His etiquette was flawless; even Lord Eddard couldn't find fault with it, and after a moment of surprise, he gestured for Jon to be at ease.
Opposite them, Robert, who had just been served with a half-hearted effort earlier, wasn't angry at all. Instead, he laughed heartily and raised his goblet.
"Hah, Ned, didn't I tell you? This little thing is definitely interesting."
With that, the Usurper downed the red wine in one gulp and tossed the crystal goblet aside.
When he saw Jon switch pitchers and fill a fresh goblet with brandy, he picked it up with even greater satisfaction.
"Very good, boy. I'm sure you'll adapt to this job quickly. Unlike your terrible old man, who only knows how to make people angry with his sour face."
Faced with such praise, Jon didn't offer any humble words. He simply bowed slightly and retreated to the periphery of the bonfire's light.
Since all the maids had left, he had already guessed that these two brothers definitely had important matters to discuss, which was why they had dismissed all the other attendants.
As for himself, he was probably only enjoying this "bonus treatment" because of Duke Eddard.
But as a qualified squire, one should act according to the environment.
Seeing the King wasn't continuing to toast, Jon tactfully stepped back a few paces, signaling that he had no interest in eavesdropping.
On the other side, seeing Jon recede into the shadows, Robert finally put down his goblet. He pulled a scroll from his tunic and, after a moment's hesitation, handed it to Lord Eddard.
The Warden of the North took the scroll, hesitated slightly, then unrolled it, clearly accepting his role.
Then, Lord Eddard's face darkened.
He quickly scanned the contents of the scroll, then looked up at the Usurper.
"Where did this come from? Is it reliable?"
"Relax. Jorah Mormont is tired of wandering and is eagerly awaiting a royal pardon."
"I'm surprised you have the leisure to recruit him to work for you."
"Please, Ned. I have seven kingdoms to rule. I just leave this kind of thing to Varys."
At this point, both men simultaneously raised their goblets and took a deep swig, seemingly steeling themselves for some decision.
However, before they could speak again, Jon stepped out of the shadows, refilled their goblets, and prepared to return to his spot.
But this time, the Usurper stopped him.
"Stay here, Snow. The show is about to start."
Since the King had given the order, Jon naturally had no interest in running back and forth.
Besides, Jon could roughly guess what the two were discussing right now—nothing more than Daenerys's fate and how to solve that problem.
On this point, when watching the show back then, Jon actually stood on the same side as Robert.
As a king, whether benevolent or tyrannical, one must first consider things based on one's own rule.
This isn't about moral principles, but about reducing unnecessary trouble.
Of course, sending an assassin to solve the problem with one stroke was a method, but it wasn't the only method.
Considering Westeros's influence, it would likely be greatly discounted across the Narrow Sea, so spies and assassins might indeed be the most cost-effective choice.
But right now, he was just a cupbearer, so he didn't intend to butt in, lest things spiraled out of control and he couldn't predict the subsequent situation.
Then, the two brothers erupted into a fierce conflict over Daenerys's fate, accusing each other just like in the old days.
Seeing the Hand he had personally invited acting like this, Robert felt worse than if he had eaten a fly, and immediately started cursing.
"Damn it, Ned, then tell me, how should we deal with this pair of bastards? Do you expect me to send wedding gifts?"
"Your Grace, the Dothraki cannot cross the Narrow Sea. You have no need to worry."
"Fool! Can they not find ships? When tens of thousands of knights land, you'll be squatting in your castle wailing, forced to watch them burn, kill, and pillage."
Seeing the two get parched from arguing, Jon's movements became brisker, refilling their cups in succession.
However, the stalemate didn't last long. Robert suddenly shifted his gaze and directed the conversation to Jon.
"Damn it, Ned, I've had enough of your red tape. Little thing, what do you think?"
Although Jon was somewhat prepared for the Usurper not playing by the rules, he was still slightly stunned.
But he quickly realized that His Majesty the King probably didn't need an answer, but rather an opportunity to ease the tension between the brothers.
So Jon first put down the pitcher, stood up straight, and cleared his throat.
By the time he finished these actions, the goblet in Robert's hand was empty again.
Seeing this, the corners of Jon's mouth turned up slightly, but he didn't go back to being a cupbearer. Instead, he began to express his view.
"As His Majesty says, one should be as cold as the Northern wind when dealing with enemies."
"But a living Targaryen princess is far more useful than a dead Khaleesi..."
After expressing his point concisely, Jon prepared to pick up the pitcher and resume his work.
However, Robert was one step ahead and snatched it away. Then he dug out another cup and filled it with Dornish Red.
"Drink, little thing. No need to be so uptight."
As he said this, Robert handed the goblet to Jon, as if bestowing a supreme honor.
Of course, for anyone else, this would indeed be the most noble treatment.
Imagine a King personally pouring wine for you—even Ned might not enjoy such courtesy.
Clearly, Jon's answer just now had pleased Robert immensely, so he used the pretext of bestowing wine to piss Ned off.
Thinking of this possibility, Jon nodded and took the goblet, while glancing sideways at Lord Eddard out of the corner of his eye.
Sure enough, upon hearing his stance, the Warden of the North's face had fallen.
Although he couldn't explode immediately because Robert was present, his eyes were full of disappointment when he looked at Jon, clearly feeling that this child had gone against his years of teaching.
However, Jon didn't intend to explain this.
After all, if he let Ned continue messing around like this, Jon himself would probably suffer along with him, eventually ending up hanging on the walls of King's Landing together.
Rather than regretting it on that day, it was better to clarify his attitude now. It might make Ned realize his changes earlier, which could be helpful for the upcoming trip to King's Landing.
But what Jon didn't expect was that the Usurper's ability to stir up trouble went far beyond this.
Seeing Lord Eddard deflated, Robert immediately flashed his brightest smile, looking like a bear with its bloody maw wide open.
"Ned, I told you long ago, this kid is much more interesting than you. So, what use can that little bitch possibly have?"
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