Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 569 Asking for Marriage
Thales sat in his seat, but felt as if his body didn't belong to him.

He realized that at this moment, he was the only one in the royal council chamber facing the king directly.

We cannot turn a deaf ear, nor can we bow our heads and hide.

"This morning, when military intelligence from the north arrived, it concerned Longxiao City..."

King Kessel's voice echoed in the cramped room, lacking the reverberation and spaciousness of the council chamber.

But it only makes people feel more suffocated.

“Gilbert insisted that his students audit the class, saying it was the prince’s ‘practical course’.”

"However, even when we were arguing in front of the Emperor about your farce last night, he was never this anxious."

Thales thought of Gilbert, and a mixture of gratitude and melancholy welled up in his heart at the same time.

"Today, Bob Cullen specifically mentioned the growing prevalence of pirates from the north, saying he would reorganize the Hui Harbor Navy to protect the trade interests of the seven ports in the East China Sea."

Kessel sat in the main seat, and even the lights could not illuminate the darkness in his shadow.

"Kusid's men went to the Agricultural and Livestock Bureau early in the morning, under the pretext of preparing to purchase seeds for spring planting, to check the local grain and goods exports to the Cliff Territory - most of which were grain varieties that were also grown in the North."

Thales took a deep breath.

Prime Minister Kulun and the one-eyed man of the cliffs.

"As for Exter..."

The king snorted coldly, his words revealing disdain:
"The delegation from Elk City has been in Yongxing City for a long time, but they have been very patient until last night after the banquet, when they released the ravens to contact the homeland."

"Those northerners who rebuilt the tower were clean-cut and we couldn't find any fault with them. It's a pity that the Doyle family was unlucky and their private sale of grain was exposed."

Jorge of Elk City, and Levi of Rebuilding the Tower.

Thales stared at the map on the table.

"You went to great lengths for that girl, thinking you were doing it discreetly."

Ironfist King's voice suddenly tightened, like a scattering of magical energy, focusing on Thales:
"In reality, every move they make is completely transparent."

Thales suddenly felt his mouth was dry.

Clearly, the tea in Ballard's Room was not intended for the Duke of Starlake.

"I thought that when you arrived at the Imperial Council, you would calm down in front of the foreign officials and put away your rutting tail feathers."

"Obviously..."

“I underestimated you, Duke of Starlake, or rather, the resolve of Polaris.”

King Kessel paused, then repeated the word with a cold yet ironic tone:

"For...love?"

The king finished speaking.

Thales looked up.

"but……"

The boy instinctively retorted:

“That’s not love.”

no……

The king's gaze pierced through the darkness, unstoppable by the sunlight.

It descended upon Thales.

"Not love?"

His father's response was dismissive:

"That's worse than love."

Is it a desire for youthful beauty? Or an interest in conquering noble women?

Catherine V's voice boomed like thunder:

"Or are you just a haughty stud pig who can only rely on his swaying penis to find self-esteem?"

Thales closed his eyes.

Over the past six years, countless memories of the library, the Hall of Heroes, the Shield Zone, the dining room, the study... flooded back in that instant, but none of them helped the current situation.

But we are not.

Selma.

No.

The boy clenched his fist.

He struggled to breathe, trying to dispel the discomfort he hadn't felt in the past six years.

why.

Why was he feeling so uncomfortable, suffocated, out of control, and extremely irritable?
"Do not."

Thales raised his head and began to argue with difficulty.

“Selma and I, we have a very good relationship, that’s true.”

He withstood the Iron-Fisted King's cold gaze as if he were enduring the bitter cold of the wind and snow, and also resisted the shivering and retreating thoughts in his heart.

You cannot escape.

Find a way out.

Face him directly.

Just like facing past adversaries: King Nun, King Chaman...

"But outside of our personal friendship, I..."

Face him

Face it head-on.

Face them head-on.

Thales took a deep breath and finally said those words:
"I have a responsibility to her."

In that instant, Thales felt the air around him begin to circulate, just like his words and thoughts.

A rhetorical question echoed from the dimly lit room, not much better than before:

"responsibility?"

Thales found himself nodding slightly.

"Yes."

"Six years ago, I personally—no, I should say you and the kingdom used all your resources to place that girl on the throne of Valhalla."

King Kessel did not speak.

The boy met the king's gaze, slowly regained his composure, and firmly stated his position:

"The entire star..."

"We all have a responsibility to bear."

The prince seemed to have returned to the state he had when facing the lords in Exter, and his speech gradually became more fluent:

“But I don’t think this responsibility is a meaningless moral burden.”

Thales suddenly realized that Ballard's room actually had quite a few windows.

But what enters the room through them is cold air, not light.

"Because of what happened six years ago, that girl is naturally drawn to us and to the stars."

The Duke of Starlake clarified his logic, proceeding methodically:
"This is especially valuable in Exster, in Dragon City, in a group that is completely at odds with us in terms of interests and ideas."

The king remained motionless.

Only the gaze remained unchanged.

"Therefore, I believe that Selma can be trusted and expected to succeed."

“My attention and help to her, even from the kingdom’s perspective, were by no means meaningless contributions.”

Thales tried his best to present himself as a mere advisor to the king, speaking with confidence and determination, much like Sodor and Juke had just spoken:

"As I said, she is worthy of being an ally of the stars."

He stared intently at his father.

King Kessel chuckled softly.

"An ally of the stars?"

He spoke in a hoarse voice, like a beast opening its eyes from hibernation:

"Or is it your weakness?"

weakness.

For some reason, Thales suddenly remembered the Black Prophet, whom he hadn't seen in a long time.

I recall their first meeting.

Thales swallowed hard.

I understand your concerns.

He drew his full armor, became extremely vigilant, and regarded the man before him as a formidable enemy like Nunn and Chaman:
“A Commas employee once told me: Doing business isn’t just about numbers and profits; sometimes, you also need to build a reputation and network.”

The king snorted:
"Business?"

But Thales just kept going:
“Even in the most ordinary war, our allies will be attacked, our friends will be slandered, and our comrades will be threatened.”

"But that doesn't mean they are our weakness."

Thales tightened his still-puppy-like voice, trying to make himself sound more mature and rational:
"on the contrary."

"To make a profit, you have to take corresponding risks."

"So last night, for our own interests, I could not stand idly by."

He must be resolute, he must be certain.

"Because I believe that girl will bring us greater value and benefits."

Thales stared into those eyes that were blindingly bright in the dim light, and struggled to raise his own shield.

King Kessel remained silent for a long time.

After a while, Thales even became stiff in his sitting posture.

at last.

"us."

Iron Fist King sneered:

"You're using 'we' to justify your reasoning."

“Tell me, this is what ‘we’ should do.”

The next moment, the king pressed down on the arm of his chair.

Kessel emerged from the darkness into the sunlight, revealing his form, his face, and his eyes like a stone statue.

And the nine-pointed star symbol on clothing.

It's even more prominent than the logo on the collar of the Tyres store.

But what about yourself?

For some reason, the king's action sent a chill down Thales' spine.

Like a ferocious beast revealing its claws from the mist.

"Your own feelings, your own thoughts, your own considerations, your own preferences..."

The king coldly replied:
"And where are you yourself?"

Where am I?

Thales frowned.

Without thinking about anything else, he replied smoothly:
“I am among ‘us’.”

"If we can maintain sincerity and uphold our personal friendship with her, even beyond the interests and stance of the kingdom, then all will be well..."

But the king's response followed closely:

"Do not."

Kessel's voice was steady, yet possessed an unshakeable authority:

“You are disguised among ‘us’.”

Thales frowned.

"Because you think I am a cruel king who was born for the stars, rational and calm, and whose eyes are only on the kingdom."

Iron Fist King's words were utterly cold:
"They despise emotions and impulses, and only care about gains and losses."

"So you racked your brains and exhausted your words just to pretend to be similar to me in order to face me."

Thales paused for a second.

"To prove that your actions are in line with the principles of self-interest and political considerations," the king said calmly.

"So that I can believe your explanation."

"Thus, you can be spared your reckless behavior and your girlfriend."

Thales was about to retort, but the Iron Fist King's next words left him completely speechless:
"Just like your usual trick: understand your opponent's methods, their logic, and then defeat them on their battlefield."

Kessel snorted and rubbed his fingers together lightly:
“To deal with King Nuen with ingenious calculations.”

"A desperate counterattack against Chaman Rumba."

"Use arrogance to deal with Williams..."

"Or like last night."

"Exploiting human weaknesses to engage in a war of words with the Kevin Deere boy from afar."

Thales stared blankly at the other person.

he knows.

The king's words echoed in Thales' mind.

A common trick...

To disguise myself as someone similar to him, and then face him...

The boy suddenly had a strange feeling that he was completely naked from head to toe, standing naked in front of the king.

There is nothing to hide, nothing to do, nothing to escape.

"But some things cannot be faked."

King Catherine V raised his eyes.

"Just like last night."

last night.

Thales' pupils flickered.

Iron Fist King stared at him from afar.

That feeling comes again.

The kind of oppression that neither King Nuen nor King Chaman had ever given him.

That feeling of powerlessness, where every gesture feels like a thousand pounds pressing down, and every word feels like a fishbone stuck in one's throat.

"why?"

The king spoke softly, but could hardly defend himself:
Why did you risk your life last night?

"Personally getting involved and enjoying it?"

Thales felt as if he were seeing double.

Those were Anker and Doyle's faces.

The boy took a deep breath, focused his attention, and tried his best to explain:
"Last night's banquet was a tricky situation, a dilemma where neither option was appropriate."

"So I personally stepped in to forge a third path, to show them a completely different Thales Star, so that we..."

But right now.

"lie."

Thales paused in his speech.

“You personally got involved, not because of ‘us’.”

King Kessel watched him from afar, as if observing a game of chess:

"And simply because of you."

"You want to save both the pieces and the game at the same time."

Thales felt a chill run down his spine.

"Because this is who you are."

"No matter what, you always want to find a way that pleases everyone, a perfect choice that meets your highest expectations."

"It's best to remain calm and undisturbed, without causing any harm."

"Avoid the ugliness and sacrifices you least want to face."

Thales felt increasingly short of breath.

"I--"

He wanted to speak to relieve the pressure, but...

That won't work, Thales.

The boy opened and closed his lips in vain, thinking bitterly:

Useless.

he knows.

Thales lowered his head in a daze.

And as he said, you have nowhere to hide.

There are no excuses.

"But what I don't understand is..."

The king continued speaking:

"Hasn't this damned fate given you a damned response every single time?"

Thales was taken aback.

At that moment, King Kessel's gaze seemed to rip open his chest:
"You dominated the national conference, but you attracted more malice and suspicion from others."

"You turned the tide in Dragon Sky City, but you've made an even more formidable enemy than your predecessor."

"You spoke up for the Grand Duchess in Valhalla, but you put yourself in danger of being the target of public anger and had to turn to even worse allies."

"Your ambiguous attitude at Baki Camp, seemingly navigating between the two sides and bringing about a fresh start, was dealt a heavy blow at last night's banquet by the irreconcilable conflict between the two sides, leaving you in a sorry state."

As Thales listened to these firsthand accounts of his past experiences, he felt increasingly numb. Was that it?

Regarding his choice...

Has fate responded to me every time?

"Just like last night, you wisely and cleverly preserved the pieces and the game, winning both position and reputation..."

The king spoke with sarcasm:

"But he left the whole kingdom to clean up his own mess."

Thales paused.

More explanations welled up from the bottom of my heart, but when I tried to speak them, I couldn't find the words.

"A third path? Ha, it's like you're used to the carefree attitude of a street beggar, yet you fantasize about the status and honor of a royal bloodline."

Upon hearing this, Thales was taken aback.

"You wander atop the cliffs, yet dream of the view from the heavens."

"They still believed that as long as they were fearless and undaunted, they could maintain their footing."

Kessel's questions were like sharp blades, carving themselves into his heart.

The king's sharp gaze left Thales and looked into the void.

"Just like you and that girl from Longxiao City."

Thales, however, could only helplessly let the Supreme King's voice penetrate his ears.
"You tell yourself that, based on values ​​and positions, a strong ally can bring you benefits."

"But you also tell yourself that out of emotion and desire, a beloved lover makes you willing to give everything."

The next moment, King Kessel's words took a sharp turn:

"But if you confuse these two points and drift between them, you may think you can handle both with ease and take care of both sides."

"Then you are wrong."

The king's eyes were cold and deep, and he spoke slowly and deliberately:
"Until you realize that every time, every seemingly perfect choice comes at a greater cost."

The boy swallowed again.

“I think she—Lady Fiery Blood—has already proven her worth and stance in that battle.”

Thales adjusted his voice to make himself sound less lost and confused.

But for some reason, his sentences were halting and stumbling:

“She is strong…she is capable of being strong.”

"She can bring us benefits..."

The king snorted coldly.

“You know,” he said coldly, looking directly at Thales.
I wasn't talking about her.

Thales' body swayed slightly.

Iron-fisted King said sarcastically:
"Polaris".

Polaris.

It's Polaris again.

Thales had never hated the title as much as he did now.

He loathed this moment just as much as he did.

"What about you?"

After several struggles, Thales's voice finally rang out softly.

"His Majesty."

The boy's voice wasn't loud, nor was its tone abrupt, but it sounded like a powerless question uttered after enduring hardship:
"Dear Ms. Ginny, is she your ally or your lover?"

In the dim light, King Kessel's eyes suddenly flickered.

The surrounding air no longer solidified.

But there was an added tension, like the eve of an avalanche.

"And you really are as you say, someone who despises emotions and impulses, and only cares about gains and losses..."

Like a drowning person surfacing and gasping for breath, the boy's words rippled:
"A rational and calm, cruel king whose only concern is the kingdom..."

"Can you distinguish everything clearly and distinctly, without any confusion?"

Kessel's gaze sharpened.

But Thales couldn't tell whether it was anger or gloom surging within him.

But he suddenly realized that this was the first time he had contradicted his father that day.

Or... for the first time in my life?
The stone statue of King Kessel moved from its seat, its chin slightly raised, a hint of anger in its expression:
"you……"

But Thales interrupted him.

"I am a shining star."

He gasped for air, as if only in this way could he avoid suffocating; he also clenched his fists tightly to keep his voice from becoming distorted.
"As a prince of the stars, as a descendant of the kingdom."

"If I can't even take responsibility for a girl who has suffered because of me."

Thales realized he couldn't control the pauses in his speech, but he still tried to finish:

"Then in times of crisis, at crucial moments, what gives me the right to stand up and take responsibility for my kingdom and my people?"

King Kessel's eyes changed, revealing a different kind of light.

Thales stared intently at the king:

"That's right, it has nothing to do with her."

"It only concerns myself."

Several seconds passed.

The turmoil in the king's eyes finally subsided.

He looked at Thales again, his tone certain:
"You care about her."

Thales shuddered.

For a moment, the boy didn't dare to raise his head to look at his father.

But he will eventually have to face it.

Just like when Kessel questioned him about his past behavior.

He will eventually have to answer.

"I care about her."

The boy was unaware of his own expression.

He knew how difficult it was for his words to break through numerous obstacles and barriers before they could finally escape his throat.

Just like his thoughts right now.

"She is my true friend, my companion in times of trouble."

"My savior, my classmate and study partner."

Thales lowered his head sadly, and his voice trailed off.

"Of course I care about her, I'm concerned about her, and maybe I even...like her."

Little rascal.

King Kessel did not respond, not even with a sarcastic or disdainful snort.

He just watched his son silently.

Thales took a deep breath.

He forced a resolute look into his eyes, driving away the pain:

"So that's not love either."

It doesn't have to be love.

It certainly can't be love.

The moment he uttered those words, Thales felt a jolt in his heart, as if he had stepped into thin air.

Weightlessness, imbalance.

At a loss.

Thales looked at King Kessel, struggling to breathe in a daze, trying to forget everything else.

Until the king gave a curt reply:
"is it?"

Calm and uneventful, neither praising nor criticizing.

Thales closed his eyes, then opened them again.

"I'm very realistic."

Having overcome the previous discomfort, Thales was finally able to adjust his posture without any hindrance, and with a strange emotion, he proudly raised his head.

“I am your son, of the bloodline of the Star, the heir to the kingdom.”

King Kessel's face twitched slightly in the sunlight.

“I have long understood that my destiny is destined to be full of ups and downs, and fraught with misfortune and calamity.”

Thales glanced sideways, looking slightly disheartened.

"But just like you, I made a choice."

The next moment, he looked at the king again, as if looking at another version of himself, and spoke the subject of the next sentence in the ancient imperial language:
"I was born for the stars."

The king silently looked back at him.

The Ballard Room remained silent as always, but the air was no longer stuffy.

Thales let out a breath, like a prisoner breaking free of his shackles, indulging in a luxurious breath in the sunlight.

The boy gritted his teeth:

"Therefore I will never, and cannot, have any improper thoughts, romantic feelings, or transgressions toward her."

The same disaster will happen again...

Bring it to her again.

"It's because I care about her, I care about Selma, and I care about my friends."

King Kessel remained silent.

A mixture of pain and sorrow overwhelmed Thales as he spoke words long buried in his heart, reaffirming what he had already come to understand:

"So that was definitely not love."

That can't be love.

Absolutely not.

At that moment, he felt like a bird freed from its shackles, finally able to spread its wings and soar through the sky with confidence.

Until it broke its wings and fell to the ground.

"You ask me where I am," the young duke said softly, suddenly finding himself drawn to the dimness of the stone chamber.
“I am right here, in the Palace of Rejuvenation.”

"Like you."

"Father."

Thales's spirits sank.

"And you don't need to worry about... her and me."

As soon as he finished speaking, Thales realized that he was sweating profusely and breathing rapidly without even realizing it.

This was far from the demeanor expected of the Duke of Starlake.

The silence in the room lasted for quite a while.

It seems that enough time needs to be allowed for this open revelation.

Until its meaning is fully understood.

"Is she alright?"

King Kessel's sudden words startled Thales.

But the boy immediately fell into despair.

"I do not know."

He closed his eyes, then opened them again, trying to erase all expression:
"I...don't want to know either."

The Ballard Room fell completely silent.

It seemed like an eternity had passed.

Finally, the king's figure retreated voluntarily in the light.

He sat back down in the shadows of his seat.

Their faces are no longer visible.

Only the voice of the king could be heard from afar.

"Sometimes I really am strange."

King Kessel's words were as sharp and biting as ever, but they no longer had that stinging quality.

"Why is your rationality just as good as your stupidity?"

"Why are they both in one brain?"

The king snorted coldly:
"We can still live in peace."

Thales did not speak.

He sat at the long table, lost in thought.

Just now, the boy understood something.

In his lifetime, he had faced three kings.

King Nuen's methods of maneuvering were a blend of firmness and tact, kindness and power, as deep and unfathomable as the ocean.

King Chaman then pressured and threatened him with tangible benefits and consequences, as if a knife were at his throat and a thorn was in his back.

But before us stands Kessel V.

Iron-fisted King.

He is completely different from the former two.

As the supreme king of the stars, he did not engage in grand pronouncements or make lofty statements.

But Kessel possesses an even more bizarre and terrifying ability.

With this ability, he can transcend kindness and power, profit and loss, and strike at the heart with just a few words, seizing the most damned weakness.

This forced Thales to confront his true self.

Calm and uneventful.

Yet it was heartbreaking.

The king reached out and turned a crank on the table.

The door to Ballard's room opened.

Several unfamiliar members of the royal guard appeared at the door, and one person walked past them and into the room.

It was that scarred man from the secret department.

But Thales seemed not to hear, remaining expressionless as he sank into his seat.

"Take him out," King Kessel's voice rang out mercilessly:
"Let him see the mess he left behind."

Thales looked up in a daze:
"what?"

"Don't dawdle," the king said, bowing his head again and turning to the next document.
"There are much more important things in Ballard's room."

"Remember what you said today."

Thales doesn't quite remember what happened next.

He doesn't even quite remember how he stumbled out of Ballard's room in a daze.

I don’t quite remember how the scarred man stiffly apologized with his hands behind his back, saying that he couldn’t disobey the king’s orders, but Lord Marius couldn’t leave for the time being and asked His Highness to come with him.

Thales followed him absentmindedly, exiting the palace through a side gate and boarding a carriage.

"Where are we going?"

Feeling the swaying of the carriage, Thales, who had finally managed to compose himself, came back to his senses.

"Kingdom Secret Service, Your Highness—His Majesty's order."

Across from him, a scarred man with a fierce appearance scratched his face as he answered.

Secret Service.

Thales frowned.

But he noticed something even more wrong.

The scarred man in front of me...

His voice has changed?

Noticing the prince's gaze, the scarred man smiled slightly and reached out to peel off his own face.

Thales' eyes widened.

"It's been a long time, Your Highness."

The person in front of me threw away the mask that concealed the scars, looked down at his eyes, and spoke in a relaxed and humorous voice:
"How have you been?"

Thales was stunned.

It turned out to be him.

"You don't seem very happy, what's wrong..."

His old acquaintance, Raphael Lindbergh, the Bone Man, opened his dark red eyes inside the carriage and stared straight at Thales:
"Just got dumped by your girlfriend?"

Thales's face stiffened.

"Raphael."

The prince, who was already in a bad mood, leaned back.

"Say one more word..."

Duke Xinghu stared straight at the ceiling of the carriage, his face expressionless, and said:

"I will then propose to the noble Miss Miranda."

Raphael's face fell.

Then the carriage fell completely silent.

Speechless all the way.

This chapter wasn't well written; I'll have to revise it later.

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(End of this chapter)