"Let's sit and chat," Lord Fredrick said smoothly, as if he was the lord here and not Lord Archibon.
"…Very well."
The three moved to a different room, which was a good thing for Lord Archibon too. He would rather not deal with the aftermath of Elizabeth's death right now. It was bound to be a gigantic mess in the making. This conversation offered some chance at a distraction… at least that was what he hoped. One could never be too cautious around Lord Fredrick.
After settling in, Lord Fredrick asked, "How are things in the Lannisail Household?"
"So and so," he replied vaguely.
"I didn't see that many servants or maids in the mansion. It must be difficult tending to this place with this little people. I assume your family isn't giving you much support in that regard either?"
Lord Archibon's face darkened. "You should know better than me the answer to that question."
"I must say that what happened was truly unfortunate. You had no control over the circumstances, but now you must watch the Lannisail Household crumble around you. Your extended family is continuing to denounce you, while they relinquish their surnames. All your property, businesses, and personnel are also fragmenting. After your generation, I'm afraid that the Lannisail Household will be no more," Lord Fredrick sighed with emotion. "It must have been tough for you."
"…I guess you could say that."
"You were once one of the three rising stars of our generation. You were regarded as a rare genius in the making, someone who had the potential of becoming the next Master of Progress on the Royal Assembly. You could have led the Alzar Kingdom in a new direction and heralded a golden age but look at you now… even children mock your name. It would be a shame to see someone of your talents wasted like this."
"What are you getting at?" He narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"The Ovarr Household is willing to adopt you into the family as one of my distant cousins. Naturally, you will also regain your status as a Grand Lord and suffer no further prejudice for the Lannisail Household's actions. You will be treated as one of our own. With our support, your dream of becoming the next Master of Progress can be realized. The only thing that we ask in return is that you devote yourself wholeheartedly to supporting the Ovarr Household."
"And why is the Dewshard Household present too?" He gestured to the forever silent Lady Kalasena who seemed completely disengaged from the conversation.
"Lady Kalasena is here to act as a witness to our negotiations. Please pay her no mind."
Lord Archibon saw her nod. While they did arrive together, he did not suspect that there was any foul play involved because Lady Kalasena had a very strict and honorable moral code by default. Most likely, they had arranged to meet at the same time; nothing more, nothing less. If, by some chance, Lord Fredrick decided to violate his part of the deal, then the Dewshard Household could denounce them. Reputation, especially amongst the Grand Nobility, was worth everything. A single word from the Dewshard Household could have damning generation-lasting effects. To place such a big risk on his family, it would mean that Lord Fredrick and the Ovarr Household were sincere in their offer. In that case, how should he proceed? Should he accept it?
To be honest, he was tempted. Although he was living as a Great Noble now, the difference between this and his previous lifestyle was massive. He took everything for granted and never appreciated just how privileged he was before, and now… the Lannisail Household was in ruins, and he was a Grand Noble no more. Without Elizabeth's help, he would have been executed alongside his family, and even after being saved, his name was still being used as a curse throughout the kingdom. Taking Lord Fredrick's offer would mean that he would wash himself of the stain of the Lannisail Household's actions and be considered an Ovarr from henceforth. He did find it a little sad to abandon his roots, but everything had already been razed to ash by his father. Rebuilding the Lannisail Household would be a nearly impossible task. Therefore, Lord Fredrick's offer was very attractive to him. The question was…
"Why now?"
"What do you mean?"
Lord Archibon snorted inwardly before saying, "We haven't seen each other since the Lannisail explosion more than half a year ago, so you're clearly not the empathetic type, while news of the Battle of Liguang and Princess Elizabeth's death have finally begun circulating here. I'm in Her Highness Princess Elizabeth's faction, whereas you're in your own faction for the inheritance race. We stand on opposite sides. I'm right to assume that your visit has something to do with the inheritance race or am I wrong?"
As if expecting his words, Lord Fredrick continued seamlessly, "Then I will offer my counterpoint. Princess Elizabeth has fallen in the Battle of Liguang so your faction no longer has any chance of winning. My faction is also unlikely to win in the grand scheme of things. The faction which has the highest chance of success will most likely be Princess Samanthie's faction, correct? They have the largest support from the Grand Nobility Households, it's led by Her Highness Princess Samanthie, and the race will conclude next week. I don't think any changes between our two factions would yield anything or am I wrong?"
Lord Archibon fell silent again because that was another point he failed to consider. Now that Elizabeth was gone, aside from the throne going to a different person, he would also lose his backing. The entire reason he could enjoy the lifestyle of a Great Noble was because of her. Without her, he would be thrown to the streets and forced to live life as a peasant, if not a slave. Furthermore, there were countless people out there that wanted his head due to his father's relationship with the Whispering Shadow. He was the target of endless hatred and vengeance simply by association. He might not last a week by himself. By falling under the banner of the Ovarr Household, all his problems would be solved, and he would regain his status as a Grand Noble. The offer was looking more and more attractive. Still, he felt strung along to Lord Fredrick's tune.
"Since you're not interested, I won't be keeping you any longer."
"Please wait a moment. Could I give my response later?" Lord Archibon involuntarily panicked.
Shaking his head, Lord Fredrick explained, "Matters in my household are decided on a yearly basis. For something as delicate and sensitive as this matter, it must be settled as soon as possible. I'll need your response before I leave here today." This made Lord Archibon want to curse. If it was that time-sensitive, then why not tell him sooner? Lord Fredrick sighed. "To be honest with you, I wouldn't have suggested this if Princess Elizabeth were still alive. I visited you as soon as I heard about Her Highness."
Lord Archibon gritted his teeth in frustration. He keenly felt something was wrong, but this opportunity was too hard to come by. It was practically a once-in-a-lifetime chance to rise again. Why should he not take it? He said slowly, "Very well. I'll agree to your terms. How do you want to formalize it?"
"You can sign this document and add your personal seal. That should be enough."
"Done."
"Excellent. I will bring this back to my family immediately. Lady Kalasena has also been a witness to our deal, so there shouldn't be any problems. Do you want to accompany me to the Ovarr Household now?"
"No, please give me some time to arrange things. I will let you know when I'm ready."
"Since that's the case, I will leave behind some of my family's guards to protect your wellbeing. They will bring you to the Ovarr Household when you are ready."
"Thank you for everything." Lord Archibon stood up and bowed. Since they were tied to the same family now, Lord Fredrick, who was from the main family, was higher on the hierarchy than him. It was appropriate to bow.
"Speak nothing of it. We will take our leave here."
Once they were outside, Lady Kalasena said nothing but stared at his back fiercely. She muttered one word quietly, "Happy?"
"Yes, I am. Everything went according to plan." Lord Fredrick smiled widely. "Thank you for your help today, Lady Kalasena."
She lost interest and boarded her own carriage before leaving in a hurry. It was clear that she did not want to associate with him. After arranging some guards to stay behind, he left too. Not long after, he saw many Grand Nobles or Great Nobles rushing towards Lord Archibon's mansion, likely for the same reason that he did too, but they were turned away from the gates by the Ovarr Household's guards. He sneered because he was one step ahead. As the saying goes, 'the early bird catches the worm'. In this grand game of politics and schemes, the Ovarr Household took first place!