Chapter 209 Case File 3: The Mysterious Dinner Party at Rose Villa (13)
"Oh, tell me." Takumi placed a pile of lychees, black olives, bacon slices, and various vegetables washed by Leila on the kitchen island. "Wash your hands and come over to help me assemble the salad."
Andrei subconsciously went to wash his hands. He stood in front of the sink and carefully rubbed his hands inside and out with alchemical cleaning fluid for five minutes. After washing his hands thoroughly, he stood next to Jiangyou and imitated her movements to start assembling the bloody eyeball rose bouquet.
The black olives are the pupils, the lychees are the whites of the eyes, and the smoked pork is the bloody muscle tissue outside the eyeball. Wrap them with vegetable leaves to shape them. Take another leaf and roll it horizontally, and a green rose containing the eyeball is basically formed.
The branches and calyx parts are fried in advance by Jiangyou. They are crispy and crunchy without hurting your mouth. They can also help to fix the eye rose.
You must control the strength during assembly. If you use too much force, it will break easily, and if you use too little force, it will easily fall apart. It requires meticulousness, patience and a pair of skillful hands.
After trying several times, Andre finally got the knack and began to wrap it up with difficulty.
His movements gradually became more refined, his chaotic mood gradually calmed down, and the chaotic thoughts in his mind naturally flowed out of his mouth.
"The current King Huntington has been in power for twenty-four years. Although he has had conflicts with the old Delman royal family and the parliament, in the hearts of ordinary people, King Huntington's style of doing things is far more reliable than the extravagant Delman royal family.
"The old German royal family is just a group of nobles appointed by King German. They are not a united group, and each has their own plans. Some believe that King Huntington has taken advantage of their own power, some simply want to support a puppet, and some believe that if a descendant of the German royal family really emerges, the situation may be even worse than it is now."
Jiang You nodded in understanding. No one could predict what kind of person the descendant of a human who suddenly appeared would be. For those who didn't want to change the status quo, it would be better to just live a good life instead of opening a blind box.
"The succession of royal power is always accompanied by blood, rain, and war. Once the dice are rolled, there is no turning back. Gamblers face only two outcomes: overnight wealth or total ruin.
"If that descendant had already reached rock bottom, with nowhere else to turn, he might have taken a chance at this one-step to greatness. But Count Valentine himself possesses a vast fortune. Even if he squandered it with all his might, he wouldn't be able to spend it all in several lifetimes...
"If he really is that descendant, he might need to carefully consider whether to remain a free and unrestrained playboy or to plunge into the storm of royal power."
A thought suddenly occurred to the craftsman: "Wait a minute, Leila remembers that the Earl once swore to the princess that he would treat the child as his own... On the other hand, this sentence also shows that the child and the Earl have no actual blood relationship.
"If he is just a child adopted by Earl Rosewood, can he still hold the title of Earl Rosewood?"
Andre thought about it, a complicated expression on his face: "It's hard to say."
"Hmm?" Jiang You's eyes twitched in confusion.
"Adopted sons can inherit the title. For example, Earl Saka had no children, so he adopted my brother and left a will designating him as the next Earl. All the formalities are in compliance with regulations, and the process is traceable. It's legitimate, so it's naturally possible."
"What about Rosewood?"
"The situation over there is quite different. The Rosewood family is huge, and the previous Earl of Rosewood has many brothers and sisters. When there are so many people with inheritance rights, disputes are likely to arise.
"Back then, it was Earl Rosewood who, despite all opposition, acknowledged Valentine as his son and made him his biological heir. But I remember that he never actually underwent a bloodline test in public. This incident sparked widespread discussion among the aristocracy, and it took a long time for the rumors to subside.
"If there is evidence proving that Valentine has no blood relationship with Earl Rosewood, I'm afraid that many of Earl Rosewood's relatives will jump out to question the legitimacy of Valentine's inheritance."
Jiang You asked: "Even if Valentine is a descendant of the German royal family?"
"Even if he is a descendant," Andre nodded. "Earl Rosewood died in a horse-riding accident. He left no will, so His Majesty the King, in accordance with the law, bequeathed most of Earl Rosewood's estate and title to Valentine.
"Lord Rosewood's siblings received only a small share of the wealth and property. Although Valentine showed goodwill to them at the time, it had little effect. Their relationship was strained and in tatters, and there was little chance of repair.
"Besides, those relatives of the Rosewood family are all playboys who are addicted to prostitution. Forget fighting for the throne. They can't even manage their own property properly. They want more property just to spend more money recklessly."
Jiang You understood: "In this situation, short-sighted dandies will not think about investing in the royal descendants in the long term to fight for power and profit. They will only want to drive out those who are not related by blood and steal the family property, and then rush in to grab their own share."
She chuckled and said happily, "If these things are recorded in Baron Chandler's notes, then doesn't that mean Valentine has a motive for murder?"
Takumi placed salads rolled into bouquets on trays and handed them to the servants who had returned to the kitchen to get more food. He also specifically instructed, "This completely vegetarian dish is for Baroness Chandler."
The servants filed out again, carrying trays. Jiang You took out plates of puff pastry from the oven and placed them on the center island. He raised his mandible towards Andre and said, "Please bring me that pot of cream of chicken soup."
Andre glanced at the tall, almost full French soup pot on the stove, his pupils shrank slightly, and he silently gathered his fighting spirit.
He remained expressionless, his energy sank into his dantian, his muscles bulged, his core strengthened, and with a "ha" he picked up the soup pot and brought it steadily to the table.
The black-haired knight appeared calm on the surface, but only his slightly trembling hands after he put down the pot revealed just how much strength he had exerted.
Jiang You took a soup spoon and ladled the soup into the puff pastry shell, then covered it with a puff pastry lid carved into the shape of a skull: "I think that no matter whether Valentine wants to fight for the throne or not, he must ensure the safety of his base.
"Losing the Earl of Rosewood's title, estate, and resources would be something he would absolutely not accept. He needs the title to be a wealthy playboy, and if he wants to further his struggle for power, he will also need the earl's power.
"Soldiers, horses, money... If he can't even provide these, no one will support him, support him, or fight against His Majesty the King for him."
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