The Lord Of Blood Hill

Chapter 642: Never Argue with Your Wife

During dinner, Melissa asks Henwell with some worry, "Henwell, has something happened in the territory recently?"Henwell does not raise his head. He continues eating with his knife and fork at a calm, unhurried pace. "What could have happened? Is everything not fine?"

Melissa puts down her utensils. "I heard that many people have gone bankrupt and are very dissatisfied with Victor's policies."

"Quite a few people are even planning to come to Blood Hill Manor and ask you to remove Victor from the office of chief consul."

"I do not think this is a small matter. You should take it more seriously."

"You always stay in the manor now, and you handle fewer and fewer government affairs. That is not what a qualified lord should do."

Only then does Henwell look up. "Melissa, you manage our own finances. You know well how our business is doing."

"Compared with the year before last, our consortium's income increased by ten percent last year. On the surface, our business is still expanding."

"But the growth rate has already begun to fall. That is not a good sign."

"Peace Haven's industrial upgrading is too slow. Many people have grown lazy. I need to wake them from their comfort."

Melissa says, "But we are already far ahead. I do not understand technology that deeply, but I do understand that things are easy at the beginning and harder the higher you climb."

"You should give the people below some time. We are a new regime. Every part of us needs time to grow."

Henwell sighs. "Melissa, I know many people have come to you recently, begging you to persuade me not to be so aggressive."

"But none of them understand. Do you not understand either?"

"Our regime has always been in danger, and it will become even more dangerous in the future."

"Technological development is also a war."

"We have too few soldiers and too few generals. We have no room for failure."

"If we want to maintain a certain advantage in the continent's future competition, we must work harder now, move faster, and use fewer resources and fewer talents to achieve greater progress."

"It is just like Peace Haven's elite-soldier policy. It is not that I do not want a vast army. It is that our resources and population are limited."

"With this limited population and these limited resources, I can only hammer the entire army into ace legions."

"Our army's tempering cannot stop, and our technological progress can slow down even less."

"Other countries can afford to move slowly. For us, slowing down is a slow poison."

Melissa looks worried. "But Henwell, this will harm your reputation..."

Henwell gently shakes his head and cuts off his wife. "My reputation will become worse, but a good reputation cannot make Peace Haven strong."

"Whether people call me a benevolent king or a tyrant does not matter, as long as I make the country better."

"For those whose interests are harmed by reform, I can only apologize."

"I am a leader. My responsibility is to make all of Peace Haven strong."

"I only need to make sure no one in Peace Haven starves or freezes to death. That is the greatest kindness I can give them."

"As for whether they can live better lives and whether they can have better futures, that is something they must strive for themselves."

"Many people in Peace Haven have gone bankrupt this year. I know many people have left their homes."

"But the resources and land in Peace Haven's core region have already reached saturation. They have more opportunities in other regions."

"Yet because of laziness, they refuse to go."

"As a leader, for Peace Haven's larger interest, I must force them to go."

"Some people must suffer a little, or all of Peace Haven will be destroyed in comfort."

Melissa no longer tries to persuade Henwell. Instead, she asks another question. "Over these past two years, why have you gradually reduced your handling of military and administrative affairs?"

"I am very happy that you can spend more time with us, but you are not an ordinary father or husband."

"You are the master of all Peace Haven. Everyone follows you in order to survive."

"If it is only to take care of us, Henwell, you do not need to worry. I will take care of the family."

Henwell shakes his head again. "No. It is not what you think. I am not trying to step back, and I am not trying to avoid responsibility."

"It is just that someone wants to kill me. For your safety, and for the safety of others, I cannot show myself outside too often."

Hearing this, Melissa's expression immediately turns serious. "A Glory Rank professional? The Western Federation?"

Henwell comforts her. "No. They have not reached Glory Rank, but they are very troublesome. They are hidden in the dark, so they are hard to guard against."

"They were not sent by the Western Federation either. The Western Federation wants to deal with me, but they do not have a suitable reason."

"They also would not send a professional comparable to Glory Rank onto the continent to take such a risk."

"These people come from the Abundant Continent. They are unfamiliar with this place, so they will not succeed easily."

"Before long, I will no longer fear them. This is only a transitional period."

"Also, I need the people below me to grow."

"Peace Haven will become larger and larger in the future. They need the ability to stand on their own."

"I have already planned Peace Haven's direction of development."

"As long as that direction does not deviate and no major mistake appears, I will basically interfere very little."

Seeing that Henwell already knows what he is doing, Melissa asks no more.

Henwell then says, "Melissa, you are now managing the education and medical funds together with several high officials' wives."

"There is something I need to tell you. According to reliable information, someone is playing tricks in this matter."

"Warn them first. If they restrain themselves, I will remember their previous hard work and not pursue the matter too deeply."

"But do not make anything too clear. Next, I need some heads to make more people wake up from greed."

Melissa sighs and gently nods in agreement.

After the New Year, when spring arrives, Henwell brings the disguised Melissa with him to send their eldest son to school.

Watching her son enter the school, Melissa waves goodbye at the school gate with tears in her eyes.

Henwell says, "All right. Pabos is a smart child. He will take care of himself, and he can come home to rest every month."

"Besides, this place is not far from home. Parents also have two visitation days every month. It is not as if you will never see him."

Melissa turns back and glares fiercely at Henwell. "This is all your fault!"

"Our son can learn everything he needs at home. You insisted on making him leave home at such a young age!"

Henwell knows that trying to reason with a mother who has just separated from her child is extremely unwise.

Especially when that mother is also his wife.

Facing Melissa, who climbs into the carriage alone while brimming with resentment, Henwell can only smile awkwardly and rub his forehead.

Henwell has only taken two steps when the carriage actually starts moving.

The Lord Iron Guard serving as driver helplessly points toward the carriage compartment.

Henwell hurries after it and pats the carriage. "Madam, I have not gotten on yet!"

"You do not need to get on. We are not going the same way."

Watching the carriage go farther away, Henwell turns back to look at his guard captain. "Dalton, do you think I will even have dinner when I get back? Maybe I will have to sleep in a guest room."

"Should I make do somewhere else for a couple of days? Would it be better if I go back after Melissa cools down?"

Dalton says, "My lord, my personal suggestion is that you should not do that. Otherwise, Madam will have no way to calm down."

Henwell thinks for a moment. "That makes sense."