Chapter 1413: Every Family Has Its Own Troubles

On the other side, at the Brunswick Royal Hotel, Laine and others had finished dinner and were sitting around the fireplace watching the snow. Outside the window, snowflakes were fluttering; Brunswick was still in the midst of the Winter Festival holiday, and the snow wouldn’t melt from now until the end of February.

Inside the room, the two children were playing together joyfully. Despite being very young, Devenhill often needed Sylvia to help him stand up, but the little fellow learned quickly. He half-crawled, half-walked, following his brother closely, and called out loudly, “Brother! Brother!”

Frederick felt a strong sense of affection from Devenhill. The little boy played wildly with his younger brother.

The people by the fireplace were chatting about various topics. Whether it was Laine or Surya, they focused their attention on Amelia. Now, as the Empire Countess holding three of the top Great Noble titles, Amelia spoke the most. During her two years in Nuer, Amelia had encountered many frustrating things, and if it weren’t for her longing for Laine and the support from her son, she might have already gone to Brittania to find Laine.

In her words, the Empire Countess couldn’t help but reveal some imperial secrets. Laine and Surya listened silently but kept them in mind.

Amelia expressed helplessly that when she returned to Nuer, she was naturally embraced. The most supportive of her were Nuer’s two elite forces—the Nuer Iron Armor Army and the Black Stone Guard—followed by the Lady of Nuer, the Death Element Sanctuary Grandmaster Elspeth von Draken’s Amethyst Academy. Lastly, the Grand Judge Nuer, Holy Sanctuary Powerhouses Theodore Bruckner, also represented more than a dozen Knight Corps supporting Amelia’s rule.

However, as Amelia said, she is ultimately not as good as Laine. Nuer’s nobles would only seek her when the City Council was endlessly arguing or when there were significant matters needing her opinion for a decision.

And Amelia was smart. During her years with Laine, Laine’s maid accumulated a wealth of experience in handling internal affairs. Her Ladyship could always solve problems relatively perfectly, mediate between parties, and make both sides feel accepted, which strengthened her authority in the court.

Moreover, Amelia always landed big deals.

That is, super-large military orders.

In two years, just with Brittania alone, relying on Laine’s connections, Amelia brought over more than thirty thousand Gold Crown worth of super-large military orders for the Nuer Gunpowder Factory.

Because of this, Laine earned the title “Nuer’s Intimate Friend” in Nuer.

Recently, Fugen’s Ash Legion, mediated by Laine, placed an order exceeding fifty thousand Gold Crown in value, so large that it left all of Nuer dumbfounded. This guy was practically helping Nuer clear their inventory—Nuer’s armory was almost swept clean. The Nuer Gunpowder Factory is currently operating at full capacity to meet Fugen’s needs, and in the Old World, only the Nuer Gunpowder Factory could fulfill this enormous order in a short time.

Fugen also announced, “I’m not afraid of having no money, just afraid Nuer won’t have enough.”

For an industrial city like Nuer, what does a series of gigantic orders imply? There’s no need to say more, right?

Therefore, Laine’s maid is well respected and loved in Nuer, and her days are pretty good.

“So, how is the current relationship between Nuer and Brunswick?” Surya was still concerned about this. The lady knight removed her high-heeled long boots, revealing her long legs clad in black silk. She sat alongside Laine. Although Surya wasn’t particularly afraid of the cold, she clearly enjoyed immersing herself in the intimate and cozy atmosphere.

The Duke’s wife, resourceful and capable, initiated the “fireside talks” when Laine went out to battle. The lady knight frequently invited people from outside, including nobles, merchants, free people, and even many peasants who worked personally, to come to the castle for friendly conversations and answer questions by the fireplace in the reception room. The Duchess was poised and elegant, noble and generous, approachable. With this relaxed and harmonious atmosphere, Surya established a stable communication bridge between nobles and peasants, and her powerful charisma earned people’s understanding and respect.

To a certain extent, Lady Surya’s image reached deeper into the hearts of all the residents across the territory compared to Laine. If Laine was like a majestic mountain, Surya was like a gentle stream that warmed hearts.

Compared to Surya, Amelia seemed slightly less mature. The maid’s governance style involved not leaving her Prince-Elector’s Palace.

“It’s okay. Carl Franz seems to have oversimplified the issue.” Amelia chuckled, “Theoretically, Nuer falls under the jurisdiction of the Emperor of the Empire, but it’s ultimately a free city. When the position of Grand Duke of Nuer is vacant, the City Council is essentially in an autonomous environment. Carl thinks that since my relationship with his family is good, my arrival will make Nuer obedient to his court in Brunswick. But he doesn’t realize, upon returning to Nuer, Nuer has a ruler, and the City Council wouldn’t listen to Carl’s orders. Would I go against the City Council for him? My presence at most slightly increases the Emperor’s influence in Nuer.”