Chapter 219: Chapter 0219: A Choice in Line with Interests (Second Update)
The mercenary Miss Swann will stay in Fresh Flower Town for a few days to observe.

This is a good sign, indicating that she has already taken a liking to Fresh Flower Town and to Li Si Te (Liszt). The following few days will be crucial for solidifying that good impression.

Of course, there is also the possibility that the good impression could turn into a bad one.

But the probability is small.

Li Si Te (Liszt) is confident about this point: “The current Fresh Flower Town is clean and sanitary, with wide roads, and the commoners have houses to live in, clothes to wear and food to eat, and even a little surplus; the Patrol Team is no longer a gang of riffraff, and while it may not be safe enough to leave one’s doors unlocked at night, at least there are no thefts occurring.”

Although the town is rural and not bustling, it has seen significant improvements under nearly half a year of governance.

This undoubtedly adds many favorable impressions.

“Trafficking serfs is indeed a disgraceful act, but practically all nobles traffic in slaves, and it’s not just me doing it. Moreover, the serfs who come to Fresh Flower Town do not suffer; they are allocated houses, clothing, and food, and even land, and their quality of life might have even improved. This, at the very least, won’t be a mark against me,”

Such is the nature of the social system.

The mercenary Miss Swann claims to have killed many a baron, though it’s hard to tell truth from falsehood. But she must understand that what Li Si Te (Liszt) has done already makes him one of the better nobles.

“And there’s an even more important point. Maggie’s life in Fresh Flower Town is very good, and she has regained a sense of family… She and Mrs. Harriet have formed a mother-daughter contract, which is nothing short of a stroke of genius!” Thinking of this, Li Si Te (Liszt) felt there was no reason he couldn’t keep the well-built female mercenary around.

In law and morality, a contract mother and daughter are no different from a real mother and daughter.

If the mercenary Miss Swann wants to take Maggie away, she must first sever their mother-daughter relationship. But the key is, would Maggie be willing? Li Si Te (Liszt) had been paying close attention to Maggie and knew that Mrs. Harriet truly treated her like a daughter. The heart of the young maid had already melted.

Maggie is not a cold-hearted little girl. If she knows gratitude, she will surely not want to make Mrs. Harriet sad.

“Therefore, I need to discreetly send someone to give Mrs. Harriet a hint. When the critical moment comes, she should retain Maggie. Then, using Maggie’s influence, retain the mercenary… On Eileen’s side, we must also continue to strengthen the feelings, letting the maids feel the love of the castle and the warmth of the large family atmosphere.”

Finally.

Using his experience from the many failures he had with pursuing girls in the past, he made the most important decision: “Women are emotional creatures, and maybe Fresh Flower Town has a myriad of advantages that the mercenary doesn’t quite appreciate. However, a warm-hearted initiative out of pure goodwill could make her see things differently.”

At that evening’s banquet, only Goltai and Isaiah came along, with others continuing to organize the new serfs.

Without waiting for the dishes to be served, Goltai asked, “Lord Landlord, what exactly is Miss Swann’s status? I have arranged for her a new residence in the noble living area. Is that appropriate?”

“She may be an enemy, or she might become a friend; it all depends on her choices,” Li Si Te (Liszt) did not directly disclose her identity. He continued, “Consultant Goltai, pass the word to Karl and Rom, tell the Patrol Team to keep an eye on her movements, prohibit her from approaching the Flame Mushroom Processing Workshop, the Soap Making Workshop, and the Brewing Workshop. The Bug Guard Team needs to safeguard the Cordyceps, especially those in the Thorn Garden.”

“Your words have confused me a bit,” Goltai shrugged, “but I will heed your wishes and remind Karl and Rom as instructed.”

Li Si Te (Liszt) then turned to Isaiah and said, “With the arrival of new serfs, their clothing, food, and housing need to be properly arranged. I will have the merchant convoy make an urgent purchase of more quilts and cotton clothes. Do not worry about spending money, the most important thing is to take good care of the serfs’ daily needs, to make them feel that the winter in Fresh Flower Town is as warm as home.”

Goltai patted Isaiah’s shoulder and winked, “Yes, it’s important to make the serfs feel the warmth of home. And Miss Swann, she should also witness this scene and feel the warmth of Fresh Flower Town.”

Isaiah was no fool; he quickly grasped the essence, “Of course, with a benevolent Lord Landlord like yourself, Fresh Flower Town is a warm home for all the commoners here.”

Liszt smiled as he raised his cup, “Cheers.”

“Cheers.”

…

He went to sleep in the night.

Using the Eye of Magic, he carefully checked the castle once more, making sure there were no mercenary women lurking. Liszt then led Douson to the castle hall and let it sleep there.

And watched with his own eyes as Carter locked the castle gates.

Only then did he lock his bedroom door and lay down on the bed. He couldn’t fall asleep, his mind preoccupied with thoughts of the female mercenary, Swann. He had complex feelings about this “thief who peeped at the landlord.”

Due to the Smoke Mission, he naturally felt that subduing her would fulfill the reward’s intent.

But the information revealed in Swann’s words had not failed to impact his senses—claiming to have killed many barons, this was a clear stance against the nobles.

Liszt was also a noble, and his “arse decided his head,” he would never allow anyone who tried to shake the rule of nobility to exist.

“Swann is Maggie’s sister, so she should be from the Eagle Kingdom, and the barons she killed should also be from the Eagle Kingdom. I hope this is the case… If she killed people from the Sapphire Kingdom, then I should definitely not leave her alive… Actually, I’ve been too hasty.”

He turned over and continued to think.

“I should investigate her background first and then decide whether to subdue her. The Smoke Mission has already influenced my judgment, I need to contain this dependency!”

He originally thought the Smoke Mission was the conspiracy of some puppet master behind the scenes, unable to resist such a manipulator.

But now, guessing that the Smoke Mission was the doing of the Smoke Dragon, a mere grasp of destiny, that gave him the right of independent choice.

“One’s destiny should be in one’s own hands, not becoming a puppet. Accept what benefits me, discard what harms me.”

His restless thoughts slowly smoothed over, “No matter how beautiful the face beneath Swann’s veil, as long as she doesn’t align with my interests, I absolutely cannot keep her! Even if for Maggie’s sake, she wouldn’t harm Fresh Flower Town or threaten my rule, I must send her away.”

Of course, all these were assumptions.

Having seen her for the first time, it was hard to judge whether this person who claimed to be Swann was telling the truth or not. Her identity and background were also hard to guess.

Learning from Maggie, her sister went to study magic; from Swann’s attire, one could infer that she was a mercenary trained in Dou Qi; yet she was capable of Invisibility Technique, which, though the principle was unclear, must be a sort of magic; moreover, the description in the Smoke Mission referred to her as a thief.

So whether she was a knight or a magician, it was unknown.

Whether she was a mercenary or a thief, also unknown.

Touching the Crimson Blood Sword beside his bed, Liszt had completely calmed down, “Let things take their course, I can’t decide whether she comes to Fresh Flower Town or not, but I must decide whether she can stay or not!”

The Crimson Blood Sword was not for decoration—it could truly kill and draw blood!