Chapter 342 Chapter 342 War Of Words IV
"Since it is the capital, we don't want the leader's upbringing to become a hurdle in fast redevelopment." Candice looked like she really had no choice but to send Christina for the job, but George knew better that it was only an excuse, a pathetic one at that. It was as if she was letting him get a taste of his own medicine.
"Since she has been acting as a figurehead here, let her do the same in the capital and you can send several of your competent managers to assist her throughout the process. It will be easier that way, won't it?"
Candice didn't wait for George to answer her this time because she didn't want any more complications. She smiled brilliantly and signaled George to do as she had ordered.
"Let's do it then."
With her words, there was no doubt remaining in George's heart. The princess had probably called them to the welcoming ceremony with those intentions. It didn't seem as if she was out to target the Elizabeth family but to target Christina specifically.
George couldn't understand how the royal princess even came to know of Christina when the latter had barely come into contact with royalty if Prince Kolt wasn't counted.
His brain churned like a vortex in an attempt to figure out her hidden intentions behind moving Christina to capital when the royals already had more than enough control over Elizabeth family through him.
And then it occurred to him that he was in Byzantium city because of the royal princess but why was such a princess being sent to govern such a peripheral state of the empire when there were plenty of other options who would have willingly taken the opportunity to do so in her stead.
Of course, the benefit had to be high enough for the royal family to mobilize a princess of such a high stature. Of all the things he could imagine, there was only one possibility that George found feasible.
"The royals have sent one of their own to reel Zach into their fold. They are finally unable to contain themselves after seeing a talent like Zach." thought George to himself as he carefully guarded his facial expressions as if afraid of his thoughts leaking onto his face.
George had already managed to establish why the princess had come to Byzantium city. From thereon it wasn't exactly rocket science to deduce why the princess wanted Christina to move to the capital to oversee the construction project.
"The Princess needs a hostage." It dawned on George all of a sudden and he could only gaze helplessly at his beloved daughter who would probably have to suffer a little in the future due to the person she fell in love with.
Zach had grown too powerful, and his legends had already spread across the state. Even the royal capital had heard of the powerful young man who could cast SSS rank celestial magic at his age and that too of the highest level.
George had pinpointed the end game of the royal family and was therefore able to infer much from his earlier conversation with the princess.
It appeared that the royal family was wary of Zach and his unpredictable power. Therefore, they had no option but to hold someone hostage subtly in order to keep him in check should he dare to move against the Imperial family.
George could understand that line of thought. No one wanted a weapon that could destroy themselves. They needed a tool that would not outlive its usefulness and the only way to do that was to hold something Zach held dear in their possession.
George couldn't exactly blame Zach for his brilliance, after all he had married off his daughter to him because of the benefits he could bring to the Elizabeth family. The only thing George lamented was the fact that there was more than one woman around Zach, but the royal family ended up choosing Christina.
She seemed to have drawn the short end of the stick and ended up gaining the attention of the royals.
George failed to consider that his status as a Marquis was the reason that his daughter had been chosen among the pool of women around Zach.
Christina wasn't a glass vase in the Elizabeth family despite how much George insisted on it in front of Candice. Instead, she had been just as brilliant as her father. She was not only well versed in business dealings, but she also had considerable experience in politics due to her upbringing as the heir of the Elizabeth family.
She already had an inkling as to what the intentions of the royal family were in regard to her and Zach. She was the tranquilizer meant to diffuse the nuclear bomb that Zach could be, once triggered.
Considering the distance between the two cities, it was obvious that Zach would have no way but to bend his knee in front of the royal family in order to keep her safe and she would eventually become the chains that would bind him to the royal family.
The last thing Christina wanted was to harm Zach. She would rather kill herself before causing him any trouble. It hadn't been easy for her to reunite with him after the separation. She wanted this honeymoon period to last as long as possible.
Since her father was bound by his position and status as a Marquis, he was unable to truly defend her from the royal family. Therefore, she believed that she had to advocate for herself if she didn't want to be a pawn in this elaborate game.
"My lady, I am incompetent as my father said. I believe that I will end up ruining the project. That would be a grave sin, one that I don't dare to shoulder. My meager self is incapable of carrying such a huge responsibility. In front of nobles such as yourself, I will only embarrass myself in the capital. I would rather live my life among the peasants who are unable to distinguish my clumsiness from royal etiquette and I don't have to fear staining the reputation of my family here. I beseech you to take a more qualified person for the job and not my humble self who can barely take care of herself."
Christina had done her best to demean herself in front of the Princess, but the latter was adamant about sending her to the capital as she had already done her due diligence regarding all the people close to Zach.
Therefore, instead of listening to Christina who was trying to come up with a better excuse for herself, Candice ignored her altogether. She didn't think that Christina's opinion was required in this discussion when she was already talking to her father, the leader of his family and the Marquis of the Empire.
"The royal family can't trust anyone else for this project. There are higher elements at stake. We can't trust anyone who is not from a vessel family to operate near our jugular vein. Therefore, there is no better candidate than Chirstina. This is better for your family as well. The experience will enable her to better assume the responsibility that will surely come with the position of the family head. She will have a much better future in the capital. Her horizons will be broadened by the bigger world that is the capital. You should be begging me for this opportunity if you cared one bit about this family of yours that you claim to hold above your personal beliefs and wishes."
Candice had finality in her tone as if indicating that she had heard enough. She was adamant about doing what she intended to do irrespective of whether Christina was capable or only acting to be so.
George picked up on the subtle threat in her words, and a surge of panic gripped his heart like a vice closing in on fragile glass. The threat loomed over him like a storm cloud, darkening his thoughts and casting a shadow of fear across his mind.
It was akin to standing on the edge of a crumbling precipice as the ground beneath his feet gave way to an abyss of uncertainty.
Candice was a princess, and the power she wielded was like a relentless tempest, capable of annihilating his entire family from its roots.
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