Joseph's mood was excellent as he exited the Palais Mermonia.
He was confident that, under the pressure he had applied, Furina would certainly order that mad dog Yide to cease his attacks on the Steambird.
However, this good mood was fleeting.
He had barely taken a few steps when the smile on his face suddenly froze, replaced by a cloudy expression.
The reason was simple: not far ahead, Yide was standing, watching him with a faint, enigmatic smile.
"Duke Joseph, the West Factory invites you for tea. Shall we go together?"
Yide's voice was gentle and polite, sounding like a casual invitation between old friends.
Joseph clenched his fists, the anger in his heart burning fiercely, almost bursting out of his chest. "Yide, who do you think you are, daring to come and cause me trouble!"
Yide's expression remained unchanged, still smiling, as he raised two fingers. "You have two choices right now:
First, obediently come with me to the West Factory for tea.
Second, get beaten up by me, and then come with me to the West Factory for tea.
I wonder, which one would you like to choose?"
Upon hearing this, Joseph roared in uncontrollable anger, "Yide, you're courting death!"
He didn't waste any more words with Yide, quickly turning his head to look at the eight guards behind him.
These guards were all carefully selected elites, loyal to Joseph, and now they stood ready, awaiting their master's command.
"Kill him!" Joseph ordered, his tone filled with determination and ruthlessness.
The eight guards moved at his command, instantly drawing the swords from their waists, charging fiercely towards Yide.
Their eyes gleamed with cold light, vowing to tear Yide to pieces and leave his corpse on the street.
Faced with this aggressive attack, Yide appeared calm and composed.
He lightly waved the silver sword in his hand, his figure darting nimbly through the guards like a swimming dragon.
The silver sword danced in his hands, as dense and sharp as falling pear blossoms in the rain.
A moment later, the battle was over.
All eight guards lay on the ground, groaning in pain, having lost the ability to continue fighting.
Yide, however, still stood there, his clothes fluttering.
He slowly walked towards the terrified Joseph. "Duke, are you going to walk on your own, or do I have to do it for you?"
The anger and fear in Joseph's heart intertwined. He hesitated for a moment, and finally chose to submit: "I… I'll walk on my own."
With that, he took a difficult step, following behind Yide, step by step, towards Yide's villa.
Soon, the news of Yide forcibly taking Duke Joseph away spread throughout the Palais Mermonia like wildfire.
Furina panicked upon learning that Yide had forcibly taken Joseph away.
She hurriedly put down the unfinished small cake in her hand, not even having time to fix her makeup, and rushed out.
She kept hoping that Yide wouldn't act recklessly. If Joseph really jumped from the top of the Palais Mermonia, it would drastically worsen the situation in Fontaine.
At that time, he might very well become a scapegoat to appease the anger of the nobles and the people.
In tension and anxiety, Furina rushed to Yide's villa as quickly as possible.
Half an hour later, she arrived at the villa's door, panting.
Pushing open the door, the scene before her left her dumbfounded.
Yide and Joseph were sitting on the sofa in the living room, talking and laughing, the atmosphere as harmonious as if they were close friends of many years.
Seeing Furina's arrival, Joseph immediately got up to greet her, with a hint of apology on his face. "Lady Furina, I'm very sorry. What I said before was just impulsive. Please don't mind it."
Furina was stunned. She could hardly believe her ears.
She never imagined that such a big change would happen in such a short time, less than half a day.
"Duke Joseph, what… what exactly is going on?"
She finally couldn't help but ask, her tone full of confusion and curiosity.
A deep fear flashed in Duke Joseph's eyes, his expression slightly stiff, and his voice trembled slightly. "No, nothing. Only after having an in-depth conversation with Baron Yide did I deeply realize my own superficiality and inadequacy.
I have decided that, from today onwards, I will seclude myself in my manor, not asking about worldly affairs.
In addition, I am willing to transfer the shares I hold in the Steambird to Lady Furina free of charge, hoping that you will accept them with a smile."
Before he finished speaking, Yide's displeased voice suddenly rang out: "Duke Joseph, what do you mean by this?"
Upon hearing this, Duke Joseph immediately became like a frightened bird, his fear overflowing, and his body couldn't help but tremble.
Yide frowned, saying with obvious anger, "Duke Joseph, what do you take Lady Furina for?
Would she just accept your things casually?
This is not only disrespectful to her, but also irresponsible to yourself.
I think, how about this, let Lady Furina buy your shares in the Steambird for 100,000 Mora. This is both fair and reasonable."
Duke Joseph's mood at this moment could be described as extremely aggrieved.
If his shares in the Steambird were sold at the normal market price, they would be worth at least 100 million Mora.
But he had no choice but to agree to Yide's suggestion.
"Okay, okay, okay." Duke Joseph responded repeatedly, his voice revealing endless helplessness and humiliation. "Just 100,000 Mora. I'll go back and write the transfer agreement right away."
After saying this, he couldn't wait to turn around and leave, escaping from this nightmarish place that he would never forget in his life.