Thelma frowned, the look of impatience reappeared on her face: "You must have a good reason to return to this topic?"

Thales coughed unnaturally: "Selma..."

But before he could finish his words, Ian chuckled.》し

"No offense, don't take you too seriously, madam," Qi Yuancheng's successor raised a finger and shook his head slightly: "You know, not everyone is crying and fighting until their heads are broken.

Liu wants to marry you."

Thelma's expression changed.

Ian turned his head abruptly and looked at Thales with a mysterious expression: "Really?"

Thales became embarrassed and coughed twice unnaturally again: "Selma, what he means is..."

"I know what he's talking about," Thelma looked at Ian coldly, then turned to Thales, with a slight twist on her fair face: "He's right, isn't he? Obviously, I can't

Let people who don't like me become inexplicably fascinated by me. I'm not the protagonist in a legendary story."

Oh my god.

Thales lowered his head stiffly.

Like discovering a new world, he suddenly realized that the food on the table was delicious.

Ian raised the corner of his mouth, looked at her, then at him, and smiled slightly: "None of us are the protagonists of the legend."

"Unless we write our own legend."

Thales retracted his hand that was halfway out to get the food, while Thelma exhaled, suppressed the unhappiness in her heart, and looked at the rude visitor.

The Grand Duchess raised her eyebrows: "And that is?"

But Ian just smiled meaningfully and his face became solemn.

"Madam, Your Highness, we are facing the same problem now." The serious Ian looked particularly special. His facial features that were slightly different from those of traditional Northlanders made people unable to help but notice: "A few months ago, our respected

His Majesty the King, Charmaine Lombard, has promulgated a new enfeoffment decree for the nobility in the Black Sand Territory.”

Thelma and Thales finally put aside their embarrassment and listened carefully.

The dining room seemed to have turned into a war room at this moment.

Ian imitated Thales and knocked on the table: "Do you know what this means?"

He tilted his head, his expression serious.

The Grand Duchess frowned slightly, then nodded, unable to hide her unhappiness in her tone: "Yes, I heard about it. Everyone said that he was following the harsh laws of the empire era, excluding dissidents, for example, stipulating that a commoner

The standard for becoming a noble..."

King's decree.

The standard of nobility.

The prince suddenly remembered some knowledge that should not appear in this world, and recalled the discussions with Xixer these days, as well as Putilai's overt and covert suggestions.

Thales sighed, shook his head, and interrupted Thelma: "No, Thelma, the law is just an appearance. It doesn't matter whether it is strict or not. The real key is the flow of power behind it."

Thelma looked questioning.

"King Charmaine, he has inherited the subtle traditional aristocratic rules that have been passed down since before the "Co-Governance Oath", whether they are obscure or not, written or unwritten, accustomed or unaccustomed, compromised or uncompromising,

Whether it is secret or not, write down all the laws and engrave them on inscriptions and place them in front of your city gate."

The prince thought of Lombard's words on the carriage, and of the fearsome King Charmaine holding the chess piece named Exeter, and his courage and will to play chess with the wise Lord of the Stars more than a hundred years ago, and he couldn't help but sigh:

"He tried to superimpose the authority of the king on the autonomy of the nobles, and took the interpretation and execution of the "Co-Governance Pledge" into his own hands. He violated those who had a long history, even at the beginning of the founding of the country, and supported

The Lombard family rules the old nobles and old vassals of the Black Sand Territory. If the decree takes effect from now on, it means that Charman's will will override the traditional practices and rules. The lives and power of the vassals will no longer be their own, or even their own.

What you share with the king is no longer the king’s.”

Thelma said nothing.

"In other words," Ian sneered and shook his head, with the corners of his mouth turning up: "He made a big mistake."

"Let him face the most difficult situation since his coronation."

He looked at Thales: "Changes always come with a price. He wants to challenge the natural rights of his vassals, but he is also shaking his own natural rights and eroding the cornerstone of his rule."

"The old aristocratic vassals in the Black Sand Territory objected in unison: Count Mende made a public announcement and fiercely refuted his lord. The Devinson family said that if the king did not withdraw the decree for one day, all the vassals in their county would resist taxation.

The period was extended indefinitely. Count Peruno went to Black Sand City with a high profile to confront the king. The Ika family even recalled the 900 soldiers who were stationed at the border and guarded the Broken Dragon Fortress in accordance with their rotation obligations. The entire Black Sand Territory became a

King Charman's enemy," Qi Yuancheng's heir smiled slightly: "This is his miscalculation."

Living in the Palace of Heroes for a long time, the second prince had heard that Lumba had encountered a lot of troubles, but this was the first time that Thales had personally heard about the specific difficulties Lumba faced.

Sounds bad.

He thought again of the king with complicated eyes on the carriage, and his emotional words:

Thales's heart moved, and he was about to speak, but was preempted by the Grand Duchess.

"How strange," Thelma frowned: "Ciel told me: Each vassal has its own interests and calculations. It is not easy to show the sword to the lord, and it is difficult to gather positions and come together, let alone

We are facing Lumba, and he is still the king. Without foreign aid and trump cards, the opponents in the Black Sand Territory may not necessarily be so confident, well-organized, and have a tacit understanding."

Facing the Grand Duchess's question, Ian put on a thoughtful expression.

There was silence in the dining room for a few seconds.

"Wait, is it you?" Soon, the Grand Duchess moved slightly and suddenly said: "Are you the Grand Dukes, supporting their actions against the king, and even making a promise?"

Thales' eyes moved.

Perhaps, as the Grand Duchess of Longxiao City, she has not made any progress in the past six years.

It's just that I never noticed it in the past.

Ian bowed slightly on his seat, showing a perfect etiquette, which is indeed rare among Northerners.

"How could we miss this opportunity?"

Ian straightened up, looked at the frowning Thelma, and chuckled: "It's not just us, Guard City and Elk City are also helping."

His Excellency the Viscount nodded complacently: "In addition to the fact that the Grand Duke of Fengzhao City has not yet succeeded to the throne, and the Schuster family in the Outpost Territory has remained neutral as always, the Grand Duke of Glacier Sea also expressed his willingness to join, and it won't be long before the same people in the south

Wellandland and the Reconstruction Tower, their replies will also arrive."

"This is a collective conspiracy. The unique king in the Black Sand Territory is our target."

Looking at Thelma's motionless expression, Thales knew that she was remembering that day six years ago again.

That black ring.

That bloody crown.

The crying girl.

Inexplicable emotion filled Thales's heart.

In the dining room, Ian was like a hunter with a bow and arrow in hand, showing a smile determined to win: "The arrow has left the string and the knife has been unsheathed."

"Lomba's bargaining chips are disappearing, his vassals are dissatisfied, his people are suspicious, his taxes are decreasing, and his army is loosening... In the famous Lomba family in the north, the 'rebellion king' Queiso and Jiu

The legacy of prestige left by one of the knights, 'Boiling Blood' Holt, for their descendants is gradually being depleted."

The Star Prince carefully recalled Lumba's character and methods, suppressed his subconscious disapproval, and listened silently to Ian's words.

"It won't take long, maybe half a year, or even a few months, the king's rule will be shaken, the natural authority of the Iron Fist family will dissipate, and his decree will no longer be able to take a step outside the castle, and he will become a lonely king with no power.

Stay in your own castle until the next king election."

Ian took a deep breath and suddenly changed the subject.

"However, when everything was going according to plan and we were only one step away from success," he said with regret, "at this time, some small accidents happened."

Thelma lowered her head and thought: "You mean, a crisis broke out in the Freedom Alliance, trying to get rid of Exeter?"

Ian smiled in recognition.

"And Qi Yuancheng happened to be the first to bear the brunt of this accident," the Grand Duchess said slowly, "Is this really an accident?"

"It is understandable that there will be ups and downs when reaching the top," Ian exhaled and nodded: "A trapped beast still fights. Even a dying hybrid orc has the power to fight back, let alone a usurper who has killed his brother and the king?

"

Hearing Ian's words, Thales couldn't help but frown.

In these few minutes, Thales did not interrupt. He silently watched the conversation between Thelma and Ian, but suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of strangeness.

The little slippery man who was hiding behind her and wiping her tears, Thelma who has been sitting on the throne of the Grand Duke with trepidation all these years...

When did it become possible to compete with opponents at the negotiation table and conspire with allies?

Feelings, relief, loss, sadness, and complex thoughts composed of countless emotions surged into my heart.

Why hadn't he discovered it in the past six years? Why now, when he was about to...

But Thales immediately clenched his fists.

No.
To be continued...