## Chapter 157
Brisa nodded her head in silence while looking sideways at the duchess, who lay like a corpse due to the effect of the sedative. The man immediately took his coat hanging on the wall and left. Only then did she feel she could breathe and exhaled deeply, but a faint sound came from a nearby place.
Brisa sharpened her gaze and was surprised to see the duchess slowly sitting up. The woman, who had apparently been awake for quite some time, contemplated her with a lucid gaze for a few moments and then lowered her legs over the edge of the bed.
Brisa, whose body had frozen in place, rushed toward her immediately.
—Your Highness, you must not get up. You must remain resting in bed until the effect of the medication passes…
—Get away from me.
Due to that cold voice laden with authority, Brisa shuddered and took a step back.
The duchess stood up on the floor with bare feet, without putting on her slippers. Brisa looked confused and turned around in circles, not knowing what to do; then, she quickly bent down under the bed to at least bring her shoes. At that moment, she caught sight of the duchess's back as she limped in the direction of the fireplace.
*...Did she perhaps not wish to go out?*
Brisa followed her again in bewilderment. She feared that the duchess, who had weak legs, would fall into the fire.
—Your Highness, if you are cold, I will bring you a hot water bottle immediately. Please, sit here first…
—You are annoying.
The woman, who rejected the help harshly, leaned in front of the fireplace. Then, she took the poker that was next to the grates and used the tip to extract a bundle of half-burned parchments from among the flames.
Brisa took off her apron in a hurry and patted the document, which was burning slowly. When the embers were finally extinguished, the duchess took the parchment with both hands and bent her waist.
Brisa looked at her with a bewildered expression upon seeing her hold the partially charred document and examine it with meticulous care.
*What am I supposed to do in a situation like this?*
The vague idea assailed her that she should stop her, but she did not know at all what to say to her. While she remained confused and hesitant, the duchess, who contemplated the stained parchment with cold eyes, threw it back into the fire. For an instant, the flames flared up strongly and dyed her gaunt face a vivid red color.
Brisa swallowed hard with difficulty. For a moment, the duchess's face, surrounded by the fire, seemed to burn. She wondered what could be written there to make her look that way.
She looked curiously at the duchess's pale face and the bundle of parchments devoured by the fire alternately; then, the woman turned quickly and went back to lie down on the bed.
Brisa approached with caution and hesitation, and pulled the quilt up over her thin shoulders. At that moment, she suddenly noticed the tears sliding down the duchess's face and held her breath. She felt her heart shrink upon seeing the woman crying in silence, with an expression that suggested she had surrendered to everything.
Brisa opened her mouth in a hurry, without being aware of it:
—...Pull yourself together, Your Highness. With the passage of time…
She was about to say: "Everything will be fine," but she swallowed her words. It seemed to her a completely useless consolation.
The duchess showed no reaction to her daring words. Brisa looked at her with a sense of despair and, in the end, turned her head without finding the right words to say.
—If this continues like this, we will not be able to avoid war.
Kailias, the elite knight of the Knights of Rom, opened the conversation heavily while leaning his torso over the table.
Varkas let out a cold sneer while leaning against the back of the chair and flipping through the report the man had brought.
—Do they not perhaps intend to unleash a war if they do that?
The face of the man, who caught the sarcasm in his voice, flushed, and he defended the emperor:
—His Majesty the Emperor has done everything possible to reconcile the parties.
Varkas did not answer anything. Perhaps interpreting his silence as a rejection, the man continued speaking with a somewhat haughty tone:
—Lord Shierkhan knows very well the stubbornness of the members of the Imperial Council. The members of the conservative party do not wish to alter the current order. In contrast, the radicals fiercely insist on the need to restore the dignity of the imperial family and the authority of the empire. His Majesty the Emperor tried to assimilate the voices of both sides.
—And the result is that he has found himself in a position where he is neither one thing nor the other.
The man, who was about to retort with an angry face, restrained himself, relaxed his shoulders, and scratched his disheveled hair.
—Is politics not all like that? Everyone seeks only their excuses and their positions, and interests go to hell.
Varkas showed neither agreement nor disagreement; instead, he turned to the last page of the report. Although his vision was blurry, as if covered by a light mist, and it took him time to read, there was nothing that prevented him from understanding the essence of the content.
The summary of the report was clear: his secret attempts during the past winter were about to fail. Varkas accepted this reality calmly and placed the bundle of reports he was holding on the desk.
Throughout the past winter, he had mobilized the network of contacts of the Shierkhan family and recruited the members of the Northern Union one by one. The objective of this was to isolate the Heimdall family, which was at the center of the treason within the North. However, the Empire began to impose large-scale restrictions, which caused "Balto" to unite once again. The hasty military threat increased the sense of internal crisis in them.
—As stated in the report, the nobles of the North who had been attracted by the duke have already begun to withdraw. Those who have not done so fear being treated as traitors to the homeland and stay on the sidelines to protect themselves. If this is left like this, a rebellion will really break out.
—Then, it must be suppressed. What other option is possible? —Varkas exhaled a tired sigh, rose from his chair, and added—: Tell His Majesty the Emperor that he must march toward Amasik before the North mobilizes. The sooner it is, the better.
The faces of those present in the meeting room, including Kailias, showed expressions of astonishment at his calm response. The knight hurried to stop Varkas, who was about to end the conversation unilaterally:
—I have come to ask Your Excellency to negotiate directly with the Heimdall family. Some members of the Northern Union still maintain a neutral stance. If we cooperate with them and pressure the ducal family, we can correct things even now…!
—We have passed the point of no return —Varkas declared dryly—. His Majesty the Emperor ignored my advice and mobilized the Empire's army in Sifron. You know very well that that region is the main granary of the North. Did he perhaps expect them not to fight despite the threat of snatching food away from hungry animals?
—Sir! Please, maintain decency. The use of such a disrespectful tone toward His Majesty the Emperor cannot be tolerated…!
—Lord Duke —Varkas interrupted him coldly—. I no longer belong to the Knights of Rom; I am Duke Shierkhan. It is you who must maintain respect.
The man's face turned pale. Varkas contemplated his countenance in silence and spoke calmly:
—I will assign you a room so that you can rest well, and then you will return carrying the dispatch.
—What will you say in the dispatch…?
—I plan to write that I will send three thousand additional knights to the Berta plain to help quell the rebellion… Is there any problem with that?
The man stood up from his seat in panic.
—If a war breaks out, His Majesty the Emperor will wish for Your Excellency to assume the position of General Commander.
—I must add another line asking him to give up that wish —Varkas added dryly and walked toward the entrance of the meeting room.
Kailias quickly blocked his path.
—What will you write in response to the dispatch that the emperor sent?
Varkas turned toward him with a cold face. Suddenly, in his mind, which felt extremely heavy as if filled with water, crossed the fact that this man was one of the most fervent fanatics of Ayla Rom Gerta. Then, he remembered that he had argued with him arrogantly about his decision to marry Talia. Once again, the man had forgotten his limits.
The knight, who raised his chin as if determined to hear an answer, continued speaking clearly:
—His Majesty the Emperor said that he would sign the divorce permission gladly if Your Excellency so desired. He pointed out that having forced you into this unjust marriage from the beginning was a mistake…
—It seems that His Majesty the Emperor considers my marriage a joke —His voice sounded strange even to his own ears.
The man took a step back as if feeling an instinctive threat. Following that movement with his eyes, Varkas continued speaking slowly:
—Since you are curious, I will answer you with kindness. I plan to tell His Majesty the following.
Varkas extended his arm behind the man, leaned against the column, and whispered calmly in front of the knight's face:
—Please, ask him to stop worrying about the family affairs of this unfaithful servant, because I cannot get rid of my wife like someone getting rid of an old rag.
The knight's face turned pale until it became livid. Varkas gave him two light slaps on the pale cheek with the palm of his hand and asked gently:
—Has your curiosity been dispelled now?
The man bit his lip and lowered his gaze while observing him with a frozen face. Varkas looked at him calmly and left the meeting room quietly.
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