NOVEL NEXT
Chapter 419
In the blink of an eye,
Only two days remained until the engagement banquet.
The entire C Country, especially the western region, was adorned with colorful decorations and filled with joyous festivities. The royal palace was particularly lively, brimming with a festive atmosphere.
On the surface, the entire royal family appeared to be celebrating together, but in reality, almost half of them were anxious and worried.
The members of the royal family, who held the Howard family in high regard, hoped for something unexpected to happen, to prevent it all from taking place.
Perhaps due to their sincerity, their prayers seemed to have been answered. Lin Cheng's cough grew worse with each passing day, echoing through the empty castle.
Lin Guli gently patted his back, trying to ease his discomfort. "How did this cold get so severe?" she asked.
The butler handed Lin Cheng some medicine with concern. "The king has sent someone to invite the Duke to the palace for state affairs. Should I decline on your behalf?"
With a pale face and a flushed cough, Lin Cheng replied, "Tell them I'm not feeling well and can't go today."
The butler nodded and said, "Duke, your formal attire has arrived. Do you need to try it on?"
Lin Cheng dismissed the idea. "Leave it be."
After some thought, the butler inquired again, "With the engagement banquet approaching, will our mansion be too empty? Should we decorate it?"
Lin Cheng refused, saying, "No need. It's just an engagement, not a wedding." He sent the butler away and turned to Lin Guli with a wry smile. "Luckily, Karina isn't feeling well. Otherwise, it would be quite troublesome for me to cooperate with those wedding gown photoshoots."
Lin Cheng continued, "The photos will be published in the news, and the whole country will see them." The thought made him uncomfortable.
Lin Guli didn't respond to his comment but instead told him, "The king approached me yesterday. He wants you and Karina to marry shortly after the new year."
Upon hearing this, Lin Cheng's cough worsened, and it took him a while to catch his breath. "He's in such a hurry."
Lin Guli said, "The king is about to abdicate. If I'm not mistaken, he will announce it publicly on the day of the engagement banquet."
Lin Guli placed her hand on Lin Cheng's shoulder. "At that time, he will likely also announce you as the heir to the throne. Once it's made known to the world, if you still want to leave, there will be only one path for you."
"Abandoning your fiancée and running away doesn't sound very good," Lin Cheng turned around, gripping the railing with both hands, standing on the second floor, looking at the place he had lived for over twenty years.
He said, "I hope this engagement doesn't happen."
Lin Cheng wished for them to take action as soon as possible.
His words deepened the worry on Lin Guli's brow. "Whether or not Lin Cheng ultimately ascends to that position, his sacrifice is inevitable, and he may even lose his life."
Lin Guli regretted not firmly stopping him from taking such a risk. She should have decisively taken him away. The life and death of the royal family, the future of C Country, had nothing to do with them.
Now, it was no longer realistic to take him away.
As soon as the old king heard that Lin Cheng was seriously ill, he immediately sent a prince to visit. In the eyes of the old king, Lin Cheng was more important than anything else.
For the next two days, Lin Cheng used his "illness" as an excuse to avoid going to the palace. He spent the final two days in the calm and quiet of the castle, until the day of the engagement banquet arrived.
On the eve of the engagement banquet, Karina was brought back to the palace from the hospital. Her face had improved considerably, but the healing came too late, leaving behind some scars even after recovery.
To conceal the marks on her face as much as possible, Karina woke up before dawn to put on makeup and specifically chose a veil to cover her face.
With layers of cosmetics and the veil as a shield, the final result provided Karina with some solace, albeit reluctantly.
However, when the servant wheeled the wheelchair over, the mental walls Karina had just built crumbled instantly.
A disfigured face, a wheelchair—
She, the esteemed princess of the royal family and the future queen, on the day of her engagement, had to face her fiancé, the royal family, and even the entire nation in this miserable state. Not only could she not reveal her face in any wedding photos, she couldn't even show her face at all.
"Come!" Karina shouted angrily.
She called her trusted aide over.
"I don't care what methods you use, assassination, poisoning, no matter who you find, assassins, desperados—go to Hua Country, find that damned woman Qiao Yin, and kill her!"
Lin Cheng changed into a white suit, standing in front of the dressing mirror, adjusting his tie. He looked at his overly pale complexion and wondered if he should have a makeup artist come over.
"Cough, cough..." Suddenly, Lin Cheng started coughing violently, feeling a sharp pain in his chest, struggling to catch his breath.
He felt a surge of blood and then a mouthful of fresh blood sprayed out. The color on the floor seemed darker, but Lin Cheng didn't notice that the blood splattered on the floor was almost black...
When a duke and a princess got engaged, it naturally wouldn't be a small affair.
In addition to Lin Cheng's own twenty cars, the palace sent over a dozen royal vehicles.
Accompanying them were not only two princes and a few trusted confidants but also hundreds of fully armed guards.
The streets leading to the palace were cleared, and each section had police officers stationed, ensuring smooth passage for the massive motorcade.
With such grand preparations, it would be really difficult for any accidents to happen.
The electronic screens outside the car windows broadcasted this joyful news.
Buildings, residential complexes, streetlights, and even traffic lights were adorned with festive ribbons and decorations.
Many citizens spontaneously decorated their homes to express their congratulations. This engagement banquet was being closely watched by the entire country.
The grand hall of the palace—
Although time was short, there were enough people. How could the engagement banquet of the esteemed princess of the royal family be anything less than meticulous? The scene, created with money, was splendidly decorated, leaving nothing out, resembling a wedding ceremony in its grandeur.
Members of the royal family arrived one by one, each family bringing their entourage. In addition, there was a large number of media reporters. The entire engagement banquet would be broadcasted live.
The number of attendees was more than four times that of the state banquet, not counting the guards.
With the joyous occasion, the old king attended in his finest attire, his face exuding happiness, no traces of the illness that almost brought him down after being angered by the Lin Family's uncle and nephew a few days ago.
Outside the doors, the sound of ceremonial cannons rang out from time to time.
"After today, when the dust settles, we can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Duke Lin has finally not let us down."
"Yes, indeed, it's a cause for celebration. I believe that after Duke Lin Cheng ascends the throne, the Howard Family will be considerably restrained," said one person, glancing at the Howard Family, led by Lafeier, sitting on the other side.
The scene was still divided into two factions:
The royal party on the left cheered loudly.
The Lai En faction on the right whispered among themselves.
Their voices grew progressively softer, and they only showed a hint of a smile when the cameras turned to them.
"It seems they've invited so many journalists. There must be something important to announce. Most likely, the king will announce his abdication and Duke Lin Cheng's ascension," someone speculated.
"Once Lin Cheng assumes power, our good days are probably over. I made a wrong bet this time," another person lamented.
Many of Lai En's supporters had close ties or vested interests with the Howard Family. If the Howard Family were suppressed, they would suffer as well.
"Just look at them, pretending to be in dire straits. I wonder what they're scheming behind our backs, trying to curry favor with Lin Cheng," Lai En remarked, picking up the glass of red wine in front of him and enjoying it with great enthusiasm. "They seem disappointed in me."
Lafeier added, "They're probably calculating how to deceive us and please Lin Cheng."
Then, eight ceremonial cannons were fired.
The atmosphere at the Lai En faction's seats on the right became completely devoid of joy. "It seems a miracle won't happen," someone sighed.
As the convoy was halfway through its journey, Lin Cheng held a delicate bouquet of flowers in his hand, sitting next to the king's eldest son. The prince noticed Lin Cheng coughing from time to time and asked, "Duke, are you nervous? Your face looks pale."
"What is there to be nervous about?" Lin Cheng replied.
The crown prince continued, "Duke Lin, you're about to become the king's son-in-law and the princess's husband. Furthermore, my father has already decided to publicly announce you as the next heir to the throne at the engagement banquet. At this point, Duke, can you be honest with me? If your fiancée hasn't betrayed you, do you truly not want this throne?"
Lin Cheng didn't answer directly but retorted, "As the king's eldest son, you should have been the first in line for the throne. Even if Lai En is exceptionally capable and has a powerful background, you are still the chosen one. Perhaps today would have been the day of your ascension even without me."
The crown prince chuckled lightly, causing a fit of coughing. His coughing grew worse and more urgent, until suddenly, he spewed a mouthful of blood, staining the back of the seat in front of him. He felt a lump in his chest, his vision turned black, and he lost consciousness.
Before losing consciousness, Lin Cheng heard the crown prince's urgent voice calling out to him, "Duke Lin Cheng? Duke Lin Cheng?"
"Quick, take him to the hospital!"