If our people monitor her closely, there will be no big accident.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s a relief.¡± Since Nadia grew up beautifully in the capital, Glenn was sure that she couldn¡¯t stand the cold environment in the North. Furthermore, where would the pride of the Lady from the House of Duke Balazit go? Glenn didn¡¯t think she could endure the harsh treatment she might receive from the servants for more than one week. ¡®No one could blame me if she goes back home on her own.¡¯ Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only He wouldn¡¯t let things work as the Duke wished. Looking in the direction of the Balazit family¡¯s mansion, Glenn firmly strengthened his will. Chapter 10 Chapter 10 The engagement proceeded as fast as ink drying. However, considering the honor of both noble families, the traditions couldn¡¯t be omitted; hence an agreement was made in which the wedding would be held at the Winterfell estate after a simple engagement ceremony in the capital. On the third day, after completing all kinds of trivial procedures, an outdoor party was finally held to celebrate the union of the two families. The venue was hosted and sponsored by Balazit. Nadia had to get up at dawn to prepare herself with a beautiful dress to welcome her soon-to-be husband. Looking at Nadia, who dressed up splendidly, the nobles whispered in a low volume. ¡°Do you know? They say winter in the March of Winterfell lasts almost half a year. I couldn¡¯t imagine how people could live on such a land.¡± (*March is land or territory that belongs to a Marquis) ¡°Let alone the land, even though the Marquis of Winterfell has a gorgeous face, she won¡¯t benefit by marrying him.¡± ¡°I guess so. So, why did she want to marry into the Winterfell family¡­¡± Even after the rushed engagement ceremony, people¡¯s mouths didn¡¯t cease to talk about it. She tried not to listen to what they said, but somehow their voices still vividly reached her ears. However, Nadia chose to ignore them. To put it more precisely, it would only be right to say that she didn¡¯t have time to bother about them. ¡®I¡¯m a woman who¡¯s in love now¡­. A woman who is crazy in love¡­ I¡¯m just a woman who doesn¡¯t know what to do anymore because I¡¯m happy to marry the man I love¡­.¡¯ A woman crazy enough to confess publicly to a man. That was what Nadia Balazit was known for now. Therefore, in a place where there were a lot of eyes, she had no choice but to play the immature woman who had achieved her love. Nadia glanced at the entrance of the party venue like she was nervous and excited. Anyone who saw her would take her as a woman who was waiting anxiously for her fiance¡¯s arrival. Conservative nobles even clicked their tongues when they saw her. The Duke of Balazit approached Nadia, who was so absorbed in acting. ¡°Nadia.¡± ¡°You came early, Father.¡± ¡°This is a party I¡¯m hosting, so sit properly. You look more excited than him. You look like you¡¯re craving Winterfell¡¯s love to death. Your marriage has already been determined.¡± He, too, was one of the conservative old aristocrats. No matter if her excuse to behave like this was due to her marriage being pushed ahead, wouldn¡¯t it be natural if he didn¡¯t want his daughter to behave disgracefully? Nadia thought for a while and picked an answer that would suit her father¡¯s taste. ¡°I confessed in front of His Majesty.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°If I suddenly change my attitude just because I have achieved my purpose, I will be disgracing His Majesty. It wouldn¡¯t be good if people talk about our family¡¯s loyalty.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Well, you may continue.¡± Convinced, Duke Balazit nodded. At that moment. Nadia could sense people buzzing at the entrance of the party venue. As soon as she turned her head, the well-dressed Glenn was walking through the guests in the venue. Nadia moved her facial muscles to show a big smile. ¡°Marquis Winterfell!¡± Then, Nadia approached him, almost running. It was an outstanding performance that surprised even Duke Balazit himself, who knew the actual situation. ¡®She really didn¡¯t fall for him, did she? I wouldn¡¯t even know if she fell for him for real with only one glance.¡¯ Nadia, who ran with a bright expression, was the representation of a woman in love itself. Not to mention the reaction of others, as even the Duke was confused for a moment. ¡°I remember her being a quiet and calm lady, but I guess people change drastically when they fall in love.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t people say that a nice and calm cat tends to be the one ruining your kitchen?¡± ¡°But still, tsk tsk.¡± Elegance and calmness were the essential virtues that aristocratic society imposed on women. Let alone laughing without even thinking about restraining her feelings as Nadia did. It was never a common sight in a conservative aristocratic society. Not caring whether people kick their tongues at them or not, Nadia continued to talk with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you. I wanted to enter the ball with you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Glenn looked down at her with a stiff face. Because she welcomed him with such a happy face, he almost thought she mistook him for someone close to her. He wondered if she had a childhood encounter with him that he didn¡¯t remember. ¡®This woman is the daughter of Balazit, and Balazit is Winterfell¡¯s enemy.¡¯ How could she act so naturally even though she knew what your father and the Winterfell family were like? The ones related to the Duke Balazit were all shady, after all. ¡°I should have contacted you in advance that I was going to be late. I¡¯m sorry if I kept you waiting long.¡± Actually, Glenn came late on purpose. Whether she knew his intention or not, Nadia only made a happy face. ¡°What do you mean you made me wait for too long? You arrived on time. It happens to be dance time.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Is that so?¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s go over there.¡± Nadia headed to the center with a stiff Glenn and held his arm. He didn¡¯t seem to like it, but he followed her anyway. He appeared to be conscious of the eyes around him. As the main characters of today¡¯s party stepped up, people silently opened the way. Thanks to that, the two were able to settle in the center of the party quickly. Nadia thought as she started following the music. ¡®Oh, this isn¡¯t too hard.¡¯ She had been smiling for an hour. Her facial muscles were slowly starting to strain as the corners of her mouth were raised to the fullest. Still, she had to laugh. She was a woman who got to dance passionately with a man she loved, so she couldn¡¯t make a sour face. Nadia forced a bright expression on her face. On the other hand, Glenn¡¯s reluctant expression was shaking. As her gaze toward her deepened, he could feel his face gradually rotting. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± ¡°What?¡± Nadia wasn¡¯t a fool who didn¡¯t understand what he was asking. That her reason to confess was a complete fraud. As she had well expected to be questioned if the two of them were stuck together, she replied brazenly. ¡°I think you are more handsome up close.¡± ¡°¡­.. Not that.¡± ¡°Then, about how spending time with Len is like a dream?¡± ¡°Len?¡± She could see his chin was getting tense. Glenn couldn¡¯t believe that she called him with the nickname that only his closest one knew. Even though she did it to cease his anger, there was another reason why Nadia used his nickname on purpose. ¡®If I do this, we can change the topic about his nickname.¡¯ Sure enough, his reaction was exactly what she intended. ¡°I think you and I still have a long way until we could call each other by nicknames.¡± ¡°But we¡¯re going to be a family soon¡­¡± ¡°Marquis Winterfell. Or just my name. Use either.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll call you Glenn.¡± Despite her attitude, Nadia smiled like a girl excited about her first love. Then she rolled his name in her mouth like a person who didn¡¯t know what to do because she was too excited. ¡°Glenn.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Glenn.¡± Nadia could feel him looking down at her with a dumbfounded look, but she didn¡¯t care. If she were discouraged by such a gaze, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to stand in front of the King that day. The music stopped not long after entering the middle of the piece. When the song changes, the partner must also change. Nadia stepped away from Glenn with a very disappointed look. ¡°See you soon, Glenn.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± She didn¡¯t have to force herself to laugh when she danced with someone else. Nadia turned away to rest her facial muscles. However, her new dance partner is¡­. ¡°Oh my, Sir Jiho? When did you come?¡± It was Lee Jiho, the black-haired outlander who came from another world. He must have arrived when the party began, but Nadia didn¡¯t know that he was there. ¡®Weren¡¯t you reluctant to blend into a noble society because you were a stranger?¡¯ It was a little strange, but as she was hesitating, the next song was playing. Nadia forced herself to put her arm on his waist. ?¡±I just arrived. I guess it wasn¡¯t long since the dance time started.¡± ¡°Oh, so you must have arrived around the same time as Marquis Winterfell.¡± If so, it was natural that Lee Jiho didn¡¯t encounter him. She nodded and took steps. ¡®He¡¯s my father¡¯s person, so I don¡¯t have to act.¡¯ As Lee Jiho kept talking, he made it very hard for her to keep smiling. Nadia was exhausted, so she didn¡¯t have the strength to manage her expression. Hence, she just moved the steps mechanically and relaxed her facial muscles. At that time, Lee Jiho¡¯s voice was heard from above her head. ¡°I want to ask you something.¡± ¡°If it is something that I can answer, I will answer.¡± ¡°Did you hate the idea of marrying me?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Being in a state of daze as she didn¡¯t think about anything, she realized half a beat late that Lee Jiho¡¯s voice was icy. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡°To the extent that you can endure going far away from your home? Did you hate me to the point that you are willing to disgrace yourself and be labeled as vulgar? To the point where you thought being in the middle of the enemy¡¯s den would be better?¡± Chapter 11 Chapter 11 ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­. what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Nadia finally looked up. Just when she thought she could rest for a moment, Nadia looked at Lee Lee Jiho¡¯s face coldly. What¡¯s wrong with him? Then, she answered without hiding her embarrassment. ¡°What do you mean by marrying you? We both know who made the call.¡± ¡°I heard clearly from the Duke. It was just a few days before the triumphal ceremony. The proposal plan was supposed to be done with me receiving the laurel wreath at the ceremony. It was decided so until the Duke changed his words after the celebration. He changed it at the request of his daughter, he said.¡± ¡°That¡­.¡± ¡°Did you hate the idea of marrying me so much that you feel disgusted? Because I¡¯m a stranger? Because you don¡¯t know where I was from?¡± His voice was getting louder. Some people glanced at their side as if they sensed an unusual tension. There was nothing good about attracting attention. Nadia replied in a calm voice to calm him down. ¡°I don¡¯t think Sir Jiho is a low-born. If I see you that way, half of my blood came from a commoner.¡± ¡°Lie.¡± ¡°Sir Jiho.¡± ¡°If you are going to say such empty words, you should at least manage your expression first. Or am I not worth the effort?¡± ¡°I am just tired. Please don¡¯t take my manner to heart.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even want to smile in front of me.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡± Nadia¡¯s expression was distorted. She tried to soothe the situation well, but she didn¡¯t feel good because he showed such a reaction. Moreover¡­ ¡®You were the one who betrayed me first.¡¯ The memory of dying unfairly in the cold basement was vivid as if it were only yesterday. How dared he to bring up betrayal. As much as Callaine and her father hated her, Nadia was also resentful toward this man. If he wanted to bring up such a topic, more or less, she deserved to bring it up too. Sighing annoyedly, Nadia replied. ?¡±You weren¡¯t really pleased with the idea of marrying me either.¡± ¡°When did I say that?¡± ¡°You want to get a noble blood wife to grant yourself identity, but you don¡¯t really want me because it means that you will be wedded to an illegitimate daughter. So if you are offered to marry Callaine instead of me, can you confidently decline it? I mean, is it possible for you to choose the path of becoming the husband of an illegitimate child instead of the legitimate one?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡± ¡°I understand. Everyone finds a spouse who can make up for what they don¡¯t have.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡± He neither denied nor affirmed. However, sometimes silence replaced the answer. Nadia knew it. Nadia, who had been waiting for his answer for a while, made a short sigh. This made it clear that what I heard from Carrein just before I died was not a lie. What did she expect? Although Nadia and Lee Jiho were engaged at the order of their father, she did try to keep her vow as a lifetime companion. If he hadn¡¯t betrayed her first, she wouldn¡¯t have returned to the past or been struggling like this. So Nadia didn¡¯t feel guilty. To her, Lee Jiho was on the same level as Callaine and was an enemy whom she had to break down. ¡°We are not ideal spouses for each other.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°So, let¡¯s go our own way now. I¡¯ll introduce you to the maiden that father finds for you.¡± Just in time, the music ended, and Nadia stepped away from him. Lee Jiho¡¯s hand, which seemed to have tried to hold her back, grabbed the air instead. ¡°I¡¯m leaving the capital within a week. So maybe we¡¯ll never see each other again.¡± ¡°I hope you¡¯re doing well.¡± Nadia said her goodbye formally with her knees slightly bent. On the other hand, Lee Jiho just stood still without even thinking of returning her greeting. Nadia thought that he was offended that he got rejected and somewhat in a state of shock. It was none of her business anyway. But when Nadia turned her body coldly, ¡°Miss Nadia.¡± There was a voice calling her from behind, but Nadia didn¡¯t look back. It was better not to have petty sympathy for a man who had already betrayed her once. Her steps toward a deserted place gradually accelerated. ¡®I thought I could rest a little because I was tired of putting on a pretense in front of my father¡¯s loyal followers, but now I felt more tired than before I danced. I should rest for a while in a place where no eyes are watching over me.¡¯ The garden of the Balazit mansion was huge, and Nadia, who had lived there all her life, knew well where to avoid people¡¯s gaze. A small pond past the rose garden. It was a place she had been using as a hideout since she was young. ¡®As expected, there¡¯s no one here.¡¯ It was the smallest of the many ponds in the garden, and since it was located in the most corner, it wasn¡¯t adequately managed. Nadia heard that it seemed that the deceased Duchess tried to fill the abandoned pond. Although she died of illness without being able to do it. ¡°Ha¡­.¡± Nadia sighed and settled on the lawn. Sitting on the grass and looking at the calm water made her feel relieved. But then. Rustle. Nadia could feel the presence of someone who was about to interfere with her rest. ¡°Sister Nadia!¡± ¡°¡­.Oh, it was you.¡± It was none other than Callaine that appeared among the rose bushes. Nadia was surprised because she thought Lee Jiho was chasing her, but she was glad it wasn¡¯t him. However, instead of being relieved, her expression crumpled reflexively. ¡®Maybe a more tiring situation will occur.¡¯ Because there was no way that Callaine would respect her half-sister¡¯s break time. And look at that expression. Did she think Nadia couldn¡¯t see through her intention to come all the way here with that look of malice and grudges on her face? ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Sure enough, Callaine began to spit out abusive language without taking a moment to catch her breath. ¡°I¡¯m here to tell you not to humiliate the Balazit family. Do you know what people just said when they saw you earlier? You were running to a man like a dog. I was embarrassed just from looking at you. Don¡¯t you even consider our family¡¯s grace?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Are you even¡­. listening to me?¡± She didn¡¯t. Nadia replied with a facial expression instead of saying so. A sour look like she wasn¡¯t interested in what Callaine had to say. Callaine¡¯s face heated up when she realized that she had been completely ignored. ¡°This¡­! Don¡¯t be arrogant just because you received your father¡¯s petty attention!¡± So she did have a problem with that. It seemed that Callaine had been quite shocked that their father sided with Nadia that day. But why did she choose to come to Nadia and argue about it with her? Nadia had a hard time holding back her laughter, looking at the level of her half-sister¡¯s childishness. ¡°It¡¯s a mistake to think that father recognized you as a daughter. He is just trying to use you! If I had said I would go to the North, father would have stopped me. Instead, he thought of you as a chess piece, not a daughter. That¡¯s why he was willing to send you to the North.¡± ¡°A chess piece¡­ That¡¯s right. But do you know? Now that my marriage with Sir Jiho is gone, he may put you on the chessboard in my place.¡± ¡°What?¡± Callaine¡¯s expression was distorted as if she had been severely insulted by what Nadia had just said. Her lips and cheeks were twitching. Then, she shouted in an exasperated voice. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Why do you think it doesn¡¯t make sense?¡± ¡°I-I am the daughter of the Duchess! My maternal family is a historic Count family! How can an unknown stranger become my husband?!¡± ?Nadia smiled instead of answering. Her expression was saying it all. ¡®Actually, you know that too. Whether true or false, daughters are just a means of political marriage for the Duke.¡¯ What a foolish, poor thing. It would be easier if Callaine let go of her lingering feelings about their father as soon as possible, like Nadia did. She couldn¡¯t be a beloved daughter forever. ¡°This¨C!¡± Recognizing the sympathy in the way Nadia looked at her, Callaine was as furious as a fire. What made Nadia dare to look at her with such a sympathetic gaze? When one was extremely furious, their mind would go blank. So not only did Callaine refute illogically, but also she threw a lot of lowly profanities at Nadia. The various colors on Callaine¡¯s face, such as blue, red, and white, were worth seeing. Then, there was an object that came into Nadia¡¯s sight. The necklace on the neck of her half-sister. The one with beautiful thick sapphire. It was one of the few heirlooms left by Nadia¡¯s mother. Recognizing her gaze, Callaine asked while looking at her suspiciously. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ignore me! Father will soon lose interest in you.¡± Callaine, who was very angry, soon realized that her half-sister¡¯s eyes were precisely on her neck. ¡®Why are you looking at my neck?¡¯ When she fumbled her neck, the feeling of the cold accessory caught her attention. What hung on her neck was a colorful sapphire necklace. And it was an heirloom left by the mother of her half-sister, whom she hated to death. It was obvious why her sister looked at this necklace almost like she wanted it. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡®Aha¡­¡¯ This was her weakness. Soon enough, a cocky smile showed on Callaine¡¯s face. Chapter 12 Chapter 12 ¡°Oh, this? Are you curious about this?¡± ¡°That is my mother¡¯s keepsake. Why do you have that necklace?¡± ¡°Oh, is that so? I didn¡¯t know, but the butler told me. I heard your mother got it from father when she was pregnant with you. He said that Father gave it to her because he thought your mother was conceiving a son. However, you were born as a daughter instead, so isn¡¯t it only right to return the gift?¡± Callaine said as she took off the necklace. Then, she extended her hand, holding it above the pond. Her action clearly showed what she intended to do. If Callaine loosened her grip, the necklace would fall into the pond. ¡°Now that I think about it, you wore this necklace to the triumphal ceremony.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Do you want this? I guess you and your low-born mother did have a strong bond with each other.¡± As she took Nadia¡¯s silence as a good reaction, Callaine smiled from the sense of victory she felt. This was it. This was this illegitimate child¡¯s weakness. ¡°Try begging me on your knees. Beg for my forgiveness for not knowing your place, a child born of a concubine. Tell me that you won¡¯t do anything dumb again. If you beg for my forgiveness to my liking, I will give this to you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Come on. If you keep procrastinating, I am going to throw this into the pond.¡± Instead of answering, Nadia closed her eyes and recalled memories of her past. Callaine took her mother¡¯s belongings as a pawn. She wanted to recover the traces of her late mother. Inside a large and lonely mansion without a single person to lean on. Yes, it did happen before. Nadia slowly opened her eyes and asked. ¡°If I beg on my knees¡­ Will you really return my necklace?¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s only important to you, and I got a lot of this.¡± Nadia, who returned from the past, knew the future. That Callaine wouldn¡¯t return her mother¡¯s keepsake to her. ¡®I was so young. I was so lonely. I begged servilely because I wanted to have my mother¡¯s keepsake.¡¯ Nevertheless, in the end, Callaine broke the necklace. Nadia couldn¡¯t feel her sincerity at all. Callaine¡¯s expression when she had her maid hit the necklace with a hammer was still vivid in Nadia¡¯s mind. Angry Nadia recklessly rushed to where her half-sister was, and the servants simply overpowered her desperate struggle. For 15 days, Nadia ended up having to take care of herself in an attic in a separate house for making a fuss about it. Because the Duke of Balazit paid no attention to trivial matters such as why his first daughter was upset. Nadia¡¯s eyes, recalling memories of the past, subsided coldly. ¡°Think about it. This opportunity won¡¯t come again¡­ Argh!¡± Callaine couldn¡¯t finish her words. It was because Nadia kicked her ankle, which made Callaine¡¯s body tipped over. Nadia pushed her tripping half-sister into the pond. Splash! It wasn¡¯t a deep pond, but her party dress was quite heavy. As it absorbed water made it twice as heavy. As a result, Callaine couldn¡¯t stand up and had to flounder. ¡°What did you do? Huff!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to give it back anyway.¡± Nadia lifted her feet and pressed her half-sister¡¯s head, who was floundering in the pond. Callaine, who barely managed to stand up, sank back into the water. The reason why Nadia felt relieved about Callaine¡¯s flustered face wasn¡¯t that she had a bad personality. ¡°Gasp!¡± ¡°When I was young, I once thought about it very seriously. Why do you hate me? If I behave as you told me to, will you recognize me as a family member? Will I be able to live peacefully as a member of this family?¡± Nadia continued in a sweet tone. Meanwhile, her shoe was steadily stepping on the half-sister¡¯s head. It made Callaine breathe little by little because Nadia would get in trouble if she really died. ¡°Of course not. You are going to hate me no matter what I do.¡± It was a lesson learned from past experiences. That a low-born child could never be a part of a Duke¡¯s family. That no matter what she did, Nadia would never receive sincere affection from anyone in the family. Soon after, there was a sound of people approaching, so Nadia stopped stepping on Callaine¡¯s head. It seemed that they gathered after hearing Callaine¡¯s scream. When she took her foot off, Callaine¡¯s head came up to the surface. She stared at Nadia fiercely, like she would kill her at any moment. To be honest, she wasn¡¯t even that scary because her face was messed up with snot and tears. Nadia immediately leaned down and pretended to rescue her by pulling her arm. In the meantime, she whispered to the sister¡¯s ears. ¡°This is because you have hated me for no reason since a long time ago.¡± ¡°T-T-This crazy b*tch¨C!!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Callaine. I¡¯ll give you a reason from now on. Why you could hate me.¡± Nadia gave Callaine a smile at her crumpled face. A very bright one on top of that. There was someone who hated her for no reason. Therefore, she would grant that person a reason now. It was the second purpose she had made since returning to the past. Soon after, people rushed to the pond. ¡°Someone fell into the water!¡± ¡°Bring something to cover her up! Hurry up!¡± The nobles who found Callaine drowning like a mouse began to make a fuss. A young man of a noble family took off his outer coat and put it around Callaine¡¯s shoulder. Nadia picked up the necklace that fell on the grass while others were busy helping Callaine. Then, the party host, Duke Balazit, appeared. ¡°Nadia! Callaine! What in the world is going on here?!¡± ¡°Boo hoo! F-Father!¡± Callaine burst into tears like the world had betrayed her as soon as she came into Duke Balazit¡¯s arms. Her wet from head to toe appearance was utterly embarrassing. However, the Duke only demanded an answer in an annoyed tone, as if her biological daughter¡¯s pitiful appearance didn¡¯t shake her conscience. ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask you what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Boo hoo¡­ S-Sister Nadia was¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cry. Speak properly!¡± ¡°She pushed me into the pond! It wasn¡¯t enough for her, so she stepped on my head so that I couldn¡¯t come up!¡± People¡¯s eyes turned to Nadia. Even though her younger sister accused her of drowning her in the pond, Nadia¡¯s expression was calm. The Duke of Balazit asked suspiciously. ¡°Is this true, Nadia?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a lie.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Callaine¡¯s teary voice turned sharp. ¡°What are you talking about? You pushed me!¡± ¡°No matter how embarrassed you are to trip by mistake, you shouldn¡¯t lie like that. Why would I drown you on this great day?¡± ¡°T-T-This¡­ You shameless¡­! You did it because you wanted to have my necklace!¡± Callaine, again, hung on to her father and cried. ¡°She, sobs, tried to take my necklace away! Look at that! She¡¯s holding my necklace! I was just resisting so that it wouldn¡¯t be taken away, but I fell into the pond when I struggled.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lie, too.¡± Nadia calmly added. ¡°If I had tried to take away her necklace by force, there would have been traces of the chain on her neck. She took off her necklace with her own hands to brag to me. Then she slipped into the pond and dropped her necklace. I just picked it up.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡± People¡¯s eyes turned to the back of Callaine¡¯s neck. The neck of the well-maintained noble daughter was clean without any blemishes. It was evidence that Callaine had untied her necklace with her own hands. As people¡¯s eyes turned at her suspiciously, Callaine¡¯s face heated up. Conversely, her accusation was seen as a deliberate effort to hide her embarrassment of the accident. Callaine couldn¡¯t refute and didn¡¯t have a choice but to keep her mouth shut. Nadia continued to talk, drooping her eyebrows she was wronged. ¡°Callaine, I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re doing this to me. Are you doing this because you¡¯re upset that I¡¯m getting married?¡± Then Nadia apologized to the guests who gathered around the pond by slightly bending her knees. ¡°I apologize to those who came to celebrate my engagement. My dear sister must have been grumpy because I, her only sister, said I was leaving her somewhere far away. I hope you could understand her with your generous heart.¡± ¡°What¡­ What¡­.!¡± Callaine tried to say something, but the Duke cut her off. ¡°Callaine, be quiet!¡± It was very unlikely that Nadia, who was quiet and not greedy, would have had a physical fight just because she wanted Callaine¡¯s necklace. Moreover, there was no chain scratch on the Callaine¡¯s neck, so it was natural that Nadia¡¯s words were more plausible. The Duke knew how Callaine hated her half-sister Nadia so much, but to think that she even made a fuss in front of his guests! Of course, the Duke, who valued honor over anything, was furious. ¡°Your body is cold. You¡¯d better go into your room and rest before you catch a cold.¡± ¡°F-Father!¡± Callaine¡¯s face turned white at his order which didn¡¯t sound sincere at all. ¡°I¡¯m innocent! This is unfair!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going? Hurry up and take Callaine to her bedroom.¡± The maids who were ordered by the Duke helped Callaine struggle on both of her sides. They held her gently, but it was a force that she, a young woman, couldn¡¯t overpower. Eventually, Callaine had to leave with a flushing red face. When Callaine was dragged out semi-forced, a cold silence filled the air. Such an awkward atmosphere where the guests were looking at each other. The Duke cleared his throat loudly and tried to fix the situation. ¡°It seems that the sisters had a small quarrel. On behalf of them, I apologize for making such a fuss on a good day. I hope you all go back inside and enjoy the party.¡± Then, as if he was embarrassed, the Duke hurriedly left his place. As the Duke returned to the party venue, the guests gathered also began to return inside one by one. The main star of conversation among the party guests was definitely Callaine. The women, who had ill feelings toward Callaine, laughed and whispered. ¡°Oh, my. What¡¯s going on? I can¡¯t believe the precious princess of Duke Balazit embarrassed herself!¡± ¡°Well, she doesn¡¯t have a normal personality anyway. I thought she might end up embarrassing herself one day, at least once.¡± ¡°I am sure she is going to stay low for a while because she has humiliated herself.¡± Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only It seemed that many people had clenched their jaws because of Callaine. Nadia, who managed to take her mother¡¯s keepsake, smiled a little and walked away. Chapter 13 Chapter 13 The morning of Nadia¡¯s departure to the North came. The sight of numerous carriages lining up in a row under the morning sun was truly spectacular. Most of them were carriages carrying the bride¡¯s dowry, and the people of Winterfell had no choice but clicked their tongue at the Balazit family and their enormous dowry. Fabian, the youngest member of the escorting knights, admired the endless line of carriages. ¡°Wow¡­ I know this family is loaded, but this is amazing.¡± ¡°Tsk, I bet that¡¯s the money that they extorted from their own people.¡± ¡°But I thought they wouldn¡¯t pay a penny to the enemy family.¡± ¡°Are you saying you don¡¯t have a face to save and marry your daughter off empty-handed? Moreover, dowry is traditionally the property of the wife. So how do you know if she would spend all of this money for our people or to spend it on something else?¡± It was when the two knights were talking about dowry. Marquis Winterfell, Glenn Winterfell, dressed in his traveling outfit, appeared with his favorite horse. It was Fabian who noticed and greeted him first. ¡°Oh! Good afternoon, Marquis!¡± ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°It looks like she hasn¡¯t arrived yet¡­ Ah, there she is. Even tiger will come if I say that it will.¡± Through the north gate of the castle wall, a carriage engraved with the Balazit family crest appeared. As if to show the status of a powerful Duke, the carriage was as fancy as the one that belonged to the royal family. Soon the carriage stopped. First, the Duke of Balazit came out from the carriage, which made Glenn¡¯s expression instantly crumpled, and followed by the bride, Nadia. Fortunately, she didn¡¯t have any features similar to her father, which meant that anyone would find her pretty. She resembled her mother, who was said to be a commoner. As soon as the prospective bride of Marquis Winterfell stepped out of the carriage, she began to look around. It looked like she was looking for her groom. But, once she found Glenn, her face had an unexpectedly bright smile. ¡°Glenn!¡± After shouting like that, she ran like a puppy and hugged him. Nadia looked up and asked, still hugging Glenn. ¡°Did you wait long?¡± ¡°No, I just got here. I would appreciate it if you keep your distance a little.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Nadia took two steps back at the cold push. Stepping away from Glenn, Nadia opened her eyes wide and looked up. Eyes filled with sadness, like she was shocked at his cold response. ¡°¡­¡­¡± This woman¡­ why was she looking at him like that? A strange sense of guilt crept up inside Glenn when he looked at her disappointed face. How should he say it? It felt like he just pushed away a cat away for acting cute. It was like the small brown cat was looking up at him with a shocked face. It wasn¡¯t just Glenn who thought so. Even the two knights standing next to him looked flustered. Amid the awkward atmosphere, the voice of the Duke of Balazit broke the silence. ¡°Nadia, you can¡¯t even see this father of yours anymore? My my.¡± ¡°No way, father.¡± The Duke approached and tapped his daughter on her shoulder. Meanwhile, his gaze was fixed on Glenn. He looked straight at Glenn and said. ¡°Take good care of my daughter.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± In this situation, shouldn¡¯t he make a statement that he wouldn¡¯t make her suffer for the rest of her life? The sight of Glenn speaking casually to his father-in-law slightly twitched the Duke of Balazit¡¯s eyebrows. However, as an experienced nobleman, he immediately hid his annoyance and spoke to Nadia. ¡°Make sure to visit at least once. You can always visit this father whenever you stay in the capital.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to miss you a lot.¡± ¡°It feels like yesterday when you were a child, and now you¡¯re getting married. When did you grow this big?¡± Uh¡­ Nadia gagged in her heart. Only psychopath who could say that shamelessly and acted like a genuinely concerned father. It was hard to control her facial expression because she was holding back her nausea. Fortunately, in other people¡¯s eyes, Nadia seemed sad because she had to be apart from her family. Good God helped her who was trying her best to endure the disgust she could feel inside. ¡°You should hurry up and leave. The North is far away. You need to hurry.¡± Nadia almost said thank you. She bid her father farewell, trying not to look too happy. ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯m going to go now, father.¡± ¡°I believe you¡¯ll do well.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Nadia looked back several times, pretending like she had lingering feelings as she got on the carriage. She waved at Duke Balazit from the carriage. On the surface, they were a father and a daughter who seemed to have a good relationship. Glenn didn¡¯t know why he was upset at the affectionate scene before him. Then, he hopped on his horse and clicked his tongue. When their leader got on his horse, the knights began to move. The servants got into the carriage, and the knights went to their respective saddle. After all the preparations were over, the soldier at the forefront shouted. ¡°Let¡¯s move!¡± Finally, the convoy started to move their way back to the Winterfell estate. Unlike when they were coming to the capital, the groups returned with their leader¡¯s bride and dowry. * * * ¡°Marquis, Marquis! I have a question.¡± ¡°Go back to your place, Fabian.¡± ¡°Allow me to ask you one thing, and I will go back.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Glenn let him off the hook because he was the youngest. He squinted and looked sideways. Fabian, with a smile on his face, was pushing his face closer. ¡°What is it now?¡± ¡°About the new Madam¡­ Don¡¯t you think she really loves you?¡± ¡°If you want to say nonsense, go to your place right away.¡± ¡°No, no, it really seemed like that!¡± Instead of going back to his place, Fabian kept talking more closely. ¡°I thought it was a scheme planned by Duke Balazit. But today, I think it may be true that she fell in love with you at first sight.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had the talent to be a novelist. Do you want me to revoke your knighthood now? I think you should change your job.¡± ¡°Haha, you¡¯re good at saying things that you don¡¯t mean to say. Anyway, Marquis, I¡¯m talking about your wife-to-be. Did both of you have any relationship in the past?¡± ¡°If we have such a thing, there¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t remember. I swear I have never met her as far as I remember.¡± In fact, Glenn once thought about whether he had a relationship that he didn¡¯t remember with her. However, no matter how much he thought about it, it was unlikely that he, who spent most of his life on the Winterfell estate and battlefield, and the young daughter of Duke Balazit, who grew up in the capital, met. Nevertheless, he could vaguely guess why Fabian asked such a question. It was because Nadia¡¯s acting skills, pretending to be a woman in love, were excellent. Things like shy glances that she threw at him whenever their eyes met or the smiles like she didn¡¯t know what to do just because she was too happy. If he had been a little younger and a little more immature, he might have believed her. If all of her actions were performed after calculating the other¡¯s reaction, then¡­.. ¡®She is an incredible fox.¡¯ A fox with nine tails, perhaps more dangerous than the Duke Balazit. It wasn¡¯t strange for an immature young man like Fabian to be fooled. Glenn warned his youngest knight in a serious tone. ¡°Fabian, don¡¯t trust her.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°She is the daughter of Duke Balazit. It means that she is the child of the sly snake. No matter what she says or does, you shouldn¡¯t believe that she is being genuine. She doesn¡¯t come as a bride but a bomb planted by the Duke in the heart of our territory. You could never know when she suddenly stabs you in the back.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I guess she is?¡±. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, observe how she spend her dowry. She will never leave her money bag to us. Even if the dowry is used for our territory, she will stop after she showed off enough.¡± It was true that the dowry was the property of the wife. But the moment she got married, she would become unified economically with her husband. The husband¡¯s hardship was the wife¡¯s hardship. Most wives would readily offer their dowry when their family had difficulties. If the Winterfell family ever got hit with an economic crisis and she kept her money for herself, it would show that Nadia¡¯s love confession was fake and that she didn¡¯t consider Glenn as a family member. ¡°Um¡­.¡± Fabian mumbled. Glenn¡¯s argument sounded quite plausible. The attitude of their enemy¡¯s quiet daughter, whom he just met a while ago, and the words of his lord. It would be given that his faith inclined toward the latter. Glenn gave his troubled knight order. ¡°If you got your answer, hurry back to your place. As far as I remember, you are escorting Nadia Balazit.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s me.¡± ¡°There is a risk of a sudden attack as the main road will end soon. If she gets hurt or dies on our way, it¡¯s like giving the Duke reason. Focus on your mission so that she doesn¡¯t get hurt.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Fabian pulled the reins and turned his horse¡¯s head. When he returned to his original assigned place, he could see the Marquis¡¯s soon-to-be wife through the open window. It was impossible to ignore her gaze because the carriage was next to him. Sure enough, Nadia, who made eye contact, greeted him with a bright smile. ¡°I opened the window to talk with you. I was surprised that you weren¡¯t there.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ That¡¯s¡­ I had to do something else for a moment.¡± ¡°I heard you are in charge of being my escort temporarily. Would you mind introducing yourself? Of course, you might already know my name.¡± Nadia¡¯s way of talking without hesitation looked naive enough to make him forget her last name. Fabian tried to answer brightly as usual, but when he recalled his lord¡¯s warning, he made a stern face. ¡°Fabian Knox.¡± ¡°Um¡­ You have a nice name.¡± Nadia replied with a puzzled look. She could feel that Fabian was drawing a line. On top of that, alertness emanated from his whole body. No matter from which angle she looked at it, he didn¡¯t want to get closer to her. ¡®A-Aren¡¯t you making it too obvious?¡¯ Whether she was the daughter of Duke Balazit or Marquis Winterfell¡¯s wife, she held a higher status than a knight. Hence, it shouldn¡¯t be strange to admonish him for his rude attitude. She smiled awkwardly at the article with an oops face. ¡°I get it. My father and Winterfell family are known for their bad blood after all.¡± ¡°N-No, that¡¯s not what ¡­.¡± If she put herself in Fabian¡¯s position, it would be difficult to trust the daughter of a man suspected of harming her predecessor lord. ¡°But you¡¯ll find out soon. That I¡¯m an ally of the Winterfell family.¡± ¡°Oh, that just now¡­ I am covering for someone else¡­¡± Nadia¡¯s sad look ignited Fabian¡¯s guilt to the fullest. In front of her sad smile, Fabian had no choice but to feel nervous in his saddle. Perhaps this Winterfell¡¯s youngest knight had a lower hurdle than her husband. Nadia noticed that Fabian got nervous from her acting. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only Pretending to laugh forcibly, Nadia nodded at Fabian with her mouth smiling sadly. ¡°I look forward to your kind cooperation.¡± Chapter 14 The wedding was held soon after Nadia arrived at the Winterfell estate. Even Nadia was a little flustered because she didn¡¯t expect it to proceed this quickly. ¡®I thought he¡¯d drag on the wedding with this and that excuse¡­.¡¯ It seemed that he decided that it was meaningless to postpone any longer. Though it was a good thing from Nadia¡¯s point of view. She thought there wouldn¡¯t be enough time to prepare dresses or ceremonies according to the tradition she had heard before, but it turned out that the solution was surprisingly simple. ¡°This wedding dress was brought by the previous Marchioness when she got married. There wasn¡¯t much time left until the wedding, so please wear the late Marchioness dress.¡± It had been common in noble families to inherit wedding dresses from generation to generation. To be honest, Nadia didn¡¯t even pay any attention to the wedding ceremony itself, even if it was omitted. However, the maid, who didn¡¯t know her true feelings, added an explanation, almost as if she was trying to make excuses. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve heard about it in advance, but the wedding will be held in a simple way. The situation of the people in this territory is not good due to the overlapping monster attacks and famine. In this situation, if the lord performs the wedding ceremony luxuriously, the resentment toward the lord will inevitably increase.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I understand.¡± ¡°Of course, in a once-in-a-lifetime wedding to be held this brief¡­ Yes? What did you say?¡± ¡°I¡¯m now the Marchioness of Winterfell, not the young lady of Balazit. So it is my duty to prioritize the people.¡± ¡°Oh my¡­.¡± There were no events more important than weddings in the life of noble daughters. In a way, the wedding was considered more important than the funeral. If a respectable noble young lady¡¯s wedding were prepared sloppily, this issue would escalate. There were dozens of scenarios, such as the bride would have a fit if the groom¡¯s family disrespected her, or something like my father wouldn¡¯t stay still. How nervous this maid was for bringing this topic up. However, while she was trying to overcome her nervousness, the bride-to-be wasn¡¯t showing anything but composure. Instead, Nadia asked her a question with an attitude of not knowing what to do because she was just too happy. She sounded like a girl having her dream come true. ¡°I understand that the Northern land¡¯s resources are not as rich as the land in the Southern part. But I confessed that I fell in love with him; shouldn¡¯t I endure this much?¡± ¡®Ah¡­ It¡¯s tough to pretend to be a woman in love.¡¯ Nadia was a little bit worried that she might have played the concept of a girl in love over the line. She should be careful. In an instant, Nadia could hear a sound of a crackling laugh behind her back, in which the owner of the laughter immediately regretted her carelessness. ¡°Haha, you are saying something funny.¡± ¡°¡­Madam Grace.¡± Looking back, Nadia could see a woman with grey hair. Then, she stood up from her seat. Grace Greenwood. She was Glenn Winterfell¡¯s aunt, and a woman would soon become an aunt to Nadia. After the previous Marchioness passed away and the previous Marquis was in his sickbed, Grace Greenwood became the highest elder in the Winterfell family. Her personality seemed to be reflected in her slim body and straight-looking lips. Madam Grace approached Nadia and hit her shoulder with a fan. ¡°¡­¡­If I made a mistake, please teach me generously.¡± ¡°You speak as if you were the wife of this family.¡± ¡°?¡± Nadia looked puzzled. She had an expression that showed she didn¡¯t understand what Grace was saying. However, she soon exclaimed, ¡®Ah!¡¯. ¡°Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t made the marriage vow yet. Until then, my last name isn¡¯t Winterfell. Thank you for letting me know.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t twist words like that!¡± Madam Grace, who raised her tone as she forgot to keep her composure, soon straightened her face. She almost made a fuss in an undignified manner in front of someone younger than her. ¡°Ehem. I meant whether there would be anyone in our family who would recognize this marriage.¡± Madam Grace didn¡¯t know how much Nadia was doted in the capital, but now Nadia had a lower authority under her here. She gave Nadia a glare that implied such meaning. If she didn¡¯t put Nadia in her place from the beginning, things would get problematic later on. It didn¡¯t matter if she was a loyal servants¡¯ daughter of the royal family. Nadia had to know that she was in the middle of the enemy territory. And that no one would protect her. Since Nadia was still young, it wouldn¡¯t be easy for Nadia to act however she wanted if she scared her a little bit. As expected, the blood began to disappear little by little from Nadia¡¯s face. Nadia opened her mouth with a shocked face. ¡°Yes¡­? But this is a marriage decreed under the order of His Majesty. Is there anyone who wouldn¡¯t accept it?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°P-Please don¡¯t say that. I am afraid someone will hear it. The public would suspect that the Winterfell family is not loyal to the royal family.¡± ¡°What do you mean by not loyal?! When did I say that?!¡± ¡°If anyone doesn¡¯t acknowledge this marriage if it doesn¡¯t mean that they are challenging the His Majesty¡¯s order, what should I call it?¡± ¡°Uh!¡± The hand holding the fan was filled with strength. Madam Grace quickly glanced sideways at the people in the room. They were all loyal servants of the Marquis Winterfell, but she herself didn¡¯t know if they could keep the words from leaking out. ¡®This cunning girl¡­.¡¯ None of the Winterfell family members acknowledged Nadia as the hostess of the house. However, as long as she brought the royal family¡¯s name, no one would dare to defy her. Glenn, his nephew, wouldn¡¯t involve himself in women¡¯s dispute, but he wouldn¡¯t allow rumours that the Winterfell family was taking the royal¡¯s order as a joke. Madam Grace was at a disadvantage the more they continued the talk here. Judging the situation rationally, it was only right for her to step down from this argument. However, she couldn¡¯t show the ugly appearance of running away with her tail rolled up in front of lowly maids. Madam Grace raised her chin and shouted angrily to maintain her pride. ¡°No matter how much His Majesty adores you, he wouldn¡¯t interfere with each of his servants¡¯ internal matter! Even if Glenn accepted this marriage, do you think Glenn will protect you?¡± ¡°If I show my sincerity as a wife, he will care about me someday.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see. Which one would come first; you to be kicked out or my nephew to accept you as his wife?¡± Madam Grace stared bitterly at her and turned her back. She seemed to be trying to maintain her pride, but the problem was that it wasn¡¯t particularly threatening enough for Nadia to back off. Bam! Madam Grace left, slamming the door shut. There was only awkward silence in the room after she left. The maids didn¡¯t know what to do, and they were looking at each other. Nadia, who noticed the atmosphere was getting stiff, said softly. ¡°Keep doing what you¡¯ve been doing.¡± ¡°Y-Yes!¡± There could not have been a bride who was happy to hear that her husband would treat her coldly. The more concerning thing was that it was something that could happen. From their point of view, as a maid, no matter how unbeholden their soon-to-be Madam was, she was bound to be afraid. She may be beaten for no reason just to vent anger. The maids had to work hard to relieve the tense atmosphere while measuring Nadia¡¯s dress. ¡°Please don¡¯t pay attention to what Madam Grace said.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. You¡¯re this pretty; how could someone¡­ No, no! Which man could deny your beauty?¡± ¡°W-We¡¯ll do our best to dress you up. So that the Marquis will fall in love with you at a glance.¡± The maids began to flatter desperately to please Nadia. Without knowing at all what their Madam was thinking in her heart. Nadia thought. ¡®If what she said was true, I¡¯ll welcome it with my arms opened anyway.¡¯ Nadia didn¡¯t mind spending the first night alone. The problem was that she had to sleep with Glenn. If the man asks to spend the night with her, then¡­. Then¡­.. ¡®¡­.What should I do?¡¯ The problem was that no matter how hard she tried, there was no way Nadia could avoid it. Nadia recalled the problem she had been trying to ignore because Madam Grace was making a fuss about it. Nadia¡¯s expression was gloomy, like she had come across a problem that was difficult to solve. * * * The time remained until the wedding ceremony passed like an arrow. When she realized it, there was only a few days away. While the wedding preparations were going on, one question remained in Nadia¡¯s head. ¡®Do we have to share the first night together? Really?¡¯ Whether directly or indirectly, Nadia had heard whether she could be acknowledged as Glenn¡¯s wife more than 30 times. No, it was either she could be accepted as the hostess of the Winterfell family or just skip their first night. How Nadia wished she could choose just one of the two options. Nadia was stuck in a ridiculous situation, but on the other hand, there were also fuss about how Nadia said that she fell in love with Marquis Winterfell at first sight. It didn¡¯t make any sense for Nadia to refuse to share the first night with Glenn if she said she was in love with him. At this rate, she was in a situation where she had to sleep with a man who she hadn¡¯t talked to on more than a few occasions. Nadia had a fiance in her previous life, but she couldn¡¯t even get the chance to hold a wedding due to one reason and another. Therefore, of course, she had no experience with such a thing called the first night. ¡®To be honest, it would be a lie if I¡¯m not nervous¡­..¡¯ As she had a frown on her face thinking of the possible embarrassing situation in the near future, Nadia clicked her tongue. If it was inevitable, then she had no choice but to accept it as it was. What was so wrong with being a virgin? Fortunately, the fact that Marquis Winterfell had no interest in her became a blessing for her. Nadia waited for the wedding as she took good care of her body as customary. And so, the day of the wedding ceremony came¡ªNadia, wearing an adjusted inherited dress, boarded into the wedding carriage. Since no brother or father was to walk her down the aisle, Nadia had to head to the wedding hall alone. Soon the carriage carrying her began to move. Nadia calmly waited to arrive at her destination with a flower bouquet on her lap. As she opened the curtain and looked out of the window, she could see the scenery outside the castle was passing by quickly. Glenn did mention that it was an outdoor wedding, but it seemed to be held outside the castle. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only Nadia began to hear the sound of music little by little, meaning that she was gradually approaching the wedding ceremony venue. After a while, the carriage stopped at a place where the river and fields were visible. ¡°We have arrived, Madam.¡± Rattle. The door of the wedding carriage opened, and a hand suddenly reached out to Nadia. Chapter 15.1 Nadia got down from the carriage with the help of a knight that she hadn¡¯t known before. Walking felt very uncomfortable for Nadia because her wedding shoes didn¡¯t fit her feet. ¡°This is a summer house owned by the Marquis. The wedding will be held in the garden. Have you heard about it?¡± ¡°Yes, I heard so.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief. Only a really important few guests were invited, so the number of people coming today will be small. Please understand in advance that the previous Marquis is unwell, so he couldn¡¯t attend the ceremony for too long.¡± ¡°I hope the previous Marquis gets well as soon as possible.¡± The unknown knight took Nadia, who couldn¡¯t see the front clearly due to the veil, to the front of the wedding aisle. Then, he whispered softly and added. ¡°You have to walk alone from here.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The red carpet was rolled over on the wedding aisle, so it didn¡¯t seem difficult for her to walk alone. ¡°The bride is entering!¡± Nadia walked into the wedding ceremony venue. Meanwhile, her eyes, covered under the veil, were looking around. Although the view was a little blurry, she could get a hold of her surroundings. Nadia silently admired the scale of a wedding ceremony that she had never seen even in her previous life. ¡®Wow¡­ This is the first time I¡¯ve seen a wedding held more earnestly than an engagement ceremony.¡¯ It blew her mind considering even their engagement ceremony was sped up. No matter how many people said she was married into an enemy family, Nadia wondered if it could really pass to head the family¡¯s wedding ceremony. Who in the world oversaw this wedding preparation? ¡®¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Oh, is it Glenn himself?¡¯ Marquis Winterfell¡¯s pair of eyes looking at her suddenly popped into Nadia¡¯s head. She could understand why the wedding ceremony was held like this. Nadia kept her eyes straight ahead again. At the end of the wedding aisle, a man in a formal black suit stood tall. Even beyond her wedding veil, Nadia could figure how tall Glenn was. Nadia walked carefully and stood by the groom¡¯s side. ¡°Let¡¯s start the wedding vow now.¡± The ceremony began in earnest when the bride and groom stood side by side. The person in charge of officiating began to move a long congratulatory speech. The guests applauded several times behind the groom and bride¡¯s back, and finally, Glenn put a wedding ring in Nadia¡¯s hand. Nadia also put a wedding ring on his hand. It was normal up to that point. The problem was the last procedure of the ceremony. It¡¯s the last oath of a wedding. The officiant solemnly lowered his voice and said. ¡°Will you, Glenn Winterfell, pledge eternal love with your bride, Nadia Balazit as your wife?¡± ¡°¡­ I do.¡± He answered with a voice that sounded like he had given up on his situation. The question was then directed to Nadia. ¡°Will you, Nadia Balazit, swear to keep your faith forever as a companion of the groom Glenn Winterfell?¡± ¡°I do!¡± She answered with a determined voice that contrasted with the groom. Behind her back, Nadia could hear the guests chuckling. ¡°Oh, my. Is she a fool or thick faced?¡± ¡°The Duke of Balazit must have raised his daughter dotingly.¡± ¡°She must not be aware of her situation right now.¡± The officiant proceeded with the ceremony pretending not to hear any laughter. ¡°Now, the bride and groom may share a kiss of oath.¡± They went silent for a moment. The officiant, who failed to see how the groom went stiff, added. ¡°First, the groom may open the bride¡¯s veil.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Sighing briefly, Glenn reluctantly moved his arm. After he lifted up the veil, Glenn gently grabbed Nadia¡¯s chin. When the cloth covering her face disappeared, the view became clear. Thanks to that, Nadia was able to take a closer look at Glenn¡¯s face for the first time. He had a manly shaped face and a high nose. Distinct eyebrows. Unusual silver hair and amber eyes. Above all, the combination of his features was indeed an art. It was as if the statue was blinking. In fact, even Nadia¡¯s heart skipped a beat for a moment. ¡®If it¡¯s for this face¡­ It¡¯s plausible if anyone fell in love with him at first sight to the point that they would follow him to the North.¡¯ It was a lie that Nadia made up, but now that she thought about it, she made the right choice. As Nadia praised her decision in her mind, Glenn¡¯sstatue-like face began to come closer little by little. Surprised and trying to step back reflexively, a large hand held her firmly. It was not long before the lips of the two touched each other. Nadia¡¯s eyes got bigger as she didn¡¯t know that he would really kiss her lips¨C she thought he would just pretend to do so. ¡°G-Glenn..¡± Glenn straightened his back as if he didn¡¯t hear her voice. His face was straight as he corrected his posture. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡°This declares that the bride and groom have formed a relationship as a married couple. The guests may applaud the newly born couple as a blessing.¡± Clap clap! The guests clapped mechanically. Glenn looked at the cheering guests and thought. ¡®¡­ It¡¯s driving me crazy.¡¯ Chapter 15.2 He didn¡¯t intend to give much meaning to his first kiss like an immature girl. Still, he had never imagined that the person with whom he shared his first kiss was the daughter of his family¡¯s enemy. As soon as he became depressed about it, he felt a slight pull on his sleeve. There was only one person who could possibly reach his sleeve in this place. ¡°You could talk about it later. First, focus on the ceremony¡­.¡± Frowning and turning his head, he stopped for a moment. The woman next to him was smiling happily as if she had just got everything in the world. A happy smile that he couldn¡¯t see as acting. The bride, whose cheeks were red, whispered while biting her small lips. ¡°There¡¯s something I want to tell you right now.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°I¡¯m so happy. There is no woman happier than me in the world right now.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°I mean it.¡± Glenn couldn¡¯t think of how to answer her. However, Nadia only smiled and lowered her veil as if she had not expected an answer from the beginning. Covering her face, she crossed her arms around his to hang on to him. ¡°¡­..¡± Glenn had to clench his teeth and remind himself of her status to avoid being bothered by an unfamiliar feeling rising on his gut. ¡®Even if she pretends to be so innocent, she is the daughter of Balazit. She is just a puppet that moves as her father wishes.¡¯ He should not be fooled by her smile that pretended to be pure. Did the greedy old man really marry his daughter off just to fulfill her love? This was the very moment when the confrontation between the North and the south was getting sharper. There would be nothing more disgraceful than this kind of inferiority for such a person. Glenn got a hold of himself that had been shaken for a moment and turned his head back ahead. * * * After the vague wedding ceremony, the reception continued immediately. Most of the guests who attended the ceremony also attended the reception, which meant that the scale of the reception was not big. Although it was small in scale, it followed all the traditions. The tradition for guests to give gifts to newlyweds and bless their future was the same. Most of them offered precious items, saying they wanted the Winterfell family to thrive more. What was interesting was that none of the guests congratulated their marriage, even in mere empty words. Nadia had no choice but to marvel at the sense of pride of the northerners. Finally, Nadia, who received all the greetings from the guests, sighed, leaning on the chair. ¡®Ah¡­ I¡¯m so tired to death. My face muscles are stiff.¡¯ It was fortunate that she could wear a veil during the ceremony, but she had no choice but to smile brightly at the reception and show her face. It was not easy to pretend to be happy in a place filled with hostile people everywhere. Nadia almost had a cramp on her facial muscles. ¡®I was glad that the ceremony was held safely, but I guess it¡¯s not. There¡¯s one more crisis left.¡¯ It was the first night of the newlyweds. It was a problem that had her stomach churned for the last few days. Nadia couldn¡¯t imagine if Glenn would want to sleep with her without feeling disgusted with her, the daughter of his enemy. Would his lower-half-part and his brain have a different reaction? Her moment of the crisis soon came in no time. It was around when the sky turned black and when the guests returned home one by one. The old butler carefully came up to the altar and whispered in a small voice. ¡°Marquis, it¡¯s late. You should end the banquet and eat it in the newlywed room.¡± ¡°¡­Newlywed room?¡± Glenn, who had a sour look throughout the reception, raised her eyebrows. Clank! The wine glass he was holding was placed on the armrest with a rough sound. He asked back in a stunned tone. ¡°Gordon, did you just say newlywed room? Are you suggesting that I have to sleep together with her?¡± ¡°Yes, now that you had your wedding, as a wedded couple¡­.¡± ¡°Do you want me to share a bed with a woman who might have come all the way here to kill me?¡± ¡°W-What do you mean I might kill you?¡± It was not acting but something that Nadia yelped in a pure surprise. ¡®Why would I destroy my own house? I made it all the way here to stand against my father.¡¯ She had to live a long life to avenge her revenge on her family and ex-fiance. Wasn¡¯t they supposed to benefit each other so that he could also get rid of his political opponent? Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only However, it was just her abominable act for Glenn, who had no idea what Nadia was thinking. He burst into laughter as if he was dumbfounded and continued. ¡°Then, Nadia Balazit, I am going to ask you one question. Why did you want to marry me? To be your father¡¯s spy? Or to forge a treason document? Are you going to accuse our family of treason?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Tell me truthfully. There¡¯s no one here to protect you.¡± Chapter 16.1 Nadia could feel the fire behind Glenn¡¯s voice. ¡­ He wasn¡¯t really going to try to kill her and disguised it as an accident, right? In the face of a life crisis, Nadia began to think hard. It wasn¡¯t like she wasn¡¯t aware of the fact that the Winterfell family could eliminate her any time. However she believed that this marriage was a marriage held under the King¡¯s arrangement. The whole world knew that the Marquis Winterfell didn¡¯t want to get married, but if the bride died as soon as she tied the knot, the perks of accepting this arrangement would be out of the question. Wasn¡¯t their intention to accept this marriage to avoid criticism that the North was seeking independence? No matter how much physical evidence of an accident was made up, the suspicion could not be avoided. In addition to that, the disgrace of killing a powerless woman would lead to the Marquis Winterfell being criticized by public opinion. Hence, Nadia wouldn¡¯t be killed here. Nadia, who judged rationally, decided to continue her position that she had adhered to so far. She pretended to be scared and shook her shoulders and opened her mouth. ¡°I-It¡¯s because I have long admired you¡­.¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Full of rage. Nadia could hear the sound of teeth grinding. ¡°Do you want me to believe such a lie?¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you the truth! Please believe me.¡± Nadia had to cry in this situation. She recalled her late mother to act in tears. Soon enough, her eyelids began to tremble and her eyes became teary. However, Glenn kept his attitude as tough as he could even when Nadia gave her best to act. ¡°Are you going to lie shamelessly until the end?¡± I guess the apple didn¡¯t fall far from the tree.¡± ¡°Boohoo¡­¡± As expected, it didn¡¯t work on Glenn. Nadia, who didn¡¯t say anything, bowed her head and began to pretend to cry. It was quite realistic acting for someone who had never acted before. Except that though her tears didn¡¯t flow down, she let out a sobbing voice. Fortunately, Glenn¡¯s view from above wouldn¡¯t allow him to see that. Therefore, it meant that it could be a pretty realistic acting in his eyes. If he hadn¡¯t repeated dozens of times that her last name was Balazit, he might have been fooled. Balazit, who killed his mother and sought his father¡¯s life. That¡¯s why her acting was even more abominable in his eyes. ¡®I didn¡¯t even have to hear to know what Father would have told me about this.¡¯ Glenn was not a fool enough to believe that the enemy¡¯s daughter had a crush on him at first sight. All of this was just a trick by the Duke Balazit to plant a spy in the territory of his enemy. Wasn¡¯t it obvious that the King, the puppet of the Duke Balazit, actively promoted this marriage? Glenn continued in a cold voice. ¡°Have we ever had a conversation before? Do you want me to believe that a woman would be willing to follow a man whom she has never said a word to to the North?¡± ¡°Do I need a reason to fall in love?¡± ¡°What a crazy¡­..¡± ¡°I love you! Please believe in my sincerity!¡± Glenn gritted his teeth and glared at Nadia, who was still shaking her shoulders pretending to be a pitiful bride. He was very suspicious of Nadia¡¯s intention to walk to the side of Winterfell, yet he couldn¡¯t interrogate her as she was the Duke¡¯s biological daughter. He couldn¡¯t take the risk of hurting her at this moment. Glenn¡¯s fists were shaking a little. Glenn had to tell himself to be patient over and over again and not to act impulsively. ¡®What this vulnerable woman can do in an enemy¡¯s territory without any allies is very limited.¡¯ When a wife wasn¡¯t acknowledged by her husband, her range of action would be even more limited. So if he thought about it rationally, he didn¡¯t have to throw her away right away. It wouldn¡¯t take long to remove an unwanted wife once he dealt with the enemy. Until the day when the rumor of the North being not loyal to the royal family and desiring to develop its own power disappeared. Glenn clenched his jaw and said. ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll see how long you could keep lying that you love me.¡± ¡°¡­..!¡± Nadia¡¯s expression brightened up when Glenn said he would tolerate her existence right now. But it didn¡¯t last long¡­. ¡°But I would advise you better not to dream of being recognized as my wife. I will never set my eyes on Balazit¡¯s daughter.¡± ¡°But, I¡¯m not Father¡¯s spy! How could you doubt my sincerity?¡± Glenn¡¯s subsequent warning forced her to cry straight away. Nadia covered her mouth with her face buried in her palm as if she was in despair. It was because she almost responded that she felt the same way. ¡®I hope you keep your word, Marquis.¡¯ Nadia was worried about him asking for his wife¡¯s nightly obligation. Therefore, she couldn¡¯t help but welcome his hate without hesitation. Stomp, stomp. With the sound of shoes hitting the marble floor like he was stomping on one¡¯s life, Glenn left. The sound of servants rushing out to follow Glenn came to Nadia¡¯s ears. She knew he left her. Nadia pretended to be heartbroken and asked the maids with her head down. ¡°Did he¡­ leave?¡± ¡°He¡­¡± The maids were nervous and began to look at each other. A maid, who was pushed by the other maid in the silent awkwardness, answered in a careful voice. ¡°Yes, we believe so, Madam.¡± Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only Phew! The voice in Nadia¡¯ heart cheered. He better didn¡¯t take back what he said in front of a lot of people about not sleeping with her. Wasn¡¯t it the virtue of a nobleman not to take their word back? ¡®Never come.¡¯ Chapter 16.2 Nadia planned to use the spacious bed by herself. In contrast to her inner thoughts, Nadia played the bride in despair passionately. ¡°Boohoo¡­..¡± ¡°Ma-Madam!¡± The maid helped Nadia who was crying and reeling. Then, she was sobbing harder. Her cries reached the ears of the guests at the reception hall. They couldn¡¯t believe this mess started from the first day of the couple¡¯s marriage. The murmuring noise of the guests, who had ceased, began to become start again. ¡°Oh, no. What¡¯s all this about?¡± ¡°My my, I knew this would happen when I heard that Marquis is getting married to the young lady of Balazit.¡± ¡°Shh! Be quiet.¡± ¡°By the way, since Marquis is gone, is there any reason for us to stay longer? Let¡¯s go back now. It¡¯s late.¡± The maid came forward and shouted. ¡°Take the Madam to the bedroom! Hurry up!¡± ¡°Ma-Madam. Please go in and rest. Hm?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, and bath! You should get the warm bath first. Go and heat up the water!¡± Now that the situation was like this, it was unreasonable to continue the reception. While the guests left through the front door, the maids assisted Nadia and led her to the back door. Finally, this horrible reception was over! ¡®Any longer, I might have cramps on my face muscles.¡¯ A ¡®real¡¯ smile formed on Nadia¡¯s lips as she followed the maids. The maids, who didn¡¯t know their Madam¡¯s inner thoughts, were restless and kept talking. ¡°W-We will prepare you a bath right away. Taking a warm bath will make you feel better.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll take you to the bath.¡± Nadia replied with a hoarse voice. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll wash myself.¡± ¡°But,¡­.¡± ¡°I want to be alone for now.¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡± The bride, who had been dumped since the first day, wanted to have time alone, so who would dare to protest? The maids took her into the bathroom without any more words. As Nadia entered the bathroom, the hot steam touched her face. She wanted to warm up in hot water as soon as possible, but she hadn¡¯t heard the sound of the door behind her closing. She knew they didn¡¯t leave the room yet and thought about what was going on. Therefore she looked back and everyone was looking at her with sad faces. Why weren¡¯t they leaving? ¡°Madam¡­, are you sure you¡¯re fine?¡± Nadia nodded with a sad face. ¡°¡­ I am.¡± The voice in her heart shouted. ¡®Get out. Please get out quickly.¡¯ If they stayed here, Nadia had to act like she was dejected again. They had no reason to remain when their master refused them to. The maids bowed slightly and continued their steps. ¡°If you need anything, please feel free to call us.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Click. As soon as the door was shut, Nadia took out the uncomfortable wedding headdress first. Her hair that was being tied up tightly that the scalp hurted fell on her shoulder. She felt like she could finally breathe when she took off her cumbersome dress. As she went straight into the bath, she sighed quietly. ¡°Ahh.. Finally¡­¡± A, E, I, O, U. Nadia also stretched her facial muscles that she had overworked all day. The warm bath relaxed her tired muscles. Nadia loosened her whole body tension with her back head over the bathtub. Just before she fell asleep in the bathtub, Nadia got out wearing the sleepwear that the maid had prepared for her. When she finished washing herself clean, the bedroom was empty. The maids seemed to have understood her saying that she wanted to be alone. Nadia, who was about to go straight to bed, stopped for a moment. ¡®I¡¯m a little tired, but.¡­.¡¯ If she wanted to act, she had to do it properly until the end. Then Nadia cried loudly on purpose to reach the ears of the maids outside. ¡°Boohoo!¡± Since she had been rejected by a man she loved since the very first night, she should cry as sad as possible. Nadia, who had been wailing for a long time, finally stopped crying just until the moment for throat to hurt. ¡®This should do.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t easy to pretend to wail for a long time with a starved body. Her throat hurted, her head hurted, and her whole body was tired. Nadia quickly approached the door, locked it, and went back to bed. Then she bent down and reached under the bed. She caught a wooden basket on her fingertips. It was a basket of fruits, jerky, and bread that she kept under the bed. It was a late-night snack menu that she thought would smell less. ¡°Ah, I almost starve to death.¡± It was a marriage that wasn¡¯t welcomed by anyone, but it seemed that fitting into the dress was so important that they had to starve people all day long. Nadia grumbled and put the apple into her mouth. When the crunchy flesh touched her tongue, she felt like all her complaints were being relieved. The fruit stimulated her appetite to taste meat. She teared the beef jerky eagerly. In addition, the bridal room also had a bottle of wine prepared. With beef jerky and good alcohol, she didn¡¯t need dinner. Munch, munch. The sound of Nadia swallowing food rang for a long time in the bridal room. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only Soon after, Nadia, who had finished savoring the food, patted her stomach and laid on the bed. ¡®Wow, this bed is really soft.¡¯ Glenn said Winterfell¡¯s financial situation was bad, but he didn¡¯t seem to be in dire need of saving money on the bridal room. As she was full and felt comfortable enough, she fell asleep. Nadia soon fell into a sweet dream. Chapter 17.1 When Nadia opened her eyes the next morning, she was first aware that the bedroom was full of the smell of alcohol. ¡®W-What should I do?¡¯ It was fortunate that the smell of food didn¡¯t mix with the alcohol smell. Nadia hurriedly opened the window to ventilate the air in the room. In the meantime, her head was busy rolling to squeeze out excuses. How about saying that she was so heartbroken that she indulges herself in alcohol? It would look plausible if she could make a desperate look on her face. As soon as she had just found an excuse, a knock could be heard. The maids could hear rustling from the room. ¡°Are you awake, Madam?¡± ¡°Yes. You can come in.¡± Click. The maids brought in a tray as if they had waited in front of the room in advance. Anastasia, one of the maids, was at the forefront. Along with three young maids lined up behind her. Looking at their high-quality uniform, it seemed that she wanted to introduce Nadia, her personal maids. Sure enough, Anastasia opened her mouth with her knees slightly bent. ¡°Now that Madam has officially become a hostess of Winterfell, I thought it would be right to introduce your personal maids. They are all the maids who served the previous Marchioness. As of today, we will be serving you. Hurry up and greet her.¡± There were a total of three maids Anastasia brought, from the left, Lisa, Aidyn, and Erin. ¡°We will do our best to serve you.¡± The three maids politely -of course, Nadia didn¡¯t know how they felt inside- bowed down and greeted Nadia. The maids were only able to straight up their backs after Nadia told them that they could do so. So far, their behavior toward their master wasn¡¯t bad. ¡°But, why does the room smell like alcohol¡­¡± But the problem occurred when they looked up after they finished greeting her. One of the maids muttered at the strong smell of alcohol tickling the tip of her nose. ¡°Aidyn!¡± Anastasia raised her voice. What else could be the reason why the room occupied by the bride, who was rejected from the first night, smelled like alcohol? Anastasia was usually slow-witted, but there was no way she didn¡¯t know what caused such a thing to happen. ¡°You talked too much in front of Madam! Hurry up and apologize! Hurry!¡± ¡°F-Forgive me, Madam!¡± The maid, called Aidyn, knelt down and begged for Nadia¡¯s forgiveness. Only then did Aidyn realize her mistake. It wasn¡¯t that difficult to imagine how a noble woman, who had been rejected by her husband from the first night, would feel. It was already embarrassing enough for Nadia that she cried all night to the point where she hurt her face*, but Aidyn made it clear. (*Face as in dignity, honour, etc.) If she behaved like that, it wouldn¡¯t be weird if Aidyn was punished for no reason by her master. ¡°I apologize on behalf of this child, Madam. If you want, I will replace her with another maid.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it! Please forgive me!¡± The notoriety of Duke Balazit passed by Aidyn¡¯s head, who begged on the floor. A manipulator who controlled the King. A devil crazy about power. If it were the daughter of such a person, it wouldn¡¯t be hard to guess. However, the voice heard from above Aidyn¡¯s head was so peaceful. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s understandable if you were surprised. I didn¡¯t know I drank this much either. I couldn¡¯t sleep without borrowing the energy of alcohol..¡± Aidyn was surprised and looked up. Her eyes looking up were as big as a plate. Nadia looked out the window sadly and continued. ¡°Because the heart of a leaving man will eventually come back.¡± Yuck. Nadia said it herself, but it sounded cringy to her. She had to struggle not to distort her expression. ¡®How long do I have to stick to this concept?¡¯ Would she be able to quit after gaining the trust of the Winterfell family? Nadia was calculating the time to quit acting in her head. While she was thinking about something else for a while, she could feel the atmosphere surrounding her change. ¡°Why are you¨C¡± ¡°Ah¡­.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± When Nadia turned her head, the maids were looking at her as if they were looking at something very pitiful. One of them even raised her hands over her mouth to cover it. They seemed to buy that Nadia came all the way to the North because she loved their lord. They heard that Nadia insisted on marrying a man to a place where she had no family or friends. Yet she was rejected by that man. Oh, my. Their eyes shook violently. What could they say to comfort her? They were worried that if they opened their mouth recklessly, they might accidentally pour salt on her open wound. The maids, who had been speechless for some time, soon began to sympathize with what Nadia had said. ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s how men feel..!¡± ¡°Someday, the sun will shine on you, Madam.¡± ¡°Do you think so?. Thank you.¡± Nadia replied puzzled. she didn¡¯t expect such enthusiastic responses. ¡°Then can we get water for us so I can wash my face first?¡± While Nadia was washing her face, Aidyn even brought her a glass of drink that was good for hangovers. Thanks to that, Nadia¡¯s senses came back by the time she finished having her breakfast. The maid said while brushing her hair. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡°You must have been tired from eating. Please have a good rest in your bedroom today.¡± ¡°No, at times like this, I have to be more faithful to my duty.¡± Nadia¡¯s goal was not simply to avoid engagement with Lee Jiho. If she only focused on avoiding engagement, there would be a long way to get revenge on her family and ex-fiance. After such a miserable death, would Nadia be satisfied with just being alive again in this lifetime? It wasn¡¯t enough for Nadia. Chapter 17.2 ¡°I heard it¡¯s been a while since the previous Marchioness passed away. Who¡¯s in charge of the household affairs?¡± ¡°As far as I know, the butler and Madam Grace managed the household together. It¡¯s still early, so Madam Grace probably hasn¡¯t finished preparing for the day yet.¡± ¡°Then bring the butler into the office of the main house. Oh, tell him to bring the books and seals together. I¡¯m sure Madam Grace didn¡¯t take them home, right?¡± Madam Grace was Glenn¡¯s aunt who expressed with her might that she didn¡¯t like Nadia. It was obvious that something tiring would happen if she got involved with her. Fortunately, she hadn¡¯t arrived in the main house yet because it was still early. Therefore, Nadia had to take this opportunity to find her right as the hostess of the house. Nadia stood up from her chair and said. ¡°First, take me to the office of the main house.¡± The first step was to identify the resources she might have. * * * The rumor spread widely even before the day ended, saying that the Marquis¡¯s wife who came all the way from the capital stayed up through her first night alone. By noon, almost all the servants knew what happened last night. ¡°We even made a bet on how long until our master would come, but in the end he didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°I knew it would happen. Who do you think was at fault for marrying our master with the daughter of an enemy?¡± ¡°So, how dare Balazit¡¯s daughter pretend to be like a Winterfell? She has no conscience!¡± There was a deep gap between the Northern and Southern people. For that reason, there was little public opinion that sympathized with the wife who had been shunned by her husband on their first night. Only a few servants were curious about the wife¡¯s reaction. ¡°But¡­ What happened after that? If she¡¯s a Duke¡¯s daughter, she must have dignity to keep, she shouldn¡¯t be able to overcome such humiliation¡­¡± ¡°She should be throwing a rampage by now, right? Right?¡± It was how Nadia was seen by others. She was a fierce, arrogant, and capricious woman that made everyone hate her so much. However, the following talks were different. ¡°I heard she cried for a long time.¡± ¡°¡­Did she cry?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, a very sad one at that. I heard you could even hear it from outside.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°¡­..¡± The maids, who were just gossiping about Nadia to their heart¡¯s content, stopped talking at the same time. It should be given if the daughter of the greedy and vicious Duke of Balazit resented their master after he dared to ignore her. But they couldn¡¯t believe she cried sadly. They were also a woman like Nadia, they had no choice but to put themselves in her shoes. How would you feel when you had to get married into a place where you had no friends or relatives and even your husband ignored you? ¡®She must be so sad¡­¡¯ ¡®She must want to go back to her hometown¡­¡¯ The atmosphere became gloomy. As soon as the atmosphere was about to make them sympathize with Nadia, one of the maids shouted as if she had come to her senses. ¡°B-But from Master¡¯s point of view, it can¡¯t be helped!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! How can he sleep with the daughter of the one who hurt the previous Marchioness? What if she tried to kill him in his sleep?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Even if they said so, the spite in their voice was somewhat dampened. The young maids began to talk about winter preparations as if they were trying to avoid the topic of their master¡¯s wife. The chatter did not stop even while they left their place with hurried steps. As their backs were getting smaller and smaller with a handful of laundry, there was a group of people who looked closely at the maids. It was the knights who were training in the field and the Marquis of Winterfell himself. They didn¡¯t mean to eavesdrop, but when he heard he was being mentioned, a natural instinct to listen kicked in. A knight opened his mouth and spoke. ¡°Sir, do you need us to tell them to not talk recklessly?¡± ¡°Talking about Master and Madam was a little¡­.¡± ¡°Talking about a Duke¡¯s daughter is one thing, but don¡¯t you think they shouldn¡¯t talk about their Master?¡± ¡°Tell the head maid to educate them harshly.¡± Several knights suggested, but Glenn, the one in the topic, remained silent. Having been hearing the complaints of the knights for a long time, he raised his hand to stopped them. ¡°Aren¡¯t they just children? Moreover, there was no word that crossed the line.¡± ¡°But,¡­.¡± ¡°Unlike the capital, Winterfell is a desolate and boring place. Just close your eyes on this.¡± ¡°Yes, if you say so, what could we.. ¡± Even if he said so, Glenn had a subtle look as if he had chewed a sour persimmon. It was not because he was offended by the conversation, but because he learned Nadia¡¯s reaction. He witnessed her crying at the reception yesterday, but he never imagined that she would have continued to wail even after he left. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only Glenn thought she was only acting because he was there in front of her. If the enemy¡¯s daughter suffered something sad, it should be pleasant for him, but why did he feel so uncomfortable? ¡°Tsk.¡± Glenn kicked his tongue and ruffled his hair. At this point, he thought it would be better if Nadia threw a fit at him for treating her like this. Chapter 18.1 ¡°So how is she doing right now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ From what I hear from the other servants, her face was swollen this morning.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking how much she cried all night.¡± ¡°Seeing that she woke up, it means she has a schedule to do. Now that she has officially become your wife, she is probably looking around the mansion.¡± ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re saying she is starting to act like a spy.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. As you might have already expected.¡± Glenn¡¯s eyes sank heavily. A Marchioness had the right to access documents that could only be viewed by family members. It was never pleasant for anyone to have their cards exposed to their enemies, even though they didn¡¯t document those that were really top secret one. Glenn, who had been lost in thought for a moment, looked up. His finger pointed to the youngest member of the troops. ¡°Fabian.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Nadia Balazit has no escort knight from the capital. I entrust you as her escort.¡± ¡°Oh, do you want me to keep an eye on her?¡± ¡°Yes, if she wants to send any communication to her home, make sure to report it to me.¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll report you immediately if I see something suspicious.¡± Being an escort was a mission favored by knights. It was because escorts could spend most of the day indoors, which obviously made them feel comfortable. However, the expression of the young knight, who answered loudly after a while, turned dark. Glenn, who noticed the change in his facial expression, asked if there was anything wrong. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there a problem?¡± ¡°I think she is going to refuse an escort. She will notice right away that I am being put on her side to be her surveillance, not an escort. What should I do if she refuses me?¡± ¡°She can¡¯t refuse even if she knows about it. What if she wanders around without an escort in an enemy den and gets harmed?¡± ¡°Wow¡­. You sound like a villain just now.¡± ¡°If you were being pushed into a marriage that you couldn¡¯t refuse, you should be able to handle this much.¡± Glenn spoke more coldly. His opponent was the daughter of the Duke of Balazit. He should not be fooled by innocent-looking faces and tears. It was obvious that Nadia would betray this side once Glenn let his guard down. There was no reason for him to sympathize with the news that she cried for a long time because he rejected her. ¡°She is probably in the main house by now. Go there.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± * * * ¡°Glenn sent you to escort me?¡± ¡°Yes, I will probably take turns with the other knights who will be assigned additionally.¡± Nadia¡¯s eyes became round with surprise. It surprised her that the knight suddenly came to her and gave a unilateral notice. Soon after the knight gave her the sudden notice, Nadia wanted to ask if he was here to monitor her all day long. Though she didn¡¯t plan to give in calmly, a tiring type of person came to her. Fabian¡¯s back was slightly sweaty, ready for a fight. However, the Marchioness¡¯ reaction was completely different from what he expected. ¡°I¡¯m so happy that he thinks of me like this!¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± ¡°He wants to protect me during my time here in the North, right? How sweet he is to consider such a thing. ¡± ¡°A-Ah, yes¡­¡± Fabian was contemplating if this was what people called interpretation was better than a dream*? His mouth was wide open by the unexpected reaction. (*Meaning: Nadia is running away from reality and sees the positive side of Fabian being appointed as her escort.) Fabian was doubting his eyes when he saw the new Madam had a young maiden-in-love expression on her face. Seeing her rejoice with a slightly swollen face as if proving that she cried all night was true, he naturally felt sorry. ¡®I¡¯m not here to escort, my duty is to monitor her¡­¡¯ Perhaps Nadia was just avoiding reality because she hadn¡¯t acknowledged the reality that she got married and being shunned by her husband, and didn¡¯t have a single friend at that. If Fabian thought about it in a common sense, Glenn must have sent an escort knight for a formality. ¡®I guess, it¡¯s a reality that¡¯s hard to admit for a noble lady who grew up nicely.¡¯ He almost kicked my tongue in front of Nadia¡¯s face. Fabian¡¯s eyes looking at Nadia were colored with sympathy. Of course, Nadia was not a fool to not notice the obvious intention. She thought with a smiley face. ¡®You¡¯re trying to keep an eye on me all day.¡¯ If Glenn wanted to keep an eye on her, Nadia welcomed it anytime. It wasn¡¯t a bad thing for her. If Fabian witnessed in person that she wasn¡¯t the Duke Balazit¡¯s spy, Glenn would soon realize that she was really not a spy. ¡°Today, I am going to take over household¡¯s matter from the butler. I¡¯ll probably be in the office all day, but if you feel stuffy, you can take a break and come back.¡± Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡°I can¡¯t neglect my duties.¡± It meant what he had to see how Nadia was going to do things. Nadia sat at the desk smiling. ¡°I knew you¡¯d say that. Gordon, hand over the ledger.¡± ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Chapter 18.2 Gordon, the old butler, handed her books, warehouse keys, and seals. The butler was an old man whose hair was all white. However, his movement of handing over the objects was polite and disciplined like he was trained to be. Nadia¡¯s expression became slightly subtle as she looked at it. ¡®¡­.He is giving it to me so easily, though?¡¯ Ledger, key, seal. All three were objects that symbolized a wife¡¯s position. Of course, it was also because it was almost impossible to force a hostess of the house to leave out of the household¡¯s affairs. Nevertheless, it was unexpected for him to let Nadia take over so easily. She expected there would be some rejection. Nadia looked down at the objects she was handed over suspiciously. ¡®Is it just an imitation¡­ No, I would have noticed right away.¡¯ Then, why would he hand over the rights of the hostess of the house to Nadia so easily? Her eyes darkened for the possible reason. She calmly skipped through each number in the ledger. Flap. Flap. There was only the sound of the pages turning for a long time. And when she turned the last page, she found out a very surprising fact. ¡°¡­Gordon.¡± ¡°Yes Madam.¡± ¡°Why are there so many debts?¡± Nadia had known the situation in the Winterfell family wasn¡¯t good from her previous life, but this amount was too much. Nadia doubted her eyes. The situation was more serious than she expected. She wondered if someone had siphoned off a lot of funds, but at least the numbers in the ledger were not very empty. Then, what the hell was the reason for a fine territory to be in debt? The butler replied with a gloomy face. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped due to the nature of the North. Every few years, monster attacks happen, the land is barren, it¡¯s not like our trade has developed, we don¡¯t have any specialties¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you get settlements from the royal family for conquering monsters every year?¡± It was her father who deliberately reduced the settlement funds. Even such a father would realize that he was too much if he saw the debt amount. ¡°W-We were able to endure it so far because we still had the previous settlement! Moreover, this year, the Karla¡¯ai expedition overlapped with monster hunting. We had to cover the household expenses with the settlement funds we don¡¯t have.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have participated in the expedition! There¡¯s no way that you didn¡¯t know that war costs a lot of money!¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t want to participate either! We were in a difficult position, too! But to clear our name, someone used military duty reasoning to force us to¨C. humph!¡± The butler freaked out and covered Fabian¡¯s mouth. Although he didn¡¯t continue what he was about to say, Nadia got the picture. ¡°That somebody¡­ has to be my father.¡± ¡°He.. Um, that is.. Madam, I mean¡­..¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Nadia sighed and palmed her face. There was no place he hadn¡¯t destroyed, that bloody father. Although Nadia had never did it herself, people¡¯s household shouldn¡¯t fall apart so easily. Winterfell¡¯s vassals wouldn¡¯t look at her nicely. ¡®Well, I have made plans to make money anyway¡­¡¯ Still, there was no way that it would be an easy task because there was a huge amount of debts piled up. Nadia sighed as she rubbed her face over and over again. ¡°Well, fine. Let¡¯s say you got this debt for the Karla¡¯ai expedition. But since, you won, you should be able to receive your share accordingly.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡­ As you already know, since the land of Karla¡¯ai is initially a wasteland¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Contrary to what people knew, the war was originally caused by the King¡¯s pride. The King wouldn¡¯t let a mere savage wander around the western border of his so great kingdom. He succeeded in evicting the savages far away, but that was all. In other words, it was an expedition where there was nothing to gain from the win. Nadia made a long painful sound inside her head. How did Marquis Winterfell solved all these debts in his previous life? No matter how hard she tried to look through her memories, nothing came to her mind. The butler brought a glass of cold water for Nadia who had been groaning for a some time. He seemed to bring it to calm the heat came from her head. Then, he said with a gentle voice. ¡°Madam, I have a good solution.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Nadia raised her head quickly. ¡°Although the relationship between the family is not good, you have become a member of the Winterfell family¡­¡± ¡°Right. My last name is Winterfell now.¡± ¡°In that sense, I mean¡­.¡± The butler subtly lowered his voice. ¡°If Madam would pay off the debt using the dowry when the situation gets bad¡­ I think it would be a really great help.¡± The butler had this saying through his eyes. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only No matter if Nadia liked it or hated to be a part of the Winterfell family, she would have to live in the North for the rest of her life anyway. Her reputation in the mansion wasn¡¯t good because of her family, and if she gave the dowry to his husband¡¯s family at times like this, it would be a win-win situation. ¡®So you¡¯re asking me to save you¡­.¡¯ Nadia was finally able to realize why the butler handed over the ledger and the seals so easily. It wasn¡¯t a test, but a request to be willing to resolve the financial situation in the Winterfell family before it collapsed. Chapter 19.1 The butler continued to speak when Nadia didn¡¯t reply. ¡°I calculated the amount of the dowry sent by Duke Balazit, and it seemed that most of the debts could be solved with it.¡± ¡°My father didn¡¯t want to embarrass me, so he prepared a hefty amount of dowry for me.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know how happy we are to have you come during this crisis, Madam. If you could help us a little, Marquis would be very happy. A-Aha ha ha¡­.¡± He rubbed his palms with an awkward laugh. He showed a pitiful look that Nadia wanted to comfort him for suffering at an old age. A head butler¡¯s pride was bound to be high as they were the most prestigious employees in the house. Nevertheless, he was willing to set aside his pride and prioritize the family. ¡®But that¡¯s not it¡­¡¯ Nadia shook her head firmly. ¡°We can¡¯t!¡± ¡°W-Why is that?¡± ¡°It will be like we are pouring water into a bottomless bowl.¡± Gordon¡¯s expression was distorted by the unexpected cold response. Of course, he didn¡¯t expect her to easily release the dowry, which was the possession of the wife. But wasn¡¯t Nadia a Winterfell now? Gordon thought she would not be able to ignore the family¡¯s crisis. However, it was clear that she was being decisive about it and trying to say that she wouldn¡¯t give them a penny. ¡®Th-That¡­! As expected, is it because she is the daughter of Duke Balazit?¡¯ He was disappointed, but he should not be swayed by his emotions right now. As of now, Nadia was the only one who could solve the debt. Gordon, the butler, once again begged with a pathetic look. ¡°Ma, Madam¡­ The situation is really bad. In addition, the monster attacks are expected to worsen soon, so could you just try to consider it once? Hm?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t mean that I won¡¯t help the Winterfell family. Think about it carefully, Gordon.¡± Nadia put the ledger in front of him and said. ¡°The debts have been accumulating even before the debts from the expedition were paid. You recorded a deficit almost every year.¡± ¡°As you know, there are only a few productive agricultural lands in the Winterfell estate. Also, due to the poor harvest over the past few years¡­¡± ¡°Exactly, that¡¯s the problem! I don¡¯t know what kind of person the first lord of the Winterfell family is, but one thing is for sure. One thing is that you¡¯ve been scammed!¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± Territorial fraud? The butler made a puzzled face as he heard that. Nadia continued fierily. ¡°Half of this estate is a useless wasteland. The weather is cold, so there are more cases of bad harvests than good one. There are so many monsters. There are no specialties, no tourist attractions, no ports! How could he choose this land? If he didn¡¯t want to cause his descendants to suffer, he would have known that he had been frauded!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Why did he leave out all the good lands? How could he settle at a place like this? If Nadia could, she wanted to grab Winterfell¡¯s first lord and shake him. Nadia took a deep breath, trying to calm down as she still had a lot to say. ¡°You don¡¯t have enough farmland, and you have no productive industry. Even the size of Winterfell¡¯s army was huge due to the numbers of monsters. In your situation, the military is nothing more than a money waster. Oh, of course, I respect the honor of the Northern military. But can¡¯t we have those great knights to do mercenary work? We have to regard that the current Winterfell estate is not good and the measures we have to take.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± What Nadia said was so true that Gordon couldn¡¯t refute. In fact, Gordon also resented the estate¡¯s dire situation countless times. Now that he thought about it, he wondered if they were really scammed. Gordon sighed and asked back. ¡°But¡­ What can we do? The estate has already been settled here, and going back to the past to prevent our first lord from choosing this land is impossible.¡± ¡°What do you mean we couldn¡¯t make a difference? You can improve the constitution of this estate.¡± ¡°What do you mean by¡­¡± ¡°I mean, you have to make a hole for the money to come out. Otherwise, Winterfell will suffer from poverty for the rest of our life.¡± ¡°Hoo¡­¡± Suffering from poverty for the rest of their life. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only For Gordon who was in charge of the housekeeping of the North lord¡¯s castle, those words sent shivers down his spine. He had been struggling with the ledger, of how to save even a penny somehow. The butler asked as he trembled. ¡°W-Well¡­ What are we going to do about it?¡± ¡°First, we should start with the dowry.¡± Chapter 19.2 The Duke provided Nadia with a generous amount of dowry, but it was not enough to fix the problem of the vast estate. First, they need to secure more funds. Nadia¡¯s head began to work as she came up with a few plans. * * * * After completing his escorting duty, Fabian went straight back to the knight¡¯s quarters. His escorting duty was just a playact, but in reality, his role was to put an eye on their new Madam. He had to report to his lord what he had seen and heard today. During the report, Glenn tilted his head when he knew attaching an escort was a good decision. But when the dowry was mentioned, he nodded as if he had expected it beforehand. ¡°¡­. So, in the end, she couldn¡¯t take a single penny from her dowry. I knew it.¡± A married couple was supposed to be financially united. Conversely, this meant that Nadia didn¡¯t consider Glenn and herself as a married couple. She didn¡¯t consider them as allies on the same ship, thus she didn¡¯t have any intention of helping. If one took a hundred of passing by young ladies and asked them if they were willing to use their dowry for their family¡¯s financial crisis, ninety five out of a hundred would answer that it was normal. The young lady Balazit fell in love at first sight so passionately that she chased him all the way to the North, yet she didn¡¯t help the poor Winterfell. What a contradiction. ¡®It was a blatant lie from the start.¡¯ Glenn couldn¡¯t help but to confirm his expectation. Then he burst out laughing as he couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. Hesitating, Fabian continued. ¡°No, she didn¡¯t say that¡­¡± ¡°What, then?¡± ¡°She said that instead of paying off the debt right away, it would be better to raise funds.¡± Right after, a fellow knight who had been listening interrupted. ¡°That¡¯s just an excuse! Did you really buy that, you naive?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Do you think so?¡± ¡°Of course! Anyway, doesn¡¯t that mean she doesn¡¯t want to use her money unless she is guaranteed that her money will increase?¡± In Fabian¡¯s mind, Nadia, who was furiously upset about the Winterfell financial condition, came to mind. The image of Nadia voicing out that the first lod had been deceived seemed too real to be called acting. ¡°It didn¡¯t look like she was lying though¡­¡± ¡°Boy, how could you be so naive?¡± ¡°My lord, is it really okay for me to be entrusted with escort and surveillance duty?¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Everyone around him had the same concern, Glenn started to wonder if he had misjudged his decision. Glenn beckoned everyone to calm down. ¡°It would be even weirder if someone from Balazit helps. Let¡¯s not jump into conclusion. I will try to avoid the financial problem somehow.¡± ¡°Now that we talk about it, why did the debt suddenly increase? Is it because we spent too much on the Karla¡¯ai expedition?¡± ¡°The Duke must have controlled His Majesty. He did mention that it is a vassal¡¯s duty to make a contribution in the expedition.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not enough for them to doubt us, so they forced Marquis to get married¡­¡± The room filled with the knights murmuring. Let¡¯s say that Glenn went on the expedition because there was a rumour that the North was trying to secure their own border. It was understandable if the prize earned from winning the war was insignificant. But Winterfell fought with their lives while they were drowning in debt, shouldn¡¯t the King pay them accordingly? And yet, the King still didn¡¯t trust the Northerners. The evidence was that the North lord, Marquis Winterfell, was forcibly married to Balazit¡¯s daughter. And he couldn¡¯t even use a single penny from the dowry Nadia brought in. If Glenn didn¡¯t feel upset with this situation, he should have just returned his knightship and walked the path of a priest. ¡°Of course, I know it wasn¡¯t something that the lady Balazit did. But¡­I¡¯m angry. This is sickening.¡± ¡°Why do we always have to endure it?¡± It was then. Crack. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± The knights¡¯ heads turned to where the presence they could feel from afar. It was the entrance to the garden. They could see a woman half-hidden behind a large tree. It was a woman with a shy look as if she was embarrassed being caught because she accidentally stepped on a branch. A small figure covered in a luxurious dress and long hair. They had only seen the woman from afar a few times, but there was no way they didn¡¯t know who the woman was. It was Nadia Winterfell, the new Marchioness from the south. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡°Ma, Madam?¡± ¡°Why is she here¡­¡± The sight of them gossiping was caught by the person they were talking about. They couldn¡¯t help but panic. Nadia spoke to the perplexed knights. Chapter 20.1 ¡°I-I didn¡¯t mean to eavesdrop. Really.¡± It was true. She just stopped walking when she heard they mentioned her on her way by chance. However, whatever she said had long lost their trust. Glenn frowned slightly. ¡°I believe the main building is a long way from here.¡± ¡°I took the duty to manage the house affairs. So, to tour around the castle¡­ it¡¯s a given.¡± To solve a problem, one needed to know what the exact situation was. Though given the Winterfell financial situation, she expected that the condition wouldn¡¯t be fine either. As she thought, there were places that needed to be repaired. It was as if they didn¡¯t even have the money to retouch them. She came to this place after walking around the castle in dismay. The knights¡¯ quarters were also getting old. Rather than the fact that they were talking about her behind her back, she felt sorry for the knights living in such a place. Glenn frowned slightly and asked. ¡°Looking around the castle? Aren¡¯t you just spying?¡± ¡°What do you mean by spying? Why would I do such a thing?¡± ¡®I was only looking around for holes that could be the way for money to come in, you rascal.¡¯ Instead of speaking out her mind, Nadia gave a slightly terrified look. She even teared up like she actually felt hurt by Glenn¡¯s harsh tone. If she was being suspected by a man she loved, she should show some sadness. Also, she looked down to show how frightened she was. Both of her hands gently gripped the skirt of her dress pitifully. Nadia was able to act naturally because she had practiced in advance, in case Glenn threw harsh words at her. However, Glenn¡¯s expression didn¡¯t soften in the slightest. On the contrary, his tone only grew harsher as if her pitiful look was abominable in his eyes. ¡°Since you achieved your purpose, there is no need to continue acting, isn¡¯t it? Stop your pretense.¡± ¡®Ah, I knew he wouldn¡¯t buy it.¡¯ Nadia sighed and clicked her tongue. Didn¡¯t people say that he was too young to be the head of the Winterfell family? He turned out to be an unfriendly fellow. But she couldn¡¯t reveal the truth here. There was no other way than to stick to the initial plan. Nadia¡¯s trembling eyelids began to get wetter. To act like she was in tears, she had to think of her deceased mother in her head. She once again immersed herself in her plausible acting. ¡°You know how much I love you, Marquis¡­ How could you say such harsh things to me?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Glenn opened his mouth slightly when he heard her absurdity. The knights¡¯ reaction beside him was no different either. Their jaws were hanging. There was nothing wrong with the ¡®how could you say such harsh things to me¡¯ part. Those lines were something that would be likely to come out of a romance novel. Of course, Glenn, who had no immunity to this kind of situation, had no choice but to be perplexed. He started to stutter and answered. ¡°D-Don¡¯t joke with me. You know I wouldn¡¯t be fooled by that kind of acting¡­¡± ¡°Boohoo.¡± ¡°No, wait.¡± Glenn¡¯s golden eyes swayed for no reason. Having spent most of his life in the midst of rough Northern men, it was unlikely that he had any experience of soothing a crying lady. A bullet of cold sweat dripped down his forehead. It was clear that Nadia was pretending¡­ He couldn¡¯t believe that the daughter of the vicious Duke Balazit would be so weak¡­ He tried to think rationally, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel uncomfortable deep down his conscience. Glenn took a few steps closer to her without realizing it. But Nadia backed away as he approached. ¡°I-I should get going. I swear I didn¡¯t mean to overhear your conversation.¡± ¡°Wait¨C!¡± Then Nadia wiped her tears and ran away. It happened so fast and Nadia¡¯s tiny figure disappeared out of Glenn¡¯s field of vision. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Glenn stiffened when he tried to reach out to her. Next to Glenn who hardened like a statue, the knights whispered to each other. ¡°Just now¡­ Did she cry?¡± ¡°W-We didn¡¯t say anything, but why did she cry?¡± ¡°Who knows? Maybe she might have been thinking of giving up her dowry.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± Would it be possible for Duke Balazit¡¯s daughter to think like that? It was good enough that she didn¡¯t use the dowry to secretly mess up the Winterfell family. ¡°Normally, there is no way for us to welcome the people from the Balazit family, right? Isn¡¯t that a given?¡± Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡°Is it because she has no interest in politics, therefore she doesn¡¯t know that the relationship between the families isn¡¯t good?¡± ¡°I mean, not knowing who your father¡¯s enemy is¡­ Does that even make sense?¡± The thorny comments came out of the knights¡¯ mouths one by one. In contrast to their harsh tone, Glenn¡¯s expression on his face was sour like he had just eaten an unripe persimmon. * * * * * Chapter 20.2 ¡®He¡¯s not chasing me.¡¯ Nadia glanced back and sighed in relief. She had a mountain of work to do, and she had no time to waste just to argue with the knights. She didn¡¯t have to look at the condition of other places after she saw how the duchy was. Nadia became eager as she found one more reason to make money as fast as possible. ¡®The first thing to do is to settle the debt. Otherwise, the interest will multiply every month¡­¡¯ As she moved on with various plans in her head, she didn¡¯t realize that she had arrived at the main building. The sun was setting and right when she decided to call it a day. ¡°Ahem, hear ye hear ye!¡± Someone caught her attention. When she turned her head, she saw a group of people approaching the front door of the main building. The scene of a bloated man striding to the middle of the entrance was truly a sight. He was wearing a colorful silk robe on his back like a typical nouveau riche. ¡®Now what?¡¯ After the wedding reception, all sorts of things happened. It was as if she was being shown a glimpse of a number of events that would unfold in the future. Nadia watched at the scene with a slight nervousness. ¡°Hear ye! I¡¯m here to meet the lord!¡± ¡­. What? Nadia¡¯s mouth opened slightly. He came to meet the lord? Yet, instead of calling the lord of an estate, the man was demanding like he was calling someone with lower status. Even her father couldn¡¯ t treat Marquis Winterfell with such a reckless manner. Even high-ranking aristocrats wouldn¡¯t do that. The man was like dealing with a normal debtor. ¡°¡­..¡± As she was thinking about it, Nadia stiffened like ice. No way¡­ However, from afar, the house butler, Gordon, could be seen running toward him¨Cproving her suspicion right. ¡°Yes! I¡¯m coming, Sir!¡± The running old man with a heavily grown mustache was the same person as the one who had been with Nadia until a few hours ago. The butler, who just ran 100 meters in a hurry, stood in front of the man in the silk robe. ¡°If a guest arrives, you have to greet them immediately!¡± ¡°Haha, I apologize, Mr. Shylock. I was attending something¡­¡± Gordon bent hard on the man while panting for air. Nadia thought that anyone would take that scene as an abuse to elders. However, the astonishing sight didn¡¯t end there. ¡°Whatever, where is your lord? I have something to say, so I came to meet him!¡± ¡®That crazy¡­¡¯ Nadia wouldn¡¯t even call her neighbor like that. If Glenn¡¯s loyal knights had seen the shylock¡¯s insulting manner, there could be a bloodbath. What in the world did the man have that he could treat other people that way? She immediately got the answer. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s¡­ Our lord is not present right now¡­¡± ¡°Where could the new groom go after holding a wedding just one day ago? I know everything, so you can¡¯t hide anything from me! The payment due date is near! I must get your definite answer today!¡± ¡°Look. You made us wait long enough. Do you know how much debt you have?¡± ¡°Since the troops are back from the expedition, didn¡¯t you get something from it?¡± ¡°Besides, didn¡¯t the bride come with a huge dowry? I believe you¡¯re not trying to ask me to postpone the repayment date again this time. We are going to go bankrupt before you could even pay!¡± ¡°T-That¨C¡± Again, it was a group of shylocks who lent money to Marquis Winterfell. The thick cold sweat forming on the butler¡¯s forehead seemed to be so clearly visible that Nadia could see it from a distance. Abusing elders was out of line. But the real shocking part was still coming. The shylock at the forefront with a sash around his neck shouted. ¡°If you can¡¯t repay the money this time, I¡¯ll take the Winward plains as collateral!¡± What? Winward plains? Nadia¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®If he is talking about the plains in the shade of the wind¡­¡¯ It was the area that accounted for half of the production in the Winterfell Estate. It was the most fertile land in this barren territory. ¡°Ugh!¡± Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only Nadia choked from nothing. A harsh cough escaped from her mouth. Finally, she could remember how the Winterfell paid all of their debts in the past. If one could call it a solution. ¡®How is that solving the problem? Once he takes the land as collateral, it will be over!¡¯ Chapter 21.1 It was then that she remembered the words her father used to say during dinner. In Nadia¡¯s past life, she didn¡¯t really listen to it because she thought it was someone else¡¯s business. If she had known this would be Winterfell¡¯s case, she would have paid more attention to it. Nadia¡¯s memory was blurry. ¡°Who is the lady over there?¡± One of the men asked when her cough caught his attention. Now, everyone¡¯s eyes were directed on Nadia. ¡°From her looks, I think she is someone important¡­¡± ¡°Ah! She is Marchioness Winterfell! I heard that Duke Balazit¡¯s daughter got married and came to the North.¡± ¡°Ah, where is my manner.. How could I not recognize you, Madam.¡± ¡°My name is Wayne of the Northern Merchants Association.¡± ¡°I am Katarina of the Creta Chamber.¡± ¡°I¡­.¡± Nadia beckoned the merchants who were eager to greet her to stop. She didn¡¯t need any introduction. Then, she asked in a serious tone. ¡°No need to introduce further, I want to hear more about what you just said. You want to take Winterfell family¡¯s Windward plains as collateral?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Since we see that you can¡¯t pay us back the huge amount of money.¡± In fact, it was not that strange to borrow a lot of money and take collateral in exchange. Especially if from the debtor with poor land like the Winterfell estate. The Winterfell would have borrowed money thinking that they would be able to pay off the debt if the expedition ended with victory. The problem was that they didn¡¯t get much from the Karla¡¯ai expedition. Nomads like Karla¡¯ai fled to the western plains and burned all the assets they could not take. Except for stabilizing the western border and raising the status of the empire, it was just a war that brought no benefit or meaning for the Winterfell family. Anyone would tear up in front of this dark situation. Nadia once again asked, holding onto her fading spirit. ¡°I heard earlier that the repayment due date is just around the corner. When exactly is the repayment date?¡± ¡°It¡¯s in three months.¡± ¡°Three months¡­..¡± There was a reason why the butler begged her with ledger and seals. A groan came out of Nadia¡¯s mouth. If they paid the debt with the land, it would feel like things got better since the debt was settled in an instant. But in the long run, this would become a huge disaster. A great lord without economic power couldn¡¯t become the leader of a territory, no matter how powerful military troops they had. To maintain their military, they need the help of other territories. That¡¯s why the North could not unite under a strong leader in the past. ¡®If they take away the land, there will be a setback in the plan to ruin my father under the Northern lord at the forefront. Whatever happens, I have to solve it.¡¯ Nadia looked around at the merchants and opened her mouth. ¡°I want to ask you something.¡± ¡°Please. If it is you, we should at least listen to it.¡± To be precise, he must have wanted to establish a relationship with Duke Balazit. It seemed that Nadia¡¯s identity was still a part of the Balazit family in the public eyes, not as the Marchioness of Winterfell. ¡°Is there anyone of you who could extend the repayment due date?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± However, unlike their crooked motive, no one was willing to listen. It seemed unexpected that Nadia, the daughter of the Duke, would make such a request. ¡°Why? Is it too difficult to ask?¡± ¡°Uh, that¡¯s¡­.¡± ¡°The Winterfell family is an honorable family. They never steal the money of innocent civilians. I swear on my maiden name.¡± ¡°B-But, Madam, don¡¯t you have the dowry that you received from the Duke when you got married? We have heard that the amount is quite enormous. How could you not repay even though you have enough funds to pay us¡­ We hope you understand that it is hard for us too.¡± The one who said that was the bloated man who seemed to be the leader of the merchants. Did Gordon say that his name was Shylock? Nadia looked straight at him and continued. ¡°As for that money, there is another place to spend it. It¡¯s not that I won¡¯t pay your money back. I just need some time to raise the money first.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, may I know what you want to do with the dowry?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I can¡¯t tell you that.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± They didn¡¯t have to ask to know how obvious the noble maiden who grew up like a flower in a greenhouse would spend the dowry for. ¡®She is going to buy a bunch of jewelry!¡¯ After living in the splendid Capital and getting married to the lord of a barren land in the North, wouldn¡¯t she feel some sense of loss? Shylock had seen many examples of such a lady. Many of them filled their empty hearts with luxuries. Selling luxury goods to such ladies was one of his main sources of money, so he knew it well. When that topic came up, Shylock¡¯s face became serious. It was a face that that could fool anyone who didn¡¯t know the circumstances well. Nadia continued to speak in a serious tone, knowing that Shylock was laughing out loud in his heart. ¡°As I said before, I am not forcing you to. All of you must be merchants who have dealt with Winterfell for a long time. I heard that the previous Marquis treated merchants generously. So, for the sake of the past, I¡¯m asking you to do me a favor just once¡­ Is that impossible?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡°¡­..¡± Some might say that delaying the debt payment due a little wasn¡¯t that difficult. If Winterfell failed to raise money until the end, wouldn¡¯t it be right to take the land as collateral? But by then, it was already too late. The fertile land would have been secured by those who first claimed it. Delaying the due would put them into a loss¨CNot delaying it would cost them a fortune. Chapter 21.2 ¡°If any of you could postpone the due date, raise your hand. The Winterfell family will never forget your loyalty.¡± There was no way that could happen! Shylock had to endure the urge to snort at Nadia¡¯s request. If he didn¡¯t know how to see through her intention, would he have been able to stand where he was now? ¡®You nobles should know at least what you don¡¯t know!¡¯ There was no way any sane merchants could take the loss here. Looking at the silent sight, no one came forward or raised their hand. ¡°Ha.. I, Katarina of the Creta Chamber, will postpone the due date as long as it is within this year.¡± ¡°?!¡± Shylock turned his head fast. The first merchant to raise their hand was Katarina, a middle-aged woman with reddish brown hair. Noticing the gaze focused on her, Katarina added further. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me that way. When I was young, the previous Marquis helped me. Without his help, I wouldn¡¯t be where I am today.¡± ¡°That¡­¡± ¡®That fool. The previous Marquis you talked about will still be lying on his sickbed tomorrow even if you do that!¡¯ Shylock was genuinely stunned by her stupidity. For a merchant, one needed to keep their eye on profit and loss. She wouldn¡¯t get anything if she was swayed by her feelings. But the surprise didn¡¯t end there. ¡°Well, I¡­ I will postpone the due date as well, on the condition that it is within this year.¡± ¡°You?!¡± Even Wayne, the merchant who loved money to death as much as Shylock did, stepped forward and Shylock couldn¡¯t control his facial expression anymore. Wasn¡¯t he that Wayne of the Northern Merchant Association who would rather die than take a loss? Shylock scratched his head in embarrassment and said. ¡°Ahem, I too have received favor from the gracious previous Marquis. It¡¯s not like you ask us to write off the debt, so how could I face the previous Marquis if I couldn¡¯t fulfill your request.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, I will do as per your request, Madam! Besides me and Katarina, we all know that there are quite a few of us who have been blessed by the previous Marquis¡¯ help in the past. No matter how big the debt is, we are people before we are merchants. If we forget the grace we received during our difficult times, we deserve to be called a monster, not a human being!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Silence followed after Wayne finished talking. It was a public secret that the previous Marquis supported the merchants to revive the economy of the Northern territory. However, the previous Marquis was terminally ill, and it was obvious that if they pushed the due date today, they would suffer losses. ¡®It¡¯s true that the previous Marquis helped a lot, but¡­.¡¯ ¡®We have to think about ourselves too.¡¯ ¡®If it¡¯s too late, all the good land will be taken away.¡¯ Would they choose loyalty over personal interest? The merchants, who had been silent, raised their hands one by one. ¡°Then I¡­ I will join for the sake of the previous Marquis.¡± ¡°So will I.¡± It wasn¡¯t a large number of people. It was less than half of the total merchants coming here. Those who didn¡¯t raise their hands rolled their eyes mockingly, but there was no one who dared to say a word. ¡°Is there no more?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± After checking the faces of the merchants one by one, Nadia finally smiled. Then she bowed slightly and said. ¡°Marquis Winterfell will never forget your loyalty today.¡± ¡°Y-You don¡¯t have to do this, Madam. Please raise your head.¡± ¡°No, you deserve it.¡± Shylock¡¯s expression gradually distorted. Whether it was the Marchioness who pretended to be a noble without the ability to repay his money, or the merchants who looked proud like they just made a great decision, were all stubborn. ¡®Let¡¯s see if I can expose your hypocrisy when I take the land away.¡¯ If she regretted it and wanted to take back her words, it would be too late. He would be the one who laughed last. Then, Shylock said deliberately. ¡°Hmm, we will see you on the due date then.¡± ¡°Shylock, wasn¡¯t it? Don¡¯t worry, I will prepare the money for you on that day.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ It would be nice if that would be the case.¡± Where would the immature noble lady who didn¡¯t know anything about the world get that much money within three month? It was undoubtedly only a typical bluff noble said to those whom they had supported before. Nadia gestured to the servants and said. ¡°You guys, see them off the outside of the castle.¡± ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll see you again in three months.¡± ¡°I look forward to seeing you again, Madam.¡± The merchants turned their backs after bidding her goodbye. They rushed out as fast as when they came in before. Gordon, the butler, approached Nadia as she looked at the merchants moving away and said. ¡°Madam.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Thank you for convincing the merchants. Thanks to you¡­ About half of the Windward plains are safe¡­ If we don¡¯t raise the money by the end of year, we¡¯ll lose the plains.¡± Gordon showed a gloomy expression as he added further. It would be bad for his health if he had that much stress at his age. With a short reply, Nadia said firmly. ¡°No, we will prepare the money before the due date. All the amount owed.¡± ¡°Yes? What do you mean¨C¡± Gordon¡¯s eyes widened. Had she ever thought of changing her mind and paying the debt with her dowry? Hope began to fill his heart. ¡°There is a way. A way to make money.¡± ¡°Well, then, why did you only ask them to delay the due date? You said there is a way to raise the money.¡± Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡°Ah, about that¡­¡± Nadia smiled and continued. ¡°I did it to filter out those who are loyal to the Winterfell family. You can¡¯t do business with people who don¡¯t even know the grace of trust, can you?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Secretly send and make appointments with those who have just offered to postpone the due date. I have something to buy from them in bulk.¡± Chapter 22.1 Since she was planning to build a herbal tea business, Nadia had to buy all the apple thorn herbs and their seeds from all over the continent. This was what Nadia had called the merchants for¨C to make a big order. The merchants who heard what the new Marchioness ordered, couldn¡¯t hide their bewilderment. ¡°Herbal tea¡­. Business?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°With only apple thorns¡­ You want to make a herbal tea business?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s going to be a successful one.¡± The merchants¡¯ expressions changed. Had it not been for Nadia¡¯s status as a noble woman, they would have spat out all kinds of cuss words they could come up with. It was such an absurd thing to propose. Just apple thorns? That was one specific herb. ¡°Why? Is there a problem?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± A problem? From the start, it was already a problem. The merchants didn¡¯t even know where to start. How could they say that in front of the daughter of Duke Balazit who was also the new Marchioness of Winterfell family? Wayne of the Northern Merchant Association was the one who decided to address the issue first. ¡°Where are you going to get the money to buy the apple thorns? Of course it is a very cheap herb, but you will need quite a lot of money to buy all of them that are available in the market.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to use the dowry I got from my father.¡± Then they remembered what Nadia had said a few days ago. The dowry couldn¡¯t be used to pay off the debts because there was another place she planned to use it. Did she mean this herbal tea business? ¡®I¡¯d rather she pay off the debts with that money!¡¯ If she didn¡¯t like that, she could just buy dresses or sets of jewelry! It was better for her to spend it on luxury items, because jewelry could be sold again in the future. ¡°Then, the purpose of the dowry you mentioned last time was¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s always been my dream to run my own business. If it goes well, wouldn¡¯t I be able to pay off the debt we owe you.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± It was a rather shocking statement to those who heard it. Weren¡¯t all noble women supposed to be ignorant? Now, the merchants were doubting whether the Duke loved his daughter so much that he didn¡¯t have her home lessons. Wayne asked the butler for help, begging him with his eyes to stop his master. ¡®Look here. What are you going to do about her? If you don¡¯t want to lose your fortune and to be humiliated, stop her!¡¯ Then, Gordon shook his head with a gloomy look on his eyes. ¡®I tried it. It didn¡¯t work.¡¯ The hardships of life that Gordon had been through seemed to be evident on his face. Now he couldn¡¯t tell anymore if this was a comedy or a tragedy. The merchants started to regret delaying the due date. They thought there was really a solution that Nadia couldn¡¯t say out loud, but somehow the solution was this. Nadia¡¯s eyes met their cold stare. ¡®Why aren¡¯t they saying anything? I guess it was no good telling them.¡¯ The hardships of life seemed to be reflected in Gordon¡¯s gloomy expression. No one could tell whether this situation was a comedy or a tragedy. They almost regretted the decision to delay the repayment date. They thought there was a solution that would be hard to say, but they didn¡¯t expect this to be the solution. Though Nadia wasn¡¯t forcing them to invest, somehow they got the picture. However, the favors they received from the predecessor Marquis prevented them from turning a blind eye to the crisis of March of Winterfell. ¡°Madam, allow me to tell you what I think. Purchasing all the herbs in bulk is not a very wise choice.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Apple thorns are of no value. There are countless herbs to choose instead. There is not much demand either. Considering the shipping and storage costs, it will be a huge loss.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re mistaken. The reason for today¡¯s meeting is not for discussion. I¡¯m trying to hire you. I¡¯ll pay the brokerage fee according to your custom. There will never be any harm to any of you.¡± The immature noble lady seemed to have made her decision. At this rate, she wouldn¡¯t accept anything they said. It was rather a good thing that they didn¡¯t get angry when they tried to stop her making the foolish decision. ¡®Well¡­ She is the one losing the money, what say do I have anyway..¡¯ Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only They felt bad for the Marquis, who was lying in his sickbed. They just hoped that Nadia would end the debt using her dowry and the Marquis¡¯ property would not be harmed. Wayne thought so as he sighed. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll get in touch with merchants all over the continent. I don¡¯t think there will be a problem with securing the herbs.¡± Since those merchants wouldn¡¯t want to miss the opportunity to sell useless herbs and collect the money. Chapter 22.2 ¡°I¡¯m glad of your cooperation. As I said, you won¡¯t be harmed in any way, so don¡¯t worry too much.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ I will heed to your words, Madam.¡± ¡°Since it¡¯s something that I will oversee myself, if anything happens, you have to contact me directly. I just want you to keep one thing in mind. You have to buy nearly all the apple thorn herbs available in the market, the seeds, everything!¡± Wayne and other merchants left the receiving room half dejected. Half of them were expressing how much they wanted to take back their promise to push the repayment date. The rest also looked very depressed. When the door of the receiving room was closed, Nadia finally lifted the cup. The tea had cooled down when she was done talking to the merchants. She sipped the tea and turned her eyes away. In the place where her gaze was directed, Gordon, the butler, stood like a statue. ¡°You think I¡¯m doing something foolish, don¡¯t you, Gordon?¡± ¡°¡­No, Madam. How dare I?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s natural if you think so.¡± Nadia put down her tea cup and laughed. Of course, she already expected that she would be treated like a crazy person. ¡°Just wait. There will be good news.¡± * * * The news that the new Marchioness had started a herbal tea business spread widely within a week. Therefore, it was a given that merchants came and went in and out of Marquis¡¯ castle. And there was no way Glenn, the lord of the castle, could not have known the situation that all of his servants knew. However, the purpose of the dowry was usually determined by the bride¡¯s will. In most cases, it was used for the husband¡¯s family, but the bride¡¯s consent must first be obtained. To add it further, it was not a marriage decided by the bride¡¯s side, and there was no way that Glenn could prevent it from happening. Though, of course, he himself wondered if everything would work out. Glenn pressed his fingers against his sore temples. His aunt¡¯s whining voice beside him didn¡¯t help with his headache either. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have given her the ledgers and seals! While you were away, the previous family head trusted them with me! How could you make such a decision, Glenn?¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Is that so? Is that so¨C That¡¯s your only reaction? This is not the time to be doing nothing! You should get it back right now! How could you leave the property of our family to the daughter of the Duke of Balazit!¡± ¡°Calm down, Auntie. Everything will be settled with her dowry. She won¡¯t touch our family¡¯s property.¡± Madam Grace, who couldn¡¯t argue back, closed her mouth. But in the next moment, she soon began to come up with new reasons. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel uneasy? How do you know she is not going to sneak into the safe? We are already in a bad financial position and for her to spend money to buy that useless weed¡­.¡± ¡°I told Gordon to keep an eye on her, so you don¡¯t have to worry about that. I think you¡¯re too agitated.¡± ¡°Glenn, I¡¯m just giving you my advice right now.¡± ¡°I fully understand your concern for the future of the Winterfell family.¡± ¡°Well, thank you for your understanding. In that sense¨C¡± ¡°But I think you¡¯re just overreacting right now. I¡¯m worried that it might be too much for your health.¡± ¡°Glenn!¡± Glenn said it lightly, but there was no way she wouldn¡¯t have noticed what it meant. Didn¡¯t he imply that she just had to be quiet like an old lady in the backyard by saying he was afraid this matter would harm her health? Glenn gave her a shiver down her spine. ¡°I hope you understand how I don¡¯t want to lose another elder figure in my family after my mother.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s for my health, you have to kick out the Balazit wrench as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Elbert, send my aunt to her house.¡± ¡°Glenn, are you really going to do this?¡± ¡°You¡¯re overreacting. I¡¯ll talk to you later.¡± ¡°¡­There will come a day when you will know that I am saying this for you.¡± Madam Grace could not hide her anger, but she left the drawing room as the servants guided her. As a quick-witted woman, she seemed to have noticed that her stubbornness here would only antagonize her. When Madam Grace finally disappeared from view, Glenn leaned back on his chair like he just used up all his energy for the day. He murmured with a sigh. ¡°This person and that person¡­ They are just hyenas who can¡¯t wait to eat our family.¡± ¡°Well, wouldn¡¯t you rather trust Madam Grace than Duke Balazit¡¯s daughter? At least she¡¯s a Northern like us, so there is no way she is a spy.¡± ¡°A spy and a petty thief. It amazes me that I have to choose between the two.¡± Glenn glanced over his desk. There was a high pile of papers. Those papers were about the soldiers who participated in the expedition, about the estate¡¯s financial situation, and next to it was about this year¡¯s harvest and the tax. Realistic problems that he didn¡¯t know when he was a minor filled his view. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it rather be a petty thief? At least Madam Grace doesn¡¯t go so far as running a business in vain.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Glenn closed his forehead and sighed again. He was not a fool to believe that Nadia would be serious about the herbal tea business. ¡®She just doesn¡¯t want to hand me the dowry.¡¯ Chapter 23.1 If Nadia bought herself jewelry or dresses, he had no reason to stop her from doing it as her husband. But what reason could Glenn have to stop her from starting a business with her dowry? When she claimed that she wanted to make money and help the Winterfell financial situation. Nadia and the Duke must have planned this from the beginning. A dowry was given only for the face of the Duke, not to be spent on the Winterfell. ¡®She¡¯d rather throw money on the street than spend it on her family. What a waste of money.¡¯ Where did all that money come from? The answer was rather simple. This was due to the Duke of Balazit¡¯s control over the King, which allowed him to take bribes and gain himself fortunes. Glenn couldn¡¯t believe she wasted the money her father squeezed out of their people. It made him clench his teeth in anger. ¡°Everything won¡¯t work out anyway.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure¡­ Someday we can overcome this, my lord.¡± Glenn¡¯s mouth was filled with bitterness. He tried to settle the debt with the war trophies from the expedition, but instead of gold coins, all he got was a wife, whom he was sure that she came here as a spy. Not enough for his wife to openly act as a spy, his aunt was fretting because she couldn¡¯t steal. Glenn felt uncomfortable like he had a stone weighing down his chest, but he forced himself to straighten his back. The repayment due date was approaching day by day. At times like this, he should take the role of the head of the family and overcome the family crisis. Just like his father asked him to. ¡°Take the paper and the envelope from the drawer over there.¡± ¡°Do you have a letter to send?¡± ¡°¡­We have to catch a straw.¡± (*Catching a straw: Your last hope to achieve something. It implies how desperate Glenn is.) Asking for money would harm the face of a lord, but Glenn had no other way. The only way was to explain the situation to the allied lords and turn around the debt. Glenn could feel how heavy his hand was as he started writing the greeting. Two months later. Failed, failed, failed. Everyone had at least one plausible excuse, but the fact that the conclusion was a rejection remained unchanged. No, it wasn¡¯t even a plausible excuse either. The fact that there was a boom throughout the North. ¡°Haa¡­¡± A long sigh broke out of Glenn¡¯s mouth, the young lord of Winterfell. Still, he wasn¡¯t lying when he said that he expected at least one person to help him. Even if they tried to make a deal in the favor of the Northern lords¡¯ alliance, Glenn would still take it. But everyone refused. Glenn¡¯s eyes were open, but he couldn¡¯t see anything. ¡®This is crazy. If I don¡¯t look for a way out, the plane will be taken away.¡¯ What happened after that was obvious ¨C The Winterfell would lose their most productive land. The fief would gradually decline, and even his status as the leader of the Northern region would be shaken. He might witness his position as the leader be handed to another territory even before he could lose his status. Glenn had received strict successor education from an early age. It was such a nightmare that the decline of his family might begin in his era of leadership. As he was sighing, his aide asked him carefully. ¡°I guess it¡¯s not a positive answer.¡± ¡°There¡¯s been a bad harvest all over the North, so there¡¯s probably no room to discuss.¡± ¡°The situation has become very difficult.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do. I have no choice but to find another way.¡± Though it was questionable whether any alternatives would even exist. Such ideas struck into their heads at the same time. ¡°Since there¡¯s nothing else I can tell you to do, you may go. I need to think alone.¡± ¡°¡­yes, my lord.¡± As his lord said so, it was best for the aide to just stay out of his sight. The aide sneaked out of the office. When Glenn was left alone in the office, he buried his face in the palm of his hand and thought in silence. He felt suffocated under the pressure. ¡®Father, I really don¡¯t know. How can I protect my territory? Should I not have gone on the expedition in the first place? Do I have to live with the reputation of a lord breaking the contract with his vassals? I really don¡¯t know, father.¡¯ It was completely different from the days back when he was in his youth¨Cwhen he was undergoing a successor education under the protecting wing of the previous marquis. Had all of the previous Winterfell leaders endured this pressure? With no one offering a helping hand. No one that he could ask for advice. Everything had to be decided by himself, and he had to take responsibility for it. Countless lives would be lost at one bad decision he made. What he felt was the loneliness and the dread of being left alone in the open sea. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only Although Glenn was educated as the next family leader from an early age, he was still an immature young man in his mid-20s. He couldn¡¯t help but be afraid of the situation where he had to decide and take responsibility for everything on his own. Glenn couldn¡¯t lift his head for a long time with the heavyweight on his shoulders. But it was then. Bang! Bang! Bang! Chapter 23.2 ¡°My lord! My lord!¡± A loud knock on the door made Glenn correct his posture. The voice coming from outside the door belonged to Gordon, his butler. Glenn couldn¡¯t hear him wrong because he had been on his side since he was young. ¡°What in the world is going on?¡± That Gordon, who had always kept his dignity, was in such a state of panic. There must have been a massive accident. God, Glenn clenched his teeth and replied that he could come in. Soon afterwards Gordon, an all red-faced, came into the room almost stumbling forward. He went on without taking a breath. ¡°M-My lord.. Did you hear the news?¡± ¡°What news?¡± ¡°Have you heard yet, cough.. S-Something big happened!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Gordon was saying there was a situation left that was going to get worse than the situation they were in here? Glenn said, sweeping down his face in dismal fashion. ¡°Sigh, just say it. I, at least, should hear it first.¡± ¡°Now we¡¯re saved!¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± Did he hear it wrong? Glenn lifted his hand from his face and looked at his butler. He wasn¡¯t sure whether the expression his butler, Gordon, had was he was about to cry or laugh. Looking at his face, he couldn¡¯t guess whether he was trying to deliver good news or bad news. Glenn asked once again. ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°Now we¡¯re saved! We just got a jackpot!¡± ¡°And what do you mean by something big?¡± ¡°Yes, that too.¡± Gordon answered with a face mixed with emotions. ¡°We¡¯re in trouble, and now we are safe!¡± ¡°¡­.?¡± Glenn, who didn¡¯t understand, grimaced. * * * A few days ago. ¡°Hum, hum.¡± On a warm sunny afternoon, the wind outside was strong, but it was warm inside the indoor garden. Nadia was humming and walking around the greenhouse. She had a watering can in her hand. ¡°Eat a lot and grow a lot.¡± Water was sprinkled over the garden. At first glance, it was just a turquoise sprout sticking out its head on the muddy fields. It was actually a thorny herb that she had obtained from all over the continent after she gathered merchants. Some of the bought seeds were stored in a low-temperature dry environment, and some were being cultivated in this field. Nadia¡¯s expression at the little sprout was as graceful as the goddess of motherhood. ¡°Hum, hum, hum..¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°¡­..¡± The two maids looked at Nadia weirdly. It was Aidyn and Lisa, Nadia¡¯s personal maids. The two girls spoke to each other with their eyes. ¡®Hurry up. You said you¡¯d do it.¡¯ ¡®Come to think of it, you¡¯re closer to Madam than I am! You will do better than me..¡¯ ¡®Now you¡¯re saying you can¡¯t do it? But I won the bet yesterday!¡¯ The scuffle continued for a long time through their eyes and facial expressions. It was Lisa who finally stepped up first. ¡°I have something to tell you, Madam.¡± ¡°What is it? Tell me.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡± Lisa, who began the talk, hesitated for a long time before bringing up what she wanted to say. Her temple was covered with thick sweat as she started talking. ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering if I should tell you this for a while, but I thought it¡¯d be better if you knew. It¡¯s just that there¡¯s a slight misunderstanding among the servants¡­¡± ¡°That I am running an inutile business just because I don¡¯t want to spend my dowry for Winterfell?¡± ¡°H-how did you know?¡± ¡°I have ears too. How can I not know?¡± Nadia replied with a shrug. ¡°Of course, we know your true feelings, but not others. If you keep going like this, people will misunderstand you even more. By then, you may not be able to change their perception. And¡­ and¡­.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°And didn¡¯t you want to get along with His Highness? You said you loved him.¡± ¡°Well.¡± Actually, that was a lie. Nadia didn¡¯t love him. But there was no way she could tell them the truth. Nadia just smiled awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯m just going to let it go. I knew such rumors were going to spread. No¨C I¡¯d rather say that I intended it to be that way.¡± ¡°What? But, uh.. why?¡± Were there even people who deliberately wanted to be criticized by others? Lisa looked up at Nadia with a startled look. Nadia¡¯s face was calm without any emotion. ¡°If I go around complaining that I¡¯m serious about business, will everyone believe me? I will be criticized for having thick skin.¡± ¡°Well, but¡­¡± ¡°Everything is proven by results. Just wait and see. I will make so much money that I can even pay off your debts.¡± Lisa couldn¡¯t force herself to argue anymore. She held back her opinion with a sullen face. ¡°Madam!¡± But then, as soon as Lisa returned to her place, the door of the greenhouse burst open. It was Fabian, Nadia¡¯s escort who opened the door. His striding hand held an envelope. Nadia looked back and greeted him. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here? What is this about?¡± ¡°I was told to deliver this letter to you.¡± This morning, a messenger from Nadia¡¯s father arrived from the capital. She left the task of receiving the letter to Fabian because she thought he would only get suspicious if she met the messenger in person. ¡°Did the messenger say anything else?¡± ¡°No, this is all.¡± Nadia opened the envelope handed by Fabian. Her father¡¯s handwriting was hard to read sometimes. Nadia had to stare at the paper for a long time to comprehend the content. It was just a greeting to ask about her current wellbeing. There was an epidemic in the southern part of the Kingdom, and the DUke was asking how the situation was at the Winterfell estate. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only Her eyes sank as she read the letter. The letter did not give details of the epidemic, but she was already well aware of it. A dark and deadly disaster. ¡°It finally started.¡± The worst plague ever, the Black Death. Chapter 24.1 It was about three months ago that the worst epidemic ever began. The first deceased was a retired veteran of Aral, the southernmost territory of the Kingdom. Seeing him die with his whole body turned black, the villagers murmured that he was being punished for throwing away his young wife. Until the number of deaths with the same symptoms increased to ten within a week. Everyone thought the curse spreaded throughout the village. Or some said that the lord was punished by Heaven for lacking virtue. The terrified lord tried to keep his mouth shut rather than solve the root cause. He thought that if this spread, he would lose the public sentiment as the territorial lord and the trust as a vassal. Soon the disaster began. Travelers and merchants, unaware of the outbreak of the epidemic, visited the Aral estate, and black deaths spread to other regions through them. It instantly became a disaster that swept across the South. The worst epidemic ever hit the rich and the poor. All were fair in the face of death, whether commoner or nobleman. It was a disease in which the patient¡¯s whole body turned black and soon died after suffering from a high fever. In the face of fear that this may lead to a shortage of land to bury the body, doctors accidentally learned that chewing thorny herbs could cure the disease. ¡°I found a cure for the Black Death!¡± ¡°Now we¡¯re alive!¡± Thorny herbs were common and inexpensive herbs like weeds. It must be a blessing in disguise that the cure for a catastrophic epidemic was a common commodity. But the relief didn¡¯t last long. What happened? It was such a common plant, but there was no supply. Even when they searched the whole area, they couldn¡¯t find a sprout of thorny herbs. Several merchants had tracked the purchases in the past few months, and found that nearly all of them were headed to Winterfell¡¯s. ¡°What kind of lunatic buys trash for money?!¡± ¡°She¡¯s not crazy, she¡¯s nuts! That Marquess of Winterfell!¡± ¡°Come to think of it, they made a lot of money for the herbal tea business.¡± ¡°Herb tea business with thorny herbs? Is she mad for real?¡± It was an unbelievable fact, but the reality that almost all of the key treatments for the Black Death were in one family¡¯s grasp had not changed. To cure the disease, they had to purchase the thorny herb from the Winterfell. Seeing the success of the business that everyone said would fail, merchants had to reflect on the famous words once again. There was nothing that could beat luck. ¡°That¡¯s why there¡¯s a saying that lucky ones are meant to be lucky no matter what..¡± ¡°Damn it! It¡¯s not fair!¡± In any case, it remained as a case of a fool trying to do something stupid and accidentally hit the jackpot. * * * ¡°That goes here, here!¡± ¡°Be careful! It costs more than your life!¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s going to fall!¡± The Marquis Winterfell¡¯s military training ground was crowded with merchants and servants. Knights who usually had to train in the training ground were pushed to the corner. But no one was arguing over it. The knights looked up at the high-stacked boxes and opened their mouths. ¡°So that one box each costs t-ten gold? Then how much is all of this?¡± ¡°How much was it before?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know because I¡¯ve never eaten thorny herbs.¡± ¡°No, was that a real herb? I thought it was just weed.¡± ¡°What in the world is happening¡­¡± Then, a young man working for the merchants shouted in a high voice. ¡°Give me a break, gentlemen! You¡¯re in the way of my work!¡± ¡°Oh, sorry.¡± Normally, there would have been at least one person who would scold the young handyman¡¯s disrespectful manner, but not now. It was not the knights that mattered now. What mattered now how to distribute those herbs to the whole kingdom in bulk as soon as possible. The knights went further into the corner and settled down. It was a very humiliating situation, but the rudeness of a young handyman had long been forgotten in their head. Their faces were rather filled with joy and excitement that they finally could escape the long financial difficulties. The expressions of the servants lifting heavy boxes were the same. How long has it been since they saw this scene full of life? Gordon, the butler who was looking at the scene through the window, wiped away tears of emotion. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡°Thank you, dear heaven!¡± While Gordon was thanking all the Gods he could think of, he soon realized that there was one person to whom he really had to convey his gratitude to. The lady who bought thorny herbs despite everyone¡¯s dissuasion. His eyes turned to one side of the office. Madam and Wayne, the most respected merchant of the Northern Merchants Union, were talking about something. Chapter 24.2 Nadia said. ¡°We can¡¯t sell them at ridiculously high prices. If we do that, we will end up becoming everyone¡¯s enemy.¡± ¡°I feel the same way. But even if we raise it several times higher than the current price, it won¡¯t affect much since these herbs are not something that is nothing short of a bargain.¡± Nadia wanted to set a price much higher than the current price. Since in her past life, the selling price set was nothing compared to anything she proposed just now. ¡®And it wasn¡¯t even distributed fairly to the people.¡¯ Shortly after it became known that the cure for the Black Death was thorny herbs, rich people hoarded thorny herbs released on the market with a high price. They bought more than they needed in the face of the fear of death. The problem was that thorny herbs were not the crops that people would usually grow. Since they were not worth the time and money to grow for. After the herbs¡¯ natural vegetation that grew in the mountains and fields ran out, the price of thorny herbs shot up and the poor couldn¡¯t get a cure. If only they could share the thorny herbs fairly, so many people wouldn¡¯t have died. Nadia did not have the ability to prevent infectious diseases that she did not even know where they came from in the first place. But distributing the cure fairly to as many people as possible was what the least she could do. ¡°First of all, we need to supply the South, where the situation is the most serious. Oh, how¡¯s the herb harvesting going?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a weed that originally grows anywhere, so it can be grown in the northern part of the country. However, there is one thing that I am concerned about.¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°The epidemic is relatively damaging in the south. But we have a monopoly on the cure. I¡¯m afraid the lords of the South are accusing us for spreading the epidemic on purpose.¡± ¡°That¡¯s unlikely.¡± Wayne added with a frustrated look to Nadia¡¯s determined answer. This was no time for complacency. This was the situation in which public sentiment has been agitated by the epidemic The other lords might accuse the Marquis of Winterfell for being the cause behind the incident to divert the anger of the people. ¡°Logically speaking, of course, it doesn¡¯t make sense for the North to create and spread an epidemic that Winterfell didn¡¯t even know existed. But when someone raises incitement, that logic doesn¡¯t even matter to the people, does it?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡± Nadia continued, waving her hands. ¡°Since the very beginning, I didn¡¯t purchase those thorny herbs to start the Winterfell family, a herbal tea business.¡± ¡°Then why¡­¡± ¡°But you do know who I am, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Wayne exclaimed as if he finally put everything together. The southern part of the kingdom was home to the Duke of Balazit. Most of the southern lords belonged to the Duke¡¯s faction. If people accused Nadia of deliberately spreading the epidemic after monopolizing the cure, it literally meant they were accusing the Duke. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything they can do this time. Moreover, if we distribute the cure fairly to everyone, we will have a strong justification to deny any rumor or accusation.¡± For example, they could say that Winterfell was just fulfilling the duty as the royal family¡¯s vassal. The important thing now was to provide the necessary amount of cure as fairly as possible. ¡°I will deal directly with the lords of each fief. The transaction volume shall be determined according to the level of damage suffered¨C reselling by increasing the price or hoarding the thorny herbs will be highly prohibited. As long as the distributor doesn¡¯t get greedy, such damage can be prevented. It is important to inform everyone in the kingdom about this, but is it possible?¡± ¡°The people in the association are scattered all over the kingdom. You could spread my message through them.¡± ¡°All right.¡± If anyone broke their promise and tried to hog the herbs, they would have to deal with the wrath of the people. There was a difference between not being treated due to a lack of cure supply and not being supplied by someone who decided to play dirty with the distribution of the cure. If the former case happened, those people would have to accept their doomed fate as they would become everyone¡¯s object of resentment. Nadia left the rest of the details to Wayne and other merchants. ¡°Does anyone have any connection in the southwest?¡± ¡°I believe that the Valdemir branch of one of the Creta Chamber¡¯s is there. Isn¡¯t that right, Katarina?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I¡¯ll try to get in touch with them.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s leave the southwestern part to the Creta Chamber.¡± As the three were too eager to get the work done, it was then that Nadia, Wayne, and Katarina heard a loud cough. The person who made the noise was no other than Glenn, who was listening quietly. Turning his attention, Glenn was looking at Nadia with a complicated face. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only He looked like he had a lot to say. ¡®I did try to wait until they were done¡­¡¯ From that ardent attitude, it seemed that they wouldn¡¯t stop discussing even if he waited the whole day. The ¡®It was my dream to do my own business¡¯ was¡­ what he thought as Nadia¡¯s mere empty words. After waiting for his timing for nearly an hour, he finally started talking. Chapter 25.1 ¡°Do you have something to say?¡± ¡°Well, about the thorny herbs¡­¡± ¡°Please, you may speak comfortably.¡± ¡°Did you buy them because you knew this would happen?¡± ¡°Of course. If it was a coincidence, how could I be so calm now?¡± ¡°How is that possible? Unless you have the ability to see the future¨C¡± Glenn looked at her disbelieving. The expressions of others in the room were the same. Wayne and the others were also listening. How did the Marchioness predict this? It would be a lie if they didn¡¯t wonder. Nadia felt that people¡¯s eyes were all focused on her, but she didn¡¯t falter. In case this situation happened, she prepared something in advance. Hence, Nadia could give them her reason, although it consisted of both truth and lie. ¡°The first case of the Black Death happened in a district in the Aral estate. And the lord there is a vassal under my father¡¯s wing. He posted a report on this to my father, and I happened to catch a heard of it in the office.¡± Of course it was a lie. The lord of Aral kept his mouth shut to cover the outbreak, and, of course, he did not report it to the Duke of Balazit. ¡®Just because he hid it, does he think it¡¯s not there? That idiot¡­¡¯ Nadia could hear her father¡¯s voice, who was running wild on the street in the past, as he went rampage at the Aral lord. But none of the people here could confirm the facts with her father. Thus, Nadia proudly carried on with her lies. ¡°The lord of Aral feared his position would be at stake if anyone knew that the epidemic had begun in his territory. That¡¯s why he tried to cover it up and move on. Don¡¯t you think that a flaw in your subordinates will soon become yours as their lord? My father also agreed with this idea, that¡¯s what happened.¡± ¡°He made a foolish choice. If he hadn¡¯t tried to hide it, there wouldn¡¯t have been as many fatalities as there are now.¡± Glenn muttered, disgusted at the choice made by the lord of Aral. A lord has an obligation to protect the inhabitants of their estate. That was the price that a lord had to pay in exchange of the taxes and respect received from the people. Nevertheless, the lord of Aral put his own interests first and led his people to death. ¡®Well, it¡¯s like adding non-existent sins that my father hadn¡¯t committed¡­¡¯ But didn¡¯t the Duke frame his innocent daughter in his past life? Nadia chose not to feel guilty. ¡°How did you know that the cure for the Black Death is these herbs?¡± ¡°My mother was from a wandering gypsy. Originally, gypsies learn a lot from their experiences of wandering around. That¡¯s what I heard from my mother. If your whole body turns black and there is a big chance that you are going to die, you should consume thorny herbs. Maybe it¡¯s not a knowledge that the royals are aware of.¡± Of course that would be a lie, too. Nadia¡¯s mother was not an outstanding figure in medicine. ¡°Do you have any more questions?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m quite convinced.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡± Glenn seemed to have something more to say, but Nadia turned around first. Nadia could guess what he was trying to say, but now work was her priority. As she approached the treasurers in the next room, they looked up to her with a tired face. They looked half tired due to the increasing work yet half happy to finally be able to escape the financial crisis. ¡°All of you must be having a hard time with all of this sudden work.¡± ¡°Oh, no, Madam.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to show you how to make your work easier.¡± ¡°¡­.?¡± A way to make things easier? All of the treasurers showed a confused expression. After confirming that everyone had gathered, Nadia picked up a quill pen. Then she began to draw a line on an empty paper. What she taught them was a slightly more advanced accounting method than the one used right now. A method of bookkeeping in which expenses and income are recorded on both sides by dividing debit and credit. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only The clever ones were quick to see the point of the method. One of the treasurers flicked his fingers and said. ¡°This will help us to record and calculate at once!¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct. This way, you can see the flow of the money at a glance, so the profit and loss calculation is more accurate. When you have a lot of work like these days, the calculation often goes wrong. With this method, there will be fewer mistakes.¡± It was a way that even the treasurers, who were proud to be elite in their own field, hadn¡¯t thought before. Chapter 25.2 The finance administrators were excited and exclaimed in agreement. One of them asked, looking at Nadia with sparkling eyes. ¡°Did you come up with this method of bookkeeping?¡± ¡°No, that can¡¯t be. I¡¯m not a genius.¡± ¡°Then is it the accounting method used in the capital? I can¡¯t believe the North hasn¡¯t known about this method yet. It¡¯s really innovative!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it either¡­¡± Nadia was a little vague at the end of her speech. What should I say about this? After a moment¡¯s hesitation, she immediately continued. ¡°Someone from far away taught me. In his hometown, it¡¯s called ¡®double bookkeeping¡¯.¡± ¡°By far away, do you mean the East Continent across the sea?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that.¡± Nadia also thought at first that Lee Jiho came from the East Continent. After their engagement, she had a chance to have a frank conversation with him, and each time, he would talk about his hometown. A land farther than the Eastern Continent. A land that no matter how long one sailed on a ship, one could never reach. Everything he said was full of incredible things. He told her that people flew in the sky with a wagon heavier than a house, and that there was an apparatus that could help people to talk with someone far away. It was like a fairy tale that her nanny told her when she was young. Nadia¡¯s expression hardened bitterly as she recalled the old memories. Then Wayne, who was listening to her answer, cut in and said. ¡°Madam, can I ask one thing about you?¡± ¡°As long as I can answer.¡± ¡°The one who taught you about double bookkeeping, I was wondering if they were the same person who taught you how to run a business.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the same person.¡± ¡°As expected, I see.¡± Wayne nodded as if he knew she would affirm his prediction. Then, Nadia asked him back. ¡°Why are you curious about that?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just wondering. I was wondering how you knew how to do business. It¡¯s not an everyday sight for us to see a noblewoman running her own business. I thought it might be due to the cultural differences since you came from the South.¡± ¡°It seemed like customs were completely different from ours. I haven¡¯t been there myself, so I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like in the South.¡± Lee Jiho¡¯s description of his hometown was incredible. It wasn¡¯t just about strange apparatus. A world without kings and nobles Nadia used to look forward to hearing stories even though it was hard to believe such a magical world he told her. ¡®In my world, both women and men received the same education. It¡¯s not something to be pointed at, and it¡¯s not weird. It¡¯s just something that¡­ should be a given.¡¯ ¡®Then, what do you use it for?¡¯ ¡®So that we can get a job.¡¯ The reason why his story was poison to her even though she thought it was too good to be true. Because it made Nadia want to live in that world. ¡®You¡¯re smart, Miss Nadia. To the point where it just feels like it¡¯s a waste for you to live in the shadow of your father. If it were in my world¡­ No, you could have been more free if you had been born in a different era.¡¯ He told her many stories. Economy, politics, and war. It was something that no one had ever taught Nadia, or that Nadia had ever thought of learning herself. Since those knowledge would be useless for the noble daughter. The life of an illegitimate child with a Duke as her father was obvious. When the time came, she would marry into the marriage her father had decided. And she would have a child and die when her time came. That was the existing rule Nadia knew. If she hadn¡¯t learned anything from Lee Jiho, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to make good use of the luck of being back in the past. Nadia may have been complacent that she got to avoid her unjust death simply by marrying the Marquis of Winterfell. ¡®If I had done so in the past, I¡¯m sure I would have been only waiting to see if I would still be hated even after I have given all my dowry to pay off their debt.¡¯ As far as Nadia knew, it would have been the only way to survive and to be loved by her husband. However, using the story Lee Jiho told her, Nadia was able to break away from this world¡¯s common sense. She could look at the world in a different way than before. Even a noble daughter could live without the protection of her father, husband, or son. In that sense, Lee Jiho was no more than her teacher. Unfortunately, Nadia was not very important to Lee Jiho. A tool that he could abandon to climb the social ladder higher. That was all. Nadia smiled bitterly for a moment and then looked bright again. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only There were too many eyes looking at her and it reminded her not to be lost in the bitter old memories. ¡°Is there anything else you¡¯re curious about?¡± ¡°No, that would be all.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go back to talking about the herbs. As you know, our estate is heavily in debt. The number of herbs we need to gain enough gold by the due date¡­..¡± The office gradually heated up with discussion. Chapter 26.1 Rattle. Large chests opened their lids and vomited the contents. It was none other than gold coins. The scene reminiscent of a golden wave was almost dazzling. Shylock had lived as a merchant all his life, but it was not every day to see this large sum of money. He had to remind himself to keep his mouth closed when he got distracted by the glittering gold coins. The Winterfell prepared all that money in cash? Right after, a clear voice penetrated his ears. ¡°You may count it. I¡¯ve calculated every penny including the interest.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What are you doing? You don¡¯t have to think about whether we will be in trouble if we don¡¯t have enough money in the future¡­ You may count it at ease.¡± The owner of the voice was Nadia, the Marchioness of Winterfell. Dressed gracefully, she stood behind the chest with a triumphant look on her face. Shylock, who made eye contact with her, couldn¡¯t control his surprised expression. Well, Nadia was sure he couldn¡¯t. ¡®I didn¡¯t really didn¡¯t expect them to raise this much money¡­¡­!¡¯ Although Nadia didn¡¯t succeed in the herbal tea business as originally intended, the fact that she made unbelievable amounts of money remained unchanged. It was enough to pay off all the debts of the Winterfell family. He didn¡¯t see this coming ¨C Nadia making money from the herbal tea business, or selling the medicine, or paying back the money the Winterfell family owed. Shylock beckoned with a dark expression. ¡°G-Go ahead and count.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Then other merchants also approached carefully and started counting the gold coins. For some time, only the sound of counting and the clattering of gold coins resounded quietly in the Hall of Winterfell castle. Shylock looked at the coins with his tongue wetting his parched lips. How long had it been since they started counting? ¡°There is exactly a total of 10,087 Gold.¡± ¡°9,720 Gold. That would be the end of the Winterfell family¡¯s debt liabilities to the Creta Chamber.¡± ¡°It¡¯s 15,770 Gold here.¡± The representative of each chamber rose from their seats after they had received their money. The amount prepared by the Winterfell was exactly right, without any shortage or over the amount. To the point where one couldn¡¯t even seize the dust of it. The debt that they thought would not be repaid was settled at once. Now that there was nothing to be repaid, how would the Winterfell family react to the disrespect they had received? ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The Great Hall, where the settlement was being completed, was filled with silence. There was only a sound of someone swallowing nervously that rang occasionally. No one was daring enough to even think of opening their mouths, so they carefully looked around. Then Nadia¡¯s voice broke the cold silence. ¡°There are some people who don¡¯t look happy even though they got their money back. You are welcome to be happy on a day like this.¡± ¡°M-Madam¡­.¡± The expression of the merchants was either one of two ¨C It was either as peaceful as the ocean, or it was like they were chewing on something they shouldn¡¯t eat. The merchants who looked like they were contemplating their death were those who insisted about three months ago that they would not delay the maturity repayment date. On the other hand, the merchants who accepted Nadia¡¯s request looked somewhat proud and relieved. ¡®There is no way she is going to retaliate against us for not delaying the repayment date¡­¡¯ ¡®B-But we¡¯re not exactly wrong for doing so!¡¯ ¡®We had the right to collect the payment!¡¯ Was it a great sin not to delay the repayment date? They didn¡¯t think so. Didn¡¯t Nadia herself say she wouldn¡¯t force them to accept her request? No matter how noble she was, she couldn¡¯t punish them for not listening to her ¡®request¡¯ to postpone the repayment date. They should have shown a little empathy, but it wasn¡¯t something wrong enough to be punished. Shylock and the other merchants raised their heads proudly. What Nadia said next, added more certainty to their judgment. ¡°What are you doing standing there? I think we are done with our business.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± That meant there would be no further questioning. The faces of some merchants who had dark faces lit up slightly. ¡®We did the right thing. It¡¯s our right not to delay the repayment date!¡¯ ¡®Even a noble can¡¯t violate that right!¡¯ Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only Merchants who put down their worries gathered in front of Nadia with brighter faces. They could just make up for the reduced score from now on. But how could they make it up to Nadia? ¡°Ha ha ha¡­ I stayed to congratulate you on the news that the herbs are selling like hot cakes, Madam.¡± It was simple, avid flattery. Chapter 26.2 Although she happened to hit a jackpot, the new Marchioness of Winterfell was only a foolish noble lady who had just become an adult. If he gave her a flattering word, she would soon be flattered. ¡°Congratulations, Madam. You¡¯re born with a gift in business. Hahaha.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t match your skill, Madam.¡± ¡°You are the blessing of the Winterfell family!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a blessing to this barren north!¡± The corners of the merchants¡¯ mouths, who forced themselves to smile, were trembling slightly. It wasn¡¯t something that Nadia would miss. Even though they said how ¡®lucky¡¯ she was, their cold eyes couldn¡¯t lie. If you knew it would go on like this, you would be mistaken. She began to speak in a calm voice. ¡°Well, I have one thing to tell you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The correspondence should have arrived by now, but I¡¯ll tell you in advance so that you will not be surprised.¡± What correspondence? The movements of the hard-working flatters stopped for a moment. All eyes were looking at Nadia. There¡¯s no way¡­.. ¡°The Winterfell family has decided to stop doing business with some of your businesses.¡± ¡°Madam¡­!¡± ¡°Forgive us, Madam!¡± It wasn¡¯t like Nadia was going to arrest them, but it felt almost the same for them. Everyone got what she meant, although she didn¡¯t say which business specifically. Only those who delayed the repayment date could look at the scene calmly, as if they had seen this coming. ¡°It was decided after several meetings with the treasurers. I can¡¯t change the decision.¡± ¡°W-We did wrong. P-Please show us mercy once!¡± ¡°Madam! Please forgive us just once!¡± ¡°Forgiveness? I am not sure what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°M-Madam¡­!¡± The merchants¡¯ expressions were distorted in dismay. If she retaliated in public, they could file a complaint for her unfairness in making decisions. It would be possible to create a public opinion that criticized the Marchioness of Winterfell by bribing some nobles. Shylock¡¯s mouth was heard with a whisper of teeth. ¡®This sly¨C!¡¯ However, there was nothing they could do if she simply decided to end their business relationship. If a merchant who mainly worked in the Northern part of the Kingdom failed to open a deal with the Marquis of Winterfell, there would be losses in many ways. However, those losses would only occur, but they were not fatal enough to ruin their business completely. Any man who was capable would be able to make up for the loss using a different way. Nadia thought it was a decision that was neither too much nor too soft. She had to keep those who had morality and virtue for a long time and get rid of those who didn¡¯t. ¡®Well, if they are capable enough, they will make it through other means.¡¯ Since they didn¡¯t consider Winterfell¡¯s situation, there was no reason for Winterfell to consider theirs, right? Nadia continued with a decisive face. ¡°I guess everyone already knows even though I didn¡¯t mention which business I will end the relationship with. That means they know their fault, right? I won¡¯t say much. You¡¯d better give up the idea of making a profit on the Winterfell estate as of today.¡± ¡°Madam¡­!¡± ¡°F-Forgive me! Please spare me just once!¡± Small merchants fell at the feet of the Marchioness and kneeled for their wrongdoing. But Shylock had a different idea. ¡®You fools! The Winterfell is going to be cash-strapped again one day!¡¯ Even if this black death disease made them a lot of money, the fact that the Winterfell estate was barren did not change. No matter how much money they spent, the Winterfell would end up bottoming out someday. It was obvious that the Winterfell family, which had no other means of making money, would be in debt again. In addition, since they earned a fortune from the disease, they must have been spending so much to expand their business. Shylock thought that Nadia was stupid enough to start a herbal tea business with a thorny herb, so it won¡¯t take long before she ran out of all the money she had earned. ¡®The results of the fluke are bound to reveal one¡¯s actual ability one day.¡¯ He could imagine a scene where the cocky aristocrats were begging him for money. That cheeky Marchioness would soon realize her mistake too. Shylock took a few steps forward and opened his mouth. ¡°Madam.¡± Nadia¡¯s gaze turned to him. Even if she was stupid, he thought he should at least give her one last warning. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only Shylock, who looked at her, said in a low voice. ¡°You mean you¡¯re going to dismiss the business relationship by all means?¡± ¡°What do you mean by that? Do you represent everyone here?¡± Nadia glanced at the sly merchant standing on her right and laughed. She implied that there were many merchants to trade besides him. Chapter 27.1 All the merchants she looked at with her eyes were those who offered to delay the due date of the debt. The proud expression on their choice disturbed Shylock¡¯s mood even more. ¡°Y-You¡¯ll regret your decision one day.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing you should be worried about.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Shylock bowed politely to Nadia, slightly bending his knees. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take my leave now. I look forward to seeing you again. I shall hope for peace at your estate until then.¡± ¡°I could assure you nothing is going to happen.¡± He would see how long Nadia could be so elated. He then turned his back, grinding his teeth. When Shylock left, merchants who had been begging Nadia for forgiveness followed him one by one. Probably because they noticed that Nadia had no intention of retracting her decision. The Great Hall, after everyone left, was quiet again. Nadia finally relaxed her expression and smiled. Then she turned around. Standing at the place where her eyes were directed, Glenn had been staring silently from beginning to end.. Nadia approached him and asked. ¡°Do you believe me now? I¡¯m going to use the dowry and settle the debt.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Glenn still looked puzzled. Of course, though it was amazing that Nadia managed to rake in a large amount of money, he still didn¡¯t believe that she paid off the debts without any conditions. After contemplating for some time like he was thinking of something to say, Glenn said. ¡°Why did you pay my family¡¯s debts?¡± Nadia tilted her head like she didn¡¯t understand the question. ¡°I said I¡¯d raise money to help the family finance. I told you before.¡± ¡°So why did you make such a promise?¡± ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re being weird.¡± Her eyes were filled with confusion. ¡°When I didn¡¯t pay the debt with my dowry, I was told why I was turning a blind eye to the family crisis. It would be weird for the lady of the house not to help the family. But now that I¡¯ve paid it back, you¡¯re asking me why I¡¯m paying for your debts. How am I supposed to answer that?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­.¡± Glenn¡¯s expression was visibly distorted. After being speechless for a while, he opened his mouth again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I misinterpreted your meaning. Let me take this opportunity to apologize.¡± ¡°Thank you for saying that.¡± ¡°I thought you were lying when you said that you would pay for this family¡¯s debt after earning money because¡­.¡± ¡°Because my father is the Duke Balazit?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± Glenn couldn¡¯t believe his eyes when he saw Nadia paying off the family¡¯s debt. In fact, he still worried that all of this was just his mind messing with him. Even anyone who only knew a little about the Kingdom¡¯s political situation could understand why Glenn couldn¡¯t understand what Nadia did. Why did a member of the Balazit family help him? If she wanted to mess with the situation in the Winterfell family, she could have just done so. There¡¯s no reason for her to do the other way around. ¡°Why on earth would you do something that would benefit me? If your father finds out about this, he¡¯ll definitely be upset. Maybe he will disown you. Why would you take that risk¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Oh my God. What have you heard of me so far?¡± Nadia, who was listening to him, suddenly cut him off and intervened. She looked like she couldn¡¯t stand him who wasn¡¯t stopping talking. Nadia continued with a startled look. ¡°Because I love you! I fell in love with you at first sight, followed you all the way to the North, and we even made a vow! Don¡¯t you remember what I said?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Glenn did remember. However he questioned her because he just couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. Helping a man she loved. Even if it meant that she went against her father¡¯s will. It was simple and clear logic¨C but he just couldn¡¯t understand it. ¡®She really likes me?¡¯ Before the triumphal ceremony, the two had never talked a word. Let¡¯s say Nadia fell in love at first sight, as she claimed. She was willing to do this to a man whom she only met once? In Glenn¡¯s head, Nadia was far from convincing. But whatever reason she helped him, it didn¡¯t change that Glenn owed Nadia much. Even if there were other intentions. ¡°For whatever reason, the Winterfell family will never forget the debt we owe you. In that sense¡­ If you want to ask me a favor, you may tell me.¡± Nadia¡¯s eyes widened at the unexpected remark. ¡°Anything?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll give you anything I can.¡± Then from now on, Nadia wanted him to stop nagging and do everything she told him to do. She just wanted him to grant her permission to leave for good. ¡®¡­ Or so I wanted to say¡­¡­.¡¯ Now wasn¡¯t Nadia a wife who was in love with her husband now? She was sure Glenn would listen to her request and give her the permission to go, but if she really said that, it would raise his suspicion. Using this incident, she should maintain a positive sentiment and gain his trust for future plans. ¡®They are going to misunderstand that I didn¡¯t help the Winterfell family out of pure goodwill.¡¯ What should she say here? A word that sounded convincing that she was a woman in love¡­. Nadia, who was brainstorming for a moment, opened her arms to him and said, ¡°Then give me a hug just once.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°A very, very sweet and gentle one.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Why? Did I ask you a hard favor?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that¡­¡­ I thought you¡¯d ask me a different favor.¡± ¡°For example?¡± ¡°Punish the employees and the servants who have talked about you behind your back, ask me to apologize in public, or pay off what I owe you¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If I ask you that, I will never be accepted as a member of the Winterfell family.¡± Nadia was the one who encouraged the situation where people couldn¡¯t help but to talk behind her back after all. Besides, she never cared about others swearing at her behind her back. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡°Will you do me this favor?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Nadia looked up with a slight smile. Glenn¡¯s amber colored eyes shook a little. But he soon came to his senses and took a step closer to her. It was just a hug, he didn¡¯t have to think complicatedly. ¡°Thank you for what you have done for this family.¡± Chapter 27.2 Glenn reached out his arm and hugged Nadia¡¯s small frame. Like a typical southern woman, her upper body was slender and it fitted just right in his arms. He thought it was just a hug, but it felt different when he hugged her thin body. The scent of perfume or soap tickled the nose. ¡®And this woman, why is she so upfront and asks to be embraced?¡¯ The soft touch on his chest disturbed his mind. Just when he was contemplating over how to respond, Clap, clap, clap, clap! The applause coming from the side of the room caught the attention of the two. That made Glenn and Nadia step back from each other. When they turned their heads, they could see merchants clapping their hands hard. The first to speak was Wayne of the Northern Merchants¡¯ Union. He said with a cheeky smile. ¡°Uh¡­Congratulations to both of you.¡± ¡°What are you congrating for?¡± ¡°I just congratulate you.¡± ¡°For what exactly?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡­ congratulations on settling your debt. It has been a hard time for you, hasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Looking at Wayne¡¯s smiling face, he seemed to have a completely different reason, but Glenn couldn¡¯t argue about it. Eventually, Glenn had to turn his head to a chagrined face. He instinctively realized that if they continued this topic, only he would be in an awkward situation. He said to Nadia in a hurry to change the subject. ¡°That Shylock guy¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± ¡°He is sneaky and greedy, and he is a disappointment in the world of commerce.¡± ¡°No wonder he looked like one.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a joke. It¡¯s going to be a blow for him since he is out of business, but it doesn¡¯t change that he¡¯s one of the top players in the northern part of the country. I¡¯m afraid he has a grudge against you. Be careful not to get involved with him.¡± ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± ¡°?¡± Glenn could not help but wondered at her confidence. No matter how much he didn¡¯t look like a capable man, Shylock was someone with a lot of fortune and henchmans. Even Glenn, an aristocrat, couldn¡¯t punish him as he pleased. Nadia continued in a cheerful tone. ¡°My father hates him the most because he doesn¡¯t pay his taxes properly. My father will take care of it.¡± * * * A letter arrived from Nadia for the first time since she got married. Despite the fact that it was the first contact with his daughter in nearly four months, the Duke¡¯s face was as stiff as a brick. What was written in the letter was not good news. As the father¡¯s expression gradually hardened, Callaine, the second daughter standing next to him, asked in an impatient tone. ¡°Father, what did she say? What is it? What did she do with the dowry?¡± ¡°¡­¡­She said she had no choice but to use the gold coins to purchase thorn herbs. Her reason for starting the herbal tea business was to make money and help the Winterfell family, otherwise it would be hard for her to convince them of her sincerity.¡± When he first heard that Nadia was starting a herbal tea business, he thought it was a good excuse not to hand the dowry to the Winterfell family. How could he express his opposition to the idea of helping his in-law family after he himself raised the dowry? However, his decision at that time now put Nadia at a disadvantage. There was no longer an excuse not to help Winterfell¡¯s finances. This not only helped the Winterfell settle their debts at once, but also gave the Winterfell a huge sum of money. The strong military territory had recovered its financial stability. The Duke of Balazit frowned and thought. ¡®¡­ It¡¯s a little¡­ No matter how lucky they are, there is no way it is a coincidence¡­.¡¯ They stocked up on thorn herbs, and an epidemic with the thorn herbs as a cure swept the southern part of the empire? It was too coincidental to be a coincidence. The Duke of Balazit did not rule out the possibility that Nadia betrayed him. The herbal tea business was just her trick, and it might have been hoarded in advance knowing that the cure for the Black Death was thorny herbs. To help her husband, Marquis Winterfell. Since the core of the business was Nadia, the Duke could not even accuse the Marquis for spreading the epidemic. It would become a boomerang to him, and people would question whether the disease was related to the Balazit family. However, the Duke somehow had an unresolved problem with this possibility. How did she predict the Black Death before it happened? And how did she know that the cure for the Black Death was a thorn herb?¡¯ No matter how many possible ways the Duke could think of, it only made sense to say that this incident overlapped with coincidence. The Duke put down the letter, giving up his doubts about his daughter. The Winterfell family temporarily had good news, but that¡¯s all. The North was a barren land with less economic power than the South. It would be a natural procedure that over time, and their finances would bottom out again. ¡®I¡¯m going to use this as an excuse to cut subsidies for the expedition.¡¯ Then, Callaine¡¯s voice interrupted his thought. ¡°Dad, did she say anything else?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Well¡­ if the North are very scornful toward her, or if she wants to come back.¡± The Duke replied with a short tsk. ¡°Do you think she will write such obvious words in her letter?¡± There was no way that they would treat Nadia, the daughter of Winterfell¡¯s political opponent, nicely. Nevertheless, Nadia did not write a word of sorrow about living there. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only Even if she whined to her father, nothing would be solved because he would only feel annoyed with her. ¡®As expected, she¡¯s smart.¡¯ Unlike her second daughter, who didn¡¯t realize that she was pestering him. Callaine shrugged her shoulders and continued to talk to her father with an irritated voice. ¡°No, I¡­¡­ I¡¯m afraid she is going through a hard time in a faraway place.¡± Chapter 28.1 ¡°I didn¡¯t know you two had such a good relationship.¡± ¡°Well, I just realized the importance of having my only sister when she was far away.¡± ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s Nadia¡¯s own business, it¡¯s none of your business. She volunteered to go to the North, so she would have expected that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡­.¡± The Duke said so and beckoned his aide. ¡°You have to conduct a tax investigation on merchants operating in the North. Secretly dispatch investigators.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°The Northern merchants? Is there any problem in the North?¡± ¡°¡­Callaiene.¡± The Duke¡¯s brows furrowed. Why did a girl who couldn¡¯t even help him butting in on everything? He spoke in a cold voice to his second daughter, who later shrank her shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to play with you. If you have nothing more to say, leave.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry to disturb you.¡± Callaine had to leave her father¡¯s office at his command while pouting. But unlike her dejected expression, she didn¡¯t feel so bad. ¡®Well, that¡¯s a good thing.¡¯ Her herbal tea business could not have been good even if she came home now because she made an excuse to start a herbal tea business. All the dowry was taken away, and the reputation of the family was buried in the mud. ¡®Why is she that was stupid?¡­. If I had taken some of the dowry away, I would have lived well at least.¡¯ There was no way that the Winterfell family would treat a disgusting outsider nicely. Callaine felt bored living in a mansion for a while, but the news from the North seemed to blow away her depression. She hummed down the hall. Then her eyes met with the person walking from the opposite side. ¡°Oh, Sir Jiho?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet Lady Callaine.¡± Walking from the opposite side was Lee Jiho, a knight who came from the other world. It was no wonder that he, Duke Balazit¡¯s hand and foot, to be in the mansion. Like a knight dealing with his noble love interest, he bent slightly and reached out his hand. It¡¯s a gesture of asking for a kiss on the back of the hand. Normally, Callaine would not have allowed physical contact with strangers from her family member, but the very pleasant Callaine gently reached out. ¡°Did you come to see my father?¡± ¡°Yes, he told me there is something I have to do. Did you hear what happened?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t know. I just met my father, but he only talked about my sister¡¯s letter.¡± At that moment, Lee Jiho¡¯s expression hardened noticeably. ¡°Did you receive a letter from Miss Nadia?¡± Wow, look at him Callaine thought as she opened her eyes coyly. He called a married woman ¡®Miss Nadia¡¯, not the Marchioness of Winterfell. Intentionally or unintentionally, it was clear that he was not happy with her marriage arrangement. ¡°What do you think, a woman who was supposed to marry you ended up confessing her love to someone else in front of everyone?¡¯ No one didn¡¯t even told him in advance that there was a change in their plans. It was a weird sight that the bride was taken away by a rival, and to see the Duke¡¯s order got ignored. ¡°How is she doing? The North wouldn¡¯t be a good place for a fragile lady to live.¡± ¡°There are a lot of difficulties, but she doesn¡¯t regret it. That¡¯s her personality. She doesn¡¯t regret her choice.¡± At first glance, it sounded like a word to cheer up her half sister, but the meaning was completely different. It was as if he was saying about her sister, ¡°Did you think Nadia would marry Glenn for nothing?¡± Then his forced smile began to shake on the corners of his mouth. Lee Jiho replied, trying to manage his facial expression. ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m glad she has adjusted well.¡± Did Lee Jiho know that his relieved and thankful expression wasn¡¯t so convincing? Callaine laughed brightly, hiding her degrading gaze. She would welcome more than one antagonist against Nadia. ¡®He won¡¯t even be able to check the letter himself anyway.¡¯ Besides, wasn¡¯t it obvious that Nadia didn¡¯t want to marry a stranger? Considering that, this time she didn¡¯t really lie when she said that Nadia adapting well. ¡°Didn¡¯t my father call you? Hurry up and go. Oh, by the way, my father is not in a good mood right now, so be careful.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± ¡°See you next time.¡± Callaine smiled and passed by Lee Jiho. The steps back to her bedroom seemed to bounce. She felt like she was recovering from her bad mood at once. She smirked as she recalled her half-sister in the North. ¡®She deserves it anyway. She is going to go through a lot.¡¯ * * * At the same time, the office of the Winterfell castle. ¡°This is the budget for repairing the walls. The monster strike could explode anytime soon, so repair it in advance.¡± ¡°T-thank you! You are indeed a benefactor of this estate!¡± ¡°Next.¡± As the captain of the castle wall guard received a gold coin pocket, he bowed his head so deep that it almost touched the floor and. It was Nadia followed by the administrators. ¡°We had a bad harvest last year, so it will be hard to survive just with the production of the territory. Buy the grain with this money in advance. No one should starve to death.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m so glad you came to the North at this time of year.¡­. You are indeed a blessing from heaven. If the late master had seen this¡­¡­.¡± Nadia raised her hand to block the administrator who was constantly praising her. ¡°All right, just leave me alone. There¡¯s a lot of people waiting for the budget.¡± Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡°Oh, of course!¡± The row of officials was looking at Nadia with chick-like eyes waiting for food. If she told the rest of them to go back, they might shed tears. That¡¯s true, the Winterfell estate, which had long suffered from budget shortages, now had a lot of money to spend here and there. She was almost amazed at how they had endured so far. Chapter 28.2 ¡®It¡¯s a better way to make sure that no one criticizes me.¡¯ There was a saying that buying a person¡¯s heart with money wasn¡¯t a noble thing to do, but it was a different story to help those who were driven to the edge of a cliff. If she could solidify her position in the family with a small amount of gold, it would never be a losing business. Nadia, who finished the calculation, opened her mouth. ¡°Next.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m coming!¡± A few hours after that. Peace finally came to the busy office as the administrators left with the money they needed. ¡°Ha¡­.¡± Nadia sighed and relaxed herself over the chair. It had been a long time since she was this exhausted since this kind of work wasn¡¯t something to be taken by a Lady. ¡®Now I¡¯m gonna take a breather¡­¡­.¡¯ Nadia delegated the deal of thorny herbs to the merchants, but she, as the owner of the business, couldn¡¯t completely trust everything to them. Furthermore, she had to identify the budget needed by the estate and distribute the money accordingly. For the first time in her life, Nadia wished she had two bodies. But she didn¡¯t even feel like she was in a bad mood since it was one of her first steps to reach her goal, and to have something that solely belongs to her. Then, a cup of tea game to her vision pleasantly. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard, Madam. It¡¯s a herbal tea that¡¯s good for recovering from fatigue.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Nadia lifted up her tired body and lifted the teacup that the butler had put down. The scent that tickled the tip of her nose was subtle and fragrant. Right after she sipped her tea, one thing that she had put off came to her mind. Nadia put down her cup before she could savor the tea and forgot what she had to say. ¡°Come to think of it, I almost forgot. Gordon.¡± ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± ¡°Come a little closer. I have something for you.¡± Nadia took a small bag of gold coins from the drawer and held it out to him. It wasn¡¯t a lot, but it wasn¡¯t a small amount either. Gordon¡¯s eyes were wide open as he gulped nervously. ¡°Madam? Is there anything you want me to do?¡± ¡°This is a special reward for you. You¡¯ve had a hard time making a living. Looking at the ledger, there are quite a few cases where the salaries of the employees were delayed. It must have hurt your pride to deliver the news to your subordinates.¡± ¡°Oh, but this is too much money.¡± She clasped the bag of gold to the bewildered butler. ¡°Make up for it by giving bonuses to the servants. Or you can throw a big party. The working environment in this house would be disturbed when a head butler¡¯s authority is not properly established.¡± ¡°M-Madam¡­.¡± Gordon¡¯s voice was shaking. His eyes were slightly teary. The hardships of the past when he struggled with the ledger, seemed to flash in front of his eyes. The new Marquis was, of course, a very good man, but as soon as he inherited the title, he was busy moving around the battlefield. When the monster strikes had barely passed, Glenn had to leave from one territory to the next one, until he arrived at the final territory to fight against the savages. It was entirely up to Gordon and the finance administrators to manage the poor estate while Glenn was away. There was no money coming in, they owed a lot of money, and even their farmland was taken away. Those who had never experienced such despair would never know. On the day Gordon heard about the prize of the victory, which was his last hope, was a small amount in rewards, he couldn¡¯t sleep a wink. ¡®But now the debt is gone. No, we have the means to pay our debts.¡¯ Until now, he was the one who held out his hand around saying that he needed funds, yet no one was able to fill the empty safe. Until the new Madam made billions. Gordon had never been in a distress situation in the middle of a snowstorm, but maybe this was how it felt when a person in distress encountered a rescue. Gordon continued, wiping away tears. ¡°Thank you very much. But the Winterfell estate will require a lot of money in the future. The epidemic is bound to subside one day, and it doesn¡¯t change the fact that the North is a barren land. Please save this money for the future¡­.¡± ¡°The reason why this barren estate has been able to roll so far is that the staff have done their best in their respective positions. To not invest in the only resources of the estate to save money right now is a little inappropriate.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to make me look like some kind of closefisted master, just take it. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re going to carry it in your pocket anyway.¡± ¡°Madam¡­¡± Overshadowing decades of experience of bringing the lord¡¯s family by his side, Gordon couldn¡¯t stand the distortion of his face at this moment. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only He blinked quickly to hold back his tears, but he couldn¡¯t hold it anymore. Finally, a drop of tears flowed over the old man¡¯s cheeks. Looking silently at the crying butler, Nadia thought. ¡®I¡¯m almost there.¡¯ Chapter 29.1 The butler¡¯s office was located at a place that allowed the butler to oversee all the servants. Moreover, presumably by his age, Glenn would have had Gordon by his side since he was a child. ¡®I mean, you could call him an elder.¡¯ Nadia¡¯s contribution to the March of Winterfell was considerable, but a competent person didn¡¯t necessarily become a likable person. Her own father, for example. If someone were cocky believing in their abilities and achievements, people were more likely to antagonize them. Human likability must come first. The people¡¯s trust started there. Nadia needed to establish a close relationship with the elder of Winterfell estate, in order to proceed smoothly with the many things to come. It was time for her to smile at the smooth plan. Gordon, who had been crying for a long time, suddenly knelt down. The worrying sound of elderly¡¯s knee joint hitting the floor rang out in the office. ¡°This old lowly man dared to doubt your true feelings!¡± ¡°Oh, no¡­ Is your knee okay?¡± Nadia asked back in great dismay. She was genuinely worried about the butler¡¯s joint. If he dealt with his body in a rough manner at a considerable age, he could get hurt. At a loss, she tried to raise him up, but the thrilled butler could not hear her. Gordon shouted like he was about to slam his forehead on the floor. ¡°I was really worried when I heard about Master¡¯s sudden marriage, but now I understand. You are a miracle like a descendant of the heavenly divine! What good fortune has the Marquis done that he married someone like Madam¡­!¡± Nadia wanted him to speak more quietly. She was afraid someone outside would hear him. However, the butler¡¯s voice, which in contrast to her liking, only grew louder. ¡°I will be loyal to you forever! Please use the family stamp as you need! I¡¯ll never let you down!¡± ¡°Uh, yes¡­¡­¡± Nadia replied with a grin. She thought he was a little overdoing it, but¡­ Anyway, she got one person on her side. * * * The winter in the Winterfell estate was coming to an end. It wasn¡¯t just a literal meaning. Even the vassals didn¡¯t know the worries that made their smiles disappear would go away. The debts were all settled, and there was plenty of money. The Winterfell estate could relax as their financial difficulties had resolved. Or almost. ¡°¡­¡­What is that?¡± Nadia murmured as she looked down the window of the office. A soldier was riding a horse and running at full speed. Riding a horse and running at full speed in the inner city where the lord was? The reason was either one reason. It was either he was just a nutcase, or something else. Turning her attention from the window, Nadia glanced at Fabian and he said. ¡°It¡¯s a messenger. It¡¯s a red flag, so it¡¯s an emergency report.¡± ¡°I know that. Now that you told me that, I think something happened. Do you have any idea?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡­.¡± Fabian mumbled with a subtle look. Nadia¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°I think you have an idea of what might be happening.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s a red flag at this time of year, I think it¡¯s that¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You must be thinking the same thing as me, Sir Fabian. It¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Yes, it is it.¡± It was the administrator who was helping Nadia with her work that entered the conversation. Fabian and the administrator¡¯s eyes briefly met. Nadia didn¡¯t miss the two people who made eye contact nodding quietly. ¡°What is it? Don¡¯t just keep it between you and tell me.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­ I couldn¡¯t tell you something that hasn¡¯t been confirmed yet.¡± ¡°Looking at your face, I think you¡¯re half sure about it.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡­ Well, let me confirm it for you now. Please wait a minute.¡± Fabian said so and hurried out of the office. It happened in a flash before Nadia could stop him. However, someone who might know the answer was not completely gone yet. Nadia¡¯s eyes turned to the administrator who was helping with work. He tried to sneak away, but Nadia didn¡¯t care. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡­ It¡¯s¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Judging from your reaction, it doesn¡¯t seem to have happened only once or twice. Come one, there¡¯s nothing to hide, right?¡± ¡°Well, I mean¡­.¡± The administrator¡¯s eyes were shaking nervously. However, as the gap between Nadia¡¯s eyebrows gradually narrowed, he eventually had to confess what he knew. ¡°Maybe¡­ It¡¯s most likely that Count Altair marched toward the territory.¡± ¡°The territory?¡± Why was that? Nadia¡¯s head tilted. It wasn¡¯t surprising in an era when the central government didn¡¯t play its role. There was no way a wife of a Marquis couldn¡¯t tell that. The County of Altair was located on the southern side of the Winterfell estate. As anyone could judge from the fact that the Count marched to the Winterfell estate, he wasn¡¯t a lord belonging to the Northern faction. But did he belong to Nadia¡¯s father¡¯s side? That didn¡¯t seem true either. People would call it the third force. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only Neighbors who were close to each other were bound to quarrel more often than enemies far away. It wasn¡¯t surprising that the neighboring territories were not on good terms. But why did the administrator look so nervous¡­ Chapter 29.2 ¡®¡­¡­Ah.¡¯ After thinking for a while, Nadia soon realized what had happened. Nadia¡¯s head creaked back to the administrator. ¡°That information¡­ How did you guess he would be here?¡± ¡°Oh, well, it¡¯s¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Is this an annual event?¡± ¡°Oh, no! Not to the level of an annual event! Not to that extent!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± There was one thing Nadia could guess from that nervous reaction. That it happened every few years, if not every year. The administrator was restless with a nervous look. He looked worried that the Marchioness might want to run away from the land with no money or resources where there were only crazy neighbors. He couldn¡¯t think of anything good about his hometown. Nadia thought with a stunned face. ¡®What a spectacular estate¡­.¡¯ There were constant streams of incidents. He couldn¡¯t believe that they would be in another crisis after barely getting over it. Would there be a day when things go well? As Nadia started to contemplate, the two could hear Fabian returning just in time. Turning her head to the door, Nadia asked. ¡°What? Is Count Altair really coming this way?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Fabian¡¯s shoulders stiffened when he entered the office. His eyes shook just as he opened the door. ¡°Oh, h-how did you know?¡± ¡°How do I know? I heard it from Edward. Come in and talk to me.¡± Nadia called him in with a flick of her hand. Fabian, who stood timidly in front of her, began reporting. ¡°As you expected¡­ Again, the Count of Altair declared war. His justification is that we deliberately spread the Black Death and monopolize the cure.¡± ¡°Did he always do it at this time?¡± ¡°Yes, usually at the beginning of the farming season, those bast¨C¡­ Oh, I¡¯m sorry. At the beginning of the farming season, they used to walk through the estate border.¡± Nadia heard something strange for a moment, but she ignored it. She patted her chin and tilted her head. It was understandable that the cause was a cure for the Black Death. Count Altair was not a member of his father¡¯s faction, so there was no need to dig about him. And he wasn¡¯t a part of the Northern one either, so there¡¯s no reason why he couldn¡¯t attack Winterfell. Unlike the South, which was devastated by the epidemic, there would be room for a territorial war over there. The strange thing was that Count Altair was aiming for this period every time. ¡°That¡¯s strange. I¡¯m sure they also have to prepare for farming soon, too.¡± ¡°The Count¡¯s army has a large proportion of mercenaries. For him, he has nothing to lose. That rat.¡± ¡°Winterfell couldn¡¯t afford to hire mercenaries, so that¡¯s why he was after us.¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± Fabian continued with an irritating sigh. ¡°I thought he¡¯d move on quietly this time¡­¡­ I think he came in thinking that he was right because we seemed to have lost strength in the long range battle. What an arrogant bunch of aristocrats!¡± ¡°In addition to Sir Fabian¡¯s words, the success of the thorny herb business must have been a pain in the neck for them. Wasn¡¯t he always used to say, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that the March¡¯ finances were not as good as a County¡¯s?¡± I guess the sights of us getting a little better sickens him.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± From what she heard, it seemed that Winterfell and the Altair had not been on good terms for a long time. They didn¡¯t come in because of any complaints, but this family was just a thorn in their eyes. And that meant that it would be almost impossible to resolve by dialogue. It hadn¡¯t been more than half a year since he returned from the Karla¡¯ai expedition. The knights hadn¡¯t recovered from fatigue yet. For another battle, in this situation. Nadia asked with a grave look. ¡°Is the situation very difficult? Is there a high possibility of us not able to stand against them to the point where we have to surrender¡­¡± ¡°Yes? What do you mean?¡± Fabian jumped up and shouted. He literally jumped up and down. ¡°We are the strongest in the North¡­¡­ No, we have the strongest army in the kingdom! We can¡¯t be defeated by a bunch of fat guys! The monsters who have been exterminated by us will be upset.¡± ¡°Oh, I see your point. Calm down.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way they could defeat us with a single group of knights! The Duke of Balazit probably wouldn¡¯t refute what I claim.¡± Winterfell¡¯s reputation was well-known throughout the entire continent for taking up a high amount of budget. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only Seeing Fabian speak so confidently, he seemed really confident in winning. So such an ill-fated ending wouldn¡¯t seem to be happening. Then, Nadia asked in a curious tone. ¡°Then we can compete and win, right? So what¡¯s the problem?¡± Chapter 30.1 ¡°Oh, about that¡­.¡± ¡°Is it because you don¡¯t want to waste military spending? Or is it a problem because the farming season is about to begin? Isn¡¯t there still room for farming in the North since it starts a little later than in the South?¡± ¡°Please wait a minute.¡± Fabian, who was looking around the room, began to move. The spot he headed was in front of the wall where the map of the kingdom was hung. Fabian took the map on the wall and opened it on Nadia¡¯s desk. ¡°It¡¯s very easy to win against low-class knights. Please look over here.¡± The spot he was pointed at was marked. ¡°It¡¯s Vallon Fortress. It¡¯s a fortress considered as a shield gift of nature. If Count Altair senses the table is turning, he could trick us by making an escape and hide in there. When he does that, it will end up as a vain chase.¡± Nevertheless, it was impossible to engage in siege warfare for months throughout the farming season. In the end, the March of Winterfell had no choice but to grit their teeth and return empty-handed even after winning the battle round. ¡°They¡¯re weird people. They¡¯re going to be at a disadvantage in the end, yet they keep starting the war.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because Count Altair is rich. I am not exaggerating to say that he has the most blessed land in the kingdom. I hear they hire a lot of mercenaries.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± His answer left her speechless. ¡°So you are saying that he is fine to lose that much. However, doesn¡¯t he keep poking us because he is thinking he will win at least once?¡± Nadia¡¯s gaze slowly scanned the map. Raina region, where Vallon Fortress was located. Rich agricultural land was widely located to the south, while mountainous areas were located to the north. Of course, it was hard to think that the mountainous area of the Rania region was the same mountainous area as the Winterfell estate. When you dig in that region, an iron mine would come out instead of stone. Was that all? A few years later, even a dragon lair was found in that area. Normally, it would be a disaster to find a dragon lair, but this case was a little different. A treasure trove of gold and silver was discovered with the dragon protecting the lair is already dead! Moreover, Count Altair only occupied only a part of the territory. Fabian wasn¡¯t lying when he said that Count Altair has enough money to start a war every few years. Looking down at the map, Nadia touched her forehead in silence. ¡®But why¨C The land right next to his is literally a honeypot.¡­!¡¯ How could Count Altair try to here while he had such a land next to his? Why? What kind of spite did he have for the Winterfell¡¯s descendants? At that moment, the thought of the first lord of Winterfell came to her suspicion. How great would it be if Winterfell had such abundant agricultural land and iron mines? No matter how many times she returned to the past, it was still impossible to have those without the land. ¡®If we have that amount of iron, we could manufacture those¡­.¡¯ Iron was a raw material for weapons, so exports to other regions were strictly controlled. It could be imported to some extent, but to have their own resources in the territory was much preferred. And Marquis Winterfell¡¯s iron ore production fell far short of Nadia¡¯s expectations. If the output of iron ore was sufficient, she could bring into reality what she had in mind. It was so disappointing that it was almost concerning. Originally, the grass was always greener on the other side, but in this case, the other side was actually greener. So what could be the reason? ¡®If only I could acquire that area¡­¡­.¡¯ Nadia was surprised at her own thoughts. The first one who walked the field and hit the ball first. Moreover, Count Altair was not a part of the Northern lords union. In other words, it meant that even if Count Altair was a complete squanderer, there should be no crack in the solidarity between the Northern lords. This was an opportunity! Nadia¡¯s head began to spin fast. ¡®I have to think how to acquire that whole area.¡¯ How? The Count declared a territorial war first, so the Winterfell could just beat their army and claim the war reparations. And, made them choose to sign the pact either to surrender or die. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only Of course, in the pact, the term to permanently give up their estate would be included. ¡®They started it first! That much should be deserving enough.¡¯ The thought that Nadia could actually execute the plan she had just drawn in her head began to burn her with enthusiasm. Chapter 30.2 In order to capture Count Altair as a prisoner, they had to first defeat his troops. Fabian said he was confident in winning, so the only problem was when Count Altair hid in the fortress. A way to break down the enemy who entered the fortress to hold out¡­¡­. When Nadia was looking down at the map in contemplation, Fabian spoke cautiously. ¡°Madam¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. My lord will be safe.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± What was he talking about? Nadia blinked blankly. However, Fabian continued with a confident tone, perhaps not even noticing the signs of his puzzled Madam. ¡°One of my lord¡¯s skills is field command. Besides, none of our knights can beat him. So don¡¯t look so sad.¡± ¡®I didn¡¯t cry. I frowned because someone else¡¯s cake looked too big to the point that my stomach churned.¡¯ Fabian apparently misunderstood her serious expression. Also, he seemed to have mistakenly thought that Nadia was sad because she was worried about his husband who would be leaving for the war. It was a foolish imagination, but it allowed Nadia to recall that she was acting to be in love with Glenn. ¡®Come to think of it, I¡¯m supposed to show the greatest love of all time.¡¯ Nadia had been so busy with work for some time that she forgot to act. She almost made a big mistake. ¡°Thank you, Sir Fabian.¡± ¡°Pardon? Oh, of course.¡± He seemed to have mistaken her for expressing gratitude for his words of comfort. She didn¡¯t bother to correct his misunderstanding. If Fabian hadn¡¯t reminded her, she would have committed a huge set-up error. It was her time to act again. There would be no woman who would stay still when the man she loved was about to head to the battlefield. Nadia raised her voice with a nervous look. ¡°Do you know where Glenn is? I need to go see him right away.¡± * * * ¡°It¡¯s so nice of him to declare war at this time of year.¡± ¡°Count Altair¡¯s troops are dominated by mercenaries, so he has no need to draft the farmers.¡± On a path that led to the military exercise hall. Glenn was walking fast, talking to the Knight Commander. A sharp grinding of teeth could be heard from the mouth of the experienced old knight. ¡°Those people who have no pride at all! Is this the price for the blood we sacrificed to keep the kingdom¡¯s borders safe? He has been waiting for us to get weakened after the expedition.¡± Knight Commander Giscard Bernstein. He was a senior knight who devoted his loyalty to the March of Winterfell from the era of the predecessor, and was also a close friend of the Marquis of Winterfell. In other words, he had been a knight of the March of Winterfell for decades, meaning that he had been declared a war by Count Altair nearly ten times. For him, the fact that he chose a farming season and declared a war immediately after the Winterfell returning from the expedition was a situation in which the spark of resentment was inevitable. ¡°That small fry. He didn¡¯t change at all.¡± ¡°This is the time to crush him! He will never be able to point his sword at us again.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Glenn only smiled bitterly at the Knight Commander¡¯s rage. How come Glenn didn¡¯t feel the same rage as the Knight Commander? He did. He, too, wanted to teach a lesson to Count Altair. However, if the Count sensed that he was about to lose, he would lock himself with no damages in the fortress¨CBeing angry wasn¡¯t going to change the situation. Vallon Fortress was literally a fortress of heaven. In an era when cannons had not yet been invented, the only way to breach such a fortress was to cause internal strife within the enemy forces or wait for their food supplies to run out. ¡®They¡¯re both realistically tough ways.¡¯ The Winterfell¡¯s troops were at a disadvantage so the battle had to end quickly. They could manage the budget for the armaments, but it was impossible to draft the people who had started farming. However, it was an absurd strategy to have only the knights and standing forces to fight in the siege warfare. In the end, Winterfell forces always had to come back without results even after winning the rounds. In this situation, the Marquis¡¯s worries were not how to take down Vallon Fortress and bring the enemy to full surrender. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only It was the tactics they should use to quickly defeat the enemies so that they could return quickly while minimizing the damages. Right when Glenn was walking thinking the same worries as previous Marquis, there was a voice calling his name from the distance. ¡°Glenn-!¡± Chapter 31.1 It was the voice of a person who was now very used to it. Glenn turned his head in the direction of the voice. He could see a woman running hurriedly as she held her skirt in her hand. And one of her escorts followed behind her. ¡°Nadia? What¡¯s going on here?¡± ¡°Gasp,, I, gasp¡­¡­ I heard about it.¡± Nadia stopped in front of Glenn and took a breath for a moment. Her sweaty long hair clinged to her face. Anyone could tell that she ran in a hurry. ¡°I heard there¡¯s going to be a territorial war.¡± ¡°It¡¯s something that happens often, so there¡¯s nothing to worry about. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± ¡°How can I not worry about my husband going to war!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± She was right. It would be weird if she didn¡¯t worry about her husband going to war. It was a very common sense reaction, but when Glenn thought about why he felt so strange about it, the answer was simple. Because none of these natives of the Winterfell territory made a fuss about the battle against Count Altair. ¡®I heard someone declared war on us.¡¯ ¡®Again? Return this King¡¯s favor and take care of them quickly.¡¯ The King didn¡¯t even bother to ask which lord declared the war against Winterfell. That was his usual response toward the Winterfell¡¯s affair. It was a sad reality. So when Glenn saw a little tear in Nadia¡¯s eyes, he was rather flustered. ¡°D-don¡¯t cry.¡± ¡°Sob... I can¡¯t help but worry.¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not bragging, but this isn¡¯t the first time we have ever had a battle against him. I¡¯ve been in the war with my father, so there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± ¡°But¡­¡­¡± Glenn¡¯s face grew more frustrated. Why did this woman cry so much? Growing up among men who believed crying only three times in his life was a virtue, he couldn¡¯t understand Nadia at all. He had not enough experience of consoling a crying woman. Should he comfort her shoulders? Or did she want him to hug her? No, Glenn thought that was a little too much¡­¡­. His hand raised to console her was just meaninglessly wandering in the air. Then, a helping hand descended to help the flustered Glenn. ¡°Ahem.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Glenn and Nadia turned their heads at the same time at the sudden cough. There was an old knight with a subtle expression clearing his throat. ¡°We are in a hurry, my lord. Let¡¯s go to the conference room now.¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± Glenb was so flustered that he forgot that he was on his way to an urgent meeting. Turning to Nadia again, Glenn said. ¡°You came all the way here, but I¡¯m sorry. The vassals are waiting.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m sorry I took your time.¡± Nadia answered, wiping away her tears. She didn¡¯t lie when she said that it was fine. Although she had adapted a lot, acting in tears was not easy. Rather, she was grateful to the unknown old knight. ¡®Thank you for cutting the conversation.¡¯ After pretending to be sad, Nadia raised her head and said, ¡°Hurry up and go. But please promise me that you¡¯ll be back safely.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± Although it was a common thing to ask someone to come back from the battlefield, Nadia had a knack for saying things and made him feel tingling. Glenn turned his back on Nadia with a faint look on his face. Then he started walking fast toward his original destination. When the distance was quite far away, the quiet Giscard said. ¡°Just now, it seems that the relationship between the two of you is not that bad.¡± ¡°¡­¡­did it look like that?¡± ¡°Yes, anyone would think like me.¡± Glenn recalled a moment ago. A wife who rushed to her husband who was leaving for war soon, a husband who comforted her that she had nothing to worry about, a woman who let him go while enduring sadness¡­ ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Something was not right. How did they become that picture? Wasn¡¯t that an image of an obviously sad yet sweet couple? Glenn, who was speechless of the situation himself, continued to be questioned by Giscard. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that if you¡¯re being unsympathetic to her, she will give up on your own?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­.¡± Giscard¡¯s piercing eyes made him sweat a little. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only Glenn, who was stuttering for a while, came up with a plausible answer. ¡°As you may know, she solved our financial difficulties. You can¡¯t just disregard your family¡¯s benefactors, can you?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard about it. Either way, the March owes her, so it¡¯s only natural to treat her politely. But it has to stop there. You must stop showing courtesy to Madam as a lady.¡± Chapter 31.2 The senior knight¡¯s voice sank gravely. Giscard said firmly as if he were driving a wedge. ¡°Don¡¯t trust her, my lord. I know in your head you know it too. Yes, I understand. I know that such a beautiful and fragile woman could talk sweetly, but to tell you not to go to war is strange. Therefore, you need to pull yourself together.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It could be a pretense to buy our trust. It¡¯s often called a strategy to win big by making small losses. How can you be sure that she is not trying to heal a small wound to inflict a fatal injury?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Moreover she didn¡¯t ask for anything in exchange for paying off the debt. There is always a reason behind excessive favors.¡± Glenn¡¯s footsteps began to slow down at the advice of the Knight Commander. Giscard made a point. In fact, he, too, was aware of it in his head. When he noticed that he managed to persuade the Head of the Winterfell family, the old knight continued. ¡°My lord, she brought a lot of dowry. It means that there was full support from the Duke of Balazit in this marriage. Did he really do her a genuine favor to make his daughter¡¯s love come true?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I don¡¯t think so.¡± Glenn remembered how he got married. Nadia giving him the wreath to him was the trigger of their marriage. The fact that she was able to do that during the triumphal ceremony meant that she conveyed her intention to the Duke in advance. There was a high probability of other intentions hidden in this marriage. ¡°I don¡¯t mean any harm, my lord. What I mean is that you shouldn¡¯t give your heart and believe her easily.¡± ¡°I fully understand what you¡¯re saying. But, I couldn¡¯t be cold-hearted to her because I owed her money. I don¡¯t really trust her.¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s a relief.¡± ¡°She will not be able to move hastily because Fabian is still assigned to her side. You don¡¯t have to worry too much.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Seeing his lord said that, Giscard was glad that he had nothing to worry. The senior knight smiled in contentment. In time, the conversation between the two moved on to the issue about the territory. Whatever the Duke¡¯s intention was to send his daughter to the enemy territory, Glenn had to first resolve the immediate crisis in front of him. The voices of the two men preparing for the upcoming battle gradually faded away. A pair of eyes were looking at the two from afar¡­ No, there were four. It was Nadia and Fabian. They were already disappearing from where she stood, so it was hard to say that she was looking at them from a distance, technically. Nadia, who was staring in the direction where Glenn disappeared, soon opened her mouth. ¡°What¡¯s the name of the person who was next to him?¡± ¡°Sir Giscard Bernstein.¡± ¡°Oh, the Knight Commander?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Have you ever talked to the Commander?¡± ¡°I saw him at the wedding. We didn¡¯t have any occasion to meet each other than that.¡± Giscard was the one who said with the look on his face that he didn¡¯t like this marriage. Nadia laughed as she recalled the memories of her first arrival at Winterfell estate. Fabian added hastily, as if guessing how the Commander behaved at the wedding reception. ¡°He has a blunt impression, but he is not a bad person. If he is being rude to you, it¡¯s¡­¡­ Please forgive him for loving Winterfell so much. I apologize on behalf of him.¡± ¡°Sir Fabian, what¡¯s there to apologize for?¡± Unlike many administrators she faced in the past few months, Giscard, the Commander of the Knights, rarely encountered Nadia. Therefore, no matter how much he heard that Balazit¡¯s daughter had written off her debt, he had no choice but to doubt her intentions. ¡®I hear he is about the same age as the previous Marquis.¡­ His age is probably why he is very calm.¡¯ For Giscard, he had black hair and a sturdy physique¨Cgray hairs were rarely found. However, unlike his youthful appearance, it did not change that he was a senior knight who had kept Winterfell¡¯s territory safe for decades. Which meant¡­ ¡®He¡¯s an old man who is hard to conquer.¡¯ If Winterfell won the territorial war and acquired an iron mine, Nadia could proceed with the plan that she had in mind. It would be even better if she could get the cooperation of the Knight Commander in the process. But in order to put the plan into action, they had to win the battle. Iron mines and Lord Giscard¡¯s cooperation were the next issues. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡°Sir Fabian, let¡¯s go back to my office for now. I¡¯d like to hear what you were saying earlier.¡± ¡°About the territorial battle?¡± ¡°Yes, we need to know exactly what situation we¡¯re in so that we can come up with the next plan.¡± Chapter 32.1 ¡°¡­¡­?¡± He stared blankly, as if he didn¡¯t understand what the question was asking. Fabian, who had a puzzled look on his face, replied with perplexity. ¡°There is no need to worry. The Lord Marquis can handle this without difficulty. The battlefield is a danger zone; even without Madam taking the trouble to take action, it can be solved¡­..¡± ¡°Yes, it can indeed be dealt with right now. But the same issue will occur again in a few years time.¡± ¡°¡­..uhh¡­.¡± He scratched the back of his head, trying to find the words to continue. ¡°Ah, yes, there is a high chance of that happening.¡± ¡°If this occurs repeatedly, the troops will eventually become weakened. I do understand why handling things this way was the best choice, but it still has its problems.¡± ¡°But Madam can still leave such a dangerous thing for someone else to¡­..¡± Unable to keep refuting her, Fabian stopped, taking in a deep breath. ¡°No. I am sure Madam has a different plan now.¡± ¡°Oh my, you¡¯re willing to trust me?¡± ¡°Well, if my master says to go left, I can¡¯t go right, can I?¡± Nadia laughed out loud at his tongue-in-cheek lament. Things would be much easier to do with his cooperation. As she turned to go back in the direction she came from, she said: ¡°Off you go now.¡± ********* Fifteen days after Count Altair had declared territorial war. There was a battle happening in the distance, but to Edward, an administrator, it did not seem real. Fighting on the plains was the strong suit of Winterfell¡¯s powerful cavalry. As expected, news of their victory arrived after not too long. ¡®¡­..even though we gained nothing from the victory¡¯, thought Edward. Still, it was much better than losing, wasn¡¯t it? While fighting on the battlefield was the knights¡¯ job, an administrative officer¡¯s job was to distribute supplies and handle cleaning up any messes. As always, Edward arrived at work at his fixed time, and once working hours began, he headed towards the marchioness¡¯s office. It had been two months since he got recognized for his ability to manage things properly and received the honor of assisting her, working close by her side. Knock knock. ¡°Madam, it is Edward. I have a report to give.¡± However, there was no response. ¡®Is Madam not in?¡¯ After waiting for a beat, he knocked on the door again, a bit harder this time. Knock, knock, knock, knock. ¡°It¡¯s Edward here. I have a report to make. Is it okay if I enter?¡± It remained as silent as before. Edward tilted his head, placing his ear on the door. But there was no sign of anyone being inside the office. ¡®It seems Madam will be late today.¡¯ Madam was very punctual, always being the first to be seated at her desk. But one couldn¡¯t always be so diligent, could they? He cautiously opened the door, checking to see if he was wrong, but there was not a soul inside the office. Click. Edward closed the door and turned towards the hallway he came through. ¡®Is Madam planning to take the day off? Perhaps so. There¡¯s been a lot to do recently¡­¡¯ Not telling him beforehand was a bit odd, but it wasn¡¯t too out of the ordinary. The marchioness saying she wanted to rest for a day made it a holiday, after all. However, after he ran into a maidservant who had been behind him, he realized the situation was a bit weird. If his memory served him right, that was Madam¡¯s personal maid. Added to that, at a glance, he could tell that what she had in her arms was a luxurious looking blanket. Anyone could tell that it wasn¡¯t for a servant¡¯s use. Feeling that something was off, Edward approached the maidservant and asked her. ¡°Where are you coming from?¡± ¡°I just came from cleaning Madam¡¯s bedroom.¡± ¡°¡­.what did you say?¡± ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t Madam sleeping in her room?¡± ¡°I, I don¡¯t know. Last night, I only heard Madam say that she will not use her room today, so I should clean it¡­. I just thought she left her room early this morning.¡± ¡°What?! So, so where exactly is she right now?!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either¡­. Now that I think of it, I haven¡¯t seen her since last night. Where on earth could she have gone?¡± The color slowly started to drain from Edward¡¯s face. Even her personal maid had no clue where she was. He left the befuddle maidservant behind and hastily fled the corridor. He went to check the study, the sitting room, the back garden, and just in case, he even checked the kitchens. But not to talk of Madam, he didn¡¯t see even a strand of her hair. His thoughts immediately turned to the worst possibility. ¡®It can¡¯t be¡­. back to her natal home¡­!¡¯ It was hard to see how she could have left without a word to someone she had gotten along well with, but to Edward, it wasn¡¯t completely impossible. Precisely because this was the Winterfell fiefdom. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only Even to a Winterfell native like him, the fiefdom was nothing to write home about. Barren land, nonexistent resources, bone-chilling cold, teeming with monsters¡­ It was already graced with all the worst conditions, but the icing on the cake was having as their neighbor that lunatic who was always starting a dispute, day in day out!! Chapter 32.2 At that point, anyone would be completely turned off. There was absolutely nothing strange in her, a non-native, getting sick of it all and running away. As someone who had handled the fief¡¯s financial difficulties for over a decade, he understood how Nadia felt. ¡°Sob¡­¡± However, understanding with his head did not mean he didn¡¯t feel sad. He dropped into a chair, his eyes brimming with tears. Still, she could have said something¡­. She could have let me say my farewell¡­ If she leaves like this, what do I do! He had only just dealt with his money problems and started work as an administrative officer. ¡°Madaaammm!¡± In the early morning, the sad sound of bitter crying could be heard coming inside the main house. ****** In the same moment, in a lowland far flung from Winterfell castle. A group of people on horses darted towards the south, dressed lightly in fraying robes, and with tattered saddles. They seemed like a party of peasant travelers, but one would be surprised to find among them three titled knights, and even a noble madam. Fabian who was riding at the very front was grumbling with an ashen face. His voice was low, but it was loud enough for Nadia closest to him to hear clearly. ¡°Ahh¡­ I¡¯ve really gone and done it this time. Later, if I get chewed out for this, Madam has to protect me, alright? ¡°I will say that I insisted on having my way, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Haaa¡­ He¡¯ll definitely start by punching me a few times¡­¡± He will just let his fist fly, with no chance to explain. Fabian was sure to be scolded harshly for bringing a noble madam who should have been staying nicely in the castle to the battlefield. Unable to hold his poor throbbing head because he had the reins in his hands, Fabian was at his limits. If Fabian Knox had seen this scene a few days ago, he would surely have hit himself in the head with his sheathed sword. That was how absurd this situation was. But he had an excuse. When Nadia had first asked him to take her to Glenn, Fabian had flat-out refused her. It wasn¡¯t something he could do in his position as a guarding knight. But Nadia had calmly thrown out a bait as if she¡¯d expected his rejection. ¡°I know how to quickly capture Vallon castle. If it succeeds, you can put an end to this war that happens every few years. Aren¡¯t you curious what it is?¡± How could he say that he wouldn¡¯t listen to that? This was taking down Vallon castle they were talking about, a fortress that had been made impenetrable by nature! During his pageboy days, he had also gone to battle during one of Count Altair¡¯s several territorial wars. He could still vividly remember seeing the fortress for the first time: soaring ramparts like an unassailable mountain, the feeling of powerlessness when they had to return empty handed even if they¡¯d won on the battlefield. It would be a lie if he said he wasn¡¯t curious about how to conquer that accursed castle. Unable to contain his interest after listening to Nadia, Fabian could only concede in the end. If it succeeded, it would solve this longtime headache once and for all. Despite that, it was a hundred percent true that what he was doing was crazy. Again, Fabian asked in a troubled voice. ¡°Madam, if it seems like I¡¯m going to be beaten to death, you really have to stop him for me¡­.I¡¯m not joking, I¡¯m being serious.¡± ¡°I said not to worry.¡± ¡°Ah heavens, what will become of me?¡± Whatever. It¡¯s all been shot to hell already. He¡¯s not really going to kill me, will he? He got goosebumps at the thought of that, but tried hard to ignore his worry. At the same time, he looked slightly behind him and asked, ¡°But, Madam.¡± ¡°I said I will stop the Lord Marquis if he reprimands you.¡± ¡°No, not that¡­¡­ Madam is really good at horse riding. Honestly, when you said you could, I was really worried. I thought I would have to put you behind me halfway through.¡± ¡°Someone taught me how to a long time ago.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± There was this preconception that horse riding was the purview of only wealthy men. Commoners certainly did not have the opportunity to ride, nor was it a common hobby among women from noble families. Using a carriage to get around was good enough, and having hobbies that involved physical activity was not much of a virtue for noble ladies. ¡°The duke is quite unusual for teaching his daughter how to ride a horse.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Her response came after a while. ¡°¡­Yes. He is a most unusual person.¡± ¡° ? ¡± Fabian could sense the very subtle tone of her answer, but he didn¡¯t get to ask her any more questions. In the far horizon, they caught a glimpse of the Winterfell army¡¯s banner. An escort knight who had come along with them shouted, ¡°You can see our camp over there!¡± ¡°Oh, you really can.¡± The camp looked smaller than an ant from where they were, but if they spurred their horses on, they could get there in an instant. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only Hearing that they were almost at their destination, Nadia threw her depressing thoughts about the person who taught her to ride to the back of her mind. Fabian accelerated as he turned to say, ¡°Madam, we are almost there! As soon as we arrive, you have to explain things to the Lord Marquis!¡± Chapter 33.1 Winterfell camp, inside the command tent. For the Winterfell army with its strong cavalry, doing battle on the plains was the easiest thing. Even if they didn¡¯t know how at first, after dealing with Count Altair ridiculously declaring war all the time, it was bound to become second nature for them. Some knights murmured as they sat at the meeting round table. ¡°Actually, I think they can only march through this route to get to us.¡± ¡°If it was me, I would talk to another lord and at least borrow their roads.¡± ¡°Unfortunately for him, all the neighboring lords are our allies¡­¡± ¡°Then, he shouldn¡¯t have thought of coming to attack us in the first place!¡± No one could say whether Altair thought coming to battle with them was a worthwhile thing to do, or whether he was just doing so out of some silly sense of pride. Whatever it was, it didn¡¯t change the fact that he was stupid. The enemy commander being an outright idiot had both its advantages and disadvantages. The advantage was that gaining victory over them could not be any easier. As for the downside¡­.. ¡®Fighting against that fool just makes me feel so embarrassed.¡± Looking at the map that was spread out atop the round table, Glenn took in a shallow breath. One could say that their only hindrance was the terrain and the strong fortress of the Altair territory. But always having to blame external factors for failing to conquer the enemy territory felt just as shameful as if they had lost to a foolish enemy. Each time, the Winterfell troops would win swift, painless victory. And yet, every single one of those times, the front gates of Vallon castle was as far as they could go. Seeing that name written at the top of the map felt exceedingly hateful. Of course, it was possible that they could overthrow the castle if they stayed put and sieged it for a few months. Even if it meant that all the labor that had gone into this year¡¯s farming would be wasted. The problem was that even if they laid siege to Vallon, at the cost of major economic loss, there was no guarantee that they would win. It might just end up becoming a huge blunder, with their time and money vanishing into thin air. So the only thing to do was follow the solution left behind by the previous clan heads, and for a quick and overwhelming victory on the battlefield. If they hit the Vallon forces hard enough and dragged them through the mud, it would buy them some quiet time for a few years. Giscard, the knights¡¯ commander, asked Glenn, ¡°My lord, do you plan to withdraw the troops?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If you really want to, then we should lay siege to the castle. The Count¡¯s forces have just taken a beating, and it will take some time for them to recover their strength.¡± ¡°Retreat¡­.¡± In fact, quickly returning home would be the right thing to do. In any case, since they couldn¡¯t capture Vallon, there was no need to waste lives and time in vain. However, while that was true, leaving that long-time pain in the neck behind and returning home did not sound pleasing at all. Ah, his father and ancestors must have felt this way too. ¡®I can¡¯t put the lives of the soldiers on the line when the chances of failing are so high. I have to put reason before emotion.¡± It was best to stop here and go back. Glenn pacified his roiling heart, and turned to order the withdrawal of the troops. It was at that moment that a racket started outside the tent. ¡°Oh, oh no¡­..! You can¡¯t go there. You really can¡¯t¡­.!¡± ¡°The, the commanders are in the middle of a meeting! Please wait just a few moments more!¡± ¡°Stop them, stop them!¡± What on earth? Glenn and the knights all turned their gazes towards the entrance. The commotion was coming even closer to the tent. All the leaders had gathered in the tent to discuss whether to stay or withdraw. So there was no one outside with enough authority to dare cause an uproar? Had the guards gone and gotten drunk? There was no other way someone in their right mind would do such a thing. As everyone inside the tent walked towards the entrance, each of them on high alert, Glenn spoke. ¡°Could something have happened?¡± Almost as soon as Glenn reached the entrance, the flap of the tent was pushed back. A slender woman walked in with surefooted steps. She walked in so confidently, one would not think that she had just interrupted the commanders¡¯ meeting. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡°¡­..Nadia?¡± She had on a tattered robe, but he was sure it was Nadia. After identifying, Glenn was stunned speechless. A person who had no reason to be here was suddenly before him. Chapter 33.2 ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°Long time no see. I missed you.¡± Nadia smiled brightly at him, as their eyes met. Sorry, but now was not the time to exchange greetings leisurely. A confused Glenn began to pepper her with questions. ¡°No, how exactly did you get here? What was Fabian doing!? Did you sneak your way here?¡± ¡°Ah, Sir Fabian is¡­.¡± At that moment, Fabian peeked his head through the entrance of the tent. ¡°I¡­ I am here, my lord.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± He had a fretful expression on his face, as if to say that he knew what he had done wrong. He did not even dare to look Glenn in the eyes properly. The beads of cold sweat that had formed on his temples could be seen even from afar. In that instant, Glenn could guess how things had turned out. Fabian, that twit, had led Nadia here by himself. ¡°Fabian. Knox. !!¡± The furious voice resounded inside the tent. Fabian immediately stuck to Nadia, his face deathly pale. ¡°Hold on, just one moment! One moment, my lord! There was a reason why I brought her! Madam, you said you would help me explain!¡± ¡°Glenn, first calm down. It wasn¡¯t Sir Fabian, but I who insisted on having my way. I asked him to bring me here.¡± ¡°Even if it was his master¡¯s command! Do you know where this is?! What would have happened if you had been ambushed on the way here!? Does he not understand what ¡®personal guard¡¯ means?!¡± ¡°Forgive, forgive me, my lord¡±, Fabian replied, with a long face. He still didn¡¯t dare to lift his head. ¡°I really had something urgent to tell you, so it was beyond his control. I forced him to, so please don¡¯t punish him.¡± ¡°¡­..do the servants at the castle know that you are here?¡± ¡°I left a letter behind, so they should find out right about now.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± That meant she came here without anyone knowing. If they knew, she would have had to persuade many more people to let her come. ¡°The castle must be in a tizzy now.¡± Glenn mussed up his hair, as if he had an oncoming headache, and asked. ¡°Sigh¡­..since you are here already, you must have something to say. You didn¡¯t come all this way to find me just because you missed me, did you?¡± ¡°I know how to destroy Vallon castle.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Glenn froze. That was not what he¡¯d expected to hear. As Glenn hesitated, wondering what in the world he should say, a voice came. ¡°Huh!¡± A huff that sounded dumbfounded beyond measure came from beside them. As they turned, they saw Giscard looking at them with a look of extreme dissatisfaction on his face. The other knights had not voiced their discontent like Giscard, but they had the same expression on their faces. ¡°Does Madam perhaps have experience with campaigns? Forgive this ignorant old servant for daring to ask. ¡°How could I?¡± ¡°In that case, Duke Balazit must have provided a military science teacher to tutor Madam.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, Father is not so open-minded. He thought it sufficient for daughters to find befitting grooms and move to their new homes.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± The longer the conversation continued, the more Giscard¡¯s expression stiffened. From her words, didn¡¯t it mean that a person with no knowledge of war had come to the commanders¡¯ meeting to assert her own opinion? It was to be expected that she would have neither experience nor knowledge, but her saying all that with such confidence made it ten times more irritating. For the majority of the knights standing within the tent, their families had been going into battle alongside their lords, even from the time of their forefathers. So what rubbish was she spouting in front of such people? They didn¡¯t want to hear whatever ridiculous idea she had. If there was any place where poor orders from command could take innocent lives, then it was the battlefield. How much of a plaything did she take the lives of the knights and the soldiers to be for her to do a thing like this? As the air of dissatisfaction in the room continued to grow, Giscard¡¯s voice rang again. ¡°¡­..what strategy does Madam have? I personally am very interested in hearing what it is. Does everyone else agree to hear Madam out?¡± ¡°I agree.¡± ¡°I definitely want to see how brilliant this idea is.¡± ¡°It has to be a surefire method if she came all the way from Winterfell castle to tell us.¡± After hearing out his subordinates, Giscard spoke again. ¡°My lord, we all agree to let Madam take part in the meeting. If my lord so permits, we would like to hear what Madam has to say.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Wrinkles formed between Glenn¡¯s eyebrows. He owed that woman a huge debt. He wanted to cover for her by saying that she had only made a mistake, but the atmosphere had become too grave for him to say so. In addition, Nadia, the person in question, gave every indication of wanting to say her piece, so there was nothing he could do. As he couldn¡¯t stop her from speaking, Glenn was forced to give his permission. ¡°I will give you a bit of time.¡± Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡°Thank you.¡± As soon as he agreed, Nadia walked close to the conference table, as though she had been waiting all along. Then, lifting her finger, she pointed to the west side of Vallon castle. Chapter 34.1 ¡°I will go straight to the point. Here. Build on Earth Mountain [1] on the west side of the castle.¡± She moved her finger again. ¡°And here. Dig an underground tunnel on the north side.¡± ¡°A tunnel and an Earth Mountain¡­¡­?¡± ¡°The Earth Mountain doesn¡¯t actually have to be built completely. It¡¯s just a feint to distract the enemy¡¯s attention. The tunnel is more important. Once under the castle, fill the tunnel with gunpowder and oil, and explode it. The castle wall will collapse together with the tunnel. Since our troops are far superior, if the castle wall comes down, you will be able to commandeer the castle completely.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Giscard was surprised to find her answer very different from what he expected. But that did not mean her solution was anything outstanding. Because¡­ ¡°Perhaps¡­ did Madam not consider that there might be rock blocking the way?¡± Digging through an enormous rockwall in order to go further was impossible, realistically. Even if they dug with all their might, it would take a lot of time. In the end, the enemy would figure out their strategy too. Giscard continued to speak with a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s not that we didn¡¯t think of doing that too. However, there is a lot of granite in this vicinity, and it will be the same underground as well. If we hit an obstacle while digging, it will all be wasted labor.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. I once saw a map in Father¡¯s office.¡± In order to have a handle on minor lords like Count Altair and control them, he had gathered all their weaknesses in a document. How Count Altair was confining subhuman slaves [2] even though it was prohibited by law, how the impregnable fortress he was so proud of actually had a secret weakness¡­ things like that. Her father did not show it to her directly, but in her previous life, she had coincidently stumbled upon it a few times. And each time, Nadia had spared no effort to memorize the contents of the document. As a concubine daughter, she somehow knew instinctively that the document would be of use to her in making her life more comfortable, even if it was only by a small amount. ¡°As you said, there is a lot of granite in this region. But here¡­¡± Nadia¡¯s finger hovered above the map to point to the northern wall of the castle. ¡°The land in this area is weak.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Giscard was now more surprised than before. If what she said was true, then there was hope for seizing that loathsome Vallon castle after all. His feelings on Nadia aside, he really hoped her words were true. But taking her at her word just because it gave him some hope would be a silly thing to do. Why would he blindly believe someone who came from an enemy clan? ¡°¡­How does Madam know about this?¡± ¡°Father thought that Altair might one day become an enemy, so he had his weaknesses dug up. I can vouch for its veracity.¡± ¡°No, that is not what I meant. That¡¯s certainly something Duke Balazit would do; I have no doubts about that. I am asking how we can be certain that what Madam said is truly from that document.¡± ¡°What reason would I have to lie about that here?¡± ¡°Do I have to spell it out? Surely, it would make the both of us very uncomfortable.¡± ¡°So what you mean is that I am getting in the way of your plans, you people who would have returned home empty-handed anyway? I am not foolish enough to destroy the trust I finally received, with the thorny herbs, just to thwart people who would have returned home with nothing anyway.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Giscard was at a loss for words. Every word she had said was right, and he had no way to refute her. If she just let them be, they would not be able to take the castle either way. So why would she try to throw a spanner in the works? But just because it was true did not make it any less upsetting. A cold air filled the inside of the tent, so frigid it made one tremble. Unable to continue looking on, Glenn stepped in. ¡°Let¡¯s stop here. And you relax, Sir Giscard. Nadia, let¡¯s first go out and talk¡­¡± ¡°I will comply with military law.¡± ¡°What?!¡± This time, Giscard was truly gobsmacked, enough to make him stare at her with his mouth open. ¡°Military law¡­¡± ¡°I am not a soldier, but you can treat me as one in your authority as the highest-ranking commander here. If I lied, punish me to the full extent of the military law.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The price of deceiving and misleading the troops during times of war¡­ was capital punishment. There wouldn¡¯t even be a need for a trial. Even an old hand at war like Giscard was surprised at her courage to put her own life on the line. He couldn¡¯t tell if she was bold or if she was just being reckless because she had no countermeasures. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only Notes: [1] Earth Mountain: ?? (ÍÁɽ). Just like it sounds, it is a large mound of earth that an army can stand on to fire at an enemy fortress. Some images from google: [2] Subhuman slaves: ??? ??. A wiki fandom entry (in Korean) describes ??? as monsters (eg. goblins, kobolds, orcs, ogres etc) that have some human characteristics. Chapter 34.2 As silence descended in the tent, someone cautiously opened their mouth to speak. ¡°First¡­ first giving it a try does not sound like a bad idea.¡± After him, another person voiced a similar opinion. ¡°We should first try digging, and if we are blocked by a rockwall, we can just evacuate, no? Just going back home like this seems like such a waste.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t stand to even lose that much if we do so. I think we should give it a try.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± The instant Nadia uttered the words ¡®military law¡¯, the consensus inside the tent seemed to tilt towards agreeing. And while her compliance with military law was reassuring, dedicating some time to digging the tunnel didn¡¯t even involve that big a risk. The moment they hit even the smallest pebble, they would just turn around and prepare to retreat. ¡°My lord¡­ shall we give it a try?¡± ¡°We have nothing to lose either way.¡± ¡°I think so too.¡± Glenn exchanged looks with the knights. They seemed to have all agreed to follow Nadia¡¯s plan. Except for one person, who did not look him in the eye. It was Giscard. Nadia turned to talk to Giscard again. ¡°How does it sound? If I lied, it¡¯s an opportunity to remove the eyesore of an enemy¡¯s daughter from Winterfell. You will be justified too since I suggested it. My father will not be able to protest.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t these conditions very favorable to you, Sir? You have nothing to lose if my words are true, and you only stand to gain if I am lying.¡± That was true. Even if they didn¡¯t go as far as capital punishment, it would be enough reason to send her back to her natal home. However he looked at it, it was welcome news to Giscard. After thinking for a while, he finally spoke. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go along with Madam¡¯s plan.¡± ¡°Very good. Is there anyone else who disagrees?¡± Nadia asked. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± No one spoke out in disagreement. When she saw that, Nadia beamed. ¡°Now that you have decided to take me at my word, shall we come up with a plan? Successfully digging the tunnel is not the end, as you all know. Count Altair could always come back to declare war after some time.¡± ¡°Yes, just capturing Vallon castle is not enough. Even if we take the territory, stabilizing and managing it will take a long time. The best thing is to¡­¡± Glenn paused to think, before continuing. ¡°We have to catch Count Altair.¡± ¡°Yes, correct. You have to take him prisoner and then make him sign an inviolable treaty of nonaggression. And make sure to include a clause saying he will give up ownership of Raina territory as a price for losing the battle if he comes again. That way, there will be no more room for him to make trouble.¡± Nadia turned her gaze towards Glenn, the two of them locking eyes. They were already deliberating how to capture Count Altair even before finding out if her words were true or not. Anyone else seeing them would scornfully laugh at them for building castles in the air. However, when Glenn looked into Nadia¡¯s emerald eyes, for some reason he thought, ¡°not one word of what she has said is false.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t capture Count Altair and only take the castle, it will be a half-baked victory. I have never led troops into battle before, so I have neither confidence nor the skill to effectively manage all this. The marquis will have to designate someone to handle the minutiae.¡± ¡°¡­if we fail to capture him, we won¡¯t be able to lift our heads.¡± ¡°Do not worry needlessly. Of course you will succeed.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± From this point on, there was nothing Nadia could do anymore. So- ¡®It¡¯s your field of expertise from here on out. I have spoon-fed you this much, so you should be able to manage the rest.¡¯ After putting pressure on them to succeed at all costs, Nadia looked at Glenn. Seeing her eyes stare straight at him, Glenn began thinking. ¡®She¡­ she believes in us.¡¯ ¡­¡­They got their lines a bit crossed, but in any case, she had succeeded in strengthening his resolve. Glenn¡¯s hand that was holding the table became tighter. ¡®I already owe her a debt.¡¯ If he couldn¡¯t even eat the feast she had laid out for him, how could he ever lift his head high again? Even if only for the sake of his pride, he couldn¡¯t become such a loser. ¡°I will make sure we win.¡± No one could tell if he was talking to Nadia or to himself. With a determined mind, he again turned to look at the table. The unfolded map showed a detailed drawing of the area¡¯s terrain. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only After the castle wall falls, what would Count Altair do? Glenn thought long and hard before beginning to speak. The knight¡¯s gazes all gathered at the same place. The army secretary once again picked up his quill pen to resume recording. Chapter 35.1 ¡°With how cowardly Count Altair is, he will always strive to save his own neck. Once the castle wall is breached, he will immediately judge that defending the castle is impossible, and promptly escape through the south gate. If so, there are five possible routes he could take.¡± Glenn continued speaking, while pointing out the five routes on the map. ¡°The road is a bit dangerous, but if he takes either of the routes leading to the southwest or west, he will quickly come face to face with our forces.¡± ¡°Is my lord thinking of laying ambush on both roads?¡± ¡°No, we do not have that many men at our disposal.¡± If the army were to be divided into three prongs, not only would it be difficult to guarantee the victory of the center prong, the enemy forces could also become aware that many of the Winterfell troops were missing. It was safer to not risk having the enemy forces see through their numbers. ¡°Set up an ambush at the point leading to the southwest road. But in addition, tie some bales of straw to the horses tails so that they raise up clouds of dust. You have to make him think that a great number of troops are waiting for him here.¡± ¡°¡­¡­we should stir up lots of dust on the southwest road, but also lay ambush there?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But if we do that, won¡¯t the count become aware of our location? He will run off in another direction.¡± ¡°Once the castle wall falls, he would have already fallen for our trick once. He will be afraid that there is yet another trap laid for him and try to save himself, and will think that it is just another trick to steer him south. After much doubt, he will decide to take the southwest road. By thinking too deeply about it, he will fall right into our hands.¡± [1] ¡°Wow¡­¡± The knights nodded their heads in turn, as though they finally understood. Glenn pointed his staff at the southwest route and continued on. ¡°Here. There is a high possibility that Count Altair will go through this road. No, he definitely will.¡± He predicted that that would be the sure outcome. With his conviction, Nadia too nodded her head unknowingly. ¡®As expected, he¡¯s got some skill. He will be worth having as a partner in revenge.¡¯ Right before she had died so unjustly in her past life, tensions between the southern and northern regions had been at an extreme high. It had been due to conflicts over who would succeed the throne after the king had died suddenly without picking an heir. Even Duke Balazit matching Lee Jiho with his daughter Callain had something to do with it. ¡®Anyway, what is important is that there will definitely be a civil war.¡± That being the case, what Nadia needed was someone who could help her move money and troops according to her instructions, and lead troops into battle in her stead. No matter how much she knew about the future, leading an army and going into battle was out of the scope of her skills. She began speaking. ¡°That is a good idea. If it all goes according to plan, taking possession of the battlefield around Vallon castle is also possible¡­.¡± ¡°But only if Madam¡¯s words are true.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Of course, it was Giscard who interrupted her to make unnecessary comments. A vein on Nadia¡¯s forehead throbbed slightly. ¡®This old fart¡­¡­¡¯ Yes, she understood why he was guarded against her. However, she had definitely not given him any reasons to feel irritated at this point. ¡®Let¡¯s just wait and see what you will say to me after this.¡¯ She swallowed her annoyance and spoke, a corner of her mouth lifted. ¡°Then, you first have to check if I am right. Shall we dig first?¡± __________________________________ Occupying high ground on the battlefield was a great advantage. It not only made using long range weapons easier, it also made seeing the opponents¡¯ movements effortless. Because of this, Vallon castle¡¯s walls were used both for defense and as a look-out. Immediately the Winterfell troops began building the Earth Mountain, Count Altair¡¯s men found out the exact same day, and relayed the enemy force¡¯s suspicious movement to the count. ¡°My lord, the enemy forces are building an Earth Mountain.¡± [2] ¡°Huh?¡± At the moment when he got the report, Count Altair had been lying on a chaise in the master bedroom, sipping on some wine. The greasy snacks next to him completed the setting. [3] He lifted his upper body as he asked. ¡°An Earth Mountain? As in, they are piling up soil?¡± ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­¡­¡± Count Altair took on a look of anxiety as he pondered the enemy force¡¯s action. ¡®Damn it! They are supposed to return soon for the farming season, so what rubbish siege are they planning?!¡± He had thought that if he dragged out the time enough, they would quit and return home. But now it seemed that they had not given up wanting a complete victory. However, his fretting only lasted a short while. The count let out a scornful laugh, as though he had figured out the intention of the enemy general. ¡°That greenhorn must be short on time, so he has turned to some foolish tricks.¡± Their reason for building the Earth Mountain was obvious. They also wanted to gain the advantage of high ground. That rookie who had just inherited his title ¨C he had long forgotten the fact that he¡¯d suffered crushing defeat from said rookie ¨C that rookie had made a good judgment. ¡°What shall we do? Does my lord want us to confront them?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± The count rubbed his chin while in deep thought. He spoke after a short moment. ¡°Of course we should! Arrange the archers and the catapults on the west wall! You have to crush them completely.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± Count Altair grinned as if he were happy. Even after hearing that he was being attacked by enemy forces, there was not a trace of anxiety in his heart. On the contrary, from his perspective, the whole thing was cause to celebrate. Notes: [1] Since they would have breached the north wall and attacked by then, Altair will think that most of their troops should be stationed at the north side and definitely not at the south west (at least, not enough to raise up so much dust). He will think there are actually very few soldiers there (which will in fact be true), and run in that direction. And then get caught. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only [2] The correct honorific for a count in English would be ¡°Your Excellency¡±, but ¡°my lord¡± is used here for ease. [3] The word used here is ???? (obliquely, slanted). No mention of furniture, but saying he was lying on a chaise sounds more evocative than saying he was lying at a slant. Chapter 35.2 He had wanted to make up for the defeat suffered previously, but did not have the courage to march out through the castle gates. But then, turning around with no wins would not help him save face as a lord. And now, in the midst of all that, the enemy forces had come to his walls, of their own volition, making themselves ready prey for him to capture. How could he bear to stop them? Even the powerful cavalry that Winterfell was so proud of was of no use when it came to sieging a castle. The Marquis of Winterfell definitely could not hold the siege for a long time. It meant the winner of this time¡¯s territorial battle was already decided. The count, smiled contentedly, feeling exceedingly confident. ¡°That newbie marquis seems to be quite anxious. The farming season will be starting soon afterall. Of course, he would be pressed for time. Watch and see. He¡¯s only going to lose his men and return home with his tail between his legs!¡± ¡°Indeed! My lord¡¯s mind is as unmatched as ever.¡± ¡°What unmatched mind? It¡¯s just wisdom gotten through old experience.¡± He feigned humility as he spoke, but he had a pompous expression on his face. He relaxed again on the chaise while gesturing to send the soldier off. ¡°That will be all, so take your leave. I think I will take a break now.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord. As you command.¡± The soldier, having made his report, bowed respectfully and left the room. _____________________________ Complete victory. It was an unbelievable overwhelming victory. The army that had never dreamt of the walls of Vallon castle falling actually broke through its walls like it was a mere sandcastle. Who could have imagined that the problem that had plagued Winterfell for so long could be so easily solved? Glenn looked around at the master office, as he stayed seated. Living up to its reputation as a wealthy fortress, every place his eyes touched was covered in dazzling ornaments. To think that he would one day be seated here. As he was lost in his emotions, the husky voice of a middle aged man interrupted his thoughts. ¡°I, I surrender! I said I surrender! Sword, the sword. Remove the sword!¡± Disheveled hair and completely tattered clothing. A face that was covered in dust and soot here and there. It was the Count Altair who had been the owner of the luxurious office only a day ago. The count, looking utterly miserable, now knelt while demanding continuously in a raised voice. Considering that there was a sword to his neck, it was quite an impressive act. ¡°Marquis of Winterfell! Are you completely without any pride as a noble? Nowhere would a noble who has been taken prisoner be treated this roughly. Nowhere! You must follow aristocratic law!¡± ¡°Pride? Aristocratic law?¡± At the words he had never thought he would hear, one of Glenn¡¯s eyebrows rose. Was that why such a coward was still able to shout, even with a sword to his neck? Because he believed those things would save him? Glenn stood from his chair. His lithe movement was like that of a resting beast languidly moving its body. He walked right before the petrified count and spoke. ¡°It hadn¡¯t even been half a year since the Winterfell army returned from the Karla¡¯Ai expedition. So much blood was spilt to stabilize the kingdom¡¯s borders and to safeguard the lives of the citizens.¡± ¡°What, what does that have to do this, this situation?!¡± ¡°Of course you would ask. Was it that noble pride that made you declare war on soldiers who had put their lives on the line for the kingdom, not even allowing them a moment to breathe?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You were the one who did the shameful, petty tricks, but we have to protect noble pride? Have you no conscience?¡± ¡°I¡­¡­¡± [4] He could find no rebuttal even if he had a hundred mouths. Hadn¡¯t he indeed calculated that the Winterfell army would be weakened after a long campaign? However, he couldn¡¯t just remain silent. He raised his head stiffly and began spewing absurd words. ¡°But¡­ but even if you¡¯ve won the battle, you still cannot take the life of a noble person! If it is known that I¡¯ve been harmed, the marquis of Winterfell¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Count Altair seems to be quite naive.¡± A woman¡¯s voice rang, interrupting his rambling. The count turned his head towards the direction the voice came from. A woman with a slim build approached from where the knights were standing. He could tell it was a woman from the voice and the build, even though she was completely covered by a robe and had her face hidden by the robe¡¯s hood. He stared blankly at her, his eyes blinking as he thought. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡®Why is there a woman here?¡¯ Notes: [4] The sound here was ¡°??¡­¡­.¡±, like when someone grunts. Basically, Glenn¡¯s speech shocked him so he had nothing to say. Chapter 36.1 While Count Altair had been puzzled, trying to figure out what was going on, the woman had reached right in front of him. ¡°Even if we¡¯ve won the battle, we definitely cannot take a noble¡¯s life.¡± ¡°Yes, exactly what I mean! I will compensate you very well. Immediately set me¡­¡­¡± ¡°But have you ever thought of this, Count?¡± She bent forward slightly, and spoke next to his ear. The words she spoke out of her beautiful lips caused goosebumps to spread all over his body in fright. ¡°Count Altair thought his defeat and capture to be completely disgraceful and took his own life. He did so to protect his pride as a noble. All he left behind were his dying words passing his title to his first son.¡± ¡°What!!?¡± [1] ¡°How does that scenario sound? All the people will think that Count Altair really cared for his pride as a noble, praising him. And since he liked things like ¡®pride¡¯ so much, it would all have turned out well.¡± Her gentle voice belied the brutal things she uttered, which made even more goosebumps rise on his skin. He was now in the enemy¡¯s camp, completely surrounded. Even if he was killed, and his death then disguised as a suicide, not a soul would know of it. ¡®If I stay here any longer, I will really die.¡¯ Instinctively making that judgment, Count Altair knew he had to prostrate before her and beg. ¡°Ple¡­ please save me! My life, just spare my life! I will give you all my property! I will give anything, so please spare¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Oh my, it is so lovely to see how cooperative you are.¡± The robe-covered woman signaled towards the knights, and a baby-faced knight handed her a sheet of paper. ¡°This is a treaty of nonaggression. It would be splendid if you carefully read it and signed it.¡± ¡°This, this is¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ah, yes. There is no room for negotiating. so do keep that in mind.¡± The count slowly looked over the document that was placed before him. It was written with all sorts of elaborate, flowery words, but the main point was as follows. First, Count Altair could take no military action against the Marquis of Winterfell for the next 30 years. Second, he was to pay a hundred thousand gold as reparations for his defeat. Third, he was to permanently hand over ownership of Reina territory, including Vallon castle. ¡°This is absurd!¡± Forgetting that there was a sword placed at his neck, Count Altair shouted twice as loud as before. That was how absurd the clauses in the treaty were. ¡°No matter the case, this is outrageous! Even if the reparations are set aside, how can I give up Reina territory? That is extortionate!¡± ¡°I just told you that there is no room to bargain.¡± Nadia gently tapped on the sword that was pointed at him, and said, ¡°Hundred thousand gold is indeed a fortune, and the value of Reina territory cannot even be calculated in monetary terms. But Count¡­¡± Under the hood, her mouth curved with a bright smile. ¡°Are those things more important than the Count¡¯s life?¡± ¡°Wha¡­¡­¡± ¡°Think carefully, Count. I will give you three minutes.¡± How could she say to think carefully and yet give only three minutes. Even if coercing someone, such arm-twisting was unheard of! But no one in that room would acknowledge the unfairness he felt. He had to first survive to see another day before he could think of whether to pay back the injustice or not, no? Eventually, he could only accept Nadia¡¯s terms, despite the pound of flesh it took from him.[2] ¡°¡­I agree to your demands.¡± ¡°Excellent decision, Count. Nothing is more important than your life.¡± ¡°First¡­first untie my hands. I can¡¯t sign if they are tied.¡± ¡°Not right now. They will be untied later.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Later? Her attitude seemed a bit too unhurried and relaxed for someone who had rushed and browbeat him into making a decision in three minutes. Count Altair¡¯s face took on a doubtful expression. Count Altair was not the only one who was puzzled; Glenn questioned her. ¡°Isn¡¯t it better to finalize everything before he changes his mind?¡± ¡°He could do an about-face even after signing, no? Oh, he was under duress, so he had to sign. Or, oh, he had never signed such a treaty. Things like that. We have to get him to sign where many people can see him to make it indisputable.¡± ¡°Ah, that is true.¡± ¡°Set up a dais in front of the main castle gate, and gather as many people as you can. The more witnesses, the better.¡± Just being defeated and taken prisoner of war was shameful enough, but now they were also going to turn him into a spectacle in front of people, like he was some circus entertainer? Count Altair¡¯s face turned pale with humiliation, but no one paid him any mind. In fact, they only felt even more admiration at the Madam¡¯s thoroughness. ¡®The marchioness is right! It is much better to eliminate any future problems.¡¯ ¡®Changing his words later is something this petty punk could do.¡¯ But while they thought her attention to detail very commendable, they also found it hair-raising. The contrast between her smiling face and her threatening words a few moments back was terrifying. She had really asked him to sign the treaty obediently if he didn¡¯t want to be murdered. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only Notes: [1] The sound here is ¡°?, ????!¡± (¡®heeeek¡¯), like a shocked gasp. [2] The idiom used here is ¡°?? ?? ???¡±, meaning ¡®to cry while eating mustard¡¯. It means to do something you hate doing because you are forced to. Raw mustard green is supposedly pungent, peppery and bitter, all at once. Lovely combination. Chapter 36.2 ¡®How, how could such noxious words come from someone with such an innocent face¡­¡¯ ¡®This is why you really shouldn¡¯t judge a book by its cover.¡¯ In any case, it seemed the Marquis had taken a very particular bride for a wife. Having gotten used to the mild, gentle character of the previous marchioness, they couldn¡¯t help getting nervous. This was especially so for Fabian who was assigned to always be by Nadia¡¯s side. He came to a decision as he shivered slightly. ¡®I absolutely cannot mess with her from now on¡­¡­¡¯ His resolution was true for every one of the knights who stood in the room. _________________________ Stabilizing captured territory always required a lot of time and labor, and it was even more so if the territory was rich and fertile. But it would still be too much to stop the soldiers from celebrating their victory just because they had a lot of work ahead of them. Glenn opened the Vallon castle warehouse, and allowed all the soldiers to take the meat, wine and gold inside. Instead, he prohibited them from plundering the private houses of the common folk. Since their master had guaranteed their rewards, there was no need for them to go ransacking people¡¯s houses. ¡°All day today, you can take anything from the opened storeroom and use them to your heart¡¯s content! Enjoy them like you would have no regrets even if you die tomorrow!¡± And like that, they opened a banquet to commemorate their victory. It was to celebrate their success, and also to honor the memory of their fallen counterparts. The ordinary soldiers gathered in the drill hall of Vallon castle. Meanwhile, their superiors began filling the castle¡¯s banquet hall. The sound of wine jars being picked up and placed down could be heard all around the hall. The knights made a din as they bit into the meat placed before them by the maidservants. ¡°They say no one from Sir Vincent¡¯s division died.¡± ¡°Sir Vincent¡¯s division is the one that went to capture Count Altair, right? ¡°They say he didn¡¯t even put up a resistance and immediately surrendered when he met their division. A very wise decision, I¡¯ld say.¡± ¡°It really was a complete victory, a clean sweep! Hahahaha! Who could have ever imagined that?¡± ¡°Exactly! Who would have expected such a clever scheme to come so unexpectedly¡­¡­¡± ¡°Could have never imagined that, of course.¡± ¡°Mhmm¡­¡­¡± Only a moment before, they had been laughing loudly with joy, but the moment talk of the operation came up, a subtle silence descended on the room. The greatest contributor to the victory this time was Nadia. Of the knights who had been around the conference table at that meeting, not one of them could deny that fact. But that was the problem. ¡®Why did the marchioness help us?¡¯ If it was really because she loved the marquis, then of course that was a good enough explanation. But none of them believed that she could be so ardently devoted to a man she had never once said a word to before their marriage. Giscard¡¯s voice broke the delicate silence. ¡°Now that that¡¯s come up, where is Madam at the moment?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ well.¡± ¡°Uhmm¡­¡± They all turned to Fabian. Fabian was the only one of them who was acquainted with her. Fabian who had been cramming food into his mouth turned his head with a confused look on his face. ¡°Uh¡­ why is everyone looking at me¡­¡± Immediately, all the senior knights who had been staring at him flocked around him and began pestering him. ¡°The Madam played the key role in the battle, so it¡¯s a bit odd that we are the only ones celebrating here. Why don¡¯t you go call her, Sir Fabian?¡± ¡°That¡­ I don¡¯t think Madam will come to a place swarming with men like this.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about that. Since she helped us, doesn¡¯t that mean that she doesn¡¯t hate us? Maybe Madam is waiting for us to call on her, you never know!¡± ¡°How could Madam possibly say no a great day like this? Just go talk to her, alright?¡± ¡°Uh, I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll first go look for her. Maybe she is resting in her bedroom.¡± Fabian tried to hide the awkward look on his face as he rose from his seat. Madam didn¡¯t seem like someone who would like such a noisy place. But in any case, he could not remain in the banquet hall for them to continue giving him orders disguised as requests. Fabian left the banquet hall, stopped a passing maidservant and asked her. ¡°Where is the marchioness?¡± ¡°She just left the office to go to the bedroom. She is probably not asleep yet.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only Following the maid¡¯s words, he climbed up to the third floor where the bedroom was. Rays of light could be seen through the cracks of the shut door. It seemed what the maid said about Madam not sleeping yet was correct.He knocked cautiously on the door as he spoke. Knock knock. ¡°Madam, it¡¯s Fabian. May I come in?¡± Chapter 37.1 ¡°Yes, come in.¡± Fabian opened the door, and the drawing room attached to the bedroom came into full view. Nadia was sitting on a sofa in the drawing room, while scribbling on a notepad. ¡°Ah, Madam wasn¡¯t already asleep?¡± Fabian asked. ¡°I had wanted to, but I kept thinking of all the tasks that have to be carried out in the near-future. You know we have to put on our thinking caps if we are to fully and efficiently utilize the newly won territory.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± Half of what she said was the truth, and the other half a lie. It was true that she hadn¡¯t been able to fall asleep yet because she was making plans for the future. But it wasn¡¯t for the same reason as the one Fabian had assumed and become impressed by. She was worried about something else completely. What she was thinking so deeply about, with wrinkles forming between her eyebrows, was not so easy to talk about. ¡®¡¯The dragon lair¡¯s location¡­ how do I let them know where it is?¡¯ Everyone knew that this region was full of iron mines, so they would be able to find and develop the mines even if she didn¡¯t point them out. It was also a well-known fact that the land here was extremely fertile, so she didn¡¯t have to say anything about that as well. ¡®But this dragon lair¡­ it¡¯s supposed to be discovered a few years later.¡¯ Before now, Nadia had never stepped foot in the region since the day she was born. So how could she know where the dragon lair was and that the owner of the lair was already dead so it was a complete windfall, just low hanging fruit ready for the picking? Anyone in their right mind would question her. ¡®But how did Madam know that there was such a place?¡¯ ¡®¡­¡­..¡¯ There was no way she could answer that. She was still trying as much as she could to build trust between her and the people of Winterfell; she couldn¡¯t do anything suspicious right now. ¡®Should I just say that I coincidentally discovered it while out on a walk? No, it¡¯s not something you can just discover while walking around!¡¯ Like large monsters usually do, dragons made their nesting places in the mountain deeps. To add to that, the lair was located in a mountain that had no ore veins, so she couldn¡¯t say that she stumbled upon it while doing inspections either. What do I do? She became lost in thought, forgetting that Fabian was by her side. ¡°Cough, cough.¡± An embarrassed dry cough interrupted her line of thought. Only then did Nadia recall Fabian¡¯s presence. ¡°Oh, my apologies. I had a lot to think about¡­ By the way, what brings you here?¡± ¡°The celebration banquet has started, so I came to find out if Madam would like to attend. Have you had your meal, Madam?¡± ¡°Banquet?¡± She especially did not like noisy places. She waved her hand absentmindedly as she rejected. ¡°I took a few bites to fill my stomach, so that¡¯s enough. I don¡¯t really like loud places¡­.¡± No, wait. She did intend to decline the invitation, but she changed her mind the next moment, having had a good idea. ¡°Are there a lot of people there?¡± ¡°Yes, there are; so many that there is barely any space to move. Excluding those who have been severely injured, everyone else has gathered there.¡± ¡°Then, I should at least show my face for a bit.¡± While discussing all the happenings with the retainers, she could also let them know the lair¡¯s location. Nadia rose up from the sofa and asked, ¡°Where is the banquet happening? Lead me there.¡± ____________________________ ¡°It happened exactly as the Lord Marquis had promised! Count Altair really showed up on the southwest road! You have no idea how funny his scared face was!¡± ¡°Hahahaha!¡± ¡°He had dragged nearly one-third of his cavalry with him, just to save his neck. With that many troops, he should have at least stayed and tried to put up a fight! Now didn¡¯t he get caught because he was trying so hard to run away?¡± The banquet hall was filled with the excited voices of the knights. The space had originally been empty, but they had found a table and placed it in the hall temporarily. There were dish plates scattered all over the makeshift tablecloth they had also made from some piece of fabric. Nadia looked at the scene and thought to herself. ¡®They are really bringing down the roof.¡¯ The whole spectacle was difficult for her, who had grown up in a much calmer environment, to adapt to. No one was louder than a drunk, hyped up man. As she stared blankly at them, not knowing how or where to cut in, a loud voice came. ¡°Hold on, where is that cold wind coming from? I will go close the door and come¡­ Heuk, Ma, Madam!¡± ¡°What did you say? Madam?¡± ¡°You mean the marchioness is here?¡± At the words ¡®Madam¡¯, the wine-addled minds of the knights cleared instantly. Their heads turned directly towards the doors. Between the opened doors stood a woman dressed in a dark robe. She had the small figure and young face that was usually for people from the South, as well as long, brown hair that flowed past her chest. -It¡¯s really Madam. ¡°Nadia? Didn¡¯t you say you were going to rest in your room this evening?¡± Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only Glenn stepped forward from among the knights, who had all frozen in their spots. He dashed from his high seat at the front of the banquet to the door, stopping in front of Nadia. ¡°I was going to, but Sir Fabian came to bring me here. I thought it would be good to come for a little while.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve done well.¡± Chapter 37.2 Glenn stretched out his hand to Nadia. ¡®Does he want to escort me in?¡¯ Why was he being like this? Nadia took his hand, despite her bewilderment, and followed him to the high seat. As they walked, Glenn too was thinking of something else. ¡®This is great. I can use this opportunity to have Sir Giscard apologize for his rudeness.¡¯ There were not many opportunities for Nadia, who spent most of her time in the main building of the Winterfell castle, and Giscard, who was in charge of the knights, to meet. If nothing was done now and they returned to Winterfell, there would probably be no chance for Nadia to get a formal apology. If the seeds of resentment between them were not destroyed now, there would definitely be a problem afterwards.[1] Once Nadia took a seat beside Glenn, the maid servants placed food, utensils and wine before her. Before the party could resume, Glenn looked in the direction where the knights were. Understanding what that glance meant, Giscard walked up to Nadia and spoke. ¡°Excuse me¡­ Madam.¡± Finding it difficult to say what he had to, Giscard cleared his throat a times before continuing with his words ¡°I would like to apologize for the rude words I spoke at the last meeting.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. That is right.¡± She nodded her head, as if she had just recalled the events of that day. ¡°That is something we needed to talk about.¡± ¡°I will accept whatever punishment Madam gives without complaint.¡± ¡°Thank you for apologizing to me first. Truly.¡± Her reaction was much more genial than he¡¯d thought it would be. Was she going to forgive Giscard so easily? Glenn¡¯s expression brightened. Unfortunately, Nadia herself did not have the slightest intention of glossing over the issue. She began picking apart the matter, starting from the beginning. ¡°Let¡¯s first talk about exactly how and why you, Sir Giscard, are at fault. That way, we can determine how severe a punishment you should get. Isn¡¯t that so? ¡°Madam is right.¡± ¡°I am glad you understand. Even if it¡¯s something said by your superior, as long as you have the grounds to oppose, you should be able to voice your objections without omitting or sugarcoating anything. In that regard, I am glad that you opposed my opinion that day. Nadia raised her index finger as she continued. ¡°However, your attitude was disrespectful.¡± Giscard clenched his teeth unknowingly. ¡°My honor as the marchioness is the same as the Lord Marquis¡¯s honor. What you did that day was no different from tarnishing your liege¡¯s honor. Have I said anything wrong?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I agree with everything Madam has said.¡± ¡°It is great that you are aware of that. A suitable punishment for a knight who has disrespected his lord¡­ I will have to think about it a bit.¡± ¨CGulp. The sound of someone¡¯s nervous swallowing rang loudly through the hall. The atmosphere in the banquet hall was fraught with tension. Different from her innocent impression she gave, everyone in the hall had already realized that she was no pushover. She would never brush aside an affront that had been done to her. Slowly, the once lively, uproarious banquet hall cooled down. Glenn was unable to remain silent any longer, and spoke up. ¡°Nadia, Sir Giscard was disrespectful that day because of how deep his sense of loyalty is. If you generously forgive him this one time, he will definitely¡­.¡± ¡°There is one thing I have learnt through my experiences. It is that if you are too meek, people will take you for granted.¡± Just like her half-sister and her father did. ¡°If I just let this blow over without punishment, how can I be sure that someone else will not disrespect me?¡± ¡°I will give them a strong warning. I promise.¡± ¡°Then does that mean I can only use my authority through others? If the Lord Marquis no longer commands them to respect me, then I will only end up having to endure disrespect again.¡± [2] ¡°That¡­¡­¡± Glenn was speechless, only able to open and close his mouth repeatedly as if looking for the words that had failed him. He was not the only one who was baffled. Fabian, who had had the most interactions with Nadia, was also bewildered. ¡®But, but she wasn¡¯t this kind of person before!¡¯ Even when he made poor jokes, didn¡¯t she just laugh and brush them aside? Fabian began doubting if she was the same Madam he knew. If things continued in this fashion, Giscard was definitely getting a serious punishment. Although he had disrespected the marchioness, his ancestors had been loyal commanders, and he himself was a well-respected elder among the knights. None of them were happy to see Giscard in such a predicament. With all the knights silent stones, one of them was unable to look on anymore and spoke up. ¡°Madam, I am guilty of the same offense. Since the commander has committed an offense, I ask to be punished the same way.¡± ¡°Same goes for me, Madam. Punish me too!¡± ¡°Punish me too!¡± All around the banquet hall, the knights began plucking up the courage to stand forward. It wasn¡¯t long before the entire knights¡¯ division was asking to be brought to book. ¡°Hmmm.¡± Nadia sighed deeply as she gazed at them. ¡°What you are saying is that you all will shoulder the commander¡¯s punishment together, since the severity of the punishment will be lessened if several people take responsibility.¡± ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± ¡°Okay. Then let¡¯s calculate it. If I divide the disrespect done to me up till now by the number of people gathered here¡­ let¡¯s see ¡­.¡± Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only Notes: [1] Resentment: No emotion was explicitly named here, just the general word ?? (emotion). It made sense to pick a more specific word instead. [2] Behold your female lead, people, and bow before her oratorical prowess lol. Chapter 38.1 Nadia rubbed her chin, the end of her sentence coming out mumbled. The more time she took, the more the tension in the banquet hall grew. After a good while had passed, she finally spoke again. ¡°I think punishing you all to drink one cup of wine will be suitable.¡± ¡°Ahh?¡± The knights stared blankly at her, their eyes blinking. A cup of wine as punishment? Compared to the severity of their offense, a cup of wine was so light a punishment that it seemed to have no purpose at all. ¡°Is¡­ is that all?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s all. Since you have all decided to take responsibility for the commander¡¯s offense, then every one of you must drink. No exceptions.¡± ¡°!!¡± At that moment, a mischievous smile showed up on Nadia¡¯s face. At last, they finally understood her intentions, their mouths hanging wide open. So what had just happened¡­ ¡®Did we just get punked?¡¯ ¡®It was all a joke?¡¯ The knights exchanged dazed glances, as if checking if they had properly understood the situation, their widened eyes blinking severally.[1] The knights, now all clear on what had happened burst into laughter. ¡°Hahahaha! It is the perfect punishment on a day such as this!¡± ¡°If that is Madam¡¯s punishment, of course I¡¯ll accept without hesitation.¡± They had thought she would be difficult, seeing as she was the daughter of a noble family, but she was surprisingly more broadminded than they¡¯d thought. Suddenly, they felt some sense of closeness with this marchioness, who had previously seemed a world apart from them. Nadia leaned her head playfully to the side and asked. ¡°Does anyone have any complaints about my decision?¡± ¡°How could we!?¡± ¡°If you have a complaint, step out! So I can disappear you from the face of the planet!¡± ¡°Hahahaha!¡± ¡°It seems you are all satisfied with it, thankfully. You, go call the maid servants in.¡± However, the hearty laughter died down after only a short while, as the maid servants entered carrying wine cups, as if they had been waiting for her order. ¡°Hahaha, ha¡­ ha¡­.¡± ¡°Wha¡­ what is that?¡± The ¡®cups¡¯ the maid servants had brought in were so big they could contain enough water for a grown man to wash his face. No, it wasn¡¯t that they were like basins, they were in fact wash basins. The wash basins they would use every morning. Behind the maid servants followed servants carrying bottles of alcohol.[2] Their eyes did not deceive them: those were bottles of vodka. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Nadia¡¯s voice pierced the silence that had descended in the banquet hall. ¡°It has to be done like this for it to be a punishment. Isn¡¯t that so?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ that¡­¡± ¡°Why are your faces like that? Don¡¯t tell me you thought you could get away with drinking just a glass.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± She had a lovely smile on her face, but no one had the guts to object. It was the exact same smile she had on when she threatened Count Altair. The knights gave confused looks to each other. If they inhaled that much vodka, after having already drank some other wine, they would definitely black out. They would only be able to open their eyes the next morning. In fact, just blacking out would be a relief. Not knowing what disgraceful things they would do in a dead drunk state was what they were more afraid of. As they looked at each other, not wanting to be the first to step out, the tallest knight among them walked forward. ¡°Of course the drink has to be that much for it to be serious! I will drink first.¡± ¡°I had wanted to be the first to drink! In that case, I will go next!¡± ¡°No, I will be second!¡± They shouted to be the next in line, not even letting each other finish their sentences. They all seemed to think that being first to take the punishment was better. After a number of the knights had bottomed out their ¡®cups¡¯, it was Giscard¡¯s turn. Nadia stopped the maids from pouring for him, as she spoke. ¡°I will pour for the commander myself.¡± ¡°Thank you Madam.¡± The vodka splashed into the basin as she poured. As Giscard accepted the basin overflowing with alcohol, he thought to himself. ¡®She is certainly not an average person.¡¯ Nadia was the marchioness of Winterfell. In accordance with that position, she had to get along with and live beside the people of Winterfell for the rest of her life. If she had insisted on meting out a grave punishment, they would have accepted it, but would definitely begrudge her for it in their hearts. But if she had let the disrespect go without pointing it out, there was no guarantee that others would not see her as a pushover. By doing this, Nadia had engraved, in the minds of the knights, that she was their superior, while also drawing their goodwill. The rest of the knights might be thinking that she was just a playful noblewoman who had pulled a prank on them, but having lived so long, he could guess what her intentions were. ¡®It seems like a sage has come to us in the north.¡¯ [3] Just before he put the cup, no, basin to his lips, a burning question suddenly came to his mind. Giscard turned his head to Nadia and asked. ¡°If I may, Madam.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°May I ask one question before I drink this? This might be the last moment tonight when I am in my right mind, so it is my last opportunity to ask.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Why exactly¡­ did you help us?¡± Hearing that, all the knights who had been slowly losing consciousness came to attention and turned their heads to stare at Nadia. That was the one question that everyone in the banquet hall had. Why would the daughter of Duke Balazit help us? Notes: [1] eyes blinking severally: The actual phrase used here was ¡°eyes blinking like cows¡±. It might be interesting to note that Koreans consider cow eyes to be very pretty, and sometimes compare good-looking eyes on men to cow eyes. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only [2] Washbasin: Looks like this: [3] The original translates to ¡°a noble person has come to the north¡±. I think the point of the sentence is to show that an eminent, important presence has come to them, much like how C-novel authors write ¡°a buddha has arrived¡± or something similar. Chapter 38.2 Feeling all their gazes on her, Nadia laughed softly. ¡°Do I have to say it again? Saying it in a public arena will be very embarrassing¡­¡­¡± Not that it will be, it was indeed very shameful. Who wouldn¡¯t find it shameful to have to declare their love for someone they didn¡¯t have in their hearts in such a crowded space? Feeling really embarrassed, she replied while avoiding their eyes. ¡°It¡¯s because I love the Lord Marquis.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Dismay spread on the faces of the knights, including Giscard. They had forgotten about that. The reason Nadia had given for marrying away to the far North was that she had ¡°fallen in love with the Marquis of Winterfell at first sight¡±. It had sounded like the most incomprehensible bullshit to them, so they had thrown it to the back of their mind and forgotten about it. But now, with the way things had turned out, they could only have a change of mind. ¡®Did she really fall in love with our Lord?¡¯ ¡®Yeah, remember she even sold those thorny herbs to pay off the debt.¡¯ ¡®That¡­ I had thought it was because she had some other objective¡­ is she really in love with the marquis¡­¡­¡¯ Even if they changed their perspective, they still found it difficult to understand. Even for warriors like them, they didn¡¯t have the courage to follow a woman that they loved one-sidedly to the heart of the battlefield. They didn¡¯t know whether to call her reckless or brave. They glanced sideways at Glenn, only to see that there was a flush on his face. Glenn coughed slightly, as if to cover up his awkwardness, and said. ¡°Drink up so that the next person can have their turn.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. It¡¯s my turn.¡± They had all made a show of being able to drink the whole basin in one gulp. So now, Nadia was adamant that they drink the whole thing without stopping, until even the center of the basin was dry. Their logic had been ¡®where in the world will you find someone who drinks punishment wine leisurely as if they are at some party?¡¯ [4] But it did make sense for one to take their time drinking. After all, alcohol was something that made you more drunk the faster you guzzled it. However, since her goal was indeed to make them lose consciousness, Nadia did not try to stop them when they made their bluff. And that was why, before even an hour had passed¡­¡­ ¡°I think¡­ I think I¡¯m going to throw up¡­.¡± ¡°Why are there two of the Lord Marquis?¡± It didn¡¯t take long for the entire knights¡¯ corp, all of them sturdy, robust men, to be knocked out. The sound of deep snores could be heard coming from all directions of the hall. Even the sound of someone throwing up could be heard at times. Glenn covered her eyes before speaking. ¡°How about going in to rest, before you see something else unsightly. I don¡¯t think they will be able to continue the banquet in their current state¡­¡­¡± ¡°I should probably do that.¡± The servants were carrying the knights out of the banquet hall, almost the entire weight of the knights on their backs. With how large the knights were, they needed two servants each to carry them out. There was no way one pair of hands could handle them. The servants worked hard, running here and there to put the disarrayed hall back into order, and to send the men back to their rooms. ¡°Everyone looks busy, so I will head back on my own.¡± ¡°Will you be okay? It could be dangerous, so I¡¯ll¡­¡± ¡°I will only be walking inside the castle, so what danger could there be? It only takes five minutes to get there. Don¡¯t worry about me; I think it¡¯s better for you to go see to the¡­¡± ¡°Bleurghhhh!¡± ¡°¡­others.¡± The sound of vomit falling to the ground came from close by as she was speaking. Glenn had no choice but to agree to what she said. ¡°In that case, be careful as you go.¡± ¡°Alright. Take care.¡± Nadia wrapped her robe tightly around her body as she hurried out of the hall. Having specifically chosen a dark robe, her figure soon melted into the dark shadows under the cover of night. ¡®I have to finish as fast as possible before someone comes to find me!¡¯ As she got farther and farther away from the banquet hall, her footsteps hastened. She wasn¡¯t going back to her bedroom, but to the main office of the castle lord. Reaching the second floor where the office was, she could see a dark corridor. The corridor was chilly and ghostly, but it was the only way through. She lit up a lamp and made sure its light was dim before walking to the door of the office. Squeak. The unoiled hinge made a loud noise in the quiet hallway. She jumped in fright, and looked around her before hurrying into the office. Click. The entire office was veiled in darkness, but she couldn¡¯t light the torches in the office. She adjusted the curtains in the office to make sure the light from her lamp could not be seen. Creak. She opened a drawer and chose a piece of parchment, before taking out the quill pen and ink hidden in her robes. As she laid down on the floor to begin writing, she suddenly wondered what the heck she was doing. ¡®Everyone in this family, even their ancestors six feet below, should get on their knees and thank me for this.¡¯ ¡®Just try to stiff me on the alimony when we divorce, and see how I deal with you.¡¯ Nadia thought to herself, pouting, and then began writing furiously. _________________________ Four days later. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡°Ahh! There is a document here that says they discovered a dragon lair!¡± Notes: [4] The ¡®at some party¡¯ phrase was not in the original text, but was added to make the meaning of the sentence more clear. Chapter 39.1 Four days later in the office. The afternoon was calm and peaceful. ¡°Ah! There¡¯s a document here that says they discovered a dragon lair!¡± It was just after lunch and everyone was trying to relax. The administrative officers that had sat sprawling on their chairs jumped when they heard Nadia speak, as if there was a spring beneath them. ¡°Dra, dragon lair!?¡± ¡°My days, is that real?¡± The faces of everyone in the office, including Glenn, turned pale. It was never good news to hear that a dragon lair had been found in one¡¯s territory. This was because dragons were extremely difficult monsters to communicate with, all brawn but no brain, and endlessly greedy. Simply put, it was a time bomb ready to explode at any moment. Glenn took in a short breath before speaking. ¡°I had wondered why everything was going so smoothly¡­¡­ However, we still cannot abandon this region because of a dragon. We have to find a solution some¡­¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think we will have to worry about that. It seems the owner of the lair has been dead for a long time.¡± ¡°What?!¡± This time, everyone¡¯s eyes were round for a different reason. Dragons were monsters of greed. All types of gems, minerals, medicinal herbs, it didn¡¯t matter what it was: as long as it was rare and precious, they would gather all of them and keep them in their lairs. That was a reason why adventurers would risk danger and go to dragon lairs. If they managed to succeed, they would have struck gold. But this was a dragon lair without a dragon? That was no different from a warehouse having no gatekeeper. And this was a warehouse that was worthy of being called a gold mine. ¡°A dragon lair without its owner? As in, the dragon is gone?¡± ¡°Yes, from this, it seems the dragon has been dead for a long time now.¡± ¡°So that means it is ours now?¡± ¡°Of course. Count Altair had given the ownership of this area to us.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡­¡± This was such a great boon they should have been jumping for joy, but weirdly, the news did not feel real. Glenn stared vacantly as he muttered. ¡°Why is it¡­¡­ that good things keep occurring? How could this¡­¡­ there is no way such good fortune would come to me¡­¡­¡± Ever since he inherited the title, he had always faced some hardship or the other. He would solve one problem, and a second would pop up right after. And then a third, a fourth, a fifth problem¡­. But at some point, things became so easy to deal with. First, Winterfell controlled the treatment for the Black Death and was able to resolve all their financial difficulties. Then they occupied Vallon castle that had been the source of many a headache to them. And now, they had even discovered a dragon lair without its dragon¡­¡­ Nadia looked at the puzzled Glenn and thought to herself. ¡®Yes, that was all thanks to me.¡¯ ¡®I have laid out a feast for you all to gorge yourselves on. I can only hope you will realize it and take it into consideration when we get divorced.¡¯ Glenn had almost wrapped his head around the happenings, and now asked. ¡°But where did you find that document?¡± ¡°I found it sandwiched between these shelves. I was rummaging through to see if there are any important documents we might need and saw it.¡± ¡°What?¡± In other words, the document had only been found four days after they occupied the castle. Glenn looked back at the administrators and scolded them. ¡°Why were you unable to find this all that time! Something that was just lying there in this very office!¡± ¡°That, that¡­¡­ we really didn¡¯t see this when we were organizing¡­¡­¡± ¡°We are telling the truth! In the past three days, we examined all the documents but none of them said anything about a dragon lair!¡± ¡°So you mean you can¡¯t see what is right before your eyes¡­¡­ hmm?¡± Glenn¡¯s words came to a stop suddenly, right when the document Nadia handed him caught his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± He remained silent for a long time while looking over the document. Then he raised his head to look at Nadia. He looked at her with an odd expression. ¡°This¡­¡­ how did you read this?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Nadia was just as puzzled as he was. How did she read it? She just did. Surely, the entire group wasn¡¯t illiterate now, were they? Nadia tilted her head to the side, and took the document back from Glenn, as the administrator who felt he was the most unfairly treated person in the world spoke. ¡°Yes, we were just like the Marquis! We did see that report, but we could not read it at all¡­¡­!¡± ¡°We just thought it was scribbles.¡± ¡°Yes, exactly! We thought someone got bored while working and made some doodles, and then put it on the bookshelves by mistake.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡®Was it that bad?¡¯ Nadia took another look at what she had written. It was true that the document was so untidy, since she had written it with her left hand. But there was nothing else she could have done. If she had written with her right hand, wouldn¡¯t they have immediately found out that it was her handwriting? ¡°Scribbles¡­ I don¡¯t think it is so bad that one would mistake it for scribbling.¡± Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only Unfortunately, that was an opinion that only Nadia held. Glenn asked her in a tone that said he could not believe it. ¡°Can you really interpret this?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Chapter 39.2 Interpretation? He didn¡¯t even say reading, but interpretation! Something she had struggled to write with only a dim lamp to see with. Calling it something to be interpreted was too much! But different from the unfairness she felt, cold sweat had started to form along her back. Nadia stuttered as she replied. Ah, that¡­¡­ it¡¯s because my father has always had terrible handwriting¡­¡­ it¡¯s probably because I am so used to reading Father¡¯s writing.¡± She somehow pulled a terrible excuse out of thin air. She was the one who had discovered the document tucked away in some forgotten corner, and the one who had read it when everyone else thought it was rubbish was also her. That was enough to make her look suspicious. Actually, Nadia herself had also thought to wait until one of the administrators had stumbled on the hidden document. But after three days had passed, no one had discovered the document she had fabricated. She hadn¡¯t been sure that it would even be discovered eventually, with the way things were going. So she decided to do it herself, as she was beginning to feel a sense of crisis. If someone began suspecting that Nadia had secretly brought in the document and pretended to find it¡­¡­ But as she began worrying, Glenn spoke in a voice that spoke of the wonder he felt. ¡°You really are talented in so many things.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Fabian and the administrators who had been by the side also cut in. ¡°Madam¡¯s coming to winterfell has brought enormous good luck!¡± ¡°The ancestors are definitely watching over us.¡± They could not sufficiently explain in words why Nadia becoming the lady of the house was good luck for Winterfell. Nadia felt burdened by the bright looks the administrators gave her, and furtively avoided their gazes. But the situation, awkward enough to turn her face red, did not end there, as Glenn continued speaking. ¡°Now that I think about it, all the good things that happened to Winterfell started after you came to the north.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡­¡­¡± ¡°I am truly grateful. This time too, if you weren¡¯t here, we would have left without even knowing that there is a dragon lair. That would essentially be us missing a gold mine.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Of course she was able to read it because she wrote it¡­¡­ Her face had turned red because of the administrators, but fortunately, no one doubted her words. Nadia quickly changed the subject. ¡°Forget all that; shouldn¡¯t we send some people on an expedition as soon as possible? I think it will be better to understand the scale of the lair before returning to Winterfell.¡± ¡°Ah yes, that is right. Does the document say where exactly the lair is located?¡± ¡°Yes, it is written here. I will rewrite it again for you.¡± She began rewriting the same thing she wrote a few days ago in the midst of darkness. This time with her right hand. At the top of the map, she marked the location of the lair. ¡°Here. This is a mountain at the southernmost part of the Raina territory. The lair is inside a valley that seems quite deep.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t even a mountain with an ore vein, and they were still able to find it. Is it that only a report was made and they hadn¡¯t started the excavation yet?¡± ¡°It seems so. It is great timing for us.¡± Hearing that, one of the administrators spoke up in relief. ¡°Luckily, we were able to capture Vallon castle in one day. If the treasures in that lair fell into Count Altair¡¯s hands¡­¡­ No, just thinking about it makes my stomach churn!¡± ¡°I think so too.¡± Of course the count¡¯s discovery of the lair was supposed to be after the next two years. While they were on the topic, Nadia decided to give them more information on the future. ¡°Originally, there were no monsters or beasts around the lair, but since the dragon has been dead for some time now, it is very possible there will be some monster guarding the mountain. I think it is best to send a large number of guards there.¡± When Count Altair discovered the ownerless lair, he rejoiced and sent people to excavate it. But the very first team he had sent met with bitter defeat and were annihilated. They were torn to shreds by the Guardian monster that was wandering deep in the mountain. But a Guardian was only a Guardian, and if a company of knights with excellent skills were sent out, it would not be difficult to catch it. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Now that the battle is over, there are plenty of punks who are just lazing about with nothing to do. It¡¯s great that there is something for them to do now.¡± ¡°My Lord, how will you select people for the first expedition team?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be good to first see who volunteers to go?¡± ¡°In that case, I will ask the Knights to see who wants to.¡± Glenn and the administrators began talking about the size of the first expedition team and how to select people for the team. Nadia looked at them, and smiled to herself in satisfaction. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡®Good. I succeeded in making them discover the dragon lair.¡¯ They had received the Raina territory, with all its fertile land, but the harvest season was still far away. The valuables from the lair would support the marquisate financially before the harvest season came. Now that things had been secured, it was time to really get down to business. Chapter 40.1 ¡°Sir Adrian and twenty two other people left the castle this morning. If things go as planned, they should be back in fifteen days.¡± ¡°Good job.¡± Glenn nodded as he listened to the report from the vassal. The expedition team to explore the dragon lair had set off that morning and were supposed to return in two weeks, but the expedition could take even longer as they roamed through the mountain. However, he could not sit around forever just waiting for the expedition team to return. Glenn had to move as fast as possible to reorganize the captured territory. Today, he was inspecting the villages around Vallon castle. He stood at the top of a low hill, and looked out at all the farmland around. Different from the soil at Winterfell, the soil here was dark, and dark-colored soil was an indication that the top soil contained plenty of nutrients for the crops. It was chernozem, black soil with the highest yield[1]. As he looked at the fertile, dark soil, Glenn felt an unfamiliar feeling swell in his chest. For several generations, the heads of Winterfell had had to exert all effort to make a living with the barren fields they had, to their sorrow. ¡®But now, I have received this fertile land¡­¡¯ Honestly, it was really hard for him to keep a straight face. He wanted to immediately grab his subordinates in a large hug, and laugh out loud with them, sharing his joy with everyone. Instead, Glenn cleared his throat and spoke. ¡°Have you examined the land register that is in the castle?¡± ¡°Yes, my Lord. To summarize, compared to the amount of farmland available, the number of people living in the territory is far too little. Even though there is a lot of land, there is no one to farm it, so several fields have been lying fallow for several years now.¡± ¡°That is surprising.¡± This was something that he could never imagine happening at Winterfell. With his surprise written on his face, he asked. ¡°You mean, he didn¡¯t try to rectify that? He could have accepted migrants to farm the land.¡± ¡°Maybe because the count was too high-handed? He did accept people, but as soon as he accepted people, they would run away again, which created the shortage.¡± ¡°Tell me in detail.¡± The administrators told him the true state of things that they had discovered. Usually, a lord would rent his land to farmers and charge them an appropriate tax for the use of the land. This was usually not an issue, but it did become a problem if the tax was enormous. Because the arable land was so large, the farmland that each person had to work on was also great. It was so large that they had to work constantly throughout the year, their bodies grinding away. However, when harvest season came, the farmers would receive only a little part of the harvest, essentially nothing, and come springtime, some people even starved to death. In such a situation, of course the people ran away from the region, unable to endure the suffering any longer. As the number of people decreased, the work that each person had to do also increased, and even more people left the region, creating an endless vicious cycle[2]. At that point, Glenn asked again as if he found the whole thing incomprehensible. ¡°Then wouldn¡¯t it have been okay if he reduced the tax they had to pay?¡± ¡°Of course he would not do that. To Count Altair, the farmers were objects to be exploited, and not parties to negotiate with.¡± ¡°He let his greed get the best of him. No foresight whatsoever.¡± If he reduced the tax, even if it was by only a tiny amount, the overall output would have increased many fold. Glenn pondered for a bit before speaking again. ¡°This farmer shortage¡­¡­ let¡¯s tell some of the farmers at Winterfell to move here.¡± ¡°We thought of that too, but it would still be inadequate.¡± ¡°¡­¡­it¡¯s that bad?¡± If things were to this extent, then Count Altair¡¯s determination to leave the lands empty and unfarmed instead of negotiating with his subordinates was astounding. At this point, Nadia spoke. ¡°If even bringing people from Winterfell will be inadequate, our only option now is to accept migrants.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there a simpler way, Madam?¡± It was Giscard who had replied to Nadia¡¯s suggestion. ¡°A simpler way¡­¡­?¡± ¡°We have to bring back all the people who fled because of Altair. My Lord, if you just give the order, I will lead the army to comb through the neighboring hills. There will certainly be slash-and-burn farmers there who have set up villages to live[3]. The hills are the only place where they could have possibly found to stay.¡± Giscard had a reason for proposing this violent method, instead of agreeing to Nadia¡¯s comparatively milder method. ¡°Accepting migrants is one way to fill up the shortage¡­¡­ but isn¡¯t Count Altair notoriously infamous for the high taxes he levied on the farmers? Migrants will not willingly come here to stay.¡± ¡°But I am now the master of this region. I will not set the tax rate so high like the former master did.¡± ¡°Yes, people like me who know you, my Lord, will know that is true. But from the migrants¡¯ perspective, all landlords are nothing but difficult, scary nobles.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°No matter how many times you declare that the taxes will be decreased, will they believe that so easily, my Lord? After all, it is them, the powerless serfs, that will suffer but be unable to complain if you raise the tax rate when the harvest season comes.¡± Yes, Glenn would never do such a thing, but that was a judgment only people around him, who knew very well, could have. But the migrants who were forced to wander all over the kingdom because of the nobles¡¯ tyranny would never believe Glenn so easily. ¡®Sir Giscard is right. The farming seasons will soon start, so we cannot use any solutions that will take too long¡­¡­¡¯ Notes: Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only [1] Chernozem: , dark black soil that has a lot of humus, with high percentages of phosphorus and ammonia compounds. [2] A serf/tenant running away from their lord¡¯s estate was a grave crime, deserving of serious punishment. They were essentially bonded to the land and the landlord, and could not leave without the lord¡¯s permission. [3] Slash-and-burn farmers: ???; Slash-and-burn is an agricultural practice that is widely used in wild or forested land. The land is cleared quickly by burning all the vegetation on it, which does leave a nutrient-rich layer behind after the fire. But there are also several disadvantages to it. Chapter 40.2 To be honest, Glenn did not want to ransack the farming villages in the hills. There was a huge difference between dragging people to the territory by force and accepting people who had come of their own will. And this was not just because it went against his morals. As if able to read his thoughts, Nadia commented on the same point. ¡°However, Sir Giscard, forcefully taking serfs who have settled elsewhere from their homes could ruin the Lord Marquis¡¯s reputation.¡± For Nadia¡¯s big picture to be brought to fruition, no flaw, not even a single speck of dirt, could be allowed to stain the good reputation of the Marquis of Winterfell. However, the big plan only existed in Nadia¡¯s head. As the others could not read her mind, there was bound to be an objection. ¡°Madam is right too. But¡­¡­¡± Giscard continued to speak in a courteous manner. ¡°Don¡¯t we have to start farming soon? If the tax rate for the serfs we currently have this harvest season and the next, the Lord Marquis sincerity will definitely spread far and wide. However, that will only happen a long time after the farming season. Should we choose to suffer a loss instead of taking the faster way?¡± ¡°I agree with your last sentence.¡± It would not be long before the civil war broke out. Winterfell would have to quickly strengthen its troops in order to prepare for the civil war. There was not much time to spare. ¡°I have a good idea. Would you like to hear it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± All eyes turned to Nadia. What method had this whip-smart Madam come up with this time? Nadia pointed to the waist of Glenn¡¯s trousers and said. ¡°Could you lend me your sword for a few days, Lord Marquis? If you do so, I will be able to solve this.¡± ¡°What?¡± What she was pointing at was the sword used by only the Winterfell family heads, and which had been passed down for generations. It was valuable enough to be considered an heirloom, but setting that aside, they all wondered what she needed a sword for. ¡°A sword? Are you sure that will be sufficient?¡± ¡°Yes, just a sword will be enough.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­¡­¡± She was always able to solve their problems using methods they had never thought of, but this time, they really could not fathom what in the world she was going to do. Looking at Glenn who had a quizzical look on his face, Nadia continued . ¡°All the tenants of the territory are currently worrying about the change of ownership. They must be worried that they will again be exploited by another master even more wicked than Count Altair.¡± ¡°How dare they compare our Lord Marquis with someone like Count Altair?¡± Giscard clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction. ¡°But it must be scary for them. Anyway, will you lend it to me, Glenn? Just for a few days.¡± He could not guess at what she was thinking, but he had no reason to hesitate. Glenn removed the sword that was hanging at his waist, and then gave it to Fabian. ¡°¡­¡­Glenn?¡± Nadia, who had extended her hand to receive the sword from him, now looked at him, confused. Her eyes were asking why he had given it to someone else when she was the one who had asked for the sword. ¡°It is very heavy. It will be very hard for you to lift it with your slender arms. If you have something to do with the sword, ask Fabian to do it. If there is anything he is good at, it is using his muscles.¡± ¡°I am not such a weakling¡­¡­¡± ¡°But you look weak to me. By the way, what in the world will you use the sword for? I can¡¯t imagine what you could possibly need it for.¡± ¡°Ah, about that.¡± Nadia smiled as she began explaining. _____________________________________________ The vicious lord, Count Altair, had been removed and a new lord had come. Wherever three, no even just two people were gathered, discussion of what kind of lord the new master was could be heard. ¡°All nobles are devils, every single one. How do you know he won¡¯t be worse than the previous one? ¡°Come to think of it, the new lord was not on good terms with the former lord¡­¡­ he won¡¯t make things unbearable for us commoners too, right?¡± In fact, very few of them were happy that the wicked Count Altair had been ousted. Most felt that there was a possibility they would suffer more than they had before. The farmers were too weary to have any hope, after all they had suffered. But the days flow despite the pains and anxieties people suffer. Before they knew it, a few days had passed since the flag fluttering at the top of the castle tower had been changed. One morning, a decree was hung in front of the main castle gates[4]. ¡°The Lord has made a decree?¡± ¡°Really? Where? Let¡¯s go see!¡± The people had been restless all the while, worrying over what the new lord would do. At this moment they rushed at once to the gate where the decree was hung. They didn¡¯t expect the taxes to be reduced; if only it wasn¡¯t raised yet again¡­¡­ But the contents of the decree said nothing about the taxes, nor did they say anything about how many days of compulsory labor they had to do. Instead, the decree that had been pasted in the lord;s name contained things completely foreign to them. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡°What exactly does it say? Is there no one here who can read?¡± Notes: [4] Decree: ???; Naver defines this as declaration or decree. I am not sure if a marquis can make a decree (probably only royalty can do so), but I will leave it as ¡®decree¡¯. Chapter 41.1 ¡°Uhh¡­¡­ the Lord says he will give ten gold bars to whoever is able to move his sword a hundred steps away.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± Come to think of it, a few steps away from where the decree was hung, they could see a sword driven into the ground. The smooth, silver surface of the sword glittered under the rays of the sun. Even to the uncultured farmers, it did not look like an ordinary sword. Looking closely, they saw that the pattern on the hilt of the sword was the same as the pattern on the new flag at the top of the tower. The commoners standing around the sword began whispering amongst themselves. ¡°Is that really the lord¡¯s sword? It does look very expensive.¡± ¡°But why would they throw such a precious thing here?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear the contents of the decree? It said the lord will give ten gold to whoever can carry the sword for a hundred steps!¡± ¡°You can receive gold for just carrying one sword? Does that even sound plausible to you?¡± Sounds of astonishment could be heard from the people. The sword was most likely wrought from iron so it would be heavy. But lifting it would not be a hard task for any fully able-bodied man. Neither was a hundred steps some faraway distance. They could receive gold for doing something that was as easy as pie? Of course they would doubt if they had heard correctly. ¡°As sure as day, there must be some other intention behind it¡­¡­¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± ¡°What, what in the world could the lord be trying to do?¡± ¡°What if the new lord is just a maverick? He may really just want to squander ten gold, you never know¡­¡­¡± At that moment, a woman came forward and spoke. ¡°You all, listen to what I have to say. There has to be a hint in the decree.¡± They all turned simultaneously to look at the woman, ¡°It¡¯s not just any sword. It¡¯s the lord¡¯s sword. I heard that noble families have swords of honor that are passed down only to the heads of the family. If I am right, that must be the heirloom of the Winterfell marquisate.¡± ¡°Then, then isn¡¯t it very valuable? What if someone stole it while it was placed here¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly it. The lord is testing us to see if we dare to touch his sword!¡¯ ¡°Gasp!¡± Now that they thought about it, it did sound credible. Vallon castle was originally Count Altair¡¯s territory. Of course the Marquis of Winterfell would be on alert to see if the people of the territory he had just received would have grievances against him or if a revolt would start. Essentially, the new lord was trying to test how well they would obey him. ¡°If someone who coveted the ten gold were to touch that sword¡­¡­¡± ¡°They, they would surely be executed.¡± How dare lowly people like them touch the treasures of a noble family. Such evil things deserved to die! ¨C That is probably what the lord would say, before cutting off their necks. Then he would order that the head of the person who had dared to touch his sword be hung on the castle wall as an example to everyone else. All their faces paled at the thought of such a horrible scene. ¡°As expected, these noble bastards are so fearsome¡­¡­¡± ¡°If, if we¡¯d really touched it, there would have been big trouble.¡± Those who had been hooked by the mention of gold patted their chests stealthily. The village chief stepped forward to comfort those who had scared stiff. ¡°There now, everyone, do not be so nervous. If no one lays a finger on the sword, there will be no problems whatsoever, no? If we just obey the new lord completely, he will show us mercy.¡± ¡°Maybe the taxes will even be reduced.¡± ¡°It would be so lovely if that happened. Alright, everyone, go see to your business now.¡± And so time passed. The following day, the day after that, even after three days had passed, the lord¡¯s sword remained standing there, lofty as the day it was placed. Gulp. Every time the people of the village passed by the main castle gate, they would swallow the drool that threatened to leak from their mouths[1]. Ten gold bars. It was an amount that no common farmer would ever be able to touch, even if they worked like a mule, day and night, for the rest of their lives. Everytime the sword caught their eyes, their greed for the gold only multiplied. Five days after the decree was posted, finally a challenger came forward. ¡°Ayyy, I will just give it a try.¡± This person who had come forward first, at the risk of his life, was Peter Bills, a young man who was known all through the village for his bold temper. ¡°You have to be alive before you can enjoy luxury! What will you do if you are really executed?¡± Someone tried to stop him, as if they were really worried for him, but ¡ª ¡°My parents already passed away, and I have no siblings. Even if I die, there will be no one to mourn me.¡± ¡°We, we could get punished too, you know! What will we do if the lord holds all of us responsible!?¡± Someone, caught up in fear, pointed as they queried him. Peter brushed that aside as he replied. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡°We have to start the farming season soon, so could the lord kill all his serfs? If anyone will die, it will just be more. Don¡¯t try to stop me.¡± Footnote: [1] ¡®¡­drool that threatened¡­¡¯: the raws do not exactly say ¡®drool¡¯. It says ???? ???, which means ¡®to swallow one¡¯s gular sac¡¯, like the ones pelicans have. It is such an odd word lol. Chapter 41.2 There was only one way the life of a poor farmer would play out: all their lives, they would toil away at the back breaking farm work until they caught a serious illness and died. If they at least had family they loved, they could continue to endure while thinking of their family. But he had none of that. ¡®Instead of continuing to live like this, it is better to gamble just this once¡­¡­!¡¯ He strode ahead and grabbed the sword that was embedded into the ground. He only had to exert a little strength to pull it out. ¡°Argh! You are risking your life for a moment¡¯s greed!¡± The people of the village tut-tutted in frustration, lambasting him for his foolishness, while still fearing that they would all be punished. With all kinds of gazes on him, Peter walked to the center of the village, the sword in one hand. The villagers dispersed to go do their work with fear in their hearts, while praying that the lord¡¯s wrath would not extend to those who were innocent. A knight came from the castle to look for Peter at his house later that afternoon. The moment the news that a knight had come in person to look for him spread, the villagers secretly began looking to see what would unfold. Some even hid behind trees to watch the scene. ¡°Are you Peter Bills, the one who moved the Lord Marquis¡¯s sword?¡± ¡°Ye-es¡­¡­ it was I.¡± Has the punishment they had all been expecting finally come? Peter swallowed nervously. He had acted full of confidence in front of all the villagers, but there was no way he could be without fear. ¡®Is, is he really here to have my head?¡¯ The sword hanging from the knight¡¯s waist seemed to stand out even more. Just as he thought that he should at least prostrate and beg for forgiveness, the knight spoke again. ¡°Peter Bills, kneel to receive the lord¡¯s reward!¡± ¡°?!¡± As soon as the knight spoke those words, the soldiers who had been standing behind him stepped forward. Thud. Two soldiers placed the chest they had been carrying on the ground. When they opened the chest, what it was filled to the brim with was¡­¡­ ¡°Huhh?!¡± It was gold, its brilliance enough to blind the eye. ___________________________________ -The tax rate will be limited to 40%. -Compulsory labor will only be two days a week. -Before commoners can be executed, a fair trial must be carried out, even if the other party is a noble. -If those who ran away during Count Altair¡¯s rule return, they will not be charged with any crimes and will receive no punishment. -The same rules apply to migrants. ¡°It is good that it is concise and easy to read.¡± Nadia was looking at the decree that had been posted throughout the village with a satisfied smile. Now all the people in the territory must be talking ceaselessly about Peter Bill¡¯s new fortune and about the new lord¡¯s decrees. She turned her head as she asked. ¡°Ah, yes. Glenn, has your sword been returned?¡± ¡°It was returned a while ago. I had wondered what you were going to do with the sword. Turns out you were trying to get them to trust us.¡± ¡°You have to do that to make your rule easier.¡± Commoners did not trust noble people. That was because, to the nobles, the promises they made with ¡®people below them¡¯ was worth less than the pebbles found on the streets. Due to that, the villagers had only thought that the lord was bestowing the gold on a whim: having just won new territory, the lord must have been happy and wanted to throw his wealth around. That was until the administrators came with the new decree and said: ¡°How was Peter Bills able to receive that fortune? Of course it was because he believed in what the lord said. Now you can¡¯t get that any more. The boon of being rewarded gold for moving the sword ended yesterday.¡± ¡°But take a look at the decree! That is the promise the lord is making to all of you. The lord has promised to give you a fair price for your labor, the right to take days of rest, and a system through which you can complain if you are treated unjustly.¡± ¡°If you trust the lord and work loyally, you will be able to enjoy a more comfortable life than just receiving gold!¡± Having suffered under Count Altair¡¯s tyranny for so long, they were all shocked by this. They talked and talked about the new lord, and all the new changes he had made. And because of that, the news was spread all over, just as Nadia had hoped. When the news reached far away regions, farmers began heading to Vallong castle again. ¡°Glenn.¡± ¡°Uhm?¡± Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡°You should get ready. You will become very busy in a short while.¡± Not long after, Nadia¡¯s prediction came true. ________________________________ Chapter 42.1 ¡®I really want to know what is going on in that head of hers.¡¯ He could only suppress the odd emotions that arose in him and return to his work. But then a knock came. Knock knock. The nimble servant who was waiting on him ran to open the door. Through the opening in the door, he could see that it was Giscard who had come. Glenn asked him. ¡°Ah, Sir Giscard. What brings you here?¡± ¡°There is an interim report from the lair expedition team. They have found a passageway that is the entrance to the lair.¡± ¡°Thankfully they found the entrance safely.¡± ¡°Besides that, there were no other issues, but please take a look at the report when you have the time, my Lord.¡± Giscard approached Glenn¡¯s desk and placed the report on top of it. But as he tried to leave the room, Nadia¡¯s voice stopped him. ¡°Oh! Hold on a moment, Sir Giscard. How did the thing I asked you to do earlier turn out?¡± ¡°I carried out the task as Madam told me to.¡± ¡°Something you asked him to do earlier?¡± Glenn tilted his head to the side slightly. This was his first time hearing that Nadia had asked Giscard to do something separately. Nadia explained to him. ¡°You seemed really busy, so I thought I¡¯ld tell you later. It¡¯s nothing serious. Count Altair had been keeping dwarf slaves, so I asked him to find where they are.¡± ¡°Dwarf slaves? But it is illegal to keep subhumans as slaves.¡± ¡°Count Altair is not someone who would worry about that, you know.¡± ¡°That is true.¡± Glenn agreed with that too. The Altair estate was well known for the high quality of the steel armor they produced. All the while, he had simply thought that they had developed an advanced smelting technique, given how much iron they produced. But who could have known that Count Altair was committing the crime of kidnapping subhumans and trafficking them as slaves, something that was strictly outlawed by the royal family. ¡®But, come to think of it, if he exploits even his tenants who are of the same species as him, he would never treat members of another species well.¡¯ But that was not all he was puzzled by. Glenn asked her. ¡°But how did you come to know about that?¡± ¡°To be exact, it was my father, not I, who found out. I had said it before, right? Father has a document that lists all the weaknesses of people he thinks might become his enemies later on.¡± ¡°In that case, Winterfell¡¯s weaknesses must be listed there too.¡± ¡°Ah, not to worry about that. Probably because it was difficult for him to plant spies in Winterfell, there was nothing major contained in the document. It is most likely that he gave his permission for me to marry into Winterfell because he hoped I would become his informant.¡± That Count Altair had imprisoned dwarves as slaves and was putting them to work was a top secret that only those closest to her father knew. As soon as they had captured Vallon castle, Nadia had ordered Giscard to find where the dwarf slaves were imprisoned. Count Altair, hurrying to save himself, would never do such a thing as making sure the slaves were safe, so no one knew if they were starving to death where they were. Giscard spoke. ¡°There were really dwarves who had been confined there, exactly as Madam had said. If we had been any later in discovering them, some of them would really have fallen into danger. They were unconscious from dehydration when we found them.¡± ¡°How are they doing now?¡± ¡°I heard they have all recovered now.¡± ¡°Thank goodness.¡± If even one of them had died, it would have been a big headache to pacify them. ¡°Have they been given the best treatment, just as I asked?¡± ¡°Yes, each of them has been placed in individual guest rooms, and food and servants have been provided for them as well. They will definitely not find anything lacking.¡± ¡°Great job.¡± ¡°If they had died of hunger inside our territory, there would definitely have been friction between us and the dwarves. As expected, Madam is so quick-witted.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Glenn began looking at Giscard as if he was seeing something bizarre. How could he even say that ¡ª ¡®Didn¡¯t he give me an entire speech about not trusting her just a while ago?¡¯ If Nadia were not in the room, he would have definitely sat Giscard down to query him. Even if it was the marchioness¡¯s order, he should have at least let him, his master, know. But he completed the task before even letting him know¡­ Now he was wondering if this was the same person who had advised him not to fall for her lip service. Since it was a good thing either way, Glenn decided to just let it be, considering that he was currently up to his neck in work. ¡°So, are you going to send them back to their town? I¡¯m glad we can maintain a good relationship with the dwarves.¡± ¡°We should definitely send anyone who wants to leave back to their hometown. However, I would like to try and convince them to remain. I¡¯ll see how they feel about staying here to work.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± They all looked at her with an awkward expression. ¡°Would they even want to stay here?¡± ¡°Before they were kidnapped and enslaved, the dwarves had initially left their hometown because they wanted to experience life in the human world.¡± ¡°That¡­ that is also true.¡± If they had remained in their hometown, they would never have been kidnapped. ¡°They will surely still want to leave their small, suffocating town behind. If we set good conditions before them, wouldn¡¯t some of them agree to work with us?¡± ¡°But they have already come to serious harm at the hands of humans. I don¡¯t think they will trust us so easily.¡± ¡°That¡¯s alright. I told them servants to talk whenever they are around the dwarves and let them hear many rumors. Won¡¯t they also be curious about how they were freed?¡± Nadia laughed softly and continued. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡°I am sure you know what the most popular story in Vallon is these days.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..!¡± The topic everyone had on their lips at the moment was Peter Bills and the ten gold he received. They hadn¡¯t stopped the dwarves from leaving the castle, so they must have heard about him by now. They must also have learned about what kind of person the new lord of the castle is and about the decree he made. Chapter 42.2 Impressed by all this, Glenn spoke. ¡°You had already planned this far.¡± ¡°It¡¯s killing two birds with one stone.¡± Nadia needed the dwarves¡¯ technique in order to achieve her goals, their advanced skills that were not yet known to the human world. But she didn¡¯t want to oppress and exploit them like Count Altair did. Dwarves did have a very strong sense of pride. Being high-handed with them would not bring out their true skill. While under Count Altair¡¯s command, they did not let him know of those never before seen techniques. Nadia rose from her seat as she spoke. ¡°Now that we are on the topic, how does meeting the dwarves tomorrow morning sound?¡± _________________________________ Count Altair had been expelled but the dwarves were not completely relaxed. Why? It was because they were still under the protection of the Marquis of Winterfell. It was called ¡®protection¡¯, but from their perspective, it was surveillance. ¡®He is helping us now, but we don¡¯t know when his attitude will change and we will be enslaved again.¡¯ Weren¡¯t all lords the same when it came to coveting the dwarves¡¯ skill? That was why the eldest among the dwarves, Miar, decided to show the most humble attitude[1]. ¡°We are truly grateful that you saved our lives. The lives we lived during that time were so deplorable that we were filled with rage. We are deeply sorry to have impinged on you even more, which is why¡­¡± Miar carefully continued, as he examined the madam of the house that had personally come to where the dwarves were staying. ¡°We think it is best if we leave the castle once we fully recover. I am sorry that at the moment, we have nothing to repay the lord¡¯s help with. As you can see, we have nothing¡­¡± ¡°You do not have to worry about repaying anything.¡± ¡°Of course, you did not rescue us hoping to be repaid, but we dwarves always repay favors. If we arrive safely at our village, we will send all our treasures to you the moment we arrive.¡± The reason why humans kidnapped dwarves was crystal clear. ¡®They want the things we make.¡¯ So it was much better to offer up those things that they wanted. If they let her have the precious dwarf weapons, she would definitely agree to let them go. But instead ¡ª ¡°Haha ¡± Nadia burst into laughter for a short while, upon hearing the promise Miar had tacked on in anxiety. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Ma, madam?¡± The dwarves¡¯ faces began to pale, having misunderstood what her laughter meant. Was she laughing at them for thinking a few treasures would satisfy her? Seeing the dwarves fret, Nadia spoke. ¡°You do not have to be so nervous. Even if you return to your village and mention no word of it, we will not blame you.¡± ¡°We, we have no intention of doing so!¡± ¡°More than that, I want to make you a slightly different proposal.¡± Another proposal? Miar¡¯s throat moved up and down, as he swallowed fretfully. ¡°Please speak, Madam.¡± Miar thought that the madam of the castle must be here to organize the details of the compensation for saving them. But what came out of her mouth was something they had never imagined in their lives. ¡°How about working in our estate and a fair wage for it?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Did you leave your village in order to see the wider world?¡± ¡°Ye, yes we did.¡± ¡°If that is so, just returning to your village like this will be such a let down. But you must also be worried that you will be kidnapped again if you remain in the human world.¡± At this point, they could guess what she was trying to say. And just as they guessed, Nadia made them an offer. ¡°Work for Winterfell. We will of course guarantee your safety, and also give you holidays. You can go visit your village anytime you want.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Despite her soft tone of voice, tension began to spread among the dwarves. The way they saw it, it hadn¡¯t been long since they were kidnapped and exploited. Asking them to become employees of Winterfell meant that they also wanted the dwarves¡¯ techniques. She was smiling so sweetly now, but they had no way of knowing when she would change and enslave them again if some disagreement arose. Knowing what they were worried about, Nadia added. ¡°We will send whoever wants to return back to your hometown. If you feel like those who remain are being ill-treated, you can report to the royal family. The north does not have a good relationship with those in the central government. You all know that it is illegal to subhumans as slaves, right? The instant we are charged with enslaving dwarves, the royal family will believe the charges and come running. They will have a good reason to attack us.¡± ¡°We are thankful that you have considered so much for us, but¡­¡± There was still something that the dwarves were worried about. Mair carefully yet honestly laid it out. ¡°Madam, is it okay if I ask one question?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Why in the world¡­ are you showing us such kindness?¡± To put it bluntly, were they in any position to refuse if she locked them up and forced them to work like Count Altair did? Every favor came at a price. That was the first lesson Miar learned when he came to the human world. ¡°The first reason is that it is against the law to exploit subhumans as slaves. You could also say that it is out of a sense of morality. However, those are not the only reasons why I am offering you these good terms. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°If we force you to work for us, we know you won¡¯t show us all of your skills. That¡¯s what you did under Count Altair.¡± ¡°How, how did you know that?!¡± The dwarves¡¯ shoulders trembled with fear. There was no way they would want to show the entirety of the skills to people who had threatened and oppressed them. Mindful of what their surveillance had wanted, they made passable quality weapons instead. Did the Madam know how to identify subtle differences in quality? She would definitely not be pleased if her subordinates tried to pull the wool over her eyes. But what Nadia meant to point out was something else. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡°After we captured this castle, I took a look at the smithy. The bellows there are not the same as the new bellows used in the dwarf village.¡± Notes: [1] Miar: pronounced mee-arh, ???. Chapter 43.1 ¡°¡­¡­..!¡± This was more surprising than learning that Nadia had a very good discerning eye. The dwarves looked at her with utter astonishment on their faces ¡°How do you¡­¡­!¡± Bellows were large braziers that worked by funnelling air into them. They were used to heat or melt iron, but in order to make fine steel, advanced bellows were a necessity. The dwarves had been using them for over a decade now in their village, but knowledge of the bellows would not reach the human world until far into the future. So how did a noble lady come to know that they had advanced bellows? Seeing the shocked eyes that the dwarves looked at her with, all Nadia did was smile, her smile pregnant with meaning. ¡°I know all about it.¡± She wanted to say that anyone who returned from the future would know, but she swallowed the words as she could not utter them. To accomplish all that she had planned, she needed the dwarves¡¯ advanced bellows. So no matter what, she needed to convince them to stay. ¡°I am not hoping for you to teach or pass down your technique to anyone. All I wish is for you to do your very best to produce all that we ask of you for the next ten years. Does my offer still sound unsatisfactory to you?¡± ¡°N.. no, Madam.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± At that point, expressions of relief appeared on the faces of the dwarves. Now that Nadia had reassured them, in her characteristic soft voice, it was Glenn¡¯s turn to talk to them. ¡°Read this. It contains all the detailed information. If there are any parts you would like to discuss, speak freely.¡± The servants placed papers with the contract written on them before each dwarf. The dwarves, who were hesitant at first, picked up the papers one after the other. As they read, the quiet tea room, in which only the rustle of the paper could be heard a moment earlier, became clamorous as they fired questions at Glenn. ¡°You say you will give us time off to go back to our village. Does that mean that we can decide the amount of time however we want?¡± ¡°This confidentiality clause for the goods commissioned by Winterfell¡­ Of course this has to be mentioned.¡± ¡°Wages per month¡­¡­ Ack, we, we don¡¯t need this much!¡± There were a number of questions and reactions to the clauses of the contract, as well as some requests for modifications. When their voices had died down, Glenn¡¯s eyes swept through the entire room, as he asked. ¡°Do you have any more questions? Or any other demands?¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± In order to get them to stay put, they had been offered several shocking terms. Asking for more on top of that would make them thoughtless fools with not a whit of conscience. As expected, no one spoke up to reply to Glenn. ¡°It seems there are none. I¡¯ll ask this time. Is there anyone here who would like to return to your village first?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± ¡°Not to worry. Even if you say that you do not want to work here, we will not force you to stay.¡± Among the seven dwarves, five said that they wanted to return. The other two decided to remain temporarily. Those who were returning also agreed that if there was anyone from the Dwarf village who wanted to come to the human world, they would introduce them to Winterfell. Nadia laughed as she spoke. ¡°Is everyone satisfied?¡± ¡°Yes. Just saving us was enough to put us in your debt, and now you have shown us such generous kindness¡­¡­¡± ¡°Then you can sign at the bottom.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°You can also place a thumbprint. It¡¯s to make it hold legally. Oh, is there an inkpad?¡± All of a sudden? Miar blinked confusedly. ¡®Shouldn¡¯t she give us a day to think on the terms some more?¡¯ But it was difficult to complain because of the hospitable treatment they had received so far. Besides, wasn¡¯t she also the benefactor who had saved their lives? Seeing that the dwarves were confused, Nadia tilted her head as she asked. ¡°Are there any problems?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡­¡­ We didn¡¯t know that things would proceed this fast¡­¡­¡± ¡°Since you are all gathered here already, I think we should handle it quickly.¡± ¡°Ye¡­ yes Madam.¡± Are humans always in such a hurry? Doubt clouded Miar¡¯s face. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s a cultural difference. Afterall, they have shorter lifespans than we do.¡¯ Miar began to convince himself, making excuses for Nadia. Just as he moved to pick up the pen, Nadia tacked on another sentence. ¡°By the way, once you sign the contract, we will have an employer-employee relationship, and I will lower my register.¡± [1] ¡°Of course Madam.¡± It was rare to even find a noble that used honorifics when speaking to subhumans. So although he was older than she was, Miar had no complaints. Four dwarves, including Miar, signed the contract, and immediately, Nadia¡¯s smile deepened. [2] ¡®It¡¯s done finally!¡¯ With this, all the things she needed to prepare were done. Because things went smoothly, Nadia automatically felt more charitable. With a radiant smile on her face, she spoke. ¡°We promise to give you the best treatment so that you will not regret signing the contract today. For that reason, you may continue using the same guest rooms you are in currently, even after you recover.¡± ¡°But the rooms are too luxurious, Madam.¡± ¡°No, we promised to give you the best treatment. Having one¡¯s employees live well and in great condition is also a good thing for the employer. Ah, yes. They said you have mostly recovered?¡± ¡°Thanks to Madam¡¯s care, I think we have all fully recovered.¡± ¡°That is great.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Nadia¡¯s question seemed to just be asking after their health, but there was a slightly different nuance to it. Miar looked at Nadia, his pupils wavering. As before, Nadia stood, smiling at them. ¡°I would like a sample of an item made, before it goes into mass production.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Her smile was that of an employer looking at their labourers. Watching her, Miar felt he could almost hear her saying, ¡®shouldn¡¯t you earn your keep?¡¯. ___________________________________ Notes: Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only [1] ¡®¡­lower my register.¡¯: ?? ???. Korean has several different levels of speech, corresponding to the different degrees of formality, societal hierarchy and status. All this while, Nadia had been speaking to them using honorifics; going forward, she will drop the honorifics. However, it doesn¡¯t mean that she will be rude to them. Rather, instead of treating them as honoured guests, she will now treat them as her subordinates. [But the dwarves will have to maintain the honorifics when speaking to her though] [2] No idea why it says four instead of two. Maybe another two wanted to return to the Dwarf village and then come back? NOTE: Chapters 1-13 are available on our website now! Chapter 43.2 Time had come for the order to return to camp to be given, but strangely, nothing had been said. The knights had found it weird and had proposed for them to return, but the only response they had received was: ¡°Madam hopes we can remain in Vallon castle for a while longer.¡± ¡°But why? Things have mostly been settled here, so shouldn¡¯t we go back¡­¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly why, but Madam said there is some more work to be done. So there is probably something that is still unfinished.¡± ¡°Some more work?¡± It seemed Madam was up to something again. What in the world was she getting up to this time? The Winterfell vassals put their heads together to try to figure it out. ¡°I heard Madam order the dwarves to make something¡­¡­¡± ¡°Oh! Will we finally get to use Dwarf weapons? They say there is a lot of iron ore in this area.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go getting ahead of yourself, you punk.¡± ¡°But there is only one thing she could possibly ask the dwarves to do. It¡¯s not like she will ask them to paint portraits or something, no?¡± ¡°It could end up being something we never imagined though.¡± ¡°Umm¡­¡­ that¡¯s true too.¡± Fortunately, they didn¡¯t have to wait too long. One peaceful afternoon, Giscard, who had received an order from the Marchioness, entered the knights¡¯ lounge. ¡°Raise your hand if you are confident in your archery.¡± ¡°In archery, it¡¯s Luke and I, Commander. Is there something for us to do?¡± ¡°Madam asked me to bring two or three archers to her. You don¡¯t have to be very accurate, you just have to be very strong.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± What could it be this time? Besides the four that Giscard finally selected, many other knights followed Giscard [to find out what it was]. When they arrived at their destination shortly after, the first thing they saw was the Marquis and Marchioness standing to one side of the drill hall. On the opposite side of the drill hall stood a suit of armour. There was no one wearing the suit of armour. It was standing on its own. There was a solid, wooden prop behind it to make sure it didn¡¯t fall. The gathered knights gazed at the scene in bewilderment. But come to think of it- ¡°But wait, that looks a bit strange, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It seems so.¡± The armour standing in the drill hall was made in a very unfamiliar fashion. First of all, the entire suit was covered with smooth sheet metal. However, it was exquisitely made such that the joints could bend. ¡°It is so unusual.¡± ¡°Is that what Madam asked the dwarf artisans to make?¡± At this time, knights generally wore armour made of chain-mail. More advanced techniques were needed to make plate armour, so even if Nadia was the first to raise the idea, they would not have been able to build the armour in such a short amount of time if they didn¡¯t have the dwarf artisans¡¯ skill. As the knights lost themselves in examining the odd armour, Nadia¡¯s voice rang. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here. You should have said something once you arrived.¡± ¡°Forgive me, Madam. It¡¯s our first time seeing armour like this so¡­¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to test the performance of this sample. Form two groups and stand here¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, yes. Understood, Madam.¡± Each of them held a bow and two arrows. Despite being puzzled, they followed Nadia¡¯s instructions accordingly. ¡°Shoot your arrows at the armour, two people at a time. The group behind should shoot immediately after. Then while group 2 shoots, group 1 should stand at the ready again.¡± ¡°Where exactly should we aim?¡± ¡°Anywhere is fine. Just try to hit the armour.¡± ¡°Yes, Madam!¡± It wasn¡¯t such a hard task. In a short while, four arrows cut through the air in succession. Ping- ping-! But different from the impressive momentum with which the arrows cut through the air, the arrows bent on impact when they hit the protective metal. Nadia and Glenn mumbled to themselves when they saw this. ¡°As expected.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a success. There are no punctures at all.¡± The weakness of chain-mail was that it was vulnerable to stabbing weapons like arrows and spears. In fact, on the battlefield, stabbing weapons were used more often than weapons that cut people down, unlike in one-to-one combat. With armour that was made from sheet metal they could remedy that. Glenn looked at Nadia who was standing in front of him, and wondered. ¡®How did she come up with this?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t get what exactly this woman was, or even what kind of thoughts ran through her mind. However, that did not change the fact that she had once again made a great contribution. Glenn spoke to express his gratitude. ¡°When did you start thinking about this?¡± ¡°I first thought about it a long time ago, but there was never any opportunity to actualise it. There are many iron deposits around Vallon castle, so I thought it was as good a time as ever.¡± ¡°No matter when or how you came up with the idea, you have made a great contribution. If it could be distributed to the army, it would drastically improve the troops¡¯ defence.¡± Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡°That¡¯s not all.¡± Nadia replied to Glenn, shaking her head slightly. The reason why they tried to occupy this land that was rich in iron was not just to enhance their defence. ¡°That¡¯s not all?¡± Chapter 44.1 What Glenn had realized since he got married was that his mysterious wife never talked carelessly. What else did she come up with this time? Glenn as well as the other knights listened to Nadia attentively. ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°The sheet metal armor is strong against arrows and raid attacks. That means the knights don¡¯t have to be afraid of the enemy¡¯s archers.¡± Nadia continued. ¡°We could build a mounted raid unit using heavy cavalry. It would be only right for the knights to fill that role.¡± ¡°A raid tactic using mounted units¡­.¡± Glenn played the simulation in his head. A mounted unit charged with sheet metal wrapped around the body¨C Even the arrows from the enemy camp wouldn¡¯t be able to stop them. Knights who could narrow the distance would hit the enemy camp¡¯s infantry in no time. If the weight of the horse, armor, and rushing speed were combined, ordinary knights wouldn¡¯t be able to endure it. If their knights had to endure such weights and charged toward the enemy like that¡­ ¡®Ah¡­¡¯ Glenn¡¯s imagination stopped at that moment. There was a problem with what she said. A problem that was easy to overlook if you never actually fought on a horse in armor. Glenn began to hesitate. ¡®How can I¡­¡­ say it in another way so that she doesn¡¯t get offended?¡¯ Fighting in heavy armor was not difficult for those who could handle it. Riding a horse in that armor was also something you could do if you trained hard. However, wearing that heavy armor while riding on a horse, as you charged and attacked the enemy camp? It was a suicide mission. The moment their knights collided with the enemy, they would not be able to overcome the repulsive force and could fall off their horse. There was no other prey that was easier to kill than a fallen cavalryman. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s.¡­.¡± Everyone was thinking the same thing as Glenn, and others also seemed flustered. ¡®Ah¡­ What are we going to do with this?¡¯ ¡®She seems to have made a very ambitious plan¡­¡¯ ¡®She¡¯ll be very disappointed if we say it¡¯s impossible.¡¯ He glanced at their lord, and they were giving eyes that seem to be saying this. ¡®My lord, please say it on our behalf.¡¯ What a bunch of disloyal fellows. In the end, Glenn had to step up to the silent pressure. He coughed a few times before opening his mouth. ¡°Nadia, I understand your desire to contribute to the development of Winterfell. I fully understand. But¡­.¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°A cavalryman who can ride on a horse in that armor and endure the moment of collision will not be very common. It¡¯s better to use a javelin than to charge the enemy.¡­.¡± ¡°Of course, we have prepared countermeasures for that.¡± ¡°¨CWhat?¡± His eyes were wide open at the calmly thrown words. Glenn wasn¡¯t the only one surprised. Everyone listening to the conversation was looking at her with a startled expression. Nadia was the only one still at peace. She continued, beckoning the servant with the file to come close. ¡°I ordered the blacksmiths to make a tool to help the knights withstand the shock. The sample hasn¡¯t been completed yet, but you¡¯ll get a rough idea just by looking at the shape. This is what I requested.¡± Her hand pulled out a piece of paper stuck between the piles of papers. Then she held it out in front of Glenn. ¡°¡­¡­?¡± On top of it, there was a picture of an object that he had never seen before. * * * That was what happened in Nadia¡¯s first life, before she returned. Having vaguely fantasized about an animal called a horse since childhood, she asked her fianc¨¦ to teach her how to ride a horse. ¡°You want to learn how to ride a horse?¡± ¡°Yes! Please teach me how to ride a horse instead of a birthday present.¡± ¡°If you tell the Duke, he¡¯s a horseback riding teacher¡­ Does the Duke even know about this?¡± ¡°Of course, I ask you without my father knowing. He probably won¡¯t allow it. That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to tell my father, are you?¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Lee Jiho sighed briefly and swept his face. ¡°You are telling me to deceive my lord with a smile.¡± ¡°The goddess shall overlook this lie. So are you going to teach me or not?¡± The Duke of Balazit was a very conservative figure, who wanted his daughters to live quietly in their room. To be more precise, it was rather to maintain their reputation and used it for political marriage instead. For such a father, it was hard to understand that noble lady rode around on a horse. If Nadia asked her father to assign her a riding teacher, he would dismiss her and tell her to take the carriage instead. In the end, she had no choice but to ask her nice fianc¨¦. He seemed to be blunt, but he did everything he wanted to do what he asked. Lee Jiho, who sighed deeply, soon opened his mouth. ¡°If Miss Nadia seems to be in danger, you will have to quit immediately. Horses are bigger than you think. You can get hurt if you fall. No. You will get hurt.¡± ¡°I know that much.¡± ¡°Even with that in mind! By all means! If you want to learn horseback riding, please come to me when you have time. Oh, and bring your pants.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± So a few days later, Nadia headed to Lee Jiho¡¯s house with the excuse that she wanted to meet her fiance. The maid who followed was, of course, left with the horseman where the carriage was parked. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only It was rare for a maid to be brave enough to force her master to let her tag along when her master wanted to have time alone with her fiance. When she changed into her pants and went out to the open space in the backyard, Lee Jiho was saddling a horse. ¡®That¡¯s my horse.¡¯ Chapter 44.2 Nadia swallowed her saliva and looked around at the big white horse. Then, a strange thing caught her eyes. Although she had never ridden a horse herself, she often saw riders on horseback. However, the ring attached to the bottom of the saddle was the first thing I saw in her life. ¡°What¡¯s that thing on the bottom?¡± ¡°What do you think it is?¡± ¡°Um¡­ footrest?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Use this until you get used to it.¡± A rope made of twisted leather was made into a circle and tied, and then attached to the lower part of the saddle. Nadia stepped on a leather knot that served as a footrest and could climb the horse relatively easily. ¡°Wow!¡± Nadia seated on the saddle and burst into exclamations. It was higher than she thought, just as her fiance said. However, it was not that difficult to balance because there was something securing her feet. ¡®I think I can learn how to ride fast at this rate.¡¯ Nadia tried to conceal her excitement by asking. ¡°How did you come up with making a footrest like this? I¡¯ve seen a lot of people riding horses, but I haven¡¯t seen anyone using these things!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t come up with it, but it¡¯s something I use in my hometown. It¡¯s called the stirrup.¡± ¡°This is really comfortable. I was a little scared because people said that I have to keep my balance on the horse with only my leg strength.¡± She twisted about on the saddle to find a comfortable position. Nevertheless, there was no sense of instability. It was thanks to the tool under her feet. Nadia asked with admiration. ¡°Is it a common item in your hometown?¡± ¡°Yes, only a few people ride horses without it.¡± ¡°I wonder why such useful items have not yet been imported to our country.¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious about that, too. Perhaps the invention is delayed because of the troops¡¯ tendency to rely too much on their destructive power.¡­.¡± ¡°What? What did you say?¡± ¡°Oh, I was talking to myself. Now I¡¯ll teach you how to ride the horse, so relax and leave your body to the movement of the horse.¡± ¡°P-please teach me slowly.¡± However, despite the fact that she was very nervous, the speed of the ride was not that difficult. Nadia wasn¡¯t such a fool as to think she had a knack for riding. It would be possible because of this object, a footrest used in Lee Jiho¡¯s hometown. She soon realized its value. The rein in her hand gave her strength. At that time, Lee Jiho opened his mouth and asked, as if he had misunderstood her firm expression. ¡°Are you all right? If you¡¯re tired, should we take a break?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a little dizzy, but I think I¡¯ll get used to it soon. Can I ask you one more question?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Thank you. I heard it takes a long practice time to learn horseback riding. You must have trained for a long time since you were young.¡± ¡°Well, you could say so.¡± That was why cavalry was valuable, and why horseback riding was called the exclusive property of noble men. It was never easy to handle weapons while maintaining balance on a running horse. ¡°But I think it would be much easier to train cavalry if there was an object called this stirrup. In addition to that, you¡¯ll be more free to move your upper body on the horse. The importance of cavalry on the battlefield will increase. That means¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It means that the strength of the knight becomes stronger. And Sir Jiho is an official knight who has received your knighthood. Why haven¡¯t you spread your hometown¡¯s inventions so far?¡± ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re smart as expected.¡± He seemed quite surprised by the empty talk. Lee Jiho, who had hesitated for a while, soon opened his mouth again. ¡°Speaking of which, I¡¯d like to ask you a favor. Please use this item only when you practice alone with me, and do not use it in front of others.¡± ¡°Why? Isn¡¯t it beneficial for Sir Jiho if the status of a knight increases?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t take a lot of skill to make this stuff. It may be hard to think of for the first time, but it¡¯s an easy tool to make once you see it. It¡¯s an egg of Columbus.¡± Eggs of Columbus? What¡¯s that? (A term refers to a brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple or easy after the fact.) Nadia tilted her head, but instead of explaining, he continued. ¡°Northern cavalry power is superior to ours. In the long run, this will be a loss to us.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I see.¡± Nadia nodded, convinced in an instant. It was obvious that one day there would be a big war between the two regions. If she announced the existence of the stirrup to make horse riding easier, it would only increase the enemy¡¯s power. ¡°I understand what you are saying. I¡¯ll keep the secret, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°You must do so. The war horse variety used by the Northern Cavalry is larger than that of the South, and there are many iron mines in the North.¡± ¡°Iron mine?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Of course, Nadia also knew that there were many iron ore deposits in the North. But why was he talking about that now? Her expression struck me with wonder. ¡°Why is that important?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Lee Jiho suddenly shut up while trying to answer. Then, he continued to talk with a playful smile. ¡°It won¡¯t be fun if I tell you all the answers. Nadia, think about it alone for a few days. If you still can¡¯t think of an answer, I¡¯ll let you know.¡± ¡°That¡¯s cheap. You made me curious and didn¡¯t answer.¡± ¡°With Miss Nadia¡¯s wisdom, you will find the answer in no time.¡± Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only She pouted her lips on purpose, but Lee Jiho just smiled. In the end, Nadia had to think for herself and find the answer as her homework. It was a memory of a summer day before her birthday. Chapter 45.1 As the structure was very simple in the first place, a day was enough for the Dwarves to make stirrups. Thus, on the day when all the samples were finally completed, all the knights gathered at the training hall to watch the demonstration. The demonstrator was Fabian, the youngest member of the Knights and Nadia¡¯s escort. Riding on a horse and running from place to place, he said, raising the helmet cover. ¡°This is really comfortable. It¡¯s very stable even though I¡¯m covered with heavy armour.¡± Everyone could see his full admiration smile under the helmet cover. This was why Fabian, the youngest in the knights, was selected as the first one to try the stirrup. Nadia calculated that if Fabian, who had the weakest muscle strength, could withstand the repulsive force on the horse, other knights would be able to withstand it. And the second reason. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel nervous at all? If something goes wrong, you might get seriously hurt.¡± ¡°Oh, my bones are strong, so it¡¯s okay. You worry too much, my lord!¡± Maybe Fabian didn¡¯t feel scared at all because he was still young. ¡°Even if I get hurt, I will get better soon.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Then do as you please.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Fabian grinned and lowered the helmet cover again. Then, he turned the horse¡¯s head and faced west of the training hall. It was the direction where the temporary obstacles were located. ¡°When should I start?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as a ready signal in a battle, run when you¡¯re ready.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Someone threw a javelin at Fabian. With a javelin flying in his hand, Fabian started charging forward. Gallop! At first, Fabian spurred his horse in a slow pace, but he gradually sped up. It didn¡¯t take long to reach the horse¡¯s top speed. Giscard groaned as he watched the scene. ¡°My lord, I think he is going to crash if he¡¯s not slowing down. Shouldn¡¯t you stop him?¡± ¡°¡­He won¡¯t even hear me even if I shout from here anyway.¡± The noise made when the horse ran at full speed was louder than Nadia thought. Although it had the effect of putting pressure on enemy soldiers, it also made them difficult to exchange signals. Just like now. Several senior knights unconsciously raised their voices at the dangerous scene, but Fabian did not seem to hear them. Clank! With a loud roar, the tip of the javelin bumped against the obstruction. The obstacle that had been firmly fixed was easily torn like paper by Fabian¡¯s weapon. Nevertheless, Fabian was still sitting on his horse. There was not even a hint of a fall or imbalance. Fabian¡¯s javelin, which was passed over to him in the beginning, pierced several layers of iron obstacle. Clenching his fist, Glenn thought. ¡®It¡¯s beyond my expectation.¡¯ If speed and weight were added to their produced ore¡¯s destructive power, their enemy soldiers could be torn down like a piece of paper. Surprised by the unexpected killing power, no one could even utter a word. All they could hear was the sound of Fabian¡¯s horse hoofs approaching. At that silent moment, an excited woman¡¯s voice rang in the air in the training field. ¡°If it was a real battle, your weapon could even pierce three enemy soldiers!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± There was only one woman here. It was Nadia. Her clasped hands and flushed cheeks were as cute as a girl who was admiring a sweet dessert for the first time. If only they could ignore the content of what she just said with that expression. Wasn¡¯t it strange to laugh so brightly about piercing someone with a javelin in front of a man whom she had first love with? It was a little strange, but Glenn, who usually didn¡¯t have many opportunities to meet women, who, too, had no choice but to be suspicious could only wonder. It was the same with other knights. They glanced at Nadia and thought. ¡®My lady¡­ You must really love our lord.¡¯ ¡®This had made it clear. She wasn¡¯t a spy from the Duke of Balazit. Even if she got married to play the role of a spy, she wasn¡¯t the Duke¡¯s puppet.¡¯ ¡®Wow, love can make you do things.¡¯ When Nadia paid off Winterfell¡¯s debt, there was a rumour that it was just a scheme to betray the Marquis after winning his trust. In fact, there were not a few people who agreed. Even Giscard, the chief of the Knights, had been preaching passionately not to trust Nadia. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only However, since Nadia contributed to the fall of Vallon Fortress, the negative opinion about Nagia began to lose traction. This was because it was not beneficial for Balazit to bring the entire Raina region down to the point of planting a spy. And today, they were finally convinced. Chapter 45.2 ¡®Madam¡¯s heart is sincere! I can¡¯t believe the confession you made at the ceremony was true!¡¯ So did Glenn. ¡®This woman¡­ She really loves me from the bottom of her heart¡­¡¯ If she really was a spy, instead of leading the Winterfell into their doom, Nadia gave them advantage to achieve a big win. If the Winterfell¡¯s troops devised the tactics proposed by Nadia, their knight would reign as the king of battlefield. Even if she wasn¡¯t intending to, she seemed to be giving wings to the northern troops¡¯ strongest cavalry. The startled vassals began to exchange conversations with their eyes. ¡®You, can you walk into the enemy camp to be with the woman you love?¡¯ ¡®No, I can¡¯t.¡¯ ¡®I can¡¯t do it either.¡¯ ¡®Can you help the woman you love even if people say harsh things and hurt you?¡¯ ¡®I can¡¯t even do that¡­¡­.¡¯ ¡®I would¡¯ve been out of here.¡¯ ¡®How can you like a person so passionately just because you saw him from afar?¡¯ Wasn¡¯t this kind of fateful love that could only come out in a play? Nadia was looking forward with a smile, as if she knew everyone¡¯s eyes were on her. When everyone was fascinated by her, Fabian¡¯s voice came close before they even realized it. ¡°My lord, I¡¯m not hurt at all.¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, Fabian. I¡¯m glad you look safe. Were there any problems?¡± Glenn, who barely came to his senses, asked back. ¡°It¡¯s not that there wasn¡¯t any force, but it¡¯s manageable. I¡¯m sure other knights can withstand it. Uh, but I¡¯m a little worried about the other part.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Until now, the cavalry have moved in a wedge formation, right? So the command from the front could be delivered easily.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°However, in order to shock the enemy in a wide range, I think it would be more appropriate to charge in a tight line. In this case¡­¡± ¡°There will be a problem exchanging signals with each other.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I¡¯m concerned about.¡± A horse¡¯s run would be loud, and the ground would literally rumble when the troops charged forward. Once the charge order was issued, it was considered impossible to transmit signals in such loud sound. Glenn hummed, patting his chin. ¡°We need to think something before we use this tactic in battle.¡± ¡°I happen to have something to say about it.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Then Nadia cut in and stood between Glenn and Fabian. A woman two heads smaller than the two men raised her head with confidence and made eye contact with them. Her eyes were fresh green. ¡®Now I look at her properly, she has a pretty face¡­ No, this is not the time to think about it.¡¯ Glenn had to force his chest to calm down, which almost made his heart find its beat almost immediately. He couldn¡¯t calm down because it was the first time a woman has shown such passionate affection to him. No wonder his face was kind of burning. Nadia continued what she had to say, unaware how her husband felt. ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is to fight directly in real life. I¡¯ve never learned how to handle a weapon, so there will definitely be a problem that I haven¡¯t considered. As Sir Fabian just pointed out, maybe there¡¯s a better way that I didn¡¯t think of. Your Grace and the knights should think of the details. It¡¯s something I am not capable of.¡± ¡°I will keep that in mind.¡± Glenn replied with a nod. He didn¡¯t want to be a useless leader of the Winterfell family who couldn¡¯t do anything unless others help him. Glenn redrew the scene Fabian had just shown. From the moment the young knight held the javelin in his hand, to the scene of the horse kicking and running, to striking the obstacle. Finally, the problematic part became clear. Glenn said, shifting his gaze to Fabian. ¡°Fabian, can you do it again?¡± ¡°Yes, of course. Shall I do it now?¡± ¡°This time, try fixing the weapon between your arm and your body. I think this side will be more stable.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡­ like this?¡± ¡°Yes, pull the javelin a little forward in that position.¡± Fabian faithfully straightened himself up as his lord told him to. Put the lower part of the javelin in close contact with his side, and held it firmly with his hand once again. Fabian felt a little more stable when he supported the weapon with his entire arm, which he had been holding only with his hand strength. Fabian was not the only one who felt that way, but other knights began to assist each other. ¡°It¡¯s definitely better.¡± Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡°I think it would be okay to make the javelin longer than it is now.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be okay to make it thicker to give a stronger impact? I can support it with my entire arm in that position, so I think I can handle it even if it gets heavier.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, too.¡± Chapter 46.1 The more Glenn listened to his vassals¡¯ opinions one by one only made him shake his head. In the meantime, he kept pouring out all the ideas he had in his head. It would be crazy if a plausible idea would come out from several people pouring out all kinds of opinions. ¡°What do you think about attaching a latch to the chest to support the javelin?¡± ¡°That sounds pretty useful, Your Grace. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to be that hard to make. I could instruct the Dwarves to make new samples.¡± ¡°Oh, would it be okay to order more samples from the dwarves? Was it Miar? That dwarf would protest that he¡¯s tired and laid down.¡± ¡°We have to mass-produce it someday anyway, so we need to tell them to make it in advance.¡± The conversation seemed to be prolonged, but the meeting went smoothly. Nadia looked pleased as the men put their heads together and shared their concerns. ¡®Fortunately, they know how to use their brains.¡¯ Nadia couldn¡¯t control every part of the battle plan. After she drew a big blueprint, others had to fill in the flaws. In that sense, the vassals needed to be competent. It was fortunate that the plan would not go wrong as everyone was trying to achieve the same goal in mind. ¡®But I need to give them some hints.¡¯ Mounted shock tactics seemed to have been used for a long time in Lee Jiho¡¯s hometown. That meant he might already know how to retaliate. Nadia would need to give them a heads up on this part. Nadia broke in among the knights in the middle of a heated discussion and opened her mouth. ¡°Excuse me, Glenn.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± As soon as Nadia cut in quietly, the voices stopped. She could feel the eyes of the vassals on her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt the discussion. But there¡¯s one thing I have to say.¡± What else was she trying to say this time? Not only Glenn, but also others, listened to her. It was something they had learned from their experience that the new Madam never said nonsense. ¡°Of course, as you may already know¡­¡­ There is no such thing as a disease without weakness.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If such a thing existed, the army would be made up of one soldier.¡± ¡°The same goes for our new unit. When you have strengths, weaknesses also exist. The enemy will be flustered at first, but one day we will come up with a way to stop our troops.¡± Nadia continued, looking up at him. ¡°Assuming that His Grace were to face a heavily armed cavalry, how would you fight back? From the perspective of a hypothetical enemy¡­¡­ That¡¯s right, imagine His Grace in the shoes of the Southern Lords.¡± ¡°Southern army? Are you assuming a civil war?¡± ¡°I mean yes, for example.¡± Glenn paused to think. Nadia¡¯s point of view to think from the enemy¡¯s point of view made sense. Unless the enemy was a decent idiot, once they had been beaten, they would take precautions against him in the future. If so, it would be his task to prepare for the countermeasures. ¡®If we must stop the armed cavalry charging without arrows and javelins¡­.¡¯ It was suicide to fight back with the cavalry they had. Because the cavalry of Glenn¡¯s enemy, the Southern army, is weaker than the Northern¡¯s. But if he were the commander of the Southern army, he would surely try to find another way. ¡°I would build a heavily armed infantry unit that uses longer spears than the existing ones.¡± After much contemplation, he finally came to a conclusion. ¡°Unlike humans, horses couldn¡¯t wrap their whole body in armor. A very long javelin would be used to aim for the horse instead of the rider. Because of the impact of the fall, the cavalry wouldn¡¯t be able to move freely for a while. I think it¡¯s worth trying if they are aiming for that moment.¡± Nadia thought it was a great relief that she didn¡¯t need to come up with the same disease analogy. If her partner to get her revenge were so clueless, the future would be very difficult. Glenn added. ¡°But the Southern will not be able to operate infantry as easily as we are.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°First of all, most of the infantry are farmers who lack training. It takes time and money to create infantry units that will hold their line undisturbed by a cavalry charge. Elegant crafts cannot be made overnight.¡± Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only He continued, raising another finger. ¡°And secondly, their cavalry are nobles while their infantries are commoner.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Chapter 46.2 ¡°If you deal with the enemy¡¯s main force with only infantry units, most of the credit goes to the commoners. It may seem like a stupid reason, but it¡¯s a problem that can¡¯t be ignored from the point of view of commanders, whom most of them are nobles.¡± ¡°It sounds a bit pathetic, but it makes sense.¡± Nadia nodded her head in agreement. When discussing the merits of battle, the fact that commoners were given priority over nobles was something that the commanders, most of whom were from noble families, could not help but consider. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not just because of pride or merit. Until now, it has been cavalry that faced cavalry on the battlefield. It is difficult to overturn the prejudice once embedded in your head.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Others also began to listen to their lord¡¯s opinion. ¡°His Grace is right. I¡¯ve never seen a man as arrogant as the Southern aristocrats in my life¡­ A-Ah, of course I¡¯m not saying you are, Madam!¡± ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t try to share their credit with the commoners. At least it¡¯ll take time for them to consider.¡± ¡°In addition, it is not like an armour to heavily arm the infantry falls from the sky.¡± Their opinions were convincing enough. But there was one thing they overlooked, or, to be exact, that they didn¡¯t know yet. Only Nadia knew. She opened her mouth with a low, sunken look. ¡°Glenn, just in case, listen to me.¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°What if there are people in the enemy troops who are not bound by the existing common sense or status?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The moment he sees our new strategy, he¡¯s smart enough to immediately come up with the idea of using the long javelin for the infantry. In addition, he doesn¡¯t mind empowering the common people seriously, and he can overturn the existing common sense as much as he wants.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If such a person exists among the enemy¡¯s troops, even if we have a large horse¡­ What are you going to do?¡± * * * The southernmost territory of the kingdom. Shadow Swamp. The place where the subjugation of the venomous dragon Gadavira ended was extremely cluttered. Whether to collect the bodies of the dead or clean up the dragon corpses, everyone was busy running around without even blinking their eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t touch it! The moment you touch it, your flesh will rot.¡± ¡°Ha, but the body needs to be recovered¡­¡± ¡°You just have to wait until the miasma leaves the body, you idiot!¡± There were also those who embraced the corpses of their dead comrades, ignoring the shouts of their superiors. Even though his flesh was being torn from the poison exuded from the corpse, he didn¡¯t care. Screams, wails, or groans echoed from all directions. In this chaos, it was not easy to feel empty even if one person disappeared. Therefore, it took quite a long time for the soldiers to realize that the protagonist of this subjugation had disappeared somewhere. When the sun had completely set and the moon had risen over their heads, they realized that Lee Jiho was nowhere to be seen. ¡°By the way, where did Sir Jiho go ¡­ ?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him since earlier.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he going to get treatment?¡± ¡°He is not. I saw him walking out of the medical barracks unharmed.¡± Being out of the camp all this time meant he might have encountered other problems. Soon, Lee Jiho¡¯s troops formed search teams of two and scattered in all directions. It didn¡¯t take long for the search team to find his whereabouts. They found Lee Jiho standing on a large boulder near the entrance of the dragon lair. ¡°Sir Jiho! What are you doing there?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Then Lee Jiho who looked up at the sky, turned his gaze away. He appeared to be uninjured as he stood on the large rock and moved. Only then could his troops breathe a sigh of relief. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°That¡­ since you haven¡¯t returned to the camp by this time, we came because I thought something was wrong! We thought that there was an accident and you couldn¡¯t come back.¡± ¡°Everyone seems so busy, I should have said something. Anyway, sorry for worrying you.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay. But why did you come here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just have something to look at.¡± Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡°Yes?¡± To look at? At that, the soldiers were puzzled and began to look around. Leaving aside the question of what could be seen on this dark night, the area around Gadavira¡¯s nest had already been thoroughly searched during the day. ¡°Are you going to search for a rarer one more time?¡± ¡°I came to see the sky. It¡¯s bright near the camp, so I can¡¯t see the stars very well.¡± Chapter 47.1 ¡°¡­Stars?¡± The men were at a loss for words at the sudden answer. Looking up at the sky, they saw a cluster of stars that seemed to be scattered in the sky. It was a very beautiful sight. In the midst of this, they started thinking about why Lee Jiho was being this way. As if noticing that the soldiers were flustered, Lee Jiho added as if making an excuse. ¡°I didn¡¯t come to see the scenery, I came to record the movement of the stars.¡± ¡°¡­ Pardon?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± However, he immediately had to regret his choice. The doubt on the two subordinates¡¯ faces deepened even more. ¡®Well, since astronomy is unfamiliar to the commoners of this era.¡¯ Lee Jiho gave up on explaining the details. In any case, he had no obligation to convince his subordinates of his movements one by one. He let out a short sigh and opened his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Let¡¯s just go back.¡± ¡°Yes? A-Ah, yes. Please come down carefully.¡± However, there was not the slightest shaking in the movement of jumping down the tall rock, to the point of his two subordinates worrying. Lee Jiho landed stable. The ability of knights dealing with auras was amazing. The search team silently admired and followed him. * * * Good news and bad news arrived at the same time for the Balazit duchy. The good news was that his subordinate Lee Jiho succeeded in subjugating the venomous dragon Gadavira, and the bad news was that the enemy family succeeded in expanding their territory. ¡°What? The Marquis of Winterfell takes over Valloon Fortress?!¡± Duke Balazit threw away the pen holder he was holding and let out a roar. He was so angry that it seemed like he would spew fire from his mouth. The aide who delivered the news had to bow down without doing anything wrong. ¡°What the hell did that bastard do to take over the heavenly fortress?!¡± ¡°It is said that they dug a cave under the fortress and exploded gunpowder. It looks like one side of the wall has completely collapsed.¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Bang! The Duke slammed the desk and muttered curse words. The Raina region near Valloon Fortress was one of the most prosperous lands in the country, and it was a land that served as a springboard for advancing to the south. It was a really big problem that such a place was owned by the northern forces. Wasn¡¯t it the weakness of the North that it was less productive than the South? ¡®Besides, it¡¯s been a while since they have even settled their enormous debt.¡¯ Just a few months ago, they were steadily breaking down their own political power. When he succeeded in pushing his daughter into the heart of enemy lines, he thought he had won. But in an instant, things turned the way he wasn¡¯t expecting again. As expected, they were not an easy opponent. The Duke clicked his tongue and asked. ¡°Has there been any news from Nadia yet?¡± ¡°Yes, there has been no contact from the lady yet.¡± ¡°But¡­ It¡¯s not something she can prevent anyway.¡± How could she, a powerless dame, interfere with battlefield situations? He demanded competence from those under him, but he did not push something the impossible became possible. Since her virtue in Winterfell would reflect his own, forcing her wouldn¡¯t make it possible either. Of course, that doesn¡¯t mean the situation isn¡¯t fretful. He licked his lips, deep in thought. ¡®As expected, it was a good choice to marry Nadia there.¡¯ At least if Winterfell prepared to move the military in the north, Nadia would be able to notice it in advance. After the Duke kept his mouth shut for a long time, the aide who couldn¡¯t stand the silence started to make a comment loudly. ¡°Still, isn¡¯t it good news that Sir Jiho succeeded in subjugating Gadavira? These days, instead of Marquis Winterfell from the Karla¡¯ai Expedition, he became the talk of the town on the streets of the capital. All they talk about is a dragon slayer, Sir. Dragon slayer! Ha ha ha¡­¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m glad he did his part.¡± After the last triumphal ceremony, rumors of people praising the Marquis of Winterfell had bothered him. After all, it seemed that the Duke made the right choice to bring that stranger to his side. Had it not been for the good news he had brought, he might have lost his vase by now. However, he was too greedy to be satisfied with small good news. The Duke opened his mouth to the aide who was still restless. ¡°Bring me the stationery. After a long time, I need to ask about my daughter¡¯s well-being.¡± Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only * * * It was in the morning when the deputy leader of the knights returned to the Winterfell estate. After appointing John as the temporary lord of the fortress, Glenn ordered for his return. It didn¡¯t take long for the lord¡¯s order to be actually carried out. Before two days had passed, they all packed up. Chapter 47.2 Unlike when they came here, they came back with crates full of loot. Looking at it, Glenn thought he must have seen a similar sight somewhere. ¡®¡­It was a procession mobilizing the bride¡¯s dowry, probably.¡¯ Even then, Glenn had never imagined that marriage would save him. Once he thought of Nadia, his thoughts about her continued to confuse him. What on earth in him did she fall for? Glenn still couldn¡¯t understand how Nadia could be so fervently devoted to someone whom she had seen only a few times from afar. But Nadia was too smart to consider her insane. ¡®They say the difference between a genius and a madman is only by a piece of paper, if that¡¯s the case¡­¡¯ She even betrayed her own father to help a man from her family¡¯s enemy. At this point, she went beyond devoting her body and mind to the level of dedicating her entire life. ¡°Glenn, here you are.¡± ¡°¡­.!¡± Then, as if she had read his mind, Nadia suddenly approached and started talking to him. Glenn looked back at her, startled. He was so absorbed in his other thoughts that he didn¡¯t even notice she was coming close to him. ¡°I have something to tell you before we leave.¡± Nadia was wearing a thick robe over her dress. Perhaps because of the contrast with her dark clothes, her clean, white skin seemed to shine even more. Green eyes under well-groomed eyebrows. Beneath her little nose her lips, which were of a healthy pink color, moved. ¡°When we get to Winterfell Castle and march to the inner border, about that¡­.¡± Even with her thick robes on, her slim figure made her look so frail that a single northern winter wind would blow her away. She was definitely a beauty. A beauty who bore no resemblance to her father. Glenn, of course, thought she had a pretty face from the first moment he saw her. But this was the first time that that fact had touched his heart as deeply as it did now. Why hadn¡¯t she noticed until now? Glenn stared at her face like he was possessed by something. ¡°¡­.It would be better not to reveal anything.¡± Then, at some point, he started to feel his heart beating fast. To add more, he felt that his body was getting hot because he was looking at Nadia for a long time. Nope, even making eye contact with her seemed to be straining. He had to struggle to keep his eyes from meeting Nadia¡¯s. ¡®Why am I feeling all of a sudden?¡¯ Even as Glenn stood still, his heart thumped, and heat rushed to his face, making it difficult to make eye contact with a particular lady. Glenn, who briefly questioned the state of his body, realized before long. He now knew what these feelings were. All the circumstances clearly pointed him to one conclusion. ¡®It¡¯s a feeling of guilt!¡¯ In a situation where he couldn¡¯t respond positively to the confession of the woman who saved him many times, Glenn must be feeling a sense of debt. He could falsely gesture to Nadia that he had the same mind as her. But that wouldn¡¯t be polite to her either. If Nadia realized the truth, she would be deeply hurt. Of course Glenn was grateful to her from the bottom of his heart. Je was willing to do anything he could to help her live in peace in this foreign part of the country. Except for accepting her confession. That was a separate matter from holding his grateful heart. A person¡¯s heart, especially to feel love for the opposite sex, was not something that could be done according to one¡¯s will. ¡°Are you listening to me?¡± Then, Nadia¡¯s voice pulled his consciousness into reality. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Look at you. You weren¡¯t listening.¡± When Glenn came to his senses, he saw Nadia, her eyes narrowed, looking up at him. Come to think of it, she said she came because she had something to say. For a while, he felt like he was transported to another world, as if possessed by something. Her clear words reached his ears, but did not seem to reach his brain. He barely came to his senses and answered. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡°Sorry. I was thinking about something else for a while¡­.¡± ¡°There are many things to think about, so you can leave that to me. About the welcoming ceremony when we enter the border, I have something to tell you about my position at that time.¡± To be honest, the welcoming ceremony was not a big event. Only the extent to which people gathered along the way to the inner sanctum after the return of the army. But since this was her first time doing this, it must be on her mind. Chapter 48.1 ¡°My lord, no matter how passionate a love is, it will turn cold someday. If you keep denying it, you¡¯ll regret it later.¡± ¡°Who else in the world is like Madam? In my opinion, it is the best blessing of your life that your face looks according to her taste.¡± ¡°Do you think there will be anyone else who truly adores the Marquis this much in the future? Her love is sincere, really.¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if she gets tired soon. If I were her, I would have run away earlier.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Glenn felt like his mind was flying away. The knights pressed him hard to open his mouth because he was holding back too much. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re still doubting your wife¡¯s sincerity, do you?¡± ¡°No way.¡± ¡°Then what could be the problem? Madam is smart, beautiful, and most of all, she loves her husband with all her heart. There¡¯s no one else like her.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± They were right. Even if Glenn lived for decades to come, it would be a long way off to meet a woman who loved him as pure as she did. Maybe Nadia was too much to be true for him. Glenn murmured in a cool subdued voice. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t accept her because she is sincere.¡± ¡°What kind of bullsh¨C .¡­ No, I mean, that doesn¡¯t maake sense.¡± ¡°I am grateful to my wife, but being thankful doesn¡¯t generate love, right? I can¡¯t pretend to love her. She wouldn¡¯t want it either.¡± Then someone shouted, beating their chest as if they were frustrated. ¡°Well, then, you can try to feel the same way, right?¡± ¡°Do you think people¡¯s hearts move as they think?¡± ¡°Then try to move it! Try it hard, harder!¡± ¡°Madam didn¡¯t refuse to do all kinds of hard work to win your favor. Then you should at least try half as hard as her.¡± ¡°If you¡¯ve received her help, at least try to change your mind!¡± Some of the knights turned enthusiastic, even blood vessels around their necks could be seen. If anyone saw them, they wouldn¡¯t know who¡¯s the master and who¡¯s the subordinates. Until just a few months ago, no one would have thought that they were the ones who try to convince their lord not to trust Duke Balazit¡¯s daughter. Strangely enough, however, Glenn couldn¡¯t deny them because in the back of his mind, he used to think that they were right. Actually, it wasn¡¯t wrong. Nadia was a good woman. Had it not been for her, the March of Winterfell would still be struggling in hardships. Now that they were married, everything had been good so far. But¡­ Glenn Had a reason why he couldn¡¯t force himself to love Nadia. Glenn continued with a sigh. ¡°I can¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°No, but why? What¡¯s the problem? My lord, please don¡¯t think about it too much.¡± ¡°If we become lovers, how could I face my late mother?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What about my father who¡¯s still lying in bed?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The atmosphere, which had just been lively, subsided in an instant. ¡®¡­¡­ it was the Duke Balazit who harmed the previous Marquis and the previous Madam.¡¯ ¡®To think how lucky the previous Marquis was to escape that disaster¡­¡­.¡¯ ¡®True.. It is almost impossible for the previous Marquis to recover his health.¡¯ Of course, so far, no one hated Nadia just because she was the daughter of the Duke of Balazit. On the contrary, it wouldn¡¯t be weird if the number of people who adored Nadia increased. Glenn also had no intention of blaming Nadia for her father¡¯s sins. However, becoming a lover with the daughter of the man who killed his own mother was a completely different matter. Glenn couldn¡¯t believe he would get married to the daughter of the man who killed his mother. Anyone with common sense would think how shuddering Glenn¡¯s situation was. Hence, Glenn could not accept Nadia¡¯s confession. No, he should rather not accept it. Glenn smiled bitterly and shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Well, it is what it is.¡± ¡°Oh, my God¡­.¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡± There was no way the knights had anything more to say. How could a man force himself to try and love the daughter of an enemy who killed his parents? The knights who talked enthusiastically just a moment ago scratched their heads awkwardly. ¡®It¡¯s a crazy situation.¡¯ ¡®Man, this is so twisted.¡¯ No one was willing to speak. The most pitiful one in this situation turned out to be Glenn. ¡°Well¡­¡­ Cheer up, my lord.¡± ¡°Someday¡­ No, one day it will work out well.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± The knights were not good at comforting. Glenn only smiled bitterly instead of answering. When he gave no answer, a strange silence fell on the training ground. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± It was quite a long silence. Just as Glenn was about to change the topic due to awkwardness, a voice came from outside the training ground. ¡°My lord, you¡¯re here!¡± ¡°?¡± When Glenn turned around, someone was running from the entrance of the training ground. It was the youngest member of his knight order, Fabian. He ran and stopped in front of the lord in an instant and opened his mouth again. ¡°Are you working on something else right now? If you have time, Madam would like to have lunch with you.¡± ¡°Nadia?¡± Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only Glenn would appreciate her suggestion, but he didn¡¯t come to the training ground for no reason. Glenn pointed to the knights whom he gathered and said, ¡°As you can see, we decided to match the cavalry formation a little.¡­.¡± ¡°But, that¡¯s what you can do after lunch, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll gather back after lunch, too. My lord, you should hurry up and go.¡± Then the knights quickly disappeared after packing their own stuff. Chapter 48.2 What? Nadia didn¡¯t even expect this kind of reaction¡­ Even at the moment Nadia yelped oh my, Glenn¡¯s voice continued. ¡°So I hope you don¡¯t feel compelled to help me. I can¡¯t deny that one day there will be a major conflict between the South and the North¡­ If possible, try not to get yourself caught up in the fight.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± At this point, Nadia could only guess that Glenn misunderstood her. Hence Nadia didn¡¯t know what to answer. Organizing her thoughts, Nadia finally opened her mouth. She sticked to the role of a woman in love. ¡°Well, for saying so¡­ Thank you so much, but¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°Still, I think it would be better not to show up at the welcoming ceremony. I want to help you not because anyone forced me or because I feel obligied to.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°I just want to help because I like it.¡± Even after she said it, Nadia slightly averted her gaze like she was embarrassed. Her cheeks weren¡¯t flushed at all, but she pretended to be shy. It was Glenn who caught fire in his face. He gritted his teeth and thought. ¡®Damn it, are southern women usually so open to showing affection?¡¯ No matter how many times he heard the direct expression of love, Glenn couldn¡¯t get used to it. Especially after realizing that she was sincere, it seemed to make him felt even more strange. Glenn cleared his throat, barely clearing the heat off of his face, and said. ¡°If you say so¡­ I understand.¡± Of course, he still couldn¡¯t make eye contact. ¡°If you want, you can just stay in the carriage during the welcoming ceremony. Even the fact that you made a big contribution, I shall issued order to keep it a secret. And the thing you¡¯re worried about¡­ I will try to prevent that from happening as much as possible.¡± ¡°Thank you for your understanding.¡± When she smiled and said that, his mind suddenly fled out of the window. Glenn muttered it was time. He just realized he was too excited. He said with a slightly embarrassed expression. ¡°It¡¯s almost time to leave, you should get on the carriage now.¡± ¡°Yes, see you later, Glenn.¡± Nadia waved her hand and ran to the direction of her carriage. Her escort knight, Fabian, followed suit. Glenn watched her climb into her carriage, then he too took his steps to the place where his horse stood. ¡°Your Grace, would you like to leave now?¡± ¡°It looks like everything is ready. Do we need to waste any of our time?¡± ¡°Yes, then I will tell everyone to depart now.¡± After he gave the order to depart, he mounted his horse. The saddles of his horses were not equipped with stirrups because Nadia gave her advice only a few days ago. ¡°Right, I would like you to keep the things I told you a secret for the time being. Our practice has to be done secretly by gathering only trustworthy people. Isn¡¯t it better to hide a trump card?¡± Stirrups were difficult to come up with at first, but they were simple enough that anyone could use it once they saw it. But if they used this item in a public place, it wouldn¡¯t take long for it to reach the South. Of course, even if the Southerners followed the same tactic, it would not be as efficient as the Northern army, but it would be more advantageous for the enemy to know their plan. The vassals and knights agreed with Glenn, and they agreed to keep it a secret until they revealed it in the battlefeld. And one more thing. There was one more thing Nadia hinted at that day. She was lost in her thoughts when she said it to Glenn. ¡®A commander who is not bound by social status and knows how to boldly overturn conventional common sense¡­¡¯ The faces of the lords of the Southern nobles come to his mind one by one. There were stupid people among them, and there were smart one too, but they didn¡¯t have anything in common to Nadia¡¯s description. ¡®They all seems to be old-fashioned and conservative.¡¯ They were all mostly typical aristocratic middle-aged men. In addition, it was unlikely that a lord with a large territory tended to be dependent on their status. Because their prosperity depended on it. None of the people in his mind matched what she said. But Glenn wasn¡¯t stupid enough to think that Nadia was only worrying for nothing. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only Was it something he had learned from some experience that she had never said something wrong? Besides, the look on Nadia¡¯s face the moment she mentioned this unknown figure bothered him. ¡®It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen such a sunken expression on her.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t that she was being cautious for the unlikely event, it was more that she had already known that there was such a person on the enemy lines. ¡®Who is it?¡¯ Chapter 49.1 The main house of Winterfell Castle, the most private place among them, was inside the library. In this space while both of the owners were away, a war of nerves was going on between the two characters. ¡°Gordon, are you really going to do this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Madam. But I can¡¯t just hand over the hostess¡¯s seal.¡± ¡°That sounds very sad. If someone hears it, they will mistake me for an outsider.¡± It was Glenn¡¯s aunt, Mrs. Grace, who insisted the elder man handed her the seal, and the butler, Gordon, who had the guts to not give it up without the owner¡¯s consent. No matter how much he had served the family from the previous predecessors, the butler¡¯s status was only a servant. To think that a mere servant stubbornly refused her order. Grace¡¯s glare as she stiffly raised her head grew fiercer. However, she was not only good at asserting her authority and intimidating. As she calmed her temper, she began to speak with her noble, aristocratic demeanor. ¡°Look, Gordon. It was I who managed the housekeeping just a few months ago. To be precise, it was you and me. Are you saying you still don¡¯t believe me?¡± ¡°I am very grateful to you for helping me a lot, Madam. But unlike back then, the House of Winterfell now has a mistress. I cannot give you a seal without her permission.¡± ¡°What?¡± Laughter erupted from Mrs. Grace¡¯s mouth. ¡°Is there really a mistress in this castle right now?¡± ¡°¡­. !¡± She made an interrogative question, but Gordon wasn¡¯t stupid enough to believe she was asking because she really didn¡¯t know the truth. Look at that elated expression¨C that expression was already certain that Nadia was not in the castle. ¡®Did someone leak the information¡­¡¯ After the death of her former lady of House Winterfell, Mrs. Grace was deeply involved in the management of the castle. So, in a way, it was only natural that she, as the sister-in-law, still remained in the castle. Gordon closed his eyes in surprise and opened his mouth. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t mean to be rude. It seems you already know everything.¡± ¡°You cannot cover the sky with your palms. The servants are agitated saying that she has not seen their Madam for days.¡± After saying that, Mrs. Grace put on a soft expression. She fully understood Gordon¡¯s position, which made him have no choice but to handle everything according to principle. Her confrontation with him happened because his loyalty to the Marquis of Winterfell was too much. So if she reminded him that now was not the time to fight each other and that they both had a common enemy, he would cooperate with her. ¡°Where do you think the daughter of Balazit is headed?¡± ¡°I cannot tell you.¡± ¡°Of course, you can¡¯t tell because you don¡¯t know where she went!¡± ¡°¡­.I can¡¯t give you more details, but that¡¯s not it. Madam soon¡­.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why are you covering her up so much?¡± ¡°I would like to remind you that Madam is now the hostess of the house. Please be careful what you say about her, no matter how private it is.¡± ¡°What?¡± Mrs. Grace¡¯s eyebrows twitched. Careful? She wanted to show him some pity, so she lowered her pride and held out her hand, but she didn¡¯t know he would be so arrogant. She had to settle her rage burning inside before continuing her words. ¡°That wren¡­ Of course, like you said, I should mind her title. I am just saying there is a possibility that the new Madam has betrayed our family. After all, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too coincidental that she disappeared right after Glenn left the castle?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°She came to our family with intentions, and she must have escaped while her surveillance was lax. There must be something wrong with the estate. Or she might have stolen something and run away.¡± Gordon said nothing. He had an expressionless face, but he was clearly agitated inside. She went on, enjoying herself. ¡°Glenn has no time to waste waiting for that child to come back. He¡¯ll give me the ledger and the hostess¡¯s seal soon or later. Shouldn¡¯t we investigate what happened within the territory?¡± She tried to instill a sense of crisis at the same time as implying that they were on the same side. If she did this, he would understand her justification for entrusting her with the authority of hostess¨C ¡°No.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡­.Gordon didn¡¯t even look like he was thinking about Mrs. Grace persuasion. At that point, beyond her rage, her heart was filled with tightness. It was so unbearable, that she forgot the face she put in the front and yelled at him. ¡°Have you listened to what I have to say until now! There could be big trouble before Glenn comes back!¡± ¡°There is no such thing. I really didn¡¯t mean to say this, but¡­¡± Gordon sighed deeply and opened his mouth again. ¡°Madam is currently with His Grace. So you don¡¯t have to worry about whether or not she plotted something and ran away. If that were the case, she wouldn¡¯t have voluntarily gone to His Grace¡¯s side.¡± ¡°That-that woman is with Glenn? Since when did she¡­¡± ¡°In the first place, Madam left a letter saying that she was going to see His Grace. Sir Fabian, her escort, accompanied her.¡± Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡°She went to Glenn?¡± Mrs. Grace¡¯s eyes widened to the size of a plate. She never imagined that Nadia would have gone to Glenn. However, it did not change the fact that she behaved suspiciously in the wartime situation. Mrs. Grace persisted on that until the end. Chapter 49.2 ¡°Even if it¡¯s true, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that it¡¯s suspicious! The situation in the battlefield can change even by a very minor factor. How do you know what she¡¯s up to there?¡± ¡°Of course it could be. But His Grace will take care of things there. What does that have to do with you taking over the hostess¡¯ seal?¡± ¡°How dare you¨C !¡± No matter what she said, it didn¡¯t work. This idiot seemed already firmly fooled by Balazit¡¯s daughter. Mrs. Grace¡¯s eyelids began to quiver. ¡®What kind of trick is she playing?¡¯ How did she win the favor of Winterfell¡¯s aides in such a short period of time? Especially in the case of the butler in front of her right now, it seemed that Gordon had been brainwashed. But she was too tenacious to give up here. So, that meant she started to come up with something different. ¡°Did she really go to Glenn? Do you just trust the one letter she left behind and just let her go?¡± ¡°Yes, I am sure.¡± ¡°Then why hasn¡¯t Glenn sent her back to the castle? She must have been in the way!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. When they are back, you could ask His Grace directly.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± The moment she saw the smile on Gordon¡¯s lips, she realized why he, who had been wary of her all along, obediently told Nadia about Glenn¡¯s whereabouts. It must have been so because he had already heard that the couple would return soon. ¡°His Grace says they have departed from the Valloon Fortress. Sooner or later, the two of them will return together.¡± * * * ¡°Congratulations on your big win.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you came back safely, Your Grace.¡± At the entrance to the main castle, servants were waiting in line to greet them. Glenn, who waved roughly at them as they congratulated them, jumped off the horse. The place where his gaze was looking at was in front of the main gate of the main castle. An old gray-haired woman was walking down the steps of the front door with Gordon. He said with a silent bow to Mrs. Grace. ¡°I¡¯m back, aunt.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad there are no injuries.¡± The expression on her face wasn¡¯t good enough to say that she was happy. Still, since it was a position with a lot of eyes to see, he played the good nephew and answered. ¡°I was lucky.¡± ¡°You have done a great job, why belittle it with the word luck.¡± Looking at her aunt¡¯s expression, Glenn soon noticed where she was looking. Her gaze was so blatant that he couldn¡¯t pretend he didn¡¯t know. She immediately passed her words to Nadia. ¡°Oh, Her Grace is also here. I¡¯m glad you look okay as well.¡± ¡°Thank you for your concern, Mrs. Grace.¡± ¡°I knew you would return with His Grace. When I first heard that you had left the castle and headed for the battlefield, I was astonished. Why did you go to such a dangerous place?¡± She must have tried to be a spy. It was to arouse others¡¯ awareness of Nadia what Mrs. Grace¡¯s apparent assumption that she dared to ask in public. Wouldn¡¯t it be suspicious to anyone that a noble lady sneaked out of the castle and headed for the battlefield? By asking her this question, everyone would be reminded once again that Nadia was Duke Balazit¡¯s spy. Let¡¯s see what she could say. Mrs. Grace waited for words to come out of Nadia¡¯s mouth with her sharp face. ¡°I missed His Grace so much that I couldn¡¯t sleep all day.¡± ¡°What?¡± The answer that came back was truly spectacular. Nadia answered her question softly, as if she were a tragic heroine in a play. ¡°At this rate, I felt like I was going to die, so I took the risk of rudeness and went to where he was. If I waited for His Grace to come back, I might have gotten love sickness.¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± She almost burst out screaming implying that Nadia was lying. Perhaps the appearance of Nadia acting as a shy woman was so detestable in her eyes. ¡°If you loved His Grace that much, you should have thought of his position first. Didn¡¯t it ever occur to you that your presence would be a hindrance?¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s¡­ I was short thinking.¡± Even though it was just acting, Mrs. Grace felt relieved at the sight of Nadia looking down, stunned of her own recklessness. Mrs. Grace, who quickly judged that this was her chance, raised her voice. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re alright, but what would you do if you had been taken hostage by the enemy? If that was the case, His Grace wouldn¡¯t be winning like today. Even if you think you are being short thinking, this is too much.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Nadia didn¡¯t answer with her head bowed as if she realized her mistake. How amazing was that. ¡®Now, let me show you the authority of the elders of the family.¡¯ The moment she was about to carry on her scolding, someone stepped between Nadia and Mrs. Grace. ¡°Sir Giscard?¡± The one who approached was none other than Giscard, the leader of the knights. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only She was delighted in her heart at Giscard¡¯s intervention. Everyone knew that that man was a loyalist of Winterfell. Besides, he must have been disturbed by Nadia¡¯s intrusion in the battlefield, so he must be dissatisfied¡­ ¡°Aren¡¯t you talking too much to Madam?¡± What now? Chapter 50.1 Mrs. Grace¡¯s eyes widened. She never thought that Giscard would cover Balazit¡¯s daughter. Not anyone else, but ¡®that¡¯ Giscard! ¡°Just now¡­ What did you say?¡± ¡°I asked if you were talking too harshly. There are eyes watching. Please be polite.¡± ¡°That¡­ That¨C!¡± He told her to be polite? Did he say she was being rude? It shocked Mrs. Grace, who believed that her aristocratic judgement had pointed out Nadia¡¯s faults. Mrs. Grace¡¯s body began to tremble at Giscard¡¯s straightforward and rude attitude. However, Giscard¡¯s words did not end there. ¡°Besides, Her Grace has never been a hindrance to us. She behaved well, so don¡¯t worry too much about her.¡± ¡°They are newlyweds, so she must¡¯ve never wanted to be apart. Even His Grace must have been glad that Her Grace came to see him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± In addition to that, the other knights quietly joined in, so she had nothing more to say. It would be ridiculous to criticize Nadia while the people on the scene defended her by saying that they were not disturbed. Eventually, Mrs. Grace had to turn to her nephew, Glenn, for help. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that the two of you could be so harmonious. I¡¯ve been worried a lot, but this old woman¡¯s heart is relieved now.¡± There was no way the relationship between the daughter of the Balazit family and Glenn would be harmonious, so ¨C ¡°It was just something she did on impulse, out of a pure desire to see her husband. Please don¡¯t blame her too much, Aunt.¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± Did he lost his mind? A pure desire to see her husband? ¡®It can¡¯t be!¡¯ But Mrs. Grace seemed to be the only one who thought so. Everyone nodded their head as if they agreed with Glenn. They couldn¡¯t understand where Mrs. Grace could come up with that statement. Had they been brainwashed? Mrs. Grace was at a time so perplexed that she couldn¡¯t find anything to say. ¡°I¡¯m tired from the long journey, so I will go in now, Aunt.¡± ¡°W-Wait!¡± ¡°I will make time for you next time.¡± After saying that, Glenn took his stride forward. Nadia followed after him. As she passed Mrs. Grace, the eyes of the two women collided. When Nadia¡¯s eyes, which had been red as if she were crying, curved like crescent moon. ¡°Pfft.¡± Mrs. Grace could hear clearly. The sound of that coquettish woman laughing at her. ¡°.¡­!¡± As soon as her fleeting snicker passed, Nadia followed Glenn again with her pitiful look on her face. Thanks to that, Mrs. Grace¡¯s body shook from her anger. If she made a fuss about the foxy little woman¡¯s expression just now, Mrs. Grace would only damage her own reputation. ¡°T-That¡­!¡± Look at that arrogant pair! The noble old lady¡¯s face turned into all kinds of colors. Furious, Mrs. Grace tumbled and stood upright right after, not noticing that everyone had left. Then, the voice of her nameless servant brought her to reality. ¡°M-Madam¡­¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Do you want to go home? Shall I prepare a carriage for you?¡± Mrs. Grace tried to keep herself calm. ¡®Something¡¯s wrong. Something must be wrong.¡¯ When her nephew, Glenn, took Balazit¡¯s daughter¡¯s side, Mrs. Grace humiliated herself. That witch must have done something. ¡®But today, he won¡¯t accept my advice.¡¯ Glenn also made excuse that his fatigue had accumulated because of the long journey. If Mrs. Grace asked for a private meeting for no reason and was rejected again, she would lose her face even more. She had to step back, just this once. ¡°Yes, prepare a carriage.¡± But Mrs. Grace¡¯s voice was full of unavoidable nervousness. At what point did she turn the family of Winterfell on her side? By what means? ¡®At this rate, sooner or later, my authority might be completely taken away.¡¯ Again, a grinding sound escaped from her mouth. * * * In the welcoming procession, there were a few people who were not part of the troops when they left. One of them were dwarves rescued from Valloon Fortress, and Nadia invited them to return to Winterfell together, and they accepted Nadia¡¯s offer. As soon as they arrived at the territory, Nadia¡¯s first job was to treat them well. The meeting was held and attended by the dwarves, the administrators of the castle, and Glenn. Nadia first ordered the modification of existing farming equipment to help improve the soil plowing. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only It was a part that she had discussed with Glenn beforehand, so the meeting went smoothly. ¡°We don¡¯t even need the Dwarf¡¯s craftsmanship to make farming tools. We will arrange for the blacksmith in our territory to mass-produce them.¡± Then, Miar raised his hand and asked. ¡°Then will production of plate armor be delayed?¡± ¡°The time has come for the dwarves who went to the village to come back. Let¡¯s resume working on it together when they return.¡± Chapter 50.2 ¡°Uh¡­ Then, are you saying the production of plate armor and the improvement of farming tools should be carried out together?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You got it right.¡± Then, an alarmed voice resonated loudly. ¡°No, wait! Isn¡¯t this different from when we signed a contract? You said you would give us two days off a week!¡± ¡°With this, with this amount of work, we could only take a day off on Sunday, let two days!¡± ¡°Oh, I guess you haven¡¯t read the clause below it.¡± Nadia walked to the bookcase, drooping her eyebrows as if she were sorry. As they happened to be in the conference room, a copy of the contract existed nearby. Nadia explained to the Dwarves, thrusting at the contracts they had signed themselves. ¡°Look at this. I put an additional condition under point 3. Two holidays per week are guaranteed, but additional work may be requested in unavoidable circumstances. Instead, you will be paid twice as much for any extra hours worked.¡± ¡°But, it¡¯s only in an unavoidable situation, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Why is it not urgent to remodel the agricultural equipment when our people need to farm immediately? Also, I¡¯m not asking you to do all the work. You are going to make as many as our blacksmiths will¡­ No, more would be preferable.¡± ¡°Then why are you in a hurry to make plate armor? It¡¯s not like there¡¯s going to be a war right now.¡± ¡°In the North, unexpected monster strikes often happen. Are you not aware of that?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I plan to test the power of the new cavalry unit by defeating monsters. For that, they need to go through training beforehand.¡± The Dwarves, who couldn¡¯t say anything back, kept their mouths shut. Nadia added, as she took another shot. ¡°Oh, by the way, you know that making stirrups is also your job, right?¡± ¡°Huh? But it¡¯s not something that requires our technical skills¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, but the existence of stirrups is a secret that only a few people know about. I don¡¯t want to divulge it even to the blacksmiths. Dwarves are a race famous for keeping faith.¡± ¡°O-of course we are¡­¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why I want to leave it to you. If you could do that, at least I won¡¯t have to worry about words spilling out during the production process.¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± The Dwarves cleared their throats as they were embarrassed by the openly flattering words. However, from the twitching of the corners of their mouth, they didn¡¯t seem to have any objection. ¡°Ahem, it¡¯s such an honor that the Marchioness trusts us.¡± ¡°I hope you could meet my expectations.¡± ¡°My.¡­ It wouldn¡¯t be polite for us to refuse after all since you asked for it yourself.¡± In the end, the dwarves went into labor hell with their own feet. The administrators who watched the scene with their own eyes couldn¡¯t help but admire Nadia from the bottom of their hearts. With only flattering, the dwarves were willing to take all the enormous tasks. ¡®I heard the dwarves have a lot of pride in their own race, but they quickly get over it¡­¡¯ ¡®She handled them easily.¡¯ At this moment, the administrators felt how fortunate they were that they weren¡¯t the craftsmen. While they were secretly breathing a sigh of relief, Nadia, who had finished assigning the work to the dwarves, casted her eyes on the administrator as well. ¡°Then let¡¯s move on to the next issue.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± That¡¯s weird. Why is Madam looking at us? A strange feeling of fear began to creep up from their back. A few of them were quick to notice the fact that Nadia wouldn¡¯t have called them if they were only going to discuss the issue of remodeling farm equipment. ¡°I want to improve the existing harvesting system a little¡­ It is a different problem from distributing agricultural tools we are going to make for the farmers. If we order a change in the farming method they are accustomed to, I¡¯m sure complaints will build up.¡± Growing the same crop for many years in a row, the yield gradually decreased due to the exhaustion of soil fertility. To prevent the decreasing yield, farmers decided to divide farmland into three equal parts and grow food only in the two-thirds, and the remaining one-third took a year off from farming. Disrupting established ways carried risks. Who could guarantee that the new cropping system proposed by the higher ups would bring them a good result? ¡°In that case, we just have to show the results first.¡± ¡°Are you thinking of adopting the method you propose only on some farmland?¡± It was Glenn who asked the question. Nadia answered as she shifted her gaze to him. ¡°Yes, if we show them a success story, everyone will voluntarily follow.¡± Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡°¡­Are you that confident that it will succeed?¡± ¡°Yes, one hundred percent.¡± New territories were obtained, but the land was not yet comparable to the rich plains of the South. There was no way to create land like the South, so they didn¡¯t have a choice but to increase the production efficiency. ¡°Currently, one-third of the farmland has to take a break from farming every year, you, too, are aware of it, right, Your Grace?¡± Chapter 51.1 ¡°Although I am not an expert on farming, I know that much.¡± ¡°That means a third of the farmland has to be left unharvested. To prevent these losses, we need first to divide the land into four parts.¡± ¡°Are you saying you¡¯re going to reduce the land unharvested by 1/4?¡± ¡°No. There will be no resting land.¡± ¡°But if we farm it without rest, the fertility will decline.¡± ¡°Instead of taking a break from farming, I plan to grow crops like clover and alfalfa.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Glenn still looked bewildered. No wonder he didn¡¯t catch on right away. Only the types of crops changed, in the end, didn¡¯t it mean that Nadia was planning to farm one after another? Nadia opened her mouth again. ¡°Test this method. Divide the land into four equal parts, and in turn grow food on 3/4 and grow clover on 1/4. The land where the clover grows will become fertile again.¡± ¡°Will it really succeed?¡± ¡°Yes, besides, clover also can be used as fodder for livestock. It is beneficial in many ways.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± It was hard to accept Nadia¡¯ suggestion, but they did wonder about the possibility to the point that they really believed her because of how confident she was. ¡®It¡¯s not like we¡¯re going to apply it to the entire farmland right away anyway, so we¡¯ll just have to make a decision after seeing the results.¡¯ Even if the results were not good, food shortages would not happen thanks to the rich agricultural land near Valloon Fortess. Glenn replied with a nod. ¡°Great. Do as you please. At what scale are you going to test it?¡± ¡°I will decide after asking the doctor how many villagers will be able to volunteer. So¡­ I have no choice but to give you some trouble on this.¡± The last sentence was addressed to the administrators. When Nadia¡¯s eyes met them, they shook their shoulders in amazement. It was a strange feeling. ¡°The farming season is coming soon, so starting today, visit each village and ask the doctor. Also, announce that those who voluntarily participate will receive tax reduction.¡± ¡°Right from today?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s an urgent matter, so it¡¯s not enough to post a notice. Make sure to visit each family one by one to deliver my message and ask them to make a decision within this week.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Ah, come to think of it, they also have to fill out a land registration again.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Was this the cause of the sudden chill? To meet the impending farming season, they would have to work nonstop from today. But it wasn¡¯t fair to complain that it was too much because Nadia was the hardest worker in Winterfell. Eventually, the administrators had no choice but to accept their fate. ¡°We understand¡­ We will organize the results and report to you soon.¡± ¡°Thank you for your work.¡± Nadia patted one of them on his droopy shoulders. Though Glenn didn¡¯t think it would be that comforting. ¡®I¡¯m glad she is not managing labor management¡­¡¯ Had it been, Nadia would have been enforcing the labor force by now. When Glenn was secretly breathing a sigh of relief, Nadia¡¯s glaring eyes were directed directly at him. ¡°Glenn?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Did you just sigh? Did you¡­ mind if I make a big change on my own?¡± In the meantime, Glenn seemed to be aware that Nadia was enforcing his subordinates. ¡°No, I¡­¡± ¡°While the vassals are working hard, a head of family should work as hard as well, right? A messenger from Valloon came. The refugees are coming in. Distributing land is important, so I think it¡¯s better to check it yourself. Migrants are also coming from Valloon, so we have to take care of this. Oh, and you know that Rare Expedition is coming back from Valloon, right? They will be here soon. Therefore¡­¡± Nadia led Glenn outside with an endless list of tasks, all the way to the office. It¡¯s nice to have a good life together, but she couldn¡¯t do all the work by herself, right? ¡°Anyway, I would like you to check and decide within three days. I would appreciate it if you could discuss it with me before making a conclusion.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Glenn, you¡¯re not answering.¡± ¡°¡­¡­do as you please.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you.¡± Nadia smiled beautifully. However, unlike her pretty crescent-shaped eyes, her eyes were fierce. It was not the eyes of a woman looking at a man she loved, but the eyes of an overseer¡­ he thought. * * * At the outdoor drill hall bathed in the early spring sunlight. On the rocks warmed by the sun all day long, Glenn threw himself down. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡°Sigh¡­ I could finally breathe.¡± When Glenn moved his body, it felt like his whole soring body relaxed. His muscles seemed to be cheering. Now that he came to think of it, it seemed like it had been a long time since he had been exposed to sunlight like this. Not the sunlight coming through the window, but the one directly hitting his skin. As if Glenn wasn¡¯t the only one who felt that way, the knights gathered one by one, smiling at their lord they hadn¡¯t seen in a long time. Chapter 51.2 ¡°Wow, it¡¯s His Grace!¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t it seem like we haven¡¯t seen each other in a long time? Are my eyes playing tricks on me?¡± ¡°It is not an illusion.¡± Glenn had been really busy for a while. He even had to live with a report by his bedside. He didn¡¯t particularly hate paperwork, but he had a tough time because of Nadia for the last few days, and now he felt sick just by looking at letters. He realized once again that it was great happiness for humans to be able to move their bodies as much as they wanted and relax under the sun. When Glenn was enjoying happiness that he had never known before, he suddenly noticed that the knights looking at him became strange. ¡°¡­.What¡¯s with that unpleasant smile?¡± ¡°What unpleasant smile? You made us sad, my lord!¡± ¡°Is it because you are a newlywed? Your face looks nice¡­ No, I am just thinking that your face looks thinner.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Glenn didn¡¯t understand what they were saying. Perhaps because they thought Glenn was pretending not to understand what they meant on purpose, the mischievous smiles on the knights¡¯ faces got wider. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t pretend like you don¡¯t know, my lord. We¡¯re just¡­ We are just wondering if you¡¯ve had a good time with your wife.¡± ¡°Did you have fun without having time to look into what the knights were doing?¡± ¡°That¡¯s how newlyweds are.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± At this point, Glenn had a sense of what they were talking about. His eyebrows raised unpleasantly. ¡°You must have been too comfortable while I was busy. Seeing that you are gossiping uselessly.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± All knights went silent. They began to glance at each other and read each other¡¯s faces. ¡®I don¡¯t think he¡¯s pretending.¡¯ ¡®So nothing really happened? Does it make sense?¡¯ ¡®But our lord is weak at this kind of topic¡­¡¯ ¡®No, but still!¡¯ They took some time to exchange opinions through their eyes for a moment. Finally, one person, who was almost pressured by silence, came forward and asked. ¡°Do you perhaps¡­ Have you not accepted your wife¡¯s heart yet?¡± ¡°No way!¡± ¡°Oh, then¡­ What have you done so far?¡± ¡°I heard you were with your wife almost all the time.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Something skipped in Glenn¡¯s heart when he thought of what he had done in that long time. ¡®What did I do? I was busy trying to feed you guys!¡¯ Memories of the past 15 days passed quickly through Glenn¡¯s head. It was true that he spent a long time with Nadia, but he didn¡¯t fool around with her. It was more like a labor force exploitation situation going on between them. Why did Glenn work so hard? It was because he had a lot of mouths to feed. Among them, it took a huge budget to feed the knights. Instead of recognizing his hard work, Glenn couldn¡¯t help but to be upset at the knights who didn¡¯t know his situation well and talked about him having a great time. Glenn bursted into a loud roar. ¡°Do you think that the estate could maintain itself? Not to mention that now we have one more castle to look after. Even the number of migrants coming in are enormous!¡± ¡°W-wait a minute. Please calm down, my lord.¡± ¡°Also, do you know how hard I work¨C!¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what we meant, but don¡¯t you love Madam anyway, my lord?¡± ¡°What about that?¡± Glenn¡¯s tone in his reply was very strange. Didn¡¯t everyone know about how Nadia Winterfell loved Glenn Winterfell passionately? ¡°But the two of you have been in the same space for a long time¡­ Are you saying that you really only worked? Did nothing really happen?¡± ¡°Nothing happened.¡± Glenn answered flatly. In the first place, he had no time to do anything else because Nadia constantly gave him work. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± There was a moment of heavy silence after Glenn¡¯s reply. Everyone was looking at him with eyes as big as a plate. Under the gaze of the knights, Glenn thought. ¡®At least they are not going to talk rubbish anymore.¡¯ But the knights¡¯ reaction was completely different from his expectations. ¡°What a coward!¡± Soon after, the other knights started to talk one by one. ¡°You only take advantage of a devoted lady¡¯s competence!¡± ¡°My lord, excuse me, but are you still a man? If you want to get something, you need to get it right!¡± Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡°How can you take advantage of Madam¡¯s love!¡± What were they talking about? Glenn was thrown into confusion. Even if so, there was no such unfair situation. It was not Nadia, but Glenn himself who had been taken advantage to the fullest for the past days. However, there was no one here who knew this injustice he had been through. Chapter 52.1 ¡°My lord, no matter how passionate a love is, it will turn cold someday. If you keep denying it, you¡¯ll regret it later.¡± ¡°Who else in the world is like Madam? In my opinion, it is the best blessing of your life that your face looks according to her taste.¡± ¡°Do you think there will be anyone else who truly adores the Marquis this much in the future? Her love is sincere, really.¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if she gets tired soon. If I were her, I would have run away earlier.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Glenn felt like his mind was flying away. The knights pressed him hard to open his mouth because he was holding back too much. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re still doubting your wife¡¯s sincerity, do you?¡± ¡°No way.¡± ¡°Then what could be the problem? Madam is smart, beautiful, and most of all, she loves her husband with all her heart. There¡¯s no one else like her.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± They were right. Even if Glenn lived for decades to come, it would be a long way off to meet a woman who loved him as pure as she did. Maybe Nadia was too much to be true for him. Glenn murmured in a cool subdued voice. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t accept her because she is sincere.¡± ¡°What kind of bullsh¨C .¡­ No, I mean, that doesn¡¯t maake sense.¡± ¡°I am grateful to my wife, but being thankful doesn¡¯t generate love, right? I can¡¯t pretend to love her. She wouldn¡¯t want it either.¡± Then someone shouted, beating their chest as if they were frustrated. ¡°Well, then, you can try to feel the same way, right?¡± ¡°Do you think people¡¯s hearts move as they think?¡± ¡°Then try to move it! Try it hard, harder!¡± ¡°Madam didn¡¯t refuse to do all kinds of hard work to win your favor. Then you should at least try half as hard as her.¡± ¡°If you¡¯ve received her help, at least try to change your mind!¡± Some of the knights turned enthusiastic, even blood vessels around their necks could be seen. If anyone saw them, they wouldn¡¯t know who¡¯s the master and who¡¯s the subordinates. Until just a few months ago, no one would have thought that they were the ones who try to convince their lord not to trust Duke Balazit¡¯s daughter. Strangely enough, however, Glenn couldn¡¯t deny them because in the back of his mind, he used to think that they were right. Actually, it wasn¡¯t wrong. Nadia was a good woman. Had it not been for her, the March of Winterfell would still be struggling in hardships. Now that they were married, everything had been good so far. But¡­ Glenn Had a reason why he couldn¡¯t force himself to love Nadia. Glenn continued with a sigh. ¡°I can¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°No, but why? What¡¯s the problem? My lord, please don¡¯t think about it too much.¡± ¡°If we become lovers, how could I face my late mother?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What about my father who¡¯s still lying in bed?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The atmosphere, which had just been lively, subsided in an instant. ¡®¡­¡­ it was the Duke Balazit who harmed the previous Marquis and the previous Madam.¡¯ ¡®To think how lucky the previous Marquis was to escape that disaster¡­¡­.¡¯ ¡®True.. It is almost impossible for the previous Marquis to recover his health.¡¯ Of course, so far, no one hated Nadia just because she was the daughter of the Duke of Balazit. On the contrary, it wouldn¡¯t be weird if the number of people who adored Nadia increased. Glenn also had no intention of blaming Nadia for her father¡¯s sins. However, becoming a lover with the daughter of the man who killed his own mother was a completely different matter. Glenn couldn¡¯t believe he would get married to the daughter of the man who killed his mother. Anyone with common sense would think how shuddering Glenn¡¯s situation was. Hence, Glenn could not accept Nadia¡¯s confession. No, he should rather not accept it. Glenn smiled bitterly and shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Well, it is what it is.¡± ¡°Oh, my God¡­.¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡± There was no way the knights had anything more to say. How could a man force himself to try and love the daughter of an enemy who killed his parents? The knights who talked enthusiastically just a moment ago scratched their heads awkwardly. ¡®It¡¯s a crazy situation.¡¯ ¡®Man, this is so twisted.¡¯ No one was willing to speak. The most pitiful one in this situation turned out to be Glenn. ¡°Well¡­¡­ Cheer up, my lord.¡± ¡°Someday¡­ No, one day it will work out well.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± The knights were not good at comforting. Glenn only smiled bitterly instead of answering. When he gave no answer, a strange silence fell on the training ground. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± It was quite a long silence. Just as Glenn was about to change the topic due to awkwardness, a voice came from outside the training ground. ¡°My lord, you¡¯re here!¡± ¡°?¡± When Glenn turned around, someone was running from the entrance of the training ground. It was the youngest member of his knight order, Fabian. He ran and stopped in front of the lord in an instant and opened his mouth again. ¡°Are you working on something else right now? If you have time, Madam would like to have lunch with you.¡± ¡°Nadia?¡± Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only Glenn would appreciate her suggestion, but he didn¡¯t come to the training ground for no reason. Glenn pointed to the knights whom he gathered and said, ¡°As you can see, we decided to match the cavalry formation a little.¡­.¡± ¡°But, that¡¯s what you can do after lunch, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll gather back after lunch, too. My lord, you should hurry up and go.¡± Then the knights quickly disappeared after packing their own stuff. Chapter 52.2 Although Glenn couldn¡¯t turn her down openly, his desire for the wife¡¯s strong and gentle love to come true hadn¡¯t completely disappeared. If Glenn and Nadia kept meeting each other, the wall in Glenn¡¯s heart would collapse. Hoping that day would come one day, the knights hurried away. Fabian said as he looked around the training ground, which had quickly become empty. ¡°I think you¡¯re free now. Shall we go now?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± It was a little early, but it wouldn¡¯t be bad to have lunch with Nadia. Glenn walked to the dining room with Fabian. The dining room was located a little far from the training ground, which meant it could get boring to walk silently. As expected, Fabian, who couldn¡¯t stand the boredom, began to self chat as usual. ¡°I¡¯m tired of listening to my grandfather¡¯s crying. Aren¡¯t you curious about what he said when I told him how you¡¯re doing?¡± There was no answer, but he answered alone. ¡°He said I could work more because I still had the power to complain to the listeners.¡± (Laughs) ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Oh, by the way, the training ground was making a lot of noise earlier.¡± Fabian, who was walking while chatting to himself, suddenly changed the topic. ¡°Then it suddenly became quiet. What did all of you talk about?¡± ¡°Did you hear that from afar?¡± ¡°Yes, I heard it a long way away. I didn¡¯t hear what you were talking about. It was so loud that I thought there was a fight.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. Everyone was saying that it was time to accept Nadia¡¯s heart. They still have the energy to interfere with their lord¡¯s private life.¡± Fabian giggled at the remark. ¡°Everyone wants the lord to have a harmonious family. She is a good person, Madam is.¡± ¡°¡­. It will be difficult.¡± A bitter smile came to his lips. However, Fabian, who was ahead and couldn¡¯t find the smile, continued to talk. ¡°Why? You¡¯re officially married. This is also your fate.¡± ¡°Fabian, you¡¯re getting more and more talkative.¡± ¡°What is there to be embarrassed about, my lord? Think about what Madam looks like. She has a very pretty face. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°What¡­¡± Glenn, who tried to deny it, couldn¡¯t say anything at all. Nadia was an undeniable beauty to him. Small face, well-established features, and a pair of eyes that reminded you of spring. Glenn also thought she was the prettiest girl he had ever seen. When he first encountered her, he was not aware of it. Why did he finally realize that belatedly? ¡®I wish I¡¯d never known¡­¡¯ It was dangerous. It was really dangerous like this. Glenn was going to say that Nadia didn¡¯t seem to be a particularly beautiful person as if he were brainwashing himself, but he hesitated. This was because if he denied that Fabian was the only one who thought so, he would only make a fool out of himself. So Glenn decided to change the plan. ¡°It¡¯s her face that is not particularly my cup of tea.¡± People¡¯s tastes were subjective. ¡°I like a more colorful face¡­¡± It was the moment Glenn said that and turned on the corner of the hallway. A person who appeared from the other side accidentally blocked his way. ¡°¡­?!¡± If he had been a little late to stop walking, he would have collided with the person hard. Glenn, who checked the other person¡¯s face, almost bit his tongue. ¡°Oh, I run into you here.¡± ¡°N, Nadia?¡± ¡°Were you on your way to the dining hall?¡± As soon as Nadia¡¯s eyes met his, a loud warning sounded in his head. The color quickly faded from Glenn¡¯s face. Did she hear what he just said? He could feel he was sweating on his back. He began to tremble inexorably. Did she not hear him because he talked to Fabian so casually? No, but it wasn¡¯t something she couldn¡¯t hear¡­ All kinds of thoughts filled Glenn¡¯s head in an instant, and he missed a second answering her question. Nadia frowned slightly as she looked at him. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you answering me?¡± Glenn was finally able to come to his senses by her voice. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I was thinking about something else for a moment¡­.¡± ¡°Anyway, you¡¯re going to eat now, right?¡± ¡°I-I am.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go together.¡± Then Nadia strode forward. What could he do? Glenn could only follow her with a pale white face. He caught his step to Nadia¡¯s side and glanced sideways at her expression. She had a calm face. It was difficult to tell if she really didn¡¯t hear it or if she pretended not to hear it even after hearing it. ¡®Or maybe she didn¡¯t know it was about her.¡­.¡¯ Glenn¡¯s mouth felt like it was drying up with nervousness. The walking path to the dining hall couldn¡¯t feel any longer. Unable to endure, Glenn braced himself and opened his mouth. ¡°Have you been out for a walk in the morning? The weather has gotten a lot warmer.¡± All right, it wasn¡¯t awkward. Originally, there was nothing like talking about the weather to relieve the heavy atmosphere. ¡°Really? I still feel a little chilly.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still cold?¡± ¡°Look at what I¡¯m wearing. I¡¯m wearing layers because it¡¯s cold. The capital city usually has completely spring weather around this time of year¡­.¡± ¡°Spring usually comes later as we go north.¡± Did she mean she wanted to go back to the warm capital? With anxiety, all kinds of worst-case situations began to come to Glenn¡¯s head. Even after that, both Nadia and Glenn had meaningless small talk, but Glenn was so nervous that he couldn¡¯t know what he was answering. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only After a seemed to be long time, the two were finally able to reach the front of the dining hall. Screech. As the door opened, the servants preparing appetizers were the first to see. They bowed slightly to the young couple walking into the dining hall. However, their lord¡¯s complexion was unusual. Chapter 53.1 ¡°My lord, you don¡¯t look well.¡± ¡°Oh my, he is right. Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?¡± The color on Glenn¡¯s face didn¡¯t look okay. However, the person concerned only waved his hands and brushed aside the words of worries coming from Nadia. ¡°I¡¯m fine. You saw it wrong.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re really¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It may be because I was exposed to the outside air all morning. You don¡¯t have to bother.¡± Glenn couldn¡¯t say he was fidgeting because he was afraid the other person he was coming with heard something he didn¡¯t mean to say, could he? Glenn sat down, leaving the concerned look behind, then Nadia also sat next to him. She asked with a slight frown. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay? Can you eat?¡± ¡°It really doesn¡¯t matter. There¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that.¡± Nadia smiled and lifted the tableware as if it was her lucky day. Glenn thought. ¡®Maybe I worry too much, she probably didn¡¯t hear it.¡¯ His anxious chest felt a little relieved. However, just after he was a little relieved, the next moment, he noticed a scene that made his heart sink. ¡°Well¡­¡± It was Nadia¡¯s grim expression while looking at her own food. She just rummaged through the salad with a fork, but she didn¡¯t put it in her mouth properly. It wasn¡¯t like her, who always had the belief that one should eat well. Thud. It was like a rock seemed to fall over Glenn¡¯s head. ¡®I knew it, she heard me!¡¯ Then again, it wasn¡¯t something she couldn¡¯t hear. Nadia must have noticed quickly that Glenn was talking about her because she was a quick-witted woman. How heartbreaking must it be to hear from a man you love that your appearance was not his taste? ¡®I didn¡¯t mean to hurt her.¡­.¡¯ It was a separate matter from him couldn¡¯t accept her confession from her. He wanted to confess that he didn¡¯t mean it right away. However, if he did so, the question of why he would say something he didn¡¯t mean would become a boomerang to him. What was he supposed to say then? Glenn felt cornered. Beads of sweat on his temples grew thicker. While her husband was suffering from all kinds of worries he created inside his head, Nadia was thinking about this. ¡®Ah, orange dressing¡­ I don¡¯t want anything sour.¡¯ The servants sprinkled so much that she couldn¡¯t even bring herself to eat it. Nadia picked out vegetables without dressing and put them in her mouth little by little. Vegetables that should be fresh have a sour taste unique to oranges. Her complexion was bound to grim automatically. Eventually, she had to put down the tableware without even eating half of it. When Nadia turned her head casually, Glenn, who had a hard expression on his face, came into her view. She exclaimed in surprise. ¡°Oh, my God, Glenn! Why do you sweat so much? Are you sure you¡¯re not sick?¡± Was it because she had been overdoing him with work lately? Nadia rose from her seat and approached him. The servants also gathered one by one with an expression of concern. ¡°M-My lord¡­ Excuse my rudeness, but you don¡¯t look very good.¡± ¡°Is there something wrong? We are really worried¡­¡± Seeing that everyone was saying the same thing, Nadia guessed her eyes were not wrong. Then, Nadia raised Glenn from his chair and said, ¡°It¡¯s not just about enduring pain. Tsk, men and their bluffs¡­ For now, you should go back to your bedroom.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m not feeling well¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not very convincing to say that you¡¯re fine with that face. I won¡¯t bother you for a while, so take a good rest. You, go call a psychiatrist.¡± ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± ¡°Looking at your face, I don¡¯t think we can have a meal together. Now you go to the bedroom, I¡¯ll ask someone to prepare some gruel.¡± Then Nadia walked toward the kitchen, so there was no time to explain his healthy physical condition. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± In fact, he had nothing to say even if he stopped her. One servant carefully opened his mouth to him, standing still like a bystander ¡°Uh, my lord? You should go back to your bedroom and rest.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°My lord?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Of course it didn¡¯t get through Glenn¡¯s ear. Despair came to his face as he looked in the direction Nadia disappeared. How on earth should he explain this? * * * On the next day. At the office where originally the family head and his wife should be sitting face to face. Nadia didn¡¯t miss much as her partner who had worked with her these past days disappeared. ¡®Because Glenn used to handle matters that required meeting with other people.¡¯ It was mainly Nadia¡¯s job to take care of the office alone while Glenn was in charge of having to face outsiders. Therefore, the reason why her expression was currently dark was not out of loneliness. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only She was lost in thought with a slight frown. ¡®He looks strong, but he¡¯s weaker than I expected. I didn¡¯t think he would get sick because I was a little overbearing with work.¡¯ Nadia couldn¡¯t believe he was sick as he was such a healthy man. Glenn insisted that he was not sick, but it was not convincing at all to say that while his white pale face was sweating. How hard did she push him that he sweated when she asked him to rest claiming he wasn¡¯t sick until the end? Chapter 53.2 ¡®If it was me, I would be honest and take a rest. That¡¯s why men are¡­.¡¯ Nadia couldn¡¯t understand why Glenn was so serious about showing off useless things. ¡°Oh, my.¡± A sigh broke out naturally. Nadia was already worried about whether Glenn would be able to keep up with her plans. ¡°Let¡¯s just get to work.¡± She thought she had to do everything she could do while Glenn was resting. Nadia sighed constantly and corrected her posture. Without even imagining how others would see her. ¡®She just sighed, didn¡¯t she?¡¯ ¡®I heard it. She¡¯s been like that since earlier. Her expression is dark all day long¡­¡¯ Gordon and Fabian continued to have their conversation with their eyes. ¡®Did something bother her?¡¯ ¡®Not to the best of my knowledge.¡¯ ¡®Well, then, there¡¯s only one answer.¡¯ Fabian¡¯s tongue slipped. ¡®I¡¯m sure you heard it. My lord¡¯s absurd remarks that her face is not his taste.¡¯ ¡®Ah¡­ What should I do with that young man?¡¯ Gordon, the head butler, wrapped his hand around his head. It was yesterday evening that he learned about the story of his master being unwell. When he was told that Glenn was sick, he visited to ask about his master¡¯s wellbeing and heard detailed stories from the knight. Gordon, who heard all the facts, had to punch his own chest in frustration. If it wasn¡¯t enough to have her stay in Winterfell for the rest of her life, what else could she do for him? Now her face didn¡¯t meet his taste? ¡®Even if she wasn¡¯t his ideal type, he should fix his taste!¡¯ If Glenn adjusted his taste, his wife¡¯s love would come true. Then, the possibility of Nadia sitting here for the rest of her life increased, then Winterfell would continue to be safe and sound. Weren¡¯t those who receive taxes from the inhabitants obligated to protect and prosper the territory? The ducal flourished, and Madam became happy. In many ways, it was a good ending. That¡¯s why it was only right if Glenn adjusted his ideal type. ¡®Doesn¡¯t he know how beautiful Madam is?! Her beauty should at least surpass his taste!¡¯ The phrase ¡°refusing luck¡± could be used in this case. Gordon always admired his master, but he wanted to say something bitter to wake his master up. Fabian, who couldn¡¯t watch anymore, approached Nadia. First, he had to make sure that his master¡¯s wife really heard the remark in question. ¡°Uh, well¡­ Madam.¡± He coughed in vain and carefully began to speak. ¡°Do you have something to say?¡± ¡°It¡¯s.. About what my lord said yesterday.¡± ¡°What do you mean? That he insisted that he wasn¡¯t sick?¡± ¡°Oh, no. Not that¡­ What he said before the two of you went to the dining room.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Nadia recalled the conversation she had with Glenn yesterday with a confused look. She never met him yesterday morning. The first conversation she had with him was around lunch. Nadia told Fabian to ask Glenn to have lunch together with her, and she ran into him on her way to the dining room. They walked together and talked, but since they quickly reached the dining room, the conversation she had with him was short. ¡°That¡­ the weather has gotten warmer?¡± ¡°No, the one he said before that¡­.¡± ¡°Sir Fabian, are we going to play a guessing game?¡± Nadia, who was wondering what Fabian meant, asked with a small emphasis. ¡°Oh, that he was saying that a face like mine isn¡¯t his type?¡± Then, the sound of breathing quickly returned. Fabian replied with a white pale face. ¡°D-Did you hear that?¡± ¡°How can I not hear that?¡± It was like saying it right under her nose. Of course Nadia didn¡¯t care a bit. She would have been a little upset if he said she was ugly, but what could she do when he said her face was not his cup of tea? ¡®People have different tastes.¡¯ To be more honest, it was naturally acceptable from Nadia¡¯s point of view. If he accepted her confession now, it would be very difficult. Now that he publicly emphasized that she didn¡¯t meet his taste, he wouldn¡¯t change his words any soon. It was rather fortunate that her face was not his cup of tea. ¡°But what about that?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s, it¡¯s¡­¡­ I was just wondering if you were hurt¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Nadia paused while trying to ask back why it would hurt her feelings. First of all, she was known to have a passionate crush on her husband. If she heard from her crush that her appearance was not his cup of tea, she might feel depressed. Only then did she feel like her confusion was resolved. ¡®Now that was why it seemed like he was looking at me more intensely than usual.¡¯ Then was that why Glenn¡¯s face yesterday was unusually pale? Thinking about it like that, Nadia thought it was a little cute. ¡®He doesn¡¯t have to be so self-conscious because I really don¡¯t care at all.¡¯ However, it was a problem since he said it when Nadia was supposed to have unrequited love for him. While Nadia was thinking about it, Fabian began to recite unquestioned excuses. ¡°Madam, my lord does not hate you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡®I know that too.¡¯ Nadia thought. ¡°With how much you¡¯ve done for this estate, but if he still hates you, then he has no conscience.¡± But what Fabian said was a little far from what she thought. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only He continued his talk with a grim face. ¡°My lord just has a reason why he couldn¡¯t accept your heart. There¡¯s something he couldn¡¯t help. This is neither my lord¡¯s fault, or yours.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Nadia couldn¡¯t really guess what he was going to say. However, since Fabian looked so serious, Nadia had to be serious about this matter as well. Chapter 54.1 ¡°The reason is¡­ related to your father.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You must be aware of the tragedy that happened to the previous Marquis and his wife, right?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± The Marchioness died as the carriage rolled down the ridge, and the previous Marquis was seriously injured and had yet to recover to his consciousness. Glenn almost had an accident along with his parents, but fortunately, he was spared the disaster as he was departing separately. ¡°And the prime suspect in the case¡­ Do you also know that it is your father, Madam?¡± ¡°Well, yes.¡± ¡°My lord must be in a lot of agony right now. Is it right for him to be a lover with the daughter of the enemy who killed his parent¡­ It has become his concern at the moment.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°So my lord does not accept the lady¡¯s heart yet, not because you lack something. It¡¯s not your fault. I¡¯m sure he didn¡¯t mean what he said yesterday. So I don¡¯t want you to blame yourself.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± In front of this genuinely concerned person, Nadia couldn¡¯t bear to say something she had in her mind. ¡®That¡¯s not what my father¡¯s doing.¡¯ It really wasn¡¯t. Really. When the news broke in the capital that the Marquis Winterfell and his wife had an accident, the Duke Balazit said this. ¡®Tsk tsk, Marquis Winterfell must have enemies inside. That goes to any other family.¡¯ ¡®Oh, that means¡­¡­ Are you saying that father was not behind the accident?¡¯ ¡®What?¡¯ At that time, he jumped up in a genuine rage. ¡®Do you think I would have made such a clumsy scheme? If I did, I¡¯d definitely kill them both! So that neither of them was breathing!¡¯ The Duke said it in a tone that sounded like he was offended that his ability was doubted than the fact that he was falsely accused of assassinating his political opponent. ¡®Anyway, it¡¯s not something my father did.¡¯ If the family head died, the property and territory would only be inherited to his son. The Winterfell estate might be distressed, but their power could hardly be damaged. Furthermore, after the incident, the northern lords became more united and began to be cautious of the southern forces. How could such a quick-witted father have done something that would make him lose more than gain? As Nadia¡¯s father said, it was more likely that there was an insider traitor. ¡®But even if I say that the perpetrator is not my father, it wouldn¡¯t be convincing¡­¡¯ As anyone would have thought, blood was thicker than water, defending her father would only cause a misunderstanding. It would only be right to find out the real mastermind than to claim the duke¡¯s innocence. ¡®I¡¯ll think about this matter later.¡¯ First of all, Nadia would need to resolve the misunderstanding before her eyes. Nadia opened her mouth again. ¡°Sir Fabian.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Thank you for your concern. But I really don¡¯t mind. I never felt offended. If I looked depressed, it would be just your imagination or for other reasons.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Fabian¡¯s expression changed strangely. He looked like he didn¡¯t understand how Nadia wasn¡¯t offended. To answer his question, she began to come up with an improvised excuse. ¡°Falling in love with a person¡¯s appearance is not true love. True love is not about appearance, it¡¯s about liking me as a human being! So I was not heartbroken by Glenn¡¯s words.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Fabian thought. ¡®Then what did she see of our lord that made her fall in love at first sight? Wasn¡¯t it his face?¡¯ Fabian thought Nadia was in love with a man she had never talked to because she felt a fateful love at first sight for Glenn¡¯s appearance. His lord¡¯s appearance was really attractive and all the knights acknowledged it. But she said it wasn¡¯t a true love! Sooner or later, there would be another debate on why the new madam was so clingy to the Marquis. As if she could guess the confusion that her kinght escort was feeling, Nadia told a dreamlike story. ¡°I can wait until Glenn is attracted to who I really am.¡± ¡°Yes¡­, I see.¡± ¡°So if the reason why Glenn didn¡¯t look good yesterday is not because of the sickness, then I want you to tell him that I hope I can have him back as soon as possible.¡± Nadia was glad that Glenn wasn¡¯t as weak as she was worried. Now she was confident enough to make him work hard. ¡°I have an inspection scheduled for tomorrow. If it¡¯s canceled, I have to change all his schedules for a week.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll tell him so.¡± ¡°Please do so.¡± Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only Fabian bowed slightly and stepped outside to convey what Nadia had said. Inside the quiet office, she was lost in thought, rolling her pen. ¡®Attempted to assassinate the previous Marquis couple.¡­ It was indeed a problem that had to be solved.¡¯ Nadia remembered hearing about how the previous Marquis of Winterfell died in her last life. ¡®It was said he slowly died with his whole body hardened.¡¯ Chapter 54.2 There were many parts that were not clear to say that it was simply the aftereffects of the accident. The public agreed that it would be the Duke Balazit¡¯s work again this time. However, Duke Balazit, who heard the news of the death of the Marquis, said this. ¡®Someone must have used the condition of the Marquis lying in his sick bed. I feel sorry for him. I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s going to die at the hands of someone inside his family.¡¯ ¡®Father, how did you know that?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s easy. Do you think I¡¯ve never seen this kind of scheme before?¡¯ Without her father¡¯s instructions, it was unlikely that the southern lords would have set up their own atrocities. So the perpetrator was someone with a background of Marquis Winterfell¡¯s ally. An ally trusted enough to have access to the first Marquis¡¯ bedroom, which had a thoroughly limited access. ¡®It¡¯s a poison that makes one¡¯s whole body hard and slowly dies¡­¡¯ Nadia didn¡¯t know much about poison. Therefore, in order to know what poison was used in the assassination of the previous Marquis, she needed to address it separately. But then it was only a matter of time before the people of Winterfell found out that she tried to identify the poison. If anyone knew that Nadia was investigating a poison that would match the symptoms of Marquis before he died¡­. ¡®The trust that has been built so far will collapse. I can¡¯t move hastily.¡¯ But Nadia couldn¡¯t just let go of it. It wasn¡¯t just because of the moral of not being able to stand by the dying. Being a child of an enemy who had suspected harming his husband¡¯s parents wouldn¡¯t be an easily erased appellation. Nadia, of course, thought Glenn wouldn¡¯t hold her guilty of it. However, it was impossible to predict how extreme the confrontation, especially before the war with the south, would hold her. Everyone got sensitive before war. A small seed of distrust might limit her range of movement. ¡®We need to find out who the real culprit is anyway. We need to cut off the buds that could be a problem before civil war breaks out.¡¯ But how? Nadia couldn¡¯t say she had seen how the previous Marquis died, so where should she start? The head butler sensed her agony. ¡°Madam.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°It seems like a messenger came from the capital. Would you like to meet them? I think they have a letter from the Duke Balazit.¡± ¡°Just ask them to deliver the letter. If my father wanted to convey something to me, he would have included it in the letter.¡± ¡°As you wish.¡± It was the first contact Nadia received since the correspondence was delivered around the time of the Black Death plague. In fact, it was obvious at this point that her father would contact her. ¡®By now you must be dying from apprehension.¡¯ The man sent the letter as he might think that he was losing his power. Vallon Castle was no better than a stepping stone for the north to overpower the south. In addition, it was very alarming that the north had abundant agricultural land and iron mines. ¡°Give it to me.¡± Nadia tore the envelope handed to her by the maid. Her green eyes moved quickly up and down. A short exclamation broke out of her mouth, as she scanned all the contents of the letter. ¡°Oh, my.¡± ¡°What is the matter, Madam?¡± Nadia answered the maid¡¯s question with an open mind. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I was so impressed by my father¡¯s heartfelt letter. He wasn¡¯t always this sweet.¡± ¡°He must be worried because he married my daughter far away. That¡¯s what fathers do.¡± ¡°Is he?¡± It couldn¡¯t have been so. Nadia could bet on her mother¡¯s legacy because it could never be the reason. The contents of the letter were insignificant. It was just that since Nadia left home the estate was very lonely, so he asked Nadia to write to him more often at least. However, Nadia was not slow enough to know the implications behind it. It meant not to spend a meaningless daily life, but to send him useful information. The problem was that Nadia would not be the only one who noticed what was the hidden message. ¡®If I could notice it, others would probably notice it as well.¡¯ Shortly after her marriage, Nadia allowed Glenn to look at all the letters from his father and her replies. It was to prove that she was not a spy who communicated with her father. ¡°Tsk.¡± She crumpled the letter paper and kicked her tongue briefly. Her father must be in a lot of trouble that it was enough for him to send such a letter openly. For him to send such a correspondence when the Winterfell estate wasn¡¯t even completely organized. Nadia couldn¡¯t put her innocence at stake¡­ ¡°Oh, that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only The maid raised her head at the sudden exclamation. Nadia replied, waving her hand. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just remembered something. By the way, could you prepare a simple snack? My mouth is bored.¡± ¡°Yes, Madam. May I bring you a new paper, too?¡± ¡°No, thank you. I don¡¯t think I need to rush writing back.¡± The old saying is that attack is the best defense. Chapter 55.1 Outside the inner castle, the first district. It was the place where officials managing the access to the castle, peerage of aristocrats, and relatives of Winterfell lived. The largest of the houses belonged to Baron Greenwood¡­ More strictly speaking, it belonged to Baroness Greenwood. Baron Greenwood was no longer of this world. Even though the original owner died a long time ago, there was no sign of rundown in the large mansion. It became the responsibility of the old woman to manage the mansion after her husband¡¯s death. Mrs. Grace, Glenn¡¯s aunt, who was the new owner of the mansion and also the elder of Winterfell family, was now secretly confined in her study. In other words, she was listening to information her servant brought himself in a place where there were no ears. ¡°Did he really say that?¡± Mrs. Grace¡¯s upper body leaned slightly forward. The information she heard must be a testament to the interest she had. ¡°Yes, our informant heard it clearly while passing by the training ground. If he were to be a lover with Balazit¡¯s daughter, he would not be able to go to the afterlife and see his mother¡¯s face.¡± ¡°I see¡­.¡± In the process of delivering the words, a little exaggeration was created, but the essence did not change anyway. ¡®No matter how he looked completely captivated by the girl, time will do its wonders.¡¯ Originally, the flames of doubt were bound to start with the slightest thing. Who knew it would be about the death of a dear parent? The seed of doubt was so much that it overflew. At last, there seemed to be hope of returning her power structure within the family to its original state. A slight smile formed on the old lady¡¯s face. The sensible servant did not miss the smile on his master¡¯s face. In order to lift the spirits of his master, who had recently been low, he began to whisper pleasant words. ¡°You are the elder and Marquis¡¯s blood. The blood of the enemy and the blood of the unknown commoner mixed in half, couldn¡¯t even be compared to you.¡± ¡°You are right. I¡¯m Winterfell¡¯s elder.¡± Could this be the reason why Glenn couldn¡¯t cut me even though he was annoyed by my intervention? The loyal servant decided to entertain her more while he was at it. ¡°Marquis is too much. He has been leaving the housework to you, and he turned away as soon as he got a wife!¡± ¡°He is just fascinated by her appearance. Young men these days¡­¡­. They are so simple and so stupid.¡± ¡°Madam, are you really going to let this go like this? Do we have to wait and see the great Winterfell family being played in Balazit¡¯s hands?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have an idea.¡± Although Nadia had the support of the family head and the vassals, with Grace¡¯s influence who had managed the family¡¯s internal affairs for the past few years, did not disappear overnight. Of course, Nadia must be guessing that some of the servants were Grace¡¯s eyes and ears. ¡®But she can¡¯t tell who is my person among them.¡¯ Nadia couldn¡¯t interrogate the servants without any ground. If she did such a thing, the reputation she had accumulated would disappear in a flash of moment. Nadia would have no choice but to watch even though she knew it. ¡°Just wait. Don¡¯t act yourself until I give you the next instruction.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± After Mrs. Grace said so, she got up from her seat and approached the drawers. She wrote a message on a piece of paper taken out of the drawer. Then she handed it to the servant and said. ¡°Tell this to our informant. Of course, they should burn it as soon as they check the contents.¡± * * * The day¡¯s work of the maids ended when their master went to bed. Lisa, Aidyn, and Yuri, the three maids, could only return to their quarters after they had confirmed that the light in their lady¡¯s bedroom was off. ¡°Ha-am, I¡¯m so sleepy. Come on, let¡¯s go to bed, too.¡± ¡°Is there any water left in the bathroom? I¡¯d like to take a shower.¡± ¡°Just sleep, wake up, and wash up tomorrow morning¡­. What¡¯s up, Aidyn? Where are you going?¡± Lisa, who was stretching her arms, asked in a puzzled voice. Aidyn, one of her close workers, was walking in the opposite direction to the accommodation they used. ¡°That¡¯s the other way.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯m a little hungry. I¡¯m going to the kitchen and ask if there¡¯s any leftovers.¡± ¡°What kind of late-night snack is there at this hour? Let¡¯s just go.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so hungry I don¡¯t think I can sleep. You guys go in first. I¡¯ll be careful not to wake you up.¡± ¡°If you eat a lot at night, you¡¯ll gain weight. Anyway, come back quickly.¡± ¡°I will.¡± It was common to distribute leftover food from the kitchen to servants. Lisa and Yuri turned away without much doubt. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡°Phew¡­.¡± Aidyn, who breathed a sigh of relief, began to walk with the sound of silent footsteps. She pretended to head in the direction of the kitchen and turned the other way again, toward a back door leading to the back. There were few people walking around in the hallway of the castle at night. Even so, it was not unusual for a maid close to the Marchioness to wander around the castle, so no one would pay attention to her. Chapter 55.2 Creak. She finally reached the backyard and looked around. Aidyn, who confirmed that there was no one, headed to the corner of the backyard almost running. At the nook and cranny of the backyard, between the bushes, there was a basket she had hidden came to view. Inside were silk, thread, and needles. Anyone would think it was a sewing kit. ¡®I¡¯m glad no one found it.¡¯ Aidyn, hiding behind a large tree, began to hide from moonlight and lanterns. Her eyes were blurry, but she couldn¡¯t help her situation. It was very common for maids working in the aristocracy to live on additional side jobs. In particular, sewing, which could be done in between, was her main money commission. Nevertheless, the reason why she was hiding and sewing like a sinner was that no side job was allowed for the maids close to her master. ¡®Instead, they pay you more than that, but¡­.¡¯ It meant that she should not look for a side job, and only be faithful to serving her master. Aidyn usually wanted to be a maid who was close to the master because the salary was twice the amount of money she could earn from the side job. The reason Aidyn had to do a side job even though she was getting that much extra money was¡­¡­. ¡°What are you doing there?¡± ¡°Oh my!¡± Aidyn¡¯s shoulders jumped. She was so surprised that she even dropped the kit she was holding. ¡°What are you doing here like a thief¡­¡­ Aidyn?¡± A rough hand grabbed Aidyn¡¯s shoulder. At last the eyes of the young servant, who was familiar with her face, were struck by surprise. ¡°It¡¯s you! What are you doing here at this time of night? I hope it¡¯s not something suspicious!¡± ¡°L-look who¡¯s talking- What are you doing at this hour¡­.¡± ¡°Mrs. Grace told me to heat up her room earlier. I was fetching firewood.¡± As he said, he had a basket of firewood in his hand. ¡°Then what are you doing here¡­¡­ Oh, embroidery? Why are you working on it here? It¡¯s not good for your eyes.¡± ¡°I, I¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I heard girls get sewing as a side job, is that it? Why are you doing it in secret?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Aidyn couldn¡¯t say anything. It was strictly forbidden for a maid close to her master to do a side job. Jacob, who was looking at his colleague who couldn¡¯t answer anything, immediately remembered the reason. ¡°Come to think of it, you¡­¡­ You are a maid close to the lady. Did Madam allow it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Well, seeing you do this here, you didn¡¯t have her permission.¡± His mouth bursted into a peck of laughter. How much money could one make from embroidery? He said, pulling Aidyn¡¯s arm. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Your superiors should know you¡¯re doing this. I¡¯m going to tell Madam right now.¡± ¡°M-Madam must be sleeping now¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Then you can tell the head butler or Mrs. Grace. He happened to be in the castle.¡± ¡°Wait, wait! Let¡¯s talk about it, huh? I¡¯ll give half of the money to you. What do you think?¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to make me take that money and use it against me later? Don¡¯t even start about it and follow me.¡± There was no way that Aidyn, a woman, could overcome the power of men. Jacob drag her into the castle like a light sack. The direction of Jacob¡¯s step was not the main house, but the detached house. Aidyn could immediately realize where he was going to drag him. ¡°Why are we going to Mrs. Grace?!¡± ¡°You told me Madam is sleeping? You know what you¡¯re going to hear after disturbing Madam¡¯s bedtime.¡± Soon they went to the place where Mrs. Grace was staying and knocked on the door. As soon as they heard the answer to come in, Jacob moved Aidyn¡¯s body through the door. ¡°Argh!¡± Aidyn, who could not overcome the pushing force, fell on the floor. Fortunately, the carpet was laid, but the shock did not all go away. Mrs. Grace¡¯s voice fell over Aidyn¡¯s head, which could not easily raise herself. ¡°What are you doing in the middle of the night?¡± ¡°I apologize for the late hour, Madam. I need to talk to you, so could you spare me a moment? To straighten out the insubordination of the Winterfell family.¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Jacob began to talk as if he had been waiting for his chance. ¡°I was moving firewood at your command, but I couldn¡¯t let go of the scene where this girl ignored the family regulations, so I brought her. Even though she was a maid close to the lady, she was doing a sewing side job. It¡¯s obvious that she won¡¯t be able to serve the Marchioness properly if she does something else during the night when she has to rest instead!¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t the maid close to their master be paid more?¡± ¡°She is blinded by money. You never know when she¡¯ll fall for the pennies and betray her master. At this instance, please kick her out of the castle, Madam.¡± Aidyn¡¯s face turned white. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only Aidyn was usually casual with Jacob, but she didn¡¯t know he would do this because she didn¡¯t really know him well. She crawled to Grace¡¯s feet and begged. ¡°Oh, no, Madam! I never meant to betray this family! I-I¡¯m just¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Just?¡± ¡°I need money¡­¡­. I-I couldn¡¯t afford my brother¡¯s medicine with my salary.¡± Chapter 56.1 Aidyn bowed her head with tears in her eyes. She looked very sorry, but she was sure it wouldn¡¯t work on Mrs. Grace. She was famous for being very strict when she was managing housework with Gordon, the head butler. ¡°Tsk.¡± Mrs. Grace, with a short tsk, opened her mouth. ¡°The price of your brother¡¯s medicine, how much is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about a gold a month.¡± ¡°Oh, it must be hard to cover it with a maid¡¯s salary.¡± Aidyn got to doubt her ears, because Mrs. Grace¡¯s voice was as warm as spring. Aidyn looked up slightly, unable to overcome her curiosity, and examined Mrs. Grace¡¯s expression. The wrinkled old woman¡¯s face was filled with a feeling of pity. ¡°Come to think of it, you have a familiar face. I¡¯ve seen you by the Marchioness¡¯ side. How come she doesn¡¯t take care of her servants?¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± Mrs. Grace said so as she got up from her seat. Then she approached one of her drawers and pulled something out of it. ¡°Take it.¡± Clank. The sound of something metal hitting sounds small. The object that fell on the floor was a small silk bag. More precisely, a silk purse containing gold coins. A gleaming gold coin came into her view through the loosened entrance. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Aidyn looked up in surprise. As Mrs. Grace put on a more generous smile than ever, she stood tall in front of Aidyn. * * * Mrs. Grace came to see Nadia just after lunch. Nadia was surprised and had no choice but to ask at the news of her visit. ¡°Madam Grace? What brings her here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that either¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Anyway, tell her to come in. You can¡¯t leave her outside.¡± She was, afterall, the elder of Winterfell¡¯s family. While Nadia was organizing her desk, the visitor¡¯s steps approached her before she even knew it. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Marchioness.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Nadia had to raise her head wondering. Why was she speaking formally all of a sudden? Noticing what Nadia¡¯s puzzled expression was saying, Mrs. Grace coughed as if she was embarrassed. ¡°Now that you are officially the wife of Marquis, no matter how much older I am, I have to set a good example.¡± ¡°I see¡­.¡± Nadia replied to the gesture with a slight smile. ¡°I can¡¯t thank you enough for respecting me.¡± Of course, she had different thoughts in her mind. ¡®You must have thought that there was no real benefit in keeping me in check by being rude and hostile. I guess it was because your brain wasn¡¯t working?¡¯ If Mrs. Grace acted rudely in front of people, she would only lose her reputation. Especially at a time when most of the Winterfell family turned to Nadia¡¯s side. Mrs. Grace asked, looking over Nadia¡¯s desk. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long since lunch, but you must have already been working. What have you been doing?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s my personal business. I was writing back to my father¡¯s letter.¡± ¡°Oh, really? I didn¡¯t know that I¡¯m interrupting.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not urgent anyway. We don¡¯t have to talk standing up, so please have a seat.¡± Nadia said, pointing to a table by the window. The two moved straight away. The maids brought tea and snacks. To the shame of their hospitality, Mrs. Grace brought up the subject before she even had a sip of tea. ¡°I came here today because I have something to apologize for.¡± All of a sudden? Nadia¡¯s eyes were round. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you. I didn¡¯t like it from the first time I heard that you were going to be with the House of Winterfell. The relationship between my family and the Duke of Balazit¡­ No, I don¡¯t need to tell you about this, so let¡¯s not talk about anything uncomfortable.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, of course.¡± ¡°I apologize for being rude at our first meeting. Back then I thought that you were going to be part of the House of Winterfell for another purpose.¡± ¡°Then may I ask why you suddenly changed your mind?¡± ¡°First of all, it is largely due to the dedication that you have shown for Winterfell. Besides, I listened to other vassals and they said you have supported my nephew day and night.¡± She made a slightly awkward expression as she said so. ¡°That¡¯s why I realized that I was wrong. This old woman made the mistake of misunderstanding your true feelings. Will you accept my apology?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Nadia grabbed Mrs. Grace¡¯s hand as she was fiddling with the teacup. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only A bright smile spreaded over her puzzled expression. ¡°I don¡¯t know how happy I am to hear you say this first. If Glenn¡¯s aunt is just like my own. Please continue to be comfortable with me.¡± ¡°I should be grateful for your generosity.¡± Then there was a friendly conversation. It was mainly meaningless chatter, such as whether the weather got really warm, whether tea suited Mrs. Grace¡¯s taste, and whether Nadia got used to life in the North. Chapter 56.2 After a long chat, they quickly ran out of topics to talk about. Taking advantage of the moment, Mrs. Grace quickly changed the subject. ¡°Come to think of it, you haven¡¯t met the previous Marquis yet.¡± ¡°I heard that he was in bad health even before I got married to Glenn. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t see him.¡± ¡°Of course, but you still have to greet him, because¡­.¡± She continued to talk and gave a peck of tongue as if she had a bitter appetite. ¡°There may not be much time left.¡± ¡°Oh¡­.¡± ¡°I hope he could recover his consciousness as soon as possible, but¡­¡­ The physicians said there was no improvement. Please visit and greet him before it¡¯s too late.¡± There was no way that a patient in a state of unconsciousness could hear Nadia¡¯s greeting, but there were things in this world that one should do even though it would be unavailing. In fact, no matter how bad the previous Marquis¡¯ health was, had Nadia not come from a hostile family, she would have been able to meet her in-laws as soon as she got married. However, in her early stages of marriage, the vassals who did not trust her opposed her from entering the previous Marquis¡¯s room, and thus Nadia did not have the chance to meet him. Nevertheless, the reason was that no one could guarantee what Balazit¡¯s daughter would do to him who was at a weak state. In the meantime, a lot of things happened, and somehow, her marriage continued to this day without seeing her father in-law¡¯s face. In fact, it was strange that she had never visited his chamber so far. Nadia nodded readily and accepted her offer. ¡°Yes, then I will. When will it be convenient?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s decide when it¡¯s convenient for you. He¡¯s not even far away.¡± The previous Marquis¡¯ bedroom was located at the deepest point in the inner part of the castle. Even though it sounded far, it¡¯s not even 15 minutes from this office. Again a meaningless chatter ensued, and by the time the teacup was completely cold, Mrs. Grace said her goodbye. ¡°I¡¯m worried if I¡¯ve taken too much of your time. I should return now.¡± ¡°No way. I was glad you came today. Aidyn, see Mrs. Grace outside.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Mrs. Grace rose straight from her seat without a word. As soon as she and Aidyn disappeared outside the door, Nadia¡¯s smile disappeared. ¡®Visiting the previous Marquis¡¯ sick chamber¡­.¡¯ Nadia tapped the teacup with her fingertips and was lost in thought. There must be a reason for the sudden change of attitude. Then, Lisa, the maid who found the teacup empty, talked to her. ¡°Would you like another cup of tea, Madam?¡± ¡°No, thank you. I¡¯m just holding it because I need something to fiddle with when I think about something.¡± However, despite her refusal, Lisa did not return to her original position. She seemed to have something to say. Nadia looked up and asked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Well¡­ are you really going to see the previous Marquis?¡± ¡°Not right now. But I¡¯ll go see him soon. Whenever it is, I need to greet him. It¡¯s weird that I haven¡¯t greeted him to this day.¡± ¡°Of course, but¡­¡­ I think you¡¯d better be careful.¡± ¡°What?¡± Lisa hesitated for a moment, then swallowed and replied. ¡°I mean Mrs. Grace. She changed her attitude too much. Something is not right.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°O-of course, I¡¯m not insulting her! I know she used to manage the housework and, although she was strict, she worked hard for the family. But apart from that¡­ It¡¯s strange that the attitude changed so suddenly. Besides, His Grace¡¯s illness is a very sensitive issue¡­. Madam?¡± Lisa, who had said so far, realized that Nadia was looking somewhere other than herself. The place where her lady¡¯s eyes were directed was the window over her shoulder. Lisa glanced reflexively back. Outside the window, she could see the elegantly decorated entrance of the inner castle. There was a carriage at the front gate that seemed to be for a guest. Probably Mrs. Grace¡¯s. ¡®That¡¯s¡­?¡¯ A few steps from the carriage, Mrs. Grace and Aydin were standing face to face and talking. Nadia wondered what could be the conversation about that Mrs. Grace didn¡¯t get on the carriage immediately. It was quite a strange sight. Aidyn was the Marchioness¡¯ close maid, and Mrs. Grace was no longer in charge of the maids. But what was the point of having such a long conversation? ¡°What is she doing over there?¡± ¡°The conversation will take for a while.¡± ¡°They have been standing for too long for that.¡± ¡°Mrs. Grace is still someone superior to her, and she can¡¯t ignore her for talking to her. I¡¯ll ask when I get back.¡± Nadia answered the question with Lisa¡¯s complaints. After a while, Aidyn, who saw Grace off, came up to Nadia¡¯s office. She reported, bending her knees. ¡°Mrs. Grace headed straight home. She asked me to thank you for your hospitality today.¡± Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡°Did she say anything other than that?¡± Nadia was still sitting by the window, fiddling with the teacup. The smile on her lips remained. ¡°Pardon? Oh, she asked how you¡¯ve been doing¡­ I replied that nothing special happened.¡± ¡°Yes, good work.¡± That was it. She didn¡¯t ask her maid any more questions. Chapter 57.1 It was a quiet and desolate room. The moment she entered the room, Nadia could feel for the first time in her life what the word ¡°the energy of death¡± meant. In the middle of a desolate empty bedroom, there was a large bed. It was surrounded by drapes, so she couldn¡¯t see the inside of the bed. But Nadia already knew who was lying in it. ¡°This is Isaac Winterfell, the previous Marquis.¡± Gordon, the head butler of the house who walked ahead, told her so and removed the drapes. Then she saw an old man lying down under a silk blanket. Oh, my God. At first glance, he looked so pale that she thought he was a corpse. Maybe it was because of his white hair. Nadia asked in a trembling voice. ¡°What did the physicians say?¡± ¡°They just said we¡¯d have to watch over him a little more.¡± Gordon couldn¡¯t say it openly, but it meant that it was virtually impossible to recover. Her eyes scanned the pale countenance of the previous Marquis. Nadia heard that one¡¯s whole body turned dark just before they died, but she didn¡¯t see any such symptoms yet. Which meant¨C ¡®It¡¯s no use suggesting the possibility of reading at this point.¡¯ It was one of the two possibilities that the physician did not notice the symptoms of poison even though they examined him almost every day. Either the poison hasn¡¯t been used yet, or someone has used poison that only showed symptoms right before the victim died. If Nadia opened her mouth hastily, it would only give anyone against her an excuse to raise suspicion and confusion within the family. She clapped her lips several times and had to swallow her words. However, she didn¡¯t even resist asking questions as if it was crossing her mind like it was normal. ¡°Who is managing the examination of medicine and food for the previous Marquis?¡± ¡°It is me, the physicians, and a few other servants who are in charge together. If we leave it to only one person, there can be trouble. If we manage it together, we can quickly notice anything suspicious even before the traitor changes their mind.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± But it only fell into a more labyrinth. Unless all of those people were involved, it was impossible to harm the previous Marquis, who laid down in the deepest part of the castle. While Nadia was in agony, Gordon knelt under the bed and carefully grabbed Isaac¡¯s hand. ¡°Your Grace.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Master Glenn is married. The young master got married.¡± It was a voice full of sorrow. It felt like Nadia was being introduced by Gordon who has lived his whole life loyal to the previous Marquis. It was a moment that made her blush a little. ¡°You said it was your wish to hold your grandson in your arms. The new Madam is a beautiful and intelligent woman. A child born between them must be lovely. So please open your eyes.¡± No, wait a second. Nadia heard words that couldn¡¯t be overlooked. What did he mean, a child? Nadia could not help but be embarrassed. ¡®I can¡¯t give birth to his child myself, but I¡¯ll try to get a divorce quickly so that Glenn can have a child with her wife.¡­.¡¯ Nadia could only promise a quick divorce because she could not offer to give birth to a grandchild. Soon, Gordon, who was talking by himself, stood up looking at her eyes. He gave way and said. ¡°Now, Madam will greet you, Your Grace.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Nadia moved and stood by his bedside. Then she raised her skirt slightly and bent her knees. ¡°Greeting to the Marquis Isaac Winterfell.¡± Although she may not be heard by the lying patient, it was a matter of etiquette. Since her in-law was alive, shouldn¡¯t she greet him as the new hostess? ¡°I am Nadia, the first daughter of the Duke of Balazit. Not long ago, I married Glenn and became a member of Winterfell.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± There was no response, as it should be said. Nevertheless, she went on talking. ¡°I¡¯m still lacking and probably not good enough, but I¡¯ll do my best not to be a burden to Winterfell¡¯s reputation.¡± And¡­ When everything¡¯s settled, Nadia promised for sure that she would bring his son back to his freedom. Nadia had to swallow her sincerity behind her throat, which she could not tell anyone. After a few more words, she soon rose up. ¡°Are you done?¡± ¡°I thought it would be better not to stay too long. Keeping talking next to the patient won¡¯t have a good effect.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Gordon nodded convincingly, and other servants who followed them picked themselves up. ¡°This way.¡± Nadia left Isaac¡¯s sick chamber with her servants. It was her first face-to-face meeting that unfortunately would be futile. Click. When they crossed the threshold, Gordon locked the door firmly. It seemed to be to prevent outsiders from intruding recklessly. Looking at that, Nadia naturally had questions in her head. Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡®How the hell did anyone hurt the previous Marquis when Gordon was managing the security so thoroughly?¡¯ When Nadia asked the servants, they said that they were not allowed to enter this place at will, as were their close relatives. It was when Nadia was going down the stairs, agonizing over and over again. ¡°Your Grace? What are you doing here?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Chapter 57.2 She raised her head in amazement. She could see Glenn standing tall on the other side of the corridor. She didn¡¯t even notice the presence of the person walking from the opposite side because she was immersed in her thoughts. It seemed the same on the other person, and he also looked as surprised. ¡°Greetings. How many days has it been?¡± No, he looked twice as surprised as Nadia did. She couldn¡¯t understand why he looked so surprised. ¡°Are you here to see His Grace?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°There is only the previous Marquis¡¯ sick chamber upstairs. Aren¡¯t you here to see your father?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­.¡± It was true that Glenn came to look into his father¡¯s condition while he had time. He didn¡¯t expect to run into Nadia here. Gordon said. ¡°Ah, I wish I stayed a little later. Madam just met His Grace and she is on her way out. If the two of you had greet him together for the first time, His Grace would have been even more pleased.¡± ¡°You greet my father?¡± ¡°I am also a member of the Winterfell family. It¡¯s natural to greet him because His Grace is still alive.¡± No matter how sick he was, Isaac was a living person. It was strange that she had never seen his face. ¡®That¡¯s true, but¡­¡¯ Glenn had a lot of questions in his head. ¡®Why are you so¡­ calm?¡¯ Her attitude toward him was the same as usual. Her expression was calm, and the voice was gentle. It was in contrast to Glenn himself, who had become cranky due to sleepless nights in the past few days. It¡¯s like a person who didn¡¯t care a bit about what she heard that day. ¡®It can¡¯t be¡­¡¯ Nadia seemed so fine that she missed the point of saying an apology that he tried so hard to take out his throat. Did Fabian tell you the truth? ¡°She thinks that falling in love with her appearance is not true love.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why she doesn¡¯t care at all or anything about what you said, so she wants you to return to work as soon as possible.¡± Glenn didn¡¯t believe it at the time, but when he saw that calm look, Fabian seemed to be telling him the truth. Glenn was glad Nadia wasn¡¯t hurt, but something was not right. ¡®No, then¡­ What side of me did you fall in love with?¡¯ Before the triumphal ceremony, there was no contact point, so it was impossible if it wasn¡¯t his appearance. But then she didn¡¯t fall for Glenn¡¯s handsome face? Falling in love was too much if there was no reason behind it. Maybe Nadia had met him before, but why did she hide it from him? While he was alone in his imagination, Nadia resumed, with her solemn expression. ¡°Are you free now?¡± Even if Glenn didn¡¯t have time, he felt like he had to squeeze it out. Thus, Glenn nodded quickly. ¡°I was on my way to see my father because I had time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. I have to tell you something. Please give me some time.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± * * * It was the time at which the moon rose to the top of their head. Lights were still leaking from the rooms of the main house. Owner of the bedroom was reading the report lying down on her bed, so her maid didn¡¯t dare to blow out the candle. ¡°It¡¯s late. Please go to bed, Madam.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already midnight.¡± The maids, who were also unable to leave work, asked their Madam pleadingly. Nadia finally raised her head to their voices. ¡°It¡¯s already that late?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Since the administrators were in charge of all the practical affairs, she thought being a Marchioness was someone who only stamped, but in reality, it was not that simple. It was necessary to review the vast amount of data surveyed by lower-level administrators one by one. Although high-ranking officials organized it, the documents were not to be taken lightly. This was about the production of iron ore, that was about the increase or decrease of arms, that was about the newly settled residents¡­. And her workload just didn¡¯t end up checking reports coming up from below all day. She also had to occasionally inspect whether the work executions were working properly, and entertain guests from outside. What if she worked hard and finally finished the internal affairs? Diplomatic issues with other lords would await right after then. Lisa said with a pout. ¡°Is administrative work supposed to be this much?¡± Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡°My sister, who worked for another family, said that there would be no other hostess of the house running around like you, Madam.¡± It was boring to wait still. Once the water opened, the maids began to chat. ¡°His Grace is too much. Where else is there a wife who is as wise and gentle as a Madam¡­¡± ¡°Men don¡¯t appreciate it when we say we like them, but they get arrogant.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Madam, dating is supposed to be good at pushing and pulling. You¡¯ve pulled it so hard, so it¡¯s time to push it!¡± Chapter 58.1 Nadia waved her hands to answer her maids. ¡°You sure have a lot to say. Just go and rest. I¡¯m thinking of getting things sorted out, too.¡± ¡°To win a man¡¯s heart, you need to plant seeds of anxiety in them.¡± ¡°Lisa is right!¡± With that being said, it was actually a pretty tempting offer. Acting like a woman in love was very cumbersome and very embarrassing. If Nadia pretended to be cool, she could stop playing that dramatic role. Nadia, who had been thinking about it for a while, soon gave up. ¡®Then the reason for devoting myself to Winterfell would be gone.¡¯ Wasn¡¯t the ¡°for the man she loved¡± her justification that made people around her don¡¯t wonder why she worked so hard throughout the day until just before she went to bed? Nadia knew she still had a long way to go until her final goal. Therefore, even if it was a little cumbersome, she needed to stick to her current character. ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, you guys. How do I keep my face as his wife if I am embarrassed to show my love for him?¡± ¡°But¡­¡± The maids pouted after Nadia gave her answer. They must have felt sorry for Nadia. ¡°Men are so stupid. They take a woman who sincerely likes them for granted.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°His Grace is very cold-hearted, too. Isn¡¯t it time to accept Madam¡¯s heart?¡± Nadia thought. ¡®No, it¡¯s not good if he accepts it. It¡¯s going to be really difficult.¡¯ But Nadia couldn¡¯t say it as it is. She looked sad and said lamentably. ¡°That¡¯s true. I could only hope that some magical love potion will fall from the sky.¡± ¡°I wish there was such a thing.¡± At that time, Aidyn¡¯s eyes glistened slightly at the word love potion. She carefully opened her mouth. ¡°Madam, do you happen to know the legend of the millennium tree?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ve never heard of it.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve heard of a big tree on the north gate of the castle, right? It¡¯s a thousand-year-old tree. I¡¯m not sure if it actually lived a thousand years.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Come to think of it, Nadia remembered Gordon explaining it to her just after she came to Winterfell. Did he tell her that the tree existed even before the castle was built? It was said that they had to change the design of the fortress wall because it was impossible to cut down the spiritual tree as the spirit possessed it. Nadia, a stranger, of course did not know, but it seemed to be quite a famous story for the local people here. Other maids helped explain as if they were familiar with it. ¡°It¡¯s a tree that blooms only one day in spring and only at night. Come to think of it, it¡¯s supposed to be during this time.¡± ¡°The buds are already starting to open. It only blooms three days after the buds open. Do you want to go see it?¡± Nadia replied sourly. ¡°I don¡¯t really¡­. I don¡¯t have a hobby of seeing flowers.¡± ¡°What?¡± Aidyn then added shyly. ¡°There is also a legend that if you make a wish on the flowers of a thousand-year-old tree, you will become a lover with your loved one! It¡¯s a one-day chance a year¡­¡­ Are you sure you don¡¯t want to go see it?¡± ¡°Is that a superstition that descends on Winterfell?¡± ¡°There are a lot of couples that are born from that superstition.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. It was two years ago.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that far because it¡¯s inside the inner border. Don¡¯t miss it, Madam, and make a wish on the millennium tree. Who knows, maybe His Grace¡¯s mind will change?¡± It was a famous superstition, but even other maids responded to Aidyn¡¯s words. Their eyes were glistening on the interesting subject. Nadia, who was staring at Aidyn¡¯s, opened her mouth. ¡°Just be honest, it¡¯s just you guys who want to see the flowers, right?¡± ¡°Oh, how did you know?¡± ¡°Last year, I secretly left the dorm to see it, and you don¡¯t know how pretty it was!¡± ¡°But if we leave the compound by ourselves at night, the head maid will scold us¡­. It¡¯s good for us, and it¡¯s good for you, right? I mean, it¡¯s like killing one bird with two stones.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you mean to kill two birds with one stone.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Laughing, they burst into laughter at the same time. Nadia said with a cute smile. ¡°All right. Let¡¯s go see it. It¡¯s the night in three days, right?¡± Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡°Yes, it happens to be a full moon in three days! We¡¯re lucky. They say that the thousand-year-old tree flowers seen under the moonlight are so pretty.¡± In fact, even if the flowers were beautiful, Nadia thought it was just flowers, but she matched the rhythm of the excited maids. ¡°All right, then it¡¯s three nights later. Make sure you don¡¯t forget.¡± ¡°Thank you, Madam!¡± * * * Chapter 58.2 One bedroom was assigned to each of the maids close to the Marchioness¡¯. Considering that most maids used a six-person room, it was an exceptional special case. First of all, the advantage was that they could sleep more comfortably. When six people shared a room, noise was generated during the night. But that day was different from usual. Lisa, awakened by the rustling noise next to her, managed to open her eyelids. Looking around, she could barely see the sunlight coming through the window. She didn¡¯t think anyone would wake up so early. The source of the rustling noise was the sound of her roommate, Aidyn, changing her clothes. Lisa asked, rubbing her eyes. ¡°Um¡­ Aidyn, you¡¯re up early.¡± ¡°Yes, I woke up too early.¡± Aidyn¡¯s voice sounded somewhat hurried. Was there a problem? Lisa woke up in an instant and jumped up. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You sleep a lot in the morning.¡± ¡°Sometimes I can get up early.¡± Of course she could. But if it was Aidyn she knew, she hesitated because Aidyn liked to lie in bed a little longer, and she was not the one to get up first and change her clothes in a hurry. ¡°Do you need to go somewhere? Why are you getting ready so early?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just going to go to the dining hall and eat first. I¡¯ll go first today. I¡¯m starving.¡± ¡°Even if you go there early, they won¡¯t be ready any time soon¡­.¡± Why was she in such a hurry? Lisa watched her friend¡¯s with questioning eyes. Aidyn, wearing her apron in a hurry, was stuffing her sleeping clothes into the cabinet. Meanwhile, a pocket flowed down from her cramped cabinet, perhaps because she had touched something wrong. Clack! ¡°Ah!¡± The impact on the ground loosened the knot in the pocket. Something flashing through the open entrance poured down like a wave. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Surprised, Aidyn bent down and picked up the spilled content. But it had already spilled. Lisa¡¯s eyes became as big as a plate after seeing gold coins. ¡°Isn¡¯t that¡­ gold coins?¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°It looks like a lot? Where did you get all that?¡± It was obvious that it was ridiculous to have that much money from a maid¡¯s salary. ¡°Did you have side jobs? But you know we can¡¯t do that, right? What¡¯s going on? Tell me the truth. Huh? I¡¯ll keep it a secret from other maids and the head maid.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a side job. B-Borrowed¡­ I borrowed it.¡± ¡°You borrowed money? Why did you borrow it? From whom? For what?¡± Lisa didn¡¯t mean to pry, but she was really curious. What did Aidyn borrow that money for, what kind of crazy rich man lent her such a large sum of money, how did she intend to pay off her debt, and so on¡­¡­. ¡°Hey, tell me the truth. I won¡¯t tell anyone. It¡¯s a side job, right? What are friends for? Can you introduce me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a side job. Anyway, I¡¯ll go first. You should hurry up and get ready and come out, too.¡± Instead of answering, however, Aidyn only locked the chest of her drawer firmly and left the bedroom. Bang! Lisa stared at the loud closed door with a crooked eye. To be more precise, she looked at her friend who was obviously lying to her. ¡°A secret side job, it is.¡± Didn¡¯t people say that in front of money, friends didn¡¯t exist? Lisa thought they were the closest, but it might be her own misunderstanding. The morning sleep fled away with her disappointment. She scrambled out of bed and put on her maid¡¯s uniform and apron. Washing was all she had to do after breakfast and then she simply washed her face after that. Walking slowly to the dining hall, the corridor was still quiet. Probably because it was still early. It was the first time for Lisa to go to the dining hall early, as she always arrived late in a hurry because of her friend who slept in in the morning. She asked, settling down at the table. ¡°Martha, is it your turn to eat today? Did Aidyn eat already?¡± ¡°Huh? Aidyn?¡± A middle-aged maid called Martha tilted her head and replied. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her today? Come to think of it, why are you alone? You always come to eat with Aidyn.¡± ¡°She said she was hungry and left first. I saw her with my own eyes.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s strange. I¡¯ve been here the whole time, but I¡¯ve never seen her¡­.¡± It was early, so only a few servants had arrived at the dining hall yet. If she had seen Aidyn, there was no way she didn¡¯t remember. Lisa asked again, wondering. ¡°She really didn¡¯t come?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember. Hazel! Did you see Aidyn come to eat today? You know, Madam¡¯s attending maid!¡± Then the answer came back from far away, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t think I saw her!¡± Martha said with a shrug. ¡°The others also didn¡¯t see her.¡± Read latest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only ¡°That¡¯s strange¡­¡± Seeing the two people saying the same thing, it seemed certain that Aidyn had not come to the dining hall. ¡®Then where has she been since morning?¡¯ The attitude of hiding something¨C was it about the money? Deep wrinkles formed between her brows as she thought of her friend.