biography of lvan

According to the baroness, the poet-like temperament of Baron Lipper when he was young was the reason that won her heart.However, the baron also paid a heavy price for this happy marriage. Under the secret pressure from the wealthy and noble families who had lost in the competition, the baron lost his job and also made countless rivals at the same time.In fact, all the nobles who were invited came for the sake of the baroness and his beautiful daughter.
Even so, the baron still thought that he was the happiest person in the world.And now, Baron Lipper hoped that he could also bring lifelong happiness to his daughter.The baron and his wife had spent countless efforts in carefully selecting the list of nobles invited to this ball.Actually, with the reputation of his daughter's beauty, he could even invite those wealthy and noble families in the southern part of France. However, the baron and his wife were afraid that those wealthy and noble families would have no sincerity and play with feelings recklessly .
Could the baron and his wife turn a blind eye to something that even Ivan could see clearly?Baron Lipper knew clearly about everything that had happened recently in Luxembourg. The various forces in the court were falling apart. Since the founding of the country hundreds of years ago, the political contradictions had never been so serious that they couldn't be reconciled.Moreover, since the war that lasted nearly ten years with Rurik in Bires thirty years ago, this country that had been a nightmare for France since ancient times and had long-standing grudges had never harassed the border of France again.
However, that war also emptied the treasuries of both countries. When he was in public office, it was not long after the end of the war, so the baron knew best how many gold coins were left in the king's pocket.Because of the fear of war, France didn't dare to reduce the number of troops. The total number of troops stationed in the three important military towns on the border of France, namely Bires, Halleck Castle, and Bolang, added up to more than 200,000, which was undoubtedly a huge expenditure for the cash-strapped treasury.
With the dissipation of the shadow of war, His Majesty the King found it increasingly difficult to bear this heavy and, in his opinion, unnecessary burden.In his plan, at least 100,000 troops should be cut from the three counties such as Bires, or even only 50,000 troops should be retained. In the king's view, that would be enough.However, Prince Philip, the younger brother of His Majesty the King and a meritorious figure in the Bires Campaign, definitely didn't think so.
There was a fierce conflict among the royal family members because of the matter of troop reduction.At this time, joining either side of the camp, just as Ivan had said, was of no benefit.On the edge of the power struggle, Baron Lipper had a much deeper understanding of all this than Ivan, who was an outsider.Therefore, there was not a single noble related to the powerful nobles on the invitation list.For Baron Lipper, this was better.Because according to the convention, once there was civil unrest and the turmoil subsided, a large number of powerful nobles among the wealthy and noble families would surely be in trouble. On the contrary, these impoverished nobles like them would have an easier life because the rulers needed to win people's hearts.Baron Lipper had a good eye for such things that were beneficial and risk-free.
However, he had never expected that Ivan Juan, this unexpectedly remarkable young man, would publicly express his views on the current situation.In fact, Lord Kewell Egrete Juan hadn't been on the invitation list originally.After all, being well-matched in social and economic status was related to the dignity of the nobles.
If he married his daughter to a commoner noble's child, it would seem as if he was selling his daughter in exchange for money when others talked about it, which would undoubtedly be the most fatal damage to the noble's reputation.Such things had happened in the hundreds of years of history in France.However, those short-sighted families who were greedy for immediate benefits were spurned by all the other nobles. The descendants of these families couldn't find marriage partners within the noble circle, so more and more commoner blood appeared in their bloodlines. Soon, these families disappeared from the noble circle.
Baron Lipper didn't want to do something that would let his ancestors down.Therefore, commoner nobles were definitely not on the invitation list.However, that Mr. Odrie Juan was truly elegant in conversation, broad in knowledge, and, most importantly, had unique insights into poetry.Soon, this descendant of a bankrupt noble from Otto was regarded as a bosom friend by the baron.Baron Lipper didn't welcome commoner nobles, but foreign bankrupt nobles were a different matter.
Because their bloodlines were, after all, noble ones.Many bankrupt noble families had originally been famous and powerful families.Although he didn't know much about Lord Kewell Egrete Juan, just by the mermaid mark on Lord Juan's family crest, Baron Lipper could completely confirm the nobility and purity of Lord Juan's family bloodline.The mermaid mark was the symbol of the Otto royal family, indicating that there had been at least one queen in the long history of this family, and there might even have been a ruling queen.
The verification of the coat of arms was definitely something that couldn't be done carelessly.Although the nobles in France had some complaints about His Majesty the King conferring too many commoner nobles, at least the king didn't give them the family coat of arms representing honor.As for those foreign bankrupt nobles with coats of arms, the Elder Council would verify them repeatedly before recognizing them.The nobles were quite aware of how strict the members of the Elder Council were, so it was most appropriate for them to judge the authenticity of the coats of arms.
Being able to pass the scrutiny of those elders, this mermaid mark was undoubtedly genuine.A descendant of the Otto royal family was, in any case, a noble of great prominence. Inviting such a person to attend his ball should be justifiable.After sending out the invitation, Baron Lipper hadn't expected that Mr. Odrie Juan himself wouldn't come and that it would be his nephew who came instead.Similarly, he had never expected that this young Mr. Juan would be such a remarkable person.Baron Lipper had to admit that Ivan was just as capable of attracting attention as his uncle Odrie.
They were equally learned, equally calm, had the same elegant temperament, and the same gentle temper. Compared with ordinary commoner nobles, their temperament was more elegant, which was clearly an indelible feature passed down by the long-established bloodline. Compared with ordinary nobles, they didn't have that kind of unapproachable pride. If Baron Lipper hadn't planned to be a poet who abandoned everything when he was young, he would also be a solemn and serious noble with a straight face.
However, Baron Lipper intuitively felt that Ivan and his uncle were two completely different kinds of people.In the baron's eyes, Mr. Odrie was a scholar, a true scholar, and could even be called a poet. Looking back, perhaps the reason why he and Mr. Odrie hit it off so well was precisely because Mr. Odrie was the same kind of person as himself. He had been obsessed with poetry in his early years but gave up his dream due to family pressure.Essentially, the baron still considered himself a poet, and now he thought that Mr. Etrek Juan was the same.
However, Ivan was not like that.Perhaps the education from that diplomat grandfather was really outstanding. The baron felt that Ivan possessed a depth and sophistication that didn't belong to his age.Moreover, Ivan's gaze was much deeper and sharper than that of Mr. Odrie Juan. The baron had seen such a look before. It was the kind that only those sacred knights with rich battlefield experience and superb skills possessed.If Mr. Odrie Juan gave people a harmonious and serene feeling like that of a poet, then Ivan Juan gave people a sense of calmness, competence, and a unique mystery.
Just as Baron Lipper was carefully distinguishing between the uncle and nephew, his wife's voice came softly to his ear: "Dear, which young man do you think our daughter has taken a liking to?""Oh, my lady, I think they're all about the same. There's no one as outstanding as I was back then anymore," the baron said jokingly."You're really narcissistic," the baroness gave her husband a sidelong glance."Alright, no more joking. To be honest, I really feel sorry for those young men. Their luck is really bad. There's an example in front of them that they can never surpass. Compared with the one in the upstairs lounge, none of them stands out," the baron said.
"Do you think it's very inappropriate?" the baroness asked.The baron was extremely surprised and said, "Isn't it obvious? That young man is at least two or three years younger than our daughter.""Oh? I thought you cared about the disparity in noble status," the baroness said with a light smile.
"That's also one of the reasons. I haven't thought about this aspect carefully yet, but the age difference is obvious. I thought it should be impossible," the baron said."That's what you think is impossible. In my opinion, there's a high possibility. If I'm not mistaken, if it weren't for the fact that leaving without permission would be very impolite and would make us offend a lot of people, our daughter would probably have already run to the small living room," the baroness said.
"How do you know?" the baron asked."Woman's intuition. As a mother, I care more about our daughter than you do. You were just chatting just now and didn't notice our daughter's expression at all. Although our daughter pretended to be natural and indifferent, her attention had already been firmly grasped by Mr. Ivan Juan," the baroness said."I didn't notice that. But she should know by herself that such feelings are completely impossible, right?" the baron asked.
"Impossible? Why impossible? Just because that young man is two years younger than our daughter? If our daughter really likes that young man, she won't care about that," the baroness said."But Mr. Ivan Juan didn't come here for a blind date. He just came to the ball on behalf of his uncle, Mr. Odrie Juan. Look, if he really had that intention, he would have already come downstairs to dance with our daughter," the baron said."How much do you know about Lord Kewell Egrete Juan?" the baroness asked.
"Not much. I just heard the name of Lord Kewell Egrete Juan before. He's a rather brilliant diplomat. He made outstanding contributions in the negotiations after the Bires Campaign. Moreover, he has a close relationship with the church. The nominator who conferred the title on him is the current chief priest. He also has a close relationship with the Pope who lives in Otto..." The baron reported everything he knew to his wife in detail.
"That's quite good," the baroness said. "Such a family background is quite a match for ours."The baron was stunned for a moment. He whispered in his wife's ear, "Dear, don't joke. Do you really plan to let our daughter marry someone who is two or three years younger than her?""What's wrong with two or three years? The difference isn't that big. King Louis III of France married his cousin who was five years older than him as his wife. The second marriage partner of King Louis XI of France was also an older woman. Besides, I don't want to experience the same regret as before. 
In order to marry you, a powerless man, I went against my father's will. Until my father was on his deathbed, I thought he still hadn't forgiven me, so I didn't go back to see him.
"I don't know. Although he didn't understand me when I made the decision, the long and lonely years have already made all of this fade away. He had always been feeling guilty for not attending my wedding. He had always been waiting for me to step into the house again." At this point, the baroness's voice choked a little.The baron listened to all of this blankly. After a long while, he comforted her, "Alright, dear, alright. Don't think about these things anymore. I'll listen to you. I'll listen to everything you say. If our daughter likes him, I won't object. I also hope our daughter will be happy, at least as happy as I am.
"If she likes someone two or three years younger than her, then let her like it. Women generally live longer than men, so that her husband won't die before her, and she won't have to endure loneliness and sadness.""Then, how about we invite him to the party three days later? Today is really not appropriate. Our daughter is tied up by those people. Three days later, there will be far fewer guests, and they will also have more opportunities for private contact," the baroness asked."You don't need to remind me. I had already decided to invite him to the banquet three days later. Even if he's not an ideal match for our daughter, Mr. Ivan Juan is also a guest who is quite pleasant to talk with," the baron said."Then it's a deal," the baroness said happily.
In the living room, Ivan didn't know much about all of this. When he was bored, he opened the window and looked into the distance.Piton was a rather poor place. Although the population living there was several times the sum of that in Avila and South Port, most of them were engaged in agriculture. Usually, they raised one or two sheep and sold them or slaughtered them for their own consumption during festivals. For most people, this was the only way to improve their lives.
Piton didn't have prosperous commercial streets or outstanding scenery. There was a large and dense forest outside the southern city. It was said that this forest was the largest one in the southern part of France and extended all the way to Luxembourg.It was precisely this forest that had made the original southern part of France a desolate land. The residents of Piton were forcibly relocated here by King Louis V of France hundreds of years ago.
That ambitious king wanted to turn the vast and fertile land in the southern part of France into a granary that could continuously supply food. Therefore, he established the three counties of Luxembourg, Piton, and Bart.Luxembourg was the center for controlling the three southern counties, while Piton was responsible for growing food. There was originally no plan for the county of Bart. However, the broad forest between Piton and Luxembourg provided a natural shelter for the farmers and thieves hiding in it.
Therefore, King Louis V divided three-fourths of this forest into an independent county - Bart.The county of Bart was the poorest county in France. There was only one city in the whole county - Bart, which was built right in the middle of the forest.Bart had the smallest population, with only over seven thousand people. However, the people there thought they lived an extremely happy life. In order to avoid the noisy world, they moved several times and moved their city deeper into the forest, staying far away from the main road connecting Piton and Luxembourg.
However, the people of Bart were still fulfilling the obligations they had had since the time of King Louis V - guarding the forest, keeping the roads open, and capturing the thieves who fled into the forest.Originally, Avila and South Port hadn't received much attention. During the reign of King Louis V, they were barren lands.Among the three counties, Piton was once the truly most prosperous city, once having the largest population, vast farmland, and dozens of manors.
The abundant food, cattle, sheep, and horses once made King Louis V extremely worried that this remote county would become independent or be occupied by neighboring countries. Therefore, he didn't allow Piton to build defensive city walls. At the same time, he built a solid fortress in a more southern place, which was Avila.Avila was originally a military fortress that could station twenty thousand soldiers and could maintain itself for a whole year without any rescue.
However, after that ambitious king was assassinated by an assassin from an unknown source, several plans he had made during his lifetime, such as the plan for a huge army of five hundred thousand people, a cavalry regiment of one hundred thousand people, and a huge navy of one hundred thousand people, were put on hold forever.
And Piton, which was originally planned to be a granary, became less important as a result.In the following hundreds of years, Piton became a place forgotten by most people in France.As for the abandoned military fortress of Avila, it became a place where some bankrupt free people lived together. For two hundred years, this barren land was beyond the reach of the kingdom's power.Finally, Avila expanded and became a city.
However, it was not convenient for this city to have connections with other places in France. They could only conduct trade with Piton.In these unequal trades, the people of Avila suffered a lot. But in order to make a living, they had no other choice but to accept such unequal transactions.
The arrogant people of Piton finally angered the people living in Avila and further south.Countless people used their courage and lives and finally opened up the shipping routes leading to Xibai and Otto.The rise of the maritime trade routes couldn't be achieved overnight. The construction of South Port alone took more than a hundred years.However, in any case, South Port and Avila finally prospered because of this maritime trade channel.
The wealthy people of South Port and Avila didn't forget the "generosity" of the people of Piton.The people of South Port and Avila were willing to bring wealth to Luxembourg and any other city in France, even to Bart hidden deep in the mountains. But Piton definitely couldn't enjoy such treatment.And Piton, which was originally the most prosperous and largest county in the south, gradually declined and became a shabby place.
Rich people moved to Avila or South Port one after another.Trade caravans also didn't stop in Piton.The finest wool produced in Piton was obviously not as attractive as the silk shipped from South Port. Merchants would rather travel more than a hundred miles further because higher profits were waiting for them in South Port.Having lost the wool and cotton trades, the woven cotton cloth couldn't be sold. Groups of highly skilled craftsmen left this hopeless place to seek a living elsewhere.
The Piton sheep that originally produced the best wool in the whole of France also had to become the delicacies on people's plates. The farmland used for growing cotton had already been overgrown with weeds, and everything became so desolate.Seeing this scene, Ivan was filled with mixed feelings.All of this wasn't learned from books. No book would pay attention to this insignificant period of history in the south.
The struggles of a group of vagabonds in the south for hundreds of years were far less significant in the eyes of historians than a political declaration or a truce agreement.However, for Ivan, this was the history he witnessed with his own eyes. This history witnessed the rise of two cities and the decline of one city.Ivan was lost in thought while looking out of the window. He didn't notice that the sky had gradually darkened.Suddenly, Ivan heard footsteps outside the door. He habitually dodged into a corner of the room.The door opened with a creak, and immediately, the bright candlelight shone into Ivan's eyes.
Ivan narrowed his eyes and used the method that Herbert had taught him to adapt to the suddenly bright room.

Herbert had once told him that closing his eyes was the worst choice in such a situation, because at that moment, a dagger could end everything.

Squinting his eyes, although he couldn't see clearly, at least he could tell where the danger was coming from.

Unexpectedly, it was the beautiful baron's daughter who brought in the candlestick.

"Mr. Ivan Juan, I've brought you a candlestick. May I sit down? Won't it disturb your rest?" the young lady said.

"Oh, no, no, no. This is your home. I'm the one who's disturbing," Ivan said.

"Well, Ivan... May I call you Ivan?" The pretty young lady watched Ivan's expression carefully.

"It's my honor."

"I'm very interested in tea. Could you tell me something about it?" Obviously, the young lady couldn't find a topic for a moment.

Ivan wasn't really interested in this pretty young lady. He didn't want to cause unnecessary trouble for himself. Odrie's instruction was just to get an invitation three days later, not to win over the baron's daughter as a bride.

So he talked with the young lady in the calmest tone possible.

In his opinion, this was no different from when he usually faced a customer in the store and described the characteristics of the goods in detail to the customer.

The only difference was that the young lady beside him was obviously paying attention not to the goods themselves but to the person selling the goods. This worried Ivan a lot.

"You really know a lot," the young lady said with emotion.

"Oh, it's nothing. I just remembered it after having more contact," Ivan said.

"Is it fun like this?" the young lady asked.

Ivan didn't know how to answer this strange question for a moment.

"You must have a lot of things you like, like playing? At least two years ago, when I was your age, I still liked playing very much," the young lady explained.

"No, games and playing are really two too luxurious things for me," Ivan said truthfully.

Hearing Ivan's answer, the young lady's eyes suddenly lit up. She sighed and said, "Although I'm older than you, you're obviously much more mature than me. You already know how to take on your own life, but I still make my parents worry."

"You have a pair of kind parents and a warm family, while my parents passed away long ago," Ivan also sighed and said.

"Yes, I'm much happier than you. I really hope to get to know you better. Are you free these days? Three days later, my family will hold a dinner party in the villa in the woods. I hope you can come and attend," the pretty young lady sent out the invitation.

Hearing this, Ivan was extremely happy. He had succeeded. His excited mood was so obvious that he showed a look of joy on his face.

"It's my great honor," Ivan said as calmly as possible.

Ivan's joyful expression obviously made the baron's daughter misunderstand. She blushed and quickly took her leave. As she walked away, she was still thinking about whether her invitation just now was too abrupt and how she should mention it to her parents later. Would her father oppose it severely?

In fact, this was what the pretty young lady was most worried about, because falling in love with a young man two or three years younger than herself was something she couldn't even imagine before.

Ivan stayed in the small living room and patiently waited for the end of the ball.

If the ball ended, the sound of the carriages when those impoverished nobles left would be enough for him to know when he should take his leave from the host.

The moon rose above the treetops and the night gradually grew deeper. Finally, the first carriage left.

Ivan guessed that it was time to take his leave.

He walked down the stairs.

The baron and his wife were still one of the most eye-catching targets.

Walking up to the baron, Ivan bowed gently and said, "It's my great honor to have attended your ball. It's getting late, and I should take my leave now."

Baron Lipper was really a bit surprised. In his opinion, it was still very early, and the ball had just begun. Except for a guest with urgent official business who left in a hurry, most people hadn't even thought of taking their leave yet.

Was it too rude to this young man? He had come from afar and was sent to the small living room by himself and stayed there for such a long time. It was inevitable that he might feel a bit uncomfortable in his heart.

Thinking of this, Baron Lipper said with a smile, "It's still very early. You haven't danced with my daughter yet. Shall I use my privilege as a father?"

"Yes, it's so hard for you to come from afar. It's too early to leave now," the baroness also persuaded from the side.

"It's precisely because I live far away that I have to take my leave. I still have things to do tomorrow. There must be something that needs my help at Uncle Odrie is place. As for dancing, I really don't want to damage your fair reputation. Those people who have been waiting in line so hard are really pitiful. Let's wait for a chance in the future. I'll invite your daughter to dance then," Ivan said.
Seeing that Ivan was unmoved and determined to leave, the baron and his wife were obviously a bit disappointed.

The baron said, "In a few days, I'll hold a dinner party in my small villa. Can you come and attend?"

"It's my great honor! In fact, I've already accepted your daughter's invitation," Ivan said.

This girl is really quick, the baron and his wife thought to themselves.

"You must come. Don't be like your uncle and just send a representative," the baron said.

"I'll convey my uncle's apology again," Ivan said.

"Forget it, forget it. I'm just joking. But three days later, you must come. Otherwise, I'll break off my friendship with your uncle. Please, please," the baron repeatedly urged.

The couple saw Ivan off all the way to the door.

Ivan got on the carriage and saw at a glance that Odrie was holding a book and reading it with great interest under the oil lamp.

"You succeeded, didn't you?" Odrie asked without even looking up.

"Yes. How did you know?" Ivan asked.

"For a con man, leaving the hunting ground too early can only mean two things. One is that he's been discovered, and the other is that he's already succeeded. You don't look in a hurry, so it can't be the first reason. Then there's only the second possibility."