"I feel that this matter... I am not in a good position to make a judgment." Laine passed the buck back to Mogiana, smiling as he said, "Your Highness, could you first share the King's opinion and your plans? I need some time to think."
"Come with me." Mogiana glared at Laine with some disappointment, knowing that he was rather shrewd in dealing with people, and in this matter, he had a reason not to take a stance.
No matter his identity, Laine indeed was not suitable to make a public statement; at most, he could give some private opinions.
But this was not what Mogiana wanted. The Lake God Witch's idea was to form a "small cabinet" with Laine to discuss this matter.
The Lake God Witch led Laine towards the third floor. In a small dining room on the third floor, several pastries and a pot of fruit tea were already prepared, with a fire burning in the fireplace. Mogiana motioned for Laine to sit at one side of the small table: "These are some pastries I made. Try them!"
Laine sat down, observing the pastries on the table. The Lake God Witch Mogiana had made several exquisite pastries, the most famous being scones and buttercream cakes.
Buttercream cake is a traditional dessert of Brittania, usually made by layering fruit, cake, or biscuits with cream. Mogiana served this dessert in a glass cup, with the elegant layers and different ingredients showcasing the Lake God Witch's refined skills.
The scone is said to be named after a large stone called the Stone of Scone during the coronation of the second Knight King, Lewis. This pastry included raisins, cheese, and jam, as well as cream, also being a renowned Brittania delicacy, indispensable for afternoon tea.
"Mmm! Very delicious!" Laine took a few bites, and his facial expression completely relaxed.
"Do you like it? I've made a lot and have been waiting for your return." Seeing Laine's enjoyment, a trace of happiness finally appeared on Mogiana's usually cool face.
She has always been unsure how to express her emotions. As the person with the highest power in the Knight Kingdom, the First Divine Chosen of the Lake Fairy and proxy in the Mortal World, she is very naïve about emotions, aside from habitually finding reasons to command Laine and sticking to him whenever possible.
Long periods of recuperation were rather boring, so Mogiana took the opportunity to learn a lot of cooking skills from the Lake Fairy. Suppressing her internal cheer and excitement, she sat beside Laine, leaning on his shoulder: "As long as you like it."
Enjoying their winter afternoon tea, Laine and Mogiana returned to the previous topic.
"Richard finds it very difficult to decide on this matter. Firstly, Duke Theodoric having an affair with a subordinate's wife is indeed very, very inappropriate behavior, and the joint special lawsuit by nineteen nobles also needs addressing. But there's an issue: Richard is unwilling to make a major decision at this time. Laine, you know, he's about to abdicate." Mogiana adjusted her skirt, leaning on Laine.
"Regarding Duke Theodoric's matter… it could be big or small. If Richard decides to lightly punish or not punish Theodoric, then those nineteen nobles will certainly be extremely dissatisfied. But if Richard decides to heavily punish Theodoric... naturally, Duke Theodoric would also be greatly displeased with the King. Whether the King has the right to handle such complicated personal feelings remains ambiguous. After all, Duke Theodoric himself is a Legendary High-Tier Paladin whose enchanted great axe has slain Bloodthirsty Bat Wolves and Giant Demons!" Laine muttered quietly, "How to handle this matter delicately... if it were up to me, I would find it very difficult to manage as well. Richard's prestige is not enough to convince everyone."
"Precisely for this reason, Richard has the Lake God Prophet send me a message, hoping for me to resolve this issue." Mogiana's golden eyebrows furrowed, looking quite puzzled about how to deal with the matter: "Theodoric's actions have made him almost without a place in the Borelion Duchy. No subordinate wants a Duke who might have an affair with their wife at any time remaining in the Duchy, and other duchies..."
"I would never agree to let Theodoric seek refuge with me, or even allow him to enter the border." Laine said unreservedly.
"I think the Kingdom's Great Nobles probably think the same way. Out of their own interests and the stability of their households, no great noble would be willing to take him in." Mogiana was also contemplating the course of the entire event: "Therefore, I can conclude that the Kingdom's Great Nobles all wish to severely punish Theodoric."
Therefore, the question returned to how to deal with Duke Theodoric.
This is the most troublesome, because in Brittania, a Duke's title is extremely difficult to strip, and the Kingdom's laws fully protect the nobility, especially the twelve original Holy Grail Knight families.
Like in Musillon, first Duke Merovin fell from grace, personally murdered the King, and raised the rebel flag. Then Duke Madred imprisoned the Lake God Witch and shamelessly declared he married the Lake Fairy to claim the right to be King and sparked a civil war.
These two Dukes committed earth-shattering acts, and the outcome was only their own deaths, with their Duke titles still passed down, illustrating how highly Brittania protects its nobility. While obtaining a noble title is remarkably challenging, stripping it away is equally so.
