Stop Hypnotizing Me, Antagonist Princess!

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"This is actually a very foolish act."

Hearing this, Glaya, who stood in the corner, immediately blushed and hung her head in embarrassment.

However, Felit paid no attention and continued, "In my view, to thoroughly solve the food problem, two points must be achieved simultaneously."

"First, ensure that the nobles who profit from the disaster have enough grain to feed two hundred thousand famine victims."

"Second, possess the military power to forcibly confiscate that grain from those nobles' hands... in other words, kill."

"As for the first point, it has already been proven to be impossible."

"Right now, the surrounding traffic routes are destroyed and in urgent need of repair, and the food transported from other cities can't make it in, so the nobles are running low on grain as well. I fear it won't be long before cannibalism emerges in Orn City."

"This already puts a stop to any further plans; a lack of food is a difficulty that cannot be resolved no matter what."

"As for the second point... Your Grace, the over eight thousand elite troops you brought previously seem to have mostly perished in the First Rank Sealed Object uprising."

"And the troops that were mobilized urgently afterward seem to still be on the march, completely unable to reach Orn City within ten days."

"No disrespect to you, but given the current objective situation, you indeed do not possess the conditions necessary to achieve the second point."

"After all, the local nobles are not sheep waiting to be slaughtered, and the collective force of them banding together is not to be underestimated."

Moreover, if you truly decided to confiscate their property and exterminate their families without any reason, the Imperial Capital would be the first to disallow it.

To these nobles, who are high above, the commoners are no more than pigs and dogs; if they die, they die. How could such deaths merit the nobility bleeding themselves out?

Upon hearing this, Duke Tierus briefly fell silent, then nodded slightly, "You're right... you're not wrong."

In fact, coming to Orn City this time, as an elector, his old face had nearly been completely lost.

First, there was the affair with the Heavenly Principle Church, which was handled in a hamstrung manner, and it was only thanks to that youngster that he was able to salvage his dignity.

Now this second issue should have been the time to strike against those nobles trying to profit from disaster while the order was not yet restored, yet his army failed him.

He previously thought that over eight thousand trusted aides would allow him to move unimpeded in Orn City, but who could have foreseen the First Rank Sealed Object uprising that followed?

It may only be said that it was a fault not of warfare.

"So, without satisfying any condition, how exactly did you do it?"

Felit looked at Duke Tierus.

He naturally believed in the impartiality of the Holy Oak Organization.

That's why he was all the more puzzled now.

With Duke Tierus's means, it should not have been possible to achieve such a feat.

"I know what you're thinking," Duke Tierus suddenly said with a smile, shaking his head, "Actually, before the results were announced, I also held a skeptical attitude towards many details of the whole affair."

"That's right, this matter wasn't done by me at all; I did not make a single move."

"Impossible."

Felit shook his head.

Duke Tierus was the only one present who possessed that capability.

Apart from him, with the means of those incompetent nobles, it would be impossible to score 600 points within ten days.

Unless... that person is still alive.

The very moment this thought arose, a hint of astonishment burst forth in Felit's heart.

Wait a second.

From beginning to end, no one had definitively told him, in a tone of certainty or through covert intelligence, that Lynn Bartleion had died in the disaster.

They all merely operated under the preconceived notion that a mere First Rank ant could not possibly survive a First Rank Sealed Object uprising.

But... what if he actually did?

As the quickest thinker among the group, he subconsciously looked towards Duke Tierus.

He saw the corners of the latter's mouth slowly curling up into a smile.

"It seems you all have forgotten one person."

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"Additionally... haven't you felt that it's been noisy outside since a while ago?" Duke Tierus suddenly turned his head towards Glaya at the bedside, "Kid, pull the curtains open."

Glaya stood in a daze.

He was still immersed in the words Duke Tierus had just said.

Could it be...

No, impossible.

Otherwise, it wouldn't make sense to have searched for a month with no trace... Wait!

Given that guy's personality and methods of operation, isn't the lack of any trace the best answer?!

In an instant, a strange premonition surfaced in the heart of everyone present, including him.

Even within Ivyst's originally lifeless and dim red eyes, for some reason, a glint of light emerged faintly.

It was a mixture of intense and almost pathological fervor.

As Glaya nervously ripped the curtains open, everyone's gaze inevitably turned towards the window.

At that moment, in the living room on the third floor of the manor, everyone's gaze was instantly drawn to the countless ordinary citizens gathered around the manor's perimeter.

Thousands?

Tens of thousands?

Or... hundreds of thousands?

An uncountable number of people surged like a tide, filling every street and alley within sight.

The people raised their hands high, and within their bright eyes, emotions of gratitude and awe twinkled.

Despite the barrier of windows and walls, at this very moment, everyone in the living room heard the name being shouted by the crowd.

Those calls converged above the manor, resoundingly loud.

"Ivyst!"

The people were crying out in unison the name of the Third Imperial Princess of the Saint Laurent Empire.

Amidst them, words like "Your Highness," "beloved," "great," "Saint Laurent VII" could also be faintly discerned.

It was as if... they were greeting their future monarch.

They were willing to go through fire and water for her, even to offer up their very hearts.

A visual and spiritual shock, unprecedented, swept through the entire living room in an instant.

Felit subconsciously took half a step back.

For even he, the First Rank of the sequence, had never garnered such devout and intense praises from the people; only occasionally witnessing such during his father, Saint Laurent VI's, train processions.

How... is this possible?

A sense of absurdity arose in his heart.

However, at this moment, even Ivyst hadn't realized that her slender white fingers had suddenly clenched tight.

Her heart, which had seemed dead, suddenly beat faster.

The scene before her was something she had dreamt of for many years, yet never could achieve.

But now, it was occurring before her in a way she had never expected.

Within reach.

Ivyst gazed out the window in a daze, suddenly noticing a carriage slowly making its way through the crowd and entering Augusta Manor.

The carriage drew closer, then gradually slowed down next to the road below, coming to a gentle stop.

For no apparent reason, everyone's heartbeat missed a beat.

The next moment, as the door was gently pushed open, a tall black-haired youth leaped out from the carriage.

Seemingly sensing the intense gazes from the people above, the youth, with a familiar smile playing at the corner of his mouth, looked up towards the third floor.

"Everyone, long time no see!"