That was right. According to the original plan, Li had intended for Alvarez to open the war front in the north rather than the south. That way, he would have fulfilled his promise to Angel. As for Ostfang, Li had merely borrowed Zeref's orders to have Ostfang cooperate in setting a trap for Bradman. But now, it seemed Zeref had already used his original plan to accomplish quite a few things...
Ostfang had rebelled. Wasn't the entire Southern Pact Alliance's main force stationed in the Acatlia Principality, under Ostfang's command? In short, the Southern Pact Alliance now had no choice but to follow Ostfang's lead. If they still wanted to continue helping the Mist Empire, they would have to consider how their own army would be treated.
As long as Ostfang and the Grand Duke of Alvarez were ruthless enough, they could directly bury the entire Southern Pact Alliance army gathered in the Acatlia Principality. Then the whole Southern Pact Alliance would effectively fall into Alvarez's hands.
"Yes, my entire family has rebelled..." Timaria gave a bitter smile. "That day, Father also told me to forcibly keep Angel in the Alvarez Principality. As long as she wasn't allowed to return to Mist, that would be enough. But I never expected Angel to have already noticed our plan, so she escaped... She didn't even tell me..."
Timaria suddenly covered her face with both hands and burst into tears. "August, tell me, why couldn't I have been like you? Why couldn't I have told Angel the truth beforehand and run away with her?"
Li smiled faintly. "Don't be foolish. No matter how much I gave up, it was only worldly possessions—power, wealth, things like that. But after you abandoned your family, the next time you met them, you would be mortal enemies.