My queen is rebelling!

Chapter 243: On the Throne with Queen Sister...

Facing the plea from the Foreign Minister of Saint Oak, Adaire remained expressionless, her face icy:

“Speak your mind. There are no outsiders here.”

The Foreign Minister of Saint Oak turned even paler, looking around with a bitter face, and said:

“Your Highness, this matter is of great importance. I can only speak to you and His Majesty alone.”

Adaire lightly furrowed her brow, a hint of impatience on her face, and waved her hand:

“If you don’t want to speak, then step down.”

The Foreign Minister panicked and was about to say something when the knight from his guard, who had been winking at him, sighed softly and stepped forward.

As the knight moved, the Imperial Guards in the court immediately let out a low shout, their powerful aura swiftly locking onto the Saint Oak Duchy delegation.

Seeing this, the knight stopped, removed his helmet, revealing the face of a wealthy middle-aged man.

Then, the middle-aged man glanced in the direction of Holt, the Aefine Foreign Minister, and put his helmet back on.

Seeing the middle-aged man’s appearance, Baron Holt’s face showed deep astonishment. He paused for a moment and said to Adaire:

“Your Highness, I have some matters to report in private.”

Adaire glanced at the guard knight who had put his helmet back on, a thoughtful expression on her face, and said:

“That’s all for today. Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, remain. The rest of you may leave.”

Soon, only the people from the Saint Oak Duchy remained in the hall.

Baron Holt pointed to the guard knight who had removed his helmet again and said:

“Your Highness, Prime Minister, allow me to introduce you. This is His Grace, Grand Duke Uriel·Dean of the Saint Oak Duchy!”

Prime Minister Angus’s face showed astonishment as he stared at the portly middle-aged man, a slight sense of familiarity welling up in his heart.

He couldn’t help but chuckle. The dignified ruler of a country actually disguised himself as a guard knight to infiltrate the delegation. Has this Grand Duke fallen so far in his own country?

A hint of understanding appeared in Adaire’s eyes, and she turned to Nefthys and said:

“Go and call His Majesty. He should be at the Military Intelligence Building right now.”

…

The Grand Duke of Saint Oak came in person?

Upon hearing this news from Nefthys, Cohen was also very surprised.

When Cohen arrived at the Political Affairs Hall, Grand Duke Uriel·Dean of Saint Oak was earnestly talking to Prime Minister Angus.

Seeing Cohen arrive, his face visibly paled, and then he forced himself to maintain the dignity and honor of a Grand Duke and greeted Cohen.

Cohen didn’t like too many tedious procedures, so he skipped the process of mutual introductions between foreign ministers.

He nodded indifferently, sat directly on the throne, squeezed next to Adaire, and said in a tone that didn’t reveal any particular emotion:

“Your Grace, Uriel·Dean, have you come to Emerald Spire from afar for some important matter?

Oh, right, did you receive my personal letter? Do you have any thoughts on it?”

A sense of grief and indignation welled up in the Grand Duke of Saint Oak’s heart. Cohen’s posture clearly treated him as a subordinate.

No matter how down and out Saint Oak was, it was still a country with more than 500 years of history. Cohen’s actions were simply too disrespectful.

But the situation was stronger than him. The Grand Duke of Saint Oak forced himself to suppress his humiliation and anger and said in a low voice:

“I have read His Majesty’s letter.

Your Majesty, Corleone, I have come this time hoping that we can clarify misunderstandings between us and prevent the people of both countries from falling into…”

Cohen directly interrupted the Grand Duke of Saint Oak’s official rhetoric:

“Grand Duke Dean, I am very busy. If you have come to Emerald Spire only to express verbal apologies, you can speak to my Foreign Minister, Baron Holt.

I don’t have time to listen to you say these things.”

The Grand Duke of Saint Oak’s face instantly turned red, his face burning, and his whole body was trembling.

He couldn’t help but curse in his heart, this young brat, when I was discussing matters with your father, you were still crawling on the ground!

However, upon noticing a gaze filled with icy killing intent, the emotions of shame and anger in his heart instantly vanished, turning into utter panic.

The terrifying aura and killing intent from the youngest legendary rank on the continent were not something he could resist.

The Grand Duke of Saint Oak closed his eyes, and his voice suddenly became very weak:

“Saint Oak is willing to become a vassal state of Aefine. I beseech Your Majesty to spare us.”

Cohen smiled faintly:

“Your Grace, that’s more like an attitude for discussing matters!”

After speaking, he had someone hand him a thick agreement and said:

“Sign or don’t sign, five minutes.”

The Grand Duke of Saint Oak was stunned for a moment, and then hurriedly opened the agreement. The Saint Oak Foreign Minister next to him also leaned in to help him look at the terms above.

When he saw the first clause in the agreement, the Grand Duke of Saint Oak felt a surge of blood rushing to his heart, almost causing him to faint.

It clearly stated—Aefine will send a governor to the Saint Oak Duchy to guide and assist the Grand Duke of Saint Oak in managing national affairs.

The Grand Duke of Saint Oak couldn’t help but look up at Cohen, squeezing out a few words from between his teeth:

“Your Majesty, Corleone, what is this governor about?

Silver Frost didn’t say anything about sending a governor!”

Cohen smiled and said something that made the Grand Duke of Saint Oak tremble with fear:

“Silver Frost doesn’t have a Grand Duke anymore!”

The Grand Duke of Saint Oak immediately closed his lips tightly, forcibly suppressing the horror in his heart, and continued to flip through the agreement in his hand.

Opening ports, the right to station troops, the right to appoint and dismiss officials in important provinces, resource extraction must be cooperated with Aefine state-owned enterprises…

Every clause was shocking, causing the Grand Duke of Saint Oak and the Foreign Minister to breathe more and more heavily.

The two only glanced at the general outline, and hadn’t yet carefully considered the specific content when Cohen’s indifferent voice rang in their ears:

“Five minutes are up. Sign or don’t sign, give me an answer.”

The Grand Duke of Saint Oak’s hand trembled, looking at the young and handsome king not far away, a bitter regret filled his heart.

He never expected that a small Aefine would be something that even the Eastern Region Empire couldn’t do anything about.

He didn’t expect that the thousand [Dragonwing Guards] he had hidden for Xasuo would cause such a terrible outcome today.

If only he had known!

The Grand Duke of Saint Oak sighed deeply, took out a pen and seal, signed his name on the agreement, and stamped it with the Grand Duke’s seal.

Cohen smiled faintly:

“Mr. Uriel·Dean, you are luckier than the Grand Duke of Silver Frost. Otherwise, it might be him standing here now.”

The Grand Duke of Saint Oak shuddered. If the Grand Duke of Silver Frost were standing here today, then his own fate would be self-evident.

Fortunately, Cohen made a move against Silver Frost, otherwise…

Uriel·Dean instantly felt a strong sense of relief. In any case, fortunately, his life was saved, his family could continue to continue, and he could still be a wealthy squire.

With the matter settled, Cohen didn’t intend to get up to see him off. Uriel·Dean bowed to Cohen, expressing his complete submission, and silently left the palace.

As the Grand Duke of Saint Oak left the palace, a voice rang in Cohen’s ears:

Cohen·Corleone, with just a letter, you have made Saint Oak submit. In just one month, two countries with hundreds of years of heritage have been conquered by you alone.

On the stage of the struggle for hegemony among nations, you have already splashed a stroke of rich color. Your reputation will once again shock people’s hearts.

Legend, +10.

Cohen clearly felt that his mastery of those few rule skills had increased a lot. With the accumulation of legend, the degree of understanding of the rules also increased.

With the affairs of the Saint Oak Duchy resolved, Cohen was going to confront Freya and her father.

Cohen thought for a while and looked at his father-in-law not far away:

“Prime Minister, go find Marshal Arnold and have him come to my office in an hour.

Baron Holt, the affairs of Saint Oak are left to you. You and the Prime Minister should discuss a list of candidates for the governor as soon as possible.”

“Okay.”

After the Prime Minister and Baron Holt left, Cohen looked at Nefthys again and said:

“Go find Freya and have her come to the palace too. You bring her here, but don’t make a fuss.”

Nefthys nodded and left.

Cohen then said to the female officials serving on the side:

“All of you may leave.”

“Yes.”

Adaire frowned slightly and asked:

“What do you want to do?”

Cohen’s reply was concise:

“Want.”

As he spoke, he directly propped Adaire up onto the wide armrest of the throne.

Adaire’s jade face revealed an incredulous look and said:

“You’re crazy, this is…”

Cohen directly ate the words Adaire wanted to say into his own mouth. With a wave of his hand, he activated the protective formation near the throne, untied Adaire’s brocade robe, revealing her fair skin, the boniness and muscle lines perfectly outlining the beauty he expected.

“You won’t be able to stay for a few days, sister, just be obedient!”

…

An hour later, in the King’s office, Cohen flipped through the action plan drawn up by Hermann and others.

A series of footsteps sounded outside the door.

Marshal Arnold and Freya arrived on time.

Cohen welcomed the two in, poured tea, chatted about some family matters, and then handed the plan in his hand to the two, and then briefly explained his plan.

After hearing Cohen’s meaning, Arnold’s face showed deep hesitation and thought.

He was actually mentally prepared for this matter, and Cohen had hinted at it from the side before.

On the one hand, he instinctively didn’t want his daughter to step into such a dangerous situation. On the other hand, if he could seize this opportunity, then according to Cohen’s future plan, Freya would become the supreme queen of a kingdom.

For a father, there was no reason to block his daughter’s bright future.

Before Arnold could speak while pondering, Freya spoke crisply from the side:

“Sir, I am willing to go!”

The two looked at Freya, the little girl’s bright eyes looked at Cohen, as if to convey the determination in her heart with her eyes.

Cohen paused, his voice becoming much gentler:

“Freya, you need to think carefully. This journey will be fraught with difficulties. You may encounter unimaginable dangers, even…

Don't feel pressured. I have other candidates here…”

Freya immediately interrupted Cohen, her eyes showing no hesitation or retreat. She bit her lower lip, her delicate face full of determination:

“Sir, I am willing to go. Please, you must give me this opportunity!”

Cohen's expression stiffened, and his emotions became extremely complex. He moved his lips, looking towards Arnold beside him.

Before Arnold could speak, Freya's solemn voice followed closely:

“Father, don’t try to persuade me. This is my own choice!

Don't let me regret it for the rest of my life!”

Arnold opened his mouth, but the words at his lips ultimately didn't come out, turning into a deep sigh. He didn't say anything more.

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After Arnold and Freya left, Yadel, who had changed her clothes and taken a fresh bath, appeared beside Cohen with a refreshing fragrance, and said softly:

“She really is a stubborn little girl.”

Cohen took Yadel's hand and gently shook his head:

“I hope everything goes smoothly.”

After sighing, Yadel handed a document to Cohen:

“The Military Intelligence Bureau's investigation report on the Black Sails.”

Cohen raised his eyebrows slightly and said:

“Is that Auston Grey, the Earl of Helios Province, who you caught before for colluding with pirates?”

Yadel nodded and said:

“It has been investigated clearly. This Black Sails group does indeed have the backing of the Ceylon Kingdom Navy. To be precise, the vice-captain named Boni Wagner, who Auston is colluding with, is a relative of the captain of a Ceylon Kingdom naval fleet.”

Cohen's eyes flickered slightly. This was an opportunity to penetrate the Ceylon Kingdom.

He said:

“Let Herman continue to send people to follow up and find the vice-captain's weakness. After I've dealt with the Southern Territory's affairs, I'll go and find trouble with the Ceylon Kingdom.”

Compared to the Ceylon Kingdom, the traces of demons appearing within the country were what Cohen was most concerned about.

Especially since there was still a deeply hidden remnant of the Gaunt family. If they weren't eliminated, the Southern Territory would inevitably cause trouble sooner or later.

Whether it was Gold Sail Port, located in the Southern Territory, or the base camp when conquering the Ceylon Kingdom, the strategic position of the Southern Territory was crucial.

He had to help Asuna completely eliminate the hidden dangers in the Southern Territory before he could go to the Ceylon Kingdom with peace of mind.

According to his and the Queen's analysis, the person colluding with the demons should be the illegitimate son of an important member of the Gaunt family. Cohen decided to go and ask Sandro Gaunt, the surviving second son of the former Southern Territory Grand Duke.

As the second young master of the Southern Territory, this person should be able to provide some important clues.

After the Southern Territory was destroyed, Cohen arranged for Sandro to have a position as the deputy director of the postal and telecommunications bureau, under surveillance in Florence.

Sandro himself also knew the sensitivity of his identity, so he spent his days doing nothing but eating and waiting to die. Except for the day he received his reward, he would appear at the office. The rest of the time, he was either holding parties at home or getting drunk at some banquet and not returning.

Late at night, Sandro staggered open the door, only to find that none of the servants came to greet him. He immediately started cursing at the top of his lungs.

After cursing until his throat was dry, no one responded. He had no choice but to go back to the house to find water. However, as soon as he stepped into the living room, a tall and straight figure instantly sobered him up.

Sandro quickly knelt down, his voice filled with flattery:

“Your Majesty, why have you come?”

Cohen said calmly:

“I'm here to ask you a few questions. Answer truthfully.”

Sandro hurriedly said:

“Please ask, Your Majesty. I will tell you everything I know.”

Cohen asked:

“Among your Gaunt family, do you know if any direct members have illegitimate children?”

Sandro replied very quickly:

“Sir Herman also came to ask this question not long ago. I even specifically asked a few old people at the time, and there really are no illegitimate children.”

Cohen's tone was still very calm:

“Think carefully. Herman should have already told you that this person colluded with demons and killed many members of your Gaunt family. Obviously, he is killing people to silence them.

If you don't catch him soon, you will be harmed by him sooner or later.”

Sandro gasped, the alcohol completely gone. He frowned bitterly, trying hard to recall.

After a long time, he shook his head with a mournful face.

A hint of meaning flashed between Cohen's eyebrows, and then a flash of inspiration. He took out a stack of documents, glanced at them a few times, and then read out a string of names:

“Aldrich Gaunt, the person with the highest seniority in the Gaunt family, the younger brother of the previous Duke.

Cedric Gaunt, responsible for studying the family history and compiling the Gaunt genealogy.

Harold Hawke, the old captain of the guard.

Martha White, a senior housekeeper.

Tom Brown, the family lawyer.

When these five people appear together in your mind, what commonalities or special connections can you think of?”

Sandro muttered these names in a low voice, carefully recalling them in his mind. After a few minutes, his whole body suddenly stiffened, and he blurted out a name:

“Baron Gillivose Gyan!”

Cohen stared at Sandro for a while, and after confirming that the other party was not talking nonsense, he asked:

“What is this person's background?

Why did you associate these five people with this person?

Besides these five people, who else can you think of?”

Sandro still frowned tightly, still immersed in distant memories, and his voice became much lower:

“I don't know his specific background… I only know that he was my father's tutor, from a fallen baronial family in Redstone County in the Southern Territory.

Baron Gyan has always been very low-key and never interfered in family matters. His presence was very low, and few people in the family paid attention to him. It wasn't until I was about to come of age that this person suddenly disappeared.

It's like he never existed.

When I was a child, my talent was very poor, and everyone compared me to my brother. Even the servants secretly looked down on me. Baron Gyan was one of the few people who were willing to show me kindness.

As for why I would associate these five people with Baron Gyan, it's because I secretly read my father's diary when I was a child. It recorded one thing, mentioning Baron Gyan and the names of those people.”

A look of contemplation appeared in Cohen's eyes, and he asked:

“After so long, you can remember so clearly?”

Sandro said:

“First, Baron Gyan was my only friend at that time, so when I suddenly saw his name in my father's diary, I paid extra attention to it.

Second… later, my father discovered that I had secretly read the diary. He was very angry that day and beat me severely, questioning me which diary I had secretly read.

If Baron Gyan hadn't stopped my father later, I suspect I would have been beaten to death.”

Contemplation appeared in Cohen's eyes, and then his voice became much lower:

“Can you still remember what was written in that diary?”

Sandro nodded and replied:

“It was about Baron Gyan going out to play with my father. To be precise, Elder Aldrich Gaunt took my father and Baron Gyan out to play.

At that time, Cedric Gaunt was the family scribe, and the captain of the guard Harold Hawke, the housekeeper Martha White, and the family lawyer Tom Brown all accompanied as entourage.”

“Besides the names of these five people, were there any other people in the diary?”

Sandro quickly replied:

“Yes, there were also several mages and warriors in the entourage.”

Sandro then said several names.

Cohen compared it with the text in his hand. As expected, these people were all executed by Effie during the turmoil in Florence not long ago.

The five people above were assigned to the Northern Territory and died inexplicably on the way.

In other words, everyone who appeared in that diary is no longer alive.

This Baron Gillivose Gyan may be the source of all this!

Cohen closed his eyes and pondered for a long time, then opened his eyes and asked:

“Why would a normal outing record even the names of the servants and guards?”

Sandro shook his head:

“I don't know about that.”

Cohen continued to ask:

“Where did they go to play? Do you know?”

Sandro pondered for a while and gave a negative answer:

“It's been too long, I have no impression.”

Cohen pondered slightly, then continued to flip through the information text in his hand, and soon read out several place names:

“Duskwood Town, Amber Valley, Crimson Rock Pass, Silver Moon Shoal…”

Sandro suddenly shouted and said heavily:

“Silver Moon Shoal!

It's Silver Moon Shoal!

I remember!

They went to Silver Moon Shoal. Fish, and magic fish. At that time, my father's diary also described a kind of magic fish with many tentacles, which was very disgusting.

I remember, my father also drew the image of the magic fish in the diary. I had nightmares for several days after that!”

Cohen's indifferent voice sounded:

“Aboleth?”

Sandro shook his head:

“I don't know what it's called.”

Cohen casually outlined a simple image with magic.

Sandro took a look and said with certainty:

“Yes, it's this kind of magic fish.”

A trace of sternness appeared in Cohen's eyes. What he had just read were several locations where the Military Intelligence Bureau had found a relatively strong demonic aura when searching for the remnants of the Gaunt family.

Aboleths are magical beasts that can reach the Silver level after adulthood and are generally difficult to survive in the wild.

Unless someone deliberately raises them.

And aboleths are not something that ordinary people can raise. Even in the entire Northwest Continent, there are very few aboleth fry and breeding methods.

Even if there were, with Effie's position and strength in the Southern Territory, there would be no way to obtain them.

In addition to buying, there is another way to obtain them, and that is to make a deal with a demon!

Everything pointed to one fact: the mysterious tutor of the former Southern Territory Grand Duke, Baron Gillivose Gyan, was the culprit who colluded with the demons!