The morning light peeked through the heavy curtains of Castello Portovino's master bedroom, casting long, narrow shafts of light on the floor and driving away the silence of the deep night.
The air was still permeated with the ambiguous, intertwined scents of night rose and purple silk tree, mixed with a trace of languor and tranquility following the fading of passion.
Rover woke up first. His acute perception kept him alert to his environment even in deep sleep.
He shifted slightly, feeling the warm, soft, and fragrant touch in his arms.
Cantarella Fesale was curled up by his side. Her silky purple hair spread across the pillow, a few strands clinging to her flushed, slightly damp cheeks and temples.
She was sleeping soundly. Those blue-purple eyes, usually filled with hazy mist and calculation, were tightly shut. Her long eyelashes cast faint shadows. Stripped of all the sharpness and danger of the "Poison" Family Head, she actually revealed a rare, almost fragile serenity.
He didn't speak, simply observing the breathtakingly beautiful face mere inches away.
Last night, she was as passionate as fire, blooming bewitchingly, carrying an almost greedy possessiveness—as if wanting to brand every inch of his aura with the mark of Fesale.
Seemingly sensing his gaze, Cantarella's eyelashes fluttered a few times before slowly opening.
Her initial daze was swiftly replaced by clarity. She blinked, meeting Rover's staring gaze. The corners of her lips naturally curved into a satisfied smile, carrying a trace of languid charm.
"Good morning, My Lord..."
Her voice carried the hoarseness of just waking up, drilling softly and sweetly into his ears. "It seems Fesale's hospitality has left you satisfied?"
As she spoke, she rubbed gently against the crook of his neck like a cat, seeking morning tenderness.
Rover let out a low chuckle. Instead of answering directly, he lowered his head and placed a light kiss on her smooth forehead: "Morning. The passion of the Fesale Family Head is indeed impressive."
This action caused a trace of genuine delight to flash through Cantarella's eyes.
She liked this feeling of waking up in the morning with him still by her side, and she liked his unabashedly possessive demeanor right now even more.
Cantarella reached out her slender fingers, gently tracing a few fresh, faint scratch marks on his chest that she had left behind during their excitement. Her tone carried a hint of triumph: "Then... compared to the feeling the Pearl of the Mortari family gave you, how does it fare?"
She had brought up Coletta again, her tone carrying obvious teasing and a slight hint of comparison.
Rover caught her mischievous fingers and kissed them lightly, cleverly avoiding a direct comparison: "Miss Coletta is the future of the Mortari family, and a worthy, respectable partner and friend."
His tone was natural, completely devoid of a guilty conscience. "As for you, Cantarella, you seem exceptionally concerned about the Mortari family?"
"Since they are allies who will jointly govern Laguna, it is naturally necessary to understand them a bit more."
Cantarella chuckled. Following this topic, she began to shift to the main subject, her posture languid yet her tone clear: "Speaking of which, just a few days ago, before you had dinner with the Second Young Miss Mortari... I, the old man Francis of Mortari, and several high-ranking Priest representatives dispatched by the Convent had a... rather smooth conversation."
She propped herself up slightly. The silk blanket slipped, revealing a large expanse of snow-white skin and alluring curves. However, she didn't seem to care in the slightest. Instead, she moved a bit closer to Rover, as if the ensuing conversation were a secret code meant only for them.
"Given the severity of this incident—the fall of the Prelate, the theft of the Threnodian Gemstone, and the severe destruction of the underwater Proving Ground—all parties have at least reached a consensus on the surface: We must temporarily shelf disputes, jointly protect the future of Laguna, and prevent the order from collapsing completely."
Her tone gradually took on the calmness and sharpness befitting a Family Head. "After all, if the ship sinks, there is no point in the people on board fighting each other to the death."
"What is the situation on the Convent's side?" Rover asked, his hand unconsciously stroking her back, feeling the cunning hidden beneath that delicate skin.
"Their vitality is severely damaged, and they are in utter chaos."
Cantarella's tone carried an undisguised trace of contempt. "Finlay's sudden death left a massive power vacuum and a terrible mess. Those high-ranking Priests, who usually act all righteous and dignified, are now fighting each other behind closed doors for the seat of the Prelate, and it's uglier than anything."
"The so-called cooperation is currently limited to verbal commitments and guaranteeing the maintenance of basic order in Laguna on the surface, so that panic does not spread and affect business and faith."
She paused and added, a cold sneer hooking the corners of her lips: "Ultimately, the sincerity they can offer right now is limited. They mainly hope that our two major families won't take advantage of the crisis to loot a burning house, giving them a chance to reorganize internally first... or rather, let their internal slaughter yield a result."
"A weak court and powerful vassals," Rover evaluated precisely.
At this time, the Convent's authority was swept the floor, unable to control the overall situation, while the influence of the two major families—Mortari and Fesale—was relatively prominent.
"Exactly."
Cantarella gave him an admiring look. "Therefore, for the present and a long time to come, the responsibility of maintaining Laguna's stability, balancing the interests of all parties, and even guiding the reconstruction of rules falls inevitably on us and Mortari."
"For our two families, this is an unprecedented challenge, and equally... a massive opportunity."
She looked at Rover, the light of ambition flickering in her blue-purple eyes: "That old fox Francis has definitely seen this too. Mortari excels in commerce and circulation, controlling the economic pulse of Laguna."
"And we Fesale, on the other hand, cultivate deeply in... older, various fields and omnipresent networks, our influence seeping into the shadows of Laguna. We both have our own advantages and hold each other in check."
"Therefore," Rover picked up the thread, his gaze profound, "you both need to cooperate to jointly stabilize the overall situation, preventing the Convent from losing control completely or external forces from intervening. Yet simultaneously, you need to carefully expand your own influence during this process, securing a more advantageous position for your families in the future new order."
"My Lord is perceptive." Cantarella's smile deepened, carrying the joy of being understood. "Cooperation and competition existing side by side is the most delicate situation right now. However, the 'degree' of this needs to be grasped precisely. One wrong step, and the entire board could be lost."
Rover pondered for a moment, his fingers unconsciously twirling a lock of her purple hair, and spoke slowly: "My suggestion is to go with the flow, combining the overt and the covert."
"Overtly, jointly take the lead with the Mortari family and the Convent to swiftly establish a 'Laguna Provisional Council' composed of key members from all three parties. There is no need to rush to fight for dominance. The primary goal is to restore order, pacify the people, and guarantee commercial circulation. This will win your two families immense prestige and legitimacy."
"Covertly," his tone shifted, his eyes becoming sharp, "Fesale can utilize this vacuum period to step up the integration of the forces within the Convent that lean toward you, or are at least neutral."
"Support proxies, or... take away some authority that originally belonged to the Convent yourselves when necessary. Especially regarding the management of public Echoes, control over certain sea areas, and even... the distribution rights of social resources."
He looked at Cantarella: "As for Mortari, Francis will naturally grasp the lifelines of economy and material circulation. Your two families will have a tacit understanding, each expanding in the fields you excel at, avoiding direct conflict in the short term, while simultaneously..."
He emphasized his tone, "You must jointly remain vigilant against the Fractsidus or other forces using this chaotic period to infiltrate Laguna. Intelligence sharing—there can be absolutely no hesitation on this point."
Cantarella listened earnestly, her eyes sparkling brilliantly.
Rover's suggestion not only hit the nail on the head precisely but was also highly actionable, considering both short-term stability and leaving room for long-term strategic layouts.
"Support proxies... control public Echoes and social resources..."
She repeated the words murmuringly, then broke into a radiant smile. The smile carried a poison-like charm and confidence. "Truly... there couldn't be a more fitting strategy. As expected, only you can guide me toward the brightest direction, My Lord."
She lifted her head and kissed him passionately as a reward for this perfect advice.
"In that case," she stared at him from an extremely close distance, their breaths mingling, "I shall go meet that old friend Francis today and properly discuss the charter of this Provisional Council. I imagine he will also be incredibly interested in his precious granddaughter being able to participate..."
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