Miss Wang Weina, even your cousin won't do!

"We've come this far, haven't we? So what are you really struggling with?"

“If Prince Wayne were a bad person, he wouldn’t have sent Miss Theresa all the way to the Frozen Land to rescue us. If Prince Wayne is a good person, then even if you can’t be friends with him, at least you won’t be enemies, right?”

Alina gently rubbed Talulah's head as she slowly encouraged her:

"Don't think too highly of everyone, but just as much, don't think too badly of everyone. Remember what I told you on the way to St. Joseph's Castle? Duke Kosiché didn't want you to become him; one person can never become another. He wanted you to become like him—someone who always perceived the world with the worst possible mindset and harbored a black-and-white malice towards others. Talulah, relax. Many things in the world are neither black nor white, but just like you."

Suddenly, she yanked off a strand of Talulah's hair. Talulah cried out in pain and glared at Alina, who had suddenly attacked her for no apparent reason. When she looked up, she noticed Alina's fingers in front of her and the gray strand of hair between them.

She blinked thoughtfully, and Alina nodded, concluding:

"Like you, I am a touch of exquisite gray."

........

"Miss Talulah, you've arrived."

Winston, who was waiting at the door, watched Talulah stride in with her head held high. His expression remained unchanged, but he was somewhat surprised.

He had expected Talulah to show some weakness. It seems this leader of the tundra guerrillas, a descendant of Drak, isn't so bad after all.

Talulah stopped in front of the gate, nodded earnestly to Winster, and sincerely thanked him:

“Mr. Winston, thank you so much for your help along the way. I haven’t had a chance to thank you properly yet. If it weren’t for you, I might not have escaped the Imperial Guards’ pursuit.”

Winster waved his hand: "I dare not accept such praise. It was Princess Theresa who decided to save you, and it was Prince Wayne who took the initiative to save you. I dare not take credit for it."

He carefully observed Talulah from head to toe. Talulah was wearing her most familiar and confident military uniform; the silver-gray attire was both capable and dashing, harmonizing perfectly with her own color scheme. The gold chain ornaments, far from giving her an air of aristocratic ostentation, instead added a touch of heroic spirit. Although security reasons prevented her from carrying the longsword at her waist, it didn't diminish her innate sense of power.

If Talulah were a few years older, she would certainly look like a powerful career woman or a mid-level female officer in the military. Winster thought to himself, and his gaze towards this descendant of Drak softened somewhat.

He stepped forward, nodded to Talulah, and knocked on the door of the reception room. From the hall, which had been temporarily borrowed from Fyodor, came Kal'tsit's cool voice:

"Please come in."

Winster stepped aside and said:

“Go in, Talulah. You are someone His Highness Wayne values. This is an opportunity that many people dream of their whole lives but never get. Don’t keep His Highness waiting.”

"What kind of person is Prince Wayne?" Talulah suddenly asked. This was the second time she had asked this question. The first time was to Theresa, when Winster was present, but he did not answer.

Now, hearing the question again, Winster remained calm, as if he already knew the answer.

He opened his mouth and slowly expressed his thoughts:

"He will become the greatest prince, the most powerful nobleman, and the most noble royal in Victoria's history. He will lead Victoria back to its peak."

Talulah stared wide-eyed at the old man before her, who was showering her with praise, and couldn't help but ask, "You mean, he's writing a legend?"

Winston shook his head: "No need to write a story, he is a legend."

Chapter 163 I hope to attend a solemn ceremony with you.

Wayne had been waiting for a while, but not too long, so although his expression was a little stiff, he was still managing to keep it up.

But when Talulah walked in with a serious expression, her gray eyes staring intently at Wayne, Wayne froze.

"What is she looking at? Why is she standing there motionless? Why doesn't she sit down? Why doesn't she say anything?"

Wien tried his best to maintain a calm expression, not laughing out loud out of embarrassment, and quietly asked Kal'tsit, who was standing to the side.

Kal'tsit shrugged and gave me a look that said, "How would I know?"

Wayne expressed his dissatisfaction, saying, "I brought you along so you could translate what Talulah is saying. Talulah has never lived in Victoria, and Wayne doesn't even know if she speaks Victorian. If they start talking, Wayne will have a thick London accent, and Talulah will have a thick rolled 'r' sound, and they'll just stare at each other blankly. Who can they complain to?"

Hmm? Speaking of which, it seems like Sister Tako can speak Yan language. So, if I speak Yan language, she should be able to understand me, right? Alright, Kal'tsit, your language talent is the most useless thing ever!

Kal'tsit probably realized her awkward position as translator. She wasn't Theresa; she couldn't possibly understand what Talulah was thinking. With Talulah silent, the whole room was just awkwardly silent. Anyone who didn't know better would think they were having a serious discussion, a silent battle of wits. In reality, five minutes had passed since they entered the room, and not a single word had been uttered.

Wayne couldn't resist any longer and nudged Kal'tsit's waist with his elbow. Kal'tsit, now dressed in a suit, had the same thought and promptly spoke up:

"Miss Talulah, aren't you going to say something?"

Talulah blushed instantly and stammered, "Say...say something?" Seemingly realizing her question was a bit silly, she quickly added, "Didn't you...you called me here to ask me something?"

Wayne: "?"

Oh yes, I was the one who asked you to come, but... but...

Wayne felt as if he had been drawn into Talulah's thought process, and for a moment he was powerless to refute her and had nothing to say.

I invited you, but shouldn't you have said something first? For example, something more casual like, "Your Highness Wayne, nice to meet you." Or something more polite like, "You must be the Prince of Wales. Princess Theresa often mentions you. It's a pleasure to meet you; you are indeed extraordinary." Or, more Ursus-esquely, "Wayne Bruce, Your Highness the Prince of Wales, I've heard so much about you. How about we have a drink together?" If all else fails, use your sister Chen's approach: "Ah, you must be Wayne! I've heard so much about you; it's truly a pleasure to meet you!"

Wayne mentally simulated what Sister Tazi had said. Apart from the way the chivalrous hero greeted her at the end, which was strangely absurd yet somewhat reasonable, the rest did seem a bit odd.

I just don't think this is something Sister Ta would say. It's quite reasonable for Old Black Snake to compliment me while wearing a little dress, but for Sister Ta in her smart military uniform to say this... you're not Ta-chan, the Black Snake is still inside you, right?!

In fact, Talulah was secretly wishing she could just set herself on fire right then and there.

Before he entered, he specifically inquired about Wayne from Winster. Winster's answer was—His Highness Wayne is a figure so great that he is a legend in himself. Based on this assessment, and combined with Miss Theresa's summary, Talulah naturally conceived of Wayne in this way.

—An old man in a white robe, with an air of otherworldly grace, white hair, a long beard, and a solemn and dignified face.

Or to put it another way, since His Highness Wayne is a Victorian, he is an old wizard with a bushy beard, carrying an old wand, his face covered with wrinkles, but not at all frightening, and speaking as gently as flowing water.

At the very least, he should be a legendary master like those in my sister's martial arts novels, wearing a straw hat (considering cultural differences, it should be a wide, round-topped tall hat), never revealing his true face, always sporting a confident and arrogant smile, always appearing with his back to others, and when he does make a move, it shakes the earth and mountains, like a human-shaped natural disaster, with the domineering middle-aged man who often says, "How about His Majesty the Emperor gives me some face?"

However, when she entered the room with utmost respect and seriousness, intending to face the test that Alina had suggested, a test that would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, her gray eyes reflected only a serious-looking young man sitting at the table and chairs at the end of the living room.

For a moment, she froze. It was like heading to the office at the start of the new semester with immense courage to face the scolding of the new, domineering homeroom teacher, only to push open the door and find a handsome young man, looking several years younger than herself, sitting at a teacher's desk. Talulah's first reaction was that she had gone to the wrong place, her second was whether she had opened the door incorrectly, and only her third was, "Ah, could that man be His Highness Wayne?"

Then, inevitably, a comparison was made between Miss Theresa, who called herself a princess, and Wayne, and finally, an uncontrollable conclusion was drawn: Prince Wayne looks so young, while Miss Theresa... is she undergoing some kind of transformation...?

Then, her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Wayne's voice. Realizing how she had just mentally fabricated a story about her savior, Talulah, clutching the three-thousand-word essay (critical perspective) that she had just imagined, blushed bright red and babbled incoherently in a state of confusion.

The scene fell silent for the second time, until Kal'tsit coughed softly, breaking the eerie silence between the two who were overthinking things.

The cold-faced lynx had no idea what Talulah and Wayne had just been thinking, and simply stated in a businesslike manner:

“Nice to meet you, Miss Talulah. My name is Kal'tsit, and this is Wayne Bruce. If nothing unexpected happens, we will be together for a long time to come.”

"What?" Talulah reacted for a moment, then frowned sharply. "What do you mean by 'being together for a long time'?"

Kal'tsit glanced at Wayne, making sure he didn't intend to speak, before continuing, "His Highness Wayne paid a price, obtaining a pardon for two people from Emperor Fyodor of Ursus. The two people were pardoned."

"One of them is the Patriot—Mr. Bozokasti, and the other is you, Miss Talulah. In the future, you will no longer be hunted down by the Ursus forces, including the Inner Guard, on Terra for the crime of assassinating the Duke, and no Ursus people will regard you as a criminal. Of course, good things come at a price—we need you to do something for us."

Talulah narrowed her eyes, glanced at Wayne, then at Kal'tsit who was acting as a messenger. After a moment, she took a step back and spoke:

“I am very grateful for what you two have done, but I really can’t think of any reason why you need my help.”

“Don’t look so tense, Miss Talulah.” Wayne finally spoke, and after composing himself, his voice no longer carried that obvious hint of amusement. He asked naturally, “I’ll only ask you three questions: Do you remember your father? Do you know your bloodline? Do you care about your bloodline?”

Talulah pondered for a moment and shook her head: "I can't remember. I've heard some things about my bloodline from Koschei. As for whether I care... my answer is no. A person's social status is not determined by their bloodline. Bloodline can only determine our magical talent and the family we are born into, but what kind of person we will become in the future is not determined by the blood flowing in our veins."

“I understand what you mean,” Wayne nodded. “Greatness is found in the ordinary, and heroes come from the people. I’m glad you don’t care about these things; it shows we have a basis for cooperation.”

Talulah breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. Just the fact that Wayne could say this so seriously was enough for her to be certain that Wayne, just like Theresa had said, was a uniquely good person.

Her tone was no longer so harsh: "What do you want me to do?"

Wayne reached out his hand, and Kal'tsit turned around knowingly and handed Wayne a long box wrapped in black cloth that was placed on the shelf behind her.

Wayne lifted the black cloth and pushed the box along the table to Talulah.

"These are your father's belongings."

Talulah paused as she took the box, then looked up in astonishment at the serious-looking Wayne.

Wayne interlaced his fingers and placed them near his mouth, his tone serious yet tinged with helplessness:

"It's a pity that although neither you nor I care about the so-called superiority or inferiority of bloodlines, nor do we believe that the so-called nobles are born with the right to rule everything and inherit power, most people on this land still hold this idea."

"Rebellion is inevitable, but we have to take it one step at a time. Before people with our mindset become widespread, we should try to solve their problems using their methods."

Just like the bourgeoisie in Wayne's previous life during the Renaissance, who, while advocating for the liberation of thought and opposition to papal authority, made extensive use of biblical allusions to achieve their own goals.

A social class cannot oppose itself, but individuals within that class can betray it. When the enemy is at its zenith and our side is weak and outnumbered, a head-on confrontation is unwise. Cooperation is key; opposition should be exercised within cooperation. Seek common ground while respecting differences, but never forget to uphold our principles. Promote our ideology, accumulate strength, and first use their methods to solve their problems. Only when their methods fail should we introduce our own. In this way, everything will fall into place logically, the forces of resistance will be minimized, and former adversaries may even become allies.

These invaluable experiences and knowledge are the crystallization of wisdom condensed from the blood and sweat of Wayne's predecessors in his previous life!

Wayne took a deep breath and stated his purpose, word by word:

"So, Talulah."

“I hope that you, as my representative—as the last descendant of your bloodline, the Drak royal family—will personally join me on this stage to participate in a solemn ceremony.”

"I declare to you, I declare to the blood of Draco, that you renounce your right to the throne of Victoria, and never repent."

Having the last known member of Draco's bloodline declare himself renounced as the Draco renounces his right to succession would be a carefully planned and decisive blow by Wayne.

Chapter 164 Three Conditions, One Promise

"I want you to personally announce that you are renouncing your right to the throne of Victoria, and that you will never regret it."

Hearing Wayne say this, even before Talulah, Kal'tsit breathed a sigh of relief.

Judging from Wayne's serious tone and that important ceremony, she thought Wayne was going to... was going to... beg...

Ahem, it seems he's trying to have an affair behind Princess Theresa's back.

Thankfully, it wasn't him. But this is a wake-up call. My responsibilities have become a bit heavier. I must stay by Prince Wayne's side at all times to prevent him from succumbing to temptation and having an affair! I can't let Princess Theresa down!

Falling behind Kal'tsit, Talulah gradually came to her senses, glanced at Vayne with a puzzled look, stroked her chin, and asked:

"I'm not really interested in any succession to the throne, but... are you afraid of that?"

Talulah felt that something was not right. Why would Wayne worry about her, a Drakian from a foreign land, and her so-called right to the throne? Not to mention that she didn't even know how far Ursus was from Victoria. Even if she did know, there couldn't possibly be any means of transportation on the tundra that could take her to Victoria.

Besides, you're sitting comfortably on your throne, why did you suddenly come to Ursus to find me just for this? If you're really worried that my bloodline will affect the stability of your Victoria, wouldn't it be better for me to die on the snowfield?

Talulah isn't stupid. Getting her to make any kind of guarantee is far more difficult than simply killing her. Only the dead are truly reliable, aren't they?

She racked her brains but couldn't find a suitable reason to explain why Wayne went through all sorts of hardships, suffered mental anguish, and even almost lost his wife (although Theresa had insisted on going) to save her life.

Wayne glanced at Talulah with some surprise, feeling an indescribable astonishment.

Unlike you, Sister Tazi, you're Black Snake, how can you think about so many things?

Wayne abruptly pulled out his phone, turned on the flashlight, and shone it on Talulah. Confirming that there was indeed only a shadow behind Talulah, who hadn't reacted and had been momentarily blinded, he relaxed and pretended nothing had happened, replying:

"Hmm... The real intention is not in the wine, but in the scenery."

Riddles, riddles are useless at times like this. It's not that Wayne couldn't tell Talulah about Reed and the Celts, but it's unnecessary and would only add unnecessary complications to the negotiations. Has Wayne dominated Terra for so long because of his superb eloquence or outstanding persuasive skills? Of course not. Wayne relies on intelligence gaps and his accurate grasp of the overwhelming momentum every time.