Chapter 263 Chapter263-The Truth
Margaret's eyes darted towards Nora with a glare that seemed to declare sovereignty.
"Aren't you just a mere secretary to Lord Howard?" she said with a tone of disdain.
"Why do you talk so much? Lord Howard and I are old acquaintances. We were having a conversation. What right do you have to interject?"
Nora bowed her head slightly, the epitome of decorum, yet her words were laced with sharp defiance.
"My Lord, I can remain silent, but I must fulfill my duties as a secretary. Lady Margaret, you are now a noble, a vassal under Lord Howard. Your status is not the same as before."
"You were once a Knight Squire under his lordship, so it's undeniable that your actions were always in Lord Howard's best interest. I don't doubt that. But now, you have been ennobled as a knight and have your own fiefdom."
"As a lord, I believe it's impossible for you to consider Lord Howard's interests in every matter as you once did. This isn't a question of your loyalty, but rather the responsibility of a humble secretary."
Margaret, petite in stature, listened to these words, her chest heaving with barely contained fury.
Pointing at Nora, her face flushed with anger, she turned to Howard, "My Lord, is this the secretary you've brought with you? Is she insinuating that my loyalty to you is questionable? My Lord, you must provide an explanation!"
Howard gestured for Nora to hold her tongue and attempted to pacify Margaret.
"Margaret, don't be upset. Nora has a sharp tongue but a soft heart. She doesn't just speak her mind to you, but even to me, she can be disrespectful in private. I assure you, she didn't mean it in the way you think. She's just too hasty with her words."
Seeing Margaret about to continue her tirade against Nora, Howard, thinking quickly on his feet, interjected, "Actually, I have something to tell you. We recently visited Count Mibo, and he has involved me in a covert plot to seize Baron Hof's title.
"If this plot accumulates enough strength and Hof still refuses to relinquish his title after a final ultimatum, then we will have to march against him. As my vassal, I wanted to inform you in advance. When the time comes for military action, I hope for your support."
Margaret's attention was successfully diverted from Nora.
Feeling that Howard still favored her, she felt a hint of pride and said, "My lord, Baron Hof is not an incompetent lord; he is quite strategic. You should think this through carefully."
"In my opinion, you should personally visit Hof's castle and meet this Hof to understand his character. If Hof is indeed arrogant and disrespectful towards you, then eliminating him is no issue."
"However, if Hof has shown a change of heart towards you, I don't think there's a need to rush into action."
Howard, puzzled, looked into Margaret's eyes and asked patiently, "Why? Removing Hof means eliminating one of Count Mibo's vassals. That would weaken Count Mibo's power, wouldn't it?"
Margaret shook her head, "It's not that simple, my lord. If Hof's title is taken away, his lands will still remain. Even if Hof himself becomes a commoner, his lands will still be there, soon to welcome a new lord."
Margaret swallowed nervously and glanced at Howard before continuing, "My lord, if we look at it pessimistically, Count Mibo might not necessarily bestow Hof's lands upon you.
What if Count Mibo decides to annex those lands himself? Far from weakening Mibo's power, that would be like adding wings to a tiger! We must approach this matter with great caution."
Nora also spoke up, "My lord, Lady Margaret's point is valid. Even if Hof is eliminated, the issue of who inherits his lands needs careful consideration. Your goal is to attain the title of an earl, which will inevitably lead to a direct conflict with Count Mibo."
"Count Mibo is a future adversary, and his gaining strength is not to your advantage. However, if the status quo is maintained, Count Mibo won't gain the military strength of Hof's barony."
After listening, Howard placed his hand on his lips, pondering for a moment before saying, "You both make sense. The politics among nobility are indeed endlessly complex; I'm learning a lot. To add to that, if Hof is not removed, I might gain a potential ally in the future. But if Hof is eliminated, I could end up strengthening an enemy."
Margaret smiled sweetly, "My lord, you're quick to grasp the bigger picture. Your future is boundless."
Howard nodded, realizing he needed to visit Hof himself.
After bidding farewell to Margaret, he and his party returned to Castle Fernsouth.
At the castle gate, Resarite was leading the soldiers in a run and greeted Howard upon his arrival.
Howard praised Resarite for his hands-on approach, running alongside the soldiers.
Resarite, with sweat trickling down his forehead, laughed heartily and said, "A soldier is trained for a thousand days to be used for one. These soldiers need rigorous training on regular days to be effective on the battlefield!"
Upon returning to the castle, Howard found that Anna had also arrived at Castle Fernsouth and was waiting for him in the drawing room.
Howard asked the others to rest and went alone to chat with Anna.
When the conversation turned to Anna's water management project in Yami Village, Howard commended her foresight.
Anna's cheeks flushed with nervousness; she turned her head away, pretending not to look at Howard, though her eyes kept stealing glances at him.
After a while, Anna left Castle Fernsouth.
Unlike Resarite, she preferred residing in her own fief.
As the evening deepened, and twilight passed, Howard had his dinner and retired to bed early.
The next day, Howard visited Hof at Castle Gajasu.
He found Hof as vigorous as ever and shared this observation with him.
Hof's lips curled into a smile, "Lord Howard, look at you, talking as if it's been ages since we last met. How long has it been since I last dealt with that fool Blima?"
Howard, upon hearing this, suddenly realized and, covering his head with his hand, sheepishly said, "Ah, I'm terribly sorry. I've been quite busy lately and forgot some of the details."
Hof had a servant pour some wine and said to Howard with a chuckle, "Ah, the forgetfulness of the privileged. Well, it's understandable, given your meteoric rise is like a swift horse galloping ahead. Forgetting a few things is excusable."
Howard's face turned slightly red, acknowledging his mistake.
Nora, however, took the opportunity to speak up, "Baron Hof, good day. I am Lord Howard's secretary. There are some things Lord Howard is hesitant to say, so I shall speak on his behalf. I wonder if you are willing to listen?"
Hof nodded, his gaze lofty and seemingly indifferent to Nora.
Unfazed by Hof's demeanor, Nora continued, "My lord, my master has lofty goals but limited time. He wishes to ask you directly: How do you truly perceive him now?"
Hof was taken aback.
He had heard many direct statements before, but none as forthright as this.
After a moment of surprise, he replied, "I believe I lost the last battle at Howard's hands. Had Howard not spotted us on the city walls, our night raid would have succeeded."
"Castle Fernsouth would be under my control by now. I would have become the lord of both Castle Gajasu and Castle Fernsouth, a baron of real power, addressed as a viscount."
"I don't particularly like Howard. If Howard doesn't offer me enough benefits, I wish nothing more than to see him fall from power."
Howard's eyes narrowed, not expecting such a candid exchange between Hof and Nora.
He himself was present, yet the conversation was brutally honest, creating a rather extraordinary scene.
After Nora had asked her question and remained silent, Howard took over the conversation.
Taking a deep breath, he asked Hof, "So, does this mean we are irreconcilable enemies?"
Hof shook his head, "No, my current enemy is Count Mibo. Two months ago, my chief of spies informed me that Count Mibo was rallying other nobles to illegitimately strip me of my title. I sent someone to assassinate him, but it failed."
"That botched attempt gave that old fox Mibo a legitimate excuse to plot against me. Now, he's gathering support to issue a final ultimatum demanding my title. Howard, I'm telling you all this because I don't want to be at odds with you at this critical juncture."
"In fact, if you're willing to help me defeat Count Mibo, I'd let you lead our alliance during the war. If we win, the disposition of Mibo's assets will be in your hands, and you'll have the opportunity to claim his title."
Nora looked at Howard.
According to Hof's plan, if they turned the tables on Count Mibo and succeeded, Howard could directly become an earl.
This would expedite his marriage to Catherine.
Nora was curious to see how Howard would decide.
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