After I died, my personal maid rebelled.

(I'm very afraid of letting others down, because I know what it feels like to have expectations dashed.)

(The first time was when I watched a domestically produced two-person action film. You know, it's not easy to find a film that suits your taste. That film was very short, only fifteen minutes long.)

(I figured it would be enough if I didn't fast-forward, since domestically produced shows don't really have much of a plot anyway.)

(The first action was great, I was very satisfied. But when the second action started, they changed the camera position, which resulted in a change in the overall tone of the film, the filter was gone, and some areas became dark.)

(That night, I slept very dryly.)

(The second time was playing the original game of this world. I waited a long time, and finally the author updated it.)

(As you know, rather than looking for new games, people mostly hope that their favorite games will be updated with new content.)

(I'm really looking forward to it, and I hope there will be a new character's CG this time. I've been preparing for this update for a week.)

(Then I played for three hours straight that night, only to realize it was all just part of the story.)

(No, if you're not going to do this, why are you updating?! I play this game just to see the explicit content, who plays an adult game to watch the character dialogue?!)

(That night, I was so angry I couldn't sleep.)

(The third time is now. I really believed your nonsense, which is why you dug out my bones and even stuffed a stone inside.)

(Not only has my physical function not recovered much, but right now my whole body feels like it's being jolted awake by thunder and lightning, causing me to convulse all over, almost like I've been put on vibrate mode.)

(What, did you put in a small, round motor?)

[......]

The system understands Oswald's suffering and knows that he has been in so much pain these past few days that he can't sleep. But can't the host find someone else to bother him? This system also needs rest time!

[Host, this is the painful adjustment period. You'll gradually get used to it in a few days, and your body will feel better.]

At midnight, Oswald leaned against the window, his hands trembling, smoking, the smoke he exhaled coming out intermittently.

(It's that painful period again...)

The two magical forces collided, and the battlefield was none other than his own body. Oswald knew with his toes that this period of pain would not be short.

Undying magic currently occupies more territory, which is why he feels uncomfortable. However, he can also sense that goddess magic is slowly advancing, and once goddess magic takes over his body, the pain will quickly disappear.

[Host can try meditation; it should help alleviate the pain.]

(Couldn't you just prescribe me some sleeping pills?)

[These types of drugs are addictive and their use is not recommended for the host. Furthermore, the sleeping pills in the system store are currently under regulation and must be prioritized for the world of the domineering CEO story.]

(Don't mention the store to me; you haven't even enabled the store feature for me.)

[......]

Putting down his pipe, Oswald obediently followed the methods taught by the system, sitting cross-legged in meditation, learning to regulate his body with his breathing and to distract himself from his pain with the power of his mind.

(By the way, why do those time travelers over there need so many sleeping pills?)

[The CEO is sexually frigid and uninterested in women. He used to be hot-tempered and suffered from insomnia, but lately he's been sleeping soundly every night, as if someone is helping him regulate his body in his drowsy state...]

(Hehe, my sisters really know how to have fun.)

The next day, after a night of meditation and breathing exercises, Oswald was indeed much more energetic.

Oswald had just taken a bath that morning, and before he had even dried his hair, a maid came to report that the Duke of Morpheus had come to see him.

Mofi? Didn't he go home to retire? How come he still has the leisure to come to the Duke's mansion?

"Please have the Count wait in the reception room." Oswald thought for a moment, then called to the maid, "Wait, have the Count come directly to my office."

"Yes, Your Grace."

Upon arriving at the office, I noticed that Mo Fei had gained some weight since I last saw him.

If he were facing disobedient nobles, Oswald would certainly give them a good talking-to.

If the visitors were nobles who were always thinking about "serving" him, Oswald would most likely kick them out.

Earl Komofi was excessively obedient, even handing over the management of his territory immediately. He stayed at home every day, content to be a wealthy man, and never caused any trouble.

So Oswald really didn't know how to deal with him, let alone why Mofi had come to see him.

"Count, have you had breakfast? Would you like to have something with me?" Oswald didn't say anything and started with a Chinese greeting.

"Your Grace... sigh." Morphy was almost speechless at Oswald, but he was indeed a little hungry.

"Since the Duke has not yet eaten, I will accompany him."

"Okay, let's eat first."

Oswald stood up with a chuckle. Sure enough, Chinese greetings were effective; he could easily tell that the count had nothing urgent at all.

Since secretly undergoing surgery, Oswald has handed over all political affairs to Elene, and he is truly unaware of what has happened in the Northern Territory these past few days.

The two arrived at the restaurant and took their seats. A maid then brought them the food.

"Your Grace, I'd like to know why Her Highness the Princess would be visiting the Northern Territory." Mofi ate meat with gusto, looking like he had a great appetite, his mouth greasy with oil, while his small eyes kept a close eye on Oswald's every move.

Oswald raised an eyebrow. "The Earl is overthinking it. I never invited the princess."

"Then please, Your Grace, send the princess back to the capital immediately, otherwise..."

"It's rare to find a nobleman as sensible as an earl in our Northern Territory," Oswald interrupted him with a smile, waving his hand dismissively.

If Diana had stayed secluded in the palace, Oswald might have been more wary of her, whether through hard work or scheming, he would have been more mindful of her.

Diana's decision to bypass the heroes and sneak off to the Northern Territory was a truly disastrous move.

Unless she commits suicide in Ice City, she will be the leader of the entire North.

"Earl, I shouldn't get involved in this matter, but since the princess is visiting your home, you must treat her well. Didn't Pete say that no one is hosting banquets? Tell him to hold several banquets in the princess's name, and make sure she stays in the northern territory for a few more days."

Mofi put down his knife and fork, pondered for a moment, and then asked, "Does the Duke mean that instead of us sending the princess back, the King should invite her back?"

"Hahaha, Earl Morpheus, how come I never realized you were such a remarkable person?"

Just as Morpheus had guessed, Oswald's plan was to retreat in order to advance.

He could plant spies in the capital, so how could King Frank possibly trust these regional dukes who held military power?

Especially in a military stronghold like the Northern Territory, you can investigate any caravans that come to Ice City, and they'll all remain silent.

Commonly known as: We discovered a small number of businessmen among a large number of spies.

Therefore, nothing Diana did escape Frank's eyes.

If Diana had only suffered a setback with Oswald, Frank would have pretended not to know and ignored it.

But what if all the nobles were vying to pay their respects to the princess?

Don't talk to these royals about family ties and human relationships. Frank killed his own brother to seize power. In terms of succession, even Oswald probably didn't feel it as deeply as he did.

Once Diana gained the patronage of the nobles, Frank would be the first to become restless.

"I know what to do." Having received the Duke's tacit approval, Mofi wisely refrained from mentioning the details of his conversation with the princess.

"There is one more thing. If there are any nobles who are disloyal to the Northern Territory, how does the Duke intend to deal with them?"

As expected of a cunning old fox, Oswald's expression changed upon hearing this, realizing that the old count was pleading for someone's life while simultaneously offering his loyalty.

"How could there be disloyal nobles in our Northern Territory, let alone nobles colluding with the royal city? Earl, you are overthinking it. However, there are quite a few nobles who are corrupt, oppressive, and domineering. Please keep an eye out for me, Earl."

Oswald calmly rose and gently tossed the wiped napkin onto the table.

Morpheus breathed a sigh of relief; thankfully, the Duke didn't take them seriously. He quickly stood up, bowed, and saw Oswald off.

"Yes, Your Highness, please rest assured, I will do my best to handle it."

Not long after the old count left, two servants hurriedly ran out of the ducal mansion.

Eleanor and Red rushed over, only to find that the Duke was not in his office, but in an empty room, sitting cross-legged on the floor with his back to them.

Oswald closed his eyes and sat in meditation, but Red, who was good at discerning the Duke's intentions, could not help but see the Duke's mood and immediately knelt down.

Before Elena could even bow, Oswald spoke in a deep voice.

"How many idiots are left in our Northern Territory? Do they really think I wouldn't dare rip their heads off?"

"Your Majesty, please calm down. It was my fault for failing to report in time." Elena quickly knelt down, immediately connecting the dots to the princess's secret meeting with the nobles.

She seemed to have underestimated the importance the Duke placed on this matter.

Oswald underestimated the courage of these people, who were able to force even the old count to come to the ducal mansion to plead for mercy.

Regardless of the circumstances, he must quickly take control of the situation.

"I need this list of people tonight."

"Yes." Elena took a deep breath, already understanding the Duke's attitude towards the matter.

The political struggle in the capital is becoming increasingly dangerous, and they cannot allow the northern territories to be drawn into this vortex.

Her sword must be faster than the swords of the royal city!

"Red".

"Your subordinate is here." Reid wiped the sweat from his forehead. Good heavens, he had no idea what had happened.

"I've entrusted the entire Ice City to you. If you slack off even a little, I'll have to use a bunch of lives to patch up the mess here."

"Your subordinate knows his mistake!"

Reid was trembling with fear, and he couldn't care less about anything else; he just wanted to admit his mistake first.

"Go and mobilize your troops, secretly arrange it, and when the time comes, arrest them all! Don't let a single one escape! Arrest them!"

Oswald's deep, angry voice exploded in his mind, and Reid's face turned ashen. He was trembling like a leaf, and could barely open his mouth.

"yes!"