Under Ivan's relatively objective explanation, Annan finally figured out what happened at that time:
Fu Fu and Dmitri played a total of three gambling games.
The results of the first two bets were a one-to-one draw.
The third game, the last game, was originally the game where Dmitri had the greatest advantage——
This is a gambling game similar to a variety show.
The rules are simple.
Dmitri himself selected one person as his "assistant". And Fufu would ask them two questions at the same time - one about Dmitri and the other about his chosen assistant. These two questions must be
These are all questions they know the answers to.
If the answers given to these two questions are the same and neither of them lied, it is considered a victory.
If the answers given are different, it will be considered a failure. Once it fails, the "person who answered correctly" will have to pay a price, that is, bear the curse of "no heir", while the "person who answered incorrectly" will not have to pay any price; and if
If two people have the same answer but both lied, then both people will bear the curse of [no heir] together.
——After hearing this, Annan understood.
This is a gamble that tests people's hearts.
If both are right, they win; if both are wrong, they fail; if one is right and the other is wrong, the right loses.
This is not a gamble that simply tests "tacit understanding" and "understanding".
It's a test of "trust".
——Standard Prisoner’s Dilemma.
In particular, the assistants were appointed by Dmitry himself.
No matter how close you are to your friends, they will probably feel resentful once they learn that they are involved and the price they may have to pay.
Rather, if the relationship was closer - for example, a "relative" like Maria or Annan, then he would not be chosen as his assistant at all.
Not even a one in ten thousand chance. Dmitri couldn't bear the cost of failure.
So on the other hand...
If you are chosen as an "assistant", it is equivalent to directly telling the other party that you are a "friend who can be discarded."
"……wrong."
Annan suddenly realized the key issue.
——So, why Bella?
It is not surprising that werewolves, especially werewolves born from the Hand of Winter, were chosen as assistants in the ceremony. After all, the fundamental mission of the Hand of Winter is to protect the blood of the Winter clan. Taking risks and completing the mission is one of the responsibilities.
The Hand of Winter is unlikely to have any descendants anyway.
Because they have too many secrets.
After the Hands of Winter retire, their daily lives will have to be monitored.
Whether you are traveling, buying groceries, or entertaining friends, as long as you have contact with other people, you will be investigated. Traveling is something you don’t even have to think about. When you want to leave the city, you must get the signature of the mayor, and
The surveillance was completed under the accompaniment of three Hands of Winter. Moreover, these were the group who were judged to be relatively safe and had made great achievements in the Hands of Winter.
More Hands of Winter will not end well. Their last mission is usually to guard the tombs of the Winter clan to prevent the corpses with divine blood from being stolen - from now on, they cannot leave. The only thing
The lucky thing is that they can be buried together with the members of the Winter family who have protected them throughout their lives.
But needless to say, their families are unable to worship them.
Being able to become the instructor of the new Hand of Winter and continue to work in Frostwhisper Province until death is considered the best ending.
Dying in the mission is the greatest luck.
At least that way, they will become [heroes] and be remembered by others.
As Michelangelo once mocked:
——[Hand of Winter] is a giant.
Because giants are a race that "cannot see when they are young" and "cannot speak when they grow old".
They are not fighting for justice, and they do not need to follow the law.
First of all, they want to protect the bloodline of the Winter clan, secondly they follow the orders of the Winter clan to arrest and kill designated targets, and then they punish the villains. Therefore, the Hand of Winter is undoubtedly a "blind person".
Having the Hand of Winter as your assistant should be the best choice.
But the premise of this is that both parties should have a relatively thorough knowledge and understanding of the other party. Otherwise, even if they will not take the initiative to betray, if they don't know the answer to the question, they will still fail.
"Because Bella and Dmitri... were lovers at one time. They even reached the level of discussing marriage."
Ivan Lendong revealed shocking news.
When he said this, he glanced at Dmitri again.
Annan couldn't help but widen his eyes.
Brother?
Werewolf?
How is this bestmatch?
The eldest son of a noble grand duke fell in love with a lowly, fatherless and motherless werewolf girl...
Annan felt like a story of at least 300,000 words appeared in his mind.
However, in order to save Dmitri's face, Ivan did not go too deep into this issue.
But Annan already knows the end of the story.
"...But in the end, Bella chose to betray?"
He didn't quite understand.
What is this picture?
Now that two people have decided to get married, if one of them lacks fertility, wouldn't the final result be the same? They can only choose to tide over the difficulties together - and this happens to be a last-ditch battle with no answer.
"And Bella deliberately chose the wrong answer... As a result, Dmitri paid the price for his trust."
"Then what?"
"Then Bella was put under investigation by the Hand of Winter. Although this is an unfortunate thing, it can also be considered a good thing..."
Ivan raised his head, glanced at Annan, and then at Dmitri, who had his head lowered.
"If it hadn't been for this, we wouldn't have discovered that... Bella's teacher, Vladimir, the former 'Thumb' of the Hand of Winter, had already betrayed Winter."
"...Betrayal, Winter?"
Annan murmured and repeated.
——He remembered.
If the guess is correct, this "Vladimir" is the "Thumb" who recruits Bella into the Hand of Winter in "Nightmare: Kiss of the Wolf".
No wonder he would ask Bella such a weird topic as "Are you loyal to the Grand Duke?"
Loyalty without trial and training is meaningless and impractical.
——Unless the answer he wants is not "loyalty".
But "disloyal".
"What did they do?"
Annan asked.
Ivan paused his cane.
The Duke of Winter replied slowly: "They used Bella to steal Demetri's body fluids to create a spell that can control and tame frost beasts without the need for 'winter blood'."
Annan asked curiously: "So, how far have they completed it?"
"Unfortunately, they have succeeded."
Ivan stretched out his hand and stroked the groove on the scepter and answered slowly.