Chapter 54

Seeing Mary and the others return, everyone expected the conversation to resume.

But Mary had no intention of continuing the discussion. Rather, she believed that no matter how long they talked, they would only end up at an impasse.

Flour considered the current state of affairs, where there was a disparity in wealth due to one's birth, as a natural order of things.

He had no malice or ulterior motives, nor did he have any base thoughts of enriching himself. Having reached this conclusion over a lifetime that far exceeded Mary's, it would take a considerable amount of time to change his mind.

She had no intention of doing so.

It was not their job to awaken Flour to a new perspective.

With this in mind, Mary confirmed, "You still believe that one's birth determines everything, don't you?" Flour nodded deeply.

His weathered face, with its deep-set, unwavering eyes, showed that he was not about to back down, nor did he even consider the need to do so.

Everyone could sense the stubbornness of his thoughts and their expressions turned grim. But only Mary smiled at Flour.

"That's good. I was worried what would happen if you retracted your statement at this point. In that case, please withdraw from this territory immediately."

"…What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, I didn't think I needed to explain. After all, I am Mary Albert. You know what the Albert family is capable of, don't you?"

Mary smiled calmly.

Flour's eyes flickered. The wrinkles on his face deepened, and he looked at Mary with a puzzled expression. His dignified appearance now seemed to exude hostility.

The small, old man appeared large to Mary at that moment.

But she couldn't afford to hesitate now. Thinking this, Mary slowly exhaled.

No matter how long Flour had lived or how much weight and authority he carried, to Mary, it was trivial.

Glancing sideways at Alicia, she saw that Alicia was looking at Flour with a dignified attitude. Her silence was a sign that she trusted Mary completely.

Mary carried the name of a prestigious family and had received a direct order from the princess.

She couldn't back down. No, she wouldn't back down.

But Flour also seemed unwilling to yield, and with a quiet hostility, he slowly spoke.

"Even if you are from the Albert family, isn't it too presumptuous for a noble from another country to interfere?"

"Princess Alicia agrees with this view. So does Lord Gynas of the Eldland family. And…"

As she spoke, Mary took a letter from the inner pocket of her jacket.

Sliding it across the table to Flour, his thin, wrinkled hand took it and his eyes widened.

The expression on his weathered, aged face was quite forceful, and everyone was taken aback. But Mary alone smiled gracefully.

It was no wonder Flour was surprised.

After all, the letter was from…

"Ah, I see. You've already come to an agreement with the upper echelons of Silvino."

After checking the contents, Flour's words were met with a calm "Yes" from Mary.

The room buzzed with confusion. Gynas, who had seen the letter in Flour's hand, muttered, "That crest…"

As expected of a neighboring country, he had recognized the family crest on the seal.

It was the crest of the royal family that ruled Silvino.

But even though he recognized it, he couldn't understand why Mary had a letter from the royal family. Gynas looked at Mary with a mix of surprise and curiosity.

Meeting his questioning gaze, Mary stood up straight and said,

"It's the spoils of the first battle!"

The room fell silent again.

Realizing her mistake, Mary cleared her throat. She had only stated the truth, but it seemed out of place in this situation. She had completely ruined the atmosphere.

So she tried to steer the conversation back on track. "In any case," she said, turning back to Flour. The others followed suit, focusing their attention on Flour and the letter in his hand.

"We would prefer to resolve this amicably, but if you insist, we are not averse to making this a matter of national concern."

Implicitly telling him that she would keep it between them to avoid a larger conflict, as it would also harm Flour. In fact, now that Silvino was on their side, only Flour would suffer.

The territory in question was already under scrutiny, and if it was being challenged by a princess from another country and prestigious nobles, there was no question which side Silvino would take.

But if he backed down now, it could be resolved amicably.

It was a bold move, but it was also a gamble.

"If you insist that 'birth is everything,' then as someone born into the Albert family… no, as someone of my 'birth,' I expect you to comply."

Mary said this in a calm voice.

Everyone waited quietly for her next words, and an unusual silence filled the room.

Flour broke the silence. He took a deep breath and slowly bowed his head.

"As you wish."

He replied in a low, raspy voice.

Hearing this, Mary's eyes widened in surprise. She had braced herself for more resistance or a counterargument, but Flour had given in so easily.

He gave an order to a maid standing in the corner and took a sip of tea with a graceful gesture. There was no sign of panic or regret, nor did he show any intention of retracting his statement.

Mary, along with Adi and Alicia, was taken aback by this reaction.

Noticing their surprise, Flour, who had been sipping his tea, suddenly looked at them.

"Is something wrong?"

"No… but I was surprised that you accepted so easily. Of course, I am grateful that you listened, but it was unexpected…"

"You thought a stubborn lord like me would put up more of a fight, didn't you?"

"…To be honest, yes."

Acknowledging Flour's point, he nodded deeply.

His demeanor was calm and dignified, and he didn't seem like someone who had been forced to back down.

"I simply followed my own beliefs."

"You haven't changed your mind, then?"

"No, of course not. My belief is that 'birth is everything.' That's why, as a lord, I cannot go against those of higher birth."

Flour's words were unwavering and sounded like a moral lesson.

He still held the belief that 'birth is everything,' and Mary had not been able to change his mind.

Mary inwardly marveled at this. It couldn't be called a complete victory for Mary and her companions.

She had no intention of agreeing with his views, but his willingness to step down to uphold his beliefs was admirable.

So Mary looked at him, lowered her eyes, and bowed her head slightly.

"I am grateful for your decision this time."

Expressing her respect, Alicia and Patrick followed suit.

But while they expressed their gratitude, no one bowed deeply.

Because Flour had made his decision based on his belief that 'birth is everything,' their gratitude was returned with a clear acknowledgment of the difference in their positions.

Seeing this, Flour's eyes showed no hesitation, and a small voice, mixed with a sigh, reached Mary's ears: "The times, indeed…"