Ernest checked his luggage one last time.

He dragged a suitcase from under the bed and carried it to the bed. The weight of the box seemed to be a bit heavy, and Ernest couldn't help but sink his arms slightly as he carried it.

Ernest opened the box, and there was not a single piece of clothing inside, only a full set of equipment.

He picked up the body armor in the box, a new type of equipment converted from the inner lining of the Knight Era armor, which had good protection against pistol bullets, but against rifles with strong penetration, the effectiveness was greatly reduced.

Still, Ernest put it on, and it was inevitably a bit stuffy to wear in the summer, but he still put the body armor on his undershirt jacket, then took the shirt and put it on, hiding the body armor under the shirt.

Then Ernest took another revolver out of the box, he tossed the wheel, checked the number of bullets inside, and with a flick of his wrist, closed the wheel again.

Ernest pinned the pistol to the holster on his waistcoat, but he didn't trust the pistol that much.

Finally, he took one last thing out of the box.

His saber.

When he escaped from the palace of Tiamat that night, he lost his sword, but Thressi found it for him.

Drawing his sword out of its scabbard, Ernest confirmed the sharpness of the blade. The fingers ** are on the edge of the blade, and the touch between the fingers is not only cold, but also a little hot.

The sword also drank a lot of blood.

Putting the sword back into its scabbard, Ernest closed the suitcase, and without even putting it under the bed, he grabbed the coat from the hanger and headed straight outside.

Wrapped in a slightly heavier coat during the month, Ernest got into Carl's carriage.

He glanced at Karl.

"I didn't expect you to be involved with that person. ”

Karl shook his head. "I'm just doing what I'm supposed to do. ”

"Go on. "Ernest's saber at hand.

Carl glanced at the sword.

"Give me that later, and I'll find someone to hide it for you." ”

"Before I give you my weapon," Ernest pressed Karl's outstretched hand, "I'll finish what I just said." ”

Karl withdrew his hand.

"Herbert's case, which was handled by Swain, has not yet come to fruition. ”

Ernest nodded, his taciturn was not inferior to Karl, and the conversation between the two people was like a mime.

"But you didn't shed a single tear at Herbert's funeral. ”

"You," Carl paused, staring at Ernest with distracted eyes, "and the same. ”

"No, it's different. Ernest shook his head and said, "I don't have a good relationship with him in the first place. ”

"Prime Minister Pitt was dismissed by Swain. Carl continued, "I've been with him for eight years. ”

"I've heard that. Ernest was silent for a moment, "And then you resigned." ”

Carl nodded. "Father, he has no choice. ”

"And you're not the same as Wood. Ernest stared at Karl and his brother-in-law, "Wood is such a good person, I know, you know, everybody knows. Even in this situation, he still hesitates, he still can't make a choice...... Maybe that's the fairness he insists on. ”

"That's not fair. Karl shook his head again, "It's just indecision." ”

"No, that's fair. Ernest's expression looked serious, "Fairness is not a good word, Carl, the so-called fairness is actually something that only fools pursue." ”

There was a moment of silence in the carriage, Ernest and Carl weren't the kind of people who would take the initiative to find out what to talk about, especially when their conversation got bogged down.

In the end, it was Carl who broke the deadlock first. "Tonight, Hadrian's envoy will officially meet Her Royal Highness Caterina, and there will be a banquet at Tiamat Palace, and that is your chance. ”

"Let me kill Swain, and then you can get what you want. Ernest threw his sword over, "Wouldn't it be you who took Alexei and Paul captive?"

"...... this," Karl shook his head a third time, "I don't know anything. ”

"Really?" Ernest stared at Carl coldly, "You're a hard man, Carl, no one knows what you're thinking. However, sometimes silence is also an expression, and some people can completely tell from silence what you want to hide. That's not a good habit, you're hiding from your closest people, and you're telling your enemies everything about you. ”

"At least ......," Karl also stared at Ernest quietly, "you can't guess. ”

——————————————————

In Tiamat's Palace, Caterina looked at her speech with a sad face, and finally she sighed and put it aside.

"It's too long, can't you make it shorter?" she said, looking at Franz standing in the doorway, and her tone was very complaining.

"Your Royal Highness, if your speech is not guaranteed to be of a certain length, it will be considered contemptuous to the other party. Franz half-bent over and said very respectfully, "If you really can't memorize it, you can read it according to the manuscript when the time comes." ”

Caterina sighed. "Even if they think we're belittling them, they don't come with good intentions. ”

"But the superficial work still needs to be done. Franz admonished again, and at the same time he shifted his gaze slightly to Swain, who was standing beside Katarina, "Although this is not my purview, but allow me to ask one more question, Count Jericho, are you sure that you really want to reply to Minister Hadrian in this way?"

"I've already replied to him. Swain was so expressionless that he didn't even look at Franz, "I just want you to write as I say." ”

This time it was Franz's turn to sigh. "However, this will cause diplomatic disputes, and may even lead directly to war with Hadrian, and now that the desert people are still entrenched in the Badajoz Peninsula, I am afraid that your decision will be ......"

"Managing Metternich. Caterina interrupted Franz, "Swain's reply was my final decision." ”

Franz had no choice but to bow down. "Yes, as you commanded, Your Highness the Princess. ”

There was a knock on the door, and Sophia walked in.

She looked at Caterina in full costume, her expression was a little complicated, but she quickly smiled and said to the eldest princess and brother: "Your Highness, elder brother, the banquet has begun. ”

Swain beckoned to his sister, and Sophia walked up to him meekly.

He ** his sister's carefully groomed hair, and his eyes showed rare tenderness.

"It's beautiful, Sophia. ”

Sophia's face turned red, and she bowed slightly shyly and saluted her brother.

"Thank you for the compliment, brother. ”

Franz glanced at Caterina quietly, but there was no displeasure on Celestia's face.

"Now that the time is almost up, let's go. Caterina took the initiative and said, "Shall we go to Pomeles first?"

"Hmm. Sven nodded, then patted Sophia's arm, "Sophia, you go to the banquet hall with Victoria first, and I'll go over when I'm done with business." ”

A flash of disappointment flashed in Sophia's eyes, but the little loss quickly vanished.

"Yes, sir. She replied with a smile.

However, the smile disappeared after Swain left.

Franz wisely didn't bother with such a thing, he nodded politely to Sophia, and then walked briskly to the door.

However, as soon as his hand touched the doorknob, he was stopped by Sophia.

"Managing Metternich. ”

Sophia stood behind Franz, and he couldn't see the young lady's expression at all.

"What do you command, Miss Jericho. Franz turned, barely smiling politely.

However, Sophia's face was expressionless. "I made some very good friends when I was a student at Astrad I College, and I invited them tonight, can you please be accommodating?"

"Of course. Franz hurriedly replied that although this was not in accordance with the rules of the Tiamat Palace, if it was Swain's sister who made the request, then he would definitely not have any objections.

"Excuse me. Sophia nodded, still without any expression on her face. She walked out the door first around Franz.

Franz breathed a sigh of relief.

Gladys looked at the Tiamat Palace in front of him in a daze, although this palace has been attacked several times, and now it looks a little decadent, but for Glatis, it is an incomparable honor to enter the Tiamat Palace, and even her grandfather Sven Noe Inglin did not get an invitation to the banquet this time.

And Elaine beside her was even more so, she even stood at the gate of the palace of Tiamat, her eyes straight, as if she had become a wax figure.

One of the court attendants, who was in charge of welcoming them, saw the two young girls, who were also dressed in evening dresses, but were standing still, so he came over and asked Glady, "Mademoiselle, could you please show me the invitation?"

"Invitation, invitation......" Hearing the voice of the court attendant, Gladys was suddenly awakened, she hurriedly opened the handbag that her mother had given her before she and rummaged through it.

"This—this ......," Gladys carefully handed an invitation to the court attendants, "is this okay? I—we were invited by Sophia......

The palace attendant took the invitation, his brows furrowed, he looked through it, and said to Glatis politely but non-negotiably: "Sorry, miss, this is not an official invitation, I can't let you in." ”

"W-so......" Gladys lowered his head, his face flushed with fever. She looked at Elaine, who was still in a daze beside her, and hurriedly pushed the other party.

That's when Elaine came back to her senses.

"Uh, what's wrong?"

Gladys sighed helplessly, it seemed that Elaine hadn't heard the words of the court attendant just now.

Just as she was about to give up and turn around, the voice of Alans suddenly sounded behind her.

"Miss Rank, Miss Edmus. ”

Gladys and Elaine turned around in surprise and looked at Alans, who was dressed in a white evening dress and shining like a star.

"Senior Alans!" Elaine was the first to exclaim in surprise, "I didn't expect you to be here!Oh, no, it's been a long time for you to receive an invitation, senior?"

Elaine touched her head and smiled embarrassedly.

"I just came with my father. Alans smiled slightly, then took Elaine's hand and kissed her on the back of her hand, "You are beautiful tonight, Miss Edmus. ”

"Eh!" Elaine seemed to be startled by Alans's actions, and she withdrew her hand like an electric shock, and looked at Alans blankly.

"It's just courtesy. Alans had no choice but to reluctantly explain, "How about taking it easy?" Elaine. ”

"Okay, okay......" Elaine lowered her head, her voice as soft as a bunny.

Then Alans turned his gaze to Glatis.

"You're beautiful tonight, too, Miss Ranke. Alans also kissed Gratis on the back of his hand.

Compared to Elaine, Gladys's reaction was not so violent, but she was shy by nature and still held the back of her hands tightly, lowered her head and did not speak.

"Is there any trouble with the two of you?" Alans looked at the court attendant again.

The court attendants obviously knew Alans as well, after all, the Duke of Pesa's family was so famous in the social circle of the imperial capital that it was not uncommon to go in and out of the Tiamat Palace.

"Mr. Pesa, these two young ladies do not have formal invitations, and according to the rules, I cannot let them in. ”

"No formal invitation?" Alans frowned, "what does that mean?"