Maintaining a certain level of restraint and detachment, and avoiding excessive interference in worldly disputes, was his current thinking.
It was just that he hadn't expected that while he wanted to stay in the shadows, his strength wouldn't allow it.
His "fragrant aroma" had long since made him a target for all powers.
The portraits of princesses on Raymond's desk were the most direct proof.
Listening to his father's proud and expectant words, looking at the dazzling portraits of princesses on the table,
Karl didn't feel much turmoil in his heart, but felt a slight helplessness. He sighed softly, his gaze lingering on the portraits for a moment.
In the end, his fingertips fell on the portrait of the freckled-faced Ciri.
"Father, just this Princess Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon."
"It seems... she is a very interesting young lady." Karl said.
He certainly chose Ciri, not for politics or power, let alone for little girls.
If he remembered correctly, Ciri also hated being used as a bargaining chip in a political marriage and longed for freedom and adventure.
She was still young, and this betrothal could at least, to some extent, free her from many unnecessary troubles and give her relatively free room to grow.
For himself, the long wait for Ciri to come of age would be enough for Raymond to temporarily set aside the idea of pushing for marriage.
And indeed, after Karl selected the seemingly most unremarkable Ciri,
Raymond was visibly silent for a while, a flicker of surprise passing over his face.
He had thought his son would choose a more... princess conforming to traditional aesthetics, like Adda or a few others with more delicate appearances.
But he quickly felt relieved, with understanding and respect in his eyes.
As a child, he had left a lifelong regret with Alyssa due to family interference, and he never wanted his son to repeat the same mistakes.
Therefore, he had decided from the beginning that the final choice should be left to Karl himself.
"Alright, since you like her..." Raymond nodded, asked no further questions, and began to put away the other portraits on the table.
"Although Cintra is a bit weaker, Queen Calanthe is a respected ruler. I will send someone to contact her regarding this matter."
Just as Raymond was gathering the portraits, Karl casually picked up a stack of papers nearby with more detailed records and flipped through them.
His gaze swept over the pages with exquisite or concise information on aristocratic ladies, most of which he was indifferent to.
However, when his gaze stopped on one portrait, he couldn't help but pause.
The girl in the portrait had black hair, her face delicate but with a slight melancholy.
Her eyes seemed able to speak, revealing a fragile and sorrowful nature that made people feel pity for her.
That face... felt vaguely familiar.
Karl's eyes lit up slightly, and his gaze quickly moved to the information panel below the portrait.
Name – Iris, a noble of the von Everec Estate, 16 years old, "Rose of Love," painting.
"Iris..." Karl's heart skipped a beat, and he slowly put down the portrait, looking thoughtful.
"I didn't expect her to be this grown up at this time."
Based on his past memories, he had assumed Iris's tragedy occurred later, and had even thought she might not have been born yet.
But now it seemed the timeline was somewhat inaccurate compared to what he knew.
If Iris was sixteen now, then by the time Geralt got involved in her tragedy,
when he came to the cursed manor to seek the rose, it would probably be over twenty years later.
By then, this girl, as beautiful as a rose but unlucky, would have long since died in pain and sorrow.
And the mastermind behind all this tragedy was the "Master of Mirrors," who loved to play with people's hearts and considered mortals pawns for his amusement.
Iris, her family, and everyone involved were nothing more than puppets in his long game.
"Master of Mirrors..." Karl's eyes flickered with seriousness. Facing such a being would be more difficult than facing Dagon.
"To be safe, I need to find a way to seek help from the goddess Melitele first."
"See if there is any method or information that can restrict or counter such an existence." Karl thought to himself.
At the same time, he remembered that he hadn't seen Triss in a long time.
In the midst of a passionate relationship, being away for so long without news, her resentment was probably considerable.
He could take this opportunity to visit her and ask if there had been any progress on her mission to watch for and find orphans.
......
Soon after, Karl raised his hand and cut through the void, and a portal appeared before him, with energy sparks at its edges and a clear view on the opposite side.
On the other side of the door was Triss's familiar bedroom in Vizima.
However, before he could step through, a vigilant and urgent cry suddenly came from the other end: Triss shouted, "Who is it?!"
Immediately after, two blazing fireballs shot through the portal and hurtled towards Karl.
Karl's expression didn't change, and his eyes didn't even waver.
The two menacing fireballs, positioned more than ten centimeters from his body, seemed to hit an invisible wall and suddenly stopped in mid-air.
They could not advance even a trace of heat and were easily frozen by the bio-field around him.
Immediately, his mind moved slightly, and two soft poof sounds were heard.
The two powerful fireballs were crushed and compressed in an instant, completely dissipating invisibly without emitting a single spark.
Karl took a step and walked directly through the portal into Triss's house.
What drew his attention was Triss, who looked as if she had just stepped out of the bath.
Her fiery red hair was wet and disheveled, the ends still dripping crystal clear drops of water.
She was hastily wrapped in a white bath towel that covered her vital points, exposing most of her pale skin and delicate collarbone.
There was still a magical glint in her eyes from casting spells at that moment, along with vigilance that hadn't faded.
She fell into her hand and quickly compressed two fireballs that were gradually growing.
She had clearly not fully recovered from the shock of the sudden portal and the fear of an unknown intruder.
When she saw Karl pass through the portal unscathed and stand before her,
her face immediately showed surprise, and her eyes widened.
She subconsciously glanced at the passage behind Karl, which clearly showed the scene on the opposite side, completely different from ordinary portals, and her eyes couldn't hide their shock.
But the next second, she seemed to suddenly remember something, quickly suppressed her surprise, and slightly lifted her chin.
She snorted softly with strong annoyance, deliberately turned her head away, assumed a posture of "I'm angry, I don't want to pay attention to you," and dispersed the fireball she had compressed in her hand.