It wasn't that Francis had started to view him differently, rather it was that he, due to a shift in his own thinking, had turned some unfavorable situations into favorable ones.
Even in the matter of personally signing the contract with Lord Zalanda, he guessed that there must be some calculation on his side, it was just that he had not figured out the reason behind it.
Having understood this, Conrad's face showed an appropriately mixed expression of gratitude and a hint of sadness, "As you command."
Although the Saladas Family had an elder council, they only had the right to advise, not to veto; the majority of power was still held in the hands of Francis, who was the Duke. Once he made a final decision, the matter was settled and could only be changed if he himself changed his mind.
Since it was Francis who personally dealt with the matter, the event became solemn and grand, filled with a sense of ceremony.
