Behind Erinna was Naibert. She should have kept her promise to keep Liana’s secret from Erinna, right?

But the truth was, while Erinna might have had some doubts before, after this incident, she was one million percent certain that Liana wasn’t the little beast she appeared to be on the surface.

“Well, well, as an heir, you didn’t immediately rush back to Venus Manor after such an event, and even made us all wait for so long. That’s quite inappropriate.”

Now, they naturally wouldn’t give Erinna a good reception. Countess Rose was dead, and the triangular balance had been broken. Erinna was still young and didn’t have the qualifications to become claim the title yet.

They gave Erinna, who arrived last, a small warning.

“Since I’m an heir who also has to balance studies and Venus Manor affairs, I’m naturally a bit overwhelmed. I’m not idle, so I can’t come immediately when called.” Erinna said indifferently as she walked directly to Liana’s side and sat down.

She casually tossed a file onto the table. “I originally wanted to talk a bit more with the Minagado Territory, but because of Countess Rose, I had to return early. Fortunately, the people of Minagado Territory were quite amiable. The negotiations went smoothly, and they showed some sincerity to our Venus Territory, giving us some concessions.

“Except for the Darriss Territory, the weapon supply sources for the other three territories all come from the Minagado Territory.

“But trying to sign a deal with these dwarves is no easy task. They’re very stubborn and highly wary of outsiders.”

“But, Erinna, didn’t you just get some magic spells from the Darriss Territory recently?” Someone quickly raised a question. “Erinna, you should understand better than anyone the significant conflict between the Darriss Territory and the Minagado Territory right?”

“You’ll provoke both territories’ dissatisfaction with our Venus Territory! At such a time, if we’re resented by both territories simultaneously, have you considered the consequences?”

“I never expected your vision to be so poor, Erinna! Why choose the barbaric Minagado Territory? Now that Princess Mephilia has discovered spellcrafting, it’s clear that the Darriss Territory is the most suitable ally. Yet you’ve done something that offended the Darriss Territory!”

“Countess Rose has just died, and you’ve already done something so detrimental to our Venus Manor!”

“Everyone knows that the Darriss Territory, which has researched magic to the extreme, is now the Territory with the most potential!”

Erinna had barely settled in her seat when a cacophony of voices erupted.

But Erinna’s face showed no panic. She simply quietly organized the files in her hand and took a sip of the tea that Naibert had prepared.

She patiently watched the crowd arguing—figures who were prominent outside, now uniting to confront a young girl.

They said a lot, but the essence was simple: Erinna, you’re inadequate; you don’t qualify to be the head of Venus Family.

Such remarks, Erinna had heard countless times, regardless of when. The only difference was that before, they would discuss this behind her back at most, but this time, they were saying it directly to her face.

“...” Liana was genuinely impressed by Erinna’s patience as she sat quietly without any rebuttal.

These people’s words were truly offensive.

“If you’re so dissatisfied with our Venus Territory and so fond of the Darriss Territory, why don’t you just go to the Darriss Territory directly?”

Liana’s interjection was unexpected by everyone present, and her words directly silenced them.

“Let’s end this boring meeting quickly. I want to go back to sleep,” Liana said impatiently.

“Princess Liana, could it be that you have such a strong opinion against the Darriss Territory because you can’t use magic?” They were brazen, now that Liana had lost Countess Rose’s protection, and her parents weren’t by her side.

And since Mephilia, due to her status, couldn’t interfere in power matters between nobles, they felt no need to show Liana much respect anymore.

Liana glanced over and saw that the person speaking was the marquis she had encountered at the door earlier. It seemed that, due to Liana’s attitude towards him earlier, he now had some dissatisfaction with her.

Liana stood up directly. Nobles might need to maintain some demeanor, but Liana didn’t need to. She approached the old man, picked up Erinna’s file, and flung it at him.

But as a marquis, the man was also an Executor in terms of strength, so his reaction speed was naturally quick. He reached out to block it.

“What you just said, I can completely interpret as you wanting to betray Venus Territory and defect to the Darriss Territory, right? I have reason to suspect that you’re also in cahoots with Countess Rose.

“If you dare to block it, the next thing thrown at your face won’t be this. And the person coming for you won’t be me, but the royal knights.” Liana openly threatened him.

“Nonsense!”

But Liana couldn’t be bothered to listen to what he wanted to say. Her hand didn’t pause at all as she flung the file. Whether to block it or not was his decision; it had nothing to do with her.

Now, each and every one of them who wanted to oppose and speak out was labeled as a villain by Liana.

After all, anyone could see that Erinna was the perfect heir. If they truly wanted Venus Territory to be better, they shouldn’t oppose—at least not with such absurd reasons.

Thwack!

The file hit the marquis’s face directly, scattering papers all over the floor.

“Tsk!” Liana made a dissatisfied sound. “Why didn’t you block it? That’s no fun. I wanted to see the royal knights in action.”

Liana sat back in her original position with some annoyance. “Let’s get started already. Don’t waste any more of my time. I just want to go back to sleep and then go to the Lisat Royal Capital to claim credit for successfully helping Mephilia expose Countess Rose. I should get a lot of rewards for that.”

After Liana’s outburst, the conference room quieted down considerably.

Erinna’s gaze had been fixed on Liana from beginning to end. Was Liana standing up for her?

“Don’t think I wasn’t talking to you too. Hurry up and begin.” Liana noticed Erinna staring at her and spoke up. “Aren’t you the future Duchess of Venus Territory? Hurry up! Or do I need to invite you?”

Erinna then cleared her throat and explained, “Yes, what I did will indeed provoke the dissatisfaction of the Darriss Territory. I understand this better than anyone. But why would I do this, knowing it would have negative effects?”

“The answer is simple: because I never planned to get close to the Darriss Territory. Or rather, why should our Venus Territory get close to other territories? Isn’t our purpose to better assist King Lisat?”

“Moreover, why is the Darriss Territory receiving so much welcome recently? Isn’t it due to Princess Mephilia’s merit? At this time, why aren’t we focusing on Princess Mephilia instead of the Darriss Territory?”

Erinna’s words left them speechless.

“But even so, you shouldn’t make such an obvious provocative move,” someone rebutted.

“So what if it’s provocative? Do we, Venus Territory, need to worry about other territories? What we need to do is self-improvement. Because we are Venus, we don’t need to worry about others. Just do our best, and don’t dishonor the name of Venus.”

“We, Venus, will always be the sharpest scalpel of the Lisat Kingdom, clearing all obstacles for the Venus Kingdom.”

“As for the Darriss Territory that you all favor, let me ask you: if you truly want to support the Lisat Kingdom, would you choose such a Territory as our ally?”

“Everyone should be clear about Darriss’s attitude towards the Lisat Royal Family, right?”

The arrogance of Darriss was renowned. They even looked down on nobles living in the Lisat Royal Capital. As for royal members, they would only give them a second glance, showing no respect for the royal family, their eyes full of arrogance.

“So, this is why you wanted to provoke Darriss’s dissatisfaction? Although Darriss is indeed very arrogant, they do have outstanding abilities. Plus, given their ability to create spells, Lisat’s nobles will certainly approach the Darriss Territory.”

Erinna knew this, which is why she couldn’t be bothered to say so much to these old fellows. It was all in vain; they only wanted to hear what they wanted to hear.

If Liana hadn’t stood up to speak for her, she wouldn’t have wanted to explain so much.

“Then go ahead. If you all like the Darriss Territory so much, today’s meeting has nothing to do with you. Just leave.”

“You, an outsider, dare to speak to us like this?”

“Here we go again, here we go again.” Liana’s face showed obvious disgust. These people really couldn’t get to the point after talking so much.

Liana understood clearly that this meeting was simply to select someone to be the acting lord of Venus Territory. Otherwise, these old fellows wouldn’t have emerged.

And Liana’s reason for coming here today was very simple.

“I’ve known all along that you people didn’t come here with good intentions.” Liana stood up.

“An outsider? She’s an heir recognized by my parents, so naturally, she has the qualification to inherit the position of Venus lord,” Liana said. “If she doesn’t qualify, then you qualify even less. Only I have the qualification, understand?”

“Taking a step back, even if Erinna truly is an outsider as you say, then the only person who can inherit Venus Territory is me.”

“Or would you rather trust Countess Rose’s son? Of course, I won’t attribute everything Countess Rose did to Cain. I believe in Cain; he’s clean, hasn’t done anything, and knows nothing about this. It was just Countess Rose doing these things in secret.

“And then? What would be the result? Nothing would change. You all should know very well what Cain is like in private. After all, he’s similar to me.”

“Clearly, if Cain or I were to become heirs, you would be even more dissatisfied. So only Erinna remains. And hasn’t everything Erinna has done been for Venus Territory, for the Lisat Royal Capital? She’s also the heir designated by my parents. Are you going to defy my parents’ wishes?”

“Finally, let me state my view: I support Erinna becoming the Venus Duchess,” Liana said. “If you have any thoughts, you can raise them, but you should also be clear about how much weight the vote of another heir carries, right? If you truly had any capability, the heir wouldn’t be Erinna.”

Why could Liana become an heir? That doesn’t need much explanation, right?

And why could Cain become an heir? Entirely because his father sacrificed his life for Lisat, so he was added as an exception. Originally, the intention was for him to improve and compete after becoming an heir, but this was the final result.

As for why Erinna could become an heir, it was completely because her abilities and potential were recognized by Liana’s parents, making Erinna her competitor, to assist her in the future.

It’s just that the outcome had a small unexpected twist.

Liana’s little combo indeed silenced them considerably.

Mainly because they weren’t in the right.

“Princess Liana’s words are indeed reasonable. I don’t have much to rebut. I don’t deny Erinna’s contributions to our Venus Territory, but Erinna’s age is still too young for a lord.”

“Princess Liana should also be clear that after becoming a lord, she’ll face not just us but also the other lords and the royal family of the Lisat Royal Capital.”

“It’s simple. Mephilia also told me about this... no, I had already thought of this issue,” Liana accidentally misspoke, revealing Mephilia.

“Why not let Erinna be the acting lord? During this period, you can see for yourselves whether Erinna is suitable to be a lord. When Erinna reaches the appropriate age, then make a decision. Isn’t that good?” Liana said.

Liana’s accidental slip of the tongue had a certain intimidating effect, making them accept the current Liana.

After all, almost no one would believe that a teenage girl could possess such scheming. That would be too terrifying.

Moreover, Liana’s previous actions didn’t seem like an act at all, and now Liana’s slip of the tongue told them that everything had been arranged by Mephilia, which made everything make sense.

Liana, in order to please Mephilia, followed Mephilia’s orders. Everything she did was to please Mephilia, to gain more from Mephilia’s side.

This way, they could somewhat accept it and wouldn’t feel too much dissonance from Liana.

“I have no objection.”

“I also have no objection.”

“Since Princess Liana has spoken, I have nothing more to say.”

“We can only hope that Erinna will make some decisions that impress us.”

“I hope you won’t put Venus Territory in a passive situation by angering the Darriss Territory.”

The initially aggressive group who wanted to compete for the position of Venus Dukedom1Dukedom is the term for the badge of governance of duke or duchess and not necessarily attached to a duchy, while duchy is the term used for the land that a duke rule over left the conference room with some dissatisfaction.

If Liana wanted to support an heir, they had no way to oppose it. After all, this position was originally reserved for Liana, and her voice carried more weight than anyone else’s.

After all, Duke Venus had only disappeared, not died. No one dared to bet that Duke Venus wouldn’t suddenly appear tomorrow.

Even if they wanted to obtain this position now, they would have to think of other methods. They could only search for another weakness of Erinna’s, besides being an outsider.

Soon, only Liana and Erinna remained in the conference room.

Naibert tactfully left, leaving the space to the two of them.

Seeing this behavior, could it be that Naibert had already revealed the truth?

Liana stood up with some uncertainty and yawned. “What a troublesome bunch. Finally, it’s over. I can go back to sleep now.”

Liana looked outside; it was already late. When she returned, Loraviel would probably be asleep, which was good news.

“You could have gone back right after the meeting ended. Why delay until now? Sister Liana, why wait until everyone has left to leave?” Erinna asked.

“Of course, I’m concerned about you, my dear sister,” Liana smiled at Erinna. “What if they bullied you for being an outsider? It’s necessary for me, your sister, to protect you, right?”

Erinna was stunned for a moment.

“Hahaha, I’m kidding.” Liana suddenly laughed. “You don’t really think that what I said just now was for you, do you? This was just what Mephilia asked me to say. She thinks highly of you. Just right, I’m not interested in the position of Venus Duchess either, so I’ll let you have it. After all, Mephilia is enough to protect me.”

Liana was about to walk outside, but Erinna took two quick steps, coming directly in front of Liana. She reached out, grabbed Liana’s wrist, and pinned her against the wall.2 This move is called the kabedon

“??????” A thousand question marks suddenly popped up in Liana’s mind. What’s going on? What is she trying to do?

“What are you trying to do?” Liana tried her best to stay calm and not show any panicked expression.

“Is that so?” Erinna’s voice blew into Liana’s ear. “I thought Sister Liana was concerned about me. It seems I was overthinking.”

“Hmph, who would care about someone like you? Extremely arrogant, not taking me seriously at all.” Liana pouted. “If Mephilia didn’t think highly of you, I wouldn’t bother doing all this.”

“So, Princess Mephilia needs me?” Erinna said.

“Don’t think too highly of yourself. It’s just that Venus has always fought for Lisat, and you happen to have an advantage to become the next heir, that’s all. Don’t overthink it,” Liana said.

“Then can I assume that if I become the Venus Duchess, Princess Mephilia will need Venus’ power? But because of a certain person, I’m not very happy, so I don’t quite want to help Princess Mephilia.

“And that person also said they could work hard for Mephilia, could do many things they ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) couldn’t do before, and persevere. So, could it be that to make me help Princess Mephilia, they need to work hard to please me?” Erinna said.

Eh? You!

“I never said anything like that!” Liana immediately denied Erinna’s claim. “And didn’t you just say that fighting for Lisat is our family’s mission?

“I never thought you were such a petty person, holding grudges for so long. Just because I said a few words about you before, is it necessary to hold a grudge until now?” Liana cursed.

“Of course I know my mission. But this matter isn’t as unlikely as you said before, is it? After all, as the Head of Venus, if you want to live in Venus, it’s hard not to need my help. At that time...”

“Enough!” Liana bypassed Erinna’s arm and walked toward the exit of the conference room. “Let me say it a hundred times, a thousand times! The result will be the same even after ten thousand times. I will never ask for your help!”

Looking at Liana’s retreating figure, Erinna displayed a gentle smile. This was the first time in years that Erinna had smiled so happily.

Sister Liana’s ears were so red.

Sister Liana was embarrassed.

Was it because of her?

From the moment Liana had spoken those words, Erinna already knew that in the end, Liana would attribute all of this to Mephilia.

And the result was inevitable. It seemed accidental, but there were a hundred little calculations in her heart.

An embarrassed Sister Liana...

She had never seen this before...

It gave her a feeling of... novelty? Or was it... a feeling of... attraction?

Very cute.

After Liana left, Naibert entered. She originally wanted to discuss the meeting with Erinna but found her smiling.

“Did something good happen, Lady Erinna?” Naibert asked.

“Why do you say that?” It seemed Erinna hadn’t noticed this at all.

It wasn’t until Naibert took out a mirror, and Erinna saw herself in it, that she realized she had been smiling without even noticing.

“How inappropriate.” Erinna wiped the smile from her face, returning to her previous state.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Lady Erinna smile like this,” Naibert said. “It seems Lady Erinna is truly happy.”

“Naibert, what do you think of Liana?” Erinna suddenly asked.

“...Princess Liana is, like before, not much different,” Naibert said.

“I see.” Erinna could confirm that Naibert definitely knew about Liana’s situation.

And probably knew much more detail than she did.

Naibert indeed hadn’t told Erinna, who had discovered it herself.

This wasn’t Naibert’s fault. Previously, when Naibert heard Liana’s name, she would start listing a bunch of bad things Liana had done. But now, she just said she was similar to before.

After all, Naibert couldn’t, after knowing the truth, deliberately defame Liana. Of course, only Erinna, who knew Naibert very well, would notice this.

“The acting lord of the Venus Family...” Erinna took a deep breath. “It seems all those preparations I made were somewhat wasted.”

After this incident, Erinna had begun to prepare some materials and things specifically to refute these old folks.

But she hadn’t expected Liana to directly help her resolve these troublesome matters.

And Liana seemed to genuinely want her to inherit the position of Venus Duchess?

Or was this some kind of test for her?

But none of this mattered to Erinna anymore. If it truly was a test, when Liana returned, she would definitely give the position of Venus Duchess to Liana. This position originally belonged to Liana.

So, whether it was for the Venus Dukedom, for Lady Ambis, for Duke Venus, or most importantly, for Liana, she had to seize this opportunity.

“Lady Erinna, I will definitely help you. You will certainly become an excellent duchess,” Naibert said.

“Certainly? I must become one.”

Erinna was very clear that she had already fallen behind by a great deal, so she had to rely on her own hands to catch up on the missing progress and status.

Those people just now weren’t wrong. She didn’t have any particularly outstanding achievements or status. Everything she had was given by Duke Venus. Although some of her actions had gained recognition from a portion of people, it was far from enough.

The position of Venus Dukedom, compared to Mephilia’s status, might be a bit inferior. But if she couldn’t even achieve this, then there was no point in talking about competing with Mephilia for Liana.

So, she now had to put in dozens of times more effort than before.

Not just in Venus Territory matters, but also at Ibett Magic Academy, she couldn’t afford any delays.

She would prove with her actions that she could do it.

And she would definitely make her beloved Sister Liana work hard to please her in order to get her help.