Marquis Leiwen followed behind a Tiger Knight, walking down the palace corridor, secretly pondering the events that were about to unfold.
Lock's sudden invitation must have been part of some scheme, and given the importance of today's date, the implications were even more profound.
What could it be?
Marquis Leiwen, with his hands clasped behind his back, was soon led by the Tiger Knight to a conference room. The door opened, and as he stepped inside, he was slightly startled.
Five people were already seated on the sofas in the room, figures Marquis Leiwen was very familiar with.
Marquis Boluolopu, Earl Litton, Border Earl Ulovana, Marquis Brumrash, Marquis Pespeya, and himself—the six most powerful individuals in the kingdom, excluding the royal family, were all gathered here. Clearly, the upcoming discussion was likely no small matter.
The others showed no surprise upon seeing Marquis Leiwen. They remained silent. Marquis Boluolopu's face was grim, Earl Litton forced himself to remain calm, and the others wore thoughtful expressions.
Marquis Leiwen found a seat near the side. Next, it was time to await the protagonist's appearance—the enigmatic Earl Albert.
The six great nobles didn't have to wait long. About ten minutes later, Lock pushed open the door, ordered two Tiger Knights to guard the entrance and allow no one in, then walked to the head seat and sat down.
"Sorry to have kept you all waiting!" Lock said with an apologetic smile, acting completely like a host, completely disregarding that this was the royal palace. Although, in a sense, as the protagonist about to be engaged to the Princess, he could indeed be considered a host.
"Alright, Earl Albert, what exactly did you invite us here for? Please speak plainly! I don't have time to deal with trivial matters."
Marquis Boluolopu, who had a very bad temper, spoke up. Earlier, Lock had sent someone to stick a knife by his bedside and deliver a threatening letter, an act that deeply angered this great noble of the kingdom.
Previously, Johnson had gone to great lengths to curry favor with Marquis Boluolopu to join the noble faction, sending all sorts of treasures, gold coins, and even beautiful women to his territory.
Now, Lock, Johnson's son, actually dared to threaten him!
If it weren't for the fact that his guards couldn't detect any trace of the infiltrator, and that the sharp knife had been placed right by his head, leaving Marquis Boluolopu feeling completely unsafe in the Capital, he might have gone to Lock's door the very next day to demand an explanation.
So, appearing here at his invitation, facing Lock himself, it would be strange if Marquis Boluolopu gave him a pleasant look.
"Heh heh, it seems Marquis is quite impatient." Lock shrugged helplessly, glancing around at the others. "Well then, I'll get straight to the point."
"I invited you all here today for the future of the kingdom. I hope you can publicly express your support for Golden Princess to inherit the throne. I believe everyone has heard of Her Highness's good name. Under her leadership, the kingdom will surely move towards a brighter tomorrow!
"Nonsense!" Marquis Boluolopu sharply retorted, expressing his displeasure with Lock's blatant ambition. "What kind of future will the kingdom have if it's handed over to a little girl! According to the kingdom's succession law, the throne should be inherited by His Highness Prince Pablo. That Prince is mighty and strong, the best candidate to lead the kingdom."
Marquis Boluolopu had always been a loyal supporter of the First Prince, and such an attitude was understandable, so the other five were not surprised and carefully observed Lock's reaction.
To their surprise, even when Marquis Boluolopu rebutted him so sharply, Lock still wore a smile on his face.
He looked at Marquis Boluolopu with a teasing tone and said, "Marquis, don't openly favor Prince Pablo just because he's your son-in-law. Honestly, who here doesn't know how capable that not-so-bright First Prince truly is? Even if you want to support this puppet to ascend and then control the entire kingdom from the shadows, you still have to ask for our opinion, don't you?"
"Earl Albert! Watch your words!!!" Marquis Boluolopu suddenly stood up, pointing at Lock with an angry face, scolding him for questioning.
Although he indeed harbored such thoughts, it was an unspoken understanding among them. To say it directly, wasn't that tearing apart the nobles' decorum?
Did this brat from the Albert family even understand the seriousness of such words? It was practically putting the hat of treason directly on his head.
"Don't get so agitated, Marquis." Lock gestured for Marquis Boluolopu to sit down, but a mocking smile played on his lips as he provocatively said, "Am I wrong? Do you dare to swear that you've never thought that way?"
"What about you, young man!" Marquis Boluolopu roared, "Using the guise of marriage to support that little girl, and even roping in a bunch of useless people to establish some 'Princess Faction'! At the end of the day, you're still controlling everything from behind the scenes, aren't you! You want to meddle with the throne under the guise of being the fiancé. Do you think we'll agree!?"
Seeing the two tearing each other down, the other five great nobles all frowned.
If this continued, it would likely lead to a confrontation between the two sides. Currently, Lock's power was strongest in the Capital. Shouldn't Marquis Boluolopu know that it was unwise to clash head-on with him?
"Gentlemen, calm down!" Marquis Leiwen, seeing that the situation was not right, immediately stepped forward to mediate. "Earl Albert, since you said this meeting is for the future of the kingdom, I presume it's not to make enemies of us? What you said about publicly supporting Her Highness the Princess—this matter concerns the succession to the throne. We all need to consider it carefully; it's not something we can decide immediately. I hope you can give us some time. How about it?"
"...Alright, Marquis Leiwen. As you wish, I will give you time to consider." Lock smiled, stood up, and adjusted his tie. "The ball is about to begin. Let's end our meeting here for now. A final reminder to everyone: choose carefully. Once you choose wrong, the consequences may be unbearable for you. I have other matters to attend to, so I will take my leave."
After saying this, Lock left the room directly, taking the Tiger Knights guarding the door with him.
Once his figure had completely disappeared, the atmosphere in the room suddenly became eerie.
Marquis Boluolopu slammed his fist on the table and said bitterly, "This damned brat! The once insignificant little scoundrel has now become a great menace. Gentlemen, let us join hands and teach that boy a lesson, how about it?"
"Marquis Boluolopu is right, Earl Albert is truly too arrogant; he must be taught a lesson!" Earl Litton immediately echoed.
Currently, he was still a follower of Marquis Boluolopu, and it was necessary to appropriately express his stance, but a strange light flashed in his cunning, fox-like eyes, proving that he did not truly believe this in his heart.
"I'm truly sorry," Marquis Pespeya said with a smile, standing up. "Although Earl Albert's attitude is a bit out of line, he's merely trying to gain some support for his fiancée. As a son-in-law of the King myself, I truly have no position to criticize him. I believe the matter of the heir to the throne should be decided by His Majesty the King. Regarding this issue, I do not wish to participate. Please excuse me."
Hearing him say this, the other two King's Faction nobles, besides Marquis Leiwen, also stood up, and the three of them left the room one after another.
"Marquis Leiwen, what are your thoughts?"
Perhaps with the King's Faction gone, all the anger on Marquis Boluolopu's face vanished, as if it had all been a pretense, and he appeared serious and earnest.
Marquis Leiwen shook his head and said, "No matter what, you shouldn't clash with him before leaving the Capital. Can your subordinates withstand the power of those Tiger Knights?"
A strange smile suddenly appeared on Marquis Boluolopu's face. He slowly reached his hand to his ear, then, under the astonished gazes of Marquis Leiwen and Earl Litton, he peeled off a layer of disguise, revealing a younger face underneath.
"Who are you!?" Earl Litton immediately recoiled several steps, exclaiming in shock.
"So that's it!" Marquis Leiwen, on the other hand, showed a knowing smile. No wonder he had felt something was off earlier; it turned out the Marquis Boluolopu before him was an impersonator. "So now, the real Marquis Boluolopu has already left the Capital and returned to his territory, right?"
"Yes. Marquis said this place is truly too dangerous; after all, we cannot guarantee his safety." The impostor said with a smile, "He asked me to convey a message to you, that Earl Albert's rise is difficult to resist, and he hopes to form an offensive and defensive alliance with you. What do you think, Marquis Leiwen?"
Marquis Leiwen, however, shook his head and said regretfully, "Under such circumstances, if Earl Albert is not overthrown, to guard against his assassins, Marquis Boluolopu will likely not appear in public, will he? If that's the case, how can he ally with me?"
After saying this, Marquis Leiwen stood up and slowly walked out of the room. Now he needed to carefully consider his own and his family's future. Perhaps the letter he received earlier was a good option.
Lock Kote Albert, truly a man of deep foresight!
No, it should be because of his overwhelming power. Every move of their six great nobles was observed by him. How could they resist?
Marquis Boluolopu was still too naive, still thinking that such a simple trick of substitution could fool Earl Albert. Heh heh...
This meeting did not decide the future of the kingdom, but the lives and deaths of the six great nobles!
Lock, who was about to enter the ball, stopped. A Tiger Knight, rushing over, whispered in his ear, "Mission accomplished."
"Good, you worked hard. Go back and rest."
Lock patted his subordinate's shoulder, then, with a smile, walked into the hall. The ball, with the arrival of its protagonist, was declared to have begun!
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