Unedited.
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Since Duke Phil didn't actually complete the transfer of power, Leandro didn't become the Grand Duke that night. Confused and angry, he went and tried knocking into Lily's room, asking for a meeting. However, since two guards were standing outside of their room, immediately stopped him, Leandro resorted to shouting instead of knocking. In the end, the guards had to forcibly pulled him away from the door so he won't be able to disturb Lily.
"Let him in." Zhou Jingren's voice immediately made the two guards let the drunk prince go.
"Hmph!" Leandro grunted as he tried to stand up. "How dare you hurt me? Do you really think so lowly of me?"
"They do think so lowly of you." Lily's voice reached their eyes. "It's already late. A few minutes passed midnight and you really dared come in here while drunk."
Leandro glared at the guards in response as he walked inside the room. He met Zhou Jingren's placid eyes and continued walking towards the couch near the fireplace. "I came here to tell you that you won! My father… didn't leave the throne to me."
"You are impotent," Lily said calmly. "Because of the Lead. It would be wise to leave the throne to someone who didn't consume Lead and has healthy cells."
"You— " Lily's blunt words hit him directly in the chest. "You —" He staggered as he felt someone tightly clutched his shoulders, pushing him down to sit on the couch.
"I would prefer that you sit and stop glowering at my wife. She is pregnant. I don't want you to scare her. Plus It wasn't her fault that you were too stupid to know your own wife is poisoning you." Zhou Jingren sat next to Lily.
"You think—" Leandro didn't continue his words when he saw Zhou Jingren started wiping a small dagger in his hand. He gulped. "Why— what are you doing?"
"Oh… don't mind me." Zhou Jingren said without looking at him. "I have the habit of cleaning my favorite things��� before I sleep."
"You— "If one would think about it. Some people would really clean their things at night. But this…. Isn't this too bold? "Are you trying to scare me?" Leandro asked.
"No." Zhou Jingren made a deliberate pause as he lifted his head and looked at him. "But if you get scared… then that's not my fault anymore."
"Then… whose fault is that?"
"The knife." Zhou Jingren's nonchalance almost made him vomit all the alcohol that he drank tonight. He opened his mouth to rebut but ended up closing it again. He looked at Lily who seemed so amused she was giggling. What kind of pregnant woman would giggle in a situation like this? However, when he remembered Lily's reaction when Secretary Go put a dagger in the Knight Commander's neck, he immediately concluded that this woman is used to violence!
"Why are you here?" Lily asked.
"To ask you something."
Lily raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to ask me if I was the one who poisoned you? The answer is no. You can go now." She smiled.
"No! That's not it." He hissed. "My father said… It's not about the Lead or my sperm count. Tell me… you are supposed to be smart and cunning. Why don't I deserve to become the next Grand Duke?" In his mind, he was actually the victim. He was poisoned by the love of his life. He might not be able to have a child. And now… and now…. His father just asked him to relinquish his claims to the throne peacefully.
"You really don't know?" Zhou Jingren scoffed. "Are you that oblivious?"
Leandro ignored the provocation in Zhou Jingren's voice. He stared at Lily's face. "Why? Did you help Levi become the new Grand Duke because… because you and Eliza were close? I am more intelligent than my brother. I was in the military. Growing up, everything that I did was for the benefit of the country! I never played video games or partied whenever I visited a country to avoid scandals! My grades are all straight A's! I graduated top of my class and all of my extracurriculars were purposely chosen so it would help me gain experience to manage a country."
Leandro was proud of his achievements. Growing up, everything that he did was something that could benefit his future leadership skills! So why would his father tell him, the position is not for him? After all the sacrifices that he did? Why?
"I never finished college… At least not legally. My grades are not straight A's. I can't cook nor drive. I don't have extracurriculars and I didn't grow up privilege." Lily smiled. "However, now I am managing a multi-billion dollar company that is located in every corner of the world. I am employing thousands of people worldwide."
Leandro didn't say anything. Unable to understand the meaning of Lily's words, he immediately thought that she was bragging about her money.
"Did you just think that I was bragging?" the smile on Lily's face grew wider. "If you did… then you missed the first part of my words. And that is the reason why you were not someone suited to rule a country."
"He's helpless." Zhou Jingren chimed in. "He must have thought you are bragging about your money."He chuckled and looked at Leandro. "Your highness… we don't need to brag. You can look it up online."
Leandro wanted to rebut but in the end, he decided to stay quiet and think about Lily's words. "If you didn't have the proper education… then how did you manage to grow Facci Group in such a short time?"
Lily laughed. "I am not telling you. Why would I tell you my secret? But… to give you another example. Zhou Jingren grew up in the orphanage then on the streets. Yet now he is managing a bank that is about to become big in Europe. Why do you think he was capable of doing that despite not having the degree or the merits that other people in the banking industry have?"
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