Locke tiptoed out of the bedroom with his clothes, the fireplace in the living room had long since been extinguished, and the whole room was silent without any sound.

He turned his head to see that the time on the wall clock was 6 o'clock.

"Oh, it's another day. Hopefully it's a good day, nothing bothering me. ”

Locke put his clothes on the cotton chair in the living room, and he wore only his underwear, and went to the fireplace to make a fire with the flint there.

Perhaps the flint's sensitivity was not as sensitive as before, and he didn't have a trace of sparks after beating for a long time. Just as he was trying to make a fire, he faintly heard voices outside the door.

It seems to be Noris's voice!

Locke put down the flint in his hand, rushed to the bedroom in a hurry, opened the door and shouted to Bridget, who was still asleep on the bed, "Get up!" Norris is here!! ”

Contrary to his anxious mood, Bridget only lazily opened her eyes, and she glanced at Locke and closed her eyes again.

He muttered, "It's coming, it's coming, what can you do to me?!" It's not that she doesn't know about this relationship. ”

Then, no matter how much Locke persuaded her, Bridget couldn't get up. In desperation, Locke had no choice but to return to the living room by himself and hurriedly put on his clothes.

Although he wondered why Norris came to him so early, he still went to the mirror to look at himself carefully in order not to make Norris angry. But soon, he shook his head with a wry smile.

Around his neck, a circle of red strawberries was scattered there....

Back in his bedroom, glancing at Bridget, who was still asleep, Locke found a white scarf in the closet around his neck. As he left, he covered Bridget's exposed thighs with a quilt.

When he reappeared in the mirror outside, the red lip print on his neck had been obscured.

Suppressing the apprehension in his heart, Locke rang the bell to the squire, and soon the door opened. The squire's voice also came at the right time.

"Lord Harvey, Prosecutor Fairbanks begged to see you last night. Just now, Colonel Norris was seeking your meeting! ”

"Oh? Is something big going on? Locke was a little surprised, but he quickly made a decision.

"Let Prosecutor Fairbanks come and see me first." As he spoke, he also subconsciously touched the white scarf around his neck.

It didn't take long for Fairbanks to come in.

When Locke smiled and looked at the advisor to the former Grand Lord Mograine, he was shocked to find that the procurator was standing in front of him exhausted, his eyes bloodshot and his whole body became sluggish.

"You? What's wrong with you? Locke hurriedly stepped forward and grabbed the old prosecutor's hand.

Cold! There is not a trace of warmth!

Looking at Locke's shocked and worried look, Farbanks couldn't help but feel some relief in his heart, and the feeling of being respected and cared for made Fairbanks feel that what he had done last night was not in vain.

"What's wrong with your neck?" Fairbanks asked casually.

"Squire! Bring breakfast in as soon as possible! I'm going to dine here with Prosecutor Fairbanks! Locke shouted loudly, choosing to avoid Fairbanks' questioning. Then he turned to the hanger, took a pair of wool handguards from them, and stuffed them into Fairbanks.

"It's perfect for Alterac to wear sheepskin to warm his hands."

"No, no, no, there's no hurry!" Fairbanks still had the things in his hand on the table, he pulled Locke to look around carefully, and then said with a serious face, "I came to you overnight because this matter has a lot to do with you!" Moreover, only you can decide whether to do it or not! ”

"It determines the future of Lordaeron!"

Looking at Fairbanks smug and quiet, staring at himself deadly, this made Locke feel a lot of pressure for no reason!

At this moment, the attendants entered the room with plates of food. They laid out plates and cups on the long dining table, lit the fireplace in the room, and lit candles.

When everyone had left, Locke invited Fairbanks to sit down. The room gradually warmed up because of the fireplace.

"Tell me what this important thing is, right?" Locke casually crossed the cheese on the plate with a knife and fork, not daring to promise Fairbanks anything.

Fairbanks didn't hesitate, he told Locke what he had said to the eldest princess last night, and what had happened.

"Locke, listen to me, I don't care what you plan. But I want you to marry Princess Kalia, and I know you haven't even seen her face, but that's not the point," Fairbanks said hastily, without giving Locke the slightest chance to speak, "your union with her will be of great benefit to you, to her, and to this kingdom!" It's a win-win deal! ”

"Maybe you say, why am I pushing you to the stage! Yes, I have my considerations, because the princess is not suitable to lead the current kingdom. Fairbanks looked at Locke with a blazing gaze, "Of course, if it was peacetime, I would definitely not recommend Princess Kalia to choose this!" Because the current kingdom needs a powerful lord like you to lead the strife within the unified kingdom. If we can unite in Lordaeron, we may soon be able to quell the wrath of the undead in our land! ”

"But if you don't, the first divided crusaders will not know when they will be reunited, the kingdom's lands will continue to be divided, and the lords of the outlying regions will choose to break away from the kingdom's control. Princess Kalia will be targeted by other careerists, who will control her and do all sorts of things that are harmful to the kingdom! That's why I came to you! ”

"If you don't want to, don't agree," Fairbanks' gaze sharpened! He said in a low voice, "Then you must control the princess in your own hands!" I promised the princess that the bloodline of the Minahir family would continue in this world! I think only you have this kind of ability and bearing! ”

"I think you should understand what the result is like when you say yes and don't, you are a smart person. I also want to tell you that I am not entirely on your side, I am thinking about this from the perspective of the princess, from you, from the kingdom. ”

The tinkling sound rang out from the plate in front of Locke, and he poked the almost mashed cheese on the plate with his fork again and again.

The atmosphere in the room became eerily quiet.

Farbanks stared at Locke, his fists clenched unconsciously, and his palms became damp.

"Judge Fairbanks, I really didn't have the idea of being a king in the first place. Even though the nobles of the kingdom, the people of the church, and my subordinates kept trying to persuade me," Locke poked the cheese on his plate again and again, and he continued to say in a low voice, "I have always believed that only the Minethil family is the master of this kingdom. That's what I've always insisted on in my heart! ”

"But I never thought that by now, it would be such a solution."

"And what do you say?" Fairbanks stared at Locke and asked, "What's your choice?" ”

"I'll admit I'm intrigued!" Locke stopped what he was doing, he raised his head slowly but firmly, and the blazing light in his eyes revealed what he really thought in his heart!

"I'm not a fraudster, and I have no intention of disguising my desires with lies and hypocrisy. Now, I have to admit that this incident awakened a longing for that position in my heart! ”

Suddenly, a thought kept spinning in Fairbanks' mind, and he felt as if he had done something wrong!

It's that he's thinking too much!!

It was he who complicated the matter!!!

So? Locke really didn't have any intention of becoming king in the first place?!!

What is this?!! Unleashed the ambition hidden in his heart with his own hands??

Farbanks immediately felt that his heart was sour, I don't know if it was regret or something else, in short, it was an indescribable loss, mixed with a little guilt!

And this guilt for the princess is rapidly climbing! It made his heart breathless!

"Princess Kalia I will send someone to keep her safe, and if she agrees to your offer, I will take her to the cathedral in Eva. It's up to you to be his mentor, you see. ”

In the face of Locke's proposal, the somewhat depressed Falbanks nodded blankly, but he began to blame himself in his heart.

It wasn't until he left Locke's abode that this self-reproach felt a little better.

Reason gradually came to his mind, and Fairbanks soon understood. In fact, he was unwilling to be misled by his own cleverness, but his advice based on his cleverness was adopted by Locke.

It seems that he has become the culprit of the loss of the throne of the Minahir family!?

But soon Fairbanks vetoed the idea, and without Locke's support, would the princess be able to keep the throne?

Apparently not!

Who can guarantee that a lord like Locke thinks so?

As I said before, who knows what the road ahead will look like?

Fairbanks yawned heavily, and felt much less uneasy in his heart.

Now go get a good night's sleep, maybe your awake brain will let you understand whether you have made a wise choice!

※※※

Norris had been sitting across from Locke for a long time, but Locke poked at the cheese on his plate just like he had done when he had faced Fairbanks.

"Fairbanks showed up in the Lake neighborhood at midnight yesterday and she violated the no-night ban. According to what we found, he had a long conversation with a woman named Shirnai last night. We found out that the woman seemed to be from an aristocratic family. But she doesn't have much contact with other people, including her neighbors. ”

But she has a very good reputation in the neighborhood, and she often provides free bread and food to poor families in the neighborhood at her own expense. This also includes soldiers on daily patrols. ”

"We're looking into her—" Nollis was interrupted by Locke before she could finish her sentence.

"No need to look it up."

"Why? Do you know something? Norris put down the papers in her hand, she clasped her hands on her chest and tilted her head slightly to look at Locke, "I know Fairbanks was here just now, and you talked for a long time. What did he say? ”

Laughter came from where Locke's head was lowered, and though it was low, Nollis had always had good ears. So, when Locke looked up, she was surprised!

An irrepressible smile, Norris was sure she had never seen it on Locke's face.

Locke suppressed some of the cramping muscles on his face, he tried not to make himself too happy, he tried to make himself look gentle. But with some trembling tones, he still betrayed him.

"I know everything..."