"Bring over any other documents that need handling as well."
"There are none left. You've already reviewed and approved all the reports sent in from every quarter," the secretary beside him said, wiping the sweat from his brow.
The man raised his head, dazed for a moment, then broke into a grin. "Finished so quickly? I'm really not used to it yet."
"Your Highness, you are far too diligent. The people of the Duchy of Tis are truly blessed," the secretary hurriedly said. He cautiously lifted his eyes and secretly glanced at the young Grand Duke.
Just a few months ago, the man seated behind the long table had still been the "Prince" everyone mocked. Yet in the blink of an eye, he had become the true Grand Duke of Tis, with complete control over the duchy's affairs.
It all felt like a dream. When news of the Empress's assassination arrived, no one believed it. When the Prince fled, people gossiped endlessly. When the rebel armies within the Empire pledged allegiance, the local nobles remained skeptical. When the three Grand Dukes of the Northern Territory extended olive branches, people fell silent. And when the Empire's borders steadily retreated westward—no matter how slow-witted someone was, by then they should have understood that this land had a new master.
Whenever he thought of this, the secretary felt an indescribable dread.
Who had said the "Prince" was nothing but useless trash?
He had personally watched the Prince skillfully deal with every faction: dividing them, winning them over, making promises, forging alliances. In just a few months, he had united a scattered coalition, silenced all resistance within the Duchy of Tis, and even forced the Empire to yield time and again. The independent Tis Territory had truly fallen under his control.
Politics, military affairs,