"Come with me to the study. Pen @ fun @ pavilion wWw. ｂｉｑUｇE。 ｉｎｆｏ”

Glancing at Abner, his father, His Excellency Viscount Richard Felix, stood up and said.

From the moment he read the contract, he knew that his son could not get out. The subsequent questioning was only to confirm Abner's attitude.

As a viscount, one of the four reciprocals of the royal capital, Richard Felix was already quite a small figure in the royal capital—with the exception of the Imperial Council, and a few other important officials and nobles, who could outrank him. And he is an official directly subordinate to the Prime Minister, the old Duke of Casdia, and after having this level of identity, in the daily communication and entertainment with his colleagues, he naturally gained a lot of secrets that he did not know because of his previous lack of status.

The ten people in this list already include the surnames of most of the royal family and the eight great nobles, and their names prove that they are not those insignificant juniors.

Therefore, this contract cannot be refused.

However, he can still do something for his son.

"Yes, Father. ”

Abner nodded, judging by the father's behavior, the next thing to say was probably to talk to him on something more private, and although there was no one in the hall, it was not sure who would come in while they were talking—it was normal to move the place to the study for the sake of secrecy.

Following him, the two of them came to the study on the second floor.

This study is not different from the study of the Duke of Ilia that Abner had seen not long ago, in general arrangement, with bookshelves, desks, and sofas, the three most basic arrangements, plus a few other things. It's just that there are gaps in the materials, interior style, furnishings, and other small aspects - for example, the Duke can only use a magic crystal chandelier in his study, while the cheap daddy's study can only be lit by candles.

Without further ado, the two of them found a place to sit down - Abner chose the sofa, and Viscount Richard chose the chair behind the desk, which was where he usually sits.

The father and son looked at each other for a while, and then His Excellency the Viscount slowly spoke:

"Do you know who these people are on this contract, Abner?"

"I know a little bit ......"

Looking at his father with complicated eyes and a heavy tone in his voice, Abner nodded and replied with a slight apprehension.

"Let's talk about it. ”

"Miss Catherine is Miss Jane's sister, one of the nine Marquis of Thun and owner of the artifact Wrath of Justice, Duke Elijah is the patriarch of House Ellis, Count Cyril is heir to House Rodritte, and his wife is the daughter of Count Claude, Miss Catherine ......"

Without hesitation, Abner told what he had just learned recently.

"Anything else?"

After he had finished speaking, his father, His Excellency Viscount Richard, asked calmly.

“...... There should be none. After a moment's thought, Abner replied.

"Well, then I'll tell you something I know - if you sign this contract, you'll be with them, and you can't do it for a while. ”

Nodding slightly, His Excellency the Viscount began to speak.

"Of the nine deed-deed, and of Miss Catherine, who was a notary, at least five were marquis of the Duchy of Thun who had the qualifications to become Grand Dukes. The remaining few should also have a considerable status in the Duchy of Thun.

Moreover, there is a grapevine that among the graduates of Miss Catherine's original class five years ago, several geniuses represented by her have the graduation task of overthrowing the Duchy of Thun and making it a vassal of the kingdom.

And the lady who is now in the Principality of Thun, Madame Fibena, according to some of my colleagues who have seen her, was Miss Catherine's head maid.

It is said that in the Duchy of Thun, with the exception of the nine marquis and the grand duke, the other nobles were only lifelong nobles without a territory - and the old nobles before they were annexed to the kingdom were either allowed to leave with a third of their possessions or were exterminated by them.

And although the Duchy of Thun is nominally attached to the kingdom, it cannot interfere in internal affairs, diplomacy, or military affairs."

“......”

The steady, calm Daddy who broke the news made Abner sluggish for a while—according to him, combined with what his former teachers, Benjamin Gilbert, Senior Sage and Jane...... The Duchy of Thun is not so much attached to His Majesty the King as it is to have a name with His Majesty, and its real masters are still these geniuses!

That's why they can send people there at will!

Therefore, Her Excellency Catherine can have no less influence than His Royal Highness the Duke of Valoranburg!

Because, behind her, stand the future powers of the kingdom!

And now, these young powers of power have taken a fancy to themselves......

"Just what I want......"

His left hand was clenched into a fist, and his right hand stroked vigorously on his violently beating left chest, while taking a deep breath and whispering to Abner, who was holding back the trembling of excitement.

"You...... Do you think so?"

Naturally, his words did not escape the ears of His Excellency the Viscount, and after staring deeply at this son for a while, he asked with some joy or sorrow.

"Yes. ”

Abner replied firmly.

As a time-traveler with a lot of knowledge, he didn't have the patience or time to intrigue and rise through the ranks in the kingdom step by step with a better path offered by these geniuses.

Geniuses are all proud, and they are also secondary two, maybe they have all kinds of personality shortcomings, but around them, the most important thing is opportunity and efficiency!

And what Abner needs most is opportunity and efficiency!

With the expected stakes high enough, Abner doesn't mind being a gambler for once!

So, he had to join this small group that had a great chance of dominating the future of the kingdom.

The frank and firm eyes collided with the eyes that seemed to be calm, but in fact there were all kinds of feelings hidden behind them, and neither father nor son spoke, just looked at each other quietly.

"Alas......" His Excellency the Viscount, who had been defeated first, let out a long sigh, and smiled helplessly like a father who could not resist the wayward demands of his child—though it was true. The middle-aged voice also reveals deep helplessness and vicissitudes: "Sure enough, you are still the same as when you were a child, you have your own opinions on everything." It may seem like you listen to me and your mother, but you just don't care about those things. If you come across something you care about, you have to get it anyway - if I don't agree, go to your mother, if your mother doesn't agree, come to me, if we don't agree, find a way by yourself, in short, you have to get it......

It seems that I still can't persuade you this time. ”

“...... Anyway, that's a good thing for me, isn't it?"

Abner, who was brought up about his black history, also fell into memory, but soon came to his senses and pretended to be calm.

"Ah, if it's you, maybe it's just a good thing!"

The viscount, who seemed to be an ordinary father, nodded, and then smiled again, "But, as you once said to me, wars between kings, it is the knights who die (immortals fight mortals suffer). If you're with them, try not to get involved in their fights, just stay neutral and do your own thing. Even if it makes you look a little stupid, don't be greedy for those little cleverness. If you can't get out of the way, put yourself in a more remote place...... If you really can't do it, come home, although your father is only a viscount, but he can still protect you. ”

"Well, if that happens, I'll definitely run to the house as soon as possible and ask my father to protect me. ”

Listening to the father of this body say to himself in a gossipy tone what he had said to him before, Abner's heart suddenly swelled with inexplicable emotions. So, he replied with a smile, as if he did.

But in fact, he would never do it—not only because of his faith in himself, but also because of what he had heard.

Judging from what happened to the nobles of the Duchy of Thun, if they can't show enough value, or don't meet their requirements because of something, then, even if they run back, most of them will be captured by those mature and decisive geniuses, and then sent to the gallows or other punishments.

So, either you succeed or you fail, and you must not be allowed to escape.

He suddenly remembered a famous short story by a famous writer in his previous life:

I saw a building. A narrow door in front was wide open, and there was a dark fog in the door. Outside the high threshold stood a girl...... , a Russian girl.

The snowy wind blew through the thick fog, and a chill emanated from the depths of the building, and a slow, murky voice asked, "Ah, what do you want to do by stepping over this threshold?

"I know. The girl replied.

"Cold, hunger, hatred, ridicule, contempt, insult, prison, sickness, even death?"

"I know. ”

"Alienation from people, complete loneliness?"

"I know, I'm ready. I am willing to endure all the pain, all the blows. ”

"Not only your enemies, but also your relatives and your friends will give you these pains and blows?"

"Yes...... Even if they give me these things, I will endure them. ”

"Good. Are you ready to sacrifice too?"

"Yes. ”

"It's a nameless sacrifice, and you will perish without even one...... No one knows, and no one honors you. ”

"I don't want people to be grateful, I don't want people to be pitied. I don't want fame either. ”

"Are you willing to sin?"

The girl buried her head.

"I'm willing...... Go to sin. ”

The voices inside stopped for a moment. Later, he said something like this:

"Do you know that in the future in the midst of hardship you will deny your present faith, and you will think that you have wasted your youth in vain?"

"I know that on this level, too. All I beg you to let me in. ”

"Come in. ”

The girl stepped over the threshold. A thick curtain was immediately lowered. ”

"Fool!" someone taunted from behind.

"A saint!" replied from somewhere.

So, like the Russian girl who doesn't know whether she is a saint or a fool, it seems that she wants to become a 'Blue Star Boy' for her dreams and future!

At this moment, the teenager with some self-deprecation thought so in his heart.

PS: We really feel that we have the last disease, today there was a power outage, and then the electricity came at night, and my sister's son died and some 'happy' things happened, and we persuaded it for a while before it stopped.

As a result, this chapter has only been revised until now, the mental journey of a sick boy in the second year of high school.

The last essay is "The Russian Girl" by the Russian writer Turgenev.