Chapter 267: The Perfect Young Lady

Chapter 267

The Perfect Young Lady

"As you understand, my brother is genuinely interested in the Ryuger family."

"Of course, Prince Joseph is well aware of the power of the nobility and can gauge the flow of power. When he sensed that the Fernal family was encountering problems, he naturally sought new power bases to support himself. Who else but previously overlooked families would be open to accepting the minor authority he offers?"

"Prince Joseph must think that by offering a mere bone, the other party would wag their tail in submission. He doesn’t realize that some noble families have their pride, too. The Setter and Ryuger families are among those. They have remained neutral for a long time. Our Jarlon family is similar, though the Emperor knows how to compel us."

"His Majesty gave our precious daughter to Your Highness to ensure that our Jarlon family would support Your Highness as much as possible. Though we initially protested many times, we did not have the power to compare with the Setter family, which is ready to rebel if forced. It’s no wonder the Emperor wouldn’t dare do the same with the Setter family. Hah!"

"Fortunately, you are not like Prince Joseph. That’s why we, the Jarlon family, didn’t have much issue joining this war. But if you ever become someone who is intoxicated by power and attempts to misuse the Jarlon family, you know what we will do."

The Jarlon family head laughed derisively as he spoke. His tone was full of genuine seriousness. If Prince Jason ever dared to use them as unscrupulously as the Fernal family, the Jarlon family would not stand by idly.

"Hah! Of course, if you ever act inappropriately, you should know what I will do," Prince Jason responded with a laugh.

Who would have thought their cooperation would be like this? But...when with like-minded allies, even if they threatened each other, they could still work together in the end.

"What will my brother do next?"

"Hmph! Someone like him won’t give up easily. Prince Joseph will surely look for another way to entangle the Ryuger family, whether they want it or not..."

"So, what should we do?" Jason asked.

"You need not do anything. Leave it to me. Soon, Prince Joseph will be so paranoid he won’t be able to think of anything else."

"Hmm?"

"Do you think that if a small piece of evidence suggesting the Fernal family might be rebels were to leak, and there’s a possibility that Prince Joseph is involved, what would your brother do?"

"I think he’d try to sever ties with the Fernal family first or...perhaps expose their crimes himself."

"I think so too." The Jarlon family head narrowed his eyes slightly. Someone like Prince Joseph had no loyalty to those aiding him. Thus, it’s highly likely he’d discard them or harm others to portray himself as innocent. Therefore, even if the Jarlon family did nothing after this, they’d end up plotting against each other anyway.

Prince Jason let out a deep sigh. He only truly understood the power of the nobility after spending time with the Jarlon family. They were incredibly strong and had a far-sighted perspective that surpassed his own. He had always looked and planned from the enemy’s viewpoint, which was why his plans often failed.

But the Jarlon family did not do this. They placed themselves in the shoes of the Fernal family, in the shoes of Prince Joseph, and considered their opponent’s habits and planned accordingly. This way, they could anticipate what the enemy was thinking or the possible paths they might take. No wonder the Jarlon family was so formidable.

“Father, Your Highness, you’ve been discussing serious matters for a while. May I bring in some fresh tea?” After a period of silence, the young lady waiting outside received the signal to enter.

It was Lady Vida, who looked as elegant as ever today. She slowly and gracefully brought in a beautiful silver and gold teapot. Vida had been trained since childhood to become an Empress who could understand and stand by the Emperor in the future. Thus, ensuring her husband’s dignity and suitability was crucial.

Vida had always excelled at this, but she only recently got the chance to put it into practice. She did so remarkably well, even managing to help Prince Jason relax as she intended.

Vida never interrupted conversations. She came in, served as needed, and then left, never creating an awkward atmosphere or showing undue curiosity. However, the tea she served was always at the perfect temperature. They received attentive and considerate service.

“Thank you,” Prince Jason said, no longer withholding his words of appreciation from his fiancée. Vida accepted the thanks with flushed cheeks but maintained her composure.

“It is my duty, Your Highness” she replied and then slowly walked out, despite her hands trembling from excitement and the strain of holding the hot teapot for over 10 minutes. Of course, her dedication went unnoticed by Prince Jason, but he still appreciated her commitment to her role.

As Vida left, more than 3 maids immediately surrounded her, massaging the little lady who insisted on carrying the tea tray herself. Their faces showed undisguised joy at the success of their perfect young lady.

“Today, His Highness thanked you again, my lady.” “It worked, my lady. His Highness finally sees your dedication,” the maids exclaimed as they massaged Vida and offered words of encouragement. Vida maintained a stoic expression, though her cheeks and ears were flushed red.

While the Jarlon family’s mansion was filled with an atmosphere of success, the northern palace of Prince Joseph was brimming with tension.

Once again, Prince Joseph returned frustrated. He had just realized how troublesome his younger brother could be when allied with the Jarlon family. If he had been more suspicious of their power earlier, he might have secured the Jarlon family for himself. It was unfortunate that he acted too late.

Who would have thought that the Jarlon family, who had been keeping quiet and not approaching his younger brother, would suddenly take actions with so many things? He had assumed they preferred to remain neutral. There was only the little girl who constantly chased after his brother, causing him much annoyance. Prince Joseph had decided to let their relationship continue, believing that if his foolish brother harmed Lady Vida just a bit more, the Jarlon family would grow to hate him and sever ties.

But who would have thought that his younger brother would change his mind now!?

“Humph!! Why didn’t any of you inform me earlier that Jason went to Father to request those rewards? Huh!?!”

“S-sorry, Your Highness, but I didn’t think it was a significant matter. Prince Jason just survived a life-threatening battle and wanted to...”

Crash!!

Not letting his subordinate finish, Prince Joseph threw a vase to the ground, shattering it and startling everyone greatly. But before the Prince could punish someone to vent his anger, one of his soldiers rushed in, approaching the prince and whispering urgently into his ear so that only the two of them could hear, then Prince Joseph trembled with fear.

“W-What did you say? Have you investigated this?”

“Yes, Your Highness, it seems to be true.”

“Damn it!! Damn it!! Damn the Fernal family!!!” Prince Joseph shouted but refrained from further violent outbursts. He quickly walked to his office, accompanied by his trusted soldier.

Many soldiers and maids watched him leave, unsure of what had happened, but they knew it must be something significant. They were grateful to the soldier for bringing the news just in time, preventing anyone in the room from being severely punished.

As the state of war loomed closer, the two princes continued their power struggle. Meanwhile, the Setter family, with no particular concerns, found themselves in disarray when their eldest young lord suddenly disappeared.

No one knew where he had gone, but everyone was aware that he was still alive. The Setter family head was furious with his son. If not for the resources his son’s associates provided to keep him quiet, he might have asked Ellie to retrieve his wayward son to help train the younger generation. However, the excessively abundant resources left everyone speechless, and Ellie was left to train quietly.

Ah...in truth, those words were just spoken in jest. They also didn’t know Ellie’s current whereabouts or where her city was. Most people assumed that the eldest young lord, who had disappeared for over a week, had merely gone to visit Ellie at the tower. Steven was unaware that his mischievous son had vanished just to teach a lesson to a vile enemy who dared to look at his people with disgusting gaze.

And yes...after arranging a small garden for Ellie on every floor, Owen had gone to deal with goblins who intended to harm his people. Although he knew it was their instinct, his instinct to protect his beloved woman was stronger. Due to his daily hunts, the goblins were now too afraid to leave their city.

Owen did not seize the goblin city for himself because Ellie valued her privacy. He would never jeopardize that. Nor did he seize the city for Ellie, knowing she did not want to become a princess at this time. Therefore, he couldn’t offer her more city and chose to instill fear in the goblins as a ruthless alternative.

Meanwhile, Ellie began to engage in more battles with beasts, significantly enhancing her abilities. Her hunting skills had improved to a proficient level. She no longer relied solely on her little Apple or little Purple Mushroom but could now support fights quite well on her own.

Finally, the great battle commenced...

After the Rhea Kingdom fought in various cities, the fiercest battle began. Fortunately, Ellie and the hunters did not need to assist in these battles. Their task was merely to pressure the Rhea Kingdom in the cities they were responsible for, except for those hunters sent on specific missions.

Nearly 1 month later, the results of the battles were finally announced. Despite the heavy losses, the Ares Kingdom emerged victorious. The Seven Night Poison group was crushed by the Ares soldiers who had infiltrated their ranks, showcasing their formidable strength.

Although the war had ended, the hardest work was said to begin afterward!

Urgent care for the wounded became paramount. The Ares Institute finally summoned its students to aid the injured, repair damaged villages, and deliver aid to the families of the deceased. It was a massive effort requiring cooperation from all sides.

The institute was tasked with taking care of Ares City, where it was located. Hence, the student recall aimed to bring them back to their studies at the institute as well.

Fortunately, "Hunter Luke" was no longer required to perform these minor tasks. After his official promotion to a 4-star hunter, Luke could choose his missions and no longer needed to accept every task like lower-ranked hunters.And “Hunter Luke” disappeared again for years, while Student Ellie reappeared at the Setter family mansion in Ares City, escorted personally by the eldest young lord of the family...