Wicked Reign

Party Of The Dead Men Walking

"The vassals of the Rozenreff Dukedom are here, Your Grace." Lily could not hide the telltale signs of her disdain for the group of wrinkled people who claimed they had a shot of chances on controlling the new head of the Duchy just because her mistress was a woman.

Through Lily's network of intelligence through the handmaidens, she planted in every noble and aristocratic household, especially those who were not a member of the aristocratic faction, she was able to find out how the other leaders viewed her mistress: a frail woman who knew nothing about the empire's politics despite the fact that she was involved in the civil war.

Still clad in her nightgown, Tori merely placed her teacup down before she stood up. A growing grin started to show on her face. "Hand me my robe. It will be disrespectful to make them wait for me."

Lily immediately heeded her mistress' command. While she was busily picking whether a black robe or a maroon robe would emphasize her mistress' regal stature, her said mistress had already opened a secret compartment just behind her bed.

The secret compartment had the length and width of Tori's palm.

The moment Tori closed the secret compartment, she was already holding a small bottle. Upon seeing the familiar container, Lily's eyes filled with understanding.

Bowing her head, Lily said in a resolute voice. "I will ready a grand tea party for the vassals."

Tori needed not to answer Lily, for she knew that her trusted aide already understood her plan for the vassals. Staring at the retreating back of Lily until the doors of her room closed, a knowing smile painted her red lips as she gazed at the small bottle in her hand. "Let's see how far your greed will take you, my dearest vassals."

THE HOUSEHOLD VASSALS OF the Rozenreff Duchy did not stand when Lilian announced Tori's arrival in the indoor garden. Instead, the vassals who were mostly around the late emperor's age upheld the 'patriarchal' tradition which Tori glaringly broke when she was titled the Duchess while being the rumored queen chosen by the king himself.

"You didn't wait that long, did you, gentlemen?" Tori sauntered to the head seat. At a long rectangular table, she was seated at the center of attention as it should be. Her demeanor did not express any anger even from the blatant disrespect she had received.

"The Duchess has indeed grown into a fine noblewoman. You remind me of your mother so much." A wrinkled man with plump cheeks clasped his palms together as he blatantly scanned her up and down, not minding that he was talking to the owner of the dukedom.

Tori merely leaned on her chair before placing her left elbow on the armrest. She rested her chin on her knuckles and cocked her head with a small smile painted on her face. "Is that so?"

Aah. I want to pluck your eyes and feed them to Talia.

She shifted her attention to the eldest one in the group, the vassal whom she never cared to ask about.

Why should I? It will be useless knowing about someone who is about to die anyway.

"The morning has barely begun, why are my vassals here?" Her gaze shifted downward where the emblem of his fief was represented with a golden brooch. "In a complete imperial coat at that."

Delight and greed flashed in every vassal's eyes as they glanced into each other before they looked at her. It was the skinniest one among the group of vassals who opened the topic that they marched here for like a charging bull with the confidence of winning.

"First of all, we are here to express our congratulations to the new head of the Rozenreff Dukedom. We are also here to express our heartfelt condolence—"