before he was crowned king

In the second courtyard, Mars sat under a leafy olive tree and moved the white queen on the chessboard.Sitting across from him is the man raising his hand, asking for a timeout.Seeing the hourglass counting down, he took out the handkerchief on his chest and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Your Highness, you are really pressing every step of the way, and you don't give me a chance to breathe." The man looked at the black and white sides, frowning, and made a hasty decision until the hourglass was almost gone. .

"Wood Knight, your initial offensive is not inferior." Mars turned the chess piece in his hand, and this time he directly captured the black bishop.

"There's no way around it. Playing chess is like war." Knight Wood smiled. "There can only be one winner. Why should we be merciful to our enemies?"

Mars paused, and withdrew one of his pawns: "Not all wars in this world have to bet on life as a bargaining chip."

"Really? It's really unexpected. I thought His Highness would agree with me." Knight Wood raised his right eyebrow, "Whether it's victory or power, you must hold what you want. "

The white queen on the chessboard is crushed by the black chariot.

"I don't think I understand what you mean." Mars raised his head.

The corners of Wood's mouth hooked slightly, revealing a meaningful smile.He waved his hand, and the servants around the two retreated into the distance.

"His Royal Highness Mars, I have always admired your way of handling things. Your judgments have always been correct and decisive, and you have shown wisdom far beyond other heirs in all aspects." Knight Wood stared into Mars' eyes, "I think help you."

"I think... I don't seem to be in any trouble that needs help." Mars looked puzzled.

"Of course, of course. For you, everything right now is not a predicament. It can only be called a little trouble." Knight Wood shook his head with a smile, "But I think the State Council is coming soon. This is An opportunity you shouldn't miss."

"Knight Wood, what is the reason why you came to play chess with me today..."

"I can implore Her Majesty the Queen to release you from house arrest, and I can also help you disclose the mistakes Her Highness Fern made at the State Council." Knight Wood continued to persuade, "In this way, you will be much closer to the crown."

The two fell into a brief silence.Mars' expression sank, he didn't speak immediately, but picked up the porcelain cup by the table, and took a sip.

"I think you may have misunderstood, Knight Wood." Mars said slowly, "I'm not interested in the succession of the empire."

Knight Wood was stunned: "Are you joking?"

Mars shook his head: "Knight Wood, what's the point of fighting to the death with your brother for a throne? I don't deny that I wanted to reach that position, but I never thought of stepping on my brother's bones to ascend to the throne. Mars sighed, "Believe it or not, I never thought of coercing my mother or hurting my relatives."

"You... really think so?" Knight Wood frowned.

"Well, think about it, how painful it is to sit alone on the cold throne. If the price of gaining power is losing relatives and betraying mother, then what's the point to me?" Mars rolled his eyes slightly Hanging, not hiding the sadness in his expression.

"Your Highness..." Knight Wood hesitated to speak.

"Thank you, Knight Wood. I have been staying in the bedroom these days, and no one else has come to see me except you." Mars said, "But I really don't need your help. Brother Fern and I It's not what you think, I just don't want to see my brother go down the wrong path, after all, he will help my mother manage the country in the future."

"Now it's my move." Mars moved the black king forward, and walked out of the layers of guards by himself.

"Your Highness Mars, I admit defeat in this game." The man sighed, put down the chess pieces, and showed a helpless wry smile on his face.

"Knight Wood, aren't you going to try again?" Mars asked.

"No, with my hands holding the bow and swinging the sword, I'm still far from winning His Highness." Wood Heath smiled, "Just now Your Highness asked me why I came, I just saw His Highness alone, so Show off your superficial wit and accompany His Highness to relieve boredom for a while."

"Wood Knight." A servant came, and it seemed that something happened.

"I think it's time for me to go back to the bedroom. Let's decide the outcome next time, Knight Wood." Mars stood up.

"Yes, Your Highness." Knight Wood saluted, and waited for Mars to leave before he straightened up and walked towards the splendid imperial palace behind him.

"Did he really say that?" Queen Karina sat on the throne and closed her eyes slightly.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I would like to swear by my surname." Wood Heath knelt on the ground on one knee, holding his heart with his right hand.

"How is his spirit? I heard that he drank a lot these days." Queen Karina asked lightly.

"His Royal Highness Mars looks normal, his behavior is the same as usual, his speech is much gentler than before, and sometimes he will show some sad expressions." Wood Heath recalled.

"You said he was sad? Why?"

"I think... maybe it's because of His Majesty's punishment for him." Wood Heath raised his head, "Is there such a possibility that His Highness Mars really didn't know about Earl Shelter's actions, nor did he The idea of ​​being an enemy of His Highness Fern. After all these years, His Highness Mars has fulfilled his duties seriously, and although he is not close to His Highness Fern, he has never had any unpleasant conflicts with His Highness Fern."

"I see, you go down first, Wood." Queen Karina waved her hand.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Knight Wood exited the hall, and Maid Baumier walked to Queen Karina's side.

"what happened?"

"Your Majesty, Princess Ornis has brought Viscount Carle's younger sister, Miss Serena, into the palace, and said that she has something to say to you."

"Is she here because she is worried about her brother?" Karina's voice was cold.

"Your Majesty, Serena seems to have come to look for His Royal Highness Mars." Bao Miles paused and said.

"Come to find Mars?" Karina's eyes moved, "Why?"

"I heard that His Highness Fern introduced Miss Serena to His Highness Mars two months ago." Baomier said, "That's why the two know each other."

"They have a good relationship?" Queen Karina couldn't help frowning.

"Although His Royal Highness Mars and Miss Serena don't meet often, they often exchange letters and are...good friends." Bao Mier said softly, "It is said that it is because Miss Serena sent His Royal Highness Mars a letter. I wrote the letter, but have not waited for a reply, so I came to the palace."

"She knows about Mars?"

"Yes, I should have heard from Her Highness Fern that Miss Serena wanted to ask you for mercy." Bao Mier asked, "Your Majesty, do you want to see her?"

"I still have business to deal with, let her go to Mars directly." Queen Karina said, "Just say that his confinement is coming to an end."

On a new day, Sean sat in the last row by the window. The classroom display boards were filled with lengthy ancient spells. From his position, he looked like crooked black four-legged snakes.

"What is this writing? Is this language? I really can't understand it at all." It is now the time for Professor Udyr's "Ancient Magic Language" class, and everyone holds their pens and dare not be distracted.And the man was lazily sitting on the window sill, his silky long blond hair pouring down his white shirt, no one noticed his strange existence, just as if no one noticed the new additions to the old clothes. The same as the patch.

"This is a magic spell engraved on the stone tablet a hundred years ago, don't you know it?" Sean looked at the display board, and no one knew that he was communicating with an invisible demon.

"Why do I need to know this kind of reptile-like writing?" Haral frowned, his tone a little disgusted.

"This language belongs to the era of your existence, doesn't it?" Sean said slowly, "The legendary era of the gods."

"Maybe, I don't remember, but the declining civilization will eventually rest in the dust." Heller said, "I don't miss the obsolete things. After all, the old ones don't go away, and the new ones don't come."

"Throw it away when it's useless, it's really heartless."

"Are you sure you're not talking about yourself? Human beings. What you've been doing is far more cruel than me." Herrell glanced out the window, "I'm really looking forward to the day when those people who have been tricked by you find out Your real face is very interesting to think about."

"I just let them see what they want and get what they ask for." Sean's voice was unwavering, he didn't feel that what he did was cruel, everyone around him had a lot of masks, he was just good at using up everything its use.

After waiting for a long time for a reply, Sean turned his head, like an illusion created by his own mind, and Herrell disappeared silently again.

There was only a note left on the window sill, Sean rolled it up, and it was written on the ancient text that Professor Udyr was explaining.

"Self-defense is also self-report." After Sean translated softly, he clipped this note into the title page of the book.

When the bell rang for the end of get out of class, everyone immediately dropped the pens in their hands as if hearing the oracle of salvation, but they forgot that the next class would be Professor Udyr's class.As the most stringent "old antique" of the Imperial Academy of Magic, Professor Udyr is definitely not the kind of person who gives up halfway in the process of imparting knowledge. He is very willing to sacrifice this little rest time to ensure the quality of his teaching.

The old man on the podium is waving a slender teaching rod. He is full of energy with his beard curled up, like a conductor at the climax of a symphony. When it’s time to arrive, you deserve what you can’t do in the exams you can’t hear.”

The students below groaned in despair, and had to control their numb arms to hold their pens again.

"Professor Udyr, is it time for get out of class to end?" Someone asked politely.

The door of the classroom opened, and the symphony composed of humming ancient characters stopped abruptly, and everyone's ears were purified at this moment.The silver-haired young man who came in had a standard aristocratic smile on his mouth, and blinked at Professor Udyr: "Can I pause for a while?"

Who can forcibly extinguish an old professor's enthusiasm for teaching and make him pause and shut up when he talks about key knowledge points?A person who can do such a feat must be extraordinary, at least there must be no courses not taught by Professor Udyr in his class schedule before graduation.The young man was not wearing a school uniform. He was wearing a black silk shirt with the two buttons in front of the collar unbuttoned. He seemed to have arrived in a hurry.

The other party's attire was nothing special, it could even be said to be sloppy to the point of being unkempt, but all the people present stared at him blankly, some hugged their arms tightly, and some covered their arms excitedly. own mouth.

Sean also looked at the young man, his reaction was not as intense as the others, but there was also a look of surprise on his face because of the other party's appearance.

"Your Highness Mars, what's the matter with you?" Udyr's expression was gloomy. Although it was an interrogative sentence, he forced it to sound like a serious question, "I'm still in class."

"I'm very sorry to disturb your class, Professor Udyr. But I have been waiting at the door for a long time." Mars looked at the last row of the classroom, "I want to borrow one of your students, I may have to share Let him go for a while, please don't blame him."

There were bursts of hidden gasps in the classroom.His Royal Highness the Imperial Prince came to meet a person in person, afraid of affecting the other party, he even waited patiently outside!The hearts of gossip around him also stirred up.

"His Royal Highness Mars, for students, academics always come first." The wrinkles on Udyr's face obviously deepened a lot, and his two eyeballs stared at Mars coldly.

"I think he's enough and I think his number one right now should be me."

As soon as these words came out, everyone was petrified. They suspected that His Highness Mars had gone to the wrong place. They were a commoner class, and everyone was a commoner with pure blood. None of them was qualified to be His Royal Highness's attendant.

"Professor Udyr, I'm very sorry, I want to go out." Sean stood up. He didn't know why His Royal Highness Mars suddenly announced his identity to everyone, but he felt that if he didn't come forward, things would change. It is more difficult to end.

The crowd finally couldn't help but let out a sound of surprise.As a member of the first-year Falcon Club, which is one of the few stars in the morning, the name Sean Miller was already loud enough among ordinary students, but they did not expect that the legend of the other party was far more than what they had heard.If Sean Miller won one of the three seats in the Falcon Club this year, it was a victory over a large number of noble students in the same grade as him, and now being selected as the servant of the second heir to the empire is to kill all the people in the capital. The result of the young nobleman.

Professor Udyr hadn't reacted yet, he only thought that Sean had other matters, based on the other party's usually good performance, so he nodded.

Sean saluted slightly. When he walked out of the classroom, his movements were a little slow, because he found that Mars had actually pressed the door for him.

"He should ask for leave for the next class. Professor Udyr, I'm sorry to bother you, please continue." Mars bowed his head slightly to apologize, and left behind.

The hallway echoed with Mars' own footsteps, and when he walked out of the building, Sean was already waiting for him outside.

"Are you angry?" Mars walked towards the man standing in the sun.

"Of course not." Sean shook his head and said calmly, "I'm just a little scared that you came to the classroom to find me in person."

Mars shrugged: "Well, maybe I shouldn't have done this, but I really waited a long time outside the classroom. Besides my mother, this is the first time I've willingly spent time waiting for someone."

"Your Highness." Sean sighed.

"If you think it's not enough, I can go and explain this to Professor Udyr later." Mars said he gave in again.

"It's okay, Your Highness, this is not an important matter." Sean didn't think Mars' explanation would have any positive effect, and he turned his words to the topic, "We should celebrate the end of your confinement, I don't know what Her Majesty the Queen approved of you Leaving the bedroom?"

"This morning." Mars took out the pocket watch he was carrying and glanced at it, "It was exactly an hour ago."

"An hour ago? Then why did you appear here at this time?" Sean frowned, somewhat unable to understand the causal connection.

"Because I drove to school in a carriage as soon as the grounding was over, and I didn't even have time to change a piece of clothes." Mars frowned as he said this, and sniffed his collar, as if trying to identify if there was any strange smell on his body.

Sean was slightly taken aback. The tone of Mars's words was as it should be, as if he was answering "Why does the sun shine during the day?"

"I think you should meet Her Majesty the Queen first." Sean stopped and looked into Mars's eyes. "This should be the first thing you do after lifting the restraint."

"You're right." Mars nodded, without refuting what Sean said, "But when I realized it, I was already here."

"Why did you do this?" Sean didn't quite understand what Mars meant, and he couldn't think of any more important reason.

The two looked at each other.Mars suddenly looked away, sighed, and then patted Sean on the back like a friend.

"It's nothing, I just want to tell you that I can do it." Mars said softly, "I believe in you, and I also believe in myself."

Having said that, combined with Mars' series of abnormal behaviors, Sean began to suspect that the prince next to him really seemed to have some other feelings for him as Helear said.He didn't know the specific reason, maybe the other party liked men, or maybe it was because of the drunkenness that day, or it could be because of other reasons.

Sean's eyes drooped slightly, and no more emotions were shown on his face.Since having this perfect skin, he has received all kinds of similar admiration, and he mostly doesn't take this kind of situation seriously, because he knows that the fate trajectory of these people will not be the same as his trajectory. There is too much overlap.

And Mars is different from these people, he is an indispensable part of the plan, so Sean must seriously think about how to maintain the relationship between the two.

But fortunately, this matter is not too difficult, and His Royal Highness's ambiguous feelings seem to be just a little bit.For Sean, as long as everything is not made clear, he will pretend to be ignorant and stick to his status as a servant.

After all, people's feelings are the most variable, and love is mostly the product of sexual desire.

"It's almost time, and it's time for me to meet my mother." The two walked to the stables of the Falcon Pavilion, Mars said.

Sean nodded, and was about to ask again, but Mars raised his hand and interrupted him.

"Xion, I know you have a lot to explain." Mars raised his brows slightly, "Why don't you come back to the palace with me as an attendant."

"This may not be appropriate." Sean thought for a while and said.

"I think it's very suitable." Mars said, "Wood Heath came to me yesterday morning. He said that I was the best heir to the throne, and he said that he would provide me with help to eradicate Fern at the State Council."

"This is the queen's temptation." Sean's eyes darkened.

"That's right, so I rejected him and said that I have no interest in the throne anymore." Mars nodded.

"You did the right thing, the most important thing is to make Her Majesty the Queen let down her guard against you," Shine said.

"So, it would be more convincing for me to show up with a civilian attendant." Mars smiled at Sean, "What do you think?"

Sean had no reason to say no, and he remembered his promise to Serena.

"Your Highness Mars, there is one thing I would like to implore you." Sean lowered his head as he got into the carriage, with a very humble attitude.

"Xion, look up and watch me speak." There was the sound of rumbling wheels in his ears, and it was difficult for Xien to discern the emotion in Mars' voice.

"You may think this is a very unreasonable request." Sean said slowly.

"Is it a request I won't grant?"

"Perhaps, I don't know."

"Really? If it were someone else, I might not give him a chance to continue talking." Mars said, "It's you, but I'm very interested. After all, you have always paid attention to etiquette and never Say anything out of line."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Sean said, "I hope that when you meet the Queen later, you can intercede for Viscount Carle and save his life."

"I see." Mars nodded.

Sean froze for a moment, he didn't expect Mars to agree so simply, he didn't even say the reason.

"Your Highness, do you agree?" Sean couldn't help but confirm.

"Hmm." Mars nodded again, "What's your expression?"

"Slightly surprised." Sean said frankly.

"Do you think I will not give up such an opportunity? Because Viscount Carle is Fern's most important attendant." Mars said, "Xion, I am not so eager for quick success. This incident has taught me to wait patiently."

"Your Highness, you have changed a lot." Sean looked at the man opposite, who gradually became restrained, no longer as sharp-edged as when they first met.

"I haven't changed." Mars smiled, "It's just that you told me to believe you."