Steel Empire
Formal Declaration

Berengar woke up next to his beautiful lover's arm and with a splitting headache. He had been drinking too much with the boys the night before, but it was a celebration of victory, and thus he felt his actions were justified. Therefore, he got out of bed and decided to relax today. A day off from extensive training would not hurt him in the least, although he would never allow such inactivity to become a regular occurrence.

Linde woke up shortly after and wrapped her arms around her t*buh as she rubbed her leh*r, giving the young man a love match. It was her way of marking her territory and warding off potential predators from her husband. In other words, it was a gift for Adela. Berengar laughed at how possessive the girl was this morning and ignored her as nonsense. She finally pushed him to the place tid*r, very pleased with his actions. She returned the favor and gave Linde c*pang in her graceful and sleek leh*r. As long as he covered it properly, it would not be a problem.

The two were involved in several physical ke*nt*men before splitting up for the morning. Now that Linde had a good reason to visit Berengar during the day, she no longer needed to avoid it openly. As long as he approached her under the guise of managing his father's transactions, he could spend time by her side at any time during the day, not just quietly at night. Eventually, he will have more time with the father than his son. Something she really wanted to rub on Adela's face. Although he knew there was a limit to the extent to which he could show off his relationship with Berengar to the little girl, otherwise, others might become too suspicious. He has declared war on Adela and will not back down. Linde knew the little girl was too proud to reveal details about their little dispute to the world. Thus, the,

Berengar, on the other hand, was deeply unaware of the conflict that was going on between his future wife and her lover. So he was stunned by the evil gaze the two girls gave at the breakfast table. He began to think that something might have happened among the young women who might have worsened their relationship, and he was not the only one who came to this conclusion. Lambert watched their fierce rivalry as they gracefully ate their breakfast, sitting opposite to fierce gazes. Of course, Lambert did not care much about the reason, as he was sure it was just a trivial matter of women and did not mind himself in the slightest.

As the two girls quarrel over Berengar without anyone else's knowledge, Sieghard decides to break the awkward silence.

"I officially requested the presence of my family and Councillors in the large hall after we finished eating. There's an important announcement I'd like to make regarding the safety and prosperity of our families and our region."

after saying that, everyone's attention was diverted to the Baron as he spoke in an authoritative voice; noticing the presence of his future daughter-in-law, he decided to greet them personally

"Misses, your presence is not necessary, but if you wish to attend it, you are welcome."

Berengar heaved a sigh of relief when he saw the two women nodding at each other with a stern expression. He did not know why the girls were fighting, but he was sure he would find out soon. At least for now, the tension is released. Lambert, on the other hand, seemed visually nervous; if his father made an official statement, it must be something important; he begins to fear that the kindness his father has shown him is beginning to wane and instead is diverted to his older brother and rival. Whatever this announcement might be, it definitely has to do with Berengar's recent rise in power, which is not good news for him.

Berengar sat still and continued eating; now that his women had not fought each other, he felt much more comfortable and could finally enjoy his breakfast. However, internally he was quite excited, there was only one thing he could think of that Sieghard would announce after they finished eating, and if it had anything to do with his thoughts, it would be, then that would be good news for the young master's aspirations.

Shortly after the meal was over, the family gathered in the Great Hall; linde and Adela were clearly still at odds about something. However, their attention was now on Sieghard, who sat in his seat of power, where his advisers flanked him. They were very important people who were advising the Baron about matters concerning the kingdom, not even they were aware of the contents of Sieghard's announcement.

After everyone arrived, Sieghard cleared his voice and spoke in a stern tone.

"I am Sieghard von Kufstein first my name, Baron of Kufstein hereby declares my eldest son, and heir to the Regent. If I have to travel from this land, he is given the full authority emanating from me to act as a Baron in my stead!"

A wide smile appeared on Berengar's face when he heard the news, he had been waiting for this statement for a long time, and he had finally proven himself in the eyes of his father as a capable leader. Lambert was of course horrified; this was bad news for him and his allies. When war finally breaks out and Berengar takes his position as Regent, he will have full judicial authority to launch an investigation into Lambert's efforts over his life and gather the evidence he needs to execute him. This only meant one thing, Lambert had at most a year to end his brother's life before the old King was hoarse, and he was placed in a very vulnerable position.

The problem was that Berengar had strengthened his position in the hearts of many of the surrounding nobles, those who benefited from his steel monopoly, and the thriving textile trade would clearly support Berengar if he asked for their help. It was now harder than ever to plot against Berengar.

On the other hand, the two girls reacted to the news with satisfied smiles on their faces. This is good news not only for the men they love but also for themselves, whose position will become more favorable when Berengar becomes Regent. Although when they realized that they both had the same satisfied expression on their faces, they immediately switched back to a hostile state.

The reaction of the council members to this monumental announcement is mixed. They were all aware of Berengar's recent transformation and his incredible ability in leading the kingdom. Thus, many board members were elated by the news, as they could not think of a better person to take the position. However, a quarter of the council members were supporters of Lambert's efforts to gain power, and as such they were quite saddened by the announcement. If they let Berengar rule, it would only mean their dismissal from the best positions and their worst deaths.

Henrietta and Gisela were both pleased with the news, and Sieghard had a satisfied smile on his face. Although they do not know it, the battle line is soon drawn when this news is announced, and his two sons will increase the brutality of their war of intrigue. Berengar made sure to take note of the expressions of the board members who were either indifferent to the news or completely disappointed. It soon becomes clear that they are on the fence about the matter or a direct supporter of his brother. So Berengar thought that he would get rid of his brother's closest supporters before taking out the other local nobles who supported him. After all, these nobles who advised his father had far greater power than those who would answer his call every blue moon.

Later that night, Berengar will get his spy tissue to get the materials he needs to make certain toxins that were virtually undetectable in this medieval world. His new tactical target is his father's army marshal. The man was obviously most bothered by the news and even stared at Lambert for his reaction. Berengar had no doubt in his mind that the Marshal was in bed with Lambert. As commander of his father's forces, he posed the greatest threat to the security of his County and needed to be removed before Berengar seized power.

However, it was a task for later; after the statement was made, Berengar was congratulated by many, including his future wife and lover. Even Lambert was surprised when Linde approached Berengar immediately after the announcement and had a fight with Adela about who would salute first. At this moment, Berengar instantly realized what was going on between the two women, and he knew that Linde had said something to Adela to antagonize him. Now his words from the previous night began to make sense, and internally he was furious.

When the two were in the middle of an argument, Berengar raised his hand, and the two immediately fell silent.

"Adela, you're my fiance; you can tell me what you want to say first."

Linde soon becomes confused as she is denied the right to talk to her lover first. Still, he understood the reason and let it slide.

"Happy Berengar! I know you'll make your family proud."

the little girl then looked at Linde unhappily and whispered in Berengar's ear

"I need to talk to you later."

He nodded and smiled at his future wife as he held her hand

"Thank you! That means a lot came from my fiancee."

While saying that sentence, he looked at Linde with an expression that said

"I know what you're doing, and I'm not happy!"

Linde immediately flinched when she was the cruel gaze Berengar gave her; she began to think that perhaps she should not have openly declared war on Adela this quickly. He would definitely be punished much worse tonight, which made him very excited. Of course, he was skilled enough in acting to cover his desires with an indifferent gaze.

After Berengar received Adela's homage, he moved to Linde, who bowed respectfully and said formally.

"Lord Berengar, I'd like to congratulate you on your new title. I believe you will be a kind and efficient regent in the future."

Lambert was very agitated to see his fiance salute his elder brother, but judging from the lack of informality in his tone, it was only because he fulfilled his social obligations; therefore, it was, that, he never suspected she was romantically involved with Berengar. Instead, he felt more convinced by the previous thought that he had quarreled with Adela over something reckless and thus no longer paid attention to his actions.

It lasted for some time, but he had to console many people in his honor; when he was finally done with his noble obligations, he, he thanked his father for the trust he had placed in him and left the large hall. Adela was on the tail following her fiance. When they were finally exiled, he could not help but ask the little girl what exactly was the nature of her Complaints with Linde.

"So, are you gonna tell me what's going on?"

Adela tries to fake ignorance, as she does not want to discuss her war with a teaser for affection.

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about ..."

Berengar laughed at the cute face of the young girl as he tried to pretend not to understand her question.

"Come on; it's obvious that you're fighting with my brother's fiancee, even my father is aware of it, and he's not the sharpest tool in the barn when it comes to social circumstances."

Adela sighed deeply and told Berengar the truth about her encounter with Linde and how she felt about it; needless to say; she was unhappy. Berengar was an excellent actor and laughed at him as if it was a joke. He really needs to save the situation, and he is doing his best to do it.

"That's it? He is obviously angry at Lambert for his drunken antics and tries to anger him by chasing his older brother. If he really had the intention to steal me from you, I'm afraid it's too late. You have nothing to worry about."

Adela looked at Berengar with a timid expression as she asked him with tears in her eyes.

"Thank you?"

Berengar, of course, immediately felt very guilty for lying to his fiancee about the true nature of his relationship with Linde, but he was unable to reveal it at this time. Indeed, he felt justified in his actions and did not feel the slightest guilt for the act of having a lover beside him. However, he did not allow those complex emotions to appear on his face, as he covered his emotions with a very convincing facade.

"of course! Do you think I'd hold a fancy Engagement Ceremony like I would if I didn't have the intention to marry you?"

Her words made sense, and Adela slowly wiped the tears from her eyes. A smile spread across her face before she grabbed Berengar's neck and peeked at his cheek. After which, he ran away in embarrassment, even though he had kissed her cheek many times, it was still too heavy for the little girl to deal with him afterwards. Berengar was telling the truth when he said that last part; he had no intention of marrying Linde. She had developed it into a perfect mistress, but that did not mean that she was a wife ingredient in any way. It was not something that could be cultivated in a woman past a certain age. By the time she was physically mature, she was wife material or not; or so Berengar believed. The young master had personally witnessed too many men.

Luckily for him, Divorce was a rare occurrence in medieval times; he basically needed the Pope's approval. Even then, it would require special circumstances. While adultery is the reason for the dissolution of marriage, it is an expensive process and rarely favors women. He thinks sooner or later he can convince Adela to share it with Linde; the girl is stubborn and arrogant but not completely closed-minded. Of course, first he had to marry the girl and show her how much he cared about her before even talking about her lover's matter At least, it would be years before she admitted it, and she would do it. damned to make sure he doesn't know it until then.

Thinking about it now, he might have to do his best to gain good grace from the church; though an atheist, he realized how great the power of the papacy was in this new world; it was much larger than the timeline of his past life. He decided to speak with his priest at Sunday Mass and establish a relationship with the clergy. It would be nice if he could find an open-minded pastor, but the chances of that happening are very small. Whatever the case, he would never confess his "sin" to a priest, especially in an era where the papacy held significant authority.

Before going to bed, Berengar sent a message to his spy tissue to obtain a means to produce White Arsenic, a tasteless, odorless, and deadly poison that can be used in powder form. When he could make this deadly poison properly, he would use it on his first target. Although it took him some time to get the means to make it, so he could only wait until his first assassination attempt.

Before going to sleep, Linde appeared in her room with a guilty expression on her face. He willingly gave himself up for discipline, and Berengar spent the rest of his time trying to vilify the beauty of the m*da with k*ras for triggering a conflict with Adela. Which he, of course, m*enjoyed his heart. Although she has now convinced Adela that she will not pursue Linde, she will only be suspicious from now on. Nevertheless, Linde is actually the one who forms a love triangle that will one day become the backbone of a great dynasty.