Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 666 Conflict
On the morning of the third day of the Emerald Festival, Thales pushed aside the servants who tried to stop him and barged into Jann's dining room.

“Your Highness Thales,” the Duke of the South Bank, seated at the head of the table, set down his cutlery, elegantly wiped his mouth, and gestured to the servants with his eyes that they need not panic and should simply close the door and leave, “I was just wondering when you would come to see me…”

But Thales looked at him coldly. "Explain."

"Explain what?" Jenn's smile remained unchanged.

Thales carefully observed the Duke's every move.

“Last night, one of my men died,” the prince said angrily. “He was too badly wounded to be saved, and there wasn’t even time to call a doctor.”

Jenn's smile vanished, and his hand holding the wine glass paused slightly.

“And you, Jann Kevin Deer, you will pay for this,” Thales said through gritted teeth, his eyes like knives. “I swear, in the name of Little Doll—in the name of Starlake Castle.”

"impossible."

Duke Iris pondered for a moment, then frowned and replied:
"Your ten men, including the heirs of Aarond and Bozdorf, as well as your captain of the personal guard, returned to Kongming Palace in batches last night. Although they looked haggard and tried to conceal their injuries, they were all unharmed, with none seriously injured or on the verge of death! Even if there were any unknown hidden injuries, they were not..."

Jann's eyes flickered, and he hesitated for a moment.

"Wait, are you bluffing me?"

Thales raised an eyebrow, walked over to Jann's side, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

“So you really do know everything from beginning to end,” the prince scoffed, “from when I sent my men out to when they returned to Kongming Palace.”

Jann's face turned cold.

“I was just about to bring this up,” the Duke of South Bank said calmly. “We encountered an unexpected incident yesterday, but it has been handled safely, efficiently, and appropriately…”

“No, you don’t,” Thales interrupted him coldly. “You still have something to deal with.”

Jann stopped talking.

Thales leaned forward, resting his arms on the table: "Me."

The dining room became quiet again.

Across the dining table, their eyes met in mid-air, like two swordsmen standing on a dueling platform, slowly drawing their swords.

The atmosphere became heavy.

The next second, the dining room door was suddenly pushed open, and the two of them were startled!
A pale, greenish-white 'person' with a swollen neck that drooped like a gourd staggered in. His features were sparsely scattered across his face, as if melting away, disgusting and terrifying.

"Gurgle, gurgle..." He made a gurgling sound from his throat, like bubbling.

Thales gripped the chair arm tightly, his face stiff, but at least he didn't lose his composure.

“Hilal,” Jann said calmly, taking a sip of his drink, his expression unchanged, “we’re talking business.”

"Alas."

A disappointed voice came from behind this 'person'.

The monster's face shrank, and Hilaire's sweaty face "emerged" from it, still dressed in that casual and carefree manner:

"My newly made handicraft is inspired by the legend of the water ghosts in the canal area. Isn't it beautiful?"

Water corpse...

Thales exhaled, looking at the swollen face with its features melting away, and exchanged a glance with Janne, who was frowning behind the table.

“Beautiful, miss, a brilliant idea,” the butler Ashford followed behind her, a smile on his face. “May I suggest we sprinkle some more water on it to create a wet effect?”

Hilly's eyes lit up upon hearing this:
"That makes sense. No wonder I felt something was missing. If pus could ooze from its facial features as it walked, dripping and dribbling, with footprints and sound and light effects, it would be even better. And give it a name..."

“Ashford!” Jenn could no longer contain himself.

The next second, the water ghoul was instantly transferred from Hilly's hands to the butler's.

“I’ll get it done right away, Miss,” Ashford said, turning and leaving, closing the door behind him in a swift and fluid motion. “Please don’t worry.”

The door closed, leaving the three of them alone in the dining room, staring at each other in bewilderment.

"Why do you always like to dress up as a ghost?" Thales frowned.

“Because everyone likes it,” Hilly stepped forward, looked at the prince, then at her brothers, and said innocently, “See, don’t you like it too?”

Thales and Jann exchanged a glance.

As old rivals and sworn enemies, they were used to their confrontational relationship and tense atmosphere. However, when a third party suddenly appeared, neither Duke of Star Lake nor the owner of the Iris Flower seemed quite comfortable with it.

"What are you doing here, Hilla?" Jann asked the question they both had.

Under the complicated gazes of the prince and duke, Miss Kevin Deer sat down at the table without any fuss, directly opposite Thales on the other side of Jann. She enthusiastically wrapped her napkin around her neck and unceremoniously picked up the spare cutlery on the table.

"Got up early, going to find something to eat. Also, want to ask Thales when we're going on our date today?"

Upon hearing this, both Thales and Jenn froze.

what?
“He’s here to find a suitable fiancée, isn’t he? Or am I mistaken?” Hilly answered with perfect ease.

Thales and Jann exchanged glances, one awkward, the other cold.

In a short period of time, they exchanged countless emotions and information, and finally reached a rare consensus:
not now.

The two swordsmen on the dueling platform sheathed their swords again.

“Hilary, watch your address, it’s ‘Prince Thales’ or ‘Your Highness’,” Jann said, his face as cold as ice. “Don’t be impolite.”

“Yes, Ms. Hsieh-Kevin Deer,” Thales nodded with some difficulty, “we’re not that close yet.”

Hilly clicked his tongue and shook his head:

"Ha, you didn't say that yesterday, on the rooftop of the temple."

Rooftop...

Jann's eyes grew increasingly terrifying, like those of a butcher sharpening his knife.

Sensing the terrifying atmosphere, Thales took a deep breath and rose from his seat.
“It’s getting late, ma’am, I think it’s time for me to leave…”

Jenn put down his glass on the other side: "Yes, we just finished talking..."

But Hilly's next words brought about a change:
"By the way, Jenn, I just heard from Officer Caquere that there was a murder in the Goldpie District yesterday?"

The murder case in the Golden District.

Upon hearing this, both Thales and Jann frowned.

Their eyes met in mid-air.

It was as if the duel that had just ended had begun, and the drums of war had been sounded again.

But Hilaire, at the center of the duel, was merely glancing at the table full of food, completely oblivious:

"I heard the dead man was a businessman? What happened? Did something serious occur?"

Diop.

Thales frowned deeply as he recalled the deceased's name.

Jenn looked at Thales and said calmly, "No, it was just a normal..."

But before he could finish speaking, Thales interrupted him.

“In fact, I’ve also heard from my subordinates,” Thales said, sitting back down in his chair, his gaze intense, “that the Guard Bureau and the Emerald Legion mobilized a large number of personnel yesterday, causing widespread panic. I wonder if it’s related to this murder case?”

Jann's gaze turned cold upon hearing this.

"Wow, so it's true?" Hilly said, picking at her dessert.

Jann and Thales stared at each other for a long time before Jann finally glanced at his sister.

"What do you hear from your subordinates?"

The Duke of the South Bank picked up his wine glass again, observing Thales's distorted face through the glass: "I wonder which subordinate Your Highness heard this from?"

This time, the two swordsmen did not sheath their swords.

“I have a man named Wyman,” Thales casually picked up an empty cup and reached for the water jug ​​containing Terranbon Spring Water. “He said that when he was strolling around the streets, he saw a large number of guards and officers blocking off the area and searching for criminals.”

“As far as I know,” Jann’s eyes sharpened, and he pressed down on the lid of the Clear Spring Drinker to prevent Thales from taking it, “Wyatt Cassel was with you all day yesterday. How did he end up wandering the streets?”

“You don’t know this,” Thales sneered, gripping the handle of the kettle and wrestling with Jann. “Many of my men are named Wyatt.”

"Which Wyatt is that?"

"The one you don't know..."

"Hey!"

Hillary finally lost her temper. She bit her teaspoon and pointed to the kettle between the two of them:
"Can you stop fighting over that pot? It's empty."

Thales and Jann exchanged a glance, and then, feeling awkward and annoyed, they both let go.

Hilla then smiled.

Miss Kevin Deer gracefully reached out, took the kettle, and then skillfully tilted the spout to pour herself a full glass of spring water.

Thales and Jenn were taken aback, their gazes turning strange.

“Oh, there’s still some left,” Hilly shook the kettle, looking delighted. “There’s quite a lot.”

The prince and the duke exchanged a glance and both breathed a sigh of relief.

The conversation was interrupted, but the atmosphere inside improved somewhat.

Jenn glanced at Hilly again:
"That's right. Yesterday, a security officer in the Dianjin District received a report from a concerned citizen that strangers were entering and leaving a private residence, and their behavior was suspicious."

Thales gave a sarcastic smile: "A concerned citizen? Which concerned citizen?"

Jann moved his fingers. "The citizens of Emerald City are all warm-hearted."

"Especially the Duke himself?"

"Unlike His Highness, who is so eager to help others..."

“Don’t go off-topic, and then what?” Hilly interrupted them.

Duke Iris sneered: "Then, the Guard Hall and the Emerald Legion joined forces and finally discovered that a wool merchant and his mistress had been murdered in the mansion in a gruesome and heinous manner."

There was a moment of silence in the dining room.

Hilaire took a sip of the spring water and stared wide-eyed:
"Wow, that's really scary."

Thales' expression remained unchanged, his gaze fixed on Jenn:
"So, has the murderer been caught?"

“Of course,” Jann said calmly, without any change in expression. “The Guard Bureau and the Emerald Legion arrived quickly and efficiently, arresting the suspect on the spot.”

Thales's gaze sharpened:
"Suspect?"

Jann stared at Thales and smiled: "Lord Bedren was found drunk in a nearby block, holding a bloodstained murder weapon. When he woke up, he couldn't explain how he got there."

Thales frowned.

“Lord Bedren?” Hilly’s eyes darted around. “Oh, you mean the family whose ancestors were barons, but were demoted for oppressing the people?” Jenn nodded, his voice firm.

"That's him."

Thales was silent for a moment:

"Why? Why would a drunkard break into a house and kill a wool merchant?"

Duke Iris paused for a moment.

"According to the vigilante's investigation, Lord Bedren's debts are due soon, and the creditor's rights belong to the Wool Merchants' Guild."

"This reason doesn't seem sufficient?"

"Yesterday, some citizens saw him looking for his creditors everywhere. It's possible that he was drunk and enraged, and took a desperate gamble..."

In this sense, Diop's death became a case of murder committed in a fit of rage over a debt dispute.

Thales clenched his fist.

Of course, a voice inside him sneered: This is his usual tactic, isn't it?
From Morse to Diop.

Who's next?
“My dear Jen,” ​​the prince suddenly spoke, his tone tightening, “are you sure?”

Jann frowned, and Hilly looked up as well.

"Are you sure the perpetrator was really Lord Bedren?"

Duke Starlake's voice was very soft, but his words seemed to have a certain power that made people hesitate.

Jann didn't answer; he just stared intently at his wine glass.

Hilly looked at his brother, then at Thales.

“Speaking of which, Prince Thales.”

The next second, Duke Iris spoke slowly, his tone gentle, with a completely different feel from the prince:

“I remember now. Ashford just told me that many of your men, such as Wyatt, whom I don’t know, were ‘wandering’ around the city yesterday and didn’t return until nightfall. Some of them were even injured.”

Thales frowned deeply.

Jenn looked at Thales with a cold gaze:

"Could they have just happened to be passing by the crime scene and have some clues to solve the case?"

I just happened to be passing by the crime scene...

The atmosphere between the prince and the duke cooled down again.

"Oh?"

Hilly's eyes lit up: "Really? Did they see the murderer?"

Thales and Jann exchanged a silent glance.

“No, in fact, they adapted to local customs and got carried away while enjoying themselves with the people in the city. They got into a fight for no reason and ended up getting injured,” Thales said, his voice icy as he lowered his head. “It’s ridiculous, isn’t it?”

Jenn smiled.

“No, Emerald City is a mixed bag these days, especially those outsiders with complicated backgrounds who always cause trouble for no reason,” the Duke said calmly. “Prince Thales, you should be careful with your men when they travel abroad.”

Thales sneered.

“They will be careful. After all, not everyone is like that wool merchant, with a special status and extraordinary significance, to warrant Duke Janne's personal involvement in the case.”

“Every citizen and guest of Emerald City, regardless of their identity or significance, is under the protection of Emerald City and under my protection,” Jann said without changing his expression. “No malicious person shall be allowed to meddle or violate them.”

"With a ruler like you, Emerald City is truly blessed. That murdered merchant can probably smile with relief by the River of Hell," Thales said sarcastically.

"It is thanks to His Majesty Kessel's effective governance that we, in such remote and desolate places, are able to enjoy peace."

"My father would be very pleased if he knew of your loyalty."

"Your Highness and His Majesty are of one mind, and I'm sure they are equally happy."

Hilly glanced left and then right, a meaningful expression appearing on her face amidst the verbal sparring between Thales and Jann:
"Do you think it could be a water ghost?"

The prince and duke, who were locked in a heated argument, were both taken aback by this seemingly random remark.
"what?"

"Water ghost?"

Hilaire enthusiastically picked up the kettle, poured two cups of spring water, and handed them to them respectively:

"As you know, there's an old legend in Emerald City that every year during the Emerald Festival, the water ghosts beneath the canal awaken, emerge from the river, and roam the streets of Emerald City, specifically targeting people who are alone at night... That's why every year on Queen's Day, many people die a violent death."

The conversation was interrupted, and Thales and Jenn had to retract their aggressive attitude.

The atmosphere inside the restaurant was no longer so scary.

"Sixty percent of the people who died during the Emerald Festival were drunkards who fell into the canal on the night of the revelry," Jann said, taking the glass from his sister and letting out a sigh of relief. "The remaining thirty percent were all kinds of murders, vendettas, gang fights, or debt disputes that were just used as a cover for the Emerald Festival. Most of them were man-made disasters."

Thales took the cup:
"What about the remaining 10%?"

“The Emerald City’s guards aren’t super detectives either,” Jann scoffed. “There will always be cases they can’t solve, like missing people.”

Thales noticed that Hilly had only poured him half a glass of spring water, and just as he leaned in to drink, two words formed by fluorescence appeared on the inside of the glass, just like the previous "Soul Bone Jacques" ghost face pattern:

Avoid conflict.

Thales frowned slightly.

"eaten."

"Hilaire suddenly said."

Thales and Jenn both looked up in confusion:

"what?"

Hilly rubbed his gloves, his eyes darting around: "If they really are water ghouls, then the people who are eaten wouldn't leave behind any corpses; they would simply be 'missing,' right?"

Thales squinted

"Uh, you're right?"

The next second, Hillary frowned, took a deep breath, and struggled to her feet:

"Oh, I'm sorry, I have to go now."

Thales asked in confusion, "Ms. Hsieh—Ms. Kevin Deer?"

Jenn's gaze sharpened, and he stood up:

"Hilaire, are you feeling unwell?"

But Hilla simply waved her hand dismissively and exhaled:

"It's nothing, just my period."

what?
Thales and Jann were both taken aback, and quickly turned their heads away, awkwardly averting their gaze.

"Ah, I need to go change my menstrual pads. Every hour I feel like I'm sitting in a pool of blood..."

Jenn's expression suddenly changed, and he said sternly:

"Cecilia!"

Hilly waved his hand dismissively:
"You should be happy, right? The bleeding every month means your sister isn't pregnant..."

Thales pretended not to hear, lowered his head to drink his beverage, and casually wiped away the fluorescent words on the glass.

Jann stared at Cecilia in disbelief, then at Thales, and roared:

"Cecilia! Don't bring this up again! What about your manners?"

"What's wrong? Everyone has these kinds of problems, okay?"

"Men—there aren't even half of them!"

“That’s right!” Hilly pushed open the door, turned around and snapped, “Then why are you meddling in all this stuff?”

The door closed, and once again only Thales and Janne remained in the dining room, staring at each other in bewilderment.

“That girl is never easy to deal with,” the Duke snorted, bowing his head to his cup to hide his embarrassment. “You see, she’s not a good girl, much less a good wife. She’ll only cause chaos in your court.”

Thales smirked: "Hmm, I don't think it's that bad..."

Fortunately, before Jenn's gaze turned cold again, Thales reacted and stopped talking in time.

But after Hilly's interruption (and perhaps Hilly's reminder), the atmosphere between them was no longer so tense.

“I thought we had an agreement yesterday: I would continue investigating Dagory Moss, feigning hostility towards you to mislead our enemies.” Thales composed himself, became serious, and returned to the main topic.

“Exactly,” Jann slammed down his glass. “So I played along with your act, obstructing and opposing you as always, making everyone—whether they are our own people, our enemies, the clever ones, the fools, or the fools who think they are clever—think that what’s happening in the Emerald City is a drama of a prince and a duke fighting, to mislead the Royal Secret Service, isn’t that right?”

Thales was silent for a moment, then chuckled softly.

"So you preemptively cut off the investigation leads, almost wiped out all the subordinates I sent to investigate, and even tried to frame me—'the prince's guard broke into a house and committed murder,' a sensational and explosive topic, right?"

Jenn shook his head, completely unperturbed:

"If we don't do this, how can we convince the Royal Secret Service and your father that the two of us are indeed engaged in a brutal struggle, a matter of life and death?"

"But judging from the wool merchant's situation, you seem quite involved."

Jann raised his glass again, observing Thales through it: "Remember, if we're going to achieve results, then let's see it through to the end?"

Thales remained silent for a moment.

"Dagori Moss went to see the wool merchant before he was silenced."

"I know."

“If the Kingdom’s secret service ordered him to do this, then there must be a reason.”

"I know."

Thales frowned:
"Then why did you-"

But Jenn interrupted him first, leaving no room for argument:
"Because I understood it a long time ago!"

The owner of the iris flower stared at him coldly:
"In the Kingdom's secret service's plan, their trump card is none other than..."

"And it is you."

"The Second Prince, Thales Shining Star."

In that instant, Thales felt a chill run down his spine as he faced Jenn's piercing gaze.

There's one more chapter, I should be able to finish it around midnight.

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(End of this chapter)