Free Web NovelIt was evening when Louis returned to Red Tide Territory. Outside the city gates, Bradley had been waiting with a team for a long time.
The old butler, immaculately dressed, stepped forward as soon as he saw Louis riding in the distance: “My Lord, welcome back.”
“Mm.” Louis dismounted, his gaze sweeping over the special beehive transport vehicle behind him.
Three boxes of Azure Pattern Bees were securely fastened inside the carriage.
“No abnormalities with the bee colonies?” he asked casually.
“There were two slight agitations en route, but the atomizing spray worked, and everything is stable now,” the Bee Tamer Knight reported concisely.
Louis nodded and looked at another carriage behind him. That was the casualty vehicle, where Leixier lay, his forehead wrapped in white cloth, his face pale, yet he still insisted on keeping his eyes open and smiling at him.
He waved his hand, and several accompanying medical staff immediately stepped forward, carefully lifting Leixier down and sending him to the infirmary in the main castle for Placement.
As for the bee colonies, they were arranged into an open space south of Red Tide Territory.
There, sunlight was abundant, water was convenient, and it was far from people, a special breeding area specifically designated by Red Tide Territory.
After everything was settled, Louis finally let out a long sigh of relief, as if he had finally escaped from a silent battle.
He took off his gloves, glanced at Red Tide Territory, which was gradually returning to tranquility under the twilight, then turned and walked with Bradley to the office deep within the main castle.
He had expected a mountain of accumulated official duties after being away for many days, but to his surprise, the desk was exceptionally tidy when he pushed the door open.
Aside from a few urgent documents awaiting his signature, most of the affairs had already been properly handled by Bradley.
“You did very well,” Louis said softly as he sat down, his gaze falling on the neatly organized filing cabinet.
“I wouldn’t dare claim credit,” Bradley bowed slightly, his expression as humble and steady as ever. “This is my duty.”
As he spoke, he took out two tightly sealed letters from his bosom and presented them with both hands.
“These two letters were urgently delivered by a messenger this morning. One is from your father, and the other is from Duke Edmund.”
A flicker of surprise crossed Louis’s eyes, but he said nothing as he took the letters.
The contents of these two letters were most likely about the “marriage alliance.”
Louis first opened his father’s envelope, and the familiar family seal and handwriting came into view.
The words on the letter paper also confirmed his premonition—the marriage alliance had been finalized.
The wedding would be held on July 12th, and to avoid arousing the Emperor’s suspicion, all ceremonies would be simplified, without grand invitations to noble guests. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
The Calvin Family and the Edmund Family would handle it discreetly, not inviting too many guests, just familiar relatives and such. The letter also mentioned that due to the turbulent situation in the Empire, his father, Duke Calvin, would not personally attend the wedding.
At that time, Louis’s third elder brother, the third son of the Calvin Family, would attend on his behalf, representing the family to fulfill the ceremonial responsibilities at the wedding.
When the letter mentioned that his “third elder brother” would represent his father at the wedding, Louis paused.
To be honest, his impression of this elder brother was almost nonexistent.
Since he could remember, that “third elder brother” had not been in the Calvin Family’s mansion.
It was said that he was sent to a distant place for special training.
But almost no one in the family knew where he went.
He hadn't expected the family to send such a person to represent them at the wedding.
But this was not an important matter, and Louis did not think about it further.
“July 12th, the wedding.”
Louis repeated softly, a smile unconsciously curving his lips.
He refolded the letter from his father and placed it in a desk drawer.
Having come this far step by step in this harsh northern land, he understood better than anyone what a solid alliance meant.
And this young woman, Emily Edmond, who was about to become his wife.
She was not only the Governor’s ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ daughter but also a symbol of his deep ties with the northern forces.
More importantly, she was beautiful!
He took out a clean piece of letter paper, dipped his pen in ink, and began to write.
The first few lines were merely greetings and confirmations, the tone restrained and appropriate.
He informed his father that he was aware of the wedding date and would make every effort to arrange it, ensuring no mistakes would occur.
He expressed understanding for his father’s inability to attend and promised to meet his third elder brother properly.
The lines did not reveal too much emotion, but there was a hint of composure and confidence in his penmanship.
At the end, he routinely briefly mentioned some current situations of the territory and thanked his father for his help.
After finishing the letter, Louis gently blew on the ink, ensuring it was completely dry, before neatly folding the letter paper and placing it into an envelope. With a light press of his finger on the wax seal box, the Red Tide crest was immediately imprinted on the seal.
“Have someone arrange to send this letter back to the family later,” he said, handing the letter to Bradley, his tone calm.
“Understood,” Bradley respectfully accepted it.
Louis’s gaze lingered on the corner of the desk; there was an unopened letter with a dark blue wax seal, imprinted with the emblem of the Edmund Family of the North.
Louis also directly opened and read it.
The content of the letter was not long, but every word was carefully chosen, the style steady and carrying the usual sternness of the North:
As he expected, the letter confirmed the marriage alliance.
Duke Edmund, in concise language, acknowledged his past military achievements, especially the night raid on Qingyu Ridge, calling it “a decision that astonished the North.”
The letter then expressed satisfaction with the formal establishment of the marriage contract, frankly stating, “This is not merely an alliance between families, but a crucial step for the future of the North.”
Subsequently, the tone of the letter softened slightly.
“Though Emily is my daughter, she is not a weak and ignorant person. From a young age, she has received education in horsemanship and governance, possessing both gentleness and rationality.”
“I hope that in the future, you will not only view her as an ally but also treat her with the heart of a husband.”
“She is not a bargaining chip, but your companion on your journey through wind and snow.”
This passage moved Louis slightly.
The end of the letter listed the wedding arrangements:
The wedding would be held in Red Tide Territory, simple in scale, without inviting distant dignitaries, to avoid attracting excessive attention from the Imperial family.
At that time, only a few trusted relatives and nobles would witness the ceremony.
The necessary materials and ceremonial guard for the wedding would be dispatched by the Edmund Family.
Louis finished reading the letter, his fingertips lightly tracing the letter paper imprinted with the ice wolf emblem, as if savoring those unexpected words of advice and praise.
“It really doesn’t sound like something the legendary cold-faced, iron-blooded Duke would write,” he murmured, a slight curve to his lips.
It was as if he could see a father’s restrained tenderness for his daughter between the lines.
Louis took out a clean sheet of paper to write a reply.
The content of the letter to Duke Edmund was not long, but the wording was appropriate.
It expressed gratitude for the other party’s acknowledgment and solemnly responded by expressing his profound appreciation for the marriage contract.
At the end of the letter, he wrote: “Please rest assured, My Lord, she will not be my subordinate, but my partner on the path of life.”
After writing, he blew the ink dry, folded it, sealed it, pressed the Red Tide wax seal, and then raised his hand to hand it to Bradley, who was standing by.
“Send this letter to the Edmund Family.”
“As you command, My Lord.” freewebnovёl.ƈom
Louis withdrew his gaze from the window, seemingly speaking casually: “Oh, by the way, you should know about this now.”
He paused, looking at the seasoned and steady old butler: “I will form a marriage alliance with Duke Edmund’s daughter, Emily.”
The air seemed to pause for a moment.
Bradley’s eyes widened slightly, and his whole body trembled a little, as if even his breathing slowed down a beat.
He had not expected Louis to eventually marry, but he never imagined that the bride would be the daughter of the Lord of the North.
That ducal family, representing the military might and traditional glory of the Empire’s frontier, was now marrying Louis, the head of the Calvin Family.
“Has it been confirmed?” he asked in a low voice.
“Yes, Father and Duke Edmund have both agreed, and the wedding will be held on July 12th,” Louis replied calmly.
Bradley was silent for two breaths, then bowed, with a rare warmth and joy: “Congratulations, My Lord! This marriage alliance is of great significance!”
Louis smiled and nodded lightly.
“You can start preparing for the wedding in advance. Keep everything simple, no need for extravagance,” he said, “but it shouldn’t be too modest either.”
Bradley understood, his expression serious: “Understood. I will select a suitable process that is both dignified and showcases the style of a lord.”
As he exited the room, his steps were a few paces quicker than usual.
The door gently closed, leaving a quiet room.
Louis leaned back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling.
This marriage alliance was extremely important to him.
It was a meticulously polished key gear that officially set his entire northern strategy into motion.
First, the elevation of status.
Duke Edmund, that was the highest symbol of power in the North.
His son-in-law was not just a relative by name, but a direct endorsement of the North’s legitimacy.
Although he had already secured the governorship of Snowpeak County, he still lacked a proper title to truly subdue local forces and unite the people.
And now he had it.
Presumably, no one would be so foolish as to cause trouble anymore.
Secondly, the transformation of Calvin’s role.
As the “Northern Representative” of the Calvin Family, he had already obtained level two authority, which meant he could mobilize a portion of resources from the entire Southeast system, including supplies, knights, and the civil official system, among others.
And now, this marriage alliance made him the convergence point of the interests of both great families; no one could question the necessity of his existence anymore. The strongest sword of the North and the most prosperous wing of the Southeast thus converged in him.
The North had mines, but what it lacked was external markets and supplies.
And Calvin controlled the southern ports and trade routes; once he took charge of coordination, the North could continuously send minerals, ice beast materials, and rare medicinal herbs to the South, exchanging them for grain, salt, iron, and luxury goods.
Between North and South, it was no longer a division of ice and warmth, but a channel of intertwined interests.
And the hub of this channel was him. Moreover, when he and Emily had a child, that would be the joint heir of the Calvin and Edmund families.
They would not only naturally inherit authority in both regions through bloodline but also become key figures in the Empire’s political landscape for the next two decades.
Of course, this was just his own imagination; politics would naturally not be so simple and naive; it would depend on future concrete operations.
