The drawing room of Castello Portovino, though not as luxurious as the main hall, still exuded the low-key yet heavy heritage unique to the Fesale family.
Dark wooden walls, heavy carpets, and the air was filled with a cold herbal scent thicker than outside.
Cantarella sat in the seat of honor, having changed into a more formal dark-purple Family Head gown. Her expression was icy, restoring the awe-inspiring posture of the "Poison."
Rover sat casually on one side below her, his posture relaxed, yet naturally exuding an aura that could not be ignored.
The butler led three visitors in.
The two middle-aged men at the front wore high-ranking priest robes. One had a slick face with shrewdness hidden in his eyes; the other was tall, thin, and serious, his expression carrying unconcealable anxiety.
As soon as they entered, their eyes eagerly locked onto Cantarella and Rover—especially upon seeing that Rover was indeed here. Their eyes mixed with awe, longing, and a trace of urgent apprehension.
The two quickly but politely introduced themselves. The slick priest was named Antonio, and the tall, thin one was Marco.
However, the third person who entered behind the two priests surprised Rover and Cantarella slightly.
It was Phoebe.
The young high cleric still wore her pristine white cleric blouse and short skirt, topped with that signature large round hat. With her blonde hair and violet eyes, she looked innocent and apprehensive.
Her fingers twisted together nervously. Her eyes timidly looked at Rover, then quickly lowered to the floor. She seemed very uneasy and confused about her appearance at this kind of occasion.
"Family Head Cantarella, Lord Rover."
Priest Antonio took a step forward, piling up the most respectful smile possible on his face and bowing deeply. "Forgive our presumptuous early morning visit. It is truly because the Convent is at a critical juncture of survival. Representing a portion of colleagues who care about the future of Laguna, we have important matters to implore the two of you for assistance."
Priest Marco also followed with a stiff bow, his eyes fixed on the floor, not daring to meet Cantarella's gaze.
Cantarella's gaze lightly swept over the three of them, lingering on Phoebe for a moment. A nearly imperceptible mocking arc hooked the corner of her lips.
She had them sit, then spoke unhurriedly: "Oh? Since when do the internal affairs of the Convent require coming to the door of our Fesale family to beg? Even troubling... Cleric Phoebe to come along?"
She deliberately slowed her tone, carrying a probing implication.
The muscles on Antonio's face twitched. His smile became more forced, but his tone grew more earnest: "Please understand, Family Head! Now that Prelate Finlay has met with disaster, the Convent is leaderless. Several Grand Priests are fighting openly and covertly for the Prelate's seat, almost completely disregarding the safety of Laguna!"
"If this continues, the Convent will fall apart. How can we fulfill our responsibility of guiding the believers and protecting the region?"
He took a deep breath, as if having made a huge decision. His voice lowered a few notches but became more urgent: "Priest Marco and I, along with a group of colleagues we represent, are deeply worried."
"We desire to end the infighting and reorganize the Convent, making it truly serve Laguna instead of becoming a tool for personal ambition! Therefore... we hope to compete for the seat of the Prelate and the Supreme Priest!"
Priest Marco also raised his head, stiffly supplementing: "But we lack sufficient weight in support... If we could get the public support of the two major families, Fesale and Mortari, and especially..."
"If we can get the recognition of the 'Crown,' Lord Rover, we will gain unparalleled political leverage within the Convent, and we will definitely be able to suppress those scoundrels who only know how to fight for power and profit!"
At this moment, Antonio seemed to just remember Phoebe behind him. He turned sideways and almost half-forcedly pushed Phoebe forward a few steps.
A nearly affectionate smile piled onto his face, and his tone became exceptionally gentle: "Ah, right. We know that Cleric Phoebe is devout and kind, and has a deep friendship with Lord Rover from fighting side by side to protect Laguna."
"So, I thought that since this meeting concerns the future of the Convent and the welfare of Laguna, having Cleric Phoebe come along as a witness might... better reflect our sincerity and determination for reform. We also hope that Lord Rover, for the sake of past affection... will take pity on the Convent's current predicament and lend a helping hand."
These words practically had the word "exploitation" written all over them—
They knew very well of Phoebe's innocence and her good relationship with Rover. They deliberately brought her here as an emotional bargaining chip, hoping to soften Rover's attitude and thereby win the political support of the two major families.
Being pushed forward, Phoebe's face instantly flushed completely red. She was so cramped she almost curled up into a ball. Her violet eyes were filled with bewilderment and a trace of unease at being pushed to the front stage.
She looked at Rover and explained softly: "The Priests said... this meeting is very important and concerns the future direction of the Convent, so they asked me to come learn... and... and also hoped to express to you that there are still voices in the Convent yearning for light and order..."
Her voice grew softer and softer. Clearly, she also felt this reason was a bit far-fetched, yet she didn't dare question her superiors' arrangements.
Cantarella let out an extremely soft, cold sneer. Her gaze scraped across the two priests like an icy blade: "What an excellent calculation. You want to fight for power and the throne yourselves, yet you drag the two major families and the 'Crown' in to endorse and back you? Even going so far as to use the most innocent lamb to play the emotional card?"
Her gaze finally landed on Phoebe, her tone softening slightly but remaining sharp: "Cleric Phoebe, do you know what kind of thoughts your respected Priests harbored when they brought you here? What they need is not for you to 'learn,' but to gain the 'favor' of the person in front of you."
Phoebe blinked her pure, large eyes, seemingly unable to fully comprehend this complex political calculation. She only felt a vague sense of unease and murmured: "I... I just hope the Convent can become better..."
Antonio and Marco's faces instantly became extremely ugly, cold sweat seeping from their foreheads.
Rover finally spoke. His calm gaze swept over the two priests—a gaze that seemed to see through all their calculations—and finally landed on Phoebe. His tone was steady: "The future of the Convent ultimately requires the ambitious individuals within the Convent to fight for and create it themselves."
The hearts of the two priests instantly leaped into their throats.
But Rover's words didn't completely shut the door: "However, a stable, orderly Convent that truly serves Laguna is in everyone's interest."
His gaze turned to Cantarella, "The Fesale family and the Mortari family can consider communicating with the factions within the Convent dedicated to stability and reform under the framework of the 'Provisional Council'."
He didn't directly promise to support anyone, but he gave a much more actionable direction—
He brought up the Provisional Council that the two of them had conceptualized in bed not long ago, indirectly exerting influence through the soon-to-be-established organization.
This neither completely refused them nor let the two priests easily get their way. Instead, it firmly grasped the initiative in the hands of the two major families.
Antonio and Marco exchanged a glance. Although they didn't get the direct promise they wanted most, at least they weren't flatly rejected, and they seemed to see the possibility of operating through the council. They hastily nodded in agreement.
"As for Phoebe," Rover looked at the young cleric, his voice softening a bit, "whether she plays a role in the Convent's future reforms, and what role she plays, should depend on her own willingness and abilities, rather than becoming a bargaining chip in any party's transaction."
These words made the two priests' faces burn. Phoebe, on the other hand, gave Rover a grateful look, the light returning to her eyes.
Cantarella also stood up, that smile of having everything under control resurfacing on her lips: "Very well. In that case, you two Priests may return first. Regarding the specific details of the Provisional Council and how the Convent will participate in it, we will discuss them in detail later."
"As for the seat of the Prelate... that will depend on how much sincerity and action each party can show in the matter of stabilizing Laguna."
Her words were watertight, giving the other party a sliver of hope while keeping the final decision-making power firmly in her hands.
The two priests, feeling as if they had been granted amnesty, yet carrying a trace of unwillingness and anticipation, hurriedly bowed and took their leave.
Phoebe hesitated for a moment, bowed to Rover and Cantarella as well, and followed them out. Before leaving, she looked back at Rover, her eyes seeming to carry deep admiration and gratitude.
The drawing room returned to silence.
"Truly... not a moment's peace."
Cantarella snorted lightly, but her tone carried a trace of excitement, "It seems this game of chess is even more interesting than I imagined. The Convent's power vacuum is a massive hole that can be filled with many things, My Lord."
Rover gazed deeply out the window: "It's only just begun. Notify Francis. The formation of the Provisional Council must be accelerated."
The power play in Laguna, due to the urgent demands within the Convent, had abruptly accelerated its pace.
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