Chapter 40: Lawrence's Flower (1)

Ten days ago.

Lawrence felt the heat of a fire under his feet.

"The Martel family has rejected our proposal."

"…The Bartara family has done the same. Even though they agreed to establish the distribution network they have always demanded, they have made it clear that they cannot help with this issue. My lord, it seems that due to the pressure from the Barco family, it will be practically impossible to receive help from the surrounding families."

Bang!

"Damn bastards."

Upon hearing the report from his vassals, Lawrence, the viscount, could not contain his anger and slammed the table.

Before the conflict with Barco.

The Martel and Bartara families had been flattering Lawrence to establish connections.

Lawrence's fertile land granted him power in the northeastern region, and the viscount had maintained a good relationship with them.

Therefore, when he recalled their past relationship and sought their help, the heads of the two families, who had always treated Lawrence with a smile, showed a cold attitude as if nothing had happened.

He understood.

Recently.

A rumor had spread in the northeastern region.

If a force interfered in the conflict between Lawrence and Barco and hindered Barco's intentions, Barco would certainly seek revenge after Lawrence's downfall.

Everyone knew that this rumor was deliberately spread by Barco, but precisely because it was deliberate, other families could not help but shrink back.

Barco had cut off the possibility of alliances.

Now, with a one-week grace period announced, Viscount Lawrence felt as if his chest was being suffocated.

"Has there been any contact from the Golden Bank?"

"…Yes. They said they would consider a land-secured loan, but it seems unlikely that the review will be completed within a week. The Golden Bank is not a neutral force. Given their significant investment in the Barco family, they believe it is more beneficial to support the Barco family rather than us."

"Huh."

Dizziness set in.

The Golden Bank.

Not limited to the Kingdom of Cairo, it is a force with immense capital, influencing the entire continent.

Its headquarters is said to be in the Empire of Valhalla, one of the two empires.

In fact, they are a force that upholds neutrality as their highest value, but in situations like this, where their interests are at stake, they openly take the side that benefits them the most.

Barco and Lawrence.

The odds were in Barco's favor, and thus it was better for both sides to invest in Barco rather than support Lawrence.

"Ultimately, there is no solution, then."

Over the past few weeks.

Viscount Lawrence had run around in every direction to solve the problem.

Due to the annulment of his engagement to Dmitri, Lawrence found himself in a dire situation. He met countless people, invoking past connections, trying to survive.

Among these, the attempt to contact the Golden Bank was a last resort, knowing it would fail.

He had planned to hire mercenaries like the Barco family if he could borrow money, but the foxes of the Golden Bank would not engage in a business that could harm them.

He was cornered.

It was over.

When the week was up, Barco would launch an attack, and Lawrence would not have the strength to withstand it.

'…I should have tried to win Dmitri's heart somehow.'

Dmitri.

Their existence had become a poison.

When preparing for the marriage with Dmitri, it seemed all problems would be solved, but by turning their back on Dmitri, even the pro-Dmitri factions made it clear they would not help.

The real powers in the northeastern region were Barco and Dmitri.

With both families as enemies, Lawrence had become an outcast.

It was a bleak situation.

Unable to speak, the vassals watched as a woman sitting at the far end of the conference room spoke cautiously.

"Father, may I speak?"

Her identity.

She was none other than Flora Lawrence, the precious daughter of Lawrence.

Roman Dmitri.

From the moment she met him, the common sense that formed Flora's world had completely collapsed.

'My judgment was wrong. I viewed Roman Dmitri with prejudice, and the real fool was me.'

Roman's actions.

They were shocking.

At first, she only knew that Roman had done something, but as time passed, she learned the details.

Roman had executed Ben Miles, the leader of the Blood Gang, in front of many people.

It was an act done solely by Roman's own strength, and even more shocking was the justification for his actions.

To deal with the Blood Gang, which had been tormenting the people of Dmitri's territory.

And because he knew Lawrence's response was inadequate, he took bold action, ready to face the consequences.

Suddenly.

Flora felt ashamed.

While the heir of the Dmitri family acted for the family despite being called a fool, all she had done was mention the annulment, plunging Lawrence into crisis.

If she could turn back time, she would have at least thought more about the extreme choice of annulment, which had offended Dmitri.

'I was foolish. Choosing annulment without any plan was a decision that led the family to ruin.'

Once.

There was a time when she thought she was brilliant.

Graduating from the advanced course of the academy with good grades, she felt she was a good daughter when she saw her father's bright smile.

At that time, she did not realize.

That receiving support from the family to study something made her as sheltered as a greenhouse flower, completely unaware of the world.

Outside the family.

Barco was a wild predator.

They showed no consideration for the life Flora had lived, baring their fangs and drooling.

After the annulment became known.

Flora locked herself in her room.

She still believed that marriage should be with someone she loved, but she could not face her father, feeling the harsh reality of the price of romance.

Her father had been running around every day, begging for help.

The family's conference room was never without light, and she could not bring herself to encourage the vassals who emerged with dead faces after meetings.

Flora Lawrence.

Called Lawrence's flower, she had always seen and experienced the best, and this was a cruel time for her.

She suffered.

She ran a fever at night, and it became routine to wake up drenched in cold sweat from nightmares.

As this repeated.

Roman's image became vivid in Flora's mind.

'How could he take such actions?'

On his own.

In a situation where no one expected anything from Roman, he made a bold move for the family.

It was impressive.

Apart from the fact that such actions were possible.

Just the decision to take such actions made him stand out.

From then on.

Roman began to appear in Flora's dreams, and as she dreamed of him, her heart began to change.

One day.

Flora made a decision.

"Let's not turn away from reality, Flora. If no one helps us, we must find a way to solve the problem ourselves, just as Roman Dmitri personally dealt with the Blood Gang."

In the dark room.

Flora emerged from the cave.

Tying her hair to move comfortably, she went to Lawrence's library and collected a few books.

The books were.

Military strategy books in preparation for war.

Flora said.

"We are in a dire situation. Barco has cut off outside help, and the disparity in strength is clear. Some suggest that we should surrender to preserve as much of our land as possible, but I believe we must not do that."

"Why do you think so? Surrendering might be the best choice for everyone, rather than having innocent soldiers die."

Viscount Lawrence countered.

With a puzzled look, Flora calmly faced him.

"Barco has borrowed money from the Golden Bank using connections with the central government. According to rumors, the loan was unsecured, so the interest rate must be extremely high. This war is not just a profitable business for Barco. To satisfy both the borrower, Barco, and the lender, the Golden Bank, they will tear this land apart after conquering Lawrence. Half will go to Barco, and the other half to the Golden Bank. They will even scrape the bottom of the vault to satisfy their thirst."

"Ahem."

The vassals showed discomfort.

It was a cruel statement, but no one could deny that it was the reality.

"Then what should we do?"

"There is only one way. A determined resistance. That is the only way we can survive."

"Resistance? Is that really the best you can come up with?"

Viscount Lawrence showed a resigned reaction.

For a moment.

There was hope in Flora's words.

She was expected to propose an extraordinary solution with her sharp judgment, but it turned out to be within the realm of common sense.

Locking the city gates.

Anyone could think of that.

However, Flora's approach was different from others.

"I'm not just saying to hold out. Abandon this year's harvest and burn the fields. Store as much food as possible and hold out. We only need to hold out until winter."

"Until winter?"

"Yes. Barco has borrowed a large sum of money for this war. Although they secured an unsecured loan through connections with the central government, the Golden Bank is not a force that can be pressured by just those connections. They are a massive force with influence over the entire continent. If the war drags on, the Barco family will face pressure from the interest. The interest will be substantial given the large loan amount. This is our only weakness to exploit. Mercenaries move for money, and that money comes from the Golden Bank. If the harsh winter makes the siege unfavorable, they will wither on their own."

"Wow!"

"There is such a method!"

The vassals were amazed by Flora's words.

Initially showing puzzled expressions, they became completely engrossed in her argument as she spoke.

It made sense.

This is a battle of