Steel Empire
The Important Announcement

Several hours had passed, and Berengar woke up to the soft sensation of a silk dress covering Adela's thigh, even he had been asleep all this time as he rested on his lap pillow. However, it was only a strong nap and not an actual night's rest; therefore, Berengar continued to have fun until his fiancee woke up from her slumber.

After a while, Adela quietly opened her eyes, where Berengar pretended to be still asleep, realizing that it was almost time for dinner; Adela began to caress the golden hair of her future husband with a smile on her face.

"Wake up, sleepyhead! It's almost time for dinner."

Having woken up, Berengar smiled at Adela's loving movements before she pretended to wake up slowly. To be honest he wished he could enjoy this moment a little longer. But all good things must end. So Berengar got up from the lap pillow and rubbed his eyes.

"How long am I out?"

Adela, who was also asleep, shook her head as she revealed what she knew.

"Of course, I also fell asleep, but it must have been a few hours; look at the sun; it has already started to set!"

Berengar and Adela immediately turned their gaze to the window, which revealed a beautiful sky filled with fine clouds; it looked like a perfect blend of orange and blue. The scenery immediately spurred a sense of romance every couple who stared at his brilliance together, including Berengar and Adela. 

However, they could not enjoy its beauty for long, before long, they heard a knock at the door, followed by one of the maids announcing that dinner time had arrived.

"Listen, it's dinner time; count Otto has requested your presence."

Hearing such news, Berengar got up from his position on the ground and offered Adela some help. The teenage girl quickly locked her up, where Berengar dragged the girl from her knees and into her arms before stroking her head.

"I think it's time to eat."

Adela stuffed her head into Berengar's chest before muttering in a low voice.

"yes..."

After that, Berengar opened the door, and the servant was already gone; therefore, he and Adela inched towards the dining room while holding hands. When they finally arrived, they realized that they were the last to do so, and therefore, quickly sat in their seats so that food no longer waited for them. 

After bringing the plate for the night, the group said the Our Father's prayer before eating their meal. Otto is aware of the problems Ava caused, but he has not realized that he has apologized adequately. As for Wolfgang, he glared at Berengar threateningly, yet Berengar did not heed his evil gaze. 

Ava was quite worried; although Berengar had claimed that he accepted her apology, he had no idea what kind of help he might ask of her in the future; due to his fear of the unknown, he did not know, he rarely looked towards Berengar and Adela.

As for Berengar and Adela, they smiled happily, like a couple on their honeymoon. They had resolved their relationship issues before they turned into something serious, and thus, they were extremely excited on this sunny night. 

The countess noticed Adela's good mood and quickly commented on her, with a charming smile on her face.

"You two look very happy tonight. Did something happen between you two?"

Count Otto was also quite curious; as far as he had known earlier in the day, Ava seemed to be causing a severe rift among the young couple, but now they are chatting and giggling like a pair of mischievous teenagers who are in love for the first time in their lives. Well, he thought Adela must have been so, Berengar on the other hand, not so much.

In the end Adela is the one who talks about her current state of affection for her future husband.

"You can say Berengar and I have reached an understanding ..."

The teenage girl knew how to leave things vague; it was a great way to make Gerhart and Ava angry. He was not on top of causing some trouble himself, which caused Count Otto to frown. He knew Adela was now counter-attacking her brothers. However, he did not blame her for doing so; after all, he had previously been placed in a difficult position by the two of them. 

Gerhart frowned when she heard this; she still disapproved of her depraved and cruel cousin caring for her beautiful little sister. However, it was not his decision, and his father had already made it very clear.

As for Adela's other brother, Heimerich, she smiled at the whole affair. He greatly admired Berengar's achievements and supported the creation of a long-term relationship with his cousin, especially since he knew of Berengar's reforms, and hoped that when the young man became Duke, he would become the most successful, he would allow a noble family to apply such a law of succession if they wanted it. , which would allow him to compete for his father's succession, with his foolish brother Gerhart. Thus Heimerich was the first to comment on Adela's statement.

"Whatever it is, I'm glad to see you two get along well. I hope you two are happy in the future!"

Gerhart and Ava growled at this answer, but Count Otto and his wife Wanda were pleased with Heimmerich's comments. The boy increasingly looked like a substitute; it was a pity that he was the second son, not the first. Heimerich was not as cruel as Lambert and would never try to kill his brother, but he would definitely do his best to seize his position by other means.

Berengar smiled as he ate, with a smile on his charming face. He was very happy that he could enjoy such a level of cooking, even in the entire Duchy. His cultural changes began to affect more than just Tyrol. After washing it off with a light beer, he decided to make an announcement. Therefore, he attracted everyone's attention by clinging his spoon to his cup.

After everyone looked at him, Berengar smiled gracefully before telling everyone his decision.

"I have decided to announce it here, but I will leave tomorrow morning, return to Tyrol. Although I'm very grateful for the hospitality you've shown me and the time I've spent with you all. I have a lot of important things to attend to, and unfortunately, I can't stay here much longer. I just want to thank all of you for allowing me to stay here these past few days!"

When Adela heard this, she began to frown; after all, she and Berengar had just settled their differences and started spending time together. However, he understood Berengar had a lot to keep an eye on, and as such, he could not monopolize it. 

As for Count Otto, he knew of the plan Berengar had made; within days, Conrad would arrive at Kufstein, and Berengar would have to be there to greet the boy and strengthen his strength. After Berengar made the announcement, Otto made the announcement himself.

"I will also travel with Berengar to Kufstein; there are important issues that he and I have to deal with. Adela, if you want to come with us, please. As for who is in charge as long as I am not around, I will leave that responsibility to Gerhart. Don't disappoint me like last time!"

The expressions around the table vary greatly. Adela was happy, as she not only spent more time with Berengar, but she was finally able to see her baby boy with her own eyes. Although she did not become a mother, she felt a great desire to see what her descendants were like and to be close to her early on. 

As for Gerhart, he was very happy that he was given another chance; he had completely messed up his last assignment as Regent, so his position was stripped and given to Heimerich for the remaining duration.

Heimerich on the other hand pouted; he was confident that he would remain in control when his father left for a long time. However, the position was given to his elder brother once again. He thought he would be the one assigned to lead the army, which was fair; after all, he was much more capable in that than Gerhart. 

Ava and her husband are delighted that Berengar is leaving; his presence is a reminder of his Tyrant and the ever-increasing fear they feel for their actions. Ava had told Wolfgang not to bother Berengar further and the reason for doing so. He may be boring, but he is also a coward and knows when to fear the mighty.

Finally Berengar smiled seeing this result; not only would he be able to spend more time with Adela, but Otto personally visited Kufstein to greet Conrad and form a resistance to the Bavarian occupation of Austria. The three Princes would meet at Kufstein where they would convince Conrad to declare Berengar the Regent, then he would have all the authority of a Duke. 

First, he would expel the Bavarians from Austria; then, he would implement his reforms throughout the Duchy while building a great navy! In any case, with all of Austria under his command, he would eventually have access to the Adriatic Sea, and with the expansion of the Mediterranean. Once this goal was achieved, Berengar could finally send an expedition to a new world! Soon enough, his life goal of getting potatoes would become a reality!