Chapter 104 - A Lot Of Choices
The biggest insult I am currently experiencing is to entertain the words of the former Crown Prince and several factions that support him.
Apart from Earl Timoti and the Duchess who knew what I said, several nobles who heard my previous words just laughed.
At this time, the Marquess Rommel family had taken a more extreme direction than the typical military family. Even with the training given to troops directly by my father, it had changed from squeezing sweat to squeezing their own lives.
Thanks to my mother having mastered high-tier healing magic and stamina recovery magic, the training that Marquess Rommel's troops underwent was much harder than the training of normal troops in general.
Some nobles who didn't know this could only laugh along with the bluff I gave at this time, including several representatives from the opposition noble families.
"That's a bold statement from you," he said in a cocky tone that made me smile sarcastically at him.
"Yes, I dare to say this after seeing several opposition noble families that have surrounded our territory. I am pleased with your Lord's actions in moving secretly like this. Your surprise attack makes me feel happy about this," I replied by taking some of the little information that I had learned about the opposition families and the noble families that were currently mobilizing the opposition noble forces behind the scenes.
"..." With this information that I gave, the representative of the opposition nobles fell silent as if they knew the meaning of my words.
"As one of the nobles who is being controlled, it is better to keep quiet before digging your death pit," I said with a cold smile towards representative opposition noble families.
The impact of my words made several representatives of the opposition nobles fall silent. The fact that they were being controlled to make a big move while the war between nobles was going on, it had made their mouths shut for a while.
Now... I just need to give the former Crown Prince some options to deal with one of my family members.
"Back to the main topic, what do you want to fight against, former Crown Prince?" my tone belittled his dignity, it had already trapped him into a trap that ignited his emotions.
"I can give you some names of my family that you can fight when the time comes."
"The first option I gave was… Marquess Rommel himself. As the head of a respected noble family, it would be an honor if you managed to defeat him on the battlefield, wouldn't you? Even if my father were to be killed on the battlefield, it would allow me to ascend the throne as the heir to the Marquess Rommel family. When that happens, I will immediately launch a full-scale counterattack on the Royal Palace," I said with a chuckle and rubbed the hilt of the cursed Odachi that was currently in my hand.
Caress...
Caress...
By giving a gentle caress to the hilt of my cursed Odachi, made the former Crown Prince bite his lip.
I continued my words by giving him a cold smile, "The second option is my mother herself. You should know that my mother was one of the women who was once the Head of the Magic Division in the Royal Palace before retiring to marry for a second time. Her magical abilities will make you feels a little bit… nuisance when dealing with her. However, it will be a great achievement if my mother is defeated on the battlefield. It would be even greater if my mother is killed on the battlefield and the results of the war will make you someone who will be admired after the war is over. However, that will make my father launch a counterattack on the royal family and I will have to take action in this war in as a counterattack."
The second option I mentioned is not much more dangerous than the first. With the same result, it makes the first and second options have the same outcome.
The Duchess, who understood these words, tried to hold back her laughter with a hand fan covering her beautiful face.
"The third option, I think this is a safe and easy choice for you as the former Crown Prince. With your small and unreliable faction, fighting my twin sister is probably the best option at this point. Unlike the outcome that would have happened with my intervention after their defeated, you will faced the wrath of Marquess Rommel and Marchioness Amagi directly. I will stayed at home to guard my family legacy if both of my parents had fallen on the battlefield and taken over Marquess Rommel's power as a Matriarch," I said with a cold smile that seemed to state my intention of taking over Marquess Rommel's power after his downfall.
With some of the bait I spread, a stiff smile appeared on the former Crown Prince's face.
"Haha! How ridiculous!" he commented with a smile that belittled my family's abilities.
"I'll take them all on at once!" he shouted, taking the bait I gave him.
"That would put you in a mess without your family's support and destroy your territory at the same time!" he continued shouting with a smile filled with great confidence in himself being able to destroy my family.
Among all the baits I prepared to slowly destroy him, this former Crown Prince chose to destroy himself quickly.
This extraordinary courage deserves my appreciation.
That's why... I gave him a sarcastic smile.
"I'll wait for that to happen," I said with a sly smile at him.
"Zoe... use the curse that makes this pathetic man not run away from his words on the battlefield," I continued, giving orders to Zoe.
"Yes, my Master!" Zoe suddenly came out from behind my hair and cast a curse on the former Crown Prince.
Cress...
"AAARRGHH!! WHAT THE FUCK!" the former Crown Prince screamed after feeling Zoe's curse covering his face.
"Don't worry, it's a curse that makes you have to fulfill your own words. You wouldn't be able to run away from the battlefield to face my entire family from the start until end, will you?" I said with a smile that looked like a villainess woman.
Cress...
The curse that the former Crown Prince received immediately filled his face and left a butterfly wing mark.
"You're going to be in on this too, right?" I replied, glancing at the old man who had suddenly gotten cursed by Zoe as well.
Cress...
"GAAAH!! WHAT IS THIS?!" With a scream, I could hear the scream of pain from the old man who was trying to stand up and wash his face with cold of the drinking water.
Splash...
By wetting his face with drinking water, it made the old man calmer. The military uniform he was wearing was also wet and made him look like a pathetic old man.
"Isn't this interesting... fighting while taking revenge on me for all the grudges you've accumulated like that."
"I look forward to seeing both of you on the battlefield... in a few months from now on."
Along with my final words, I glanced at the representatives of the noble faction that supported the noble family.
As if giving them an open challenge, I was get rejected by their attitude and behavior, then avoid my gaze.
By finishing my sentence at this luncheon, I gave a light nod towards Earl Timoti.
"Those were the words spoken by the representative of the neutral nobles. The only neutral noble who had not joined any faction and was fighting alone. I hope Marquess Rommel is doing well in this war after previously event only acting as war supervisor," said Earl Timoti as he took over the luncheon followed by sudden meeting.
Sraaakkk...
Showing her beautiful face, the Duchess whispered to me.
"Yep, those are quite bold words, Lily-sama. By intimidating the royal family, the pro-royal family faction, and the opposition faction. You have truly created an admirable enemy ready to be harvested at any time," the Duchess said in a loud tone that drew several eyes of attention towards her.
"Even for a Duchess like me, such actions are just a waste of troop resources and time in vain on the bloody battlefield. I can't even stand to wait for an attack to occur within my territory," the Duchess continued, luring me into a more interesting conversation than before.
"Waiting for their attack… indeed difficult," I replied, reaching for a glass of orange juice.
"Besides, if I could attack directly... why would I wait for their attack?" I continued, seeing the smile on the Duchess' face.
"That is an interesting idea, Lily-sama. As expected of someone who has made me submit to you!" the Duchess shouted in a cheerful tone and tried to hug me.
Before that happened, Earl Timoti cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention to him.
"Cough! Let's put that aside for now, Duchess."
"Let us begin this luncheon as a celebration of my family being officially appointed as the war overseers of the noble families in the Royal Capital of Aurora. I hope you will not cause too many casualties this year. Who knows whose idea this was... this tradition of war between nobles still continues," Earl Timoti said while venting his frustration.
"I hope you enjoy the dishes I have prepared."
Tingg!!
Tingg!!
With Earl Timoti's final words, the luncheon began and ended quickly.
During the luncheon, I endured the gazes of people who hated me with great killing intent. Even with the threats I had made, it did not stop them from seeing me with their blazing killing-intent gazes.
To protect their killing intent, the Duchess pressed her body against mine.
"Lily-sama... would you like to try this sweet food by mouth to mouth… with me?" said the Duchess with a teasing tone coming out of her mouth.
"Huh?!" Evelyn screamed, after hearing this.
"Huuuh?!" Unlike Evelyn who was surprised by this, Mio gave a cold stare towards the Duchess and gave a greater killing intent that made the killing intent gaze directed at me disappear.
Mio moving her hand to pull the Duchess' body that was sticking closely to me, then gave a cold glare towards the Duchess.
"With all due respect, the Duchess..."
"Stop teasing my Master with your lewd body," Mio said without any regard for her words that respected the Duchess as one of the honorable nobles.
"I don't want my Master's body to be tainted by your lewd body!" Mio grumbled with her gaze now focused on the Duchess's large breasts that were touching and caress my arm.
Caress...
Caress...
"Ahhh... Lily-sama. Did you hear that? I'm being threatened by such a terrifying maid," said the Duchess, playing with her words to tease Mio.
Before anything bad happened, I glanced at Mio and gave an order that ended her punishment.
"Mio... sit down!" I said in a gentle tone.
With my command, Mio sat on the floor obediently.