"The Grand Duchess's hearing will last until the sun goes down. You can go there in the afternoon. I will send someone to tell Viscount Lesden."
In the bedroom on the second floor, Thales glanced at the noon sun, twisted a handful of wet towels from the basin, wiped his head and face, and said to Putilai who was sitting behind him.
Seeing that the second prince's back was much wider and taller than six years ago, the silent Putilai touched the wrinkles on his face and watched the flame in the pipe slowly extinguish.
It's hard to imagine that this is the skinny boy who couldn't even ride a horse six years ago.
The boy who gritted his teeth and broke into the Palace of Heroes.
Thales put the towel on his face and exhaled a long breath: "Believe me, she will not be in a good mood every time her government ends. The same goes for the Regent of Lisban: If I were you, I wouldn't be too happy.
If you leave early, you are asking for bad luck."
Putilai started filling the tobacco again and hummed softly: "I guess the Grand Duchess Walton is still not on the list of approvals of many Northlanders, is she?"
Thales raised his eyebrows: "Approved?"
Thinking of what he had seen and heard in the past six years, he couldn't help but shrugged.
"Just persuading the direct vassals of Longxiao City to salute the new Grand Duchess at the funeral of King Nun almost exhausted Lisban's popularity and prestige in his more than 20 years as prime minister. This was even among the kings included.
With five Grand Dukes endorsing her."
Thales thought of that weird funeral: King Nun, whose eyelids were covered with gold coins, was lying quietly in the center of the Hall of Heroes with a sword in his arms. The sutures on his neck were tightly covered by his collar, and the vassals
They walked forward slowly with shock and depression, glanced at the newly appointed young lord in disbelief, and then looked at the livid Lisban beside him with anger and incomprehension, as if the latter had betrayed them.
The prince snorted softly, threw the towel into the basin, walked to the single compartment, unbuttoned the buttons and ties of his underwear, and sighed: "As the Grand Duchess of Longxiao City, she has spent the past six years
The situation can be imagined.”
Outside the cubicle, Putilai stood up and nodded thoughtfully.
"In contrast, as a hostage prince in the heart of an enemy country..." The former Deputy Ambassador of Stars walked to the window and glanced at the guards everywhere in the backyard: "At least they take you seriously."
"If you are referring to the densely packed palace guards and Grand Duke's personal guards from the corridor to the roof of the hall, from the balcony to the courtyard..." Thales took off his underwear and inadvertently touched the circular burn scar on his chest with his fingers.
It can't help but trigger a memory from the past.
He sighed, picked up a new undershirt and put it on.
"Let me put it this way, after Nunn was assassinated six years ago, that dead-faced Nikolai became more and more neurotic. He wished he could turn the Palace of Heroes into a prison with no access to traffic, or a military camp patrolled day and night."
While putting on his clothes, Thales said helplessly: "No matter where I go, they will probably turn the place upside down three days in advance."
Putilai looked at the guards standing in the corridor and nodded gently: "I'm glad to hear that the Fallen Stars are so responsible."
"When you see his appearance, you won't think so. People before you were very angry with him." Thales in the cubicle put on his blouse and grabbed the complicated belt hanging on the wall.
The j dagger above made him frown slightly again:
"Viscount Conney's mission was the time when the horse was sent from China. Nicolai almost cut the horse into pieces, sewed them up and gave them back to me."
Thales expertly wrapped the belt around him, buttoned the four buttons, and sat down to put on his boots.
Putilai turned back from the window and blew out a smoke ring without any scruples.
The prince's desk was filled with books, some half-opened, some with bookmarks, and many notes.
Three sheathed swords were neatly placed on the sword stand on the side, and two shields were stacked against the sword stand.
Putilai raised the corners of his mouth.
His eyes shifted to Thales' bed, where the bedding and pillows were as clean as new.
Probably because it needs to be washed frequently... Putilai thought.
But his eyes moved to the corner of the wall not far from the bed. Ordinary people may not notice it, but the keen Putilai discovered that this corner was more bright and shiny than the wall next to it.
It just fits the area where a person can lie in the corner.
Putilai narrowed his eyes.
After a few seconds, he sighed silently.
"Your Highness," Putilai's mood calmed down inexplicably and his tone was serious: "How have you been in the past few years?"
The sound in the cubicle paused for a few tenths of a second.
It's as if the person in the cubicle is thinking about the answer.
"Ha," the prince's breath came, sounding nonchalant, "regular work and rest time, magnificent scenery of the North, safety guards with you, no need to worry about life danger, no need to face old and cunning enemies..."
"The only thing we need to worry about is a little girl and her female officials, plus a dead face and a bad old man as the regent..."
In the cubicle, Thales tied up his bootlaces, his breathing slowed down, and his face became calm: "Why not?"
why not?
Putilai said nothing.
"but……"
A few seconds later, Thales, who had finished dressing up, opened the door of the cubicle and walked into the bedroom.
He raised his head, looked at Putilai at the desk, and said sincerely: "It's still nice to see you, Putilai."
"In Longxiao City, you don't get to see old friends every day."
Especially those who are going through hardships together.
Thales added in his heart.
He picked up a half-sword from the sword stand, tested the weight, and then inserted it into his belt.
"I really want to say that I am too, Your Highness," Putilai smiled: "But you know, I am not used to dialogue that is too sensational."
Thales sneered when he heard this.
"So, where have you been for the past six years?" The young prince stood in front of the full-length mirror and tugged on his collar casually: "I thought at the time that you would stay with me in Longxiao City as the designated one by Gilbert.
Teacher."
Putilai bit his pipe, tilted his mouth and snorted softly.
"Speaking of instructors, I heard that you have brought a lot of trouble to the teachers in Longxiao City?" He said calmly, seemingly not hearing Thales's question.
Thales blinked and did not continue to ask about his whereabouts in the past six years.
"First of all, I'm not very used to being taught by many people, and I'm an outspoken person." He shook his hair and felt that it was almost done. "Secondly, I don't think that is the education that a leading prince should have..."
Thales's voice became softer unconsciously.
Putilai blew out his pipe: "What?"
The young prince shook his head and cleared the scenes of several classes in his mind: "It's nothing, just think that I don't like them."
Putilai looked at his appearance and chuckled.
"As for your education, the country is also very troubled," the thin Lord said calmly: "Therefore, I came here this time and hired a teacher specially for you."
"Hire a teacher?" Thales frowned slightly: "I thought you wanted to teach me yourself?"
"I will only teach you to be a gloomy prince full of intrigues," Putilai laughed: "At most, I can teach you to sing a few colored bards. Gilbert will probably kill me."
Thales laughed dryly after him, and then his face darkened.
"You should know that King Charman does not allow Star People to come to teach me."
Thales sighed slightly: "He refused to let any star people interfere with the education of the star prince."
The prince recalled the scene where he and the girl received education from the nobles of the North.
The Exters, they teach Common Tongue with a Northern accent and even Orcish. They also teach the history and traditions of the Northern Territory, and recite the importance of the Thirty-Eight Watchtowers and the dangers of Broken Dragon Fortress, but they do not teach ancient imperial literature.
He didn’t teach the history of the empire, the past of the stars, or even the Elvish language and aristocratic rhetoric that Gilbert gave him in the Mindis Hall.
Thales shook his head helplessly.
Fortunately, it is quite convenient to practice sparring with the fierce Northland warriors and hone the Northland military swordsmanship.
"Please don't worry."
"That bachelor comes from the Dragon Kiss College in the Principality of Anrenzo. He is highly respected and famous." Putilai seemed to have predicted what he was going to say, and blew out another smoke ring nonchalantly: "He will arrive a few days late, and he will arrive at the same time.
There will be lessons for you and the Grand Duchess: and the Regent of Lisban will only express surprise at his arrival."
Thales paused slightly, with doubts in his eyes: "Dragon Kiss Academy? Highly respected?"
Putilai stretched out his pipe and nonchalantly smashed the tobacco on the window sill under the prince's brow, which was about to kill the mosquito.
"When he was young, he used to be Gilbert and I's tutor," Putilai said with emotion: "Gilbert and I spent a lot of effort to persuade him."
Putilai and Gilbert's...teacher?
Thales thought about the former foreign minister whom he had not seen for many years, and his curiosity became more and more intense.
"who is it?"
"You will know," Putilai said calmly: "Before, please forgive me for keeping some surprises for you."
surprise?
Thales raised his eyebrows in a direction he couldn't see.
"So, Putilai."
The second prince narrowed his eyes:
"You came here this time just to solve my education problem?"
Putilai hummed with a playful expression and changed the subject: "Yes, otherwise, in six years, the heir to the Kingdom of Stars would have almost become a Northlander."
Thales rolled his eyes helplessly.
But at the next moment, Putilai's eyes suddenly glowed with a strange light.
"Your Highness Thales," Putilai knocked on his pipe with a thoughtful look on his face: "Have you been homesick for the past six years?"
Thales was stunned.
Home.
Abandoned House, Sunset Bar, Yara.
When he thought of "home", the first words that popped into his mind were these words.
Maybe...and Gilbert, Jinny, and Yodel?
Thales crossed his arms and sighed.
"I don't know," he forced a smile: "I haven't been in Xingchen for a long time, so my impression of it is very shallow."
Putilai looked at him quietly without saying a word.
Thales, who was originally a little sad, was confused by him.
"Very good," I saw Putilai looking deeply into his eyes: "Then it's time to strengthen it."
Thales was stunned.
After a few seconds, the prince understood something and sighed.
"Secret science?" Thales lowered his head and asked softly.
Putilai whistled softly: "What else?"
The prince's expression froze.
After a while, Thales snorted with a half-smile and lowered his face:
"I really don't know whether I should be happy or sad."
Thales took a deep breath, stood up suddenly, grabbed a book on the desk and said, "Let's go!"
Putilai was startled: "Ah? Where are you going?"
"Ah, didn't I tell you?" The prince turned his head and showed his white teeth: "I am used to it. Once a month, I go out of the palace to play chess."