《Guidebook for the Dark Duke》 CH 1 Evan got off the train, and the conductor helped him carry his luggage out. Evan nodded slightly, hesitated for a moment, and finally took out five shillings and handed it to the conductor. ¡°Thank you.¡± Evan said gently. The conductor took Evan¡¯s tip excitedly. Just to carry the luggage, even a generous businessman would not have such a big hand. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Priest, you¡¯re so kind, you must be a good priest.¡± The conductor was almost incoherent. There was a hint of regret in Evan¡¯s expression, but in the end, he smiled slightly, ¡°Thank you for your compliment.¡± He took his salute from the conductor and walked towards the platform. Looking at a middle aged woman standing behind a pillar with a serious expression, Evan felt he must have found the right person. Evan strode up to the middle aged woman and said warmly, ¡°Are you Mrs Sanders?¡± The middle aged woman had a rigid expression and the lines on her face made her look serious and inhumane. She was wearing a long brown skirt. She looked Evan up and down and said stiffly, ¡°Yes¡±. Evan smiled gently, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m the new priest, Evan Bruce.¡± Mrs Sanders nodded quickly, her expression still did not improve, and said coldly, ¡°I am Mrs Sanders, the parish secretary of Delanlier. Welcome to Delanlier, Reverend Bruce. There is another deacon waiting outside the station¡¯s gate. Please, come with me.¡± Evan nodded with a smile and said thank you. They were about to go outside but heard Mrs Sanders say, ¡°Reverend Bruce, please allow my offense. At your annual salary of 400 pounds a year, next time you tip, keep it within a shilling or you¡¯ll go bankrupt within a year.¡± Looking at Mrs Sanders¡¯ cold face, Evan smiled with a little embarrassment. Over half a year ago, he returned to England at the end of the 19th century overnight. This had no less impact on him than life and death, not to mention these folk customs which he was more ignorant about. It¡¯s no wonder it was ugly now. ¡°Your words are good words for me. Thank you for your advice.¡± Evan said gently. Mrs Sanders raised the corners of her mouth quickly. ¡°Just don¡¯t mind my offence.¡± After speaking, she turned and walked out of the station. Evan didn¡¯t dare to delay and quickly followed. The deacon who came to pick Evan was named George but he was a kid who had just graduated from college. He had an ordinary appearance and had many freckles on the tip of his nose. George was a little embarrassed in front of Evan at first, but ten minutes after he got into the carriage, George completely opened the conversation. Evan turned slightly to show that he was listening, but in fact, his mind had already flown 18,000 miles away. He had lived a good life as a playboy, but he came to this place overnight and became the assistant priest of a small church in the suburbs of London. Evan looked at the scenery of the English countryside outside the window and couldn¡¯t help sighing. If it wasn¡¯t for this transfer, he wouldn¡¯t have come to such a place. Delanlier, a place that didn¡¯t exist, exists in a book. This place he came to is not only the England of the 19th century but also a world that exists in a book. In his topics of conversation, George has already talked about the development of Delanlier from the construction of trains. You must know that Delanlier is not an unknown place. Although it is just a town, this town is the fief of the famous Duke of Wilson. Charles Krist, Duke of Wilson, whose ancestry can be traced back to the Middle ages. His family is the oldest family in England. His father had fought on the battlefield and was awarded the rank of General, and his mother was the cousin of the current king of England, Princess Margaret. His illustrious background made him live like a king in the small town of Delanlier. People worshipped him and admired him greatly and George was no exception. ¡°The Duke has reached an agreement with the Congressman that Delanlier will also open a textile factory in the future. Mr. Priest, do you know that this will bring more than 1000 jobs to Delanlier? It will be more prosperous in the future.¡± The tip of George¡¯s nose was flushed with excitement and he would have danced if he had not been sitting in the carriage. Evan¡¯s expression changed slightly and he said warmly, ¡°Oh? The duke you¡¯re talking is Duke Wilson?¡± ¡°Who else is there other than Duke Wilson? There is no second duke here.¡± George said jokingly. At this moment, Mrs Sanders coughed softly and George immediately put away his hippie smile. He carefully glanced at Mrs Sanders who was sitting opposite him and didn¡¯t dare to say a word again. Evan slightly raised his eyebrows and glanced at Mrs Sanders sideways. She still looked cold and dignified, the lines at the corners of her mouth became deeper. Evan lowered his head, looked at the Bible he had been in his hand and smiled softly. ****** Delanlier is not far from the train and they arrived there in only twenty minutes by carriage. The carriage crossed the whole Delanlier and Evan looked at this unknown town through the carriage window. The British-style buildings stood on both sides with a subtle and elegant atmosphere, and the vitality of the town was also in view. The bakery, the Post office and the barber shop all came with a unique British style and this made Evan feel a little fascinated. Mrs Sanders looked at Evan and said solemnly, ¡°There are not many strangers in Delanlier, so people inevitably get curious.¡± Evan glanced at Mrs Sanders and did not explain her misunderstanding, because he suddenly found that people were truly staring at him. Evan was a little embarrassed for a moment, but still said warmly, ¡°It is understandable.¡± When they crossed the main street of Delanlier and walked 3 miles south, they finally reached Delanlier¡¯s church. The church was built on a gentle slope and under the sunlight, the snow white walls emitted a faint shimmer. Evan got off the carriage and walked around the church with great interest. The forest around the church was hidden, the low Bush was verdant and bright hydrangea grew on the walls of the church. The surrounding view was wide, it was sunny, and the interior of the church was well lit and beautifully built, dignified and spacious. This was completely different from the small church that he had served in before. Evan nodded with satisfaction and said with a smile, ¡°The church is very beautiful.¡± Mrs Sanders¡¯ face softened a little this time and said warmly, ¡°This was built by the duke. God bless him. The duke is a gentleman and a faithful believer.¡± Evan couldn¡¯t help bending the corners of his lips but he didn¡¯t say anything and just smiled. After they visited the church, George sent him to the parsonage that had been given to him. It was a single family house with a small garden where geraniums were growing vigorously. Evan touched the petals of the geranium with his fingertips. George hurriedly stepped forward and said, ¡°The wife of the last priest liked geraniums very much, so she planted a lot of them. If you don¡¯t like it, you can plant something else.¡± Evan looked at the beautiful flowers, smiled and shook his head, ¡°No, this is fine.¡± Afterwards, George introduced him to the servants who served there. A gardener, a manservant, a cook, a maid and an errand boy. Evan was very satisfied. He wasn¡¯t very rich. Although his father is a gentleman in the traditional sense, he is only the second son. He cannot get a penny from his father so this was enough for him to live comfortably. George had thought that Evan was a rich man who would be difficult to serve so he didn¡¯t expect him to accept this slightly simple environment so easily. So, he was relieved and hurriedly said, ¡°It¡¯s good you¡¯re satisfied. By the way, Reverend Bruce, tomorrow is Monday. Although there is no need to go to church, because it is your first day here, I still want to invite you to preach.¡± After Evan crossed over and became an assistant priest for half a year, he had already done countless sermons for the alcoholic priest. So he didn¡¯t panic when he heard this and responded with a smile. He sent George to the door and was about to say goodbye to him when George seemed to have remembered something and said, ¡°By the way, I almost forgot to tell you. Mrs Lawrence will hold a welcome banquet for you. Please make sure you¡¯re there.¡± ¡°Mrs Lawrence?¡± Evan raised his eyebrow slightly. If he remembered correctly, this Mrs Lawrence had taken up a lot of space in the original book. ¡°Yes, Mr Lawrence is a member of the town council, and Mrs Lawrence is also well known locally. Their only son, John, is even working for the duke.¡± George said with a smile. Evan pursed his lips slightly and a dark light flashed in his eyes. He had already arrived at this place. For the sake of his future survival, he could not let go of anyone who could be in contact with Duke Wilson. ¡°Please thank her for her kindness. I will definitely attend.¡± Evan replied with a smile. In the book, this Duke Wilson was like a nuclear bomb. His three views were completely different from those of normal people. The people who died in his hands was not only Evan who tried to provoke him in the original book, but also small characters who also provoked him and innocent passersby who were implicated. There were only two kinds of people who survived under Duke Wilson, the big killer, one is an NPC who doesn¡¯t even show his face, and the other is people he loves. Evan is not the kind of person who is willing to be an NPC, at the same time he is not a very ethical person. So, in order to live a better life in this world, he needs more resources and status. When he came to this place, he decided that he must include this noble duke with serious personality flaws in his plans. Evan stood at the door with a slight raise of his lips and watched George walk away. His slender body became taller and taller under the sunlight, his curly blonde hair was neatly combed behind his ears. His handsome face carried a breath of abstinence with his priest¡¯s uniform but there was a faint sneer in his blue eyes. Like an angel possessed by demons, both holy and terrifying. CH 2 At six o¡¯clock the next morning, Tom, Evan¡¯s servant, knocked on the door and woke him up. Tom had just graduated from the servant¡¯s school the year before. He had been serving in the house of the previous priest. When the previous priest left, he stayed because he didn¡¯t want to leave his hometown. Tom has ordinary looks and does not look very smart, but he is a hardworking young man. He woke the sleepy Evan early, and helped him change into the priest¡¯s robe, before whispering, ¡°Reverend Bruce, Mrs. Haydn had already prepared breakfast, do you want to go downstairs to eat?¡± Evan took the hot towel from Tom and wiped his face, ¡°I¡¯ll go downstairs to eat. By the way, Tom, go to the post office and order a few newspapers for me. One local newspaper, one times newspaper and one church newspaper.¡± Tom handed over his toothbrush and toothpaste and asked respectfully, ¡°There are two kinds of local newspapers, the Daily Mail and Daily News, which one would you prefer?¡± Evan thought about it for a moment. Except for what he had read in the novel, he didn¡¯t know anything about Delanlier, so it was better to be prepared. ¡± Both papers.¡± ¡± Yes, sir. ¡± Tom bowed and stepped out. When Evan got downstairs, Mrs Haydn had already brought the breakfast to the table. Mrs Haydn was a grumpy middle-aged woman. She and Aiden, the gardener, were husband and wife, and Billy, the errand boy, was their youngest son. They used to be tenants under the duke¡¯s name, but because of the flood, the family¡¯s land was flooded, so they had to go out to look for work. Mrs Haydn¡¯s cooking skills were very good and Evan was very satisfied with the food. He also suppressed the idea he¡¯d had of replacing the workers. It seems that, although Mrs Sanders has a strict personality, she does things very well and in a meticulous manner. Evan took his Bible and walked along the gravel road towards the church. The priest¡¯s residence was not far from the church. Evan walked for 5 minutes and arrived there. He saw Mrs Sanders from a distance, waiting at the door. Evan stepped forward with a gentle smile on his face, ¡°Mrs Sanders, I¡¯m so sorry for being late.¡± Mrs Sanders stiffly bent the corners of her lips, ¡°No, Reverend Bruce, you got here just in time. In another quarter of an hour, the members of the church will arrive.¡± When he heard this, Evan felt a little nervous as this was the first time that he¡¯d be a full priest and not an assistant priest helping another priest. Evan pursed his lips and stood quietly beside Mrs Sanders, waiting for the members of the church. Sure enough, after a quarter of an hour, the members arrived one after the other. The showed great curiosity when looking at Evan. Miss Blair, who lived by the pine forest, was the first to speak. Miss Blair was an old lady in her forties, she owned a single family house and a store, which made her quite wealthy. She looked a little funny in a goose-yellow dress and a pink velvet hat. ¡°Reverend Bruce, are you from London?¡± She deliberately clamped her throat and made a little girl-like shrill voice. Evan, on the other hand, continued to look gentle and polite, his demeanour unchanged, just like a true gentleman: ¡°Yes, I previously served in a small church in the suburbs of London.¡± His tone was warm and peaceful. Coupled with his natural good looks, the ladies around him became even more excited. Major Mel, a person who had served on the battlefield and a well-known figure in Delanlier, was very curious about this priest that seemed too young to be one. He heard what he said and couldn¡¯t help but interject, ¡°Reverend Bruce, which church did you serve in? I worked in London before I retired, maybe I went to this church?¡± Evan nodded lightly, ¡°It¡¯s just a small church. Major Mel might not know about it.¡± He didn¡¯t want to talk about his old story, because it was like a stranger¡¯s life and he really had nothing to say about it. Major Mel was a wise man so he stopped asking. When everyone had almost all arrived, Evan walked up to the altar and started his sermon. He had already prepared the sermon so the preaching could be considered to be quite smooth and without accident. Evan though his face looked calm, Evan¡¯s heart was not calm. Duke Wilson did not come. The faithful believer of God, as Mrs Sanders had praised him, didn¡¯t show up at Evan¡¯s first sermon when almost all the people in town had showed up. But everyone looked as they should, no one asked questions nor whispered. This is a phenomenon that¡¯s incomprehensible to a group of faithful Protestants. Evan is very aware of how influential religion is on the people of this era, and a peculiar existence like Duke Wilson made him realize that this world was not as simple as he¡¯d imagined it to be. After the sermon ended, Mrs Lawrence walked up to Evan. Mrs Lawrence was a very thin lady and not very beautiful. Her thin lips and high cheekbones made her look a bit mean. She also carried herself with indescribable restraint. She raised her chin with a hint of pride in her eyes. ¡°Reverend Bruce, please allow me to sincerely invite you to a welcome banquet that will be held for you at my home, Woodwich Cottage, at seven o¡¯clock this evening. Please be there.¡± She gently stroked the satchel in her hand. Evan could see that it was the newest and most popular style in London that year. ¡°I¡¯m very honored to have been given this opportunity, I will definitely attend.¡± Evan said warmly, appearing to be modest but not too humble. Mrs Lawrence nodded with satisfaction and left with Mr Lawrence, who looked a little tired. After that, Evan dealt with a few ladies with lustful eyes, fortunately they were all traditional British ladies. Although they were eager to make a move on Evan, they could not be rude. Evan responded in the appropriate manner and they all left. People in small towns are polite and reserved, quite good at reacting properly to strangers. After Evan sent off the last member, he returned to the church again. Mrs Sanders was kneeling in front of the statue of Virgin Mary, praying. Evan walked up to her slowly and looked at the merciful Virgin Mary in front of him, but there was a hint of coldness in his eyes. ¡°Have the worshippers gone?¡±, Mrs Sanders suddenly spoke. Evan subconsciously changed his look to a gentle one and said warmly, ¡°They have all left.¡± After speaking, the expression in his eyes changed and he said, ¡°However, I didn¡¯t see the duke today.¡± Mrs Sanders ended her prayers with a chant of Hail Mary. ¡°Lord Duke usually doesn¡¯t come to church, except for weekend services. You¡¯ll find out later, Reverend Bruce.¡± Mrs Sanders stood up and with a cold light in her eyes, looked straight into Evan¡¯s eyes. Evan suddenly smiled, and the bright sunlight shone on him through the windows of the church, making him look like his whole body was glowing with holy light. ¡°I see, thank you for mentioning it.¡± Mrs Sanders nodded stiffly, lifted her skirt and left. Evan stayed in the church all day to deal with the account books left by the previous priest. Delanlier is a prosperous town, so the donations made to the church were quite abundant, especially from Duke Wilson who, like Mrs Sanders described, was very generous. Because of the many donations, dealing with the account books was complicated. All morning, Evan had been checking the account ledgers with the deacon who was in charge of the finances of the church. It was only in the afternoon that Evan finished sorting out his work. It was already six o¡¯clock by then and it was almost time for Mrs Lawrence¡¯s banquet. Evan looked at his pocket watch, looked at the deacon and said, ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s getting late. Let¡¯s end here today.¡± All the officials sighed with relief, said their goodbyes to Evan one by one and left the church. Evan was the last to leave the church. He arranged and put away the account ledgers properly, checked to see if there were still people in the church and left the church. Evan returned to the parsonage, where Tom was waiting at the door. ¡± Reverend Bruce, Mrs Lawrence called an hour ago.¡± Evan stopped and turned to look at Tom, ¡°What did she say?¡± Tom said, ¡°Mrs Lawrence said that you must be in formal wear for the dinner, that the duke would likely be there.¡± Evan¡¯s whole body became tense and he looked at Tom with surprise. It took a while for him to find his voice. ¡°The duke will be there?¡± Evan¡¯s voice was a little hoarse. Tom looked at Evan strangely and nodded, ¡°Yes, the duke does not often appear at such occasions but Mr Lawrence is a member of the town council and has a good relationship with the Duke, so¡­.¡± Evan barely heard what Tom said, he was immersed in the joy of seeing the duke soon. This duke, who is almost omnipotent in the book, has a very extreme personality and warped views, but even so, he is the real protagonist in the book. Whether it is the white lotus-like heroine or other cannon fodder passersby, no one could trump his brilliance. Evan was excited when he read the book, but when he actually entered the book, he panicked. Because this world is not a very reasonable world, and all the ideas of justice do not make sense. The only reliable things were power and money. There was a smile in Evan¡¯s eyes. In this world, the only way to gain power is to get close to the duke. The duke whose personality was a bit lacking but was emotionally blank. CH 3 It was already dark when Evan got to Woodwich Manor*. Many people came to Woodwich Manor including the town¡¯s Sheriff and doctor. When Evan got there, he was welcomed in all directions. The town¡¯s Sheriff, William Chandler, was a very tough-looking middle-aged man. When he saw Evan walk in, he gave Evan a strong pat on the shoulder and said, ¡°Reverend Bruce, welcome to Delanlier. If anyone tries to make trouble for you anytime, just come to me.¡± Evan liked Sheriff Chandler¡¯s straightforward character and nodded with a smile, ¡°Thank you for your hospitality, but I believe that Delanlier is a peaceful place.¡± ¡°Not always, Reverend Bruce,¡± Doctor Mark Hester interjected, ¡°Even in a place like Delanlier, there is discord.¡± Mark Hester is a middle-aged man with a calm expression and the most prestigious doctor in the town. The Hester family had settled in Delanlier since the generation of his father and Mark Hester is the most outstanding one in the Hester family. He graduated from the public Medical University and is now a respected doctor. But the interesting thing is that Doctor Hester was not as interested in his medical practice as he was interested in unsolved murders. But what Evan cared about was not the doctor¡¯s special interests but his identity. He is the father of the book¡¯s heroine, Alia Hester. ¡°Oh?¡± Evan raised the corners of his mouth, ¡°Does Dr. Hester have a different opinion?¡± Dr. Hester was about to answer, but the Sheriff stopped his words, ¡°Doctor, you worry too much. There is no such thing.¡± After speaking, he smiled at Evan with a little embarrassment, ¡°Our good doctor just likes to have wild thoughts.¡± Evan raised his eyebrows and pursed his lips. He smiled and didn¡¯t say anything but Dr. Hester opened his mouth in order to justify his words but he didn¡¯t speak in the end. He left with his glass of champagne and an annoyed look on his face. Evan walked into the living room while chatting with Sheriff Chandler, and he saw Mrs. Lawrence as soon as he entered. She was standing by the fireplace in a gorgeous golden dress. She was chatting with a young lady. The lady, who looked like she was in her 20s, was very beautiful. Her long curly brown hair was lightly tied up with a green hair band. She had dark green eyes, a slender body with delicate features. In Evan¡¯s opinion, this lady is the most beautiful lady he has seen since he got to Delanlier. Seein Evan walk in, Mrs Lawrence immediately walked over. ¡°Reverend Bruce, welcome.¡± There was an obvious smirk on her face but she looked a little pale because of the large amount of powder on her face. Evan nodded gently, ¡°It¡¯s an honour to be here.¡± At this time, Mr Lawrence also came over, put an arm around Mrs Lawrence¡¯s waist, raised his glass at Evan with a smile and greeted warmly, ¡°Reverend Bruce.¡± ¡°Good evening, Mr Lawrence¡± Looking at Mr Lawrence¡¯s obvious disgust, Evan frowned slightly. Evan instantly became the centre of attention at the banquet because of the host¡¯s reception. All kinds of people came to greet him and exchange pleasantries. This is a closed town, everyone is curious about a stranger. The conversation opened up with the help of the alcohol. Eva felt dizzy having to deal with all the people of status in the whole town, from the local old-fashioned gentlemen to the up and coming lawyers and doctors. The duke did not until halfway through the banquet. Evan¡¯s expression gradually turned cold, he stood alone in the corner, trying to avoid the crowd. At this moment, the beautiful lady who had been speaking to Mrs Lawrence walked up to Evan and greeted warmly, ¡°Hello, Reverend Bruce.¡± Evan was a little surprised, but he nodded politely, ¡°Hello.¡± An unmarried and educated lady would not take the initiative to chat with a gentleman so her behaviour was a little unexpected. ¡°I¡¯m Alia Hester. I see that you have met my father.¡± Alia smiled softly. Evan¡¯s expression stiffened. Alia Hester, the book¡¯s heroine, the hopeless white lotus, behaves out of norm which fascinated the duke. She is also Evan¡¯s biggest hurdle. ¡°Miss Hester, hello.¡± Evan still smiled in a restrained way. Alia¡¯s expression became a little cramped, ¡°Reverend Bruce, I¡­.. Can I¡­¡± Evan looked at her with a gentle expression, looking at her with his most attractive gesture. His handsome facial features were almost sparkling under the ambient light. ¡°Miss Hester, God will listen to all your petitions, and you don¡¯t have to be shy in front of me.¡± Evan was still dressed as a priest, his appearance was too deceptive so when he said this, he was very persuasive. ¡°Reverend Bruce, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to talk, it¡¯s just that some things are too hard to talk about. You should have met Mrs Lawrence. I have a marriage contract with her son, John, but¡­. But the character of the Lawrence family is really too unacceptable. So I want to beg you, can you speak to my father? I¡­. really can¡¯t¡­¡­accept¡­ ¡± Alia looked at Evan with great pain like a lamb waiting for redemption. Evan couldn¡¯t help but feel a little ridiculous, asking for help from a total stranger was really in line with the heroine¡¯s character, but he still solemnly said,¡± Miss Hester, this matter is between your family and the Lawrence family. I am a servant of the Lord and I don¡¯t have the right to ask about these things but I promise you that once an opportunity presents itself, I will definitely speak to Dr. Hester.¡± Alia bit her lips trying to hold back her tears, she whispered,¡± Thank you, Reverend Bruce, thank you.¡± The look in Evan¡¯s eyes sank as he watched Alia walk away. When she mentioned it, he suddenly remembered that the heroine did have a fianc¨¦ before but everyone who went against the protagonist did not have a good end and the fianc¨¦ was also one of the common cannon fodders. Evan continued drinking the glass of sherry. It¡¯s unclear when it started but people have agreed that a priest¡¯s favourite wine should be sherry. As soon as Evan came in, many people had offered him sherry and he could not refuse by the time the glass of sherry was put in his hands. Eva usually doesn¡¯t drink much but he really drank too much sherry and he was already feeling a little dizzy. At this moment, there was a joyful cheer coming from the doorway, ¡°Master, Madam, Master John is back and the duke is with him too.¡± Mrs Lawrence almost jumped up from the sofa and there was a flash of joy on Mr Lawrence¡¯s face, he said loudly, ¡°Guests, please stay where you are.¡± After that, he walked to the door hurriedly with Mrs Lawrence. Evan stood in the shadow of a pillar and the dim light reflected his slender shadow. He looked in the direction of the door with a look of interest. A few minutes later, someone walked in through the courtyard and Mr Lawrence and his wife were leading the way. The two were almost beaming and leading the way like the most humble servants. Duke Wilson followed behind the both of them. He was only 26 or 27 years old. He had a slender figure with short black hair that was smooth and looked elegant. His features were both handsome and delicate, his light brown eyes were deep and cold. He was wearing a haute couture dark-patterned four-piece suit with a black cashmere coat. He walked in slowly from the courtyard but it looked as if he was standing on the clouds and everyone had to look up at him. All the ladies and gentlemen bowed and saluted, Evan was no exception, but his eyes kept staring at the duke like a hound that had found its prey. The Duke did not notice Evan¡¯s gaze, as he raised his hand gracefully, avoiding people¡¯s etiquette and said warmly, ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, do not stop your merriment because of my arrival, please continue.¡± His words were like a spell, breaking the solemn atmosphere. The living room, which originally had been as quiet as a tomb, suddenly became loud. Many people walked up to the duke to chat with him and kiss his fingers. And the duke was truly like a benevolent nobleman, chatting with the people around him without a trace of impatience. If Evan had not seen his cold eyes, maybe he would have also been deceived by his appearance. It seems that this Duke is not only a powerful person but also a person with deep scheming. Everyone present, no matter who, was deceived by the duke. Just as Evan was observing, the duke suddenly spoke again, ¡°I heard that this banquet is to welcome the new priest, so where is this venerable servant of the Lord?¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes turned to Evan. Evan felt uncomfortable for a moment but he immediately put on a gentle smile the next moment, walked slowly to the duke and nodded slightly, ¡°Lord Duke.¡± Looking at Evan, Duke Wilson seemed a little surprised at his age but he immediately put away the expression and said with a smile, ¡°Welcome to Delanlier, I hope you can find real peace here.¡± Evan looked at his handsome face and slender figure and suddenly felt that he had made the right decision. Such a stunning person should not belong to others but should belong to himself. ¡°It¡¯s my honour to serve God here.¡± Evan¡¯s expression was humble and sincere. Duke Wilson nodded with great satisfaction and without saying anymore, he turned to talk to Mrs Lawrence, who was standing next to him, about her youngest son. John is a young man in his twenties who looks three-thirds like his mother with high cheekbones and thin lips, making him look cold and mean. He graduated from Cambridge University. Standing proudly beside Duke Wilson, there was a hint of pride in his eyes. Evan stood by the side and felt a little funny. He wondered if the young man would be able to laugh if he knew how his life would end in the future. CH 4 Of course, John wouldn¡¯t know his end and he was busy talking to the duke about his work. As a duke¡¯s secretary, even graduating from Cambridge is a great honour. ¡°Edward likes John very much. Mr Lawrence, you have a good son.¡± The smile on the duke¡¯s face was a little fake. Edward is the only son of Duke Wilson. The Duchess died three years ago, leaving a son who is six years old this year. Mr Lawrence was very excited and immediately said, ¡°It is a great honour to be favoured by Lord Edward.¡± Duke Wilson nodded lightly but his eyes did not waver at all. Evan stood on the side with a bit of interest in his eyes. He had read in the original book that the duke valued his only son very much and the heroine also used the child to get close to the duke. Evan glanced at Alia who was seated in the corner. She was not involved with the duke yet. Evan twitched his lips slightly, and she would never be involved with the duke again. ¡°Lord Duke.¡± Just when Duke Wilson was getting impatient and was about to leave, Evan said, ¡°I just read the accounts of the donations to the church. Thank you very much for your generous donations to the church. I wonder if you have time recently. Please, allow me to come and pay my greetings for your generosity.¡± Duke Wilson looked at Evan with surprise. In his opinion, Evan, an overly young priest, was like all the priests he had previously met, quiet, calm and peaceful. He found that he was surprisingly a little uncomfortable with Evan¡¯s sudden speech. ¡°I¡¯m a believer of the Lord and these are things I should do. Reverend Bruce overrated me. But if Mr. Priest wants to visit, Cornwall Manor will always open its doors to the servant of the Lord and Reverend Bruce is welcome to visit at anytime.¡± The hesitation in Duke Wilson¡¯s eyes was fleeting and he soon turned into the well-bred nobleman from before. Evan slightly hooked the corners of his lips and nodded. Duke Wilson finally left the banquet ahead of schedule. With his status, he doesn¡¯t have to stay in this kind of place too long. It¡¯s God¡¯s blessing for him to show his face. The Lawrence couple sent the duke out as though they were sending off their king. When they came back, the smiles on their faces didn¡¯t lessen. They were like butterflies among flowers leading John, who stayed behind, around to talk to the figures of status in town. Evan was also fortunate enough to have a few words with them. As a priest, he was considered a gentleman in this small town. From Evan¡¯s point of view, Mr Lawrence and his wife really doted on John, especially Mrs Lawrence, who praised John to the skies and beyond. Her words were so full of pride and intimacy that Evan had goosebumps, but she felt proud to tell Evan about John¡¯s glorious history. In the end, Mr Lawrence couldn¡¯t take it any more and quickly stopped his wife¡¯s exaggerated remarks. ¡°Okay dear, I don¡¯t think Reverend Bruce has eaten yet,¡± Mr Lawrence said with a smile. Only then did Mrs Lawrence realise her gaffe, smiled and led John to other people to continue bragging about him. The protagonist of the matter, John, was indifferent from beginning to the end. Even in front of Evan, he raised his head arrogantly. Evan just sneered looking at his back. Such a person is only worthy of being a cannon fodder. Evan has no intention of saving him from the disaster. He feels that there is no need to do that, and even if it is necessary, he has no time to. The only thing he can think about is how to survive in this chaotic world or at least, make his survival a little more comfortable. It was very late by the time the banquet ended. Sheriff Chandler had too much to drink and was already a little drunk. Evan¡¯s parsonage was in the same direction as the sheriff¡¯s house. The sheriff¡¯s wife was a weak woman, she could not move the tall and big sheriff at all, so Evan, as a good priest, had to take on the heavy responsibility of sending the sheriff home. Fortunately, no one miscalculated the weight of the drunk sheriff, who was six feet three inches tall ad weighed more than two hundred pounds. The Lawrence couple sent one of their servants to help Evan in sending the sheriff home. This servant happened to be John¡¯s manservant. Evan¡¯s impatient heart calmed down and he began to calculate quickly in his heart. John is the secretary of the duke. The one who knows a lot of information about the duke is probably this secretary and as the servant of the secretary, he should also know a lot. Evan and the manservant helped the sheriff into the carriage, the worried Mrs Chandler drove in front while Evan and the servant sat in the back. Evan has a very captivating face, coupled with respected profession, he takes advantage of this when he wants to get closer to someone. Evan was just saying a few words of nonsense from the New Testament of the Bible and this devout Protestant took Evan¡¯s words to heart. ¡°Reverend Bruce, I want to confess to you.¡± The servant suddenly said, after they had sent the sheriff home. Evan looked at the dark night around him and couldn¡¯t help but hesitate. ¡°At this time, the door of the confession room would have been locked. Come over to the church tomorrow.¡± Even though Evan would immediately like to listen to what the servant had to say, he could not break the rules at this time. With a sad face, the servant shook his head,¡± Reverend, please don¡¯t mind this, I want to make my confession to you here. You¡¯re right, God created us and his mercy is enough to forgive us for all our mistakes.¡± Evan was a little surprised, he couldn¡¯t stop the devil in his heart and he nodded, ¡°Since you asked for this, then I¡¯ll make an exception for you.¡± Evan took the servant to the church and the night watchman had already fallen asleep. Evan took him to the living room at the back of the church, poured him a glass of brandy, gave a sign of the cross and said in a low voice, ¡°Okay, lost lamb, you can start your confession.¡± ¡°I¡­¡­.My name is Jimmy, and the last time I went for confession was¡­¡­six months ago.¡± Jimmy stammered, obviously nervous. ¡°Jimmy, what have you done?¡± Evan looked calm. Jimmy raised his hand and rubbed his face, with a little panic in his eyes, ¡°I¡­I¡¯m guilty of lying.¡± Evan felt a little dejected for a while. This was too innocent. If cheating was a sin, he should have gone to hell a long time ago. ¡°Jimmy, the Lord will forgive your guilt.¡± Although Evan was disappointed in his heart, he still had a kind expression on his face. Under the dim lights, it seemed like his blue eyes had the power to see into a person¡¯s heart. Jimmy trembled for a while, he shook the glass of brandy in his hand, lowered his head and muttered, ¡°You see, Mr Reverend, it¡¯s like this. I¡¯m more than guilty. My master, Master John, he smokes opium. He told me to hide this from Mr Lawrence and steal money from Mr Lawrence. I¡­really don¡¯t know what to do, Mr Reverend.¡± Evan¡¯s eyes suddenly widened. He didn¡¯t expect to dig up such exciting news. John Lawrence smokes opium. Evan¡¯s eyes flashed. No wonder he became cannon fodder in the end. ¡°Jimmy,¡± Evan reached out and took Jimmy¡¯s trembling hands, ¡°The merciful Lord will seize every opportunity to bring back His lost lamb. You¡¯re guilty of lying but as long as you are ready to repent, the Lord will forgive you and your soul can be saved.¡± Evan looked at Jimmy with sincerity, but his heart was stirring. This matter wasn¡¯t mentioned in the original book. If he reveals this, he really doesn¡¯t know what the scene would look like. Jimmy looked at Evan with fear in his eyes and quickly took his hands out of Evan¡¯s hands, ¡°No¡­¡­I can¡¯t do this. If I reveal this to the master, Master John would dismiss me. I have an old man and children at home, I can¡¯t lose this job.¡± Evan curved his mouth slightly, ¡°Jimmy, don¡¯t worry, John is a sensible child. He will know that you¡¯re doing this for his own good and he won¡¯t blame you. Even if he asks you to quit, the church needs a night watchman, you can come anytime.¡± When he heard this, Jimmy¡¯s eyes had an excited look. Everyone knows that church¡¯s night watchman is a very profitable job, at least better than being a servant and provides more money. ¡± But, Reverend Bruce, ¡± Jimmy licked his dry lips with some hesitation, ¡°is what you said true?¡± Evan slightly hooked the corners of his mouth. He knew in his heart that the matter had reached a decision. ¡°I¡¯m a servant of the Lord, how can I lie?¡± Jimmy heaved a sigh of relief. The clergy of this period of time were still very credible. Evan sent out the worried Jimmy and returned to the church. But when he passed the prayer hall, he found Mrs Sanders kneeling and weeping in front of the Virgin Mary. Evan quietly stopped but Mrs Sanders discovered his presence first, she wiped her face quickly and coldly said, ¡°Reverend Bruce, why are you still in the church this late?¡± There were still tears on her face. The normally serious look seemed a bit desolate this time. She was still in her long dinner gown. The dark purple dress was just like herself, monotonous and rigid without the slightest attraction. Evan came out of the shadows with an amiable smile on his face, and whispered, ¡°Mrs Sanders.¡± At tonight¡¯s dinner, he had also paid attention to the whereabouts of Mrs Sanders. She didn¡¯t seem to be close to the people of the town. All night, she stood alone in a corner, coldly watching everything, without the slightest intention of speaking to anyone. ¡°I just sent away a repentant believer.¡± Evan replied with a smile. Mrs Sanders had completely recovered her usual cold appearance. She sternly looked at Evan and solemnly said, ¡°The confession room is locked. How can Reverend Bruce behave in such a foolish way?¡± Evan smiled bitterly, ¡°I can¡¯t refuse a lost lamb because the confession room is locked. I¡¯m so sorry, Mrs Sanders.¡± Looking at Evan¡¯s sincere eyes, Mrs Sanders couldn¡¯t help but be moved, softening her cold expression. She sighed softly and said in a low voice, ¡°Reverend Bruce, let¡¯s not do this again.¡± Evan smiled calmly but there was suddenly a bit of interest in his heart. He thought that he might have finally found the weakness of the rigid Mrs Sanders. There were only two reasons for a woman to cry in front of the Virgin Mary, either because of the gospel or because of her child. A person like Mrs Sanders is obviously not the kind of person who can be touched by the gospel, which means that she once had children. The reason he says ¡®had¡¯ is because the current Mrs Sanders doesn¡¯t have children and her husband has been dead for over twenty years and they didn¡¯t have children. It¡¯s really interesting that Mrs Sanders, who is almost comparable to Joan of Arc, has an illegitimate child. Today is like Christmas for Evan. The dark side of the town is finally slowly unfolding in front of Evan. CH 5 Evan and Mrs Sanders went on a visit to the duke¡¯s house early the next morning. Evan didn¡¯t want to wait until after the duke had forgotten about the promise to come and make a fool of himself. He just wants to deepen Duke Wilson¡¯s impression of himself while the duke has not forgotten about the matter. Cornwall Manor is Delanlier¡¯s largest, no, it should be said to be the largest Manor in the whole of Yorkshire. There was an endless amount of land around the Manor with tenants numbering in the thousands. The main castle is as luxurious as a King¡¯s castle. Cornwall Manor is a legend in Delanlier, with it being the pride and spiritual support of the residents of Delanlier. Evan was walking in the garden of Cornwall Manor surrounded by fragrant scents. The roses in the garden were as bright as the sun, and the castle walls exuded a classical and elegant atmosphere underneath the sunlight. Evan squinted at the scene. Before he came to this world, he also had money and status but it had not been like that of the duke. This kind of power and status was something completely imaginary for Evan before this. Suddenly, there was a bit of eagerness in his eyes. If it had just been a vague concept before, then at this moment, it had become a firm thought. He covets this Duke and the power he has, he must not let these fall into the hands of others. Evan and Mrs Sanders were shown into the living room by the butler of the Cornwall estates. The duke was currently in a meeting with his lawyers and he would come down to see them in an hour. Evan¡¯s mood was a little annoyed but Mrs Sanders just sat quietly on the sofa, sipping the black tea served by the butler. Evan sat for a while, feeling a little bored. It seemed to him that anyone who spent more than 5 minutes with Mrs Sanders would become really bored. Evan stood up and the butler hurriedly stepped forward to ask him if he needed anything. Evan shook his head, ¡°I just want to go outside for a walk.¡± With some embarrassment, the butler looked at Mrs Sanders but she still looked down at the teacup in her hand, unaware of the butler¡¯s gaze. Evan looked at the butler with a soft but firm smile and the butler could only bow his head in the end. Evan left the living room and finally felt relieved. The cold scene just now made him a little short of breath. Evan walked along the garden in front of the castle towards the lake. He walked to the lake and sat down surrounded by the scent of fresh water. Evan has liked the water since his last life. Swimming is as simple as breathing for him but when he came to this place and became a priest, he had to say goodbye to this hobby of his. Fishing was still possible but swimming was not. Suddenly at this moment, there was a sound of someone falling into the water from the other end of the lake and Evan jumped up alertly. He looked in the direction of the sound but only saw a pair of hands struggling in the water. Evan ran over quickly only to find the heroine, Alia, standing there at a loss. Evan suddenly realised who the person that fell into the lake was. It was the only son of Duke Wilson, Lord Edward. In the book, he had fallen into the water and had been rescued by the heroine. It was after this that the duke became interested in the heroine until the latter¡¯s love became deeply rooted in his heart. This thought flashed quickly through Evan¡¯s mind, but in reality, he hardly paused. In front of Alia, who was still shocked, he dove into the lake. The place where little Edward was drowning was not far from the shore and Evan only swam a few strokes before he reached him. In the lake, Evan was like a duck in water. He picked up little Edward with one hand. Perhaps because of fear, even though Evan had already picked up little Edward, he was still struggling and almost breaking away from Evan¡¯s embrace. But Evan was not soft at this time, he hit the back of Edward¡¯s neck with one hand, knocking him out and then started paddling towards the lake¡¯s shore. He swan to the shore with a look of all-out effort on his face. Fortunately, Alia quickly came out of her shock. She had quickly run into the castle to call someone to help. The butler, Chris, ran fast in the front, followed by a few servants and the duke also ran towards the lake in shock. As he ran over, Evan invisibly hooked the corners of his mouth (again!) and pretended to be too weak to support little Edward, almost sinking into the lake. Evan relaxed his body, the warm lake water made him feel very comfortable. But after a little while, someone jumped into the lake, his shoulders were grabbed tightly and he was dragged towards the water surface. Evan struggled lightly but someone grabbed the back of his neck and raised him directly to the surface. Fresh air instantly poured into his nose and he was dragged to the shore. Someone roughly squeezed his chest, trying to squeeze out the water out of his nose and mouth but Evan didn¡¯t drown at all so there was no water to be squeezed out. Fortunately Dr. Hester, Alia¡¯s father, was a sensible man and he quickly said, ¡°Reverend Bruce may be exhausted. Quickly pick him up and pat him on the back.¡± Evan was helped up and roughly patted on the back. Evan finally opened his eyes after coughing a few times. He saw little Edward lying in the duke¡¯s arms. At this time, Duke Wilson had completely lost his previous arrogance and indifference. Dr. Hester wiped the water from Lord Edward¡¯s face. This child is a very beautiful child, with curly black hair, delicate facial features, white skin and red lips, just like a doll. At this time, his curly hair, because of the water, was wet against his pale little face and he looked pitiful. ¡°The water in the Lord¡¯s chest has been squeezed out so it should be alright now.¡± Dr. Hester¡¯s face looked a little unsightly. Edward had almost drowned while he was with Alia and he blamed her. Duke Wilson¡¯s expression softened when he heard this. He stood up with Edward in his arms and gave Evan, who was being helped up by Mrs Sanders, a nod and said, ¡°Reverend Bruce, I don¡¯t know how to express my gratitude for your heroism today. You will be considered a friend of Charles Krist from now on and you will be the most honoured guest at Cornwall Manor anytime.¡± After he finished speaking, he turned his face to look at the worried Alia and his expression turned cold,¡± Doctor Hester, please do not bring Miss Alia when you come to Cornwall Manor from now on. I don¡¯t want to see her again in the future.¡± The duke¡¯s words were really harsh and Dr. Hester couldn¡¯t help but shiver. Alia was feeling ashamed and didn¡¯t speak a word. Duke Wilson turned and walked away with little Edward in his arms. Evan stood unsteadily, looking at his slender back, a smile flashed in his eyes. So the duke¡¯s name was Charles. This word gently caressed Evan¡¯s lips and tongue with a hint of ambiguousness. Mrs Sanders didn¡¯t hear Evan¡¯s whisper, she just looked at Evan with some reproach and said with a stern tone, ¡°How can you be so reckless? Shouldn¡¯t you have gone in at that time to get someone to help? How can you risk your life like that?¡± Evan lowered his eyes and smiled, ¡°During such an emergency, how could I have thought of so many things? Lord Edward is only a child. If there had been a long delay in rescuing him, I¡¯m afraid that it would not have been good.¡± When Mrs Sanders heard this, the expression on her face became a little softer (it¡¯s like only Evan has the power to do this), but her words were still cold, ¡°If Reverend Bruce hadn¡¯t gone out to relax, this kind of thing wouldn¡¯t have happened. You should refrain from doing such superfluous things in the future.¡± Evan smiled helplessly, he brushed the wet blonde hair on his forehead and said warmly, ¡°You are right, I will not do this again. But I am soaked all over, let me change into clean clothes first.¡± As soon as Evan finished speaking, Butler Chris walked up to Evan¡¯s side with a few servants and said respectfully, ¡°Mr Reverend, please go inside and change into dry clothes.¡± Mrs Sanders looked at Butler Chris with some vigilance but this standard British butler didn¡¯t care about her thoughts. He let the two male servants support Evan and lead him into the castle. Mrs Sanders gave Butler Chris an annoyed look but she followed them inside. Butler Chris helped Evan to the guest room on the second floor and brought out a new outfit. Evan took a general look at the size and material of the clothes. He was sure that this was the duke¡¯s clothes but looking at it, it hasn¡¯t been worn and was completely new. Evan shook his head in disappointment and quickly changed his clothes. After Evan changed his clothes, he went downstairs. When he got to the living room, he found the duke sitting there with a glass of brandy in his hand. Evan paused slightly before stepping forward, ¡°Lord Duke.¡± Evan nodded slightly. When he heard his voice, Duke Wilson raised his head to look at him and there was a hint of confusion on his face. He seemed to finally see Evan¡¯s face clearly and muttered, ¡°Reverend Bruce.¡± Evan couldn¡¯t help squinting, his eyes wandering down Duke Wilson¡¯s handsome face. Perhaps because of the alcohol, there was a faint blush on his cheeks and his whole person showed a hint of drunkenness. This state was completely different from his usual abstinent appearance. Evan suddenly felt a commotion growing in his heart. ¡°Mrs Sanders had left, Reverend Bruce, you can stay today. Edward is not feeling well right now, I want you to pray for him.¡± Duke Wilson quickly regained his sanity and returned to his usual indifferent expression. Evan slightly raised his eyebrows. This was not a very solemn appearance but there was an unusually harmonious beauty to his face. ¡°It is my duty, as long as I can help Lord Edward.¡± Since such a good thing was delivered to him, Evan naturally will not refuse. Duke Wilson nodded with a hint of indifference in his expression. Because of his high status, people only wanted to please him so Reverend Bruce¡¯s response did not exceed his expectations. But his performance really dazzled Evan¡¯s eyes. He had never been so clearly aware of the power of the middle class in this era. CH 6 Evan stayed in Cornwall Manor that night and Dr. Hester also stayed. Little Edward suddenly a high fever in the middle of the night and he started saying nonsense. Evan didn¡¯t sleep almost all through the night and so did the duke. He was in a state of disarray by Edward¡¯s bed, exuding a gloomy aura. By the time the day dawned, Edward¡¯s fever had finally subsided. According to the medical conditions of this era, bloodletting* was generally adopted for cases of fever but Edward was only six years so there was a small episode and Dr. Hester didn¡¯t dare to do such a thing so his condition worsened for a while. Seeing Duke Wilson¡¯s dark face, that was comparable to the bottom of a pot, Dr. Hester was really worried. Fortunately, Evan still had some common medical knowledge. He immediately asked him to get a servant to bring cold water and apply cold compresses on Edward so he could cool down. There was some hesitation on his part at first but unable to come up with a better method of treatment, he could only let Evan do what he wanted. The Duke, on the other hand, was very open-minded. He had almost no doubts about Evan, so he ordered the butler to bring cold water. Of course, it could also be because he was very desperate. You must know that having fever in this era is a very serious matter, it could turn into pneumonia and lead to death. Seeing that Edward¡¯s face gradually turned rosy, Duke Wilson¡¯s face was no longer ugly. He glanced reproachfully at Dr. Hester and Dr. Hester shamefully lowered his head. ¡°Reverend Bruce, thank you very much for today.¡± Duke Wilson turned to look at Evan with grateful eyes. Evan smiled humbly, ¡°It is God¡¯s blessings that Lord Edward can get better.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s expression was stiff, he nodded reluctantly, drew a cross on his chest and said dryly, ¡°Praise the word of God.¡± Evan looked slightly funny, it seems that this legendary devout believer is not so devout after all. On the other hand, Dr. Hester pulled Evan aside with a look of interest and asked him where he had learned the treatment method. How could Evan tell him the truth? He had to answer perfunctorily that he heard it from a doctor by chance. Dr. Hester sighed, wishing he could immediately consult with this non-existent doctor. Evan got out of Dr. Hester¡¯s questioning with embarrassment and walked to Edward¡¯s bed. He was already awake at this time but his face still didn¡¯t look good. He was lying on his bed with his eyes half-closed. His face had no expression, completely inconsistent with his lovely appearance. Evan knew that Lord Edward¡¯s character was definitely not good. Even the heroine in the original book had to waste a lot of effort in order to get close to him, so he tried his best to gentle and gently whispered, ¡°How do you feel now, Lord Edward?¡± Edward glanced at Evan lazily with no expression on his face, ¡°Uncomfortable.¡± There was a hint of fatigue in his soft voice. Evan reached out and touched his forehead, and smiled softly, ¡°The fever had subsided, you will get better soon.¡± Looking at Edward, Duke Wilson frowned and said solemnly, ¡°Is there anyway to ease his pain?¡± Evan¡¯s outstretched hand paused slightly, and then smiled, ¡°Lord Edward sweated a lot tonight. As long as you use the water appropriately, he will slowly get better.¡± Being sick is a serious matter. If he knew how to ease the pain of the sick, he would not need to be a priest. Duke Wilson nodded solemnly, turned his head to give Butler Chris some instructions and then he looked a little stiffly at Edward who had woken up, and said coldly, ¡°It is thanks to Reverend Bruce that you were saved this time. Don¡¯t do these dangerous things again.¡± Evan was a little surprised. The current Duke Wilson is completely different from the worried father from before. Is this the way the father and son got along? Edward seemed to have gotten used to this way of getting along, he just nodded slightly and said thank you to Evan again. Evan smiled and nodded but didn¡¯t say much. It seems that he can¡¯t intervene easily now. He still has to observe carefully. He remembers very clearly that the reason for the duke¡¯s blackening in the book was because of Edward¡¯s death. The child was born with a golden spoon** but his body was very weak. Later, because of the unrest in Yorkshire, things also went wrong in Cornwall Manor. Not only did Lord Edward die, even the heroine was also injured. Duke Wilson was furious because of this and almost turned Delanlier upside down. The duke completely blackened and a slaughter occurred. Now that Lord Edward is out of danger, Evan had no reason to stay in Cornwall Manor. He didn¡¯t wait for others to chase him and he proposed to leave. ¡®I haven¡¯t done the morning announcement today, I have to go back to the church first.¡± Evan said to the duke. Duke Wilson nodded slightly and his attitude towards Evan was obviously different from his previous one, ¡°I have troubled Reverend Bruce.¡± After that he instructed Butler Chris to show him out in person. Butler Chris bowed and took the order. Evan left Cornwall Manor with the butler and Butler Chris was very dedicated in sending him outside the iron gate, which wax a treatment he did not have when he first came. Evan was very satisfied with this visit. He had successfully established a preliminary contact with Duke Wilson. How it will develop from now on depends on him. By the time Evan returned to the church, the morning prayers were done and Mrs Sanders was sitting in the living room reading a book while wearing a pair of reading glasses. Seeing Evan enter, she didn¡¯t have a good look on her face, ¡°Why are you just coming back now, Reverend Bruce? You¡¯re being too irresponsible.¡± Evan smiled bitterly, ¡°Lord Edward had a fever last night, the duke asked me to pray for him before his bed.¡± Mrs Sanders was shocked when she heard this and hurriedly stood up, ¡°A fever? How is Lord Edward now?¡± Seeing Mrs Sanders¡¯ anxious expression, Evan once again confirmed his inference. He had never seen Mrs Sanders commit such a gaffe, her concern for the child is proof of her motherhood. ¡°Lord Edward is alright. The fever subsided in the morning and he is much better now.¡± Hearing Evan¡¯s words, Mrs Sanders was obviously relieved, ¡°It is good that the fever has subsided. God bless him.¡± Because of this incident, Mrs Sanders¡¯ attitude towards Evan was obviously much better. She took a ledger from the table, pointed out a part to Evan and said, ¡°Reverend Bruce, there is something wrong with this account, the discrepancy is obvious. It is somewhat outrageous. A pound for an ounce of beef, I¡¯ve never heard of something so outrageous.¡± Evan frowned and took the ledger, he still didn¡¯t really expect that this would turn out to be true. There is a problem with the ledger which is completely unmentioned in the original book. Evan checked the accounts on each page one by one. The problem is not just one. Evan made an initial estimate that there is at least five or six hundred pounds missing. He doesn¡¯t know which crappy accountant made this ledger, it¡¯s simply outrageous. ¡°Where is the official in charge of the ledger?¡± Evan said solemnly. Mrs Sanders took off her glasses, rubbed the bridge of her nose tiredly and whispered, ¡°I just asked him. Before Reverend Ross left his office, the ledger was kept in his hands. Yes, he only took over a few days ago and he doesn¡¯t know the problem.¡± Evan closed the ledger, he roughly had an answer in his heart. ¡°Call the police, this matter is beyond our ability.¡± He must not carry the blame. Mrs Sanders looked at Evan in surprise, and raised her voice, ¡°Call the police?¡± Then she immediately realised her mistake and lowered her voice, ¡°How can the police know about this kind of thing? It will affect the image and reputation of the church.¡± Evan pondered over Mrs Sanders¡¯ statement, and then said, ¡°But there is such a big discrepancy, if we don¡¯t call the police, how can we fill up the loophole? Even if it is to maintain the church¡¯s reputation, this should be reported to the church and we¡¯ll let the bishop make a decision.¡± Mrs Sanders paused and said, ¡°I know what you think. You must think it was Reverend Ross but I can tell you that he was the most upright and noble priest I have ever met. He couldn¡¯t do these things. He must have been deceived. Before it is clear, we can¡¯t just destroy his personal reputation. Why don¡¯t you think about this? From today, we will try our best to privately investigate the people and anything related to this matter. If nothing is found after a month, we will report to the church immediately and let the church make a decision.¡± Evan felt a little nervous but he could not directly reject Mrs Sanders¡¯ request. After communicating with Mrs Sanders about the accounts of the church, Evan was deeply worried. This incident was completely beyond his expectations. He was afraid that some kind of accident would occur, which would lead to a change in the information he had of this world. But this worry did not last for long because he was hit by an even more shocking news at this time. Evan had just finished his prayers that morning when Sheriff Chandler suddenly came to the church. The relationship between him and Evan had grown closer since the time he was sent home by Evan after he had gotten drunk. ¡°Reverend Bruce, His Excellency the Duke will also be present at this fireworks festival. Please pay more attention when the time comes.¡± The inappropriately dressed sheriff carelessly said. ¡°Fireworks festival?¡± Evan looked at Sheriff Chandler with some doubt, he had never heard of this. ¡°Oh, didn¡¯t you know?¡± Sheriff Chandler looked at Evan with surprise, ¡°I thought I had already told you.¡± Sheriff Chandler smiled with embarrassment and then started to explain the specific situation of this festival to Evan. This is an old tradition in Delanlier. On the day spring begins, a fireworks festival is held to celebrate the arrival of spring and hope for a bumper harvest in the coming year. As the priest of Delanlier, Evan plays a very important role in this process because he will need to preside over the festival from beginning to the end. Evan listened to Sheriff Chandler¡¯s description and his whole person nearly collapsed. He has never had any experience in this area nor has he made any preparations for it. What was even more frustrating was that there were only three days left. Only three days left to prepare for the fireworks festival. CH 7 Ever since he found out about the fireworks festival, Evan has been in a state of anxiety. He also tried hard to recall the description of the fireworks festival in the original book but regarding this, he only remembered vaguely that the heroine was there. There was a brief conversation with the male protagonist at the festival but the focus was completely placed on the relationship between the male and female protagonists, and the process of how the fireworks festival was held was not described at all. So, this is a complete blind spot for Evan. In order to complete this festival in a better way, Evan read through some of the records of the previous priests on this issue. He spent a whole day reading in order to get a general idea of the complete process. Only then did he have some confidence in his heart, Mrs Sanders also contributed a lot to this. Evan had promised to conceal the matter about the previous priest which increased the admiration she had for Evan. No matter how anxious Evan was, the day of the fireworks festival still arrived at the right time. This was the carnival of the town of Delanlier. All the land tenants put down their farming tools, all the gentlemen and people of status also let go of their restraints and gathered together at a vacant lot in the northern part of Delanlier. Of course, the gentlemen and people of status all had viewing platforms with the best viewing angle built for them. They held their delicate and slender telescopes, elegantly watching the fireworks bloom in the sky. While the commoners had to huddle together, stretching out their necks and almost breaking them while looking at the sky. Evan, wearing a solemn priest¡¯s attire, stood in the centre of the open space. Following the usual procedure, they prayed first, thanking God for his blessings and Evan then gave his opening remarks. Although Evan is not the best orator, he is the best actor. His emotional words gave his lacking speech some flavor and there was a desirable response. Evan, breathing a sigh of relief, announced the start of the fireworks festival and his task was finally completed. Evan returned to the viewing platform and the seat reserved for him was right next to the seat of one of the town¡¯s lawyers, Mr. Johnson. Mr. Johnson was a gentle middle-aged man. He fit the standards of the gentleman of this era, neatly dressed, sophisticated, well behaved and restrained in his speech. ¡°Reverend Bruce, that was a perfect speech.¡± Mr Johnson said with a smile. Evan touched the button on his sleeve and said a few words of humility. After that, he deliberately started a conversation with Mr Johnson. Mr Johnson was not just a lawyer in the small town but he is also the lawyer of Delanlier¡¯s church who has been recognized by the church. Evan felt that the lawyer should not know anything about the problems the church had with the accounts at this time. He had a few words with Mr Johnson about lease of several lands owned by the church and he suddenly discovered that the church had quite a lot of assets. There was a lot of harvest and this made Evan relieved, at least he didn¡¯t have to worry about the church¡¯s food now. Apart from this, no matter how Evan tried to ask questions about the accounts, the good lawyer would not answer. He either gave vague answers or just avoided talking about it. This piqued Evan¡¯s curiosity. Is this lawyer really related to this case? Evan looked at the lawyer from head to toe, he was dressed so perfectly that he dispelled the idea that the lawyer might be a thief. People in this era valued their reputation very much. Mr Johnson was not poor, it was impossible for him to steal so much money from the church¡¯s finances. But Evan is very sure that this Mr Johnson knows something about the matter. Before Evan could inquire further, Duke Wilson arrived. His arrival this time was not as flamboyant as the last time. He quietly walked to the main viewing platform. Only a few gentlemen and ladies in the main viewing platform noticed his arrival, including Evan of course. But Evan didn¡¯t walk up to him like those group of people. He waited until they had all finished with their greetings before walking up. ¡°Lord Duke,¡± Evan nodded slightly, ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Duke Wilson glanced at Evan and his impatient expression softened a bit. ¡°Reverend Bruce, I¡¯m very sorry I missed your opening speech.¡± Evan smiled awkwardly, ¡°You didn¡¯t actually miss anything important.¡± Duke Wilson couldn¡¯t help laughing, ¡°Reverend, how can you be so humble? I¡¯m sure it wasn¡¯t so bad.¡± Evan had never seen Duke Wilson smile before, but he smiled this time and the change on his normally cold face was like spring water breaking through ice and Evan was a little stunned. Duke Wilson also noticed his gaffe and quickly restrained his smile, he coughed lightly and said, ¡°By the way, can I ask you to pay a visit to Cornwall Manor tomorrow? Last time, I didn¡¯t have time to thank you for rescuing Edward so please pay a visit this time so I can.¡± Evan was secretly rejoicing, it seemed that his previous actions have started yielding results. ¡°I just did what anyone with a conscience would do. Lord Duke doesn¡¯t need to be so polite.¡± No matter how joyful Evan felt, he still looked like a gentleman. Sure enough, there was a flash of admiration in the duke¡¯s eyes. He smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re too modest. I can guarantee that few people of those present can do such an heroic act like you did.¡± A trace of disdain flashed in Duke Wilson¡¯s eyes as he looked around. He turned and said, ¡°Besides, my invitation this time is not just for this matter, I have other considerations. So, no matter what, please come.¡± There was a hint of hesitation in Evan¡¯s eyes but he finally nodded. It was only when the duke turned his head that a hint of joy showed in Evan¡¯s eyes. Although Duke Wilson¡¯s three views became problematic in the later parts of the book, he was still an easy person to get along with in the early stage. Evan said a few more words to the duke and finally even sat down beside the duke. The people around watched this scene with astonishment. It was strange that a priest, who had only been around for less than two weeks, could become so familiar with the duke. At the same time that this raised questions, the story that Evan had rescued Lord Edward also spread and everyone enviously looked at Reverend Bruce and felt he was lucky. Although these people made it seem like what Evan did was no big deal, they would not have had an easy time dealing with such a situation. It was very late by the time the festival ended. It was unusual but the duke stayed till the end. Evan escorted him to his carriage and was just about to say his goodbyes to the duke when the duke unexpectedly invited him into his carriage and proposed that Evan leave with him. This came as a pleasant surprise to Evan. He refused at first but later accepted the offer. Duke Wilson¡¯s carriage is very spacious with a simple interior, lowkey and luxurious with the colors black and gold. On the way from the venue to the parsonage, Evan and the duke talked a lot about literature. Although Evan had been a playboy in his previous life, ha had learnt everything a rich second generation should learn. He didn¡¯t act timid before the duke. By the time Evan was about to alight from the carriage, even Duke Wilson was surprised, ¡°Reverend Bruce, I really didn¡¯t expect that you would have read such a wide range of books. I thought¡­..¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s tone became a little hesitant. Evan blinked, ¡°Do you think I only read books on religious studies?¡± Duke Wilson coughed awkwardly but Evan just smiled, ¡°Lord Duke, you must know that even Jesus was a learned person. When I was at Oxford, my classmates were quite knowledgeable.¡± It just so happened that Evan and the original priest both graduated from Oxford University. Duke Wilson raised his eyebrows in surprise, ¡°You also studied at Oxford? I don¡¯t recall ever seeing you.¡± Evan knew that this would arouse the duke¡¯s curiosity. You must know that in the original book, Duke Wilson said that his time at Oxford was filled with fond memories. ¡°I studied in the seminary and I was two levels below you. Naturally, you wouldn¡¯t have met me.¡± Evan said with a smile. Duke Wilson looked at Evan with more fondness in his expression. Anyone who sees this would think that they were old friends who hadn¡¯t seen each other in a long time. Who would think that they have only known each other for less than two weeks. Evan got down from the duke¡¯s carriage with Duke Wilson bidding him a sincere farewell. But Evan didn¡¯t go in immediately, he stood at the door of the house quietly watching the duke¡¯s carriage go until it was out of his sight, only then did he go in. Human feelings are like this. No matter how deep they get, they are accumulated bit by bit from the beginning. Evan had an indescribable affection for the duke, naturally he will not miss such a good opportunity to show his hospitality. Evan was really exhausted that night. Not only had he suffered mentally he had also lost his pocket watch and he hadn¡¯t noticed that he¡¯d lost it till he got home. It was his manservant, Tom, that had pointed it out when he was helping him undress. But Evan didn¡¯t have the strength to agonise over this besides it was not a very valuable pocket watch. So when Tom wanted to call the police with indignation, Evan had stopped him, waving his hand to indicate that he didn¡¯t need to. He still had another pocket watch anyway. It was very popular among the gentlemen in Delanlier. Evan woke up a little late the next morning. He had just sat down at the dining table for breakfast when his servant, Tom ran in with his face pale like that of someone who had just seen a ghost. ¡°Reverend Bruce, Law¡­¡­.Mr Lawrence is dead.¡± Evan stood up in shock, the tableware in his hands dropped with a harsh sound which made Mrs Haydn complain. ¡°What did you say? Mr Lawrence is dead?!¡± Evan almost shouted ignoring Mrs Haydn¡¯s complaints. He really couldn¡¯t believe that the arrogant Mr Lawrence would die. He clearly remembered that Mr Lawrence had made the heroine¡¯s life uncomfortable later in the book. Tom¡¯s hands were shaking and he said stammering, ¡°It¡¯s true¡­ it¡¯s true, Reverend. I¡­I just met Jimmy, Mr Lawrence¡¯s manservant. He told me.¡± Jimmy? Evan had some doubts in his heart, ¡°Which Mr Lawrence are you talking about?¡± He asked with a frown. Tom became a little sluggish, looked at Evan blankly and murmured, ¡°Uh, yes, it¡¯s Mr John Lawrence.¡± Hearing this name, Evan couldn¡¯t help heaving a sigh of relief. It was just as good as the final result anyway. John was a cannon fodder, there was no difference between him dying earlier or later. ¡°I see.¡± Evan quickly calmed down, ¡°You go out and call a carriage. I¡¯ll go to the Lawrence¡¯s house in ten minutes.¡± After speaking, Evan went upstairs to change his clothes. John died but Tom didn¡¯t mention if it was a suicide, murder or an accident. But according to Evan¡¯s previous judgment on this young master, the possibility of it being a suicide was zero which meant that it was either a murder or an accident. And if Tom can be so shocked, it can only mean that it was a murder. Jimmy surely knows something otherwise he won¡¯t purposefully tell his manservant. A dark light flashed in Evan¡¯s eyes. This happened so suddenly. CH 8 When Evan arrived at Woolwich Manor (t/n: it looks like Woolwich is the correct word, not Woodwich) in a carriage, there were already many people gathered outside the house. Sheriff Chandler and several police officers had surrounded the entrance of the house and the neighbours stretched out their necks trying to look into the house hoping to see something. Sheriff Chandler saw Evan as soon as he alighted from the carriage, he walked straight towards Evan and said, ¡°Thank God you¡¯re finally here, I just sent a police officer to the church to invite you here. Quickly come in, Mrs Lawrence is completely hysterical.¡± Evan could imagine the massive blow this dealt to Mrs Lawrence, just a few days ago she had shown off her son, leading him around singing his praises. The pride had been indescribable but something like this happened today. It would be strange if Mrs Lawrence was indifferent about it. ¡°Sheriff, tell me what¡¯s going on first.¡± Evan asked while following Sheriff Chandler inside. Sheriff Chandler angrily waved his hand at a homeless man, who was craning his neck from outside the fence trying to look into the house, while complaining, ¡°Gypsies*!! Look at what Delanlier has become. We should not allow the train to pass through here, look at what this has brought to this peaceful town. It¡¯s a disaster. I swear, it must have been a gypsy, only these people can be so mad.¡± ¡°Is it a murder? Sheriff?¡± Evan looked at Sheriff Chandler with surprise. Sheriff Chandler leaned toward Evan, lowering his voice, he said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s murder, Reverend. Can you believe it? Murder! In Delanlier!¡± Evan had a shocked look on his face but was secretly muttering in his heart. ¡°You¡¯re surprised now but you will not feel that way with the things that will happen in the future.¡± ¡°My God, this is terrible.¡± Evan quickly drew the cross on his chest, like a truly devout Protestant. Chandler looked at Evan¡¯s pale face, fearful that he would faint and pass out, he hurriedly said, ¡°But you don¡¯t have to worry, I will catch the murderer very soon. Now, I would like you to console Mrs Lawrence and appease her so that we can be allowed to bring out Mr Lawrence Jr¡¯s body first.¡± Naturally, Evan¡¯s nerves weren¡¯t as thin as Sheriff Chandler imagined. He pursed his lips tightly and nodded in response. Evan could hear Mrs Lawrence¡¯s shrill voice coming from the living room as soon as he entered the house. Sheriff Chandler frowned and walked quickly toward the living room, Evan trotting after him. In the living room, Mrs Lawrence was still wearing her nightgown, her hair was disheveled and her eyes were red and swollen from crying. She clung to the two police officers who were carrying out a stretcher, screaming, ¡°You gangsters, put down my little John. He¡¯s just sleeping! He is not dead, he could not have left his poor mother to bear it all!¡± She screamed, beating the police officer with a look of madness in her eyes. When he saw this, Sheriff Chandler was very angry and he said loudly, ¡°Enough! Mrs Lawrence, we understand your sorrow, but please don¡¯t hinder our efforts in handling this case.¡± Sheriff Chandler¡¯s momentum calmed Mrs Lawrence¡¯s madness for a while. ¡°Handling the case?¡± Mrs Lawrence looked at the sheriff, the sadness in her eyes almost overflowing. Her thin body was trembling so much that she could barely stand. Anyone who sees this scene would be moved. ¡°No¡­¡­it can¡¯t be, my John is so obedient, so cute, he can¡¯t just leave his poor mother like this¡­.. ¡± She was about to fall as she spoke, Sheriff Chandler hurriedly moved forward to help her up. His tone turned softer, ¡°Madam, as you can see, I have invited Reverend Bruce here. He will pray for little John¡¯s soul. You don¡¯t have to worry at all. It has already happened, please accept my condolences.¡± Mrs Lawrence barely heard what Sheriff Chandler was saying, she was still murmuring about how obedient and sensible John was, as if nothing in the world could distract her. In the end, it was Mr Lawrence who couldn¡¯t bear to listen to this anymore. He had been sitting on the sofa beside the fireplace with a sullen look on his face. He abruptly stood up, pulled Mrs Lawrence from the sheriff¡¯s hand, and said sharply, ¡°Alright! That¡¯s enough! Don¡¯t make any more trouble! What¡¯s the point of saying these words over and over again! You spoiled him!¡± Mr Lawrence didn¡¯t dare to look at John at all while he was speaking. His lips were trembling and his cloudy eyes were red as if he would start crying the next moment. Though he didn¡¯t cry, Mrs Lawrence did. Her voice was so desperate and sad, like a female animal that had lost its cub. Everyone in the room was almost moved to tears. Of course, this included Evan. No matter how cold-hearted he is, watching this kind of a scene, his heart couldn¡¯t help but soften. Evan walked over to the stretcher carrying John, bowed his head, made the sign of the cross and said a prayer. Evan lifted the white cloth covering John¡¯s face. John¡¯s face was pale, his eyes wide with what seemed like puzzlement in his eyes. He probably didn¡¯t expect that such a thing would happen to him. In fact, Evan didn¡¯t expect it to happen either. Sheriff Chandler silently walked over to Evan and said in a low voice, ¡°Poor child, someone hit him on the back of the head with a lamp and he died just like that. He was only 22 years old, he had such a lovely fianc¨¦e. His life ended too early.¡± Evan didn¡¯t respond to the sheriff¡¯s sigh. He bent his knees beside John, placed the Bible on John¡¯s forehead, drew the cross on his chest and said a prayer. After doing this, he covered John with the white cloth and stood up. Evan asked in a low voice, ¡°Have you found who did this?¡± Sheriff Chandler smiled with a little embarrassment, ¡°We can¡¯t make any conclusions yet, we still need further verification from the forensic doctor. Otherwise, there is no way to determine the real time of death.¡± Evan raised his eyebrows and without speaking, he turned to walk over to Mrs Lawrence to do his job and comfort her. Mrs Lawrence was still crying in Mr Lawrence¡¯s arms. When she saw Evan walking over, she broke free from Mr Lawrence¡¯s arms and just like a drowning man grasping at the last straw, she grabbed at Evan¡¯s arms tightly and said sadly, ¡°Reverend, my John is a good boy. He will go to heaven, right?¡± Evan helped Mrs Lawrence to a seat and said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, John was a devout believer. God, with His merciful heart, will accept him into heaven no matter what he has done.¡± When Evan said these meaningful words, he observed the expressions on the couple¡¯s faces. Mrs Lawrence looked like she wasn¡¯t aware of anything and didn¡¯t respond at all. Mr Lawrence lowered his head without his expression changing, and smoked a cigar with a sad look in his eyes. Evan became a little confused. Didn¡¯t Jimmy tell them anything? While Evan was comforting Mrs Lawrence, Dr. Hester happened to come down from upstairs. His eyes were bright with excitement but when he saw Evan¡¯s reproachful eyes, he became somewhat embarrassed. Taking out a bottle of sedatives, he stepped forward, put two drops of it into a glass of water, handed it to Mrs Lawrence and said, ¡°Madam, drink some of this. It will be good for you.¡± Mrs Lawrence had already lost the strength to speak. In a daze, she took the glass of water from Dr. Hester and drank it all in one gulp. Mr Lawrence, while supporting Mrs Lawrence, stood up and said solemnly, ¡°Thank you, Dr. Hester, Reverend Bruce. I¡¯m feeling a little sick now, so I won¡¯t be able to send you out myself. Please, find your way out yourself.¡± He helped Mrs Lawrence up to the second floor. Looking at the situation, it seemed to Evan that it would not be good to stay there any longer. Evan also stood up and said to the doctor, ¡°Let¡¯s go, this poor couple has experienced enough for today. We should not bother them anymore.¡± Dr. Hester looked a little reluctant but he didn¡¯t dare to say anything more, so he had to agree with Evan with a smile and left the Lawrence house with Evan. After leaving Woolwich Manor, Dr. Hester immediately took a carriage to the police station. He was the small town¡¯s doctor and also the only forensic doctor in the police station. He needed to dissect the body that day. But Evan didn¡¯t leave immediately. He avoided the many inquisitive and curious eyes around the house and walked to the back of the house. He passed through the gate of the fence and entered the garden of Woolwich Manor. He walked towards the kitchen, Jimmy had told him that he had a good relationship with one of the cooks in the kitchen. Evan walked up to the door of the kitchen and found it open. When he walked in, he could hear a faint cry. Evan walked towards where the sound of the cry was coming from and saw a girl in a maid¡¯s outfit. She was covering her eyes and sobbing. When she heard someone coming, she hastily raised her head in fear but when she saw that it was Evan, she sighed with relief. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you, Reverend Bruce. Do you need anything?¡± She wiped her red eyes, a hint of tears still lingering in her voice. Her face was delicate and beautiful but still had a girl¡¯s childishness. Evan smiled and said softly, ¡°I¡¯m here to look for Jimmy, is he here?¡± The maid was a little surprised by what Evan said. In her opinion, it was impossible for a person with such a low class like Jimmy to know a gentleman like the Reverend. ¡°Oh¡­.oh, you came to see Jimmy.¡± The maid¡¯s expression suddenly looked a little cramped, ¡°But¡­. But Jimmy left Woolwich Manor early this morning. He said he got a new job and he was going to leave Woolwich Manor. So, he should have gone home.¡± ¡°Jimmy found a new job?¡± Evan couldn¡¯t help frowning. That night, Jimmy was really worried about losing his job so how did he find a new job today? Evan found this a little puzzling. Seeing that Evan¡¯s expression was a little wrong, the maid¡¯s expression became panicked, ¡°Reverend, do you¡­.do you have something you want from him?¡± Evan saw the panic in her eyes and smiled, ¡°No, it¡¯s just that he left something in the church last time he came so I want to return it to him.¡± ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s what it is. ¡± The maid sighed with relief, ¡°Jimmy is the kind of person that loses things here and there. I can give you his home address so that you can send it there directly.¡± Evan nodded and wrote down the address the maid gave him. As he was about to leave, he glanced at the emerald green lace ribbon in the maid¡¯s hair and suddenly asked, ¡°Why were you crying just now?¡± The maid, who had a look of relief on her face, instantly flushed red trying to hold back her tears. When the tears were about to stream out, she spoke stammering, ¡°Because¡­because Master John is dead. He was a good master and we¡¯ll all miss him very much.¡± Evan curled his lips slightly, the title of a ¡®good master¡¯ didn¡¯t really fit John. At the last banquet, he had seen John scolding his manservant more than once. It looks like this maid also has a few secrets of her own. Evan looked at the maid with a gentle smile, ¡°Child, the door of the church is always open to you. No matter what kind of trouble you encounter, you can always come to me. God will not close His doors to any devout believer.¡± After speaking, he ignored the sad look on the maid¡¯s face and turned to leave Woolwich Manor. CH 9 John¡¯s death is a major event in Delanlier. It¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that it caused a huge sensation in the town, after all, Delanlier is a small town. Even the opening of the train station six months before had been a huge matter. With such horrid news of murder, Daily News and Delanlier Daily wrote about it. John¡¯s murder was headline news for the next three days. The time of John¡¯s death has been determined. It was around the same time that the fireworks display was going on. John had not gone to the fireworks festival because he had work to do. And all the servants in the Lawrence family had been allowed to go home because of the festival. The Lawrence couple had left a half deaf old man to watch the gate because they were worried about leaving their only son home alone. The poor old man had not heard anything at all and little John had died just like that. When the news first came out in the papers, Evan read it seriously and continued puzzling over it. But later reports made him lose interest because the newspapers were filled with illogical speculations. It was just for grandstanding so Evan found it a little annoying and his mood started becoming messy. On the day John died, he had actually gone to Jimmy¡¯s house following the address given to him by the maid but he didn¡¯t see Jimmy. According to Jimmy¡¯s mother, when Jimmy came back that morning, he had suddenly said that he was going to London to look for work. He then took the earliest train to London that same morning and left Delanlier. Evan was one step late. This matter concerning the Lawrence family was like looking for flowers in a thick fog, Evan couldn¡¯t find any clues at all. What happened to Jimmy that made him leave Delanlier in such a hurry? Did the Lawrence couple find out about their son¡¯s messy hobby? Evan couldn¡¯t understand at all. On the fourth day after John¡¯s murder, the newspapers finally reported about a startling piece of news that Sheriff Chandler of the town of Delanlier had caught John¡¯s real murderer. It was a gypsy who was occasionally seen wandering around Woolwich Manor and the motive for the murder was to steal money. When the gypsy was arrested, a pocket watch that didn¡¯t belong to him was found on him. Sheriff Chandler had finally fulfilled his promise to solve the case. In the picture in the newspaper, he looked unusually energetic but Evan could not help sighing because the so-called pocket watch that didn¡¯t belong to the gypsy was the same pocket watch he had lost at the fireworks festival. He didn¡¯t call the police to report the missing pocket watch because he thought there wasn¡¯t a need to do so. But now, a picture of Sheriff Chandler proudly holding the pocket had appeared in the newspaper. Evan put down the newspaper and called loudly for Tom to come over, ¡°Call a carriage immediately, I¡¯m going to see Sheriff Chandler.¡± Tom was a little surprised but he still did his duty and immediately went out to call a carriage. While Tom called a carriage, Evan also packed up. He quickly got into the carriage and told the driver to drive quickly to the town¡¯s police station. He had to get there and stop him before Sheriff Chandler made some stupid decisions. The town didn¡¯t need the interference of any external power. When Evan arrived at the police station, a carriage was already parked in front of the police station. The carriage was very familiar to Evan because it was Duke Wilson¡¯s carriage. Evan raised his eyebrows in surprise. He had originally wanted to tell the carriage driver to wait for him but he quickly dropped this thought and told the driver to leave. Evan strode into the police station and as soon as he entered through the door, he saw Duke Wilson stand up from his seat and say something with a serious expression. Sheriff Chandler, who stood beside him, was sweating profusely with an expression showing his grievances. Both of them looked surprised when they saw Evan walk in with Sheriff Chandler showing the most surprise. ¡°Reverend Bruce, why are you here?¡± Evan looked at the scene before him with a little hesitation. He first nodded at the duke, then he spoke, ¡°I saw the news in the newspaper so I rushed over here.¡± A frown formed on Sheriff Chandler¡¯s face, ¡°You¡¯re not also here to tell me that the gypsy is not the murderer, are you?¡± Evan looked at the Sheriff in surprise, then looked at Duke Wilson who was standing beside him with an unpredictable expression and couldn¡¯t help smiling, ¡°You¡¯re right, I do want to tell you this unfortunate news. Does Duke Wilson agree with me?¡± As soon as he said these words, Sheriff Chandler and Duke Wilson were stunned. Duke Wilson was the first to react, ¡°This is just my guess, do you have any tangible evidence?¡± Sheriff Chandler also came back to his senses at this time, and his face showed a bit of anger, ¡°Reverend Bruce, don¡¯t you agree with point of view?¡± Evan smiled bitterly, ¡°I also hope for this terrible thing to have a quick end but I have to overturn your conclusion because the pocket watch that the gypsy stole is mine.¡± ¡°What? It¡¯s yours?¡± Sheriff Chandler looked at Evan in shock. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s yours? But there¡¯s no sign on it.¡± Evan smiled slightly, ¡°It can¡¯t be said that there isn¡¯t any sign, you just didn¡¯t see it. If you open the back cover of the pocket watch, you will find my initials engraved on the inside of the back cover. Because the engraving is somewhat hidden, if you don¡¯t look for it you won¡¯t find it.¡± Sheriff Chandler was disbelieving. He opened the back cover of the pocket watch, he carefully searched along the cover. When he looked at the underside of the cover, he saw a flower-shaped E. B. on it and he was surprised for a moment. Feeling dismayed, he sat down and waved at the police officers standing behind him, motioning for them to let the gypsy go. Duke Wilson looked at Evan with great interest and suddenly asked, ¡°Since the way to identify the pocket watch is hidden behind the cover, how did Reverend Bruce determine that the pocket watch is yours form the appearance?¡± Evan said with a wry smile, ¡°I didn¡¯t know for sure that the pocket watch belongs to me but I lost my pocket watch that same night. I was afraid that I might have wronged an innocent person because of this so I rushed over here. Since it has been determined that the poor gypsy did not do this, then I¡¯m relieved.¡± Evan said this but he thought to himself that there is in fact a small pattern on the right side of the pocket watch, which he has carved himself after he bought it. But at this time, given an excellent opportunity to express himself, Evan will naturally not say such words. He must show his benevolent and kind side to the duke because, according to the description in the book, Duke Wilson likes this kind of thing. Sure enough, after Evan said this, there was a look of appreciation in the duke¡¯s eyes. He gently gave Evan a pat on the shoulder and said, ¡°You are really an honest person.¡± Evan accepted this compliment without feeling any guilt in his heart. ¡°You overrate me, this is just what I should do.¡± Evan still had a humble smile on his face. Sheriff Chandler returned the pocket watch to Evan and spoke to Duke Wilson with a little dejection, ¡°Please forgive me for offending you before but, no matter what, the gypsy still committed the crime of stealing so he will be detained for fifteen days.¡± Duke Wilson frowned when he heard this and Evan immediately took the opportunity to say, ¡°Sheriff Chandler, forget about it, the poor gypsy did it because of poverty. There are countless poor people in the world, maybe a lost soul can be saved today. The Lord will forgive him.¡± Sheriff Chandler was very dissatisfied with Evan¡¯s deflections but since the party involved didn¡¯t care and Duke Wilson had made it clear that he wants to interfere in the matter, Sheriff Chandler could only grit his teeth, he said, ¡°Since Reverend Bruce doesn¡¯t care then we¡¯ll let the gypsy go.¡± Duke Wilson just nodded coldly and didn¡¯t say a word to the sheriff. Sheriff Chandler blushed with embarrassment. Seeing this, Evan hurriedly smiled and diverted the conversation, ¡°Lord Duke, I hope Lord Edward has not been affected by this incident. I heard that Mr Lawrence and Lord Edward were very close.¡± When Evan said this, Sheriff Chandler looked at him gratefully. Duke Wilson¡¯s expression became solemn, ¡°His state has indeed been a little bad these days.¡± After he finished speaking, he looked at Evan again and there was a glimmer of expectation in his eyes, ¡°Last time, I saw that you and Edward got along very well, can you please come and advise him?¡± Evan couldn¡¯t help laughing in his heart. Basically, he had only said a few words to Edward last time but the duke was in a state of anxiety so he hadn¡¯t noticed. ¡°It will be my honour.¡± Evan nodded slightly. A smile flashed in Duke Wilson¡¯s eyes. Duke Wilson and Evan got into the duke¡¯s carriage together. Sheriff Chandler had to release the gypsy he¡¯d caught. According to the duke, Sheriff Chandler had almost reported the incident to Scotland Yard*. Fortunately, the duke had stopped this. Duke Wilson very much disliked people from other places interfering in the matters of his territory. Duke Wilson did not immediately leave the police station. He waited until Sheriff Chandler released the gypsy. Evan felt that this was strange but he didn¡¯t think much of it. It was when the gypsy came out of her police station and at the same time, Evan saw the duke slightly lift the curtains of the carriage with a cold smile on his face. Evan suddenly felt a chill rise from the bottom of his heart. Duke Wilson turned to look at Evan, Evan quickly turned his face to the side, pretending that he was admiring the interior of the carriage. Duke Wilson looked at Evan¡¯s side profile with slight relief and there was a smile in the corner of his eyes. ¡°Reverend Bruce, I¡¯m going to trouble you again.¡± Duke Wilson said with a gentle tone. Evan reluctantly raised the corners of his lips. He felt a little uneasy in his heart. Duke Wilson¡¯s current appearance made him feel that something was wrong. ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Lord Duke.¡± Evan tried his best to control his tone. The carriage drove along the streets of Delanlier towards Cornwall Manor. The sound of hooves clicking filled Evan¡¯s mind with panic. The way things have developed has obviously exceeded his expectations. He doesn¡¯t know how many more surprises awaited him. They soon arrived at Cornwall Manor and Butler Chris personally came out to welcome them. When he saw Evan, he eyes showed his surprise but as an old-fashioned British butler, he restrained himself. He welcomed Evan and the duke and led them into the castle in a proper manner. Duke Wilson¡¯s castle is still as tidy and gorgeous as it was when Evan was there a few days ago. The whispers of the servants and the sound of their feet contrasted sharply with the silence of Evan¡¯s small house. Duke Wilson invited Evan to have a seat in the study and a servant quickly brought tea. Evan took a sip, it was authentic Darjeeling**. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Lord Edward?¡± Evan asked, trying stabilise the panic in his heart. Duke Wilson pondered for a moment, and finally replied, ¡°Reverend Bruce, you might find it absurd for me to say this but my relationship with Edward is not very close and it may not be as good as the relationship between him and John. It¡¯s just that he¡¯s been in low spirits these days and he doesn¡¯t eat very much.¡± Evan frowned slightly and nodded, ¡°In that case, please allow me to see him now.¡± Duke Wilson sighed with relief and led him towards Edward¡¯s room. Evan walked behind Duke Wilson and looked at his back with a scorching expression. Duke Wilson looked like a very traditional nobleman on the outside, with meticulously arranged clothes and a cold and arrogant expression. He doesn¡¯t know how long it has been since he last saw such a nobleman in his life. But at this moment, he is very clear about the fact that this person is not as simple as he seems on the surface. Whether it is the description in the book or the little bit he saw today, Duke Wilson is definitely not a good person. Just thinking about this makes Evan¡¯s whole body feel restless. CH 10 When Evan followed Duke Wilson into Lord Edward¡¯s room, Edward was sitting by the window. He looked so small sitting there, curled up by the window sill, his curly hair looked so soft in the sunlight. He heard someone come in but he didn¡¯t look up. His arms shook lightly but his head was still buried in his arms. ¡°Edward?¡± Duke Wilson called out to him. Little Edward raised his head with a look of confusion on his face. Duke Wilson couldn¡¯t help sighing when he saw this, ¡°Reverend Bruce has come to see you, won¡¯t you say hello to him?¡± Edward turned his attention to Evan with a look that showed that he didn¡¯t recognise him. Evan felt a little embarrassed. ¡°Hello, Lord Edward.¡± Evan nodded slightly. Edward just nodded coldly without speaking. Duke Wilson¡¯s expression suddenly turned ugly, ¡°Edward, how can you be so rude? Reverend Bruce rescued you last time, how can you behave like this to him?¡± Edward turned his head when he heard this sentence. He looked at Evan again with a little warmth in his eyes. ¡°Hello,¡± he said with a weak voice. Evan just smiled, ¡°Lord Duke is too serious. I just did what I should, you mentioning it again makes me feel ashamed.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s expression improved a little, ¡°Reverend Bruce, you¡¯re the bravest man I have ever seen. Edward has suffered a mental blow from what had happened these days. I hope you can teach him how to have a fearless heart like yours and make him strong.¡± While Duke Wilson was speaking, Evan had been observing Edward. Although he was looking out the window with a look of indifference, when Duke Wilson talked about bravery, he clearly saw Edward tremble slightly, like a sensitive little rabbit. Evan¡¯s heart suddenly became clear. Duke Wilson left the room after receiving Evan¡¯s affirmation. He looked at Evan with obvious gratitude which also made Evan affirm that his decision was not wrong. After the duke left, Evan cautiously approached Edward but Edward curled even more, almost curling into a ball. Evan walked to his side, knelt beside him, stroked his hair and said softly, ¡°Lord, aren¡¯t you cold?¡± Edward gently separated his arms and he looked at Evan, ¡°I¡¯m not cold.¡± There was a hint of curiosity in his eyes but he tried to maintain his cold expression. Evan couldn¡¯t help but smile, ¡°Sitting here is a little dangerous, it¡¯s better for you to come over and sit on the sofa first.¡± He stretched out his hand and made an inviting gesture. Edward gave Evan a determined look and finally starched out his hand. Evan helped Edward down from the window sill, led him to sit on the sofa and said, ¡°I heard from the duke that you¡¯ve been a little unhappy recently.¡± Edward pursed his lips and there was a look of stubbornness on his face. Evan lightly stroked his hair, and said warmly, ¡°I know that Mr Lawrence¡¯s death has been a huge blow to you but the way you are now makes the duke very worried.¡± Edward bowed his head, his two small hands clenched into fists, ¡°I don¡¯t like John!¡± His voice was not loud but it was unusually firm. Evan looked at Edward in surprise, ¡°You don¡¯t like him? But I¡¯ve heard that you had a very close relationship with him.¡± Edward didn¡¯t respond to Evan¡¯s question at all. He still had his head lowered without saying anything. But his shoulders trembled slightly as if he was holding something back. Evan felt that something was wrong and he hurriedly asked, ¡°Lord, what¡¯s the matter with you?¡± As soon as Evan finished speaking, he saw big drops of tears falling onto little Edward¡¯s shirt. ¡°The servants all say that John¡¯s character is not good.¡± Edward choked. ¡°But my father has never been there and I only have John with me. He always exaggerates, talking about how much my father likes him. But I am my father¡¯s child. Why doesn¡¯t he like me!? Is it because I¡¯m not brave enough?¡± Edward suddenly raised his head to look at Evan, his big eyes filled with crystal-like tears and a kind of innocence that¡¯s unique to children. ¡°Reverend Bruce, my father praised you for being a brave person, can you teach me how to become a brave person?¡± At this time, he finally held tightly onto Evan¡¯s cuffs like a child. For a moment, Evan was at a loss for words. When he looked at this truly innocent child, he realised that all his previous despicable calculations were actually useless at this moment. Evan stretched out his hand, his hand gently wiping the tears on his cheeks, finally spoke without the previous mildness in his words, ¡°You¡¯re a good boy, the duke is really concerned about you, he¡¯s just not good at expressing it. You have to believe in his love for you. Mr John¡¯s death is a tragedy for both you and his family. You say you don¡¯t like him but, in my opinion, that¡¯s just like a prank you¡¯re playing on yourself. No matter what you feel is wrong with him, he has been with you for a long time. A heart of stone will always have a moment of softness. But, even so, you should not be so depressed.¡± Evan raised Edward¡¯s chin and he looked straight at little Edward who had been crying, ¡°You¡¯re the son of the duke, an honourable Lord, you have to be an example for the people of Delanlier. You should not be crying alone in a corner because out there, there are a lot of people who have lives that are a hundred times more miserable than yours. As a noble, you do not have the right to show weakness. Please remember this!¡± Evan¡¯s expression was not as gentle and as forgiving as usual. He looked at Edward almost sternly, speaking with a low but stern tone. For a while, Edward was so stunned that he forgot to cry and just stared at Evan with a blank look. Seeing him like this, Evan smiled bitterly, ¡°I¡¯m at fault. You¡¯re still young, you will definitely not understand these things well now. Lord Edward, you have to learn to be strong as soon as possible. The things that have happened have already happened. No matter what we do, we cannot go against God¡¯s will, this is the Lord¡¯s test. If you grow under the Lord¡¯s glorious light, you don¡¯t have to be afraid of any of these troubles.¡± Evan hugged Edward gently, patting his back gently. After a while, he heard Edward whisper, ¡°I understand. I will definitely remember all your teachings.¡± Evan laughed silently. Out of the corner of his eyes, he glanced at the door that just closed again, with a feeling of secret pleasure in his heart. Such a selfless and fraternal speech must have hit a soft spot in the duke¡¯s heart. His plans were slowly being realised step by step. After Evan finished comforting Edward, he read a passage from the Bible to Edward. Edward¡¯s behaviour toward Evan had obviously become a lot closer. He almost snuggled up to Evan¡¯s side, listening to him with a submissive look on his face that was full of attachment. Evan sighed in his heart. The child lost his mother at the tender age of three and Duke Wilson was not a very good father, so he had an almost sensitive obsession for friendliness from strangers. After he finally finished reading the Bible to Edward, Duke Wilson warmly invited him to stay for dinner. Edward also looked at him expectantly so Evan had no choice but to stay for dinner. The dinner at the duke¡¯s castle was very rich. Although Mrs Haydn¡¯s craftsmanship is very good, she lacks this exquisiteness. Evan lamented in his heart while eating, when will he be able to live such a good life. God is so unfair. After finishing dinner, Evan rejected the duke¡¯s invitation to stay overnight and very resolutely left Cornwall Manor. Some things shouldn¡¯t be overdone. He couldn¡¯t be too eager. Evan didn¡¯t go back to his house but went to the church. Mrs Sanders was sick and had asked for leave so for the next few days, he would be busy dealing with everything happening in the church. In fact, it was a coincidence that Mrs Sanders fainted at home on the afternoon of John¡¯s death. After the diagnosis, Dr. Hester prescribed a lot of medicine for her and told her to rest in bed. The diagnosis was said to be stress caused by overworking and Evan received a lot of condemnation from Doctor Hester because of this, as if it was all his fault. Evan had no way to defend himself so he had to pay more attention to the management of the church. At the same time, he also had someone inquire about news of Jimmy in London. He had a strange premonition that John¡¯s death must have something to do with Jimmy¡¯s sudden departure. During this period, news of John¡¯s death began to ferment again. The police station was surrounded by reporters every day. Everyone wanted to get first-hand information, the Lawrence couple also began to frequently visit Sheriff Chandler¡¯s home, hoping for the slightest bit of news. Sheriff Chandler was in the center of the storm, receiving complaints from all sides. He would sometimes go to Evan to complain, Evan also wanted to hear about some useful news. Unfortunately, they were all clich¨¦s and the police hadn¡¯t found any useful clues. Evan was very disappointed. That afternoon, Evan was sorting out the ledgers of the church. It¡¯s been two weeks since they found out about the problem but he hasn¡¯t had time to check into it. With the whole town of Delanlier being swept away by news of John¡¯s murder, this matter had been forgotten. At this moment, Doctor Hester suddenly came, this felt a little strange to Evan because Doctor Hester was not a particularly devout believer. He has never seen Doctor Hester in the church at all except when he came during worship. ¡°Reverend Bruce, something has happened.¡± Doctor Hester said anxiously. Evan¡¯s heart suddenly raised, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Sheriff Chandler arrested Alia.¡± Doctor Hester said, almost crying. ¡°What!¡± Evan was shocked. Although he didn¡¯t like this maverick heroine a little, he also understood very well that Alia absolutely had no guts to kill. ¡°They said that Alia went to see John that night and they had an argument. Alia¡¯s handkerchief was found in John¡¯s house and they¡¯ve identified Alia as a suspect. She¡¯s been taken for interrogation. Oh my God! How can my little Alia bear such humiliation.¡± Doctor Hester said, almost in pain. Evan frowned tightly. He knew about the fact that Alia didn¡¯t want to marry John but it would be too absurd for her to kill him because of this. ¡°Why did Alia go to John¡¯s house that night?¡± Evan asked in a deep voice. Doctor Hester suddenly looked a little ashamed, ¡°Well¡­.she told me¡­.She didn¡¯t want to be engaged to John, so she went to him to negotiate¡­.¡± These words were quite difficult for the doctor to say, so his whole face was flushed when he finished speaking. Evan looked at Doctor Hester¡¯s performance, he had a little doubt in his heart about his judgement. It seems that this era was more conservative than he thought it was. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then what¡¯s the use of you coming to me? I¡¯m neither a police officer nor am I a detective. There¡¯s nothing I can do if you tell me this.¡± Evan sighed softly and said, ¡°Sheriff Chandler is a smart police detective. He will definitely find out if Alia is not at fault, don¡¯t worry.¡± Doctor Hester looked anxious after hearing this, ¡°It was Alia who asked me to come to you. Yes, she told me that you can prove her innocence, that she didn¡¯t intend to kill John.¡± Evan frowned, ¡°To tell you the truth, Alia did talk to me about her engagement before. She wanted me to speak to you about the engagement with John, that it was better to call it off. But, it doesn¡¯t prove that she didn¡¯t do such a terrible thing.¡± Doctor Hester was disappointed. It seemed as if Doctor Hester aged a few years at that moment. He sat down on a chair and buried his face in his hands. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. It¡¯s my fault for going on with the engagement without asking for Alia¡¯s opinion. So, she was forced to do this.¡± His voice was filled with sadness. Evan couldn¡¯t help frowning, ¡°Don¡¯t blame yourself. For now, Sheriff Chandler does not have any concrete evidence to prove Alia¡¯s guilt. Even if she went to see John that night, he can¡¯t be sure that she killed John.¡± Dr. Hester was even more distressed, ¡°The evidence is enough for the court. John¡¯s time of death was in the middle of the fireworks display and almost everyone in the town was there at that time. Only Alia and John didn¡¯t go, they¡­.they have now determined that Alia did it.¡± Evan was surprised, ¡°Why didn¡¯t Alia go?¡± CH 11 Evan¡¯s question was like a heavy hammer hitting Dr. Hester¡¯s face. His face stiffened for a moment before he showed a look of embarrassment, ¡°You know, last time, what happened with Lord Edward. She didn¡¯t have the courage to face Duke Wilson again.¡± Evan then realised that what he did last time actually caused such a series of reactions. ¡°Didn¡¯t anyone else sneak back during the display?¡± Evan continued asking. ¡°Yes, yes, but none of them have anything to do with John, only Alia did¡­.¡± Doctor Hester was almost at a loss for words. Evan sighed, ¡°Is there really no problem with your estimated time of death?¡± Doctor Hester was stunned when he heard this. Evan¡¯s expression changed and he quickly asked, ¡°Is there anything wrong with it?¡± Doctor Hester hesitated for a moment, and said with a somewhat embarrassed look, ¡°Actually, in the beginning, I estimated the time of death to be between 10 pm and 11 pm that night, that is, within the period after the fireworks display but¡­.¡± ¡°But what?¡± Evan frowned nervously. ¡°But when I checked the body at the time, I found that there was a fire lit in John¡¯s room. You know John died in front of the fireplace. If the indoor temperature is too high, it will affect the changes of the body. So, according to the lit stove, the time of John¡¯s death was moved back by an hour, and this is¡­.¡± Doctor Hester had a look of struggle and embarrassment. Evan took a deep breath when he heard this and frowned, ¡°You are too confused. How can you be so casual in the handling of such an important news? That stove might have been left by the murderer to hide some clues from people¡¯s eyes. You should have reported this to the sheriff so he could investigate it. Instead, you made the decision yourself, didn¡¯t you?¡± Doctor Hester was ashamed, ¡°I¡­I just thought¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve read too many mystery novels. There are some things that are as simple as they look on the surface. Doctor Hester, I still recommend that you do another autopsy and examination of the body and this time, don¡¯t make such decisions yourself.¡± Evan¡¯s voice was a little stern. Doctor Hester seemed like he had grabbed a life-saving straw and he nodded immediately, ¡°You¡¯re right. It was the error I made that led to this result. I will go and explain to Sheriff Chandler.¡± Evan nodded, but he suddenly thought of another question. ¡°By the way, Doctor Hester,¡± he grabbed the doctor¡¯s arm, ¡°I want to ask. The fact that Alia went to see John, how did you come to know about it?¡± Dr. Hester opened his mouth wide, stunned for a moment and finally said, ¡°Uh¡­.Yesterday, someone sent an anonymous letter to Sheriff Chandler¡¯s house saying that Alia had been seen visiting John¡¯s house that night.¡± Evan¡¯s lips curled slightly when he heard this. Since someone saw this, it meant that another person had been at Woolwich Manor that night. Doctor Hester left in a hurry, but Evan was completely quiet. This matter was so twisted and bizarre, it seems like there were still some big problems somewhere. Doctor Hester came back in the afternoon and this time, he was much more relaxed than he was in the morning. He took Evan¡¯s hand in gratitude, ¡°Reverend Bruce, thanks to your guidance, Sheriff Chandler has gone back to investigate this matter. The sheriff has also sent the ashes from the fireplace to Scotland Yard for inspection. I believe that Alia¡¯s matter will be over soon.¡± Evan smiled warmly, nodding his head, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Seeing Doctor Hester¡¯s relieved looked, Evan¡¯s expression changed slightly and he asked, ¡°Then, who exposed Miss Alia at that time? Have you now found out?¡± Doctor Hester¡¯s look changed to that of anger when he heard this, ¡°I really don¡¯t know who can be so despicable and shameless. Sheriff Chandler has also sent someone to look for this person but the person couldn¡¯t be found. I guess it must be the one who killed John, and is trying to frame poor Alia.¡± Regardless of Doctor Hester¡¯s inferences, this person is certainly an important part of the case. ¡°Don¡¯t get excited yet. Alia¡¯s matter is not over yet, but don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Evan comforted him with a few words. He suddenly got an idea. Since this matter is so confusing, why can¡¯t he just make it a little more complicated. Evan sent Doctor Hester away but he went to see Sheriff Chandler. This matter must be resolved as soon as possible so that everything can get back on track, otherwise he doesn¡¯t know what will happen. Sheriff Chandler has been very busy lately, when he saw Evan, his expression wasn¡¯t very good. ¡°Reverend Bruce, you¡¯re here at the wrong time.¡± Sheriff Chandler had a piece of bread in his mouth and some documents in his hand. Everyone in the police station was busy and there was noise everywhere. Evan, who was dressed meticulously in a priest¡¯s robe, looked out of place. With a smile, Evan took the documents from his hand and said warmly, ¡°I¡¯m here to see you today for some business. I have a way to help you find the person who wrote the anonymous letter. Would you like to try it?¡± Sheriff Chandler frowned, ¡°First, Doctor Hester pretended to be a police detective causing a delay in the case, now what do you want to do?¡± His words were a bit ugly and Evan was surprised when he heard it, ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t matter, it¡¯s not really important. It¡¯s just my opinion that since this person deliberately sent an anonymous letter to expose Miss Alia, then I¡¯m afraid that this person not only has a grudge against Miss Alia but is also involved in the matter. If Miss Alia were to be temporarily released, this person won¡¯t be able to sit still.¡± Sheriff Chandler¡¯s eyes flashed with when he heard this. He took the documents from Evan, smiling, he said, ¡°My good Reverend, please have a seat.¡± Smiling, Evan sat down. Sheriff Chandler randomly placed the documents on the table and he turned to look around the office with excitement. ¡°This method is okay but there are still some hidden dangers.¡± ¡°Jack!¡± Sheriff Chandler shouted out into the office. A 17 or 18 year old police officer came in, ¡°Are you looking for me?¡± ¡°You go to Jim and Pete, the three of you will follow Miss Alia from today, don¡¯t let her out of your sight.¡± Sheriff Chandler commanded resolutely. Jack looked at the sheriff in confusion, ¡°Isn¡¯t that the lady in the prison cell?¡± Sheriff Chandler gave the officer a heavy pat on the shoulder and said with a smile, ¡°Not anymore, we¡¯re going to release her.¡± (t/n ¨C the author used ¡®let her out¡¯ here but to me, it sounds like what you¡¯d say when you want to let an animal out of its cage) ¡°Release her?¡± The officer was even more confused. ¡°Okay, enough with the nonsense, go and do your job.¡± Sheriff Chandler kicked him and the frightened officer immediately ran out. As he watched the young officer run out, Sheriff Chandler laughed happily. Evan, who was watching, twitched the corners of his mouth. After Sheriff Chandler gave the order for these thing to be done, he turned to look at Evan with excitement, ¡°Reverend Bruce, you¡¯re really my lucky star. If this matter is successful, I will never forget your help.¡± Evan just waved his hand when he heard this, ¡°Forget it, I don¡¯t want anyone to be wronged in this, I just hope that God won¡¯t blame me for my lies.¡± Laughing, Sheriff Chandler grabbed onto Evan¡¯s hands, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! You¡¯re bringing the bad guys to justice and God will be grateful to you.¡± Evan could only smile bitterly in response to Sheriff Chandler¡¯s words. This time, Sheriff Chandler personally sent outside the police station and he didn¡¯t go back until Evan had turned the corner. Evan didn¡¯t take a carriage this time. He walked along the path to towards his house. If his speculations are correct, he probably already knows who exposed Alia but there¡¯s no evidence that the person did it either. He just hopes that his plan will work and the person will be caught so that they can know what really happened that night in Woolwich Manor. By the time Evan returned to the parsonage, it was already dark. Tom was waiting at the door and when he saw him coming from a distance, he hurried over to meet him. ¡°Reverend Bruce, the duke is here!¡± Tom looked excited. Evan was quite surprised that the duke came. Finally! A short chapter. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d finish translating this chapter so quickly. It usually takes me a few hours to finish one, mixed with some procrastinating here and there CH 12 Evan suppressed his inner excitement and walked into his house. Duke Wilson was standing in the hall, staring at a painting hanging on the wall. The corners of Evan¡¯s mouth moved slightly, that painting was his work. Although he didn¡¯t do anything major in his previous life, he was in the fields of calligraphy, painting and music. He put in a lot of hard work, on one hand, to satisfy his father and on the other hand, to be able to pick up girls better. In those days, if you wanted to pick up girls, you had to know how to use the brush. ¡°Is this your painting?¡± With his back to Evan, the Duke asked with a strange softness in his voice. Evan smiled slightly, ¡°It¡¯s not well-drawn, it has made you laugh.¡± ¡°No, it is well-drawn.¡± The duke turned to look at Evan. ¡°Reverend Bruce, I really don¡¯t know how many more surprises you have in store for me.¡± Evan was overjoyed but he still had an humble and respectful look on his face. ¡°The duke flatters me but It¡¯s just a small skill.¡± Duke Wilson looked at Evan with a look of admiration in his eyes. He smiled again and said, ¡°Reverend Bruce is too modest.¡± After speaking, he turned and walked towards the living room and Evan followed. When he sat down in the living room, the duke started talking, ¡°Reverend Bruce, I came to see you this time because of a big event. I wanted to make an investment in the church but I heard that, recently, there seem to be some problems with the church¡¯s accounts. What do you have to say about this?¡± Evan was shocked when he heard this. Only he and Mrs Sanders knew about the problem with the church¡¯s accounts. Mrs Sanders was sick and she could barely get out of bed when he went to see her the previous day. So, how did the duke find out? ¡°My esteemed duke, I am very ashamed to talk about this matter. It was my carelessness that led to this error. Indeed, there are some errors in the church¡¯s ledgers, but please, rest assured that the church will definitely investigate this. I will make findings and I won¡¯t let such a thing happen again.¡± Evan said with a look of heartache but he was frowning in his heart. Although the duke seemed to appreciate him very much, his words today were like a clear blow. He doesn¡¯t understand the duke¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Reverend Bruce, apart from this, do you have anything else to say? If this matter spreads to the church, your reputation will be at stake.¡± The duke looked at Evan meaningfully, uncertainty flashing in his eyes. Evan was startled and he looked at the duke in surprise, but his heart turned back and forth with different thoughts in an instant. It looks like the duke already knew that the matter was related to Priest Ross. ¡°No, I don¡¯t have anything else to say.¡± Evan lowered his head, his face growing pale and closing his eyes like he felt ill. This was completely in line with someone who was devout to the Lord but had to betray Him because of his trust in others. Like the persona of an upright person. Duke Wilson¡¯s eyes softened, ¡°Reverend, why do you have to do this?¡± The honorific title was omitted but his tone became friendlier and closer. Evan lowered his head and smiled, his handsome profile had a hint of gentle softness, ¡°Lord Duke, this matter needs to be investigated again so I can¡¯t make a decision easily. And I can¡¯t destroy other people¡¯s reputations for my own benefit.¡± Duke Wilson sighed and his cold expression finally melted a bit, ¡°There are very few noble and upright people like you in this world. Don¡¯t worry, this matter won¡¯t be passed to the church. It¡¯ll all be sorted when you catch the culprit. You¡¯re still the best priest in Delanlier.¡± Evan finally sighed with relief, the duke seemed satisfied with this and the relationship between both of them had finally gotten closer. ¡°By the way, where did you go just now? Did something happen? You went out for a visit at such a late hour.¡± Duke Wilson asked suddenly. (my dear duke, you¡¯re also visiting at a late hour) Evan¡¯s expression became somewhat stagnant, then he smiled and replied, ¡°It¡¯s about Miss Alia.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s face darkened as soon as Evan mentioned this name, ¡°What did she do?¡± Evan was a little surprised, ¡°You don¡¯t know? Miss Alia was arrested this morning.¡± The Duke frowned, ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± It turns out that he really didn¡¯t know. Evan recounted all the events that happened that day. Of course, he, intentionally or unintentionally, exaggerated the point about Alia abandoning John. When the duke heard this, his face was gloomy and there was a look of impatience in his eyes, ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect that Dr. Hester and his daughter could act so recklessly. They really don¡¯t know when to advance or retreat.¡± A meaningful smile flashed in Evan¡¯s eyes, ¡°I can¡¯t blame Miss Alia. The timing was not right otherwise, so many things would not have happened.¡± Evan¡¯s defense was so weak that even he didn¡¯t believe it, not to mention the duke. ¡°Reverend Bruce, you don¡¯t have to defend them. A noble person like you can¡¯t understand their thoughts. John was a good person, it would not have been a loss for Alia to marry him. Why wouldn¡¯t she be willing?¡± No matter how cold-blooded the duke is, he still has some intense love for the people around him. Evan smiled slightly, ¡°Lord Duke, love is a very wonderful thing. It doesn¡¯t distinguish between a good or bad person. It comes from the depths of a person¡¯s heart. Naturally, there¡¯s no reason for love. You shouldn¡¯t blame Miss Alia for this.¡± Duke Wilson looked at Evan with a more solemn look, ¡°Your words are really good words. I thought the church would despise an indecent lady like Alia.¡± Evan shook his head with a smile. The look of compassion on his handsome face almost stabbed the duke¡¯s eyes. His life has been full of struggling with darkness and pain from the moment he was born. But Evan was like a bright light shining into his life. He is kind, noble, broadminded, knowledgeable, and elegant, and everything about Evan seem to be the opposite of himself, which strongly attracts his attention. (Wow, the duke has been completely deceived) The Duke took a deep breath and finally calmed down, ¡°Reverend, do you have time next week? I want to invite you to be a guest at Cornwall Manor.¡± Originally, he didn¡¯t have this intention but he blurted out this sentence without a hint of hesitation. Evan was stunned for a moment, then he smiled and nodded, ¡°It will be an honour.¡± It was ten o¡¯clock in the evening by the time the duke left. They had talked about art and science for a long time. Fortunately, Evan had not forgotten all the knowledge he learned from his teacher. But even in front of an indigenous person like the duke, Evan still found himself reluctant to recall it. The duke¡¯s senses are different. You must know that he has occupied a high place in the world since he was born and the education he received is far different from that of ordinary people. It is quite difficult to understand but Evan not only understood but also kept up with him, which is surprising on its own. ¡°Reverend Bruce, you are a true scholar and friend. I hope we can talk as much as we did today some other time.¡± Duke Wilson was very satisfied. Although he felt guilty, he could only smile, ¡°I look forward to having a talk with you again.¡± Evan finally heaved a sigh of relief when the duke¡¯s carriage disappeared from his sight. Dealing with the duke was too much for him. *************** In the early hours of the next morning, news of Alia¡¯s release spread throughout Delanlier and it was even more outrageous that it was at Sheriff Chandler¡¯s suggestion. Alia was vilified by the papers and framed by outrageous lies, a lady who has just lost her fianc¨¦ yet suffers from such disgrace. Dr Hester¡¯s house was surrounded by reporters and curious residents. The Hester family were in dire straits but Sheriff Chandler was very happy. He patted Evan, who had come to inquire about the news, on the shoulder and said with a smile, ¡°Look, Reverend Bruce, this is simply fun, as if it were Christmas. I¡¯m sure the person who sent the anonymous letter will do something tonight and this damn case will finally be over.¡± However, Evan did not dare to be as optimistic as the sheriff. He stroked the folds of his clothes and calmly avoided another attack from Sheriff Chandler. He spoke warmly, ¡°Then, what did the Lawrence couple say? Did they have any opinion on Alia¡¯s release?¡± Speaking of this, Sheriff Chandler frowned, ¡°Alas, they¡¯re also a pair of pitiful people, their only child was killed like that. Mrs Lawrence almost collapsed and all the burden is on poor Mr Lawrence. We didn¡¯t dare to tell Mrs Lawrence about Alia, the poor lady likes Alia so much but Alia hurt her like this. I¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll be really heartbroken when she finds out.¡± The first half of the sentence was alright but Evan disagrees with the second half of the sentence. In the original book, John was cannon fodder in the end and Mrs Lawrence wanted to eat Alia raw. It got so bad that if the duke hadn¡¯t stopped her, Mrs Lawrence would have broken the boundaries of the law. ¡°What did Mr Lawrence say?¡± Evan continued to ask. ¡°The old guy was so angry. He pointed at Dr. Hester¡¯s nose and scolded Dr. Hester. His hands were shaking so much that I thought he had epilepsy.¡± Sheriff Chandler said, ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate Mr Lawrence, that little old man is very strong and none of the police officers could stop him. He almost hit Dr. Hester but luckily, I stopped him.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Evan didn¡¯t expect that Mr Lawrence would react so strongly to the incident. After speaking, Sheriff Chandler looked at Evan with some hesitation. Evan thought it was a little funny and directly said, ¡°If you have something to say, just say it.¡± Sheriff Chandler smiled shyly, ¡°Haha, you saw through me. I have an uncle who works in the town¡¯s post office. He is 55 years old this year but he is still in good health. He used to have a good relationship with Mrs Sanders. This time, Mrs Sanders is sick and he wants to visit, but¡­.but¡­..¡± Evan almost sprayed the tea he was drinking on Sheriff Chandler¡¯s face. Someone was trying to hit on Mrs Sanders? CH 13 ¡°Please, wait.¡± Evan tried to suppress his emerging smile and put down the teacup, ¡°Your uncle wants to visit Mrs Sanders?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sheriff Chandler looked a little awkward. ¡°Then, why are you telling me? I¡¯m not in control of her private affairs.¡± Evan replied with amusement. ¡°No¡­.it¡¯s not what you think. Mrs Sanders is a tough person and my uncle doesn¡¯t have the courage to face her directly. If¡­.if you could tell him something about the church, I believe that Mrs Sanders would not reject my uncle¡¯s kindness.¡± Sheriff Chandler touched the back of his head with a silly smile. Rubbing his forehead, Evan sighed deeply, ¡°Sheriff Chandler, you¡¯re really giving me a problem. If Mrs Sanders finds out, she will definitely kill me.¡± ¡°My good Reverend, how could that happen?¡± Sheriff Chandler said with some excitement when he saw the drama, ¡°Mrs Sanders has been single for so many years and it would be a good thing for a good man to take care of her, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Evan thought about in his heart, ¡°Mrs Sanders keeps a straight face all day which is not good for her. It would be a good idea if family could soften her.¡± ¡°Alright, since it¡¯s your request, then I¡¯ll make an exception. Mrs Sanders is a devout believer and she hasn¡¯t prayed in the church for a week. So, let your uncle come to the church and take some holy water to Mrs Sanders.¡± Evan said with a troubled expression. Sheriff Chandler became happy when he hard this, he gave Evan a vigorous pat on the shoulder, ¡°That¡¯s great, I knew you would have a lot of ideas. Now, I can get rid of the terrible atmosphere during Christmas every year.¡± Evan¡¯s lips twitched. Sheriff Chandler is really a frank person. ****************** That night, Evan and Sheriff Chandler laid in an ambush in the hallway of Sheriff Chandler¡¯s house. Since the person could send an anonymous letter to expose Alia once, then the person won¡¯t sit still and watch Alia escape. They waited from nine o¡¯clock till midnight. Evan was feeling too sleepy to keep his eyes open, he even thought that it was impossible for the person to come. But when the clock struck three times, suddenly there was a sound coming from the door of Sheriff Chandler¡¯s house. Under the moonlight, a snow white envelope slid in from underneath the door. At the same time, there was a pair of slender snow white hands, the person tuned out to be a woman. Sheriff Chandler was shocked and he jumped up almost immediately. When he opened the door of his house and saw the horrified woman, his eyes were filled with confusion. ¡°Amy, what are you doing here?¡± Evan stood behind the sheriff and looked over his shoulder at the pale woman in front of him. It was the maid who had been crying in the kitchen the other day. Horrified, Amy took a few steps back, turned and wanted to run away. Sheriff Chandler stepped forward and grabbed her shoulder, ¡°There are police officers surrounding here, Amy, I advise you to not act rashly.¡± His voice was low and solemn, completely unlike his usual tone. Amy was so frightened that she trembled all over. She turned around and looked at Sheriff Chandler with eyes full of despair, ¡°You¡­.what do you want?¡± Looking at her, the sheriff frowned and said solemnly, ¡°Amy, I should be the one asking you. What the hell are you doing here so late?¡± Amy shrank back as if she had been electrocuted. She didn¡¯t dare to look at Sheriff Chandler and just kept staring at her feet as if there were a million pounds there. ¡°Send¡­.to send a letter.¡± She replied with a flustered tone. ¡°What kind of letter? Amy, you¡¯re my wife¡¯s friend and I don¡¯t want to read your letter in front of so many people.¡± Sheriff Chandler rubbed the envelope in his hand with a heavy expression. Saying nothing, Alia lowered her head. The scene froze for a moment. Evan watched this scene from behind the sheriff, sighed softly and whispered, ¡°Miss Amy, I saw you crying in the kitchen that day, did you lie to me?¡± Shocked, Amy looked up at a loss. After she saw Evan, her eyes were filled with despair, ¡°No, Reverend Bruce, everything I said was true.¡± Evan slowly walked to her side, picked up an emerald green lace ribbon in her hair with his fingers and said softly, ¡°Miss Amy, you know, I¡¯ve seen this before.¡± Amy¡¯s whole body trembled suddenly and she looked at Evan with a very frightened look, as if he was about to use the devil¡¯s whisper in the next sentence. ¡°I¡¯ve seen the exact same lace ribbon in Miss Alia¡¯s hair. Tell me, Amy, how did this unique hairband, that John brought back from London, appear in your hair?¡± Without sympathy, Evan said the words in his mouth clearly. Amy¡¯s body became soft and she fell. Sheriff Chandler quickly supported her up. He hadn¡¯t forgotten his position at this time, ¡°Reverend, is what you said true?¡± With a hint of annoyance in eyes, Evan took out a bottle of smelling salts* from his pocket and placed it under Amy¡¯s nose and he said with a calm tone, ¡°I thought I was wrong before but when I saw Miss Alia again, it was the exact same one.¡± Sheriff Chandler listened to this and sighed deeply. He took the smelling salt from Evan and spoke to the police officer who came over, ¡°Send this lady back to the police station. She will be interrogated in the morning.¡± The police officers quickly carried Amy into the carriage and headed to the police station. Sheriff Chandler stood there and sighed, ¡°Reverend Bruce, do you know that she used to be my eldest daughter¡¯s nanny but when the Lawrence family were recruiting, she left. I had always thought that she was a reliable girl but I didn¡¯t expect that she would do such a thing, including having an affair with John. God, this is really scary.¡± ¡°Like I said, loves comes from nothing even. Even if it is an humble maid or a noble lady, none can escape it.¡± Evan sighed. The sheriff deeply nodded and then, glanced at Evan with a grateful look, ¡°Reverend, thank you very much for this time. If it weren¡¯t for you, some matters about this case wouldn¡¯t have come to light so quickly.¡± Evan couldn¡¯t help but smile, ¡°My dear sheriff, I¡¯m afraid this matter is not so simple. You will understand after the interrogation in the morning. I will not waste your time now. I have to go back to rest, otherwise Mrs Haydn will directly serve raw fish on the table.¡± Sheriff Chandler laughed, ¡°Mrs Haydn¡¯s cooking skills are very famous in Delanlier, just like her bad temper is. You¡¯re really a gentle person, Reverend Bruce.¡± Evan smiled and waved his hand before turning and leaving Sheriff Chandler¡¯s house. *********** Sheriff Chandler started Amy¡¯s interrogation early the next morning and he had also invited Evan to join him. Evan got up early the next morning and he received a lot of scorn and complaints from Mrs Haydn. In order to get out of that predicament, he quickly agreed to everything she said. By the time Evan got to the police station, the interrogation had been going on for a while, but it was clear that it hadn¡¯t paid off because Amy didn¡¯t say a word from the beginning to the end. She just had her head down, her pale hands held tightly across her abdomen. Evan looked at her with a gloomy expression. Sheriff Chandler saw Evan come in and warmly invited him to have a seat. ¡°Reverend Bruce, you¡¯re finally here. We started the interrogation very early but we haven¡¯t been able to pry her mouth open. I¡¯m still considering whether to impose some punishment.¡± There was an obvious look of disgust on Sheriff Chandler¡¯s face when he spoke about the punishment. Raising the corners of his mouth, Evan gave Amy a meaningful look, ¡°Sheriff, the punishment is not necessary. If Amy stays here for one more night, I¡¯m afraid that there will be worries about a life.¡± When Evan said this, Amy started shaking. Sheriff Chandler looked blankly, ¡°What are you talking about? The prisoners here won¡¯t be abused, if that¡¯s what you want to ask.¡± Evan smiled lightly but didn¡¯t answer the sheriff¡¯s question. He just looked straight at Amy and said warmly, ¡°You did those things to frame Miss Alia. Don¡¯t you have anything to say about it?¡± Suddenly, Amy raised her head with hatred in her eyes, ¡°I¡­¡­I didn¡¯t frame her. It was her! She was the one who killed master John.¡± Seeing Amy finally speaking, Sheriff Chandler looked relieved but the words that came out of his mouth became more severe, ¡°Nonsense, Miss Alia is a young lady. How could she kill John?¡± Amy burst into tears, with big drops of tears wetting her clothes. She wiped her wet cheeks, ¡°She doesn¡¯t deserve to a young lady at all! Master John loved her like that, he even rejected a better lady for her, and she just stepped on his heart with the sole of her feet. Poor master John, it broke his heart. It¡¯s all because of her! It¡¯s all because of her!¡± Sheriff Chandler instantly frowned, stared closely at Amy and asked her sharply, ¡°Rejection? Break? What did John do?¡± Amy shut her mouth like a frightened rabbit, her face full of annoyance. Sheriff Chandler didn¡¯t care about this. He looked at Amy with a sneer and said solemnly, ¡°You tell me clearly. If you can¡¯t explain clearly, you will stay here for the rest of your life!¡± Amy protested loudly, ¡°It¡¯s not fair! I can¡¯t stay in this place! Why don¡¯t you go and arrest Alia! I saw come out of Woolwich Manor with my own eyes!¡± Sheriff Chandler sneered, ¡°Since it was you who saw her with your own eyes, then you were there. Aren¡¯t you suspicious as well?¡± ¡°Me?¡± Amy looked stunned for a moment, and then began to cry, ¡°How could I kill master John? I¡¯m pregnant with his child.¡± (Wow, major twist haha) As soon as those words came out of her mouth, the entire interrogation room fell silent. CH 14 ¡°You? Pregnant with John¡¯s child?¡± Sheriff Chandler looked at Amy cautiously. Amy only reacted at this moment and was flustered, ¡°No¡­.no¡­.¡± Amy¡¯s eyes were evasive but when she saw Evan¡¯s half-smile, she quickly said, ¡°I mean yes. Yes, I am indeed pregnant with master John¡¯s child.¡± Amy was now completely calm. Sheriff Chandler frowned, ¡°Amy, I know you¡¯re a good girl but you can¡¯t say nonsense about this kind of thing. I watched John grow up. Although he¡¯s a little arrogant, he¡¯s not a casual person. You¡­.¡± ¡°No! Sheriff Chandler!¡± Amy interrupted Sheriff Chandler, ¡°It¡¯s not master John¡¯s fault, it¡¯s mine. I¡¯m the one who seduced master John. I¡­I just love him too much. I love him more than Miss Alia! But, he doesn¡¯t belong to me. I¡¯m in too much pain. I¡¯m sorry¡­I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± Amy was really sorrowful, she buried her head in her palms and sobbed loudly. Sheriff Chandler was stunned for a moment. It seemed that he had not seen such an open lady in his entire life and he was at a loss for a while, ¡°A¡­Amy, don¡¯t cry, your¡­. Does Mr Lawrence and his wife know about your situation?¡± In the sheriff¡¯s view, Mr and Mrs Lawrence are the most serious couple in the town, and if they know about Amy¡¯s pregnancy, they will be very angry. ¡°They already knew it.¡± Amy raised her head and said. Sheriff Chandler¡¯s eyes widened instantly, ¡°That¡¯s impossible! They didn¡¯t tell me.¡± ¡°They both knew it but they all pretended like it didn¡¯t happen. They really loved master John so much that they didn¡¯t want to ruin his reputation.¡± Amy replied. Sheriff Chandler was in total disbelief, they dared to conceal such a serious matter, ¡°This is so outrageous! I always thought that Mr Lawrence was an upright gentleman.¡± ¡°He is, indeed, an upright gentleman.¡± Evan added with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s just that John is his son, what would you expect him to do?¡± Sheriff Chandler sighed, ¡°This is just great, the only clue is broken again.¡± Evan smiled slightly, ¡°Sheriff Chandler, have you forgotten what Amy said before?¡± Sheriff Chandler¡¯s eyes lit up, turned his head and stared at Amy with his eyes shining like a falcon¡¯s, ¡°Little Amy, what did John do? Was there another lady beside him?¡± Amy trembled. She looked at Evan, who had a gentle smile on his face, and couldn¡¯t help shaking. She suddenly felt that the most dangerous person in the interrogation room was not the fierce Sheriff Chandler but the kind and merciful Reverend. ¡°I¡­..I don¡¯t know.¡± Amy said weakly. ¡°Little Amy, you can¡¯t lie to me. I¡¯m a policeman. I know how to deal with liars. You¡¯re still pregnant with John¡¯s child and it¡¯s really not suitable for you to stay in prison. I¡¯ll advise you to tell the truth.¡± Amy was still trembling and she looked at Sheriff Chandler with fear on her face. Even though she was loyal to John, she couldn¡¯t help worrying about the child in her womb, so she could only talk, ¡°I¡­.I only know one thing. The second time master John and Mrs Lawrence quarrelled, Mrs Lawrence said that she didn¡¯t like Miss Alia. She wanted master John to marry a lady form London but he refused. Mrs Lawrence said that the Lawrence family will never accept such a depraved woman.¡± Biting her lip while she was speaking, she still remembers the vicious and crazy expression on Mrs Lawrence¡¯s face when she said this. Sheriff Chandler frowned. He glanced at Evan, feeling a little ridiculous in his heart. ¡°Anything else? You¡¯d better not hide anything from me!¡± Sheriff Chandler stared at Amy. Amy shrank her neck and gently shook her head, ¡°No more, I only know this. That night, I originally wanted to tell master John about my pregnancy but I saw Miss Alia come out of the house. I didn¡¯t go in, this was all done by Miss Alia, it really has nothing to do with me.¡± At this time, Amy still wanted to speak ill of Alia. Sheriff Chandler was becoming impatient. No one can rule out any suspicions in the current situation and things are getting more complicated. Sheriff Chandler waved his hand, signalling to the police officer to take Amy out. But, at this moment, Evan suddenly said, ¡°By the way, Amy, did master John light the stove that night?¡± When she heard Evan¡¯s question, Amy was stunned for a moment before replying decisively, ¡°No!¡± Evan smiled, ¡°How can you be so sure?¡± Amy blushed, ¡°I¡­.. I¡­.¡± Sheriff Chandler saw that something was wrong and immediately said, ¡°Quickly tell the truth! Otherwise, I will really throw you in jail for the rest of your life.¡± Amy sobbed, ¡°I¡­. I was wrong! Please don¡¯t put me in jail.¡± Sheriff Chandler sighed with relief, his face still stern, ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to go to jail, just tell me the truth!¡± With a sad face, Amy sat back down, ¡°Actually¡­. I actually saw master John after Miss Alia left.¡± Her words were light and soft, you couldn¡¯t hear her if you didn¡¯t listen carefully. Sheriff Chandler listened carefully, of course. He jumped up when he heard her, ¡°Amy! How can you be like this! Trying to frame a lady! Are you really crazy?!¡± Amy turned her head in shame, not daring to look Sheriff Chandler in the eyes. ¡°Go to Dr. Hester¡¯s house and tell those officers to come back. Miss Alia is innocent.¡± Sheriff Chandler quickly gave an order to the police officers around him. Sheriff Chandler rushed to exonerate Alia, but Evan is concerned about another problem. When the sheriff finally finished giving his orders, Evan spoke, ¡°Sheriff Chandler, since John didn¡¯t light the stove, doesn¡¯t that mean that there is something wrong with the time of death that Dr. Hester deduced?¡± Sheriff Chandler couldn¡¯t help but say a dirty word, ¡°This Dr. Hester is really causing us so much trouble.¡± He sighed, ¡°If John¡¯s time of death is between ten to eleven o¡¯clock, then everyone has the time to commit the crime. The fireworks display was over by that time and the whole town was in chaos.¡± Evan smiled, ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ve forgotten. If it happened at that time, then the murderer should be someone John is familiar with. Think about it. It¡¯s already so late, someone can quietly go to the Lawrence house and without disturbing anyone, quietly enter John¡¯s room and kill him. Either the person is really familiar with John and the house, or it was done by the Lawrence family.¡± Hearing Evan¡¯s reasoning, the sheriff frowned and his vague thoughts came to his mind again. ¡°Is it possible?¡± The sheriff said with some hesitation, ¡°The Lawrence couple are very upright people and they dote on John so much, they couldn¡¯t do such a thing.¡± At that time, all the servants had gone home and the only ones left at home were the Lawrence couple. Evan didn¡¯t express his opinion this time, only lowered his head and smiled, ¡°I also don¡¯t want to believe such a terrible thing. But, it all depends on your investigations.¡± Sheriff Chandler was very happy. He gently patted Evan¡¯s shoulder and said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let the murderer escape, no matter who it is.¡± After Amy¡¯s interrogation came to an end, Evan left the police station alone. At first, he wanted to go back to the church, but he suddenly remembered Mrs Sanders, who still had not gotten better. So, he turned to head to her house. Mrs Sanders lives on the main street of Delanlier. She doesn¡¯t have her own house and lives in a rented house. Evan stood at the door and stared at it for a while. He sighed in his heart, the church is very generous to the priest but not so generous to the parish secretary. Evan knocked on the door for a while before someone, belatedly, came to open the door. The person who opened it was an old man who looked like he was in his fifties. He was not tall and wore a ridiculous dark red wool suit jacket. He looks a bit like Sheriff Chandler. (Are men in their fifties old?) Evan instantly understood that he should be Sheriff Chandler¡¯s uncle. ¡°Hello, Mr Chandler.¡± Evan nodded politely. The old gentleman looked at Evan¡¯s special collar and a smile instantly appeared on his face, ¡°It¡¯s Reverend Bruce. Quickly, come in. Mrs Sanders has been thinking about you.¡± Evan raised his eyebrows with a little surprise. The decorations in the room were simple; with a dresser, a bed, a table and a chair. Mrs Sanders was lying on the bed with her eyes closed. Evan thought it looked like a nun¡¯s room. ¡°Reverend Bruce?¡± Mrs Sanders heard the sound, and she opened her eyes and weakly looked at Evan. Surprised, Evan looked at Mrs Sanders. He had thought that she was sick with a minor illness, but looking at her skinny appearance, it was clear that she looked like she would die soon. ¡°Oh, my dear lady,¡± Evan strode to her bedside, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Mrs Sanders gave a weak smile, which softened her face, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t live for much longer.¡± ¡°Nonsense.¡± muttered Mr Chandler as he sat down beside her bed and gently held her hand, his cloudy eyes a little red. Mrs Sanders¡¯ face flushed and she whispered, ¡°Mr Chandler, thank you for your kind care these past days, but could you please give me a little time to talk to Reverend Bruce?¡± Mr Chandler coughed gently and raised his hand to wipe the corner of his eyes, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll just go out to buy some beef. You need to supplement your nutrition.¡± Mr Chandler turned and left the small room. Only Evan and Mrs Sanders were left in the room, looking at each other. There was a moment of awkwardness between the both of them because they are not really familiar with each other. In the end, it was Mrs Sanders who spoke first, ¡°Did you invite Mr Chandler over here?¡± Embarrassed, Evan touched his nose, ¡°This¡­.is also to take care of you.¡± Mrs Sanders looked at Evan and said, ¡°Reverend Bruce, can I ask you for one thing?¡± CH 15 Evan was stunned for a moment, then he nodded again, ¡°Of course. As long as I can do it, I will definitely help you.¡± Mrs Sanders suddenly gasped and Evan hurriedly stepped forward to help her pat her back. ¡°Ahem¡­.Reverend Bruce, I know you¡¯re a good person.¡± You¡¯re wrong, Evan thought to himself as he gave Mrs Sanders some water to drink. ¡°My illness this time seems to mean that my time is over. When I die, can you please bury me in the southeast corner of the cemetery?¡± Struggling with difficulty, Mrs Sanders grabbed Evan¡¯s hand with her dry hand as she asked. Evan looked at Mrs Sanders in surprise, the southeast corner of Delanlier¡¯s cemetery is very remote and almost no one would use it as the first choice for their final resting place after death. ¡°Why is this?¡± Evan asked softly, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to be buried in the exclusive cemetery for the staff of the parish and sleep with God?¡± Mrs Sanders struggled to squeeze Evan¡¯s hand with difficulty, ¡°I beg you.¡± Evan had no choice but to nod his head, ¡°But you have to tell me, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Hearing this, there was a bleak look in her eyes, ¡°Reverend Bruce, the only person I have left in this world has been called by the Lord, and I have no meaning left to live in this world.¡± Evan frowned, ¡°What are you talking about? Mr Chandler and I are looking forward to your recovery.¡± Mrs Sanders smiled bitterly, ¡°The only hope that could let me live in this world has been shattered. I have no reason to live anymore.¡± Evan looked at Mrs Sanders and let himself make some panicky guesses. Mrs Sanders looked out the window and said, ¡°Reverend Bruce, where are you coming from? Are you busy with church matters these days?¡± Evan restrained his inner restlessness, smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m coming from the police station, Sheriff Chandler asked me to help him find out the truth about Mr Lawrence Jr¡¯s death.¡± When Mrs Sanders heard these words, her face instantly turned pale. She clenched her hands nervously, her face slightly twitching. Evan remained calm but he sighed deeply, ¡°What an excellent young man, it¡¯s a pity he died at such a young age. But today, the incident had a sudden twist. I didn¡¯t expect that Mr Lawrence Jr. left an illegitimate child.¡± Shocked, Mrs Sanders looked at Evan in disbelief. ¡°The Lawrence couple also know about it but because having an illegitimate child is considered indecent, they didn¡¯t mention it. Sheriff Chandler found out for himself.¡± Evan tried his best to downplay the role he played in it. When Mrs Sanders heard this, her eyes flickered faintly, ¡°Is what you said true? That¡­..that poor child, did he really leave a child?¡± Evan patted the back of Mrs Sanders¡¯ hand, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true, I¡¯ve seen it with my own eyes. You should know Amy, a maid of the Lawrence family, she is pregnant with John¡¯s child. Poor little John finally has a child of his own, it¡¯s a pity the Lawrence couple don¡¯t seem to be paying attention to that.¡± Evan replied in a low voice, but a look of tenderness flashed on Mrs Sanders¡¯ face. She originally thought that she was a strong-willed lady, and if she wanted to live, she would not easily give up on her life. ¡°Thank you very much, Reverend Bruce. Thank you for coming to see me.¡± Mrs Sanders leaned back on the pillow on the bed, her usually cold eyes had become a little warmer. Evan nodded slightly, glanced at the wall clock and warmly said, ¡°it¡¯s almost time for lunch so I¡¯ll go first. You need to rest.¡± Mrs Sanders gave a slight nod, looking at Evan with grateful eyes. Evan left Mrs Sanders¡¯ little room and he saw Mr Chandler standing in the doorway with a piece of beef in his hands. ¡°Reverend Bruce.¡± His expression was a little sad, ¡°What did she say to you?¡± Evan patted Mr Chandler on the shoulder and said warmly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mrs Sanders will survive.¡± Mr Chandler looked at Evan with some surprise. Evan smiled without saying a word, nodded and left. Evan went out of Mrs Sanders¡¯ house and he suddenly remembered that he wanted to buy some candles for the church. He had been staying up late these few nights to sort out the account books of the church. The consumption of candles was amazing. The losses in the books were also worse than he imagined. Evan didn¡¯t know much about the small town of Delanlier. He asked a few people for directions to the grocery store but the roads in the town were not very clear to him. Evan walked around and soon got lost. He turned around a tavern but found himself walking through a back street. The place was very desolate and there were only a few shops open, looking at it, it was not a good place to be. There was even a woman sitting at the entrance of one of the shops. The half-naked woman, wearing a shirt with a plunging neckline and showing half of her breasts, was lazily leaning on the door, giggling as she watched Evan. Evan frowned. According to his more than 20 years of experience in his last life, he has come to the red-light district* of Delanlier. With some embarrassment, Evan immediately turned around and left. Although he had been to this kind of place in his last life, he was wearing the skin of a priest in this life. If he remembers correctly, the reason why this character became cannon fodder in the end was because of his lustful and despicable self, so he must not have anything to do with this kind of place now. Evan hurriedly left, but he had just walked to the entrance of the alley when he suddenly saw a figure in front of him. With a guilty conscience, Evan quickly hid in the shadows at the entrance of the alley. He looked at the two people in the alley, one was a big person sloppily leaning against the wall looking at the other person, who was also in the shadows, with only a delicate jaw exposed. Evan frowned, he felt like the big person looked familiar. ¡°Lord Duke, what do you think?¡±, the big person said in a low voice. Evan was shocked, it turned out that the other person was Duke Wilson. The other person slowly came out of the shadows. His face indifferent with gloomy eyes, it was indeed Duke Wilson. ¡°What do I think? James, I remember we negotiated the price before.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s voice was cold. The big man, James, sneered, ¡°We negotiated the price but it did not include the price of going to prison.¡± Evan finally remembered where he had seen this big man, he was the gypsy who was mistakenly arrested by Sheriff Chandler. It turns out that the duke really has something to do with these gypsies. ¡°I personally got you out of prison. Doesn¡¯t that show my sincerity?¡± The duke¡¯s voice was still calm. James gave a wicked smile and suddenly leaned forward, reaching out to touch the duke¡¯s profile but the duke avoided him with a look of disgust. ¡°What the hell are you trying to do!¡± The duke snapped. James smiled sullenly, ¡°Lord Duke, you¡¯re really more beautiful than all the women I have ever seen, do you know what I mean? If you want my silence, you should pay me a satisfying reward.¡± Duke Wilson instantly squinted his eyes with a dangerous light flashing in his eyes. Even Evan, who was standing at the entrance of the alley, felt cold. But James didn¡¯t realise it at all, and was still speaking in a disgusting tone, ¡°Lord Duke, I¡¯m strong and I¡¯ll do a good job. You will be satisfied.¡± (Wow, this idiot is really doing a good job of courting death, he actually dares. I bet he¡¯ll be dead before the end of the next chapter) When he heard this, Evan couldn¡¯t help taking a deep breath, but he was immediately noticed by the people in the alley. James was very alert and he ran away through the other side of the alley but the duke stood still, staring at the place where Evan was standing and said coldly, ¡°Come out!¡± Glued to the spot, Evan¡¯s expression trembled and he felt uncomfortable. He had been really careless today. Evan slowly walked out of the shadows and the duke¡¯s expression changed from that of ruthlessness to a shocked expression. Speechless, he looked at Evan in disbelief. ¡°Lord Duke.¡± Evan spoke with a little embarrassment. ¡°What are you doing here!¡± The duke spoke angrily. Evan looked at Duke Wilson with his mouth half open but he felt bitter in his heart. He was really unlucky to run into the duke¡¯s private matters. ¡°I¡­. lost my way¡­¡± Evan replied weakly, he didn¡¯t believe his own excuse. Looking at Evan¡¯s innocent and clear blue eyes, the duke only felt dazzled. He bit his lower lip, the resentment in his heart overflowing. ¡°Go! Get out of here!¡± Facing Evan, the Duke didn¡¯t say any bad words but he just waved his hand irritably and turned away without looking at Evan. Evan was also embarrassed. Hearing this, he turned and quickly left. Duke Wilson turned around and looked at Evan¡¯s back. For some reason, there was a hint of embarrassment in his heart. How could this person have seen his worst side? Duke Wilson hated James even more in his heart. No one in this world could threaten him, not to mention daring to talk to him so boldly. There was a look of viciousness in Duke Wilson¡¯s eyes and a vicious smile crept up his cheeks. He strode out of the alley, a slight breeze lifting up the corners of his coat. Evan fled to the main street with embarrassment. He looked at the crowd coming and going around him, and only felt his heartbeat was so strong that his heart was palpitating. He looked up at the store opposite, it was the grocery store he had been looking for all this time. But at this moment, Evan had no intention of buying candles. He was about to leave but was stopped by the store owner who had come out. ¡°Reverend Bruce, the candles you ordered for last time have already been made. When do you want me to deliver them to you? I didn¡¯t expect to meet you here, are you here to get the candles?¡± The store owner spoke while dragging Evan into the store. In a daze, Evan followed the store owner but his heart was in a mess. CH 16 It was already dark by the time Evan returned to the church with a bunch of candles. Because Mrs Sanders has been away these days, deacon George has been the one helping him light the church. At this time, when he saw him come back with candles, his face flashed with happiness. ¡°Oh, Reverend, you actually bought candles. I was just worrying about not having enough candles in the church. This is great.¡± Evan couldn¡¯t laugh at this moment. He just gave George a stiff nod, turned and entered the church. George looked at Evan¡¯s back and frowned for some unknown reason. He had never seen Reverend Bruce behaving like this and looked so embarrassed. Evan entered the church¡¯s living room and collapsed on the chair. He hugged his head in annoyance. He completely offended Duke Wilson today. All his efforts he¡¯d made had become useless today. Evan clenched his fist tightly, his mood very low. He really didn¡¯t expect that such a thing would happen today. Evan felt very irritated. He wasn¡¯t sure about what the duke would think about what happened this time. If the duke had already blackened, it would have been absolutely impossible for him to leave that place alive today but the duke let him go. It means that the duke has not completely blackened and he still has a glimmer of hope. Evan raised his head from between his arms. He had countless lovers in his last life, and he has rich experience in dealing with different people. Since the duke is still rational, based on his own experience, he can still get him. Evan¡¯s mood finally improved and the previous depression he felt had also dissipated a lot because of the strong hope in his heart. He understands the image he has in the duke¡¯s eyes and he would try his best to maintain this image in the future. His doubts completely disappeared. Evan did a great job in the prayers that evening and even George, who knew him well, couldn¡¯t help looking at him a few times, having a feeling that something was wrong but he couldn¡¯t tell what was actually wrong. ********* The next day was the day of John¡¯s burial. The cloud that plagued the entire town of Delanlier was finally settling today. As the priest of the small town, Evan must preside over the funeral so Evan was extra careful that day. He chose his newest priest¡¯s robe and asked Mrs Haydn to iron it several times before he wore it. Evan had just left the house and had not gotten time to say goodbye to the servants in the home when Sheriff Chandler¡¯s carriage stopped in front of him. He pulled Evan¡¯s arm with one hand and wanted to pull him into the carriage. Surprised, Evan stopped his movement and asked, ¡°Sheriff, what¡¯s the matter with you?¡± With his breath uneven, Sheriff Chandler looked at Evan and replied, ¡°There is a lady from London who¡¯s here for John¡¯s funeral.¡± Evan was surprised, ¡°Is that the one Mrs Lawrence wanted him to marry?¡± Sheriff Chandler nodded, ¡°I believe that John¡¯s depravity that Amy was talking about is definitely related to this lady. Maybe this lady seduced John into doing something dishonorable. You know, the girls of London are different from ours.¡± Evan felt like laughing, ¡°Sheriff, you¡¯re worrying too much. I believe that the lady Mrs Lawrence likes is definitely not from an ordinary family and she won¡¯t do these things.¡± Evan actually wanted to directly tell the sheriff what he knows. Unfortunately, when Jimmy told him these things, it was during a confessional. And as a clergyman, he could not violate his professional ethics. Embarrassed, Sheriff Chandler rubbed his head and spoke with frustration, ¡°You¡¯re right, but¡­.¡± His eyes suddenly lit up, ¡°But, since she came to attend John¡¯s funeral in person, isn¡¯t that good? It shows that she still has some feelings for John, so my inference is not unreasonable.¡± For a moment, Evan had no words for a rebuttal, but he really didn¡¯t want to see an innocent woman caught in a storm of rumors especially when he knows the truth. ¡°Sheriff Chandler, I think you still need to handle this matter with caution.¡± Evan chose his words carefully. ¡°This matter concerns the reputation of a lady, you can¡¯t jump to conclusions like this. Miss Alia is a good proof.¡± Speaking of Alia, Sheriff Chandler blushed. Doctor Hester has been reluctant to take the initiative to speak to him. ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯m too eager. But this matter hasn¡¯t been resolved for so long and it¡¯s making me feel really uncomfortable.¡± Sheriff Chandler frowned. Evan smiled lightly, ¡°You¡¯re a very capable sheriff. In my opinion, John¡¯s death this time is a tragedy, he doesn¡¯t have any enemies who can kill him and he lives in a very simple environment. But he was found murdered in his bedroom which is really unbelievable. But, we may also think about it in a different way. Sometimes, it¡¯s not only hate but also love that can cause people¡¯s death in this world.¡± Speechless, Sheriff Chandler stared at Evan for a while but he had some vague understanding. Amy¡¯s confession had made him focus on Mr Lawrence and his wife, but with Evan saying this again, is it true? Yes¡­. Sheriff Chandler was a little panicked. He always thought he lived in a quiet town, so he didn¡¯t expect that such dirty things would be nakedly exposed. It felt a little unbelievable to Sheriff Chandler. ¡°Reverend, your thoughts are too crazy.¡± Sheriff Chandler said dryly. Evan just smiled, the seed of doubt had been planted and only after getting some evidence would it take root and sprout. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m just casually talking about these things. You don¡¯t have to take it seriously. I still have a funeral to preside over today. If you have anything to say, please come back to see me after the funeral.¡± Evan got rid of Sheriff Chandler¡¯s restraint, and walked towards the church. John¡¯s funeral was sad and solemn. Mr Lawrence and his wife looked like they had been drained of life, both looked like they were ten years older. Especially Mrs Lawrence, she was really grief-stricken. She was wearing a long black dress which made her slender body look even smaller. Although Mr Lawrence looked like he was in bad spirits, he still stood upright. He stood there holding onto Mrs Lawrence¡¯s hand tightly, letting her rest half of her body on him. Evan turned to look at the strange lady standing behind Mrs Lawrence. She was also wearing a long black dress and a hat with black gauze on her head, covering half of her face but it could still be seen from the outline of her face that she was very beautiful. Evan¡¯s eyes flickered, it seemed that this was the lady from London that Sheriff Chandler was talking about. Evan stood quietly by the altar, waiting for the arrival of the town¡¯s people. What he didn¡¯t expect was that Alia would be there too. She wore a dark green dress with the lace ribbon that John gave her in her hair, she walked in with her hand in Dr. Hester¡¯s arm. As soon as she walked in, Mrs Lawrence¡¯s scream rang out. ¡°Reverend! Get her out of here! I don¡¯t want this woman to be at my son¡¯s funeral.¡± Evan was startled and he hurried forward. He stopped Mrs Lawrence, who looked like she wanted to beat someone, and said loudly, ¡°Please calm down, do you want to beat someone in the church?¡± Mrs Lawrence was already very weak so when she was stopped by Evan, her momentum weakened. ¡°My God!¡± Mrs Lawrence was tired and cried on the ground, ¡°My poor John liked this woman so much, but what did he get in the end! Betrayal! Death!¡± Mr Lawrence quickly lowered his body to help her up but his hand was slapped away by Mrs Lawrence. ¡°You weak man!¡± She glared at Mr Lawrence, ¡°Your son was killed but you didn¡¯t dare to say a word. I¡¯m sure my little John was killed by this bitch! Reverend Bruce, why doesn¡¯t God punish this vicious woman!¡± Mrs Lawrence was almost hysterical and Mr Lawrence¡¯s face was flushed but he couldn¡¯t say anything. In the side, Dr. Hester heard her insulting Alia and wanted to step forward to explain but was stopped by Alia, whose eyes were full of tears. ¡°My dear lady, John is dead. I am very grateful for his feelings for me before, but¡­.but a person¡¯s feelings cannot be changed. I have a friendship with John, and I regard him as a brother and a friend but I can¡¯t treat him as a lover. My love can¡¯t be maintained with gratitude, just like the pain in your heart can¡¯t be treated with medicine. I don¡¯t regret the decision I made and please understand that my rejection of John¡¯s love was not a betrayal, it was just to prevent him from getting hurt in an unfair marriage contract. At the same time, I dare to swear to God that I didn¡¯t kill John and if I¡¯m telling the slightest lie, let me die and go to hell!¡± (For some weird reason, I¡¯m actually starting to dislike this Alia, I don¡¯t know why. The speech and the timing just doesn¡¯t sit well with me.) Alia¡¯s sonorous words stunned the whole church, including Evan. You must know that the people of this time are very devout in their religious beliefs. It does not just take great strength but it also takes great courage to say that they will go to hell after death. The heroine, Alia, naturally possesses these two qualities. Mrs Lawrence stared at Alia in disbelief, as if she was looking at a monster. Just as her lips shook and she tried to say something, a voice suddenly came from the door. ¡°I heard¡­.there should be a funeral.¡± The tone was low and calm with a hint of casual indifference. This voice was a unique voice in the whole town of Delanlier and everyone in the church heard it. They knew who it was. It was Duke Wilson! CH 17 Instantly, Evan turned to look at the door of the church. There was a man standing against the light. His slender body was glowing faintly underneath the sunlight. His face still had an indifferent and solemn expression. His eyes were still arrogant, and he could not see the anger that he saw in the alley that day. Mrs Lawrence jumped up from the ground almost like a fly. She walked up to the duke with tears on her face and she spoke in a choked voice, ¡°You¡¯re here too. My John will be happy.¡± Duke Wilson gently pulled Mrs Lawrence¡¯s scrawny hands and said, ¡°John worked for me for a year and I was very satisfied with his work. It is only right for me to come here to send him away.¡± The expression on Mrs Lawrence¡¯s face could only be described as grateful. She bent her knees and bowed to the duke, ¡°I¡¯m so grateful to you, gracious duke.¡± Alia, who had been full of passion just now, stood in the corner with her head bowed and an excited expression on her face. The blush on her face had not faded but there was a bit of gloom in her beautiful eyes. The duke hated her very much, she knew this very well. At this moment, the duke suddenly said, ¡°Who was giving the speech just now?¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes turned to look at Alia and Evan¡¯s expression tightened. ¡°Yes¡­.it¡¯s me, Lord Duke.¡± Like a young girl, Alia stumbled toward the duke and bowed. Duke Wilson looked at Alia, and as if he was thinking of something, he turned to look at Dr. Hester and asked, ¡°Is this your daughter?¡± Dr. Hester nodded nervously. A smile appeared on Duke Wilson¡¯s face, ¡°You taught her well. Being able to say something like this proves that she is not mediocre.¡± A relieved smile appeared on Dr. Hester¡¯s face, it seemed like the duke had forgiven Alia for her previous recklessness. ¡°Thank you for your compliment, Lord Duke.¡± Dr. Hester nodded slightly. Duke Wilson nodded and turned his eyes to Evan but he didn¡¯t want to talk to Evan. His eyes flashed but he didn¡¯t stop for a minute. Evan¡¯s heart rang out with alarm. The heroine¡¯s influence is indeed endless. He has tried his best to not let these two meet, but he didn¡¯t expect that would be trouble today. Evan looked at Mrs Lawrence angrily but found that the poor old lady who had lost her beloved son was in shock. The words the duke spoke just now obviously refuted her opinion of Alia¡¯s accusations. She can¡¯t imagine it, the duke clearly came to mourn John but he helped the slut, Alia to speak. Seeing that Mrs Lawrence was about to start the war again, he hurriedly stepped forward to support Mrs Lawrence¡¯s arm. He could no longer give Alia a chance to express herself. Just looking at Alia¡¯s appearance, he¡¯s afraid that her heart was already moved. If these two people looked at each other, the death rate of the small town would rise rapidly. ¡°Mrs Lawrence, the funeral is about to begin. You don¡¯t want anything discordant to happen at John¡¯s funeral, do you?¡± Evan whispered in Mrs Lawrence¡¯s ears. Mrs Lawrence was shocked, she looked up at Evan, then nodded thoughtfully and stood back with Mr Lawrence. Evan felt relieved, when he turned to look at the duke, he found that he was talking to the strange lady. To be honest, when Mrs Lawrence suddenly attacked Alia just now, he looked at this lady. After all, she was the daughter-in-law chosen by the shrewd Mrs Lawrence. When she arrived, there was only a sneer in her eyes, she didn¡¯t lift her eyelids from the beginning to the end. But, at this time, she was speaking to the duke with a smile on her face. Evan just felt a little strange in his heart. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to know Miss Catherine too.¡± The duke said to Mrs Lawrence with a smile. Mrs Lawrence had regained her senses at this time but her face was still a little stiff, ¡°John knows Miss Catherine¡¯s father.¡± The John Mrs Lawrence meant was Mr Lawrence Snr. The father and son shared a Christian name. He nodded towards Duke Wilson, his expression unchanged. Duke Wilson smiled softly, and Miss Catherine took the opportunity to say, ¡°My father attaches great importance to his friendship with Mr Lawrence. When this incident happened, my father was also very sad so I came to the funeral.¡± Mrs Lawrence was looking at Catherine with some guilt, ¡°Miss Catherine, you¡¯re such a good girl. It¡¯s a pity that you and John¡­.¡± ¡°Mrs Lawrence!¡± Before Mrs Lawrence could finish speaking, Miss Catherine quickly interrupted her, ¡°Today is John¡¯s funeral so let¡¯s not speak such useless words to affect the Reverend¡¯s work.¡± Miss Catherine¡¯s face was slightly pale. Mrs Lawrence also knew that she had slipped and quickly lowered her head. Thinking, Evan stood aside and watched but this was not the time to think about it. Evan immediately stepped onto the altar and began to preside over the funeral. Duke Wilson was sitting at the front row of the church pews. He lowered his eyes and didn¡¯t look at Evan. Evan felt a little awkward but he still completed his speech excellently. When John was finally taken to be buried in the tomb of the Lawrence family in the east of the public cemetery, Duke Wilson left. Looking at Duke Wilson¡¯s carriage leaving, Evan¡¯s expression froze. He was still thinking too simply, Duke Wilson clearly has a knot in his heart. When Evan threw the first handful of soil on John¡¯s coffin, the funeral finally entered the final moments. All relatives and friends stood on both sides, watching John¡¯s coffin being buried bit by bit. Mrs Lawrence was completely hysterical and almost collapsed, but Dr. Hester fortunately gave her a sedative in time. Evan was quite sure that Dr. Hester should have expected this scene to happen, so he immediately took the tranquilizer out of his pocket when it happened. After the end of the funeral, Evan returned to the church alone. He sat in the church hall and looked at the crucifix, but he became more and more uncertain. He didn¡¯t know what the duke¡¯s attitude towards him was and whether it was really okay to turn a blind eye again. At the same time, Evan¡¯s vigilance and defense against Alia has reached the peak. Today, the duke clearly expressed his appreciation for Alia. If these two people really come together, then everything he has done would lose its significance. Evan¡¯s eyes became firm in that instant. He would never allow that to happen. He remembers the duke¡¯s rage very well. Even if he didn¡¯t get the wealth and status, he could not really die in this place. Evan turned around and left the church. He needed to think about how to make the two of them miss each other. ********* Duke Wilson was calmly sitting in his carriage but his emotions were very complicated. Reverend Bruce was like a light to him. He had never seen such a noble person in his life and he cherished the friendship and relationship he had with him very much. But, now, he doesn¡¯t know how to face him. ¡°Lord Duke,¡± The carriage stopped suddenly, ¡°A gentleman outside stopped the carriage.¡± The driver¡¯s voice was a little uneasy. Duke Wilson frowned and reached out to open the door of the carriage. Next to the carriage stood a middle-aged man who thought he was gentle and refined. He wore the most formal black suit and the hat on his head was very well made. At first glance, he was indeed a very decent gentleman. ¡°Mr Johnson?¡± The duke had a puzzled expression. Johnson was the town¡¯s lawyer and also his lawyer, but at this time, Johnson obviously rushed over from the funeral. ¡°Lord Duke, please forgive my rudeness, but I really have something important to discuss with you now.¡± There was a look of unease on his face. Duke Wilson frowned with dissatisfaction, ¡°What is so urgent that you acted in such a rash manner?¡± Mr Johnson was a little embarrassed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, your Excellency, this matter is about the opening of your textile factory on the outskirts of Delanlier. I have to discuss it with you before I dare to make a decision.¡± Speaking of the textile factory, the duke¡¯s face was not looking very good, ¡°Come up.¡± He has invested 10,000 pounds in this textile factory. If something goes wrong now, he will suffer a lot of losses. Mr Johnson heaved a sigh of relief and hurriedly stepped into the carriage. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± The duke asked before Mr Johnson could sit down. Mr Johnson hesitated for a moment before speaking, ¡°Lord Duke, the opening of the textile factory may be postponed.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s face turned cold and he looked straight at Mr Johnson, ¡°What¡¯s going on? The investment has been added, why do you have to postpone it?¡± Mr Johnson felt guilty with Duke Wilson looking at him, he took out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the sweat on his forehead before quickly explaining, ¡°It¡¯s not¡­..it¡¯s not a question of funds, it is a legal aspect. Now, Yorkshire has put restrictions on the conditions of opening a factory. Your factory still needs some documents of approval from the county¡¯s council. Please don¡¯t worry, I will prepare it immediately.¡± Duke Wilson looked at Mr Johnson coldly, ¡°You¡¯d better solve the legal problem for me as soon as possible and I will solve the problem on the parliament¡¯s side myself.¡± Mr Johnson nodded quickly, he had almost forgotten that Duke Wilson is a member of the House of Lords*. Duke Wilson dropped Mr Johnson in the town centre of Delanlier. In his current situation, he didn¡¯t have much patience for Mr. Johnson. CH 18 Regardless of the state of the relationship between Evan and Duke Wilson, Sheriff Chandler still turned the focus of the investigation to Miss Catherine. Miss Catherine is a true lady. Her father is the son of an earl and is currently serving in the House of Lords. In this way, her background is much better than that of the doctor¡¯s daughter, Alia. Miss Catherine lodged at the Drew Hotel located on the seaside of Delanlier. The scenery there is very beautiful. Sheriff Chandler didn¡¯t want to face this noble lady alone, so he decided to go with Evan. Evan was quite dumbfounded. Since he met Sheriff Chandler, his own job has lagged behind. Deacon George gave Evan a look that can only be described as a look of sadness. ¡°Good boy.¡± Sheriff Chandler patted George on the shoulder. ¡°You can lend me the good Reverend for a while and he¡¯ll do these ledgers later. You know, what I¡¯m doing now is an event related to the whole town of Delanlier.¡± George had no room to speak in front of Sheriff Chandler, he wasn¡¯t as authoritative as Mrs Sanders, and he finally nodded with a bitter look on his face. Sheriff Chandler and Evan took a carriage to the Drew Hotel, which is a newly opened hotel in Delanlier. It is gorgeously decorated, beautiful and comfortable. It is currently the best hotel in Delanlier. Sheriff Chandler asked the hotel manager for Miss Catherine¡¯s room number and went straight to her room. For the sheriff, this is probably the last chance he had to prove his reasoning. When Miss Catherine opened the door after Sheriff Chandler knocked, there was a look of surprise on her face. ¡°Sheriff? Reverend Bruce? Are you¡­? What¡¯s the matter?¡± Miss Catherine¡¯s pretty face had a look of hesitation. Evan smiled and didn¡¯t speak so Sheriff Chandler had to speak, ¡°We want to ask you about John.¡± A complicated look flashed across Catherine¡¯s face, it was neither sad nor resentful. ¡°Please, come in.¡± Catherine stepped aside and let Evan and the sheriff in. Miss Catherine¡¯s room is the best room in the Drew Hotel. The three suites are luxurious and exquisite, not looking like a hotel room but like a beautifully decorated apartment. Miss Catherine invited Evan and the sheriff to have a seat and she poured tea for both of them. The mellow black tea left a fragrant aftertaste on the tongue. ¡°Miss Catherine.¡± Sheriff Chandler didn¡¯t appreciate the black tea and immediately spoke after taking a sip, ¡°I heard that you had a very close relationship with John, do you know anything about his situation?¡± Suddenly, there was a look of anger in Catherine¡¯s eyes when she heard this question, ¡°I don¡¯t know where you heard the rumours. John and I were just friends, and I came to his funeral just to do my best duty as a friend.¡± Sheriff Chandler had a sharp look, ¡°Miss Catherine, I advise you to not lie to me. You must know that I¡¯m a policeman and you should stop struggling with some things.¡± Gently biting her lower lip, Catherine looked at the sheriff resentfully, her hands trembling slightly, ¡°Since you already know but you¡¯re still asking me, John rejected our engagement. Do you still expect me to be close to him?¡± ¡°Why did you come to his funeral if you hated him so much?¡± Sheriff Chandler quickly caught the loophole in Catherine¡¯s words. Miss Catherine¡¯s expression finally collapsed. She stood up and turned around. She took out a cigarette and lit it with trembling fingers. As an old-fashioned British man, Sheriff Chandler was stunned to see this. Miss Catherine was already in tears when she turned back to face them. ¡°Okay, since you want to ask me why, then I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Miss Catherine raised her hand and roughly wiped the tears on her face, ¡°Because I love him! I love him! Are you satisfied!¡± She hysterically shouted at Sheriff Chandler. ¡°I¡¯ve known him since he was in Cambridge and it¡¯s an insult to me that he¡¯d rather be with the daughter of a doctor who came out of nowhere! I¡¯ll never forgive him!¡± Catherine¡¯s fingers were trembling and she could barely hold the cigarette, the expression on her face was grim. Sheriff Chandler was stunned for a moment. He didn¡¯t know that these ladies, who are gentle and noble on the surface, would have such a side. After a long moment of silence, Sheriff Chandler finally spoke in a somewhat embarrassed tone, ¡°You¡­¡­.don¡¯t get agitated. I can understand how you¡¯re feeling but John is dead now, don¡¯t you have anything to say?¡± Catherine finally calmed down, she put down the cigarette butt in the ashtray with trembling fingers and sat down with her arms folded. ¡°What do you want to ask? Just say it.¡± Catherine looked away and said coldly. Sheriff Chandler turned to look at Evan but Evan lowered his head without speaking. So the sheriff had to continue, ¡°Do you know what happened to John? His fall was because of what?¡± Miss Catherine¡¯s face twitched for a moment but she calmed down again, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Sheriff Chandler was a little irritated, ¡°Miss Catherine, I¡¯d like to remind you to not go around in circles with me. Otherwise, I can invite you to the police station, no matter who your father is.¡± Catherine¡¯s eyes instantly widened, ¡°You can¡¯t do this to me! It¡¯s all his fault! If he didn¡¯t humiliate me like that, I wouldn¡¯t have done that!¡± Miss Catherine obviously misunderstood Sheriff Chandler¡¯s words. Sheriff Chandler¡¯s eyes lit up and he quickly said, ¡°I don¡¯t care about this kind of thing. Now that John is dead, my task is to arrest the murderer. Miss Catherine, you¡¯re a lady and you wouldn¡¯t want to go to prison, right?¡± Catherine had a painful expression, she lowered her head and put her hand on her forehead. After a long silence, she finally spoke, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything I know, but John¡¯s death really doesn¡¯t have anything to do with me.¡± Sheriff Chandler was overjoyed but he pretended to be serious, ¡°That¡¯s also true. It depends on what you say.¡± ¡°You will be satisfied.¡± Catherine raised her head and said dryly, ¡°John rejected my father¡¯s proposal and I was very upset at that time. I went to ask him for a reason and he told me that the person he liked was Alia. I couldn¡¯t accept such a result so I found someone to lure him into entering an opium den and he¡­got addicted to opium.¡± ¡°What!¡± Sheriff Chandler almost jumped up in surprise, ¡°Little John was addicted to opium?! That¡¯s impossible. His parents would have killed him!¡± Sheriff Chandler shut his mouth as if his neck was being strangled and he stared at Catherine in horror. Evan was also really surprised. He didn¡¯t expect that Sheriff Chandler¡¯s guess would be partly correct. This Miss Catherine is really not a good person. ¡°Didn¡¯t you know?¡± Catherine looked at Sheriff Chandler with some doubt. The sheriff gave a dry laugh, ¡°I only know that John may have fallen into some trouble but I didn¡¯t know this part¡­..¡± At this time, Catherine realised that Sheriff Chandler had tricked her, but it was too late to lament about it now. She could only give him a look of annoyance, ¡°You are really not an honest person!¡± Sheriff Chandler¡¯s expression turned solemn, ¡°I¡¯m trying to catch John¡¯s murderer and find some clues. Is there anything wrong with lying? As for you, was it noble of you to ruin John¡¯s life by doing what you did?¡± Catherine¡¯s expression was stiff but she had a stubborn look in her eyes, ¡°He ruined my life so I ruined his! Because of him, I became a joke in the social circle of London. Didn¡¯t he need to take responsibility?¡± Sheriff Chandler sighed, some things are really unclear to outsiders. Sheriff Chandler and Evan left the Drew Hotel after saying goodbye to Miss Catherine. Sheriff Chandler had a look of indignation. He quickly took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it and took a deep breath, ¡°I really felt suffocated in there.¡± Evan stood calmly in the wind, and asked solemnly, ¡°What do you think of this Miss Catherine?¡± Sheriff Chandler sighed, ¡°This young lady is really amazing. Just because little John refused to be engaged to her, she did such a cruel thing to him. Mr and Mrs Lawrence¡­ alas!¡± He sighed again. Evan lowered his head and fiddled with his cuffs, he spoke in a low voice, ¡°Now you should believe what I said about the suspects. The Lawrence couple are now the most suspicious. You should overcome the inherent impression you have of them and investigate this matter objectively.¡± Sheriff Chandler threw the cigarette butt away with a dejected look, ¡°I know, Reverend Bruce, I was too subjective before. Thank you for your help.¡± Evan smiled and gave Sheriff Chandler a pat on the shoulder without saying anything. Sheriff Chandler sent Evan back to the church. Deacon George was waiting anxiously at the door of the church. When he saw Evan return, he hurried up to meet him. ¡°Reverend Bruce, Mrs Lawrence is here.¡± Both Evan and Sheriff Chandler, who was about to say goodbye to him, froze. ¡°What¡¯s the matter with her?¡± Evan asked hesitantly. ¡°She¡­..seems to want to ask you to expel the Hester family from the parish¡­.¡± George replied. ¡°Nonsense!¡± Evan was angry, he didn¡¯t expect that Mrs Lawrence would be so unreasonable. ¡°Dr. Hester and Miss Alia are both devout believers, how can I expel the believers of God!¡± As soon as Evan finished speaking, Mrs Lawrence walked out of the church at the sound of Evan¡¯s voice, ¡°Reverend Bruce, John is dead and it¡¯s all Alia¡¯s fault. I must make her pay!¡± ¡°It¡¯s all the fault of the murderer, how can you blame Miss Alia?¡± Sheriff Chandler told the truth. Mrs Lawrence¡¯s face flushed and she couldn¡¯t say a word. CH 19 Evan couldn¡¯t help his sigh, ¡°Don¡¯t say these irrational words, Miss Alia did nothing wrong.¡± ¡°Why are you all speaking for that slut!¡± Mrs Lawrence took a step forward with a little agitation, ¡°I need someone to pay for this!¡± She glared at Evan and Sheriff Chandler viciously. Sheriff Chandler¡¯s brows furrowed deeply, ¡°The one who needs to pay is the murderer. Please don¡¯t make trouble without reason.¡± When she heard this, Mrs Lawrence trembled with anger, ¡°You sound nice, but you have made no progress in the interrogation so far! Is my little John¡¯s death going to be in vain?¡± Sheriff Chandler felt ashamed when he heard this but he could only continue, ¡°Mrs Lawrence, this matter is very complicated but we have already made some progress. Please, don¡¯t worry.¡± Mrs Lawrence just sneered and turned to leave. Watching her leave, Sheriff Chandler murmured, ¡°It seems that I need to talk to the servants of the Lawrence family.¡± ¡°Obviously.¡± Evan¡¯s eyes were filled with interest, ¡°Sheriff, you still have a lot of work to do.¡± Sheriff Chandler left and Evan returned to the church. Although Evan had doubts in his heart, he would still need evidence to prove the doubts. ************ The next day was Sunday and Evan, as the priest of the Delanlier Church, needed to preach to the believers. The sermon has already been prepared. Evan has now completely adapted to this kind of life. That day, basically all the parishioners came. John¡¯s murder had cast a cloud over the town of Delanlier. The town¡¯s people urgently needed a vent to use to soothe their hearts. Duke Wilson was also there. His face was still cold and he still ignored Evan but he still came to church. Duke Wilson¡¯s arrival caused a change in the atmosphere of the church. People rushed to greet him, with surprise and excitement on their faces. Evan strode by the altar and watched Duke Wilson elegantly return everyone¡¯s greetings, but he was secretly thinking about how he would get close to the duke again. There was no need to postpone this, after all, he is more proficient at this than anyone here. Evan finished the service with sincerity. His emotional speech, extremely sincere demeanour coupled with his blond, blue eyes and extremely handsome appearance soothed the panic the people felt. At the end of the service and after a moment of tranquility, many people came up to him to thank him and kiss the hems of his robe. Evan has received more respect in Delanlier than he could have ever imagined. (Am I the only one who finds it hard to picture Evan as a priest? Considering the kind of person he is) Duke Wilson stood at the door of the church, watching Evan as he was smiling and talking to the people. An old and trembling gentleman, who could hardly hold the Bible in his hands, came up to Evan. He smiled, held his scrawny hands and spoke to him cordially. Duke Wilson felt that Evan was dazzling. He didn¡¯t seem bothered by what he heard that day. Neither did he (E) condemn his (DW) actions nor did he (E) explore the meaning behind his (DW) actions. He (E) behaved as if nothing had happened that day and he (E) still treated him (DW) the same as always, still respectful and polite. But, it was this kind of politeness that made the duke even more annoyed. Frustrated, he turned and left the church. That afternoon, Sheriff Chandler came to the church very excited. He took out a catskin bag from his coat¡¯s pocket and said with a smile, ¡°I feel so lucky today. The evidence I sent to Scotland Yard a few days ago for testing has been sent back. And they found the remnants of a brooch in ashes from John¡¯s fireplace.¡± Evan raised his eyebrows, a brooch? Looking at the distorted thing in front of him, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Are you really sure it¡¯s a brooch?¡± Smiling, Sheriff Chandler rubbed his hands together, ¡°You don¡¯t have to make fun of me, it¡¯s true. It¡¯s a brooch and it¡¯s a very precious brooch, as confirmed by the experts of Scotland Yard. It looks like our murderer is a woman, someone who has such a precious brooch. Reverend, you don¡¯t need me to tell you who it is, right?¡± Evan looked down at the wreckage in his hand and pondered for a long time before speaking, ¡°Although we have found this brooch, there is still no evidence to link this brooch to Mrs Lawrence. And for the motive, we don¡¯t have any valid theories either.¡± When he heard this, Sheriff Chandler gave a meaningful smile, ¡°I knew you would say this. But the people at Scotland Yard have that this is a unique brooch handcrafted by a shop in London, and there is only one of it in this world. I asked someone to help me find out, and I was told that it was specially customised by Mr Lawrence. Think about it, who else can he give this brooch to?¡± Sheriff Chandler spoke with confidence but Evan still frowned as he looked at the brooch. He had never seen Mrs Lawrence wear the brooch. ¡°Not only that, the blow to the back of John¡¯s head was from the upper right to lower left and the person who did it was identified as left-handed. Mrs Lawrence is left-handed.¡± Sheriff Chandler had a proud look on his face, ¡°Reverend Bruce, how about that? Is it alright now?¡± Evan had not seen John¡¯s wound and it was the first he heard about the perpetrator being left-handed. Thinking about it, Mrs Lawrence was indeed left-handed. ¡°You still have to be careful. There is no direct evidence.¡± Evan said bitterly. Sheriff Chandler was determined to win the debate, ¡°Reverend Bruce, even you can¡¯t refute the evidence this time. As long as she has these things, she can¡¯t deny it in front of the judge.¡± The rules of this era¡¯s justice system are not as strict as the rules of the later eras. At this time, as long as there is circumstantial evidence, one can be sent to the gallows*. Evan frowned but Sheriff Chandler was still very excited, ¡°I think I have to go and talk to the servants of the Lawrence family, to find out about the relationship between Mrs Lawrence and John.¡± Evan sent off Sheriff Chandler, who had a triumphant look on his face, with a complicated look. Could the murderer really be Mrs Lawrence? The image of the thin but hot-tempered woman flashed through his mind. If it is true that such a person could kill, then Mrs Lawrence is very impressive. Worried, Evan walked back into the church. For the first time, he devoutly knelt in front of the statue of Jesus and prayed with his hands folded. In the morning, he had given the residents of Delanlier a moment of tranquility and now, he also needs that tranquility. ************ Sheriff Chandler went to Woolwich Manor with great satisfaction. It was time for the servants to prepare dinner when he got there. Mrs Lawrence was even more indifferent to Sheriff Chandler and didn¡¯t cooperate at all. ¡°If you need to ask anything, just go and ask. It¡¯s just that the servants are working now so you¡¯d better hurry up.¡± Mockingly, Mrs Lawrence gave the sheriff a look of schadenfreude**. Sheriff Chandler was very annoyed that Mr Lawrence was away from home today, so he could only face Mrs Lawrence directly. ¡°Then, Madam, please forgive my intrusion.¡± Sheriff Chandler also felt impatient to deal with Mrs Lawrence. In his heart, he had already identified Mrs Lawrence as guilty, so he unceremoniously called Mrs Lawrence¡¯s maid out. Seeing Sheriff Chandler¡¯s rude look, Mrs Lawrence turned pale with anger but she didn¡¯t say a word. Laura, Mrs Lawrence¡¯s maid, looked at Sheriff Chandler timidly, twisting the corners of her skirt with her hands. Sheriff Chandler stared at Laura with eagle-like eyes and said sternly, ¡°Whatever I ask you now, you must tell me the truth. If I find out that there is a lie, I will arrest you immediately. And if you go to prison, you will never be able to get out.¡± ¡°Yes¡­.sir,¡± Laura answered as she trembled, ¡°I will not tell a lie, please don¡¯t arrest me. Sheriff, I will not tell a lie, I will tell you the truth.¡± Sheriff Chandler nodded with satisfaction, such intimidation was a common thing for him to do and he felt no burden at all. ¡°I ask you, how was the relationship between Mrs Lawrence and John?¡± ¡°Mrs and the young master?¡± Laura looked puzzled. ¡°Yes! What¡¯s the relationship like between them?¡± Sheriff Chandler¡¯s eyes were burning. ¡°The relationship between the lady and the young master was very good. The lady loves master John very much.¡± Laura said with some hesitation. Her hesitation did not escape Sheriff Chandler¡¯s eyes, ¡°What else are you hiding? Say it!¡± Laura shook, ¡°I¡­.I really don¡¯t know¡­.¡± She waved her hands in a panic. Seeing her like this, Sheriff Chandler lit up and he pressured her, ¡°Laura, you¡¯d better not lie to me. Your father owes so much in gambling debts so you tell me, what should I do with him?¡± (That¡¯s low, bro) Panicked, Laura¡¯s eyes were filled with tears, ¡°Oh, Sheriff, please don¡¯t do anything to my father, he¡­he¡­¡± ¡°Then tell me the truth!¡± Sheriff Chandler didn¡¯t let up. Laura sobbed deeply, ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t¡­.I¡¯m going to lose my job¡­¡± This time, Sheriff Chandler started persuading her gently, ¡°Oh, good girl, you don¡¯t need to be afraid about this matter. Don¡¯t worry, I will be the only one to know about this. I won¡¯t tell anyone about what you said, don¡¯t worry.¡± Laura continued sobbing and Sheriff Chandler started feeling impatient. He took out a handkerchief from his pocket, handed it to her and spoke in a low voice, ¡°Okay, wipe your tears, you can leave when you¡¯re done.¡± Laura took the handkerchief and blew her nose loudly. Sheriff Chandler frowned. ¡°I¡­I saw it before.¡± She looked at the sheriff timidly, ¡°I saw Mrs Lawrence quarrelling with master John, and she beat master John¡­. I know this. Sheriff, please don¡¯t embarrass my father.¡± Sheriff Chandler almost jumped up with excitement, ¡°Really? When did it happen? Why?¡± Laura didn¡¯t understand the reason for the sheriff¡¯s excitement, ¡°Yes¡­it was a few days ago but I don¡¯t know why. But Mrs Lawrence was very angry and she said that she would cut ties with master John..¡± CH 20 Sheriff Chandler felt like he was celebrating Christmas. He had everything he wanted. He sent Laura away excitedly and pretended to call in a few more people for questioning before leaving Woolwich Manor happily. Mrs Lawrence stared at the elated Sheriff¡¯s back and there was a thoughtful haze in her eyes. She looked back at Laura, whose face was as white as a quail, with anger in her eyes. *********** Sheriff Chandler went straight to the church as soon as he left Woolwich Manor. He wanted to give Evan the good news but he didn¡¯t expect to be told by deacon George that Evan went to the duke¡¯s house. Evan was picked up by a carriage sent by Duke Wilson and the reason for the invitation was that Lord Edward wanted to see Reverend Bruce. Evan sat in the carriage thinking about this extraordinary invitation. He felt very unsure. The last incident had drawn a gulf between him and Duke Wilson. This sudden invitation left him feeling even more clueless. The person who came to invite Evan was Butler Chris. He sat across from Evan with a stern and expressionless face and said nothing. Evan watched him and attempted to strike up a conversation before he finally gave up. You must know that, at this time, the butler is very loyal to his master¡¯s feelings, especially a person like Butler Chris whose family have served the Krist family for generations. They finally arrived at Cornwall Manor, which was still as gorgeous and elegant as the first time Evan was there. Butler Chris opened the door for Evan and welcomed him into the manor. (t/n : I¡¯m not sure if it should be Cornwall Manor or Castle) Once again, Evan stepped into the hall of Cornwall Manor again, which was surrounded by delicate and bright, off-white European-style spiral staircases, with a faint and soft light from the setting sun. Duke Wilson walked down the stairs. He was wearing casual clothes today, his white shirt was slightly rumpled and his usually smooth black hair was now a little messy. He was holding a book in his hand. When he saw Evan, he was surprised. Evan couldn¡¯t help squinting his eyes. He had never realised so clearly that the man in front of him was so charming, with a flawless and delicate appearance. He was so handsome that he looked like he came out of a painting, but anyone who saw the coldness in his light brown eyes would find them daunting. But Evan was not one of those people. ¡°Lord Duke.¡± Evan bowed respectfully, as if the moment he was in a daze just now didn¡¯t happen at all. ¡°Reverend Bruce, why are you here?¡± Duke Wilson asked in a strange tone. Surprised, Evan looked at the duke, ¡°Didn¡¯t you send Butler Chris to invite me here? I heard that Lord Edward wanted to see me.¡± Just as he finished speaking, Butler Chris came in. ¡°Chris, what the hell is going on here?¡± Duke Wilson frowned. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lord Duke.¡± Butler Chris was still expressionless, ¡°Lord Edward¡¯s has been in low spirits these days. I heard that it was because he really wanted to see Reverend Bruce, so I invited Reverend Bruce over on my own initiative.¡± Evan found it unbelievable that the well-behaved Butler Chris would do something deceitful, it would not be a surprise if the duke got angry. ¡°You¡­.why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier? Duke Wilson was still frowning, ¡°Take Reverend Bruce upstairs.¡± Evan was very surprised. He glanced at the duke and found that, although the duke¡¯s eyebrows were wrinkled, there was no sign of displeasure in his eyes. Evan pursed his lips and the corners lifted up in an arc. Now, he understands the duke. Evan walked into Edward¡¯s room, which still looked the same as before, clean and spacious. Edward was sitting on the carpet playing with a small wooden horse. He raised his head when he heard someone come in. When he saw that it was Evan, his eyes lit up and he quickly stood up. ¡°Reverend Bruce!¡± He ran to Evan, his small hand pulled gently on the hem of Evan¡¯s robe, with a clear smile in his eyes, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Evan looked at the pair of bright eyes and he felt very comfortable. It would seem that his previous actions were not in vain. Evan lowered his body, squatted in front of Edward and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ve come to see you, Lord Edward.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me Lord, you can just call me Edward.¡± Edward said with a shy look on his face. Evan smiled, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Edward was happy when he heard this and he took Evan¡¯s hand to play with him on the wooden horse. Smiling, Evan played with Edward, while thinking that Edward was much more cheerful than he was the last time. Evan is not a child, so of course, he wasn¡¯t interested in playing with small wooden horses so he got tired after playing for a while. At this moment, there was a knock on the door. Edward was still playing with the wooden horse on the carpet but he quickly stood up when he heard the knock and ran to the door. Surprised, Evan also stood up. Edward quickly opened the door and threw himself into the arms of the person at the door, shouting, ¡°Alia! You¡¯re finally here!¡± Evan¡¯s heart sank to the bottom of the sea. The person at the door was indeed Alia. She was wearing a long light blue dress today. Her curly brown hair was tied up with a long beige ribbon, adding a hint of playfulness to her. Smiling, she carried Edward into the room. She was obviously startled when she saw Evan, then she smiled again, ¡°Reverend Bruce, why are you here?¡± Evan was madly wary of the woman in front of him, wishing he could snatch Edward from her arms, but he still had a gentle look on his face, ¡°Butler Chris invited me over.¡± Edward broke free from Alia¡¯s arms, walked to Evan¡¯s side, pulled the corner of his robe and said to Alia, ¡°Reverend came to see me. I¡¯ve been wanting to see him these days but I didn¡¯t expect to see him today.¡± Poor little Edward has never enjoyed a gentle fatherly love and Evan filled the gap in his wounded heart. When Alia heard this, a soft smile appeared on her face, ¡°Reverend Bruce is a noble person. You will definitely learn a lot from him.¡± These words seemed to come from the bottom of her heart but Evan was sneering in his heart, he really couldn¡¯t get rid of this Miss Alia. ¡°Miss Alia flatters me. I came to visit Edward today but I didn¡¯t expect to meet Miss Alia.¡± The look in Evan¡¯s eyes was a little cold. Alia didn¡¯t notice it at all, she smiled shyly, ¡°I did something very terrible to Lord Edward before, so I came here this time to apologise and ask for Lord Edward¡¯s forgiveness.¡± Edward looked at Alia with some doubt, ¡°What did you do, Alia? Why don¡¯t I know?¡± Alia felt ashamed, ¡°When you fell into the lake, it was because I didn¡¯t take good care of you. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Edward smiled, ¡°I insisted on going to the lake, it had nothing to do with Miss Alia.¡± Looking at Edward, Alia was very moved, ¡°You are really a kind person, I¡¯m ashamed of what I¡¯ve done.¡± (I really don¡¯t like this woman) Evan¡¯s eyes became hazy with thought, it seems that the relationship Edward has with Alia is much better than he imagined, and what she did with his life was so easily resolved. The duke said before that he didn¡¯t want to see Alia again, it looks like that is now invalid. Evan was unwilling to stay there any longer. He needs to think of a way to completely cut off the relationship between these two people. Only by doing this would he be able to completely expel Alia from the picture. Evan nodded, ¡°Lord Edward, since Miss Alia is here, I¡¯ll leave first. There are still many things to do in the church.¡± When he heard this, Edward felt reluctant and he gently tugged at the corner of Evan¡¯s robe, ¡°Can¡¯t you stay a little longer? I want to hear you read the Bible to me.¡± Edward¡¯s behaviour of attachment made Evan feel better. Smiling, he stroked Edward¡¯s hair and said warmly, ¡°I¡¯ll read to you next time. Mrs Sanders is away these days and the matters of the church are complicated.¡± Edward is a reasonable child so he stopped his entanglement and nodded seriously, ¡°Okay, but you must come over next time.¡± Evan nodded with a smile, turned and walked out. Evan went down the stairs only to find Duke Wilson and Dr. Hester sitting downstairs, talking. Duke Wilson was surprised when he saw Evan coming down the stairs. ¡°Reverend Bruce, are you leaving?¡± Evan gave a reserved smile, ¡°It¡¯s getting late, I should leave.¡± ¡°But Edward¡­.¡± Duke Wilson gave Evan a complicated look. Evan, however, just smiled, ¡°With Miss Alia here, I think the Lord will recover quickly.¡± Speaking of Alia, Duke Wilson¡¯s expression was uncomfortable for a moment and he said, ¡°Alia and Edward have always had a good relationship. This can indeed help a lot.¡± The smile in Evan¡¯s eyes turned cold, it seemed like the duke had changed his thoughts about Alia. Evan gave the duke a slight nod and was about to leave when Dr. Hester suddenly stopped Evan. ¡°Reverend Bruce.¡± Dr. Hester had a strange smile on his face. ¡°Why are you leaving in such a hurry? Alia has suffered a lot of mental torment these days, you¡¯re a priest so I would like to ask you to help Alia out of her slump.¡± The smile on Evan¡¯s face stagnated for a moment. He was asked to help Alia? Why didn¡¯t he just kill him? Evan was about to agree in order to maintain the image of a good priest but Duke Wilson spoke before he could. ¡°Reverend Bruce still has a lot of matters to attend to in the church. We should let this venerable priest serve God.¡± (Ha, the duke is getting jelly lol) Duke Wilson¡¯s tone was stiff. The smile on Evan¡¯s face froze. What did the duke mean? CH 21 Duke Wilson¡¯s words shocked not only Evan, even Dr. Hester was stunned. Dr. Hester stared blankly at the duke, his beard still laughably cocked. With a cold smile on his face, Evan quickly responded, ¡°The duke is very right, I really should go back. Because Mrs Sanders is not around, church matters are very complicated.¡± Dr. Hester smiled awkwardly, ¡°Yes, yes, it¡¯s my fault, so I won¡¯t delay your business.¡± Evan nodded, turned and left the living room without even looking at the duke. Butler Chris dutifully sent Evan to the door of Cornwall Manor. As Evan wanted to leave, the butler suddenly spoke, ¡°Reverend Bruce.¡± His face was still stern and serious, ¡°I hope you can visit Cornwall Manor more in the days to come. Lord Edward enjoys your company very much.¡± This loyal old butler, who has devoted his entire life to this manor, is very fond of Edward and Duke Wilson. The feelings he has for them are the same as feelings for a son and grandson. Evan was already not in a very good mood, and the arrogant words of Butler Chris made him angry. ¡°Mr Chris, all the parishioners of Delanlier are under my care. They are all children of the Lord, whether it is Lord Edward or the son of a servant, they¡¯re all the same in my eyes. If you choose to favor anyone, you should say less of such words in the future.¡± Evan said these words in a very cold way and ignoring the butler¡¯s surprise, he turned to leave Cornwall Manor. When Evan returned to the church, Sheriff Chandler was still waiting for him there. When he saw Evan¡¯s figure, his eyes lit up and he quickly stood up to greet him. ¡°Oh my dear Reverend, why did you come back at this time? I want to tell you about a happy event. This case is now completely solved, the murderer is Mrs Lawrence. I asked her maid, Laura. Mrs Lawrence had gotten into an argument with little John before and she even hit her cute little John. What an interesting discovery, won¡¯t you say?¡± Sheriff Chandler feigned a funny smile. Evan¡¯s mind was still occupied by Duke Wilson¡¯s blunt attitude and he had no time to pay attention to this matter, so he waved his hand impatiently, ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me these things. If you have the evidence, you can send the murderer to the gallows.¡± Sheriff Chandler didn¡¯t pay attention to Evan¡¯s attitude, he spoke excitedly, ¡°Do you agree with me?¡± ¡°Yes, I agree.¡± For now, Evan just wants to send the long-winded sheriff away. Sheriff Chandler was finally satisfied this time. Smiling, he gave Evan a pat on the shoulder and turned to leave the church. Evan sat in the front row of the church, folded his hands and faced the statue of Jesus. It looked like he was praying but he was really thinking about the day¡¯s events in his mind. Why did Duke Wilson drive him away so rudely? Did Dr. Hester say something? Evan¡¯s mind was in disarray. Evan had a very tormented night. While thinking about his behaviour in the past days, he reflected on whether he had behaved properly that day. Before he had gone upstairs at the manor, he was full of confidence that Duke Wilson still treated him well. The duke must have had a good impression of him, otherwise he would have reprimanded Butler Chris who had made his own decisions. But things changed when he came back downstairs. Before this happened, Dr. Hester was the only one who spoke to the duke, so it was definitely something Dr. Hester said that changed the duke¡¯s attitude. Evan made up his mind, he must find out what Dr. Hester said. Evan had not gotten the time to implement his plan when, early the next morning, a huge scandal rapidly spread through Delanlier. Mrs Lawrence had been arrested by the sheriff on the suspicion of killing her own son, John Lawrence. It was like the most incredible burlesque-like situation and it caused a huge stir in Delanlier. It was only at this moment that Evan remembered the speech the sheriff made the afternoon before and his whole being became fidgety. It was at this time that Mrs Sanders came back to the church. Mrs Sanders was no longer looking as haggard and weak as she looked when Evan last saw her. Although her face was pale, her expression was firm. She was wearing a light gray skirt with a coat wrapped around her shoulders. Mr Chandler stood behind her with a worried look on his face. She looked at Evan, the sadness in her eyes almost overflowing, ¡°Reverend Bruce, I know that you have a very good relationship with Sheriff Chandler. Please tell him that I want to see Mrs Lawrence. After that, I will tell him everything I know. This matter is very important!¡± Evan stiffened, he had made some guesses before. Could Mrs Sanders really¡­. ¡°Is your body okay?¡± Evan asked, pretending not to know. Mrs Sanders looked at Evan with her eyes full of mirth, ¡°Reverend Bruce, you¡¯re a noble person and you don¡¯t want to expose my shame. But I believe you must have guessed that I have a secret in my heart. Please tell Sheriff Chandler what I said, I just want to see Mrs Lawrence now.¡± Embarrassed, Evan opened his mouth but he found that he couldn¡¯t say anything in the end. Mrs Sanders is a smart person but unfortunately, she thinks too much. ¡°I see, I will make the arrangements for you. Please wait for a moment.¡± After saying this, Evan left the church. On the way to Sheriff Chandler¡¯s house, Evan was thinking about this matter, it would seem that his guess has been confirmed. Then if it is as he guessed, the suspicion on Mrs Lawrence is even more serious. This is like a disaster. Evan cursed in his heart. He never thought that a good Mary Sue novel would turn into what it is now. Sheriff Chandler was very impatient with Mrs Sanders¡¯ request. He was still busy interrogating Mrs Lawrence, who was loudly blaming him. He had no time to pay attention to a parish secretary¡¯s request but because of Evan, he thought about it. ¡°Reverend, Mrs Lawrence has been detained by the police. I¡¯m afraid this matter will be difficult to handle.¡± Sheriff Chandler spoke with a bitter look on his face. Evan knew he didn¡¯t want to waste time, so he didn¡¯t beat around the bush and spoke directly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this visit will definitely satisfy you. Mrs Sanders knows some very important information that you must know.¡± Sheriff Chandler¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard this. He was currently in a dilemma in the interrogation of Mrs Lawrence because the lady was screaming herself hoarse like a mad woman, cursing with all the words she could think of, and did not listen to what he said at all. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, then I think the police can provide the appropriate facilities but I¡¯ll also ask Mrs Sanders to provide some really beneficial information.¡± This case has really frightened Sheriff Chandler. Evan smiled, ¡°Of course Sheriff, trust me, you won¡¯t be disappointed.¡± With Evan¡¯s smooth coaxing, Sheriff Chandler agreed to the matter but considering Mrs Sanders¡¯ health, Delanlier Church was chosen as the place of the meeting. When Sheriff Chandler brought Mrs Lawrence out, Evan almost couldn¡¯t believe what he saw. The person in front of him was no longer the arrogant Mrs Lawrence. Her gorgeous clothes were now ragged and her face didn¡¯t have its usual arrogance. She had become neurotic, she was thinner and her high cheekbones made her already unbeautiful face even more mean. (T/n : I don¡¯t think ¡®unbeautiful¡¯ is a word but that¡¯s what I got) When she saw Evan, it was like she had seen a life-saving straw. She jumped up and grabbed Evan¡¯s hands tightly, ¡°Reverend Bruce, please help me, these thugs are accusing me of killing my son! That¡¯s my little John! How could I have killed him!¡± Evan was a little embarrassed but he didn¡¯t pull his hand out of her grasp, he just spoke calmly, ¡°Madam, don¡¯t worry. If you didn¡¯t do this, then no one can send you to the gallows.¡± Mrs Lawrence¡¯s eyes were filled with horror, she didn¡¯t believe Evan¡¯s nonsense at all but she didn¡¯t have the chance to say any more. Sheriff Chandler took her to sit in the carriage that would take her to the church and she disappeared from Evan¡¯s sight in the carriage. ¡°Reverend Bruce, I¡¯m so sorry. Mrs Lawrence is really an unreasonable woman.¡± Sheriff Chandler smiled apologetically. Evan slightly curved the corners of his mouth, the expression on his face was very gentle, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t say that about a lady. Although she has likely made a big mistake, she is still a child of God and she should be treated equally. It¡¯s still very possible that she¡¯s innocent.¡± ¡°It¡¯s very possible?¡± Surprised, Sheriff Chandler looked at Evan, ¡°Mrs Lawrence¡¯s crime is already done, Reverend.¡± Evan lowered his head, he still has some uncertainties about this matter. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, I won¡¯t make any judgments until the judge makes his judgment.¡± Sheriff Chandler sighed, ¡°You¡¯re really a kind-hearted person. Even with this, you will not give up on a lost lamb. Reverend, you will become a great priest in the future.¡± Evan smiled. His goal is not just to be a great priest. Sheriff Chandler and Evan returned to the church and the carriage that held Mrs Lawrence had just arrived when they got there. Mrs Lawrence didn¡¯t know who she was going to see but when she saw Mrs Sanders, she seemed to have been hit by something and she almost fell down. Fortunately, someone behind her supported her, which prevented a tragedy. ¡°My lady, what¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Mrs Sanders stared at Mrs Lawrence coldly, with deep hatred in her eyes. Mrs Lawrence was speechless. She stared at Mrs Sanders, as if there was something on her mind and she looked frightened. ¡°Sheriff,¡± Mrs Sanders turned her head to look at Evan and Sheriff Chandler, ¡°Could you, please, give me a moment to talk to her?¡± CH 22 When Sheriff Chandler saw the situation, he knew that there was definitely a problem, otherwise he would not agree with Mrs Sanders¡¯ request. He immediately said, ¡°Okay, no problem, but you must not forget what you promised to tell me.¡± As soon as he said these words, Mrs Lawrence¡¯s face instantly turned pale but Mrs Sanders remained expressionless, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t break my promise.¡± Satisfied, Sheriff Chandler nodded. He gestured to the other police officers and walked out of the church, Evan also followed him out. Although Mrs Sanders didn¡¯t ask for it, Evan still gave them privacy. No one knew what Mrs Sanders and Mrs Lawrence talked about. Evan and Sheriff Chandler stayed at the door of the church for an hour. A pale Mrs Sanders came out and behind her followed Mrs Lawrence with an ugly expression on her face. Mrs Sanders barely gave Mrs Lawrence a glance, turned and walked to Mr Chandler¡¯s side. Mr Chandler hurriedly held her right hand and watched her with a worried look. Sheriff Chandler looked at Mrs Sanders with a look of excitement and said, ¡°Ma¡¯am, what you promised should be fulfilled now.¡± Mrs Sanders nodded and was about to speak, but Mrs Sanders suddenly spoke up, ¡°I did it.¡± The way she spoke was cold and short, without a trace of emotion. She was completely different from her usual dramatic self. Sheriff Chandler smiled when he heard this. Leaving Mrs Sanders¡¯ side, he walked directly to Mrs Lawrence, ¡°You¡¯ve finally pleaded guilty. To be honest, the evidence I have is enough to send you to the gallows but because of the respect I have for you and Mr Lawrence, I¡¯m still willing to let you admit it yourself. So, please forgive me. Why would you do such a thing? John is your son!¡± Mrs Lawrence¡¯s face twitched for a moment, ¡°He is not my son.¡± Sheriff Chandler looked at Mrs Lawrence in surprise. ¡°He didn¡¯t follow my advice to get engaged to Miss Catherine and he repeatedly went against my will. When I was arguing with him, I lost my hand and caused such a result.¡± Mrs Lawrence¡¯s voice didn¡¯t waver as she spoke. Mrs Sanders had been crying limply in Mr Chandler¡¯s arms. Sheriff Chandler watched this bizarre scene but he smartly didn¡¯t say anything. If there are some secrets, he¡¯ll keep them. This town can¡¯t stand any more blows. Sheriff Chandler finally left with an indifferent Mrs Lawrence. Looking at their backs, Evan had a look of disbelief, ¡°She¡­. How could¡­.¡± Mrs Sanders sneered, ¡°When too many bad things have been done, of course, there will be a day when they can¡¯t bear it. God blesses virtue, at the same time, He will not let this vicious woman go.¡± Evan looked back at Mrs Sanders in surprise, he had never heard Mrs Sanders speak such mean words. It seems like a mother¡¯s love for her child does change a person. Evan had long speculated about Mrs Sanders¡¯ secret, the low weeping in front of the Virgin Mary after the banquet at Woolwich Manor, the illness she suffered from after John¡¯s death, the loss of life she spoke about. All of these had made Evan suspect that little John, who was loved and cherished by the Lawrence couple, is related to Mrs Sanders. Now, his speculations have been proven right. Mrs Sanders is little John¡¯s biological mother. As for Mrs Lawrence¡­ Looking at the direction the sheriff left, Evan sighed. If a woman knew that her husband was unfaithful to her, she would do anything even if she had raised the child for a long time. The next day, the news of Mrs Lawrence¡¯s confession spread through the entire town of Delanlier and the town was caught in the whirlpool of rumors. At this time, the Lawrence family was on the cusp of the storm. During all these, Evan welcomed Mr Lawrence¡¯s visit. He was not as bright and gentlemanly as before. The clothes on his body were wrinkled, and his neat black hair was already grey. The man looked like he was ten years older and his eyes were mournful. He was already a short man, but now he completely stooped. He looked at Evan and whispered, ¡°Reverend Bruce, Sheriff Chandler has completely stopped seeing me now. Can you speak to him for me? Mary, she¡­.she¡­.¡± Mr Lawrence was almost speechless, he buried his face in his hands and big, fat tears flowed through the gaps of his fingers. Evan watched Mr Lawrence and really didn¡¯t know what to say. In the end, he sighed, ¡°Go back first, Sheriff Chandler knows what to do.¡± Mr Lawrence lowered his head without looking at Evan at all, just sobbing faintly. Evan shut his mouth with embarrassment. After a long time, Mr Lawrence finally raised his head with traces of tears on his face. He looked at Evan in despair and spoke, ¡°God will not keep Mary out of His doors, right? Reverend Bruce?¡± Mrs Lawrence¡¯s name is Mary. Evan hesitated for a moment before finally nodding, ¡°The merciful Lord will not reject any lost souls.¡± Mr Lawrence seemed to have been given a chance of life and he clasped Evan¡¯s hands tightly, ¡°Reverend, is what you said true?¡± Evan frowned and wanted to pull his hand out but he didn¡¯t and nodded. Mr Lawrence relaxed, nodded gratefully to Evan and left the church. Watching Mr Lawrence leave, Evan frowned but didn¡¯t say anything. With the matter settled, Evan¡¯s attention turned to Duke Wilson. The impact of the last incident on him was too great. He must know what Dr. Hester said to the duke that changed the duke¡¯s attitude. Before Evan could take action, Dr. Hester invited him to his house as a guest the next morning. Evan was surprised. Although he had interactions with Dr. Hester before, they did not have a deep friendship. Dr. Hester¡¯s sudden invitation made many thoughts go through his mind. Despite his different thoughts, he still arrived at Dr. Hester¡¯s house on time. Dr. Hester was very happy with Evan¡¯s arrival, he even took out his silver tableware to entertain Evan. Evan was flattered. The random bottle of red wine he brought seemed inferior. But Dr. Hester didn¡¯t take offence at all. He welcomed Evan in with a very enthusiastic attitude. Alia also came out of the living room dressed very formally, wearing a light green skirt that matched her red lips. Seeing Evan come in, Alia gave a reserved bow. Evan smiled and nodded, the relationship between the two was gentle. Dr. Hester stood on the side and smiled happily, he stretched out his hand towards Evan, ¡°Reverend Bruce, please have a seat. It¡¯s great that you could come today, Alia has been looking forward to your arrival.¡± After speaking, he felt like something was wrong and he hurriedly added, ¡°And of course, me.¡± Evan¡¯s smile froze. Dr. Hester¡¯s words can be considered explicit, and if he can¡¯t understand the overtones, he is really a fool. Blushing, Alia lowered her head, tugged gently at the corner of Dr. Hester¡¯s shirt and spoke in a low voice, ¡°Father, it¡¯s time to invite Reverend Bruce for dinner.¡± Dr. Hester laughed even more after hearing this, ¡°Reverend Bruce, I¡¯m really sorry. Please sit down, Alia prepared a very sumptuous dinner today.¡± Evan looked at Dr. Hester and slowly sat down. He finally understood the meaning behind Dr. Hester¡¯s weird smile, he was trying to match himself and Alia. Evan thinks this is a bit absurd but at the same time, he was also a bit joyful. Is this what Dr. Hester said to Duke Wilson that day? If so, since Duke Wilson insisted that he should leave, does it mean that he did not agree with him and Alia getting together? Evan suddenly felt that Dr. Hester was too cute. It can be seen that the dinner was carefully prepared. Dr. Hester kept trying to adjust the atmosphere between Evan and Alia but Evan was obviously inattentive and Alia didn¡¯t cooperate very well. The doctor tried his best but failed to make the relationship between the two better. The three people finished their meal in an awkward atmosphere. Dr. Hester sent Evan out of the house with obvious annoyance but Evan was relieved. Briskly, he walked out of Dr. Hester¡¯s house, thinking about his future plans and quickly came up with new ideas. Looking at the situation today, Alia is reluctant. In fact, this is normal. The book originally revolved around the feelings between Alia and Duke Wilson. From the beginning to the end of the book, and looking at the expressions on Alia¡¯s face whenever she was before the duke, it can be seen that she may already have feelings for the duke in her heart. Evan walked in the darkness with a cold smile on the corners of his mouth. In the cold night, he was like a liner walking in the dark. He looked at the road ahead without the slightest fluctuation in his heart. Even if he has feelings for another, he will never give up Duke Wilson as his golden backer, no matter what! CH 23 After that invitation, Dr. Hester invited Evan several times but Evan rejected them all. But Dr. Hester was very persevering and still warmly invited Evan to his house. At the beginning, Evan was very puzzled. Thinking of it, Alia¡¯s conditions are not bad. Why is Dr. Hester so impatient to push her to him? You must know that being a priest¡¯s wife is not an easy task. But when he thinks of what happened before, Evan also understands what Dr. Hester is trying to do. Alia¡¯s bold act of asking John to break up their engagement has long spread across Delanlier. This has caused a mess of her upbringing and reputation and decent people weren¡¯t willing to accept Alia. So, Dr. Hester set his sights on Evan, a well-known benevolent priest. When Evan thought about it this way and understood it, the guilt that still existed completely disappeared. Since everyone is using each other, then there is no need to show mercy. Three days later, Evan took the initiative to visit Cornwall Manor. He had already made inquiries and found that Dr. Hester would return to his clinic that day. As Duke Wilson¡¯s family doctor, Dr. Hester and Duke Wilson are always in contact. Evan didn¡¯t give a prior notice of his visit so when he got to Cornwall Manor, he was greeted by Duke Wilson¡¯s complicated look and Dr. Hester¡¯s happy look. Evan was secretly delighted but on the surface, he pretended to say, ¡°I promised Lord Edward that I would come and see him and I came today because I passed by. I¡¯m sorry if my visit is really abrupt.¡± The duke nodded stiffly without saying anything but Dr. Hester said excitedly, ¡°Reverend Bruce, you¡¯re here to spread God¡¯s gospel, how can your visit be abrupt? The duke is a faithful believer, he will definitely welcome you.¡± The Duke¡¯s face was ugly but he had to say, ¡°Dr. Hester is right, your visit to Cornwall Manor is full of brilliance.¡± Evan smiled secretly but he came because he wanted to see why the duke didn¡¯t want him to have anything to do with Alia. Evan nodded to the duke and Dr. Hester and followed Butler Chris to Edward¡¯s room. While going upstairs, Butler Chris spoke up coldly, ¡°Thank you very much for keeping your promise to visit again, you¡¯re a real gentleman.¡± Evan was stunned at first and he smiled. It was really nice, this cold butler of the duke was also in the bag. Now that he is embraced on all sides, he is getting closer to his goal. Butler Chris led Evan to the door of Edward¡¯s room and left. Evan knocked on the door and it was Alia who opened the door. Alia was stunned the moment she saw Evan. In the past few days, her father had told her a lot about Evan, so she was a little embarrassed to see Evan. For a while, no one spoke up first between them. After a few seconds, Edward broke the awkward silence between them. When he saw that Alia stayed at the door for a long time, he spoke loudly, ¡°Alia, who is the person outside?¡± Alia¡¯s face stiffened, then she turned around and said, ¡°It¡¯s Reverend Bruce.¡± When he heard this, Edward ran to the door, his big eyes shining. When he saw Evan, he rushed over to grab the hem of Evan¡¯s clothes, ¡°Reverend Bruce, you¡¯re really here.¡± Evan rubbed Edward¡¯s hair with a smile and spoke softly, ¡°Lord, it¡¯s not good for you to run around like this, you could easily get injured.¡± Edward raised his head and cautiously looked at Evan, ¡°I won¡¯t fall, I¡¯m not a small child.¡± Evan smiled and stroked the side of his face without speaking. Alia, who was standing by the side, watched this tender scene and she couldn¡¯t help the strange feeling in her heart. Evan led Edward in, and Alia followed behind with an unnatural expression. Although she had no special feelings for Evan, the relationship between the both of them had obviously changed now. Evan¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change at all. Smiling, he sat beside Edward and listened to him talking about himself, occasionally interjecting. The atmosphere between the two was as warm as the atmosphere between a father and son, while Alia sat on the side and couldn¡¯t get a word in. Alia felt very uncomfortable with the situation. She was also eager to interject but Evan didn¡¯t give her a chance to. He calmed the very excited Edward and turned to look at Alia. He said warmly, ¡°Miss Alia, I don¡¯t know if I can talk to you alone for a while?¡± Alia pursed her lips nervously, and finally nodded in response. Edward sat on the sofa and looked back and forth between Evan and Alia with his small head raised. Suddenly, he laughed softly as if he thought of something. Seeing him laugh, Evan asked softly, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Edward just chuckled without speaking. Evan just shook his head helplessly, read a few more verses from the Bible and watched Edward fall asleep. He smiled and gestured to Alia, and the two quietly left the room. Evan didn¡¯t walk out from the main hall but went through the side door to the garden. Alia followed behind feeling uneasy. Both of them walked to a small pavilion in the rose garden. Evan spread his handkerchief on the chair very gracefully and let Alia sit down, while he stood on the side with a look of hesitation on his face. Alia couldn¡¯t stand the awkward atmosphere so she spoke first, ¡°Reverend Bruce, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Evan sighed, ¡°Miss Alia, you should know the intentions of Dr. Hester, right?¡± When he said this, Alia blushed, hurriedly stood up and said, ¡°My father¡¯s behaviour is very inappropriate, please don¡¯t mind it.¡± Smiling, Evan waved his hand, ¡°You misunderstood. I didn¡¯t mean to criticise Dr. Hester. You have gone through such a terrible experience, it is understandable for the doctor to have such thoughts but¡­¡± Evan paused slightly. Alia was too ashamed to raise her head and stammered, ¡°Reverend, you don¡¯t need to say any more, I understand what you mean. I will tell my father to stop disturbing you in the future.¡± Evan just smiled bitterly, ¡°Miss Alia, please listen to me.¡± Alia looked up at Evan nervously, then lowered her head and nodded quickly. Evan breathed a sigh of relief and continued, ¡°You know, as a Reverend, although I can get married, I have dedicated my everything to God so I don¡¯t plan to share this love with others. But you¡¯re in a difficult situation in the town now, and I need someone to take care of myself. So my suggestion is, if that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t you marry me, so that our predicament can be resolved.¡± Evan spoke quite calmly but his eyes were full of love. When he finished speaking, Alia looked shocked, she stared at Evan completely forgetting her prior shyness. ¡°Reverend Bruce, what do you mean?¡± Alia murmured like she was in a dream. A person who was serious one moment suddenly proposed to her the next moment. Alia has never experienced such a crazy thing in her life. ¡°I¡¯m asking for your opinion, Miss Alia.¡± Evan said seemingly tenderly but his eyes had long been attracted to the corner of a blue-gray coat behind the rose bushes. Alia lowered her head and took a deep breath to calm herself down, then she looked at him with a certain firmness in her eyes. ¡°Reverend Bruce, like I¡¯ve said before, in my opinion, marriage is a product of love. There is no love between the two of us, so marriage should not exist between us. Reverend Bruce, I am not willing to sacrifice my own love for the sake of my reputation or future. That kind of marriage is not a happy paradise but a grave, so please don¡¯t say it again. I will talk to my father and will never bother you again.¡± After Alia finished speaking, she left in a hurry. Evan stood there watching Alia leave, as if he was struck by lightning, his eyes full of disbelief and also full of pain, sadness and annoyance. At this moment, the duke came out from behind the rose bushes. He looked at Evan with a complicated look on his face and spoke in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I accidentally heard such unfortunate news.¡± Evan looked like he was drained of his strength, he sat down on the chair in frustration, lowered his eyebrows and said in a low voice, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m so stupid.¡± Duke Wilson frowned as he watched Evan, his deep ink black eyes unpredictable, ¡°I just heard that you want to marry Alia without love. Since there is no love, why are you so sad?¡± Without looking up, Evan waved his hand with a wry smile, ¡°Your Excellency, you should also see that Alia is in a very bad situation right now. I was afraid that if I spoke directly, she would think that I was pitying her but she said such terrible words. I didn¡¯t expect that Alia has no feelings for me at all.¡± Evan¡¯s words were heart-wrenching and the pain was about to pour out between the words. The duke¡¯s brows furrowed deeply, he stood in the same place looking down at Evan with a complicated expression, who was covering his face with his hands in pain. He was surprised at the fact that Evan had just proposed to Alia, but listening to Evan¡¯s explanation, he felt it was very logical. He could hardly think of a reason why Alia would reject such a noble, considerate and kind man. He had already felt that Alia was not worthy of Evan so he didn¡¯t want Hester to get his wish. But now that Evan was really rejected by Alia, the duke¡¯s heart was filled with anger. Duke Wilson bent down and squatted in front of Evan, he raised his hand to pat Evan¡¯s shoulder and spoke in the softest tone he had ever used in his life, ¡°Reverend Bruce, you deserve the best girl in the world. Alia doesn¡¯t deserve you and she doesn¡¯t deserve your sadness.¡± The corners of Evan¡¯s mouth twitched slightly. When the duke didn¡¯t react, he suddenly raised his head, looked straight at Duke Wilson and spoke with a sad tone, ¡°Lord Duke, I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯ll have to spend the rest of my life just serving God.¡± CH 24.1 THIS CHAPTER IS A ¡®THREE CHAPTERS IN ONE¡¯ CHAPTER, SO IT WILL BE DIVIDED INTO THREE. EACH IS AS LONG AS A NORMAL CHAPTER. Duke Wilson was stunned for a moment. Dully, he looked at Evan¡¯s blue eyes, as if he was on a boat on a clean and clear lake. His curly golden hair was emitting a soft light under the sunlight, just like the warm sun on a spring day, warm and beautiful. ¡°You¡­.you¡­.¡± Duke Wilson was speechless. Evan smiled, his handsome features became more gentle and warm, ¡°Lord Duke, you can call me Evan.¡± Trembling, Duke Wilson raised his hand to touch Evan¡¯s cheek. But he stopped, and spoke with difficulty, ¡°Evan¡­¡± (Oh boy, our dear duke is falling for the wolf) Evan smiled and held the duke¡¯s hand. He said warmly, ¡°Lord Duke, thank you for your comfort today.¡± Duke Wilson felt like his hand was scalded by something and he wanted to withdraw his hand but he stopped and spoke stiffly, ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Evan saw that his initial purpose has been achieved so he stopped teasing Duke Wilson. He let go of the duke¡¯s hand and stood up. Duke Wilson also stood up with him but his posture was stiff. Evan pretended like he didn¡¯t see this and said warmly, ¡°Edward should wake up soon. I¡¯ll go in and see him before I leave. There are still many things to do in the church this afternoon so I have to go back early.¡± Duke Wilson raised his head when he heard Evan say he was leaving. Feeling uncomfortable, he looked at Evan with soft eyes, ¡°So soon?¡± Evan smiled, ¡°You said it last time. I shouldn¡¯t delay my work.¡± He said this as a joke but he actually knew how much he cared about what the duke said to him the last time. When he said this, the duke looked embarrassed and he gently coughed a few times, ¡°I was really rude to you last time. Please don¡¯t mind what happened last time. This time, please stay and let me make up for the mistake.¡± Evan waved his hand generously, ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, Lord Duke, I really have something to do this time.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s face was stiff, he didn¡¯t hold him back any longer and stood where he was watching Evan walk through the rose bushes and walk back to the castle. Evan felt the duke¡¯s gaze and he had a smile of determination on his lips. Duke Wilson has slowly begun to walk into the trap he laid for him, and he is about to succeed. When Evan returned to Edward¡¯s room, Alia was not there. According to Evan¡¯s speculations, Alia definitely didn¡¯t want to see him so she left first. That was fine though, he wasn¡¯t in the mood to act against her. He comforted little Edward, who had just woken up, turned and went downstairs. By the time he got downstairs, the duke had also returned. When the duke saw him, there was a momentary flash of embarrassment on his face but he quickly returned to the usual cold duke. Glancing at Evan, he nodded and said warmly, ¡°I¡¯ll take you out.¡± Evan smiled and nodded in response. The duke sent Evan to the gate of the manor. Evan waved goodbye to the duke and left, but the duke stayed where he was, watching him leave. The duke¡¯s expression became dazed as he watched Evan walk away. Evan is the most noble and upright person he has ever met in this world, and he is also the best friend he wants to have, but today¡­. Without thinking further, the duke frowned, turned and walked back into the manor. ************ When Evan returned to the church, he was pleasantly surprised to find that Mrs Sanders had come back. After the previous sickness and pain, Mrs Sanders has finally recovered but she was much thinner. The usually fitted skirt looked a bit empty when she wore it and looking at it, Evan felt it was a little scary. ¡°My dear lady, your body has not fully recovered yet so you should rest for a few more days.¡± Evan said worriedly. Mrs Sanders¡¯ face looked sallow. She gently waved her hand, ¡°I¡¯ve rested enough. I want to continue working.¡± Mr Chandler, who brought Mrs Sanders, was also worried, ¡°Ma¡¯am, are you really okay?¡± Mrs Sanders looked at Mr Chandler with an expression that was softer than usual, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know my own body well.¡± At the insistence of Mrs Sanders, the worried Mr Chandler finally left. Before he left, he kept instructing Evan to take more care of her. Honestly, with the fragile body of Mrs Sanders, Evan didn¡¯t dare to let her do anything at all. It¡¯s just that Mrs Sanders is very stubborn. She still insisted on reading the ledgers of the parish. With the efforts of Evan and George over the past few days, many inconsistent entries made in the ledger have been found. Frowning, Mrs Sanders looked at Evan¡¯s calculations of the account. ¡°So much money has disappeared. Reverend Ross absolutely doesn¡¯t have the ability. I wrote to him a few days ago and he is still a priest in a small church in Wales. If he had so much money, he would definitely not be reduced to this point.¡± Evan also agrees with Mrs Sanders. Thinking of such an amount of money, such a large asset has long exceeded the range that a priest can handle. Not to mention that there are so many financial aspects and Reverend Ross is just an honest country priest, how could he know so much? ¡°Such a large amount has exceeded our ability to handle. It looks like we still have to report it to the church.¡± Evan said with some concern. Mrs Sanders didn¡¯t object this time. They were simply unable to handle such a large amount of money. ¡°You said that you really need to report the church, but do you have any doubts about anyone in your heart?¡± Mrs Sanders asked. Evan pursed his lips, thought for a moment and said, ¡°My dear lady, whenever I encounter this kind of problem, I don¡¯t want to maliciously speculate about people¡¯s hearts. This is too difficult for me. I don¡¯t want great damage to be dealt to my faith.¡± Mrs Sanders¡¯ expression softened, she walked to Evan¡¯s side and said softly, ¡°Oh, Reverend Bruce, I know how you feel but this matter is too terrible. To steal money from the church, not only is it breaking the law, it is also moral corruption. You shouldn¡¯t be soft-hearted.¡± Evan pretended to sigh, with pity in his eyes, ¡°Even so, I still have a hard time believing¡­¡± He stopped talking, picked up a document that was on the table and handed it to Mrs Sanders. Mrs Sanders took it with some doubt, the names of the people who handled the money of the church were written on it. It included the names of the church¡¯s accountant, Mr Stewart; Mr Johnson, the church¡¯s lawyer as well as some other deacons and donors. There were no problems with these deacons and donors, the donors are naturally self-evident, and the deacons are still in Delanlier Church today so their property status is easy to check. However, the other two are very suspicious, especially Mr Stewart. As the church¡¯s accountant, he controls all the financial affairs of the church. It couldn¡¯t be easier for him but Mrs Sanders was the first to rule him out. ¡°Mr Stewart is a devout believer. He is in his sixties this year. For God¡¯s sake, Reverend Bruce, he would never do such a thing.¡± Mrs Sanders was agitated. However, Evan disapproved of Mrs Sanders¡¯ subjective attitude. Even the most devout believers would find it difficult to remain unmoved in the face of such a large fortune. But he couldn¡¯t say that to her face, so he said, ¡°Ma¡¯am, I understand what you mean but this matter concerns the church. I¡¯m just honestly telling you what I know. As for who did it, it¡¯s up to the church to judge.¡± Mrs Sanders was frustrated, she knew that Evan was right but at the same time, she could not bear it and asked, ¡°Then, do you want to call the police?¡± This question stumped Evan. To be honest, he didn¡¯t want to. If he calls the police, this incident would turn into a scandal. The fewer people who know about it, the better. Otherwise, many people will no longer be willing to donate to the church. ¡°I can¡¯t make up my mind about this matter on my own. Let the church decide.¡± Evan sighed. This matter absolutely must be resolved, as for the method, it depends on the mood of the Bishop. Mrs Sanders nodded. Unlike Evan, she didn¡¯t know anything about bishops but she knows the character of the local Bishop very well. Evan decided to write to the bishop the next day, Mrs Sanders also decided to control the news of the matter from spreading out of the church, and thoroughly resolve the matter before the situation deteriorated further. Now that the two had decided, Mrs Sanders went to educate the poor congregants and Evan began to write the letter to be sent to the bishop. After writing only a few lines, he was interrupted by the church¡¯s gatekeeper. CH 24.2 ¡°Reverend.¡± The gatekeeper awkwardly stood at the door. Evan felt a little impatient in his heart, but he still had a smile that was like the spring breeze in his face, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, James, what is it?¡± James, who was at a loss, walked into the bright and tidy room, ¡°Um¡­..Reverend, here is your letter.¡± ¡°My letter?¡± Evan took the letter from James with some doubt. The person who delivered the letters this morning didn¡¯t he had a letter. Besides, he didn¡¯t have someone who would write letters to him. ¡°This letter was sent to the wrong address. It was delivered at noon today. It is an expedited letter.¡± James said in a low voice. Hearing this, Evan frowned. He looked at the name on the envelope and had a bad feeling in his heart. It turned out to be a letter from Jimmy, John¡¯s manservant. Evan had asked someone to help him find Jimmy in London before but there had been no news. Now that there is news, Evan felt very nervous. Evan couldn¡¯t wait to open the letter. Although Jimmy had some education, the fonts used was very messy. Evan looked at the handwriting on the envelope. The letter was forwarded no less than three times before it got to him. Evan opened the letter and as soon as he read the first few words, his eyebrows wrinkled into a sharp arc. He continued to read and he could not help but gasp. Evan quickly stood up and asked James, ¡°What is today¡¯s date?¡± James was a little confused, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s October 7th.¡± After speaking, he seemed to think of something and added, ¡°Today is Mrs Lawrence¡¯s trial, that horrible woman is finally going to be hanged.¡± Evan jumped from behind the table and rushed to the tea room next door, where Mrs Sanders was sitting and knitting sweaters. When she saw Evan in such a hurry, she frowned, ¡°Reverend Bruce, what¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Evan could hardly restrain his inner excitement. He held her hands and asked loudly, ¡°Ma¡¯am, whose child is John?¡± There was a flash of embarrassment on Mrs Sanders¡¯ surprised face. She took her hands from Evan¡¯s grasp, turned and looked out the window, ¡°Don¡¯t you already know?¡± Evan was in a hurry and quickly said, ¡°It was a guess, I need you to tell me now.¡± Mrs Sanders looked at Evan with some doubt, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too late to say any more.¡± Evan anxiously shook the letter in his hand, ¡°Just tell me, it¡¯s very important.¡± Mrs Sanders stared at Evan for a moment, seeing his state of urgency, she said, ¡°John is my child.¡± ¡°He¡¯s your child.¡± Evan stared at her, ¡°Isn¡¯t he Mr Lawrence¡¯s child?¡± Mrs Sanders blushed, as if she had been offended, ¡°Why do think of me so! Mr Lawrence is a married man! How can I have anything to do with him!?¡± Evan was stunned. He looked at Mrs Sanders as if he was looking at something strange, ¡°John is not you and Mr Lawrence¡¯s child?¡± He murmured. ¡°Of course not!¡± Mrs Sanders turned pale with anger. ¡°Then, how did he get to the Lawrence house?¡± Evan regained his sanity and immediately asked. A look of guilt appeared on Mrs Sanders¡¯ face, ¡°After I gave birth to him, his father abandoned us. I couldn¡¯t raise him and typhoid fever almost took the child¡¯s life. I gave him away to be taken by Mrs Lawrence. I never had contact with him for so many years. I just wanted him to have a better life, but I didn¡¯t want to¡­.¡± Mrs Sanders burst into tears. Evan stepped forward and supported Mrs Sanders¡¯ shoulders but his eyes were shining brightly. John¡¯s life experience turned out to be like this. All his doubts about the matter were explained in the letter from Jimmy. It was definitely not done by Mrs Lawrence, he was very sure now! Evan gently patted Mrs Sanders¡¯ back and gently said, ¡°I have to leave now, Madam. Mrs Lawrence was framed.¡± ¡°What!¡± Mrs Sanders raised her head, ¡°How is that possible? When I accused her at that time, she admitted to it herself.¡± Evan looked down at Mrs Sanders and said warmly, ¡°I have talked about the power of love many times. Mrs Sanders, what kind of person do you think Mrs Lawrence is?¡± Mrs Sanders was confused, how could this matter have anything to do with love? Evan picked up a glass of water from the table and handed it to her, ¡°Like I¡¯ve said before, love comes from nowhere without reason and sometimes, love makes us do the most incredible things. You must never underestimate the power of love. Your love for John brought you to the brink of death and it also brought you back to life. Mrs Sanders, the last thing you should ignore in this world is love.¡± Mrs Sanders looked at Evan, thought of something, covered her face and sobbed. Evan looked at Mrs Sanders and gently patted her on the back. Actually, this matter is very simple but because of the inclusion of so many incidents and secrets, the matter became very complicated and blindfolded the people involved. ¡°Reverend, now¡­. What should we do?¡± Mrs Sanders asked, looking up at Evan. Evan looked at the sad look in her eyes, ¡°Ma¡¯am, God arranged a way for me to figure this out, then I must report this to Sheriff Chandler. Today is the day that Mrs Lawrence will be put on trial. I don¡¯t want an innocent person to be sentenced to death.¡± With a pale face, Mrs Sanders leaned back on the chair and looked out of the window, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then you must go quickly. I don¡¯t want John¡¯s death to end in an unclear manner.¡± Evan sighed and gave Mrs Sanders another gentle pat on her shoulder. No wonder Mrs Sanders was so sad. Her own child was murdered but she could not do anything in the mother¡¯s name. Evan couldn¡¯t delay too long, the matter was too urgent. He comforted Mrs Sanders and ran out in hurry. He jumped into a rental carriage and told the driver to hurry to the county¡¯s courthouse. Evan was very anxious but God didn¡¯t give him face. He had just left Delanlier when there was a problem with the carriage he was riding in. The wheels were completely deformed and it could not move at all. And there were no people around, so he could not quickly get another carriage. Evan stood beside the carriage with a frown and thought whether this was fate. He wondered whether Mrs Lawrence¡¯s sacrifice and the looming truth could really be revealed to the world. This now depends on the carriage, which is really ridiculous. Suddenly, Evan heard the sound of a carriage. Shocked, he turned to look, sure enough there was a carriage coming towards him. As the carriage got closer, Evan looked a little excited, it turned out to be Duke Wilson¡¯s carriage. The carriage stopped beside Evan. The coachman recognised Evan and he spoke to him, ¡°Reverend Bruce?¡± As soon as the coachman said his name, the door of the carriage was opened from the inside and Duke Wilson¡¯s cold and fair face appeared in Evan¡¯s eyes. ¡°Lord Duke.¡± Evan nodded slightly. ¡°Reverend, why are you here?¡± Duke Wilson looked at Evan in surprise. With a bitter smile on his face, Evan bowed his head, ¡°I was on my way to the county courthouse, but the carriage broke down.¡± Looking at the guilt-ridden look on the face of the coachman standing beside Evan, Duke Wilson frowned, ¡°Are you going to Mrs Lawrence¡¯s trial? It¡¯s getting late, come up quickly, come on.¡± Evan didn¡¯t refuse and he got into the duke¡¯s carriage. Before he got into the carriage, he didn¡¯t forget to give the coachman his money. The coachman profusely thanked Evan, he didn¡¯t expect that the priest would be so kind. When Evan got into the carriage, Duke Wilson looked at him and spoke in a soft voice, ¡°Are you going to pray for Mrs Lawrence?¡± Evan sighed, ¡°To be honest with you, I¡¯m going there to stop the trial.¡± There was an instant look of surprise on Duke Wilson¡¯s face, ¡°Why is this?¡± Evan repeated the conclusions he made and the duke sighed, ¡°If it¡¯s not Mrs Lawrence, do you have any other person you suspect?¡± Evan smiled and said in a low voice, ¡°Lord Duke, I overlooked a lot of things before but now things are very clear to me. To answer your question, I indeed already have a suspect in my heart.¡± Duke Wilson looked at Evan¡¯s gentle smile and for some reason, his heart skipped a beat. He quickly pretended to calmly look out of the window, and after a while, he seemingly spoke unintentionally, ¡°Since you know what you have in mind, it¡¯s good.¡± Evan had a panoramic view of the duke¡¯s reaction and he felt joyful in his heart. It looks like the duke¡¯s senses of him were getting better. Both of them spent the rest of the journey in silence. Evan sat in a corner of the carriage and meditated on a Bible passage. Although he was not a real priest, he still had to maintain a professional facade. The trial was about to begin by the time they finally arrived at the county courthouse. Evan rushed out of the carriage and rushed into the courthouse. CH 24.3 THIS IS THE LAST PART. In the courthouse, Sheriff Chandler was standing proudly at the door of the courtroom with several police officers following him closely. When he saw Evan, he waved at him, ¡°Reverend Bruce! Here!¡± Quickly, Evan walked across the corridor. Sheriff Chandler smiled and gave him a pat on the shoulder, ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t come. Why did you change your mind?¡± Panting, Evan spoke quickly, ¡°Sheriff, you arrested the wrong person.¡± Sheriff Chandler was surprised at Evan¡¯s words before laughing out loud, ¡°My good Reverend, don¡¯t joke with me!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not joking with you,¡± Evan had a serious look on his face, ¡°I have found evidence, please stop the trial!¡± Stunned, Sheriff Chandler looked at Evan, ¡°You¡­. Are you telling the truth?¡± Evan nodded solemnly, ¡°This is a matter that concerns a human life, please be serious about it.¡± The cigarette butt in Sheriff Chandler¡¯s hand fell to the ground. He woke up and waved to a police officer behind him, ¡°Go to Judge Conville and tell him that the police have found new evidence. So, today¡¯s lawsuit needs to be postponed.¡± The police officer was shocked, as if he didn¡¯t believe that the sheriff would believe a priest¡¯s nonsense. He wanted to interject but Sheriff Chandler waved him away mercilessly, ¡°No more words! Go quickly!¡± The police officer ran quickly to the office of the judge. Sheriff Chandler gave Evan a meaningful look and said solemnly, ¡°Reverend, I trust your judgement but I hope you can understand what you¡¯re doing.¡± Evan looked at the sheriff with a smile on his lips, ¡°Of course, I know this. You can rest assured.¡± The matter should have an ending this time. After so many days of doubt, he had finally gotten answers. But, is this place really that romantic novel filled with pink bubbles? Judge Conville was very angry. Not only because Sheriff Chandler decided to postpone the court proceedings so arbitrarily, but also because he was pulled away from his comfortable sofa into this empty hall by Sheriff Chandler in such a rude way. And in front of him sat an unusually handsome young priest. ¡°Reverend.¡± Judge Conville is a devout Protestant, so when facing a priest, he tried to hold back his dissatisfaction, ¡°Sheriff Chandler says that you have a different opinion about this case. Is this true?¡± Judge Conville gave Evan a suspicious look. Evan looked at Judge Conville gently and smiled, ¡°I do have some opinions and I would like for you to hear my testimony here.¡± Judge Conville frowned, ¡°Reverend, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you. As testified by God, the most respected people in the world are priests. But I have to say this case is very clear to me, and you¡¯re not a professional detective. Isn¡¯t it too reckless for you to say such a thing?¡± Evan fully understands the meaning the conservative judge was trying to convey. In fact, he doesn¡¯t want to be in the limelight in this kind of matter, but since it concerns human life, he could not just turn a blind eye to it. ¡°Judge, this is a matter that concerns human life after all. Before you make a judgement, please hear me out first. In the face of such a thing, I can¡¯t let go of my doubts.¡± Evan spoke cautiously. Judge Conville had to agree with such high-sounding rhetoric. He has been a judge for more than thirty years and this is the first time he¡¯s been taught this way by a priest. At this moment, someone came from the corridor, accompanied by a crisp applause. Evan and Judge Conville looked back at the same time. Duke Wilson stepped out of the shadows and looked at Evan with a look of appreciation, ¡°Reverend, your compassion will also move God.¡± Seeing that it was Duke Wilson, Judge Conville¡¯s expression changed. Immediately, he walked to the duke¡¯s side and bowed respectfully, ¡°Lord Duke.¡± Duke Wilson raised the corners of his mouth arrogantly, ¡°Judge Conville, your decision is very correct.¡± Judge Conville was delighted, ¡°Thank you for your compliment. Reverend Bruce is a person worthy of respect and as a judge, naturally I don¡¯t want to waste a life.¡± Duke Wilson nodded with satisfaction. Evan was embarrassed. Although he wants to win the duke¡¯s favor, even if he is thick skinned, he blushed at such blatant admiration. ¡°I don¡¯t deserve your compliment. I don¡¯t know more about this matter than anyone else but I also don¡¯t know less than anyone else. I just hope that I can fully describe what I know before a ruling will be made by our honourable judge.¡± Evan gave the judge a slight nod. Judge Conville was very satisfied with Evan¡¯s compliment and there was even a smile on his face. An almost imperceptible smile flashed on the corners of Duke Wilson¡¯s mouth and his eyes softened as he looked at Evan. At this time, Sheriff Chandler arrived with all the relevant parties. Sheriff Chandler was very surprised that the duke was there. But it was a good thing for him, because it was after all a very honourable thing to have a duke testify.¡± Mrs Lawrence looked very haggard due to the long term imprisonment. Her face was pale and she looked straight at her feet, indifferent to everything around her. Although Mr Lawrence didn¡¯t suffer the pain of being imprisoned, his face looked even uglier than Mrs Lawrence¡¯s face. His usual graceful demeanour was now lost completely, his clothes were wrinkled and the stubble on his face was very thick. He watched Mrs Lawrence with deep sadness in his eyes. Mrs Sanders was better, she was supported by Mr Chandler and she had a calm expression. It was only when she looked at the Lawrence couple that her eyes showed her hatred towards them. On the other hand, Dr. Hester took Alia to the side, he had a bewildered expression and didn¡¯t know where to put her hands. Alia was calmer as she held onto Dr. Hester¡¯s arm. Now that all the parties involved had arrived, Sheriff Chandler stood in the middle of the hall and said, ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, everyone must be clear about the purpose of calling you all to this place at this time. About Mr John Lawrence¡¯s death, I made my judgement and I also got the statement of Mrs Lawrence¡¯s guilty plea but now, Reverend Bruce disputes my conclusion.¡± When the sheriff said this, everyone was shocked, especially Mrs Lawrence, who looked at Evan with panic in her eyes. ¡°You¡­.you can¡¯t¡­¡± Mrs Lawrence muttered. Evan looked at Mrs Lawrence with his lips in a slight arc, ¡°Mrs Lawrence, I deeply admire your sacrifice but such a sacrifice is meaningless. Everyone should pay for what they have done. Your sacrifice will not let little John¡¯s soul rest in peace.¡± Mrs Lawrence¡¯s legs were weak and she almost fell on her knees, ¡°No¡­no¡­ I did all of it, my John, my John was killed by me.¡± Evan looked at her with pity in his eyes, ¡°Then, why did you kill John?¡± Panicked, Mrs Lawrence looked around and when she saw Mrs Sanders, a deep sense of despair overflowed from the bottom of her heart, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know, I accidentally killed him. I didn¡¯t mean to¡­ Please¡­¡± Evan sighed deeply, ¡°I respect you, but please respect the cognitive ability of everyone present here. John¡¯s wound was caused by a blow from a left-handed person. If you killed John by mistake, then you need to hold up that heavy lamp with one hand to hit John, who is at least ten inches taller than you. You see, you¡¯re a thin lady and I don¡¯t think you can inadvertently cause that.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes focused on the thin body of Mrs Lawrence. She was wearing clothes of the smallest size but it still looked empty. Her figure had always been something Mrs Lawrence was proud of, but at this moment, it became a fatal defect. Sheriff Chandler suddenly spoke at this moment, ¡°What about John¡¯s depravity?¡± Looking at Mrs Lawrence, he saw that her face was blank when she heard this question. Evan nodded to the sheriff, ¡°Sheriff, thank you for the question. We can now see clearly Mrs Lawrence didn¡¯t know about John¡¯s depravity. The depravity she talks about is John¡¯s insistence in getting engaged to Miss Alia. She doesn¡¯t know anything about John¡¯s dark side.¡± When she heard this, Mrs Lawrence seemed like she had seen a driftwood to grab on to and she shouted, ¡°I know! I know!¡± Evan just smiled softly, ¡°My dear lady, please don¡¯t deceive us anymore. Only Jimmy knew about John¡¯s depravity, and he told only one person.¡± Evan looked at Mr Lawrence, who was standing behind Mrs Lawrence with his head bowed. From the beginning, he stood there straight like a stiff dead wood, not saying a word. But when Evan finished speaking, he finally raised his head and burst into tears. Mrs Lawrence pounced on Mr Lawrence like she was going mad. She hugged him tightly and shouted hoarsely, ¡°Go away! Get out of this place! This is a place cursed by God! He will engulf you! Everyone wants to frame you! My poor John!¡± Mr Lawrence¡¯s Christian name is also John. Mr Lawrence didn¡¯t move like something was holding him down and he let Mrs Lawrence tear at his clothes without moving. ¡°You mean me?¡± Mr Lawrence looked at Evan with a look of relief. Evan nodded regretfully and handed the letter in his hand to Sheriff Chandler. The content of Jimmy¡¯s letter was very simple. He wrote that he told Mr Lawrence everything that night but unfortunately, Mr Lawrence didn¡¯t appreciate his honesty and he kicked him out of Woolwich Manor on the spot, warning him to not talk nonsense. Poor Jimmy walked out of the manor in a hurry, but he felt sorry for little John so he went back to the manor with the intention of apologising to John. When he got there, he happened to see Mr Lawrence coming out of the house. The next day, the news of John¡¯s death spread through Delanlier. Jimmy, like a frightened rabbit, quickly jumped onto the earliest train and left Delanlier. He had written the letter before he left but because of his poor handwriting, the truth was just coming to light. Shocked, Sheriff Chandler stared at Mr Lawrence. He couldn¡¯t believe that this gentleman in front of him would do such a shocking thing. Rather than believe that, he would rather believe that Mrs Lawrence did it. ¡°Then¡­ What about the brooch?¡± When he finally reacted, Sheriff Chandler looked at Evan with eagerness in his eyes. Evan looked at Mrs Lawrence. ¡°Sheriff, you¡¯re a man, it may be difficult for a man to understand a woman¡¯s love of jewellery. Mrs Lawrence is a fashion icon in Delanlier. She wears the most gorgeous evening gowns in London¡¯s latest styles. She likes to hold dinner parties and brag about herself. She has an urgent desire to pursue a high-quality life. I can¡¯t understand why such a person never wore a brooch that is unique in the world when she got it. Instead, it fell into the fire and was found next to the body of her beloved son and she did not search for it.¡± Evan approached Mrs Lawrence as he spoke. She looked at him almost begging with the expression on her face. He asked in a gentle tone, ¡°My dear lady, please tell me, what is the colour of the brooch? What is engraved on the back?¡± Mrs Lawrence was now completely panicked. Waving her hands, she looked at Mr Lawrence as if asking for help, ¡°I¡­. I forgot, I did it¡­ I did it, you have to believe me!¡± She grabbed Evan¡¯s hand and spoke in a pleading tone. Evan just looked at her indifferently, ¡°Madam, please tell me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask me again! You devil! You will go to hell!¡± She held Evan¡¯s sleeves with hatred and anger in her eyes. Duke Wilson frowned and wanted to step forward to rescue Evan. Sheriff Chandler also reacted quickly and ordered the police officers to pull Mrs Lawrence away from Evan. The situation was on the verge of getting out of control. Everyone was stunned by Mrs Lawrence¡¯s erratic behaviour. ¡°The pearl is pink and on the back of the brooch is written, ¡®To my dearest Mary, your pious John¡¯.¡± Mr Lawrence¡¯s voice cooled all the madness. It was neither loud nor low, he spoke like he was reciting a gentle love poem. CH 25 The tears in Mrs Lawrence¡¯s eyes stopped, she turned to look in Mr Lawrence¡¯s direction. The affection in her eyes was like that of a little girl who was just beginning to love, with deep nostalgia. Then, she suddenly fainted. Mr Lawrence rushed out like an arrow and supported Mrs Lawrence, who was about to fall to the ground. Sheriff Chandler stared at Mr Lawrence, completely stunned. He was speechless. He couldn¡¯t believe that Mrs Lawrence, such a terrible woman who was usually so cruel to her husband, would actually take the blame for him for such a crime, and Mr Lawrence would express his love for her so tenderly. The relationship between the couple was not as bad as he thought. ¡°My dear Mary, there is no need for this anymore.¡± Mr Lawrence gently stroked Mrs Lawrence¡¯s face and whispered in a gentle tone, ¡°I caused all this madness. You¡¯re more courageous than I am.¡± He looked at her with the deepest love and relief. Evan looked at the two with a frown on his face, he couldn¡¯t help the little doubt that sprouted in his heart. What kind of thing is this? This thing called family, why does it give birth to such complex emotions? Love and hate, good and evil. Sheriff Chandler looked at Mr Lawrence sadly and spoke solemnly, ¡°Old John, why are you doing this?¡± Mr Lawrence stared at Sheriff Chandler like he was in a trance, with confusion in his eyes, ¡°William.¡± He called Sheriff Chandler¡¯s name, ¡°John is my son, I love him deeply. And yet he does something that God hates, I really can¡¯t accept¡­¡± Mr Lawrence almost couldn¡¯t speak because of the amount of sadness he felt. Evan sighed. It seemed that Mr Lawrence didn¡¯t know about the existence of Mrs Sanders. This matter was a two-way mystery from the beginning. Evan knew all of John¡¯s secrets, Mrs Lawrence only knew about John¡¯s origin and Mr Lawrence only knew about his son¡¯s depravity. It was like an endless loop which caused Evan to misunderstand a lot of facts. Mr Lawrence picked up Mrs Lawrence, he looked at Sheriff Chandler and said stiffly, ¡°William, can you let me take her home? I promise, I won¡¯t run away.¡± Sheriff Chandler looked hesitant, but Judge Conville spoke up, ¡°Sheriff, send a few people to follow. I believe that Mr Lawrence will not do anything embarrassing.¡± Sheriff Chandler was relieved and he winked at the police officer beside him who immediately followed Mr Lawrence out. Watching them walk away, Sheriff Chandler frowned, ¡°Does old John know about little John¡¯s origin?¡± Evan hooked the corners of his mouth slightly, ¡°Sheriff, because of you, Mr Lawrence didn¡¯t know about it. And this matter did not spread through Delanlier.¡± ¡°But, after so many years¡­¡± Sheriff Chandler couldn¡¯t believe it, ¡°How could Mr Lawrence not know anything?¡± Evan sighed, ¡°We have no way of knowing such a thing, but it can be inferred from clues.¡± Evan paused and all eyes turned to him, including Duke Wilson. ¡°Mrs Lawrence loved Mr Lawrence deeply. She felt very guilty because of the unfortunate death of her first child, so she made a deal with a desperate Mrs Sanders. One woman for her dearest child and the other woman for her deepest feelings.¡± Evan looked at the pale Mrs Sanders with pity. ¡°Mrs Sanders thinks her child has the most perfect family in the world but she doesn¡¯t know that the Lawrence couple¡¯s doting on little John had reached an intolerable level. Pampering him, satisfying him with everything, praising him for all his qualities and everything. All these made him arrogant, defiant and domineering.¡± Every word Evan said made Mrs Sanders shiver and she finally couldn¡¯t stop herself from crying. ¡°But despite all these, little John did something that the Lawrences could not tolerate. He refused the wife that Mrs Lawrence had chosen for him, which left Mrs Lawrence heartbroken. Mr Lawrence loves Mrs Lawrence, he loves her so much that he could hardly beat seeing her so sad. So, he became really dissatisfied with little John, which we can confirm from Jimmy¡¯s letter.¡± Sighing, Evan picked up Jimmy¡¯s letter, ¡°The beloved little John, the darling of the Lawrence couple, couldn¡¯t get pocket money from Mr Lawrence, who has always been generous to him. In order to satisfy his terrible desires, he can only steal it. Doing this kind of thing, Mr Lawrence¡¯s attitude towards him changed. In the end, Jimmy¡¯s whistleblowing was the straw that broke the camel¡¯s back. Mr Lawrence was completely disappointed. He was too disappointed so after a fierce confrontation, he did the most terrifying thing. Originally, he thought that the matter was seamless and could be blamed on any homeless person. He didn¡¯t expect that when he was near the fire, he dropped the brooch he was going to give to Mr Lawrence into the fire. And he lacked the courage to face death which caused such a tragic story.¡± ¡°Reverend, I¡¯m really fortunate to have you at this time. Otherwise, the truth would not have been revealed.¡± Judge Conville said reservedly. Evan nodded slightly. He looked at the respectful eyes of the people in the hall and laughed in his heart. This is the result he wanted. He needs the people in this town to respect him, worship him and even trust him unconditionally. Only in this way could his disguise be better. When everything was over, they all left the hall. Evan left with Duke Wilson and the Hesters while Sheriff Chandler sent Judge Conville back. The poor old gentleman¡¯s face was not looking good because of the lack of his afternoon nap. They had just walked out of the gate of the county courthouse when Alia spoke, ¡°Reverend, when did you find out that something was wrong with Mr Lawrence?¡± Evan¡¯s expression became stagnant. Since his last confession with impure intentions, Alia has been avoiding him. Now, it is beyond his expectations that she would take the initiative to talk to him. ¡°I received a letter from Jimmy before I came to the court and I learned all these. Before that, I was a little doubtful and confused.¡± Evan said with a smile. ¡°Doubt?¡± Alia looked at Evan with almost innocent eyes. Duke Wilson became impatient, ¡°Miss Hester, what¡¯s the purpose of you asking these questions now?¡± Alia¡¯s face flushed and she didn¡¯t dare to look at Duke Wilson at all. ¡°I¡­. I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Alia stammered in defense. But Duke Wilson ignored her defense and turned to Evan, ¡°Reverend Bruce, let¡¯s go.¡± Evan was startled but he smiled and left with the duke. The strategy he came up with had worked well that day, the duke had already begun to hate Alia. Evan got into the duke¡¯s carriage and there was silence between them for a while. Evan knew that Duke Wilson was not a person that was good with words, so he took the lead to speak, ¡°My Lord, were you here today to watch Mrs Lawrence¡¯s trial?¡± Duke Wilson pursed his lips with a stiff expression, ¡°I¡¯m here to do business in the county, so I stopped by to have a look.¡± Evan¡¯s expression changed, he knew that the duke wasn¡¯t telling the truth but from his current position, he didn¡¯t have the right to ask questions so he just smiled and didn¡¯t say much. Duke Wilson sent Evan to the door of the church. Evan got off the carriage but he didn¡¯t walk away, he turned back to look at Duke Wilson with his most charming smile, ¡°Lord Duke, can I ask you for one thing?¡± Duke Wilson was stunned as he stared at Evan. ¡°Please¡­ please say it.¡± Duke Wilson stammered. Evan felt smug in his heart. His appearance and disguise were really useful, at least in the process of this kind of communication, it is easy for people to let down their guard. ¡°I know that you¡¯re a devout believer. If you can, can you please come to the service this weekend?¡± Embarrassed, Evan stroked the Bible in his hand, ¡°Since I became the parish priest, you hardly come here. There are very few opportunities to meet you and I am very sorry for this.¡± Duke Wilson had recovered by then but his face was still somewhat pale. ¡°You¡¯re right, I was negligent. I will come this weekend.¡± Duke Wilson said quickly. Evan gave him a grateful smile, ¡°God will bless you.¡± Only by having more contact with Duke Wilson can the relationship between them get better. The unequal class structure is already a deadly obstacle. Rare contact will only cause gradual estrangement and Evan does not want to take this risk. Duke Wilson¡¯s carriage finally left. Evan stood at the door of the church and watched the carriage leave. The duke looked at Evan standing in the same place through the window of the carriage. He stood with his back to the sunset and the dusky sunset pulled the shadow of his slim and slender body. His whole body was bathed in the light of the setting sun. He looked like he was covered with a halo, looking both holy and beautiful. Duke Wilson closed the window and turned back. He had a complicated look in his eyes, with a trace of confusion and struggle. Soon, his eyes turned cold again, all his emotions covered up jet black eyes. Duke Wilson knocked on the door of the carriage. ¡°Sir.¡± The driver replied respectfully. ¡°What happened to James?¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s expression was cold. As the driver drove the carriage, he replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my lord, he has already gone to where he should go.¡± (Ha! the brave idiot is dead) Duke Wilson nodded, ¡°Handle this matter well. I don¡¯t want any bad news to come out with the wind.¡± The driver quickly replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sir.¡± Duke Wilson slowly closed his eyes and said nothing more. He would not allow a person who threatened him to exist in this world, especially if this person made such disgusting advances at him. (Duke, you might have to kill your noble priest too) CH 26 The twists and turns of the Lawrence family¡¯s matter made the whole town boil. Mr Lawrence was sentenced to be hanged but Mrs Lawrence was the first to die. On the morning of Mr Lawrence¡¯s execution, Mrs Lawrence committed suicide by taking medicine at home alone. Delanlier went crazy all of a sudden. Newspaper headlines were full of reports about the tragedy of the Lawrence family for more than ten days. Sheriff Chandler was chased and blocked by newspaper reporters. In the end, he was so annoyed that he could only run to the church to hide in peace. Evan was wearing a white priest¡¯s robe, standing solemnly in front of the crucifix and praying, while Sheriff Chandler leaned lazily on the chair and spoke in a low voice, ¡°Reverend, this is really a tragedy.¡± Evan looked at the crucifix, there was a touch of compassion in the solemnity. ¡°Sheriff, this is all arranged by the Lord, don¡¯t blame yourself.¡± Evan¡¯s tone was unusually soft. Sheriff Chandler buried his face in his hands, looking very tired. ¡°I don¡¯t blame myself, I just can¡¯t figure it out.¡± His voice was dull, ¡°I can¡¯t understand why a person as good as Mr Lawrence would do such a terrible thing.¡± Evan sighed. He turned his back to Sheriff Chandler and narrowed his eyes but he didn¡¯t say a word in the end. Sheriff Chandler didn¡¯t expect to get an answer from Evan, he only wanted someone to listen to him. Later, Sheriff Chandler left the church, the church was not his sanctuary. He had to face the disaster himself. After Sheriff Chandler left, Evan stepped down from the altar, lit the Holy water in the Holy grail and made a sign of the cross. Originally, he didn¡¯t believe in ghosts and gods but at this moment, he desperately hoped that God could really bless him. This world has changed so much. Mrs Sanders came in and saw Evan standing there. She was stunned, his handsome profile looked psychedelic and golden in the sunlight reflected from the colourful glass of the church¡¯s windows. His curly hair shone strangely, such a handsome young man that Mrs Sanders hadn¡¯t seen for a long time. ¡°Madam?¡± Evan turned his head and looked at Mrs Sanders with surprise. ¡°Oh.¡± She suddenly came back to her senses, ¡°Reverend, Duke Wilson just sent a letter.¡± Mrs Sanders handed him the envelope in her hand. Evan nodded and took the letter. Since the last time he took the initiative to invite the duke to the church, Duke Wilson has never missed a service and their relationship has quickly become closer. Usually, Duke Wilson would take the initiative to invite Evan to Cornwall Manor and Evan would also invite the duke to his parsonage as a guest. With such a relationship, in the view of the people of Delanlier, the two have undoubtedly become the closest friends, and as a result, Evan has a much higher status in Delanlier. Evan swept a glance through the duke¡¯s letter, elegant and beautiful swishes, rigorous and gentle wording. The main reason for the letter was to invite Evan to participate in the autumn hunt of Cornwall Manor. As he read the letter, Evan paused and Mrs Sanders was puzzled when she saw this, ¡°Reverend, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Evan looked at Mrs Sanders with some hesitation, ¡°The duke has invited me to participate in the autumn hunt.¡± ¡°What?¡± Mrs Sanders was overjoyed, ¡°The duke actually invited you to participate in the autumn hunt! Oh, what a great honor! Reverend Bruce, you¡¯re really the duke¡¯s closest friend!¡± Evan looked at Mrs Sanders, ¡°Does this have any special meaning?¡± He thought that religious believers would not encourage such behaviour. ¡°Oh, look at my memory.¡± Mrs Sanders smiled and sighed, ¡°I forgot that you didn¡¯t know.¡± Mrs Sanders happily took the letter from Evan and smiled, ¡°The duke¡¯s autumn hunt is held once a year, he invites people of status from Delanlier and sometimes, nobles from London. This is Delanlier¡¯s annual prosperous event. Reverend Ross served in Delanlier for over 20 years and he received an invitation only once. This is a real honor for you this time.¡± Evan raised his eyebrows when he heard this, it seemed that his efforts were not in vain. ¡°Really? It seems that I must pass.¡± Evan¡¯s tone was very calm, not wavering. Mrs Sanders realised that Evan¡¯s mood was not right and she looked at Evan with some doubt, ¡°Reverend, what¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t you want to go?¡± Evan lowered his head and his expression couldn¡¯t be seen clearly, ¡°Of course, I want to go but I have no hunting experience before. I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯ll make a fool of myself.¡± Mrs Sanders felt relieved when she heard this, ¡°This will not happen, you can rest assured. You¡¯re a priest and they won¡¯t force you to hunt. Most priests just follow the hunters to pray for God¡¯s blessings. That¡¯s how it was for Priest Ross.¡± Evan nodded, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Mrs Sanders happily went out to prepare hunting things for Evan, but Evan sat down in the front row of the church seats with a complicated expression. It¡¯s a good thing that Duke Wilson invited him for the autumn hunt but this matter is a difficult one to deal with. The hunt would last for about a week. And if Evan¡¯s memory isn¡¯t wrong, a big event will happen during the hunt. An assassination attempt would be made on the duke¡¯s life. This is not an impulsive act but a long planned conspiracy. Duke Wilson is the King¡¯s cousin and the relationship between the king and the duke is a very close one so the duke has a great influence on the king. Now, the king is seriously ill but no heir has been chosen. According to the law governing the succession of the throne, it should be inherited by Prince George. Duke Wilson and Prince George also have a close relationship, not to mention the army that the duke has which plays a huge role in the entire kingdom. So those who hide in the dark and covet the throne naturally cannot sit still. They planned this assassination and it was an almost perfect plan. The duke loves hunting and it¡¯s only when he is hunting that he is alone. So, this is an opportunity for these people. Unfortunately, this opportunity was broken by the heroine, the first halo character in the book. She blocked a shot for the duke and naturally, she survived. This led to the duke falling for her more and more. This result made Evan understand clearly that, if he wants to completely grasp onto the duke, he must pay the price for this assassination. Evan lowered his head as his hands shook and he struggled in his heart. The heroine had a halo around her so she could survive even though she blocked a bullet, but he didn¡¯t have such skills. He was just trying his best to catch the duke¡¯s line of sight. If he really died because of this matter, would the loss not outweigh the gain? This letter has caused a big dilemma for Evan. He thought about it over and over again. The book is written with the heroine and the duke as the protagonists. If he doesn¡¯t make trouble this time, things will inevitably develop as described in the book. The heroine saved the duke and even if the duke does not want to have a good impression of her, he did in the book. This result is like a time bomb so he can¡¯t take risks. Evan thought about it over and over again, and he finally decided to fight this time. It was an incredible risk that he came to this place, what if he took another risk? There was a dangerous light in Evan¡¯s eyes and the corners of his mouth were raised. This time, he¡¯ll take a good look at how the gloomy but affectionate duke in the book would react. When Mrs Sanders came out, she felt anxious when she saw Evan still in one place. ¡°Reverend, why are you still here? The town¡¯s people will be here in an hour for mass.¡± Evan came to his senses and he slowly stood up from his seat. He must plan things well. Like always, people from the whole town came for mass, the parishioners in Delanlier seemed to be very devout. Since Evan became the priest, almost none of them has missed a service. Evan stood on the altar and saw Duke Wilson coming in. He was still wearing a black coat and suit with a hat. His face was cold and his whole person looked very solemn. Alia and Dr. Hester also came together. What made it unacceptable for Evan was that Alia was sitting next to Duke Wilson. Looking at the blush on Alia¡¯s face, Evan became more determined. He must not let it go this time, he must take risks. After the service, Evan sent the parishioners out one by one. Only the duke was left. Evan watched the reluctant Alia leave with Dr. Hester and turned to look at the duke, whose face was stiff. ¡°Sir, thank you for your attendance today.¡± Evan was so polite that no shortcomings could be pointed out. Duke Wilson had a strange look, ¡°Have your feelings for Miss Alia still not changed?¡± Evan was first shocked, then happy, but he had a melancholic look, ¡°How can a person¡¯s feelings be controlled? Miss Alia is sincere and kind. I¡¯m just a priest and I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not worthy of her.¡± There was anger in Duke Wilson¡¯s eyes, ¡°Why are you not worthy of her! It¡¯s her¡­¡± Under Evan¡¯s burning look, Duke Wilson couldn¡¯t continue. He licked his dry lips and looked at Evan¡¯s blue eyes, which were as clear as the water of a lake, he just wanted to find a place to get in. Evan just smiled as if he didn¡¯t care about Duke Wilson¡¯s gaffe, ¡°I am very honored that you think so highly of me but it is a pity that I¡¯m just an ordinary mortal and even the Lord cannot change a person¡¯s feelings for another.¡± Duke Wilson pursed his lips tightly and looked at Evan, who looked a little lost. For some reason, the feelings in his heart condensed. He didn¡¯t like Alia very much, really, really does not like her. ¡°Have you received the invitation I sent to you?¡± The duke suddenly changed the topic. Smiling, Evan nodded, ¡°Thank you for inviting me.¡± ¡°Then, will you come?¡± Duke Wilson pursued. Evan was surprised, even though he had already answered this question with his previous words. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, I will definitely be there.¡± Evan silently made up his mind. This time, he had already made a conscious decision to risk his life. Duke Wilson¡¯s face softened when he heard this. CH 27 ¡°I sincerely look forward to your arrival.¡± The duke nodded with his face very plain but looking at his tightly clasped hands, Evan knew that the duke did not feel as plain as he appeared. Evan finally sent the duke out of the church. (t/n : I still don¡¯t like using this ¡®sending out¡¯, it somehow sounds rude to me) The duke¡¯s carriage had been waiting at the door for a long time. Evan watched the duke leave before walking back. There was a sudden urge in his heart. The duke was not as determined as he seemed and he must have a chance. The autumn hunt would start a week later. Before that, Evan had a lot of preparations. In his last life, he could ride horses but he didn¡¯t try to use firearms, so during this time, he got familiar with the firearms of this era. In the process, the things that had troubled Evan before were brought up again by Mrs Sanders. The issue of the church accounts, the loss of a large amount of property, these could no longer be covered up and this matter must be resolved. ¡°Reverend, now that the Delanlier matter has passed, we must report to the church immediately. Both of us do not have the strength to deal with this matter.¡± Mrs Sanders was very worried. Evan also agreed with the opinion of Mrs Sanders, ¡°You¡¯re very right, I will write to the bishop as soon as possible and I will also report my speculations to the bishop. I believe the diocese will soon have an opinion on how to deal with it.¡± Mrs Sanders nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Since the two of them decided to do this, they first sealed up the ledgers of the parish so that the people sent to investigate could find it well. And at the same time, avoid ghosts in the church. After Evan¡¯s letter to the bishop was sent, the duke¡¯s autumn hunt also started. Evan took the package that Mrs Sanders packed for him, took the carriage sent by the duke to pick him and went to Cornwall Manor. When Evan arrived at Cornwall Manor, the manor was no longer as quiet as it used to be. There were horses neighing in the manor and dozens of carriages were gathered at the entrance of the manor, while Butler Chris organised the servants to drive the carriages into the manor in an orderly manner. When he saw Evan, Butler Chris put down his work and hurried to meet him. ¡°Reverend Bruce, you¡¯re here.¡± Evan nodded, ¡°Butler Chris.¡± ¡°The duke is entertaining guests in the living room. Your presence will make the duke very happy.¡± Butler Chris said unexpectedly. Evan raised his eyebrows, the words of Butler Chris¡¯ were really meaningful. ¡°I¡¯m also honoured to be invited by the duke.¡± Evan said warmly as if he didn¡¯t understand anything. Butler Chris¡¯s expression flashed but he didn¡¯t say anything in the end. He made a gesture of respect and led Evan into the castle. When Evan entered, there were a lot of people in the living room, different gentlemen and ladies. Evan knew that most of them were nobles and only a few were gentlemen from Delanlier. Glancing around, Evan saw Mr Johnson, who is also the duke¡¯s lawyer and also one of the people who was fortunate enough to be invited by the duke this time. ¡°Reverend Bruce.¡± Mr Johnson also saw Evan, he walked over with a smile and brought a glass of sherry for Evan. Dumbfounded, Evan took the glass of wine from him. This strong consensus is really terrible because he doesn¡¯t like drinking sherry very much. ¡°Where¡¯s the duke?¡± He didn¡¯t see the duke when he came in. When he heard this, Mr Johnson looked uncomfortable. ¡°It seems that there is a problem with the Lord.¡± Looking at the expression on Mr Johnson¡¯s face, Evan frowned. Is there a problem with Edward? ¡°This is really surprising.¡± Evan looked at the stairs with a look of hesitation, unsure whether he wanted to go up and take a look. Mr Johnson took a sip from his glass of champagne and didn¡¯t say anything. While Evan was hesitating, Duke Wilson appeared on the stairs and the noise around him died down instantly. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen,¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s tone was cold, ¡°Welcome to Cornwall Manor.¡± There were no ups and downs in the sentence but the accompanying applause was extremely warm. Evan stood in the crowd, staring at Duke Wilson with an eager look as he stood on the landing. It¡¯s really hard for him to extricate himself from the desire to conquer him. Duke Wilson also saw Evan in the crowd, his expression softened as soon as he saw Evan and he even raised the corners of his lips slightly at Evan. Evan bowed humbly but the determination in his heart grew firmer. After the duke finished his welcome speech, he walked down the stairs. He was very skillful in blending in with the surrounding nobles. His social skills seemed completely inconsistent with his cold image. Evan squinted as he watched him chatting with those people, feeling gloomy for some reason. He put down the wine glass in his hand, turned around and wanted to go out. At this moment, Duke Wilson had finally ended the conversation with the nobles. As he walked through the crowd, he saw Evan leaving and quickly grabbed Evan¡¯s wrist. ¡°Where are you going?¡± He looked at Evan anxiously. Evan looked at the duke in surprise, ¡°It¡¯s a little stuffy in here so I wanted to go out for fresh air. Does the duke have any instructions?¡± Annoyed, the duke let go of Evan¡¯s hand when he heard this, ¡°Sorry.¡± He looked embarrassed, ¡°Why don¡¯t I go out with you? The air in here is indeed a little suffocating.¡± Evan nodded with a good temper. Both of them left the living room through the french windows on the terrace. The sun outside was very bright and the green grass looked very vibrant under the sunlight. ¡°How did you arrange the hunt this time?¡± The silence made Evan embarrassed so he could only find something to say. Duke Wilson¡¯s stiff face finally eased, ¡°The hunting will last for a week. In the morning, we¡¯ll go hunting in the mountains behind the manor. In the afternoon, the gentlemen will play cricket together.¡± Evan felt relieved and heaved a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he could play cricket otherwise, he would be embarrassed. ¡°I see.¡± Evan smiled, ¡°I just heard from Mr Johnson that there was a problem with the Lord. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on now?¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s face sank when he heard the question, ¡°I¡¯ve let you worry. Edward is a bit of a noisy fool.¡± ¡°Noisy?¡± Evan was surprised, ¡°Lord Edward has always been a very obedient child. How can he be a fool?¡± Surprised, the duke gave Evan a subtle look and it took a while for him to answer, ¡°Edward attaches great importance to the relationship between you and Alia.¡± Surprised, Evan looked at the duke, ¡°Lord Edward, he¡­¡± Duke Wilson looked annoyed, ¡°Reverend, I¡¯m really sorry. I don¡¯t know who taught him such a thing.¡± Evan basically understood what the duke meant and he couldn¡¯t help laughing a little, ¡°Lord Duke, you don¡¯t have to be like this. Lord Edward is still a child and would always like to use a child¡¯s imagination to imagine a perfect world. I understand such imagination, you don¡¯t need to be so angry.¡± Duke Wilson sighed with relief, ¡°You are really a generous person.¡± Evan smiled and didn¡¯t say much. After the reception on the first day, the ladies and gentlemen who were present all stayed in Cornwall Manor and Evan was no exception but he was a little more special than others. The room he would stay in was located next to the duke¡¯s room. For a small town priest, it was a great honour. Even Mr Johnson looked at Evan with a look of astonishment. Evan didn¡¯t look too excited. He accepted this arrangement almost indifferently. His expression didn¡¯t change when he spied on the looks the nobles gave him. Butler Chris personally led Evan to his room. Evan looked around. The white and soft carpet, and the light coloured bed linen were almost the same as those in his bedroom in the parsonage. Evan felt a chill go down his back. Could it be that the duke was watching him? Has he blackened to this point? Evan stood in the same place, trembling. His plan this time must be successful, otherwise things will be very troublesome in the future. With a heavy heart, Evan unpacked the things he brought. He was about to go downstairs for his meal when there was a knock on his door. Evan thought it was the duke who came to call him for dinner but when he opened the door, he realised that he was wrong. Standing at the door is a very handsome young man. In fact, it is not appropriate to say that he is handsome, it may be more appropriate to say that he is beautiful. He is obviously a man but his appearance would make a woman ashamed. Delicate facial features and fair skin made the person look feminine and the light blonde hair was very dazzling. He looked at Evan with a cold look and spoke with an impatient tone, ¡°Reverend Bruce, Mr Johnson wants to see you.¡± Evan came back to his senses and he suddenly remembered that this person is Mr Johnson¡¯s secretary. Rael White is a very famous handsome man in Delanlier. ¡°Mr Johnson?¡± Evan didn¡¯t like the young man¡¯s attitude so his face didn¡¯t look very friendly, ¡°What does he want to see me for?¡± Rael may have never met anyone who treated him with indifference like this. He bit his lower lip with a look of grievance in his beautiful eyes, ¡°He said he wants to talk to you about the church¡¯s land .¡± Church¡¯s land? If Evan remembers correctly, this is probably the biggest source of income for the church. What does Mr Johnson mean by talking to him about this? ¡°Okay, I see. I will go to him after dinner.¡± Evan¡¯s face was still unfriendly. Rael frowned, looked at Evan for a moment before leaving with some dissatisfaction. Watching Rael leave, Evan sneered. What he hates the most is the kind of person who thinks that the whole world should like him. In his philosophy of life, if a person wants something, he must work hard, keep planning and approach these plans step by step with all his strength. This is his life goal and he must hold it in his hand tightly. CH 28 Evan went downstairs, he didn¡¯t want his happy mood to be ruined by an unimportant person. When he got downstairs, several ladies and gentlemen were already downstairs dining. Because of the large number of guests, the dinner was a buffet. Evan didn¡¯t see Duke Wilson. He thought about the sound he heard from Duke Wilson¡¯s room before he came downstairs and guessed that he should be dealing with some matters now. Evan took some salmon and butter bread from the buffet. When he returned to the table, he found that the atmosphere was a bit subtle. Next to where he was supposed to seat, there was a lady flirting with another man, with alluring eyes and ambiguous expressions. This caused a dilemma for Evan. At this time, a gentleman sitting on the opposite side solved Evan¡¯s dilemma. ¡°Reverend, come sit over here. There are vacant seats here.¡± Evan looked over and saw an elegant middle-aged man, he looked ordinary but his aura was extraordinary. Evan remembers the people who were around him at the reception before, so he recalls this person¡¯s name. He nodded gently, ¡°Thank you, Count Martin.¡± Count Martin nodded with a smile, looking at Evan with special meaning. Evan didn¡¯t notice this look, he strode to the Count¡¯s side and sat down. Because he was thinking of something, his appetite was not very good. He ate only half of what was on his plate and stood up. Quickly, Count Martin grabbed his arm and spoke, ¡°Reverend, why didn¡¯t you finish your meal?¡± Evan¡¯s movement was stagnant and he gave Count Martin a strange look. The expression on the Count¡¯s face was hidden too late so Evan saw it. Evan felt disgusted. He was about to throw his hand off when he saw the duke coming down the stairs. Immediately, he changed his plan. ¡°Count,¡± His smile was polite and gentle, ¡°I have a bad appetite, please forgive me for being rude.¡± Although Evan said this, the count still held his wrist, with an ambiguous expression, ¡°Oh my dear Reverend.¡± He rubbed Evan¡¯s wrist ambiguously. Evan was so disgusted that he wanted to smash the plate directly on top of his half bald head. ¡°You¡¯re so thin, you still need to eat more, or¡­.¡± ¡°No need!¡± Before the count could finish his words, the duke¡¯s cold voice suddenly came from the stairs. He walked to where they were and without caring about the surprised expressions of the people around him, Duke Wilson pulled Evan¡¯s wrist from the Count¡¯s grasp, pulled Evan¡¯s arm and quickly walked out. Stunned, Count Martin stared at this scene and he felt uneasy. Could it be that this handsome priest belongs to the duke? (Yes, Evan belongs to him) Hadn¡¯t he made a huge mistake today? The Duke dragged Evan and walked out of the room. They passed through the gate, walked directly toward the courtyard and walked all the way to the lake before the duke let go of Evan¡¯s arms. The duke looked angry as he stared at Evan. His eyes were stern and red with anger, ¡°How can you associate with that kind of person! How dare he touch your hand!¡± Evan gave the duke an inexplicable look, ¡°Lord Duke, what¡¯s the matter with you? Is there something wrong with the count?¡± Evan¡¯s completely confused look made the duke somewhat unable to vent his anger. He looked at Evan, gritting his teeth. Looking at this handsome and holy face, he started having evil thoughts in his heart. If only this person could belong to him forever, he could only see him, talk only to him, laugh only with him and there would never be any irrelevant people like Alia and Count Martin appearing. It would only be the both of them. This sudden thought swept the duke¡¯s sanity like a whirlwind. He could hardly keep himself from stepping forward and grabbing Evan¡¯s hand. He was completely frightened by his own madness. Panting, Duke Wilson turned away. He couldn¡¯t stay in this place otherwise he didn¡¯t know what he would do. ¡°Martin¡­. Count Martin has special hobbies. You¡¯re a decent person, don¡¯t be fooled by him.¡± Duke Wilson said in a shaky tone. Evan was really stunned. He was frightened by the look in the duke¡¯s eyes. What a terrible look it was, like a cheetah watching his prey with a unique possessiveness. The madness in his eyes almost made him want to run away. The Duke misunderstood Evan¡¯s silence. He thought that Evan was frightened by such unethical things. For some reason, he was scared to face this righteous believer of the Lord. Obviously, the person he likes is a woman. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s all. Please pay attention next time.¡± The duke threw this sentence down with a guilty conscience and ran away. Evan was shocked and speechless as he watched the duke hurry away. What just happened? He had just wanted to test the duke, he didn¡¯t expect the development of the matter to go out of his control. Does the duke¡¯s reaction mean that he already has a lot of feelings for him? It¡¯s just that with the way the duke behaved, he¡¯s afraid the duke himself doesn¡¯t know. There was a meaningful smile in Evan¡¯s eyes. This is very good. Although it happened faster than he expected, it was better than nothing. His plans were about to be adjusted as Evan had another idea. Evan returned to the castle by himself. When he got to the hall, the men and women who were talking all turned to look at him with vague looks. With all the eyes looking at him, he walked upstairs with his head held high and there was no hesitation in his expression, just like a genuine gentleman with a magnanimous heart with nothing to hide. Evan sneered in his heart. In this era, the relationship between him and Duke Wilson must not be known, otherwise he will be the only one who will die. Evan went upstairs but instead of going to his room, he went to Mr Johnson¡¯s room. Politely, he knocked on the door but no one answered for a while. ¡°Please, please come in.¡± Mr Johnson¡¯s voice was short. Frowning, Evan pushed the door open and walked in. When he entered, Mr Johnson was sitting awkwardly at the table while the beautiful young man was sitting on the sofa with an impatient look. Evan just pretended to not see him, smiled and nodded to Mr Johnson, ¡°I heard that you want to see me, I don¡¯t know why?¡± Mr Johnson glanced at Rael in a panic and laughed awkwardly, ¡°Yes¡­ it¡¯s about the church¡¯s land.¡± Rael probably got a hint from Mr Johnson and slowly stood up, ¡°Since you guys want to talk about things, then I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Ignoring their reaction, he turned and left the room. Seeing Evan frowning, Mr Johnson was embarrassed, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, I made you laugh. Rael has just been trained as a secretary and he¡¯s not perfect.¡± Evan thought to himself. This is just not perfect, it¡¯s simply a lack of professionalism. If such a person can become a secretary, then all the bosses in this world will be mad. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be sorry. Let¡¯s talk about business first.¡± Evan¡¯s tone was very cold. With such a disrespectful secretary, Mr Johnson¡¯s life must not be easy. Mr Johnson was relieved to see that Evan didn¡¯t pursue the matter and he began to talk about the issue of the church¡¯s land. At first, what he said was normal. He briefly talked about the prospects and profits of the church¡¯s land, but as he went on, Evan started feeling that something was wrong. Mr Johnson began to throw out a large number of terms as if to completely stun Evan. He kept trying to invite Evan to sell part of the church¡¯s land. What kind of person would the duke be to build a textile factory in the suburbs. This would pollute the land so that the land cannot be harvested, or because of legal problems, the church would lose ownership of the land after a few years and it would be worthless. At first, Evan was indeed a little dizzy but as he went on, Evan¡¯s thinking became clearer. It¡¯s true that the duke wants to build a textile factory, the duke had mentioned it to him. But if he remembers the story correctly, the duke built the factory north of Delanlier, and the church¡¯s land was to the south of Delanlier. Even a fool knows how far apart these two places are. As for the ownership of the land, even if, as Mr Johnson said, the church would lose its ownership after many years but by the time that happens, Evan¡¯s bones would have turned to ashes. It was simply too early to worry about this issue now. Mr Johnson also mentioned these things but they were just mentioned in passing, and most of what he said was his opinion as he encouraged Evan to sell the land. ¡°Reverend Bruce, please listen to me, the price of the land at this time is probably the best price, you can¡¯t find a better time to earn more money for the church. This is not good for the whole church. It is the best choice for you, of course, this is just my personal opinion, you still need to make a decision on this matter.¡± Mr Johnson looked different from his embarrassing appearance before and he completely turned into a smart lawyer. He looked at Evan with a very confident look, as if Evan would agree with what he said in the next instant. Evan sneered as he looked at Mr Johnson, thanks to this fact, he had guessed that the poor old master calculated the church¡¯s money. He finally understood that the person who misappropriated the property of the church and deceived priest Ross. It was the handsome Mr Johnson sitting in front of him. He really didn¡¯t know who this gentleman took him to be. The honest and opinionated priest Ross? Really interesting. Evan stood up slowly, directly ignoring the look of expectation in Mr Johnson¡¯s face and spoke coldly, ¡°Please, don¡¯t repeat this kind of thing again, you won¡¯t want to hear my answer.¡± Mr Johnson¡¯s expression instantly changed, first into disbelief, then into panic. He hurriedly stood up and wanted to say more. But Evan interrupted him, ¡°By the way, I forgot to tell you, the person sent by the church to check the accounts will be here soon. Please, prepare first.¡± This sentence completely stopped Mr Johnson from any further action. If there was a word to describe his look, that word would be despair. CH 29 Evan ignored the flustered Mr Johnson and went back to his room. Annoyed, he threw himself on the big bed, today¡¯s events have really surprised him. The first is the duke¡¯s aggressive behaviour and Mr Johnson¡¯s brave extortion is the second. The church¡¯s reply hasn¡¯t truly arrived yet, he doesn¡¯t know when the church would send someone over and he just angrily revealed it out of anger. For now, he must first stabilize Mr Johnson with his own cards. Evan suddenly sat up from the bed. Today is already over so tomorrow¡­. He must have a deep conversation with Mr Johnson. Evan had a very fitful sleep that night, fearful that Mr Johnson would do something unexpected that would affect the whole thing this time. Evan got up early the next morning. After he dressed up, he went straight downstairs. The breakfast was ready but it was still self-service. He doesn¡¯t want yesterday¡¯s dramatic scene to repeat itself so he¡¯s glad that the guests had not come down for breakfast. After Evan finished his breakfast, the other guests had still not come downstairs. The gentlemen and ladies of this era do not have the habit of getting up early, they would sleep till 9 o¡¯clock before getting up. This represented a kind of superior status. Duke Wilson was the first to come down. When he saw Evan sitting in the living room so early, he was stunned for a moment. ¡°Reverend, why are you up so early?¡± Duke Wilson had always thought that his work and rest time were earlier than that of many others. Evan¡¯s expression was very gentle as he smiled. ¡°I usually do morning service so I wake up very early.¡± Evan¡¯s tone was steady but Duke Wilson was still a little embarrassed. ¡°You¡­ I hope you get something from this hunt.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s voice was a little unsteady, Evan looked at the duke in surprise, ¡°Are you going to hunt today?¡± (t/n ¨C OK I¡¯m confused, is it, looked ¡°in surprise¡± or ¡°with surprise¡±?) Yesterday, the guests partied all night. Would they still have the energy to hunt today? ¡°Yes.¡± Duke Wilson replied dryly. While both of them were talking, the other men and women also came down one after another. Looking uncomfortable, Duke Wilson turned to greet them. Evan stood on the spot as he watched the duke talking to others and the discomfort in his heart became more serious. It was already 10 o¡¯clock by the time everyone finished breakfast. After breakfast, they all walked towards the forest behind the manor with enthusiasm. The gentlemen have their own horses but Evan does not own a horse, so the horse he rides is a docile mare lent to him by Duke Wilson. Evan likes this horse very much. He does not have much enthusiasm for hunting, so he only wants to be safe. Evan has been following the duke since they entered the forest. Although he remembers the assassination, he does not remember which day it will happen so he needs to be prepared at all times. Duke Wilson noticed that Evan was following him and for some reason, he was really happy about it. He pretended to turn his head to look at Evan but he found that Evan was staring into the void absentmindedly and he did not seem to care about anything. Duke Wilson turned his head forward and in a fit of anger, he rushed out. Evan was just slowly wandering but he was startled when he looked up and saw that the duke had rushed out and was over 20 metres away. He quickly chased after him. This is a mountain forest, not a flat plain. If the duke runs far, he might really be separated from him. Not long ago, Evan saw Alia among the group of ladies on horseback. If Alia rushes forward, all his plans and calculations would be wasted. Fortunately, the duke did not really plan to stay away from Evan. After he rushed over for a few metres, he regretted it and felt ashamed. When he turned back, he saw that Evan had chased after him. Duke Wilson was happy once again and his eyes were different as he looked at Evan. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just saw a prey.¡± Pursing his lips, he spoke reservedly. Evan was out of breath but he couldn¡¯t complain, so he could only say, ¡°Lord Duke, I¡¯m not familiar with this mountain forest, so please take care of me.¡± This was not what the duke imagined. It¡¯s different, but in this situation, the duke couldn¡¯t say anything so he could only hold back the loss he felt in his heart and continue to ride forward with Evan. The forest can be regarded as a completely natural ecology. The duke has not carried out any artificial remediation on it and he has a forest guard at the entrance of the forest to prevent burglars. For this reason, the road is not easy to walk through. There is only a small road left from past hunts and the surrounding branches and brushes can easily catch onto people¡¯s clothes and hairs. Evan walked awkwardly but Duke Wilson was obviously a veteran and very handy. Seeing Evan¡¯s awkward appearance, Duke Wilson smiled and said, ¡°Reverend, you can¡¯t do this¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, a sudden flash of light swept out from the trees. Evan¡¯s heart rang out with alarm and without thinking about it, he slammed into Duke Wilson and under the duke¡¯s stunned eyes, he protected the duke with his body. Then, he felt a sharp pain in his back, his vision turned dark and he fell into Duke Wilson¡¯s arms. The piece of iron he¡¯d had sown into his clothes didn¡¯t work. Duke Wilson¡¯s reaction is much faster than Evan¡¯s. When Evan was shot the first time, he quickly took Evan into his arms and rushed into the grass next to him. There were two gunshots after that, but because of the duke¡¯s quick response, one just scratched the duke¡¯s arm while Evan was still in his tight embrace. Duke Wilson moved quickly between the grass, his arm still bleeding but his arm that was holding Evan was still very steady. This was a time for hunting so others would not come even if they heard a gunshot. He had to get to a safe area by himself. Quickly, he ran back toward the way they came from and the sound of gunfire being him gradually faded away. Duke Wilson could only drag Evan with one arm as he ran towards safety with difficulty. He was relieved when he finally reached the open space. He looked down at Evan, whose face was pale and his calm emotions finally collapsed. He felt like the panic was like a pair of huge hands squeezing his heart. Duke Wilson¡¯s hand felt the wetness on Evan¡¯s back and he was scared to look down at his hands. He just knelt on the ground with a look of confusion, holding Evan in his arms. After a while, he finally heard a voice and he looked up. He saw Butler Chris leading a group of people and running towards the duke. It turns out that the horses ran back to the manor and Butler Chris noticed that something was wrong. In the end, it was this old horse that knew the way and led Butler Chris to the duke. ¡°Sir!¡± Butler Chris saw the blood on the duke¡¯s body from a distance, he ran over with a pale face and knelt beside the duke. ¡°You¡­.you¡­¡± His hands trembled, barely daring to touch the duke. Duke Wilson looked at Butler Chris with an ashen face, his lips trembling as he spoke, ¡°Save him!¡± His voice was short and low. If it weren¡¯t because the butler was close to him, he wouldn¡¯t have heard him. Butler Chris saw Evan with a pale face in Duke Wilson¡¯s arms. ¡°Reverend Bruce!¡± He exclaimed, ¡°What the hell is going on? My Lord, are you injured?¡± Duke Wilson squeezed a sentence through his teeth, ¡°I¡¯m fine, save him!¡± Butler Chris has never heard the duke speak this way, like a ferocious beast but also a sense of despair with no way out. ¡°Sir¡­¡± Speechless, Butler Chris stared at the duke in a daze. Dr. Hester, who came late, had caught up. He had been in the manor and he came out with the butler. With wrinkled brows, he snatched Evan from the bewildered duke¡¯s arms. Immediately, he found where Evan was injured, tore his clothes and took a general look. Quickly, he pressed down on the bleeding wound with a towel, ¡°The wound is not deep, it should not hurt the heart or lungs. Hurry up and send the Reverend back!¡± Dr. Hester¡¯s words were more effective than others and the duke finally came back to his senses. He put Evan on the stretcher that the servants brought and two servants carried it as they ran towards the manor. On the way, Duke Wilson¡¯s face was so terrifying that no one dared to approach him. He pressed the towel on the wound on Evan¡¯s back with one hand as he stared at Evan. No one dared to look at him directly. When they got back to the manor, almost none of the people who had gone out had come back. Mr Johnson was the only one in the living room because he had woken up late. He stood up quickly when he saw the blood-stained crowd rush in, the pipe in his hand fell to the ground. Duke Wilson ignored Mr Johnson as he picked up Evan from the stretcher and walked to the second floor. Mr Johnson frowned as he watched the duke hurry away. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, the person in the duke¡¯s arms just now was Reverend Bruce. When he thought of this, Mr Johnson¡¯s mind somehow came up with an idea that If he were dead, all his troubles would be solved with such a small step. Mr Johnson was startled by his own thoughts. He looked towards the duke¡¯s room, the duke just carried Evan into that place. If, let¡¯s say if, Mr Johnson hopes that the righteous Reverend can stay there forever and never come out again. (Just drop down and die, scum) For the first time in his life, he wished as his middle finger hooked his index finger. He was really looking forward to this happening. (Seriously just drop dead) CH 30 Evan has achieved his wish this time. Duke Wilson¡¯s eyes have not left Evan since he got shot, he has looked at him with contradictory looks. With deep despair mixed with vague expectations, he looked at Evan¡¯s pale and bloodless profile, as if he would open his eyes in the next moment and look at him with a gentle smile. But Evan has been lying still, his long eyelashes trembling slightly but the person has no intention of waking up and Duke Wilson is agitated. Looking at this scene, Dr. Hester felt strange but he is a very upright man, so he didn¡¯t think too much about it and just pulled the duke¡¯s sleeve and whispered, ¡°Sir, please leave first, I want to treat Reverend Bruce.¡± Duke Wilson turned to look at Dr. Hester with a look of confusion and spoke in a sleepy voice, ¡°Treatment?¡± Dr. Hester nodded, ¡°The bullet hit the Reverend and it¡¯s in his body. I have to help him take it out.¡± Duke Wilson lowered his head to look at Evan, his bloodless lips were completely devoid of their usual vitality and his blond hair, which is usually bright and sunny, was also dimmed. ¡°Will he wake up?¡± the duke asked. Dr. Hester frowned. The tone of the duke¡¯s words was a bit strange, as if there was something darker hidden underneath. He glanced at the duke and replied cautiously, ¡°My Lord, it depends on God¡¯s meaning.¡± ¡°God?¡± The duke stretched out his hand and stroked Evan¡¯s hair, his bloody hand trembling and staining Evan¡¯s hair. ¡°He is such a devout believer and God will surely wake him up.¡± The duke smiled as he looked at Evan but his smile was uglier than crying. No matter how slow Dr. Hester might be, he realised that something was wrong. Before he could even look surprised, he was frightened by the vicious gaze of Butler Chris next to him. He is a person who is very good at reading signs so he quickly suppressed the strangeness he felt in his heart and lowered his head. Duke Wilson finally stood up from Evan¡¯s bedside. He turned and was about to leave but he couldn¡¯t help turning to look at Evan again. He turned and left as if he couldn¡¯t bear to stay. Butler Chris also walked out and soon, Dr. Hester was the only one left in the room. He stared blankly at the direction the duke left from. He really couldn¡¯t believe that the duke had such evil thoughts about Reverend Bruce. Yet, he wanted to put Alia¡­ He broke out in a cold sweat, he had to forget about that. Even if Alia becomes an old spinster, she can¡¯t have anything to do with Reverend Bruce. Duke Wilson is so powerful, he knows that fact better than anyone else. Dr. Hester looked at Evan, who was lying on the bed, sympathetically. Poor Reverend Bruce, I really don¡¯t know what the scene when he finds out the truth would be like. Dr. Hester sighed, he opened his medicine cabinet and began to take out his tools to start Evan¡¯s treatment. The bullet that penetrated Evan¡¯s body was buffered by the iron sheet so it wasn¡¯t very deep. Dr. Hester only made a small incision and took the bullet out with tweezers. When he glanced at it, his heart tightened. This is not ordinary civilian ammunition. If he¡¯s not mistaken, this is obviously the latest military ammunition. Cold sweat ran down Dr. Hester¡¯s back but he didn¡¯t dare to slow down. He wiped Evan¡¯s wound with alcohol. Speaking of which, the use of alcohol had been taught to him by Evan a few days ago. He¡¯s tried it a few times and the effect is very good. It saved Evan¡¯s life this time. (Evan taught you because he knew he¡¯d be shot) Although the main bullet was taken out, the black sand scattered by the ammunition still needs to be taken out slowly by Dr. Hester. Fortunately, because the power of the bullet had been reduced, the black sand that splashed out was not too much, making it easier to take care of. But Dr. Hester still didn¡¯t dare to relax, you must know that the high fever that follows is the most difficult stage. Dr. Hester rubbed alcohol on the wound again and then, rubbed on it the hemostatic medicine he¡¯d gotten from an oriental* merchant a few days ago. After the blood stopped flowing, he wrapped the wound with fine gauze and left the room when he was done. When he came out, the duke was seated in the small living room on the second floor and he hadn¡¯t even changed out of his bloodstained clothes. Butler Chris stood on the side with a change of clothes in his hands, looking embarrassed. Duke Wilson immediately stood up when he saw Dr. Hester come out, ¡°How is it?¡± Wiping the sweat on his forehead, Dr. Hester sighed, ¡°The bullet has been taken out. As long as Reverend Bruce can get through tonight, he¡¯ll be fine.¡± When he heard this, Duke Wilson fell back onto the chair as if his energy had run out. ¡°Excellent! Thank you, Dr. Hester!¡± Butler Chris spoke first, his indifferent face now a bit happy. ¡°Lord Duke, did you hear me?¡± Butler Chris turned to look at Duke Wilson, only to find the duke leaning back on the chair, his face sallow and sweaty. Butler Chris ran quickly to his side, ¡°Lord Duke, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Dr. Hester was also taken aback and he rushed forward. ¡°My lord, are you injured?¡± The experienced Dr. Hester immediately got the idea. Duke Wilson was covered in blood and naturally, the abrasions on his arm couldn¡¯t be seen. The Duke pointed to his arm tiredly. Dr. Hester turned to look at it. Carefully, he cut the duke¡¯s sleeve with a pair of scissors, the blood had already attached the sleeve to the wound. Dr. Hester carefully tore off the fabric, which should have been really painful but the duke¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. Dr. Hester admired him and was also scared at the same time. This man was so cruel to himself and others. Dr. Hester wiped the wound with alcohol and took out the herbs he¡¯d bought from the oriental merchant from his bag. Butler Chris stopped him as he was about to apply it for the duke. ¡°What is this?¡± Butler Chris frowned as he looked at the black thing in Dr. Hester¡¯s hand. ¡°I bought the hemostatic medicine from an oriental merchant and it works very well.¡± Dr. Hester looked very certain. This was actually a coincidence. He¡¯d gone to a pub for a drink where he suddenly met a mysterious oriental man, his face was covered with cloth and his whole body was full of oriental mystery. He sold the hemostatic medicine to him. At first, he didn¡¯t believe it either but the businessman appeared on the spot and he said that it was so magical and effective that he had to believe it. Butler Chris still looked distrustful but the duke spoke at this time, ¡°Let him use it.¡± He knew Dr. Hester very well, he was very cautious and would not take and use any medicine lightly, especially to himself. Butler Chris did not dare to stop him any more and Dr. Hester quickly applied the medicine on the duke¡¯s arm. The duke¡¯s wound was not very serious and as soon as the medicine was applied, the bleeding stopped. Dr. Hester helped the duke bandage the wound and he stepped aside. Duke Wilson looked at the gauze wrapped by the doctor and spoke in a deep voice, ¡°How do we get through tonight?¡± Dr. Hester was stunned at first before he finally realised that he was talking about Reverend Bruce¡¯s matter. ¡°Reverend Bruce¡¯s wound is not deep but I¡¯m afraid of it festering, so he needs regular dressing changes and cooling.¡± Dr. Hester replied. The Duke nodded, ¡°I can do this.¡± Dr. Hester was shocked but he didn¡¯t dare to say anything. He just stood aside cautiously, trying his best to reduce his sense of existence. Butler Chris was about to say something but looking at the duke¡¯s firm eyes, he didn¡¯t say a word in the end and just sighed softly. Duke Wilson ignored the behaviour of the two people and turned to enter the room. He stood at the end of the bed, afraid to walk over to the bedside. He was scared to see Evan¡¯s pale and lifeless face, it was like a nightmare to him. He¡¯d never thought that he would have such a big reaction to another person¡¯s life and death. In the end, he walked up to Evan. Although Evan¡¯s face was still pale, he didn¡¯t have the terrifying face he had before. Duke Wilson¡¯s tense nerves finally relaxed and he squatted beside Evan, looking at his handsome profile with fascination. With his sick face, he looked weak in the sunlight but somehow, the duke¡¯s heart was greatly satisfied. He wasn¡¯t dead, he was still alive. Just thinking of this made him crazily happy. Duke Wilson moved a chair to the bedside and sat down. He stared at Evan¡¯s face for a long time as his frightened heart calmed down little by little. The tyranny that wanted to destroy the whole world disappeared at this moment and he just wanted to sit here forever, watching him. It was at this time that Duke Wilson finally discovered that Evan was so important to him. Duke Wilson reached out, wanting to touch Evan¡¯s hand but he stopped at the moment he was about to touch him. He remembered that the person before him is a clergyman, God¡¯s believer. He would not accept such unethical feelings and he would never accept his dirty mind. (My dear duke, your noble priest already has unethical feelings for you ) At this moment, there was a sudden commotion outside the door. Duke Wilson frowned and walked to the door. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Opening the door, he asked softly. At the door is an embarrassed Butler Chris. ¡°Lord Duke, the other gentlemen and ladies are back.¡± Duke Wilson gritted his teeth, suddenly regretting the fact that he¡¯d invited these people over. ¡°Let them be quiet!¡± Duke Wilson dropped these words coldly and turned to close the door. Butler Chris hurriedly said, ¡°Sir, they want to see you.¡± Duke Wilson did not stop his action of closing the door, ¡°Tell them I¡¯m fine, let them stay quiet and we¡¯ll talk about it tomorrow.¡± After speaking, he firmly closed the door. He walked back to Evan¡¯s side. Looking at Evan¡¯s pale face, his face was gloomy again. What happened this time was definitely not accidental. He had seen the bullet that Dr. Hester took out. Naturally, he knew more than Dr. Hester about this thing. The bullet is not only military ammunition but also the ammunition of the soldiers of nobles. There are not many people who can get this type of bullet and gunpowder. He can only think of those who have deep hatred for him. Duke Wilson smiled coldly as he looked out the window. Since someone wants to provoke his patience, he¡¯ll let the person feel his anger well. CH 31 When Evan woke up, his whole body felt ill. His throat felt like it was on fire, his brain felt heavy like lead, but more importantly, his back felt like it had been torn open. Evan struggled to open his eyes, but the sunlight hurt his eyes so he closed them again. He wanted to get up to drink water but found that the only things he could move were his fingers. Evan exhausted his strength but his fingers only slid across the sheets a few times. Evan¡¯s heart was filled with despair. At this moment, he suddenly heard a slightly hoarse voice. ¡°Are you awake?¡± The voice was filled with surprise and ecstasy. The voice was very familiar to Evan, his sluggish mind was instantly awake and his previous plans and calculations immediately surfaced in his mind. ¡°What¡­.¡± Evan didn¡¯t have the strength to go on. He turned to look at the face that could be regarded as embarrassing, and his heart suddenly felt a lot more at ease. It looked like his bet was a success. Duke Wilson was ecstatic as he looked at Evan. Excited, he grabbed Evan¡¯s hand that was out of the quilt, ¡°Don¡¯t talk, I¡¯ll call Dr. Hester.¡± He stumbled as he ran out, completely unlike the usual cold and arrogant Duke. Evan squinted as stared at his back, he thought of something in his heart and a complacent smile appeared on his lips. His thoughts were cut short by his thirsty throat and the burning pain from his back. He was really uncomfortable. A moment later, Duke Wilson ran in with Dr. Hester and some of his servants. Dr. Hester should have just woken up, his hair was messy and his glasses hung crookedly on the bridge of his nose. He looked quite ridiculous. ¡°Reverend, how do you feel now?¡± Dr. Hester quickly exerted the professionalism of a doctor, walked to Evan¡¯s side and asked in a low voice. Evan wanted to speak but he couldn¡¯t. The experienced Dr. Hester noticed this and immediately spoke, ¡°Go and bring a glass of warm water.¡± Butler Chris immediately responded and went out to get the water. The duke also walked to Evan¡¯s side, squatted beside the bed and he looked into Evan¡¯s eyes with eyes soft like lake water. No matter how much Evan regretted it at this moment, seeing this scene, he felt that it was all worth it. Butler Chris acted quickly and the warm water was quickly brought in. Dr. Hester wanted to serve Evan to drink from the glass of water but Duke Wilson snatched it from him. He put the glass of water to Evan¡¯s lips and said softly, ¡°Is it possible for you to drink this?¡± Evan blinked, slowly opening his mouth, he took a few sips. His chapped lips and dry throat were finally moistened with water. He had felt like his throat was on fire but he finally felt comfortable now. Dr. Hester watched the two people with a heavy heart. Reverend Bruce, such a kind and gentle person, would never have thought that such evil feelings exist in this world. Unable to bear it, Dr. Hester interjected, ¡°Reverend, how do you feel?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± Because he¡¯d drank water, Evan was finally able to speak but his voice was still terribly hoarse, ¡°It¡¯s just that my back hurts.¡± Dr. Hester was relieved as he sighed, ¡°That¡¯s good. The wound on your back will slowly heal. Please, eat light food and rest in bed for the next few days.¡± Evan nodded with some difficulty and leaned back into the bed. Duke Wilson pulled the quilt over Evan and tucked in the edges of the quilt, then he turned to look at Dr. Hester. His eyes were no longer as tender as before, but had a cold alienation. ¡°When will the Reverend¡¯s injury heal?¡± The duke asked in a low voice. Dr. Hester was embarrassed as he answered, ¡°Lord Duke, to tell you the truth, the Reverend¡¯s injury this time is very dangerous and I don¡¯t know when it will heal. It depends on how fast his body will recover.¡± Dr. Hester felt ashamed, after all, he¡¯s a doctor who couldn¡¯t answer a patient¡¯s question. Dissatisfied, Duke Wilson frowned but thinking about Evan¡¯s presence, he didn¡¯t say anything, and he just nodded coldly and turned away. Butler Chris was observing on the side and he understood the duke¡¯s meaning very well. He quickly stepped forward, tugged on Dr. Hester¡¯s sleeve and whispered, ¡°Doctor, please come out first. I want to ask you about Reverend Bruce¡¯s diet.¡± Dr. Hester was glad to be relieved from his embarrassment and he hurriedly followed the butler out as if he was grabbing onto a life-saving straw. When Evan and Duke Wilson were the only ones left in the room, the duke happily twitched the corners of his mouth. Evan was lying on the bed. Although he had regained consciousness, he was still a little dazed because of the pain and everything looked blurry to him. Duke Wilson looked at Evan¡¯s pale profile and wanted to reach out to touch it like he did the night before but he realised something halfway. With a trace of panic flashing in his eyes, he stopped his hands. ¡°Lord Duke, what¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Of course, Evan could see the duke¡¯s intentions. Originally, he wanted to pretend it didn¡¯t happen, but with such a large range of motion, he was not blind. He thought about it and he wanted to tease the duke. Duke Wilson felt like he had been hit by something and his mind was instantly filled with the panic of Evan knowing his intentions. He felt overwhelmed but from the outside, he just looked stiff, like there was nothing wrong. Evan didn¡¯t urge him and just looked at him with a gentle and non-aggressive look with a hint of doubt. ¡°I¡­. I¡¯m fine.¡± It took a long time for Duke Wilson to find his voice but his voice was hoarse. Looking at Duke Wilson¡¯s vulnerable appearance, Evan didn¡¯t pursue it further. This man was still too thin-skinned. It would not be worth it if he became angry. So, he just smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s good. Thank you for taking care of me.¡± Speaking of this, Duke Wilson¡¯s heart felt more and more complicated. He frowned and looked at Evan with a very complicated look in his eyes. ¡°No, I should say this, it was you who saved me.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s tone had a hint of solemnity, ¡°Reverend Bruce, you saved my life. My gratitude for your noble act cannot be described in words. If you need anything from me, just tell me, I can¡¯t refuse.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s were very official but the tenderness in his eyes could not deceive anyone, and Evan inwardly became more and more happy. ¡°Lord Duke, you¡¯re being too serious. I just did the right thing.¡± The way Evan spoke was simple and peaceful without a trace of flashiness. But it is such plain language that made the duke¡¯s heart surge. What a noble personality this is. Even in such a crisis, the first thing that comes to mind is to save others. (I¡¯m in complete awe of Evan. Just how does he do it?) ¡°Reverend.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s tone was somewhat sluggish, ¡°You, you make me feel very ashamed.¡± Unconsciously, he leaned in Evan¡¯s direction. This is a subconscious action but to Evan, it is of great significance. Duke Wilson has finally opened his heart to him. Evan laughed silently in his heart, seeds of evil took root in his heart. He was getting closer to his goal. But on the surface, Evan¡¯s smile was like that of a saint, with a halo of compassion, ¡°Sir, please don¡¯t say such things again. We¡¯re all fine now, this is the best ending.¡± Duke Wilson was speechless as he stared at Evan. Naturally, it was good for both of them to be fine, but at that time, he had thought that Evan was going to die. The feeling of despair and pain still enveloped his heart and his heart had still not completely calmed down. Both of them sat silently like this, as if the air in the room was stagnant, but for some reason, the atmosphere between both of them was not awkward at all but was filled with warmth. Duke Wilson looked at Evan tenderly while Evan looked sideways into the void. The sun shone in through the curtains, casting a shadow on half of his face, as if he was sitting in a place where light and darkness intertwined, and he had a mysterious beauty. After a long time, the warm atmosphere between the two was broken by the noise outside the door. Evan heard that it was the duke¡¯s guests and the duke heard it too but his face was not really looking good. With a cold look on his face, he walked over and opened the door, looking at the brightly dressed men and women outside the door. He had an irritable tone as he spoke, ¡°Don¡¯t some gentlemen and ladies know the most basic etiquette as a guest?¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s voice was not high but the annoyed tone in it made everyone present shut their mouths. In the end, Count Martin was the most courageous. He smiled as he spoke cautiously,¡±Sir, are you alright? We are all worried about whether you¡¯re injured.¡± Duke Wilson just pursed his lips and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine, the injured person is someone else. This hunt is over, someone will send you back tomorrow.¡± The duke¡¯s words were very rude but these people also understood that it would be strange to be in a good mood after experiencing such a thing, but looking at the duke¡¯s unscathed look, the guests had different expressions. The Duke was too impatient to deal with these scheming people, so hu just waved his hand and Butler Chris, who had been in a dilemma at the side, immediately stepped forward. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, please go back to your rooms first. Breakfast is ready.¡± Butler Chris¡¯s invitation was undoubtedly a good step and every one present followed his instructions and left. After the people receded like a tide, the duke returned to Evan¡¯s room. He closed the door and turned around, only to find Evan looking straight at him. Duke Wilson¡¯s heart skipped a few beats. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± The duke asked with some uncertainty. Evan seemed to have come back to his senses. Embarrassed, he smiled and said warmly, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that you¡¯d still have this side.¡± ¡°This side?¡± Duke Wilson looked at Evan with some playfulness, ¡°What do you mean by ¡®this side¡¯?¡± Evan blinked and looked at Duke Wilson mischievously, ¡°I always thought you were a gentle and elegant person, but I didn¡¯t think that your face could be quite scary.¡± When he heard this, Duke Wilson¡¯s smile instantly stiffened. CH 32 This person does not know what kind of person he is. The duke felt a gust of wind blowing by his side, with a hint of sadness and coldness. ¡°Yeah. Right?¡± The duke laughed. Subconsciously, he always paid great attention to his image in front of Evan. He wrapped himself with layers of illusions and he could not imagine what would happen to his truly dark heart if Evan found out. Duke Wilson felt suffocated and he wanted to flee from this place immediately. ¡°I¡¯m going out first, you have a good rest. A servant will come in to serve you later.¡± Duke Wilson didn¡¯t dare to look into Evan¡¯s eyes at all, so after saying this, he turned and rushed out as if he was running away. Watching Duke Wilson¡¯s embarrassed figure leave, Evan frowned. Is there anything wrong with what he just said? After that, a servant from Cornwall Manor came in. Evan has seen him by the duke¡¯s side before so he should be a senior servant. ¡°Reverend.¡± There was basically no expression on the face of the servant. He nodded slightly and stood in front of Evan, ¡°I am Thomas, a servant of the duke and I will serve you these few days.¡± Evan nodded but his heart sank, what does the duke mean? Did his own words just make the duke misunderstand something? Evan regretted it, he just wanted to tease him with his words but he didn¡¯t expect it to have the opposite effect. ¡°Please thank Lord Duke for his kindness. Please tell Lord Duke, I would like to ask him to tell my servant about my injury and he¡¯ll come and take care of me. I wouldn¡¯t want to bother Lord Duke.¡± He didn¡¯t like having a stranger around him. It took him a lot of effort to accept Tom. Now, he didn¡¯t want to and he didn¡¯t need to adjust to another person. Thomas frowned as if he was offended, with some disagreement in his eyes but he still bowed respectfully, ¡°Yes, Reverend.¡± Thomas turned and left the room. Duke Wilson did things very quickly. Half an hour later, Tom, Evan¡¯s servant, came to Cornwall Manor. He walked in excitedly and saw Evan lying on the bed covered in bandages. His eyes grew wide in panic. ¡°Oh my God! Reverend Bruce, what¡¯s the matter with you? They said you were injured but I didn¡¯t know it was so serious!¡± In a panic, Tom rushed to Evan¡¯s side, trying to see his condition. The servant, who led Tom in, pouted and seemed to despise such an unprofessional servant but he was still respectful to Evan. ¡°Sir, if you need anything else, please ring the bell and we will meet all your needs.¡± Evan felt strange when he heard this sentence. Frowning, he asked, ¡°Where¡¯s your Lord?¡± The Duke would rather send a servant over to pass the words than come to see him himself, this made Evan very uncomfortable. ¡°The duke is now dealing with official business and there is no way to come to visit you. He asked me to apologise to you.¡± The servant was still meticulous in passing the message. Evan¡¯s eyebrows eased unintentionally. ¡°I see.¡± Evan nodded, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I wonder if I could have the honour to meet the duke tonight?¡± Even so, Evan still hoped to have an excuse to see the duke again. Otherwise, if there was any misunderstanding, he couldn¡¯t even cry. The servant frowned and said in a low voice, ¡°The duke is now in a meeting with Mr Johnson. When it is over, I will report back to the lord.¡± Mr Johnson? Evan¡¯s heart moved, Mr Johnson was meeting with Duke Wilson? In that case, he had to talk to the duke. After the servant left, Evan fell into contemplation. He knows that Mr Johnson is Duke Wilson¡¯s lawyer but he hadn¡¯t thought about it before. Since Mr Johnson had concealed the church¡¯s finances, he could have a problem with Duke Wilson. Tom didn¡¯t know about Evan¡¯s worries. He still looked at Evan with a very exaggerated expression as he spoke, ¡°Reverend, do you want to tell Mrs Sanders about what to do about tomorrow¡¯s mass?¡± Hearing Tom talk about this, Evan also came back to his senses. He¡¯s like this now, not to mention mass, it is difficult to even get up. It looks like the church needs an acting priest to preside over the services. ¡°Let the assistant priest do the mass for me first. Someone from the diocese will come over in a few days.¡± Evan¡¯s assistant priest is a kid that just graduated and his name is Rodney, he is very simple and honest. He usually runs around behind Evan. Tom also has an impression of this assistant priest but it¡¯s not a good impression. After the matter was settled, Evan sent Tom out. He needed to be alone and think about how to talk about this with the duke. When it was about time for dinner, the duke finally came to Evan¡¯s room again. Looking at Evan, who was about to have his meal, the duke looked embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry to disturb your meal.¡± The duke¡¯s tone was still polite and restrained but his expression was different from the one he had before. Evan felt puzzled, but there was no expression on his face. He just smiled and said, ¡°The duke is too polite. I am very happy that you can come here.¡± Evan decided to change his previous strategy of being slightly detached. Today¡¯s duke still needs some inspiration. Sure enough, when the duke heard this, his expression lit up. He clenched his fist excitedly and looked at Evan, his previously pale cheeks were slightly flushed. ¡°Really? Do you really think so?¡± His tone was hurried. Evan nodded with a smile and spoke warmly, ¡°Thanks to your care this time, my injuries can be healed little by little. My gratitude to you cannot be described in words.¡± When he heard this, the duke¡¯s excited expression eased a bit, but he still looked at Evan happily, as if he was looking at a baby. Evan pretended like he didn¡¯t see the duke¡¯s expression and continued, ¡°My lord, I want to talk to you about the church¡¯s property.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s expression became solemn as soon as he said this. He frowned and asked, ¡°Have you found the culprit?¡± Sighing, Evan nodded, ¡°To be honest, I am really heartbroken about this.¡± The duke¡¯s eyes softened as he looked at Evan. ¡°A merciful person like you can¡¯t understand the thoughts of a greedy person but please, don¡¯t forgive him easily. A person who dares to steal money from the church has fallen to the point of hopelessness.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s words were sonorous and powerful. Evan felt a little uncomfortable. Duke Wilson thought so highly of him but he didn¡¯t know that the most greedy person in this place was actually him. (Now he feels uncomfortable) ¡°Alas¡­¡± Evan sighed helplessly, ¡°This matter is now beyond my control. I wrote to the church the day before yesterday and I believe that the bishop will respond in the next few days.¡± Duke Wilson nodded in agreement and said, ¡°You¡¯re doing the right thing. But I don¡¯t know if you could tell me who this person is?¡± Evan hesitated for a moment and the duke immediately said, ¡°I know that you¡¯re an upright person who doesn¡¯t want to speak ill of others or damage the reputation of the church but you can trust me. I will never spread this out.¡± Evan nodded. He paused for a moment and then said, ¡°That person is Mr Johnson.¡± As soon as Evan said these words, Duke Wilson¡¯s whole complexion changed. First, he looked surprised and then, his face darkened. ¡°Are you telling the truth?¡± The duke asked very sternly. Evan was stunned, ¡°Sir, is there any problem?¡± Duke Wilson but his lip and didn¡¯t say anything at first. When he saw this, Evan smiled, ¡°Lord Duke, I can also tell you what you just said the other way around. In this case, you can also trust me. I will use my reputation to guarantee that I will never pass this matter out.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you.¡± When he heard Evan¡¯s words, Duke Wilson immediately defended, ¡°I¡¯m just afraid to make you worry even more.¡± ¡°Lord Duke, you are worrying too much.¡± Evan laughed, ¡°My courage is not so small.¡± Duke Wilson sighed when he saw that he insisted, ¡°Since you want to know, then I will tell you. I just gave Mr Johnson a lot of money, asking him to help me solve the legal problems about my textile factory.¡± ¡°What?¡± Surprised, Evan looked at the duke, ¡°Did Mr Johnson ask you for it?¡± Duke Wilson nodded. He didn¡¯t trust the things he said at first, but Evan¡¯s words disturbed his mind. Johnson kept talking about this matter to him and in a bid to be rid of Johnson¡¯s trouble, he recklessly wrote a check. Duke Wilson¡¯s eyes darkened. Although he didn¡¯t care about such a small amount of money, he felt a deep shame for Johnson deceiving him in this matter. He will never let this person go. ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect it.¡± Evan didn¡¯t know what the duke was thinking about but he still sighed, ¡°Mr Johnson is so bold that he even dared to deceive you.¡± He could guess that Mr Johnson would run with the money. Evan was already quite sure about his guess and immediately said, ¡°Lord Duke, please go and control Mr Johnson immediately. I¡¯m afraid he will jump over the wall.¡± Duke Wilson frowned, ¡°What do you mean by this?¡± Embarrassed, Evan smiled, ¡°I confronted him before. He tried to deceive me into selling the church¡¯s land and I realised his bad intentions. But my reaction at the time was a bit extreme. I¡¯m afraid he knows he¡¯ll be investigated.¡± When he heard this, Duke Wilson immediately stood up, walked to the door and called a servant over and gave him an order, ¡°Go and find Mr Johnson immediately.¡± The servant was surprised. Looking at the fiery expression on the duke¡¯s face, he said, ¡°Sir, Mr Johnson has just left.¡± Immediately he heard this, Duke Wilson¡¯s face turned ugly. CH 33 Duke Wilson¡¯s face had an ugly expression so the manservant was in a dilemma and he stood there trembling, not knowing what to do with himself. After a long time, Duke Wilson finally spoke again and this time, his tone was calm. ¡°Go to Mr Stewart, inform my bank that all checks are dishonoured and then, immediately go to the police station. I need to see Sheriff Chandler.¡± The manservant did not see anything on the duke¡¯s indifferent face. The duke involved the bank and the police station, which was really confusing for the servant. ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± The servant stepped back. With a look of awe, Duke Wilson turned to look at Evan, ¡°Mr Johnson did these things and we must do something. What will you do with the church?¡± Evan¡¯s expression had some subtleties. Since the duke has become involved at this time, it is not the bishop of a church that can solve it. ¡°Since it has reached this point, it is useless to hide it so let the police handle it.¡± Evan knew that he had reached this point and it would be better to be a good friend to the duke. Sure enough, when he heard this, Duke Wilson looked moved. He knows that the church is very conservative in this regard and sometimes, they would rather suffer losses than reveal or show the problems of the church to the public. He didn¡¯t expect that Evan could be so kind and understanding of people. He will also bear a lot of pressure. ¡°Thank you for your understanding.¡± The duke¡¯s eyes were warm. Evan is very satisfied with this result. A Mr Johnson is nothing, it is the result he wants that can improve his score in front of the duke. The person in charge of the bank arrived faster than Sheriff Chandler. After all, a big customer like Duke Wilson decided to refuse to pay for a check. The bank must know the reason or the bank¡¯s credibility will be questioned. It was Mr Stewart, Duke Wilson¡¯s head of bank¡¯s finances. Mr Stewart, now in his 60s, looks very kind and his blue eyes look so soft that he does not look like a tax collector at all. ¡°Lord Duke, your request is very surprising. What¡¯s the problem?¡± Mr Stewart was surprised by Evan¡¯s tragic situation but he didn¡¯t ask any questions. Evan¡¯s body was half leaning against the bed, the pain he felt made him feel a little dazed. Duke Wilson glanced at Evan, he was actually very worried but he really didn¡¯t want to exclude him from this matter. Duke Wilson hesitated for a moment and finally spoke, ¡°I previously wrote a check to Mr Johnson but I just learned that he is not a trustworthy person, so I hope that the bank can do something about this check.¡± Duke Wilson said this politely but Mr Stewart knew very well that the bank has no room for negotiation unless it is done. ¡°How could such a thing happen?¡± Mr Stewart was surprised. It was really courageous for a person to dare to deceive the duke. Duke Wilson¡¯s expression was very ugly. After all, such a thing was like playing on his intelligence. Mr Stewart knew that this question was not very good after he asked. And when he saw Duke Wilson¡¯s face, he felt bitter in his heart and knew it was a stupid question. Mr Stewart looked embarrassed. ¡°Can the bank meet my request?¡± The duke asked after a moment of silence. At this time, Mr Stewart was cautious as he glanced at the duke and spoke, ¡°Of course we can, you are our bank¡¯s most honourable guest and the bank will certainly satisfy you with such a reasonable request.¡± Duke Wilson nodded with a sullen look on his face. At this moment, a servant knocked on the door and came in. ¡°Sir.¡± The servant¡¯s face was calm but the corners of his mouth revealed a trace of tension, ¡°Sheriff Chandler is here.¡± Servants are commoners after all and they still have a sense of awe for public powers like the police. Duke Wilson frowned, ¡°Let him in.¡± The servant backed out and a few seconds after, Sheriff Chandler was led in. Sheriff Chandler was still dazed. He followed the servant in confusion and saluted the duke while still confused. When he calmed down, he realised that Evan was on the bed and he saw Evan¡¯s ugly expression. ¡°Reverend Bruce?¡± Sheriff Chandler didn¡¯t have the same concerns Mr Stewart had at all and he asked directly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Are you injured? Who did it?¡± Evan suddenly realised that the act of trying to assassinate the duke could not be revealed to the police. Duke Wilson responded in a timely manner, ¡°Reverend Bruce was injured while hunting yesterday.¡± This is an issue involving the royal family so it is better for the police to not intervene. Sheriff Chandler¡¯s frown grew deeper and he asked immediately, ¡°How could this happen? What happened?¡± Embarrassed, Evan smiled and glanced at the duke before speaking, ¡°It was caused by my carelessness but fortunately, Mrs Sanders was afraid that I would be injured during the hunt so she helped me sew iron pieces into the clothes around my chest. This prevented a tragedy.¡± Sheriff Chandler heaved a sigh of relief as if he had escaped a catastrophe. Duke Wilson¡¯s expression changed. He had heard that the bullet was blocked by something, so it didn¡¯t go deep. He was puzzled before but he understands now. ¡°That¡¯s good. The Lord will take care of believers like you.¡± Although Sheriff Chandler is a parishioner, such words are rare. Evan smiled but he looked uncomfortable. Duke Wilson watched from the side as his heart softened. In his eyes, people like Evan are the type who can¡¯t lie at all. And he even lies for him this time. (I wonder if they had the Oscars in that era or an equivalent award. Evan really deserves one) ¡°By the way, Lord Duke¡± Sheriff Chandler didn¡¯t see this scene at all as he asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you calling me here today?¡± Duke Wilson paused slightly before answering, ¡°Yes.¡± He glanced at Evan. Evan sighed and repeated everything he¡¯d told the duke, his speculations, the conversation he had with Mr Johnson and finally, the duke explained his situation again. When they finished speaking, Sheriff Chandler fell into deep thought. He obviously doesn¡¯t appreciate characters like Mr Johnson so his tone was not very good. ¡°Mr Johnson¡¯s behaviour is indeed suspicious, but do you have any concrete evidence?¡± Sheriff Chandler habitually thought about the problem from the perspective of a policeman. Duke Wilson had not thought about this before, he frowned and spoke in a cold voice, ¡°Mr Johnson¡¯s behaviour is too suspicious. Even if you can¡¯t be sure that this is what he did, it¡¯s not wrong to investigate first, right? Now the church is suspicious about it too. The accounting problem is already a certainty and there will be someone responsible.¡± Sheriff Chandler looked at Duke Wilson¡¯s ugly expression and he didn¡¯t dare to refute anymore. Human rights are more important. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Sheriff Chandler nodded without any hesitation. The levels of social status were carved into his bones. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll find someone to check Mr Johnson¡¯s house now.¡± After getting the duke¡¯s approval, Sheriff Chandler turned and left the room. Watching Sheriff Chandler walk away, the duke spoke to Mr Stewart, who was trembling on the side, ¡°Go back and check my bank account for me. If someone withdraws money, you must not let the person go.¡± Mr Stewart bowed and left. When Evan and Duke Wilson were the only ones left in the room, Evan finally spoke, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to tell the sheriff about the attack?¡± Duke Wilson walked to Evan¡¯s side and looked into his eyes with a soft look, ¡°This time, your injury is all my fault, but please understand that this is not a problem that can be solved by the sheriff. For the tranquility of this town, it is better to be quiet about the matter. I will handle it well.¡± Evan looked into the duke¡¯s eyes, there was a kind of tenderness in his eyes that could not be concealed. Evan couldn¡¯t help smiling, ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologise to me. Everything is the fault of the assassin, what does it have to do with you? Since you think you can handle this matter, then I will rest assured.¡± Duke Wilson looked at Evan¡¯s smile and he froze for a moment before he also smiled, ¡°Thank you for your understanding.¡± Evan has sat up for a long time and his body could not bear it. The duke helped him lie down and Evan fell into a deep sleep within a few minutes. It was basically a state between a coma and deep sleep. Evan¡¯s body was burning and his mind was very confused. He slept in a trance for a long time and when he woke up again, it was already late at night. He was awakened by his thirst, there was a burning pain in his throat that he could not bear. The room was very dark when he opened his eyes, only a candle was placed by the bedside and the dim light only illuminated the surrounding area while the other places were plunged into darkness. Evan struggled to hold up half of his body. In a trance, he thought he could see someone sitting on the opposite chair. He stared for a long time only to realise that it looked like the silhouette of Duke Wilson. Evan¡¯s heart jumped and his tone was apprehensive, ¡°Lord Duke?¡± His voice was not loud but in the empty room, it was exceptionally clear. The shadow in the darkness stirred and moved forward halfway. Evan could finally see the outline of the duke¡¯s face clearly. ¡°Are you awake?¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s voice was hoarse. Evan suddenly felt uneasy and asked hastily, ¡°Why are you here? What happened?¡± When the duke heard this, a wry smile spread across his lips, he sighed and spoke in a low voice, ¡°You¡¯re really sensitive. Something has really happened.¡± Evan opened his eyes wide in order to see the duke¡¯s face clearly, but in the dim light, he failed. ¡°So, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Evan struggled to get up. Seeing him make such a dangerous move, the duke took the initiative to step forward and support the trembling Evan. He sighed, ¡°Don¡¯t get excited, it is Mr Johnson who is in trouble.¡± Evan had a sinking feeling in his heart. He raised his head to look at the duke. ¡°He¡¯s dead.¡± Duke Wilson looked down at Evan with a heavy look in his eyes. (Ha! The scum who wished for Evan¡¯s death is dead himself. His wish backfired in such a spectacular manner ) CH 34 Mr Johnson actually died? Evan looked at the duke in disbelief, ¡°This, how is this possible?¡± Duke Wilson sighed and helped Evan sit up on the bed before saying, ¡°Sheriff Chandler went to Mr Johnson¡¯s house this afternoon and found him dead in his bed.¡± Evan¡¯s thoughts flew in his mind but there was no trace on his face. He even drew a sign of the cross on his chest with some regret, ¡°God bless, this is terrible.¡± Duke Wilson looked at Evan¡¯s pale face and he couldn¡¯t bear it. In his mind, Evan was completely a white moonlight that could not see blood. He could hardly bear to let him hear such bloody news. But Evan didn¡¯t feel anything but surprise about this result. How could Mr Johnson suddenly die? Evan didn¡¯t expect this outcome at all. ¡°Mr Johnson¡­¡± Evan¡¯s tone was hesitant, ¡°How did Mr Johnson die?¡± After thinking about it, he decided to ask this question. Duke Wilson sat on the chair beside Evan¡¯s bed but his eyes moved away from Evan¡¯s pale face with a guilty conscience. But he concentrated when he heard this question. ¡°He committed suicide.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s tone was disdainful, ¡°Even though he is a Christian, he is a coward.¡± ¡°Suicide?¡± Evan was even more surprised. How could Mr Johnson commit suicide? ¡°Did he leave a note to explain why?¡± Evan continued his questions. Duke Wilson raised his eyebrows when he mentioned this, ¡°Of course he did, but it¡¯s just full of those clich¨¦s. He admitted to all his crimes, including the embezzlement of the church¡¯s money. He didn¡¯t dare to use the check I gave him, he just wanted to make a last-ditch effort but he was defeated by his cowardice in the end.¡± The doubts in Evan¡¯s heart deepened. This is not like what Mr Johnson would do. He had the courage to lie to the duke, how could he give up his life so easily? ¡°Are you really sure about this?¡± Evan lowered his eyes, he still had doubts. Surprised, Duke Wilson looked at Evan. He didn¡¯t realise that Evan would ask such a question. ¡°Of course.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s tone became hesitant, ¡°He committed suicide by taking poison, the suicide note was placed by his pillow. His wife was not at home, the room was locked and the key was in his pocket. This must be suicide.¡± Looking at Duke Wilson¡¯s expression, Evan¡¯s thoughts were fluctuating. Maybe it was absolutely impossible for the people of Duke Wilson¡¯s era, but for Evan who had been educated in modern society, this is not absolute. ¡°How will this matter be handled?¡± Evan asked cautiously. Duke Wilson paused for a moment before speaking, ¡°Mr Johnson¡¯s body has been taken away by Sheriff Chandler and it will be buried after the autopsy.¡± There should be an investigation. Even if there will be a burial, it will have to wait until he recovers, after all, Mr Johnson is a Christian and his parishioner. Although he committed suicide and made a big mistake, the church still has to make a statement. Evan lowered his head in thought while the duke looked at him with some hesitation. After a long silence, the duke finally spoke, ¡°Will you preside over Johnson¡¯s funeral?¡± Evan was still deep in his thoughts so without paying attention, he replied, ¡°Of course I will.¡± After he said this, he came back to his senses and looked at Duke Wilson subconsciously, only to find the duke looking at him tenderly. ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t you hate his behaviour?¡± The duke looked at Evan with a complicated look in his eyes. Evan didn¡¯t realise what the duke¡¯s intention for asking was so he just replied according to the character he¡¯d set before, ¡°Mr Johnson¡¯s behaviour is indeed not worthy of praise but he¡¯s God¡¯s own after all and God will not give up on any lost soul easily. And as God¡¯s messenger, I will naturally not give up.¡± Evan subconsciously used his most tender expression as he was speaking. The duke was really stunned. He looked straight at Evan and the complex expression he had made Evan¡¯s back cold. ¡°You, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Evan asked cautiously, he felt uneasy in his heart. Instantly, Duke Wilson retracted his gaze, he lowered his head and looked down at the floor, as if a flower would bloom there. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. You¡¯re a really tolerant person.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s tone was normal but Evan noticed that something was wrong. ¡°It¡¯s just what I should do. You flatter me.¡± Now is not the time to investigate the issue so Evan still said what he should say. The two didn¡¯t talk about it anymore. Because it was already very late, Duke Wilson left. Evan frowned as he watched the duke leave. He noticed that the duke¡¯s attitude towards him had changed slightly, the duke did not like and admire him as clearly as he used to. The duke now has an expression in his eyes that he couldn¡¯t understand. The next morning, Evan was eating in his room. Although Tom was being fussy, he was very thoughtful, especially in serving Evan. Evan had breakfast in bed and read for a while before the duke came to see him again. Evan looked at the duke and felt that he was being weird. Although his attitude was still the same as before, he felt that the way the duke looked at him was different from before. But even so, Evan¡¯s strategy for the duke has not changed, because in his opinion, the duke¡¯s overall change is still beneficial to himself. Evan and Duke Wilson talked for a while about the knowledge of several books, which can be regarded as spiritual communication. Evan tried his best to elevate his image higher. This is also thanks to his accumulated knowledge from his previous life and this life. With early preparation, Evan can also get in line with the duke in terms of reading. After both of them had talked for a while, a servant came in with a report. ¡°My lord, Mrs Johnson asks to see you.¡± The person who came to report is Thomas, the manservant the duke wanted to send to Evan. ¡°Mrs Johnson?¡± The duke put Evan¡¯s book down, ¡°What is she here for?¡± The duke frowned, disgust was evident in his eyes. Thomas sensed the duke¡¯s rejection clearly, so he started trembling. ¡°She¡­She came to see Reverend Bruce.¡± ¡°What?¡± Duke Wilson suddenly stood up from the chair, ¡°She actually dared to come and see Reverend Bruce?¡± Evan was also surprised. Without a personal friendship existing between them, Mrs Johnson came to see him at such a sensitive period, this made Evan confused. ¡°She¡­¡± Evan paused with obvious hesitation, ¡°Did she say anything?¡± Evan¡¯s words broke the tension and relieved Thomas from the pressure. He was about to reply but the duke spoke first. ¡°With this kind of person, you don¡¯t need to ask anymore. Just let her go. Does she want to ask for Reverend Bruce¡¯s forgiveness for those things?¡± Duke Wilson said bluntly with a very contemptuous expression. Evan frowned, Duke Wilson¡¯s reaction is normal but he still felt that something was wrong. ¡°Lord Duke.¡± Evan decided to appease the duke first, ¡°Mrs Johnson did nothing wrong. Since she came to seek the Lord¡¯s help, I should not refuse her. Let her come in.¡± Evan turned sideways as he leaned on the cushion, the awkward posture made him really uncomfortable. Duke Wilson looked at Evan with disapproval but there was a hint of helplessness in his eyes. ¡°Reverend, you¡¯re too kind which makes these people have no fear of you.¡± The intimacy revealed in Duke Wilson¡¯s tone was captured by Evan. Evan¡¯s lips showed an imperceptible smile, he bowed his head slightly and said warmly, ¡°You really flatter me. Let Mrs Johnson come in first, I also have something to ask her.¡± Listening to him, there was a flash of clarity in Duke Wilson¡¯s eyes. Mr Johnson did so many things and Evan still had to give the church an account, and the person who knew the most about it would be Mrs Johnson. ¡°Okay then, let her in.¡± Duke Wilson said to Thomas with a cold face. Thomas shivered and quickly lowered his head and said, ¡°Yes.¡± After Thomas left, the atmosphere between Evan and Duke Wilson became a little subtle. ¡°What do you think of Mrs Johnson¡¯s visit?¡± Duke Wilson was the first to speak. Evan frowned, ¡°Mrs Johnson and Mr Johnson had a close relationship. Mr Johnson committed suicide this time, which is also a tragedy for Mrs Johnson. She should have come to seek the Lord¡¯s help.¡± Evan said this cautiously but the duke sneered unabashedly, ¡°Your guesses about human nature are too simple. Although the Johnsons seem to be close, as far as I know, Mr Johnson has been having lovers outside for a long time. Mrs Johnson is not a fuel-efficient lamp. These two people were just in harmony on the surface.¡± This was the first time Evan heard about this so he was really surprised. ¡°How could this be? This is really¡­¡± The look on Evan¡¯s face was indescribable. Duke Wilson saw him like this, his expression softened and he spoke in a warm voice, ¡°A person like you can¡¯t understand his dirty heart. Reverend Bruce, I hope that when you talk to Mrs Johnson, you won¡¯t be deceived by her. An honest person like you can¡¯t deal with these hateful demons.¡± (Honest. Yeah right ??) Evan could hardly stop himself from laughing, this would be the first time someone felt that he¡¯s an honest person¡­ Evan pursed his lips. Just as he was about to say something, he heard a voice from outside and Mrs Johnson came in. Evan froze and raised his head. The woman at the door looked like she was in her 30s, with a gentle expression and a soft appearance. She was wearing an elegant and simple light purple dress. She walked in behind the servant and walked slowly till she got to about five steps in front of the duke, raised the corners of her skirt, bent her knees and said softly, ¡°Lord Duke.¡± Duke Wilson looked at the woman in front of him with a cold expression with his lips curved in disgust. Finally, in a charitable manner, he raised his hand allowing Mrs Johnson to stand up straight. Evan watched this scene and lowered his head. The difference between the levels of the social statuses of this world is so obvious that he must grasp everything he can in order to climb to the top. CH 35 ¡°What¡¯s your purpose here?¡± The duke asked in a cold tone. Mrs Johnson looked calm as she looked at Evan, who was lying sideways on the bed and she spoke warmly, ¡°My Lord, I¡¯m here to see Reverend Bruce.¡± Although Mrs Johnson¡¯s attitude was modest, her tone did not flinch at all but was a bit aggressive. Duke Wilson frowned, looking at Mrs Johnson, his eyes turned colder. ¡°The Reverend is seriously injured. If you have anything to say, say it quickly.¡± Mrs Johnson was blocked by Duke Wilson¡¯s words. After a while, she spoke, ¡°I want to talk to the Reverend alone, I need to repent.¡± Duke Wilson couldn¡¯t find a reply to Mrs Johnson¡¯s words. After all, Mrs Johnson is still a Christian and she has such rights. He glanced at Evan only to find that Evan had sat up at some point, and he was in deep thought as he stared into the void. Duke Wilson couldn¡¯t tell what Evan was thinking about so he could only whisper, ¡°Reverend Bruce, can your body withstand such a thing?¡± Evan raised his head as if the duke¡¯s words had jolted him out of his reverie. After a moment of thought, he nodded firmly and said, ¡°Of course, thank you very much for your concern.¡± Duke Wilson had expected this kind of reply so he could only nod helplessly, ¡°That¡¯s good. But if you can¡¯t stand it anymore, you can definitely call me.¡± After Evan agreed to this, he turned and left the room. After Duke Wilson went out, Mrs Johnson walked to Evan¡¯s side. Her expression was really gentle, so gentle that people would sometimes ignore her appearance. Evan belongs to this group of people. Although he has had contact with Mrs Johnson before, it was a little time after all and it was just a long-distance greeting, so this is the first time he¡¯s seen the woman¡¯s appearance so clearly. ¡°Reverend.¡± Mrs Johnson gracefully removed her gloves and sat on the stool beside Evan¡¯s bed, ¡°What do you think of my husband¡¯s death?¡± Evan thought, she¡¯s talking about death and not suicide. ¡°This is really a tragedy.¡± Evan had a sympathetic look, ¡°Please, accept my condolences.¡± There was no sadness on Mrs Johnson¡¯s face, she still stared at Evan calmly with a hint of cold steadfastness in her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re a priest.¡± She said lightly, ¡°I heard from Sheriff Chandler about your allegations against my husband. I¡¯m not surprised.¡± Surprised, Evan looked at Mrs Johnson. She could even expose her own family shame in front of him, which was completely unlike the practice of the people in this era. Evan wisely chose not to speak. Mrs Johnson did not stop there and continued, ¡°I know better than anyone what my husband is like. He is greedy, vain, lustful, pretentious and quite clever. He is the most depraved gentleman I have ever met.¡± Mrs Johnson paused slightly, ¡°No, I don¡¯t even know now, if I can call him a gentleman.¡± Evan was a little embarrassed as he lowered his head. A lady, in her own words, using such bad words to describe her own husband in front of you, no matter what type of situation it is, will make people feel at a loss. Seeing Evan like this, Mrs Johnson smiled, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m crazy?¡± Evan gave a dry cough and pulled out a forced smile. Mrs Johnson did not force Evan to say anything but continued on her own, ¡°Maybe many people will think I¡¯m crazy.¡± After she finished speaking, she laughed as if she was mocking herself. ¡°My husband has so many flaws.¡± Mrs Johnson¡¯s expression suddenly became serious, ¡°But, I can also tell you that someone as despicable and selfish as he is will not easily commit suicide.¡± She spoke such words so seriously with almost no expression on her face. Evan was stunned. He has never heard such malicious testimony before. He looked at Mrs Johnson with some doubt in his expression, ¡°Since you have such speculations, why didn¡¯t you tell Sheriff Chandler?¡± Mrs Johnson smiled wryly, ¡°What is Sheriff Chandler like? The kind of man he is, you know better than I do. If I say these things to him, he will think that I¡¯m crazy.¡± Evan looked at Mrs Johnson thinking, I think you¡¯re not too ill. (Maybe he means this in a sarcastic way) ¡°Ma¡¯am, this matter is not something I can decide. Even if you have such doubts, I can¡¯t do anything for you.¡± Evan didn¡¯t want to take matters into his own hands at this time, especially when it involves the church. The arrival of the people sent by the church is just a few days away and he can¡¯t get caught in this kind of thing at such a time. After listening to Evan¡¯s words, Mrs Johnson was obviously disappointed, but she quickly adjusted her emotions and smiled reluctantly. ¡°I know that you¡¯re a kind person. I¡¯m sorry to the church for what my husband has done. Don¡¯t worry, I will try my best to compensate the church.¡± Mrs Johnson saw that it didn¡¯t make sense from a rational point of view so she began to talk about it from an emotional view in order to get Evan¡¯s help. Evan looked at Mrs Johnson and sneered in his heart, ¡°This matter will naturally be handled by the church and the police. Your sensibility really makes me feel relieved.¡± Evan is not Reverend Ross who can be kneaded, flattened and rounded by others as they like. Mrs Johnson took it as doing a favor, when it was originally the money of the church. Mrs Johnson was speechless as she looked at Evan with embarrassment. ¡°What you said is¡­¡± Mrs Johnson looked down and touched her gloves, her tone quite pitiful, ¡°I am also very ashamed of my husband doing these things, but now he is dead and I just want a result. He won¡¯t commit suicide, he would never commit suicide!¡± She spoke with a hint of tears at the end and looked straight at Evan, with her previous indifference completely gone. Evan was surprised as he looked at Mrs Johnson. He thought that this lady had absolutely no feelings for the wicked husband she described, but now, looking at her sad face, Evan suddenly realised that the female was the most incomprehensible species in the world. (That¡¯s a widely known fact . Do not try to understand a woman, you¡¯d be wasting your time.) ¡°What do you want?¡± Evan asked in an almost helpless tone. Mrs Johnson¡¯s eyes lit up when he asked this and she replied immediately, ¡°Reverend Bruce, you¡¯re a kind person. My husband died innocently and I can do nothing but you have a close relationship with Sheriff Chandler. In this matter, can I ask you to pay more attention? I only want a result.¡± Mrs Johnson¡¯s plea made Evan frown. He had no previous contact with Mrs Johnson and now it seems that this woman is even more difficult than her husband. First, she wanted to use Mr Johnson¡¯s abnormal death to hang Evan and then, she decided to use the underdog policy. She really didn¡¯t miss any opportunity. (What¡¯s the underdog policy though?) ¡°Ma¡¯am, Sheriff Chandler has reached a conclusion about Mr Johnson¡¯s death. There is no concrete basis for your speculation and I can¡¯t rely on this to make any request to Sheriff Chandler. Madam, I¡¯m really sorry but I can¡¯t help.¡± Evan really didn¡¯t want to pay attention to this scheming woman. Even if Mr Johnson died strangely, he really didn¡¯t want to easily show any weakness in front of this woman. Mrs Johnson looked at Evan and realised that the Reverend was not as innocent and kind as she thought he was. Mrs Johnson¡¯s heart swayed as she realised that her strategy would definitely not be successful. (Wow, she¡¯s actually trying to play the master schemer) ¡°Reverend Bruce,¡± Mrs Johnson¡¯s expression softened, ¡°I understand what you¡¯re trying to say. I¡¯m sorry, I just hope that my husband¡¯s death can have a reasonable explanation.¡± Seeing that she finally stopped pretending, Evan sneered in his heart but there was no expression on his face as he replied, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, Sheriff Chandler is a good policeman. This matter is still under investigation so don¡¯t worry.¡± Mrs Johnson¡¯s expression changed slightly as she pursed her lips, she smiled after a moment, ¡°Thank you for reminding me, you¡¯re really an upright person.¡± Evan knew that Mrs Johnson¡¯s words were not sincere but he just nodded with a smile. In fact, he also has doubts about the matter but following Mrs Johnson¡¯s scheming thoughts, he really didn¡¯t want to do anything. Mrs Johnson is also a smart person so when she saw that Evan was not in a good mood and she could not achieve her purpose, she quickly decided to take her leave. ¡°You¡¯re still injured so I won¡¯t disturb you. Please rest well. I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± Mrs Johnson spoke very politely and Evan naturally couldn¡¯t be too rude, so he smiled gently, ¡°Thank you for your visit. And I regret what has happened to you.¡± Mrs Johnson nodded as she stood up, she turned and left the room. Mrs Johnson left the room on the front foot and Duke Wilson came in on the hind foot. ¡°What did she say?¡± Duke Wilson walked to Evan¡¯s side and helped Evan lie back on the bed. This position was also the most comfortable for Evan. Evan enjoyed the duke¡¯s service and there was a small smile on the corners of his lips. Duke Wilson, if he wants to be nice to someone, was more careful than anyone else. ¡°Mrs Johnson believes that Mr Johnson didn¡¯t commit suicide.¡± Evan lay on the bed, very comfortable underneath the quilt. Duke Wilson¡¯s expression became serious. Then, he sat beside Evan, looked down at Evan with a soothing expression and asked in a low voice, ¡°What did she say?¡± Evan raised his head at this question and replied, ¡°She said that Mr Johnson is the most selfish and shameless person she has ever met in the world, and he will never commit her suicide.¡± (He should be described in the past tense since he¡¯s dead but the author still describes him in the present tense and I don¡¯t want to change his words too much so kindly bear with it.) As expected, surprise appeared in the duke¡¯s eyes, ¡°Is she crazy?¡± Evan lowered his head, burying his face in the quilt and said in a low voice, ¡°She didn¡¯t look crazy. In fact, in my opinion, what she said makes sense. If Mr Johnson intended to commit suicide, why would he come to deceive you first?¡± Duke Wilson stared at the back of Evan¡¯s head, the soft blonde hair made his heart itchy, so much so that he was also distracted and he didn¡¯t hear Evan¡¯s question clearly. Evan hadn¡¯t heard an answer for a long time and he was puzzled. He turned his head to look at Duke Wilson, and he saw a deep gaze, which was filled with deep obsession and possessiveness. Evan was really stunned. (There¡¯s a question that¡¯s been bothering me for years now. How do people see the emotions in other people¡¯s eyes? I mean, I can somewhat get the fact that expressions can be understood sometimes but how do you understand what a person feels or thinks by looking into their eyes?) CH 36 The sudden turn of Evan¡¯s head made Duke Wilson wake up and he quickly turned his face away, his whole person looked a little flustered. Evan also felt a bit overwhelmed, he has never seen such deep feelings appear in a person¡¯s eyes and he has never thought of how deep the duke¡¯s feelings for him would be. There was an awkward silence between the two. Evan didn¡¯t know what to say while the duke felt ashamed and angry with himself. He saw it, he knows now. Such thoughts grabbed Duke Wilson¡¯s heart and he really wanted to disappear from this place immediately. After a long silence, Evan realised that he couldn¡¯t go on like this. If this silence continues like this, the relationship between him and the duke would also change. ¡°What do you think of my thoughts?¡± Evan asked suddenly. Duke Wilson was taken aback by Evan¡¯s sudden question. He was stiff as he turned his face back. Looking at the gentle expression that was still on Evan¡¯s face, Duke Wilson felt relieved. He probably didn¡¯t see it, Duke Wilson thought as he felt fortunate. In his mind, Evan is probably the purest and most devout believer in the world, and the feelings he felt in his heart are very evil in his own opinion. He doesn¡¯t want Evan to find out about his feelings, he wants to hide these feelings and never let anyone know. ¡°Your idea is also very reasonable.¡± Duke Wilson tried his best to adjust his expression back to normal. Evan raised his eyebrows slightly, ¡°Then tell me, should I report this to Sheriff Chandler?¡± Duke Wilson frowned as he replied, ¡°There is no evidence in this matter and if you were to tell Sheriff Chandler that there¡¯s something wrong without sufficient evidence, while you don¡¯t know if he will believe it or not, I¡¯m afraid that it will also damage the friendship with the sheriff.¡± Evan smiled, Duke Wilson really worries about me a lot. His relationship with Sheriff Chandler was not close at first so his meddling was fine the last time. No matter how generous the sheriff is, there was a possibility that he would be dissatisfied this time. And Evan will not do these thankless things. ¡°What you said is very true,¡± Evan said with sincerity, ¡°I was inconsiderate.¡± When Duke Wilson heard this, for some reason, he suddenly felt a little satisfied. Pursing his lips, he lowered his head and smiled. When he raised his head again, his face was back to his normal expression. ¡°It¡¯s good that you can figure this out.¡± Duke Wilson tried his best to restrain the joy he felt as he spoke. Evan could see that the duke¡¯s expression was somewhat unnatural but he didn¡¯t know what was wrong with him, so he nodded. Before he left, Duke Wilson and Evan continued talking for a while and the atmosphere between both of them was much better than before. Evan squinted as he watched the duke leave but he felt a bit uncertain in his heart. The way the duke treated him made him feel a little complicated. Evan sighed and buried his head in the quilt, his heart feeling heavy. A few days later, Evan had started to recover from his injuries. Everything that was happening with Mr Johnson¡¯s case was told to Evan by his servant, Tom. For example, Mrs Johnson¡¯s complaints, Sheriff Chandler¡¯s rage and the chaos of the hearing simply left Evan speechless. He thought that Mrs Johnson was a rational person, but now, hearing about her hysterical behaviour, it is surprising that she can do these emotional things. Evan¡¯s injury had almost healed and he was able to sit up. Tom helped him walk to the other side of the room and helped him sit so he could bask in the sun. Evan took the newspaper that Tom brought and read the various gossip columns about this incident. As he read, he really couldn¡¯t help laughing sometimes. As he read through the newspaper, Duke Wilson entered the room. ¡°Reverend Bruce.¡± He casually walked over to Evan¡¯s side and sat down. The relationship between Duke Wilson and Evan has become much closer these days. ¡°Lord Duke.¡± Evan still saluted politely. Duke Wilson looked at Evan¡¯s gentle expression and his eyes softened as he spoke in a warm voice, ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± Evan smiled and put down the newspaper in his hand, ¡°I¡¯m better and I can sit up now. I¡¯m only afraid that I still have a long way to go before I recover completely.¡± The duke¡¯s expression suddenly looked regretful, ¡°This time, it is because of me that you have experienced these terrible things.¡± Evan laughed, ¡°You are overthinking it. This is a test from the Lord. I am able to escape from death and I am very grateful for this gift from the Lord.¡± Duke Wilson sighed. As he blinked, he saw the newspaper that Evan put on the table and a complex expression flashed across his face. ¡°Are you also concerned about this matter? This is really shameful. Mrs Johnson is like a mad woman now.¡± Evan sighed and there was pity in his eyes, ¡°Please, don¡¯t say this about a lady. Although her method is extreme, it is all for finding out the truth of Mr Johnson¡¯s death.¡± When he heard Evan¡¯s wrong tone, there was a look of annoyance in Duke Wilson¡¯s eyes and he said, ¡°You¡¯re right, I was too mean.¡± His tone was so eager that Evan glanced at him. Duke Wilson looked embarrassed, he bit his lip and there was a look of annoyance in his beautiful eyes. Evan just smiled softly, ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to be sorry. Mrs Johnson¡¯s actions are indeed inappropriate and now, I¡¯m afraid that many people share your thoughts.¡± Duke Wilson heaved a sigh of relief and added, ¡°It¡¯s true that the word outside is now like this. But Sheriff Chandler, under Mrs Johnson¡¯s pressure, has finally decided to reinvestigate Mr Johnson¡¯s death.¡± Evan listened and different thoughts moved through his mind. Sheriff Chandler, in Evan¡¯s view, is a very assertive person. If there is no clear evidence, he may not change his mind. ¡°Is this true?¡± Evan looked surprised, ¡°Did Sheriff Chandler find any evidence?¡± Duke Wilson frowned when he heard his questions and after thinking about it for a while, he finally spoke, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to tell you about these things, after all, this is really too scary.¡± Evan just smiled, ¡°You always think of me as being so vulnerable. You don¡¯t have to worry, I won¡¯t be so easily frightened.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s brows still didn¡¯t loosen and he paused to think about it again before speaking, ¡°Well, you will hear about it sooner or later anyway.¡± He picked up the newspaper from the table and pointed to a huge picture in the newspaper and asked, ¡°Do you know this person?¡± Evan looked over and saw that the person Duke Wilson was referring to was a beautiful young man standing proudly behind the Johnsons. This picture is a photograph of Mr Johnson before his death. He did not know where and how the reporter found it and published it on the main page of the newspaper. Evan nodded, ¡°This person is Mr Johnson¡¯s secretary, Rael.¡± Evan had a deep impression of this beautiful young man but he hadn¡¯t seen this person since he was shot some time ago and he also didn¡¯t take it seriously. Now that Duke Wilson pointed him out, his memory of this person was brought up. ¡°Yes.¡± Duke Wilson threw the newspaper on the table with contempt as if there was a virus on the newspaper. ¡°It¡¯s this person.¡± Duke Wilson looked up at Evan, ¡°I¡¯m afraid you still don¡¯t know, the relationship between him and Mr Johnson was not pure.¡± When he said this sentence, there was a trace of expectation and contempt in his expression. Evan couldn¡¯t tell which one accounted for more and he was stunned for a moment. He never thought that a standard gentleman like Mr Johnson would have such hobbies, but when he thinks about it now, he can remember that there was something wrong between the two people. For example, Mr Johnson could endure such an arrogant person like Rael, or the strange atmosphere between the two people when he went to see Mr Johnson that day. But this revelation came so suddenly that Evan didn¡¯t know how to react. In the end, he could only stare at the duke in a daze and ask in a low voice, ¡°You, what did you say?¡± Looking at Evan¡¯s dull expression, the duke¡¯s heart sank and he could not tell whether he was more disappointed or more gratified. Disappointed at Evan¡¯s ignorance in this aspect and pleased that he is so simple and kind. ¡°Reverend,¡± Duke Wilson adjusted his expression as much as possible in order to make himself look more natural, ¡°That secretary, Rael, has an improper relationship with Mr Johnson.¡± ¡°Improper relationship.¡± Evan repeated meaninglessly, ¡°What do you mean?¡± After a moment, Evan seemed to have suddenly reacted and he looked at Duke Wilson as if he had seen a ghost. Duke Wilson felt bitter in his heart. He pursed his lips tightly and said, ¡°That¡¯s what you understand.¡± ¡°Oh my God!¡± Evan behaved like every devout believer, he drew the sign of the cross in front of him, ¡°This is really terrible.¡± Duke Wilson almost wanted to run away when he heard these words. He had known that Evan¡¯s reaction would be like this, but he¡¯d still had a little hope that he would have a different reaction. He felt so stupid that he almost despised himself. Evan was very concerned about the duke¡¯s every move at this time, and he could see the changes in the duke¡¯s mood. ¡°As a married man, Mr Johnson betrayed the covenant of marriage with the Holy Spirit. This is really terrible.¡± The expression on Evan¡¯s face was simple and sincere, like a person who was really worried about this. The ashen-faced Duke Wilson was stunned. He turned his head stiffly, looked at Evan and asked, in a daze, ¡°What did you just say?¡± Evan looked at the duke with some doubt, ¡°Mr Johnson betrayed his marriage covenant. Didn¡¯t you just tell me that?¡± ¡°Yes! Yes!¡± Duke Wilson looked excited, ¡°I told you this, but don¡¯t you object to two men¡­¡± After all, Duke Wilson is an old-fashioned gentleman so the last sentence couldn¡¯t be complete. Evan looked at the duke and he smiled, ¡°Why do you think so?¡± Evan picked up the newspaper, ¡°Although the Bible says that two men cannot love each other, things in this world are very complicated. Love comes from nothing and this is not something that can be stopped by the Bible. I don¡¯t have the right to deny a person¡¯s feelings.¡± Evan said such words but the duke looked like he had not understood as he stared at Evan, stunned. CH 37 ¡°You¡­You¡­¡± Duke Wilson was speechless for a while, not knowing what to say. Evan looked at the embarrassed and excited duke, with his eyes soft like a lake (??) he said, ¡°I told you before that love is the most wonderful thing in the world and none of us can predict where it will come from. I never underestimate the power of love and I will not easily judge the right or wrong of love.¡± Evan said the most high-sounding words which may be the most basic for the people of his era. However, for the duke in such an era, these words were like a thunderbolt that stunned him. He doesn¡¯t mind such feelings. This was unbelievable for Duke Wilson. He stared at Evan for a while, speechless. Evan saw the duke¡¯s dazed look and he smiled in his heart but he had a puzzled look on his face, ¡°Lord Duke? What¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Duke Wilson reacted suddenly and he had an expression of embarrassment. He turned his face and looked out of the window, his eyes wandering as he spoke, ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s okay.¡± Evan looked at the way the duke was behaving and he was even more happy in his heart. The duke usually looked indifferent, so this awkward behaviour is quite interesting. ¡°That¡¯s good, but I don¡¯t know what this has to do with Rael?¡± Evan quickly brought the topic back to the previous business. Duke Wilson didn¡¯t react at first, but after a few minutes, he understood what Evan meant and his expression became contemptuous. ¡°You don¡¯t know yet but the reason why Johnson dares to embezzle so much property is for Rael. Rael is a vain and willful man, Johnson has to spend in order to keep his young lover. Naturally, he has little money, after all, he is just a lawyer and he earns only four or five hundred pounds a year, so how can he satisfy someone with a big appetite like Rael?¡± Evan was surprised as he looked at the duke, ¡°Mr Johnson was so confused?¡± Duke Wilson curled his lips in disdain, ¡°Johnson looked smart but he is easily dazzled by beauty. That kid, Rael, is just a high level courtesan but Johnson regarded him as a treasure and no wonder he was abandoned in the end. I heard that he wanted to elope with Rael with my check but he had never thought that Rael did not want to be entangled with someone like him, who had no money and no status. So because he rejected him, it eventually led to Johnson¡¯s death.¡± Duke Wilson said clearly but Evan frowned, ¡°So what is the cause of Mr Johnson¡¯s death?¡± Duke Wilson sneered when he heard the question, but he still brought the tea cup beside the bed to Evan¡¯s side first and watched him take a sip before speaking, ¡°Sheriff Chandler is very concerned about this matter and you know too that Sheriff Chandler is a very upright man. He is also very contemptuous of such a thing. In addition, Johnson died after arguing with Rael so the sheriff turned his attention to him.¡± Listening to Duke Wilson¡¯s words, Evan gave a wry smile, this is really what Sheriff Chandler can do. ¡°Does the sheriff have any evidence?¡± Evan asked tentatively. Duke Wilson wrinkled his nose, ¡°At that time, Johnson had an argument with Rael and he may have said some extreme words, which were seen by witnesses¡­¡± Duke Wilson did not finish his sentence but after thinking about it, Evan could think of the follow up to the sentence. Sheriff Chandler is very upright, but because he is too upright, he could sometimes be a little pedantic. ¡°Has Sheriff Chandler detained Mr Rael?¡± Evan asked casually. Duke Wilson didn¡¯t care either and he replied casually, ¡°Of course, Sheriff Chandler took him to the station immediately. I¡¯m afraid the interrogation has already begun.¡± Evan pursed his lips, he had expected this result. At this time, Duke Wilson secretly glanced at Evan. He was sitting by the edge of the bed and the autumn sun was shining on his face, making him look more gentle and holy. Duke Wilson¡¯s heart felt turbulent for some reason. At this moment, Evan suddenly raised his head. Startled, Duke Wilson quickly turned his head and did not dare to look at him again. Evan was also stunned by the duke¡¯s actions. He saw the duke¡¯s unnatural behaviour. Although he had some guesses in his heart, he didn¡¯t ask any more questions but he was secretly delighted and said, ¡°That¡¯s good. I hope the sheriff can find out the truth about this matter.¡± Duke Wilson smiled stiffly and followed up with a few words, but his whole person was still a little unnatural and the atmosphere between both of them was a little awkward. In the end, Duke Wilson couldn¡¯t sit still so he said goodbye. Watching Duke Wilson walk away, Evan¡¯s heart was 80% settled as he thought about the duke¡¯s performance these past few days. His plan is 80% complete. Evan lowered his head, looked at Rael¡¯s beautiful face in the newspaper and he sneered. He really hadn¡¯t seen what was wrong about this man, he really is an idiot. Evan¡¯s life became really peaceful after that. Sheriff Chandler was stumped by the Johnson case and couldn¡¯t make time to pay attention to Evan. Mrs Sanders was even more annoyed with the church thing and wanted things to change. The honest assistant priest was obviously unable to adapt to a parish like Delanlier and many things were handled by Mrs Sanders. Because of the busy schedules of these two people who have a relationship with Evan, Evan¡¯s days at the Cornwall Manor have been free. He usually reads books, chats with the duke and then pays attention to the progress of the case. But such a free life was broken by one person. (Here he comes, the annoying human) That afternoon, Evan was able to get up from bed and walk around. The person sent by the church finally came. He was brought directly to Cornwall Manor by Mrs Sanders. At that time, Evan was drinking afternoon tea in the garden and Duke Wilson was sitting opposite him, talking to him with a smile. Led by Mrs Sanders and a valet, they walked along the rose bush towards Evan and Duke Wilson. Evan squinted at the person who came. The man was very tall, almost a foot taller than Mrs Sanders. He looked only about thirty years old and his appearance was very ordinary but the temperament between his eyebrows was very refined and didn¡¯t seem to be a normal gentleman. But Evan looked at this man and his heart suddenly fell. When he took over this body before, he also accepted the memory of this body. If Evan remembers correctly, Evan knew this man. Sure enough, after the visitor came forward, he first saluted Duke Wilson, then turned to look at Evan and smiled very gently, ¡°Bruce, the first time I heard this name, I guessed it was you. I didn¡¯t expect it to be true.¡± Evan looked at this man and really couldn¡¯t laugh. If he remembers correctly, there was absolutely no good relationship between this man and the original owner. ¡°Senior Ferd, it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen you. You¡¯re still the same as before.¡± Evan was polite and restrained in his answer, with almost no excess emotion overflowing. But even so, Duke Wilson, who was sitting on the side, suddenly felt as if he had been touched by something, his heartstrings suddenly tensed. He straightened his back and looked at the mild-mannered Ferd with alertness, and a hint of doubt in his eyes. Ferd still looked at Evan with a smile and said, ¡°Junior Bruce, you¡¯re very different from before.¡± Evan¡¯s heart sank but he still smiled, ¡°Really, after all it has been so long.¡± Ferd looked at Evan with some deep meaning in his eyes, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been too long.¡± ¡°How long?¡± Duke Wilson, who was not willing to be excluded from the conversation between the two, immediately asked. Ferd was stunned by the duke¡¯s question, then he looked at Duke Wilson who was sitting on the side with a wary expression. As if he knew something, he raised his eyebrows and curled the corners of his lips sarcastically and spoke, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s been eight years, Lord Duke.¡± After speaking, he looked at Evan again, ¡°What do you think? Junior brother Bruce?¡± (I really hate this guy) Evan tried his best to maintain his expression and nodded, ¡°It seems so, your memory is very good.¡± He¡¯d quickly sorted out his memory just now. This Ferd indeed played a large part in the original owner¡¯s life. At that time, Evan was still in public school when he met this senior. Ferd was the youngest son of an Earl¡¯s family. He had an outstanding family background and was very influential in school, while Evan was just the son of a squire. How could he compare to Ferd? So, he used his little cleverness to get involved with this nobleman but he didn¡¯t expect that this person would have some kind of indescribable affection for him. The original owner was a very straight man so it was naturally impossible for him to respond to these feelings. On the contrary, he was terrified, immediately fled from the senior and severely trampled on his feelings. He said a lot of terrible things and spread the matter about. Evan doesn¡¯t know what happened later but if you think about it, it was definitely not good. Duke Wilson couldn¡¯t stand the way Ferd looked at Evan. A feeling he couldn¡¯t grasp spread in his heart and he hated this feeling very much. (That feeling is jealousy, my dear duke. And it¡¯s gonna get worse??) ¡°Mr Ferd, are you sent by the church to handle the investigation of the church¡¯s accounts? Regardless of the undercurrent between the two, Duke Wilson immediately changed the topic simply and rudely. Ferd turned to look at Duke Wilson, smiled meaningfully and said, ¡°Yes, this is the purpose of my visit. But I heard from Mrs Sanders that the culprit of the matter has been found?¡± The person he asked was Evan but Duke Wilson didn¡¯t give Evan the chance to speak as he immediately answered, ¡°The culprit has indeed been found, but he is also dead.¡± Ferd was stunned for a moment. Mrs Sanders hadn¡¯t gotten the time to tell him about it. CH 38 ¡°Dead?¡± Ford looked straight at Duke Wilson, ¡°That¡¯s surprising.¡± Duke Wilson raised the corners of his lips sarcastically, ¡°Please sit down first. Talking about this, I¡¯m afraid it will take a long time.¡± Ford raised his eyebrows, smiled and sat down on the chair beside Evan. Duke Wilson¡¯s hands clenched tightly and his eyebrows wrinkled. ¡°Lord Duke,¡± Ford spoke again, ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± Ford¡¯s question was really understandable. He is an investigator sent by the church and the suspect had already been identified. If he dies, it will be difficult for the suspect to repay for the crime. Duke Wilson pondered for a moment before speaking, ¡°Mr Johnson was found dead in his bed a few days ago. At first, everyone thought it was a suicide, but now, they have begun to reinvestigate.¡± ¡°Reinvestigation?¡± He grasped the point, ¡°Is there any doubt about Mr Johnson¡¯s death?¡± ¡°It¡¯s his widow who has doubts.¡± Duke Wilson said coldly. Ford raised his eyebrows, ¡°So it is.¡± He turned to look at Evan who looked slightly pale and said, ¡°I wonder how Reverend Bruce views this matter?¡± Evan frowned, he felt that Ford¡¯s words were a bit malicious. ¡°This matter is within the jurisdiction of Sheriff Chandler so I don¡¯t know very much.¡± Evan replied politely and in a distant way. But Ford still didn¡¯t want to let Evan go, and he smiled as he spoke again, ¡°Really? I heard that you helped the police solve a difficult case so I thought that you had changed your career to a detective.¡± (What is your problem?) Evan turned to look at Ford, where did he hear about this? Ford also saw his doubts clearly and just smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t you know? I have a very good relationship with Judge Conville of the county courthouse.¡± Evan couldn¡¯t help but grit his teeth, he¡¯d almost forgotten that the man beside him is an Earl¡¯s son. Although he¡¯s working in the church now, his scope of communication is much wider than that of his miserable self. ¡°Really?¡± Evan smirked, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then you should know that I only did a little bit of effort in that matter, but part of it was solved by Sheriff Chandler¡¯s own ability.¡± Ford looked at Evan and smiled meaningfully. His smile not only made Evan very uncomfortable but made Duke Wilson even more angry. This is like a provocation to him. In his opinion, Evan is already in his bag. Although he always thinks that Evan can¡¯t do anything with himself, he won¡¯t allow others to interfere. So, he was acutely aware of the meaningful way Ford looked at Evan. ¡°Mr Ford, the purpose of your visit this time is to investigate the embezzlement of the church¡¯s property and Mr Johnson has been proven guilty. If you want to investigate the issue of the church¡¯s property, you should go to Mrs Johnson.¡± Duke Wilson was very dissatisfied with the contact between Evan and Ford. Ford gave Duke Wilson a very surprised look. He raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°You are right. But this matter is so complicated that it requires the cooperation of Reverend Bruce.¡± His words were so reasonable that Duke Wilson couldn¡¯t find a way to refute him. Evan spoke at this time, ¡°Mr Ford, you should also see that I am seriously injured now and I¡¯m afraid that I cannot satisfy your request. But Mrs Sanders is also involved in this matter and she is clear about the matter from the beginning to the end, so you can just ask her to accompany you.¡± Evan definitely doesn¡¯t want to get along with this man for more than a second. Not to mention the emotional entanglement between the two of them before, but talking about the complexity of the current matter, Evan will never get involved. Ford was blocked by Evan¡¯s words and was speechless for a while. Finally, he could only smile lightly, ¡°So that¡¯s the case. I didn¡¯t know about this.¡± He frowned as he looked at Evan and he looked a bit hurt. Mrs Sanders was really embarrassed as she watched this scene and at this time, she hurriedly interjected, ¡°Mr Ford, you don¡¯t have to worry, I will assist you in the investigation of this matter. I have also assisted Reverend Bruce so you can rest assured.¡± If Ford says no to Mrs Sanders, it would be strange, so he could only smile warmly, ¡°My dear lady, of course I believe in your ability. Then, I will trouble you in the future.¡± After all, he was taught to be a gentleman, so he didn¡¯t dare to say nonsense. Mrs Sanders seemed to be very satisfied with Ford¡¯s modest and polite appearance and she nodded with a smile. The four of them were sitting together but three of them had pregnant thoughts about each other. Naturally, this scene would not last long. In the end, Ford blinked and didn¡¯t want to be entangled in this scene any more. After all, he wouldn¡¯t be leaving this town anytime soon. It is better to observe first, so he immediately bid his farewell. Of course, Duke Wilson didn¡¯t want to keep him any longer than he had to. He didn¡¯t even do anything superficial and he sent him out immediately. Mrs Sanders gave the duke a surprised look for such an unreasonable behaviour but she didn¡¯t say anything. Watching them walk away, the noble and elegant expression the duke originally maintained finally sank. He looked at Evan who was sitting beside him in thought and spoke sourly, ¡°What is your relationship with this Mr Ford?¡± Evan¡¯s thinking was interrupted, he raised his head to look at the duke and was amused by his tangled expression, ¡°Mr Ford was my senior when I was in public school.¡± ¡°Senior?¡± Duke Wilson raised his eyebrows, ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s just a senior.¡± His tone was a little small. The small resentment made Evan¡¯s heart move, should he still push Duke Wilson? Although the duke has a clear affection for him now, this affection is not enough for him to show his intentions, because in the duke¡¯s world, this kind of affection is still filthy and immoral. Evan hesitated for a while. If he did this, he could be dancing on a tightrope and he would probably be doomed. But if he succeeds, the duke would be in his bag and he could still maintain his own immaculate character. ¡°Senior Ford took good care of me when I was in public school.¡± Evan still decided to be conservative first. After all, the duke is a person of this era and his ability to accept it still needs to be learned bit by bit. Besides, the matter is also not a good thing and he must find time to beautify his dark history. Hearing this, the duke frowned deeply. He bit his lower lip with a tangled expression in his face. ¡°I don¡¯t think this Ford is a good person.¡± Duke Wilson said suddenly. Evan was stunned, and then he smiled again, ¡°I can assure you that there is absolutely nothing wrong with Senior Ford¡¯s character. He is a gentleman.¡± When the duke heard this, his heart was sour. The water couldn¡¯t stop rushing out (??) but he really couldn¡¯t show his hideous side in front of Evan. In the end, he could only turn his head in a fit of anger and he didn¡¯t say a word. Evan looked at the duke¡¯s back and hooked the corners of his lips slightly, Very good, this matter still needs to be promoted little by little. At this time, when the atmosphere between both of them was delicate, Edward ran downstairs. Evan was seriously injured and hadn¡¯t seen Edward in the past few days. Now that he was able to walk a little, the duke allowed Edward to visit him. Edward ran straight towards Evan but when he ran up to Evan¡¯s side, he stopped carefully. He touched the back of Evan¡¯s hand and spoke, ¡°Evan, are you feeling better?¡± Smiling, Evan stroked Edward¡¯s head and said warmly, ¡°Much better, Lord Edward.¡± Such a simple conversation stunned Duke Wilson. Evan? His name? In fact, he has always known but no one has ever called him like this in his presence. When he hears his name called like this, Duke Wilson doesn¡¯t know why his heart suddenly jumped a little. Edward listened to this sentence and then carefully snuggled into Evan¡¯s arms, carefully avoiding his gauze-wrapped chest and just lying on his knees. He raised his head and looked at Evan without blinking. ¡°Evan, you¡¯re really brave.¡± Edward looked at Evan with a look of admiration. Surprised, Evan looked at Edward, but at this moment, Duke Wilson gave a light cough and said, ¡°I have told Edward about your previous act of saving me. He is my heir and there are still some things he needs to know.¡± Evan suddenly realised that the behaviour of these aristocrats to educate people is really predictable. To educate a child as an adult, if there is no accident, this child will either be precocious or collapse in the future. ¡°I see.¡± Evan smiled and looked down at Edward again, ¡°Lord, thank you for your compliment, but I¡¯ve heard enough compliments in the past few days and I¡¯m at a loss for what to do.¡± Looking up at Evan, Edward showed a soft smile, which was not at all the same as his usual withdrawn appearance but revealed a touch of freshness. Evan heaved a sigh of relief. Fortunately, this child didn¡¯t grow crooked, otherwise, he would be more difficult to deal with than Duke Wilson when he grew up. ¡°Okay Edward,¡± Duke Wilson suddenly said, ¡°Reverend Bruce can¡¯t sit for a long time. It¡¯s time for you to have lunch. Go in.¡± Duke Wilson suddenly found that he didn¡¯t like his alone time with Evan being disrupted by others. Edward gave the duke a look of grievance but he didn¡¯t dare to refute him. He took a step back and followed the servant and left. Evan watched Edward go upstairs, then turned to Duke Wilson and said, ¡°Lord Duke, Mr Johnson¡¯s matter this time is too complicated. I would like to ask you to help with this matter. The bishop attaches great importance to the image of the church and I¡¯m afraid that there will be some changes.¡± Looking at Evan¡¯s serious look, Duke Wilson felt a little excited, this was the first time Evan has asked him for something. Duke Wilson tried his best to restrain the turmoil in his heart, he cleared his throat and said helplessly in a low voice, ¡°This matter is so complicated, I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be easy to investigate.¡± He glanced at Evan, who frowned, wanting to see how he would respond. Evan also didn¡¯t expect Duke Wilson to give him a soft nail. He glanced at Duke Wilson but saw a hidden expectation in his eyes. Evan suddenly came to a realization. ¡°Lord Duke,¡± Evan¡¯s expression was very cautious, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to make such a request but this matter is too important. If you can¡¯t help me, I really don¡¯t know who to go to.¡± Evan lowered his head in frustration, but there was a secret smile on his lips. T/N ¨C I am really sorry guys, I¡¯ve had a busy time and I will be busy for a while so I can¡¯t promise that I will be consistent with the updates. Bear with me. I still owe some extra chapters, I haven¡¯t forgotten about that. CH 39 When the duke saw that things didn¡¯t go in the direction he wanted, he became anxious, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you can leave this matter to me.¡± This sentence was spoken so quickly and so loudly that Evan was scared. He jumped and looked at Duke Wilson with some surprise. Duke Wilson was also frightened by his own words and his face flushed with embarrassment and he was at a loss for a while. Evan also didn¡¯t know how to answer. After a long pause, seeing the duke¡¯s ears getting redder, he said, ¡°Won¡¯t this embarrass you?¡± Duke Wilson blocked his chest in a breath. He will not feel embarrassed about any request, he did that before but he wants to see Evan begging him. Duke Wilson feels a little awkward in his heart but when Evan said this, he was relieved. After all, Evan spoke in a warm tone, breaking the current deadlock. ¡°The matter has come to this point, so I will definitely help you.¡± Duke Wilson quickly returned to his normal expression. He was very sincere when he said this, especially when he said that he would help. As he looked at Evan, there seemed to be some kind of brilliance in his eyes. Evan lightly bit his lower lip. This man was really tempting him. Evan seemed to hear a greedy voice in his heart. This man really made it difficult for him to let go. ¡°Thank you very much for your generosity.¡± Evan looked at Duke Wilson with a sincere look, with obvious gratitude in his eyes. Seeing Evan¡¯s expression like this, Duke Wilson finally got a little satisfaction in his heart. Evan has to rely on him, which is the most satisfying point to Duke Wilson. Although he has not participated in his life before, he will in the future. It is necessary to share weal and woe in Evan¡¯s life, which is the task that Duke Wilson has given himself. Seeing that the duke was satisfied, Evan was relieved. He had been in love before and he naturally knew what a man was thinking when facing the person he liked. His appropriate way of showing weakness can be regarded as a kind of sweetness to Duke Wilson. The two continued to talk for a while and then, moved to the room because Evan couldn¡¯t sit for a long time. Evan and Duke Wilson had lunch together before going upstairs. His wounds haven¡¯t healed yet. Although he can sit for a while, he can¡¯t really move a lot, so he can only be carried upstairs. Evan returned to his room and Tom served him fruit and tea, but Evan had no intention of drinking tea at all. With the arrival of Ford today, he is facing a great dilemma. First of all, it was clear in the original owner¡¯s memory that Evan knows how he treated Ford back then. At that time, Ford¡¯s heart was captured by the original owner because of the original owner¡¯s gentle appearance and without any consideration, he expressed his intentions to the original owner. However, although the original owner loved vanity, he was a straight man and he was also a straight man with very outdated thoughts. He was very repulsed about same-sex love so he ran away from Ford like a frightened rabbit and ruined Ford¡¯s reputation in the process. Thinking of these things the original owner did, Evan leaned back on the chair and covered his eyes with the back of his hands. This is really a bad thing. At the most critical time, he actually met an enemy and his position in this matter is still very delicate. If he can¡¯t handle this matter well, all his efforts during this period of time would be in vain. Evan bit his lip, thinking of the original owner¡¯s final bleak final end, he felt chills run down his back. Because he coveted the heroine and fought against the duke, he was finally killed by the blackened duke. Dying in a riot and among rioters on the street is really no place to die. Evan clenched his fists tightly, he must not be reduced to that point. His life must be written by himself and since he has reached this point, he must preserve his life. Evan thought about it for a long time and finally decided to take a risk. Ford is full of deep thoughts and must not be underestimated. But this person has a fatal weakness, that is, he is too self-righteous and his confession back then is enough to prove this trait of his. Evan decided to use this trait of his to save himself from this predicament and even further deepen his relationship with the duke. The look in Evan¡¯s eyes changed and in the end, it turned into a gloom that sank into his eyes. The next afternoon, Dr. Hester came for a follow up visit and he brought Alia with him. Edward was very happy. While Dr. Hester was treating Evan, he had been pestering Alia. Looking at the intimacy between Edward and Alia, jealousy entangled Evan¡¯s heart like a poisonous snake. He wanted to drive Alia out immediately, but he could only lower his eyes without saying a word. Dr. Hester looked at Evan¡¯s wound and put a new gauze on it and then said, ¡°Reverend Bruce, your wound has almost healed but you still can¡¯t do any violent movements these few days, otherwise, there is a danger of the wound reopening. Please keep that in mind.¡± Evan nodded. He glanced at Alia, who was very happy with Edward and suddenly asked, ¡°Dr. Hester, these few days, a gentleman who is checking accounts has come to the church. Have you seen him?¡± Evan¡¯s words really caught Alia¡¯s attention. (Kinda feels like a trap though) ¡°Check the accounts?¡± Alia asked before Dr. Hester could speak, ¡°What happened to the church¡¯s accounts?¡± Evan raised his eyebrows and glanced at Dr. Hester, who was a little embarrassed by Alia¡¯s rudeness. He replied, ¡°Have you not paid attention to Mr Johnson¡¯s affairs?¡± When Alia heard this, a trace of anger flashed on her face, ¡°Of course I heard. Mr Johnson is really a shameful person. This person actually did such a thing.¡± Evan smiled in his heart, he didn¡¯t expect that the woman who was so special in the original book would only pay attention to the gossip circulating about this incident. As soon as Alia finished speaking, the duke walked into the room. His face was so cold that Alia, who was facing him, couldn¡¯t help the shivers. ¡°Do you have any rhetorics you want to publish, Miss Alia?¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s tone had a hint of sarcasm. Alia¡¯s face instantly flushed red but she didn¡¯t want to admit defeat so she gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you agree with my point of view? Isn¡¯t what Mr Johnson did shameless?¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s expression fluctuated for a moment but when he looked back, it was still calm. ¡°You¡¯re a lady. Please don¡¯t discuss this kind of thing like this.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s gentle answer made Alia very dissatisfied and she immediately said, ¡°I didn¡¯t bring this up first. The one who brought it up is Reverend Bruce.¡± (And she fell into the trap ) Alia¡¯s words made Duke Wilson turn his attention to Evan, who had just wrapped up his checkup and hadn¡¯t put on his clothes yet and just had a shirt on, a snow white shirt. His neck and collarbone were still exposed, which was very different from his usual abstinent appearance. Duke Wilson¡¯s heart beat violently all of a sudden and he looked at Evan¡¯s current state in a daze. In the autumn sun, his fair skin had a crystal clear brilliance, which made Duke Wilson excited. Finally, he realised that he might make a fool of himself if he went on like this so he quickly looked away, a little embarrassed. Duke Wilson¡¯s every move was under Evan¡¯s control. He looked at Duke Wilson¡¯s reddened earlobes and laughed in his heart, ¡°Please don¡¯t blame Miss Alia.¡± The care in Evan¡¯s tone made Duke Wilson feel a little angry. He turned his head and looked coldly at Alia, who was stunned, and said in a really cold tone, ¡°Miss Alia, please go out, I want to discuss some things with the two gentlemen.¡± In this era, contempt for women is very common. When gentlemen talk about things, women have no right or chance to speak or interrupt. Basically, this is the consensus of everyone, gentlemen are the main body of this society. But Alia is not an ordinary woman. Her sensitive nerves captured a trace of contempt from Duke Wilson¡¯s words and her anger was ignited. Glancing at Duke Wilson, she quickly ran out of the room. (Evan is evil, poor Miss Alia fell into his trap ) This kind of behaviour is obviously very rude, especially behaving that way to a Duke. Dr. Hester felt really embarrassed, he didn¡¯t even dare to look up at the duke¡¯s face as he spoke, ¡°Please forgive Alia, she has been in a bad mood these days.¡± Dr. Hester knew that this was such a ridiculous excuse that he couldn¡¯t even convince himself with. But the duke didn¡¯t care, he just sneered and said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to give any excuses. I have no interest in knowing how Miss Alia is.¡± Embarrassed, Dr. Hester shut his mouth. He looked at Evan on the bed and felt a lot more balanced in his heart, at least Alia didn¡¯t encounter such a terrible thing as Reverend Bruce. Evan didn¡¯t pay attention to Dr. Hester¡¯s expression, all his thoughts were transferred to the solution he just came up with. Alia and Ford, this is really a good combination, killing two birds with one stone. All his problems would be solved. Evan¡¯s lips twitched with a smile, this was discovered by the duke¡¯s sharp eyes. ¡°Is there anything to be happy about, Reverend?¡± Duke Wilson tried his best to look calm. Evan smiled, ¡°My injury is getting better. Isn¡¯t this a happy thing?¡± Duke Wilson was stunned when he heard this, he turned to look at Dr. Hester and asked, ¡°Is this true? Has it healed completely?¡± Dr. Hester was stunned for a moment and he nodded in a daze, ¡°Yes, Reverend Bruce¡¯s injury is almost healed completely. He will be able to walk around in a few days.¡± After Duke Wilson heard this, his frown deepened. He looked at Evan, who was sitting on the bed with a gentle look on his face, and quietly asked, ¡°Are you going to leave then?¡± Evan stiffened for a moment but he didn¡¯t think about it. ¡°It¡¯s time to leave after disturbing you for so long.¡± Evan quickly recovered his expression and replied warmly. Duke Wilson¡¯s expression became more complicated. CH 40 ¡°Although you say so, but for now, you still have to rest in the manor. You can¡¯t just leave like this or my heart will be uneasy.¡± Duke Wilson lowered his eyebrows, his expression unnatural as he said warmly. Evan was stunned for a moment, then he smiled, ¡°You are really an enthusiastic person. If that is the case, then I will disturb you for a while.¡± Duke Wilson breathed a sigh of relief, he raised his head and glanced at Evan tentatively. Seeing that Evan didn¡¯t have any reluctance, he said, ¡°You¡¯re being too serious. Compared to your help to me, this is nothing.¡± Evan lowered his eyes and smiled, but did not say much. Seeing that Evan stopped talking, Duke Wilson said, ¡°I came here today because I want to instruct Dr. Hester about a few things.¡± He looked straight at Dr. Hester with a cold expression on his face. Dr. Hester¡¯s body froze and he looked at Duke Wilson, a little bewildered. ¡°You¡­ Please, say it.¡± Dr. Hester¡¯s voice had a hint of unease. Duke Wilson suddenly smiled at this time, but the coldness in his eyes did not subside at all. ¡°Reverend Bruce¡¯s injury, did you tell anyone about it?¡± At that time, the only one who knew about Evan¡¯s injury was Dr. Hester, apart from the servants in Duke Wilson¡¯s Manor. Duke Wilson did not mention anything about it before because on one hand, he believes in Dr. Hester¡¯s medical ethics and on the other hand, it was also due to the fact that in the past few days, he did not have spare time. Now that Duke Wilson has finally dealt with the foreign affairs, he also remembered Dr. Hester¡¯s matter. Dr. Hester¡¯s heart tightened and he quickly said, ¡°You do not have to worry. Even Alia doesn¡¯t know about this matter. I will not reveal it to anyone. You can completely trust me.¡± Dr. Hester was not stupid, this incident is obviously a fight between the big guys above and a little guy like him naturally dares not get involved. Duke Wilson just sneered when he heard it, ¡°If I didn¡¯t trust you, do you think I would still say these things to you?¡± Dr. Hester¡¯s legs were weak as he looked at Duke Wilson, not daring to say a word. Looking at him being like this, a trace of disdain flashed in Duke Wilson¡¯s eyes and he said in a low voice, ¡°You¡¯d better remember what you said here today. If there is any rumor about this matter, you should also know the consequences.¡± Dr. Hester couldn¡¯t stop shaking as he nodded lightly, ¡°You¡­you can rest assured.¡± Satisfied, Duke Wilson nodded and as he turned his head, he saw Evan sitting on the bed with a confused expression on his face. Duke Wilson could not bear it in his heart. He couldn¡¯t help but feel a little annoyed that he actually let him see this side of himself. ¡°Reverend Bruce,¡± Duke Wilson tried his best to control his emotions, ¡°This matter is very important. You don¡¯t mind?¡± He looked at Evan tentatively. Evan¡¯s originally empty expression paused slightly and he turned to look at Duke Wilson. ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t mind. I also agree with the issues you are considering.¡± Evan smiled. The matter Duke Wilson spoke about is indeed very important. The current affairs were obviously not in the hands of ordinary people like them. When he heard this, Duke Wilson sighed with relief and a smile finally appeared on his lips, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you agree.¡± Dr. Hester stood on the side watching the interaction between the two, and couldn¡¯t help murmuring in his heart, feeling a little cold. The duke spoke to him so ruthlessly but asked Reverend Bruce the question in such a gentle manner, it is really a different treatment. Duke Wilson didn¡¯t have enough time to care about Dr. Hester¡¯s thoughts. He looked at Evan, who looked a little tired and immediately said very thoughtfully, ¡°Your health is not very good. Please rest, I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Indeed, Evan was already a little tired, so he didn¡¯t refuse this time. Duke Wilson and Dr. Hester left Evan¡¯s room and Evan laid down on the bed. He stared at the snow-white ceiling and began to carefully think about his plan. Ford is big trouble. In fact, he has no grievances or enmity with him, but because of the relationship with the original owner, it is absolutely impossible for the two of them to have any warm scenes. On the contrary, because of the relationship with the original owner, he may be exposed. Evan couldn¡¯t take that risk. And Alia, although the duke¡¯s thoughts about her are very bad now, but due to his understanding of the original book, Evan¡¯s heart is still not sure and the threat of Alia still lies in his heart. These two people are troublesome for Evan and he feels that he must solve these two problems quickly. A few days later, Mr Johnson¡¯s matter had still not come to a conclusion, the whole town was buzzing with rumors. Rael was detained, Mrs Johnson went to the town¡¯s police station every day to inquire about the progress and the pressure on Sheriff Chandler had increased sharply. Evan lived a very comfortable life. Within the confines of Cornwall Manor, he didn¡¯t need to worry about anything. He just needed to recover from his injuries. He would meet with Edward from time to time, read the Bible to him and listen to him talk about himself. Through these, Edward became more dependent on him. As for Duke Wilson, he doesn¡¯t know what he has been busy with these days. He used to come and have afternoon tea with him every afternoon. But now, except for breakfast, he doesn¡¯t see him again. That day, Evan was reading the Bible to Edward in the garden. Edward had always been an obedient child in front of Evan. He lay quietly on Evan¡¯s knee and looked at Evan without blinking. Evan¡¯s voice was soft and quiet, with a soothing power. Edward looked at Evan with reverence, his eyes sparkling. Evan lowered his head and glanced at Edward. He patted his head with a smile and asked warmly, ¡°Do you understand?¡± Edward nodded, ¡°I understand, my tutor taught me before.¡± Hearing him talk about this, Evan¡¯s hand paused for a while, ¡°Tutor?¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Daisy. Miss Daisy has been away these days, she¡¯ll be back in a few days.¡± Edward threw himself into Evan¡¯s arms with a smile and said in a low voice, ¡°Miss Daisy is very beautiful, you will definitely like her.¡± Evan listened to Edward¡¯s childish words but his heart couldn¡¯t help but move, he almost forgot about that in the book, there is also Daisy, the female supporting role who died and became a stepping stone for the heroine, Alia. ¡°When will Miss Daisy come back?¡± Evan asked tentatively. Edward frowned and snapped his fingers, ¡°Miss Daisy¡¯s father passed away, she took a month off. She should be back in five days.¡± Seeing Edward remember it so clearly, Evan also understands that it seems that this Miss Daisy¡¯s position in Edward¡¯s life is not low. ¡°I see.¡± Evan touched Edward¡¯s hair soothingly. Daisy is not a threat in the book. Duke Wilson doesn¡¯t like her at all and she¡¯ll kill herself anyway, no need to start early. At this moment, a servant suddenly came to report, ¡°Reverend Bruce, there is a gentleman who wants to see you.¡± The servant had a tangled expression, obviously feeling troubled. Cornwall Manor does not receive visitors who have not received an invitation. He doesn¡¯t know how to deal with this situation. Evan frowned, who would come to see him at this time? ¡°A gentleman? Who is it?¡± The servant thought for a while and finally said, ¡°It¡¯s the gentleman who came together with Mrs Sanders the last time.¡± Evan¡¯s eyebrows wrinkled deeply, it turned out to be Ford! What did he come to do? ¡°Did he state his purpose?¡± Evan asked. The servant nodded, ¡°He said he came to see you about the church¡¯s matter and it was very urgent.¡± For the sake of this, Evan really couldn¡¯t refuse so he could only say, ¡°Then, let him in.¡± The servant was a little reluctant but thinking of the duke¡¯s previous orders, he could only answer in a low voice, ¡°Yes.¡± After a while, Ford came in, under the lead of the servant and Evan patted Edward in his arms, ¡°Lord, you go up first. I¡¯ll come and see you later.¡± Edward was still interested but he didn¡¯t want to leave a bad impression on Evan, so he could only jump down from Evan¡¯s laps a little dejected and left. As soon as Edward left, Ford walked up to him. He looked at Evan and smiled gently. ¡°Reverend Bruce.¡± He nodded slightly to Evan. Evan could not stand up because of his injury so he just smiled and said, ¡°Mr Ford, I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t stand up to greet you. Please, take a seat.¡± Ford sat beside Evan very casually. He stroked his cuffs and said in a low voice, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so polite, we are all old friends.¡± His words were low and casual but Evan could hear a bit of sarcasm in his words. Evan smiled a little fakely, ¡°What is the important thing for you to come here this time?¡± Ford raised his eyebrows and his slightly dull face suddenly showed a little playfulness. ¡°You should have heard about Mr Johnson¡¯s affairs these days, right? The matter has not been resolved but the church¡¯s affairs cannot be delayed forever. I suggest you go to Mrs Johnson with me and ask for the compensation for the church¡¯s losses as soon as possible. This is good for everyone.¡± Ford¡¯s tone was high and there was a hint of disdain in his tone. (I really hate this guy ) Evan didn¡¯t know whether this disdain was aimed at the Johnson couple or himself, but he just pretended that he didn¡¯t hear anything wrong as he nodded and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s just my current body¡­¡± ¡°You can rest assured,¡± Ford interrupted Evan¡¯s words, ¡°I will invite Mrs Johnson directly. You just need to wait at Cornwall Manor, there is no need to trouble you to go in person.¡± His personal words were very heavy and his tone was full of sarcasm. Evan could no longer pretend not to hear such obvious emotions. He frowned and said in a low voice, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Ford sneered, ¡°Now that Duke Wilson is not here, do you want to keep pretending?¡± Evan¡¯s heart sank but his expression remained unchanged, and he said softly, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ford looked at him and gave an almost angry laugh, ¡°What do I mean? Bruce, what you did to me back then, do you want me to repeat it to you?¡± He stood up from his chair and approached Evan. Evan couldn¡¯t move, his hands clasped the armrest of the chair tightly and he was speechless. He didn¡¯t expect that Ford would turn his face on him so quickly. CH 41 ¡°Mr Ford.¡± Evan looked at Ford without changing his expression, ¡°Please, don¡¯t mention that matter again, I don¡¯t want to answer.¡± Evan¡¯s face was cold and decisive, without having the slightest sentiment, he¡¯d thought about how to deal with this matter from the beginning and now, of course, he can deal with it with ease. After hearing this sentence, Ford¡¯s face became ugly and a little terrifying. ¡°You really are a stone-hearted devil! You ruined my life back then! Don¡¯t you have the slightest repentance now?!¡± Evan looked at Ford in surprise, with a hint of puzzlement on his face, ¡°Destroy your life?¡± Evan paused slightly, ¡°Where did you start with this sentence?¡± (??) Ford looked at Evan¡¯s puzzled look and sneered, ¡°What else do you have to pretend about now when you were to blame? Don¡¯t you want to acknowledge what you did?¡± Evan had an even more confused look on his face, ¡°I¡­ I rejected your kindness back then, I admit it. But, isn¡¯t it too much to say that it ruined your life?¡± Ford looked at Evan with deep anger in his eyes. He suddenly stood up from the chair (I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯d already stood up before right? ), his originally gentle face now looked grim. ¡°You really don¡¯t want to admit it?¡± He looked down at Evan condescendingly. Evan frowned as he looked at Ford, ¡°I won¡¯t admit to what I haven¡¯t done.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t?¡± Ford had an ugly expression on his face, ¡°How dare you say you didn¡¯t do it! I just made my feelings clear to you and within a few days, my reputation as a shameful gay spread across the campus. I was expelled from the school, my parents almost kicked me out of the house. Isn¡¯t this what you did! Only you knew about it! How dare you say that you didn¡¯t do anything!¡± (Because, it¡¯s the other Evan who did it ) Ford stared at Evan, his eyes so red that they looked like they were bleeding. Fortunately, none of the servants were by his side, otherwise, Evan would be regarded as an enemy at this time. Evan clenched his sweaty palms. These things were indeed done by the original owner, but fortunately, the original owner was also a smart person so he didn¡¯t do it blatantly but spread the matter quietly and cleverly. ¡°Oh¡­ it turned out to be that thing.¡± Evan lowered his head, his expression flickering and his voice almost inaudible, ¡°It was my fault, I¡¯m sorry.¡± There was a trace of panic in Evan¡¯s voice and he didn¡¯t dare to look at Ford, which made Ford even more angry. ¡°I¡¯m sorry? Do you think a word of apology can make up for what you¡¯ve done to me? Bruce! You devil! If it weren¡¯t for you, I wouldn¡¯t be where I am today!¡± Ford¡¯s eyes had a fierce look as he looked at Evan but he wasn¡¯t aware that Evan¡¯s tone was not right, the anger he felt had occupied his entire brain. The anger in his eyes could almost ignite Evan but Evan still had his eyes lowered and said nothing. Seeing Evan¡¯s half-dead appearance, Ford felt like his anger could not be expressed completely. He sneered and said, ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re such a vain and hard-hearted person. You hurt me so miserably in the past, and now you¡¯re going to bewitch the duke. I wonder if the duke knows that there is an ugly face hidden under your pure skin?¡± At this point, he approached Evan a little and whispered, ¡°Shall I tell the duke how you approached me humbly back then? And then, after you used me, how you ruthlessly threw me away and destroyed me?¡± Ford¡¯s eyes were filled with malice. As he looked at Evan, it was like a predator looking at a prey with bloodthirsty eyes. Evan sat on the spot, his expression did not change at all. He looked at Ford, ¡°You can say what you want to say, I don¡¯t mind.¡± Evan said this sentence in a calm manner, so calm that Ford was stunned for a while, then he sneered, ¡°You are so calm, it seems that you have been deeply deceived by the Duke. Well, since I have found you now, then we might as well play the game again and see who will die in the end!¡± After Ford said the last word, he quickly raised his body and he waved at Duke Wilson, who was walking there from a distance, with a gentle and cautious smile on his face. Duke Wilson walked forward and looked at Evan and Ford with a puzzled expression on his face. Just now, he¡¯d seen Ford leaning over to talk to Evan. Evan¡¯s face was not as soft as usual but had a hint of coldness. What is the relationship between these two people? ¡°Lord Duke.¡± Ford nodded and saluted. Duke Wilson¡¯s thoughts about Ford are not very good so he just raised his hand perfunctorily and said, ¡°Mr Ford, why do you have time to come here today?¡± Ford smiled slightly, ¡°I came here today because I want to invite Reverend Bruce to solve the incident of the embezzlement of the church¡¯s property.¡± Duke Wilson frowned, ¡°The Reverend¡¯s body is still very weak, how can you do these things?¡± Ford raised his eyebrows, a trace of coldness flashed through his eyes. ¡°Please, rest assured, I will not embarrass Reverend Bruce. We will invite Mrs Johnson to Cornwall Manor at the appointed time. We don¡¯t need Reverend Bruce to run around.¡± Ford¡¯s words are very appropriate, if Evan didn¡¯t know about his malice, he would also be moved by his attitude. Evan lowered his eyes and stroked his cuffs with his fingers, not saying much. Duke Wilson looked at Evan deliberately and finally nodded, ¡°This is indeed a good way.¡± After all, Evan is a member of the church and Duke Wilson himself cannot stop such a reasonable request. Satisfied, Ford nodded, ¡°Reverend Bruce agreed just now and since I now have your agreement as well, it¡¯s great.¡± Duke Wilson squinted at Evan with one eye and there was a polite smile on his face. Since Duke Wilson was there, Ford did not stay any longer and he quickly left. After he left, the atmosphere between Duke Wilson and Evan fell into a very subtle silence. Duke Wilson poured a cup of black tea for Evan. He pondered for a long time before finally asking, ¡°That Mr. What did he say to you? Why do you look so depressed?¡± Evan smiled at Duke Wilson reluctantly, ¡°No¡­no¡­¡± Evan pursed his dry lips, thinking quickly about countermeasures in his mind. Duke Wilson looked at him behaving like this, his doubts deepened and he immediately said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Please tell me!¡± His tone was both anxious and worried. Evan couldn¡¯t bear it and he looked at the duke. ¡°I¡­¡± Evan couldn¡¯t help opening his mouth, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± He finally couldn¡¯t say anything and slowly lowered his head. Duke Wilson looked at him behaving like this and he frowned tightly. He didn¡¯t like feeling that Evan was hiding something from him, this made him feel that he was excluded from Evan¡¯s world. ¡°Please tell me!¡± He forcibly grabbed Evan¡¯s hands, forcing him to raise his head and look straight into his worried eyes as he said solemnly, ¡°I take you as a best friend in this world. If you encounter any difficulties, please tell me!¡± Evan looked into Duke Wilson¡¯s eyes with a look of embarrassment but he had a lot of complex emotions in his heart, this person is really¡­ ¡°Lord Duke.¡± Evan claimed down and finally regained his composure, ¡°When I was young, I missed one thing and I still can¡¯t forgive myself. But, for some reason, I have to keep silent again, it¡¯s too hard for me. I cannot tell anyone, not even the Lord, I can only carry this sin with me until the end of my life. At the end of my life, I will do my best to repent to the Lord to atone for my sins.¡± Evan lowered his eyes and didn¡¯t dare to face Duke Wilson at all, his tone was low and sad. Duke Wilson was stunned after listening to these words, he looked straight at Evan¡¯s handsome face for a while, at a loss. After a long time, Duke Wilson finally found his voice, ¡°What¡­what did you do?¡± Evan sighed, ¡°Lord Duke, this is my promise to the deceased and I will not break it. Please, don¡¯t embarrass me.¡± In fact, what Ford didn¡¯t know was that his affairs with Ford had long been noticed by his father. His father had approached the original owner and wanted him to leave his son but at that time, the original owner didn¡¯t take it seriously. It was not until Ford confessed that he realised the seriousness of the matter. Now that the respected Earl has passed away, such a shield, for Evan, really couldn¡¯t be better. Duke Wilson looked at Evan and he could not speak for a while. He knows Evan¡¯s character. If Evan didn¡¯t want to say it, he would never be able to ask what it was, and what made it even more unbearable for him was that this matter was also related to Ford. A dim light flashed in Duke Wilson¡¯s eyes, he must investigate this matter. ¡°Reverend.¡± Duke Wilson half-kneeled in front of Evan and looked straight into Evan¡¯s lowered eyes with soft eyes, ¡°Your character is obvious to all, I believe what you said¡­ the words are all out of your kindness to others. You don¡¯t have to worry, our friendship will not be affected by these things. You will always be the noblest gentleman in my heart.¡± (This is literally a confession) Evan looked at Duke Wilson and smiled bitterly, ¡°My dear duke, thank you for your encouragement. But if you know what I have done, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t say it like this.¡± With a tired look, Evan turned his face and slowly leaned back on the chair. Looking at Evan¡¯s tired profile, Duke Wilson¡¯s heart was very uncomfortable. He didn¡¯t know what made him feel so pained, but he firmly believed that a person like Evan would never do anything beyond his imaginations, because in his opinion, Evan is the purest and kindest person in the world(??). Even if he feels guilty, he will only magnify a small thing and make himself feel miserable for many years. Thinking of this, Duke Wilson¡¯s heart was even more uncomfortable. He looked at Evan almost tenderly. Looking at his handsome profile, he almost wants to stretch out his hand to smooth out the frown on his face. In the end, Duke Wilson restrained this urge. Coughing lightly, he slowly stood up and said softly, ¡°It¡¯s getting late. Let¡¯s go in first.¡± CH 42 This is one of the 2 chapters I owe you guys or is it 3 chapters? Oh well, enjoy. Just after lunch the next day, a servant came in to report that Mrs Johnson and Mr Ford were asking to meet Reverend Bruce while Evan was talking to Duke Wilson about some art related matters. Hearing this report, the atmosphere between the two became a little bit different and a bit subtle. Duke Wilson glanced at Evan, who lowered his eyes and said nothing, and wanted to say something but in the end, he didn¡¯t say a word to him and only replied to the servant, ¡°Show them to the living room, we¡¯ll come out right away.¡± The servant bowed and stepped back. Duke Wilson walked to Evan¡¯s side, looked down at Evan and said softly, ¡°I¡¯ll go down with you. I¡¯m also a donor of the church, and I still have the right to intervene in this matter.¡± Evan raised his head and glanced at Duke Wilson. His handsome profile that was hidden in the shadows had a strange beauty. The corners of Evan¡¯s mouth slightly hooked up, but his face had a grateful look, ¡°Thank you so much, you¡¯re so generous.¡± Duke Wilson smiled indifferently, helped Evan up from the soft chair and walked downstairs. Evan¡¯s wound has almost recovered at this time but he still needs to be careful when going downstairs. He deliberately leaned most of his body on Duke Wilson as he helped him downstairs. Duke Wilson froze as soon as Evan leaned on him. While they were going downstairs, Evan moved his body even more. He was at a loss like a hairy boy. Evan¡¯s eyes showed a hint of a secret smile, such a small act can make Duke Wilson so chaotic. It seems that his plan has been 90% successful and the remaining 10% depends on his own means. Duke Wilson helped Evan down the stairs and when he finally sat down, Evan said a little apologetically, ¡°My Lord, I am so sorry to trouble you.¡± Duke Wilson was eager for Evan to trouble him. He waved his hand like Evan was being ridiculous and said in an unsteady voice, ¡°You¡­ You are too polite. It¡¯s nothing¡­¡± His voice was light and fluttering, and by the end of the last sentence, almost no one could hear him clearly. Seeing him like this, Evan laughed in his heart. Duke Wilson was so emotionally young, it was beyond his expectations. At this time, Ford and Mrs Johnson were led in by the servants. To Evan¡¯s surprise, Sheriff Chandler also followed them in. He was stunned when he saw this scene. ¡°Sheriff?¡± Duke Wilson frowned as he spoke first, ¡°Why did you come here? Does this matter need the intervention of the police?¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s trust in the police can be said to have been reduced to dust, and he also didn¡¯t have a good impression of Sheriff Chandler. Sheriff Chandler looked a bit dejected, at least much more dejected than his usual high-spirited look. He pinched the already outdated hat¡¯s brim, glanced at Evan who looked weak and said in a low voice, ¡°Lord Duke, Mr Johnson¡¯s case has not yet come to a conclusion. I came here this time to visit Reverend Bruce and to get some advice from him.¡± Sheriff Chandler tasted the sweetness of Evan¡¯s help last time and now that the case had no results, he was devastated and he naturally thought of Evan again. Hearing this, Evan hesitated for a moment and looked at Sheriff Chandler with some surprise, ¡°Oh, Mr Sheriff, you really think highly of me. I don¡¯t know much about this matter, you know more than I do.¡± Sheriff Chandler was quite scared of Duke Wilson but he was very close to Evan. When he heard Evan say this, he quickly said, ¡°You helped me in the last case, please help me again this time. This matter has not been resolved for so long and Scotland Yard has been very dissatisfied with me. If the police detectives are sent over, I¡¯m afraid the matter will become more complicated.¡± Hearing him talk about this, Duke Wilson raised his eyebrows. As he wrinkled his eyebrows, he glanced at the calm Ford and the expressionless Mrs Johnson, he suppressed the thoughts in his heart and finally spoke in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t talk about these things now. Please sit down, the three of you. Let¡¯s settle the main business of the day first.¡± Speaking of which, Ford finally had the time to interject and said with a smile, ¡°Today, I would like to thank the duke for your generosity, for allowing us to talk about this matter in your Manor.¡± Duke Wilson gave Ford a cold look and said coldly, ¡°Reverend Bruce is my friend and this trivial matter is nothing to be concerned about.¡± Ford¡¯s smile immediately stiffened. Duke Wilson no longer looked at him and turned to Mrs Johnson, who was sitting at the far end of the sofa with a black veil covering her face and said, ¡°Madam, since you¡¯re here today, how do you plan to compensate for what Mr Johnson did before?¡± Mrs Johnson gave Duke Wilson a nervous look, she took off the hat on her head and the face behind the black veil was pale and terrifying. She didn¡¯t look like a sane woman. She looked straight at Duke Wilson, with a hint of madness and anxiety in her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about what he did, and I have never seen his money. I can¡¯t satisfy your request.¡± Mrs Johnson¡¯s voice was still trembling, but the people sitting in the room weren¡¯t all that shocked, especially Evan, who almost stood up and looked at Mrs Johnson and said in a stern voice, ¡°Ma¡¯am, didn¡¯t you promise to return the money to the church? Why do you want to go back on your word now?¡± Mrs Johnson didn¡¯t look at Evan at all as she quickly lowered her head, put her hands on her head and spoke like she was in pain, ¡°Reverend Bruce, I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m really sorry, I have no choice. I thought he left some property but now, I can¡¯t find any trace of any property at all, and I can¡¯t do anything about it¡­¡± Mrs Johnson¡¯s tone as she said the last sentence was choked up. Her life was indeed not very good these past few days. The gazes of the people around her, the people of the town pointing fingers at her, and the frequent bombardment of the newspaper reporters. She was on the verge of breaking down. Evan frowned, looking at Mrs Johnson with a trace of uncertainty in his eyes. Duke Wilson walked over to Evan¡¯s side, stroked his shoulder and whispered, ¡°Sit down first, don¡¯t aggravate the wound.¡± Evan sat back on the soft sofa again. At this time, he was in a great mood and didn¡¯t react, but Ford, who was sitting opposite, had a light flash in his eyes. ¡°Mrs Johnson,¡± Ford spoke without waiting for the others to speak, ¡°No matter what you say, your husband¡¯s embezzlement of the church¡¯s property is a fact, there is no doubt about it. If you don¡¯t cooperate well now, then this matter will be handed over to the court. They will freeze your property, auction off your house and then use it to repay the church¡¯s loss. If you don¡¯t want things to develop to this point, I will advise you, it is best to cooperate with our work.¡± After all, Ford was sent by the church and it was very natural for him to threaten the people involved. Mrs Johnson trembled when she heard this. She looked at Ford in horror, as if she was looking at a devil. (He is one) ¡°You¡­ you can¡¯t do this¡­¡± Tears welled up in her eyes, ¡°Mr Ford, you¡¯re a gentleman, do you really want to embarrass a widow like this?¡± Evan squinted as he watched the poor woman in front of him, with tears streaming down her cheeks, feeling a little weird for some reason. ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing?¡± Ford looked at Mrs Johnson and smiled, ¡°How can I embarrass you? Everything I said is based on the law, this is all stipulated by the law. Even if it¡¯s you, a noble lady, you must also abide by it. I will tell you the consequences of this incident. I just want you to know the seriousness of this incident. I¡¯ll also ask you to stop saying these irresponsible words. The property of the church, you must return it.¡± Mrs Johnson trembled as she heard this, she clenched her skirt tightly, bit her lower lip and looked at Ford with deep fear in her eyes. Sheriff Chandler watched and finally couldn¡¯t help speaking up, ¡°Mr Ford, do you have to be so heartless? Mrs Johnson is also a poor victim!¡± Ford looked at Sheriff Chandler and sneered, ¡°Victim?¡± There was a look of arrogance in his eyes, ¡°She is a victim so does the church deserve to lose? You know, the property of the church is all to serve God, are we going to use this money to feed a greedy demon?¡± Sheriff Chandler was not good at debating and he choked, unable to say a word. In this state, Mrs Johnson turned to look at Evan with pleading eyes. Evan was originally a little embarrassed about his position on this matter. At this time, when he saw her pitiful eyes, his situation suddenly became more difficult and Evan only felt that his scalp was numb. He could not ignore Mrs Johnson¡¯s pitiful eyes because he was a ¡®kind¡¯ priest. But if he turned against the church in the matters of the church, he might not be far from the end. Evan¡¯s heart was tangled and in a mess but he couldn¡¯t say a word. Now the eyes of everyone on the scene were on him and he felt like a thousand ants were crawling in his body. Evan looked up at Ford and the sarcastic smile on his lips made Evan¡¯s heart skip a beat. He did it on purpose! (He definitely did, the bastard. ) This is Evan¡¯s only idea. To force himself to such a point, Ford really did what he said he would. Otherwise, his hypocritical face will be revealed, or else the punishment of the church will follow him, which is really a vicious method. Evan¡¯s heart was full of his hatred for Ford, but at this time, under such a scene, he couldn¡¯t say a word. Evan clenched his sweaty palm and said warmly, ¡°Madam, you¡­¡± ¡°The church is in charge of this matter and Reverend Bruce is probably powerless.¡± Suddenly, Duke Wilson interrupted Evan¡¯s words. He looked at the poor Mrs Johnson with a cold face and continued coldly, ¡°Mrs Johnson, Reverend Bruce helping you is just based on his kindness but the church is in charge of this matter, and I¡¯m afraid that Reverend Bruce can¡¯t do more for you. So, please solve this matter yourself.¡± With Duke Wilson speaking out, Evan was instantly relieved, but he didn¡¯t dare to relax so he could only look at Mrs Johnson helplessly, with a trace of pity in his eyes. ¡°My dear lady,¡± His tone was very soft, ¡°I fully understand your situation, but this matter is beyond my purview* and I really can¡¯t do more for you. Please rest assured, I will write a letter to the bishop about your matter. The bishop is merciful and will definitely make the right decision.¡± Fortunately, the church is in a top position, otherwise, this matter would have been really difficult to handle. *Purview ¨Cthe range or limit of authority, competence, responsibility, concern, or intention. CH 43 At Evan¡¯s official answer, Mrs Johnson was speechless and the tears that had swelled in her eyes suddenly fell. Her red eyes also cooled down at this time. ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t want to help me?¡± Mrs Johnson¡¯s tone was sad and poignant, which made Evan feel a little creeped out. At this time, Ford was not as sharp as before, he just sat aside with a smile and watched Evan and Mrs Johnson¡¯s confrontation thoughtfully. Evan clenched his teeth, this Ford really came at him. ¡°Mrs Johnson.¡± Evan looked at Mrs Johnson with a gentle expression, ¡°Of course I am very willing to help you, but this matter is no longer in my control and I am powerless. Besides, Mr Johnson committed such an act against God, how can I speak for him about such shameful things?¡± Evan tried his best to appear kind but powerless. This matter was originally a very complicated case, and he should not interfere without authorisation now. Mrs Johnson looked at Evan with a hint of despair in her eyes. She gritted her teeth, stood up abruptly and closed her eyes, tears streamed down her cheeks as she wept softly, ¡°Since you¡¯re so unwilling to help me, then I don¡¯t need to worry about anything anymore. My house is everything I have now. If you want to take it away, then I will burn all the jade and stone*.¡± She opened her eyes, her eyes filled with determination. Evan was a little frightened by her momentum. In Evan¡¯s view, anyone who was ready to die should not be offended. But Ford was not frightened at all, he sneered and stood up. ¡°Mrs Johnson.¡± He looked at Mrs Johnson¡¯s face coldly. Originally, he wanted to use her to expose Evan¡¯s ruthless nature, but at this point, he couldn¡¯t allow the matter to escalate into something else. Because, after all, this is a major event for the church and he can¡¯t stand by. ¡°You want all the jade to be burnt?¡± Ford snorted coldly, ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll tell you that the church cannot accept any loss. If you don¡¯t compensate the church, the church will take it back no matter what. As for your own house, we don¡¯t care.¡± Ford¡¯s words were so cold that Sheriff Chandler couldn¡¯t help it and he jumped up, ¡°Mr Ford!¡± He glared angrily at Ford, ¡°How can you say such cold-hearted words! Mrs Johnson is already so pitiful, do you still want to force her like this?¡± Ford looked at the sheriff¡¯s angry look but the expression on his face did not change at all. He smiled and said, ¡°Sheriff Chandler, you¡¯re really a kind-hearted person. If you¡¯re not satisfied with the way I¡¯m handling things, then it is the same for you to help Mrs Johnson repay the debt.¡± Ford blocked Sheriff Chandler, he blushed and couldn¡¯t say a word. Although he was considered a gentleman, his income was probably not as good as Evan¡¯s, not to mention the fact that he still has a large family to support. How can he repay such a large amount of money? Ford looked around, with a ruthless look in his eyes, at the people around him. He looked at Duke Wilson, who looked calm and even raised the corners of his lips. Finally, his eyes stopped on Mrs Johnson¡¯s sad face. After these few days of contact, he has clearly realised that this woman is not an ordinary middle-aged woman. Her heart is even colder than that of a man and he doesn¡¯t believe anything she says at all. ¡°Okay, Mrs Johnson.¡± Ford¡¯s tone softened a little, ¡°The church understands your situation and we will not force you to repay immediately. As an agent of the church, I can assure you that the church will give you three months to raise this money. Before the time is up, we will not disturb your daily life. But please understand that the church is not so weak that anyone can bully the church. If you want to get rid of your debts, pay up.¡± Ford¡¯s words finally eased the tension a bit and Sheriff Chandler¡¯s tense face also eased up a little bit. At least, there were no words that could drive a person to death. When he heard this, Evan glanced at Ford. It¡¯s a good way to push people to the extreme and then give some sweetness, not only to achieve their goals but also to let this person be grateful to you. Ford is sharp. After hearing this, Mrs Johnson¡¯s expression slightly changed. Finally, she raised her head and looked at Ford with tears in her eyes. She wiped her wet cheeks with a handkerchief and said softly, ¡°Thank you for your generosity. I will hurry and raise the funds.¡± Ford nodded casually and sat down. Duke Wilson finally spoke after Ford sat down, ¡°Since the two of you have reached an agreement, then please leave. I have something else to do after this.¡± Duke Wilson said these words very coldly, without mercy at all. The people present looked at the Duke in surprise. In everyone¡¯s view, Duke Wilson has always been a cautious and observant existence. They have never seen such an embarrassing scene. Duke Wilson ignored everyone¡¯s gaze. He stood up impatiently and called a servant in. Immediately, a servant came in and made a respectful gesture for the guests to follow him. The faces of everyone seated showed embarrassment. The Duke¡¯s gesture was equivalent to driving people away. In the end, it was Ford who responded the fastest. He immediately bowed to the Duke and said with a smile, ¡°Then I will take my leave first. I¡¯ve troubled you today.¡± The Duke nodded coldly and Ford immediately turned around and left the room. Mrs Johnson and Sheriff Chandler also left along with Ford but the expressions on their faces were not as comfortable as Ford¡¯s. These three people left Cornwall Manor quickly. The speed of their departure even surprised Evan. What happened to the Duke? Evan turned to look at Duke Wilson with some surprise and doubt. Facing Evan¡¯s surprised expression, Duke Wilson bowed his head as he found it unbearable to look at. After some time, he finally said, ¡°I don¡¯t like those people.¡± They came to his Manor and bullied his person, a situation that Duke Wilson could not bear. (His person ) Evan didn¡¯t understand Duke Wilson¡¯s psychology and he sighed, ¡°I understand your thoughts very well. This matter is too bizarre and Mrs Johnson¡¯s backtracking really caught me by surprise. I didn¡¯t expect that Mr Johnson didn¡¯t even keep a penny.¡± When he heard this, Duke Wilson sneered, ¡°You¡¯re too benevolent. Saying that he didn¡¯t leave any money, it¡¯s just because she¡¯s greedy for property. They¡¯re really husband and wife. Mr Johnson¡¯s calculations are not as profound as that of Mrs Johnson when it comes to money.¡± Evan stiffened when he heard this. He lowered his head and thought for a while before he finally shook his head, ¡°Although what you said makes sense, I still can¡¯t believe that Mrs Johnson would have such an idea. I have always believed that human nature is inherently good, and until I get more information, I will not look at a person¡¯s nature maliciously.¡± When Duke Wilson heard this, he was speechless. He gave Evan a complicated look and sighed in his heart. Such a person could actually exist in this world. He must not let these people that came today drag him into the dark abyss. Although a person like Duke Wilson is not good at reasoning, he is more sensitive to the maliciousness of human nature than anyone else. Today¡¯s act of Mrs Johnson is too deliberate. At the moment when Mrs Johnson cried, he realised that Mrs Johnson was not as pitiful as she acts. Today, except for Evan and the confused Sheriff Chandler, the other people are not easy people. Duke Wilson looked at Evan¡¯s profile with a cryptic expression. He must investigate this matter. He must know what happened in the past between Evan and Ford. He can¡¯t stand Evan having a life without him. (Please don¡¯t, you might not like what you¡¯ll find) Duke Wilson sent Evan back to his room on the second floor, and watched him fall asleep before leaving Evan¡¯s bedroom. (Evan¡¯s bedroom ) When Duke Wilson entered the study, there was already a person waiting there. With an ordinary face, this person looked like a gentleman and was very neat. When he saw the Duke come in, he stood up gratefully, took off his hat dramatically and bowed to the Duke, ¡°Lord Duke.¡± Duke Wilson walked past this man expressionlessly. With a straight back, he walked behind the desk, sat down and raised his hand, ¡°Sit down, Ederson.¡± Ederson¡¯s lips curled into a smile and he sat down slowly, ¡°Sir, it¡¯s been a long time since the last time you summoned me, what is the important thing for you to ask me to come here this time?¡± Duke Wilson frowned. He paused for a moment and finally said, ¡°You will do a thorough investigation of Reverend Bruce¡¯s background and you must not leave out any detail.¡± Ederson was slightly surprised when he heard this. He raised his head and glanced at Duke Wilson, ¡°Reverend Bruce?¡± A true believer in God, a kind and annoying (??) young priest. ¡°Is there anything wrong with the Reverend?¡± This was Ederson¡¯s first reaction. Duke Wilson frowned and shook his head, ¡°No, I just want to know what his background is. Now that he is close to me, I don¡¯t want any problems.¡± After hearing this, Ederson was still a little confused. The smile on his hippy face disappeared immediately and he stood solemnly, looking at Duke Wilson intently, ¡°Has your relationship with Reverend Bruce reached the point where you need to investigate his background?¡± (So what if it has, I smell jealousy) His question was so solemn that it almost made Duke Wilson feel overwhelmed. ¡°This kind of thing doesn¡¯t need your intervention.¡± His answer sounded a little guilty, ¡°You just need to do what I told you to do.¡± Ederson half raised his head and looked at Duke Wilson¡¯s hand holding the duke¡¯s cuff. He suddenly had a bad feeling in his heart. What was going on with the person who could make Duke Wilson so nervous? Although he has not communicated with the duke in the past few weeks, he has been paying attention to the duke¡¯s every move. An assassination attempt was made on the duke¡¯s life and the contacts of the duke¡¯s entire Manor rushed to the capital. The situation is already very uncomfortable. And the matter of Reverend Bruce who saved the duke¡¯s life, he has never paid much attention to it. And now, to think that he can stay in the duke¡¯s Manor to recuperate for so long is a very strange phenomenon in itself. Ederson clenched his fists, a hint of determination flashed across his originally dull face. He still has to think about this matter. CH 44 Since the end of the mediation, Ford has finally quieted down but Sheriff Chandler has become more active than before. He looks for opportunities to see Evan from time to time but most of the time, he will be directly stopped by Duke Wilson and only the rare times when Duke Wilson is away can the sheriff be lucky enough to be allowed in. Like today for example. Evan held his forehead helplessly as he looked at the bitter expression on Sheriff Chandler¡¯s face in front of him. He felt really speechless. ¡°Mr Sheriff, what¡¯s the purpose of your presence here this time?¡± Sheriff Chandler rubbed his hands and looked embarrassed. After a while, he spoke, ¡°Reverend, please help me in the investigation of this case.¡± Evan was stunned, he didn¡¯t expect that Sheriff Chandler still hadn¡¯t given up on the idea. ¡°Sheriff, what can I do? You think too highly of me.¡± Evan said with a smile. Sheriff Chandler sighed, ¡°Reverend, you¡¯re being too modest. Thanks to your help in the last case, I was able to solve it. Till now, I¡¯ve had no proper clues in this case and I would like to ask you to help me.¡± Evan is actually a little curious about this matter. The rumours indicated that Mr Johnson committed suicide. Did Sheriff Chandler change his judgment because of Mr Johnson¡¯s personal ethics? ¡°Sheriff Chandler.¡± Evan considered for a moment before speaking, ¡°Was Mr Johnson really murdered? I have heard before that he committed suicide, why did you suddenly change your conclusion now?¡± Hearing Evan take the initiative to talk about the case, Sheriff Chandler was overjoyed and he hurriedly said, ¡°To tell you the truth, this matter was also discovered by Mrs Johnson.¡± Mrs Johnson? Evan frowned, this woman is definitely not simple. ¡°I had thought that Mr Johnson committed suicide by taking poison, but I didn¡¯t expect that Mrs Johnson found out that the poison Mr Johnson took was very strange. The local pharmacy does not have this poison at all. After a forensic investigation, it was discovered that it was a special kind of poison from India. Mr Johnson has never been to India but his secretary, Rael, served in India. He served a general who was stationed there. So, I detained Rael.¡± Sheriff Chandler spoke with a heavy expression. Evan was still puzzled after hearing this, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then what¡¯s the problem?¡± Sheriff Chandler smiled bitterly, ¡°Although this matter is so obvious, it is a pity that I don¡¯t have any evidence that Rael is involved in this matter. At present, it is impossible to convict him at all, because among the suspects in this matter, it¡¯s not only Rael that is related to India. Mrs Johnson, who found out that the poison was wrong, has also been to India, which makes this very complicated.¡± Evan¡¯s heart moved, So Mrs Johnson has also been to India. ¡°In that case, does that mean that Mrs Johnson is also a suspect?¡± Evan asked tentatively. Sheriff Chandler shook his head, ¡°Impossible. Mrs Johnson had been helping out at the Women¡¯s Association to donate wool hats that afternoon. She has no chance to commit the crime.¡± Evan let out a small laugh when he heard this, ¡°The Women¡¯s Association is only two blocks away from the Johnson house. And under normal circumstances, the activities of the Women¡¯s Association are very messy and people are always coming and going. Did anyone keep an eye on Mrs Johnson at all times?¡± Sheriff Chandler¡¯s expression became stiff and he pondered for a moment before speaking, ¡°This¡­ This is also very possible.¡± Evan looked at Sheriff Chandler, who looked like he was unwilling to believe, and he smiled, ¡°Sheriff, you are a gentleman and you don¡¯t want to believe that Mrs Johnson might be the murderer, but please look at this matter with an objective eye.¡± (He did the same thing in the last case too) Sheriff Chandler was embarrassed by what Evan said as he laughed, ¡°I was being subjective. I will investigate this matter carefully.¡± Evan nodded but he muttered in his heart, I didn¡¯t want to care about this matter but I really couldn¡¯t curb my curiosity in the end. Sheriff Chandler finally received a little breakthrough in the case with Evan¡¯s help and he was relieved. He hurriedly said, ¡°Reverend, that Rael is really difficult, I can¡¯t find a breakthrough in his confession at all and the proof of his absence from the scene is also very vague. He said that he went to the opera house to watch the opera and the opera house also has records of his purchase of the ticket, his admission. But unfortunately, during the time of Mr Johnson¡¯s death, there was a break in the middle of the opera show. No one knows Rael¡¯s trace at that time.¡± Evan frowned when he heard this. So, it seemed that neither of them had a perfect alibi, and this matter might be complicated. ¡°Since Mr Rael¡¯s alibi has a conflict with Mr Johnson¡¯s time of death, have you gained anything from the opera house?¡± Evan asked again. Sheriff Chandler frowned, ¡°We have not gained anything from the opera house either. The management of the opera house was very chaotic, especially during the intermission. No one will pay attention to a nameless boy they don¡¯t know.¡± Evan sighed when he heard this, ¡°This matter is so complicated. I suggest that you publish a report in the newspapers to find witnesses, otherwise this matter will be difficult to solve.¡± Sheriff Chandler has always disagreed with publishing cases in the newspaper like this. However, there was no other way at this point. Sheriff Chandler could only nod his head, ¡°I hope we can get a good result.¡± The two exchanged a few words after that, mainly talking about Evan¡¯s injury. Evan¡¯s injury is actually much better, but because of Evan¡¯s plan, it is naturally impossible for him to tell the truth. ¡°The wound hasn¡¯t fully recovered yet. Thank you for your concern.¡± Evan said very politely, with a hint of alienation. Sheriff Chandler¡¯s taut nerves did not sense Evan¡¯s alienation, he still smiled as he patted Evan¡¯s shoulder and said cheerfully, ¡°I hope your body will get better soon. The mass led by the assistant priest these days is too unbearable.¡± Sheriff Chandler has always been one to say what he thinks, so Evan did not question the truth of his words. He frowned, is he really doing this badly? Evan resisted the urge to ask for details. It would be better to ask Mrs Sanders about it. If the mass is not being officiated well and Ford knows, this would give him something to hold against him again. Evan sent Sheriff Chandler away before lunch. It¡¯s not that Evan was unwilling to have him stay, but Sheriff Chandler was afraid that Duke Wilson would come back and meet him there. Sheriff Chandler left Cornwall Manor on the front foot and Duke Wilson came back on the back foot. When Duke Wilson came back, the expression on his face was not a happy one. He came to the garden where Evan was reading with a sullen look on his face, followed by a man Evan had never seen before. The man looked mediocre but the look in his eyes as he looked at Evan was like he was looking at something intriguing, and Evan couldn¡¯t stop himself from frowning. ¡°Lord Duke.¡± Evan stood up from his seat, nodding slightly, ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± As the Duke watched him stand up, he hurried forward to meet him and helped Evan sit back down. . ¡°Reverend, your body hasn¡¯t fully recovered yet, so you don¡¯t need to be so polite in the future.¡± Looking at Duke Wilson¡¯s anxious face, Evan smiled and finally sat down according to the Duke¡¯s wish. He said, ¡°Your face is so sullen, is there something wrong?¡± Duke Wilson frowned and waved his hand, ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s just that something went wrong in the capital.¡± The capital? Evan¡¯s heart jumped. He didn¡¯t want to hear the word ¡®Royal Capital¡¯ right now. As long as he hears it, he would think of the commotion in the book. From the capital to Delanlier, the people were caught in the turmoil of the mob. In the end, the duke washed Delanlier with blood. If the duke had waited till the last moment to transfer his army, the duke¡¯s face would not have been spared. But even though Evan was so worried in his heart, he couldn¡¯t show any special interest in the capital at this time. He suppressed the many worries in his heart and said, ¡°That¡¯s okay.¡± Having said that, he turned to look at the man again. He glanced at the man who was looking at him with a very strange expression and said, ¡°Then¡­ I don¡¯t know who this gentleman is? I haven¡¯t seen him before.¡± Evan has been in Delanlier for such a long time. Although, he can¡¯t say that he has seen all the town¡¯s people in Delanlier, but he at least has an impression. But he has no impression of this man at all. Duke Wilson watched Evan pay attention to Ederson and he couldn¡¯t stop the nervous feeling. He moved his feet to block Evan¡¯s view of Ederson and said stiffly, ¡°This is just one of my staff members, you don¡¯t need to care about it.¡± After that, he gave Ederson a wink and Ederson could only back away reluctantly and leave. The duke¡¯s strange actions surprised Evan. Why is the duke so nervous? Is there something wrong with this man? Evan¡¯s heart was filled with doubts but he didn¡¯t show it on his face. He turned to look at Duke Wilson and smiled as he said softly, ¡°You are really working hard. Please sit down and have a cup of tea.¡± As soon as the duke came in, a maid had brought tea. Duke Wilson saw that Evan was not pursuing the matter and he was relieved. He sat down and took a sip from the teacup. ¡°Reverend, how are you feeling these days?¡± Duke Wilson asked routinely. Evan moved slightly after hearing this question and smiled, ¡°Sir Duke, forgive me for my offense, but in my heart you¡¯re already my friend. If you don¡¯t mind, you can call me Evan.¡± Duke Wilson seemed to be startled by Evan¡¯s words as he stared at Evan, his mouth half opened looking a little ridiculous. Evan smiled inwardly when he saw him like this, but he had a worried look on his face, ¡°Sir, are you okay?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± The duke trembled as if shocked by something and the teacup in his hand almost fell to the ground. (He¡¯s so kawaii) ¡°Oh, oh, I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine.¡± The duke quickly placed the teacup on the table. He sat upright, not looking directly at Evan, but at the rose bush in front of him, ¡°Your friendship has really touched me very much so of course I wouldn¡¯t mind. On the contrary, I am very honored to have your friendship. But since you recognise our friendship, please don¡¯t call me Lord Duke in the future, you can just call me Charles.¡± The Duke said very quickly and loudly, as if afraid of Evan¡¯s rejection and he did not dare to look at Evan¡¯s expression. Evan looked at the handsome profile of the duke, a meaningful smile flashed in his eyes but the words he spoke were extremely gentle, ¡°You¡¯re too kind, it is my honor to have your friendship.¡± Evan¡¯s lips hooked up and his voice was very soft, ¡°Charles.¡± ( This progress is very good, I¡¯m loving it) CH 45 Duke Wilson trembled as if he had been electrocuted as the name came out of Evan¡¯s mouth. He did not know if it was his delusion but it felt like it had a lingering meaning, which made him feel like he was soaked in warm water. Yes, for a while, the whole person could not tell the difference between east, west and northwest. (His soul felt like it was aroused ) He stared blankly at Evan, not knowing what to say. Evan looked at the duke and smiled, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Duke Wilson reacted instantly and the expression on his face changed to one of embarrassment. He pursed his lips and there was a trace of discomfort on his face. ¡°It¡¯s okay, my friend¡­¡± He paused slightly, ¡°Evan.¡± When the duke spoke out his name, the firmness in his tone shocked Evan but Evan still had a gentle expression on his face. He smiled softly, ¡°You call my name like that, and I have a strange feeling.¡± Duke Wilson clenched his fist and asked solemnly, ¡°You don¡¯t feel offended?¡± Evan laughed, ¡°It is my honor to be able to form a friendship with you.¡± Duke Wilson heaved a sigh of relief and turned to Evan, ¡°How are you doing today?¡± Evan smiled, ¡°Thank you for your concern. I had a very good time today. Sheriff Chandler came today and with his company, I was not alone today.¡± ¡°Sheriff Chandler was here?¡± Duke Wilson frowned, The sheriff took advantage of my absence. ¡°What did he tell you?¡± Duke Wilson was very worried that Evan would be dragged into this troublesome incident. Evan looked stunned for a moment before he smiled, ¡°What else could it be if not this case. Sheriff Chandler doesn¡¯t have any clues, so he came to me to help him sort out the clues.¡± Duke Wilson nodded when he heard the words, but in his eyes, there was a look of disagreement. But, when he turned to look at Evan, he had a tender expression on his face, ¡°You are not in good health now so I am afraid that this kind of thing will affect your recovery. If he comes again next time, you can also reject him.¡± He believes that the reason Evan met with the sheriff was because he was soft hearted and did not know how to reject others. Evan smirked inwardly. He really didn¡¯t want to destroy his image, so he met Sheriff Chandler but he also paid a certain amount of attention to this matter. For him, this world still has a layer of estrangement. Yes, he first has to grasp all the things that will go wrong. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, I¡¯m in good health now and I still have the energy to meet my old friend.¡± Evan gave a slight pause, ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± ¡°Just?¡± Duke Wilson looked at Evan in surprise. ¡°It¡¯s just that I¡¯m a little worried about what¡¯s going on in the church.¡± Evan smiled reluctantly and a look of sadness flashed across his face. ¡°What about the church?¡± Duke Wilson frowned, ¡°Is there something wrong with the church?¡± Evan smiled bitterly, ¡°I didn¡¯t know about this before, but I just heard it from Sheriff Chandler who came today. The young assistant priest doesn¡¯t seem to be doing very well at Sunday Mass, and I¡¯m very worried about whether the gospel of God will be spread well.¡± Chandler again! Duke Wilson thought fiercely in his heart, how could this man bring up such a thing at such a time. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Duke Wilson smiled reluctantly, ¡°This should just be a joke by Sheriff Chandler. I haven¡¯t heard any complaints about this in the past few days. Your injury is more important. If you don¡¯t take good care of it and it hurts, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to do anything about it.¡± Evan¡¯s eyebrows were still crunched up with worry, but he didn¡¯t say any more, barely nodded and said, ¡°I just hope that my injury can heal as soon as possible.¡± Listening to Evan¡¯s words made Duke Wilson feel very complicated. On the one hand, he hoped that Evan¡¯s injury would heal immediately and be free from the pain, but on the other hand, he also did not want Evan to leave Cornwall Manor. In the end, Duke Wilson could only nod his head, his expression a little stiff. Evan felt joy in his heart. When Duke Wilson faced his feelings he was simply like a blank piece of paper and he could easily see his thoughts clearly. It wasn¡¯t until the time for lunch that Evan went to the dining room with the duke. After lunch, the duke helped Evan upstairs. Originally, he wanted to help Evan to his room, but after they got upstairs, Evan raised an objection. ¡°Charles.¡± He always had an ambiguous tone when he called the name, low and soft, which made Duke Wilson¡¯s heart skip a beat. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back to my room, I want to read a book.¡± He looked at Duke Wilson with sincere and pure eyes, and Duke Wilson¡¯s throbbing heart suddenly felt a bit overwhelmed. ¡°You¡­ what book do you want to read?¡± Duke Wilson asked in a slightly uneven tone. Evan seemed to have not noticed and smiled gently, ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can visit your study. I have always heard that your study is a place with the most abundant books in the entire Delanlier.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s heart was beating so fast, like a ticking clock and he felt like his heart was about to explode. ¡°Okay¡­ Okay¡­¡± He said the word two times in a row, but his tone was dry and a little flustered. Evan chuckled in his heart, Duke Wilson, what an interesting person. Duke Wilson helped Evan into his own study. Evan looked at this solemn and elegant study and couldn¡¯t help but admire it for a while. There are indeed a lot of books in the collection, more than the books in the church. The accumulation of nobles for generations is actually deeper than that of the church. ¡°Sure enough, you have a rich collection of books. You are really a learned person.¡± Evan said with admiration. Duke Wilson felt a little bit joyful in his heart for some reason. He held back his slightly raised lips and said solemnly, ¡°You have flattered me. These books were all left by my ancestors. I have read only one-tenth of them. I don¡¯t know what book you are interested in? I can get it for you.¡± The bookshelf on that floor is very high and Evan¡¯s current physical condition is definitely not suitable for picking up a book in person. Evan smiled warmly, ¡°The bibliography of the church is good, thank you.¡± Duke Wilson patted Evan¡¯s shoulder stiffly and said in a low voice, ¡°You and I don¡¯t have to be like this.¡± After he finished speaking, he went to get the book. Looking at Duke Wilson¡¯s awkward back, Evan bent the corners of his lips, This person is really interesting. Duke Wilson brought the book. Because of Evan¡¯s body, he deliberately chose a relatively thin and small book. After a few brief introductions, he helped Evan to a seat opposite his desk and whispered, ¡°You don¡¯t have to go back to your room, just read here.¡± Evan looked up at the duke¡¯s slightly uncomfortable expression and smiled, ¡°Okay, thank you.¡± Duke Wilson waved his hand and walked behind his desk. Evan could see a thick stack of parchment paper on his desk. Knowing that the duke has a lot of business to deal with, he didn¡¯t bother him and read the book quietly. Such a quiet afternoon, the gentle sunlight spilled into the study through the french windows on the balcony. The comforting face was facing the window and the gentle autumn sunlight covered him. His pale blond hair looked exceptionally dazzling in the sunlight and his azure blue eyes were like a lake, silent and warm. Duke Wilson was sitting behind his desk, most of his body shrouded by the shadows as he looked straight at Evan, like a weirdo who was walking alone in a corner while looking at the warmest sunshine in the world. (Oh dear, I feel like bad things will happen if Evan rejects the duke¡¯s feelings) Duke Wilson¡¯s stunned look was finally awakened by a sudden knock on the door. He suddenly stood up from behind his table and the harsh sound of the chair dragging on the floor made Evan turn his head to look at the duke. ¡°Sir? What¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Evan looked at the duke suspiciously. The duke¡¯s expression was a little complicated, he threw a low ¡®nothing¡¯ and hurried to the door and opened it. He was breathing rapidly, as if something in the room was preventing him from breathing well. The person at the door was startled by his appearance and hurriedly asked, ¡°Lord Duke, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ( He just passionately made out with Evan) Duke Wilson pursed his lips tightly and looked at Ederson, ¡°You will come again five minutes later.¡± Ederson came over in person so there must not be a good thing. Ederson looked into the room with some doubt but unfortunately, he didn¡¯t see anything. He chuckled in a low voice, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do as you say.¡± Ederson left and Duke Wilson had to turn around to go and face Evan. Duke Wilson took a deep breath and then, he mustered up the courage to look at Evan. Evan looked at Duke Wilson curiously. Duke Wilson couldn¡¯t help but curl up in his heart. He had a lot of things in his heart and he could not completely spread it out in front of Evan. For this person in front of him, he didn¡¯t dare to spread out his dark side in his presence at all. ¡°Evan.¡± His voice trembled slightly, ¡°I still have things to deal with, you go back to your room first.¡± Evan frowned at Duke Wilson, his head slanted and his expression seemed innocent, what happened to Duke Wilson? Evan, who looked out the door just now, could see that it was the unfamiliar gentleman from today, the Duke¡¯s staff called Ederson. Do they have any secret matters to discuss? The first thing Evan thought of was the capital. Evan had the urge to ask, but he restrained his thoughts. With the book in his hands, he stood up slowly and said with a smile, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I won¡¯t bother you anymore. Farewell.¡± Evan walked towards the door step by step from the desk while Duke Wilson was standing by the door, unable to move as he watched Evan walk to his side. Then, Evan passed by him and he subconsciously held his breath until Evan opened the door and walked out. Duke Wilson finally took a deep breath. Duke Wilson was finally able to move at this time. He walked to the desk with heavy steps and collapsed into the chair. He laid back on the back of the chair and covered his eyes with the back of his hands. He thought he was going crazy. How could he have such thoughts, such filthy thoughts¡­ Duke Wilson fell into a feeling of self-loathing. He always thought that his feelings for this person should be pure and without impurities, but at this time, he discovered that his evil thoughts were like a poisonous snake grabbing at his heart. Duke Wilson groaned, he felt that he was a bit unable to face Evan now. After a long silence, there was a knock on the door again but this time Duke Wilson did not stand up to open the door and just said in a low voice, ¡°Come in.¡± The next moment, the door opened and Ederson, with his mediocre face, appeared behind the door. T/N : Evan is about to get in trouble. I wonder how he¡¯ll get out of this one CH 47 Evan was sitting on the sofa in the small living room on the second floor, surrounded by darkness, the chill in the air attacked Evan¡¯s body, but Evan¡¯s heart was abnormally hot and he thought over and over about how to deal with this matter with Duke Wilson. He repeated what he wanted to say countless times in his heart. He sat there until he was a little stiff, and the big clock downstairs struck twelve times, and Evan heard the sound from the door open. It was the voice of Butler Chris, his voice was a little low in the dim environment, ¡°Lord Duke, you¡¯re finally back.¡± Evan trembled. He, he¡¯s finally back! After a long time, the Duke¡¯s reply finally came, and his voice was hoarse, ¡°Prepare hot water for me, I want to take a bath.¡± Butler Chris responded in a low voice, then turned and left. Evan stood on the second floor as he watched the Duke walk through the hallway, through the living room and up the stairs. He seemed to stop for a moment, but in a split second, he immediately walked upstairs again, and Evan finally heaved a sigh of relief. Evan went to the top of the stairs and stood there waiting for the duke. A moment later, the figure of the duke appeared at the top of the stairs on the second floor. When he saw Evan, his whole body stiffened for a moment, but immediately, he lowered his eyes and said in a low voice, ¡°Why are you still up? You should be resting.¡± Evan¡¯s heart sank, the duke¡¯s indifferent words made him realize that the current situation is probably worse than he had thought before. ¡°I want to tell you something.¡± Evan¡¯s expression was still normal. When Duke Wilson heard him say this, he frowned. He glanced at Evan with some hesitation, and finally said with some difficulty: ¡°It¡¯s already so late, is it important?¡± Evan smiled bitterly, ¡°Lord Duke, this is something I have to tell you immediately, I want to ask for your help or I¡¯m afraid I will have to leave Delanlier.¡± Evan threw such a blockbuster and Duke Wilson was really stunned. Surprised, he looked at Evan. Although he still had a lot of doubts about Evan at this time, he still cares about this issue. ¡°You¡­ What do you mean? What¡¯s so serious?¡± The duke looked at Evan doubtfully. Seeing that the duke still cares about his whereabouts, Evan felt happy. It seems that the duke still has some feelings for him. ¡°Sir.¡± Evan looked at Duke Wilson with a bitter expression, his blue eyes seemed to contain thousands of emotions, making Duke Wilson a little dizzy. ¡°You should have noticed that Mr. Ford has an unusual relationship with me, right?¡± he asked tentatively. When Duke Wilson heard him talk about Ford, his heartbeat rose. He held his breath and looked at Evan, thinking about how Evan took the initiative to talk about this matter, would Evan show his cards to himself or deceive him? Wave after wave of dark thoughts flooded Duke Wilson¡¯s mind. ¡°I did see it.¡± Duke Wilson replied in a stiff tone. Evan pursed his lips. At this time, he has to be absolutely careful. Every one of his next sentences may decide his fate. Although he guessed that the duke knows his details, how much does he know? This is still unknown to him. ¡°I¡¯ve always found it a little hard to talk about this, but since Mr. Ford came last time, I have clearly understood that he won¡¯t give up.¡± Evan sighed, with a smile on his face and with a hint of helplessness in his eyes. Duke Wilson took a deep breath at this time but he didn¡¯t even know what to say. ¡°You¡­you¡­¡± Every word of his seemed to be squeezed out through his teeth, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you and Mr Ford?¡± Evan lowered his eyes, looking a little lonely as he spoke, ¡°When I was in public school with Ford, we had a very good relationship.¡± His tone was very low, ¡°But I didn¡¯t expect that Ford would fall in love with me.¡± When he said this, Evan looked very puzzled. He looked at Duke Wilson blankly, and continued in a low voice, ¡°This matter completely exceeded my expectations. He was my friend, so although I understood the feelings, I was still a little at a loss.¡± Evan paused slightly when he said this, but Duke Wilson swallowed his saliva nervously at this time, he really said it. Duke Wilson was a little overwhelmed for a while. Since Evan told him about it, was the previous investigation all a misunderstanding? ¡°This¡­this is really surprising.¡± The duke¡¯s tone was a little dry, ¡°Then¡­how did you deal with it?¡± Duke Wilson asked tentatively. Hearing him ask this, Evan sighed, ¡°This matter was really beyond my expectations, I was very young at that time and I didn¡¯t know how to deal with it myself, so I only did what I was used to and I still treated him as a friend and got along with him as usual, but¡­¡± Evan paused slightly, and there was a hint of hesitation in his expression. ¡°But, what?¡± Duke Wilson couldn¡¯t resist asking since the matter had reached the most important point. Evan sighed, a trace of struggle flashed on his face, ¡°As I told you before, this matter is about my promise with a deceased person and I don¡¯t want to break it, Mr Ford has clearly misunderstood me now. It has even risen to the point where he wants to take revenge on me so I really don¡¯t know what to do.¡± When he heard Evan say this, Duke Wilson¡¯s eyes widened, Ford had even threatened him. Duke Wilson¡¯s hands clenched, he really dislikes this man called Ford. ¡°Lord Duke, you should know that Mr. Ford¡¯s father is an earl, right?¡± Evan pondered for a moment, and finally spoke, as if he had made up his mind. Duke Wilson listened to him talk about this and he nodded with some doubt, ¡°His father was indeed a worthy gentleman.¡± Hearing the duke¡¯s evaluation of Ford¡¯s father, Evan smiled bitterly, ¡°He was indeed a worthy gentleman. After his death, even the king wrote a eulogy.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s mind moved when he heard Evan¡¯s tone. Could the deceased gentleman he mentioned be Ford¡¯s father? ¡°It¡¯s just that at the time, he was not so kind to me.¡± Before Duke Wilson could ask, Evan quickly continued, ¡°The earl should have discovered the special feelings that Ford had for me. So one day, he invited me out. Right to my face, he clearly explained to me his dissatisfaction about this unethical relationship and warned me to stay away from Mr Ford.¡± Having buried his face deeply in his palms, Duke Wilson felt a surge in his heart. It turned out that there was such a background behind this incident. ¡°Then¡­ how did you take care of it?¡± Duke Wilson still had doubts about the subsequent events. Evan gave a bitter smile, ¡°Later, Mr. Ford confessed his feelings to me. But I was a child at the time and because of the threat of the earl , what do you think I could have done?¡± As Duke Wilson listened to his self-deprecating tone, he opened his mouth to speak but found that he could not say a word. ¡°According to the earl¡¯s order, I ruthlessly rejected Mr. Ford¡¯s feelings and I humiliated his special feelings in front of him, and then left the public school under the earl¡¯s order. Evan¡¯s tone contained deep guilt and self-loathing, which made Duke Wilson¡¯s heart tremble a bit. But Evan¡¯s remarks were somewhat inconsistent with the news that Ederson had brought back before about the turmoil that had completely ruined Ford¡¯s reputation, but Duke Wilson didn¡¯t say a word about it. Duke Wilson wanted to say something, but Evan took the lead, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I don¡¯t need to blame myself but what happened later was completely out of everyone¡¯s control. At that time when I was in public school, I had two best friends. They both seemed to have hatred for Ford, because at that time Ford was a very high-profile person and there were many people with superior backgrounds in the public school. These two looked like good friends but in fact, they had a dirty mind in their hearts. I was too young at the time to notice such a thing and I introduced them to Ford.¡± Evan¡¯s voice paused when he said this. After a while, Duke Wilson looked at him, and as if a feather was scratching in his heart, he hurriedly said, ¡°And then?¡± Evan hooked his lips covertly, it seemed that the problem really lay in this part. ¡°Those people grew to have a close relationship with Ford but Ford was too careless in his usual ways. Finally, on the day I left, Ford went out for a drink with them and as they kept drinking, Ford got drunk and he told them that he liked the same sex. The rumors about this spread in the public school and I was also implicated at that time, but fortunately for me, I had already left the school. So it didn¡¯t cause too much trouble for me, but Ford became the target of public criticism. Rumors about how he went to different dirty social places also came out. Ford was finally expelled from the public school and he almost ruined his father¡¯s name and reputation.¡± When he said this, Evan¡¯s face was full of shame, and he looked like he almost couldn¡¯t continue at the end, ¡°This thing was really terrible and I blamed myself for this incident. It was all because of my carelessness in making friends that caused this incident. At that time, when Mr Ford confronted me, I didn¡¯t even have the face to deny it because it was indeed my fault, and now I really don¡¯t know how to deal with it myself. Charles, can you help me?¡± (I have to say, Evan is a complete genius) Evan¡¯s eyes looked bright as he looked at Duke Wilson with a very rare weakness in his eyes. Duke Wilson listened to the ups and downs of the past and the whole person was stunned. He did not expect that it would turn out to be such a reason. Did he misunderstand Evan before? As he thought of this, Duke Wilson couldn¡¯t help but start to spurn himself, he was too impulsive. Evan did mention his promises and his sins before and now it looks like it¡¯s his fault for not understanding. Duke Wilson took a few steps forward. He walked up to Evan, looked at his unusually bright eyes in the dim stairwell, and said in an unbelievably soft tone, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this matter, I¡¯ll help you.¡± (Evan is an evil genius, the duke actually believes it ) He chose to trust Evan in this matter because it was so easy to find out whether the earl had approached Evan, and whether the two classmates had gotten Ford drunk. He only needed a little bit of information and with a flick of his finger, it can definitely be found out. Duke Wilson believes that even if Evan is the best liar in the world, it is impossible for Evan to deceive him in these two things. A dim light flashed in Duke Wilson¡¯s eyes. Of course, he still has to investigate this matter. He didn¡¯t dare to investigate before but now he has a lot of confidence. Looking at Duke Wilson¡¯s appearance, Evan breathed a sigh of relief. What he wanted to change was Duke Wilson¡¯s preconceived notions. The earl did find the original owner, and the two also spoke about Ford¡¯s unethical feelings, but the earl¡¯s proposal was rejected by the original owner. The original owner regarded it as nonsense but finally agreed in order to use it as a bargaining chip to climb up. And the two people were also under the subtle influence of the original owner. With such a subtle influence, they found Ford, took him out to drink and deliberately manipulated his words. And even later, it was the original owner who made them aware of the fact that Ford went in and out of dirty social places. It has to be said that the original owner, in addition to his poor character, still has a knack for doing these nasty things. (He¡¯s a complete scumbag, that¡¯s what he is) T/N : I¡¯m sorry this came late. It¡¯s that time of the month and the cramps make it hard for me to do anything. CH 48 After Evan¡¯s confession, Duke Wilson looked at Evan with a much softer expression. He walked to sit by Evan¡¯s side and said, ¡°If it¡¯s as you said, then in this matter, there is nothing wrong with you. Please leave this matter to me, and I will give an explanation to Mr. Ford.¡± Evan smiled in his heart when he heard this, but his face still had a worried look as he said, ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to involve you in this matter. I will explain my previous entanglement with Mr Ford to him personally. I just hope that if I get caught in a bad event where Mr Ford still accuses me, I don¡¯t want you to have a bad impression of me, this is very important to me.¡± Duke Wilson looked straight at Evan and his heart was beating rapidly, what does he mean? Does Evan take his relationship with him so seriously? Duke Wilson felt an ecstasy in his heart. Duke Wilson¡¯s hands shook a little as he clenched his fist tightly. He hid his face in the shadows as he tried to keep a very calm voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my behavior towards you will never change. I have complete trust in our friendship.¡± Duke Wilson said this sentence without feeling any embarrassment. Even if he had doubted Evan before, he didn¡¯t mind telling lies in a situation where he could obviously win Evan¡¯s favor. Evan curled his lips slightly when he heard it. Of course he knew that the duke had doubts about him before, but he was not stupid enough to bring up this matter. What he hoped for the most was to maintain Duke Wilson¡¯s goodwill towards him. Just as the two of them sat facing each other with their own thoughts, the bell downstairs broke the silence between them. Duke Wilson finally woke up from his joy, he coughed a few times and spoke, ¡°The time is already so late. Your health is not good, you should rest.¡± Evan nodded, ¡°You have been busy for a day, so rest.¡± After speaking, he turned to go back to his room. When Evan returned to the room, he leaned against the door limply and slid down the door to the floor. Today, his plan has finally taken the next step. Duke Wilson¡¯s preconceived ideas have finally laid the cornerstone and the future will depend on his fate. He only hopes that what the original owner did back then was sufficiently secretive, otherwise¡­ Evan didn¡¯t sleep peacefully that night. He couldn¡¯t fall asleep again at five in the morning. He didn¡¯t force himself to go to sleep, got up directly, but he didn¡¯t call the servant to come in. Instead, he dressed himself and went to sit on the balcony with the book the duke had given him earlier. The air in the morning is very fresh. Evan is wearing a coat, but he still feels a little cold. At this time, the sun has not yet risen and it is still a little gray outside. Evan looked at the distant horizon as his heart stirred, overflowing unstoppably with his thoughts. Since he is here in this world now, he must not be defeated so easily. Evan sat on the balcony for a long time, until the servants were up and there was a knock on his door. Evan closed the book on his lap, ¡°Come in.¡± The man who came in was the manservant who served him. The manservant was still a young man, looking a little anxious. Seeing that Evan was already up, the expression on his face became even more anxious, ¡°You¡­I¡¯m really sorry, I didn¡¯t get up early and I didn¡¯t serve you well.¡± Evan waved his hand indifferently and replied, ¡°I was only a little bit tired yesterday. I couldn¡¯t sleep, I just woke up early. It has nothing to do with you.¡± The servant sighed with relief and said, ¡°So that¡¯s the case. Reverend, breakfast is ready, please go downstairs to eat.¡± Evan raised his eyebrows. If he goes downstairs to eat, it means that the duke was there, and the duke did not leave early today. It looks like the duke has eliminated the estrangement he had with himself. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll come down soon, you go down first.¡± Evan lowered his head and the expression on his face couldn¡¯t be seen as he said warmly. The servant bowed, turned and left. Evan walked into the room from the balcony, put down the book in his hand, and put on a formal suit jacket before walking downstairs. When Evan got downstairs, Duke Wilson was already sitting at the dining table. He was wearing a very formal three-piece brown striped suit, and a smoky gray dark-patterned tie made him look very elegant. Evan raised his eyebrows slightly and asked with a smile, ¡°Are you going out today?¡± Duke Wilson looked at Evan with a hint of tenderness in his eyes and a rare warmth. He pointed to the seat beside him as he said softly, ¡°You guessed it right. Today is Colonel Mel¡¯s birthday. He is holding a birthday party and has invited almost the whole town. He worked under my father before, so I want to give him some face.¡± Colonel Mel? Evan thought of the mild-mannered middle-aged man, who was a rare military officer in the town and had been in contact with him a few times before. ¡°So that¡¯s the case. Then, do I need to go there?¡± Evan is the priest of the town¡¯s parish, and it is impossible for Colonel Mel to not invite Evan. Duke Wilson frowned when he heard him talk about this. What he disliked the most was Evan¡¯s contact with others, and he really didn¡¯t want to see him smile at anyone other than himself. (Possessive much?) ¡°Colonel Mel did send you an invitation, but your health is not yet fully recovered. How will you go this time?¡± Duke Wilson asked tentatively for fear that Evan would be frightened by his arbitrariness. Evan smiled, ¡°Colonel Mel is a parishioner, and is usually very friendly to the church. It would be rude for me not to go.¡± Although Duke Wilson was still a little reluctant, he also understood that Evan still had to go there. In Delanlier, some things simply cannot be avoided. ¡°What you said is very true, then you can go with me. Colonel Mel has always respected you very much. If you go, he will welcome you.¡± Duke Wilson looked at Evan with some relief and tenderness. Evan twitched the corners of his mouth, he really couldn¡¯t understand Duke Wilson¡¯s strange feelings. (He¡¯s possessive, idiot) The two of them had breakfast. Duke Wilson went to the study to handle business and Evan stayed downstairs with his unfinished book. Although he seemed to be reading, he was actually thinking about Duke Wilson. In Evan¡¯s view, Duke Wilson is a very emotional person. Although he looks very cold and arrogant on the surface, most of the time when he does things, he relies on his own likes and dislikes. When he likes or hates people, those he likes will live well and those he hates will die. Evan has seen this kind of thing a lot in his last life and he has basically managed to get along well in this life, but sometimes it is still dangerous. Because as an emotional person, you never know what he is going to do next so Evan secretly made up his mind that he must be more vigilant about Duke Wilson in the future. Such a passive thing cannot happen next time. After Duke Wilson finished dealing with his matters, it was already time for Colonel Mel¡¯s party. Duke Wilson walked downstairs, already wearing a black coat and holding Evan¡¯s coat in his hand. Evan was stunned for a while, that coat was his favorite and the one he wore most often. Evan¡¯s bright eyes flashed with a dim light. Duke Wilson walked up to Evan, bowed slightly and stretched out his arm towards Evan, ¡°It¡¯s time.¡± Evan looked at the arm in front of him, squinted slightly and lowered his head. He suddenly felt uncertain about what Duke Wilson thinks of him. When Evan raised his head again, he became the gentle priest again. He didn¡¯t take the duke¡¯s arm but stood up a little slowly, and said warmly, ¡°Thank you for your consideration but I think I can still get up by myself.¡± Duke Wilson seemed to suddenly realize his rudeness. The man in front of him was a gentleman, and his action just now made him seem like a lady. His face instantly became blank. ¡°No¡­no¡­¡± Duke Wilson stammered and waved his hand, ¡°I¡¯m just afraid that you will aggravate or open the wound. I didn¡¯t mean anything else.¡± (Wow, such a cute duke) Seeing Duke Wilson¡¯s panicked look, Evan felt slightly tickled as he raised the corners of his lips, ¡°I know what you mean, you don¡¯t have to worry about this.¡± Duke Wilson carefully looked at Evan¡¯s expression, and he was relieved to see that he was not dissatisfied. ¡°I¡¯m being so rude today.¡± He said again, embarrassed. Evan changed the subject this time and said with a smile, ¡°The time has come, let¡¯s go first.¡± Duke Wilson was stunned for a moment, then nodded and walked out with Evan. The carriage was waiting outside the door, Evan first got into the carriage as a guest, and then the duke came up. The two rode towards Colonel Mel¡¯s manor amid the sound of hoofs. Evan leaned against the carriage window and looked like he was reading the Bible in his hand. In fact, his heart was already in a mess. He had never thought about how Duke Wilson viewed him before, but today, Duke Wilson¡¯s kind but subconscious action proved that Duke Wilson still regarded him as being in a weak position. Evan felt a little irritable for a while. He hadn¡¯t experienced this feeling of being regarded as weak for a long time. He showed weakness before, which was also a gesture he made deliberately, but when he realized that the duke really treated him like this, Evan felt hesitant. He had been a top all his life in the past life. Could it be that he will stumble into being the bottom in this life? Evan¡¯s thoughts did not lead to any substantial progress, and their carriage soon reached Colonel Mel¡¯s manor. Colonel Mel was just a poor military officer when he retired, but he made a very successful investment and got a large amount of property. He used these assets to buy a large piece of land in Delanlier and build this manor, and now Colonel Mel is a prestigious squire in Delanlier. Duke Wilson¡¯s carriage was very conspicuous and well-known throughout Delanlier, so as soon as they entered Colonel Mel¡¯s land, they were treated differently. The carriage didn¡¯t even stop and went straight through the gate towards the manor. Finally, the carriage stopped in front of the manor and Colonel Mel came out to meet them. Duke Wilson got out of the carriage first and Evan followed. Colonel Mel was surprised for a moment when he saw Evan, but then he put on a very friendly smile and said warmly, ¡°Reverend, I didn¡¯t expect you to come here. I heard that you were injured. God has blessed you and you¡¯re back to good health.¡± Evan and Colonel Mel didn¡¯t have much interaction, so he just smiled reservedly, ¡°Thank you for your concern.¡± Duke Wilson frowned at the gentle conversation between the two, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go in first, the Reverend¡¯s body is still a little weak.¡± Colonel Mel seemed to come back to his senses, and immediately said, ¡°I was negligent, please come in quickly. Sheriff Chandler just got here now. I heard that you have a very good relationship with the sheriff so this time you can have a good chat.¡± Evan¡¯s eyebrows moved slightly, Sheriff Chandler is also here? T/N: Does Cornwall Castle sound better? Because, I feel that others having manors like the duke isn¡¯t right since the duke is richer and has higher status. Or should I just leave it as is since manors are for nobles anyway? Any alternatives? By the way, if you remove the D in Duke, you get uke. CH 49 Evan walked into the manor with Duke Wilson and Colonel Mel. As soon as he entered the hall, Evan glanced around and saw Sheriff Chandler who looked like he was in high spirits. The haze that had been around him before seemed to have been swept away. At this time, Sheriff Chandler was somewhat unusually happy. He saw Evan walking in at a glance, and hurriedly walked over to him through the crowd. ¡°Lord Duke, Reverend Bruce.¡± He smiled and saluted Duke Wilson, who was walking at the front, but his eyes were even more excited when he looked at Evan. Annoyed, Duke Wilson glanced at Sheriff Chandler but with Evan around, he didn¡¯t dare to act rashly. He could only glance at Evan and didn¡¯t say much. Evan pursed his lips. Sheriff Chandler is so excited that it looks like he has already gotten a clue in the case. ¡°Sheriff, I didn¡¯t expect to see you here.¡± Evan smiled mildly and reservedly. Sheriff Chandler didn¡¯t notice Evan¡¯s attitude, and continued to speak excitedly, ¡°Colonel Mel also invited me over. How is your health?¡± Evan nodded to Duke Wilson, who was beside him, indicating that he was fine and Duke Wilson left because he was still entertaining Colonel Mel. When the duke left, Evan said, ¡°Thank you for your concern, my body has almost recovered.¡± After hearing Evan¡¯s reply, Sheriff Chandler immediately turned the topic to the main topic. ¡°Reverend Bruce, do you know? The previous issue of looking for witnesses in the newspapers has yielded results.¡± He looked at Evan excitedly, as if waiting for Evan¡¯s question. Evan sighed helplessly, it seems that Sheriff Chandler will not give up today until he achieves his goal. ¡°Oh, God bless, I really congratulate you. But I don¡¯t know how it turned out?¡± Evan pretended to be surprised and asked immediately. Sheriff Chandler was satisfied, so he stopped hanging Evan¡¯s appetite, and immediately replied, ¡°Didn¡¯t I say that Rael went to the theater before? A lady came to the police station a few days ago and said that she once saw Rael smoking at the entrance of the theater between operas, which is exactly what Rael said.¡± After saying this, he looked at Evan with some interest, as if waiting for Evan¡¯s praise. Evan laughed in his heart. Sometimes the Sheriff is quite interesting. ¡°Miss? Who is it? Do I know her?¡± Evan asked. Sheriff Chandler was stunned for a moment. He didn¡¯t expect Evan to ask such a question but he quickly replied, ¡°It¡¯s Miss Blair. She¡¯s an old spinster, you should have seen her before.¡± When Sheriff Chandler said this, Evan suddenly remembers when he first got to Delanlier and was holding a service for the first time, he remembers the terrifying voice of the lady that sounded like a man with his throat tucked in. Evan¡¯s eyelids were shaking, the impression Evan had of this lady was not good. ¡°So that¡¯s the case. Then, does that mean that Mr Rael is cleared of suspicion?¡± Evan asked in a low voice, looking still. When he heard this, Sheriff Chandler¡¯s bright look dimmed a bit, ¡°Yes. Although it is a little different from what I originally expected, Mr Rael is indeed innocent and he has no time to commit the crime.¡± Evan lowered his eyebrows and squeezed his cuff, but said nothing. Sheriff Chandler regained his energy again in a flash, he let out a long breath and said with a smile, ¡°But even so, it can be regarded as a relief from the current predicament. But I still can¡¯t release him for the time being. The affair between him and Mr Johnson has caused issues with Mrs Johnson and she believes that he has more to do with her husband.¡± He said this with disdain in his eyes, and Evan¡¯s heart was agitated. He suddenly remembered one thing. In this era, homosexual love is still a crime. A bit of vigilance was born in Evan¡¯s heart, his affairs with Duke Wilson must not be exposed. Evan curled his lips slightly and did not comment on this matter anymore. As a religious priest, he is also known for his benevolence and kindness, so talking about this matter is really delicate and dangerous. Sheriff Chandler¡¯s mind was not so delicate. He didn¡¯t realize that it was wrong to talk about this matter with a religious priest and he continued, ¡°Since Mr Rael has been ruled out as a suspect, then Mrs Johnson is now the most important person in this matter. Although I don¡¯t want to admit it, I really have nowhere to go in this situation and it looks like I will have to talk to Mrs. Johnson.¡± Sheriff Chandler sighed. Evan snickered in his heart. Sheriff Chandler, as a standard man of this era, would never know what an angry woman could and would do. Evan did not entangle with Sheriff Chandler any more about this matter. Although there were still some doubts in his heart that had not been resolved, the scene at this time was not suitable for discussing such issues. Evan walked into the crowd with Sheriff Chandler as he greeted the people around him. These people hadn¡¯t seen Evan for a long time so there were many sending their greetings. A small town priest was seriously injured and it is not a small problem. As early as the first day that Evan started living in Cornwall Manor, the news had spread through Delanlier, but these people did not know about the deeper darkness behind the attack. Evan appropriately responded to the greetings of the people around him. He was very clear in his heart that these people only care very little about him. These people are more concerned about the relationship between him and Duke Wilson. Being able to live in Cornwall Manor definitely belongs only to those in the circle of Duke Wilson¡¯s close friends. Of course Evan would not miss such a good opportunity. When outsiders greeted him, he intentionally or unintentionally (intentionally) used understated words to exaggerate the relationship between himself and the duke. Although it sounds very common, these people are all the same. The upper-class people in every society naturally think more and the eyes of the people around him had changed as they looked at him. Evan just pretended that he didn¡¯t notice these sights as he picked up the champagne on the table and took a sip. At this moment, a voice suddenly came from behind Evan, ¡°Evan!¡± Evan turned around almost as a reflex and saw Duke Wilson, Colonel Mel, and a lady standing not far away from where he stood. Duke Wilson had called out Evan¡¯s name. This behavior was equivalent to admitting to having a close relationship, which made people around him no longer have any doubts about the close relationship between Evan and Duke Wilson. Evan hooked up the corners of his lips slightly, this is really timely. ¡°Charles.¡± Evan nodded towards Duke Wilson with a smile. When Evan¡¯s words were heard by the guests around him, it got so quiet that the surrounding fans could be heard blowing. They have just heard the duke¡¯s name from the Reverend¡¯s mouth, which is a shock to everyone. The expression on Duke Wilson¡¯s face softened for a moment. When he walked to Evan¡¯s side, he quietly took the champagne glass in his hand and put it in its place, sayingwarmly, ¡°Colonel Mel¡¯s wife wants to talk to you.¡± Evan¡¯s vanity really rose to the top at this time but he tried his best to restrain the corners of his lips that he wanted to raise, and nodded his head like normal, ¡°Okay.¡± Then the two of them left the crowd that had become noisy again and walked in the direction of Colonel Mel. Because of Colonel Mel¡¯s identity, Evan also knew some things about him. He had a wife before the war, but because of the war, he left for five or six years. When he came back, his wife had long since died from melancholy, so Colonel Mel had lived the life of a widower. (People die from melancholy? ) However, due to his sufficient property and social status, as well as his close relationship with the duke¡¯s family, his widower life was not peaceful. Many people were staring at him like a piece of juicy fat. It became hot and many families with unmarried daughters were always scrambling to be the first to invite Colonel Mel to banquets. Although the daughter of a gentleman¡¯s family has a very good name in this era, due to the issue of inheritance rights, many girls can only get very limited dowry. For this reason, some gentlemen who are rich but have no age advantage and are getting old have become the first choice for them. Colonel Mel is such a person, but it was strange that he was not dazed or shaken by such a crazy chase. He was very calm and walked around under the explicit hints of the gentlemen, but he did not try to accept a certain lady. His behavior made many people give up their expectations of him, but at this time, Colonel Mel suddenly got married. It was at this time last year that Colonel Mel married a teacher¡¯s daughter and fell off the list of unmarried men. Evan looked at Mrs Mel standing in front of him. She was not very beautiful, but she looked very comfortable with a gentle smile and a serene expression. Even though she was wearing a London haute-couture evening dress, she looked like she was wearing the most ordinary clothes. But she looked so homely, even Evan¡¯s heart had a bit of comfort as he looked at her. ¡°Hello, Mrs Mel.¡± Evan nodded slightly, and his etiquette was in place. Mrs. Mel curled her lips slightly, with a hint of shyness in her smile, ¡°Reverend, you don¡¯t have to be so polite.¡± Evan smiled and did not answer, but Colonel Mel, who was on the side, smiled and said, ¡°Reverend Bruce, Susan has always been a devout Christian and she has heard of your reputation for a long time, and she really wants to confide in you this time and seek God¡¯s guidance.¡± Evan¡¯s expression changed. So it turns out to be like that. It is naturally good to be able to develop more believers, Evan has not forgotten his own work for the time being. ¡°The door of the church is always open to you, my dear lady.¡± Evan said with a smile in his eyes. Mrs. Mel was relieved to see that Evan was so approachable. Now that the two have discussed this issue, Duke Wilson interjected ¡°Evan, your body can¡¯t stand for a long time. Why don¡¯t you go over there and rest.¡± Duke Wilson gestured towards the corner where there were armchairs. Evan also felt that his energy was a little lacking but Colonel Mel was still standing there. The duke could say this but he couldn¡¯t answer in the same way, so he pressed his forehead and said quietly, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Colonel Mel is a person who can understand small hints very well. The relationship between these two people is not ordinary and of course, he will not be the one to spoil it, so he immediately said, ¡°It¡¯s all my fault, I didn¡¯t take care of your condition. It¡¯s better for you to rest first. If you are tired and get sick again, it will be a loss for the entire Delanlier.¡± Evan gave a reluctant smile, this Colonel Mel looked kind but he didn¡¯t expect that he could speak like this. ¡°Then, please forgive my rudeness.¡± Evan couldn¡¯t hold it anymore, and walked towards the corner with Duke Wilson. (Hmm, this chapter is not much) CH 50 Evan and Duke Wilson went to rest in the corner but for the people around, the place where the duke is will always be the center of attention for all the guests at the banquet. So even if they sat in a very low-key manner in the shadows of the corner, there were still countless eyes that swept over them. Duke Wilson frowned impatiently, glanced at Evan beside him and finally said nothing. But Evan didn¡¯t pay attention to these gazes. He is now thinking about how to get along with Duke Wilson in the future. Now that the image he maintained initially has stabilized, how to gradually deepen his relationship with the Duke in the future is a very important and tough question. First of all, he is a priest. As a spiritual profession in this era, a priest¡¯s character is very important. If he is too eager when dealing with his relationship with the duke, he¡¯s afraid that something will be wrong, and this will also make him passive. But he can¡¯t be too indifferent, which will make the Duke have a wrong perception. With the type of character Duke Wilson, he¡¯s afraid that he will experience more tests. When he thought of this, Evan drew a cross on his chest. The duke¡¯s cruel side, in the original book, already terrified Evan when he read it. He didn¡¯t have the powerful halo of the heroine, so he didn¡¯t dare try to take this behavior lightly. Evan clenched his fist lightly, and finally decided to adopt the tactic that he was initially detached from. The Duke will always have a day when he can¡¯t keep his feelings secret. When that day comes, he¡¯ll take action. Now he still has to deal with the things in front of him. Ford¡¯s threat has not been completely resolved yet. He needs to use the power of the duke to make Ford eliminate his hatred for him. The first step in this plan is to make Ford realize that things that happened back then were not simple. A dark light flashed in Evan¡¯s eyes. At that time, Ford didn¡¯t know that his father had found the original owner. If he knew about this, then things would be easier to deal with. After the banquet, Colonel Mel personally sent the duke and Evan out of the manor. Although Colonel Mel¡¯s manor was not as grand as the duke¡¯s manor, it was quite remarkable. Evan was actually a little surprised. How did the Colonel gather such a large fortune? It must be known that many retired soldiers like him who have no family background are not very happy in life. Although Evan had doubts in his heart, he was very aware and did not ask more. Colonel Mel is a decent gentleman, and his wife is a parishioner who can be developed. Knowing these two points, for him as a parish priest, will suffice. Evan returned to Cornwall Manor in the duke¡¯s carriage, and he almost couldn¡¯t support himself because of the evening¡¯s entertainment. Duke Wilson followed Evan upstairs. His room was separated from Evan¡¯s room by the corridor. Evan stood at the door of his room, looked back at Duke Wilson, and whispered, ¡°Good night.¡± Duke Wilson stared straight at Evan and there seemed to be brilliance in his eyes. There was no sound between the two for a long time, it was until Evan felt a little weird before Duke Wilson suddenly looked at him and smiled, his eyes and brows were full of smiles and a touch of light joy, ¡°Good night, Evan.¡± Evan¡¯s name slipped from his tongue with a hint of connotation. Evan shuddered, this person¡­ this person¡­ He clenched his trembling hands tightly, restrained the boiling heat in his heart with the best of his strength, and smiled calmly, ¡°Good night, Charles.¡± Duke Wilson brushed past Evan and the corner of his clothes hit the back of Evan¡¯s hand as he left. The texture of the cotton and linen made the back of Evan¡¯s hand a little itchy. He covered the back of his hand with the other hand as he gritted his teeth, turned and entered the room. Evan leaned back against the door, gasping for breath, but his eyes flashed with excitement. Duke Wilson, he would never let go. Evan quickly walked to the desk. His tired body and mind were terribly sober at this time. He looked at the book Duke Wilson gave him on the table and a smile appeared on the corners of his lips. In this world, there is no one but himself that can get him. ******** The next morning, Evan was woken up by the servant. He slept late last night. When he fell asleep, the sky was already faintly breaking, and getting up now made him feel a little uncomfortable. ¡°Reverend.¡± The servant looked at Evan with some anxiety, ¡°That gentleman came again today.¡± When he heard this, Evan, who was still rubbing his temples, suddenly froze. The gentleman in the servant¡¯s mouth, if Evan guessed correctly, should be Ford. Since the last time Evan saw Ford alone, Duke Wilson has given instructions to the entire Cornwall manor. When Evan sees guests again, there must be a servant present in the name of being able to pay attention at all times to Evan¡¯s body and health. But with how much Evan knows about the duke¡¯s personality, he knows that the mind of this duke who has a very strong desire to control is not as simple as what he shows. ¡°Where¡¯s the Duke?¡± Evan asked unintentionally. He took the shirt from the servant and put it on himself. He didn¡¯t like the habit of being served and dressed. The servant¡¯s brows were still full of anxiety, ¡°The Duke is talking to that gentleman in the living room now.¡± Looking at the servant¡¯s expression, Evan knew that the situation at that scene might not be very good and he had a good guess in his heart. Duke Wilson did not like Ford very much in the first place and with this matter, his thoughts about Ford would have fallen to the very bottom. ¡°I see.¡± Evan took the coat from the servant¡¯s hand, put it on by himself, turned and walked downstairs. These two people are the dooms of their own destiny. Whether they can solve this issue safely depends on his ability. When Evan got to the living room, the atmosphere in the whole room was very strange. Duke Wilson sat on the chair with his legs crossed, his chin raised slightly and his eyes were full of indifference, while Ford had a smile on his lips, looking very gentle. Evan¡¯s expression turned slightly, with a gentle smile on his face, he walked in through the door. ¡°Lord Duke, Mr Ford.¡± Evan nodded towards the two of them, his expression indifferent. When the Duke saw Evan coming in, the coldness in his eyes turned into a soft color, he nodded slightly and even smiled at him imperceptibly. But Ford¡¯s expression was intriguing. The moment he saw Evan, his whole body was stiff for a moment, but the next second he returned to normal, smiled very reservedly and said, ¡°Reverend Bruce.¡± Evan raised his eyebrows and glanced down at the pocket watch he was wearing on his cuff. This pocket watch was given to him by Ford when he had the best relationship with Ford back then. This pocket watch is also one of the inconspicuous pieces of money that Ford had given him, but now it seems, it can¡¯t help but mean a lot. Evan walked to the chair beside the Duke and sat down. He looked at Ford calmly and said warmly, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you this time? Is there something wrong with Mrs Johnson?¡± He visited while the duke was there so it must have been on business. Ford smiled, ¡°You are really clever, it is indeed Mrs Johnson that has a problem.¡± Evan raised his eyebrows slightly and glanced at Duke Wilson. Duke Wilson was very satisfied with Evan¡¯s first reaction. He held back the taut corners of his mouth and said, ¡°Mr Ford just told me that the court froze the accounts of the Johnsons, and now they can¡¯t get a penny.¡± Evan was stunned when he heard this, and suddenly remembered what Sheriff Chandler said last night. He was really quick and took action so quickly. ¡°This is really a shocking thing. What is going on?¡± Evan asked in surprise. Ford curled his lips sarcastically with a hint of impatience in his eyes, ¡°Sheriff Chandler is a ridiculous person. He used to swear that the murderer was the secretary, but now he says that Mrs Johnson is also a suspect and the judge listened to this. It¡¯s unbelievable that such a verdict was actually made after the nonsense of Sheriff Chandler!¡± Ford¡¯s irritation is very reasonable, after all, he was also involved in this matter and he had finally persuaded Mrs. Johnson. If there is another problem at this level, then he really can¡¯t let go. ¡°It turns out to be so.¡± Evan smiled bitterly, ¡°Actually, Sheriff Chandler told me about his suspicions last night, but I didn¡¯t expect that he would act so quickly.¡± When Evan said this, Ford frowned, ¡°Sheriff Chandler told you about it?¡± His tone was a little bad, ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you tell me? If you had, there would have still been room for negotiation in this matter.¡± Ford¡¯s accusation was very rude, but before Evan could react, Duke Wilson suddenly sneered, ¡°Mr Ford, I heard Evan say that you are a gentleman, but I didn¡¯t expect that you would be so rude to question him like this. Is this a situation that Evan wants to see? It was already late when we came back from Colonel Mel¡¯s manor last night. How did you expect Reverend Bruce to tell you? Besides, this matter was originally a matter of the police and you are being too rude to blame him!¡± Ford did not dare to refute the Duke¡¯s question, but when he looked at Evan, his eyes became colder. Immediately, he withdrew his gaze on Evan and nodded slightly, ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s my fault. Because this incident is so surprising, I just did something rude, please forgive me.¡± Ford¡¯s apology made Evan a little surprised. He didn¡¯t expect that, in the memory of the original owner, the arrogant demon king who was so arrogant, would actually apologize with such a low posture and pleasing to the eye. Evan couldn¡¯t help but feel some sympathy for Ford, it looks like he was really hurt badly by the original owner. ¡°I can understand your mood so you don¡¯t need to apologize, but the Duke said something right. Now this matter is under the jurisdiction of the police, I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t do anything about it now.¡± Evan said softly. But after listening to Evan¡¯s words, Ford did not show any embarrassment on his face, he just sneered and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about this, although this plan did not succeed, there is always a way. If I remember correctly, the bishop is a good friend with the Judge of the county court, and maybe we can start from this aspect.¡± Evan was surprised by Ford¡¯s proposal, which did not seem to be a recent idea. ¡°Is this¡­feasible?¡± Evan asked tentatively. Ford curled his lips slightly, glanced at Duke Wilson, whose face was not looking very good, and said, ¡°Of course it is possible. You just need to sign your name when I write the letter.¡± Evan¡¯s heart moved and a harsh alarm rang in his mind. CH 51 Evan looked directly at Ford. He was not sure of the true intentions Ford has by saying that he would write a letter to the bishop and would need his own signature. A person¡¯s signature is very important in this era. If he easily signs a letter that he does not know what the consequences of the contents will be, according to Ford¡¯s character, he¡¯s afraid that there will definitely not be a good result. ¡°This letter¡­needs my signature?¡± Evan asked pretending to be surprised. Ford¡¯s expression did not change, but he pursed his lips and smiled, ¡°Of course it needs your signature. This is Delanlier¡¯s business, you are Delanlier¡¯s priest and naturally the letter needs your approval. I think His Excellency the Bishop would also want to know your opinion.¡± Evan lowered his head and there was a hint of coldness in his eyes. If at this time he couldn¡¯t see that Ford¡¯s intention was malicious, then he deserved to be calculated by Ford. ¡°There won¡¯t be any need for that.¡± Just as Evan was struggling with how to respond, a cold voice suddenly came from beside him. Evan turned his head to look. Duke Wilson¡¯s indifferent face did not fluctuate in the slightest. Ford¡¯s pupils shrank, but with a false smile on his face, he looked straight at Duke Wilson. ¡°What did you say? Is there any other solution to this matter?¡± Ford¡¯s tone was very stiff. After all, Ford was arrogant by nature so at first, he was reluctant to accept Duke Wilson¡¯s attitude. But after a long time, he felt a little disgusted in his heart. Duke Wilson raised his eyes to look at Ford as a sarcastic smile flashed on his lips, and he said coldly, ¡°Of course, the friendship between the bishop and the County judge is naturally deep, but why do you want to go so far away?¡± Far away? Ford¡¯s expression suddenly turned ugly. He looked at Duke Wilson, and he felt a little remorse and annoyance in his heart. He¡¯d almost forgotten that the person in front of him was a duke. Don¡¯t even talk about a County court judge, even a Supreme Court judge would have a relationship with him. Ford gritted his teeth as hatred surged in his heart. He did not expect that Duke Wilson would take such good care of Evan. ¡°It¡¯s my fault.¡± Ford pretended as if he¡¯d just realised this and smiled, ¡°I almost forgot. You and the judge have a deeper friendship than the bishop does, so this time we will trouble you. Ford neatly threw this matter to Duke Wilson. Duke Wilson had no interest in Ford¡¯s treacherous thoughts. He just nodded coldly and turned to Evan. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± His tone was soft and unbelievably warm, ¡°Leave this matter to me.¡± The relationship between the two is obviously vaguely ambiguous. As shrewd as Ford is, he would naturally not miss this fact. He clenched his fists tightly and the hatred he had for Evan in his heart deepened even more. (Yeah, add jealousy to that, hypocrite) ¡°This¡­¡± Evan looked at the Duke hesitantly, ¡°Won¡¯t this bother you too much?¡± Duke Wilson shook his head, and his expression softened even more, ¡°This is just a trivial matter. I believe that His Honor will give me such a small favor.¡± ¡°I believe His Honor will definitely give you the favor. I just hope that this matter can be resolved smoothly, so Reverend Bruce and everyone involved can get out of this terrifying nightmare as soon as possible.¡± Ford interrupted the two people¡¯s show of love for each other. (JEALOUS!!!) The corners of Evan¡¯s lips twitched slightly and there was a smile in his eyes, Ford is really difficult to deal with. ¡°This incident is a tragedy for the whole of Delanlier. I hope Sheriff Chandler can resolve this matter as soon as possible.¡± Ford¡¯s plan was disrupted by Duke Wilson so he was not very happy and quickly took his leave. Even though Evan didn¡¯t want to irritate him too much, they¡¯d better deal with the past with face-to-face words. A glimmer of gloom flashed in Ford¡¯s eyes as he looked at Evan. Watching Ford as he left, Evan¡¯s expression looked worried. Duke Wilson looked at him and couldn¡¯t help feeling a little uncomfortable. He quickly walked to Evan¡¯s side and blocked Evan¡¯s view and said, ¡°Please don¡¯t worry too much, I will help you solve this matter sooner or later.¡± Evan frowned and sighed, ¡°I¡¯m not worried about Mr Ford¡¯s feelings towards me, after all I was too cruel. I¡¯m just afraid that he will do irrational things and hurt others.¡± When he heard this, Duke Wilson¡¯s heart softened and he said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that matter. It¡¯s not your fault and it¡¯s too rash to say that you were cruel to Ford. You were just a child at the time, how could you understand these things?¡± In fact, when he found out about this past, Duke Wilson couldn¡¯t help but want Ford to completely disappear from this world. Ford is different from the other people he doesn¡¯t like. This person once had an intersection with the person in front of him who has become someone he thought of as his own. And as such, knowing about that kind of intersection between them was unbearable for Duke Wilson. Evan lowered his eyebrows with a secret smile in his eyes, and he said warmly, ¡°Your words make me feel very assured, but I still owe something to Mr Ford.¡± When Duke Wilson heard these words, his eyes turned red with anger. This person called Ford actually occupied such an important position in Evan¡¯s heart and just because of this, he really deserved to die! Duke Wilson tried his best to control his destructive emotions. He clenched his teeth, lowered his head and showed an almost hideous smile but his tone was still gentle, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr Ford will understand you.¡± Of course he will understand, he will clearly understand and know who this person before him belongs to! Evan didn¡¯t see the expression on Duke Wilson¡¯s face but hearing these words did make him feel relieved. Since Duke Wilson said so, it means that he still trusts him and will use his actions to help him. This short gathering in the morning turned into a bad situation so easily. Evan was not in good spirits, so he went upstairs to rest after breakfast. After Evan went upstairs, Duke Wilson spoke to Butler Chris, who was waiting at the door, ¡°Call Ederson over.¡± Butler Chris gave Duke Wilson a surprised look. Yesterday, Ederson asked to see the Duke but the Duke refused very coldly and he also ordered them to not let Ederson into the manor in the near future. And now he suddenly told him to summon Ederson, which made Butler Chris feel a little incredible. ¡°Yes.¡± No matter how many doubts Butler Chris had in his heart, they were all hidden in his eyes at this time because no one could refute the Duke¡¯s decision. A quarter of an hour later, Ederson finally hurried to Cornwall Manor. At this time, Ederson no longer looked like the gentleman that he looked like before. His steps were uneasy and his breath was somewhat scattered. He was led up to the second floor by Butler Chris and they walked directly towards the Duke¡¯s study. When he reached the door of the study, Butler Chris knocked on the door and said, ¡°Lord Duke, Mr Ederson is here.¡± After a moment, a deep male voice came from within the study, ¡°Let him come in.¡± Butler Chris nodded slightly, beckoned to Ederson behind him and said, ¡°Mr Ederson, the Duke has granted you entry. Please go in.¡± And he turned around and left. Ederson stood at the door of the study and he felt nervous for some reason. Since he reported Evan¡¯s news last time, the Duke was in a very bad mood at first as he expected, but then for some reason, his anger suddenly disappeared. And his attitude towards Evan was no longer as cold as before, but was even closer than before. And the Duke refused to see him afterwards. No matter how stupid Ederson could be, he knew that something was wrong. Something special had happened that made the Duke change his mind. Ederson cautiously opened the door and walked in. When he entered, the Duke was sitting upright behind the desk with a very serious expression. ¡°Lord Duke.¡± Ederson bowed. Duke Wilson raised his hand slightly, ¡°You sit.¡± Hearing these kind words, Ederson felt restless. He knew Duke Wilson¡¯s temper. He always treated outsiders with scorn. If he was too gentle, it meant that it would be even more problematic. Ederson didn¡¯t dare to go against the Duke¡¯s words and he sat down, very frightened. ¡°You did a good job in investigating what I asked you to last time.¡± Duke Wilson said coldly. Alarm bells rang in Ederson¡¯s mind. He had never seen Duke Wilson praise any of his staff. ¡°You¡¯re too kind.¡± Ederson replied thoughtfully, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you ordered me to come here for?¡± Ederson understands clearly that the Duke does not trust him as much as he used to, and he must be cautious with the way he acts now. Duke Wilson was very satisfied with Ederson¡¯s quick wits. The last investigation had made him almost misunderstand Evan, so he was very dissatisfied with Ederson. But the results of Ederson¡¯s investigation was not wrong, but the direction of understanding the results was wrong, so Duke Wilson can only deal with Ederson coldly. ¡°In this matter, only a preliminary investigation has been carried out so the matter is not yet clear. So you need to investigate this matter carefully, especially the relationship between Reverend Bruce and the Ford family, as well as the few rumors that spread in their school. Investigate the background of the people who were close to him and who started the rumors.¡± Duke Wilson still made a decision to investigate this matter, this was very important to him. Ederson glanced at Duke Wilson with a slightly surprised look. He thought this matter would be over but he didn¡¯t expect the Duke to ask him to investigate more. Could it be that the Duke has other plans for this matter? Countless conspiracy theories revolved in Ederson¡¯s mind, but in the end he nodded slightly and said, ¡°Yes sir. Don¡¯t worry, I will definitely investigate it clearly.¡± Duke Wilson nodded with satisfaction and said again, ¡°By the way, you will also give me a good investigation about Priest Ford. His past life and present life must be carefully investigated for me and you can¡¯t let anything go.¡± Even if it is to investigate the truth, Duke Wilson does not want to let it go. In any case, Ford¡¯s past with Evan still makes Duke Wilson feel unbearable. Ederson¡¯s expression froze, but he finally responded. Ederson accepted Duke Wilson¡¯s task and left. At this time, he needed to figure out the cause and effect of this matter. Whether it was Duke Wilson¡¯s sudden change of mind or this clueless investigation, Ederson wanted to find out how he lost the trust of the Duke. CH 53 Under Dr. Hester¡¯s almost scolding tone, Alia¡¯s face turned white at a speed visible to the naked eye. She looked at Dr. Hester in despair, and said with trembling lips, ¡°Father¡­ Father¡­¡± A trace of reluctance flashed in Dr. Hester¡¯s expression, but then he became determined. Alia was his only daughter. He knew better than anyone what she was thinking, but if it was anyone else it would be fine. But anything with the Duke wasn¡¯t possible. He and Reverend Bruce¡­ Dr. Hester tried his best to expel this memory from his mind, and said in a stiff tone, ¡°Alia, you go out first.¡± Alia looked surprised. Looking at the somewhat ruthless man in front of her, she could hardly believe that this was still her talkative father. Ashamed, she covered her face and ran out of the church. Her heart was full of contempt for herself. She was not an idiot and her father must have seen her thoughts, and he was extremely resolute in denying it. Alia suddenly felt a little confused. She had always thought that her father would support her in all her decisions, but today, it seems that she is still wrong. Alia sat sadly on a chair on the lawn behind the church. She looked at the brilliant flowers in the garden and remembered the first time she met the Duke. He was so arrogant that he hardly glanced at her. She had always thought that Duke Wilson was just as arrogant as those other arrogant men, but since she began to follow her father in and out of Cornwall manor, she realized that the Duke is a learned and compassionate man, and¡­ and he is so handsome¡­ () When she thought of this, her face felt hot. She didn¡¯t think she was a shallow person but Duke Wilson is definitely the most handsome man in Yorkshire and in the entire British Empire. Arya had fallen deeply into her own thoughts and she didn¡¯t even realize that someone had come to her side. ¡°Miss Alia?¡± Ford¡¯s voice was low and soft. Alia suddenly woke up from her thoughts, and when she saw Ford, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a little ashamed, ¡°F¡­¡± Now, she almost didn¡¯t know how to face Ford. Ford looked at Alia with a soft smile, but there was a sneer in his heart. Such a person is the best to be manipulated. ¡°Miss Alia, please don¡¯t be sad. I believe that Dr. Hester didn¡¯t scold you on purpose. He is your father and the person who loves you the most in this world!¡± Ford deliberately didn¡¯t mention the tense atmosphere from just now and just gave pure consolation. Alia breathed a sigh of relief, it seemed that Ford didn¡¯t see much. ¡°I know, thank you for your comfort. You are really a kind gentleman.¡± Alia¡¯s words were very sincere. After Ford came to Delanlier, she had always had a very good impression of him. Seeing that Alia had lowered her guard, Ford smiled and sat beside Alia, saying warmly, ¡°Doctor Hester just left, he asked me to tell you that you should go back early.¡± ¡°My father has left?¡± Alia got up from the chair anxiously, ¡°Then¡­then I¡¯ll also say goodbye¡­¡± Before she could leave, she was grabbed by Ford¡¯s hand and she turned to look at him. Looking at Alia, Ford said softly, ¡°Please don¡¯t worry, I made Dr. Hester leave first because I saw your hesitation. Miss Alia, God is above and if you see me as a friend, you can tell me whatever it is that bothers you.¡± When Alia heard what Ford said, she sat back in the chair with some reluctance. She looked straight at Ford and whispered, ¡°You already know?¡± Ford smiled, ¡°Your feelings are too hot, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Alia raised her hand to cover her eyes, and groaned, ¡°Oh, my God¡­¡± Ford looked at her and seeing her like this, he immediately said, ¡°Miss Alia, please rest assured, this matter is your personal privacy and I won¡¯t tell anyone else.¡± Alia took her hand away from her eyes and her eyes were full of tears, ¡°Mr Ford, you are a gentleman. In your opinion, am I a little shameless?¡± Ford snorted coldly, but his eyes were full of gentleness, ¡°How could it be? Miss Alia, love is the most beautiful thing in this world, you shouldn¡¯t be ashamed.¡± Alia clenched her fist a little excitedly and looked straight at Ford, ¡°Mr Ford, you are really an enlightened person, but unfortunately my father doesn¡¯t think so.¡± Alia lowered her head in annoyance and wiped the tears from her cheeks with a handkerchief. Ford sighed, ¡°Dr. Hester is a traditional gentleman, you should understand him.¡± For the first time, Alia had an ally in this regard and in her heart, she felt that the relationship between them quickly became closer. (*snort* idiot) ¡°I know what you mean. I don¡¯t mean to blame my father but his disapproval makes me very uncomfortable.¡± Ford looked at Alia, who was sad, and he seemed to comfort her gently, ¡°I understand the pain that you suffer, but I also want to persuade you on this matter. Although Duke Wilson is a noble person, as far as I know, he has a choice in his heart. I am afraid that your infatuation and feelings will not get anywhere.¡± When Alia heard this, her expression suddenly became a little subtle. She looked at Ford and bit her lower lip as she asked, ¡°I heard¡­you¡­you are familiar with Reverend Bruce?¡± Alia asked tentatively. Ford was stunned by her question at first, and then he laughed in his heart. He really couldn¡¯t underestimate a woman¡¯s sixth sense when it comes to emotions. ¡°He is an alumnus of my public school, and I was familiar with him at first, but something happened later and I became estranged from him.¡± Ford¡¯s words were very ambiguous and Alia¡¯s eyes lit up immediately. ¡°Something happened?¡± She looked at Ford with some interest, ¡°What did Reverend Bruce do?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to know. As your friend, I want to warn you that Reverend Bruce is not a simple person. Please don¡¯t contact him.¡± The light in Alia¡¯s eyes became brighter as she looked at Ford with surprise and murmured, ¡°Don¡¯t contact him¡­¡± She looked straight at Ford with a hint of determination in her eyes, ¡°You are a keen person so you should also see the ambiguous relationship between Duke Wilson and Reverend Bruce. Since you know that something is wrong with Reverend Bruce, we must tell Duke Wilson so that the Duke will no longer be deceived!¡± Facing Alia¡¯s rhetoric, Ford felt like he had a headache, this woman¡¯s inherent stupidity and boldness is really a troublesome thing. (I agree with you for once, she¡¯s really stupid) ¡°Miss Alia.¡± Ford said cautiously, ¡°I can understand your mood, but the current Reverend Bruce is completely different from how he was when I knew him. The Duke will not believe your words.¡± When Alia heard this, she felt a little discouraged, ¡°You are right, Reverend Bruce is really a good actor. If you didn¡¯t say it, even I would have no doubts about his gentleness and kindness.¡± Ford looked at Alia and laughed in his heart. A woman¡¯s imagination is boundless. If a situation is unclear, it can stimulate her imagination about what she doesn¡¯t know. What¡¯s more, this person is still her rival in love, so of course, she would only think of the worst. ¡°Miss Alia.¡± Ford¡¯s voice had a hint of bewitching tone, ¡°Nevertheless, you and Dr. Hester can enter and leave Duke Wilson¡¯s Manor and you can subtly make Duke Wilson change his mind. I heard that Lord Edward likes you very much, maybe you can start from here.¡± In Ford¡¯s view, Duke Wilson¡¯s biggest weakness is this son, this is his only bloodline, he can¡¯t completely ignore the words of ??this son. As long as Edward hates Bruce, Bruce can¡¯t stay in Cornwall Manor. And as long as he leaves Cornwall Manor, his plan will be implemented much more smoothly. Alia was a little frustrated after hearing this, ¡°Oh¡­don¡¯t you know? Lord Edward has a very friendly relationship with Reverend Bruce. This road won¡¯t work.¡± Ford just smiled when he heard this, ¡°Lord Edward¡¯s friendship with Reverend Bruce is just based on the fact that he is a priest. If Lord Edward knows what Duke Wilson has in mind for the Reverend, he will be aware that the Duke¡¯s love for him is likely to be lessened in the future. And if he knows that Reverend Bruce is actually a despicable villain, will he still have a friendly relationship with Reverend Bruce?¡± Arya has no such life experience, but as long as she thinks about Dr. Hester marrying a stepmother for herself, she thought she would not be able to stand it. Yes, she couldn¡¯t accept it, let alone young Edward¡­ A light flashed in Alia¡¯s eyes, she clenched the handkerchief in her hand and said excitedly, ¡°You are right. Poor Edward. He has lost his mother since he was a child, he is so kind and simple and he must not be handed over to someone like Reverend Bruce.¡± When it came to Reverend Bruce, disgust flashed in Alia¡¯s eyes. Ford looked at her and sneered in his heart. What an upright and brave lady, even if Bruce did not know what he did, he was still positioned as a villain. Love is really a blind thing. ¡°Miss Alia, you are right. Lord Edward really deserves better people to love him, you must not let him be deceived.¡± Ford¡¯s tone was low and hoarse, as if the ghosts from the depths of hell were lurking in it. ¡°Yes! Yes! Lord Edward must not be deceived!¡± Alia¡¯s eyes gradually became unusually firm. CH 54 Alia is an unusual girl. She is very assertive in what she does. She is completely different from the girls who rely on men to survive in this era. After discussing with Ford about Evan, she wants to start with Edward. The thought couldn¡¯t be stopped any longer. It¡¯s just that, although Alia has this intention, the situation at this time does not allow her to do anything. Because of Duke Wilson¡¯s dislike of her, Dr. Hester does not dare to take her with him every time he visits Cornwall Manor. Alia wants to go there together with him and she also asked Dr. Hester to take her over and over again, but she was not allowed in the end. At the same time, the news of Sheriff Chandler¡¯s arrest of Mrs Johnson spread in Delanlier and everyone was shocked. The woman turned out to be the one who murdered her husband. Such contradictory facts made everyone unable to believe this result, and some people even wrote to Sheriff Chandler, asking him to investigate this matter thoroughly and not to wrong Mrs Johnson. But Sheriff Chandler was very confident and was not disturbed by these outside voices. In his opinion, what Mrs Johnson had done before was just trying to push the matter on Rael, whom she hated and tried to hold him accountable for her crimes. Sheriff Chandler was so convinced of his conclusion that even if Mrs Johnson yelled at him in prison, he still didn¡¯t care. He knows that this poor lady had never suffered such a crime since the day she was born, but now this dark prison is probably the best ending for her. Sheriff Chandler feels sympathy for her but he also sincerely looks forward to the day when the court opens, not that he feels enthusiastic about sending Mrs Johnson to the gallows, but he sincerely hopes that this terrible thing will end soon. Sheriff Chandler¡¯s urgent mood has not been satisfied. The Judges of Yorkshire are obviously very busy this fall. There have been several vicious fighting incidents in the county. Because of the drought and natural disasters, Yorkshire¡¯s tenants and farmers have been deeply affected and they are all suffering. They lost their food and even lost their homes. These people gathered together and formed a large force so the officials in the whole Yorkshire were very busy, so not many people would care about the little things from this little place called Delanlier. It was at this time that Duke Wilson¡¯s invitation was delivered to Sheriff Chandler. Lord Edward¡¯s birthday is coming, and all the people of high status and class in Delanlier has received an invitation from the Duke. Although Sheriff Chandler is not liked by the Duke, it is a pity that he is a friend of Reverend Bruce. Duke Wilson can only reluctantly send him an invitation letter. Sheriff Chandler didn¡¯t have much self-awareness. Although Duke Wilson¡¯s invitation made him a little flattered, he also took it for granted in his heart. But unlike him, this invitation made a person ecstatic, and of course this person was Alia, who had been locked out for so long. In Alia¡¯s view, this invitation letter is simply God¡¯s will. Her father, Dr. Hester is a typical old-fashioned gentleman. Although he loves Alia very much, he sticks to his own bottom line, and would never let Alia get involved in Duke Wilson¡¯s affairs, especially after he found out about Alia¡¯s feelings. Whether Alia was crying and begging, or trying to convince him, Dr. Hester was stubborn and did not let up until this invitation came. This invitation letter gave the stubborn and conservative Doctor Hester no room for refusal, because it was clearly stated in the invitation letter that the invited people were Doctor Hester and Miss Alia. As a lady specially invited by the Duke, Dr. Hester was a little embarrassed. ¡°Oh, my dear father.¡± Alia was as happy as a lark. ¡°This is very nice. Lord Edward is five years old now, which is a real joy.¡± Dr. Hester couldn¡¯t bear to see Alia like this. In fact, according to what he thought, he wanted to make Alia pretend to be sick and avoid this invitation, because he was not sure about Duke Wilson¡¯s treatment of Alia. What does it mean? He is very sure that Duke Wilson didn¡¯t like Alia anymore. This sudden invitation made Dr. Hester a little confused. ¡°My dear Alia.¡± Dr. Hester was very cautious, ¡°Lord Edward is still a child, and didn¡¯t you have a cold a few days ago? I think¡­¡± Dr. Hester stretched his tone, like an ancient musical instrument, ¡°I don¡¯t think you should go, so as not to let the Lord get sick too.¡± Alia¡¯s face gradually turned pale at the words of Dr. Hester and she almost couldn¡¯t believe it. Looking at Dr. Hester, ¡°Father! How can you say such a thing! My cold is gone, this is your diagnosis. Why do you keep me from going to Cornwall Manor again and again? Is it that you don¡¯t trust me?¡± Dr. Hester had never seen Arya look so angry, and he panicked a little, ¡°Oh Alia, my lovely daughter, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡± He was a little incoherent for a while, ¡°I mean, of course I believe you, but this invitation is really strange, you know, Duke Wilson, to you¡­¡± His tone became lower and lower, and finally he was a little embarrassed by Alia¡¯s look. Alia¡¯s face flushed red and she bit her lower lip. Her shame was like a poisonous tongue that twisted her heart to death. (Then die, don¡¯t cause trouble for us) ¡°I¡­know what you mean.¡± Alia replied dryly, ¡°I won¡¯t have any more wishful thinking, but Lord Edward has been close to me since he was a child. This is his birthday, and he also invited me. I¡­ I don¡¯t want to disappoint him.¡± Dr. Hester looked at Alia with some worry. If it wasn¡¯t for a reason, he wouldn¡¯t want to put this cruel thing on the table, but Alia was his child after all, he couldn¡¯t watch by the side and lead her into the abyss. ¡°Okay.¡± Dr. Hester finally compromised, maybe Alia was right, this special invitation to her might just be because of the Lord Edward¡¯s love for her, ¡°Since you think so, then let¡¯s go together. Just, Alia,¡± He looked straight into Alia¡¯s depressed eyes, ¡°You must promise me, don¡¯t think about delusional things that you can¡¯t get.¡± He understood his own daughter, Alia has been unruly and stubborn since she was a child. If she was a boy, she would definitely have a bright future, but she is a girl. In such an era, such a girl is very unusual. Arya nodded helplessly but she did not agree with Dr. Hester¡¯s point of view. Although the Duke disliked her very much now, it was only because of Reverend Bruce. Under the deliberate guidance of Ford, Evan had turned into a vicious villain in her heart, he has become a hypocritical person with no mercy. No matter how different Alia is, she is just a little girl. When the person she likes hates her to the extreme, she will subconsciously find excuses for him. The Duke doesn¡¯t really hate her, but he is just being deceived by Reverend Bruce. Just being deceived. As long as she thought about it like this, the painful emotion that tightly bound her heart was finally relieved. ******** The time for Lord Edward¡¯s birthday banquet was set three days later. During these three days, Alia searched for everything Edward might be interested in, and finally chose what Dr. Hester brought back from London which was a set of hardcover books. In her opinion, Edward is a smart and well-behaved child and sSuch a child would like books the most. When the day finally came, Alia put on a gorgeous dress, and with Dr. Hester, set foot on the carriage to Cornwall Manor. Because of Dr. Hester, they were personally greeted by Butler Chris. When Butler Chris saw Alia, his expression was stunned for a moment. He glanced at Dr. Hester, who was smiling and a little guilty. ¡°Dr. Hester, Miss Alia, you¡¯re welcome. The Duke is welcoming the guests in the hall at this time. Please come with me.¡± Butler Chris¡¯s politeness was indifferent, which obviously relieved Dr. Hester¡¯s mind. He was relieved but he was still a little nervous. He followed Butler Chris and walked towards the hall. Alia didn¡¯t notice the change in her father, and she was eagerly looking forward to seeing Duke Wilson. The moment Alia stepped into the hall, she saw Duke Wilson. He was wearing a decent suit, standing in the center of the hall, with a decent and flat smile on his face as he greeted every guest. His eyes slid along the crowd to Dr. Hester and his party. Alia tugged at the edge of her skirt a little excitedly, expecting a different look on his face. Unfortunately, the final result disappointed her. Duke Wilson didn¡¯t have any special expression on his face and it was even colder than before. ¡°Doctor, Miss Alia.¡± Duke Wilson nodded calmly. Dr. Hester felt like the big rock in his heart was lifted at this time, it seemed that Duke Wilson at least did not reject Alia¡¯s presence. ¡°Lord Duke, thank you very much for your invitation. I hope Lord Edward can grow up healthily.¡± Dr. Hester bowed. But Alia seemed to be frozen by something as she looked at Duke Wilson blankly. The Duke frowned with disgust. Dr. Hester¡¯s heart jumped and he quickly pulled Alia¡¯s hand. Alia then reacted and bowed to the Duke. Duke Wilson gave Alia a very cold look and said, ¡°You are too polite. You are the most sincere friend of Cornwall Manor. I hope you will find this banquet enjoyable.¡± The Duke said the most mechanical welcome speech and with another look at Butler Chris, Dr. Hester and Alia were quickly taken away. Alia looked back at Duke Wilson with regret. He looked impatient with them, but when the next person came forward, he became the gentle and polite Duke again. Alia felt disappointed in her heart for some reason. At this moment, she suddenly raised her head to look at the second floor and she looked straight at the room where Evan lived. She did not see that person today. CH 55 Alia couldn¡¯t tell how she felt about the priest. When she first realized that Duke Wilson was different to him, she didn¡¯t take it seriously, but then, there were more and more signs which gradually made her feel a little weird. Alia¡¯s sixth sense made her realize that there was some kind of problem between the two people, and although Alia had lived in the small town of Delanlier since she was a child, she was not really ignorant of the world. She had heard of some special hobbies of gentlemen in this era, but she never imagined that Duke Wilson, whom she respected very much, would have such a problem. Alia felt very complicated in her heart. She was only guessing before, but Ford¡¯s words made it even more difficult for her to accept. Alia bit her lower lip lightly, her expression unpredictable. Dr. Hester saw that Arya suddenly stood still and hurriedly turned around and called her in a low voice: ¡°Alia!¡± Dr. Hester¡¯s expression was so serious that Alia herself was taken aback. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Dr. Hester¡¯s face was ashen, he thought Alia was going to do something unexpected again. Seeing that Dr. Hester was so anxious, Alia nodded slightly and followed him. Alia and Dr. Hester came to the side hall where the guests were being entertained. In the side hall, many local gentlemen from Delanlier were also gathered, and the most conspicuous ones were standing in the middle with red faces. For Sheriff Chandler, the tricky case has finally been solved at this time and he has been very excited these few days. ¡°Oh, my dear Doctor, you are finally here.¡± Sheriff Chandler, because of his height, saw the Hesters walk in with a glance. ¡°And Miss Alia, I haven¡¯t seen you for a long time.¡± Sheriff Chandler gave a very gentle salute. Alia smiled a little hauntedly. She has been waiting for Edward¡¯s arrival, only then will she have a chance. It was Dr. Hester who chatted with Sheriff Chandler with great interest. Regarding this case, Dr. Hester obviously had a lot of theories and wanted to communicate with the sheriff. Filled with bitterness, it wasn¡¯t easy for Sheriff Chandler to refuse, Dr. Hester is still a very prestigious person in Delanlier. Dr. Hester was completely involved in talking about this treacherous case, and it didn¡¯t take long for him to forget about Alia¡¯s existence. Alia secretly withdrew her hand from Dr. Hester¡¯s arm, holding the corner of her skirt and went towards Edward¡¯s room in her memory. Because of the large number of people who came this time, no one noticed Alia¡¯s actions. She slipped to the second floor very smoothly, but stopped when she passed Evan¡¯s room. She was very curious, what kind of magic power does the Reverend have for him to be favored by a cold gentleman like Duke Wilson? Alia looked at the door with some hesitation and finally left. Now is not the time to care about this matter. Edward is the most important. As long as she has control of Edward, Reverend Bruce will not pose a threat. Alia strengthened her thoughts and walked directly to Edward¡¯s room on the third floor. When Alia was almost out of sight, the door that was closed suddenly opened and Evan¡¯s expressionless face appeared behind the door. He looked at Alia¡¯s tiptoeing back and a sneer appeared on the corner of his lips. He really wasn¡¯t surprised, she was so easy to use. Alia quickly came to the door of Edward¡¯s room and knocked lightly on the door. After a while, a childish voice came from the door, ¡°Who is it?¡± There was a hint of surprise in his tone. Alia froze for a moment when she heard such an unfamiliar tone, and then reacted immediately, groaning in her heart, and hurriedly said, ¡°It¡¯s me, Alia.¡± ¡°Alia?¡± With some doubt, the door was opened with little sound, and little Edward, who was in a suit, looked at Alia with a frown. Alia was relieved when she saw him. She knew that Edward hated being in close contact with other people except the Duke and Reverend Bruce, so if it was not out of necessity, there were usually few servants in his room. ¡°Lord Edward, I haven¡¯t seen you for a long time. I miss you very much.¡± Alia said very sincerely. Edward¡¯s impression of Alia is not bad. Although he has been estranged from her after not seeing each other in the past few weeks, he still feels relatively close emotionally. ¡°Come in Alia, it¡¯s great that you can come today.¡± Edward¡¯s face immediately put on a pure smile. Alia¡¯s expression was stiff, it seemed that even Edward was aware that she was hated by the Duke. Alia followed Edward into the room and sat down under Edward¡¯s warm reception, but as she looked at Edward¡¯s innocent face, she didn¡¯t know how to speak. ¡°Alia, do you have anything to say to me?¡± Although Edward was a child, the question he asked was to the core. Alia was the guest this time and at this time, she should not be in this place. Arya looked around the room and glanced at Edward, his eyes were still innocent and pure, as if he didn¡¯t know how sharp the question he had just asked was. ¡°I¡­ I haven¡¯t seen you for a long time. I missed you very much, so I wanted to come and see you.¡± Alia said with a dry smile. This excuse is very ridiculous. Today is Edward¡¯s birthday and he is the protagonist of the day. If she wants to see him, in ten minutes, she would. But Edward didn¡¯t seem to realize that this excuse was so stupid, he still smiled innocently, ¡°I missed you very much too, Alia. You know the book you gave to me before, Evan read it to me a few days ago. But Evan said it was a bit advanced for me and not for my age.¡± (I somehow feel that this little kid knows who she wants to talk about and he¡¯s leading her on ) When Alia heard these words, she felt really dissatisfied. It was really abhorrent for someone like Reverend Bruce to criticize her taste, to slander her in front of a child. ¡°Lord Edward.¡± Alia said very quickly, ¡°Please don¡¯t believe what Reverend Bruce said. You are the only son of Duke Wilson and the knowledge reserve you need is far higher than that of a normal child, that book is exactly what you should read. You can¡¯t lower your expectations by listening to Reverend Bruce¡¯s ridiculous words, you must always remember that you are an honorable lord.¡± Alia¡¯s words are full of irony, especially about Evan. It was like her words were filled with mockery towards Evan, it was almost overflowing. But Edward¡¯s face gradually turned cold at her words but Alia didn¡¯t see such a change as she continued to say in a big way. ¡°Actually, what I want to say to you today is not only this, but what I want to tell you is that, you should also know that Mr Ford, who came to Delanlier this time, has known Reverend Bruce before. He knows Reverend Bruce very well. According to him, Reverend Bruce is not as simple and kind as he appears. He is actually a very scheming person. He took this opportunity to recover from his injuries to seduce Duke Wilson. Now Duke Wilson has feelings for him. Lord Edward, please stop such a terrible thing from happening, if this thing spreads, I am afraid that the Duke will be ruined!¡± As she spoke, Alia was like an upright warrior, eyes full of righteousness. She looked at Edward righteously, expecting the child¡¯s reaction in her heart. She expected him to turn pale with fright and throw himself into her arms for comfort, or immediately drive Reverend Bruce out of Cornwall Manor in anger. No matter which result it was, Alia¡¯s heart was extremely happy. It¡¯s just a pity that Edward didn¡¯t have any of the above reactions, he looked at Alia coldly without any expression on his face. ¡°This is what you want to say to me?¡± His tone was very cold, with a childish voice that sounded a little weird. Alia looked at Edward and couldn¡¯t help shivering. She had never seen Edward look like this. Edward was always a weak and innocent child in her heart. ¡°I¡­I¡¯m telling the truth.¡± Alia¡¯s tone trembled slightly, and she suddenly found that things were not as simple as she thought. ¡°Huh! The truth?¡± Edward suddenly stood up from the chair, his short figure suddenly looked imposing at this moment. ¡°Miss Alia, you framed a gentleman in front of me with no evidence at all. And you tell me this is the truth? Then I ask you, if Reverend Bruce is really as despicable and shameless as you say, what did he do? What¡¯s the matter with him?¡± Edward¡¯s eyes glowed with a dark light, looking very dangerous. Alia looked at the child in front of her with disbelief. This is not the innocent child she knew before. At this moment, she suddenly realized that the child in front of her was a lord and a noble. No nobleman in this world is pure. ¡°Lord¡­Edward¡­¡± Alia looked at him and murmured. Of course she had no evidence. When she heard Ford¡¯s words about Reverend Bruce¡¯s personality, she didn¡¯t think about evidence at all, and subconsciously took his words as a fact. Edward frowned, and his tone was very cold, ¡°Miss Alia, you should call me Lord Edward. Your behavior makes me despise you. The friendship between you and I will end here!¡± When Alia heard this, she suddenly felt a sense of despair in her heart. Now, even Edward rejected her, which left her with no way out. ¡°Edward, no, my lord, listen to me. Although I can¡¯t provide any evidence for Reverend Bruce¡¯s character, but I didn¡¯t lie about the matter between him and Duke Wilson. Now the Duke has been attracted to him, this is absolutely true, you must believe me. The reputation of the Duke cannot be tarnished because of him, you must take action!¡± Alia was not reconciled to being defeated like this, and before leaving, she put up a last struggle. Edward looked at Alia coldly and sneered, ¡°Miss Alia, I think you haven¡¯t figured out the current situation! Why do you think I tried so hard to match you and Evan before? Of course it¡¯s because I want Evan to stay with me. Wouldn¡¯t it be better now that you tell me that my father has feelings for him? He could stay at Cornwall Manor forever, stay with me forever. It¡¯s really a good thing.¡± His expression was very cold, but his tone was very soft, and in such a situation, it seemed very strange. Alia was completely taken aback by him. Looking at the stunned Alia, Edward leaned down gently and whispered in her ear, ¡°By the way, Miss Alia, your words reminded me that this matter cannot be spread out. If I hear some news, then I will think you did it, and what you¡¯ll need to pay will be beyond my control.¡± Alia looked into Edward¡¯s eyes, and a strange thought suddenly appeared in her mind. The child in front of her really doesn¡¯t look like a six year old child. He is simply a demon, a demon that has crawled out of hell! ( Oh Lord, I love this kid, he really gave it to her good) T/N : I am very tired of seeing this Alia name. The sooner I stop seeing it, the better I¡¯ll feel, honestly. CH 56 Alia couldn¡¯t say a word. She almost stumbled as she ran out of the room. She couldn¡¯t believe that the child in front of her was the one who used to be so close to her, the child who was supposed to be a simple and innocent little boy. Alia leaned against the wall of the corridor panting heavily. So it seemed that the pure person was only herself, she was really naive! (Pure, yeah right) Alia¡¯s worldview completely collapsed at this moment. She suddenly discovered that the world is not as simple as she imagined. The priest who was supposed to be kind and benevolent was a scheming villain in the words of others. A young child who should be innocent and pure could actually be so terrifying. Alia clenched her fists tightly in front of her chest, she suddenly feels a little confused now, what should she do after this? ¡°Miss Alia?¡± Suddenly, a gentle male voice came from beside Alia. Alia turned her head suddenly as if she was burned by something and Evan¡¯s gentle smile appeared in front of Alia¡¯s eyes so suddenly. Her heart thumped, and the whole person became nervous. ¡°B¡­ Reverend Bruce?¡± Alia was a little guilty and short of breath and she didn¡¯t dare to look at Evan at all. Looking at her being like this, Evan sneered inwardly, and said softly, ¡°Miss Alia, why are you here?¡± As a guest of Cornwall Manor, wandering around the manor at will is not a very polite behavior. Of course Alia could understand what Evan meant and her face flushed immediately as she spoke quietly, ¡°I¡­I want to use the bathroom.¡± Such an excuse is not very decent in this day and age, but Alia could only think of this at this time. Evan didn¡¯t make any embarrassing expressions, he just smiled and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask you to walk further down the hall. The dinner time is coming and you have to go down quickly.¡± Biting her lower lip, the shame in her heart and her disdain for Evan twisted into a ball in her heart, but in the end she could only nod her head without saying a word. Evan looked at Alia¡¯s bowed head and sneered in his heart. In the original book, Little Edward was not a simple child. He was sensitive and dark, but all his feelings were pinned on the gentle Alia. He did a lot of terrible things for Alia but it is different now. Alia has no chance to have further intimate contact with Little Edward like in the original book. Instead, this person has been replaced by him, so he is not surprised with today¡¯s results. Evan stood there with a cold expression and watched Alia walk stiffly into the lady¡¯s washroom. Mrs Sanders has long been unhappy with the Hester father and daughter in the Delanlier church and after going through the previous incident, this cold and serious lady¡¯s senses about him had already turned 180 degrees. Ford harbored such deep malice towards him. He was not a fool, naturally. He won¡¯t be allowed to act at will while still in his own territory. There was a sneer at the corners of Evan¡¯s lips. Ford wanted to choose a well-controlled puppet, so he would give Ford a surprise and let him feel how good the control of the puppet Alia truly is. Evan went downstairs and he saw Duke Wilson standing among the guests from a distance. The admiration from the guests surrounding him was endless, but the expression on the Duke¡¯s face was very flat. But the moment he saw Evan, his eyes lit up, he left from the crowd, walked to Evan and said warmly, ¡°You are finally here.¡± Evan looked up at the Duke and smiled softly, ¡°Lord Duke.¡± Seeing Evan come down, the people all gathered around to chat with Evan. Now Evan standing by Duke Wilson¡¯s side is a popular person, plus his status as a priest, in the eyes of these people makes his status even higher. Colonel Mel is a faithful follower of Duke Wilson. He nodded at Evan with a smile and said, ¡°Reverend, compared to the last time I saw you, your face looks much better. How is your body now?¡± Evan smiled politely, ¡°Thank you for your concern, my health is much better.¡± Colonel Mel gave Duke Wilson a meaningful look and suddenly said, ¡°Then when will I hear your mass?¡± Evan was stunned for a moment, and then smiled, ¡°I will return to the Delanlier church this weekend, and you and your wife are welcome to come to worship.¡± As soon as Evan¡¯s voice fell, Duke Wilson¡¯s whole body stiffened. He looked at Evan in disbelief and asked in a low voice, ¡°You want to leave?¡± Of course he wants to leave. He has now stayed in Cornwall Manor for a long time, which is not proper. If he stays any longer, it is inevitable that someone will eventually gossip. ¡°My lord, my body has recovered. I am very grateful for your care these days but serving God is my duty. I have been lazy these days and the affairs of the church are very complicated. I can¡¯t leave Mrs Sanders alone to deal with it.¡± Evan¡¯s tone was gentle and polite and his words were well-founded, so Duke Wilson couldn¡¯t find anything to refute for a while. ¡°But you¡­¡± The Duke opened his mouth with a dark and complicated expression as if he was planning a murder. (??) Before the Duke could say anything, Butler Chris came over and whispered, ¡°Sir, it¡¯s time for dinner.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s face was very ugly and Butler Chris was taken aback, and the rest of what he wanted to say did not come out. ¡°Bring Edward out of the room and take the guests to the dinner table.¡± The Duke said in a stiff tone. Butler Chris nodded immediately, and didn¡¯t dare to say anything about the game that he had arranged before as he quickly retreated. Butler Chris turned away while Evan had already turned his head to chat with Colonel Mel. Colonel Mel is a well-informed person. His previous military experience gave him a clear understanding of the world and he was much more profound than other squires. Evan did not violate the harmony when chatting with him. It¡¯s just that Colonel Mel¡¯s words of admiration for the previous Duke Wilson made Evan feel a little bit sour. He used almost all the words of praise he knew to describe the previous duke, as if he is just like Jesus Himself who came to this world, and how great his image was. Of course, Evan is not stupid enough to question how many layers of beautification these words have and how they have been glorified. He just smiled and listened to Colonel Mel¡¯s praise for the Duke¡¯s outstanding military capabilities. At this moment, Evan felt the burning gaze behind him. He pursed his lips as a smile appeared at the corners of his lips. He didn¡¯t need to look back to know whose gaze it was, but this time he was going to disappoint Duke Wilson. So many days of close contact is obviously enough, and his strategies and tactics, he still has to carry them out, until Duke Wilson speaks. Butler Chris tapped the wine glass in his hand and said loudly, ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to invite you to dinner on behalf of Duke Wilson.¡± He stretched his arms in the direction of the manor¡¯s restaurant, with a respectful and humble expression. The people in the hall began to walk towards the restaurant one after another but Duke Wilson was still standing there. Evan was about to leave with Colonel Mel, but the Duke suddenly called him, ¡°Reverend Bruce!¡± Evan turned his head in surprise, Duke Wilson¡¯s expression was a little gloomy, ¡°Please stay, I have something to tell you.¡± Evan was a little surprised, but still nodded, but Colonel Mel, who was with him, was a little bit surprised. He smiled oddly, turned and left. ¡°Lord Duke, what is it?¡± Evan asked tentatively. Duke Wilson looked at Evan with a heavy expression, pursed his lips and said, ¡°Are you really going to leave?¡± Evan was relieved and smiled, ¡°My body has fully recovered, and of course I can¡¯t keep staying here with you.¡± Duke Wilson saw the change in Evan¡¯s expression and he felt a little annoyed, he didn¡¯t have the slightest nostalgia at all. ¡°Evan!¡± he murmured a little irritably. Evan was taken aback, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± He looked at Duke Wilson with a look of surprise on his face. Duke Wilson was so angry that he wanted to scold him, but he didn¡¯t dare to say anything. He clenched his fists tightly, the anger in his heart almost jumping out of his chest. ¡°Evan, don¡¯t go!¡± Accompanied by a young child¡¯s crisp voice, the figure of a child crashed directly into Evan¡¯s arms like a small cannonball. Evan was hit hard and he staggered, but he still hugged the child who was holding his waist tightly with both hands. Evan caressed the back of the child in his arms somewhat dumbfounded, and asked softly, ¡°Lord Edward, what¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Edward¡¯s behavior finally eased the sullenness in Duke Wilson¡¯s heart, he suddenly realized that it was not bad to have such a sticky child. ¡°Reverend.¡± Duke Wilson cleared his throat and said in a low voice, ¡°Look, Edward has had no mother since he was a child and he has become so dependent on you. Please consider Edward and don¡¯t leave.¡± Evan, while stroking Edward¡¯s back, there was a smile on the corners of his lips. His patience for so many days was really not in vain. ¡°My lord, I am flattered by your friendship with Lord Edward, but my duty is to protect the glory of the Lord. As a priest, if I live in the manor all the time, I am afraid it will be inconvenient, especially now that Mr Ford is still here, I can¡¯t ignore his strength. I ask for your understanding, but please rest assured that whenever I have time, I will definitely come to visit you and Lord Edward. This is my promise.¡± Although this is the result he wants, he can¡¯t change his decision because of this. He will definitely stay in this place in the future, but he can¡¯t stay in this uncertain time. Edward held Evan¡¯s arm tighter. He raised his head, looked at Evan with a very innocent look, and whispered, ¡°Is what you said true? You can¡¯t lie to me!¡± He is still too young and has no strength now. He had already heard about the power of the church when he was five years old, and now neither he nor his powerful father could do anything. Duke Wilson¡¯s face was ashen. He also understood Evan¡¯s implication at this time. Now Ford is eyeing Evan. If there are really bad rumors, he would not be able to keep Evan, the public opinion of the society is enough for Evan¡¯s life to go down the drain. ¡°Of course I won¡¯t lie to you.¡± Evan stroked Edward¡¯s hair very gently and said softly, ¡°Lord Edward, today is your birthday. Everyone is waiting for you in the restaurant, so don¡¯t let everyone wait for a long time.¡± Edward nodded obediently as he let go of Evan¡¯s arm. He gently held Evan¡¯s hand, he turned to look at the solemn Duke Wilson and smiled shyly as he said, ¡°Father, let¡¯s go in together.¡± Duke Wilson suddenly came back to his senses and was stunned when he saw Evan holding Edward, but Edward was very bold and walked to Duke Wilson, took his hand, pulled him and Evan and walked towards the restaurant together. And this scene completely fell into the eyes of Alia, who had just come out of the bathroom. She clenched the handkerchief in her hand tightly, and the jealousy she felt bit into her heart like a poisonous snake. (Please disappear already, you¡¯re not wanted in their little world ) T/N : Trouble looms. Of course, I¡¯m sure you guys know which two people are going to cause this trouble. CH 57 Duke Wilson led Edward and Evan to the door of the restaurant, but at the moment they were about to enter through the door, Evan let go of Edward¡¯s hand. Under this circumstance, for Evan, walking in like that was a bit outrageous. The people sitting in this room are not fools and some things cannot be overdone. The moment Evan let go of Edward¡¯s hand, the smile on Edward¡¯s face froze but he concealed his differences very well. He didn¡¯t even lift his head and followed Duke Wilson into the hall, while Evan walked in after a slight pause. This birthday party was very successful. Although all the people who came were people of high class and status from Delanlier, no one could match the status and poise of Duke Wilson. Therefore, although it was only a child¡¯s birthday party, the guests gave their congratulations as they looked so happy, except that they didn¡¯t write on their foreheads to show how happy they were to be at the party. But Duke Wilson was not in a good mood at all. Evan¡¯s sudden announcement of his leaving made him upset. He didn¡¯t want Evan to leave, but at the same time there was no good reason for him to stay. His bad mood made him feel suffocated. Duke Wilson¡¯s mood also affected the behaviour and attitude of the people around them. They were cautious when talking to the Duke, for fear of poking at the Duke¡¯s painful point and hurting themselves in the process. Evan didn¡¯t seem to notice the Duke¡¯s mood and he was still very relaxed. His seat was next to the Duke and on the seat on his other side was Sheriff Chandler. The Sheriff had finally solved the case this time and he was in very high spirits, he could not stop talking to Evan about his experience and the process of cracking the case. Evan did not tire of listening to Sheriff Chandler¡¯s flaunting words as if he was very interested, but he kept observing Duke Wilson from the corner of his eye. In the original book, Duke Wilson is not such a patient person, it seems that his plan is about to succeed. After the dinner, the Duke sent all the guests away, and Edward was taken back to his room by the footman. Before he left, Edward glanced at Duke Wilson but in the end, he didn¡¯t speak and just left quietly. He is still in awe of his father and if Evan hadn¡¯t comforted him when he was at his most vulnerable, he wouldn¡¯t even have the courage to speak to Duke Wilson now. Thinking of this, Edward¡¯s eyes turned a little gloomy. Alia was definitely an uncertain factor. In Edward¡¯s opinion, Alia was not someone who could be easily fooled and threatened. After Edward went upstairs, only Duke Wilson and Evan were left on the sofa downstairs. Duke Wilson looked at Evan deeply, until Evan¡¯s scalp felt numb, and he finally opened his mouth to speak. ¡°Evan, as your friend, I am very sorry for your decision to leave, but please remember that the door of Cornwall Manor will always be open to you.¡± No matter how reluctant Duke Wilson was, at this time, he had no second option, because he wasn¡¯t in the position to force Evan to stay. Evan smiled softly and said warmly, ¡°Your friendship has moved me very much. Please rest assured that even if I leave Cornwall Manor, my friendship with you will not change.¡± Duke Wilson reluctantly let go. The corners of his lips were pursed, he is definitely still not in a good mood. Evan chatted with the Duke for a few more minutes, and then went upstairs on the pretext of being sleepy. Today¡¯s entertainment had already made him a little tired. Fighting wits and courage with Duke Wilson completely exhausted his energy. Coupled with this injury, he was really exhausted. Duke Wilson sat alone in the wide hall. Butler Chris couldn¡¯t help asking for instructions, ¡°Lord Duke, it¡¯s getting late, do you want to go and rest?¡± ¡°Leave, I¡¯m going to sit here for a while.¡± Duke Wilson waved his hand coldly. He was waiting for someone and a piece of news at the same time. Ederson had asked someone to send a message the day before yesterday, and the result of the investigation he asked for would be brought to him tonight at the latest. Butler Chris is a competent butler and naturally he will not leave before everyone rests. He stood silently behind Duke Wilson and was not ready to leave. Duke Wilson didn¡¯t care either. The Chris family have served in the Duke¡¯s mansion for three generations and the loyalty of the old housekeeper was beyond any doubt. An hour later, when the clock struck midnight, a servant hurried in and reported, ¡°My lord, the gatekeeper said there is a Mr Ederson outside, who has requested to see you.¡± Asking for a meeting at such a late night is a very indecent thing, not to mention disturbing the Duke. ¡°He said¡­he has something important to ask for, and he has your letter with him¡­¡± The servant quickly defended, fearing that the Duke would be angry. There was no expression on the Duke¡¯s face, and his tone was very calm, ¡°Let him come in.¡± The servant sighed with relief, and quickly backed out. After a while, someone led Ederson in. At this time, Ederson was no longer as well put together as he was before. His hair was very messy, as if it had been swept by the wind and his clothes were also somewhat wrinkled. It looked like he came after a long journey, his face was pale and it seemed that he had suffered a lot. ¡°Lord Duke.¡± Ederson¡¯s etiquette was still perfect. Duke Wilson raised his hand, ¡°Go on.¡± His tone was very cold, but his slightly trembling hands hidden in his sleeves betrayed his true emotions. Ederson didn¡¯t see the Duke¡¯s hands, so he didn¡¯t understand the Duke¡¯s true emotions. He sorted out the thoughts in his head and reported the results of his investigation in the past few days to the Duke but this time he didn¡¯t dare make random speculations like the last time, and he honestly reported all the objective facts he had investigated to the Duke. Duke Wilson was still frowning at first, but the expression on his face gradually softened a lot in the end. Ederson¡¯s expression looked a little weird. To be honest, in his investigation this time, even he felt a little weird. He still couldn¡¯t see through the relationship between Ford and Bruce. Back then, the two friends declared that Ford was a despicable homosexual and spread the rumours, but the two were just purely jealous of Ford and it had nothing to do with Reverend Bruce. And Ford¡¯s father, the venerable earl, had also approached Reverend Bruce. This matter was very secret at that time. He found the earl¡¯s private secretary from back then and it was only through some special means that he came to know about the meeting. It¡¯s just that, what was said in the past, only the earl and Reverend Bruce know. And looking at the Duke¡¯s reaction now, maybe the Duke also knows. A dim light flashed in Ederson¡¯s eyes. He clenched his fist and concealed the unwillingness in his eyes. The last time he lost the trust of the Duke, this time he could only be a man with his tail between his legs in order for him to be trusted again, but he would have to see who made him so embarrassed. And Duke Wilson got the answer he wanted. He waved at Ederson with a soothing expression and said, ¡°Okay, you did a good job this time. You can go.¡± Ederson instantly recovered, he bowed to the Duke, turned and left the hall. After Ederson left, Duke Wilson also stood up. Ederson¡¯s investigation results were in line with Evan¡¯s remarks. Although he is leaving Cornwall Manor, he is still in Delanlier, Duke Wilson comforted himself. Most importantly, Evan is still the same Evan. ****** The Duke¡¯s good mood continued until the next morning and even Evan was very surprised to see the Duke¡¯s bright appearance. Does he not care about me leaving? Evan had this doubt, but when he saw Ederson¡¯s respectful figure, Evan immediately knew what had caused it. It seemed that the matter had been resolved and Duke Wilson had verified and accepted his words. Evan smiled happily. It¡¯s time to completely solve the tricky character, Ford . Evan left the next afternoon, and Duke Wilson took him back to the parsonage himself in a carriage. The servants, Mrs Sanders and the assistant priest greeted Evan at the door of the cottage, especially Mrs. Sanders, there was a rare soft color on her cold face. ¡°Reverend, welcome back.¡± Mrs Sanders said warmly, looking at Evan as he got off the carriage. Evan walked to Mrs Sanders and nodded slightly, ¡°My dear lady, I am flattered by your welcome.¡± Duke Wilson sat in the carriage watching this scene, and for some reason felt a little dazzled. After Evan got down from the carriage, he didn¡¯t get down too, he just opened the carriage door and said in a low voice, ¡°Reverend Bruce, then I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Evan was a little surprised, but still kept his etiquette, ¡°Thank you very much for sending me back. Please go slowly.¡± As Duke Wilson¡¯s carriage left, Mrs Sanders¡¯ brows were furrowed. ¡°Reverend Bruce.¡± Mrs Sanders¡¯ tone was a little hesitant, ¡°How were you at the duke¡¯s Manor these past days?¡± Duke Wilson was so rude the last time, which surprised Mrs Sanders. Evan naturally guessed what Mrs Sanders was thinking about and smiled, ¡°My lady, please rest assured, I have been very happy in the duke¡¯s Manor these past days. But the duke is really busy at this time, that is why he left in a hurry.¡± Mrs Sanders¡¯ complexion was much better now. She looked at Evan, who was pale, and sighed, ¡°Your luck is really bad, you just went for an autumn hunt and you didn¡¯t come back until early winter. Next time, you must not go hunting again, it is too dangerous.¡± Evan nodded with a smile, but secretly thought to himself, there will be no such exciting hunt next time. Everyone crowded Evan into the cottage. The cottage was well taken care of. It didn¡¯t look like no one lived there for a long time. Evan looked at the things in the cottage and they were the same as before he left. Having a servant is really good, he can go on trips with confidence in the future. Mrs Haydn had already prepared a table of food and Evan praised her very much. The smile on Mrs Haydn¡¯s face almost didn¡¯t stop. This grumpy lady could turn soft in front of Evan. Several people were enjoying their dinner happily. At this time, Billy, the errand boy, suddenly came in. Mrs Haydn¡¯s face sank immediately. ¡°Reverend, that Mr Ford is here.¡± Evan¡¯s original soft expression finally sank at this moment. CH 58 Ford actually came, Evan did not expect this. ¡°Where did you see Mr Ford?¡± Evan asked, frowning. Because of Evan¡¯s expression, Billy looked a little uneasy, rubbed the corners of his clothes, and said with a twinkle in his eyes, ¡°I¡­I was just taking care of flowers in the back garden and I just saw Mr Ford coming from the path in the woods, heading towards the cottage.¡± Evan would not believe in Billy¡¯s words too much. Billy¡¯s age was the age to be naughty, him saying that he was taking care of the garden might as well be that he went to the garden to catch bugs. Now that could convince him. ¡°Okay, I see, you did a good job.¡± Evan still liked Billy¡¯s cleverness and even if he was naughty, he could endure it. Hearing Evan say this, a smile finally appeared on Billy¡¯s face. As a priest, Evan is very generous. Since he said this, he might give him a reward. ¡°Thank you for your compliment, Reverend.¡± Billy smiled and took off his hat, not even paying attention to Mrs Haydn¡¯s angry eyes. Evan nodded, and Billy backed out. After Billy left, Mrs Haydn said apologetically, ¡°Reverend, I¡¯m so sorry, Billy is so uncultured.¡± Evan shook his head with a smile and said, ¡°Madam, Billy is a lively man.¡± Mrs Haydn was relieved to see that Evan did not mind Billy¡¯s rashness, it is not easy for their family to find such a job and there are not many good employers like Evan. Mrs Haydn left the dining table and went to the kitchen. Mrs Sanders looked at Evan with a worried expression and said, ¡°Reverend Bruce¡­¡± Evan raised his hand to stop Mrs Sanders¡¯ question and said warmly, ¡°Ma¡¯am, don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s alright.¡± Before, he had asked Mrs Sanders to spy on Ford for him, using the excuse of being afraid of Ford¡¯s bad intentions. Now that Ford came to him as soon as he came back, Mrs Sanders was inevitably worried. As soon as the two of them finished speaking, the servant Tom walked in and said, ¡°Reverend, Mr Ford is here.¡± Evan nodded, ¡°Please let Mr Ford in.¡± After a while , Ford followed Tom into the living room of Evan¡¯s cottage. He looked at Evan with a very calm expression, as if the one who had instigated Alia to provoke Edward was not him. ¡°Reverend Bruce, it¡¯s great to see that you have recovered.¡± Ford¡¯s tone was very mild. Evan nodded politely, ¡°Please sit down.¡± The two sat down in the living room, but fell into awkward silence for a while. Evan didn¡¯t want to speak first. Who knows what Ford¡¯s motive was this time, he didn¡¯t want to fall into Ford¡¯s trap. Seeing that Evan didn¡¯t say a word, Ford sneered in his heart. He hadn¡¯t seen it before that Evan was actually such a cautious person. ¡°Reverend Bruce, how have you been at the Duke¡¯s manor these days?¡± Finally, Ford was the first to speak. Evan didn¡¯t expect him to ask this, so he raised his eyebrows, ¡°Very well, the Duke is a very hospitable gentleman.¡± ¡°Hospitable?¡± Ford looked at Evan almost sarcastically, ¡°Your use of this word is really interesting. In my opinion, the Duke is not just hospitable, but is also very concerned about you.¡± Evan clenched his fist lightly, he knew that the ambiguous atmosphere between himself and Duke Wilson absolutely couldn¡¯t be hidden from Ford. ¡°The Duke and I are indeed very good friends.¡± Evan¡¯s face was still calm and there was no embarrassment to be exposed. Seeing him being so indifferent, Ford only felt more and more hatred well-up in his heart. Evan had treated himself so ruthlessly back then, and now he is here trying to seduce the duke, how shameless! ¡°Humph!¡± Ford completely tore off his disguise. He strode up to Evan and looked at Evan condescendingly, ¡°Bruce! You don¡¯t need to play with me! What kind of person you are, no one in this world knows better than me!¡± Evan looked up at Ford, the anger on his face was so clear, the hatred in his eyes could almost swallow a person. ¡°Ford, what happened back then has passed. I did something very bad, and I sincerely ask your forgiveness now.¡± Evan knew that this matter had to be resolved but he didn¡¯t expect that Ford would actually choose today. But no matter what, he will go ahead with this matter according to his own plan. Ford was a little surprised when he heard Evan¡¯s words and when he looked at Evan¡¯s sincere eyes, he was a little dazed. He still remembered what happened when he and Evan were in public school, that was probably the best time in his life, but it also became his worst nightmare in the days to come. Ford¡¯s softened heart suddenly hardened again. He looked at Evan and smiled grimly, ¡°Forgive?¡± He seemed to not understand the meaning of the word, ¡°You want to me forgive you?¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± He laughed loudly, ¡°Do you know how I came to be where I am today and what happened to me over the past few years?¡± He looked straight at Evan. Evan frowned, feeling that something was very wrong with Ford. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what I¡¯ve been through in the past few years, and then you think about it again and tell me if I can forgive you.¡± Ford said softly, he slowly sat opposite Evan and looked at him with an extremely cold gaze. ¡°At that time, you rejected me severely and then left the public school. At that time, it was like the end of the world for me. But the most painful thing is more than that¡­¡± He stared at Evan. ¡°The rumor spread through the entire public school in an instant. I became the target of public criticism. The school administrator asked me to drop out of school. My father wanted to cut ties with me.¡± His gaze was like a sharp sword that stabbed at Evan fiercely. ¡°Until the end, I didn¡¯t know that these pains were actually caused by you, the person I thought about day and night.¡± When Ford said this, there was a mockery in his tone, which reflected his deep self-loathing, it seems that he is very disgusted with that past self. Listening to his words, Evan didn¡¯t know what to say for a while. To be honest, Evan also felt a little inappropriate about what the original owner did. Although he was only scheming, the original owner¡¯s method is really a bit rude. After all, Ford didn¡¯t do anything to deserve such from him. On the contrary, Ford was very good to the original owner. Now that it had led to this result, Evan is actually very innocent. ¡°Ford¡­¡± Evan seemed to speak with difficulty. Although he disagreed with the original owner¡¯s approach, it had nothing to do with himself and he couldn¡¯t take the blame. ¡°I know the hatred you feel towards me, and I regret what I did back then. I¡­¡± Evan stopped talking and had a complicated look on his face. Seeing Evan like this, Ford frowned. He thought that Evan would try his best to deny it or try to whitewash himself, but the way he is acting now is really beyond his expectations. ¡°Huh! You don¡¯t need to pretend to be a saint.¡± Although Ford doubted Evan¡¯s attitude in his heart, he still would not give up his hatred for Evan after so many years, ¡°What you did was so cruel, I will never let it go.¡± Ford looked at Evan with a cold look in his eyes. Evan sighed deeply, and he glanced at Ford with deep meaning in his eyes. ¡°I know your hatred for me, but please be sensible and don¡¯t do anything drastic. After all, everyone else is innocent.¡± Ford smiled contemptuously at Evan, he stood up and walked to the door, and then turned his head to look at Evan,¡±You don¡¯t need to play this kind of benevolent drama in front of me, no one knows better than me how vicious and shallow you truly are.¡± After saying that, Ford turned and left the room. Evan sat in the same place, and his original pained look suddenly became an unpredictable look. He looked at the direction that Ford left through, and his mind was full of different thoughts. Why did Ford come today? He will never do something without having an aim, and it is absolutely impossible that this provocation is just caused by his hatred. Ford must have other motives, so he could not relax his vigilance. But thinking of Duke Wilson, Evan¡¯s heart was relieved again, as long as the Duke was there, there would be no problem. ******** After Ford left Evan¡¯s hut, his turbulent mood gradually calmed down. He did not expect that he would be so excited before, but when he faced Evan, when he saw how he was so kind and peaceful to people outside, the hatred in his heart couldn¡¯t stop overflowing. He couldn¡¯t accept that the person who ruthlessly abandoned him and designed to frame him would have a better life and even seduce a more powerful person. This is something he can¡¯t imagine. In his mind, this person should fall into the mortal world and then rot and stink in a sewer, instead of appearing in front of people¡¯s eyes like now. Ford clenched his fist tightly. Since the duke likes his purity and kindness, he will let the duke know what kind of vicious heart lies behind the face of Bruce¡¯s angelic facade. There was a hint of coldness on the corners of Ford¡¯s mouth. The person he was looking for was about to come and Bruce¡¯s good days were coming to an end. Ford left Evan¡¯s cottage along the tree-lined path. The warm countryside scenery around him could not thaw his icy heart. The softness in his heart had long since been sent to the monastery by his father to forcibly cure his despicable nature. When he was gay, he was buried long ago, and now there is only the flame of revenge in Ford¡¯s heart. ********* After Ford left, Mrs Sanders knocked on the door and walked into the living room. Evan was still sitting there, and Mrs Sanders looked at him with a worried look, ¡°Reverend Bruce, are you alright?¡± Evan pursed his lips and smiled, ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m sorry for making you worry.¡± Mrs Sanders couldn¡¯t smile at all, she could see that the situation between Evan and Ford is not very harmonious. ¡°What happened between you and Mr Ford? Why are you fighting each other so much?¡± In the living room just now, the loud rebuke of Ford could be heard faintly. Although the words could not be heard, the attitude of swords and arrows was still very clear. Evan didn¡¯t answer this question, he just gave a wry smile. He had a hunch that Ford¡¯s actions would be revealed in the next few days. CH 59 Evan¡¯s hunch was very correct. When he returned to the Delanlier Church, on the first Sunday, Ford did not come to worship. Ford was a priest of the church yet he did not come to worship. He put the feud between the two of them on the table. Most of the townspeople in Delanlier were unaware and only a few sensitive gentlemen and ladies could see that something was wrong here, because although Ford had only been in Delanlier for a few days, the sense of his existence is very strong. Even the person with the least interaction with him will not ignore his existence. After the service, a very flamboyantly dressed lady walked up to Evan. She looked thirty years old and she was wearing a bright yellow dress that only little girls would wear, with a pink hat tied in a bow tie on her head. The artificial smile squeezed on her face is contrived and eccentric. ¡°Reverend.¡± She said in a sly voice, ¡°Do you remember me?¡± Evan looked at the woman in front of him, thought for a moment, smiled and nodded, ¡°Miss Blair.¡± The woman had made an impression on him on his first day in the church, and Sheriff Chandler had told him the other day that it was this woman who was Rael¡¯s alibi witness. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t expect you to remember me.¡± Miss Blair giggled. She seemed to want to make her voice more delicate but the effect was actually quite terrifying. Evan resisted the urge to touch his arm that had goosebumps, forced a smile and nodded, and immediately asked, ¡°Is there anything you need?¡± He really didn¡¯t want to be entangled with this lady. ¡°Oh, I almost forgot.¡± Miss Blair seemed to be trying to wink at Evan, but Evan didn¡¯t even look at her. ¡°I want to ask you something.¡± Because of Evan¡¯s indifference, Miss Blair was obviously a little frustrated, ¡°When will the trial of Mrs Johnson¡¯s case begin?¡± Evan tensed when he heard her ask this. ¡°Why do you ask this?¡± Evan tentatively asked with a smile. Miss Blair looked a little upset when she talked about this, and the artificial smile on her face could not be maintained at this time. She just waved her hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just asking casually.¡± Although she said this, her expression was obviously implying otherwise. Evan couldn¡¯t help but have some doubts in his heart, and after a little pause, he said, ¡°I don¡¯t know this too well. It is said that the county court is very busy these days, I¡¯m afraid it will not be until next spring.¡± ¡°It will take so long?!¡± Miss Blair exclaimed. Evan looked at her and raised his eyebrows. Miss Blair lowered her head hurriedly to cover up and spoke while stumbling through her words, ¡°But¡­poor Mrs Johnson, I really feel¡­heartache for her.¡± Evan¡¯s emotions changed, but there was only a smile on his face, ¡°You are really a kind lady. If you want to know anything about Mrs Johnson, you can go to Sheriff Chandler, I think he knows more about the matter.¡± Miss Blair smiled reluctantly, then mumbled a thank you, turned and left. Looking at Miss Blair¡¯s leaving as though she was running away, Evan¡¯s expression was thoughtful. It was really strange that Miss Blair was so concerned about Mrs Johnson¡¯s affairs. According to his understanding, the two people had no interactions before, the only thing that can be considered a connection between them is that Miss Blair proved Rael¡¯s alibi¡¯s¡­ Evan¡¯s eyes sank, it seems that this case is not so simple. Early the next morning, Evan went to see Sheriff Chandler. When he just arrived at the sheriff¡¯s house, Sheriff Chandler was trying to feed his daughter mashed potatoes. Evan¡¯s arrival promptly alerted the sheriff and he was rescued from this predicament. With a grateful face, he hugged his daughter and passed her to Mrs Chandler and dragged Evan out of the house. The two of them chose a quiet tavern and sat down. Sheriff Chandler ordered a large beer. He didn¡¯t seem to have much of a mental barrier against drinking in the morning, but Evan was different from him. This body he got in this world was originally very weak, so he just had a glass of water. Sheriff Chandler took a sip of beer first and smacked his lips contentedly, ¡°What are you doing here today?¡± Evan held his own glass of clear water in his hand and stroked the edge of the glass, then said, ¡°Sheriff, did Mrs Johnson explain why she went home from the Women¡¯s Association?¡± Hearing Evan asking about this, Sheriff Chandler pouted, ¡°Do you think she had something tangible to say? It was just evasive words, saying that she was worried about Mr Johnson¡¯s asthma, so she wanted to go back and have a look, but she didn¡¯t expect to see Mr Johnson dead when she got there.¡± Evan listened and after hearing this, he frowned, ¡°Mr Johnson does have asthma. I heard Dr. Hester say this once before.¡± Since Mr Johnson¡¯s death, all the rumors about him have long spread in Delanlier. Sheriff Chandler snorted coldly with some disdain, ¡°They are husband and wife, of course Mrs Johnson knows about this kind of thing better than anyone else, but I have never seen Mrs Johnson caring about Mr Johnson so much. Now the fact that she is saying this now, is too ridiculous to be true.¡± Sheriff Chandler said this, and Evan was silent, after a while, he finally said, ¡°Maybe. It¡¯s just that I think this time is a little weird. I saw Miss Blair yesterday and she asked me about Mrs Johnson, and I feel that the lady¡¯s attitude is a little unusual.¡± Sheriff Chandler was very calm, ¡°Miss Blair has always been such a neurotic person, don¡¯t be too worried.¡± Evan watched Sheriff Chandler drinking his glass of beer as if nothing had happened. His eyebrows furrowed deeply, this matter is obviously not so simple. In the end, because Sheriff Chandler didn¡¯t care, Evan left still filled with suspicion, but soon, he had no chance to worry about it, because his own problems began to appear. He didn¡¯t know since when a message began to spread through the whole town. That Reverend Bruce was not as pure as he appeared. He had once made a big mistake in London, so he was sent to a countryside town like Delanlier to be the priest there. This kind of news has no basis or evidence, but it is favored by people in places like Delanlier. The transmission of this news is so viral that in one day, it seemed like everyone in Delanlier had heard about it. Their honorable priest has an unusual past, and they are even more curious about what this honorable priest did to receive such a punishment. Of course, Evan also heard this rumor, but by the time he heard it, people around him had started to look at him differently. Evan¡¯s heart is actually very worried. On the surface, such rumors don¡¯t seem to have any substantive significance, but this blow to his reputation is very obvious. In this era, for a priest, his reputation is the most important thing. If his reputation is ruined, his career will also come to an end. Evan knew very well in his heart that he had to suppress this rumor. If he wanted to suppress the rumor, the first thing he had to do was to find the source of the rumor, but Evan was not worried about this, because he knew very well that only Ford can do this kind of thing. Back then, the original owner ruined Ford¡¯s reputation, and with the character of Ford, he would never let Evan go. Mrs Sanders also heard about this rumor. Like Evan, the first thing she thought of was Ford. Perhaps it was her intuition as a woman. Mrs Sanders always had a lot of dislike for Ford and treated him with the most cautious attitude. ¡°Reverend Bruce.¡± Mrs Sanders looked worriedly at Evan who was kneeling in front of the statue of Jesus, and whispered, ¡°Now that the ridiculous remarks in the town have spread, do you want to clarify?¡± Mrs Sanders¡¯ idea is also the most mainstream practice now, but Evan doesn¡¯t think so. Since Ford can make this move, he must have something to hold it. If he clarifies it to reporters now, he might fall into his trap. ¡°My dear lady, please don¡¯t worry.¡± Evan¡¯s tone was very calm, ¡°The rumors won¡¯t do anything. I haven¡¯t done anything shameful, so don¡¯t pay attention to such rumors.¡± As Mrs Sanders listened to him sau this, she was getting more anxious in her heart, ¡°Reverend, even if you haven¡¯t done such a thing, you can¡¯t let things develop like this. Most of the townspeople are very ignorant and they can easily believe it even though there is no basis for this kind of thing. If you leave it, ignorant people are hotbeds of rumors, you can¡¯t let things develop like this. If you let the church find out, I¡¯m afraid that there will be more trouble.¡± Mrs Sanders¡¯ concern is very reasonable and Evan is also very clear in his heart. But he has his own plans, so he can only decline Mrs Sanders¡¯ kindness. ¡°Ma¡¯am, I¡¯m very grateful for your concern, but sometimes some things get darker and darker. The more I say, the more mistakes I make. Let God judge this matter.¡± After making a sign of the cross and ending his prayer, he stood up from the ground, turned to look at Mrs Sanders, and said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be fine, the townspeople aren¡¯t as ignorant as we imagine. As long as I am firm in my heart, everyone will see the truth.¡± Mrs Sanders was noncommittal about Evan¡¯s optimism. She had seen the power of rumors. Her act of giving Little John up for adoption was also because of the fear that rumors will ruin the lives of both mother and son. Now Evan¡¯s wayward treatment of this matter makes Mrs Sanders feel very anxious. ¡°Okay, if this is your decision.¡± Mrs Sanders nodded her head, but she thought to herself that Reverend Bruce was still too naive and believed in the power of human nature. This matter still has to be told to Duke Wilson. Among the people Mrs Sanders knows, only Duke Wilson is both powerful and concerned about Reverend Bruce. Now that Mrs Sanders had made up her mind, she left Delanlier Church very quickly and walked towards Cornwall Manor. In fact, she was still a little uneasy, because she had not had much interaction with the Duke before. She was afraid that the Duke would not see her. But to Mrs Sanders¡¯ surprise, when she reported her intentions, she only waited for a few minutes at the door and was greeted in person by the Chief Butler of Cornwall Manor, Butler Chris. Mrs Sanders suddenly felt a little better about Duke Wilson. CH 60 Mrs Sanders followed Butler Chris into Cornwall Manor, and they did not stop there. They went straight to the second floor and walked towards the Duke¡¯s study. At the door of the study, Butler Chris knocked on the door first, ¡°Lord Duke, Mrs Sanders is here.¡± Butler Chris said respectfully. A moment later, the Duke¡¯s voice came from the room, ¡°Come in.¡± Butler Chris pushed the door of the study open, and Mrs Sanders followed Butler Chris into Duke Wilson¡¯s study. Duke Wilson was sitting by the window when Mrs Sanders entered, and when he saw Mrs Sanders entering, the Duke stood up. ¡°Mrs Sanders.¡± Duke Wilson looked at her with a smile. Mrs Sanders had some inexplicable feelings in her heart, but her face was still very respectful, ¡°Lord Duke, thank you very much for your reception.¡± Duke Wilson smiled slightly, ¡°My dear lady, you are someone I respect. Cornwall Manor is open to you at any time.¡± Although Duke Wilson said this, Mrs Sanders would not foolishly believe it. Duke Wilson can show such respect to her because of Reverend Bruce. Otherwise, she has never seen Duke Wilson being so humble before. ¡°Lord Duke, I¡¯m here to discuss with you about Reverend Bruce.¡± Mrs Sanders glanced at Butler Chris, who was standing beside her and said very cautiously. When he heard Mrs Sanders talk about Evan, Duke Wilson frowned. He waved at Butler Chris and Butler Chris resigned very respectfully. After Butler Chris had completely left, Duke Wilson asked, ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Mrs Sanders sighed, ¡°You should have heard the rumors in the town these days, right?¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s frown got deeper, ¡°Rumors?¡± He has been dealing with matters from the capital for the past few days and he hasn¡¯t paid close attention to Delanlier like he did before. ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Mrs Sanders looked at Duke Wilson in surprise, ¡°My lord, it has been circulating in the town these days that Reverend Bruce once did a shameful thing in London, and that was why he was sent to Delanlier. This is really nonsense. What kind of person Reverend Bruce is, you know best. Such rumors are really an insult to him.¡± Mrs Sanders was quite angry as she spoke. Duke Wilson frowned tightly and his face was a little ugly, ¡°When did this start?¡± His tone was cold. Mrs Sanders gritted her teeth and replied, ¡°Just a few days ago, after Reverend Bruce¡¯s first week back to the church. It didn¡¯t have much impact at first, but these days, it¡¯s getting more and more outrageous. And you know, sometimes the more ridiculous the rumors are, the more people believe in them. Reverend Bruce is an upright man, and those with a dark mind, the more they like to humiliate him with filthy thoughts.¡± Mrs Sanders actually spoke these words with a hidden meaning. She has always believed that this matter was made by Ford, so it is inevitable that she will bring out some points when she speaks. Duke Wilson¡¯s face was ashen when he heard this. He glanced at the indignant Mrs Sanders, understood what she meant, and asked in a low voice, ¡°Do you already have someone in your heart that spread this rumor?¡± Mrs Sanders, at this time, was extremely cautious. After all, it was just her own thoughts. She pursed her lips slightly and said carefully, ¡°I¡¯m not completely sure, so I don¡¯t dare to say it. I still need your help. Reverend Bruce is stubborn, he doesn¡¯t want to explain all of this. If we let these things develop more than this, I¡¯m afraid the church will come forward.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s expression darkened, he sneered as he said in a low voice, ¡°Mrs Sanders, you are a kind person. I am very aware of the object of suspicion in your heart, and I agree with you very much. At this time, the church plays a decisive role in Evan¡¯s life, and we happen to have a church member sent here as a representative, what a coincidence that is.¡± Mrs Sanders heaved a sigh of relief. It seemed that Duke Wilson thought the same as she thought, and this person, Ford, was really like a poisonous snake, who made her sleepless all the time. ¡°Okay, I already know about this matter, and I will solve it. Don¡¯t worry, since Reverend Bruce doesn¡¯t want to explain more, don¡¯t force him. I will handle this matter well.¡± When Duke Wilson mentioned Evan, his expression softened obviously and his tone was much gentler. Mrs Sanders was satisfied, nodded slightly and turned to leave the Duke¡¯s study. Since the Duke promised to solve it, she didn¡¯t think it was necessary for her to intervene again. She knew very well how capable the Duke could be. After Mrs Sanders left, the Duke¡¯s face sank at a speed visible to the naked eye. He just hadn¡¯t asked about Delanlier¡¯s matters for a few days, and no one had bothered to report such a big matter to him! Duke Wilson rang the bell of the study, and after a while, Butler Chris walked in from outside, ¡°Lord Duke.¡± He bowed respectfully. Duke Wilson looked out the window with a blank expression, his tone without any waves, ¡°Remove the person in charge of the town¡¯s intelligence and find someone else, someone that will be more responsible. I don¡¯t need someone that will make up his own mind about what to report to me!¡± Logically speaking, every detail about anything that happens in Delanlier should be reported to the Duke. This man dared to not report it. This was a fatal mistake for him. Butler Chris glanced at the duke in surprise, full of sympathy for the sacked gentleman in his heart, but he was still respectful, ¡°Yes, Lord Duke.¡± Butler Chris withdrew as the duke sat on the chair in the study. This time, Ford dared to spread such unfounded rumors, he has already done a good job, and he must not easily be exploited by him. Two hours later, Butler Chris walked in and said in a low voice, ¡°My lord, the previous one¡¯s matter has been resolved. Simmons, the deputy of the person who was originally in charge of intelligence, has asked to see you.¡± Duke Wilson thought about his plan in his heart and nodded slightly, ¡°Let him come in.¡± Of course, Duke Wilson couldn¡¯t uproot all his original people. The main person in charge was removed, and naturally the deputy could be promoted. Simmons walked in, trembling. He hardly dared to look up at Duke Wilson. He still remembered the fate of his previous superior, and now he is facing the young Duke with the most lofty awe towards him in his heart. ¡°Duke¡­ Lord Duke.¡± Simmons bowed, trembling. Duke Wilson looked at the man who was trembling with fright with a cold face. He was very satisfied. As a subordinate, he must have a sense of reverence for his superior. ¡°In the future, you will be in charge of Delanlier¡¯s intelligence.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s tone was very cold, ¡°About the rumors in the town, go and investigate Mr Ford for me to see what he has been up to these days. At the same time, you should also always pay attention to whether there are strangers coming to Delanlier, and then give me a thorough investigation of the matters of Reverend Bruce in the London church and his transfer to Delanlier. There must be no omission.¡± Simmons has already been really scared that he had cold sweat running down his back, and now that he heard that not only was his position promoted but a task was also given to him, Simmons was relieved. He hurriedly bowed his head and saluted with gratitude, ¡°Lord Duke, please don¡¯t worry, I will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly.¡± Duke Wilson nodded, thought for a moment and then said, ¡°It¡¯s better to be faster.¡± Simmons responded again. Duke Wilson finished his orders, and Mrs Sanders also returned to the Delanlier Church. Evan stood behind the church bell and watched Mrs Sanders walk towards the church through the colored glass. A smile spread across his lips. Sometimes, you don¡¯t need to do something yourself, there will naturally be someone who can¡¯t see you in trouble and will stand up for you. It seems that it is very necessary to win people¡¯s hearts and put on a show. Evan returned to the altar again. This time he sincerely knelt in front of the statue of Jesus, clasped his hands and prayed sincerely. This incident was like doom for him. Life in this world has not settled down yet. ******** Five days later, the rumors about Reverend Bruce in Delanlier were rampant, and the people used the greatest imaginative scenarios human beings could come up with to vividly describe such a vague and unfounded rumor, like how he hooked up with a married woman, committed adultery or seduced a good woman. They came up with the most filthy scenarios that could be planted on Evan¡¯s head. Generally, rational people naturally do not believe this nonsense, but in this era, gentlemen of the upper class account for less than one-tenth of the total number of people in society, and most people are the people of the ignorant lower class in the society who believe such rumors easily. At this time, Evan also found that his very respectable status had received certain challenges. One day, he went to visit the tenants under the name of Delanlier Church, but when he passed by the door of a widow¡¯s house, a dog suddenly ran out of the door and ran straight at him. Fortunately, there were several deputies around at the time, and they blocked it, otherwise it was possible that Evan would die in the mouth of the evil dog. What made Evan even more frightened was that when such a thing happened, the owner of this dog, the peasant woman who usually respected him very much, just stood at the door and watched coldly, without wanting to help him in the slightest. It didn¡¯t mean anything, only when the deputies were about to beat the dog to death did she scream and tried to protect her dog. Evan looked at this situation and felt chills in his heart. This peasant woman¡¯s husband died early and she is raising three children. At that time, he looked at her pitifully, exempted her from the land tax for a year and usually took good care of her. But at such a time, just because of such ridiculous rumors, she could actually treat him like this. This was quite unbelievable to Evan. (It¡¯s funny how some people forget the good things you did for them very quickly, especially when you need their help) In the end, Mrs Sanders dispelled his doubts. ¡°Oh, Reverend, those ignorant farmers regarded you as the most perfect god. Now, when such terrible things happen, it is strange that they are not crazy.¡± Evan finally understood at this moment, how strong the influence of religion on this society truly is, it goes so deep into the bone marrow. At the same time as Evan was attacked, Duke Wilson finally got his results. Simmons came to Duke Wilson¡¯s study again with a haggard expression, but this time, his eyes shone with the brilliance of his joy. CH 61 Duke Wilson stood by the window, watching the gardener in the garden as he was tending to the roses in the garden. His expression was indifferent. The words Simmons spoke just now seemed to still be echoing in his ears. Ford hated Evan so much that he wanted to destroy him through such cruel means. Duke Wilson let out a sneer, unfortunately he still underestimated just how vicious the enemy was. Duke Wilson gently tugged at the bell rope by the window. After a while, Butler Chris walked in. Duke Wilson ordered something, and Butler Chris left with a cautious look. Watching Butler Chris leave, a cold smile appeared on Duke Wilson¡¯s lips. He didn¡¯t care about many people in this world but the few people he did care about, he would never let them suffer any harm. Evan didn¡¯t know about the open and secret fight between Duke Wilson and Ford but he knew very well that although Ford made so many small moves, since Mrs Sanders had gone to Duke Wilson, then the Duke would not let anything bad happen. For this, he still trusts Duke Wilson very much. But since this is the case, Evan¡¯s life is still difficult these days. The rumors about him have gotten so popular and the attitude of the people around him have begun to change. At the beginning, it was the church people who stopped coming to the church. Even the most crowded service on weekdays is now very rare. There are basically no people who come and the people who come are people who are friends with Evan, such as Sheriff Chandler and Colonel Mel, both of whom have been consistently coming to church. But it was not the two that surprised Evan the most, but Rael, who had just been released. After Evan sent away a few scattered parishioners one day, he even came to the church. Evan was very surprised when he saw Rael. As far as he knew, when his reputation was still intact, Rael rarely came to the church to pray. Now his reputation has become so tattered, but Rael came to the church. ¡°Mr Rael.¡± Evan looked at Rael tentatively, ¡°It¡¯s great that you can come to the church.¡± Rael¡¯s face was not as good-looking as it was before. At this time, his face was pale and he was a little thinner. The bottom of his eyes were blue and black, and the originally bright green eyes also seemed a little dull at this time. ¡°Reverend Bruce, I¡¯m very sorry for your current situation.¡± Rael said as he went straight to the point, ¡°But maybe only in your current situation can you understand my situation.¡± There was a look of pleading in Rael¡¯s eyes. Evan frowned slightly. He didn¡¯t like this person in the first place, but now that he said these words, this made Evan have a bad feeling in his heart. ¡°You mean¡­¡± Evan said cautiously. Rael lowered his head and bit his lower lip, and finally said after a long time, ¡°Originally, I was very unwilling to trouble you, but this matter has now reached the point of no return, so I want to seek your help.¡± Evan looked at Rael behaving like this and didn¡¯t know what to say. In the end, he could only keep his mouth shut with the principle of not making any more mistakes. ¡°Reverend Bruce, after this terrible incident, my reputation has been completely ruined in Delanlier. If I had not saved a little money before, I would not have left the police station so easily. Reverend, now I want to leave Delanlier and start over somewhere else. Can you please help me write a letter of reference? Otherwise, it will be difficult for me in the future.¡± Rael looked at Reverend Bruce with a very sincere expression, as if he would promise the same if it was Evan in his shoes. Evan hated that look, it made him feel like he was in Rael¡¯s control and he hated it. ¡°Mr Rael, you haven¡¯t worked for me before, so I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t agree to such a request.¡± Evan said very coldly. Rael seemed to have expected him to say this and his expression became more and more pitiful, ¡°Reverend Bruce, please have pity on my situation. The matter between me and Mr Johnson has completely destroyed me and I want to start over. If I want to find a decent job, if I don¡¯t have a letter of reference, I¡¯m afraid it will be very difficult, and then my life will be even more difficult. Reverend Bruce, you are a kind person, please, I¡¯m sure you will be able to help me.¡± Rael¡¯s words were so sincere, he almost put Evan in a position where he couldn¡¯t refuse. And now that Evan¡¯s reputation is in tatters, agreeing to Rael¡¯s request is tantamount to making things worse and if Evan refuses and annoys Rael, he¡¯s sure that more ugly rumors will come out. Evan sneered in his heart, this Rael really knows how to choose the time to ask for help. ¡°This¡­¡± Evan seemed to hesitate for a moment, ¡°I will consider this matter carefully. Please go back first, I will give you an answer in a few days.¡± Now that the matter with Ford has reached a critical point, Evan can¡¯t care about a bereaved dog like Rael. If he irritates him, he has nothing to lose, but he can¡¯t so Evan still decides to delay. Rael didn¡¯t seem to have expected Evan¡¯s reaction and was a little surprised, but Evan didn¡¯t turn his face against him on the spot, and he didn¡¯t really want to force Evan. He could only smile and agree first, but he thought, be sure to force Reverend Bruce hard, this is the best chance he has. Rael left with satisfaction, but Evan¡¯s eyes as he looked at his back became more and more cold. He really hated this person more and more. Suddenly, Evan thought of Miss Blair and what she said that day and he became thoughtful¡­ Rael¡¯s arrival was just a little episode and a bigger storm followed soon after. That afternoon, Ford finally came to see Evan at the church. Since Evan moved back from Cornwall Manor, Ford has moved out of the premises of the Delanlier Church and moved into a hotel in the town. Through all these there has been a lot of hustle and bustle around Evan in the past few days but Ford was being very calm, but Evan has always been very clear that this is just the tranquility before the storm, and now, the storm has finally come. ¡°Reverend Bruce.¡± At this time, Ford has returned to his previous gentle appearance, as if the previous ferocious Ford was just an illusion. Evan behaved more calmly than Ford. He stood in front of the altar and watched Ford walk towards him step by step against the light, and his face did not change at all. ¡°How do you feel now?¡± Ford finally walked up to Evan, with a sarcastic smile on his face, unable to hide the malice in his eyes, ¡°How does it feel to be betrayed by the people around you? I heard that even Duke Wilson has not come to see you for a long time.¡± The reason why Evan is in such a difficult situation is also because Duke Wilson did not come out to support him the first time, but Evan is very convinced that this is just Duke Wilson¡¯s attempt to blindfold Ford. ¡°Thank you for your concern, I¡¯m very fine.¡± Evan looked at Ford calmly. ¡°Very fine?¡± Ford laughed, ¡°Bruce, you have reached this point, don¡¯t try to be brave.¡± Seeing Ford¡¯s slightly smug look, Ford sighed: ¡°Is this what you want?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Ford¡¯s face suddenly changed, and he looked at Evan as he grit teeth, ¡°This is just an appetizer. You ruined my reputation, do you still want to live peacefully? Is it so easy to escape?¡± Ford¡¯s eyes were slightly red, ¡°Bruce, I can¡¯t wait to see you fall into hell and suffer from being burnt by the fire forever!¡± Evan looked at Ferd and couldn¡¯t understand his deep hatred. It is true that the original owner did something wrong to him before, but such deep hatred made Evan a little unexpected. (He¡¯s just bitter that he couldn¡¯t get you ) ¡°Ford, I¡¯m really sorry for what I did wrong, and I hope I can make it up, but if you frame me with false words, can your heart be peaceful?¡± He despises making these kinds of remarks, but because of the current situation, he still has to say such words. Ferd laughed, ¡°Peace of mind? You are really interesting. Bruce, you hurt me like that, but now you come to talk to me about peace of mind. It¡¯s already gotten to this point, do you still have to pretend?¡± Evan calmly looked at Fold, who was laughing wildly, with a trace of pity in his eyes and said nothing. But Ford couldn¡¯t stand his gaze very much. He took a step forward almost furiously, grabbed Evan¡¯s shoulder fiercely, and said angrily, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like this! I don¡¯t need your mercy!¡± Evan¡¯s shoulder hurt a little from his grasp, and he frowned, but his tone was still gentle, ¡°Ford, I did something wrong back then, don¡¯t make it happen again and again. ¡± Ford stared at Evan, but after a long time, he suddenly laughed. His laughter was so terrifying that even Evan shivered. ¡°Bruce, it¡¯s too late to say this now.¡± Ford¡¯s tone was a little strange, ¡°Actually, no matter what it is, it won¡¯t work on me anymore, you¡¯d better give up.¡± Ford let go of Evan¡¯s shoulders, he stroked his wrinkled cuffs and he returned to his calm look as he said solemnly, ¡°I have reported your matter to the church and the bishop is very dissatisfied. He let me be responsible for investigating this matter, there will be a review meeting about you tomorrow at noon in the central square in Delanlier, I hope you can attend it on time.¡± He paused slightly, and showed a strange smile to Evan, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t come to participate. The conference will be held on time, but it is not certain what will happen.¡± Evan looked at Ford, and actually had a little worry in his heart but he thought about Duke Wilson and he felt a lot more relieved. Evan nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll be there on time, don¡¯t worry.¡± Ford nodded with satisfaction, turned and left the church, but when he was about to go out, he suddenly turned around and looked at him maliciously, ¡°Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell you, your good duke also received an invitation, and I don¡¯t know what his face will be like when he finds out about your true face. It will be really exciting!¡± (Oh, I¡¯m just waiting for your sweet and hard downfall, it¡¯ll be very very exciting) Evan stood in place, watching Ford¡¯s back getting farther and farther and his expression turned solemn. Although his heart told him that Duke Wilson was a very trustworthy person, at this critical juncture, he still couldn¡¯t help but wonder whether his plan would really be successful and Evan¡¯s heart turned chaotic. CH 62 Because of this incident, Evan didn¡¯t sleep well that night. The strange expression on Ford¡¯s face before he left made him restless. Now it seems that Ford is like a lunatic, with unstable emotions and a little erratic in his actions. In order to appear innocent, he has completely pinned this matter on Duke Wilson. He is really worried as he thought, this time can things go the way I want? The next morning, Evan got up very early. He dressed and organized everything by himself. He did not say hello to Mrs Haydn, who was making breakfast, and left the parsonage alone. He walked towards the church. The review meeting at noon made him a little uneasy. At this time, praying was still very effective in calming his mind. (Who¡¯d think that Evan could be this prayerful?) Evan knelt in front of the altar, his long career as a priest has made him more and more comfortable with praying, and at the same time, he doesn¡¯t feel as repulsive to religion as he used to feel before. After reading the Bible for a long time, Evan¡¯s uneasy heart gradually calmed down. He looked straight at the statue of Jesus, thinking that after so many years of service, if there is really a God in this world, he should help him this time¡­ Evan has been staying at the Delanlier church, and soon after Mrs Sanders also came. She also knew about this review conference, it is obvious that the powerful Ford has already notified all the powerful figures in the town. She looked at Evan with a worried look, and said warmly, ¡°Reverend, the matter this time is okay, right?¡± Evan nodded calmly, ¡°Madam, I have always believed in the power of justice¡­¡± Mrs Sanders was a little speechless about Evan¡¯s nonchalant attitude, but she couldn¡¯t do anything. She thought that, fortunately, there was the Duke as backup, which made her feel really relieved. Evan worked very calmly in the church that day. Even though the people around him gave him searching or sympathetic looks, Evan¡¯s expression did not change from beginning to end and he still dealt with the church affairs calmly and plainly. At noon, all the deans of the church looked at Evan. Evan actually felt a little embarrassed. He was surrounded by so many people and they all looked at him with a look that made him shudder. Now that the time has finally come, he is relieved. Evan stood up, nodded to the people around him, and said warmly, ¡°Let¡¯s just leave today¡¯s affairs here, you don¡¯t need to come over in the afternoon.¡± These people all knew what was going to happen in the afternoon, so they didn¡¯t discuss it. They were too worried to ask and they all nodded in response. After all the deacons had left, Evan walked towards the central square. On the way, he also met many townspeople who were also rushing there. Their pointing and searching eyes made Evan feel irritable. Coming out of the sea of ??misery, these few days of life really made him fed up. When Evan arrived at the central square, there was already a row of tables there and Ford had arrived long ago, and was sitting behind the table with a few very prestigious local squires sitting beside him. As they saw Evan coming, the expression on their faces was a little embarrassed. On the other hand, Evan, at this time, also suppressed the restlessness in his heart, and his whole person calmed down. He knew that this kind of review would inevitably have a squire present to witness it, but Ford was quite capable since he could pull so many of them out at once. But what Evan noticed is that the seat in the middle is still vacant. If Evan is not wrong, it is probably the seat reserved for Duke Wilson. ¡°Mr Ford, gentlemen, good afternoon.¡± Evan greeted everyone politely like a real gentleman. Although these squires are the witnesses this time, they have a very good opinion of Evan. Seeing that Evan is still so calm at this time, they look at him quite highly, and greet him with a nod. Only Ford, who had decided to completely show just how he felt about Evan at this time, didn¡¯t care about this false courtesy, and just sat coldly behind the table and looked at Evan. Evan just pretended like he didn¡¯t see Ford¡¯s rude behavior, and stood there quite calmly without saying a word. Whether it was Evan standing or the few squires sitting, or the townspeople standing around, they were all waiting for the town¡¯s highest leader, Duke Wilson. They didn¡¯t wait long. Less than a quarter of an hour later, the sound of horse hooves hitting the gravel road came from a distance. Evan looked over there subconsciously. It was Duke Wilson¡¯s carriage. In a blink of an eye, the carriage came to a halt in front of the crowd. The door of the carriage was pushed open from the inside and Duke Wilson stepped out of the carriage. Today, Duke Wilson is wearing a four-piece black suit with a coat over it, which makes his slender figure look even more straight. He takes off the hat on his head and his black hair looks very elegant in the sunlight. Glancing at Evan who was standing on the side, his black eyes flashed a little, but when they swept towards Ford, there was a bit of ridicule in his eyes. ¡°Mr Ford.¡± The Duke¡¯s tone was very cold, ¡°This time, you went to great lengths to do something so earth-shattering, and you have invited so many people to watch it?¡± Ford said, ¡°Lord Duke, thank you for your honor. This time, the matter is about the reputation of the Delanlier church. According to Lord Bishop¡¯s instructions, I have to make such a decision.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Duke Wilson turned to look at Ford, ¡°The reputation of the Delanlier Church?¡± Then, he looked at Evan, ¡°And Reverend Bruce is here. How can you intervene in the matters of the Delanlier church?¡± Duke Wilson asked knowingly. Ford frowned slightly, now he can¡¯t understand what the duke means. The matter about Evan has been abuzz in Delanlier. The duke, as the owner of this town, does he really not know? (Oh, you¡¯re dead bro) ¡°Lord Duke, this matter is about Reverend Bruce, so he cannot intervene. I am following the instructions of Lord Bishop to handle this matter.¡± Although Ford was puzzled, he still told the truth. Duke Wilson sneered when he heard these words. He turned to look at Evan, and his tone was much softer, ¡°Reverend Bruce, is this what it looks like?¡± The moment Duke Wilson came out, in fact, Evan¡¯s heart was already about to jump out of his throat, he was so afraid that there would be a loophole in his plan, but looking at the situation at this time, at least Duke Wilson was still on his side. ¡°Yes, according to what Mr Ford said to me, that¡¯s true.¡± Evan lowered his eyebrows and one couldn¡¯t see his expression clearly. Evan¡¯s ambiguity made Ford grit his teeth. This man is really cunning. He has come to this point and he is still trying to justify himself. ¡°Duke Wilson.¡± Ford interrupted the communication between Evan and the Duke, ¡°People have already arrived, can this matter start?¡± Ford smiled respectfully. Duke Wilson looked at Ford with a very cold expression. There was a deep chill in his eyes. If anyone saw it, he would be scared to death. Unfortunately, at this time, Ford had just turned his head to talk to the few squires present and did not notice the Duke¡¯s expression. Duke Wilson left where Evan was standing and walked towards the table. Several squires and Ford all stood up, waiting for the Duke to sit down in the middle seat before they sat down. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen.¡± After everyone sat down, Ford was the first to speak, ¡°In response to the rumors about Reverend Bruce in the town these days, the church attaches great importance to this and has appointed me, Ford, according to the bishop¡¯s order, to deal with this matter. First of all, to investigate this rumor.¡± When he said this, Ford glanced at Evan calmly, and the maliciousness contained in that glance made Evan shiver. ¡°According to my investigation in the past few days, this matter was reported by Tang De, the night watchman of the Delanlier church.¡± As soon as this sentence was said, there was an uproar around, everyone knew that Tang De was a wanderer before. In the end, because of Evan¡¯s kindness, he became the night watchman of Delanlier church. They didn¡¯t expect that Tang De would even betray his kindness. ¡°Bring Tang De up.¡± Ford¡¯s expression at the uproar of the people around him remained unchanged. These people condemned Tang De¡¯s hypocritical betrayal at this time, but after a while, their hatred for Evan will be deeper. As soon as Ford¡¯s words fell, a few strong young men came up with a thin middle-aged man. This middle-aged man looked a bit shrewd and looked very indecent, and he shrank his head. He was pushed to the front by those young people. When he saw Evan, he cringed. ¡°Tang De, do you know why you were summoned here?¡± There was a hint of disdain in Ford¡¯s tone. If it wasn¡¯t because he was new here and couldn¡¯t find anyone else, he wouldn¡¯t have found such a disgusting person, who could do such a thing to his own benefactor. (Hypocrite ) ¡°I¡­I know.¡± Tang De said with a lack of confidence. ¡°It¡¯s good if you know.¡± The more Ford looked at Tang De, the more he felt that he was an eyesore. He turned his head away from him, and said impatiently, ¡°Tang De, you spread the news about Reverend Bruce in the town, do you know that spreading rumors to defame a gentleman is a very serious offense?¡± Tang De seemed to be frightened by what Ford said, and the whole person was stunned: ¡°I¡­ I¡­ Mr Ford, what I said is the truth, it¡¯s not a rumor. Everything is true.¡± Tang De defended incoherently. Ford glanced at Evan calmly and found that he still had no change on his face, and he was dissatisfied, and showed even more impatience with Tang De, ¡°You said that what you said is true, but where is the evidence?¡± As long as the evidence is presented, he would like to see if Evan can still maintain his calm appearance at that time. ¡°I¡­I¡­¡± Tang De gave Ford a hesitant look, ¡°This is what a lady told me, but where she is now, I don¡¯t know.¡± This is what Ford taught him to say as his defense, although Tang De was very flustered at this time, he could only believe in Ford. ¡°A lady?¡± Ford looked at Tang De with some dissatisfaction, ¡°Since you can¡¯t let that lady come out to prove your words, how can we dare to believe that what you said is true? Tang De, you know, you are dealing with an upright priest.¡± Tang De scratched his ears and cheeks anxiously, which was also his most straightforward response, because Ford did not tell him what would happen next. But at this moment, a clear voice suddenly came from the crowd, ¡°I can prove it!¡± Evan frowned, the voice sounded familiar to him. CH 63 Evan looked in the direction of the voice. Two women came out of the crowd. Evan¡¯s expression tightened, Alia? (Great, the stupid witch is back??) It turned out that the person who just spoke was Alia and there was another lady standing beside her, a strange woman. Evan pinched his cuffs, he seemed to have an impression of the woman. ¡°Oh, it turned out to be Miss Alia.¡± Ford looked at Alia with a smile, a woman¡¯s jealousy is really the best tool to use. Since Alia suffered a loss at Cornwall Manor last time, she began to get closer to him. ¡°You just said that you can prove this, is that true?¡± Ford looked at Arya with great concern. Alia bit her lower lip and glanced at Evan who was standing beside her. She felt a little nervous in her heart, but she said firmly, ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± There was a smile in Ford¡¯s eyes, and his tone suddenly changed and became much softer, ¡°Then do you have any evidence? Reverend Bruce is a decent gentleman and you are also a lady. I don¡¯t want your reputation to suffer because of this.¡± As he spoke, his eyes glanced at the lady beside Alia from time to time. The lady was wearing a long brown dress, her complexion was very pale and she was not very beautiful. But her eyes were very clear, like a girl who is not familiar with the world, but looking at her appearance, you will also know that this lady is not too young, at least twenty-five years old. Alia nodded, patted the lady next to her gently on the shoulder and said warmly, ¡°Mr Ford, I understand your kindness, but I have to speak about this matter. Even if my reputation will suffer, no matter what the Reverend Bruce¡¯s status is in Delanlier, he can¡¯t treat a lady like this.¡± Evan¡¯s expression suddenly sank as he looked at Alia and the lady, the woman he knew was from the church he was in before in London. A parishioner named Irina, who was also one of his own crazy suitors. This woman is the first stranger he met when he came to this world. When they met for the first time, Evan was still in a state of ignorance so he was very cautious and gentle with everyone, but he didn¡¯t expect that in the end, it made this woman misunderstand him. And what was even more terrifying was that this woman was a widow, her husband was killed in the war and she became a widow at the age of eighteen. Such a social status is even more of a taboo among taboos in this era. Not to mention the fact that Evan knew how things would turn out later, so he resolutely rejected the woman¡¯s advances. After that, the woman had done several crazy actions, such as running to his residence in the middle of the night and knocking on the door or she would come to church every day to pester him. Finally when the order for him to be transferred was issued, Evan was extremely relieved. In the days that followed in Delanlier, this woman had long since faded from his memory, but seeing her again today, Evan¡¯s surprise was stronger than anyone else¡¯s. Alia¡¯s slightly ambiguous words made the people around them agitated. The Duke frowned slightly and immediately said coldly, ¡°Miss Alia, if you have evidence, show it. What justice is being done here? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a little fake?¡± Alia blushed at the Duke¡¯s sarcastic words, she almost couldn¡¯t help but want to run away, but thinking about the next plan, she resisted the urge, and regardless of Dr. Hester¡¯s anxious gesture, she gritted her teeth and said, ¡°My evidence is this lady Irina by my side. Irina used to be a parishioner of the parish Reverend Bruce was in before. She is a poor widow whose husband died for the country but Reverend Bruce seduced her and promised to marry her when she was at her saddest moment, but finally abandoned her mercilessly, and according to Irina, even when the two of them were okay, Reverend Bruce had an improper relationship with many ladies and wives!¡± Alia¡¯s remarks suddenly caused an uproar among the people around, and no one had thought that those rumors would turn out to be true. It turned out that the well-dressed Reverend Bruce was really such a person. They all pointed at Evan, who was still calm and their eyes were filled with excitement. For quiet town dwellers, this was like Christmas. However, the face of the lady standing beside Alia turned paler and paler. She seemed to be a little unsteady as she swayed. Fortunately, Alia immediately supported her, which prevented the lady from falling down. Duke Wilson looked at the two women gloomily, until the surrounding noise finally subsided and Duke Wilson glanced at Ford, who had a sullen face and said, ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡± Duke Wilson looked at Irina, ¡°Miss Irina, is what Miss Alia said true?¡± Irina held Alia¡¯s hand with a pale face, and even then she could barely stand still. Her other hand caressed her chest and she said in a weak tone, ¡°Dear Duke, what Miss Alia said is true. I originally thought that Reverend Bruce was an upright person, but this is not the case. The ending really left me heartbroken. Although I was still alive, I had lost my dignity. The Reverend¡¯s promise gave me hope, but in the end, it drove me into the abyss. I really¡­¡± She endured but couldn¡¯t stop crying, Alia stroked her back with one hand and hugged her in her arms, but looked at Evan with hatred, as if it was a heinous villain standing there. Evan still didn¡¯t respond, just crossed his arms across his chest and closed his eyes. There was a sneer at the corner of Duke Wilson¡¯s lips. When he turned to look at Evan, his expression was much gentler than before, ¡°So, Reverend Bruce, do you have anything to say?¡± Evan opened his eyes and looked at Duke Wilson, his eyes are clear and bright, without the slightest impurity and his expression is calm, as if everything around him has nothing to do with him. ¡°No, Lord Duke, I have nothing to say.¡± Evan¡¯s silent gesture made the surrounding townspeople even more excited, and the surrounding air suddenly became a little turbulent. In their opinion, this was the default gesture of admitting his guilt, and they all started looking at Evan with a critical look, straightforward and naked, if it weren¡¯t for Duke Wilson¡¯s presence, the curses would have gotten out of hand. But even so, Duke Wilson¡¯s eyes were still calm, as if he knew what would happen. But Evan¡¯s palms were already wet with sweat at this time, this gambling game was related to his life. He has never put his life in the hands of others. ¡°Lord Duke.¡± Although Evan¡¯s reaction surprised Ford, he would not miss such a great opportunity, and immediately said, ¡°Since Reverend Bruce has nothing to say, can this matter be resolved?¡± Duke Wilson turned to look at Ford with a half-smile, with a hint of sarcasm in his tone, ¡°Mr Ford is being really eager. Just a lady¡¯s words can make you so excited?¡± The smile on Ford¡¯s face froze but he felt a little hatred in his heart. He has already reached this point, does Duke Wilson still want to protect Evan? (Oooh, it¡¯s coming) ¡°Lord Duke, this lady Irina is the witness you want, and Reverend Bruce didn¡¯t refute what she said. Isn¡¯t the matter already clear? What kind of evidence do you need again?¡± Ford¡¯s tone has become slightly irreverent. Duke Wilson looked at him coldly and sneered, ¡°Since you said so, can you allow me to say a few words? Although Reverend Bruce has nothing to say about this matter, I still have something to say!¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s last sentence was unusually severe and the originally noisy scene suddenly quieted down, and Irina, who was crying in Alia¡¯s arms, started shaking. Alia hugged Irina¡¯s shoulders tightly, a bit of unwillingness in her eyes, why did Duke Wilson care so much about that person? ¡°Chris, bring the person here.¡± Duke Wilson sat down on the chair and waved to Butler Chris beside him. Butler Chris saluted the Duke gracefully, turned and walked towards the carriage. The people around were staring closely at Butler Chris, who suddenly wanted to bring people over at this time. To be honest, the curiosity of these people was swayed by the Duke. Butler Chris walked to the side of the carriage, nodded slightly towards the carriage and said respectfully, ¡°Reverend Robert, Lord Duke has asked you to come over.¡± Reverend Robert? Evan¡¯s eyes widened, but he heaved a sigh of relief. This priest was the priest who loved to drink when he was in that church. However, although the priest was lazy, he was a good person. The door of the carriage was opened, and a simple, honest and gentle looking priest stepped out of the carriage. Behind him was a little girl, dressed very frugally but her dark eyes were exceptionally bright, and she saw Irina at a glance. Irina, who was beside Alia, suddenly had a look of horror on her face. Irina looked at Reverend Robert and the little girl in horror. Her trembling hands proved that her heart was not at peace at this time. Instead, it was Alia, who didn¡¯t know it was a scam, whose expression was still the same and somewhat resentful. Reverend Robert led the little girl to the very center of the square, saluted Duke Wilson who was sitting there, and said warmly, ¡°Your Excellency, thank you for your invitation.¡± Duke Wilson hooked his lips sarcastically, ¡°You really are very kind, my invitation this time has caused you a lot of trouble, and I would like to ask your forgiveness.¡± Reverend Robert waved his hand very respectfully, with a humble attitude but not flattering. Seeing this scene, Ford knew in his heart that it was over, but at this time he was already sitting on the fire and he couldn¡¯t put it out. The Duke¡¯s indifference to Evan these days had bolstered his confidence and weakened his alertness, he really did not expect that the Duke was really prepared. ¡°Reverend, do you know these people who are standing behind you now?¡± Duke Wilson pointed in the direction of Evan and Irina. Reverend Robert¡¯s eyes were not very good. He squinted his eyes for a while and finally smiled and said, ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t this Evan? My reliable assistant, I heard that you went to a small town to be a priest, so it turned out to be here. Is there such a place?¡± Evan smiled at Reverend Robert, ¡°Yes, Reverend Robert, it¡¯s really a pleasure to see you.¡± Evan¡¯s words were really a sigh of relief from his heart. Just as the two were chatting, the little girl finally couldn¡¯t help it and she rushed directly to the front of Alia, pointed at Irina, who was already panicking in Alia¡¯s arms and said loudly, ¡°Reverend Robert, look! Irina actually came here!¡± (Haha! Finally! ) CH 64 The little girl¡¯s words made everyone turn their attention to the direction of Irina and Alia. At this time, Alia began to get a little nervous. She glanced at the little girl suspiciously and then turned to look at Irina, who looked panicked and had a bad feeling in her heart. Reverend Robert pulled the little girl to his side and whispered, ¡°Annie, don¡¯t run around.¡± But Annie didn¡¯t care about Reverend Robert¡¯s gentle words, and still looked straight at Irina, who was panicking, with her eyes shining brightly. ¡°Reverend Robert, this is really Irina, let¡¯s go back and tell mom!¡± Annie looked only eleven or twelve years old, but her voice was very clear and could be heard in the entire square at this time. Only then did Reverend Robert raise his head to look in the direction of Irina. His eyes were not very good. He even narrowed his eyes in order to see Irina¡¯s face clearly. ¡°Irina?¡± Reverend Robert was obviously surprised, ¡°Why are you here? Rosie has been looking for you all this time.¡± Rosie is Anne¡¯s mother and also the mother of Irina¡¯s dead husband. Irina couldn¡¯t dare to look at Reverend Robert at all, she even flinched. Duke Wilson said at this time, ¡°Reverend Robert, I can answer your question.¡± He looked at Irina, who was very nervous, and said sarcastically, ¡°The reason why Irina came to this place is because she wants to ask for justice because Reverend Bruce had abandoned her, and had affairs with many other ladies.¡± Reverend Robert looked at Irina in surprise after hearing these words, ¡°Irina? Is this true? That is unbelievable!How could you say that?¡± Reverend Robert¡¯s words made the surrounding town residents hear about another possibility. There was a commotion and everyone looked in Irina¡¯s direction with interest to see how she would react. Irina was already very nervous at this time. She didn¡¯t dare to look into Reverend Robert¡¯s eyes at all so she could only lower her head and say somewhat unconvincingly, ¡°Yes¡­it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Oh¡­Irina, how can you say that about Evan? You are trying to get revenge!¡± Reverend Robert looked at Irina with great disappointment, he frowned tightly and his round face, which was kind and round, became serious at this time. Irina is obviously at a loss at this time. Reverend Robert knows her details, but at this moment, Irina has no room to step back, she can only bite the bullet and continue, ¡°Although I am very grateful for Reverend Bruce¡¯s help, everything he did was true.¡± ¡°Really?¡± The friendly Reverend Robert was obviously angry, ¡°Irina, how can you say that when you that because of Johnny¡¯s death, Rosie was very dissatisfied with you, and it was Evan who helped you to mediate it, which made your relationship with Rosie ease up. How could you claim that he did those absurd things to you, Irina? I am old acquaintances with your deceased parents so I don¡¯t want to embarrass you, but I didn¡¯t expect you to do such a thing!¡± Reverend Robert frowned as he spoke. When these words came out, the town¡¯s residents standing in the square made a sensation. They were all conservative town people. For them, this disgraceful performance was simply explosive news. ¡°I¡­I¡­¡± Irina nervously kneaded the handkerchief in her hand and was speechless for a while. Alia was also shocked by what Reverend Robert said. She didn¡¯t expect that there was such a secret. She turned to look at Evan but found that he was still calm and indifferent. Alia didn¡¯t know why but suddenly, she was a little angry. Why was it that he didn¡¯t have to do anything, yet someone else explained everything for him while she tried her best, but it turned out to be an abnormal joke. (Because you are a huge joke yourself, not to be taken seriously at all) Alia pursed her lips, a hint of determination flashed across her face, and she said loudly, ¡°Reverend Robert, you are just a priest, how can you know how Reverend Bruce and Irina get along in private? Can you follow Reverend Bruce all the time? Irina is a weak lady, but Reverend Bruce is a strong man, how can she make such a bold move? What you said is too sensational.¡± (Oh, go suck a chipmunk!!!) Irina also said ¡®Yes¡¯ as if to match Alia¡¯s rhetoric but she shrank slightly, and her clear eyes became weaker and weaker at this time. Reverend Robert was not a good debater. Although he knew the truth, he couldn¡¯t help but pause at this moment. After he paused, the surrounding noise rang again. But at this moment, the little girl Annie suddenly said, ¡°Although Reverend Robert doesn¡¯t know, I know very well!¡± Annie¡¯s voice was crisp and loud, and it immediately attracted everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Irina, you did such a shameful thing by yourself but let me and my mother suffer from other people¡¯s criticism. Now that my mother is seriously ill, it¡¯s abhorrent for you to come to such a place to tell such a huge lie!¡± Little Annie looked at Irina as she grit teeth, ¡°In the past, Reverend Bruce helped you but you had evil thoughts about him, and even shamelessly wrote love letters to Reverend Bruce. It was rejected by Reverend Bruce mercilessly. I still have them.¡± Little Annie¡¯s eyes flashed with excitement, ¡°Tell me, do you want me to read them to everyone?¡± Irina¡¯s face turned pale white in an instant, she had hidden those letters. She had hidden them in a secret cellar for so long and she had forgotten about them, but she didn¡¯t expect the letters to fall into Annie¡¯s hands. She knew very well how shameless her letter was, and she also knew what Evan¡¯s reply was. How ruthless, if she really reads it out, her reputation will be completely ruined. Thinking of this, Irina became resentful and looked at the bright little Annie. She really never thought that she could meet this little devil in such a distant place. ¡°Irina, do you want me to read it out?¡± Annie looked at Irina with a playful expression, like a cat teasing a mouse. The residents of the small town were obviously very interested in this drama. Everyone looked at Little Annie with great interest and very much hoped that she could read the letters out. But the traditional old gentlemen seated there would not allow such a thing to happen. After all, it was contrary to the good atmosphere. They hurried up to discuss with the indifferent Duke Wilson. Although Duke Wilson really wanted to humiliate this shameless woman in public, he still had to do a good job on the surface. Being too mean would damage his reputation, so he could only agree with these old gentlemen. Naturally, Ford didn¡¯t want the person he had found as a witness to be humiliated, otherwise he would have pushed her to the extreme and he didn¡¯t know what to say, so after the negotiation was completed, he quickly said, ¡°Little girl, since you have such evidence, bring it up and let us take a look. It¡¯s not a good thing to humiliate a lady in public.¡± In the end, Ford couldn¡¯t help being sarcastic. Annie sneered when she heard this, ¡°Oh, then it¡¯s a good thing to frame a gentleman and ruin his reputation in public?¡± (You go girl) Ford was blocked, his face was blue and he couldn¡¯t say a word. He waved his hand to a person beside him, who went down and took the stack of letters in Annie¡¯s hand. The several gentlemen present there are also battle-hardened old foxes, but even so, as they looked at these letters, they couldn¡¯t stop shaking their heads. Irina stood there, her face flushed and she didn¡¯t dare to look up at anyone. She was swaying as she couldn¡¯t even stand firmly, but of course, Alia would not help her at this time. The matter had come to this point, even the reckless Alia knew that the situation was over but she no longer dared to speak so as not to implicate herself further. After the gentlemen had finished reading Irina¡¯s love letters, they all looked at each other in dismay. They didn¡¯t expect that the ladies in these big cities would be so open, which made them more knowledgeable. Only Duke Wilson¡¯s face was ashen, he wanted to go down and strangle Irina immediately, he didn¡¯t expect that this stupid woman would tease Evan so shamelessly. ¡°Cough cough.¡± One of the older gentlemen coughed a few times, ¡°This matter is indeed a misunderstanding. Miss Irina, your love for Reverend Bruce¡­¡± At that time, the poor old gentleman¡¯s body shook a little, ¡°Your love has been expressed very clearly in the letters, but Reverend Bruce did not respond to your love and on the contrary, he gave a very firm refusal despite your persuasion. So what you said has no basis and we have the honorable Reverend Robert to testify, so this committee has decided not to accept your testimony.¡± As Irina listened to these remarks, she almost fainted. Although the old gentleman didn¡¯t say anything serious, his meaning was very clear. She had shamelessly propositioned Reverend Bruce, but Reverend Bruce was unmoved. And out of hatred for the rejection, she framed a worthy gentleman. Irina could almost feel the disdainful gazes of the people around her as they looked at her. Under such gazes, she trembled. She had wrongfully framed a gentleman. This was a very serious crime, not to mention the fact that she did something indecent, even the judge would not sympathize with her. Evan stood aside, still silent and his expression did not change in the slightest. But a faint smile flashed in his lowered eyes. Today was so perfect, so perfect that he almost couldn¡¯t believe it, everything went according to the script he imagined, and what would happen after was up to Duke Wilson. ¡°Miss Irina.¡± Duke Wilson said as the crowd was excitedly scolding Irina, ¡°What you have done is really disappointing, Framing a respectable priest, an upright gentleman is really unbelievable. If I hadn¡¯t invited Reverend Robert today, then all your crimes would have been covered up and the innocent Reverend Bruce would have been punished by the church. So I will definitely not accept this kind of behavior from you nor will I have any form of patience with you. I will file a lawsuit in the court and hold you accountable.¡± ¡°Lawsuit?¡± Irina was completely panicked at this time and she looked at Ford at a loss. Ford was also stunned at this time and his heart jumped. If he had known that these things were going to happen, he would have been prepared but it is too late now. ¡°Mr Ford, you can¡¯t let this happen, you made me do it!¡± Irina¡¯s words completely changed the situation on the field. The original scolding dissipated at this time, and everyone looked in the direction of Ford with astonishment. CH 65 Ford was immediately surrounded by the gazes of everyone in the square. He happened to be standing at a high point in the square and the scorching gazes around him made sweat run down his back. ¡°Miss Irina.¡± Ford controlled his slightly trembling hands, still looking at Irina with a gentle expression, ¡°You were originally a decent lady, but I can now see that you are not a decent lady. What does it look like? Misleading us, nearly damaging Reverend Bruce¡¯s reputation and doing such an indecent thing. You¡¯ve come to this point, are you going to drag me into a mess as well? I can swear to God, today is the first time I¡¯ve seen you, so please don¡¯t be misleading.¡± (I wish God would strike you down for breaking a commandment. Thou shall not call His name in vain.) Irina looked at Ford and when she heard his words, her face instantly paled, her hands trembled and she looked back at Alia, who tried to move away from her. At this time, she (Alia) must not drag Ford out, otherwise she will become a person who is scheming. ¡°Irina, I thought you were so pitiful that I brought you here to get justice for you. I didn¡¯t expect you to be such a person and you made me misunderstand Reverend Bruce. You really disappointed me!¡± When Irina looked like she was about to say something, she immediately tried to clear herself. (Stupid idiotic witch, I just hate her so much. So stupid yet trying to deceive herself that she¡¯s the smartest and purest of them all) Irina only felt despair at this time. The two people in front of her changed their faces so fast and she had no evidence at all, but Irina was not a person to be provoked. Since these two people didn¡¯t want to involve themselves, then she can only use unreasonable methods. But Ford has been a veteran for many years so Irina¡¯s thoughts are obvious to him. He understands that he can¡¯t make a woman like Irina anxious so he doesn¡¯t wait for Irina to react and he immediately said, ¡°However, Miss Irina, you are a lady, although you have done such a disgusting thing, I believe that the Duke and Reverend Bruce are both broad-minded people and they absolutely won¡¯t punish you.¡± Ford played it very well and immediately threw the matter onto Evan and Duke Wilson. And when Irina heard this, that there was still room to turn around, and since she didn¡¯t dare to expose her dealings with Ford, she immediately looked at Evan with a face of remorse, and said with a cry, ¡°Reverend Bruce, it¡¯s all my fault, I shouldn¡¯t ruin your reputation. Please forgive me. You know, I have always been a hard worker, my parents died early, my husband died early but you were the first person who cared about me, that¡¯s why I did those crazy things. And your rejection of my advances made me unable to accept it, that¡¯s why I did these stupid things. You are a noble person and will definitely forgive my actions, right?¡± (Disgusting ) Irina looked at Evan with hope, in order not to be imprisoned. She did such a shameful thing before, but at this time Irina can¡¯t even care. Evan sneered in his heart, after causing his reputation to suffer such a big blow, she wants to avoid a disaster with an apology. I really don¡¯t know what these people think of me as? A Saint? It¡¯s just that Evan didn¡¯t have time to speak before Duke Wilson spoke first, ¡°Humph!¡± He looked at Irina and Ford and snorted coldly, ¡°You did these things for a vicious reason. And what about poor Reverend Bruce? He didn¡¯t do anything, and he didn¡¯t deserve to be hurt like this by you! Do you actually have the face to plead with Reverend Bruce for such a hateful person?!¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s words were sharp and almost mean, but the residents of the town all agreed with a look of excitement. These people originally lived at the bottom of the society, and elegant words were really not suitable for such occasions. Irina was startled by the high-pitched scolding around her and turned around to look for Alia, but found that Alia had been taken away by Dr. Hester at this time, and she was alone standing there, surrounded by a square full of hateful townspeople. (I sincerely pray and I hope that the stupid witch doesn¡¯t show up ever again.) Evan stood aside and watched, with a slight look of hesitation on his face, as if he was becoming a little soft-hearted, but his heart was very indifferent. If it wasn¡¯t for Duke Wilson¡¯s arrangements today, it would have been painful for him to be surrounded by these people at this time and the person who would have received the scolding would probably have been himself. Duke Wilson has been watching Evan¡¯s movements all the time and the hesitant look on his face is naturally in the Duke¡¯s panoramic view. He is afraid that Evan will really forgive her, not to mention the fact that Ford is staring at him, and he immediately speaks to Sheriff Chandler who is nearby, ¡°Sheriff, you should take this lady to the police station first. She framed a gentleman in front of so many people and must be punished.¡± This kind of punishment is either fines or imprisonment. At first glance, Irina has no property, and most people like her will be in police custody for a few months. Sheriff Chandler originally came to back up Evan, for fear that this incident would develop to an unpredictable level, but at this time, the reversal of the drama made him stunned but Duke Wilson¡¯s words immediately made him sober. Sheriff Chandler came out in a panic and the police officers around him looked a little stunned, but Sheriff Chandler was considered to have passed through the big field so he immediately adjusted, coughed a few times, and turned towards the officers. He waved his hands a few times, and the police officers rushed towards Irina like a wolf. Irina was in dire straits at this time. These townspeople are not decent people and Irina has never heard such swear words in her life. She was trembling with fright, and the police officers who looked fierce came at her at this time, but it became Irina¡¯s life-saving straw. She was almost scrambling to be caught by the two police officers, who held her arms tightly and dragged her out of the crowd. Sheriff Chandler frowned and looked at the almost weak-looking lady in front of him and sighed a few times in his heart. It¡¯s really a disaster. It doesn¡¯t seem like a good thing for Reverend Bruce to be so handsome. ¡°Take Miss Irina to the police station.¡± Sheriff Chandler said solemnly. Several police officers answered ¡®yes¡¯ and took Irina into the carriage and went towards the police station. Ford stood on the high platform, watching the police station¡¯s carriage leave and gradually narrowed his eyes, he turned his head to look at Duke Wilson,with a trace of ruthlessness in his eyes. He is so determined to deal with Irina, isn¡¯t he? Wanting to involve himself, although Irina has no evidence against him, she has been taken to the police station and Duke Wilson is there, so there may be some ¡®evidence¡¯ that will come out. Duke Wilson didn¡¯t evade Ford¡¯s gaze at all and gave him a straight look with a sneer at the corners of his lips. Even such a stupid person could still be tolerated repeatedly by Evan and he even violated his own conscience for his sake, this is really unforgivable to Duke Wilson, and all those who make Evan¡¯s heart sad are unforgivable. Duke Wilson looked at Evan standing in the center of the square with a burning look. This person can only be his own, his alone! All his sorrows, joys and emotions can only belong to him! Duke Wilson thought so with great satisfaction. (I totally agree with you ) At this time, Evan was busy talking to the people around him who came up to apologize to him. He had the most appropriate smile on his face, and his tone was gentle and tolerant, which made these innocent townspeople feel more guilty. (Hypocrites, I betcha if something similar happens again, they will behave the exact same way they did) Evan actually disdains these apologies in his heart. Although these people are simple and easy to deceive, if they are placed on the opposite side of his position, they are the most terrifying force because their understanding of the world is too narrow. Their thoughts are too simple and they harbor the simplest concept of good and evil in the world, but they do not have the ability to distinguish between good and evil, so they are very easily agitated. It¡¯s like now, they face him with such guilt, but they don¡¯t care about what kind of person he is, they only care about what they see, and never care about what they can¡¯t see, such people are the most terrible, especially since they are the majority of this world¡¯s population. In Evan¡¯s view, the so-called villains are just those idiots who expose themselves. When an old lady held Evan¡¯s hand tremblingly to tell him her respect for God, Evan also felt a strong gaze hovering over him and he turned around, but found that Duke Wilson was talking to an old gentleman beside him and Ford was standing aside with his head bowed, clearly distinguishing himself from the old gentlemen and Duke Wilson. Looking at this scene, Evan¡¯s lips twitched. Today, this incident has helped him achieve two of his goals, one is to clarify his reputation, and the other¡­ Although the group of local gentlemen are old-fashioned and rigid, they are not as simple to deceive as these townspeople. Ford caused such a big scene but it ended up like this. Even if the words that Irina complained before were blocked by Ford, as far as these people are concerned, the fact that Ford is the black hand behind it, is already a certainty to them. The circle of gentlemen is very small, and Ford made such a big fuss, so it will not be difficult for the bishop to know if he wants to know. This is even more interesting. The review conference was like a farce and it came and went quickly. Evan returned to the church before dinner, but before he could have dinner, Duke Wilson came to see him. Duke Wilson¡¯s arrival this time is very low-key, and he is not riding in a carriage that he usually travels in, but another black carriage that looks very inconspicuous. It looks like a rental carriage on the streets of London, very unpretentious. In fact, when he got off the carriage, Evan¡¯s servant, Tom¡¯s eyes almost dropped out of their sockets. Evan didn¡¯t have time to come out to greet him so Duke Wilson walked straight into Evan¡¯s living room. Because he didn¡¯t pay attention, Evan¡¯s living room was very messy at this time and Evan stood at the door of the living room, embarrassed. He smiled and said, ¡°Lord Duke, you¡­why are you here?¡± It was rare to see Evan so embarrassed so Duke Wilson was amused, he smiled and said warmly, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you for many days so I wanted to come and see you. You¡­won¡¯t blame me?¡± Duke Wilson looked at Evan carefully. He had ignored Evan these days in order to deal with Ford, and although he knew that Evan was not a stingy person, he still had some worry. Duke Wilson¡¯s question was a bit inexplicable, but Evan strangely understood it, and he smiled slightly, ¡°You are too polite. I could only prove my innocence today because of your help. I still want to thank you for your help, but do you know where Reverend Robert is now?¡± Just after getting to the anti-climactic end of the conference, Evan was dragged into the church carriage by the overjoyed Mrs Sanders and hurried away, not knowing what happened in the later stage. Duke Wilson knew that he was going to ask this and showed a gentle smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Reverend Robert is very good. They are all at Cornwall Manor now, do you¡­ Would you like to go and see him?¡± Duke Wilson, bless him, immediately asked. Evan was stunned for a moment, then nodded, ¡°Okay.¡± This is indeed the appropriate thing for him to do at this time. T/N ¨C Hi guys, I know you must be wondering why I released so many chapters at once. I just really couldn¡¯t stand the shenanigans of Ford and Alia anymore, and I just wanted it to be over. So, I did my best to translate the chapters that involved the troubles they caused till the chapters where they got slapped in the face. Translating those parts felt really good, I must say. Now, I¡¯m going to get a well deserved rest. Enjoy! CH 66 Evan rode in the carriage of Duke Wilson and went to Cornwall Manor. The last farewell made them both a little cautious. After all, it had been two weeks since they had seen each other. Duke Wilson was very dissatisfied with this situation. He looked at Evan¡¯s expression from the corner of his eye while thinking about how to talk to Evan. But Evan kept his eyes closed and was resting, so until the carriage arrived at Cornwall Manor, Duke Wilson couldn¡¯t find a chance to talk to Evan and Duke Wilson couldn¡¯t help but feel a little annoyed. Although Evan seemed to have his eyes closed , Duke Wilson¡¯s movements were in full view. A secret smile appeared on the corners of his lips. Although he¡¯d made up his mind to let Duke Wilson be the first to speak, he still had to throw down some bait. So, just when Duke Wilson was about to get out of the carriage in annoyance, Evan suddenly said, ¡°Lord Duke, thank you very much for what you did for me this time.¡± Duke Wilson was overjoyed and turned to look at Evan, but his face was expressionless and he acted restrained as he pursed his lips tightly and said, ¡°You are too polite, you don¡¯t have to thank me.¡± Evan smiled, suddenly leaned forward and grabbed Duke Wilson¡¯s hand. The Duke trembled, but Evan seemed not to notice and still looked at Duke Wilson very sincerely, and said softly, ¡°But without you, I would not have been proven innocent today. I¡¯m afraid it would have been very hard for me to escape being framed.¡± Duke Wilson had no response at this time, his whole body couldn¡¯t stop shaking, he never thought¡­ never thought¡­ (never thought what?) ¡°Lord Duke!¡± Butler Chris¡¯s sudden voice freed the two of them from their current predicament. Duke Wilson reacted immediately, he quickly took his hand out of Evan¡¯s grasp, lowered his head and said in a low voice, ¡°You are too polite. Let¡¯s get off the carriage.¡± After that, he quickly got out of the carriage. Evan looked at his empty palm, and a satisfied smile appeared on the corners of his lips. Duke Wilson is really innocent in this regard. When Evan got down from the carriage, Duke Wilson was long gone while Butler Chris stood at the door and smiled awkwardly at Evan, ¡°Reverend, the Duke has gone to the living room and Reverend Robert is waiting there.¡± Evan nodded indifferently, he followed Butler Chris towards the living room. As soon as Evan entered the living room, he saw the Duke sitting next to Reverend Robert, and when he saw him come in, he avoided his gaze a little unnaturally. Evan did not deliberately embarrass him but walked towards Reverend Robert with a smile on his face. ¡°Reverend Robert, long time no see.¡± Evan smiled very friendly and politely. Reverend Robert also stood up with a happy smile on his kind face, ¡°Oh, little Evan, I didn¡¯t expect you to be a priest here, it¡¯s really great. When your father came to London a few days ago, I mentioned you.¡± ¡°My father?¡± Evan¡¯s heart sank suddenly. The original owner¡¯s father was an old-fashioned gentleman with very old ideas and is the owner of a small manor, but because of the primogeniture system, the original owner was completely removed from the list of heirs. The only thing he had claim to was some part of his mother¡¯s dowry. In order to make up his mind, he even sent the original owner to an aristocratic boarding school from a young age. Although Evan has been in this world for two to three years, he has not seen this man. Apart from a letter, he hasn¡¯t contacted him once, let alone mentioned it. ¡°Yeah, old Peter also asked me about your current situation. Now that everything is fine with you, he should be relieved.¡± Reverend Robert smiled very kindly. But Evan couldn¡¯t laugh at all. He didn¡¯t think his father was a person who was interested in his current situation. He developed well in the church in London back then, but because later his brother would come to London to do business, his father was afraid that he would affect his brother¡¯s status, so he had him transferred to Delanlier. He couldn¡¯t think of any reason why such a person would care about him. ¡°Yes, is my father okay? I may not have seen him for a long time.¡± Although Evan was puzzled, he still did his best to act calm. Reverend Robert nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, old Peter is in good health. By the way, according to your father, your brother William seems to be getting married soon.¡± Married? Evan didn¡¯t even know what his father looked like, let alone the so-called brother. ¡°Oh? Is it? This is new news.¡± Evan said with a very calm expression. It was only at this time that Reverend Robert realized that he had said the wrong thing, and he was a little embarrassed. He had heard about the Bruce family before, but he did not expect the situation to be so bad. Duke Wilson, who was sitting on the side with a stiff expression, frowned after hearing Evan¡¯s words. He had never paid attention to Evan¡¯s family, and he didn¡¯t expect that there would be any problem. ¡°Reverend Robert.¡± As if he noticed the difference in the surrounding atmosphere, Evan laughed again. He helped Reverend Robert sit down again and said with a smile, ¡°Were you invited by the Duke this time?¡± The topic was changed at the right time, and it would be a bit disappointing to continue the previous topic at this time. ¡°Oh, of course.¡± Reverend Robert was also very smart not to mention the embarrassment just now, and continued with a smile, ¡°The Duke invited me to come to Delanlier, but I didn¡¯t expect to encounter such a thing, it¡¯s really terrible. Evan pursed his lips and did not speak, but Reverend Robert continued to ramble, ¡°Speaking of which, Irina was a good child before, but it¡¯s surprising how she has become like this. Fortunately, you are fine this time, otherwise I really don¡¯t know what will happen or how serious consequences would have been.¡± Evan still smiled, but his heart was as cold as ice, what could the consequences be? The moral quality of a gentleman is still very important, especially if he is a priest in the church. If it really happened the way Ford designed it to happen, he would have no place in the church for a long time. Robert was getting older, and older people are nagging and talkative. He dragged Evan back to the days when he was young in London. Evan had heard these stories over a thousand times before, but this time, facing Reverend Robert like this, he still listened patiently. After all, this nagging old man had just saved him from huge trouble. When Reverend Robert finally finished talking to his heart¡¯s content, Duke Wilson couldn¡¯t bear it any longer and hurriedly got up and spoke out, ¡°Reverend, you are weak and you shouldn¡¯t sit for a long time. You should go up and rest first.¡± Confused, when the Duke said that, he did feel that his back was a little stiff, so no matter what etiquette was impolite, he followed Butler Chris upstairs without complaining. The departure of Reverend Robert caused the living room to fall into an awkward silence. The duke was arrogant just now, but now he is a little overwhelmed. The back of his hand seems to still be able to feel the warmth of Evan¡¯s palm from when Evan held it. The heat seemed to be contagious and it rushed straight from the back of his hand through his blood vessels to his heart, making him feel restless for a while. Evan was very aware of the Duke¡¯s tangled mood at this time, and laughed in his heart, but in the end he was sympathetic and spoke first, ¡°Lord Duke, thank you for your arrangement today, it makes me feel very happy to be able to meet with Reverend Robert today.¡± Duke Wilson sighed with relief the moment Evan spoke, but he frowned when he heard the words ¡°Speaking of this, I want to ask you, do you have a very bad relationship with your father?¡± Evan smiled bitterly, ¡°It¡¯s not bad, but I haven¡¯t had much contact with him.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t had much contact with him?¡± The Duke looked at Evan with some surprise, ¡°He is your father, you two¡­ haven¡¯t you been in contact with them?¡± Evan paused for a moment, thought for a moment and said, ¡°My father sent me to a boarding school after I was eight years old, until I became an assistant priest at the age of twenty-two. We¡¯ve met less than twenty times, and he gave me either a letter or a check, so I don¡¯t know much about my father.¡± Duke Wilson was really surprised at this time. He was the only son of the old Duke Wilson. He was basically brought up by the old Duke Wilson. He didn¡¯t know that there was such a strange father-son relationship in this world. ¡°Is what you said true? This is so unfortunate!¡± Duke Wilson looked at Evan with some sympathy. Evan laughed, ¡°You don¡¯t have to sympathize with me like this, I have grown so big. Although my father didn¡¯t fulfill his father¡¯s responsibilities, he helped me a lot, and this time, my transfer to Delanlier is also because of my father. But I didn¡¯t expect that my brother is getting married and no one told me¡­¡± As he spoke, Evan¡¯s expression turned a little gloomy. Duke Wilson felt a little uncomfortable when he saw it. He kept looking at the gentle and kind Evan, but he didn¡¯t expect that he would have so many sorrows. ¡°You¡­don¡¯t be sad, maybe the letter was blocked, so you couldn¡¯t be told on time. After all, it¡¯s your own brother and they will tell you anyway.¡± Duke Wilson could only comfort him so weakly, but in his heart, he was very dissatisfied with the other two men in the Bruce family. Evan smiled reluctantly, ¡°Maybe.¡± Seeing Evan¡¯s expression being so gloomy, Duke Wilson¡¯s mood was not very good, but this kind of thing is not the domain that the Duke is good at, so he can only shut up. Afterwards, the two had lunch together at the manor. After lunch, Evan was going to go back, but the Duke suddenly proposed to go fishing with Evan. Evan couldn¡¯t refuse and had to go with the Duke. The place they went to was a lake in Cornwall Manor. The fish was very rich. Evan was very unfamiliar with this kind of thing, so he had to follow the example of Duke Wilson as he showed him. The two of them sat by the lake, a breeze blowing on the lake surface, raising faint ripples. The sun shining on the lake surface through the clouds, as if sprinkled with a layer of broken gold and the entire lake surface was sparkling. Sitting in such a place, Evan relaxed and did not think about those insidious schemes, but was completely immersed in such a beautiful world. Only when he finally woke up from such a relaxed situation did he find that the sun had gone down. He looked back at Duke Wilson¡¯s slightly smiling face, and an elegant tone came out between his beautifully shaped lips, ¡°Reverend Bruce, it¡¯s getting late today, why don¡¯t you stay?¡± (The duke is quite cunning ) Evan suddenly found that his knowledge of Duke Wilson was still somewhat inaccurate. This person is obviously a very good player. CH 67 With what Duke Wilson said, Evan knew very well that if there were no other circumstances, he could not easily refuse. Evan looked at Duke Wilson, who looked calm on the surface but was actually very nervous. He smiled lightly, ¡°Then I¡¯ll trouble you.¡± Duke Wilson was secretly relieved, ¡°You are too polite. For our friendship, this matter is nothing.¡± Evan followed Duke Wilson and they walked back to Cornwall Manor together. Butler Chris had already prepared dinner. Evan looked at it, the dinner was for two people. Evan glanced at Butler Chris, he is indeed Duke Wilson¡¯s confidant. I am afraid that the person who knows the Duke best in the world is this unremarkable butler. The dinner was very rich and even a few fish caught by the Duke were boiled into a delicious fish soup. Evan sat opposite Duke Wilson, chatting and laughing with Reverend Robert beside him. Although Duke Wilson had been silent, he would look at Evan from time to time, and the look in his eyes was slightly gloomy. After supper, the confused Reverend Robert was helped upstairs to rest, while Evan and Duke Wilson were sitting in the living room, talking about the past few days. Duke Wilson was very dissatisfied with the events of the past few days and spoke with a bit of sarcasm, ¡°After this incident, that honorable Mr Ford should stop causing trouble for a few days.¡± Evan pursed his lips and smiled, ¡°Ford is a smart man, although he did such a thing this time, there should be no more action.¡± Evan¡¯s affirmation of Ford made Duke Wilson a little dissatisfied, but he couldn¡¯t say anything more and in the end he could only smile slightly sarcastically. After that, there was a very awkward silence between the two. Duke Wilson looked at Evan sitting in the dim light. His light blue eyes had a strange brilliance at this time. Somehow Duke Wilson¡¯s lips suddenly turned dry. Evan has been observing Duke Wilson from the corner of his eye. He noticed that Duke Wilson¡¯s eyes had been staying on himself, and he smiled in his heart. Suddenly, Evan raised his head so Duke Wilson had no time to avoid and look away, and the heat in his eyes was completely seen by Evan. ¡°Duke¡­My lord?¡± Evan looked at Duke Wilson with some doubt. Duke Wilson¡¯s heart was extremely nervous at this time. He almost didn¡¯t dare to look into Evan¡¯s clear eyes. He avoided Evan¡¯s eyes in a panic and said in a stammering tone, ¡°I¡­I¡¯m a little tired. We should rest now.¡± Evan looked at Duke Wilson, his handsome face was slightly red and his eyes were filled with panic, which seemed to be different from the usual calm, collected and self-controlled Duke. ¡°Okay.¡± Evan replied calmly. Duke Wilson quickly stood up, and left, as if he had been given amnesty. Watching the Duke go to the second floor, Evan just stood up. Although this night¡¯s stay was destined to be nothing unusual, for some reason, Evan suddenly felt as if a warm current had been injected into his heart, like the warmth of spring. The warmth soothed him a lot. This night was the most solid night he had slept since he left Cornwall Manor. Early the next morning, Duke Wilson did not appear at the dining table. Evan thoughtfully looked at the vacant seat opposite him, his eyes flickering, it looks like he (DW) doesn¡¯t want to face him (E) . In the end, Butler Chris personally sent Evan back to the church. When they parted, Butler Chris looked at Evan with a hesitant expression on his face while Evan looked calm, as if he didn¡¯t know anything. In the end, Butler Chris just sighed deeply, turned around, got into the carriage and left. Soon after Evan returned to the church, the church gradually became lively. Yesterday¡¯s big drama caused a huge sensation in the entire Delanlier, especially the poor Reverend Bruce, who received such grievances. The people felt very guilty, so even though today is not a Sunday, these people rushed to the church, apologized deeply to Evan and asked for Evan¡¯s forgiveness. Of course, Evan has to forgive these people. No matter how disdainful he feels in his heart, he will not put himself on the opposite side of most people, especially now that, for these people, he is still a kind and noble character. After dealing with these people, it was already late. Evan wanted to go home and sleep peacefully, but Sheriff Chandler ran over with a frightened look. ¡°Reverend Bruce!¡± His tie was loose and he was gasping for breath. ¡°Reverend Bruce!¡± He held Evan¡¯s hand, ¡°I¡¯m really¡­really¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Evan asked with a frown, seeing that he couldn¡¯t come up with a response for a long time. ¡°Oh! This is really a disaster.¡± Sheriff Chandler held his head in pain and said, ¡°Mrs Johnson just committed suicide in prison!¡± ¡°What?!¡± Evan¡¯s eyes widened instantly, ¡°Mrs Johnson is dead?¡± Seeing Evan¡¯s big reaction, Sheriff Chandler quickly waved his hand, ¡°No, no, don¡¯t get excited, she didn¡¯t succeed, and was rescued by the officers later.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Evan heaved a sigh of relief, but his frowning brows did not relax. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Evan asked in a low voice. Sheriff Chandler also looked a little guilty at this time and said, ¡°It¡¯s all my fault, I always thought that Mrs Johnson was definitely the mastermind of this matter so I was indifferent to her protests. But I didn¡¯t expect that she would do such a thing in this matter.¡± ¡°Protest?¡± Evan frowned, and for some reason, Rael¡¯s slightly exaggerated face suddenly appeared in his mind. ¡°What did Mrs Johnson protest against?¡± Evan picked up his previous doubts again at this time, and he had a hunch that this matter could not be so simple. ¡°Alas¡­¡± Sheriff Chandler sighed with shame, ¡°Mrs Johnson kept saying that when she went back home that day, she didn¡¯t see Mr Johnson and I didn¡¯t believe it before. But this morning, a homeless man suddenly broke into the police station and he told me that on the day Mr Johnson died, during the period when Mrs Johnson was not seen, he had seen Mr Johnson, with a woman but could not see her face, and they also went back to Mr Johnson¡¯s home together.¡± ¡°Homeless man?¡± Evan was a little puzzled, these witnesses¡¯ appearances were too timely. When Evan mentioned this, the look on Sheriff Chandler¡¯s face became even more ashamed, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s all my fault, the news of us finding evidence was published before, but it was withdrawn the day after Miss Blair appeared. Mrs Johnson was very dissatisfied, so she found a lawyer and paid for the notice to be published herself. This homeless man was attracted by the notice.¡± ¡°Could the reason be for money?¡± Evan asked. ¡°I thought about this before, but there is evidence from this homeless man. At that time, in order to get rid of the homeless man¡¯s entanglement, Mr Johnson gave him a large amount of coins, one of the things he got was a cufflink that Mr Johnson accidentally dropped. Mr Johnson¡¯s initials are also engraved on it.¡± Sheriff Chandler said with great chagrin. Evan raised his eyebrows slightly when he heard this. It seems to be true. It¡¯s really interesting. They finally found evidence this morning, but Mrs Johnson tried to commit suicide at the same time. This woman¡¯s scheming is really terrible. Speaking of it now, it¡¯s obvious that all the public opinion will be on her side and people will have sympathy for her, and Sheriff Chandler, who caused this incident, his reputation is now in danger. Evan looked at Sheriff Chandler, but he didn¡¯t realize that the danger was approaching. He secretly groaned in his heart. It¡¯s obvious that the person with the most comfortable life in this world is Sheriff Chandler, a heartless person who never cares. ¡°Mr Sheriff.¡± Evan¡¯s expression instantly became solemn. Sheriff Chandler was his friend, and he couldn¡¯t watch the sheriff really be destroyed, ¡°The matter has become very serious now.¡± Sheriff Chandler looked at Evan in surprise, ¡°But Mrs Johnson has been rescued¡­¡± He murmured. Evan gritted his teeth, he really didn¡¯t realize it at all, ¡°Although she was rescued, her situation is very difficult.¡± Sheriff Chandler was stunned, he thought about it and still had an expression of ¡®I don¡¯t understand on his face¡¯ but he said, ¡°This matter is my negligence, and I will be responsible for my negligence.¡± Evan sighed, ¡°If this matter develops according to the current state of the matter, you are not responsible. The problem is, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s hard to say whether you can keep your position.¡± Stunned, Sheriff Chandler looked at Evan, ¡°This¡­how is this possible¡­¡± Evan feels really sympathetic towards the sheriff now. Although Sheriff Chandler is still a little smart when it comes to handling cases, he is too far behind when it comes to dealing with people. ¡°Sheriff, Mrs Johnson is not a simple lady, she chose to kill herself today, haven¡¯t you wondered why? Now that she has escaped the charge of murder, how do you think she will deal with you?¡± Evan said frankly. Sheriff Chandler¡¯s face finally changed at this time, ¡°This¡­this is really¡­¡± Sheriff Chandler is an old-fashioned gentleman. He¡¯d never thought that a lady could be so dangerous. ¡°Okay.¡± Evan sighed, ¡°Sheriff, if you want to keep your position now, break this case as soon as possible, otherwise there will be consequences. I can¡¯t imagine the consequences myself.¡± Speaking of this, Sheriff Chandler couldn¡¯t help but feel a little dejected, ¡°Oh, I also want to solve this case as soon as possible. But now Mrs Johnson, who is the main suspect, has been freed from the suspicion and that kid, Rael, has an alibi. Even if I want to solve the case, it is very difficult!¡± As Evan listened to Sheriff Chandler¡¯s complaint, his expression changed and finally, he asked tentatively, ¡°Have you investigated Mr Rael again?¡± Sheriff Chandler raised his eyebrows, ¡°Of course I have investigated him, but that kid Rael is too slick and I can¡¯t get anything useful. But my wife met Miss Blair a few days ago. You don¡¯t know, Miss Blair has been so beautiful these days, and my wife told me that it looks like Miss Blair is going to leave here and get married.¡± Speaking of this, Sheriff Chandler couldn¡¯t help laughing, almost everyone in the entire Delanlier knows that Miss Blair is afraid that she will never be able to marry in this life. Evan was touched by Sheriff Chandler¡¯s words. He immediately asked, ¡°Why did your wife say that? Is there any evidence?¡± Sheriff Chandler was asked by Evan like this and for a moment he was stunned, he murmured, ¡°Evidence? I don¡¯t know this, but I just heard that Miss Blair is preparing to sell her house in recent days. Everyone in the town knows that it was left to Miss Blair by Mr Blair. She has always treasured her property¡­¡± Evan didn¡¯t listen to Sheriff Chandler¡¯s last words, but the doubts in his heart were suddenly cleared up and this matter is now obvious to him. T/N : I didn¡¯t realise that the little notes I wrote in some chapters and my rambling actually ruined the immersion for some people, and I apologise for that. I will stop this habit from now henceforth. Although I planned to take the time to delete them, I changed my mind because some people actually sent insulting messages to me on discord which kinda pissed me off. So I¡¯m just going to leave them for now. Maybe I¡¯ll delete them later. Well, enjoy guys. CH 69 ¡°Mr Rael, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Evan looked at Rael, who was stiff and asked with concern. Rael wanted to force a smile, but he failed woefully in the end. He just raised the corners of his lips slightly and replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Is that tramp still at the police station?¡± Evan looked at Rael and suddenly smiled, ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not good for him, after all, he¡¯s the one who killed Mr Johnson.¡± Evan¡¯s sudden change of topic made Rael stunned for a moment, before he finally nodded, ¡°Yes, yes, yes.¡± Evan couldn¡¯t help sighing when he heard this, ¡°You have also been wronged a lot in this matter. Why don¡¯t we do it like this? I will tell Sheriff Chandler to allow you to participate in tomorrow¡¯s events.¡± ¡°What¡¯s happening tomorrow?¡± Rael looked at Evan with a look of doubt. Evan nodded, ¡°Tomorrow, Sheriff Chandler will take the homeless man to get the portrait painted. Because the previous painter got ill, they decided to hire another painter and go to Sheriff Chandler¡¯s house for the painting. Do you want to go and have a look?¡± Rael only felt his heart beating fast, such a thing¡­such a thing¡­it was really¡­ ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Rael only felt that his lips were dry. Evan smiled reassuringly, ¡°I¡¯m glad to have you join in, I believe things will develop further in a good direction tomorrow.¡± Rael smiled reluctantly, and then immediately took the letter and left Evan¡¯s office. Looking at Rael¡¯s anxious back, Evan smiled meaningfully, I¡¯m afraid this matter will come to an end tomorrow. ******* The next morning, Evan went to Sheriff Chandler¡¯s house early. Sheriff Chandler had just woken up at this time and he was still a little sleepy. ¡°Oh my God, Reverend Bruce, why are you here so early?¡± Sheriff Chandler¡¯s hair was messy, the bread was still in his mouth, and his words were muffled. Evan turned his face away, unable to bear to look at the sheriff directly, and said succinctly, ¡°I¡¯m afraid there will be something wrong with your arrangements, so I decided to come over and take a look.¡± Sheriff Chandler smiled, ¡°You can rest assured, everything will go according to your arrangement. Mrs Johnson will come over on time at nine o¡¯clock and the tramp will also be brought over after everyone arrives. The development of the matter will depend on your predictions.¡± Evan listened and nodded slightly. ¡°Very good.¡± Speaking of which, Sheriff Chandler couldn¡¯t help looking at Evan curiously as he asked, ¡°But, will things really develop as you expect them to?¡± Evan sneered in his heart, but he still had a soft look on his face, ¡°Please rest assured, as long as a sinful person in this world has committed a crime, he will no longer fear the majesty of the law. In order to protect his secret, he will definitely take action.¡± Sheriff Chandler was a little confused by what Evan said, but he still nodded and said nothing more. When the clock reached nine o¡¯clock, Mrs Johnson arrived at Sheriff Chandler¡¯s house on time. This time, Mrs Johnson looked different from the previous times. Although she was still a little pale this time, her complexion seemed to be much better than it was the last time, and when she saw Evan, a smile appeared on her face. ¡°Oh, Reverend Bruce, you are here too.¡± Mrs Johnson looked at Evan with a very friendly smile. Evan slightly curved his lips and said softly, ¡°Thanks to Sheriff Chandler¡¯s invitation. How are you doing, Madam?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Mrs Johnson smiled, ¡°I just really hope this is the end of this case. This terrible thing has to end quickly. Fortunately, now that Sheriff Chandler has caught the criminal, this terrible time can finally get over.¡± Evan looked at Mrs Johnson, nodded and said nothing. A moment later, Sheriff Chandler¡¯s door was knocked on again. Evan¡¯s expression changed and he glanced at Sheriff Chandler. The sheriff immediately went to open the door but when he saw Rael standing at the door, his whole person was still stunned. ¡°This¡­¡± He looked at Evan in confusion. At this time, Evan seemed to finally remember and he immediately explained, ¡°I happened to talk about this with Mr Rael yesterday, so I invited Mr Rael by the way.¡± Here, he turned his head to look at Mrs Johnson, whose face had instantly turned cold and severe when she saw Rael, and asked softly, ¡°Ma¡¯am, would you mind?¡± Mrs Johnson seemed to want to stop herself from being aggressive so she wanted to smile to ease the atmosphere, but she still failed in the end. She realized that when she faced this person, she really couldn¡¯t smile at all. ¡°No, I don¡¯t mind.¡± Mrs Johnson said stiffly. Evan didn¡¯t seem to feel the awkward atmosphere, and still smiled very contentedly, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t mind.¡± Rael walked in nervously. Although Sheriff Chandler didn¡¯t like him at all, he wouldn¡¯t behave in a rude way, so he still asked Rael to sit in the living room. The few of them waited for another ten minutes before there was another knock on the door. Sheriff Chandler stood up excitedly this time and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s finally here.¡± He rushed to the door to open it, but Evan still stood in one place as his eyes swept over Mrs Johnson and Rael. Mrs Johnson clenched the fan in her hand tightly with sharp eyes, while Rael was only silently standing there, not saying a word. After a while, the homeless man walked in under the escort of the police officers. Because of the small size of the room, Rael retreated to the corridor. Mrs Johnson also walked into the kitchen because she did not want to be in the same room with a homeless man, watching the people in the house through the glass. The tramp looked a little sluggish at this time, his messy beard covered most of his cheeks and there was an unpleasant smell on his body, which made everyone in the room frown. ¡°Mr Goode.¡± Sheriff Chandler reluctantly asked, ¡°Can you really help us find the murderer?¡± ¡°Please believe me!¡± When it came to this, the homeless man suddenly became energetic, ¡°I definitely didn¡¯t do it. I am very grateful for Mr Johnson¡¯s generosity. How could I do something to hurt him? I will definitely help you paint a good portrait!¡± Sheriff Chandler nodded reluctantly, ¡°Very good.¡± Because the painter had not arrived yet, everyone had to sit quietly as they waited for the arrival of the painter. Sheriff Chandler clenched his hands impatiently, it¡¯s so weird that he hasn¡¯t gotten here. ¡°Go outside and see if the painter is here.¡± Sheriff Chandler waved to a police officer. The police officer went out to check immediately, but Evan suddenly asked, ¡°Who is the painter you hired?¡± Sheriff Chandler frowned slightly but before he had time to answer, there was suddenly a loud noise in the garden, like something exploded, and everyone in the room panicked immediately. Mrs Johnson¡¯s sharp voice came from the kitchen. The kitchen was the closest place to the garden. Sheriff Chandler responded the fastest and ran out of the door immediately. Evan also ran out with Sheriff Chandler. At this time, only the homeless man was left in the room, handcuffed and sitting on a chair in front of the fireplace. He stared at the scene in front of him in a stunned manner, and he couldn¡¯t react. A man took a thin needle and walked towards him step by step. The homeless man stared at the man, speaking almost incoherently, ¡°Yes¡­it¡¯s you¡­¡± The man¡¯s face showed a hideous expression, with a smile as the needle in his hand glowed with a cold light. The homeless man wanted to avoid it and shout, but the loud noise outside had already covered his shouting. It seemed like a bomb had exploded outside, and there were human voices and screams everywhere. At this time, the tramp really had no way to go to heaven and no way to go to earth, and the color of despair spread on his face. The man got closer and closer to the homeless man until that the tip of his needle had touched the homeless man¡¯s cheek, when suddenly there was a burst of laughter behind him, ¡°Mr Rael, I have to say, the explosion you caused today is something I didn¡¯t think about.¡± It turned out that the man holding the needle was Rael. He turned his head quickly, looked at Evan¡¯s slightly smiling face, and Sheriff Chandler¡¯s frown. His face instantly turned pale. ¡°You¡­you¡­you designed this?¡± Rael¡¯s voice trembled. Evan looked back at Sheriff Chandler, and the sheriff nodded, ¡°Mr Rael, I really didn¡¯t expect you to do this.¡± Rael was almost broken at this time. Facing this current scene, he couldn¡¯t think of a way to get out of here. Thinking of this, he suddenly remembered something. He immediately clenched the needle in his hand and turned around, trying to grab the homeless man, who was still helpless just now. It¡¯s just that when he turned around, the homeless man had already removed the beard from his face, even the tightly handcuffed hands were now free and he looked like a most respectable young man. The young man stood in front of Rael, nodding slightly, ¡°Mr Rael, I¡¯m Constable Pete.¡± It turned out that this homeless man was actually a police officer in disguise. Rael was really desperate at this time, the needle in his hand slipped down his fingertips. He looked at Sheriff Chandler and Evan, his lips trembling uncontrollably: ¡°You¡­who are you? How do you know it¡¯s me?¡± Sheriff Chandler was obviously still confused at this time but Evan looked confident. He waved at the policeman at the door, who had gone out earlier to investigate whether the painter came or not. The police officer went out and he came in with a lady. ¡°Sheriff, Reverend Bruce, this is the woman who threw the explosives into your garden!¡± The policeman looked obviously excited, he was also the most important part of this plan. Rael looked at the woman being pulled in by the police officer, and there was a momentary look of relief on his face. ¡°Is it because of her?¡± Rael¡¯s tone was very low. Evan smiled softly, ¡°Mr Rael, I have to say that this trick of yours is really interesting. At first, you put yourself in the most suspicious place and even didn¡¯t hesitate to destroy your reputation, and then when the police are most suspicious, you find someone to prove your innocence. Although your reversal is very good, it will completely divert everyone¡¯s attention from you. But I have to say that the collaborator you chose is really the biggest loophole in this case.¡± Evan looked at the lady with her head down and said, ¡°Miss Blair, the most famous old lady in Delanlier. Although she will easily be confused, her yearning for love and her uncontrollable desire to show off completely ruined your plan.¡± Evan did not look at Miss Blair, who was trembling all over, but looked at Rael again, whose eyes were gloomy. ¡°You told me that you were going to leave Delanlier and it was also at this time that Miss Blair, who testified for you, sold the ancestral house she had inherited for many years in preparation to leave Delanlier, and was pregnant with the happiness of wanting to get married. This kind of coincidence, I believe only happens once in a hundred years, right? Mr Rael?¡± Evan¡¯s eyes finally had a hint of sarcasm at this time. At this moment, Rael completely lost his composure. T/N ¨C Honestly, Evan should have been a detective in this novel . He would have become very famous, and that status and class issue he was so worried about might have been easily solved. He¡¯s just so good. CH 70 Rael collapsed on the sofa in despair. He looked straight at Miss Blair, who didn¡¯t dare to look up at him, and spoke with trembling lips, ¡°Why are you so stupid?!¡± The maliciousness in his tone made Miss Blair tremble. She raised her face and looked at Rael. Tears were already streaming down her face, ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m really sorry!¡± Rael looked at Miss Blair without hiding the disgust in his eyes, ¡°Oh, shut up! You make me sick!¡± Miss Blair looked a little funny as her eyes widened, ¡°Oh, my dear Rael, what are you saying? How can you say such terrible words?¡± Rael looked at Miss Blair and smiled sarcastically, ¡°Oh! I have never seen such a stupid woman as you, you really thought I would marry you? You¡¯re so ridiculous! A stupid woman like you? Am I crazy? I¡¯m just taking advantage of you!¡± At this moment, Miss Blair stared at Rael as if she had just woken up from a dream, as she doesn¡¯t seem to know what to say. ¡°You¡­you¡­¡± She looked at Rael, as if she didn¡¯t know him. But Rael didn¡¯t look at her at all, turned his head to look out the window and said, ¡°Don¡¯t talk about it, get out!¡± Miss Blair was already in tears at this time, her originally gentle lover suddenly became like this. It was really hard for her to accept it. ¡°Oh!¡± Miss Blair sobbed loudly, turned and ran out. Seeing the situation, the policeman who brought her in quickly chased after her. Evan looked at Rael meaningfully, at his clenched fists and the tense corners of his mouth. ¡°Mr Rael.¡± Sheriff Chandler said the word ¡°Mr¡± in a stiff tone, ¡°Why did you treat Mr Johnson like that?¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Rael sneered, ¡°The old man Johnson was like a pig, do I still need a reason to kill him?¡± Sheriff Chandler seemed to be startled by Rael¡¯s sudden swearing. He looked at Rael with wide eyes and his tone became serious, ¡°How can you say that about Mr Johnson?¡± Rael turned his head to look at Sheriff Chandler, his smile became more and more sarcastic, ¡°Sheriff Chandler, you are an upright gentleman, so you can¡¯t imagine how terrible a person can be when he is evil.¡± Sheriff Chandler was taken aback by what Rael said. He turned his head and glanced at Evan with a look of distress in his eyes. Evan pursed his lips slightly, and asked with a solemn expression on his face, ¡°Evil?¡± There was a hint of doubt in his tone, ¡°We have all heard that Mr Johnson committed a crime of greed, but you also say he is evil, isn¡¯t that too much?¡± If you want to know the truth, you still need to use some incentives when necessary. Rael was really irritated by Evan¡¯s words. He looked at Evan suddenly, with an abnormal blush on his face, breathing roughly, ¡°If you don¡¯t know the truth, don¡¯t just judge things with what you see. That Mr Johnson, I am the only one who knows what he did!¡± Evan raised his eyebrows and glanced at the police officer, Pete, who was standing beside him and suddenly he felt enlightened, ¡°Oh? For example, he let you disguise yourself as a woman?¡± There was a hint of a joke in Evan¡¯s tone, but Rael¡¯s cheeks were still blushing, ¡°You¡­you¡­¡± He gasped heavily. Evan waved his hand apologetically, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, did I say something wrong? Or is this your hobby?¡± (Evan is being mean ) Sheriff Chandler was amused by Evan¡¯s words, while Rael¡¯s face turned red and purple. ¡°It¡¯s not my hobby!¡± The words seemed to come out through his teeth. Evan nodded as if he suddenly realized something, ¡°So it is. Then it is Mr Johnson¡¯s special hobby. This is really a terrible thing.¡± At this time, Evan remembered his mission as a clergyman and crossed his chest. Rael glared at Evan fiercely. He didn¡¯t realize that this priest was so mean. He turned to leave. Sheriff Chandler also seemed to realize something at this time and he looked embarrassed. To be honest, he knew some of the evil deeds some high-level nobles commit in private but he did not expect that Mr Johnson, such a gentleman who is very respectable and has a good relationship with him, would do such a thing. ¡°Stop him!¡± Sheriff Chandler waved at Constable Pete, who was standing aside. Pete was also shocked by such a scandal. Sheriff Chandler said it twice before he reacted and he hurriedly followed after Rael. Watching Rael leave, Sheriff Chandler looked at Evan with an uncomfortable look and said, ¡°This is really terrible. Mr Johnson turned out to be such¡­such a person.¡± Evan sighed, lowered his head and pondered for a moment before he said, ¡°That¡¯s how things are in this world. The most decent looking things are actually the dirtiest. Mr Johnson is really disappointing¡­¡± ¡°What a disappointment!¡± Before Evan could finish speaking, a cold female voice suddenly came from the kitchen. Evan was startled and looked back, only to see Mrs Johnson walk out of the kitchen with a blank expression. Evan frowned, annoyed. He was so excited that he forgot that Mrs Johnson was still in the kitchen. ¡°Oh, ma¡¯am, you¡­you¡­¡± Sheriff Chandler was obviously at a loss at this time. Mrs Johnson waved her hand mockingly, ¡°Oh, come on, Sheriff, you don¡¯t have to try to comfort me. I know what kind of person my own husband is, but at this point, I didn¡¯t expect him to be so shameless.¡± Mrs Johnson was obviously angry, her tone was very angry and her eyes were slightly red. Sheriff Chandler was not good at dealing with women, so he was a little embarrassed and didn¡¯t know what to say. Evan sighed in his heart and could only come forward, ¡°Mrs Johnson, this is a very sad thing, but please take care of your health and don¡¯t be disturbed by such things.¡± Mrs Johnson sneered and her whole person looked dejected, ¡°How can I not be disturbed by such a thing? As long as Rael goes through the trial, the whole town will know how disgusting he is and when that happens, I¡¯m afraid I will not be able to stay here any more.¡± When Mrs Johnson mentioned this, Evan and the sheriff were silent. To be honest, it was a dead end. They couldn¡¯t prevent Rael from being tried. As long as Rael goes on trial, he will say these things. Maybe only this will make the judge sympathize with him, and as long as this kind of thing spreads, although Mrs Johnson is also a victim, she will also be disturbed by the rumors it will cause. Facing the silence of Evan and the sheriff, Mrs Johnson was actually prepared. She sighed, turned around and left without saying a word. When Mrs Johnson left, Sheriff Chandler and Evan looked at each other for a while, but did not speak for a long time. ¡°I¡­¡± Sheriff Chandler was about to speak to ease the atmosphere, when suddenly, a woman¡¯s scream came from outside, ¡°Oh My God! What the hell is going on?! William! What the hell is going on here?! Why is my garden like this?!¡± Sheriff Chandler visibly shrank when he heard the shrill female voice, he glanced at Evan pleadingly for help but Evan could only spread out his hands to show that he was powerless. Of all the women in this world, there was only Mrs Chandler who Evan could do nothing to. Mrs Chandler rushed in and even smiled at Evan, and then all the firepower was aimed at Sheriff Chandler. She shouted angrily, making Sheriff Chandler even forget what his main job was today. Evan took this opportunity to sneak out of Sheriff Chandler¡¯s house. He didn¡¯t want to wait until Sheriff Chandler finally reacted and told Mrs. Chandler the person who planned this. Evan walked towards the Delanlier Church with a relaxed expression. Since he came to this era and met so many people, it was only at this moment that he really felt relaxed and felt that he had finally integrated into this era and he even helped Sheriff Chandler get out of trouble. Such a ¡®noble¡¯ behavior was unthinkable in his previous life, he seemed to have been shaped into a cold and selfish villain by that era. But here, somehow, he suddenly felt that life could be so simple and warm. When Evan returned to the church, it was already dark and Mrs Sanders had already lit all the candles in the church. At this time, she was sitting in front of the statue and doing her evening prayers with her hands clasped. Evan¡¯s arrival interrupted her prayers. ¡°Reverend Bruce?¡± Mrs. Sanders looked up at Evan, startled by the apparent look of joy on his face, ¡°Did something good happen?¡± Evan smiled and nodded, ¡°Isn¡¯t it a good thing that Sheriff Chandler caught the murderer of Mr Johnson?¡± Mrs Sanders breathed a long sigh of relief, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s really good. After spending so long worrying about it, he finally caught the person. Who is this lunatic?¡± Mrs Sanders was also a little curious. Evan stretched out his hand and lit the holy water, made a sign of the cross and recited a prayer before saying, ¡°It¡¯s Mr Rael.¡± ¡°Rael?¡± Mrs Sanders frowned, she seemed to not have a good impression of him. No, in fact, in the whole town of Delanlier, no one has a very good impression of Rael. ¡°The one who did the horrible things forbidden in the Bible?¡± For a devout like Mrs Sanders, she couldn¡¯t say a good word about homosexuality. Evan pursed his lips cautiously, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Oh, my God! Such a thing is really a disaster, no wonder God also forbids such a thing from happening.¡± Mrs Sanders made a sign of the cross on her chest as she looked a little excited. Evan¡¯s throat felt a little dry. He thought about the relationship between him and Duke Wilson. He seemed to have underestimated the resistance of the people in this era towards this matter. ¡°Has anyone come to look for me?¡± Evan changed the subject at the right time. Speaking of this, Mrs Sanders gave Evan a strange look and whispered, ¡°Oh, yes, Mr Ford came to look for you once.¡± ¡°Ford?¡± Evan frowned, ¡°What did he come to do here?¡± ¡°Mr Ford looked a little strange this time.¡± Mrs Sanders showed a confused expression on her face, ¡°He seemed to be very anxious to see you. He said that there is something important he has to tell you, but you didn¡¯t tell me your whereabouts before you left so I had to let him leave first.¡± Evan¡¯s frowning eyebrows got deeper and deeper. It¡¯s so weird that Ford has anything to do with him. (Oh great, Ford is back. I wonder what plan he¡¯s come up with this time. ??). CH 71 Why did Ford come to look for Evan? It didn¡¯t bother Evan for a long time. Early the next morning, Ford came to the church again and this time Evan was not even able to change into the priest¡¯s robe, he could only stare at the slightly gasping Ford in amazement. And Ford was not feeling well at this time. He didn¡¯t dare to look directly into Evan¡¯s eyes. Evan felt a little surprised. He had fought with Ford several times but he had never seen Ford like this. ¡°Do you have anything to do with me, Mr Ford?¡± Evan opened the topic first. Ford pursed his lips, looking a little embarrassed as he spoke, ¡°I¡­I heard.¡± ¡°What have you heard?¡± Evan¡¯s heart moved slightly, but he looked at Ford with a look of doubt on the surface, ¡°I¡¯m listening. What did you hear?¡± Ford coughed a few times, looking more embarrassed than before, ¡°It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s my father¡¯s business.¡± He was a little vague, as he looked more and more embarrassed. Evan only made a look of sudden realization at this time, and then his expression became embarrassed. ¡°That thing, I really¡­¡± Although Evan also imagined what the situation would be like after Ford finds out about it, he still didn¡¯t know what to say at this time. ¡°Please don¡¯t say any more.¡± Ford suddenly interrupted Evan¡¯s speech, with a look of shame on his face, ¡°I didn¡¯t know about my father¡¯s search for you about the matter between the two of us. It¡¯s because of this that it became what it is now. it¡¯s just that I want to ask you whether those rumors were spread by you at that time.¡± At that time, Evan resolutely refused to attack Ford and although he did not say it himself, his hatred for Evan was actually very deep. The reason why he hates Evan is that on the one hand, he has the hatred that his life has been destroyed, but he also has the unwillingness that his pure feelings had suffered a huge blow. Now he suddenly knows that it is his father, with his one-handed planning that caused his original deep love to turn into hatred. He was at a loss for a while, but at this time, he could only grasp this point about the rumors and let himself make the last struggle. Evan looked at Ford and felt relieved, he sighed, ¡°Mr Ford, please tell me first, how did you know about this?¡± When Ford heard him ask this, a trace of pain flashed in his expression. He clenched his fists tightly and said in a low voice, ¡°Do you think that as long as you don¡¯t tell me, I won¡¯t know? Do you think you will be like a saint, by hiding everything like this? Uh, Bruce? You shouldn¡¯t lie about this matter, and you don¡¯t need to ask me how I found out about it, you just need to tell me the truth about what happened that year!¡± Ford suffered a huge blow from the Duke before, and it was as if he was rehabilitated. But he didn¡¯t expect that on the way to find evidence, he found the secretary of his father from back then. They talked about Evan when they were chatting, and then all the past events came out to him like a tide. It is almost unimaginable how his father, known for his ruthlessness and strictness, dealt with Evan, who was a child. Evan looked at the agitated Ford and he felt a little helpless, but his tone was gentle, ¡°Mr Ford, the reason why I kept silent on this matter is just to respect the deceased, your father made me make a promise never to speak. I don¡¯t want to break this promise, but now that you know all about it, I will tell you frankly and honestly that when your reputation was damaged back then, although I didn¡¯t do it, I blamed myself for the matter. It was I who made the wrong friends, which caused you to suffer such harm. If you want to hate me, you can hate me, it¡¯s all my fault.¡± As Evan spoke, every word made Ford¡¯s fists clench even tighter, until in the end, he looked at Evan with red eyes and almost roared in a low voice, ¡°Is that all you want to say about this matter?¡± Evan lowered his eyes, with a hint of pity in his expression, ¡°Your pain has made me uneasy for most of my life, that¡¯s why I devoted myself to religion. I hope the Lord can resolve the remorse in my heart, but after so many years, I still feel sorry for you. I¡¯m very sorry, Mr Ford. I¡¯m really, really sorry. I don¡¯t know how to resolve my sins and I don¡¯t know how to make amends to you. I don¡¯t even have the face to ask for your forgiveness. This incident has made me miserable for the rest of my life, and I can¡¯t face it.¡± Evan said these words with true feelings, the sadness and pain in his tone could almost make the gods cry, but Ford¡¯s expression became more and more bad. ¡°Is this what you want to say?¡± The same question as before, but this sentence is more like it is being squeezed out of the jaws with a ferocity. Evan raised his head to look at Ford with some doubt . Ford¡¯s eyes were red, and there was a hint of madness and unwillingness in his eyes. ¡°Mr Ford?¡± Evan felt that something was wrong. ¡°I ask you, do you really have nothing else to say?¡± Ford stared at Evan, as if he wanted to see something in him. (Is he supposed to say that he loves you or something? ) Evan felt more and more strange. What this Ford wants to do seemed to be a little different from what he expected. ¡°I¡­I have nothing to say¡­¡± Evan¡¯s tone sounded uneasy. Ford looked at Evan, looked at his calm eyes, looked at his puzzled expression, and the breath that was originally held in his chest suddenly fell. He really didn¡¯t know what he was expecting. Ford closed his eyes in despair. For so many years, he seemed to have developed an obsession with this person. He¡¯d always appeared in the deepest part of his dreams and became his lifelong nightmare. From the beginning, his love changed. For the last hatred, this feeling of devoting all of his body and mind seems to have become an emotion that he can¡¯t get rid of in his life, and has even become a part of him. But suddenly, one day, a person suddenly appeared and told him that the love and hatred from all those days was just a script tailored by others for him, and even the reason for his deepest hatred was not with him. It doesn¡¯t matter, although he took this matter to himself, he is not an unreasonable person. The old secretary of his father told him the reason his father investigated back then, which was exactly the same as what Evan said. It¡¯s not his fault, but his own credulity. Ford loosened his clenched fists and let out a long breath. When he looked at Evan, his expression had recovered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what I¡¯ve done these days.¡± Ford looked at Evan with a cold face, all his emotions were hidden in his deep eyes. Let this matter end completely, all the love and hate, those pains and struggles, let them all end! Evan breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Ford had regained his composure. This person¡¯s mood is really uncertain. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be sorry.¡± Evan¡¯s expression was still gentle, ¡°This is all my fault and I will spend my whole life repenting.¡± Ford nodded indifferently and without saying more, turned around and left. But when he walked to the door, he stopped suddenly, turned back to Evan and said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave Delanlier tomorrow and I won¡¯t disturb you again.¡± Without waiting for Evan¡¯s response, he left the church quickly. Looking at Ford¡¯s back, Evan was speechless for a while, this Ford is really difficult to understand. ************ Ford crossed the forest paths in the countryside, looking at the rising sun in the distance, he felt a little empty in his heart for some reason. Since he found out the truth yesterday, he had been eager to see Evan. He didn¡¯t know what he was looking forward to, but it is definitely not a polite and cold conversation like today. It was also at this time that he suddenly discovered that he was the only one who could never get out of the love and hatred of that year, and he was the only one who still stubbornly remembered the love and hatred of that year. He remembers how they looked when they first met, remembers the way Evan looked when he called his name, remembers the exaggerated expression on his face when he confessed to him, remembers the pain in his heart when Evan left, those ignorant times when he was young, like an oil painting, that made his once boring and dry life so fresh. He was not a likable character at that time, but there was such a person who always followed him and maybe because of habit or maybe because of loneliness, he let that person into his life for the first time. But the result of it was so tragic, so tragic that he¡¯s trembling all over when he thinks about it now. But after so many years, he reminisced about that period of life over and over again, holding those love, hatred and sadness tightly in the palm of his hand. What he likes, what he hates, what he suffers, what happiness is, all belong to him. His love, his past, his life. Ford stopped, raised his head and looked at the clouds in the sky, squinting his eyes. Such strong emotions had almost emptied his whole being, and now there is only a feeling of endless emptiness left. Maybe he will find someone in the future. A girl who is not very beautiful but very gentle, it will also be good to have children with her and live an ordinary life. The dazzling sunlight made Ford squint. It seemed that a cold liquid slipped from his eyes. Is it raining? Ford thought. It was really strange, how could it rain suddenly? Ford wiped off the liquid from the corner of his eyes as if nothing had happened and walked quickly in a direction. Everyone has to move forward, he can¡¯t go back. ********** While Evan¡¯s mood at this time is relaxed and comfortable. Ford is an untimely bomb to him and at this time, this bomb is finally removed from his life. He finally doesn¡¯t have to worry, and finally doesn¡¯t have to be upset. Evan stood in front of the altar, looking at the crucifix aloft, his expression was compassionate and gentle, as if it was not him but the world who suffered. Suddenly some memories suddenly appeared in his mind, all related to Ford. When he was young, Ford was gloomy and mean and his handsome face always had a mocking smile on his face, but it was such a Ford, who was so tall and reliable in his memory. When he laughed, the corners of his lips would turn up and his teeth would be exposed. When he frowns, the ends of his brows droop slightly. When he is angry, his fingertips tremble slightly. When he called his name, the end would sound lingering and soft. Different from the dry and vague memory from before, the memory at this time was like a real and clear dream. He looked at he and Ford when they were young through Evan¡¯s eyes. Evan¡¯s head seemed to burst with a headache, he knelt on the ground and his hands were tightly grasping the railing. Suddenly, a drop of cold liquid fell on the back of his hand. Surprised, Evan looked at the drop of water on the back of his hand. It was a tear. Tears that belong to ¡®Evan¡¯. T/N ¨C Yay, Ford is finally gone. Although I kinda do feel sorry for him, he was played in a way too. Sorry guys, this chapter might not be well translated. I¡¯m not feeling well, feeling disoriented so I was really distracted as I typed. I apologise. CH 72 Ford came with a bang, but when he left, he left silently. Evan was writing a letter to the bishop that day. The autumn sun shone on him and made him feel a little lazy. Mrs Sanders suddenly walked in to tell him that Ford had left. When he heard the news, Evan was obviously stunned for a moment. It was supposed to be very relaxing news. At this moment, he didn¡¯t know what to do and he felt a little lost, but this emotion came and went quickly. In an instant, Evan returned to normal, as if his absent-mindedness just now was not his emotion. ¡°Since Mr Ford has left, the church can take a sigh of relief. This incident did not damage the church¡¯s reputation and the bishop should be very satisfied.¡± Evan continued his writing without pausing. Mrs Sanders nodded in agreement. On the contrary, the bishop would not care about the difficulties the local priest would encounter. As long as the reputation and property of the church were not damaged, they would not care too much. ¡°Yes.¡± Mrs Sanders nodded slightly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this matter has passed and our church will be calm for a while.¡± Evan nodded, during this period the town has been filled with energy. He almost suffered a serious injury to his reputation. It¡¯s not only the injury that is counted, but also this whole town¡¯s ups and downs this past few weeks. Fortunately, it is all over now. In the afternoon, Duke Wilson sent an invitation to Evan, because of this incident, the Duke wanted to invite Evan to the gentlemen¡¯s party. Evan looked at this invitation and laughed in his heart. There are so many gatherings in this era. Since he came here, he has attended numerous gatherings of various sizes and every time there is a new reason for the gathering, but this time is a perfect opportunity. The gentlemen¡¯s party organized by the Duke is definitely a perfect opportunity to break into the local gentleman class. This time, Evan has completely discovered how crucial it is to have the right to speak. ¡°Please tell the Duke that I will be there on time.¡± Evan smiled and said to the messenger who was waiting for a reply. Only then did the messenger breathe a sigh of relief. The Duke insisted that he consult the priest in person. He was afraid that the priest would be angered by such a rude thing. ¡°Okay, I will report your answer truthfully to the Duke.¡± The messenger saluted Evan, turned and left. Evan came into the room with the invitation card, and Mrs Sanders was sewing a tablecloth inside. The original one in the church was a little old and Mrs Sanders insisted on making a new one. For anything related to the church, she is always extremely careful and demanding. ¡°Gentlemen¡¯s party.¡± Evan handed the invitation card to Mrs Sanders, ¡°Have you heard of this party?¡± Mrs Sanders dropped the cloth, put on her reading glasses and looked at the invitation carefully before frowning after reading it and said, ¡°This is a party organized by Duke Wilson. I¡¯ve only heard about it before. I heard that the gentlemen invited to the party are very close to the Duke. With your current status, you can naturally participate in this party.¡± Evan nodded thoughtfully, it looks like Duke Wilson wants to pull him into his circle of friends this time, which is a very good thing. The time is set for two days later, so Evan is not in a hurry at this time. He is a priest after all and his status in this town is placed first, so he does not need to prepare specially in order to deal with different people. He only needs to bring himself and a gentle and unblemished face will do. However, although Evan was very calm, someone took the initiative to come to him. The next day, Evan had just finished his morning prayers and Colonel Mel came to the Delanlier Church. Evan was very surprised when he saw Colonel Mel, because although the Colonel was a parishioner, he was rarely seen in church except during worship. This time, it was a bit unexpected for Evan. ¡°Colonel.¡± Evan smiled and greeted Colonel Mel. Colonel Mel looked a little unnatural. Although he also smiled, his smile was also very stiff, which was very different from the usual Colonel Mel. ¡°Reverend Bruce¡­¡± Colonel Mel greeted Evan with a look of hesitation, ¡°Do you know Sister Eliza?¡± The nuns do not belong to Protestantism, but are a special existence in Catholicism. They dedicate their lives to the Lord and do not get married. Evan frowned, thought for a moment, and finally said, ¡°I have seen her once. She is a nun who belongs to St. Ryde¡¯s Abbey. This nun also appeared when the church gave out to the poor before.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s her.¡± Colonel Mel seemed to be relieved, ¡°It¡¯s this nun, you see¡­¡± Colonel Mel chose his words carefully, ¡°She is a kind nun who helped my poor mother get peace of mind, but now this nun is in some trouble and sent someone to come to me. I know only you as a religious person, so I had to ask for your opinion.¡± ¡°My opinion?¡± Evan was somewhat surprised by Colonel Mel¡¯s question, but still nodded, ¡°Although I may not be able to help you, I will try my best.¡± Colonel Mel finally showed a sincere smile and hurriedly said, ¡°You are truly a noble person.¡± After the praise, Colonel Mel began to talk about the topic, ¡°You know, a nun has to serve God for life, but¡­¡± Colonel Mel was a little embarrassed when he said this as he pursed his lips, ¡°But this Mother Eliza is only eighteen years old this year, she is still a young girl. She was sent to the convent by her parents when she was very young. It was not her will to become a nun. But before she got there, she¡­met a gentleman.¡± Colonel Mel seemed to find it particularly difficult to say the words, ¡°She wanted to be with that gentleman, but¡­alas!¡± Colonel Mel sighed. Evan was stunned by what he said. If this incident happened in his era, it was very likely to not cause a lot of noise or trouble. But in this feudal era, if this kind of thing happens, it is considered something very immoral. It¡¯s just a matter of time before it spreads out, and even if it is not spread out, the nun¡¯s fate will not be very good. ¡°This¡­this is really, it¡¯s a bit unimaginable.¡± Evan really didn¡¯t know how to react, so he could only say dryly. Colonel Mel thought that Evan was frightened by such a bold thing, and smiled in embarrassment, ¡°You are an upright gentleman, so I can dare to say this to you Sister Eliza is a very good lady, she is kind, gentle and knowledgeable. She is the most outstanding lady I have ever met. Although she also loves God deeply, you know, the power of love is stronger than the love for religion. Now that she can¡¯t get rid of the shackles of religion, she is suffering from pain day and night and she can¡¯t bear such pain, that¡¯s why she confided her heart to me. She once helped my mother, so that she can leave safely and now I also want to help her. My dear Reverend, please give me some guidance.¡± At this time, Evan finally realized what it means when something is called a dilemma. While maintaining his noble and kind character, he also knows that it¡¯s really hard to embody the qualities of a religious figure like him. ¡°Colonel Mel.¡± Evan pursed his dry lips, ¡°This is so surprising to me, I¡­I have never encountered such a thing in my life, and although I am also a religious person, you are also aware of the grievances between Protestantism* and Catholicism**. Although I am very sympathetic to the situation of this nun, please forgive me for not being able to help her, this matter is really too surprising.¡± Evan¡¯s answer made Colonel Mel dejected. Although he had expected such an answer, he was still a little sad when he actually heard it. ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize, I was too rude.¡± Colonel Mel said, dejected. Evan looked at Colonel Mel looking so dejected and a puzzled look flashed in his eyes, but he didn¡¯t think too much about it as he smiled and said, ¡°Please don¡¯t be so polite. I can¡¯t help you and I¡¯m sorry, but this kind of thing is still too much and it¡¯s too unbelievable. I¡¯m afraid it will be difficult to solve.¡± Colonel Mel listened and smiled bitterly, ¡°It¡¯s true, if it wasn¡¯t so difficult to solve, I wouldn¡¯t be so embarrassed. You are really a noble gentleman. I have no prejudice against Sister Eliza because of this, I just sympathize with her very much. I really don¡¯t know what she will do in the future.¡± Evan could only sigh after hearing this, the nuns of this era also want to pursue love. This nun can be regarded as pitiful for thinking of such treasonous things. Evan sent Colonel Mel, who was a little dejected, away. When he first arrived at the door, he suddenly remembered that Colonel Mel was a gentleman who had a very close relationship with Duke Wilson. That gentlemen¡¯s party might also have Colonel Mel¡¯s presence there. ¡°Colonel.¡± Evan stopped and looked at Colonel Mel tentatively. Colonel Mel turned his head suspiciously, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you?¡± ¡°I was invited by the Duke.¡± Evan replied deliberately, ¡°He invited me to the gentlemen¡¯s party, to be honest, I haven¡¯t been to this kind of activity, so I don¡¯t know if there is anything worth noting?¡± When Colonel Mel heard him talk about this, he suddenly realized that, with the rapid progress in the relationship between Duke Wilson and the Reverend these past few months, this invitation can be regarded as a matter of course. ¡°You can rest assured.¡± Colonel Mel comforted with a gentle expression, ¡°It¡¯s not as formal an occasion as you imagined, it¡¯s just a few gentlemen chatting about current affairs and news. Everyone has a close relationship with the Duke. And nothing unpleasant will happen.¡± Colonel Mel saying this is not without a purpose. You must know that, although the etiquette seems to be rigid in this era, the private life of some gentlemen is very rotten and many gentlemen gather together not for serious meetings, but to do some stunning things. Colonel Mel was afraid that this simple priest would be frightened by such rumors. Evan didn¡¯t think about such a problem, but Colonel Mel¡¯s comfort also made him feel relieved. Even if many people don¡¯t know him, at least Colonel Mel still knows him so that, if the Duke is very busy by then, he won¡¯t be alone there. Thinking of this, Evan smiled slightly, ¡°Thank you for letting me know.¡± Colonel Mel also smiled at Evan, who is now the real man in front of the Duke and according to his own observations, the Duke¡¯s feelings for him seem to be a little different from the past, and he feels that he will still have to get in touch with him. Evan watched Colonel Mel¡¯s back go down the forest path and then went back into the church. Today has been a really wonderful day for him. CH 73 The day of the gentleman¡¯s party came sooner than Evan expected. Evan had just had breakfast that day when Tom walked in with a strange look on his face. ¡°Reverend, it¡¯s so strange.¡± Tom looked at Evan with a look of doubt, ¡°I just wanted to go out and hire a carriage for you, but there was already a carriage waiting at the door. He said, he is here to pick you up. Is this the carriage you called yourself?¡± Evan¡¯s expression froze and after thinking for a while, he knew who sent it. ¡°It¡¯s probably a carriage sent by Duke Wilson. Don¡¯t worry about it, go down first.¡± Evan nodded lightly. Evan was so calm but Tom was not as calm. He showed an excited smile when he heard this and even rubbed his hands together with a smile, and said excitedly, ¡°It turned out to be the Duke. Reverend, you are so kind and amazing, that it can make the Duke think so highly of you.¡± Evan pursed his lips and felt joyful in his heart. ¡°No one can talk more than you can.¡± Evan still looked calm on the surface. Tom stepped back with a smile, but his heart was full of ambition and he was very proud of the master he followed as a servant, who has such a high status. Evan changed into one of his best suits, then put on the priest¡¯s collar again and went downstairs. The carriage was indeed sent by Duke Wilson. Evan has seen the coachman before. This carriage was Duke Wilson¡¯s very low-key-looking carriage, and Evan had ridden in it before. ¡°Reverend Bruce.¡± The coachman hurriedly nodded and saluted when he saw Evan coming out. Evan nodded, ¡°Did the Duke send you here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The coachman looked a little cramped and didn¡¯t seem to be very good at communicating, ¡°The Duke said that I must personally deliver you to the manor.¡± Evan nodded and didn¡¯t embarrass the driver any more. Since it was Duke Wilson¡¯s intention, he had no room to refuse, and in fact, he didn¡¯t want to refuse. The coachman was Duke Wilson¡¯s coachman. The carriage was fast and steady, and Evan arrived at Cornwall Manor not long after getting into the coach. Evan pushed the carriage door and stepped down. The courtyard of the manor has been occupied by all kinds of carriages. Because luxury is very popular in the current era, the carriages of the gentlemen are also extremely gorgeous. Rather, his carriage is the most inconspicuous one. Butler Chris was originally instructing the servants to park the gentlemen¡¯s carriages in the backyard, but suddenly saw Evan and hurried forward, ¡°Reverend Bruce, you are finally here.¡± Butler Chris looked a little anxious . Evan was a little surprised, ¡°Has it started? I thought it was eleven o¡¯clock at noon?¡± Butler Chris smiled reluctantly, ¡°It is indeed eleven o¡¯clock, but there are a few gentlemen who came from out of town and there are a few gentlemen who came early. So it is so rude for me to be so busy now, please forgive me.¡± So, Evan thought to himself, these people want to flatter the duke, naturally they won¡¯t let this opportunity go. And since he came on time and not ahead of the time specified, he can be considered the strange one among the guests. ¡°You¡¯re too polite.¡± Evan¡¯s mind turned sharply, but he still had a gentle smile on his face, ¡°You¡¯re so busy, you¡¯ve worked hard.¡± Butler Chris showed a sincere smile at this time. Today, compared to these other people, Evan was the first to say that he was working hard. ¡°Reverend, you are really a tolerant person. The Duke is waiting in the hall now, please go in.¡± Butler Chris was really lacking in time at this time, so he found a male servant to take Evan into the hall. When he first entered, Evan was taken aback. The well-dressed gentlemen were all gathered in one place and this was really a grand scene. Anyway, Evan had never seen such a big scene before. Evan frowned. Such a big scene is definitely not as simple as the normal party and chatting that Colonel Mel described. Duke Wilson must have other intentions. Evan looked for the trail of Duke Wilson in the crowd, but it was actually not that difficult to find him. In the place where the most people gathered, Evan saw Duke Wilson standing with a polite smile on his face. Different from what he looks like when he is with Evan, the duke at this time looked cold and arrogant. Although there was a smile on the corners of his lips, it was a kind of alienated smile that didn¡¯t allow people to be close to him. Evan saw Duke Wilson looking like this and his heart felt turbulent. All the gentleness of this man belongs to him. This kind of knowledge made Evan tremble with excitement. ¡°Reverend.¡± Under Evan¡¯s slightly scorching gaze, Duke Wilson finally found Evan who had just come in, hurriedly left the crowd and walked towards Evan, ¡°You are finally here.¡± He said with a relieved tone and his eyes obviously turned soft. Evan looked at the man in front of him and pursed his lips tightly, but in the end he just raised the corners of his lips and said, ¡°Thank you very much for your invitation, Lord Duke.¡± Duke Wilson did not notice Evan¡¯s emotions. In fact, all he was thinking about was the last time they saw each other. At that time, his performance was really bad. Just because Evan patted the back of his hand, he was so excited that he couldn¡¯t contain himself, and then the original good timing and his performance was a mess. ¡°I¡­heard that Ford has left.¡± Duke Wilson asked immediately because he didn¡¯t want them to fall into an awkward silence again. Evan raised his eyebrows slightly, and said warmly, ¡°Mr Ford knows what happened back then.¡± When he said this, Evan raised his head and looked at Duke Wilson, ¡°Is this what you told him?¡± Looking at Evan¡¯s clear eyes, Duke Wilson suddenly had a feeling of shooting himself in the foot. He almost forgot that, although this person is tolerant and kind, his mind is sharper than anyone else¡¯s. ¡°Reverend.¡± Duke Wilson pursed his dry lips, ¡°Ford has deep malice towards you. If he didn¡¯t find out the truth of that year, I¡¯m afraid he would have done other terrible things, so I did it myself. I suggested that Ford meet the Earl¡¯s secretary from back then, and you know what happened after that. If it made you feel unhappy, I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s words were very sincere, he knows very well that this person is stubborn. If Evan is angry with him because of this, he really doesn¡¯t know what he¡¯ll do. Evan looked at him being so serious and smiled, ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize to me.¡± His words calmed Duke Wilson¡¯s anxiety, ¡°The matter needed to be resolved sooner or later. You did this after considering my situation, I am not someone who doesn¡¯t know what to do.¡± Duke Wilson sighed with relief. These two people talked for a long time and although outsiders couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying, just looking at the atmosphere between the two of them, the eyes of the people around them went straight. They had never seen Duke Wilson with such a gentle attitude. Those who knew about some things all lamented about the firmness of the friendship between Reverend Bruce and the Duke, and those who didn¡¯t know hurriedly inquired about who the priest was. But this is a banquet after all and Duke Wilson¡¯s attention can¡¯t always revolve around Evan alone. At this time, Colonel Mel, Duke Wilson¡¯s most loyal friend and Evan¡¯s new friend, played a role. ¡°Reverend.¡± Colonel Mel walked over to the two of them with a glass of champagne, ¡°I was wondering why you didn¡¯t come, but now I finally saw you.¡± Colonel Mel¡¯s intervention made Duke Wilson frown slightly, but he also knew the situation at this time, so he didn¡¯t say much and Evan also liked the colonel very much, and replied with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m late, it¡¯s really rude.¡± Duke Wilson looked at him when he said this and he thought that Evan was really apologetic, and hurriedly said, ¡°You came at the right time, they came too early.¡± Such straightforward words made Colonel Mel¡¯s face stiffen. If there is no mistake, he could also be considered one of the ¡®them¡¯. But he behaved as if nothing had happened and still smiled and greeted Evan. Although the three of them were standing together and talking, Colonel Mel was talking to Evan most of the time and Duke Wilson was standing aside most of the time with a very solemn expression. The people around looked at this situation and thought that the Duke was not very happy, so they didn¡¯t dare to talk too much. This situation lasted for a long time, until Butler Chris finally came in and announced that lunch was ready. The guests finally breathed a sigh of relief. The meaning of the Duke on the seating arrangement of the guests on the table should be very clear and everyone¡¯s position and ranking will be clearly reflected, along with their place in the heart of the Duke. But unfortunately, the table rankings this year are not much different from that of last year. Except for Reverend Bruce sitting next to the Duke, there is not much difference in the positions of the other guests. But maybe others couldn¡¯t see it, however, the careful Colonel Mel found that the viscount from London, who was originally always at the bottom of the line looking useless, sat in the middle of the table this time. The viscount was so proud, with a smug smile on his face, but most of the people around didn¡¯t pay attention to him, because for these people, sitting in the middle and the back didn¡¯t make any difference, they were most concerned about the gentlemen sitting in front. A dark light flashed in Colonel Mel¡¯s eyes. It seemed that the Duke¡¯s sudden large-scale gathering this time really had other plans within. Recalling the open and secret battles between the several crown princes in London during this period, Colonel Mel only felt a chill in his heart. For him, this kind of thing is something that he can¡¯t see even if he breaks his neck trying to look, but it is such a common thing for the Duke. Colonel Mel sighed in his heart and then immediately threw himself into a chat with an unknown gentleman sitting beside him. Evan hadn¡¯t attended this party last time so he was unaware of what Colonel Mel had observed, but even so, Evan could see a certain tendency, such as Duke Wilson¡¯s attitude toward these gentlemen. Although Duke Wilson still has a cold look on his face, Evan found that when dealing with certain people, there was always a hint of caution in his eyes. This kind of caution may not be noticed by the Duke himself, but Evan miraculously saw it and he also summed up what these people have in common ¨C these people are all from London! CH 74 The dark atmosphere at the lunch table did not affect the mood of the gentlemen. After lunch, several good gentlemen gathered in the Duke¡¯s living room in groups of threes and fives, or sat and chatted individually. Of course, it was Duke Wilson who remained as the center of attention, but there are only three or five people who can sit next to the Duke. Colonel Mel and Evan were of course part of these people, but besides them, there was also Lord Orlam from London, the only son of the esteemed Duke of Field, who was only twenty-five years old this year and was already a famous gentleman in London. He is considered a handsome man. He entered the House of Lords at the end of the year before, and he was still a colleague with the Duke. ¡°Lord Duke.¡± Lord Orlam, in a reserved tone typical for noble children, said, ¡°My father conveys his sincere greetings to you.¡± Lord Orlam is a very handsome young man with meticulously styled brown curly hair. The light brown eyes shone brightly, and at first glance, he looked like a positive young man. Duke Wilson also seemed to like him very much, and nodded with a smile, ¡°Your father is a gentleman I respect very much. It¡¯s a pity that he couldn¡¯t come this time.¡± When the duke said this, Lord Orlam lowered his head and said solemnly, ¡°My father also regrets not being able to come this time, but now his body is still very weak and he cannot travel far.¡± ¡°Is it so serious? Oh, this is really too bad, please don¡¯t be too sad.¡± The Duke looked at Lord Orlam in surprise. In fact, everyone knows that although Lord Orlam is the only son of Duke Field on the surface, Duke Field is not an honest man. He has an illegitimate son outside and it is said that he is fond of this illegitimate son. For the young Orlam, it¡¯s obvious that the death of Duke Field would be the best thing. Orlam gave a reluctant smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my father is a strong man, he will get better.¡± Duke Wilson smiled with a flickering expression, will he get better? Orlam has now completely taken over the political legacy of the Duke of Field, and it is possible that the Duke of Field will have no chance to get better again. ¡°That¡¯s good. I hope to see Duke Field again next year.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s tone was very sincere and he really thought so in his heart. The only difference is that, at that time, among the guests who will be invited, which Duke of Field would it be? Lord Orlam accepted Duke Wilson¡¯s blessing, and the two happily talked about the changes happening in the imperial capital these days. The old king was in poor health, but at this time Prince George was dispatched by the Duke of Rand, who is the current regent, to inspect the Wales region. The whole country knows that, as the brother of the old king, the Duke of Rand had always been eyeing the throne. Although Prince George was born to the queen and also holds some military power in the imperial capital, if the Prince cannot return to London when the king dies, it cannot be guaranteed that he will get the throne. Now Prince George is on his way to Wales, but the king¡¯s condition has worsened and he is on the verge of death and the true face of the Duke of Rand is finally exposed in broad daylight, but no one can say anything at this time. The Duke of Rand doesn¡¯t like Prince George very much. It was because of a mistress that separated from the queen for many years. To be honest, judging from the current situation, it is a very critical situation for Prince George. This kind of power grabbing is very dangerous for most of the people who are involved, not to mention Duke Wilson and Lord Orlam, who are related to the royal family and both of whom are the best among the nobles. The crisis is also more deeply recognized. But even so, it is not appropriate to talk about these things on such an occasion and the Duke only talked with Lord Orlam about his concerns about the king¡¯s condition and his blessings for Prince George on his way to Wales. The other two just sat by, looking at each other, you can roughly know what the other person means. Lord Orlam and Prince George have a good relationship and he naturally supports Prince George. Although Duke Wilson seems neutral, everyone knows that Duke Wilson and Duke Rand have been mortal enemies for many years. The two have known each other since their school days, competing against each other. At this juncture, it is natural that they will not support this violent regent. ¡°Lord Duke.¡± When all the gentlemen were going to rest, Lord Orlam suddenly whispered, ¡°Excuse me, can I tell you something alone?¡± Duke Wilson glanced around to make sure that the crowd didn¡¯t notice it at all. He took another look at Evan, who was chatting with Colonel Mel, and nodded indifferently, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you in the study.¡± No one could hear his tone except Lord Orlam, who was beside him. Lord Orlam¡¯s eyes flashed with joy for a moment. Duke Wilson was able to see him, Prince George¡¯s confidant, at this sensitive time, which itself showed his attitude. If he can talk to Duke Wilson privately, then it is very possible that this decisive figure can be drawn over to their side. Although Evan was having a good conversation with Colonel Mel, his attention had still been on Duke Wilson and Lord Orlam. When this lord appeared in front of Evan for the first time, Evan was actually a little confused. This lord was indeed a character in the story, but when he appeared in the book, he was already the respected Duke of Field. Evan only knew that this lord wasn¡¯t Duke Field during the conversation between him and Duke Wilson, otherwise Evan almost did not recognize the duke who occupies a very important position in the second half of the book. Lord Orlam is Prince George¡¯s strongest supporter. It is not obvious now. To outsiders, it looks like they are just like all the related characters of the royal family. They grew up together and have a closer relationship than others. But it is impossible to talk about which type of support Prince George has. You must know that the biggest forces supporting Prince George at this time are the Holy See and some civil servants. The nobles are still being very cautious at this time. But Evan knew very well how loyal Lord Orlam was to Prince George, this is reflected in how powerful the future Duke of Field was when Prince George finally came into power. Evan saw the small movements between Duke Wilson and Lord Orlam, and knew very well that the combination of these two people was unstoppable. Duke Wilson is a very smart person. Although the situation looks very unfavorable for Prince George now in reality, he also saw the hidden dangers in the Duke of Rand. The Duke of Rand is not a clear-headed person. If such a person is allowed to sit on the throne as the king, it will be very difficult for the whole country. It would be a disaster. Evan returned to his room. Evan actually agrees with Duke Wilson¡¯s political choice. Just because the Duke of Rand instigated the Yorkshire mob to riot in order to destroy the strength of Duke Wilson who did not support him shows how crazy this guy is. In fact, it can be seen from the author¡¯s description of this point that the rioting mobs did not just consist of simple people, but also mixed in were the soldiers of the private army of the Duke of Rand. Otherwise, it would not have caused such a big turmoil. At one point, Duke Wilson¡¯s Manor was burned down, and Duke Wilson¡¯s subsequent revenge against these people also caused a devastating blow to the entire town of Delanlier. Evan trembled as he remembered this part of the story. He absolutely didn¡¯t want such a thing to happen to him. In the original book, the premise of the Duke¡¯s blackening was that the heroine got hurt and little Edward also died in the turmoil of the rioting mob. If such a terrible thing hadn¡¯t happened, maybe the Duke would have been a little more sensible and wouldn¡¯t have ignored the innocent villagers who were kidnapped by the mob. Maybe he would not have let the army rush into Delanlier and let the innocent people die under the knives of the mob. Evan clenched his fists tightly. Before, he just wanted to live better in these times and seek self-protection, but now he suddenly thought of Mrs Sanders and Sheriff Chandler. Could he really sit back and watch something like this happen to them? Evan clenched his teeth tightly. Maybe he could achieve the ultimate stage in human indifference before, but now that he has finally integrated into this world, he suddenly feels confused in the face of such a thing. Evan looked down at his hands. Since he came here, he has been looking for how to make his life better, but he had not thought about what he would do when he really starts liking the people in this place. These people are no longer just mere images like he imagined before. They have flesh and blood, feelings and souls, and they are all living people! What should he do, what should he do? Evan found that, deep in his heart, there was only one answer left for this question, he had to change the result! Evan suddenly stood up from the chair. If he wants to change the situation, the relationship between him and the duke could never be put to a stop. He had to speed up his pace. Only by establishing the feelings and a relationship between both of them could he change the future, only by changing this will he be more confident. As for the current him, he has no opportunity to fully understand this matter, let alone warn the Duke about the direction the matter will end in. Evan is a person with very strong willpower. When he decides to do something, his action force is also very high. After dinner that night was over, Evan invited the duke to his room later that night, telling him that he wanted to discuss some things with him. Duke Wilson¡¯s face flushed at a speed visible to the naked eye, and when he finally agreed, his tongue curled a little. (Bad bad Duke ) After Evan returned to the room, he immediately took a shower. He usually appeared in front of the duke in a dignified and cautious state, but now, it was time to change the Duke¡¯s inherent impression of him. After taking a shower, Evan did not rush to change into formal clothes, but only wore a white shirt and a pair of trousers. The collar of the shirt was loosely open, revealing a beautiful collarbone. The steam was thick and reddened his face, even the usually meticulously styled golden curly hair was messed up by him with a dry towel, and it looked a little unkempt. (My goodness, he¡¯s going all out, the duke is in trouble ) Evan looked at his somewhat unfamiliar self in the mirror and smiled with satisfaction. CH 75 The dark atmosphere at the lunch table did not affect the mood of the gentlemen. After lunch, several good gentlemen gathered in the Duke¡¯s living room in groups of threes and fives, or sat and chatted individually. Of course, it was Duke Wilson who remained as the center of attention, but there are only three or five people who can sit next to the Duke. Colonel Mel and Evan were of course part of these people, but besides them, there was also Lord Orlam from London, the only son of the esteemed Duke of Field, who was only twenty-five years old this year and was already a famous gentleman in London. He is considered a handsome man. He entered the House of Lords at the end of the year before, and he was still a colleague with the Duke. ¡°Lord Duke.¡± Lord Orlam, in a reserved tone typical for noble children, said, ¡°My father conveys his sincere greetings to you.¡± Lord Orlam is a very handsome young man with meticulously styled brown curly hair. The light brown eyes shone brightly, and at first glance, he looked like a positive young man. Duke Wilson also seemed to like him very much, and nodded with a smile, ¡°Your father is a gentleman I respect very much. It¡¯s a pity that he couldn¡¯t come this time.¡± When the duke said this, Lord Orlam lowered his head and said solemnly, ¡°My father also regrets not being able to come this time, but now his body is still very weak and he cannot travel far.¡± ¡°Is it so serious? Oh, this is really too bad, please don¡¯t be too sad.¡± The Duke looked at Lord Orlam in surprise. In fact, everyone knows that although Lord Orlam is the only son of Duke Field on the surface, Duke Field is not an honest man. He has an illegitimate son outside and it is said that he is fond of this illegitimate son. For the young Orlam, it¡¯s obvious that the death of Duke Field would be the best thing. Orlam gave a reluctant smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my father is a strong man, he will get better.¡± Duke Wilson smiled with a flickering expression, will he get better? Orlam has now completely taken over the political legacy of the Duke of Field, and it is possible that the Duke of Field will have no chance to get better again. ¡°That¡¯s good. I hope to see Duke Field again next year.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s tone was very sincere and he really thought so in his heart. The only difference is that, at that time, among the guests who will be invited, which Duke of Field would it be? Lord Orlam accepted Duke Wilson¡¯s blessing, and the two happily talked about the changes happening in the imperial capital these days. The old king was in poor health, but at this time Prince George was dispatched by the Duke of Rand, who is the current regent, to inspect the Wales region. The whole country knows that, as the brother of the old king, the Duke of Rand had always been eyeing the throne. Although Prince George was born to the queen and also holds some military power in the imperial capital, if the Prince cannot return to London when the king dies, it cannot be guaranteed that he will get the throne. Now Prince George is on his way to Wales, but the king¡¯s condition has worsened and he is on the verge of death and the true face of the Duke of Rand is finally exposed in broad daylight, but no one can say anything at this time. The Duke of Rand doesn¡¯t like Prince George very much. It was because of a mistress that separated from the queen for many years. To be honest, judging from the current situation, it is a very critical situation for Prince George. This kind of power grabbing is very dangerous for most of the people who are involved, not to mention Duke Wilson and Lord Orlam, who are related to the royal family and both of whom are the best among the nobles. The crisis is also more deeply recognized. But even so, it is not appropriate to talk about these things on such an occasion and the Duke only talked with Lord Orlam about his concerns about the king¡¯s condition and his blessings for Prince George on his way to Wales. The other two just sat by, looking at each other, you can roughly know what the other person means. Lord Orlam and Prince George have a good relationship and he naturally supports Prince George. Although Duke Wilson seems neutral, everyone knows that Duke Wilson and Duke Rand have been mortal enemies for many years. The two have known each other since their school days, competing against each other. At this juncture, it is natural that they will not support this violent regent. ¡°Lord Duke.¡± When all the gentlemen were going to rest, Lord Orlam suddenly whispered, ¡°Excuse me, can I tell you something alone?¡± Duke Wilson glanced around to make sure that the crowd didn¡¯t notice it at all. He took another look at Evan, who was chatting with Colonel Mel, and nodded indifferently, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you in the study.¡± No one could hear his tone except Lord Orlam, who was beside him. Lord Orlam¡¯s eyes flashed with joy for a moment. Duke Wilson was able to see him, Prince George¡¯s confidant, at this sensitive time, which itself showed his attitude. If he can talk to Duke Wilson privately, then it is very possible that this decisive figure can be drawn over to their side. Although Evan was having a good conversation with Colonel Mel, his attention had still been on Duke Wilson and Lord Orlam. When this lord appeared in front of Evan for the first time, Evan was actually a little confused. This lord was indeed a character in the story, but when he appeared in the book, he was already the respected Duke of Field. Evan only knew that this lord wasn¡¯t Duke Field during the conversation between him and Duke Wilson, otherwise Evan almost did not recognize the duke who occupies a very important position in the second half of the book. Lord Orlam is Prince George¡¯s strongest supporter. It is not obvious now. To outsiders, it looks like they are just like all the related characters of the royal family. They grew up together and have a closer relationship than others. But it is impossible to talk about which type of support Prince George has. You must know that the biggest forces supporting Prince George at this time are the Holy See and some civil servants. The nobles are still being very cautious at this time. But Evan knew very well how loyal Lord Orlam was to Prince George, this is reflected in how powerful the future Duke of Field was when Prince George finally came into power. Evan saw the small movements between Duke Wilson and Lord Orlam, and knew very well that the combination of these two people was unstoppable. Duke Wilson is a very smart person. Although the situation looks very unfavorable for Prince George now in reality, he also saw the hidden dangers in the Duke of Rand. The Duke of Rand is not a clear-headed person. If such a person is allowed to sit on the throne as the king, it will be very difficult for the whole country. It would be a disaster. Evan returned to his room. Evan actually agrees with Duke Wilson¡¯s political choice. Just because the Duke of Rand instigated the Yorkshire mob to riot in order to destroy the strength of Duke Wilson who did not support him shows how crazy this guy is. In fact, it can be seen from the author¡¯s description of this point that the rioting mobs did not just consist of simple people, but also mixed in were the soldiers of the private army of the Duke of Rand. Otherwise, it would not have caused such a big turmoil. At one point, Duke Wilson¡¯s Manor was burned down, and Duke Wilson¡¯s subsequent revenge against these people also caused a devastating blow to the entire town of Delanlier. Evan trembled as he remembered this part of the story. He absolutely didn¡¯t want such a thing to happen to him. In the original book, the premise of the Duke¡¯s blackening was that the heroine got hurt and little Edward also died in the turmoil of the rioting mob. If such a terrible thing hadn¡¯t happened, maybe the Duke would have been a little more sensible and wouldn¡¯t have ignored the innocent villagers who were kidnapped by the mob. Maybe he would not have let the army rush into Delanlier and let the innocent people die under the knives of the mob. Evan clenched his fists tightly. Before, he just wanted to live better in these times and seek self-protection, but now he suddenly thought of Mrs Sanders and Sheriff Chandler. Could he really sit back and watch something like this happen to them? Evan clenched his teeth tightly. Maybe he could achieve the ultimate stage in human indifference before, but now that he has finally integrated into this world, he suddenly feels confused in the face of such a thing. Evan looked down at his hands. Since he came here, he has been looking for how to make his life better, but he had not thought about what he would do when he really starts liking the people in this place. These people are no longer just mere images like he imagined before. They have flesh and blood, feelings and souls, and they are all living people! What should he do, what should he do? Evan found that, deep in his heart, there was only one answer left for this question, he had to change the result! Evan suddenly stood up from the chair. If he wants to change the situation, the relationship between him and the duke could never be put to a stop. He had to speed up his pace. Only by establishing the feelings and a relationship between both of them could he change the future, only by changing this will he be more confident. As for the current him, he has no opportunity to fully understand this matter, let alone warn the Duke about the direction the matter will end in. Evan is a person with very strong willpower. When he decides to do something, his action force is also very high. After dinner that night was over, Evan invited the duke to his room later that night, telling him that he wanted to discuss some things with him. Duke Wilson¡¯s face flushed at a speed visible to the naked eye, and when he finally agreed, his tongue curled a little. (Bad bad Duke ) After Evan returned to the room, he immediately took a shower. He usually appeared in front of the duke in a dignified and cautious state, but now, it was time to change the Duke¡¯s inherent impression of him. After taking a shower, Evan did not rush to change into formal clothes, but only wore a white shirt and a pair of trousers. The collar of the shirt was loosely open, revealing a beautiful collarbone. The steam was thick and reddened his face, even the usually meticulously styled golden curly hair was messed up by him with a dry towel, and it looked a little unkempt. (My goodness, he¡¯s going all out, the duke is in trouble ) Evan looked at his somewhat unfamiliar self in the mirror and smiled with satisfaction. CH 76 Duke Wilson ran away without looking back, and Evan was pushed crookedly against the edge of the sofa, his expression looked confused. The development of today¡¯s matter really exceeded his own expectations. What am I going to do now? That question suddenly popped up in Evan¡¯s heart. This kind of question has never crossed his mind since the first time he came here, and he has never been so dazed as he is now. What will happen to the relationship between him and Duke Wilson? What will happen to the two of them in the future? This is a mess for Evan now. The next morning, Evan was not surprised that he did not see Duke Wilson. Butler Chris had an embarrassed smile on his face, as if he felt embarrassed, ¡°Reverend Bruce, Duke Wilson and Lord Orlam. They are out hunting, the Duke said that he does not want to affect your work and you can leave at any time if you want to go back to the church today.¡± In this case, it is equivalent to driving people away indirectly. Butler Chris has been a butler for most of his lifetime, and he has never had to say such rude words to a gentleman. He almost didn¡¯t have the courage to even look at Evan as soon as he said it. Evan was stunned when he heard this. Although he expected that Duke Wilson would avoid him for a while, he did not expect that the Duke would actually try to drive him away. ¡°Oh.¡± Although Evan maintained a smile on his face, he was actually feeling very uneasy, ¡°I also remembered that there are indeed many things in the church waiting for me to deal with, so I will leave first.¡± The Gentlemen¡¯s party will last through the whole weekend and I am leaving at this time, I am afraid that rumors will soon spread. Evan feels very worried in his heart. If this goes on, he does not know what will happen. Evan got on the carriage specially prepared for him by Butler Chris, and left Cornwall Manor with an uneasy heart. When Evan returned to the church, Mrs Sanders was taken aback. Before leaving, Evan had said that he would not be back this weekend, but now he is back suddenly. The thoughts in Mrs Sanders¡¯ mind quickly began to spread. ¡°You¡­¡± Mrs Sanders looked at Evan hesitantly. The obvious worry on Evan¡¯s face also made her a little worried, ¡°What happened to you?¡± Evan sighed, his expression was a little solemn, ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s just because there are too many things to do in the church. I just decided to come back first.¡± Mrs Sanders didn¡¯t believe Evan¡¯s obviously wrong words at all. She just looked at Evan¡¯s face and knew that something big happened this time. ¡°Reverend.¡± Mrs Sanders walked over to Evan full of worry, ¡°If you have something on your mind, please tell me and we will find a way to solve it together.¡± Evan looked at Mrs Sanders¡¯ look of worry and finally smiled reluctantly, ¡°I¡¯ll remember your words, please don¡¯t worry, I will definitely take care of it.¡± The worried Mrs Sanders was left behind by Evan as he walked away. For Evan now, no one can help him, he¡¯s the only one who can face this situation. Evan returned to the small room where he usually works. The narrow space made him feel more secure. Before, he had full control over Duke Wilson, but now he is not so sure. This time, the things that happened were so sudden, he also didn¡¯t know how to deal with it and now Duke Wilson¡¯s reaction made him feel helpless. Evan clenched his fists. Duke Wilson is originally a proud and sensitive person. If this incident hurts his dignity, it would be difficult to implement the next plan. As long as Evan thinks of the future direction, he feels like he is sitting on pins and needles. That matter is so imminent, so the relationship between him and the Duke must not be delayed at this time. Evan spent this day under extreme worry and he didn¡¯t even sleep well at night, which seriously affected the worship he should do the next day. For the first time, Evan came late in the next day¡¯s service. By the time he arrived, several townspeople were already seated in the church, but the one that caught Evan¡¯s attention the most was sitting in the last row. Duke Wilson was seated there looking very low-key. Evan¡¯s originally depressed heart rejoiced. He actually came! Although the Duke looks a little bad, since he can sit here, it means that there is still room for maneuver between the two of them. Evan spent this time in a relaxed mood. He seemed to have lost the ability to restrain himself. During the mass, he always showed some inexplicable smiles, even the small group of townspeople noticed the difference. Finally, as he left after the mass, Sheriff Chandler patted Evan on the shoulder and asked him with a teasing look, ¡°Reverend, you are so happy today, did any good thing happen recently?¡± Evan sighed helplessly, perhaps because he was so familiar with this person that he could even say such a thing to a religious person. ¡°Sheriff Chandler, if you don¡¯t leave soon, Mrs Chandler is really going to be angry.¡± Evan pointed to the place where Mrs Chandler was standing with the children, with a look of anger on her face. Sheriff Chandler shuddered and didn¡¯t dare to tease Evan any more, and hurried towards Mrs Chandler. After Sheriff Chandler left, Evan began to search for Duke Wilson¡¯s figure in the crowd. Just when he saw the Duke turn to get on his carriage, Evan became anxious and hurried forward. ¡°Lord Duke!¡± Evan grabbed Duke Wilson¡¯s arm and whispered. Duke Wilson¡¯s body froze, but he still didn¡¯t turn around and just whispered as well, ¡°Are you still doing anything?¡± (Why are they whispering? You¡¯d think they did something immoral) Yesterday, he let Evan leave so simply and rudely and Duke Wilson is actually feeling very regretful. He can almost imagine the rumors and speculations that Evan will face, he could not let him really fall into such a scene. So he came here today, came to see Evan, and let outsiders know that they are still fine. Evan hesitated at this time, as if he didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°If you have nothing to do, I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Duke Wilson endured the restlessness in his heart and wanted to leave the place quickly. Evan saw that he was really going to push his hand away and was anxious, and said anxiously, ¡°Charles!¡± Duke Wilson had once asked Evan to call by his name, but except for a limited time, he never did. He called him Lord Duke very respectfully, and now the name Charles coming from Evan¡¯s mouth made Duke Wilson tremble. ¡°Charles!¡± Evan called his name again: ¡°You don¡¯t have to go yet, we need to talk.¡± Although Evan¡¯s voice has stabilized, he is still holding Duke Wilson¡¯s hand and holding it very tightly. Duke Wilson didn¡¯t know how to react at this time. He did such a shameless thing, and Evan still wanted to talk to him? What are they going to talk about? Duke Wilson was at a loss. Duke Wilson turned around suddenly, the blue and black shadows underneath his eyes were so obvious that Evan frowned when he saw it. ¡°What do you want to talk to me about?¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s face was very cold, just like the first time he had seen him, arrogant and alienated. Evan looked at Duke Wilson¡¯s face. Although his indifference was piled on his face, the fluctuations in his eyes could not escape Evan¡¯s eyes. ¡°This place is not a good place to talk.¡± Evan looked around at the tentative glances that had appeared around him. The different movements of the two of them had caught the attention of the people around them. If they really talked here, it¡¯s obvious that it would cause a commotion. Duke Wilson, of course, also noticed this, and he couldn¡¯t help but wrinkle his face in disgust, ¡°Go in and talk.¡± He stepped into the church first. Evan breathed a sigh of relief and walked in. Evan walked inside, but his mind was turning sharply. He went to Duke Wilson to talk about it, but he said it in a hurry and he still had to think about what he wanted to talk about. What happened that night was really too embarrassing. Evan didn¡¯t have the courage to say such a thing to the Duke¡¯s indifferent face now, but it was also an unavoidable question. Evan really didn¡¯t know now. What am I going to say to the duke? When the two of them arrived at the small house where Evan was living, Evan still couldn¡¯t find a good topic. The two of them stood there looking at each other, and Evan could feel the embarrassment coming. ¡°You¡­¡± Evan finally stammered, ¡°That night¡­¡± Evan had just said these few words, but was suddenly interrupted by Duke Wilson, ¡°What you said that night, regarding your brother¡¯s marriage, I think it is still very necessary for you to attend.¡± The Duke¡¯s tone was cold and hasty, but his face was turned away, not looking at Evan at all. Evan was stunned, he almost forgot the topic he was looking for the Duke for at the time. ¡°Cough cough¡­¡± Evan coughed a few times and followed the Duke¡¯s words, ¡°You are right, I think so too. After all, he is my brother, I really have to attend his wedding.¡± Evan said this, but Duke Wilson¡¯s eyebrows wrinkled. Although this is the truth, his father is such a person, what would the man do, he really can¡¯t say. If Evan really goes and something happens to him, what should he do? Duke Wilson felt gloomy for a while, but finally he couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Lord Orlam and I will also go to London in a few days. If you don¡¯t mind, you can also go to London with me.¡± In fact, Orlam had been eagerly trying to invite the duke to go to London, but the duke had not agreed. After all, the situation in London is so complicated. If he goes there, it will be even more complicated, but now he can¡¯t control so much. ¡°Oh?¡± Evan looked at Duke Wilson with some surprise. In his impression, it seemed that this was not in the original book, but since the Duke was able to leave, that means that the dangerous situation in Yorkshire has changed, then what happened later might not be the case. ¡°Thank you for your invitation. If it¡¯s not troublesome, of course I¡¯m very honored to go to London with you.¡± Of course Evan will not miss this great opportunity. For him, as long as he can continue to contact Duke Wilson, then everything will be fine and possible. Evan finally sent off the stiff and eccentric Duke Wilson, looking at Mrs Sanders who seemed to be relieved. But Evan was both crying and laughing in his heart, the biggest test was yet to come. CH 77 Evan¡¯s worries are actually very necessary. In the current situation, although Duke Wilson still has some feelings for him, according to the Duke¡¯s current situation, the communication between the two of them may become very difficult. If it really goes on like this, then he is afraid that things will develop in an unpredictable direction. The next day, Duke Wilson ordered the delivery of a train ticket for the trip to London three days later, in first-class carriages. Evan looked at the ticket and squinted his eyes. Duke Wilson has always done things so neatly, but he was a little dazed at this time. Is it really appropriate to go to London by himself? He had no idea what his titular father and brother were planning, so he has to be prepared now. Evan has been carefully recalling bits and pieces about his father in the following days. In fact, this is not a very complicated project. There were only a handful of connections between the two of them, and most were through letters. The letters have been well preserved by the original owner. Evan looked at the carefully preserved letters, and his mood was a little complicated. The original owner was also a poor person in this matter. He had never had family love and the only love he had was also destroyed by his own hands. He was so hateful and selfish, such a person is really too complicated and Evan can¡¯t see through his heart. Three days passed by in a flash and by the time Evan realized it, he had already boarded the carriage sent by the duke to pick him up and was on his way towards the Delanlier train station. Duke Wilson and Lord Orlam had already arrived at the train station early, sitting in the carriage while waiting for Evan¡¯s arrival. Looking at the slightly impetuous Duke Wilson, Lord Orlam¡¯s expression was very delicate. He had been vigorously trying to invite Duke Wilson to go to London before but the Duke had refused and he had already given up. But when the Duke returned from the church the next day, he suddenly agreed to go to London, but he wanted to go with a priest. This surprised Lord Orlam. He had seen the priest before. He had sat next to Duke Wilson at the banquet before. He was a very handsome and very young priest. He had only thought that the priest was Duke Wilson¡¯s friend before, but looking at the Duke¡¯s appearance at this time, he thinks that there are other reasons. ¡°Lord Duke?¡± Lord Orlam suddenly said, ¡°It¡¯s really great that you can go to London this time.¡± Duke Wilson frowned slightly, ¡°The situation in London is very complicated now. I¡¯m afraid my going there now will make the situation in London more complicated.¡± Lord Orlam smiled at the Duke¡¯s concern and said, ¡°You are too worried. Now, the Duke of Rand will see you as a thorn in the eye no matter what. The Prince¡¯s favor will only aggravate the hatred of the Duke of Rand. You have been staying in Delanlier and this place is very beautiful, but your army is not here. If the Duke of Rand does something extreme, I¡¯m afraid that far waters can¡¯t save a nearby fire. But if you stay in London, then the Duke of Rand will not dare to act rashly, after all, Prince George will be there and your army is stationed near London.¡± Duke Wilson frowned slightly, and said in disbelief, ¡°Will Rand be so crazy?¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s impression of Duke Rand was still that of the arrogant young man from a few years ago. He couldn¡¯t believe that he would suddenly become the person Lord Orlam just described. After all, in his memory, Rand had no such courage. ¡°You¡¯ve been in Delanlier for the past few years so you may not know the current Duke of Rand.¡± Lord Orlam smiled bitterly, ¡°Ever since Prince George became the crown prince, the Duke of Rand has been crazy. Especially after your relationship with Prince George improved, the Duke of Rand became even more unreasonable and the current Duke of Rand is no longer the Duke of Rand he used to be.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s frown deepened. Since Prince George became the crown prince, he has left London and has not been active in London. On the one hand, it is because of his special status and on the other hand, it is because, as the aging King¡¯s cousin, he does not want to be in contact with him too much, but now it seems that his approach was wrong. Just like now, his cognition of the current Duke of Rand is still based on the impression he has from a few years ago and the description of the spies on paper. Duke Wilson was lost in thought, so it seems that he has to think again about the situation in London. It¡¯s just that Duke Wilson couldn¡¯t think any more, when the coachman¡¯s voice suddenly came from outside the carriage, ¡°Lord Duke, the Reverend is here.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s expression became shocked, and he forgot everything he was thinking about in an instant. ¡°Then¡­then let¡¯s get on the train first, the train will leave soon''¡± Duke Wilson pursed his lips, his expression a little nervous. Lord Orlam gave Duke Wilson a strange look and nodded, ¡°Okay.¡± Duke Wilson stepped out of the carriage first. As soon as he got off the carriage, he saw Evan standing not far away, bowing his head slightly, looking at his feet. ¡°Lord Duke.¡± Evan looked up, immediately saw Duke Wilson and greeted the Duke with a smile. Duke Wilson was still feeling a little uncomfortable at this time. He nodded stiffly as he didn¡¯t know what to say. The person in front of him has always had the purest appearance in his heart, but this person had encountered that sort of thing with him. The shameful reaction made him hate his dirty thoughts from the bottom of his heart. Duke Wilson¡¯s embarrassment didn¡¯t last long, and Lord Orlam also stepped forward and smiled at Evan, ¡°Hello, Reverend.¡± Evan frowned slightly at Duke Wilson¡¯s reaction, but immediately recovered. After changing his original expression, he smiled at Lord Oram, ¡°Lord.¡± Evan and Lord Oram were not familiar with each other, so he didn¡¯t have anything to say and just tried to be polite. However, Lord Orlam doesn¡¯t think so. In his opinion, Evan is someone that Duke Wilson attaches great importance to. They are now trying to win over Duke Wilson. To have such a person who has such a great influence on Duke Wilson is absolutely something that cannot be ignored. ¡°It¡¯s really nice to be able to go to London with you. I heard Duke Wilson once said that you are a very noble gentleman. It¡¯s really nice to meet you.¡± Lord Orlam complimented tentatively. Evan raised his eyebrows slightly, this Lord, compared to the first time they met, was a little too warm at this time. ¡°You are too polite.¡± Evan¡¯s expression was still calm, ¡°It is my honor to go to London with you and the Duke.¡± Calm and cautious, this person is definitely not easy to deal with, Lord Orlam thought as he made a preliminary judgment. And Duke Wilson was already feeling a little impatient at this time and immediately said, ¡°The train is about to leave, let¡¯s get on the train quickly.¡± He immediately turned and walked towards the station. Watching Evan and Orlam talking amiably, his heart felt uncomfortable. Evan immediately followed the Duke¡¯s footsteps and walked inside, he asked as he walked, ¡°Isn¡¯t Lord Edward here? Is it okay to let him stay here alone?¡± Duke Wilson heard this question. At the time, his first reaction was to say that Edward would not come, but he suddenly remembered what Orlam had said just now and his thoughts changed, so he said, ¡°Edward will come later. Today he is not in good health, he feels a little uncomfortable, but Butler Chris will come with him later.¡± Duke Wilson said while looking at Butler Chris and Butler Chris immediately nodded slightly. After Duke Wilson said this, Lord Orlam couldn¡¯t help raising his eyebrows. He had suggested that Lord Edward should come with them before, but the Duke refused and now he suddenly changed his words. It¡¯s obvious that it has something to do with what the Reverend said just now. ¡°It¡¯s great to go there with Lord Edward. Prince George once told me before that he misses the days with you in London very much and is still thinking of Lord Edward, who was just born when you left. He¡¯ll be very happy to have you both back.¡± Lord Orlam smiled as if he didn¡¯t realize anything. Duke Wilson raised a corner of his lips. To be honest, he was not very kind to his nephew who is only three years younger than him. But at this point, among all the people who are eligible to inherit the throne, this nephew is the only one who is still sensible. The three quickly entered the train station. Duke Wilson has a specially reserved carriage. This is the local tribute to Duke Wilson from the people of Delanlier. Because of the existence of Duke Wilson, there will be this train station. It is impossible for a small place like Delanlier to have a train station. It didn¡¯t take long for the three of them to get on the train, and the train started. This car is still different from the first class that Evan usually sits in. Of course, the luxury is a lot more luxurious, but basically there is not much difference. Duke Wilson is a low-key person after all. After the train started, there was a moment of silence in the carriage. Duke Wilson kept looking out the window without looking at anyone and without any expression. Evan hesitated, wanted to say something but didn¡¯t know what to say. Lord Orlam looked at the two with an unpredictable expression, his thoughts racing. These two people are by no means as simple and absolute as they seem, but what the relationship between them is, is hard to say. At the previous meeting, the atmosphere between the two people was not so rigid, but it seemed that it had started from the next day. After the Reverend left, the two people met again and it became such a scene. What the hell happened that night? Lord Orlam was very curious. Evan also noticed Lord Orlam¡¯s observation, and his heart moved slightly. He didn¡¯t dare to underestimate the observation power of this lord. It can be said that, in the original book, the reason Prince George was able to ascend to the throne has to do with him, the power of this lord should not be underestimated. But at this time, Evan didn¡¯t want Lord Orlam to see through anything, so in order to ease the atmosphere, he immediately said, ¡°Lord Orlam, how do you feel about your trip to Delanlier this time?¡± Evan¡¯s sudden speech surprised Lord Orlam, and he smiled, ¡°Delanlier is a very beautiful place, but now the most beautiful place should be London. The maple leaves in Hyde Park are so beautiful, people are fascinated by it. And the ladies during the social season are an even more beautiful scenery. I believe that the Jedi will not let you down.¡± (??) Lord Orlam¡¯s pun made the two people in the carriage turn their attention to him. CH 78 London is the most prosperous place in the whole of the UK, but at this period, London is probably in its most ugly time. It looks different from the modern city that it will be hundreds of years later. At this time, London looks a little bit like the West City. Other places everywhere are desolate because it is already late autumn, and for the entire civilian population, it has now entered a very terrifying season. Almost everyone without food reserves for winter has flocked to London, looking for a chance to survive the harsh winter in this place. Lord Orlam said that London is very beautiful now, and this beauty is ironic in Evan¡¯s view. ¡°Really?¡± Duke Wilson looked at Orlam with a sneering expression, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that Prince George is not in such a beautiful London at this time.¡± Although Duke Wilson understood Orlam¡¯s suggestion, he was not concerned about the beautiful scenery Orlam spoke about, but he felt it was very harsh, so he couldn¡¯t help sneering. Duke Wilson¡¯s words made Orlam¡¯s expression change. Prince George is now far away from London, which is the most unfavorable situation for them. If something goes wrong before they¡¯re done making arrangements, it will be difficult for the situation to end peacefully. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Lord Orlam smiled reluctantly. After all, it was the topic he provoked. Even if Duke Wilson was too aggressive, he could only make concessions. After that, the atmosphere between the three fell into an awkward silence. Orlam was worried about Prince George¡¯s trip to Wales, Evan was also worried about the direction of the world and Duke Wilson simply didn¡¯t know what to say, and he was still at a loss when facing Evan. The trains of this era are not as fast as the trains of many years later. It takes six hours from Delanlier to London. They get on the train at eight o¡¯clock and cannot arrive until two in the afternoon. This is a long time and for several people in the carriage, it has become a kind of torture. Evan pretended to read the Bible in his hand, but what he thought about in his mind was how to settle the relationship with the Duke after getting to London. This matter lies between the two of them. If it is not resolved, it is absolutely impossible for them to have a good relationship. There will always be such a pimple between them and it will be very detrimental to their future relationship. So it is really worth it for Evan to think about how to deal with this pimple. Although the train was going very slowly, the end point would still be reached. When the train arrived at the London Station, the three of them breathed a sigh of relief. The carriage that came to pick up Lord Orlam had stopped at the station gate. Lord Orlam warmly invited the Duke to ride in his carriage, and offered to take the Duke to the Duke¡¯s residence in London in person. Of course Duke Wilson would not refuse such a request. After all, no matter what, he had already chosen Prince George at this moment. As the prince¡¯s ally, he still couldn¡¯t be too indifferent to Lord Orlam. Evan looked at everything in front of him. This is where he left half a year ago. Although the church he was in is in the suburbs of London, from time to time, he would come to the city and look at the familiar scenes around him. Evan sighed. The city is still so stubborn that it won¡¯t change even a bit. Evan got into Lord Orlam¡¯s carriage with Duke Wilson and after the friendly contact just now, the friendly atmosphere between Lord Orlam and the Duke seemed to be opened, and he only heard him whisper, ¡°Lord Duke, since you¡¯ve come to London this time, the first thing I want to tell you is, please don¡¯t be in a hurry.¡± Looking at Lord Orlam¡¯s serious face, Duke Wilson frowned because Orlam didn¡¯t say such a thing until he arrived in London. Could something have changed? Duke Wilson felt like a drum was beating in his heart, and even Evan on the side showed a solemn expression. ¡°You say it.¡± Duke Wilson pursed his lips coldly, as if he would regret it if he said something unsatisfactory next. Lord Orlam trembled in his heart, but in the end he still said solemnly, ¡°Your cousin, His Majesty King Richard III, I am afraid that within five days, he will be called by the Lord above.¡± ¡°What?¡± Duke Wilson looked surprised. Although he knew before that the old king was seriously ill and would definitely die soon, he didn¡¯t know that it would happen so quickly. ¡°How do you know?¡± Although Duke Wilson knew that since Orlam had said such a thing, it was very likely to be true, but he still asked. Although he and Richard did not have a normal relationship, after all his cousin is his blood relative. Lord Orlam glanced at Evan with some hesitation and blinked, ¡°This is definitely from a reliable source. Because of the trust I have in you and Reverend Bruce, I¡¯m telling you about this matter, so I hope you and the Reverend can keep it a secret.¡± Lord Orlam could see the Duke¡¯s trust in the priest and this matter was not so top secret at this time, so he just said this to the two of them to show his kindness. Evan just made a surprised expression, and even crossed his chest. After listening to Lord Orlam¡¯s words, he nodded and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will not reveal half of this matter or your words.¡± Although he had known for a long time that the king¡¯s life was imminent, due to the vague description in the book, such a clear date was still unknown. ¡°It¡¯s natural, Reverend Bruce is a trustworthy gentleman, you don¡¯t have to worry. Does George know about this?¡± Duke Wilson asked with a frown. The old king Richard is not a good-looking mascot(??). Although he likes his younger brother, Duke of Rand, and doesn¡¯t care enough about his son because of his mistress, he is not an old fool after all. Because of its importance, the general guarding of London is handed over to Prince George, but at this time the prince is in Wales, if the king has some shortcomings, it¡¯s possible that the prince will be in danger. ¡°His Royal Highness, of course, knows.¡± Orlam lowered his head. This time the plan is a huge challenge for Prince George. If it succeeds, it will be done once and for all, but if it fails, it will be a death without a burial. Duke Wilson¡¯s frown deepened. Since Prince George knows the news, it means that he has other arrangements, but according to the report of his spies in London, Prince George did indeed go to Wales. What the hell is going on with this play? Duke Wilson¡¯s mind is in a complete mess right now. ¡°You¡­¡± Duke Wilson glanced at the carriage door, ¡°Just be clear to you.¡± This is not the place to talk, and there are some things one should be more cautious about. Lord Orlam smiled and said, ¡°I heard that your study has a very rich collection of books. I wonder if I have the honor to read them.¡± Lord Orlam was very clear about Duke Wilson¡¯s concerns, and naturally followed suit. Duke Wilson nodded and said no more. Evan sat on the side and watched the two people communicate. His thoughts were actually very complicated. He is in this position where everyone regards him as an accessory of the Duke. It was very uncomfortable for him, but regarding his social status at this time, if he doesn¡¯t want to change the world, he has no way to change this social status quo. So Evan could only hide his dissatisfaction in his heart, but for the further attack on the Duke, he has to be more firm. The three of them came to the Duke¡¯s house that is next to Hyde Park. This is the Duke¡¯s habitual residence in London. Because of the hurry, the Duke did not bring too many servants, but Butler Chris was very thoughtful and let a few servants come to this place in advance to clean the house. After all, this place has not been visited for a long time. It has been several years since the duke went to Delanlier. Except for the annual inspection and maintenance of this place, it has been a long time since anyone has lived here. But fortunately this time, the servants sent to clean the house lived up to Butler Chris¡¯ expectations. The few people who came early cleaned up the house very well, and because of the annual maintenance, the house was not too dilapidated. From Evan¡¯s point of view, this house does not match the one hundred years of history. After arriving at the house, Duke Wilson and Lord Orlam quickly went upstairs. They had a lot of things to talk about and Evan was not qualified to participate. Evan consciously went to the room that the duke arranged for him, not far from the duke¡¯s room. Evan stood at the door and glanced at the duke¡¯s study with a very complicated look in his eyes. Perhaps his position in the Duke¡¯s heart is still the same, but the current status quo is still a bit delicate and Evan must not let this status quo continue. The conversation between Duke Wilson and Lord Orlam was not long. After half an hour, the two of them came out of the study, and by this time, dinner was ready. Evan was called down by the servant. When he went down, Duke Wilson and Lord Orlam were already having a heated conversation. The two of them seemed to have completely forgotten the embarrassing scene on the train. Evan was stunned when he saw it. ¡°Reverend Bruce.¡± Lord Orlam greeted Evan with a smile. Evan also smiled at him subconsciously, and said in a low voice, ¡°Duke Wilson, Lord Orlam.¡± Duke Wilson restrained his smile the moment he saw him, but he felt that it was a little inappropriate and raised the corners of his lips but he was still a little stiff in the end. Looking at Duke Wilson¡¯s reaction, Evan groaned in his heart, this person is really awkward. Evan sat on the left hand side of Duke Wilson under the service of the servant, and was also seated opposite Lord Orlam. Lord Orlam was in a good mood at this time, and immediately smiled and said, ¡°Reverend, do you have any appointments in the next few days? There will be a ball at the house in a few days and you must be there. I insist on this.¡± Evan looked at him being so excited and was a little puzzled. Just now they were still saying that King Richard¡¯s death was within five days, now a dance party is going to be held, this jump is really too big. ¡°I¡¯m flattered by your invitation.¡± Evan smiled very reservedly. Since Lord Orlam said so and Duke Wilson did not refute, so of course he has to go. Lord Orlam smiled, knowing that Evan had understood what he meant. For him, perhaps the most important point of the plan is the ball that will be a few days later. After that ball, whether they would soar or fall into hell would be completely determined then. CH 79 After dinner, Duke Wilson sent Lord Orlam away and Evan returned to his room. Evan took Lord Orlam¡¯s invitation very seriously. He knew very well that someone like Lord Orlam, although such a person seemed amiable, but if anyone dared to look down on him, that person would definitely pay the price. At the cusp of this storm, Lord Orlam actually wants to hold a ball. If he says that there is no ulterior motive, he would never believe it. Lord Orlam definitely has a plan, and that plan also has something to do with King Richard. Evan knows this very well in his heart, so he became more and more worried, because this episode was not clearly stated in the original book. The only thing he knows is that the final winner was Prince George, but even so, he is still a little frightened, because the current situation has changed and Duke Wilson, who did not appear in London in the original book, is here. Evan does not know what the result of such a change will cause. Evan clenched his fists. For now, he can only take it step by step. The next day, Edward was brought to London by Butler Chris. His arrival eased the awkward relationship between Evan and Duke Wilson a lot. And Evan was also relieved. Since Edward also came to London, the ending in the original book should also change. So in such a state of mind, his attitude towards Edward became more gentle. Edward is a sensitive child. He also captured Evan¡¯s emotional changes. He was very happy, so he liked being around Evan more and more. Evan doesn¡¯t mind Edward¡¯s closeness. After all, the atmosphere between him and the Duke is still quite awkward. Although it is much better than it was before, their conversations are still a little stiff. Edward¡¯s arrival eased the atmosphere. In the past two days, the conversation between him and Duke Wilson is obviously much smoother than before. This afternoon, just as Evan comforted Edward to sleep, Duke Wilson came back. Evan watched Duke Wilson change his coat as he walked downstairs. ¡°Lord Duke.¡± Evan looked at Duke Wilson, who was looking down as if thinking about something, and suddenly said. Duke Wilson was obviously taken aback as he looked up and saw Evan. ¡°Have you not rested yet?¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s expression looked slightly unnatural. Evan¡¯s usual work and rest habits are very similar to his previous life, and he always likes to take a nap after lunch. Duke Wilson is also very aware of this. Evan smiled knowingly, ¡°Lord Edward just fell asleep. I came down to drink a glass of water.¡± ¡°Oh, yes.¡± Without Edward as a buffer between them, Duke Wilson¡¯s tone was still stiff . ¡°Tomorrow is the day when Lord Orlam holds the ball. Do I need to prepare anything?¡± Evan saw Duke Wilson¡¯s discomfort, so he changed the subject and tried to ease the atmosphere. Hearing Evan talk about this, Duke Wilson looked cautious as he thought for a while and said, ¡°When you go, don¡¯t wear the priest¡¯s collar, just put on a normal suit.¡± Evan raised his eyebrows, ¡°Why is this? Is there something wrong?¡± Is there really something amiss by not letting him dress up as a priest? Evan thought silently in his heart. The corner of Duke Wilson¡¯s lips twitched slightly. He lowered his head for a few seconds and finally said, ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just that the situation has not been very peaceful in London recently, so please be careful. After all, the identity of a religious person will lead to unfounded speculations.¡± Evan frowned. Although this sentence is not very explanatory, he can also guess a bit of its deeper meaning. It seems that there will be a big move. If he, as a religious person, is involved for no reason, it will be seen as something inappropriate. After all, the church is also in power. If whatever plans they have succeeds, it is fine, but if it fails, it will be difficult for this matter to come to a smooth end. ¡°Okay, it¡¯s up to you.¡± Evan¡¯s words were sincere. At this time, he¡¯d almost forgotten that he still has the identity of a religious priest. Duke Wilson raised the corners of his lips, as if he wanted to smile, but in the end he was unsuccessful so he just nodded and walked upstairs. Looking at the back of Duke Wilson who was in a hurry to go upstairs, Evan did not know which string was touched in his mind as he suddenly said, ¡°Lord Duke, we need to talk.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s back suddenly stiffened. He seemed to be locked down by some spell, unable to move a step. A huge roar began to sound in his ears, like a desperate cry. Evan was also taken aback by his own words, but he also knew that this opportunity is fleeting, and since he had already spoken, it is impossible to take it back, so he immediately said, ¡°About the last time, I think we need to talk openly and honestly.¡± Evan¡¯s tone was sincere and gentle but Duke Wilson¡¯s face was already ashen, he looked at the stairs in front of him with a faint look of despair in his eyes. Why couldn¡¯t he walk faster? It would have only taken a few more seconds for him to escape, but unfortunately he still failed to escape from his fate. ¡°We¡­¡± He pursed his dry lips, and the word ¡°we¡± came out of his mouth with a bitter meaning, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the study and talk.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s voice was soft and slow, with a trace of unwillingness. Evan looked at his stiff back that looked like a stone statue and couldn¡¯t help thinking in his mind that the Duke was a little cute. Maybe he is the only one in this world who would think that this cold-faced Duke would have a cute side. Evan walked towards the second floor with Duke Wilson. The Duke¡¯s every step was very heavy, as if the place he was going to was not a study, but a hell on earth. Evan followed behind him, almost sympathizing with him, maybe what he was going to say later would make him happier. They entered the study, the Duke sat behind the desk and Evan sat down on the sofa, with a table between them. Most of Duke Wilson¡¯s face was covered by the shadows, Evan couldn¡¯t see the look on his face. ¡°Say what you have to say.¡± After a long silence, Duke Wilson finally spoke, his voice slightly hoarse. At this time, Evan was a little dazed. Although he had done countless psychological constructions before, when it actually came to this critical moment, he didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°You¡­¡± After pondering for a long time, Evan finally opened his mouth, ¡°I understand your reaction that day.¡± After saying this, Evan wanted to swallow his tongue. Evan watched Duke Wilson shift his body agitatedly, and immediately said, ¡°This is a gift from God to us human beings and all desires and reactions are pure and natural, you don¡¯t need to feel embarrassed or uncomfortable. I am still your closest friend, this kind of thing will not affect our friendship, please be sure of this.¡± Duke Wilson suddenly stood up from his seat, Evan was startled by him and he also stood up, ¡°You¡­you¡­¡± ¡°Reverend Bruce!¡± Duke Wilson suddenly interrupted Evan¡¯s words as he walked out of the shadows, his handsome face was cold, ¡°Are you pretending to be confused?¡± He looked at Evan coldly. Evan was stunned by his gaze. Duke Wilson has never treated him with such an attitude before, nor has he ever said such rude words to him. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Evan pursed his lips, without the slightest weakness in his expression, and he looked at Duke Wilson with a look of confusion. Duke Wilson just looked straight at Evan for a long time, until Evan started feeling a little uncomfortable, he suddenly smiled to himself, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m such a fool.¡± He stroked his forehead, like a child who suddenly came to a realization. He walked to Evan step by step, looked straight into Evan¡¯s eyes. His black eyes were full of caution as he slowly raised his hand to touch Evan¡¯s cheek. His hand stopped less than a centimeter from Evan¡¯s cheek and he said word by word, ¡°I only intend to say these words once, so please listen carefully. The reaction I had that day was not because of rising natural desires, but the desires I have for you.¡± He paused slightly, ¡°I have desire for you, Reverend Bruce, that is to say, I love you.¡± (FINALLY!!!!) After saying these words in one breath, he felt relaxed, after a long period of tension. Although the rumbling sound in the ear still continued, his inner tumult subsided at this time. Maybe he has been waiting for such an opportunity to pour out all his feelings and all his feelings to him. He can¡¯t accept this person in front of him spending his life with another woman and he can¡¯t accept the fact that he can¡¯t have this person by his side in his whole life. He may have been hesitant and afraid before, but as he looked at the person in front of him, he realized that the only thing he wants is Evan. And if he never says these words in his life, then it will be impossible for him to have this person to himself for the rest of his life. Evan was stunned when he heard this. It wasn¡¯t because he was acting sluggish on purpose, but he was really stunned. He knows the sensitivity and pride of this person so he¡¯d made a lot of excuses for him in advance, thinking that maybe this person would go down these steps. But never in his wildest imagination did he think that this old antique from the feudal society would express his love to himself so clearly. This is completely beyond Evan¡¯s imagination and beyond his scope of coping at this time. He has no idea what to do now. (Evan is actually clueless for once ) ¡°I¡­¡± His voice was like a speck of dust, although it was small, it moved Duke Wilson¡¯s heartstrings. ¡°You don¡¯t have to give me an answer at this time.¡± Looking at Evan, who was still in a state of shock, Duke Wilson finally reacted to his inappropriate behavior, and immediately said, ¡°You can think about this matter, I know this is a very shocking thing. You need time to ease into it, but please believe that my love for you is absolutely pure and firm. It¡¯s not a lie.¡± Duke Wilson looked at Evan very sincerely. If the most iron-hearted person in the world sees Duke Wilson¡¯s eyes at this moment, he would be moved. Evan feels confused at this moment, and there was a sudden panic in his heart, as if something that was originally as stable as a cornerstone was touched, causing his heart to shake. ¡°I¡­I need some time¡­¡± After dropping this sentence, Evan fled. CH 80 Evan couldn¡¯t sleep that night. Duke Wilson¡¯s words made him unable to calm down for a long time. Perhaps because he¡¯d waited too long for something like this so he felt uneasy in his heart for getting what he had wanted. And this unease made him feel even more uncomfortable. Because Evan didn¡¯t know what he was thinking about Duke Wilson at this moment. Evan didn¡¯t go down for breakfast the next morning. Whether it was based on his current character or his true thoughts, this behavior was very appropriate, but at the same time, Evan still felt very uncomfortable. Even if he can¡¯t go down this morning, at night when it¡¯s time to go to the ball, he still has to go down, there is no doubt about that. But the bad thing is that he doesn¡¯t know how to face Duke Wilson. No matter how entangled Evan¡¯s heart is, the pace of time will never stop. He just finished lunch in the bedroom and took a nap for a few minutes, and the clock on the wall has already pointed to seven o¡¯clock. Evan stood up and was about to leave when there was a knock on the door, ¡°Reverend Bruce, the Duke is already waiting downstairs.¡± It was the voice of Butler Chris. Evan was stunned for a moment, and replied in a low voice, ¡°I see, thank you for letting me know.¡± Butler Chris left and Evan changed into his own suit. He was absent-minded as he went downstairs, but the moment he saw Duke Wilson, the faint anxiety in his heart suddenly calmed down miraculously. He nodded to Duke Wilson and greeted, ¡°Lord Duke.¡± As Duke Wilson stared at Evan, the emotions in his eyes were a little unpredictable. He pursed his lips but his eyes were very firm, ¡°Reverend, you can stay in your room for as long as you want, but please remember what I said before. Every word I said to you was sincere.¡± Evan looked at Duke Wilson. Even through the unease he felt after he heard the Duke¡¯s confession, he¡¯d never doubted the sincerity, but when he thought of this, he was startled again. He was so convinced of Duke Wilson¡¯s feelings for himself, this is really¡­ Evan¡¯s smile became a little reluctant, ¡°I¡­ let¡¯s go first.¡± The only thing he can do now is to suspend the matter, because after all, this is not the best time for him to agree or refuse. The two of them got into the carriage as it drove towards Lord Orlam¡¯s castle. This is the biggest issue today. Lord Orlam¡¯s castle is located on the outskirts of London, which is a gathering area for nobles. As one of the best figures in London, Lord Orlam will naturally not fall behind. His castle is the most luxurious one in this place. The carriage Evan and the Duke were in was greeted in a solemn manner, which was the sincerity of Lord Orlam and the due social treatment of Duke Wilson. Lord Orlam held this ball very grandly. Not only nobles but also celebrities came, and the entire social circle of London seemed to be gathered in this place. As soon as Duke Wilson entered, a group of people rushed up. The weight of the position of a duke is still very important in this era, not to mention that a duke with the status of Duke Wilson maintains a close relationship with the royal family, and also holds great power in his hands. Because of the excitement of these people, Evan was excluded but this was exactly what he wanted. The awkward silence on the carriage just now made Evan feel suffocated. Evan walked to the edge of the dance floor, took a glass of wine and sat on a chair in the shadows. Tonight¡¯s dance is definitely not easy, Evan is very sure of this and he wants to be vigilant about it, but thoughts about Duke Wilson often came up in his mind, disrupting his thoughts. But just when Evan¡¯s thoughts were confused, someone walked towards him. Evan frowned and looked up at the person who came, it was Lord Orlam. Evan was puzzled, but he immediately stood up, ¡°Lord Orlam.¡± He nodded towards Lord Orlam, very polite. Lord Orlam smiled at Evan, waved his hand for him to sit down and sat beside Evan at the same time. ¡°Reverend, how are you today?¡± Lord Orlam looked at Duke Wilson, who was very popular in the middle of the dance floor, as if very happy. Evan frowned as he looked at Duke Wilson, knowing that he would be popular, but actually seeing him so popular was another issue. ¡°I¡¯ve had a very good time. This is a very grand ball. Thank you very much for your invitation.¡± Although Evan¡¯s words were gentle, they were also very official. Lord Orlam raised his eyebrows and shook the glass of champagne in his hand, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s really nice of you to think this way. I¡¯m very happy that you are satisfied.¡± Lord Orlam was so polite. In Evan¡¯s opinion, his politeness was almost overdone. ¡°You are too polite.¡± Evan said cautiously as he thought, the person sitting beside me is not an ordinary person and he is treating me so politely. I¡¯m afraid there is a problem. Lord Orlam is very satisfied with Evan¡¯s cautiousness. This person is not a fool, and he is so cautious, so he can really rest assured that such a person is around Duke Wilson, who is currently his greatest partner after all, and he must guarantee that the people around Duke Wilson can¡¯t leak their secrets. ¡°Reverend, what do you think of the current situation in London?¡± Lord Orlam suddenly changed the subject and started talking about something else. Evan was somewhat unable to keep up with his different thoughts, and frowned slightly before saying, ¡°London is a very beautiful city, I like it very much.¡± Evan used the words Lord Orlam used words on the train and answered the meaningful question. Lord Orlam was so provoked by this answer that he couldn¡¯t help laughing. It seemed that his thoughts about the priest were wrong. Not only is this person not stupid, but he is also very smart. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± He smiled and said, ¡°You are right.¡± ¡°But what I really want to ask you is,¡± He suddenly stopped smiling and said with a very obvious look of cautiousness in his eyes, ¡°What do you think about the current political situation in London?¡± Evan was a little surprised that he would ask this question. You know, this is the third time the both of them have met in the real sense, but he could actually ask himself such a sensitive question. ¡°This¡­¡± Evan pursed his lips, ¡°The old king¡¯s condition is really worrying. I hope God blesses the King.¡± Evan reverently crossed his chest and used his clergy identity to skirt around the issue. Lord Orlam looked at Evan and chuckled, ¡°I almost forgot, you are a priest. Do you think this change of power will be boring in your eyes?¡± Evan was slightly sluggish, But in the end, he immediately reacted and said with a smile, ¡°This is all the Lord¡¯s will. As the Lord¡¯s servant, I cannot comment on this matter.¡± Lord Orlam found himself unable to get a shred of useful answers from Reverend Bruce as he would always digress and give vague answers. ¡°I hope God can help us make the right decision.¡± Lord Orlam suddenly stood up from his chair and turned to look at Evan, who stood up with him, ¡°You are a very important person and friend to Duke Wilson, then you and I are also my friends and I hope that in the future, I can chat with you like today.¡± Looking at Lord Orlam¡¯s slightly solemn expression, Evan¡¯s expression paused slightly, then he nodded and said, ¡°It will definitely be.¡± Lord Orlam left the corner where Evan was and at this time, Duke Wilson also got rid of the entanglement of those people and walked to Evan¡¯s side. He frowned slightly with a hint of worry in his tone, ¡°Did Orlam say something to you just now?¡± While saying that, he watched Lord Orlam¡¯s back as he left. Evan pursed his lips and said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, it¡¯s just small talk.¡± Duke Wilson looked at Evan¡¯s restrained expression and a trace of annoyance flashed in his eyes, but in the end he continued talking in a normal tone, ¡°That person¡¯s words are never true or false. Don¡¯t listen to him too much.¡± Evan smiled when he looked at him like this. He understood Duke Wilson¡¯s psychology, and he didn¡¯t want to see his appearance like this, but for Evan, whether it is his real thoughts or the attitude he should maintain at this time, such an attitude is what it should be. ¡°Lord Duke.¡± Evan decided that he should still be open and honest about the issue of tonight¡¯s dance. After all, it was a matter of his own safety, ¡°What are you and Lord Orlam going to do at the dance tonight?¡± Evan asked very cautiously. Duke Wilson was relieved to hear him ask this question. He knew that Evan was a smart man and he did not avoid Evan except when he was secretly talking with Orlam. It should be seen to be a different act but he didn¡¯t ask before, and the issue was not easy to say. He asks now, which means that after expressing such feelings to him, Evan is still willing to believe in himself. ¡°You finally asked.¡± There was a bit of joy in his eyes. Evan was stunned for a moment, and suddenly felt that he was really worrying for no reason. Duke Wilson is not an idiot. Since he would let himself know about the king¡¯s critical illness, maybe he didn¡¯t plan to hide it from him from the beginning, but he(E) just thought too much. ¡°My dear cousin Richard is now between life and death, and I will be summoned tomorrow to meet His Majesty, the King at Buckingham Palace.¡± Duke Wilson said quietly and quickly. ¡°But what you don¡¯t know is,¡± Duke Wilson pursed his lips, ¡°What you don¡¯t know is that now all the guards at Buckingham Palace are under the control of Duke Rand. If I enter Buckingham Palace, I will never come out.¡± When Evan heard this, his heart trembled. He looked up at Duke Wilson, whose face was cold and calm, as if he was talking about another person. ¡°Then you¡­¡± Evan¡¯s mouth felt dry, ¡°Then what did you decide to do?¡± Duke Rand¡¯s move is not a spur of the moment but a conspiracy. As long as Duke Wilson does not intend to commit treason, he has to answer tomorrow¡¯s summons to Buckingham Palace, otherwise it will be a dead end if the Duke of Rand takes the handle. ¡°What should I do?¡± Duke Wilson looked at the dance floor where the dazzling lights were intertwined, with a grim smile on his face, ¡°This dance is the answer.¡± Evan looked at Duke Wilson¡¯s profile, he seemed to be stunned. He seemed to have forgotten, this man in front of him still has this side, so cold and so hidden. Just as Evan was stunned, Duke Wilson suddenly turned his head to look at Evan. ¡°You know what? The way to solve the problem is to solve it at the source of the problem. My cousin the king won¡¯t delay until tomorrow morning. He will be completely thrown into the arms of the Lord tonight, so I won¡¯t need to go to Buckingham Palace tomorrow.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s tone did not waver at all. CH 81 Evan looked at Duke Wilson and couldn¡¯t react for a while. What does this¡­mean? Evan is a little confused. If he understands correctly, Duke Wilson means that the king will die tonight and there is only one reason for a person¡¯s death to be known in advance, that is, such a death was planned long ago. Duke Wilson wants the king to die! Such thoughts popped into Evan¡¯s mind. But before Evan could say anything else, there was a commotion in the ballroom and both Evan and Duke Wilson were attracted and looked in the direction of the commotion. A frightened official stumbled in. He was wearing a high-end suit, but unfortunately it was already wrinkled at this time and even his glasses were a little crooked. Lord Orlam walked towards him. ¡°Lord¡­Lord.¡± He looked as if he had just jumped out of the carriage, and his breathing was still uneven. ¡°Lord, His Majesty the King has passed away!¡± He looked at Lord Orlam with a terrified face, as if he was looking at his own life-saving straw. Evan¡¯s heart skipped a beat, but the surroundings had long since fallen into chaos. The aristocratic gentlemen and ladies who were originally composed were all terrified and in an uproar at this time, but no matter who it was, the one with the highest status at this time was Lord Orlam. Lord Orlam is their backbone, everyone present no matter who, their eyes were looking in the direction of Lord Orlam. Lord Orlam frowned slightly and said in a low voice, ¡°Where did you get the news? Where is the person from Buckingham Palace?¡± This person is obviously an official. Logically speaking, the death of the king should be handled by someone from Buckingham Palace. This person should be the one to come here to convey the news, but now a civil servant was sent over here to convey the message, which is obviously not right. ¡°Buckingham Palace¡­¡± The man was trembling, ¡°The people at Buckingham Palace are all under the control of Duke Rand, and no one can come out.¡± ¡°Then how do you know about it?¡± Duke Wilson suddenly came out and asked the question everyone wanted to ask. When that person saw that Duke Wilson was there, his heart felt a lot more at ease. Everyone in the noble and high-class circle is aware that Duke Wilson and the Duke of Rand are definitely at odds with each other, and the strength of Duke Wilson¡¯s army is enough to change the political situation. ¡°I have a good friend who works as a clerk at Buckingham Palace and he told me that.¡± This civil servant was a nail that Lord Orlam put into the government, and he played his role at this time. These words made the people present believe it a little bit, and everyone suddenly panicked. In such a chaotic and complicated political situation, when the king was there, everyone didn¡¯t feel it and as long as they thought that if the king died, everything would be fine. But when the king really died, these people couldn¡¯t help but feel a lack of confidence. ¡°Calm down, everyone!¡± Lord Orlam had a rare stern face, and the surrounding noise subsided. ¡°Take him up and clean him up.¡± Lord Orlam waved to the servant beside him, and someone immediately came up and took the man away. After disposing of this, Lord Orlam turned to look at the terrified nobles around him. ¡°Ladies, you should go up and rest first.¡± Although Lord Orlam¡¯s tone was very gentle, there was little room for negotiation in what he said. This matter is really not suitable for these nervous ladies to be privy to and Evan watched as several of the ladies were even about to pass out. When Lord Orlam said a word, the maids immediately supported the ladies and left. Among the remaining gentlemen, although a few of them looked a little better than the ladies, the rest were a little more fragile. They were sweating profusely, and kept wiping off the sweat with a handkerchief. Because, although some of these people are not very noble, they also know the situation in London at this time. Lord Orlam is definitely a supporter of Prince George. According to what the civil servant said just now, it is obvious that the Duke of Rand is now occupying the top position and has the upper hand. And they are now tied to the same chariot with Lord Orlam, this is simply life as death for some people who do not have a firm stance. ¡°Gentlemen.¡± After all these gentlemen with different minds were in the small banquet hall, Lord Oram finally said, ¡°Now there is an emergency, and I think everyone is well aware of it. Some people who have a close relationship with Lord Orlam seemed to be relatively calm, but the expressions of the rest of the people were complicated. Lord Orlam had a panoramic view of the expressions of these people and sneered in his heart, but his expression was still gentle, and there was even a trace of worry in his expression. ¡°His Majesty passed away suddenly, and the Duke of Rand kept his mourning a secret, while Prince George is far away in Wales. With the situation in London now, I am afraid that we will have to rely on the Prince.¡± Lord Orlam said very sincerely. Such kind words really have no effect on these old foxes, but since the words are spoken, these people have to react appropriately. After all, Orlam¡¯s status is still there. ¡°Lord, you are too modest. We will listen to you about this matter.¡± One of Lord Orlam¡¯s confidants suddenly said. This sentence made the expressions of the people around them waver, which completely pierced that layer of thin window paper, and now they have almost no way out. Because, although the Duke of Rand has the upper hand at this time, they are in the hands of Lord Orlam. No matter what they think, with such a sentence, they can only agree. Lord Orlam slightly twitched the corners of his lips. Although these people are of no use, they can always tie them up together which can always boost their morale, so that everyone can see the position of Duke Rand. Now that these people have been settled, Lord Orlam is too lazy to talk nonsense with these people, and asks the housekeeper to escort a few people who are not his confidants away, while the remaining who are his confidants continue to discuss plans. During this process, Duke Wilson has always stood by Evan without saying a word, but although he has not said a word, his silence now shows his attitude. The reason why everyone present is like this, why they are so quick to agree has a lot to do with Duke Wilson. Duke Wilson¡¯s attitude also plays a big factor,after all, these people know that Duke Wilson is someone who has an army of soldiers in his hands. After those people left, the expression on Lord Orlam¡¯s face changed. He invited everyone to sit down with a smile, and even let Duke Wilson sit on his upper hand, and then said, ¡°Since His Majesty the King has passed away, then our plans should also be arranged.¡± The people below looked at Lord Orlam with high spirits, these people are people who support Prince George and they have a close relationship with Lord Orlam, so they naturally know the inside story of this incident. They know it well, so they are more confident than those who are uneasy. ¡°Prince George will return to London tomorrow afternoon. During this period of time, Duke Wilson will be asked to stabilize the political situation in London.¡± Lord Orlam looked at Duke Wilson with a smile. Duke Wilson nodded coldly and didn¡¯t say much. Evan stood aside, but he was surprised. Isn¡¯t Prince George in Wales? Even by train, I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t take such a short time to get back to London from Wales. There is definitely a problem here, Evan¡¯s expression flashed slightly. The next few people talked about the end of the matter. Most of them were talking about how to deal with the court guards of the Duke of Rand. In fact, there is nothing to say. They are now in Lord Orlam¡¯s castle, Lord Orlam is not a nobleman who is drunk and dreaming. They are sure that in this castle, there are guards stationed at the moment they come in, there should be no problem with the security for a while. After the talk, Evan and Duke Wilson returned to the guest room together. Because there were too many people, the two of them were assigned to a room, which made Evan a little embarrassed, and Duke Wilson didn¡¯t seem very comfortable. Evan looked at Lord Orlam, who had a subtle expression, and knew that it was definitely intentional at this time. No matter how many guests there were, he would not let a duke live with others. After the two returned to the room, there was an awkward silence, but in the end it was Duke Wilson who started a conversation first. ¡°Were you scared today?¡± He looked at Evan with a look of worry. Evan chuckled in his heart. He was startled, but was he scared? He wasn¡¯t. ¡°This incident is indeed a bit sudden.¡± Evan smiled reservedly. Duke Wilson sneered, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for Duke Rand¡¯s pressing step by step, I¡¯m afraid it would not have reached this point.¡± Evan frowned slightly, he was a religious person after all. With the Duke talking about these problems in front of him, he really doesn¡¯t know how to react to this shocking matter. ¡°You¡­¡± He looked at Duke Wilson with an embarrassed expression. Duke Wilson looked at him with a very gentle expression, ¡°I know you can¡¯t accept it, but Richard is too absurd. George is a good boy. If he doesn¡¯t die, many people will die innocently. Although I have done such a terrible thing, I don¡¯t regret it. Even if my soul falls into boundless hell, I am willing.¡± Evan looked at Duke Wilson¡¯s expression at this time, and he was really puzzled. The Duke Wilson from the later part of the original book was described as a paranoid person, but looking at him at this time, he felt a little different. ¡°You¡­¡± He was silent for a moment, ¡°You won¡¯t fall into hell, I will pray for you.¡± Evan¡¯s words were like a stimulant that put Duke Wilson in high spirits as he walked to Evan¡¯s side. When he got to Evan, he took his hand and said excitedly, ¡°Really? Do you really think so?¡± Evan wanted to withdraw his hand, but was pulled tightly by Duke Wilson. He looked into the Duke¡¯s eyes and found that his eyes were unusually firm, with no sign of loosening up and this made Evan frown. ¡°Lord Duke.¡± His tone was still very calm, ¡°Please let go of my hand.¡± He looked straight into Duke Wilson¡¯s eyes, and there was no room for negotiation. This person is so aggressive, he absolutely cannot allow him to regard himself(E) as his subordinate, and he will never make any concessions on this issue. CH 82 Evan¡¯s firm words made Duke Wilson a little flustered, he immediately released his hands that restrained Evan and explained, somewhat bewildered, ¡°I¡­I¡¯m really sorry, I didn¡¯t mean it, I was just too excited.¡± As Duke Wilson said this, he didn¡¯t dare to look at Evan. Since that confession, this was the first time he expressed his true feelings in front of Evan. Evan looked at the duke¡¯s embarrassed look and frowned deeply. He can¡¯t see through Duke Wilson now. Sometimes he looks very determined and cold, but on this kind of issue, it seems like he¡¯s an inexperienced boy, so he doesn¡¯t know how to deal with it. Evan stroked his cuffs, smoothed the cuffs wrinkled by Duke Wilson, paused slightly and then said, ¡°Lord Duke, you don¡¯t have to explain, I don¡¯t mean to blame you on this issue. But if you also regard me as your friend, then our friendship should be based on mutual respect, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t know what to do.¡± Although Evan¡¯s words were very gentle, the firmness in the words was very obvious and when he heard it, Duke Wilson¡¯s expression stagnated. He had always thought that Evan was the most distinctive person he had ever met, but he never thought that Evan would say such a thing. Mutual respect? He was born noble, who would dare to talk about mutual respect in front of him? Except for the royal family, no one in the world can get his respect. But at this time when Evan said this and his expression also showed that he was very serious, Duke Wilson was somewhat stunned. Looking at Evan¡¯s serious expression, he pursed his lips slightly. After a long time, he said, ¡°Of course I respect you, please rest assured.¡± He seemed to finally understand the hidden worries in Evan¡¯s heart at this moment. Maybe Evan didn¡¯t give him an answer for so long because that¡¯s what he cares about. After all, there is a gap between his and Evan¡¯s identity. Maybe he can deceive himself but Evan feels it very clearly. At this moment, Duke Wilson finally woke up from his feelings and began to consider Evan¡¯s thoughts. Evan nodded slightly, turned and walked to the suite inside. It was getting late now. If he guessed correctly, tomorrow would be the highlight of the day. After all, Prince George won¡¯t be back until tomorrow afternoon. Before closing the door, he looked at Duke Wilson, who had a confused expression, and said warmly, ¡°Then, good night, Lord Duke.¡± Duke Wilson nodded in a trance. Evan closed the door mercilessly, but when he stood in front of the washbasin, he found that the corners of his lips were still lifted with a smile. Evan touched his face, he didn¡¯t understand the reason for his smile. Maybe it¡¯s because Duke Wilson¡¯s expression was too cute. Evan thought so. He ignored his inner confusion and washed up. After the stressful day, he quickly fell into dreamland. Evan was woken up early the next day. The knock on the door woke him from his deep sleep. He forced his heavy eyelids to open. There was a buzzing sound in his ears and a dull pain in the back of his head. Evan glanced at the watch on the side, it was only five in the morning. At this point, the anger in his heart couldn¡¯t be suppressed. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± He opened the door angrily and asked impatiently. Duke Wilson, who at the door, looked at Evan like this and was stunned. From the beginning of their relationship, Evan has always been gentle and calm. It is the first time he has seen such an extroverted Evan. ¡°Reverend, something has happened.¡± Although he thought Evan was a little different, Duke Wilson could still distinguish the priorities of the matter, and immediately said solemnly. Evan was originally half asleep and half awake, but when he heard this sentence, it seemed like a basin of cold water was poured on his head and he immediately woke up. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? What happened?¡± He looked at Duke Wilson nervously. Duke Wilson¡¯s face was also a little unsightly. He pursed his lips and said, ¡°Duke Rand is here.¡± Evan is completely sober this time, ¡°Duke Rand? What does he want to do?¡± Duke Wilson couldn¡¯t help but cast his gaze on Evan¡¯s white collarbone. Because he was wearing wide pajamas, the graceful arc above his collarbone was completely exposed to Duke Wilson¡¯s sight. ¡°He¡­he wants me to enter the palace.¡± Duke Wilson said dryly. ¡°Let you enter the palace?¡± Evan frowned, ¡°Isn¡¯t His Majesty already dead? Why does Duke Rand want you to enter the palace?¡± Speaking of this, Duke Wilson sneered, ¡°You really are too kind, of course you can¡¯t understand his vicious thoughts. He doesn¡¯t feel sorry for the king. He just wants to deceive me into the palace. The Duke of Rand has led the guards of Buckingham Palace to surround the entire castle, and he wants Orlam to hand me over.¡± When Evan heard the news, he started feeling anxious, ¡°Then what should we do? Yes, is Lord Edward all right?¡± They didn¡¯t bring Edward this time. If Edward falls into Rand¡¯s hands, then the tragedy of the last life will be repeated. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Hearing Evan ask this, Duke Wilson¡¯s tone softened, ¡°Edward has been protected by me for a long time, he is fine. Although we are in a critical situation here, as long as we survive today and wait for George to come back, everything will be fine. Reverend, get dressed quickly, everyone is inquiring about the assembly.¡± Evan nodded worriedly. After Duke Wilson left, Evan quickly changed his clothes. He didn¡¯t have any information about today¡¯s events before, because what was described in the book was after the Duke¡¯s success. However, he wasn¡¯t overly optimistic. Although Duke Wilson has soldiers in his hands, those soldiers are stationed on the outskirts of London and guard the outer city of London. In order to show his loyalty to the king and minimize his own threats, the Duke has always been in Delanlier. He lived there and was not too close to his soldiers. At this time, Duke Rand suddenly surrounded them. Even if the Duke could contact those soldiers, it would take a while for them to come over. The description of Duke Rand in the original book shows that he is not a patient person. If it takes a long time, he¡¯s afraid that things will be bad. With heavy doubts, Evan walked into the hall of Lord Orlam. Evan looked around, most of the people around were worried, it seemed that these people also knew that something had happened. Evan suddenly was a little worried. If these people knew the truth, he doesn¡¯t know if they can be trusted. Duke Wilson gave Evan a wink when he saw Evan coming down. Evan nodded and walked to his side. For Evan, among these people, only Duke Wilson is trustworthy. Lord Orlam was also standing with Duke Wilson at this time, but Lord Orlam looked very relaxed at this time. When he saw Evan coming, he greeted him with a smile, ¡°Reverend.¡± Evan really couldn¡¯t smile so he just nodded, ¡°Lord Orlam, what are you going to do about this?¡± Evan lowered his voice as he asked. Lord Orlam still had a smile on his face, as if nothing had happened. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry so much, it¡¯s just a trivial matter.¡± Lord Orlam¡¯s expression was so sincere. If Evan hadn¡¯t known what happened, he would have almost believed him. ¡°You¡­¡± Evan wanted to say something, but Duke Wilson gently tugged on his sleeve. Evan snapped back to his senses, realizing that everyone around him seemed to be looking at him, so he forced a smile and said in a low voice, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Now, for these people, they still have to be appeased, or else things will be more difficult to end. Lord Orlam was very satisfied with Evan¡¯s reaction and nodded with a smile. ¡°Gentlemen.¡± He turned to look at the others, ¡°His Majesty the King died suddenly, but Duke Rand is suddenly aggressive at this time. His despicable intentions are self-evident, but fortunately, Duke Wilson is here, so you don¡¯t have to worry too much. As long as we stay until tomorrow morning, everything will be fine.¡± Evan frowned slightly when he heard this. Lord Orlam said that Prince George would be back tonight, but he¡¯s saying this again, it shows that he still doesn¡¯t trust these people. Lord Orlam¡¯s words temporarily eased the atmosphere in the hall, and the gentlemen didn¡¯t look so anxious. After all, the image of Duke Wilson holding military power was still very inherent in their hearts. ¡°Lord, Duke Rand still controls the guards of Buckingham Palace after all, can we really hold on until tomorrow?¡± Although most people were relieved, one gentleman was still very cautious. Lord Orlam¡¯s expression froze slightly. This slight change can only be seen clearly by Evan and Duke Wilson, who are closer to him. Others can only see his peaceful appearance. ¡°Please don¡¯t worry.¡± Lord Orlam said in a very gentle tone, ¡°Although I have no soldiers in my hands, there are still quite a few guards in this castle, enough to resist until tomorrow morning.¡± In this era, nobles raising private soldiers is a very common thing. For a noble in a high position like Lord Orlam, there will naturally be private soldiers in his residence. These people are not stupid either, they immediately understood what Lord Orlam meant, and the expressions on their faces were a lot calmer than before, but at this moment, a servant suddenly ran in. ¡°Lord.¡± The servant breathed slightly and whispered, ¡°There is news.¡± The servant¡¯s expression made the originally peaceful atmosphere tense again. Lord Orlam frowned slightly, looked deeply at the frightened servant, he took a deep breath and said solemnly, ¡°If you have anything to say, just say it.¡± The servant was startled by Lord Orlam¡¯s eyes, but he did not dare to delay and immediately said, ¡°Lord, Duke Rand just sent a message saying that he wants to see you.¡± As soon as the servant said this sentence, the whole hall became quiet. Duke Rand wanted to see Orlam, and these people were all calculating with a small abacus in their mind. Lord Orlam naturally thought of a lot too. He pondered for a moment, and finally said, ¡°I see, let the person who sent the message come in first.¡± After instructing the servants, Lord Orlam looked at the gentlemen with different expressions, and smiled slightly, ¡°Okay, gentlemen, I will solve this matter, please don¡¯t worry, everyone just needs to be careful. Stay in the castle, by tomorrow morning, all this will be resolved.¡± How dare these people believe such words, but they can¡¯t provoke Lord Orlam now, they can only make a few words as they reluctantly left. After these people left, Lord Orlam¡¯s peaceful expression sank. CH 83 The Duke of Rand wants to see him, which is actually a bit unexpected to Lord Orlam. But the matter has developed to this point. Since the Duke of Rand can come to the door, it means that the Duke of Rand already knows. The matter was leaked, and since that is the case, the timing of Duke Rand¡¯s desire to see him was a bit delicate. ¡°Lord Duke.¡± Orlam nodded at Duke Wilson, ¡°What do you think about this?¡± Duke Wilson had no expression on his face as he thought for a moment, and finally said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid he wants to test you.¡± What Duke Wilson said is not wrong. Although Duke Rand knew that Orlam had already known that the king was dead, he did not know what happened to Orlam at this time, and whether the army in Duke Wilson¡¯s hands had played a role, whether Orlam was safe, whether George was still in Wales, or whether there was any conspiracy. All of these are now a mystery to the Duke of Rand. Because the king died too suddenly, Duke Rand was not quite ready at this time. Lord Orlam smiled, then turned to look at Evan who was frowning with a puzzled look, and suddenly said, ¡°What do you think? Reverend Bruce?¡± Evan was startled, paused slightly, and finally said, ¡°I don¡¯t fully know what Duke Rand is thinking, but at such a time, I think you still have to be a little more restrained, or I am afraid that Duke Rand will have other ideas.¡± Lord Orlam, at this time, you must be a little restrained, otherwise, I am afraid that the Duke of Rand will see the flaws. If the Duke of Rand knows that Lord Orlam has a plan, I am afraid that he will be prepared and vigilant. Lord Oram slightly raised the corners of his lips and said in a low voice, ¡°You are right, but Duke Rand is a cautious person, and it is not good to be too reserved.¡± Evan understood in his heart after thinking about it. The Duke of Rand has many ideas, and it is indeed more effective to do the opposite. The communication between the two people made Duke Wilson¡¯s face look ugly. He didn¡¯t know when the relationship between the two people had become so good. ¡°Okay, stop talking so much. Anyway, now that Rand invites you out, what are you going to do?¡± Duke Wilson interrupted the conversation between Evan and Lord Orlam impatiently. Lord Orlam smiled calmly, ¡°I will meet him, but I will not meet him alone.¡± Now it is still necessary to stabilize Duke Rand, otherwise if the Duke starts to go crazy, the whole city of London will be restless. Lord Orlam stood up from the sofa, waved behind him and a housekeeper stepped forward immediately. ¡°Find some guards and bring them in. I¡¯m going to see the Duke of Rand. You send him a letter. I will see him in front of the castle, and no soldiers can appear around.¡± The butler looked a little hesitant, but he didn¡¯t dare to refute it. As the master said, he was ordered to leave. Duke Wilson looked at him and frowned slightly, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Now is the time to help each other, Duke Rand¡¯s character is uncertain, so Duke Wilson is still afraid of trouble. Lord Orlam certainly knew what Duke Wilson meant, and nodded with a smile. Evan watched from the side and pursed his lips slightly. This matter is very risky. He is very clear about this in his heart that they have nothing now. In the mouths of everyone, Duke Rand is not a reasonable gentleman. If something happens, he¡¯s afraid it¡¯ll be too late for tears. But¡­Evan looked at Duke Wilson¡¯s frown and suddenly stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll go too.¡± He said solemnly. ¡°You?¡± Lord Orlam couldn¡¯t help laughing when he heard Evan, ¡°What are you going to do out there? Use the Bible to educate him? If so, I can tell you that even if God himself comes, it will never change the determination of the Duke of Rand.¡± Looking at Lord Orlam¡¯s slightly playful expression, Evan¡¯s expression remained unchanged, ¡°As your friend, I can¡¯t see you in such a dangerous situation, so¡­¡±Evan looked at Duke Wilson, who was feeling flustered, and said word by word, ¡°So, please let me go with you.¡± Evan¡¯s words were very calm, as if there were no ups and downs in his heart, but when the words fell into other people¡¯s ears, they were extremely firm, without the slightest hesitation. Duke Wilson looked at Evan with a dull expression, as if he had lost the ability to speak. He was silent for a long time, and finally said, ¡°You¡­Aren¡¯t you afraid?¡± Of course Evan was afraid, and no one was more afraid of death than him. ¡°The length of my life is decided by the Lord, so no matter what the outcome is, I can accept it.¡± Evan looked at Duke Wilson very calmly and said calmly. Duke Wilson looked at Evan, his eyes were calm, as if what he had just said was just the most basic truth in the world. Lord Orlam was also stunned. He had guessed the relationship between the two people before, but at this moment, he finally confirmed his guess. There really is some kind of ambiguous entanglement between these two people. Lord Orlam sighed. He could see that Duke Wilson cared about Evan but he couldn¡¯t see through Evan¡¯s thoughts. But at this moment, listening to what Evan said, he finally came to a conclusion. ¡°Are you really going?¡± Lord Orlam broke the awkward atmosphere between Evan and Duke Wilson. Evan nodded, his expression was a little stiff. Although his proposal had some ideas, he had to say that when he said it, he felt relieved. Such a strange feeling made Evan feel somewhat uncomfortable. ¡°If you insist, let¡¯s go together. I dare say, you haven¡¯t met Duke Rand before, have you?¡± Lord Orlam tried to ease the atmosphere. Evan smiled reluctantly, ¡°Yes.¡± Orlam glanced at Duke Wilson, who was still unresponsive. His eyes kept chasing Evan¡¯s figure, and there was a faint light in his eyes. Lord Orlam sighed in his heart, but still didn¡¯t say anything and continued to chat with Evan. The butler quickly prepared everything, Lord Orlam put on soft armor, and also prepared one for Evan and Duke Wilson. Evan didn¡¯t know there was this thing at this time. He took a closer look. The material was very fine and it looked very strong. This was a good thing. Several people quickly changed their clothes, and then led the five guards towards the outside of the castle. As he got closer to the gate of the castle, the surrounding atmosphere became more and more solemn. Until he reached the gate of the castle, Evan could almost hear the sound of the soldiers¡¯ weapons rubbing against their sheaths, and he trembled in his heart. He has never faced death in the true sense. Even when he came to this world, he came in his sleep. This is the first time he has faced the threat to his own life in this way. The gate was slowly opened by the gatekeeper. The poor man was trembling with fear, but when he looked at Lord Orlam, he didn¡¯t dare to retreat half a step. Lord Orlam, like a proud nobleman, raised his chin slightly and walked towards the door without even looking at the outsiders. When they came out of the castle gate, they saw a group of people standing on the lawn fifty meters away and when these people saw them coming out, they walked towards them. Evan took the torch in the hand of the guard next to him and squinted at the person who came. Several people around looked like guards and looked very alert, while the man in the middle was not tall and didn¡¯t seem to reach his chin, and his appearance is also very ordinary. If he is thrown into the crowd, one will not be able to find him at all, but his eyes are very keen, like a vulture, sharp and vicious. Evan shivered, this person is definitely not easy to deal with. ¡°Charles?¡± Just as Evan was thinking about it, Duke Rand had already walked in front of them. He raised his chin slightly, looked arrogant and looked at Duke Wilson with a playful expression, ¡°I never knew that you would be stupid like this.¡± Duke Wilson looked at Duke Rand with a very ugly expression. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry to disappoint you.¡± Duke Wilson said in a stiff tone. The Duke of Rand smiled, with arrogance and contempt on his face. ¡°You will definitely regret being mixed up with this rubbish Orlam.¡± He almost gnashed his teeth and glanced at Lord Orlam, as if there was some kind of deep hatred between them. Lord Orlam gave Duke Wilson a somewhat innocent look, as if he could not understand what Duke Rand meant, which made Duke Rand feel even more hatred. ¡°Humph!¡± He snorted coldly with contempt, ¡°You should know about Richard, what did you decide to do? Are you still standing by my stupid nephew?¡± Lord Orlam looked at Duke Rand, ¡°What do you mean? The king died, isn¡¯t Prince George, the crown prince, ascending the throne? Is there any other way?¡± Orlam¡¯s pretense disgusted Duke Rand, and he showed a vicious expression on his face, ¡°Orlam! I tell you, my patience has limits, if you are still so stubborn, I will have my soldiers attack your castle immediately!¡± Orlam looked at Duke Rand with a smile, but there was a hint of sarcasm on the corner of his lips, ¡°You are so powerful, I was almost scared to death by you.¡± His sarcasm completely irritated The Duke of Rand. ¡°Orlam!¡± He rushed towards Lord Orlam, but was stopped by the guards beside him, ¡°You will regret your decision today!¡± After saying a few words, he broke free from the guard¡¯s restraint on him, stroked the non-existent folds on his clothes, sneered at Lord Orlam and turned to leave. But at this moment, Duke Wilson said, ¡°What on earth are you planning? How did Richard die?¡± His tone was very cold, without a trace of emotion, but the Duke of Rand who had turned around originally stopped and turned to look at Duke Wilson with a look of scrutiny in his eyes, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Have you changed your mind?¡± Duke Wilson looked at him coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t have any idea, you answer my question.¡± ¡°Humph!¡± He chuckled lightly, but his face softened a lot, ¡°You should see my plan very clearly, as for Richard¡­¡± He dragged his voice, however, he found that Duke Wilson had no intention of being attracted to him, and he really felt a little annoyed, so he said viciously, ¡°Richard died of illness! It has nothing to do with me!¡± Duke Wilson nodded, his expression unchanged. Looking at his half-dead appearance, the anger in Duke Rand¡¯s heart was even greater, and he would really like to kill this man. This man had always been like this since his student days, indifferent and calm and his emotions hardly fluctuated. Duke Rand gritted his teeth and wanted to say something, but was suddenly interrupted by a voice. ¡°Duke Rand, how did you arrange the funeral of His Majesty the King?¡± The sudden question made Rand narrow his eyes. For the first time, he finally turned his attention to the fourth person present, Evan. CH 84 The Duke of Rand looked at Evan coldly. He had noticed this person from the beginning, but he didn¡¯t really take him seriously. He thought it was a secretary beside Orlam, but looking at this person now since he dared to speak, obviously his guess is wrong. ¡°Who are you?¡± His tone was very cold, but he kept focusing on Lord Orlam and Duke Wilson who were standing beside him through the corner of his eyes. Evan nodded politely, ¡°My name is Evan Bruce, and I am a priest.¡± ¡°Priest?¡± Duke Rand¡¯s expression was almost sarcastic, ¡°What are you here for? Are you here to pray?¡± Facing the rudeness of Duke Rand, Evan¡¯s expression remained unchanged. Seeing him so calm, Duke Rand felt that this person was a little interesting, and raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°Why are you asking this? Do you want to officiate his funeral?¡± Duke Rand laughed after saying that. He looked as if he had told a very funny joke, but everyone else had a cold face and no one showed any expression. Seeing that none of them responded, Duke Rand also felt bored and stopped his laughter. ¡°Of course I am not qualified to officiate the funeral of His Majesty the King.¡± Evan¡¯s tone was still very calm, ¡°It¡¯s just that I am very puzzled. Since the King has passed away, as His Majesty¡¯s brother, why did you not preside over the funeral for His Majesty? But the first thing that came to your mind was nothing but to contain Lord Orlam.¡± Evan is not actually a mean person, but at this moment, facing such a scene, he has to say such words because Duke Rand is very suspicious and only by stimulating the Duke of Rand to the maximum extent and showing more confidence would they have more time. The more confident they show, the more doubts the Duke of Rand will have in his heart, and the more time they will gain. The Duke of Rand was really enraged by Evan¡¯s remarks and he even wanted to rush over to fight Evan, but fortunately he was stopped by Lord Orlam¡¯s bodyguard. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Lord Orlam looked at Duke Rand with a half-smile, ¡°Reverend Bruce is just asking you a question. If you don¡¯t want to answer, then don¡¯t answer. It¡¯s too ungentlemanly for you to do this. The identity does not match.¡± Duke Rand looked at Lord Orlam viciously, pushed away the restraint of the guards and glared at Evan again, with a gloomy expression that made Evan¡¯s heart skip a beat. ¡°You will pay for your stupidity sooner or later!¡± Duke Rand dropped such a sentence with a gloomy expression, this time he didn¡¯t stop any more and left quickly. The Duke of Rand is gone and Lord Orlam watches him leave, but Evan is relieved. The character of the Duke of Rand was mentioned a little in the original text, and he had only thought of it after racking his brains for the past few hours. He just hopes that the provocation he just made can have some effect. The Duke of Rand returned to his army, and his deputy hurried up to meet him. ¡°Lord Duke, are you all right?¡± Now Duke Rand is the center of their group. If something goes wrong, they will die without a place to be buried. Duke Rand¡¯s expression was very gloomy. He glanced at his deputy and didn¡¯t speak, but his deputy broke out in a cold sweat. ¡°Don¡¯t make any moves, transfer some people back to London to stabilize the situation.¡± Duke Rand said after a long time. The deputy was a little puzzled by his order, ¡°Are we going to give up the arrest here?¡± The duke was determined to capture Lord Orlam¡¯s castle before, but he suddenly had to transfer someone back to London. Is it really necessary to give up the arrest of Lord Orlam? ¡°Humph!¡± Duke Rand sneered, looking at the gradually brightening sky, and said in a low voice, ¡°Of course I won¡¯t give up, Orlam wants to use a calm performance to make me vigilant against damage, but unfortunately the priest beside him is too obvious. They are too eager for quick success, and they even want to anger me. They deliberately show calmness. There must be no backing. Now I don¡¯t have many guards, so I don¡¯t need to waste time in this place. Now other princes and nobles still need to be dealt with, you should bring some people back first.¡± Duke Rand is not a stupid person to be able to do this. On the contrary, he is still very suspicious. For Evan, an unknown priest, the sudden abnormal and almost provocative behavior made him think after the initial anger had passed. After that, he really thought of this. The deputy was very convinced of Duke Rand¡¯s judgment, and immediately sent a slightly shameful compliment. ¡°You are really the wisest person I¡¯ve ever met. It¡¯s just those people in London. If they don¡¯t see you, I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t be easily controlled by my subordinates.¡± The deputy said a very real problem. Nobles are very proud, and a small deputy like him cannot convince them. The Duke of Rand thought for a moment. Now Lord Orlam is basically a turtle in an urn. After attacking the castle, things can be solved here, but things in London are more complicated¡­ ¡°Alright, then you just stay here, I¡¯ll go back to London.¡± Duke Rand finally made a decision, but his decision made all his previous efforts to be in vain. ******** Lord Orlam and his party returned to the castle, but found that several gentlemen who were supposed to return to the room were waiting in the living room. When they saw them coming in, they immediately greeted them. ¡°Lord, what did the Duke of Rand say?¡± asked a gentleman who was relatively close to Lord Oram. Lord Orlam pursed his lips and said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, it¡¯s just a few old sayings. It¡¯s just that my relationship with him has reached this point, do you think there is any reliability in anything that comes out of his mouth?¡± The person who asked the question stiffened, and he couldn¡¯t say what he originally wanted to say. Now the situation is so serious and Prince George is far away, even Duke Wilson, who is in charge of the army, is here at this time. Others may believe what Lord Orlam had promised before, but he has doubts. ¡°Lord.¡± He pursed his dry lips, ¡°Although Duke Rand is more extreme, I think he is very cautious this time, you¡­¡± Before he finished speaking, Lord Orlam waved his hand to interrupt him, and looked at him with a sneer, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You want to take refuge with Rand?¡± Looking at the indifferent guards standing behind Lord Orlam, the gentleman suddenly realized that his fate was indeed in the hands of the person in front of him. He was really tied to Lord Orlam¡¯s chariot and could only follow him. ¡°No no no¡­¡± The man took a few steps back, ¡°The Duke of Rand has done something against the law, and now that His Majesty the King has passed away, I will support Prince George to the death.¡± Lord Orlam half-smiled as he looked at him, there was a look of sarcasm in his eyes, ¡°Okay, you don¡¯t have to explain it, get out!¡± As soon as Lord Orlam finished speaking, the man immediately left in a state of embarrassment. Looking at the anxious back, a dim light flashed in Evan¡¯s eyes. This is the advantage of power, this is the advantage of mastering the fate of others, and now he is just a man who is forced to try to control his fate, and the only one who can help him is Duke Wilson. ¡°Now these people have dissent, I really don¡¯t know if they can last until tonight.¡± Lord Orlam said sarcastically. Duke Wilson frowned, a bleak expression flashed across his indifferent face, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, these people are just a mob. You can send a few more people to guard the hall. They don¡¯t dare to take their lives as a joke.¡± Lord Orlam gently hooked up his lips, Duke Wilson was telling the truth, but he didn¡¯t know whether the truth was a good thing or a bad thing. After this incident, several of them still dared not go back to rest. This time they completely angered Duke Wilson. Although his doubts about the backup have been eliminated, there is no doubt that his attack on the castle will increase. This plan was originally a precarious plan. It is a double-edged sword, but they can only choose this path at this time, otherwise it will be death anyway. Sure enough, an hour later, there was a sound of fierce fighting outside the wall. Even Evan was a little frightened when he was sitting in the living room, but the nobles hiding in the bedroom didn¡¯t even show their heads, none of them came out to find out what was going on. These people are all characters at the center of a political storm. They know the truth of being wise and protecting themselves, so no one wants to stand out, because even if Lord Orlam loses in the end, Duke Rand will not execute so many nobles. At most, they will be expelled from the center of power and their lives could be saved, but if they were in line with Lord Orlam, they would probably lose their lives. These people¡¯s calculations, Lord Orlam is very clear about, so he did not force anything. For him, these people were actually more of hostages, because after all, for the Duke of Rand, the most important thing is not to eradicate him. The goal of this person with different political views is to ensure that he can inherit the throne, and it is not a very wise way to do so by offending most of the nobles at this time, so even if he is concerned about these nobles, his attack may be moderated. Intermarriage between nobles is very common, and if they inadvertently provoke any big shots, the Duke of Rand will not be able to deal with the consequences. But in the general direction, these kinds of concerns are just trivial matters. The most important thing now is how long Lord Orlam¡¯s bodyguards can support them. ¡°This castle was modified by the military before, please don¡¯t worry, it can definitely be supported.¡± Lord Orlam said suddenly, not knowing whether he was comforting Duke Wilson who was frowning or himself. Duke Wilson raised his eyebrows and glanced at Lord Orlam. The soldiers under Duke Rand were all elite guards from Buckingham Palace, but these guards under Lord Orlam were only recruited for training from the public. The only issue now is the location. If this castle is really as strong as Lord Orlam says it is, then their hopes are even greater. ¡°Hopefully we can hold on to that moment.¡± Duke Wilson whispered, then he turned his thoughts, turned to look at Lord Orlam and suddenly said, ¡°Since we have reached this point, why don¡¯t you tell me? Where did Prince George go before?¡± Although Lord Orlam repeatedly assured him of Prince George¡¯s safety, he still had reservations about where Prince George went. Of course, Duke Wilson understood his idea of ??leaving a hand before, but since they have all arrived at this point, of course Duke Wilson has to ask clearly. But when he heard this, Orlam gave a wry smile, ¡°Your question has left me stumped. To be honest with you, Prince George didn¡¯t tell me about his movements, you and I are the same, I don¡¯t know where he went.¡± As soon as these words were said, Duke Wilson¡¯s expression froze and even Evan, who was sitting beside him, was very stunned. CH 85 ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Duke Wilson stood up abruptly, ¡°Are you kidding me?!¡± The Duke looked at Lord Orlam with piercing eyes. Lord Orlam gave a wry smile, ¡°I wish I was joking, but unfortunately, it¡¯s true.¡± Duke Wilson looked at him with a serious expression. ¡°I really hope you know what you¡¯re doing, Orlam. Since you involved me in this matter, I hope you don¡¯t let me down in this kind of thing.¡± He looked gloomily at Lord Orlam, ¡°Because I believe you should know that if I am disappointed, no one will be better.¡± Orlam saw that Duke Wilson was really angry, and immediately stood up to appease him, ¡°Lord Duke, don¡¯t worry, although I don¡¯t know where Prince George is, he is indeed safe now. We communicate every day. I will never deceive you on this matter, but Prince George is unwilling to reveal his itinerary. I believe you can understand it.¡± Duke Wilson sneered, ¡°Understand?¡± He looked at Orlam with a mocking expression, ¡°George, this little bastard, is so suspicious of everyone that he doesn¡¯t even trust me, his uncle. I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t get any more benefits.¡± Embarrassed, Lord Orlam smiled, ¡°It¡¯s not what you imagined. His Royal Highness just doesn¡¯t want too many people to know his whereabouts, so as to avoid mistakes in the middle.¡± Duke Wilson didn¡¯t speak anymore, he pursed his lips tightly and sat down with a gloomy expression. Now it¡¯s useless to say anything. He is now tied to Prince George¡¯s boat, and there is no room for retreat. Now the only thing he can do is wait and hope that Prince George can return safely. Evan was sitting on the side, and his heart was beating fast at this time. He never thought that Prince George would not even trust Lord Orlam. Now they are really called Tian Tian (no idea what this means), ??and their fate is completely in the hands of Prince George. Evan clenched his fist tightly, this feeling of helplessness has become clearer since he came to London. The shackles of luck have completely bound him. In this world dominated by power and status, he can hardly move an inch. There was an endless stream of rumbling attacks outside, and the screams and wailing of the soldiers were endless. Evan had never experienced war before. Hearing these sounds, he was a little restless. The most painful thing in the world is the inability to change your fate or destiny and Evan felt a sense of powerlessness in his heart. Although he knew the results in the book, the process by which this matter came about has changed too much. He was not confident that this matter would develop as he imagined. While waiting, the time was very long. At this time, Evan finally realized this deeply. From morning until noon, he was about to go crazy. Although the roaring outside had eased, the solemn expressions of the guards coming in to report to Lord Orlam made him unable to stop thinking. ¡°Lord Orlam!¡± Evan finally couldn¡¯t bear it anymore. After the last reporting guard walked out, he asked, ¡°How is the situation outside?¡± Lord Orlam was taken aback by Evan¡¯s sudden question, paused and then smiled, ¡°Please rest assured, there will be no problem.¡± Evan frowned slightly, turned his head and glanced at Duke Wilson, but found that he was sitting beside him with a stern face and there was no response. He was feeling irritable, what the hell are these two people doing! ¡°I think I need some fresh air.¡± Evan stood up suddenly and walked towards the window. ¡°Reverend Bruce!¡± Lord Orlam said suddenly, ¡°Please don¡¯t go near the window.¡± He had a smile on his face, but his eyes were full of caution. Evan waved his hand: ¡°Thank you for your reminder.¡± He turned around and walked upstairs, he can¡¯t sit in this place all the time now, he needs to calm down. Watching Evan go upstairs, Lord Orlam withdrew his eyes after a few moments. ¡°Lord Duke.¡± He suddenly said to Duke Wilson, who was still looking at the place where Evan¡¯s back disappeared, ¡°I¡¯m afraid Reverend Bruce is a little impetuous.¡± There was a faint smile on the corners of his lips. Duke Wilson still didn¡¯t take his gaze back and just frowned slightly, ¡°This is the first time he has encountered such a scene. At his age, he has already done a good job.¡± Lord Orlam smiled, ¡°That¡¯s true, the first time I saw someone kill someone, I was so scared that my face turned white.¡± Duke Wilson gave Lord Orlam a sideways glance and raised a corner of his lips, as if thinking about something funny, but it still failed in the end. ¡°What is George¡¯s plan? Although he is an idiot, I don¡¯t think he is so stupid. He goes out and runs around alone, leaving such a big stall for you!¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s tone left no room for rebuttal. Lord Orlam let out a wry smile, ¡°Prince George is your nephew and you know his character best, but this time he did not go out alone, he was accompanied by at least half of his guards. Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry. There¡¯s General Stone with him.¡± Hearing him say this, Duke Wilson¡¯s face brightened a bit, ¡°He¡¯s not that stupid.¡± Old Stone was probably the most reliable person in the world. Lord Orlam knew that he was tough, so he smiled indifferently. Prince George and Duke Wilson had been a little bit incompatible since they were young. Prince George and he were both younger than Duke Wilson, but because of the old king, they were always arranged together. Duke Wilson didn¡¯t like to carry the two of them, so he disliked having them around since he was a child, but Orlam also knew that Duke Wilson didn¡¯t really hate Prince George, but it was like a child¡¯s temper. Evan didn¡¯t know the movements of the two people downstairs. When he returned to the room, the sound of fighting that had been surrounding him finally subsided and his emotions calmed down a lot. Prince George is a peaceful but very intelligent young man in the original book. Although his relationship with the duke is not very harmonious, he is better than the Duke of Rand. Even when the duke went crazy and did such a tragic act in the end, Prince George did not blame him but made an appropriate cover up, which gave Evan reason to believe that the alliance between Prince George and Duke Wilson was very strong. But even so, Evan was, at this time, somewhat irritated, because after all, he was in the game at this time, waiting for the shackles of fate, which was really difficult for him to accept. Evan was lying on the bed, looking at the snow-white ceiling and suddenly the description of Prince George in the book appeared in his mind. But Evan absolutely does not believe that the man who quietly took military power from Duke Wilson after the coup d¡¯¨¦tat was as simple as he showed. Evan sighed, although Prince George¡¯s scheming would make him relieved, but in such a situation, he still couldn¡¯t relax completely and the battle outside made all his good ideas vanish. Just when Evan was most anxious, there was a loud noise from downstairs. Evan suddenly bounced off the bed, opened the door and rushed down. If he heard correctly, the sound was¡­gunshots. When Evan rushed out of the room, other people in the other rooms also looked out and saw Evan running down and these people hurriedly put their heads back. At this time, they could only pretend that they could not hear or see, their lives still mattered. Evan rushed downstairs, only to find that there were only Lord Orlam, Duke Wilson and a shivering soldier standing downstairs, and a pistol was in Lord Orlam¡¯s hand and the originally beautiful carpet had a hole in it and the area around the hole was faintly charred, and the terrible things that Evan had imagined did not happen. ¡°Lord Orlam?¡± Evan frowned and looked at Lord Orlam with some doubt. Lord Orlam had a smile on his face, but it seemed cruel to Evan. ¡°Reverend Bruce, I¡¯m so sorry to disturb you.¡± Lord Orlam said in a gentle and polite tone. Evan was frightened by his somewhat frightening tone and glanced at Duke Wilson, only to find that he also frowned and said nothing. Evan had a bad guess in his heart. ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize.¡± Evan pursed his lips, ¡°What happened?¡± He asked tentatively. Lord Orlam raised his eyebrows and sneered, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, everything is under control.¡± After he said that, he waved his hand and the poor guard immediately stepped back, staggering as he left. After the guard left, Lord Orlam sat down and the smile on his face disappeared, looking a little gloomy. ¡°Prince George sent a letter,¡± he said suddenly. Evan was shocked when he heard it, and his originally bad thoughts spread more and more. ¡°F¡­what happened?¡± Evan¡¯s lips were dry. Lord Orlam looked indifferently at the hole he¡¯d made in the ground, ¡°The Duke of Rand has returned to London and Prince George has decided to go to London to control the Duke of Rand and then come to rescue us, so the rescue time will be delayed for a while.¡± Lord Orlam¡¯s tone was calm, but Evan almost jumped up. The original time has been very vague for a long time, and it has to be delayed again. What does Prince George want to do? Evan thought for a moment and started sweating. Now that Prince George has all the military power, he can do whatever he wants and it is not impossible for Lord Orlam and Duke Wilson to die here, after all, no one can change when he returns. Evan held his slightly trembling fists and looked at Duke Wilson, but Duke Wilson¡¯s expression was still calm, as if he had not been affected in any way. He was also looking at Evan at this time, with a hint of tenderness in his eyes. ¡°Evan.¡± He suddenly said, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Evan looked at Duke Wilson dully. At this time, in this kind of scene and this situation, he¡¯s telling him not to be afraid. Duke Wilson stood up abruptly, ¡°Is that messenger gone?¡± His tone was very calm. Lord Orlam squinted at Duke Wilson, with a hint of gloom in his eyes, ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Duke Wilson looked at him and raised the corners of his lips sarcastically, ¡°Oh, Orlam, you won¡¯t really be foolish enough to think that I will leave my own destiny in the hands of others?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hand over all your military power?¡± Lord Orlam¡¯s eyes flashed with hope in an instant. T/N ¨C My goodness! Evan, what happened to your cool attitude, your smart and cunning ideas? Gimme back my cool Evan! CH 86 ¡°Heh¡­¡± Duke Wilson chuckled, ¡°You have tied your destiny to your many years of friendship with George, but I don¡¯t have such confidence.¡± Lord Orlam¡¯s face flushed, ¡°You¡­You don¡¯t trust George?¡± ¡°Of course I don¡¯t trust him.¡± Duke Wilson said blankly, ¡°There are very few people in this world whom I can trust.¡± When he said this, he glanced at Evan and Evan¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Lord Orlam lowered his head in despair, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that such a thing would happen¡­¡± ¡°There is no need to say more about these meaningless words. He also considered it from the whole point of view. Rand is involved in this incident. It is very important to capture him this time and it is not surprising for George to make such a decision.¡± Duke Wilson said something close to words of praise at this time, ¡°On the contrary, for so many years, this is the only time I can really feel that my support is not wrong.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s words made Lord Orlam wake up from his daydream and he looked at Duke Wilson. In fact he knew, if there was no other choice, Duke Wilson would not be so obvious about his support for Prince George, but he still did not expect that at this time, he would say such a thing. ¡°You¡­¡± Lord Orlam was at a loss for words. Duke Wilson¡¯s expression remained unchanged, and he said solemnly, ¡°Let the messenger come in, I have something to tell him.¡± Lord Orlam nodded, a little embarrassed. He pulled Duke Wilson in, but he still wants Duke Wilson to rescue him in the end. The messenger came in quickly. Duke Wilson glanced at the man who had a slightly humble expression. Although his low eyebrows were pleasing to the eye, his strong steps and strong body proved that this man was not an ordinary person. ¡°Lord Duke.¡± He bowed to Duke Wilson. Duke Wilson raised his hand reservedly, ¡°Did George send you here?¡± In this world, there are only the kings who dare to call the prince by his name, that is, these royal relatives. ¡°Yes.¡± The messenger¡¯s tone was soft and courteous. ¡°I already know what he wants to convey, but I also have one thing for you to convey,¡± said Duke Wilson, pulling a letter from his sleeve. ¡°You will take this to George.¡± He had prepared the letter for a long time and actually expected that he would never use this letter, but now it seems that it is somewhat impossible. The messenger took the letter very meekly, ¡°Please rest assured, I will definitely deliver your letter.¡± The messenger withdrew, but Lord Orlam looked at Duke Wilson with great confusion, ¡°What do you want to convey to Prince George?¡± Duke Wilson raised the glass on the table, squinted his eyes and said nothing. Evan was sitting next to him, but he thought quickly in his heart. Duke Wilson¡¯s remarks gradually calmed his anxious heart and at this moment he was finally able to think about the issues rationally. It is very common for Duke Wilson to keep a card in this matter. According to the character of the Duke in the book, before he met the heroine, he was always extremely sensitive and extremely withdrawn. He is no longer as sensitive and withdrawn as before but his suspicious nature has never diminished. Now that he thinks about it, his fear was indeed a little unfounded. When he is with someone like Duke Wilson, he does not have to worry about being isolated and helpless. Evan glanced at Duke Wilson, who kept silent. Since the Duke has surplus soldiers in his hands but he still wrote to Prince George at this time, it means that the surplus soldiers he left are related to Prince George. Going a little deeper, maybe this is also Duke Wilson¡¯s move to test Prince George. Lord Orlam is not a person to be easily dismissed. The duke¡¯s silence could not satisfy him, so he continued to ask, ¡°My lord, it has come to this point, just tell me!¡± Duke Wilson was a little impatient. He waved his hand but then saw Evan who was sitting thoughtfully beside him. Suddenly, he couldn¡¯t say the words of refusal that had been about to spill from his lips. He pursed his lips slightly and said, ¡°Although my soldiers can be used at any time, George is the crown prince after all, so I still have to tell him.¡± Duke Wilson said very cautiously, but in fact he did not say that the soldiers he handed over to Prince George, although nominally the soldiers belong to him, he has been hiding in Delanlier for many years and he has very little contact with these people. In fact, what he trusts more is the successor he recruited in Delan Lier and left behind this time. He gave them orders before he came here and if he didn¡¯t show up before three o¡¯clock in the afternoon, these people would come to his rescue. But the letter he wrote to George said that he needed the adjutant he lent George to order these soldiers. He just wanted to see what choice George would make. George was destined to win at that moment in London and this time George¡¯s choice will determine how Duke Wilson will get along with him in the days to come. No one could know what Duke Wilson was thinking about, but the meaning he revealed made old foxes like Lord Orlam ponder. Because of Duke Wilson¡¯s backhand, the pessimistic atmosphere that had pervaded the three of them reduced. Although the three of them were still quiet, the silence at this time was much easier than before. The shouting and killing outside became louder and louder, and more and more of Lord Orlam¡¯s guards were killed and injured. At this time, Lord Orlam couldn¡¯t sit still. He wanted to go out and improve those soldiers¡¯ morale but he was blocked by Duke Wilson in the end. He looked at the time and when the time was approaching three o¡¯clock, he said warmly, ¡°It¡¯s useless for you to go out now, before the absolute strength gap, we have nothing to do, and now taking advantage of the location, we can hold on for a while. The reinforcements will arrive soon, so you will only increase the danger if you go out.¡± Lord Orlam¡¯s expression changed. Duke Wilson was able to estimate when the reinforcements would arrive and it seemed that he was really prepared. Lord Orlam was persuaded by Duke Wilson and he sat back on the sofa. Although the adjutant at the bottom said that he could last for half an hour, in the face of the ever-changing battlefield, Lord Orlam did not dare to completely relax. At this time, time began to become unusually slow but it was only a quarter of an hour while Lord Orlam felt as if a month had passed. The roars outside had gradually weakened and Lord Orlam knew very well that his guards had reached their limit, but at this moment, a burst of gunfire suddenly sounded. At this time, guns are still a very rare thing. They are playthings of nobles. Very few soldiers at the bottom can own firearms. Even for the rich Lord Orlam, there are only about ten guns among his guards, but this time the sound of the gun made Lord Orlam very sensitively aware that there were definitely no less than thirty guns in this burst of gunshots. ¡°Are your soldiers here?¡± Lord Orlam looked at Duke Wilson with piercing eyes. Duke Wilson raised his eyebrows, with a determined smile in his eyes, ¡°Maybe.¡± At this moment, an adjutant suddenly ran in. His military uniform, which was originally handsome, was now somewhat tattered and his body was still stained with blood and black ash. He looked very embarrassed but there was an excited smile on his face, ¡°Lord! Lord! Someone is coming to the rescue! Someone is coming!¡± Orlam stood up suddenly, with a very rare excited expression on his face, he looked straight at Duke Wilson and suddenly said, ¡°My lord, thank you very much this time.¡± He said so solemnly that even Duke Wilson was stunned for a moment. ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me, I did this for myself.¡± Duke Wilson looked very calm on the surface, but a thought suddenly appeared in his heart. He glanced at Evan subconsciously, Evan looked so nervous before but he didn¡¯t know that he would rather die than let him fall into such a state of isolation. Although Duke Wilson¡¯s remarks were very rude, Lord Orlam was still smiling and didn¡¯t mind it at all. ¡°Although you say so, this time it is you who saved my name. I am really grateful.¡± Although Lord Orlam is cunning, he also has the unique qualities of a gentleman in this era. For a person who saved himself, naturally, he had to take a high look. Because of the sudden rescue, the situation of the war outside has also fundamentally reversed. Those who were in the hope of winning completely fell into despair in the face of this accident, because they also lost a lot in this war. The people who were in ecstasy fell into despair. The people who were tired seemed to have been injected with a cardiotonic at this time and they all recovered at once. The defeat of Duke Rand¡¯s soldiers was also a matter of course. After seeing hope, they fell into despair. Unless Jesus was alive, they could restore their confidence, but the soldiers on Duke Wilson¡¯s side became more and more brave and the situation became even more difficult than it was before. At last the war was over in less than half an hour and Lord Orlam sat in the house, heard the shouting outside gradually subside and there was a relaxed expression on his face, but Duke Wilson¡¯s expression was still awe-inspiring, he also looked at the door with a more focused gaze than before. He wanted to see who was coming this time. Duke Wilson didn¡¯t know what he was expecting in his heart. In fact, he had experienced the selfishness of human nature countless times, but as long as he thought of the child who always followed quietly behind him when he was a young, he is now somewhat looking forward to seeing what George has become after so many years. Duke Wilson¡¯s solemn expression also affected Lord Orlam and Evan. Lord Orlam was a little ignorant, but Evan, who knew Duke Wilson better, had a thoughtful look on his face. It seemed that Duke Wilson still really dug a hole for Prince George, then we have to see how Prince George performs this time. Thinking of this, Evan also looked at the door with great interest. Ten minutes later, in their opinion, it felt like ten years later, the sound of the door opening finally came and the sound of leather shoes hitting the floor made the three people in the living room think differently. Finally, when the door was pushed open, the three people looked at the door together¡­ Duke Wilson looked at the man walking towards him and suddenly smiled, still the idiot he used to be¡­ CH 87 The visitor walked in front of Duke Wilson and slowly knelt down on one knee. ¡°Lord Duke, please forgive me for being late and worrying you.¡± Duke Wilson looked at the person in front of him with a slight smile on his face. This person was the adjutant he sent to Prince George. ¡°Where¡¯s the prince?¡± In front of outsiders, Duke Wilson still gave Prince George a lot of respect. ¡°His Royal Highness has entered London, and he asked me to come to you.¡± The adjutant replied in a deep voice. Duke Wilson nodded. George still seemed to have a good conscience, and he would be better off in the future. ¡°How is it outside?¡± Duke Wilson asked about the battle outside. ¡°All traitors have been subdued, please rest assured.¡± Duke Wilson nodded, but he was relieved. ¡°Lord Duke, Prince George asked me to send a message. If the matter on your side is over, please go to London to meet him.¡± The adjutant continued. Duke Wilson frowned and glanced at the clock, it was past four. ¡°What¡¯s the situation in London now?¡± Since Prince George said such words, there must be a message. ¡°The messenger just said that London has stabilized, but the Duke of Rand is now stubbornly resisting at Buckingham Palace.¡± The adjutant said solemnly. Duke Wilson raised his eyebrows. The guards in Buckingham Palace are Duke Rand¡¯s biggest support. This situation is very reasonable, but he is afraid that Duke Rand¡¯s senses will jump over the wall and cause damage to the palace. ¡°Is it dangerous?¡± Duke Wilson asked thoughtfully, he didn¡¯t want to witness the scene of Buckingham Palace being burned to the ground. The adjutant understood the Duke¡¯s mind very well and immediately replied, ¡°Please rest assured. Duke Rand is now tied to a corner and he is only negotiating conditions with His Royal Highness.¡± This adjutant knew a lot. Duke Wilson took a careful look at the adjutant. This man was his confidant and he always took him with him even when he arrived in Delanlier. Now he seems quite capable. ¡°I see, we¡¯ll go right away.¡± Duke Wilson made up his mind. Lord Orlam just stood there quietly at this time. If the fate of Duke Wilson was in his hands just before now, then his fate is now in the hands of Duke Wilson, who now dominates everything. Perhaps the sound of gunfire outside has reduced, so the gentlemen and ladies who had been hiding in the rooms also stuck their heads out of the room to check. The situation in the room was very obvious, except for Duke Wilson and Lord Orlam. In addition, the big man they were thinking of did not appear and now it seems that the situation is really set. Although these people were greedy for life and had a huge fear of death, their brains turned faster than anyone else. Seeing that Duke Wilson and the others had the upper hand, several people immediately walked downstairs. ¡°Your Excellency, this is really nice, thanks to you today, otherwise we would all die here.¡± A shrewd looking gentleman complimented. And when he complimented him like this, the others followed suit and the whole hall became very harmonious for a while. (Hypocrites) Duke Wilson was too lazy to talk nonsense with this group of people, he just nodded at a guard beside him, ¡°Send these ladies and gentlemen away.¡± After that, he turned his head to look at them, ¡°Although you can leave now, I suggest you don¡¯t be in a hurry to go back to London. Go back tomorrow, otherwise it will be a mess and it will only add to the chaos.¡± These people don¡¯t want to leave at this time and now this place is probably the safest place, but Duke Wilson has no concern for them. The hosts didn¡¯t want to keep them and they couldn¡¯t speak to stay on their own, so they had to be reluctantly sent to their own carriages by the guards and servants. When these messy people were all gone, it was getting too late, Duke Wilson and Evan traveled towards London in a carriage. There were a lot of corpses outside Lord Orlam¡¯s castle. Evan didn¡¯t want to take a second glance after taking a look. After entering the city of London, the whole street was as quiet as a grave, as if it had just experienced a war. There was no one on the street, not even the beggars and children selling newspapers that were usually seen everywhere. Every household closed the door tightly, as if there were some terrifying monsters outside. Evan has never seen such a desolate and gloomy London, so seeing this, he also has a real understanding of this rebellion in his heart. The sword light, shadow, blood and rain in the book may be just a description in the book and it looks like it¡¯s just this to readers, but when you are actually in such an environment, you will find that it is 10,000 times more terrifying than what you imagined in modern society. Evan shivered and glanced at Duke Wilson who was sitting on the side with his eyes closed and said nothing. Perhaps to Duke Wilson, these were nothing, after all, Duke Wilson had killed when he was sixteen years old. The old duke took him to the battlefield. Although he didn¡¯t have any actual military exploits, he had already seen the cruelty of the battlefield. This rebellion in London was nothing in his eyes, and he¡­ Evan suddenly felt a little powerless, as if his previous rhetoric was a bit ridiculous at this time. Evan sighed and closed the window of the carriage, maybe he should put down his superiority as a person from outside the book, and should try to really integrate into this society. In this rebellion, he is almost helpless and everything makes him unable to do anything, because this is not the kind of war that doesn¡¯t see the smoke of gunpowder in modern times. Everyone here fights with their wits and courage. Maybe he still has a chance, but with such a simple and rude use of a knife and a gun, Evan has no way at all. Evan¡¯s lips curled up with a wry smile, this was so embarrassing. With the sound of horses¡¯ hooves, they finally got to the gate of Buckingham Palace. Evan had visited this palace before he came to this world, but now this palace is slightly different from the one he saw in modern times. The guards of Buckingham Palace stopped Lord Orlam¡¯s carriage, and after inquiring, they read the secret order that Prince George gave to the adjutant and then let them into the palace. Under the guidance of the adjutant, the coachman drove towards the west wing of Buckingham Palace, where Prince George and the recalcitrant* Duke of Rand are now facing each other. When he arrived at the west wing, Evan clearly felt that the air was full of tension. The soldiers were all elite divisions under Prince George. The three of them got out of the carriage at a distance of twenty steps from the side door. The guards at the door probably received instructions to greet them as soon as they came and lead them upstairs. ¡°Where is the prince now?¡± Lord Orlam couldn¡¯t help asking the guard. This bodyguard has always been Prince George¡¯s personal bodyguard so he has a good relationship with Lord Orlam, so he did not have any suspicion and immediately replied, ¡°The prince is on the third floor and the Duke of Rand occupied the room where the old king collected famous paintings and treasures, things are tricky right now.¡± Lord Orlam raised his eyebrows. The previous old king was very fond of oil paintings and treasures and he was a very vain person. The famous paintings and treasures he collected were priceless in the world and according to Lord Orlam¡¯s understanding, among the paintings and treasures he collected, part of it was the dowry brought by Prince George¡¯s mother back then. If the Duke of Rand did something insane, it would not only be a huge loss to the country, but Prince George would also be very sad. ¡°It¡¯s outrageous, who let him in there?¡± King Richard is not only a vain person, but also a miser and his treasure room, except for himself (the king) and Prince George, who has only been in once, the guarding of the room is very strict. When the guard was asked this, he also had a bitter face, ¡°Lord, I think the Duke of Rand must have been prepared. When His Royal Highness led the soldiers to occupy Buckingham Palace, he immediately fled here with others. The guard at the door had already been bought by him, and he had stolen the key to the treasure room. He took advantage of the chaos in Buckingham Palace to escape into that room. Now he has sprinkled kerosene all over the room. If we do something bad, he will burn down the room.¡± Lord Orlam¡¯s brows wrinkled, this Rand is indeed a bug. At this point, he still wants to fight against Prince George and according to George¡¯s character, even if he didn¡¯t want his life before, he definitely wants it now. The three of them quickly went up to the third floor. The narrow passage was blocked by soldiers. Prince George stood at the other end of the passage with a serious expression. This is the first time Evan has seen Prince George. He is tall and thin, with dazzling curly blonde hair. His appearance is as gentle and elegant as written in the book. Although the white armor on his body is stained with blood, it does not affect his gentle and refined temperament. This person didn¡¯t seem aggressive at all, but who would have thought that it was this person who killed his father and seized the throne. ¡°His Royal Highness.¡± Lord Orlam and Duke Wilson both stepped forward and bowed to Prince George,and Evan followed suit, but he kept observing Prince George¡¯s expression from the corner of his eye. When he saw the three of them, the prince¡¯s originally solemn face immediately had a slight smile. He quickly stepped forward and helped Lord Orlam and Duke Wilson up. ¡°I didn¡¯t make arrangements this time and I almost hurt you. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± His tone was gentle and remorseful, with a look of guilt on his face. He doesn¡¯t seem to be a real high-ranking person, even though the throne is only one step away from him now, he still regards them as ordinary friends. But neither Lord Orlam nor Duke Wilson dared to regard him as an ordinary friend. ¡°Your Highness, you made the right decision. Even I will make such a decision. The Duke of Rand and London are much more important than us.¡± Lord Orlam¡¯s expression was sincere, as if he knew the news at the time. It seemed like it was not him who was pale and desperate before. Prince George smiled gently and turned to Duke Wilson, ¡°Uncle Charles, I got your help this time, and I will thank you for your generosity this time and I will remember this for the rest of my life.¡± Duke Wilson was indifferent when facing Prince George. His arrogant expression finally subsided a lot, he nodded reservedly and said in a low voice, ¡°It is my honor to serve you.¡± From this moment on, the young man in front of him is no longer the child who followed him, he became the king of the country and he (DW) was his subject. Prince George looked deeply at his unruly uncle. In fact, in his mind, this uncle was the most difficult one to deal with among all the nobles. His character was moody and he was not very close to himself, but unexpectedly, at this time, the first person to support him was actually this uncle. Prince George¡¯s mood is very mixed. T/N ¡ª I¡¯m so sorry for the sporadic updates. I¡¯ve got a lot on my schedule and I just sleep through whatever little free time I get Well, it¡¯ll be over soon, so please bear with me. Thanks guys, love y¡¯all CH 88 ¡°Your Highness.¡± Just when Prince George was thinking, a guard suddenly stepped forward, ¡°The Duke of Rand has another message.¡± The guard whispered in Prince George¡¯s ear. Prince George¡¯s expression was stunned and then he smiled and said, ¡°What did he say?¡± The guard glanced at Duke Wilson. For them, Lord Orlam was an acquaintance, but Duke Wilson was not very familiar. Prince George saw the guard¡¯s concerns and his face sank involuntarily, ¡°Uncle Charles is not an outsider, you can say it directly!¡± He said it so frankly that Duke Wilson raised his eyebrows. ¡°Yes.¡± The guard bowed his head in shame, ¡°The Duke of Rand wants you to withdraw from the castle and announce to all the people that he has been forgiven of his sins and then he will leave England and go to Wales.¡± Prince George heard this and clenched his fists. The Duke of Rand¡¯s fief is in Wales and his base camp is also in Wales. This time, the reason the Duke of Rand urged the old king to send him to Wales for inspection was to completely eradicate him. ¡°I can only agree to withdraw from this floor and I can agree to the rest.¡± There are still many things in Buckingham Palace. If they really withdraw completely, who knows what the Duke of Rand will do. Prince George¡¯s generosity surprised everyone else. Even Evan glanced at him. He agreed so easily, is Prince George really so kind? The guard was stunned for a moment, but he reacted immediately and immediately nodded, ¡°Yes.¡± The guard turned and left but Prince George smiled and said to Duke Wilson, ¡°Uncle Charles, you don¡¯t mind me doing this, right? Duke Wilson¡¯s expression remained unchanged, ¡°This is your decision and I fully support it.¡± Buckingham Palace must not be destroyed in George¡¯s hands. Duke Rand seized George¡¯s weakness so no matter what he says, George has to agree. Duke Wilson understands this very well. George was very satisfied with Duke Wilson¡¯s answer and smiled, but at this time, he finally saw Evan standing behind Duke Wilson and asked curiously, ¡°Who is this?¡± Duke Wilson pursed his lips, blocked Prince George¡¯s gaze calmly and replied, ¡°This is Reverend Bruce, my friend.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Prince George smiled, ¡°It turns out to be your friend.¡± He has known Duke Wilson for so many years and he has never heard him mention anyone who was his friend. Prince George glanced at Lord Orlam, who nodded slightly. Nodding, Prince George said to Evan very gently, ¡°You are a friend of Uncle Charles and so, my friend. Welcome to Buckingham Palace.¡± Evan nodded politely, ¡°I¡¯m very honored.¡± Evan¡¯s actions were completely polite and cautious and Prince George glanced at him again. This is the only person Duke Wilson has expressed his closeness to, he doesn¡¯t know how different this person was from ordinary people. But with just this brief look at him, he can¡¯t draw any conclusion. It can only be said that this young priest is too handsome. Prince George suddenly thought of something, his eyes moved slightly and he didn¡¯t say any more. After a while, the guard who sent the message came back with a slightly embarrassed expression. ¡°His Royal Highness, the duke agrees with your opinion but he hopes that you can fulfill your promise immediately and forgive him of his guilt in front of all the subjects.¡± Prince George raised his expression with a smile that was not a smile on his face. Unexpectedly, at this point, Duke Rand still wants to make further requests. ¡°You tell him, I will let all the soldiers leave the castle and he will let the guards around him leave, and then I will take his hand and announce to all the subjects of London on the balcony of Buckingham Palace and forgive him of all his guilt.¡± Prince George¡¯s tone was very stiff, as if he was a little impatient with the Duke of Rand¡¯s backtracking. The guard jumped in his heart and hurriedly turned to leave. After that, the air pressure in the corridor dropped and everyone didn¡¯t dare to say a word because everyone understood a truth. Although Prince George usually looks very gentle, if he gets angry, there will be few people who can truly withstand his anger. About a quarter of an hour later, the guard finally came back and the air that was almost stagnant finally calmed down a little at this time. ¡°His Royal Highness, the Duke agreed.¡± The guard¡¯s face was filled with obvious joy. Prince George nodded with a cold face but his brows were obviously relieved, and everyone present was relieved. ¡°You all retreat.¡± Prince George looked at the guards who were looking out of the room and said to the soldiers beside him. Lord Orlam was the first to speak, ¡°His Royal Highness, Rand is a very cunning person. It¡¯s too dangerous for you to be with him. Why don¡¯t you let me stay?¡± He did not agree with this quid pro quo at the beginning, but he did not dare to resist the decision made by Prince George. Prince George looked at the guards who came out of the wing one after another, with a sneer on the corner of his mouth, ¡°No need, I still know his tricks and now that he has reached a dead end, he will never choose to die together easily.¡± Duke Wilson also agrees with this very much. He and the Duke of Rand have known each other for many years and have also hated each other for many years. Because the Duke of Rand was more trusted by the old king back then, he had no choice but to leave to Delanlier to avoid disaster. He hadn¡¯t met him for many years but he believed that with Duke Rand¡¯s selfish character of seeking profit and avoiding harm, he would never easily perish with others. What he valued most was his life. Prince George had already said so and no one dared to object any more, so they had to retreat one by one, while the guards of Duke Rand, seeing that they were retreating, followed with a vigilant look. Duke Wilson, Lord Orlam and Evan were the last ones to leave. Before leaving, Lord Orlam¡¯s brows were still wrinkled. In his opinion, a noble person like Prince George should not be left in such a dangerous situation, but he also knew Prince George very well. No one could change the decision he made. In the end, he could only sigh and leave together with the others. The soldiers of Prince George and the Duke of Rand confronted each other, left Buckingham Palace and walked to the streets of London, and their strange actions also attracted the attention of many Londoners and they all opened from the windows to watch the strange situation on the street. They stayed like this for about a quarter of an hour. The balcony at the highest point of Buckingham Palace finally opened. Prince George and the Duke of Rand walked out hand in hand. Prince George had a smile on his face and his golden curly hair became more and more brilliant under the sunlight, while Duke Rand¡¯s face was a little tired and pale. ¡°My subjects!¡± He shouted at the whole of London and everyone around Buckingham Palace looked in the direction of Prince George, including all the soldiers and some officials who arrived in time, as well as some citizens who were not afraid of death. ¡°This rebellion is really a disaster for the whole of London.¡± He said in a heavy tone, ¡°My uncle, the Duke of Rand, he abused the position my father gave him and even wanted to take the opportunity to usurp the throne. This kind of behavior is unforgivable and it is also a very painful thing for me.¡± Prince George¡¯s expression was a little gloomy when he said this but the next moment, he grabbed the Duke of Rand hand again and raised it up. ¡°But!¡± He looked firm, ¡°For God¡¯s sake, he is my uncle, the brother of my father King Richard, the closest relative to me by blood and my elder, so I decided to forgive him for his behavior this time. Let peace come to London instead of killing, and I also hope that such a thing will not happen again, because next time, I am not sure that any kindness will come.¡± After Prince George shouted these words, all the soldiers and officials cheered and they all lauded Prince George for his kindness and tolerance. Evan stood where he was, looking at Prince George who was smiling and waving on the terrace, but he couldn¡¯t help but exclaim in his heart. He was really a wise man. Showing his kindness and tolerance in front of everyone, and made his reputation even better. But, although the Duke of Rand has been forgiven this time, if he really wants him to die, there are too many silent methods and the Duke of Rand is just embracing the current life. Evan glanced at the livid Duke of Rand standing beside Prince George. He should also understand this truth, but he had no other choice. It would be better to live a little longer. Otherwise, Prince George could deal with him immediately and no one will say a word. Prince George walked into the room after the announcement. For him, this is just a show to win the hearts of the people. In the future, more people will spread the news of his behavior today and his reputation will completely resound throughout England. A moment later, a carriage pulled out of Buckingham Palace and stopped beside Duke Wilson and Lord Orlam. The carriage window opened, revealing the face of the Duke of Rand. ¡°Wilson, I really congratulate you.¡± His voice was very cold, looking at Duke Wilson with an expression of looking at an enemy who he could not wait to kill. Duke Wilson looked at him and smiled, ¡°I hope your life in Wales will go well.¡± Everyone knows that he will not live long in Wales, Prince George will not allow it. How could he let a person who challenges his authority live smoothly? The Duke of Rand sneered, ¡°My fate has come to an end, but your fate is not as good as you think. If George is really as good as he is, why would he choose to advance to London instead of saving you?¡± Even at this point, the Duke of Rand did not hesitate to provoke the relationship between Duke Wilson and Prince George. Duke Wilson didn¡¯t mind at all and he even smiled. ¡°Rand, you¡¯re such a pathetic man. If George was stupid enough to make that choice, then he doesn¡¯t deserve to be king and he doesn¡¯t deserve my support, because the king I want is not like you. Stupid!¡± He looked at Duke Rand mockingly. In his heart, the king he wants is not a stupid and kind person. What he needs is a king with means, vision and decisive decisions, but without losing his conscience. Because the rise and fall of a country cannot be sustained by good intentions, it needs long-term vision and superhuman wisdom. Duke Rand looked at Duke Wilson, not knowing what to say for a while until the coachman began to urge him, then he closed the window and the carriage left. CH 89 Hey guys. So I¡¯m going to upload a few chapters at the same time today. Enjoy!!! The Duke of Rand was quickly sent away from London but Prince George¡¯s benevolent behavior spread throughout London immediately. The citizens of London praised Prince George¡¯s kindness and tolerance and he was on the way from being the crown prince to becoming the king. As a result, he did not encounter any obstacles, because with his current popularity, no one can stop him. On the day Prince George was crowned, Evan was also invited. He stood in the first row of Westminster Abbey with Duke Wilson. Perhaps this is a bit uncommon for his identity, but Duke Wilson was there and no one dared to question it. Evan watched the archbishop crowning Prince George and watched Prince George standing on the high platform to accept the obeisance of the people. For some reason, he felt a little excited. He has just witnessed history. This moment is just what he read in the book before, and now he can finally experience it in reality. After Prince George¡¯s coronation, they returned to Buckingham Palace and held a grand ball. Prince George and his fianc¨¦e, a foreign princess, had a dance and then the people below also threw themselves into the dance. Some of them, although they did not stand firmly on Prince George¡¯s side, but no one really took refuge with Rand, so these people enjoyed the glory bestowed upon them by King George with peace of mind. (Author wrote ¡®Prince George¡¯ but he¡¯s already the king) King George was sitting on the throne, looking at the people below, with a cold look in his eyes. Maybe he has stayed in the position of crown prince for so many years, which made these people think that they shouldn¡¯t have any worries, but for now he¡¯ll let them feel relaxed for a little longer. Duke Wilson did not stay long at the ball. After Prince George finished the opening dance, he went up to greet him and left Buckingham Palace with Evan. Evan actually doesn¡¯t like this kind of occasion very much. Because of his status, he has always been incompatible with this kind of occasion, so he can breathe a sigh of relief by leaving earlier. Evan and Duke Wilson went back to Duke Wilson¡¯s villa in London in Duke Wilson¡¯s carriage. The atmosphere in the carriage was very peaceful. Evan didn¡¯t know what to say, but Duke Wilson kept looking at Evan with a gentle expression. Evan felt a little embarrassed for a moment. ¡°You¡­¡± He finally said, ¡°This time is really thanks to you.¡± Evan said in a stiff tone. Duke Wilson still did not retract his gaze, but still looked straight at him and asked in a low voice, ¡°What do you think about the previous incident?¡± In such a life-threatening crisis, he suddenly realized that Evan had to be put under his wing, he really didn¡¯t want what happened to them this time to happen again. Evan was shocked by Duke Wilson¡¯s directness and for a while, he didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°This matter¡­ I¡­¡± He gritted his teeth secretly. He really forgot about this matter, but he didn¡¯t expect that Duke Wilson remembered it so clearly. ¡°Have you still not made a decision?¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s expression became a little ambiguous. If Evan didn¡¯t have any ideas about him, he would have rejected his words immediately he heard them, but after so long, there was still no response, which in itself must have shown his attitude. ¡°Since you haven¡¯t decided yet, I won¡¯t force you.¡± His tone suddenly became gentle, ¡°Please rest assured, no matter what decision you make, I will not have any objections.¡± Looking at Evan tenderly, he chuckled in his heart. Since he didn¡¯t refuse his favor now, does it mean that the day he accepts his feelings will come soon? Evan didn¡¯t know what he was thinking, but he sighed with relief. He was really afraid that Duke Wilson would want to get to the bottom of it. Although he had planned for a long time, now is not the time. The two got along peacefully afterwards, and Duke Wilson kept asking Evan to say something, but Evan was not pretentious at this time and followed up with a few words. When they finally returned to Duke Wilson¡¯s villa, Butler Chris was waiting at the door early. Before they went to Lord Orlam¡¯s villa for an adventure together, Butler Chris took little Edward to escape outside London secretly. Yesterday, they were picked up by Duke Wilson. ¡°Your Excellency the Duke.¡± He walked forward with a solemn expression, squinted at Evan from the corner of his eyes and said in a low voice, ¡°Reverend Bruce¡¯s letter has arrived.¡± Evan¡¯s expression changed, no one knew his address except Mrs Sanders and his father. The excuse he used to come to London this time was to attend his brother¡¯s wedding, so when he came, he told his father where he lived. Evan took the letter from Butler Chris and it was indeed from his father. Looking at it, Evan frowned involuntarily. ¡°When was this letter delivered?¡± He asked softly. Butler Chris lowered his head slightly, ¡°It was delivered early this morning, just after you and the Duke left.¡± Evan nodded, opened the envelope and just read a line, his brows frowned . Seeing this, Duke Wilson hurriedly asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Has something happened?¡± Evan closed the letter with a hesitant expression. ¡°My brother¡¯s wedding is three days from today and my father has invited me to it.¡± The date of his brother¡¯s wedding was actually stated in the last letter, but now his father sent another letter stating the date, which is really weird, as if he couldn¡¯t wait, lest he forget. This is so rare in Evan¡¯s life, because when he received his father¡¯s letters before, it was not simply sending money, but also cold and almost exhorting. It was too much to take the trouble to tell him the date and place of the wedding, almost abnormal. Duke Wilson didn¡¯t understand his misgivings, and heaved a sigh of relief, ¡°So it¡¯s this, then you have to prepare well.¡± Evan forced a smile and walked into the villa with Duke Wilson . As soon as he entered, Edward rushed down from upstairs like a cannonball and shouted, ¡°Evan! Evan! Look, this is a new toy my father bought for me. Is it good?¡± Evan laughed, then he took him into his arms and took a closer look at the toy in his hand. It was a beautiful little train, the shell was studded with jewels and it looked very gorgeous. ¡°What a beautiful gift, you are such a lucky child.¡± Evan gently touched the top of his head and said warmly. Edward blinked his beautiful big eyes, looked straight at Evan and generously stuffed his train into Evan¡¯s hands, muttering, ¡°If you like it, I will give this train to you. As long as I have it, I¡¯ll give you whatever you like.¡± Evan felt happy, he really didn¡¯t waste his time and effort. Duke Wilson stood aside and looked at them talking so harmoniously and smiled. The two people in front of him were the two people he cared about the most. Such a scene made him feel soft in his heart. It would be great if he could live like this all the time. The three of them had a sumptuous dinner together. Edward seemed to be a little scared because of what happened that day and he has not gotten tired of being around Evan these days, eating with him. While eating, he also took care of Evan to eat, very careful while doing so. After dinner, Edward was reluctantly taken upstairs by Butler Chris, while Evan sat in the living room with Duke Wilson and talked. ¡°Your father wants you to attend your brother¡¯s wedding so urgently this time, is there anything he wants to tell you?¡± Duke Wilson knew something about Evan¡¯s father¡¯s attitude towards Evan before, so he was somewhat puzzled. Evan took a sip of the sherry wine and said in a low voice, ¡°I don¡¯t know about this. This is the first time my father is so eagerly looking forward to my return home. Maybe there is something wrong with my brother.¡± His father has only two sons, he and his elder brother. Although his elder brother was not considered a genius, he was still a very capable young man. His father has always valued him very much. On the contrary, no matter how smart Evan is, it can¡¯t compare to the weight of the eldest son. His attitude has suddenly turned 180 degrees now. The only thing Evan can think about is this, unless there is really something wrong with his brother. ¡°Your brother?¡± Duke Wilson turned the cup in his hand thoughtfully. Maybe that¡¯s it. Duke Wilson¡¯s eyes flickered and his hand holding the cup tightened. Sitting like this, he couldn¡¯t think of any ins and outs. After drinking the wine in his glass, Evan said goodnight and went upstairs. In the next few days, Evan made special preparations. He didn¡¯t feel much before so he didn¡¯t make special preparations for this matter, but this time his father was so serious and Evan didn¡¯t want to really mess around. He couldn¡¯t not dress up, so he went to the most practical tailor in London to order a suit and because of Duke Wilson, he greatly advanced the time for making the suit so that he could wear it on the wedding day. The gifts for his brother and his new wife were a waste of his efforts. The things he had prepared before were obviously not good enough but Evan hadn¡¯t experienced any sophistication in this world, so he didn¡¯t know what to give. It was Duke Wilson who sorted that out for him. The gift for his brother was a box of precious cigars. His brother is a cigar lover. This was deeply ingrained in the mind of the original Evan. He seemed to have a very unusual affection for his family. Even if no one cared about him, he still tried his best to properly place everything he learned in the deepest part of his memory, never forgetting it for a moment. As for the newlywed wife, he chose a pair of diamond earrings in the jewelry store invested in by the Duke. In fact, at first Evan fell in love with the beautiful diamond necklace, but he couldn¡¯t really accept Duke Wilson¡¯s financial help because he was so shy, so he could only buy this. (Shy? Even can be shy? ) When they came out of the jewelry store, Duke Wilson was still a little awkward. He had already experienced Evan¡¯s self-esteem but he still couldn¡¯t hold back today, and of course Evan refused in the end. This result made him feel a little annoyed. Maybe he shouldn¡¯t have spoken in the first place. Seeing Evan¡¯s slightly serious side face, Duke Wilson didn¡¯t know what to say. In fact, Evan didn¡¯t mind this at all. The question he was thinking about now was, when he arrived at his so-called home tomorrow, how should he deal with his father in name and this treacherous invitation, which made Evan have a headache. CH 91 William walked down the stairs, saw Evan standing there and waved to him lightly. ¡°Have you eaten yet? If you¡¯ve finished eating, accompany me to pick up the bride.¡± He stood still a few steps away from Evan and said to Evan with a gentle face, as if the two of them were really close brothers. Evan couldn¡¯t laugh at this time. He felt that the current situation was a little weird. Although he knew that he should be very similar to William before, he didn¡¯t know that the two of them were so similar. ¡°It¡¯s better for you and Hugh to go there.¡± Old Bruce gave Evan a meaningful look, ¡°Evan will stay here and help me with things.¡± William smiled when he heard this and his face became more and more gentle. ¡°Okay then.¡± He nodded to Evan and walked out. And the young man whom Evan had just met hurriedly chased after him and took another look at Evan before leaving. Maybe the two of them are really too similar. After William and his friends left, the whole hall seemed a bit empty. Old Bruce walked up to Evan with complicated eyes. ¡°Go and entertain the guests, today is your brother¡¯s big day, you have to be careful.¡± Although he tried his best to speak gentle words, he still seemed a little stiff. Evan nodded. Since he came to Bruce¡¯s house, he had to make some kind of compromise. Evan basically didn¡¯t know the people who came today but these people recognized him at a glance by his and William¡¯s similar appearance. Fortunately, there was Butler Ross to assist, otherwise Evan didn¡¯t know how things would end up. As time went by, more and more people came until finally the entire Bruce family¡¯s castle was immersed in chatter and laughter. Evan saw a white carriage slowly coming along the wide boulevard in front of the castle. Old Bruce had received the report a long time ago, his face was flushed and he led the guests out of the house to welcome the arrival of the bride and groom. Evan was also among the bustling guests, but he didn¡¯t have much interest in the wedding and just stayed in a less conspicuous place. Not long after, Evan heard fierce applause and cheers erupting in front of him. He couldn¡¯t see exactly what happened, but he also roughly understood that the bride and groom should have arrived. Then the resonant voice of old Bruce came over and he praised the marriage of William and Victoria with great emotion and then greeted Victoria¡¯s father with a smile. Not long after, a group of people walked towards the castle. Evan took a careful look at Victoria in a white wedding dress. She had brown hair, green eyes and a slim figure. She was indeed a beauty. Old Bruce and Victoria¡¯s father exchanged warm words, while William let Victoria hold his arm in a very gentlemanly way, with a gentle smile on his face. If you ignore the weird atmosphere from before, Evan has to sigh that this was a match made in heaven, but it was too weird before and Evan still has a little precaution in his heart at this time. The subsequent wedding was very grand. They read their vows, exchanged rings in a local church and then returned to the castle of the Bruce family to celebrate. Old Bruce seemed to have invited everyone he could. A hundred people participated, if there were not enough servants in the whole scene, it would get out of control. But even in such a joyful and exciting scene, Evan still feels that there is something wrong. Since the weird meeting and conversation at the beginning, Old Bruce and William seemed to have almost forgotten his existence and never looked for him again. Evan heaved a sigh of relief. To be honest, in this wedding, he would rather play a silent role than deal with the father and son. Evan was on pins and needles at the wedding, but Duke Wilson did not give in at this time. He walked around the room almost agitatedly. Old Bruce¡¯s unusual urging and invitation to Evan also made him suspicious, but unlike Evan who was waiting to see what would happen, he immediately sent someone to investigate the matter. But until today, the person he sent out to inquire about the news has been away for three days but there is still no news, and today is the wedding, but for some reason, he always feels flustered in his heart. Just when Duke Wilson had turned around the house for almost a hundred times, there was a knock on the door suddenly. Duke Wilson quickly walked to the door and opened the door, and the calm and staid face of Butler Chris appeared outside the door. ¡°Your Excellency, Kevin is here to see you.¡± Kevin was indeed the person Duke Wilson sent to investigate this matter. ¡°Let him in!¡± Duke Wilson said almost impatiently. Butler Chris gave Duke Wilson a slightly surprised look but he turned and left without saying anything. After a while, a lean little man appeared at the other end of the stairs. Duke Wilson frowned at him and said in a low voice, ¡°Come in!¡± Kevin was startled by Duke Wilson standing at the door and hurriedly went in and bowed to salute. ¡°My lord, I¡¯m sorry to keep you waiting.¡± ¡°Stop talking nonsense! Tell me how your investigation is going?¡± Duke Wilson asked impatiently. Kevin started shaking. He didn¡¯t expect the Duke to take this matter so seriously. When he clearly ordered him, he just ordered it casually. ¡°Yes.¡± He didn¡¯t dare to think about it and immediately said, ¡°I checked Master Bruce according to your instructions and I didn¡¯t find anything unusual about him, but I found that the elder brother of Reverend Bruce, Mr William Bruce, was diagnosed with tuberculosis two months ago, he probably won¡¯t live for two years.¡± Speaking of this, Kevin trembled. Tuberculosis in this era is like a death sentence, and ordinary people have no room for resistance. Duke Wilson was stunned when he heard the news. Evan¡¯s brother got tuberculosis? But today¡­ Duke Wilson frowned deeply, ¡°Does his fianc¨¦e know about his illness?¡± When Kevin heard this, his expression became a little unnatural. He secretly glanced at Duke Wilson and said in a low voice, ¡°He¡­he¡­he did this matter very secretly and it took me a lot of effort to find out. His fianc¨¦e probably doesn¡¯t know about it.¡± In Kevin¡¯s view, in this matter of the Bruce family, what he did was really unethical, but he was also very clear about the position of Reverend Bruce in Duke Wilson¡¯s heart, so his words were more tactful. Duke Wilson¡¯s expression became more and more ugly. He had seen the invitation letter they sent to Evan before. He had seen the bride¡¯s name before. She was the daughter of a member of Parliament who had a good relationship with him. That member was an earl. His younger brother and his wife are from a famous family, so the family is very prosperous and they also value this daughter very much. It is impossible for him to marry his daughter to a man who has tuberculosis. Did Bruce want to cheat on the marriage? This was the first idea that popped up in Duke Wilson¡¯s mind and he immediately vetoed it. Even if he is married now, this matter will be discovered sooner or later. Taking the risk of offending a congressman is really not worth the trouble. Duke Wilson suddenly fell into deep thought, what exactly does Old Bruce want to do? Not only did he conceal the illness of his eldest son, but he also called Evan back in such a hurry. Thinking of this, Duke Wilson¡¯s heart suddenly moved. Evan! A series of terrible thoughts appeared in his mind. Could it be that he wanted to marry that woman to Evan? ¡°Which Master Bruce is the one getting married today?¡± Duke Wilson clenched his fists tightly, his eyes terrified. To him, this thought was like the end of the world. ¡°Ah?¡± Kevin looked at Duke Wilson in surprise, isn¡¯t this obvious? ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Master William Bruce.¡± Although Duke Wilson¡¯s reaction was somewhat strange, Kevin still replied obediently. Although Duke Wilson was relieved when he heard this answer, he still couldn¡¯t help thinking about the worst, ¡°Are you sure?¡± Kevin felt more and more baffled, ¡°My lord, I saw with my own eyes the reception at the home where Master William Bruce married Miss Victoria. For him, although he looks almost exactly the same as Reverend Bruce, the Reverend is definitely not as weak as him.¡± Kevin said very confidently. Duke Wilson suddenly turned his head and looked at Kevin, ¡°What did you say?¡± He stared at Kevin with a very rare look of panic in his eyes. Kevin was taken aback and took a step back, but Duke Wilson stepped forward, grabbed his shoulders tightly and asked viciously, ¡°Say it again!¡± Kevin was frightened and trembling, he has never seen Duke Wilson so furious. ¡°I¡­I, I said I saw William Bruce go to meet the bride, he has blonde hair with blue eyes. He¡­he looks exactly like Reverend Bruce!¡± Kevin finally grasped the point of what he just said at this time, and his expression instantly changed. He turned pale, no way¡­ (Yep, Evan has an identical twin, and twins can be easily swapped) Duke Wilson took a breath and let go of the hands that were holding Kevin. William and Evan looked exactly the same. Just hearing this sentence, Duke Wilson could think of many terrible things. Old Bruce is a man greedy for power. It is impossible for him to give up such a solid backer like Victoria¡¯s father. He will definitely do his best to seize this marriage. Duke Wilson is very sure of this. So even though he didn¡¯t know what old Bruce was going to do at this time, the panic in his heart made him restless. ¡°Get the carriage ready! I¡¯m going to Bruce¡¯s house!¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s tone was very cold. ************ Sitting in the living room, Evan narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at William and Victoria in the middle of the dance floor. After the buffet in the afternoon, there was another grand ball in the evening. Old Bruce spent a lot of money this time. After the song ended, William walked out of the dance floor holding Victoria¡¯s hand, and it was time to leave. Evan thought so, with William¡¯s body, even a dance would be enough. But what Evan didn¡¯t expect was that William was walking in his direction, leading Victoria by the hand. Evan frowned slightly but stood up anyway. ¡°Brother William, Miss Victoria.¡± He nodded slightly, with perfect etiquette. William smiled very gently at him, ¡°Victoria, this is my brother, Evan.¡± Victoria exclaimed the moment she saw Evan, he and William were so similar. ¡°Oh William, I didn¡¯t believe what you said before, it¡¯s amazing. You and Evan are so similar.¡± Victoria said as she laughed. William still nodded reservedly, ¡°The Bruce family has always had a very obvious family imprint. Evan and I have the same mother, so we are naturally alike.¡± When Evan heard this statement for the first time, he glanced at William, but William didn¡¯t look at Evan, but casually took out twice as much champagne and a glass of white water from the passing male servant, handed the champagne to Evan and Victoria and said with a smile, ¡°I can¡¯t drink, I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± Evan smiled very politely, lightly clinked glasses with him and Victoria, and took a sip of the wine. CH 94 Butler Ross came out of Evan¡¯s guest room and William and old Bruce were waiting at the door. ¡°How?¡± William asked, frowning. Butler Rose looked embarrassed, and sighed secretly in his heart, ¡°Master Evan seems to be unable to see clearly. He didn¡¯t know that the person lying next to him was Mrs Victoria.¡± William nodded in satisfaction, ¡°Get Victoria out in two hours and put another woman in, never let him find out that it¡¯s Victoria.¡± Although William wanted to have a son to inherit the Bruce family, he didn¡¯t want to let Evan in after his death. He would play another good show of father-son love with this child, and it¡¯s best that they never know. Butler Ross nodded helplessly. After William accomplished this, he was actually relieved. He didn¡¯t have much affection for Victoria. The only thing he wanted was the power and property behind Victoria, which could bring the entire Bruce family to a higher level. Old Bruce didn¡¯t say a word when he heard William¡¯s arrangement. Although they had planned it long ago, for some reason, he always felt a little flustered. The two of them walked down the stairs, and just as they sat down in the living room, someone suddenly stumbled in. ¡°B¡­Master Bruce!¡± This was a low-level manservant, usually not even qualified to enter the living room. Butler Ross¡¯ expression turned ugly. ¡°My lord, Duke Wilson is here!¡± He looked at Old Bruce with a look of fear and stammered, ¡°He wants to see Master Evan.¡± ¡°What?¡± Old Bruce stood up abruptly, he could hardly believe his ears, Duke Wilson actually came, ¡°Where is the Duke now?¡± He asked hastily. The servant¡¯s face turned red, ¡°He¡¯s coming in soon.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he heard a commotion outside. Old Bruce was startled and looked outside. Duke Wilson walked in with a cold face. This time, he violated almost all the gentlemanly education he had received since he was a child and broke into other people¡¯s living room rudely. ¡°Duke¡­Your Excellency the Duke.¡± Old Bruce bowed and saluted, but he felt that something was wrong in his heart. He glanced at William. William¡¯s expression was very heavy and Old Bruce felt even more uncertain. Duke Wilson was indifferent to old Bruce and William¡¯s salute, but said coldly, ¡°Where¡¯s Evan?¡± Old Bruce didn¡¯t know what to say for a while, he glanced at William. William pursed his lips, and said with a smile, ¡°Evan has fallen asleep, do you have something important for him? Today, Evan drank a little too much, I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t be able to wake up at this time.¡± Although William has been comforting himself in his heart that Duke Wilson definitely doesn¡¯t know about their plans, however, Duke Wilson broke in so late at night, which made him feel a little guilty. He never thought that the relationship between Duke Wilson and Evan had become so close. Duke Wilson looked at William¡¯s face that was almost identical to Evan¡¯s and sneered at him. If he had any doubts before, now he has no doubts at all. With two people so similar, what were William¡¯s Ideas, he could almost imagine. Duke Wilson ignored these two people, and walked upstairs directly. These two people would do everything possible to hinder him. Duke Wilson had already thought of it. Since they didn¡¯t cooperate, he could only have the house searched. Old Bruce and William were surprised by Duke Wilson¡¯s unreasonable actions, and hurriedly chased after him. William also tried to block the Duke¡¯s footsteps. ¡°My lord duke, you¡­ Your behavior is a bit inappropriate!¡± William hurriedly stopped on the stairs on the second floor with a very serious expression. Duke Wilson looked at William and smiled coldly, ¡°Isn¡¯t it right?¡± He waved his hand behind him and someone immediately stepped forward and pulled William away. ¡°It¡¯s not up to you to tell me whether my behavior is proper or not!¡± Duke Wilson said coldly and walked towards the second floor. As was said before, Bruce¡¯s house is very large and there are more than a dozen rooms on the second floor. It would be a bit slow for Duke Wilson to find Evan by looking in them one by one, but Duke Wilson is already very anxious at this time. Just now William said Evan has already fallen asleep, he¡¯s afraid their plan has almost started, and in a minute or two, maybe it will be time for Evan and that woman to make a good deal. At this moment, a servant suddenly ran out in a panic. Duke Wilson winked at Kevin who was beside him, Kevin immediately understood and asked, ¡°Which room does Evan stay in? ¡± The manservant didn¡¯t know the plan of Bruce and his son at all, but he knew that the man in front of him was the Duke. He immediately pointed to the innermost room on the second floor and said, ¡°Master Evan stays in the guest room. Staying in the guest room, Duke Wilson turned his head and sneered at the blue-faced Bruce father and son behind him, then hurriedly walked towards that room. William was already panicking at this moment. If today¡¯s incident broke out, the entire Bruce family would become a joke, not to mention Victoria¡¯s family. But Duke Wilson couldn¡¯t be stopped at all and he didn¡¯t dare to stop him, so he could only block the matter within a certain range. ¡°You all go down.¡± He gritted his teeth and waved at the servants around him. Seeing that the servants had left, he walked towards the Duke who had already left. The Duke walked to the door of Evan¡¯s room, knocked on the door first and found that there was no response. The little hope that Duke Wilson had originally had in his heart disappeared completely. Waiting fiercely for William who just walked over, he said sharply, ¡°Where¡¯s the key!¡± William was taken aback by the Duke¡¯s reaction. Did Duke Wilson already know something? But even if he knew, he shouldn¡¯t be so angry. Countless doubts arose in William¡¯s heart for a while. Although he was puzzled in his heart, William still wants to put up one last bit of resistance. ¡°Your Excellency, although we are ordinary squires, you can¡¯t treat us like this.¡± William looked at the Duke bitterly, as if he had countless grievances in his heart. Duke Wilson didn¡¯t even bother to give William a glance now. He turned around and took out his pistol from his side, raised his hand and shot at the door. (Yes, that¡¯s my duke) The huge gunshot shocked everyone present. They couldn¡¯t imagine that the Duke was actually carrying a gun. Duke Wilson looked coldly at the gem-studded pistol in his hand. In the past, the collection value and ornamental value of this gun were more than his practical value, because as a duke, he hardly used it, but at this moment, he didn¡¯t want to wait any longer. The loud gunshot also woke Evan who was struggling on the edge of reason in the room, up. He couldn¡¯t help stretching out his hands to the woman beside him. He even tore off his shirt completely, and the woman seemed to respond and kept leaning towards him. This kind of duel between reason and desire is not what Evan is good at. In his last life, he never suppressed his desire, but in this life he basically never relieved his desire. This situation is very important to him. To be in this situation is really cruel and irresistible. But this gunshot completely pulled him out of the swamp of desire. Who was outside? Has someone come looking for him? There was a gunshot. Who will come to look for him at this time? Evan can¡¯t think of a second person, so it must be Duke Wilson. Looking at his current situation, Evan felt flustered in his heart. He wanted to struggle to get up from this woman, but was entangled by this woman and couldn¡¯t get away. Evan was very anxious. If the Duke really saw this scene, he really can¡¯t imagine what that extreme and sensitive person would do. At this time, the patience of the Duke outside the door had been exhausted. Looking at the stunned Bruce father and son, he put the gun on William¡¯s head, and looked at Old Bruce coldly, ¡°The key! Old Bruce was so frightened that his legs were weak, and when he saw William being held down with a gun, he was even more frightened out of his wits, and hurriedly said, ¡°Come on! Come on! Get the key!¡± Butler Ross stumbled and brought the key up. Without even looking at William, Duke Wilson, who was livid, put away his gun and turned around to open the door. Hearing the sound of the door lock, Evan, who was entangled with that woman, became more and more anxious. He¡­he must not let Duke Wilson see this scene. Thinking of this, Evan gritted his teeth and slammed his head onto the window post. The moment Duke Wilson came in, he saw Evan, who was naked from the upper body, fall down the window post with blood on his head and the woman who was entangled with him behind him was holding his waist tightly. Duke Wilson felt as if his heart had been grabbed by something. He quickly walked to Evan¡¯s side. Looking at the blood on his forehead and the abnormal blush on his face, the anger that he had been trying to suppress finally broke out at this moment. He waved away Victoria, who had been entangled with Evan, and turned his head to look at Bruce and his son, with bloodthirsty killing intent in his eyes. ¡°Is this what you guys did?¡± His tone was very calm, but Bruce and his son were shivering. None of them dared to look into Duke Wilson¡¯s eyes. ¡°Good, good, good!¡± Duke Wilson seemed to have a smile on the corner of his mouth, but this smile was full of bloodthirsty ruthlessness. These three ¡®good¡¯ words made Bruce and his son shudder. Duke Wilson lowered his head with a completely different gentle expression on his face. He wiped off the blood on Evan¡¯s face with a handkerchief, and then pressed it on his wound. The wound was not big, but in Duke Wilson¡¯s eyes, it was very piercing. Now, he could not wait to eat the flesh of Bruce and his son. Duke Wilson raised his head abruptly, looked at William and Old Bruce with serious eyes, and was about to say something when suddenly a hand grabbed his arm. Duke Wilson was startled, looked down and found that Evan had woken up. The collision just now only caused Evan to temporarily lose consciousness and did not really make him faint. To be freed from this embarrassing scene, for Evan now, it is more important than to deal with Bruce and his son. He desperately wants to solve his current embarrassing situation. ¡°My lord Duke.¡± Evan shook his head at Duke Wilson, ¡°I¡­feel uncomfortable.¡± This sentence was almost squeezed out of his teeth, because it was too shameful. Duke Wilson¡¯s anger that was originally brewing was interrupted by Evan. He immediately put his jacket on Evan and helped him go out. He almost forgot that Evan was really in a state of ice and fire at this time. CH 96 The heat of the night made Evan completely release the impulse he had suppressed for a long time. He almost didn¡¯t let Duke Wilson have a moment of respite all night. They were entangled until four or five o¡¯clock in the morning before Evan let Duke Wilson go and finally stopped. At this time, Duke Wilson had already lost consciousness. (Poor Charles ) Evan fell headlong onto the pillow next to Duke Wilson and fell asleep in a daze. Such unrestrained behavior made Evan feel as if his brain had exploded when he woke up the next morning. His ears were buzzing and the pain he felt in the back of his head made him feel as though his head was about to explode. Evan tried to open his eyes but the dazzling light made him unable to open them at all. Evan raised the back of his hand to block the glare in front of his eyes. His consciousness was still wandering a little, at this moment, his mind was in a mess. He wanted to get up, but as he did, a thin quilt slipped down his body. He was taken aback for a moment, then the memories of the night before flooded into his mind like a tide. His struggle between desire and rationality at the Bruce house, when he got into the carriage and attacked Duke Wilson, and yesterday¡­ Evan groaned and buried his face in the palm of his hands. Among the memories, this one¡­this one is simply¡­ Evan had a hard time accepting what he did last night. Although he still remembered his considerations of the future, his mind was completely occupied by desire and lust at that time. At this moment, although the relationship between them has completely reached the final step, Evan has no idea how to face Duke Wilson today. Thinking of Duke Wilson, Evan suddenly turned his head and looked around him, only to find that the person who should have been lying next to him was not there. Evan was a little dazed for a moment. Where is Duke Wilson? Evan stood up from the chair, this time the quilt completely slipped off his body, exposing his slender and strong body. Evan picked up the robe under his feet, and put it on his body quickly and was about to run out. But at this moment, there was a sudden knock on the door. Evan paused his eager footsteps, but finally seemed to have thought of something and rushed over to open the door, ¡°Cha¡­¡± He swallowed the name that was on his lips when he saw the face of the person outside the door. ¡°Butler Chris?¡± Evan frowned slightly, and had a bad feeling in his heart, ¡°Why are you here?¡± If Evan remembers correctly, they came to this place last night, but Butler Chris didn¡¯t come over. Butler Chris looked at Evan¡¯s disheveled appearance without any change in his expression and said in a deep voice, ¡°The Duke sent me.¡± ¡°The Duke?¡± Evan pursed his lips slightly, ¡°Where is he now? ¡± ¡°The Duke has already returned to London. He was worried about you being here alone, so he asked me to pick you up.¡± Evan suddenly realized at this time that the sun was already shining outside. It¡¯s already noon. ¡°He¡­¡± Evan looked at Butler Chris with a little hesitation, ¡°When did he go back?¡± The Duke was tossed like that by him last night and hurried back to London. His situation now is definitely not very good. Butler Chris¡¯s expression finally changed at this time. He raised his eyebrows slightly, there was some doubt in his heart, ¡°Excuse me, what happened between you and the Duke? It was 6:30 this morning that he returned to London. After he did, he locked himself in the study for a while, which is really unusual, do you know what is wrong?¡± Although Butler Chris vaguely knew about Duke Wilson¡¯s thoughts on Evan, he never imagined that Evan would even have the audacity to do such a thing to the Duke. Evan was embarrassed by his question, but he was also thinking in his mind. If the Duke arrived in London at six o¡¯clock, then he would leave at five o¡¯clock at the latest. It seems that Duke Wilson left after he fell asleep. Evan clenched his fist, the emotions in his heart were very complicated. ¡°Please prepare the carriage immediately, I want to go back to London.¡± Evan replied. The relationship between him and Duke Wilson is very delicate now, maybe only when he returns to London, will he have a chance to resolve it. Butler Chris was very quick to do things and immediately prepared the carriage. Evan didn¡¯t pay attention, so he put on his clothes haphazardly, refused the help of Butler Chris, turned and got into the carriage. Because Evan was so anxious, the carriage also drove very fast. It would have taken two hours, but they arrived in an hour and a half. Evan¡¯s face turned blue from the road bumps on the way back, but his heart became more and more worried. He has become like this, Duke Wilson has also gone through such a journey. He¡¯s afraid his situation is really not good now. Evan ignored little Edward¡¯s surprised voice, went straight up to the second floor and walked to the door of Duke Wilson¡¯s bedroom. Unlike before, the door was closed tightly. In the past, as long as Evan was around, all the rooms of Duke Wilson were opened to him. Evan felt a little heavy in his heart for a moment, he raised his hand and knocked on the door and called, ¡°My lord Duke¡± There was no one answering inside, and Evan became a little irritable. He couldn¡¯t be alone in it¡­ Thinking of this possibility, Evan knocked on the door even louder, ¡°My Lord! Charles!¡± He was almost banging on the door. The people around were taken aback by Evan¡¯s sudden movement. In their view, Evan had always been a gentle and refined person and they had never seen Evan being so irritable. Amid Evan¡¯s loud knock on the door, a faint voice finally came from the other side of the door, ¡°Evan¡­¡± Then there was a loud bang, as if something had fallen to the ground. Evan was taken aback and hurriedly shouted at the Butler Chris standing next to him, ¡°Quick! Where¡¯s the spare key!¡± Butler Chris was also taken aback by Evan¡¯s noise. After hearing Evan¡¯s words, he immediately ran downstairs with a very ugly look on his face. Did something really happen to him? Evan was like an ant on a hot pot at this time, bad thoughts were circling in his mind. After waiting until Butler Chris brought up the key, Evan snatched the key and went up to open the door. But at this time, Evan found that even his hand that was about to open the door was trembling. Evan stared blankly at his trembling hands, then reacted immediately and quickly opened the door. Evan was the first to rush into Duke Wilson¡¯s bedroom. The lights were not turned on in the room and it was dark everywhere. Butler Chris wanted to come in but Evan raised his hand to block him. He believed that Duke Wilson would not want his appearance to be seen by too many people. Butler Chris looked at Evan with some doubts. Evan felt guilty when he saw him, but his face still looked calm, ¡°The Duke is in a bad mood right now, let me talk to him first before you come in.¡± ¡± Butler Chris was full of hesitation, but in the end, he stopped and didn¡¯t go in. Evan closed the door after Butler Chris went out, and he followed the faint light from the window and walked towards the Duke¡¯s bed. When he walked to the bedside, he finally saw Duke Wilson. He was curled up with his curly black hair messily hanging on his head, which was completely different from his usual serious and indifferent appearance. But his face was terribly pale, his lips were blue, his face was pale and he was sweating profusely all over his body. Evan was taken aback by the way Duke Wilson looked and quickly helped him up from the bed, ¡°Lord Duke, are you okay, I¡­ I¡­ Do you need a doctor?¡± Evan was at a loss, he has never taken care of anyone in his life. Duke Wilson finally opened his eyes at this moment. He looked straight at Evan with a strange light in his eyes, ¡°I¡­you should know best about what¡¯s wrong with me.¡± The words sounded as though they were squeezed out, but there was an intimate complaint in the tone. Hearing these words, Evan felt his heart tremble and his thoughts floated up again, but seeing Duke Wilson¡¯s pitiful appearance at this time, Evan forcibly suppressed his thoughts again. Lightly biting the tip of his tongue, he said in a calm tone, ¡°I¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± He had an embarrassed expression . Duke Wilson was half leaning on Evan¡¯s arms at this time. Of course he noticed Evan¡¯s stiffness at that moment and smiled in his heart, but he still had a cold look on his face, biting his lower lip, he said, ¡°What¡¯s the use of apologizing? Since you have done such a bold thing, you should know the consequences of doing it!¡± Evan was taken aback by Duke Wilson¡¯s sudden words, thinking that the Duke would not really deal with him, so he looked down at him and found the arc of his lips that hadn¡¯t retracted. He raised his eyebrows and roughly knew the truth in his heart. ¡°What I have done is unforgivable.¡± Evan said with a heavy tone, ¡°But your situation is very bad at this time. Please allow me to call a doctor over, and when you are better, I don¡¯t care how you deal with me. I will have no complaints.¡± Evan¡¯s words made Duke Wilson feel depressed, and he raised his head to glare fiercely at Evan. He originally wanted to move away from his arms, but he was already very weak at this time so it didn¡¯t work. Duke Wilson felt ashamed for a moment, he could only say angrily, ¡°If you dare to invite the doctor over, I¡¯ll jump from here. I¡¯d rather die than lose my dignity! Seeing him like this, Evan sighed, thinking why should he bother with a patient. He is not well now, if he gets angry again, he is afraid that his illness will get worse. At that time, it really won¡¯t end well. Evan had no choice but to raise his hand to stroke Duke Wilson¡¯s drooping black hair on his forehead and said softly, ¡°Charles, you are feeling very bad now. If I don¡¯t call a doctor, my sin will be even more serious.¡± Evan¡¯s gentle voice made Duke Wilson¡¯s heart tremble. He raised his head to look at Evan and found that the tenderness in his eyes could not be concealed. Duke Wilson only felt his heart thumping. Could it be that he¡­could he¡­ Duke Wilson suddenly jumped up and hugged Evan. ¡°You¡­you¡­¡± His lips trembled and he could hardly utter a word. Evan looked at Duke Wilson who was hugging him tightly, and sighed in his heart. His restless heart finally calmed down at this moment. Evan gently returned Duke Wilson¡¯s hug, and whispered in his ear, ¡°I told you before, love comes from nowhere but no matter what kind of love it is, it is worthy of our respect.¡± CH 97 After hearing what Evan said, Duke Wilson¡¯s hands trembled. The next moment, Evan felt his waist tighten as Duke Wilson hugged him even tighter. Evan was touched in his heart and gently stroked Duke Wilson¡¯s back. The two of them embraced like this, and the atmosphere was warm and peaceful. After a long time, Duke Wilson finally let go of Evan¡¯s waist. He lowered his head without looking at Evan¡¯s face, and said in a low voice, ¡°You¡­since you feel the same way, what should we do about the church?¡± Evan was stunned when he heard his question, he had never considered this point. Although he himself didn¡¯t mind this aspect, the church in this time period was not like the modern church that was more tolerant about this issue. At this time, homosexual love is still a crime. Evan was a little frustrated, and there was a wry smile on his lips as he said in a low voice, ¡°I have betrayed God¡¯s teachings, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to survive in the church.¡± Saying these words, Evan¡¯s face showed a regretful look, making it seem as though he is really full of helplessness about this result. Duke Wilson bit his lips when he heard Evan¡¯s slightly bitter voice. He was very clear about Evan¡¯s love for God and at the same time, he understood the rejection of same-sex love in this era. He said, ¡°Don¡¯t do this.¡± He raised his head and looked at Evan with a firm expression, ¡°This matter is all my fault and has nothing to do with you. Please don¡¯t blame yourself, the church will not know about this. Please, just stay in Delanlier with peace of mind and don¡¯t let these things distract you.¡± Evan looked at Duke Wilson, he was taken aback for a moment, and then smiled, ¡°Why? Can it be said that it was your fault? This is originally a matter between the two of us.¡± Duke Wilson never expected Evan to say such a thing. He looked at Evan¡¯s smiling face and pursed his lips slightly, but the feeling in his heart was heart-wrenching. Evan looked at Duke Wilson and touched his forehead with his hand. The temperature he felt on his palm made him frown, ¡°You are in a very bad condition now, we must call a doctor!¡± His tone very firm. When Duke Wilson felt the touch of Evan¡¯s palm on his forehead, he trembled. The memories of the madness of last night flooded into his mind and his face flushed red, which was a huge contrast from his previous pale appearance. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Is there something uncomfortable?¡± Evan asked hurriedly when he saw Duke Wilson¡¯s face suddenly change. Duke Wilson immediately shook his head and turned his face away. Although he had married a wife and had a child long ago, the contact between him and his dead wife was like the strictest Puritan. Even when sharing the same bed, they were very restrained. Almost all of their interactions ended with both of them still in clothes, and he never even faced such interactions shirtless. Before this, he seemed to have never been half interested in this kind of thing. If it weren¡¯t for the inheritance of the Christ family, he wouldn¡¯t have even bothered to do it, but last night¡­ What happened last night completely broke through the perception he had about this kind of thing, and made him understand that there are such crazy things in this world. ¡°If you insist on inviting the doctor, please invite Dr. Williams. Chris knows his contact information. He was familiar with our family before.¡± Duke Wilson suppressed his trembling voice and said in a low voice. Because of the dim light in the room, Evan didn¡¯t see Duke Wilson¡¯s expression clearly. He just nodded and helped him lie down again. Then he was about to leave, but before leaving, he looked at Duke Wilson, who had his eyes tightly closed. Evan felt he was a little cute for some reason and kissed his forehead, feeling the momentary stiffness of the person lying on the bed. Evan smiled and said in a low voice, ¡°Please don¡¯t worry, I will always watch over you.¡± Then he turned and left. It wasn¡¯t until Evan left that Duke Wilson opened his eyes. He stared in the direction of the door in a daze. After a long time, he raised his hand to cover his eyes, and bit his lower lip. At this moment, his face was burning hot and his heart was beating fast, as if it was about to jump out of his chest. It seemed that from the moment he met Evan, his whole body became abnormal. Duke Wilson put down his hand, looked into the dark void as he thought about some things in his heart. After Evan left Duke Wilson¡¯s room, he went downstairs immediately. Butler Chris was standing downstairs waiting with a worried expression. When he saw Evan coming down, he hurriedly greeted him, ¡°Reverend Bruce, what is wrong with the Duke?¡­¡± Before he finished speaking, Evan stopped him by raising his hand, ¡°Go and invite Dr. Williams over, the Duke only accepts his treatment.¡± As soon as he heard that he wanted to invite a doctor, the expression on Butler Chris¡¯ face became more and more anxious, ¡°Doctor? What happened to the Duke?¡± Evan felt a little guilty, but he really couldn¡¯t tell him the truth at this time, so Evan had to say, ¡°The Duke caught a cold on the way back. He has a fever.¡± ¡°What?¡± Butler Chris immediately became anxious, ¡°This is really terrible, I¡¯ll call for a doctor immediately.¡± Seeing Butler Chris walk away with a heavy expression, Evan was still a little puzzled, wasn¡¯t it just a fever? Is it so serious to have a fever? Then he suddenly remembered that this is not the modern age with complete medical facilities. At this time, a simple typhoid fever can easily kill a person. Evan finally panicked at this moment, what should he do? If it¡¯s a fever, it¡¯s okay, but if it turns into pneumonia, it¡¯s fatal. Evan finally realized the seriousness of the matter, so he completely lost the composure he had just now and immediately ran upstairs. When he rushed into the room, Duke Wilson was still staring at the ceiling stupidly when he suddenly heard someone coming in and immediately closed his eyes guiltily, while Evan rushed to the Duke¡¯s bed. Kneeling beside him and looking at Duke Wilson¡¯s flushed face, he was almost scared out of his wits. ¡°My lord duke, do you have any discomfort? Hold on for a while, the doctor will be here soon.¡± Hearing Evan¡¯s hurried tone, Duke Wilson opened his eyes doubtfully, looking at his flustered expression, Duke Wilson¡¯s heart jumped, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Evan was still calm just now, why did he panic like this after such a short time. Evan shook his head with a heavy expression, held Duke Wilson¡¯s exposed hand and said in a low voice, ¡°You need to get well soon.¡± Duke Wilson understood a little bit after hearing these words, and endured the pain as he smiled, ¡°So you are worried about this. Please rest assured, this minor illness will get better soon.¡± Evan looked at him in disbelief, ¡°You don¡¯t have to comfort me. Your fever just now is all my fault. If it weren¡¯t for me, you wouldn¡¯t be sick.¡± Evan lowered his head, thinking about the knowledge he acquired in modern times in his frantic mind, to see if it was possible to solve the problem now. Hearing Evan talk about this, Duke Wilson couldn¡¯t help feeling embarrassed. It turned out that Evan thought he had a fever. After knowing the reason, Duke Wilson could only let Evan hold his hand with a look of panic. A quarter of an hour later, the sound of chaotic footsteps finally came from outside the door and Evan immediately stood up and looked at the door. Dr. Williams was almost rushed in by Butler Chris, and before he could catch his breath, he was dragged to Duke Wilson¡¯s bedside by Evan. ¡°Doctor, please take a quick look, how is the Duke¡¯s condition?¡± Evan looked flustered at this time, as if he was not the one who was so good at calculating before. Williams was also taken aback by Evan being like this and he hurried to Duke Wilson¡¯s bedside. He first looked at Duke Wilson¡¯s face, then took out his stethoscope and listened to Duke Wilson¡¯s heartbeat. After a while, he was relieved. ¡°Please don¡¯t worry.¡± He said to Butler Chris and Evan who were waiting anxiously next to him, ¡°The Duke just has a cold. He just needs to stay in bed for a few days and rest.¡± Before, when he saw the appearance of Chris the butler, he thought that something bad had happened to the Duke, but he didn¡¯t expect it to be a false alarm. Butler Chris heaved a sigh of relief after hearing these words, but Evan couldn¡¯t believe the nineteenth-century doctor and he asked, still frowning, ¡°Really? But the Duke¡¯s face was very red before.¡± Dr. William raised his eyebrows in surprise, looked at the airtight room again and said, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because this room is so stuffy, that¡¯s why he had such a reaction. Please believe me, Duke Wilson¡¯s heartbeat and breathing are very normal.¡± Evan reluctantly accepted the reason, but still couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Then do you have any medicine?¡± ¡°Medicine?¡± Dr. Williams looked at Evan doubtfully. He originally wanted to refuse, but looking at the Duke lying on the bed with a cold expression, he swallowed the words of refusal, ¡°I got a plant from an oriental doctor before. Although it is very spicy, it is very effective.¡± He carefully took out a piece of a white solid from his bag, cut a small piece and handed it to Evan. Evan only took one look at the thing and knew it was ginger. He didn¡¯t expect that this thing would spread to the UK, and he felt a little bit dumbfounded. Butler Chris took the ginger very carefully, looked at the ginger as if looking at a sacred object, and said, ¡°It¡¯s really great, God bless those oriental medicines, they have always been very effective.¡± Dr. Williams nodded in agreement and said softly, ¡°Every time you boil it in a little bit of water and let the duke take it, he will be fine in a few days.¡± Butler Chris nodded and firmly remembered Dr. Williams¡¯ orders. In the end, Dr. Williams was sent away by Butler Chris himself. He came in a very embarrassing way, but received the highest courtesy when he left. The Duke¡¯s mansion even sent a carriage to send him back, which was very face-saving. Evan was relieved at this moment. He was sitting by Duke Wilson¡¯s bed, looking a little tired. Duke Wilson looked up at the side of his face, there was a faint sweetness in his heart. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so reckless.¡± Duke Wilson laughed. Evan smiled bitterly, ¡°Don¡¯t laugh at me, this time was really scary. If it really turned into pneumonia, I wouldn¡¯t know what to do.¡± As he spoke these words, Evan also felt a little weird. At first, he just wanted to hold on to Duke Wilson as a favorable backer to make his life better. In fact, he had still been thinking this way just three days ago, but after last night and today, he became a little uncertain. Is his heart really as cold as he imagined? Seeing Evan¡¯s pensive look, the Duke felt a little uncomfortable in his heart. He was eager to catch Evan¡¯s eyes and mind, and said, ¡°Shall we go back to Delanlier tomorrow?¡± For Duke Wilson, Delanlier was just a shelter from the wind, but at this moment, it is indeed the place that he misses most in his heart. Now that the situation in London has stabilized, George no longer needs him. There was no need for him to stay and remind George that he still has such a powerful uncle. Evan was taken aback by the Duke¡¯s proposal, and realized what he meant immediately. He stroked Duke Wilson¡¯s soft black hair with a smile and said with a smile, ¡°Okay.¡± CH 98 Since Duke Wilson said he wanted to go back to Delanlier, he would not delay their departure. When he is better the next day, he plans to go to Buckingham Palace to bid farewell to George. Evan was very worried about his health and tried to stop him, but even so, Duke Wilson couldn¡¯t rest for a few more days. When he could get out of bed, he immediately went to Buckingham Palace. Evan actually understands his thoughts very well. For Duke Wilson, at this time, London is no longer a place to stay for the long term. Although he had assisted Prince George before, now the prince has become a king. His uncle with military power will become an eyesore, and if he stayed in front of George for a long time, his benefactor would turn into an enemy. Duke Wilson entered Buckingham Palace in the morning and came back in the afternoon. When he came back, his expression was dark. Looking at him, Evan felt worried and hurriedly asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What happened?¡± Duke Wilson pursed his lips, with a slightly hesitant expression. ¡°Just tell me straight.¡± Evan saw Duke Wilson¡¯s hesitation and said directly, ¡°I am not a weak person.¡± Hearing Evan¡¯s almost tough words, Duke Wilson hurriedly explained, ¡± No, it¡¯s not what you think, I don¡¯t have any doubts about your courage, it¡¯s just that things are a little strange this time.¡± Speaking of this, Duke Wilson paused slightly and then said, ¡°I originally thought that George would directly let me leave, but I didn¡¯t expect him to persuade me to stay. This is really unusual. I thought he was being polite, but he still refused after I said it a few more times. This is really¡­¡± Duke Wilson frowned. Evan was also a little surprised. Logically speaking, for George, Duke Wilson is definitely the person to be most vigilant about among all the nobles. He holds military power, has a noble status and has made outstanding achievements. So, because of such a time bomb, he shouldn¡¯t be able to sleep well. Now that Duke Wilson proposed to leave, even if he didn¡¯t send him away happily like his father, at least he should put on a show before letting him go. It is a bit weird to want him to stay so sincerely. ¡°Have you consulted the Duke of Field for his thoughts on this matter?¡± The Duke of Field that Evan was talking about was Lord Orlam. The respected old Duke of Field had passed away during the turmoil in London before and he was only married once. After giving birth to a son, Orlam, he officially became the Duke of Field. ¡°No.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s brows did not loosen. ¡°But I guess he doesn¡¯t know what George is thinking.¡± Duke Wilson recalled the surprise that flashed across Orlam¡¯s face when George rejected him. ¡°Oh?¡± Evan raised his eyebrows slightly. Orlam didn¡¯t know about it, which was really strange. Orlam is George¡¯s true confidant and even he didn¡¯t know, so what was this King George planning. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Seeing Evan¡¯s thoughtful expression, Duke Wilson said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will take care of this matter. George is a wise man, he knows what is best for him.¡± Duke Wilson turned a few thoughts in his mind and squeezed his cuffs lightly. Evan also very much agrees with the conclusion of Duke Wilson. The newly crowned King George is not a fool. On the contrary, his mind is very deep. Since he did this, there must be other meanings. Just when the two of them were thinking about it, Butler Chris suddenly walked in and whispered, ¡°Your Excellency, Duke Field is here.¡± Evan looked at Butler Chris in surprise, but Duke Wilson was very calm. When he saw Orlam¡¯s expression today, he knew that this visit was inevitable. ¡°Ask him to come in.¡± Duke Wilson said calmly. Butler Chris bowed and retreated, and then Evan asked, ¡°What do you think Duke Field wants to do this time?¡± Duke Wilson just hooked up his lips when he heard this, ¡°I¡¯m afraid there is some inside information. He¡¯s here to say it.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s slightly mocking tone made Evan stunned for a moment and then smiled again, ¡°You are right.¡± The superior has some thoughts in his heart, but he is embarrassed to say it himself, so naturally it¡¯s time for the subordinate to come and pass the message. After a while, Orlam walked in under the leadership of Butler Chris. He first shook hands with Duke Wilson who stood up to greet him, and then looked at Evan with a smile and said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I saw you last time. You have been here for a long time, how have you been during this time?¡± Evan smiled very reservedly, ¡°I am doing well, thank you for your concern.¡± Orlam looked at Evan politely but with an alienated expression. He pursed his lips, turned to look at Duke Wilson and said with a smile, ¡°My lord, I have something I want to talk to you about alone.¡± When he said this with lowered eyes, he didn¡¯t glance at Evan, the only ¡®outsider¡¯ in the room. (Now, he¡¯s an ¡®outsider¡¯ ) Evan narrowed his eyes slightly and clenched his fists. Duke Wilson just sneered and looked at Orlam with a cold expression, ¡°If you have anything to say, just say it now. If you don¡¯t want to say it, you can leave.¡± This sentence is cold, rude and very impolite, even an ordinary person would find it very offensive, but Orlam just smiled wryly and waved his hand lightly, ¡°Sorry sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to get you angry. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s very difficult for me to speak about this matter, so I made such a rude request to you.¡± Duke Wilson frowned slightly, glanced at Orlam and softened his tone a little, ¡°Mr Bruce is a trustworthy person. You can tell him everything you tell me. I trust him very much. Evan didn¡¯t expect the Duke to say such a thing and couldn¡¯t help looking at Duke Wilson. At this moment, the Duke also looked over. Their eyes met in mid-air and the surrounding air seemed a little stagnant for a while. The unreserved trust and tenderness in Duke Wilson¡¯s eyes made Evan¡¯s heart skip a beat. (Aw, so cute ) Of course Orlam noticed the unscrupulous staring between these two people, and he silently remembered this scene in his heart, he had a new guess about the relationship between the two. ¡°Since you said that,¡± Orlam broke the silence between the two of them and said, ¡°then I will speak directly.¡± Duke Wilson was awakened by Orlam¡¯s voice, silently withdrew his eyes and nodded. Evan immediately lowered his eyes, he had a strange feeling in his heart. The relationship between him and Duke Wilson seemed to be starting to become unusual. ¡°Today, when you met His Majesty the King, you suddenly proposed to go back to Delanlier. Is this your sincerity?¡± Orlam looked straight at Duke Wilson, his eyes full of seriousness. ¡°Of course it¡¯s true.¡± Duke Wilson gave Orlam a strange look, and replied with a frown, ¡°How could I tell a lie about this kind of thing?¡± Hearing what he said, a bitter smile appeared on Orlam¡¯s face and he said, ¡°You are the only one who thinks this way. Now His Majesty the King has just ascended the throne and you are the hero who supported His Majesty the King. If you want to leave at this time, it is inevitable that some people will say that His Majesty the King cannot tolerate you.¡± Duke Wilson raised his eyebrows, ¡°What does this mean? My fief is in Delanlier, so I can¡¯t even go home even if I want to?¡± He didn¡¯t expect that George would cherish his reputation to such an extent. When Orlam heard him ask about this, he looked carefully at Duke Wilson and muttered in a low voice, ¡°You have the army in your hands, so of course you can go wherever you want.¡± These words exploded in Duke Wilson¡¯s ears like a loud bang. He stood up abruptly and looked at Orlam with an unfriendly expression, ¡°What do you mean by that? What exactly does George want to do!¡± After all, it was still his army. He didn¡¯t expect that George Jr. would have such courage. Seeing that Duke Wilson was angry, Orlam got up and explained, ¡°No, no, this is not what His Majesty the King meant. It¡¯s just that His Majesty the King didn¡¯t agree to your request this time. Haven¡¯t you thought about the reason for this?¡± (Yeah, I have the feeling that it¡¯s just your thoughts Orlam ) It was Orlam¡¯s guess, so Duke Wilson frowned and sat down. Although it was Orlam¡¯s guess, when Duke Wilson thought about it carefully, it might be the reason. His army played a key role in this coup d¡¯¨¦tat. It is inevitable that George will be afraid of this role. Duke Wilson felt very angry and aggrieved at the same time. Does he really need to hand over the army that his father bequeathed to him? Duke Wilson pursed his lips. Even if he procrastinated and refused to let him go out now, as long as George had this idea, he might target him even more in the future. At that time, he might not even have a chance to take the initiative. ¡°I see, I will think about this matter carefully, you go back first.¡± Duke Wilson waved his hand at Orlam and said with a tired face. Looking at him like this, Orlam knew that his heart had softened and he wanted to say something, but in the end he turned and left without saying a word. (Hypocrite ) After Orlam left, Evan walked to Duke Wilson¡¯s side with a worried expression on his face, ¡°Is it really as bad as Duke Field said?¡± Duke Wilson propped his forehead with one hand, his expression showing his exhaustion, ¡°Very likely.¡± His voice was muffled with a resigned tone. Evan felt uncomfortable seeing him like this. Duke Wilson has always been an arrogant and indifferent existence in his heart. He had never seen such a Duke Wilson. Evan clenched his fists. He didn¡¯t expect that things had just settled down, but King George is about to liquidate his helper. Duke Wilson looked up and saw Evan¡¯s worried look. His heart softened. Forget it, just hand it over. Anyway, the army is not as obedient as they were during his father¡¯s time. He can give it to George. There¡¯s no need to worry. The Christ family will not decline because of this and they can live a stable life. He is tired of the life that keeps Evan in constant fear. ¡°Okay.¡± He stretched out his hand to hold Evan¡¯s hand and said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it will be fine.¡± Looking at the smile on Duke Wilson¡¯s face, Evan knew that he was trying to comfort himself. He raised his hand and caressed his face and said in a low voice, ¡°He is the king now, we can¡¯t fight him.¡± If it was before he took the throne, there might be a chance, but now George has become the king and his reputation is in the sky, Duke Wilson basically has no half-point chance against him. There was a wry smile on the corner of Duke Wilson¡¯s lips, ¡°I know, don¡¯t worry. T/N: ¡°There are no eternal friends, only eternal profits/benefits.¡± This saying applies in this chapter. I just hate politics. Hypocrites everywhere. By the way, can someone please tell me why some Chinese websites have so many porn site ads? And it¡¯s not even the type you can ignore. It stays at the top of your screen even as you scroll. It¡¯s quite annoying. ¡°We have no eternal allies, and we have no perpetual enemies. Our interests are eternal and perpetual, and those interests it is our duty to follow.¡± Spoken by former Prime Minister, Lord Henry Palmerstone in the British Parliament in 1848. CH 99 The morning after Orlam¡¯s visit, Duke Wilson went back to Buckingham Palace. When he came this time, George was receiving the foreign minister. George had just become king and he had a lot of diplomatic work to deal with, so Duke Wilson could only wait outside the living room where George received the minister. He sat on a soft chair on the porch and he was in a very bad mood. Although he always felt that the army left by his father was not easy to use, in any case, this army belongs to the Chris family. Now it is going to be terminated in his own hands. No matter what, Duke Wilson is somewhat uncomfortable. After a while, the closed door finally opened. A servant with a white wig on and wearing a flamboyant outfit came out, nodded slightly to Duke Wilson and said in a low voice, ¡°My lord, please come in.¡± After sitting for less than three minutes, George is already done? Duke Wilson thought to himself, but with a cold expression on his face, he nodded, turned and walked in. As soon as he entered, he saw George sitting on the sofa with an old gentleman. Seeing him coming in, they all stood up. This old gentleman, Duke Wilson knows him. His name is Ukulele. The family can be regarded as a relatively old aristocrat in the UK. (Ukulele, nice one ) ¡°Your Majesty the King.¡± The old Ukulele has always been known for his exquisite appearance. Seeing Duke Wilson coming in at this time, he knew that the subsequent matters were beyond his reach, so he hurriedly said goodbye to George, ¡°Today¡¯s affairs are almost done. I will withdraw now.¡± George pretended to be surprised and then said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to end so soon, you worked hard today, go back quickly.¡± He smiled gently at Ukulele. Seeing the old Ukulele leaving respectfully, the fake smile on George¡¯s face was removed. Facing Duke Wilson, he heaved a sigh of relief and said with a smile, ¡°This is really a disaster. I didn¡¯t expect that becoming a king would be such a cumbersome thing, and looking at the long list of petitions gives me a headache.¡± Duke Wilson didn¡¯t want to listen to him talk about his communication problems with foreign royal families and just twitched the corners of his lips perfunctorily, and immediately said, ¡°Your Majesty, it is already the beginning of winter. If I don¡¯t return to Delanlier, I¡¯m afraid my tenants will have a bad winter.¡± The relaxed smile on George¡¯s face disappeared in an instant and his originally gentle face was stiff, ¡°Uncle Charles, haven¡¯t I discussed this issue with you last time? It¡¯s not the best time for you to go back. This time you have helped me a lot, and I hope you can stay in London and help me.¡± Duke Wilson smiled self-deprecatingly, help him? I¡¯m afraid he can only rest assured if he locks me by his side. ¡°Your Majesty, I don¡¯t have much experience in how to govern a country. I have spent more than half of my life dealing with the people in my fief. I am really afraid that you have placed such high expectations on me. I am afraid that I will fail you. Let me go back to Delanlier, even in a remote town, I will pray for you.¡± Duke Wilson said with an unclear expression, lowering his brows and eyes halfway. George looked at Duke Wilson and squinted his eyes. He was very aware of Duke Wilson¡¯s ability. When he was in Oxford, he was always the most dazzling existence. When he returned to London, he even participated in politics in the first year of junior high school. Many politicians looked at him differently and the Minister of Interior at that time even hoped to train him as his political successor, but unfortunately¡­ George clenched his fists and smiled unnaturally, ¡°You don¡¯t have to belittle yourself so much, I understand your ability very well.¡± But Duke Wilson was a little disgusted with such Tai Chi-like words, he looked up at George, frowned and said, ¡°What exactly do you want to do?¡± Listening to how Duke Wilson didn¡¯t even address him with his honorific title, George had a wry smile, ¡°Uncle Charles, I really hope you can stay in London. What¡¯s wrong with London? Delanlier is just a remote town, when you go back, it will definitely not be as comfortable as you would be in London.¡± Duke Wilson started feeling a little angry in his heart. George was indeed the same George back then, he always liked to judge the situation of others by himself. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to worry about whether I¡¯m doing well in Delanlier or not. I will hand over the army in my hands to you when I go back this time. Please let me leave London.¡± Duke Wilson found that he was tired of talking with him again so he spoke directly. George¡¯s eyes widened instantly, and he looked at Duke Wilson in disbelief, ¡°You¡­¡± He pursed his slightly dry lips and looked straight at Duke Wilson, ¡°Is that how you think of me?¡± Duke Wilson raised his eyebrows when he heard his tone, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what I think of you. I want to leave London, please allow me.¡± Seeing Duke Wilson¡¯s determined look, George was a little annoyed, he didn¡¯t expect that he would even do this in order to leave London. Abandoning the army of the Chris family, such a result is something George never thought about. ¡°Uncle Charles.¡± George finally regained his composure at this time, but the look in his eyes was still dark, ¡°I don¡¯t mean to take back your army. It is the army my father gave to your father. You are also responsible for my success this time and you are my uncle. I will never treat you like this. It was my fault to force you to stay in London before. If you insist on leaving, then please leave.¡± George pinched the bridge of his nose tiredly and didn¡¯t look at Duke Wilson again. Duke Wilson was a little puzzled at this time. He glanced at George. Does he really not care about the army in his hands? Duke Wilson¡¯s thoughts changed slightly, he still cared but now he is on the cusp. If he takes back the army in his hands at this time, it will damage his reputation and there may be other means in the future. As Duke Wilson thought, he had a moment of heightened vigilance and at the same time a feeling of disgust, it seemed that even if he left London later, he still couldn¡¯t get away from these things. ¡°Thank you for your understanding.¡± Duke Wilson bowed. Afterwards, the two exchanged a few more pleasantries and before the atmosphere cooled down, Duke Wilson finally withdrew and left. Seeing the figure of Duke Wilson disappear behind the door, the gentle smile on George¡¯s face gradually cooled down and he suddenly said, ¡°Is this what you told him?¡± Although he used interrogative sentences, his tone was very firm and very clear in the slightly empty hall. After saying this, a door on the bookcase at the side of the hall suddenly opened slowly and the person who came out was Orlam. He had a gentle smile on his face, and he didn¡¯t seem to care about Prince George¡¯s cold words at all, ¡°I told him, isn¡¯t that what you want?¡± What he said was so reasonable that even George was taken aback, ¡°He¡¯s my uncle! How could I treat him like this!¡± George immediately reacted and shouted angrily. Orlam had never seen George so angry before, but his expression remained calm and he said coldly, ¡°Although he is your uncle, he is also your subject. Do you remember this?¡± George was stunned for a moment. He stopped and looked straight at Orlam, as if he didn¡¯t know this person anymore. After a long time, he finally sat back on the sofa with his head lowered, a little dejected. Orlam couldn¡¯t see his expression clearly at this time. ¡°Do I have to do this?¡± George¡¯s tone trembled slightly, as if he was suppressing something. Seeing George like this, the appearance of the three of them when they were just three children suddenly popped up in Orlam¡¯s mind. He and George were always following behind Duke Wilson, looking at him with adoring and hot eyes and dreamed of going out with him. And Duke Wilson will always be that arrogant and indifferent boy, very impatient with them, but no matter where he goes, he will never refuse them following him. ¡°You have to do this, it¡¯s your responsibility.¡± Orlam said calmly, as if his youth was just an illusion. ******** Duke Wilson returned to his mansion with good news. Evan was very surprised to hear that King George let them go without any conditions, but thinking about the current situation, he also understood a little bit. Duke Wilson was afraid that there would be some misfortune in this matter, so he ordered Butler Chris to pack their things that night, but Butler Chris was caught off guard. ¡°You want to leave now?¡± He looked at Duke Wilson with surprise, not understanding the sudden thoughts of his master. ¡°I have to leave now, Chris. You have been with the Christ family for so many years, and you should understand our difficulties. Now Delanlier is my best home.¡± Duke Wilson said slowly. Butler Chris was a little ashamed after thinking for a while. Of course he knew how the Christ family was forced to return to Delanlier from London by the late king. He even understood very well that when the old Duke died, he still wanted to go back again. Going to London to revive the glory of the Christ family, he thought it would be different now that there is a new king, but now it seems that it still can¡¯t happen. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s my fault. I will prepare for tomorrow.¡± Butler Chris nodded with some regret and left Duke Wilson¡¯s study. Watching Butler Chris leave, Evan frowned slightly, ¡°Is there nothing wrong with us leaving in such a hurry?¡± Duke Wilson listened to Evan¡¯s question and lost his previous seriousness, and smiled gently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, nothing will happen.¡± Now that Duke Wilson made the promise, Evan didn¡¯t worry too much. The carriage drove towards the train station the next morning. Little Edward was still asleep and Evan carried him into the train. After a long journey, he finally returned to Delanlier again. This time, compared to how he felt the first time, Evan had a completely different feeling. That first time when he came to this place, his heart was full of resentment and unwillingness, but this time, he only felt safe and at ease. This place already has a different meaning to him. Butler Chris took a step ahead, and when Duke Wilson and Evan got off the train, he had already driven the carriage to greet them. Little Edward no longer had the excitement of being on the train and was sleeping peacefully in the arms of the servant. Duke Wilson and Evan walked in the direction of Butler Chris and he also walked towards them. When he got closer, Evan realized that Butler Chris¡¯s expression was not good. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Duke Wilson frowned and asked, of course he also saw the difference in Butler Chris¡¯s expression. ¡°My lord, a nun in the town has died. It is said that it was murder! And it is related to Colonel Mel!¡± Of course, Butler Chris did not dare to hide such a matter from Duke Wilson, so he answered immediately. But when he said these words, Duke Wilson was not doing well, but Evan was taken aback, nun? Could it be¡­ He had some bad thoughts in his heart. T/N: George, I hope you¡¯re not raising another Duke Rand by your side. Cause this time, there will be no Duke Wilson to help you. So I¡¯m confused, Author was switching between Chris family and Christ family in this chapter. Which one do you guys think I should stick with? CH 100 Duke Wilson frowned when he heard what Butler Chris said, ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Colonel Mel could be regarded as his confidant, and he was a little surprised that he was now involved in the murder. ¡°I don¡¯t know the details.¡± Butler Chris¡¯ expression also looked a little ugly, ¡°I just heard that Sister Eliza, who died unfortunately, had a very close relationship with Colonel Mel. On the day he went to visit her, she was found dead in her bedroom and it is said that¡­¡± Butler Chris¡¯ expression softened a little when he said this, ¡°It is said that her death was very tragic, so tragic that even the most experienced coroners in our town have sympathy for how she died.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s expression looked bad when he heard this. Colonel Mel can be regarded as his confidant, if he is really involved in this case, it will be very difficult for him¡­ ¡°Okay, I see. You let Mel come to see me immediately. I have something to say to him.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s expression was gloomy. It was useless to say anything now, he still had to take precautions early. Butler Chris left to carry out the order. Evan and Duke Wilson got into the first carriage and little Edward was carried by the servant and sat in the second carriage. As soon as he got into the carriage, Evan said, ¡°Charles, I know this Sister Eliza.¡± ¡°What?¡± Duke Wilson looked at Evan in surprise. Although nuns belong to the same category as priests, nuns are Catholic and Evan is an authentic Protestant priest, the two religions are almost at odds. ¡°Have you talked to her before?¡± Duke Wilson looked at Evan curiously. He didn¡¯t expect that Evan, who had never been close to women, would even know the nun. Evan smiled, ¡°No, it¡¯s not what you imagined. I heard Colonel Mel mention this nun before I went to London.¡± ¡°Mel?¡± Duke Wilson frowned. His confusion got deeper and deeper, what did Mel have to do with this matter? He asked, ¡°Does he know this nun?¡± Evan sighed and said, ¡°He doesn¡¯t just know this nun.¡± Then he told Duke Wilson about what Mel had asked him to do before. The Duke frowned and thought for a long time before finally saying, ¡°Who do you think that mysterious man is? It could be Mel. Do you think so?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it before.¡± Evan said in a low voice, ¡°But you know that Colonel Mel is married and I can¡¯t believe that he would do such a dishonorable thing.¡± Using a friend as an excuse to tell a story, in Evan¡¯s previous life, he knew very well what it meant. But now, the poor nun is dead, and she died on the day Colonel Mel went to visit her, such a coincidence. What happened undoubtedly aggravates the suspicions against Colonel Mel. If he really did it, then it would be too sad. ¡°You are so naive.¡± Duke Wilson sneered, ¡°Although such behavior is immoral and shameless in your Bible, in the eyes of the nobles, it is nothing at all. Although a person has a flexible mind and can be regarded as self-cultivating, if this kind of thing happens, he might get hotheaded.¡± Thinking of this, the Duke gritted his teeth, if Colonel Mel was really involved in this matter, then it is time for him to prepare. Evan looked at Duke Wilson¡¯s thoughtful look, so he didn¡¯t say any more. He knew very well that someone like Duke Wilson would handle this matter properly. Duke Wilson¡¯s carriage finally stopped in front of Evan¡¯s church cottage. Evan was about to go down, but was suddenly grabbed by Duke Wilson. ¡°Are you really not going back to Cornwall Manor with me?¡± He looked at Evan expectantly, his tone as gentle as water. Evan¡¯s heart skipped a beat, only feeling a slight numbness in his fingertips. ¡°Charles.¡± He stroked his face with the other hand, and said softly, ¡°You know, Delanlier is a small place. If you want to see me, you can do so anytime.¡± Duke Wilson, knowing the meaning of Evan¡¯s words very well, felt a little lost in his heart. He lowered his eyes and did not let go of Evan¡¯s hand. Seeing him like this, Evan smiled, ¡°I know what you think, and I want to live with you too, but I¡¯m still a priest now¡­¡± Speaking of which, Evan paused awkwardly and stopped talking. But Duke Wilson raised his head and looked away, with a trace of anxiety in his eyes, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, it¡¯s nothing. I will take care of this matter, don¡¯t worry.¡± He released his grip on Evan¡¯s arm while talking, ¡°Then we will see you tomorrow.¡± Evan looked at his tightly pursed lips and his heart moved slightly. He lowered his head and kissed his forehead, then turned around and got out of the carriage immediately. He walked towards his slightly humble hut, his face was as calm as frost, but he was secretly excited because of his actions just now. Although it was not the best time for them to live together, seeing Duke Wilson like this made Evan feel very satisfied. At this time, Duke Wilson was sitting in the empty carriage, looking at Evan¡¯s back with a dull look. He raised his hand and touched his forehead, the scorching touch made him shrink his palm back. It was obviously such soft lips, but he was so excited that he couldn¡¯t help himself, his whole body was burning like a fire was lit inside. Listening to the sound of hooves kicking outside the carriage, Duke Wilson finally returned to the Cornwall Manor while he was in a trance. Little Edward was carried upstairs by the servants, while Duke Wilson sat in the empty living room, lost in thought. A quarter of an hour later, Butler Chris finally came in. Looking at the almost sluggish Duke Wilson, he was taken aback, but he didn¡¯t dare to delay Duke Wilson¡¯s affairs and hurried forward to report. ¡°My lord, Colonel Mel is here.¡± Butler Chris tried to keep his tone within a very calm range. Duke Wilson recovered from his thoughts, pursed his lips unnaturally and said, ¡°Let him come to the study on the second floor.¡± After speaking, he stood up and went upstairs. Butler Chris was a little surprised by the Duke¡¯s attitude, but he didn¡¯t dare to say anything, so he turned around and went out to deliver the message. And Duke Wilson also quickly adjusted his state in this short period of time. By the time he heard the knock on the door of the study, his mood had already recovered by half. ¡°Come in.¡± With Duke Wilson¡¯s slightly hoarse voice, Colonel Mel, led by Butler Chris, entered the Duke¡¯s study. It has been nearly a month since the Duke saw Colonel Mel last, but Duke Wilson was still taken aback by Colonel Mel¡¯s state at this time. His pale cheeks, dejected demeanor and the strands of silver in his hair. Duke Wilson couldn¡¯t believe that the person standing in front of him was actually the well-mannered Colonel Mel. ¡°What¡¯s going on with you?¡± Duke Wilson frowned habitually. No matter what he was involved in, Colonel Mel¡¯s state was too bad. ¡°Master Duke.¡± Colonel Mel saluted the Duke honestly, but his weakness could still be seen from his slightly shaking body, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that you have to see me in such a state.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say these things ¡± Duke Wilson was too lazy to talk to him, and asked directly, ¡°What is the relationship between you and that nun?¡± ¡°You already know.¡± Colonel Mel twitched the corners of his mouth in embarrassment, without the slightest surprise on his face. Well, Delanlier is the territory of Duke Wilson, and he never expected that he could deceive Duke Wilson¡¯s eyes and ears. ¡°Eliza is an old friend of mine. I really can¡¯t do anything like this to her¡­¡± Colonel Mel suddenly buried his face in his palm, his tone trembling. Seeing his appearance, the suspicion in Duke Wilson¡¯s heart became more and more firm. He paused slightly and said, ¡°Is the man you mentioned who is in love with Sister Eliza yourself?¡± He looked straight at Mel, not planning to give him any chance to prevaricate. Colonel Mel felt a little guilty when he saw Duke Wilson¡¯s gaze. He knew that he could not lie in front of the Duke. This was a very dangerous thing, so his already weak psychological defense collapsed. ¡°Oh, my lord duke, you are right, that is me, this is really embarrassing, I didn¡¯t expect¡­ I didn¡¯t expect¡­¡± He replied loudly with a pained expression, and then turned his face to the side before he lost his composure. But Duke Wilson still saw the sparkle in the corner of his eyes. ¡°You are so confused!¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s voice was very severe, he was not merciful because of Colonel Mel¡¯s truthful confession. ¡°You already have a wife, and this woman is a nun. How can you do such a dishonorable thing!¡± Duke Wilson stood up from his chair like a violent lion at this time, walking around very angrily. Colonel Mel¡¯s current situation is really dangerous and urgent, he is already on the edge of a cliff and if he takes one more step, he may be doomed. ¡°Did you tell the sheriff who is investigating this matter?¡± Duke Wilson turned around and asked him abruptly. Colonel Mel looked at Duke Wilson in a daze, and moved his lips slightly, ¡°No.¡± The Duke¡¯s eyes turned cold for a moment. Colonel Mel saw that something was wrong, and immediately explained, ¡°My lord, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to tell Sheriff Chandler, it¡¯s just that since Eliza died that day, he has regarded me as a suspect. My wife, dear Katrina, has always been by my side and supported me. How can I say these words? In fact, every time Sheriff Chandler came to question me, I wanted to tell him directly. How could I kill Eliza if I loved her so much? But every time I saw Katrina¡¯s face, I really couldn¡¯t say it.¡± As he spoke, Colonel Mel¡¯s expression looked even more painful. But Duke Wilson looked at him with a look of slight disdain in his eyes. He had never realized before that Mel was such a weak person, he couldn¡¯t even tell the seriousness of things because of the love he has for his mistress. ¡°This matter will be found out sooner or later.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s tone was very cold, ¡°Chandler is not a fool. Since he is coming after you, it means that he has doubts about you. Hiding it from him and telling such a stupid lie, do you think he will let you go easily? Say stupid things like an old friend, can Chandler not understand how many times you have visited her a week? As long as it is clear, will the relationship between you and her be as secretive as you imagined?¡± Colonel Mel looked at Duke Wilson in a daze, as if he was at a loss. Duke Wilson frowned in disgust. He didn¡¯t expect Mel to be so stupid. ¡°You can¡¯t hide this matter. Tell him directly, maybe you can restore some of your image in his eyes¡­¡± Before Duke Wilson finished speaking, there was an urgent knock on the door. Duke Wilson stepped forward to open the door and saw Butler Chris at the door in a little panic. ¡°Your Excellency, Sheriff Chandler is here. He is here to arrest Colonel Mel!¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s expression moved slightly and he turned to look at Mel, only to find that his face was already pale. CH 101 ¡°Arrest?¡± Duke Wilson raised his voice, ¡°What kind of evidence does he have? Why does he suddenly want to arrest Colonel Mel?¡± Duke Wilson frowned as he looked at Butler Chris. Butler Chris grinned in embarrassment and said in a low voice, ¡°This¡­I don¡¯t know, but Sheriff Chandler looks very determined, and¡­¡± Duke Wilson frowned and waved, ¡°Let him in.¡± Chandler was actually trying to arrest someone at his house. Duke Wilson really doesn¡¯t know if he (Chandler) is too sure of the evidence he has or if he looks down on himself. After a while, Sheriff Chandler walked in following Butler Chris. He looked very cautious, but when he looked at Colonel Mel, his eyes were very sharp. ¡°My lord duke.¡± He nodded slightly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to bother you.¡± Duke Wilson looked at him with a cold expression, ¡°I heard that you came here to arrest Mel. What did he do wrong?¡± ¡°I think you should have heard from Colonel Mel about the murder case in the town, right?¡± Sheriff Chandler was not intimidated by Duke Wilson¡¯s serious expression and said very rationally, ¡°I have always been very suspicious of Colonel Mel. Just now, I found out that the relationship between Colonel Mel and Sister Elisa is not as simple as he stated, so I want to invite Colonel Mel to the police station to discuss this issue.¡± What Sheriff Chandler said was well-founded, and Duke Wilson didn¡¯t know how to refute for a moment. He looked at the sheriff with a bit of hatred, his emotions complicated. ¡°In that case, then follow Sheriff Chandler for a while.¡± Looking back at Colonel Mel, who looked terrified, Duke Wilson said very coldly, ¡°If you are innocent, I very much hope that you can clear the suspicions against you as soon as possible.¡± When he said this, his expression was very meaningful. Colonel Mel nodded a little stiffly, feeling terrified in his heart. Sheriff Chandler did not expect Duke Wilson to be so easy-going, and his expression flashed with surprise. ¡°Thank you very much for your understanding.¡± Sergeant Chandler nodded to the Duke and said gently. Duke Wilson waved his hand impatiently and didn¡¯t say much. Sheriff Chandler took Colonel Mel away, but Duke Wilson¡¯s expression sank. Colonel Mel, as his confidant, unexpectedly became a murder suspect on the first day he came back. No matter what the final truth is, for the current Duke Wilson, this will make lose face, let alone in the small town of Delanlier. If Duke Wilson guessed correctly, this will come out tonight and everyone in the whole town will know. Thinking of this, Duke Wilson¡¯s face became even more ugly. Duke Wilson¡¯s prediction was not wrong at all. Later that day, Evan heard about it. At that time, he was saying his last prayers in front of the altar. Mrs Sanders happened to come in from outside the church, her face had a touch of forbearable excitement. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Evan asked with some doubt. Mrs Sanders¡¯ lips trembled slightly, and she said hesitantly, ¡°Colonel Mel has been arrested.¡± Others would not understand this sentence, but Evan understood what she meant, he frowned and said, ¡°So fast?¡± Seeing that Evan understood her, Mrs Sanders was a little surprised, ¡°Did you already know about this?¡± Evan nodded, ¡°Butler Chris talked about it at the station.¡± He couldn¡¯t wait for Mrs Sanders to continue speaking, and immediately asked eagerly, ¡°What happened? Why was Colonel Mel suddenly arrested? Mrs Sanders couldn¡¯t help sighing, ¡°You have heard of such a terrible thing. This is really a shameful thing for the church, even if it is a matter of the Catholic Church¡­¡± Mrs Sanders sighed again and then continued, ¡°I heard from Simon, who works at the police station, that a little nun went to the police station today and reported Sister Elisa and Colonel Mel to Sheriff Chandler, about their unusual relationship. Colonel Mel was arrested by Sheriff Chandler.¡± Evan frowned. He didn¡¯t expect that the friend in Colonel Mel¡¯s story was really Colonel Mel himself. ¡°What does Duke Wilson have to say about this?¡± The relationship between Colonel Mel and Duke Wilson is well known. It is impossible for Duke Wilson not to react when something like this happened to Colonel Mel. ¡°Oh, this incident is really dramatic.¡± Mrs Saunders finally had a different expression on her cold face, and she said with look of sympathy, ¡°Colonel Mel was arrested at the Cornwall Manor, in front of Duke Wilson, without regard for the face of the Duke. This is really too bold, I can¡¯t even imagine the expression of Duke Wilson now. For a gentleman as noble as him, it is really¡­¡± Mrs Sanders said with great sympathy. Evan frowned. Sheriff Chandler was so merciless in doing things, even in front of him¡­ ¡°I see.¡± Evan said calmly, ¡°Please help me prepare the carriage, I¡¯m going to Cornwall Manor.¡± Mrs Sanders was taken aback for a moment, and then nodded understandingly, ¡°Oh, you are a friend of Duke Wilson, and I think the Duke needs one very much at this time.¡± Mrs Sanders hurriedly went out to prepare the carriage, while Evan returned to his living room and changed the priest¡¯s robe, but his expression was still ugly. He knew the character of Duke Wilson very well. He was a man with very strong self-esteem. With this kind of thing happening, he would be more anxious than Colonel Mel himself, and the most taboo thing in this kind of situation is to be anxious. He was afraid that Duke Wilson would make things even more difficult to deal with. When Evan came out, the carriage was ready and Mrs Sanders was waiting for him at the door. Evan didn¡¯t say much, but got into the carriage silently, and the carriage drove towards Cornwall Manor. When Evan arrived at Cornwall Manor, it was already dark and the gate of the manor was closed tightly, the manor looked a little gloomy. Evan got off the carriage, walked to the gate and patted the gate vigorously. In the past, when he came, it was daytime, and this gate was not closed. After a long time, a voice finally came from inside, ¡°Who is it?¡± It sounded very immature, with a slight trembling. Evan said in a deep voice, ¡°I am Reverend Bruce. Please tell the Duke that I have something to discuss with him.¡± Hearing Evan¡¯s voice, the person inside was visibly relieved, ¡°So it¡¯s you. Please wait a moment, I will report to the Duke right away.¡± Because Evan often goes in and out of the manor, everyone in the manor is very familiar with him and they all know that the relationship between him and the Duke is very close, so Evan did not wait for too long. After a while, the gate opened. ¡°Reverend.¡± Unexpectedly, the person who came was Butler Chris and Evan was surprised. ¡°It¡¯s great that you could come.¡± Butler Chris had a sincere smile on his face, ¡°The Duke is in the study at this time and no one is allowed to disturb him, and he hasn¡¯t had dinner yet. Maybe you are the only one who can persuade him.¡± A look of surprise flashed in Evan¡¯s eyes when he heard this, but his brows furrowed deeply. The Duke was so angry that it seemed that he was really dissatisfied with this matter. ¡°I see, thank you.¡± Evan pursed his lips with a very serious expression. Butler Chris led Evan through most of the manor and into the castle. Only half of the lights in the hall were lit, so it looked a little dim. Evan went upstairs under the dim light until he got to the door of the Duke¡¯s study and stopped. Butler Chris glanced at Evan with a look of embarrassment, and said in a low voice, ¡°Please persuade the Duke, he doesn¡¯t listen to us at all now.¡± Evan nodded, and Butler Chris left very sensibly. After the figure of Butler Chris disappeared at the corner of the stairs, Evan said, ¡°Charles, it¡¯s me.¡± After just hearing such a sentence, there was a sudden noise in the originally silent room, and then the closed door in front of Evan opened suddenly. ¡°Are you here?¡± Duke Wilson looked a little tired, but his eyes were shining when looking at Evan. ¡°I heard about Colonel Mel, so I came here.¡± Evan said with a smile. Hearing Evan talk about this, Duke Wilson¡¯s excited eyes immediately dimmed and he waved his hand impatiently, ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect that Mel would do such a stupid thing, really¡­¡± As he thinks of how it will become the talk of the whole town of Delanlier, Duke Wilson¡¯s hands tremble with anger. Evan didn¡¯t want to see him like this very much so he walked in with a smile, closed the door and then stretched out his hands and hugged him into his arms. Such a simple action made Duke Wilson¡¯s body completely stiff in an instant. He seemed to be frightened and looked at Evan in a daze. He said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s great that you¡¯re here.¡± Evan patted him on the back with a smile and said in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. Although Colonel Mel is inseparable from you, people in the town will not and will not dare to slander your reputation. This matter will pass, don¡¯t worry.¡± Duke Wilson sighed when he heard this sentence. Evan was still too innocent, he didn¡¯t know the power of rumors, let alone the role Colonel Mel played beside him. Needless to say, although he also cared about Delanlier¡¯s rumor mill, he didn¡¯t care too much. The most important thing was the things that Colonel Mel had done for him. Since his father¡¯s time, Colonel Mel and the Christ family have been very close. After all, his ability to accumulate so much wealth in a short period of time did not come out of thin air. A hint of sternness flashed across Duke Wilson¡¯s face as he leaned on Evan¡¯s shoulder. The reason Colonel Mel was able to make a fortune so quickly was because he did a lot of private dirty things for his father, whether it was spying or intelligence , and dealing with traitors. Colonel Mel seems to have a unique talent for this kind of thing. He has grown from a small soldier to his present position because Duke Wilson¡¯s father had a good eye for people. Although the matter this time is small, if it was really done by Colonel Mel, then in order to save his life, these things may be dangerous. Duke Wilson clenched his fists. This time the matter was really a problem for him. Now that he knows about it, he has to try his best to save Colonel Mel¡¯s life. Otherwise, if he spills these matters, his face would be even uglier than it is now, and those in London¡­ Duke Wilson¡¯s expression was gloomy, but when he looked up at Evan, his eyes regained a gentle look and he said, ¡°I know with you here, this matter will definitely be investigated clearly.¡± He hated using Evan like this, but at this moment he had to do it because he couldn¡¯t let Evan know that he had another side, an ugly side. Duke Wilson¡¯s expression was firm and calm. CH 102 When Duke Wilson said this out of the blue, Evan was taken aback for a moment, and then smiled, ¡°Okay, although I¡¯m not sure if I can play any role, but I will go and see.¡± Duke Wilson was very concerned about his behavior at this time, and a little disgusted. He hardly dared to look at Evan¡¯s gentle face, so he could only lower his head and nod slightly. Duke Wilson didn¡¯t want to speak, and there was an awkward silence between the two of them for a moment. In fact, Evan didn¡¯t think as much as Duke Wilson thought. Evan was a little puzzled by his silence. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± He looked down at Duke Wilson. Duke Wilson still didn¡¯t look up, but said in a muffled voice, ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­¡± Evan heard his tone, smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Colonel Mel will be fine. Duke Wilson felt more and more ashamed of Evan¡¯s kind comfort. He clenched his fists tightly and really didn¡¯t know what to say. Although Evan didn¡¯t know about Duke Wilson¡¯s mental activities, he could understand by looking at his appearance at this time. He didn¡¯t like this topic very much now, so he immediately changed the topic and said with a smile, ¡°Where is Edward? I want to go and see him.¡± Hearing Evan talking about Edward, Duke Wilson raised his head, hooked the corners of his lips reluctantly, and said as gently as possible, ¡°He is in his room, you can go and see him ¡± Evan nodded, leaned down and kissed Duke Wilson¡¯s forehead, looked at his rapidly reddening face, smiled and left. Watching Evan leave, Duke Wilson caressed the place where Evan kissed him with a complicated expression. Perhaps in front of Evan, such a dirty self would never be able to lift his head. Duke Wilson heaved a long sigh, with a hint of loneliness in it. He didn¡¯t know, if Evan knew his dark side, would he still kiss his forehead gently like today? ¡°Let Ederson come over immediately.¡± Duke Wilson said coldly. Butler Chris, who had been standing at the door since Evan left, immediately saluted meekly and said in a low voice, ¡°Yes, Your Excellency.¡± It was really late to bring Ederson over, it seemed that Colonel Mel¡¯s matters were not as simple as he imagined. Butler Chris looked very worried. Evan went to Edward¡¯s room. Edward hadn¡¯t fallen asleep yet. He was forcing a poor servant to tell him a story. And when he saw Evan coming in, the emotion in his eyes could almost be described as tears of joy. ¡°Evan!¡± Little Edward quickly abandoned the poor servant and ran towards Evan. He was still wearing slightly thin pajamas, Evan¡¯s heart skipped a beat and hurried forward to hug him in his arms. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t do this, the weather is so cold, you will catch a cold.¡± Evan said softly. Edward hugged Evan¡¯s neck excitedly as a sly light flashed in his dark eyes. He seemed to have an innate talent for showing weakness in front of those who valued him. ¡°I want to hear your story, this servant is too stupid.¡± He grumbled, pouting. Hearing Edward¡¯s evaluation, the servant flinched a little, with a hint of panic in his eyes. He failed to serve the little master well. If this evaluation reaches the ears of the Duke or Butler Chris, then his life will be ruined and would be very dark. Thinking of this, he looked at Evan with almost pleading eyes, as if he wanted to get some courage from him. Evan glanced at the servant and smiled softly, ¡°Okay, Edward, don¡¯t be self-willed. If you want to hear a story, I will tell you.¡± He waved at the servant. The servant glanced at Evan gratefully, knowing that he had let him go and hurriedly ran out. Seeing the embarrassed back of the servant, Edward wrinkled his nose in disdain and said coldly, ¡°What a useless idiot.¡± During this process, Evan has been looking at Edward with a look of scrutiny in his eyes. Edward¡¯s personality is exactly the same as that of Duke Wilson. Good at disguising himself, is this really a child of how old? Evan sighed inwardly. The cold expression on Edward¡¯s face was fleeting and when he turned his head to look at Evan, this look had long been replaced with a simple smile and he said with a childish smile, ¡°Evan, tell me a story quickly or father will take you away again.¡± He hugged Evan¡¯s neck tightly and his whole body was attached to Evan¡¯s body. Evan patted Edward¡¯s back lightly, with a complex look in his eyes but his tone was extremely gentle, ¡°Okay, okay, don¡¯t worry.¡± He took out the Bible from his large priest¡¯s pocket and flipped through it over and over again. As he flipped through the Bible, he thought in his heart, this is originally such a holy book, but the one who reads it is not a good person. I really don¡¯t know if it is a good thing or a bad thing. Evan and Edward were warm and cozy but Duke Wilson was not so warm. He sat in the study with a cold look on his face, looked at Ederson, who was dripping with cold sweat, and asked mercilessly, ¡°I doubt very much whether I trusted you too much, whether it was the biggest mistake in my life.¡± After saying this, Ederson almost fell to his knees as his legs became weak. He could joke with Duke Wilson when he trusted him the most, but he also knew very well that if he lost the trust of Duke Wilson, then his life would be over in the blink of an eye. ¡°Your Excellency the Duke!¡± He knelt on the ground on one knee. This was a very important courtesy. Ederson always thought that he would not kneel to anyone except the king, but at this moment he had no other choice at all. ¡°My loyalty to you can be guaranteed with my life!¡± He gritted his teeth to hold back his trembling hands, but his back was already covered in cold sweat. Duke Wilson looked at Ederson, who was kneeling in front of him with a cold face, and pondered for a long time, until Ederson¡¯s nerves were almost stretched to the limit, then he said in a cold voice without haste, ¡°Then do you want to repay my trust in you with this incident? Why didn¡¯t you report something so big! Why didn¡¯t you think of a way! Do you feel happy to let others humiliate me in my own house?¡± Ederson lowered his head, he regretted it a lot in his heart. At that time, he suddenly lost the maximum trust of Duke Wilson. He was always in fear. At the same time, he hated the person who targeted him. He never found out who it was, but there were only a few people he could think of and Colonel Mel happened to be one of those people. He was also the one he suspected the most, because apart from himself, Duke Wilson trusted Mel the most. He knew that Mel was definitely the old duke¡¯s confidant, the close relationship between them made others envious and Mel also gained a lot of wealth by virtue of this, but now it was the young duke¡¯s world. The former friendship was very respectable in front of Duke Wilson, but in Ederson¡¯s heart, the old Duke is dead and Duke Wilson should cultivate his confidants, so he has been fighting for the past few years for Mel¡¯s position in front of the old Duke. Mel¡¯s relationship with him has naturally become very bad, and now he has lost the Duke¡¯s trust. But Mel, who was crushed by him before, has come up. This was a major blow for Ederson, so this time, how could he sincerely go to rescue Mel. ¡°Duke¡­ Your Excellency the Duke, after Colonel Mel¡¯s incident, I sent a letter to London, but you¡­you didn¡¯t respond, so¡­so I didn¡¯t dare to take any action¡­¡± This is the truth , but not from the heart. Ederson did send a letter to London but he sent it when London was in chaos. He knew that the Duke would never receive this letter or when this letter arrived, maybe the dust would have settled for Mel¡¯s issue. But he did not expect that Duke Wilson would suddenly decide to come back early, so not only did he diverge from the person he arranged to deliver the letter, but Mel was still alive and well. Ederson was already feeling panicked now. Duke Wilson¡¯s means, he knows better than anyone else. Duke Wilson just sneered when he heard such words. How could he not know what was going on in Ederson¡¯s mind, but usually it¡¯s okay for them to fight each other. But this time, Ederson stepped on the sore foot of Duke Wilson. He dared to hide such an issue from him. This is simply a taboo of the superiors. Being kept in the dark by the subordinates as a fool will make him feel a sense of crisis. ¡°Kevin!¡± Duke Wilson suddenly shouted. Ederson knelt on the ground and started shaking. He looked up, only to find a young man who looked very childish walked in from the outside. He bent over to Duke Wilson and said in a low voice, ¡°Your Excellency the Duke.¡± Duke Wilson nodded with satisfaction, ¡°From today onwards, you will take over Ederson¡¯s job, Ederson will no longer be responsible for anything.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s tone was cold, without any emotion at all. When Ederson heard this, he collapsed on the ground. He knew very well what this arrangement meant. Although he had not experienced what happened after this, he had dealt with such people countless times. People who have been relieved of all duties have only one final outcome¡ªdeath. Kevin looked a little surprised, but he immediately regained his composure and nodded immediately, ¡°Thank you for your trust, I understand.¡± He walked to the door and said a few words to the people outside and immediately someone came in and dragged Ederson away. Kevin stood quietly in a corner, bowed slightly with a humble expression, waiting for Duke Wilson¡¯s orders at any time. Duke Wilson rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly, feeling a little powerless in his heart. Mel¡¯s matter has now been thrown into the light and George is watching in London. He must handle this matter carefully this time, otherwise if something goes wrong, he believed that even if George didn¡¯t make a move, Orlam would definitely not be lenient. ¡°Investigate Mel¡¯s shit!¡± Duke Wilson sternly roared. Kevin was taken aback, but immediately stood up straight again and said in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Duke Wilson nodded. Evan is his card on the bright side while Kevin is his shadow in the dark. As long as Kevin finds out something and Evan tells Sheriff Chandler, the matter will be easy to deal with. CH 104 Evan looked at Colonel Mel and didn¡¯t speak for a long time. He had never seen so many emotions appearing on one person¡¯s face at the same time. Perhaps a nerve in his heart was suddenly touched and there were no more angry complaints from before. ¡°Colonel Mel.¡± Evan¡¯s expression softened a lot in an instant, ¡°Your situation is beyond my expectations.¡± Evan¡¯s expression softened and Sheriff Chandler heaved a sigh of relief. It turned out that Evan would be so scary, he had never seen him get so angry. ¡°I know you must be very disappointed with my behavior.¡± Colonel Mel smiled bitterly, ¡°Did the Duke ask you to come?¡± Evan frowned, ¡°The Duke is very worried about your situation, but I¡¯m here today at the invitation of Sheriff Chandler. Can you tell me what happened this time? What¡¯s going on between you and that nun?¡± Colonel Mel heard Evan ask this, lowered his head, and said in a low voice, ¡°The person I told you about last time is me, I think you should already know this.¡± Evan nodded, ¡°When I heard about this, I couldn¡¯t even believe my ears. Colonel Mel, are you really crazy? You are a man with a wife, and your behavior really made me¡­¡± Evan frowned and stopped. There are some words that cannot or should not be said. Colonel Mel lowered his head and didn¡¯t dare to look directly into Evan¡¯s eyes. He just squeezed his cuffs tightly with both hands, pursed his lips and said nothing. Sheriff Chandler stood by and waved impatiently. ¡°Reverend, you are a noble gentleman. I think it is impossible for you to understand his behavior.¡± Speaking of which, Sheriff Chandler glanced at Colonel Mel. For the one thing, he looks down on this person that could betray his wife in such a way. Evan pursed his lips as he felt guilty when he heard this sentence, but his face still had a look of compassion and he said softly, ¡°Sheriff, let Colonel Mel speak for himself, he is a decent gentleman, I think that at this point today, he should have nothing to hide.¡± As soon as Evan finished speaking, Colonel Mel raised his head, his eye sockets were slightly red and his lips trembling slightly as he looked at Evan and Sheriff Chandler. ¡°I really have nothing to hide. What else can I not let go of now?¡± He seemed to be talking to himself. ¡°Elisa and I have known each other for a long time.¡± Colonel Mel said in a low voice, ¡°She helped my poor mother out of pain, and I am very grateful to her.¡± Colonel Mel said in an almost sleepwalking-like manner and there was a slight smile on his face, as if he was recalling some precious memories. ¡°The relationship between us didn¡¯t change at that time. She was a very reserved girl.¡± Colonel Mel said softly, ¡°But I had a strange feeling for her because of this incident. But I knew her identity and her beliefs are also known, so I did not do anything deviant. But after that I have been helping her or donating some things to the monastery, or giving her some things in the name of gratitude. I knew that she had a very bad time in the monastery.¡± Speaking of this, Colonel Mel seemed to think of some painful memories, and put his hands on his head. But Evan frowned at this time. If he remembers correctly, Colonel Mel¡¯s wife, Katrina, married Colonel Mel after the death of Colonel Mel¡¯s mother. That is to say, after Colonel Mel married his wife, he actually had feelings for another woman in his heart. ¡°Reverend Bruce!¡± Just when Evan was deep in thought, Colonel Mel suddenly raised his head and shouted, ¡°The relationship between me and Elisa is all my fault and it has nothing to do with her. I love her. I know my feelings make you all feel bad, but please believe me, I really love her, I love her with my whole life, I would rather die than kill her, please be sure to believe me, this is really¡­really not what I did¡­¡± His eyes were slightly red but his eyes were very sincere. Evan was taken aback and turned his head to look at Sheriff Chandler. Because of Duke Wilson, of course he was willing to believe that Colonel Mel was innocent but this matter was beyond his will. Sheriff Chandler was the one who could decide about this matter and Evan knew very well that for a traditional gentleman like Sheriff Chandler, the behavior of Colonel Mel was undoubtedly what he hated the most, because he not only defiled the marriage of the Holy Spirit, he further defiled the purity of religion. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell us this.¡± Colonel Mel¡¯s words not only did not make Sheriff Chandler sympathize with him, but made him loathe him even more, ¡°Regardless of your feelings for Sister Elisa, all I want to know is, do you have any evidence to prove your innocence? Because as far as the current situation is concerned, it is very unfavorable for your situation.¡± Sheriff Chandler said with a cold expression. Colonel Mel¡¯s originally excited behavior calmed down after Sheriff Chandler¡¯s words. He looked at Sheriff Chandler blankly, as if he couldn¡¯t believe his indifference. ¡°I¡­I, I really didn¡¯t do it. I was rushing to the monastery when Elisa died. How could I kill her?¡± Colonel Mel trembled slightly as he said these words. At that moment, the whole person couldn¡¯t stop trembling. Sheriff Chandler looked at him with a very cold expression, as if he was indifferent to his reaction, ¡°This is not your alibi. You have to know the distance from your home to the monastery, even if you walk, it is entirely possible to kill Sister Elisa within the time limit. And!¡± When he said this, Sheriff Chandler¡¯s voice suddenly raised a bit, ¡°And it was in Sister Elisa¡¯s pocket that we found one of your gloves. According to you, you hadn¡¯t seen Sister Elisa for a month before this, but you got these gloves from Lady Katrina three days before. So I want to ask you, what is going on here? And the dagger that killed Elisa is also a trophy you brought back from the battlefield. You said you gave it to Elisa, but according to your manservant, that dagger was lying in your drawer three days ago, so what¡¯s going on?¡± Sheriff Chandler pressed forward step by step, staring at Colonel Mel with burning eyes not wanting to let go of any expression on his face. Colonel Mel, who had just calmed down, trembled at this moment. He looked sadly at the dagger that Sheriff Chandler put on the table to scare him. The handle of his knife was inlaid with the most beautiful gem, but the blade is stained with the blood of the person he loves the most in this world. ¡°For this, I¡­I really don¡¯t know what to say¡­¡± Colonel Mel said with a depressed expression, ¡°What I said is true, but I am also very surprised that there is such an ending, but I can tell you very clearly, I will never kill Sister Elisa, someone is trying to frame me!¡± When he said the word framed, Evan suddenly found that Colonel Mel¡¯s eyes, which were originally distraught, ignited like clusters of flames. ¡°Yes! Someone is going to frame me! Sheriff! This is a conspiracy!¡± Colonel Mel suddenly stood up from his chair, ¡°You know I have many enemies, this¡­this is definitely aimed at me. It¡¯s a conspiracy.¡± Colonel Mel¡¯s eyes finally brightened, and he shouted a little excitedly, ¡°Sheriff, please believe me!¡± Regarding Colonel Mel¡¯s radical behavior, Sheriff Chandler just waved his hand contemptuously, ¡°Colonel Mel, I don¡¯t want to hear such ridiculous words out of your mouth. You want to say that this is a conspiracy against you, but in this matter, we did not find a third party. There is no evidence for your statement, do you really want me to believe your statement? Now, in this case, you are the only suspect.¡± Colonel Mel was almost desperate as he sat back on the chair. But Evan said at this time, ¡°Colonel Mel.¡± He glanced at Colonel Mel. As a veteran who has been on the battlefield, his behavior today really surprised Evan. Could it be that love is true? Can a person be changed into this way? Evan was very puzzled. ¡°How many people know about Sister Elisa and you?¡± If you want to prove that someone was framed, then that person must be very clear about the relationship between them otherwise they would not choose Sister Elisa. Evan immediately asked the question to the point and Colonel Mel¡¯s already slightly desperate eyes finally came alive at this time. ¡°You believe me.¡± He looked at Evan almost gratefully, but the next moment he fell into deep thought. ¡°Please forgive me.¡± He said in a low voice, ¡°I was just chasing after Elisa one-sidedly in the beginning. She wholeheartedly served God and was unwilling to accept my feelings, but in the end¡­finally¡­¡± Colonel Mel¡¯s tone suddenly dropped, ¡°In the end, she couldn¡¯t resist love and we came together. You don¡¯t know how happy I was when she responded to me, but you should also understand that I love her so much. I will never let her get into some kind of predicament, so no one knows about this matter, except our two hearts and God.¡± Sheriff Chandler was very interested at the beginning, but when he heard Mel¡¯s answer, he snorted lightly and waved his hands contemptuously, ¡°Colonel Mel, I advise you to hurry up and plead guilty. Every time you try to prove your innocence, it will only make you more suspicious.¡± Hearing this sentence, Evan smiled bitterly in his heart. What Sheriff Chandler said was quite right, Colonel Mel¡¯s case is like an unsolvable puzzle. No matter what direction you look at this from, Colonel Mel himself is the only one left in the end. ¡°Colonel, it¡¯s not easy for a person to hide something, let alone this kind of thing. In the past few days, please think carefully about whether you have exposed yourself to anyone. Only in this way can we save you. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t do anything.¡± Evan sighed, it seems that this matter is really difficult and the chance of the murderer being Colonel Mel is very high now, this time I¡¯m afraid that Duke Wilson will be angry. Colonel Mel nodded, a little discouraged, looking sluggish. Sheriff Chandler saw that he couldn¡¯t ask any more questions so he ordered Colonel Mel to be detained, but he was muttering in his heart, this man is already like this, but he is still so secretive. And he didn¡¯t answer any useful questions, just shouting for injustice but Sheriff Chandler is very confident this time, Colonel Mel is definitely a murderer! T/N: Did anyone notice that this colonel didn¡¯t actually answer a single question? Like none. All he kept shouting about was that he loves Elisa. I don¡¯t trust this man. CH 105 After interrogating Colonel Mel, Sheriff Chandler sent Evan out of the police station. Before Evan was about to leave, Sheriff Chandler suddenly stopped Evan and grabbed his sleeve. ¡°Reverend Bruce.¡± At this moment, his expression was very serious. ¡°Do you know why I want you to investigate this case?¡± He looked straight at Evan with a confused expression. Evan was taken aback for a moment, with a smile on the corners of his lips, ¡°I am very grateful for the importance you place on me.¡± Hearing what he said, Sheriff Chandler twitched the corners of his lips uncomfortably, but finally just sighed and said, ¡°I am very grateful for your help.¡± He let go of Evan¡¯s sleeve and didn¡¯t say much. Evan glanced at Sheriff Chandler with some doubts, but finally turned and left. Sheriff Chandler watched Evan walk away, his expression was a little complicated. Although he had most of the evidence in this case, after experiencing the previous two cases, he found that he could no longer use the mentality he had before. He dealt with other cases, but maybe his ability was just a little bit bad and the result of the matter was completely different. Now, he began to feel a little scared, so even though the matter was so clear this time, he still hoped that Evan could come and use the eyes of an outsider to discover the problems that he couldn¡¯t find. This is the thought deep in his heart, but when he looked at Evan¡¯s face, he found that he couldn¡¯t say it at all. Sheriff Chandler lowered his head and gave a wry smile, perhaps it might be because of his ridiculous self-esteem. He turned and walked into the police station. He will investigate this case carefully. When Evan walked to the corner of the street, he hailed a rental carriage and directly reported the name of the Cornwall Manor. For this matter, he still needs the power of the Duke. When Evan arrived at Cornwall Manor, Butler Chris was calling for several junior servants to move the fodder. When he saw Evan coming, he rushed to greet him. ¡°Reverend.¡± He saw Evan and nodded slightly. Evan nodded and said, ¡°Where is the Duke?¡± Butler Chris pursed his lips unnaturally, ¡°The Duke is dealing with business upstairs and he doesn¡¯t want to be disturbed.¡± Butler Chris looked at Evan meaningfully. Evan was taken aback for a moment. Suddenly feeling a little uncomfortable in his heart, he turned his head and glanced upstairs, his eyes darkened. ¡°I see, I will wait downstairs.¡± Evan suddenly discovered at this moment that the relationship between him and Duke Wilson was not as close as he imagined. He almost forgot that this person was the Duke and he had his own power, his own status and his own unknown side. Evan was sitting in the living room, with the cup of black tea brought to him by Butler Chris on the table, but the temperature was gradually lost and the original gurgling smoke had already faded away, but Evan didn¡¯t even have the intention of taking a sip. He just looked at the Bible in his hand, his eyes thoughtful. If someone looked at him, they would find that he hadn¡¯t turned a page for a long time. It wasn¡¯t until the cup of black tea on the table completely cooled down that there was finally a noise from upstairs. Evan looked up subconsciously and saw Duke Wilson walking from the corridor to the stairs with a serious look on his face that he had never seen before. Behind him was an ordinary-looking young man, his face was slightly pale and he looked very nervous. Evan¡¯s heart suddenly beat violently at this time, and his eyes followed the figure of Duke Wilson. He had never seen such a Duke. He may have been cold before, but he was not like this. He was so indifferent at the time, with almost no emotion on his face but there was a bloodthirsty look in his eyes. Such a Duke Wilson might make people feel the Duke is dangerous, but it makes Evan feel excited! He licked his lower lip, and the bloodthirsty factor that was hidden in his heart started to move. ¡°Evan!¡± Duke Wilson finally saw Evan sitting on the sofa and a soft look appeared on his face. The outline of his face became gentler, and the sharp appearance just now seemed to have just been an illusion. Evan was in a daze for a moment, then smiled and stood up from the sofa. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Duke Wilson said with a look of joy in his eyes, ¡°I thought you went back to the church.¡± Evan just smiled gently, ¡°Originally, I went back, but Sheriff Chandler invited me to witness the interrogation of Colonel Mel and I was delayed for a while.¡± ¡°Interrogation?¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s eyes flickered, ¡°Did he say anything?¡± He pinched his cuffs, but his face looked very calm. Evan didn¡¯t notice the difference in Duke Wilson and thought he was just worried about Colonel Mel, he smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s fine. He just kept saying he was wronged but Sheriff Chandler isn¡¯t buying his innocence as he thinks Colonel Mel is not a proper gentleman.¡± Duke Wilson breathed a sigh of relief calmly and said softly, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± While speaking, he winked at Kevin behind him, and Kevin immediately retreated very sensibly. Evan glanced at the direction where Kevin disappeared, his eyes dimmed slightly, what was he doing behind his back? The uneasiness in Evan¡¯s heart became bigger and bigger, but his expression was still gentle, ¡°Who is that gentleman?¡± Evan¡¯s question made Duke Wilson¡¯s smiling face freeze, and he looked at Evan carefully. Looking at Evan¡¯s face, he found that there was nothing wrong with him, and then said softly, ¡°That¡¯s one of my staff, who came to report to me today about the Manor¡¯s affairs in the past few days.¡± Staff? Evan was very skeptical in his heart. He was very sure that even in the chaotic London, Duke Wilson had a very tight control over Cornwall Manor. Letters were sent every day. Now that he is back, does he still need an aide to tell him? Does he need to report something he already knows? Even if it is necessary, the timing shouldn¡¯t be today. They should have reported on the first day they came back. ¡°So that¡¯s it.¡± Evan smiled slightly, ¡°Where¡¯s that Mr. Ederson from before? Why didn¡¯t he come?¡± As far as Evan knows, that Ederson was a person that Duke Wilson trusted very much, but now he¡¯s suddenly been replaced. Evan naturally had doubts in his heart. Duke Wilson didn¡¯t expect that Evan could still remember Ederson. He paused the words on his lips, but in the end he just said foolishly, ¡°Ederson is ill¡­ What¡¯s the matter with you this time?¡± In front of Evan, he suddenly turned into a tongue-twisted child, almost unable to speak and the topic was changed very abruptly, not at all like his usual self. Evan also saw that he didn¡¯t really want to talk about this matter and he didn¡¯t want to force him any more. Some things should be done in moderation, so he followed his words and said, ¡°So that¡¯s why I came to you today because I want to talk about it. I want you to accompany me to visit Mrs Mel. I think this matter should be a great blow to her. ¡± Evan said to the point, but Duke Wilson heard what he meant. Since there is no breakthrough from Colonel Mel, the only way to break through is from Mrs Mel. ¡°What you said is very true, I almost ignored it.¡± Duke Wilson smiled and said in a low voice. He looked at Evan¡¯s gentle face. Although he knew that Evan was here to help him get rid of the suspicion on Colonel Mel, his attention to the strange woman still made him feel a little sour and he couldn¡¯t help feeling a little angry. Although the two of them have had a close relationship for a long time, they haven¡¯t been intimate since that night. Thinking of this, Duke Wilson felt a little bit depressed. Duke Wilson walked up to Evan, suddenly grabbed his hands that were hanging by his side and whispered, ¡°Are you worried about Mrs Mel?¡± Evan was a little surprised by Duke Wilson¡¯s behavior and smiled, ¡°She is a lady, this matter is a shocking thing for you and me and it is even more terrifying for her. And Colonel Mel is still your good friend, and I don¡¯t want you to be in trouble.¡± Hearing Evan¡¯s worries about him, the anger in Duke Wilson¡¯s heart was relieved, and he smiled at Evan, ¡°Thank you, Evan.¡± Evan looked at Duke Wilson for a long time, he leaned down and kissed the side of his face. He put his lips next to his ear, and whispered: ¡°Charles, I don¡¯t want to hear you thank me. We don¡¯t need a thank you between us.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s face was flushed by Evan¡¯s sudden action but his hands were tightly wrapped around Evan¡¯s waist. Evan¡¯s slightly hot breath was gushing in his ears, and he flinched a little, but his hands hugged Evan¡¯s waist more and more tightly. ¡°I see.¡± He said this with some difficulty, and now there was a fire in his body and he almost exhausted all his willpower to let this fire be dormant temporarily. Hearing his slightly trembling voice, Evan chuckled a few times, pushed his shoulders away, looked at his face and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go see Mrs Mel. Colonel Mel is now in a mess, maybe we can get some useful information from this lady.¡± Duke Wilson nodded, still looking a little stiff. Butler Chris quickly prepared the carriage and Evan and Duke Wilson drove towards Colonel Mel¡¯s castle in the carriage. In fact, Evan had already thought about the matter of taking the Duke. The position of the Duke in Delanlier is self-evident. With the Duke, things will be easier. Sure enough, the badge of Duke Wilson¡¯s carriage was like a nameplate for customs clearance at Colonel Mel¡¯s house. No one dared to stop his carriage, so Duke Wilson drove straight all the way to Colonel Mel¡¯s castle. Evan was a little surprised when he saw the castle again. Needless to say, the last time he came, it was magnificent and it was more of the kind of vitality that radiated from the inside out, but now it is different from then with earth-shaking changes. The castle now looks like a crumbling seedling in a storm, and the smell of doomsday is everywhere. Evan was only slightly taken aback, and was led in by the butler. When he entered, Evan felt this feeling even more deeply. The panic of the servants around him seemed to spread into the air, and his whole body and his breathing was a little stagnant. Evan and Duke Wilson were arranged to wait in the living room. Duke Wilson has not loosened his brows since he came in. In his opinion, this Mrs Mel is not a qualified hostess of the manor, and Colonel Mel has only been in prison for a day. However, the whole household seems to have collapsed. It¡¯s absurd for her to manage it like this. Just when Evan and Duke Wilson were thinking about different things, there was a sudden noise on the stairs and they looked upstairs, only to see a thin and somewhat excessively dressed woman walking down. CH 106 Evan and Duke Wilson hurriedly stood up and greeted her. ¡°Mrs Mel.¡± Duke Wilson spoke first. At this time, Mrs Mel didn¡¯t look as radiant as she did when they first met. Her face was sallow and panic-stricken, and her figure was not as tall as when they first met and she was covering half of her face. ¡°Your Excellency the Duke.¡± She raised the corner of her skirt and saluted Duke Wilson, speaking in a slightly hoarse voice. Duke Wilson frowned when he saw her like this. The event just happened for a day and this Mrs Mel already became like this. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Duke Wilson asked in a slightly blunt tone. Mrs Mel gave a wry smile and said in a low voice, ¡°Such a terrible thing happened, I really¡­¡± Duke Wilson sighed, with a look of sympathy in his eyes, ¡°I understand your situation very well. Mel is really ridiculous this time.¡± Speaking of this, Duke Wilson changed the subject, glanced at Mrs Mel who had a sad look and said, ¡°It¡¯s just that, I still can¡¯t believe that he will kill someone. It¡¯s too ridiculous.¡± Mrs Mel bit her lower lip, with a look of forbearance in her eyes, ¡°I don¡¯t believe he would do such a thing.¡± Her voice was very soft, if Evan hadn¡¯t listened carefully, he would not have heard. Duke Wilson nodded in satisfaction, as long as Mrs Mel thinks so because he is afraid that this woman will become hateful and do something irrational. ¡°In that case, then I want to ask you, does Colonel Mel have any enemies? This time, it¡¯s almost like he is being framed.¡± Duke Wilson said very cautiously. Just before coming here, Kevin had reported to him. After reporting the results of the investigation in the past few days, it was very unexpected that they found almost nothing. This is almost unbelievable for Duke Wilson who has almost completely mastered Delanlier¡¯s ins and outs, so he is very sure that this time there must be some kind of force targeting him. Mrs Mel pondered for a while, a trace of hesitation flashed in her eyes, she hesitated to speak and glanced at Duke Wilson, it seemed a little difficult for her to speak. Duke Wilson caught her expression, and immediately said, ¡°Have you thought of anything? Please tell me whatever it is.¡± Embarrassed, Mrs Mel pursed her lips and finally opened her mouth, ¡°I¡­I I don¡¯t know if this is considered an enemy. Before¡­I saw Charlie and a gentleman quarreling in the study before. It seemed that the situation was very intense. The gentleman looked very angry. It was only lucky that Charlie called the housekeeper in. There were no more serious consequences.¡± The Charlie Mrs Mel refers to is Colonel Mel¡¯s Christian name. Duke Wilson squinted his eyes. Colonel Mel is not the kind of person who is prone to having conflicts with others. It is really unusual that he would quarrel with someone this time. He never performs some kind of dirty trick of his own. When doing tasks, they are all done with a gentleman¡¯s attitude, even more particular than what he does. For so many years, Duke Wilson has never seen Mel quarrel with anyone. ¡°Do you know the gentleman¡¯s name?¡± Duke Wilson looked at Mrs Mel with a burning expression. Maybe this person was the breakthrough point of this matter. Mrs Mel pondered for a moment, and finally said, ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know too well, but I heard Charlie call him Ederson or something, I really can¡¯t remember clearly.¡± Ederson?! Duke Wilson¡¯s eyes widened and Evan also looked at Mrs Mel in surprise. It turned out to be that Ederson. Evan doesn¡¯t have a good impression of this gentleman. ¡°Did you hear it right?¡± Duke Wilson looked at Mrs Mel with a serious expression, as if he was going to ask her something in the next moment. ¡°I¡­I¡­¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s attitude made Mrs Mel flustered for a moment, she looked around helplessly and stammered, ¡°Maybe¡­maybe I was wrong, right?¡± Her tone became lower and lower, completely unconvincing. Duke Wilson sighed and touched his temple with his hand, but he was already somewhat convinced by Mrs Mel¡¯s statement in his heart. There was indeed a big rift between Ederson and Mel. This time, Ederson even made a move to conceal the matter from himself and what¡¯s even more weird is that their underground forces have hardly gained anything in this incident, which only makes people wonder whether Ederson really did something. ¡°Okay, don¡¯t worry, I understand what you said and I will free Colonel Mel as soon as possible.¡± Duke Wilson comforted a little dryly. Mrs Mel heaved a sigh of relief, ¡°Thank you very much. Charlie is really lucky to have a friend like you.¡± Duke Wilson nodded, but he had no desire to speak. The atmosphere became a little awkward for a while and Mrs Mel hurriedly invited Duke Wilson and Evan to sit down in the living room, and the servants brought tea. Evan took a sip and put the cup on the table. Duke Wilson wants to know more about what she said just now, but he(E) wants to know more than that. ¡°Mrs Mel.¡± He looked at the slightly nervous woman with a gentle expression and said softly, ¡°If you have anything to do, the doors of the Church of Delanlier will always be open for you.¡± Mrs Mel is his newest congregant, she used to come to church with Colonel Mel before and Evan hoped to use this method to calm her emotions and get more information from her words. ¡°Oh, Reverend.¡± Mrs Mel¡¯s expression was almost a little surprised, as if she hadn¡¯t noticed that Evan was there before, ¡°Thank you for your generosity, I understand.¡± She nodded a little uncomfortably. It seemed like she was being perfunctory. Evan frowned in confusion. Although Mrs Mel is a new believer, if Evan remembers correctly, she is still very enthusiastic about the church. Anyway, she is 10,000 times more enthusiastic than Colonel Mel. Looking at her from time to time now, she seemed a little weird. ¡°Is there anything difficult for you?¡± Evan asked tentatively. Mrs Mel subconsciously glanced at Evan, tightened her hands that were originally on her knees, forced a smile on her face and said in a low voice, ¡°No, no, thank you for your invitation.¡± Evan nodded, but the doubts in her heart did not dissipate. Afterwards, they talked a lot about Colonel Mel. Duke Wilson hardly made a sound. He did such a terrible thing but when Mrs Mel talked about him, the expression on her face was still flat but there was even a hint of tenderness flashing at certain moments, completely unaware of her anger towards her husband¡¯s cheating. But when talking about him being wronged, her tone became excited. This kind of weird emotion made Evan sigh for Mrs Mel. It seems that she may love Colonel Mel to the bottom of her heart. She would be so tolerant of her feelings and her marriage being betrayed. This made Evan feel a little guilty about the question he was about to ask. But Evan will not give up his questioning because of this at all, because he knows very well in his heart that Colonel Mel¡¯s imprisonment will hit the Duke, so he stopped going around in circles and asked directly, ¡°Did you know before about Colonel Mel and Sister Eliza?¡± Evan tried to make his expression as cold as possible, and he knew very well in his heart that as a victim in this marriage, Mrs Mel was very likely to know Colonel Mel¡¯s betrayal and after that, make drastic moves. As soon as Evan finished speaking, Mrs Mel¡¯s face quickly turned pale, her lips trembled slightly and she looked at Evan in a panic. ¡°You¡­you¡­¡± She could hardly speak, ¡°How can you say such a terrible thing!¡± She covered her face with her hands, and big drops of tears slipped through her fingers . Evan was a little embarrassed for a while, not knowing what to say. ¡°Mrs Mel, you¡­¡± Evan wanted to comfort her but didn¡¯t know where to start. Mrs Mel raised her head abruptly, tears were still raging on her face, but her eyes looked clear and simple at this moment. ¡°I really don¡¯t know, please believe me.¡± She said these words, as if grasping the last straw. Evan was speechless for a moment, he glanced at Duke Wilson who was sitting aside with a cold expression, he could only grit his teeth and nod, ¡°My lady, I¡¯m sorry I said something that made you sad, of course I believe you. Yes, please rest assured, I just want to confirm what Colonel Mel said, so that I can find out who really killed Sister Eliza.¡± But when Evan said the word ¡°killing¡±, Mrs Mel¡¯s whole body trembled, and she buried her face in her palm again and murmured, ¡°Oh, this is really terrible, terrible, I hope all of this can pass.¡± Evan looked at her behaving like this and his expression flickered slightly, but his words were still very gentle, ¡°Please rest assured, it will pass.¡± ¡°Thank you for your hospitality today.¡± Duke Wilson suddenly interrupted Evan¡¯s gentle persuasion and said, ¡°It¡¯s getting late, let¡¯s leave first.¡± He stood up from the sofa and gave an urging look to Evan. Although Evan was taken aback by him, he would not confront him, so he stood up with him and said goodbye to Mrs Mel politely. Surprised, Mrs Mel looked at Duke Wilson, the tears on her face were still clearly visible, she nodded in a daze and then sent the two of them all the way to the carriage before going back. After Evan and Duke Wilson sat in the carriage, he asked, ¡°What do you think? Is there anything suspicious?¡± Duke Wilson frowned, ¡°I didn¡¯t think about Ederson at all. It seems that I have no idea about him. It¡¯s still a little underestimated.¡± Before, he just thought that Ederson¡¯s concealment was a heinous crime, but Mrs Mel¡¯s words today made him think of another possibility. Evan nodded, ¡°This point does need to be paid attention to, but I am very puzzled because Mrs Mel seems to be a little bit strange, I feel like she was behaving a little weird.¡± Although Evan said this, in fact, he and Mrs Mel didn¡¯t get along with each other before, but it just felt a little weird. Duke Wilson raised his eyebrows. If Evan is just a little unfamiliar, then he(DW) has never met her except for a few times. ¡°If you have any doubts about her, then I will find someone to monitor her for a while to see if any flaws can be found, but I think the most important thing at this time is Ederson.¡± Speaking of Ederson, the expression on the Duke¡¯s face was very cold. Although Evan had doubts in his heart, he still nodded at this time. What the Duke said was indeed correct. Ederson. As long as he thinks of this name, he would feel a little cold in his heart. CH 107 ¡°Ederson¡­does he have any trouble with Colonel Mel?¡± Evan asked tentatively. Duke Wilson frowned slightly and nodded, ¡°The relationship between the two of them is indeed not very good. This time, it was because of Ederson¡¯s concealment that I didn¡¯t know Mel¡¯s situation in the first place, which led to the current passive situation.¡± Evan¡¯s heart moved when he heard this, it turned out that there was such a hidden secret in it. ¡°This is really inappropriate.¡± Evan sighed softly, but his eyes were always looking in the direction of Duke Wilson, paying attention to his every move. Seeing Duke Wilson¡¯s dignified look, Evan also had some thoughts in his mind. It seemed that the quarrel between Colonel Mel and Ederson was more serious than what he said. ¡°Charles.¡± Evan suddenly broke the tranquility between the two of them, ¡°Who do you think did this?¡± He looked straight at Duke Wilson. The two of them tried their best to determine whether this matter was really done by Colonel Mel, but if it was really done by Colonel Mel, then Evan really wants to know the attitude of Duke Wilson, because for Evan, although he is selfish, he will not lose his conscience. Duke Wilson was startled for a moment, and then gently curled the corners of his lips, ¡°No matter who it is, as long as you find it out, I will believe it.¡± Duke Wilson looked at Evan. His words were not joking, it was from the heart. Evan was more important to him than any right-hand man. He valued the use of Colonel Mel but he was nothing compared to Evan. Duke Wilson felt very knowledgeable about Evan¡¯s personality, he knew that for a noble and pure gentleman like Evan, it was impossible to help anyone get away with murder. (Poor Charles ) Hearing his words, Evan was moved in his heart. He stretched out his hand, caressing the side of Duke Wilson¡¯s face. Looking at his clear and firm eyes, he couldn¡¯t help but want to kiss him, but he couldn¡¯t. With the situation at this time, Evan still suppressed the impulse in his heart, just smiled lightly and said, ¡°I am very moved by your trust.¡± Slightly tilting his head, Duke Wilson looked at him as he rubbed his face on his palm, pursed his lips and said, ¡°Evan, only you can gain my unreserved trust in this world.¡± Evan¡¯s heart suddenly felt like it was hit hard by something, his fingertips flinched slightly and his heart ached. He looked at the person in front of him who trusted him unreservedly with complicated eyes, and was speechless for a moment. He should say something? Should he continue to hide his true personality like before? Or just muddle along like this until the day he finds out? Yes, Evan never thought of exposing himself. For him, perhaps such an approach is more cruel. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Seeing Evan¡¯s hesitant expression, Duke Wilson asked with some doubt. Evan came back to his senses suddenly, and smiled at him, ¡°I¡¯m fine, but this case is a little complicated.¡± Evan lowered his head and kissed his forehead as a cover-up, and then kissed his lips with his own. He put their foreheads together and the two of them breathed against each other. ¡°Charles.¡± His hand ran through Duke Wilson¡¯s soft hair, and the tip of his nose could smell mint, ¡°I like you very much.¡± Duke Wilson was stiff all over, he looked at Evan with a slightly dull expression, as if he could not believe what he just heard. This is the first time that Evan has said such clear words of love to him, it is so simple but it makes his heart surge. ¡°Oh!¡± He whispered nervously and the next moment he hugged Evan tightly, as if he wanted to squeeze him into his own flesh and blood, leaving no gaps. ¡°Evan, I love you, no one in this world loves you more than me.¡± He kissed Evan¡¯s ears and neck with some excitement, like a child, reckless and willful without any care for the rules. Evan stroked the back of his head with a smile and whispered, ¡°Okay, my dear Charles, I betrayed my own beliefs for you and we are even.¡± He said this almost in a joking manner, but Duke Wilson suddenly stopped his somewhat agitated actions. He slightly pushed Evan¡¯s shoulder away, and looked at Evan with a serious expression. Evan felt a little guilty and secretly blamed himself for saying such frivolous words. ¡°No, Evan.¡± He looked at Evan with tenderness in his eyes, completely unlike his usual serious and indifferent appearance, ¡°What I have done is simply not equal to your sacrifice.¡± He caressed Evan¡¯s face absently as he stared into Evan¡¯s eyes, fascinated, ¡°You betrayed your belief and I just love you, I have not done enough. Evan, don¡¯t worry, I will not let you down, I will let you live a life that is unattainable for everyone in the world.¡± Seeing him like this, Evan¡¯s body trembled slightly and he even felt a little cold in his heart. Duke Wilson, he really has never seen him in such a state before. ¡°Charles.¡± Evan looked down at Duke Wilson, forcing his expression to soften, ¡°You don¡¯t have to do anything, as long as you are by my side, it will be fine.¡± That¡¯s fine¡­ Confused, Duke Wilson looked at Evan. Is this all right? It never occurred to him that maybe there are people in this world who have such a simple idea. Looking at his expression, Evan suddenly felt his heart soften for some reason. This man has never encountered true happiness in his life. His wife and father have left him. Their relationships were short-lived and pitiful, and the only son is also afraid of him. Before Evan appeared, no one could enter his heart and no one could make him soft. He was like a piece of cold ice. So unreasonable but also so pitiful. ¡°Charles.¡± He hugged Duke Wilson into his arms. How long has it been since he felt such a soft emotion in his heart, ¡°I just want you.¡± When he said this, Evan didn¡¯t realize how gentle the expression on his face was at this moment. It¡¯s not the kind of alienated gentleness he deliberately pretends to have on weekdays, but real gentleness with the warmest smile in the world. Duke Wilson¡¯s ears turned red, he hugged Evan¡¯s waist and buried his hot cheeks in his arms. His heart was beating like crazy. Maybe he has really gone crazy, Duke Wilson murmured in his heart. At this moment, he just wants to be with this man in front of him forever. The carriage wobbled towards the south of Delanlier, from the northernmost point to the southernmost point. Although this distance is long, it will always end. At the moment when Evan and Duke Wilson in the carriage were feeling different intense emotions, the carriage had already stopped outside the door of the church and the coachman reminded them in a low voice, ¡°My lord, Reverend Bruce, we¡¯ve arrived at the church.¡± Duke Wilson was leaning on Evan¡¯s shoulder. Raising his head, he glanced at Evan, with a look of reluctance in his eyes, ¡°Can you go back with me?¡± There was a rare pleading note in his tone, and as for where to go, Evan is naturally very clear. Evan laughed, he raised his hand and touched the top of his head and said softly, ¡°Not today, tomorrow is Sunday, I want to give worship with the whole town, I can¡¯t arrive too late. The previous few times I was late, Mrs Sanders warned me. If I am late again this time, she will get angry.¡± When he heard this, Duke Wilson snorted a little unconvinced. For him, a powerless old woman could never threaten his power, but seeing Evan¡¯s gentle smiling face, Duke Wilson swallowed the most evil thoughts in his heart, just leaned over and kissed the corner of Evan¡¯s mouth quickly and said, ¡°You must stay next time.¡± Evan nodded, a little dumbfounded. When it comes to this kind of thing, Duke Wilson is really naive and cute. Duke Wilson saw Evan off the carriage and then left. Before he left, he handed over an inconspicuous black box beside him to Evan, with a trace of solemnity in his eyes, ¡°Evan, you have to take good care of yourself, this time is unusual, you have to be careful.¡± Evan took the heavy box with some surprise and before he had time to be polite, Duke Wilson¡¯s carriage left, and Evan watched the carriage leave. Evan returned to the church. The box that Duke Wilson gave him was not locked. Evan just took a rough look and then opened the lid. The moment he saw what was inside, Evan was shocked. This is a very beautiful antique pistol. Of course, this is naturally the case in Evan¡¯s view. If you look at it in this era, this pistol is a popular thing in this era. The handle is very exaggeratedly inlaid with gemstones and the silver-white barrel looks very beautiful, but it is the complete opposite of the modern black and cold version. This gun has a gentle atmosphere from this world. Evan looked at the gun and fell into a long period of sluggishness. He knows about this gun. This was a gift from the old duke to Duke Wilson when he went to the battlefield. For the stern old duke, it might be the only gift given to Duke Wilson, but at this moment, this gift was lying quietly on Evan¡¯s table, looking so peaceful, as if the blood and fighting it had experienced was just a passing memory. Evan picked up the pistol, as if the warmth of the Duke¡¯s body still remained on it. Evan sighed in comfort, as if he was a pervert with some kind of secret interest. He did not expect that Duke Wilson would give this thing to him, he doesn¡¯t know whether his heart is more surprised than happy or more happy than surprised. But no matter what, Evan suddenly felt at this moment that his feelings for Duke Wilson were gradually becoming more and more real, which was beyond his expectations. But at the same time, he is also very clear in his heart that he does not want to give up this relationship easily. Then stick to it! Evan picked up the gun. Looking at the floating clouds outside the window, a gentle smile appeared in his eyes. When the Duke of Wilson returned to the Cornwall Manor, Butler Chris was waiting outside the castle. When he saw him coming back, he hurried up to greet him, ¡°My Lord! Mr Kevin is waiting in the study. He said that he has something very important to report to you.¡± Butler Chris¡¯s expression was so anxious that even Duke Wilson couldn¡¯t help frowning. He jumped out of the carriage neatly and walked towards the castle with big strides. CH 108 Duke Wilson threw his coat to Butler Chris behind him and went directly to the second floor, making Butler Chris so flustered and afraid that something big happened. When Duke Wilson entered the room, Kevin was pacing anxiously in the study. When he saw Duke Wilson coming in, he hurriedly greeted him, ¡°My lord, something is not right¡­¡± Seeing that Kevin was so anxious Duke Wilson frowned. Although Kevin was obedient, he was still a little tender compared to Ederson and Mel. ¡°Calm down and speak well.¡± Kevin¡¯s tone faltered and a look of embarrassment appeared on his face. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Duke Wilson asked slowly as he sat down. Only then did Kevin reply, ¡°My lord, Ederson is dead.¡± ¡°What?¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s expression was tense, ¡°What¡¯s going on!¡± He asked in a very low voice. Kevin started shaking. He had already experienced Duke Wilson¡¯s anger. ¡°My lord, you told me to put Ederson in jail, but today the person I sent suddenly came back to report that Ederson committed suicide last night and left you a suicide note.¡± Kevin said. As he spoke, he took out a letter from his pocket. Duke Wilson took the letter, frowning tightly. After he dealt with Ederson that day, he had the intention of not letting him live but now that the wind is getting tighter, he will not act easily, so he just let the people below watch Ederson. But unexpectedly, he actually committed suicide. ¡°When did this happen? Does anyone else know?¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s face was very ugly, and the knuckles of the hand holding the letter turned white. Finally, there was a clue, but Ederson died suddenly. Yes, this really makes him wonder if someone is really behind it. Kevin glanced at Duke Wilson a little nervously and said with a nervous expression, ¡°I¡¯m afraid¡­I¡¯m afraid someone already knows. When that person found out that Ederson was dead, his neighbor happened to come over and saw the scene, now I¡¯m afraid that the news has already been passed to Sheriff Chandler.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s lips pursed even tighter, this is really too bad. Two of his most capable men were suddenly gone. One was imprisoned within a few days, the other committed suicide, which made him have a lot of thoughts. ¡°Are you sure he committed suicide?¡± Duke Wilson said coldly. Kevin was slightly stunned and then immediately replied, ¡°Ederson died after taking poison and the door was locked, no one else was there. Our people still saw that something was wrong and forced the door open. When he went in, he found Ederson dead, which attracted the attention of the neighbors.¡± Duke Wilson gritted his teeth, still feeling a little weird in his heart and he quickly opened the envelope in his hand and read the letter. Speaking of which, there was nothing new in the letter, it was just admitting his incompetence and mistakes, and begging Duke Wilson to let his family go. In fact, Duke Wilson has heard a lot of such words in his life, but at this moment he suddenly felt a little harsh. Ederson did not say that he framed Colonel Mel until his death, and according to what Duke Wilson knows about Ederson, he is also not such a fragile person who would admit defeat so easily. ¡°My lord, what are we going to do next?¡± Kevin asked with some trepidation. Duke Wilson put down the letter in his hand, leaned on the back of the chair and closed his eyes, ¡°Go down, don¡¯t mention this matter to anyone, just pretend you don¡¯t know. Since Ederson is dead, let it die with him. You must not relax about Mel¡¯s matter, you must keep an eye on it.¡± Hearing this, Kevin felt a little chill in his heart but he still put on a smile on his face, and said in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will take care of it.¡± Kevin left the study but Duke Wilson fell into deep thought, looking at the white ceiling, thinking about the past few days. Mel went to prison on suspicion of murder, but Ederson committed suicide at this time. Although he would not let him go even if he was alive, his death at this time made this situation very delicate. These people are more or less related to him. This kind of cognition made Duke Wilson suddenly vigilant. What is going on? At this moment, he suddenly felt that his eyes and ears seemed to be covered by someone. Delanlier, which is usually very clear to him, suddenly became dim at this time. These things were like a thick fog, not allowing him to know what to do. On this night, the whole of Delanlier fell into a strange tranquility. Two people died in a row within a few days. This is not a normal situation for a small town. For the gentlemen, the mood is more delicate. If it is said that one accident is just a coincidence, then both of them have accidents, then it can only mean that there is a ghost behind this incident. But Evan had a good night¡¯s sleep that night. After returning to the church, he went to the inner room to pray. He didn¡¯t know anything about there being another homicide in Delanlier and when he heard about it, it was already the next morning. But when he found out about it this morning, his mood was already completely affected by another matter. Evan looked at the envelope in his hand with a complicated expression. He never thought that after going through that incident, his father would still have the face to write to him. That¡¯s right, at the breakfast table that day, Evan received a letter from his father, Bruce Sr., from his valet, Tom. Evan didn¡¯t want to be in touch with such family members anymore and during this period of time, they were very conscious and basically didn¡¯t disturb his life anymore, until today¡­ Evan looked at the date on the envelope, it was sent three days ago. He was still in London three days ago, but his father had already sent the letter here. Evan couldn¡¯t tell whether it was a coincidence or not, but he was very sure of one thing, his father absolutely didn¡¯t want Duke Wilson to see this letter. ¡°Reverend, oh, this is really terrible.¡± Tom, who didn¡¯t see Evan¡¯s expression, was still clamoring, ¡°It¡¯s really unusual that another person died. Mr Ederson, have you seen him before? Well, he¡¯s a gentleman, I really didn¡¯t expect¡­¡± Evan ignored Tom¡¯s eloquence and opened the envelope in front of him. The ink seemed to still have the unique luxury of the Bruce family. Evan rubbed his forehead, resisted the urge to curse and began to force himself to read the letter. The letter is long, but the meaning expressed is very simple. The marriage between his brother and Victoria was shattered. Half a month after Victoria got married, she found out that something was wrong with her husband, so she left with her own dowry. And Victoria¡¯s father was also very angry with their family based on this. Now the whole Bruce family is in turmoil. Evan agrees with this very much. No matter how powerful the Bruce family is, they are just ordinary squires with no real power and Victoria¡¯s father is a member of the parliament. If he wants to, killing the Bruce family is as easy as a cat killing ants. Evan turned over the first page, but the words on the second page made him frown. His father hoped that he could come back to inherit the estate of the Bruce family. There are no direct descendants, so for now, he is the most suitable person to inherit the estate. These words are very high-sounding but Evan understands what his father wants to express very well. Now his father has completely offended the Congressman. The Bruce family is on the edge of the cliff and behind Evan is the mighty Duke Wilson. If the support of the Duke can be obtained, then the Bruce family will not have to be afraid of a member of the parliament. Evan had to say that his father is a shrewd man. For him, being able to inherit a manor is of course a good thing. Although he resents old Bruce¡¯s schemes against him, he has no grudge against money. If he inherits the manor, then he will have to leave Delanlier and his status as a priest may also change. Thinking of this, Evan frowned even deeper. Tom finally discovered Evan¡¯s weirdness at this time and hurriedly stopped his long speech, looked at Evan with some doubts and said, ¡°Reverend, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Evan looked at Tom, feeling a little complicated. He waved his hand, ¡°I¡¯m fine, you go out first.¡± Tom had never seen Evan¡¯s solemn expression before and couldn¡¯t help feeling a little apprehensive, so he quickly backed away. As soon as Tom went out, the whole living room became quiet. Evan rubbed his throbbing temples, the emotions in his heart were complicated enough to write a novel. The current situation is too complicated for him. Well, something like this happened to Duke Wilson, and his father still didn¡¯t stop and even threw him such a difficult problem. A big manor is a great temptation for him, but at the same time, he and Duke Wilson have developed such a relationship. If he wants to inherit a manor, then he can¡¯t deceive the world with the nonsense of serving God for life, he must have his own heir, his father said this very clearly in the letter. It is clear that the condition for him to inherit the manor is that there must be a healthy offspring. Evan knows very well that such a condition is absolutely unacceptable to Duke Wilson, and more importantly, if he accepts this manor, then he can¡¯t stay in Delanlier, he has to go back to London, live in that place, marry the woman arranged by his father and then become the most ordinary manor owner. Evan sighed. This was a difficult choice for him. His purpose of coming to this place was to have a place to live in peace. At the same time, he also hoped to become a master in this era. Now his original idea seemed to be within reach, but he suddenly hesitated at this moment, he didn¡¯t know what he should choose? Do you want to be attached to the duke for the rest of your life like you are now? Or, as his father said, to inherit the estate of the Bruce family? Evan¡¯s heart was very heavy and he picked up the letter again. He looked at the lines of characters and suddenly felt very dizzy. Evan wanted to close his eyes, but suddenly found that at the end of the long letter, there is also a line of small print below. Evan stood up from the chair abruptly, frowning tightly. Old Bruce is coming to Delanlier and it¡¯s just within these few days! T/N: Curioser curiouser. I still suspect Mel anyway. CH 109 Evan feels very tired now, he¡¯d finally gotten rid of Bruce and his son in London. Unexpectedly, now that he is back in Delanlier, old Bruce is still not giving up. Evan frowned. If the old Bruce comes, then this matter would be a bit difficult to handle. He knew very well what the old Bruce was like. He was a person who would never give up until he reached his goal. He didn¡¯t know the relationship between himself and Duke Wilson. Under such circumstances, he was afraid that something would happen. At this moment, Mrs Sanders came in with a worried look on her face, ¡°Reverend¡± She walked to Evan¡¯s side and sighed softly, ¡°Mr Ederson has also died, today¡¯s Sunday service, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± Evan¡¯s expression flickered, he¡¯d almost forgotten about it. He pursed his lips and said in a low voice, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, I believe that the Lord will bless our town.¡± Mrs Sander sighed, now she can only comfort herself in this way. In a small town, people died one after another like this. She has stayed in this town for more than 20 years and she has never experienced such a thing. Evan quickly finished his breakfast, left the cottage and walked towards the church. He had been waiting in the church early and today, as Mrs Sanders had guessed, not many people came. Evan looked at the slightly uneasy look on the face of the congregants and doubts abounded in his heart. Mel was imprisoned on suspicion of murder and Ederson committed suicide. Duke Wilson¡¯s left and right arm men were lost within these few days. He thought about it. Could it be that someone was targeting Duke Wilson? Evan suddenly remembered Prince George¡¯s gentle and refined face, but the next moment he vetoed his own thoughts. If Prince George wants to deal with the Duke, he doesn¡¯t need to use such a roundabout way. He is now the king. He has easier ways to deal with Duke Wilson. Evan had something on his mind, so he didn¡¯t pay much attention during the service and it ended hastily. The congregants may not have any special feelings but Mrs Sanders took this matter very seriously. It was clear as her frown became deeper and deeper. After Evan saw off the parishioners, Mrs Sanders walked up to Evan and asked, ¡°Are you uncomfortable?¡± Evan knew what she meant, he was really absent-minded today, so he shook his head with a sullen face, ¡°I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t worry. Please prepare a carriage for me, I want to go to Cornwall Manor.¡± Hearing that Evan was going to Cornwall Manor, Mrs Sanders nodded, very understanding, ¡°Okay, I really hope this will pass soon, it¡¯s really terrible.¡± Mrs Sanders turned around and left very simply. Evan went inside, thinking about how he should tell Duke Wilson about Old Bruce. He knew very well that this matter cannot be concealed from Duke Wilson. Even if it is concealed now, he will still know when Old Bruce comes. Well, Evan is not the kind of person who would put herself into a passive position, so he still decided to tell Duke Wilson about it frankly, without knowing what Duke Wilson would do. Mrs Sanders quickly prepared the carriage as Evan changed into ordinary clothes. He got into the carriage immediately and went towards Cornwall Manor. When he arrived at Cornwall Manor, Duke Wilson had just returned. He had gone to the police station to find out the real circumstances of Ederson¡¯s death. Although it didn¡¯t help much, it was better than nothing. Originally, he was frowning and thinking about it but when he saw Evan, he couldn¡¯t help showing a soft expression on his face. ¡°Why are you here?¡± He hurriedly stood up from his seat and walked to the door to meet Evan who was following behind Butler Chris. Smiling, Evan looked at him, then looked at Butler Chris and Butler Chris quickly stepped back. Evan then said, ¡°I heard about what happened yesterday afternoon. What is going on? What happened?¡± Hearing him talking about this, Duke Wilson sneered, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about this matter, no matter who is behind the scenes, I will not let him go.¡± Evan frowned, ¡°Are you sure? Is someone trying to deal with you?¡± Duke Wilson looked at Evan and smiled softly, walked up to him and stroked his face, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the person is just a clown, I will find out sooner or later.¡± As Duke Wilson said this, his tone was very soft, but Evan only felt that the air was gloomy and his back felt cold. ¡°I see, but do you have any candidates in mind for this matter?¡± Evan actually didn¡¯t believe that Ederson would commit suicide. Although he had only met him a few times, the feeling this person gave him was not at all like a person whose character is so fragile that he would commit suicide. If he is said to be an enemy of Duke Wilson, he might be more convinced. Duke Wilson knew what he was asking but he just shook his head with a smile, put his hands around his waist, and said in a low voice, ¡°I don¡¯t know. You are an expert in this field, please investigate carefully¡± Evan didn¡¯t expect him to act like this, so he couldn¡¯t help laughing. He lowered his head and kissed his eyes and said softly, ¡°I just hope you can be well.¡± This sentence is so simple but as soon as he said it, Evan only felt the hands around his waist tighten. He lowered his head to see Duke Wilson¡¯s expression, but he had already buried his face in Evan¡¯s neck. Evan didn¡¯t know if he should laugh or cry. He stroked his hair and said softly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Duke Wilson didn¡¯t answer for a long time until Evan thought it was impossible for him to say anything, he muttered in a somewhat vague tone, ¡°Don¡¯t leave me, otherwise¡­¡± When he said this, his tone trembled a little and his voice was very low. Evan didn¡¯t hear clearly what the other person said and he only thought he was being awkward, so he just smiled and stroked his back to comfort him. But Evan didn¡¯t know that at this time Duke Wilson¡¯s bright black eyes were slowly being filled with madness. He looked at the small piece of skin on the back of Evan¡¯s neck and leaned over to kiss it gently, as if he was on a pilgrimage, careful and full of emotion as he hugged Evan¡¯s waist tightly, with crazy thoughts in his mind. You must not leave me, or I will really go crazy. Evan and Duke Wilson were intimate for a while and then sat back on the sofa. Duke Wilson leaned his head on Evan¡¯s shoulder and did not speak but looked very gentle, and the atmosphere between the two was very warm for a while. Evan stroked his hair with one hand and gently twisted his cuff with the other hand, thinking about how he should tell him about that matter. After a while, Evan finally made up his mind. After all, this matter can¡¯t be delayed for long. ¡°Charles.¡± He broke the silence between them. Duke Wilson raised his head from his shoulder and looked at Evan with a slightly confused expression. He was still immersed in the warm atmosphere just now and he looked a little dazed. Evan raised his hand and fiddled with the hair on his forehead. His gentle expression made Duke Wilson¡¯s heart beat violently. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± He raised his hand and grabbed Evan¡¯s hand, asking in an intimate tone. Evan looked at him, feeling really complicated in his heart and didn¡¯t know what to say. In the end, he only looked at Duke Wilson, flustered as he sighed. He smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, it¡¯s just that I just received a letter from my father. He will come to Delanlier in a few days.¡± He paused for a moment when he said this, a look of hesitation flashed in his eyes and finally said, ¡°He still hopes that I can inherit the estate of the Bruce family.¡± Duke Wilson heard this and he breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°I thought you were going to say something important, so it is just this. Don¡¯t worry, with me here, your father dare not touch you. As for the manor, if you want it, you can take it. Then come back here, I¡¯ll take care of it for you.¡± With a smile, he leaned forward, hugged Evan¡¯s waist, and kissed his lips. Evan was moved by his kiss and leaned over and kissed with his tongue. Evan¡¯s kissing skills had definitely withstood the test of countless fun scenes before he crossed over, so for Duke Wilson, whose experience is roughly equal to that of a young child, he was not Evan¡¯s opponent at all and was completely taken by his kiss in a few strokes, and even his breath was messy. He fell into Evan¡¯s kiss completely as he subconsciously chased Evan¡¯s slightly aggressive lips. Evan looked at Duke Wilson¡¯s watery eyes and the way he was completely engulfed in lust, and felt that his lower body raised its head slightly. He was afraid that he would make a fool of himself so he quickly pushed him away, but Duke Wilson seemed a little reluctant and chased his lips. The other wanted to kiss him again so Evan quickly blocked his approaching body and said with a wry smile, ¡°Charles, I will make a fool of myself if you come close again.¡± Duke Wilson looked at Evan with some confusion, then he realized what he meant. His already blushing face and ears turned a darker shade of red as his eyes subconsciously glanced at Evan¡¯s lower body. Seeing how cute he looked, Evan bowed his head and kissed his ear and said in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Charles, I won¡¯t do anything to embarrass you.¡± Spraying his breath on Duke Wilson¡¯s ear, Duke Wilson trembled. This place is his sensitive zone. He clenched Evan¡¯s hand tightly and unconsciously shouted, ¡°Evan.¡± Evan responded, squeezed his waist and stroked his back soothingly. There was a soft smile in the corner of his eyes that even he didn¡¯t notice. The two of them were together so affectionately. Evan stroked Duke Wilson¡¯s back again and again, but he was thinking about what Duke Wilson said just now. He will take care of himself. The underlying meaning of this sentence is that Duke Wilson has completely included himself under his wings. No matter what he has, in the eyes of Duke Wilson, it is his auxiliary product. There is no intention of letting himself be independent and he will never let himself out of his grasp. And sadly, Evan realized that he could do it. Evan lowered his head slowly. No one could understand the expression in his eyes. His mood was very complicated as he didn¡¯t know how to feel. He was a little confused at this moment. He didn¡¯t know whether such a thing was good or bad. How should the relationship between him and Charles be positioned? And Duke Wilson leaned his face on Evan¡¯s shoulder, but there was a faint look of coldness in his eyes. His mood was not as relaxed as he showed. He didn¡¯t expect that old Bruce would cause trouble for him at this time. CH 110 Evan left after seeing Duke Wilson again. Now that the matter of Colonel Mel is getting more and more complicated, he must figure it out as soon as possible. Only in this way will the pressure on Duke Wilson will be lessened. Evan is so considerate of Duke Wilson and the Duke is of course very clear about this, so when he sent Evan away early, the joy in his eyes was very obvious, so obvious that Butler Chris muttered, this is something that has never happened before. In the past, if Reverend Bruce left, the Duke would definitely be sulking. Duke Wilson did not see the different expression of Butler Chris. After Evan left, he immediately summoned Kevin. Although a positive investigation of this matter is necessary, what Duke Wilson believes more is that he needs to know about the power behind the scenes. This time, the mastermind of this matter was able to hide from his subordinates. It seems that he is definitely not an ordinary person. He must make plans early. After Evan left Cornwall manor, he walked directly towards Sheriff Chandler¡¯s house. Sheriff Chandler is in charge of the investigation for this matter. If he wants to know more about the situation, it would be best to find Sheriff Chandler. When Evan arrived at Sheriff Chandler¡¯s house, Mrs Chandler was reprimanding the children in the house with a very serious expression on her face, but when she saw Evan coming, she immediately put on a gentle smile. ¡°Oh, Reverend Bruce, why are you here? Will is upstairs now, are you here to see him?¡± Mrs Chandler is not a beautiful lady, but when she smiles or laughs, she would still have a very gentle look on her face. Evan nodded with a gentle expression and Mrs Chandler also dropped her tearful youngest son, welcomed Evan into the house and shouted to the second son who was watching the joke in the corner, ¡°Go and call your father down and tell him that Reverend Bruce is here.¡± The second son is a clever little ghost and immediately ran upstairs. Evan followed Mrs Chandler to the living room but found that the whole living room was covered with Mrs Chandler¡¯s woven fabric, all the hats and socks on the stools and on the sofa made the place look very messy. Embarrassed, Mrs Chandler smiled, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, I¡¯ve made you laugh. Because Christmas will be in a few days, these are all prepared for the charity association.¡± Evan nodded with a smile, ¡°You really are a kind lady.¡± Delanlier is a traditional Protestant town and the women in the town always have endless kindness, so both the Charity Association and the Women¡¯s Association of this town are very lively places. Evan has heard of this before. While the two of them were talking, Sheriff Chandler came down from upstairs. His tie was crooked and his hair was messed up. He looked as if he hadn¡¯t slept all night. Seeing his appearance, before Evan could say anything, Mrs Chandler got angry first, ¡°Oh, look at what you look like! This is really indecent, we have guests!¡± Muttering, Sheriff Chandler came over as he scratched his hair that looked like a bird¡¯s nest and said indifferently, ¡°Reverend Bruce is not an outsider.¡± His natural appearance made Mrs Chandler very angry but she tried to endure it. Evan smiled, ¡°Madam, please don¡¯t be angry. Sheriff Chandler is right. I am a good friend of the sheriff and I don¡¯t mind these things.¡± Seeing that Evan said the same thing, Mrs Chandler had nothing else to say, but she gave Sheriff Chandler a hard look, turned and left the living room. Seeing Mrs Chandler go out, Sheriff Chandler walked over, swept out a space on the sofa and motioned for Evan to sit down. Evan didn¡¯t dislike it and sat down. ¡°I know what you are here for, Reverend Bruce.¡± Sheriff Chandler sat on the sofa opposite Evan and rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly, ¡°It¡¯s just that things are still a mess now and I don¡¯t know how to go about this matter. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on.¡± Evan smiled slightly, ¡°It¡¯s not just you, I¡¯m also very confused now. Did Mr Ederson really commit suicide?¡± He asked tentatively, but his eyes looked into Sheriff Chandler¡¯s without blinking, for fear of missing something. Sheriff Chandler frowned when he heard him ask this question and glanced at Evan, ¡°Do you have any thoughts when you ask this?¡± He knows very well that Evan is not someone who does aimless things. Evan just smiled and shook his head, ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have any thoughts. I just think that someone like Mr Ederson should not have committed suicide, so I am a little surprised. Mr Ederson is not such a fragile person.¡± Sheriff Chandler sighed, ¡°Not to mention you, a new priest, even I don¡¯t want to believe it. Ederson is a good guy, he has a will of steel, I am also very surprised that such a person committed suicide.¡± Evan raised his eyebrows, ¡°In this case, isn¡¯t there any suspicion of homicide?¡± Speaking of this, Sheriff Chandler smiled wryly and waved his hand, ¡°If it is true, I will not be resting at home now, but I will continue to investigate this matter.¡± Evan frowned, there still seemed to be no trace that Ederson committed suicide first. ¡°So, did this Mr Ederson leave any suicide note?¡± Evan continued to ask. Sheriff Chandler shook his head, ¡°If there is such a thing, then I don¡¯t have to speculate for no reason here.¡± After hearing this, Evan¡¯s frown deepened, it seems that this matter really has no clues. ¡°So what¡¯s Colonel Mel¡¯s mood about this matter?¡± Evan looked at the sheriff and asked thoughtfully. Sheriff Chandler looked at Evan with some doubt, ¡°This¡­I haven¡¯t asked about it. Do you think this matter is related to Colonel Mel¡¯s case?¡± Evan didn¡¯t expect him to ask this. As he thought of this, the smile on his face suddenly became a bit forced and he waved his hand lightly, ¡°I¡¯m just guessing, because this incident is really too coincidental and these two gentlemen are both Duke Wilson¡¯s staff, so I will inevitably¡­¡± Sheriff Chandler nodded in agreement, ¡°You are very right, I also feel deeply that it can be related. But these two things are so different that I didn¡¯t even think about it.¡± He said a little ashamedly. Evan just smiled, ¡°It¡¯s normal that you didn¡¯t think about it, after all, I was just guessing randomly.¡± But Sheriff Chandler¡¯s face became serious at this time, he looked at Evan and said in a low voice, ¡°Your idea is very novel, but it is also very thought-provoking. These two things are indeed too coincidental. I just accepted this case yesterday and the General Administration immediately held a meeting. I didn¡¯t think about it carefully. This matter, now it seems that there are indeed many doubts.¡± Seeing that Sheriff Chandler had understood what he meant, Evan finally heaved a sigh of relief in his heart. He always felt that this incident was too coincidental, but he didn¡¯t know what the special connection between them could be. Maybe only Colonel Mel, who is an insider, knows something that he doesn¡¯t know. Now that he has a new direction of investigation, Sheriff Chandler is full of energy. He immediately stood up from the sofa, stood in front of Evan with some excitement and said, ¡°Can you accompany me? Let¡¯s interrogate Colonel Mel again. The Colonel is a very cunning person, I think only you can get words out of his mouth.¡± Evan waved his hand modestly and said a few words politely, but in the end he was still unable to resist the various invitations of Sheriff Chandler so he followed Sheriff Chandler to the police station contentedly. *********** Seeing Colonel Mel again, he was much calmer than last time, at least he could no longer see the resentment and pain from last time on the surface, but there was still a look of panic in his eyes and he looked a little pitiful. ¡°Colonel.¡± Evan nodded to him politely. After Evan spoke, Colonel Mel¡¯s eyes swept over to Evan, but there were no more ups and downs in his eyes and he just nodded mechanically. Sheriff Chandler was a little impatient with Colonel Mel like this, he tapped on the table lightly and said, ¡°I came here with Reverend Bruce this time to tell you a very regrettable news.¡± When talking about this, Colonel Mel raised his head abruptly, a little panic flashed in his eyes and Evan frowned. ¡°Mr Ederson is dead.¡± Sheriff Chandler didn¡¯t notice the difference in Colonel Mel and continued to speak in a calm tone. Evan, however, has been staring at Colonel Mel¡¯s every move and he is very aware that when Sheriff Chandler said these words, Colonel Mel was subtly relieved. Evan¡¯s doubts suddenly increased. What was he worried about? ¡°Ederson?¡± Colonel Mel looked at Sheriff Chandler with some confusion. He tilted his head slightly, his face showing a look of bewilderment, ¡°How could he die?¡± Since Sheriff Chandler finished speaking, he has been looking at Colonel Mel¡¯s face for fear of missing something. Hearing what he said, he frowned, ¡°Judging from the evidence at the scene, he should have committed suicide.¡± ¡°Suicide?¡± Colonel Mel¡¯s originally calm tone finally had some ups and downs. He looked at Sheriff Chandler and waved his hands firmly, ¡°No, no, it¡¯s impossible. Ederson will never commit suicide!¡± ¡°Absolutely not?¡± Sheriff Chandler looked at Colonel Mel with sarcasm, ¡°Why do you say that he will never commit suicide? Are you going to tell me that he is a Catholic and that suicide is against the doctrine?¡± Colonel Mel ignored Sheriff Chandler¡¯s provocative tone. He just kept frowning and said calmly, ¡°Ederson visited me in prison the day before yesterday.¡± ¡°What!?¡± Sheriff Chandler abruptly stood up from the chair without hesitation, ¡°It¡¯s impossible, I gave an order that they are not to let anyone come to see you.¡± Colonel Mel raised his chin, looked at the face of Sheriff Chandler with a calm expression and said in a low voice ¡°Yes, you did order that, but unfortunately, Ederson is my lawyer.¡± Sheriff Chandler¡¯s face turned red at a speed visible to the naked eye, he didn¡¯t know that Ederson turned out to be a lawyer. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Sheriff Chandler sat down holding his fire, almost gnashing his teeth as he looked at Colonel Mel. But Colonel Mel¡¯s expression remained calm at this time, as if he didn¡¯t notice Sheriff Chandler¡¯s anger. ¡°Ederson sneaked over to visit me the day before yesterday. We talked about some private matters. He begged me to speak well to the Duke and he also told me¡­¡± Colonel Mel took a deep breath at this point and he seemed a little uncomfortable, ¡°And also told me that he has a seriously ill son living in a nursing home and he needs to stay with the Duke to maintain the expenses, otherwise his son¡­his son will die.¡± By the time he said the last sentence, Colonel Mel¡¯s tone had become a bit bitter, his expression seemed a little sad and he seemed a little regretful. He looked straight at Evan sitting beside Sheriff Chandler and murmured, ¡°And I rejected him.¡± T/N: Hmm, I¡¯m getting even more and more suspicious of this colonel CH 111 ¡°You¡­¡± Evan frowned, ¡°Is what you said true?¡± This matter is really getting more and more complicated. ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± Colonel Mel¡¯s face recovered its previous calmness, ¡°I rejected him.¡± He repeated this sentence again, his lips were slightly dry. Evan looked at Colonel Mel with a complicated expression. In fact, Sheriff Chandler might not understand why Ederson wanted Colonel Mel to intercede for him, but Evan knew very well that Ederson had done something unforgivable, he concealed the matter of Colonel Mel from Duke Wilson and Evan also knows very well what kind of person Duke Wilson is, doing such a thing is absolutely unforgivable to him. So Colonel Mel refusing to help him say good words to the duke is also normal, because even if Colonel Mel has a heart of Buddha, he would not dare to challenge Duke Wilson¡¯s bottom line. But now Ederson is dead. Instead of being quietly disposed of by Duke Wilson, he was killed by someone else and Colonel Mel looked a little stiff. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Sheriff Chandler looked at Colonel Mel with some doubt, ¡°Did Ederson do something to dissatisfy the Duke?¡± Colonel Mel looked at him with a look in his eyes, a somewhat sad expression, ¡°You don¡¯t need to ask me anymore, anyway, you just need to know that Ederson will never commit suicide. He still has a son to support and he will not give up his life easily.¡± Irritated, Sheriff Chandler frowned and looked at Colonel Mel. The things he asked today were the only things he asked since he came in but Sheriff Chandler always felt that there was something wrong in his heart. Even if Ederson really didn¡¯t commit suicide, who killed him? This matter is now like a mess with no place to start. ¡°We still need to investigate whether he committed suicide. I will investigate the information you provided.¡± After Sheriff Chandler finished speaking, he turned and left the room. Evan stood where he was and didn¡¯t move his feet until Sheriff Chandler went out, and then Evan quickly said, ¡°Colonel, it¡¯s come to this point, you¡¯d better be honest, it¡¯s not just you that is suffering now.¡± Evan glanced at Colonel Mel meaningfully, and sure enough, he was trembling and his face was pale. ¡°Is it Katrina?¡± He almost gritted his teeth as he asked, his eyes staring straight at Evan with an unpredictable expression. Evan nodded slowly, ¡°Mrs Mel¡¯s condition is not good. You have done something that is harmful to her. Please don¡¯t continue now.¡± Colonel Mel lowered his head, and the whole person looked sad. Evan saw that there was something going on and hurriedly said, ¡°Think about it carefully. The only ones who can help you now are me and the Duke. If you have anything to say, please speak up as soon as possible.¡± He nodded hesitantly and said nothing more. Seeing him like this, Evan couldn¡¯t stay any longer, turned around and left. Mel definitely knows something, Evan had a faint premonition in his heart. He always felt that there was something in Mel¡¯s words, but he didn¡¯t seem to want to spit out easily in his current state. It would be better if Duke Wilson came over. Evan thought in his heart that maybe only Duke Wilson could make Mel say everything he knows. Evan left the interrogation room. When he came out, Sheriff Chandler was standing at the door. When he saw Evan coming out, he hurriedly greeted him, ¡°How is it? Did he say anything?¡± Looking at Sheriff Chandler¡¯s anxious expression, Evan shook his head helplessly, ¡°No, Colonel Mel¡¯s tone is very strict.¡± It was already a bit too strict and there was almost no way to persuade people, Evan thought, depressed. Sheriff Chandler felt disappointed, ¡°What the hell is going on with this man! He¡¯s still so stubborn even after he¡¯s in prison.¡± Sheriff Chandler scratched the back of his head in frustration. Although he was a little careless, it can be seen that Colonel Mel has reservations so he pins his hopes on Evan, but now it seems that even Evan is of little use. Evan looked at him like this, his heart moved slightly and he said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask Duke Wilson to come over?¡± Regarding Evan¡¯s idea, Sheriff Chandler frowned and shook his head, ¡°No, this matter is too closely related to Duke Wilson and rumors will inevitably spread when he comes here. I don¡¯t want the Duke to be dragged into this kind of matter in the end.¡± Although Sheriff Chandler spoke neatly in front of Duke Wilson before when he arrested Mel in his presence, he is still a man of this era and he can be regarded as a typical example of the most conservative gentleman of this era. He still has a natural respect for nobles, especially noble nobles. Evan lowered his head and pursed his lips. Sheriff Chandler¡¯s words made sense, now is indeed not the best time for Duke Wilson to intervene. ¡°Well, since that¡¯s the case, I want to visit Mrs Mel.¡± Evan was thinking a lot. Looking at today¡¯s situation, Colonel Mel still has a little guilt and concern for Mrs Mel. If Mrs Mel could come over, they might be able to pry open Colonel Mel¡¯s tongue. Sheriff Chandler frowned, thinking of what Evan meant but he didn¡¯t have any hope for it. A person who can betray his wife without saying a word, he doesn¡¯t believe that he can have any kindness towards Mrs Mel. ¡°You can go if you want, it¡¯s just¡­well¡­¡± Sheriff Chandler sighed, this matter has now reached a very tense point and he is now at an impasse with no breakthrough point. Evan could see Sheriff Chandler¡¯s anxiety, but he just smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the truth of this matter will be revealed anyway, it¡¯s just a matter of time.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sheriff Chandler smiled wryly, ¡°You¡¯re right, but what I lack the most right now is time. If there is no breakthrough in this matter within a week, I¡¯m afraid Scotland Yard will come into it. At that time, not only me, but also my boss will be punished, so he has been pushing me very hard these days. Reverend Bruce, you have helped me so many times, please help me this time.¡± Sheriff Chandler looked at Evan worriedly. Evan was taken aback for a moment, and then smiled again, ¡°You are too modest, I just did some insignificant things, these are the results of your hard work¡­¡± ¡°No, no.¡± Before Evan finished speaking, Sheriff Chandler stopped his words with a wry smile and waved his hands, ¡°I am very aware of your help to me and I am also very grateful for your help. Your humility makes me think that you are a noble gentleman, but I can¡¯t take away your achievements.¡± Evan looked at Sheriff Chandler, who had a serious expression, and was speechless for a while, but finally shook his head and smiled. *********** After leaving the police station, Evan walked towards Mel¡¯s manor. He was thinking about how to communicate with Mrs Mel all the way, but when he walked to Colonel Mel¡¯s manor, he found that all the preparations he had made before seemed a bit redundant. When he got there, Mrs Mel was sprawled beside the bed in her dressing gown, with her hair loose and throwing up. The butler happened to see this scene when he led Evan into Mrs Mel¡¯s room. ¡°Reverend Bruce.¡± Mrs Mel looked at Evan with a pale face, the corners of her mouth reluctantly hooked up. Evan felt a little weird in his heart, but on the surface he still smiled at Mrs Mel with a normal expression and was about to speak when he saw the cross necklace on Mrs Mel¡¯s neck that had just fallen out of the dressing gown. But before Evan could see clearly, Mrs Mel quickly put the cross back into her clothes as a look of panic flashed across her face. Evan frowned, the cross just now seemed¡­something is wrong. But for a while, Evan couldn¡¯t tell what was wrong, and finally he could only smile and said, ¡°Are you okay?¡± Mrs Mel smiled absently as she glanced at Evan from the corner of her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± She replied anxiously, ¡°I¡¯m just¡­just a little tired.¡± She pursed her dry lips. ¡°You can¡¯t do this.¡± Evan looked at Mrs Mel with a serious expression, only seeing Mrs Mel acting flustered, ¡°You are looking too bad now, you need treatment, did you ask the doctor to come here?¡± Speaking of this, the butler who was originally standing behind Evan spoke up, ¡°Madam has never been willing to ask for a doctor, and we don¡¯t know what is going on with Madam until now. Madam, just listen to Reverend Bruce, the Reverend is a good friend of the colonel, and the colonel will be worried about you.¡± Speaking of the colonel, Mrs Mel¡¯s face became pale and tears welled up in her eyes, ¡°Oh, Oh, my poor Charlie.¡± Evan felt a little surprised for a moment, no matter how you say it, the word ¡°poor¡± does not match Colonel Mel and it was still spoken by Mrs Mel. Realizing her gaffe, Mrs Mel immediately stopped talking. She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and said in a low voice, ¡°Yes¡­I¡¯m sorry, I lost my composure. Well then, please¡­just ask the doctor to come over.¡± The butler glanced at Mrs Mel, and said again, ¡°Madam, is it Dr. Hester?¡± Mrs Mel nodded indiscriminately, her eyes slightly uncertain, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Dr. Hester, just ask him to come over.¡± From the beginning to the end, Evan didn¡¯t speak as he just stood to the side, observing Mrs Mel¡¯s every move. The butler immediately took the order and went out, but Evan was still standing in the room, with a very calm expression and had no intention of leaving. Mrs Mel felt a little uncomfortable. She squeezed her slender fingers slightly, bit her lips and said, ¡°Reverend, I am really grateful that you came to see me today, but won¡¯t this delay your work in the church?¡± Evan raised his eyebrows slightly and smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t happen. I am good friends with Colonel Mel and I came to see you for him today. I can reply to him only if you are well.¡± ¡°You, have you met Charlie?¡± Mrs Mel looked at Evan excitedly. Evan hooked his lips up slightly, ¡°Yes, I just met with him.¡± ¡°Then¡­then is he okay?¡± Mrs Mel¡¯s eyes flickered expectantly. Evan watched her behave like this and a complex look flashed in his eyes. ¡°He¡¯s fine, he¡¯s just worried about you.¡± Evan said softly. Hearing what Evan said, Mrs Mel seemed to be caught in some warm memories with a foolish smile on her face. She lowered her head, bit her lips and said with a soft smile in the corner of her eyes, ¡°Please tell him that I¡¯m fine, and tell him to take care of himself.¡± ¡°Okay, I understand.¡± Evan said in a deep voice. He suddenly felt that he really doesn¡¯t understand women. A woman can still be so infatuated after her husband betrayed her. I really don¡¯t know if she really loves him too much or if she is really stupid. At this moment, the butler had already brought Dr. Hester up. Evan¡¯s expression was slightly shocked as he looked towards the door. T/N: I¡¯m getting more and more suspicious of both Colonel Mel and his wife. And Alia¡¯s father is back. I hope Alia won¡¯t pop up again, things are already going so well. CH 112 Dr. Hester was much thinner than the last time Evan saw him and when he saw Evan, he was taken aback. ¡°B¡­Reverend Bruce?¡± He curled the corners of his lips in embarrassment, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Evan seemed not to notice his strangeness and still smiled gently, ¡°I¡¯m following Colonel Mel¡¯s instructions. The colonel asked me to come and visit Mrs Mel.¡± Hearing what Evan said, Dr. Hester nodded as if he suddenly realized, ¡°I almost forgot, you have a very good relationship with Colonel Mel.¡± Speaking of this, the expression on Dr. Hester¡¯s face was a bit complicated. He looked straight at Evan. He didn¡¯t know what kind of emotions he had for Evan. He might have appreciated him before, but after what happened to Alia, he found that his thoughts had changed a little. Maybe it was apologetic or a little guilty, but more of it was a psychological barrier. Alia is his daughter after all and Dr. Hester favored Alia psychologically, no matter what wrong she had done. ¡°Doctor Hester?¡± Evan looked at the dazed Dr. Hester and called him doubtfully. Dr. Hester came back to his senses. He lowered his head in embarrassment, muttered something in a low voice and then walked towards Mrs Mel on the bed. Evan looked at the back of Dr. Hester and raised his eyebrows slightly. It seemed that Dr. Hester was trying to act like he is completely unfamiliar to him, but this had no effect on Evan. Turning around and slightly hooking the corners of his lips, he didn¡¯t say a word. Dr. Hester walked up to Mrs Mel and first listened to her heartbeat with a stethoscope. His expression was slightly surprised, he turned to the butler and asked about Mrs Mel¡¯s current situation. The butler answered respectfully, speaking very carefully and even Evan couldn¡¯t help being a little surprised. Now that Colonel Mel¡¯s house is in turmoil, the old butler is still so loyal. It seems that Colonel Mel has put a lot of effort into it. Dr. Hester nodded after hearing this and when he turned to look at Mrs. Mel, a smile had already appeared on his face but there was still a hint of worry in his eyes. ¡°Madam, congratulations. If my judgment is correct, you should be pregnant.¡± Dr. Hester¡¯s voice was steady without any ups and downs. Evan was taken aback and immediately looked at Mrs Mel, wanting to see her reaction, after all this incident was too overwhelming. Mrs Mel sat there blankly, looking at Dr. Hester with a look of doubt, as if she didn¡¯t understand what he meant. ¡°You¡­you mean¡­¡± Her lips were trembling, like dead leaves on an autumn branch, as if they were about to wither in the next moment. ¡°Is what you said true? Am I really pregnant?¡± She grabbed Dr. Hester¡¯s sleeve urgently, her eyes sparkling with excitement. Dr. Hester was a little surprised at her excitement and shivered, but he said firmly, ¡°Ma¡¯am, I¡¯m 90% sure, but you still need further examination.¡± ¡°Okay, okay!¡± The excitement in Mrs Mel¡¯s eyes was bursting, almost crazy, ¡°I will definitely cooperate with your inspection.¡± Charlie¡¯s child was growing in her stomach. Mrs Mel lowered her head gently, looking at her lower abdomen as she stretched out her hand and stroked it. She was very careful, as if she was touching some rare treasure. Evan looked at her current state and frowned. Mrs Mel was pregnant, he clenched his fists tightly, Colonel Mel is still in prison and Mrs Mel is pregnant now and he doesn¡¯t know if it is bad or good, and¡­ Evan sneered. Colonel Mel said how deeply he felt about his feelings for Sister Eliza, but this isn¡¯t about having children with Mrs. Mel. ¡°Congratulations, ma¡¯am.¡± To the excited Mrs Mel and the servants of the Mel family, Evan interjected at the right time, ¡°If Colonel Mel knows the good news, he will be very happy.¡± Speaking of this, Mrs Mel¡¯s expression changed immediately, her smile disappeared visibly to the naked eye and her eyes were stained with fear. ¡°Oh, Charlie, he is now¡­¡± Mrs Mel lowered her head, her eyes were red. Evan pursed his lips, ignored the dissatisfied butler and Dr. Hester, and continued, ¡°I know you are very worried about the situation of Colonel Mel, but he is in prison at this time. So for the good of your child, please help me.¡± Hearing what Evan said, Mrs Mel raised her head in doubt, there were still crystal tears on her cheeks and her brown eyes looked innocent and clear. ¡°Help you?¡± She murmured, ¡°How can I help you?¡± Seeing that she finally asked this question, Evan heaved a sigh of relief and said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t belittle yourself, your role will be very big. Although I want to clear up the grievances of Colonel Mel, Colonel Mel has been unwilling to open his heart to me and Colonel Mel still feels a little guilty towards you, so I hope you can have a good talk with Colonel Mel and let him be more frank.¡± Evan had thought about it before, since Duke Wilson can¡¯t intervene in this matter, then the only person that can touch Colonel Mel may be only Mrs Mel. Mrs Mel looked a little dazed. She didn¡¯t seem to understand what Evan was talking about. She looked at Evan with flustered eyes, but her hands were tightly pressed against her belly. ¡°You¡­ Do you want me to go to the prison to find Charlie?¡± She was a little vague when she said this and she seemed a little nervous. Evan thought about her status as a pregnant woman and pondered for a moment, ¡°You are pregnant now so I will try my best to get permission from Sheriff Chandler so that you can see Colonel Mel at home.¡± Hearing Evan say this, Mrs Mel seemed to be relieved and the face of the butler next to her was also a bit happy. Only Dr. Hester gave Evan a strange look. He hadn¡¯t noticed before but it turned out that Evan was also such a¡­a man who is good at observing. Dr. Hester couldn¡¯t find an adjective for the feeling he had just now, but still felt a little weird. Mrs Mel agreed to Evan¡¯s request and Evan felt relieved. Now that Colonel Mel is refusing to speak and since Sheriff Chandler¡¯s rigid methods are not effective, he can only use someone like Mrs Mel as a soft policy. Evan found Sheriff Chandler and explained his thoughts to him. Sheriff Chandler also hoped that this matter could be resolved as soon as possible, so after thinking about it for a while, he agreed to Evan¡¯s request and he made an appointment to let Colonel Mel out to meet Mrs Mel in two days. Evan got Sheriff Chandler out of the way and returned to the Delanlier Church. When he returned, it was already night, and Mrs Sanders had already left the church. He went in and changed his robe and then went to the altar. It is customary for him to have his evening prayers. His career as a priest in the past few years may have formed a habit. He has long been accustomed to praying in the morning and evening and he has to do it every day, and he has never stopped for so many years. Evan knelt down in front of the statue Jesus, looked at the aloof statue Jesus, and suddenly felt a little confused in his heart. Although he is a priest, he has never believed in these vain things. He only believed in himself, but at this moment, in such a quiet night, the uneasiness and worries in his heart over the past year suddenly flooded towards him like a tide. Evan slowly closed his eyes and he silently recited the most ulterior worries in his heart word by word. I hope the Duke never knows what I am. When this line of words appeared in Evan¡¯s mind, he was surprised. Is this his greatest fear? Evan was a little confused. He looked at the statue bathed in the moonlight, his eyes blurred. But the next moment, his gaze suddenly became sharper and he stood up from the ground abruptly. He stared at the statue as a sneer appeared on the corner of his lips. So that¡¯s how it is! So it is like this! He wanted to laugh, but because of the situation at this moment, he had to stop his smile. Now that he has made a breakthrough in this matter and other things are clearly unfolding in front of his eyes at this time. Evan lowered his head and he clenched his fists. What is needed at the time is evidence, he still has to be careful in this matter, otherwise it will fall short. Evan¡¯s heart was surging at this time, as if the worries about himself and Duke Wilson just now had dissipated. He let out a long breath, with a determined look on his face. He also stopped praying, turned around and left the church with big strides. Evan didn¡¯t sleep very well that night. The turning point of this case made him toss and turn. Now he needs evidence and time to prove his conjecture. It wasn¡¯t until dawn that Evan fell asleep vaguely but he just closed his eyes and was awakened by his servant, Tom the next moment. Tom¡¯s face was a little anxious as he hurriedly said, ¡°Reverend, the Duke is here.¡± The Duke is here? This sentence completely woke Evan, who was still a little confused, up. He sat up suddenly from the bed and the clothes that Tom had already prepared were quickly handed over. Evan put on the clothes by himself, but he was thinking in his heart, what is the purpose of Duke Wilson¡¯s visit? It¡¯s early, it doesn¡¯t look like his usual style. Evan packed himself up as quickly as possible and walked downstairs. He saw Duke Wilson at a glance. He was sitting at the dining table with a leisurely expression, as if he was not in a narrow and simple room, but in some gorgeous castle. He also saw Evan and a smile quickly appeared in his cold eyes as he stood up from the chair. ¡°Are you awake?¡± After saying this, he noticed the blackness underneath Evan¡¯s eyes and his eyes sank, ¡°Did you not rest?¡± Evan¡¯s heart softened and he smiled as he waved his hand, ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m just a little tired. You¡¯re here today¡­¡± He turned around and glanced at Tom. A look of grievance appeared on Tom¡¯s gossipy face but he left in the end, so only Evan and Duke Wilson were left in the dining room. ¡°Why are you here? Charles?¡± Evan walked to Duke Wilson and asked. Duke Wilson put his arms around Evan. He pressed toward Evan¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°I heard that you are going to let Mel meet his wife, and I want to see it too.¡± Evan was taken aback for a moment and broke away from Duke Wilson¡¯s grip a little bit. He looked at him carefully. They agreed on this matter last night, and Duke Wilson actually already found out today. It was really too fast. CH 113 ¡°Are you sure you want to go there, Charles? I don¡¯t want you to get too involved in this matter. The city is full of storms now. If you go again, I¡¯m afraid there will be some bad rumors.¡± Evan put down his heart for Duke Wilson and his many thoughts, and then asked with some worry. Duke Wilson looked at his worried face and smiled, his tone was much gentler, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Chandler didn¡¯t dare to do this blatantly, I will be careful.¡± Evan breathed a sigh of relief, but the worry on his face did not lessen. He looked straight at Duke Wilson, thinking about this case and felt a little shaken in his heart. But in the end he just sighed. This matter is actually just a preliminary conjecture of his own and evidence is still needed to prove it, otherwise everything is empty talk. The two of them got intimate in the living room for a while, and then Duke Wilson left. His Manor has been unsettled for the past few days. Because of this matter, Duke Wilson has many things to re-arrange. After seeing off Duke Wilson, Evan went to work as usual, but because of these cases, fewer and fewer people came to the church these days, so Evan¡¯s work was much easier than before. Just after the afternoon prayers, Evan finished all his work and he returned to the priest¡¯s hut after finishing his evening prayer alone. But as soon as he went back, Sheriff Chandler came over and he looked a little unhappy. ¡°Reverend, do you know?¡± This unfinished sentence made Evan feel a little amused, ¡°What did you say?¡± Sheriff Chandler sat down on the sofa, a little discouraged, and took off the hat on his head. ¡°Don¡¯t you know? Duke Wilson asked to participate in tomorrow¡¯s interrogation. Our director has already agreed, and also promised that this matter will be done in secret.¡± Evan knew that Duke Wilson would definitely achieve his goal through some means, but unexpectedly, he would skip Sheriff Chandler and go directly to the director of the police station. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you think this is bad?¡± Evan asked with a look of doubt, as if he¡¯s just hearing this for the first time. Sheriff Chandler scratched his head, looking troubled. ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± He muttered, ¡°I respect Duke Wilson very much but he is too involved in this matter. I don¡¯t want him to be involved any more. It¡¯s not good for anyone.¡± Evan actually understood what Sheriff Chandler meant, this is the same concept as modern people in power who try not to get involved in cases related to themselves, but unfortunately in this privileged society, this cannot be achieved. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry so much. Duke Wilson is a noble gentleman. He will not disturb your case. Maybe he is just worried about the progress of this case. You just need to solve this case.¡± Evan reassured him because at this juncture, he did not want to see conflicts between the Duke and Sheriff Chandler. Sheriff Chandler nodded helplessly. This matter is now a foregone conclusion, and no matter how inappropriate he feels it is, he cannot change it. ¡°Well, maybe you¡¯re right. I think with the Duke around, Mel might be able to say more things.¡± Evan nodded with a smile, but his heart was calm. Maybe tomorrow, he would be able to get an answer to the thoughts in his mind. After sending Sheriff Chandler away, Evan had a good night¡¯s sleep. Since this incident happened, this is the first time that Evan has slept so peacefully. Perhaps it is because he has sufficient confidence in his guess, Evan felt that this matter was not far from the truth. Early the next morning, Evan had just finished his breakfast when a carriage stopped at his door. Tom came in to report the news in surprise, but Evan already knew who it was. Adjusting his collar, he went out. When Evan just walked out, he found that it was snowing outside and there was a slight chill in the air. Evan tightened the cloak on his body and directly got into the carriage parked at the door. As soon as he entered the carriage, there was a rush of warmth and Evan couldn¡¯t help shivering, but he only felt that his whole body was much warmer. Before he could speak, he was dragged by a pair of warm hands and into a warm embrace. Evan smiled, stroked the back of the black head leaning against his neck, and whispered, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± He didn¡¯t speak but sucked a small piece of skin on Evan¡¯s neck, which made Evan feel a little flustered, and the hands holding his waist tightened. ¡°Okay Charles, we¡¯re in the carriage.¡± Evan whispered, enduring the commotion in his heart. But Duke Wilson laughed and said in a low voice, ¡°Weren¡¯t we also in the carriage last time?¡± His words were low and ambiguous and Evan¡¯s heart trembled, almost unable to hold back. ¡°You still said last time, last time I¡­¡± Evan¡¯s voice trembled slightly, and he sounded a little guilty. But Duke Wilson immediately interrupted his words. He raised his head from Evan¡¯s shoulder, pressed against Evan¡¯s forehead, looked into Evan¡¯s eyes and said very seriously, ¡°Evan, don¡¯t feel guilty, I voluntarily did it. I love you, I am willing to give you everything I have and as long as you stay by my side, you can do whatever you want.¡± His words are so simple, but also so serious, Evan looked into his eyes and didn¡¯t know what to say for a while. He just felt a warm flow in his heart, and the hesitation and anxiety he felt completely dissipated at this moment. For the first time, Evan thought, I may be crazy. ¡°Oh, Charles!¡± Evan whispered, and then sealed Duke Wilson¡¯s lips. This person¡¯s lips are so soft, completely different from him. As soon as Evan kissed him, he opened his mouth obediently, allowing Evan to ravage in his mouth and Evan¡¯s kiss was different from his own. It is also completely different, it is almost a kind of sadistic toughness, not allowing him the slightest leeway, sucking his lips and tongue, licking his mouth, not letting go of every corner of his mouth, making him feel like he has no way to retreat. He can only respond with his lips and tongue, he can only breathe with his rhythm. Until the end when the kiss finally ended, Duke Wilson was absent-minded, panting heavily and the silver-white liquid drew an arc as they separated with a lewd breath. Duke Wilson laid his head on Evan¡¯s shoulder as he panted, but there was a look of firm possessive desire in his eyes. This person belongs to him, and he will not let go even if he dies this time. The two remained silent for a long time. Only then did Duke Wilson recover from the lustful kiss just now. He hugged Evan¡¯s waist and looked up at Evan. His beautifully shaped chin and fair neck made him feel a little dazed, and he leaned forward and kissed Evan¡¯s chin and said, ¡°Evan, you must not leave me.¡± Evan stretched out his hand and stroked the back of his neck, like he was comforting a small animal, he smiled softly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t.¡± I will lock you by my side forever so that you have no room to retreat, Evan looked at the white snow falling outside the window as such a strong and terrifying desire arose in his heart. Duke Wilson leaned on Evan¡¯s shoulder again, with a sweet wish in his heart. The two of them finally got to Colonel Mel¡¯s manor before the agreed time. Because they were afraid of being seen, their carriage this time was very low-key, with no emblem and flag, and there was no sign of them after entering Colonel Mel¡¯s manor. Heading directly towards the manor, they entered the living room as they were invited in by the butler. When he first entered the living room, Evan couldn¡¯t believe that this place was the place he had been to a few days ago. The furniture was neat and new, the fireplace was warm and the furnishings were warm. A reluctant but still smiling manservant. This is completely different from the bleak and sad appearance from a few days ago. Evan laughed when he saw this. It seems that Mrs Mel still has a deep affection for Colonel Mel. Evan thought very meaningfully. A moment later, Mrs Mel came down from upstairs. At this moment, the unkempt and unlovely woman from a few days ago was gone, she looked much gentler with a soft face, soft brown curly hair tied up lightly, and wearing a light yellow cashmere shawl. ¡°My lord, Mr Priest.¡± She nodded to Evan and Duke Wilson. Evan returned a salute with a smile, but Duke Wilson just nodded stiffly, with no expression on his face. Evan sighed in his heart and pinched the back of his hand out of sight. This person is always so capricious, now almost everyone who knows about Mrs Mel¡¯s situation will sympathize with her. If Duke Wilson is too unreasonable, I¡¯m afraid it will cause people¡¯s dissatisfaction. Sure enough, the old butler standing beside him was frowning. It was just Evan¡¯s painstaking efforts but Duke Wilson didn¡¯t pay attention to it. He even glared at Evan, but there was an unconcealable tenderness in that look. Evan knew very well that he might have misunderstood. The eyebrow-eye lawsuit between the two didn¡¯t last long when there was another noise outside, and Mrs Mel walked towards the door almost anxiously. She didn¡¯t even care about her current pregnancy situation and directly trotted towards the door. Duke Wilson¡¯s brows furrowed deeper, he seemed to be very dissatisfied with Mrs Mel. Evan stood there without moving, but kept observing the movement at the door. Finally, when Mrs Mel was a step away from the door, the door was opened and when Colonel Mel¡¯s pale and thin face appeared outside the door, tears flowed from Mrs Mel¡¯s eyes. ¡°Oh, Charlie!¡± she screamed and rushed at Colonel Mel. When Colonel Mel saw Mrs Mel, his eyes loosened a bit, almost with a hint of tenderness but the next moment, he returned to the dead silence from before, watching Mrs Mel throw herself into his arms, holding onto his body and crying bitterly. But there was no expression on his face, like a puppet that had lost its soul. Sheriff Chandler came in from behind. He frowned and looked at the weird couple, and said in a low voice, ¡°Okay, ma¡¯am, you are still pregnant, so crying like this is not good for the child.¡± ¡°What!¡± Colonel Mel¡¯s eyes widened immediately, with an obvious look of ecstasy, ¡°She¡¯s pregnant!?¡± T/N: Happy Valentine¡¯s Day [in arrears] ?? I hope you all had a wonderful valentine¡¯s day. By the way, since this book is almost done, I need recommendations for my next translation. I do have some novels in mind but I¡¯m still unable to decide. So if y¡¯all have any ideas, do let me know. Of course, I prefer novels with a seme protagonist, also not too many chapters CH 114 Sheriff Chandler frowned strangely, as if he didn¡¯t understand Colonel Mel¡¯s excitement. ¡°Yes Colonel, I forgot to tell you, your wife is indeed pregnant.¡± Sheriff Chandler said softly. Colonel Mel seemed to realize that his behavior was out of line. He took a deep breath and tried hard to restrain the expression on his face. ¡°This¡­ This is really great.¡± He lowered his head and looked at Mrs Mel who was in his arms. Although his face had regained his usual calmness, there was a touch of tenderness in his eyes. Evan stood behind and frowned as he watched. He seemed to have seen such an expression somewhere before. He turned his head to look at Duke Wilson and then suddenly froze. Yes, he has indeed seen such an expression before. He bent the corners of his lips. Duke Wilson noticed the change in his expression and gave him a strange look. Evan shook his head slightly, turned his face and continued to look at the scene in front of him. Mrs Mel also looked back at Colonel Mel, but there were tears in her eyes, as if she had a lot of grievances to tell. The interaction between this husband and wife completely stunned the traditional Sheriff Chandler. He didn¡¯t understand why Mrs Mel, who had been betrayed, treated Colonel Mel so tenderly. He didn¡¯t understand Colonel Mel either. Since he cared so much about Mrs Mel, how could he do such a thing? Evan¡¯s expression was very flat, but there was a trace of coldness in his eyes as he watched the two people hugging and crying in the hallway. After a long time, Mrs Mel¡¯s emotions finally calmed down and the two of them approached the living room. Colonel Mel¡¯s face still had a trace of embarrassment, but Mrs Mel was like a happy bird at this time, instructing the butler and servants to serve food and black tea to Colonel Mel. Sheriff Chandler¡¯s face had been ugly. Mrs Mel¡¯s behavior seems to be saying that he abused Colonel Mel while he was in custody. Colonel Mel immediately stood up straight the moment he saw Duke Wilson and he seemed a little nervous. ¡°Your¡­Your Excellency the Duke.¡± His voice was not as loud as usual, but rather hoarse. Duke Wilson nodded with a cold face and didn¡¯t say much, which was also one of the required conditions for him to watch this interview. After everyone sat down in the living room, Sheriff Chandler couldn¡¯t wait to open up the topic. ¡°Colonel Mel, look at your current situation. You already have a child who needs your upbringing. I know you must be hiding something, but it¡¯s a dead end for you now. If you don¡¯t say it again, your child will become an orphan, are you willing to cause such a result?¡± Sheriff Chandler said earnestly, but when he said ¡®orphan¡¯, Mrs Mel shivered and tightly hugged Colonel Mel¡¯s arm. Colonel Mel patted the back of Mrs Mel¡¯s hand with a little embarrassment, and nodded to Sheriff Chandler, ¡°I know your kindness, it¡¯s just me¡­¡± ¡°Oh, Charlie!¡± Mrs Mel said as she looked up at Colonel Mel¡¯s face in pain, she said in a low voice, ¡°Just tell what you know, I¡¯m really¡­really scared¡­¡± Colonel Mel looked down at Mrs Mel. She was completely different from usual at this time, like a girl who was acting like a baby to her lover, with light tenderness exuding from the corners of her eyes and brows, ¡°I understand.¡± He patted Mrs Mel¡¯s hair, and when he raised his head again, his expression became firm. ¡°Sheriff Chandler.¡± He pursed his lips, as if he had made some huge determination, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to say these things at first, but now I feel that I have to say them but some things are somewhat involved like the Duke Wilson¡¯s secret and now the Duke of Wilson is here, so I want to ask for your permission.¡± After speaking, he looked at Duke Wilson expectantly and Duke Wilson frowned slightly, looked at the curious Sheriff Chandler, then stared closely into Colonel Mel¡¯s eyes. Is he really going to tell the things he has done for him? No, he wouldn¡¯t be so stupid, he would still die if he said those things, but now that he was on the end of his rope, the idiot Mel actually threw the problem on the surface! Especially¡­especially¡­he glanced at Evan who was sitting next to him with clear eyes. Duke Wilson was very angry in his heart, but in such a situation, he must not get angry, otherwise he would have confirmed a certain conjecture, so he held back his anger and suppressed it. ¡°You can say whatever you want. There is nothing more important than your life right now.¡± Duke Wilson clenched his fists tightly and said. Colonel Mel smiled at the Duke, turned his head and looked at Sheriff Chandler again and said softly, ¡°Since the Duke has agreed, then I will tell you about the matter.¡± As Evan watched this, there was already a bit of coldness in his heart, he twirled the corner of his clothes with his fingertips and forced himself to listen to what Colonel Mel was going to say. ¡°You keep asking me if I¡¯m hiding something.¡± Colonel Mel¡¯s tone was slightly low, as if with some special emotion, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not that I want to hide something, but that I don¡¯t want to think about it. Now it seems that I have to say all these things.¡± Speaking of which, he looked at Evan, as if there was no sign and just looked straight at him. Evan¡¯s heart jumped and a bad premonition rushed up in his heart immediately. ¡°Reverend Bruce, you have always been an upright and noble gentleman in Delanlier. I admire you very much, and I am also very grateful for your help to me, but¡­¡± He pondered for a moment. Evan frowned. There are absolutely no good words behind this. ¡°But I have to say.¡± Colonel Mel finally said, ¡°Your disguise is really excellent.¡± He was so straightforward that everyone was taken aback by his words, Duke Wilson¡¯s response was even more intense as he stood up directly from the sofa, looking at Mel fiercely, without hiding it at all. Mel saw him like this, smiled and waved his hands, ¡°My lord, don¡¯t worry, after you finish listening to my words, you will have time to react.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s expression did not ease because of this, he looked at Mel with a cold expression, as if looking at a dead person, but Mel still looked gentle, as if he didn¡¯t feel anything. The atmosphere became deadlocked. At this moment, a warm hand pressed against the back of the Duke¡¯s hand. The Duke¡¯s body trembled slightly, and then a gentle voice came from behind. ¡°Charles, don¡¯t get excited. I believe Colonel Mel will be responsible for what he said.¡± Evan¡¯s eyes were still as gentle and compassionate as ever. He looked at Colonel Mel as if he was looking at a naughty child. There was no impatience, just patience and calm. Colonel Mel moved the corners of his mouth, but in the end he didn¡¯t say a word. As for Duke Wilson, he had already been softened by Evan¡¯s few words. He was obediently dragged by Evan to sit on the sofa and his face was much more relaxed than before. Sheriff Chandler breathed a sigh of relief as if he had escaped a catastrophe. He glanced at Evan. He hadn¡¯t realized before that Evan had such a great influence on Duke Wilson. ¡°Of course, Reverend Bruce, I will be responsible for my words.¡± Colonel Mel said dryly. After finishing speaking, he lowered his head, pondered for a moment and finally spoke again, ¡°Although Reverend Bruce seems to be a noble and pure priest, no matter how you deal with Alia,¡± When he mentioned Alia, Dr. Hester who had come for a follow-up visit, raised his head. ¡°It¡¯s still thanks to that respectable Mr Ford, that makes me think that you are someone who deserves my attention, when everyone is standing on the opposite side of you, it seems that you are so vulnerable, you don¡¯t even need to make a move, others will help you solve all difficulties. Maybe if it happened once or twice I would think it was nothing, but it¡¯s always this way, it made me understand that you are not as innocent and harmless as you show.¡± While speaking this long paragraph, Mel kept staring into Evan¡¯s eyes, as if looking at a prey, with a cautious and sharp expression. Evan¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change at all, he was still so kind and gentle. When Mel said the last sentence, he smiled, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not just you, sometimes I myself will thank God. His love for me has enabled me to get rid of these events of bad luck.¡± Colonel Mel smiled sarcastically, ¡°Oh, my dear priest, this has nothing to do with God. You can get to where you are today, it¡¯s all the result of your own hard work.¡± The irony was so sharp that Sheriff Chandler frowned, ¡°Colonel Mel, this time you did a lot of work for Reverend Bruce, how can you slander him so much? He, we want to find the murderer this time, please stop talking about irrelevant topics.¡± The words of Sheriff Chandler finally made Mel look serious and he looked straight at Evan as he spoke with a very firm tone, ¡°You have been asking me before, who can know the relationship between me and Eliza, so I will tell you today. During the course of my relationship with Eliza, I almost exhausted all my means to prevent this relationship from being known by the public, everyone here, I am afraid that even the Duke did not know, but there is one person that you have been ignoring from beginning to end and that is Reverend Bruce! I swear to God, the only one who knows this Reverend Bruce. He is the only one who can do this!¡± Mel¡¯s words shocked almost everyone, and what he said was indeed true, among so many people present, only Evan had been hinted before that. But¡­But no one has ever associated Evan with this matter, this is really¡­ ¡°Nonsense!¡± Duke Wilson finally couldn¡¯t stand Mel¡¯s slander of Evan and stood up from the sofa, ¡°How dare you! How dare you!!¡± He pointed at Mel with trembling fingers, his eyes were red as if he was already out of breath. Mel still looked leisurely and he glanced at Sheriff Chandler who had a livid look on his face and Evan with a calm expression beside him, and continued, ¡°I have never doubted Reverend Bruce before, but a few days ago I heard that Reverend had someone visit the monastery where Eliza lived, and I understood that you are not someone who can be trusted. Because you have never told anyone about this from the beginning to the end!¡± Evan¡¯s eyes finally turned cold at this time. What Mel said was right, he did ask his enthusiastic cook, Mrs Haydn, to visit Eliza in the monastery before he left. It was just his own ridiculous sympathy and he had completely forgotten about it afterwards, but at this moment it became a sharp weapon to criticize him. ¡°Our venerable and noble priest, he just wanted to climb up to the duke from the beginning and make the duke his personal property, so Ederson, the innocent Alia and I can¡¯t exist, we all have to disappear. So everyone who is close to the Duke, no matter who they are, except Reverend Bruce, is plagued by bad luck. If it¡¯s just one person there¡¯s no problem, but then, after so many people, can¡¯t we see the problem?¡± Mel seemed to have gained some power at this time, stood up from the sofa, looked straight at Evan, his eyes were full of anger. Evan looked at him, but his heart was peaceful and he even had the time to think about it. Finally, a flaw was revealed in this matter. He slowly stood up from the sofa. The living room, which looked warm and peaceful at first, finally turned into a battlefield at this moment. ¡°Although what you said is a bit far-fetched, it also makes some sense.¡± Evan said calmly, ¡°But I want to ask you, when that poor Sister Eliza died, I was not in Delanlier, how did I do it?¡± When Evan said this, he noticed a sly smile on Colonel Mel¡¯s mouth. It was so weak but it made Evan¡¯s heart tremble. T/N: What the!? I am shocked That was a major twist Mel sure has a lot of guts. He isn¡¯t even scared that Charles could kill him. Sorry this chapter came late CH 115 ¡°Of course you won¡¯t do it yourself.¡± Colonel Mel¡¯s smile was treacherous, ¡°How can a noble gentleman like you dirty your hands with such things?¡± While saying such words,he took out a piece of paper from the prison uniform and he handed it to Sheriff Chandler beside him. ¡°Sheriff, please take a look at this letter. It was given to me by my lawyer last night. It was specially left by Ederson before his death. My new lawyer accepted these things. Although I have such speculations, I have never believed it, but after reading this letter, I have no choice but to believe it.¡± There was a trace of coldness on Mel¡¯s face and he seemed to be a world of difference from the gentle gentleman before. Evan bit his lower lip lightly, still showing a look of indifference on his face but he couldn¡¯t help feeling a little worried in his heart. He always knew that Mel was a smart person, since he dared to tear himself apart this time and involve him, he must be fully prepared, and Evan¡¯s mind is completely affected by the thin letter at this time. Sheriff Chandler took the letter from Mel, and he glanced at Evan with a hint of solemnity in his eyes. Evan clenched his fists but tried his best to show a calm look on his face. When he was most nervous, there was a warm palm covering the back of his hand, Evan¡¯s heart tightened and he turned towards the person. When he turned, he looked into the gentle eyes of Duke Wilson. The trust and support in those eyes made Evan feel a little guilty. He lowered his eyes in a panic, not daring to look at him again. At this moment, Sheriff Chandler had already opened the letter. It was just a very simple piece of paper, but at this moment it affected the minds of everyone in the room. Sheriff Chandler frowned at the first glance, and by the end, his brows were completely drawn in. He glanced at Evan meaningfully. The meaning contained in that glance made Evan¡¯s heart palpitate. Sheriff Chandler slowly stood up from his chair. He walked up to Evan, looked straight into Evan¡¯s eyes and said in a deep voice, ¡°Reverend Bruce, can you explain this?¡± He spread the letter in front of Evan¡¯s eyes. Evan couldn¡¯t wait to read the contents of the letter, but when he saw the first line, his expression changed. Ederson admitted to killing Eliza himself. Evan hurriedly looked down again and his expression became more and more ugly. When he was done reading the last word, Evan finally raised his head. He looked at Mel behind Sheriff Chandler with burning eyes with a sneer in his heart. Although Ederson admitted that he killed Elisa, he claimed that he was coerced by Evan to do it. His child needs a lot of money for treatment and he can¡¯t afford so much money, and Evan found out about this. After learning about this matter, he proposed to provide him with the money, and his condition was that he kill Eliza and blame it on Mel. It was so absurd but so convincing that Evan stood there, feeling dizzy. ¡°Sheriff Chandler.¡± Evan gritted his teeth, looked straight at Sheriff Chandler¡¯s slightly weird gaze and said, ¡°You don¡¯t believe such nonsense?¡± ¡°Personally, of course I don¡¯t believe it, I have 100% trust in your personality.¡± Sheriff Chandler replied crisply, ¡°But¡­¡± He hesitated slightly, ¡°But anyway, I am a Sheriff. Please explain the problems described in this letter.¡± Evan actually understood Sheriff Chandler¡¯s entanglement very well. No matter who it was, it was not easy to deal with this kind of matter. ¡°I understand your difficulty, but regarding this letter, I can say with absolute certainty that every word on it is a lie. I didn¡¯t use Mr Ederson¡¯s son to coerce him. God is my witness, I didn¡¯t even know he had a son!¡± Evan seemed a little excited at this time. Being accused of murder, I believe that no one will be in a normal state. It was also the first time Sheriff Chandler saw Evan so excited, he hurriedly stepped forward and waved his hands to appease him, ¡°Please don¡¯t be so excited, this is just a letter, maybe someone forged it to frame you, it might not necessarily be real.¡± When it came to this, Mel sneered, ¡°Sheriff Chandler, your attitude towards suspects is really different. Since you suspect that there is something wrong with this letter, you can go to the hospital where Ederson¡¯s son lives to see if there is such a thing. I don¡¯t want anyone to be wronged in this matter.¡± Hearing Mel¡¯s determined voice, Evan gritted his teeth. He was afraid that Mel had already made all the preparations, and even if Sheriff Chandler went to investigate, it would be impossible to find anything. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right.¡± Sheriff Chandler¡¯s eyes lit up immediately, ¡°Perhaps this is the only way to clear your suspicion.¡± He looked at Evan a little excitedly. Evan smiled reluctantly, not having any hope for the results of this investigation. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Duke Wilson suddenly spoke at this time and he walked up behind Evan, supporting Evan like the most powerful backing. He gave Mel a cold look, without the slightest emotion in his eyes. He had not discovered before that Mel is actually such a bold person. ¡°Since someone is using this to frame Evan, I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ve been prepared for a long time. Even if you go to investigate, what can you find?¡± He pursed his lips angrily. He let someone steal the sky and change the sun under his nose. How could he not be angry? Colonel Mel just smiled softly, ¡°Why should the Duke think so much? This matter must be explained anyway, as for the result of the investigation, we have to investigate to find out. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to convince the public.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s eyes became colder and colder. He clenched his hands tightly, his joints were almost white as he stared at Mel. He already had countless evil thoughts in his heart about this person, but at this time, the situation does not allow him to practice the ideas in his heart. Duke Wilson suppressed the anger in his heart. He turned his head, glanced at Sheriff Chandler with a blank face and said word by word, ¡°Then I¡¯ll trouble Mr. Sheriff to investigate carefully, and Ederson¡¯s letter, please check the handwriting carefully, Mr. Sheriff, so as not to be taken advantage of.¡± Although Duke Wilson could tell at a glance that the letter was indeed written by Ederson and although there was Ederson¡¯s seal and signature on the letter, Duke Wilson still couldn¡¯t believe that Ederson would do such a stupid thing. Duke Wilson took Evan¡¯s hand and left without mercy. He ignored Sheriff Chandler who was trying to stop him and walked out directly. Evan was humiliated and made a joke in front of so many people. If he is still brought into the police station by Sheriff Chandler, then he will never forgive himself in his life. Evan was pulled by Duke Wilson and walked out, almost staggering. When he reached the door, Duke Wilson slowed down and Evan was relieved. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry.¡± Although Evan was also very upset, he still tried to calm Duke Wilson, who was obviously in a violent mood, down. ¡°How can I not be angry!¡± Duke Wilson turned around and looked at Evan, with a hint of red in his eyes, ¡°He¡­he dared to treat you like this, I will never let him go!¡± Such a bloodthirsty Duke, it was the first time for Evan to see him like this. He was stunned, then frowned and finally said in a low voice, ¡°You¡­you don¡¯t want to be like this. Colonel Mel is just telling what he knows, that¡¯s all. I haven¡¯t done this before, you¡­don¡¯t worry too much.¡± Seeing Evan¡¯s simple thoughts, Duke Wilson didn¡¯t know whether to be happy or sad. He softened his expression and said softly, ¡°I know you haven¡¯t done it, I believe you. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let anything happen to you.¡± Evan was a little puzzled by the sudden change in Duke Wilson¡¯s expression, but he still smiled softly, ¡°I know. Yes, I believe in you.¡± Duke Wilson took Evan away, but this time Duke Wilson said nothing about letting Evan go back to the church and he took him directly to Cornwall Manor. He was afraid that Chandler would return to the church and take Evan to the police station. Such a situation is definitely the last result he wants to see. Evan did not refute and honestly followed Duke Wilson back to Cornwall Manor. Although he wants to pretend to be a white lotus, he has no intention of going to jail. Edward was the happiest about this decision. When he saw Evan coming, he was so happy that he dragged Evan to go to his room. But this time, Duke Wilson didn¡¯t tolerate Edward¡¯s willfulness and scolded him directly, and then directly pulled Evan towards the study upstairs. Edward looked at the backs of Evan and Duke Wilson with an aggrieved look, feeling a little unhappy in his heart, but there was no reluctance in his eyes. He was very clear that only when Evan was completely with Duke Wilson could they be together with Evan forever. As long as he thinks of this, Edward feels an uncontrollable excitement. He imagined that scene for a while with a smile appearing on the corner of his lips. He waved at the servant behind him and went straight back to his room. ************* For the next two days after the incident, Evan¡¯s life was very peaceful. Although he still had hidden worries about that letter, perhaps because of Duke Wilson, Evan did not feel any sense of oppression or anxiety. On the contrary, Duke Wilson has been very busy these days. Evan watched countless people come and go in and out of his study. Duke Wilson was almost too busy to speak a word with him, but Evan gained the greatest peace of mind from his expression that got calmer day by day. It¡¯s just that such days finally ended completely on the third day. That day Evan and Duke Wilson were having afternoon tea in the garden. Little Edward was lying on Evan¡¯s lap, listening to Evan tell him stories from the Bible with burning eyes. The stories were repeated countless times, but Little Edward was still very interested, as if it was the most attractive thing in the world. And such a warm scene was suddenly broken by someone. Butler Chris walked in with a slightly nervous expression. He walked up to Duke Wilson, bent down and said in a low voice, ¡°My Lord, Sheriff Chandler is here.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s eyes flickered and he nodded. He turned his head and looked at Evan. At this time, Duke Wilson seemed to be completely different from the distraught Duke Wilson of three days ago. He nodded slightly to Evan and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± Of course, Evan heard the words of Butler Chris just now, so his mood at this time was not so good. He nodded stiffly, picked up Edward who was lying on his lap and followed Duke Wilson to the castle. CH 116 Evan and Duke Wilson returned to the castle. Sheriff Chandler was sitting in the living room waiting and Colonel Mel was sitting beside him with an unpredictable expression. When he saw Evan coming in, Sheriff Chandler looked a little uncomfortable. He tilted his head and didn¡¯t dare to look directly into Evan¡¯s eyes. Seeing him like this, Evan¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Your Excellency the Duke.¡± Sheriff Chandler and Colonel Mel both stood up and saluted Duke Wilson. Duke Wilson nodded indifferently, motioning for them to sit down. Several people sat down in the living room and Edward was also taken upstairs by Butler Chris. Duke Wilson then said, ¡°You came this time, can I think that you have investigated this matter clearly?¡± Duke Wilson asked with almost no ups and downs in his voice. Sheriff Chandler glanced at Evan, his expression didn¡¯t look very good, he nodded heavily and said in a low voice, ¡°Yes, I¡­I have investigated everything clearly.¡± A dim light flashed in Duke Wilson¡¯s eyes and he sneered, ¡°Since you have found out, let¡¯s talk about it. There is no need to be so embarrassed. I want to see what you can find out.¡± Sheriff Chandler rubbed his head nervously and he glanced at Evan again, with a very complicated look in his eyes. ¡°This matter is indeed a bit weird.¡± Sergeant Chandler hesitated as he said this, he paused slightly, glanced at the documents at hand and continued, ¡°I asked someone to check Ederson¡¯s son in the nursing home where he is in, his son was really not well a few days ago and needed a lot of money to support him. At the beginning, Ederson could hardly get any money out, but suddenly one day, a big amount of money was transferred to the hospital¡¯s account to pay for Ederson¡¯s son¡¯s medical expenses. After our investigation, this account was handled in the name of Colonel Mel. However, after our investigation, we found that the source of the money turned out to be from Reverend Bruce¡¯s account, this is really¡­¡± Sheriff Chandler couldn¡¯t continue speaking and he glanced at Evan again, with complicated emotions in his eyes. Evan pursed his lips and did not speak, but Duke Wilson said, ¡°Oh? I don¡¯t know how much money was involved? You know that Reverend Bruce is not a rich man.¡± Sheriff Chandler also agrees with this very much. He is very aware of Evan¡¯s income as a priest. Such a large amount of money is indeed a bit unbelievable. ¡°I, I can¡¯t believe it too, it¡¯s just¡­just according to our investigation results, the money is indeed a deposit from Reverend Bruce, which is definitely not wrong.¡± Sheriff Chandler said, embarrassed. Hearing this, Evan clenched his fists. If he remembers correctly, the money should be the living expenses that Old Bruce sent him every month, but the original owner has been living a life of poverty and the money was saved. Evan didn¡¯t know what he was thinking, but he didn¡¯t touch the money just to respect his wishes, but now it seems that decision was a little careless and it was used by someone to frame him. Duke Wilson turned his head and looked at Evan, as if asking for his opinion. Evan nodded slowly, ¡°I do have a large deposit, but it is my father¡¯s money, not mine.¡± Duke Wilson is very aware of the relationship between Evan and his father. Hearing what he said, the image of Evan¡¯s independence and unyielding nature appeared in his mind and he was filled with admiration. But other people didn¡¯t know as much as Duke Wilson, Colonel Mel simply sneered and said, ¡°Reverend, even if you want to escape the crime, you shouldn¡¯t use such a lame excuse. The money is your father¡¯s money. What was given to you belongs to you now and of course you have to bear most of the responsibility for it.¡± Of course Evan understands this truth, but at this time he is not able to really quarrel with Mel. It doesn¡¯t fit his image at all, so Evan held back the anger in his heart, smiled lightly and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t taken care of this money since it was deposited in the bank. I¡¯m still responsible as you said but I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on.¡± Hearing Evan¡¯s refusal, Mel just smiled and didn¡¯t delve into it. Evan frowned, what is this man planning? ¡°Anyway.¡± Sheriff Chandler, who had been avoiding Evan¡¯s gaze, finally looked at Evan, ¡°Reverend Bruce, this matter has reached this point, you need to go to the police station with me.¡± When he said this, it seemed that he almost regarded death as home. Evan was startled and was just about to say something when Duke Wilson¡¯s hand suddenly came up. With a sense of relief, Evan looked up at Duke Wilson, whose lips were slightly pursed and his expression was very indifferent. It seems that he was not affected by Sheriff Chandler¡¯s words at all. Evan¡¯s heart finally calmed down. It seems that Duke Wilson has already prepared for this matter. Thinking of this, Evan glanced at the unpredictable Colonel Mel and the guess he had in his mind a few days ago resurfaced again. He always felt that he was getting closer to the truth, but he didn¡¯t expect to be suddenly blocked by this sudden counterattack, but now¡­Evan¡¯s eyes had a smile in them. ¡°Your request is very reasonable.¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s tone was very calm and Sheriff Chandler was a little surprised by his calmness. He originally thought that the biggest obstacle he would have to face in this situation would be Duke Wilson, but he did not expect that the Duke would say such words. ¡°Then¡­then we won¡¯t bother you.¡± Sheriff Chandler didn¡¯t want to stay here any longer and wanted to leave after getting up. ¡°Please wait a moment.¡± Duke Wilson suddenly raised his hand to block Sheriff Chandler¡¯s movement, and Sheriff Chandler¡¯s heart that had been put down before hung up again. ¡°Although your request is very reasonable, I have to say that the premise of your request is full of loopholes.¡± Duke Wilson looked at Sheriff Chandler and Colonel Mel with a sneer. He waved his hand and someone immediately presented him with a thick paper bag. Duke Wilson opened the paper bag with a leisurely expression and took out a stack of documents from it. ¡°These things are all things I have investigated in the past few days. You can take a look to see if there are any omissions.¡± Duke Wilson unceremoniously threw the stack of documents to Sheriff Chandler. There was a trace of disdain in his expression. Sheriff Chandler¡¯s eyes were completely attracted by the document and he didn¡¯t see the Duke¡¯s attitude clearly. The document was very thick and very long. Sheriff Chandler read through the document for half an hour before finishing. However, his complexion had already turned blue in an ugly way. He looked at the Duke speechlessly, not knowing what to say for a moment. ¡°Duke¡­Your Excellency the Duke¡­¡± Sheriff Chandler¡¯s voice was a little weak. Duke Wilson had a fake smile on his face, with a touch of contempt, ¡°How is it? If you think it is not enough, I still have certification.¡± Speaking of which, he looked at Colonel Mel meaningfully. Colonel Mel frowned slightly but his expression remained the same. ¡°No¡­No need, these are enough.¡± Obviously, those documents shocked Sheriff Chandler. He took a deep breath, turned his head to look at Colonel Mel, and said, ¡°Colonel, why did you do this?¡± Surprised, Mel looked at Sheriff Chandler, ¡°What are you talking about? What did I do?¡± Sheriff Chandler didn¡¯t have the patience he had when facing Duke Wilson at this time and slammed the document on the table in front of Mel. ¡°How long are you going to pretend to be stupid with me!? I didn¡¯t realize that you are such a person. Reverend Bruce was running around for you, but you use this incident to frame him. I almost thought you were innocent before but now I realize that the murderer is really you!¡± Sheriff Chandler was really furious at this time, so furious that he couldn¡¯t even take care of his demeanor at this time. But Colonel Mel was still pretending to be innocent, frowning tightly, ¡°Sheriff, what exactly do you want to say?¡± Seeing his appearance, Sheriff Chandler seemed to have given up on reasoning with him and waved his hand a little dejected, ¡°Take a look at these documents.¡± Colonel Mel picked up the documents on the table. Although he still had a calm look on his face, his trembling fingertips betrayed his feelings. Colonel Mel¡¯s reading speed was obviously faster than Sheriff Chandler¡¯s. It took him fifteen minutes to flip through the documents and as he read, his face gradually turned gray. He looked at Duke Wilson in despair, his lips trembled and he was unable to utter a word. At this time, Duke Wilson, who had been watching the play, finally said, ¡°I think you two have read this document and I think you can understand what it says with your understanding ability?¡± There was a sneering smile on the corners of his lips, but the anger in his eyes couldn¡¯t be concealed. Mel dared to touch his people, which was something he absolutely couldn¡¯t allow. ¡°You¡­why did you do this?¡± Mel¡¯s trembling fingertips could hardly hold the document in his hand, he looked as though he found this new development unbelievable. He couldn¡¯t believe that Duke Wilson could do such a thing. In order to find out that the money was transferred from Evan¡¯s account through his own black box operation, he almost inserted himself into most of the banking system. All the dark lines were exposed and even the dirty things he had done were also revealed. This is simply picking chestnuts from the fire. If he is not careful, the glory of the Christ family may be ruined. Looking at Duke Wilson in front of him, Mel felt that the man in front of him could really do anything. He must be crazy! This was the only sentence left in Colonel Mel¡¯s mind at this moment. ¡°Why?¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s smile was cold, ¡°At this point, do you still ask me why? You tried everything possible to frame Evan so I would like to ask you why? The money is yours. It was stolen from Evan¡¯s account! Ederson was bribed by you too! Now tell me who killed Sister Eliza!¡± Every word of Duke Wilson was like a knife, piercing straight into Mel¡¯s heart. At this time, his face was so ugly that he looked like he was about to faint. T/N: Of all the people Mel could frame, he just had to pick Evan. Big mistake he made there. He forgot that behind Evan, there is a mountain called Duke Wilson CH 117 The room fell into an eerie silence. No one spoke or moved. They seemed to be shocked by Duke Wilson¡¯s words and they couldn¡¯t find anything to say. Colonel Mel¡¯s face was very ugly. He looked at Duke Wilson with a pale face. His eyes were full of despair and panic. He clenched his fists tightly, as if he was ready to escape from this place at any time. Sheriff Chandler was the first to come back to his senses and broke the tranquility. ¡°Duke¡­Your Excellency, I think, I need to chat with these witnesses to obtain testimony.¡± His tone was weak, as if he was feeling a little guilty. Duke Wilson nodded, ¡°You will get all the help you want, but now Reverend Bruce¡­¡± He stopped talking and looked at Sheriff Chandler meaningfully. Sheriff Chandler¡¯s forehead was dripping with cold sweat, he pulled the corners of his mouth stiffly and showed an extremely ugly smile, ¡°The Reverend has been cleared, of course there is no need to go to the police station. Please don¡¯t worry, we will take Colonel Mel into custody and after three days, you will hear the news from the prosecution.¡± This case has been backlogged for a long time and their chief had wanted to close the case a long time ago, but he was the one who suppressed it all the time. Now it seems that after investigating and going around in a whole circle, in the end, he returned to the beginning. Duke Wilson nodded in satisfaction. With a sneer on the corner of his mouth, he looked at Colonel Mel, who had been silent with his head down and mocked him, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Colonel Mel? Weren¡¯t you still very active before? Why don¡¯t you say a word now? Don¡¯t you want to admit that you killed Eliza now?¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s words made Colonel Mel¡¯s body tremble. He raised his head and looked at Duke Wilson with a dazed expression. ¡°Your Excellency, this time you won.¡± He said these words very calmly, as if what he was about to face was not the death penalty but a warm home. ¡°I killed Eliza. She was a lovely girl. Unfortunately, she was so stupid that she wanted to marry me on a whim. This made me very embarrassed, so I killed her.¡± Now it seems that the present Colonel Mel is not the same person as the former Colonel Mel, who is so affectionate as his current calmness is really scary. But after hearing these words, Evan frowned slightly, but he still didn¡¯t say much. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­just because of this reason!¡± Sheriff Chandler¡¯s face was flushed red by Colonel Mel¡¯s indifference and seeing his appearance, he even wanted to slap him twice. ¡°You are such a villain! Bastard!¡± Sheriff Chandler reprimanded through gritted teeth. But Colonel Mel didn¡¯t even frown, his expression remained calm. ¡°Sheriff, what you said is absolutely right, that¡¯s the kind of person I am.¡± He looked at Sheriff Chandler calmly, without any guilt or shame in his expression. Sheriff Chandler was dumbfounded. He had never seen such a shameless person, that a person could be without any sense of shame. ¡°My lord, thank you very much for your help.¡± Sheriff Chandler seemed to have given up on reasoning with Colonel Mel, stood up angrily and said goodbye to Duke Wilson, ¡°I am sorry for bothering you today and I am very sorry for accusing Reverend Bruce. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll leave first.¡± After speaking, he pulled Colonel Mel¡¯s handcuffs and left without looking back. Looking at Sheriff Chandler as he hurried away and Colonel Mel who was slightly staggering behind him, Evan knew very well in his heart that this was not the end of this matter. But obviously Duke Wilson didn¡¯t think so. He completely let go of the boulder in his heart at this time and heaved a long sigh of relief. Taking advantage of the fact that there was no one in the living room, he stepped forward and hugged Evan¡¯s waist and whispered in his ear, ¡°What a bunch of annoying people, are you not scared?¡± For a moment, Evan didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry, ¡°Could it be that I am such a weak person in your heart?¡± Seeing Duke Wilson¡¯s slightly panicked look, he smiled, ¡°Thank you this time, if not for you, I¡¯m afraid I would have become a prisoner.¡± Duke Wilson shook his head, his expression shy, ¡°This time it¡¯s all because I got you in trouble. If it wasn¡¯t for me, you wouldn¡¯t have gotten involved in this matter, let alone be framed by Mel.¡± Hearing what he said, Evan smiled bitterly in his heart. Maybe he had already been involved in this matter and looking at Mel¡¯s preparations, he might have already prepared this trap a long time ago. He didn¡¯t know why Mel would do this before, but now¡­ Looking into Duke Wilson¡¯s gentle eyes, Evan suddenly felt that he understood Mel¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Charles.¡± Evan lowered his head and whispered in Duke Wilson¡¯s ear, ¡°I need to go to the monastery once.¡± ¡°Go to the monastery?¡± Duke Wilson looked at Evan, surprised, ¡°Why do you want to go there? What are you doing? Isn¡¯t the case over?¡± Evan smiled with lowered eyebrows, ¡°I still have doubts in my heart, and I need an answer.¡± Duke Wilson looked at Evan with a frown, slightly puzzled in his heart, but in the end he still nodded, ¡°Since you are worried, go and have a look, I will go with you.¡± He said this very firmly and Evan knew that he could not refuse, so he could only smile and agree. Evan didn¡¯t procrastinate on this matter and almost immediately, they took Duke Wilson¡¯s carriage and headed towards the monastery. The abbey is not too close to Delanlier, so even if Evan and Duke Wilson hurried, they only arrived at the abbey before dark. The attitude of the nuns in the monastery towards Evan was not good. They belonged to different churches so there were already big differences. But even so, the nuns still answered and responded to Evan¡¯s question and Evan got a satisfactory answer, and even invited the head nun to return to Delanlier with them. Duke Wilson¡¯s complexion has become very ugly since Evan started asking questions about the nun and it was even more difficult for him to have a good complexion along the way. When Evan saw it, he just smiled. Not to mention Duke Wilson, even himself, when faced with the results, his heart was not very calm. That night, Evan basically didn¡¯t sleep and he suffered from insomnia for the first time since he came to this place. Before this, he had never thought much about this world, but this case made him think about his position in this world. This case made him see the ability of the natives and also made him understand that not everything can be carried out according to his ideas. When he woke up the next morning, Duke Wilson kept looking at the dark circles under Evan¡¯s eyes. ¡°Did you not rest?¡± Duke Wilson asked, very worried. But Evan just smiled, ¡°It¡¯s okay, as long as this matter is over.¡± Speaking of this, a distorted expression flashed on Duke Wilson¡¯s face and Evan started laughing when he saw it. Maybe this time, it was also the biggest fall for Duke Wilson. Last night, Duke Wilson had already contacted Sheriff Chandler. They will meet in Colonel Mel¡¯s manor today. And everything will end today. When they arrived at Colonel Mel¡¯s manor, everyone had already arrived and Sheriff Chandler came forward with an anxious expression on his face ¡°My lord, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Duke Wilson¡¯s expression was dark. After waving his hand and saying nothing, Sheriff Chandler¡¯s heart sank, thinking that something serious had happened. Evan smiled reassuringly at Sheriff Chandler and then his eyes were completely focused on Colonel Mel who was sitting in the corner. He seemed to have broken away from the previous emotional state he was in. At this time, Colonel Mel was like a silent statue, with no vitality in his whole body. When Evan and Duke Wilson came in, he barely raised his eyelids, he was still sitting there but his clenched fists revealed his current mood. After everyone arrived, Sheriff Chandler was about to ask questions, but Evan spoke first, ¡°Since Colonel Mel is here, why don¡¯t we let Mrs Mel come down as well? I think Mrs Mel is also very involved in this matter.¡± ¡°No need!¡± Colonel Mel raised his head abruptly and said in a firm tone, ¡°She is pregnant, so there is no need to let her come down. I will admit to everything I have done. Don¡¯t torture Katrina any more.¡± Evan looked at Colonel Mel with a half-smile, with a hint of sarcasm in his eyes. ¡°Colonel, I think at this time, there should be no room for you to refuse. Your spirit of sacrifice is good, but your intention to hide it is also a crime!¡± Evan¡¯s loud words made the unaware Sheriff Chandler jump as he looked surprised, but the face of Duke Wilson, who knew the inside story, became even more ugly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you confused? I didn¡¯t hide anything, I did all of this!¡± Colonel Mel finally showed a trace of panic on his face at this time. But Evan didn¡¯t soften his heart in the slightest. ¡°You don¡¯t have to deny it anymore. I have already investigated this matter clearly. Although your spirit of sacrifice is admirable, you must understand that all your means are now useless.¡± When Evan said this, there was a cold light flashing in his eyes and Duke Wilson, who was sitting opposite him, looked at Evan in a trance. Evan frowned slightly, the light in his eyes moved slightly, but in the end, he still didn¡¯t change at all and he still looked at Colonel Mel coldly. Colonel Mel¡¯s expression had changed a lot at this time. He looked at Evan in amazement and didn¡¯t know whether what Evan said was true or not. He turned his head to look at the butler standing at the door, but before he could speak, a crying female voice came from upstairs. ¡°Charlie!¡± Wearing a white dressing gown, she dashed down the stairs, as if the pregnancy had no effect on her. This was Mrs Mel. Colonel Mel saw her like this, stood up anxiously, went up to her and hugged her. Mrs Mel buried her head in Colonel Mel¡¯s arms, sobbing loudly, ¡°Oh, Charlie, you Why!? This is terrible!¡± It seems that she already knew about Colonel Mel¡¯s confession and she was crying like a child at this time, holding on to Colonel Mel¡¯s cuff, looking at him sadly. Colonel Mel¡¯s eyes were also filled with deep sorrow. He looked at Mrs Mel as if he was looking at a dream of his. Evan stood by and watched, but there was always a sneer on the corner of his mouth. He could almost feel Duke Wilson¡¯s scorching gaze, but at this moment, he didn¡¯t have the slightest intention to take back his ugly side. ¡°Mrs Mel.¡± Evan said slowly, ¡°Or should I put it in another way. Sister Eliza?¡± Evan¡¯s words were earth-shattering and the room fell into a strange silence. T/N: BOOM!!! And Evan dropped a bombshell Wow! Those who suggested the face changing theory were right after all. People can be really scary. CH 118 ¡°You¡­What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Colonel Mel protected the pale-faced Mrs Mel, and said loudly with a stiff expression. Evan ignored Colonel Mel and stared at Mrs Mel, who was hiding behind Colonel Mel. ¡°Madam, your identity is not a mystery to me now, are you sure you want to deny it to the end?¡± When Evan said this, the expression on his face was almost mean. Mrs Mel didn¡¯t dare to look into Evan¡¯s eyes at all. She lowered her head and pursed her lips, her hands trembled slightly and she seemed a little nervous. ¡°I¡­I¡­¡± She stuttered with trembling lips. ¡°Stop talking, Katrina!¡± Colonel Mel interrupted Mrs Mel¡¯s speech, and said sharply, ¡°This matter has nothing to do with you!¡± He looked at Mrs Mel firmly, with the most severe eyes. Mrs Mel looked at him, but her eyes were filled with tears, ¡°Charlie!¡± She cried, ¡°You can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Shut up, Katrina!¡± Colonel Mel hugged the trembling Mrs Mel, ¡°Don¡¯t talk, you just have to be good.¡± He whispered in her ear and Mrs. Mel cried even harder. Looking at this scene, Evan clapped his hands. There was a deep look of sarcasm on his face, which was completely different from his usual upright and selfless appearance. Not only Duke Wilson, but even Sheriff Chandler also looked at him with some doubt. ¡°It¡¯s a show full of affection, Colonel.¡± Evan¡¯s tone was full of sarcasm, ¡°You are so affectionate, does the real Mrs Mel who was killed by you know?¡± Evan¡¯s words were so horrifying that Sheriff Chandler was immediately attracted by his words, completely forgetting his unusual performance today. ¡°What did you say?¡± He stood up suddenly, ¡°The dead person is Mrs Mel? What¡¯s going on?¡± He finally asked this sentence. Evan looked back at the bewildered Sheriff Chandler and the expression on his face finally calmed down a bit. He glanced at the bunch of wild mandarin ducks indifferently, and said with a sneer, ¡°I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ve fallen into Colonel Mel¡¯s despicable conspiracy from the very beginning.¡± He paused slightly, looked around at the people present and when he glanced at Duke Wilson¡¯s slightly puzzled face, his heart tightened. He never thought that he would be the one who would expose his own true colors. He clenched his fists and took a deep breath. ¡°Colonel Mel¡¯s initial focus on himself, his unusual relationship with Sister Elisa and Mr Ederson¡¯s concealment of his predicament all served to bring the matter to a close. And the other person involved will be hidden.¡± When Evan said this, he looked at Mrs Mel who was hiding behind Colonel Mel, no, she should be called Sister Elisa. ¡°Colonel Mel exposed himself to everyone, but in fact he is a person with an alibi. This point has been well hidden by his design and he will bring it up when the time is right. Speaking of it, this is also a perfect plan. Even a scapegoat had been found. Poor Mr Ederson is the best scapegoat. It¡¯s a pity that he didn¡¯t expect that the duke and I would come back from London so soon.¡± When he said this, Evan took a deep look at Colonel Mel. Their early arrival was actually not unexpected but there was a plan for the worst case scenario, so Colonel Mel had told him his big secret before he left for London. This is Colonel Mel¡¯s last insurance for this matter. ¡°The Duke and I came back early. He knows very well that Ederson cannot be used to deal with me and my attention is focusing more and more on Mrs Mel at this time, so he can only take the risk and use his most dangerous plan as a last resort.¡± Evan looked at Colonel Mel with scorching eyes, with a hint of coldness in his eyes, ¡°That is to frame me.¡± ¡°Putting me into trouble and in such a bad predicament, most people can¡¯t think rationally at this time, especially with my friend, Duke Wilson by my side. With his friendship to me, he will definitely be the first to investigate Colonel Mel¡¯s own crimes, which is of course easy, so Colonel Mel would be pushed in front of us like this and the poor lady behind him will be completely forgotten by people, because everyone will think that the result of the investigation done by the Duke must be the most correct and no one will question it.¡± When Evan said this passage, he was very calm, the previous sarcasm and indifference seemed to have completely disappeared. He changed back to the gentle and elegant priest, but Evan knew very well that Duke Wilson saw everything he did just now. ¡°You¡­this is really¡­¡± Sheriff Chandler was stunned by Evan¡¯s words. He seemed to be unable to understand the situation before him. After a long time, he finally asked, ¡°Then, why did you say that Mrs Mel is Sister Elisa? This is impossible, they have almost no similarities.¡± Evan laughed, ¡°You said you have seen Mrs Mel. Indeed, I have seen her, but I have seen that Mrs Mel is a devout Protestant and her cross necklace will definitely not have a crucifix like that of this Mrs Mel!¡± Evan wasn¡¯t aware when he saw at that time, it wasn¡¯t until he knelt in front of the statue of Jesus that finally understood why he felt strange. Because the cross was the cross of the Catholic Church, and he isn¡¯t as sensitive as a real priest would be so his reaction was dull. And why Mrs Mel didn¡¯t come to the church afterwards seemed to have more meaning. For a reasonable explanation, a faithful Catholic will never walk into a Protestant church. When Mrs Mel heard Evan¡¯s words, she immediately covered her chest. Such an unconscious action made everyone present have complicated expressions. Sheriff Chandler frowned and asked in a deep voice, ¡°Is what Reverend Bruce said true? Ma¡¯am, please let me check your cross. If you refuse, I will apply for enforcement.¡± Mrs Mel¡¯s face was completely pale at this time. She looked at Sheriff Chandler tremblingly, but she held onto Colonel Mel¡¯s arm tightly, unable to speak a word. Colonel Mel looked at Mrs Mel in a daze, and then smiled coldly, ¡°Cross? Hahahahahahahahaha¡­¡± He looked up and laughed like a crazy person, ¡°You still can¡¯t let go of it until now. Is it your cross?¡± There was a hint of bitterness in his tone, and he looked at Mrs Mel sadly. Mrs Mel also looked at Colonel Mel and tears welled up in her eyes, ¡°Charlie, Charlie¡­¡± At this moment, it seemed that the only thing she could do was call out this name. ¡°Reverend Bruce.¡± Colonel Mel suddenly turned his head and looked at Evan with a cold expression, ¡°My wife started to believe in religion halfway. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s ideal for you to use this kind of thing to prove that my wife is the dead nun, it¡¯s really ridiculous. You have met my wife, can there be two identical people in this world like this?¡± Evan knew that Colonel Mel would not give in easily. He chuckled softly, ¡°Before this, I didn¡¯t believe it, but after this incident, I didn¡¯t dare to assert anything easily.¡± He waved his hand behind him, and gestured to Butler Chris, who came with them and Butler Chris went out. After a while, Butler Chris led a middle-aged nun in. She had kind eyes and looked like the most ordinary middle-aged woman in the world, but her sharp eyes and the rigid corners of her mouth made people know that she was not as gentle as she appeared on the surface. ¡°This is Dean Tracy from the monastery. I think among us, only she has the most say.¡± Evan said calmly. The moment Dean Tracy came in, Colonel Mel¡¯s expression changed. He thought that this old nun would be in the slums of Calcutta to keep company with the lowly poor, but now she appeared in front of him. in his living room, ready to testify against himself. Dean Tracy glanced at Mrs Mel, who was hiding behind Mel with a timid expression, and said coldly with a hint of disgust and dissatisfaction in her eyes, ¡°She is indeed Elisa.¡± Her words were stiff and cold, as if without any emotion, which made everyone present feel a chill. But Evan didn¡¯t seem to be affected in any way. He smiled slightly and looked at the pale-faced Mrs Mel and Colonel Mel, ¡°My dear lady, oh no, it should be my dear Sister Elisa, do you have anything else to say?¡± Elisa froze completely at this moment, she didn¡¯t seem to have much courage to face this stern nun. ¡°You¡­why did you come back?¡± She said, with a trace of despair in her tone, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to go to Calcutta to fulfill your long-cherished wish? Why did you come back?¡± Dean Tracy frowned with disgust. She wrinkled her nose, then returned to her usual indifference and said in a flat tone, ¡°I was in Calcutta when I heard that you passed away, so I want to come back to see you.¡± ¡°See me?¡± Elisa laughed with a very weird expression on her face, ¡°I always thought you hated me. You would give up your ideals for me? Don¡¯t you know? If you don¡¯t stay in Calcutta for a year this time, then the church will give up its promise to you, you will remain curled up in that small monastery forever, with no way out.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Compared to Elisa¡¯s rich feelings, Sister Tracy is as cold as a stone, but with such a simple answer, Elisa was completely stunned. She looked at the man in front of her in disbelief, as if she was looking at some kind of monster. ¡°My mission is complete, may I leave?¡± Sister Tracy looked at Duke Wilson behind Evan and asked calmly. At this time, Duke Wilson was also at a loss. Hearing her question, he just nodded indiscriminately. Sister Tracy nodded slightly, turned and left. Sister Tracy¡¯s departure seemed to inject a boost into the weird atmosphere in the living room and it boiled instantly. ¡°It¡¯s actually true!¡± Sheriff Chandler looked at Colonel Mel and Elisa excitedly, ¡°You two! You two are¡­shameful!¡± Sheriff Chandler held back for a long time, and finally such a word came out. Colonel Mel had a cold face without any expression. Elisa was held tightly in his arms, with a sad look on her face. Evan stood by and watched them but he only felt amused in his heart. He smiled and said, ¡°What can Colonel Mel do? Elisa will never leave the church. If he wants to be with Elisa, it can only be done in such a way. Why do you think Colonel Mel married an ordinary lady? There are so many ladies crazy for him, but he ended up marrying someone who is nothing. Now you should know that he didn¡¯t marry her for love, but for her face.¡± Evan said with a smile, but the meaning of this sentence was so cold that it made people shiver. T/N: I thought about it for a while, and I came to the realisation that such an inhuman thing can actually happen in real life. Humans can be worse than animals sometimes ???? I know I¡¯ve said this before but I¡¯ll say it again. Evan is better off being a detective than a priest. With his IQ, cunning and smarts, he would be extremely famous, not just in the kingdom. CH 119 ¡°Why?¡± Sheriff Chandler stared blankly at Colonel Mel and Elisa, ¡°Why did you do such a terrible thing?¡± He asked in disbelief. Colonel Mel hugged Elisa tightly. He seemed to find Sheriff Chandler¡¯s question funny and he curled his lips mockingly. ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s funny to ask this question at this time?¡± He seemed to have given up at this time and the expression on his was that of completely undisguised indifference and sarcasm. ¡°If I want to be with Elisa, then someone has to make a sacrifice. Do you think it¡¯s such a simple thing for a nun to leave the church?¡± Sheriff Chandler looked at him with a very complicated expression. But Evan chuckled at this moment, ¡°You killed poor Mrs Mel so that you could be with Sister Elisa. Is this what you call sacrifice?¡± Colonel Mel turned his face to look at Evan, with an expression of obvious cold indifference. ¡°She¡¯s just a country bumpkin from a small place. I gave her status and wealth, so of course she has to give up something.¡± His cold words made Sheriff Chandler¡¯s heart, which was already on the verge of rage, burst out and he rushed up to Colonel Mel, lifted his collar viciously and punched him in the stomach. ¡°Scum!¡± he cursed viciously. Colonel Mel curled up in pain, clutching his throbbing abdomen and he couldn¡¯t stand up straight. ¡°You are such a beastly person, I misjudged you before!¡± Sheriff Chandler scolded with disgust. Colonel Mel started laughing at this moment, ¡°Hahahahaha¡­¡± His laughter was so exaggerated that everyone looked sideways, away from him. ¡°Sheriff Chandler.¡± He turned his face to look at the Sheriff, ¡°This world is like this, what is right or wrong? If my crimes were not exposed today, then in your heart I will still be that venerable colonel, and my wife is still a poor-born Katrina. You only condemn me because my crimes have been discovered, but how would you know if there are others worse than me? You may never find out about his crimes.¡± When he said this, he glanced at Duke Wilson standing behind Evan with a serious face and he felt very heavy in his heart. Maybe others don¡¯t know about Duke Wilson¡¯s character, but he knows it better than anyone. Sheriff Chandler didn¡¯t notice Colonel Mel¡¯s little move, he still gave him a contemptuous look and said in a cold voice, ¡°I advise you to put away your rhetoric, the crimes you committed are enough for you to be hanged ¡± Colonel Mel didn¡¯t seem to hear the blatant threats from Sheriff Chandler as his expression remained normal. Seeing his appearance, Evan smiled, ¡°Sheriff, I don¡¯t think you can forget about Sister Elisa¡¯s involvement in this matter. As I said, Colonel Mel had an alibi before the killing but Sister Elisa did not, I am afraid there is still the matter of finding who killed poor Mrs Mel.¡± Hearing Evan¡¯s words, Elisa couldn¡¯t help shivering. Colonel Mel also hurriedly stood up and said coldly, ¡°Reverend Bruce, you don¡¯t need to sow discord anymore. The one who killed Katrina is really me, and it has nothing to do with Elisa.¡± His anxious appearance made him look even more suspicious and Sheriff Chandler looked suspiciously at the weak-looking Elisa, as if he was unable to believe Evan¡¯s words. ¡°Are you sure, Reverend Bruce?¡± He couldn¡¯t help asking. Evan nodded, a glint of light flashed in his eyes, ¡°If you conduct an in-depth investigation, you will find that during the period of Mrs Mel¡¯s death, Colonel Mel was going to a farmhouse on the road to the monastery. Because of a sudden bout of kindness, he helped a poor farmer get rid of the little squire¡¯s rent pursuit.¡± When Evan said these words, he kept his eyes on Colonel Mel¡¯s movements and seeing him frowning, he sneered. He is not a noble person but he did treat Colonel Mel as a good friend before and he got involved in the investigation, not only for Duke Wilson, but also because of his self-righteous friendship, but he did not expect that in the end, he would suffer from such a betrayal. Evan will never let anyone who treats him like this go easily. ¡°Although¡­even so¡­¡± Colonel Mel¡¯s face showed a look of anger, ¡°but would I do this kind of thing myself? I asked Ederson to do it, and it has nothing to do with Elisa.¡± ¡°Ederson?¡± Evan looked at Colonel Mel with a sneer, ¡°Before the Duke and I came back, I believe you didn¡¯t try to bribe Mr Ederson or make Mr Ederson your scapegoat. I believe you would not have involved him in this matter so early on, otherwise, based on my knowledge of Mr Ederson¡¯s, he would never cooperate with you. The reason why he committed suicide under your coercion in the end was because he completely lost the trust of the Duke, he had nowhere to go and his son¡¯s illness was completely hopeless, so he fell into your trap, not to mention¡­¡± Evan looked at Colonel Mel and smiled as he said the most important part of this matter. ¡°What¡¯s more, if you could really bribe Mr Ederson so easily, why did you design such a complicated scheme? Wouldn¡¯t it be easier for Mr Ederson to kill her and then be arrested?¡± When Colonel Mel heard this sentence, he seemed to have suffered some kind of heavy blow, and his originally straight back collapsed completely. ¡°You¡­you¡­¡± He pointed at Evan with trembling hands, his face turned pale and he couldn¡¯t say a word for a while. Sheriff Chandler finally came to his senses at this time and looked at Elisa, who was curled up in Colonel Mel¡¯s arms in disbelief. ¡°This¡­¡± He was speechless for a moment. He couldn¡¯t believe that the person who did such a terrible thing would be such a weak-looking lady. Thinking about the tragic state of the corpse, Sheriff Chandler felt chills in my heart, it¡¯s just¡­just so¡­ ¡°She didn¡¯t do it.¡± Colonel Mel said with a livid face and gritted his teeth, ¡°I sent someone else to do it. She just followed my instructions and exchanged identities with Katrina.¡± Colonel Mel refused to admit it, but Evan just sneered, the more Colonel Mel denied it, the more real it would prove to be. ¡°Charlie.¡± Suddenly a cold female voice came from Colonel Mel¡¯s arms. Everyone was attracted by the voice and looked towards Colonel Mel¡¯s arms. Elisa raised her head slowly, the tears in her eyes that made people feel distressed were gone now and the only thing left was boundless desertedness. ¡°Charlie, don¡¯t say any more.¡± She seemed to be enduring some kind of pain and there was a look of struggle on her face, ¡°I did that thing.¡± She said this sentence slowly. Colonel Mel¡¯s expression changed, he grabbed Elisa¡¯s arm and said sharply, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about!?¡± Elisa turned to look at Colonel Mel and there was a desolate smile on her lips, ¡°Charlie, don¡¯t hide it for me, I want to tell the truth about it.¡± Her face was as soft as the warm spring sun, but there was desolation and sadness hidden in her eyes. Colonel Mel pursed his lips in pain, as if he wanted to say something, as if some kind of emotion was brewing in his chest, but in the end he didn¡¯t say a word and slowly let go of his hand. Elisa turned her head to look at Sheriff Chandler again. She raised her hand and stroked the hair behind her ear, revealing the earlobe that she had been covering all along. There was a red mole on the earlobe. Against the background of the skin color, it looks unusually dazzling. ¡°This is the only difference between me and Katrina.¡± Elisa said softly, ¡°I have a mole on my earlobe but she doesn¡¯t. In order to cover it up, I destroyed her face. That¡¯s the only way, so no one pays attention to why her earlobe is rotten.¡± She said such cruel words, but the expression on her face was still gentle and pure. ¡°I thought so too at the beginning, you know? When Charlie told me about this plan, I was very opposed to it. I don¡¯t think we should treat a poor woman like this. It¡¯s really cruel.¡± Maybe recalling something, she was smiling. ¡°But as this matter progressed, I found that my feelings about the plan changed.¡± She looked straight into the void, as if she could see something from there. ¡°Obviously I am the one Charlie loves, but Katrina is the one who gets married to him, Katrina is the one who gets his endless tenderness and Katrina is the one who can be called a husband and wife with him, and I can only nestled in that small monastery, nestled in that boundless dark corner, walking alone. Why? Why?¡± Her tears flowed down his fair cheeks, but at this time she did not look as weak as she did before, all that was left was pure sadness and endless pain, ¡°Obviously the person he loves the most¡­is me!¡± She said such words as if accusing the dead, making everyone present silent. ¡°So, when I was facing her cold body, I told myself that I was trying to prevent people from discovering the difference between us but when her blood splashed on my face, I realized that, it turns out that I have been looking forward to this day, looking forward to killing her, killing this person who has taken my position, my love and my identity!¡± Elisa¡¯s expression turned crazy, and in her eyes was the deepest darkness. Evan watched her silently without saying a word, but Sheriff Chandler was already extremely shocked at this time. He couldn¡¯t do or say anything rude to a lady, so in the end, he could only ask with a trembling voice, ¡°Are¡­are you crazy?¡± Elisa suddenly raised her head to look at Sheriff Chandler, she hooked the corners of her mouth, as if she wanted to laugh, but the tears on her face and the madness in her eyes made her look so weird. ¡°I should be crazy.¡± She replied softly, ¡°Staying in that place for so many years, I should have been crazy long ago.¡± ¡°Elisa.¡± Colonel Mel hugged Eliza from behind and he buried his head tightly in Elisa¡¯s neck, grief flashing across his face, ¡°Stop talking, Elisa, it¡¯s over, it¡¯s over¡­¡± He murmured soothingly. Evan watched this scene, with a light that others could not understand in his eyes. He turned around and said, ¡°I want to leave this place.¡± After speaking, he strode outside. T/N: Elisa is really crazy. She¡¯s actually jealous? Jealous of an innocent woman? How dare she blame poor Katrina? In my opinion, the fact that she even agreed to this messed up plan in the first place shows that she is a psychopath, she just wasn¡¯t aware. I also don¡¯t think she¡¯s as in love with Mel as she is with herself. ???? CH 120 Evan walked out of the luxurious castle, and when he breathed the air outside, he felt relaxed instantly. Evan walked to the Duke¡¯s carriage, but he had no intention of getting into the carriage at all. He walked straight past the carriage and strode towards the distance. Some kind of emotion swelled in his chest, which made his whole body tremble with excitement. He actually did such a thing. Evan clenched his fists tightly. He didn¡¯t know whether he was more regretful or more excited. In fact, he never thought about it before expressing his emotions, but when things happened, he really did it. Maybe he was tired of his usual disguise, maybe the Duke¡¯s feelings for him were so real that he couldn¡¯t help feeling guilty. He has been pretending for so long and even he has some doubts, whether the present him is real now, the mask seems to have merged with himself, and he felt panic. Is the real or fake him the real one? Which one is the real him? And now¡­Evan looked at the road ahead, the icy cold wind made his face tingle, but his heart was full of fire. He finally took this step. He was feeling very excited, as if he had unloaded a heavy burden and his whole body was much more relaxed. Evan walked along the forest path towards the Church of Delanlier. He couldn¡¯t guess what the Duke was thinking at this time and he couldn¡¯t know how the Duke would react, but he really did that because his heart has been telling him that he must let the Duke know the truth. Such an idea has always existed in Evan¡¯s subconscious mind, but it wasn¡¯t until today that he finally took this step. Evan stepped on the frosty ground, full of thoughts in his mind, but at this moment, the sound of a carriage came from behind him. Evan looked back, only to find that it was Duke Wilson¡¯s carriage that was coming. Evan frowned slightly and clenched his fists, feeling nervous. He knew that he would never be able to outrun the carriage, so he stopped along the way and looked at the direction of the carriage. The Duke¡¯s carriage quickly caught up and stopped beside Evan. Evan looked at the black door of the carriage, his heart had already reached his throat as he clenched his fist tightly, with complicated emotions in his heart. The carriage door was pushed open by a slender and powerful hand and the Duke¡¯s anxious face appeared from behind the door. He leaned out most of his body to look at Evan and said anxiously, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wait until I leave first? The weather is so cold, aren¡¯t you afraid of typhoid fever? Come up quickly.¡± Regarding the Duke¡¯s words, Evan felt a little surprised for a moment, he thought that after what happened at Colonel Mel¡¯s house, he would¡­ Could it be that he didn¡¯t see the difference? Evan shook his head secretly. It was impossible. He was very sure that the Duke had definitely discovered his difference as his expression at that time was a bit intriguing. Evan looked straight at Duke Wilson, neither getting into the carriage nor speaking. Seeing Evan like this, Duke Wilson just sighed and said in a low voice, ¡°Are you angry with me? I¡¯m sorry, Evan, I didn¡¯t know that Mel would be such a person to frame you like this.¡± At this point, his expression suddenly became serious, and he said in a deep voice, ¡°But don¡¯t worry, I will definitely not let you suffer in vain, and I will make Mel pay the price.¡± Evan frowned, what does he mean? Does he want to turn a blind eye? He didn¡¯t think the Duke would be the type of person who would rather deceive himself. ¡°You¡­¡± Evan pondered for a moment and finally opened his mouth. But Duke Wilson immediately interrupted his words, and said in a brisk tone, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, okay? Get in the carriage, it¡¯s really cold outside.¡± Evan looked at Duke Wilson with a complicated expression, and for a while he didn¡¯t know what to say, he couldn¡¯t laugh or cry in his heart, he didn¡¯t know whether he should sympathize with Duke Wilson¡¯s self-deception or reflect on what he had done. Evan sighed in his heart, he lowered his head slightly and replied in a low voice, ¡°I understand, but I want to go back to the church now,¡± His words were equivalent to a compromise, which made Duke Wilson¡¯s tense heart loosen. ¡°Okay, okay, if you want to go back to the church, we¡¯ll go back to the church.¡± As if he was afraid that Evan would change his mind, he stretched out his hand, grabbed Evan¡¯s arm, pulled him into the carriage and then hugged him. The coachman continued to drive the carriage, as if he hadn¡¯t seen anything, towards the Church of Delanlier. In the warm carriage, Duke Wilson was half leaning on Evan¡¯s shoulder, and his whole body was close to Evan¡¯s, smelling each other¡¯s scent and there seemed to be an ambiguous atmosphere in the air, but only Evan knew that he was really calm. He couldn¡¯t understand what Duke Wilson was doing, because he was very sure that Duke Wilson¡¯s affection for him at first, was only based on the illusion he showed him, but now¡­now he has completely exposed the illusion he created. But Duke Wilson is still trying to keep this illusion. Evan lowered his head and looked at the back of Duke Wilson¡¯s neck. That piece of snow-white skin shone brightly in his eyes, and his eyes stung a little. Evan closed his eyes as his thoughts drifted. He did not know how many times the duke was sucked by himself, and every time he sucked, Duke Wilson would blush and moan softly. He has always loved his performance so much, but looking at it now, he only feels heavy, as if those happy times they had were all stolen by himself. The man, whom the duke loves, is not really himself. ¡°Charles.¡± Evan caressed his back, and whispered, ¡°You saw that, right?¡± Now that he has spoken up, he can no longer bear to act as another person and with the way he and Duke Wilson have been getting along intimately, this matter must be said, but he does not need to elaborate, because according to Duke Wilson¡¯s wisdom, he should have understood already. After Evan said such words, the body in his arms trembled. Evan¡¯s heart moved and he hugged the person in his arms tightly. ¡°I know you understand.¡± He pursed his dry lips, ¡°I will only say some things once now and no matter what decision you make, I will not have any complaints, do you want to listen?¡± Pressing his lips against Duke Wilson¡¯s ear, he whispered. Duke Wilson wrapped his arms around Evan¡¯s neck and buried his face on Evan¡¯s shoulders. He gritted his teeth, as if he was enduring some kind of great pain and he didn¡¯t respond for a long time. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to listen, then I won¡¯t say anything.¡± Evan felt a little disappointed in his heart and stretched out his hand to push Duke Wilson away from him. But before his hand touched Duke Wilson¡¯s body, the Duke spoke. ¡°Go ahead.¡± His voice trembled slightly, sounding more hoarse than usual. Evan felt his heart tremble slightly after hearing this and the originally sour emotion spread from the top of his heart to the bottom of his heart. He lowered his head and kissed the snow-white skin that he had coveted for a long time. His slightly cold lips made Duke Wilson tremble slightly. The corner of Evan¡¯s mouth hooked up slightly and he buried his face into Duke Wilson¡¯s neck. ¡°Charles, what I want to say is that I really love you. I am afraid that no one in this world can make me have such strong feelings. No matter what I have done or what I will do, my feelings for you are always there. It is real at this moment, and what I feel for you is from the bottom of my heart, whether you believe it or not, this is what I really feel in my heart. I was ashamed to express it in the past, but at this moment, I think it is necessary for me to let you know this, otherwise I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll regret it for the rest of my life.¡± Evan¡¯s voice was muffled but it carried a shocking force. Duke Wilson trembled, and Evan felt it. The feelings in his heart were even more complicated and unspeakable. The only thing he could do was to hug him even harder. It¡¯s just that he couldn¡¯t see that at this time, Duke Wilson¡¯s originally dark eyes had turned blood red at this moment, like some kind of bloodthirsty creature, with a frightening look of desire in it. He opened his mouth and bit gently on Evan¡¯s neck. The slight stinging pain only made Evan blink, but there was a look of satisfaction in Duke Wilson¡¯s eyes. Duke Wilson¡¯s heart was beating violently, Fortunately you said that, if you didn¡¯t say that, I really don¡¯t know what I would do. Duke Wilson sucked on that piece of skin greedily, as if he was really sucking on some sacred object, with an inextricable obsession in his expression. For this person in front of him, he may have been confused by the dazzling light on him at first, but as time passed, he found that his feelings for him had reached a depth that outsiders could not comprehend, and what he wanted was no longer that fleeting warmth, but the real him, with this mixture of indifference and tenderness, kindness and cunning. In fact, he had already noticed the indifference under his gentle appearance, but maybe it was this indifference that made him feel even more infatuated. He fantasized that he could break the ice and obtain his most sincere tenderness, and now¡­now, he finally got it. A bloodthirsty smile appeared on the lips of Duke Wilson. Evan has never seen what the heaviest crime in the world is, so he would not understand that what he did was really nothing to him. The carriage was still driving towards the church while the people in the carriage hugged each other with lingering emotions. The atmosphere in the carriage was also extremely gentle. Evan felt nothing but peace in his heart at this moment. Everything unfolded before the eyes of Duke Wilson and the last barrier between them was gone, he could finally accept his feelings with peace of mind. Although it was a long way from Colonel Mel¡¯s manor to the Church of Delanlier, no matter how long the journey was, they finally arrived at the church before lunch time. Duke Wilson reluctantly let Evan go. After getting off the carriage, he stared straight at Evan with his slightly red eyes, and told him in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ll come pick you up tomorrow.¡± Evan was a little surprised, but thinking about his behavior today, he still nodded. Duke Wilson pursed his lips, feeling very satisfied in his heart. He was very aware of Evan¡¯s guilt towards him now, so taking advantage of this opportunity, he would not give up any chance. Just as Duke Wilson was about to leave, Mrs Sanders came out in a hurry. Seeing Evan standing at the door, she hurriedly greeted him with a trace of anxiety on her face. ¡°Reverend Bruce.¡± Instead of saluting Duke Wilson, she said anxiously, ¡°Your father is here.¡± ¡°What?¡± Evan frowned. At this moment, he finally remembered old Bruce¡¯s letter and he couldn¡¯t help feeling a little heavy in my heart. But Mrs Sanders hadn¡¯t finished speaking, and this sentence was a bit difficult to say. ¡°Besides, there is a lady who came with your father.¡± Mrs Sanders said this with a little embarrassment, but the face of Duke Wilson, who was standing by the side, completely darkened. T/N: Oh dear, old Bruce is here again, with a woman for Evan too, really bad timing I really feel sorry for the old man, using a woman to pry the duke¡¯s corner. Charles only hated you before, now he¡¯ll just want to kill you, tsk tsk ?? CH 121 ¡°Lady?¡± Evan frowned as he looked at Mrs Sanders, ¡°Is it someone I know?¡± Mrs Sanders seemed a little embarrassed, and said, ¡°No¡­this lady, I don¡¯t know her. I haven¡¯t seen her before.¡± Evan probably had a guess in his heart, and replied, ¡°I see, thank you.¡± Mrs Sanders nodded with a stiff face, turned and went in. Evan stood at the door, hesitating for a moment. Duke Wilson started having many dark thoughts in his heart when he looked at him behaving like this, but in the end he restrained his thoughts and said, ¡°You and I will go in together.¡± His words were very firm, without giving Evan any room to refute. Evan had a wry smile on his lips, ¡°Charles, you might scare my father.¡± Evan¡¯s words were the truth. Since the last time Duke Wilson picked him up from Bruce¡¯s house, old Bruce didn¡¯t dare to contact him for half a month, but this time he finally got the courage to come, and it¡¯s also because Bruce¡¯s family is really in a stormy situation. Duke Wilson snorted coldly with disdain, ¡°He dared to scheme against you like that, so he should know the consequences of such schemes and calculations.¡± Evan shook his head helplessly. He knew the Duke¡¯s character very well, and he was afraid that old Bruce would be returning empty-handed this time. And in his own heart¡­ Evan pursed his lips. If he said that he had some doubts before, he has completely put aside such thoughts at this time, although an independent status will make him feel comfortable and he was indeed tempted, but if that means a risk of losing the Duke, he would never do it. Evan and Duke Wilson walked into the church together. They walked through the prayer hall and walked to the living room at the back. Old Bruce and the lady were sitting in the room where Evan usually stayed, looking a little nervous. Seeing Evan coming in, he quickly stood up from his chair, but when he saw Duke Wilson following behind Evan, his expression changed drastically and he couldn¡¯t help taking a step back, with many bad feelings in his heart, many bad ideas flooded his heart. ¡°Father.¡± Evan nodded slightly to old Bruce, his eyes lightly swept over the too young lady. She still looks like a little girl, does old Bruce really want him to marry this woman? Evan frowned. ¡°Evan.¡± Old Bruce tried his best to control the timidity he felt in his heart and nodded slightly. He licked his dry lips and then said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to come too, Your Excellency the Duke.¡± He bent over to salute Duke Wilson. Duke Wilson looked at Old Bruce with a cold expression, without saying a word and the atmosphere in the room became tense. Old Bruce¡¯s cold sweat was dripping down his forehead, he kept winking at Evan who was standing aside, hoping he could do something but Evan didn¡¯t seem to see it and still did not say a word. Old Bruce was angry in his heart, but he didn¡¯t dare to say anything more, so he could only swallow his anger and continue, ¡°My lord, I have some personal things that I want to say to Evan alone. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s convenient?¡± He didn¡¯t understand why the Duke was so idle, spending all his time with Evan. Duke Wilson sneered when he heard this. He glanced at the shy lady sitting in the corner with a knife-like gaze and said sarcastically, ¡°Your thoughts are so straightforward, I don¡¯t think you need to be given privacy. Last time you failed to rely on Miss Victoria to use Evan, did you change to someone else this time?¡± As soon as Duke Wilson said this, the lady who was quietly sitting in the corner, her face turned pale in an instant and she raised her head to look at Duke Wilson in horror and she looked humiliated. Duke Wilson looked at her expression but just sneered, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, lady? Am I wrong? You came all the way to Delanlier, so I want to ask you, what exactly did you come here for? What¡¯s your idea?¡± The lady didn¡¯t seem to be the type to swallow her anger, she immediately stood up and said loudly, ¡°What¡¯s my idea? My father gave the Bruce family a lot of money to protect the entire Bruce family so that the manor will not go bankrupt. The entire Bruce family should be grateful to me instead of insulting me!¡± Duke Wilson just raised his eyebrows at her words, ¡°So you found a merchant¡¯s daughter for Evan?¡± He looked at old Bruce with a half-smile, with unknown emotions brewing in his eyes. Old Bruce¡¯s heart suddenly rose and he hurriedly tried to appease the lady, ¡°Mary, sit down first, I believe the Duke didn¡¯t mean to insult you. Besides, this is a matter between you and Evan, I don¡¯t think Duke Wilson will oppose Evan¡¯s decision.¡± Old Bruce looked at Evan who was standing aside with confidence, he believed that his previous letter had already explained the current situation very well. As long as Evan is not crazy, he will definitely accept the conditions he proposed. After all, in this era, a manor owner has a very attractive social status, which is completely different from that of a poor priest. After hearing what Old Bruce said, Evan frowned slightly. He turned his head, looked at Old Bruce¡¯s eyes that were full of expectation and said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Father, I have no intention of getting married. I will spend my whole life dedicated to the church, I hope you can understand.¡± ¡°What?¡± Old Bruce looked at Evan in shock, as if he was looking at a lunatic, he did not want to give up the authority of the entire manor even if time was running out. All his life, he had been guaranteeing his rights to the entire manor. He couldn¡¯t believe that a person would be so crazy as to give up the inheritance of a manor. ¡°Are you crazy? If you don¡¯t inherit the manor, Bruce¡¯s manor will be taken back by the owner after I die and you will get nothing!¡± Old Bruce had long forgotten the threat of Duke Wilson as he spoke loudly. Evan smiled softly and any emotional changes couldn¡¯t be seen, ¡°I¡¯m very sober and this is my own decision. If it leads to any consequences, then I won¡¯t have any complaints.¡± Old Bruce couldn¡¯t believe it. Looking at Evan, he was too shocked to say a word. However, Duke Wilson¡¯s expression softened completely at this time. He looked at Evan with a gentle expression, as if he was looking at some rare treasure. For him, Evan gave up the inheritance of a manor. He was very aware of the influence and wealth of a manor owner in this era, but he gave up all of these for himself. ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± The lady who saw her identity as the hostess of a manor flying away finally couldn¡¯t help it, ¡°You promised me before!¡± She looked angrily at the pale old Bruce, ¡°We paid so much money, it¡¯s not for doing charity!¡± Old Bruce was on the verge of collapse now and Mary¡¯s words hit him even more, he almost looked madly at Evan and rushed to him, held his shoulders and said loudly, ¡°You can¡¯t treat me like this, you must inherit the Bruce Manor! You must marry Mary! Otherwise, the entire Bruce family will be destroyed!¡± Evan looked straight at Old Bruce and stopped Duke Wilson who wanted to come forward to help. He grabbed Old Bruce¡¯s arm and pulled them off his body. He looked at Old Bruce, smiled coldly and said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, I don¡¯t care at all.¡± His smile was so cold and abrupt that Old Bruce was stunned for a moment and he stared blankly at Evan, as if he never knew his son. Evan shook off old Bruce¡¯s hands with some annoyance, turned around and walked to Duke Wilson, and said, ¡°I want to leave this place, let¡¯s go.¡± Duke Wilson looked at Evan with a burning look, as if it was the discovery of a new World. Although he could see Evan¡¯s indifference hidden under his gentle appearance before, he had never seen his performance so intuitively. Seeing him now, he only felt¡­really excited, so excited that his blood was about to boil. ¡°Okay.¡± He restrained the excitement in his heart and only uttered this word as his whole body trembled slightly. The two of them walked out one after the other, leaving only old Bruce and Mary looking at each other. When they got into the carriage again, Duke Wilson couldn¡¯t wait to jump on Evan and gag Evan¡¯s mouth. Evan looked slightly surprised at the person who was clinging to him, trying to kiss him with trembling lips. He smiled, wrapped his arms around his waist and kissed him instead. Evan¡¯s kisses have always been rude and full of control. Duke Wilson was not his opponent at all and fell limply into Evan¡¯s arms after two or three kisses. Evan sucked his lips and tongue until his face was flushed and he was a little out of breath. Then he let him go, but he still held him in his arms and whispered, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Duke Wilson was dizzy as he leaned on Evan¡¯s shoulder. He hugged Evan¡¯s waist tightly, rubbed his chest with a satisfied face and said, ¡°I want to kiss you, can¡¯t I?¡± Evan smiled, ¡°Of course, in this world, only you can.¡± For some reason, such words suddenly came out of his mouth. After Evan finished speaking, he paused, is this a promise? Evan was a little dazed. In his last life, he had never had such an experience and he had never made such a promise to anyone even in a show. Duke Wilson also raised his head from Evan¡¯s shoulder. He looked straight at Evan with emotions in his eyes that Evan could not understand. He whispered in Evan¡¯s ear, ¡°In my whole life, you are the only one who can treat me like that.¡± Duke Wilson didn¡¯t say how he treated him, but after Evan heard these words, his whole body suddenly became agitated. He knew exactly what Duke Wilson meant, and the madness and feelings of that night suddenly flooded into his mind. Evan looked at the road ahead through the window, and suddenly felt for the first time that it was such a far distance from the church to Cornwall Manor. T/N: That felt really good, Evan really got him good Old Bruce must not have thought that he¡¯d ever need Evan¡¯s help when he plotted against him. ¡®You reap what you sow¡¯ is the correct description for this But I can¡¯t help but wonder, what would Charles have done if Evan accepted the offer? ????