Among all the people present, only those nobles who had attended Baron Lipper's banquet could really guess all of this. However, of course, they wouldn't publicize it everywhere, as it wouldn't be beneficial for them. To be honest, Miss Fanny was really quite disappointed. She had never expected that Ivan had such an astonishing identity hidden.
He was actually the heir to the lord of Luxembourg. Why had he concealed all of this before? What was the purpose of his attending that ball? And what was the reason for accepting the invitation to the banquet at her villa later? Could it be just a coincidence? Could it be that, just as her father had said, in his father's opinion, Ivan could definitely be regarded as an outstanding politician and diplomat?
Those politicians were good at using everything that could be used to achieve their own goals. Had she really been used? The baron's daughter thought about all of this with great sadness. How could parents be completely unaware of their daughter's feelings? In fact, Baron Lipper was quite angry in his heart.
He didn't care about attaching himself to the powerful and wealthy. At most, he just felt helpless about being used himself. However, playing with his daughter's sincere feelings like this was definitely unforgivable. Besides Baron Lipper, who was furious, Viscount Turbot sitting beside him also felt indignant.
Although the viscount didn't have a good impression of his old rival in love, Ivan's actions were undoubtedly too despicable and heartless. He had hurt the most precious thing in the world that should be protected, which was a young girl's innocent first love. A young girl's first love could be romantically sweet, or it could also be bitterly heartbroken. However, using this innocent heart to achieve one's own goals was ten thousand times more Abominable.
than a playboy using sweet words to deceive a young girl's pure love and holy body. Because the playboy's behavior could still give the hurt young girl an unforgettable sweet yet painful romantic memory. But heartless utilization only brought shame and pain. This young politician was even more detestable than his playboy father.
Viscount Turbot gritted his teeth secretly. What made him even more resentful was that there was one thing he had to admit. Ivan was indeed a charming Prince Charming in the eyes of those girls. His maturity that didn't match his age, extensive knowledge, elegant speech, unique insights, strong self-confidence, and the identity of a magic apprentice all deeply attracted those inexperienced girls.
Moreover, with Viscount Turbot's extremely rich experience, he was of course very clear that all of this was absolutely fatal to the girls full of fantasies. Even if they knew how cold and heartless this boy was and that he was just using their feelings, these little girls would still fall deeply in love with this heartless playboy like moths flying into the fire. And the colder this boy seemed, the more girls would fall deeply in love with him and couldn't extricate themselves, and their feelings would only be deeper.
What gave Viscount Turbot the biggest headache was that his own daughter, that stubborn and headstrong girl, was also one of those moths. Ivan didn't know what Baron Lipper and Viscount Turbot were thinking. He only knew that he now had to let those noble families in Luxembourg manipulate him.
The period before his identity as the legal heir was proven would be extremely difficult for him. In fact, the most difficult thing was that he was about to face Miss Medin, who was rumored to be extremely strict. This Miss Medin was the elder sister of the old count. Having never married all her life, she had the same bad temper as all old maids.
However, besides her bad temper, Miss Medin's fairness and strictness were also well-known throughout Luxembourg. When she was young, she had been the chief prosecutor of Luxembourg. Her strict law enforcement made everyone in Luxembourg fear her, but the common people quite loved this old lady.
Since the death of the old Count Medin, this old lady had become the highest-ranking noble in Luxembourg. Anything had to get her approval before it could be implemented. Both the military commander and the head of the financial department were respectful in front of this old lady. Ivan didn't know what kind of tests would be waiting for him when facing this old lady.
Five kilometers to the west suburbs outside Luxembourg City, there was a lake covering an area of several hundred hectares. Although it could only be regarded as a small lake, the scenery on the lake was beautiful. The rippling blue water of the lake reflected two hills of moderate height in the distance. The hills were covered with flowers and trees.
Through the gaps in the thick tree crowns, a beautiful and delicate five-story villa could be vaguely seen. A road paved with bluestone slabs extended from the entrance of the villa all the way to the lakeside, where a dock was built.
Completely different from the docks in Southport, an elegant and unique pavilion was built beside the dock. The outer circle of the pavilion was composed of dozens of French doors. The door panels were made by cross-joining countless red pine wood strips as thick as an index finger, giving people a feeling of being semi-transparent.
The roof of the pavilion was made by inlaying thin marble slabs like fish scales, shining with dazzling colors under the sunlight. A small boat was moored at the dock. The small boat was made of oak and painted with a layer of white paint on the outside. Only the gunwale was dark red and waxed, shiny enough to reflect one's image.
There were three oars on each side of the front part of the small boat. In the latter half of the boat's hull, a canopy was built with redbud wood. It would be nice to take a rest inside it.
Between the lake and the hills was a flat meadow. This large meadow surrounded the whole lake and extended for more than ten kilometers. It was definitely a good place for horse riding. Looking south from the hills, the Bart Forest was not far away.
The lake branched out into a stream that extended straight into the depths of the forest. Ivan was led by Count Kenneth to this paradise-like place. It was the villa built by the Medin family in the suburbs. This was the place where the old Count Medin liked to stay the most. The old count spent much more time living here every year than in the county governor's mansion.
Since the death of the old Count Medin, only that old lady and an orphan girl she adopted were left here. However, strangely enough, this old lady didn't officially make this orphan girl her adopted daughter. Besides the two of them, there were also several maids living with them. They were all unfortunate people that the old lady had kindly taken in back then, so these maids were absolutely loyal to this family.
The old lady stubbornly refused to let guards and male servants live in this place. Her behavior was naturally explained by people as the eccentricity of an old maid. Since the death of the old Count Medin, this place had become unwelcoming to men. Therefore, even a big shot like Count Kenneth, who was the acting lord, had to obediently wait for the old lady's reception when he came here.
Standing under the porch, gusts of autumn wind blew by, making the count feel a bit chilly. He was now regretting that he should have put on an extra cloak before coming out, or, just like Lord Juan, stayed in the carriage and not got down. Standing in front of the door like this and enduring the wind blowing was just asking for trouble, wasn't it? He didn't know when the old lady would receive him.
According to past experience, when the old lady was in a slightly better mood, she would be willing to receive them. However, this was completely uncertain. Once she was in a bad mood, it was quite common to stand outside the door for two or three hours.
Count Kenneth prayed secretly in his heart that the old lady's mood could be a bit better now. Whether it was because the count's prayer had worked or the old lady was originally in a good mood, after more than a quarter of an hour, that orphan girl opened the door and walked out. She looked at Ivan carefully, then turned to the count and said, "Acting Lord, my aunt said that I should take this young man in to show her.
Please go back to your carriage and wait. It's rather cold here." As she spoke, the young lady gently pulled Ivan into the house and then casually closed the door. A long sigh came from outside the door. Ivan carefully peeked at this orphan girl.
The information said that this young lady was twenty-two years old this year and still unmarried. It seemed that the old lady didn't intend to marry her off, and this young lady also seemed to plan to depend on the person who adopted her. There had never been any rumors of her having a romantic relationship.
Her eyes were long and narrow, full of tenderness. Her two curved eyebrows paired with her delicate and charming nose were so harmonious, just like a peaceful landscape painting, making people feel extremely warm. She had a red lip, and the corners of her mouth were slightly upturned, showing a sweet smile and a row of neat and white teeth. Her long hair was softly curled and fell on her shoulders. This young lady was wearing a deep red silk long dress.
The high collar only revealed her fair and tender neck. A silver necklace was the only ornament on her body, and an angel statue was hanging at the bottom of the necklace. When it came to beauty, this young lady was one of the most beautiful women Ivan had ever seen. Compared with Miss Fanny, this young lady seemed more mature and full of the unique charm of a woman. That tenderness was also something that Miss Fanny didn't have. Looking at her, Ivan seemed to feel the feeling of being carefully taken care of by an elder sister. This was a warm feeling that he had never had before.
This feeling was extremely comfortable. Following this sister, Ivan came to the second floor. The whole second floor was completely opened up, with a circle of sofas in the middle. They were black leather sofas, and thick camel hair was spread on the sofas. By the window on the south side was a row of knee-high low cabinets. The low cabinets were carefully carved and joined together with high-quality sandalwood. The exquisite carvings and the thick, dense, smooth, and bright purple-red paint layer made people feel that the low cabinets themselves were rare art treasures. Against the east, west, and north sides were placed a row of floor-to-ceiling high cabinets of the same material and workmanship.
However, compared with that row of low cabinets, the carvings on them were much sparser, and the color of the paint also showed that the high cabinets and the low cabinets were not works from the same era. These high cabinets were obviously imitated furniture made later. Although the craftsman who imitated them had good skills, he clearly didn't have much talent. Whether it was the high cabinets or the low cabinets, everything stored inside them was extremely precious artworks.
It seemed that, like Mr. Juan, the owner here was also a collector. However, this collector didn't have Mr. Juan's artistic talent and couldn't decorate this place to look like that Treasure Pavilion. Mr. Mud's Treasure Pavilion was itself an outstanding masterpiece. In the middle of the sofas sat a rather thin lady who didn't look too old. Like most old maids, this old lady always had a cold face.
It was hard to tell whether it was because of her ascetic lifestyle that she didn't show her age, or because of her peaceful life and proper maintenance that the passage of time hadn't left too many marks on her face. After all, she was related by blood to Miss Bertha Maidin, so this old lady's face really resembled that of his "mother" in the portrait hanging in Ivan's room. Like most old maids, the clothes worn by this noble Miss Medin were enough to remind people of the cassocks of clergy members. At least the color and style were quite similar.
The old lady coldly looked Ivan up and down twice, then turned to the adopted daughter and said, "Betty, why did you finally bring him in? Can't you see that he's a fake?" Hearing what the old lady said, Ivan was terrified. He couldn't imagine where he had given himself away. Fortunately, Herbert's training came in handy at this time. Although he was extremely shocked in his heart, he still remained calm on his face. Perhaps this was just a test. Thinking of this, Ivan was about to defend himself.
That Miss Betty, apparently guessing what was on Ivan's mind, smiled gently and walked to the old lady's side and said, "Auntie, although I've already seen that he's a fake, since Lord Juan has gone to so much trouble to arrange all this, it seems that the real Master Ivan is already..." "Good riddance. That kind of person is better off dead than alive," Miss Medin interrupted angrily. Only then did Ivan realize that the situation was hopeless. It seemed that both Miss Betty and Miss Medin had met the real Ivan Ester before.
And this meeting must have been arranged in an extremely secret way, because the information provided by the butler didn't mention this significant meeting. "Kid, come here," the old lady said coldly, beckoning with her hand. Ivan had to obediently walk up to the old lady. The old lady held Ivan's head and turned it from side to side, carefully examining him over and over again. After a long while, she let go of Ivan and nodded, saying, "They've really gone to a lot of trouble." "Lord Juan should be the mastermind behind this, right? Was the Southport Chamber of Commerce also involved?" the old lady asked. Ivan didn't know how to answer for a moment.
Mr. Juan had never told him what to do in such a situation. Ivan just stood there blankly. At this time, he suddenly saw Miss Betty's gentle and sincere gaze. That gaze seemed to be encouraging him to tell the truth. For some reason, Ivan felt that this kind and amiable sister would never deceive him. He summoned up his courage and said, "This plan was planned by Mr. Juan and Mr. Padraic together." "Sure enough, it was him. I knew it. However, Padraic is also an old friend. Since Blake could trust him back then, I think I can trust him too. Betty, go and ask Lord Juan to come in. I have something to discuss with him," Miss Medin ordered. Betty agreed and went downstairs. "Kid, go and sit over there," the old lady pointed to the sofa opposite.
Ivan sat down tremblingly. "Why did you agree to do this? Were you coerced? Or were you promised many benefits?" the old lady asked. "Well, I'm not really sure myself. Mr. Juan once gave me a choice," Ivan said. "What are your plans after this is over? Are you going to play the role of the lord forever?" There was no warmth in the old lady's tone. "No, I have more important things to do.
I still have to go back to my teacher to study. My teacher is the magician Lavash," Ivan replied. "You're a magician?" The old lady asked in surprise. Obviously, Ivan's answer was beyond her expectation. Ivan took out the magic ring from his pocket, because it was the best proof. Growing up in a noble family for generations, of course, this old lady could tell the value of it.
The sapphire ring face that was broken into several pieces might not prove much, but the battered mist silver ring band showed that everything Ivan said was true. "You seem to have experienced a terrible adventure," the old lady said as she stroked the scarred mist silver ring band. "Yes, it was really scary when I thought about it afterwards," Ivan said. The old lady squinted and looked Ivan up and down coldly again and said, "Do you like adventures?" "I hope to have an experience worth remembering for a lifetime like Mr. Juan," Ivan said a bit excitedly. "Men's stupid logic," the old lady's tone was still equally cold.
Just at this moment, there was a sound of footsteps coming from downstairs. The figure of Mr. Juan appeared in front of Ivan. "Lord Juan, please sit down," the old lady said straightforwardly without any pleasantries. "The impostor you sent has been seen through by me, and this child has already confessed that it was you and Lord Lipper who planned all this."
Hearing all this, Mr. Juan didn't seem surprised at all. He smiled and said, "You asked me to come up, so there must be something you want to discuss with me, right?" "Yes, I want to make a deal with you," the old lady said. "What kind of deal?" Mr. Juan was obviously very interested. "Surely you don't think the tragedies that happened one after another in the Medin family were accidents? And both you and I know very well who are the suspects.
However, I need evidence. You have to find out the real culprits behind the scenes for me," the old lady said expressionlessly. "Do you want to take revenge?" Mr. Juan asked. "Whether to take revenge is another matter. I may trouble you all, but for now, I just need to know who the killers are and have conclusive evidence," the old lady said.
"If your request is only this, I can agree," Mr. Juan said. "Besides that, there's one more small thing. I will help this kid take the position of the lord. However, after his position is established, I will give you a list, and the power of the lord must be transferred to them bit by bit," the old lady said. "This is no problem either. We didn't come for power," Mr. Juan said. "It's a pleasant thing to do business with you," There was obviously no sense of pleasure in the old lady's tone. "Don't you have any further requirements?" Mr. Juan asked with a smile.
"I have one final requirement, but it's for Ivan." The old lady obviously thought the deal had been struck, so her way of addressing Ivan immediately changed: "Ivan, since you're playing the role of the heir of the Medin family, you should at least make a contribution to maintaining this family.
The Medin family needs an heir, a real heir. Although you're an impostor, your son will be the legitimate heir of the Medin family, as long as that child is raised by me from childhood and receives my education. I need your son, at least one. If there are backups, that would be even better." Hearing what the old lady said, Ivan's face flushed bright red all of a sudden.
He had never expected such a condition. Seeing Ivan's embarrassed expression, Mr. Juan quickly stepped forward to smooth things over and said, "Miss Medin, don't you think it's a bit too early to talk about such conditions with a young man like Ivan? Maybe it would be more appropriate in a couple of years."
"Early? In my opinion, it's not early at all. Besides, if you really want to play the role of my poor niece's son perfectly, that child has to work hard in this regard at least." "What do you mean?" Mr. Juan asked, puzzled. "Do you know why we could tell at a glance that the child was an impostor? Because eight years ago, my younger brother missed his daughter so much that he secretly brought their family to meet once.
That's why I met the real Ivan Ester. Although I can't guarantee what the child would look like after eight years of growth, that eight-year-old child left a rather deep impression on me back then. Like his father, this child was an out-and-out scoundrel." Miss Medin's face looked even uglier. "A scoundrel? An eight-year-old child?" Mr. Juan asked. Obviously, he found it hard to believe.
In fact, an old maid like Miss Medin would surely have some rather extreme and different reactions when it came to matters between men and women. Perhaps, just holding hands would be considered absolutely immoral and shameless in her eyes.
The old lady stared coldly at Mr. Juan. She knew very well what Mr. Juan thought of her. After a while, she explained, "It may indeed be hard to imagine, but don't you know how great the influence of family blood and education is on a person? The Primo family has been famous for producing playboys and scoundrels for generations. Their family life is notoriously debauched." Mr. Juan nodded. He completely agreed with this.
Many long-established families in Sibai didn't have a good reputation, and the Ester family was one of the most prominent among them. However, when Mr. Ester was in Southport, he seemed to have restrained himself a lot. People rumored that it was because Mr. Ester had married a peerlessly beautiful young lady. "Bertha was originally such an innocent and lovely little angel, but she was turned into a shameless slut by that scoundrel.
What's even more shocking is that this shameless family obviously regarded their debauched life as a family tradition and taught all of this to the next generation by example. Although that child was only eight years old, in my opinion, he couldn't be considered a child anymore.
He had proficient flirting skills. I feel sinful just talking about it further. Anyway, you're so resourceful. You should be able to understand everything if you investigate carefully." Miss Medin stopped talking at this point. And that Miss Betty had already blushed and lowered her head to look at the floor. Eight years ago, she was just sixteen years old and already quite sensible. "I have to confirm this carefully.
Farewell," Mr. Juan said. Now he had to go back and make arrangements immediately. Fortunately, that damn butler was still alive. How could he have missed such an important thing? And he himself, just because the child was only nine years old when he died, had never thought of such a possible accident.
The trouble was that he didn't know if it was still too late to make up for it now. If he had known this earlier, he wouldn't have arranged that trial like that. Ivan had left a deep impression on too many people, and this impression was hard to erase. The best remedy now might be to make people believe that their young lord had an unknown side.
It seemed that he had to find a good teacher for Ivan in this regard, a good teacher who could teach him everything. Mr. Juan quickly planned what to do next. "Miss Medin, we'll take our leave now," Mr. Juan said. "You can leave now, but I think it's more appropriate for Ivan to stay here, isn't it?" The old lady ordered, "Betty, arrange a quiet room for the young master." Seeing the old lady's arrangement, Mr. Juan thought about it again and again and also thought that this was the most appropriate choice. However, this villa was a bit remote, and it was hard to guarantee that no one would attack this place.
Thinking of this, he also had a plan in mind. After taking his leave and going out, Mr. Juan went straight to the carriage. That Count Kenneth had already been waiting there impatiently. When he saw Mr. Juan coming back alone, he immediately smiled and asked, "Lord Juan, has Miss Medin already confirmed the identity of the young lord?" "Yes, Ivan has been left by her side.
However, I'm very worried that the tragedy in Southport will happen again," Mr. Juan pretended to be worried and said. "Don't worry about that. I'll go back and make arrangements immediately. Lord Levy can definitely be trusted in this kind of thing," Count Kenneth said. As he spoke, he ordered the carriage to hurry back to the county governor's mansion.
After returning to the city, Mr. Juan and the count went their separate ways. Mr. Juan was going to the cathedral. In the secret room behind the church, the Archbishop had already prepared safe and comfortable rooms for Mr. Juan and the others.
No irrelevant people could get close to here. As soon as Juan returned to the church, he asked the clergy to call in Audrey and the others. Everyone gathered in the secret room. Besides Audrey, Herbert, and Ted, Archbishop Monty also attended this meeting. "Audrey, we're in big trouble," Mr. Juan said. "What happened?" Audrey asked. "The information we had beforehand was not sufficient. That butler missed a very important thing. Although the real Ivan Ester was young, he was a little lecher.
Audrey, you go back to Southport immediately and bring that butler here secretly. Ted, is your injury okay?" Mr. Juan asked. "It's okay. I just lost a bit of blood and I'm still a bit tired," Ted replied. "I have to trouble you again. You have to send Audrey back overnight and bring him and the butler back as soon as possible.
This time, we definitely can't make any more mistakes," Mr. Juan said with a frown. "I'll prepare the carriage for you. Coincidentally, someone gave me four Gasso horses. They're famous long-distance running champions. It's several hundred kilometers from Luxembourg to Southport.
These horses will be useful to you," the Archbishop said. "Ted, do you have any suggestions?" Mr. Juan asked. "With four Gasso horses, what more could I ask for? If I could find a sturdy carriage, that would be perfect," Ted said. "Come with me. The church has several carriages. If that's not enough, I can help you borrow one. Just say the word," the Archbishop said. Ted and Archbishop Monty went to prepare the horses and the carriage on their own.
"Audrey, when you go to Southport this time, bring Suzanne along by the way. In these aspects, no one is more qualified to be called an expert than Suzanne. She will be the best teacher for Ivan and also Ivan's practice partner." "Isn't it too risky to bring that butler here? What if he's discovered?" Audrey asked. "You'll just have to be careful yourself.
I can't guarantee now what else that butler has forgotten," Mr. Juan ordered after careful consideration. "Herbert, I'm quite safe staying in the church. During this period, you stay by Ivan's side at any time. The real danger may appear around him." "Yes, sir," Herbert replied.