Did Manfred Have a Shot at the Best Performance Award Too? / Theresis's Request? A Way to Heal Theresia?

It has to be said that the Gaul ambassador really wanted to annoy Victoria in every way possible, and he didn't want to lose out even when it came to the name of the Fangbeast.

This time, just as Theresis was about to insist on enforcing the segregation law on the grounds of "national laws," Lieutenant Colonel Leto seized the opportunity to speak, saying:

"Isn't the law supposed to protect against sick animals?"

"Are you implying that the Gaul emperor will present Emperor Victoria with a Fangbeast?"

However, when Lieutenant Colonel Leto said these words, almost all the Victoria officials, including even the Duke of Wellington himself, felt a cold sweat break out. They had all begun to involuntarily immerse themselves in the situation, realizing that if they were faced with this scenario, they would truly be powerless.

"If it were His Majesty, it might be easier to say, but the Empress, Her Highness the Empress of our country is determined to send it; she has already made up her mind."

"If Emperor Victoria were to refuse a return gift from him personally presented to His Majesty, it would not only be seen as a disgrace to the nation, but also an offense to His Majesty and His Majesty the Queen."

Lieutenant Colonel Leto's words were very clear: Victoria was now in a dilemma, unsure whether to accept or not. Faced with this predicament, Theresis remained silent for a long time before finally speaking:

"Your Excellency, you must advise your Grand Duke not to bring that 'bitch' (a double entendre, referring to both a female dog and the aforementioned Gaul queen)."

"Hahahahahahaha!"XN

Theresis's sudden remark completely shattered the tense atmosphere. Not only did the Victoria who understood the pun burst into laughter, but even Nian and Xi were amused by the double meaning.

Although they don't understand Victoria language very well, they are "old" and have a built-in translator in their heads. And even without this ability, they know the Victoria language "bitch"!

"Filthy language, vulgar and obscene."

After laughing enough, Xi's little face was flushed. She couldn't help but pat Chen Qi's shoulder with her tail, as if Chen Qi for using such a vulgar double entendre and for laughing so happily despite her supposed high-mindedness.

Isn't this making her look anything but "elegant"? However, after doing this, Xi couldn't help but turn her gaze to Chen Qi beside her, only to find that Talulah and Chen Qi were both laughing together. Talulah had pounced on Chen Qi's lap, laughing so hard that her whole body was shaking, and she kept hitting Chen Qi's body with her little fists and tail.

Chen Qi patted Talulah's back with a smile, telling her not to laugh so hard she could catch her breath, and let Talulah bury her face in his lap.

When Xi saw this scene, she couldn't help but feel a little envious, but then she felt a little empty.

She subconsciously shifted her gaze to Nian, who was supervising ahead, but quickly looked away.

... Forget it, let her throw herself into Nian's arms. She'd rather find a rope and hang herself up there. She's not that afraid of loneliness, and she's not that fragile.

But... she was also a little envious. She also hoped that someone she cared about most would care about her just as much...

It's a pity that such an opportunity is hard to find in this world. If I had met him decades earlier, perhaps we could be best friends now, working together towards a common ideal? Perhaps then I wouldn't be so lonely.

Chapter 134: Does Manfred also have a chance to win the Best Performance Award?

"One has to admire director Chen Qi's understanding and use of Victoria language. Many of the sentences in 'Yes, Prime Minister' are so linguistically proficient that even native Victoria might not be as proficient as director Chen Qi."

The Duke of Wellington had to admire Chen Qi's language skills. In his and others' eyes, Chen Qi was writing a script that even Victoria would find relatable, despite being a Yan. The obstacles and difficulties he had to overcome were considerable.

Learning a language takes a long time, and becoming "fluent" in it is even more difficult. Most native speakers wouldn't dare say they are fluent in their own language, but Chen Qi's scripts repeatedly showcase many of the essences of the Victoria language.

The Duke of Wellington hadn't forgotten that Frederick III's speech in "Darkest Hour" was entirely written by Chen Qi from the script alone. As someone who lived through that era, the Duke of Wellington knew very well that such a thing was completely untrue.

Frederick III's insistence on fighting Gaul was indeed his decision. While the parliament was in disarray, it wasn't to the point of disobeying the emperor's orders—after all, Victoria wasn't a constitutional monarchy as we know it today, but a full-fledged monarchy.

Chen Qi fabricated such a long story from that period of history, and the content of his speech "Darkest Hour" was so inspiring and powerful that many people in Victoria believed that such a period of history really existed.

"After all, that's Director Chen Qi."

Ablana, standing to the side, couldn't help but sigh as well. Her words were filled with emotion as she spoke of the man she had repeatedly sought but failed to obtain, a man she now felt she was almost no longer qualified to approach.

Why didn't she meet such a good man first? It was actually picked up by a little girl named Vouivre (Talulah) who appeared out of nowhere. Because of this man, everyone around him has risen to prominence.

Back on set, the camera now shifts to the Prime Minister's home, where one of the Shapeshifter Collective, transformed into Theresis's wife in the show, discusses the Theresis ostensibly for the funeral.

"At Bolívar's state funeral last time, Gaul, Leithania, and I (Victoria's representative) were all busy discussing import and export quotas, and we even forgot to go to the church."

"Isn't anyone here to pay their respects to an old friend?" The wife asked, somewhat helplessly. She felt a sense of alienation from the idea of using a funeral as an excuse to discuss official business, while no one seemed to care about the deceased. She voiced the thoughts of most ordinary people.

"Friends? If you only invite his friends, you won't even be able to fill a small chapel."

However, Theresis nonchalantly revealed the truth, but before anyone could laugh, Theresis immediately followed up with that "timeless quote":

"His death has contributed more to the world than his entire life."

Theresis has no idea that his line will become legendary, a famous comment used by countless people to describe their dissatisfied superiors or even leaders. With just one sentence, all the other person's achievements can be summed up as "a complete failure."

When asked about the details of the funeral and what to do if these official matters couldn't be completed in three days, Theresis simply replied:

"Then we can only hope that some other important figure will pass away soon."

"Those are truly sharp and irrefutable words... Just how well has Director Chen Qi understood our Civil Service System...?"

"It's hard not to wonder if he's really an immortal old monster like the Bloodborne Archon. Otherwise, how could someone his age have grasped so many internal unspoken rules? Besides, we don't have anyone to consult with or leak this inside information to."

Although he had lamented this many times, every time Chen Qi made these internal rules public, it made him feel quite frightened... because these topics could be said to be public, but some deeper topics, such as those about "Originium industry" and "reasonable wage increases" in the first season, were what Duke of Wellington feared the most.

Especially since this episode is about diplomacy, and the next episode will be about "finance," which he's particularly interested in. Although he plans to send the money to Kazimierz to stab their beloved ally in the back, the Duke of Wellington is also afraid that the knife will stab him instead...

There was no other way but to patiently continue watching, and after a short ten-minute break, filming resumed smoothly once again.

The very first scene after filming resumed was incredibly challenging. Manfred's character, Bernard, was frantically busy, with several landline phones ringing in front of him, but he remained calm and composed, handling everything with remarkable composure.

"Yes, I spoke with the Ministry of the Interior, and they said there's no reason to require Congress to pass specific legislation for this Fangbeast."

"I know that the Special Authorization Act can grant anything, but the Prime Minister feels that this concession will only cause him to lose the next general election."

Having just dealt with this news, the Ministry of the Interior Secretary, who had previously met with Manfred, took a phone call and asked, "Bernard, could we consider turning the entire palace into Fangbeast quarantine zone?"

Are you serious?

"It's just an idea." The Ministry of the Interior secretary, already overwhelmed with work, clearly had no idea how unreliable his plan was. But before the Victoria officials could even frown in disapproval, Bernard wasn't annoyed. He simply calmly asked in return:

"And where is His Majesty the Emperor's Fangbeast?"

With just a few simple words, Manfred led the other party out of the misunderstanding. His work ability was on full display at this moment. After instructing the other party to contact the palace to ensure that no matter what the decision was, it would not involve the emperor, he answered another phone call.

"Yes, we need translators—no, not for meetings with Victoria language leaders."

"Yes, Victoria language can include Rim Billiton (a region that was once a colony and developed by multiple countries, with a complex linguistic distribution, and many Victoria language, but most of them have a heavy accent), to demonstrate our generosity. Sorry, I have to hang up!"

Before everyone could recover from the previous joke about Rim Billiton, Manfred immediately grabbed another phone and said:

"Yes, the spacecraft carrying the leaders of the ten nations arrived today, Secret Service is going crazy! The Royal Band is too; they need to play all the national anthems!"

"Oh, I see, thanks." Manfred's expression softened, and he hung up the phone with a sigh of relief, saying, "Iberia's not coming, lucky me."

"Because of the 'Stultifera Navis Incident' (the disappearance of the Stultifera Navis, a harbinger of the Great Silence)?" the Ministry of Foreign Affairs couldn't help but ask.

"No, it's because their national anthem is seven minutes long." Manfred had once again made fun of a country, and before everyone could finish laughing, he grabbed another phone and said:

"I know you're worried about the Fangbeast, and so am I! Let's talk to our ambassador in Gaul and see if he can find a way to eliminate it."

"You understand, you need some medicine or something."

"Ask the Leithania if they still have any 'high-concentration specialty drinks'."

"Bernard, there's another way!" At that moment, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spoke to Manfred again, "Merge the Royal Palace into the Gaul Embassy, and the Fangbeast won't be considered an intruder!"

"Peter, the Prime Minister is fighting tooth and nail for control of the railways. What will he think if we hand over the palace? What do you think the royal family will think?"

Compared to his two colleagues who were already overwhelmed with work, Manfred displayed exceptional work ability. Although he was even busier than the other two, he hadn't reached the point of giving up thinking.

This has led many Victoria officials who previously looked down on Manfred's portrayal of "Bernard" because of the "daily resignation tips" to start looking at him with new respect, with many realizing the reliability of this private secretary.

"A promising future indeed." The Duke of Wellington couldn't help but sigh. Considering how Bernard had been protected by Theresis despite his previous misdeeds on television, confirming that Therese was a trusted confidant, and given Bernard's current capable performance, he was certain that someone like Bernard could go far in the political arena.

He might even go further than "Humphrey" inside... The Duke of Wellington came to this conclusion in his mind, and Manfred's solo performance was not yet over.

"No, we can't arrange seats alphabetically in the auditorium, otherwise our representative will be sitting right next to the Ursus representative."

"Gaul will also be adjacent to Kazimierz, and we will start a world war!"

"I know that Bolívar will be far away by himself, but Bolívar is useless; Bolívar is of no use in anything!"

"By the way, tell everyone that if the papal envoy says 'I need to wash my hands,' it means he needs to use the toilet. Yes, 'I' is an honorific title, and he's using the 'Royal Toilet' (a double entendre)."

Manfred, who had just hung up the phone, didn't forget to shout to his colleague, "Remember to be wary of the Siesta representative!"

"The issue of sovereignty?"

"No, their mayor is coming to promote their Obsidian Festival carousel tickets."

In just a few minutes of screen time, which can be described as a single take, Manfred delivered a long monologue without faltering at all. Manfred had completely immersed himself in the role of "Bernard," and could be said to be able to switch into the state of "the Prime Minister's private secretary" at any time, as if he had created a new personality for himself.

In Chen Qi's view, this situation was a case of getting too immersed in the role. Although both the Bloodborne Archon and Theresis exhibited this phenomenon to some extent, Manfred was the first to take it so seriously and reach this level in order to play the role well.

"Now, the Best Performance Award for 'Yes, Prime Minister' might have to be nominated for all three of us next time, giving us a real competition."

Watching this scene unfold, Chen Qi couldn't help but sigh. To be honest, of all the actors he had found so far who fit the roles, only these three Sarkaz were truly "dedicated."

As for next year's Victoria Film Festival, Chen Qi couldn't say for sure which of the three would win the award. However, Chen Qi felt that awarding the prize to any one of the three would be proof of its prestige.

Chapter 135: Theresis's Entrustment? A Method to Cure Theresia?

Filming has temporarily wrapped up. Chen Qi will continue filming for the fourth episode with Theresis and the others tomorrow. Both Chen Qi and Talulah have been invited by Theresis to a dinner party.

However, at this banquet, Chen Qi saw an unexpected figure – Theresia.

This was the first time Chen Qi had seen Theresis bring her to such a public place to introduce her to everyone. No, or rather, Theresis had specially brought Theresia out this time to formally introduce his now "living dead" sister to Chen Qi and the others, in his capacity as the Sarkaz regent and an elder brother.

"This is my younger sister, the only recognized queen of the Sarkaz race, my younger sister Theresia."

"Director Chen Qi has certainly met my sister before, but I think this time you should formally introduce her to him... and regarding Wang Mei's current situation, I wonder if Director Chen Qi has noticed anything about it."

At this dinner, Theresis didn't bring a single Sarkaz besides Theresia, which is enough to prove that he now truly takes the Sarkaz and Chen Qi's "friendship" seriously.

Furthermore, Theresis intends to formally introduce Theresia to Chen Qi at this time. On the one hand, he feels that Theresia's soul condition is steadily improving, and all her previous actions have proven that Theresia's soul is returning, although the progress is slow, it is indeed slowly recovering.

On the other hand... now that Theresia is recovering, Theresis can use the method to "bind" Chen Qi to the Sarkaz clan.

Theresis felt that if they waited for Theresia's soul to fully recover, or even if it recovered to most of its original state, progress would be very slow, even with the help of those in the Royal Court who were proficient in "soul" matters. It would be better to explain things to Chen Qi as soon as possible and see how Chen Qi and Talulah would react.

Even if this ends badly, it doesn't matter. The important thing is that he wants Chen Qi and the people around him to know about his sister's existence—some things, once you get used to them, can make you forget about the resentment.

In this regard, Theresis had great faith in her sister's affability; even in this state, she was absolutely certain that she could get along well with Chen Qi and everyone in the crew.

This will make things much easier for Theresis's many future plans.

"Director Chen Qi, you've had contact with my sister before. You should have noticed that although she answers fluently and seems no different from ordinary people, her soul is actually missing."

"She... died once before, but now, thanks to the unauthorized Confessors by my side, her body has been resurrected using a certain method. Now, she is nothing more than a living dead."

As Theresis spoke, her tone still carried a hint of barely concealed anger. At that moment, Talulah, standing beside Chen Qi, was also looking at Theresia, whose eyes were vacant, with curiosity. This was the first time she had seen Theresia.

Before Talulah and Chen Qi left Londinium last time, Theresis had mentioned wanting to hand over his sister to Chen Qi, which almost made Talulah rush at him in anger.

At the time, Talulah felt that Theresis, the sister of the Sarkaz regent, must not be a good person, especially since the person who could make such a cunning Theresis willingly become regent must be quite evil.

However, when Talulah met Theresia for the first time, she found that the other woman was not quite what she had imagined... those ethereal eyes, a face more dignified than most Sarkaz women, and... a gentle aura that was unlike that of Sarkaz.

Talulah's Reunion Movement originally had quite a few Sarkaz, but later Chen Qi joined, and the Reunion Movement needed to transform. The leading Sarkaz couldn't accept Chen Qi's ideas, so they broke away and went solo. However, Talulah doesn't necessarily discriminate against the Sarkaz race; it's just that they do have some stereotypical views of the race.

They are belligerent and ruthless, possessing considerable fighting ability both individually and in groups, but they are also very dangerous.

However, while Talulah could sense a strange danger emanating from Theresia, she also felt a gentle aura that was different from that of other Sarkaz.

However, when Theresia's gaze slowly turned to her, Talulah inexplicably dared not look directly at her.

Theresia's eyes had a kind of look that seemed to see right through you, yet also infinitely embraced you. Talulah couldn't stand that look, as if she had no secrets at all.

However, Talulah didn't know that Theresia's gaze wasn't on her, but on Chen Qi... For a fleeting moment, Theresia's eyes cleared, and her gaze towards Chen Qi became filled with joy, gratitude, and a touch of playfulness.

"Well, Director Chen Qi, even my brother couldn't see through my disguise~" Theresia seemed to be saying this to Chen Qi with her eyes.

Chen Qi also had a bit of a toothache. It was obvious that Theresis didn't know that his sister had been fully resurrected. Chen Qi felt embarrassed for Therese when he heard Theresis say so seriously that his sister was still a "living dead".

However, since Theresia herself intended to continue concealing the truth, Chen Qi didn't want to expose her. Theresis noticed Chen Qi's Chen Qi unusual expression and sensed his obvious emotional fluctuations, immediately thinking there was a chance.

After all, Theresis knew from the Confessors that Chen Qi and Theresia had met more than once before. Based on this, Theresis dared to conclude that Chen Qi was "interested" in Theresia; otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to make this move.

Therefore, Theresis pressed her advantage, saying, "I brought my sister here not to seek Director Chen Qi's help."

"I know that if I were to ask Director Chen Qi use your reputation to seek an artifact that can repair souls, even if you can't necessarily do it, you would choose to agree because of your friendship with our Sarkaz race."

"But I have only one small request now, concerning my sister, and I hope you can grant it."

As Theresis said this, Talulah's eyes suddenly sharpened— Chen Qi immediately felt a dragon's tail wrap around his thigh, a sign of Talulah's insecurity.

Talulah's undisguised possessiveness of her food also caught the attention of Theresis. However, Theresis completely ignored Talulah and instead stared intently at Chen Qi, hoping for a response from him.

"... Theresis, as you know, because of our friendship, I won't refuse your request, but you should first tell me what it is."

Chen Qi also had a bit of a toothache. As he said this, he could feel Talulah pinching his waist, but Chen Qi continued:

"My decision is for the sake of everyone in the crew, so I need to hear the specifics of your request first."