Chapter 122: The Current Condition of Kingdom

Felicia, Annette, and Ragnar were sitting inside a private office.

The room was spacious and elegantly furnished, with several shelves filled with documents and old books.

Ragnar leaned back in his chair and looked at the two women with a grim expression. "The King will die in fifteen days."

Felicia, who had already expected something like this, merely nodded her head gently. "How sure are you?"

"The Royal Physician said it himself." Ragnar’s voice remained serious. "The King will die within fifteen days."

Felicia’s fingers tapped lightly against the armrest as she thought about the implications. "So things are finally reaching the breaking point."

Annette remained quiet beside her, her expression slightly worried.

Felicia looked toward Ragnar again. "How are things going with the other factions?"

Ragnar released a quiet breath as he remained quiet for a while.

There are three major factions in the kingdom.

The Royal Faction, which naturally consists of the Royal Family and the nobles who remain directly loyal to them.

The Noble Faction, which consists of powerful noble families that want greater control over the kingdom.

And the Neutral Faction, which is where the Edinburgh Family belongs.

"Things are really chaotic all over the kingdom." Ragnar leaned back in his chair. "Everyone is preparing for the worst now."

The Edinburgh Family had managed to maintain its position for so long because they had a good relationship with the Royal Family.

They weren’t openly loyal to the Royal Family, but neither were they interested in challenging the throne without a very good reason.

Felicia crossed her arms. "What about the Noble Faction?"

Ragnar’s expression became colder. "They’re most definitely going to start a coup."

The words hung in the room.

"They’ve been waiting for an opportunity like this for years," Ragnar continued. "With the King dying and the succession becoming uncertain, they’ll have everything they need to make their move."

Felicia nodded thoughtfully. "Then I assume the new Royal Family will be the Odette Family?"

The Odette Family was the leading force behind the Noble Faction.

For years, they had been one of the families most openly opposed to the authority of the Royal Family, constantly searching for opportunities to increase their own influence and eventually usurp the throne.

Annette slowly nodded.

"They certainly have the greatest leverage right now." She glanced toward Ragnar. "After all, the Queen belongs to the Odette Family."

Felicia’s expression remained thoughtful. "If the Queen becomes the ruler, wouldn’t that effectively put the Odette Family in control?"

"Not necessarily." Ragnar shook his head. "The Queen will stay with the Royal Family."

Annette looked toward him. "You think so?"

"I do."

Ragnar folded his arms across his chest.

"From her perspective, remaining with the Royal Family is the easier path to the throne."

"She already has a position beside the King, and if the Crown Prince doesn’t interfere, she can use the Royal Family’s authority to secure her own position."

He paused for a moment before adding quietly, "Besides, I’m more worried about the Crown Prince."

Felicia’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Lucien?"

Ragnar nodded his head.

"Prince Lucien." His expression became even more serious. "That man is cunning."

Ragnar had never trusted the Crown Prince, and there were plenty of reasons for that distrust.

"Lucien has always been willing to change sides whenever it benefits him. If supporting the Royal Faction gives him the throne, he’ll support them. If joining the Noble Faction gives him a better chance, he’ll do that instead."

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "He doesn’t care about loyalty nearly as much as he cares about power."

The three of them fell silent as they all began to think about the future.

The distant sound of footsteps could occasionally be heard from outside the office.

Eventually, Ragnar spoke again. "We’ll need more weapons."

Felicia raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

"For our own protection."

Ragnar looked toward her. "If the Noble Faction really launches a coup, there will be chaos everywhere. We can’t afford to rely entirely on the Royal Family or anyone else to protect us."

Felicia frowned slightly before waving her hand dismissively.

"You don’t have to worry about that," she said confidently. "I’ve already hoarded a considerable number of weapons for situations like this."

A faint smile appeared on Felicia’s face. "I had a feeling something like this would happen eventually."

Ragnar stared at her for a moment. "You prepared for a civil war?"

"I prepared for people being stupid." Felicia shrugged. "Unfortunately, those two things tend to go together."

Annette let out a small sigh before speaking. "Perhaps we should also talk with the Janard Family."

Ragnar immediately clicked his tongue. "The Janards?"

Annette nodded. "They’re the third Dukedom, and unlike us, they’ve openly supported the Royals for generations."

The Janard Family was widely considered the backbone of the Royal military.

Their knights and soldiers made up a significant portion of the forces protecting the Royal Family, and their loyalty to the throne was considered unquestionable.

"If things really become violent," Annette continued, "having an understanding with them could prevent us from being caught between the two sides."

Ragnar’s expression remained doubtful.

"I don’t trust them." Ragnar leaned forward slightly. "They’re too loyal."

He paused before continuing. "I know that sounds ridiculous, but I don’t believe they’re simply playing the Royal Family’s game."

His eyes narrowed. "I think they’re playing their own game."

Annette remained silent for a moment before looking at her husband.

"Then you need to find a way to strengthen our own position." Annette’s voice became quieter. "I don’t want our family to become a sacrifice in the middle of someone else’s civil war."

Felicia’s expression hardened slightly. "You should be more optimistic."

Annette simply shrugged.

"I’m being practical." She looked toward Felicia. "If the King really dies and the Noble Faction makes its move, there is no reason to believe the situation will remain peaceful."

Her eyes lowered slightly. "A civil war is inevitable."

The words were simple, but they carried considerable weight.

Ragnar leaned back into his chair and stared at the ceiling for a few seconds.

"I don’t care who wins." His voice became firm. "All I want is the safety of my family and my people."

Neither woman responded immediately.

They both knew Ragnar well enough to understand that he wasn’t exaggerating.

His position as a Duke came with enormous responsibilities, but when everything was stripped away, his priorities were surprisingly simple.

After a few moments, Ragnar suddenly straightened in his chair. "There is one more piece of information."

Felicia raised an eyebrow. "Do you need money before you’re willing to tell me?"

Normally, Ragnar would have laughed at such a comment, but his expression remained completely serious.

Felicia’s smile slowly disappeared. "What happened?"

Ragnar took a slow breath. "The Royal Family has formed a connection with the Elven Family."

The room immediately became silent.

Felicia stared at Ragnar for several seconds, as though making sure she had heard him correctly.

"Why?" Felicia leaned forward slightly. "Why are they interested in humans now?"

Ragnar didn’t answer for a second.

"I simply don’t know," he said in a cold voice. "But I am sure they are not helping the Royal Family... they are planning their own game."

The room remained silent.