Chapter 69 The Past of the Heir to the Title: My Lover is a Cunning Man...
“I understand, I give my permission,” Lilith replied, feigning composure. “So, what do you plan to do from now on?”
“It’s time for me to go back to Frankfurt,” Heinrich sighed, speaking solemnly. “I’m going to end Helmut’s tyranny, protect my mother and siblings, and reclaim everything that is rightfully mine.”
"Then what?"
"I need to familiarize myself with the affairs of the territory, gain the bishop's support, and after successfully inheriting the title, reorganize the family's power and eliminate Helmut's remaining supporters. This will probably take some time..."
"Will you get married?" Lilith asked somewhat abruptly. "Even though you've broken off your engagement with me, you still have to get married, right... for the sake of an heir or something, find a noble lady of equal social standing to marry."
“I don’t know,” Heinrich said thoughtfully, “but I don’t want to get married.”
"Why?"
“Lilith, if I can’t marry you, I’d rather never get married at all. No… this isn’t meant to put pressure on you, please don’t misunderstand. This is my own choice, and it has nothing to do with you. Anyway, the title doesn’t necessarily have to be inherited by my own children. If William or my other siblings have children, it’s no big deal if they inherit it.”
“Sometimes I really don’t know if I should still believe what you say,” Lilith sighed. “Never mind, besides all that, I also want to know, how is my bank doing right now?”
“Lorenzo originally planned to take advantage of your disappearance and danger to acquire the Knarro Bank, but I beat him to it. We also owe a lot to William’s help. At that time, I was only lucid for a handful of days each day, and I probably wouldn’t have been able to do this without his help.”
“…It must have hurt a lot.” Lilith recalled the burn marks that stretched from his face down to his neck and shoulders; the ugly, twisted flesh was a horrifying sight.
“It doesn’t hurt anymore.” Heinrich sighed helplessly. “When the plague is over and business activities can resume as usual, I will transfer the bank that originally belonged to you back to you as compensation for the mistakes I made in the past.”
“Okay. But I have a question.” Lilith blinked. “I remember hearing about the opening of Fugger Bank just before my house burned down. The war had already started then, and apart from Lorenzo making money from the insurance business, other banks that relied on foreign exchange business suffered greatly. How did you manage to make money at Fugger Bank under those circumstances, to the point that you can now spend so recklessly?”
“How can spending money on you be considered extravagant?” Heinrich said self-deprecatingly. “It’s actually because the Schmidl family’s steel trade is deeply intertwined with the Knarro Bank. After Tata’s death and the subsequent disappearances of you and me, the Knarro Bank was completely paralyzed for a period of time.”
"At the time, the Schmidl family's orders couldn't be fulfilled, and the Fugger Bank, together with other steel traders, quickly opened up new shipping routes, virtually monopolizing the metals and weapons market in northern Italy. The demand for steel surged during the war, which is how I managed to make a small fortune by luck..."
"However, if I can successfully regain control of the Schmidl family later, I certainly will not allow the family business to decline and instead contribute to the glory of others. The current suppression is just a temporary measure. If... you are still willing to cooperate with me, we can still fulfill the previous contract."
“It’s not a matter of whether I want to or not. Even if you hand over the current Knarro Bank to me, I can’t run it the same way as before.” Lilith frowned deeply. “A bank isn’t a field, it’s not a factory; a bank is a complex web of interpersonal relationships. Farmland can be reclaimed if it’s abandoned, and factories can be reopened if they close down, but a bank can’t continue operating if it loses the trust of its customers. I’ve been gone for so long; there must be plenty of rumors circulating that I’ve absconded with the money with my servants.”
"The situation shouldn't be too bad. After completing the acquisition, I handed the bank over to Sister Clara to manage entirely. It's just that because of the pandemic quarantine, she took all the important documents to the convent, so I don't know the specifics."
“Since Ms. Clara has intervened, it shouldn’t be beyond redemption yet.” Lilith sighed. “By the way, Lorenzo’s accusations against me should still be pending in legal proceedings.”
“Yes. The court postponed the hearing because of your disappearance and the spread of the pandemic. Lorenzo will probably drop the charges, since he probably thinks he has achieved his goal.” Heinrich stood up and collected the plates and utensils he and Lilith had used.
“He has filed criminal charges against me, and the case has already been transferred to the prosecutor. Even if he wants to withdraw the charges, it won't work. I need to think of a way to deal with this…”
“You can definitely handle all of this properly. But before that,” Heinrich washed his hands and turned around, “your most important thing is to get some rest. It’s very late, you’ve had a long day, why don’t you go to bed early?”
"Yeah. I'm so tired, it's all your fault..." Lilith yawned, "I can't walk anymore. I want you to carry me."
“Yes, madam.” Heinrich smiled, put his arm around her waist, and lifted her up in his arms, carrying her upstairs to the bedroom. He then prepared warm water for her to wash up, and after completing all the preparations for bedtime, he gently placed her back on the bed, covered her with a blanket, and tucked the rabbit doll into her arms.
“Heinrich,” Lilith called to him as he was about to leave with the candlestick, “don’t go.”
"Would you like me to stay and read you a story?" Heinrich hesitated for a moment. "I'm sorry, I didn't have time to buy a storybook. I haven't finished the story I was reading earlier..."
“Then tell me your own story.” Lilith tugged at Heinrich’s sleeve, gesturing for him to lie down on the bed and sleep with her. “Stay with me.”
"My own story?" Heinrich was pulled onto the bed by Lilith, feeling flustered. Before he could even speak, he felt Lilith's lips press against his cheek again, leaving a gentle kiss. So he cupped her face and pressed his lips to hers, probing her mouth with his tongue, kissing her again and again, sticky and wet.
“The story of Heinrich Schmidl.” Lilith grabbed one of his arms, took off his mask, and stuffed a rabbit doll between them. “Strictly speaking, I don’t know you very well yet, esteemed Mr. 'von Schmidl'.”
“‘Von’ isn’t used like that,” Heinrich corrected with a smile. “In German, ‘von’ means something like ‘di’ or ‘da’ in Italian, meaning ‘from.’ If you insist on using that word, my name at baptism was Heinrich Schmidl von Frankfurt Öster Main, and that’s the official name on our marriage certificate.”
"..." Lilith silently rolled her eyes at him. "Truly worthy of being the lord of the Holy Roman Empire. When I was baptized, I was still an unrecognized illegitimate child and could not bear the surname of the Knarro family, so my name was just 'Lily'."
"Isn't it Liliana?"
"This is a suffix my father added because he thought 'Lily' was too petty. But you should know I don't like it. It's too rigid. On the one hand, they want to give me a 'legitimate' name, but in reality, they still treat me like an illegitimate child. And is Liliana really a good name? A lily, no matter how pure and elegant, is still something that can be picked by anyone. If they really cared about me, why didn't they give me a name like 'Heinrich,' which implies the head of the family... You see, I've been missing for so long, has my father or Massimo ever sent even a single letter to ask if I'm alive or dead?"
"As far as I know, they fled the city at the very beginning of the war."
"Heh, that cowardly old man. He didn't even think of me when he went to seek refuge, but he hasn't missed a single letter demanding my dividends every quarter. Luckily, the books are still showing a loss, so they don't get any benefits... Sigh, Heinrich, your family must not be like that, right? Not only are you a legitimate son, but the eldest, and you have younger siblings who admire and respect you..."
“My childhood was indeed much more comfortable than yours.” Heinrich hugged Lilith tightly, carefully pulling her long hair to one side to prevent himself from crushing her. “My family is not a traditional noble family with a long history. We acquired our titles and lands through commerce. So my father paid great attention to my education and wanted to raise me to be an upright and powerful head of the family.”
What have you studied?
"Theology, German, Latin, arithmetic, metallurgy, horsemanship, swordsmanship, and combat. Every week from Monday to Friday was filled with lessons from different tutors. On weekends, my parents would take me on outings, social events, or hunting trips. During the autumn harvest or festivals, we would gather with the residents of the territory to celebrate and drink beer together. There's one holiday you'll definitely love."
"What is it?" Lilith blinked and leaned closer curiously.
"The Night of St. Woppurgis at the end of April. On the last day of April, bonfires are lit in the village, and people dress up as devils and witches and dance around the fire."
"That sounds interesting..."
"However, in daily life, the interesting parts are always few and far between, and most of the time it is quite boring. Moreover, much of what you can learn in the classroom is just theory, which is too far removed from the real world. Even when I was sent to the Knights for training when I was older, even though the conditions were more difficult, it was still essentially a game of make-believe. So in the past, I actually lived in a utopian fantasy like an ivory tower, and I had no accurate understanding of the real world at all."
"Then you went to Venice, met me—who couldn't be more realistic—and were hit hard by the harsh reality, experiencing life outside the ivory tower."
"Yes. Although the process was quite painful, I did grow a lot."
"From a prince charming in a fairy tale to a devil skilled in disguise."
"After all, life is not a fairy tale, and the woman I love is not a kind and pure princess, but a cunning and powerful witch. Only after she taught me was I finally confident enough to return to Frankfurt and confront Helmut."
"...Will it be dangerous?" Lilith nuzzled against his chest.
“It probably can’t be any more dangerous than here,” Heinrich chuckled, leaving a gentle goodnight kiss on his lover’s forehead. “Alright, I’ll tell you more stories later. Now we should go to sleep. Goodnight.”
Lilith quickly fell into a deep sleep in Heinrich's arms. She slept soundly through the night.
When Lilith woke up, it was almost noon. She stretched and opened her eyes, only to find that Heinrich was no longer beside her. She slowly got up, washed, and combed her hair. After tidying herself up a bit, she pushed open the door and went to the kitchen to find Heinrich preparing brunch for her.
She quietly peeked at Heinrich's movements from the doorway. To be honest, his cooking was just so-so, but his process was very professional and precise, like an alchemist conducting an experiment, which was quite interesting to watch. Perhaps he had the same demeanor when he worked in metallurgy and forging back home, helping out in the family business.
She suddenly remembered that Heinrich had several maids who could cook or take care of his daily needs. Why didn't he call them over instead of doing these things himself? They were obedient to him; they wouldn't dare barge into her bedroom and disturb their time together. Unless… Heinrich wanted the entire house to be their private world.
When Heinrich carried the freshly baked bread into the dining room, he was startled by what he saw and nearly dropped it. Lilith, wearing a thin silk nightgown, sat on the table with her legs crossed high, her bare feet beneath the hem. In her hand, she held his belt, the soft leather coiled and adjusted to a length suitable for striking.
"Kneel down." Lilith smiled smugly, lifting her skirt and slowly parting her legs. "Serve me well, my dear~"
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Author's Note: Next update on Friday, love you all! [cheering emoji]
These two have been all lovey-dovey for several chapters now, so the next chapter will get them doing something serious. A little sweetness followed by some angst, hehehe.
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