In the same season, the scenery in different places were completely different.
In early February, the Stantine Duchy was covered in green with warm sunshine and soft breezes, and although it was no longer snowing in Banta City, it was still cold.
But in the northern border of the Lampuri Kingdom, the sky was filled with snow and it was still ice cold winter.
On a day that had heavy snow, Seveni was meeting Viscount Leslie in a northern army guard house watching the border.
When she first saw Viscount Leslie, Seveni almost couldn’t recognize him.
Whether it was compared to when she met him back in Anvilmar City or after when she met him in Banta City, Viscount Leslie seemed completely different.
The current Viscount Leslie had an unruly stubble and his face was much darker, being no different from the men that Seveni had seen on her inspection of the northern army. He didn’t have the same natural charm of a noble young master from before.
“Viscount Leslie, it seems like your days here are quite hard.” Seveni couldn’t help saying.
Viscount Leslie revealed a faint smile.
Compared to before, the only thing that didn’t change was his smile.
Although he seemed much rougher, once he revealed a smile, he had the same unique and calm feeling of a noble young master from before.
“It wasn’t that hard, my life here is just the life of a normal soldier. Moreover, I received special treatment in the end and comparatively, my situation is much better than most of the other brothers in the army.”
Seveni fell silent and only gave a sigh after a while.
“Actually my royal father and I both know that the condition for soldiers in the army is bad and needs to be improved, but you should know how bad the kingdom’s finances are right now. Even if royal father is anxious, he can’t take out any money to change this situation right now.”
“I’m very clear on this, so I wasn’t complaining for my brothers, rather I was just stating a fact.” Viscount Leslie said with a serious look, “Your highness, I have to tell you, the situation of the north is very grim. Before winter began, the Sack Kingdom’s brats launched a fierce assault and they haven’t stopped even now. The northern army has been fighting with all their might for this long and has already been seriously damaged. If it wasn’t for the army headquarters sending large amounts of equipment, we wouldn’t have been able to hold on.”
After saying this, Viscount Leslie paused and his expression became a bit strange.
“Your highness, I’ve always had a question. Since the army headquarters didn’t have enough money, what conditions did it give to satisfy that greedy fellow Xu Yi?”
Hearing the name “Xu Yi”, Seveni revealed a sincere smile and said while shaking her head, “Chairman Xu isn’t a greedy person. He has always said to me that he wants to develop the magic machine industry, so he needs a stable environment. The environment of the Lampuri Kingdom is not ideal, so he needs to support the kingdom until it is stable and strong. This time the Frestech Chamber of Commerce worked with the army headquarters to make a weapons factory and he paid quite a bit, never asking for anything in return.”
“No, I understand him, it is impossible for him not to ask for anything in return. Only the things he wants you can’t give right now, so it’s just a debt right now. When he asks for those things in the future, I feel you won’t be able to afford it.”
“I don’t agree.” Seveni shook her head, “Actually I’ve had more contact with him compared to you, so I understand him better than you. Although he keeps emphasizing that he is a merchant who regards his own benefit as the most important thing, the benefits that he wants are different from other merchants. The most important thing for other merchants is how to obtain gold coins, but the most important thing for Xu Yi is returns that are greater than other merchants and other people can imagine. Even if he wants me to repay them in the future, I think I would be willing to accept it.”
Viscount Leslie looked at Seveni’s determined gaze with a bit of surprise. After thinking for a bit, he suddenly asked, “What if he asks for you?”
Seveni was stunned before she knit her brows, “You mean having me marry him? No, that is impossible. Xu Yi has a deep love with Still and he doesn’t give anyone else a chance, so it is impossible for him to request this.”
“That is not certain.” Viscount Leslie slowly shook his head, “Your highness, if you succeed the throne and become our Lampuri Kingdom’s queen, if Xu Yi marries you, he will have the most powerful backing in this kingdom. Like this, it would be of great help in accomplishing his ideas. If he really is a merchant, this deal is something he can accept.”
“I’ve already said it, Xu Yi is not like the other greedy merchants.” Seveni looked at Viscount Leslie with a serious gaze and said, “Viscount Leslie, Xu Yi has always told me that you helped him the most when the Frestech Chamber of Commerce was established and you understood his thoughts the best, so he always treated you as a friend. Since you are his friend, I hope that you won’t slander him like this.”
Viscount Leslie revealed a faint smile, “This isn’t slandering, this is just a rational guess. Other than that…..your highness, you didn’t deny the possibility of marrying him, right? Could it be that you also have this intention?”
A blush covered Seveni’s face. She immediately calmed down and calmly looked at Viscount Leslie as she asked back, “Are you seriously asking this question?”
Viscount Leslie nodded, “I am serious. Since Xu Yi treats me as his friend, then as his friend, I should help him clarify this very important question.”
Seveni looked at Viscount Leslie for a while before letting out a sigh. She replied with a calm look, “Then I’ll answer you, yes. Although according to royal father’s ideas, he hopes that I can marry the heir of a large noble to strengthen the royal family. Among the people chosen, the number one candidate considered by royla father is you, Viscount Leslie.”
Viscount Leslie revealed a faint smile, “That is my honour.”
“But I don’t agree to royal father’s ideas.” Seveni shook her head, “Of the nobles of the kingdom, including your Stagg Family, each family has their own ideas. They wouldn’t really just support the royal family because their heir married me, isn’t that right? Viscount Leslie?”
“Very correct.” Viscount Leslie gave soft applause to show his praise, “Your highness, I have to say, you really have thought this through. The large nobles have their own family, so the highest priority is their family’s interests. Even for the royal family, they are just the strongest noble family in the kingdom. If your highness married someone, it would just be a symbolic marriage and wouldn’t really mean anything. For two families to truly work together, it would forever depend on the common interests of those families.”
“So that means my marriage cannot decide anything. So compared to marrying the heir of a great noble, it is better to marry a normal person who is more important to me.”
“For example, Xu Yi?” Viscount Leslie immediately asked.
Seveni couldn’t help closing her eyes and taking a breath. Only then did she open her eyes and calmly give a nod.
“Yes. Although Xu Yi is only a baron right now and there isn’t anyone who is treating him as a noble, with his status being around the same as a normal person, his Frestech Chamber of Commerce isn’t normal at all. I can even guarantee that if the Frestech Chamber of Commerce can steadily develop like this, it might really change the Sines Continent like he said.”
“I also firmly believe in this.” Viscount Leslie nodded in approval.
“If I could marry him and let the royal family use the power of the Frestech Chamber of Commerce, it would be more helpful to the royal family than any other family. Compared to everything, this is the better choice.”
Viscount Leslie thought for a bit before giving a nod, “Your highness, your analysis is very correct. But I feel that you have neglected a large issue. You marrying Xu Yi would greatly help the royal family, but have you considered your own feelings? Are you…..willing to marry Xu Yi?”
Hearing this question, Seveni couldn’t keep the same calm look on her face and she couldn’t stop a blush coming over it.
After a while, she said with a nod, “I think…..I’m willing. Xu Yi is a charming person with a calm and powerful aura. I’ve known him for a long time and as long as he was beside me, I felt very relaxed. I would be affected by his strong confidence and feel confident about the future. I believe that if I could marry him, I would be much happier than now.”
Viscount Leslie had only casually asked this, but he never thought that Seveni would agree to him. He couldn’t help looking at Seveni in a daze with a complicated expression on his face.
The two were silent for a bit before Viscount Leslie gave a sigh and shook his head with a bitter smile, “Your highness, I’m suddenly filled with sympathy for you. With your identity, it is definitely impossible to find someone who can match you and is approved by you, but now Xu Yi has suddenly appeared. If you’re really willing, I think it is very likely that you can snatch him up, but I know that you’re not willing to snatch him from young miss Still, right?”
Seveni gave a sigh and shook her head. She looked at the snow outside the window and thought in silence for a bit before turning back to Viscount Leslie.
“Every person has something that they’re not willing to change and Xu Yi wouldn’t change his feelings for young miss Still because of me. It’s like how you went against the benefits of your company and insisted on giving back the stocks to Xu Yi, isn’t that right?”
Viscount Leslie revealed another bitter smile, “That’s very correct, so I was exiled to this bitter cold land by the family. Seeing the snow in the mind reminds me of my peaceful life back in the city.”
Seveni revealed a faint smile, “This is also a kind of life experience, right? When you return to Anvilmar City or Banta City, I think that the noble young ladies will definitely want to hear about your thrilling life here.”
Viscount Leslie gave a shrug, “I can’t guarantee that. When I leave here, I might not even have the same handsome face.”
Seveni and Viscount Leslie looked at each other and couldn’t help breaking out in laughter.
The laughter drifted on the endless snow and wind, spreading out all around them.
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