"Mr. Ivanovszki?" Lucien purposely showed his confusion in his tone. What do you want to talk about this late at night? Can't you wait until tomorrow? "
Lucien asked. This was the reaction of a normal noble.
Ivanovszki smiled and said, "It's a good thing. I know a few viscounts from the Vladimir family, so I feel very close to you, Mr. Peter. Also, Mr. Peter, you are a brave and resolute Knight, and you are a good friend. So, how can you let an outsider take advantage of this good thing? "
Lucien had a feeling that Ivanovszki was a swindler again. However, Ivanovszki was a notorious smuggler, and Lucien was sure that Ivanovszki would not stoop to this level.
Since Ivanovszki was here, Lucien decided to listen to what Ivanovszki had to say. As long as Lucien was not greedy, he would not be fooled. Besides, a smuggler like Ivanovszki relied on his connections and resources, and it was very likely that he would see through Lucien's real purpose.
Therefore, "Actor's Self-Cultivation" was a magical book. Lucien sensed the door with his Knight's Intuition and found that there was indeed someone following Ivanovszki. However, this person was Ivanovszki's assistant and guard, and he was not hiding at all.
Putting his left hand on Frost, Lucien opened the door as if nothing had happened.
Ivanovszki was dressed in the same way as he was at the ball. He looked like a winter bear with gold-rimmed glasses. Beside him was a white-haired old man in a black suit and a black bow tie. His dark pupils, unconcealable wrinkles, and cold aura gave off a sinister vibe. He was carrying a black leather suitcase and was one head shorter than Ivanovszki.
Seeing that it was Lucien who was guarding the door, Ivanovszki was a bit confused, "Mr. Peter, where is your butler? A Knight shouldn't be doing this kind of thing. "
"My butler is sick because of the snowstorm. I told him to rest early and not to force himself. I was admiring the moonlight and didn't expect an outsider to visit, "Lucien explained casually." And this is? "
Ivanovszki smiled and pointed at the old man. "This is my assistant, Matvey. He has great talent in business and has a unique understanding of economics."
"Really? I wonder, Mr. Mattway, what unique insights do you have on the production, circulation, distribution and exchange of wealth? Do you think that the entire business process has its own rules, like an invisible hand manipulating everything? " Lucien asked in all seriousness, but there was a lot of "malice" in his heart. This guy was more like a bodyguard than a business consultant.
Matvey frowned and did not answer. Ivanovszki's smile froze on his face. After a while, he laughed, "Mr. Peter, I didn't know that you're not only a Knight, but also an expert in economics. It's rare to meet a noble like you. "
"You flatter me. I just learned a little bit. Otherwise, when I have my own territory in the future, I'll be easily deceived by those business consultants and managers." Lucien did not ask any more questions. He did not want to embarrass Ivanovszki. What he said just now was more of a demonstration. Don't treat me like an idiot!
Ivanovszki showed his appreciation, "That's a good idea. In the future, there will be more nobles learning this kind of knowledge. They will not only be responsible for checking and harvesting."
Ivanovszki also did not mention the specific content of economics. Under Lucien's guidance, Ivanovszki sat down on the soft sofa. Matvey stood behind Ivanovszki quietly, and his eyes became sharp.
Lucien picked up the red porcelain kettle on the glass table and poured a glass of water for himself and Ivanovszki, "Mr. Ivanovszki, what do you want from me?"
Ivanovszki held the white porcelain teacup in his big hand as if it were a toy. He smiled without drinking the water, "Mr. Peter, you should know that Count Viktor has the bloodline of the Vladimir family, right?"
"Of course. Count Viktor's mother is a member of the Vladimir family. She is a Knight and a Lady who has awakened the Frost Bloodline in her family. But what's the problem? Count Viktor still awakened the Withering Bloodline in his father's family, and he became the first member of the Viktor family to become a Celestial Knight. He also made great contributions in the wars against the Holy Helvetic Empire, the Kingdom of Tria and the Duchy of Orvarit. Therefore, the Viktor family now controls almost half of the state of Ural, "Lucien explained. Count Viktor was one of the nobles that Lucien was familiar with.
Ivanovszki put on a mysterious smile, "That's why I want to talk to you, Mr. Peter. I want the title of Count, which is comparable to the inheritance of an ordinary duke."
There were many mines in Ural, and all the nobles here were much wealthier than the ones in other places.
"What do you want? Is Count Viktor going to be summoned by the Lord? "Lucien pretended to be shocked," What does that have to do with me? "
Ivanovszki nodded slightly, "Carleena is the niece of Count Viktor's second wife. She's very close to Mr. Count. According to her, Cardinal Nevsky in Ural said that Mr. Count Viktor could only live for half a year at most, and that he was aging naturally. There was no way to cure him with divine power. "
"Count Viktor has the Withering Bloodline. It's already difficult for him to have children. In his prime years, he had been fighting against the heretics in the south. When he came back as Count Viktor, he had three wives, but only one son. Unfortunately, the son died before he was ten years old. "
"But what does that have to do with me?" Lucien asked again.
Ivanovszki put down the teacup in his hand and asked Lucien to calm down, "Mr. Peter, you should know that Count Viktor's parents died in the war against the heretics, and he could not activate his Blessing until he was twenty-five years old. Therefore, many of his distant relatives in the Viktor family wanted his inheritance and title, which made him suffer a lot. He hated those people to the core. During this process, some members of the Vladimir family who were doing business here helped him, so he could activate his Blessing safely. "
"According to Carleena, it seems that Mr. Count Viktor has decided to take a male member of the Vladimir family as his stepson, and arrange for him to marry a girl from the Viktor family who had no powerful family background. In this way, the Viktor family would be able to inherit the title and the inheritance. The news will be announced in a month, and by then, many members of the Vladimir family will come here. Why don't we seize the time and try our best to leave a good impression on Count Viktor? "
"Mr. Peter, you are handsome, polite, and you have activated your Blessing at such a young age. You are now a Knight. I think Count Viktor will be very satisfied."
Lucien had a rough idea of what they were planning. The title of Count Viktor and half of the inheritance in Ural were things that even Duke Vladimir would be interested in, not to mention Ivanovszki, a smuggler.
Lucien asked casually, "Does Carleena have the blood of the Viktor family?"
Ivanovszki was dazed for a second and then laughed, "Yes, she comes from a few generations ago. Although it's not very close, no one can deny it. Mr. Peter, without Carleena's cooperation, we would not know Count Viktor's preference. Also, Count Count Viktor likes her very much, so she has the right to make the final decision. Therefore, we can't deny her the benefits. "
"I don't think any normal noble would refuse to have such a beautiful wife and the title of Count Viktor as well as the inheritance."
"So it seems that Viktor Viktor was not trying to trick me for my gold coins and my sword, but he was trying to control me through this business deal. However, I was not greedy. When Carleena's seduction failed, Ivanovszki directly came to me and tempted me with great benefits. " Lucien was deep in thought, but there were still many questions that he could not figure out. For example, Count Viktor was still twenty to thirty years away from the end of his life as a Knight. Why would he age so early? Had he suffered some incurable wound or curse in the heresy wars in his prime?
Also, it seemed that after Ivanovszki inherited the title of Count, Carleena would become even more famous as the Black Widow in a few years.
Therefore, Lucien smiled, "This is a difficult decision, but I still have to say sorry, Mr. Ivanovszki. I can't cooperate with you."
Although Lucien was a bit of a money-grubber, he was in Schachran Empire, and he was not a member of the Vladimir family. Therefore, he calmly turned down the offer.
After all, the inheritance ceremony hosted by the Red Robe would verify one's bloodline!
If one was not greedy, one would not be stupid!
"What?! Mr. Peter, you have to understand that you are turning down the title of a Count, half of the inheritance in Ural, many mines, countless manors … "Ivanovszki was surprised. He did not believe that anyone could resist such a temptation, even the supreme emperor in the Dolgoru Palace in San Ivansburg!
Lucien said seriously, "Because I can't give up my family name. Vladimir is a noble family name that has been passed down for many generations! I believe that one day, I can become another Count of Vladimir with my own power! "
After that, Lucien added seriously, "My family name is my pride!"
Ivanovszki stared at Lucien as if Lucien was a crazy man, "I thought that knights who only pursued glory had disappeared from the nobles of Schachran Empire, and only the Church's sacred knights could do that. But Mr. Peter, you've changed my mind."
Then he stood up and bowed deeply, "Mr. Peter, I hope that you can go further on this path."
Although Ivanovszki was trying his best to show his admiration, Lucien knew that Ivanovszki was being sarcastic.
"Before the news is announced, I'll keep it a secret for you." Lucien said in the tone of an "honest Knight".
Ivanovszki smiled gently, "I believe in you, Mr. Peter. I hope that we can work together in the future on other things that don't violate your creed as a Knight."
Then Ivanovszki left Lucien's room with Matvey, whose eyelids were half-closed.
"My lord, you have to be careful. Ivanovszki is a ruthless man, and he doesn't like to leave any problems behind." After Ivanovszki left, Leo walked out of the room and reminded Lucien worriedly. (To be continued.) If you like this work, you are welcome to come to qidian.com to vote for me. Your support is my biggest motivation.)
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