Chapter 349: Extortion (Two in one! Please subscribe!)

"On behalf of the Duke of Idar, Lord Bruno Stuart, I would like to send you my greetings!"

As Asiba's voice slowly fell, Duke Stein's pupils couldn't help but shrink suddenly.

His face was full of horror, as if he had seen a ghost.

“What…what are you talking about?”

"hey-hey!"

Seeing the Duke of Stein and Bart Paris with the same expression, Asiba forced a faint smile on his rather rough face:

"Your Excellency Duke Stein, Duke Idar sends his greetings!"

After that,

The room fell into deathly silence.

Duke Stein's forehead was already soaked with sweat, and drops of sweat as big as raindrops slowly dripped onto the bed under the Duke.

Some of the sweat was naturally due to the previous ups and downs.

But what was more important was the tension and pressure that Asiba's actions brought him.

As a high-ranking noble duke, Duke Stein is accustomed to all kinds of big scenes and can keep a calm face most of the time.

But at this moment, his mind was full of panic and his heart was pounding with nervousness.

The Idar people's accusations against Duke Stein were not entirely slanderous, because he was indeed the main obstacle to the Idar people's activities in the southern part of the kingdom.

The severe setbacks suffered by the southern nobles in the wine market made many nobles hate the Idar people, and Duke Stein was one of them.

Whether it was the attack on the plantation, the intimidation and coercion faced by local workers, or the attack on Harley Santa Cruz a few days ago,

These may not have a direct connection with Duke Stein, but most of them were operated and completed by Duke Stein's vassals under his instruction.

So, when Asiba led his former personal guards and barged into his room rudely and greeted him on behalf of Duke Idar, Duke Stein was completely panicked.

On the one hand, he naturally felt guilty, and on the other hand, he was thinking about the situation in his room.

Duke Stein glanced at Countess Bathory, who was curled up in the quilt beside him, and felt a headache.

Although all kinds of extravagance and debauchery were common among the nobles of the Kingdom of Basel, the nobles still had to maintain their dignity.

Duke Stein knew very well that the nobles were not always honest in private, but once these things were put on the table...

So……

He will definitely not be able to escape the label of “adulterer”!

This would not only deal a huge blow to Duke Stein's personal prestige, but would also bring shame to the entire Stein family, making them a laughing stock in the eyes of countless nobles! "Damn it, you want..."

Before Duke Stein finished his words, an Idar agent who had just taken off his socks repeated the way he treated Bart Paris.

A pair of socks smelling of salty fish and foul odors were stuffed into Duke Stein's mouth, and even his wrists and ankles were tied tightly.

The naked Duke Stein was tied up on the bed along with Lady Bathory.

This was undoubtedly a great insult to the Duke of Stein, who was over 50 years old.

"Damn it! Why don't you wash your feet!" Asiba glared at the agent and couldn't help covering his nose.

"Isn't this too late..."

"Hmm￥*&Hmm@&%——"

At the side, the strange smell emitted by the salted fish-smelling socks almost made Duke Stein want to faint.

Damn it!

I am a noble! Is this how these rude Idar people treat nobles? !

"Two people go outside the door to keep watch, and the rest of you start looking!"

"Find all the letters and secrets that may be hidden in this room. Find all the letters that can prove the dirty relationship between Duke Stein and Countess Bathory!"

After all, there were no cameras or recorders in that era.

This forced the Idar people to look for written letters to obtain leverage to threaten Duke Stein.

"My Lord Duke, where are all the letters you kept in contact with Mrs. Bathory? If you can tell me... I can help you change a pair of socks that don't smell so strong."

While the Idar agents were searching the room, Asiba Raoping asked with interest.

The only means of communication in this era was through letters, so... as long as we got the letters between Duke Stein and Countess Bathory, we would have the key to Duke Stein's lifeline.

If Duke Stein doesn't want to be ruined, he can only choose to cooperate with the Idar people! Duke Stein, with a sock stuffed in his mouth, snorted coldly and turned his head away.

"Duke Stein, the Idar people always keep their promises. If you had told us where the letters were earlier, you would have suffered less."

"and……"

Asiba changed the subject and placed the cold scabbard on the lower body of Duke Stein: "Even if we don't find the letter of communication between you and Madam Bathory, you, Lord Duke Stein, must write one in front of me!"

"Oh, no...it should be ten letters, and they must be sincere, expressing the transcendental love between you and Mrs. Bathory." Asiba thought about it carefully and added.

Hearing this, Duke Stein couldn't help but widen his eyes.

Shameless! If he hadn't had a pair of socks stuffed in his mouth that smelled like salted fish, Duke Stein would have definitely put aside his dignity as a noble and cursed at the guy in front of him! This is simply inhumane!

"Lord Asiba! We found it!"

Just as Asiba was about to continue his cordial and friendly exchanges with Duke Stein, Agent Idar called out in surprise.

Upon hearing this, Duke Stein's pupils shrank and his whole body trembled.

Dozens of letters were locked in an inconspicuous wooden box. As the Idar agents violently opened the box, letters that were enough to ruin Duke Stein's reputation appeared in front of the Idar agents.

Asiba picked up a letter at random. Except that it did not have the seal of Duke Stein, the handwriting on it was indeed from Duke Stein's handwriting...

"Tsk tsk! It will be perfect once it's stamped on it!"

Asiba stood in front of Duke Stein and read aloud in a broken voice, "My dear Lisa... Although we are hundreds of miles apart, my longing for you is as deep as..."

“Hmm—”

Duke Stein, who had always been quite resistant to the Idar people's questions, finally revealed a look of pleading.

"Well... Actually, I am still an upright person and don't want to know about these dirty deeds..."

Asiba shook his head with lingering feelings, but finally folded the letters and carefully placed them in the inside pocket of his shirt.

"Now... I'm going to take the salty fish-smelling sock out of your mouth, but you can't scream, understand?"

Hearing this, Duke Stein nodded quickly.

Of course, he didn't dare to have any other thoughts, because these Idar people in front of him not only mastered his most secret things, but also put the scabbard in their hands on their own...

“Cough cough cough!”

As the socks that smelled of salty fish were finally picked out by Asiba, Duke Stein felt as if he had been pardoned and breathed in the fresh air around him in big gulps.

At this moment, he was still naked. The double torture from psychological and physical torture had made him lose all his dignity as a nobleman.

"What on earth do you want to do..."

Duke Stein looked a little depressed and asked weakly.

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"The Principality of Idar's plantation in the south of the Kingdom of Basel..."

Before Asiba could finish, Duke Stein quickly agreed: "I promise! From now on, the Idar people will be able to travel freely in the south of Basel! Any noble who dares to embarrass the Idar people will be the enemy of the Stein family!"

There is no way, the situation is stronger than people, who would have thought that the Idar people would be so... shameless...

Isn't it just a minor obstruction to the opening of the plantation? Is it necessary to react so violently? ! Can't you solve the problem like a noble? "That's right!"

Asiba was very satisfied with Duke Stein's cooperation at this time.

"Can I please put on my clothes first? And can I get those letters..."

Duke Stein looked eagerly at the guy standing in front of him and pleaded.

"Of course you can put on your clothes, but those letters... Duke Stein, do you think that's the end of it?!"

Asiba paused and continued, "Your Excellency the Duke, you planned the assassination of Baron Henry, obstructed the opening of the plantation, brought economic losses to the Principality of Idar, and caused mental distress to the Duke of Idar... For this series of things, you must come up with a reasonable solution!"

"Baron Henrik?"

Duke Stein looked confused: "Who is Baron Henry? I always uphold the bottom line of being a noble, and I have never ordered the assassination of any noble!"

"Baron Henrik's full name is Halle Santa Cruz. He was born in the Kingdom of Basel and now serves Lord Bruno Stuart, Duke of Idar." Asiba stated the facts calmly.

"How is this possible?! Harley Santa Cruz is clearly a civilian! How could he…"

Duke Stein just found it unbelievable: "How could Duke Idar push such a lowly person to the position of nobility?! Although this is only the lowest baronial title, it is an humiliation to the dignity of the Stuart family..."

"My Lord Duke doesn't need these to maintain his dignity. But you, Duke Stein, are really astonishing and eye-opening..."

Upon hearing this, Duke Stein's face turned red and he was speechless.

"Baron Henryk was attacked and is now unknown whether he is alive or dead. According to the will of my Lord Duke... tooth for tooth, blood for blood. One of your vassals must also pay the same price to maintain the dignity of the Principality of Idar!"

Although he was facing a duke, Asiba's words were particularly firm.

Because he understood that he was outside the duchy at this time, and his attitude also represented the attitude of Bruno Stuart, Duke of Idar!

Similarly, only a resolute counterattack can make the southern nobles of the Kingdom of Basel feel awe for the distant noble territory of the Principality of Idar! "So... I hope you can hand over the vassal who planned this attack. He will pay the price for his actions."

"Hand him over..."

Although Duke Stein was extremely reluctant in his heart, because this would undoubtedly bring a bad impact on the reputation of the Stein family, but... when he thought that his handle was in the hands of the Idar people, he felt as uncomfortable as if he had eaten a dead fly.

Compared to his own disgrace, it seemed that he could barely accept handing over a baron under his command...

The only thing I need to worry about is... once I hand that person over, my subordinates will inevitably feel resentful.

"Okay, this matter was planned by Baron Valdez, who lives in the city. I will hand him over to you..."

Duke Stein finally let out a sigh of relief and said with some disappointment.

"Then there is compensation for the economic losses of the Principality of Idar..."

"Don't go too far!"

Duke Stein finally couldn't help but speak.

First they wanted people, then they wanted money. According to the Idar people's routine, they had to empty the Stein family's assets before they would stop? "Duke Stein, my request to you is not that excessive. If you refuse, I really can't guarantee that the Idar warships anchored near the coast will not attack your family castle."

"Are you threatening me?"

"Haven't I been threatening you all along? And you know, the Idar people..."

Boom! Before Asiba could finish his words, he was interrupted by a roar coming from not far away.

Under the cover of night,

The flames that shot up into the sky even overshadowed the bright moonlight in the night sky and illuminated the entire city.

Through the small window of Duke Stein's bedroom, the disheveled Duke Stein could clearly see the broken city walls after the explosion and the houses that were set on fire by the aftermath of the explosion.

The long-range weapons of the Idar people were actually so terrifying! Although he had heard about the strength of the Idar people before, he always thought that the hype about the Idar army was a bit exaggerated.

But now...

Whether it was the explosion in the city or the Idar agent guarding him, Duke Stein felt overwhelmed.

This duke, who had never experienced war, seemed to no longer recognize the way of warfare adopted by the Idar army...

"My Lord Duke, you see... I originally just wanted to threaten you with a letter, but I didn't expect that Lord Mal Karen was already a little impatient..."

Looking at the flames rising into the sky outside the window, Asiba said with some regret.

"I will compensate Duke Idar for his financial losses. You decide the amount and conditions..." Duke Stein said while gritting his teeth.

Not today.

(End of this chapter)