Inside the Duke of Zefnera's mansion in Taber, the capital of the Kingdom of Saint Na.
It was clearly late at night, yet the entire Duke's mansion was brightly lit. Occasionally, furious roars could be heard coming from the Duke's study, silencing all the servants, maids, and guards in the mansion. And this was not the first time such a situation had occurred.
Five days ago, the Duke's face had become increasingly grim, as if he were troubled by something.
And this trend showed no signs of abating. Five whole days passed, and the entire manor was immersed in a suffocating atmosphere. Finally, today, the Duke finally snapped.
The two maids standing guard at the entrance of the Duke's mansion exchanged a glance and sighed silently.
Meanwhile, in the Duke's study, Maggie's beloved father had bloodshot eyes like a predatory beast. The floor was littered with scattered documents and shattered glass. Maggie's eldest brother sat silently at his desk, head bowed, like a statue.
"Is this how you solve it?! Your sister, she's still eroding the family's power!!!"
The Duke was unable to suppress his anger; if he weren't worried about revealing the secrets of the Duke's mansion, he wouldn't have even lowered his voice.
A bead of sweat slid down the young master's forehead at a visible speed. The temperature in the study was not high, and it was even a bit cold, but his whole body was tense and full of unease.
"Mother..."
Faced with his furious father, he could only cautiously suggest someone he thought would be useful, but unfortunately...
Upon hearing the eldest son's words, the Duke not only flew into a rage but also exuded a thick black aura. When the eldest son saw the black mist, his eyes flashed with intense fear, and his legs went weak, causing him to kneel down with a thud.
"Father, please calm down! I have other ideas!"
His voice cracked with anxiety, fearing that the black aura emanating from the Duke would touch him—a torment no living being could endure, a pain that eroded the soul, leaving one unable to live or die.
After being consumed by the black mist, they will become extremely weak and will never recover.
If it is completely devoured, then.....
Their deaths were gruesome, barely recognizable as human.
Thinking of this, the eldest son shivered violently.
Previously, only slaves or useless trash became Father's nourishment, but now that Father is so angry, he may very well become Father's food.
He absolutely refuses!
The eldest son's eyes trembled uncontrollably with fear; he didn't want to become like those people.
"What method?"
The black mist around the Duke solidified, his eyes shifted slightly, exuding an eerie aura, his gaze so cold that even the undead could not compare.
The way he looked at the eldest son was not like he was looking at his son, but more like he was looking at an object, an inanimate thing.
“I…we…can put pressure on the royal family and force them to protect the strongholds that the temple is encroaching on.”
The eldest son was sweating profusely, unable to think of a good solution for the time being. The Duke of Zefnia's power had already subtly surpassed that of the royal family on the surface. However, his father was unwilling to break ties with the royal family. But the situation had already deteriorated to this extent, and there was no need to continue to act like a 'gentleman'.
The number of troops and mages controlled by the Duke's mansion is also one of the main forces for the Kingdom of Saint Na to defend against foreign enemies. If Father uses this as a bargaining chip...
The kingdom had no choice but to abandon its cooperation with the temple's search and instead choose to protect them.
After all, although the temple is also very powerful, even a powerful dragon cannot suppress a local snake. If the kingdom firmly refuses their search, the temple does not have much recourse for the time being.
Unless more evidence is obtained.
However, Father is extremely cautious in this regard, and even my younger sister cannot obtain much evidence of the Zefnia family's crimes.
He knew that his method was somewhat forced, and if his father was not willing, he would have to find another way.
Unexpectedly, the Duke narrowed his eyes and actually withdrew the black mist from his body, waving his hand to him, indicating that he could get up.
The eldest son immediately breathed a sigh of relief and stood up shakily, but he was still timid. Facing the extremely oppressive Duke, he lowered his head and was so cowardly that he was not even as good as a subordinate.
In fact, since he made a pact with the demon, he had no other choice.
I can only follow in my father's footsteps.
The continent of Coral has never welcomed followers of demons.
Even if he regrets it, he can only go down a dark path with no possibility of turning back.
“You’re right. After supporting the Beard royal family for so long, it’s time for them to do something.”
The Duke's eyes were sinister and terrifying, as if a devil, or even something more terrifying than a devil, was hiding inside a human shell.
"Go now, go and meet our Emperor, and present him with some conditions. Of course, I can offer many benefits, as long as he agrees."
After saying this, the Duke finally calmed down a bit, picked up a piece of paper from his side, wrote a message on it, and threw it to the eldest son.
“I have also thought of a way to deal with the Kingdom of Arnold, Father, please be patient.”
The eldest son knew his father was letting him off the hook, so he immediately began to demonstrate his importance, otherwise he would become a useless pawn...
Just like my little sister used to be.
He turned and left the study, pausing for a moment at the doorway. He closed his eyes, his mind filled with his little sister's face. He wasn't a very talented magician; in fact, his talent was pitifully poor.
Originally, the younger sister should have stayed in the Zefnia family like him, becoming a knife and sword in her father's hands.
Like it is now.
But on that day, the younger sister was suddenly abandoned by her father and became a complete victim, sent to the Temple of Light.
He was even relieved at the time that he wasn't the one who was abandoned. He was a man, so he didn't have to become a saintess or fake his talent. As long as he made a contract with a demon, he could stay in the Duke's mansion and continue to live.
But he never expected that his little sister would fight her way out of a place like the Temple of Light.
She dared to disobey even her father, who possessed absolute authority, was unchallengeable, and invincible, time and again.
Not long ago, they even took my mother away.
Now they're going to take action against the Duke's mansion.
He couldn't quite describe his feelings. His mind kept flashing between two images: his younger sister's timid and submissive nature and his imagined Maggie now.
"..."
After a while, the eldest son left the top floor of the Duke's mansion and walked downstairs.
He might be envying Maggie, or he might be grieving for himself.
But only he himself knows what it feels like.
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