Scepter of Thorns

As soon as Edward came back, Edmund called him into the study.

"Where did you go?" the man frowned, "Your identity is more sensitive now, it's best not to remove places other than the church."

"I went to 'Siren's Skin'." Edward raised the book in his hand, "and found some very interesting things."

Edmund's expression froze instantly. He snatched the book from the other party's hand regardless of his demeanor, and glanced through it hastily. There was nothing in it, as if it was really just an ordinary handwritten book.But he knew something had changed, not since the arrival of his firstborn.He looked up into Edward's eyes, "Tell me, how much do you really know?"

"Of course I know what I should know, and I don't know what I shouldn't know." Edward raised the corners of his lips and smiled, and there was a meaningful cunning in his dark blue eyes, "Master Spade , you'd better persuade the group of square pieces, because they seem to want to pull me in."

At that moment, Edmund had the illusion that time was reversed. He suddenly remembered the way the child looked at him a long time ago. Yes, he hadn't been hypnotized at that time.There seemed to be a cruel soul that didn't match his age hidden in that small body. His eyes were full of hatred, as if he was carrying something heavy.Even when he went to church to pray, his attitude towards the main god and priests was even more subtle. Edmund felt that his heart was full of desires, and he wished to replace them.

But God commanded him: "Keep silent."

So he could only remain silent, watching the two different shadows overlap a little bit.

"Father." Edward tilted his head and stared at him intently, "What are you thinking?"

"...Go down." Edmond rubbed his forehead, "They underestimated you, Edward."

"I just hate that attitude." Edward covered the corners of his smiling lips with a book, but there was no smile in his brows and eyes. Escape, ridiculously confident."

So everything is premeditated.

The siren's skin, the bookstall on the street corner, three questions, the long-overdue Celestial Clan, an invitation full of hints.

"By the way, father." Before leaving, Edward supported the door lintel and looked back: "Thank you for writing down those three questions and their answers. Although we have the same thoughts, I still feel sorry for not changing the questions. Maybe They think we are indeed similar."

Edmund stopped the pen in his hand, and a drop of ink dripped onto the paper, turning into an indelible black.

※※※

Ostana, the eldest princess of the heavens, threw the pink letter on Mephisto's desk angrily, the metal jewelry on her body jingled, her eyes were a little red, "Dad, why did you this way?!"

"Be obedient, Osa." Mephisto looked at his daughter with a pleasing expression, "Lord Dorsas is a nice young man."

"But we only met once! He has only been in heaven for three days, and you are going to marry me to him!!" Ostana screamed, "You once promised that I could decide my own marriage, that Men are so boring, I don't like him at all!"

"No, don't worry, my dear Osa." Mephistopheles still said patiently, "You know, maybe Lord Dorsas also finds you boring."

"Then why...!" Ostana wanted to ask, although she was arrogant and indulgent, but living in a palace full of intrigues made her surprisingly sensitive in some aspects, and she quickly understood what the other party had not said. Meaning, "...but I don't want to be a rejected princess."

"Well, I can allow you to add a prefix to your name—if you agree to it." Mephisto touched her head, "Of course, your imagination should be limited, but don't Too strange."

Her Royal Highness was moved, she rolled her eyes, "Okay Dad, you can do whatever you want, but I'm going to the etiquette officer to add the prefix now."

Mephisto smiled dotingly, "Okay, dear Osa, I allow you to be a princess with personality outside of royal ceremonies, but you have to keep your things safe, otherwise your mother will find out and then hide them again, what's that called? Gothic?"

"It's Gothic!" Ostana put her shoulders on his broad shoulders and said happily, "I met a new friend, a lady from the Tammy family. Can I take her to play in the palace?"

"Since she is the young lady of the Tammy family, there is no problem." Mephisto nodded with a smile, "I hope you can have a good time."

After the princess left, the king of the Celestial Clan summoned a subordinate: "Go and check Miss Tammy's information, I will see it on my desk in half an hour."

Ostana ran out of the palace with her skirt in her hands, and she shouted towards the garden not far away: "Hey! Serones, my father agrees, come with me to the room!"

The delicate blonde woman turned her head in the rose bushes, her big eyes were filled with clear blue.She shook the feather fan of the same color in her hand, smiling beautifully and dignifiedly.

"I'll be right here, your garden is beautiful, Osa."

So, amidst the laughter of the girls, a pink rose-patterned letter was placed on the desk of Prince Dorsas.

Two young men with similar appearance were sitting across the long table. Edward played with the opened letters and asked seemingly unintentionally, "I don't know your age yet, father."

"I was 26 years old when I was exiled." Edmund answered him blankly, "The heavenly people live forever, and one day in the heavenly world is equal to one year in the human world. 16 years is when you killed Lilia under hypnosis. If you really count, I should be the same age as you."

"Interesting." Edward pushed the letter in front of Edmund, "Then you must have received similar letters, right?"

Edmund didn't answer his question, but said sternly, "You can't marry Ostana."

"Of course I know that." Edward raised his eyebrows, "And even if I want to marry, some people will disagree."

"Ostana is Mephisto's most beloved princess. He indulges her perversity and willfulness. This marriage will not bring you any help." Edmond said, "What's more, you are still formal next of kin."

"Formally?" Edward caught the point, "Do you know anything, father?"

"Mephisto's queen is not Ostana's real mother. Her real mother secretly had an affair with another nobleman and gave birth to her, but it took 12 years for Mephisto to discover the secret." Love Demon recalled the past, "He has always wanted a daughter, and for the past 12 years he has loved Ostana as a baby, and this kind of feeling is inseparable to him. She was convicted by her blood, but concealed the secret, but the queen was secretly disposed of, and he hypnotized Ostana and the new queen, making them think they were a happy family."

"Happy family, this name sounds really ironic." Edward wanted to laugh inexplicably, "So Ostana's value in your heart is zero, right?"

Edmund didn't seem to hear his thorny words, and continued: "Ostana is not a clan, once she loses the protection of Mephisto, she will be exposed, and her daily pampering will tear her to pieces by the pack of wolves. In order to protect her, Mephisto will definitely marry her to a little person who is not valued and has no real power, so that the princess of the heaven will gradually be forgotten by people, and her life will be safe. It is impossible for Mephisto to really marry Ou Stana married you, one of the reasons he wanted to kill me was because of this secret, but I survived, he saw me as a thorn in his side, a thorn in his flesh. You are my son, so you can't, if If you marry her, you are ruined."

"Only ascetics have the right to refuse a marriage from the royal family." Edward turned over his large and gorgeous collar, revealing the black thorns inside, feeling a little regretful, "However, ascetics cannot engage in politics."

"I'll take care of this matter." Edmund said in a deep voice, he already knew who was behind the scenes to promote all this, "You should not go out in the near future."

It was the guy, he was pretty sure.Now he must go and groom the enraged lion.

In my memory, the baby-faced boy who always smiled brightly embraced his shoulders and vowed: "We will always be friends."

If he could go back to the past, then he would tell the naive two children that nothing in this world is forever, and some things will corrode them, whether it is loyal love or selfless friendship, in the end there may only be one layer of fine sand.

"Wait a minute, father." Edward stopped him, "Joker must be a very good card player, your card skills can't even beat me, let alone him."

"If you take a step back now, it's like handing over the handle to him. He will know that I am your weakness, will he restrain himself? No, he will make an inch of it." Edward said firmly, "This is my marriage, so let's Let me figure it out myself."

"I'll give you a satisfactory answer, Father."

He leaned forward slightly, and went back to his room.

The spotted shadowed owl stood in front of the window and played with his feathers boredly. Edward took off his coat and leaned against the head of the bed. He calculated in his heart all the things he could use at present, and after arriving at the final answer, He closed his eyes.

——"When you need me, think of me in your dreams, and I will come to you." Said the God of Light.

When he opened his eyes, the pillar of salt stood in the middle of the temple, and the seats on each floor were empty, only the light refracted from the top on the cross, and the god turned his back to it, and then slowly turned around.

Black hair draped over his shoulders, and those scarlet vertical pupils stared at Edward, intertwined with unfathomable desire.The Demon Clan laughed happily, revealing a bit of evil spirit different from that of the Celestial Clan. A pair of wide and powerful bone wings spread and retracted wantonly, as if they were provoking the sacred light.

He said, "Knew you would come, Edward."

----Chapter56. Network access & end----

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