Chapter 49

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 49

Chapter Title: Declaration of Territorial War

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Agatha was speechless at the unexpected arrival of the group. Leon's face hardened as he grilled Huber.

"What the hell? You were there but didn't come out? And you let our lord face it alone—are you out of your mind?"

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to scale the walls of this mansion? It's our lord who's abnormal for climbing it in one go. And by the time we arrived, the situation was already over, plus, uh...!"

"Plus, what."

Huber glanced back and forth between Enoch and Agatha, scratching his head furiously. The knights behind him averted their gazes just as awkwardly.

"Uh, the mood wasn't right to barge in...!"

Agatha thought her face might actually catch fire. Even in the midst of this, she tried to wriggle free from Enoch's arms, but the man didn't budge an inch.

"Please let me go."

"Not until the maids bring a robe or something."

Agatha stiffened as she whispered back and forth with Enoch. Come to think of it, she'd just woken up and was only in a thin slip.

Her ears burned hot. It was then that Enoch, still holding her close, shrugged off his uniform jacket and draped it over her.

"Madam!"

Pushing through the knights, Jessie and Marie arrived at the marchioness's bedroom.

"Are you all right?"

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

The two close maids turned pale as sheets the moment they entered and saw Agatha covered in blood.

"No, I'm fine."

As Agatha waved them off, Enoch issued orders to the pair.

"The madam is unharmed. Help her wash up and move her to another room."

Marie was the first to snap out of it.

"I'll prepare the water right away. Jessie, take the madam to the bath first."

"This way, Madam."

Only then did Enoch release her. As Agatha turned to follow Jessie, she hesitated and looked back.

"What about you?"

In that instant, the knights, the maids, and even the head steward Allen, who had arrived late, all held their breath.

"What do you mean?"

"What are you going to do now?"

He awkwardly averted his gaze, a far cry from the man who had held her so firmly just moments ago.

"...I've still got prisoners to interrogate. And preparations for the territorial war."

"Territorial war?"

"Didn't you say we should use this chance to deal with your relatives? Of course, I have no intention of absorbing Noblesse lands, so you'll have your hands full with the aftermath."

"...You're really marching out?"

"I'm not done with your husbands yet. I don't want to pass up a chance to ensure my wife's safety."

Speechless for a long moment, Agatha was eventually led away by her close maid toward the bath.

In the bathtub filled with warm water, Agatha first washed off the blood.

"I'll change the water for you."

"Okay."

Soaking in the second round of warm water infused with calming herbs, the tension in her body began to ease.

Jessie kept pouring warm water over her and massaging her back.

"Should I add more hot water?"

"No, this is fine."

He's really going to march out.

Only now did it start to feel real to Agatha.

Enoch's confession, and the fact that he was stepping up to protect her for real.

"... ."

It felt like the knot in her heart was loosening just a bit.

Her two close maids pretended not to notice as Agatha quietly submerged her head in the warm water.

While Agatha regained her composure, Head Steward Allen threw himself into cleaning up after the attack.

He summoned the resident repairmen to fix the damaged mansion, scrubbed away the blood, removed the dirt-trampled carpets, and flung open the windows to air out the metallic stench.

As Noblesse's retainers worked busily to restore normalcy to the mansion, Enoch headed down to the underground dungeon for prisoner interrogations.

His declaration to strike Agatha's relatives now was no empty words.

He planned to link as many of Noblesse's relatives as possible to ensure Agatha's safety once and for all.

"Let's get started."

The interrogations dragged on. After devoting several grueling hours, Enoch finally extracted one name.

Cadin.

One of Noblesse's collateral kin.

Early that morning, retainers from both Aratus and Noblesse gathered in the wedding mansion's grand conference hall.

Hearing the name, Agatha dredged up her memory.

It was a relative who had appeared in a recent letter from Marchioness Iris Domunia.

"Lady Cadin attended the premiere at Armand Hall, and now it seems she's stepped up herself."

First Aide Esel Maso brought maps and documents on the Cadin family, presenting them to Enoch.

"They govern the southern region of Noblesse territory. The Cadin faction is tied to the second-in-line succession, so we can nab that whole line this time."

"I hear that line's been particularly aggressive with assassination attempts."

Esel nodded at the question from the increasingly familiar Aratus side with Noblesse internal affairs.

"Yes. The first-in-line mostly attempts kidnappings. They're top in succession but rooted abroad, so they need a solid marriage to fully claim Noblesse."

If Agatha died, the odds were high that first- and second-in-line would split Noblesse down the middle.

"Whether by courier or messenger bird, it takes time. They won't know the full situation yet, so striking early will make taking Cadin easy."

Raid one house, and evidence on connected families would spill out like dominoes.

This was the chance to wipe out the second-in-line succession in one go.

"What will you do?"

As all eyes turned to him, Enoch called out one name.

"Second Vice-Captain, Huber Carwen."

"Yes, my lord."

Huber shot to his feet.

"Stockpile provisions and inspect weapons."

"Then...!"

"Send out the herald."

Tension and anticipation rippled across the Aratus retainers' faces.

"We begin the territorial war."

Enoch's first order of business was an inspection of the troops and a report on the territorial war.

Through the palace bureau, the declaration had already gone up to the emperor.

Crown Prince Antoni Roxiba, as usual, received the news from his bed. Slowly propping himself up after the chamberlain's report, Antoni drawled.

"So, he's launching a territorial war?"

"Yes, Your Highness. Word is His Majesty is most pleased."

"He would be."

The emperor had rejoiced at Agatha's divorce but had grown uneasy of late.

Before he knew it, Noblesse's sole heir had married seven times with no issue in sight.

Things had seemed off again this time, but the marquis's declaration of territorial war proved how much he cherished Agatha. How could the emperor not be delighted?

"Her odds of dying just went down a bit."

Relaxing his muscles ever so slightly, Antoni recalled yesterday and scowled.

"What was that suspicious business yesterday? Some kind of trap?"

"Unlikely, Your Highness. As you saw in the reports, there was real trouble within House Aratus."

"Still, this is weird. Good as new in a day, and now territorial war? Possible?"

Was it all an act?

Antoni knew the full story, but the nobles who didn't went wild at the territorial war news.

-Marquis Aratus must have laid a trap to deal with Noblesse's relatives!

As rumors spread like wildfire, Agatha sat quietly beside Enoch in the now-empty conference hall.

The meeting had ended long ago. The herald declaring territorial war had departed, and the mobilization date was set.

Once the family head made the call, it was up to the retainers.

Aratus selected knights for the war, checked armaments, and mustered troops.

Noblesse handed operational command to Aratus and ordered her territory's forces to block information flow among the relatives until Aratus arrived.

On top of that, supplies, supply lines—everything for the territorial war.

Preparations clicked into place like clockwork.

"I'll be off, then."

"... ."

Not giving the enemy time to prepare was advantageous, so Agatha didn't object.

But for some reason, the words wouldn't come.

She didn't doubt his skill, but battlefields were unpredictable.

"...Be careful out there."

"It won't take long this time either."

Enoch pressed a gentle kiss to Agatha's forehead and rose.

Agatha couldn't bring herself to hold him back. It was good he was acting for her safety, yet watching him head into danger twisted her heart.

Even as he marched to war, First Vice-Captain Leon Takran remained behind as Agatha's guard.

"Shouldn't you take even one more...?"

Sir Leon, now on close protection detail in the mansion, shook his head.

"To our lord, your safety comes first. Think of the marquis's feelings."

Approaching the window, Agatha watched Enoch mount up and depart the mansion. A palpable air of war hung over him and the knights following behind.