A State of Emergency

Victor took the letter and gently set it aside, intending to continue enjoying the sumptuous dinner before him.

Just then, however, his gaze happened to sweep over the vivid wax seal on the letter, and he froze.

His eyes widened as he stared at that little seal. Without hesitation, he dropped his utensils and snatched up the letter.

He had recognized the distinctive wax seal at a glance—it was Alex's personal seal!

Only Alex himself possessed such a seal, and he usually reserved it for extremely important or confidential documents...

Victor opened the envelope, drew out the letter, and unfolded it, slowly lowering his gaze to the page.

At first, he remained calm, but as he read on, his expression gradually grew grave.

His brows furrowed slightly, as though certain parts of the letter puzzled and unsettled him.

He would pause to think, then quickly skim a few more lines. All the while, his frown deepened, like two deep furrows carved into his otherwise handsome face.

Alex had made the situation quite clear in his letter. The Northern Alliance Army was about to launch an all-out assault on the Duchy Army, and every attempt he had made to persuade Count Colt to change his mind had failed.

He hoped Victor could offer some advice and help him persuade Count Colt to delay the assault.

After finishing the letter, Victor gave a wry smile. "I'm still so far away, and I'm no miracle worker. How am I supposed to persuade Count Colt? Besides, His Lordship certainly wouldn't listen to me!"

Although Alex had been very circumspect in his letter, even making a deliberate effort to conceal his father's intentions, Victor was no fool. He had long known that Count Colt was wary of him.

After all, the earlier orders from Northern