While boiling the water, Ivan rummaged through the entire kitchen and tested every item that was suspicious and might have been poisoned.
In the garden living room, Miss Susanna was sitting beside Miss Betty.
Miss Betty was lying on the sofa, looking like a real patient.
When the maid rushed over just now to tell them that the water had been poisoned and asked if they had drunk the fresh water fetched in the morning, it really gave them a big fright.
Miss Susanna thought for a long while and seemed to remember that the water she drank in the morning was the clear water in the glass water bottle in her bedroom. It had been filled last night, and Ivan had also drunk it and was fine, so she felt relieved.
When the maid ran out to ask the others, Miss Betty started talking softly with Miss Susanna.
"It seems that the envoy can't wait for the decree of His Majesty the King," Miss Betty said, her tone full of worry.
"I never thought that cold-faced count would be so kind-hearted," Miss Susanna said in her characteristic sarcastic tone.
"Miss Susanna, among us, only you and Ivan haven't been poisoned yet. If something unexpected happens, I don't want you two to give up the chance of escape because of us," Miss Betty said, her tone quite resolute.
Miss Susanna stared at Miss Betty's face for a long time, trying to figure out from her expression whether these words were sincere or just a pretense.
To Miss Susanna's relief, all she saw in Miss Betty's eyes was sincerity.
"You should know that Ivan would never abandon anyone," Miss Susanna said slowly, looking into Miss Betty's eyes.
"Yes, that's exactly why I hope you can persuade Ivan. As long as Ivan is safe, Count Robert definitely wouldn't dare to do anything to us," Miss Betty said.
"I don't seem to be that persuasive," Miss Susanna said indifferently.
"I know that Ivan listens to you very much. He always uses honorifics when addressing you, isn't that right?" Miss Betty said with a smile.
"Hey, it's so annoying. I really can't stand him always calling me 'you' with such respect, as if I were Miss Medin the Elder," Miss Susanna said with a frown.
"He respects you a lot. That's exactly why I asked you for that favor just now," Miss Betty said sincerely.
"Save your energy and have a good rest. It's more practical to take care of your health. I think Ivan must have already come up with a plan. Don't you remember? After all, he's a magician. Although that northerner has brought a lot of people, it seems that none of them is a magician. If they act rashly, they're doomed to bad luck, just like that guy who sneaked into the laboratory," Miss Susanna comforted.
When it came to the knight who sneaked into the laboratory, Miss Betty felt a bit nauseous. She could never forget the horrible sight of that knight having most of his body eaten by the reptiles raised by Ivan.
Ivan dragged the corpse into the villa and disposed of it with special magic potions to prevent Count Robert from knowing that he was dealing with a magician.
The disappearance of a knight obviously didn't arouse enough alarm from the envoy from the capital. Although he really wanted to break into the laboratory and have a good look, Miss Medin's insistence made him return empty-handed.
Presumably, until now, this count still thought that his subordinate was secretly imprisoned in some hidden place.
"From now on, there might be dangers lurking around here all the time," Miss Betty said worriedly.
Hearing what Miss Betty said, Miss Susanna seemed to remember something and asked, "Why do you think so?"
"Since Count Robert has started to make a move, with his personality, he won't stop until he achieves his goal. Unlike the cunning Count Martill, Count Robert is headstrong. He definitely won't plan carefully before acting like Count Martill. He would prefer to settle things quickly. Since he has already made a move, it can be expected that more attacks will follow one after another," Miss Betty said, her tone extremely certain. Obviously, this wasn't just a hasty opinion.
"You can rest assured. Ivan can definitely deal with this third-rate swordsman. Heehee. That's Ivan's opinion of Count Robert. He once said that the imposing manner of this envoy is much more intimidating than his real strength," Miss Susanna said with a smile.
"You'd better advise Ivan not to be careless and underestimate the enemy. He doesn't have a second life to bet on," Miss Betty shook her head and sighed.
"If it's about giving advice, it's more appropriate for you to do it, isn't it?" Miss Susanna suddenly leaned close to Miss Betty's ear and said, "I'm not worried that Ivan can't handle that northerner. I'm just worried that Ivan won't be able to take care of everyone in this villa. You should be very clear about what would happen if someone used your life or the lives of others to blackmail Ivan. Although I'm not sure if Ivan would give up resistance. He's not a brainless fool, but at least it would make him hesitant and even tie his hands."
Miss Betty nodded silently.
"So I think you should also move into Ivan's room. In case of any trouble, it will be more convenient for Ivan to protect us. Isn't that right?" Miss Susanna said with a smile, and there was clearly some special meaning hidden in her smile.
Hearing what Miss Susanna said, Miss Betty blushed. Although in name, she was already the unacknowledged wife arranged by Miss Medin the Elder beside Ivan to maintain the bloodline of the Medin family, after all, her aunt hadn't ordered her to officially marry Ivan yet.
"If you feel shy, you can ask those maids to move in and sleep too. It's just that sleeping on the floor might not be very comfortable," Miss Susanna said softly.
Hearing this, Miss Betty blushed even more. Only Miss Susanna could come up with such a proposal. Miss Betty felt that this suggestion was even more unacceptable.
"At a time like this, what are you still hesitating about? In my opinion, this is the best way. Everyone gathers in Ivan's room. In case of any accident, Ivan won't have to worry that someone is outside his protection range. If you feel too shy, just drag those maids into it. Won't that work?" Miss Susanna said.
Miss Betty was left speechless. She didn't know how to reply.
"You lie here for a while. I'll go and ask those girls. Maybe their thoughts are similar to mine," Miss Susanna said, blinking her eyes.
With that, Miss Susanna walked towards the maids' bedrooms, leaving Miss Betty alone in the garden living room.
In the kitchen, Ivan handed over the important work he was doing to a maid to continue.
Just like Miss Betty thought, Ivan also had the same worry. He also sensed that the crisis was approaching. Although Ivan had thought about making some careful arrangements in advance.
Ivan wasn't worried that Count Robert and his knights could break into a fortress protected by magic. However, he didn't know when Count Robert's next attack would come. It was impossible to be on tenterhooks all the time and turn everything around into a deadly magic trap that no one could enter.
Recently, Ivan had learned some more magic and refined some useful potions. Although he didn't master a lot of magic, he was confident that as long as he could make full use of these magical powers, he had no reason to be at a disadvantage when dealing with a group of ordinary people.
And among the magical creatures he raised, there were indeed one or two rather useful ones. However, before he was sure that he could completely control these magical creatures, he would never use these terrifying things without permission.
Ivan hadn't forgotten the blood bees that flew all over the sky and were bloodthirsty. But compared to the ghost mantis that could tear and devour anything, the blood bees were nothing.
The mutilated corpse also made him feel frightened and shocked. However, this ghost mantis was far from the few magical creatures that Teacher Lavash had warned him to be extremely careful about.
He definitely couldn't turn the whole villa into a killing trap.
Ivan couldn't imagine the situation where Miss Susanna or Miss Betty accidentally triggered these traps.
Nor could he use those magical creatures that he couldn't control at all.
After thinking for a long time, all he could do was what Audrey said - "adapt to changing circumstances".
The most important thing now was to find a skillful doctor.
In fact, Ivan hoped that he could find Herbert. No one was better at using poisons and detoxifying them than him.
After tidying everything up, Ivan walked towards the stable at the back of the villa.
He led out a purebred horse from the stable. Ivan also checked the water and fodder in the stable by the way. He was worried that Count Robert would play dirty tricks on his beloved horse. To his relief, the fodder in the stable hadn't been poisoned. The water the horse drank came from the lake instead of the spring in the forest.
Ivan carefully examined the purebred horse and didn't find any wounds. Only then did he feel relieved.
He mounted the horse and rode off into the distance.
The biting cold wind blew across the lake, creating ripples on the water. The sunlight wasn't as scorching as in summer, shining on the lake and making it golden. The grass by the lake was still green in patches, setting off the thick clusters of trees on the hillside in front of the villa, looking peaceful and serene.
However, Ivan was in no mood to enjoy all this. He urged his mount to ride towards Thorsburg in the distance.
Before he had gone far, he saw a group of Royal Knights riding towards him from a distance.
Ivan didn't want to waste words with them.
He could completely guess the order that Count Robert had given them. If he was intercepted by these knights, they would definitely make excuses to him and take the opportunity to send him back to the villa.
Ivan urged his horse on.
His purebred horse galloped at full speed. In the south of France, no horse could catch up with it.
Sure enough, soon those knights were left far behind.
Ivan was cautious all the time because he was always worried that a deadly arrow would be shot from some dark corner.
On this open field, it was the world of those knights.
Ivan didn't plan to compete with the knights of the count here. After all, he hadn't reached such a high level of strength yet. For him, the woods on the hillside around the villa would be a good battlefield, but the place where he could perform better was inside the villa.
When Ivan was learning from Herbert, the king of assassins, what he learned the most was how to move around mysteriously in a house. Most assassination operations were carried out indoors, not in the open field.
Moreover, the wind blowing across the open field could easily blow away the fog he set up, but inside the villa, as long as all the doors and windows were tightly closed and the wind couldn't get in, the fog made from the hallucinogenic powder solvent could last for several hours.
Breaking through the encirclement of the guards was really quite easy for Ivan.
After entering the city, Ivan rode straight towards the cathedral. The most important thing now was to find a doctor.
The cathedral was still as magnificent as ever, but Ivan wasn't in the mood to appreciate it at all.
Hurrying into the church, Ivan immediately grabbed a priest who was praying.
"Where is Dean Mondi? Please take me to see him," Ivan said eagerly.
The priest obviously recognized the identity of the young man in front of him and could also see that the young lord looked flustered. Obviously, something serious had happened.
Without a word, he led Ivan to the dean's office.
Dean Mondi was obviously equally shocked by Ivan's sudden visit. He looked at Ivan with confusion.
"Respected Dean, someone poisoned people in my villa. Please send the best priests to the villa," Ivan said.
"Who was poisoned? Is it serious?" Elder Mondi asked.
"Except for Miss Susanna and me, everyone else was poisoned. Fortunately, I've already given them simple treatment," Ivan replied.
"Oh, that's really good. I'll do as you ask right away," Elder Mondi nodded and said.
With that, Elder Mondi gave a few instructions to the priest who had brought Ivan in. That priest immediately left as he had a lot of things to do.
"Is Mr. Hyde here?" Ivan asked after confirming that the priest had gone far away.
"I'm sorry. Mr. Hyde has gone back to South Port. It seems that something happened in South Port, and it's quite serious," Elder Mondi said helplessly.
"Then is Mr. Audrey here?" Ivan asked again.
"Yes! Mr. Audrey is now in charge of everything in Thorsburg. Do you want to see him?" the elder asked.
"Yes," Ivan said affirmatively.
Just at that moment, another priest walked in hurriedly and said, "Dean, Count Robert, Count Fernan, and Count Levy have arrived. They want to see you and the heir to the lordship."
"I got it. We'll be right there," Elder Mondi said. He waved his hand to signal the priest to leave.
After that priest left, the elder shook his head and said to Ivan with great helplessness, "It seems that you won't have the chance to see Mr. Audrey."
He came to the hall together with Elder Mondi.
Count Robert was waiting there. Behind him were Count Fernan and Count Levy.
Seeing Ivan come out, Count Robert intended to take the initiative and said, "Mr. Baindite, you actually left the villa that was under strict protection without permission. I really can't forgive your recklessness..."
Ivan didn't want to hear the envoy finish speaking. He interrupted Count Robert, "Count Levy, who was in charge of guarding the villa this morning? Was it you or the knights brought by Count Robert?"
Audrey had already taught him how to successfully interrupt someone speaking. The best way was to completely ignore the speaker and talk to others.
Although he didn't know why the young lord had broken out of the protection circle without permission, Count Levy had already guessed part of the reason. It wasn't a difficult thing. Count Martill had once used the same method before.
Although Count Levy wouldn't openly stand on the opposite side of Count Robert, it was obviously the most correct and easiest thing to do to clear himself of this matter.
"Lord, since Count Robert took over the responsibility of safeguarding your safety, all matters related to you have been fully handled by Count Robert's subordinates. My subordinates are just stationed in the barracks, ready to be dispatched by those Royal Knights at any time," Levy said.
"Since Count Robert is in charge, then please, Count Robert, conduct a thorough investigation to find out who poisoned people in the villa. The drinking water in the villa was poisoned. That's one thing. After all, the water source is in the forest in the distance. But there was also deadly poison in the milk delivered this morning. This should be thoroughly investigated. The milk was delivered through the guard camp," Ivan said.
"Maybe it's just ordinary food poisoning. Many people would confuse ordinary food poisoning with intentional poisoning," Count Robert said. Obviously, he no longer had the imposing manner he had at the beginning.
"That's impossible. Ipecacuanha, a plant that can cause stomach and intestinal ulcers and even death, only grows in the northern mountains. Its output is not high, and absolutely no one would eat it as food. Its appearance and smell are really unique. And terofen is an even harder-to-refine poison. But both of these poisons appeared in my villa at the same time. This can't be said to be food poisoning," Ivan said.
"How can you be so sure that it's these two poisons?" Count Robert said, "Don't be too confident in yourself. Everyone makes mistakes."
"It's not difficult to prove. I've already asked Elder Mondi to appoint an experienced expert to go to my villa to test those poisons and treat the poisoned patients. Elder Mondi told me that the expert is absolutely trustworthy. His report is quite powerful and can completely serve as evidence. Isn't that right, Dean?"
Elder Mondi obviously understood what Ivan meant and said, "Yes, yes. Pastor Matthew is the best pharmacist and healer in the church. He's the supervisory priest sent by the Holy See here. His teacher is the respected Archbishop. Pastor Matthew's report would be absolutely powerful even if it were presented to His Holiness the Pope."
Count Robert found it hard to refute Elder Mondi's words. After all, he didn't want to offend the Holy See. In fact, even His Majesty the King didn't dare to offend the Holy See easily. Offending the Holy See was tantamount to self-destruction.
"If such a thing really happened, I will surely investigate it thoroughly." Count Roberde could only find an excuse to save face.
"Count Levi, I am deeply concerned about what has happened. It seems that relying solely on the strength of Count Roberde is rather insufficient. From today onwards, your subordinates will be stationed 500 meters outside the villa. With Count Roberde's royal knights guarding the periphery and you guarding the inside, I will feel much more at ease." Ivan ordered.
"Understood, sir." Count Levi saluted in response.
"No, this is tantamount to distrusting my knights. I disagree." Count Roberde exclaimed.
"Count Roberde, your knights have indeed failed in their duties. Before your arrival, such a serious situation had never occurred. In my opinion, strengthening the guard force is the best solution at present. If necessary, I can write a report to prove this matter to the Archbishop and the Pope. The safety of the lord is not a matter to be dealt with on impulse." Elder Mondi said calmly. Using the authority of the Church to force others to submit was originally one of the things he was best at.
Count Roberde didn't know how to respond for a moment.
Although he was certain that His Majesty the King would definitely support him, once the pressure from the Church was on the other side of the balance of interests, he didn't know how long that support would last.
After weighing the pros and cons, Count Roberde decided to temporarily withdraw from this battlefield where he could not win.
"Mr. Bendit, please return to your residence. My carriage is waiting outside." Count Roberde said, his expression even stiffer.
Now, he only hoped that Ivan would return to the suburban villa quickly. Before he had made all the arrangements, he needed Ivan to remain isolated from the outside world.
Count Roberde was not discouraged because he had failed to poison Ivan. Of course, disappointment was inevitable. Anyway, he didn't bet all his chips in one place. In South Port, he had another plan. The momentary setback here did not affect the smooth progress there.
Moreover, he had another trump card in his hand.
Before he left, His Majesty the King signed two documents. The second document gave him absolute power. However, His Majesty the King repeatedly warned that under no circumstances should the second document be taken out unless it was absolutely necessary.
His Majesty the King was very worried that for the small Saisburg, Prince Phillips would find an excuse to cause trouble.
The content of the second imperial edict was almost the same as forcibly seizing the lordship of Saisburg and confiscating the lord's property, which was a blatant violation of the law.
His Majesty the King signed this document because in his view, a remote southern county like Saisburg had no influence, and the Medin family had no strong allies in the Kingdom of France. The only one who would cause trouble for him because of Saisburg was Prince Phillips.
Anyway, he would break with the prince sooner or later, and the king was determined to regain control of South Port.
But now it seemed that the influence of this young lord heir was quite profound, and at least he had the support of the Church behind him.
Count Roberde was now in a dilemma. He was reluctant to give up the position of the lord of Saisburg and the countless wealth in South Port, and he also could not afford to offend the Church.
The desperate envoy decided to drag His Majesty the King into the water.
Ivan was not very clear about what Count Roberde was planning, but he believed that Count Roberde was definitely no match for Mr. Hyde and Audrey.
"Thank you for your kindness, but I prefer to ride. I will return immediately." Ivan said.
Before Count Roberde could speak, Count Fernan rushed to say, "Lord, I have something to report."
"What is it?" Ivan asked.
"This happened a few days ago. I originally wanted to ask for your instructions, but Count Roberde firmly refused to let me see you. He said that as your guardian, he had the right to handle this matter." Count Fernan said.
"Guardian? Count Roberde, it seems that we have reached an understanding about this matter. Elder Mondi can prove it. Before His Majesty the King's further confirmation arrives, I hope you will not use the name of guardian to handle anything without permission. I think Elder Mondi can supervise this matter." Ivan said. He decided to use the omnipresent and absolute authority of the Church to subdue Count Roberde.
"Yes, I will report truthfully." The elder said. Of course, this elder was extremely willing to do such a thing as going with the flow.
"Count Fernan, what exactly happened?" Ivan asked.
"Well, in South Port, some merchants united and demanded that South Port become an autonomous city like those in Yile." Count Fernan said indignantly, "Count Roberde actually promised them without your permission in the name of guardian. Now South Port is busy preparing for the autonomy matters."
Hearing what Count Fernan said, Ivan frowned. This was indeed a rather thorny matter. Obviously, Mr. Hyde rushed back to deal with this matter.
This was clearly Count Roberde's plot. Once South Port became an independent city, although nominally, South Port would obtain a more stable and free status, without the protection of the Medin family, His Majesty the King could take back any agreement on South Port at any time and bring South Port under his control.
Those short-sighted merchants obviously did not realize this. What's more, there might be some malicious guys behind these merchants instigating this matter.
"How many people in South Port support autonomy?" Ivan asked.
"It seems to be the will of many people. There are joint signatures of dozens of big merchants on the petition. In South Port, the autonomy petition is quite large-scale." Count Fernan said with a worried look.
"Dozens of big merchants? Ha..." Ivan sneered and said, "There are at least five or six hundred well-known merchants in South Port. What's so great about being able to gather dozens of merchants? This is not a large-scale at all."
Although Ivan knew that Mr. Hyde could definitely solve this matter, at least he had to make a show and express some opinions.
Ivan thought for a while and said, "You go to South Port immediately and tell those merchants who want autonomy that South Port is the private territory of the Medin family. If they want autonomy, Ferribay, which is twenty miles away from South Port, is the territory of His Majesty the King. South Port is already very small and has no room for development. There is also a small town in Ferribay. All the merchants who move to the small town in Ferribay can enjoy autonomy there. Count Roberde is the king's envoy. The amount of tax paid to His Majesty the King every year can be discussed with Count Roberde."
Ivan paused and thought again. Although he knew it was just a show, a show had to be done well.
Ivan continued, "The merchants who move out of South Port can also use the docks and shops in South Port without additional usage fees. I will buy the land vacated by the merchants at the original price. Count Fernan, make a plan and move part of the glass factory in Saisburg to South Port.
"By the way, under my rule, I don't want Piton, Laier and South Port to still be hostile to each other because of some old grudges. Piton was once famous for its wool production. This business is very profitable. Go and make a plan for me and recruit one or two big merchants. It's a pity to waste Piton's wool..."
Ivan began to talk about business endlessly. Count Roberde had long lost interest. Besides secretly complaining, he had no other thoughts.
Instigating the merchants in South Port to seek independence was originally a good idea that he had come up with after much thought. Although he didn't think that this one move alone could completely solve the problem, at least it could make these southerners in a state of chaos.
At that time, he, a well-known strong figure, would be the most suitable person to come forward and solve the problem. However, he didn't expect that a few simple words from this young man would make all his plans fall through.
According to what he said, even if he managed to control those merchants, it would be of no use. It was true that a considerable amount of profit could be squeezed from those deceived merchants, but in that case, no one would be deceived in the future. Moreover, he was not even sure how many merchants would be willing to be deceived.
Those merchants who were only after profit talked tough, but when it came to actually taking action, probably few of them would be willing to move away from South Port.
If he guessed correctly, those merchants just wanted to take this opportunity to oppress the newly appointed lord and reduce taxes.
Furthermore, seeing Ivan talking about his plans non-stop, as if he couldn't wait for those merchants to move out so that he could take over the prime land in South Port and manage it himself.
Count Roberde had a strong feeling that he was working for someone else's benefit.
If only Ivan was talking to himself, Count Roberde might have thought that the young man was just putting on an act. But looking at Count Fernan, who was listening with great interest and beaming with joy, it was obvious that everything the young man said made this guy extremely eager. Probably this guy couldn't wait to get things done.
Count Roberde had also been gathering information about this young lord. Because this young man was clearly not like what Count Martel described, just a useless puppet. What shocked him was that this young boy had such high prestige in Saisburg.
However, what made him frustrated was that neither he nor his knights could obtain any further information. This young man was like a mystery.
Now, Count Roberde finally understood why the officials in Saisburg were so obedient to this young man. Compared with those fools, this young man was indeed much more capable.
After standing aside and listening for a long time, the envoy had made up his mind to abandon the half-planned scheme, because that plan had obviously failed completely. And at the same time, another idea was growing in Count Roberde's mind.
Count Roberde had decided that he must not let this young man live in this world. He would become the biggest obstacle to his control over Saisburg.