Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 308 Collusion
Valhalla, the Grand Duchess's dining room.

"I need an explanation—about today's farce."

Selma stared at the two people in front of her with a grim expression: one of them had a calm expression, while the other had a half-smile on his face.

"Or you two can get out of Valhalla right now and find your own food and lodging."

The Grand Duchess said in a cold voice.

“Wow,” Ian Ronnie, the heir to the Grand Duke of Qiyuan City, leaned back in his most comfortable position, looking at the angry Grand Duchess with great interest. He turned to the pensive Thales and asked, “Is this what you meant by ‘she’s easy to talk to’?”

Thales took a deep breath.

Hmm, maybe it's because of that conversation.

But before he could speak, Selma's anger suddenly flared up.

“You, Your Excellency Ian Ronnie,” the Grand Duchess said coldly, “I remember you came here seeking help?”

"Hmm." Ian nodded lightly.

"Based on your rudeness, disrespect, ostentation, affectation, and rudeness?" Selma showed no mercy: "And your rare talent that humiliated and angered the entire Dragon Sky City on our first meeting?"

"Also, tonight's welcome banquet is canceled—because no one wants to attend unless I agree to let them challenge you to a duel at the banquet."

"They're quite enthusiastic, aren't they? Look, luckily I brought Monty along," the frivolous Viscount chuckled and snapped his fingers at the Grand Duchess who was coming to interrogate him. "Problem solved."

Seeing the other party's flippant attitude, Selma's expression turned even uglier.

"Enthusiasm? Do you know how ugly the scene was after you left, and how many nobles expressed their indignation to me?"

Thales swore that, with his keen hearing, he heard the Grand Duchess grinding her teeth behind her lips: "You'd be glad they disarmed them before they entered the palace."

“Ah,” Ian said nonchalantly, shrugging at Thales, “hypocritical, old-fashioned Northman.”

"With that kind of energy, why don't you go to Black Sand Territory and kill the king?"

Selma was furious. She took a breath and glared at the nonchalant Ian.

"Oh, so you also know that the envoys from Black Sand Territory are in the city, and that they will know everything that happened today and report it back to Black Sand City and to the King?"

"And do you know how many of the vassals of Dragon Sky City will change their attitude towards Qiyuan City and Black Sand Territory because of your actions today?"

Upon hearing the name Black Sand Territory, Ian's pupils immediately narrowed.

He nodded slowly from the back of the chair.

"That is a problem."

He turned to Thales, his eyes focused: "But we'll handle it, won't we?"

But Thales remained silent, his hands clenched tightly on the table, occasionally tapping his knuckles—a habit he had learned six years ago from the bald Grand Duke Lecco.

Selma seems to have had enough of arguing with the heir of Qiyuan City.

“Thales, you arranged this meeting,” the Grand Duchess adjusted her glasses, glaring disapprovingly at Thales, who appeared calm yet lost in thought.
"Say something!"

Ian gave a silent, strange laugh, mimicking Selma's angry expression, deliberately putting on a resentful look, and turned to Thales, shaking his head and mouthing silently: Say—something.

This caused Selma's anger to reach its peak:
"If all those coming to Qiyuan City for help are like you, then you can..."

“Selma”.

Thales spoke softly.

He raised his eyes and looked at Miss Selma across the table, her cheeks puffed out in anger.

"Calm down, you are a Grand Duchess, there's no need to get angry so easily."

Ah, it's this girl. A few days ago, she rejected his impulsive proposal here, saying she wanted to stay in Dragon City and face all the unknown dangers.

That little rascal.

He'll miss her, won't he?

Thales slowly curved the corners of his mouth into a smile, which appeared unconsciously.

Selma, who was already furious, felt somewhat embarrassed by his gaze.

She remembered the calming techniques Thales had taught her and took a few deep breaths.

“I…I think,” the girl unconsciously looked away, snorted, and glared at Ian, who was still chuckling to himself, but her tone was much gentler: “maybe we shouldn’t waste any more time.”

Ian raised his eyebrows, looked at the calm Thales, then at Selma who had turned her head away, and gave a look of realization.

He yawned, as if it took all his strength to struggle up from the back of his chair, lazily picked up a piece of cheese from the table, and muttered to himself as he chewed, "I knew I'd found the right person..."

Thales snapped out of his daze after Ian's sarcastic reminder.

The prince coughed and asked calmly:
"The Earl of Lisbon didn't come?"

“Charles said he was going to appease the nobles,” Selma shook her head, still immersed in her dissatisfaction. “He also said he hoped that at the next council hearing, you would all be able to act so easily in front of a group of earls.”

Thales's eyes narrowed.

Ian stopped chewing the cheese in his mouth.

"The next hearing..."

“So he understood,” the prince said softly, “No wonder he has the Dragon Eye.”

Selma looked puzzled: "What?"

“Maybe Monty told him something,” Ian started chewing his cheese again, but his brow was furrowed. “That big mouth of his, on the way, he heard I was coming to propose.”

Upon hearing the word "proposal," Selma let out a heavy sigh, her eyes regaining their dangerous glint.
"What are you two talking about?"

Thales didn't speak, but his thoughts were racing.

Only Ian swallowed the cheese in his mouth, tilted his head, and smiled dismissively: "It seems you're not as smart as you look, ma'am."

"As expected, beauty and intelligence are both..."

Before he could finish speaking, he had once again angered the Grand Duchess.

“And you are even more annoying than your nickname,” Selma said coldly.

Ian was slightly taken aback at first, then he smiled and shrugged shamelessly: "It's an honor."

Thales sighed, determined to break his silence.

“Selma,” the prince sat up straight and looked at the two of them seriously, “this is Ian Ronnie, representing the City of Qiyuan.”

Following his gaze, Selma and Ian exchanged a glance, one looking wary, the other unconcerned.

"And he came to propose to you."

Thales said calmly.

Selma remained motionless.

But the next second, the Grand Duchess gave a cold laugh.

“Is that so? Thank you for the introduction.” Selma looked at Thales with hostility, her eyes practically overflowing with accusation and anger.

She looked Ian over with a scrutinizing gaze, making no attempt to hide the disgust in her eyes, and said sarcastically, "At least he's about the same age, isn't he?"

Thales did not speak.

It was Ian who answered.

“See, she still doesn’t understand,” the heir of Qiyuan City said with a disdainful smile, shrugging at Thales, without even glancing at the cold-faced Grand Duchess.
“My mother used to say that if women were in charge, then…”

“I don’t know what your mother said, Ian,” Thales interrupted him abruptly, turning his head sharply.

Ian paused slightly, his raised finger hovering in mid-air.

“To be honest, I don’t care,” Prince Star said seriously, “but if you still want to complete this mission, then show some respect—she is the Grand Duchess of Dragon Sky City, and the key to this game.”

He watched as Ian slowly withdrew the playful glint from his eyes and said in a deep voice, "He's also my friend."

Ian was stunned.

“And you, Selma,” Thales looked earnestly into the Grand Duchess’s eyes, “believe me, we are on the same side of the chessboard.”

"That's just how he is, we'll get used to it..."

Selma snorted, seemingly still angry with Ian.

But she didn't say anything more.

Ian took a deep breath, frowned, and seemed to understand something: "Oh."

The next moment, Ian leaned back, close to Thales' ear, and shielded the Grand Duchess's view with his hand, whispering, "What, you haven't tamed her yet?"

This time it was Thales' turn to be stunned.

Before the seriousness on his face had faded, he asked in surprise, "What?"

tame?

Ian sighed, his voice filled with disappointment and regret.

Selma looked at the two whispering in each other's ears with a suspicious expression.

“You know you’re the one who put her on the throne,” Ian said, his voice low and filled with frustration and resentment. “And it’s been six years, my Your Highness! Even a princess wouldn’t take that long, would she?”

Thales blinked, as if he understood something.

“Men will more or less feel something special for their first woman, but,” Ian said with a bitter face and the air of someone who’s been through it all, “unless it’s in bed, don’t let her climb on top of you…” Thump!
A muffled thud was followed by Ian's groan of pain.

The heir of Qiyuan City twisted his face, clutched his stomach, and sat back in his chair, his face contorted with the pain of betrayal.

Following Ian and Thales, Selma was also stunned.

She looked at this person, then at that person, puzzled: "You..."

“He had a stomachache, but he’s fine now,” Thales said calmly, withdrawing his elbow without glancing at Ian, who was pale and sweating profusely. “Let’s get back to business.”

“Selma,” the prince took a deep breath, leaned closer to the table, and said seriously, “You have to know that although it’s called a proposal—first of all, he can’t possibly succeed in proposing.”

Selma's eyes flickered.

“There is only one direct ruler left in Dragon City. Without external force or strong pressure,” Thales tightened his grip slightly, shaking off the suggestion Nunn had given him in his mind: “From the inside out, from the outside, from the perspective of reason and emotion, it is impossible for you to marry an outsider with considerable power.”

"For the vassals of Dragonsky City, this is tantamount to inviting a terrible foreign enemy out of nowhere to seize power from their hands. For the Grand Dukes of Exter, this means that the next successor of Dragonsky City and Qiyuan City is likely to merge the two into one, which is equivalent to an imbalance of power among the ten territories."

Thales looked sincerely at the Grand Duchess: "And the city of Qiyuan is not powerful enough to ignore or even suppress these objections—neither the vassals, the dukes, nor even the king will allow you to marry."

Selma was momentarily distracted by the prince's words.

"So, a proposal from an outsider..."

Selma stared intently at Thales: "They won't allow it, will they?"

"Is it?"

Thales felt very uncomfortable under her gaze, so he quickly looked away.

"So, he sent word that he came here to propose to me, to..."

With a displeased expression, Lord Ian rubbed his belly and snorted coldly: "Of course, it's to lure out our reclusive Prince Star, who actually plays an important role in the politics of Dragonsky City: If you want to win over the Grand Duchess, you have to start with Thales Star."

what?
Thales paused slightly.

The Grand Duchess blushed, a rare occurrence for her.

After figuring it out, Telston's face immediately darkened: "Is that how the rumors are spreading?"

“At least that’s how Black Sand Territory does it, isn’t it?” Ian sighed, half-jokingly.
"What did the king offer you in exchange for winning you over? Twenty virgins?"

Thales automatically ignored Ian's joking tone, and his nerves tightened instantly.

What conditions did they give me?
He could almost see again the confident expression on King Chaman's face, as if he had him firmly in his grasp.

Thales resisted the urge to go see Selma.

Damn.

Don't underestimate this seemingly frivolous young master.

“What,” the second prince retorted calmly, “are you going to generously say, ‘I’ll give you double’?”

Ian gave a cryptic smile.

“I’d be happy to,” Ian said, shaking his head with a nonchalant expression, before slowly adding the last sentence:

"If they slapped you."

Prince Star responded with a cold snort.

But when he recalled Rumba's words, his heart turned cold.

Although it wasn't a slap.

But that's about it.

Selma sighed softly, "Let's get back to the point... So the proposal was just an excuse?"

“It’s not just an excuse—it says a lot more,” Ian said with a knowing smile, clicking his tongue at Thales and making exaggerated hand gestures. “Look, the moment the Grand Duchess’s marriage is mentioned, Prince Thales appears out of nowhere.”

Thales rubbed his forehead and let out a painful sigh.

"How old are you this year, Ian?"

"Nineteen." Ian's smile remained unchanged: "Exactly one year older than the Grand Duchess."

No, he's four years older.

Thales added quietly, exchanging a knowing glance with Selma.

“Is that so?” the prince said casually. “It feels like you’ve only just turned nine.”

“Ah, given your glorious deeds when you were seven or eight years old,” Ian tapped the table, picked up another slice of buttered bread, took a bite, and mumbled, “well, I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Thales let out a breath.

He gradually figured out how to communicate with this Viscount of Wind City.

Thales turned his thoughts back to the conversation they had just had.

From the moment he met Selma, Ian deliberately showed disdain for the Grand Duchess, but unknowingly probed her relationship with the vassals of Dragonstreet and inquired about her control over the territory.

He deliberately let the situation get out of control, but in reality, he kept glancing at me, perhaps to observe when I would speak up to mediate, so as to understand my influence over the Grand Duchess, and also to subtly inquire about my actual relationship with the Grand Duchess.

Twice, he subtly and overtly tested Black Sand Territory's attitude towards him, and his own attitude towards Black Sand Territory.

Thales silently became wary.

Ian Ronnie.

He appears to be a frivolous, unruly, and flamboyant nobleman.

In reality, the most insidious blades are hidden in seemingly joking words.

That annoying person.

But for now, this is not a bad thing.

“Getting back to the point,” Thales cleared his throat, “Ian specifically asked me to tell you that he wants to propose to you.”

Selma's expression was still grim, but she had begun to listen to Thales.

"But as I said, proposing is simply impossible—I suspect he has other things to discuss with me, with you, in a reliable and credible private setting, outside of normal diplomatic channels."

"So I went to Valhalla ahead of time."

Selma looked at Ian with suspicion.

Ian blinked and swallowed his buttered bread.

"After we met, he told me: Qiyuan City is different from the other northern dukes. Their position is special, their politics are special, and any aid from the Exter interior is of great significance to them."

Not only that, he also constantly reminded himself that, as the future heir of Qiyuan City, he, like the Star Prince, was a stranger forced to live among the people of the North.

Thales sighed: "And he also reminded me that he knew that what influenced Longxiao City to send troops to aid Qiyuan City was none other than the conflict and crisis between the vassals and the Grand Duchess—starting from your marriage."

At that moment, Selma's gaze was fixed on Ian.

“Believe me,” the Viscount scoffed dismissively, “when it comes to the struggle between the Grand Duke and his vassals…”

His gaze sharpened: "In the entire Exster, there is probably no place that feels this more deeply than the Ronnie family of Qiyuan City."

Selma looked thoughtfully at Thales, then at Ian.

"So... what exactly do you want?" The Grand Duchess calmed down and asked calmly.

Ian smiled.

“He has a proposal,” Thales said, looking intently at Selma.
"An unusual way to resolve the crisis."

The Grand Duchess lightly bit her lower lip, seemingly more interested in the food on the table.

But Thales knew she was thinking.

“That’s why we don’t have time to waste on those boring and unnecessary ceremonies and banquets,” Ian said, his frivolous expression fading as he became serious and stopped paying attention to the food on the table. “This matter requires us to discuss it in secret, make a joint decision, and plan ahead—and time is of the essence.”

“I apologize for my rudeness, Your Grace, everything from this afternoon until just now was merely a superficial test,” Ian said, his words emphatically.
"Please believe that Qiyuan City is not merely a beggar seeking aid. In fact, I have come with sincerity and am aware of your current difficulties and predicament. Qiyuan City will use our methods to resolve your troubles in exchange for your promise and assistance."

"All I need is a little bit of your trust."

His eyes were calm as he gazed indifferently at the Grand Duchess opposite him.

No one speaks.

The lights in the dining room flickered slightly, casting the three people's shadows in an unpredictable manner.

Like a small boat drifting with the waves.

Selma looked at Thales seriously.

At that moment, somehow, Thales recalled the scene of their desperate escape in Dragon City six years ago.

The prince of the stars nodded to her.

Finally, the Grand Duchess turned her head, serious and calm.

"And your method for helping me 'solve my problem'?"

Ian Ronnie from Qiyuan City grinned and nodded slightly to Thales.

The next second, he looked at Selma gently, spoke softly, and uttered that familiar word again:
"Proposal."

(End of this chapter)