Chapter 1120: Father and Son (Forty)_1

No matter which universe, nights in Asgard always seem tranquil and profound. Loki lifted Helen onto the washbasin in the bathroom, allowing her to wash her face with water from the faucet. Meanwhile, he turned and left to change into his pajamas in the dressing room.

As he was tying the belt of his dressing gown, he heard Helen's laughter echoing from the bathroom. Hastily securing his belt, he found Helen upon leaving the room, her face covered in foam, and she had drawn a smiling face on the mirror using the foam.

Loki, hand on his hip, leaned against the doorway. Upon seeing Loki, Helen showed no fright but rather made a circle with her hand, blowing a stream of bubbles towards him.

Loki hastily waved his hand to avoid getting the bubbles from hitting his freshly washed hair. He turned to look for a towel in the bathroom, only to find that Helen had thrown the towels on the floor.

Loki sighed, turned and left the room. As he opened his bedroom door, a look of hesitation appeared on his face. His instinct led him to glance at the hallway window. The window frame fragmented the moonlight into pieces, scattering the light onto the floor, reminiscent of a shattered mirror.

It was incredibly silent outside the window. Even the glimmers from the training grounds had been extinguished, indicating that it was the dead of night.

In the past, Loki would never have thought of seeking help from an etiquette officer or a servant under any circumstance. He didn't want them to think that he was too inept to deal with minor troubles and always needed someone else's assistance.

Loki, standing by the door, took a deep breath and then let it out. He cleared those memories out of his mind before shouting towards the staircase in the hallway, "Someone, please!"

After about ten seconds, two armored attendants hurriedly assembled. Loki cleared his throat and said to them, "Bring me two towels."

Although his tone was calm, he was subtly exerting force on the hand gripping the door frame until veins were clearly visible. However, neither of the attendants raised their heads. Instead, they bowed and said, "Please wait a moment; the etiquette officer will be here shortly."

Loki frowned and asked, "Where has he gone? Why isn't he on night duty?"

The two attendants glanced at each other, looking somewhat surprised. They didn't know why Loki was so knowledgeable about Asgard's night duty arrangements.

The Fairy Palace is a comprehensive place that constitutes living quarters and office spaces, similar to Buckingham Palace in England. The royal family resides here and also works here. Besides the royal family, those given permission to stay overnight, such as generals, communication personnel, diplomats, and butlers, also live here.

Due to the large number of residents, three attendants and one etiquette officer are arranged on every floor to cater to the various needs of the royal family or staying guests. The attendants are primarily responsible for ensuring safety, while the etiquette officer takes charge of day-to-day logistics and notifying schedule arrangements.

Loki had been waiting at his door for about five or six minutes before the etiquette officer arrived belatedly. When Loki told him he needed two towels, the etiquette officer frowned before he did.

Although the etiquette officer eventually turned to complete the task, Loki could clearly see his impatience. It was as if he was thinking, "I have to do such a trivial thing."

After the attendants and the etiquette officer left, Loki frowned even harder. These people didn't recognize him as Loki; they thought he was merely Thor's guest.

Currently, Loki was staying on the 6th floor of the Fairy Palace. According to what he knew about Asgard's hospitality etiquette, this was where distinguished guests stayed. Yet when he asked the etiquette officer to bring two towels, the man was still quite reluctant.

Having lived on Earth, Loki knew that this level of service would not be acceptable even in a five-star hotel in New York, let alone by the royal butlers. Even the night-shift service staff would have a better attitude since tips were often higher during late hours.

The Fairy Palace doesn't practice tipping. However, the attendants and etiquette officers here are children of fleet commanders or other officers. They are stationed here primarily to secure a place in front of Odin or Thor. Some of them are lucky enough to follow the Divine King and learn how to command troops.

But why would they behave in such a manner? Even if night shifts are tiring, the Fairy Palace has ample manpower. A person would be assigned night duty only twice a month at most. Being late and insolent—doesn't this go against Asgard's reputation?

Loki's heart sank further. Since Thor ascended the throne, Asgard had frequently been engaged in diplomatic activities.

Besides convening meetings with the lords of various territories within the Nine Major Kingdoms, Asgard had also invited civilizations from other stars to observe the ceremonies. Afterward, Thor might host a grand wedding. All these were highly significant diplomatic activities.

If the attendants and etiquette officers of the Fairy Palace were all to act in this manner during these occasions, could this be considered diplomacy? Wouldn't this just offend people all around the cosmos?

Loki had already closed his bedroom door. Shaking his head, he returned to his room.

Now, it becomes clear that the one being unusual isn't him, but Thor.

As a monarch, Thor is excessively tolerant, careless, and unconcerned about details. His underlings naturally follow suit. They might even complain about the guests being too bothersome or too fussy.

Alternatively, the one that is peculiar could actually be Asgard itself.

After all, in the cosmos, only a few civilizations favor brawn over brains. Most civilizations, lacking the robust physique of Asgard's gods, have to rely on geopolitics and diplomatic relations for development. Because of this, they handle these matters exceptionally cautiously.