That's not how you use a witch!

Chapter 67 If you dare to eat today, you'll dare to eat tomorrow...

"Miss Dorothy, this will be your room while you recuperate in Thornlands. The lord has already informed us of your condition; please feel free to contact me if you need anything."

After leading the gray-haired, green-eyed witch into a bedroom, Fermi suppressed his excitement and pretended to be calm.

It just so happened that it was his turn to be on duty today, so when Ronan saw him, he casually assigned him the task of settling the new witch. You see, witches hold a very special symbolic meaning in Thorn Territory!

Fermi was incredibly excited; he still vividly remembered the envious looks on his colleagues' faces. Those guys were complaining about their good luck, but as the saying goes, luck favors the prepared—wasn't the lord's willingness to let him handle things so readily a testament to his trust in his abilities?

Upon seeing the spacious and bright bedroom, Dorothy's previously relaxed brows furrowed slightly.

Her gaze became even more serious, especially after she touched the soft bedding.

"Is there a problem?"

Upon seeing this, Fermi immediately became a little nervous. "Is the bedding not soft and comfortable enough, or is there something else that wasn't prepared?"

On the contrary, it was so soft and comfortable; she had never slept in such a nice bed in her life… Looking at the simple and warm-hearted militiaman, Dorothy tentatively asked, “What kind of treatment will I face next?”

"Next... Oh! You mean lunch, right? The lord will probably eat with you, that's how Miss Madale usually is."

"Eat together? What should we eat?"

"Bread, eggs, vegetables, and meat, mostly chicken and fish, less pork, beef, and lamb."

Upon hearing this, Dorothy did not relax; instead, her heart pounded with anxiety.

As the saying goes, fate's gifts always come with a price tag, and she didn't believe Ronan would be so kind to her for no reason. But she was so severely polluted now, and couldn't possibly risk her life for him. Could it be...?

"Does your lord usually associate closely with witches?"

With a desire to verify, she asked.

"Of course!"

Without hesitation, Fermi replied, "The Chief Knight said he and Miss Medale often work in the office until midnight before going home!"

Just as I thought… Dorothy slowly opened her eyes wide as she caressed her beautiful body.

You can know a person's face but not their heart. I never expected that Ronan, who looked like a gentleman, would actually be doing *that* kind of thing in the office!

So, having dinner together sounds nice, but it's really just a compliance test, right? First, they test her reaction, and then they gradually escalate the situation.

If you dare to eat this today, you'll dare to eat something else tomorrow...

"If we're eating together, can I not go?"

Thinking of this, Dorothy asked a deep question.

She knew perfectly well that she had lost her usefulness, and even if she returned to the Duke's side after the war, she would most likely end up being discarded like a dog after its hunt is over. At most, she would appear to have some dignity—but that dignity was all she had left.

If she had to be forced to do that kind of thing before she died, she would rather die now.

"Huh? What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Fermi asked instinctively, then immediately realized: They'd fought their way across almost the entire Western Territory, and were probably exhausted right now—no wonder they weren't comfortable! He was so oblivious; he hadn't even realized that!

"I see... It's alright, I understand. You don't need to insist, I'll tell the kitchen to bring the food directly to your room."

"Okay, thank you for your help."

Dorothy watched the kind militiaman leave with gratitude, thinking that he was a very perceptive man who could understand her misfortune.

However, this is still Ronan's territory after all. Once he finds out about this, he will most likely put even more pressure on me.

After all, she was originally the Duke's chief witch, but now she has lost her value and fallen from her high position; while he was originally just an unknown baron, but overnight he rose to become the Duke's trusted commander-in-chief of the Western Frontier Army.

If you put yourself in her shoes, you'd feel excited too.

Perhaps that moment will come sooner or later... Dorothy clenched her fist.

If it's truly unavoidable, then let's prove our resolve with death!

Even if I die, I want to die with a clear conscience!

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At the other table, Ronan was getting tired of Scarlett's constant chatter.

She was denouncing the cruelty of Madonna's training: she had chased her and stabbed her with hundreds of iron swords, treating her like a rebel!

Scarlett tried her best to dodge, but was still stabbed in the buttocks several times. Although the injuries sustained in animal form would automatically disappear when switching back to human form, she never wanted to relive the experience of being sodomized.

Meidel solemnly stated that this was to increase Scarlett's strength, because normally no one could force her to dodge so quickly.

"Alright, alright, it's good that you've improved."

Ronan, both amused and exasperated, separated the two who were almost touching, saying, "It's good to be serious during training, but don't bring your emotions into your daily life."

"That's right." Madonna gave a thumbs up, indicating that Ronan was correct.

"Hmph!" Scarlett slumped onto the table, waiting for dinner to be served.

After Li Yan and Hai Yue sat down at the table, Fermi whispered to Ronan that Dorothy didn't want to eat with them.

Ronan nodded, unaware of Dorothy's extraordinary brain circuitry, simply assuming she was exhausted from a night of intense fighting.

He instructed the kitchen to send Dorothy's meal directly to her room, with an extra egg, and told Fermi to avoid disturbing her.

In the afternoon, Ronan summoned all battalion commanders to the command post to discuss the current situation in the western border.

"Although Frosthold is the strongest city in the West, the rebels came prepared and quickly occupied six core territories in the heartland. Now, everything north of the Moto River has fallen, and the rebels have essentially encircled Frosthold."

Fortunately, Rainbow Territory was not captured immediately. The Western Frontier Army relied on Rainbow Territory to hold the south bank of the river, preventing the rebels from crossing and launching a direct attack on Frost Territory. However, Rainbow Territory was surrounded by rivers on three sides and had no natural defenses to rely on. Faced with the full force of the rebels, its fall was only a matter of time.

Therefore, the Western Frontier Army will eventually have to retreat to Frost. Without supplies, the situation is likely uncertain.

Bart used a large map of the western border to illustrate his point.

Is acquiring foreign aid a feasible option?

Grant inquired, "There are quite a few countries bordering the Western Frontier. If we can ask other countries for help, we can buy more time!"

"I'm afraid that won't work."

Howard shook his head slightly: "There are three countries bordering the western border: the Duchy of Highburg, the Duchy of Rose, and the Empire of Inses. On the northern edge, there is a small mountain range that borders the Frostwolf tribe."

The Frostwolf Clan has long coveted the wealth and territory of the Blackrock Empire, posing a significant threat to our nation. As far as I know, the rebels received support from the Frostwolf Clan during their operations in the North. Now that the West is in dire straits, it's good news that they aren't taking advantage of the situation; they are unlikely to help us fight the rebels.

The Duchy of Highburg recently ended its war with the Blackstone Empire, and on the surface, it has indeed ended its hostile relationship with our country. However, precisely because of this, it will not easily be drawn into new disputes in the short term.

Neither the Duchy of the Roses nor the Empire of Inses are known for their military might; even if they joined forces, they wouldn't be a match for the rebels. Now that they see the rebels about to conquer the western border, they will at most declare neutrality, and might even switch sides to the rebels as a gesture of goodwill.

Grant added, "What about the Fursac Empire? They're powerful enough, and their relationship with the Blackrock Empire is decent!"

"Then there's even less hope."

This time it was Bart who spoke. "Fusar itself is facing internal strife, and I'm afraid it's willing but unable. Moreover, Fusar doesn't border our country, and it's unlikely that any of these three countries would allow Fusar's troops to pass through. Although there is a sea route, time and cost are also huge problems."

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