"Change his surname? What's going on? "Roland asked with a frown.
"He probably feels that he can't do anything alone, so it's more convenient to merge with another family." William seemed to be a little surprised that he cared so much about an inconspicuous little noble. "If he wants to maintain a decent life, he needs a lot of expenses. If he doesn't manage it well, the territory will be a burden."
"Is it possible that he was forced to do it? For example, to seize territory or something. "
"This... is unlikely," Roland muttered. "I've seen them several times at previous banquets, but I didn't talk to them in detail. Gilen, who changed his surname, got along well with the Somi family and didn't seem to be forced. If you want to know more, I can ask Viscount Dott Somi to come here right now... "
"There's no need," Roland interrupted Nightingale's words through her whisper. "I'm just asking casually, it's nothing important. But it seems that the member of the Gilen family didn't come this time. "If her brother, Hyde, was here, Nightingale would have recognized him.
"The banquet was invited according to the usual rules. This is my oversight," the old castellan said apologetically with his hand on his chest.
The meaning of Gilen's words was clear. Even if Gilen changed his surname and became a branch of the Somi family, he was still not on the list of invitations. Silver City's developed mining industry had driven commerce, which made the style of this place somewhat similar to that of the City of Glow. Compared to titles and titles, people valued wealth and strength more. But it also showed that the Gilen family was indeed almost forgotten.
After Nightingale's death, Hyde had inherited his father's title of viscount.
It was sad enough to be in this situation.
When Roland returned to the camp, he had just drawn the tent curtain when Nightingale took the initiative to explain. "Your Majesty, I'm not concerned about Hyde. Since I left Silver City, I've had nothing to do with the Gilen family. Please believe me. I was just, just a little surprised at that time."
Seeing the "not what you think" look on Nightingale's face, Roland could not help but want to tease her. But when he thought of Nightingale's temperament, if she took it seriously and insisted on telling the truth, it would be his turn to have a headache. So he coughed twice and nodded lightly. "I know. You never lie to me about this."
"You didn't believe me... No, not completely!" Nightingale immediately pointed out.
Oh, no, I was a little joking, but her ability detected it. Roland could only take a deep breath and get rid of the distracting thoughts in his mind. He looked into her eyes and said seriously, "I believe in you."
This time it was Nightingale's turn to feel uncomfortable. She blushed and looked away unconsciously. "I was really just surprised. It has nothing to do with the person who betrayed me."
Although Roland wanted to say that it was normal for him to care about it, it was better for him to play along. "What are you surprised about?"
"The Somis used to have a good relationship with my father..." Nightingale said in a low voice. "After my father passed away, they came to visit me in old Gilen's mansion. But when he found out that I was a witch, old Gilen forbade me from seeing them again. I didn't expect that Viscount Somi would accept Hyde as a member of the family. This... is really surprising. "
"I see." Roland, who had lived in this world for many years, immediately understood what she meant. If the two families really had a good relationship, Viscount Somi should have helped her brother rebuild the family after old Gilen's death. This was not uncommon in the stories of the nobles. The fallen heir would make a comeback with the help of others and repay them with several times the wealth, or even marry their descendants. These were all stories that people loved to talk about.
But it was not the same for the only heir to change his surname.
This meant that the Gilen family would be completely severed, and the title of viscount would not be passed on.
Now that Roland had decided to take back all the enfeoffment power, it did not matter whether he was a noble or not. However, from the perspective of the traditional nobles, this was more serious than seizing wealth. It did not seem like something that a family with a good relationship would do.
"If you think it's strange, you can go and check it out." Roland sat back at the desk and spread out a stack of parchment papers. This was the job he had to do every time he went to a place: to check the local population and financial situation. "I have Sylvie and the God's Punishment Witches to protect me. I'll be absolutely safe in the camp. You don't have to stay with me all the time."
Nightingale hesitated. "But these are the Gilen family's affairs. They have nothing to do with me..."
"Of course, I can't say that your father's territory has nothing to do with it." Although now it has to be handed over to the state, he thought, "And the mansion you lived in when you were a child is also on that piece of land. It's rare to come here, and I don't have to worry about being chased by the church.
Perhaps the words "childhood mansion" moved Nightingale. After a long silence, she made a decision. "Then you have to promise me that if you want to leave the camp, you have to call me back first. Besides, I'll just take a look. I won't do anything else. "
"I know." Roland smiled and shook his head. Now it felt like he was forcing her to go. However, it was better to face the past than to keep it in her heart. Only after experiencing it could she really let it go.
Nightingale was still too young and … a little too young.
*****
At dawn the next day, Nightingale left the camp and walked along the main road to the east of Silver City.
In her memory, her home was very big. In addition to a big two-story house, there was also a wide farmland that was large enough to cover her footprints. Beside the farmland was a stream that flowed out of the forest. In summer, she could catch a lot of crabs. Further east, she would encounter a steep ravine. Her family often said that there might be a hidden gem vein underneath. When she got married, they would give her the biggest gem in the ravine as a dowry.
However, after leaving Silver City with the Witch Cooperation Association, Nightingale gradually understood that her family's territory was considered to be the lowest among the nobles. If it was placed in other places, it would probably not be much different from the average Knight's territory. The water source was a small stream, so the farmland area was inevitably limited. As for the gem vein in the ravine, it was probably the wishful thinking of her family. Even if it really existed, there was not enough Golden Dragon to develop it.
However, when she set foot on this land again several years later, the impression in her memory still did not fade in the slightest. Even though it looked a lot smaller, and the ridge full of weeds was no longer endless, but the memories of her childhood added an indescribable sense of freshness to it.
She could not help but understand what Vendy meant when she said, "Getting rid of the nightmare of the past does not mean cutting off the past."
As she approached the location of the mansion, Nightingale could not help but be startled.
She originally thought that this uncared for house would become dilapidated, but she did not expect that it not only looked new, but also expanded several times from the original foundation. After passing through the courtyard wall, she saw that there were many people gathered inside. They were dressed in simple and crude clothes, and some of them were no different from beggars. A few servants shuttled through the crowd, handing out bowls of hot porridge to them. From time to time, the crowd would burst into a burst of gratitude.
Was this relief food distribution?
She followed the gaze of the people to the end of the courtyard. A man stood at the door of the house, smiling in response to the gratitude of the crowd. Whether it was the way he dressed or the way he behaved, he was very much like a well-off noble.
That person was her former brother.
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