Finally, on the last day of October, John accomplished what he was most proud of since his arrival in Epirus.

In the midst of the intricate forces of the old aristocracy and warlords, the royal family still relied on the hands of the Ottomans to hold the lives of the rebels. Ducasse-Comunen's so-called direct descendant, Reper, made a final compromise in the Chryso, and "sent" his youngest daughter, Evely Ducasse-Komnen, to Château de Combrigne, where she became John's Chosen Lady-in-Waiting.

The compromise of Ducasse-Komnenos led directly to the collapse of the old aristocratic forces in the Epirus region. The aristocrats and warlords, who still coveted independence, had to make a choice amid Pedro's patient knocks on the door.

Relinquish privileges, or be removed from history.

Eventually, John incorporated all of the recovered lands into his jurisdiction.

Then there was a series of skillful measures by Jeffrey.

Lower taxes, stimulate the population, restore faith, promote culture, boost the economy, and consolidate rule.

"Ibrahim and Mustafa are really two identical pieces of waste. Thinking about it this way, Murad II was really a prophet. ”

"Otherwise, how could he have appointed Muhammad, who is about the same age as us, to be the governor of the province of Massani, a hundred miles away from Edirne, as a governor? Are you right, Sister Evelei? ”

"Ahh Evelet's thoughts seemed to be a little wandering, and when she heard Sophia's voice, she suddenly pulled her soul back, "Your Highness...... Your Highness is right. ”

The Holy Chosen Handmaiden, which is also the old system of the Empire, was originally a woman under the age of ten in the empire who was personally selected by Basilus and the Pope when the members of the Purple Room were born as the handmaidens of the purple-clothed nobles. Her identity is not an ordinary maid, and she can even be called a very sacred honorary noble title.

The Saintly Chosen Maid is only responsible for all the living arrangements of a purple-clothed nobleman. She was also responsible for directing all the attendants of the non-purple nobles, and theoretically, if Eustina was not Sophia but John's handmaiden, then she would also have to obey Evelei's orders.

This ancient and mysterious system disappeared with the iconoclasm that arose in the empire at that time, and it was only natural that John would not have given Evely, a strange woman, so many privileges. He didn't expect Evelet to help him in government, diplomacy, or even espionage like Sophia, as long as she was comfortable playing her role as a "maid-in-waiting" to ensure that the Ducasse-Komnenos were obedient. Naturally, Valleo would not embarrass a fifteen-year-old girl.

"Sister Evelei?"

"Ah...... How...... What's wrong, Your Highness? ”

There's no need to be so restrained, theoretically speaking, you are the most noble person in this palace, apart from my brother and me.

"Yes, Your Highness......"

If you ask yourself, why would Sophia choose to take Evelet hostage instead of picking more influential figures like Reper's eldest son. In fact, the answer is very simple - it is just that Sophia wants to have a girl like her in Fort Gombrigne as a companion. The Palaiologos family has withered, and now only John and Sophia are left in the Purple Room. Usually Yustina and John have a lot of things to deal with, but Sophia, who stays in the palace, feels lonely early on.

It's just that John has always doubted that Sophia, who is completely extraordinary, can find a common language with other ordinary peers, even well-educated aristocratic women.

"Really...... It seems that you still need to be trained well. Sophia reached out and casually pinched Evelei's cheek, and Evely's eyes were mostly just awe and fear.

"You say...... How did you live as a child? After all, he is a nobleman, and he is a descendant of the famous Dukas-Komnenos. At this age, it's time to get engaged, why are you still afraid of this? Apparently, Evely's fear made Sophia feel slightly bored, "How did your father, that Ripper Ducasse-Komnenos educate you?" ”

"I ...... I've only been with my father for the past two years. Evelet replied softly, "I grew up in Edirne......

"Huh? What do you mean? Sophia asked curiously.

This part of the information is not in the information that Pedro brought. It's true that Ducasse-Komnenos had ties to the Ottomans, but isn't it the first time that Evelet has been held hostage by the fifteen years old?

"Sultan Murad certainly would not unconditionally hand over de facto control of the Epirus region to my father...... According to my sister, I was sent to Edirne only a few months after I was born, and I was placed in a monastery on the outskirts of the city......"

"And then?"

"It's just a dozen years of dark life, there's nothing to say......" Evelet didn't want to recall that time, for him, being John's chosen handmaiden was just a different cage.

John and Sophia fell silent at the same time, they did not realize that as a nobleman, Repo enjoyed the life of an emperor in Epirus, and her daughter became an irresistible bargaining chip in this transaction.

"Will you miss your family?"

Perhaps out of pure sympathy, or perhaps out of a thousand years of loneliness away from home, John asked God such a sentence. Even if he knew, I'm afraid Evelet would never have a chance to return to the Golden Tooth Manor.

But Evelet actually only responded lightly: "I don't have a home, just like Her Royal Highness the princess said to my father at the beginning." It doesn't make a difference to me whether it's Valleologo, it's Ducasse-Komnenos, even Osman. No family, no friends, no faith. All understandings of feelings come only from the word of mouth between the worshippers and the imams. ”

"Is this all your childhood......

"Your Majesty, if this could be called a childhood, maybe......"

Evelei's expression was dark, and although he had said a lot, there was nothing but deep despair that overflowed between the lines. Purely to live for the sake of living. If she really wanted to take such a person as a hostage, she could have died generously at any time.

"Sister Evelei, don't be afraid, Fort Combrigna will be your home in the future."

Before John could say anything, Sophia had tears in her eyes and slipped into Evelet's arms.

"You're not the Chosen Lady, you're my sister! Evelyn Ducasse-Komnenos! ”