Chapter 1599 – A Father’s Love Varies
The Duke wanted to see his old lover. We found it inconvenient to disturb them, so the ministers left together. Soon, an attendant brought Margaret into the conference room.
We were left glaring at each other. Many ministers gave me hostile looks, but I ignored them. Our relationship was already destined not to improve, so instead of thinking about them, I’d rather ponder what the Duke and Margaret would discuss.
Thinking back twenty years, the Duke must have been a young man then. Looking at his current appearance, it’s not hard to imagine he was dashing and handsome in his youth, with accomplishments in swordsmanship and the strength to slay a Wolf King.
It’s not strange for such a young nobleman to fall in love with a commoner girl, for her to be attracted to him, and even to become his lover.
Since I transmigrated to this world, I’ve discovered that Europe in this era has very open customs. Coupled with the precarious lives of commoners, the concept of chastity was weak, making it very easy to form a relationship with a girl.
Even relationships among nobles were chaotic. Young noble scions would go to the windows of young ladies or married women at night, playing violins and reciting corny love poems; arranging encounters was common.
And those noble husbands wouldn’t mind being cuckolded. Instead, they’d consider it a sign of their lover’s beauty, not getting angry, but even showing it off.
As for keeping mistresses, having affairs, hosting uninhibited banquets, and other indulgences, there were even more. It can be said that the wealthier and more powerful the noble, the more decadent and inventive their games became.
This was likely due to the infiltration of churches of certain Evil Gods, such as Slaanesh, the succubus queen Lilith, and the lust demon king Asmodeus, spreading various decadent ideologies throughout society.
Therefore, I actually don’t believe the Duke had any real feelings for this commoner girl, otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so heartless as to not provide her with any support after banishing her, leaving her to wander in poverty.
At most, it was a fleeting encounter where he liked her naive personality and beautiful appearance. I wonder what the Duke would think when he saw she had retained her beauty from over twenty years ago, but he probably wouldn’t want to keep her. Her werewolf identity is still too sensitive.
Not long after, the door opened, and the attendant brought Margaret out. The werewolf girl’s eyes were a bit red, suggesting she had been crying, perhaps from being too moved.
However, as she passed by me, she said, “My daughter and I will go with you. But he wants to see Weis.”
“Mm, okay. Then, you rest and adjust your mindset. Don’t worry, I won’t bully you mother and daughter. I’m just giving you a change of place and scenery,” I said. But the words felt a bit strange as they came out, though my intention was normal.
“Mm, I know. When we were talking before, I realized you are actually a good person. I believe you. I’m very sorry for deceiving you earlier,” Margaret said.
Fortunately, this sister still had some caution, otherwise, I would have truly feared she’d be abducted just like that. Even so, it was too naive to trust me so easily. She was going to a completely unfamiliar place, and her daughter’s life was in my hands.
Putting other things aside, if I used Weis to threaten her, saying something like, “Madam, you wouldn’t want your daughter to be bullied by me, would you?” she would have no choice but to obey, willing to do anything.
At this time, Weis also arrived, still wearing my silver collar. Perhaps not wanting his werewolf daughter to be seen by other ministers (Margaret had already disguised herself as a normal person), the Duke had ordered the courtiers to return to their posts and attend to their duties before Weis’s arrival.
After Weis entered, I used God’s Eye to spy on the conference room. I saw her shouting at the Duke, and they were arguing fiercely. However, God’s Eye could only see, not hear, and the conference room’s soundproofing was quite good. I didn’t know what they were arguing about.
In the end, the meeting ended unhappily. Weis stormed out, glanced at me with a terrible expression, and walked over, saying, “I’m going with you to Iberia. We’re leaving today! I don’t want to stay here for another moment!”
“It doesn’t have to be like this. He’s your father, after all. He raised you for so many years. You’re leaving soon, can’t you say a proper goodbye? You might not see him again for a while,” I advised, but when did I become a family and relationship counselor?
“That guy is a beast! He has no feelings or love for my mother or me! He raised me only as a tool. I’ve done enough for him by killing so many people, and I never want to see him again!”
Hearing Weis say this, I could only shrug helplessly. Well, the daughter has entered her rebellious phase. I can’t really comment on that. Even an upright official finds it hard to settle domestic disputes.
“Don’t talk about your father like that. He was also forced into it,” Margaret said, her expression turning very serious upon hearing Weis’s words. It seemed the mother still had some authority over Weis, who quieted down.
At this moment, the Archmage approached me and handed me a small bag. I opened it and found it filled with gemstones – a spatial storage bag. I asked in surprise, “What are you doing?”
“The Duke gave it to you, a small token of appreciation. He hopes you’ll look after Miss Reya in the Church. Also…” The Archmage hesitated before continuing, “The Duke asked you to discipline Weis properly for him, not to worry about him. At least correct her rebellious personality.”
I was speechless. I looked at Weis, and she looked back at me unhappily. I didn’t know what the Archmage was saying to me, but I had a feeling it wasn’t anything good.
I finally understood why Weis was so unhappy with her father. It seems that even between daughters, the Duke’s paternal love was more inclined towards Reya, and Weis could even be considered a gift offered to me in exchange.
The meeting earlier was just for show to the courtiers. What the Archmage just said was the Duke’s true intentions. Since he had known for a long time that his daughter was the Saintess of Gluttony, he naturally wished for me to look after her.
Of course, agreeing to let me send Weis away might have been planned earlier, but he truly made up his mind after I analyzed the pros and cons for him.
“Alright, I agree. I’ll take this bag of gemstones then,” I said, nodding. If I didn’t accept, the Duke wouldn’t be at ease. Accepting it represented the completion of the transaction.
After the Archmage left, Weis coldly asked me, “What did that old man say to you? What did he give you?”
How impolite! She’s still under my control. I handed her the bag and said, “The Duke gave me funds for your and your mother’s meals and daily expenses.”
“Ah?” Weis had a complex expression. She thought her father, perhaps feeling embarrassed after arguing with her earlier, had asked the Archmage to convey this privately instead of giving the money openly.
