I'm not a lord

Chapter 251 Lynn is the man who could become my father.

Two days later, on a galley sailing from Sanhe City to Baixiong County, Katarina sat in the cabin, looking out the window at the receding turquoise river, her eyes filled with a sense of bewilderment.

The second daughter of a count in the South married the King of the North, who was more than thirty years her senior, in the prime of her life, and unsurprisingly became a widow early.

She had thought she would spend the rest of her life in a convent.

Reading books, growing vegetables, brewing wine, and teaching young nuns—isn't that a good thing?
But the situation in the North changed too quickly. Just over a year after her husband's death, her country fell, and she herself became the queen of the former dynasty.

Just when she was at a loss, it was her daughter who led her to escape from the capital.

But her confusion only deepened.

Is Baihe Territory truly a good home for them, mother and daughter?
At that moment, Chloris brought over a simple lunch and sat down opposite her.

Seeing her mother's unfocused gaze, Chloris waved her hand in front of her face: "Mom, what are you thinking about?"

Katarina blinked, then stared intently at her daughter and asked, "I'm thinking, are we really going to see Lynn like this? This is our only chance, and you're already set on him?"

From Amber Harbor to Three Rivers, Katharina asked her daughter similar questions no less than ten times.

Because Lynn's origins were shrouded in mystery, and she was likely a bandit or thief, she could never fully trust this nobleman who had risen to prominence like a shooting star.

“Besides Lynn, we don’t have any other good options. In my opinion, he has a higher chance of unifying the North than Otto.”

Chloris's answer was as always, but this time her tone was extremely firm, as if she had already foreseen the scene of Lynn being crowned King in the North.

Chloris had arrived in Three Rivers City by boat a week earlier with her mother.

They disembarked and discreetly checked into an inconspicuous hotel in the south of the city.

After a brief resupply, the merchant ships carrying cloth left the dock and continued their voyage toward the increasingly chaotic Valley Duchy.

Apart from a few forces that have achieved centralized power, the number of troops that each force can mobilize these days is quite small. Some weaker earls can only muster a professional army of two or three hundred men.

It appears that the major powers of the Valley Duchy are all working together, but the actual area where the war takes place is very limited, often confined to a few core castles, cities, and surrounding areas.

Therefore, most of the ducal subjects continued to live relatively peaceful lives, and their demand for various daily necessities remained unchanged.

However, as the war continues, the size of the armies of each faction will inevitably increase, and their control over territorial resources will gradually deepen.

The brutality of war can lead these forces, whether actively or passively, toward authoritarianism.

As for centralization, Lynn had already started doing that when he took control of White Bear Territory.

Afterwards, he unified Baihe Territory, occupied Sanhe City, and conquered Tuanliu County. While expanding his territory, he still placed the importance of centralization first.

He eliminated all factors that could lead to separatism, and he personally appointed and dismissed officials in various places. Even mayors and councilors in cities had to act according to his wishes.

Chloris witnessed all the changes in the White River basin.

She was one of the first people in the entire North to pay attention to Lynn, and the three stewards who were teachers in Heron County kept providing her with intelligence, making her understanding of White River Territory more in-depth and comprehensive.

Lynn displayed an extreme hunger for power, territory, and people, devouring his prey like a starving wolf. He didn't even reject the blue-haired wastelanders, consuming them all.

At the same time, he possessed the abilities to match his enormous ambitions, and his insights were even subtly ahead of his time.

All of this is why Chloris is optimistic about Lynn.

The North may seem chaotic, but only a few factions are capable of participating in the final game.

The first is Otto, who has just occupied Amber Harbor; the second is the Duke of Meadows, who has been accumulating power; the third is Lynn, the representative of the emerging forces; and finally, the ultimate victor of the Valley Duchy.

Chloris had absolutely no confidence in the previously most prominent Duke of the Swamp.

On the surface, the Duke of the Marshland seems to be able to continue struggling by leveraging the power of the native nobles of the Crown Territory, and may not be without a chance to turn the tide.

However, the nobles of the royal domain each harbored their own ulterior motives and had their own agendas, as evidenced by the disastrous defeat in the north of Koren.

If morale is low, how can you lead a team?
Otto only needed to recruit a few spies from among the nobles of the royal domain through bribery to easily defeat this rabble on the battlefield.

Moreover, the Duke of the Marshland is already in a dilemma.

For the sake of that elusive crown, he and his main forces remained stranded in the royal territory, but his empty stronghold was caught in a pincer movement, like a tattered ship on the verge of collapse.

If he continues to hesitate, he will surely suffer a complete defeat, not only failing to obtain the crown but also losing his stronghold.

Another major dilemma for the Duke of the Marshland was that it would be difficult for him to return to his stronghold with his remaining troops intact, because his retreat route had already been cut off by Lynn and Earl of Mirror Iron.

In summary, the Duke of the Swamp might even be the first loser to be eliminated, and his fate might be even worse than that of his bastard son Maurice, who was exiled to the South.

Of course, all of this is Chloris's personal deduction.

The situation is constantly changing, and anything can happen.

What if Otto suddenly died of a stroke of bad luck? Wouldn't the Duke of the Marsh be the biggest winner? His persistence would be rewarded a thousandfold.

Katarina had little appetite. She took a small sip of wine, frowned, and asked, "Do you want to be Lynn's wife? Tell me the truth, is that right?"

She had been holding this question in for the whole journey, and only today did she finally manage to ask it.

Her political acumen was indeed inferior to her daughter's; Chloris had perfectly inherited her dead husband's genes and was naturally extremely sensitive to politics.

But she was also a woman, and how could she not see the longing and yearning that occasionally flickered in her daughter's eyes?

Chloris silently toyed with the brass fork in her hand. After a moment, she looked up, her bright sapphire eyes filled with seriousness: "If I said yes, what would you think?"

No matter how intelligent Chloris is, she is still a woman at heart.

In chaotic times, she had no choice but to rely on men.

Lynn is still unmarried, and she claims to be a virgin, making her a perfect match.

Marrying Lynn would also make it easier for her to utilize her political talents.

She could undoubtedly be an excellent and supportive wife.

At least, she believed she could do it.

Katarina sighed: "I just feel that Lynn is probably not a good husband. From a mother's point of view, I don't want you to marry him."

Chloris smiled and calmly replied, "He is first and foremost a lord, and only secondly a husband. I am first and foremost a princess, and only secondly a wife. Does it matter to me whether he is a good husband or not?"

Besides, the criteria for judging a good husband are not uniform. Does having a mistress mean one is not a good husband? My father had countless mistresses, but I don't think he wasn't a good husband.

To refute her mother, Chloris even brought up her deceased father, Veles.

To be fair, Veres was indeed unlucky. In his youth, he was incredibly wise and powerful, keeping the nobles and autonomous cities of the royal domain completely under his control, and even the three dukes treated him with utmost respect.

But Viles couldn't produce a son no matter what he tried.

He married four wives in succession and had countless lovers, working tirelessly day and night just to produce a son.

Even with his utter madness, he only managed to father two biological daughters and a dozen or so illegitimate children. As he grew old and frail, the order he had established crumbled, and his dynasty teetered on the brink of collapse.

He himself died in regret and desolation.

A noble ruler does not lose power only after his death.

The political life of this ruler came to an end when everyone realized that he was about to die and had no legitimate successor.

Chloris harbors a complex mix of love and hate for her deceased father.

When she was born, Veres was already over fifty years old.

When she was little, she loved to sit in her father's lap and listen to him tell stories of the past.

Gradually, she grew to love her father, who was all-powerful in his youth, and even more so the powerful kingdom he ruled in his younger days.

When she grew up and became sensible, she began to hate her aging and frail father.

Or rather, it is a hatred of the fickle nature of fate and the kingdom destined to decline under its cruel tricks.

She was powerless to stop it, and could only watch helplessly as everything slid into the abyss, beyond redemption, and there was nothing she could do.

Although Chloris had never met Lynn, she could see glimpses of her father in his youth in the words written about him.

They share the same ambition, the same ruthless decisiveness, and the same penchant for having lovers.

In Chloris's eyes, these were all good things.

Only the best of men can make the North great again!

The difference is that Lynn's fertility is much higher.

Rumors are circulating throughout Three Rivers that Mayor Leon's sister has given the lord a son and is in the hopes of becoming the lord's wife.

This is also why Chloris was so eager to see Lynn.

There's nothing wrong with her husband having a lover; she doesn't object to him having one at all.

The more lovers a man has, the stronger his desires are.

For a lord in a chaotic world, a strong desire for power is a very important and desirable quality.

She hoped to help Lynn unify the North and then let her and Lynn's son inherit the country.

Even if a new dynasty is established, the bloodline of past glories still flows in the new dynasty.

Katarina put down her glass and sighed softly:
“I can see that you may have a plan that you think is wonderful, but things may not go as you expect. I have lived half my life and it doesn’t matter if I have regrets, but your life has just begun. I just hope that you will not regret the choice you made today in the future.”

Katarina's marriage was unfortunate, and her regrets are self-evident.

All of this was because her brother coveted the high dowry from Veles and sold her to the North like a commodity.

It was precisely because of this regret that Katarina decided not to interfere in her daughter's marriage.

At the very least, your daughter should marry someone she likes.

But is Lynn really the right man for my daughter?

Hard to say!

A sly smile appeared on Chloris's face: "Mother, I have no way out. Where this ship sails is not up to me."

That said, this ship actually belongs to Leon, the mayor of Mikawa City.

He himself is on the ship right now.

In order to bring the former dynasty's princess to Lynn, Leon had to put aside his job as mayor and personally act as her escort.

He stood on the deck, seemingly supervising the crew's work, but his gaze was actually fixed on the cabin where Chloris and her daughter were.

Even now, he still finds it hard to believe that a princess from the previous dynasty is sitting in the cabin.

Rewind to the evening of five days earlier, when Leon had finished his work at the city hall and was enjoying dinner at home.

He's been having a great time lately. Not only is he doing very well as mayor, but his sister has also given the Earl a son.

Although he was an illegitimate child, he was the eldest son of the count, which also carried great political significance.

Besides, the count doesn't have a legal wife. As long as the brother and sister work hard, it's not impossible for the younger sister, Lia, to become his legal wife.

At that time, Leon's nephew will become the Earl's first in line to the throne.

As his uncle, he could naturally take it a step further, even several steps.

But just as he was enjoying his meal and dreaming about the future, a maid handed him a letter.

The envelope was unsigned, but written in neat handwriting that it should be opened by the recipient personally.

Incidentally, the maid who delivered the envelopes was the daughter of the former mayor, Jürgen.

Seeing her pitiful state, Leon, with Lynn's permission, took the little girl and her mother back to his own home.

It can only be said that it was all due to the damned desire for conquest in men. Leon not only personally sentenced his political enemy Jürgen, but also completely conquered his wife and daughters.

That evening, Leon leisurely finished his dinner before opening the envelope.

But after only a couple of glances, he jumped up from his chair.

He then immediately sent his trusted confidants to the address indicated in the letter and secretly brought Chloris to his residence.

These days, verifying one's identity is actually very difficult and troublesome.

When Chloris arrived at Leon's house, the first thing she had to do was prove that she was who she was.

To this end, she took out several letters written to her by the three stewards, as well as the signet ring and land deed she had brought from the palace, and through her elegant conversation, she managed to convince Leon of her identity.

Leon then sent a messenger on horseback to deliver the news to Lynn.

The messenger changed horses and traveled all night, delivering the message to Lynn in just over a day.

After obtaining Lynn's permission, Leon then took Chloris by boat to White Bear County.

The main reason for taking the waterway was to maintain secrecy.

Leon used the excuse of reporting to Lynn to bring several women on board, which was naturally also to offer as tribute to the Earl.

Anyway, Lynn's reputation for being a womanizer had already spread throughout most of the North, so no one would doubt the true identities of these women.

(End of this chapter)