I Wasn't Trying to Seduce with the Male Lead - Episode 82

Blaine calmly explained the situation to the newly arrived Minaz and Claude.

“It has been made known that the Emperor is directing all of this, but the one inciting it now is the princess. Ever since she joined Eogainos, the possibility of dialogue and negotiation has been cut off and completely twisted into a show of force.”

Blaine was worried that the two might not believe him, as the princess’s image was so angelic.

However, his worries were unfounded.

Minaz immediately spewed an expletive.

“That damn brat. To think she harbored such a black heart. The entire empire was almost fooled and made to dance by her cutesy little tricks.”

Minaz was furious about being deceived by the princess.

“So, have you thought about our next move?”

Minaz and Claude seemed to want to first gauge their intentions.

As everyone fell deep into thought, Eleonor cautiously opened her mouth.

“May I say something?”

“By all means.”

Eleonor shared what she had been thinking about while watching the Royal Guard gather from her room.

“Ultimately, you are the ones who must govern the empire. The best-case scenario is to subdue the enemy without fighting, rather than winning a battle. There’s no need to burn down the entire barn just to catch a flea.”

In any situation, Eleonor wanted to avoid a large-scale battle.

Filicity, where she had lived for a long time, was like a second home to her, and she respected and loved the lives of the people who lived there.

She hated the thought of such a place turning into a battlefield for someone else’s gain.

She didn’t even want to think about innocent people being caught up and dying.

So, Eleonor recalled a memory of collecting materials for a feature article on ancient military strategy and continued.

“We’re not clashing yet; both they and we are still in the planning stages. Therefore, the best course of action is to dismantle the very intention to fight. If that fails, we should subvert their diplomacy, and only if that fails should we face the enemy in combat. If we end up destroying the castle and the city, it can’t be called a victory, even if we win.”

As she finished speaking, Minaz, who had been leaning back with low expectations, straightened his head.

Eleonor waited for everyone’s reaction, her face tense.

“I thought you were just a lady who only knew about love counseling and parties. How did you come up with something like that?”

Minaz was the first to speak.

“I also think shedding blood is foolish. The Emperor seems to want it, but if we respond in kind, the empire will fall into chaos. Then, it will be a war where everyone loses, no matter who claims victory.”

“The princess wants an armed conflict because she has judged it to be most advantageous for her. We have no reason to play along to her tune.”

While the duchess was speaking, Lian, who had been writing something on a paper placed in front of him, put down his pen.

Blaine read it aloud for everyone to hear.

[I do not want countless people to die because of my personal problems. We must avoid all-out war.]

Everyone seemed to share the same thought: that they must prevent it from escalating into a full-blown war.

The duchess turned to Minaz and asked, “Have you thought of any other way besides armed conflict?”

“Yes. And I’m sure all of you have many ideas as well.”

When everyone nodded, Eleonor suggested, “Since we’ve roughly confirmed our line of thinking, how about we all write down the ideal direction we want to take and check them all at once?”

Everyone agreed to her proposal.

For a moment, only the sound of a quill scratching on paper echoed in the basement.

Since everyone wrote without hesitation, it didn’t take long.

“Everyone, please lay your papers out in front.”

Upon checking the contents of the papers, everyone smiled at the same time.

[Publicly dismantle the princess’s credibility to isolate her, then subdue her at once.]

[Expose the princess’s hidden motives to manipulate public opinion and lead to her downfall.]

[Secure the consent of the people of the empire to remove the root of the problem.]

Although the wording was different, the conclusion was the same.

“We must expose the princess and remove her so she can no longer manipulate the empire.”

“I think that way, this army can be disbanded without shedding blood.”

Eleonor felt her heart tremble as the decision was finally made. She asked again, as if to confirm, “Are you all really okay with this?”

She herself had no choice, having already been stripped of her title and her life in jeopardy, but the dukes were different. She was worried they might waver, as they had much to lose and little to gain by jumping into this.

“This isn’t a matter of whether it’s okay or not. If someone with such a wicked nature reigns over the people, they will surely bring about a disaster. We must nip the seeds of disaster in the bud.”

“We have already crossed the point of no return. Rather than calculating profit and loss, we will simply achieve our objective.”

Minaz and Claude answered immediately, without a moment of hesitation.

“They were the ones who unjustly provoked us first. I will show that foolish emperor the ways of the north.”

Even though the duchess looked utterly exhausted, her eyes were filled with resolve.

Eleonor smiled as she recalled the northern saying she had once heard from her: “Don’t waste time complaining; plan your revenge.”

“Alright, let’s get up now and make His Majesty the Emperor as tired as we possibly can.”

Since they had to return before sunrise, everyone stood up from their seats.

As Lian was leaving, Minaz patted him on the back.

“You have to take the lead in all these matters, so you need to recover quickly from your injury to avoid any issues with the work.”

Lian had not uttered a single word throughout the long meeting, communicating only by writing, but he seemed to have let his guard down as he was about to leave.

“O-kay.”

It was a short reply, but Minaz’s eyes lit up.

“Why did you answer so adorably? What’s going on?”

Embarrassed, Lian’s face turned red, and he stepped back.

“I’m too curious now; I can’t let it go. Show me a little.”

Minaz pulled down his mask, and Lian’s cheek, which was still a little swollen, was revealed.

After hearing the whole story, she burst into laughter, just like the others.

“Hahahaha! It was swollen! So cute! So cute!”

“Don’t touch me.”

“Haha! Is your pronunciation all messed up too? Oh, what are we going to do now?”

“I’ll be fine soon.”

Because of Minaz and Claude’s laughter, he had to leave the basement without a proper farewell.

The important meeting, which held the future of the empire in the balance, ended with laughter and a sulking Lian.

“What about the troops that arrived today?”

“They are from Viscount Ronda of the west and the collateral Ricardo family of the south. They have little combat experience, so they have been assigned to the outer support units.”

As the report was made, Zeppelin marked the symbols on the map hanging on the wall. Stepping back, he felt as though he was seeing the combined strength of the empire’s dukes at a glance.

Excluding the central region where the emperor’s influence was strong, the nobles from the west and east had the highest participation, while no nobles from the north had sent any troops.

This result showed that Minaz and Roan, who had only recently inherited their family titles, had weak power bases, while the duchess, who had been governing the north for a long time, had an immense leadership presence.

“To prepare for a conflict in the provinces, troops are also gathering at strongholds in addition to the capital. We will likely need more time before we can act.”

“How much time do you think it will take?”

“It will take at least a month to be fully prepared.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the princess, who was sitting behind him, opened her mouth.

“Isn’t this enough now? I think it’s better to act soon.”

The princess began to rush them again.

What was she in such a hurry for?

Was her heartache so great that all she could think about was revenge?

The lovely and clever girl was gone, replaced by an impatient, stubborn demeanor.

“The empire is vast, so many nobles have only just received the summons, let alone had their troops arrive. We also have to make arrangements to ensure we don’t get overwhelmed by opposing factions, taking advantage of the moment when royalists in the provinces have sent their troops. It’s not so easy to move.”

“Don’t you think it’s better to conclude quickly since we have such an overwhelming force? If we give them this much time, our enemies will take countermeasures.”

“The scale of Count Calabria’s forces is enormous, but the actual area he can attack is very narrow. Moreover, it will become even more of a headache if the Behind Knights break through in a single point and scatter to the outside of the empire. We must perfectly encircle them.”

Even with Zeppelin’s proper explanation, the princess was headstrong.

He began the same persuasion he had repeated to her countless times, as she kept insisting on an assault.

“If you want a quick resolution, dialogue is still the best means.”

“You’re still saying that. Don’t you know very well that dialogue is completely impossible with them?”

“Since we have this many troops gathered, it will be far more threatening than just a verbal threat. When a blade is at your throat, you can’t simply remain indifferent.”

The emperor showed signs of consideration, but the princess cut in without fail.

“Stop it. Court Count, even with an overwhelming force, you are only in a hurry to avoid a fight. Even though you know very well the contempt the imperial family has endured.”

As she spoke, she became more and more agitated, unable to control her emotions. She stood up abruptly and blurted out, “I’m tired of this bickering. Isn’t it about time you finally understood my will and took action?”

“If you are tired, I would recommend that you go back and rest. His Majesty is also worried that Your Highness is under too much stress.”

“How can I rest peacefully in such a state of emergency? If you are worried about me, then please finish everything as quickly as possible.”

In the end, Zeppelin left Eogainos without narrowing the gap in their opinions with the princess.

‘Is it really impossible for me to stop this with my power?’

He had tried his best to prevent it, but a civil war was now right on their doorstep.

Zeppelin entered his private office with a heavy heart.

There, he saw his subordinate standing restlessly, looking flustered.

“What’s the matter?”

“An unusual complaint has been filed with the Department of Justice. The content is quite serious, so I felt I had to inform you immediately.”

“An unusual complaint?”

The subordinate, his face deathly pale, handed him a rolled-up parchment.

“Adrian Eunice, the son of Count Eunice, has filed a complaint against Her Royal Highness the Princess for illegal confinement and torture.”

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