The wording in the letter could not be called intense; it could even be considered sincere.
It was as if she truly admired his beauty and had specifically dispatched an envoy to seek his hand in marriage.
However, at the very end of the letter, it mentioned that Northland was a steadfast ally of the Havaron Empire, and if the Holy State and the Havaron Empire could become one family, Havaron would not interfere in the war between them.
In other words, if the Holy State refused the political marriage, they would have an excuse to deploy their troops.
“Tch—”
Lu Li scoffed, slipping the letter back into its envelope before handing it to the lady-in-waiting beside him, signaling her to bring it over to the young Cardinal who stood nearby, motionless as a statue.
Leonora Borgia had certainly calculated things well. She knew for a fact that the Holy State would never agree to such a demand, and she had likely prepared long ago to deploy troops to aid Northland.
Of course, Lu Li didn't have the final say in these matters now; he wanted to see how Julia would react.
The war had been started by Julia herself. During this time, Lu Li had also carefully studied her reasons for launching it. After reading through the history of the Kingdom of Northland, he had discovered a secret that was not much of a secret.
Julia's full name was Julia Rowe, and the monarch of the Kingdom of Northland was Ragna Rowe.
They both shared the surname Rowe.
To Lu Li's slight disappointment, not even a ripple of emotion appeared on Julia's calm face. Speaking in her capacity as Cardinal, she immediately rejected Havaron's marriage proposal.
The envoy, Hilda, froze in place. She had anticipated that the Holy State would refuse the proposal of marriage, as there was virtually no difference between that and handing over the entire country on a silver platter.
What she had not expected, however, was that the Cardinal known as the “Unmelting Ice of the Holy State,” Julia, would refuse without even a moment's hesitation.
She was so decisive that even Hilda felt slightly at a loss.
In her imagination, the Holy State would have at least convened a council meeting to discuss the matter before making a decision, and even if they refused, they would have preserved the empire's face.
Hilda looked up at the throne. The youth leaned lazily against the high backrest, his gaze seemingly falling from the clouds high above as he watched her with a faint, half-formed smile.
Her throat felt a bit dry, and in the end, she could only squeeze out a strained smile, saying:
“It seems the Holy State is already prepared.”
Prepared? Prepared for what?
Naturally, prepared to go to war with the Havaron Empire.
For nearly a century, the Havaron Empire had dominated the Eastern Continent. With its massive forces and formidable military prowess, it might have long since ceased to be inferior to the Holy State, the former hegemon of the continent.
Yet, the Holy State's sword was by no means blunt.
“Then the envoy need not trouble herself with worry. Please take some rest, the banquet will be held after sunset,” Lu Li said slowly.
Since Julia had already spoken, as the Pope of the Holy Court, he naturally wouldn't undermine his subordinate.
Besides, how could he ever agree to marry that old hag Leonora anyway? Incest was absolutely forbidden!
Bah! Even if it weren't incest, it was absolutely impossible.
His future lay in the stars and the deep blue sea!
When Hilda left, her mind was still in a daze. As she stepped past the doors of the hall, she turned back once more to look at the youth upon the throne. His face seemed shrouded in Holy Light, making it impossible to discern his features.
In her dazed state, she seemed to see another great existence sitting there—serious, majestic, and divine.
Many years later, Hilda would always recall that afternoon. It was on that very afternoon that she had met a truly great existence, and that was the closest she would ever come to divinity in her life.
Lu Li did not attend the evening banquet. She was merely an envoy, and one who brought news of war at that.
Not having someone chop off her head and send it back to Havaron was already a display of great mercy on his part; why would he personally attend the banquet?
“Did you predict this long ago?”
Lu Li sat in the garden. Before him, autumn chrysanthemums from the ancient East bloomed in abundance, their layered petals unfurling in the moonlight.
This kind of flower grew vigorously even in cold regions, unlike delicate moth orchids, and could also be dried to brew tea.
Thus, when he discovered a patch of autumn chrysanthemums planted in the garden, he had felt a pleasant little surprise.
“Havaron will not sit by and watch us annex Northland.”
Julia looked sideways at the youth beside her, the moonlight spilling over the tips of his hair. It fluttered gently with the wind and the rhythm of his breathing, like silver-bright ripples.
“So, from the very beginning, you prepared to wage war against both Havaron and Northland simultaneously?” This was Lu Li's guess, but it was also the truth.
Julia nodded slightly. Indeed, she had prepared for a larger war very early on, though she had originally thought she would be able to delay its arrival a bit longer.
But when she saw the letter written by the Emperor of Havaron in her own hand, all plans and strategies were thrown to the wind, leaving only a blazing fire of anger in her heart.
If you wanted war, she would give you war!
A so-called sovereign was merely a devil chosen by fate. Coincidentally, she too was a devil from the abyss. This was a war between devils!
“A storm is coming.”
Lu Li spoke softly, looking up at the bright night sky. He could almost foresee how the storm would sweep over the entire continent.
“Julia, can I trust you?” He turned his head, his bright eyes staring at the woman's profile in the darkness.
This was the second time.
Lu Li did not believe that this person was purely a war-mad lunatic, so he reached his hand out to her once more.
Yet, just like last time, Julia still did not give a definitive answer.
She merely took Lu Li's hand gently, bent down, and touched the back of his hand with her cool lips.
Within the holy scriptures, a kiss held a special meaning, but if it were a mere touch, it was different.
At this moment, Lu Li seemed to understand something. Perhaps it was not that she did not want to respond to his expectations, but that she could not.
A few weeks after the envoy delegation left the holy capital of Vipris, a mysterious unit indeed appeared on the Holy State's front line against the Kingdom of Northland.
Clad in iron puppets and raising high the banner of the golden lion, anyone with eyes could recognize them as the Lionheart Knights of Havaron.
The Holy State likewise deployed a massive amount of forces within a few short weeks. In addition to the Templar Knights, they also dispatched an Expeditionary Force along with a Sacred Knight who possessed power akin to that of a god or demon.
Once war had developed to this stage, it could not be stopped simply because one wished it so. Even if the monarch of Northland felt a cowardly timidity rising in her heart, the torrent of the times never showed bias based on status.
It merely swept everything along as it surged forward. No matter how prominent your status, you would still be ruthlessly crushed.
And history had long since given the answer.
Of course, none of this had much of an impact on Lu Li's life—at least, not for the time being.
On the surface, the holy capital remained calm and peaceful, and he still attended classes at the academy on time every day. However, he could clearly feel that the atmosphere within the academy had changed, losing some of its lightheartedness and gaining a bit more solemnity.
The knight escorts accompanying him also grew in number day by day. Although he felt that Anthelia and Amore alone were enough, Julia clearly did not think so.
Before long, an unexpected incident occurred, proving Julia's foresight once again.
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