Chapter 194: Twenty-second Episode: Chapter 4 (2/2)
Viscount Kasrody knocked his hammer as usual, which signified that the vote counter had completed his preparations. However, right at this moment, Lord Viscount's gaze met with that of His Imperial Highness Prince O'Neil Andrew Morisette who had happened to look in his direction. As if he had been shocked, Kasrody avoided meeting the Prince's gaze immediately. Fortunately, nobody had noticed the curled lips with a cold smirk of the husband of the empire's empress and the flowing sweat of the vote counter due to his extreme nervousness.
Time ticked away with each and every minute and second. The followers of the counter had walked past the entire hall. They had collected the votes of one hundred and twenty-eight old members of the House of Lords and had handed them over to Kasrody who kept on wiping his forehead.
Kasrody questioned, could his sly acts slip past the near three hundred pairs of eyes in the hall unnoticed?
However, he was even more concerned about his wealth and the short Easterner on the stage! The young registrar was stunned! He seemed to have completed the switching of the votes, but it was still a damned matter! It looked like the training by those few thieves still had some advantages for him. He had almost subconsciously accomplished the difficult, yet relaxed task.
Sweeping his gaze across the noble elders who had nothing to do, Viscount Kasrody calmed himself down. He had long heard about the Southern businessmen and Southern nobles' wealth. If His Imperial Highness the Prince on the rostrum was to really fulfill his promise after the matter had been settled, he would own a large boxing club. Then, he could enjoy the hot-blooded fist fights of life and death in his very own club.
”Vote for…one…vote against…one…”
The counting of the registrar had begun! The Southern nobles waited anxiously. Nevertheless, there were still many people present at the scene who were gloating over the interesting unfolding of events, and they envied the wealth of the Southern people. If the establishment of a unified government of the Five Provinces of the South would accumulate more wealth for these people who had become rich overnight, they would definitely not allow it. Furthermore, everyone knew the purpose of His Imperial Highness the Prince on the rostrum attending the meeting today. It had not been only one or two days since O'Neil Andrew Morisette had managed the South, while the high and mighty Her Majesty the Empress had her eyes on this particular agenda for a few weeks. At this time, anyone would know what to do! However, had they heard wrongly?
”The final revisit of the establishment of a unified government of the Five Provinces of the South!” The meeting's vote counter announced the outcome aloud, ”55 voted for it, 52 voted against it while 21 had abstained from voting. According to the procedures of the meeting, this agenda…”
The cheers of the House of Lords members had drowned the final word of Viscount Kasrody. Some young members of the nobles had even jumped onto the table and hugged each other with great force.
”This isn't right, is it?” the spokesman of the House of Lords had left the rostrum and flipped the cow-skin envelopes on the registrar's table in havoc.
”That's right! It must have gone wrong somewhere!” an elder of the House of Lords with protruding stomach responded immediately. This should be impossible! Although the proposal of the Southern people had been rejected by a small difference in the previous two votings, the members who were hostile toward the Southern citizens had all aligned themselves in this final voting. There should not even be an occurrence whereby the Southern people had won by three votes.
Viscount Kasrody's panic was apparent on his face. He stuttered his explanation to the Spokesman, ”I…I don't believe this either! But…but I've calculated thrice!”
Finally, the scene of the meeting had transformed into total havoc. A huge group of elders was shouting for another voting while the passionate Southern nobles and the elders supporting them were naturally reluctant to do so! The two parties had split into two formations and scolded, humiliated and threw gloves and all kinds of ridiculous things at each other.
Duke Modia Sirte looked at the voting outcome in his hand and looked again at the two noisy parties. The scene was simply too chaotic and the Spokesman of the House of Lords realized that the numbers of the two parties were actually quite similar to each other! On the other hand, those with ”abstained votes” who just sat on their post and observed the events were still incapable of saying anything.
'How…how am I going to explain this to Her Majesty the Empress?” Duke Sirte glared at Viscount Kasrody who was cowering like a chicken.
”I think you should explain to me why can't we acknowledge the conclusion of the third revisit? Haven't we voted according to the standard procedures?” the chilly voice of His Imperial Highness Prince O'Neil Andrew Morisette was heard.
Duke Sirte shivered in shock and surveyed his surroundings for a moment. A noble with the loudest voice shrieked as if he was tearing his throat apart!
”One more voting! One more voting! Let's conduct another voting with our names known!”
”Aha, that's right!” after getting the hint, the Spokesman of the House of Lords quickly voiced his agreement, plastered a grin on his face, and turned to face His Imperial Highness the Prince who had a sunken expression. ”Your Highness, look, they're asking for another voting session with the names known!”
Oscar shook his head softly, ”Lord Spokesman, if you think that there's a mistake to the voting session, I agree to repeat it with the names known but only under the condition that you're able to identify any evidence according to the Titan Codex and any relevant regulations. Otherwise, you'll have to come with me to present your explanations in front of Her Majesty the Empress.”
Modia Sirte was never an opinionated person and he believed that this was exactly why Empress Alanis had pushed him up to the position of the Spokesman of the House of Lords. The panicking Duke looked at the lashing of the Southern nobles and stared at His Imperial Highness Prince who seemed to be unconcerned but was spreading chills to his surroundings at the same time. Maybe, it would be a good idea to leave the mess for Her Majesty the Empress to call the shots.
”Everyone, silence! Everyone, quiet down…” Duke Sirte's voice had finally calmed the chaotic meeting scene. The noble elders had all gathered in the front and everyone was waiting what the chair of the meeting had to say.
”Since everyone has their own opinions, please allow me to bring along some votes to meet Her Majesty the Empress. Only Her Majesty the Empress will be able to make a fair decision!”
”Yes! For Her Majesty the Empress to decide!” ear-piercing cheers exploded simultaneously from the Southern nobles and the opposition.
However, those who self-proclaimed to be smart grunted, ”Why all the trouble? Let's just do a head count here. Wouldn't it be clear of who agrees and who disagrees?”
”That's right that's right! There are some problems in the voting! This isn't fair!”
Suddenly, Oscar waved his arm. The voices at the scene quieted down one after another. It seemed that nobody had yet dared to openly offend the status of His Highness.
”I don't mind telling you all! I only care about the outcome of the voting, anything else is none of my concern! You shall wait here! Whether it's by headcount or group fight! As long as Her Majesty the Empress' orders have yet to reach the House of Lords, no one can leave here!”
”What say you, Lord Duke?” Oscar turned toward the meeting chair who had kept on wiping off his sweat.
”Yes…” Modia Sirte moaned. ”We shall wait here for Her Majesty the Empress' orders!”
Oscar was the first to move and leave. Once he had stepped out of the main door with Duke Sirte who was holding the votes, the scene had once again slumped into chaos. The Southern nobles humiliated the opposition with various words describing a stingy person while the opposition started to do a head count within them. They wanted to know the real outcome of the voting session, but at the very least, the cold grin hung on the corners of His Imperial Highness the Prince's mouth had implied that they could never figure out even by counting.
Amidst the chaos, Viscount Kasrody slipped into the pantry at the corner of the main hall. He needed a glass of strong liquor to calm his emotions fast. The words of the noble elder earlier had scared him to death! Once the opposition had confirmed the true number, his head would be bidding farewell with his neck forever!
But, where did the smoke in the pantry come from? Kasrody looked at the thick smoke hovering above his feet and then noticed the source of the thick smoke. It was the water-boiling room next to the pantry and the smoke had flowed in through the gaps beneath the door of the water-boiling room!
Puzzled, the vote counter opened the door and he was being hit in the face by the flames and smoke. Kasrody immediately retreated several steps backward but a firm human body blocked his way.
”It's on fire! Hurry up and get someone!” the Viscount exclaimed at the silhouette in the smoke but the individual had not moved an inch from his original spot.
Kasrody sized up the person in fear. His irises had contracted much due to the stimuli from the smoke, or in other words, his spirits had been overwhelmed with terror. With a sidekick from the petite Eastern boxer, the skinny body of the vote counter flew into the fire instantly.
Mighty Fist Lee did not rush to flee the scene. Instead, he smashed a few bottles of strong liquor onto the floor.
The smoke in the air had finally captured the people's attention. A noble elder had been the first to notice the flames spurting out from the interior of the pantry. He let out a scream as if he was slaughtering pigs and then manically pushed against the people blocking at his front.
An elated member pulled on his arm, ”We've counted fifty votes, hadn't you raised your arm just now? You're fifty-one, right?”
”Fire! This place is on fire!” the fifty-first voter freed himself from the fool and rushed out of the main hall's entrance with all his might.
The crowd had finally noticed the impending accident. Unbeknownst to the one who opened the pantry door, the flames and smoke had immediately flowed into the meeting hall! The fire rose up to the ceiling along the wallpaper and the thick smoke had brought upon pitch-black darkness to the House of Lords where one could not even have a clear view of their fingers. The elders escaped in four directions. But it was still crowded in all directions nonetheless.
The entrance guards who had been notified of the situation rushed into the main hall while the nobles who intended to evacuate the scene pushed outward with all their might! Screams sounded from the crowd. Under the external pushing forces, the person from the opposition who had shouted in the most aggressive manner fell onto the floor. While the plump guy with a huge physique had landed on the people beside him, a chain reaction had been invoked among the crowd who were squeezing against one another. One stepped on another, one landed on one another, everyone wanted to flee the hell which was shooting flames.
Finally, a noble had taken advantage of an opening and managed to rush out of the fire. On the other hand, the nobles behind him followed suit and rushed out just as he did as if they had clung to a life-saving straw. There was a continuous stream of escapees and those who had successfully escaped from the danger increased in numbers. The flames from the House of Lords had lit up the evening skies of Dulin. The crying and shrieking elderly nobles had all fallen to the ground in relief once they had been out of the house and the servants on the carriages and the soldiers of the Guards had all rushed forward. Some were busy evacuating, some were occupied with putting out the fire, while some were also busy looking after the old men who had been frightened to the extent that they had almost loosen control of their bladder…
A black silhouette leaped onto a carriage which was getting further from the fire scene. Major Sandinand Wollums did not pull the door close. Instead, he signaled at the Eastern boxer whose body was littered with traces of smoke and fire in the direction of the door, ”You're free!”
Mighty Fist Lee seemed to not have comprehended his words and remained seated still in the carriage.
Sandinand then spoke slower, ”Look at me. Free…you're…free!”
The boxer shook his head. Other than this strange bunch of people, he had nowhere else to go.
Sandinand closed the door tight in glee, ”I can see that you're a person who knows what's fun. I like you!”
When the news of the House of Lords being burnt into a huge furnace had reached the Hamilton palace, His Imperial Highness Prince O'Neil Andrew Morisette and Duke Modia Sirte were in the middle of a meeting with the Empress. Alanis I Her Majesty was seated on her throne and sized up her husband with a joking gaze. Oscar could not tell if she was angry or not. He only felt that her gaze had somehow thinned their past relationship.
Her Majesty the Empress had been silent for some while. She did not inquire about the strange voting outcome nor was she bothered about the faraway fire. At the end, when her husband could no longer control himself from stifling a yawn, Alanis opened her mouth and said to Oscar, ”It seems that nothing can change your decision.”
Oscar was in silence. He was never foolish to the extent that he would think that Alanis would believe the whole incident was a mere accident.
”However, I have my suspicions! Do you even know the implications of your decision?”
Indeed, Oscar was not clear of what his decision represented. Was it a breakdown? Or a breach of agreement? He had vowed to protect Her Majesty the Empress' honor and life. However, there was still some disparity between what he was doing now and what he had vowed. Thus, the Imperial Prince just shook his head in front of his wife. He still stayed silent nonetheless, neither expressing any affirmation nor denial.
”Oscar, oh Oscar…” Alanis sighed with a moan, ”You're wearing me out!”
Oscar smirked to himself in a self-mocking manner. Speaking of being worn out, how would he not be tired as well? If he could share the entirety of his plans of the ”Arson of the House of Lords” with Alanis, he believed that his wife would know how exhausted his spiritual and mental state was.
”Go…go…” the Empress stepped down from her throne and the palace servants rushed forward to hold her arm immediately, ”Go wherever you wish to! I wish you the best of luck! Just remember to inform me when you're leaving…”
Oscar stared at the leaving silhouette of his wife and had never said a word all this while. The main door leading to the inner rooms of the palace had been shut closed. There was no longer the lonely noble lady in his scope of vision. There were only the memories in a certain time and corner where the cute and endearing princess was smiling sweetly at him, acting like a spoiled child, expressing her love to him, and asking him for pleasure. No matter what, he could not arrange these memories together. In the end, Oscar had given up.
”Have you heard that?” the Imperial Prince turned toward the blank and dazed Spokesman of the House of Lords.
Duke Modia Sirte had recovered his attention instantly. Facing the cruel and cold prince consort of the empire, his old spine bent downward.
”Your Highness, according to the legal procedures, the notion of the establishment of the Five Provinces of the South's unified government had been passed in its third revisit in the elders' meeting of the House of Lords! Congratulations!”
After some time, there was still no response or echo of any sort. The Spokesman of the House of Lords could only straighten his spine slowly. It seemed that His Imperial Highness the Prince had already taken his leave and the old man let out a breath of relief.
Around midnight, Alanis had yet to fall asleep. She did not know the whereabouts of her husband and this troubled her and made her spirits drop. Her Majesty the Empress who had nothing to do bared her feet naked and it had been a long time since she had gone on a stroll like this. Although every single stove in the serene palace was still being lit, the chilling cold floor still hurt the lady's feet.
A huge group of servants followed the Empress, but no one dared to disturb her as her temper flared easily. She either lectured one with her scepter or gave the other a caning. The Empress' emotions were irregular which made her a natural match with her husband.
Speaking of her husband, a rumor had spread within Hamilton Palace that His Imperial Highness the Prince had used a machete to cut the black gorilla who knew how to act into a lump of meat and had tormented the animal tamer with all sorts of cruel tortures.
Thus, this couple of husband and wife was not very sane.
Suddenly, Alanis felt an additional cloak on her shoulder. She turned her head backward slightly. The most loyal dog of the Morisette Royalties instantly beamed with a smile just like a huge grey wolf which was wagging its tail nonstop.
”Don't smile like that, it grosses me!”
Rudolf Hoss then switched to an extremely stern expression. He followed Alanis with the utmost courtesy and sized up the footprints on the cold marble floor left by Her majesty the Empress' warm feet with a devoted gaze.
”The fire has been extinguished, the House of Lords has been burnt all the way to the roof”, the Head of Secret Service observed Her Majesty's response, but Alanis did not even move an inch of her eyelashes.
”Few staffs have died, and more than ten noble elders have passed away.”
The Empress still showed no response.
Rudolf Hoss rolled his eyes. He could only continue the topic, ”You guess what I've thought of when I saw the fire? Accomplishing the aim of having a certain side occupying more votes through some tricks, and then invoking a huge fire, destroying all corpses and traces of evidence, and then resulting in the passing of notion. Now, we can no longer investigate the actual numbers of the votes of agreement or disagreement as we've just lost more than ten attendees of the meeting!”
Alanis finally stopped in front of a stove. She slumped into the lounging chair and put her feet which had turn red due to the chills closer to the warm flames.
”Your Majesty, I must remind you that this tie, it's the House of Lords which has been burnt down to ruins and it may be Hamilton Palace's turn the next time!”
There was finally some response from Her Majesty the Empress. However, she only sized up Rudolf Hoss with a mocking manner.
Alanis poked the forehead of the Secret Service Head with her fingers and said to him with a frivolous tone, ”If you dare to say something like this, I'll dare to convey these words to Oscar. When that time comes, we'll see how my husband is going to settle you!”
Rudolf was silenced instantly. He realized that he could no longer see through the young Her Majesty the Empress in front of him.