The room was very quiet. Faced with Lin Qi's question, the nobles began to calm down and think seriously.
There was not a trace of noise in the tranquil surroundings. There was no need to worry about the nobles' houses having poor soundproofing. For the sake of certain secrets, they always took every possible precaution, and soundproofing was one of them.
The Small Earl's mind was highly active. He could not help tugging at his Flower Collar, which made him feel constricted and a little short of breath.
Sweat on his forehead glimmered under the lamplight. Everyone had clearly begun to grow uneasy.
The Small Earl looked at Lin Qi, who was sitting quietly. His gaze swept over the others before finally returning to him. "I don't know how to put it, but I feel a distinct sense of fear."
Lin Qi nodded. "Yes, fear. That's normal."
"Actually, I'm afraid too."
"The Federation's Military Expenditure has more than doubled this year, and it'll grow even higher with the projects that follow. Gefra is the same."
"To gain an advantage in a war that could erupt at any time, we poured all the funds that should have gone toward developing society and improving people's lives into preparations for war!"
"Our country is like a madman sitting at a gambling table, frantically and constantly pushing every chip it can pull from its pockets into the betting area before them."
"The more chips they put down, the more desperately they want to see the result."
"Whether it's good or bad!"
Everyone nodded. Some of them had experienced that feeling before—when winning or losing took control of their reason, they would impulsively stake all their money on the table.
After putting down their bets, their only thought was, "Open." Whether it was opening cards,