There was a large painted glass in Duke Moville’s study, on which there were paintings of stories from the Bible in bright and vibrant colors, creating a beautiful image. At the same time, it had also dispersed the incoming sunlight and made the room look a little gloomy but full of a religious vibe.
Duke Moville was seated in his chair in front of the desk which was made out of walnut wood. The color of walnut wood was posh and elegant. There were lots of documents on the desk as well as a sculpture of Catherine the Great.
Anatoli bent forward and stood by the side. “Duke Moville, I’ve let you down. Please punish me.”
He was the one who had come up with the idea of using the Chinese boy as a warning to others and he had meticulously devised a plan to show his prowess and assert dominance over Rex. Only by getting rid of his pride and taking him a notch down, could they subdue him.
However, he did not expect that all of his plans would be ruined by a woman. Not only did he fail to meet his goal, he even got beaten up in public and killed his own subordinate. He allowed Rex to gain the upper hand. As a result, he even caused the duke to be embarrassed and yet, he had no choice but to suck it up.
Duke Moville kept his eyes fixed on Anatoli, seemingly deep in thought.
The Ivanov Family possessed almost 40% of the firearms business in Russia and helped him earn a ton of money. It had also indirectly helped salvage the Moville Family’s reputation and status in the upper-class society.
After gaining wealth, power was next!
He wanted to make use of Anata to help himself rise up the ladder; the Ivanov Family was not enough for him. Hence, he shifted his target to Lucifer and even tried to tempt Rex with the position of Duke.
However, he did not expect Rex to not be tempted by the offer at all, perhaps because he had supported the Ivanov Family’s attack against Lucifer ten years ago. Due to the fact that they managed to undermine Lucifer, he belittled Lucifer and Rex. Yet, it turned out that Rex was menacing and a hidden threat.
After the Ivanov Family lost almost half of their firearms business, their family began to face their downfall and their power was also affected. As a result, the Duke Moville Residence was also affected and their position became affected in the upper-class circle!
It was only now that he realized, that he could not challenge Lucifer or Rex, nor have control over them. Hence, he tried everything he could to investigate them, though the results terrorized him.
He found out the source of 60% of the raw materials for the manufacturing of firearms!
He was the deciding factor for the survival of the firearms industry!
That was the reason for the banquet that he held today!
He initially invited Rex to express goodwill. However, aristocrats had always been condescending and the racial discrimination that Russians inflicted against the Chinese made him employ the wrong strategy during the banquet.
Anatoli’s plan wouldn’t have worked out even if Wen Xinya wasn’t present!
In fact, he was rather thankful for the fact that she was the one who had intervened and not Rex. Otherwise, there would definitely be a conflict. Hence, he was sensible enough to put down his pride and let the matter slide.
It seems that it was time they come to a decision. “Tell me your opinions on my idea to let Rex marry Avrora.”
Anatoli suddenly raised his head to look at Duke Moville in utter shock. The colorful light shone on his face, making him look a bit threatening. “Duke Moville, you put in so much effort into teaching Miss Avrora and nurtured her into a prestigious princess. Didn’t you do that just so you could use her to reap more benefits?”
Avrora was Duke Moville’s favorite granddaughter who was known as the greatest beauty of Russia. He had been teaching her well and nurturing her into becoming a true blue princess so that in the future… they could use her to bring about more interests and benefits for the family to keep it going strong.
Duke Moville asked, “Don’t you think we’ll be able to gain more benefits by letting Avrora marry Rex?”
Avrora was a prestigious princess of the upper-class society as well as the most beautiful woman of Russia. There were plenty of men waiting in line to marry her, and her wealthy background gave her a sense of superiority. He had never thought of marrying Avrora to a lowly peasant, what more a Chinese.
Anatoli was speechless. He could not guess what Duke Moville was thinking. Duke Moville was severely racist and he often looked down on yellow-skinned Chinese. Yet, he actually had the idea of marrying Avrora off to one.
Moville Duke said calmly, “I’ve given it some careful consideration. Letting Avrora marry one of the now powerful and authoritative aristocrats can bring about some substantial benefits to the family, but that also means that we’ll forever be at the mercy of others!”
No one would be willing to be a level below others.
Having understood what he meant, Anatoli said, “Seems like you’ve made a choice, Duke.”
He was not worried that Lucifer would replace the Ivanov Family’s place in Duke Moville’s heart. After all, they were Chinese and not one of the Caucasians, so he would never be able to accept them completely.
Duke Moville said, “I’m sure you witnessed Rex’s authority today. Not only is he rich and powerful, but he also owns 60% of the sources of raw materials for the manufacturing of firearms. If we can have power over Lucifer, we’d be able to control most of the wealthy families in Russia. The benefits that would be brought about by Avrora’s marriage to him are unimaginable. It’d even be possible for us to return to the glorious days that we enjoyed during the Industrial Revolution.”
That was where his true intentions lied.
Anatoli smiled and remarked, “Brilliant, Duke Moville!”
Duke Moville guffawed and said, “In the future, the Moville Family will be the most powerful one in the upper-class circle. The thought of it is just so exciting, isn’t it?”
Anatoli said, “But Rex doesn’t seem like the type who will be manipulated by others. Besides, that Miss Bella… well…”
He was worried that Rex would not comply.
Duke Moville waved and said, “I know what to do about this. Get Avrora to come here. I have something to say to her.”
He was not worried that Rex would turn him down. The marriage between Lucifer and the Moville family would be a win-win situation. Besides, Avrora was the greatest beauty of Russia and all men loved beautiful women. She was also compatible with him in terms of background and status. The marriage would also give Lucifer lots of advantages. In fact, they would be able to enjoy the privileges of aristocrats. Hence, Duke Moville was certain that Si Yiyan would be tempted, just like everyone else.
