Thales stood uneasily beside the study table on the third floor and scooped up a towel that was soaked in hot water from the wooden basin.
He was still wearing his sweaty and smelly training uniform. His skin was sticky and greasy. His abrasions and bruises were still faintly burning. His body was still aching, and it made him very uncomfortable.
It was as if he had returned to the time when he was a child beggar.
But Thales did not speak.
He only quietly wiped his face and neck. With slight anticipation and nervousness, he occasionally looked at the valiant figure by the window who had her arms crossed over her chest and was looking into the distance.
Jines quietly looked at the setting sun on the horizon and the servants in the courtyard who were busy lighting the lamps. The expression on the side of her face was calm and profound. She seemed to be deep in thought, as if she was remembering something.
"You should not have let them do that."
Jines' voice was cold and forceful. There was a hint of determination that came from going through hardships.
Thales' arm that was twisting the towel instantly froze.
"Just now, you should not have let the guards be so presumptuous."
The female official slowly turned around. She was as tall and sturdy as she was six years ago, like a cedar tree in winter.
"Boy."
Her gaze was as sharp as ever, and her tone was as stern as ever. It made Thales remember the first time they met six years ago.
At that time, she also had her arms crossed over her chest like this. She had a profound expression on her face as she quietly sized him up.
Six years later, Thales subconsciously wanted to turn his head to avoid the gaze of the instructor who initiated him.
"Perhaps."
He spoke softly. There was a hint of resignation and faint emotions in his voice.
Thales picked up the towel in time and covered his eyes. He pressed his dirty face and his uncontrollable expression into the warm and soft fabric at the same time.
Jines did not speak.
He put down the towel and tried to meet Jines' gaze calmly. He tried hard to release his most natural and warm smile.
"Madam, I am very happy … to see you again."
'After six years.'
Jines did not answer immediately. She continued to stare at Thales quietly. Her originally cold and stern gaze now had an indescribable meaning.
"Very good."
A few seconds later, the female official averted her gaze. She took a deep breath, as if she wanted to restrain herself.
"Then, your etiquette lesson will now begin."
Jines' tone became steady and stern again. She walked away from the window.
Thales snapped out of his daze. With his habitual nervousness in front of the instructor who initiated him, he suppressed the fatigue in his body and quickly threw down the towel.
"There is no need for that." Jines stopped him from taking the wooden basin away.
"Today, we will not practice table manners."
Table manners.
Memories of the past surged into Thales' mind, but he forcefully suppressed them.
The female official minded her own business and sat down on the guest chair. She ignored the refreshments beside her, and she cast a gentle glance at Thales, who looked a little disheveled after his training.
"The first class won't be long."
"And right now, you obviously need to rest more."
Thales was stunned for a few seconds before he nodded gratefully.
"Thank you, madam."
However, Jines' expression immediately became stern.
"Don't be so happy. We'll make up for the lost time in the next class."
At that moment, Thales felt as if he had returned to six years ago. He saw Jines the Female Officer, who was strict and cold in the training field and at the dining table. With a cold expression, she made him raise his shield and hold his knife and fork properly.
The familiar feeling surfaced in his heart again, and he couldn't suppress it.
That scene seemed to have happened yesterday.
It was just like how he had never left the country for the north and never returned for many years.
It was as if the six years that had passed were just a dream last night, and nothing had happened.
And when he woke up this morning, he was still sitting upright and still under Jines' hand, listening attentively.
Thales suppressed the throbbing in his eyes and chest. He nodded and recalled the etiquette unique to Constellation. He sat upright and solemnly.
Jines stared at him until Thales regained his composure.
"During the Age of the Empire a thousand years ago, the supreme emperor sent his personal Praetorian Guards to the princes to carry out the duties of knights serving their master."
Jines went straight to the point as usual, but her eyes were still sizing up Thales.
"After the Battle of Eradication, even though the tradition of knights in the old days was almost extinct, this tradition was inherited by the successive Kings of Constellation. They sent the Royal Guards to the adult princes, and they became their personal guards, attendants, subordinates, assistants, and even vassals in the future."
Thales did not expect that Jines would start talking about history the moment she opened her mouth. But the teenager immediately came to a realization.
She was not satisfied with his performance just now.
"And how to manage and use these subordinates with extraordinary significance and complicated backgrounds, get along well with the Royal Guards, and get along well with each other.
"This has been a compulsory lesson for every prince since ancient times."
'Subordinates with extraordinary significance and complicated backgrounds …'
Thales clenched his fists gently.
He remembered Mallos' indifference, Doyle's frivolity, and Glover's callousness in Mindis Hall.
But in the next second, he remembered Zakriel's silence, Barney Junior's persistence, and Samel's extreme behavior in the Prison of Bones.
"There is no doubt about it." Jines' tone became even more solemn.
"This is also part of the royal etiquette."
Thales listened quietly.
The female official's gaze was like a knife that cut into Thales' heart.
"Remember, you are the Duke of Star Lake, the master of Mindis Hall.
You are also their master. "
'The Duke of Star Lake.
'Mindis Hall.
'Their …
'Master.'
The teenager's eyes rippled slightly.
"You are no longer an illegitimate child who needs to hide and deceive others. You are the official second prince, the heir to the kingdom."
Jines' words were harsh.
'Illegitimate child.
Second prince.
Heir to the kingdom. '
"Is that so?"
Thales spoke in a seemingly unintentional manner, and Jines' words died in her throat.
"That's right."
A few seconds later, Jines' voice became much more forceful. She sounded a little displeased with his reaction.
"As a duke, you have to take the initiative and show them your might, unyieldingness, and sternness.
"Let your subordinates know the consequences of disrespecting the prince."
'Take the initiative …
Show them your might … '
"Might, unyieldingness, and sternness?"
Thales repeated those words in a muffled voice and forced a smile.
The duke exhaled slowly, but all he saw was the dark and profound Renaissance Palace.
He also saw the tall throne at the end of the long corridor in the meeting hall.
His shoulders slackened.
"Perhaps."
Thales tried his best to curl up the corners of his lips, and he appeared a little quiet.
"But …"
'But that's really not my style.
'No.'
He did not continue speaking. Instead, he finished the sentence in his heart.
Jines furrowed her eyebrows.
It was as if she did not expect that her student, whom she had not seen for many years, would have such a reaction.
The silence in the study room lasted for a few seconds.
"The letter from the north said that you have been through many trials, and your temperament is outstanding. You are fearless when you face enemies who are fierce and tough. You are neither servile nor overbearing.
Just like you did in the National Conference. "
Jines said coldly.
"Why have you become weak when you face your subordinates here?"
Thales was silent for a long while.
"Because that is different."
The teenager seemed to have sensed something and sighed softly.
"In the National Conference and in the north, I only have to face my opponents.
And what I need to do is to raise my shield according to what I have been taught. "
Raise my shield.
As if she had remembered something, Jines was a little absent-minded.
"But here …"
Thales pursed his lips and sank into deep thought. His expression was a little solemn.
"What I need to face is not just my subordinates."
Thales stared into the distance in a daze.
Jines did not speak. She only frowned and sized Thales up.
A few seconds later, she spoke slowly.
"Your subordinates, Mallos and the others …"
But Thales interrupted her.
"My Lady, please."
Thales closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.
"Throughout this journey, Gilbert only said good things, Yodel always remained silent, and the others …"
Jines was instantly stunned.
Thales raised his head and revealed an unnatural smile.
"But you, my Lady, you are the one who taught me sword arts and etiquette. You are also his …"
Thales did not finish his sentence, but Jines could vaguely sense something.
The Duke of Star Lake lowered his head.
"I thought that you should be more honest than them."
Jines repeated in a daze.
"Honest?"
Thales nodded and looked at Jines.
"He doesn't like me."
Jines was stunned.
Thales stated the truth calmly, as if it was the most ordinary truth.
"From the first time he saw me, he didn't like me.
This is not a secret. "
The duke chuckled without any emotion.
"Even my guards are well aware of this."
This is the reason. "
At that moment, Thales' gaze was calm and unwavering. He met the slightly surprised Jines' gaze.
The latter wanted to say something, but in the end, she did not.
The study room was silent for a long time.
The female official's expression was profound. Her eyes shone with an unknown light as she swept her gaze over Thales' body.
Finally, Jines took a deep breath and spoke slowly.
"Wrath of the Sea."
Thales did not react in time. He was puzzled.
Jines steadied her expression, which had changed a few times, and lowered her gaze.
She said in a low voice, "Mallos mentioned that you awakened your Power of Eradication. What is that?"
'Oh.
Wrath of the Sea. '
Thales, who was still immersed in the inexplicable emotions just now, exhaled and composed himself.
"I don't know." The duke forced himself to shake his head and said honestly,
"It's also my first time hearing about it."
But Jines smiled.
"Most of the Powers of Eradication of the knights in the kingdom are similar to their personal experiences, especially those of the teachers who taught them."
The female official said faintly,
"There is also a small group of people who are the complete opposite. The teacher and the disciple are the opposite of each other."
Thales thought of something and thought that this was similar to what Ricky said.
"Is that so?"
'So.
Wrath of the Sea … '
"So, the Northlanders have taught you a lot?"
Jines looked at him and said, intentionally or unintentionally.
'Northlanders.'
Thales remembered his life in Eckstedt, and he could not help but curl up the corners of his lips.
"Sort of."
But when Thales raised his head again, he suddenly realized that something was wrong.
It was Jines.
At some unknown point of time, Jines' stern gaze became gentle.
She stared at Thales quietly, and there was an indescribable emotion in her gaze.
Thales did not know what to do.
His first teacher's lips trembled. There were a few times when she wanted to say something, but she did not.
"Boy."
Finally, Jines spoke.
This time, her voice was no longer cold and firm. Instead, it was slow and hoarse.
"You … lost weight in the north."
Thales was instantly stunned.
Jines stared at him and revealed a smile that Thales rarely saw.
"I guess so."
Her smile was quiet and elegant, but there was a hint of indescribable sadness in it.
This caused Thales' thoughts to freeze.
During the days he returned to the kingdom, Yodel, Kohen, Gilbert, and many of his old acquaintances expressed their excitement and sentiments when they saw him.
'You've grown taller.
'Grown up.
'Matured.
'You've become … more like a certain someone.
'But …
'You've lost weight.'
This was the first time Thales heard such an evaluation.
The teenager stared at Jines in a daze.
Jines only stared back at him quietly. There was a hint of sadness in the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes.
At that moment, it was as if there was some sort of power that filled his chest.
Thales had no choice but to turn his head around and blink at an angle that Jines could not see. At the same time, he forced a smile and spoke to divert her attention.
"Hmm, about that, ah, the past few months have been a little tough …"
But Jines did not listen to what he said, nor did she notice that Thales' voice had changed in pitch.
For the first time ever, the female official picked up the teacup beside her. Her posture was elegant and dignified.
"You know."
Jines' voice was still gentle and sad.
"A long time ago, your grandfather did not like him very much either."
Thales froze.
'Grandfather?'
He turned his head around mechanically and looked at Jines.
At that moment, the female official was sitting calmly on the chair. She caressed the teacup in her hands, but there was a hint of sadness that Thales had never seen before at the corners of her eyebrows and the corners of her lips.
"It was said that after the late queen passed away and the king's eldest son left the palace, there was a long period of time when he was not welcomed in Renaissance Palace."
Jines stared at the reflection in the teacup in her hands in a daze.
"The servants were so 'careless' that they forgot about his meals and oil. The Royal Guards also often neglected his whereabouts and safety."
Thales was stunned.
He suddenly remembered a scene from many years ago.
In the tomb, the figure with the scepter spoke to him in a low voice.
"He said that during those years, when he was a teenager, he stole things in the palace and lived like a mouse."
Jines said softly,
"Self-reliant."
Thales shuddered.
'Stole things …
'Self-reliant …
'Lived like … a mouse …'
The teenager subconsciously tightened his grip on the arm of the chair.
It was as if he was holding on to the hole in the wall of the Abandoned House.
Jines looked up.
"But this did not affect him growing up with a mischievous smile on his face while he was alive and kicking. He grew up amidst the kingdom's discrimination, contempt, contempt, and abuse.
Until now. "
Jines stared at Thales quietly.
Thales stared at the floor in a daze.
A few seconds later, Thales snapped out of his daze and took a deep breath.
"Thank you, Madam."
The teenager smiled again.
"I understand now."
Jines curled up the corners of her lips. She wanted to put on a smile that she was usually not good at, but after a moment, she realized something. She put down the teacup and put on an unnatural expression.
"So, boy, I am saying that you are too thin. Look at how others beat you up …"
Jines noticed that her words were trembling a little. She took a few deep breaths and stopped for a moment at an angle that Thales could not see.
"Remember to eat more."
Jines hesitated for a while before she added another sentence.
"Also, sleep early."
But this time, Thales was not affected by her solemn tone. The duke smiled.
"Of course, Madam.
"Of course."
A few seconds later, Jines turned her head around again. Her expression and tone slowly became cold and stern again. She sounded indifferent.
"Speaking of which, boy, how much do you know about your guards?"
Thales looked up and adjusted his emotions.
"Not much?"
Jines twitched her lips and remained silent for a while.
"Listen carefully.
"After the Bloody Year, to get rid of the threat, your father was too ruthless and involved too many people."
Thales' expression changed.
The resentful expression of Disaster Swordswoman Marina in the dungeon flashed before his eyes.
Jines said seriously,
"So, in Eternal Star City, along with the threat, trust also disappeared."
Thales furrowed his eyebrows.
"And don't forget, for twelve years, your father did not have an heir.
"This not only weakened his prestige and aroused the ambitions of the dukes, it also dealt a blow to the traditional supporters of the royal family — the vassals of the Jadestar Family in Central Territory, who are led by the Seven Jadestar Attendants."
Thales subconsciously added,
"And loyalty?"
Jines glanced at him and did not comment on it.
"During those twelve years, your father had no choice but to promote and put many new people in important positions, such as the three marshals, Gilbert whom you are familiar with, Count Godwin, Viscount Kenney, Baron Garth, Kirkirk Mann, Solder Ryder … They became the main force of the king's party and strengthened his rule.
"But on the other hand, under his rule, under the dissatisfaction of the other guardian dukes, the traditional vassals of the royal family like the Seven Jadestar Attendants fell into a trough and became silent. They gradually distanced themselves from Renaissance Palace."
'Seven Jadestar Attendants …'
Thales recalled Gilbert's explanation and fell into deep thought.
Jines said solemnly,
"Until …"
Thales raised his head and frowned.
"Me?"
Jines was silent for a while, but she still nodded.
"Thanks to you, thanks to the Jadestar Royal Family's restoration of lineage, the Seven Jadestar Attendants, who were divided, silent, and alienated over the past six years, gradually showed goodwill to the Nine-Pointed Star again."
But Jines' expression immediately became solemn.
"But they are still observing from the sidelines.
And you cannot win their approval with just your title and bloodline.
"Your father cannot rely on just one successor to erase their resentment after the Bloody Year and win back their trust."
Thales thought of Doyle and Glover.
"Is that so?"
Jines sighed.
"Your Star Lake Guards are just one example."
Thales did not speak.
Jines stared at him quietly and said softly,
"Very soon, it will be the day you officially make your debut in front of the nobles in the capital during the banquet."
The lady's gaze turned sharp.
"Be careful, boy."
Jines' tone made Thales unable to help but become nervous.
"You are below them, just like me.
But you are also above them, just like your father.
And you came back from the north, so you are outside of them. "
The three consecutive sentences made Thales sink into deep thought, and at the same time, he became wary.
"And this means that at the end of the day, from the inside to the outside, you are …"
Jines said firmly,
"Not them."
'Not them.'
Thales opened his mouth to speak, but in the end, he shut it.
"It took me nearly thirty years to figure this out."
Jines' eyes showed a rarely seen weariness.
"I hope that you can be shorter."
Thales exhaled.
"Banquet, alright."
"So?"
The teenager scratched his chin, feeling troubled.
"Can they still eat me?"
Jines closed her eyes and shook her head.
"No."
But when the female official opened her eyes, there was an even sharper glare hidden in them.
"But they will tear you apart."
When he heard this metaphorical description, Thales was instantly stunned.
"But … I am the king's son, the heir to the kingdom?"
"That's right."
Jines appeared vigilant and solemn.
"So, they will be gentle and courteous … and tear you apart."
Thales nodded, not really understanding what she meant.
"Then, what should I do?"
Jines was silent for a while.
"You know, boy. You knew it six years ago."
Thales' expression changed.
"Raise your shield."
Jines stared at him, just like when she taught him swordsmanship many years ago. "Never give up.
Until you die.
Until the enemy dies. "
Thales fell silent again.
This time, he thought of more things.
"What about my father?"
The teenager said airily.
"Is he the same?"
Jines' arm trembled a little.
The way she looked at Thales changed.
It was as if she had turned back into the Jines Bajkovic who asked him, "Did you lose weight?"
A few seconds later, Jines sighed softly.
"Boy, do you know what this place is?"
Thales knew that his question was a little harsh. He smiled in resignation to relieve himself.
"Erm, study room?"
Jines looked at him again.
Thales could only put away the smile he thought was humorous.
He said awkwardly, "Mindis Hall.
The royal treasure, the Virtuous King's pavilion, the great artistic manor. "
And one of the childhood places he was very familiar with.
"Oh, and three hundred years ago, its first owner was the 'King of the Fog', Mindis the First, who unfortunately died early."
Thales wanted to make his tone sound humorous, but for some reason, he always failed.
Jines looked at him quietly.
"That's right, but that's not all."
'Not all?'
Thales raised his eyebrows.
"Eighteen years ago."
Jines' expression changed.
The female official's gaze was slightly dazed, as if she was looking at the scenery in the fog.
"This is the residence chosen by the Crown Prince of Constellation, your uncle, the First Prince Midier Jadestar after he came of age."
Thales' expression changed slightly.
"Are you talking about that …"
"Yes."
Jines looked at him.
"That person who is destined to sit on the throne."
()
Steal Fragrance
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