Chapter 299 - 297: Making a Choice

Chapter 299: Chapter 297: Making a Choice

Duke Kelvin’s party—or to be more precise, only the Duke and the Crown Prince—had lunch at Forest Castle.

Mitchell and Clement had taken the injured Thomsen and Orisien back to the ship to rest.

In the afternoon, Duane stood by the docks, gazing at the slowly departing ship while replaying the Duke’s words in his mind.

’An offer that’s too tempting, too good, can sometimes be a real headache.’

He summoned Raymond, Lune, Simone, Ralph, and Julian, wanting to hear their opinions.

Although Duke Kelvin had requested that all outsiders leave during the negotiations, Duane felt there was no need to hide this matter from his followers.

"That’s the situation. If you were in my shoes, what would you choose?"

After a brief explanation, Duane looked at his followers on either side of him, his gaze finally resting on Ralph.

The old steward was now in charge of the territory’s finances. His duties were far more numerous than back at Lakefront Manor, and despite his age, he had grown considerably in the past two years.

"Ralph, you’ve been with me the longest. You speak first."

Ralph’s brow furrowed, the wrinkles on his face deepening. He pondered for a long moment before finally shaking his head.

"My Lord, this question is beyond my expertise. I don’t know what to choose."

"It’s fine. Just say what’s on your mind," Duane said.

"Very well..."

Ralph bowed and said, "You are now a powerhouse in the Kingdom. Your status is incomparable to what it was back at Lakefront Manor. The King needs your strength, and you, in turn, need a wider world to display your talents."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "Therefore, if I were you, I would probably accept His Majesty’s proposal."

Duane nodded slightly and looked at Julian.

With Ralph having broken the ice, the General Affairs Consultant didn’t hide his thoughts either. He stood and replied, "Without a doubt, the terms offered by His Majesty are the most advantageous!"

However, he added, "But if you make such a choice, my Lord, you will inevitably have a falling out with Count Kais. All our current efforts on the island—the tea plantations, the labor, and so on—might all go to waste."

Duane nodded slightly. That was inevitable.

’As for Duke Kelvin’s suggestion about making Natalia my mistress, that would depend on the wishes of the Count and Natalia herself. It’s not something the Duke can decide unilaterally.’

He looked to the next person. "Lune, you are Baron Rickson’s eldest grandson and the future head of the Holmes Clan. What do you think?"

Lune stood and said, "Julian is right, but the benefits you’d gain far outweigh the losses. You know the state of the Holmes Clan. If it were me, I would definitely accept His Majesty’s proposal."

Duane turned to Raymond and Simone.

The former scratched his head and said with a wry smile, "I don’t think I could resist such a temptation. His Majesty is offering too much."

The latter, however, shook his head. "If I were you, I would refuse. True love is priceless!"

Hearing this, the others couldn’t help but chuckle.

Their smiles weren’t of contempt or belittlement; it was just that Simone’s words were perfectly in line with his character.

"That’s why I could never be a Lord."

Simone said helplessly, "Basically any other Lord would choose His Majesty’s proposal."

All five of them, more or less, had chosen to accept the King’s terms.

It wasn’t hard to see, however, that they were all approaching it from a perspective of personal gain.

This was just as Duke Kelvin had said: it was what every Lord pursued.

Seeing their Lord lost in thought, the five men didn’t dare to speak or discuss among themselves, choosing instead to quietly await his decision.

After a long while, Duane let out a heavy breath.

He had made up his mind.

Everyone’s spirits lifted as they waited to hear their Lord’s choice. If he accepted His Majesty’s conditions, their own fortunes as his followers would rise as well.

"I have always considered myself a Lord who values loyalty and keeps his promises."

"Count Kais took great care of me in the early days and gave me a great deal of help. Natalia is a woman of fine character, and I share a bond of affection with her. She is someone I value."

His followers exchanged glances. They all understood their Lord’s decision.

Duane continued, "If today I were to forget the kindness of the Kennedy Clan, discard my reputation, and abandon my personal feelings for the sake of these benefits, what would happen in the future? If someone were to entice you, my followers, with a better offer, would you not also abandon me without a second thought?"

The five men fell into deep thought. ’He’s right,’ they considered. ’We were only thinking about the benefits, without any regard for our Lord’s personal feelings or his reputation.’

Ralph bowed slightly. "My Lord, we were shortsighted. No matter what decision you make, I will follow you to the death!"

The others dropped to one knee, pledging their loyalty.

Whether it was Lune, Raymond, or the others, they all saw Duane in a new light.

To be able to resist such a great temptation and strictly honor a promise was something an ordinary person could not do. They were both astonished and filled with admiration.

Duane quickly bade them rise and said with a smile, "Everything you said was very reasonable, but I will still stick to my choice. My reputation is the foundation upon which I stand!"

’In truth, making this decision to protect my image and reputation is only one of my reasons.’

’Another point is that the Brian Clan’s foundation is still shallow. We worked hard to establish an alliance with Count Kais. If I just abandon him like this, the repercussions will be immense.’

’If I really did this, I would become completely dependent on the Royal Family in the future, making it extremely difficult to develop independently.’

’Because others would wonder if I might abandon them just as easily for some other benefit.’

’I don’t want that. I need to be independent and autonomous, not a vassal to anyone.’

’Of course, my personal feelings and the other party’s character and integrity are also part of the calculation.’

’I know Natalia well, and I know she would also consider my interests.’

’If it were the princess or the Duke’s granddaughter, the political ties I’d be bringing in would be far more complicated, and they wouldn’t necessarily always stand on my side.’

"Alright, that’s all on this matter. I ask you all to keep it confidential."

Duane ended the conversation and instructed Julian to have Jim prepare a ship. In two days, they would set off for Silent Shore to attend George and Fiona’s engagement ceremony.

「Meanwhile」

At Sea Cliff Castle, a guest from the Royal Capital had arrived—the Minister of Supervision, Hela Hill.

This man—with his slick black hair, riding boots, and fingers adorned with ostentatious, jeweled rings—was one of the King’s trusted ministers. As a Court Viscount, he was responsible for overseeing the administration and taxation of noble territories. Although not a hereditary noble, his status was by no means low.

Count Kais had initially assumed the man’s sudden visit to Silent Shore was to issue a warning to the Kennedy Clan.

After all, he had not been as low-key as usual recently, having openly defied the King’s wishes.

But Kais had misjudged the situation.

"So, what do you say, Count? As long as you agree to the marriage between Natalia and the Second Prince, His Majesty is willing to open an Elemental Secret Realm for the Kennedy Clan’s use and cede twenty percent of the resources from the Black Iron Secret Realm."

Minister Hela spun a large thumb ring on his finger as if he were negotiating a business deal.

Count Kais remained silent.

An Elemental Secret Realm was the best training ground for a Celestial Tier Warrior to break through to the Shooting Star Level.

And the Black Iron Secret Realm produced not only Black Iron Ore but also other rare resources like Water Soul Ore.

These were two resources the Kennedy Clan desperately coveted.

In the past, it had been difficult for him to get even a small share, but now, because of this matter with Duane and Natalia, His Majesty was willing to simply give them away.

And all he had to do was let Natalia marry into the Royal Family.

"You may not know this, but my daughter and Duane have already signed a marriage contract."

Hela’s brow twitched. He hadn’t been aware of this information, but he wasn’t flustered.

"I can reveal something to you: Duke Kelvin and the Crown Prince have already gone to Black Forest Island."

The color drained from Count Kais’s face.

He had recently arranged for men to keep a close watch on the river near Silent Harbor and report immediately if any royal ships were sighted.

’But even so, they weren’t spotted?’

’Perhaps their ships were disguised.’

He asked in a low voice, "Did the Duke go to Black Forest Island to capture Duane?"

"Of course not. Why would you think such a thing, Count?"

Hela put on a strange expression. "Duane is our Kingdom’s rising star, one of His Majesty’s most capable nobles, and perhaps even the second-strongest powerhouse in the Kingdom. Why would His Majesty possibly want to capture him?"

Count Kais frowned. "Then why?"

"His Majesty feels he has wronged Duane in his handling of past affairs. This visit is mainly to reconnect with him."

"Of course, if Duane were to marry the Fourth Princess or the Duke’s granddaughter, Tania, His Majesty is willing to grant him a territory of three cities, the title of Hereditary Earl, and the entire Lakefront Manor Secret Realm!"

Hela’s voice dropped to a low murmur, like the whisper of a Demon.

"A young, powerful man who is merely the Baron of a barren land... What do you think he will choose, my dear Count?"

Hela added more fuel to the fire. "I find it hard to believe that Duane, faced with such immense benefits, wouldn’t have the courage and decisiveness to tear up the marriage contract!"

Count Kais fell silent, his expression growing darker. The atmosphere in the study grew tense.

He was a Lord himself, so he could naturally see things from a Lord’s perspective.

If he were in Duane’s shoes, he would most likely agree to His Majesty’s proposal.

After all, an eighteen-year-old Silver Moon Warrior had limitless potential.

Even if he were temporarily bound by these benefits, his life was long, and there would be plenty of opportunities to break free from those shackles.

As for the marriage contract, it had only stipulated the betrothal gifts and dowry from both sides; it didn’t specify any terms regarding the annulment of the contract.

Therefore, even if Duane went back on his word, Count Kais could do little more than condemn him on moral grounds.

This was Kais’s mistake, but he had never expected so many twists and turns.

Hela was not intimidated by the Count’s dark and fearsome expression. On the contrary, he felt a bit smug.

Gaining the upper hand when dealing with the nobility was what pleased him the most.

"So, Count, it is time for you to make a choice."

He said with a broad smile, "As one of the top five great families in the Kingdom, the Kennedy Clan should also maintain a close relationship with the Royal Family, and a marriage alliance is the best way to do that."

"If you repeatedly refuse His Majesty’s goodwill, even if His Majesty says nothing, our views on Silent Shore as his subjects may change... especially Count Kudro’s..."

Count Kais’s thoughts were suddenly thrown into turmoil.

He wasn’t afraid of Count Kudro’s pestering precisely because he had the guarantee of Duane’s military strength.

But if Duane were to go back on his word, his own position would become extremely precarious.

After a long silence, he took a deep breath and said slowly, "Thank you for informing me of this, Your Excellency. I will consider the matter."

Hela stood up and bowed. "I will be staying at the Supervisory Office for the time being. I await your decision!"