Chapter 91 Chapter 91 Beo/My Faith is My...
Audrey was surprised and delighted to see her parents again.
Her eyes widened, and she stood up so suddenly that she almost hit her head.
Hermann, who had disappeared for half the afternoon, was standing next to Edward and Jenny, apparently going to pick them up.
"Oh, please tell me what's going on?" Audrey ran over, skirt in hand, and kissed each of her relatives. "It's been so long since Christmas. Is this a belated surprise gift?"
Aunt Anna looked up happily: "Sweetheart, we are surprised too!"
"I have to retract my previous prejudice against my nephew's husband. In fact, Hermann is a very nice guy," Anna said without hesitation. "Knowing that our life in the countryside of Rosenshire is boring, he generously covered the travel expenses for everyone at the estate. Oh, you know, even when your father was young, he wasn't so generous to his wife's relatives!"
Jenny glared at her sister: "Anna."
Edward raised his beard and muttered, "I was a good fellow when I was young, too. Don't you agree, Jenny?"
Jenny reassured her husband: "Of course."
Anna finally remembered that she was still living under someone else's roof: "Edward, I didn't mean to say anything bad about you."
She winked, her sense of humor stirring. "But I have to flatter the person who pays the bill first. It's about whether I can buy all the new dresses in the store without blinking an eye."
Watching her aunt showing off her skirt in an exaggerated manner, Audrey suppressed her laughter, tugged at Herman's sleeve, and led him to the corner.
"What's wrong?" Herman asked calmly.
Audrey looked up at him, her aqua-blue eyes brimming with smiles. "You've changed a little again."
Herman folded his arms and chuckled, "What changes?"
"You're starting to accept all of my family." Audrey smiled.
Herman thought for a moment, then leaned against the wall and said leisurely, "This isn't a difficult task."
Although Edward is stupid and Anna is mediocre, they are not completely useless. Most importantly, they are his wife's family.
It is because of the love and companionship of these people that Miss Norman has grown into what she is today.
"Even though you think it's easy, I can't ignore your efforts," Audrey said seriously. "Just like I hate durian, so much so that I feel uncomfortable whenever someone eats it in front of me. You also have your likes and dislikes for all kinds of people. It's not about right or wrong; it's just a trait written in our genes."
"Originally, we didn't have to change our characteristics, we just needed to select the right person. But now you're willing to compromise for this. Think about it, I also need to muster up the courage and determination to accept others eating durian in front of me. That's why I think you're great!"
Audrey looked at Herman, and her earnest and sincere words made the latter stunned for a moment.
She is so sensitive that she can see those tiny emotions in the details.
These existences that even the person himself cannot perceive are like pearls covered with dust in the corner. They are seen, looked at, gently picked up by a pair of hands, and the dust is carefully wiped off to show their dazzling brilliance again.
Hermann was silent for a long time. He always thought that he knew his wife very well, but she hit him again in an unexpected moment.
He really wanted to say that the pearl in the corner was not precious, but it was precious because it was "seen".
She is the one who makes it precious.
For a long time, he said nothing, but decided to pay more bills to the Norman family.
"Oh, I almost forgot." After a brief chat with her family, Audrey slapped her head and looked at Herman, "When is our return date?"
Herman's eyes flickered slightly: "Very soon."
"When is soon?" Audrey refused to be fooled.
Herman was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Are you unhappy now? Why do you want to go back?"
"I'm happy." Audrey nodded and paused, "But I'll be worried if my sister and I are the only ones left at home."
"You know she can handle it."
Audrey lowered her head. "I'm worried too. What if there's a problem that she can't solve?"
"If it's a problem that even she can't solve, what can you do when you go back?" Herman touched Audrey's head.
Audrey frowned and muttered, "What do you mean by that? What's wrong with her?"
Herman stared into those eyes, paused for a moment, and then relaxed his expression. "Nothing."
Seeing that Audrey still didn't believe it, Hermann took out Isabel's handwritten letter and handed it to her.
I don't know when the letter was written, but it was written in a plain, concise, and simple manner, much like Isabel's style. The content was just as ordinary as any of her previous letters. She simply said she had some chores to attend to at Charvez and would meet up with them when she was done, and wished Audrey a pleasant journey.
Audrey checked the handwriting several times and confirmed that it was written by her sister, then she felt happy.
Audrey was certain that Isabel would never lie to her, and she began to look forward to her sister's arrival.
Watching his wife dispel her doubts, Hermann's eyes were deep and his fingers unconsciously stroked his cane.
——Before boarding the ship, Isabel handed him this letter. At that time, he didn't understand the significance of doing so, but now he finally understood it.
An hour later, the "Norman" successfully left the port of Pleek and headed for the next stop.
-
At the same time, Mellenvik.
Queen Seraphina concluded her council meeting and returned to the castle.
First Secretary Lorna reminded, "Your Majesty, the Duke of Spencer requests an audience."
The Queen turned around and asked, "Hain? How long has he been here?"
Before Lorna could reply, the young Duke appeared outside the palace, his tall back slightly bent as he saluted, "Greetings, Your Majesty."
The queen beckoned kindly, "Come here, Hein."
Lorna was tactful enough to excuse herself from the room, leaving them to talk.
"I heard that you two are in the south and the north respectively, and you've made a big scene. Let me guess, you didn't come to see me because you missed your aunt, did you?"
Heinrich nodded without further ado, "You guessed right. I want to make a deal with you."
The Queen raised an eyebrow. "A deal? With me?"
Heinrich took out a document and said methodically, "Please take a look."
This was the task that Isabel gave Heinrich before departure - to trade technology with the Queen.
As early as the establishment of the Norman Industrial Company and the development of ocean trade, Isabel found that the formalities were smooth sailing. Of course, on the one hand, the title of Duke of Spencer was very popular in Kent, and on the other hand, thinking deeper, it reflected the Queen's attitude.
The church possessed the technology, but it could not engage in ocean trade; this seemed to be an unwritten rule. This was precisely why Sophia had to establish a company under the name of the Brunswick Count's Court, rather than relying on the church as a backer.
Shipping has always been a major source of tax revenue. The church monopolizes technology, so it is unreasonable not to have a piece of this cake. The only explanation is that the church and the royal family reached some kind of agreement to cede rights and interests to maintain a balance.
But why would the church be willing to do this? Isabelle and Heinrich discussed this question.
In the secular sense, the king's power is granted by God. Even if the Holy Light Church is as glorious as it was twenty years ago and monopolizes everything, the royal family will have no way to stop it.
The turning point was when Ludwig broke into the Temple of the Holy Sepulchre and launched a peaceful revolution.
After Cyril ascended the throne, the church's power was so great that even the royal family became a mascot, not to mention the common people at the time. It was at this point that Ludwig forced the church to amend the law and transfer power to the common people.
Although the subsequent controversy subsided, the impact of the incident was significant. Ludwig's popularity among the people soared, while the church, in stark contrast, became a target of scorn. As time passed, most people, except for the original residents of the Chalvis estate, forgot about this incident.
Yes, without experiencing the pain of war, the church is getting better, and life is getting happier. For ordinary people, this is enough. In a sense, this is also the outcome Ludwig hoped to achieve.
This also explains why the church was willing to cede power to the royal family.
Isabelle put herself in Cyril's shoes and thought, if she were the Pope and someone was holding a knife to her neck, she would have to divide the cake anyway. Instead of being stingy and giving a small piece to the common people, giving her enemy a good reputation, it would be better to cut a big piece, win over the royal family and other nobles, whitewash them together, and at the same time downplay the enemy's achievements.
The cake has been divided, and whether the royal family can eat it depends on their own ability.
Clearly, although shipping was a major source of tax revenue, the royal family failed to fully utilize it. Several electors involved in maritime trade were not motivated to expand their market, but instead focused on internal strife and grabbing a few small pieces of short-distance trade. This was also the reason for the stagnation of Far East shipping trade.
The Spencer family's sudden downfall was so dramatic and publicized, and they even engaged in a bitter feud with the Brunswick family. Logically, it wouldn't have been so smooth, and the Elector families would have certainly put some obstacles in their way.
But nothing happened.
At that time, Isabel guessed that it was the Queen who was helping her behind the scenes.
Her struggle with Sophia involved the church, so the Queen was reluctant to comment. However, whether the Spencer or Brunswick family developed the Chinese shipping trade, it would be a good thing for the royal family. Therefore, she would absolutely not allow anyone to disrupt it.
Therefore, although Isabel was not present, she was 90% sure about today's transaction.
At this moment, the Queen carefully read the documents, and seemed to have realized who the real negotiator was and understood her intentions.
"You want to use the royal family's name to open factories and schools in Mellenvik and other places?" The Queen suddenly raised her eyes. "You know this will affect the interests of the church, right?"
"Yes," Heinrich said calmly, "We all need to fight for our own interests. Are we putting the cake right in front of your mouth, but you're afraid to eat it?"
"You rude boy." The Queen glanced at her nephew, unperturbed by his words. "I must know what your purpose is. Audrey is still in Kent. This is all her idea, right? Why isn't she the one talking to me?"
"She's going to stay in Kent and do the same thing." Heinrich's eyes flickered with pride. "Changing everyone's thinking takes time. Kent is the origin, but Mellenvik is the center where it can truly take root in Ceylon and flourish."
The Queen was silent, then suddenly said, "This will be a very long process."
"It takes ten years for a tree to grow, let alone a person. We can't give up on starting just because it takes a long time or the process is complicated," Heinrich said calmly. "Someone has to plant the seeds. Wait for these educated children to grow up, and the world will naturally change."
The queen was slightly startled: "She said all this?"
"She didn't say it, but I know what she wants to do." Heinrich lowered his eyes and said what was buried in his heart.
During those days in Kent, he seemed to be doing nothing, but he was watching Isabel silently, observing her every word and action. And she never concealed her thoughts and feelings.
The Queen seemed touched by this, and her eyes fell on the document, as if she was looking at another person.
"Hein, you should know that opening a factory is still within the church's tolerance." The queen raised her eyes, "But establishing a school is shaking the church's foundation."
She sighed deeply and took out a silver hair ornament from her bosom - an old lily of the valley pattern, stained with traces of time.
She stroked the lines on it and spoke with nostalgia, "This is Georgiana's relic. When I look at it, it's like seeing your mother. If she were still alive, would she want you to follow the same path as your father?"
Heinrich clenched his fingers slightly, then loosened them after a moment.
"You are wrong. I am not following my father's path." He said frankly, "My faith is my wife."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
