Unlike what the messenger expected, the Duke's expression was as calm as a lake, which unnerved the man even more. He would have preferred the Duke openly showing his anger instead of a serene and indifferent slight smile.

For years, the man had been employed by the Duke as a messenger, and not once had he seen him lose his cool. He even wondered if the man had any emotions to begin with. Still, he would bury those thoughts to the bottom of his heart in fear of letting it show. He stood, head lowered, waiting for the Duke to dismiss him.

Yet such an order never came. He could only wait here in nervous silence while the Duke was deep in thought. The messenger’s eyes were attracted to a small wooden box resting on the Duke’s desk. The man noticed the strange object, which seemed wholly out of place compared to the splendour of the furniture it rested on.

The box was crude as if hastily made from discarded planks of wood. Although the man was curious about its content, he held his tongue, for he knew curiosity had disposed of his predecessor. Confidentiality and discretion were paramount in his line of work. The man was a professional and wouldn't make such a fundamental mistake.

Still, his gaze lingered on the box only slightly too long, prompting the Duke to raise an eyebrow. Noticing this, the man lowered his head even further as sweat pooled on his face and dripped on the floor from his nose. His back was cold, and dread took root in his heart. Thankfully, the Duke thought nothing of it and let it slide.

“You can leave,” the Duke said while gesturing for the man to rise.

The man felt a sigh of relief in his heart as he rose, yet before his feet could lead him out of the study, the Duke’s voice prompted him to stop.

“Once the Princess returns from her outing, do lead her here along with my offspring," the Duke said with his back to the man.

The man turned around and instantly bowed, acquiescing to the Duke's will before he left at almost a run. The Duke paid it no mind as he gazed out one of the study's massive windows, watching a small patch of wood in the distance. He had a slight smile on his face, then shook his head before burying his mind into the mountain of paperwork left on his desk.

Curiously enough, if one were to follow the Duke's gaze at that moment, it would directly lead to the large lake Christina was previously at. It was impossible to know from the Duke's expression whether or not he was aware of what she had experienced.

Meanwhile, the trio were on their way back. Although Christina hoped to somehow irritate the Duke, it wouldn't do to make him wait too long. While she was technically his superior, the true power they wielded were worlds apart. She couldn't compete with him in that sense and could only achieve small, petty victories. Still, she would savour them with a smile. Who told him to be so arrogant?

By her side, Leila sported a complicated expression. Christina knew her dilemma. Her task was to monitor the Princess while she was on White Tiger Clan's grounds, yet she had allowed Christina free reigns on where to go. She knew her father would probably be less than pleased with her failure, yet Christina didn't take it to heart.

At worst, she would be banished from her clan, at which point Christina could scoop her up with no guilt. While it was frowned upon for nobles to involve themselves in other houses' affairs, Christina would do as she pleased. Was there someone brave enough to rebuke her to her face? Well, the four Dukes would probably do so, but Christina wouldn't care. If the White Duke did try, the other three would stand against him, keeping the balance of power.

Indeed, the Kingdom's situation was well-balanced between the Four Dukes and the Crown, keeping each other in check. They knew that any waves beyond their control could make the country crumble and were unwilling to let such a thing happen. As such, the nation had prospered for a long time under this strenuous relationship.

In Christina’s opinion, it was all but a waste of energy. So many more things could have been achieved to strengthen her Kingdom if not for the interference of those fours. That was why she wouldn't hesitate to crush them underfoot, even if it would lead to a civil war. Although, she would do everything in her power for it to not come to that.

Besides, she still had the Empire to consider. She would need to put an end to this conflict sooner or later. It couldn't continue like this for much longer as both nations were reaching their breaking point. There was only so much war a nation's morale could take. There was also the economics of it that plagued her mind. War was like a giant money pit, sucking the nation's hard-earned productivity without end.

How many years had passed since the Kingdom had made any scientific breakthroughs or innovations? Stagnation was their worst enemy, especially when their neighbours to the north's presence were increasingly felt in recent years. She had so many things to consider that it gave her a headache. She had a newfound respect for her mother, who had juggled all these issues for years without any great repercussions.

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Still, she refused to let this great nation rot in its own complacency. The future was within reach, and she would seize it by force.

The trio returned to the mansion without much fanfare. Unlike her earlier arrival, only the messenger stood before the door, patiently waiting for them to arrive. Although his expression was one of patience, Christina noticed a nervous tick barely apparent on his face. Her eyes narrowed slightly while a slight smile graced her lips.

It seemed that her attempt at irritating the Duke held some promise. She didn't know to what extent, but it might prove helpful in the coming negotiations. To unbalance your opponent with the unexpected was part of the basics of confrontation.

While pondering, a slight mischievous thought appeared in her mind. She couldn't help but chuckle slightly, attracting her companions' attention. Claire had been by Christina's side for so long that she recognized that expression. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes while letting out a sigh.

Christina turned to face her, pouting slightly as if to reprimand her for her disrespect. Yet her smile was radiant. She enjoyed this way too much. Leila watched the scene play out entirely in the dark until Christina addressed the messenger.

“Please tell the Duke I will first take a bath before seeing him," she said straight-faced. "It would be unbecoming of me to see a man of such prestige while dirty. I must apologize for this slight inconvenience. I trust the Duke will find it in his heart to forgive me."

The messenger stood rooted in place, his face livid. Hearing Christina's words, his face had lost all sense of colour. His head buzzed as his heart thumped in his chest. He had just come out of that study alive and was now forced to return to the tiger's den.

Leila’s expression wasn’t much better. While she knew her father wouldn’t be too harsh on the Princess, he would still find a way to retaliate. Would Christina be able to bear his revenge? She turned her head to spy on Christina, yet what she saw stunned her.

The young woman was walking away, totally unconcerned. Leila even distinctly saw her slightly skipping steps as if she had done a good deed. She locked eyes with Claire, trying to make sense of this scene, yet all she saw was the bodyguard shaking her head helplessly before following her master inside their detached wing.

Whatever the Princess was planning, the dies were cast. Leila only hoped that she knew what she was doing; otherwise... Well, she didn't know what consequences there would be, but she feared for the worst. Although their relationship was complicated, Leila quite liked the Princess. She didn't wish anything to happen to her, much less within her family's grounds. She could only do her best to calm her father’s anger.

“Are you sure about that?" Claire asked as they both made their way back to their rooms. While she would follow the Princess's lead, she didn't like having such complicated situations thrust on her.

“Just think of it as payback for what he did earlier,” Christina said as she shrugged.

“Are you that petty?” Claire jabbed back as her eyes narrowed slightly.

Christina only chuckled, letting the answer hang in the air. Claire, obviously less than impressed with her silence, could only glare at her until she relented, to which Christina could only sigh.

“It’s a gamble,” she replied.

“I thought you had a plan...”

“I do; It’s called gambling.”

Claire’s glare intensified.

"Okay, hear me out!" Christina said as she desperately shook her hands before Claire, trying to appease her anger. "There were never any miracle solutions. This whole thing is nothing but one huge gamble. If I win, the gains will be immense."

“What if you lose?” Claire asked, unconvinced.

Christina closed her eyes and shrugged. Seeing this, Claire couldn’t resist the urge to put her hand on the Princess’s head as if trying to make her bow her head.

“Hey, watch it! Do you know how long it took to get my hair to stay that way? What about the poor maid who will need to do this again?”

“This is no laughing matter," Claire said, exasperated.

“I know, but I didn't have a choice. Do you think I can take advantage of a Duke if I don't dare to bet?"

“At least behave. He's a Duke, and this is his territory."

“I'm a Princess, and this whole nation is MY territory," the Princess said sternly.

“Technically, it is Her Majesty’s.”

"It will be mine soon enough."

“Then try to stay alive until you get enthroned, would you?” Claire said.

With this, both fell silent. Christina could hear the concern in Claire's voice. Still, this careful attitude was so unlike her. Maria must have said something to her before they left. It reeked of her overprotective nature.

While back to their room, Christina slowly enjoyed her warm bath, to the dismay of the maids assigned to her. She was slightly surprised to spy some concern in their eyes, as they were the Duke's maids first and foremost. Perhaps they were fully aware of the Duke's personality and thought the Princess would suffer the brunt of it. Christina felt somehow touched yet chose to not show it. Besides, it might have been showed to her on purpose.

Despite their hospitality, Christina didn’t forget they were on enemy territory. The only one she could fully trust was Claire and no one else. As her bath finished and the maid dried her hair, another maid entered the room with a message from the Duke, inviting the two ladies to a private dinner with himself and his family.

Christina’s eyebrow rose slightly, unable to suppress her surprise. She didn’t expect the Duke to be so tolerant. It seemed this dinner would hold many surprises. She pondered momentarily, wondering if finding another excuse to make him wait would seem like a step too far.

Unfortunately, Claire's glare made her reconsider. While she wouldn't care if it made her seem like a brat in his eyes, she wouldn't want Claire to be disappointed in her, and so she chose to relent, this time only.

Both of them put on the evening gowns provided by the maids. While the design wasn't up to Christina's taste, she couldn't complain about the material. She reckoned they must have cost more than what a small family could make in a year to fabricate. Was he trying to buy her silence with material goods?

She shook her head, unconvinced. He was a Duke; it was simply in his bones to burn money. While this wasn't what she envisioned as a war uniform, it would have to do. She put on her high-heeled shoes while the maid tied her long hair, letting it fall on one side of her chest. She looked in the mirror, satisfied; she was ready for battle. She then followed the maid to the main hall alongside Claire.

Let the war of words begin, she thought as she entered the crowded room.