"Felix! Welcome!"
At Clarence House, the eldest prince personally greeted the communication and said with a smile: "I heard from Helena that you want me to help promote Sleepy Toast, right?"
"Yes, Your Highness." The letter said euphemistically: "Actually, I don't want to come, but my eldest brother said..."
"It doesn't matter! We are all friends! We should help each other!"
The eldest prince smiled heartily, as if he didn't take it to heart at all: "Besides, this is your request Felix, how could I refuse?"
"Don't worry, I have sent invitations to my friends. They will be there in a moment. Please take a seat first."
"good."
At the invitation of the eldest prince, Lai Wen sat on the sofa. Perhaps because the news was delivered too late, the guests had not arrived yet. The only one who arrived at Clarence House first was Helena.
The eldest prince asked the servant to bring hot tea, asked the letter to wait, and took the butler Nicks to direct and decorate the hall. Originally, this kind of thing did not require the eldest prince to do it himself, but he went anyway.
In the spacious living room, only Lai Wen and Helena were left. Before Lai Wen could speak, Helena said straight to the point: "Charles wants me to ask you about the contract between Mr. Nicholas and the church... This Will it embarrass you? If it does, don't say anything, I can handle it."
"Um...."
Looking at Helena who was very sincere, Lai Wen said: "Brother didn't let me say it originally, but this matter is related to His Highness the Prince's opinion of you, so... I can tell you, and you can also convey it to you. To the eldest prince.”
"Felix..." Helena bit her lip and said, "You don't need to say it. This matter involves the church and the Manstein Potion Company. If Charles uses this news to do something detrimental to Mr. Nicholas, Something... I will feel very guilty."
"Helena, you have to believe me, and you should also believe my brother." Laiwen held Helena's palm and said, "He will not lose anything because of this news, and there is no harm in telling him."
"Oh well...."
Next door, behind the wall, a pair of eyes looked through the holes at the two people talking in the living room. The eldest prince, Charles, listened to the conversation between the letter and Helena, and a smile gradually appeared on his lips, with a look of determination to win.
"Your Highness, Miss Helena seems to be more inclined towards Mr. Felix."
Standing behind the eldest prince, butler Nicks, who also heard the conversation in the living room, said: "Her loyalty to you has been shaken."
"Isn't this better?"
"better?"
"Of course it's a good thing." The eldest prince said with a smile: "Conspiracy and tricks are often useless against smart people. They are born politicians and conspirators. They are always wary of those around them. Only sincerity can touch their cold hearts. "
"Helena is like warm red wine, fermented in oak barrels, filled with alluring aroma. Her sincerity will surely impress Felix. As long as Felix really falls in love with her, he will fall completely in love with her. We are in a trap."
The housekeeper hesitated: "But what if Helena completely turns to Mr. Felix? She knows a lot about us. If this information is known to the second prince..."
"Don't worry." The eldest prince waved his hand and said: "The inside story that Helena knows is just what I want her to know. The information she knows cannot touch the inner core of our camp. Even if Shukri, that idiot, knows There’s nothing we can do about it.”
"It turns out that Your Highness has been wary of Miss Helena for a long time." The butler said with admiration.
"beware?"
The eldest prince grinned and said coldly: "There are very few people who can gain my trust. Why should Helena? Women are unreliable. I never trust women, and only that idiot Shukri can." I will place my hopes on Freya, but the beauty trap does work... Felix is already fascinated by Helena!"
Click.
The door opened and a maid hurriedly walked in. The eldest prince raised his eyebrows and scolded: "Who let you in?"
The maid shivered, lowered her head, held her hands cautiously, and said hesitantly: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty, Archbishop Brandon... is here."
"who?"
"Your Highness, don't you recognize me?"
Archbishop Brandon walked out of the shadow beside the maid. He was wearing a red robe, with gray hair at the temples. He looked energetic and his eyes were bright. If there were not too much bloodshot eyes, he would be more gentle.
"Archbishop Brandon...why are you here suddenly?"
The eldest prince was stunned for a moment. He did not expect that Archbishop Brandon would suddenly come to visit him. More importantly, no one warned him!
"Your Highness, please forgive me for coming uninvited. I made a special trip to visit you just because there was a problem with the product dispatch of Manstein's Potion Grocery Store. The sleep toast I ordered was delivered to Clarence House." Archbishop Brandon was a little impatient. He had been holding it back all day and wished he could eat the sleepy toast right away.
What did I think...
The frightened eldest prince Charles was relieved. He also knew that Archbishop Brandon was addicted to sleeping toast, so he didn't take it to heart at first, but today he suddenly rushed to the door and asked for toast, which really caught him off guard.
"Nix, go get a few pounds of toast and give them to Archbishop Brandon."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Butler Nix turned and left the room. While waiting, Archbishop Brandon discovered that the eldest prince, Charles, had been standing by the wall, and there was something like a loudspeaker standing on the wall. If you listened carefully, you could hear the sound coming from inside. The sound of conversation.
"It's strange, Helena, how did you know about the contract signed between the church and Manstein Potion Company?"
"It was Charles who told me. He's always well informed."
"Oh, I see...."
Cold sweat broke out on the prince's forehead. He didn't expect that the letter would suddenly mention this matter. By coincidence, Archbishop Brandon was beside him. Judging from his subtle facial expression, he must have heard it. Something.
"Ahem, Archbishop Brandon, this is..."
Archbishop Brandon seemed not to have heard anything. He walked around the door and turned to look at the corridor from time to time. It was not until the figure of Butler Nicks appeared that he breathed a sigh of relief, walked forward quickly, and took the toast. , said to the eldest prince Charles: "Your Highness, if there is nothing else, I will leave first."
"Ah good."
Archbishop Brandon came as quickly as he left. He left Clarence House as soon as he got the toast. He didn't stay for a moment. He left, and the eldest prince breathed a sigh of relief.
"It seems that he didn't hear anything about the contract. It's really a blessing among misfortunes..."
Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, the eldest prince Charles quickly left the eavesdropping room and set up the venue.
Archbishop Brandon, who left Clarence House, got into the carriage, picked up the toast and bit it, and said to the monk driving: "Go to St. Paul's Cathedral."
A few minutes later, the carriage staggered to a stop in front of St. Paul's Cathedral. Archbishop Brandon quickly walked into the church holding Sleepy Toast. After grabbing a monk for questioning, he found the pope who had just returned on the second floor. Ubli I.
"What did you say?"
King Ubli I, who was dealing with church affairs, raised his head and looked at Archbishop Brandon alertly: "Does the eldest prince know about the contract?"
"Yes, when I went to Clarence House, I happened to overhear him eavesdropping on the conversation between Felix and a woman. The eldest prince already knew that we were going to sign a contract with the Manstein Potion Company."
Putting down the pen, Ubli I narrowed his eyes and said: "The eldest prince is really well-informed... What happened in the morning, he knew in the afternoon... I remember, the people in the oracle room at that time , there are only a few of us, right?"
"Apart from the Nicholas family, there is only the second prince left." Archbishop Brandon replied.
"The second prince and the eldest prince have never dealt with each other. It is impossible for him to leak the news to the eldest prince." Ubli I pondered: "As for Nicholas and the others, if they leaked the news, why would the eldest prince make insidious remarks? What about Felix?"
"I suspect...that the reason why the eldest prince received the news is that either the spy he placed around the second prince played a role, or...that there is his mole in the church!"
Hearing this, Archbishop Brandon obviously hesitated. He didn't know what to say. If he accused the eldest prince, it would be adding insult to injury, so it was better to keep silent.
"Why don't you speak?" Ubli I knocked on the table: "Although I supported the eldest prince before, now I am the pope, and everything I do must be considered for the sake of the church. I can no longer favor the eldest prince like before. . If the eldest prince really dares to have an informant in the church, he has committed a big taboo! He must be severely punished!"
"We have no evidence..." Archbishop Brandon said: "The monks, nuns, priests, and bishops in the church all have the highest loyalty to the goddess. If they are close to the great prince, it must be because the great prince gave them An advantage that is hard to refuse.... It’s better to start investigating from this aspect.”
Leaking some information is not a betrayal of the church. The believers did not violate their loyalty, they were just selling information for profit. Even so, in the eyes of Ubli I, this was still an unforgivable act.
"I have officially entrusted Diloch Holmes to investigate all aspects of the church. I will also leave this matter to him and let him investigate it carefully!"
"Dirock Holmes is not a church member. Isn't it too risky to do this?"
"He is also a well-known figure in London. Many people know what his style is. Besides, doesn't he have an older brother? His older brother is a believer in the church. If he dares to do anything that is not conducive to the church, he will be punished. Give his brother an operation."
"As commanded."
................................................................. ...
At 8 o'clock in the evening, the second prince came back half-heartedly. His face was pale, his appearance was like a withered tree, and his swaying body seemed to be about to collapse at any time.
"Your Highness, what's wrong with you?"
Seeing his appearance, Ma Wei quickly asked: "Did His Majesty punish you?"
"No..." the second prince said feebly: "It is precisely because he does not punish me that I feel fear...Father seems to be very disappointed with me..."
"Your Highness, you must have misunderstood. How could His Majesty be disappointed in you because of a trivial matter?"
"No...I know him." The second prince scratched his hair irritably: "Among the four children, I have always been the least popular one. Even Arthur was favored by him, but only I am in the middle...I am not a human being inside or outside.”
"Nicholas, you said..."
"Do I still have a chance?"
Ma Wei comforted him: "Your Highness, you think too much. His Majesty's approval is important, but more importantly, you must not lose confidence."
"Confidence..." The second prince raised his head and stared at Ma Wei intently: "Nicholas, are you trying to persuade me to rebel?"
"I didn't say that, Your Highness, please don't slander me."
"No, there is something in your words."
The second prince suddenly stood up, turned around twice, and then sat back on the sofa. While anxious, his eyes glanced at Ma Wei from time to time, flickering.
After struggling for a long time, he finally said: "How sure do you think we are?"
"How certain are you?"
"Don't pretend to understand, Nicholas, wasn't it your idea?"
Seeing that the second prince kept putting blame on himself, Ma Wei suddenly understood that he was forcing himself to make a decision.
There was indeed a subtle provocation in what he just said, but I didn't expect it...
The second prince's reaction was so intense.
He was really anxious.
Ma Wei fell into deep thought, and after a long time he said quietly: "Your Highness, there are no outsiders here. Since you asked me about this matter, I will express my own opinions."
"Just say it, no matter what you say, this matter will not reach the third person..." The second prince noticed Yunia staring at him next to him, and changed the topic: "The fourth person's ears .”
"Judging from the current situation, Your Highness, you should be patient and never act too hastily." Ma Wei's expression was solemn and his tone was extremely serious: "Your Highness, you have no capital to confront His Majesty. Your Majesty is the king appointed by the church. This is the age of magic. , the church’s right to speak is obviously more important than the king’s power, and only with the support of the church can he ascend to the throne..."
"I know, but my father's health is getting worse day by day. He is already old!" The second prince said quickly: "I heard from the internal affairs officer that my father's energy has been declining recently and he has been relying on sleepy toast to cheer up. Even if there is a health goddess, Wilder’s immortality field support cannot reverse the aging of the body!”
The realm of immortality can cure all injuries and diseases, but it cannot reverse the aging body. Aging is neither a disease nor an injury. It is the irreversible bleakness that occurs when a person's fire of life is about to extinguish.
Rhodes IV is 65 years old this year. Judging from his age alone, he is not too old. However, he has been king for 46 years. He ascended the throne at the age of 19. He is busy with government affairs every day and often overdraws his body. He could not see it when he was young. What, once you get older, your physical skills will deteriorate rapidly, and the realm of immortality cannot reverse all this.
"I don't have much time left."
The second prince said word for word: "If my father only has the last year of his life, it means that I must get the support of the church during this year. This is too difficult... The church does not The primogeniture will be overturned because of me...If I don’t make changes quickly, the final winner will definitely be Charles!”
