Chapter 476: Chapter 476: Hot Potato
Moreover, Xia Zeming had been appointed as the Imperial Marshal, at the height of his prominence, making him hard to ignore.
"It’s like wanting an amulet."
"But that amulet is too significant and not a suitable one. If relations become tense, it’s not easy to defuse," Countess Ingrid analyzed reasonably. "Moreover, it’s hard to get rid of. Carrying it around is like handling a hot potato."
Clive, gracefully slicing his honey-glazed ribs, said nonchalantly, "Xia Huangyu is still okay, the most suitable to be an amulet. His lower status means the Cosmic Fleet won’t have any reservations, and only the grandson of the Marshal’s family can keep them in check."
Ingrid, realizing this too, acknowledged that her status and Clive’s as a Prince were different, as were their perspectives. For her, Xia Huangyu’s status was too high, but for Clive, it was just right.
"You’ve thought this through."
However, Clive put down his knife and fork and said in defeat, "Thought it through my ass. This time I’ve made a huge mistake, ended up with a hot potato that I can neither discard nor hold on to. I’ve lost so many people along the way, all because of her."
Clive had also noticed that Lin Fu’s change was obvious. From the initial restlessness upon waking from hibernation to her now calm and composed demeanor, she had decided he wouldn’t be able to do anything to her.
Ingrid did not understand, "Another hot potato? Who? Princess Theresa?" Her family’s fiefdom might be on the border, close to the battle zones, but for this reason, communication with the Capital Star was more convenient.
Although she wasn’t familiar with Princess Theresa, she kept up with the news and was not surprised to see her today.
"It’s Princess Freya."
"Who?" Ingrid’s reaction was swift as she unconsciously raised her voice.
"You’re saying Princess Freya? You... how did you capture her? Are you insane? Oh, God! You definitely don’t realize how highly esteemed she is; her capture could cause a tremendous upheaval. There are rumors that Empress Fu of the Eternal City is actually Princess Freya, and since the death of Joseph V, some have suggested that Princess Freya be recalled to succeed the Imperial Throne."
Ingrid looked at her husband with sympathetic eyes, "Dear, you must have been confined on Helheim Star for too long, out of touch with the news." The situation was chaotic and complex, even she was not very clear and did not dare to get involved.
Clive felt aggrieved, "I didn’t know either! If I knew, I wouldn’t have captured her."
"How did you manage to capture her?" Ingrid remembered seeing two girls with pink hair at the door; she recognized Princess Theresa, the other one wore a suppression ring on her neck and had a cold demeanor.
Upon closer inspection, her face did bear some resemblance to Princess Freya’s in her childhood.
So, Clive recounted what had happened on Helheim Star, which left Ingrid clicking her tongue in amazement.
"No wonder they say Princess Freya is a once-in-a-millennium genius of the Mecklenburg Royal Family. She’s not even twenty and was able to fight you to that extent. It’s no surprise that Joseph IV was determined to have her as the Crown Prince."
Clive had been out of touch with the outside world on Helheim Star, missing many events, but having been out for over half a year now, he had caught up with what he needed to know. He had nothing to say about his two nephews; they were dead and couldn’t hear him anyway.
And luckily Joseph V had died, otherwise, Clive might have wanted to excavate him from the Imperial Mausoleum and scatter his ashes.