Wandering Swordsman |

Count Casio addressed Marquis Henry, his voice calm yet firm: "Your Excellency, as a member of a collateral branch of the Imperial Royal Family, you must be well aware that marriage is no trivial matter. My granddaughter, Elisa, is not yet sixteen. According to Imperial law, a woman under the age of sixteen cannot marry; otherwise, she would be violating Imperial law."

A flicker of displeasure crossed Marquis Henry's eyes, but he quickly concealed it, a cold smile playing on his lips. "Count Casio, you jest. Imperial law does exist, except for marriages granted by the royal family. If I were to petition His Majesty the Emperor and obtain such a privilege, that law would naturally cease to apply."

Count Casio smiled neither humbly nor arrogantly: "Since Your Excellency is aware of this avenue, why not request permission first before proposing marriage? Instead, propose marriage first and then discuss special permission? This order seems somewhat reversed."

Marquis Henry's expression darkened slightly, a hint of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes.

He stood up, his tall figure resembling a beast poised to pounce. "Count Casio," his voice was low and dangerous, "I respect your age and have always been courteous to you. But you seem to have forgotten that in this English Empire, the dignity of royalty cannot be challenged!"

Count Casio remained unmoved, calmly replying, "My lord, I have never questioned the dignity of royalty. What I question is whether you truly respect my Casio family and the laws of the Empire."

"The law?" Marquis Henry suddenly burst into laughter, the sound echoing through the council chamber. "Talk to me about the law? Earl Cassio, do you know that with just a single memorial, I can get His Majesty the Emperor to issue an edict ordering you to hand over your territory! The reason I've come to propose marriage in person is to give you face, to give you a dignified way out!"

A cold glint flashed in Count Cassio's eyes, but he maintained his elegant demeanor: "My lord, if you truly desire my territory, you may simply wage war. Why use my granddaughter's marriage as a pretext?"

Marquis Henry's smile vanished instantly, replaced by a grim expression: "Since you are so ungrateful, then I will be frank—" He glanced around, his voice suddenly rising, "Count Casio, your refusal of my marriage proposal is a disrespect to me as a member of a collateral branch of the imperial royal family! According to imperial law, I have the right to wage war against you!"

The hall was completely silent; even breathing could be heard clearly.

The dozen or so elite guards standing behind the Marquis Henry gripped their swords tightly at their waists, the sound of metal scraping against metal particularly jarring in the silence.

Not to be outdone, Count Casio's guards stepped forward one after another, their hands on their sword hilts, instantly filling the entire hall with a tense atmosphere.

"Three days from now, I will lead my army to raze Marseille to the ground!" Marquis Henry's voice was as cold as ice, and his tall figure cast a shadow that enveloped the entire hall.

He turned and walked out, his robes billowing behind him, each step exuding an undeniable authority.

"My lord, please wait!" Count Cassio's voice was calm and firm, yet it sounded particularly loud at this moment.

Marquis Henry paused slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. He had expected Casio to plead or angrily retort, but instead, the other man calmly called out to him.

"Count Casio," Marquis Henry turned, a cold smile playing on his lips, "are you trying to persuade me to stay?"

Count Casio shook his head slightly, his gaze sharp: "No, Your Excellency. I simply want you to know that Marseille is ready for battle."

Marquis Henry's pupils contracted slightly. He had expected to see Casio panic and back down, but he hadn't expected the other man to be so calm.

This made him uneasy, as if things had developed beyond his expectations.

"Are you sure you want to be my enemy?" Marquis Henry's voice was deep, with a hint of barely perceptible fluctuation.

"I'm sure," Count Casio replied succinctly and forcefully.

A glint of malice flashed in the Marquis Henry's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. "Very well, I will personally witness the fall of Marseille." He turned and strode away.

The council chamber was deathly silent. Count Cassio's face remained expressionless, as if the conversation had been nothing out of the ordinary. He slowly sat back in his chair, his gaze calmly sweeping over everyone in the hall.

Just then, a clear and firm voice rang out: "My Lord Marquis!"

All eyes turned to the source of the sound. A young woman in a light blue dress walked out slowly. She had delicate features and a firm gaze; she was Elisa, the granddaughter of Count Casio.

"Elisa, what are you doing?" Count Cassio's voice carried a hint of worry.

Elisa walked in the direction Marquis Henry had left, bowed slightly, and said in a clear and firm voice, "Your Excellency, I am willing to offer myself to you in exchange for future peace."

A commotion erupted in the council chamber. Cassio Deo, Count Cassio's son, a flicker of shock and heartache crossing his eyes. He rushed forward, his voice firm and unwavering: "Elisa, you're being ridiculous!"

Elisa raised her head, tears welling in her eyes, yet her expression was resolute: "Father, I understand your worries. But the people of Marseille cannot suffer because of me. I am willing to exchange my marriage for peace."

Count Casio looked at his granddaughter, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

He was both proud of his granddaughter's courage and heartbroken by her decision. He knew that Elisa's decision was well thought out, but she was still young and shouldn't bear such a heavy responsibility.

Marquis Henry stopped at the door, turned around, and shot his gaze at Elisa with lightning speed.

He had thought that this girl would be frightened and cry or back down like other girls, but he did not expect her to be so determined.

A thought struck him; he seemed to see an even more interesting game of chess.

"Oh?" Marquis Henry's voice held a hint of amusement. "Miss Elisa, you're willing to offer yourself to me? That would be a great honor for me, Henry."

Elisa did not back down; she looked directly into the eyes of Marquis Henry: "Yes, Your Excellency."

A flicker of satisfaction crossed the Marquis Henry's eyes, but he knew it wasn't enough. He needed to completely alienate Count Cassio to find a pretext for war.

"Count Casio," Marquis Henry's voice suddenly turned low and dangerous, "since you pity your young granddaughter, I am not an unreasonable man. If you truly cannot bear to part with your granddaughter, then you may marry your widowed daughter to me."

A deathly silence fell over the council chamber. Everyone understood that the Marquis Henry was openly insulting the Cassio family. He was comparing the women of the Cassio family to commodities, to be chosen by others.

Count Casio's face instantly turned ashen. He suppressed his anger, his voice low and forceful: "Your Excellency, you are insulting the Casio family!"

"An insult?" Marquis Henry laughed. "I'm merely stating a fact. Throughout the English Empire, noble marriages are nothing more than a transaction, aren't they?"

Just then, a soldier rushed into the council chamber and knelt on one knee: "Your Excellency, an envoy from the Tsarist Empire requests an audience."

Count Cassio paused for a moment, then nodded: "Please let them in."