Thelma came back to her senses from her initial shock and confusion.

"You're going to take me away, take me back to the stars?"

The lights in the dining room swayed slightly in the wind, as if echoing the girl's words.

She raised her head, her voice trembling, "Is this what you mean?"

Facing the girl's blue eyes, Tails was speechless.

A touch of embarrassment and relief at the same time crept into his heart.

I.

I just said it......

Tails had a splitting headache, but the words were out of his mind, and he could only keep thinking about the idea that popped up and the possibility of implementing it.

The prince kept rubbing his hands together and observing the expression of the archduchess:

"I mean, I think...... You're ...... now."

But Tails then closed her mouth: the Archduchess was staring at him silently with a look that Tails could not understand, through the nose-clipping glasses that the prince had given her.

At that moment, Tails felt that he didn't know the girl in front of him.

"But why should I go with you?" said Thelma, her voice faintly and ethereal, as if it had come from dozens of meters away.

"In what capacity, for what reason, should I go with you?"

Thelma turned her head slightly, her voice steady, and her words were staccatory, as if carrying an incomparable weight: "Is it like the promise that His Majesty Nunn said back then...... As your fiancée?"

At that moment, there seemed to be some terrible power in the girl's eyes, forcing Tails to turn his gaze elsewhere, as if the other party's expression was the most terrible poison in the world.

The second prince had never been so embarrassed.

Perhaps only the first occasion to meet King Kessel was comparable to this time.

Especially after he realized that he might have said something that could be easily misunderstood.

Tails gasped twice and shook his head hurriedly, "Hey, no, Thelma, I didn't mean to ask you to elope with me......"

At that moment, it was as if someone had frozen the air in the room.

The Grand Duchess bowed her head.

"What's that for?" Selma said slowly, her voice turning cold.

Increasingly embarrassed, Tails let out a painful breath and took a few seconds to reorganize his emotions.

"Liberal Alliance, Marriage, Vassal, Black Sand Collar, Prayer City," he squeezed out the words stiffly, his sentences incoherent, "All of this, these are just the beginning." ”

"In the future, you will face even more terrible things, such as having to make cruel choices, such as the conspiracy that the enemy has been brewing for years......"

For example, you may eventually lose the position of Grand Duke, and the tragic fate that comes with it.

"You will see more and more terrible things, and you will stand in the most vulnerable position, with so few chips in your hands that even the people around you ......"

Thinking of Nicollet's secretive appearance and Lisbane's serious and solemn demeanor, Tails subconsciously kept silent.

"I can't protect you all the time, Thelma, and neither can anyone else," Tails gasped, feeling heavier the more he spoke:

"For your safety, to stay away from these dangers......"

The Grand Duchess raised her head slightly, interrupting the prince.

"I see. ”

Thelma's expression changed.

"Take me away for my safety," Selma snorted with a smirk, "I see, that's why." ”

"I see. ”

"There's no other reason, is there - you just can't say that word. ”

The word?

Tails looked at her like this, and an indescribable feeling filled his heart.

No.

No, Thelma, you ......

"Just like in the past," the girl sighed softly, her eyes slightly melancholy, "you worry about me, love me, pity me—just because I'm weak and need protection, like a puppy." ”

"So you're going to take me away. ”

"Just like in the past, that's the reason – the only reason. ”

Tails took a deep breath: "Selma......"

But Thelma seems to be immersed in her own world and ignores him.

"Yes, that's me, the weak and helpless, who closes my eyes and waits for death, and can only wait for others to reach out forever. ”

Tails was slightly stunned.

The girl's eyes were fixed in the air, and her voice trembled slightly:

"Do you remember, six years ago, when I was captured by that monster, the Scourge of Blood...... It was all human, or all human parts: the eyeballs, the lips, the ears, the internal organs, the hands and feet, soaked in blood, all trembled before your eyes...... Dark, slippery, bloody. ”

Tails' memories are brought back to the hydra Kilica, Giza's pet, and he feels sick as he thinks of the severed limbs.

He bowed his head, did not speak, and had nothing to say.

"I remember shaking uncontrollably and crying," Thelma squeezed the tablecloth in her hand and looked at the food on the table with a pale face, "Because I can only cry, I can only cry, I can only cry, all I can do is cry and wait for death." ”

"Can you imagine how I felt at that time?"

The lights in the dining room flickered slightly, and the shadows of the two trembled.

Tails only felt the weight of his tongue.

"I'm sorry, that's ......," he said with difficulty.

That's my fault.

The prince whispered in his heart.

It's me who hurts you......

Thelma suddenly raised her head and stared at Tails tightly, her eyes softening a lot.

"Until you, Tails, you appeared before me with that strange dagger, covered in blood and exhausted," the Grand Duke's tone was calm, but she could not hide the rise and fall of her voice, "just as you did on the same night, in the face of the majesty of His Majesty Nunn, and without hesitation to pull me away from him." ”

Tails paused slightly.

"In the most desperate time, you came to save me. She said lightly.

"You're the only bright color in that nightmare, Tails. ”

"Can you imagine that feeling?"

Tails looked at Thelma, who was acting unusually, and felt quite uncomfortable.

"Just like now, again," the Grand Duchess sighed slightly, looking at the knife and fork beside her with a complicated expression: "Are you coming to save me again?"

"Save that girl who has been cared for and blessed by you, and save that cowering, timid, trembling little slippery head?"

"Because that's the only image I'm in your mind, isn't it?"

"Therefore, I will never be able to be looked at by you and looked at by you as an equal. ”

Tails frowned deeply, only to feel the strangeness of the girl in front of him getting deeper and deeper.

She......

"Thelma," Tails' voice unconsciously carried a hint of doubt and uneasiness, "what happened, why did you ...... Would you ask?"

Thelma sneered.

"You know, for more than a month, Charles has tried to convince me that it's not good to get too close to you. ”

The Grand Duchess shook her head vigorously, as if she wanted to shake something dirty out of her head: "But I told him: from that nightmare night six years ago, I knew that even Charles, even Lord Nicolai, even Justin, even the whole of Longxiao City betrayed me. ”

"You, Tails Bright Star, will not hesitate to stand in front of me to protect me, just as you did six years ago in the face of calamity. ”

Tails shuddered.

"If you're like this, I can't even believe it," Thelma lowered her head, and the corners of her mouth pulled into a bitter arc: "Who else can I trust?"

The girl turned her gaze and tried to block the glitter in her eye socket with the reflection of her glasses, but Tails still caught the moment.

"I know you have a lot of secrets, Tails," Thelma's voice was hoarse with tiredness and disappointment, "whether it's the obsession with finding records of the Endgame and the Dragons, or the monthly request to go out and play chess, or the Blood Scourge and the Blue Scourge, and why they're looking for you......"

At that moment, Tails didn't speak.

But when he looked into the girl's eyes, he couldn't help but tremble slightly.

Originally......

"But I didn't tell them any of them," said the Grand Duchess, taking a deep breath, "and I know that you must cherish these secrets very much, and I know that since they are your secrets, they will never be harmful to me." ”

"Yes, Tails, I believe in you," Thelma said hoarsely, hanging her head, "trust you with my life." ”

Silent.

The complex and indescribable taste filled Tails's heart, making his mouth bitter.

Yes, Thelma is not a featureless little girl.

On the contrary, she is sensitive, sharp, only most of the time, she hides herself behind the lenses.

No one knows, and probably no one cares.

Including me.

"But, Tails Bright Star, what am I to you?"

Thelma looked up with difficulty.

Again, the girl gritted her teeth and said, "Is it your burden? Is it the responsibility that you can't shake off? Is it the bargaining chip you hold in your hand? Is it worth saving me again and again? Or is it your fiancée who was forced to promise?"

Tails swore he had never seen that look on Thelma's face.

It was a mixture of melancholy, hesitation, pain, resentment, anger and grievance, all gathered in the crystal full eye sockets behind the lenses of the Grand Duke.

It was as if the little slippery head he had known in the past six years was just a false shell, as if this Selma in front of him was the true face that Tails had never discovered.

"No, neither. ”

She held back the tears that were about to be forced out of her eyelids, and choked up:

"Now, I see. ”

The second prince couldn't say anything anymore, he just stared in a daze, at this little slippery head he didn't know, or he didn't care.

Thelma twisted her stiff neck, desperately forcing herself to look at Tails.

In her choked voice, which she couldn't hide, she unconsciously carried a hint of sarcasm:

"You, Prince Tails, are different from most noble people, you have a unique and warm heart, you have your own principles, you can't stand the suffering of those around you and you are indifferent......"

"So you're always helping the weak, aren't you?"

"Like me. ”

Tails looked at her sadly, only to feel dull in his chest.

In the depths of Selma's crystal eyes, disappointment and pain shimmered, releasing an indescribable light behind the lenses.

"You can't stand me being forced to decide on marriage, you can't stand that I'm in danger, you can't stand that I'm facing the Grand Dukes alone, so you didn't hesitate to come to my rescue—just like you didn't hesitate to return to Valhalla and face the Grand Dukes. ”

"Of course, you still feel guilty and feel responsible for putting me in the position of Grand Duke, right?"

"So, you pity me, sympathize with me, help me, protect me," Thelma tried to make her whimper sound like a sneer, but she was clearly unsuccessful, "but I'm only one of the many weaklings you've pitied and rescued to you—no more, whether I want to or not." ”

In the next second, the girl clenched her fists, her arms trembled slightly, as if she was enduring some great pain.

The dining room was unsettling quiet.

There were only two breaths left: one trembling and unsteady, the other long and dull.

Selma clenched her teeth, her eyes drenched with tears behind her glasses, and her jaw trembled slightly.

Finally, a drop of sparkling slipped from the corner of her left eye.

Tails closed his eyes, and he sighed and lowered his head.

Thelma gritted her teeth, she stretched out her hand, trembling but firm to wipe away the tears from her left cheek, but she couldn't stop the tears from sliding down her right eye: "So, you will never put me in the same world as you, you will never treat me as yours, as yours ......"

She couldn't go on.

Thelma tilted her head to the other side, keeping Tails from seeing her tears.

"That's what 'take me away' is all about – a few vulnerable people in desperate need of rescue, no more than you can rescue any puppy on the side of the street, because that's where I stand in your eyes. ”

"Thelma ......," Tails sighed, forcing himself to speak with all his might, while deliberately avoiding the last thing he wanted to talk about: "Maybe you shouldn't think so much, we've always been partners side by side......"

"Partner?"

"Nope. ”

"You said that Lyanna Tebuck is like a brilliant diamond, shining in the sun, making you never forget," Selma laughed with tears in her eyes, her expression sad and resolute: "In contrast, Selma of Longxiao City, no, the little slippery head of Longxiao City, is probably just an annoying and incompetent weakling, waiting for your handouts and protection. ”

Tails clenched his fists.

"Of course not," he gritted his teeth and squeezed a few words out between his teeth: "You...... You are different to me. ”

"Different?"

The girl took a deep breath, she took off her glasses, and vigorously wiped the tears from her face.

Selma shook her head and snorted coldly in a choked voice:

"No, Tails, it's been six years, and I know you too well. ”

"Maybe you haven't noticed it yourself: the only women you really admire and admire are those who are strong, independent, self-ego, and radiate dazzling light, and your eyes will always be lit up for them. ”

Tails frowned.

"For example, the Duchess, even if she is thousands of miles away, she can make you admire from the bottom of your heart, for example, the lady of Genie, as a teacher, even if she has not seen you for six years, she has not faded from your heart for a moment, such as the flower of the fortress, she is a warrior who resists the front like an iron wall when the storm comes. ”

The second prince took a deep breath and only felt his tongue stiff.

"Even the female vampire you are talking about, the one who betrayed you and cornered you, called Sarina or some kind of ugly monster of Tarina. ”

"At least she's powerful and terrifying, so that you can be jealous and wary every time you mention it, and then put her in the most critical position in your eyes. ”

Thelma put her sniffles back on, her eyes slightly red and swollen around her sockets.

"Only people like them can attract your attention, make you unforgettable, stand in front of you, look you in the eye, and talk to you equally and independently," her tone returned to calm, but the emotion in her words was full of coldness: "And the girl who only shrinks into the library, is obedient to her vassals, is terrified of politics, and trembles in the face of difficulties, she can't ......"

"She can only hide in the corner of your eyes forever, always be protected, led, pitied, and can only be helped by you, favored by you, and rescued by you. ”

"I can never be in the same world as you. ”

"Even if you are as noble as you, even if you are kind, even if you are as kind as you, in fact, it is no different from my vassals: only strong can make them obedient, and in the same way, only independent and self-reliant women can make you look sideways—like not long ago, the female warrior of the Black Sand Collar. ”

"And if I were just a weak girl, I would receive contempt and contempt from my vassals, and condescending pity and sympathy from you. ”

Tails had nothing to say.

He was tempted to tell her no, to tell her that it was all speculation.

But......

Tails remembered what the Lady Jinx had told him before:

[Many times, it is precisely because of Your Highness's constant care, consideration and companionship that the lady will feel that she is safe, so she will let go of her worries and vigilance. 】

[But the problem is, she's not safe.] 】

[She shouldn't feel that way, either.] 】

Yes, little slippery head, Thelma, what is she to herself, the responsibility that comes with guilt, the sustenance that is kept because of pity?

Or is it because of her ......

Tails raised his head and looked at the girl's beautiful face, slightly red against the background of the platinum hair, and only felt a depression in his heart.

The little girl who looked up in the library seemed to reappear in front of her.

It's been six years, and when I brought her out of that hall, I probably didn't expect it to be today.

But, after six years, I thought I knew her well.

I thought I was helping her, protecting her, wishful thinking for her......

Tails sighed, "But actually, I never knew her, and I didn't try to marry her.

Just treat her as a ......

"Have you forgotten, Tails," Thelma snorted as she looked at the broth that had cooled on her plate, seemingly subconsciously, "You told me before that you don't want me to be forced to be what others want,"

"You want me to be who I want to be. ”

This time, the female Grand Duke of Longxiao City did not hesitate and raised her eyes without hesitation.

"So ......"

"I refuse, Tails. ”

The girl didn't tilt her head, she didn't look away, she looked straight into Tails' eyes, and her tone was affirmative:

"I'm not going with you. ”

"If I listen to you, leave obediently, retreat and leave, and leave happily, then I will always be the little girl you helped. ”

"I'm fed up with being a little girl, Tails," Selma exhaled, holding her lower abdomen pale as she gritted her teeth and looked steadfast, "I'm fed up being 'your' little girl, fed up being taken away from danger by you and living in a greenhouse." ”

A cold light flashed in the depths of Selma's eyes, releasing an indescribable coldness behind the lenses: "Moreover, as the Grand Duke of Longxiao City, I will not and cannot leave with a prince of stars - no matter what kind of hardships and dangers I face, strong enemies and fierce battles, this is my home, I was born and will die in Si." ”

Until one day, I can stand face to face with you.

Tails.

She said silently.

Silence returned in the dining room.

The Grand Duke and the Prince sat on either side of the table, facing each other in silence, as if the food on the table was just a decoration.

It seemed like a century had passed, and Tails finally spoke with difficulty.

"Selma......

With a sense of disappointment that he didn't know whether it was for himself or for the other party, he whispered, "Okay." ”

The second prince let out a long sigh, his eyes darkened: "I know. ”

Thelma chuckled and let go of the hand that was pressing on her abdomen, her face softening slightly.

"It's fine. ”

The Grand Duchess's mood seemed rather depressed, and she shook her head.

"I know," she said lightly, "I know you're just an occasional impulse." ”

Tails frowned slightly.

She......

"You're not alone, Tails. Selma looked out the window with a complicated expression, as if she was looking at a hazy painting covered with a veil.

"Behind you is your country, your people. ”

"What kind of consequences will be caused by kidnapping the female Grand Duke of Longxiao City, have you considered it?" The female Grand Duke shook her head with a smile as if she was mocking, but that smile seemed to be quite difficult in Tails' opinion, "You took me away, just to keep me away from my troubles, but it will bring more people and more terrible disasters." ”

"If you come to your senses," Selma sighed, "if you reconsider this choice, you won't say that again, because you want to save me for the same reason you can't bear to see them suffer." ”

"In this world, there is probably no girl who is worth such a big price. ”

Tails clenched his fists.

No.

You, you're still different after all.

You are......

You are......

Just then, there was a knock on the door to the dining room.

"Ma'am, Prince, with all due respect," came the Count of Lisbane's deep voice, "May I come in?"

The eerie atmosphere in the room seemed to be broken in an instant.

Tails and Thelma hurriedly packed up their moods, adjusted their state, and welcomed the Lord Regent in.

The Count of Lisbane was still dressed in the same serious attire, and his expression was indifferent, as if he did not see the red eyes of the Grand Duchess, nor did he see the prince's lost expression.

However, the moment Lisbane spoke, listening to his unusual tone, Tails had a sense of foreboding.

Really.

"Your Excellency, Prince Tails, the letter crow from Qiyuan City has just arrived. ”

Lisbane's words made the two of them suddenly straighten up.

"The Council of Elders of the Liberal League has just ended: the first tentative letter has been sent to the city of Qiyuan, offering to lower the tariff. ”

Thelma gasped: "So ......"

Lisban nodded, his eyes solemn: "Grand Duke of Qiyuan City, Kurikun Ronnie has issued a warrant to fully mobilize all the troops and materials of his direct territories and vassals, and at the same time recall the ranger troops stationed in the Great Desert to block the border to the west. ”

Tails' pupils narrowed slightly.

In the Hall of Heroes, the image of the long-haired Grand Duke with a strong temperament reappeared in his mind.

At that moment, Lisban's expression was extremely solemn: "At the same time, he has sent a large-scale official mission, which will arrive in Longxiao City soon. ”

Tails and Thelma looked at each other, confused.

The prince looked up, "Ronnie sent an official mission, probably not just to say hello - I guess he's already learned that the Black Sand Collar has sent someone?"

Lisbane raised his eyebrows slightly and snorted lightly, as if to blame Tails for his actions a few days ago.

"Be ready, both of you, whoever is behind this chess game," Lord Regent's eyes swept over the two of them, and his words seemed to envelop the small dining room with the power of a brewing storm:

"It's already started. ”

"A storm is coming. ”

(End of chapter)