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Chapter 239 Sudden Visit

"No wonder, that tea is a guest tea whose flavor is more universally liked by many people. Is there a specific tea you would like? Princess Margareth."

Princess Margareth Albreda Wildenhall, the 10th prince of Wildenhall Kingdom, suddenly came to the Boldenville residence, accompanied by her personal knight, a large man with red hair.

"No need, the thirst in my throat has disappeared; although I hate this tea, that doesn\'t mean my body rejects it."

She finally drank the tea, then muttered, "Aaah, it really tastes bad."

\'Of all the princes I\'ve met, this kid is the one I dislike the most,\' Reynold pondered, reflecting on his encounters with numerous princes.

\'Her countenance exuded an air of omniscience, despite her being no more than a sly and arrogant young lady. Unfortunately, her arrogance lives up to her reputation. Although not as smart as Alicia, she did possess enough intelligence to hold a place among the esteemed Imperial Students within the academy.

My gut feeling has always been that this girl\'s way of thinking is quite destructive. It almost seemed as though she possessed a misguided thirst for power—if perchance she were to reign supreme as a king, it wouldn\'t be long before she destroyed the kingdom with her callous hands.\' Reynold looked at her deeply, and then asked

"Your Highness, what business have you come here for?"

"You really don\'t like small talk; I hate it," Margareth said.

"Small talk only wastes my time. Your arrival could lead to opinions, especially at a time like this."

"Hmm… Elaborate it."

"If the nobles know that you came here to a house whose position is still neutral, it wouldn\'t be surprising if they assume you want me to be your ally."

"You don\'t have to worry about that," said the knight standing behind Margareth. "We\'re on our way back from the academy to the castle and in a normal carriage, so our arrival is unlikely to raise any strange rumors."

"Carrying your highness in an ordinary carriage? Are you in your right mind? What about the comfort? And the risk of the princess being attacked by bandits."

"I\'m a mithril-ranked dungeon explorer; there\'s no way those bandits can touch the princess."

"That\'s enough, Bertoph. I never allowed you to speak," Margareth said.

"Very well, princess," replied the knight without showing a guilty face.

"As you might have guessed: yes, my visit is related to the election of the throne war," Margareth said.

Reynold sighed, "Do you want me to vote for you? Shouldn\'t you know that, as the only neutral earl, I can\'t vote for either prince yet? Let alone you. The nobles who support you are almost all nobles who have bad relations with me."

"Yes, if you want to vote for me, that would be great, but I know you won\'t.

Do you know who holds the most votes now?" asked Margareth.

"The election hasn\'t started yet, so I don\'t know for sure."

"Possibilities are fine. I don\'t want an exact number. I just want to hear your opinion as an earl."

Reynold put his hand on his head, thinking for a moment. Then confidently, he replied:

"The second Prince, His Highness, Harald Regina Wildenhall."

"Why?" asked Margareth, but her face did not look surprised at all.

"Prince Harald is a highly qualified candidate for the role of king amongst the nobles due to his unique qualities. While some may perceive his laziness as a weakness, it actually serves as an advantage in fostering strong relationships with all the nobles. His lack of political involvement allows him to maintain an unbiased perspective, ensuring that he remains neutral and uninvolved in any internal conflicts or power struggles within the noble circle. This ignorance becomes his secret weapon, endearing him further to the nobility, who appreciate having someone like Harald who prioritizes their harmony and doesn\'t meddle in their affairs behind closed doors."

Margareth stood up, then as she walked towards the window, she said, "Number two must be sister Alicia, who probably knows everything about the noble affairs. But that\'s why certain nobles approached her; they probably contracted with that woman to find out their opponents\' information."

Margareth paused for a while, then continued.

"This time, Brother Harald has the highest support from nobles, but most of the nobles still haven\'t made their choice.

That\'s why, as one of the influential earls, I want you to start choosing someone. Someone who can change the flow of this election."

"Change the flow of the election, you say? There are still a few years left before Prince Francis grows up; that\'s too long to actually choose someone."

"I know; that\'s why you just need to pretend to vote. You can\'t change your vote when the election begins."

lightsΝοvel "Before I agree, may I know who I should vote for?"

Margareth turned around and showed a sly smile.

"Choose Francis."

That answer shocked not only Reynold but also Bertoph, who was standing behind the sofa.

"F-francis?"

"I bet the one who chose him is still zero; after all, he is a famous nameless prince."

"But why?"

"The motive—I can\'t tell you—but the purpose is to confuse the nobles. If someone like you suddenly supports Francis, I\'m sure they will be confused and rethink their choice.

Then those who are neutral will start supporting Francis in order to become close to you."

Reynold shook his head disapprovingly. "If you are not willing to tell me your motives, then I cannot agree. Plus, I have nothing to gain either."

"You have the advantage. Although I\'m not as smart as my sister Alicia, I know many things too."

Margareth walked slowly towards Reynold, her voice barely audible as she leaned in to whisper something in his ear. The words lingered for a moment before reaching Reynold\'s mind, causing his face to instantly contort with surprise. His wide eyes searched Margareth\'s face for answers.

"D-how did you know about that?" Confusion filled the air as Reynold stuttered.

A cunning smile appeared on Margareth\'s lips as she responded with a sly tone, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "So what? Do you want to make this trade deal?" Her confidence exuded from every word.

Reynold\'s mind raced, desperately trying to process the situation. He grasped his head tightly, searching for the answer deep in his mind.

"I\'ll need some time to think about it first," the words slipped hesitantly through his lips, revealing a hint of uncertainty.

…

…

…

After the meeting, Margareth decided to rest at the Boldenville residence for a day.

Bertoph, who was intrigued by her plan, couldn\'t help but seek further clarification.

Inquisitively, he inquired, "So, what was your plan to do all this?"

"As I said earlier, I want everyone to vote for Francis. Then I\'ll try to get close to him and ally with him. After that, if I kill him, all his supporters will switch to me."

"Why do you believe that his supporters will switch to you?"

"Because from now on, I will be on good terms with Francis; I will make a beautiful sibling relationship with him for the next ten years so that they think that Francis and I really have the same ideology."

"I see… That plan is very you."

Seeing  her knight satisfied with the answer, she thought, " The plan is workable, but the probability of success is too low; I also don\'t want to get close to Francis. My real intention is to make Lord Bodlenville my ally.\'

\'He said he would think about it, meaning he\'ll visit me at the castle when he\'s sure of his choice. And even if he rejects my solicitation, he still needs to visit me; rumors will spread that Lord Boldenville and I made a deal, and that could also sway the neutral votes in my favor, then-\'

Margareth\'s thoughts came to a halt as her mind went blank, consumed by the sound of sword swipes that pierced through the air. This familiar noise had reached her ears before, but this time it grabbed her attention and drew her eyes toward the window. There stood Allen, engaged in rigorous training with his fellow soldiers. The sight captivated Margareth, momentarily detaching her attention.

"Princess?" asked Bertoph.

"Bertoph, I found my old toy."