It was already sunset.
The golden crow first flew from the seabed, its crimson light scattering as purple clouds opened.
The brilliant golden sun seemed to rise from the deep sea or fall from the distant sky. The setting sun poured down like molten gold, dyeing the sky above the blue sea a hazy purplish-red, the same color as the petals of the violet flower called 'Abella'.
In this boundless crimson sky, seagulls are soaring, occasionally letting out a noisy cry, their pure white wings seeming to be painted with color, always shimmering with brilliant brilliance.
Such a breathtaking sunset over the sea is something never seen before in Garnat.
Isabella, who had lived in the Champs-Élysées for a long time, had never seen such a magnificent sight. Standing on the bow of the warship, she stared blankly at the sky, completely immersed in the beautiful, picturesque scene.
Unlike Isabella, the officials surrounding her were not in the mood to appreciate the scenery. They all wore worried expressions and lowered their heads to engage in heated discussions in hushed tones.
They have been away from the Roman Islands for some time now, and the warships will soon enter territorial waters. They have been discussing the previously signed treaty all along, and it has not stopped yet.
"This was entirely forced upon us by the Yan Kingdom!"
“None of those regulations can be agreed to! These damned Yan people are pushing their luck and are completely harming us! These bastards!” James cursed in a low voice, his face full of anger.
“The convention has already been signed, what else can we say? Sigh…” Malcolm shook his head dejectedly.
“So what if we signed it?! In that situation, if we hadn’t signed it, that bastard definitely wouldn’t have let us go. Now that we’re back, the signature doesn’t count!” James retorted.
Upon hearing this, Eddington glanced at James and said, "Don't you know the consequences of breaking a promise?"
James's face stiffened, but he still gritted his teeth and said, "In any case, we can't just listen to the Yan people. What do they take us for? They don't respect us at all, so why should we accept their harsh conditions?"
"Hmph! If they really dare to start a war, are we supposed to...?"
Before James could finish speaking, a cold, stern voice interrupted him:
"James, do you know what you're saying?"
Upon hearing that familiar voice, James felt a chill run down his spine. When he turned around, he saw Isabella's sharp gaze.
She put the robe back on, but without the hood, and her cold expression made James tense.
Even so, he still avoided eye contact and said, "Your Majesty, do you really intend to simply abide by the terms of the convention?"
"You have a problem with that?" Isabella retorted.
James gritted his teeth and mustered his courage to say, "Your Majesty, those are extremely unreasonable demands that infringe upon many of our country's interests."
"Although Yan Kingdom's naval military strength is stronger than ours now, we cannot bow down to their power!"
"This is detrimental to the country..."
Before he could finish speaking, Eddington, who was standing nearby, scolded, "James! Watch your words! You're being extremely offensive!"
James's face flushed red and then paled, and he said in a muffled voice, "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, that's not what I meant. I was just... stating my thoughts."
Isabella narrowed her eyes and said indifferently, "James, I will not blame you for your offense."
"But I think you need to broaden your horizons."
Upon hearing this, James blushed and muttered, "I don't think I'm wrong. Isn't this the truth?"
Eddington flew into a rage and was about to reprimand her when Isabella gave him a disapproving look and calmly asked in return:
"Can you deny that Yan Kingdom is a powerful and prosperous nation?"
James's expression froze for a moment, but he still shook his head helplessly.
"Very good, at least your understanding is not flawed."
"So, when facing such a powerful nation, was it right or wrong to treat them as enemies from the very beginning?"
James was momentarily at a loss for words when asked this question, and chose to remain silent. Isabella then continued:
"Our Sa Ri Kingdom is certainly a powerful nation. Apart from the Yan Kingdom, our national strength far surpasses that of other countries."
"It is certainly easy for two great powers to start a war. Even a brute could lead an army to declare war. But have you ever thought about how far a war between great powers would have to go before it could end?"
These words caused not only James, but also the other officials present to fall into deep thought.
Isabella shifted her gaze from James's downcast face to the others and continued, "..."
"Can anyone give me an answer?"
The response was silence.
Isabella then turned her attention to Eddington and asked, "General Eddington, you are a skilled and experienced general, and you should be the most qualified to speak on this matter. Why don't you share your thoughts?"
Eddington, whose name was called, looked serious and remained silent for a long while before speaking:
"If we're facing other countries, then as long as we..."
Before she could finish speaking, Isabella interrupted, "Don't make irrelevant assumptions; they will only lead you to make wrong judgments."
"We are only facing the Yan Kingdom."
"So all you need to do is tell me when this war will end, even without considering any consequences."
Upon hearing this, sweat slowly slid down Eddington's forehead, dripping down his nose and onto the ground. His face turned pale, and his hands and feet became icy cold.
Apart from him, everyone else looked basically the same.
"I'm sorry... Your Majesty... I can't think of a way to end this right now..." Eddington finally sighed, bowing his head.
Isabella averted her gaze and looked at James, whose face was grim:
"James, what about you?"
"Have you figured out how to end... this war you've been waiting for?"
James was sweating profusely and quickly shook his head, saying, "No, Your Majesty, you misunderstand. I have never looked forward to war."
Isabella chuckled lightly: "But the way you just acted and what you said, weren't you just encouraging me to tear up the treaty, clash with Yan Kingdom, and then start a full-scale war with them?"
James's face was stiff; he just kept shaking his head.
Isabella didn't dwell on him, but instead glanced around at the people around her, and then said:
"Everyone, I think you all need to understand one fact."
"Once the war begins, it is impossible for us to be the winner. First of all, we will find it difficult to defeat Yan Kingdom militarily. And even if we are on par with them militarily, of course, this is just a hypothetical situation, we still cannot be the winner."
"Not to mention, to end the war."
"Then what is the point of fighting a war that is unpredictable and cannot be ended?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
