At the time when the Winter Palace was in turmoil,
Nobles, led by Berta, had gathered at the Ironfall family’s estate.
The head of the Ironfall family did not seem pleased that these nobles had chosen his estate as their meeting place. However, this was part of Berta and Atik’s scheme—to ensure that Ironfall could no longer remain neutral and firmly bind him to their side.
“You really managed to bribe the Grand Duke’s maid? I must say, I’m impressed. Thanks to that, we were able to poison him without arousing suspicion.”
At a noble’s inquiry, the head of the Atik family boasted triumphantly.
“This is what you call the art of persuasion. After some investigation, I found out that the woman had harbored feelings for the Grand Duke for a long time. She had served him faithfully for years. But do you know what’s interesting? Because she loved the Grand Duke, she resented the Grand Duchess. She was younger and more beautiful, yet the Grand Duke only looked at his wife and never laid a hand on her.”
“Hmm? But the Grand Duchess has long been dead. If she hated someone, it should be the Grand Duke, not his wife. How did you win her over?”
“Heh, that’s exactly the key point. With the Grand Duchess gone, she hoped to take that position for herself. But then what happened? The Grand Duke, grieving for his wife, suddenly became an invalid. Imagine how disappointed and resentful she must have been.”
“Ah-ha!”
“She had devoted her youth to one man, only to realize she would never receive the love she longed for. Love can turn into hatred in an instant. All it takes is a little push, and a person’s heart wavers easily.”
“H-Hopefully, she won’t get caught, right?”
“Haha, there’s no need to worry. We’ve already talked it through with her. Even if the crime is exposed, it will only be seen as a crime of passion committed by a jealous woman blinded by love. They won’t execute her on the spot as the Grand Duke’s assassin. And if that happens, we can always arrange for her release later. Just in case, we’ve also taken her family as hostages, so there’s no chance of betrayal.”
“You truly are a master strategist, my lord!”
The continuous praise put the head of the Atik family in an excellent mood, making him smile contentedly.
At the same time, the nobles’ minds were racing.
As long as Grace had not officially become the successor, the next Grand Duke of the North would come from either Berta’s or Atik’s family.
The Ironfall family was part of the Five Great Families, but their involvement had been limited to lending their name and influence without actively participating in the rebellion. That meant they were likely only second in line.
So, the nobles had to decide—should they side with Berta or Atik?
Which of the two had a better chance of winning? And which alliance would be most beneficial to them?
“An excellent stratagem, Lord Atik!”
The head of the Berta family laughed heartily and then drew the nobles’ attention to himself.
“With no official heir in the North, as soon as the Grand Duke dies, they will rush to convene a Grand Assembly to elect the next leader. Grace will likely step in as the temporary successor. She has the blood of the Northraine family and is quite capable, but in the end, she is still just a young girl. She may be skilled in combat, but she is nowhere near as politically adept as the experienced men gathered here today.”
Berta flattered the nobles, displaying his camaraderie with them. He was already preparing for the next stage of the fight.
“If the knight commanders and other military nobles support her, she will be forced to prove her authority and ability to rule. By making her take full responsibility for every decision, we will gradually wear her down until she gives up the Grand Duke’s seat of her own accord.”
“And if Grace endures?”
“Kehaha, of course, we have a plan for that as well.”
This time, Berta wore a confident expression.
“By now, they are probably reaching out to the royal capital. If Richard, the Grand Duke, dies, their only hope will be securing the royal capital’s approval for the next heir. But that will be their downfall.”
“You’ve taken measures, haven’t you?”
“I’ve lobbied the high-ranking officials and nobles of the capital. If they oppose Grace’s succession, our victory is assured. Even if they delay their decision, that still works in our favor.”
At Berta’s words, the nobles were once again astonished, deepening their dilemma.
If Atik was a cunning and secretive strategist, Berta was a bold and decisive leader.
Should they trust in Berta’s fearless initiative or Atik’s calculated schemes?
Who had the better chance of winning, and who would bring them the greatest advantage?
As they pondered their choice—
BANG!
The door suddenly burst open, and a soldier from the Ironfall family rushed in with an urgent report.
“There is an uproar at the Winter Palace!”
At those words, the nobles’ eyes widened in unison.
The moment they had been waiting for had finally arrived!
“We must head to the Winter Palace at once. If the Grand Duke is dead, we need to make an appearance. We also need to observe how Grace and Arthur will react.”
“That’s right. Things will be moving quickly from now on, so we must act with agility. It would not look good for all of us to arrive at once, so Lord Ironfall, you should go first. We will stop by our estates to prepare our troops just in case.”
“Understood.”
At Atik’s orders, the head of the Ironfall family nodded.
As soon as the nobles dispersed, the head of the Ironfall family also gathered his forces and issued orders.
But he deliberately delayed his departure.
Atik had told him to go first, but there was no reason to follow those instructions to the letter.
If he arrived too early, Grace might suspect him of having spies inside the palace.
Either way, the next Grand Duke would be one of those two greedy men. Shouldn’t they also bear the greatest risk?
Arriving second, rather than first, would be the smartest move.
Even if he didn’t follow orders exactly, they couldn’t easily discard him. His influence among minor nobles was too valuable to them.
Just as he was beginning to wonder—
‘Even if the Grand Duke has died, shouldn’t someone have informed the Five Great Families by now?’
‘Why hasn’t anyone sent word yet?’
A scream suddenly echoed from the Winter Palace.
Two people were walking toward them from the other side.
Were they messengers sent from the Winter Palace to deliver news?
If so, their pace was oddly slow.
Sensing that something was off, the head of the Ironfall family signaled for his soldiers to stand by.
As the figures approached, the head of the Ironfall family’s eyes widened in shock.
“G-Grace?”
The one who had arrived at the Ironfall estate was none other than Grace Northraine.
She was accompanied by her escort knight, whom he had seen a few times before.
Before he could even question why Grace was here instead of at the Winter Palace amid all this chaos—
“!”
The head of the Ironfall family furrowed his brows.
Grace was not wearing armor, but she was holding a sword.
Her expression was ice-cold, and her gaze was so intense that it made even monsters seem tame in comparison.
It was as if a lion were on the verge of baring its fangs and roaring.
The head of the Ironfall family swallowed hard.
He didn’t know the full details, but one thing was certain—
Atik’s plan had failed.
“I had just received news of a tragedy and was preparing to leave for the Winter Palace. What exactly happened? And why do you look like that?”
Feigning ignorance while mixing in a genuine lack of knowledge, he carefully questioned her.
Grace briefly scanned the estate before speaking.
“You’ve prepared quite a lot. Were you planning a coup if things didn’t go your way?”
Letting out a cold sneer, she then turned to her side.
“I’m tired of repeating myself. Sir Elaine, if you would.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
At Grace’s command, the blue-haired knight stepped forward.
“Berta, Atik, Ironfall, and all the nobles and subordinates who have conspired with them—under the charges of assassinating the Grand Duke and committing treason, you are all under arrest. If you surrender, your punishment will be determined according to the severity of your crimes. If you resist, you will be executed immediately. You have five seconds to decide.”
“!!”
At Elaine’s words, the head of the Ironfall family realized that this was not just a minor setback.
‘Fools.’
What was there to worry about before?
The maid’s crime had been exposed, and she had confessed, naming them as the masterminds.
In her fury, Grace had taken up her sword herself.
And the fact that she was tired of repeating herself—
It meant that she had already purged other nobles involved in the conspiracy before arriving here.
“Fi…ve. No one has chosen to surrender.”
Grace let out a sigh, then raised her sword, as if delivering a death sentence, and began approaching.
Panicked, the head of the Ironfall family shouted,
“This is madness! You barge in with your sword drawn, labeling nobles as assassins and executing them without trial! This is blatant tyranny! Do you even realize what you’re doing?”
“Silence.”
“W-What? What are you—”
“Do you even realize what you’ve done?”
Grace glared at him with a murderous expression.
“The maid you bribed has already confessed, and the Owen family I just wiped out also admitted to their crimes. Stop trying to deny your wretched sins, traitor, and face my wrath.”
“Ugh…”
It seemed everything truly had been exposed.
If Grace knew, then Arthur must also be aware, which meant the knight order would soon take action.
Desperately searching for an escape, the head of the Ironfall family quickly came up with a proposition.
“Lady Northraine, the ones who orchestrated this were the Berta and Atik families. I had no choice but to comply under their threats. I swear, I took no part in any schemes. If you spare me, I will pledge my forces to your cause.”
But the only response he received was a cold, mocking smile.
“Master, you sided with them because you thought they would win. Now that the situation has changed, you’re switching sides?”
“…You will need my strength as well.”
“Let’s correct something first.”
“?”
“Ironfall Master, watch your language. Even if you are one of the Five Great Houses, how dare a mere noble speak so casually to the Grand Duke of the North?”
“!”
The Ironfall Master’s pupils trembled violently.
“You are not yet the Grand Duke of the North. You haven’t even been officially recognized as the heir by the royal capital—”
Grace cut him off and pulled out a piece of paper from her coat, unfolding it.
The contents were clear.
“The previous Grand Duke appointed me as his successor, and it is stated in his will. I received it directly from Commander Arthur.”
“Huff!”
“I heard that the current Grand Duke was too weak, so you tried to usurp the position? That his daughter was just a mere woman? Fine then, let me show you exactly who you’ve dared to challenge.”
As if the conversation was over, Grace resumed her approach.
“Damn it.”
So be it.
He wasn’t sure of the exact situation, but Grace had crossed the line. Sitting still and waiting for death was not an option.
There was still a chance to turn the tables.
Grace had entered without a single knight, bringing only one escort.
As one of the Five Great Houses, Ironfall had its own private soldiers and knights. They were all on standby within the estate, and their strength surpassed that of most northern military units.
If they could kill or capture Grace here, they could use that as leverage to shift the situation in their favor.
“Attack!”
At the lord’s command, the house’s soldiers launched their assault.
Slash! Slash!
Elaine stepped forward, cutting down the leading soldiers in an instant.
Grace calmly walked through the fallen bodies as if wading through fallen leaves, her gaze fixed only on the Ironfall Master.
The house’s knights stepped up to defend their lord.
Boom!
The Lion’s Sword, Great Claw, struck with overwhelming force, slicing a knight cleanly in half. The impact was so great that the ground shook.
The Ironfall Master’s jaw nearly dropped in shock.
He had heard she was talented, but this?
Now that he thought about it, he had never actually seen Grace fight. He had never even cared to watch.
To him, Grace was just a woman, not a Northrein.
Her lineage was more important than her strength.
But this power…
It surpassed Richard in his prime!
Even as knights and soldiers threw themselves at them with everything they had, they were slaughtered one after another.
The knights were crushed under Grace’s Lion’s Sword, and the soldiers were cut down by Elaine’s blade.
‘Grace being strong, I can understand. But what the hell is with that escort knight?’
Even as an enemy, her swordsmanship was breathtaking—lightning-fast and razor-sharp.
Before long, more than half of his forces lay in pools of blood, and the remaining soldiers, terrified, simply stood frozen, trembling as they pointed their weapons.
Grace flicked the blood off her sword and stepped toward the Ironfall Master.
He was a noble of the North and no stranger to the sword, but he could not bring himself to fight her.
“My Lady—no, Grand Duke. I have lost. Let us negotiate. I will relinquish my title, wealth, and privileges. I will accept exile. Just allow me to leave with my family.”
“Do you feel no shame for the warriors who fell because of your ambitions? Stop your pathetic groveling and disappear.”
“Ugh… Kill! Someone, kill this wench! What are you waiting for?!”
But his desperate screams were in vain.
Everyone valued their own lives too much.
Even if they wanted to sacrifice themselves for their lord, they were completely crushed by the overwhelming killing intent Grace exuded.
“If you wished to save your own life, you should have protected others instead of taking them.”
Boom!
The Lion’s clawed foot mercilessly crushed the treacherous rebel who had dared to harm the ones she cherished.
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