Located on the banks of the Emerald River and next to the Astrad I School, Karin Castle is the retreat of the Gion family, and this scenic castle is the first choice for the Gyan family's vacation. Because it is on the western outskirts of the imperial capital, in case there is any emergency situation that needs to be dealt with, the emperor can also return to Tiamat Palace in time.

The Jericho family's mansion in the imperial capital was destroyed, so Crown Prince Alexander granted the Jericho siblings and their retinue to stay in the castle temporarily. Originally, the crown prince planned to let Swin and Sophia continue to live in Tiamat Palace, but because of the strong request of the eldest princess who had just returned, Alexander arranged for the Jericho brothers and sisters to be in Karin Castle.

When Caterina asked the crown prince to let the Jericho siblings stay in Karin Castle, Alexander didn't think anything about it, and only thought that his daughter would make this proposal in order to thank Count Jericho for saving her life. However, Princess Anna, who later noticed her daughter's abnormality, specially mentioned it to her husband, and the crown prince thought that Katerina's age was also the time to talk about marriage, although there is no need to worry now, but it is normal for girls to have a good impression of the opposite sex of the same age when they reach this age.

So the crown prince couldn't help but start paying attention to Swain, he hadn't paid much attention to this midnight earl before, although the emperor had told him to promote Swain's title, but in the crown prince's opinion, such a reward was still a bit too grand. It is true that Swain stabbed the traitor Michelle of the Empire, but this is just Swain's report after all, and Michelle has fallen to that point, no matter who kills him, it will not change the situation much, if you want to say, Swain's credit for killing Michelle is not as great as his credit for saving the eldest princess, but with the importance that Alexander attaches to his daughter, he will not give the Jericho family such a great gift because of this.

Alexander's attention to his daughters was far less than he did with his two sons. Therefore, he didn't see his daughter's true mind at all, and after his wife mentioned it, he found that when he mentioned Swain to Karin, the girl's reaction was a little special, but he didn't see it, this special reaction was not because of the shyness brought by love, but a faint fear.

Princess Anna noticed her daughter's strangeness, but after seeing her daughter come back safely, the princess, as a mother, was too excited and didn't put too much thought into it. Charlotte, who Caterina brought back, also took away a lot of the princess's attention, and after listening to the tragic life story of the little girl, she was very sympathetic to Charlotte, and she had been arranging Charlotte's life for the past few days, wanting to raise her as her own child.

When Swain returned to Dwit, he only met with Crown Prince Alexander briefly at the Palace of Tiamat. Sophia had already told him the news of the emperor's illness, so that time in the palace of Tiamat, he did not disturb the emperor's rest, and after the end of the audience, he took Sophia and Baron Deniz and others to Karin Castle with his luggage.

As in the previous mansion, Sophia chose a room facing north. When she arrived at the new bedroom, the first thing Sophia did was open the window to let the spring breath blow into the room.

The servants were carrying their master's salute into the room, including Swain's clothes, some of the things they had brought with them, and Swain's boxes of books. While the servants were still busy, Swain walked to the window and put his hand on Sophia's shoulder, who was leaning against the window and looking out at the scenery. "Do you like it here?"

"Well," Sophia nodded, leaning slightly towards her brother, "when I was at school, I liked the scenery here, and the farmland was reminiscent of Midnight Castle. But it's a pity that I didn't live long at the school when that happened, and I guess classes will resume in two days. ”

Swain looked out the window, and although Sophia said that the scenery here reminded her of Midnight Castle, Swain knew that she was talking about comparing to Deweide, in a space filled with buildings and crowds, a touch of green could remind Sophia of the scenery of her hometown. Actually, this side of Karin Castle is not very similar to Midnight Castle, which is surrounded by empty fields, but near Karin Castle, because of the Emerald River, a small lake converges in the north of the castle, and the lake is covered with trees, forming a small forest. The fields are cut by rivers and roads, unlike the Midnight Fort, where you can see the end of the geography at a glance.

"I have already sent someone to the Communications Bureau to pick up the letters that were previously stranded, and there may be a notice of the resumption of classes. Swain patted his sister on the shoulder and comforted her, "It's good to live here, although you still have to live in the school, but at least it will be much easier to meet." ”

"Well," Sophia leaned on Swain's chest, although she had a good new experience during the previous week at school, the taste of parting from her brother still made her very uncomfortable, "What about my brother, this time I am just staying in this castle, if your business in the imperial capital is completed......" Sophia didn't continue, although the assurances Swain gave her before made Sophia feel a lot more at ease, but she still had some faint worries. It wasn't that she didn't believe Swain, it was just that the weight of the matter in her heart was so heavy that she had to be so nervous.

"Don't worry. Swain patted Sophia's head lightly, comforting Sophia like a child, "Even if Crown Prince Alexander kicks me out, I will stay in the imperial capital for the time being." There is still a lot to be done. ”

Sophia lowered her head, she knew what her brother was talking about. This time, Swain returned to Deweide, firstly, for the unfinished canonization ceremony, and most importantly, to solve the problem of Victoria's custody. He mentioned it to Sophia after his grandfather's funeral, and to this day, neither of them has forgotten it.

"Your Excellency," Baron Deniz walked in and bowed slightly to Swain, "Mr. Metternich has come to visit. ”

Swain turned and looked at the old baron standing in the doorway, no particular surprise on his face. "Which Metternich is it?"

"It's Mr. Franz No-Metternich. ”

Sven nodded and walked out the door. "Invite him to the parlour. Sophia, you first see what else needs to be set up, don't let people see the joke. ”

"Yes, sir. Sophia sent Swain out the door, and when she reached the door, she said to Baron Deniz, "Please prepare dinner for today, although this castle does not belong to our Jericho family, but it must not lose the etiquette of entertaining guests." ”

Baron Deniz was stunned for a moment, he had grown up watching Sophia and Swain, the brother and sister had always been the elder brother Swain's voice, and the younger sister Sophia rarely expressed her opinions in Swain's presence, especially in the voice of the master like this. "Yes, I'll go and tell the kitchen. Despite his surprise, Baron Deniz bowed down and immediately headed to the kitchen.

Swain didn't pay much attention to his sister's slight change, and he went straight to the parlor to meet the long-lost Monsieur Metternich. Since Swayn fled with the Celestial Princess in Port Leon, Franz and the Marquis of Metternich have been stranded in Port Leon, and unfortunately were captured by the army of Prytown, but fortunately Michel VII was not completely devastated and the captured mission personnel were not treated too badly, at least their lives were saved. However, Swain did not consult with them before fleeing, thinking that Franz, who was left behind, should have a prejudice against Swain.

Walking into the living room, Franz was already sitting on the sofa. He saw Swain come in, and turned his head to look at Swain. His face was indeed not very good as Swain expected, and he looked at Swain with a faint dissatisfaction.

"Long time no see, Monsieur Metternich. Swain sat down across from Franz.

Looking at Swain's expressionless face, as always, Franz tried his best to suppress the displeasure in his heart. After all, he is used to compromise, even in front of people he dislikes, he can smile at them, and talk and laugh with them.

"Long time no see, Lord Jericho. I admire you for being able to escape from the army of Pritown with Her Royal Highness Princess Caterina, and ordinary people do not have such skills and courage, at least not in other places. ”

"I'm so ashamed to say that. Swain shook his head, although Franz smiled and hid his true thoughts well, but Swain could still see the subtle disdain in his eyes, "I am really ashamed that I did not consult with the Marquis of Metternich at that time, and the Marquis had to be imprisoned." ”

The corners of Franz's eyebrows jumped, and he didn't see any shame on Swain's face, but after all, it was Swain, and it wasn't the first time Franz had dealt with him, and he was still clear about Swain's obvious characteristic. "You are serious," Franz always kept a pleasant smile on his face, no matter what he thought in his heart, "and my grandfather and I absolutely did not blame you. Moreover, we would like to thank you for being able to come up with the best solution in time in that situation, so that we do not have to bear the sin of putting Her Royal Highness in the hands of the enemy. ”

If it were the Marquis of Metternich, he would never have said such a thing. Swain knew this very well, Franz was much easier to deal with than the old marquis, he was so good-looking, even if his expression was perfectly disguised, but the more he was like this, the more Swain could hear his inner voice clearly.

"In any case, I would like you to convey my apologies to the Marquis on my behalf. ”

"I will. Franz nodded, and said that the greeting should be almost here, and it was time to get down to business, "To be honest, I came this time because I have some questions to ask you." ”

"Don't dare to be, if the Marquis of Metternich has anything to inquire about, I will know everything. ”

Franz's hand on his knee shook slightly, and every time he met Swain, the man choked him up. This time, too, Swain could tell from his words that the Marquis of Metternich had sent him to inquire about Swain. Franz took a deep breath, since he was seen by Swain, he didn't plan to hide anything anymore, after all, the more he disguised himself in front of this person, the easier it was to let himself fall into disadvantage.

"Actually, my grandfather wanted to ask you for something, and you might be laughed at, my grandfather gave the first count some manuscripts when he was young, about the history of our Metternich family. My grandfather's original intention was to ask Count Winston to help write a genealogy of our Metternich, but unfortunately, my grandfather waited forty years, and Count Winston had already passed away, and this genealogy still did not arrive. The old man did not ask Earl Winston for his friendship, but now that the previous earls have passed away, he sent me to ask if Count Winston had left anything similar during his lifetime?"

Picking up the black tea on the coffee table, the rich aroma of tea filled his nose, but Sven was in no hurry to taste it. He was silent for a while, and during this time Franz also kept staring at Swain's face, because the Marquis of Metternich deliberately explained, so he tried his best to see some clues from Swain's face.

However, even if the Marquis himself was here, it was probably difficult to tell anything from Swain's face, who was too good at hiding his thoughts. "I haven't heard of it, but if the Marquis is very concerned about it, I'll go back to my grandfather's relics when I get back to Midnight Castle, and if there's anything relevant, I'll pass it on to the Marquis as soon as possible. ”

There was nothing in Swain's face, and Franz didn't care, and he would have thought it strange if Swain really had too obvious an expression on his face. "It couldn't be better," he smiled happily, with a look of joy, "and I really appreciate your generosity." ”

"That's not much generosity," Swain took a sip of his tea, "and this is what our Jerichos promised the Metternich to do, and I'm just doing what my grandfather left undone." ”

"Earl Winston is so blessed that his children and grandchildren are so illustrious. My grandfather has often lamented lately that if only he had known about Count Winston's serious illness earlier, and that he had gone to Fort Midnight a year ago to see Count Winston for the last time!" Franz said this, his face slightly upward, but his gaze was hidden at Swain, and all his reactions were in sight.

Sven gently blew away the rising heat from the teacup, as if he thought the tea was still too hot. His eyes were fixed on the microwave tea, as if he had not noticed Franz's hidden gaze.

"I remember that a year ago my grandfather had been in contact with the Marquis of Phil and entrusted him with his will. Didn't the Marquis of Phil inform the Marquis of Metternich about this?"

Franz was stunned, they really didn't know about this matter in the Metternich family. Wood and the Marquis of Metternich were also very close old friends, and at Midnight Castle, he wrote to the Marquis of Metternich to inform him of Winston's funeral, and it stands to reason that Wood would not hide such a thing from the Marquis of Metternich. Franz frowned, wondering about the truth of Swain's words.

"Marquis Phil didn't mention it, and we thought he had only received Earl Winston's obituary at the beginning of the year. ”

"When my grandfather died, I immediately sent the obituary to his close friends, and then the Marquis of Phil came to Midnight Castle. Come to think of it, when he first received the will sent to him by his grandfather, he probably just thought that his grandfather was old, so he was more concerned about what happened after his death, but he didn't expect that his grandfather would suddenly die of illness a year later. Swain said, putting down his teacup and letting out a long sigh, as if he was genuinely saddened by his grandfather's passing.

Franz paid attention to Swain's words, this time Swain restrained a lot, not as sharp as the first time he saw Franz, but this made Franz even more suspicious. Although Swain's words sound reasonable at first glance, but the Metternich family and the Phil family are family friends, Franz is still quite familiar with Wood, as a judge of the Imperial Court, Wood has always been cautious, although he is honest and almost rigid, but to be able to reach his current status, even if he is honest, it is impossible to simply think that Winston specially sent a will, it is just his excessive worry as an old man, not to mention that Count Winston has always been Wood's most admired person. Wood had such a deep relationship with the Jericho family, how could he be so careless about Count Winston's physical condition?

Secretly noting this suspicion, Franz immediately smiled again, as if he really did not have the slightest doubt about Swain's words. "It should be so, speaking of which, it's been rare to see Marquis Phil lately. Some time ago, he also went to Connaught to mediate the real estate dispute between Duke Connaught and the church, and after returning to the imperial capital, a rebellion broke out soon after, and now he is probably busy trying the affairs of those southern princes, so he is very busy. ”

"Really?" Swain replied lightly, he didn't pay much attention to Wood now, in contrast, he was more concerned about Wood's son, Herbert, "I haven't met Marquis Phil since I came to the imperial capital, and now that I think about it, I really think it's rude." ”

"Then how about we Metternich arrange a meeting for the two of you?" Hearing Swain say this, Franz immediately moved, "If you go to visit the Marquis of Phil now, I'm afraid it will be a little embarrassing." Why don't we hold a salon and invite some celebrities to come, and you two will also be there, so that the embarrassment will be relieved soon?"

I have to say that Franz, as a diplomat, still has a lot of experience in social etiquette, which is indeed a good way. Swain had been ignoring Wood and hadn't visited the Phil family, and now it didn't look good to go again, and Wood might not be happy. But if the Metternich family had come forward and let the two of them "meet" by chance at the salon, then the scene would have been much more harmonious.

"That's really grateful, thank you for your trouble. Swain didn't refuse, he saw that Franz must have a small plan to be so active, but Swain didn't have his own plans in his heart, "I have lived in Midnight Fort for a long time, and the poor countryside is not as prosperous as the imperial capital, and it is the first time I have participated in such an event as the salon." ”

"Your grandfather was a master of history, and you inherited the mantle of Count Winston, and you have a deep foundation in family learning, so why don't you hold a salon of history. Franz suggested, and even by the time he said this, he already had a list of invited guests in his head.

"That's great!" Swain stood up and shook Franz's hand, "I've always wanted to meet the historians of the Imperial Capital, thank you for this opportunity." ”

"Where, it's just a matter of raising your hands. Franz was still a little stunned by Swain's sudden handshake, and he couldn't help but wonder why Swain was so enthusiastic about this matter, was it really just because of his family studies and interests?