I Know Your Wife

The mayor's words were firm and powerful.

These words were as chilling as a cold wind; though they did not roar or howl, they were enough to instill fear.

Because everyone understood.

The other party is now... utterly unreasonable.

Or rather, at this moment, the most important thing is to protect this city.

Leona gritted her teeth in resentment.

At this point, she had no way to protest or argue, because this despicable man had clearly made his decision and considered all the possible consequences.

She felt gazes coming from all directions.

There was mockery, indifference, and hostility.

This is Goth.

Among those present were merchants and local nobles, but they were, after all, Goth People, fighting for their homeland, while I was an Imperial citizen... and the Imperials haven't had a very good reputation lately.

The Glittering Sand Incident shocked the continent and surprised many countries. It should be noted that Goth was nominally a vassal state of the Empire. When the Dusk Moon Dynasty declared war on Goth, the Empire, as the suzerain state, merely pretended to mediate and intervene, without clearly supporting its vassal. This had already drawn much criticism and resentment.

Furthermore, Princess Tina Terrariel of Goth Order was continuously spraying dirty water at the Crown Prince with a high-pressure water gun, and a barrage of conspiracy theories were being released without restraint. This had become a frenzy in the public opinion field across the entire continent, and beneath the surface, countless reactionary forces, both domestic and foreign, were fueling the flames.

The most insidious slander was that the Empire and the Elves had reached an agreement to divide Goth. The insidiousness of this rumor lay in the fact that, regardless of the outcome of the war, if the Empire occupied even an inch of Goth's land after the war, it would solidify its reputation as "colluding with the Elves to divide vassal territories," which would not only damage its credibility but also be extremely shameful.

Moreover, the news spread, and the reputation of the Imperials in Goth became utterly tarnished. Perhaps in the minds of the Goth People, the Empire was now synonymous with an enemy state—although the Goth court strictly forbade any retaliatory action against Imperials remaining in their territories, lest the Empire find fault with them, however...

"With an army pressing in, if the city falls, everything will be over. This bastard doesn't care who he offends at all..."

Leona looked at the Goth People present, but their eyes showed no empathy, only pleasure and mockery. The indifference and even scheming of the Empire had truly broken the hearts of the Goth People.

That's damn good.

The silver-haired girl took a deep breath and then stood up from her seat.

The old butler involuntarily stepped forward. In a flash, this loyal servant of the Vidal Family had already envisioned the worst-case scenario—what if the young lady took a running start, leaped onto the conference table, charged at the mayor, and delivered a powerful double kick to his face...

He was determined to stop the young lady no matter what.

But Leona did not do that.

She walked with a swaying gait, her skirt fluttering, seemingly oblivious to everyone's presence, circling around most of the conference table and leaving behind a refreshing fragrance.

Then he went up behind Hong San and patted the back of his chair.

"Hey, handsome."

She said, "There's a seat over there further forward with better air quality, and it still retains the warmth and fragrance of a beautiful young woman's body. Go sit there, you're getting a great deal."

The sound was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for the people around to hear, and the gentlemen all stared wide-eyed.

Upon hearing this, Hong San subconsciously looked at the seat Leona had pointed to. He then saw the old butler standing to the side shudder, then flick a handkerchief from his sleeve and quickly wipe the chair five times. He then took out a bottle of perfume from his pocket, sprayed it on, and wiped it five more times.

"Ah, the beautiful girl's body heat and fragrance are all gone."

Leona replied without changing her expression, "But there's still a good spot over there, where you can get a closer look at the mayor's imposing figure, so I thought I'd switch seats with you, is that alright?"

Hong San stammered, "But, why?"

Leona said casually, "Because I fell in love at first sight with the hunk next to you and wanted to hook up with him."

To Hong San's left sat a burly man with a scarred face, a body as strong as a bear, and an aura of menace. He was probably a mercenary. Upon hearing this, he was both surprised and delighted, and unconsciously revealed a simple-minded smile.

He turned to look at the small face of the Imperial woman, only to find that she was looking to the right, and the Cathayan to his right was also looking to the right—clearly, they both thought the muscular man was someone else.

Scarface, feeling indignant, looked up and saw a Cathay.

--Anyway, he's nowhere near as strong as me.

What kind of tough guy is this? Huh?

Kang De also heard this, and a hint of smugness and smugness flashed through his mind.

However, this is merely a man's instinct.

After instinct came reason, and he became wary—the other person was an Imperial citizen, and a member of the Vidal Family, clearly forced onto this chariot by the mayor. Under these circumstances, for the other person to casually run over here in public and claim to have fallen in love at first sight was highly suspicious.

Damn it, if you're going to hook up, you'd at least pass a note or ask someone out for dinner. Who goes around openly flirting in front of the mayor and other leaders at a municipal standing committee meeting?

Kang De then gave a polite smile and said, "I'm sorry, miss, I already have someone I like."

--Nonsense, you're already married, how would I know her?

Before the girl could speak, the mayor calmly said, "Miss Leona, please return to your seat."

Leona said coldly, "I want to sit here."

Nick asked calmly, "Why?"

She moved behind Kang De, holding onto the back of his chair, and looked at Mayor Nick with a cold smile, "Because I've decided to follow this Cathayan, and all the wealth, manpower, and resources of the Vidal Family in Valentan City are with this Cathayan, you Goth People don't trust the Imperials, and I don't trust you either. At a time like this, it's better to stick together with the Cathayan, who are also a different race."

The mayor said slowly, "You yourself said it's about forming a group, do you think I would agree to that?"

"If you agree, we'll help." The girl stared at him, seemingly resentful of being overwhelmed earlier, her attitude now extremely firm. "I know you've prepared a detailed plan, including how you'll force us to comply if we don't cooperate—but you'd better think it through!"

Kang De frowned.

He was about to speak when he felt the other person's small hand squeeze his shoulder, then gently draw something on his back. Kang De could feel the gentleness, the combined sensation of a soft, delicate hand and a gossamer-thin gauze glove, which sent a tingling, numbing sensation through him.

--And that's all he can feel now.

Because he was illiterate.

But the other party's actions still made him hesitate for a moment.

At the same time, Mayor Nick's gaze also fell on his face.

The mayor gave Kang De a meaningful look, then asked, "So, Miss Leona, why this Mr. Dong Zhuo?"

Leona responded, "Doesn't the mayor also think that, even at a meeting like this, the chief military advisor from the Heaven and Earth Society deserves another seat?"

The mayor remained silent for a moment, ignoring Leona and looking at everyone else.

"Gentlemen, things have come to this point, so I need not hide anything. Even with the elven army surrounding the city, we still have the ability to communicate with the outside world. This not only means reinforcements, but also a list."

His gaze swept across each face. "Your names, positions, information, and even details about your families have all been recorded and sent to the capital. A newly established department in Goth's court is collecting these documents. In other words, your names will be remembered by Goth. One day, when we defeat the elves, you will be remembered, appreciated, and rewarded by this nation. Goth will remember your contributions."

"We will remember what you all did."

He placed his hands on the table and said in a deep voice, "The elven army is coming soon. Our lives will be bound together, and we will fight side by side. So there are some things I don't need to hide. The Dusk Moon Dynasty is unparalleled in the world. Goth has already prepared for the worst. Perhaps this country will perish, after all, there is no eternal monarchy. But Goth's country may fall, but the Goth People will not be extinct. Perhaps we will be exiled across the continent like the Bayero People, but we have made more preparations and have a greater determination than they have."

"If that day ever comes, before restoring the nation, it will be for revenge."

In other words...

The mayor's gentle gaze swept over everyone present. "If any of you have any dissatisfaction, or harbor other thoughts, or are even swayed by the elven spies to plot something, then I will kill him first, along with everyone connected to him. If I fail, then I, the defeated one, will perish for this city, and the shameful traitors will live in Shadow fear until the Avenger of their fallen kingdoms come before them. This is Goth's final promise."

After he finished speaking, he looked up at Leona.

"Imperial people, can the Vidal Family uphold the oath they swore?"

Leona spat out a short sentence through gritted teeth. "... Of course."

"Then I agree to your request. Please think it over carefully."

The mayor glanced at Kang De, but only for a moment before looking away.

The elves were supposed to arrive, but they never did. This meeting was both a mobilization and a threat. The mayor was determined to fight to the death and ordered everyone in the city to follow him.

Next, he explained the mobilization order to everyone, including the tasks and precautions for each force and organization. He asked them to organize their supplies, be ready to be requisitioned at any time, and gather all available manpower. Each organization had corresponding quotas.

Looking at the subtle and complex expressions on the faces of each faction, Kang De knew that the mayor's seat was rightfully in their hands, indicating that Nick had a very strong grasp of the city.

The Heaven and Earth Society required no fewer than eight hundred able-bodied militiamen and an equal number of reservists.

Looking at Hong San's slightly trembling hands under the table, one could tell that this number probably included relatively strong and healthy elderly people and women.

This means that almost everyone will have to face war head-on, everyone.

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PS1: First update, 3,000 words. Second update will be after midnight.