NOVEL NEXT Chapter 22
“As expected of Lord Ace.”
As I skimmed through the report, I couldn’t help but marvel at how smoothly the succession of the Selens Earl House had been handled.
“To seize the earldom in just a week, he’s truly impressive.”
Roy, hearing my voice, seemed to have caught on to the fact that Ace had taken over the Selens Earldom. His tone mirrored my own amazement.
“Lord Giorg said it would take a month, but to correct it to just a week… I thought he was out of his mind, but to actually pull it off in a week is terrifyingly skillful.”
“Ah, I had high expectations for Lord Ace, but this is beyond what I imagined.”
“He probably took control of the mansion in the Royal Capital immediately, but what about the territories?”
“Most likely, he left the territories for later.”
“For later?”
“Yes, it’s a fact that Lord Ace didn’t have the luxury of spending a month on this.”
“It’s about the marriage between Leon and Lady Fiona, isn’t it?”
I nodded at Roy’s words.
“I had planned to announce the marriage after Fiona was disinherited, but Lord Ace must have considered the risks of announcing it before her disinheritance.”
“I see… So first, he seizes the title, and then he takes control of the territories.”
“Yes, he probably completely cut off any information about him inheriting the earldom from reaching the territories.”
“And then, after fully preparing, he announces it to the vassals in the territories… But is that really okay?”
“Well, normally it wouldn’t be, but the current situation of the Selens Earldom is far from normal, so he had no choice.”
“Can we use this?”
I immediately shook my head at Roy’s question. By “use,” Roy meant whether we could use this as a move to bring down Ace. Roy’s basic mindset is to prepare for all sorts of scenarios.
“No, it’s impossible. At least at this point, there’s no reason to bring down Lord Ace. Even if he becomes my enemy in the future, by then he would have completely consolidated his power within the house, making it pointless.”
“Not even a small crack?”
“Ah, it’s better not to underestimate Lord Ace on the same level as Gazel and the others. In the end, I would win, but it would undoubtedly come at a great cost.”
“So, he’s not strong enough to be feared, but not weak enough to be underestimated, huh?”
“Exactly.”
“A troublesome man has become the earl. Maybe it would have been better if the previous fool had remained the earl.”
“If he were an enemy, yes. But since the Selens House is on our side, having that fool around would have been a problem for us.”
“Indeed, an incompetent ally is far more troublesome than a competent enemy.”
I nodded with a wry smile at Roy’s response. He was absolutely right—an incompetent ally is far worse than a competent enemy. Sometimes I wonder if they were sent by the opposing camp just to trip us up.
“Excuse me.”
Aisha entered the office with a bow. She approached me, bowed again, and began her report.
“The transport of the two death row prisoners has been completed.”
“I see, it took four days to reach the capital, Regnos.”
“Yes. The execution will take place in a week.”
“Hmm, I will depart for Regnos in three days. Aisha, make sure to notify the key figures in the territories beforehand.”
“Understood.”
“Also, issue orders for both the new Viscounts, Calmais and Edior, to come to Regnos.”
“Understood. So… it’s about making an example, isn’t it?”
“Yes, we need to ensure they never think of rebelling again.”
“As you say.”
“You seem dissatisfied.”
Aisha looked uneasy at my question, while Roy watched with a smirk. What’s so funny? I wondered, but decided not to press further.
“No, it’s just… I thought Lord Giorg might be pushing himself too hard…”
Aisha spoke with concern for me.
“It’s fine. That man and I share blood, but that’s where our connection ends. If anything, I see this as a necessary rite of passage for my future.”
“Yes. My words were presumptuous.”
“It’s alright. It’s because I have you all worrying about me that my heart remains unshaken.”
“Your words are too generous.”
Aisha responded with a humble tone, while Roy looked bored.
“What’s wrong?”
“Oh, nothing… Just that Aisha missed again… Whoa!!”
Roy dodged another high-speed backfist from Aisha.
“Stop dodging. It’s annoying.”
“If I didn’t, my nose would be broken… Annoying, huh?”
“Roy, if you say something unnecessary next time… you know what’ll happen, right?”
“Got it. No need to rush, right?”
“Exactly. No need to rush when it comes to killing you. You’re so frivolous, but your skills are top-notch.”
“You’re making me blush with all this praise.”
“Hehe, what a happy thought process. I’d like to learn from you.”
“That’s the first time I’ve heard such a half-hearted compliment.”
I almost burst out laughing at their exchange. I am about to execute my biological father. From a normal perspective, it might be considered a grave sin. But to me, my family is the House of Zarfing, those who support me, and Gazel and the others are not part of that. It might be unfortunate, but I don’t perceive that misfortune as such because I have everyone here with me.
I can be utterly ruthless if it means protecting my family. I confirmed once again that my heart remains unshaken even at the thought of Gazel’s execution.
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