Thales was silent for a long time, with many thoughts in his mind. Some of them were memories of his adventures with Miranda in Longxiao City, and the other part was probably related to the "covenant" bone ring.
Finally, he sighed, turned away from Miranda's fiery eyes, stepped over the dead chair, and sat down on the desk.
If Aunt Valencia were here, she would probably scold the Duke again with a straight face for his indecent and unruly behavior.
But she's not here.
Fortunately she's not here.
"So, Ms. Allende, you came to me and asked for title, land, and power."
Thales sat on the desk, stroking the scar on the palm of his left hand in ecstasy.
Miranda did not move, but looked at the Duke of Star Lake who was immersed in his thoughts from a distance.
"I have to say it's really, wow, impressive."
Thales made up his mind and took a deep breath: "But it's a pity that I refuse."
"Weird." Miranda interrupted him.
Thales frowned and raised his head.
Just listen to the daughter of the Allende family speak softly:
"Isn't it natural for an heir to a ducal family to work hard for title, land and power, unwilling to be outdone by others?"
Thales couldn't help but frown and raised his eyes.
Miranda shook her head and said:
"Then why did you say 'impressive' when you arrived at my place? As if this was something rare and worthy of a special mention?"
Thales was stunned for a moment and did not react:
"What? No, I, I didn't think that."
Miranda sneered.
"If I were a male heir, would you still say: 'As the son of a duke, all you want is a title, land and power? Wow, that's really impressive!'"
Thales became more and more stunned.
But Miranda took a step forward and became aggressive:
"Why, is it that I or people like me don't deserve, are not suitable, cannot, or don't always have such ambitions to fight for power, and shouldn't have such an 'impressive' look, Duke Thales?"
What?
Thales, who was a little confused by her robbery, took a deep breath.
"Please don't get me wrong, Ms. Allende, I don't mean any harm," the young man tried to calm down the conversation, "I didn't mean to look down on you, it was just... a remark for the occasion."
This time, Miranda stared at him for a long time, as if she wanted to pluck out his thoughts behind his eyes. She only turned her eyes away when Thales was embarrassed and couldn't help coughing to remind him.
"I know."
Miranda's voice dropped and was no longer aggressive.
"I know you mean no harm, Your Highness."
In the feedback from hell's senses, Thales vaguely felt that she was a little more gloomy and depressed at this moment.
"At best, you are just indifferent. It's just a habit. You just don't feel any difference. You just think it is a normal statement. You may even think that I am too sensitive."
Miranda looked quietly at the Xinghu Lake, which was blown by the warm summer wind and was lazily numb and rippled:
"But that's the problem."
The cold light in her eyes slowly solidified:
"That's why I have to come here."
After the words fell, Thales looked confused.
But for some reason, when he looked at Miranda's profile, he felt that the study at the moment was eerily quiet.
"Ms. Arend, I really am not..."
Thales wanted to explain something more, but he paused and changed his words:
"I'm sorry, madam. If I said something wrong or expressed the wrong attitude in some places that I didn't realize, then I apologize to you, really."
Miranda was silent like a statue for a long time, and then slowly turned around.
She raised her lips to Thales and smiled slightly.
That smile was so natural and bright that even the sunlight behind her couldn't hide it.
This made Thales a little confused.
She is beautiful, isn't she? In the bottom of his heart, a voice whispered to him that her smile was like the first bud that sprouted against the morning sun on the top of the snow peak when the snow melted in early spring.
But this feeling is fleeting.
Just like that smile, fragile and fragile.
"To be fair, you shouldn't have been the one to apologize."
The female swordsman became expressionless again, as if she had never smiled before, which brought Thales back to reality:
"But to be fair, I accept your apology."
Thales was stunned again.
The Duke came to his senses and coughed quickly to change the subject:
"So, madam, you want to join me and go on tour with me in the south, so that everyone can see that you have joined the team and stood under the command of the Duke of Star Lake, the future king, so as to accumulate qualifications and reputation for yourself to invest in the future?
"
Miranda thought for a moment and crossed her arms.
"No, it's not to join you," she gently raised her index finger and pointed at Thales, "but to help you."
Thales frowned.
"As your supporter," Miranda said with bright eyes, "not as your dependent."
Not to join, but to help.
Not dependence, but support.
After pondering the other party's words, Thales also crossed his arms with a serious face.
After a few seconds, he took a deep breath.
"Dear Ms. Allende."
Thales's voice was a little hoarse: "You know, after Longxiao City, I didn't have much contact with you."
"It's not that there aren't many, it's that we haven't contacted her at all." Miranda suddenly said.
Thales suddenly choked.
Miranda sneered:
"In contrast, I have seen Wyatt at least a few times in the past seven years. Yes, that Wyatt. Although I don't know how many Wyatts there are here, or whether everyone is Wyatt."
It would be great if Aunt Valencia were here. Pay attention to your court etiquette, child, and when His Highness the Duke speaks, just shut up. She will definitely say so.
By the way, I waved the pointer in my hand.
"All right."
Thales suppressed his displeasure at being interrupted and continued:
"This may sound a little hypocritical, but, madam, I cherish the experience of Dragon Blood Night very much. I have always regarded you as an old friend and a comrade who once lived and died together."
Miranda nodded lightly:
"There is indeed some hypocrisy."
Thales sighed, thinking that this girl should have a good communication with Mallos.
"So I'm not going to lie: what you just said, ma'am, is not a good idea for a while."
Miranda's eyes 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, making Miranda frown.
"You said you wanted to go to the south with me, but," the Duke exhaled, pinched the bone ring in his pocket, and sighed, "you don't understand, you think I have your answer here, that you can win back your love here.
Northern Territory, thought I could regain what the family had lost for you, but you"
Thales' words were choked here.
But you are wrong.
Deep in his heart, a voice slowly said what he wanted to say but didn't say:
You will only fall into a sinister trap carefully laid out by the king and built by me myself, and become a self-righteous but involuntary pawn, falling deeper and deeper step by step until you become the next victim.
Just like your father.
just like me.
Thales closed his eyes.
[Under the witness of Gortaksa...you will help me advance the kingdom...remove obstacles, break shackles, and do whatever it takes to do so.]
He could not refuse the king.
But he didn't want to hurt her.
Former friends.
Even if this is just self-deception.
"Your Highness?"
Miranda asked doubtfully: "What are you going to say?"
Thales came back to his senses.
"Feel sorry."
He opened his eyes and became coherent again:
"Actually, ma'am, I met your father not long ago."
Sure enough, Miranda's expression changed slightly at this moment.
Thales tried his best to make his voice sound more sincere: "Lord Val has asked me to do something. He doesn't want you to get involved too much...about 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 just obeyed him obediently and did whatever he said, becoming a treasonous prisoner's puppet outside the prison and an obedient pawn?"
She seemed to have seen through everything and looked at Thales provocatively:
"He doesn't allow you to fuck me, so you don't dare to fuck me? You can only lock the iron chastity belt yourself, and you don't even dare to go to the toilet?"
Hold.
Thales had a thought in his heart.
How should he answer this?
You've been under the Flower of the Fortress for so long, and she hasn't taught you anything good?
In comparison, Raphael and Cohen, who both came out of the Tower of End, are so cute.
His Highness the Duke had to take a deep breath and reorganize the logic of persuasion:
"I mean, you, Miranda Arend, you are the eldest daughter of the Duke of the North, the heir to Cold Castle, with extraordinary status, important connections, and involvement of all parties. On the night of Dragon Blood seven years ago,
We accidentally neglected this point and learned a bloody lesson.”
Miranda frowned.
"Therefore, whether you can serve under me is not something that Sonia and I can decide. And my father, Your Majesty, he"
"He's a complete bastard." Miranda interrupted him again.
Only this time...
ah?
Thales was startled when he heard this, and then he was shocked.
What?
Who is the asshole?
Miranda sneered, speaking without any scruples:
"Isn't it? As a father, he treats you as a bargaining chip for deception, a breeding pig whose sperm is retained and matched. For this reason, he can ignore your wishes and ignore your safety. He can easily pick up your penis and show it to the entire kingdom.
Show off, as long as it can bring the slightest benefit, whether it is seven years ago or seven years later."
She picked up the greeting letter and threw it on the table with a snap.
The sunset.
Thales took a deep breath.
If Aunt Valencia were here... No, it's a good thing she's not.
Regardless of his identity or position, Thales could only keep a straight face and say nothing at this moment.
“而你无论被揍得多惨,都还只能乖乖为他说好话‘父爱如山,打完有糖.’”米兰达讽刺道.
Thales took a deep breath.
Damn it.
He also thought that he was already the person in this country who dared to scold the Iron Fist King the most.
result……
"For the sake of the past, I have the right to pretend that I didn't hear these words."
Thales spoke in a deep voice without looking at the other party.
"And you, Ms. Allende, maybe you should be polite, behave yourself, and maintain due respect for His Majesty the King."
Miranda shook her head and sneered.
She glanced sideways at Thales, as if seeing the most impossible thing.
"What about you, as the king's son, Thales Shining Star, why don't you observe the proper etiquette and maintain your due respect?"
Thales was startled.
"On the contrary, you are unscrupulous, impulsive and reckless, breaking into the palace without permission, leading the rebellion, threatening the king with death, and forcing him to compromise. Why? Just for the so-called justice of a mere squire in the Western Wasteland?"
At that moment, Thales raised his head suddenly!
But Miranda did not dodge and looked back at Thales, as if she was the leader of the conversation.
Leading the rebellion and threatening each other with death, the squire of the Western Wilderness...
Okay, maybe the news of that day was indeed overwhelming, but the details here...
"Ms. Allende," the Duke frowned and said with a warning, "the rumors are not trustworthy."
The sound of the guard changing could be heard outside the window.
"Your Highness Thales," Miranda's eyebrows were like daggers, tit for tat, "It's not worthwhile to deceive yourself."
At this moment, the air in the study seemed to have solidified. The two of them were sitting and standing, one with a face as cold as water and a cold attitude, while the other with sharp eyes was approaching step by step.
But just when the situation was tense to the extreme, Thales' eyes moved.
“Cohen Karabyan.”
He stared closely at Miranda:
"Did that guy tell you these things?"
Hearing the name, Miranda hesitated for a while, then hummed and shook her head: "Don't worry, Cohen kept his promise and kept his mouth shut. He denied everything that should be denied."
Thales was startled for a moment, then understood and sighed:
"In other words, his denial is equivalent to admitting everything that should not be admitted?"
Yes, something like "I didn't lend the sword to His Highness the Prince, nor did I follow him into the Fuxing Palace. I would never be stupid enough to rebel, let alone threaten him with suicide when I saw some kid.
"Dad, and it has absolutely nothing to do with the previous royal banquet, so Miranda, do you understand?"
As for the rest, based on Miranda's brain, it is not a problem to deduce the truth.
Miranda was silent for a while, as if she wanted to defend her friend, but she finally realized that it was of no use and could only sigh:
"We all know him."
Thales could only sigh softly.
"Next time we meet, I'm going to beat him up." The Duke said helplessly.
"Then you have to line up," Miranda pouted, "First come, first served."
As soon as these words came out, Thales and Miranda couldn't help but look at each other and smile.
This seems to be one of the few areas where they can find common ground.
But this also made Thales sigh in his heart:
His desperate move in the Fuxing Palace had a far greater impact than imagined.
No, in this case, he can't take Miranda with him when he is in danger, together...
Thales raised his head and became serious.
"You choose to join my team and pledge your personal allegiance to me, or as you say, help me and support me. But do you know the cost of doing so?"
Miranda smiled softly.
"Of course," the daughter of the Arend family spread her hands and looked around, "just like the treatment you received after being exiled by the king."
Thales closed his eyes gently.
No, you don't know, girl.
You never know.
[Whether you succeed or fail, if you are careless or make the slightest mistake, you may be overturned by the horse or abandoned by the driver.]
[Not only is he unable to win the crown forever, but he is also surrounded by enemies and enemies everywhere. Even his family and life are in danger. 】
Thales tried hard to shake off King Kessel's words, and then tried harder:
"I understand your current predicament and reluctance, and I'm honored that you chose me as the answer, but please believe me, it's not that I don't want to help you, it's just that... besides Star Lake Castle, you have a better way out."
But Miranda shook her head.
"I thought Dragon Broken Fortress was the way out."
"There is my best role model there, isn't it? As long as I am by Commander Sonia's side, I can learn her military strategy, inherit her reputation, assume her responsibilities, and prove to the kingdom my ability to hold a sword and my ability to rule.
The North is indispensable, I can..."
"But I was wrong."
Miranda lowered her head, looked at the letter stamped with the nine-pointed star, and smiled sarcastically:
"Sir Sonia can teach me everything on the battlefield, but there are always some things she can't teach."
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 complicated eyes, feeling her firmness and determination at this moment.
But the more determined and decisive she became, the more he felt...
[Those who have been deceived by you and support you will form a rolling wave, using their reputation, position, camp, interests, relationships, situations, and everything to coerce you forward. You will not be allowed to defend, you will not be able to control, and you will not be allowed to regret it.
】
The two fell into a long silence.
Until Thales took a deep breath and broke the silence:
"I just met Raphael in the secret department not long ago."
Miranda shuddered slightly.
"He, well, although he won't admit it, he cares about you very much."
Can't even make a joke.
Thinking of this, Thales couldn't help but smile.
But this smile is very pale.
Just like Miranda's face.
"Don't be like this, Your Highness," the female swordsman said slowly, but there was a hint of danger in her words, "First my father, then that man."
"With our status, we should not play such amateur sensational tricks."
But Thales ignored her.
"If Raphael sees you now and sees you bargaining with me here, you will be talking about... things."
"As a member of the Secret Service, as a tool loyal to the Fuxing Palace, what would he think? The most important thing is, what will he do after he finds out?"
Thales looked straight at each other.
Miranda also looked at him quietly, her eyes glazed over, deep in thought.
But when she spoke again, she turned back into the cold, cold, and reclusive female swordsman.
"Tiles Bright Star."
"I found that you are not as cute as you were when you were a child."
Miranda stared at him coldly:
"So impulsive, so adventurous, so silly, so simple and direct."
Thales frowned, feeling that his persuasion failed again.
All right.
At least I was cute.
"But one thing is, you haven't changed like everyone else."
The next moment, Miranda's eyes turned cold:
"When will you be able to see me as an independent and complete 'person'?"
Thales, who was sighing, was startled when he heard this.
"Rather than someone's daughter, someone's friend, someone's lover, someone's wife, or someone's future mother?"
Thales looked at her blankly.
The whole person…
"If you can't even do this, Your Highness, then you might as well just keep the most utilitarian and ruthless part," Miranda snorted coldly, "just treat me as a tool, a sharp sword, a sword.
piece."
Hearing this, Thales trembled slightly.
These words are so familiar.
[Let me come forward, Your Majesty. Let me be your enemy...your spy, your chess piece, your bargaining chip...your sword.]
Utilitarian.
Cold.
"At least that will make both of us feel better," Miranda finished her words coldly, "instead of just acting out some hypocritical drama of 'I treat you as a friend' and 'for your own good.'"
For your own good.
Thales gritted his teeth.
She is very determined.
The voice in my heart sounded:
She won't give up.
In other words, she asked for it, just like anyone else, right?
Thales clenched his fists subconsciously, and his fingertips touched the scar on his palm.
And you must do it.
Like she said, leave the most utilitarian and cold parts.
The voice in his heart reminded him:
Compared to your pitiful "friendship" with her, think of King Kessel and the covenant you made with him.
Think about the path you envision to take, and think about the chaotic future that the stars will usher in if you don't intervene and allow the Iron-Fisted King to do whatever he wants:
Conflict, contradiction, and war, how much will it cost, how much blood will be shed, and how many families will be destroyed?
And she was right, she would make a good sword and a good chess piece
The next second, Thales suddenly opened his eyes!
"very good!"
The look in his eyes was cold and dark, and the sin of the river of hell was flowing faster in his veins.
"Miranda Allende, if you have thought everything through and are determined to be loyal to me and serve me, of course you can, and I will even welcome you."
Miranda slowly raised her head after hearing this.
His gaze is as sharp as a sword.
Thales changed the subject, as if the cold winter was approaching:
"But you have to know that you are not the first person to come to me. Duke Xinghu's visitor list in the past few months is so thick that it can be used as toilet paper."
[With me, you can target your enemies: the anti-king flag is flying high, and everyone who gathers under it will be caught in a trap and caught in one fell swoop.]
Thales had a cold face and cold words.
"If I take you in and accept you, I will allow you to join the Duke of Star Lake's team and share the aura and glory of the prince's ministers."
The Duke narrowed his eyes and looked at the female swordsman in front of him:
"Then what benefit do I get?"
[I will give you unexpected and huge help to help you see through them, disintegrate them, and ultimately destroy them.]
Thales forced himself to laugh coldly and said in an unfamiliar tone:
"As you said, as a wife and mother or what you ask for, the utilitarian one is sexual release and reproduction, while the coldest one is besides the value of the vagina and uterus..."
The prince's words were frivolous and presumptuous, and Miranda clenched her fists subconsciously.
Thales leaned down on the desk, resting his elbows on his knees. Feeling the coldness that made him extremely uncomfortable, he curved his mouth in an arc:
"What else can you give me?"
A dark cloud drifted across the sky, just covering the sun.
The waves on the Star Lake dimmed, leaving only a deep darkness.
Miranda looked solemn.
"So, this is a deal?"
Thales curled his fingers.
"I adopted your suggestion and kept only the most utilitarian part."
Full of discomfort, he looked at Miranda unscrupulously:
"Does this make you feel better, dear Mira?"
Mira.
Miranda was nervous.
This is obviously a nickname of intimacy, but it sounds...
"Cohen doesn't even dare to call me that," she said coldly.
Thales smiled, then his eyes turned cold.
"So I am not Cohen, but your master. If you want to stay, you'd better get used to it early, Miss Mira."
Miranda looked at Thales like this and frowned.
She was silent for a long time.
And Thales was happy to be quiet and didn't rush.
After a few seconds, Miranda unclenched her fist and smiled unexpectedly.
"Very good, I like trading," the female swordsman licked her chapped lips, as if licking the blood of her prey, "making everything direct, simple, naked, and bloody."
Thales was startled at first, but then he smiled.
"You know, I'm thinking that if Raphael knew what we were talking about right now," Thales shook his head and sarcastically said, "he would definitely kill me."
"Then he, or anyone else, must step past my sword first."
Miranda said coldly:
"Or a corpse."
The two people in the study looked at each other, as if swords were clashing:
"This is the first benefit that my allegiance brings to you, Your Majesty the Duke."
Thales looked at her expression and fell silent for a moment.
"Yes, you are good at martial arts," the Duke saw her raising his eyebrows and couldn't help but change his words, "In fact, you are quite good."
But he immediately disdained and sneered.
"But don't forget: the Star Lake Guards are all 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, without blushing or out of breath:
"I have no shortage of experts under my command. There are many people in Xinghu Castle who can be evenly matched with you, or even better."
(Somewhere in the castle, a certain guard captain sneezed hard: "This damn cat hair...")
Miranda didn't answer, but her face was solemn.
Thales straightened up and added with a sneer:
"And they will go through fire and water for me without hesitation. Even if they want to raise a flag for rebellion, they won't even blink an eyelid."
Miranda swallowed.
Thales stared at his opponent closely and raised the corner of his mouth slightly:
"My dear Mira, I want to participate in the game..."