"Still tired."

The eyes of King Kessel and Duke Cullen crossed the long table and met in the air.

All the ministers frowned.

"Yeah, I'm tired."

A few seconds later, Cullen avoided King Kessel's eyes and said slowly:

"No more prosperous than a kingdom, its wheels are rolling forward."

The Duke of Donghai lowered his head slowly and hummed indifferently, looking like an ordinary old man who was almost 70 years old and relieved.

"It's either this one or that one. Anyway, you have to choose a horse to pull the cart, right?"

King Kessel's eyes were cold and he did not answer.

"But you are not him." Cullen said the last sentence and closed his eyes tiredly:

"not him."

King Kessel remained silent.

At that moment, the atmosphere in the Ballard Room was no longer relaxed. Facing the obscure confrontation between the king and the duke, everyone was very confused, but they did not dare to say anything.

Except one person.

"His Majesty."

Gilbert raised his head with complicated eyes and became the next person to break the silence:

"Please forgive me for overstepping my bounds."

He held up Zhan's handwriting steadily and showed the fleur-de-lis emblem on it:

"But when was this petition written?"

"Last night? Early morning?"

Gilbert's eyes were directed towards the throne.

At that moment, Xingchen Cunning Fox, who had always been gentle, had sharp eyes, even a little aggressive.

Prime Minister Cullen snorted softly and added intentionally or unintentionally:

"Or just now?"

There were low whispers among the ministers.

After a few seconds, the king slowly turned his head and shifted his focus to the foreign minister he once trusted most.

His gaze pierced the setting sun, like a solid ice covering the top, instantly dissipating the warmth.

King Kessel stared at Gilbert closely, but said nothing.

The atmosphere of the imperial meeting became increasingly solemn and suffocating, until someone couldn't bear it anymore and interrupted.

"Is it because of the royal banquet?"

On the other side, the kingdom’s financial controller, Juke Man, swallowed his saliva and asked cautiously.

He knew what was at stake, and he no longer looked like the scoundrel he was before:

"I left early at the banquet, but later I heard that the Duke of Xinghu and the Duke of Nan'an had some minor... unpleasantness during the banquet?"

Duke of Star Lake, Duke of South Bank, royal banquet.

As soon as these words came out, there was once again a murmur around the discussion table.

unhappy.

Yes, if you go to a meeting with a sword, assist assassins, kidnap guests, or threaten the prince, it can be considered a "little unpleasantness".

The king snorted coldly, interrupting the royal murmur.

"A little misunderstanding."

King Kessel's words were like the final word, sonorous and powerful.

"already solved."

solved.

Gilbert's heart sank when he heard this.

At the discussion table, no one was stupid enough to ask "how to solve it."

Viscount Connie and the Minister of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Lord Clapham, looked at each other and interrupted the current embarrassment: "Very good, then the Duke of South Bank still hopes to mend relations with us, unlike the one-eyed dragon in Cliffland..."

"that's all?"

But Gilbert's voice sounded again, interrupting their efforts.

"Just because he attacked Prince Thales behind the scenes, you held the bargaining chip?"

Uncharacteristically, Gilbert continued to ask questions in a stern and urgent tone:

"That's why I got this letter?"

Everyone felt that the tension between the king and the foreign minister could no longer be ignored, more so than the confrontation between the former and the prime minister.

Gilbert has always been very popular. Military adviser Thordo gave him a wink, Archdeacon Stylianides quietly tapped the table, and even Financial Controller Juke pretended to cough and soothe his cheeks.

"Zhan is a smart kid," finally, the Iron Fist King spoke slowly and calmly: "It's easy to understand."

"Whenever he does something wrong, he knows how to make up for it."

Many people looked at the "Petition" in Gilbert's hand, thoughtfully.

"make up?"

At that moment, Gilbert looked at the king quietly, and the feeling was indescribable.

"Really," Xingchen Sly Fox said in a tired tone.

"Six years ago, after His Highness Thales's mission to the north was attacked by vampires in the birch forest, you and him 'resolved' and 'made amends' in this way, right?"

The subjects who did not know this story were suddenly shocked.

six years ago.

vampire.

"Even if you know that Duke Kevin Dill is related to the attacker?" Gilbert's tone was almost pressing.

No one dared to speak.

This time, the King of Stars at the end of the long table was silent for a long time.

"The essence of politics, my friend," King Kessel said slowly:

"It's a bundle of interests."

Hearing this name, Duke Cullen frowned slightly.

Gilbert's expression became increasingly bitter:

"Yes, I remember that these were the exact words of His Highness Midir."

Hearing this name, everyone shuddered.

"So, Gilbert, my friend, if you want to be happy with your grudges, repay them directly..."

The Iron Fist King snorted coldly, and his tone suddenly changed.

"You might as well read more knight novels."

Facing the king's merciless words, Gilbert's expression darkened.

"Very good, that's right, Your Majesty."

The Foreign Secretary lowered the letter in his hand and closed his eyes.

"but."

Gilbert's voice was as weak as a mosquito:

"His Royal Highness Thales, does he know?"

Many people's eyes moved.

King Kessel was silent for a moment.

His eyes glanced at the scar-faced spy from the secret department, intentionally or unintentionally:

"He knows now."

Gilbert leaned back and said nothing.

Dusk has arrived, and the color of the sun gradually increases, changing from golden to dark red.

At that moment, the Supreme King, bathed in the sunset, even looked a little red.

Only his face was still dim and unclear under the backlight.
To be continued...