Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 735 That Thing (Part 1)

So, don't mess with women.

In the corridor of Kongming Palace, DD ate breakfast while listening to Piloga and Neshi's description of the "capture of the murderer by the heroes at Beimen Bridge" the previous night. He sighed and drew his own conclusion.

Look at Prince Thales. Yesterday, in a moment of impulse, he had a huge fight with Lady Kevindale, and it's said that he made her cry her heart out, shouting the most heartbreaking and resolute words as she stormed out of the Sky Palace.

The scene was so moving that everyone turned their heads and felt sorry for the dog and the cat. Even Wyman couldn't comfort them!

Sure enough, before the night was even up, karma struck.

DD ate while exclaiming:
If it were with this seasoned and worldly-wise bodyguard last night, His Highness would not have been stumped by such a difficult problem and would have been forced to watch helplessly as the young lady snatched the prisoner away.

Come to think of it, why didn't they invite me last night?

Cough cough, no, it must be that the task of guarding Kongming Palace is also very important. Look, there are two Kevindirs standing here. If something unexpected happens... you know what I mean.
With a bang, the door to Prince Thales's room opened:
Thales, with a stern face, stepped out of the room accompanied by his guards.

DD and the others on duty were startled and immediately stopped eating, each grabbing a weapon and standing ramrod straight.

What a joke! At this moment, who doesn't know that His Highness, who lost face and was furious last night, is still seething with anger?
If he finds fault with someone, he might get angry and take it out on the people, which would be bad, right?

Well, looking back, it was a wise decision not to go last night, wasn't it?
Unlike those fools from last night, who not only got a humiliating experience accompanying the prince but also returned dejected. Marius was busy as a bee, Wyatt looked guilty and embarrassed, the mute was nowhere to be found, the zombie was nowhere to be seen, Miranda came and went in a hurry, and the little lion went off to sulk by himself...

In short, some fell out of favor, while others were brutally raped by the prince...

Unlike me, Little DD, who is still entrusted with important responsibilities, guarding the key passes that affect the situation in Emerald City!

Hmph, hehe.

In this light, it seems that Mr. Honda was quite clever, pragmatic, and invincible...

However, Thales ignored DD's complex and ever-changing emotions. He walked past the smug latter ("How could he be so happy? Is he gloating over my misfortunes?" Thales later muttered to Wyman), waved his hand, and ordered someone to open the door and enter one of the prisoners' "cells".

“You didn’t bring soldiers in, nor did you take me out without saying a word and pronounce judgment.”

In the room, Federico Kevindir calmly put down his teacup.

"I suspect that Your Highness has not yet chosen to make peace with Janne, sacrificing me in exchange for the peace of Emerald City?"

Thales sat opposite him, watching as the other calmly added a spoonful of sugar, stirred it slowly with a teaspoon, and created a swirl.

"I failed to capture Lausanne II."

The prince spoke coldly, suppressing his anger.

Federico raised his eyebrows slightly, then nodded, seemingly unsurprised.

"That explains your anger."

He continued to stir the teacup steadily, watching the vortex inside deepen.
"Your intention to use this serial killer as a target to establish your authority, eliminate accidents, and stabilize public sentiment has failed, let alone use him to threaten me into submission and gain room for maneuver in negotiations with Jann."

Federico looked up and gave him a shrewd look.

"Now you're back to square one: either completely side with Jenn in the arbitration, letting him gain more advantages in exchange for his help in Emerald City..."

Thales didn't speak, but his eyes grew even colder.

"Either you place your bets entirely on me, firmly believing that we have the ability to retake the Emerald City and kill Jann."

Fede pulled the teaspoon from the deep vortex and tapped it lightly on the rim of the cup:

There is no third way.

Thales still did not respond.

He simply stared coldly at the other person's cup, waiting for the swirling current inside to gradually subside.

"I guess that's why I can still sit here drinking tea, and why Your Highness has the leisure to chat with me."

Federico put down his teaspoon, picked up his teacup, and took a small sip, his demeanor composed.

The room fell silent for a moment, as still as the deep seabed.

“You were right before, that assassin is indeed not simple,” Thales suddenly spoke up, sneering repeatedly. “What a pleasant surprise.”

Federico gently put down the cup.

He was silent for a moment, then sighed softly:
"I warned you: this person cannot be judged by common sense, whether in terms of his physical or mental condition. Please be careful."

remind?

Thales crossed his arms and sneered:
"Why didn't you just tell me he was a monster who goes berserk at the sight of blood?"

Federico looked up and gave Thales a deep look.

So he found out.

“If I were to tell them, it would be tantamount to betraying the Kingdom of Night and the Corleone family,” Feld said calmly, without any ripples in his voice. “Regardless of their intentions, I am grateful to them for giving me a place to live and for keeping their secrets is my duty.”

“I didn’t know you were such a person of your word,” Thales said.

“Furthermore, you yourself have thoroughly investigated the background of King Lausanne II,” Federico said calmly, sipping his tea as if he hadn’t heard the sarcasm in the prince’s words. “Otherwise, someone as shrewd as you wouldn’t have risked hunting him down.”

It's so slippery.

With just a few words, they absolved themselves of responsibility.

Thales thought dismissively.

It also makes him seem so noble and virtuous.

As expected of Kevin Deer.

"Seeing that I've failed at everything outside and have to come back to you with my tail between my legs, you must be very happy, right?"

Federico paused upon hearing this.

He remained silent for a moment, then sighed helplessly.

“I know you are in a bad mood and I have no intention of offending you, but I cannot deny that I am quite fortunate to have escaped with my life.”

Thales pouted.

"And I am even more grateful that you remained rational and restrained, held back in time, spared Losang's life, and did not take away my chips in your rage, thus giving all the advantage to Janne's side."

Stay rational and calm...

Show mercy in time, spare Losang's life...

Thales frowned.

He had to admit that he was quite frustrated last night, but after hearing these words, he felt much better...

Thales coughed, clearing his mind and adopting a serious expression.

“Flattery won’t absolve you,” the prince said coldly, “especially when you know something but don’t report it or deliberately conceal it.”

“I understand Your Highness’s anger,” Federico said calmly, unfazed by the Duke of Starlake’s aggressive tone. “But let’s look at it from the opposite perspective: if you captured Lausanne II and took his and my heads to form an alliance with Jann, would it necessarily be a good thing?”

Thales squinted:
"In exchange, he agreed to compromise and give me a profitable Emerald City."

Although there are many prerequisites.

“An Emerald City that remains just a slogan,” Federico quickly retorted.

“It’s better than an Emerald City that’s destined to perish,” Thales retorted.

"Believe me, Your Highness, cooperating with Janne is not a good idea."

Federico laughed:

“Once he knows that the threat of Lausanne II is gone, that I have no more bargaining chips on the scales, and that you can only rely on his charity to turn the tide, he will become increasingly demanding. No matter what he promised beforehand, no matter how eloquently he boasted, no matter how many seemingly advantageous benefits he agreed to, whether it be military service, taxes, or profits from maritime trade, once he regains power and returns to the throne, he will surely turn his back on you ruthlessly, leaving you with nothing but losses.”

“He is the Duke of the Guardian,” Thales frowned, glancing at the man. “He is not some penniless fugitive who will stop at nothing to seek revenge.”

"Oh, Your Highness, Emerald City benefits from its thriving commerce. The government offices are full of secretaries and clerks who are adept at nitpicking, twisting terms, and making discounts on contracts without considering it a breach of trust."

Thales frowned as he recalled Jann's petition to the king for a replacement, and the promise Nekaru had made to the orcs of a "land without snow or ice."

Federico observed his expression:

"At that time, Jann will be free from great calamity and rule without worry, while you will have to bitterly endure defeat and disappointment, as well as the wrath of the Restoration Palace."

Thales turned his head away and snorted coldly:

"Thank you for reminding me of that."

At this point, Federico stood up, slowly walked to the window, and his tone softened:

"Therefore, Your Highness, please do not be upset. It is not a bad thing that Losang II escaped capture. On the contrary, this matter can be used as a bargaining chip, making Jann, who thought he had the victory in his grasp, more cautious. This will prevent him from manipulating you unscrupulously in negotiations with you. And with Losang II outside, he will be even more..."

“I forgot to say something,” Thales interrupted him at this point, “Lossan II did not escape.”

Ok?
Federico, who was looking out at the blue sky, frowned upon hearing this:

"he died?"

"Worse."

Thales hesitated for a moment, then sighed softly and chose the most direct expression:
"He fell into Hilly's hands."

Federico was taken aback at first, then turned around abruptly.

"what did you say?"

Thales sighed in anguish, grabbed his teacup, and gulped down a mouthful.

“That’s right, it’s your good cousin, the one you were planning to use to threaten and scheme against Jenn,” Thales put down his teacup, his smile unpleasant, whether he was laughing at his own foolishness or at the girl’s ruthlessness, “Well, well, before I could even make a move, she popped out on her own and tricked me—tricked everyone.”

Federico looked at Thales, lost in thought for a long time, his expression changing several times along the way.

“I don’t understand,” his tone grew serious. “You have so many talented and skilled men under your command, and this isn’t the first time you’ve faced King Losang II. Your assessment and preparations couldn’t have been inadequate. How could you let a young girl…”

“She has an Extreme Knight who obeys her every word, and he even has a dagger to his own throat right in front of me.”

"You should stop her."

"She also swore that anyone who stood in her way would be the eternal enemy of the Iris family."

"And you softened your heart and couldn't bear to?"

"Of course not, it's just..."

Thales instinctively retorted, racking his brains:
“You know, if she had unfortunately died on the spot, I would have been in big trouble. Even if you, Fede, become the head of the Iris family in the future, I'm afraid you would still have to take revenge on me, that is, on your mortal enemy, to protect the honor of the Iris family, all for the sake of your cousin’s vow.”

A hostage was in grave danger and swore that whoever dared to harm her would be the eternal enemy of a certain family. As a result, no one dared to lay a finger on the hostage.

Damn, if we replace "family" with "country"... does that sound familiar?

"Is that so? Is that what you're worried about?" Federico's eyes were suspicious, and his tone was subtle.

"I……"

Thales coughed, picked up his now-empty teacup again, and buried his face in it:
“You know, I am a prince, and I have to look at things from the perspective of the kingdom. I can’t let the Starry Sky and the Kevin Deer family easily become blood enemies.”

But you're about to take away his Emerald City.

So, at this point, we shouldn't easily make enemies?

Federico stared at him for a long time before taking a deep breath and suppressing his resentful gaze:

"Well, it's done now, there's no point in dwelling on it."

Yeah, why worry about that?

Thales nodded generously in agreement:

"So I have more to worry about: Lausanne II is in her hands, and whatever that guy knows—the truth, the inside story, or the life-saving drugs you gave him or the revenge list—I can only assume that Hilay will find out sooner or later and use it against us."

Federico frowned deeply.

"Please rest assured, Lausanne II has limited knowledge," he said, frowning. "And given his tenacity, getting him to speak won't be so easy."

Thales put down his teacup and snorted coldly.

"You don't know this, but that girl has a lot of ways to deal with people who won't open their hearts."

There's more than you want to know.

Thinking of this, Thales subconsciously crossed his arms.

Federico pondered upon hearing this.

“And that’s not all,” the prince continued, “she’s also using this as leverage, probably to demand that I release Janne, return the throne to the city lord, and let everything go back to normal.”

"But one of your initial reasons for pursuing King Lausanne II was to curry favor with Jann and negotiate with him?"

“That’s what I said too, ‘For Jen’s own good,’” Thales leaned back in his chair, looking exhausted. “But she didn’t believe me, she was adamant, and insisted on taking the killer with her.”

Well, the fact that she had this attitude is, in a way, my fault.

It's my fault.

“Then you will have even fewer bargaining chips and room for negotiation with Jann,” Federico’s tone grew increasingly tense. “Even worse: at a time when Emerald City is in turmoil, you are defeated by an unarmed little girl… Such a defeat will undermine people’s confidence, make all parties in the city more suspicious of your skills and abilities, and exacerbate the crisis—her move was unexpected and gave Jann an absolute advantage, leaving you with little room for error.”

As he listened to his words, Thales's expression grew increasingly grim.

Okay, he makes a good point, except...

A defenseless little girl?

Nonsense! Thales suppressed the urge to retort:

Did he know that the little girl was skilled at playing tricks and frightening people?
Even worse, she'll attract ghosts!
What a ghost!

He's a terrifying and twisted villain, okay?!
He... he had no choice but to let her go!
Thinking about this, Thales felt extremely annoyed and picked up the conversation:
"Besides, I don't have much time left. The spare money I squeezed out of Jenn through his persistent pleading is only enough to put out temporary problems. Once that money runs out..."

Thales looked at the scattered, gradually fading tea leaves in the cup and pursed his lips.

Damn.

How did this happen?
"But you still have one last advantage."

Federico listened to his words and calmly replied:

“Jane is still under your custody. As long as the old case of the Duke’s assassination remains unresolved and his suspicion of patricide remains cleared, no one can threaten your rule.”

Thales sighed and leaned back.

"You just can't forget your important business, can you? Even with Emerald City on the verge of destruction?"

Federico ignored Thales's words and focused solely on his analysis:
"At this moment, Jenn probably doesn't know that his good sister has helped him get revenge."

“And he cannot and will not know that this news must not leak to his ears,” Thales said, his eyes gleaming.

“But Hilay will use Lausanne II as leverage, bluffing and coercing you to release Jann, or at least demand to see him, and once you comply…”

"Don't worry, I'm not stupid," Thales said impatiently.

"That may not be the case."

"what?"

Federico turned around:

"On the contrary, Your Highness, we can use this to our advantage and return to our original plan."

Thales couldn't help but wonder:
"what's the plan?"

Federico gave a mysterious smile:
"Tell him, Your Highness, tell Janne that his dear sister has committed a grave error: she has snatched the bargaining chip from you, damaged your prestige, hindered your plans, and extinguished your attempt to compromise and cooperate with him, in the name of the entire Emerald City's benevolence..."

Thales frowned.

“Then you will display your thunderous rage, declaring that you will never compromise, never give up, even if it means watching the entire Emerald City fall, unless,” Federico paused, his tone tightening, “unless you make Hillay pay a terrible price for offending you.”

Thales's expression changed.

Federico smiled slightly:
"In this way, we have thrown the dilemma back at him: his sister, or Emerald City? Family, or power?"

At that moment, Thales' expression turned ugly.

"It's the same old trick again. Are you still going to use and scheme against Hilly to force Jenn to comply?"

Forcing people to choose: bad, or worse?
It really is Kevin Deer.

Federico lowered his head and remained silent for a while, then raised his head expressionlessly.
“No, this is even better than the original one, because this time Cecilia took the initiative to come forward, so you have no moral burden, and Jann has no reason to doubt that this is your doing…”

"He won't believe it."

This time, Federico looked up in confusion:

"Your Highness?"

“I don’t want to say this, but Jenn knows me too well,” Thales sighed in frustration. “He knows I’m not the kind of person who would exploit or harm the innocent, much less threaten him with his family, and much less stand idly by and watch Emerald City fall into ruin. On the contrary, he’ll know I’m bluffing, and therefore he’s even less likely to back down—”

He will believe it.

Federico interrupted him, his tone resolute.

"Firstly, Your Highness has been tricked by a young girl, damaging your dignity. Everyone knows that you are in a bad mood right now and are not to be trifled with."

Thank you for reminding me of that again.

Thales' face darkened:
"Okay. I'm very angry, but I'm not blinded by anger. I can still tell which is more important, dignity or Emerald City."

“Secondly, all we need to do is convince Jenn,” Federico said, ignoring his explanation, “that what you have been offended by Hilly is something more important than her, more important than your dignity, more important than your kindness, and even more important than all the people of Emerald City, something that is enough to make you furious and reckless.”

what?
Thales frowned as he listened to his words.

Something that could make me furious and reckless after being offended...

Something more important than my dignity, my kindness, and even more important than everyone in Emerald City…

"Me, I still have this thing?"

Thales was very puzzled and extremely suspicious.

But at the same time, a small voice inside him told him:
Of course you do.

Thales Shining Star.

It's just that you don't know.

Or perhaps they simply don't want to admit it.

But you'll find out.

They will eventually admit it.

It's just a matter of sooner or later.

This is your destiny.

Federico looked out the window at the bustling crowd below the city, remaining silent for a long time.

"You may not have it."

He spoke softly, his tone complex:

“But he definitely does. So he will believe your threat, and that’s enough.”

Thales did not respond immediately; he looked at Federico and fell into deep thought.

A moment later, his expression changed, and he realized what was happening.

Yes... this thing.

"What if he sees through it?" he wondered.

“A man who murdered his father to seize the throne and buried the truth, if he really had that thing,” Federico shook his head, turning back with an indescribable resolve in his eyes, “he couldn’t possibly see through it.”

Thales was stunned by the other person's appearance.

“Tell me, Fed,” the prince began tentatively, “how much do you hate him?”

Federico frowned.

"Your Highness?"

Thales sighed:
"I mean, do you hate Jenn as a person, hate what he did... or hate everything he has that you don't?"

Jenn's cousin was stunned.

He opened his mouth to answer, but ultimately remained silent.

“Consider my suggestion, Your Highness,” Fede turned away, avoiding the question. “Using this to control Janne might yield some surprises.”

Thales stared at him for a long time.

"not enough."

"Your Highness?"

Thales shook his head, his gaze wary and suspicious.
"Now, in this city, the people opposing me are not just Jenn anymore, but also his crazy, eccentric sister who's always spouting nonsense."

what?
Federico asked, puzzled:
"Even if they capture Losang II, Hilay might not be able to..."

"You've been away from home for so many years, do you really understand Hilly? I mean, the grown-up Hilly?"

Federicoton stayed.

Thales was lost in thought as he recalled someone threatening to perform a striptease to blackmail Jann:
"Do you know what she cares about, what she doesn't care about, and under what circumstances she might do something outrageous?"

Thales sneered:
"Unfortunately, I've met him before."

And that's... something you don't want to see.

“I understand Your Highness’s anger towards her, but too much—”

Thales raised his hand to interrupt him:

"Guess what changes will occur in Emerald City after that girl so clearly and unequivocally opposes me to the end? What will people think?"

Federico wanted to answer, but then remembered something and hesitated.

Thales said coldly:

"For me, one Janne in Emerald City is enough."

Federico's eyes flickered.

Thales leaned back in his chair and sighed.

"So tell me, Fede, what was your initial plan? How did it proceed? How much involvement did the secret service have? How many more people were you planning to kill? Who were you instigating?"

Federico raised his eyes but did not answer.

"Alright, then let me try another way. Besides Corleone, who else in the city is secretly supporting you? Who knows, who is involved, and who tacitly approves? How much does King Lausanne II himself know? How much has he done? What is left to do? If he is brought forward to testify and be accused, what should I worry about? If he tells the whole story, what is the worst that could happen?"

Seeing that the other party remained silent, Thales' tone became increasingly impatient:

"Will Jenn turn around and bite you? Or are you suspected of instigating murder? Or is Prince Thales manipulating the situation to try and seize Emerald City, only to be outmaneuvered instead? To put it more bluntly, is the Starry Sky Royal Family plotting to annex South Shore Territory with ill intentions, losing both the prince and their wealth? If the Kingdom's secret service is exposed, how much will it take to remedy the situation? Once public resentment boils over here, what price will the entire kingdom have to pay?"

Federico couldn't help but retort:
"Your Highness, the things you are worried about are a bit too far off..."

But Thales waved his hand, interrupting him, his expression extremely serious:
"The truth is, Jenn is predictable, but she isn't; she's an outsider, an unconventional player."

Federico realized:

"You mean, she doesn't have 'that thing'?"

Thales nodded.

"So I have to prepare early, plan ahead, and use all available resources to prevent her from giving me another big surprise."

The prince said solemnly:
"Before that crazy girl overturned the chessboard."

"How to do it?"

Thales fell silent. After a moment of contemplation, he slowly spoke:
"Like Jenn."

Federico couldn't help but glance at him.

“No matter how unpredictable Hillay may be, he is still just one person,” Thales pondered carefully. “But I have a city.”

“A disobedient city,” Federico added, frowning.

“So I need your help,” Thales raised an eyebrow, “the kind that gives you everything you have.”

Federico responded with an "Oh."

"So, Your Highness, you've finally decided to take sides and ally with me, following the wishes of the Restoration Palace?"

Thales sighed inwardly.

Are you really sure that the Palace of Rejuvenation is your ally?

He shook his head, stood up, and walked towards the door.

"Not yet. It's just that because of a certain crazy girl, I'm forced by circumstances to consider it."

But Thales paused.

“And of course, that depends on your attitude,” he said coldly, “and Jenn’s.”

Federico's eyes flickered upon hearing this:
“Jann?”

“Yes, I’ll go find Janne right now and use your methods, a combination of soft and hard tactics, coercion and inducement,” Thales said thoughtfully.

If he really has 'that thing'.

Federico's eyes lit up.

Thales put his hand on the doorknob:
"As for you, when you've figured things out, tell them to come find me."

"I know little, and I'm afraid I cannot satisfy Your Highness..."

“No rush, take your time to think it over,” Thales shook his head. “I’ve heard that death on a noose is always incredibly long.”

He turned around, his gaze sharp:
You have plenty of time.

Federico clenched his fist: "Your Highness..."

"You know, if he had known his sister was so capable, she could have turned the tide with a single move..."

Thales ignored him, turned the doorknob, sighed, and felt conflicted.
"Wouldn't Jen be overjoyed?"

(End of this chapter)