Chapter 215 "You are a woman, you should..."
Currently, there are two powerful princes who could inherit the throne: Bernard and the exiled Desen. The other princes are either not powerful enough or are far from the capital. Although Desen is exiled, he harbors a hidden influence in the capital. He was Queen Nere's former favorite adopted son, and his strength is undoubtedly extraordinary. Moreover, he is a cunning man who has long been preparing for the future struggle. Even if he cannot gain the greatest advantage, he will do his best to ensure that he does not suffer losses.
However, it wouldn't be entirely accurate to say that the battle for the throne is solely between Bernot and Desen. The three noble families are not to be underestimated and will do everything in their power to prevent Bernot and Desen from ascending to the throne. Bernot is the son of the Elf Queen, and his bloodline is not pure; Desen, although the adopted son of Queen Nere and King Amur and having signed legal documents granting him equal status with the princes and possessing a princely title, is not of high enough status because his birth mother is Queen Nere's cousin and not a direct descendant of the family.
In this situation, the three major families would put forward their own family's candidate—usually an illegitimate son born to an early king and a woman from their family—and then select a daughter from an allied family to marry this illegitimate son. The first son born would then be made king.
Before this monarch was born, the court was controlled by a council composed of three powerful families. These three families could then act with impunity in the Eastern Territory.
However, this is a roundabout way of establishing an heir, which will be resisted by some nobles. The monopoly of the three major families in the Eastern Territory will lead to more struggles and bloodshed, domestic political and economic instability, decline in national strength, and the potential encroachment on the family interests of the nobles.
Therefore, the Bernard, Derson, and the three major families each had their own advantages and disadvantages in vying for the throne.
Whoever is the strongest among them and whoever gains the most support from the nobles will be able to obtain the throne.
It seems that the three major families have the upper hand. My house, Bernard's bedroom, and the entire palace are all controlled by these three families.
“That’s strange,” I muttered. “Didn’t Derson say he controlled most of the Duran family?”
Dawn was approaching, and the flickering lights outside gradually dimmed as the sunlight brightened. I opened the door, sat on the threshold of the porch, and silently watched the large number of guards surrounding the house.
Do I need to "transform" into a white ghost, like I rescued Mamboa in the North, rescue Bernard as well, cut off the troublemakers' heads, and successfully take over?
No need.
Times change.
The only obstacle for Mamboa at the time was the troublemaking general. The general held the new emperor hostage and controlled the inner court, surrounded by nobles who blindly followed him. Therefore, Mamboa's "rebellion," beheading the general and rescuing the new emperor, was a righteous act that could easily gain the support of most nobles.
But now Bernard is vying for the throne. A power grab means a battle for strength.
Let him compete based on his own merit, just like Derson. The capable should take the place.
A luxurious black carriage pulled up, and I slowly stood up to see Manberia stepping out. Manberia smiled slightly at me and walked closer. "I've come to see you. Surprised? Excited?"
I smiled slightly and said, "Not surprising, nor delightful."
I knew he was going to cause trouble the moment he said he was going to take me back.
Under the watchful eyes of the guards, he walked into my room as if no one else was there. No one stopped him; he was clearly a "foreigner" who was allowed to interact with me.
“I will return to the North tonight.” After the door closed, he said directly, “If you are willing to come with me, I have a way.”
"It doesn't make much difference whether it's with you or him." I walked to the sofa and leaned back lazily.
“Then you’ll have to take a gamble,” he surprisingly didn’t insist, “gamble on my luck and his luck. If my luck is good, you’ll lose out if you’re with him; if his luck is good, you’ll lose out if you’re with me.”
“I don’t want to gamble,” I said lazily. “Even if you control the entire North, I’ll still be a mistress who can’t be brought into the open. Even if Bernot wins the throne, I won’t be the queen. Whichever of us is lucky, it won’t have much to do with me.”
In other words, Bernard's takeover has little to do with me now. The benefits never come my way, so why should I worry about it?
“You mean you won’t come back to the North with me?” he said.
“What good would it do me? You promise me the position of your principal wife? You might say I'm your second wife, and our marriage is recognized in the North, but once we leave the North, I'll still be your mistress. Just like Asmin, she's a princess in the North, but once she comes to the East, she's considered a bastard. Why should I go with you? I'm already married, and it was a perfectly legitimate marriage. If I go with you, it'll be like eloping, ruining my reputation, and it won't do me a single good.”
"How can you be so materialistic? You're a woman, you should be willing to do anything for love. I don't believe you have absolutely no love for me."
"Why don't you disregard everything for love? You, a man, would disregard everything for love and become a celebrated figure on this continent. A man's devotion is a rare commodity. Don't you love me? Or is your love not enough for you to disregard everything for me?"
He choked for a moment, extremely dissatisfied, "Men have a lot to bear. If they can't be reckless, people will think they lack a sense of responsibility."
“But women need their reputation too. Is it worth ruining your reputation for a man who isn’t willing to give everything for you?” I glared at him. “Elopement is no small matter. I was perfectly fine here, the prince’s wife, with a royal allowance every month, no worries about food or clothing, and a title. Why would I push myself down such a narrow path?”
“Bernot won’t marry you either.” He glared at me angrily.
“He won’t marry me, but I haven’t lost anything. I can still live here with dignity.”
“Let me tell you, Bernard is desperately short of money and manpower. He won’t give up on Princess Nora. If he really takes over, Princess Nora won’t let you off the hook. She won’t allow a woman who is so beloved by her husband to damage her reputation.”
"Will I be safe if I'm with you? It's the same. Your mistresses won't let me off the hook either."
"How could that be? I will do everything in my power to protect you. But Princess Nora is different; she is the legal wife. Bernard will do everything in his power to protect the interests and dignity of the legal wife."
“Did I say I had to be with Bernard? I’ll be a good wife to Derson, and no one will dare to openly target me.”
He laughed so hard he was furious, “You’re so naive, so incredibly naive!”
"You can leave now." I quickly walked to the hall door, opened it, and said, "We have nothing more to talk about."
He walked past me angrily, saying, "You'll regret this."
"Don't worry, I won't regret it even if I have to beg for food..." Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly turned around. I didn't even see his expression clearly before he reached out to chop at me. My vision blurred, and I felt a sharp pain on the right side of my neck. "You..."
"Someone, quickly find a doctor! Princess Lanna has suddenly fainted!" His urgent, loud voice was the last sound I heard before I fainted.
It was pouring rain and the wind was howling. When I woke up, my hair was blown about in all directions, my clothes were billowing in the wind, and I was being held in someone's arms with someone holding an umbrella over my head.
But raindrops kept falling on my face, feeling cool, and that's when I woke up.
"Shh! Don't speak." Mamboya's voice drifted into my ears.
I was in a daze, and the wind kept blowing. I squinted and dared not open my eyes.
Thump, thump, thump, the sound of someone climbing stairs is coming from here. Huh, where are we?
The wind picked up, and I curled up into a ball. Mamboy held me tighter and walked faster.
"Sir, may we set sail now?" a voice came from not far away.
"immediately."
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Author's Note: I recommend my works "Cinderella Wants a Thrilling Novel Script" and "My Girlfriend is a Genius"~~
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