Chapter 732: That Thing, Part 1

So, as they say, do not provoke women.

In the corridor of Emerald Palace, while eating breakfast and listening to Piloga and Neshy describe the whole course of last night's "heroes at North Gate Bridge capturing the villain," he sighed and reached his conclusion.

Just look at Prince Thales. Yesterday, in a moment of impulse, he had a fierce quarrel with Eldest Miss Covendier. Reportedly, he even made the girl cry her heart out, shouting the most painful and resolute words as she rushed out of Emerald Palace.

That scene made everyone look sideways in sympathy. Dogs were heartbroken, cats shed tears, and even Wya could not persuade her.

And now look. Before the night even passed, retribution arrived.

As he ate, he sighed emotionally:

If this guard officer, who has survived a hundred battles and deeply understands worldly affairs, had been there last night, how could His Highness have been stumped by such a difficult problem and only watch helplessly as the eldest miss snatched away the prisoner?

Speaking of which, why did they not call me last night?

Cough, cough. No, that must be because guarding Emerald Palace was also an important task. See, both Covendiers are right here. If anything unexpected happened...

Isn't that right?

With a bang, the door belonging to Prince Thales opened.

Thales stepped out of the room with a stiff face, accompanied by his guards.

He and the others on duty all jolted. They hurriedly stopped eating, grabbed their weapons one by one, and stood straight.

What kind of joke was this? At this moment, who did not know that His Highness, who had lost great face and swallowed a bellyful of anger last night, was still furious?

If he caught someone making a mistake, perhaps rage would surge up in his heart and he would take it out on the people. That would be bad, right?

Eh, viewed this way, it had been wise of me not to go last night, hadn't it?

Unlike those iron-headed fools from last night, who accompanied the prince only to get a noseful of dust. After they returned, every one of them was dispirited. Mallos was busy enough that his feet never touched the ground, Wya looked guilty and awkward, the mute was nowhere to be found, the zombie had vanished, Miranda came and went in a hurry, and the little silly lion went off by himself to sulk...

In short, some had fallen out of favor from then on, while some were worked hard by the prince...

Unlike little me, who was still entrusted with an important task, guarding the key point that affected Jade City's situation.

Hmph. Heh heh.

Viewed this way, Lord Doyle is still very smart, very aware of the times, standing in an undefeated position...

However, Thales paid no attention to those complex and rapidly changing thoughts. He passed by the proud latter. "How can he be so happy? Is he taking pleasure in my misfortunes?" Thales later complained quietly to Wya. Then he waved his hand, had someone open the door, and entered the "cell" of one of the prisoners.

"You did not bring soldiers in, nor did you drag me out and sentence the case without another word."

Inside the room, Federico Covendier calmly set down his teacup.

"I guess Your Highness has not yet chosen to make peace with Zayen and sacrifice me in exchange for Jade City's peace?"

Thales sat opposite him, watching as the other man unhurriedly added a spoonful of sugar and slowly stirred it with a teaspoon, sketching out a whirlpool.

"I failed to catch Lausanne the Second."

The prince spoke coldly, suppressing his anger.

Federico's eyebrows lifted slightly. Then he nodded, seeming not at all surprised.

"That explains Your Highness's anger."

He continued steadily stirring the teacup, watching the whirlpool inside grow deeper.

"Your intention to use this serial killer as a target to establish authority, eliminate accidents, and settle people's hearts has failed. To say nothing of using him to threaten me into submission and obtain room to maneuver in negotiations with Zayen."

Federico raised his head and cast him a shrewd gaze.

"Now, you have returned to the starting point. Either you lean completely toward Zayen in the arbitration, letting him take more advantage in exchange for him taking action to help Jade City..."

Thales did not speak. His eyes only grew colder.

"Or you place your bet completely on my side, firmly believing that we have the ability to reclaim Jade City and put Zayen to death."

Federico pulled the teaspoon out of the deep whirlpool and lightly tapped it against the rim of the cup.

"There is no third path."

Thales still did not respond.

He only coldly looked at the other man's cup and waited for the whirlpool inside to gradually settle.

"I suppose this is also why I can still sit here drinking tea, and why Your Highness still has the leisure to come chat with me."

Federico set down the teaspoon, lifted the teacup, and took a small sip, his posture composed.

For a moment, the room was silent, like the deep seafloor.

"You were right before. That killer is indeed not simple."

Thales suddenly spoke and sneered again and again.

"Truly a great surprise."

Federico gently set down the cup.

He was silent for a while, then gave a soft sigh.

"I warned Your Highness: whether in body or spirit, that person cannot be measured by common sense. You must be extremely careful."

Warned?

Thales folded his arms and laughed coldly.

"Then why did you not directly tell me he is a monster who goes mad at the sight of blood?"

Federico raised his head and looked deeply at Thales.

So he knows.

"If I had said it, it would have been no different from betraying the Nation of Night and the Corleone family."

Federico's tone was steady, without waves.

"Whatever their intentions, they gave me a place to shelter and stand years ago. I am grateful to them. Keeping their secrets is only proper."

"I did not know you valued trust and promises so highly," Thales said.

"Furthermore, Your Highness also investigated Lausanne the Second's background clearly."

Federico seemed not to hear the sarcasm in the prince's words and continued calmly drinking tea.

"Otherwise, someone as strategically farsighted as Your Highness would not have rashly taken the risk to hunt him."

How slippery.

With a few words, he had again distanced himself from responsibility.

And he even made himself look so upright.

Worthy of a Covendier.

"Seeing me fail outside and come back here shamelessly to look for you must make you very happy, right?"

Federico paused.

He was silent for a moment before sighing helplessly.

"I know Your Highness is in a poor mood, and I have no intention of angering you further. But I cannot deny it: I am rather glad that I picked my life back up."

Thales curled his lip.

"And I am even more glad that Your Highness kept your reason and restraint, stopped at the right time, spared Lausanne's life, and did not, in a fit of fury, eat my bargaining chip and give all advantages to Zayen's side."

Kept reason and restraint...

Stopped at the right time, spared Lausanne's life...

Thales frowned.

He had to admit, he had originally been quite stifled last night, but after hearing this, his heart did indeed feel much more...

Thales coughed, cast aside stray thoughts, and made his expression solemn.

"Flattery cannot absolve your guilt," the prince said coldly. "Especially knowing without reporting and deliberately concealing."

"I understand Your Highness's anger."

Federico was not frightened by the Duke of Star Lake's aggressive posture. He explained slowly and clearly.

"But we might as well reason backward: if you had captured Lausanne the Second and carried him and my head to ally with Zayen, would that necessarily be a good thing?"

Thales narrowed his eyes.

"As a transaction, he promised to compromise and give me a profitable Jade City."

Although there had been no few preconditions.

"An Jade City that remained only in words," Federico quickly refuted.

"Better than an Jade City certain to decline and die," Thales fired back.

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

Federico smiled.

"Once he knows Lausanne the Second is no longer a threat, knows that I on the scales have no bargaining chips left, and knows you can only rely on his charity to reverse the situation, he will become even more insatiable. No matter what he promised beforehand, no matter how beautifully he described it, no matter how many benefits he promised you that seemed advantageous, whether military service, taxes, or maritime trade profits, once he regains power and returns to office, he will certainly turn ruthless, leaving Your Highness with losses greater than gains."

"He is a dignified guardian duke."

Thales frowned and glanced at the other man.

"Not some fugitive with nothing left, willing to use any means for revenge."

"Oh, Your Highness. Jade City benefits from developed commerce. The public office has plenty of secretaries and clerks skilled in nitpicking words, twisting clauses, and fulfilling agreements at a discount without it counting as breach of trust."

Thales thought of the Petition for Substitute Service Zayen had sent to the king, then of the land "without snow or frost" that Nakaru had promised the orcs, and could not help frowning.

Federico observed his expression.

"By then, Zayen will have escaped the great disaster and rule without worry, while Your Highness will bitterly endure failure, frustration, and Renaissance Palace's anger."

Thales turned his head away with a cold snort.

"Thank you for reminding me of that."

At this point, Federico stood and slowly paced to the window, his tone softening.

"So Your Highness should not be angry. Lausanne the Second escaping capture is not a bad thing. On the contrary, this matter can instead serve as a bargaining chip, giving Zayen, who thinks victory is already in his grasp, another concern, preventing him from freely manipulating you in negotiations. And with Lausanne the Second outside, it can further make him..."

"I left out one sentence."

Thales interrupted him at this moment.

"Lausanne the Second did not escape."

Hm?

Federico was looking at the blue sky outside the window. Hearing this, he frowned.

"He died?"

"Worse."

Thales hesitated for a moment. In the end, he sighed softly and chose the most direct expression.

"He fell into Hilley's hands."

Federico first froze, then abruptly turned around.

"You said... what?"

Thales sighed painfully. He grabbed his own teacup and drank from it fiercely like an ox.

"That's right. Your dear cousin, the one you planned to use to threaten and scheme against Zayen."

Thales set down the teacup, his smile ugly. It was hard to tell whether he was laughing at his own stupidity or at that girl's sharpness.

"Wonderful now. Before I even made a move, she jumped out herself and played me, played everyone."

Federico looked at Thales and pondered for a long time, his expression changing several times.

"I do not understand."

His tone grew grave.

"Your Highness has no shortage of capable subordinates and experts. This was also not your first time facing Lausanne the Second. Your estimate and preparations could not have been inadequate. How could you allow one little girl..."

"She has a supreme-class knight who obeys her every word, and she put a dagger against her own neck right in front of me."

"You should have stopped her."

"She also swore that whoever obstructed her would be Iris Flower's eternal enemy."

"And Your Highness went softhearted and could not bear it?"

"Of course not. It was only..."

Thales instinctively refuted him, racking his brains.

"You know, if she happened to die on the spot, then I would be in great trouble. Even if you later became the head of Iris Flower, Federico, I fear you would have to avenge your cousin's oath against me, against the mortal enemy, to defend the honor of the Iris Flower family."

A hostage falls into danger and swears that whoever dares harm her will become the eternal enemy of a certain family, and so no one dares touch a hair on the hostage's head.

Damn it. If the family were replaced with a country... did that sound a little familiar?

"Is that so? That is what Your Highness was worried about?"

Federico's gaze was suspicious, his tone subtle.

"I..."

Thales coughed and raised the already empty teacup again, burying his face in it.

"You know, I am a prince. I must look at problems from the height of the kingdom. I cannot easily let the Jadestar and Covendier families form a blood feud."

But you are going to take his Jade City away.

And at a time like this, you say you cannot easily create enmity?

Federico stared at him for a long time before taking a deep breath and putting away his indignant gaze.

"Very well. Since matters have reached this point, dwelling on it is useless."

Exactly. Why dwell on this?

Thales magnanimously nodded in agreement.

"So now I have even more things to worry about. Lausanne the Second is in her hands. Whatever that fellow knows, the truth, inside information, the orders you gave him, or the revenge list, I can only assume Hilley will sooner or later know it too and use it against us."

Federico frowned hard.

"Please be at ease. Lausanne the Second knows only limited things."

His brows were tightly furrowed.

"And with his resilience, making him speak will not be so simple."

Thales set down the teacup and snorted coldly.

"Then there is something you do not know. When it comes to dealing with people who refuse to open their hearts, that girl has far too many methods."

More than you would want to know.

Thinking of this, Thales instinctively hugged his arms.

Federico pondered after hearing this.

"And not only that," the prince continued. "She also intends to use this as leverage. Most likely, she wants me to release Zayen, return the city lord's seat, and let everything return to how it was."

"But one of Your Highness's original intentions in pursuing Lausanne the Second was to show goodwill to Zayen and negotiate with him?"

"That is what I said too, 'for Zayen's good.'"

Thales leaned back against the chair, mentally exhausted.

"Unfortunately, she did not believe me. Her attitude was resolute, and she insisted on taking the killer away."

Mm. For her to have that attitude, speaking of it, I have to blame myself.

Blame me.

"Then Your Highness has even fewer bargaining chips and less room to negotiate with Zayen."

Federico's tone grew tighter and tighter.

"Even worse: at a time when Jade City is already battered by wind and rain, Your Highness was defeated by an unarmed little girl... Such a failure will strike people's confidence, make all parties in the city doubt your means and ability even more, and worsen the crisis. Her unexpected move has helped Zayen occupy an absolute advantage. You have little room left to make mistakes."

Listening to him, Thales's expression grew uglier.

Fine, he had some reason. Except...

An unarmed little girl?

Nonsense!

Thales suppressed the urge to refute:

Did he know that little girl specialized in playing mysterious tricks and frightening people's hearts?

Even worse, she could summon ghosts.

Real ghosts.

She was a terrifying and perverted great villain, all right?

He had...

He had no choice but to let her go.

Thinking of this, Thales became unbearably irritated and took up the thread.

"And I do not have much time either. The spare money I squeezed out of Zayen with soft grinding and hard foaming is only enough for temporary firefighting. Once even that money runs out..."

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

Damn it.

How did this mess happen?

"But Your Highness still has one final advantage."

After hearing his words, Federico said calmly:

"Zayen remains under your custody. So long as the old case of the duke's assassination has not been judged, and so long as his suspicion of patricide has not been cleared, no one can threaten Your Highness's rule."

Thales sighed and leaned back.

"You just cannot forget your proper business, can you? Even when Jade City is on the verge of destruction?"

Federico paid no attention to Thales's words and focused entirely on analysis.

"At this moment, Zayen should not yet know that his dear sister has won back a round for him outside."

"And he must not and cannot know. This news cannot leak into his ears."

Thales's eyes shone.

"But Hilley will hold Lausanne the Second as a bargaining chip, bluffing and threatening Your Highness to release Zayen, or at least demanding to meet him. And once Your Highness does so..."

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

"Not necessarily."

"What?"

Federico turned around.

"On the contrary, Your Highness, we can make use of this very point and return to the original plan from before."

Thales could not help feeling puzzled.

"What plan?"

Federico revealed a mysterious smile.

"Tell him, Your Highness. Tell Zayen that his dear sister caused a great disaster. She snatched your bargaining chip from your hands, damaged Your Highness's prestige, obstructed your plan, and extinguished your intention to compromise and cooperate with him out of mercy for all of Jade City..."

Thales could not help frowning.

"Then Your Highness should display your thunderous anger and declare that you will absolutely not compromise, that this will not end until death, even if you watch the entire Jade City sink, unless..."

Federico paused, and his tone tightened.

"Unless Hilley also pays a bitter price for offending Your Highness."

Thales's expression changed.

Federico smiled faintly.

"That way, we throw the difficult problem back to him: his sister, or Jade City? Family affection, or power?"

At that moment, Thales's expression was ugly.

"This again. You still want to use and scheme against Hilley to force Zayen into submission?"

Force someone to choose: bad, or worse?

As expected of a Covendier.

Federico lowered his head and was silent for a while. When he raised his head again, his expression was blank.

"No. This is even better than the original method, because this time Cecilia jumped out on her own initiative. Your Highness has no moral burden, and Zayen has no reason to suspect this is your..."

"He will not believe it."

This time, it was Federico's turn to raise his head in confusion.

"Your Highness?"

"I do not want to say this, but Zayen understands me too well."

Thales sighed in frustration.

"He knows I am not the sort of person who will use or harm the innocent, let alone take his family to threaten him, or stand by and watch Jade City collapse. On the contrary, he will know I am bluffing, and will be even less likely to concede on his own."

"He will believe it."

Federico interrupted him, his attitude firm and decisive.

"First, Your Highness was played by a little girl. Your dignity was damaged. Everyone knows you are currently in a rage and are absolutely not to be provoked."

Thank you for reminding me of this again.

Thales's face darkened.

"All right. I am very angry, but not angry enough to lose my head. I can still tell what matters more between dignity and Jade City."

"Second, we only need Zayen to believe..."

Federico paid no attention to his defense.

"That what Your Highness had offended by Hilley was something more important than her, more important than your dignity, more important than your mercy, even more important than all the people of Jade City. Something enough to make Your Highness thunderously furious and throw everything aside."

What thing?

Listening to him, Thales frowned.

Something enough to make me thunderously furious and reckless after being offended...

Something more important than my dignity, my mercy, and even all the people of Jade City...

"I... I have that thing?"

Thales was extremely puzzled and deeply suspicious.

But at the same time, a tiny voice in his heart told him:

Of course you do.

Thales Jadestar.

You just do not know.

Or you do not want to admit it.

But you will know.

And you will admit it in the end.

Sooner or later.

This is your destiny.

Federico faced the window, looking at the bustling crowd below the city, and did not speak for a long time.

"Perhaps Your Highness does not."

He spoke softly, his tone complicated.

"But he certainly does. So he will believe your threat. That is enough."

Thales did not answer immediately. He looked at Federico's appearance and sank into thought.

A moment later, his expression changed, and he understood.

It was...

That thing.

"What if he sees through it?" he asked suspiciously.

"A person who killed his father to seize power and buried the truth, if he truly has that thing..."

Federico shook his head. He turned back, and his eyes revealed an indescribable determination.

"Then he cannot possibly see through it."

Looking at him, Thales was stunned.

"Tell me, Federico."

The prince spoke tentatively.

"How much do you hate him?"

Federico frowned.

"Your Highness?"

Thales sighed.

"I mean, do you hate Zayen himself, hate what he has done... or do you hate everything he has and you do not?"

Zayen's cousin froze.

He opened his mouth to answer, but in the end, he was silent.

"Consider my proposal, Your Highness."

Federico turned his face away and avoided answering.

"Using this matter to hold Zayen may bring a pleasant surprise."

Thales stared at him for a long while.

"Not enough."

"Your Highness?"

Thales shook his head, his gaze wary and vigilant.

"Right now, the person opposing me in this city is no longer only Zayen. There is also his mad sister, who plays at gods and ghosts."

What?

Federico said in confusion:

"But even if Hilley captured Lausanne the Second, she may not..."

"You have been away from home for so many years. Do you truly understand Hilley? I mean, the grown Hilley."

Federico paused.

Thales thought of a certain someone threatening to dance erotically to threaten Zayen, and could not help losing focus.

"Do you know what she cares about, what she does not care about, and under what circumstances she will do something shocking?"

Thales laughed coldly.

"Unfortunately, I have seen it."

And that is...

Something you do not want to see.

"I understand Your Highness's anger toward her, but too much..."

Thales raised a hand and interrupted him.

"Guess what change will rise in Jade City after that girl so clearly stands against me to the end? What will people think?"

Federico wanted to answer, but remembered something and stopped.

Thales said coldly:

"For me, one Zayen in Jade City is enough."

Federico's gaze shifted.

Thales leaned back against the chair and sighed.

"So, tell me, Federico. What was your plan from the beginning? How was it carried out? How much did the Secret Intelligence Department participate? How many more people are to be killed? Which people are to be incited?"

Federico raised his eyes and did not answer.

"Fine. Then I will ask another way. Apart from Corleone, who in the city secretly supports you? Who knows, who participates, who tacitly permits and watches? How much does Lausanne the Second himself know? How much has he done? How much remains to be done? If he is pushed out to make accusations and testify, what do I need to worry about? If he spills everything, what is the worst consequence?"

Seeing that the other party still did not speak, Thales's tone became increasingly impatient.

"Will Zayen bite back? Are you suspected of instigating murder? Or will it become Prince Thales manipulating the dark curtain in an attempt to get his hands on Jade City, only to fail to take off his pants and be the one used instead? To exaggerate further, will the Jadestar royal family be accused of harboring evil intentions to swallow the South Coast Territory, losing the prince and money alike? If the kingdom's Secret Intelligence Department is exposed, how much will need to be done to fix it? Once public resentment here boils over, what price will the entire kingdom have to pay?"

Federico could not help refuting:

"Your Highness, the things you worry about are rather too remote..."

But Thales waved a hand and interrupted him, his expression incomparably serious.

"The fact is, Zayen is predictable, but she is not. She is a chess piece outside the chessboard, and she does not walk the ordinary path."

Federico understood.

"You mean, she does not have that thing?"

Thales nodded.

"So I have to prepare early, make provisions before rain falls, and mobilize every force I can use to prevent her from giving me another great surprise."

The prince's voice was grave.

"Before that mad girl overturns the chessboard."

"How?"

Thales fell silent. He pondered for a while, then slowly spoke:

"Like Zayen."

Federico could not help glancing sideways.

"No matter how unexpected Hilley is, she is only one person."

Thales thought carefully.

"And I, I have a city."

"A disobedient city," Federico added with a frown.

"That is why I need your help."

Thales raised an eyebrow.

"The kind with no reservations."

Federico gave an "oh."

"Then does that mean Your Highness has finally made up your mind to choose a side and, according to Renaissance Palace's wishes, ally with me?"

Thales sighed inwardly.

Are you truly certain Renaissance Palace is your ally?

He shook his head, stood, and walked toward the door.

"Not yet. It is only because of a certain mad girl that I am forced by the situation to consider it."

But Thales paused.

"And of course, that depends on your attitude."

He said coldly:

"And Zayen's."

Federico's gaze shifted.

"Zayen?"

"Yes. I am going to see Zayen now. I will use your method, both soft and hard, threats and inducements."

Thales thought.

If he truly has that thing.

Federico's eyes brightened.

Thales placed his hand on the doorknob.

"As for you, when you have thought it through, have them call for me."

"What I know is not much. I fear I cannot satisfy Your Highness..."

"No hurry. Think slowly."

Thales shook his head.

"I heard someone say before that death on the noose is always incomparably long."

He turned back, his gaze sharp.

"You have all the time in the world."

Federico clenched his fist.

"Your Highness..."

"Tell me, if he knew his sister was so capable, that the moment she acted she could reverse the situation..."

Thales ignored him. He turned the doorknob on his own, sighed, and felt complicated.

"Wouldn't Zayen be overjoyed enough to fly into the sky?"