Place a bet.

gambling?

Facing Zhan and Thales who were looking at him together, Federico was covered in cold sweat and muttered to himself.

How come the topic is going...

Are you here?

"I know, cousin, I don't like this result either," Zhan said slowly, "but he is right about one thing: this is the option with the least loss for the three of us."

Thales nodded slightly and tried his best to get rid of the non-existent trap while taking a deep breath.

"The loss... is minimal?" Federico looked at Zhan En with piercing eyes like a captain retrieving his compass in the fog.

"When I was a kid, Father Fabre said in politics class: The triangle is the balance."

Zhan En picked up the tea cup, but did not taste it. He just rubbed the rim of the cup carefully:

"If one of the parties wants to lose less..."

"It means that the other two parties have suffered greater losses," Federico interrupted. He glanced at the silent Thales and said in a daze, "You forgot, I also took his class, and you...

"

"Before I went on a study tour to the East China Sea," the Duke of Nan'an showed a dangerous smile on his lips, "Fortunately, luckily you didn't forget."

Federico's expression changed slightly.

Triangle to balance...

Then the other two parties...

"What do you say, Feder?"

Thales looked at the Eternal Clock and checked today's schedule:

"Become a Viscount, or should I find another place for you?"

Federico looked at Thales, who looked tense, and then at the confident Zhan, and suddenly realized that he was the only person still standing in the study.

Abrupt and isolated.

Thinking of this, Federico's expression became even more ugly.

However, in just a few seconds, the exiled nobleman took a deep breath, calmed his expression, sat back in his seat with an upright posture, and thought seriously.

Rebalance the height in the study room.

Worthy of Kevin Deere.

Seeing Federico's determination to quickly adjust his mentality and return to calm thinking, Thales couldn't help but admire him secretly.

He is worthy of being the one who can bring down Zhan.

He is worthy of being a person who crawls back to the Emerald City for revenge even though he has been living in exile for more than ten years.

If he wasn't born this way...

Thinking of his past experience as hostage to Exeter, Thales stared at Federico at this moment, understood something, and nodded slowly.

A good opponent.

The voice in the young man's heart spoke out in approval:

I just don’t know if he is also a good ally?

Thales's heart sank.

"Don't worry, I don't mean to force you to put down your grudges and love each other." Thinking of this, Thales spoke again and tried to increase the pressure. "One day, you will have the opportunity to fight to the death again - then I will never

Don't interfere."

Maybe even happy to fan the flames.

The Kevin Deere brothers all frowned.

"After all," Thales sipped his tea and said again the words he once used to tease his opponent, "I am not a devil."

"That's true," Zhan said sarcastically while stroking the tea cup, "How can a devil be as cruel as you?"

"Thank you for the compliment." Thales was not angry and even took a sip of yerba mate.

Well, once you get used to drinking it, the bitter taste will fade away.

"But I have no chance of winning, right?"

Feder, who was deep in thought, looked in a trance:

"As I said before: back to the Emerald City, back to Kongming Palace, back to the home ground where he has been running and ruling for more than ten years, it will be difficult for me to defeat him - even with the support of His Highness."

A meal with a cup of Thales tea.

"Is this why you dare not place a bet?"

Zhan laughed at his cousin:

“When you come back in a rage to take revenge, aren’t there still ‘noble people to help you’?”

Help me...

Federico's expression changed slightly, but he didn't reply.

"I understand, Feder, this decision is not easy to make."

Thales observed his appearance, looked down at the schedule, and said gently:

"It doesn't matter, think about it slowly. You have plenty of time before the praise banquet."

"It's not necessary to figure it out." Zhan En added in a nonchalant manner.

"I suggest you shut up, Zhan," Thales turned to the Duke of South Bank and put away his good expression, "By the way, as a reward for you, from now on, you are free."

Federico frowned and turned to look at Zhan, who was also stunned.

"Reward? Freedom? Now? Even before the Tribute Feast?"

Zhan paused for a moment, then chuckled disdainfully:

"After word spreads, will people think that you decided that I won the case early on?"

Federico lowered his head and clenched his fists.

"Don't push yourself too far, Zhan." Thales said coldly, "I will still be the regent until the praise banquet. If you think the Emerald City is too big and want to go to jail in the royal capital, I will welcome you at any time."

Zhan En's smile faltered.

"The meeting has timed out. You can go out." Thales lowered his head and pretended to circle a few more meaningless circles on the already marked schedule. "I still have a lot of things to do today.

.”

"This is unreasonable."

Federico suddenly spoke, causing Thales and Zhan En to turn their heads.

"Your Highness, Zhan, you...the conversation just now, and the bet with Xini..."

Federico took a deep breath, seemed to have thought of something, and his expression kept changing:

"None of this makes sense."

Thales's eyebrows jumped.

"nonsense."

Zhan En said disgustedly:

"If there is a more reasonable way, who would be willing to accompany him and Xini and gamble with the Emerald City?"

"No!!"

Federico suddenly raised his head, excited:

"You, Zhan En, are the gambler who is in desperate need of a comeback, and His Highness is the dealer who has other plans. You have reached a compromise and joined forces to cheat. What you have to deal with is the owner of the gambling game - the banker!"

Thales and Zhan En had a meal together.

"But you shouldn't, shouldn't drag me, another gambler at the gambling table, into your gambling game so easily and hastily."

Federico looked ugly and shook his head slightly:

"Especially when this gambler entered the game, he was so close to the dealer - what if after hearing the plot, he not only refused to join in the cheating, but even went to inform the dealer?"

Feder picked up the tea cup and emphasized in a daze:

"This shouldn't be the case, and it's not common sense."

Thales squeezed the teacup with his fingers.

"Ask this guy," he pointed at Zhan and sighed: "He has to speak so straightforwardly."

Zhan En's expression remained unchanged.

"unless……"
To be continued...