While Doyle was happily gossiping about the nobles in the capital, his bad luck came into play once again.
"Protector Doyle."
Mallos' voice rang out from behind him at the perfect time, interrupting Thales' thoughts.
"What's so funny?"
Doyle's expression froze, but when he turned around to face the watchman, Doyle had regained his solemn and proper demeanor.
"No, sir."
"His Highness asked me, so I introduced him to some of the ways of the nobles."
Mallos watched Lady Elainor disappear into the banquet hall before he looked at Thales with a pensive look on his face.
"Is that so?"
Thales chased away the image of Tiny Iron Spike from his mind and laughed dryly.
"You can say that."
Behind him, Doyle nodded sternly. Glover was expressionless.
Mallos snorted softly, but remained indifferent.
"Very well, are you ready?"
In the distance, he saw a middle-aged noble with makeup and his wife alight from the carriage. After signing his name at the entrance of the hall, he smiled and asked his attendants to present him a gift. He straightened his clothes and walked towards Thales under the guidance of the attendants.
"Of course." Thales sighed and put on a smile that was as beautiful as a flower.
But Mallos shook his head and pointed at Doyle.
"No, not you, Your Highness. I mean … him."
Doyle's back was facing the entrance of the hall.
"Me? Why? "
At this moment, a heart-wrenching cry exploded in the air!
"Ahhhhh, Your Highness, Your Highness, Your Highness Thales, ahhh!"
Thales shuddered, almost thinking that he had encountered a vengeful spirit.
The attendants, soldiers, guards, second-class guests at the side door, and countless people were attracted by the cry. They quickly turned their heads in shock.
Under everyone's gaze, a middle-aged noble with an oily face, who was rather plump, rushed in from the entrance of the hall and threw himself in front of Thales!
Without waiting for the shocked Thales to react, the responsible Glover cautiously pulled the prince back and pushed Doyle forward.
The middle-aged noble was the first to pounce on Doyle, who was caught off guard. Doyle's expression turned sour.
But the person did not give up. The noble who was sprawled on the ground shrank his features and scrambled towards Thales.
"Your Highness!"
Thales was so shocked that he shivered again. Glover had no choice but to protect the prince behind him, while Mallos moved to the side at ease and watched from the side.
The guest did not show any intention of getting up. He continued to stretch his arms forward and pounce on Thales' legs.
"The Bright God has eyes, the Holy Sun is wise, the Setting Sun bless us! Constellation, Constellation has finally, finally had its fated heir! "
"We, the Seven Jadestar Attendants, have finally been rewarded for our loyalty!"
His tone was sorrowful and mournful. Anyone who heard it would feel sad and cry.
Thales was dumbfounded.
What was going on?
Blocking the road to seek justice?
The Star Lake Guards at the entrance frowned and pressed on their swords, but Mallos waved his hand at them.
Then, Doyle grabbed the middle-aged noble by the back of his collar and dragged him back with all his strength.
"Dad, w-what are you doing? Get up! Get up! "
Doyle looked around in horror as he used his hands and feet to keep the middle-aged noble two meters away from the prince in exasperation.
"This is so embarrassing, Dad …"
When the middle-aged noble saw Doyle, he did not even wipe his tears before he immediately changed his expression.
"When I saw His Highness, I was excited and unable to control my emotions. It's none of your business!"
Hearing how they addressed each other, Thales arched his eyebrows.
At the side, Mallos spoke leisurely.
"Your Highness, this is Baron Doyle. He is the suzerain of Mirror River and also Doyle's … Anyway, you can see for yourself."
Thales' eyebrows twitched.
Doyle was still entangled with his father. At the same time, his face was apologetic and ashamed as he smiled apologetically at the people around him.
The attendants and guards who were watching the show left. The scattered nobles also turned around and whispered.
Then, another shrill female voice rang out.
"Ah! Little Danny! How can you treat your father like this! "
A noblewoman with thick makeup rushed over from behind and hugged old Baron Doyle. At the same time, she waved her handkerchief at Doyle to chase him away, forcing him to let go of her.
"He's old and in poor health, and you're still so inconsiderate. We're so pitiful …"
Old Baron Doyle cooperated and panted. He coughed and fell into his wife's arms.
The baroness sobbed.
"Are you worthy of all the hard work we've done to raise you?"
Old Baron Doyle and his wife held each other's hands and slid on the ground. They looked at their son, who was troubled and at a loss.
Their expressions were determined and sorrowful. They looked like a couple who shared the same heart.
They looked like a bully bullying an honest couple on the street.
"Raised?"
Doyle looked gloomy. "You're just my stepmother …"
"So what if I'm a stepmother?!"
The baroness held her husband's arm and stood up. There were still traces of tears on her face, but she instantly changed her expression.
She waved her handkerchief and said fiercely, "Is a stepmother not a mother?!
Your food, clothing, knight's fees, the cost of picking up girls, which one of them is not our hard work … "
Doyle completely gave up on the possibility of saving his family's reputation. He could only cover his face and sigh.
Thales was dumbfounded by this family ethics drama.
Old Baron Doyle wiped his snot and stood firmly after much difficulty.
But he saw Thales' expression change again. This time, he was extremely enthusiastic.
"Ah, Your Highness! Look, you're standing here, in front of the portraits of the Three Constellation Kings. It might be a coincidence, but who can say that this is not a sign? The courage and fearlessness of the Supreme King of Renaissance, the dignified posture of the Legendary Oath Keeper, the wisdom and wisdom of the Virtuous King … You're practically a gift from the heavens. The three of them are one! "
Thales could not take the compliment.
As Old Doyle spoke, his tears and snot flowed.
"Jadestar has a son who has just grown up. If the late king knew about it, he would definitely smile in Hell's River … or the Kingdom of Heaven?"
Thales forced himself to smile stiffly and returned the greeting from afar.
But Dodd didn't share the same opinion.
He apologized to the young duke with a smile and pulled his exaggerated parents aside.
"Father … what are you doing …"
Old Doyle lowered his head and whispered in dissatisfaction, "It's all because of you!"
"Me?"
"I heard from the servants that you're such a troublesome fellow. You actually offended Madam Jines. Do you know how terrifying she is? Do you still want to stay in the capital?! "
Doyle sighed and said, "What does that have to do with you …
"You're so thin-skinned that you can't even find a girlfriend. Of course, flattery can only be done by me …"
"You speak as if your face is useful …"
"Brat, you —"
"And it's not that I can't find a girlfriend …"
"Huh? Do you want to be an idiot like the Karabeyan Family? Find a boyfriend? "
"Father, you — hurry up and go inside!"
"Wait, I forgot to kiss His Highness' hand …"
"Ah, I'll kiss him for you —"
On the other side, Thales and Glover looked at each other helplessly.
Mallos, on the other hand, looked as if he was used to it.
Finally, Doyle, who had sent off his amazing parents, turned around with lingering fear. He wiped his forehead and realized that the prince and the others were staring at him as if they were watching a play.
Thales' expression did not change. He extended the back of his hand in understanding.
"Do you want to kiss it?"
Doyle froze for a moment and said obsequiously, "No, no.
But it's not because I don't want to kiss it … In fact, I kiss it in my heart every day … It's just that you know, my father and the others … hehe … "
"Hmm," Glover spoke for the first time. His emotions were unclear.
"Sweet home."
Doyle wished there was a hole he could crawl into.
"I know," he said sheepishly.
"That's why I don't like to stay at home."
The other three turned their heads away and pretended that nothing had happened.
Compared to Doyle's lively and happy family, Baron Stone, who was also one of the Seven Jadesters, came alone. He did not even have any attendants. He appeared lonely and gloomy.
"After the Bloody Year, due to the limitations of the nation, King Kessel advocated frugality and loved simplicity." Baron Stone was in his forties. He had high cheekbones and thin cheeks. He looked rather mean.
"Hence, there are no more banquets of sufficient weight in the capital."
Baron Stone held Thales' hand and carefully observed his face.
"So, Your Honorable Highness, do you know what today means to us?"
Thales could only respond with a smile.
"It's okay, because we don't know either."
The gloomy baron bent down and rubbed his cheek against the back of Thales' hand.
"Only for you to prove it."
When Baron Stone turned around and left, Thales was already a little numb.
"I remember that the leader of the logistics officers under me has the surname Stone …"
The prince took a deep breath and said, "Alright, whether it's my Mindis Hall or the Royal Guards.
How many people are related to the Seven Jadesters Attendants? "
"Many," Mallos answered calmly.
"But there are very few."
Thales was stunned.
Then, another tall figure stepped out of the carriage. Under the flattering greetings of a group of minor nobles, he passed through the front yard of Mindis Hall. After signing his name, he went past the guards and arrived in front of Thales.
"I heard that they came early, so I had no choice but to come."
The tall noble had a smile on his face, but his gaze was shrewd. He bowed to Thales and pressed his body down. There was a faint different aura about him.
"Lozano Glover, Viscount of Lake Mountain County."
Doyle sucked in a breath slightly behind him.
'Glover.'
Thales thought of something. He resisted the urge to turn around.
The Duke of Star Lake continued to smile perfectly.
"Nice to meet you. His Majesty once mentioned that your family is the mainstay of our rule. I heard that your grandfather once served in the Royal Guards and held a high position?"
Lozano was tall, but he looked frail.
"He was once the most trusted watchman of the guards under the late King Aydi. He was also the sword teacher of Crown Prince Midier until he died in the line of duty for the country.
"He did not let down the Glover Family's mission."
'Watchman.'
Thales resisted the urge to look at Mallos, but he thought of another person.
Lozano smiled.
"I work in the Department of Finance, so I live in Eternal Star City. If you are free, Your Highness, why don't you come to my house in Eastern City District for a chat? "
'Work in the Department of Finance …
'Important position. No wonder.'
Lozano turned around and looked at Mallos.
"Tormond, you too. The door of the Glover Family will always be open for you."
Mallos smiled faintly.
"It is my honor. Shall I bring you in? "
"Of course." But that was not all. Lozano unexpectedly turned to the silent Doyle.
"And Danny Doyle, right?"
"Please tell your father not to send any more money to the Department of Finance. We cannot accept it. Even if we do, we cannot skip this year's land settlement and tax inspection."
Doyle's face instantly turned red.
Before he left, Lozano looked at Thales again and said seriously,
"I hope you understand, Your Highness.
"We will always be loyal to the throne and the Nine-Pointed Star Crown."
Hence, when Lozano Glover and Mallos left together, Thales and Doyle heaved a sigh of relief. They felt like they had been freed from some sort of pressure.
Doyle snorted softly.
"What did I say? Tsk tsk, money management."
'Yes.
'And …'
Thales resisted the urge to turn his head to the side.
But obviously, someone could not resist.
"Hey, Zombie, aren't you going to say something?"
Doyle looked at Viscount Glover's back curiously, then turned to look at his colleague.
"That's your eldest brother, a suzerain, and money management. If I were you, I would be running like a dog …"
Glover turned his head abruptly!
His sharp eyes stared straight at Doyle, and they were as cold as ice.
Doyle panicked, and even Thales, who was stuck in the middle, froze.
Glover stared at Doyle coldly for a few seconds before he spoke slowly, enunciating each word clearly.
"I, am, diligent."
It seemed to be the first time Doyle saw Glover like this. He was stunned for a few seconds before he forced himself to smile.
"Okay, okay, okay …"
Glover then turned around and nodded slightly at the prince who was watching the show in a daze.
Doyle shrank to the side and shot Thales an aggrieved look. He pursed his lips in indignation.
But Thales did not have the time to care about their interaction.
The prince took the cup of water and replenished himself. His gaze went past the entrance hall and the defense line formed by the guards. He looked at the crowd outside and the grand scene of carriages going back and forth. He knew that he would only get busier in the future.
But he was already quite tired.
The few hereditary vassals from Central Territory who arrived earlier did not seem as domineering as the nineteen nobles, but when Thales dealt with them, he felt that it was more tiring than the National Conference six years ago.
But he could not rest.
According to Gilbert's instructions, while he was tired, he had to pay more attention to his appearance, etiquette, actions, smile, posture, and the way he spoke.
"Six families."
Thales counted the families with his fingers, and he attracted the attention of two personal guards.
"Patterson, Adrian, Barney, Doyle, Stone, Glover …"
"If my history lesson over the past few days is correct … there are only a few families in Central Territory who can compare to these six families in terms of reputation, history, and strength?"
Thales watched in boredom as the guests outside the hall were slowly separated and led to suitable entrances and positions. But there were still quite a number of people who forgot their etiquette when they passed through the main hall and tried to stick their heads out to see what was going on. They just wanted to see the prince's elegant demeanor as soon as possible.
"They have declined."
Doyle continued Thales' words. His tone was indolent, and it was clear that he was also rather impatient.
"Even though the 'Seven Jadestar' is just a term used within the circle, when I first started to remember things, there were eight or nine families in Central Territory who were directly under the royal family, had actual fiefs, and were hereditary nobles. There were even more who wanted to squeeze their way up."
Eight or nine families …
"Until …"
Doyle shrugged.
"You know, over the past twenty years, some of them had empty titles, but lost their fiefs; some of them had big businesses, but could not make ends meet; some of them had a long history, but their descendants were unworthy; some of them were destroyed by the flames of war and could not recover; some of them made mistakes and lost their titles; some of their families were divided by internal strife …"
Thales listened quietly. Glover furrowed his eyebrows.
"Up until now, there are only six families whose names match up to the stupid title of 'Seven Jadestar Attendants'. And their qualities are all over the place. You can see that some of them are about to enter their coffins, some of them have orphans and widows, some of them have great power, some of them are sinister and petty, and some of them will cry and kneel when they see you … Ahem …"
Doyle, who had been gossiping casually, realized something and ended the topic in time.
Thales did not speak for a long time.
After thinking clearly, he nodded thoughtfully.
In the next ten minutes or so, the number of guests that the prince had to greet increased, but almost all of them were the king's partisans whom Thales was familiar with six years ago, and some were even the new nobles in the Imperial Conference.
The current Minister of Finance, "Money Bag" Kirkirk Mann cordially inquired about the prince's adaptability and the progress of his mathematics lessons. The Minister of Education took the opportunity to interrupt and mention the funding issue for this year's Central Territory examination for bureaucrats.
The military advisor, "Soldier" Solder Ryder, had just patted his chest and assured him that the kingdom's actions in the desert would ensure another ten years of peace in Western Desert Hill, when the Minister of Agriculture, who had rushed over, sternly lectured him on the disadvantages of military aggression and the destruction of production caused by military operations. He also argued that there was an asymmetry between the benefits of looting and farming in peace.
Baron Garth, who managed the mint, had just warmly invited the Duke of Star Lake to visit the kingdom's "source of wealth", and it would be best if he could listen to their plan to issue currency that had been rejected by His Majesty. The Minister of Supervision of the Royal Family Bank had rushed over in a hurry and rudely interrupted the conversation, strongly suggesting that Thales open an account in his own name as the Royal Family Bank's 3,000th distinguished noble customer …
During this period, Thales had been greeting and seeing them off, and he felt his face go numb from all the squeezing.
To be honest, he would rather go back to the Night of Dragon's Blood six years ago and face the five aggressive archdukes.
No wonder, no wonder the saying of a certain noble family was "Better to die for a friend than to die for an enemy" …
However, in the next moment, as a carriage drove over, the nobles who lined up in the front yard fell silent.
A noble in his prime stepped down from the carriage and walked towards Mindis Hall, accompanied by an old servant.
The nobles' voices boomed again, and the soldiers and guards subconsciously stood straighter.
"Doyle, go and take a look." Thales, who finally had the time to catch his breath, sighed and raised his head.
"Who is it this time —"
But Thales' words came to an abrupt halt.
Outside the hall, the noble in his prime had an elegant demeanor, but he had an easygoing temperament. There was an occasional majesty in his disdainful gaze.
With every step he took, he would patiently nod and return the greetings from the low-grade nobles who greeted him. He did not put on any airs, but he had his own elegance, which made people admire him wholeheartedly.
Thales was stunned.
"Ha, I know. That's a big shot. He often stays in the capital for short periods of time. His status is —"
Doyle was about to continue speaking, but Thales suddenly raised his hand and stopped him.
Thales stared at him with a complicated expression. He stared at the family emblem on the other party's sleeve.
The flower had three petals, and each of them had a different color.
The guest walked up the stairs and flashed his signature smile between the pillars.
"Mindis Hall truly lives up to its name. There are countless treasures that are worth cities."
As he signed his name, he smiled and said to the old servant beside him.
"I really wish that I could have come here six or seven years earlier."
A few profound glints flashed past the noble's eyes.
"That's good."
The old servant only nodded quietly.
The next moment, the noble in his prime raised his head. After the guards made way for him, he met Thales face to face.
There was no warning, and there was no cover.
Thales exchanged glances with the other party in the air.
Doyle, who was originally numb and sloppy, shuddered. He felt as if a cold wind blew past him.
'He has changed.'
Thales' expression was calm. He stared at the guest quietly and thought to himself.
'His bearing is more mature, more natural, more …'
The prince rubbed his gloves gently.
'He has changed.'
The guest's expression did not change. He stared at Thales quietly and understood.
His gaze was sharper, firmer, and more …
The guest narrowed his eyes slightly.
At that moment, it was as if they were the only ones left in the large and lively Mindis Hall.
'But …'
Thales and the guest flashed friendly smiles at the same time. As if they had a tacit understanding, they walked towards each other at the same time.
'So what?'
Hence, under countless gazes, the master of Mindis Hall and the guest acted as if they were old friends who had not seen each other for a long time but treated each other with sincerity. They walked towards each other passionately and happily, and their palms met in the air!
"Welcome, Your Grace!"
"It's been a long time, Your Highness!"
Thales felt the other party's vigorous strength, which he did not hold back at all. He also unceremoniously released the Sin of Hell's River and exerted strength in his muscles!
His palms trembled slightly in the air, but they appeared to be calm.
Mallos, who had rushed over after hearing the news, frowned slightly when he saw this scene.
Thales and the guest's gazes met again in the air. Then, both of them put on friendly smiles.
The duke chuckled.
"Just call me Zayen."
The prince was equally understanding.
"Thales."
The next moment, the two of them looked at each other and laughed in tacit understanding again. With the arm they held as the center, they hugged each other, and their other hand clasped the other party's shoulder.
Thales suddenly realized that he was only half a head shorter than him.
At some point in time, the other party's once unreachable height was no longer an obstacle.
In the eyes of outsiders, Prince Thales and Duke Zayen were close friends. They had not seen each other for years, but they were like old friends. When they ran towards each other, they wished they could stay up all night and talk to each other.
However, only Thales and Zayen, who were hugging each other tightly with their necks pressed against each other, knew how sincere their feelings were at that moment.
"I knew that the Northlanders couldn't do anything to you."
Zayen whispered in his ear, his tone strange.
"Yes," Thales responded slowly with the same deep meaning.
"Just like the Blood Clan.
At an angle that could not be seen, the two of them turned their heads and glanced at each other from a distance that was close to kissing.
Zayen's gaze was cold, as if frost had descended.
Thales' gaze was sharp and pierced straight into his heart.
"Welcome back," the Duke of South Coast, Zayen Covendier said softly.
The Nine-Pointed Star.
"Sorry to have kept you waiting," the Duke of Star Lake, Thales Jadestar sneered faintly.
Iris Flowers.
The next second, the two most influential people in the kingdom separated as soon as they touched and let go of each other.
Their perfect and warm smiles returned.
It showed that in this era, the people of the kingdom were most proud of — unity and harmony.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
