"So, you deliberately angered Longxiao City this afternoon, letting everyone see your rudeness," Thelma frowned: "Are you preparing for this step?"
Ian blinked happily.
The Grand Duchess was thoughtful: "Proposal, is this feasible?"
"I'm still saying the same thing, if you marry someone else," Ian glanced at Thales intentionally or unintentionally, and patted him on the shoulder: "Then what will 'we' do?"
Thales felt that Selma's eyes glanced at him from time to time.
That look was the helpless look that the little girl had cast towards him hastily in the library, in the Hall of Heroes, in the Shield Area, in the cell, in front of the five Grand Dukes.
Thales is both reassuringly familiar and embarrassingly unfamiliar.
but……
[But, Thales Bright Star, what am I to you? 】
He could only continue to maintain his serious face and not respond.
After the Grand Duchess, Ian also set his sights on Thales.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
It seems like a century has passed.
Thelma still stared closely at Thales.
"What's wrong with you guys?" Ian, who finally couldn't bear the atmosphere, put on a puzzled expression, raised his hands and shook them: "Or... shouldn't I leave?"
Under the pressure from the two of them, the prince finally relaxed.
He gave a faint smile and nodded slightly to the Grand Duchess.
"Sooner or later you will have to face this storm," Thales said softly, "You are the Grand Duchess."
"This has to be you, your own decision."
"Become who you want to be."
Thelma paused slightly.
After listening to the prince's words, she lowered her head and fell into deep thought.
Ian on the other side frowned and his eyes moved back and forth between the two of them.
After a few seconds, Thelma looked up.
She looked at Ian, as if she had made up her mind, and spoke decisively:
"What do you need?"
At that moment, as if a floodgate had been opened, Thales let out a breath.
Ian showed a satisfied smile.
"We need an occasion where all your vassals, I mean powerful vassals with fiefdoms, military strength, and ambition, can all attend."
Ian mused: "The sooner the better, so as not to give them a chance to make arrangements and not give the Black Sand Leader time to counterattack."
"We will be there to cut your ropes and break your chains."
"the same as you."
Thelma only pondered for a few seconds and then spoke quickly.
"The hearing day is still half a month away," she replied simply and neatly: "But I will discuss it with Charles, and we should be able to mention it in a few days. Under normal circumstances, the earls send officials to attend, but I can
Send a letter and invite them to discuss sending troops."
This was the first time that Thales had seen such a resolute side of Thelma.
It surprised him.
"So," Ian's eyes showed a strange color, and he tilted his head slightly: "We have reached an agreement?"
"Madam...oh no, Her Excellency the Grand Duchess of Longxiao City?"
Thelma looked at him and nodded slowly: "Of course, His Excellency the Viscount of Qiyuan City."
Thales curled his lips and felt a strange feeling welling up in his heart.
It's like he's lost something.
"Very good." Ian put away his expression and stood up slowly.
At that moment, Thales had an illusion: His Excellency the Viscount's temperament began to slowly change.
Ian raised his right hand, stretched it across the table, and pointed it into a palm.
"Ian Roney," at this moment, his expression showed neither unnecessary laughter nor deliberate seriousness, only pure indifference: "For our alliance."
Thales looked at him silently.
Looking at Ian with an indifferent expression.
Maybe.
This is the real him.
The real Ian Roney.
The Grand Duchess took a deep breath, stood up with a stiff face, and stretched out her palm towards Ian.
"Thelma Walton," the girl said coldly, "for our goal."
But when her palm was about to touch Ian, it stopped mid-air.
Ian was slightly startled.
Selma slowly turned her head and looked at the only person left in the field.
That foreign prince with a complicated expression.
Ian reacted, smiled suddenly, and looked at Thales.
Now it was Thales' turn to raise his eyebrows.
"Do I want it too?" he asked in astonishment.
"You are a witness to this covenant, Thales, don't underestimate yourself," Ian chuckled: "Or do you want to be an outsider who listened to the whole conspiracy but remained indifferent?"
Thelma looked at the prince expressionlessly. Although her eyes were complicated, she didn't leave for a moment.
Thales sighed and stood up helplessly.
"Tiles Bright Star," the prince followed the actions of the five grand dukes in his memory to swear an alliance, stretched out his right hand, and subconsciously closed the palm of Thelma opposite him: "For..."
He pondered for a moment before saying in a cold voice: "For our common enemy."
Ian looked at the two clasped palms and raised an eyebrow.
He sighed and shrugged, and closed the back of Taylor's hand from the outside.
The three palms were clenched together and shook vigorously in the air.
The covenant is reached.
"And you also have to attend, Thales. It can't be just us and Longxiao City. There must be outsiders with sufficient status to witness it, putting considerable pressure on them." Ian let go of his hand and gestured towards the south.
: "But inviting the Black Sand Leader is obviously a bad idea."
Thales frowned: "Do you need anything else?"
"No, the faster, the shorter, and the simpler," Ian pursed his lips, seeming a little uneasy: "The greater our winning rate."
But after a few seconds, the serious Ian showed his true colors and replied with a smile:
"Of course, or our Star Prince can also write a letter and ask the Star Kingdom to send troops from the Western Wasteland, cross the Great Desert, and attack the Freedom Alliance from the south?"
"And we are under attack from the east and south," Ian laughed, and picked up another piece of cheese, which lightened the atmosphere a lot: "It won't even take two months for the war to be over."
Thales rolled his eyes.
Yes, then I will be in trouble with Exeter as a hostage. Guess, will Lombard publicly order the execution or just hire an assassin?
"I think, compared to the stars," the prince said angrily, "you should ask for help from the orcs in the desert. This is more realistic."
Ian muttered and began to fight against the cheese.
Selma, on the other hand, lowered her expression: "What are our chances?"
Ian shook his head and said vaguely: "Let's see how far we can go."
He didn't even look here, his eyes focused on the food in his hands, and his cheeks moved back and forth from chewing, but the words he said made people startled: "As I said, we are writing our own legend.
"
"It is a pleasure to speak with you, ma'am, your highness."
Ian swallowed the last bite of cheese, turned around without hesitation, and walked out of the dining room without any courtesy.
Thales was left thoughtful.
And the inexplicable Selma.
The two of them sat in silence in the dining room.
Thelma sat down and remained silent, while Thales looked at her silently.
After a while, the girl suddenly said: "Proposal, right?"
"Did you know it from the beginning, or did you react later?"
Without anyone reminding me, the atmosphere instantly became awkward.
Thales exhaled and said awkwardly: "That's just a means, Thelma."
But the Grand Duchess immediately interrupted him.
"Do you believe him?" She looked out the door, not knowing her emotions.
Thales looked at the girl's profile and forced a smile.
"No."
"But I believe you."
Thelma's face moved slightly.
Thales walked to the window and looked out the window at the lights outside the Palace of Heroes.
Six years.
Longxiao City.
What exactly is this city to him?
The second prince closed his eyes, shut Longxiao City out of sight, and sighed:
"Promise me, Thelma."
"On the next political hearing, no matter what happens, don't do anything stupid."
Thelma was stunned: "What?"
"Don't worry about others, don't pay attention to others, don't have the slightest hesitation or hesitation."
"It's enough to just choose the path that suits you best and the Grand Duchess." Thales turned around with a face as cold as ice, as if he was about to face the most difficult test in the world: "I'll take care of the rest.
question."
Thelma looked at him and hesitated to speak.
But she finally closed her mouth and said nothing.
Thales forced a smile, nodded slightly, turned around, and walked out of the dining room.
Leave the girl behind.
Thales walked out of the corridor. He walked unblinkingly past the still cold and solemn eyes of Lady Jinx, past the pointing whispers of the maids, and past the malicious gazes of the guards.
Just like he had walked past them countless times in the past six years.
Until he was called when he was about to leave the palace gate.
"This afternoon, in the hall, I noticed the way they looked at you."
Thales frowned and turned back: Ian Ronnie was standing at the corner, calling him to stop him, and showing a fake smile to a guard who didn't seem to be easy to deal with.
The successor of Qiyuan City turned around and quickly followed Thales, leaving behind a guard like a knife in his eyes, and said with a smile: "I don't think she can protect you well, especially among these northerners."
Thales sighed slightly.
So you did do it on purpose, once again pushing me to the front of the stage to be scrutinized.
As they walked through the corridor, a pair of patrolling guards came towards them. They looked like they were headed by the Grand Duke's bodyguard. He narrowed his eyes and looked at the pair.
Ian shrugged slightly and whispered: "You know, Qiyuan City is the most remote territory of Exter, far away from the king's tentacles, and we are adjacent to the great desert."
Thales raised his eyebrows: "So?"
"So, if you are in Qiyuan City, you don't have to worry about the threat of the king. My father also welcomes you." Ian blinked: "And from us, as long as you cross the desert, you don't even have to pass through other Grand Dukes.
You can return to the Western Wilderness Territory of the Stars."
Thales paused lightly and shook his head helplessly in his mind.
yes.
But the premise is that Longxiao City and King Charman will allow me to leave.
And you are really kind enough to let me go, letting me go with a chess piece that can be used to threaten the Kingdom of Stars.
"If things go wrong," Ian raised his head and showed his signature uninhibited smile again: "Please remember, the climate in Qiyuan City is much better than here."
"I can't thank you enough," Thales said calmly, "I will keep it in mind."
The two of them walked side by side toward the palace gate and could already see Huaiya, Rolf, and several guards from Qiyuan City waiting at the door.
"Ian."
"You said you want to write your own legend," Thales asked softly, "What does that mean?"
Ian raised his head and rubbed his chin, seemingly aroused by this question.
"What's the meaning……"
He chuckled.
"The Ronnie family has not produced a king for more than three hundred years, and Longxiao City has just given up its monopoly on the throne."
"And Qiyuan City is always ignored by others," Ian turned his head and smiled, as if he was joking: "Maybe it's time to balance the distribution of power in Exeter, what do you think?"
Thales' eyes narrowed.
He heard what the other party meant and remembered the resolute warrior with long hair: "Grand Duke Ronnie, are you interested in competing for the throne?"
Ian shook his head.
"Ha," he lowered his head, flicked the Knight's Code emblem on his shoulder, and hid his eyes in a corner where Thales could not see: "Of course not."
Ian raised his head, his eyes filled with an incomprehensible light.
With a rhythmic tone, Ian spoke softly: "At least it's not him."
Thales stopped.
Still more than ten meters away from the palace gate, Huaiya bowed respectfully to him in the distance.
Ian also stopped and looked back at Thales as if he was leisurely.
The prince chuckled: "You know, you are facing Lumba, perhaps the most difficult king in the history of Exeter?"
Ian also laughed: "Yes, my father has to remind me once every meal how terrible the person under the crown is."
The two looked at each other.
"but."
"Since we want to write our own legend," Ian's smile slowly disappeared: "then we can't leave too much ink for the supporting characters."
Thales raised the corners of his mouth and shook his head helplessly.
"Are you sure he is a supporting actor?" The prince looked at Ian steadily: "Charmaine Lombard."
Ian put on an innocent expression and shrugged.
"have no idea."
"But I know that if I want to be the protagonist," the 19-year-old Viscount sighed, "he must be a supporting role."
The air seemed to freeze for a moment.
Thales looked at him with a complicated expression and nodded: "Yes."
Ian pouted: "Successful legends are all written like this, without exception."
The second prince of Xingchen and the heir of Qiyuan City looked at each other for several seconds.
The expressions on both of them gradually disappeared.
"Now I begin to believe it." The second prince slowly narrowed his eyes.
Ian raised his eyebrows and said in a bright tone: "What do you believe?"
"Ian Roney, there is no doubt about it," Thales exhaled a long breath with a slight sigh: