42 chapter42
◎SG's Person◎
The contents of the letter were also transmitted in real time to various live broadcast rooms:
"Who is SG? He doesn't seem like the Third Prince..."
"It shouldn't be the Third Prince. If it's an abbreviation of the Third Prince, it should be OG, right?"
"It's not the Third Prince... I feel like this chaotic scene didn't quite materialize, which is a little disappointing."
"You people just love a good show, but I'm different: I'm selling melon seeds, peanuts, and small stools in the front row!"
"Who is SG? Could he be Lan Ye's ex-boyfriend? Judging from this letter, he seems to still be hung up on Lan Ye and is planning to go back to her?"
"Lan Ye has an ex-boyfriend? I've never heard of that before. Logically speaking, with Lan Ye's level of attention, if she had a boyfriend, he would have been thoroughly exposed by now."
"Not necessarily. Think about it carefully. Do you really know Lan Ye? Where is he from? What is his family situation? Who are his family members? Is he a commoner or a nobleman? What is his background? The Third Prince and Jia Ni certainly don't want him to appear again. After all, Lan Ye's appearance will remind the public that the two of them being together is immoral. But even the Third Prince and Jia Ni's background can't suppress Lan Ye's grand comeback. Do you really think he can do all that just based on his popularity?"
"There are too many words upstairs, it hurts my eyes..."
"The person upstairs is just spouting conspiracy theories. How many celebrities actually disclose all their information? Some don't even reveal their real names. Everyone thinks that someone like Gani is just showing off her privileged background."
"Tsk tsk, Lan Ye's fans are so sour, you can smell the sourness even through the StarNet."
...
The viewers in the live broadcast room were in an uproar once again because of this letter with an abbreviation in its signature.
As Lan Ye unwrapped the remaining gifts, this celebratory segment, primarily focused on blessings, came to an end. The entire press conference generated unprecedented buzz since the establishment of the StarNet, and set a record by crashing the live broadcast hall twice within just two hours; the main broadcast room is still not fully repaired.
After the press conference, unsurprisingly, all related terms trended on the hot search list. Viewers were already quite familiar with these terms, as they had been dominating the charts for some time after Lan Ye announced his comeback and revealed the names and synopses of the films he had invested in.
The only unfamiliar term, and also the newly coined name: SG, felt both strange and novel to the public, thus attracting a great deal of attention and discussion. Various opinions arose, and many people even engaged in several heated debates on the StarNet over it, but no one could convince anyone else.
In addition, the authenticity of the letter signed with His Highness the Crown Prince's name has also become a focus of discussion among netizens: some insist that it is a publicity stunt by Lan Ye and keep sending private messages to the Perles Palace to request a denial; some think that His Highness the Crown Prince could not resist Lan Ye's good looks; some even speculate that the two had been secretly having an affair before, but did not go public due to societal pressures...
*
"You still can't forget him?" Lord Alsa walked in and saw Oser watching the live broadcast of the press conference, so he asked. His expression clearly showed that he did not approve of Oser's actions.
“His comeback was such a big deal, and the movie has so many allusions, so I wanted to see what he actually said at the press conference,” O’Se explained casually.
"That would be for the best," Lord Alsa said. "You mustn't let beauty cloud your judgment and affect the bigger picture."
Looking at Lord Alsa's serious expression, Oser suddenly found it somewhat laughable. His uncle, who had spent his entire life scheming and plotting, had gone so far as to break up his own sister's marriage and force her into becoming a mistress, all in order to achieve the so-called revival of the family.
Lord Assal, whose real name was Assal Leicester, was a member of a collateral branch of the declining Leicester family. The Leicester family had once been prosperous, with the main branch holding hereditary earldoms and having once owned a moderately developed planet.
But the Leicester family had long since fallen from grace, even selling their planet to pay off debts, leaving only an empty title. If even the main family was in such dire straits, the collateral branches were even worse off. But Assal was an ambitious man, and naturally unwilling to live a mediocre life.
Assar's luck was initially quite good. He wanted to give his sister Adela to the Crown Prince Enya Gamondon, but unfortunately, the Crown Prince was a devoted man who only had eyes for his fiancée Eve Sopedou and had no interest in Adela. Assar had no choice but to settle for second best and offer his sister to Leo Gamondon, who was then the second prince.
Leo Gamondon had always lived in the shadow of the radiant Princess Entai, seemingly an outcast on the throne. But no one could have predicted that Princess Entai would suddenly and mysteriously die, and Leo Gamondon would reap the benefits, becoming the current Leo VI.
Lord Assal's title was bestowed upon him by King Leo VI after Ouse's birth, along with a fief. Although it was merely a non-hereditary honorary title, having both a title and a fief made him far better off than his master.
But human desires are insatiable, especially after the disappearance of the current Crown Prince, Regas Gamondon. Without Regas's restraint, the other princes are basically all equally matched, with no one having a particular advantage. The princes who were originally out of the running for the throne seem to have suddenly gained the opportunity to try their luck. Even Osei himself is eager to take the throne.
But Regas is back!
Osei understood that Regas's return meant the other princes were once again reduced to their original status. His previous engagement and subsequent wedding with Gani Subek might have had some meaning, but with Regas's return, his marriage alliance with the Subek family became meaningless.
The Subek family hoped to become the next Sopedou family through a marriage alliance with the royal family. Gani Subek's marriage to him was merely a choice made after weighing the options; neither side really had much room for choice. After all, both the First Prince and the Fourth Prince had powerful backers.
He always knew that Gani Subek actually liked Regas. Unlike him, who had to read people's expressions to survive in the court, Gani had been spoiled since childhood and was not good at hiding her emotions, nor did she need to.
At Regas's coming-of-age ceremony, Gani's gaze towards him was filled with infatuation. When Regas disappeared, she was so distraught that she even withdrew from the entertainment industry to clear her head. Her previous relationship with Gani was merely because he resembled Regas somewhat, and since she couldn't get close to Regas, she was simply looking for a substitute.
However, his acquiescence to Gani was merely out of consideration for the power of the Subec family. Their relationship was simply a matter of mutual benefit.
Personally, he preferred Lan Ye's type of appearance, and Lan Ye was the epitome of that. Although Lan Ye was sharp-tongued and sarcastic, being with him was far more comfortable than being with Jia Ni.
If the Lan family were willing to acknowledge him, it seems all his current predicaments would cease to be predicaments. Even if Regas were to return, with the Lan family's support, he might not be without a fighting chance. Unfortunately, Lan Ye is not Lan Hua…
"What big picture?" Ose suddenly found it hilarious. "Regas is back now, it's time to wake up from this dream."
Regas's prestige in the Empire was already far greater than that of Leo VI; the core ministers of the government were all his men, and the Royal Fleet was loyal to him. As long as Regas was alive, the Sopedu family would stand firmly behind him.
The study door closed slowly after Lord Assal entered.
“There’s still hope.” Lord Assal’s smile was ruthless. Then, he walked up to Ose and said, “How do you think Regas’s current power and prestige compare to that of Prince Entai back then?”
Osei glanced at Lord Asar, understanding that his uncle was implying something, and said, "At present, Regas is the better choice, although Enya was also the popular choice back then."
Lord Assar nodded and said, "You're right. But compared to the current emperor, Prince Entai has a complete advantage, but..."
Assal seemed to recall something, smiled, and continued, "Don't you think that your uncle was just lucky and gambled on the right person back then?"
Upon hearing this, Osei immediately understood what his uncle was saying. Although he had always suspected that Prince Entai's sudden death must have had other causes, and guessed that his father, the emperor, was involved, it was clear from his uncle's words that his uncle had also played a significant role. This was understandable; the titles and lands he received were likely just a pretext, a mere formality.
It seems his uncle came to talk to him about something...
Osei then asked, "What does Uncle mean?"
“Since we succeeded the first time, we can certainly succeed the second time,” Lord Assal said. “I’m here to tell you to reassure Gani Subek and that the wedding must proceed as planned. After the wedding, everything will return to normal.”
Osser looked at Lord Assal and said, "You're planning to make your move at the wedding? Are you sure you're confident? And with such a grand display, are you sure it won't backfire?"
Ose had grown up looking up to Regas, and he both respected and feared him, unable to harbor any ambition in Regas's presence. He knew Regas's mind and methods all too well. This man was not as gentle and harmless as he appeared. If he couldn't kill him in one blow, he had absolutely no desire to provoke Regas.
"You think I'm the only one who wants him dead?" Lord Assal chuckled. "His return has blocked too many people's path. And the one who can't tolerate him the most is that..." Lord Assal pointed upwards with his index finger.
"Father?" Osei asked in a low voice.
"Hmm." Lord Assal nodded and said, "You just need to proceed with the wedding as planned, and we will arrange everything."
Under the desk, out of Lord Assal's sight, Oser clenched his fist upon hearing his words, then slowly relaxed it: He'd only held a wedding, he knew nothing about it…
*
“SG…” Regas looked at the letter in Lan Ye’s hand in the live broadcast room and smiled coldly, “As expected, it’s you, Sello Gamondon.”
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