Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 514 Passing by

Chapter 514 Passing by
"His Majesty's decree has been officially issued."

Gilbert, sitting opposite him, smiled broadly, raised his teacup, and took a small sip.
"Now, the news of your return and the bestowal of a title has spread throughout Yongxing City. In a few days, the entire Central Territory and even the whole country will know."

In the living room, Thales—as the host rather than a guest—smiled helplessly.

With the languor of early morning, the boy stood up and slowly strolled to the window.

Morning light streamed through the curtains, illuminating the understated yet impeccably clean living room.

Thales opened the window, and a breath of fresh air rushed in.

And a sudden, jarring noise.

“Yes,” the newly crowned Duke of Starlake yawned, leaning against the window and rubbing his back.

“I can feel it from here.”

The Mindis Hall below the window was not peaceful.

The garden and the road outside the iron gate were already packed with carriages of all kinds, not to mention the many visitors who came on foot or on horseback, a considerable number of whom were dressed in fine clothes and had prominent badges.

Outside the iron gate, the royal guards and the private soldiers of Shining Star were working tirelessly, explaining and dissuading the attackers.

Thales pressed himself against the window, the sins of the River of Hell surging into his ears, and he probably caught some scattered words.

"I'm sorry, Lord, the Mindis Hall is closed to guests this month," came the stiff, serious voice of Vanguard Officer Grover from before the iron gate.
"Only His Majesty's special authorization warrant can be used..."

Immediately, another slightly excited voice drowned out Golov.

"No, no, no, Luke, we were classmates for four years but we were never close, so, irrelevant people are all... What, you're just here to see the scenery? That's enough! Two days in a row to see the scenery, eight hours straight, do you think I'm an idiot?"

It's Doyle.

He stood before a seemingly innocent nobleman, angrily waving his hand towards the Mindis Hall behind him:

"It's so noisy every day, so noisy every day, don't I... doesn't the prince need rest?"

Thales raised an eyebrow.

Another polite and gentle voice entered his ears:

“…Then this Viscount Kema,” said Marius, who outwardly smiled calmly but inwardly kept people at arm’s length. He was facing another nobleman who was not easy to deal with:

"Why don't you go find the heir of the Karabyan family you mentioned and ask him what the secret is to being granted an audience with the Duke?"

"Oh, so your family is a royal merchant, and you have three beautiful daughters aged nine to nineteen who could very well become prince consorts! My apologies for my rudeness. Perhaps, as a future royal, you will be able to obtain His Majesty's favor? If you come to visit again then, I will certainly line up a procession to welcome you."

"Yes, the Marius family is very grateful for your patronage; it's truly heartbreaking that we can't buy your goods..."

"Thank you for sending my regards to my parents and family, even though they are no longer with us..."

"Well, on behalf of all my living female relatives, I thank you for the greetings from you and your lower organ..."

“Yes, Your Excellency, I will certainly convey the message to my family's ancestral cemetery, so that my ancestors may know…”

"But before that, for the safety of Duke Starlake, I must temporarily detain you in the guardhouse..."

"Why? Because I suspect you are carrying weapons and intend to harm the Duke... Where are the weapons? Look, the gems on your ring are too bright; they are harmful to His Excellency the Duke's eyes..."

"Then I suggest you complain directly to His Majesty or Lord Adrian about my service..."

"How long will you be locked up? Don't worry, there are only two and a half months left until the Duke's welcoming banquet. After that, your plan will be null and void, and then the Royal Guard will formally file charges against you for 'assassination of a member of the royal family'..."

Hearing this, Thales sighed, rolled down the window, and stopped listening to the portly Viscount Kema's panicked self-defense of "I didn't do it, I didn't do it, don't talk nonsense," nor did he care how the man fled back to his carriage in terror.

This is his third day back in the capital, in charge of the Mindis Hall.

From the second day onwards, the Mindis Hall was bustling with visitors.

The noise kept the Xinghu Guards from getting any rest.

“You shouldn’t have met with that Kalabyan heir the other day, even though he’s an old friend of yours,” Gilbert put down his teacup and sighed.

"Now, many nobles, officials, and prominent people in the capital are following suit, trying to climb the social ladder and get in."

“Yes, yes, I understand,” Thales said, sitting back in his seat, lost in thought.
"That's the price."

He underestimated the impact and shock value of his return to China.

The prince attracted more than just visitors.

Clearly, the arrival of the Duke of Xinghu not only disturbed the usually tranquil Mindis Hall, but the elevation of the mansion's status over the course of three days also resonated throughout the entire Yongxing City:

The city hall issued six urgent orders to repair the greenery, replace the lights, and clean up all the roads and intersections in the Twilight Star District (where the prince might see them) thoroughly, decorating them in a magnificent manner. Not a single vagrant was allowed to enter, and not a single beggar was to be seen. The improvement in the city's appearance was so great that, in some ways, it even surpassed the DC District, where the nobility gathered.

The Guard Bureau rescheduled patrol schedules and manpower arrangements. The three Guard Bureaus in the Twilight Star District and its two neighboring districts (which had previously been bickering with each other) united and cooperated sincerely. Countless guards were eager to take the lead and worked diligently. Large numbers of security teams took turns patrolling day and night, turning this awkwardly located and almost forgotten area into a paradise where people did not pick up lost items and did not lock their doors at night.

The commander-in-chief of Yongxing City hastily increased the city defense forces on the side of the city wall closest to the Twilight Star District (even though the Twilight Star District is a long way from the city wall) to ensure that "no villains can cross over to threaten the prince." He even obtained a special order to transfer standing troops from outside the city and set up a special route to clear the way for the supply and logistics of Mindis Hall—according to one soldier, "even the prince's excrement that is transported out must not be defiled!"

Thales rubbed his forehead listlessly.

Gilbert smiled helplessly:

“I can already imagine myself going home... I’ve probably never been this ‘welcome’ in my life.”

“As His Majesty’s most trusted advisor, you are already very popular,” Thales exhaled.

"And believe me, the Exter people will welcome you more than the Star People."

Gilbert nodded in realization.

These past few days have been quite peaceful, except for the large group of opportunists outside the walls craning their necks and hoping to get a glimpse of the prince.

Sleep until you wake up, breakfast, free time, lunch, sleep until you wake up, free time, dinner, free time, sleep until you wake up.

Oh, right, during free time you basically can't go outside, because you have to avoid the paparazzi—cough cough, I mean, avoid those fanatical opportunists who can't get an audience with the prince.

Although the pace of life is similar to that in Dragon City, but...

There was no backstabbing or scheming, no anxiety about the enemy being in the dark while we were in the light, no constant pressure with the arrow on the bowstring, no thrilling survival, and no crazy escape.

No one disturbed them, no one interfered, and no one asked about them.

He really is a bit...

I'm not used to it.

Thales picked up his teacup and contentedly moistened his throat.

Compared to six years ago when he was a guest here and had to go through Gilbert for everything, it's definitely an advantage for him to become the master of this place six years later.

At least he can give orders to the people around him directly (such as "give me a firmer mattress"), and his words will be obeyed—at least openly.

This kind of life is truly...

Thales slowly leaned back, letting out a heartfelt lament (or praise) unique to a parasite:
It's so disheartening.

So much so that he almost forgot about the Palace of Restoration...

that person.

"So, Gilbert, what's our schedule for today?"

Thales pointed sullenly to the table:
Why did you bring such a large pile of... paper?

Gilbert, who was looking at the Duke with affection, turned around as if he had suddenly remembered something, moved a stack of papers on the table to his lap, and took out a pair of glasses.

"Please forgive me, I'm getting old, and my eyesight isn't very good..."

The former foreign minister, now middle-aged, said somewhat embarrassedly.

His glasses were unique; they were handheld folding glasses without frames, but with a handle specially made on the right side of the frame.

"By the way, the gift you requested for the Grand Duchess was ordered from the same handmade mirror shop..."

As Gilbert spoke, he raised his glasses over his eyes and began to peruse the papers on his lap.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but after all, they make glasses specifically for scholars and old men like me. The colors and designs are neither fancy nor trendy, so they probably won’t appeal to young girls. Didn’t you think of giving them something else in the first place…” The former foreign minister’s words were loaded with meaning, but Thales, who had been through countless battles, remained calm and ignored him.

"So, first of all..."

Whether it was because the prince showed no reaction or because he had finally found the target on the paper, Gilbert sighed slightly and said:
"I have spoken with His Majesty again, and your welcome banquet is tentatively scheduled for a little over two months from now."

"The newly crowned Duke of Starlake will be formally introduced to the entire kingdom—at least to the entire city of Everstar."

The former foreign minister kept his head down, but his gaze flicked over his glasses toward Thales.

Introduced to...the entire kingdom.

Thales felt a chill run down his spine.

He took a deep breath and sat up straight in his chair.

The laziness and comfort of the past few days vanished instantly.

It's time too.

He sighed and told himself.

Wake up, Thales.

Aside from the noble pet owner...

Where in the world can you find happy parasites?

Thales rallied his spirits:

"And these two months?"

Gilbert lifted his eyes from the paper:
"This is your time to rest, adapt, and adjust."

"so long?"

Gilbert shook his head in denial:

"No, not at all, in fact, it's a bit too short."

“After all, you’ve spent six years in the North,” the former foreign minister said, sizing up Thales. He noticed Thales’ habitual, seemingly casual, yet actually precarious sitting posture—elbows propped up as if he could roll off at any moment—as well as his unwavering, sharp, and direct gaze, and even his casual attire, which, while practical, lacked formality. A barely perceptible frown appeared on his brow.
“From speech, manners, habits to etiquette and knowledge, there are so many things we need to correct…” This time it was Thales’ turn to frown:

"Correction?"

"Speech, mannerisms, habits?"

Gilbert realized his slip of the tongue.

"I apologize, no disrespect intended, but what I mean is, we have so much to prepare..."

The former foreign minister glanced at Thales, his tone respectful:

"Excuse me for speaking frankly, although there was a stunning appearance at the National Affairs Conference back then, that was six years ago after all."

"For six years, apart from sporadic news, no one knew anything about you."

"Now, all they know is that Prince Thales has just returned from the rough, wild, dangerous, and bitter North, where he grew up under the influence and education of the Exter people among those unreasonable northern brutes."

Gilbert performed a standard courtesy and sincerely said:
"And what we need to show them..."

Thales leaned back in his chair and reluctantly pressed his head down.

"I understand."

“You could have just told me,” the young Duke of Starlake sighed deeply.

"Everyone in the kingdom, from top to bottom, is wondering if the second prince's thoughts have been warped, his personality corrupted, his mind dulled, and his sexual orientation altered by those barbaric and perverted Yankees..."

"After all, in their eyes, all the people of Exter are illiterate, so they might even suspect that the heir to the kingdom might only appear to be the Prince of Stars, but at heart he might be a rude and illiterate man from the North?"

After finishing his sentence in one breath, Thales let out a frustrated sigh.

It has trapped me for six years, six years.

Are you satisfied?

Okay, Charman.

You barely managed to win by one move.

Tyre thought to himself, bored.

“I didn’t say that,” Gilbert smiled cheerfully, but then his expression turned serious:
"But sexual orientation...you're joking, right?"

Thales, too lazy to finish the little joke, continued on his own:
"And what you need to do is, before I make my debut, make me more local, more respectable, more acceptable, more... 'starry'?"

"Not entirely, Your Highness."

Gilbert outwardly let go of the somewhat unsettling "joke" and smiled again:

"In fact, your journey to the North is one of your most impressive achievements, like a legendary journey for a mercenary: unfamiliar and mysterious, attracting awe and amazement from those who are unaware of it."

Unaware of the situation...

Thales chuckled to himself.

But when the other party mentioned mercenaries, he suddenly thought of the rope, and then of the mysterious and terrifying Ricky.

"So we might as well retain some of the imprints that Longxiao City left on you..."

Thales came to his senses:

"brand?"

Gilbert smiled and nodded:
"Let others know that Duke Thales possesses the advantages of both sides of the border: you are the only one in this era who has been both inherited by the Empire and the stars, and honed by the North Wind and the dragons; you can both ignite debates among ministers in the Palace of Restoration and survive desperate situations in the Palace of Heroes..."

"A chosen one of heaven".

The air was silent for a second.

Before the piercing gaze of the former foreign minister, Thales lowered his head and subconsciously rubbed his face.

Damn.

No wonder he's a diplomat.

Compared to "giving that country bumpkin Thales a makeover," this is actually quite...

Beautiful?
"The Star Fox's skills haven't diminished at all," Thales exclaimed.

A few polite and harmless words dispelled his displeasure.

In this respect, he was worlds apart from Putila, that gloomy old man who was a real downer.

Perhaps this is why, of the two who once worked together in the Foreign Affairs Department, one was able to rise rapidly to become a confidant of the King and become famous throughout the Western Continent.

The other person toiled tirelessly, yet no one knew of his many achievements.

Thales thought to himself.

“Well, if I really am illiterate, Gilbert…”

A few seconds later, Thales composed himself and replied with a smile:
"Isn't it a bit late for you to start literacy courses at fourteen?"

"Others may not understand, Your Highness, but I was your personal tutor," Gilbert said with a touch of emotion as he recalled the past.

"It's just that we've had six years of break time between classes."

He winked at Thales:
"So, do you still remember how to compose a sonnet?"

Thales and Gilbert chuckled simultaneously.

But unexpectedly, while he was laughing, Gilbert suddenly spoke up.

"So, it's just a six-year break."

His voice lowered:

"Your Highness."

"Six years."

Thales' smile faded, and he looked at the former Foreign Minister with a puzzled expression.

“Don’t be discouraged, child,” Gilbert said slowly, without looking at him.
"To know."

"Sometimes, even fathers make mistakes."

Thales was stunned.

“Give him time, Your Highness,” Gilbert said quietly.
Give him time.

He choked up slightly.

The temperature and light in the reception room seemed to sink simultaneously at that moment.

Thales remained silent, deep in thought.

Gilbert didn't say anything either.

The two sat facing each other in silence.

For a long time.

Finally, Thales took a deep breath and smiled.

“Gilbert,” the prince said earnestly, looking at the middle-aged man who had once taught him to read, who was once in his prime but now had a full head of gray hair and looked exhausted.

"Thank you."

Gilbert forced a smile, suppressing his emotions.

"for what?"

Thales lowered his head, and after a long while, a smile curled at the corners of his mouth:

"For...everything."

silence.

For a moment, only the faint noise from outside the window could be heard.

"No, Your Highness."

"Everything..."

Gilbert sighed:

"It's all for you."

Thales did not speak.