"Are you going to kill people at His Majesty's feast?" said Wood, walking between Swain and Ernest, and shouted at him, "I never remember that Jericho was an impulsive man like you, and that this surname, whether you like it or not, has been imprinted on you, and you must carry this surname with you, both as Earl Midnight and as Earl of Glamorgan, and to serve His Majesty the Emperor and the Empire. Remember your obligations and don't lose the face of the nobles of the Empire!"

In the face of Wood's scolding, Sven and Ernest both lowered their hands and gave up for the time being. In any case, Wood is an elder they have to respect, and they have to give this face, not to mention that behind Wood there is Prime Minister Pitt.

"You picked up a life. Ernest said coldly, and then glanced at Sophia, who was holding Swain's arm, "For Your Majesty's sake, forget it today." But sooner or later, all this will have to be concluded, and I will not let Sophia follow people like you again. ”

"That's what I'm going to say. Swain patted the back of Sophia's hand to soothe her, then turned his face sideways and glanced at Victoria on the side, "Don't forget, I'm the head of the Jericho family." ”

"That's enough!" Wood shouted again, pale, "whatever you're going to do, stop me now!"

With that, he turned to Swain and looked at the young man with a complicated expression, and finally his gaze fell on the hands he and Sophia held tightly together.

"Go back first, Swain, and for my sake, don't make any more trouble tonight. ”

"As you wish, Marquis Phil. Sven let go of Sophia's hand, bent over his arms, and saluted Wood very formally, "Originally, I didn't come here today for these things, but I saw it, and it was out of the obligation of the head of the Jericho family that I had to deal with it." But since that's what you mean, I'm willing to leave. ”

Although, he pulled Sophia and walked outside. As he passed by Wood, Swain stopped and whispered in the old man's ear.

"I'm sorry about Herbert, but if you are to show too much pity for the living because of the dead, it would be a little inconsistent with your justice, right?"

With that, Swain left the place, leaving only Wood with a stiff expression.

"What did he just say?" said Prime Minister Pitt, who had not heard Swain clearly, and was very curious, "that kid always feels unpredictable, and it really makes me a little uneasy - was it really a good decision for you to ask me to help him in the first place?"

Wood glanced at Ernest, who had already walked away, and then his eyes lowered, and his sorrow was written all over his aging face.

"I can only help him, just like I can only help Ernest in the first place. What happened next, I didn't expect at all, even after nearly forty years, this curse still wrapped around me - it was my sin, so I could only do this: choose to help him, choose to help them. ”

Prime Minister Pitt heard it in a fog, especially when Wood also said that "nearly forty years", although he is Wood's contemporary, but compared with the old Winston and the Marquis of Metternich, he is younger, and there are some things that he does not know as clearly as the Marquis of Metternich.

With a long sigh, Prime Minister Pitt patted Wood on the shoulder and pulled him into a corner to sit down.

"I remember, forty years ago, my father said that this is the best of times, no one needs to worry about their food and clothing like those poor peasants of the last era, there will be no lords and nobles who will force the commoners to fight for them and build castles, everyone has the rank to advance, as long as they work hard, even if they are not nobles, they can be well-dressed, But this is also the worst of times, people don't need to worry about food and clothing, machines for people to reduce the toil, but also minus people's work and income, and even a place to stand, the lord of the manor has built the castle big enough and good, no need for people to go to work again, but the new master of the capital will be like a bloodsucker, a drop of blood and sweat will not fall, the opportunity in front of the people, need everyone to fight for blood, want to get ahead first of all, you have to use all kinds of means to drive your companions off this stage。 ”

Prime Minister Pitt patted his thigh, his eyebrows tangled together, as if he couldn't dissolve his sorrow.

"Forty years later, looking back at this era, I think it's still the best of times, and the worst of times, as my father said. No, times have changed, our machines are more efficient, our people are stronger, and our country is more prosperous. However, those problems still exist, and the ills of society will not disappear because life gets better. Therefore, what remains unchanged is not the times, but the thing that beats in our chests - the human heart. ”

"I sometimes wonder if there is any difference between this epoch and the last? Even if the knight puts down his spear and the watchtower of the castle collapses, isn't it still human that pervades this country and this society? Those ugliness, those filth, those essences of thousands of years, after all, have not changed, human nature is evil, especially the human nature of the nobility. ”

"So, old friend, you shouldn't put too much sorrow in your heart, it's not fair to you. Prime Minister Pitt patted Wood on the shoulder and said deeply, "We all know that you are an honest man, and what you have done in this life — honestly, it's great that you can be a judge." ”

"Are you comforting me?" Wood smiled wryly, "After all that, you're going to tell me this?"

"Just want you to understand," Prime Minister Pitt laughed, for he didn't have as much of a burden as Alexander with an old friend like Wood, "you might as well be relieved, I don't know what happened forty years ago—don't worry, I'm not going to ask—I just want to tell you that you don't have to blame yourself so much for whatever you wanted, like what you just said, that's too much." There are as many people in this world who do bad things as there are people who do good things, and you don't have to blame yourself alone, it's not fair to see yourself as unforgivable, understand?"

Wood lowered his face, not knowing what he was thinking.

Prime Minister Pitt looked at Wood and understood that this man was not so easy to untie the knot, and since those things could be buried in his heart for forty years, it was impossible to suddenly tell someone today.

"Would you like a drink?" asked Prime Minister Pitt, "or should you go straight back?" I just called you back from the halfway point, and I hope you don't mind." ”

Wood waved his hand, signaling that he didn't care. "Remember that Red Pinwheel Cafe on Triumph Boulevard?" said Wood suddenly, "I loved going there - not the coffee, of course, I couldn't stand it. But, no matter what, I still miss that café so much that I will never get a chance to taste it again. ”

Prime Minister Pitt sighed, and following Wood's topic, he also remembered the famous café in the imperial capital, but unfortunately, this café had been wiped out in the incident on Triumph Avenue, and there was nothing left.

The Prime Minister looked at Wood quietly, waiting for the other party's next words, but Wood seemed to have no intention of continuing, just remained silent.

"Why did you suddenly mention the red windmill?" Since Wood didn't speak, Prime Minister Pitt knew that he had come to ask, "Although Your Majesty does not have a specific plan to rebuild the damaged neighborhoods in the imperial capital for the time being, it will be a month or two at the latest, and when Your Majesty is familiar with government affairs, he will start it." ”

Of course, the Prime Minister knew that Wood didn't mean to mention the Red Pinwheel, but in order to avoid irritating the other party, he deliberately used some euphemistic topics.

"That kind of thing, I'll leave it to you to worry about, what I'm going to be busy with next is not the work of rebuilding the imperial capital. Wood shook his head, his face still gloomy.

"yes, if you don't deal with the prisoners in the prison, they're going to stink—Duke Edward has been there for more than a month, and he must have been complaining for a long time. ”

"What is gone cannot be reborn, whether it is a red windmill or something. Wood stood up suddenly, looking very lonely, "I'd better go back, there is a lot of work waiting for me to deal with, after all, it is not like when I was young, I have so much energy." ”

"Okay. Prime Minister Pitt also stood up and shook Wood's hand, "Be careful on the road. ”

Wood nodded and walked away, while Prime Minister Pitt stood still, squinting at Wood's departing back.

"Red Pinwheel ......"

————————————————

Swain sat in the carriage back to Karin Castle, and Sophia snuggled tightly into his arms, perhaps because of the kiss in public just now, Sophia seemed extremely shy at this time, and refused to leave her brother's arms.

Looking at the unrecognizable Triumphal Boulevard, Sven suddenly let out a small sigh.

"What's wrong?" Sophia looked up and winked at her brother, "Do you feel sorry for this street?"

"This isn't Midnight Castle, so I have something to feel sorry for. Swain shook his head, "It's just a pity that there is one less piece on the chessboard." ”

Sophia tilted her neck, not understanding her brother's words. She wasn't the sister to ask, and if her brother didn't want to tell her, she wouldn't ask more, unless it was something that was closely related to her, like the last time she asked Artemis at Fort Midnight.

"Why did you come here today?" Sophia's face flushed slightly, looking cute, "Isn't it, isn't it...... Is it just to announce our engagement?"

Swain touched his sister's head, and there was a slight tenderness in his eyes. "Yes, after all, if we had invited guests ourselves, we wouldn't have been able to have so many people. ”

Sophia buried her head in her brother's arms again, and at this moment, she was too shy to look at her brother.

"So, why do you want to be deliberate, deliberate...... Is it to be angry, angry with that person, or ...... Is it for my sister's custody?"

Sven's eyes drooped, tonight's meeting was more hurried than the night of the Metternich family, but there was more information to be given.

"It's both, I'm not going to put it off any longer. Now that the emperor has given me an important position, this is a good opportunity, a good opportunity to solve the family problems once and for all. ”

Sophia obediently didn't ask much about the position, just rubbed her brother's chest with her face, enjoying the pleasure that belonged only to her.

Swain was silent as well, he didn't intend to say more.

Although Herbert's death was somewhat unexpected, it was also a good choice to take advantage of Wood through this.

He thought as he cast his gaze on the night sky, where the stars were reflected in his dark eyes. And at this moment, when the carriage galloped across the dilapidated Triumph Boulevard, a figure appeared in those dark eyes, a figure that Swain had not seen for a long time to a little surprise.

The white hair still looks so eye-catching in the dark night, and the thin body is like an independent black pine under the night wind, but what is different is the pair of scarlet eyes.

Sven's fingers twitched imperceptibly, and even Sophia in his arms didn't notice her brother's strangeness.

Young stood in the half-collapsed alley, coldly watching Swain's carriage pass in front of him.

Jericho ...... Wait, Manfred's vendetta......"