Chapter 172 I Want to Marry You
Anne thought the same way. After all, Friedel had always been serious around her. During their long time together on the eastern battlefield, it was all tactics and more tactics. If there was one exception, it was when Friedel took Anne to see the stone monument people had erected for Duke Skoda.
But what kind of matter would require Friedel to make this trip in person? After all, his territory wasn't exactly close to the Virlet estate. If it were just some ordinary small matter, Anne wouldn't believe it.
Could it be about the agreement between the Soth Empire and Zotfort?
With this thought, Friedel had already entered the reception room, his cold eyes falling on Anne almost instantly.
"Commander Anne."
Anne instinctively stood up. "Lord Friedel!"
Elisa beside her couldn't help but open her mouth wide. She first glanced at the handsome and sturdy Friedel at the door, then at her own Miss Anne with her serious expression, feeling like she wasn't in a cozy reception room at all, but in a military camp watching two officers greet each other.
Friedel looked at Anne seriously. Today she wore a coffee-colored dress with a slim waist, and the three layers of lace on the sleeves made her wrists look delicate and slender.
Friedel rarely saw Anne dressed like this and was momentarily stunned, but he quickly came to his senses, his eyes showing the authority of someone in power.
"I'm here about something important. Everyone else, get out."
"Yes!"
Anne quickly responded, then suddenly realized this wasn't a military camp. Looking again, she saw a hint of amusement in Friedel's eyes, and Anne felt somewhat uncomfortable, shifting her gaze away.
"Elisa and everyone else, leave us. Lord Friedel and I need to talk."
Elisa nodded blankly.
If it were any other man wanting to be alone with Anne, she would definitely advise against it, but Friedel looked too serious and rigid to try anything.Still, as she left, Elisa couldn't help but glance at Friedel's face again. She thought to herself that if this lord were to marry Miss Anne in the future, they would actually make quite a good match!
Seeing everyone else had left the room, Friedel sat at the table. He glanced at the empty cup on the table, his expression somewhat hesitant. Anne followed his gaze and realized she had forgotten to have Elisa pour tea.
Anne stood up and slowly walked to Friedel's side, pouring him a cup of hot tea before asking softly, "Lord Friedel, what brings you to the Virlet family to see me?"
Seeing Friedel remain silent, Anne's expression grew somewhat serious. "Is there a problem with the previous talks with Zotfort? I remember Lady Manlis said..."
"No."
Friedel pressed his lips together. Although he had rehearsed this conversation countless times in his mind before coming to the Virlet estate, now that Anne stood before him, her beautiful eyes fixed on him, waiting for him to speak his true feelings.
"His Majesty has already sent people to contact Zotfort, and there haven't been any problems. We might hear good news soon."
Anne breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. I thought if it required Lord Friedel to come in person, something major must have happened."
Friedel fell silent. Their conversation seemed to have circled back to national affairs again. This wasn't right. If the two of them only talked about military and political matters whenever they met, how could they develop any feelings?
"Actually, I came about something else, something concerning you."
Anne raised an eyebrow. What could require Friedel to come in person and concern her directly? Anne thought for a moment and guessed, "Is it an order from His Majesty?"
"Yes, I heard His Majesty requires you to find a suitable husband within three months."
Anne hesitated. She didn't think Friedel was the type to gossip, so there were only two possibilities: either the King had sent him to test her thoughts, or Friedel had someone suitable to recommend.
If it was the former, Anne wouldn't hold it against Friedel, but she wouldn't easily let go of him and His Majesty scheming together against the Virlet family. As for the latter...
Anne glanced at Friedel's cold eyes, and for some reason, felt somewhat unwilling.
It wasn't that Anne had really taken Cynthia's words to heart, thinking Friedel was more suitable for her than others.
Rather, they had fought side by side on the eastern battlefield and were comrades at least. Friedel understood she didn't want to remarry, yet he still came to interfere in her marriage for someone else's sake. Was that really okay?
"Did His Majesty send you to ask my thoughts?" Anne looked at Friedel quietly. "Lord Friedel, you didn't need to make this trip. Even if you had written a letter and had someone deliver it to me, I would have answered seriously."
"No, it has nothing to do with His Majesty."
Friedel pressed his lips together. "I just wanted to know your situation, to confirm... your thoughts."
Anne looked at Friedel's clear, unclouded eyes and slowly straightened up.
A person's eyes don't lie, especially someone like Friedel, who would never stoop to lying and deceiving. Therefore, Anne believed him.
"I don't want to marry, Lord Friedel should understand that."
Anne chose her words carefully. "But this is His Majesty's requirement, not a suggestion, but a must."
"His Majesty requires me to find a suitable husband within three months. Honestly, I've questioned His Majesty's intentions."
She glanced at Friedel, confirming there was no displeasure on his face before continuing, "When His Majesty allowed me to divorce Holden, he once said that the current duke's position would be inherited by me, but in the future, if I have a husband, then with my consent, my husband would have the opportunity to inherit the title."
"Is this why His Majesty hopes I can find a suitable husband?"
Anne thought for a moment. "One possibility is that His Majesty worries I won't be able to control my future husband, that the duke's position will be taken away. If that person isn't content, then a duke who also controls a force like the Ivy Knights would be a threat to the entire Soth Empire and His Majesty."
"Or perhaps, from the very beginning, His Majesty simply wanted to arrange for someone to be by my side, whether to take over the duke's position from me, or to monitor me, ensuring I won't make wrong judgments and will always remain loyal to His Majesty."
Friedel nodded slowly. He knew it—Anne had definitely figured out his brother's thoughts.
Meeting Friedel's gaze, Anne sighed somewhat helplessly. "I understand His Majesty's thinking. He feels I'm still young and easily deceived. It's not necessarily that he suspects the Virlet family, but on this point, His Majesty really doesn't need to worry. I'm not the kind of woman who can be easily manipulated, and I won't allow anyone with ulterior motives to become my husband."