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"You're so……."
My mouth is dry. Either he's completely relaxed, or he's completely against it. It was one of the two.
"……I won't let you off the hook from now on."
……Huh?
"Without him, I would have been grounded for a week.”
What... what, really, did Brother Alec fall for the sound of "Brother Dearest!
"Come here, my baby girl."
Brother Alec called me with open arms. After blinking for a moment and looking at him, I hurried into his arms.
Brother Alec can't believe he's letting a lie go so easily. I was lucky. I tried it with a grain of salt. Brother Alec, you're surprisingly weak at my cuteness.
"You can't lie to me from now on. And help."
He said, burying me deeply in his chest. Brother Alec used to hug me like this when the punishment for scolding or punishment was over.
You told me not to, and you told me you were sorry for punishing me, you said it was all for me.
"Okay?"
His friendly voice made me feel better, and I nodded.
"Yes, brother.”
At that time, when the atmosphere seemed to have eased a little, someone's urgent voice suddenly came from outside the room.
"Your Excellency, Deputy Director Dior...….”
"It's Dior. I'm going in."
At the same time, the door was opened and Dior was seen leaving behind the embarrassing servant.
"……What happened all of a sudden at this time of night?"
Slowly pulling me out of his embrace, Brother Alec looked at Dior. His voice smeared with displeasure.
It's understandable. At this time of night, suddenly breaking into a room without an early notice. No matter how close friends they were, it was quite rude.
"……I apologize for the inconvenience. I took the liberty of coming because I think I should let you know right now."
"What's that?"
It must be quite urgent. That calm Dior is so impatient.
You just look impatient compared to your usual appearance, although you are perfectly normal compared to others.
Brother Alec was also paying close attention to what he said, perhaps noticing something unusual.
"That……."
Dior hesitated for a moment to look at me as he tried to bring it up.
Am I not supposed to hear this? What's the important issue?
"……Will Reina go out for a while?”
I hesitated for a moment at Brother Alec's words. In fact, I half expected what would be said from Dior.
Yes, it would have been around this time.
But it was forced and stubborn to remain in this room as I am now. I couldn't help but step out of the room. The door closed with a thump as if it were kicking me out.
Yeah, but I came out of the room.
"Well... milady...…?”
The bewildered eyes of the servant stared at me. Well, it's no wonder really.
"Hush. I can't hear, so be quiet."
The fact that the young lady, a noblewoman, eavesdropped on the door is a demeaning act in itself.
But there is no time to argue with such dignity. If my prediction is correct, they must now...….
"……so……the war…….”
As expected!
How much I overheard their story, as soon as the word "war" clearly penetrated my ears, I immediately opened the door.
It is inconceivable that an aristocratic lady would do such a disrespectful thing, but it was also noncontroversial.
"No war!"
Brother Alec and millions of Imperial lives are at stake. This is, because we have to stop it.
"……What the hell is this…….”
Dior, who looked at me with surprised eyes, opened his mouth first. Brother Alec, who still looked perplexed, had me in his wide open eyes.
"I can't… war, no."
Let's stay calm, I must persuade them at this moment. It must be prevented by any means. I can't lose my brother again.
"What the hell is this?"
"How do you know it?"
Brother Alec, who cut off Dior's words, eyebrows furrowed as if he was embarrassed, asked me. When I don't answer, push me again.
"I've just heard this earlier, Reina, how do you know that?"
Even Brother Alec would treat me like I'm crazy if I said, 'Well, it's the past I've been through in personally.'
I opened my mouth trying not to tremble at Alec's sharp eyes.
"I... actually just overheard all the news before…….”
"……What?"
"I overheard my brother and Dior through the door. I'm sorry……."
I know Brother Alec will be angry, but that's all I can say now. It's to save my brother's life, but I don't know what I'm going to do.
"Reina, I need to talk to you."
I thought he was very angry. He always managed his expression kindly, and now he frowns like this. The tip of my trembling eyebrow was dizzying because I couldn't control it.
Brother Alec's eyes cooled down as if he were going to drag me out at once. As expected, I was so rude. I can't believe I've overheard you and you've just opened the door.
No matter how sweet my brother was, he succeeded the title of Duke at a young age and maintained his position as the most prestigious family in the Empire.
I've never seen Brother Alec get really angry. Even when it's this low.
The tension suddenly rang a calm voice penetrating between the two all of a sudden.
"War is."
It was a time when I couldn't keep saying what I wanted to say without realizing it due to the harsh atmosphere.
"Did you say no?"
It wasn't arguing with me, it wasn't blaming me. Black eyes staring at me. Dior, he told me.
I mean, this is.
"……Yes, you must not go to war."
It was about giving a voice, an opportunity.
"How come?"
Brother Alec, who seemed to drag me out and scold me right away, was also watching me. All right, let's calm down.
"There's a big war going on in the South. There are more than 20 countries participating in the war."
Dior nodded lightly at my words. In addition, I felt that the way he looked at me changed a little.
"With many nations participating in the war that broke out last year, the Empire is sitting on its hands. Not taking sides with any state, not engaging in the affairs of the South."
This is a fact that all the Imperial people know. The empire does not participate in the war. The entire continent consists of empires in the East, West, South, North, and Central, which alone occupied the Central Continent. Including the kingdoms that are colonized provinces.
The central continent was relatively peaceful unless there was division within the empire. Well, two hundred years ago, before Emperor Luke Cityas unified the entire central continent, territorial wars were fiercer than any other continent.
However, after the reunification of the central continent, the powerful imperial forces had no place to exert their power. Also, over time, the newly cultivated soldiers could never exert as much power as before.
Thus, the empire's military strength declined considerably and did not shake its former status. Of course, the size of the territory and its vast population make it impossible to invade other continents, but in fact, if they join forces on another continent to attack the empire, victory is not guaranteed.
Familiar with the old peace, the empire did not want to break it. Nor did he want to engage in the affairs of other continents and create complications.
Already, the land was large enough, rich in resources, and abundant in life. Well, that's the case with the common Imperial people.
Therefore, there was no reason to join the war in the southern continent.
Had it not been for the surprise of the Kingdom of Leicester, one of the major states of the South Continental War.
"But just today, the Kingdom of Leicester dropped a bomb on the northern city of Chatisse. That's why Dior, you're here right now."
Unless you are a high-ranking official in the fast-paced empire, you will never know. It's too much to say that I just heard beyond my previous visit, but it's inevitable. I should at least insist that I have excellent hearing.
"The Emperor told me to prepare for war, so I wanted to let him know."
I took a moment. Brother Alec and Dior's startled eyes turned to me. No matter how carefully you overheard it, you didn't know you'd listen to this much detail.
Well, in fact, it's almost impossible to go over the door and know this much, so no wonder they're surprised.
"But no war."
It must be delivered coherently and accurately. Not wandering, but getting to the point.
"In order to keep the Leicester kingdom in check, which has gained the upper hand in the recent South Continental War, the Empire has banned all trade with the Leicester Kingdom in the Empire. It has taken a pretty toll on the Kingdom of Leicester, and this surprise will be judged to be a retaliatory attack on it.”
Thus, the empire fought in the South Continental War with the intention of showing a lesson. To trample on the Kingdom of Leicester, who dares to provoke the Empire, to demonstrate its power of the Empire.
"But you must never look down on the Kingdom of Leicester."
In fact, the Empire looked down on the Kingdom of Leicester, and the consequences were horrendous.
"There's no particular reason why they keep leading the war to victory."
I could feel their glaring eyes on me. I went on and on.
"Meanness, despicableness, meticulous. They never act on impulse."
Incredibly crouching so far, the Kingdom of Leicester has grown remarkably since the outbreak of the South Continental War. Even the empire had to keep them in check because the small territory increased sharply in two years.
After winning the war against the Empire, they had a perfect time. They ended the war on the South Continent, boasting a national power that no other kingdom dared to deal with, and within a decade they almost unified the South Continent.
"The fact that they started the war in the South is also aimed at the empire in the first place."….”
“…….”
"I think……."
I stopped talking because I thought I could not avoid the misunderstanding that I was a spy if I went on to explain anymore.
There was a moment of silence. Someone opened their mouth when the dry saliva barely dampened my throat.
"……Since when."
An unusually low voice, but nevertheless friendly.
"How could you have been so interested in international affairs, my lady?"
Oh, my legs almost collapsed in relief. I was nervous, and I was afraid. Just in case Brother Alec turns me into a spy, or he ignores me without pretending to hear me.
"……That's amazing.
Then came Dior's bluntly hardened voice. Though, it's amazing.
"I can't believe I've come to this conclusion for a short time based on what I've heard outside the door”
Tsk, he's one step closer than I am.
"Really."
“…….”
"Are you sure you overheard me?"
What does he intend to ask me this question? It wasn't very close, but he was tall and covered in shadow by covering the light of that chandelier. Even when I looked down at my black eyes, I couldn't tell what they contained.
Are you doubting me? Are you questioning me? Or, you're just testing me.
"It's... it's...….”
I was suffocated. I couldn't take my eyes off his clear eyes, and the concentration was deep. The feeling of seeing through everything. Everything I'm hiding.
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