Seventeenth Reunion

"Her Royal Highness Princess Irina, the future Queen of St. Jean has arrived!" the master of ceremonies announced in a loud voice the arrival of the most honorable master of today's ball.

All the people, whatever had been done before, now stood up and gathered around the entrance, waiting for the princess to arrive.

Aqiu, or Princess Irina, walked in from the entrance. Ryan followed her. Although the two of them appeared at the same time, everyone clearly saw that the princess did not hold hands with the knight beside her. She walked a little ahead, while Ryan followed. It's not so much that the two of them appear side by side, but that Ryan is just one retinue.

Irina was not particularly flamboyant today, and was even more modest compared to some of the women in the field. Her sleeves and collar were not embroidered with gold and silver threads, and her long dress was not adorned with pearls and diamonds. However, she stood in the crowd and looked so eye-catching, pitiful, delicate and charming.

Many men immediately surrounded them, and they were surrounded by airtightness.

Ashrufat was a little surprised to see William Daly come to the ball at some point. His face was flushed, and he carefully selected one by one among the piles of fine wines. More than one woman pointed at him and snickered, but he didn't care.

The band has started playing dance music. On the dance floor in the middle, more than one couple and a man and woman have already begun to dance.

Irina felt a little out of breath. The nobles surrounded her from all sides, praising and greeting one after another, seemingly never-ending, with countless hints in them.

"Prime Minister, Great General, Chancellor, Chief of the Court Guard, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Minister of the Seals, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, these are the seven key positions! Anyone who has to look at the people in these seven positions to know where you put your power base. Thomas was a perfect fit for the general, as he was not only a native of St. Jean, but had also commanded Cassilos' army in battle. So he can be accepted by both sides. Of the other six positions, you should set aside at least two for the nobles of Casilos, otherwise you will alienate the nobles of Cassilos in the future. The stern voice of the black-robed old man still echoed in his ears, "But apart from the Great General, the nobles of St. Jean must obtain at least three positions, otherwise they will immediately disappoint you, and that is worse than anything else!"

She struggled to cheer herself up, smiling and speaking against the siege from all sides. It's an invisible war, and she's alone. But she had to fight, and she had no way back.

"Let caution be your second skin. She told herself in her heart. There can be no mistakes.

A nobleman who was tall and thin, as thin as firewood, came to her. Irina was impressed by his figure, but could no longer remember his name or title. This aristocrat recommended himself to be qualified for the post of Chancellor of the Exchequer.

"Chancellor of the Exchequer is a very crucial position, and if someone is going to strangle your neck, this position is the best noose. She remembered the old man in the black robe's advice. In any case, as long as you don't plan to hang yourself, then the other end of the noose must be pinched in your own hands.

She politely indicated that she would consider the issue carefully, and then shifted the conversation to autumn and hunting. This nobleman unexpectedly had a strong love for hunting. After a few minutes of discussion, he was chosen as the hunting captain of the royal family.

Over time, she made two promises to civil officials, and then she found herself a fierce and domineering warden. After that, he was the head of his own stable. Her honor guard was then in place, and then seven royal advisors from all over St. Jean were selected in one fell swoop.

Everybody's happy—at least they look satisfied. Except for herself. It would be nice if there were seven Thomas, each of whom was born in St. Jean but had served in Cassilos. She could throw all the troubles to the seven Thomas. Of course, it would be better if there were seventy.

She couldn't think of any other positions for a while, but fortunately, most of them had been dismissed by her. So she went to the balcony under the pretext of "getting air".

"Irina," a figure approached her, realizing it was Ryan. Did he also come to ask for a position?

"Irina, your face is ugly. Are you feeling unwell?"

She laughed, and Ryan's hand brushed her back, touching a wound. The tingling sensation was like being pricked by a pin. Her feet went limp, and she fell backwards. After a few seconds, she realized that Ryan was hugging her.

"Irina...... You're all right, are you?"

She suddenly felt the urge to cry. But she immediately understood that it didn't make any sense. She can't show weakness in front of anyone.

"If you want to conquer a man as a woman...... Remember, a woman can conquer a man, but only if the man allows himself to be subjugated. The cold words of the black-robed old man echoed in her ears.

She shook her hand away. She is his monarch, his queen. How could he hold her without permission?

But she couldn't get angry about these little things, which would only make her look like an agitated and aggressive rural woman. She left the stunned other party behind and rushed to the highest balcony. Now she's the only one here.

It took a few minutes for her to completely calm down. The night breeze was a little cold, blowing his hair, causing a bump on her bare skin.

A bouquet of white flowers was handed to him. It was a bouquet of lilies, which was not well maintained, and the outermost petals were already showing signs of wilting. But she could still smell a burst of fragrance.

"Ah Qiu. The man said a name. Irina looked up and saw Ashrufat's face.

"You...... Why are you here?" she didn't know what Lu Dao was for, but this face made her feel a little flustered. No, she shouldn't be flustered. Isn't it common for Ashrufat to appear here?

"You're a princess, and I'm your knight. Of course I'm going to come with you. Ashrufat replied. He handed the bouquet of lilies again, and she accepted it so stupidly. No, you can't accept anything like that. This can cause a lot of misunderstandings and make the rumors flow like a river that is forever branching off from its tributaries.

She suddenly felt her eyes moisten.

By the way, Eshuruphat was not a knight of St. Jean. He was loyal to her simply because...... Perhaps Ashruphat could save her, just as the knight in the book saved the princess from captivity in the tower......

"Irina!" a voice sounded colder than the night wind. The figure of the black-robed old man appeared at the entrance of the balcony.

Ashrufat watched as Irina walked towards her grandfather. Perhaps the master of ceremonies had received special attention, so he had no idea when the retiring king had entered the ball.

By the time he returned to the dance venue from the balcony, Irina had lost sight of where she had gone. Maybe go to a small room somewhere to rest—he thought, and suddenly saw Ryan standing in a corner staring at him. When their eyes happened to meet, he saw the intense hatred in each other's eyes, and that hatred immediately became more vicious. But it was only for a moment.

Ryan turned around and left. He strode away from the main entrance, and the guards at the gate did not come up to ask questions. He didn't have to stay any longer, he knew exactly what was going to happen next. Those who wagged their tails around Irina and begged for mercy were in vain, and the right people had already been booked for important positions in the court. And the scope of these candidates, as long as they are not blind, will understand! There may be some subtle adjustments in the specifics, but it is definitely not their turn!

The Paros blockaded well, and none of Casilos' powerful nobles could make it in time. This meant that the newly formed court would be made up entirely of the nobility of St. Jean. Everyone will be happy with the arrangement.

As for himself, it is needless to say. Thomas would continue to be a great general, and no one could deny Thomas's ability and status. And he will continue to hold the position of lieutenant general. As for the other three, William Daley's drunkard and reckless man would definitely leave, and Leo's country boy would leave nine times out of ten, they were just a choice they had to make at the time. The position of lieutenant general is a shortcut to a higher position, and there will be countless nobles who want to compete. It is impossible for these hillbillies in the mountains to keep their positions.

But the guy Eshurufat...... That guy...... There is a great chance that he will be retained!

What is Ashrufat? What is that guy? Isn't it just that Lu saw the injustice and escorted the princess for a long time? What would they remember such a trivial matter so well? And why did Irina accept the bouquet of lilies he gave him?

Ryan rode his horse and galloped wildly, and in the heat of jealousy, he almost forgot that doing so in the city could cause unnecessary accidents. The cold night wind blew on his forehead, but it couldn't extinguish the raging anger in his heart. He desperately drove the war horse, wanting to vent his depression and unwillingness to vent his depression and unwillingness on this cold night blowing in the cold wind.

Luckily, it was late at night, and there were no pedestrians on the streets. So he could run all the way back to his residence without any incident. Unlike the others, Ryan has his own place to live in Loren, or his family's property. He jumped down from his horse at the door, handed the reins to the groom, and rushed to the door with a full reluctance.

In the living room, there was a visitor he hadn't expected. It was a middle-aged man who was so thin that it seemed to be blown down by a gust of wind, with a pair of glasses on his eyes, sitting in the living room at the moment, flipping through a book.

"Uncle Rook?" he couldn't believe it. Why did Uncle come?

Rook was his own uncle and his father's younger brother. Normally, the eldest son of a great nobleman could inherit a second-class title and obtain a fief, and the second son could only start his efforts as a trainee knight. But they have a second option, which is to give up their reproductive rights and join their brother's family. Rook was born thin and weak, and he was also born with a cripple leg. He can only choose the second fate.

"Young Master. "Joining the brother's family means becoming the brother's retainer, so even if it is a nephew, in terms of legal relations, he has become the young master of his life.

"You don't have to call me that, there's no outsider here. Uncle, why are you here?"

"Come and see my dear nephew. Rook replied with a smile. "I heard that you have achieved great achievements on the battlefield, so my brother asked me to help you. I hope you can keep up the good work and achieve ...... Hey, why don't you look happy?"

"......" Ryan slammed his fist into the wall in exasperation, and sat down on the couch in the living room.

"It seems that there is something really unhappy. Tell your uncle and let him figure it out. ”