Under the watchful eyes of the members of the Trevill family, the Duke of Trevil took his last breath and sank into eternal sleep.

Everyone didn't speak, and in the dead silence, only Charlotte's unstoppable sobs resounded throughout the room, making everyone's already sad and desolate mood even more uncomfortable.

I don't know how long it took, but the Marquis of Treville gently patted Charlotte on the shoulder. "Okay, child, don't cry, you're still pregnant! People of our age, even if they are gone, they don't have to be so sad, sometimes we just face the reality, you still have your life. ”

Then he walked up to the little Duke of Treville.

"Philip, you are the new Duke of Trevil from this day forward, and I hope you will show a decent performance and prove that you will not disgrace this title and name. He and I have worked hard to rebuild this family, and you shouldn't let its brilliance be tarnished. ”

His expression was so solemn and serious that his nephew was also infected with seriousness.

"Okay, uncle, I will." The little Duke of Treville—no, now a real duke—straightened up, and looked at his father.

The father was lying on the bed, looking like he was asleep, but his face was more pale. Where to think of it, where to think of it...... No, I can't think about it anymore, otherwise the tears will stay and make the juniors laugh.

He immediately looked away, but there was a pang of cramping in his heart.

"Shut up, too!" The old marquis looked around, "His business has been done, but your business is still countless. Cheer me up, don't let my brother be at peace in heaven! ”

Under his scolding. Everyone's crying slowly stopped, even Charlotte. Just reluctantly looking at Grandpa's body.

After the death of the duke, the whole family was the oldest, and at this moment it seemed that he had a kind of power to say everything. His composure also seemed to drive away the uneasiness and hesitation in everyone's hearts.

And seeing his grandfather behaving like this, Charles's heart was also distressed.

Who knows how hard he worked to overcome this loss of his brother and endure to comfort others?

"Grandpa, go and take a break." He took his grandfather's hand and looked at him with concern. "It's not too early......"

He was really worried about his grandfather, he was already old, and he was tired and stimulated by this, and he didn't know what would happen until he rested.

The old marquis did not refuse his grandson's kindness, and let him walk out of his brother's bedroom with his arms in his arms.

The old man's gait was steady at first, but when he reached the door, he suddenly stumbled and almost fell to the ground, but Charles immediately helped him.

"Thank you." The old man whispered, but tears rolled down the corners of his eyes again.

Charles didn't say anything. just dragged his grandfather to the next room and served him to rest as soon as possible.

Now, with only the father and three children left in the room, the atmosphere suddenly became a little eerie. It was as if something else had suddenly mixed in with the air besides grief and sorrow.

"Dad, I'll take you to rest too." Silence lasted for a few moments. The eldest son, Philip, finally spoke, "Butler, they're ready. Let's not delay them. ”

Because the duke has been ill for a long time, the family has already prepared accordingly. So it's not too hasty now, just follow the previous preparations.

"Well, okay." The middle-aged man nodded, then looked at his father lying on the hospital bed one last time, let out a long sigh, and followed his son out of the room.

When they walked out, the room became quieter, except for the two siblings, Charlotte and Eugène.

Charlotte sat on the edge of the bed, looking at her grandfather's face all the time, full of sadness.

In this family, when it comes to feelings for the duke, I'm afraid only the old marquis will be deeper than her.

However, how can people live in the world by relying only on feelings?

In addition to affection, there is also a need for will, as well as ...... Fight.

"I'm afraid they're going to talk about it." After a few moments, Eugène said in a low voice, "Philip won't accept this, Dad...... It's hard to say. ”

"Do they even dare to deny Grandpa's will?" Charlotte bit her lip. "They swore in front of Grandpa just now!"

Eugène shrugged his shoulders and smiled mockingly.

"That's tens of millions of property, what is an oath compared to?"

Charlotte was silent.

Although she was reluctant, she knew that her brother had a point.

Grandpa's hands had become cold, as if they had taken away the warmth of Charlotte's heart at the same time.

Her face slowly sank, and her expression became very solemn.

Whether it is to fulfill her grandfather's last wish or for herself, she will never intend to, even if she is facing her father and brother.

"You are the only one among them who still has a little conscience!" After a long silence, Charlotte said indignantly.

"I'm not more conscientious than they are...... Eugène shook his head, "it's just that it's none of my business, anyway, it's the same as anyone else's, and I prefer to take it from my sister, at least you're a little more generous than Philip." ”

"That's enough! What qualifications do I have to demand more loyalty? Charlotte sighed, then stood up and hugged her brother, "Don't worry, I won't treat you badly." ”

"Good luck, then." Eugène hugged his sister as well.

Then the servants followed the doctor and opened the door and walked in, ready to collect the duke's remains, while the siblings withdrew.

As Eugène had predicted, a storm was indeed brewing in the new duke's bedroom.

After returning to the room with his father, Philip carefully took out a bottle of whiskey from the wine cabinet, then poured a glass and handed it to his father, "Daddy." You drink some pressure first, I see that your six gods have no master! ”

Although it seems a little unruly to drink alcohol just after my father died. But at this time, the middle-aged man, who was already in a state of confusion, did not scruple too much, and obediently picked up the glass of wine. Grunted and poured it down.

After drinking, his pale face finally regained some blood. He coughed a few times, and tears welled up in his eyes.

"Oh my God! Oh, my God! He shouted loudly, even scratching his own hair with his hands.

Philip didn't speak, leaving his father to vent his grief.

After waiting for a while, the middle-aged man regained his composure, and then poured himself a large sip of wine.

"Are you feeling better now?" Philip asked.

"Much better." Father let out a long sigh.

"But I don't feel good at all." Philip frowned, "Dad, we were the heirs of course a moment ago. At this moment, we are penniless and can only snort - if we do nothing! ”

"What do you mean by that?" The duke thought of something and looked up at his son.

"Don't you understand what I mean? Grandpa's dying arrangement made us lose the inheritance to his direct heir, but let your married daughter accept everything! Philip raised his voice. Can you accept such an unfair and illegal arrangement? ”

After hearing his son's words, the father suddenly realized.

Then, he slapped the table heavily.

"Bastard! What objections do you have at this time?! Have you forgotten your oath? You swore in front of your grandfather, and it's only been half an hour! ”

Looking at his father with bloodshot eyes. Philip was a little hairy in his heart, but he knew in his heart that if he didn't work hard at this time, he would have to become his sister's slave in the future. Therefore, the fear of the future in my heart completely overcame the fear of my father.

"The oath is to make grandpa happy, that's a last resort! Now that Grandpa is gone, can we living people still be comfortable with vows? He stared at his father. Instilled his fear in the past, "Dad." I'm not just for myself, I'm for you! Will you be able to accept this outcome? Think about it. If you obey the last wayward behavior of an old man, you will become a subordinate of your own daughter and son-in-law, and you will be left to her to fiddle! You could have been the leader of House Treville, but she put you under her wing! Dad, while there is still time, let's hurry up and make amends, don't let grandpa's momentary confusion ruin all our futures! ”

After the grief is gone, all that remains is personal consideration.

Amid the angry shouts of his son, the new Duke of Treville fell silent.

He knew that his son was right, if he did not object to his father's deathbed arrangements, the wealth of the family that he should inherit as a matter of course in the future would only fall into the control of his daughter, and he could only be his daughter's mascot at best.

When his father made this proposal, he thought it was just a hot head of the old man, but he didn't expect his father to do it to the end with the stubbornness unique to the elderly.

But...... After all, this is my father's arrangement! Is it really possible to disobey?

His father's years of prestige made it difficult for him to make the decision to resist.

"That's my father's arrangement, he has a will, what else can we do?" He said sullenly.

"This arrangement is not legal!" As soon as he said this, Philip became angry, and even the volume was much louder, "You are the only son of your grandfather, and you cannot be deprived of your inheritance rights by law, so you don't have to pay attention to this kind of will, as long as you seek legal means, nothing can stop you from recovering your rightful rights!" What's more, you are Charlotte's father, and she has no right to disobey as long as you send a word! ”

Although the son said it lightly, the middle-aged man knew that it was not so simple, and he knew that his father did not completely deprive him of his inheritance, but only made many restrictions - and he did not know whether such restrictions were legally valid or not.

What's more, the father of Yingming I, must not only make an oath to himself and his son after death, but also leave a back hand.

The more important question is, should I rebel against my father's arrangement?

"What are you waiting for? If you hesitate any longer, you'll be done! God knows what Charlotte is doing now! Philip froze in anger and urged his father loudly, "Father." Hurry up and make up your mind! ”

"You...... Do you hate Charlotte that much? The father looked at his son in disbelief.

"No, I don't hate her. It's she who hates us! Since she was a child, she has been ambitious and has a desire to take everything into her own hands. So she has been welcoming her grandfather and pleasing him! She knew that she had no inheritance rights, so she deliberately found someone from our family to marry, because she knew that if she married, she would still be regarded as a family member, and she could continue to blind her grandfather's heart! Now she's really succeeded, and we've fallen into the hands of a conspirator! ”

"What nonsense are you talking about!" The middle-aged man couldn't listen anymore and scolded his son.

"Am I talking nonsense? Did I say something wrong? Isn't that the case? Philip asked rhetorically, "The reality is already in front of you." Do you want to continue to be blindfolded as a result? ”

He knew that his fate had reached the most critical moment at this time, and the subsequent honor and disgrace were tied to his father's thoughts, so he no longer had any scruples, and desperately tried to convince his father.

"Charlotte is not such a person!" The middle-aged man slapped the table again, "And do you really think your grandfather is so easy to bully?!" ”

"What kind of person is she, aren't the facts already in front of you?" Perhaps remembering some unpleasant memories, Philip clenched his fists tightly, "She didn't like me since she was a child, and I already knew she had bad intentions!" Now it's all right. She actually bewitched her grandfather, and then coaxed him to give her all his property, so that we could only live by flattering her! Grandpa is indeed wise all his life, but everyone has a time when he is old! As a result, they were taken advantage of. The old man made such a big mistake and got the entire family's property into her hands! You say, "Is that okay?" All right...... Think about it. If she has any respect for you, she should voluntarily give up this illegal right. Let you be the head of the family, and rightfully so! But look. Did she hesitate a bit? She didn't! Instead of wanting to push away this right that doesn't belong to her, she accepted it as a matter of course, why do you say that? No matter who she marries, she is already married! Our family has already given her enough dowry, and everything in the family has nothing to do with her from now on! She has no right to manipulate us! ”

Under his son's stormy words, the middle-aged man fell silent again.

He tried to open his mouth several times, but he still didn't say anything.

He didn't want to go against his father's wishes, but the poison of selfishness eroded his heart and put him in extreme contradictions.

Yes, how can a rightful heir not be entangled when he encounters such a thing?

If there is silence now, everything will be irretrievable, and the wealth of the family and the family business that the father has worked hard for many years will become a fund and fall into the hands of his daughter.

But at least you shouldn't be short of money to spend in your lifetime.

I have to say that my father's arrangement was very ingenious, demarcating the income from the land to him, so that he had a large fixed income during his lifetime, which was enough to maintain ordinary expenses, and invisibly diluted the spirit of resistance.

Philip could see his father's thoughts.

Father can get a little, but he can't get anything.

"You are his son, the only direct heir, and you have an unshakable right to inherit!" He shouted anxiously, trying to awaken the flesh in his father's heart, "Did you just accept it so silently? Gave up a mountain of gold, and ended up being grateful to Dade for the little scraps of others' charity! Are you kidding? ”

The father still did not answer.

Philip took his father's hand, "Let's go, let's go!" ”

"Where to go?!" The father was caught off guard.

"Go to Grandpa and bring that will!" Philip replied in a loud voice.

If it's convenient, burn it - he didn't say it, but the meaning was self-evident. As long as you do this, then no matter what others say, everything will be dead and unproven.

"What?!" This terrible sentence made the middle-aged man's body tremble.

Go back to your father's dead bedroom and take his carefully written will under the watchful eye of his father's soul?

It's horrible.

This, this will make my father's soul not rest!

He twitched violently, then withdrew his hand.

When Philip saw his father withdraw his hand, he looked at him in a daze.

"You're too weak." After a moment, he sighed.

However. But he did not intend to be weak.

He turned suddenly, and strode to the door. He slammed the door open, moving as fast as a soldier on the battlefield.

However. He had just opened the door, but he froze. "You!?"

His sister, Charlotte, was standing in the doorway, staring at him without any emotion.

The astonishment was followed by embarrassment, and then annoyance. "Why are you eavesdropping on us outside? How long have you been eavesdropping?! ”

"I was planning to come to discuss things with you." Charlotte looked at her brother calmly, "I heard your conversation and you looked excited, so I'm not going to bother you." Wait until you're done. Don't worry, I've heard everything you should have heard. ”

What have you heard? Philip was shocked.

Before he could react, Charlotte pushed his hand away, and then walked into the room on her own, where she saw her father sitting in a chair.

Then, she took a piece of paper from her bosom and slapped it directly on the table.

"Aren't you going to get this? I've got it for you, so you don't have to bother to get there! ”

Bang. Both father and son were taken aback.

Philip saw the page swing on the table, and his heart went up and down.

"I've got it for you, it's up to you what you want to do with this piece of paper." Charlotte looked at her father and brother, her blue eyes full of pride. "But I tell you. You can destroy a page of paper, but you don't want to destroy Grandpa's last wish and the rights and interests I deserve! Grandpa's arrangement. You swore to obey, and then you turned around and you wanted to deny it? If you want to fight. Then fight, I'll accompany you to the end! ”

Charlotte's expression was unflinching. It made her father cringe even more, but it provoked Philip's anger.

"Good! I knew it! You've been planning to do so from the beginning, and you're happy that your plan has finally succeeded, right? Proud huh?! ”

"You're right, I'm happy." Charlotte looked at her brother calmly, "Because...... Because I was recognized by my grandfather, because my grandfather admitted that you are just a mediocre person who was born in front of him by luck, and I am more qualified than you to be in charge of this family! ”

Such harsh words made Philip's eyes widen in anger, and he wanted to step forward, but he finally held back.

Charlotte lowered her gaze slightly, as if caught in a memory.

"Indeed, you are right, it was indeed a long time ago that I married Charles...... Very, very long ago decision. ”

As soon as these words came out, the eyes of both men widened in shock.

"Good! All right! What a conspirator! Philip shouted. Look, Dad, I'm right! That's right! Grandpa and we have fallen into the hands of a scheming conspirator! ”

"Where does this start?" Charlotte didn't care about his reaction in the slightest, and just remembered it, her tone full of extremely rare melancholy. "At that time...... I was almost 10 years old, and at that time I understood for the first time that although I was also my father's child, I was completely different from boys, and I had no equal rights at all. No matter what I did for my family, when I got married, my family would give me a dowry and send me away from afar...... Since then, he has become a member of another family, and he can't even keep his surname. ”

Her tone was so strange that the two observers were speechless for a moment.

"At first I was very uncomfortable and couldn't accept the result...... Because, I am obviously no worse than my brother and younger brother, why can I only be treated as a useless thing and thrown away when I am old? A wry smile appeared on Charlotte's face, "But then I understood that there are so many unreasonable things in the world, and there is no point in pursuing them, so you can only obey." So, I made a decision......"

The father and brother, who had been hung up with an appetite, held their breath at the same time, waiting for her to say the most crucial words.

"I decided, even if I couldn't keep the same rights as my brother, at least I had to keep the surname, because ...... Because I love it, because I'm so proud of it! Charlotte shouted in a daze, "From then on, I decided to marry Charles, it doesn't matter if he is good or bad, virtuous or stupid, I will marry him anyway." ”

Then, Charlotte suddenly laughed, "However, after I kept dating him, I realized that he was such a good person, so I fell in love with him with all my heart...... I made a wise decision by mistake. Isn't it best that I've been through so much and that I'm married, and I'm pregnant with his child, the purest blood of the Tréville family. ”

Looking at her smile full of joy, Philip was speechless.

After laughing for a moment, Charlotte became serious again.

“…… Although I had such thoughts, I never thought of murdering you, let alone trying to confuse my grandfather into doing something for me. I just want to contribute something to the family, so I've been helping my grandfather all the time, is that also wrong? If there was a mistake, why didn't you stop me at the time? What did you do? You're all just looking for your own pleasure, and none of you help him! Isn't it my fault that my grandfather liked me more because of this, and felt that I had inherited his spirit? Isn't it wrong that my grandfather wanted me to marry Charles and fulfill the agreement he made with my cousin, and I obeyed it without complaint? ”

Charlotte's sudden and sharp questioning made the two of them look at each other.

"If there is a fault, it is also in you, that you have given up your superior position and cared only for your own pleasures, forgetting the obligations you have carried!" Charlotte's eyes were full of excitement, "If Grandpa was like you, he would have died under the butcher's knife of the mob a long time ago, how could he restore the family business?!" It is because of your unsuccessful performance that Grandpa is disappointed...... You weren't there when you needed to help, and as a result, after he entrusted the family to me, you still came to blame me? You swore in front of him that you would obey, and when he took his breath, you were going to break your word, what do you think of your last name?! ”

No one answered her questions, and Charlotte wasn't going to get answered.

"After hearing Grandpa's arrangement, I was as surprised as you at first, but ...... Since this is grandpa's will, I will obey it. Charlotte raised her head and looked directly at her father and brother, "I won't pretend to say anything, I'm just trying to comply obey Grandpa's last wish, no!" I would say I'm very happy, very happy, happy for my grandfather's recognition of me, happy for my union with Charles! This is...... What a blessing! ”

"You ...... You say you're going to fight back? Okay, then you fight back, I'll wait! The will is now in my possession, so take it! Charlotte picked up the will in her hand and shook it, "You can do whatever you want, but I won't swallow my anger, I will fight to defend my rights and interests...... If you want to fight, let's fight! ”

Looking at her father-brother with a blank face, Charlotte couldn't help but laugh.

"If you have to fight, Charles, I, and Grandpa will never give in, we will fight, it will overwhelm you, and it will make you regret your decision, if you don't believe it, try it!"

No one answered until she finished laughing, and even Philip was overwhelmed by her momentum and was speechless for a while.

Is...... It's disappointing. She thought to herself.

Dad and brother, they seem to think that everything that Grandpa has worked so hard to build is taken for granted. It's a pity that Grandpa doesn't think so.

"Thankfully, I'll correct this mistake." She gently stroked her slightly bulging abdomen, but she couldn't see much abnormality, and closed her eyes happily. "My children and the Charles, they must be very smart, and then I will tell them that nothing is inherently deserved wealth and status, and how they can make themselves worthy of those ......" (to be continued......