The news that Countess Donic had severely damaged the elves and reclaimed her land shocked the capital. Everyone was speculating about what kind of power could have caused the elves to suffer such a defeat.

As the news spread and various rumors circulated in the capital, the Lun Lang family's residence in the capital became increasingly quiet these past few days.

The house was no longer as lively as it had been a few days ago. Of course, this was also related to the fact that the homeowner was leading troops supporting the front lines back to the capital.

However, the servants cleaning the courtyard and the workers doing the work were all silent, fearing that a single mistake would lead to their deaths.

This wasn't just their wild imagination; it was a lesson they had learned a few days earlier from the lady of the house who had returned from the palace.

Catherine Lenron, the noblewoman who married into the palace, moved slowly through the garden, her slightly swollen belly protruding.

Recently, she has indeed been very angry. Not only are the news from the front lines unpleasant, but there are also some annoying noises in the palace that are making her extremely irritated.

Outrageous rumors have spread that a bird that brings bad luck to the royal family will not only cause its own family to lose land, but also cause the royal family to suffer losses in battle.

Of course, what truly angered her was that the little girl from the Donic family had accomplished such a breathtaking feat. From all the reports, it seemed the Duke's side hadn't offered any assistance either. They too had been utterly routed by the elves. Yet this little girl had managed to reclaim her land from them. This legendary tale had recently become the talk of the town, and some bards were already singing this outrageous story in the streets and alleys.

Catherine yanked a handful of leaves from the holly bush, clenched them in her hand, crushed them into tiny pieces, and then threw them into the wind.

"Serena, is it? I'll see how long your good luck lasts."

Duke Sald stood on the walls of Donic Castle, watching the setting sun slowly sink below the edge of the forest. Beside him stood a small, thin girl in deep red leather armor, stubbornly holding her ground.

The wind was howling, making the flags flutter loudly.

“Serena, you said you achieved such a victory by cutting off the elves’ supplies. To be honest, that’s possible, but it’s really far-fetched. That’s why I’m talking to you here alone, because I want to hear the truth from you.”

Serena glanced at the gray-haired old man beside her, and thought about Yun Zhe's words before he left, "It really was luck, I didn't even expect it to go so smoothly."

A fleeting look of displeasure crossed the old man's face. "Maybe," he said, "but luck isn't always on your side. On the contrary, there are some things that can solve this problem very well."

Serena frowned, outwardly puzzled but inwardly extremely nervous and anxious.

"For example, people, you know, Serena, I find it hard to imagine that even in your current state, you still have so many loyal subordinates. For example, that bastard Andrew even led soldiers to find you despite my orders, not to mention that mercenary who went to occupy the Lunlang family's land... that Aruru? So I understand how you could possibly hire an Aruru to work for you."

Serena's heart skipped a beat. How did the Duke know about this?

"To be honest, I envy you, even a little jealous. I've never experienced a moment as wretched as yours in my life, but even in my limited brushes with death, the people around me weren't as loyal or as outstanding as you are now." The old man noticed Serena's barely concealed nervousness upon hearing the words "Aruru," and, feeling a bit more at ease, chuckled. "But what I'm curious about is, I can understand the ebb and flow of people's hearts, but Serena, where do you get so much money to hire so many Aruru as your mercenaries?"

Hearing this, Serena felt a weight lifted from her heart. Serena pursed her lips, looked at the distant sunset, and then looked resolutely at Duke Sald.

"The future is the future. I didn't spend money; I spent my future, the future of the Donic family."

The Duke looked at Serena with some disbelief, thinking to himself: Little girl, you're playing pretty big games.

Under the Duke's gaze, Serena turned her head away and slowly uttered some contract terms that made the Duke's scalp tingle.

"We will establish a city on the border for trade with the Aruru people, and all tax revenue from this city will belong to the Aruru people. We will also enact laws to treat all Aruru people well and allow them to travel through our land to the Kingdom of Aruru. Furthermore, we will send troops to uphold the dignity of the Kingdom of Aruru when it is attacked..."

The Duke's brow furrowed deeper as he listened, his gaze towards Serena growing increasingly incredulous. At the same time, his doubts began to diminish. He had initially thought this young girl, Serena, had obtained the legendary treasure, but in reality, she was a desperate act, betraying his rule.

"Can I understand that you have actually pledged allegiance to the country established by the Aruru people?"

Serena was taken aback; Yun Zhe hadn't mentioned this to her before. She was momentarily confused, but quickly gave her own answer.

"It's just a temporary measure. Once I have enough strength..." Serena stopped abruptly, her gaze shifting from the distant sunset back to Duke Sald's face.

"I think this is not the result you understand."

Duke Salder nodded, inwardly taking a deep breath. He was ruthless in achieving his goals, capable of enduring what ordinary people could not, and daring to think what ordinary people dared not.

At this moment, the Duke couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "If this person were a boy, what would he be like? The Donic family has never seemed to have anyone with such a personality before. Is it really true that disaster shapes people?"

"However, if she can marry into our family, I can rest assured about the future..." The Duke weighed the options in his mind. But Serena's performance today had far exceeded his expectations. Such an ambitious and daring girl, among his grandsons, who could control her? If they couldn't control her, would it be better to bring in a strong ally or to invite a wolf into the house?

"Serena, about the marriage?" The Duke asked softly, having made his decision.

Serena did not answer, but instead said something that surprised the Duke.

"My lord, are you planning to go to war with the Galician royal family?"

Duke Salder's eyes narrowed sharply as he finally began to seriously examine the girl before him.