Do you all know the future?

Chapter 85 The Marriage Selection Incident

Diane's encounter with Mrs. Terry was like a dream. She waited for several days for Mrs. Terry to come to her door but she never did, so she put her aside for the time being.

The registration for the marriage selection lasted for several days, and the atmosphere in the government affairs class was also unpleasant for several days. The requirements for rare spirituality were not high, and most of the nobles in the royal city could meet them, but for the students in the government affairs class, they could only be considered a small part.

The people in the government affairs class are generally of a suitable age. After a while, they harbored resentment. Although they knew they couldn't compete, not even having the qualifications to step into the class felt different.

It was another lesson on the general history of the empire. Today, Diane, unusually, didn't ask for leave and listened quietly to the teacher finish the lesson as if she were listening to a storybook.

Isabella and Bridget were both busy today, while Diane was free, so he obediently came to listen to the lecture.

Although Diane felt it would be better if he didn't come, because his presence created an inexplicable tension in the class.

"Good morning, Lord An. Didn't you go to study with Dean Isabella today?"

Noy leaned closer, watching Diane slowly pack up the books and other items, his eyes filled with curiosity.

"Good morning, Mr. Noy. My teacher is busy, so I naturally won't miss any of my government affairs classes. How are you doing, Mr. Noy?"

Diane greeted him politely. She was the only classmate in the political affairs class who could talk to him. Others wanted to get closer, but they were afraid of Loran's warning.

"Very good, I have already begun to sense the wandering spirituality. My teacher said I have made great progress. As for Lord An, with his talent, he should be able to cast spells by now!"

Noi smiled, genuinely pleased; his progress was among the most impressive in the political affairs class.

"You guessed perfectly!"

Diane looked at Noy in surprise. He didn't deliberately hide it; this was to connect with his spirituality and demonstrate his "all-elemental affinity" attribute.

Noy's expression froze. His relaxed mood seemed to be weighed down by a heavy lead weight. He had just made a casual compliment, and Diane had actually done it.

"Is Lord An's talent so exceptional that he has signed up for Her Majesty's marriage selection?"

Noy responded bitterly, "A good teacher and a good student, I can't envy them, I can't envy them."

"I signed up. Although I feel the chances are slim, it's an opportunity, right? Like everyone else thinks, what if it's me?"

Diane appeared very nervous, as if she was truly filled with anticipation. Even though she knew the inside story of the marriage selection, she still acted as if she knew nothing, which made Noy's wounded heart feel a little better.

Diane never intended to hide it from anyone. When Lorraine made such a big fuss, he was right there comparing Lorraine to him.

“I just don’t have that kind of luck. My spirit, alas, does Dean Isabella know that Lord Anne is participating in the marriage selection?”

Noe looked envious and casually asked Diane a question. The others who hadn't left yet couldn't help but perk up their ears. There were many rumors that Diane might be going to be the dean's husband.

"I know, they've been giving me special training lately, even though the chances of me, a foreigner, marrying Her Majesty the Queen are very slim!"

Isabella fully supports his marriage to the Queen, and even thinks that Diane and the Queen are a match made in heaven. She believes that Diane should make some sacrifices for the sake of the Queen's resources.

"Give Lord An special training? Didn't you hear Dean Isabella wants to..."

Unfamiliar knowledge floods her mind. Diane goes to a marriage selection meeting, and Dean Isabella even supports her. Is this her lover or her son?

"Your information is very good. If you can't be chosen in the marriage selection, that's true. Your husband, Marquis Sarella, is very good, but you would prefer me to become the Queen's husband, as that would offer a better future."

It was impossible for him not to be selected, but Diane didn't want to appear confident. He wasn't the kind of fool who would boast about winning or show off just because he knew a little inside information.

"This this……"

Noe felt her heart clench. Diane had been very restrained, but the information she revealed still made her feel a surge of jealousy.

"what happened?"

Seeing Noy's expression, Diane realized that he had said something wrong, but he didn't know what he had said wrong.

"It's nothing. If Lord An decides to participate in the marriage selection, there are a few people you should keep an eye on, as they may compete with you."

Composing himself, he looked at Diane, who seemed to be reflecting, and took the initiative to be friendly, serving as a reminder.

If Diane had Isabella's permission, he would say it without hesitation; a businessman's caution and boldness were both on display.

"Oh, who are they?"

Diane asked curiously, since the selection criteria for the marriage contest were lenient and there should be quite a few talented and popular candidates. He hadn't paid special attention to them before, since he was always just a runner-up anyway. Now that Neumann had mentioned it, Diane thought he should take a look.

"In order to ensure the birth of a royal heir, the age of the prince is chosen to be under forty, which almost eliminates the possibility of angel-level powerhouses. Therefore, the only threats to you are those few paladins and archmages!"

Noy explained that Diane had already sensed the Queen's precision in swordsmanship, and that angel-level powerhouses were a significant variable, so they were prioritized for elimination.

To maintain fairness, paladins and archmages were allowed to participate. In this situation, Diane's emergence as a dark horse was quite reasonable.

"Which ones? I haven't found out yet, although I feel like they wouldn't even look at me directly if I were their enemy."

Diane handed the book to the maid beside her to put away, and then asked her questions with great interest.

"Holdon Bailey, deputy librarian of the Imperial Library, Lake Ramirez, staff officer of the Expeditionary Expedition... these are their spiritual materials."

Noi shared the information he had gathered with Diane, observing Diane's expression.

Unfortunately, Diane's expression was... well, a mix of bewilderment and awe. These titles sounded incredibly impressive.

"They're all amazing. Mr. Noy ​​is also impressive for gathering this information. Anyway, I'm just participating for the sake of participating. There's no way the Queen would marry an outsider like me!"

Diane accepted the information handed to her by Noy, embracing Noy's overtures. This businessman certainly had good judgment and was quite bold.

"I believe Lord An can create miracles, and Lord An is also a popular candidate. Please be careful of others targeting him."

Noe lowered his voice, reminding Diane to be careful of being targeted from the shadows.

"Oh, can I become a popular candidate too?"

Diane felt both amused and exasperated, realizing that she could barely be considered a mage at the moment.

"While not exactly a hot topic, quite a few people are talking about it. After all, your charm is irresistible, and some even call you..."

Looking at the self-deprecating Diane, Noe let slip the secret.

"What do you call me? Tell me, I know it's not something nice."

"A succubus from the depths of Ishtar!"

"Oh, that's pretty impressive. Did I become that famous?"

Diane was both amused and exasperated by the title. Was it really that exaggerated? He only seemed to have any connection with Isabella. "Lord Diane, you don't understand Dean Isabella's influence. Gaining her favor is like gaining Queen Greta's favor. Of course, not quite as powerful as Queen Greta, but you can make the comparison!"

Noi didn't know how to describe it to Diane, so he could only bring up Queen Greta, the first queen in the hearts of the Ishtar people.

"what?"

Is it possible to make a comparison like this?

"Among the three beauties of Landu, Dean Isabella is probably the number one. You can prove your charm through her. If you can seduce Dean Isabella, a married woman, you can naturally seduce the Queen. That's the logic."

Noy explained that the logic seemed sound, at least in terms of the outcome, the Queen had fallen.

"Moreover, your performance in attracting Marquise Terri a few days ago has already spread, and many people suspect that you are blessed by Cupid."

Time and again, Diane's risk level has increased, making her a natural choice to win the championship.

"So how do they plan to attack me?"

Diane began to understand a little better; had she really been making such a splash?
"That's beyond my knowledge. With Dean Isabella's protection, they probably won't openly target you, but they'll still use some underhanded tactics. You must be careful, as some people have already been eliminated and are trapped in the Spirit Realm, unable to return."

Noy was just a businessman; where would he get information on how to deal with Diane? He could only warn him to be careful.

"However, you are not the favorite to win the title. After all, the selection of a bride is not just about personal charm. No matter how outstanding you are in Her Majesty's eyes, you still need to convince others."

Noe scared Diane and then tried to comfort her. Of course, Diane's expression didn't change. With the head maid protecting her, what was there to be afraid of?

"I understand. Thank you!"

Diane handed the received documents to the head maid. Her Majesty the Queen and Isabella did not remind him, probably because they felt that these people posed no threat to him.

"It would be great if I could help Lord An. I also hope that Lord An can become a prince, so that our government affairs class can show off!"

Noy spoke tactfully and cleverly, explaining his overtures to Diane as being for the sake of the political affairs team.

"It's not that easy. You know I'm not a top candidate. Please let me know if you find out any more information."

Diane gave a perfunctory reply, thinking about how to minimize her presence and then amaze everyone. Just then, someone rushed into the classroom.

"The Queen's selection process has been finalized; everyone should check it out."

There weren't many people in the classroom to begin with, and even more left after hearing the news.

"Lord An, would you like to go see it together?"

"Together, together... I hope there won't be any fighting involved, otherwise I'm afraid I have little hope."

Diane made a praying gesture and followed the crowd. Even though she wasn't qualified, many people were still curious about her.

"So, what are the details?"

I don't like being in a crowd, so I was waiting for people to disperse before I squeezed in. But when I came out, my expression looked a little strange.

He couldn't say he was happy, nor could he say he was sad; it was just strange. He saw Diane seem to breathe a sigh of relief, and then shake her head regretfully.

"The first is aristocratic etiquette, the second is political strategy, the third is spiritual knowledge, and the fourth is arena combat..."

When it came to the contest, Noy's tone trailed off. Diane's fate was sealed. No matter how powerful Diane was, he had only awakened his spirituality for less than a month. If the Queen were to choose him in the end, Diane would still have a chance, but in the arena, Diane had no hope whatsoever.

"Then I have no hope. Let's just focus on participating. Treat it as a game. I'll go back and talk to my teacher and ask how long after Duke Ryan has been dead it would be appropriate for him to remarry."

Diane looked dejected and started planning for the future. Noy, who had just been thinking that Diane's good luck had ended, now felt his face burning. Diane's life as a kept man was just too good, too delicious.

He simply couldn't describe his feelings at that moment. His maid's expression was the same as her master's, or even more direct, as if she wondered how the world could be like this.

"Lord An, why did you come here in person? I could have just told you when I saw you. With so many people around, what if we bumped into you?"

Just as the atmosphere was about to fall silent, Loran walked up from behind and spotted Diane at a glance.

“I’m not that frail, and I didn’t push my way in. I planned to wait until the crowd dispersed before going in, but Mr. Neu saw it and told me.”

Diane, feeling a sense of weariness amidst the oppressive atmosphere, waved her hand to indicate that she already knew the contents.

"So, what kind of selection process is it?"

With a smile, Loran ignored Noy and went straight to Diane.

"I feel I have no chance with intelligence and force. You should have signed up in the first place!"

Dai looked dejected, yet also somewhat pitied Loran for giving up the opportunity.

"Lord Anne, did my mother exert any influence on the Queen?"

Lorraine pulled Diane aside and whispered a question to her.

"It's probably because the Queen wants to balance the interests of all parties. It's okay, this way I might become your stepfather."

Diane didn't understand what was going on either. It was nothing unusual for the Queen to suddenly change her mind. As far as he was concerned, the Queen was not someone he liked. Isabella and Bridget would both be fine with him.

"Hmm... This selection process for the Queen should be posted sooner rather than later, so Lord An won't be so eager for it!"

Upon hearing the words "stepfather," Loran appeared somewhat awkward, but couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth as he complained about the Queen.

"What are you expecting? It's all for work. Have you forgotten our Lord?"

Diane put on a stern face. Marrying the Queen was truly for work purposes; otherwise, who would want to keep someone who only knows how to arrange gains and losses by their side?

“I haven’t forgotten. I’m sorry for the trouble, Lord An. After arranging my father’s funeral, I’m ready to complete the Lord’s trials. However, I will have to postpone your wedding with my mother for a while longer.”

Loran lowered his voice, trying not to laugh out loud, but Diane could hear the joy in his tone; his eldest son was truly filial.

"Let's improve our strength first. I was worried about you going to the legion for training like this. It's good that things are like this now. With the arena battles, everyone will assume that I'm out of the competition, so no one should think I'm a threat."

Diane looked at the happy Loran and warned him that he seemed to have really become Loran's father, even though he was not as strong as Loran, he was still worrying about Loran.

"Anyway, this is going to be a good show. It's like dogs fighting each other. Now we'll see who's the strongest."

Loran, however, was quite used to it; it had been like this in her past life.

(End of this chapter)