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"Ruse is already dead," Romero reminded Li Yu, "otherwise, we wouldn't need to hold an election to vote for the next lord of Green Field by ballot."
"Indeed, Ruse is dead, which is regrettable, but fortunately, he had a preferred heir in mind before his untimely demise."
"This is absurd!" Vanessa's face was frosty, "No one knew what Ruse was really thinking while he was alive, especially regarding the matter of his successor. He was still in his prime; he could never have foreseen such a misfortune befalling him…"
"As for what Antonio said earlier, you've already proven that he is a man who breaks his word, a despicable and shameless villain. His sweet talk was nothing but to deceive Ireya, to make her believe he would stand by her side, it's utterly unreliable."
The droopy-eared beauty was now all in, completely disregarding the life or death of her allies.
There was no other way, since the secret talk from last night was exposed, Antonio was destined to be discredited, and now he was beaten down. Although he was still in the hall, everyone treated him as though he was already dead.
And the living should never be dragged down by the dead.
So even now when Antonio's complexion was pale and his eyes hollow, as he knelt on the ground in a pitiable state, Vanessa still had to kick him while he was down.
However, Li Yu shook his head and said, "My basis is not what Antonio said last night."
"Hm?"
"When people talk about Ruse, they always praise his loyalty... I believe that loyalty belonged not only to his sovereign but also to his wife and family. A man like that, if he were still alive, would surely keep a promise made to his deceased wife."
Blanco's supporters were stunned.
This... this works too?
To pull out a dead man to vote was one thing, but now this detestable Foreigner intended to take advantage of the fact that Ruse couldn't talk back?
"As I said," Vanessa hastily interjected, "at that time, Ruse and Yolanda's eldest son Ramon was still alive, but the child later contracted a terrible epidemic. The herbalists of the territory and the priests from the Silver Moon Church all did their best, but still, he didn't make it."
The droopy-eared beauty's speech was fast, laden with obvious impatience.
In contrast, Li Yu's expression hardly changed, "But that vow remains valid because Ruse and Yolanda's second daughter is still alive, and now is the time to honor that promise."
"...…"
Vanessa felt like her throat had been suddenly seized, and now it was her turn to be speechless.
Li Yu had tied Ruse's honor to Ireya's election, a move no one had anticipated, and what made it worse was the timing he chose to throw out this topic!
It coincided exactly with the disgraceful breach of promise by Antonio, an important member of the Arias family, who not only destroyed his own noble honor but also, to an extent, tainted the reputation of his entire family.
What Ruse himself truly thought and whether he indeed wished for his daughter to succeed him as the next ruler of Green Field was no longer important.
In fact, even if Ruse were now to come back to life and stand here, aside from acknowledging that Li Yu was correct, he would have no second choice.
Because at this moment, the Arias family could not afford another blow from breaking another vow.
This wasn't even a conspiracy; it was a brazen and straightforward strategem!
All that remained in Vanessa's mind was one thought—just who was this person? Where did that nincompoop Ireya find such a formidable advisor?
A calm mind, meticulous analysis, coupled with unrivaled eloquence, the combination of these three created a complete monster.
To say nothing of Green Field, even placed among the West or compared with the top strategists beside the royal nobles of the Royal Capital, this Foreigner in black foreign garb could hold his own, not to mention his arcane methods unheard of by others.
Such an opponent… was truly terrifying.
Indeed, not just the droopy-eared beauty immersed in the situation, but even the onlooking Marquis Kuren and others looking at Li Yu had a hint of strangeness in their gaze.
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But what they were really thinking in their hearts, no one knew.
Li Yu's voice did not stop, "Now that everyone has exercised their right to vote and we have not been able to decide a winner between the two candidates, rather than painstakingly trying to find another voter with enough weight, why not respect the opinion of Sir Ruse himself.
"After all, a friend from the Arias family also mentioned earlier that, except for Torres who is far away in the Royal Capital, the important members of the Arias family have all arrived at Rock Snow City, right here in this banquet hall."
Upon hearing this, Dias's guts nearly turned green with regret. He had not expected that his casual bragging could be seized upon by that man and, at this crucial moment, turned into a heavy punch that hit all of Blanco's supporters back in the face.
That bastard's memory was just too good!
Li Yu ignored the frantic Dias and continued, "Considering Sir Ruse's long-standing selfless dedication and outstanding contributions to the Arias family, even though he has now passed away, his final wishes should still be patiently listened to.
"Miss Irelia never dared to expect the gentlemen here to act according to her father's last orders. She only wants to reclaim the vote that rightfully belonged to her father, and nothing more."
After Li Yu finished his last word, silence filled the banquet hall.
Irelia looked towards the figure at the main seat, her expression tense as she awaited the final verdict, her nervous ears almost seeming to fight with each other.
This time, Marquis Kuren did not make everyone in the banquet hall wait too long. He quickly spoke in a serious tone, "Miss Irelia's request is reasonable and just. The last vote from the Arias family rightfully belongs to the late Sir Ruse, and according to his wishes, this vote will go to his only child with Yolanda, which is Miss Irelia.
"The final vote, Blanco three, Irelia four. Irelia wins and will succeed her father as the next Lord of Green Field."
Marquis Kuren personally announced the election result. Then, he softened his tone and said gently, "Congratulations, Irelia."
With the final result announced, the twists and turns of the Arias family's election finally came to an end.
However, the guests who had witnessed this election had already forgotten about the two parties involved.
All eyes were focused on the odd man in black.
For this Foreigner, with his own strength, had successfully turned a noble election that was originally lackluster into a splendid performance that everyone would never forget.
Even the most critical spectator could not help but give a thumbs up in their heart at this moment, exclaiming their satisfaction.
Whether it was the magical skill earlier shown by Li Yu, which could record and repeat a person's voice, or the subsequent debate against many, coherent and meticulous, taking any of these out for discussion would have people talking for a while.
He was like a highly skilled assassin, quietly lurking in the crowd when the election began.
Observing the opponents without a word, looking for openings, until the opportunity arrived, he suddenly struck, thrusting the beautiful jeweled dagger accurately into the target's heart!
The entire action was clean and decisive, not giving the opponent any chance to resist.
Cold-blooded yet elegant, it was endlessly intriguing.
At this moment, Miss Rabbit was completely stunned. Before today, if you had asked her who the future head of the Arias family would be, she would have confidently told you it was her.
Indeed, until before the election began, Irelia always felt that she had it in the bag. Even a Flying Dragon had landed on her face, how could she possibly lose?
The final result indeed proved she was right, only that the process was completely different from what she had anticipated.
In a daze, Miss Rabbit recalled the night before, when a man with a casually chosen name had asked her to confirm the voting situation with her supporters one more time.
Aside from asking her about the attitudes of the people living on this Continent towards heathens and reminding her to make those people swear by the name of their ancestors and gods,
that man had also slipped an oddly shaped, heavy rectangular metal mirror into her handbag.
When she asked him what it was at the time, he explained, "This is a kind of luck charm from my homeland. Once it's in there, don't take it out, and don't touch it carelessly, or it might lose its effectiveness."