"But His Majesty is not your enemy!"
In the palace corridor, Gilbert turned pale with fright.
"He is your father! You can't be his enemy! You can't … "
Thales snorted with a smile.
"Can't I?"
Gilbert put away his shocked expression and tried his best to calm down.
"Listen, Your Highness, I have indeed been looking forward to you, trusting you, and being loyal to you, but that is not my original intention!
"What else could it be?"
Thales said sarcastically.
"You want me to be a prince so that I can be a mascot in Mindis Hall?"
Gilbert frowned and became more anxious.
"No, Your Highness, you should be the future that everyone looks forward to. Everyone! That's what you've been doing all this time. Everything should've happened naturally, and everything should've happened naturally! "
But Thales only stared quietly at Gilbert's hand on his shoulder.
Could it be that all of this was not natural, a situation where the conditions were right?
'Teacher?'
"You are the heir to the throne. Of course, I understand that you feel suffocated and are dissatisfied with the current situation, but you should at least wait, wait until …"
"Wait until the day I am successfully crowned?" Thales said flatly.
Gilbert hesitated for a moment before he gritted his teeth and nodded.
"Of course, when that time comes, I will do my best to assist you, no matter how difficult it is, no matter how many sacrifices I have to make, I swear!
"Me, Solder, Kirkirk, Kenny, Guy, and many other knowledgeable people in the kingdom, we will all help you, but before that —"
"Help me?"
Thales interrupted him coldly.
"Just like how you used to 'help me'?"
Gilbert paused for a moment.
Thales raised his right hand and slowly but unquestionably pushed Gilbert's palm away.
"Six years ago, I asked you to search for my 'friends' in Lower City District.
"I asked you to help me find them, save them, and help … me."
Gilbert was stunned for a moment before he said dejectedly,
He said dejectedly, "Your Highness, I, I failed you in this matter, I cannot absolve myself from the blame …"
"I just returned from the Kingdom's Secret Intelligence Department," Thales said flatly.
"Do you know, I realized that they are not as you said, refusing to help me because they hate me. In fact, the Secret Intelligence Department is very interested in searching for my childhood playmates."
Gilbert's expression changed slightly.
"Your Highness, the Secret Intelligence Department has never been on good terms with you.
But Thales interrupted him and continued on his own.
"They also told me that over the past few years, Gilbert, you used your connections and reputation to find the Chief Garrison Officer. You mobilized the City Hall and the police station, gathered the teams of police officers and tax officers, and launched a few large-scale sweeps in Lower City District and Western District just to help me find someone."
The teenager looked into his teacher's eyes seriously.
"I am grateful, Gilbert."
Gilbert was stunned and did not know how to reply.
"Until the Secret Intelligence Department told me more."
Thales was expressionless.
"For the past few years, the Town Hall and the Police Department have been attacking in such a high-profile manner. They directly intervened in the dogfight between the Black Street Brotherhood and the Blood Bottle Gang.
"They chase away the tramps, disperse the beggars, and let the powerless people at the bottom suffer. They checked the vendors and closed the shops, leaving the pitiful, honest people with no way to survive. They hunted down petty thieves and extorted local gangs, but let the real scumbags escape. They caught a few typical criminals and used them as political achievements to appease the people, but they turned a blind eye to the more serious oppression and exploitation. They acted hastily and in a grand manner, but it just so happened that the forces of power hiding in the sewers were scattered. "
Thales stared at him carefully.
"They were violent and callous, arrogant and conceited. They were like people sweeping the ground with an iron plow. What they cared about was movement, not tidiness.
"And after they left, the already chaotic Lower City District became even worse."
When Gilbert heard this, he hesitated.
"Your Highness, I-I did not know. I am sorry. If I had known that the Chief Garrison Officer and the others —"
But Thales did not allow him to finish.
"The most important thing is …"
"Their actions almost irrevocably destroyed all the clues." The prince raised his voice.
"From the Abandoned Houses to Red Street Market, everyone, things, places, and things have changed beyond recognition. Now, if we want to follow the clues to find those child beggars …
"It is almost impossible."
Thales carefully observed Gilbert's reaction.
"It's as if … as if someone did it on purpose.
Just to stop me … from finding them. "
At that moment, the Foreign Affairs Minister's expression changed abruptly!
"Is that so?" the teenager said softly in the dark palace corridor, "Gilbert? When you asked for help from the police? "
Was what the Secret Intelligence Department told me the truth? "
The Foreign Affairs Minister did not answer.
Only Gilbert's steady breathing filled the air.
The silence lasted for a long time.
Thales shook his head and continued to speak.
"Six years ago, when I asked you to find them, you told me that I could not, because 'it was for the sake of secrecy'.
"I became a prince during the National Conference, but you still told me that I could not, because 'it was for their safety'.
"Then, when I went to Northland, you wrote that you were working on it, but the progress was slow, because 'it was not to be noticed by those with ulterior motives'.
"Then, when I returned to my country, you told me that you could not find them, and advised me not to look for them, because 'you cannot go back'."
Thales faced his teacher calmly, as if he was telling someone else's story.
There was no answer.
What answered him was still an embarrassing silence.
Thales raised his head and chuckled.
"The Secret Intelligence Department said that it has been six years, but you still could not find them.
Because you did not want to find them at all. "
Thales said softly.
"Or should I say, the Secret Intelligence Department is lying?"
But Gilbert only lowered his head, and his expression could not be read.
This time, the silence lasted for a long time.
"Forget it, Gilbert. No matter whether the Secret Intelligence Department lied, or how many lies they told, it is no longer important, no longer important," the teenager turned his head and said absent-mindedly.
At this moment, Gilbert suddenly opened his mouth.
"The Secret Intelligence Department did not tell you anything, right?
You only wanted to test my reaction, just like how you tested the Duke of Iris Flowers. "
Thales sighed.
'The Cunning Fox of Constellation.'
"Yes."
Thales' gaze was desolate.
"The Secret Intelligence Department was wary of me, so they did not tell me anything.
"What I know is what I deduced from what I saw and heard when I revisited the old places in Lower City District and Western District."
Gilbert closed his eyes.
Thales and Gilbert did not speak in the corridor. Both of them just looked away in tacit agreement.
After an unknown amount of time, Gilbert finally spoke.
"I am sorry."
His tone was exhausted, and his words were the same.
"But you could not find them."
Thales let out a long sigh with pain and relief.
The two of them sank into silence again.
"You know, I tried to convince myself before, Gilbert."
Thales faced the darkness in the corridor. His tone was normal, even gentle, and friendly, as if he was chatting with an old friend.
"Really, I tried. I tried hard to convince myself that even though Gilbert Caso was known as the Cunning Fox, he was, after all, in a high position. He did not know the ways of Lower City District. He did not know that he would not intentionally destroy the clues, and he would not intentionally stop me from searching for them. That was why I used the simplest and crudest method in the world.
"And he was my teacher, one of the people I trusted the most in the world. I should not and could not doubt him.
"I told myself that as long as you told me that you did not do that, I would believe you."
Thales' eyes were lifeless.
"I've tried, really, I've tried."
When Gilbert heard this, he raised his head and spoke with great difficulty.
"Your Highness, I, I …"
"Why?"
Gilbert was silent for a while before he spoke in a haggard manner.
"During the Bloody Year, His Majesty was crowned in a hurry. He was surrounded by enemies, and his throne was unstable. Renaissance Palace had no choice but to take the unorthodox path and carry out the Subjugation Crusade again.
"Morat Hansen was also a close friend of the late king for many years. He had a lot of experience, so the Kingdom's Secret Intelligence Department was highly trusted. They could make arbitrary decisions and act outside the law.
"In the beginning, this was very effective. It was simple, crude, clean, and direct. But as time passed, it allowed His Majesty to advance rashly and blurred the boundaries of the Secret Intelligence Department's authority. "
Thales frowned.
"They have His Majesty's support now, but what if you succeed the throne and are crowned?
"As you can imagine, in order to maintain their power, the officials of the Secret Intelligence Department will definitely think of ways to restrain you at all costs, and your past and family background are the most criticized weaknesses. Your old acquaintance is exactly what the Secret Intelligence Department wants to use against you, but they can't."
"But you are also the future of Constellation, the hope of reforming the politics of the court. I can't let the Black Prophet or anyone else who harbors ill intentions control you, not even a little bit. "
Gilbert looked at Thales with gloomy eyes.
"That is why you cannot find them. You cannot.
Even if you find them before the Secret Intelligence Department does. Your … Their clues should be buried forever, and no one will know. "
The Foreign Affairs Minister's voice faded away.
Even the Everlasting Lamp in the corridor became much dimmer.
"So, Gilbert, you lied to me."
Thales said in a daze.
"From the beginning."
At that moment, Gilbert's face turned pale.
But Thales still gave him a comforting smile.
"It's alright, Gilbert, I understand," Thales said tiredly.
"But now, can you feel the weight and thickness of this net?"
Your subconscious obedience to it, its silent control over you, its influence on me, and my wariness towards it, all of these are ranked far ahead of our sincerity. "
Gilbert's expression was bitter. He gulped.
Thales stared at the shadows in the corridor in a daze.
"Just like how a student faces his teacher, an employee faces his boss, a wife faces her husband, and a subject faces his king, if they stand on an unequal scale from the beginning and stay in unclean waters, then their relationship will not just be decided by each other.
"When we are shrouded in an established power structure, Gilbert, when you have no choice but to use all your strength to prevent yourself from being thrown off by the skewed scales, when you are shackled from head to toe, when you are only left with the choice of 'adapt or be destroyed', when you are shackled from head to toe.
"Before you realize it, you have completely lost the right to choose freely.
"Unless you reject it, jump out of it, and surpass it.
Defeat it. "
Gilbert's breathing quickened.
"No, Your Highness, I do not understand!"
Gilbert's voice was very soft, and he mumbled almost subconsciously.
"All of this is for, for, for —"
"For my own good?"
Thales gently took over the conversation.
The Foreign Affairs Minister did not answer.
Thales exhaled with a smile.
"Gilbert, have you ever thought about why Wya is always unwilling to mention you, even though we are father and son?"
When he heard his son's name, Gilbert shuddered a little.
"I have never asked him the specific reason. But I think I know the deeper reason. "
Thales gradually became absent-minded, and his thoughts drifted to Northland.
"Perhaps you know, Gilbert, I have a friend in Eckstedt, or rather, I think I have a friend.
When she is in trouble, I worry about her day and night, and I think about her. "
When he said this, Thales snickered.
"I am such an idiot. I always thought that she relied on me and needed me. I always thought that I was protecting her and helping her. I always thought that I was …"
Thales' smile slowly disappeared.
"For her own good.
But I was wrong.
Because that was not what she wanted. "
When he remembered that familiar face, Thales closed his eyes deeply.
"And I never treated her as a friend who treated me as an equal. At most, she was someone who needed me."
Gilbert stared at him in a daze and began to tremble.
"Gilbert, ever since we got to know each other, everything you have done with painstaking efforts was to turn me into a good king. For this, you even sacrificed yourself and risked everything to help and protect me. I am very grateful, but …"
Thales opened his eyes. His gaze was clear.
"But I am not the kind of wise king you are looking for, Gilbert.
Just like how my father is not. "
Gilbert swayed violently.
"You can't make a mold for everyone in your mind, and then use all your means to influence and guide them. You don't feel the slightest anomaly, and even feel proud of it, thinking that it's for their own good. You just want to fit them into the mold seamlessly."
"Because be it me, Wya, my father, or even you, Gilbert, none of us are born to be molds."
Thales said gently.
"This is why I will never be able to become him."
No matter how you teach me to be close to him in terms of dressing style, knowledge system, and even behavior, I will never become the next …
"Prince Midier.
No matter how good of a mold he is. "
When Gilbert heard this, his entire body trembled violently.
He cried out involuntarily, "Your Highness, I …"
But Thales only smiled in a friendly manner, just like he always did.
"You are a good teacher, Gilbert, really. You treat your students meticulously, you do not care about how much effort you put in, you teach them everything you know, you answer every question, you are considerate and considerate. You are really good, so good that I cannot even find a single flaw in you.
"But when I met the Old Crow, I met Mr. Hicks, the one who shakes his head, talks all sorts of things, and always relies on 'what do you think' to earn his salary in class, I finally understood."
Thales took a step forward and looked straight into Gilbert's red and wet eyes.
"Your biggest problem, Gilbert, is that you are too nice."
You are so good that your students can completely rely on you and need you. You are so good that you do not leave any room for your students to be 'bad'. "
Gilbert opened his mouth to speak, but his lips trembled. Two streams of tears rolled down his cheeks.
"But reality has proven that even without me being 'good to her', my friend can still live very well.
Even better. "
Thales sighed and smiled subconsciously.
"I am happy for her."
In the next second, Thales opened his arms without hesitation and embraced Gilbert, who could no longer speak.
"And I hope that you can be happy for me too, Gilbert."
Thales pressed his lips against Gilbert's ear and said in a quivering voice,
"My friend."
The Foreign Affairs Minister shuddered in his arms.
Thales suddenly realized that Gilbert, who was dressed in bright clothes, was very thin.
But in the next moment, the teenager restrained his emotions and forced back the tears in his eyes.
He gritted his teeth and said, "By the way, Count Caso.
I do not like your class schedule. "
Thales let go of Gilbert, who was staring at him in a daze, and the corners of his lips curled up.
"It is too full."
When he finished speaking, Thales raised his hand to his chest and bowed to Gilbert in a respectful and well-mannered manner.
Just like how Gilbert bowed to him six years ago.
In the next second, he used all the strength in his life to suppress his trembling, straightened his back, picked up his feet, and turned to leave.
He did not dare to look at Gilbert again.
* Thud. *
The sound of a cane falling to the ground came from behind him.
Thales felt a pang in his heart.
But he still maintained his perfect smile, took a step forward, and stepped into the unknown darkness of the corridor.
The palace was deep, and the lights were dim.
But the absent-minded Thales did not walk far before he bumped into a familiar face at the corner.
"Oh, sorry, Your Highness." The Chief of Palace Butler, Baron Quentin, who had once lectured Thales on wasting the royal family's wealth, rubbed his forehead.
"I-I didn't see you. It was not intentional."
Thales also rubbed his chin in pain.
"It's okay, it was just an accident."
But he was very happy that there was someone he could talk to at this moment.
Even if it was nonsense.
"Your Grace."
Thales forced a smile.
"I heard from Captain Adrian that you are not feeling well?"
"Oh, it's nothing. I used to pretend to be sick to avoid work." Quentin tugged at his exquisite cuff and wiped a notebook with a cracked cover. He did not care at all. "It won't affect my work.
I am sorry to have caused you trouble. "
The prince apologized gloomily, "Whether it is the glass cup at the banquet, or today —"
But Chief Quentin waved his hand and interrupted him.
"You know, the wine cups are actually not a problem.
"They are not expensive anyway. Err, sorry, I mean, they are very expensive. But there are still many workshops and merchants who rush to pay for them, just so that the royal family and Renaissance Palace can use the wine cups they produce."
Quentin sighed.
"And I have wanted to change those glass cups for a long time. They are fragile and easy to break. They always give the young ones an excuse to be slow. Now, I only hope that the metal and thick wooden cups will be more powerful."
Thales smiled, nodded, and was ready to leave.
"But … why?"
Thales paused when he heard that.
Baron Quentin looked at him with a profound gaze.
"Your Highness, I have always found it strange. Why do Northlanders have to smash their wine cups when they drink?"
Smash their wine cups.
Thales was silent for a while.
"You know, even though I have been there for six years, I find it strange too."
Baron Quentin said, intentionally or unintentionally.
"Exerting force, throwing, smashing, colliding, breaking, shattering. But what can this prove? Extravagant? Overbearing? Bold? Fierce? Lust for power? Masculine? "
Quentin stared at him. His tone suddenly softened.
"You know, just use the rare and precious cups that have been passed down through history, used by our grandparents and parents. Everyone will be filled with gratitude, and drink a cup of wine in peace. Everyone will be happy. Isn't that good?"
Thales was silent for a while again.
"I don't know.
But if I don't smash it in Mindis Hall … "
Thales raised his head and smiled weakly.
"Renaissance Palace will not get new wine cups, right?"
Quentin stared at him and pondered for a while.
"A new batch of wine cups may not be better than the old ones."
"Perhaps …" Thales felt complicated.
"But you don't know."
"What if I know?" Baron Quentin answered quickly.
"What if I have already seen it?"
Thales looked at him.
"Perhaps it is hard for you to imagine, Your Highness." The baron sighed and rubbed the cracked old notebook under his armpit.
"But I have worked here for more than thirty years.
"When I was a brat, I held a pen and paper and followed behind my father. I kept records and took care of every Jadestar's clothing, food, housing, and transportation."
The Chief of Palace Affairs was absent-minded.
"Every single one."
'Every single … Jadestar.'
Thales did not speak.
The baron snapped out of his daze and looked at Thales. There was an indescribable emotion in his eyes.
"So, I have seen every single batch of wine cups.
Every single batch. "
Thales was silent for a few seconds and nodded.
"You are very lucky."
Quentin laughed self-deprecatingly and did not comment.
In the next second, the prince smiled at the Chief of Palace Affairs.
"But I remember that Hicks, Gilbert's teacher, once said something."
"Under the sun, everything is new."
Hearing this, Baron Quentin was silent for a while before he sighed.
"You know, even if the Jadestar Royal Family is as rich as a country …" He stared at Thales with worry in his eyes.
"You still have to pay for the batch of wine cups that were smashed."
'Pay.'
Thales pursed his lips.
"Yes.
That is how it should be. "
Both of them were silent.
"Or should I record it down for you, Your Highness?"
Quentin broke the silence and patted the notebook. There was a hint of hope in his tone.
"You know, maybe when you grow up and are crowned, the creditors will give you … free of charge?"
Free of charge.
Thales raised his head and continued to stare at the darkness under the light in the distance.
"Thank you, Your Grace, but there is no need."
Thales spoke faintly and was slightly absent-minded.
"I still have to pay.
"Or sooner.
"Or sooner."
(End of this chapter)
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