Alicia hardly slept that night.
Partly because she was too nervous, partly because…
She was waiting for someone.
Don’t get the wrong idea—there was no clandestine rendezvous or romantic plot.
She was waiting for the agents she had dispatched earlier.
The negotiation table was a battlefield without gunpowder, and intelligence was always the hardest currency on that field.
Knowing information the other side didn’t gave you an advantage; if you could figure out the other party’s intentions and bottom line in advance, you practically held the initiative.
Of course, her agents didn’t disappoint.
All the patience and late-night waiting were worth it.
According to the agents’ report, Lemeng and the Duchess were well aware that Saxon City’s military strength was at a disadvantage.
They were also impressed by how quickly Lane had taken Biluo’en Castle.
They even knew about Lane’s relief efforts and Alicia’s Emergency Food Workshop.
Most crucially, there were the attitudes of the two rulers.
Lemeng himself seemed caught in some kind of wavering contradiction and showed dissatisfaction with the Duchess’s frequent interference in administrative decisions.
The Duchess, on the other hand, seemed to be calculating that once Lemeng returned to the family, he could stand on equal footing with Lane and share great power.
That was a bit too much.
Two supreme leaders on equal footing?
History had examples, like the Austro-Hungarian dual monarchy or the Spartan diarchy.
The Duchess seemed to want to use a similar system to have Lemeng check Lane’s power.
‘No way! That kind of system would inevitably lead to low decision-making efficiency, internal conflict, and power struggles. The reason this girl came was to reunite the Maximilian family under Lane’s leadership, united in reform and development!’
What, was the Duchess planning to publicly support unity while secretly setting up a rival center?
Absolutely impossible! But Lemeng seemed somewhat dissatisfied with the Duchess constantly meddling in policy decisions.
That could be a breakthrough.
That night, Alicia’s mind was like a boiling pot—information, speculation, and plans clashing violently.
When she came to her senses, she realized the sky was already turning light.
‘Great, I stayed up all night!’
At least the Duchess had scheduled the meeting for the afternoon.
She could catch up on sleep in the morning.
She couldn’t stay up like this again.
She had experienced this era’s medicine firsthand—once her health collapsed, she would most likely die young.
‘Boss, boss, if you don’t promote me and give me a raise this time, I’ll really throw a tantrum!’
…
The meeting time arrived quickly.
Alicia wore the attire personally arranged by Elder Lord Enlaike—low-key yet dignified, neither disrespectful nor subservient.
The girl was still lacking in knowledge of this world’s aristocratic etiquette, so Elder Lord Enlaike had been a great help this time.
As she stepped into the reception hall, two pairs of eyes from the head of the room immediately fell on her.
The Duchess raised her chin slightly, her gaze carrying undisguised scrutiny.
“You are the famous Miss Alicia? Lane’s new favorite?” the Duchess said with an unfriendly tone, stressing the words “new favorite.”
‘New favorite? That word is too rude! It’s practically calling me a face-dependent social climber!’
Alicia’s heart flared with anger, but her face remained still.
This was clearly meant to intimidate her.
‘Are you kidding? We’re the ones in the advantage here!’
The girl grumbled internally, but her expression stayed calm and composed.
She performed a flawless curtsy.
“I am Alicia, sent by His Highness Prince Lane to pay my respects to Your Grace and Your Highness.”
As she rose, she quickly scanned Lemeng’s face.
The young prince’s brows were slightly furrowed, and a look of dissatisfaction flickered briefly toward the Duchess.
‘As expected? The Duchess’s overbearing interference is annoying Lemeng.’
Then came an awkward silence.
The Duchess gracefully picked up her teacup, clearly not intending to speak first.
Lemeng opened his mouth several times but hesitated, his gaze shifting.
Finally, when he caught sight of his mother’s profile, he swallowed his words back down.
Alicia was exasperated.
‘What’s wrong with this guy! If you want independence, stand up for yourself! Why keep looking at your mother’s face? Just say what you want!’
Well, since they weren’t going to speak, she might as well take the initiative.
So the girl took a stack of documents from Elder Lord Enlaike.
“Your Grace, Your Highness, I’m sure you’ve already heard. Recently, the rebels have grown increasingly arrogant and powerful, expanding rapidly from north to south and west to east. Saxon City is the gateway to the family’s territory and an unavoidable passage for the rebels heading south. I’m afraid it will come under heavy attack.”
“Oh? So now Lane cares about us?”
The Duchess raised an eyebrow, mocking without hesitation.
“In my opinion, he’s more concerned about the city itself.”
She leaned forward slightly, smiling without warmth, staring into the girl’s eyes.
“Lady Ailixiya, just say it straight. Does Lane plan to fully take over Saxon City? Did he send you here to use the rebel threat to make us surrender?”
“That’s not entirely accurate.”
The girl quickly put on a smile.
“The rebels are rampant now, and they treat nobles with cruel, dishonorable methods. As the saying goes, ‘When the lips are gone, the teeth feel cold.’ My lord truly doesn’t want to see that happen.”
“Well said, ‘When the lips are gone.'”
Lemeng seemed provoked by the phrase.
“What right does Lane have to say that! He never cared about the Maximilian family! From the start, he debased himself, mingling with those commoners…”
“Your Highness, please choose your words!”
Alicia’s voice suddenly rose, cutting off Lemeng without hesitation.
“You…”
He was stunned that this person dared interrupt him.
His face visibly reddened.
“How dare you!”
“My lord’s past actions were indeed improper, but now my lord has matured and become steady. I believe this transformation should be credited to Your Highness.”
With that, the girl bowed solemnly to Lemeng in thanks.
“…Me?”
Lemeng was completely baffled.
His pent-up anger clogged his chest, unable to rise or fall.
He looked at Alicia in confusion, then subconsciously glanced at his mother beside him, momentarily at a loss.
“Lane has grown strong indeed,” the Duchess finally set down her teacup.
Her voice was cool, unreadable.
“To send such a bold person as an envoy.”
“His Highness Prince Lane is the lord I serve unto death.”
Alicia immediately lowered her head, her posture obedient but her tone unyielding.
“As a retainer, it is my duty to defend my lord’s honor. Please forgive any discourtesy, Your Grace and Your Highness.”
“Hmph, then tell me, why should I be thanked?”
Lemeng quickly composed himself and calmed down.
“That’s all thanks to Your Highness’s wake-up call!”
The girl put on an extremely sincere expression.
“If Your Highness hadn’t raised an army that year to jolt my lord awake with an unconventional move, and later willingly pretended to lose, sacrificing your own reputation to preserve my lord’s and the family’s prestige… my lord might still be unable to see the truth, and today’s situation would not exist.”
Interpreting Lemeng’s rebellion as a wake-up call, his defeat as a deliberate feigned loss, and even portraying him as a figure willing to suffer reputational damage for the sake of family and brother—this turned Lemeng from a traitor into something else.
What a skillful reversal of right and wrong!
Lemeng almost laughed in anger.
But the Duchess kicked him under the table to steady him, then took over the conversation.
“Lady Ailixiya’s words are… impressive! But it seems we’ve strayed from the topic. Regarding the defense against the rebels, what does Lane intend to do?”
The girl smiled confidently and pulled out another document.
“My lord has indeed made a decision. With the New Army, he can hold Saxon City. If Saxon City is secure, the family domain can be protected, and even the territories of several other nobles to the south can rest easy. However…”
She paused, her gaze sweeping over both of them.
“As the saying goes, ‘Expel external threats before securing internal stability.'”
The Duchess’s expression shifted.
Lemeng, though frowning, had a glint of interest in his eyes.
“What does that mean?”
“Silence!”
The Duchess slammed the armrest, cutting him off sharply.
“Lane certainly has a clever plan! This is clearly to expel us mother and son from Saxon!”
“Your Grace, you misunderstand!”
The girl quickly put on a panicked, respectful look.
“Saxon City was promised to His Highness Lemeng by the late Duke himself. My lord has no intention of coveting it!”
She deliberately stressed “His Highness Lemeng’s territory” with clarity and gravity.
Sure enough, Lemeng’s back straightened almost imperceptibly, and he fixed his gaze on her.
“So please do not misunderstand, Your Grace. His Highness will only send a force to assist in the city’s defense.”
The Duchess sneered and pressed on.
“Then what is this ‘expel external threats before securing internal stability’?”
“My lord intends to lead an army to quell the rebellion, but the domain has just endured a natural disaster and is in a difficult recovery period. He urgently needs a capable person well-versed in internal affairs to help.”
With that, the girl looked earnestly at Lemeng.
“Thus, I humbly request His Highness Lemeng, who has expertise in internal governance, to come forth!”
…
After a moment of silence, the Duchess claimed fatigue and bluntly dismissed her.
Lemeng’s lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but under his mother’s cold profile, he pressed his lips together and silently looked away.
Alicia hadn’t expected to achieve anything in the first meeting.
Since the other side clearly didn’t want to continue talking today, she was happy to go along.
She bowed and left promptly.
Back at the inn, the girl felt waves of exhaustion wash over her.
She weakly ordered a meal from the inn, planning to eat then bury herself in bed and sleep.
“You sure are bold, speaking like that in front of the Duchess,” Elder Lord Enlaike said as he sat down across from her, his voice low but his eyes flashing with approval.
“Talking that way in front of the Duchess… ‘His Highness Lemeng’s territory’? Do you really think that will work?”
“A small breach can sink a great ship!”
The girl rubbed her temples tiredly, closing her eyes to rest.
“I estimate they won’t see us again for the next two days. Let’s take the chance to rest and figure out our next move.”