“Well done. Sit down and eat!”
Allen laughed.
The simple-minded nun he bribed with food yesterday had already scored a merit today.
Expensive?
Worth it!
Having a meal with Anna occasionally wouldn’t cost much, and once the Laval family got richer, treating her to fancy meals daily would be no problem!
“Yay!”
Anna happily dropped the poor guy to the side, who immediately looked humiliated.
“Young master…”
Marianne eyed the suspicious man with a sickly smile, “Shall we take him to the basement for interrogation? I even have tooth extraction pliers…”
The moment the man heard “tooth extraction pliers,” his face went pale!
Didn’t he know how terrifying that torture was?!
Too scary!
What was wrong with this family?!
“Girls shouldn’t be so bloody all the time.”
Allen generously helped the man up.
“Are you alright?”
“Where on earth did your family find this strong girl…so scary…”
The man was still trembling.
When he tried to gather intelligence on the Laval family, he saw this harmless-looking red-haired maid taking out the trash and wanted to approach her for bribes.
He offered her a huge sum of money (huge for a maid), but she ignored it, seemingly unaware of money’s value.
When he explained that money could buy Laval family intelligence, the maid suddenly understood, easily subdued him, and dragged him straight into the Laval household.
Under Marianne’s threat of torture, the spy confessed everything, and even Allen felt some sympathy for the guy.
It was obvious he hadn’t played certain classic RTS games where dogs can detect invisible spies—basic knowledge!
No wonder Anna! Next time, I’ll treat her to something even better!
“Have you eaten breakfast?”
Allen asked with a smile.
“Not yet…huh?”
The spy was puzzled by Allen’s strangely friendly attitude.
Seeing Allen’s villainous grin, he guessed a desperate possibility, “Don’t tell me this is a ‘no-head meal’?”
“Hey, don’t overthink it, brother. Since you’re here, why not enjoy some hospitality?”
Allen looked at the butler, who nodded and arranged extra food.
The spy sat down nervously, like a prisoner awaiting his last meal.
He glanced at the ravenous Anna, avoided Marianne’s dangerous gaze, and finally looked at the calm Allen.
Why didn’t this young master ask who sent him?
His carefully prepared lies caught in his throat, making him very uncomfortable.
Just then, the dining hall door was pushed open again.
Viscount Bernard de Laval rushed in, his face flushed with a mixture of exhaustion and excitement.
“Son!”
Bernard’s voice was loud, filled with uncontrollable excitement.
“Good news! I’ve contacted Archbishop Lucien! He replied and wants to meet you tomorrow to discuss your Divine Revelation!”
“Pfft—! Cough, cough…”
The spy choked instantly on his saliva, coughing violently.
Bernard looked at him in confusion.
“Who is this guest…?”
Allen smiled.
“Father, this is Crown Prince Charles Durand’s chief spy.”
“Ah?!”
Everyone present (except Anna) was shocked.
Being so casually exposed by Allen, the spy experienced ruin firsthand!
Allen revealed his identity but kept his attitude unchanged.
“You heard my father, right?”
Allen said elegantly to the spy.
The spy broke into a cold sweat.
“You’re going to kill me, aren’t you? I wasn’t supposed to know this kind of information.”
“I have no reason to kill you.”
Allen’s gaze grew sharp and terrifying for the first time in a long while.
“And I want you to go back and tell the Crown Prince that he has been trying to destroy the Laval family, but now, he should change his target.”
“I know him well. He’s an emotionless political machine, very good at weighing gains and losses. Now, I can give you some information you might find interesting. Whether the Crown Prince believes it or not is not my concern.”
“My fiancée is Livia von Stern, the Border Count’s daughter. She possesses an unparalleled powerful crest and just won great military honors, making her the talk of the town.”
“She ‘loves’ me to death. Even if I asked her for a dowry of a hundred thousand livre, she would agree. For a ‘love-brain’ girl, what’s a whole world against the ‘man’ she ‘likes’? Especially since she has the power to back it up!”
“The Crown Prince opposing us means opposing Livia. You can check with the Border Count’s household to see if what I’m saying is true.”
“Besides, I have received Divine Revelation, eliminated heretics, and done great service for the Church. I will meet Archbishop Lucien, which I think you understand the significance of.”
How to pretend to be powerful—that’s a villain’s must-have skill.
Allen’s half-truths and bluff truly frightened the spy.
“Also…you know about the mercenaries we hired to block the door before, right?” Allen shifted his tone.
The spy nodded hesitantly.
“You know, and your master knows. I suspect your people have guessed it—the power behind them is His Majesty.”
Allen said calmly.
“His Majesty?!”
Upon hearing “His Majesty,” those eavesdropping gasped.
The Laval family was being targeted by the inscrutable King!
His thunderous favor was a blessing from heaven.
No matter how low-profile Louis XI was, he was still the sky of the Kingdom of Lorraine!
The spy began trembling.
“How…how do you know?”
“Why would I know? I’ve been wondering that too.”
Allen’s sharp gaze seemed to pierce through everything.
“The old king’s plans? The Crown Prince himself knows. He must focus on the real enemy now, no need to waste time on the small Laval family. Even a cornered rabbit bites back, right?”
“The Laval family comes from merchants, uninterested in politics, just wanting neutrality to make money and repay debts. If the Crown Prince is strong enough, everyone will support him, with or without us.”
“Go back and tell the Crown Prince everything I said. This is my olive branch. Of course, if you see it as a threat, I don’t care.”
Allen’s expression turned cold.
“If anyone wants to be my enemy, they will pay the price. Don’t underestimate my methods. Maybe I even have some intelligence Princess Charlotte would like, which I haven’t mentioned.”
“I understand. Thank you, Lord Allen. I will convey your message to the Crown Prince.”
The spy took notes.
Although his intelligence gathering wasn’t perfect, the results were encouraging.
During this tense exchange, only Anna was fully immersed in the joy of eating.
“Allen, I’m done. Is there more?” she broke the heavy atmosphere unknowingly.
Allen’s expression softened.
He beckoned to his father, smiling, “Father, join us for a meal. The cook is preparing extra food. As for you, Mr. Spy, finish your breakfast before heading back. The day’s long, and your stomach will ache if you don’t eat.”
The spy never understood why Allen knew him.
He agonized over whether they had met before.
Of course, his thinking was wrong from the start.
They had met—not in the past, but in the “future.”
The spy was actually a minor noble with a modest crest bloodline, skilled in assassination with decent strength.
Allen had fought him before, so he remembered him well.
Probably why Anna sensed the “suspicious scent” on him.
Meeting him again surprisingly made Allen somewhat happy.
Just as he was thinking about writing a ceasefire letter to the Crown Prince to buy time for the Laval family’s growth, the Crown Prince himself handed him a pillow—such good fortune!
Allen’s threats were just tough talk; he never expected to scare the Crown Prince.
Charles Durand, meticulous and sharp, would surely investigate the authenticity of Allen’s intelligence.
This would lead the Crown Prince right into the trap Allen deliberately set.
You have to admit, Livia’s almost obsessive “love” for him is real!
The Border Count was a great noble personally recruited by the old king, and Livia was a national treasure he greatly valued.
He sent mercenaries to block the Laval family’s door while tacitly approving Livia’s engagement to Allen.
The Crown Prince would definitely find his father’s schizophrenic behavior strange and fall into an endless chain of suspicion.
The more suspicious he was, the more hesitant he’d be to make a move against the Laval family.
Even if the engagement between Livia and Allen ultimately fell through, the time gained would be enough for Allen to coax the Church into protecting the Laval family.
With the Church as a backing, what was he afraid of from the Crown Prince?
After all, Charles Durand was only one of the heirs; who would be king was still uncertain.
Once Charles realized the Laval family was not to be trifled with, he’d likely give up his relentless pressure on them.
If Allen’s plan succeeded, the Laval family would gain a rare breathing space!
Allen’s gaze at the spy grew eager.
This unfortunate spy’s visit was truly an unexpected delight!
The spy spent a memorable morning at the Laval household.
Years later, he would still remember this day.
“Sure enough,” he muttered while chewing bread, “a near-bankrupt noble family doesn’t really have great food!”