Chapter 936: Act 109 – The Crisis of the Domain of Flowers and Leaves
As Brendel faced Queen Gwendolyn for the first time in the Silver Valley, far beyond the Bear Lake region, the onslaught of the Jotungrund army showed no signs of abating. After losing contact in Valgris first, Nafiel and Talis subsequently declared their fall. It was at this moment that the Crusian finally realized who their enemy was—King Lizard, ‘Grey-Eyed’ Moksha. Moksha commanded his massive army northward, sweeping through the Merlin region north of Bear Lake. The last remnants of resistance in Anziluwa collapsed in his wake, revealing the intentions of the Jotungrund people.
Clearly, their target was Yasar—
Once Yasar fell, the empire would face the peril of losing the Evergreen Path, isolating the lands beyond. Until this moment, the empire’s inhabitants seemed as if they were still in shock, but soon, the regional lords and local legions began to mobilize, ready to respond at a moment’s notice from Her Majesty the Queen. The White Legion advanced south toward the Evergreen Path, prepared to defend this most crucial lifeline of the empire.
But reclaiming the situation would not be easy.
During the previous assaults, there had even been reports of dragon sightings, and news from Lokos confirmed this—at least two of the five underground kings participated in this battle, a revelation that sent shockwaves throughout the empire.
Since the last war, the empire had never faced such a dangerous situation. From politicians and soldiers to ordinary citizens, almost everyone was seeking information about this sudden war. Nobles were concerned about how this conflict would impair their interests, while common folk worried whether the fires of war would spread uncontrollably, dragging them into the mire of conflict.
At this moment, the situation in Anziluwa cast the southern empire into a thick fog of uncertainty. From the Violet Valley to the northern Meiz region of the Exalted Inland Sea, from Cloak Bay to Bankir, countless eyes converged here in various ways, each person anxiously waiting for news from Yasar—
But some thought further ahead.
……
“What would happen if Yasar fell?”
The question was posed by a little girl with bright, sea-blue eyes and golden hair flowing like waves. She wore a princess dress, sitting gracefully with her hands neatly folded in her lap, undeniably a well-mannered noble lady, as she gazed up at Madame Meriye—their history and noble instructor. Meanwhile, Faina sat in a high-backed chair, staring blankly out the window—a tall arched window showing the winter scenery around Rovoff Castle. The forest still held a hint of deep green, but above the canopy, majestic snow-capped peaks stood out.
Meihotofen, situated south of Ludwig’s snow-covered mountains, was surrounded by plains and hills where melting snow formed rivers that scoured this fertile land. Each spring, flowers blossomed profusely here. The country folk from the eastern Arkash region called it the Land of Spring, for the cold winds from the eastern glaciers led to Grexus being covered in snow all year round, while to the south, this fertile area remained warm.
Eventually, it came to be known as the Domain of Flowers and Leaves, which is the name of this land.
Its previous owner was the noble Duke Brook, who passed away from fever during the year of the wheat harvest. Subsequently, the brooding Duke Helix inherited the title, becoming the de facto lord of this land. The duke was not a self-absorbed ascetic, but he had few offspring—only two sons, the elder of whom perished in the last war. Among his descendants was only a pair of granddaughters.
Faina cast an envious glance at her carefree sister. She inwardly scorned her sister’s foolish question, but this disdain came from a certain sisterly fondness, showing no signs on her face.
The relationship between the two sisters had always been harmonious.
Ylise was known far and wide as a sweet little angel in the Domain of Flowers and Leaves, while Faina—Brendel had personally experienced her temperament, as she was typically unruly when out with her rowdy friends from the capital, only returning to slightly less wild behavior after her recent trip from the Loop of Trade Winds, much to Duke Helix’s relief.
However, her recent activities involved organizing her adventurous stories into a manuscript to use as bragging material in Rustra—though by that time, her only sister had already heard these stories so much that they were almost second nature to her. The innocent little girl wasn’t put off; on the contrary, she admired her sister, fueling Faina’s own longing for the outside world, though she could never muster the same audacity as her sister.
After Ylise asked her question, a moment of silence fell over the hall as Madame Meriye seemed to ponder the inquiry—not for its practical implications, but purely from an academic standpoint. Thus, she was completely unaffected by the current situation of the empire, adjusting her glasses and contemplating before answering, “From a purely military perspective, the empire would likely lose the Evergreen Path. However, the symbolic significance of this loss would surpass its practical implications. The empire could still support the battlefield in the lands beyond from the Domain of Flowers and Leaves. For the duke, this actually presents a rare opportunity; had it not been for the fallout with Fanzan, the geographical position of the Domain of Flowers and Leaves actually rivals the Evergreen Path…”
This lady’s personal interests were closely tied to the Domain of Flowers and Leaves, and she harbored lingering resentments over the commercial decline caused by the previous Holy War. Once she began discussing this topic, she immediately become loquacious.
Ylise was captivated, while Faina was already bored to tears, hearing the same thing repeatedly until her ears felt raw.
More crucially, at this moment she could not muster any interest in these discussions. The root of her distraction lay in a letter handed to her by her father’s steward the previous night.
The letter was from the capital, Rustra. Like many other major families in the empire, the Kirk family maintained innumerable eyes and connections at the heart of imperial power. Whether in critical moments or daily affairs, many letters circulated among these families, their eyes, and their networks. While such letters were far from secret in the empire, the one that reached Faina was particularly different.
This letter bore some unique secret marks from the ancient family, indicating that it was sent by certain important members of the family.
For instance, it was currently in the capital: Duke Helix and Faina’s father—Count Effie.
The contents of the letter were rather simple, merely stating that there had been some difficulties during their visit to the capital, and they might return to the domain a bit late.
But this very letter sparked doubts within Faina.
At present, there were no male members of the family, and given her grandfather’s and father’s personalities, they would never have formally notified her with such a letter—this unprecedented occurrence raised her alarm. Over the past week, she had tried through steward Elliot to gather information from the capital, but strange occurrences unfolded: the family’s usual eyes in Rustra had seemingly evaporated, not a single one was reachable.
Information concerning her grandfather and father was also half-true and half-false. Some reports claimed Duke Helix was still residing in the ‘Tulip Mansion’ in the capital, but according to reports from those sent by Elliot, this intelligence appeared to be baseless—both the duke and the earl had departed for their return journey two weeks prior.
The conflicting messages loomed over Faina like a shroud of uncertainty. She began to regret not heeding her grandfather’s instructions sooner and immersing herself in the daily affairs of the domain. Now, restarting at this juncture with no one to rely on left her feeling completely lost.
“The last batch should be returning soon.” The princess thought anxiously, while Madame Meriye’s incessant chatter became increasingly unbearable in her eyes, “That damned old maid!”
Faina was thoroughly vexed and couldn’t help but mutter under her breath. However, unfortunately, Madame Meriye held a high position within the domain; in the past, her grandfather—Duke Helix would never have taken action based on her slanders. Most likely, the outcome would be her own confinement to her quarters, a punishment she had long since grown accustomed to. And now, while the Domain of Flowers and Leaves could be said to be under her sole authority, she found herself lacking the heart to take revenge.
Just as she was on the verge of dozing off, a long-awaited knock came at the hall’s door. Madame Meriye once again paused, her stern gaze sweeping over Faina—who quickly gestured an apology and leaped from her chair, dashing to the door. Regarding everything that had occurred over the past week and a half, she hadn’t revealed a word to anyone else, not even Ylise, as the noble girl at least understood what it represented.
Outside the door, the castle’s steward had been waiting for a long time. Upon seeing her father’s trusted aide, Faina quickly inquired, “How is it, Mr. Elliot? Any news about my grandfather and my father?”
Halfway through her question, she suddenly fell quiet.
Faina noticed that her father’s steward, the renowned Elliot, had an exceptionally awful expression—this was the first time she had seen such a countenance on this man, who usually wore a poker face.
Without warning, a bad premonition rose in the heart of the princess. After a moment’s hesitation, she asked, “Steward Elliot, has something happened to grandfather and the others?”
Elliot stiffly nodded, “Miss, some events have occurred in the capital. I believe you should prepare yourself.”
“What exactly has happened?” Faina felt as if struck in the face. Her complexion paled slightly as she nervously queried, “Is it true that my grandfather and father…”
“You’re overthinking it, Miss,” Elliot quickly interjected, sensing the misunderstanding, “The duke and earl should currently be safe, but only a few days ago, Her Majesty the Queen issued orders to place them under house arrest.”
“Under house arrest?” Faina paused slightly, as if breathing a sigh of relief while simultaneously confusedly asking, “Why?”
She knew that since the Queen ascended to the throne, her relationship with the Kirk family had been strained, but it didn’t seem bad enough to warrant the casual house arrest of a duke. This represented a public break between the imperial family and a vastly strong family. She believed that for both the Queen and the empire, this was something they would rather not see.
“Her Majesty believes that the duke and earl have betrayed the empire,” Elliot replied, somewhat stammering.
“Betrayed the empire!” Faina nearly jumped up, “What kind of joke is that woman playing? How is that possible!”
Elliot dared not engage with such sentiments, realizing the gravity of her words. Fortunately, there were no outsiders present; he carefully glanced around before reminding his young mistress, “Please be cautious with your words, Miss. The duke and earl have been placed under house arrest in the capital, and Her Majesty will surely take action against us before this news spreads. You need to make a decision.”
Faina was momentarily dumbfounded.
To ask her to make a decision, but what could she decide? The only person she could depend upon at this moment seemed to be her teacher, Veronika. The problem was that Veronika had already been placed under house arrest due to the previous incident concerning Erluin. After hearing Elliot’s words, Faina couldn’t help but feel isolated and helpless. Her mind felt disordered, and she couldn’t help but say to her father’s steward, “Elliot, I understand. Just let me think for a moment, and I’ll tell you what to do later.”
The old steward seemed to perceive the distress of his young mistress, but he refrained from pointing it out, simply nodding in agreement, “If you need anything, you can call for me at any time.” Then he turned and left.
Faina remained alone, feeling chaotic by the door.
She never imagined that a trivial trip her grandfather and father made to the capital could escalate to such a degree. She was at a loss as to whether it was she who had gone mad or if the Queen had lost her senses. Normally, even if her grandfather and father had betrayed the empire, the royal family shouldn’t have handled it so hastily. After all, the implications were far too significant; whatever decision the Queen made seemed to have another motive. The key was that, in her mind, she couldn’t fathom where the real problem lay.
“Oh, if only that guy were here right now, he would definitely know what was happening. It seems there’s nothing he can’t uncover,” Faina couldn’t help but murmur to herself.
She lingered by the door for a moment before preparing to turn around and inform Ylise—at this point, she understood that she could no longer hide the matter. If the situation continued down this path, the Kirk family could be irrevocably harmed. Of course, the same applied to the Queen, which was the part Faina couldn’t comprehend. She didn’t understand why the highest authority of the empire seemed to have suddenly gone mad—just then, a guard rushed in from outside.
The guard halted momentarily upon spotting her, likely surprised to find the young lady standing in a daze at the door, then quickly spoke, “Miss, a group of knights is outside.”
“A group of knights?”
“No, to be precise, it should be a group of knights and another person.” The guard hurriedly clarified.
“A group of knights and another person? You have one chance to clearly explain yourself, or I’ll toss you in the dungeon!” Faina replied irritably.
The guard jumped, evidently not expecting to run into the wrath of the esteemed princess of the Domain of Flowers and Leaves. He cautiously explained, “Two groups have arrived outside; one seems to be the town’s knights, and the other group only has one person, a messenger.”
“Knights?” Faina’s heart skipped a beat. The so-called town knights referred to the interior knights stationed in their noble territories—a generally acknowledged secret. In more remote areas, local lords might only be aware of the existence of such individuals, but not necessarily who they were. In a substantial domain like the Flower and Leaf Estate, the royal family had to be concerned about the attitudes of various dukes, making the presence of these knights largely semi-public.
These men, as observers, had a relationship with those they surveilled that would not be amiable, and their visit seldom meant anything good.
Faina quickly connected the guard’s statement to what Elliot had said earlier. She furrowed her brow, wanting to refuse entry immediately, but at that moment she hesitated and asked, “That messenger isn’t with them?”
“No,” the guard dutifully answered, feeling grateful that the little witch princess was at least showing mercy, not actually throwing him into the dark dungeon beneath the castle. This was not a jest; the last time a maid who barely crossed the threshold of this princess’s patience ended up confined for several days, terrifying the girl who was still somewhat skittish.
“Is he our messenger?” Faina asked again.
The guard shook his head, “He says he comes from Anziluwa; I think he looks like a fraud. That place has been sealed off for a long time now.”
“Shut up,” Faina coldly interrupted, “I didn’t ask you that; you say he comes from Anziluwa?”
The guard nodded.
