Chapter 667: Safety Rope

Thales took a deep breath and spoke carefully.

"May I ask..."

But Hilley chuckled.

"Do you know those Karabeyan sisters who are close to you? The Demon Twins of Wolla Territory, or rather, the Twin Flowers of Song and Dance..."

"Actually, I'm not familiar with them..." Thales defended himself quietly.

But Hilley ignored him and continued on her own.

"They count as the finest among all the noble young ladies of the South Coast Territory. Honored, gorgeous, unrestrained, flamboyant, unconventional, leading the fashion. Many young ladies want to climb into their connections and enter their circle. But very few know this: the Demon Sisters' only friends are each other."

Thales thought of Kasha and Qina and could not help frowning.

"And I count as the only one who never bought what they were selling," Hilley said, a sharp light flashing in her eyes. "In fact, I told them to roll far away."

"Well done," Thales said helplessly. "I never had that kind of courage."

"No. It is not that you do not have that kind of courage." Hilley looked at him, her gaze bright. "It is that you do not have that kind of need, Your Highness. Would you dare shout at your nanny guard captain and tell him to roll far away?"

Nanny guard captain?

Thales raised his head and looked at Mallos standing not far away. For a moment, he was speechless.

"So of course." Hilley turned back. "When we were young, what they liked most was excluding me, inventing bad stories about me, and giving me nicknames behind my back. And those silly girls with empty brains who only knew how to laugh along with them, haha..."

"But you are a Covendier, a duke's daughter."

"So what?"

Hilley said sarcastically:

"Bloodline, surname, status, dowry, all these things are prepared for my future husband."

She became somewhat lost in thought.

"That is a game only you have the right to play, not us. Unless I become someone's wife, I can only wave and cheer after you finish playing this game, pretending that I am playing too, just like all unmarried daughters under heaven."

Thales thought of Miranda and frowned.

"Perhaps, hmm, not all."

Hilley narrowed her eyes.

"Yes, not all." She moved closer to him, her gaze pressing. "But does that matter?"

Thales hurriedly shook his head.

"No. It does not matter."

Hilley snorted coldly.

"So what difference is there between the daughter of a duke, count, viscount, baron, lord, knight, merchant, farmer, or craftsman?" Hilley sneered. "In the end, does she not still have to change to someone else's family name, or at least let her children follow someone else's family name? In this era, a farmer's daughter may rise high, and a duke's daughter may marry beneath her station."

"Usually not," Thales said, feeling uncomfortable all over, though he could not say where the feeling came from. He could only do his best to redirect the topic. "Marriage alliances between ducal families always consider interests, and birth and reputation are also a kind of interest."

Hilley glared at him.

"I did not come here for a politics lesson."

Thales lowered his head awkwardly.

"Sorry."

On the stage, Origi finally closed his eyes in his beloved's arms. A chorus sounded, and the play gradually came to an end.

"The governesses told me that at banquets, one of noble ladies' favorite things to do is compare a woman's situation before and after marriage. And the most popular topic of conversation, hmm, is of course how someone was a golden branch and jade leaf as a young lady, proud and arrogant, but finally married a useless man with no future, and after marriage became a cheap wife, a poor madam, borrowing jewelry and buying dresses on credit to attend banquets. They will praise or trample you according to your husband's status, and take pleasure in it."

Hilley said mockingly:

"If a duke's daughter, like me, marries an incompetent husband, oh, that would be even worse. They would go mad with joy. Every Queen's Day, year after year, they would bring it out and tell it as a family treasure to their daughters, daughters-in-law, granddaughters, and granddaughters-in-law, until they carried it into the grave and wrote it on their epitaphs."

For some reason, Thales suddenly thought of the story Miranda had told him about "Wise Queen" Rosanna.

"So every woman wants to marry upward," Hilley glanced at him, "preferably to a prince. That way, when you become the subject of dinner conversation, even if you are not envied, at least you will not be mocked."

Thales felt deeply embarrassed.

"But tell me, Your Highness," Hilley said coldly, "whether they discuss my marriage and husband with mockery or envy, is there any difference to me?"

"By comparison, I would rather be talked about because I dressed as a ghost and scared people. At least I made those props myself."

At that moment, Thales felt that Hilley's gaze was incomparably sharp.

"I understand," he said with difficulty.

"You understand?"

Hilley laughed.

"I very much doubt it, Thales Jadestar. When you came to Jade City with complete etiquette and a crowd before and behind you, claiming to form a marriage alliance and take me as your wife..." Miss Covendier shook her head. "Do you truly understand me? Understand the problems I face?"

Thales was silent for a while.

"No. Not at all. Perhaps I never will." The prince sighed and shook his head. "But I hope I can understand."

Hilley looked deeply at him and said no more.

The play came to an end, and the curtain call began. The actors of "The Startling Record of Transforming into a Butterfly" went on stage one after another to accept the audience's applause and cheers.

But at that moment, Thales looked down from above and noticed a familiar person: Security Officer Cacqueray, who was responsible for his security, or surveillance, and who had stayed close beside the prince every time Thales left the palace these past few days.

At this moment, in the dim theater, Cacqueray was hiding behind a curtain, talking with another well-dressed audience member. The latter gestured animatedly, while Cacqueray carefully looked back from time to time, as if afraid of being discovered.

Thales frowned. He stood and leaned against the railing, pretending to be trying to see the actors' curtain call clearly, while in truth summoning the Sin of Hell's River to listen to Cacqueray's movements.

"I don't understand. What matter must be said now, and must be said here?" Security Officer Cacqueray's voice was somewhat dissatisfied.

"As if I wanted to say it here!"

The audience member had his back to Thales, but his voice felt very familiar to the young man.

"But look at you, Security Officer Cacqueray. You've risen high and are no longer what you were. Where would you have time to drink a cup with an old friend? I could only come here to find you."

"We stopped having any damn contact long ago! And I don't have money to lend you for gambling." Cacqueray's tone was cold, keeping people a thousand miles away. "I am carrying out official duties. No matter what it is, wait until I get off work. No, until my shift changes."

After saying this, the security officer turned to leave.

Just as Thales thought this was some poor relative coming to borrow money, the audience member's cold words tightened the prince's nerves.

"Diop's case."

Cacqueray abruptly stopped.

Through the Hell's senses, Thales heard the audience member take a deep breath.

"The Court of Judgment, including the Security Hall, wants me to be the deceased's defense lawyer."

Cacqueray slowly turned back, his tone cautious.

"Is that so? What a coincidence."

Defense lawyer.

Thales remembered something and instantly recognized the audience member's identity.

"Coincidence my ass. They want me to..." The audience member spat. "I looked at the file and checked that indebted lord's court records. Diop was not killed by him, and he certainly did not die in a home invasion robbery, right?"

"So what? We all know your ability, Manny. Just pin the lord's crime dead and be done with it. Isn't that why they came to you?"

The man called Manny sneered.

"Stop pretending, Cacqueray. Others may not know, but we all know what Diop did! You must have taken money from him too, right?"

Cacqueray froze and became nervous.

"I... I don't know what you're talking about..."

Thales' frown tightened further.

But Manny shook his head.

"Don't worry. I did not come to supervise clean government. But listen. A few days ago, for a case, I went to buy information from the Barber's people. As a result, I heard that lately the gangs have been very restless, swords drawn and bows bent..."

"Hah, worrying blindly. Those two gangs, one red and one black, when are they not at each other's throats? As long as they behave, don't stupidly fight on the streets, and pay enough shares..."

"No! Listen to me!"

Manny paused and lowered his voice.

"Two fellows in the Blood Bottle Gang died 'accidentally.' The timing was very close to Diop's death..."

Security Officer Cacqueray asked doubtfully:

"Which two fellows?"

Manny took a deep breath.

"I don't dare say. I suspect I am just overthinking it. I hope so. I hope it is only my occupational disease. But, but..."

Manny grabbed Cacqueray's arm and pulled him an inch closer into the corner, as if that could protect them more tightly.

"For the sake of me helping you write reports to avoid trouble in the past, and helping those subordinates of yours who caused trouble escape conviction, Cacqueray, you only need to tell me one thing, one certain answer. The person who killed Diop, was it truly..."

The man called Manny nervously stretched out a hand and pointed upward.

Within the Hell's senses, Cacqueray's breathing grew heavier.

Several seconds later, the security officer put on a stern face.

"Listen, Manny. Also for the sake of old friendship: don't ask a single fart about things you should not know, and there will not be a single damn thing."

Manny sucked in a cold breath.

"So it is true? Damn it. I knew it. I knew there was something wrong with this case..."

"Manny."

"It has to do with the Second Prince, right? The duke and him are like fire and water..."

"Manny..."

"But when great figures fight, why drag us into it..."

"Manny!" Cacqueray barked at him, his voice very serious.

Manny abruptly trembled.

"How about this. Go home. Drink a cup. Lie down. Do something happy. Get up the next day and work as usual." The security officer's tone softened, and he patted Manny's shoulder. "Think of your son, your wife still in the countryside, and your parents..."

Manny trembled again.

His laugh was forced.

"Right, right, right. You're right, Cacqueray, old friend. I cannot panic. I have to stay calm. I still have work..."

Manny shakily turned around and merged into the tide of standing, applauding audience members.

Security Officer Cacqueray remained expressionless, watching his back disappear.

In the second-floor box, Thales gripped the railing before him and withdrew the Sin of Hell's River.

That man, not long ago in the Court of Judgment, the defense lawyer Srimanny who had argued before Thales and Zayen, knew something about Diop's death.

As this thought rose, the young man looked at the absent-minded Srimanny in the crowd and subconsciously turned toward Mallos.

"Tormond..."

But halfway through speaking, Thales noticed that around Wya, Neshy, Morgan, Italiano, and the Star Lake Guard stood people from Jade City, from Security Hall personnel to Jade Legion guards.

Not to mention the guards standing tight in every direction inside the theater.

Much stricter than before.

Thales had misgivings and had no choice but to close his mouth. He gave Mallos, who had cast him an inquiring look, an apologetic smile and signaled that nothing was wrong.

A face leaned in front of him.

"You were not watching the curtain call."

Thales was startled and fell back into his seat.

"Ah! Damn it! Hilley!"

The prince was badly frightened. He questioned Miss Cecilia indignantly, who had somehow leaned over to the railing without him noticing.

"Where did you pop out from?"

But Hilley narrowed her eyes and waved a palm-sized drawing board in her hand.

"What you truly care about is that person who just spoke with Cacqueray?"

What?

The person who spoke with Cacqueray...

Thales looked at Srimanny on the first floor, deeply surprised.

"You..."

"How do I know?"

Hilley looked toward the first floor.

"Although you were staring at the stage just now, you looked exactly like I did when I was in class as a child. And when you came back to yourself, the first place you looked was Cacqueray and his friend."

Ah?

Thales blinked in shock and still did not react.

This fellow's observation ability was... this sharp?

But before he could think of how to defend himself, he was attracted by the drawing board in Hilley's hand.

On the paper, a handsome young man leaned against a railing and gazed into the distance, yet appeared absent-minded and full of worries.

"What is this?" Thales asked foolishly.

"A sketch of your side profile." Hilley shook the drawing board, and the handsome young man on it shook back and forth. "From when you were pretending to stare at the stage just now. See? Understand?"

Hmm. It was drawn quite like him?

Thales subconsciously reached out to take it, but Hilley withdrew the drawing board with a swish, as if performing magic.

"Sorry. Not for you!"

Thales came back to himself and frowned.

"How do you know how to do this?"

Hilley shrugged.

"So, that person who spoke with Cacqueray just now. What problem does he have?"

Damn it.

Thales' head began to hurt.

"He is... probably the defense lawyer in Diop's case."

Hilley's eyes turned.

"And you just called your nanny first, then stopped in time, because you are worried. Because no matter whom you send to follow that person, you may repeat the same mistake, fail to hide from Zayen's eyes and ears, and alert the snake by beating the grass?"

Damn it. He hated smart people.

Thales sighed, but then inspiration struck.

"You, Hilley. Do you have a way to draw everyone's attention away so that my people can bypass Zayen's eyes and ears and follow him?"

Thales rubbed his hands awkwardly.

"You know, misdirection?"

Hilley looked around and likewise took in all the guards, whether from Star Lake Castle or Jade City.

"No. Impossible. Don't even think about it."

Miss Cecilia's decisive answer made Thales' hopes fall through.

But only one second later, Hilley revealed a smile.

"However, I have a better idea."

Looking at Miss Covendier's smile, Thales suddenly had an ominous premonition.

"Do you like me?"

"What?" Thales was startled.

"Want to go on a date with me?"

"What?" Thales' eyes widened, and he repeated it.

Hilley narrowed her eyes.

"Wrong answer. Try again."

Try again?

A date?

In that second, Thales instantly reacted, horrified.

"Oh, no."

Hilley nodded, her smile unchanged.

"Oh, yes."

The next moment, before Thales could react, Hilley stood and waved toward Mallos.

"Hey, Nanny!"

Nanny?

Everyone froze.

"Yes, I'm talking about you! Nanny! The most arrogant one!"

Several seconds later, Mallos took a deep breath and maintained a calm expression as he stepped forward under everyone's strange gazes.

"Your Highness, my lady?"

Thales had just wanted to speak when Hilley covered his mouth.

"Oh, I am going out on a date with His Highness Thales. Just the two of us. Hmm, private."

Hilley narrowed her eyes and raised her voice.

"You, you all will not let people disturb us, right?"

Ah?

Wya and the others all turned their heads together, their expressions brilliant.

Mallos' expression was strange as he cast an inquiring gaze toward Thales.

Thales' eyes were wide. He smiled awkwardly at Mallos, dragged Hilley to the side, and lowered his voice.

"This, if we leave the group..."

"Then Zayen will not suspect you of making small moves, because I am the one who forcibly dragged you out," Hilley argued confidently.

"Yes, he will only be angry. Very angry... wait, that is not the point!"

"Correct. The point is that we get ahead of everyone, find your target, and ask... whatever you want to ask."

"That is not the point either!" Thales gritted his teeth. "I am a prince, and you are... Lady Covendier. What if something happens after we leave the main group?"

If something happened to me, the kingdom would have no heir.

If something happened to you, Zayen would probably make sure the kingdom had no heir either.

"There are 'accidents' every day. Everyone can have an 'accident.'" Hilley shook her head, completely unconcerned. "But often, those who fear accidents the most are the most likely to have them."

"No, you don't understand..."

"Oh, are you afraid?"

Thales froze. His face cooled, and he shook a finger.

"No. Do not use such a low-level provocation. I will not fall for it."

"You are this afraid to go onto the street alone?"

"No, it is not a question of whether I am afraid..."

"Tsk, tsk. Poor little prince. Without guards, he does not dare take one step outside."

"I... I will not argue with you about this. Compared with personally going into action, we must have a better way..."

"But you want to avoid Zayen's surveillance and avoid repeating yesterday's mistake, right?"

"Yes, but..."

"Now, three lives are gone just by themselves, perhaps more. And we are still in the dark, unaware of the state of the battle." Hilley sighed. "You do not like this, right?"

"Correct. Hey, those are my exact words!"

"My brother said you most like returning people's exact words?"

"I do not like... Do not learn that from him!"

"Are you coming or not?"

"No. I... I am the heir of the kingdom. This is very important..."

"Yes, far too important. Presumably, before you were born, Stars did not exist?"

"You... no. There are still so many people behind me. If something happens to me..."

"Forget it." Hilley snorted coldly and gave up persuading him. "Then stay with your nannies forever, Little Princess Thales."

Thales' expression changed.

Hilley turned and left, shaking her head disdainfully.

"I will go myself."

Thales reached out but failed to stop her. He could only watch helplessly as Hilley walked out of the box.

"No, wait..."

Thales sat back in his seat and rubbed his head painfully.

Damn it!

Several seconds later, he made up his mind, took a deep breath, and summoned Mallos.

"Tormond, do you still remember the five routes from the main hall to Jackal Tower in Star Lake Castle?"

From the main hall to Jackal Tower...

Mallos glanced at the direction Hilley had left.

"Yes?"

"Then do you remember the fifth route?"

Mallos froze slightly.

"You mean climbing out the window and taking the roof?"

Thales gave an apologetic chuckle, then said carefully:

"Now, I perhaps, maybe, probably, or, hmm, need one tiny little... safety rope?"

"Safety rope?"

Mallos understood something, and his expression instantly turned cold.

Thales looked at him guiltily and awkwardly, subconsciously rubbing his hands. He only felt that the personal guard captain before him was like black clouds pressing down.

"Um, do you, do you have one?"

Mallos turned his head again, looked in the direction Hilley had left, then looked at Thales.

"If I had a choice, Your Highness," the Watchman said expressionlessly, "I would say no."

Thales smiled cautiously. His smile was extremely ugly.

"Then you, hehe, hehe, do you have a choice?"

Mallos looked at him coldly, just like in Star Lake Castle when he looked at that foolish puppy who always ran off to chase birds and cats with endless enthusiasm.

"No."