Borde City, Duke’s Mansion
Prince Philip, the Third Prince, lounged on the duke’s throne, lazily glancing at a letter delivered via teleportation magic. Behind him stood “Duchess Eleanor de Borde”, scantily clad, obediently massaging his shoulders and feet along with two similarly dressed young maids kneeling on the floor.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and a guard’s voice came from outside.
“Your Highness, Count Linte requests an audience.”
The Third Prince lazily lifted his eyelids and said,
“Come in.”
The door opened quickly, revealing a tall, middle-aged nobleman in armor.
He appeared to be about forty years old, with gray hair and eyes, and his features bore a slight resemblance to the Third Prince, though he appeared far more resolute compared to the prince’s delicate beauty.
Frowning, the nobleman glanced at the Third Prince reclining on the duke’s throne, then at Eleanor behind him.
He spoke to the two maids with a stern expression.“Cover Lady Eleanor with some clothes. It’s cold, do you want her to catch a cold?”
The maids remained unmoved until the Third Prince, smiling at the nobleman’s displeased expression, lazily commanded.
“Cover her with some clothes and take her away.”
Only then did the maids comply, covering Eleanor with a cloak and quickly leading her out.
As she passed the middle-aged nobleman, she paused slightly and then lowered her head to leave.
Watching the nobleman bow to Eleanor, the Third Prince chuckled.
“My dear uncle, your manners are as impeccable as ever.”
The middle-aged nobleman frowned and said,
“Your Highness, Lady Eleanor is, after all, your wife. Some things should not be taken too far.”
The Third Prince yawned lazily.
“Alright, I know. I’ll be mindful.”
“Now, what good news have you brought me this time?”
The nobleman’s frown deepened, clearly displeased with the prince’s frivolous demeanor, but he eventually sighed and bowed respectfully, saying in a serious tone.
“Your Highness, news from Violet: the army has mobilized. The family has gathered twenty thousand troops, ready to march north.”
Upon hearing this, the Third Prince brightened and sat up immediately, smiling.
“Grandfather’s speed is as impressive as ever! But…”
He rubbed his chin.
“Only twenty thousand? That’s not typical of Violet.”
The nobleman sighed.
“The mobilization is under the guise of a drill. Violet has a tradition of military exercises due to longstanding tensions with Roman. Twenty thousand is the maximum, any more would make it difficult to keep the mobilization secret and would alert Castell.”
“Moreover, there are still old nobles in Violet who have not fully pledged loyalty and still remember the Veillet family. My father must keep an eye on them.”
“The Veillet family? The one whose title was revoked and was demoted to commoners by my father’s decree? I heard they were wiped out years ago.”
The Third Prince was surprised.
The nobleman nodded.
“Yes, but after nearly a millennium of influence in Violet, even the name of the duchy is similar to their surname. My father’s caution is justified.”
“However, you need not worry, Your Highness. The mobilized troops include five thousand elite regulars from the Boite-Linte family. They are more than enough to deal with the small Castell.”
“Five thousand elite regulars? That’s quite impressive.”
The Third Prince nodded in satisfaction.
“And what other news from Grandfather?”
The nobleman hesitated before saying,
“My father asks when to commence the attack. Reports from Northport indicate that Charlotte de Castell has marched north to quell the rebellion, leaving the South defenseless. Now is the perfect time to strike.”
The Third Prince smiled.
“No rush. Tell Grandfather to move to the border and wait in secret. If we’re lucky, we might advance unopposed.”
The nobleman frowned.
“Wait? For what?”
The Third Prince handed over the letter he was holding.
“Uncle, Violet knows about Charlotte’s rebellion suppression but not the details. It seems Grandfather’s intelligence in the north isn’t as good as we thought.”
The nobleman skimmed the letter and quickly his expression turned peculiar.
“This… is from the Tulip County? Charlotte de Castell has allied with the Tulip garrison to suppress the rebellion?”
The Third Prince laughed.
“The garrison commander is Count Gaston, a branch of the Gaston ducal family. I promised him that if I ascended the throne, I would support them in replacing the main Gaston family and taking over the duchy. He has already secretly pledged loyalty to me.”
“Uncle, we’re all family here, so I won’t hide it. The Castell rebels are also my people. The Lagrisse and Gaston families have long pledged loyalty to me.”
“Charlotte doesn’t know this. Gaston gained her trust through past ties. She’s probably pleased about Gaston’s support right now.”
“I’ve communicated with Gaston and the rebels. When Castell’s army attacks the rebels, Gaston will betray them, delivering a fatal blow to Castell.”
“Charlotte took most of her nobles north. If we’re lucky, we could capture them all without a fight.”
The nobleman frowned.
“This is indeed a bold plan, but what if it fails?”
The Third Prince laughed.
“Failure is acceptable. Even if it fails, it will severely weaken Castell, making it easier for us to invade the north.”
The nobleman thought for a moment and then nodded.
“I understand. I will inform my father to wait for further news from Castell.”
“No.”
The Third Prince shook his finger.
“Wait until I arrive. We’ll head north together.”
The nobleman’s eyes flickered, and then he nodded.
“I understand.”
The nobleman soon departed.
The Third Prince stood up and summoned his guard.
“Tell the court mage in the mage tower to begin charging the teleportation array. It’s almost time.”
The teleportation array, capable of sending letters and objects, could also transport people, though the extraordinary materials required for long-distance, precise teleportation were available only to the royal family.
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