The dinner was hosted by Kesel in place of his father, the eldest son of the Count, who was the rightful heir and who had begun to administer the domain in place of the Count of Cosenza as he became more and more old.

Although there was only one guest Alexander, the menu was still very rich, and although Cosenza seemed to be located in the countryside, compared to a large city like Naples with a thriving seaport, but looking at the fragrant and juicy game on the table, Alexander was a little puzzled how Jisha could maintain her size in such a hearty sea of Roshan wine.

"I don't like to eat too much meat," said Jossa as if to understand the confusion in Alexander's eyes, and she put a piece of roasted bruison in her mouth with a fork, took a bite and put it down, and then ate it with a wooden spoon with butter and honey mixed with crushed lettuce, "My father is just too greedy, I have watched him eat all kinds of things since he was very young, his hands are gone, but this does not prevent him from liking meat, but the more he does this, the worse it seems." ”

Josha's words surprised Alexander slightly, of course he knew that it would definitely be bad for a body like the Count to consume too much fat, but he didn't expect Josha to know this truth as well.

"Meat is not only delicious," said Kessel, who sat on the throne, disapprovingly, "it is still a kind of authority, and we do not know that we hunt for pleasure, but to show our rights to these beasts, God created all things, but man is God's favorite creature in the world, so God has given this world to man, so that we can take what we want." ”

A man who sees power as everything and pursues it by any means necessary, this is the definition of Alexander's words to Kesel, and although he has not known him for a long time, he can almost be sure of what kind of man the future earl is.

"Tomorrow we can go to the hunting grounds," said Zhisa to Alexander, "the hunting grounds of Kosenza have a long history, and even the earliest Kosenza was a hunting officer. ”

"The Romans," added Kaisel, taking a sip of wine, "it is said that more than one Roman emperor was once here, but the Romans always came and went, until at last they never came again." ”

Alexander knew that Kaisel was talking about the emperors of the Eastern Roman Empire, and in the millennium after the fall of Western Rome, the emperors of the Eastern Roman Empire had tried more than once to regain what belonged to them, so they launched many wars to regain lost territories, in which sometimes they were able to successfully recover large areas of land, and sometimes they were forced to die by new and old enemies.

So, as Keisel said, Cosenza, like many places on the Mediterranean coast, was conquered or abandoned by the Romans for many centuries, until finally Constantinople fell and the empire died out completely.

Alexander didn't know how he could feel inexplicably sentimental because of such a topic, thinking that maybe it was the escape that this body had experienced that resonated, Alexander suppressed the unexplained loss in his heart, and said in a tone of remembering something: "Speaking of which, I also promised Miss Earl to show her something interesting, if it is convenient tomorrow we can go and see it together." ”

"What's interesting?" Keisel asked with a smile, his eyes wandering over his sister and Alexander's faces, as if to find something between their expressions.

"Some little things," Alexander didn't want to say too much, so he mentioned this, just to make an excuse to go out with Jisha the next day, "You know that there is no such big hunting ground in Sicily, so I would like to express my gratitude to Mademoiselle Countess for the invitation." ”

Keisel nodded, in his opinion, this young man from Sicily should have some intentions for his sister, but he didn't really care, after all, even if something really happened between the two, it didn't matter as long as it didn't go too far.

His real concern was Frederick's son, Alfred.

"I heard that the king's health is getting worse, right?" "I saw him a few years ago, and I thought he was a tantrum kid, but now I think he was sick by then." ”

"The Neapolitans are worried, but I don't think it's going to be bad."

Alexander replied cautiously that he was not really fit to speak of the subject as an emissary, but he had heard on the way that Cosenza had not been subjected to much intrusion even during the occupation by the French, and that the French had hardly infringed on Cosencha except that they had demanded that they pay them a considerable amount of taxes.

Perhaps the French felt that the occupation of Naples was sufficient, or perhaps they were beyond their reach at the time, but in any case, as with Mordillo, the relationship between Cosenza and the French was delicate.

Because of this, Kaisel now has no scruples to talk about the king's physical condition with someone he has just met.

"If the king can't take up his responsibility," Keisel said, glancing at Alexander, "do you think Duke Frederick would take on this responsibility, especially now that such a king has no descendants?" ”

"I don't think I'm fit to discuss this topic." Alexander realized that he couldn't go on like this, and he even felt that Keisel was deliberately taking him into the pit.

"Not really," Keisel smiled, "so where are you going tomorrow, the hunting grounds are huge." ”

"I'll let Bellery show us the way," said Josha, who seemed interested at the mention of hunting, "and he knew everything well. ”

"Bolery, of course."

Keisel stopped talking, but began to hand down to a large boar in front of him.

When Alexander saw the Bellery, his first impression was that the monk had made a mistake.

If the owner of the Lookout Tavern is a big man, then this Bellery is a zoomed-in tavernkeeper.

With thick shoulders, a broad back, and intimidating arms and fists at the slightest glance, Alexander found it hard to imagine giving birth to such a big man like Samson with George Anne's well-maintained body.

The man was a large man, and he could be seen standing a little taller than the others even from a distance, and as he waved away the horses behind him, Alexander noticed that the sturdy horses seemed to be a little afraid of his commotion.

"Bolery!" Josha shouted from afar, raising her smooth arms and shaking them, and Alexander noticed that when he saw Josha, a smile appeared on the big man's face.

This is a horse farm some way from the castle, and to Alexander's surprise, although Cosenza is in the middle of nowhere, many places are not much worse than Naples, such as this seemingly large horse farm, which he believes is rare even in Naples.

"It's good that you're back, Miss." Bellery shouted loudly from afar, his voice not quite fitting his rugged appearance, not only not dull, but rather delicate.

This made Alexander think that this man might not be as rough as he looked.

"This is my friend, Alexander from Sicily," Josha's somewhat non-ruly introduction made Alexander a little strange, he could see that she seemed to be very good with this Bellery, or if she and Kaisel seemed to be brother and sister with deep affection, then this Bellery was more like a pair of friends.

However, Alexander's next words were somewhat unexpected, and she turned back to him in a very serious tone and said, "This is my brother, and his name is Bellery." ”

Alexander looked at Josha in amazement, although he had seen the things about Lady George Anne with his own eyes, but Josha's words still made him feel a little strange.

"I'm just your servant, miss." The big guy next to him seemed to feel that she was embarrassed by what she said this, and bowed slightly to Alexander with some crampedness, "My lord, please don't care, Miss is joking, although I grew up in Kosencha, I dare not forget who I am." ”

"Then remember that you are my brother," said Josa very seriously, and seeing that Alexander did not show any other expression although he was surprised, she nodded and continued, "Today we are going to the hunting grounds, and you will lead the way, Beleri." ”

"Yes young lady," said perhaps the words of Josha made him a little nervous, and Beleri shouted to a few people not far away, asking them to help bring some of the sturdy-looking horses, "these horses are brought from Bohemia, and the Taranto people do business with them, and they exchange them." ”

Boleri's words reminded Alexander of what Mahimo had heard about Kaisel's desire to marry one of Taranto's counts.

"The horses are sturdy, but I'm more interested in the little things you mentioned." Jossa looked at Alexander, who she had seen before she came, and the Moorish servant of Alexander, who seemed to be carrying bits and pieces, though she did not know what they were, aroused her great curiosity.

"It's just a small change," Alexander said casually, looking at Ulliu, who was busy putting things on his horse's back, not far away, and saw that he was hanging two bulky arquebuses in the saddle, "I said that I could make the arquebuses less difficult to use with a little modification, and now we can use them to give them a try." ”

Jisha nodded with interest and asked the big guy next to her, "How are we going today?" ”

"Miss, we are not going to take the north slope today," said Boley, who led a very docile-looking horse, and first bent down and stretched out his hands, so that Jisha could use his arms as feet to step on the horse, and then continued, "It rained a lot a few days ago, and the road on the north slope is not easy to walk, so we will go directly to the top of the hill today, although it is a little far, but the road is much more convenient." ”

Evidently trusting this Belleri, she agreed without saying anything, and her interest seemed to have been in the gadgets Alexander had mentioned, so as soon as she left the stable, she began to ask, "Can you show me what those gadgets you are talking about?" ”

Alexander's slightly impatient appearance amused Alexander as it was evident that this "sister" seemed to have a greater curiosity than most others, even more so than many men.

"Please be patient, and soon you will know what it is," Alexander said with a smile as he looked up at the golden eyebrows of Josa, "I must say that if you were born in Bologna, you might have achieved something." ”

With a slight sinking of her face, she kicked her mount downward, and as the horse picked up her pace, her horse strode briskly to the front and walk side by side with Bellery.

The big man looked back at Alexander, and after a few words with Josha, he suddenly turned his horse's head and came to Alexander.

"What did you say to Miss?" Although his voice is not high, and if you look closely, you will find that although he is huge, his face has not completely gotten rid of the youthfulness of a young man, but because he is too big, Alexander still has a feeling of depression in front of him.

Alexander was also a little curious about this "suspected brother", he didn't know who his father was, but looking at Bellery, he also imagined that just thinking about George Anne would be with such a big man, he felt that the countess's life was really a mess.

"All I said was that if she had been born in Bologna, she might have done something," Alexander explained, looking at the big man's blank face, "There are many schools in Bologna that encourage women to go in and learn, and this is not allowed elsewhere." ”

"Miss doesn't need someone to teach her, she's naturally smart." Bellery said in a proud tone, but then his broad shoulders collapsed, "But even if the young lady wants to learn, it is useless, she will soon be married." ”

"Marry?"

"Yes, Count Horseen of Taranto," said Belleri, lowering his voice, as if afraid that the Visor in front of him would hear it, "Young Master Keisel insisted that Mademoiselle marry the Earl, and he and Madame had quarreled several times over the matter. ”

"Countess?"

"Yes," Bellery nodded helplessly, "although Madame is against it, but Young Master Kaisel is the heir to the earl, and he will be the earl one day, so the young lady will always marry the Earl of Houssen." ”

"Could the Earl be better than Prince Alfred, and perhaps the Prince will be King in the future?"

Alexander was actually very strange that he did not understand that if Keisel wanted to exchange his sister's marriage for benefits, what could be more advantageous than marrying Frederick's son

After all, in this era when a cold can kill you, it is a very dangerous sign that King Ferdinand of Naples has no descendants, once he has three long and two short, the closest to the throne is his uncle Frederick.

And Alfred, as Frederick's eldest son, couldn't such a big advantage still make Kaisel's heart move?

"You mean the Duke's son?" Bolery asked in a very surprised tone, and then the big man couldn't help shaking his head, "That person can't do it, the young master can't choose him." ”

"Why?" Alexander was really curious this time.

"Because, because ......," said Bellery's face flushed suddenly, and he turned his horse's head and ran forward.

"What's going on?" Alexander looked at the pair of 'siblings' in front of him inexplicably.

Suddenly, Belleri in front of him reined in his mount.

Then, a low roar came from the depths of the woods!