Thales was silent for a long time. A myriad of thoughts ran through his mind. Some of them were memories of his adventures with Miranda in Dragon Clouds City, and some were related to the Covenant Bone Ring.
In the end, he sighed and turned away from Miranda's burning gaze. He stepped over the chair that had died of old age and sat on the desk.
If Grandmother Valencia was here, she would probably reprimand the duke for his indecent behavior with a straight face.
But she was not here.
Fortunately, she was not here.
"So, Madam Arunde, you came to me for title, land, and power."
Thales sat on the desk and stroked the scar on his left palm in a daze.
Miranda did not move. She only watched the Duke of Star Lake from afar, who was immersed in his own thoughts.
"I have to say, this is really, wow, impressive."
Thales made up his mind. He took a deep breath, "But unfortunately, forgive me for refusing —"
"Strange," Miranda interrupted him.
Thales frowned and looked up.
The daughter of the Arunde family spoke softly.
"Isn't it only natural for the heir of a duke's family to work hard for the sake of titles, land, and power?"
Thales could not help but frown and look up.
Miranda shook her head and said,
"Then why did you say it was' impressive 'when it came to me? As if this is something rare, something worth writing about? "
Thales was stunned and did not react.
"What? No, I, I didn't think that way. "
Miranda sneered.
"If I were a male heir, would you still say, 'As the son of a duke, you actually want title, land, and power? Wow, that's really impressive! '"
Thales was even more stunned.
But Miranda took a step forward and said aggressively, "Why?
Is it that I or someone like me is not worthy, not suitable, or unable, or is it that I don't have the ambition to fight for power, and shouldn't be so 'impressive', Duke Thales? "
'What?'
Thales, who was a little dumbfounded by her rebuke, took a deep breath.
"Please don't misunderstand, Madam Arunde. I mean no harm." The young man tried to ease the conversation. "I don't mean to look down on you. It's just a … polite remark."
This time, Miranda stared at him for a long time, as if she wanted to dig out the thoughts behind his eyes. It was only when Thales felt embarrassed and could not help but cough to remind her that she averted her gaze.
"I know."
Miranda's voice dropped, no longer aggressive.
"I know you mean no harm, Your Highness."
Through the feedback from hell's senses, Thales vaguely felt that at that moment, she was a little gloomy and depressed.
"At most, you'll feel nothing. You'll just be used to it. You won't feel anything strange. You'll only think that it's a normal sentence. You'll even think that I'm being too sensitive."
Miranda gazed at the Star Lake, which had become languid and numb from the warm summer breeze, and the waves that were unable to calm down.
"But this is the problem."
The cold light in her eyes slowly froze.
"This is why I had to come here."
The moment he finished speaking, Thales looked confused.
But for some reason, when he looked at Miranda's profile, he felt that the study was eerily quiet.
"Madam Arunde, I really didn't …"
Thales wanted to explain more, but he paused and changed his words.
"I'm very sorry, Madam. If I said something wrong or expressed the wrong attitude in a way that I didn't realize, then I apologize to you. Really."
Miranda was silent like a statue for a long time before she slowly turned her head around.
She curled the corners of her lips at Thales and smiled faintly.
That smile was very natural and bright. Even the sunlight behind her could not cover it.
This made Thales a little dazed.
'She's beautiful, isn't she?' A voice in his heart reminded him softly. 'That smile is like the first sprout on the peak of a snow-capped mountain when the snow melts in early spring.
But such a feeling disappeared in a flash.
Just like that smile, fragile and fragile. '
"To be fair, you shouldn't be the one to apologize."
The swordswoman became expressionless again, as if she had never smiled before. This brought Thales back to reality.
"But it's also fair to say that I accept your apology."
Thales was stunned again.
The duke snapped out of his daze. He quickly coughed and changed the topic.
"So, Madam, do you want to join me and tour the south with me? Let everyone see that you've chosen your side and stand under the Duke of Star Lake, the future king, so that you can accumulate experience and fame to invest in your future?"
Miranda thought for a while and crossed her arms.
"No, not to join you." She raised her index finger gently and pointed at Thales. "But to help you."
Thales frowned.
"As your supporter." Miranda's eyes sparkled. "Not as a follower."
'Not as a follower, but as a help.'
'Not as a follower, but as a supporter.'
As he mulled over her words, Thales also crossed his arms with a serious expression.
A few seconds later, he took a deep breath.
"Dear Madam Arunde."
Thales' voice was a little hoarse. "You know, after Dragon Clouds City, although I haven't contacted you much —"
"It's not that you haven't contacted me much, it's that you haven't contacted me at all," Miranda suddenly said.
Thales was instantly rendered speechless.
Miranda sneered.
"In comparison, I have at least met Wya a few times over the past seven years. Yes, that Wya. Although I don't know how many Wya's there are here, or if everyone is a Wya. "
'If only Mother Valencia was here. Pay attention to your etiquette, child. When the duke speaks, shut up. She would definitely say that.'
She waved the pointer in her hand.
"Alright."
Thales suppressed his displeasure at being interrupted and continued.
"This may sound hypocritical, but Madam, I cherish the experience of that night in Dragon's Blood very much. I have always treated you as an old friend, a comrade who has gone through thick and thin with me."
Miranda nodded slightly.
"It is indeed hypocritical."
Thales sighed. He thought that this girl should have a good chat with Mallos.
"So I don't want to lie. What you said just now, Madam, is not — not a good idea for now."
Miranda's gaze changed.
"What's not a good idea?"
She chuckled and said, "Marry you? Or join you? Or fight for what I deserve — "
"Neither!"
Thales suddenly raised his voice, causing Miranda to frown.
"You said you want to go south with me, but." The duke exhaled, pinched the Bone Ring in his pocket, and sighed. "You don't understand. You think that I have your answer here, that you can win back the Northern Territory here, that I can help you get back what your family lost, but you —"
Thales' words died in his throat.
'But you are wrong.'
In his heart, a voice slowly uttered what he wanted to say but did not say.
'You will only fall into a sinister trap carefully laid out by the king and personally created by me. You will become a self-righteous but helpless chess piece, falling deeper and deeper until you become the next sacrifice.
'Just like your father.
'Just like … me.'
Thales closed his eyes.
'"With Gurtaksa as my witness … you will help me push the kingdom forward … Remove the obstacles, break the shackles, at all costs."'
He could not refuse the king.
But he did not want to hurt her.
They were once friends.
Even if this was just a lie to himself.
"Your Highness?"
Miranda asked, puzzled, "What do you want to say?"
Thales snapped out of his daze.
"Sorry."
He opened his eyes, and his thoughts became clear again.
"In fact, My Lady, I met your father not long ago."
As expected, Miranda's expression changed slightly at that moment.
Thales tried his best to make his voice sound more sincere, "Lord Val asked me for a favor. He did not wish for you to be too involved in … the matters between me and the royal family."
Miranda was silent for a long time.
But when she spoke again, her words were full of disdain.
"My father, right?"
"So you obediently listened to him, did whatever he said, and became a puppet outside prison for a traitorous prisoner, an obedient pawn?"
She looked at Thales provocatively as if she had seen through everything.
"He forbade you to f * ck me, so you don't dare to f * ck me? You can only lock your own chastity belt, and you don't even dare to go to the toilet? "
'F * ck.'
Thales' heart froze.
How was he supposed to respond to that?
'Didn't she teach you anything good after being under the Fortress Flower for so long?
'In comparison, Raphael and Cohen, who are both from the Tower of Eradication, are so much cuter.'
The duke had no choice but to take a deep breath and reorganize the logic of persuasion.
"What I mean is, you, Miranda Arunde, are the eldest daughter of the Guardian Duke of the Northern Territory, the heir to Cold Castle. You have an extraordinary status, and are of great importance. You will implicate all parties. On the night of Dragon's Blood seven years ago, we carelessly neglected this point, and learned our lesson in blood."
Miranda frowned.
"So, whether you can serve under me or not is not something that Sonia and I can decide. And my father, His Majesty, he — "
"is a complete bastard," Miranda interrupted him again.
But this time …
'Huh?'
Thales was stunned when he heard that, and then he was shocked.
'What?
Who's the bastard? '
Miranda sneered, and her words were unscrupulous.
"Isn't that so? As a father, he used you as a bargaining chip to swindle others, a breeding pig for mating. For this reason, he could disregard your wishes and ignore your safety. He could pick up your little dick and show it off to the whole kingdom, as long as it could bring him the slightest benefit, whether it was seven years ago or seven years later. "
She picked up the greeting letter and slammed it on the table.
'Oh, Sunset.'
Thales took a deep breath.
'If Mother Valencia is here … No, thank goodness she's not.'
Thales could only keep a straight face and say nothing, regardless of his status or position.
"And no matter how badly you get beaten up, you can only say good things about him — 'A father's love is like a mountain, there will be sweets after the beating'," Miranda mocked.
Thales took a deep breath.
'Damn it.'
He thought that he was the most daring person in the kingdom to scold the Iron Hand King.
In the end …
"For the sake of the past, I'll pretend that I didn't hear this."
Thales spoke in a low voice, without looking at her.
"And you, Madam Arunde, perhaps you should know your place, know your place, and show due respect to His Majesty."
Miranda shook her head and snorted.
She glanced sideways at Thales, as if she was looking at the most impossible thing.
"What about you, as the king's son, Thales Jadestar, why didn't you know your place, know your place, and show due respect?"
Thales was stunned.
"On the contrary, you were unscrupulous, impulsive, reckless, trespassing the forbidden palace, leading the rebellion, threatening the king with death, and forcing him to compromise. Why? Just for the so-called justice of a mere Western Desert squire? "
At that moment, Thales raised his head abruptly!
But Miranda did not dodge. She stared back at Thales, as if she was the one in charge of the conversation.
'Leading the rebellion, threatening the king with death, Western Desert squire …
'Alright, maybe the news from that day can't be suppressed, but the details …'
"Madam Arunde," the duke said with a frown and a warning tone, "rumors are not to be trusted."
The sound of the guards changing shifts came from outside the window.
"Your Highness," Miranda's eyes were as sharp as knives, and she said tit for tat, "it's not enough to deceive yourself."
At that moment, the air in the study seemed to have frozen. One of them was sitting, and the other was standing. One of them had a gloomy expression, and her attitude was cold, while the other's gaze was sharp, and she pressed forward.
But just when the situation was extremely tense, Thales' gaze shifted.
"Cohen Karabeyan. “
He stared at Miranda.
"Did that guy tell you these things?"
Hearing this name, Miranda hesitated for a moment, then she snorted and shook her head, "Don't worry, Cohen fulfilled his promise and kept his mouth shut. He denied everything that he should deny."
Thales was stunned at first, then he understood and sighed.
"In other words, his denial is equivalent to admitting to everything that he should not have admitted to?"
Yes, something along the lines of "I didn't lend my sword to the prince, nor did I follow him into Renaissance Palace, and I'm not stupid enough to rebel, let alone see some brat threaten his father with suicide, and it has absolutely nothing to do with the previous royal banquet. So, Miranda, do you understand?"???????????
As for the rest, with Miranda's brain, it was not a problem to deduce the truth.
Miranda was silent for a while, as if she wanted to defend her friend, but in the end, she understood that it was useless. She could only sigh.
"We all know him."
Thales could only sigh softly.
"The next time we meet, I want to beat him up." The duke said helplessly.
"Then you have to queue up," Miranda pursed her lips. “
When she said this, Thales and Miranda could not help but look at each other and smile.
It seemed that this was one of the few areas where they could find common ground.
But this also made Thales sigh in his heart.
His desperate gamble in Renaissance Palace had a far greater impact than he imagined.
'No, if that's the case, I can't bring Miranda along when I'm in danger, together …'
Thales raised his head and became serious.
"You chose to join my team and pledge your loyalty to me, or as you said, to help me and support me. But do you know the price of doing so? "
Miranda chuckled softly.
"Of course." The daughter of the Arunde family spread her hands and looked around. "It's the same treatment you received after you were exiled by the king."
Thales closed his eyes gently.
'No, you don't know, girl.
You're far from it.
'"Whether you succeed or fail, if you're not careful and make the slightest mistake, you may be overturned by the warhorse and abandoned by the carriage.
'"Not only will you never be able to be crowned, you will also be surrounded by enemies everywhere you look. Even your life will be in danger."
Thales tried hard to shake off King Kessel's words and tried again.
"I understand your current predicament and indignation, and I'm honored that you chose me as your answer. But please believe me, it's not that I don't want to help you, it's just that … you have a better way out than Star Lake Castle."
But Miranda shook her head.
"I used to think that Broken Dragon Fortress was the way out.
"My best role model is there, isn't it? As long as I stay by Officer Sonia's side, learn her military strategy, inherit her reputation, shoulder her responsibilities, prove to the kingdom that I have the ability to wield the sword, prove that I am indispensable to ruling the Northern Territory, I can …
"But I was wrong."
Miranda lowered her head and looked at the letter stamped with the Nine-Pointed Star Seal. She smiled sarcastically.
"Officer Sonia can teach me everything on the battlefield, but there are always some things that she can't teach me."
She raised her head again and stared at the silent Thales.
"There are more things that I can't get on that battlefield."
Thales looked at her with a complicated gaze. He could sense her determination and determination at that moment.
But the more determined and determined she was, the more he felt that …
'"Those who are deceived by you and support you will gather into a rolling wave. They will use their reputation, stance, camp, interests, connections, situation, and everything else to force you to move forward. You will not be allowed to defend yourself, you will not be able to control them, and you will not be allowed to go back on your word."
The two of them sank into a long silence.
Then, Thales took a deep breath and broke the silence.
"I met Raphael in the Secret Intelligence Department not long ago."
Miranda trembled a little.
"He, hmm, although he doesn't admit it, he cares about you a lot."
'Can't even take a joke.'
When he thought of this, Thales could not help but smile.
But this smile was very pale.
It was just like Miranda's expression.
"Don't be like this, Your Highness," the swordswoman said slowly, but there was a hint of danger in her words. "First, it was my father, then it was that man.
"With our status, we should not play this kind of amateurish and sensational game."
But Thales ignored her.
"If Raphael were to see you right now, to see you bargaining with me, saying all sorts of … things."
"As a member of the Secret Intelligence Department and a tool loyal to Renaissance Palace, what would he think? Most importantly, what would he do when he finds out? "
Thales stared straight at her.
Miranda also stared at him quietly. Her gaze was frozen, and she sank into deep thought.
But when she spoke again, she became the calm, indifferent, and aloof swordswoman.
"Thales Jadestar.
"I realized that you are not as cute as you were when you were young."
Miranda stared at him coldly.
"So impulsive, so risky, so silly, so simple and direct."
Thales frowned. He had a feeling that his persuasion had failed again.
'Alright.
At least I was cute. '
"But there is one thing about you that has not changed, just like the others."
In the next moment, Miranda's gaze turned cold.
"When will you see me as an independent and complete 'person'?"
Thales, who was sighing, was stunned when he heard this.
"And not as someone's daughter, someone's friend, someone's lover, someone's wife, or someone's future mother?"
Thales stared at her blankly.
'A complete person …'
"If you can't even do this, Your Highness, why don't you just keep the most utilitarian and callous part of you?" Miranda snorted coldly. "See me only as a tool, a sword, and a chess piece."
When he heard this, Thales trembled slightly.
'These words are so familiar.'
"Let me do it, Your Majesty. Let me be your enemy … your spy, your chess piece, your bargaining chip … your sword. "
Utilitarian.
Callous.
"At least that will make both of us feel better," Miranda finished her words coldly. "Instead of putting on a hypocritical show of 'I see you as a friend' and 'for your own good'."
'For your own good.'
Thales clenched his teeth.
She was very determined.
The voice in his heart rose.
'She won't give up.
'In other words, she asked for it, and it has nothing to do with anyone else, right?'
Thales subconsciously clenched his fists, his fingertips touching the scar on his palm.
'And you have to do this.
Like she said, keep the most utilitarian and callous part. '
The voice in his heart reminded him,
'Compared to your pitiful' friendship 'with her, think about King Kessel, think about the covenant you made with him.
Think about the path you want to take, think about what kind of chaotic future Constellation will usher in if you don't intervene and let the Iron Hand King do whatever he wants.
'Conflict, contradiction, war. How much will it cost, how much blood, how many families will be destroyed?
'And she's right. She will become a good sword, a good chess piece —'
In the next second, Thales suddenly opened his eyes!
"Very good!"
The look in his eyes was cold and dark. The Sin of Hell's River flowed faster in his veins.
"Miranda Arunde, if you have thought through everything and are determined to serve me loyally, of course, I will welcome you with open arms."
Hearing that, Miranda slowly raised her head.
Her gaze was as sharp as a sword.
Thales' tone changed, as if winter had suddenly arrived.
"But you have to know, you are not the first person to come to me. The Duke of Star Lake's visitor list for the past few months is so thick that it can be used as toilet paper."
"With me, you can lock onto your enemy: the flag of the anti-king flies high, and anyone who gathers under it will fall into the trap and be caught in one fell swoop."
Thales' expression was cold, and his words were callous.
"If I take you in, accept you, allow you to join the Duke of Star Lake's team, allow you to share the halo and glory of the prince's vassal."
The duke narrowed his eyes and sized up the swordswoman in front of him.
"Then what benefits can I get?"
"I will give you unexpected help, help you see through them, disintegrate them, and finally destroy them."
Thales forced himself to laugh coldly and said in an unfamiliar tone,
"As you said, apart from the value of being a wife and mother, or what you asked for, a more utilitarian one is to satisfy lust and reproduce, and a more callous one is to be a body and womb …"
The prince's words were frivolous and presumptuous. Miranda subconsciously clenched her fists.
Thales bent down on the study table and rested his elbows on his knees. He felt the coldness that made him extremely uncomfortable, and the corners of his lips curled up.
"What else can you give me?"
A dark cloud floated across the sky and blocked the sun.
The ripples on the Star Lake dimmed, leaving behind only a deep darkness.
Miranda's expression became solemn.
"So, this is a deal?"
Thales crooked his finger.
"I took your suggestion and only kept the most utilitarian part."
With a heart full of discomfort, he brazenly sized up Miranda.
"Does this make you feel better, my dear Mira?"
'Mira.'
Miranda tensed up.
This is clearly a nickname that is intimate, but it sounds …
"Even Kohen does not dare to call me that," she said coldly.
Thales snorted, and his gaze immediately turned cold.
"So, I am not Kohen, but your master. If you want to stay, you better get used to it as soon as possible, Lady Mira."
Miranda stared at Thales and furrowed her brows tightly.
She was silent for a long time.
And Thales was also happy with the peace and quiet. He did not rush her.
A few seconds later, Miranda unclenched her fists and smiled unexpectedly.
"Very good, I like deals." The swordswoman licked her chapped lips, as if she was licking the blood of her prey. "It makes everything direct, simple, naked, and bloody."
Thales was stunned at first, but then he smiled as well.
"You know, I was thinking that if Raphael knew about our conversation right now," Thales shook his head and said sarcastically, "he would definitely kill me.
"Then, he, or anyone else, would have to step over my longsword first."
Miranda said coldly.
"Or a corpse."
The two people in the study looked at each other, as if they were swords clashing.
"This is the first benefit that my loyalty has brought you, Your Excellency."
Thales looked at her expression and was silent for a moment.
"Yes, your martial arts skills are not bad." The duke saw her raise her eyebrows and could not help but change his words. "In fact, they are quite good."
But he immediately sneered in disdain.
"But do not forget, the Star Lake Guards are elites carefully selected from the Royal Guards. Most of them have the title of royal knights, and they are all heroes."
Thales spoke as usual. His face was not red, and he was not out of breath.
"I do not lack elites under my command. There are people in Star Lake Castle who are on par with you, or even better than you."
(Somewhere in the castle, a guard captain sneezed violently. "This damn cat fur …")
Miranda did not answer, but her expression was solemn.
Thales straightened his back and sneered.
"And they can go through fire and water for me without hesitation. Even if they want to rebel, they will not even bat an eyelid."
Miranda swallowed hard.
Thales stared at his opponent, and the corners of his lips curled up slightly.
"My dear Mira, if you want to participate in the game …
"You have to pay more.
"More."
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