Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 525 Little Scoundrel
Crown Prince of the Stars.

Midil Shining Star.

The former owner of Mindis Manor?

Thales felt a slight unease, as if he were sitting on pins and needles.

Ginny's tone softened a bit:
“When Kessel was young, he often came here to hide... to relax.”

until……

Ginny stared intently at the furnishings in the study, as if she could see through time and glimpse the past.

“This place has a different meaning for him.”

Thales's gaze sharpened.

Gini gazed into the void and smiled slightly.

"In terms of layout, compared to the Palace of Restoration, the Mindis Hall is more like a place for relaxation than a heavily guarded royal palace—more than one person suggested that he change his palace for safety reasons, and even the late king asked him about it."

"But do you know how Midil answered?"

Thales pricked up his ears.

Ginny stared blankly at where Thales was sitting, and uttered a slightly archaic phrase:

"If everyone hates and fears..."

"Even with palace walls a thousand feet high and passes ten thousand feet wide, what chance do they have for my life?"

If everyone hates and fears...

Thales chewed over the words, frowning slightly:
"Are these his exact words?"

Ginny shook her head:
"No, these are the words of the wise ruler engraved on the silver coin."

“Midi made some changes when quoting, but…”

Ginny gently stroked her wrist, her eyes softening:

"A long, long time ago, I couldn't remember what the original text of 'wise ruler' was."

"I only remember how Midil handled government affairs here."

Thales did not speak.

He pondered carefully what kind of person his uncle must be to be able to say such magnanimous words.

As if knowing what he was thinking, Ginny said:
"When faced with a problem, he would sit behind your desk, gently press his furrowed brow, his lips slightly pursed, and remain silent, slowly deep in thought."

Ginny stared blankly at the desk, her eyes filled with endless longing:
"After a few minutes, the corners of his mouth and the area between his eyebrows will relax at the same time."

"At that moment, he would lower his finger and give a smile."

As if echoing her words, Ginny also smiled, graceful and serene:

"Then, the problem is no longer a problem."

Thales's heart stirred.

But Ginny continued, her tone ethereal and dreamlike, as if she were telling a fairy tale:
"He always manages to find a way out of a predicament."

"Resolve the conflict in a way that makes everyone happy."

"To arrange things in a very orderly manner."

"To dispel disappointment for everyone."

As Ginny finished speaking...

Thales remained silent.

The two sat silently, one lost in memories, the other in wonder and imagination, leaving a quiet void in the study.

After a moment, Ginny took a breath, her expression returning to one of helplessness and sorrow, and she said hoarsely:

"Kid, it's not that he doesn't like you."

Thales was startled, only then realizing that the subject of the other person's words had changed:
"He just..."

"only……"

Ginny stared intently at the desk in front of Thales, and said nothing more.

But Thales stared at the chair he was sitting in, his mind drifting back to the Palace of Renewal a few days earlier.

[...You will never become the Duke of Starlake...]

Because of you...

Unworthy.

Thales was stunned.

He stared blankly at the desk in front of him, recalling the identity and deeds of its former owner, and couldn't help but wonder:

He, the master of the Palace of Renewal, believed that Thales was not good enough for him...

What is it?

After a while, Thales finally came to his senses.

He looked at Ginny gratefully.

"Madam, it's a pleasure to see you again."

Thales nodded, suppressing his emotions:

"real."

Ginny smiled.

She opened her mouth as if to say something, but ultimately closed it.

A few seconds later, Ginny said quietly:

"Kid, eat more and go to bed early."

"Also, although I'm no longer responsible for teaching you martial arts and swordsmanship, but..."

Ginny watched him silently:
"Remember to practice your sword."

Thales' heart stirred, and he smiled softly.

"I've seen you fight."

Ginny said softly:
"good."

But the next moment, the official's tone turned serious:

“But I’m not teaching you the Northern Army’s swordsmanship to turn you into a madman who fights to the death.”

Thales, who was still immersed in the gentle atmosphere, couldn't help but feel a chill.

"Remember, you are a prince."

Ginny said sternly:

"No matter what you've been through in the North..."

"When battle comes, raise your shield and protect yourself first!"

Ginny looked at him sternly:
"Defense is the top priority; don't always think about risky offense."

Seemingly to emphasize her point, Ginny raised her voice:

"Did you hear it?"

Thales shuddered and habitually agreed repeatedly:

"Yes...yes?"

Gini stood up briskly, straightened her clothes, and transformed back into the sharp and capable first-class court lady.

Thales quickly stood up and saw her out of the room.

But just as they were walking down the corridor, Ginny suddenly stopped.

The court lady turned sharply to look at the two guards in the porch.

"You, little DD."

The guards, who were idly daydreaming, were startled and snapped back to reality:

"Madam?"

Thales was also taken aback and quickly followed.

What are you all standing there for?

Ginny questioned her seriously.

When asked, Doyle was clearly nervous. He patted his clothes and stepped forward cautiously with his colleagues:
"We have been assigned duties by our superiors, madam, to serve His Highness tonight..."

But Ginny interrupted him.

"I heard it all today when this kid was getting beaten up on the training field," Ginny said, glaring at him and narrowing her eyes.
"You're also doing the commentary on the side, right?"

At that moment, Doyle shuddered.

Thales smiled helplessly.

"I... um... I was just joking..." Doyle said with a mournful face.

However, Ginny's tone turned cold:
"So you admit that, as the Duke of Starlake's personal guard, you made fun of him in public?"

Upon hearing this, everyone present frowned, including Thales.

Doyle was clearly flustered and quickly denied it:
"No, of course not, that's because Lord Marius was testing His Highness at the time..."

The atmosphere of the conversation became tense.

Thales looked at Ginny with surprise, sensing that something was amiss.

Ginny snorted:
"So you're accusing your superior, Marius, of ordering you to belittle and ridicule His Highness in the crowd?"

Doyle was startled again:
"I, ma'am, um..."

Just then, his colleague, who had been silent all along, spoke up.

"Doyle!"

A colleague gave a low snort:
"Shut up."

DD, whose head was pounding with anger, readily agreed and immediately fell silent. Sure enough, Ginny then changed her target, gracefully turning her head to look at the people next to Doyle.

"and who are you?"

His colleague in the darkness looked up, his tall figure appearing in the lamplight:
"Pioneer Officer Garen Grover. Madam."

Ginny squinted, seemingly lost in thought.

"Oh, Golov."

“I do remember one, Glov,” the lady-in-waiting nodded, a smile spreading across her face.

"The most famous one."

Golov didn't answer, but stood even straighter.

While Doyle, who was standing beside him, was thinking to himself, "It's true that having connections in your family makes it easy to get an official position," Ginny suddenly changed the subject.

“You know, many years ago, right here,” Ginny stared at Golov, a chill creeping over her.

"What did your grandfather call me?"

Golov's expression immediately turned serious.

“‘That shameless, dissolute little slut from the East China Sea.’”

Little slut...

Golov's face immediately turned ugly.

Thales also became nervous.

"That's what your grandfather, that old geezer from the Golover family, said to the Crown Prince," Ginny said, seemingly unconcerned, even somewhat disdainful.

"'She should be thrown into the seventh level of hell and burned for eternity.'"

The last few words were spoken with a clenched tone by Ginny.

Thales's smile, which he had been maintaining, began to sting.

Really bad.

Is this... a meeting between sworn enemies?
"What a pity, the road to hell..."

While Doyle was secretly rejoicing, thinking, "Wow, zombie, you're so unlucky," Ginny snorted coldly:
"Brother Love has passed away first."

"Hopefully he won't get overcooked."

Golov's expression remained unchanged, but he clenched his fists.

Thales didn't understand what Ginny was doing, but instinct told him he couldn't remain silent:

"Madam, it's getting late, perhaps..."

But Ginny ignored the prince's words and instead addressed Doyle and Golover:
"You two, pack your bags. You don't need to come to the Mindis Hall for duty anymore."

Thales was suddenly startled!
"Okay, ma'am, we'll be right there—"

Doyle nodded hastily in agreement, only realizing his mistake after the words left his mouth, and exclaimed in shock:
"what?"

Golov frowned deeply.

“Yes, because of disrespect for the master and the royal family,” Ginny said sharply, her expression changing.
“You have been expelled from the Duke’s personal guard.”

"Now."

The air fell silent for a moment.

Doyle's expression shifted rapidly, and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking in those few seconds, but he then said in a panic:

“But, madam, um, the Royal Guard, our duty is…”

But at this moment, the usually taciturn Grover spoke first:
"Madam, our appointment was jointly reviewed by Baron Adrian and Chief Marius, and then signed by His Majesty..."

But Ginny suddenly raised her voice, instantly drowning out the two of them:
"So, Danny Doyle, Garen Grover, you're not willing to leave voluntarily..."

Ginny's gaze was sharp and piercing, carrying an unbearable chill:
"Does he really want me, or rather, Lady Bakvi, who is in charge of the Second Prince's affairs, to formally raise this issue at the Imperial Council meeting tomorrow morning, alarming His Majesty and the court officials, to worry about and decide on such a trivial matter as the replacement of the guards?"

Doyle and Golov both froze!
One of them was speechless, the other stared wide-eyed in disbelief at Ginny, who was now raging like a lioness.

"Miss!"

Thales finally couldn't hold back any longer.

"Please do not worry about this matter," the Duke of Starlake said gently and politely.

"Commander Doyle's actions today were at my behest, and Vanguard Commander Golov has been diligent and competent throughout."

Doyle and Golov both turned to Thales.

Ginny also turned her head sharply, staring at the prince with murderous eyes.

Just like the training ground six years ago.

But Thales remained smiling, unchanged.

The agonizing few seconds finally passed.

Ginny snorted, seemingly with disdain:

"Soft-hearted, nagging, and indecisive."

"That's why you don't get authority and respect."

Thales nodded with a smirk.

"I know."

The prince shrugged, looking helplessly at Ginny:

"But... that's not my style."

Ginny gave Doyle and Golov a sharp, piercing look, which made them stand even straighter.

"Dinner is in an hour, ma'am. Would you like to stay for the meal?"

Before Ginny could say anything else, Thales spoke up hastily.

This made Ginny let out a soft snort of dissatisfaction.

"no."

The female official said coldly, giving the three tense figures one last glance before turning and leaving without hesitation.

As the sound of high-heeled boots gradually faded and Ginny's figure disappeared around the corner, Thales and the other two finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ms. Ginny is straightforward, don't mind her."

Thales said apologetically.

Golov remained silent, while Doyle forced a smile, his expression tinged with guilt.
"Your Highness, I..."

But Thales spoke up beforehand, his tone curious:

"So, Ms. Ginny, she really has the power to bypass Marius and Adrian and expel you?"

Doyle rolled his eyes:

"Well, I'm not really..."

But this time, Golov spoke up:

"If she can make a public and formal request to His Majesty and the Imperial Council, and the reasons are valid... yes."

Thales gave him an "I see" look.

He then took a breath and looked at the two of them with a smile.

"But first and foremost, you are my guards, aren't you?"

Doyle glanced around the corner, still feeling the shadows, and cautiously said:

"Yes?"

Thales smiled:
"Then she can't."

Doyle blinked, while Golov's expression shifted.

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Golov said in a deep voice.

Thales smiled, gave them a thumbs-up, said nothing, and turned to go back to his room.

“Um, Your Highness,” Doyle spoke hurriedly from behind, a hint of hope in his voice:

"Is there...is there anything else I can do for you?"

Thales stopped in his tracks.

“Oh, it’s this late,” the boy said with a sudden realization, turning back to smile at the two of them. “As usual, I’m going back to my study to read a book.”

"But it would be even better if there were some tea and snacks to accompany the reading."

Doyle gasped sharply.

"I will do so immediately, Your Highness," DD nodded sincerely for the first time.
"immediately."

Thales nodded encouragingly and went into the study.

At the corner of the corridor, Ginny continued her steady progress, her boots still on.

But at this moment, the palace lady had a slight smile on her lips.

This kid.

What a waste.

The tea and snacks in the study haven't been finished yet, have they?
And so, Thales' first etiquette lesson came to an end.

But from then on, Doyle and Golov were noticeably more respectful to him.

Until one day the following week, Doyle cautiously came to the study to inform Thales:

Two priests, carefully selected by the Temple of the Sunset, have arrived at the Hall of Mindis.

What awaits His Highness the Duke is the instruction he receives on the traditions of ruling from the Empire to the Stars, traditions that every Star King must master…

Theology class.

I know what you want to say, the answer is—I'm stuck. I also know what else you want to say, the answer is—I need to make a living. I also know what else you want to say, the answer is—I'll do my best.

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(End of this chapter)