Morin led Ludwig into the manor’s somewhat exaggeratedly spacious main hall.
Crystal chandeliers hung down from the extremely high dome, and the light shining on the floor clearly reflected their figures.
The moment Ludwig stepped inside, he seemed to shed his skin. His naturally cheerful officer’s demeanor completely vanished, and his movements became cautious.
Morin invited Ludwig to sit on a sofa that looked instantly expensive. The butler quickly directed a maid to serve coffee and exquisite pastries.
Ludwig’s apparent nervousness made Morin curious.
Just as Morin was about to ask the Lieutenant Colonel what was wrong, the light sound of footsteps came from the spiral staircase leading to the second floor.
Morin subconsciously looked up and saw Cecilia.
Today, she wore a well-tailored black dress, the hem slightly swaying with her steps.
Her honey-and-platinum mixed long hair was still meticulously pinned back in a chignon, but her expression carried a distant aloofness rarely seen in their private interactions.
She slowly descended the stairs, her gray-blue eyes first sweeping over Morin, then settling on Ludwig. She quickly recognized his Teutonic Knight uniform.
“And this Teutonic Knight is?” Her voice was level, betraying no emotion.
Ludwig, who had been relatively relaxed, instantly ‘shot’ up from the sofa the moment Cecilia appeared, his body rigid and straight.
He instinctively straightened the collar of his already impeccable uniform.
“Madam von Falkenstein, good day!”
He performed a stiff knight’s bow to Cecilia, his voice tight.
“I am Ludwig von Seeckt of the Teutonic Knight Order. Please excuse my unannounced visit.”
Ludwig even used her full title. His respectful attitude left Morin dumbfounded.
Was this the same man who was throwing his arm around me in Seville, saying ‘my sister and you are a match made in heaven’ just a while ago?
Cecilia merely inclined her head, a slight nod of acknowledgment.
Her presence was overpowering. Though she stood quietly, she naturally became the center of the entire space.
It was the dignity of someone long accustomed to high authority. She was like two completely different people compared to the ‘gentle sister’ figure Morin usually saw, who would adjust his collar and complain softly.
Morin mumbled to himself. This demeanor certainly suited the image of the head of a major enterprise.
“Lieutenant Colonel von Seeckt, is there something you need with Fritz?” Cecilia asked, her tone still level.
“Yes, Madam,” Ludwig dared not be casual and quickly replied. “It’s about… some official business.”
He seemed to want to say something but held back, looking hesitant.
Morin saw his predicament and stepped in to explain: “Big Sister Cecilia, it’s about an invention I made on the battlefield. Ludwig’s Knight Order is quite interested in it.”
“An invention?”
Hearing those two words, a hint of surprise finally appeared on Cecilia’s face.
Her eyes scanned back and forth between Morin and Ludwig, seemingly evaluating the authenticity of the claim.
“A significant invention?” she pressed.
“Yes, Madam, very significant!” Ludwig quickly added, his tone full of affirmation.
Cecilia was silent for a moment.
Her gray-blue eyes returned to Morin, lingering for a longer time now, the emotion in them much more complex.
“Since it is official business, you may use the reception room.”
She turned and walked toward a corridor to one side of the hall.
“Follow me.”
Morin and Ludwig exchanged glances and quickly followed her.
Cecilia led them to a tastefully decorated reception room that looked more private and extremely well-soundproofed.
“You may talk. I won’t disturb you.”
She finished speaking and turned to leave.
In the brief moment she closed the door, Morin distinctly saw a look of intense, unyielding resentment in her eyes directed at him.
The gaze seemed to silently complain: Fritz, you didn’t even want to tell me about something this important first?
“Thud.”
The heavy door closed softly, shutting away that complex gaze.
Only Morin and Ludwig were left in the room.
Ludwig let out a long sigh of relief, collapsing onto the sofa like a deflated balloon.
He wiped the non-existent sweat from his forehead, looking utterly relieved.
“My God, she’s finally gone…”
Watching Ludwig’s look of immense relief, Morin couldn’t hold back a laugh.
“I mean, is it really that bad?”
Morin poured water for himself and Ludwig, asking curiously: “You weren’t this restrained when you mentioned Big Sister Cecilia to me in Seville.”
Back then, Ludwig’s tone when speaking of the ‘noblewoman’ was more teasing.
But now that he had met her in person, why was he acting so timid?
“Ahem…” Ludwig coughed awkwardly, straightening up on the sofa.
“Joking with you in private is one thing. Meeting the lady herself is another.”
He lowered his voice and spoke conspiratorially to Morin:
“Friedrich, you don’t know how lucky you are. You haven’t witnessed Madam von Falkenstein’s methods outside the manor.”
“Our Teutonic Knight Order also deals with some of the subsidiaries under Falkenstein-Eisenstein Joint Industries.”
“I heard from the Knight Master of Logistics that this ‘Brilliant Crystal Queen’ is ruthless at the negotiating table, a woman who eats people alive.”
“They say once, a commercial representative from Gaul tried to pull a fast one on a contract. The result was that he not only failed to close the deal but was also so thoroughly ruined by her adherence to commercial rules that he was forced to flee the Saxon market, and his company went bankrupt.”
“She’s that formidable?” Morin was somewhat surprised.
In his memories, Cecilia had always been the epitome of tenderness and care. This was the first time he had heard of her strong side.
“More than just formidable,” Ludwig sighed. “That’s why I say, you are probably the only person in the entire Saxon Empire who can be this casual and relaxed in front of her.”
He paused, then added: “And, this is only my second time visiting the Madam’s manor.”
“Second time?” Morin was even more curious. “When was the first time?”
Ludwig’s expression suddenly became strange. He looked at Morin, on the verge of speaking, but hesitated.
“What is it? Just say it.”
“It was… that time you, you rascal, flirted with my sister, Patricia, at a ball and were publicly rejected after a confession.”
Morin: “…”
A dusty, embarrassing memory flashed through his mind.
“When I first heard about it, my temper immediately flared up. I rushed here intending to give you, that playboy, a good lesson.”
Ludwig continued, though his tone held no anger.
“But I was furious when I arrived, only to find out you had already returned to the military academy, so I had to give up on it…”
Morin awkwardly rubbed his nose and chuckled dryly.
However, Ludwig was merely recounting the story now. The friendship forged during their time fighting together in Seville had long since extinguished any residual anger.
After a few minutes of talk, Morin quickly brought the topic back to business.
Ludwig pulled a document from his briefcase and handed it to Morin.
“This is from our Grand Master, who asked me to bring it to you after reviewing the front-line combat reports.”
His expression turned serious.
“The Grand Master is extremely interested in your ‘shaped charge anti-armor warhead.’ He believes this technology is highly likely to change the future combat style between Armored Knights.”
Morin took the document and briefly scanned it.
It was an internal technical assessment request from the Teutonic Knight Order, detailing their need and preliminary plan for testing the ‘shaped charge anti-armor warhead.’
“Our Saxon Armored Knights have consistently been suppressed in combat against the Britannian Armored Knights due to technological limitations, often having to rely on overwhelming numbers to win,” Ludwig’s tone was heavy.
“Therefore, the Grand Master hopes to apply your technology to practical combat as soon as possible, allowing us to possess a weapon capable of efficiently penetrating their heavy armor.”
As the Teutonic Knight spoke, his eyes were filled with a burning desire for victory.
The Teutonic Knight Order, as one of the Saxon Empire’s most elite military forces, suffering setbacks against their old rival was a profound humiliation for these proud Knights.
“I understand,” Morin nodded. “What do you need me to do?”
“The Grand Master wants you to complete the patent application for this technology as soon as possible,” Ludwig explained.
“Only once you obtain the official documents from the Imperial Patent Office can our Teutonic Knight Order legitimately apply to the military department to test and procure this technology.”
“Otherwise, even if we were to use it directly, it would constitute stealing your invention, which violates the Knight’s Code of Honor.”
Hearing this, Morin was genuinely surprised.
He had expected that crucial military technology like this would typically be directly requisitioned, with compensation given afterward at best.
He hadn’t anticipated that the Teutonic Knight Order would be so respectful of his personal rights, even willing to go through the extra hassle of the patent procedure.
“My, you are very principled,” Morin remarked, half-teasingly, half-sincerely.
Ludwig’s face showed a touch of pride.
“Friedrich, the title ‘Knight Order’ isn’t just for show.”
He straightened his posture and continued: “Although we cannot compare to our true Knight ancestors, we still regard honor, justice, and faithfulness as the most important virtues.”
“These are things ingrained in the very bones of every Teutonic Knight and will never change.”
(End of this Chapter)