You don't even want to call me godfather

Chapter 76 Tell the Truth

Quiet, indescribably quiet.

Mondragon said these eccentric words with an expressionless face, which undoubtedly completely disrupted the originally serious topic.

And looking at her expression, she didn't seem to be aware of it.

"Um... Mondragon," seeing Mondragon not noticing the awkward atmosphere at all, Armando couldn't help but probe, "I know you may be concerned about vacation and salary, but we are talking about business now, can you..."

Armando winked at Mondragon halfway through his speech, hoping that the other party would understand what he meant.

"Excuse me, Mr. Osvid, this matter has been delayed for a long time, and I need to rest." Unfortunately, whether Mondragon understood his eyes or not, she rejected it. "Besides, I am also a direct staff of the President, and I should have the right to stay on the scene."

"Can……"

"Hmm?" Before Armando could respond, Delisle narrowed his drunken eyes and stared at Mondragon for a long time before saying, "Who are you?"

"Go sober me up!"

Armando finally couldn't stand it anymore. He rushed forward, picked up Delisle who was collapsed on the sofa, and carried him to the bathroom.

Thus, only Koshe and Mondragon were left at the scene.

"..."

An even quieter atmosphere than before lingered in this dormitory.

Listening to Mondragon's steady heartbeat, Koshe looked out the window at the dark sky covered by clouds.

"Mondragon, right?" After a long while, seeing that Armando and Delisle still hadn't come out of the bathroom, Koshe turned around and looked at Mondragon, unable to bear the silence any longer. "Is this your real name? Why did you name it after a firearm?"

"Yes, noble Lord of Syracuse," Mondragon nodded, placed a hand on his chest, and said, "As far as I can remember, this is my name."

The mechanical reactions and answers, and the heartbeat frequency that never changed, made Koshe frown slightly.

"Just call me Koshei, otherwise it's too complicated," Koshei continued to try to get information. "So, you said before that you are a 'soldier' ​​under the president. What does this mean?"

"Your Excellency Koshei, as the words say, although I have no memory of this matter, I only know that I need to obey the orders of Your Excellency the President and serve Him like a soldier. This is like an iron order, engraved in my mind."

Mondragon told the truth, but these words, spoken in a calm tone, once again aroused Koshe's doubts.

Although he calls himself Delisle's "soldier", Mondragon doesn't even know the most basic way of reading people's expressions.

That always steady heartbeat. Even for an ordinary person, his heartbeat frequency would not remain at the same amplitude for a long time, but Mondragon's heartbeat was like a machine that ran on gears, always maintaining a fixed mode of operation.

Moreover, in this brief question and answer session just now, Mondragon repeatedly mentioned a word.

memory.

Everything that was happening now was telling Koshe all the time that the woman in front of him, named Mondragon, did not seem to be a normal person.

"Memory..." Koshe thought, searching various possibilities in his mind. Finally, as if a flash of inspiration came to him, he asked Mondragon, "Mondragon, can you tell me, are you related to Rhine Life——"

"Boom."

Before Koshei could ask the question, the sound of the bathroom door opening attracted the attention of both him and Mondragon.

Armando was seen carrying Delisle towards them. Delisle looked much more sober, but his hair, which was originally neatly combed, was now scattered and stuck to his forehead, and was covered with water droplets.

Seeing his miserable state, Koshe even suspected that Armando had directly pushed his head into the water.

"I'm sorry to embarrass you, Koshe," Armando said with an awkward smile. He helped Delisle back to the sofa and sat down himself. "But now, let's get down to business, Mr. President."

"Um... I won't drink so much again..." Delisle leaned back on the sofa, saying the same decision that everyone who drinks has made, while covering his aching head with his palms, "Where were we talking about before?"

"To be precise, we haven't talked about anything so far." Perhaps because he was still confused about Mondragon, Koshe seemed a little absent-minded. He glanced at Mondragon and then said to Delisle, "You have been asking me to drink since I entered this dormitory, Mr. Delisle."

"Ahaha, ha... That's really embarrassing," Delisle smiled awkwardly but politely, as if he was laughing at his own embarrassment. But he really didn't have any airs, so he just waved his hand casually and changed the subject. "Well, let's get down to business, brother Koshe."

Chapter 77 Existentialism

"Tick, tick."

The hands of the clock on the wall made a regular swinging sound, indicating the passage of time.

Koshe sat on the sofa, quietly listening to Delisle talking about the so-called serious matters.

"In fact, my reception today is not just to thank you for bringing my daughter out of Rhine Life." After sobering up, Delisle looked much more serious. Although he did not put his arm around Koshe's shoulders, the way he addressed him did not change. "I hope... you can reach a formal long-term cooperation agreement with this kid Armando."

"Mr President?"

Before Koshei could respond, Armando showed his confusion.

"I know what you want to say, Armando," Delisle interrupted the question that Armando was about to ask and continued, "I have thought about this matter all night, and I made the decision after weighing the pros and cons."

"But……"

Armando seemed to be hesitant to speak. Ever since he entered politics, the relationship between him and his father became official. Especially with the decrease in their lives, he often couldn't guess what his father was thinking.

"…Before I decide whether or not to accept this proposal, I need to know, why me?"

Koshe was not as panicked as Armando. Even when faced with a proposal that was close to friendly relations between the two countries, he did not respond easily.

"Maybe you don't know how famous you are now, but I can tell you accurately that I am not the only country or person who wants to make friends with you," Delisle smiled, as if Koshe asked a very stupid question. "A young monarch who was able to stabilize the Syracuse regime within half a year and a participant in the International Conference who was able to turn the tables in the face of the Lateran military commander's targeting, can be regarded as a famous rising star in anyone's eyes."

"I have heard similar things many times, Mr. Delisle," Koshe did not show any complacency. He continued, "But since you said so, I can probably understand your idea. The remaining question is why you let me reach a cooperation with Armando. As the president, shouldn't you be more representative?"

"Because I have decided to resign as president."

As soon as these words were spoken, not only Armando's expression but also Koshe's changed. Only Mondragon, who was standing aside, looked as if it had nothing to do with him.

"Can you tell me why this is?"

Koshe was a little confused. According to what Armando told him, Delisle had been in politics for more than a decade and the position of president was hard-earned. How could he just give it up?

"Before that, I want to ask you a question, brother Koshe." Delisle did not answer immediately. Instead, he asked Koshe another question, "When you face your former enemy and find that he has repented and has a new life, what will you do? Revenge? Or choose to forgive?"

"There is almost no answer to this question," Koshe frowned. Delisle's question reminded him of some bad things in the past. "But if I really have to give an answer, the old me might have chosen to forgive, but now I will spare no effort to pursue revenge. Otherwise, hatred will only grow deeper and deeper, and there will be endless troubles."

"Well said," Delisle nodded, seemingly satisfied with Koche's answer, but then he showed a sad face, "Ten years ago, my wife and I entered the threshold of Colombian politics. When we first entered the political world, we didn't know how deep this river was. At this time nine years ago, a proposal I put forward violated the interests of a congressman and I was retaliated against."

"Your wife passed away due to political struggle."

Combining what Armando had said before, Koshe quickly came to a conclusion.

"Yes, it took me seven years to find out the truth of the whole incident and the identity of the congressman who killed my wife. It took me another two years to leave a way out for all possible situations after I climbed to the position of president." Delier paused and sighed secretly. "Then not long ago, I found that person, but I found that shortly after my wife passed away, the congressman retired from politics and lived in seclusion in the countryside. When I questioned him face to face, I saw his eyes like a dead pool. I don't know what he has been through, but there was indeed a moment when my original determination was shaken."

"So, what did you choose? Revenge or forgiveness?"

Hearing this, the scene had become a one-man show between Koshe and Delisle. Armando had already fallen into silence because of what Delisle said about things he had never known before.

"'Revenge is best served cold', I remember there was such a saying in Syracuse, but after I completed this revenge that was nine years late, I found that revenge is always overestimated. People always expect it to miraculously erase the grief, but it is not the case," Delisle took a deep breath, stroked his eyes with his hands, and said after a moment, "After completing the revenge, I realized that all my efforts and persistence in the past nine years were driven by my wife's death, even the position of president. When the enemy died, my heart was hanging in the air and it took a long time to fall. It was as if I had lost most of the meaning of my existence in an instant. I was frustrated, confused, depressed, tossing and turning, and I didn't even know what to do next."

"So, you decided to resign as president." After understanding the whole story, Koshe frowned and refuted Delisle's decision. "To me, this is not a rational choice. When I took the position of Godfather, my initial motivation was revenge. After the revenge was completed, for the sake of my family, my country and the stability of my people, I chose to continue to sit in this position."

"No, brother, I'm different from you," but Delisle just shook his head, his eyes full of loneliness. "Now that I'm free and finally have time to stare at myself in the mirror, do you know what I see? I see an old man... Besides, I don't have much affection for this country. This country has left me with only daily calculations and struggles, and self-blame and conceit every night. Even if I want to find some good aspects in it, there are very few. In this case, it's better to let go and get some peace and freedom. This is a good choice for a middle-aged man in an existential crisis."

"Then how can you guarantee that Armando can become the next president?" Koshe raised his head slightly. After confirming that Delisle had made up his mind, he asked the most crucial question, "If he is just a senator in the House of Commons, his representativeness should not be enough."

"I will promote Armando to the Senate in my final term. He is a lifelong member, so this step is not difficult," Delisle also knew that with Armando's current status, he could not represent Colombia in establishing diplomatic relations with anyone or any force, so he explained, "After that, I will also try to talk and negotiate with other government departments and the military. As for the next step, it depends on Armando himself."

As he spoke, Delisle couldn't help but look towards Armando, with a complicated look in his eyes.

The busyness of the past few years has not diminished his love for his family, just as he has never forgotten Shipka, and just as he is now ready to hand over the responsibility to Armando.

"Father……"

Armando was speechless. He didn't know what to say. He could only lower his head, feeling ashamed of his previous opinion that his father neglected his family.

Looking at the father and son in front of him, getting to know each other again in a way he had never imagined, Koshe couldn't help but reveal a happy expression.

Thinking back to the past, he and his father Ulysses were like this. Due to their status and upbringing, they never showed their love openly, which also led to some misunderstandings.

Although the misunderstanding between him and his father was resolved early on, his father died shortly afterwards.

However, Delisle and Armando, father and son, may get a better ending. With Delisle's guidance, the gap between Armando and the presidency will soon be shortened.

"I already know your idea, Mr. Delisle," Koshe stood up and looked down at Delisle who was still a little unsure of his idea. He said bluntly, "Similarly, I don't reject your proposal. After I finish my personal affairs, I will start the long-term cooperation with Armando. Before that, I will also use my experience as the monarch of Syracuse to guide Armando on how to manage the country."

"That's great," Delisle smiled. The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes that shouldn't belong to someone his age were so obvious. He also stood up and extended a hand to Koshe. "That's great... I feel relieved."

Koshe nodded silently, took Delisle's hand, and moved it up and down a few times.

Perhaps this brief acquaintance cannot be called a friendship regardless of age difference, but there is no doubt that they have already developed admiration and friendship for each other in their hearts.

It was at this moment that Koshe noticed Armando who was lowering his head.

He knew that the time that followed would belong exclusively to this father and son.

"I'll be waiting for you at the dormitory door, Armando, don't worry."

So, Koshei very tactfully left the place on his own initiative and waited outside the door under the watchful eyes of the butler at the door.

But maybe he forgot to bring along a woman who was not good at reading people's expressions.

Chapter 78: Killing and Destroying the Heart

Koshe waited at the door for a long time.

It lasted so long that even he, who was always alert, began to feel a little sleepy, and the dormitory door slowly opened.

Armando walked out of the door, rubbing his eyes with his hands, and Delisle stood by the door to see him off.

"Koshe," Armando raised his head, his eyes slightly red, "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

"Spend some time with your father. It doesn't matter how long you wait," Koshe waved his hand indifferently, then looked at Delisle, "So, what are Mr. Delisle's plans for the future?"

"Well... I have already prepared a contract to promote Armando to the Senate, and will send someone to deliver it directly to the House of Commons. Then, I will go to negotiate with more official people about the presidential quota tonight." Delisle slowly breathed a sigh of relief, as if he had thought of something that made him feel relieved. "Tomorrow, after signing the resignation letter, I may take time to visit Shipka. I hope you don't mind, brother."

"Of course not, Mr. Delisle," Koche smiled. The Oswald family did show him a lot of family affection, so he joked, "After this, you will enjoy your retirement life."

"Haha, you can say that," Delisle laughed out loud. He looked a little lonely and shook his head gently. "It feels like I'm back to my youth, going on a trip. Before leaving, I'm a little excited, but also a little regretful."

"Then treat this as a new journey, forget everything in the past, and look for the new life you long for."

Koshe moved away from the wall and stood next to Armando, saying this.

"I will," Delisle raised his hand and rubbed his forehead with his fingers, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just said, "Then I'll trouble you to give Armando more guidance. Brother Koshe, I should also pack up and prepare to resign."

"Well, we'll meet again when you want to see Shipka, Mr. President."

After a brief farewell, Delisle went back inside, while Koshe and Armando walked out of the presidential palace.

Along the way, Armando looked troubled.

"What's wrong, Armando? Did you have a bad chat with your father?"

Seeing this, Koshe asked.

"No, that's not the case," Armando shook his head and responded with a heavy heart, "I just have a feeling that after so many years, my father has finally been honest with me, which should have brought us closer, but for some reason, I feel...he is even further away from me than before."

"Is it because he chose to retire? Or does he want you to take over the presidency?"

Koshei guessed after hearing this.

"No, I don't know either..." Armando took a deep breath, shook his head, and put this strange idea behind him. "Compared to this, maybe I should think more carefully about what I should do to become a qualified president."

"Want to hear my opinion?"

Seeing that Armando didn't dwell on this issue, Koshe stopped asking questions and instead made a suggestion.

"If you are willing to give me some advice, I am all ears." Armando was naturally not polite about this proposal, but he also reminded Koshe, "The president of Colombia is elected by popular vote, so what I need to know most is how to increase my support among the people."

"Before, you gave me a lot of help, whether it was the intelligence on Arthur Wilder or the information related to Rhine Life. Maybe now is the time for me to give you some advice, Armando. It's not difficult to increase the public's support rate. You only need to do one thing." Koshe stopped at the door of the presidential palace. He turned around and looked at Armando who stopped with him, and said calmly, "Walk among the people and let them guide you. They will usually give you the answers you want to know and tell you what they want in a subtle way. But you must also remember one thing - be honest. If you want to get the right answers, then you have to ask them the right questions and tell them the truth without reservation."

……

At night, Delisle changed into casual clothes, put on a wide-brimmed hat and a pair of gloves, and looked like he was going out in disguise.

"Mr. President, are you going out?"

Seeing Delisle's move, Mondragon immediately put the musket leaning against the wall on his back and prepared to go with him.

"You don't need to follow me tonight, Mondragon," DeLille adjusted the position of his gloves and then said to Mondragon, "From now on, you don't need to do protection work anymore."

"I don't understand, Mr. President," Mondragon said, with a puzzled look on his face. "Do you mean that I'm fired?"

"Go back, go back to where you should go," Delisle shook his head, put his hand on the door handle, pushed open the door of the dormitory, and before going out, he turned his back to Mondragon and said, "If you don't know where to go, just wait here, and someone will come to pick you up soon."

"Yes, Your Excellency."

Mondragon didn't seem to understand what Delisle meant.