The moonlight was cold, and the funeral song in his ears stopped. What replaced it was the Fortress Flower's laughter and the shouts of her soldiers.
"Depose the duke and destroy Zayen?"
In the lounge, Thales repeated the king's words and took a deep breath.
"Let me guess, Your Majesty. You will gather the power of the entire kingdom and pull up a strong and unstoppable regular royal army of more than thirty thousand men, equip them with the best equipment and provide them with the best logistics. Then, you will give me the Kingdom's Wrath in my left hand and the Legendary Wing in my right. Then, under my correct leadership, they will charge into Jade City from the left and right, simply and crudely but unstoppably, destroy Clarity Palace, and then drag Zayen Covendier from his dukedom throne, stuff him head first into the toilet bowl, and flush him into the moat?"
King Kessel was silent for a while.
"No."
Thales let out a sneer of "I knew it" and said sarcastically,
"Then, you must have planned a perfect plan to get rid of Zayen safely and quietly, without forcing the feudal vassals to rebel and causing Constellation to be destroyed in a civil war. That's why you have the confidence to order me around? After all, we should have learned something from the 'Sand King' incident — and perhaps my little protest, right? "
The Iron Hand King glanced at him and turned to look at the desk.
"Open it."
It took Thales a few seconds to realize that the other party was hinting at the scroll the king had brought.
The prince pursed his lips to express his displeasure at Kessel's teasing, but he still went to the desk and picked up the scroll. He found that it was printed with the exclusive coat of arms of the Iris Family.
"Warmly welcome … Duke Thales' reputation has spread far and wide … We had a pleasant conversation … It has been a long time since we last met, I rather miss you …"
Thales read the contents of the letter inattentively. Most of it was nonsense in a polite and genteel manner.
"Jade City may be small, Clarity Palace may be crude … The two families have a long history … The sages of the south coast and I … attend this grand event … look forward to it …"
Thales finished reading the scroll. Just as he was feeling confused, he saw something on the desk under the scroll.
He picked up the square frame, which he initially thought was a tray for the scroll. His expression suddenly changed.
"What is this?" Thales raised his head and looked at the king in disbelief.
"As you can see, this is Duke Covendier's reply." Kessel the Fifth was still staring at the sparkling Star Lake. "He welcomes his close friend, the Duke of Star Lake, to Jade City to stay at Clarity Palace and participate in the 'Jade Celebration'. He wishes to rejoice with the subjects and people of South Coast Hill, and to honor the deep friendship between Nine-Pointed Star and Iris Flowers, as well as the loyal bond between Renaissance Palace and Clarity Palace."
"No, no, no, I mean …"
Thales put down the scroll and raised the square frame — which was actually a miniature portrait — to face the king. He raised his voice and spoke in an inelegant manner.
"What the f * ck is this?"
King Kessel turned around.
Under Thales' shocked and angry expression, a round-faced teenage girl in the picture frame in front of his chest turned her head around from among the flowers and smiled at the king. Her smile was sweet and innocent.
On her tailored skirt, the iris emblem was faintly discernible.
"They must have changed the artist. It's not as good as the last one."
The king only glanced at it and snorted unconcernedly.
"Don't worry. As usual, your portrait was also sent over. It's very fair."
'Fair …'
Thales only felt that his forehead was full of blood and was about to burst from his blood vessels. He took a deep breath and used all his strength to ensure that his volume would not break the window.
"I repeat for the last time: What the f * ck, this, f * ck, is, f * ck, what?"
Every time the prince cursed, the picture frame shook along with his fingers.
The room was quiet for a few seconds.
"Nothing," King Kessel said casually, "You need a reason to go to Jade City. For example, you are going to greet and take a look at one of your fiancées, Duke Zayen's sister — the honorable and noble Lady Hilly Covendier. "
The king glanced at him as if he was looking at a big idiot.
"Is there a problem?"
Yes.
A very big problem!
No one told me!
Thales flipped over the portrait and stared at the round-faced girl in shock.
Seeley Covendier.
Zayen's biological sister.
Thinking of the Duke of Iris Flowers' cold and sharp threat, Thales only felt the palm of his hand on the frame turn cold.
What the hell …
"Okay, please correct me if I'm wrong. So, the purpose of my trip, or in name, is to go to Jade City … for a blind date? "
Thales tried hard to adjust his emotions and forget the anger of being fooled.
"The letter won't be too straightforward. But, yes, when the young men and women of important families reach the age of marriage, they will take a look at each other, get to know each other, and it's best if they can cultivate friendship. This has been the kingdom's practice for many years. "
The king's tone was normal, as if no one should be surprised at all.
Thales stared blankly at the girl in the painting. After a long while, he put Lady Hilly down and returned to the conversation with the king.
"Okay, I know that with your temperament, the possibility of this is very small, but I still want to ask," Thales swallowed hard, suddenly remembering the ultimate goal of his trip, "You're not asking me to set up a marriage with that lady, and then let Zayen suddenly die, so that we can take advantage of the lady's inheritance and enjoy the fruits of her labor, and take South Coast Hill into our pocket?"
King Kessel snorted. His meaning was unclear, and it made Thales' heart skip a beat.
"Two or three hundred years ago, this would have been an effective method. But unfortunately, at least in Constellation, a simple family marriage is no longer the best way to seize power."
"Oh, how regrettable." Thales immediately breathed a sigh of relief when he heard that, but there was no regret on his face. "It seems that my fate with that noble and pure Lady Hilly will end here."
The king did not speak. He only narrowed his eyes and looked at him from afar.
"You know, after the incident at the royal banquet, Zayen and I have a new and old grudge, and we are as incompatible as fire and water."
Thales sneered.
"And now I actually have to go to Jade City to ask for his hand in marriage. Okay, at least I have to visit his sister with the premise of a marriage alliance … This is great, he'll definitely think that I'm doing it on purpose, that I'm provoking him through his sister. Heh, with Little Flower's narrow-mindedness, it would be strange if she doesn't go crazy and mess with me —"
As Thales said this, he remembered something. His expression froze, and his words came to a halt.
'Huh?
Provoking him through his sister …
Messing with me like crazy … '
"Wait."
Thales' expression changed slightly. He picked up the scroll again.
"This, this is only Covendier's reply, so …"
The Duke of Star Lake widened his eyes and looked at the indifferent king in disbelief.
"Your Majesty, whether it's an engagement or a blind date, how long ago did you tell Zayen about me and his sister?"
King Kessel no longer looked at him, and his tone was indifferent, "When it was confirmed that you had escaped from danger in Northland and were about to return to the capital, the House of Nobles selected a list of dozens of suitable noblewomen, inspected them one by one, and conveyed the intention of marriage alliance to their families, which naturally included Iris Flowers."
"What?"
Escaping from danger in Northland, returning to the capital …
Thales' heart skipped a beat.
'That means, that means …'
"As far as I know, the Covendier girls live in seclusion, and their character and behavior are to be observed, so they were not originally high on that list. But now, it just so happens that —"
"Wait!" Thales crossed his arms and stopped the king with a horrified expression.
"Wait, so, before the royal banquet, even before I returned to the country, you told Zayen that Renaissance Palace was interested in his sister?"
Thales stared at King Kessel.
The king looked back at him, his eyes a deep blue.
"Not me, but you 'told' him. Don't forget, Prince Thales is the one in charge of the marriage, so as to show sincerity. "
Sincerity …
The more Thales listened, the more dazed he became.
He looked at Miss Hilly on the desk.
The king seemed to think that Thales was not annoying enough, "And it's not a simple 'notice', this is an official note between great families, especially since the marriage alliance between the Jadestar and Covendier families has been going on for a long time. This is a very serious and sacred matter, and there is no room for ridicule or disrespect."
'No, no, no.'
"F * ck, d * mn, d * mn it."
The youth seemed to have figured something out. He turned around and leaned weakly on the desk.
"I, I understand …"
The king did not seem surprised. He looked at his son calmly.
Thales' breathing quickened.
After a moment of realization, he said with a look of disbelief, "I understand.
At the royal banquet, the reason why Zayen facilitated Anker Byrael's kidnapping and assassination … "
At the royal banquet, Zayen's final words during their private confrontation rang in Thales' ears again.
"This is a warning. I came to you on purpose, Thales. I'm giving you one last chance."
One last chance.
"Better to die for a friend than to perish for an enemy."
Thales clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.
"That night, the reason why Zayen wanted to be the disruptor, the reason why he wanted to add fuel to the fire, the reason why he couldn't wait to find trouble with me, drag me down, watch me make a fool of myself, ruin my reputation …"
"I want you to know, Thales. I want to teach you: this is my response."
Thales rubbed his forehead in pain.
"And the reason why he still hated me so much after I returned to the country, the reason why he uncharacteristically bit me like a mad dog …"
"As a response to you offending me, rejecting me, and even threatening me six years later."
"All these, these unreasonable attacks and framing to me, were not because he was out of his mind, or because he was some overbearing CEO, or even because he disliked me …"
Thales slapped his thigh regretfully.
"It was because, because in Zayen's eyes, I was the one who impatiently sent him a marriage alliance letter the moment I returned to the country, retaliated against him, threatened him, provoked him, offended him, and coveted his sister!"
"Watch your hand, Your Highness."
Ahhhhh!
Having figured out the truth, Thales slammed the table in exasperation.
"F * ck!"
The Duke of Star Lake's indignant voice finally dissipated in the lounge.
The king's figure was still standing by the window, motionless.
"Wait, you already know about these things, don't you?"
Thales thought of something and glared at King Kessel.
"Zayen refused to let go of me the moment we met at the royal banquet, and the reason why I was so unlucky in the end was because of this damned marriage partner you found for me?" The prince's interrogative voice drifted in the lounge.
"Parents arrange marriages for their children," King Kessel said calmly and unapologetically, "It's only right and proper."
Yes, just like children arranging funerals for their parents.
Hearing the king's nonchalant response, Thales was infuriated.
"Then I really have to thank all eight generations of your ancestors!"
The unhappy teenager swore without scruples, without the slightest bearing and etiquette a duke should have.
The king looked at him quietly.
"You're so grateful for your father's kindness?"
Thales spent a few seconds trying his best to expel the indignant anger from his chest.
He forced a smile.
"Of course not, I was too agitated. Yes, I should have another way to thank you. Let me think, yes, I've got it. Coincidentally, the toilet brush in my washroom is broken, father. "
The teenager's smile became more and more exaggerated and dazzling, "You are so considerate and have such a hard skull. Are you interested in taking over its work? It's very simple, you just need to get into the toilet headfirst, and then turn it up, down, left and right! "
The king let out a sound that sounded like a snort and a laugh. It was unknown whether he was expressing his dissatisfaction with the duke's attitude, or really supporting his humor.
After figuring out the cause and effect, the furious Thales sighed and waved his hands.
"But why, why didn't anyone tell me about such a big thing like marriage?"
"Gilbert should have informed you on the first day you returned and handed you the final shortlist," the king said calmly. "Didn't he?"
Thales sneered and waved his hand without thinking.
"Nonsense, if he had told me, would I still be so —"
"Fourteen years old. According to the standards of the Empire, you are already a real adult, able to fight with a sword, marry a wife and have children …"
"Gilbert, regarding this, as times change and society progresses, I believe we can discuss it."
Thales remembered something, and his words came to a halt.
"So, Your Highness, you have reached the age this year … You must know that you have the duty to continue the bloodline of the great kingdom …"
"Cough! Cough cough cough — "
"Damn it, I remember now. He wanted to say it."
Thales said in a daze.
"From the first day until the day of the banquet, he said it at least three times, but every time he said it, I interrupted him, rejected him, and changed the topic …"
The king said nothing.
"Even on the day I turned against you, the reason he used to ease his anger was marriage." Thales tugged at his hair in agony. "Damn it, damn it, I should have thought of it earlier! That's what he wanted to tell me! "
'Gilbert, why are you so respectful and polite? Why do you give up every time I cough? Why can't you be a little more annoying and nag a little, or at least finish nagging me?!'
The king snorted softly, and his tone was thought-provoking.
"Then, I guess you have nothing to complain about and can only take up the vacancy of the toilet brush yourself?"
Thales let go of his hair and glared at him fiercely. Then, he indignantly thought of another person.
"Damn it, Zayen Covendier. What 'warning', what 'response', all beating around the bush. He's a duke after all, why can't he be more straightforward?"
Thales gritted his teeth.
Heh, Thales, why did you write to marry my sister? Was it a threat?
No, Zayen, I didn't, I'm not, you're spouting nonsense!
Oh, then it's fine. You go ahead and eat, I'll go get rid of that brother who barged into the banquet with a sword.
— — Isn't that it??? Everyone is happy! '
The gloom and silence in the lounge lasted for a while.
Finally, Prince Thales exhaled weakly.
"So, Your Majesty, are you sure?"
He said to the king listlessly, "So, Your Majesty, are you sure?"
"The person you want to depose is one of the six guardian dukes of the kingdom, and the wealthiest, youngest, and most popular one. If something goes wrong along the way, for the sake of the Sunset Goddess, even declaring war on Eckstedt and Camus Union at the same time seems more rational than this. "
King Kessel did not even turn his head.
"I thought you hated him and were happy to see Zayen Covendier fall."
Hated him.
Thales snorted sarcastically.
"Believe me, if the occasion was different, I'd be happy to replace the toilet brush in my castle with Flowery. But, to destroy him? Zayen is not a pushover, and he's already wary of us, not to mention that he hates me. If I'm not careful in this step, I'll be trapped in Jade City — "
"Thales Jadestar."
The king called his full name in a cold tone, causing the teenager's nerves to tighten.
"Do I need to remind you of our covenant?"
At that moment, Thales felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head.
Thales straightened his body, only to feel that all the joints in his body were extremely stiff.
A certain bone ring on the front of his shirt grew heavier.
Gurtaksa.
"I will help you push the kingdom forward, remove obstacles, and break the shackles," Thales said bitterly, "For this, at all costs."
At all costs.
"Very well, then as we agreed, child, become my sword, and cut through all the obstacles until the kingdom is wiped out."
The king revealed his face under the moonlight in front of the window.
"Unless you go back on your word."
Go back on my word.
Thales gulped, only to feel that the front of his shirt had become heavier.
"So, Your Majesty, you want me to treat a distinguished noble lady the same way I treat my fiancée, while racking my brains behind the scenes, plotting to depose or even kill her brother. Wonderful, there's no more melodramatic love story than this. "
He tried to make his tone sound relaxed.
"Thales."
But His Majesty's tone made his efforts to pretend to be relaxed go down the drain.
"From the moment you returned to the country, this matter was destined to be carried out.
"This is unavoidable."
Thales opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
He could only turn his head and look at the portrait on the desk.
The round-faced girl in the painting was surrounded by flowers, innocent and happy, as if there was no danger in her world.
It was not until a cat's meow came from the castle, stirring up a chorus of cats and the barking of dogs that Thales' thoughts were pulled back to reality.
"What's the specific plan?"
Thales exhaled. His tone became solemn, and the teasing tone from before was gone.
"What does the Kingdom's Secret Intelligence Department plan to do? Coercion, enticement, assassination, poisoning, or directly swinging an axe when we meet? Who should I work with, and how should I do it? Let me make it clear, even if it's an act, I will never kiss Zayen's butt. "
But the king just looked at him quietly.
"You'll see when you get there."
The Iron Hand King's answer made Thales frown.
"This answer won't work. Our covenant states that you will respect my wishes, listen to my advice, and treat me with sincerity, without reservation, without deceit. "
The teenager repeated.
"Anything."
The king was silent for a few seconds, then sneered.
"Child, why do you think I put on the uniform of the royal guards and came to see you in private?
"Because the helmet looks better?"
King Kessel ignored Thales' sarcasm. He came in front of Thales and stared into the teenager's eyes.
"Our covenant is destined to be a top secret that cannot be revealed to outsiders, even to the Kingdom's Secret Intelligence Department."
Even to the Kingdom's Secret Intelligence Department.
Thales' eyes moved.
"In other words, Your Majesty, in their eyes, we are still a pair of father and son who have different opinions and are at odds with each other? But this is not a reason for you to hide the plan from me and keep your mouth shut. "
But the king shook his head.
"The plan of our oath is to gradually turn against each other and use this to win. You and I should distance ourselves from each other, not know each other well. If you know all the details of the operation, then your performance in Jade City will be different, and it will be hard to guarantee that no one will find out. As you said, Zayen has always been very wary of us. "
Thales frowned.
"In other words, I will be the same as before, unable to be ordered around, unable to cooperate with the Secret Intelligence Department, and even less aware of their actions? Then how do I complete the mission? "
King Kessel turned around.
"Don't worry, you don't need to be the protagonist of this operation. What you need to do is just be a third party in Jade City, an impartial weight in the center of the scale. Listen, observe, witness, and go with the flow. "
He only needs to listen, observe, witness, and go with the flow?
Thales frowned. 'And this means a lot.'
Zayen, as a guardian duke, has been rooted in South Coast Hill for many years, and his power is unfathomable. But Thales, he doesn't need to do anything?
The king pursed his lips slightly and his tone deepened.
"As for the rest, there will be others to do it."
'Others.
Is he referring to the Kingdom's Secret Intelligence Department or something else … '
Thales' expression did not change.
"But what if, like before, I help but hinder them, and mess up your plan?"
The king's expression changed and he glanced at him.
"This is why I am here. I am here to tell you what the ultimate goal is: as long as it is completed, I don't care what you do, whether you satisfy the Secret Intelligence Department or they satisfy you."
'What?'
Thales was a little confused.
'Don't care what I do, whether I satisfy the Secret Intelligence Department …'
"But in this case —"
"And isn't this exactly what you want, and what you fought for when you broke the rules and barged into the palace the last time?"
The Iron Hand King did not give him a chance to ask. He leaned down and pressed his palm on Thales' shoulder. There was a strange meaning in his words, "I did not give you a specific plan and rules, but I also gave you the power to act freely and make decisions on the spot, outside the framework."
Discretion.
Make decisions on the spot.
Thales was stunned.
'Really?'
The troublesome prince, who had always been accused of 'ruining my plans' and 'ruining my plans', was not used to it.
The sounds of the banquet coming from the corridor outside the door gradually faded. Thales guessed that the Fortress Flower had probably drunk everyone.
The king was obviously unwilling to delay any longer. He picked up the helmet of the royal guard and put it on meticulously.
Just like a true guard.
"You can do this according to your preferences and limits. Just like if you don't like the brutality of the 'Sand King Operation', you can influence it and turn it around. You don't have to think about whose wishes you are fulfilling or whose plans you are ruining, as long as …"
At this point, Kessel the Fifth paused for a moment.
Thales sucked in a deep breath and took over the conversation.
"As long as you complete your goal: depose Zayen?"
The king let go of the helmet and nodded.
"And don't expose yourself."
He asked me to go to Jade City and told me the ultimate goal, but did not tell me the Secret Intelligence Department's plan and details. He only asked me to act on the spot and go with the flow?
Then …
"Then lend me Yodel."
"I will need him for such a big thing," Thales looked into the eyes behind the king's helmet and said calmly, "Anyway, Aida is back. She can protect you."
Yodel.
King Kessel was silent for a few seconds. He shook his head and chuckled.
"This is just the first time, child. This is the first time we are testing the waters after the establishment of the Alliance, and I have not seen its results yet."
Thales gritted his teeth.
"Cooperation requires trust, and trust needs to be earned."
King Kessel flatly rejected him and turned to leave without hesitation.
From his gait to his posture, he completed the transformation from a king to a guard in an instant.
Even the people closest to him might not be able to recognize him.
Thales smoothed out his chaotic thoughts and subconsciously called out to Kessel.
"That's it? Nothing else? "
The king's footsteps paused.
"Let me think. Oh, yes."
Kessel turned around, his face hidden behind the helmet.
"Remember, when you are with that girl, remember to show your gentleness, politeness, respect, sincerity, and thoughtfulness — like a real man."
In the next second, the temperature of the king's words plummeted.
"To soothe her …
"The pain of losing her brother."
King Kessel pushed open the door and stepped into the corridor.
Thales was left behind, staring blankly at his disappearing figure.
Mallos came in through the door and turned a blind eye to the unfamiliar guard who had just walked out of the room.
"Your Highness, if you are not feeling well," the watchman said calmly, "We can end the banquet early."
Thales snapped out of his daze.
He touched his front pocket and glanced at the girl in the painting.
"No, there's no need." The prince's voice was calm, but there seemed to be worry between his brows. "This is just the beginning."
It was already nightfall. Sonia's hearty laughter rang out from outside the corridor again, mixing with the endless meowing of cats inside and outside the castle.
The former was satisfied.
The latter was strange and dreary.
(End of this chapter)
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