The grand welcome banquet was over, and Ivan picked his teeth and pulled Duke Meyer's sleeve:

"Let's go, let's go walk around the yard."

"Okay, father-in-law, please come here."

"What are you saying behind my back?" Natasha pouted and walked over, "Take a walk?" I'm going too. ”

"Good daughter, don't get involved, I want to talk to my good son-in-law alone and talk about men."

"Humph! A man's business? The Duchess crossed her waist and said angrily: "Dad, you are really machismo, you hate it to death!" ”

"Okay, good, Dad is really scared of you." Ivan stretched out his hand and gently pinched the soft flesh on his daughter's cheek: "You troublesome little guy, there are so many things, it's okay to bring you, right?" ”

"Of course I have to go, to prevent you two from speaking ill of me!"

The three of them left the castle hall and walked into the courtyard,

The duchess and duchess crossed their arms, looking quite affectionate, and Yi Wanshuai strode to the front, as if he were the master of the place.

Ivan unbuttoned half of his military dress and opened his strong chest:

"I really can't adapt to the weather in the south, it's autumn, it's still so hot, and the humidity is also high, I always feel stuffy and panicked, and I can't breathe."

Duke Mayer Onassis looked up at a large dark cloud in the sky: "That's because it's cloudy today, so it's stuffy." ”

Ivan threw away the toothpick in his hand: "Anyway, your chef here really doesn't know how to cook mutton dishes, especially the fried lamb chops, which put too much curry and black pepper, covering the original meat aroma." ”

"That's to get rid of the smell of mutton fat." The Duke said.

Ivan shook his head: "Can it be called mutton without the smell?" It's soulless. Moreover, the temperate mutton you raised in captivity in the south is not good, and the cold short-tailed sheep raised in our grassland must be fresh and tender. ”

Natasha covered her mouth and smiled: "Father is still the same, and everything has to be said to be the best in his hometown." ”

"Why, I'm telling the truth!" Ivan said stubbornly.

The duke also laughed: "Haha, next time you come, bring a few lambs from the grassland, as well as the cook, and let us southerners open our eyes and taste what really delicious mutton tastes like." ”

"Or my son-in-law can speak, and he deserves to be the king of merchants.

Little Natasha, are you still comfortable here, this city of Santa Casrella is crowded enough, it is full of people, and there is not even a place to ride a horse. ”

"My husband built a racecourse for me in the suburbs, and set up a few steppe-style dome tents, so I went over to relax and shoot targets with bows and arrows."

Ivan looked at the duke: "Boy, there is a hand, girls on the grassland like to be independent, but they are not as easy to coax as in the city."

I understand this time, how did you kid chase my daughter, and you are willing to spend money and put effort into it, with a shrewd and capable son-in-law like you, my father-in-law also feels that there is light on his face. ”

Natasha looked at her husband infatuatedly: "No way, he has a high IQ and EQ, and he will especially make me happy." ”

Ivan suddenly stopped, stood in front of a flower garden and said, "Good son-in-law, I have a question that I have been holding in my heart for a long time, and I don't know whether to talk about it or not. ”

"Excuse me."

"Your younger brother, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Constance, has been crazy for a long time, and it has not improved, Prince Maxim has betrayed the emperor, whether it is your ability or age, you are the most suitable candidate for the heir to the throne,

Now that Your Majesty's health is weakening, the Voodoo forces on the other side of the Narrow Sea are about to move, and the cabinet ministers are panicking, I ask you, have you not thought of inheriting your mother's crown? ”

Natasha looked very uneasy and covered her mouth: "Dad...... Your question...... Isn't it too embarrassing......

"Honey, I'm fine." Duke Mayer Onassis looked indifferent, and there was no wave in his heart:

"Since you asked, I will answer truthfully.

First of all, I inherited my father's surname, I was not an official member of the Midknight family, and of the five siblings, I was last in the line of succession, and of course, if my brother Victor was still alive, he would be behind me. ”

Ivan interrupted the duke:

"What's this, it's all His Majesty's flesh and blood anyway,

There is no precedent in history, rules are dead, people are alive, and the position of the head of the Midknight family has always been occupied by the capable, and you are indeed the best candidate. ”

"Don't worry, I haven't finished yet, the main reason is not the issue of inheritance, but because I don't want to wear the crown."

"Oh?" Ivan's eyes widened: "Why? ”

"The crown brings supreme power, and wearing it is the leader of the Valstad nation, but it is also a heavy shackle, and wearing it is tantamount to carrying the burden of responsibility for the entire nation.

You should also know what my mother was like when she was young, a famous princess in military costume, lively and active, heroic, and the dream lover of princes and nobles all over the world.

Look at her now, what kind of torture she has become, the trauma of the war has made her seriously ill, and she has been exhausted all day long, I have lived in the Jinhu Palace since I was a child, and I have never seen her laugh a few times. ”

Yi Wanshuai stroked his beard:

"Hmm...... That's true,

Since the death of the Emperor Simon Gallieni, the burden on His Majesty's shoulders has become heavier.

The ministers and generals were very distressed about her, but fortunately, our prime minister was very capable, otherwise Her Majesty would have been crushed a long time ago. ”

"I'm very happy with my life now." The duke stretched out his left arm to embrace his wife, and pointed to the city of Santa Casrella, at the foot of the mountain, with his right fingers:

"I love your daughter, I love this castle, I love this noisy city, I love the free trade alliance left by my father, and I feel fulfilled and happy despite the busy day.

I love working with all kinds of people

Bankers, artisans, masters, mercenary chiefs, pirate captains, guild leaders, street vendors......

There are good and bad people, smart and stupid people, and talking to them is like an adventure, and there is always something interesting to learn.

But if I wear the crown, all this good thing will be far away from me, and I can only leave the affairs of the free trade alliance to others to take care of.

Sitting on a cold throne, he was alone, spending seven or eight hours a day reviewing documents sent in by officials from all over the country, and dealing with annoying diplomats.

And, the most terrifying thing is, "

Speaking of this, Duke Meyer frowned:

"I don't want to compromise and do things against my will.

Unlike doing business, the monarch needs to compromise with foreigners for the sake of national interests,

Selling my children, depriving them of their emotional freedom, committing them to political marriages, is something I don't want to see. ”

"yes, that's right." Ivan sighed: "Hey...... Compared with the twilight of beauty and the withering of talent, what is more distressing is that the bones of pride are compromised inch by inch.

Your Majesty, what a fearless warrior she is! In the end, a bunch of humiliating treaties were signed, and his son betrayed him and didn't dare to say more, holding back tears and swallowing them in his stomach, it was uncomfortable to think about it!

Well, I understand your thoughts, good son-in-law, the crown is too heavy for you to wear.

People only see the bright side of the people holding the flags, but they do not hear the bitterness of their tears. ”

"Long live understanding, father-in-law." The Duke stretched out his hand,

Just as the two were about to shake hands, Yi Wanshuai noticed that a cluster of vegetation in the flower bed moved, and it seemed that some metal objects reflected light in it.

"Be careful!"

Half a lifetime of fighting horses made Ivan extremely sensitive to danger, and he pushed down his daughter and son-in-law, and he himself fell to the ground.

"Phew! Bang! "Two gunshots rang out in a row, and bullets whizzed by.

There were two gunmen hiding in the flower garden, and after the sneak attack failed, they threw down their empty rifles and fled desperately.

Meyer Onassis looked extremely shocked, he was also a man who had been on the battlefield, and he was more angry than frightened:

"Damn! How unreasonable is that my dignified Duke of Santa Casrea was assassinated in his castle!

Guardsman!

Seal the castle gates and catch them alive! ”