The Granduke Evil
Chapter 19
Count Wilberg's sentence was set, according to what Ethan told the emperor. The Emperor punished Count Wilberg by taking all his assets as a noble and exiling him to a remote region. Then the next day Ethan went with Count Etienne to attend a meeting of the nobility to be held by the emperor. This time the meeting was attended by the head of the noble family in the verhant empire, there were about fifteen nobles in the empire who would come in the meeting. Five of them were the strongest and most influential nobles in the empire, They were Dawson, Xavier, Etienne, Hilmar and Ainsley. The five noble families were the greatest patrons of the empire, although Duke Ainsley was the most vassal family leader among the imperial nobility.
" Are you ready to meet Ethan?" Ask the count on his way back then.
" Prepared unprepared, I must be ready sir because after all I am the head of the Dawson family who leads the North." Reply Ethan.
The Count smiled, "It's true that now you're in charge of the North, so there's no need for you to worry." Count.
Arriving at the court of Ethan and Count Etienne a side-by-side road leads to the meeting room of the nobility at the court. Arriving in the room Ethan immediately became the center of attention for whatever reason, there were also several nobles who came among them Marques Xavier, Duke Hilmar and several other nobles. Ethan and Count Etienne sit next to each other, as one knows that Count Etienne is always on Ethan's side no matter what. While sitting next to each other there were still some eyes that looked at them with dislike. Not long after they sat down, Duke Ainsley came entering the room. Ethan continued to look at her with a sharp gaze from the beginning in the room until he sat down on the chair opposite to him. Duke Ainsley who noticed her was uncomfortable with Ethan's sharp gaze.
" Why do you keep looking at me?" Duke Ainsley asked in the quiet room for a moment, Everyone in the room looked directly at Duke Ainsley for not knowing who the question was. As well as Ethan, he just silently heard the question.
" I ask you young Grand Duke Dawson, why do you keep looking at me with a sharp gaze." Said the Duke for the second time.
" Oh, are you talking to me? I thought you were just talking to yourself because you didn't show that question to anyone here. " Reply Ethan.
" You should have realized, the one who had looked at me was just you in this place." Said Duke Ainsley who was getting annoyed.
" I don't know if I don't feel that way, maybe it's just your feeling." Say Ethan in his relaxed style while speaking.
" Young Granduke Dawson!" Duke Ainsley said in a very high tone.
" Hey Axton, stop why your emotions are so easily ignited just because of trivial things." Duke Hilmar interjected Duke Ainsley's words, "Ethan has eyes to see anyway, it's only natural that he looks around." Connect her.
" But Erland, she kept looking at me with a sharp gaze, it made me uncomfortable at all." Said Duke Ainsley in self-defense.
" Maybe it's just your feelings." Reply Duke Hilmar.
" It's Ainsley, as a noble, take care of your attitude in the palace a little. Even though Ethan is young he's still the head of the noble family in this empire, so take care of your attitude a little." Said Marques Xavier trying to stop Duke Ainsley's attitude that could not contain his anger.
Ethan who was in that place only saw Duke Ainsley, The curiosity why he sent assassins for him while on a mission kept coming to his mind. Hate and resentment enveloped him upon seeing Duke Ainsley, probably because all he did was to kill Ethan. Not long after the small commotion in the room, the Emperor came. " THE EMPEROR ENTERED THE ROOM." Shouted the knights guarding the door. The emperor walked past that table and sat in front leading the noble gathering that day. All the nobles in the place stood up and greeted the Emperor.
" Greetings to the sun of the verhant empire." Say them simultaneously.
" Thank you, go back to your seats." Emperor's reply.
" I'm having this meeting to discuss some of the things that have happened lately, as well as announce the reward for the success of young Grand Duke Dawson. " The emperor said beginning the discussion. " I would like to thank both the North Regional Leader and my nephew Ethan for solving a case I didn't even know about and successfully slaughtering a monster in the south, and I want to apologize for what happened in the south. It turns out that there is still a lot to be improved in my leadership system, therefore I ask for your cooperation in the future. Then for the reward I'm gonna give Ethan, I plan to give him the south. " The emperor explained everything.
" I'm sorry, Sire, giving Duke Dawson the south is not an exaggeration." Sela Duke Ainsley after the emperor finished speaking.
" overused? Are you not mistaken to say Duke Ainsley, then why don't you just go at that time to eradicate the Monster in the south." Reply Ethan.
" Because I was not there at that time, because of the duties of His Majesty so I do not know. But what Ethan said was true Axton, why didn't you just leave at the time if you said His gifts were too much for him? The emperor also gave gifts according to what he did." Sela Duke Hilmar in the middle of the conversation while looking at Duke Ainsley.
" I also agree with what Hilmar said, Even from all of you who are here no one wants to fulfill His Majesty's order to go south. It is precisely you yourself who asked Ethan to leave the southern region when he was recovering from his illness "rejected Marques Xavier.
" I proposed it because he had previously managed to go on a mission to eradicate monsters. " Reply Duke Ainsley.
" Is it true, are you sure Duke Axton Ainsley, that there's no other purpose for you to propose Ethan to go to the south?" Ask Count Etienne at the time.
" What do you mean Eryk? You're gonna accuse me of endangering Ethan ?" Reply Duke Ainsley.
" I don't talk like that. " Reply Count Etienne.
The four nobles in that place felt like siding with Ethan, the Emperor who saw them arguing was just silent while paying attention to the situation.
" What's wrong if I give Ethan the south, try to explain why Axton." The emperor looked towards him.
" Duke Dawson is too young to take care of his two territories, and the Northern Region is already prosperous enough with his wealth, if Duke Dawson leads the two territories is not too much." Duke Ainsley.
Ethan, upset by Duke Ainsley's words, can no longer hold back his emotions, "Brak!!" Ethan hits the table with his hand.
" Hear Duke Axton Ainsley, I don't want to know anything about your business or anything you do, but listen to the welfare of the North Samapi region at this time it's all because of my father's hard work as the leader of the region as well as the current warlord of this empire on the edge, Fourteen-year-old I joined my father in the war and risked our lives. Until finally father brings victory to the empire." Ethan said in a high enough tone because he couldn't hold back his emotions, "You're saying that's excessive? what do you not like you want treasure? do you want a diamond mine in the North or a Dawson gold mine in the east ? Answer me Duke Ainsley, I can still accept that you are insulting me whatever it is I can still accept, but if you mention the name of the territory led by my late father, I can still accept it, I'm not gonna shut up. " Continue Ethan with the same tone and a sharp look at Duke Ainsley. His red eyes were immediately highlighted due to his gaze.
" Ethan Clark Dawson!" call the emperor who stops Ethan talking.
" Pacify yourself Ethan, keep a little bit of your attitude as the leader of the region. " Say the emperor firmly.
Ethan immediately looked at the emperor, he did not feel angry or upset at him.Just he was covered in emotion because of Duke Ainsley's words, Ethan immediately moved from his seat. " I'm sorry, Sire, I resigned because my presumptuous attitude and can not hold back this anger made Your Majesty uncomfortable. And whatever gift His Majesty gave me, I will receive with grace.then I withdraw from this meeting thank you. " Say Ethan bowing his head and leaving the room.
The room became silent for a moment, all eyes were immediately on Duke Ainsley. The hateful gazes of the top three nobles were like attacking Duke Ainsley.
" Ainsley keep your attitude, you're not a teenager who can't control your emotions. Your attitude this time is really outrageous Ainsley." The emperor was in that place.
" I'm sorry, Your Majesty." Reply Duke Ainsley.
" I apologize to Ethan directly." The emperor told him. " Whatever you think, it's not whatever you think my decision to give the south to Ethan is unanimous. " So the emperor confirmed to all the nobles in that place. Then the emperor confirmed one more thing to all of them, "And one more thing, I heard that my niece almost got killed while on a mission yesterday. For now I don't know the culprit yet, but if the culprit is one of the nobles in this empire. I won't spare her a bit of it." The emperor's bluff in the room.
Count Etienne, who had heard this, was pensive for a long time, thinking how the emperor would know about it. On the other hand Duke Ainsley felt an instant of fear.
" Then I've had a meeting today, I'm sorry for the inconvenience this day has caused, thank you." Said the emperor, then left the room.
...****...
Ethan rode back and forth toward his mansion, Arriving at Ethan's mansion made everyone there surprised, as his sudden arrival was not with Count Etienne but alone. and the arrival of Ethan when the mansion arrived in a blanket of anger that made everyone afraid to approach him, Abel who saw him tried to chase after him. " What's going on, Ethan, is there something going on? " Then following Ethan's steps so quickly.
" Call Alex and you two come to my room as soon as possible, I don't want to wait too long." Ethan gave the order.
" All right." Abel's steps are stopped when Ethan gives the order, but instead Ethan continues to drive without caring about his surroundings. Abel immediately turned to look for Alex, although something changed from Ethan's attitude to be softer but when angry he remained the same. Ethan who is now really can not be approached or disturbed.
After calling Alex, the two of them rush to Ethan's office. Sure enough to get there Ethan was waiting in his study, he sat in his place while pensively with a serious expression.
" What's up, Ethan?" Ask Alex.
" Give me as soon as possible information about Duke Axton Ainsley and Duke Hilmar, however I want to know this right now. I'll give you until dinner time, what can you do." asked Ethan firmly.
" Of course we can, I'll get that information right now." Reply Alex quickly.
"Believe you help Alex find that information." Ethan.
" All right, I'll help her." Reply Abel.
" Well then I beg you for help, thank you." Ethan then leaves his study.
" Hey Alex, what do we think made Ethan that angry?" Ask Alex curiously.
" I don't know, maybe something happened during the noble meeting earlier. Probably just my guess, I think the main culprit is Duke Ainsley." Reply to Alex as he walks out of the room. " Huh, we've got to hurry." Connect Alex who instructs to move quickly.
...****************...
Since in the world of this novel, soaking while lighting candles aroma became a method for him to calm the mind for a moment, according to him there is the best method when his mind is really chaotic. He himself did not understand why Angry was at the palace, but Duke Ainsley's words had really crossed the line for him.
" It turns out that people who are greedy for treasures in this world also exist, since the beginning I saw it I did not like it. After he noticed again he was a selfish person who only concerned himself." Ethan's on his own, though,
" Huh...". Sighing, "I don't like it because he talks so easily about me , I used to hate when people talked about me so easily when they didn't know what I was going through. Just like Duke Ainsley did today, it really makes me angry." The bridge is still soaking while closing the eyes. Finished soaking and drying his body, he dried his body and put on clothes that made him comfortable. " It turned out that only at home could I feel comfortable, being me without having to meet the crowd and cover my face." Ethan said while looking in the mirror.
After finishing refreshing Ethan's body out to go to work, while walking towards his study he accidentally crossed paths with Grace. " Ethan." Sapa Grace's.
" Hey Grace." Ethan said with a smile, Ethan's step stopped when he greeted Grace.
" Where are you going? "
" I'm going to my study, there's some things I need to get done." Reply Ethan.
" You don't want dinner, you've already missed two dinners with the lady." Grace said with a worried expression.
Seeing Grace like that Ethan stroked her hair gently, "I'm sorry Grace, I'm really busy at the end of this, please accompany my mother again."
" What happened, did something happen in the palace? Why don't you and uncle go home together, and uncle hasn't come back either." Ask Grace.
" Nothing happened, maybe the count is also having business so still not back. Then I'll go first." Reply to Ethan gently.
" All right."
Arriving at his study, Alex and Abel were already there while putting a stack of documents on his desk.
" Have you found him?" Ethan asked walking to his desk while looking at one of the documents in the pile.
" All you've seen is a document about Duke Hilmar." Said Alex.
" And that document on your right, it's Duke Ainsley's data." Abel.
" All right, you can come back." Ethan said that focus on looking at the documents.
" have? You don't need anything anymore?" Ask Alex.
" No, thank you for your hard work." Ethan.
" True, you don't need anything else, or help?" Abel asked to be sure.
" No." Ethan answered briefly.
" Okay, then we'll go." Said Alex.
" Yes."
" Erland kyne Hilmar, ruler of the northeastern region of the verhant empire he contributed most to diplomatic affairs. Broadly speaking, he did not side with anyone or exist in any faction, he only sided with the emperor as the leader of this country. And she also has a pretty close relationship with dad? Really?" Ethan said in his heart to conclude everything after reading one of the documents. " It's worth it, he was on my side yesterday." Ethan Guman. After reading all the documents about Duke Hilmar there is nothing strange and need to be suspected, his close relationship with Ethan's late father was at the beginning of a gold mine purchase transaction in the eastern region which was indirectly handled also by him. Duke Hilmar was the leader of the territory that was on the emperor's side, no matter what happened he would only make a move if it was the emperor's order.
" Now, the turn of documents from the most annoying noble I have to see, guess how far he's been hiding all along. From the beginning I saw, I could see he was the leader of a territory that could not be trusted." Ethan's group started looking at the document.