"As I've told you before!" said Tarquin. "Don't blame me if I do something you think is over the line!"Tarquin quickly unbuttoned his shirt and approached Maartje. However, before the young man could do anything to the lady, a loud banging sound was heard from behind the bedroom door.Bang! Bang! Bang!"Damn! Who dares to be so rude as to disturb me!" The disturbed young man had to abandon his intention. "Didn't I tell them not to disturb me even if the world was ending!"Tarquin walked towards the bedroom door lazily and angrily. Before he could open it, another loud banging sound was heard.Bang!This time it was such a strong push that the door flew off its hinges and hit Tarquin, sending him flying four meters before crashing into the wall.Thud!Immediately after that, dozens of men in all-red uniforms entered the room. However, they dared not approach Maartje. They waited for a girl in a similar red costume to approach the lady.The all-red uniforms were typical attire of the D
Maartje tightly clenched her mouth, holding back the increasing anger within her heart."Lady, forgive me if I interfere!" Ester looked at Maartje with a pleading gaze. "But, may I express my opinion?" The girl knew that Maartje was in a dilemma.Although Ester was Maartje's personal assistant, the eighteen-year-old girl was also a descendant of a baron, so she wasn't too shy to express her opinion to Maartje. Besides, Ester was also a very intelligent girl whose opinions Maartje often heard on many matters.Maartje took a deep breath and nodded her head. "Just say it, Ester!""Do you think by complying with Tarquin's wishes, this issue will be resolved?" Ester whispered in Maartje's ear. "Tarquin has gathered such a large army to intimidate you, don't you think he has other motives besides getting your approval to marry him?"Maartje furrowed her brows, as if trying to decipher Ester's true meaning."I mean, even if you marry him, there's no guarantee that he won't cause trouble in t
"Everyone, listen to me carefully!" Tarquin yelled."Don't let a single soldier from the opposing side stand tall today! Kill them all! And for anyone who can kill the most, I will give a very generous reward to you all!"The shout seemed to pump up the spirits of the blue-clad soldiers even more. "Kill! Kill! Kill!" they shouted enthusiastically.These soldiers were criminals or mercenaries that Tarquin hired to be his troops. Of course, they would do anything for money. Especially when it came to taking the lives of others, which was their hobby."Hahaha! Good! Good!" Tarquin exclaimed satisfactorily.Not only the front side of the villa, but also the villa itself was now destroyed by the onslaught or the attack of the soldiers from both sides.The beautiful villa on the vast land now lay in ruins where blood stains splattered in many places and the bodies of the soldiers scattered everywhere."You're truly a psycho!" Maartje yelled, looking towards Tarquin and swinging her sword ev
"Everyone, stop!" shouted Tarquin.Like a command from the heavens, all the soldiers in blue uniforms immediately halted their attack on Maartje's forces.On the other side, the soldiers in red uniforms quickly understood what they had to do. They didn't waste the opportunity to join Jack behind him."Listen to me carefully!" Tarquin shouted again. His voice sounded not only highly intimidating but also carried a tone of anger."Anyone who can kill this young man," he said, pointing his index finger at Jack. "I will give ten million RG as a reward!"Tarquin then turned his head back to his soldiers. "Of course, you can all kill him together! And I won't reduce the share of each of you who are involved! I leave this young man to you! He must die today!"After that, Tarquin withdrew from the fight accompanied by a Paragon by his side.Meanwhile, the soldiers in blue uniforms still on the battlefield immediately turned their gaze towards Jack. Such an enticing offer, how could they not p
The Paragons could only stare at Jack in shock. It was clear in their eyes that Jack was a terror to them."So, how about it?" Jack approached them, placing both hands behind his back. "Are you still holding onto your word that I can attack you as I please?"Of course, that was merely a rhetorical question.They had almost felt death with just one blow from Jack. And now the young man said he wanted to strike them even more. Only a fool or someone tired of living would say "Yes" to Jack's words.Therefore, without much thought, they knew what they had to do."N-no! No!" uttered the leader of the blue-uniformed troops. "I was wrong! I made a huge mistake!"Ignoring the intense pain on his face and head, he then placed his forehead on the ground, prostrating himself at Jack's feet.The nine Paragons behind him then did the same."Master, forgive my foolishness! I did not see who you truly are! If I had known earlier, I wouldn't have dared to say a word to you!"The Paragon indeed desire
The Paragon stared at Tarquin without saying anything. From the look in his eyes, it was evident that he disliked the Baron's son's condescending words. "What? Why are you looking at me like that? Don't tell me you're also afraid to face that young man?" Tarquin spoke again. Initially, he wanted to torture Jack as cruelly as possible to vent his hatred and anger towards the young man. However, upon seeing the immense power of the young man, Tarquin could only take a deep breath and leave. "Why are you just silent? Answer me quickly!" Tarquin attempted to grab the Paragon's collar. But before he could do so, the Paragon's body had been thrown dozens of meters away. Thud! The body stopped after hitting a large tree and didn't move anymore. "Didn't you say that I must die today?" A young man suddenly stood in front of Tarquin. He was none other than Jack. "Y-you..." Tarquin's mouth seemed to be locked. He struggled to find words. His heartbeat quickened, and cold sweat flowed hea
Lucien stared sharply at Jack. "What exactly do you want to say?" "Mr. Galway, it was you who asked Ester to send so many troops to the villa! But you weren't there yourself! Isn't that very clear? It doesn't take a genius to figure out that you're the mastermind behind this dirty plan!" Lucien now grinned cunningly. "You're quite smart, it seems! Well, since it appears you already know everything, I won't hide anything anymore!" He released his grip on Jack's hand and stared intensely at the young man. "Yes, I was the one who planned it all!" A week ago, when Maartje was still in Rivertown, Lucien went to the Moon Palace with the intention of kidnapping the girl. Not only that. To create chaos there, he killed anyone he encountered, regardless of whether they were loyal to Duke Dujardin or not. He killed them all using a sword he stole from the Killer God Sect. Lucien did this with two goals in mind. First, he wanted to tarnish the reputation of the Killer God Sect. Because unt
Earlier, in the midst of the battle between Lucien and three elders of the Killer God Sect, Jack had observed that Lucien's strength was only at level four. Now he knew that his earlier assumption was wrong. The bodyguard was at a higher level. If Jack appeared slightly surprised, it was different for Lucien, who instead smirked slyly. "Not bad! Truly not bad!" The bodyguard looked at Jack with an eager gaze for the fight. "It's been a long time since I faced such an exciting battle like this! It seems I don't have to regret you refusing to join me, because that way I don't have to hold back from killing you!" After saying that, Lucien disappeared from his standing position. "Will he attack me first again?" Jack thought, channeling all his energy into both palms to prepare for Lucien's attack. However, what Lucien would do next was truly beyond his expectations. The bodyguard didn't appear in front of him. "Feel this!" A voice sounded behind Jack along with a very powerful aura
Maartje stayed in a different room from the one she usually used before.This time, she was assigned one of the rooms on the third floor whose decoration and furniture had been completely changed. Not only wider than the room she used to occupy on the first floor, this room also looked more luxurious.The girl was sitting on the edge of the bed typing a message on a highly secure phone."I haven't seen my parents yet. Can you do something?"Shortly after, a reply landed on her phone."We're working on it, Lady! We'll check all satellite images and CCTV cameras."Maartje was almost certain that her parents had been moved from the palace. "I've checked every corner of this palace, but they're nowhere to be found!" she muttered.Earlier, before the female soldiers escorted Maartje to her room, the girl asked them to accompany her to explore the palace, which they said was being renovated.Those who had no suspicions about Maartje finally complied with the girl's wishes.However, there wa
In Cornelia's mind, by marrying Maartje, Leon would not only gain a very beautiful girl."Haven't you remained unmarried all this time because you were searching for the most beautiful girl in Crystalbrook?" said the secretary. "That girl is now before you! So what else are you waiting for?""Furthermore, consider one more thing!" Cornelia continued. "Maartje is a symbol of resistance and at the same time a symbol of hope for the people of Crystalbrook. By marrying her, you will not only be able to force those who have opposed you all this time to support you! On the contrary, the possibility of people rebelling will diminish even more!"Upon hearing such considerations, Leon's eyes widened. So did his mouth. How could he miss such a great opportunity?Back to the present."I will not only make you my deputy governor, but you will also be my wife!" Leon said again, walking slowly towards Maartje proudly while holding a glass in one of his hands."Both of us will produce successors who
Feeling disgusted by Leon's gaze towards her, Maartje quickly opened her mouth. "You shouldn't waste my time! I came here to sign the reconciliation letter!"Leon smiled widely. "My dear, why rush? We haven't met in a long time. Wouldn't it be appropriate for us to exchange a word or two first?"The man then ordered the female soldiers to leave."Alright, Duke!" they said and immediately left the room, closing the door behind them.As the female soldiers left, Maartje felt very uncomfortable being alone with Leon. However, she tried to control her feelings."Come, sit here!" Leon gestured for Maartje to sit on the sofa where he had been drinking earlier.Maartje quickly moved to the spot Leon indicated because she didn't want the man to try to touch her again."Here, take this!" Leon handed Maartje a glass of wine."I am good!" Maartje simply said without touching the glass offered to her."Do you know what I dislike most about someone?" Leon asked as he sipped the wine in his hand.M
Thirty minutes later, the long sedan carrying Maartje arrived near the palace. Behind the sedan, a large jeep followed."This is truly terrifying!" One of the female soldiers inside the jeep couldn't contain her feelings upon seeing the sea of people surrounding the palace. "This is far more than what we faced before!" she murmured again.The female soldier used to be one of the Warriors who fought alongside Duke Dujardin to overthrow Leon.Back when they attacked this palace, Leon's forces weren't as numerous. But now, the situation was completely reversed."I really don't understand how Duke Sardou could gather such a massive army!" muttered the other female soldier, still focusing on her driving.The horror they both felt was also felt by Maartje inside the long sedan. "So many soldiers," she murmured. "There's no way I could fight them!"Anyone who saw the large group of blue-uniformed soldiers would shiver immediately.The sedan continued along the straight asphalt road that woul
Since that day, Duke Dujardin secretly helped those who were struggling financially to pay their taxes. "My father secretly doubled the employees' salaries! The aim was for this bonus not to be counted for deduction from their wages! He also provided financial assistance to those in great need, also secretly!" thought Maartje, recalling her father's struggle at that time. As time passed, the number of people receiving assistance from Duke Dujardin grew steadily. And it didn't take long for the duke to gain recognition from the wider community. "Hundreds of Paragons fought on my father's side! They sacrificed their lives so that Leon could be acquitted!" she thought again. The result was ten years ago when the very fierce civil war was finally won by Duke Dujardin. As Maartje reminisced about her father's struggle at that time, a voice inside her seemed to echo in her ears. A voice urging her to keep fighting, no matter how strong the enemy and how impossible victory may seem. T
It's been a common knowledge that although Leon and Duke Dujardin came from the same ancestors, their lines of luck differed. Duke Dujardin inherited thousands of hectares of land from his great-grandfather, a family wealth passed down through generations. It was all productive land cultivated with various vegetables, fruits, and even rare medicinal plants capable of generating billions of RG annually. That was just one aspect of the Dujardin family's wealth. Besides that, they also controlled several mining locations and significant real estate businesses. It could be said that the Dujardin family's hotels were almost scattered throughout the Eldoria kingdom. This was in stark contrast to Leon, or "The Unlucky Duke" as people called him. His grandfather was nearly bankrupt due to debts he couldn't bear. Meanwhile, his father became a fugitive after being found guilty of embezzling state funds. Leon, who was raised in a military education since childhood, lacked sufficient knowl
How dark Duke Dujardin felt hearing their explanations. Especially when they said that hospitals and social houses no longer provided social services. If you're sick or hungry, but you have no money, then the government can't do anything for you. In other words, you have to endure your suffering on your own, and there's no one you can ask for help. "The government argues that it's the people's obligation to pay taxes to them. While they have no obligations to the people!" the supervisor said again. When the tax rules were first implemented, along with the elimination of social security rules, chaos erupted almost throughout the province of Crystalbrook. It could even be said that this province experienced turmoil like never before in its history. "However, the protests we've made never succeeded because anyone who opposes will immediately be shot! If not, they will be arrested and tortured or sent to the mines for forced labor!" Duke Dujardin clenched his mouth tightly while clen
A month after Duke Dujardin lived in his luxurious manor in Emberfield, he was approached by a group of people who worked on his estate. "Duke Dujardin, forgive us!" The group of no more than ten people then immediately fell to their knees before the duke. "The police threatened to take our wages! We beg you, do not give them that money! It's all we have to feed our children and wives! We are even willing to work longer hours every day if you want us to, as long as you don't give that money to them!" They continued to prostrate themselves at Duke Dujardin's feet while pleading with him not to give their wages to the Crystalbrook police officers. Duke Dujardin didn't quite understand what they were saying. Of course, he wouldn't give their money to anyone. "Get up! There's no need to grovel like this!" he said, holding the shoulders of each worker one by one. "Please tell me, what's really going on?" They glanced at each other for a moment before the man at the forefront explaine
"What?" Jack exclaimed. "It seems Leon has been thinking about this for a long time! He realizes that Duke Dujardin has become some sort of symbol of rebellion for the people to oppose him! Therefore, he is convinced that as long as Duke Dujardin is still alive or residing in Crystalbrook, people will still have hope to rebel against him!" "In other words," Jack continued. "If Leon succeeds in marrying Maartje, then it's like destroying the last hope of the people of Crystalbrook to oppose him?" "Exactly! But, of course, that won't solve the problem in Crystalbrook! Mass oppression and exploitation will occur! In the end, it's the people who will suffer!" "You're right!" That's all Jack could say. Now he understood that letting Leon marry Maartje would only make the people even more miserable in the end. He also understood that the most important thing now was to save Maartje and her family first. "Quantara, do you have any ideas?" "Of course! I've been thinking of the most pos