Chapter 71 [Who do you think wants to harm you?]...
How are you feeling today?
Fernando was sitting on the bed, passing the time by reading, when he heard the door open. He smiled and looked up.
"Your Highness, you've arrived."
It was clear that Lex's arrival was anticipated.
"After Dr. Aaron's treatment, I feel I have recovered a lot, but my aunt still thinks it would be better if I rested for a few more days," Fernando said with some helplessness.
As the youngest daughter of the previous Marquess of Furhorst, Lady Jones and Fernando were not actually that far apart in age, but whenever Lady Jones invoked her status as an aunt, even Fernando could not disobey her.
Moreover, she was only thinking about his health.
“I think Mrs. Jones’s concerns are not unfounded; at least a few more days of rest can’t hurt.”
Lex walked to the bedside, where a high-backed chair had already been placed, clearly arranged in advance by Fernando.
Lex sat down casually.
“That’s true, but as the lord, I’ve been away from the territory for so many years, leaving everything to my aunt. Now that I’m finally back, she’s the one who should be resting.” Fei Nanji shook his head with a smile.
"But hasn't Mrs. Jones managed Furhorst Territory very well? Everyone has witnessed its prosperity over the years."
Lex even thought that if women weren't forbidden from inheriting titles, it wouldn't be impossible for Furhorst to produce a female lord.
Fernanki didn't seem to care much about his status as a lord.
"Yes, it's obvious to everyone that Torres is in poor health and is clearly less suitable than his cousin to be the next Marquis of Furhorst. But because he's a boy and my only son, he's become the heir to the lord from a young age. Does Your Highness think this is fair?"
Fernanki asked with a calm smile, as if he were simply having a casual chat with Lex.
But the meaning he conveyed was quite intriguing.
Lex knew that Fernánki’s only son, Torres, had been sickly since birth and needed several servants to take care of him at all times.
So when Torres grew a little older, Fernando took it upon himself to have the child's mother take Torres to live in another estate, a quiet place with few visitors, which was perfect for recuperation.
In contrast, there was Lady Jones' daughter, Krena, Torres' cousin, a clever and lively girl who had even been learning horseback riding and swordsmanship from the knights around her from a young age, and had done quite well. If she were a boy, she might have been proposed as the second in line to the throne after Torres.
But being a girl meant that she was destined to spend her life assisting her cousin, just as her mother, Mrs. Jones, had assisted Fernando.
No, perhaps not necessarily.
From the moment Fernanki deliberately brought up those words to ask him, Lex clearly realized that Fernanki seemed to intend for the birth of the kingdom's first female lord in Furhorst.
“That’s not fair, of course. Women aren’t any less capable than men, are they?” Lex pondered.
"Especially when there are better options, we don't have to settle for less."
For example, just because Torres is a man, they reluctantly made him a lord, but it's hard to say how many days a year his sickly body can handle the affairs of the territory.
Moreover, Lex had never heard anyone praise Fernanki's son for being particularly intelligent.
Although this is partly due to Torres's seclusion, even his father, Fernando, believed that he was not as talented as his cousin in being a lord, which suggests that his abilities might indeed be rather mediocre.
“It seems that in every respect,” Fernando said meaningfully, “Your Highness and I share the same thoughts.”
This is Fernando subtly telling Lex that he knows his purpose and is willing to support him in ascending the throne.
After Lex ascended the throne, he had to amend the old succession laws to allow for female heirs.
Before leaving, Lex asked one last question that had been nagging at him, "Fernanki, who do you think wants to harm you?"
Privately, many people secretly speculated that Lady Jones was behind Fernanke's downfall. After all, she had managed Furhorst for so many years, and her ambition was as well-known as her ruthless methods. As a result, once Fernanke, the rightful lord, returned, she could only live the life of a leisurely lady enjoying afternoon tea.
You must feel very resentful deep down.
Through Cherk's inquiries, Lex also learned of these private speculations about Mrs. Jones.
At that time, Chernobog asked him what he thought.
Lex stated directly that he would not easily conclude that Mrs. Jones would not harm Fernanke simply because they had known each other for many years. After all, these speculations also indicated that Mrs. Jones did indeed have the motive to harm Fernanke.
If Fernanke were to pass away like this, Lady Jones would certainly gain many benefits, such as regaining control of the Furhorst Territory under the guise of helping Torres manage the territory.
Therefore, even though Mrs. Jones and Fernandez had always been very close family members, it could not be certain that she had not been deliberately putting on an act of innocence in front of others these days in order to escape suspicion from others.
But today, when Fernandez proposed that Lady Jones's daughter become the next lord of Furhorst, Lex knew that the slightest possibility that Lady Jones was the mastermind behind it all had vanished.
So, who exactly wants to harm Fernando? He has always been a nobleman of impeccable reputation, and it is rare to hear of him having any disagreements with anyone.
Even if some people hated him to the core during his years as prime minister, that hatred should have vanished when he left the capital and returned to his territory.
"Your Highness, why don't you think about it another way? Who wouldn't want me to die?" Fernando said slowly.
There were far too many people who didn't want Fernando to die: his wife, son, Mrs. Jones, his loyal subordinates, and even Lex himself.
Lex's pupils suddenly contracted.
"...It was Elijah who did it, wasn't it?"
Although Lex used a questioning tone, he was clearly quite certain that the answer was correct.
He did not want Fernanki to die and planned to use Fernanki's power to fight against Elijah.
Elijah, of course, wished Fernando would die as soon as possible.
"But why now of all times?"
If Elijah had planned this all along, why wait until now to make her move on Fernando?
Moreover, how did she even get involved with the witch?
When Lex thought of witches, he inevitably thought of Mela as well.
Even though Mela didn't say it explicitly, the sudden appearance of a witch in Furhorst Territory and Mela's coincidences made Lex certain that the witch who attacked Fernandez was Erica, the woman Mela was looking for and her former teacher.
If Mela knew the truth, why would she have gone to Furhorst to save Fernanke's life? Not to mention, Lex believed that Mela wouldn't lie to him and that there was absolutely no connection between her and Erica.
"Perhaps she couldn't wait any longer; something big must have happened in the palace that we don't know about."
Even though it involved himself and he almost lost his life because of it, Fernando's attitude when talking about Elijah remained frighteningly calm.
And even though he didn't know what had happened that would force Elijah to kill him, Fernando still said thoughtfully:
"Actually, there aren't many people in the palace that our Queen cares about, are there? Just His Majesty the King and Prince Seviri."
Therefore, this important event is either related to Nurenger IX or to Severi.
But whether it's the former or the latter, it's very advantageous for Lex's situation.
So it's no wonder Elijah couldn't keep her composure.
"I understand." Lex nodded, clearly having made his own decision.
*
The gardens of Furhorst Manor truly lived up to their reputation, with dedicated gardeners tending to them. Even before Mela approached, the rich fragrance of the flowers had already captured all her attention.
She just didn't expect that there was another person in the garden.
"Miss Mela."
Chernobog gave Mela a gentle smile as she approached.
When his gaze fell on Mela's dress, he was momentarily lost in thought.
As soon as Cherger lost in thought, Mela noticed something was wrong. She looked down and examined the new dress that the maid had brought that morning, asking with some curiosity, "What's wrong? Is there something wrong with this dress?"
“No, there’s nothing wrong with the dress. It’s beautiful and makes you look like a violet in the sunlight,” Cherge denied with a smile.
At the same time, his expression carried a hint of nostalgia, "Queen Lillieles once loved purple. As she became queen, she gradually became the only figure in purple at the court balls."
“Is that so? Her Highness the Queen must be a stunning beauty. Is there anything about Lex that resembles her?” Mela asked curiously.
"Hmm... if I had to say, it would probably be the nose and mouth?" Cherk pondered for a moment.
In fact, Lex doesn't look particularly like either Nurenger IX or Lillyless. He's more like a product of his parents' genes, with a uniquely handsome face.
“If you may, could you tell me more about Her Highness the Queen’s past?” Mela suggested with a smile.
"According to Lex, his mother loved him but rarely spent time with him, so much so that even when he mentioned her to me, it was only a few times."
After all, Lex himself doesn't have many memories of spending time with Lilyles.
However, Cherk knew Lillyless long before Lex was born, and he must have met the woman who was still relatively healthy and had a good reputation among the nobility.
What kind of image does Lillyrus have in Chelge's eyes?
“Of course, the weather is so fine today, it’s perfect for talking about a beautiful woman in this lovely garden.” Chern agreed as expected.
“However, before that, we might enjoy this time more pleasantly with tea and snacks,” Chern suggested.
“Okay.” Mela waved to the maid standing not far away and told her that she wanted to have afternoon tea.
Before long, Mela and Cherge sat down at the stone table in the garden and each took a sip of their tea.
They both sighed in unison, "It's so hot."
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