21. The Madman of War (1)

“Will I even be allowed to join the negotiation team? My reputation isn’t exactly favorable.”

Count Winters scratched his head in embarrassment, feeling that Larael was overestimating him. While there was no doubt about his abilities as the Master of Four Seasons, even Larael had to admit that his reputation as a noble was far from stellar.

“Why worry when the Marchioness of Argen, wife to one of His Majesty’s closest confidants, is your cousin?”

Larael gritted her teeth and gave a bright smile.

‘This is exactly the kind of situation where you should use your family connections instead of pretending to be upright.’

Larael felt a fleeting sense of disappointment at the overly timid attitude of someone like the Master of Four Seasons. She recalled that day when she had found him so frivolous that it bordered on absurdity, and now his demeanor seemed completely different depending on his title.

Seeing her wide smile, Count Winters felt his heart drop. She suddenly looked her age—someone who had just recently reached adulthood.

‘Didn’t they say she had only just passed the age of majority?’

He felt uncomfortable being alone with her in this space. He didn’t like how his emotions seemed to sway as if he were under some kind of spell. He needed to bring someone else into this room as soon as possible.

“I’ve kept Beatrice waiting too long. I understand that, aside from His Majesty the Emperor, communication stones aren’t allowed within the imperial palace. I’ll send a well-trained carrier pigeon to make contact.”

“Please do.”

When Larael nodded, Count Winters stepped out of the drawing room and returned with Beatrice.

“Did you have a good conversation?”

Beatrice asked as she sat down on the sofa, looking at the two of them.

“Thanks to you, we had a very productive discussion.”

Despite Larael’s answer, Beatrice pursed her lips and gave Count Winters a skeptical look.

“To be honest, he’s my cousin, so this might be like spitting on my own face, but he doesn’t have much going for him apart from his polished appearance. Still, I can vouch for him—he’s definitely not a shady person.”

Beatrice, worried that her cousin might have made a mistake, spoke disparagingly of him. However, Larael could tell that her words were filled with trust and affection for Count Winters.

“I know that well. In fact, I needed some advice from Count Winters.”

“Advice… from him? He’s hardly in a position to give advice…”

Beatrice looked at Count Winters with eyes full of disbelief, as if she couldn’t fathom it.

Count Winters frowned at Beatrice’s gaze, clearly annoyed by her attitude.

—

After Edward departed for the Kayaneuman Mountains with the negotiation team, Larael exchanged detailed information with Dean through carrier pigeons. As Dean had feared, he hadn’t been able to join the negotiation team. However, Larael had requested a private audience with the Emperor and personally disclosed the existence of the mana stone mine to Edward. 

The matter of the mana stone mine was kept as a top secret between Edward and Count Winters. Dean, as part of the negotiation team, left for the Kayaneuman Mountains.

Larael strolled through the garden, waiting for a carrier pigeon from Dean. Although she appeared calm, she was more anxious than ever. This was the first time she was doing something to help Edward, and she didn’t know yet whether it would succeed or fail.

“Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager has arrived.”

Lillian approached Larael, who was walking in the garden, and informed her of the Empress Dowager’s visit.

Larael’s expression froze instantly. The Empress Dowager, who had been avoiding her under the pretext of poor health, had suddenly decided to visit while Edward was away. Larael couldn’t figure out her intentions.

Larael stopped her walk and entered the drawing room where the Empress Dowager was waiting.

“Greetings to Her Majesty the Empress Dowager.”

The Empress Dowager scanned Larael from head to toe as she entered the drawing room. Larael hated that gaze. It felt as though the Empress Dowager was scrutinizing her every detail with contempt.

“There are rumors in the palace about how close you and the Emperor are. They say he visits Abella Palace every night. It’s also the Empress Consort’s duty to regulate excessive visits to ensure he doesn’t collapse from overexertion. You should curb his indulgence.”

The Empress Dowager sneered as she spoke. Larael slowly closed her eyes and opened them again. She couldn’t believe someone of the Empress Dowager’s status, a lady from the empire’s most prestigious family, could utter such vulgar words.

Back when she lived in the Hedway County, Larael had admired the glamorous lives of the capital’s nobles and envied their refined elegance, as most young women her age did. But in reality, many of them were no better than the ordinary people of the countryside.

“As you’ve heard, His Majesty cherishes me. I apologize for bringing this up, but the Grand Duke has been sending me letters lately. I’m worried that if His Majesty sees them, it could cause a problem. I hope you can speak to the Grand Duke and advise him. I understand he’s deeply hurt, but it would be best for him to let go of the past and move forward.”

The Empress Dowager’s face turned red with anger, and her breathing grew rough.

“You don’t need to worry about that. It’s nothing significant. He’s simply showing temporary interest because it’s the first time something of his has been taken away.”

Larael couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity. Comparing a person to an object right in front of them—how typical of the Empress Dowager. Larael no longer wanted to continue the conversation.

“Your Majesty, you still don’t look well. As much as I’d like to talk further, I’m concerned about your health. I also need to leave for a fitting for the dress I’ll wear at the birthday banquet. Please take care on your way back.”

Larael stood, bowed, and left the drawing room.

The Empress Dowager’s face twisted in displeasure, unable to hide her irritation. She hadn’t even finished a single cup of tea. In essence, Larael had driven her out.

According to Herwen’s plan, Larael was supposed to act according to the commands of the Empress Dowager and Herwen. However, Larael hadn’t even been accepting Herwen’s letters, and her relationship with the Emperor seemed smooth. Considering the overall situation, Larael Hedway didn’t seem likely to comply with their wishes.

If she wasn’t put in her place now, she would undoubtedly climb higher without fear. The Empress Dowager clenched her teeth. It seemed that the country girl Larael didn’t know that no one who fell out of favor with the Empress Dowager had ever survived unscathed in the palace.

‘I’ll make sure she learns that, even if she doesn’t want to.’

***

Thanks to the wizards from the Magic Tower, the Kazel Empire’s negotiation team teleported directly to the precise location of the Hashiyan army’s command center without any issues.

“The Kazel Empire’s negotiation team includes the Emperor himself, three Swordmasters, and five wizards from the Magic Tower who surpass our royal wizards. It’s called a negotiation team, but it’s practically a full-fledged army.”

The Hashiyan King, Rasman, had already been informed via messenger that the negotiation team was coming. He struggled to maintain his composure. Everything had been meticulously prepared for a long time. The discovery of the mana stone mine by an old friend who had wandered into the forests of the Kayaneuman Mountains was proof that the gods were on his side. There was no need to be nervous.

‘The heavens are clearly on my side…’

How long had he been preparing for this moment?

However, having the Emperor of the Kazel Empire personally lead the negotiations was unexpected. Rasman had assumed that Grand Duke Vellaus, the lord of Kalia, would handle the negotiations. He swallowed dryly.

The existence of the mana stone mine had been kept so secret that even the soldiers didn’t know about it. To efficiently extract the mana stones in a short period while avoiding the Kazel Empire’s attention, they had developed magical tools. For two years, the miners and wizards who would work in the mine had been completely cut off from the outside world. They were currently waiting in the rear, ready to be deployed.

The preparations had been so thorough that Rasman was confident the Kazel Empire wouldn’t discover the truth. He nodded with conviction.

“Hawthorn, you know how hard I’ve worked to lead these unruly men to this point, don’t you? Have you heard the rumors? They say the Emperor of the Kazel Empire stole his younger brother’s fiancée and made her his Empress Consort. Should we accept being called barbarians by such a beast? Isn’t he the real barbarian?”