Duke Riviera and Lia sat facing each other, with a brown coffee table in front of them.
The rustic sofa always exudes a deep, woody fragrance.
Seeing the guests arrive, Liya instinctively called for the servants to serve tea.
"No need, I'm only here out of curiosity and will be leaving soon."
Duke Reeves declined quietly.
Lia nodded, glancing at the servants briefly to signal that they could leave.
Now, besides Leon, only she and Duke Rivi were left in the hall.
Instead of directly mentioning the envelope, Lia changed the subject and asked about other matters related to the capital:
"Duke, is there something important that you have come here today?"
"Does the renovation project in the capital require more manpower? If so, I can send people to assist."
Duke Reeves slowly shook his head:
No, that's not it.
He spoke in a calm tone, his eyes resolute:
Let's get straight to the point.
"In fact, it was I who proposed that your family be promoted from earl to marquis, because your family needs this marquis title."
Simply put, it's the same reason.
The marquessate falling to the Clevina family effectively curbed the undue ambitions of other nobles.
Now that the old emperor has abdicated, many nobles are thinking of using their status, seniority, and influence to seek personal gain.
Faced with an underage empress, some people seem to think they can easily control everything.
Moreover, the Duke of Reeves's image as a kind-hearted man has already taken root in the aristocratic circles.
Even if he publicly supports the Queen, it won't make any difference.
But the Clevina family is different; their power is undeniable.
Even without Victor, the Clevner family still possesses sufficient power.
With the title of marquis, which can overwhelm a group of ministers, he can suppress those with ulterior motives to the point of suffocation.
Therefore, the Empire needed the power of the Clevina family, especially during the period of the Empress's ascension to the throne.
As for resisting external aggression?
There are only a few countries next to the empire, and the only one that can rival the empire is the Kingdom of Kant.
As it turns out, the strongest person in the Kingdom of Kant is still the current queen's maternal grandfather.
In conclusion, to ensure that this empress's throne is secure and that others respect her authority, the following measures are necessary.
Therefore, one Clevner family is sufficient.
"This will also benefit your family."
Hearing Duke Reeves' words, Lia nodded in agreement.
Because now, Lia has to consider a very practical problem.
With Victor missing for so long, will other nobles take the opportunity to secretly retaliate against the Clavner family?
To be frank, Lia wasn't afraid of retaliation from other families at all; in fact, she was hoping for more to come.
They'll bury them all then.
But she also knew that such behavior would undoubtedly damage the family's reputation.
This could also indirectly negatively impact the ruling power and credibility of the royal family.
After all, the ministers would be disappointed if they saw that the Empress couldn't even control the Clevina family.
They were allowed to set fire to the mountains and attack other families at will.
Over time, their loyalty and trust in the royal family may waver.
Once the royal family accepts the gift, it means that the Clevina family and the royal family are of one mind and work together.
Back then, anyone who dared to provoke the Clevina family was considered to be disrespecting the royal family.
Even if Lia wanted to bury someone, she would do so with reason and justification.
But thinking of this, her brows furrowed, her expression became serious and profound, and even the tone of her voice became heavier:
"I still stand by what I said."
“I can accept the reward; it is what my family deserves.”
“But I would never take the title and temporarily assume the position of head of the family in place of Victor.”
At this point, Lia carefully raised her head and looked firmly at Levi in front of her.
She discovered that the other person did not show any displeasure at her refusal; on the contrary, they seemed somewhat satisfied.
After listening to Lia's words, Duke Reeves smiled and said to her:
“Of course, Miss Lia, I fully respect your choice.”
"This shows that you always believed Count Victor would return."
"In this respect, you are undoubtedly the best family member I have ever met."
He praised Liya repeatedly, as if he wanted to pour out all the praise in his heart.
Under such frequent praise, Lia felt a little shy.
She gently reached out and scratched her cheek shyly.
Although Levi's praise pleased Leah, she remained rational.
Feeling somewhat doubtful, Lia voiced her concerns to him:
"But this won't make others think..."
This made other families think that the Clevner family might have become somewhat arrogant and conceited.
It would be somewhat inappropriate to refuse the Queen's bestowal of a title.
But when he heard Leah's question, Levi just smiled and shook his head.
"Won't."
"This title has always been there; it belongs to your family. It doesn't matter if you never accept it."
Simply put, your Clevina family may choose not to accept this title, but the royal family cannot refuse to grant it.
By giving it, the royal family is seen as complying with the will of Heaven and the hearts of the people.
Refusing to accept it would be a sign of respect for Victor, after all, he is the true head of the Clavner family.
Moreover, all they need to do is accept the reward, as it signifies the Clevina family's willingness to continue supporting the current queen.
This is tantamount to accepting a title.
Nominally, the Clevina family is not yet a marquess.
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