Is This a Joke?

At this moment, the Count finally turned his attention to the crucial Imperial Edict.

He slowly unfolded the Imperial Edict and laid it flat on the table, his tone becoming unusually formal and solemn. "Karl von Schmidt, receive the decree."

Upon hearing this, Karl instinctively reached up to kneel and receive the imperial decree, a proper etiquette when facing Royal Decree.

"No need," the Count said, raising his hand to stop him. His voice was deep. "Just listen here."

This unusual action made Karl's heart sink even further.

The Count cleared his throat and began to read, his voice echoing in the quiet office with an undeniable air of authority:

"In the name of His Majesty King Sigmund of the Sigmund Goldflower Kingdom! Karl von Schmidt, receive this decree!"

The first half of the Imperial Edict was nothing more than official jargon and clichés about the new king's ascension to the throne, commemorating the Former King, and explaining the challenges facing the kingdom.

Karl listened patiently, but his mind raced. Was the old King Heinrich dead? Had the new King Sigmund ascended the throne?

Based on his intuition and limited information, he was almost certain that the change of the throne was fraught with court intrigue and bloody struggle, but for the time being, it seemed to have little to do with him, a small border Lord far away in the Northern Territory.

Then, the Imperial Edict finally turned to the part that was personally relevant to him, praising the Battle of Carnford and bestowing titles upon him.

When Karl heard that he had been promoted to hereditary lieutenant Count, bestowed with the honorary title of "Guardian of the Northern Border," and received corresponding land and taxation rights, he couldn't help but feel a surge of joy.

It seems the new King is quite generous, bestowing such high honors and a substantial Nobility title right from the start.

However, just as he breathed a sigh of relief, Count count paused slightly in his reading of the Imperial Edict, as if the following words were particularly heavy.

He raised his eyelids, gave Karl a deep look, his gaze complex and unfathomable, before continuing to read.

What followed was like a bucket of ice water, dousing Karl from head to toe! It froze him instantly, his blood seemingly freezing!

"... To recognize his outstanding achievements and secure the northern borders, His Majesty hereby bestows upon Karl von Schmidt the title of Prince Consort of the Goldflower Kingdom! My elder sister, Princess Louise, is to be married to you! May you two be forever united in heart and mind, assisting the royal family and jointly protecting the nation..."

"The Prince Consort... Princess Louise... is marrying..."

Karl was completely stunned, his mind went blank, and he instinctively wanted to say, "Count Excellency, are you joking?"

But when he saw the Count's face, devoid of any smile, only heavy and solemn, the words were stuck in his throat.

This is not a joke; it is a cold, cruel reality.

A chill ran down his spine, and Karl's voice trembled without him even realizing it, as he almost instinctively asked the impossible question, "Can... can I refuse?"

The Count fell silent.

He didn't answer immediately; he didn't even look at Karl, but instead turned his gaze back to the window, as if there was something extremely attractive about the garden.

His hand, resting on the table, unconsciously tapped the smooth wooden surface with his knuckles, producing a soft, rhythmic "tap, tap" sound.

The silence lasted for a good ten seconds, as long as an eternity.

This long and oppressive silence is itself the clearest, cruelest, and most desperate answer.

cannot.

Absolutely impossible.

Although the kingdom is now riddled with problems, internal strife, and surrounded by powerful enemies, the legal legitimacy of the Goldflower Kingdom still exists, and the royal power is, on the surface, still the last symbol that keeps this vast kingdom from completely disintegrating.

Publicly defying the imperial decree and refusing to marry was far more than simply going against the personal will of King Sigmund.

Although the King's decision to marry the Princess to him was politically motivated, it was also an affirmation of his achievements. Refusing the marriage was tantamount to declaring, "I despise the King's gift."

This would be seen as the most blatant challenge and humiliation to the kingdom's authority, and in the mouths of the courtiers in Prye City who were adept at fabricating charges, it could be defined as "treason"!

Carnford, now reeling from a bloody battle, is in dire need of rebuilding. Like a frail, toddler learning to walk, it relies on the overt and covert support of the Kingdom system for food, weapons, funds, and moral support.

Once accused of "treason," all aid channels will be cut off instantly, leaving Carnford in a desperate and isolated situation.

More crucial, and perhaps more fatal, are the people and bonds that have sustained Carnford to where they are today.

His father, Duke Schmidt, had a delicate relationship with the Royal Capital due to political and other reasons, but he was still the hereditary Duke of the Goldflower Kingdom, and the family's foundation and honor were closely linked to the kingdom.

Earl Rochefort, a pillar of the Northern Territory who had greatly supported him and even tacitly approved of his relationship with Charlotte, offered his full assistance based primarily on the political premise that they both considered themselves loyal subjects of the Goldflower Kingdom and were protecting the Northern Territory for the kingdom.

If he were to openly betray his country, would Earl Rochefort still support him? At that point, would the Count choose to uphold justice even at the cost of his own family, or would he bear the charge of treason alongside Karl and become an enemy of the entire kingdom? It was almost an impossible choice.

And Charlotte... the girl he loved deeply, the one with whom he had made a promise.

No matter how strong her personal will or how deep her emotions, faced with the immensely heavy reality of her family's survival and the greater good of the kingdom, what kind of heart-wrenching pain and despair would she be plunged into?

Their love seemed so insignificant and vulnerable in the face of the heinous crime of "treason"!

At that time, he will be deserted by everyone, and all his allies and supporters will vanish in an instant, like snow under the sun.

He will be completely isolated, Carnford, this small, newly revitalized territory, will be like a small boat in a stormy sea, bearing the thunderous wrath of the Goldflower Kingdom and the relentless watchful eyes of the Sauron in the north.

When the nest is overturned, how can the eggs remain intact?

Must Karl von Schmidt, like those desperate border Lord, be forced to kneel and surrender to their sworn Sauron, in exchange for a chance to prolong his life?

The thought filled him with a visceral revulsion and a profound sense of shame! If that were truly the case, all his previous struggles, the blood shed by his men, and the trust placed in him by his people who had entrusted their lives to him...

What does all of this amount to? It's all just a meaningless joke and irony!

His officials— Edgar, Brendan, Richter —followed him because they believed he could lead them to survive and create a future on this cruel land, not because they wanted to follow him down a path destined for destruction and eternal infamy.

How will those who have just settled down and whose eyes have been rekindled with hope for life face the iron hooves of the kingdom's punitive army and the merciless purge that will follow?

Personal emotions... personal love, promises, happiness... all seem so insignificant in the face of this cold and heavy political reality.