Count Castel Mansion, Meditation Room.
Dressed in a brand-new maid outfit, Agnes fidgeted uncomfortably with the lace on the hem of her skirt.
Despite her cute face, her expression was stiff and wooden at the moment, making one wonder if she might suddenly leap up, rip off the black and white headpiece bearing the Castel coat of arms, and stomp on it furiously.
Likewise dressed in the Castel Standard Knight Uniform, the middle-aged knight Rahael, still stubbornly sporting the Willert’s coat of arms on his chest, watched his young mistress and hesitated to speak.
"What’s the matter, Rahael? Do you have something to say?"
Agnes glanced at him.
The middle-aged knight scratched his head:
"No, nothing in particular, it’s just... having just emphatically refused Count Castel’s invitation, I thought you truly intended to continue your opposition against her, but I didn’t expect... well, that you would change your mind so quickly."
The young girl’s expression turned slightly unnatural, and she pursed her lips, saying:
"I just realized that even if I refused her proposal, I would still be kept locked away by her, and as long as I’m in her confinement, I’ll never emerge..."
"It’s better to feign submission for now..."
"Charlotte de Castel was able to activate the Nais Clan’s encrypted crystal; there must be a great secret within her. Moreover, we don’t even know if she truly is the real Charlotte."
"Faced with an enemy whose strength far surpasses ours and harbors secrets, since we can’t beat her, we might as well pretend to join her and lie low for a while, seeking her weakness while amassing our strength."
"We cannot confront her now, but I can’t believe that she has no vulnerability! With enough time, we are bound to find her secret!"
"When the time comes to uncover her secret, when we find her weakness, when the right moment arrives... we will strike decisively and defeat her!"
"Just like we once bore our burdens in silence to fight against Count Hall!"
"When that time comes, I will make sure she tastes the suffering our Willert Family has endured!"
Agnes spoke through clenched teeth.
The young girl’s demeanor was impassioned; however, the middle-aged knight beside her appeared contemplative, holding back his words.
"Rahael, do you have something else you want to say?"
Rahael hesitated for a moment, carefully choosing his words:
"Miss, there’s something I’ve been pondering."
"Count Castel is different from Count Hall; she has many followers and even possesses vast and prosperous lands. She is also aware of our previous reversal against Count Hall and seems to be calmer than him, lacking the arrogance typical of high-ranking nobles..."
"In such a case, even if she accepts our ’submission’, she will definitely not let down her guard."
"Our every move will likely still be under her surveillance..."
"Not only that, but after this meeting with her, I can’t help feeling that her aura seemed even stronger than the first time we met her. I’m starting to doubt if she has some method to enhance her power."
"I’m worried... I’m worried that as time goes on, not only will the gap between us and her not shrink, but it might actually grow. Not to mention, just by consolidating her control over her lands over time, the difficulty of opposing her will double."
"In such circumstances, can we really find an opportunity for a reversal?"
After hearing the middle-aged knight’s concerns, Agnes clenched her fists, her expression fluctuating.
Moments later, she said:
"I refuse to believe that there exists a person without any flaws in this world, nor do I believe that her power and influence will continue to grow endlessly..."
"Bloodline members are known for the difficulty in increasing their strength, and especially when advancing in rank, they must absolutely fall into slumber. Right now, she is only a Starry, not even a Silver Moon; we will definitely have our chance in the future!"
"Not to mention we are Bloodline members now, and if there’s one thing we Bloodline members do not lack, it’s time. We can wait, we can outlast—a month, two months, three months, a year, two years, three years..."
"By waiting , there will always be a time she falls asleep, there will always be a flaw to find!"
The more Agnes spoke, the more resolute she became, her expression shifting from initial hesitation to final determination, as if convincing herself.
Yet, the middle-aged knight Rahael’s expression was still laced with hesitation.
He remained silent for a long time before sighing:
"Miss... upon deeper reflection, her proposal isn’t entirely unacceptable for us."
"Our goal from the beginning has been to revitalize the Willerts; if she truly can help us revive our family, reconciling with the Castels could actually be an option."
"You’re right, we are Bloodline members, and we certainly can afford to wait, but not our scattered kinfolk. Perhaps they still remember the name Willert now, but after one generation, two generations, memory will gradually fade, and then even the Willert bloodline might cease to exist..."
"There are no perpetual grudges between nobles, and though it was due to the Castel family’s deviation from the plan that led to our downfall, in the end, it was the King who ultimately stripped us of our title."