"It's up to me?" Marshal Rudolph sneered, "isn't it up to you, um? Count Jericho, or rather...... The future Prince of Swain, or even His Majesty Swain I?"

"You think I'm going to usurp the throne of House Gion?" asked Sven with a blank face.

"You're too reckless, Jericho. Marshal Rudolph's expression quickly cooled, "I don't think you can't do such a thing. ”

"Then you're mistaken about me. Swain shook his head, "Power, status, that kind of thing isn't my goal. ”

"That's what a lot of people say, and I even believe that's what they thought at first. Marshal Rudolph stared at Swain tightly, his eyes full of doubt and distrust, "But few people can refuse this level of temptation, there are too many examples of this, and the murder of Michel VII and Beria by you is not the best witness?"

Sven shook his head and sighed.

"If you have a more important purpose, then power and status are not enough to impress that unwavering heart. The problem is that too few people know what they really want. ”

"And what do you want!" Marshal Rudolph sat down again, "Say it, stop playing that kind of specious dumb riddle, that will do us no good in solving the problem between us." ”

"You won't understand. Swain did not reply, as the marshal had hoped.

"Then you won't be able to gain my trust and your cooperation. ”

Pride and contempt were vividly reflected in the vertical and horizontal fat, and Marshal Rudolph's personality made him disdain for hypocrisy, and he was not even willing to give Swain a fake smile.

"I don't need your trust and I don't intend to get your cooperation. Sven's answer made Ralph on the side nervous, "If you are really so loyal to the Empire, then give these things to Her Highness Caterina, she is the master you should be loyal to, not me, so you don't have to tell me this." ”

Marshal Rudolph raised his head.

"You know, boy, if I were still young, I was forty years ago, then you would be enough for me to envy now. He slammed the table so hard that the bottle shook uncontrollably, "You have gained the heart of an imperial princess, and even fascinated her." Her Royal Highness Caterina is so obsessed with you that she wants not only to give herself to you, but also to give you all this empire. ”

The marshal grabbed the bottle that was about to fall, uncorked it with one hand, and poured a large gulp of wine down his throat.

"So women and children are not worthy of trust, they are too easy to get emotional because of a little thing, their vision is too narrow, and their eyes are manipulated by emotion so that they can only see what they want to see, and they are selectively blind to other things. You don't need to deal with me with those words, I don't care if others question my loyalty, loyalty is such a thing, if you have to say it to others, then it must be false, true loyalty, where can you use beautiful words to say?"

He suddenly slammed the bottle in his hand to the ground, and his beard exploded, and he suddenly became angry.

"So, don't change the subject from me anymore! I'm going to hear your own words!"

Ralph was startled by his father's sudden burst of power and nearly fell to the ground again, while Sven remained motionless, as if he hadn't even reacted.

The room was silent for a long time, Swain did not speak, and the old marshal glared at her, waiting for Swain to speak.

"Do you believe that there are people like moths?"

"What?" Marshal Rudolph frowned, and the dissatisfaction on his face was a little more, "I said it, don't play dumb riddles, just say it!"

"It's rude to interrupt someone. Unmoved by Marshal Rudolph's indignation, Swain continued to speak in his own way, "I ask you again, do you believe that there are people who, like moths, go after their targets in order to die?"

Marshal Rudolph's chin furrowed, and the anger on his face frightened Ralph.

However, he answered Swain's question very calmly.

"There may be many people who live to die, and death is the destination of our lives, but ...... That's not human nature. ”

"Yes, that's just one of the means to an end. Swain nodded slightly, the expression on his face still unchanged, "That's where the sadness is. ”

In the depths of the old marshal's memory, something gradually emerged, a face and Swain's current expression gradually coincided, although it was not too similar, but that look, that calm face that made people feel inexplicably sad, was almost identical.

"Winston No. Jericht......

The old marshal muttered, and the anger on his face was replaced by sluggishness for a moment.

It was only a moment before Marshal Rudolph came back to his senses, and he himself couldn't help but wonder why he remembered that man.

"I don't think you know much about Jericho. Swain walked over and extended his hand to Marshal Rudolph, "Maybe you won't know about the Jericho family in the future, but ...... At least now we can get to know each other. ”

Marshal Rudolph glanced at Swain's outstretched hand, was silent for a moment, and then took it.

"No, I have no interest in understanding you. Marshal Rudolph replied with a little arrogance, "You are an uninteresting person, and I am not going to know you." ”

——————————————

The banquet lasted for a while, and many of the nobles had already entered the dance floor to dance a few songs, but Caterina had never entered the dance floor again, except for one song with Swain at the beginning.

And the young nobles didn't have the courage to invite Her Royal Highness the Princess, on the one hand, because they understood that Caterina already cared about someone, and that person she cared about was far from something they could afford to provoke, and on the other hand, because the people gathered around Caterina were all figures of their father's generation, or their father was simply among them, these children simply had no chance and courage to get close to Her Royal Highness the Princess.

Caterina was chatting eagerly with the new Foreign Secretary, Kellogg No. Metternich, when a court attendant approached and whispered a few words in Caterina's ear.

Chancellor Kellogg saw that Katarina's expression had changed, and then he immediately lowered his head, wisely not to listen to Katarina's reply to the court attendants.

"I'm sorry, Your Excellency. Caterina smiled apologetically at Kellogg, "I have to take care of something." ”

"Yes, please take care of yourself. Kellogg made way for Caterina very well, without asking why.

Caterina nodded, then followed the court attendants and left the arena under the gaze of many people in the banquet hall.

When she reached a room outside the ballroom, Caterina saw that Artemis was already there, and beside her, there was a face that was somewhat familiar but she couldn't remember the name.

"You're ......" Caterina frowned, trying to recall the other party's name, "I remember you were from Lesson 13...... Thesa Thurso Wuelling, am I not mistaken?"

"Yes, Your Highness, you have a good memory. Thesthersso nodded hurriedly, and at the same time praised him slightly, "Yes, I was ordered by Count Jericho to investigate Carsten Noel Niebuhr, and just tonight, my men found out that someone had entered Niebuhr's house to commit a burglary, and secretly caught the thief, and we searched for it from him. ”

Cesarthurso handed over a small notebook.

Caterina frowned and flipped through the pages.

"I had intended to report it to Count Jericho, but I was told that His Excellency the Count was engaged in a meeting of great importance that no one should be allowed to disturb, so I asked Miss Artemis to send you to inform you...... I beg your pardon if it is abrupt. ”

"Ah, that's okay. Caterina waved her hand, her eyes still on the small notebook in her hand.

"The first few pages are all trivial matters, please look at the last page. Cesarthso reminded in a whisper.

Caterina flipped to the last page with the text written.

"On a certain day, I was ordered by His Majesty, who was seriously ill, to go and interrogate the imprisoned Duke Edward. ”

"Duke Edward......" Caterina was stunned and looked at Cesarthurso in surprise.

"This is the notebook of the old Marquis de Metternich. "We suspect that this was given to him by the old Marquis de Metternich when the Metternich family held a salon and that Nibuhr had invited him. ”

"Really?" Caterina nodded, continuing to read. She skimmed over the middle part at a glance, the content of these interrogations may have been valuable before, but it was not worth the rush of Lesson 13 to see herself.

"At the end of the inquiry, I received very shocking news from the Duke of Edward, and I still don't want to believe it's true. According to Edward, Michel VII had visited Winston Sr. a year earlier to seek support, but Winston Sr. had already passed away. This is a year after the death of the elder Winston, reported by the current Midnight Earl, Swain No. Jericht, and if Edward had not lied, then Sven No. Jerichault was seriously suspected of lying. Edward, on the other hand, did not seem to be lying, and he had no reason or need to do so, so though I was saddened, I had to suspect that Swain Noe Jericho, an impressive young man, was hiding something, as he seemed to confirm from his every move since he came to the Imperial Capital. ”

"I even doubt that the real cause of Winston No. Jerichault's death was the death of Swain No. Jerichault. ”

Caterina closed the notepad with a calm face.

However, although her expression was very calm, Artemis could still see that the eldest princess's heart was not as unwavering as her face at the moment.

"Has anyone else seen this thing?"

"I assure you that no one has ever seen this notepad since I got it. "However, whether the old Marquis de Metternich and Niebuel kept it without telling anyone else remains to be investigated." ”

"Then look it up. Caterina slapped the notebook on the table, "Also, Thesthersso, I ask you to keep this a secret from Swain. ”

Cethersor was stunned for a moment, then bowed his head deeply.

"Yes. ”

Caterina looked at Artemis again. "Artmis, I want you to keep this secret too. ”

Artemis glanced at Cethothero, then nodded.

"Now, go investigate. Caterina took a deep breath and looked at Cesarthaso with a stern look in her eyes, "That Niebuhr may soon find out that he's missing something, and you have to make sure he doesn't reveal this secret, no matter what!"

"Yes!" Cethotherso replied, and hurried out of the room.

"Metternich over to you, Artmis. After Cesarthaso had left, Caterina continued to tell Atmis, "The Marquis of Metternich did not tell this secret, but there is no guarantee that he did not tell his family, so go and investigate the Metternich family, including my court governor and foreign minister." ”

Artemis nodded silently and walked out.

Caterina sighed and sat down in her chair.