Thales was surprised by Viscount Patterson's exaggerated movements. Before he could figure out the meaning behind these words, Gilbert's voice came from behind.

"His Excellency Viscount Patterson!"

"Special seats have been prepared in the banquet hall, if you..."

Gilbert has been receiving lower-level guests on the other side - from important industry meetings to invited royal capital bureaucrats. Apparently they were aware of the unexpected situation here and came in a hurry.

"No need, kid Casso, I'm here for him," Patterson obviously didn't hear Gilbert's words clearly, but this didn't affect his cold treatment when he saw him:

"Just for him."

Viscount Patterson bowed to the prince again, with such a large movement that everyone present broke into a cold sweat, and then he was helped to the banquet hall.

Thales, Doyle, and Glover all breathed a sigh of relief.

Gilbert looked at the Viscount's retreating back and sighed softly:

"Patterson, he is a more individual person among the seven attendants of the Bright Star. He does not bother to attend many occasions, partly because he is old and has no scruples."

"But obviously, it's time for him to think about future generations."

Looking at Thales' confused look, Gilbert added:

"One of his sons is in your guard, Second Punishment Officer Gray Patterson."

Thales felt relieved.

Guests arrived one after another. Although most of them were bureaucrats and nobles with lower status and did not need Thales to greet them, the Mindis Hall was already extremely busy.

It was enough for Marius and Gilbert to just come out to receive them. Even Viscount Conney and Earl Godwin, who were invited to help and acted as half-hosts, came and went and had no time to rest.

But unexpectedly, Patterson was not the only one who came in advance.

"Good luck on the holy day, my highness!"

The VIP who followed Patterson did not give Thales a chance to return to the lounge.

Viscount Adrian came with his wife, so Thales had to give up his plan to rest and adjust his state to a happy state again.

"You have grown up, and you look very energetic and handsome. You have the same style as His Majesty Kessel."

Adrian himself is only in his thirties, looks young, promising and full of energy.

But in the past few days, Thales learned that this viscount's family ruled the fertile land and beautiful scenery surrounding Swan County in the central territory, and he was the most important member of the Seven Servings of the Brilliant Star.

Thales did not dare to neglect at all, and greeted them pleasantly and exchanged greetings.

"Obviously, no matter how strong the cold wind in the North is, how heavy the snowstorm is, how fierce the yellow sand in the Western Wilderness is, and how hot the temperature is," Viscount Adrian looked directly into Thales's eyes, while his wife smiled silently, looking quiet and beautiful.

, “It can’t even cover up the dazzling brilliance of the stars in the sky.”

Thales could only—according to Gilbert's teachings—respond mildly, neither humble nor arrogant, but not lacking, neither too prominent nor too mute.

Like a qualified shining star prince.

Until Adrian bowed down, gently held Thales' palm, and lightly touched the back of Thales' hand with his lips.

"I'm not their lord or lord, am I?"

Thales sent Viscount Adrian away, rubbed the back of his hand that had been kissed twice, and asked doubtfully:

"I mean... not yet?"

"No," Doyle replied absently.

The guard gave an unusual answer, and then Thales realized something was wrong:

D.D nodded and bowed, watching Viscount Adrian leave in an almost flattering manner. Even Glover was respectful and greeted him all the way.

Compared with when the old Viscount was here just now, the attitude is completely different.

"What's wrong?" The young Duke frowned.

"Are they special?"

Only then did Doyle come back to his senses and scratched his head:

"Ah, sorry, um, Your Highness, do you remember Lord Adrian? Our supreme commander, Captain of the Guard?"

Thales frowned, remembering the Lord Adrian who commanded the royal guard when he entered the Fuxing Palace to meet the king.

If the prince realizes something:

"So, the Viscount Adrian just now is not only the Seventh Attendant of the Bright Star, he is also..."

"Yes," Doyle watched the other party disappear from sight, and then he breathed a sigh of relief:

"The nephew of our immediate boss."

Thales pondered for a moment, but what he was thinking about was not Doyle and Glover's workplace situation.

Patterson and Adrian, the two major families of the Seven Shining Stars, unexpectedly came to the Mindis Hall in advance and asked me... couldn't this be a coincidence?

His inner suspicions were soon confirmed.

Five minutes later, when Thales was preparing to return to the lounge and wait for the next group of heavyweight guests, a man and a woman stepped out of the carriage holding hands and walked into the Mindis Hall. Under the guidance of the waiter,

Come to him.

Glover and Doyle's expressions changed slightly, as if they were facing a formidable enemy.

"Your Highness," D.D said worriedly:

"Well...we'd better go back...let Count Casso come..."

But the guests walked very quickly, and before Doyle could finish speaking, they arrived in front of Thales.

"Your Highness," at the urging of the woman beside him, the young male noble said in a vague voice, breathless, "I am... I am Luther, Luther... I am very, very happy..."

Thales frowned.

The man in front of me was very young, only seventeen or eighteen years old, but he was awkward all over, his expression was tense, and his posture was awkward.

What's even more outrageous is that he lowered his head deeply and just stared at the soles of his shoes without looking at Thales, as if the floor tiles of Mindis Hall were more attractive.

Thales noticed that although this little nobleman named Luther was eccentric and timid, he had exquisite makeup and gorgeous clothes. He had obviously been carefully groomed.

There were more and more carriages outside the hall, and the sound of the wheels colliding on the stone road became louder and more complicated.

The next second, the hesitant Luther had not finished his greeting, but his facial features tightened.

Staring at the floor, he suddenly became anxious and struggled to shake the woman's arm:

"Mom, I want to go back, I don't want this place... I want my chess pieces..."

The woman's face changed.

Only then did Thales notice the young aristocratic woman next to Luther - she looked to be in her thirties, with a pretty face, a light waist, a decent posture, but a slightly tired expression, conservative clothes, and dark colors.

She worriedly forced out an apologetic smile to Thales, then approached her son's ear and whispered:

"Child, you have practiced and you have done well. Do you remember what I told you..."

Her tone gradually became stern.

But Luther's voice became impatient and his movements became intense:

"No!"

His voice was bitter and crying, and the width of his arms became wider and wider:

"I want to go back, I want the chess pieces, I want the chess board..."

Completely ignoring the fact that Duke Xinghu and his attendants, including the entire front porch guard servants, were watching.

His mother comforted her anxiously, but Luther's struggle became more and more unreasonable. He squatted directly on the ground with an inelegant posture:

"I want to go back! Go back! Go back, go back, go back, go back..."

Glover and Doyle looked at each other, and the two nervous people stepped forward to separate Thales from Luther who was moving more and more, for fear that this obviously abnormal guest would do something wrong.

Things that benefit the Duke.

The elegant and graceful young woman's face was pale. She tried her best to pick up her son and comforted him with gentle words, but it was obviously not effective.

Until a gentle voice intervened in this little accident:

"It's okay, Luther."

Amid Luther's unrelenting cry, several people turned their heads and saw Thales pushing aside Glover and Doyle with a smile, ignoring their dissuasion and squatting down in front of Luther.

The lady who was about to ask the servant to help was slightly startled.

"I also like to play chess, the 'Rise and Fall of Empires' version, right?"

As if the prince's words had some magic power, Luther no longer struggled, but stopped and stared at the floor, panting.

"It's just that I've never been good at using 'Swordsman', and I always lost most of them before upgrading to 'Knight'." Thales shrugged.

Luther said nothing, but continued to breathe heavily.

"I don't have any chess pieces in my hand now," Thales said in an annoyed tone, as if he was also unhappy:

"But fortunately, I have something more interesting - new chess pieces."
To be continued...