Chapter 199: Ch-199: Imperial Factions (4)
As Bianca and Amanda walked towards the borders of the Hall Duchy, they froze when they spotted two familiar figures.
Amanda looked to the side and saw the emissary of the opposing faction—Maria.
Looking at the woman, Amanda could not help but become enraged, especially by the outfit she was wearing.
The woman was practically half-naked, wearing only a top around her breasts and a pair of underwear, exposing almost everything for everyone to see. She wore metal boots that reached her thighs and armor around her left arm.
"Ah, Princess Amanda, long time no see. Good to see you," Maria said as she walked over to greet them. She did not mind their glares one bit and acted completely nonchalant.
"I could not say the same to you. You should have at least dressed properly," Amanda said in an icy voice.
Maria was not fazed by her words. Instead, she even puffed out her ample chest and winked at Bianca, making Amanda’s lips twitch while Bianca herself took several steps back in disgust. Sure, royalty had strange tastes and different sexual orientations, but she was completely normal and straight.
"What can I say, Princess? If I dress this way, it’s much easier to persuade and convince men," Maria said with a shrug. She was not the least bit embarrassed by her outfit. In fact, she had managed to seduce many men, lure them into her bed, and convince them to support her faction. As the saying goes, all is fair in love and war.
Hearing her words, Amanda’s face darkened another shade, but it turned even darker when she saw another contingent of troops approaching.
At that moment, a roar echoed across the border, and a white eagle flew as fast as a lightning bolt before landing at the frontier.
The eagle twisted its body and looked at the humans before it with a piercing gaze.
Seated in the saddle was none other than Rosen Eindrik, the elder brother of the former King and Amanda’s blood uncle. At that moment, the man was clad in armor, holding the eagle’s reins with a pair of leather gloves.
Bianca, standing beside Amanda, tensed, and her hand moved to the hilt of her sword as she watched Rosen, who was far more dangerous than the eagle beneath him.
Amanda calmly looked at the eagle before her and then shifted her gaze toward its rider, whose feet turned into a small tornado as he descended.
Seeing this, Amanda’s pupils shrank as she cried inwardly, ’Damn, has his control over his bloodline increased?’
The Eindrik family was a family of warlocks, and the bloodline they possessed allowed them to manipulate wind. Although it was weaker than other destructive elements like fire or lightning, it was still more powerful than many other bloodlines.
Rosen looked at Maria, and his face twisted in disgust, especially when she blatantly tried to seduce him. Yes, he might be a bit hedonistic, but even he knew better than to stick his little brother into Maria, who knew how many men had been with her before him.
His eyes turned toward Amanda, his niece, and an arrogant smile appeared on his face. "My dear niece, what a pleasant surprise to see you here... but I would have preferred if you had remained in the capital. Women should not concern themselves with ruling."
Hearing his words, Bianca’s fists clenched as she glared at the man.
"I don’t need you to tell me what to do, Uncle. Only time will tell who will rule in the end," Amanda said sarcastically, and Rosen’s smile vanished as he looked at his niece with a cold gaze.
They ignored one another and walked toward the Duchy.
The moment Amanda, Maria, and Rosen entered the Hall Duchy with their attendants, their eyes were drawn to the soldiers standing beside the Mechs while many others patrolled the area inside them.
"What are these?" Amanda muttered with an incredulous look on her face, as it was the first time she had seen such objects.
On the other hand, Rosen frowned as he looked at the crest on the Mechs and muttered, "Is this some kind of new weapon? And whose sigil is that?"
Meanwhile, Maria walked toward one of the soldiers, her every movement filled with seduction and sultriness. Rosen and Amanda understood her intentions and immediately perked up their ears to listen to the conversation.
"Excuse me, gentleman," Maria said sultrily, her voice dripping with charm and provocation, as she tapped a soldier on the shoulder. The soldier frowned at someone touching him and turned around to give the person a piece of his mind, but he was stunned when he saw the beautiful, seductive woman standing before him.
Gulp.
The soldier swallowed a mouthful of saliva and said in a nervous tone, "Y-Yes... h-how can I help y-you?"
"Hehe." Maria giggled seductively as she noticed the soldier’s gaze, like most men’s, fixed on her ample chest. She looked at him and then asked, "Can you tell me what these steel structures are and whose sigil that is?"
"Oh, that... these are new weapons called Mechs that Lord Victor made for his army," the soldier replied after snapping out of his daze.
"Victor?" Maria raised an eyebrow upon hearing the unfamiliar name.
Seeing her confusion, the soldier hurriedly explained, "Yes, Lord Victor. He is the Lord of the Silvernum Barony with an army of one hundred thousand."
"One hundred thousand?" Maria exclaimed, while Rosen and Amanda, who had walked closer, were also surprised and thought, ’Is that a Barony or a Duchy?’
’Could Hilbert have received help from this Barony? If he did, then it’s possible they managed to fend off or even kill those Brightflame trash,’ Rosen thought with a frown as he looked at the Mechs analytically, wondering whether they were truly powerful and, if so, whether he could buy them.
Amanda had the same thoughts as Rosen as she looked at the Mechs.
Step. Step.
Emily, wearing an elegant maid uniform, looked around and soon spotted them.
"Welcome to the Hall Duchy, emissaries of the three Imperial factions. I am Emily, the Head Maid of the Hall Duchy," Emily said with a smile as she looked at the emissaries before her, each representing a different faction.
She only recognized Rosen and Amanda, but she could easily guess which faction the other woman belonged to. ’She must be from the faction made up of the Queens and mistresses.’
Emily couldn’t help but twitch her lips at the woman’s audacity to wear such an outfit while visiting the Duke. They had come here for negotiations, not an orgy.
’They are insane,’ Emily thought coldly.
"The Duke is waiting for you. Please follow me," Emily said expressionlessly as the others began following closely behind.
Normally, the Duke himself should have been present to receive them, but due to the current situation, the Royal Family no longer held any real authority. Therefore, they kept their mouths shut and followed Emily without showing any displeasure.
Maria licked her lips as she gazed at Emily’s plump bottom and asked in a sultry tone, "Lady Emily..."
"By the way, Lady Emily, are you married?"
Hearing those words, Emily’s brows twitched, but she continued walking and replied in a neutral tone, "No, I am not."
"Oh? Then would you like to spend some... time with me?" Maria asked in a lustful tone.
Hearing this, Emily nearly stumbled to the ground.
Amanda’s and Rosen’s faces twisted slightly at Maria’s words. Thinking that they were being associated with such a woman made them both feel humiliated. The Imperial Family was becoming no different from people driven solely by greed, fear, and lust.
Emily looked back and said neutrally, "I’m sorry, but I don’t swing that way, Lady Maria."
"Don’t call me Lady. I’m just a former gladiator and the King’s former bed warmer," Maria said with a smile.
"I don’t know much about Duke Hilbert, Emily. Can you tell me if Duke Hilbert has many women?" Maria asked, narrowing her eyes. She made no attempt to hide her intention of learning more about the Duke.
"Not from what I know. He does not have any, nor has he taken any new wives since the Duchess passed away. As for lovers, I have no clue," Emily replied. She certainly understood Maria’s intentions, but she didn’t mind answering. It was common knowledge and not a sensitive matter.
Maria couldn’t help but be surprised. In her eyes, even a Duke with the best reputation—even the most pious one—would have one or two lovers. A Duke as magnificent and powerful as Hilbert should have been surrounded by thousands of women.
"The Duke is not a lustful person, Maria," Emily said in an amused tone, finding the woman’s shocked reaction rather funny.
"Well, I came with the intention of offering ten thousand women in exchange for his favor, but it seems he won’t accept," Maria said with a casual shrug.
Hearing her words, Emily almost choked on her own saliva, while Rosen and Amanda, who overheard the conversation, felt their eyebrows twitch.
’If the Duke knew your intentions, he might just refuse to see you altogether,’ Emily thought inwardly as they arrived near the castle.
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