“Don’t be so surprised, Tia. Listen to me, let me explain slowly.” She raised a finger, gesturing in the air.
“The territory of the Yan people is adjacent to Count Cheng En’s land. In order to guard against the Zeng people, Sister Mor purposely stationed troops at the border of the Count’s domain. This has long made Mu Lian accumulate resentment.”
“Why… Why did it turn out like this?”
Marentia frowned, asking in a trembling voice. She desperately wanted to understand, yet found that her train of thought was not as sharp as Nori’s logic.
“Count Chace’s domain mainly relies on handicrafts and animal husbandry, while the Rui people are important suppliers of raw materials for their handicrafts.”
“Earl Weijieta’s military deployment blocked their commercial dealings with the Shan people, severely impacting the Count’s territory’s economic development. Of course he would be furious!” Nori explained.
“Moreover, Count Bans was originally a supporter of my detestable old father, Duke Deya Te. He’s also quite dissatisfied with the current rule of the Queen’s Faction.”
“So, Nori just took advantage of the Count’s desires—just a tiny bit—”
Marentia listened with eyes wide and mouth agape. She couldn’t imagine that this seemingly innocent little girl before her could actually plot such a complex scheme from the shadows.
“Then… what about the murder of Baron Meng? Why could the Rebels’ army kill him?” The maid pressed on, “I still don’t understand… how did Nori guarantee all of this?”
“It’s because Nori held an important Prop Item in her hand.”
“Earlier, when the economy was still stable, Princess Zeer once took the initiative to declare war on the Yan people and even wrote a secret letter to the Beastmen tribe to start a war. But in the end, due to changes in the Kingdom’s internal situation and various considerations, the letter was never sent out.”
“Nori handed over this Constitutional Letter—Princess Zeer’s unsent declaration of war against the Beastmen—to those rebellious people~”
This made Marentia’s chest heave with anxiety and her face go pale as paper. Her throat felt tight, almost unable to make a sound.
“The letter you mentioned… isn’t that the one you had me steal last time?”
Not long ago, Nori, as usual, had given her a strange mission—just like an investigation—and Marentia obediently completed it.
Marentia was naturally skilled at stealth, and with Nori’s power as protection, this mission was easily accomplished.
But she never imagined that she would become the key figure in this entire incident—the most crucial facilitator.
“Correct~” Nori beamed with a sweet, flowery smile. “As expected of my clever Tia, you did very well yesterday.”
“Nori, you…”
“Of course, just this alone wasn’t enough. Apparently, the Rebels leaked the news to the Zeng people and proposed an alliance to the Yan tribe.”
She paid no attention to Marentia’s anxious expression and continued speaking on her own.
“With this, the Beastmen, for their own safety, would naturally choose to join hands with the Rebels. As for Baron Feicai, because the Kingdom’s garrison troops had been lured away by a scheme and he himself had little strength, he ended up meeting a pitiful end—”
After listening to Nori’s words, the maid felt all her strength drained from her body. She collapsed to the ground, staring at Nori in a daze.
“No, no… We didn’t…”
Her mind went completely blank.
Nori crouched down, gently lifting Marentia’s hand.
“All of this is to create a blessed world that belongs to just the two of us—my dearest Tia—”
The Little Princess, like a chick pecking at rice, planted a kiss on the woman’s forehead.
But Marentia had already lost the ability to think, her thin shoulders devoid of a trace of blood.
Once again emerging from the great hall of the Royal Council, her steps felt especially heavy.
As soon as she entered the room, Sista leaned back against the couch in relief, closing her eyes to rest, hoping to find a moment’s peace after the day’s chaos.
Su Ling had already been waiting there for a while. She quietly walked to the table, picked up a fine teapot, and brewed a cup of hot milk tea.
The aroma of tea mingled with the fragrance of milk, slowly spreading through the air. She gently placed the teacup on the table before Sista.
“Your Highness, if you’re tired, you should rest well.”
Sista slowly opened her eyes, her gaze falling on the steaming cup of milk tea. She gently blew away the steam, then took a small sip.
The warm liquid slid down her throat, as if carrying away some of her fatigue.
Su Ling silently observed Sista’s expression. She could sense that Sista was somehow different from usual today.
After finishing that meeting, the Blood Princess no longer sat as straight-backed as before, her demeanor somewhat scattered, and a trace of weariness faintly visible in her eyes.
“Lately, there have been more meetings, haven’t there.” Su Ling found a topic, trying to lighten the heavy mood.
Sista nodded lightly.
“Yes, because of the unrest in Lia District, the various clans are harboring their own thoughts. The Queen’s Faction takes this matter very seriously and is discussing countermeasures.”
Lia District…
Su Ling suddenly thought of the Hunter Girl she had bid farewell to that day.
The conflict between the Rebels and the Kingdom was growing ever more intense. How is Phil doing now? She couldn’t help feeling a little worried.
Lately, she’d heard the guards and other people chatting and roughly knew the situation in the north.
If the Rebels had found a base, Phil should be safe for now.
Su Ling’s thoughts drifted far away, silently wishing that Phil could be all right.
But she knew that by choosing to join the Rebels, Phil would have to face many difficulties in the future.
Sista seemed to notice Su Ling’s unusual mood. She put down her teacup, her gaze falling on Su Ling’s hands. “What’s wrong? You look troubled.”
Su Ling shook her head and forced a slight smile: “It’s nothing. Please, go on—what happened at the meeting?”
“You’re quite curious about this, aren’t you?” Sista countered.
“Not really,” Su Ling shook her head. “I was just asking…”
Sista let out a soft laugh. “I don’t think these complicated matters are something a mere servant could understand.”
“Sorry.”
“Forget it. Since you’re so interested, how do you see the current situation?”
“Well,” Su Ling answered after a pause, looking up, “it’s just my own humble opinion… The humans and Beastmen have already rebelled, and I think the forces of resistance surely don’t stop here. Once the fuse is lit, it might even incite other discontented factions to join the rebellion.”
Sista narrowed her eyes thoughtfully.
“What you said—I’ve considered that as well.”
“The Ming people are naturally fierce and their troops strong, and with their headquarters so close, it’s very convenient for them to move forces. The soldiers we have stationed there can’t easily take action.”
Su Ling listened intently. She was somewhat surprised—the Blood Princess was actually willing to share these things with her.
In the past, matters concerning the Kingdom were always handled internally by Sista, and she rarely spoke of them to outsiders.
Perhaps it was the change in their relationship that had made Sista trust Su Ling a little more, so she was willing to share such private topics.
“Mu Rong Count’s attitude is also ambiguous. Although he hinted in his reply that he would send troops to suppress the rebellion, he still hasn’t made a move. It’s as if he’s intentionally stalling for time.”
Sista stared at the mulberry leaf floating in her cup, sinking and rising in the creamy milk tea.
“The situation is very difficult. Valivadan is still attacking, and Mor is busy to the point of exhaustion.”
“Your Highness, what do you think?” Su Ling finally mustered the courage to ask this question.
The timing for the question was somewhat abrupt, but Su Ling truly wanted to know what Sista was thinking.