Chapter 87 [Would you like to come back to the palace with me?]...
After Mela left, Lex learned from the spies that Fernánki had placed in the capital that Núrenger IX was seriously ill.
He stood by the window, his back to Fernando, who was sitting in an armchair.
"So that's why Elijah was so eager to attack me. She was certain I would help you, and she didn't know when you would return to the capital, so she wanted to get rid of me as soon as possible and cut off your arm."
After watching the scout leave the study, Fernando said thoughtfully.
"Your Highness, what are your thoughts?" Fernando asked. As Lex's advisor, he could offer suggestions, but he couldn't make decisions for him directly.
What they will do next depends on Lex's ideas.
“We should gather our forces in advance, just in case. After all, none of us know how much longer he has to live,” Lex said indifferently.
Only a lion in its prime is worthy of fear. If it were Nurengger IX in his youth, perhaps no one would dare to cause trouble under his nose. But now he is critically ill, and most likely won't even be able to open his eyes. Anyone could easily take his life, so how can he deter the treacherous undercurrents?
"Do you think Elijah can't protect His Majesty the King?"
Fernanki tapped the table with a meaningful flick of his finger. Although Nurenger IX was seriously ill, as Queen Elijah, the palace was still under her control. No one should be able to overstep her bounds and harm Nurenger IX.
Thinking of this, Fernando made a small joke, "Your Highness, have you forgotten that our Queen once drove me out of the capital?"
“Without his permission, Elijah couldn’t have done so much all these years,” Lex saw it clearly.
It was precisely because he realized that Nurengel IX had deliberately condoned his disappearance that the already meager father-son bond vanished in an instant.
Lex had sensed since childhood that Nurengel IX disliked him, which was strange, since he was his only child, yet his father was reluctant to give him a smile.
Especially in comparison with Cherk and Fernandez, Lex felt more and more that Nurenger was not a good father at all.
No father would treat his child with unpredictable mood swings, or even occasionally look at him with eyes so gloomy they seem to drip with water.
"Before I came to Furhorst Territory, I had already informed the lords of the North. Once they received my letter, they would send people over immediately, so that if anything happened, they wouldn't be too late to leave from the North."
Lex snapped out of his reverie and spoke to Fernando.
"I'll need your help to arrange for them to be settled in the future."
"Please rest assured, even if several thousand people come, Furhorst Manor can accommodate them. However, we cannot simply put everyone in one place."
Even rabbits know to dig multiple burrows, just in case.
Lex nodded slightly, agreeing with Fernanki's statement. "I will consider a few more candidates."
Count Salai was one of those who came to surrender after Lex proved that he was still alive and well.
As Earl Sarre's procession departed Furhorst Manor, growing larger than when they arrived, Lex's gaze drifted to the distant sky, where several gray birds flew by.
The preparations had been almost complete, so when Lex and the others heard the news of Nurengel IX's death and the unusually early funeral, they didn't react much, as if they had known this day would come all along.
Before their departure, Mrs. Jones had the estate's cooks prepare an exquisite dinner to send Lex and Chern off.
They had to travel day and night, and given Fernando's physical condition, he probably wouldn't be able to keep up on the road. So Lex and Cher each led a dozen or so attendants on horseback ahead, while Fernando followed slowly in a carriage with the caravan.
Anyway, Fernanki wasn't the only nobleman who missed the funeral, so even if Elia wanted to punish him, she wouldn't have a reason.
And so, Lex set off.
Meanwhile, nobles who had set out with his assigned men, such as Count Sarre, rushed to the capital day and night.
*
The unrest against Lex was thus quelled.
With Celdo dead and Antonio captured, even though they had prepared men in advance and a steady stream of guards were pouring into the church, they dared not approach after seeing this scene.
After all, anyone with eyes can see that submission is a better choice than resistance.
To put it bluntly, Antonio and Cairdo had already lost because they failed to control Lex immediately; after all, the one sitting on the throne can only bear the surname Nurengel.
"Throw Antonio Jude into prison and await further instructions." Lex took the handkerchief handed to him by Cherge, slowly wiped the blood off his sword, and then sheathed it at his waist.
"No! You can't do this! Elia, Civili, save me! I'm doing this for you!" Antonio struggled in terror as he was about to be dragged out of the church, trying to get help from Elia and Civili.
Otherwise, once he enters prison, death is the only thing waiting for him.
Elijah bit her lip and remained silent. She was even worried that Severi would be moved by Antonio, so she reached out and covered his mouth in advance.
Even without Antonio and Cairdo, she can still pick new suitable candidates from the Jude family, who might be much more obedient than the two of them.
Ultimately, Elijah still harbored some resentment towards the two of them for harming King Nurenger IX.
However, due to the circumstances at the time, and the days she was under house arrest, Elia realized that Nurenger IX was dead, and she could not let him die in vain. Instead, she wanted to use his death to pave the way for their child. Therefore, she agreed to Antonio and Celdo's request to continue cooperating with them to set up this trap against Lex.
As Civici watched Antonio being dragged away screaming in pain, a moment of hesitation did indeed flash through his mind.
In the past, Antonio and Celdo always found him many novel gadgets and helped him with many things. However, when he thought of how Antonio and Celdo had not hesitated to target Nurenger IX and imprison him and Elijah, Severi's hesitation vanished.
Severi was even secretly relieved that Elijah had covered his mouth, so it wasn't that he didn't want to save Antonio, but that he had to obediently listen to Elijah. Only his mother was someone who truly cared for him wholeheartedly.
"Alright, everyone, the matter is resolved. Let's continue the funeral," Lex said calmly, as if the bloody incident had never happened.
Upon hearing this, the nobles, whose clothes were slightly disheveled from trying to avoid the mess, cautiously returned and, together with the equally disheveled Ficolle, completed the funeral rites.
Whether it was frightened or not, Fikler suddenly fainted while reading the eulogy for Nurenger IX, making everyone think that another incident was about to occur.
Fortunately, the priests reacted quickly and helped the unconscious Ficoler away, and Andrei took over to read the eulogy. In the end, the funeral came to a safe end.
Of course, decades from now, the nobles present today will likely not forget this dramatic and thrilling funeral.
After the funeral, the nobles naturally boarded their carriages and left. Cherge noticed that Lex was still standing still and couldn't help but wonder, "Your Highness? Aren't we leaving?"
“Wait for me outside, and remember to close the door.” Lex lowered his eyes, not explaining his reasoning to Cherge.
Fortunately, even though Cherk didn't know what Lex was planning to do, he dutifully stood guard outside the closed door, preventing anyone else from entering the church.
“You can come out now, Mela,” Lex said calmly.
After a while, a rustling sound came from the wall behind the statue, and Mela also came out from the dark room behind the wall.
Back in the church in Golden Oak City, Mela had already discovered a secret door leading to the dungeon. Thinking that there might be a similar design here, she risked entering the church before the first person did, and sure enough, she discovered the secret on the wall.
Unfortunately, behind the wall was just a small, dark room. Mela hid inside and could only observe everything happening outside through the cracks in the wall.
Upon seeing the unconscious Erica, Mela knew things were going badly. Just as she was thinking about how to save Erica, she heard Lex speak up and stop the church members.
As long as Erica wasn't to be burned alive in front of everyone immediately, she would have time to save her. Seeing this, Mela's heart sank back into place, and she breathed a small sigh of relief.
However, when she saw the chaotic scene of swords flashing and bloodshed again, Mela's heart sank once more.
She believed that Lex must have made preparations in advance, but whether he would get injured as a result, or whether some accident would suddenly disrupt his plans, Mela didn't know and couldn't say for sure, so she couldn't suppress the deep worry in her heart.
Thankfully, it's all over.
Lex is unharmed.
“You’re right, how did you know I was hiding here?” Mela asked curiously.
“Have you forgotten? The seed you gave me will show me the way you are,” Lex replied.
Over the past few nights, Lex would open the box and find himself heading in Mela's direction, his emotions becoming somewhat complicated.
He never expected that Mela would actually be in the royal city.
Soon, the things that Mela could guess also surfaced in Lex's mind, so when he saw the unconscious Erica appear, Lex pursed his lips without making a sound.
He worried that Mela had gotten involved with this strange witch, and what if they were both unlucky enough to be caught by the church?
fortunately.
Mela is fine.
Lex stared intently at Mela and noticed beads of sweat on her cheeks, probably from being in the dark room for so long. Apart from that, there were no wounds on her exposed skin, and the tension in his mind eased a little.
"Huh, but it can't tell you that I'm right here either," Mela said, still puzzled.
"Perhaps it's because I'm bound to sense you whenever you're nearby."
Lex didn't seem to think anything of what he said, and casually raised his hand to brush the strands of hair that were stuck to Mela's neck.
“Ah, no wonder my neck feels a little itchy,” Mela said, raising her hand and pressing her thumb against Lex’s eye.
Lex's gaze followed her hand and landed on the bright red bloodstain on Mela's thumb.
It was someone else's blood that I accidentally got on my skin.
“Lex,” Mela suddenly called his name.
"Um?"
"Never mind, it's nothing."
But when it came time to say it, Mela changed her mind.
It's really nothing, but just thinking about Lex's swift sword swings and how he decisively takes down his enemies makes Mela's heart race once again.
That was a side of Lex that he had never shown to Mela before.
Cold, powerful, and unshakeable.
"Okay." Since Mela didn't want to talk about it, Lex had no desire to find out more.
Compared to this.
Would you like to come back to the palace with me?
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