HCB Chapter 163 New Residents
Chapter 163 New Residents
"So Miss Matilda, why did you come here?"
Next to the fire, John asked Matilda, who was looking down and wondering what was going on.
"My mother sent me here to manage the estate that will be built in the future." Matilda said after a moment's silence.
"Then why did you hide in the carriage for so long before coming out?"
However, at this moment, Matilda said nothing, like a little girl who had made a mistake.
Seeing that she was silent, John couldn't help but think of what happened this morning, and gradually an answer came to his mind, so he said to Matilda:
"Then let me tell you my speculation about this. If what I said is correct, can you nod your head? This matter is quite tricky for me. If I'm not careful, it may lead to a war between territories."
After seeing Matilda nod slightly, John asked:
"That group of people came towards you this morning, right?"
After seeing Matilda nod, John continued to ask:
"They are sent by a noble from Wendam, right?" Matilda nodded silently in response to John. After John thought for a while and looked at Matilda who was still hesitant, he said:
"You...are engaged to this noble?"
When Matilda heard this, there was a hint of doubt in her eyes. After looking at John and being silent for a few seconds, she nodded.
"Shit." John covered his forehead speechlessly. What kind of medieval bloody love story was this? After seeing that his guess was basically correct, John continued to ask tentatively:
"Your family agreed to this marriage, but you disagree?"
Matilda nodded first, then seemed to think of something and shook her head.
Seeing John was very confused about this, Matilda hesitated for a while and said weakly:
"My father agreed to this engagement. My mother and I disagreed."
"So Mrs. Reginale let you hide in my car so that you could get past your fiancé's checkpoints and leave Windham?" John continued.
"Yes...but this is my own choice." At this point, Matilda's eyes became firm, as if this was a decision she had made after a great ideological struggle.
"Then I would like to ask you one last question: why did you choose my team?"
After hearing John's words, Matilda thought for a while and said:
"My mother said that since you are a noble in Midland, you will definitely not let others search your carriage without permission. Even if we fight, you will most likely win. Also, my mother said that you have a good impression of me, and you will not let me go back even if I am discovered on the way. And..." Matilda blushed at this point and said to John:
"I think you are different from other nobles. You are a good person."
John, who was hit by the good guy card, was speechless at this time. She had said that he was here to manage the manor. If he wanted to drive her away, who would manage the manor and how could he make a profit?
"Okay, okay, just come with us. After all, I have signed a contract with Lady Reginale. If there is nothing else, I will go to bed." After saying that, John yawned and walked towards his carriage.
"What's going on? Day by day."
As the sun rose over the horizon the next day, the caravan continued its journey towards Franche-Comté, and within a few days it entered the territory of Count Milo.
"Sir, a messenger claiming to be from the Hohenzollern Territory has caught up with our carriage and said he has a letter for you." Just as John was looking out the window boredly in the carriage, the Centurion of the White Wolf Knight rode up to John's carriage and said.
"A letter from Dad?" John hadn't received a letter from his father for a long time. This letter might be about something important that required John's participation.
"Order the convoy to stop and let the messenger come over."
As the carriage stopped, John leaned against the window and saw the messenger.
After seeing John, the messenger immediately dismounted and knelt on one knee to salute John.
"Are you the messenger from Hohenzollern?" asked John.
"Yes, Lord John, my master ordered me to bring this letter to you. I met the team of White Wolf Knights led by you on my way, so I wanted to ask if you were there. I didn't expect to meet you in person." After the messenger finished speaking, he handed the letter to John with both hands.
John took the letter, opened the envelope and read it carefully. He got some pretty good news: his eldest brother was getting married to the daughter of a vassal of Count Milo, and asked John if he had time to attend the wedding in a month.
"I received the letter, you can go back now." John took out two gold coins from his wallet and put them in the messenger's hand. With the messenger's thanks, John's carriage continued to drive towards Franche-Comte.
After a few more days of travel, the convoy entered the Count's Castle in the Territory of Franche-Comté. Looking at the bustling scene in the city, the newly arrived citizens of Windham felt like they were back in Windham.
The convoy stopped at the gate, and John ordered the White Wolf Knights to return to the base. Turning around, he saw Matilda directing everyone to move the boxes off the carriage. If John guessed correctly, these boxes were probably filled with furniture and various personal belongings of hers.
"Um, Miss Matilda, you don't want to live here, do you?" John asked awkwardly but politely.
Matilda realized at this time that this was indeed very rude, so she hurriedly said:
"I'm really sorry. I treated this place as my home again. I'll order people to move back right away." As he said this, he was about to order people to move the things onto the carriage.
Seeing that it had come to this, John had no other choice. After all, it was impossible for her to find a place to live on the ground by herself, so he said:
"Okay, then you stay here. Remember not to run around. I'll ask the kitchen to prepare food for a dozen more people."
After getting John's consent, Matilda ordered people to move the boxes into the castle, but while moving they kept watching John, fearing that John would change his mind and drive them out again for some reason.
However, what the nearby residents saw was that a beautiful girl who seemed to be the same age as John entered the castle. This was the first time that an outsider entered John's castle. For a moment, the residents were shocked by the huge information. After a brief thought, everyone agreed that their lord might be getting married.
In a short time, those who ran fast spread this shocking news throughout the Earl's Castle, and the rumors became more and more outrageous, from John was about to get married to John and Matilda just returned from their wedding in Windham, and this rumor also had branches. Some people even believed that John and Matilda had actually gotten married, but had not yet married, otherwise why was he so low-key when he came back.
However, usually after such people spread the rumor, someone would immediately report it to the soldiers in the city. Faced with such rumors, the soldiers would of course strike hard, arresting these people and holding swords to their tongues. But no bloodshed really occurred, and they just gave a warning and fined five silver coins before leaving as the other party begged for mercy.
Although John's soldiers were very powerful outside, they would still enforce the laws set by John on their own people. These people were just spreading some minor rumors, so the soldiers would not go up and beat them up directly.
According to John's law, this kind of criticism of the lord would generally only result in a fine of no more than five silver coins, so the people in Franche-Comté had a famous saying: If the lord is angry, he will be fined five silver coins.