《Villain Princess.》 Chapter 1: Banished? Chapter 1: Banished? "Aurora White, from now on, you''re not my fiance?e anymore and you''re banished from the kingdom!" The bustling venue turned into silent when they heard the crown prince''s words. Everyone''s eyes were locked on the young woman whom the crown prince was holding and then their eyes moved towards the young woman who stood in the center of the hall. The young woman in the center of the hall, Aurora White, had a beautiful appearance with long brown hair and beautiful purplish hue eyes. She was dressed in a long blue dress that accentuated her appearance. At this moment, she was looking at the crown prince in front of her and slowly raised the fan in her hand to cover up her mouth, "May I ask for the reason, Your Highness?" Her tone was not in the slightest bit filled with respect, but the one questioned by her didn''t seem to realize it at all. The crown prince was still hugging the young woman in his arm and said, "You''re bullying your sister, Lady Adela! And such an attitude is unwelcome and unsuitable for the crown princess!" Bullying? Aurora looked at the blond haired girl who was still in the Crown Prince''s embrace and wanted to shake her head. She had never bullied her sister nor she had any interest to do so. "Just because of petty jealousy, you''re hurting her!" Jealousy? What kind of nonsense is it? Aurora looked at the prince as if she was looking at an idiot. Who would want to become his fiance?e if it was not because of the order from the King and her parents when she was young? Their engagement was nothing more than a political marriage. "So, I declare your banishment! This is the end for you, Aurora White!" Raising the fan to cover her mocking smile, Aurora looked at the crown prince and sneered. This is the end? For her or for the kingdom? Because for this day, she had painstakingly prepared a lot of things over the years. ... <8 Years Prior, Duke White''s Mansion> Aurora quickened her steps and headed to her sister''s bedroom. If anything were to happen to Adela, she knew very well that her parents would never be able to stay quiet. The two daughters were treated well, but Aurora knew very well that her parents prefer Adela more. Soon Aurora had reached her sister''s room and saw Adela who was lying on the bed. Her younger sister had blond hair similar to their father and at this moment, the long blond hair was scattered and looked messy. "What happened?" Aurora asked Adela''s maid who was not far from her. "Miss... Lady Adela was sleeping and suddenly scream..." the maid quickly explained in fear. If she gave the wrong answer, she was sure that she would be kicked out and there was no good ending for her. Nightmare? Aurora furrowed her eyebrows and her legs quickly stepped forward to bring her to Adela''s side. She raised her small hands and lightly test Adela''s forehead. It was not hot. Swish! Adela suddenly sat up and Aurora moved her hand away. She could see that Adela''s eyes were not completely focused yet. "I... where... I..." Adela spoke and looked at Aurora who was beside her. Her eyes widened slightly as she asked cautiously, "Aurora....Aurora White?" "Adela, do you not recognize your sister?" Aurora asked with a frown. Should she call a doctor? Her younger sister''s condition seemed to be a bit serious this time. Even though Adela''s body was a bit weak, but she usually would still remember her family members. Adela had a blank expression. "Adela... Adela White?" "That''s your name," Aurora replied and looked at the maid. "Call the doctor." As the people around her was busy, Adela looked dull and looked down at her hand, the small hand of a child who was only 9 years old. Aurora didn''t understand what happened to Adela and stood up, wanting to call their mother over. She didn''t know what she should do if Adela truly didn''t remember them and her parents would be the one who was worried the most. "I''m... Adela White... the protagonist and she''s... the villainess..." Aurora heard intermittent whisper of her sister as she reached close to the door and her footsteps stopped. She turned to look at Adela on the bed and her purple hue''s eyes flashed strangely. The next second, she continued to walk out of the room. Chapter 2: The Past Chapter 2: The Past Duke White came immediately when he heard that Adela was sick. This girl has such a weak body that she kept on being sick from time to time. But the girl was so gentle and kind that one would feel heartache when they saw her. Their mother, Isabella, came to the room to check on Adela quickly after hearing of Adela''s sickness. "You have light fever." Duchess Isabelle frowned when she heard what the doctor said about her daughter. This second daughter of hers was indeed a bit weak, but it was unreasonable to get sick every few days, right? "I''ll prescribe medicine," the doctor immediately said when he saw the bad expression on Duke White and Duchess Isabella''s face. "Adela, be good and drink the medicine, ok?" Duchess Isabella turned to look at her second daughter and coaxed the girl. Adela raised her head and looked at Duchess Isabella carefully. She nodded and then answered in her childish voice, "Yes, Mother." Her tone was sweet and gentle with a trace of forbearance inside. It seemed like a sensible child who would do anything to make sure that her parents were not worried for her. Near the door, Aurora looked at Adela on the bed. She made no intention to move towards Adela nor helping the other party. Instead, she simply stood there and watched as her mother coaxed Adela to drink medicine and rest. After a while, Duke White turned around and saw Aurora there. He motioned for her to come with him and the two of them left Adela''s room. It would be better to let her sleep a while longer. "I''m fine, Les." Aurora smiled faintly. "Tomorrow, I''ll meet with my fiance? and I hope you can dress me up nicely." "Of course!" Les nodded quickly. She would make sure that her miss is the most beautiful girl in the entire world. After giving the order, Aurora walked to her table and looked at the pile of books at the side and started reading. Most of these books were the lessons that she had to study ever since she was young. As the duke''s daughter, she had to learn many things ever since she was young. There were times when Aurora didn''t understand but after this engagement, she understood. He had long wanted her to be the crown princess, so the strict education was necessary. However, there were not only those books that were here. There were a few story books. "Protagonist... is the name for the main character in a story," Aurora muttered to herself in a low voice as she looked at the story book cover in front of her. She didn''t have much leisure to read story books, but it didn''t mean that she had no knowledge at all about it. And Adela''s words just now made Aurora felt strange. But after a while, Aurora shook her head. They were living in the real world and it was impossible for the story in the books to come true. She must be thinking too much. Chapter 3: First Meeting Chapter 3: First Meeting The next day, Aurora was woken up early to dress up. As the eldest daughter of Duke White, there were more than enough maids to help Aurora dressing up. All she had to do was to stand up and let them do their work. It has always been like this. Aurora could see that the maids were all more tangled than usual today. There could only be one reason. Crown Prince Edward is coming. Aurora''s eyes flickered. This kind of engagement with someone they had never met before but because of the same status was very common. Her parents met through this way and now, it was her turn. "It''s done. You''re very beautiful, Miss," The maids praised happily. "Thank you for your hard work," Aurora replied with a smile on her face. Whether she was happy or not, she would always show a smile on her face. Because she knew that her clothing arrangement has been made by her mother. All she could do was to follow. "Miss, His Highness will arrive soon, please come with me." The head butler came and looked at Aurora who had been dressed up with approval. Aurora inherited her mother''s beauty and looked beautiful. She had long brown hair that has been braided partially and made her look refreshing and cute. Her purplish hue eyes were very attractive, it compliment her face very well. The purple pupil was the mark of the royalty of Red Kingdom, the kingdom where her mother came from. "Kyaaa! Second Miss!" Hearing the shouts from the hallway, Aurora''s movement paused for a moment. She knew very well that her sister was not feeling well yesterday, so she should have stayed in her room. In the past, Adela would always stay in her room obediently after she felt unwell. The doctors also recommended her to rest properly so she would be able to recover quickly. But this time, Adela came out of her room? "Pardon me, Your Highness, I need to check on my sister," Aurora said apologetically to Crown Prince Edward. "It''s fine." Crown Prince Edward was naturally informed by his parents about the situation in Duke White''s household. His fiance?e, Aurora White, had a younger sister, who was sickly named Adela White. Crown Prince Edward saw Aurora stood up, but before Aurora could leave, Adela had walked inside. She was dressed up properly and clearly had put on makeup. Even though it couldn''t completely cover her pale appearance, but it made her look better. Aurora looked at Adela and was surprised in her heart. "Adela White greets His Highness the Crown Prince. I apologize for my unsightly appearance," Adela said weakly and then turned to look at Aurora. "Elder Sister, could you please help me to call doctor?" Aurora: ??? Adela, what are you talking about? She looked at her sister''s strange performance and then looked at Crown Prince Edward. "Your Highness, please excuse me." "Yes." Crown Prince Edward nodded and looked at the two girls who walked out of the living room. He blinked his golden eyes as he thought about the blond haired girl. She looked beautiful and her weak appearance could easily tug one''s heartstring. Chapter 4: Strange Sister Chapter 4: Strange Sister Aurora felt that her sister was really strange ever since yesterday. Even if Adela needed a doctor, there was no need for Adela to come looking for Aurora. Moreover, showing her sick appearance in front of the Royal Family would also be considered to be impolite. If Aurora dared to do something like this, she was sure that her mother would lock her up and made her recite the etiquette book more than three times. But if it was Adela, then her mother would only reprimand her lightly. "Adela, you can ask your maids to ask for a doctor, you know?" Aurora said as she led Adela back to her room. Midway, she saw the Head Butler and signaled for him to call for doctor for Adela. Adela blinked her eyes and then shook her head. "But I want to see you, Sister." Aurora narrowed her eyes slightly. Her purple hue eyes looked at Adela and then asked, "Adela, do you forget that I have just accompanied you two days ago after the maids called a doctor for you?" "I... I remember, sister, but I still want you," Adela stammered. "Rest in your room. The doctor will come," Aurora said slowly and then added, "Mother will come back soon too." Their mother came to the Royal Family''s Palace to meet with the Queen. It was actually an excuse to let their children meet and get close to each other. Their father has always been busy with his duty, so Aurora was not surprised not to see him. Anyway, the two of them rarely interacted with Duke White too because of his duties and so on. "I..." Adela wanted to say that she wanted to take a look at the Crown Prince once more, but she also knew that her action would make other suspicious of her. She could only nod her head weakly. "I know, Sister." Seeing Adela''s weak look that seemed as if she was being bullied, Aurora took a deep breath and glanced at the maids. "Stay here and make sure Adela rest." "Yes, Eldest Miss." Ever since she was young, Aurora has been following her mother to learn many things. When Duchess Isabella was not at home, the maids and the servants would all listen to Aurora''s words. ... After another hour of talking with Crown Prince Edward, their conversation was more or less finished. Aurora took a deep breath and then looked at the Head Butler. "Miss, today you will continue your lesson. Tomorrow, Duchess Isabelle will bring you to Red Kingdom to let you start your education as the Crown Princess." Since the Crown Prince was willing to accompany Aurora for a few hours, it meant that their engagement could be done. After all, they just needed to get along with each other. As for feelings? Ah, it was not important. How could there be any feelings in these engagements that only seek benefit and position? Aurora looked at the Head Butler and replied, "I understand, Head Butler." The Head Butler nodded in satisfaction. "Come with me. It''s time for your class." Aurora has always been an excellent child. The education that was hard to digest even for Duke White when he was young could be learned by Aurora very quickly. If she was not a girl, Duke White would have wanted to pick her as the successor. But now that she was selected as the Crown Princess, it was good enough. With this connection, their dukedom would be able to thrive. "Yes," Aurora replied calmly. She followed the Head Butler calmly, showing the same appearance as she has always been. The obedient daughter of Duke White and this would never change. Chapter 5: Is She too Sensitive? Chapter 5: Is She too Sensitive? The lessons for Aurora encompassed various subjects. From mathematics, history, science, and many others. Now that Aurora had been chosen as the crown princess, the education would also add politics and diplomatic. Yellow Kingdom was surrounded by several other kingdoms and naturally there were some matters that required them to have interaction with the other kingdoms. For this, there were several treaties and so on. One of the reasons why Duchess Isabella was married to Duke White back then was also because of these agreements. To make the two kingdoms, Red Kingdom and Yellow Kingdom, closer to each other. But even with this arrangement, the two kingdoms would still have to negotiate some other matters. This was usually done by the Queen and also Duchess Isabella. Now that Aurora would be the crown princess, she would have to take on this matter sooner or later. For this reason, Duchess Isabella planned to bring Aurora to Red Kingdom and handed over the matter to her daughter. Ree?ad latest novels at novelhall.com In this way, she would be free. She had to follow the instruction of her teachers because afterwards, they will give report to the Duke and Duchess. Thankfully, these tutors were all honest people and easy to deal with. For Aurora who had been with them for a long time, she had long known their personality and what they wanted from her. She just had to act. "Teacher Margaret," Aurora greeted her teacher politely. Teacher Margaret was the teacher who taught most of the lessons for Aurora. She had great knowledge for these as she had been the tutor for many nobles thorough her life. Now that she was already in her fifties, she no longer took so many assignment. Aurora was only one of them. "I heard about the arrangement, Miss. Congratulations for your engagement with His Highness," Teacher Margaret said with a faint smile. "Thank you, Teacher Margaret," Aurora replied. "But now that you have become the crown princess, it meant that you have to add some other subjects to your study." Teacher Margaret motioned for Aurora to sit down. "Before that, review the nobility stature in the Yellow Kingdom first." Aurora smiled. "The nobility stature started from Baron as the lowest. This title has the fewest land and can also be obtained by knights who made great contribution. After Baron, it''s Viscount and then Count. Above count is Marquis and the highest is Duke, which is my father''s rank." Even if there were only five formal nobility title, but it was not easy to raise one''s nobility rank. Aurora suppressed her thoughts and nodded at Les. "I''ll go there." "Yes, Miss." Les showed a smile on her face even though she was actually worried for Aurora. After all, she knew how the dinner has always been in the past, but seeing Aurora was still smiling like this, Les couldn''t say anything. No matter how bad it was, Aurora couldn''t escape and had to face her parents and sister. Cleaning up her books, Aurora made her way to the dining room and saw Duchess Isabella came in with Adela from the other door. Looking at Adela''s appearance, she was no longer as pale as she used to be. Duke White himself was already sitting on his seat in the dining room. "Father, Mother," Aurora greeted and curtsied. Duke White nodded and glanced at his wife and second daughter. "Father, Sister!" Adela greeted with her sweet voice and the strange curtsied that was not up to standard. However, Duke White only nodded in her direction and let her sit down. Aurora saw this but didn''t comment. Because of Adela''s weak body, her lessons have always been lagging behind Aurora. Not to mention, her parents didn''t have much expectation for Adela''s etiquette lesson. She was given all the convenience available. The dinner was cold and everyone simply followed the etiquette necessary. Only the occasional sound of clanking from Adela could be heard as she looked clumsy. ''Her etiquette is getting worse?'' Aurora saw Adela and her eyebrows furrowed slightly. She could see that Adela''s etiquette was worse than how she used to be in the past. Even though Adela was given the convenience, it didn''t mean that her study would be stopped. Thus, it was strange to see Adela this way. But Duchess Isabella didn''t seem to notice and only helped Adela correct her table manner with a helpless smile. Aurora put down the thoughts in her mind as she looked at the food in front of her. She didn''t know why her mother didn''t notice. Or was she being too sensitive? Aurora was not sure. But no matter which one it was, Aurora couldn''t possibly question her sister. Chapter 6: Expectation Chapter 6: Expectation "You don''t have to force yourself if you''re still tired, Adela," Duke''s White interrupted Aurora''s thoughts. Adela quickly shook her head. "I want to get healthier, Father. That way, I can spend more time with Mother and Father and help Father." Duchess Isabelle smiled brightly when she heard her daughter''s words while Duke White nodded his head in approval. The weak body of Adela has always been the sore point for the two of them. It was just that they never mentioned it and always tried their best to treat Adela as normal. But no matter what, they would always give a lot of convenience for Adela. Because they were afraid that something would happen to her. Duke White then glanced at Aurora. "Now that your engagement has been established, you will take over your mother''s role and some others. Tomorrow, you will go to Red Kingdom." Red Kingdom, the kingdom her mother used to come from. The diplomatic relationship was maintained by the Queen and Duchess Isabella who used to be the princess of Red Kingdom. No one would be more suitable than the two of them to maintain this relationship. Adela heard Duke White''s words and looked at Aurora. Her eyes flickered slightly. Fi?ndd new updates at novelhall.com On the other hand, Aurora only nodded elegantly. "Yes, Father, I understand." Duchess Isabella looked at her first daughter and then said, "I will review your study after this. Follow me to the study room." Review her study? It was more like Duchess Isabella would only take a look at the report given by the teachers about her. She was too lazy to ask questions personally about Aurora''s study and would usually not do anything like that. "Yes, Mother." "Finish your dinner first." After that, they no longer talked and the dinner ended in such a manner. Adela was brought back to her room, Duke White went to his study for his work while Duchess Isabella and Aurora went to the study room. Aurora waited for her mother as she looked through the report given by the teachers for her study. In terms of study, Aurora has been doing very well. "Your study shows that you''re already good enough." Duchess Isabella was satisfied that her daughter was really smart and had done better than her at the same age. As for envy? There was none. Duchess Isabella never liked these things and had long hoped there would be someone to replace her. Now that her daughter was proven to be capable enough, why not? "Thank you, Mother," Aurora said unhurriedly. Even if the tone seemed to be question, it was more like informing her about what she had to do. Aurora clenched her bedsheets before releasing it. This kind of life... was very tiring. ... The next day, Aurora woke up early and her mother was busy arranging the servants to prepare for their departure. "Les, you stay with me," Aurora said to her maid. "Yes, Miss." Aside from Les, who had followed Aurora ever since she was young, there were several other maids, servants, and even knights. The journey to Red Kingdom was by no means a safe journey. There were bandits on the way and if those people had no eyes, they would attack their carriage and cause trouble midway. Though, those who saw their family''s crest would usually not dare to make a move. After all, Duke White''s reputation was still very high. If they dared to offend Duke White, they had to be prepared to face the wrath of two kingdoms at once. Unless they wanted to seek death, they would not do something like that. "Before we arrive, I would have to tell you a few things, Aurora," Duchess Isabella said and looks at her daughter. "The most common negotiation between Red Kingdom and Yellow Kingdom is about water distribution." Water distribution. It was the most common topic because the biggest water source came from the river in Red Kingdom to Yellow Kingdom and two other kingdoms. There was a big lake in the middle of the four kingdoms, which would be divided for the use of four of them. There was a lot of dispute because of the water use. If the lake water was used too much, the lake would be dry and the other kingdoms would be dissatisfied. Because of this, there were already a lot of dispute in the past. Aurora raised her head. "Do you want me to take over of this negotiation, Mother?" "Not yet, but I want you to be familiar with it," Duchess Isabella replied calmly. This matter was usually arranged by her, but she was tired dealing with those politicians. She hoped to hand it over to her daughter as soon as possible. As for Aurora being too young? It was not a problem. This daughter of hers is mature enough. Chapter 7: Expectation (2) Chapter 7: Expectation (2) Aurora listened to her mother''s words and nodded slowly. This was only one of the few negotiations. The others related to the trades and so on and she would have to be familiar with them soon. "I''ll tell you everything on the way and you better remember them," Duchess Isabella said and looked at her daughter coldly. Aurora saw her mother''s eyes and lowered her head. "Yes, Mother." She had to remember it. Because if she failed, her mother will punish her and never let her off. ... The journey took several days and during this period of time, Aurora felt her head was stuffed with so many things. Thankfully, she had trained herself to remember many things at once in her study. If she didn''t, she wouldn''t be able to reach her parents'' expectation of her. From the time when she was young, her life has been filled with study and study again. When other children were allowed to play, Aurora was given books ever since she could remember and was taught many things. Slowly but surely, her life was filled with nothing but books, study, and learning. No matter how tired she was, she had to finish her study or her parents would punish her. Since the river first passed by the Red Kingdom, Red Kingdom always had dominance in the negotiation. This was why Yellow Kingdom was willing to get into an agreement with Red Kingdom through her mother. Now, their daughter was even arranged to get married with the crown prince. It was obvious that the Yellow Kingdom wanted to make their relationship with the Red Kingdom even stronger. "Mind your manner," Duchess Isabella said when they reached the bridge and after the knights communicated, they were now allowed to continue into the city. "Yes, Mother." Aurora looked outside at the street and saw the bustling atmosphere. There were many people who were walking around and aside from the dress of the people looked a bit different, there was not much difference with the situation in the Yellow Kingdom. After looking for a while, Aurora finally saw the castle and retracted her hand that was holding the curtain back. She knew she had to hold back now. "Madam, Miss, we''ve arrived." The two of them came down of the carriage and then Aurora followed Duchess Isabella forward. Even though she wanted to look around in curiosity, Aurora also knew that such behavior was not appropriate. She could only hold back. Before they could enter the castle, a middle aged man was already waiting there and laughed loudly. "It''s been a while, Sister. It seems you''re doing well in the Yellow Kingdom." Chapter 8: Red Kingdom Chapter 8: Red Kingdom Aurora looked at the middle aged man in front of her. He looked like he was already in his late thirties or even forties. His hair was blond just like her mother. Duchess Isabella looked at the person in front of her and then said calmly, "Second Brother, you''re already the duke here but you still have enough time to come and welcome me?" Duke? Aurora''s mind turned and remembered that there were two princes who were alive in the end in the Red Kingdom. One of them was naturally the current King. The other one was Duke Rain, the duke without real power and only empty position and territory. Duke Rain smiled and waved his hand. "You know that I don''t have much work. If I don''t come here to play around, what should I do? Anyway, First Brother is already waiting for us inside." "Ok." Duchess Isabella nodded. They walked inside and Aurora could see the majestic palace. It was much more luxurious compared to the palace in the Yellow Kingdom. Then again, the Red Kingdom has more resources and often won in their agreement for the water use. Before long, they reached the main hall and after their arrival was announced, they could come in. "His Majesty is inside." The door opened and the three of them walked in with Aurora following behind Duchess Isabella. She could feel many eyes landed on her from the moment of her appearance, so she knew very well that whatever she did, they would judge her. Aurora would be lying if she said that she was not nervous. Aurora is only his sister''s daughter and for him, one daughter was not worth much. So he replied in neutral tone to the Yellow Kingdom''s inquiry. Now that Isabella had brought Aurora here, it was obvious what their answer to him was. "Yes, Your Majesty," Isabella replied and took a step to the side, "My daughter, Aurora, is now the fiance?e of Crown Prince Edward from Yellow Kingdom." The crown prince''s fiance?e. Red Kingdom''s King''s eyes flickered when he heard that and he nodded in satisfaction. "Aurora White, the first daughter of Duke White and Princess Isabella, greets Your Majesty, Red Kingdom''s King," Aurora curtsied and greeted formally. "Good." Red Kingdom''s King nodded at Aurora. "What do you know about Red Kingdom, Miss Aurora?" Aurora''s heart thumped. A test right after she came here? But no matter what, Aurora would answer the question. She raised her head and started to speak. "Your Majesty, Red Kingdom is known for their products of the strawberry field along with the...." Duchess Isabella and Duke Rain listened to Aurora listing the things that Red Kingdom was famous for and then moved towards the agreement between the two kingdoms. Aside from the water distribution, there were also trades between the two kingdoms. After all, the products from the Red Kingdom was rare in the Yellow Kingdom and vice versa. Only by trading would they be able to maximize the profit and cost. Chapter 9: The Young Princes Chapter 9: The Young Princes "Your daughter is not bad," Duke Rain whispered to Duchess Isabella. Duchess Isabella frowned and glared at her second brother beside her. The etiquette of Duke Rain could be said to be extremely bad and now that he had become a duke without real power, he seemed to have let himself go even more. Even if he could still act appropriately in most public occasion, Duke Rain would show his true self in front of his sister. For Duchess Isabella who was also living in etiquette for her entire life, it was unacceptable. "Mind your words, Second Brother," Duchess Isabella said sternly. Duke Rain looked at his sister who was frowning and only laughed. He felt that these two people were always too rigid, but he stopped speaking. At this time, Red Kingdom''s King had already finished talking with Aurora and felt that her knowledge was really solid. If he didn''t know better, he would have never expected that this was a 10 years old child. Red Kingdom''s King looked at his sister. "You have taught her well, Isabella." "Thank you for your compliment, Your Majesty." "In that case, let her participate in the negotiation in two weeks'' time. In the meantime, she could play with her cousins. I believe they will be happy to see her," Red Kingdom''s King said. Cousins? One of them was already 15 years old, a young man with bright blond hair and blue eyes. He had handsome appearance, but right now, he was kicking someone on the ground. Beside him was another young boy who was around 11 to 12 years old, who had light brown hair. He was cheering his older brother and raised his small fist excitedly. And under them was a young boy around the same age as the second prince. He was crouching on the ground, holding his head on his arm to protect it from the first prince''s kick. His black hair looked rather conspicuous when the common hair color here was from brown, red, to blond. "What are you doing?" Duke Rain asked when he saw the two princes behaved this way. Looking at the young boy on the ground, he had some guesses, but he still had to ask because his sister was looking in his direction. This sister of his was indeed very annoying. "Uncle Rain." The two princes stopped and stepped back. The first prince pointed at the young boy. "He mocked me, so I''m teaching him a lesson." Duke Rain looked at the young boy and said, "Stand up." His tone was cold and overbearing as if he was looking at an ant that was far below him. Hearing his tone, Aurora felt faint coldness in her heart but she quickly surpassed it. She knew very well that the Royal Family has always been far above others and their actions reflected the fact that they knew this very well. Her eyes moved to the boy as he stood up and looked in their direction. The dark blue eyes seemed to reflect the sunlight, making it look bright. He''s really handsome. "Prince Lester, or should I say Lester, you''re now just a captive prince," Duke Rain said slowly. "What right do you have to mock the princes of Red Kingdom?" Chapter 10: The Young Princes (2) Chapter 10: The Young Princes (2) Prince Lester? Aurora blinked her eyes and her brain was working hard once more. There were several kingdoms around the Yellow kIngdom and for the sake of diplomatic relationship, Aurora had to remember them all. If she was not wrong, this was the name of the illegitimate prince from Ice Kingdom. Ice Kingdom located further to the north and didn''t border the Yellow Kingdom directly. The king of Ice Kingdom had several concubines and many illegitimate children. The main reason was naturally because of the cold environment there that caused many children to die when they were young. To make sure the King had successor, they would have several wives. But even then, there were also some others. Once they had a child, the child would have to be brought to the Royal Palace as the prince and princess. If they could survive, they would receive the status they deserved as part of the royal family. If they couldn''t survive, then it was not their fates. There were a few illegitimate children that Aurora heard from Ice Kingdom, one of them was Prince Lester. She knew this name because in the agreement between Ice Kingdom and Red Kingdom, Prince Lester would stay in the Red Kingdom as their ''prisoner.'' The Ice Kingdom had several princes that they didn''t care about one illegitimate prince. "Yeah, you have no right at all!" The second prince pointed at Prince Lester and laughed out loud. "Yes, Royal Aunt." With that, Duchess Isabella walked away with Duke Rain, leaving the three of them there. "Brother, next time, let me beat him first," Charles said after the two adults had left. "I hadn''t hit him today." Brian coughed and then said, "I know, let''s go to the garden to show it to our cousin." Charles pouted but he still nodded. Aurora blinked her eyes and looked at the departing back of Prince Lester. She felt that it was truly a pity for the prince. But considering the relationship between the Red Kingdom and the Ice Kingdom was not good, it was actually normal for the people living in the two kingdoms to have conflicts when they met. What Aurora didn''t understand was why would they beat up the boy. Doing so would do nothing about the relationship between the two kingdoms and would instead worsen it further. But Aurora couldn''t say anything. She had no position in the Red Kingdom and couldn''t express herself as it would only make herself in worse position. Chapter 11: Walking Around Chapter 11: Walking Around Prince Brian and Prince Charles brought Aurora to the garden at the side of the palace. The Royal Palace has several gardens, all of them were very beautiful. "Our little sister is taking a nap or we would have brought you to see her," Prince Charles said as he walked on the path. "Say, are you going to come here often, Cousin Aurora?" Aurora''s lips twitched slightly at Prince Charles''s casual words. She had the faint feeling that the education in the Red Kingdom was not very good or it might be the prince himself who was too lazy to follow the etiquette and rules. "I will come here to follow my mother to learn, Your Highness," Aurora replied. "Eh, learning." Prince Charles'' face scrunched when he heard that. He hated studying and if not because of his mother''s request, he would have run away all the time when it was time for studying. Even now, he barely followed his study and often escaped in the middle. Anyway, his teachers couldn''t stop him and none of them dared to stop him. They all knew that if they dared to stop him, they might be the one to be punished. The prince''s mother was the favorite concubine of the king. It was hard for them. "There''s no need to learn all the time." Prince Brian smiled. "A balance between work and rest is important." "Yes! Brother is right!" Charles nodded his head repeatedly. Aurora looked at the two half brother in front of her and her eyes flickered slightly. Even though she had only met them for a short period of time, she had a gist about their personality and habits. "We will be going now, Miss Aurora. You may walk around and just don''t come to the place I mentioned not allowed," Prince Brian said to Aurora behind them. "I understand. Thank you very much, Prince Brian," Aurora replied and curtsied. She watched as the two princes left and shook her head slightly. These two princes were by no means stupid and dealing with these two wouldn''t be that easy. Right now, they were still young, so it was not apparent yet. Besides, Aurora was not their enemies nor part of the nobility in this kingdom. If anything, she was their cousin and belonged to another kingdom whom they needed to strengthen the relationship with. With that in case, they would most likely maintain this superficial relationship on the surface. ''It''s convenient for me.'' Aurora walked through the stone path and headed to her mother''s place. As much as she hated her position because of how much the expectation was placed on her shoulder, she also knew that she had to make use of the convenience this position brought to her. Only in this way would the cost and the reward would be suitable. Walking through the path, Aurora passed by the garden and saw a young servant scurried away with her friend, whispering to each other. She turned her head and saw the black haired boy sitting by the stairs. His dark blue eyes looked rather dull, but there was a faint sharp glint flashed for a moment when he looked at the people who stayed away from him. Chapter 12: Act Chapter 12: Act Ah. What a familiar look. Aurora looked at the hostage prince in front of her and slowly walked forward. It was strange enough that this prince was allowed to roam freely, but seeing his gaze, she had the feeling that she knew the reason. That dull gaze. One that would only appear when one had chosen to follow whatever was ordered to them, not bothering to care about it anymore. Just like a marionette. Being controlled by others and all they could do was to follow the order from them. Tep. Prince Lester noticed Aurora''s arrival, but he didn''t bother to look in her direction. Instead, he lowered his head and looked down at his own hand. "If you truly want to act, you should act from the beginning until the end without showing any trace at all." Aurora looked at the young prince in front of her. His acting was good as no one would be able to see his true appearance if they didn''t pay close attention to his gaze and eyes. But with his status here, who would bother to pay attention to him? It would be good enough for them not to bother him at all because it was unnecessary. "You may go." Aurora curtsied and then followed the maids to reach her room. There was already a stack of books placed there. A proper diplomat had to understand the overall situation and not only the situation of the Yellow Kingdom and the Red Kingdom. For this reason, Aurora had to start supplement her knowledge over the other areas and spent her time learning about them. "Miss, don''t force yourself too hard," Les reminded as she brought a cup of warm milk. "I have no other choice," Aurora replied with a faint smile and sat down to start reading. She only had two weeks to completely understand the situation of the four kingdoms. This wouldn''t be easy. There were a lot of information that she has to read, but Aurora stayed calm and started reading, memorizing as much information as possible. She didn''t like studying. But she had to study or she would be punished. And it was only through having knowledge would it be possible for her to gain power on her own and figure out a way out of her situation. Aurora lowered her eyes, a faint glint flashed and disappeared soon afterwards. It was not the time yet. Aurora looked at the book in front of her, her gaze had recovered to normal. No matter what she actually thought, she would not let them know her real intention. Chapter 13: Task and Duty Chapter 13: Task and Duty "Your Highness, Prince Charles is here to see you," one of the maids came to Aurora when she was studying. After coming to the Red Kingdom, Aurora had been spending her time in her room to study. Aside from the first day when she came out to be introduced to the two princes, she spent her time in her room. This time, Prince Charles came personally. "Les, dress me up," Aurora said with a faint sigh. With such a honorable guest, it was impossible for Aurora to ignore the other party. The only way for her to keep her impression remained good was for her to come and greet the other party politely. It didn''t take long for the maids to finish and Aurora came out to see Prince Charles. The young prince was sitting on the sofa with a bored expression. When he saw Aurora, his eyes lit up. "Cousin Aurora, let''s get out of the palace!" Prince Charles raised his hand excitedly. He hated studying and wanted to bring Aurora out of the palace. Anyway, if his cousin is here, he would have other reasons to skip his classes. "Your Highness, I didn''t come here to play around," Aurora said slowly. "Tsk." Prince Charles clicked his tongue. "Then, at least accompany me. My brother is staying to practice and it''s really boring." "Where do you want to go, Your Highness?" "I want to see my brother being beaten up, but if I laugh at him, he''ll ask the teacher to target me afterwards, so you have to come with me." Prince Charles clapped his hands as if he had decided to do so. Aurora: "..." She could see that this should have happened often, so she silently followed Prince Charles to the training ground. There were many people there, watching as Prince Brian was fighting with another knight. "Hahahaha!" From the side, Prince Charles was laughing out loud. He always felt that the time when his older brother was defeated in a spar was the best scene. Prince Brian turned to look in the direction of his younger brother. He was about to lash out when he saw Aurora there and the words in his throat was swallowed back. Even though he wanted to reprimand his younger brother, he had to keep his image in front of Aurora. It seemed that his half younger brother also knew his intention. "Your Highness, it seems that today''s training shall end here." The knight also saw Aurora who was following Prince Charles and bowed formally. Aurora saw his gesture and nodded slightly. She knew very well that her presence has been made known and the people here would respect her to a certain degree. Yet at the same time, Aurora had no interest to purposely increase her reputation here. Because she knew very well that it would be of little use. As of now, she could only show herself as the obedient daughter of Princess Isabella who came here to follow her mother. Only in this way would she be able to remove those prying gazes. "Brother, how about if we take a walk with Cousin?" Prince Charles asked with a grin. "Alright." Prince Brian nodded at the knights and then followed them. Aurora glanced at the side and saw a figure staying behind the tree but she didn''t step forward. There was no need to make her difficult position even more difficult. Her current task was to follow her mother and this time, it was to follow the two princes. That was all. Chapter 14: Decision Chapter 14: Decision Time passed quietly, soon, the other people had arrived. During this period of time, Aurora spent her time studying and also met with the two princes who brought her along. Prince Charles happily told Aurora about his study and the teachers while Prince Brian was accompanying them politely. Perhaps, it was because he was older, but Aurora could tell that Prince Brian was also careful in his act in front of a 10 year old kid like her. Not that she minded. Because if it was her, she would also not put down her guard in front of children. She knew very well some children mature too quickly because of various situation and they could have terrifying thoughts in their heads. Aside from that, Prince Charles would also drag Aurora to see Prince Brian be beaten up by the knights. It seemed that he was so happy to see his older brother unable to do anything when he was bringing Aurora to see them. "Follow me, your role is to listen," Duchess Isabella said to Aurora. Fi?ndd new updates at novelhall.com "Yes, Mother." The meeting soon started. ... And Aurora did nothing but to listen. Only in this way would it be possible to increase the benefit for the Yellow Kingdom. Not to mention... Duke White''s territory also required the water from the lake that was distributed through the smaller rivers. "Starting next year, you will be the one to handle the negotiation. The report and proposal from other nobles will be given a month before the negotiation started and you can choose and pick which one of them is suitable," Duchess Isabella added. She will be the one to do the negotiation? Aurora''s eyes widened slightly. Even if she knew that her mother''s expectation for her was sometimes a bit ridiculous, but Aurora didn''t expect that she would throw her work to her like this. Aurora lowered her eyes slightly and replied, "I understand, Mother." Duchess Isabella glanced at her daughter. "I''ll watch over you next year and I hope I don''t need to do it the year afterwards." After saying that, Duchess Isabella walked first. Aurora took a deep breath and silently followed behind her mother. Her fingers were clenched to form a fist and she understood that if she failed, what awaited her would be the punishment from her family. She can only succeed, not fail. How tiresome. Chapter 15: Formal Position Chapter 15: Formal Position Aurora didn''t know what her mother was thinking. Nor what other people were thinking. Red Kingdom''s King looked at Duchess Isabella and Aurora behind her. "Are you sure that you want your daughter to replace you starting next year?" "Yes," Duchess Isabella replied. "My daughter is very bright and I believe she could do it. Besides, as the future crown princess, she had to get used to her work earlier." Duke Rain was also present as he was one of the few people who usually listen in to the negotiation. He looked at his sister with a strange expression. "She''s only 10 years old, right?" They still knew the basic information of Aurora, so they knew her age. So hearing Duchess Isabella wanted a 10 years old kid to lead in the negotiation that involved the interest of the entire kingdom sounded strange for them. "She''ll be 11 years old next year," Duchess Isabella replied. "And I''ll be there to accompany her." "Hmm." The Red Kingdom''s King tapped the chair''s handle. He looked at the young girl who was following Duchess Isabella and could guess that there was no point in asking the child. Looking at her eyes, she seemed to have long gotten used to her mother''s request. No matter whether she could do it or not, she had to do it. Even if it meant breaking her mind and body, forcing herself beyond her limit. "That''s just like you, Isabella." The Red Kingdom''s King laughed. He understood his sister''s personality more or less. "I don''t have any objection as long as the Yellow Kingdom also approve of this matter." With Aurora here, he had more excuses and the teachers were also tolerating him. Prince Charles wouldn''t be able to have so many excuses when he wanted to skip his classes next without Aurora being here. Prince Brian patted his half younger brother''s shoulder. "Don''t use your cousin as the excuse for you to skip your classes, Charles." "I know..." Prince Charles shrugged. "But in any case, if Cousin Aurora needs more company, I''m always available!" Aurora: "..." Prince Brian: "..." The two of them were sure that this was only Prince Charles trying to get away from his classes. Prince Brian shook his head and looked at Aurora. "I heard from my mother about the matter, so see you next year, Cousin Aurora." His mother? Aurora looked up to see Prince Brian smiling in her direction, but this smile had never reached his eyes. The people from the nobility are all mostly like this. Aurora smiled back in Prince Brian''s direction. "I will see you next year, Your Highness." Even though Prince Brian was not the one involved directly in the negotiation, since it involved in the negotiation, then his mother would be the one there. It wouldn''t be strange for his mother to share him some things. Ah, how troublesome. Chapter 16: Return Chapter 16: Return The journey back remained uneventful and Aurora didn''t know what to say about it. She chose not to think too much about Prince Brian and Prince Charles. Even though the two of them were her cousins and it was likely that they would see each other again next year, there was still a long time before it was time. On the other hand, Aurora was spending her time studying under her mother''s watch. She was supplementing her knowledge of various matters. When she got back, Duchess Isabella went to give her report to the royal family. Aurora didn''t know how Duchess Isabella did it, but it was confirmed that Aurora would be the one leading the negotiation from the next year. Of course, she still has to give the report back to the Royal Family and the others. It wouldn''t be an easy work. Duchess Isabella glanced at her daughter who waited for her in the carriage and furrowed her eyebrows. "If you have time, you should have walked around the palace and find His Highness the crown prince." Aurora''s body stiffened and then she replied, "Mother, one couldn''t enter the palace arbitrarily without any notification." Her mother was able to ask for an attendance with the Queen because of her position as one of the kingdom''s diplomat. On the other hand, Aurora wouldn''t be able to do that because she was only the young daughter of Duke White. Even with her status as the future crown princess, she still wouldn''t be allowed to enter the palace so freely. "You can make the notification," Duchess Isabella replied coldly. Aurora took a deep breath. "I will remember, Mother." "Good." Duchess Isabella walked to the carriage and added, "This engagement is not easy to get. You have to make sure to hold onto it properly." "Yes." Aurora heaved a sigh of relief in her heart. If her father were to ask her to study again, Aurora felt that her head would explode. Her mother had already taught her so many things on the way that her head felt a bit uncomfortable now. "I''ll go back to my room, Father, Mother." Excusing herself, Aurora made her way to her bedroom. On the way, she saw Adela''s servant waiting in front of the study room. "Adela is studying?" Aurora asked. The maids bowed. "Yes, Eldest Miss, Second Miss is now studying." Adela is studying? Aurora looked at the closed door and slowly looked away. In the past Adela was unable to study because her body condition was not very good. But after two months not seeing each other, has Adela''s situation gotten better? It should have been a good thing, but for some reason Aurora thought about the changes of Adela she had seen before. ''It should be fine.'' Aurora shook her head and made her way to her room. No matter what, Adela is still her younger sister. Chapter 17: Vassals Chapter 17: Vassals Aurora had to say that Adela changed. It seemed that she had completely forgotten that the two of them usually spent some time together after Aurora''s study. But now, Adela was already tired after her study. "Miss, Second Miss is just a bit busy," Les said to Aurora carefully. She didn''t know what Aurora would think about this matter and knew how close the two sisters used to be. But now, Aurora barely spent any time with her sister. "My sister has grown up, so she become more mature," Aurora said with a faint smile. In just a short while when Aurora didn''t see Adela, the other party had started to grow and become more independent. It seemed that there was no need for her anymore. Aurora looked at the mirror in front of her. "Yes, Second Miss has grown." Les could only follow Aurora''s words. For this matter, Aurora didn''t speak to Les again and her eyes flickered slightly. ... Just when Aurora thought that her days would return to normal, Duke White called her to his office and introduced Mr. Wren, the lord who has been managing the territory of White Dukedom over the years. Even though Duke White would manage the most important matters, most of the other things were managed by Mr. Wren. After all, the territory itself was vast and it was impossible for Duke White to be the one to manage it by himself. Mr. Wren and Aurora left Duke White''s study and stopped in front of the door. Aurora was not sure whether Mr. Wren wanted to start teaching her right away or not because she also have other teachers, so she looked in his direction. Mr. Wren coughed and motioned for Aurora to follow him. "There are other study rooms here and Miss Aurora, I hope you can keep up with the study''s pace. I don''t want to teach worthless student," Mr. Wren said unhurriedly. Worthless student. Aurora showed a faint smile on her face. Over the years, each and every single one of her teacher always said that they have high expectation of her. She could only work hard and do her best to ingest all of the information stuffed into her mind in order to be able to fulfill their requirement. Adding another teacher wouldn''t make it much different. "I understand, Mr. Wren." Mr. Wren looked at Aurora, who was still as calm and elegant as she used to be when they first met. There didn''t seem to be any ripples in her beautiful purple hue''s eyes. She''s confident. This was Mr. Wren''s impression of Aurora and he could tell that this confidence stemmed from either her ability or foolishness. Considering that Duke White wanted Aurora to take over the negotiation on her own even though she was still very young, the first one should be more plausible. And this made Mr. Wren intrigued. How much ability a 10 year old kid would have? He will see it for himself. Chapter 18: White Dukedom Chapter 18: White Dukedom Mr. Wren and Aurora went to one of the study room and took a seat. The other servants were already evacuated. The content of the study between the two of them might involve some secret matters in White Dukedom and the servants were not qualified to hear about it. "What do you know about White Dukedom, Miss Aurora?" "In which aspect, Mr. Wren?" Aurora asked back. There were various aspect about White Dukedom that Aurora knew and if she were to say everything, even a day would not be enough for her to finish. It was impossible for them to discuss everything either. "Let''s start with the most important thing," Mr. Wren said slowly, "Economy." Is it the most important thing? But thinking about the situation in White Dukedom, Aurora was not surprised for Mr. Wren''s answer. "The economy in White Dukedom is dominated by farming. Being the best arable land in the entire Yellow Kingdom, White Dukedom produced more than 60% of the grain for the entire kingdom," Aurora started slowly. The Yellow Kingdom has two extreme type of lands, half of them were grasslands, forest, and the likes. The other half was desert and dry lands. Because of this, the grain supplies were all concentrated on the east where White Dukedom was located. Moreover, the water source from the large lake could be said to be the largest water source for White Dukedom. Without it, they wouldn''t be able to survive. For this matter, Duke Sun was also helpless. The king granted him a large territory, but there was barely anything in his territory. Thankfully, there was still some mines that could help him earn some income, but it was not much and to keep the lives of his people, he had to buy a large amount of food from Duke White''s territory. Because Duke Sun was dependent on Duke White, it could be said that the relationship between them was not very good. They were both dukes, but Duke Sun could only rely on the other party. He was not happy. Aurora had seen their arguments when Duke Sun come to Duke White''s Residence some time ago. She asked her father and he told her about the agreement between the two territories. Knowing that Duke Sun needed them, Aurora felt that it would be better for them to make a good use of this to earn a good amount of money and resources. "It would be good if you can negotiate this with Duke Sun," Mr. Wren said helplessly. Duke White and Duke Sun would only clash with each other when they met, so the negotiation was handled by the lords under them. Thanks to that, the negotiation was not going very well. "This is just an idea," Aurora said slowly. "You can also step forward and try to propose this...." Taking a piece of paper, Aurora made the list of agreement that was needed for them. In addition, the resource that Duke Sun''s traded, which was actually not that much, could be used for the negotiation with other kingdoms too. This was Aurora''s goal. She had watched her mother in the negotiation some time ago and understood that for them to get more benefit, they would need other territory''s help. Chapter 19: What’s Your Goal? Chapter 19: Whats Your Goal? If it was only relying on the produce from White Dukedom, it would be difficult for them to sustain themselves in the long term. After all, they would have to earn back their money through the sales of their grain and other produces to other territory. And what Aurora wanted was to improve the condition of the people and made White Dukedom better. Looking at the list of things that Aurora wrote, Mr. Wren''s eyes brightened. "If this set of rules can be implemented, it would be very beneficial for White Dukedom. It seems that you have thought about this, Eldest Miss." "I''ll be the one to manage the negotiation from now," Aurora said slowly with a faint smile. "And if I can make the situation of the territory better, wouldn''t it be for the best?" Mr. Wren didn''t answer immediately and looked at Aurora deeply. He could see that this young miss was really smart and there should be reason why she suddenly told him all of these. "Miss, what do you want from me?" "I want you to work well," Aurora said slowly, her smile never disappeared from her face. "Only if the territory is doing well would it be possible to discuss about other improvement for the territory, isn''t it?" Is it really only for the territory? Fi?ndd new updates at novelhall.com Mr. Wren looked at the list of negotiation and terms written by Aurora on the piece of paper and took a deep breath. He had the faint feeling that if Aurora were to be the one to negotiate and manage the matter of White Dukedom, she would be the one who had the power instead of her father. Because even though Duke White is the lord of White Dukedom, he didn''t manage many things. Many things were handled by the smaller lords under them, including Mr. Wren. Her engagement with Crown Prince Edward has been arranged and it was unlikely to be revoked. After all, the Royal Family would be slapping themselves in the face if they were to revoke this engagement that they made. They were not stupid enough to do this. "I have no interest to be the head of the family," Aurora said unhurriedly. Become the head of the family? When Aurora thought about her father and what he has been doing, Aurora didn''t really want to. The White Dukedom looked prosperous, but there were actually many problems in the land that had to be settled. Not to mention, Duke White basically didn''t make any improvement at all in the past decade or so. He only followed what his father had arranged before and let things continued this way. Aurora knew very well that there was a chance for her to be the head of the family. Because Duke White didn''t have any son, so the choice for the next head would either be his daughters or his son in law. But after the engagement with Crown Prince Edward, Aurora knew that this path is impossible. The law couldn''t be changed so easily. Unless she tried to coax Crown Prince Edward to abolish this rule, but it would be many years later when he ascended the throne. It was very unlikely to happen anytime soon and Aurora would not put her hope on this. So, Aurora wanted to settle for the next best. Chapter 20: Festival Chapter 20: Festival Mr. Wren didn''t understand. He looked at Aurora in confusion and then asked, "In that case, what do you want to achieve, Miss Aurora?" Aurora shook her head slightly. "Shall we start our study now if the question is over, Mr. Wren?" Hearing this answer, Mr. Wren knew that it was not the time for him to ask this. He looked at the list of negotiation Aurora write and took a deep breath. It would take some time for this negotiation to be done. But when he was done, perhaps Aurora would tell him more? Mr. Wren smiled faintly when he thought about this in anticipation and started to tell more about the details of White Dukedom that Aurora missed or didn''t know. After all, Aurora didn''t specifically learn everything and Mr. Wren still knew more. This time, he was determined to let Aurora learn as much as possible. ... Time passed quietly. Aside from studying, Aurora saw Adela was spending more time with the servants and walked out on the garden to exercise. Well, more like taking a walk. It seemed that Adela was determined to get her health back up as much as possible so that she would be able to get out more often. Not only studying but also getting healthier. Everything seemed to be going in a good direction. In a way, it seemed to be pretty good. Duke White and Duchess Isabella seemed to be happy with this, though. They had long been worried for Adela, so it would be good if Adela could become better. Only Aurora could feel that Adela seemed to be more distant from her. The time they spent together at night for her to read Adela was now gone and Adela seemed to be trying to avoid her. That should be the main reason. Sun Festival is the festival to celebrate the bright Summer Season and also the victory of the Yellow Kingdom nearly a century ago. The story of the Sun Festival was very simple. The Yellow Kingdom was in a war against another kingdom and the war ended in the middle of summer. At the last moment, the young prince who held his sword beheaded his enemy and lead the army to turn the unfavorable war into victory. It was said that the young prince''s blond hair was like the sun shining in the summer. Ever since then, Sun Festival was made. There would be drama made to enact that war and various stalls selling various food and unique products. Everyone loved this festival. Aurora had heard about it, but she was not very interested to participate. Because aside from the play, there were not many other interesting things in this festival. It was mostly just people playing on the street for this celebration. "Yes, Mother," Aurora replied. Duke White looked at his wife and then at Adela who was still looking at him. He sighed. "Alright, but you''re not allowed to do anything excessive." "Yes, Father! Thank you very much." Adela smiled brightly after she heard her father''s words. With her father''s permissions, she could now get out of the mansion. She had been exercising lately and now, Adela just wanted to get a chance to get out of the mansion. Naturally, she had to go with Aurora because she wouldn''t be allowed to go on her own. "Sister, please take care of me," Adela said to Aurora with a bright smile. Aurora heard Adela''s words and smiled back in response. "It''s my responsibility." Chapter 21: Familiarity? Chapter 21: Familiarity? The festival started in the afternoon, so Aurora and Adela dressed themselves to go out. Since neither of them wanted to reveal their identity, the dress they picked was rather plain. Brown and cream colored dress that looked not much different from most commoner dress. In addition, neither was wearing any jewelries. "Miss, you look very different," Les commented after she had finished helping Aurora to dress up. She felt that her Miss was still beautiful even if she was dressing in such a plain and simple dress. The dress for commoners has always been very simple as they couldn''t spend so much money for fabric and the likes. "It''s more suitable for me to be this way," Aurora replied with a faint smile. "Now that I''m going out, isn''t it natural for my appearance to be different?" Looking at her reflection in the mirror, Aurora took a deep breath. Even if it was for a short period of time, she would be able to relax when she was enjoying the festival. It was rare for her parents to allow her to get out of the mansion and didn''t make her study all day long. "Yes! Miss is still very beautiful!" Les said energetically. Aurora chuckled and nodded. "In that case, let''s go." "Yes, Miss!" This kind of atmosphere was very different from the strict and rigid atmosphere in the Duke White''s Mansion, but it was also very comforting. Adela, who had climbed down first, pulled her maid to the nearest stall. "Mrs, I would like to buy two of these. How much is the cost?" Adela asked excitedly as she looked at the two fried dough sticks in front of her. Her appearance looked as if she had never enjoyed the exquisite food in the Duke White''s Mansion. Though, thinking of Adela''s usual diet, it was only normal for her to be greedy for these foods. The doctors warned her not to eat messy food because her health was not very good. If she were to eat too many oily food or some other types of food, it wouldn''t do her good. "Miss, you can''t eat these." The maid was frightened when she saw Adela wanted to buy the street food. She was warned by Duchess Isabella not to let Adela eat random food on the street in case it would not be good for Adela''s health. "But they look so good! Anyway, it''ll be fine," Adela complained. Aurora, who came forward to follow her sister, looked at the stall. Her eyes flashed strangely when she saw Adela took out money with ease and paid for the food with great familiarity. Her action seemed as if she had done this repeatedly in the past. But if Aurora was not wrong, this was the first time Adela came out of the mansion. Also... her language was really different from the language they had been taught in the mansion. No matter how sick Adela was, she would still be taught proper etiquette so as not to lose the face of Duke White Mansion. Chapter 22: Chance Encounter Chapter 22: Chance Encounter "Miss, you..." "Adela, Mother reminded you not to eat too much food outside," Aurora reminded in a low voice. Adela furrowed her eyebrows and pouted. "But this is the first time I come out, so I want to try it." Looking at her appearance, one would be able to associate her as the pampered young lady from the nobility. Even Aurora would think that way and she herself also knew that it was also the truth. In a way, Adela was heavily protected and pampered by her parents ever since Adela was young. Even though the main reason was because of her weak body, but she still looked rather naive. Aurora sighed. "What if you get sick later?" "I''ll be fine." Adela waved her hand. "Don''t worry too much about me, Sister! You should also buy some food that you like." Seeing that her persuasion was useless, Aurora didn''t stop Adela anymore and let her do what she wanted. Aurora knew very well that no matter what she did, she couldn''t force Adela to do what she didn''t want. If she did and this made Adela cried, her mother would only reprimand her and made things difficult for her. Aurora would rather ignore Adela and simply receive the reprimand from her mother for not doing her duty well as the older sister. Who made her younger sister never truly listened to her older sister? Walking through the streets, Aurora looked around at the stalls and found that most of them were selling food. There were a few of them selling accessory such as small wooden figurine, wooden sword, and some others related to the festival. It was lively. Perhaps, it was the original intention of the festival itself. "What time! We''ve given you half a year but you still haven''t earned enough money. Isn''t it easier for us to sell you instead." The middle aged man sneered. The young man looked at the woman behind him and then looked at the middle aged man in front of him. "How much did she owe you?" "Do you want to pay for him, Pretty boy?" The middle aged man shook his head and looked at him up and down. "With your appearance, do you really think that you''re some kind of rich person?" "Don''t make me repeat it, how much did she owe?" The young man frowned. "10 gold," the middle aged man replied. 10 gold? Aurora, who was listening at the side, shook her head. It was impossible for a commoner to have that much money if they didn''t have some kind of business. Besides, the currency that was used was gold, silver, and copper. 100 copper is equal to 1 silver and 100 silver is equal to 1 gold. The monthly wage for commoner were usually only 1 silver to 5 silver at most. In one year, they wouldn''t be able to reach 1 gold. Even the generous paying job wouldn''t allow them to earn that much. But she owed 10 gold? It meant that she would have to work several years if she wished to be able to repay this debt. "10 gold?" The young man frowned. "Then if I paid the money, will you leave her alone?" "You? Can you pay?" Aurora at the side looked at the scene in front of her and knew that this young man definitely could pay. He''s the crown prince of the Yellow Kingdom, Crown Prince Edward. Chapter 23: Thoughtless Chapter 23: Thoughtless If he couldn''t pay, it would be stranger instead. Aurora was definitely able to recognize the young man easily. After all, that golden pupil was very eye catching and even though the young prince was using hood to cover up his face, those who were familiar with the Royal Family could still recognize him. The golden eyes were very eye catching. "Wow, he''s really kind." Adela, who had caught up, had her eyes lit up when she saw this scene in front of her. She also recognized Crown Prince Edward, but she had no intention to step forward and greeted him directly. After all, the crown prince was dressed up like them right now, wearing commoner clothes that would make them look rather ordinary. It was just that the unique pupil that belonged to the Royal Family couldn''t really be hidden. "I can pay, but you have to promise me not to bother with her in the future," Crown Prince Edward said quickly. The middle aged man grinned while the young woman behind Crown Prince Edward was shivering. "Ok." The middle aged man nodded. With that, Crown Prince Edward took his pouch and threw 10 gold over to the middle aged man. For the crown prince who had a lot of money from the Royal Palace, this small amount of money was nothing. Adela watched this with shining eyes. She felt that the crown prince was really kind and full of justice. It was too bad that she was not the one who was being helped. In worst case scenario, it could even result in death. "I don''t dare! I don''t dare!" The middle aged man quickly shook his head. Crown Prince Edward looked at the young girl in surprise and then looked at the middle aged man again. "Then scram." "Yes, yes!" The middle aged man ran away while Crown Prince Edward smiled in Adela''s direction. "Thank you for your help, Miss Adela." "It''s nothing much, Your H... I mean, you?" Adela was not sure how to address the Crown Prince at this time. With him dressing as a commoner, it didn''t seem right for her to expose his identity as the crown prince. Crown Prince Edward motioned for Adela to wait and then turned around to settle the young woman behind him. He wanted to make sure that she was fine. Adela waited patiently. At the side, Aurora didn''t step out. She raised her hand and motioned for the guard to follow the middle aged man. These two people were really... thoughtless. Chapter 24: Proper Kindness Chapter 24: Proper Kindness Aurora had nothing against kind people. In fact, she felt that kind people were good because it meant that they have compassion within them. But all kindness and compassion needed a proper place to be shown. Thoughtless kindness would only put themselves in danger and it was not something Aurora wanted to see. They were all people with high status, wealth, and power. Compared to the commoners and people around them, they have different weight in various matters. If they wanted to be kind, it was fine. But they had to remember their status and the fact that each and every action of theirs would affect the lives of countless people. There were many people who might want to make use of their position and got close to them. This was what they had to avoid. But despite being in high position, neither Crown Prince Edward and Adela realized this. They acted in a way they wanted to and helped the commoners around them simply because they could, not caring about the other consequences at all. Aurora sighed. Perhaps, being thoughtless was also good to a certain degree. She couldn''t help her sister, but if the Crown Prince Edward didn''t change, it would be hard for him to protect his life. The guard soon returned and then whispered to Aurora. "Ah, don''t call me with such formality when we''re out here." Crown Prince Edward scratched the back of his head and then said, "Call me Cade. In turn, I''ll also call you with your chosen nickname." Adela''s eyes lit up. "Your Highness, you can call me Adela directly." "Would that be inappropriate?" Crown Prince Edward was stunned. The main reason why he picked a different name was because it would be impolite for one to call others with their name directly. If they were of nobility, they had to call the other party in accordance to the titles they have. It was really tiresome. But that was how the nobility has always been. For this reason, it would be better to make up a name when one was traveling outside. In this way, they would not break the etiquette nor they would feel uncomfortable for having their name called directly by others. And with a different name, they could differentiate it when they were acting as a commoner and when they were acting as themselves under the noble identity. "That''s..." Adela frowned. She seemed to have heard her mother said something about this, but she forgot about it. "I''ll go by the name, Anna, Cade," Aurora replied unhurriedly. Seeing her sister had already started, Adela quickly said, "In that case, I''ll be Ella." "Now that''s settled, let''s go." Crown Prince Edward smiled at the two young ladies. The two of them nodded. Chapter 25: Thoughts Chapter 25: Thoughts Going with Crown Prince Edward in the Sun Festival was bound to be different compared to the time when they were going on their own. Aurora also able to sense the gazes of many people looking in their direction. Even though Crown Prince Edward was dressed as a commoner, there were naturally many of his knights dressed up as commoner who were following him. Just like her and Adela, Crown Prince Edward''s position was high and precaution must be necessary. However, from the way Crown Prince Edward looked like, he only knew two people who were following him. The rest seemed to be protecting him from the dark. ''I guess it''s only natural for the kingdom to protect the crown prince so much.'' Aurora shook her head slightly. Compared to the Red Kingdom that has some dispute between the two princes, the Yellow Kingdom''s King only has one wife, the current Queen. In terms of marriage, this kingdom practiced more monogamy but it didn''t mean there were no concubines at all. There were still some of them here. Crown Prince Edward is the first prince and the second prince was still very young, so it was unlikely to pass the throne to him. The difference in age between the two princes were quite big. So, Crown Prince Edward could be said to be future of the Yellow Kingdom and many people couldn''t afford to have him fall at such a young age. This way, the protection for Crown Prince Edward was really high. Glasses and these lamps were the new inventions they made in the recent years, but it was also the specialty of another kingdom. This only started to enter the Yellow Kingdom and that duke''s territory also started to reproduce it. It was a hit. Aurora was taught about her family''s territory and management, so she also understood more or less why her father was busy lately. The interest in their territory was being challenged and it meant they would earn lesser money. For Duke White, it was not acceptable. Their territory had to grow even more if they wished to survive. Aurora wouldn''t be the one managing the territory, but she could think about it. Besides, if she was not wrong, the products that Duke Sun''s territory made was a bit different from the one from Sand Kingdom. It could actually be used in a certain way, but the production method was kept secret. After all, the lives of the people in those two places depended on this thing. "Sister! Let''s watch the play, it''s about to start!" Adela called for Aurora and Aurora smiled in response, bringing her thoughts out of this matter. No matter what happened between the two territories, it was not up for Aurora to worry about. She just had to take one step at a time on the things around her. Chapter 26: The Play Chapter 26: The Play The play in the Sun Festival was made to be quite realistic. To a certain degree. Looking at the people who were waving their wooden swords to each other like this, Aurora blinked her eyes. She knew it was all wooden swords painted with metallic silver to create the impression of real swords. But it was clear that these actors didn''t know how real fights were done. The moves they made were nothing threatening. If anything, it seemed to be a show that was put for the sake of appearance. As someone who had watched real knights training, Aurora could tell this much. But if she was asked what should be done, then her answer would be she didn''t know. After all, she herself was not training in swordsmanship. ''Should I consider myself to learn swordsmanship?'' Turning her head to the side, Aurora could see that both Adela and Crown Prince Edward was enjoying the play very much. Even if Crown Prince Edward knew the movements of these people''s swords were really bad, but he said nothing and still enjoyed the play and the festival. Once it was done, they clapped their hands together. Aurora also followed suit. Geett the latest novels at novelhall.com "Cade, it''s almost time for dinner. Would you like to eat together or return?" Aurora asked as they finished watching the play. As for the high price? Neither of them really cared. They were all rich as Duke White still gave Aurora and Adela a lot of allowance. As for the Crown Prince, his allowance was even more than the two of them. "That''s a good idea!" Crown Prince Edward agreed right away. Adela looked at her sister and then nodded. "In that case, let''s go there, Cade." "Yes." Adela walked straight to Crown Prince Edward''s side and then turned to look at Aurora who was behind them, "Come on, Sister." Aurora blinked her eyes. They were only 9 to 10 years old, so it shouldn''t be strange for children to gather together and play around. But for some reasons, she had the feeling that Adela was purposely trying to stick close to Crown Prince Edward. Was she imagining things? Chapter 27: Suspicious Chapter 27: Suspicious The three of them went to the restaurant in question. Like what Aurora had said, the restaurant did sell take away box for them if they didn''t want to eat in the restaurant. Right now, the restaurant itself is quite full as many people came out to participate and enjoy Sun Festival. "Wow, there''s a full meal set too!" Crown Prince Edward was happy when he saw that the entire meal could be packaged. Even though the package was not very good, but he didn''t have to wait for seat. Even though a VIP seat could be prepared for him, Cade didn''t want to use it. Not today. "Let''s find some seat to eat." Chee?ck out latest novels at novelhall.com "Yes!" Crown Prince Edward and Adela made their way to the square and occupied the seat. After that, they started to eat while talking about the play just now. It looked like the two of them were really excited about it. "His Highness is still a child after all," one of Crown Prince Edward whispered in a low voice. Aurora, who passed by, heard the sentence and her lips pursed, but she didn''t pursue it. She ate not far from them, still following the formal etiquette that was taught to her. Even when she was out here, she couldn''t really relax completely. Meal for children were not too much, so it was done quickly. "It''s going to be late soon. Let''s go back, Adela," Aurora reminded. "Yes, ah..." Adela slipped and Crown Prince Edward quickly caught the young girl before she could fell to the ground. "Are you alright?" Crown Prince Edward frowned and felt distressed. It seemed that Adela was really a bit weak and need more nutrition. Even when she was walking around, she could even fall. But right now... Aurora took a deep breath and stepped forward. Her thoughts process only lasted for a second, but she was thinking a lot of things. "Adela, are you alright? Did you get hurt?" Aurora asked with concern. Adela straightened herself with Crown Prince Edward''s help. She smiled brightly and looked a bit smug. "Sister, don''t worry, I''m fine." Ah really... Seeing Adela''s expression, Aurora only smiled faintly and didn''t say anything else. She helped Adela up and bid farewell to Crown Prince Edward before making her way back to Duke White''s Mansion. Crown Prince Edward watched as the two girls left and sighed. "Second Miss Adela is really weak." Crown Prince Edward shook his head. "Come to think about it, she will have her birthday at the start of autumn next month, I better give some replenishment to Duke White''s Mansion. What do you think about it, Mike?" Mike is Crown Prince Edward''s personal knight who was responsible to protect him. Since Crown Prince Edward was traveling incognito as a commoner, Mike was also dressed as a commoner and followed Crown Prince Edward. Of course, he carried his sword with him in case it was necessary. Hearing what the crown prince said, Mike replied, "Your Highness, it would not be appropriate." Even though Adela is Aurora''s younger sister, it was not appropriate for her to receive gifts from her sister''s fiance?. Moreover, the two girls hadn''t had their debut and entered the society. Technically, the two of them were still ''young girls'' and it was not suitable to have much communication with other nobles. Of course, there were also many nobles who had their engagement even before their debut such as Crown Prince Edward and Aurora. The two of them were engaged due to the fact that their family background was suitable and some other political benefits. But most other girls would only have their engagement after their debut. Chapter 28: Report Chapter 28: Report "Why wouldn''t it be suitable?" Crown Prince Edward asked in confusion. "It''s not like she''s an outsider, right?" Knight Mike looked at Crown Prince Edward and sighed deeply. In terms of intelligence, Crown Prince Edward was indeed not very bright. Even if his teachers had taught him etiquette and common sense, but most of the lessons he had learned over the years seemed to have flown out of his head. Thankfully Crown Prince Edward was still young. There was still more than enough time for him to study. "Your Highness, Second Miss Adela is your fiance?e''s sister. It''s not appropriate for you to get too close to your future sister in law," Knight Mike explained it from another perspective. Crown Prince Edward furrowed his eyebrows. "Besides, Duke White can care for his daughter''s well being without the need for you to concern yourself, Your Highness," Knight Mike added. Hearing this, Crown Prince Edward finally put down the thoughts of delivering medicine to Adela. Duke White was not lacking in money at all and if they truly needed it, they could prepare enough medicine for Adela. "Oh, fine then." Crown Prince Edward nodded and then his attention was attracted by another matter. As soon as she arrived, the butler announced her presence and Duke White allowed her to enter. "It seems you have encountered something important on your trip," Duke White said lightly without raising his head from his papers. Aurora knew very well that the knights who followed them were all under Duke White''s command. Even if she didn''t come here to give report, Duke White will still know their actions and behavior when they were outside this time. Rather than letting it them be the one to give the report, it would be better for Aurora to be the one to give the report. He will know either way. If she could make a good use of this to show her ''loyalty'' and stance to the family, Aurora would do it. "Yes, Father," Aurora replied and started to tell the story about her encounter with Crown Prince Edward. Even though Duke White cared for Adela, but he cared more about her engagement and also his territory. He loved power more than anything. A kind ruler like Crown Prince Edward might be a good thing for the people but not exactly one suitable for the throne. It was something that Aurora had realized too. If Crown Prince Edward remained the same in the following years, it was possible for the throne to slip away from his hands. Or even if he was still the king, he might be more of a puppet king rather than one who truly hold the power in his hands. "What do you think of this incident, Aurora?" Duke White slowly asked. Chapter 29 What Do You Think? 29 What Do You Think? Aurora looked at her father in front of her and slowly replied, "The people who come to trouble the woman should be real. She did have debt, but the main reason they choose today to make a move is because they wanted to take advantage of the nobles'' kindness to earn more money." Making trouble during Sun Festival... It was a bold move. Because there were more nobles who would dress up as commoner to mix with them. Even though some nobles would not bother to act and mix with the commoners, they would still come out to the street in order to watch the play and to enjoy the Sun Festival. After all, not every day they could go out on the street so freely. There were so many nobles during the Sun Festival that it didn''t matter even if they were to spend most of their time outside. It wouldn''t attract much attention. The Yellow Kingdom''s Capital City was usually also very noisy during this kind of festivals. But not many people dared to make trouble during this day because they knew that if they were to offend the wrong person, they might have to pay with their lives. For some people who were living at the bottom, this was not a big problem, though. They have nothing to lose. "In this way, I can see whether she work well or not. If she''s not talented, she can stay in that position, but if she has some kind of talent, then it''s not impossible to promote her and reward her when it''s determined she''s not a spy," Aurora replied. Duke White listened to Aurora''s words and laughed. "You seem to already have a concrete plan in your mind." "Giving money directly will only make them take it for granted," Aurora replied. "Some people will take the kindness to their heart, but some others are not so righteous and will forget about this matter soon enough." Her lessons had already taught her that human nature was indeed very complicated. Some people were kind from the bottom of their heart, but many other people were those who had other thoughts and would take advantage of others without hesitation. "Indeed, this would be a good set of plan." Duke White nodded. "But this couldn''t be done now. That woman has already run away." Aurora nodded. She was not surprised by this piece of news. When she sent the guards, she only asked them to follow the man and not the woman. Because even if they were to use the woman, that had to go through Crown Prince Edward''s hand and not theirs. But it seemed that Crown Prince Edward was really thoughtless. Aurora felt her evaluation for the crown prince was getting lower. Even if they were engaged and would get married in the future, but this was nothing more than a political marriage. There was no need for them to truly love each other as long as they could live with each other. Besides, what was needed from them was their position and ability in the future. "Now that you have reported this matter." Duke White looked at his daughter and smiled faintly. "Tell me what you want as reward, Aurora." Chapter 30: Request and Reasons Chapter 30: Request and Reasons "Father, I would like your permission to learn swordsmanship," Aurora replied unhurriedly. "Swordsmanship?" Duke White arched his eyebrows. While there were some women knights, but it was not very common. At least, among the nobilities, there were only a few noble women who would learn swordsmanship and become a knight. The rest of them would learn womens arts properly just like what Aurora had been learning over the years. After all, there was no need for them to learn swordsmanship like men as many of them didnt even have the talent for it. "Yes." Aurora took a deep breath. "I think itll be necessary for me to stay strong as there will be a lot of things I have to learn. There are many places I need to travel in the future and it would be good for me to have some means of protection." Duke White didnt immediately agree. "There are already a lot of knights around you, Aurora." It meant, for protection, there are enough people who were sent to protect Aurora. Even today, there were several knights hidden, secretly protecting the two young ladies when they were having their outings. "I still think I need more exercise, Father," Aurora slowly replied. "Because Ill get more tired with the long study I have over the years." There were times when Aurora felt a bit overwhelmed with her study and tired. Even if her meals were nutritious and so on, but Aurora knew very well that the main cause for her tiredness was because she didnt have much exercise. She had to stay healthy. Because only when she is healthy could she do many things. "If you want to have some exercise, Ill not stop you." Duke White also knew that Auroras study was heavy. As the future crown princess, even he also expected his daughter to know many things. But if Aurora were to fall sick, her study would definitely be delayed and this couldnt do. "Ill let you exercise in the morning for two hours and there will be a female knight teaching you basic swordsmanship. You dont have to be good at it as long as you can stay healthy. However, Ill not reduce the other classes," Duke White said. Not reducing classes meant that Auroras study will increase by 2 hours every day. Before this, Aurora already had to spend most of her times studying. Except on the day when Crown Prince Edward came as a guest to Duke Whites Mansion, Aurora was already so busy every single day. Adding two hours of study meant that she barely has any rest every day. Even after dinner, she would still have some classes to do. But this was good enough for Aurora. "I understand, Father." "Good. You may go." Duke White waved his hand and focused his attention back to his papers. There were some troublesome matters in his territory that he had to settle and some other papers he had to review. "Yes, Father." Aurora curtsied and walked out. She glanced at her servants and asked, "Has my sister return?" "Second Miss is still with Madam, Eldest Miss," one of the maids replied to Aurora. "I see." Auroras eyes flickered as she walked back to her room. There was no study today because it was Sun Festival, but the maids were all still working as usual. Aurora moved her eyes to Les and whispered to the other party. "Yes, Miss." Les quickly moved while Aurora went back to her room. After a long time walking around, it would have been better if she could have more rest. Before long, Les returned with a stack of crumpled paper on a tray that was mixed with snacks. "Miss, this is all the papers Second Miss throw in the past two months." "Good, put it on the table and you may leave." "Yes." Chapter 31: She’s Not Her Sister Chapter 31: Shes Not Her Sister Aurora looked at the stack of paper in front of her. Unlike her who had a lot of study everyday and also a lot of books to read and papers to write, Adela only started her study recently. From what Aurora had heard, Adelas study was also very simple and mostly only about her reading and comprehension of various subjects. It was said that Adela was really smart, but the teachers didnt dare to teach her for a long time in case she was too tired and affected her health. After all, they didnt want to be responsible if something happened to her. Because of this, there were not many paper trash from Adelas room. It was easy to collect them as it was still put together in the trash can. And Aurora couldnt possibly go to take these on her own, so she asked her maids to take it secretly and delivered them to her with the other snacks. I hope Im wrong about this. Aurora took a deep breath and silently unfolded the paper one by one. The first few were Adelas writing about her study, which was not what Aurora was concerned about. She put these papers on the side and planned to put them away as it was not important. Adelas study progress has naturally been reported to Duke White. Even if he didnt act that way, he still had the report of the study of his children. And after opening a few paper, Aurora finally found the one she has been looking for. A paper full of scribbles and strange words, but Aurora could still recognize most of them. Moreover, she could see that there were some things that happened in the past few months written here. Engagement of Aurora and Crown Prince Edward The meeting and first impression The Sun Festival, meeting between Aurora and Crown Prince Edward And so on. There were a few more events written there and the time was not clear, but Auroras eyes deepened. There were many things that were crossed over as if Adela was not sure whether it was true or not, which was the reason why this paper was finally tossed away. She should have a more detailed one kept with her. And that paper was most likely be kept in a secret place so that no one would be able to find it. Aurora looked away and opened the other papers. Soon, she found some other scribbles. Many of them were not very clear and filled with messy text, but it could still be read. It was just that some words didnt seem to connect with the sentences, making it hard to understand. Some of the marks could hide the text more or less, but it was not very complete there. Still... It was enough. Aurora could guess what Adela was writing there more or less. *sigh* Taking a deep breath, Aurora leaned back on her chair. The best way to confirm whether what was written here was true or not was through the next event written there. Since there was no time stamp, Aurora could only try to wait and see. But whether it was true or not, the information here could be said to be quite unreliable because it was not certain how true it was. There were also many crossing marks that made one wonder whether it was because the text was written wrong or because of other reasons that it was crossed. Not to mention... There was no basis for the information written here. Rather than information, the things written here was more like a prophecy as it directly stated what would happen in the future. "A prophecy, how ridiculous." Aurora sat up straight and looked at the stack of paper in front of her. She didnt know how true the content of the paper was. But one thing for sure... The current Adela is not her sister Adela. And this world in the eyes of the current Adela is no different from a novel. Its really... ridiculous. Chapter 32: Ridiculous Chapter 32: Ridiculous Aurora looked at the ceiling above her. If she had to say, this was something that she didnt want to confirm the most. Because it meant that her sister had died. The body was still there, but her soul was no longer the same. It should have been a ridiculous thing, but for some reason, Aurora chose to believe in it. Even if other people might think that Aurora was crazy, but only she herself knew that it should be correct. But it was a truth nobody wanted. Shall I test it again? To be honest, Aurora didnt want to believe it. All evidences pointed in this direction, which only made Aurora felt even more desperate and a bit confused. She was not even 11 years old yet, but she had to face this. The problem is... Aside from her, her parents didnt seem to notice it. Even the servants didnt find anything strange from Adela. Even if Aurora were to bring this matter up, there was nothing that she could do but to accept that her beloved younger sister was no longer here. The one in her sisters body was a stranger, someone who might know the future and also someone who treated everything here like a book. It was ridiculous. Aurora pulled herself together and put away the paper containing the scribbles and put them somewhere save. The rest of the papers were burned in the fireplace so as not to leave any trace. "I really hope... You wont treat this world as nothing more than a story or game." Looking at the word villain, villainess, protagonist, and other tags there, Auroras eyes deepened. If Adela were to treat this world as game... Then she would have no qualms in doing some things that might have been spurned upon by many other people. Or even things that might have crossed her own bottom limit. Because if Adela truly did that, then Aurora would have no other choice but to truly stand on the opposite of Adela. Just like how Adela wrote in this text that Aurora White is the villainess. But if Aurora had to be honest... She didnt really want to stand on the opposite side of her sister. Shaking her head, Aurora put it all away. She would see how it is in the future. The next event written by Adela in that paper... should happen within a years time? ... The next day, Aurora woke up early and after her breakfast, she went to the training field at the back. The training field was usually used by the knights and also Duke White to train. Since Duke White has no sons, no one else usually used the field. If he had a son, the son would have to learn swordsmanship here. Some of the training areas were usually empty, but now one of them has a female knight ready. "Eldest Miss, Im Knight Mira and Ill be responsible for your study in swords." The female knight bowed in standard posture. Aurora raised her head and looked at the female knight. The female knight has long blond hair and looked very energetic. Looking at her appearance, she seemed to be of noble descent too but it might have been the poor one. After all, not all nobles have territory and rich. Some of them only have title but no territory. "Ill be under your care, Knight Mira," Aurora replied and followed the bow. Since she was not wearing any skirt, it was a bit hard for her to perform her standard courtesy. It would be better to follow the knights bow. Knight Mira smiled. "Eldest Miss, first well warm up with running and Ill adjust your training based on your stamina and ability." "Yes." Aurora knew her physical strength was by no means the best. She spent most of her time studying under her teachers and her parents arrangement. This made it impossible for her to practice her physical strength. Even if she did have some walk when moving from one room to the other, but it was by no means an exercise. After a while, Aurora soon realized that she was indeed very weak. The few laps Knight Mira asked her to finish was already close to her limit, so after that, Knight Mira asked her to do some light exercise. The sword training was only swinging the sword with the same stance for some time before Auroras first classes was done. After that, it was only natural for Aurora to be sent back to her other classes. The other teachers were already waiting. And... Its really painful. Aurora already knew that she was going to suffer when she decided to learn swordsmanship. But when it was really time, Aurora really felt that her body was heavy. She was sure that tomorrow, it would be even worse and this made Aurora sigh. Well, for the sake of her future, she should hold on. Chapter 33: It’s Time? Chapter 33: Its Time? Just when Aurora thought that she could rest, her mother called for her and reprimanded her for not taking care of Adela well. Looking at Adela on the bed, Aurora fell silent. She seemed to guess that the food Adela ate back during the Sun Festival was not suitable for her body. Aurora had tried to stop Adela, but Adela was stubborn and ended up falling sick. But the one who got scolded was Aurora. *sigh* Aurora could only listen to her mothers lecture and then went back to class. Even though Duchess Isabella felt that she didnt have enough scolding to Aurora, she also knew that it was important for Aurora to study. So she could only let Aurora went back while she take care of Adela on the bed. Aurora could see Adela who was sick tired on the bed and sighed deeply in her heart. She could only hope that Adela would take this lesson and no longer ate random food in the future. While some street food are fine, but for people with weak body like Adela, it would be better for her not to eat them. ... Time passed quietly. Adela spent several months resting on the bed and finally recovered. It had to be said that the recovery period was long because Adela was trying to force herself to do normal activity but forgot to drink her medicine. And a few more incidents that resulted in her bedridden once more. To be honest, watching Adela being so naughty, Aurora wanted to advise Adela to listen to the doctors arrangement. But Adela didnt seem to be willing to listen to her, so Aurora didnt try to get close to her either. She had some other things to do. And that was because after her birthday at the late autumn, the invitation for the tea party that Adela wrote truly come. "Aurora, Adela, youre already 11 and 10 years old." Duchess Isabella looked at her two daughters. "Im going to bring you to the tea party of Marques Brown." Marques Browns tea party. In the Yellow Kingdom, there were a lot of nobles with each of them having different status and all. The interaction between the noble ladies were usually thought these tea parties and so on. As the Duchess, Duchess Isabella had already received a lot of invitation over the years. She was just a bit picky and would not come to all parties available. After all, as the duchess, her status was high and it was impossible for her to attend each and every single one of them. But Duchess Isabella herself liked going to these parties and often went on her own. This was the first time Duchess Isabella wanted to bring them along. "Mother, would it be alright for us to come?" Aurora asked carefully. "Its fine." Duchess Isabella waved her hand lightly. "There are a lot of people who will bring their children too and I will bring you to introduce you to them." Since these children didnt have their debut yet, it would not be appropriate for them to go to the banquets and so on. But tea parties would be alright, especially if it was a small one like this. Duchess Isabella knew that the tea parties that Marques Brown held from time to time was usually only a small one. Marques Brown had a high vision and would only invite those of high enough status. The three dukes, the other marques and also those of count. Below these three ranks, Marques Brown rarely invited them. Because she only invited the high ranked nobles and not all of them come, the tea party would be rather small. It was suitable to bring their children there. "It meant I can meet with new friends, Mother?" Adela asked with her eyes sparkling as if she was excited. "Yes." Duchess Isabella looked at her second daughter with fondness and then her eyebrows furrowed slightly in worry. "But this time, you have to watch your food intake." "Yes, Mother." Adela could only scratch her head in embarrassment. She couldnt stand the plain food that was given to her when she was sick, so Adela could only sneak out to eat them. Who would have thought that this body was so weak that she would fall sick just because of one snack? Adela felt bitter when she thought about this, but there was nothing that she could do. "And you have to dress warmly. Its already winter." Duchess Isabella looked at Aurora and Adelas dress and shook her head. The mansion was warm because their fireplace was turned on, but when they came out later, there was no fireplace to keep the temperature stable. "Yes, Mother." Adela nodded obediently. She didnt want to spend the next few months lying on the bed either. Chapter 34: News about Tea Party Chapter 34: News about Tea Party Aurora herself was fine with the cold. Her training in the past few months had allowed her to increase her stamina and strength to a certain degree. Even though she was still not very strong, but it was still far better than how she used to be. In this way, her study was more effective and Aurora felt a bit relieved. The only problem was that Aurora realized she had no talent for swordsmanship because it was really hard for her to learn the basic swordsmanship alone. But it was fine. When Aurora learned the swordsmanship, she never expected herself to become a master who was very capable in swordsmanship and so on. It was enough for her to learn enough skills to protect herself when it was necessary. Moreover, if she was healthy, she could also spend her time to do many other things and so on. Since it was beneficial for her, Aurora would still stick with her training. Thanks to her training, Aurora was not that afraid and worried about the cold. This was a piece of good news for Aurora because it meant that she didnt have to be so worried when the temperature dropped in the future. The two girls went back to their respective rooms, preparing themselves for the tea party. Aurora had long expected that her mother would bring them to this tea party more because of how reasonable it was. After all, it was impossible for Aurora and Adela not to have any friends at all. So the best way for them to have friends was through this method. As for the other method... That would be in the future since it was not suitable right now. Their age was not enough for them to enter the academy. So when this matter was written in Adelas scribble... Aurora was more worried about how Adela knew about it. After all, Adele was not very clear about the situation of the nobility. She didnt study much before and even if she did study, the content would not tell her too much about the overall situation of the nobility. Besides, it was what would happen during the tea party that Aurora was concerned about. It would show whether the content was true or not. But even if it was true, Aurora would not use it as guideline for any prophetic matters because she knew it was ridiculous. The source of the paper was not hers and she couldnt confront Adela about it either. She could only treat it as an additional information more than anything else. "Miss, which dress do you want to wear?" Les asked when Aurora came back. "Pick one that would suit me the most," Aurora replied. "But all of them are good." Les was troubled when she looked at the long selection of clothes that Aurora had. It was really difficult for Les to be the one to pick the dress for Aurora. Aurora glanced at the dress and then said, "The green one. Its fairly simple but also lively." "Okay, Miss!" With that, Aurora started to dress up. This time, she purposely picked the green colored dress because it would make her look more childish. As much as she wanted to act young, Aurora knew better than anyone that she was actually considered as a mature child. She couldnt act childish like what she had seen on the street or what the servants commented secretly. So if she wanted to look more of her age, it would be better for her to depend on her dress and accessory. At least, this would make her look more like her age and didnt stand out too much. Les curled Auroras hair, making it more wavier and then tied half of it together to form a braid on the back. This made Aurora look cute and clean at the same time. She look her age, but it would not diminish the fact that she was indeed calmer and more maturer than her peers. The dress also had long sleeve, so Aurora would not feel cold when she was outside. Her purple hues eyes watched her appearance from the mirror and Aurora nodded slightly. It was good enough. "Do you want to wear accessory, Miss?" Les asked. Accessory? Aurora looked at the stack of accessor that Les showed to her and she thought about it before shaking her head slightly. "A ribbon would be enough." She was still very young and not very suitable to wear expensive jewelries. No matter how beautiful they looked like, the design was not very suitable for children and Aurora didnt want to make herself look older than how she actually was. "Yes, Miss." Soon, Aurora was done and after picking a matching green shoes, Aurora made her way out. Duchess Isabella glanced lightly at Aurora and nodded. Chapter 35: Marques Brown Tea Party Chapter 35: Marques Brown Tea Party After Aurora was done, it was Adela who came out. Different from Aurora who picked the green colored dress, Adela picked pink colored dress with lively design. Matched with her beautiful blond hair, this makes her look exceptionally lively. She was indeed very cute. "Mother, Im ready!" Adela said excitedly. Duchess Isabella nodded at her two daughters and then said, "Follow me. Ill introduce you to the other girls when we reach Marques Browns Residence." "Yes!" The main reason for one to attend a tea party was naturally to get to know other noble girls and so on. If they could expand their influence through this event, it would be a good thing and having friends of similar statuses were important. Aurora sat in the carriage and looked outside. She had been going in a carriage several times lately and this gave her the habit of looking outside. After all, she didnt have anything else to do aside from listening her mothers teaching back then. And looking outside, Aurora was able to see much more of the world outside. Their way of living, the various small incidents outside, and many other thing that happened while they were only passing by. It was all unique in a way. And through this, Aurora could see whether the people living around here were happy or not. The smile on their faces when they were passing by were genuine and there were also times when their smile was fake. Aurora was watching these all. "Were here," Duchess Isabella reminded. "The mansion is big, Mother." Adela saw the mansion in front of her and then asked, "Which one is bigger, our mansion or this mansion, Mother?" Duchess Isabella looked at the mansion in front of her and then said, "Ours should be bigger." "Wow!" Aurora heard their conversation and her expression turned a bit strange. Duke White was by no means rich even though he had such an honorable title. This was because most of the funds he obtained through managing his territory had to be invested back and there was also a reserved funds kept in case something bad happened in the territory. One of the reasons why Duke White agreed to marry Duchess Isabella, who was the princess of the Red Kingdom, was because of money. As a princess, Duchess Isabella is very rich. After all, it was impossible for the Red Kingdom to treat their princess badly. They had to give Duchess Isabella a lot of things to bring along when she was married to Duke White back then. So if one were to say... Duke White Mansion was actually smaller than Marquis Browns mansion. Of course, Aurora had no intention to tell Adela about this. Her mother was determined not to lose face of her husband and no one paid attention to this matter. It was just that the record was there and Aurora had seen it before. "Were here." They all came down and saw there were several other beautiful carriages already parked. Looking at the family crest from each and every single one of them, Aurora took a deep breath. She understood that Marques Brown invited those important people and they were all of high rank. "Follow me." "Yes, Mother." Aurora followed Duchess Isabella and her etiquette was perfect, not showing even the slightest bit of mistake. Even at a young age, Aurora looked elegant and could be said to be perfect. On the other hand, Adelas etiquette lesson has only started a few months ago. She was also not very good at this because Adela felt it was really tiring. The result was that she looked more like an ordinary girl rather than the dignified daughter of the duke family. "Duchess White, please over here." Duchess Isabella nodded and followed the maid to Marques Brown. Marques Brown was busy to greet the other guests and looked happy. She has beautiful curly brown hair and looked more beautiful. When Marques Brown saw Duchess Isabella, she quickly curtsied. "Its nice to see you here today, Duchess White." Duchess Isabella nodded. After her marriage, she naturally assumed her husbands surname. It was just that she preferred to be called with her own name unless it was in a formal occasion like this. After all, it was not appropriate for others to call her with her name directly. "Its been a while, Duchess Brown. Thank you for your invitation today," Duchess Isabella said with a smile. "Im pleased you can take your time to come here." Marques Brown was still smiling. He saw the two girls behind Duchess Isabella. "Is this two your children?" "Yes, this is my first daughter, Aurora and my second daughter, Adela," Duchess Isabella introduced the two girls. Both of them quickly curtsied and greeted Marques Brown. And in just one movement, Marques Brown could see the difference between the two children. Chapter 36: Marques Brown Tea Party (2) Chapter 36: Marques Brown Tea Party (2) Aurora was dressed more mature and elegant, which also seemed to suit her personality more. On the other hand, Adela was more lively and active. But at the same time, she was someone who couldnt follow the etiquette well enough. Or it would be better to say not yet. After all, Adela was still young. But using this young word... it didnt seem to be appropriate considering that Aurora was only around 1 year older than Adela. Marques Brown had some thoughts inside her mind, but she showed none of those on the surface. "My daughter, Annelie, is inside." Marques Brown smiled. "Im sure that they will all get along just fine." "Yes, Marques Brown." Aurora thought about Annelie Brown, the daughter of Marquis and Marques Brown. She was known to have elegant demeanor following her mother. But just like her, she hadnt made her debut yet, so not many people truly know her appearance. These were mostly only rumors spread in the high society that Aurora heard from her mother. Neither Aurora or Adela had made their debut. So for them to know the rumors in the high society, they would have to hear them from Duchess Isabella. Thankfully, Duchess Isabella often shared these gossips after they ate together if Duke White was not present. Beside Aurora, Adelas delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly. They walked inside and found Annelie Brown surrounded by a few other girls. Annelie was very similar to her mother. She has long curly brown hair and dressed in beautiful red dress, making her look strikingly beautiful. Annelie Brown saw them and quickly curtsied, "Miss Aurora, I am Annelie Brown. Its a pleasure to meet you." "Its a pleasure to meet you too, Miss Annelie," Aurora replied. "Yes, its a pleasure to see you, Miss Annelie," Adela quickly followed suit, but her words were a bit slower than her older sister. Annelie could hear Adelas words and her eyebrows furrowed slightly for a moment before she relaxed. She was a year older than Aurora and Adela as she was already 12 years old. Even if she was not the oldest, she was still more mature than the other girls. The other girls quickly stepped forward to greet Aurora and Adela. The reason was obvious. The two of them were the only duke daughters in this hall. The other two dukedom didnt have any daughters, which was one of the reasons why Aurora was able to become the fiance?e of Crown Prince Edward easily. The other noble girls were only the Marquis daughters, which the Royal Family didnt want to. The Queen herself came from another duchy, but she was not the head of the family. "Please take a seat." Annelie led them to the seat. Since both Aurora and Adela had the highest status here, they were naturally given the best seat. "Thank you," Aurora said with a smile and then sat down elegantly. Beside Aurora, Adela could see the admiration in the eyes of the other girls when they were looking in Auroras direction. If Adela had to say for herself, Aurora had impeccable performance. Her etiquette was really perfect and no one would be able to fault her. Even though these movements were really tiring to do, but if they were done perfectly, it does look very good. Adela was not used to these strict etiquette and felt that her body was hurt when she was training. But she also knew that if she wanted to have others respect her, she had to have appropriate demeanor. Nobility is really a hassle. "Miss Aurora, please taste the tea. My mother brought a new type of tea from our territory," Annelie said with a smile. Aurora nodded and smiled. Marquis Browns territory was located at the north and didnt directly border Duke Whites territory. It could be said that the two territories were a bit far from each other and in normal times, the two rarely interacted. Marquis Brown territory was located at higher ground and have some social corps. Their tea were really famous. "The taste is mellow and sweet," Aurora said. "Is this tea going to be mass produced?" Annelie smiled when she heard Auroras words. "My dad said that the amount is too small for the time being, but it might be possible within a few years." "In that case, how about try selling them to our territory? Im sure the people there would be happy to be able to drink more of this tea," Aurora asked. "The price of the tea..." For some reasons, the conversation turned into business prospect and the other girls were laughing. They felt that the tea was good, but it was not to the point they would want to introduce it to their territory. Of course, everyone put on a smile on their faces. Aurora herself knew that this new type of tea would only bring more variety for the already existing tea. Besides, her goal was not really to pull the business. She wanted to know more about the tea from Annelie. Chapter 37: Private Meeting Chapter 37: Private Meeting As the daughter of Marquis Brown, Annelie naturally had good comprehension about her familys territorys tea. It could be said that the teas that were produced in her territory was often shipped to the other territories. Not to mention, Marques Brown herself like to drink tea and will not let the chance to drink high quality tea go. This allowed Annelie to have a lot of knowledge. And without her realizing, Aurora was silently absorbing knowledge as she boasted about the tea and so on. After that, the talk also went to various other interesting things in the Capital City recently and the other noble girls were also talking. In this tea party, Aurora was able to know more of the other nobles. There were a few marquis daughters coming to this tea party and the rest were count daughters. Through this conversation, Aurora gained more knowledge over their territory. Of course, the daughters of these nobles usually didnt know much about the territory. After all, there was no need for them to know and their father would not waste a long time teaching them about it. But this amount alone was more than enough. At least, it was good. "Adela is missing," Aurora said when she saw Adela was no longer on her chair. "She should be looking for the restroom," Annelie said when she saw this. "Are you worried for your sister?" "My sisters health is not very good, so I should try looking for her," Aurora replied with a smile. "Ah, youre really a caring older sister." "Yes, yes." They all praised Aurora, but Aurora could see that most of them were only following the crowd and was not sincere. For them, Aurora only showed a faint smile on her face and then she walked away from the table. The maids told her the direction to the restroom while Aurora look around and walked slowly. She could see that the location was a bit inside, which meant that she would pass several rooms and also the balcony. "Hahaha." A faint laughter could be heard as Aurora walked pass by one of the rooms. Her footsteps stopped and Aurora looked at the room inside and saw that the door was not completely closed. She stopped there and looked inside only to see two people were standing in the balcony of the room. The balcony door was opened, allowing her to see these two people quite clearly. Crown Prince Edward. And Adela White. So its true. In the notes that Adela wrote, she mentioned that Crown Prince Edward would be here to pay a visit to Marquis Browns son. Marquis Brown had one son and one daughter. Since it was not appropriate for the Marquiss son to participate in the tea party, Aurora naturally didnt meet him. But it was not impossible for her to find out that the Marquiss son was also present in the mansion. The question would be... Why would Crown Prince Edward pay a visit to him? The relationship between Marquis Brown and Crown Prince Edward was not known. Aside from that, it was known that Marquis Brown was from the neutral faction in the politics. They were a bit arrogant, but they would not side with anyone so easily. This was the familys principle, which had been passed down for so many years and also the reason why the family could stand tall for so many years. Even if the royal family was turbulence, they would remain stable. Of course, they all had high standard and would only take a look at the other nobles who had high status. But the Royal Family might want to pull them closer. The order from the Royal Family would not be easy to refuse, but it could be said that the Brown Family has their own way to deal with the Royal Family. Did His Highness try to get closer to them? Aurora knew that Crown Prince Edward could pick someone to become his study partner. If she was not wrong, they already made the selection a long time ago. And the person picked should be from the Royal Familys faction as they wanted to make sure that their power was still as strong as ever. As for Adela? She was only here to take advantage of the fact that Crown Prince Edward was here. "Is that true?" Adelas voice could be heard. "Of course." Crown Prince Edward chuckled. He sounded really doting and happy. "There are many things that I can do..." Aurora could hear Crown Prince Edwards bragging voice even from the door. It seemed that he was really happy to talk with Adela and the cute and adorable Adela just know what to talk with Crown Prince Edward. Ah... It was truly. Aurora let out a faint chuckle and then continued to walk as if she didnt hear anything. Chapter 38: Chills Chapter 38: Chills Before long, Aurora returned to the hall and talked with the other noble ladies. When asked about Adela, Aurora only said that she didnt find her and she might be resting in one of the rooms there. The other noble ladies only nod, but Annelie frowned. Because as the host of the tea party, her mother didnt say anything to her about this. But she didnt let this matter be in her mind for long because the tea party was still ongoing. It would not be good for her to be distracted. Soon, Duchess Isabella and the others came to pick Aurora and the other girls. "Wheres Adela?" Duchess Isabella asked. "Adela should be resting in one of the rooms, Mother," Aurora replied with a faint smile on her face. "Marques Brown, do you know anything about this?" Duchess Isabella asked. "Ah yes, my maid informed me that they have found Miss Adela sleeping in one of the rooms," Marques Brown replied and looked at the Duchess in front of her with a faint smile. To be honest, she didnt expect it either when the maid come to inform her. But she felt that this would be interesting for a drama and gossip. Of course, she would not start one. She had no intention to cause disruption with her relationship towards Duke White. It was not good to offend a powerful noble because of a small matter like this. "Ill pick her." Duchess Isabella sighed. "Ill lead you," Marques Brown replied and glanced at Aurora who was following Duchess Isabella. Seeing how calm the girl was, Marques Browns heart trembled for a moment. And at this moment, Aurora also raised her eyes to look at Marques Browns direction. Her purplish hue eyes were very clear as if she could see through what Marques Brown was thinking. Aurora showed a faint polite smile, but Marques Brown felt a faint chill for a moment. She pressed down her thoughts and led Duchess Isabella to one of the resting rooms. Inside the room, Adela was resting on the couch and there was a maid from Marques Brown who was waiting for her. Its still this room. Aurora glanced at the balcony and the corner of her lips curled up slightly. How brave. "This girl..." Duchess Isabella felt rather helpless wen she saw Adela sleeping in front of her. She could only stretch her hand and try to wake Adela up. No matter what, she couldnt possibly let Adela slept here all day long. They had to return to Duke Whites Residence. "Mother..." Adela stirred awake and when she saw her mother, she was stunned. She quickly sat up. "Im sorry, I..." "Come here." Duchess Isabella looked at Adela helplessly and patted her head. "Its fine. We can go to another tea party when your condition is better." Another one? Adela froze. Thinking about the tea party just now, Adela was not very thrilled to know that she would have to participate in another one soon. In the tea party, she could see that the center of attention was Aurora, who was very elegant and also the role model for many people. Aurora saw Adelas gaze and her eyes deepened. It seemed that this girl had a lot of thoughts and it was going to be very troublesome. Oh well, Aurora was not afraid. ... After that tea party that was not like tea party, Aurora went back home and motioned for Les to come. "Yes, Miss?" "How much money I have?" Aurora asked. As the dukes daughter, Aurora naturally has her allowance. She rarely went out of the mansion, but it didnt mean that she would not go out at all. The allowance was usually used to buy dresses and other accessory for Aurora. Since Aurora didnt have much demand for these and only bought it when it was necessary, there were still a lot of money left. "There are still..." Les quickly went to check and then reported the number to Aurora. It was not much compared to the income of the duke, but it was actually quite a lot. Aurora thought for a moment and then said, "I want you to keep the money and not use them at all." "Miss?" Les was stunned. What if there was a need for Aurora to buy new dress and other accessory? The allowance was given to them for this purpose. Aurora chuckled lightly. "Just for another year or two." "But if theres any request..." Les was flustered. "Dont worry, Ill separate a bit to buy the necessary dress," Aurora said slowly. "But the rest of the money will be given to me, understand?" Les looked at Auroras determined eyes and could only obeyed. The money belonged to Aurora anyway and the servants were only helping her to keep and spend them. How Aurora wanted to spend her money was naturally up to her. The servants had no say in this matter. Chapter 39: Request for Meetings Chapter 39: Request for Meetings After giving a few other instruction to the servants, Aurora sat on her table. She had confirmed that Adelas notes were correct, but she had no intention to fully trust those notes. Yet at the same time, she didnt want to let things develop in the way Adela wanted it to be. Because at the end of the notes, it was written about her ending. Ah, how amusing. The fate is not yet set in stone and Aurora would start her preparation. She thought that she would be able to live peacefully with her sister, but if Adela started to target her... She had to have a way out. ... After Duchess Isabella and the other two daughters left, Marques Brown took a deep breath. She felt that dealing with these three people were really tiring. The schemes have already started, huh? Not that Marques Brown had never heard about it, but she felt that it was really troublesome. Thankfully, Marquis Brown Family was always neutral in this matter and would not side with any of them. But Marques Brown felt rather tired. There was only one crown prince and the younger prince was truly unsuitable to become the crown prince with Crown Prince Edward there. In any case, the King had already determined that Prince Edward is the Crown Prince. But this prince couldnt stay quiet. To think that the young crown prince would come here to meet with her son, Marques Brown sighed. What attracted her the most was the Duke Whites Family performance after that. "Annelie, can you tell me what Miss Aurora White said to you during your conversation and what happened?" Marques Brown asked. "Yes?" Annelie was stunned and then thought hard. It seemed that Aurora mostly asked some questions and flattered them that Annelie didnt really remember what Aurora said. Seeing her daughter like this, Marques Browns eyes deepened. She turned to the maids and asked about Auroras movement. Upon knowing that Aurora left the main hall for a short period of time, Marques Brown looked at the door towards the room where Adela slept in for a while. There was no proof. But Marques Brown felt that Aurora should have known that Adela was inside and talked with Crown Prince Edward for a brief moment. From the way it looked like, they have a pleasant conversation. "Mother?" Annelie asked in a low voice. "Its really hard to find a decent man," Marques Brown said in a low voice and chuckled. "Who do you think better, Miss Aurora or Miss Adela?" Annelie didnt answer and looked at her mother doubtfully. It was rare for her mother to ask her to evaluate others like this. "In what aspect, Mother?" "Capability," Marques Brown said unhurriedly. Capability? Isnt it obvious? Annelie furrowed her eyebrows. "Its Miss Aurora..." "Indeed." Marques Brown also smiled. She had only seen the two girls once, but the demeanor that Aurora showed far surpassed any other girls their age. It could be said that she was very mature and calm. So calm that it was hard to imagine there would be a time when she couldnt control her emotion. But it was also because of this that she had the faint feeling that what people treasured and longed was nothing in Auroras eyes. She had no interest in the few things that seemed to be valuable in front of other people. "Mother?" "Forget about it for now." Marques Brown chuckled. "But it seems my next tea party had to be postponed." She felt that this little girl was not simple and Marques Brown didnt want to be involved in too much drama either. As for the matter of her son? She believed that her husband would be able to handle it. But for herself and her daughter, she would wait until the situation was clearer in the future. ... The tea partys matter passed without any ripples. Aurora and Adela continued on with their lives and didnt have much contact with each other. Today, Aurora was meeting with Mr. Wren and he brought her information that she had been waiting for a long time. "Miss Aurora, Duke Sun would like to talk with you directly in terms of the negotiation," Mr. Wren said in apologetic tone. This matter should have been handled by Duke White, but Aurora was the one who truly proposed the idea. This made Mr. Wren troubled and choose to come to Aurora to ask whether she wanted to meet him or not. After all, if Duke Sun had to meet with Duke White, it was estimated that the two dukes wouldnt be able to negotiate peacefully. The relationship between the two dukes... It could be said that it would be better for them not to meet each other in their entire life. Chapter 40: Negotiation Chapter 40: Negotiation "In that case, I would like to trouble you to invite Duke Sun, Mr. Wren," Aurora said calmly. "Are you sure, Miss Aurora?" Mr. Wren was surprised. He might be Auroras teacher, but there were also things that he knew he shouldnt touch so easily. This matter was one of them. Inviting Duke Sun to come to Duke Whites Residence wouldnt be easy at all. But this time, since Aurora had spoken, then Mr. Wren could only do it. After all, Aurora technically also hold the position as one of the Yellow Kingdoms diplomat. In this way, if she truly wanted to go forward and start the negotiation, they couldnt really stop her. If anything, Duke White would probably want to let her do it. Because if they could get more benefit, it would be good for the White Dukedom and Duke White himself would be able to earn a lot of money. Who didnt want more money? "Yes." Aurora nodded. "Ill bring him here tomorrow." Aurora nodded. She had already thought about what she wanted to say to Duke Sun. Now that he was about to come, she could see him and finish the negotiation that she had wanted to do. "Now, Miss Aurora, we shall discuss about the next one," Mr. Wren said. Mr. Wren was teaching Aurora everything about White Dukedom to let her know the situation in her fathers territory. Even though Aurora would not become the next head because of her position as the future crown princess, it doesnt stop Mr. Wren from letting her understood. Because even as the crown princess, Aurora would be expected to help her territory. Aurora herself also understood this, so she still listened to Mr. Wren. ... The next day, Duke Sun come to Duke Whites Residence. Duke Whites expression when he saw that carriage was not very good. Thankfully, Mr. Wren had already told him that Duke Sun was here to see Aurora. Still, as the head of the family, Duke White had to be the one to come forward and greet Duke Sun. Duke Sun had blond hair, which was similar to Duke White. But he had much bigger body as he had to exercise a lot due to his territorys situation. Unlike Duke White who stayed in the Capital City, Duke Sun often went to his territory to do his work on his own. It could be said that he was so busy working that it was rare for him to go to the Capital City. "It has been a while, Duke White," Duke Sun said with a smile. "Indeed it has been a while." Duke White smiled back, but the smile didnt reach his eyes in the slightest bit. "I heard your intention from my daughter and I hope you will not make things difficult, Duke Sun." "That would depend on how things are going." Duke Sun chuckled. He glanced to the back and saw Mr. Wren was already standing there. If it was not because he was intrigued by the business proposal that Mr. Wren suddenly sent to him, he would not be willing to come here. This hypocrite Duke White was still the same as ever. Duke White snorted. "Mr. Wren, please lead Duke Sun inside." "Yes, Master." Mr. Wren bowed and then lead Duke Sun into the room where Aurora has been waiting. Adela and Duchess Isabella also heard about Duke Sun coming. But they were not very clear about the situation and didnt have the interest to step forward either. In this way, the two of them were still busy doing their own things. Tep. Knock! Knock! "Duke Sun is here." Aurora heard the knock and stood up. She watched as Mr. Wren and Duke Sun walked into the room and looked at Duke Sun carefully. Even though she had heard about him from time to time, this was the first time she ever saw him personally. "Im Aurora White. Its a pleasure to meet you, Duke Sun," Aurora greeted and performed the standard curtsy. Duke Sun moved his eyes to look at Aurora and his eyes flickered slightly. Her etiquette was really good, which made him think about his two brats at home. Neither of those two were performing their etiquette well as they kept on making troubles. Perhaps this was the difference between girls and boys. "Miss Aurora." Duke Sun nodded in greetings. "Please take a seat." "Yes." Mr. Wren stood behind Aurora while Duke Sun sat on the opposite side of Aurora, watching the movement of this young girl carefully. The way she brought herself made it hard for one to think of her as a 10 to 11 year old girl. "Duke Sun, what did you think of the proposal I sent to you through Mr. Wren?" Aurora asked with a faint smile. Chapter 41: Negotiation (2) Chapter 41: Negotiation (2) "Its a good proposal," Duke Sun said calmly. He looked at the young girl in front of him and then asked, "But I didnt expect such a young girl like you to make it. Are you sure that you truly make it?" Auroras eyes flickered. It seemed that this Duke Sun was a straightforward person and was not afraid of offending others. Thinking about the situation in Duke Suns territory, Aurora knew that this temper should have been cultivated ever since he was young. Moreover, the situation in the Duke Suns territory was indeed not very good. Rather than problems politically, it was more like there were some battles for food and so on. It was quite chaotic. "If youre worried that I didnt make it, you could have settled the negotiation with Mr. Wren directly, Duke Sun," Aurora replied with a smile. "Heh, someone like him couldnt possibly make such sophisticated plan." Duke Sun sneered. He had dealt with Mr. Wren before because there were also some trades between the two territories. In this way, he also had some understanding of Mr. Wren capabilities. If that man could make such a plan like this, he would have already made it a long time ago. Mr. Wren: "...." He could only bow his head and sigh deeply in his heart. It seemed that his capability was indeed not very good if one had to say. And other people also understood this matter, which was why they come forward like this. "I see." Aurora chuckled. "For you to come forward like this, what would you like ask me, Duke Sun?" Duke Sun looked at Aurora, who was unfazed by his blunt words and felt that she was very different from Duke White. If it was Duke White, he would have long retaliate in anger or gave scorn on his face. They were all dukes and naturally, they understood how high their position was. In the Yellow Kingdom, no one but the Royal Family could ever threaten them and this made them a bit arrogant. Their every move clearly reflected they understood their high position and they were unwilling to give in to other people. This was why when the two personality simply didnt match, Duke White and Duke Sun simply didnt have good relationship with each other. But Aurora was different. As the Dukes daughter, she had the capital to be arrogant and domineering. But at this time, what she showed was the patience and understanding. She was very calm and composed, an attitude that was hard to find in children or even in most nobles. Is it because of Duchess Isabella? Everyone knew that Duchess Isabella held the high position of the Yellow Kingdoms diplomat. Moreover, she was also the princess of the Red Kingdom. The education she had received might also be passed down to her daughter, allowing her to grow up so quickly. Even if noble children grow up quickly, is this not too fast? Duke Sun pressed the thoughts in his heart and then smiled. "In that case, Ill start asking the details, Miss Aurora." "Please, Duke Sun." For the next hour, Duke Sun asked about all the details of the negotiation and Aurora answered each and every single one of them flawlessly. When she come up with this idea, she had already considered it from various aspects to ensure that the deal could be done. In this way, no matter what Duke Sun asked, Aurora could answer. The details were naturally perfected by Mr. Wren as Aurora was not completely familiar in the beginning. But in the end, she was the one who made the adjustment and final review. "Lastly... Do you really have the power to mobilize these departments under Duke Whites territory?" Duke Sun asked. He had to admit that this Aurora should be the one to make this proposal because of her knowledge over it. Moreover, he could see that she also showed a bit of the future prospect from this business. This girl... Is talented. "I may not have the power on my own, which is why the one who will conduct the negotiation is Mr. Wren," Aurora replied. "He represents the Duke Whites territory while I only had the power to do the negotiation for the Yellow Kingdom during the water distribution negotiation." Duke Sun tapped the table. The water distribution negotiation. He had also heard about that because it was an important negotiation with other kingdoms. The result of this negotiation would represent the amount of food that could be distributed for the next year. It was very important. And it was also because of this that Duke Sun wanted to take this chance. If he contributed the supplies from his territory for the negotiation... Duke White will give additional few percents share of food. A few percent might seem small, but it represent a huge number behind it. Duke Sun looked at Aurora in front of him. Should he take this bet? Chapter 42: Negotiation (3) Chapter 42: Negotiation (3) If he were to lose the bet, the income of his territory will definitely plummet and it meant that the amount of other things he could buy aside from food would decrease. He couldnt reduce the food cost as his territory was not suitable for agriculture. The other types of food that existed in his territory was definitely far from enough. "Ah, then I want to ask how confident are you in bringing the negotiation to success?" Duke Sun asked. "As far as I know, Sand Kingdom had more advantage compared to us." Sand Kingdom was a kingdom that was mostly dominated with sand terrain. The products in Duke Suns territory was mostly a copy of the products from Sand Kingdom with some variations. This behavior had made the relationship between the Yellow Kingdom and the Sand Kingdom worsened. After all, the other territory in the Yellow Kingdom was advised to buy from Duke Suns territory more than the Sand Kingdom, so their sales were more or less affected to a certain degree. "There are differences in the type of sands between the two kingdoms," Aurora said slowly. She smiled. "Dont worry, when I brought the product over, I can make sure that they will choose us." Duke Sun arched his eyebrows. He looked at Aurora carefully and then he nodded. "Alright, I will trust you this time." "No more thinking, Duke Sun?" Aurora was the one surprised this time. Even though she truly wanted him to agree, she didnt expect that it could be done so quickly like this. No matter how confident Aurora looked like, this was still the first time she actually had a real negotiation with someone. "I would rather take the bet since theres nothing I can gain without taking any risk," Duke Sun said calmly. "Besides, I believed that if you couldnt do it, the negotiation will be off." It was already spring and soon, summer will come. When it was summer time, the negotiation with the other three kingdoms will start and Duke Sun will receive his answer. Aurora smiled. "Its a pleasure to talk with you, Duke Sun." "Ill be watching, Miss Aurora. I hope you can do this." Duke Sun chuckled and then glanced at Mr. Wren. "I believe we have to arrange the paper?" "Yes, Duke Sun." Mr. Wren was only the background figure in this negotiation, but he basically watched as Aurora gave her words. To be honest, he was a bit terrified to see how confident Aurora was. If the negotiation was not done well in a few weeks time when those delegations come, then it could end badly. And there might not be other chance in the future. Aurora is really brave. ... The negotiation finished after a few more hours and Aurora felt her body was stiff from sitting for a long time. Thats going well. Duke Sun had left and only Mr. Wren was left here. He looked at Aurora with a complicated expression. "Miss Aurora, do you think that itll be a good idea to give so much promise to Duke Sun?" He felt that it was not good for Aurora to say so much to Duke Sun like this. If she couldnt do it in the next negotiation, it would only end badly for her. "Theres not much that I can do with whats available in our territory and the usual trades," Aurora said. Aside from Duke Whites territory, there were several other small trades that she would bring up during the negotiation. It was the usual trades and if there was nothing wrong, it would remain that way for a long time. But what Aurora wanted to do was to increase the percentage for White Dukedom and also gain more favorable benefit for their kingdom. Of course... "I need to have enough power to do the negotiation to make more beneficial trade," Aurora said calmly. As the diplomat, Aurora would also receive a small percentage of the profit. However, the trade has been quite stale and it didnt really involve a lot of money since it was mostly for Duke Whites territory. Her mother looked down on that small money. But for Aurora, it would be a lot. She wanted to earn more of the money until she could make something from it. "Miss..." Mr. Wren looked at Aurora worriedly. Aurora looked up and saw Mr. Wren who was looking concerned. She smiled faintly. "Youre the vassal of Duke Whites territory, Mr. Wren. Its your duty to make sure that things are going the way it is. I dont think you want to see the territory suffer, do you?" Mr. Wren heard Auroras words and sighed deeply. More than anything, he wished for the territory to develop well. This was why he was worried for Aurora. Chapter 43: Yes? Chapter 43: Yes? If the negotiation could be done well, not only Aurora would benefit, but White Dukedom will also benefit greatly. But Aurora was taking a big bet by bringing Duke Sun into her first negotiation. What if she fail? It would only end badly. "Dont worry," Aurora said slowly. "I have a sense of measure." When she came to pay a visit to the festival, she had noticed the faint differences between the product from Duke Suns territory and also the one from the Sand Kingdom. Back then, she didnt think too much about it. But after seeing her sisters change and the notes written there, Aurora had the faint feeling that if things were truly going in that way, it wouldnt end well for her. So she chose to make this big move. Whether it would succeed or not was not yet known. But it would be better to do something rather than doing nothing when she already had some suspicion about a bleak future waiting for her. "Ill be going first, Mr. Wren. There are still other studies waiting for me," Aurora said with a smile. Mr. Wren could only nod and sigh as he took the paper with him. He had to say that Aurora was really strong. In the past few months, he had seen Aurora meeting with the teachers and knew her study time was really long. Yet despite it all, Aurora was doing everything very well and reached the expectation of her teachers. It was not easy for her. ... Duke Sun was looking at the paper in his hand. It was the duplicate of the agreement that he had made with Aurora. Even though the signature was naturally Mr. Wren as the manager of White Dukedom, the one who truly made the agreement was Aurora White. "I didnt expect that annoying Duke White can have such an outstanding descendants." Duke Sun clicked his tongue. Just Auroras bravery to step forward and made the agreement with him alone had made Duke Sun sigh. He had to say that if his son was half as good as Aurora, he would be very pleased. Most of the noble children would also grew up quickly due to their environment. But they would not dare to truly step out and do things that their parents would not do as they were still following their parents. At most, there were some childish attempts at other things. But from that girl, he saw maturity that was far beyond her age. "If this negotiation is successful..." Duke Sun thought about his second son, who was around the age of Aurora and then frowned. Aurora is already the future crown princess. This was the main reason why she was able to have the power to negotiate with him and asked for this. HIs second son was also close to Crown Prince Edward. It seemed that some interaction would be inevitable. Somehow, Duke Sun anticipated the time when the two children met with each other. His son was also pretty good, but he knew that Aurora is even better. He wanted to see how that brat would be when he saw Aurora. Hopefully, he would not be hit too hard. ... The classes were indeed difficult. But as Aurora progressed, she would try her best to remember everything in her mind as it would help her pass the next lesson. After her last lesson was done, Aurora raised her head and saw Adela peeking to her study room. Since she has been studying until 9 PM each day, she often had separate meal. After all, her study might not be done in time for the meal time with her family members. Her father was also often like this. "Adela, is there anything?" Aurora asked. "Sister, tomorrow is the etiquette lesson and Mother wants me to study with you," Adela said as she walked inside and then took a seat in front of Aurora. Auroras eyes flickered when she saw Adelas action and then she smiled. "I know. You can come to study with me tomorrow." "No! Its not that..." Adela looked at Aurora nervously. For some reasons, Adela felt nervous when she saw Auroras purple hues eyes were looking in her direction. It seemed to be able to see through her, which should have been impossible. It might only be her feelings, though. After all, Aurora had no such ability. "Yes?" Aurora asked, her tone was soft and calm. She looked at Adela in front of her and then tilted her head. "Do you need me to do something?" "I... I just want you to help me, Sister!" Adela finally said it. Her eyes were closed for a moment as she was afraid of Auroras rejection. "Okay." Hearing Auroras agreement, Adelas eyes opened again. She looked at her sister with surprise. Chapter 44: Getting Along Chapter 44: Getting Along "Sister, do you agree?" Adela asked timidly. "Should I not agree?" Aurora asked back. She looked at Adela in front of her and could see that the girl seemed like a timid rabbit. But those who truly treated Adela as a small rabbit would definitely suffer. This girl.... Was quite mysterious. "That... then I hope you can give me some advice..." Adela pursed her lips. "I cant seem to be able to follow the etiquette lesson well." To be exact, she was overwhelmed with the lesson. There were many things that she had to pay attention to. From the table manner, speaking, standing, and even walking. It was so much that Adela felt so tired from these. She had never learned it before and for her, she just liked to be free and able to do what she wanted without restrain. Yet, the etiquette lessons taught her that if she didnt follow this, she would be looked down upon by others. Adela didnt want it. So she could only come to Aurora and try her luck. She was not sure about the relationship between the two sisters before, but since this concerned the face of White Dukedom, Aurora should step out to help, right? Fact proved that she was right. But the reason was wrong. "Alright." Aurora showed a smile and started to give some tips to let Adela remember the etiquette lesson better. For her who had been taught etiquette ever since she was young, it was nothing much. For the next hour, Aurora was telling Adela various matters while Adela wrote them in her notebook. It was just... Adela knew very well that she wouldnt be able to remember most of them when she saw how many notes she ended up making. These things wouldnt be memorized without hard work and a long time to get used to it. "How is it, Adela?" Aurora asked softly. Adela nodded her head. "Ah, I have recorded them, Sister." "Good. Its late night and you should rest. Do your best for tomorrows etiquette lesson," Aurora said slowly. Adela nodded weakly. She hoped tomorrow never came because she didnt know how she would fare in the etiquette lesson. Unfortunately, she knew very well that it was an impossible wish as she couldnt stop the flow of time. After Adela left, Aurora looked at the door thoughtfully. If things never changed, how great it would be. Aurora shook her head and moved to her bed. From the bottom of her heart, she wished that their relationship would always remain this good. But she also knew that this might not be possible, so she had to be prepared for anything to happen in the end. With that in thought, Aurora slowly closed her eyes and rest. ... In the next period of time, Aurora would attend the etiquette class once a week with Adela. Even though her etiquette was already perfect in the eyes of the teacher, Duchess Isabella wanted her to become the role model for Adela. It seemed as if her existence was nothing more than a helper for Adela. But Aurora accepted this task as the etiquette had long been ingrained to her bones and she was able to do them flawlessly without much effort. After the etiquette class, she would have to meet with the other teachers for her other classes. "Miss Aurora, its already late." Mr. Wren felt a bit bad for taking so much of Auroras time today. She should have already resting at this hour, but Aurora still had to stay awake and learned these things. "I know, itll be done soon," Aurora replied with a faint smile. "Mr. Wren, are your children going to replace you in the future?" "Ah?" Mr. Wren was stunned and then nodded. "My first son has started his training to replace me in the future but my second son is learning to be a knight." A nobles status could only be passed down to their first son or their successor while their other sons could only receive much lower status and that status couldnt be passed down to their children. So if they wanted to become a noble that could pass down their status to the their children or have higher rank than their father, they had to get the title on their own. And it was far from easy. Mr. Wrens official title was a baron, which was already quite low. He had selected his first son as his successor so that after he passed away, his son would inherit his title. However, this title can only be passed down to one person, which meant that his second son wouldnt be able to have the same title. Besides, he was a vassal of Duke White, so when his first son grew up, he would also become a vassal of Duke White to help manage the territory. Chapter 45: Knights Chapter 45: Knights With Mr. Wrens own power, he couldnt really help his family much. However, he was happy to be able to serve Duke White. Through generations, his family had served White Dukedom. They dont expect having great power as long as they were able to be of help to the duke and manage the territory well. This was why Mr. Wren immediately came when Duke White asked him to come and taught Aurora. As for his children, Mr. Wrens two children were not that bad. His first son will replace him in the future while his second child were working hard to become a knight. If he could become a knight and earned enough merit, it was not impossible for him to become a baron too. In that situation, it would have been much better for them. "Is he training with White Familys knight?" Aurora asked another question. Mr. Wren was stunned and then nodded. "Yes, Miss Aurora, my second son is training with the White Familys Knights." Aurora tapped the table and then said, "I would like to meet him tomorrow if you dont mind." "Miss...?" "I dont have a personal knight yet," Aurora said slowly. "Itll be troublesome for me to borrow knights from my father all the time." Most nobles would have knights protecting them and a personal knight was someone who would take care their lord, whether it was a he or she. A noble could have one or two personal knight most of the time and some of people with higher status could even have more knights. For example, Duke White has a few personal knights who would protect him and follow his order no matter what. These knights were loyal to him and had been cultivated by him ever since they were young. Aurora herself didnt have any personal knight yet. In the past, she didnt really go anywhere and the other knights in Duke Whites Residence could be ordered to temporarily protect her. But since Aurora would be going to the Red Kingdom once a year if the negotiation was held there, it would be better for her to have a personal knight. A knight who will only follow her order. Mr. Wren was stunned. He naturally knew about the matter of personal knights, but becoming the knight of the White Dukedom meant that his second son would not be able to become a noble. For now, he was taking advantage of his relationship with the White Dukedom to let his second son practiced. But he also knew that if his second son were to be asked to follow White Dukedom, then there were more advantage than disadvantage. Even though he couldnt become a noble, his second son would have more resources and would be protected until he truly grew up. Going out on his own as a commoner knight would mean that his path was arduous. No parents want their children to suffer. At least, Mr. Wren didnt want to. However, he knew that his second son wanted to become a nobility too. "I have to ask my second son about this first, Miss..." "Theres no hurry, I have to take a look at him first, right?" Aurora asked with chuckle. "If hes not suitable, I can just pick other knights." There was no lack of knights in White Dukedoms Territory. If Aurora truly wanted to, her father can let these knights gather for her to pick someone as her personal knight. Besides, Aurora was not in a hurry to pick a personal knight for herself. "Yes, Miss." Mr. Wren could only nod helplessly. Aurora shook her head and then focused her attention back to the paper in front of her. There were still a lot of information that she had to remember. ... The next day, Aurora went with Mr. Wren to pay a visit to the knights who were training after her own training. There were many knights there and some of them were older while some others were younger. "The children of other nobles who will not inherit their fathers titles are also here," Mr. Wren explained. These people could have followed their older brother, but some of them refused that kind of arrangement. They would rather follow other lords so as not to be reminded that they were lower than their brother. Only those who had good relationship with each other or could convince their brothers to follow them would have their brothers become their knights. But this kind of thing rarely happened. Most of the time, the knights would go to serve other lords or become an ordinary knight of the kingdom. "I understand," Aurora replied and looked around. "Miss Aurora, thats my son, William, over there," Mr. Wren introduced his son and brought Aurora closer to where his second son was training. Chapter 46: William Aster Chapter 46: William Aster Mr. Wrens second son, William, was only 15 years old. He was still young, which was why he hadnt become a knight yet and still an apprentice here. Besides, his strength was also not enough for him to become a proper knight yet. Tak! Tak! Tak! The wooden swords was hitting the target in front of him. Aurora watched the young man training for a moment and she could see his seriousness and determination. It could be seen that he truly wanted to become a knight or perhaps wanted to become a noble. The difference between a noble and commoner was really big. Even though Aurora was a noble herself, she also knew what privilege she has over the commoner. Her starting point was already much higher than them and there were many things that she could easily do but they had to work ten or even a hundred times over in order to receive it. It was also because of this that Aurora used her time well and even if the training from her parents were harsh, she still accepted it. Because she knew that this privilege was not without price to pay. As their daughter, she would be sold by her parents in political marriage. It was the duty of a noble daughter, a duty that they could not escape from. *pant pant* After a while, William stopped training and spotted his father standing beside a young woman dressed in exquisite and expensive dress. Just from this alone, William could guess who she is. He quickly knelt down. "William Aster greets Miss Aurora." "Stand up," Aurora said calmly. She looked at the young man in front of her, watching his movements carefully and saw that he knew how to give proper respect in front of the nobles. Whether it came from the heart or not, Aurora didnt really care. William Aster stood up and looked at Aurora carefully. The young girl was shorter than him by a head. After all, she was only 11 years old and compared to him who was already 15 years old, she was still far shorter. His training and his growth was pretty good for a teenager. "Apprentice Knight William, I heard from your father that you plan to become an independent knight?" Aurora asked slowly. William was stunned and his eyes drifted to look at his father for a moment. He didnt expect that his father would talk about him in front of Miss Aurora. This... Is it fine for him to say it out loud? After all, he was in Duke Whites Residence and right now, he was originally raised to become the knight of Duke White. If he blatantly said that he was here to freeload the training resources, would he be beaten up? William felt that this question is very difficult to answer. Mr. Wren also felt rather helpless about this. Even though other people would open one eye and closed the other eye to him, but it was still not good to say this matter out loud. At least, it would be better to be behind the closed door. Aurora saw his expression and chuckled. "Why do you want to become a noble?" Seeing that Aurora didnt pursue him to answer, William heaved a sigh of relief in his heart. The problem is that the next question was not that easy to answer. William glanced at his father and saw him nodding his head, so William replied, "I want to be better than my father." Mr. Wren: "..." He silently shook his head in his heart. Even though his son blatantly said that he wanted to be better than him, he felt that it was really an annoying brat. "Better than your father?" Aurora repeated and smiled faintly. "Do you also want to manage territory and have your own people?" "No." William shook his head. Not all nobles have their territory. Many nobles only had the title and a mansion in the Capital City without proper territory. After all, it having a territory and not having one meant differently. William didnt have much interest to have a territory on his own. He simply wanted to have the title to be respected by others. Because he knew very well that the difference between a noble and commoner was really big. After seeing how ordinary people were treated, William had strong obsession to become a noble. And it was not an ordinary noble. "Do you know how to manage a territory?" Aurora asked. William was confused. He clearly answered that he didnt want to manage a territory. But hearing Auroras question, he still answered, "I have studied, but Im not very good at it." The difference in age between him and his brother was not big, so the two of them were taught together when they were young. However, his older brother had better talent, so William didnt persist in this study and switched to sword training. Chapter 47: Question Chapter 47: Question Aurora looked at William and saw that he was telling the truth. The two brothers were competing for the same position and since Williams older brother was better, then it was only right for him to be the one to have it. William chose a completely different path and fight for his own future. "Tomorrow morning, come with me to train. I would like to see your ability," Aurora said. William was stunned. He looked at Aurora doubtfully. "Miss...?" "William, Miss Aurora is also learning how to use swords, but she had only started for half a year, so you should be careful." Be careful not to hurt her. The last sentence was naturally not said out loud to save face for Aurora, but William understood what his father meant. He could only agree helplessly with this arrangement. After watching the training for a few more minutes, Aurora went back inside for her study. There were still many things for her to study. ... The next day, Aurora went to train with the female knight and William was already there. He has been training for a long time and naturally have a strong sense of time and discipline. Since Aurora had told him to come, he would come early. "Youre early." Aurora nodded. "Yes, Miss." "Ill warm up first and then well have a spar." William nodded and practiced on his own as he noticed Aurora running and warming up. Looking at her movement, she was indeed not very standard, but it was still much better than novice who couldnt even hold a sword properly. It seemed that his father was right. Miss Aurora was also training properly and didnt only do this on a whim. Then again, with how busy Aurora was, it was impossible for her to train carelessly. Her future depended on her own study and training at this time. Soon, the warm up was done and the two of them stood in front of each other, ready to fight. "Ready?" The female knight asked and then said, "Start!" Swish! Aurora made the first move and her wooden sword reached William very quickly. Because they were training and Aurora was also still very young, the weapon she used was naturally wooden sword. As for William, he naturally matched the training sword so as not to injure Aurora accidentally. Being hit by a metal sword is different with being hit by a wooden sword. Tak! The sword was blocked and William estimated Auroras strength through this attack. It was not very strong, but it was still quite good. With that, he was prepared to counterattack. Tak! Tak! Tak! The two of them exchanged sword moves one after another. It seemed as if they wanted to hurt the other party but in truth, it seemed that they were only sparring and trying their moves. At least, that was how it was for Aurora. Tak! With one last blow, Aurora then stepped back a few times and took a deep breath. Her breathing had already turned ragged and it was hard for her to continue. Looking at William who still looked much better, Aurora smiled faintly. "I lost in this spar." "Miss Aurora..." William was a bit uneasy and was worried that Aurora would not take the loss lightly. After all, he had heard his brother heard that there were some nobles who disliked losing to commoners. He was technically still the son of a noble, but after he become an adult later, he would have to leave his house. "I know my capabilities well and its definitely not a match against you," Aurora stopped William before he said anything. "What do you think of the spar, Apprentice Knight William?" William was silent for a moment before he said, "In terms of power, Miss Aurora is still lacking. The moves are good, but the reaction speed is a bit slow." He could see that Aurora was targeting the opening of him when they were sparring. But the problem was that Auroras speed was not fast enough, so she was unable to truly hit him and took full advantage of that opening. Aurora heard Williams words and nodded. "It means that my training is lacking." Even if Aurora had no plan to become a full fledge knight, but she believed it would be useful for her to have the necessary skill to protect herself. Because if she had no ability to protect herself, she could be easily targeted by people who have bad intention to the Duke Whites Family. William didnt answer. He couldnt answer that question. "Apprentice Knight William, what do you think about a personal knight?" Aurora asked. William was stunned. He seemed to have guessed that the reason why Aurora asked him to spar with her here was because she wanted to ask this question to him. Chapter 48: Answer Chapter 48: Answer His heart beat rapidly before he forced himself to calm down. William knew that his answer would decide how his future would be. He had always thought about becoming a noble because he didnt want to become an ordinary commoner and lost this life. Even though it would be difficult, but he wanted to try. He refused to have the poor fate for his entire life. And just when he thought that he could only walk on this path for a long time, Aurora came to him and asked the question to him. "A personal knight is a person who will protect the lord they serve," William replied as calmly as possible. Aurora looked at William and then asked, "Does it good enough for you or you have to become a noble yourself?" William didnt immediately answer. He was thinking about it from another perspective. His original goal was to become a noble and then served the kingdom as a knight. It would be inevitable for him to fight on the frontline and if there was any battle, then he had to be prepared to be deployed. Without wars, trying to accumulate enough merit to become a noble was not easy and he might have to work hard for years or even decades. On the other hand, following Aurora as her personal knight meant that he would be respected by many people. Not mentioning Auroras status as the dukes daughter, she was also the future crown princess. If he was able to become Auroras personal knight, no one would dare to disrespect him in the slightest bit. In a way, he would also have a higher position than his father. But... "Can you tell me why do you want to pick me, Miss Aurora?" William asked carefully. He felt that he didnt have any advantage over the other apprentice knights in Duke Whites Residence. The other apprentice knights were all better than him and his performance was mostly average. When one picked a personal knight, they would usually pick someone who was strong or capable or if they were still young, talented. Because only in this way would they have better subordinate. After all, the nobles wouldnt want to have weak people as their subordinates. The stronger they were, the more reliable would they be. "I didnt say that I want to pick you." Aurora smiled. "I want to see your performance first." His performance? William was confused but Aurora didnt explain. As much as Aurora wanted to pick someone directly, William was not those commoner knights who were serving the kingdom and could only wait when there was a noble who wanted to pick them. He was still an apprentice knight under Duke White Family. "My status might be that of the noble daughter, but I have a goal in my life," Aurora said and then stood up. "For that, I would need loyal people to me." The female knight had long retreated far away from Aurora and William. She knew better than anyone that it was not easy to provoke Aurora. If she were to make a mistake, she wouldnt be able to keep her life. Rather than hearing things that she shouldnt hear, it would be better for her to stay away. William furrowed his eyebrows. He was not sure about what Aurora wanted. "You dont have to answer me now." Aurora tilted her head and then smiled. "Its almost summer, so you would be able to see my first move." First move? It was then William recalled that Aurora was the future crown princess and also the Yellow Kingdoms diplomat. Because of this, Aurora would have to work a lot. William had heard from his father that Aurora was studying a lot of things in order to be a qualified diplomat. But what is Auroras plan? William didnt know. But right now, all he could answer is, "Yes, Miss." Aurora stood up and then walked in the direction where the female knight was located to resume her training. "You may leave, Apprentice Knight William." "Yes." ... Summer come and soon, it was time for the negotiation. For some reasons, the negotiation this time was held in the Yellow Kingdom, which meant that Aurora didnt have to go to the Red Kingdom again. However, this didnt mean that her mother would let her off so easily. Duchess Isabella had to make sure that Aurora was doing her work well so that Aurora could always become the Yellow Kingdoms diplomat without any problem. If there were people who come to protest because Auroras work were not done well, she had to work again. Duchess Isabella didnt want this. "Everyone is here, Aurora." Duchess Isabella glanced at her daughter. "Are you ready for your first negotiation?" Aurora looked at her mother and smiled. "Yes, Mother." Chapter 49: The Differences Chapter 49: The Differences The people who came from the other kingdoms for this negotiation were all the Queen or the trusted ministers. After all, for such an important negotiation, they had to make sure that everyone was prepared. Aurora looked at the people on the table and soon, the negotiation was started. The one who came from the Sand Kingdom this time was a male minister who had high status. The other kingdom and the Red Kingdom also sent their minister. The situation hadnt changed much in terms of weather and season, so they felt that this negotiation didnt have to be done so much. They just wanted to use the same term as the past year for this year. In any case, they had heard about the Yellow Kingdoms decision to let Aurora be the diplomat. Perhaps they could take advantage of this situation? . . . "What do you mean by this, Little Girl?" The minister from the Sand Kingdom was displeased when he saw the trade agreement that Aurora passed to let the other three kingdoms read. This was clearly the glass material that their kingdom has specialized to make and then copied by Duke Sun in the Yellow Kingdoms territory. Moreover, the price that Aurora used was the same as theirs. Wasnt this blatantly provoking them? Aurora smiled. "Its as what you could see, but I would like to say that the products between the two are different." "Different?" The minister from the Sand Kingdom sneered. "Are you sure that its different when the two of them are clearly look very similar?" In fact, many people felt that Duke Sun was copying from the Sand Kingdom. After all, if they were to base it depending on which product come first, the Sand Kingdoms product was definitely first. The few things from the Yellow Kingdom was only made in the past few years. "Yes." Aurora beckoned her hand to her maid, who stepped forward and handed the two glass lamps to Aurora. The two glass lamps looked quite similar, but the one from Duke Sun has always been added with the beautiful sand art on the surface. It was one of the few methods used by Duke Sun in order to make their product different from the Sand Kingdom. In the past, they were often mocked by others because it was still very similar. Some people also trusted the Sand Kingdom more. But... Prang! Deng! Aurora dropped the two lamps to the ground. Since it was not lit up, there was naturally no fire, but the other nobles were shocked by Auroras move. "What are you doing?" The minister from the Sand Kingdom was displeased. "Im demonstrating their differences," Aurora replied unhurriedly and picked the two glass lamps from the ground. As Aurora put the two glass lamps on the table, the people around them were able to see that one of them had cracked while the other one barely had any cracks or dents. This alone made them surprised. The minister from the Sand Kingdom was stunned. "This is impossible!" "If you dont think my performance is trustworthy, you can do the test by yourself and I believe that the result will be the same," Aurora said calmly. She was not an expert, but she had bought the two lamps before. After looking at it for some time, she realized that the glass made by Duke Sun was actually a bit thicker and also more durable. Even if it fell down to the ground, it would not break so easily. Unlike the glass from the Sand Kingdom that would shatter the moment it fell because it was more fragile. "This..." The minister from the Sand Kingdom was flustered. Apparently, he was not aware of this problem either. The two ministers from the other two kingdoms were looking at each other. If the product from the Yellow Kingdom was better, then they would have to revise the agreement a bit. After all, it was obvious that they would pick the better if it existed. But Auroras plan that she gave to them had stated that the number was limited, so even if a small percentage of the water would be diverted to the Yellow Kingdom from the Sand Kingdom, it would not affect the overall situation too much. In this case, it would be a win for them. "It seems that the negotiation couldnt be concluded today, but is there still other things you want to add?" The other ministers could only put forward their plans from before. And at last, Aurora added the few other trades that she had secured before and their advantage. Seeing the few things she had in her hand, the other three ministers: "..." They silently looked at Duchess Isabella who was sitting quietly and felt that this woman was really terrifying to teach such a daughter. Yes. In their eyes, this was not Auroras pure credit but more of the credit belong to her mother. They didnt believe that a mere 11 year old kid would be able to do this much on her own. And everyone had a headache. Only Aurora was full of smiles. Chapter 50: Her Majesty the Queen Chapter 50: Her Majesty the Queen The negotiation had an afternoon break and after the fierce discussion internally within each of these delegations, they finally agreed to Auroras trade. Of course, the number was adjusted a bit. The process itselt took some time. After all, it involved many areas and these people didnt want to be taken advantage of. They had to fight for their own kingdom. Aurora also knew about this and had to continue with the process of negotiation. She knew that it wouldnt be easy, but with the preparation that she had made, the advantage still lies in Aurora. But once it was done, the Yellow Kingdom was able to get a lot of benefits and advantage. Not all of the trades would be put in the water percentage and some others would actually be traded for money or other resources. The specific trades for the resources based on territory would be discussed by the nobles in question. But all in all, it was a satisfying trade for Aurora. The other kingdoms were also quite satisfied to a degree aside from the Sand Kingdom who was hit hard. It could be said that they lost quite a lot this time and it might affect their situation for the next year. The representative from the Sand Kingdom had the feeling that Aurora purposely target them in this negotiation. In the precious years, they were able to take a lot of advantages from the Yellow Kingdom. It was through the continuous efforts that they managed to win. After all, the Sand Kingdoms territory was a bit hard to make trades and so on. Their main target was the areas with enough food to trade for them which included the Yellow Kingdom, specifically the White Dukedom. Now that Aurora was the one in charge, they were clear that Aurora would not let it easy for them to win. In order to get the same amount of food as last year, they had to pay more. It was quite painful if one has to say. "Mother, its done," Aurora said to her mother. Duchess Isabella looked at her daughter and nodded. "From next year, you will be the one handling the negotiation on her own. The percentage for yourself will follow the usual rate." The usual rate. Even though it was just a few percent, but it was still a lot considering that Aurora had secured 5 deals in this negotiation. Of course, three of them still needed the nobles to come forward and settle the specifics. Only then would Aurora receive her share. But even with this, the funds that Aurora wanted to accumulate had already been gathered. Unfortunately, she couldnt directly use it. She still has to settle the other trades and when it was over, it was estimated that it would already be the time for her to enter the academy. Yes academy. There was an academy specialized for nobles in the Yellow Kingdom. In this academy, the students have to learn many things and it could also be said that it would be their stage for the next six years. Aside from a few classes in which both men and women had to learn, there were also some other special classes that they would attend separately. After all, there were still differences between women and men. Normally, these noble son and daughters would receive education in their respective families. Those with better family background would naturally receive more and better education. On the other hand, those with lower academic education would have lower etiquette ability. This academy helped to bridge this gap. Even if it couldnt fully cover it, but it would help them to learn more systematically and also to make sure that these noble son and daughters were qualified to become the next successor. Besides, not all noble son and daughters entered the academy as some of them would study at their respective families. But if they truly wanted to expand, they would have to enter the academy. After all, they were not only studying there. They were also expanding their connection. Aurora would be 12 in late autumn and Duchess Isabella wanted her to enter the academy, so she wouldnt be able to settle the ends she had collected. In any case, she would have time to go next year, so Aurora was not exactly in a hurry. She still has enough time. "Yes, Mother," Aurora replied calmly. Duchess Isabella walked back and then recalled something, "Her Majesty the Queen wants to see you." Her Majesty the Queen? Auroras footsteps stopped. When the engagement between Aurora and Crown Prince Edward was settled back then, she should have been asked to meet with the Queen. But for some reasons, the Queen hadnt called for Aurora. Besides, when the engagement was made, the two children didnt really meet with each other a lot. It was almost time to enter the academy. Perhaps, the Queen wanted Aurora to have more interacting with Crown Prince Edward there? It would be a bit troublesome. But it was not an impossible request. Aurora put down her thoughts as she followed the maids in the direction of the Queens palace. Looking at the way the servants behaved, Aurora could see that the Queen should be a strict person. The way a servant behaved could reflect their masters behavior more or less. And from what Aurora could see, the Queen is a strict and stern person. She was not sure to what degree, though. "Your Highness, Duke Whites daughter, Miss Aurora White is here." "Let her in." "Yes." The door opened and Aurora stepped inside. The hall was decorated in gorgeous red color and looked extremely vibrant and bright. Sitting in the middle was the Queen, who was looking in Auroras direction. She had beautiful long blond hair and looked rather cold. It might be that her expression was rather chilling, but she still showed a faint smile when she looked at Aurora. The problem is that the smile didnt reach her eyes. Chapter 51: Her Majesty the Queen (2) Chapter 51: Her Majesty the Queen (2) Aurora moved her eyes away and curtsied. "Aurora White greets Her Majesty, the Queen." The Queen of the Yellow Kingdoms name was Ella. She was rarely called with her name directly because of her current status, but everyone knew her name. Queen Ella looked at Aurora in front of her. "Get up. I have heard a lot about you, Miss Aurora. You did good in the negotiation." The fact that Aurora pushed down the Sand Kingdom and earned them a lot of benefit was naturally something that was passed to the Royal Family. The King was very happy because this meant that he could earn a lot of money. The Queen herself would also get some share, which pleasantly surprised her. When the engagement was made between her first son and Aurora White, the Queen felt that this woman was only good at her study. The candidates for the fiance?e of the Crown Prince came from the duke and two Marquis. And after looking at the evaluation of the three families, it was finally selected to be Aurora. There were two important reason. The first was naturally because Auroras background was higher than the other two families. She was the dukes daughter while the other two were marquis daughters at best. Second was because of the current relationship between the Yellow Kingdom and the Red Kingdom. The King wanted their kingdom to get better and for this, they would need more support from the Red Kingdom. If picking Aurora could earn their favor, then the King would rather choose her. The Queen was also informed about this and could only follow what he wanted. No matter what, the power and wealth had to come first. In any case, she was also selected back then because of her background. The Queen knew this very well and didnt expect much from the King, so she agreed with his words when he wanted Aurora to be the Crown Princes fiance?e. Now that she heard this girls capability, the Queen wanted to see her. If it could benefit her son, it would be for the best. Queen Ella looked at Aurora in front of her. The current Aurora was only 11 years old, far from growing up. Even though the girls height had reached 1,5 meters, but she still looked rather small. Not bad. The etiquette showed by Aurora far surpassed the other girls around her age. Even though every families would definitely drill their son and daughters about etiquette, but most children could only restrain themselves for a short period of time and their movements were not completely standardized. But Aurora was different. If not for the fact that Auroras body was not developed yet, Queen Ella would suspect that Aurora had been in the high society for a long period of time. This was the impression given by Auroras posture. "I have heard of you, Miss Aurora," Queen Ella said with a faint smile on her face. "You have done a good job in the negotiation." "Many thanks for your compliment, Your Majesty. This is what I should do," Aurora replied humbly. She was silently paying attention to the queen in front of her. The engagement between her and Crown Prince Edward was purely political move, which was something that everyone knew very well. The two children had never even met with each other before, but they were engaged to each other. Aurora had guessed that the queen didnt pay special attention to her because she had no name and only the status behind her. As long as she stayed as the dukes daughter, the engagement would have no trouble. But with Duchess Isabella as her mother, how could it be so simple? Duchess Isabella pushed Aurora forward with letting her be the main negotiator in the negotiation. One reason was because she didnt want to do this job anymore. The other reason was because this would determine how Auroras position in the eye of the Royal Family. Duchess Isabella should have known that if Aurora performed well, she would enter the queens eyes. If she had performed poorly, she would be punished and then asked to study more before given another chance. After all, the future queen had to be able to handle this negotiation. "Your talent is very good," Queen Ella said slowly. "Do you think you can handle the rest of the negotiations?" The rest of the negotiation? Aurora pursed her lips and then replied, "Your Majesty, the negotiations had to go through the lords of each territory and it would be brought to the Royal Family in the end." Her role for this year could be said to be over. There was no need for Aurora to do anything else as the rest of the negotiation would not fall to her hands anymore. After all, many of the negotiations needed to be known to the Royal Family, especially if it involved the nationals interest. There were many layers of things that had to be done, but none of them had anything to do with Aurora anymore. She just had to focus on preparation for next years negotiation and whether there were any other nobles who had good ideas for this. Queen Ella nodded. It seemed that Auroras knowledge over the governing way was also pretty solid. Shes indeed very capable. "Ill leave my son in your care when you go to the academy in a few weeks. I hope you two can get along well," Queen Ella said and then waved her hand. Aurora froze for a moment before curtsying and then walked out of the hall. Her expression was a bit cold, but it was still restrained after a few moments. At this moment, Aurora understood that the Queen had seen her in favorable light but only to be the helper of her son. Because Crown Prince Edward will become the king in the future. And as the future queen, it is Auroras role to support him. How... annoying. Chapter 52: Dream Chapter 52: Dream Coming out of the castle, Aurora only heaved a sigh secretly. To be honest, she hated this complicated noble society. But at the same time, she understood that since she was born as a noble, she had to fulfill her obligations. Even if it was not the life she wanted, she had to follow through until the very end. Just like a caged bird. Aurora chuckled lightly, yet there was not the slightest bit of happiness in her eyes. No matter how much she looked like she had the power in her hands, Aurora knew that it was all false power. A maid came to her and then said, "Miss Aurora, Crown Prince Edward is waiting for you." "Lead the way," Aurora replied. Since Queen Ella had said to her to leave her son in her care, it meant that Queen Ella would help to facilitate the meeting between Aurora and Crown Prince Edward. As the future daughter in law who had been acknowledge by the Queen, how could Queen Ella not want the two children to get along? Even if they have no feelings for each other, they had to be able to get along with each other. As for how they got along? Queen Ella would not care as she knew that Aurora is a smart girl. She should understand what she could and couldnt do. Soon, the maid brought Aurora to a separate garden. Crown Prince Edward was already there, sitting on the chair with table of tea and refreshment in front of him. Clearly, Queen Ella wanted the two of them to have a talk while eating snacks and drinking tea. "Your Highness," Aurora curtsied. Crown Prince Edward moved his eyes towards Aurora and then smiled politely, "Youre here, Miss Aurora. Please take a seat." "Yes," Aurora replied in a low voice. She sat down and then looked at Crown Prince Edward in front of her. Today, the crown prince was wearing a proper shirt and looked handsome. His blond hair was brushed neatly and he seemed to have been asked to come here by his mother. The two of them started with small talks. In terms of etiquette and nobilitys way of doing things, Aurora was not completely unfamiliar. After all, she had been forced to learn this ever since she was young by her mother. After some time, their talks started to move towards other matter. "Do you have a dream, Aurora?" Crown Prince Edward asked. A dream? Aurora blinked her eyes and thought that she just wanted to be free from this position, no longer bound by the suffocating rules and forced to do what she never wanted to do. But this kind of dream was simply impossible to achieve. Because from the very moment she was born, she was bound to this position and could never escape. Besides, she could never say this to anyone. As those who heard her words would undoubtedly restrain her and stopped her from having such a dream. "I wish to be able to become better and learn faster without being so tired," Aurora finally said. Does she like studying? No, she didnt like it. But it was the only way for her to live without suffering so much under her mother. She would never allow her to do what she truly wanted and would always remind her of what she had to do. So if Aurora could make a wish, she hoped that she would not be so tired. Because her mother had made her so stressed out for a long period of time and what Aurora wanted was nothing more than some break from all of this. But if she couldnt have a break, the she hoped she could learn faster and have more rest in her already densely packed schedule. "Huh? You like studying so much?" Crown Prince Edward was surprised. He scrunched his face and then said, "I dont really like studying, but I want to be a good ruler who care for his people." A good ruler without studying? Auroras expression was a bit strange. She knew very well that without sufficient knowledge, it would be impossible for Crown Prince Edward to truly be a good leader. After all, if he didnt have enough knowledge, he wouldnt be able to solve the problem of his people. He somewhat reminded her of her cousin, Prince Charles. Because Prince Charles also didnt like to study and instead play around. He even skipped several lessons through dragging her around when she paid a visit to their place last year. Speaking of paying a visit, Aurora was not sure where the negotiation would take place next. But if they went by the rotation, it shouldnt be next year. So the next time she could meet her cousin, it would still take some more time. Probably at that time Prince Charles would have grown up and no longer dislike studying so much like before. "Your Highness, a good ruler still have to study," Aurora reminded. "I know." Crown Prince Edward snorted. "But I think that its fine for me not to think so much about it. There will be many people who will support me and also helped me to do the work, so I dont have to work so hard." Aurora: "..." While it was true that Crown Prince Edward would not work alone, but if he was not capable enough, not many people would want to work with him. Thinking that the second prince was still very young, it was simply impossible to use him to make Crown Prince Edward feel any urgency to study. But then again, would the second prince even want to aim to become the next king? Not all princes have the ambition to become the ruler. Aurora sighed in her heart and continued her talk with Crown Prince Edward, probing carefully about his study and what he had learned so far. And the result... She felt that the study of the crown prince was similar to when she was only 6 years old back then. Chapter 53: Expected Performance Chapter 53: Expected Performance Aurora: "..." For this matter, Aurora didnt know what to say. She only felt that the Royal Family was pampering their own crown prince and didnt seem to have high expectation of him. But in terms of etiquette and so on, Crown Prince Edward didnt seem to lack at all. So in a way, only his study was a bit left behind. But it seemed that Crown Prince Edward couldnt really escape from his class like Prince Charles. After all, Prince Charles had an older brother who also studied and performed better than him while Crown Prince Edward was basically the one whom the kingdom selected to be the future ruler. Time passed quickly. "I hope we can get along well," Crown Prince Edward said before an attendant come. Crown Prince Edward was called to finish his study, so Aurora went back to her carriage. She felt that talking with Crown Prince Edward was really tiring. For the crown prince to be lacking in his study. Aurora shook her head. The study of Crown Prince Edward had to be increased if he didnt want to be left behind. It would be shameful for the kingdoms crown prince to have no proper knowledge over various matters. In any case, they would enter the academy soon. At the same time, Aurora could guess why Queen Ella let her met with Crown Prince Edward after knowing her capability. That queen wanted her to be the one to help Crown Prince Edward to strengthen his study and foundation. The two of them would definitely be in the same class later. When Aurora thought about this, she wanted to sneer. The Queen truly had a good abacus. And Aurora also knew that it was not possible for her to refuse unless she wanted to make more trouble for herself, which would only make things more difficult for her. It was annoying. Aurora hadnt answered Crown Prince Edwards last words. Get along well? Dont worry, well get along well as long you dont harm me. As for the so called love? She didnt believe a word of that and didnt think that it would be possible for her to develop any feelings for this person. ... Duke White was happy when he saw Aurora. "You did a good job today. Make sure to keep up your performance." Looking at her father who only cared for what she did, Aurora only smiled and nodded faintly. She knew better than anyone that her father was a person who only cared for benefit. With her making the deal in the negotiation that was profitable for them, Duke White would also have more funds in his hand. As long as the harvest this year was not bad enough, it would be more than enough to increase their own allowance. For Duke White, this was undoubtedly a happy thing that made him extremely happy. "Thank you, Father," Aurora replied. Duke White nodded and then said, "Keep up the good work. Well still rely on you next year." Next year. Aurora curtsied to her father, indicating that she understood. And after saying that, Duke White returned to his study, busy with other things that was important for him to do. Duchess Isabella came forward and then looked at Aurora. "How did your meeting with the Queen goes?" Since Duchess Isabella had already known Auroras performance before, she had no interest to ask her about that again. Instead, she was more concerned about Auroras meeting with Queen Ella. No matter what, Aurora had to make sure that Queen Ella had a favorable impression of her. If Queen Ella were to make things difficult for them, they wouldnt be able to benefit as Auroras family. Aurora could guess what her mother was worried about. "Her Majesty told me to interact more with His Highness," Aurora replied. This sentence was already more than enough to let Duchess Isabella knew that Queen Ella looked favorably on Aurora. This meant that Auroras position as the future crown princess was stable. Duchess Isabella nodded in satisfaction. "Keep up the good work." Aurora bowed her head slightly and replied, "Yes, Mother." After mentioning it and also said a few more precautions that Aurora had to remember, Duchess Isabella went back to do things on her own. It seemed as if whatever Aurora did only deserve a sentence of praise. There was nothing else that they would say to her and Aurora had long gotten used to it. The only good thing was that there was no class today and Aurora was allowed to rest. But it was only one day. Tomorrow, it was time to go back to classes and more studying. As Aurora was about to return, she saw Adela trotted over to her and then asked, "Sister, can you tell me more about the negotiation?" Aurora looked at Adela in front of her and showed a faint smile. "What do you want to know?" "Eh, emm..." Adela tilted her head. "How about the process?" The process? Thinking about the long debate with the other people from other kingdoms, Auroras expression turned strange, but she still answered Adelas question. Her answers were very standardized and seemed to be rather cold and unfeeling, but it was pretty good. Of course that was if they were talking in professional terms. Because if they were talking in terms of interest... *yawn* Adela could barely force herself to listen to Auroras words. She felt that Auroras words were really boring and there were a lot of technical terms that she didnt understand. Because her own study was far behind from Aurora, she didnt understand more than 90% of what Aurora was saying. Even if Aurora was using the simpler terms to explain, it was still far above what Adela could understand. In the end, Adela gave up. "I think its enough, Sister," Adela said weakly. Aurora could see that Adela was not listening and didnt seem to understand, but she still showed a faint smile on her face. "I see. Do you have any question?" Chapter 54: A Knight Chapter 54: A Knight Question? Adela quickly shook her head. She didnt even manage to listen to most of the words Aurora said, how could she possibly ask any question now? "I... Im going back first. Its already late and I have to rest." After casually throwing an excuse, Adela rushed back and Aurora didnt pester Adela. There was a faint coldness within her eyes that was quickly suppressed back. Even if she knew that the person in front of her is not her sister, what could she do? Exposing it without any direct evidence will only make others feel that she was jealous of her sister and thus didnt treat her well. But keeping it like this and maintain the status quo... it was hard for Aurora to truly see the current Adela as her sister. The appearance was the same, but the personality was inconsistent. Lets not think about this. Aurora looked at the stack of books not far from her. Soon, it would be time for her to go to the academy. The academy here is the special academy for noble children. From age 12 to 18, they could study in the academy. Though, not everyone would last until the very end. Many girls from the lower nobility would be married away by their family members once they reached 16, the legal age for marriage. Of course, before that, they would definitely have their debut first. Some men would also return to their territory without finishing their study if they were already asked to manage it. It was not a compulsory education. But for those who had higher nobility title, they would rather let their children continue to stay in the academy until graduation more than anything else. This was because this concern their face. They didnt want to lose face by not finishing their study in the academy. And it was not like they have anything else to do if they were asked to go back earlier. Those with high enough nobility would definitely want their descendant, especially future successor, to finish their study. Aurora is the future crown princess. With this position alone, Aurora knew that her parents would make her stay in the academy until the term was finished. Besides... Aurora glanced at the window. There were a lot of knights guarding the entire mansion. When she went out, there would also be a lot of knights coming to protect her. Escaping from this place was simply an impossible dream. Even if she started practicing swordsmanship, she would never be able to contend against these powerful knights. Aurora took a deep breath. Shes a noble daughter. It was her duty to follow the arrangement... No matter how much she didnt want it deep in her heart, she would never be able to show it on the surface. ... The next day, Aurora didnt continue her study yet because she had some works after the negotiation was done. The servants who heard about Auroras work were truly amazed. They didnt expect that such a young miss would be able to do the work that many adults couldnt do. But seeing how tired Aurora were, her maidservants were a bit worried. "Miss, how about if you take a break?" Les asked. As the maid who have followed Aurora for a long time and also helped Aurora in various matters, Les was genuinely worried for Aurora. She had seen for herself how Aurora worked for the past year, finding information and also gathering people for the diplomatic mission. Because of that, Aurora could barely rest enough and even had to eat at the fastest speed possible while maintaining her etiquette. It was definitely very tiring. "Take a break?" Aurora repeated and looked outside the mansion. She tilted her head and then said, "I guess its time for me to go to the training grounds." "Miss..." Les felt rather helpless. Her Miss was definitely a workaholic who only knew how to work without doing anything else. The problem was, Aurora was still very young and this made Les worry for Auroras body. Ever since Aurora started learning swordsmanship, her body had gotten somewhat better. But it was still not an excuse for her to abuse herself like this. Les sighed deeply and helped Aurora to change her clothes before Aurora made her way to the training grounds. Aurora had no plan to train her body today. She was too lazy to do something like that. What she wanted to do was to look around and find the person she wanted to see. Along the way, the servants were whispering to each other but when they saw Aurora, they put down what they were doing and bowed respectfully. "Did you hear about what Miss Aurora did?" "Yes, its really amazing." "Some people outside said that its because of Duchess Isabella that Miss Aurora could do this, but they didnt know that Duchess Isabella almost never pay attention to Miss." "Yes, I tried to talk with them, but theyre skeptical." "Tsk, if they know how hardworking our Miss is, theyll know that this is not a rumor but the truth." The result of the negotiation was said to be something that belonged to Duchess Isabella and Aurora. Some people tried to explain that it was Auroras alone. But they didnt believe it. After all, it was not so easy to believe this. Duchess Isabella was still present in the negotiation room at that time, making people think that she should have helped Aurora. The truth? Naturally no. Duchess Isabella had no time to waste with her daughter because she was too busy coming to various parties. Along the way, Aurora could hear this conversation, but she was not in a hurry to refute the rumors. It would be useless to clarify and when it was time for her to do the negotiation on her own in the future, they would definitely know that Aurora did it by herself. Auroras eyes flashed with a faint glint as she bypassed these servants. Chapter 55: The Academy Chapter 55: The Academy The training grounds had many knights around. Aurora only needed to look once before she found the person she has been looking for: William Aster, Mr. Wrens son. "Miss." William Aster quickly stood up when he saw Aurora approaching. He had heard about Aurora from his father, but Mr. Wren didnt dare to say anything that would involve various other things. So the information that William received was limited. But he also knew that Aurora was not an ordinary dukes daughter who knew nothing and so on. She was someone who had her own ideas and way of doing things. At first, William was a bit skeptical. But after listening to the rumors after the negotiation was done, he understood that Aurora indeed has that capability. The negotiation that should have maintained the status quo now tilted in their favor. To be able to do this, Aurora should have worked hard. "Have you thought about your answer, Apprentice Knight William?" Aurora didnt beat around the bush and asked directly. William Aster was stunned when he heard Auroras words. He looked at the young miss in front of him and then smiled faintly. To be honest, he had no advantage in front of many other knights and his skills could only be said to be relatively ordinary. If it was not because his father was Mr. Wren, it was estimated that Aurora would never consider him to be her personal knight. But he also knew that if he made this decision today, his workload in the future would be even greater. Because he had to be responsible for Auroras safety. And this was by no means easy. As Aurora gained more power, there would definitely be more people who wanted to bring her down. "Yes." William Aster knelt down and said, "Im not a knight yet, so Ill say my promise first, Miss. Under the Sun, I, William Aster, promised that Ill follow Miss Aurora White until the end of my life. Ill be her loyal sword under her hand, completing my every duty." Once a knight had chosen their lord, they would usually serve them until the rest of their lives. It was a bet. The bet that would determine their lives in the future. But since William is not a knight, he couldnt give his oath and could only say his promise. The proper oath had to wait until he was knighted. Aurora listened to Williamss words and extended her hand. "I accept your promise, Apprentice Knight William. Dont disappoint me." William Aster smiled and then kissed the back of Auroras hand. "I wont, Miss." "Ill be waiting for the day you become a knight. Until then, you only need to follow me when Im going out for the negotiation." "Yes, Miss." William held his sword tighter. He had to train harder and once he reached the requirement, he would apply for the test. Only after he became a proper knight could he follow Aurora. ... Capital Academy The academy in the Capital Kingdom was named Capital Academy. It could be said that the person who named it was quite lazy and simply picked the capitals name. But at the same time, this is also the highest and the best academy in the entire Yellow Kingdom. The other kingdoms also have their own academy, but it was not something for Aurora to concern herself about. She was looking at the tall gate in front of her. For the next 10 months, she would stay here and could only come out when it was Summer Break and she had to participate in the negotiation between the Yellow Kingdom and the other kingdoms. Her entire life has been arranged. And looking at the situation in the Capital Academy, there were many knights who were guarding, both males and females. It was clear that no student would be able to get out without them noticing. Retracting her gaze, Aurora walked into the gate. "Miss, Ill go to your room to clean up first," Les said respectfully. Since this is the academy for nobility, the maidservants for these nobles could also enter the academy. Of course, their role was nothing more than to serve their master or miss and they would not go out from the dormitory area. After all, these nobility children were already used to be taken care of by others. They came to the academy for the sake of studying and also expanding their connection, so for their daily lives, there would be a maidservant or manservant who would take care of their needs. Aurora picked Les since she was familiar with the other party and knew that Les could be trusted. It would be better to leave her life be taken care of by Les. She could focus on her study and also to interact with the other nobles. "Yes," Aurora said calmly. The suitcase was also brought by Les while Aurora walked to the registration office. She had to report her coming here. There were already many children there, talking and laughing with each other. Once they were in the academy, the etiquette was a bit more lax, so they could talk with others without much restrain. Of course, this only applied if they were friends with the others. If they were to show such an appearance in front of someone they have only met, they would be looked down upon by the other party. "Miss Aurora White..." the person in the registration office noted down Auroras name. In the academy, they would not greet each other with their titles and could instead be more relaxed. But even then, they had to follow basic etiquette and politeness when facing with other people. "Yes," Aurora said. The person in charge of the registration then handed Aurora a sheet of paper for identification. After keeping the paper, Aurora walked to the bulletin board not far from the registration place. There were a lot of notice there but the most important one was the schedule notice and their classes. There were a lot of classes and many of them divided the females and the males, but some classes would mix the children together. Chapter 56: The ‘Perfect’ Arrangement Chapter 56: The Perfect Arrangement Aurora looked at these class placements. They could pick some of their classes, but many others were mandatory. Especially since they were only the first year students, they almost couldnt pick any other classes because of the mandatory class they have to attend. Aurora herself would add a class to herself, named swordsmanship. Most of the girls would not learn this, so it was an additional class they could take in the morning. The class for the girls and boys were separated since it was a physical class. Aurora looked at her schedule and fell into silence. It didnt seem to be any better than her class when she was in her fathers residence, especially because she was tasked to take a few more classes. Her schedule is really full. *sigh* So be it. Aurora looked away from the bulletin and then made her way to look around the academy. She was going to stay here for the next six years, so it would be better for her to familiarize herself with the road. Along the way, there were many other noble children who come to greet Aurora. As the dukes daughter, Auroras status is definitely the highest among all the noble girls. Coupled with the fact that she was also the crown princes fiance?e, the other noble girls wanted to curry favor with her. Of course, there were also some noble girls who disliked her. But they would not dare to disrespect her on the surface because of the difference in status. Any sign of impoliteness for those who were of higher status could make them suffer a lot. It was the rule in this kingdom. After walking for some time, Aurora saw Crown Prince Edward who was talking with three other boys. From the way it looked like, they have good relationship with each other. They should have interacted before they came here. Looking at the three boys, Aurora thought about their identity. One of them has a relatively longer brown hair but it was still considered short and suitable for boys. He was also wearing thick glasses and carried a bunch of books beside him. From his appearance alone, Aurora guessed that he should be Louis, the prime ministers son. The prime minister was also the assistant of the king and also the one who handled many other matters related to the kingdom. He himself was also a noble, but his work was mainly in the palace. His son, Louis, was also Crown Prince Edwards study companion and would be the one who helped the crown prince to manage the kingdom in the future. Looking at the mans tired face, Aurora could guess that he should be tired with helping Crown Prince Edward in his study. After all, if the crown prince himself was not very capable, then he needed someone who was capable enough around him to help him pave the way up. The Queen had prepared Louis to help with the papers. And then Aurora would help with the others. What a perfect arrangement. Aurora moved her gaze to the other two boys. One of them was wearing training clothes with a sword hanging on the side. He had messy blond hair and also tall body. From the way he looked like, he should be the famous second son of Marquis Davis, Benny. From what Aurora had been taught before, most of the inheritance of the nobility would be passed down to the first son. Because of this, the second son and below had to work by themselves if they wanted any nobility title and so on. There were a few paths but the most common was through being a knight and achieved enough merit to be granted with nobility. Even if this nobility was nothing more than a title without any real benefit nor the so called territory, but it was still something better than nothing at all. Or if their parents were rich enough, they could actually buy some title for their other children. The titles would definitely be lower, but they didnt have to work hard. But this practice was not very common. After all, the price for any nobility title was extremely expensive and it was not easy to get for many nobles. Benny Davis was one of the few famous second son in the Capital City of the Yellow Kingdom. The main reason was because his talent in swordsmanship was really high. His skills had far surpassed many people who were older than him and within a few years, it was expected that he would be knighted. This delighted Marquis Davis greatly. If Benny was really talented, he would be able to be conferred nobility much easier. And it was also because of this talent of his that he was brought to Crown Prince Edwards side as his knight. Of course, the official position had to wait until Benny was knighted. But for now, the children were interacting closely with each other. As for the last boy. He was Leon Sun, the second son of Duke Sun. His appearance was very similar to Duke Sun with his bright blond hair and sharp appearance. Since he was the second son, he would not inherit his fathers title, but he had been given another lower nobility title. As for how it was obtained, Duke Sun had a lot of connections. It could be said that Queen Ella spared a lot of effort to pull everyone to gather around Crown Prince Edward. She wanted to pave way for her son and the most influential dukes were all pulled to her side through their children. Or it could also be the kings move. After all, Aurora didnt know who made the arrangement. Pushing all thoughts to the back, Aurora stepped forward and then called out, "Your Highness." Crown Prince Edward saw Aurora and smiled brightly. "Aurora, youre here. Come and meet with my friends. This is Louis, Leon, and Benny." Aurora looked at these three people and then greeted them all one by one. Chapter 57: Meeting Chapter 57: Meeting "Aurora White?" Louis repeated Auroras name and then nodded politely. "Its a pleasure to see you, Miss Aurora." Aurora could see that the gaze behind his glasses was rather cold. But thinking about the superiority personality of the Prime Minister, Aurora knew that this boy was looking down on her. The Yellow Kingdoms Prime Minister was known for his harsh view towards women. He didnt really like the system in which the Queen had some power on her own aside from the control over the palaces internal affairs. However, the King would let the Queen handled part of the diplomatic affairs. Of course, he would not hand over everything and many of what she did still have to pass through him. As the prime minister, Louis father was naturally aware of what the Queen has been doing and also put forward many of his own opinion. Aurora had heard of him from her mother. And it was naturally not a good thing. From the way it looked like, Louis inherited his fathers arrogant personality. Not that it matter anyway. It was not like they would have a lot of interactions in the future if it was unnecessary as Aurora would only come to them to see Crown Prince Edward. "Its a pleasure to meet you too, Louis," Aurora replied. Louis looked at Aurora and snorted internally and looked away. He had no interest to talk with Aurora, so he glanced at Crown Prince Edward as if asking the other party what he wanted. On the side, Leon nodded polite at Aurora and didnt step forward to greet her. In response, Aurora also nodded at him. The two of them have similar status, so it was not that easy for her to step forward. Crown Prince Edward smiled awkwardly and nodded at Aurora. "Right, were planning to join the student council. Do you want to join too?" Student council? The Academy allowed the students to join the clubs or to join the student council. It would depend on their own interest and aspiration, but each of these clubs and student council have their own rules. They have to join one and they have time until the end of the week to pick one. Aurora had already had her own plans for her club, so she shook her head. "I dont have any plan to join the student council." "You dont?" Crown Prince Edward scratched the back of his head. "It seems to be pretty interesting." Its indeed interesting, but only those who were smart enough would be able to enter. Aurora looked at Crown Prince Edward thoughtfully. With this boys intelligence, Aurora had doubts that he would be able to join the student council. After all, it was known that only the best student was qualified to enter. But at the same time, Aurora knew that the academy couldnt possibly reject the crown prince to enter the student council if he wanted to. Because this was something that might challenge the Royal Familys face. The King would be displeased if the academy were to stop his son from entering the student council like that. "I want to join the tea ceremony," Aurora said slowly. Compared to the student council that would make them study hard and to help manage the academy with the teachers, she wanted some free time to relax herself. The tea ceremony might seem to be complicated, but for Aurora who had learned it from her mother ever since she was young, it was the perfect place for her to relax. Even if she still has to follow those bothersome etiquette, but it was better than having her stare at those documents and numbers. At least, she would not be so tired in this way. "Tea ceremony?" Crown Prince Edwards expression froze. He naturally knew what it was because his mother taught him the etiquette when dining and so on. But for him, it was really boring. It was more fun to go out and play with his swords or to run around the area as much as possible to do various other activities. Who would want to sit and do nothing but to sip their teas and talked about various things? At least, Crown Prince Edward refused such a thing. "Yes." Aurora nodded. "Its very calm and comforting." Beside them, Louiss face showed a faint sneer. He himself had no interest in the tea ceremony that had nothing to do but for them to drink tea. No matter how good the tea tasted, he had no interest to drink them while doing nothing like that. It was not interesting at all. "I... I see." Aurora could see that they were not interested in it, so she asked Crown Prince Edwards class schedule and then talked a few more words with him about this matter. After a while, Aurora left. She had no business with Crown Prince Edward and now, it was time for their first class. It was just an introduction class, but she better not be late. As for the content? Aurora looked at the schedule in her hand. She was sure that there was nothing important but at the very least, she could relax for a while. ... The so called introduction class was for them to know about their schedule and the rules in the academy. Since Aurora had already read the book rules that was given to her not long ago, she didnt really need to listen anymore. Though, Aurora still showed the appearance of a good listener. There was nothing wrong with showing the appearance of a good student in front of the teachers. As for whether she truly listened or not.... It was another matter. Life in academy... can only be said to be another place for me to study. Aurora tapped the table in front of her lightly. It seemed that she would have to think about what she actually wanted to do while she was here. After all, she couldnt possibly let go of the chance to have more connections with the noble children. Chapter 58: Tea Ceremony Club Chapter 58: Tea Ceremony Club The academy could be said to be very peaceful. The noble children were all taught etiquette and when they first came to the academy, they naturally have their own reservation and didnt dare to show too much. After all, if they were to make a mistake, the blame would be brought back to their families. They didnt want that. As for how long this kind of atmosphere will last, Aurora had no idea and had no interest either. She applied to make a tea ceremony club and the application passed smoothly. With her status as the dukes daughter, many things were given the convenience. What she had to do was to live up to this status. After the club was made, there were a few noble girls who come to join the club. Aurora didnt really restrict anyone from entering. The rule in her club was only for them to respect each other. Through this way, Aurora was able to make some contact with the other noble girls. And with Auroras name as the club leader, many other girls were also attracted. After all, Auroras status is the highest and it was only normal for other lower ranked nobles to come to her to curry favor or to simply show their faces. Whichever it was, they were willing to join Auroras club on their own initiative and Aurora would not block them. One of them was a familiar face. Annelie Brown. "I would like to join the tea ceremony club," Annelie said in such a statement. With her status as the marquiss daughter, she was only lower than the dukes children and also the royal family. For her, it would be best for her to stay with the person with the highest status. And that person was naturally Aurora. The other two dukes didnt have any daughters, so the rest of the girls around their age were all of the same status as Annelie. Because of this, Annelie would rather stay with Aurora and try to get close to the other party. Aurora could guess what Annelie was thinking, but she only smiled and said, "Welcome to my club, Lady Annelie." "Thank you." Annelie smiled. Even though she looked confident on the surface, but she knew that whether she could join or not would depend on Auroras words. If Aurora didnt want her to join, then Annelie could only retreat. Thankfully, Aurora was easy to talk to. If Aurora knew what Annelie was thinking, it was estimated that she would be speechless. She had no interest to exclude anyone from joining her small club. Besides, isnt it good to be able to have more connections. The Brown Family also has some other businesses that Aurora was interested in to pull for the next negotiation. If she could get close to Annelie and get some preferential treatment, that would be for the best. Aurora would not blatantly offend anyone and would try her best to befriend others. Of course, if they dared to offend her, then she would show them that her status as the dukes daughter was not for nothing. Besides, her temper has never been one to swallow grievances. Time passed quietly and Aurora slowly adapted to the life in the academy. Of course, she still followed the queens instruction to come to see Crown Prince Edward from time to time. But most of the time, Aurora would spend her time in the club room even if it was empty. This has become her personal place to study and review what she wanted to learn. Today, there was a knock on the clubs door. Knock! Knock! "Come in," Aurora said. She was having a small tea party with the other noble students. If they have nothing to talk with each other, they would only drink tea. But if they have something to talk about, then they would start to talk with each other. This time, they were all sitting in different table while Aurora was sitting in a remote table for herself. She was reviewing her study and the other students also knew not to disturb her when she did this. Because they were all in the academy for study. Even if they didnt pay much attention to it, they had to make sure that their grades were not at the bottom. Once they did. Hehehe... Their families would be called by the academy and then they would be forced to take more exams and classes. None of them wanted that. A red haired girl peeked into the room and then showed an awkward smile. "Excuse me, can I join the club?" Red hair and the freckles on the face, Aurora immediately recognized the other party. Lucy Celeste, the daughter of Count Celeste who was located at the border of the Yellow Kingdom. There were not many people who have hair as red as Count Celeste, which was known to the nobles. And his only daughter, Lucy Celeste inherited his famous iconic bright red hair, making it very easy for them to recognize her. "Why are you here?" Before Aurora could answer, Annelie had already spoke up. She looked at Lucy with displeasure. "Didnt you know that your etiquette was really bad yesterday that you were scolded by the teachers?" When they were gathering in this tea ceremony club, Annelie was full of praise for Auroras skills. She looked exceptionally beautiful and elegant, making it hard for others to look away. For Annelie, it was simply a feast to the eyes. The etiquette, which looked so cumbersome was really beautiful when it was placed on Aurora. On the other hand, Lucy was known to be the worst one among them all. This made her feel that this was unacceptable. If Lucy were to join the tea ceremony club, then it would make her feel the beauty was disturbed. It was not a good feeling for her, so Annelie refused immediately. Lucy flinched at Annelies words. She clenched her fist, wanting to refute, but thinking about their difference in status, she could only stay silent. Chapter 59: Connection Expansion Chapter 59: Connection Expansion Aurora looked at this and felt rather helpless. Annelie was the perfect carbon copy of her mother. Even her extremely proud view was inherited. It was not a bad thing for the noble to be proud because they do have the capital for it. But overly proud and looked down on others were not something to be praised for. "Lady Annelie, the club is made for us to communicate with each other," Aurora said slowly. "If Lady Lucy wants to join, then shes welcome to join." "That..." Annelie wanted to protest, but another girl beside her who had good relationship with her tug on her sleeve. She was reminding Annelie not to offend Aurora in this clubs room. Besides, there was nothing wrong with adding one more member. Perceiving what her friend told her, Annelie could only agree reluctantly. Lucy, who was full of annoyance at Annelie in the beginning, was startled when she heard Auroras words. Looking at Aurora, who was sitting on her own and the other noble girls reaction when they heard Auroras words with respect in their eyes, Lucy seemed to understand that in this club, Auroras words was the rule. These girls were all full of respect for Aurora. Was it because of her status as the dukes daughter or was it because of her own ability? Either way, Lucy felt some admiration for Aurora. "Thank you Lady Aurora," Lucy quickly said. "Come in," Aurora replied with a smile. "Yes!" Lucy nodded and then walked in. Annelie clicked her tongue but she didnt do anything else. No matter how unhappy she is, she would not refute Auroras words and made trouble in this club room. This place belonged to Aurora and no matter what, it was the best place for her too. Many other high ranked noble daughters were also here and communicate with Aurora openly. What Aurora didnt expect was that starting that day, her small tea ceremony club become teaching class for Aurora to teach these noble girls. Some of these noble girls couldnt afford the teacher in the past or other matters, which caused their etiquette to be lower than most other noble children. But when they joined Auroras tea ceremonys club, they could learn these things slowly but surely. Aurora would not force them and helped them to demonstrate the right etiquette so that they could follow her lead. It was a fun process nevertheless. Of course, Aurora would not teach every day. They scheduled the teaching class to be once a week while the rest of the days would be a normal gathering in the club if they wanted to. Surprisingly, the club room was almost always so popular because of this. What Aurora didnt expect was that she would see Lucy again when she took the basic swordsmanship class. "Lady Aurora," Lucy quickly called out and then looked at her clothes, not sure how she should perform her etiquette. "You can pretend theres a skirt and bent down as usual, Lady Lucy," Aurora said and then performed the etiquette in front of the other party. With her training over the years, Aurora was naturally aware of this. Aside from that, she herself was not wearing dress. Who would be wearing dress when they were going to practice swordsmanship? Clearly, no one would be stupid enough to make such a mistake. "Ah, thank you, Lady Aurora." Lucy blushed. She felt that she was making trouble for Aurora to ask for advice in such a place at this time. After all, Aurora had no obligation to teach her. "Its nothing much," Aurora replied and then looked at Lucys posture. Even though Aurora was only learning for a short period of time, she could see that Lucy was someone who had trained in sword for a long time. The posture showed by Lucy was the standard posture that the female knight who taught Aurora back then showed. "Are you also learning the sword, Lady Aurora?" Lucy was curious. After seeing Auroras elegance in the tea ceremony club, Lucy really couldnt connect Aurora to someone who was learning swordsmanship. In fact, Lucy felt that the image seemed to be contradictory. "I learn for the sake of my health," Aurora slowly said. "How about you, Lady Lucy?" Health? Learning swordsmanship could indeed be considered as a way for training since they were basically training their body and also their skills. Auroras answer was a bit surprising but at the same time, it was reasonable. "My family guards the border and there are a lot of battles there," Lucy said with helpless tone. "My father said that even if Im a woman, I have to be good at swordsmanship if I want to succeed my father or even stay in my territory." Count Celeste didnt have any other children and his wife had passed away many years ago due to the dispute in the territory with the neighboring kingdom. As the noble who stayed in this territory that was placed in that kind of place, he had to be ready for battle at any time. Because no matter who come to their territory, they would have to make sure to protect the citizen inside. Lucy is the only daughter and also the future successor. Because of this, Lucy was taught martial arts by her father and then sent to study in the academy. Because only if Lucy was studying here would it be possible for her to make connection and then make use of this connection to help their territory. Without the support of the Yellow Kingdom, it was hard for the people in their territory to survive. As for Lucys future partner... It had to be a lower noble who was willing to be married into their territory. Because this was the one and only way for them to survive. Lucy had to be successor of her territory. "I see," Aurora said slowly. Thinking about Lucys position, Aurora had a faint idea in her mind. Chapter 60: Why? Chapter 60: Why? "Can you tell me more about your territory?" Aurora asked. Lucy, who didnt expect anything, was stunned once again when she heard Auroras words. Looking at the girl in front of her who was shorter than her but had a faint elegant and confident smile, Lucy felt that this girl was truly worthy of the noble title that was given to them. "I can tell you everything you want to, Lady Aurora," Lucy agreed directly. Aurora chuckled. "You dont have to be in such a hurry. Lets talk about it after class, alright?" Lucy saw the teacher was already looking in their direction and coughed awkwardly. She nodded and then followed the teacher. Aurora kept her smile when she saw this. If there was something suitable in Count Celestes territory, then Aurora didnt mind helping them out. After all, it would be a good thing for the people in their territory. ... Auroras school life would have been better if not for her supposed meeting with Crown Prince Edward. She made sure that she came to see him sometimes after the class was over, but looking at the Crown Prince who was playing with his friend in the student councils room, Aurora was silent. She had the feeling that this prince was not very good. When she reminded him to study... "Ill study later," Crown Prince Edward replied simply. He had no interest to study and if it was not because of his parents insistence, he didnt even want to stay in the academy. Aurora looked at the crown prince and finally sighed. Even if she has the position as the crown princes fiance?e, Aurora knew better than anyone how useless this title actually was. She couldnt really tell the crown prince what he had to do and what he shouldnt do, can she? So after the meeting with Crown Prince Edward, Aurora usually felt tired. And this time, she had a talk with a noble daughter about some of the things in their territory. If it was suitable, then Aurora could ask for them to connect to their father. As the kingdoms diplomat, this was something that she had to do. "Okay, Ill tell my father later," the girl in front of Aurora said. Aurora nodded and once it was done, she sat down on the garden. Even when she was at school, she seemed to be working. Should this be categorized as child abuse? Aurora rubbed her hand. Then again, no one actually told her to do this, but she was the one who did it on her own and made sure that the next negotiation would be done well. After all, Aurora knew that her parents would not tolerate any mistake. "You sure are very hardworking." Hearing this sentence, Aurora raised her head and saw Leon standing not far from where she was. He crossed his arms, looking at Aurora up and down as if he was looking at an interesting thing. This look made Aurora wary. "Sir Leon," Aurora greeted. "Just call me with my name. Its not like Im truly titled and in this academy, its advocated for everyone to interact on equal grounds." Leon waved his hand. Even though it was impossible for them to truly be on the equal ground, but this academy was built on that basis. At least, that was how it should have been in the very beginning. But with the people who attended the academy being nobles, it was a bit impossible for them to truly do this. "I understand, Leon," Aurora said slowly. Leon snorted and with his arms still crossed. "Say, how did you manage to do the negotiation with my father?" "...Pardon?" "Tsk, my father is so full of praise for you that I have to listen to his words all the time." Leon snorted. To be honest, he didnt think there was anything special from Aurora in front of him. If anything, she didnt look that much different from many other noble girls that he had seen before. Of course, it was only in the beginning. When Leon saw how the noble girls were being drawn to Aurora slowly but surely. He felt that she was a bit strange. And just now, he casually listened to the conversation between the two of them. And that was when he realized that even in the academy, Aurora was still working. "Why did you work so hard anyway?" Leon asked with confusion. He himself didnt like to work all the time, which was why he often played with Crown Prince Edward. Even though he would still train and study most of the time, he would eventually go to play from time to time. But for Aurora, he had almost never seen her having any fun. The only time when she didnt seem to be working or studying seemed to be the time when she was in her club. But looking at the solemn atmosphere from the window, it seemed that Aurora was still studying even there. This made Leon confused. Why did Aurora work so hard? Why? Aurora looked at Leon in front of her and showed a faint smile. She naturally could not say the truth to Leon about the reason whys he worked so hard. Because Aurora knew very well that her education would be different from others. She has always been expected to perform well. If she didnt perform well, then what awaited her would be nothing more than anger and punishment from her parents. Even as a child, she knew what she had to do to avoid pain. "As the kingdoms diplomat, I have things that I should do, Leon," Aurora replied calmly. Things she should do? Leon looked at Aurora and frowned. "Are you truly that stupid?" Aurora: "..." She had the feeling that she wouldnt be able to communicate with him properly. His speech was also very crude, unbefitting for a refined noble. "This is the duty of a noble," Aurora said slowly. "Your father should have told you that there are noblesse oblige, didnt he?" Chapter 61: Opinion Chapter 61: Opinion Noblesse oblige. It was a phrase that was very common to be heard by the nobility, but not many people actually followed through with it. After all, they didnt have the intention to truly help the people all the time. Many of them become noble because of the profit they could obtain after becoming one. And that becoming a noble meant that they were entitled to many privilege they didnt have before. For those who were born in nobility family but not qualified to inherit their parents title, it could also be said to be a chance for them to prove themselves and regain their status. Even if it was lower than their parents and siblings, but they were still noble nevertheless. However, being a noble was not all sunny and fun. There was something called noblesse oblige, their duties they have to fulfill as a noble. The higher ones rank, the higher the responsibility they have to bear on their shoulder. "I know." Leon frowned. His father had echoed those words in his ear for a long period of time, making him feel tired with those things. The only good thing was that he was the second child, so the succession matter had nothing to do with him. As for his nobility title later on, his father had made the arrangement. Besides, Leon was also confident that he would be able to earn a title with his own ability. He just had to work hard. "Its still stupid." Leon snorted and then shook his head. "Forget it. By the way, His Highness will have competition later on. He told me to inform you so that you can watch him." The boys would learn swordsmanship ever since they were young as it was a compulsory lesson. However, it was not necessary for them to be the best if they didnt want to become a knight. Many of them only study swordsmanship for the sake of learning and nothing else. Some girls learned swordsmanship for some reasons, but it was not very common as their study didnt include this lesson. "Ok," Aurora replied. As Crown Prince Edwards fiance?e, Aurora did have to go and see him. Even though she was not very interested in Crown Prince Edwards spar because the last time it was such a mess, she would still come and cheer for him. Though, the so called cheering was nothing more than watching. Aurora was not really excited for these kind of things. "Im going now." Leon nodded at Aurora politely and then walked away. Watching the boy walking away, Aurora pursed her lips. She knew that Leon was not satisfied with her answer, but he also knew that he couldnt possibly pressure her. Probably, he would try to watch over her from time to time. But Aurora didnt really care about it. She had other things that she wanted to do. ... But troubles would always come in pairs. For the first year students, their first monthly examination would start after three months have passed. Aurora naturally achieved the best result and stood firmly at the top of the list. This made other people felt amazed. Because they had seen how Louis usually performed in class. He was very active and also the student that the teachers liked, but his result was not as good as Aurora? Some students felt that this was really interesting. "Impossible." Louis frowned when he saw the list in front of him. He was confident that he would get the first place and even the teachers often praised him for his good result. But in front of Aurora, how come the result was really bad like this? Louis suddenly couldnt accept it. "Teacher, is there nothing wrong with the test result?" Louis came to the teacher and asked bluntly. He was usually quite tactful but when he saw the result that was far below his expectation, he couldnt help himself and felt that he had to get to the bottom of it. The teacher frowned. "Theres nothing wrong with the test result." "But..." "If youre dissatisfied, you can come to the Headmaster," the teacher said patiently. Louis frowned. Should he come to the Headmaster for this matter? But thinking that there was a name above his name... Louis didnt feel too good. "Is it really so important to have his name written as number one?" Crown Prince Edward murmured in a low voice, clearly not understand why Louis was so fixated with being the number one. His own name was not written in this list. And Crown Prince Edward had long guessed that it was because his score was not good enough. To maintain the face of these noble children, if their scores were too low, it would not be posted at all. Crown Prince Edward was naturally included among those whose score would not be posted because of this. Beside him, Leon looked at the list and saw his name that was at the middle towards the bottom. Oh well... Study was never his forte. Leon rubbed his nose and then looked at Aurora whose name was at the forefront. It looked rather amazing if he had to say. "Im going to see the Headmaster." Louis struggled for a while before he walked in the direction where the Headmaster was located. No matter what, he wanted to complain about this score. He didnt believe that with his ability, he would be lower than a woman like Aurora! Aurora saw this scene and mockery flashed within her eyes. She knew very well that Louis was a proud and arrogant person, one who couldnt take defeat lightly. However, Aurora also knew very well hat there were many talented and capable people around her. She was only slightly better at the study because of the harsh training she had received ever since she was young. Besides, the ranking was actually not very important. Aurora turned around and left, hoping that the Headmaster would not call her for such a useless matter. Chapter 62: Opinion (2) Chapter 62: Opinion (2) While Aurora didnt care, Louis directly went to see the Headmaster and complained about the test result. "Student Louis, you didnt trust the teachers grading?" The Headmaster asked, his tone was somewhat cold. Because Louiss words were the same as saying that the grade the teachers showed didnt represent the students real ability. And that they were actually not doing well in their work. Who would not be angry when they were being accused on their face like this? Louis also realized that his attitude was not right, but he tried to control himself. "Headmaster, I dont think my result should be the second place." The Headmaster thought about the prime minister, who was also very difficult to deal with in some matters. In some ways, this prime ministers son inherited many of his fathers annoying trait. He sighed and took out Auroras paper. "Read her answer and then compare to yours." Louis frowned and looked at the paper in front of him. Everyone was given the same question, but their answers were all different. He slowly read Auroras answer. After a while, Louis raised his head. "Headmaster, is this really her answer?" The Headmaster glanced at Louis with the look of Do I need to lie to you? There was truly no point for the Headmaster to lie to Louis. After all, Louis only needed to ask Aurora to get the answer and conformation. Not that he wanted to ask Aurora, though. Still... "How is it possible for her to think so much?" Louis asked with a frown. "This is her real result, Student Louis. You should know that the academy is the place for study." The Headmaster looked at Louis and sighed deeply. "If you have any questions you would like to ask, you can also go to the library and read more like Student Aurora." Read more? Louis face darkened. He had already read many books because it was necessary for his study, but the Headmasters words sounded as if he didnt read any books. "I know. Thank you, Headmaster." Louis could only come out unwillingly. The Headmaster shook his head and didnt pay attention to this again. Rivalries between the students were common for him and since these students have high statuses, many of them couldnt accept their defeat so easily. After Louis come out, Leon asked, "How is it?" "Its her result," Louis said with a dark face. "Ill work hard and surpass her next time." He couldnt stand being in the second place and the first place was Aurora, a girl who should be really bad. If the first person was another male student, he might not react this badly. "In that case, you have to work hard." "Yes!" ... Time passed quietly. Season changed and soon, one year had passed. During this year, Aurora adapted to the life in the academy and maintained her image and status as the top student. The name list would show their rank and Aurora always stayed at the top spot. As for Crown Prince Edward? His ranking was not shown because it was bad. These nobles cared for their faces greatly and if their result was really bad, it would not be shown in the list at all. But they would informed privately that they had to attend supplementary classes to make up for their lessons. Aurora ended up being the one helping Crown Prince Edward study after he was informed that if he failed the class once more, he had to attend the supplementary class. Even though it was tiring, but at the very least, Crown Prince Edward ended up passing the class above the needed line. The teachers all sighed when they saw this. Even when compared to the previous princes record, Crown Prince Edward could be said to be the worst. On the other hand, Auroras result was the best in all years. Even when she was asked questions that was supposed for the higher classes, she could answer flawlessly. Louis, who was determined to surpassed Aurora never achieved his goal. Instead, he stood firmly on the second place. This ranking made him really annoyed but there was nothing he could do but to study more. When Aurora asked to leave a month earlier because the negotiation took place in the Sand Kingdom, the academy agreed right away. Such a student didnt really need to stay in the academy and even if Aurora wanted to stay in the library all the time, they would agree. After all, it was obvious that Aurora was studying things that were outside her classes whenever she could. The teachers could only sigh. The negotiation this time also done well. Aurora didnt return to the academy right away and instructed for the coach to bring her to White Familys territory. Her father didnt stay in the territory and the one who managed it was the few people he instructed to. "Miss, why do you want to come here?" Les, who come with Aurora to take care of her, was confused when she heard that Aurora wanted to make a stop. "Im going to take a look at the White Dukedom territory," Aurora replied calmly. Les was confused. From what she knew, Aurora already learned many things about the territory during her study with Mr. Wren. In fact, Aurora had already asked everything that could be asked to Mr. Wren. There was no need for Aurora to come here personally again. But Aurora didnt explain and Les also didnt ask. She only needed to serve Aurora well. Aurora looked outside as the carriage passed by the fields. There were many smaller rivers flowing from the large lake. The amount of water diverted to these small rivers was all arranged through the negotiation to make sure the lake would not dry out. It was also the purpose of her negotiation. Seeing the result of her negotiation with her own eyes, Aurora showed a faint smile. For some reasons, she felt that it was quite fulfilling to see these fields all looked ripe and the harvest was huge. Chapter 63: Recruitment Chapter 63: Recruitment The profit from this year should be good. With the trades that was established through Aurora from the other negotiation, she also knew that she would earn a lot of money. These small amount of money was nothing compared to the large expense of the entire White Dukedom. To be honest, most of the money would be used for things that seemed to be useless such as expensive decorations, dresses, and so on. But it was necessary. Because these things all represented their status and only with proper accessory would they not shame their name. It was cumbersome. Aurora had already taken a look at those things and felt that most of them have no practical value whatsoever. But as the dukes daughter, she had to have these things, so Aurora leave the servants in the White Dukedom to prepare it. Moreover... Her father also rewarded her with some new dresses and jewelries after he heard that the negotiation was done and that their territory earned a lot of benefits. The price of these dresses and jewelries were not even a tenth of the total profit that Aurora brought to the White Dukedom. But it was good enough. "Miss, were about to enter White City," the coach reminded. White City is the biggest city in the White Dukedom and also the center of the activity for most management of White Dukedom. Mr. Wren and his family also had a place here when they were not in the Capital City to give report to her father. Aside from Mr. Wren, there were also a few other nobles who were entrusted by Duke White to manage White Dukedom. "Yes," Aurora said. White Dukedom was not like their name, white. Instead, it was filled with the fields for grains and rice, which was very colorful. However, on the cities, the city wall was built in white color, looking elegant and clean. It was just that this wall was a bit hard to clean, so there were a group of people who were responsible to clean it everyday. It could be said that this job has been done very well so far and no one complained about it. For the people who lived here, this wall was also the symbol of this place. After all, it was similar to the places territorys name. Aurora watched the carriage passed by the gate and then the coach asked, "Miss, where do you want to go now? White Mansion?" There was also a residence for her father when he came to the territory. Now that Aurora is here, it could also be used by her if she wanted to. After all, there was nothing wrong with stopping by her own fathers mansion to rest. "No," Aurora said and then added, "Go to the small academy." The so called small academy was an academy made by her great grandfather in the past. This small academy was different from the academy in the Capital City because this academy targeted the ordinary people. To be exact, it was targeted people who wanted to choose some special profession. There were also small nobles who came to attend the academy in order to learn specialized skill and then be of help for higher ranked noble. But this was also the place for her father to gather people to work for him. Those who were talented enough would be used by him. And this time, Aurora wanted to do the same. "Miss, are you going to look for another maid?" Les asked, she felt a bit wronged. Does her miss not satisfied with her? She was sure that she had tried her best to serve Aurora. Aurora looked at Les and shook her head lightly. "You should know that the maid training is not in the academy, Les." "Ah..." she forgot. Les coughed and looked away while Aurora was feeling amused by Less reaction. She looked at the small academy in the distance. Even if it was called an academy, it was just a small building where the students could gather to learn. However, there were not many students in the small academy because it was not cheap to enter the academy. There were also some students who were specifically sponsored to study, but they would have to fulfill some duties later on. The system was made by her great grandfather. He proposed for this system to be made in order to have some helper for his son, but the end result was that he couldnt see much of the result because this academy was made when he was already advanced in age. Her grandfather and father didnt think much about this academy and would rather use the other nobility to work for them. Because most nobles, even if they were of lower nobility, would attend the noble academy. In their opinion, it would be more suitable to look for them rather than looking for a commoner. So even if the academy was still operating, the graduates would only be reemployed by the lower nobles. Mr. Wren also picked some people from here. When Aurora thought about having her own people to work for her, Mr. Wren suggested for her to come here. After all, the people around her were all working for her father and then assigned to her by her father. If they were to be asked who they were loyal to, the answer would be her father. It wouldnt be a bad thing for them to be like this, but if Aurora really wanted people she could trust, then she needed someone who truly loyal to her. This would not be easy. "Do you want to look for a knight, Miss?" Les asked another question curiously. Now that they were not in front of others, Les was able to communicate more casually with Aurora. Of course, the basic respect should still be given. A knight? Aurora shook her head. "I need an assistant." The work that was given to her would only increase as time passed. Knowing how her parents were, Aurora would not be surprised if they were to arrange more work for her. Chapter 64: Recruitment (2) Chapter 64: Recruitment (2) As of now, Aurora had to take over many things that her mother used to work on. What her mother wanted was to have enough money for her party and dresses. While she was busy studying in the academy, Auroras mother had participated in several parties and had fun here and there. As for the management work and so on, most of them were thrown to Aurora or the butler. Her father was busy with his own work. As the Head of the White Family, Duke White had a lot of things that he had to do. He let Aurora do whatever she wanted and didnt really supervise her. Aurora herself was not surprised seeing this. Her father had done this several times in the past. In the past, it was fine. But now, Auroras workload had increased several times and Aurora would need someone she could trust to help her. Mr. Wren had helped her to a certain degree but it was not enough. She wanted someone who could fully be used by her. Soon, they arrived in the small academy. Aurora looked at the so called small academy in front of her, which was a large building comparable to two mansions. There were many students there and from the way it looked like, some of them were the lower nobles. Not all nobles could go to the Capital City, so this small academy became their target. Of course, those who were high ranked would not even consider it. The two academies were not comparable. The Headmaster quickly stepped forward when he heard that Aurora White was about to pay a visit to the academy. He knew very well that in White Dukedoms territory, the status of Duke White and his family was at the ceiling. They only needed to speak a few words to seal the fates of the people here. So he didnt dare to delay in the slightest bit. "Miss Aurora, its a pleasure for us to have you here," The Headmaster was full of praise towards Aurora the moment he saw her. Aurora nodded. "Its a pleasure to see you too, Headmaster." "Would you like to recruit someone from the academy, Miss?" The Headmaster asked, his tone contained some excitement and expectation. To know, it was not that easy for the people in this academy to be fancied by someone powerful. Auroras status could be said to be the highest possible. Many people here were commoner. If they were favored by Aurora, it could be the same as reaching the sky. Of course, the premise was that they would be selected. "Yes," Aurora replied. "I would like someone whos smart at management." Management. There were many courses in this academy, specialized in various fields. Management was only one of them. "Of course." The Headmaster smiled. "Please follow me, Miss Aurora." It didnt take long for Aurora to receive a stack of document, filled with the study result of several students who did very well in management. The Headmaster knew that these nobles would never take a look on those whose result was poor, so he immediately brought the best ones. Aurora looked at these files and after reading their result, separated two of them that was pretty good in her opinion. "This student is one year older than the other students," Aurora said slowly and looked at the Headmaster. "Is there any specific reason?" The Headmaster looked at the file that Aurora held in her hand and hesitated for a moment. He had completely forgotten about this person and handed over all of the students files just now. At this time, he was admonishing himself in his heart. But since it had happened, he could only bite the bullet and explained the reason. "Miss, this student has qualified to graduate but he rejected all the offers from the nobles and stayed here as teaching assistant and also student," the Headmaster replied. Rejected? Aurora blinked her eyes. It was rare to see such a commoner who dared to reject nobles. If they were not careful enough, these commoners would be punished severely or even jailed because of their insolence. Yet, this student was able to stay here. "I want to see him." "This..." The Headmaster wanted to persuade Aurora but thinking of her position, he could only sigh. "Please follow me, Miss Aurora." The Headmaster walked out and Aurora followed from behind. Mr. Wren and William were following behind her, not saying even a single word. They knew better that as entourage who were responsible for following their Miss, they should never say anything unnecessary. Soon, they reached the study room and just after the Headmaster opened the door, they heard the sound of something breaking. Prang! Everyones footsteps stopped. "Youll regret rejecting my offer! Do you think youre someone capable just because your result is the best in class? Youre nothing more than a poor student!" "Miss Camellia, there are a lot of other students who could fulfill your request." "Youll regret it!" Prang! As the door was wide open, Aurora could see a young woman was smashing a vase towards the young man in front of her. The young man had a handsome appearance and defined expression. His clothing was clean but it was clear that it was made of cheap materials. There was a faint coldness in his eyes when he looked at the noble in front of him. As the vase came to him, he tilted his head slightly, avoiding the throw perfectly. Seeing this scene, Auroras eyes flickered. She could see that this young man has sufficient strength to protect himself. A poor man? Or it could be said that he had a lot of experience in brawls. The young woman saw the door opened and the Headmaster along with four other people. Her eyebrows frowned in displeasure. "Headmaster, didnt I tell you not to disturb me?" "Miss Camellia, theres a noble who would like to see Karl," the Headmaster replied bitterly. Chapter 65: Offer Chapter 65: Offer At this time, the Headmaster started to regret his decision for becoming a Headmaster. He felt that he kept on encountering inexplicable situation. The problem is, he couldnt afford to offend either one of them. Miss Camellia is the daughter of a baron who lived nearby. She has been coming here several times in order to meet and convince Karl. However, the school policy was that they had to receive the agreement of the two parties for the student to work with the noble. In normal times, no one would refuse. Being able to work with the nobles are the dream of many people. "Who? Her? Does she think shes someone for cutting in the line? I told you that Ill get his agreement!" Camellia said harshly. Karl, the young man, had a trace of displeasure in his eyes when he heard Camellias words. Because of this annoying woman, he couldnt even work properly in the past few days. And the other nobles who usually came here were all only baron. Since this womans father has some influence, they had no other choice but to back down. It was a truly annoying. "Miss Camellia Carson, Im sure you have been taught that noble should not raise their voice," Aurora said calmly. "I dont need you to tell me!" Camellia shouted back. Aurora shook her head. She also knew about Baron Carson and the fact that he usually stayed here. He was someone under her father. But... One didnt really need a white eyed wolves who bite the hands that feed them. Auroras eyes flashed with ruthlessness for a moment, but her face still showed a smile. "Let me introduce myself, Im Aurora White. Its a pleasure to see you, Miss Camellia." Her demeanor was extremely polite from the beginning to the end as if she was not the one who was being yelled at. Karls eyes when he watched this exchange was also full of surprise. "Aurora White..." Camellia frowned. She couldnt keep on screaming and yelling. Besides, this surname felt oddly familiar. *cough* "Miss Camellia, this is Miss Aurora from White Dukedom," The Headmaster kindly explained. Internally, he was scolding Camellia several times. They were clearly in White Dukedoms territory, but she could even forget such a conspicuous surname. He even wondered if this Camellia finished her study in the first place. "Ah...?" Camellias eyes widened and then fear sprouted out. Even if she didnt usually pay much attention in her study, she still knew very well what the word duke represented. It represented the highest nobility aside from the Royal Family. Baron is only the lowest of the nobility. But it was already much higher than commoner. How about a duke? It was so high that Camellia didnt dare to say anything. "I... Im sorry, I... I..." "I will pay a visit to Baron Carsons place some other time, Miss Camellia," Aurora said with the same smile on her face. "Could you please give me some space to speak?" "Ah, yes, yes!" Camellia was so scared that she immediately ran away when Aurora said this. She felt that if she were to stay here any longer, she would only offend Aurora further. And considering that her fathers status was not high... Camellia wanted to cry. The Headmaster sighed deeply. This young woman clearly didnt have high enough education in etiquette. If it was a commoner, then he would turn a blind eyes because etiquette were not important for them. But for a noble? There would be a thousands complain within ones heart. "Miss Aurora, Ill leave first." The Headmaster bowed to Aurora and then left after seeing Auroras nod. He was not qualified to hear what Aurora wanted to say to Karl. Only Mr. Wren and William were standing beside the door, ready to help if it was necessary. Aurora ignored these two people and then looked at Karl in front of her. "How much do you know of the economy in this city." Karls eyes showed unconcealed surprise when he heard Auroras words. The few nobles who came to him always asked inexplicable question and this was the first time he heard such a question from Aurora. "White Dukedom is most suitable for farming and this city is the trade center..." After talking for a long time, Aurora nodded her head. At the very least, this young mans knowledge was on point. If he was unable to answer even such a simple answer, then she would have to reconsider picking the other person. Because she didnt need a useless subordinate. "Would you like to take a test?" Aurora asked. "A test?" Karl frowned. "Its not one of your nobles strange habit, right?" The image that Aurora showed to Karl was very different from the other nobles he had met. In fact, there were a few nobles in this academy, but they were all of lower ranked. This was the first time Karl had met with such a high ranked noble such as Aurora. Aurora chuckled. She looked at Karl with a faint smile. "I dont know how you usually talk with other people, Mr. Karl. But I advise you not to confront any nobles directly. You should be glad that none of the nobles you have met with such an attitude didnt choose to eliminate you or you would not be able to see the light of the day anymore." Karl could felt chills on his back when he heard Auroras words. He felt as if he was dancing on the minefield right now and his every words could affect his fate. Not only Karl, even William and Mr. Wren subconsciously bowed their head further. They have interacted with Aurora the most, but this was the first time they heard her saying such a ruthless words with the calmest tone. But this was also a reminder to them. No matter how amiable she usually looked like, shes still a noble and also someone at the high position that was far away from them. Chapter 66: Momentum and Shadow Chapter 66: Momentum and Shadow "My apologies, Miss," Karl immediately said and assumed the perfect posture. He had never felt this way even when he was facing the other lower ranked nobles before. Even though they were all older than Aurora, but he could feel the faint oppression from Aurora that he never felt from them. It was as if... He was truly facing someone in power. Aurora is only 12 years old, but she was already the kingdoms diplomat. Since she has already taken over the work of the kingdom several times, Auroras status has risen. She truly has the power and had been in this position for some time. "The paper." Aurora waved her hand. Mr. Wren stepped forward and took out the paper that Aurora had prepared. It was the test question she wanted to use to evaluate the new assistant she wanted to bring out. Karl looked at the paper and started answering. It was quiet in the room. Aurora picked a random chair, sat down and looked through the book that Mr. Wren also brought for her. The journey for the negotiation would take some time, so Aurora would bring some books for her to read. It was just right to pass the time. Before long, Karl had already finished answering the questions and the paper was handed over to Aurora. Looking at the answer in front of her, Aurora nodded her head and then looked at Karl in front of her. "Its a good answer. I would you like you to work for me, what do you think, Karl?" Karl looked at Aurora. He knew very well that the girl in front of him was really dangerous. Even if she was far younger than him, he knew that his instinct would not lie to him. However... "Yes, Miss." "Ill give you a sum of money for you to work for the time being. Within a year, I hope you can achieve this." Aurora took another paper and shoved it in front of Karl. Karl blinked his eyes and looked at the paper in front of him. Seeing the amount of money, his eyes widened. "Miss, this..." Karl took a deep breath and rearranged his words. "Miss, do you trust me so much?" "Trust has to be earned, Mr. Karl," Aurora answered calmly. She looked at the young man in front of her and said, "You have to know the richer ones is, the stingier they could be. I would dislike to waste even a single copper coin if its possible. Im sure you understand what I mean, Mr. Karl." Karl looked at the paper in front of him and then at Aurora. "Yes, Miss." "I hope you dont have any unnecessary thoughts." Aurora stood up from her chair and handed the book over to Mr. Wren. "Miss Layla is still in the orphanage and the Dean couldnt protect her forever." Hearing this name, Karls eyes contracted. When reading the information, Aurora had noticed the orphanages name and understood this mans background. Besides, she knew who were working in the orphanage and there was also the deans assistant by the name Layla. It was easy for her to find these all out. But Karl finally understood that his entire life was exposed very clearly in front of Aurora without any chance to refute anything. At the same time... He knew that she could do anything she wanted to him and he had no opportunity to fight back in the slightest bit. It was frustrating. Aurora chuckled. "Your share is included in the paper. Mr. Karl, I think you should know better what to do from now on." After saying that, Aurora left the room. Only Karl was staying inside the room, looking at the paper in front of him and his eyes showed determination. Hell prove himself to Aurora. ... Outside, Aurora went to see the Headmaster and took a look at the other student. She was not the type of person to put all of her eggs in one basket, so she gave him the same treatment. Of course, whether either one of them could succeed or not, only time will tell. "Miss, is it really alright to hand over so much money to these two young men?" Mr. Wren asked with uncertainty. "I have read their documents," Aurora replied lazily. "If they dared to misappropriate it, wouldnt I be the first to know?" There were already some people she paid to watch over these two people. Besides, if they dared to bet with their loved ones for the sake of profit, then she would not use these people at all. "And its not much at all." Aurora chuckled. When the deal was done after this negotiation, Aurora would earn much more money which was her share. She knew very well that with so much money, she would be able to do many things. But she still has to be careful in her steps. The nobility worlds are a battlefield on their own. Mr. Wren couldnt say anything and only nodded helplessly. He knew very well that Aurora was really smart and had her own ideas, so he didnt dare to say anything else. Moreover... Her show of force just now truly gave him the chills. He felt as if he was seeing the old Duke White, Auroras grandfather, who was still in power back then. That man... was really terrifying. His son was far from him. But would his granddaughter be similar to him? Mr. Wren was thinking wildly in his heart. "Lets pay a visit to a few other places before going back," Aurora said slowly. "My sister is going to the academy this time, so its going to be lively." After thinking that her sister was not exactly her sister anymore, Aurora didnt know how to face Adela. In the past year, she didnt have to see Adela at all and this allowed Aurora to focus on the other problems in front of her. She didnt trust her father and mother so much. They only cared for profit and also their own enjoyment. When the time came where it was shown that she couldnt provide them with any benefit, would they keep her by their sides? Aurora doubted it. So she had to have enough power in her hands. And these few people she asked... was only the beginning. Chapter 67: Return to Capital Academy Chapter 67: Return to Capital Academy "Miss... about that Baron Carson...?" Mr. Wren asked slowly. He knew very well that those who dared to offend the nobility would never end well. And those of lower nobility who offended those of higher nobility? They would also face harsh punishment. Aurora glanced at Mr. Wren and said, "You know what to do to those who forgot the teaching and proper etiquette when facing higher nobles, dont you, Mr. Wren." There were rules and regulations. Mr. Wren knew from Auroras words that she wanted to follow those rules and regulation instead of handling it on her own. He bowed and replied, "Yes, Miss." "Good." There was no need for Aurora to do everything by herself. There were more than enough subordinates for her to do things that she asked them to do. And for this small matter, Aurora had no plan to turn it into a big problem. It was enough to hand it over to someone else to handle. ... Aurora made her way to the Capital Academy right on the time when the new semester had started. Considering Auroras unique position and also responsibility, the school turned complete blind eyes to her action. Even her family had nothing to say and simply let her be. Besides, the Sand Kingdom was indeed a bit further away compared to the Red Kingdom. It was only natural that Aurora took a longer time. "Aurora!" Lucy waved her hand happily when she saw Aurora. "I thought youre going to be late this semester." "Ive already finished my work," Aurora replied with smile on her face. Lucy nodded. After getting along for a year, Lucy basically followed Aurora whenever it was possible in the academy. This made it look like Aurora had a tail on her own that followed her all the time. But Aurora didnt mind. Because she knew very well that Lucy meant no harm. She only wanted to follow her. "Did you return to your territory during the holiday?" Aurora asked. Lucys fathers territory was located at the border, so she was a bit curious about this. "Ah yeah, but I didnt spend much time at home." Lucy nodded. She felt a bit depressed when she thought that her territory was so far away from the Capital City. If she didnt want to be late for class, she could only stay in her home for a very short period of time. "You can take a break if you want to." It was not impossible for the academy students to ask for a break. As long as they could pass the test before or after their break, the academy will allow them to go out and do what they wanted to do. When studying the school regulation, Aurora found this rule and felt that it was really interesting. With her ability, Aurora was sure that she could definitely take a long break. "Im afraid that its not possible..." Lucys face constricted. Her academic result could only be said to be a disaster. She could barely pass the classes and if she were to be asked to take a long break, she wouldnt be able to pass the test when she came back. At that time, what awaited her would be the harsh punishment from the academy. Aurora nodded and didnt say anything more. "Aurora, youre here." Annelie also came forward with a smile. She has been staying in the tea ceremony club to interact with Aurora and knew that when Aurora was not reading, she was very easy to talk to. It seemed as if Auroras lives were completely filled with studies and the only break she has was during the tea ceremony. Now that they had only entered the academy, there was time for them to talk with each other again. "Annelie," Aurora responded. "His Highest the Crown Prince is in the Student Council room," Annelie said and then furrowed her eyebrows. "Your sister, Adela, and Mirabelle are there." Auroras eyes flickered. There was only one Mirabelle in the entire Yellow Kingdom, Mirabelle Sunil, the daughter of Viscount Sunil and also the cousin of Crown Prince Edward. Mirabelle had no blood relationship with the current king, but Crown Prince Edwards mother, Queen Ella. Her sister married into Viscount Sunils house, which caused this relationship. And from what other people had heard, Mirabelle had a strong possessive action towards Crown Prince Edward. She disliked it when other women got close to Crown Prince Edward. Aurora had never met with Mirabelle because there was no chance, but she had heard about some of Mirabelles action in the past. Thinking about this, Aurora looked at Annelie. "Are you worried about me?" "No." Annelie shook her head. "I only feel that its not easy to deal with her." Even though Mirabelle didnt have royals blood, but behind her was still Queen Ellas backing. Other people would not dare to offend Mirabelle so easily. Even if their fathers position and ranking was higher than Mirabelle, none of them dared to act arrogant in front of this girl. Besides, Mirabelle was also younger than them by a year, so it was not easy to encounter her. "Ill go and see him." The other two nodded and followed Aurora as she made her way to see Crown Prince Edward in the Student Councils room. Knock! Knock! "Come in." Aurora opened the door and saw the six people who were inside. Crown Prince Edward was sitting beside Adela, looking at the book in front of them. Leon was sleeping with his head on the table while Louis was reading a book beside him. On the other chair was Benny, who was playing with his sword while Mirabelle sat beside him with a dark face. Aurora saw this scene and stopped in her track. She felt that she had entered the wrong room. Behind her, Lucy and Annelie also had a strange expression in their eyes. They felt that the atmosphere in the Student Council room was a bit strange. Was it too late for them to leave? Chapter 68: Confrontation Chapter 68: Confrontation Aurora acted as if she didnt see the strange atmosphere and greeted, "Your Highness, its been a while." Crown Prince Edward frowned when he saw Aurora but still nodded. In any case, the girl in front of him was his fiance?e, so he couldnt really act so coldly in front of her. "Sister." Adela raised her head and smiled brightly. In the past year, Adela has been training under her mother and been taught many things. Even though there were many things that Adela didnt like to study, but she tried her best to adapt to the situation. After all, Adela didnt want to shame her familys face. Besides, she had already seen that during the next tea party that her mother brought her, the people around her were giving her the judgmental look. She didnt have to be the best. But she had to show that her etiquette was good enough. Aurora nodded and greeted the others one by one before asking, "Your Highness, how was your study progress?" Crown Prince Edwards face twisted even worse when he heard this. He didnt like studying and in the past year, he has been paddling while having fun in the academy. Even though there were still times when he was forced to study, it was not too much and he could still cope up with it. But during the break, Queen Ella suddenly summoned him and arranged for him to study. How could he not feel devastated? And Crown Prince Edward couldnt run away, so he could only read the books that he wanted to avoid the most. It was a very miserable break. He could only try to escape again and again to the point Queen Ella was so tired. She couldnt understand how her son was so hopeless like this. In the end, Queen Ella had to compromise and reduced the teaching materials. It was just that when she saw his result was still as bad as ever, Queen Ella started to wonder if her sons IQ was right. But she couldnt possibly say it in front of the king. Because he would only doubt her. Now that the academy would start again, Crown Prince Edward didnt hesitate and ran to the academy at the fastest speed possible. His action seemed that if he was late, he would not be able to return in the slightest bit. "Its fine," Crown Prince Edward said curtly. From his answer, Aurora could see that Crown Prince Edward barely studied properly during the break. She felt that this kind of prince was really annoying. As the crown prince, what kind of kingdom would he govern if he had no ability to do so? "Your Highness, study is important," Aurora reminded. "I know." Crown Prince Edward always felt annoyed when he thought about Auroras words and the fact that she was pestering him to study again and again. He felt that Aurora was simply the same as his mother, they only knew how to ask him to study and didnt know that he liked to do other things. "Sister, His Highness is already studying. Hes helping me with my study," Adela defended. Aurora looked at the book in front of Crown Prince Edward and Adela. It was indeed the material for the first years student, but Aurora highly doubted that Crown Prince Edward would be able to help Adela in her study. From what she knew, Crown Prince Edward could barely pass the class back then. The main reason why he managed to pass was because Louis gave him tutoring right before the exam. This allowed Crown Prince Edward to cram all the necessary materials. Even then, his score was hovering at the bottom line and the teacher could only give him addition score so that he would pass. If they let the crown prince stayed for another year in the first year... It was estimated that the King would pay a visit to the academy to see how they worked. These teachers felt that their lives were really difficult. Encountering such a prince was truly a bad luck in eight lifetime. They could only hope that Crown Prince Edward would slowly change with time and realized that he truly needed to study. Even if he was not the best, but he needed the basic knowledge for these materials. "Cousin is the best and he can do these questions easily!" Mirabelle said quickly. She looked at Aurora with displeasure. In the past, she wanted to see Aurora but there was simply no chance for her to do it because their schedule didnt clash. Now that they met in the academy, Mirabelle simply didnt give any good face to Aurora. Aurora looked at Mirabelle in front of her and smiled faintly. "His Highness will be able to answer the questions if he studied properly, Miss Mirabelle." The answer was really correct. But that was under the premise that Crown Prince Edward would study properly. Louis frowned slightly, but he had to say that Aurora was right. He has been staying beside Crown Prince Edward and felt that this crown prince was a bit useless. But what could he do but to support and help? With Crown Prince Edward at this high position, there was nothing else that Louis could do. Leon, who was supposed to be sleeping, silently raised his hand to block his mouth to prevent his laugh from coming out. He was the one who agreed with Auroras words the most. But he also disliked studying. Thankfully, he aimed to become a knight instead of a minister. He couldnt really imagine how his days would be if he ever wanted to become a minister with his current study. So even if he understood Crown Prince Edwards mentality, he couldnt really agree from the bottom of his heart. However, he felt it was fun to play with these two. This was the main reason why he still stayed here. Of course, Leon would not say this out loud. Chapter 69: Etiquette Lesson Chapter 69: Etiquette Lesson Mirabelle frowned at Auroras words. She felt that there was something wrong, but she couldnt pinpoint what exactly was wrong. Aurora didnt bother to look in Mirabelles direction and then at her sister. "If you need help in your study, you can ask me later, Adela." Unlike Aurora who already knew Crown Prince Edward was a bit stupid, Adela had no knowledge of this at all. After all, this was the first day for her in the academy and in her eyes, Crown Prince Edward must be good. "Yes, Sister." "Ill be going now, Your Highness." Aurora curtsied and left without hesitation. Crown Prince Edward frowned when he saw Auroras action, but then pushed the thoughts away. He turned to look at Adela beside him and asked, "Is there anything else you want to ask?" "Yes! I dont understand this..." On the side, Mirabelle snorted and said, "How come you dont know this, havent you been taught when youre in your home?" Even she already knew this! "But I dont know the..." "Thats..." Louis took a deep breath and rubbed his forehead. He felt that this room was really noisy. Even if he wanted to read his book quietly, he couldnt do it at all. Leon glanced at the two women who were arguing and then plopped his head back to the table. It was really boring. He had no interest to participate in their meaningless debate. It would be better for him to sleep so that he could spend his evening practicing his sword again. ... "Hes really thoughtless," Lucy murmured in a low voice. She could see that the atmosphere was wrong, but Crown Prince Edward was simply focused on Adela beside him. It was clear that he only did what he wanted to do and didnt care about other people around him. This made Lucy wonder how such a person could become the crown prince of Yellow Kingdom. Would this kingdom be fine if he become the king? Lucy shivered inexplicably. "His Highness is still young," Aurora said calmly. Annelie pursed her lips. Could every mistake be attributes to the fact that they were still young? Ever since she was young, Marques Brown had already taught her that she couldnt shame the family and had to study many things. Even though Annelie didnt like those things, she still obediently learned them because she knew that they were necessary. The case like Crown Prince Edward was really rare. Even when the fact was showing him that he had to study for him to stay in his position, he still didnt study well. It was a bit frustrating. "Is it?" Lucy asked. Aurora nodded. She thought for a moment and then said, "Boys matured later than girls?" From the study, it was said that most boys matured later than girls. Even though this was not absolute since there were also exceptions, it was what the research result showed. Of course, there were also other factor such as the environment and so on. Besides, with the case of Adela beside her, Aurora felt that Crown Prince Edward was not such a rarity. Lucy looked at Aurora blankly. "I dont think thats the answer." Aurora chuckled. "Lets have some tea. This is our first day in school after such a long break. Theres no need to study for a long time." "Yes." ... Time passed quietly. Different from last year, Aurora would see Adela in the Student Council room from time to time. Her excuse was always to ask for Crown Prince Edward to study and because she wanted to ask some questions. Seeing that Crown Prince Edward eventually studied in order to be able to answer Adelas question, Aurora left this matter be. Annelie felt that Auroras action was inexplicable. But Aurora didnt care too much about this matter. And another matter was... "Adela, your posture is not right! How many times do you want to repeat this?" The etiquette teacher was looking at Adela with frown. There were many students in the academy and the teacher had encountered students who didnt have foundation at all. So she has always been very strict and always reprimanded them when they didnt do well. And after a while, these students would become better and better. But this was the first time she encountered a student like Adela who had been taught several times yet there was no result at all. It was as if Adela didnt even try to correct her posture. "I... Im sorry." Adela trembled. She couldnt change her habit so easily. Even though she has been learning under the etiquette teacher for a long time, Adela knew very well that she was already used to this laid back posture. But it was unacceptable in this world. This made her really frustrated. "You..." The teacher sighed. "I dont understand how your sister is the best in class while you cant even correct your posture." Adela pursed her lips. This was the sentence she has heard the most after she came to the academy. No matter what she did, she would be compared with her sister, who was so excellent in the academy. Auroras result has always been at the top no matter which class it was. And Louis was always the second place. It could be said that the ranking had never changed no matter what happened. But the result of such a ranking was that the disparity between Aurora and Adela became extremely obvious. Adela was ordinary in her class. Even with the knowledge in her head, there were many things she didnt know and had to study. For example, the history and geography was vastly different. There were also many weathers rules and so on that Adela was unfamiliar with. These class brought her overall score down. In the end, she settled in the middle. Because of this, the teachers couldnt understand how the two sisters could have such a different result. Their expectation for Adela was high, but the result really disappoint them. Chapter 70: Etiquette Lesson (2) Chapter 70: Etiquette Lesson (2) "Ill try my best, Teacher," Adela said slowly. She felt really resentful in her heart, but she couldnt really do anything to the teacher but to follow the teaching again and again. Adela knew very well that if she couldnt pass the class, she would truly be the shame in her study. "Alright, lets repeat again." The teacher looked at Adela and repeated her lesson. "Again!" "Your posture is not right..." When it was afternoon, Aurora didnt see Adela in the Student Council room as usual and Crown Prince Edward was really distracted in his study. He didnt want to review and brought the other three to the field to play. Aurora shook her head and went to the library. On the way, a teacher stopped her. "Aurora, can you come with me for a while?" "Yes, Teacher?" Aurora followed the teacher and found Adela was crying in the middle of the room with a book on her head. But as she tried to walk, the book would fall down and Adela failed to catch it, making an ugly posture. The teacher sighed deeply. "Its been hours, but she couldnt even take one step." Aurora: "..." not even 1 step? This was a matter of balance and also the basic for them to learn the proper walking posture and dancing later on. Aurora had learned this ever since she could learn how to walk and thus, it had become natural. But from the way it looked like, Adela couldnt even take one step forward. "S...Sister?" Adela asked, her tone sounded really weak, which could easily invoke pity from others. Unfortunately, she was facing two people who have hardened heart. The teacher was already used to these students who tried to cry to escape from her class. No matter what, the teacher was responsible for their result, so she had to be strict and taught them again and again. Even if she had to put more effort, she would make sure these girls become fine ladies. On the other hand, Aurora had no pity when she saw other people crying. She had cried a lot when she was young because of her mothers teaching, but her mother didnt hear any of her pleas and cries. She still has to learn and study more, not giving her any chance to play and rest in the slightest bit. But if Adela cried, her mother will come to Adela and coaxed her. She could even escape from the various lessons. And from she was young, Aurora knew very well that her parents wanted her to be the successor, so she had to learn many things. On the other hands, Adela would have her husband married into the family and become the head of the White Family, so she didnt have to learn many things. This was the difference. But even if Adela was to be the wife of the next head of White Dukedom, the basic etiquette couldnt be missing. "Can you help her?" The Teacher asked. She has been teaching for hours and she wanted to take a break, so she find Aurora. After all, Auroras result was undoubtedly the best and Adela is also Auroras sister. Aurora nodded. "Ill try to help, Teacher." "Thank you." As the teacher went to take a seat to eat and take a break, Aurora made her way to Adela. At this time, Adela had taken the book back and planned to put it on her head once again. "If you only do this, you will not be able to learn," Aurora said calmly. "What are you talking about?" Adela frowned and looked up. Aurora was looking in Adelas direction and said, "Straighten your back more and look forward. Dont focus on the book on your head but to focus on your way going forward." Hearing Auroras words, Adela wanted to complain that it was impossible. When the book was on her head, she always focused on it and this made her unable to complete the task of walking. She looked at Aurora with her watery eyes, but Auroras eyes remained firm. Seeing that it was unsuccessful, Adela could only pick the book with grievances and try to follow Auroras words. Aurora could see that Adela was unwilling, but she didnt care about it. The high society is a battlefield on their own. Even if there was no swords nor blood, but it was also a very harsh world. It was the world that could destroy them if they were not careful enough. Even if Adela is no longer the same sister... Perhaps her sister was still inside? She didnt know. "This..." Adela struggled to maintain her form as she stand up and Aurora patted Adelas back to remind her to stand firm. But it was useless. *clatter* The book feel down once again. Adela felt frustrated and looked at Aurora with grievances. She couldnt do this at all, couldnt she stop learning? "Lets try again," Aurora replied. "Have Mother taught you this?" Has Mother taught her? Thinking of her days back in the White Family Residence, Adela nodded her head slowly. Duchess Isabella did teach Adela about etiquette, but she was not so strict. When Duchess Isabella saw that Adela couldnt complete this balance task, she didnt force Adela to complete it. Aurora looked at Adelas expressions and guessed that Duchess Isabella went easy on Adela again. It was already very common. One of the reasons was because of Adelas weak body and the other reason was also because of the future that they set for Adela. Since they didnt really expect Adela to do many things, they arranged for her like this. However, Aurora was calm. "Lets try again. Ill switch to lighter books so you dont have to think about its presence." "Alright." Adela wiped her tears. She knew that it was useless for her to refuse even if she wanted to. As they continued to practice, some girls passed by and saw Adela was crying while Aurora was standing beside her. Chapter 71: Inexplicable Accusation Chapter 71: Inexplicable Accusation The day of helping Adela to practice ended shortly after the teacher finished eating. She could see that Adela was really hopeless, but she didnt want to give up so easily, so she continued to teach Adela how to stand and walk properly. The noble has to maintain their grace and thus, the teacher was unwilling to see Adela acted like this. Adela wanted to cry again but crying was useless. Aurora didnt plan to pay attention to this matter again. But the next day, Crown Prince Edward inexplicably look for her. "Did you bully your sister, Aurora?" Crown Prince Edward asked, his tone was clearly not very good. Bully her sister? Aurora looked at Crown Prince Edward with a frown. With Adelas status at home, Aurora would not dare to even try to bully Adela in the slightest bit. It was because she knew very well that if she dared to do that, her parents would come looking for her to ask for explanation. It would be troublesome. Having been punished by study several times, Aurora didnt want to increase her workload by doing unnecessary things. "I didnt do such things, Your Highness," Aurora replied calmly. "How did you come to that conclusion?" "Shes crying!" Crown Prince Edward replied righteously. Crying? Aurora thought about the day when she was teaching etiquette to Adela yesterday and knew that Adela was crying. But for her, crying was nothing more than a show of weakness, which was useless for most people. It was just that for some others, crying could be used as their weapon. And Adela was clearly included among these people. "I didnt make her cry, Your Highness," Aurora replied. "Dont lie to me. Someone saw you beside her when shes crying..." "You can ask Adela what happened yesterday," Aurora cut off Crown Prince Edward before he finished speaking. This might be impolite, but she was getting her patience thin when facing Crown Prince Edward. Her status was one thing, but asking her to be patient when facing such a stupid person had already used up most of Auroras patience. Shes still a normal human being. This meant that she has her patience and her own thoughts. Having faced Crown Prince Edward who kept on escaping from his study, uttering stupid remarks, and now accusing her out of nowhere, Aurora couldnt bother with the etiquette anymore. "I didnt bully her. I was helping her to learn etiquette and the teacher is also in the room," Aurora said calmly. Her tone was firm and her gaze made Crown Prince Edward a bit afraid that he took a step back. But in the next moment, he felt that it was stupid. What was there to fear from Aurora? She was nothing more than an annoying fiance?e that his mother selected to stay beside him. Even though Aurora was really capable and her mother had said that several times, but Crown Prince Edward didnt really like Aurora. But fear? As the Crown Prince and also the person of the highest status under his father, what was there to fear? "I... Ill ask her." Crown Prince Edward frowned and turned around. For some reasons, he didnt really want to face Aurora right now. Even if he wanted to rebuke her harshly, but he also knew that he couldnt do that and cause a scene in front of other students. The other students were already watching him. "Leon, did you see that?" Louis, who was following Crown Prince Edward even though he felt that this was a useless matter, frowned. When he saw the gaze from Aurora, he could feel a faint oppression. This made him remember his father when his father was dealing with those who opposed him on the court. The scene was fresh in Louiss mind because he could see his fathers majesty from that. How could a young girl like Aurora showed similar aura to his father? This was unrealistic. Beside Louis, Leon was also looking at the scene in front of him. The corner of his lips curled up slightly. "I see it very clearly." He could also sense the faint oppression, the stance that made one unable to say no from Aurora. This aura made Leon remembered his father. But when he asked his father how to do it, his father only told him that it was something that a person in power will have when they truly controlled the power in their hands. Back then, he didnt understand. But now, Leon started to understand. The reason why Aurora was looked up highly by his father was because she truly had that qualification. Without enough qualification, no one would be wiling to listen to Auroras words and followed her instruction. Who would want to listen to someone who was weak and unqualified? No one. "What do you think of it?" Louis asked. "Its just a fluke, isnt it?" Leon glanced at Louis. He remembered that Louis father was a person who hated women having power the most. It was also because of this that his wife was known to be a very quiet woman who listened to his words no matter what he said. In the prime ministers eyes, women shouldnt have any power at all. Because they were incapable of holding so much power. It was also because of this view that Louis felt that the faint oppression from Aurora was not real. And even if it was real, it was nothing more than a fluke. He would never admit that he felt a bit afraid of a woman. "Its time for me to go back to practice," Leon said and then turned around. If his friend never changed his view, it was estimated that he would remain this way until the rest of his life. Not that it mattered, but he would not realize that there were also amazing women. As he thought that, Leon shook his head. He would not lose so easily either. Hmph! He will practice harder. Chapter 72: Anger Chapter 72: Anger Aurora looked at the back of Crown Prince Edward who left and then lowered her head to the book in front of her. She felt that this crown prince was really stupid. With the relationship between her and Adela, what good would it be for her to bully Adela? It would be better for him to use his time to understand the situation rather than accusing her out of nowhere. As Aurora lowered her head to look at the book in front of her, her thoughts wander a bit. It seemed that she knew what was going on. As for the person who targeted her? Auroras eyes flashed with a glint. ... Just a few hours afterwards, Aurora saw Crown Prince Edward was sitting in front of the teacher with Adela beside him. His face was flushed red and he looked embarrassed while Adela was crying again. Aurora looked at the teacher in front of her. "Teacher, is there anything wrong?" "Its my fault for not paying attention, Miss Aurora." The teacher rubbed her forehead. "Ill explain to the others about my request for your help to teach Miss Adela some time ago." The main reason why the teacher looked for Aurora was because of Auroras ability. The teacher was confident that Aurora would be able to help her teach Adela, whose performance truly made her tired. But who would have thought that some girls would spin the story out of nowhere? And the person who was most concerned about it turned out to be Crown Prince Edward out of the everyone in the academy. The teacher was confused. "Its fine, Teacher. As long as the rumors are clarified, its all good." If the rumors were not clarified, it would be hard for Aurora to bear the reputation of bullying her own sister. Knowing how important ones reputation was to survive in the high society, Aurora would not let the person who spread the rumors off so easily. "Dont worry, Ill make sure of it." The teachers expression looked solemn. She was also a noble, so she knew that ones reputation was extremely important in the high society. If it was being used by others, it would only cause damage to the person who was being discussed. She would not let such a thing happened in her academy. Aurora looked at Crown Prince Edward and then said, "Your Highness, may if I have a word with you." Crown Prince Edward nodded and followed Aurora to the side room. The teachers room was big enough and there was even the separate room in case one needed to talk privately. Looking at the crown prince who looked deflated in front of her, Aurora said, "Your Highness, do you understand your position?" "My position?" Crown Prince Edward frowned and looked at Aurora. "What do you mean?" "Youre the crown prince, so you have the duty to learn how to govern the kingdom. At the same time, youre my fiance?, so you should learn to keep appropriate distance with other women," Aurora said bluntly. She knew very well with how stupid this Crown Prince Edward was, he would never realize this matter if she didnt say it to him. For children, the difference between men and women were not very clear. But they were already 13 years old, so the differences would start to show and it was also time for them to keep appropriate distance from each other. It was impossible for him to be the same as how he used to be. So far, Aurora didnt mind seeing Adela coming to see Crown Prince Edward because her presence helped him to study. But then she realized that Crown Prince Edward was getting attached. "You..." Crown Prince Edward frown even deeper and then said, "I know that, you dont have to say it to me." Aurora felt the perfunctoriness of Crown Prince Edwards tone. Her mind thought about the content of the paper that Adela wrote and the corner of her lips curled up slightly to form a sneer. She herself didnt know how to act coquettish nor acting weak in front of others. Because if she ever dared to show any sign of weakness, there would be too many people who want to take advantage of her. This incident alone had already told her that there were many people who were dissatisfied with her. It was annoying. So the first thing she had to do was to confirm Crown Prince Edwards thoughts. "Your Highness, are you dissatisfied with the engagement?" Aurora asked, her tone was cold. Crown Prince Edward was stunned and quickly denied it, "No way. Im not dissatisfied at all." He did feel that Aurora was annoying. But at the same time, he also knew that Aurora was doing an extremely good job in the negotiation and all. It was all quality that a queen needed to have, so Crown Prince Edward knew that Aurora was indeed suited in that position. As for his own personal opinion? Aurora was nagging too much and it was really annoying. Looking at Crown Prince Edwards expression, Aurora could tell that he was saying this from the bottom of his heart. But then again, all nobilities were taught to follow the tradition and so on. So instead of because of herself, he wanted her to stay in this position because of her ability. Aurora smiled faintly. "Then I hope you can keep your words, Your Highness." After that, Aurora walked out of the side room and nodded at the teacher. She saw Adela was still wiping her tears, looking very weak and soft. Her pale face made her look even weaker. "You can go now." The teacher nodded at these three students. Aurora walked out and Adela followed behind her, her eyes were still red. Crown Prince Edward was a bit further away as he was still contemplating Auroras words. As she walked out, she heard Adelas faint whisper, "I should have followed it strictly and not make any changes..." Chapter 73: Cleaning Up Chapter 73: Cleaning Up Auroras pupil condensed slightly. She could tell that Adela didnt target those words to her but to herself. And the sobbing still hadnt stopped in the slightest bit. But perhaps because of her swordsmanship training or something else, Auroras hearing was really good. She could still hear Adelas words even when she was a distance away. Turning her head to look back, Aurora saw Crown Prince Edward frowning and Adela who had wiped her tears once again. She shook her head and left. If Adela continued to be like this, then Aurora didnt mind doing something. And the more she heard Adelas words when she was talking to herself, the more Aurora felt that Adela was not her sister anymore. Should she say, as expected? Aurora didnt know what to think about Adela, but her eyes were getting colder. For now, it was time for her to deal with the person who spread the rumors first. As Aurora walked away, Crown Prince Edward was thinking about Auroras words. He knew that Aurora is his fiance?e and it meant that he had to spend more time with her and getting to know her. But at the same time, Crown Prince Edward didnt really want to. Because when he was with Aurora, she always reminded him to study and study again. For Crown Prince Edward, studying was not fun nor entertaining. He looked at Adela and also frowned. Because he felt that he didnt like seeing Adela crying so sadly like this. If it was possible, he really wanted to help her stop crying. Yet, he couldnt do it. Should he? Crown Prince Edward felt tangled. On the other hand, Adela had finished drying her tears. She knew that she shouldnt make any trouble, but she couldnt act the same as the real Adela. It was really hard for her to change her habit and she felt really tired when studying and learning. Unfortunately, she had to follow through with this. ... After this, the rumor was suppressed as the truth came out. The girls liked to gossip, but when the matter was clarified like this, there was nothing else for them to talk about. In this way, the topic passed by quickly. Aurora found the person who spread the rumor, gathered the evidences, and handed it to the school advisor. Everything was done neatly and quickly. The Capital Academy might be the place for the noble students to learn, but there were not only students inside. There were also many staffs and people who were watching the area. There were more than enough monitoring so such a stupid schemes... would be easily found out. It was just that there were some stupid people who thought that they could get away with it easily. Once everything was gathered, Aurora let the school handled it. She didnt want to bother with it anymore. The schools response was also very fast. For a prestigious school like this, they couldnt allow such a student to stay in their school either as it would only lower down their image. But if the person who did it was of higher ranked than Aurora... then they would not help Aurora. It was the brutal truth of the school. They favor the influential. Aurora knew that and made a good use of it. Just as Aurora thought that she could pass the days smoothly to learn, Crown Prince Edward and Adela came to her tea ceremony club room. Aurora: "..." Is it not enough for her to pay them a visit in the Student Council room, they have to come to see her in her own club room? The other girls were also looking at Crown Prince Edward with some inexplicable expression. This was the first time they saw Crown Prince Edward coming to the tea ceremony club. Crown Prince Edward and Aurora might be engaged, but the two of them seemed to have their own lives. Except for the fact that the two of them studied together in the afternoon, they were rarely seen together. Though, these girls didnt have much thoughts about Crown Prince Edward. Yes, his status was high, but are they qualified? Some girls might dream high but many of them were more reasonable and would not thought about things that were too far away from them. "Your Highness," Aurora curtsied and greeted politely. "Aurora." Crown Prince Edward nodded and looked around. "Adela has trouble picking a club for herself, so I want to suggest her staying in your club." Aurora arched her eyebrows and looked at Adela. The tea ceremony club was a new club that Aurora made when she was in her first year. Every first year student had one semesters time to figure out which club they wanted to enter. More than two months have passed but Adela hadnt picked any club? Aurora looked at Adela, who looked embarrassed and guessed that Adela spent too much time in the Student Council Room without looking around for a club. So that when the teacher came to her, she didnt have any idea which club to join. As for joining the Student Council? It was hard with her current academic result. Crown Prince Edward could be the exception because hes the crown prince. Louis was the forever second place after Aurora, so his academic qualification was also very good. Leon was the best in the swordsmanship class followed by Benny. There were also some other seniors who were in the Student Council, but they didnt spend much time in the Student Council Room after Crown Prince Edward entered. Because they could sense that this crown prince was not easy to deal with. But this was not the main problem. Pushing unnecessary thoughts away, Aurora thought about putting Adela into the tea ceremony club. "This tea ceremony club is also here for us to get used to the etiquette during the tea party," Aurora said slowly as she looked at Adela. "Do you think you can get used to it, Adela?" Chapter 74: Tea Ceremony Etiquette Chapter 74: Tea Ceremony Etiquette "I.... I can try," Adela said, trying to be brave. For some reasons, whenever she looked at Aurora, Adela always felt afraid as if she was being pressured. This made her remember the days when she was facing the strict principal and teachers in the past. She felt really afraid. But the person in front of her is her sister, so what should she fear about? It was just that, Adela couldnt help but feel afraid when she saw Aurora and thought about her ever since the last incident. "In that case, shall we have a tea party with everyone for a test?" Aurora asked and looked at the other club members around her. Everyone was already used to Auroras words and during the tea party, they did learn a lot. "Yes." Annelie smiled brightly. She liked the tea party the most. Lucy also nodded, signifying that she was ready to have a tea party if Aurora wanted to. The other girls all looked at each other and eventually agreed. There were several girls in this club room from various years. Some of them were older, but they wanted to join the club and Aurora didnt stop them. She had no opinion for these girls who wanted to join in. "Ah, yes." Adela also nodded. "Be more confident, Adela," Aurora said calmly as she stood up to prepare the utensils. "Youre a dukes daughter." Adela was stunned and nodded uncomfortably. She also knew that shes the dukes daughter, but when facing Aurora like this, Adela always felt invisible pressure. She glanced at Crown Prince Edward timidly and saw him frowning. Crown Prince Edward did feel that Auroras words were correct but at the same time, he felt that they were a bit too much. It was just that he couldnt really explain the reason why he felt this way. "Well sit at the side." Leon waved his hand and walked to the edge of the room. He didnt want to bother these girls when they have a tea party. Anyway, the tea ceremony club room was big enough. Benny and Louis looked at Crown Prince Edward and seeing the latter nodded, they also followed Leon to the corner. They had no interest to join in the tea party. Now that Adela was alone, she sat on the chair and looked at the tea in front of her. It was a very common tea and Aurora had already served the tea for everyone. Her manner was elegant and her every move could be considered art. Adela felt a bit envious. Because she felt that those movements were really hard to do and even if she wanted to, she would never be able to do that in her entire life. "You may add sugar or milk for your tea in accordance to your taste," Aurora said, reminding Adela since the others already knew this rule. "Yes." The others started to work on their tea, adding some sugar or some milk in accordance to their taste. Aurora herself added a few teaspoon of milk and then stir the tea in front of her gently. The method to stir the teaspoon was to move it from the 6 oclock position to the 12 oclock position about 3 times or so. One should not swirl the tea around nor making a noise with the cup. One would risk scratching the cup and also made clanking sound, which was very unsightly for nobles. Once the tea has been stirred properly, Aurora put the spoon behind the tea cup. Her movements were done elegantly and gently. It does look like art. Annelie sighed deeply when she watched this. No matter how many times she watched Aurora served the tea or even as the guest and only drank the tea, watching her add some milk or sugar always made another beautiful view. If only it was possible, she wanted to watch it for a longer time. She herself add some sugar for her own tea and stir it in accordance to the etiquette taught to her. Clank. Hearing the faint clanking of the spoon to the cup, the other noble ladies raised their head and looked at Adela. Adela looked a bit flustered as she tried to control her stirring. Her mother had already taught her how to stir the tea after adding some sugar and milk, but her movements were usually not very good. This caused her movements to be rather stiff. "Relax Adela, tea party is to be enjoyed and everyone is here to learn together," Aurora said with gentle tone. When the other members first came, they were also not very good. Of course, they were a bit embarrassed, but since they wanted to be better, then Aurora would patiently taught them what they have to remember. "I... I know." Adela trembled a bit and her body remained stiff. The other girls felt that Adelas situation was not right, but they didnt say anything. In any case, Adelas status was far higher than them and it was not their place to say anything to her. This was the main problem for the nobility. Even if they knew the one with the higher nobility was wrong, they didnt dare to say anything to her blatantly. But their mocking eyes would be clear for the person who was wrong. It was just that as long as they didnt speak it out loud, they couldnt really be convicted. This was the case with Adela. She might not look up, but she could feel that several pairs of eyes were looking at her every move. This made her feel tremendous pressure. Adela wanted to cry. What kind of tea ceremony club is this? It felt like a public execution instead of a club for learning. "Stir the teaspoon was to move it from the 6 oclock position to the 12 oclock position about 3 times or so. Dont swirl it around nor hit it to your cup," Aurora reminded in a gentle tone. But in Adelas ears, this felt more like the devils whisper. Chapter 75: Mistakes, Mistakes, More Mistakes Chapter 75: Mistakes, Mistakes, More Mistakes Clank! Adela tried her best to follow Auroras arrangement, but she found that she was unable to do it properly. "Its been five times, its enough, Adela," Aurora said again. Adela stiffly stopped the teaspoon in her hand and then looked at it, unsure what she should do now. She had already learned what she should do with the teaspoon, but at this moment, all of the teachings from her mother was completely forgotten. The other girls watched Adelas blank look and arched their eyebrows. They felt that this dukes daughters education was not even as good as them who had much lower status. Even Lucy looked rather surprised. Among them all, Lucy could be said to be the person with the lowest noble ladys education. The others knew her background, so they didnt say anything when Lucy made a mistake since she would also actively asked them for correction. For someone who was willing to learn like that, they also showed kindness. Anyway, all of them were still students at this time. They were not exactly on the high society yet. Even if there were definitely some of them who felt superior to Lucy, but she would not show in the presence of Aurora. With Aurora as the role model but she was willing to teach Lucy patiently, how could they show their pride and arrogance? Under Auroras eyes, they didnt dare to. They could only honestly learn and drink their tea, making sure they paid attention to the table manner and also the tea etiquette to engrave it to their bones. As long as it became natural, they would not be nervous when they truly face the high society in the future. "Put the spoon behind your cup," Aurora said again. "Uh, ok." Adela put the spoon behind the cup and then it fell down. "I..." "Put it gently and theres no need to rush. Theres enough space behind your cup to put your teaspoon," Aurora reminded. Her voice was really gentle, but it was easy to feel pressure just from her words alone. Adela nodded stiffly and then put the teaspoon properly. After that, they picked up the cup and sip it gently. Adela was stiff and her fingers were trembling a bit, making Aurora reminded Adela about how she should hold her cup properly. As Adela took a sip, she nearly throw it out again. The tea is hot! *fiuh* Adela blowed the tea so that she could drink it but face the strange expression from the other noble daughters around the table. This made her feel even more pressure. Aurora looked at Adela and said, "Dont blow your tea, Adela. Let it cool down on its own. Were here to enjoy the tea and theres no need to rush." Dont blow the tea... At this time, Adela seemed to remember that her mother had already taught her this in the past. But out of habit, she blow her tea. Putting the cup on the table again, Adela was stiff. "Hold your cup properly like this..." "Sip gently to enjoy the tea..." As time passed, Aurora kept on reminding Adela again and again. The other ladies who participated in this tea party understood that this was a special tea party for Adelas lessons. They looked at each other and simply watched the show. Anyway, they have already learned this basic from Aurora and what they needed to do was to practice again and again to make the move more natural. Listening to Aurora kept on reminding Adela would also serve as teaching material for them. Teaching material of what they shouldnt do. The supposedly short tea party felt like a lifetime for Adela. She looked at the Crown Prince and the others who were watching and found them were also looking in her direction. Crown Prince Edward felt that Auroras teaching was correct. Because he himself had already seen his mother correcting his posture when drinking tea together. This etiquette was not only for women but also for men when they accompanied the woman or having tea on their own. So Crown Prince Edward did learn these. It was just... seeing Adela looked like a stupid girl who couldnt do anything right made him frown. He was sure that these should have been taught by Duchess Isabella to Adela. But her performance was really bad. This made him remember the days when he was reprimanded by his own father and mother because of his studying progress was not good. The difference was that Aurora reminded Adela in gentle tone while his mother and father would not be so lenient. It was already good enough if they didnt punish him and then threw him out to practice swordsmanship. Louis had a contemptuous expression on his face. He had learned these things very quickly in the past since his father told him that he had to know this. After all, etiquette could be said to be a weapon for them to use when facing others. Seeing how badly Adela was, Louis only felt that women were really bad. None of them were good. Leon had no interest in these things. He knew this, but he didnt really like drinking tea, so he would not practice it often. Rather than anything, he felt bored while waiting here. Benny was looking in Adelas direction with interest. Different from the other three, he felt that Adela was really cute when she kept on failing. It was as if seeing a little kid who tried to learn to walk but kept on failing. Among the five of them, Bennys etiquette was only second to Adela. So he felt amused and proud of himself. It turned out that there was someone worse than him. Sensing their gazes, Adela felt even worse. She was really close to cry again and after hearing Auroras words reminding her again, Adela finally couldnt stand it and ran out of the tea ceremony club. "Adela!" Crown Prince Edward called and also followed with Benny following closely behind. The other two snorted, but they still tagged along. Chapter 76: Pressure Chapter 76: Pressure "Wow~." Annelie clicked her tongue. She could already guess what Aurora did and wanted to give a thumbs up secretly. Even though she had never actually experienced it yet, Annelie had heard from her mother about the pressure of the high society. There were many people who could kill other people without using any sharp weapons. They only needed their mouth and also the etiquette that had been engrained deeply into their bones. It was more than enough to push people down. Annelie had heard it from her mother, but this was the first time she watched it happen in front of her eyes. Aurora was helping Adela. That was true. But when she was helping, she was also exerting invisible pressure to Adela. With her only focusing on Adela, the others attention was also put on Adela. This made Adela felt that she shouldnt make a mistake but the more she thought so, the more mistakes she would make. And the vicious circle continued. For people with strong mentality, they would not feel much when being stared at by others. But people with weaker mentality would feel this invisible pressure. This would eventually affect their subsequent performances, making it much worse than usual. Annelie felt that Auroras move had already showed the things that they would eventually face when they grew up later. Of course, she hoped that she would not have to face Aurora like that. It was a bit scary. "I didnt expect Miss Adela to be unable to perform the tea etiquette," one of the noble ladies muttered to herself. The others also nodded. Some of them noticed the invisible pressure that Aurora exerted but some others didnt realize it. After all, if it was not directed to themselves, not everyone would realize that Adela was actually put on the stage by Aurora. This would make it difficult for them to know what Adela was actually feeling. "Shes still young and will eventually learn," Aurora said with the same smile on her face. Her tone was gentle and her demeanor was elegant, but she had caused Adela so much pressure from her action alone. It was just that people wouldnt be able to fault her in the slightest bit. It was truly killing invisibly. "Does the high society will be harder than this?" Annelie suddenly asked. Aurora glanced at Annelie, not surprised that Annelie noticed this little trick. After all, Annelies mother was extremely active in the high society and had already encountered much more profound tactics. What she did could only be considered child play compared to those people who were already proficient. "Itll be even crueler," Aurora said calmly. Annelie nodded and sighed. "I really didnt want to make my debut now." Young ladies from noble families would eventually make their debut into the high society, which would introduce their faces to them. Before they made their debut, they could only be considered as children. For children of higher nobility, their debuts would usually be a bit later when they were 16 to 18 years old. Some of them could be a bit older, but it was usually not more than 20 years old. And once they have made their debut, they would officially step onto the high society and faced with many other girls who were also in the high society. That was their real battlefield. Even if this battlefield was different from others, they were basically fighting against each other invisibly. "Is high society really that bad?" Lucy clearly didnt understand what had happened just now. She only thought that Aurora was kind enough to teach Adela. "Its really bad because any wrong step can cause you your lives," Aurora replied unhurriedly. Even if it would not kill them immediately, but if ones reputation and many other things were affected... how would they survive eventually? Aurora knew this very well and it was also because of this that she tried to remain careful in what she was doing. She couldnt afford to make any mistake because there were too many people who wanted to see her fall down. Her high rank was because of her birth. And how many people wished they were born in her place? The number was uncountable. So Aurora had to make a good use of her position and her own abilities to keep herself safe. "But we have to make our debut eventually." Lucy frowned. "Debut is essentially for us to introduce ourselves and also to be able to get married," one of the noble ladies said. "My mother always told me to be prepared when I enter the high society." The others nodded. Their mother also told them that they have to be prepared. There were many eyes watching them when they entered the high society and it was also a very cruel battle. It was just that they havent truly entered the high society, so the atmosphere between them was mostly childs play. It couldnt be compared to the tense situation when one truly confront the other party in the high society. Aurora sipped the tea. She was thinking about the negotiation that was done by her. Technically speaking, she has not debuted yet, but she has already taken work that belonged to adult. It was not that she minded. With these works, she would be able to gain more experience and progress much faster than others. Auroras eyes flickered. Then again, she had experienced the high society in a different way. And it was indeed not very comfortable. But Aurora was not afraid. She knew that if she wanted to survive in this world, this was something that she had to do eventually. "Lets not talk about it and enjoy our tea party?" Lucy asked. She didnt want to think about the high society at all. Her father didnt want to ask her to get married so quickly either, so her debut should be after she was 16 years old. At that time, what should come will come. "Yes~." Chapter 77: Cries Chapter 77: Cries Aurora smiled at the other noble ladies. "Next time, you should learn to be the host instead of me." The other noble ladies smiled at Aurora. "Yes~." "Shall we determine the order?" "I would like to be the next one." ... While Aurora was chatting with the other noble ladies harmoniously in the tea ceremony club, Adela ran away from the club and then looked at the other noble ladies in front of her. These students have only finished their classes or just walking around the hallway. When they saw Adelas embarrassed appearance, a contemptuous look appeared on their faces. As for caring? Hehehe, there was no one who would waste their time to care. The boys couldnt just approach the ladies even if they were only in the academy and asked her questions whether she was alright or not. They knew very well that they had to keep their distance from each other. Besides, they didnt know Adela and in this cold high society, there was no pity. Giving compassion to others would only put them in disadvantage and there was no way they would do that. Unless it was their close friends, they would not step forward. As for the girls? They have seen Adela spent her time getting close to Crown Prince Edward and his entourage so easily. With Adelas high status, they couldnt really do anything but to watch. So now that they saw Adela looked embarrassed, they were gloating instead of feeling sympathy. "I..." Adela saw their gazes and felt cold. She could sense that these people were looking in her direction and their gazes were filled with mockery and the attitude of watching the fun. None of them would be able to help her. Shame filled Adela as she turned around and ran to the Student Council Room. This was the only place where Adela could calm down. Since Crown Prince Edward and the other three often used this Student Council Room, the other students didnt usually spent their time inside. It was empty and it was the perfect place for Adela to calm down. As for her dormitory? It was too far away. Bam! Adela crouched on the sofa, feeling fear and annoyance from deep within her heart. She had the feeling that what she had seen in that game and what she saw right now was very different. It shouldnt be like this... Its really difficult. The door opened and Crown Prince Edward walked in. He had seen Adela rushing here, so he came here at the fastest speed possible. Seeing Adela, who was crouching on the sofa, he sighed and sat on the opposite side of Adela. "Your Highness," Adela called out. "Dont worry too much and just take your time learning," Crown Prince Edward replied. "Everyone is not good when they first started." Adela pursed her lips. She knew that, but the person she wanted to see deflated the most was only Aurora. Aurora has always been excellent in her eyes and no matter what she did, she did it perfectly. It seemed as if nothing was difficult for Aurora and every single time, she would appear perfectly. The role model for any other nobles. Because the two of them were sisters, everyone else ended up comparing them again and again. This frustrated Adela greatly because she felt that she could never catch up with Aurora. How did they manage to bring her down in the end? She looked at Crown Prince Edward in front of her and gritted her teeth. She had to follow the same way as it was written or things would turn awry. This has happened twice and Adela couldnt afford to mess it up again. Knock! Knock! "Hey, can we go now?" Leon asked and looked at the group of people in front of him. "Its almost time for the practical class." The only class that could make Leon and Benny energetic were only this one. "Stop crying." Louis frowned when he watched Adela was crying. "If youre not good enough, just practice more." He felt that it was truly troublesome. If not because of Crown Prince Edward, he would not even want to pay attention to Adela in the slightest bit. "Theres no need to be so harsh." Benny glanced at Louis. "Thats the truth." Louis rolled his eyes. Adela heard their interaction and there was a faint haze in her eyes. The timeline was indeed a bit too fast and these people hadnt exactly experienced those things yet. It was also because of this that their attitude towards her was different from how it was in the game. So its indeed my fault. Adela wiped her tears. "I know, Ill work hard." She will become better and no longer an embarrassment like this. This was the only way for her to be able to fulfill the story properly. "Good." Crown Prince Edward smiled and then turned to look at the others. "Lets go now." "Yes!" Adela sat on the chair, rummaging through the few things that she had to remember and also planned her next moves. She couldnt stay like this anymore. Bang! The door opened and Adela raised her head. She frowned when she saw Mirabelle walking inside with her head held high. "I thought that theyre joking when they said that youre crying." Mirabelle sneered. "It seems that its true, Miss Adela." "I just feel frustrated by my failure, Miss MIrabelle," Adela replied, trying to stay as calm as possible. The person she disliked the most when she played the game was precisely this girl in front of her. Conceited, arrogant, and many other annoying words were plastered all over her body. Those who had come into contact with Mirabelle would know that this girl was not easy. But the main reason for her arrogance was because of her relationship with Crown Prince Edward. Her own family was far from comparable to many other nobles in this Capital Academy. "Is it?" Mirabelle sneered. "It seems that your study is really bad, Miss Adela." Chapter 78: Time Skip Chapter 78: Time Skip "Miss Mirabelle... your score is not any better." Adela sneered back. Mirabelles face flushed a bit before she snorted arrogantly. "What are you talking about? Its very good!" After coming to the academy, Adela learned that the students whose name were not written were usually because their score was really bad. To save face for these students, their ranking would not be announced. So far, Adelas result was also not announced. After all, Adela is a dukes daughter and her status was really high. If people were to know that a dukes daughters result was really bad, it would be difficult for Adela to show her face. So people within certain scores were simply not announced. In this way, the other students would not know how bad their scores were. At most, they would think that these students have scores slightly below but at how bad it was, they wouldnt know. And Mirabelle was not any better. "Thats because..." "You..." ... Aurora didnt know that her sister was quarreling with Mirabelle after crying. Even if she knew, she would not care in the slightest bit. At night, Aurora received message from Adelas maids. "Miss, Adelas maid reminded Miss not to be so harsh to the Second Miss," Les, Auroras maid, reminded in a low voice. Aurora knew that this message was not only from the maid but also from the White Family. After all, if Aurora were to shame Adela in the academy, there were two people who would pursue the matter until the very end. "Tell her, I know." "Yes, Miss." Aurora looked at the book on her desk and there was a faint sneer on the corner of her lips. If Adela remained this way, she would only be the useless duke daughter without any knowledge whatsoever. But her parents only thought about protecting her sister. It seemed that they didnt want Adela to face these things at all. Even though they knew that it was inevitable in the future, they didnt want Adela to see these so quickly. Tsk. Should I say that your care is enviable? Aurora shook her head. She did everything possible to achieve good result, but her parents never turned in her direction. On the other hand, her sister did nothing but her parents gave them all of their attention. Her parents way of teaching their children... It was very unique. But Aurora didnt care that much anymore. Time passed by quietly. One year and more passed and now Aurora is already in her third year while Adela was in her second year. In the past year, Aurora could see that Adela spent more of her time studying instead of going to the Student Council Room. It seemed that Adela wished to become better rather than staying the same as she used to be. It was a good thing. And Aurora no longer bothered with Adela and instead busy with her other things. Aside from her work, she has been reading various books from the library. She went to pay a visit to the few people she assigned to work after the last negotiation and everything seemed to be doing well. She gave them a few more instruction and also giving additional funds based on their performances. After that, it was her usual academy days. At least, until today. "I have to attend the party?" Aurora asked Annelie with strange expression. Annelie nodded. "The third year is the one hosting the end years party, so we have to participate." In the previous two years, the end year party was not mandatory and Aurora was too lazy to entertain the other nobles, so she simply skipped it. Besides, with her status, no one would dare to force her to attend. Crown Prince Edward himself attended but Aurora didnt know the details. Anyway, he should have kept a low key since there was no rumors or anything like that after the end year party ended. But now as the third year, they have to attend the party and Aurora was not exception. "I see." Aurora nodded. She has enough dresses. In the Capital Academy, they have their own uniform, which helped to save money for Aurora. However, she still bought some dresses so that if there was any need, she would be able to dress properly. After all, her status as the dukes daughter required it. Now that there was the end year party coming, Aurora had dresses to attend and didnt have to do a last minute preparation. "Its really troublesome... can we wear knights clothes instead?" Lucy asked, feeling rather troubled. Because of her study in the past, Lucy didnt really like wearing dresses and instead liked to wear her knights uniform. She herself was not a knight yet, but her skills were nearly on par with knight. It was said that after she reached 16 or 17 years old, she would try the test to become a knight. After all, her territory was at the border and in order to lead her soldiers better, it would be better for her to be a knight rather than just an ordinary noble. "No, thats not allowed." Annelie shook her head at Lucys question. Even though Annelie still didnt like Lucy, she was still willing to interact with Lucy from time to time. In any case, they have known each other for nearly three years. "Go and prepare your dress," Aurora reminded. "Yes." These two girls nodded and then made their way to their own dormitory. Thankfully, there were no classes nearing the end of the year. Most students usually spent their time playing together or doing some other activities. Aurora went back to her dormitory and thought about the dresses she had. Which one would be the most suitable for the end year party? Just as she was thinking, there was a commotion from the other dormitory. Aurora stopped in front of her dormitorys room and knocked inside. "Miss?" "Les, figure out what the commotion is about," Aurora gave her instruction and then went into the dormitory. Chapter 79: Trap Chapter 79: Trap Les went out while Aurora was waiting. There was going to be the end year party tonight, so most girls were staying in their dormitory, dressing up to the best they could. They wanted to appear the best and no one dared to neglect in the slightest bit. So it was rare that there would be someone making trouble during this time. Aurora sighed and after a simple washing up, she changed her clothes. After she came out, Les came back and gave the information. "Miss, someone destroy Second Miss Adelas dress and now, theyre trying to find the culprit." "Adelas?" Aurora blinked her eyes. She felt that this sister of hers kept on getting into trouble again and again. The past year has been relatively peaceful and there were only some minor conflicts, but most of these conflicts always involved Adela. This made Aurora wonder if Adela had the talent to make trouble. Though, this time, it seemed that someone was targeting Adela on purpose. "Does she has any other dress?" Aurora asked. Les nodded. "Madam prepared several sets of dress for Second Miss." There were more than enough money to buy dresses since Aurora had secured many trades with the Red Kingdom and the others during her time as the diplomat. Of course, Auroras share was also a lot. It could be said that Aurora had amassed quite a wealth enough to buy a territory if she wanted to. Of course, she would not do that. There was no point in buying a territory. It would be better to use the money for more practical and useful things. "Then theres no need to worry so much," Aurora said and then furrowed her eyebrows and turned to look at the window. The design of the dormitory was naturally quite spacious and there was a balcony for the students to come out if they wanted to. After all, the students in the Capital Academy were all noble sons and daughters. Their treatment was naturally very good. After practicing swordsmanships for a long time, Aurora naturally had better hearing than ordinary people. She faintly heard that someone was on the balcony and she silently took her sword and walked out. Les saw Auroras action and followed carefully. Unlike Aurora, Les didnt practice any swordsmanship and so on. She didnt have any talent like Aurora and was busy to serve Aurora. Tep. Stopping at the balcony, Aurora saw that there was a rope extending from the other dormitory towards hers and a girl was struggling, trying to throw something. When she saw Aurora coming out, her expression changed and she turned around, wanting to escape. Aurora snorted and ran forward, stepping on the edge and jumped into the other girls balcony before grabbing the girls arm and slammed her down. Bang! A sword was inserted right beside the girls head. The girl nearly screamed out of fear, but seeing Auroras cold gaze, nothing could come out of her mouth. The fear completely consumed her, making her unable to move or even speak a single word. "What do you want to do?" Aurora asked and her eyes moved towards the thing that the girl wanted to throw over. It was a piece of cloth wrapped in stone to make sure that the cloth would not fly with the wind. The girl couldnt answer as she shivered in fear. "I... I..." "So youre the one who destroy Adelas dress?" Aurora asked. That piece of cloth clearly came from a good dress. There was still part of the stitching and Aurora could see the faint design. Since Aurora herself had many dresses and also bought them herself, she was relatively familiar with the cloth. And considering what had just happened out there, Aurora knew that this should be the cloth from Adelas dress. This girl wanted to frame her instead. Thinking about this, Auroras eyes turned even colder. The girl shivered. "Im sorry, Im sorry... I didnt know what Im thinking, but I dont want her to perform..." Aurora looked at the girl in front of her, her eyes flickered slightly. "Listen to my words." "Uh..." ... Knock! Knock! Aurora had already cleaned up when she heard the knock from the door. Her eyebrows arched and she nodded towards Les beside her. Les nodded and made her way to the door to open the door. In front of the door was precisely Adela and Mirabelle. The two of them often fought against each other, but they somehow got along in this strange combination. Those who saw them going together so harmoniously obviously felt that something was strange. But in the end, nobody said anything. After all, one was a dukes daughter and the other one was Crown Prince Edwards cousin. The two of them have their own backing and these girls didnt want to dig their own early grave by confronting either of them. "Sister?" Adela asked, her voice was somewhat hoarse. It was clear that she was crying for a long time not long ago. Aurora raised her head and looked at Adela and Mirabelle. "Is there anything wrong, Adela?" "Can you help me?" Adela asked, looking extremely pitiful. If other people were to see Adela looked like this, they would have long stepped forward to help. While Adela was not the most beautiful person around, but her appearance could easily invoke pity on others. It was even more so when she was crying like this. Aurora looked at Adela. If this was a few years ago, she would have agreed right away with her sister. But after seeing Adelas change, Aurora couldnt really bring herself to care that much about Adela. This stupid girl. "What help do you need, Adela?" Instead of answering, Aurora asked again, her tone sounded gentle and caring but none of those emotions truly appeared within her eyes. Adela opened her mouth, wanting to say that she wanted to ask Aurora to help looking for the culprit when her eyes landed on Auroras balcony. There was a faint strangeness within as if she didnt expect this situation. Chapter 80: What a Waste of Time Chapter 80: What a Waste of Time "Adela?" Aurora called out. Seeing Adelas appearance, she knew that this Adela should have known something. And it shouldnt be because of any swordsmanship skills or anything like that. Adelas weak body made her unable to practice the swordsmanship. No matter how much Adela might want it, their father would never allow Adela to learn swordsmanship in fear that his daughter would get sick. Even her food had to be monitored to make sure that there wouldnt be anything bad added in. Because Adelas body was weak and even after being nourished, it hadnt improved that much. And Aurora thought about that paper again. There were many things that were crossed out but there were also things that were not crossed. She still kept them since she was not entirely sure if these events would really happen or not. But she never put too much importance to it. Because the future is not absolute. Her action, every single moment of it, will bring a different path to the future. However, it seemed that there were still some things that would remain the same as what Adela had known. Because there was indeed someone who came to the balcony not long ago, but her skills were too poor and Aurora noticed it first. "Ah..." Adela came to herself and felt a bit flustered. "Sorry, Sister, I... want to ask for help to find the person who destroy my dress." Aurora blinked her purple hue eyes. She knew who did it and even talked with that girl some time ago. But... "Sorry, Adela, the party will start soon and you wouldnt want to miss it, right?" Aurora asked with a helpless tone. "Besides, Im not really good at looking for people. How about if you let your maids to help you search along with my maids and the few others? There are so many people here, perhaps someone see something." Adela wanted to pull Aurora out just to check the balcony, but Auroras words made all words stuck in Adelas throat. She looked at the balcony and felt rather stressed. If nothing happened here, she would have no excuse to go to the balcony to check like what happened in that game. Should she press forward? But if she did and there was nothing, she would only hurt her image even more. Her embarrassing result in class had only improved a bit. Even though her ranking was not very high, but it had appeared in the list. In this way, it could be seen that her score was still around average. The other students also no longer mocked her openly. But comparing Adela with Aurora was inevitable since one of them was indisputable number one. "Its reasonable." Mirabelle snorted. She crossed her arms and said, "Besides, I dont want to waste so much of my time for this. Im only following you because I dont want that girl to hurt me too!" Hurt you too? Auroras eyes condensed and there was a faint chills in her eyes. After talking with that girl, Aurora knew very well that the one who instigated the girl to do this was Mirabelle. This girl might not give a direct instruction, but her words instilled the urge for that girl to commit this crime, thus causing this chaos. If it was investigated, it wouldnt be able to be connected to Mirabelle since she never gave any order whatsoever. At most, there would be some suspicion. But in the end, Mirabelle could attribute it to the girls unfounded remarks because she was jealous or something like that. Aurora knew very well the tactics that were commonly used by the nobility and this was one of them. The real powerful one never need to do anything by themselves because they only needed to move their mouth and someone else would step forward to finish the job. In this way, their hands would always appear to be clear. "I... I know," Adela finally said. Aurora nodded. "Les, tell the others to cooperate with Adelas maid to help looking for the culprit. She shouldnt have gone too far." "Yes, Miss." Les bowed down and instructed the other maids. There were naturally other maids who followed Aurora, but they could never serve Aurora directly. She had Les and it was enough. For these maids to enter Auroras eyes, they have to work harder. Adela clenched her fist and after saying thank you, she closed the door again. The maids started to discuss among themselves about who should work and who shouldnt. For this matter, Adela stayed silent. She never had the complete control over her maids because many of them were still following her father and mothers order. But Adela never truly mind this because she knew her parents would not hurt her. "Ill be going now." Mirabelle clicked her tongue. "What a waste of time." Adela looked at Mirabelle and her eyes condensed. There were two big villainess in the game, one of them was Aurora White, the fiance?e of Crown Prince Edward. And the other one was Mirabelle, Crown Prince Edward from his mothers side. But the two of them have completely different style. Aurora is the epitome of elegance. Even until the every end, she still looked like a high ranking lady and never looked embarrassed or at loss. Not only that, her score and performance was also at the very top, overlooking everyone from the position they could never compare. On the other hand, Mirabelle was the sharp tongued and also relatively brash. Her result was not very good, but with the support of her mothers family, she could do almost anything she wanted. And it was also because of this status that Mirabelle was close to Crown Prince Edward and the other capture target. Yes. It was an otome game. And what happened just now should have been an event that happened during Auroras sixth and final year of school. Yet, it happened on the third year, which meant that Adela had caused a lot of problems in the storyline. Chapter 81: Fate Chapter 81: Fate Adele took a deep breath. She had to hold back and try her best to set the course of the storyline back. Because if it kept on like this, then those notes she had worked so hard to sort out would be useless. "I... Ill go back." "Yes, Second Miss." ... Inside the room, Aurora rubbed her chin. She was thinking about Adelas expression and the look of hesitation there. After a while, Aurora went to her suitcase and opened the hidden compartment at the back. When she bought this, she specifically asked the maker to prepare a compartment so that she could keep something inside. These were precisely the notes from Adelas room. Aurora looked through the content and saw that there were still many things that didnt make sense inside. Scanning the list, she finally came to the last ones, which wrote the word party and dress. However, there were also the note at the side with the number 5. It meant that these might not be accurate. So your knowledge is indeed wrong. Auroras lips curled up slightly. From the moment she knew that Adela was not her sister, she had been silently preparing some things for herself. Even if she didnt know that Adela is not her sister, Aurora was not someone who would listen to others order obediently. She did follow her parents words. But she never said that she was willing to follow their order to the rest of her live. The main reason why she listened and followed their order was to allow her to have a better live in White Family Residence. After coming to the academy, there was a little more room to breathe. But Aurora couldnt rest. Knowing that her sister is not exactly her sister anymore, she was paving a better way out for herself. Because she had the feeling that this Adela might go against her in the future. The two of them have been getting along nicely in this time period, but Aurora knew very well that it would not last long. Only they themselves knew what was in their mind. Adela is wary of her. And Aurora herself was wary of Adela. The two of them could be said to be putting up an appearance in front of each other. Now that Aurora had confirmed that the so called knowledge in Adelas head could be wrong, then there would be some other details that could be changed by her. Even if Aurora herself was not sure whether her action was correct or not... But she would not let herself be played by the so called fate. Aurora put down these papers in the compartment again. She turned to look at Les and said, "Prepare for the party." "Yes, Miss." ... Despite the commotion, the girls were all back to their old business and changed their dress and prepared themselves to attend the party. Each and every single one of them were fully armed. Of course, their armor were their dress, jewelries, and other makeup. Aurora herself was also dressed elegantly in beautiful purple dress. There was a beautiful blue flower hairpin on the back of her head, decorating her hair. Once she entered the hall, she could sense the other peoples attention on herself. It should be quite similar to the parties in the high society. Aurora thought to herself and then silently made her way inside. Even if she could feel some peoples gaze to her, but Aurora didnt respond and instead pretend that she didnt see anything. Because it was useless to care too much. Before long, Adela also arrived. Wearing a beautiful light pink dress decorated with flowers at the hem, Adela looked really cute and lively. It suited her image very much. Watching Adela had already changed her dress, Aurora nodded to herself. It looked quite good. They were 13 to 15 years old and even though their bodies hadnt fully developed, they have already entered puberty. Soon, the song started. Aurora followed the proceedings calmly and then looked at Crown Prince Edward who came to her. "May I have this dance?" Crown Prince Edward asked when the song changed. "Yes," Aurora replied and held Crown Prince Edwards hand. Because the two of them were engaged, the first song usually had to be a dance between the two of them. After all, for those who were engaged, the first dance meant a lot. Of course, if one party was not present, then they didnt have to do this. Both of them understood the etiquette and tradition. Neither had the intention to break it and made the other students thought too much about them. "This is the first time His Highness dance with Miss Aurora, right?" "You might as well call her Princess Aurora," one of the girls snickered and then said, "But thats true." "Previously, Miss Aurora didnt attend the party, so His Highness didnt dance at all." "Kyaa, they look really good together." Adela was standing not far away from these girls and listened to their words. Her fingers clenched to form a fist silently, but then she loosened it again. Right now, Aurora is still Crown Prince Edwards fiance?e and it was natural for her to dance with her fiance?. It was just that there was a fire in Adelas heart. She didnt want to see them dance together. But she couldnt possibly stop it. If only I come here at the time when the game starts, it would have been better, Adela thought bitterly in her heart. She had to study a lot and then had to face different events from time to time. This time period didnt exist in the game, so she didnt know about what happened during this time nor what the real Adelas actions were. The dance had started. Both Crown Prince Edward and Aurora had learned dancing ever since they were young. Coupled with the dancing class in the academy, their movements were clearly very standard and proper. For the other students who were watching, it was simply a feast to the eyes. Chapter 82: Dance Chapter 82: Dance Before long, the song finished. Crown Prince Edward bowed with one hand on his chest while Aurora curtsied, holding her skirt up slightly and bowed with one leg behind. This was the standard salute posture. "Wow, its really good." "I want to see more!" "Right." The people at the sidelines discussed with a low voice. However, neither Crown Prince Edward nor Aurora had the intention to dance again. They only danced once for the sake of etiquette. If it was not because of the etiquette and tradition that required them to dance together, Crown Prince Edward would not come to look for Aurora in the slightest bit. From the outsiders point of view, Crown Prince Edward and Aurora had a good relationship with each other. But only they knew that their relationship could only be said to be okay. The two of them were not very fond of each other. For Crown Prince Edward, Auroras nagging was too annoying and it always made him feel tired. He didnt want to listen to those annoying words in the slightest bit. For Aurora, Crown Prince Edward was too stupid and didnt have the necessary awareness to be the prince or even a king. But since it was his position, then Aurora would still try her best to help him. Of course, she had no intention of using forceful means. She could only remind him. "Your dance is really good!" Aurora turned her head and saw Lucy came in her direction. Lucy had changed to a proper long yellow colored dress that looked very beautiful. It could be seen that she took a long time to pick this one dress and dress up properly. "Its average," Aurora replied with a smile. "Do you want to dance too?" "Ah, no." Lucys face scrunched. "I have no fiance? and my dancing skill is not exactly praiseworthy. Rather than embarrassing myself, it would be better for me not to dance." If it came to swordsmanship and fighting, then Lucy would definitely step forward bravely and even excitedly. But when it came to dancing... Lucy would rather take a step back. She knew her skills well and it was already good if she didnt embarrass herself by stepping forward to dance. Besides, she didnt have any fiance?, so she didnt have to dance. It was also another question whether there would be a guy who would want to step forward and asked her for a dance. "I see." Aurora nodded, not pressuring Lucy to dance at all. She looked around and finally saw Annelie was still dancing with Leon on the stage. Looking at the expression the two of them had, Auroras lips twitched slightly. Annelie is Leons fiance?e and this matter has been decided many years ago. However, the two children didnt really like to interact with each other. On one side, Annelie felt that Leon was really a crude man who only knew how to wave his sword. Considering how Leon kept on spending his time on the field and fought here and there, they would not be surprised. On the other side, Leon felt that Annelie was really an arrogant girl who was hard to get along with. Even though Annelies fathers status was lower than his father, Annelies action made Leon didnt like her that much. Besides, Leon didnt even know what he should do when he was spending time with Annelie. It would be better for him not to spend any time with her at all. As for the dance... The two of them wanted to attend the party, so they have no other choice but to dance the first dance with each other. Otherwise, there would be some strange rumors here and there. It would be annoying. But Annelie couldnt help but glare at Leon. "Your movements are wrong again!" Annelie hissed in anger. "Ah..." Leons reaction speed was fast to avoid stepping on Annelies feet. However, he didnt really like dancing. The main reason why he came here was to talk and to enjoy the food. Thankfully, he could still follow Annelies action. But this made their dancing look a bit awkward in the eyes of others. "Do you want to wait for her?" Lucy looked at Annelie with some pity. She felt that Annelie was really annoyed at Leon. "Lets just wait and take some drinks." "Yes." ... The rest of the party was not very interesting. Aurora didnt stay for long because it was not very interesting. She talked with Annelie for a while before the latter went to dance with others who have better dancing skills. It was clear that Annelie liked dancing but if her partner was Leon... It seemed that one should think twice before agreeing to his request to dance. Lucy herself also went back. There were some other girls who came to talk with Aurora and she dealt with it calmly before coming out. Their talks also contained another matter that has become a discussion lately. "A war is going to break out between Ice Kingdom and Red Kingdom?" Aurora repeated. "Yes, I heard that the situation is not very peaceful right now. Were in the Yellow Kingdom will be fine, but if Im not wrong, you will come to the Red Kingdom next year, right? Please be careful, Miss Aurora." "I will," Aurora replied with a smile to the student in front of her. The relationship between the Ice Kingdom and the Red Kingdom was not good in the first place. But they managed to reach an agreement a few years ago. Thinking about this, Aurora recalled the young prince who was staying in the Red Kingdom as prisoner. Because the location for the negotiation was in rotation, she hadnt come to the Red Kingdom in the past three years. Perhaps she would be able to see him again when she came to the Red Kingdom soon. But with the war broke out, his situation might turn for the worst. Forget it. It was not her business. Chapter 83: Talk to William Chapter 83: Talk to William Aurora pushed the thought away and continued to talk about other things with her classmates for a while. Once it was done, she came out of the hall. Before she came to the dormitory, she looked at the knight who stand on the road and the corner of her lips curled up. "Why did you come here, William?" Her personal knight, William Aster. Even though Aurora wanted to take William as early as three years ago, William was not a knight at that time. He had to take the examination first and only managed to pass it around a year ago. But it was not easy for him to follow Aurora all the time because she was at the academy. "Miss, I was told to come here to protect your safety," William replied while kneeling on one knee. Protect her? Aurora thought about Les. There was no one else who could inform William about what happened here but Les. Besides, she did need someone to protect her. "Ill be going to the Red Kingdom soon," Aurora said. Since the war would break out, the negotiation might be hastened compared to before. Because of this, Aurora might need to pay a visit to the Red Kingdom earlier this year. Not that she minded it, though. After all, Aurora didnt really care when she needed to go to the Red Kingdom. The agreements for the trades have been made and prepared beforehand. But she might need to reread them all to make sure she didnt miss anything. "Yes, Miss." William was a bit surprised, but he didnt ask any question. As the knight responsible for protecting Auroras safety, he didnt have to understand Auroras needs. All he had to do was to stand behind her and protect her silently. This is his duty. Aurora looked at William in front of her and slowly asked, "Have you ever thought of becoming the successor instead of your brother?" No matter what, William Aster was also a noble son. After turning 18 years old, he came out of his residence and made his own living as a knight. But it was undeniable that he used to have a chance to inherit his fathers title instead of having to come out. "...Yes," William answered after some hesitation. He didnt want to lie to Aurora, whom he had sworn to protect, but it was not a very good thing for him to say. After all, there was only two ways for the second child to become the successor instead of the first child. One was when the first child die because of unforeseen circumstances before he inherit the title. Second was to prove that he was more capable than his brother and challenged his brother. Neither could be said to be a good method. Because once either one of the two happened, it was inevitable for the relationship in the family to turn sour. Besides, William didnt want to kill his brother. As for challenging his brother? He did think about that when he was young. But later on, he decided to become a knight and paved his way up. "Now that you become a personal knight instead of making contribution to get merit, would you regret it?" Aurora asked. "No," William replied without hesitation. "To be able to serve a future princess is every knights dream." It might not be every knights dream, but many of them did dream of it. Because they knew that having the status of the princess knight would be something very honorable. And these knights didnt only really care too much about money but prefer honor and reputation quite a lot. Besides, not everyone would have the chance to serve someone of high ranking. Aurora looked at William carefully. She could tell that he was telling the truth. "Its like taking a bet," Aurora said slowly. "But its enviable in a sense because you dont have to face the noble society on your own." The noble society looked like it was full of glory and all, but it was actually such a dirty place. Such a place was truly far from worthy to be called noble. With each generation, Aurora felt that the state of Yellow Kingdoms nobility only got worse. Even her father... was not an exception. She had heard about her grandfather and saw his policy. Looking at the way he was doing things, Aurora was amazed by her grandfather and great grandfather. At the very least, these two people were indeed really capable. But when it came to her father... Aurora didnt know how to describe it. And this not only happened to her father as many other nobles were simply abusing their title without working properly as they should have been. If Aurora had to say, it was disgusting. But she herself was also part of the nobility and Aurora knew very well how high the temptation of power and all. It was just that Aurora always remembered that these powers didnt really belong to herself. "Theres someone I would like you to arrange for people to watch," Aurora said slowly. "Be careful not to let anyone know." "Yes, Miss." William still knelt on the ground. Aurora didnt come any closer and instead looked into the distance. She sighed deeply. "Noble society is all about face and act. But there are things that should have been better off not getting involved rather than being burned by mistake." William listened to Auroras words, but he didnt understand. But he also didnt ask because he knew that it was not his place to do so. He simply listened. Aurora turned her head and then said, "Go." "Yes, Miss." As William left, Aurora sighed in her heart. It was really tiring. But she couldnt stop. Because if she dared to stop even for a single moment, there was a chance that she would not be able to stand up anymore. Rubbing her hand, Aurora made her way to her dormitory. For the next few days, she would have to wait for the notification from the Royal Family or Duke White Family. Chapter 84: Meeting Again Chapter 84: Meeting Again Auroras guess was not wrong. The next day, a letter was delivered to her from the king, informing her that the negotiation would be hastened to be done in spring. It meant she had to head to the Red Kingdom at the fastest speed possible. But before Aurora could leave, Crown Prince Edward came to see her. "Your Highness?" Auroras tone contained doubt. "I heard that there are people who did harm in the girls dormitory?" Crown Prince Edward asked, his tone was not very good. Aurora blinked her eyes. It seemed that Adela somehow told Crown Prince Edward about the fact that someone destroyed her dress. This matter could be a scandal if it was spread and the academy might have been alerted. To be honest, if this matter was kept under the wrap, it was also possible. But Adela might not want it. "Someone destroy Adelas dress," Aurora explained frankly. "However, no one found out who did it." "Did you find out anything?" "My maids say that they didnt find anything," Aurora replied with an apologetic tone. "And Your Highness, Your Majesty asked me to depart as soon as possible, so Im afraid I couldnt be of help." "Ah...." Crown Prince Edward remembered that Aurora was also the Yellow Kingdoms diplomat. And he also heard from his father that there would be a war between the Red Kingdom and the Ice Kingdom. Because of this, the negotiation about the water was brought forward for this year and it might have to remain the same for the next few years due to this war. Aurora had to represent the Yellow Kingdom, so she had to go. If he was not wrong, Aurora was also only informed about this matter not long ago and there were still many works that Aurora had to do. After all, some negotiation had to be revised in order to adhere to the current situation. The weapons price to Red Kingdom will definitely increase. They had to adjust. "I understand." Crown Prince Edward nodded and then turned away. Aurora looked at Crown Prince Edwards back thoughtfully but didnt think too much about it. After all, as the crown prince, Crown Prince Edward still knew some of the kingdoms matter from his father. He had to know since he will inherit the kingdom in the future. But it was rare for him to remember them. Most of the time, Crown Prince Edward will forget about the lessons and various other things taught to him. Shaking her head lightly, Aurora push the thoughts back. Now, she better hurry to depart and revised these agreements that would be affected by the subsequent war. She also needed to communicate with some nobles about these revision. It was really troublesome. ... The Red Kingdom asked for the negotiation to be hastened, but it still take more than a month since their call. After all, the distance and the preparation from each kingdom still have to be considered. They couldnt unilaterally ask other kingdoms to sacrifice their own interest. These kingdoms would be dissatisfied with them and might even want to launch a war against them instead. Aurora took her time to revise and negotiate with the nobles. As for the academy problem? Annelie sent her a letter to tell her that there was no result in the investigation and it had to be dropped off. The few people who were suspected were angry and due to the lack of evidence, the academy couldnt pursue this matter. After hearing that, Aurora put this matter behind her. She was too busy. Upon reaching the Red Kingdom, Aurora went to see her uncle, the Red Kingdom King first. It has been three years since the last time she came here and she was no longer the same as before. Back then, she came here with her mother and mostly watched how the negotiation was done. Now, she was the one who did the negotiation. Looking at the familiar hall and the King in front of her, Aurora quickly curtsied in accordance to the etiquette. "Aurora White greets His Majesty, Red Kingdoms King." The Red Kingdoms King looked at Aurora and nodded. He didnt have much thoughts about this niece of him and only knew that she was here to represent the Yellow Kingdom. Compared to the time when she paid him a visit a few years ago, Aurora looked a bit taller and that was all. "The negotiation will start in a few days. In the meantime, you can see your cousins." "Yes, Your Majesty." Before Aurora left, the Red Kingdoms King suddenly said, "I hope you dont forget that you have the Red Kingdoms Royal Family blood, Aurora White." Aurora paused. Her mother, Duchess Isabella is the princess of the Red Kingdom. Even if she was married away, it would not erase the fact that shes a princess. The current Red Kingdoms King is also her mothers brother. Even though the relationship between the two kingdoms were not many, but Aurora knew that she couldnt break their seemingly fragile relationship. Even if the Red Kingdom was planning to go on a war, but no one knew the final result for sure. Anything can happen in the battle. Aurora turned around and curtsied elegantly. "Yes, Your Majesty. Ill not forget." The Red Kingdoms King looked at Aurora in satisfaction and waved his hand, letting Aurora left. "I have great expectation of you." Great expectation? Even when the Red Kingdoms King said this, Aurora couldnt feel any emotion that support it. She didnt say anything, though. It was unnecessary. Aurora walked out of the hall and took a deep breath. It did feel a bit stressful to meet with someone at this stature. She had to be careful of her every movements because he might notice something if she was not careful enough. Aurora made her way to the garden and heard familiar voices. Her eyes moved to the center where she saw a familiar figure getting beaten up. Prince Lester. Chapter 85: Meeting Again (2) Chapter 85: Meeting Again (2) The boy had grown taller compared to before, but his clothes looked really dirty. His hair was unkempt and there was someone kicking him. The young man curled up, protecting his own head and showed no resistance. He looked pitiful. Aurora looked at this scene and then at the two people who were standing. One was standing firm while the other one was busy kicking the young man. "Your Highness Prince Brian, Your Highness Prince Charles," Aurora greeted. Prince Brian was already 18 years old, an adult. Compared to three years ago, he had already grown up and looked much taller than before. His blond hair and blue eyes remained the same, though. On the other hand, Prince Charles was around a year older than Aurora and looked a bit taller than before. But he didnt seem to have his growth spurt yet because his height was still around the same as Aurora. His light brown hair looked different from his older brother, but it was still easy to recognize him. In the past, it was Prince Brian who was beating up Prince Lester and this time, it was Prince Charles. "Cousin Aurora!" Prince Charles eyes lit up when he saw Aurora. He had been asking his father why Aurora didnt come from year to year, but his father explained to him that the negotiator always took places in different location. This resulted in him unable to meet his cousin. Prince Charles was disappointed, but he also knew that it was impossible for him to meet with Aurora when they stayed in different location, have different priorities and so on. "Its Cousin Aurora." Prince Brian was calmer than Prince Charles and gave the standard bow to Aurora. Seeing his greetings, Aurora curtsied politely. Prince Charles pouted when he saw this and said, "Why do you have to be so polite? Its been a long time since the last time we see each other and we dont have to follow the annoying protocol etiquette so strictly!" Prince Brian only shrugged helplessly and didnt say anything to Prince Charles. Aurora heard their words and her eyes flickered. Even after three years, this Prince Charles still liked to play around and forget about his study. He hadnt grown up at all and he somehow reminded Aurora with Crown Prince Edward. Both of them disliked studying. She turned her head to look at Prince Lester who was still crouching down and then asked, "Is the war a foregone conclusion?" "Even you know that there will be a war," Prince Charles muttered in a low voice. He knew about this because his father mentioned it but Prince Charles didnt care too much. In his eyes, his father was really powerful and it would have been easy for him to defeat the Ice Kingdom. If he had been paying more attention to the history class, he would have known that there was no decisive winner in the long war between the Red Kingdom and the Ice Kingdom. Unfortunately, Prince Charles didnt like studying. "Yes, there will be a war," Prince Brian admitted frankly. In fact, he also knew that these diplomats from other kingdoms would be informed of the Red Kingdoms situation. After all, the Red Kingdom was the one who had a request. It was also because of this that the negotiation was moved to the Red Kingdom instead of the Yellow Kingdom. This year should have been the Yellow Kingdoms turn. But it was temporarily changed. Presumably, the next negotiation had to take place in the Yellow Kingdom instead since the Red Kingdom was in the special situation this time. "Then him?" Aurora pointed her chin to Prince Lester. "Useless trash," Prince Charles mocked and snorted. He raised his leg and landed another kick. "Father arranged him to be my spar partner, but he dared to raise his weapon against me. Deserve it!" Aurora: "..." A normal sparring partner would definitely fight back and didnt stay silent as a sandbag. However, she understood that Prince Charles just wanted to win, so he asked his father to let Prince Lester be his training partner. But when Prince Lester truly raised his weapon, Prince Charles would be beating him afterwards. It was indeed miserable. "He had no use anymore for the Red Kingdom," Prince Brian replied. "Father left him in our hands since he had no opinion what happened to him. Even if he died, no one will care." The Ice Kingdom sent Prince Lester to the Red Kingdom precisely because they didnt care about this prince. For this reason, the Red Kingdom King let Prince Lester stayed in the palace. Even if this prince was not really treated well inside, those people outside the Royal Palace will never know about it. Who knew that this act was useless. That Ice Kingdom would still launch a war again. It hasnt evolved to a full scale war but there were already many conflicts at the border. The Red Kingdoms King had to be prepared for confrontation. "Do you want to beat him up too, Cousin Aurora?" Prince Charles asked. "You can do it. Anyway, at least he can be used to vent our emotions before his death, which is already very good." In the eyes of the nobles, the commoner would never be as good as them. Many of them were not even treated as humans by the nobles. And Prince Lester who has no use anymore was even worse than commoner. Aurora looked at Prince Lester and shook her head. "I have no hobby of beating up people, Your Highness." It would be unsightly too if Aurora were to beat up Prince Lester. Not to mention, she never like to use violence if it was unnecessary. After all, she learned swordsmanship simply for the sake of her health and basic protection. "Is that so?" Prince Charles shrugged. "However, itll be a pity to let him die here just like that," Aurora said slowly. "How about letting him do some menial work for me? I just need some worker to help sorting things out." Chapter 86: Offer Chapter 86: Offer Prince Brian and Prince Charles both looked in Auroras direction. "Menial work?" Prince Charles was confused. "We have enough workers here to help you if you need it. Theres no need to let this dirty trash to do your work." "Perhaps, there are some confidential matters?" Prince Brian asked this instead. HIs eyes gleamed faintly as he looked at Aurora with some interest. "If other workers were to know those, they have to be silenced and it might be a bit troublesome. But for this one, you dont have to worry so much. Once he crosses the line, its very easy to draw ones sword." In other words, if Prince Lester knew too much, Aurora could kill him without the need to worry about the consequences. It was simple as that. "Oh right." Prince Charles clapped his hand and then grinned. "Just do that, Cousin Aurora." "Should I ask for permission from His Majesty?" Aurora asked. Prince Brian shook his head. "You can anything you want to him. We give you our permission." "Yes!" Prince Charles grinned. Aurora nodded and looked at Prince Lester on the ground. "Get up and follow me." Prince Lesters body trembled slightly before he raised his head. His dark blue eyes still looked as dull as before and his movements were rather stiff. He stood up and lowered his head in front of Aurora. Looking at him like this, Aurora could see that Prince Lester was thin but he was still a bit taller than her. His face looked slightly pale with some bruises visible. Some deeper wounds might leave marks on his arms and legs. "So boring." Prince Charles snorted. Prince Brian looked at the back and saw a knight coming. "Its almost time for your class, Charles." Prince Charles body stiffened when he heard that. He looked at the knight who came towards him and quickly turned around. "Ill be going first!" "Your Highness!" Seeing the chase between the prince and the knight, Aurora was speechless. Yes, she was sure that Prince Charles hadnt changed at all. Shaking her head lightly, Aurora curtsied to Prince Brian. "Ill go back first, Your Highness." Prince Brian nodded and watched as Aurora led Prince Lester away. The corner of his lips curled up slightly and then he turned to look at the building where the Queen was watching him. Seeing the Queens dark face when she saw him, Prince Brian chuckled and then walked away. Aurora didnt notice all this as she went to the room prepared to her. William, Mr. Wren, and also Les were following her for this trip. There were also some other maidservants and knights, but they would not interact with Aurora directly unless necessary. After entering the room, Aurora took a seat and looked at Prince Lester who followed behind her. William guarded by the door while Mr. Wren and Les tactfully went out to do other things. They didnt want to disturb Aurora. Prince Lester stopped the moment he entered the room, unsure how he should react. He simply looked at Aurora with his dark blue eyes. "Ill give you two options, Prince Lester," Aurora said slowly. "First is to become my dog for four years and Ill protect your life and give you education. In return, youre not allowed to bite your owner even after that time and to do some things for me thats not convenient for me to do myself. Second is to return to Prince Brian and Prince Charles. While Im sure that Prince Brian will not kill you, it couldnt be said the same with Prince Charles." Auroras words were blunt. She didnt really need a menial worker. What she needed was someone who would listen to her every words and do things that were not easy for her to do. After all, Aurora is still the dukes daughter and with the engagement on the bright side, there were restrictions in what she could do. So Aurora said bluntly that she wanted a dog. It was just that this dog didnt have any collar or anything like that. This was the term for someone she wanted to use. The second matter was also true. Aurora knew that Prince Brian was not a simple person and would definitely not make a mistake of killing Prince Lester. On the surface, Prince Lester had no position and could be killed at any time. But whoever killed Prince Lester might have to face a lot of troubles. Prince Brian would not do it himself and would instead hand this task over to his younger brother. Of course, whether Prince Charles will do it or not was another question. But even if he did, Prince Brian would not care. The relationship between Prince Brian and Prince Charles seemed good, but they were actually competitors. Prince Lester looked at Aurora and didnt directly answer. He watched her silently and Aurora also looked back at Prince Lester, there was still the same faint polite smile on her face as if she hadnt given the offer that might change Prince Lesters life for the rest of his life. And neither of the proposition sounded good. But for someone like him who basically had nothing, it might be a chance to break away from his current position. The question would be what kind of future awaited him if he were to agree. Because there were many questions and following Aurora would be the same as taking a bet. "Four years?" Prince Lester asked slowly. His voice was somewhat hoarse as he rarely spoke. "Yes." Aurora nodded. "Four and a half year to be exact." Seeing the same expression on Auroras face, Prince Lester was silent for a while. It seemed that he was contemplating this offer from Aurora. And from the way it looked like, Prince Lester was simply an option for Aurora. There was no need to pick him specifically. And... Prince Lester slowly knelt down on one knee and said, "Ill follow your words, Miss." Chapter 87: I Know Chapter 87: I Know Aurora smiled faintly. "First, clean up and then youll follow William to learn swordsmanship. I hope you dont disappoint me." "Yes, Miss," Prince Lester replied in a deadpan tone. From now on, he had to follow Auroras words. "This is the agreement, you can see if its correct." Aurora handed over the agreement that she had prepared to Prince Lester. Prince Lesters eyes flickered. She had prepared an agreement beforehand? But looking at the agreement, there was no name written and only party A and B. It seemed that Aurora was making this agreement because she wanted to find a dog outside to raise. Prince Lester read through the entire agreement. He might be a captive prince, but he still could read since he learned it in his youth. The term of this contract was very clear and the end date was written very clearly. However, there was also the clause that they were not allowed to do harm to her even after the duration had ended. Aurora saw Prince Lester was looking at the agreement intently and said slowly, "I have no interest to cultivate white eyed wolves." That was why the clause was added. People in this era followed the written agreement and treated it as something very important. It could be said to be their contract. Aurora didnt rush Prince Lester and simply tapped the table beside her. There were a few things that she needed other people to do but it was not very convenient for her to go out and do things by herself. "I agree," Prince Lester said and signed the agreement in front of him. After Prince Lester had signed, Aurora looked at his name and repeated, "Lester Lane Irwin." Irwin was the surname for the royal family in Ice Kingdom. Even if Prince Lesters birth was not exactly the most anticipated or wanted, but they were still willing to give this surname to Prince Lester. Prince Lester nodded. Its his name. Aurora then signed the contract with her name, Aurora White. "Alright, you may go." Prince Lester bowed and walked out. He saw William was looking at him with complicated expression, but he still motioned for Prince Lester to follow him. To be honest, William felt that Prince Lesters identity alone was such a big problem. It would be difficult for anyone to stay alive if they were to keep this prince around. But then again, William couldnt question Aurora. Hes only her knight. His task was to protect Aurora at all time. As William brought Prince Lester away to wash up, Mr. Wren came to Auroras room.His expression was similar to William. "Is there anything wrong, Mr. Wren?" Aurora asked. "Miss, is it really alright to bring him along? His identity..." Mr. Wren said slowly with distressed tone. He really hoped that Aurora would not put herself in danger because of other people. After all, he had been following Aurora for a long time and knew how capable she is. If she were to be put into danger because of this... He couldnt accept it. "I know theres risk," Aurora said slowly. To be honest, taking Prince Lester in was outside her plan. But after seeing his treatment under Prince Brian and Prince Charles, she thought that there might be another different path for him. A path that would let him shine. Even if working for Aurora would be nothing more than a stepping stone for Prince Lester, Aurora didnt mind. Because in four years, everything would have been done. She no longer needed him at that time. "But he has the talent and ability." Aurora showed a faint smile. "Dont you want to see the changes that he could bring to the world in the future?" Mr. Wren looked at Aurora helplessly. Why would he want it? He just wanted to keep his life save and did his work properly. But after coming into contact with Aurora, he felt that Auroras view was much bigger than what he thought. The few things she did in her territory and the business she did.... In just a short two to three years, Aurora had amassed the amount of wealth that could make many peoples eyes turned red in jealousy. "Will that affect us, Miss?" Mr. Wren asked. "Who knows?" Aurora asked back. She didnt know what the future holds and what she could do was to work for the future. Whether it was good or bad, she would do her best to create a better future for herself. But Aurora herself had some doubts about some things. As for her plan to use Prince Lester... It was naturally to do some assassination and also some other covert missions. Making a prince did these things sounded strange, but Aurora didnt want some things to be turned to her. Wouldnt it be better to use someone else who could be blamed once he failed? It was cruel, yes. Aurora had never said that she was a good person. In the cruel world of the nobility, everyone were doing what they could for their own goal. And this naturally included breaking through their own moral bottom line, that is if they have one in the first place. For many of them, as long as they could achieve their goal, they would not care about the process in the slightest bit. And there were some people who were hindering Auroras path. It was not convenient for her to deal with the usual means, so she wanted to use a different means. Aside from that, there were also a few other things that she wanted Prince Lester to do. "Miss..." Mr. Wren looked at Aurora and finally sighed. "I hope you can stay careful, Miss. There are already many people who wish to see you fall." Aurora smiled faintly. "I know." Her works all these years were not easy. There were some people who were dissatisfied with how excellent she is and wished to bring her down. But there hasnt been any chance so far. Chapter 88: Instruction Chapter 88: Instruction Aurora looked outside from the window. The palace looked beautiful, but Aurora knew best how dirty the inside were. It was just that she had no intention to do anything. "Prepare for the negotiation. I have some things that I need to make sure." "Yes." ... The days passed by quietly. Aurora let William taught Prince Lester swordsmanship at the backyard, away from the eyes of many others. And Prince Lesters performance was really good. He already had the basic and also learned secretly through watching Prince Brian and Prince Charles practice from time to time. Besides that, his own talent was also very good. William looked at Prince Lester and sighed. "I dont know what Miss saw in you, but youre lucky." Lucky? Prince Lester looked at the sword in his hand and then at William who was helping him to train. He nodded. "Yes." If he didnt agree to Auroras offer, then it was unlikely for him to be able to learn swordsmanship like this. He would have to learn secretly as he had always done and practiced on his own in the middle of the night. Even if they couldnt really practice in the open now, but there was someone who taught him and also spar with him. It was good. For now, its enough. Prince Lester had no hope for the Ice Kingdom to retrieve him. From the very moment he was sent here, he knew very well that he was abandoned. And now that the two kingdoms were going to war again, his existence here was meaningless. The Ice Kingdom proved with their actions that they didnt care about the so called hostage prince in the Red Kingdom. Before the negotiation started, Aurora spent her time reviewing and also paying a visit to her cousins from time to time. Of course, the scene she watched was that Prince Charles was being chased by his teacher again. Until now, the Red Kingdom still hadnt selected their crown prince yet. The Red Kingdom Emperor might have some expectation for Prince Charles, hoping for him to change or something. Or it might be because the two women of the king who managed to hold this matter off. Besides, the Red Kingdom King was not that old yet. He could still hold onto the throne. Today, Aurora went to see her cousin and saw Prince Charles talked with a middle aged man. Seeing his appearance, Auroras eyes narrowed. She recognized him. The prime minister from the Sand Kingdom, Prime Minister Jake. He was the representative from the Sand Kingdom and had been suppressed by Aurora from time to time during the negotiation. After all, in order to profit Duke Sun, it was inevitable for them to clash with the Sand Kingdom. Aurora walked forward calmly. Prime Minister Jake saw Aurora coming and stopped talking with Prince Charles. He nodded in her direction and then walked away. Seeing his confident look, he should have thought about some other ways to profit his kingdom this time. However, Aurora would not let him have his way so easily since there was a chain of interest behind. "Cousin Aurora," Prince Charles called out. "Your Highness," Aurora replied. "Are you going to watch the negotiation later?" "No, I dont understand whats being said most of the time." Prince Charles shook his head. He felt that he would be bored to death if he were to participate in the negotiation and so on. It would have been better for him to stay here and play around. "Alright." Aurora nodded. "I found a new place to hide and this time, Im sure my teacher will never be able to find me." Prince Charles grinned. As a teenager, he was still very playful and seemed to be full of energy. The problem was this energy was not used in the right place. If he was not running away from class, he would be in the process of running away. Aurora looked at Prince Charles speechlessly but finally refrained from saying anything inappropriate. "That trash prince is still alive?" Prince Charles asked. "Yes, Your Highness," Aurora replied. "Tsk." Prince Charles clicked his tongue. "And here I thought that hell be too weak to do anything and will drop dead at any time. Its just too cheap for him." Listening to Prince Charles blunt words, Aurora felt rather helpless. She had the faint feeling that this Prince Charles often escaped from the palace and played with the other commoners out there. Because his way of speaking simply didnt represent his status as part of the Royal Family. Compared to Prince Brian, who was maintaining his words and demeanor, Prince Charles looked very childish. It was no wonder that the Red Kingdoms King didnt make him the crown prince. "Your Highness, its time for study." Prince Charles face turned black and he quickly run away without saying anything. Seeing this, Aurora only shook her head and made her way back. She could sense that there were many people who were watching her secretly. After all, she was still an outsider here and no one would let her do everything for free. Of course, this observation was only when she was outside or in contact with the other princes. As Aurora walked inside, she saw William and Prince Lester coming in. "Miss." William bowed slightly and Prince Lester followed his movements. However, his movements were somewhat different and from the way it looked like, it should have been the etiquette from the Ice Kingdom. Aurora was still quite familiar with the differences of the etiquette from various kingdoms. There were some differences even if some of them were similar. "William step back," Aurora said and looked at Prince Lester. "Hows your training so far, Lester?" "Its going well, Miss," Prince Lester replied and bowed his head. Aurora watched Prince Lesters demeanor and nodded. "Its time for your first mission. Retrieve this." Aurora handed a piece of paper where a map and text was written. Prince Lester looked at it and accepted it. "Yes, Miss." Chapter 89: The Negotiation Chapter 89: The Negotiation Seeing that Prince Lester had accepted the task, Aurora turned around. "Burn it after you finish reading." Prince Lester bowed and then looked at the small piece of paper in his hand. It was the crude map of the Royal Palace. Since he has been staying in the Royal Palace for some time, Prince Lester was still quite familiar with the layout. Of course, he was not allowed to go to some places. As the prisoner, he might be allowed a certain degree of freedom, but it was not to the point where he was allowed to go to various places. And this location... It was the study room beside the library. That study room belonged to the two princes and most of the time, only Prince Brian was inside. Prince Charles would not be interested to stay inside because he was too busy running away. At this time, Prince Brian should be inside. So it wouldnt be easy for Prince Charles to enter the study room. He memorized the name of the things that Aurora wanted him to take and then walked to the fireplace and put the paper inside. There was no more any traces of Auroras instruction to him. After Prince Lester was done with this, he walked inside. He was familiar with the two princes schedule, so he just have to wait until Prince Brian was no longer inside the study room. ... Aurora didnt pay attention to Prince Lester again after giving the task. To be exact, she watched from the side as Prince Lester burned the paper and then left. The negotiation was about to start and the representatives from various kingdoms have already arrived. From the Red Kingdom, it was Queen Rachel. Shes the concubine queen in the Red Kingdom and also Prince Charles mother. She had similar appearance with Charles, blond hair and blue eyes. Besides that, she also looked beautiful but looked a bit fierce. With her fighting in the Royal Palace for a long time, it was not really strange for her demeanor to be on the fierce side. Because if she were to show weakness, there would be someone who wanted to take advantage of her. Queen Rachel definitely couldnt afford to let it happen. "Im sure you all have known the main reason why the negotiation is brought forward." Queen Rachel looked at the few people around her. She could see that each and every single one of them only have the thoughts of taking advantage of the situation of the Red Kingdom. But she also knew that she couldnt be too tough. The Red Kingdom truly needed the supply for the war. Even if they have enough supplies from the previous years and so on, but to have higher chance of winning this war, it would be better to exchange unnecessary supplies with the things that they needed. It was also where this negotiation useful for. "Indeed." Sand Kingdoms Prime Minister, Prime Minister Jake, chuckled. "Weve already prepared more than enough offers for you, Your Majesty~." Hearing his playful tone, Queen Rachels eyes narrowed. This was one of the reasons why she didnt like to participate in the negotiation. But as the kingdoms queen, this was one of the duties she had to fulfill. Of course, she could also send that prime minister. But that b*stard was on the side of that b*tch, so she couldnt possibly let them take this power from her. She would be the one to decide on this negotiation and contributed to the Red Kingdom. "There are some new arrangements made, Your Majesty," Aurora said, her tone remained polite and respectful. No matter what she truly felt inside, she would not show it on the surface. "Are you trying to take my advantage, Miss Aurora?" Prime Minister Jake glanced at Aurora. In the past few negotiations, he had suffered greatly in Auroras hand. It was to the point that he was doubting his life and then being scolded by his own King. After all, the Sand Kingdom needed these trades for their living. When the trades were snatched up by Aurora, their profit decreased considerably. It was frustrating. So whenever they have a negotiation, Prime Minister Jake didnt have a good face in front of Aurora. "This is business, Prime Minister Jake." Aurora showed a smile to Prime Minister Jake. "The winner is the one who could produce more convincing deals. Dont take it to heart." More convincing deals. Prime Minister Jake snorted. He had been working hard in the past year, trying to create better deals just for this negotiation. The sudden war announcement caught him off guard, but he still prepared more than enough. "Indeed, but this time, Im the one who will win," Prime Minister Jake said confidently. Aurora still kept the same polite smile on her face. No matter whether she won or not, she had tried her best. Besides, she was no longer that eager to strike more deals. The previous deals from their previous arrangement were still profitable. Aurora herself had more than enough money and her business was booming under the management of some people in the White Dukedoms territory. The amount of money she could get as her share from the negotiation was no longer that important. Of course, it would be better for her to strike some deals. If she couldnt even get one deal done, then it would be the same as telling people that she was not capable enough. "Lets start from the materials that we need the most." Queen Rachel decided to start the negotiation first. Considering how Aurora has been taking the deals from the Sand Kingdom in their previous negotiations, it was not surprising for the two sides to be clashing whenever they met. Someone else had to interrupt before the two of them started a battle. "Weapon and materials to make it. State your offer." "The Sand Kingdom..." "The Yellow Kingdom...." "The Orange Kingdom..." "What we want is..." Chapter 90: The Negotiation (2) Chapter 90: The Negotiation (2) The negotiation of the four parties continued. When Prime Minister Jake heard Auroras words and the final offer, his eyes widened. "Are you crazy? If you made the deal at such price, youll be selling it at loss." "Whether its a loss or not, youll know by yourself, Prime Minister Jake," Aurora replied with a smile. Prime Minister Jake clicked his tongue. If Aurora could state such a profitable deal for the Red Kingdom, then she must have her own reasons. As for her not siding with the Yellow Kingdom? The Yellow Kingdom King was still watching back in the Yellow Kingdom. If Aurora were to come up with any unprofitable deals, then her own kingdom would never let her off so easily. "Youre really scary." Prime Minister Jake finally sighed. He felt that if Aurora were from the Sand Kingdom, he would want her to be their representative instead. Even after he worked hard in the past few years, he never even once won against Aurora. It was as if Aurora had known all of his weakness and advantage, thus forming the perfect countermeasure. "Thank you for your compliment, Prime Minister Jake," Aurora replied with the same polite smile on her face. Even after winning these deals, Aurora remained calm and not excited. In the past, she would be excited because she was going to earn a lot of money and also felt proud of her abilities. But now, Aurora didnt feel much. She knew that she had this ability. Besides, it was not like she won all deals as the other kingdoms also have their own advantage. It was just that most of the deals were done to the Yellow Kingdoms side. "If youre so outstanding, are you not afraid of attracting attention and pulling hatred to yourself?" Prime Minister Jakes eyes narrowed. Aurora heard the prime ministers words and turned her head to look in his direction. She smiled faintly. "Who in the high position would not attract attention and hatred?" There were already many people who wanted to bring her down and Aurora had to deal with their petty schemes from time to time. In the academy alone, there were many students who were not happy with Aurora. But there was nothing that they could do. Aurora was indeed very capable and this was something that the academy also knew. Challenging her? They would be beaten up to the point that there was not even scums left. Their capabilities were far below Aurora and if they were to challenge her publicly, they would only lose their faces in the end. The nobility cared about their faces and reputation greatly. So they would never let this kind of thing happened. Spreading rumors about Aurora? Any unfounded rumors would not work because the last time it happened, there were many people who were skeptical. And Aurora herself was not the type of person who would make others hate and antagonist her easily. She always controlled her manner of speaking and her way of interacting with people, preventing them from knowing what she truly wanted. And when she was meeting with these representatives from other kingdoms, Aurora would naturally control herself better. She would not let them take advantage of her situation to put her in difficult situation. "Youre right, Miss Aurora." Prime Minister Jake sighed. Queen Rachel was looking at the list of negotiation in her hands and found that most of the things that seemed to be more profitable for her came from Aurora. It could be seen that Aurora was paying great attention to this negotiation. They were giving what the other party needed the most and kept what they truly wanted for themselves. It was interesting. "Shall we conclude our negotiations this time?" Queen Rachel asked. "I still have some other things to talk with the others," Prime Minister Jake replied. After all, the target of the deal was not only the Red Kingdom. Their various deals involved many fields and this naturally also meant that their target was the other kingdoms too. "Alright." For the next few hours, they continued to discuss and negotiation various terms and so on. It took quite some time, but it was finally done. ... While Aurora was busy with the negotiation, Prince Lester waited for the time when Prince Brian was away before he entered the study room. He made sure that he did it from the angle and path that no one passed by. In this way, he managed to enter without anyone noticing. The record is.. Prince Lester made his way to Prince Brians table and then looked at the place around before he opened the drawer. There were some books there and Prince Lester quickly flipped through it. After a while, he found the small book and took it with him before restoring the study room back to its original state. Prince Lester walked out of the study room and went to his own room, waiting for Aurora to finish. As for Prince Brian finding out that the book is missing? There were many other servants who came and went of the study room to clean it. They would be the one suspected first rather than Prince Lester. "Prince Lester?" William knocked the room. "Come with me. Its time for your afternoon training." "Yes." This time, William only followed Aurora for the first half of the negotiation. He watched with himself how Aurora was able to counter Prime Minister Jake and took the deal for their own kingdom. Her performance truly showed her fierceness and also ability. In the afternoon, Mr. Wren was already there and would help Aurora to sort the signed documents. These things have to be brought back to the Yellow Kingdom to hand over to the parties involved. Of course, there would also be a copy in Auroras hands since she was entitled to various benefits and share from these contracts. "Yes." Prince Lester silently kept the notebook in his body and followed William out. When they met Aurora later, he would hand this thing over. Chapter 91: The Negotiation (3) Chapter 91: The Negotiation (3) Its done. Aurora looked at the signed documents in front of her and stretched her hand slightly. She didnt dare to be so obvious because she was still in a public place. "Miss Aurora." A maid stopped Aurora before she came out. "Her Majesty would like to see you." Hearing the maids words, Auroras eyes condensed slightly. Her Majesty in the maids words could only be Queen Rachel, who was also considered as Auroras aunt. It was just that they have no blood relationship. The fact that the situation in the Red Kingdoms Royal Palace has been a mess was not a secret. There were many people who knew about this. But even if they knew about it, they didnt dare to step in and got involved in this mess. Because they knew better than anyone that if they were to get involved, they might end up burning themselves in the process. Aurora herself had no intention to side with anyone. Just her uncle, the Red Kingdoms King, was already troublesome enough. She could hear his words back then to make her side more with the Red Kingdom, but Aurora knew better than anyone that she couldnt do that. If she were to do that, how could she explain to the Yellow Kingdom behind her? So while the deals seemed to be profitable for the Red Kingdom, the Yellow Kingdom actually benefit far from more with the other things she asked them to trade in exchange. It was just that those who were not clear of the situation in the Yellow Kingdom wouldnt notice. Now that Queen Rachel asked her to meet with the other party, does she noticed Auroras real intention? It shouldnt be. Everything was thought in Auroras mind within a second and after that, she responded, "I know. Please lead the way." The maid bowed and then turned around to lead Aurora. Aurora honestly felt rather tired after the long negotiation process. That old fox Prime Minister Jake kept on making things difficult for her. It was clear that he was dissatisfied with the negotiation result. Thankfully, the current situation was that the two kingdoms wished to coexist peacefully and had to rely on the trades and so on. If they were to go against each other in battle, then it was estimated that Auroras life would be in danger. But with this war, there wouldnt be any new negotiation for the next few years. The other kingdoms were not willing to go to the Red Kingdom. Aurora herself had no intention to go. And the Red Kingdom couldnt possibly let their Queen went to the other kingdoms in this situation. What if the Ice Kingdom decided to take advantage? Then they would be the one to suffer. Pushing all the thoughts away, Aurora followed the path to the queens palace. The palace itself was located quite beside the main palace. From this alone, it could be seen that the king put the Queen Rachel in much importance. His concubine was staying in the palace nearer his own. The legitimate queens palace was much further than this and even the negotiations matter was handed over to the concubine queen. It was clear that the King was silently pressuring his own queen. Aurora shook her head internally but decided not to care about this. Because she knew that she couldnt do anything. Even if she could, she didnt want to. This is someones else household problems and it was not Auroras place to meddle. Looking at the grand palace in front of her, Aurora could see that the queen was favored and her position was still very high. She was not mistreated in the slightest bit and allowed to live in luxury. But perhaps for Queen Rachel, it was far from enough. She had risen from the low position until she managed to reach this point. What she wanted was naturally for her son to be the crown prince. It was just that her son was so disappointing. Prince Charles didnt like to study and instead liked to play around a lot. It was also because of this that the king hesitated from giving the crown prince title to him. Even though he didnt love his queen, but the son she produced was really capable and for the Red Kingdom as a whole, he would be a better king. So the king refrained from picking a prince. He remained steady on the throne. "Miss Aurora, please come inside." The maid kept on bowing as she led the way for Aurora. Aurora nodded and followed the maid inside, looking around at the Royal Palace as she walked forward. Before long, she reached the study room where Queen Rachel was. There were snacks on the table and Queen Rachel herself had only finished eating something. The negotiation was quite long for her. She had to work hard in order to be able to sort out and calculate the gain and losses for the Red Kingdom as a whole. It was not easy and for Queen Rachel who was born of lower noble and didnt have high status in the beginning, it was even harder. But she had finally managed to earn the title of a queen even if some people would still call her as a concubine. It was frustrating. "Youre here, Miss Aurora," Queen Rachel said and beckoned for Aurora to sit down in front of her. Aurora could see that Queen Rachels etiquette had clearly fallen after she was alone. It was clear that when there was no one who was watching her, Queen Rachel would not be bothered to act as if she was still the high and mighty queen from before. But putting down her guard like this... It might have been fine if Queen Rachel was staying in her own bedroom and being alone. But if she did it here, her image was clearly not very good. But Aurora put away these thoughts and greeted, "Aurora White greets Queen Rachel from Red Kingdom." Chapter 92: Arrogant Queen Chapter 92: Arrogant Queen Queen Rachel looked at Aurora in front of her. There was a trace of jealousy within her eyes. For Queen Rachel whose etiquette lesson couldnt be said to be the best, Auroras good move only made her feel jealous from the bottom of her heart. This made her unable to accept in the slightest bit. If only she was born in better situation, then she would have received better education. There was no need for her to fight for the kings favor at all times and made herself dead tired to do various things. "I called you here to talk about Charles." Prince Charles? Aurora had questions within her heart when she heard Queen Rachel said this. Even if she did interact with Prince Charles from time to time, the relationship between Prince Charles and Aurora couldnt be said to be close. Besides, there was also Prince Brian present during their talk along with the other servants. It could be said that Aurora was only enjoying the garden with Prince Charles and Prince Brian to pass some time. But there was no special relationship or anything like that between the two of them. "Yes, Your Majesty?" Aurora replied, her tone reflected her confusion. "Im going to send Charles to the Yellow Kingdom," Queen Rachel said. "I would like you to help me supervise his study." Aurora: "..." Do you treat me as his nanny? Aurora felt like complaining because this was the second time someone said this to her. The first one was naturally Queen Ella from the Yellow Kingdom, Crown Prince Edwards mother. Now, Queen Rachel also asked her to do the same. Aurora felt that these queens have too much expectation on her. She was not their nanny and what was her business if their study were to fail? She didnt care at all. The main reason why she still told Crown Prince Edward to study was because it was her duty. Besides, she didnt really want to serve a king who didnt know anything about his work like the current Crown Prince Edward. As for whether he would change or not, Aurora would wait for time to answer. "Your Majesty, its not easy to supervise a princes study," Aurora said slowly. "I have the duty as the crown princess to help his highness to study and I might not be able to spare the time." Queen Rachel frowned. With how excellent Aurora was, Queen Rachel felt that it should have been easy. She had seen Aurora doing very well in the negotiation and now, she wished for Aurora to help her son in his study. In Queen Rachels eyes, with Aurora around, Prince Charles should be able to take his study more seriously. "Youre a smart girl, Aurora. Im sure you can do this," Queen Rachel said. Aurora furrowed her eyebrows. She could see that this Queen Rachel was someone who would not receive the answer no for what she asked. Being in the favored position for a long time, she was already used to be arbitrary. "With all due respect, Your Highness, I have no obligation to help you," Aurora said slowly. She helped Crown Prince Edward in his study also because of her position as the crown princess and also his fiance?e. With this position on the surface, it was only natural for Aurora to help Crown Prince Edward. But Prince Charles? Hes only her cousin at best. Queen Rachels face darkened. "Do you want to defy the royals order, Aurora?" "Your Highness, Im not the Red Kingdoms subject," Aurora replied. "While my mother might be the princess of the Red Kingdom, but she has become part of the Yellow Kingdom. I have to prioritize my duties as the crown princess more." "You..." "Your Highness." Before Queen Rachel could speak more, the old maid beside Queen Rachel stopped her and whispered some words to Queen Rachels ears. It could be seen that Queen Rachel slowly calmed down. Even if her eyes still looked somewhat fierce when she looked in Auroras direction, she no longer showed her hostility in such an open way manner. Seeing Queen Rachel like this, Aurora felt rather tired. They were able to get along peacefully in the negotiation not long ago, but when it came to Queen Rachels personal request, she showed her hostility in an open manner. This made Aurora wonder if this person was smart or not. "No matter what, Charles is still your cousin. I hope you can help him to adapt well in the Yellow Kingdoms Capital Academy," Queen Rachel stated her requirements. "The Yellow Kingdom had no intention to mistreat a prince, Your Majesty," Aurora replied calmly. The relationship between the Yellow Kingdom and the Red Kingdom were very good starting from the marriage agreement of her mother. Until now, it could be said that there were no one who could make the two kingdoms turn hostile. Aurora herself had no intention to make trouble. But she couldnt possibly sacrifice herself for the sake of the entire kingdom more than what she had already done. She was busy with various things and if she had to take care of Prince Charles, who could guarantee that her work would be done? Rather than putting her life on the risk, it would be better for her to reject upfront. "It better be that way." Queen Rachel looked at Aurora deeply. "I hope that my son could become better when hes in the Yellow Kingdom." Aurora: "..." Thinking about Prince Charles behavior, Aurora was honestly very skeptical about this statement. It was unlikely for Prince Charles to study well when he was in the Yellow Kingdom. After all, it was impossible for Prince Charles to change his behavior overnight. "Prince Charles is not a bad prince, Your Majesty," Aurora chose a relatively neutral stance when replying. Queen Rachel frowned but she didnt pester Aurora. She only said a few more words before letting Aurora left the room. There was nothing else for her to say. Chapter 93: Troublesome Chapter 93: Troublesome "Shes hard to deal with," Queen Rachels maid said. Queen Rachel snorted. "Shes just a kid, what can she possibly do with her skinny arms and little power?" Queen Rachels maid felt rather helpless at her masters words, but she couldnt really refute it. Because it was not that easy to explain that Auroras behavior made it hard for people to catch her weakness. This kind of person was hard to deal with. Prince Charles was definitely not Auroras opponent if she had any ideas to use him. It was actually quite dangerous to send Prince Charles to the Yellow Kingdom. But if he stayed here, he would be in an even more danger. "Your Majesty, I think..." ... Aurora took a deep breath when she finally reached her room. She felt that her young body couldnt stand being tortured left and right like this. It was really tiring! Thinking about Queen Rachel, Aurora sighed deeply. From the interaction between the Queen Rachel and her maid, she could see that the person who was smart was actually that maid. She should be the one helping Queen Rachel to sit firmly as the queen. It was truly not Auroras business. But if these two really wanted to calculate her... then Aurora would not be polite. She didnt like being used by others. If not because she was really weak and had to follow the rules that her parents set for her, Aurora would have not agreed to their words and arrangement. Even now, Aurora had done many things on her own without the need to tell her parents. She might not be an adult yet in accordance to the law of the kingdom, but she could delegate her people to do some things. Knock! Knock! "Come in." Aurora sat on the chair and watched as Prince Lester came in. He looked in her direction and then bowed before handing over a note book from his pocket. "This is what you request, Miss." "Put it here." "Yes." After Prince Lester put it down, he didnt linger and walked out of the room once again. Aurora crossed her legs and picked up the notebook. Looking at the content that was being kept in code, the corner of her lips curled up slightly. Found it. This thing might not look like an important thing since it was placed in the location where many people could take it. But the content inside actually contained many things that happened during the meetings. It was just that these were all put into code. For most people, deciphering the code itself would take a long time. But Aurora had already seen various codes during her spare time when she was reading books, so she could try these out one by one. Just pick the one that made most sense in accordance to the sentences. Within a few minutes, Aurora had found the method and finished translating the content of the notebook. This notebook was no longer necessary. "William." "Yes, Miss?" "Put this in the kitchens basket. Make sure no one saw you," Aurora said as she handed the notebook over. William didnt know what it was, but he went out and followed what Aurora asked him to do. Aurora actually wanted to bring that notebook over, but she also knew that it was impossible. Prince Brian and his father would be looking for that notebook because they had some important information inside. Of course, now that the book was missing once, it was estimated that they would change some plans. Not that it mattered for Aurora, though. She just wanted to know the general direction of things that happened in the Red Kingdom during this period of time. Next time, I should ask him to copy the content instead. Aurora thought to herself and felt that it should be feasible. But that would have to wait until Prince Lesters swordsmanship was good enough. At the very least, he had to be able to defend himself in case he was found out. After all, no one could be certain that every single time, it would be so smooth like this. Now that this negotiation is over... time to go back. Aurora stretched her hand and sighed deeply. She didnt really want to go back, but these documents have to be delivered back. Many people were waiting for these. For now, time to rest.... ... The negotiation usually last for a few days. From disagreeing to offering different solution, to compromising and so on, it would take some time. After all, they also had to sign the contracts and there were some other private trades they have to do. No matter how much Aurora didnt want to participate in these things, she had to come up personally. Today, the one whom Aurora had to deal with was another annoying person. "Prime Minister Jake," Aurora called out. "Were here to negotiation about the contracts." This Prime Minister Jake from the Sand Kingdom was one of the few people whom Aurora didnt really want to have contact with personally if it was possible. But no matter how much she didnt want to, she had to finish this deal. Prime Minister Jake shrugged. "This is not the first time we talked with each other, Miss Aurora. Have you never considered my proposal?" Being defeated by Aurora again and again, the kingdom behind him were pissed off. It could be said that if there was a chance, they would undoubtedly come forward to see Aurora and abduct her to their kingdom. Rather than letting her be used by the Yellow Kingdom and the Red Kingdom, it would be better to let her be part of their Sand Kingdom. Not only Prime Minister Jake was thinking this way, the people behind him were also thinking that way. Of course, bringing Aurora to their kingdom wouldnt be an easy task even if they wanted to. "No matter how many times you ask me, my answer will be no, Prime Minister Jake," Aurora answered calmly. Chapter 94: Unexpected Attack Chapter 94: Unexpected Attack "Tsk." Prime Minister Jake clicked his tongue. He looked at Aurora and then asked, "Are you sure you wouldnt regret rejecting me? Im sure that my offer is better than what the Yellow Kingdom and the Red Kingdom could possibly offer you. With your age, its a miracle that theyre willing to use you so much." Aurora was looking at Prime Minister Jake calmly. "Im not underestimating you." Prime Minister Jake rolled his eyes. "Im just telling the truth." Aurora could see Prime Minister Jakes confidence, which was reasonable to a certain degree. Because she knew that the offer from the Sand Kingdom was indeed very tempting for many people. But... "One had to bear the title of a traitor to serve other kingdom," Aurora said slowly. "Its not exactly a good thing." "Would you care about something intangible like that?" Prime Minister Jake chuckled. "You should have known better than anyone else how useless that reputation is in the face of real benefit." Aurora shook her head. She knew very well that it was just some useless name and reputation. But Aurora didnt want to bear this kind of name. She had a good life right now. Even if she had to say that there were many difficulties in front of her from many people, but she was still living enough and could do many things with her status as the dukes daughter. Why should she abandon all of these and head over to the Sand Kingdom as a betrayal? "Sometimes, these false reputation is also important, Prime Minister Jake," Aurora replied unhurriedly. "Its really hard to convince you." Prime Minister Jake sighed. "Do you think that if I come to your kingdom and asked for your hand in marriage, will they agree?" "Prime Minister Jake, please be careful with your words. I have a fiance? in the Yellow Kingdom," Aurora warned. She would not let others say words that were not true like Prime Minister Jake. If others were to hear his words, it was hard not to think that she was trying to move to other kingdom with such an offer. Besides... This Prime Minister Jake is more than twice her age. "Im just saying." Prime Minister Jake chuckled. He leaned forward and showed a bright smile. "Cant you see my sincerity, Miss Aurora?" "I cant see it now," Aurora replied with a calm tone. Even though Prime Minister Jake was trying to provoke her several times, but Aurora knew how to deal with it. Even though one had to admit that Prime Minister Jake is annoying, but he would not cross the line. It could be said that the two of them were still respectful on the surface. Of course, whether he could remain this way later on was another matter. But from what Aurora could see, this Prime Minister Jake is not stupid. He would not make a move that he was unsure of. "So cold." Prime Minister Jake laughed. Aurora looked at Prime Minister Jake in front of her. "Shall we continue with the agreement, Prime Minister Jake? There are still people waiting for you." Prime Minister Jake glanced at the door and the corner of his lips curled up slightly. "Indeed. There are some people who are waiting for us. I want to spend more time with you, Miss Aurora, but it didnt seem to be possible." Aurora only looked at Prime Minister Jake. From her past interaction with him, Aurora knew very well that this Prime Minister Jake was truly shameless. He didnt seem to care about his reputation that much but his action was actually still within the boundaries. It was just somewhat frivolous. "Lets continue." After this, the negotiation proceeded smoothly. Prime Minister Jake no longer made other trouble and instead followed his words and they finished the negotiation and signed the contracts. Once it was done, Aurora came out and saw Queen Rachel looking in her direction with indifferent eyes. For this favorite queen of the Red Kingdoms king, perhaps there were no one in the world who could enter her eyes. Not that Aurora cared, though. Nobles were all full of pride and so on, so when Queen Rachel looked down on her, Aurora would only pretend that she didnt see it. She couldnt do anything about it anyway. ... The negotiation was over. Every representatives were making their way back, including Aurora. When she was about to bid her farewell, Prince Charles was so excited and said that he would come to the Yellow Kingdom soon. At that time, he hoped that Aurora would guide him to look around. Aurora could only agree under Prince Charles persistent demeanor. On the other hand, Prince Brian watched everything calmly without much interest in the slightest bit. He had no interest in what Prince Charles was going to do. Besides... He had other duties in this war. The notebooks matter was also brushed past as a maid found the notebook and returned it to the study room before Prince Brian returned. It could be said that Prince Brian didnt notice someone had taken it. Even if someone did, the code inside would not be so easy to decipher. He had this confidence. After some time, Aurora managed to depart along with the knights back to the Yellow Kingdom. The journey would take a few days and Aurora usually spent this time resting. Because once she got back, she wouldnt have much time to rest. Of course, if there was some time, Aurora could also spend her time reading. It should have been an uneventful journey. But... Swish! Swish! Swish! Jleb! Jleb! Thud! "Ahh!" "Enemy attack!" Aurora, who was resting inside the carriage, was stunned when she heard the shout and turned her attention outside. She saw a group of people rushing forward and met with the knights. Her eyes turned a shade colder. To think that there would be still be people who attacked even after seeing the familys insignia... it seemed that someone wanted her die so badly. Chapter 95: Battle in the Forest Chapter 95: Battle in the Forest Clang! Clang! Clang! The sound of metal clashing reverberated in the supposedly quiet forest. Les was staying in front of the carriage, trying her best to raise the shield in her hand to protect herself and the door behind her. No matter what, she could not allow anyone to get close to Aurora. Even if Les was afraid, she knew that she had to protect her miss. It was just that her participation was not very useful as these people didnt even bother to get close to her. The other knights also have to do their best to protect Aurora. Clang! Aurora looked at the knights and bandits in front of her, her eyes turned a shade colder. Truly... There were many people who wanted her to die. Bang! There was a loud sound and several knights were thrown back. "Protect Miss!" William yelled in urgency, feeling somewhat panicked. These knights were unable to protect Aurora properly and William definitely couldnt defeat them all on his own. Swish! Slash! Not far from William, Prince Lester was also struggling to fight. Even if his talent was high, but his physical strength couldnt keep up with his growth just yet. After all, he has been malnourished over the years. It was not easy for him to survive, how could he pay attention to his health? This resulted in him dealing with these people who came at a much slower speed compared to William. But even then, he was already pretty good. "Be careful!" Mr. Wren reminded. He himself was also holding a sword, but his swordsmanship couldnt be said to be good. Over the years, he was busy to manage the territory and didnt really have the time to hone his swordsmanship again. This resulted in his skills deteriorated badly. Clang! Clang! "Father, you pay attention to yourself!" William responded. He raised his sword, meeting with the enemys. After that, he stepped to the side, kicked the next person who came closer. In the real battle, no one actually paid attention to the form and so on. They would do anything to win the battle and this was something that William knew very well. Bang! Auroras heart skipped a beat, she turned to the back and saw someone hacked the carriage from the side. She raised the sword in her hand and stabbed towards the person who tried to enter. Stab! The sword entered right away. It felt really smooth as if there was no restriction that prevented the sword from entering the body in the slightest bit. Aurora could feel the sword cutting through the flesh, eating up the life of the man in front of her. HIs eyes widened, clearly not expecting a noble lady to carry a sword with her. And with him unprepared, he fell down. Swish! Aurora pulled back the sword from the gap in the carriage, her breathing turned somewhat rapid. This is the first time she killed someone. The sensation when the sword entered the body and the expression of the man was vivid in Auroras eyes. This was the first time Aurora ever killed someone and she knew that the man had died. Died in her hands. Taking a deep breath, Aurora looked at the next person who was approaching the carriage. Even if she felt sick deep in her heart, she also knew that this was something she had to face sooner or later. Because her position meant that she was responsible for the lives of the people who followed her. And this meant that she had to pay attention to them when she was doing things. There might be a chance they died because of her. In front of her enemies, she could not back down. Not in the slightest bit. Clang! Clang! The sound of metal clashing could still be heard from outside. Aurora couldnt pay attention to the knights anymore because the carriage was half broken from the other side and there were also knights dying in front of her. The next bandit or whoever they were, were still eyeing Aurora. Bang! Without getting closer, the man kicked the carriage, shaking it over. "Kyaa!" Les, who was standing on the other side of the carriage, was pushed forward by the carriage, nearly hitting the knight who was protecting them. She stabilized her body and turned around, only to see a man slashed open the carriage from the other side and another person reached in. Aurora was also caught off guard by the bandits movement. Being in the carriage, her center of balance was off and her body swayed. As she tried to compose herself, she saw they cut open the gap, allowing a person to enter inside and Aurora reached out her sword forward. Stab! The sword stabbed the person who was opening the carriage, but before Aurora could retract her sword back, another bandit reached in and grabbed Auroras hand. "Let go!" Aurora yelled. Her hand was struggling to pull the sword back to kill the next bandit. It was just that, the slight trembling of her hand made it difficult for her to do so. "Tsk!" The bandit clicked his tongue in displeasure and pulled Aurora forward. The next moment, Aurora felt pain on the back of her head and her vision turned blur. "Miss!" The last thing she heard was the scream of the Les and William. Seeing the bandit caught Aurora, the knights were anxious and tried to step forward to stop them. But they were not able to do anything as these bandits were more powerful and rushed into the forest. Les was crying, but when she tried to reach the carriage, the carriage shook once more due to the kick of the other bandit at the other side. Les was knocked back once more and fell to the ground. "Damn it!" William cursed out loud. He wanted to chase, but he was entangled by the bandits. They could only watch as the bandits disappeared in the forest along with Aurora. Bang! Chapter 96: Battle in the Forest (2) Chapter 96: Battle in the Forest (2) Drap! Drap! Drap! The bandits rushed into the forest, one of them carrying Aurora on his shoulder. "Its successful!" One of them laughed out happily. "Too many people died." The second bandit snorted. "After this, well get the money and then left quickly." "Yes!" There has always been risk taken when they accepted the mission, but they were almost annihilated this time. It seemed that they underestimated the ability of the knights. "But for being the dukes knight, their abilities are really bad," The one who carried Aurora spoke out. "Their protection circle is far from perfect and we can enter through the other side." The other laughed when they heard the mans words. "Go into the hut for now. Theyll come here soon enough." "Yes!" There were a total of four bandits who brought Aurora away this time. The rest of the bandits have died in the hands of the knights before. They agilely moved through the forest until they reached a hut. "Place her in." "Yes." Aurora was put into the hut and after tying up her hands and legs, the third bandit came out of the hut. They have no intention to watch over a sleeping noble lady at all time. Besides, they only needed to hand her over for the mission to be done. Bang! The door was slammed shut. And Aurora, who was inside the hut, opened her eyes. She was indeed dizzy and lost her consciousness for a moment when they struck the back of her head. But her training in swordsmanship had enhanced her ability far above ordinary people. It only took her a few seconds to regain consciousness, but she remained still when these bandits carried her. For a hit man, they sure fare badly. Aurora sat up and then pulled her skirt up. There was a knife strapped on her knee, which was her hidden weapon that she had arranged to carry at all times. After all, her status as the dukes daughter and the princes fiance?e would put her in various dangers. It was just that Aurora didnt expect she would use them so soon. Shes only 13 years old and had to face these kind of things. It was somewhat frustrating. Slash! The knife cut off the rope on Auroras hand and after that, she cut off the rope on her legs. Standing up, Aurora scanned the room around her. The room was a standard hunter hut or something like that. There was a table, chair, fireplace, and a bed. However, Aurora was thrown on the floor when she was put into the hut instead of on the bed. Thankfully, there was furry carpet on the ground. She was not sure what kind of animal it came from though. Aurora looked at the window in the opposite side of the door and then moved towards the table. The table was quite big, but it was not that heavy. However, Aurora had to do everything quietly. She pushed the table towards the door slowly but surely, making sure she didnt make any noise when she did that. As she reached the door, she could hear the conversation of the two bandits outside. "Do you think theyll pay the money?" "Why not? They had asked us to caught the duke daughter and our action had already offended a lot of people. They wouldnt benefit anything from crossing us, right?" "Who knows?" These peoples way of talking was definitely very crude. After all, they were bandits and were not used to follow the law of the kingdoms. While the kingdoms have their territory and there were also people who lived inside who were managed by them, there were also many people who lived outside the kingdoms. These people were not categorized to be part of any kingdom and would not receive protection from them. Normally, they could be found in the forest or in the outskirt around the border. This was the main reason why the border has always been very dangerous. If these people were not managed properly, they might come to attack the people who passed not far from them. Or it was like this group of people. They were paid to do so. Aurora listened to their words, her expression was calm. As early as these people came to the carriage and attacked, she had guessed that there should be someone behind them. Someone who either work with them or paid them to do things. Now, the answer was clear. But who it is, she didnt know. There are too many people I have offended recently. Thinking of the negotiation that was finished not long ago, Aurora felt a faint headache. Queen Rachel was not very pleased with her rejection, but would it be too much for her to make such a trouble to her? Then again, the person who think for Queen Rachel was that old maid beside her. If she gave some suggestion to Queen Rachel to eliminate her first or to threaten her and blackmail her, then it was possible for them to do that. After all, these bandits didnt seem to have any intention of harming her. But this is only speculation. There was also Prime Minister Jake from the Sand Kingdom. After being defeated by Aurora several times and suffered greatly, it was unknown whether he would take a drastic measure by arranging an attack. After all, if something happened to Aurora, it was unlikely for her to be able to do the next negotiation well. The problem is... The next negotiation would be a few years from now since the agreement they made this time could last three to four years depending on the war situation on the Red Kingdoms side. And then there were also the people from the Ice Kingdom who might want Prince Lester to die and thus chose to attack Aurora here. Even if the distance was a bit far and it was unlikely for them to come here, there might be some spies lurking around. Because of that, this was still a possibility to think of. Chapter 97: I’m Her Knight Chapter 97: Im Her Knight Of course, these three were not everything. There were also some other nobles who didnt have good impression of the White Dukedom and might want to target her for some reasons. Or there were those who disliked her personally such as Mirabelle in the Capital Academy. She herself might not have the necessary connection, but the family behind her could easily do it for her. But well... Aurora was not sure what kind of benefit that Mirabelle would get from harming her. Being able to stay with Crown Prince Edward? They were cousins and legally speaking, they couldnt get married with each other. There was no benefit for Mirabelle to do this unless she planned to ask Aurora to do other things, which Aurora couldnt think of. It was just that this method was a bit too extreme. If it was found, Aurora could use the power of the White Family behind her to crush Mirabelle. And speaking of Crown Prince Edward, Aurora also knew Adela who was attracted to the crown prince. While she couldnt understand what was attractive from Crown Prince Edward aside from his position, Adela seemed to like his every side. Alright, Aurora didnt understand feelings. She didnt think it was necessary either. But that innocent and stupid sister of hers couldnt possibly do anything like this unless they collaborated with her father and mother. Because Adela had no talent at all in leading and anything like that. Everything she could do was to obediently study and recuperate her body. But her father and mother shouldnt agree to this kind of request from Adela. Because Aurora knew that Duke White and Duchess Isabella wanted her to become the queen for the sake of the White Family. And with her doing a good job in the past few years, there was no reason for them to abandon her like this. Or is there? Aurora furrowed her eyebrows and her eyes flashed with ruthless glint. These thoughts flashed within Auroras mind at a very short period of time. While she pushed the table, she had already finished considering all of these people who might attacked her. There were too many possibilities. Not to mention, there might be others such as the other nobles whom Aurora barely dealt with, the queen of the Red Kingdom whom she hadnt met or even her own cousin, Prince Brian. But no matter which one of them, Aurora couldnt find the direct reason right away. Because there were too many possibilities. And it was only now Aurora realized that she seemed to have offended too many people with her action. Even though she was only doing what she was required to do, there were many people who were not happy with her. They only respected her on the surface but who knew what they were actually thinking in secret. How ridiculous. Aurora pushed these thoughts to the back of her mind. Even if she wanted to find the person who did this and made him or her paid for their action, the priority would be for her to get out of here. Aurora picked the chair and put it in front of the window. Using the chair as a step, Aurora could reach the window easily and looked outside. There was a bandit standing not far away from the window and another one in a distance. The four of them were standing guards to make sure Aurora couldnt get away from the hut. Aurora held the knife in her hand tightly. As for waiting to be saved? Aurora was not the type of person who could stay quiet and just wait until someone saved her. She had been taught to be independent ever since she was young and if she wanted something, she had to work hard to achieve it. Simply waiting for things to be delivered to her mouth did not exist. No one would be willing to do that to her and Aurora knew that very well. There had to be something they wanted from the other party. No one was so selfless. Aurora took a deep breath, preparing herself to open the window and jump down to the bandit below. There would only be one chance. ... Slash! Thud! As the last bandit who were left behind fell, William finally stopped and panted. Fighting against so many bandits had exhausted his strength. He knew very well that he was not strong enough. Even if he was already knighted and had finished his training, it was far from enough for him to protect Aurora when it was necessary. This made William very angry. *pant pant* The situation was tragic. There were around 20 knights who came with Aurora but only 5 of them were still alive by now including William. Looking at the dead bodies of the knight on the ground, William took a deep breath. Les was crying. These people were all still talking and laughing with her at one time but now they have all fallen to the ground as dead bodies. The changes happened so fast. "Theres no point crying." Prince Lester sheathed his sword back. His eyes were looking into the forest in front of him. He had no one and nothing in his hand. His only chance of survival was through following Aurora. So she couldnt die. "Im going into the forest," William said and turned around without hesitation. Yes, he was tired, but he couldnt possibly let Aurora be in danger even for a second longer. Its his duty as a knight and also because he didnt want to lose his Miss. "Im following," Prince Lester said and also ran behind William. "Wait, William! Its too dangerous! You didnt even know how many people are left!" Mr. Wren stopped William before he could enter the forest. He didnt want to lose his son. It was simply too dangerous. "Im Misss Knight. If I cant be by her side when she needed me, doesnt it means Im useless?" William answered and looked at his father deeply. Mr. Wren was stunned and unable to answer. William himself also didnt wait for Mr. Wren to answer and rushed into the forest. Chapter 98: Battle in the Forest Part 2 Chapter 98: Battle in the Forest Part 2 Drap! Drap! Drap! Behind William, Prince Lester followed him without hesitation. Even if he was weak, he knew very well that he had to do something. Thud! Mr. Wren fell to the ground and sighed deeply. For decades, the kingdoms situation has been peaceful and Mr. Wren had never truly experienced the baptism of war. He felt really scared in the battle just now and struggled a lot. After it was over, Mr. Wren didnt really want them to take any risk again. Even if he wanted to save Aurora, he had to think about their current situation. They were not that far from the nearest city of White Familys territory, so they could ask for help there. At that time, their chance of winning should be higher. But if they were to retreat first, then there would be a possibility for Aurora to be hurt in the middle. It wouldnt be good. No matter which decision to make, there would be risk. The difference was which risk they wanted to take, risking Aurora or the knights life? Mr. Wren sighed deeply. When he first brought Aurora to see William, he hoped that William would be able to reach a high rank by following Aurora. After all, Mr. Wren knew that he himself would never have that chance in his entire life. He was destined to be tied with the White Dukedom for the rest of his life. And his real lord has always been Duke White. The main reason why he followed Aurora here was because hes Auroras teacher and also instructed by Duke White to help Aurora if it was necessary. But at the end of the day, Mr. Wren is still Williams father. He hoped for his son to be safe. But he also knew that for knights, they have to fulfill the duty they have until the very end. It was their oath and also their responsibility. From the moment they took the sword and decided to serve a master, they had to follow and protect that person until the very end. Is this really the right choice? Mr. Wren looked at the sky. When he first asked William to learn how to wield the sword, William was very interested. Later on, he wanted to become a knight, a knight who served at the border and might be in the dangerous situation. At that time, Mr. Wren thought of figuring out a way for William. Before he could truly make his plan, Aurora had shown her interest to recruit William to be her personal knight. Mr. Wren was happy. Because it meant that William didnt have to go to the border, the frontline, to fight against other knights and all. His safety could be guaranteed to a certain degree and there was no need for Mr. Wren to worry about his son. But Aurora went out of the kingdom quite often. William also had to follow her. There didnt seem to be anything wrong with this arrangement because Mr. Wren understood that it was Auroras duty. But now... He realized that the danger of following Aurora would not be less than sending his own son to the border and fought for the Yellow Kingdom. Mr. Wren knew his son well. William would definitely fight on the frontline and didnt retreat unless it was the order or when it was necessary. Because his goal when he go to the frontline was to become a noble on his own through gaining merit as a knight. In this way, William would definitely put his life on the line. Mr. Wren sighed deeply. "Mr. Wren," Les called out. "Theyll return safely..." Her voice chocked with her tears and it was clear that Les herself might not believe her words. But she would rather say it out loud in hope that it would come true and also to convince herself. Because life without any hope was really bitter. "I hope so." Mr. Wren took a deep breath and looked at the remaining three knights. None of these knights were able to sit straight anymore. His eyebrows furrowed slightly. Has the standard for the White Familys knights been so low? ... Drap! Drap! Drap! "Can you keep up?" William asked without turning around. He knew that Prince Lester was following behind him. Even if he didnt really know the reason why Prince Lester decided to help Aurora when the two people barely knew each other, William chose not to pry too much. He only needed to make sure that his speed was not too fast for Prince Lester. As much as he wanted to find Aurora at the fastest speed possible, he also needed to recover his energy while finding tracks. This will undoubtedly halt his speed. "I can," Prince Lester replied curtly. He was panting slightly, but he continued to keep up with William. The past few days of training had given Prince Lester better physique. Moreover, he was also eating enough, allowing him to become healthier. Even if it was only a bit. "Are you sure you want to follow?" William asked. "Im Misss guard," Prince Lester replied. From a prince to be a mere guard or even a dog like what Aurora said to him, Prince Lesters status could be said to have fallen from the sky to the earth. The treatment for these two titles were very different and couldnt be compared. William arched his eyebrows. From Prince Lesters words, he could tell that Prince Lester had truly assumed himself as Auroras guard. This prince is really... Interesting. "Prepare for combat." William raised his head and saw a clearing at the front. Upon seeing the two bandits there, his eyes narrowed. There might be a few other bandits around, but there was no time for them to check the surroundings clearly. "Wait, we have to..." Swish! Slash! Prince Lesters lips twitched when he saw William charged towards the nearest bandit and killed him in one strike. He wanted to tell them that they should survey the area first, but William moved too fast. Or perhaps... he simply didnt think? Chapter 99: She’s Strong Chapter 99: Shes Strong Either way, Prince Lester didnt follow Williams example. He turned around the hut and heard commotion from the back. Thud! Slash! The sound of something heavy fell to the ground could be heard followed by the sound of something sharp cutting through the flesh. Prince Lester felt bad and quickened his pace. Upon reaching the back, he saw Aurora raised the small knife in her hand and stabbed the second bandit on his neck. Her short stature made her have to raise her hand higher, but it still reached the bandits neck accurately. Slash! Aurora pulled her knife and hand away as she stepped to the side. Blood spurted out of the bandits neck and he fell down with a thud not far from where the other bandit had fallen. The first bandit was directly killed by Aurora after she jumped down from the window. Her movements were swift and clean, leaving no room for error. Before the bandit could even react, he was stabbed in the neck and blood poured out like waterfall. He couldnt fight back in the slightest bit. Once the second bandit fell, Aurora raised her head and saw Prince Lester standing with a sword in his hand. He stared in her direction, not saying anything. "Are you alone?" Aurora asked, her body remained tense. She knew that there were four people who were guarding this hut and if Prince Lester is here, there might be others who come along with him. The other bandits could be dealt with. "Knight William is here," Prince Lester recovered and replied. "Miss, please come with us." Aurora nodded. The blood stained her hand and knife, but Aurora didnt care about this. Today, she had killed four people in total and no matter how uncomfortable her heart was, Aurora suppressed all of her feelings and walked forward. "Miss?" William had already finished dealing with the second bandit in his side when he saw Aurora came with Prince Lester beside her. His eyes landed on Auroras hand and his expression turned solemn. "Did you get hurt? There should be some medicine in the carriage. We should head back soon, Miss." "Its not my blood," Aurora replied and pointed at the hut. "Try to see if you can find any agreement or contract inside." Agreement or contract? William was confused but Prince Lester understood that these bandits must have been hired by someone else. But it was unlikely for those people to use a written agreement when hiring these bandits and so on. It would be better to be an oral agreement so that they would not leave any evidences. Of course, not everyone would agree with this method. After all, the oral agreement would make it impossible for them to ask for the reward once the mission was done. Without any evidence, would these people fulfill their words? Some people might take back their words. So the written agreement was still necessary. "Miss, wipe the blood," Prince Lester reminded. Aurora glanced at the bodies of these bandits and then glanced at Prince Lester. "Search them out, the agreement might be on them." Prince Lester nodded. Seeing Prince Lester checked on the two bodies at the front, Aurora went to the back and searched out the body of the two bandits. But these bandits didnt really bring anything. Their clothes were only coarse linen and their pocket only carried some bronze coins. It worth nothing. Aurora saw this and then shook her head. She had the feeling that there was no point for her to check on the others either. As she came back, she saw Prince Lester also only showed a few bronze coins on his hand. There was no agreement or anything like that on these bandits bodies. The copper coins on Auroras hand was slightly stained with blood and Aurora handed them all to Prince Lester. "You can use them if you want to." Prince Lester looked at the few pieces of copper coins in his hand and put it away. Copper coins were not very valuable for nobles. But for those who were commoner or at the bottom of the society, even a couple of copper coins meant a lot for them. Soon, William came out while carrying a box with him. "The hut didnt have anything valuable. I found this under the bed," William said. The box was locked and Aurora looked at it for a moment before using her knife to pry the lock open. This kind of cheap lock was really easy to break. Clack! The lock was broken and Aurora opened the box. There was only one scroll inside along with a few silver and copper coins. This should be the bandits money. Aurora thought about how the bandits let her inside the hut but they themselves stayed outside and shook her head. It seemed that the bandit had never even considered the possibility of her running away and took their money away with them. These bandits were really stupid. Opening the scroll, Aurora read the content and her eyes turned cold. She folded the scroll back and then looked at William and Prince Lester in front of her. "Well go back now." "Yes." The two of them were paying attention to Auroras appearance. In the beginning, the two of them thought that Aurora would be terrified or crying. But they were wrong. Very wrong. They found Aurora was ready to make a way out by herself without even waiting for them. Perhaps, she didnt even know that there would be someone who would search for her right away when she was kidnapped. And even after seeing them and finding what she was looking for, Aurora remained calm and stable. Hearing her order, all William and Prince Lester could do was to follow her order and returned to the broken carriage and the entourage who followed them. Aurora took a step forward and held her hands together. Her eyes were sharp and cold. To think that this person dared to attack her like this. Chapter 100: Conspiracy Chapter 100: Conspiracy "Miss!" Les was so happy when she saw Aurora came back intact. Tears streamed out like waterfall and she really wanted to pounce on Aurora if only it was allowed. However, seeing Auroras hands were stained with blood, she felt really distressed. Aurora raised her head and looked at the knights who have fallen along with the other three knights who were still alive. "Miss." The three knights were injured and could only sit up, but they still struggled to greet Aurora. Looking at their movements that seemed like they wanted to go, Auroras eyes were cold. "Les, my sword." "Ah?" Les was stunned and rushed to the carriage to take Auroras sword. When Aurora was fighting against the bandits and then got kidnapped, the sword fell down from her hand and landed inside the carriage. There was no time for Aurora to take it away and the bandits also didnt care about a womans sword. After all, Auroras sword was somewhat lighter and smaller compared to the other knights. It was designed to suit her height and strength. Mr. Wren looked confused. "Miss?" Aurora didnt explain and after she received the sword, she walked towards the three injured knights in front of her. "Miss, what are you...." Slash! Slash! Stab! Due to their injuries, these three knights couldnt react at all when Aurora reached them. Their eyes widened in disbelief as Aurora killed them neatly. Blood splattered and Aurora retracted her bloodied sword. She turned around and saw the others were looking in her direction with various emotions within their eyes. William looked in disbelief, Prince Lester was calm and was not perturbed in the slightest bit, Les was dumbfounded, and Mr. Wren looked conflicted. "There are some people who wants me to die and to do that, they had to start from the inside," Aurora said calmly, not explaining her actions. "If you think my action is not appropriate, youre free to leave and no longer following me." Because Aurora knew very well that her path after this might be stained with more blood. Even if she knew that her every action would affect so many peoples lives, but this was the first time she saw it with her own eyes. And in the future, this kind of scene might even be quite common to the point that people would vomit blood. So if these four people didnt want to follow her, Aurora would not stop them. She trusted them to a certain degree and knew that even if they left, they would not do anything detrimental to her. Unless they were threatened with something precious to them. But... Is there any that could make them betray her? "No." Prince Lester shook his head almost immediately. He wanted to say that hes Auroras dog as she had claimed. But that kind of status didnt seem to be suitable to be said out loud in front of others, so he didnt explain. He simply looked in Auroras direction calmly. Aurora responded by looking back. She could see that for Prince Lester, this kind of action might not be something worth questioning. Perhaps, he himself had seen even crueler things and thus, this could not disturb him in the slightest bit. It was good. "Ill never leave you, Miss!" Les was the second to said. Her fingers were clenched into a fist in front of her and she was trembling so badly, but her eyes were full of determination. She had followed Aurora for a long time and Les knew what Aurora experienced more than anyone else. Even if Aurora were to be enemies with the entire world, she would still side with Aurora and helped Aurora to the best of her ability. Aurora smiled at Les. The only maid whom she knew that she could trust is Les. It was also because of this that Aurora always brought Les around no matter where she went. "Miss, Im your knight." William took a deep breath and looked at Aurora with determination. When he saw Aurora holding the bloodied sword back then, he realized that this might be something that happened again in the future. And it meant that he would also face enemies. But William was no afraid. From the very moment he chose to become a knight, he knew that he had to face danger. Being Auroras knight meant that he had to be the one to protect her. As for backing down? William didnt want to back down. He had decided to follow Aurora after he saw her abilities and even now, he decided that he would continue to follow Aurora. Only Mr. Wren didnt answer right away. He looked at Aurora with complicated emotions because he understood that there was an undercurrent that he didnt realize happening. And now, they were all pulled to the center of the upheaval. No matter what happened in the future, he would have to face these things. "Miss, can you tell me... what is your real plan?" Mr. Wren asked slowly. He had actually asked this question when he first met with Aurora and saw her abilities. But at that time, Aurora refused to say anything aside from leaning more about various things and revealed bits and pieces of her action. Even with these things told to Mr. Wren, he couldnt guess what Aurora actually wanted to do. Three years or so have passed since that time. Mr. Wren had to admit that he was not capable enough. So all he could do was to ask Aurora directly about her plan. Aurora looked at Mr. Wren and silently looked at the sword in her hand and took a cloth to wipe the blood on it. Her eyes were cold and there was a faint chills that could be seen. "Do you think the noble families are clean, Mr. Wren?" "No," Mr. Wren replied immediately. As someone who had dealt with the nobility for a long time, Mr. Wren was still very clear about this point. Chapter 101: Arrangement Chapter 101: Arrangement There were many dirty deeds that these people did. Even if Mr. Wren didnt like it, but he knew that in order to survive, it was inevitable for them to do some things that might not be accepted if it was spread out. However, Mr. Wren didnt understand why Aurora mentioned this now. "Do you think that those who hold power have to be noble?" Aurora asked again. "Isnt it normally so?" Mr. Wren asked again. Aurora only showed a smile but her eyes remained cold. Her hand had finished wiping the blood and tossed the cloth away before sheathing her sword again. "Normally, yes, but there are also those non noble people who are secretly operating in various parts in the kingdoms," Aurora replied slowly. "Its impossible for them to topple up the nobility, but... having enough power to change your own fate is the best, isnt it?" Prince Lester, who was listening to Aurora, was surprised. His eyes widened slightly and his body trembled before he forcefully calmed himself down. He lowered his head to prevent others from seeing his gaze. "Your own power?" Mr. Wren looked at Aurora and frowned. He thought for a moment as he recalled the people under him in White Dukedom and sighed deeply. "Miss, Im not very competent, but Im still a noble who wants to protect the people under me. I might not be able to follow you all the time." William looked at his father, opened his mouth, but in the end he didnt speak anything. He has been by his fathers side for a long time, so he understood Mr. Wrens choices. Of course, understanding didnt mean agreeing. William could not follow Mr. Wrens path. He had his own life, separated from his family. Mr. Wren didnt understand completely about what Aurora wanted to do, but he had the feeling that Aurora would not want to manage a territory like what he had done. She was very different from the other nobles he had ever seen in his life. But it might be because she was different that he decided to listen to her words when he met her back then. Shes very capable. However, her goal might not be suitable for his life path. "I know, Mr. Wren." Aurora looked at Mr. Wren and nodded. This teacher of hers was someone who cared for the people under him very much and wished for their prosperity. But Aurora couldnt do that. Asking her to care about the people under her in the territory was highly impossible. From the time when she was young until now, Aurora knew very well that these people were living well in their territory due to the management. Managing them well would bring them benefit and if they didnt do well, they wouldnt be able to get anything. It was simple and crude. People might call her cold hearted and ruthless, but Aurora didnt mind. Shes a selfish person. When she learned various things from her parents and teachers, she knew very well that she had to strengthen herself and built her own power. Even if this power might not follow the normal routine. This was why Aurora had no desire to take the position of the familys head. It might be a good position, but it was also a position full of responsibility. She might have the ability. But why should she take it? There were others who might want the position more than her. Besides, there was no problem even if her father were to stay in that position for a few more decades. The lifespan of people in this era might not be that long, but it was still enough for them to live until Adela got married and has children. There could also be some vassals children who were selected to be the next successor. Aurora wouldnt worry for the White Family. "Thank you, Miss." Mr. Wren could see Auroras calm demeanor and bowed down. To be honest, he was a bit afraid to say his position in case Aurora would do something to him. After all, Mr. Wren knew very well that there were many nobles who couldnt stand having those below them to refute them. Aurora might not seem to be a person like that, but shes also a ruthless person. To kill the three knights without saying anything.... That had already told many things. "Ill use the materials carriage," Aurora said. "Move the things to create a space. Dont forget to take the box under my seat in my carriage first." "Yes, Miss!" The four of them started to work while Aurora stood there, watching the scene in front of her with the same indifferent expression. It was just that when people couldnt see it, her hands were actually trembling. Shes afraid. But she couldnt show it. She couldnt even think about it so that she could still appear strong in front of her men. Even though she has a plan that might be called outrageous for her own life, but Aurora would still be responsible for the lives of the people under her. She couldnt care for the people in the territory, but she could care for the people around her. It was enough. Soon, they have finished moving the things and tied the horse to the second carriage. "Miss, its ready." "Well go to the White City in White Dukedom. Buy a carriage there and then well return to the Capital City," Aurora gave the instruction. "Yes, Miss!" The four of them obeyed Auroras words. Mr. Wren took the job of leading the horse while William and Prince Lester guarded from the side. Now that there were no other knights to protect the carriage, their duty was higher. They hoped that there wouldnt be any other attack. Clip! Clop! Clip! Clop! The horse went out and Aurora stayed inside the carriage, looking at her hand in front of her. The blood has been wiped, but there were still some traces remained. Drip... Chapter 102: Tears Chapter 102: Tears Aurora buried her face in her hand. Shes afraid. Shes worried. Shes angry. Various emotions were mixed together and Aurora knew very well that it was inevitable. But even so, she felt ashamed deep in her heart. She might be only 13 years old girl, but Aurora knew very well that she was not the same as other people. Shes the dukes daughter, the crown princess, the future queen, and also someone with heavy responsibility on her shoulder. She couldnt show her weakness. No... Shes not allowed to have any weakness. Because once she has any, there might be others who would take advantage of her and brought her down. Aurora cried silently. She didnt dare to let her voice out because she knew very well that there were still others around her. Even if she trusted them to a certain degree, Aurora had no intention to let them know about her weakness. No, not even her trusted attendants could know. Aurora would rather not let anyone knew about it in her entire life. It would be for the best if she could erase this weakness instead. ... At night, Les came to Aurora while carrying a box. "Miss, your injury has been delayed for a long time." Injury? Aurora looked at her arm that was injured and nodded at Les, letting Les treat her injury. They would reach the city soon and could buy some food there. Their supplies were basically destroyed in that attack. Thankfully, the negotiation contracts and so on were all safe. They were still within the box that Aurora carried with her. The injury was not deep and Les quickly cleaned it up and bandaged it. "Miss, please tell me if theres any other injury?" Les asked. Aurora looked at Les and then shook her head. "Im not injured." She couldnt even feel the pain from the bruises that she had suffered. Thinking about it, Aurora wanted to sneer. Her swordsmanship practice has allowed her to become stronger and this kind of injury was nothing to her. It was not like she was not injured when she was practicing on daily basis. Aurora couldnt even call these injuries hurt anymore. Anyway, they would heal with time. "You may go now." "Yes, Miss." They had entered the city and picked one inn to stay for the night. Mr. Wren went out to gather more supplies while Aurora stayed in the room to rest. After a few hours, Aurora had calmed down. She looked at the ceiling above her and her thoughts went to the letter that she found in the hut. Even if it could be confirmed that there were some people who wanted to kill her, but she knew the name written there was only the attendant. In other words, it was not the master at all. Even if the attendant was killed, it would not affect the master behind the scenes too much. Who knew how many of these attendants did the other party have. Aurora knew that as well. So she had to use this incident to the fullest for her own benefit and not to let others take advantage of her. It was just... Its really tricky. This kind of incident was really easy to be used to make unfounded rumors and the likes. Aurora also couldnt guarantee that she wouldnt be targeted by others through this incident in the future. But even if they were to use this incident... who would more likely to use it? Auroras brain was turning fast, thinking about various possibilities and other things that might happen in the future. Even if she felt the incident was really bad... But Aurora didnt want to give up so easily. She still has her life and there might be other ways she could use for her own goals. Perhaps, she could even make a good use of it. For now, she should think and plan various plans first. She still has a few days before she reached the Yellow Kingdoms Capital and had to face with her parents. ... Outside the inns door, Prince Lester was standing guard. He was expressionless and there was not even the slightest bit of emotion could be seen from him. From the distance, he looked like a loyal dog who was guarding his master. Time passed quietly. Even when Aurora had fallen asleep, Prince Lester was still standing there, guarding at all times. If there was even the slightest bit of noise, he would be able to hear it. Tep. Prince Lester raised his head and saw William came to him. While he was guarding here, William was resting in his own room. "Its my turn," William said. Without other knights present, the task of guarding Aurora could only be divided by the two of them. Besides, after seeing what Aurora did to the knights before, they had some guesses that the knights have bad intention towards Aurora. They would not trust other people to guard Aurora aside from themselves. Prince Lester nodded at William and intended to rest. As much as he wanted to stay here all night long, he also needed to rest. His young and weak body wouldnt be able to stand it if he were to stay here the entire time. "Do you have to work so hard?" William suddenly asked. Prince Lester stopped in his track and looked at William. Perhaps, in Williams eyes, Prince Lester had a much better choice and didnt have to follow Aurora. Moreover, after this incident, it was very likely for Aurora to face many other dangers in the future. At that time, it was clear that they would have to face even more danger. "I follow Misss order," Prince Lester replied. William arched his eyebrows and then shook his head. "Thats not my question." Prince Lester was silent for a while and turned his body around to head to his room. As he walked away, he leave a sentence, "Do I have a reason not to?" Chapter 103: Confrontation Chapter 103: Confrontation William watched Prince Lesters back and his eyes deepened. After a moment, he retracted his gaze. It didnt matter too much what the other party truly wanted because it was up to Aurora what she wanted to do and how she wanted to deal with him. Besides, he himself was also only Auroras knight. Their task is to protect Aurora. For other matters... William didnt have to think too much. ... The night passed by quietly. For the next few days, the journey continued and Aurora finally returned to the Yellow Kingdoms Capital City. The lack of knights didnt hinder their speed that much and even if it was a bit late, Duke White usually didnt care. Of course, its usually. Aurora looked at the familiar mansion in front of her. In the past, she would want to go back quickly and finished her report so that she could rest. Her parents no longer managed her schedule that much and would let her do whatever she wanted. The academic semester was about to be over so Adela would return soon. But for now, only Duke White and Duchess Isabella were here. "Miss," Les called out. Aurora nodded at Les and then said, "You dont have to follow me this time. Mr. Wren, send the documents to the Royal Palace on your own." "Yes, Miss." Mr. Wren looked at the box and then at the White Familys Residence. He had the feeling that the moment Aurora returned, there would be a drama and problem, but he couldnt be here to stay with her, this made him feel rather troubled. However, he knew that he might not be able to help Aurora in the slightest bit. Rather than staying here to make trouble, it would be better for him to go and do what Aurora asked him to do. After Mr. Wren left, Aurora walked inside. The servants were all still working in orderly manner and there didnt seem to be any sign of disturbance. They shouldnt have known anything about what happened after Aurora returned from her negotiation. Besides, even if her father were to know what happened, he would want to cover it up. Because it was not suitable for this matter to spread. The butler saw Aurora and bowed. "Miss, Master has been waiting for you in the study room." "I know." Aurora nodded and made her way to her fathers study room. Most of the time, Duke White would spend his time in his study room or go out and traveled to who knows where. While he did have some official duties, many of his work were already handled by Mr. Wren. With Mr. Wren staying in the Yellow Kingdoms Capital City, he had become a proper worker used by Duke White. If someone else could finish their work, why should they work hard. It was also because of this mentality that Duke White spent his time outside the mansion to do various things. For example, visiting other nobles to play and relax. He could also attend the parties with Duchess Isabella. Anyway, maintaining his prestige by attending these parties were still very important. Knock! Knock! "Master, Miss is here." "Enter." The door was opened by the butler and Aurora walked inside in an unhurried steps. She saw Duke White was staying behind the desk with a pile of papers on one side. It was easy to infer that these should be the work of the White Dukedom and other matters that Duke White had to solve by himself. When Mr. Wren was following Aurora, Duke White essentially lost a good helper that could help him reduce his work. He could only do the work by himself. The progress was relatively slow and now, Duke White was still far from over. He raised his head and looked at his first daughter and raised his head to let the butler closed the door. What he talked about next shouldnt be heard by other people in the mansion. The butler understood the Masters message and closed the door tactfully. Aurora saw their exchange, but she said nothing. She remained still in front of Duke White and curtsied in accordance to etiquette. "Father, I have returned." "The things that happened in the forest," Duke White said slowly. "Dont let anyone know. I have already suppressed the matter too." Aurora looked at her father and then spoke out, "Father, how did you know that something happened in the forest?" "The second butler, Butler Nolan reported to me," Duke White replied. "What did he say?" Duke White heard Auroras words and frowned. "Do you want to deny what happened in the forest?" Aurora was still calm and replied, "Its not like I want to deny what I dont know, but from what I know, when the carriage is attacked, all bandits and knights died except for me, Mr. Wren, my knight William, my maid Les, and the new guard I brought from the Red Kingdom, Lester. How did Butler Nolan knew what happened in the forest when theres no one who report to him?" "Bandits?" Duke White was stunned and then realized that someone was playing tricks on him. When the second butler, Butler Nolan came to him, he looked panicked. There was already the main butler and Butler Nolans work was not heavy and usually served Duchess Isabella. He was usually only working when the main butler was on a break or there was other incidents. So Duke White was impatient. But the news that came out of Butler Nolans mouth made Duke Whites blood pressure rise so high. He didnt expect that his daughter would have such a thing happened to her. If it was spread out, there was no doubt that there would be a lot of people who wanted to climb up by stepping on her. Not to mention, there was still that engagement with Crown Prince Edward. Duke White panicked. He gave the order to shut everyone who heard this matter. But now... It seemed to be suspicious. Chapter 104: Confrontation (2) Chapter 104: Confrontation (2) Aurora looked at her father in front of her without any traces of fear or worry in her eyes in the slightest bit. In the end, Duke White asked, "What happened?" "Some people want to deal with me," Aurora replied. "Unfortunately, the bandits are too weak to do anything and eventually got killed. The knights are sacrificed to protect me, but many of the knights who come to follow me are only at the rank of newly promoted knights. Father, Im sure you understood what this means, right?" Facing the cold look from Aurora, Duke White shudder. He felt chills from deep within his heart and for a moment, he felt as if he was facing his father. When he was young, he was often taught by his father about various things. Moreover, his father was also someone who was very powerful and had a lot of power. When he was angered, his gaze would be terrifyingly cold. At this time, Duke White felt he was seeing his fathers shadow in Aurora. He took a deep breath and said, "I know, Ill deal with this matter." "Father, pardon me for speaking out of turns. But of as of now, these people have been executed," Aurora said calmly. "What did you say?" Duke White stand up. Knock! Knock! "Master, the guard who come with Miss killed Butler Nolan and a few servants." Duke Whites heart turned cold. Aurora was looking at her father with the same indifferent expression on her face. She knew that Butler Nolans family was also a small noble just like Mr. Wren. It would not be easy to appease the family behind him if he were to be killed right away. Duke White would want to appease Aurora and then dealt with him in accordance. Afterwards, it was not impossible to suppress him. But... How could Aurora be satisfied with that kind of treatment? Her hands have been stained with blood and Aurora knew very well that sometimes, she had to use harsh and ruthless methods. Or else, people would think that she, Aurora, is so easy to bully. As for her action making people angry, Aurora didnt care. If the small family behind the Nolan Family wanted to protest and come to her, then Aurora would teach them a profound lesson as to why they could only become a small noble while the White Family has reached the highest nobility. "Youre really reckless, Aurora!" Duke White said. He could tell that in the next few days, he had to settle the family behind Butler Nolan. And at that time, it was unknown how much money he had to loss. "Butler Nolan tried to spread false rumors about a dukes daughter, does this mistake didnt deserve death?" Aurora asked back. Duke White wanted to say that it was not, but all he saw was the cold and indifferent gaze from Aurora. This gaze contained contempt that was hidden beneath as if she was only looking at an insignificant person. The oppression he experienced when he was with his father back then reappeared in Duke Whites mind. As much as he respected his father, Duke White feared his father more. There were also humiliation and resentment because he knew that he could never be compared to his father. No matter what he did, it was never good enough. And Auroras gaze, despite the difference in the pupils colors, were very similar to the gaze of his father, making Duke White fell to that terrible memory once more. The days when he couldnt do anything but watch as his father denied all of his hard work. "Enough!" Duke White yelled. "Do you think youre someone, Aurora? Youll be grounded and that guard of yours will also be grounded!" Even if he was angry, Duke White knew that he couldnt move even a finger of Aurora. Her status was no longer only the dukes daughter. If she was injured, then it would be hard for him to explain to the Royal Family. Besides, this matter was really embarrassing. Duke White was prepared to suppress the matter to death and even made a lot of preparation. These days, Butler Nolan did make some trouble along with his servants, but none of them made any obvious move. So Duke White couldnt really do anything. But his daughter was much more decisive and ruthless than him. One move, these people were killed directly. They didnt even have the chance to plead or explain as Aurora was not present in that place and directly gave order to Prince Lester. "You better not move my people, Father. The funds from the Royal Family hadnt arrived yet and do you think I will hand it over to you if you do something?" Aurora asked, her tone was calm yet there was a faint domineering and threat within. Duke White looked at his daughter, feeling that he didnt know her anymore. "You..." "Ill go to the room on my own," Aurora replied. She turned around and looked at her father. "Youre the one who handed me this authority, Father." Youre the one who handed me this authority... Duke White watched as Aurora left and the last sentence floated in his mind, making Duke White troubled. He took a deep breath. The education for Aurora was the same as the education he experienced ever since he was young. The difference was that Aurora could keep up with these while Duke White failed miserably in his youth to the point he was ruthlessly denied by his own father. And Auroras words echoed in his mind. She was correct. It was indeed Duke White who handed over the power to Aurora because he wanted her to grow up quickly. He never liked any of these works. While she was just like his father, very powerful and learn everything quickly. It was just... Duke White never thought that Aurora would show her sharpness to her family like this. He took a deep breath. No matter what, he still had to deal with this problem. Chapter 105: I Know, Mother Chapter 105: I Know, Mother Aurora walked out of the room with the same calm and indifferent expression on her face. She could see that her father was surprised. But Aurora didnt want to be used by her father as a pawn. In the next few years, she had to grow up quickly and grew the real power within her hands, the power outside of the Duke White Family. Aurora looked at her hands. "Aurora." Hearing this voice, Aurora raised her head and saw Duchess Isabella walking in her direction. She was still dressed in beautiful dress and wearing various expensive decorations. It was easy to see that Duchess Isabella had only come back from a party. Ever since Duchess Isabella handed over the negotiation to Aurora, she also handed over various other matters to her. In this way, Duchess Isabella had so much free time in her hand that she could do whatever she wanted. This kind of life was really good for Duchess Isabella. She was also trained hard when she was young, but her talent was not very good. It was already pretty good for her to be able to be like this. Compared to her daughter who had surpassed herself at the age of 10, Duchess Isabella was indeed not good. She also didnt feel much achievement of teaching Aurora. Aurora was too good. Even without Duchess Isabellas teaching, the girl would grow. So she was thrown to the other teachers who came to teach her. On the other hand, Duchess Isabella spent more of her time with her second daughter, Adela. Adela has weaker body and her comprehension was also not as strong as Aurora. It felt more accomplished when teaching such a daughter. And when Duchess Isabella was happily living her life, Butler Nolan came to her husband and talked about an outrageous thing. This made Duchess Isabella felt that her safe and unbothered life would come into an end. She didnt want it. Not having to work hard at all and still enjoyed various richness, this was the kind of enviable life that Duchess Isabella wanted to keep the most. Now that someone was about to destroy it, she has to do something. First of all, Duchess Isabella talked with Duke White. And now that Aurora had returned, Duchess Isabella wanted to talk with Aurora. "Yes, Mother?" Aurora replied, her attitude remained calm and respectful. With her etiquette done to the high standard, no one could say that she did something wrong. Duchess Isabella didnt pay attention to this. She had long known that her daughter was indeed very capable in learning the etiquette and almost no one could tell if there was something wrong with her movements. Besides, what Duchess Isabella wanted to do right now was to talk with Aurora. "I hope you dont make any trouble again. Youre the crown princess and any scandal will not be allowed," Duchess Isabella said in harsh tone. Hearing her mothers words, Aurora knew that they all listened to that Butler Nolans words and her expression turned strange. She looked at her mother and said, "I did nothing wrong, Mother." "Do you think that I dont know..." "Mother, you can ask Father about this incident. Hell explain to you," Aurora replied. "Besides, do you want to accuse me out of nowhere without the slightest bit of evidences?" Aside from the bodies of the knights that were buried under Mr. Wrens arrangement and the fact that there was a battle, there was no evidence that something happened to Aurora. It could be said that Butler Nolans words were all only rumors. Even he himself was beheaded and killed because of this rumor. Aurora had already warned her father, so she knew that he would not make a move against her subordinates. But the explanation would be necessary. Of course, Aurora was not worried about this. She had already given instruction to her people. Even if there was nothing, couldnt the dirty water be thrown? That Butler Nolan dared to throw dirty water to her, how could she not dare to do the same to him? Would they believe the words of a dukes daughter more than a mere son of a small noble? Dont joke around. Those of higher ranked would be more respected and listened. "Thats..." Duchess Isabella frowned, feeling that something was wrong. She looked at her daughter but found Aurora was staring back in her direction with the same indifferent eyes. There was not the slightest bit of respect within her eyes. But her body didnt show any disrespect in the slightest bit. "Youre the crown princess! You cant let any strange rumors spread out about you!" Duchess Isabella said again righteously. Even if she felt some palpitations and chills in her heart when she saw Auroras gaze, she would not back down so easily. Aurora looked at her mother in front of her. She could tell that her own mother was actually afraid of her but still showed a brave front. Closing her eyes for a moment, Aurora took a deep breath. When she opened it again, her eyes had regained its tranquility and calm. It was not as indifferent as before, but there was still no trace of affection or respect. "Mother, Im not only the crown princess but also your daughter," Aurora said slowly. There was a hint of pleading within that even she herself might not notice. "Do you not believe my words?" Duchess Isabella looked at Aurora, who looked the same as usual and seemed to see weakness in Aurora. She frowned and said, "Youre the crown princess first and foremost. This is your identity, Aurora!" She didnt answer Auroras question and only repeated this statement. Because for Duchess Isabelle, Aurora having this identity was the most convenient for her and also the White Family. As for believing? She didnt care too much about this daughter of hers. Aurora saw Duchess Isabellas cold expression and firm words. She smiled faintly to Duchess Isabella, a smile that looked so beautiful yet heartbreaking at the same time. "I know, Mother." Chapter 106: Mockery Chapter 106: Mockery Duchess Isabella frowned. For some reasons, she felt that Auroras expression was a bit off. "You..." "Father grounded me, Mother. Ill stay in the punishment room," Aurora cut off Duchess Isabellas words and curtsied. "I apologize for not being able to accompany you any longer, Mother." Duchess Isabella frowned. At this moment, she felt as if she had lost something. Something that was intangible but indeed exist. She felt that it was absurd. Tossing the thoughts away from her head, Duchess Isabella turned around and left the corridors. Adela will come back from the academy soon enough and Duchess Isabella wanted to prepare something for this daughter of hers. ... Outside Thud! Prince Lester held the bloodied sword in his hand and looked at the fallen man in front of him without any expression on his face. "Kyaaa..." The maids around tried their best to keep their distance from Prince Lester, afraid that he would swing his sword towards them. They looked at the fallen Butler Nolan on the ground and his people, feeling that this young man was crazy. Did he not know that Butler Nolan had an important position in this mansion? Drap! Drap! Drap! Duke White came here with his butler and looked at Prince Lester, who was holding the sword in his hand. He felt immense headache when he saw the bloodied scene in front of him. Thankfully, even if he lived in the relatively peaceful time with no wars, Duke White had seen deaths several times in his life. It couldnt be said that he wanted to see them voluntary, but it was better than nothing. Because if he were to see this scene for the first time in his life, Duke White might not be able to stand the stimulation. "Outrageous! Do you know what youre doing?" The butler yelled at Prince Lester. Prince Lester passed a glance at the butler and then at Duke White who stood beside the butler. The corner of his lips curled up in mocking smile when he saw Duke Whites pale face and trembling hands. The young girl was able to stand firm without any fear even when her life was in danger. But Duke White and these people here only saw a little blood and they already looked like they were about to faint. Trashes. They were truly not comparable to Aurora in the slightest bit. It was quite a miracle that such a father was able to produce such an excellent child like Aurora. "Take him down and put him in the confinement," Duke White said, his hands were trembling slightly, but he still showed a brave front. It was just that the scene in front of him was really gory. The way these people died... he had the feeling that Prince Lester purposely targeted their stomach and emptied out their stomach content while he killed them. Only in this way could it be possible for the scene in front of him to appear. "Confinement?" The butler was stunned. With what Prince Lester did, wasnt it enough to hack him to death? After all, he dared to commit murder in a dukes mansion. Duke Whites face was black. He also wanted to execute Prince Lester directly, but his daughters words were still in his mind. At this point of time, he really didnt want to have a fallout with his daughter because it would only make the situation even more difficult. Aurora was already in her rebellious period. And the problem was, even in this rebellious period, Aurora was still very capable and it just made people have headache when facing her. Duke White still needed Aurora. She was far better than any of his vassals and subordinates. As for this Butler Nolan... "Butler Nolan committed crimes and deserved death," Duke White said slowly. "But you still shouldnt make a move on your own even if its under her order." Prince Lester didnt answer and only looked at Duke White with the same indifferent look. There was even traces of mockery within that he didnt bother to hide. His sharp gaze only made Duke White narrowed his eyes. He felt that this young man looked somewhat familiar, but he couldnt really think where he had seen him before. Besides, with his young age, it was unlikely for Duke White to meet him in the past. So it could only the young mans father or even grandfather. But Duke White was not sure. Besides.. Seeing Prince Lesters gaze that was even more infuriating than his daughter, Duke White was really tempted to raise his hand and ordered execution. But in the end, he didnt do that and only waved his hand. "Y... Yes." The butler came forward to Prince Lester, wanting to lead Prince Lester away. Prince Lester passed a cold glance to the butler and wiped his sword before sheathing it back. The sword was not that good since it was just the temporary sword prepared for him. But it was much better than the sword that one could buy on the street. Prince Lester nodded at the butler and followed him away. Duke White stood still there, feeling really insulted. In his entire life, he had only experienced such insult when he was young, especially from his own father. But after he grew up, no one dared to do such a thing anymore. It was even more so when he became the familys head. Who would dare to oppose a duke? Unless they wanted a guaranteed ticket to death, no one dared to blatantly show their hatred to Duke White. All they wanted was to live well and try not to get involved with the duke. But just today alone, Duke White had to face two annoying people who dared to show their indifference to him. The problem is, can he do anything to them? Yes, he can. But the consequences was not something that he might be able to bear. Duke White took a deep breath, feeling that this daughter of his was getting more and more dangerous. Chapter 107: It’s Better Chapter 107: Its Better While Prince Lester killed Butler Nolan, William was heading to the knights area and did his own small investigation. Well, it was not really on his own because he came here under Auroras order. The few rooms where Butler Nolan and his people stayed were searched by him. Everything that could possibly put Butler Nolan in more difficult situation were bought out. Looking at these things, William sighed deeply. He seemed to understand that there were many people who wanted Aurora to die. They even dared to bribe someone who was so close to her. It hasnt been easy for her. William took a deep breath and picked these things before making his way to see Duke White. These were all the evidences that Duke White would need to deal with the family behind Butler Nolan. ... Mr. Wren came to the Royal Palace and delivered the documents there. He could see that the look of the prime minister was not right, but he said nothing. What happened in the White Family Residence would be made known to the Royal Family later on. It would be clear that someone was trying to smear Auroras name. It was just... This incident might make things more difficult for Aurora. Thinking about this, Mr. Wren just sighed deeply. He knew that there were not many people who appreciated Aurora and Mr. Wren himself couldnt really do anything about it. Speaking to them? Whether they were willing to listen or not was already a question worth pondering. As Mr. Wren came to White Family Residence, he could sense that the atmosphere was not quite right. There seemed to be depression and fear permeating from the servants and maids around. Before long, Mr. Wren found William who had returned from Duke Whites study room. "William, what happened?" Mr. Wren asked uneasily. Since he wasnt really Auroras subordinate, she didnt tell him about his plan. She only asked him to deliver the documents to the Royal Palace. "Butler Nolan died," William replied. "Hes one of the few people who participated in this event." Mr. Wren was stunned. He naturally knew Butler Nolan since both of them served the White Family. However, he didnt know much about the other party aside from the fact that his position was actually quite important for the White Family as a whole. After all, for one to reach the title of a butler, it would be impossible if they didnt have any capability. But now... He actually dared to collide with the outsiders to deal with Aurora? Mr. Wren felt conflicted and sighed deeply. There were many ungrateful people in this world and this Butler Nolan would not be the only one. There might be others who would be willing to do what others asked them to do as long as they were paid enough. He felt a bit sad when he thought about this. "Father, you might want to wait a bit before reporting to Duke White," William reminded. When he entered the study room not long ago, Duke Whites expression was dark and somewhat pale. And after he told Duke White that these were all the things found in Butler Nolans room, Duke Whites face was even darker. While Duke White had expected that Aurora was telling the truth and that Butler Nolan collaborated with outsiders... The evidences placed in front of him made him realize how bad he is when he picked people. The main butler has served since his fathers era while this Butler Nolan was a person he picked by himself. This made Duke White seriously questioned his ability to see through people around him. But no matter what he thought, he couldnt change what had happened. He could only clean up the annoying mess. Thinking about meeting the royal family, Duke White already felt headache. Thankfully, the matter of Butler Nolans family could be settled quickly with the evidences procured by William. Or could it be said his daughter. She seemed to have long guessed what he wanted to do and what he needed, preparing everything with the most efficient time possible. Aurora is really smart. But would people be able to be outsmarted by such a girl? Even Duke White felt really conflicted in his heart and didnt really want to see Aurora again. ... Auroras side At this time, Aurora was staying in the confinement room. The so called confinement room was actually a relatively small bedroom with a table and chair inside. There was nothing much to do here aside from sleeping. After all, it was named confinement room not without reasons. When Aurora was young, the butler had told her that this was also the punishment room for those who failed in the study and so on. Even her father was not spared and often spend his time here when he was young. The maids would regularly clean this room, so it was not dirty. It was just a bit dark since there was no window and lighting from outside. Only the dim lantern could provide her with some light to see. Aurora herself used to come here when she first started studying. Her mothers expectation was really high. If she failed to reach that expectation, she had to stay in this confinement room with the books that she had to memorize. The next day, her mother will come to her to test her again. It was a miserable days. In the past, Aurora really hated this room because she didnt want to be punished. But now... Aurora didnt feel anything much when she came to this room again. Yes, it was a bit dark. It was indeed not as good as her own room. But it was clean and safe. At least, there was no one who would kill her at any moment. Compared to the short time when she was kidnapped some days ago, Aurora felt that this room was countless times better. Besides, she could also use this time to do some reflection. Chapter 108: Adela is Back Chapter 108: Adela is Back On her way here, it was not like Aurora hadnt done any reflection. She was already thinking hard about the people who wanted to bring her down in this incident but there were too many people who could make a good use of this incident later. Its really tiring. Aurora took a deep breath and looked at the ceiling above her. For her next plan, she would have no other choice but to hasten everything. Because she knew very well that if she was caught off guard, they would be able to bring her down. At that time, it would truly be desperate. But... Aurora curled up the corner of her lips. Even if she would be fated to fall in the end, she would not let it happen so easily. They have to fight her until the very end and she would make sure they bleed profusely for putting her in this position. With that in thought, Aurora slowly closed her eyes. This confinement room is good enough for her to rest. Tomorrow, there were still many things for her to do. ... The confinement itself didnt actually last for a long time. Duke White also knew that there were many things that Aurora had to do. Asking him to be the one to manage them? He would raise his hand in refusal. So no matter how annoyed he was, Aurora didnt stay long there and had to face the Royal Family who inquired about her work. The documents were indeed there, but the management and so on still had to be discussed with Aurora and the nobles in question. In this way, Aurora was back to work. Adela went back from the academy as the semester was over. "Mother," Adela greeted with a smile when she saw her mother again. Duchess Isabella was really kind to her and Adela really liked this mother. Duchess Isabella also smiled when she saw Adela. "Hows your study, Adela?" "Ive improved," Adela replied proudly. She knew that it was not that easy for her to actually improve with her aptitude. It was really hard for her to study in the past. This made her unable to do much when she was criticized. Coupled with the comparison with Aurora, Adela felt really suffocated. But now, Adela could proudly raise her head. She knew very well that her result was not the best yet, but it was not that bad either. "Oh right, Mother, Crown Prince Edwards result has started to be posted. Hes in the middle," Adela said. In the past, Crown Prince Edwards result has never been posted because his result was really bad. The academy didnt really want to offend the Royal Family by showing how bad their crown prince was. But as Crown Prince Edward started to make improvement, his result was not that bad. The teachers discussed and agreed to give some leniency when grading his scores, allowing him to appear in slightly higher score. This alone would make the Royal Family relieved. At the very least, they knew that their son was not that bad. After all, the practice of the academy not showing the score of some students were something that has been agreed tacitly. No one actually discussed it on the surface, but they all knew about this matter deep down in their heart. With Crown Prince Edward starting to show his result, it meant that he was already better than many of the other students. "Come inside to eat first," Duke White said as he looked at the pair of mother and daughter in front of him. With Aurora at the front as the successor, Duke White didnt actually care that much about what Adela was doing. As long as Duchess Isabella was not stupid, she would teach her the proper etiquette and so on. The result was pretty good. But hearing Adelas proud tone, Duke Whites eyes flickered. He had heard the report that Adela often stayed in the Student Council Room where Crown Prince Edward and the others were located. Even if it was not every single day, but he kept hearing that report. Could it be... As Duke White was thinking, Aurora was watching from the side with a faint smile on the corner of her lips. "Father, Im going to White Dukedoms territory," Aurora said. "There are some negotiation to be done." "You have to go?" Duke White frowned. The last incident had already made Duke White felt really annoyed. The engagement with the Royal Family was still kept after they knew that it was actually nothing more than a rumor spread by someone with unkind intention. However, it was easy to see that the Royal Family was a bit dissatisfied with how he was doing things. For this, Duke White felt rather helpless. He couldnt really do anything and he felt that it was not really his fault. He still make sure the security of the White Familys Mansion was strengthened, though. For those people to bribe people close to him... Duke White had to admit that he was terrified. If it was not aimed at his daughter but to him, then Duke White couldnt guarantee that he would be able to respond as flawlessly as Aurora nor be as decisive as her. For his own safety, he strengthened the mansions security. "Its in our territory," Aurora replied calmly. "I can bring more knights if youre willing to give them." More knights? Duke White nodded. "You can." He had made the plan to recruit more knights. Anyway, after the deaths of many knights, he was indeed lacking in the number of knights. Every noble had a limited number of knight they could recruit. Coincidentally, Duke Whites knights were far from the limit. He could recruit more and also cultivated his people in the meantime. "Sister is going again?" Adela asked in surprise. She did know that Aurora was going during every holiday and this time happened earlier because it was an exception. But shouldnt it take more time before Aurora go again? Chapter 109: Hidden Arrangement Chapter 109: Hidden Arrangement For some reasons, Adela felt that something was strange. It was just she couldnt pinpoint what it was. Besides, with her action not really in alignment with the real Adela, Adela had long known that there would be many things that she changed. For example, her interaction with the others and the skewed event not long ago. It should have happened many years later but it happened far earlier. So Aurora going out might have something to do with the few things that she changed? "I have work to do," Aurora replied, a gentle smile on her face. It was just that this smile didnt reach her eyes at all. Unfortunately, Adela was not sharp enough to see that Auroras smile was more of a polite smile rather than the same genuine smile that Aurora used to show to her sister. "Oh." Adela nodded dumbly. She knew that Aurora was usually very busy, but she didnt think that she would be so busy to this extent. Duchess Isabella looked at Aurora and frowned. "You can go and finish your work." Sensing her unkind tone, Aurora was not offended in the slightest bit. After that short conversation with Duchess Isabella, Aurora had understood how her mother saw her. She also had no intention to spend more time with her mother. "Ill be going now, Father, Mother." It didnt take long for Aurora to bid her farewell. Adela looked at Auroras departing back, feeling a bit uneasy. But thinking about the pressure she felt whenever she was being compared to Aurora, this seemed to be a much better choice... At least, she didnt have to face Aurora in the slightest bit. She could simply stay with her mother and relax during this holiday. With that in mind, Adela turned around and smiled brightly at her mother. "Mom, I want to..." ... Aurora headed to where Prince Lester and William were waiting. When she was confined, Prince Lester was also confined. It was just that the place where they were confined were different due to the difference in their status. "Have you packed up?" Aurora asked. William nodded. "Yes, Miss." "Yes, Miss," Prince Lester also replied. Aurora nodded. "Good, were going to White Family Territory." White Family territory... When William heard this, he heaved a sigh of relief imperceptibly. At the very least, Aurora was not going across the border again. Because if she did that, then there would be a high chance that someone might want to attack her. William was a bit worried. Prince Lesters eyes flickered when he heard Auroras words. This would be the first time he came to White Familys territory. "Mr. Wren will come with us too," Aurora said. "Yes, Miss." Aurora didnt lie when she said that there was a negotiation to be done, but this negotiation didnt have to be done by herself. Mr. Wren was already more than enough to do this. She had other things to do. ... While Aurora left Yellow Kingdoms Capital City, the Royal Family was discussing something in the Royal Palace. They heard some people say some things that were not very favorable about Aurora. And just as Queen Ella was happy because of Crown Prince Edwards performance, she heard such a disappointing piece of news. She tried to inquire to Duke White, but he himself didnt know any better. This made her very dissatisfied. Not only her, Yellow Kingdoms King was also very dissatisfied. From the very beginning, the Yellow Kingdoms King knew that Duke White was not very good. It was something that the previous duke had said bluntly to him. His son was not very suitable to be his successor. But he didnt have any other son. And the nobility had to be passed down from lineage. So Duke White became the next successor and also the Duke White. It was just that not many people were satisfied with Duke Whites performance. They just didnt dare to say it. After all, Duke Whites status was still the highest under the Royal Family. If they were caught discussing him, it was unknown how many times they have to die because of this crime and how much their family would be involved. None of them wanted this to happen in the slightest bit. But Duke Whites performance this time was indeed very disappointing. "Hes really slow," Queen Ella said unhurriedly. The Yellow Kingdoms King also nodded. About what happened to Aurora, she reported that there were some bandits attacking but they were repelled by the knights. There were a few people who followed her but none of them managed to return but Aurora. And it was also reported about some things that was not very pleasant in the Duke White Family. Queen Ella had to say that Aurora was indeed very smart. If it was not because of her timely report, she would not even want to listen to Duke Whites words and also found out that there was such a farce there. Butler Nelsons family came to ask for explanation. But when the evidences were thrown to them that their son was cooperating with outsiders to bring down Duke White and his family, they had to tuck their tails behind their back and signed letters to not pursue this matter anymore. Duke White could also come hard about this matter and brought these people to the prison. But he was unwilling to make a big deal of this matter. Because it could affect Auroras image and this was something that Duke White clearly couldnt do. He cared for the position of the crown princess more than anyone else. "Do you have anything else to say about this matter?" The Yellow Kingdom King looked at Queen Ella. Queen Ella glanced at her husband and said, "I hope his children can spend more time in the academy instead of going back. I think that his education is not very good for them." And if they were to stay in the academy, Queen Ella could also arrange her son to stay there. Chapter 110: Hidden Arrangement (2) Chapter 110: Hidden Arrangement (2) "Stay more in the academy?" The Yellow Kingdoms King looked at his wife with arched eyebrows. He could guess what Queen Ella was planning to do. But... "Its not that easy for the two children to learn to be excellent. I think they would appreciate it if they can study more in the academy," Queen Ella replied calmly. The Yellow Kingdoms King glanced at his wife and was too lazy to speak. He knew that this was nothing more than Queen Ellas arraignment that was suitable for her. As for what the two children actually want? Queen Ella had never asked and only felt that her arrangement for them was simply the best. The Yellow Kingdoms King was already used to this. He didnt mind it either. Since it was simply the best arrangement in his eyes too. "Alright, Ill arrange for it," The Yellow Kingdoms King finally said. "Thank you, Your Majesty." Queen Ella smiled brightly. ... Unbeknownst to Aurora and Adela, their next few years in the academy had been arranged. Of course, even if Aurora knew about this, she would not mind in the slightest bit. Because in her opinion, it would be better to spend her time in the library in the academy rather than coming back to deal with her father and mother. Even if they have the confrontation yesterday, Aurora knew better than anyone that they would still keep up with the appearance on the surface. It was annoying. Upon reaching White Dukedoms territory, Aurora and Mr. Wren went their separate ways. Mr. Wren will do the negotiation while Aurora met with the few people she had arranged before to do business here. Slowly, Aurora reached a small merchant guild. The guild had started operating since two years ago and the profit was accumulating step by steps. Not only the gold coins but also the property was expanding at a rapid pace, making it hard for others to ignore its existence. However, the size of this guild could only be said to be a small one. Aurora walked inside and the receptionist smiled to greet her. "Hello, Miss, do you need any service?" "I would like to see your manager," Aurora replied and showed her familys emblem. As the dukes daughter and also someone who often went out, Aurora was allowed to hold her familys emblem. It was very useful as not many people dare to offend the dukes family. These guilds were all operating in the White Familys territory and Aurora would be allowed to come here and be treated as VIP even if it was only her first time because of her status alone. Being a noble did give a lot of convenience, but there were also many things that they have to do. It was a position of power. "Yes, Miss." The receptionist was naturally aware of the White Familys emblem. She quickly retreated and called the manager to come over. Before long, Karl came out and smiled when he saw Aurora. "Miss, please follow me." Aurora nodded. William and prince Lester was right behind Aurora, looking towards Karl. William had long known that Karl was the best among the few people whom Aurora funded some time ago. These people all received similar request and the difference was how they operated it in the end. But the result from these people were all very different. Aurora simply followed up with the investment and different tasks for each of them. Prince Lester was looking at Karl thoughtfully. He seemed to realize that Auroras identity made it difficult for her to do some things, so she asked someone else to do the work for her. It was more convenient this way. But the people whom Aurora asked had to be someone she could trust. Because if she didnt trust Karl, at least to a certain degree, she would not let him do such a big business. Soon, they reached the room inside and Aurora took out a book that she had prepared before. "For the next few years, follow the instruction from this book." Karl arched his eyebrows and looked at the book inside. As he opened the first page, his face changed. He looked at Aurora with astonishment. "Miss, are you sure that you want to do this?" "Yes," Aurora answered calmly. "But would the Royal Family... no, before them, how about the White Family?" Karl asked anxiously. If he were to do the things inside this book, then it was very likely he would offend a lot of influential people. And these people were also the people who should have been Auroras backing. Wasnt this the same as offending his owns boss? Karl couldnt afford to do that. Aurora knew his weakness very clearly and Karl was not going to put his own life on the line. "You dont have to care about them," Aurora said unhurriedly. "All you need to do is to earn as much money as possible and become the intermediary for many trades within the kingdom. Next year, the range will be expanded to other kingdoms." Karl was stunned. He understood each and every single one of Auroras words. But when each and every single one of them gathered together, Karl felt that he couldnt really understand Aurora. Because what she did was simply taking the meat from the mouth of many people. In the end, Karl sighed. "Do you not care that well offend so many people that we might not be able to exist in this kingdom?" "You dont have to worry about that," Aurora said. "Theyll be busy with other things and when they realize it, itll be too late." Originally, she didnt plan to do this. Because she knew that with the huge advantage she has of the knowledge of various territories and their needs, she could easily win over various deals that many other people couldnt. This was the advantage of information. But after nearly died and knew what her enemies wanted... Aurora would make the best preparation for her own end. Chapter 111: Return Chapter 111: Return Whether this would succeed or not was another question. But after the past two years observation of Karls ability, Aurora believed that he could do this. In fact, she had the feeling that offending people was Karls special ability. At the very least, he could piss people easily with his attitude if he was not paying attention. The only reason why Karl was respectful to Aurora was because she made him by showing her authority. If it was any other nobles who were not very powerful on their own or other traders who were not part of nobility, they wouldnt be able to make Karl back down. "I understand, Miss." Karl sighed and nodded. "Itll be interesting to deal with these people." Interesting? Aurora glanced at Karl and shook her head. She had no interest to question how Karl was going to do that. Whatever he did, whatever the methods, as long as the result was good, Aurora would not care. In any case, she had given him enough information to use. "Ill be waiting for your result." Aurora stood up. "Is there anything else you would like to see, Miss? I can show you the ledger for you to inspect," Karl asked, a bit confused. Aurora shook her head. "Ill leave the profit of the past year for you to use for the next period. Youll need the money more." She had no use of the money. It would be better to invest it in Karl and let him continue making more money for her. For the next period of time, she would stay in the academy and saw the response of some people. She had the feelings that this matter hadnt ended yet. After all, they failed to do anything to her aside from causing a baseless rumors. In terms of damage, it was extremely low. At least, for now. So they will probably use other means to deal with Aurora. "Yes, Miss," Karl replied. The profit this year was quite a lot and it was truly brave of Aurora to use these all to fund the next progress. But he also understood that Aurora would want result and if he were to follow what Aurora wrote in the book, it was estimated that he would be able to make a lot of money. When Karl thought about this, the corner of his lips curled up slightly. He liked money. If it was really possible, he really wanted to use this money to buy his own life and be allowed to do whatever he wanted to do. Because it was not easy for him to be able to have such a great degree of freedom. After a moment, he surpassed this thought. Because he knew very well how terrible Auroras information was. If she were to know that he wanted to operate on his own without her... it was estimated that his own ending wouldnt be good either. Not to mention, he didnt really want to leave this place. Lets just do the work well. Karl shook his head and then started to bury himself in the work. For the next period of time, he would be very busy. ... For the next period of time, Aurora paid a visit to various people she had arranged and sent some of them away from the city. If she truly wanted to make a large network, she couldnt possibly let them all stay in the same city. But it would be inconvenient for her to pay a visit to them so often. Not that Aurora minded , though. Once it was all done, Aurora called Mr. Wren back to Yellow Kingdoms Capital City and headed to the Capital City. Aurora wanted to go back to the academy directly. However, she was being called to the Royal Palace first and it was said that Queen Ella wanted to see her. "Her Highness wants to see me?" Aurora asked the guard who stopped her when she entered the Capital City. "Yes, Miss Adela is requested to enter the Royal Palace." The guard bowed down and didnt dare to look at Aurora directly. Aurora took a deep breath. To be honest, she thought that she could go to the academy directly and if there was anything that Queen Ella wanted to tell her, she could directly let Crown Prince Edward told her. There was no need to specifically call her to the Royal Palace like this. "I understand, Ill go." Aurora nodded and let the guard go. The problem was, there was no way for Aurora to reject the Royal Familys request without appropriate reasons. Should she feign sickness? It would not solve the problem in the slightest bit because Queen Ella could always let her rest and then see her when she had recovered. It was really troublesome because the society was built in this kind of rule. And if one didnt follow the rule and authority that has been established, their lives wouldt be easy. There would be many people forming opposition towards them. *sigh* Mr. Wren, who was in different carriage, also heard about the order for Aurora and felt a bit worried. He knew that Queen Ella definitely had some request or perhaps unkind intention when she asked Aurora to go there. "Miss..." Mr. Wren called when the carriage made a stop in the White Familys Residence. Aurora glanced and saw Mr. Wrens expression. "You have other things to do, Mr. Wren. I wont be seeing you off." Other things to do... Mr. Wren sighed deeply and bowed. He knew that Aurora was right. Even if he had followed Aurora in her journey several times, he was still someone under Duke White. The person whom he followed was Duke White and not Aurora, so he had to follow Duke Whites order more than anything else. William looked at his father and shook his head. Mr. Wren, who saw his sons gesture, could only nod his head and then turned around to leave. Chapter 112: Threats Chapter 112: Threats Aurora saw their little moves, but she said nothing. She would not stop the people under her from reminding others and interacting with other people. Besides, she didnt really want to bring Mr. Wren with her when she was facing Queen Ella. The carriage slowly made its way to the Royal Palace and the two knights were not allowed to follow her inside. "Miss," William called out when they were being stopped. "Wait for me here," Aurora said. "Ill be back soon." "Yes, Miss." Prince Lester looked at the guards around him and frowned slightly. He didnt have good impression of the Royal Family from other kingdoms, including the Yellow Kingdom. And looking at Aurora who went on her own, he pursed his lips. What was the point of having a knight when they couldnt even follow and protect their Miss or Master when they were in the most difficult position? The rules were annoying. Even if the rules were necessary to maintain order, but Prince Lester felt that it would have been better if the rules could be changed so that it would not continuously favor those who were at the top. But that was impossible. "Lets wait here." William turned to look at Prince Lester. Even if he didnt really trust this little prince, Aurora had given the order, so he will follow her words. Prince Lester nodded and stood beside William. ... At this time, Aurora was walking in the Royal Palace. She looked at the decoration that seemed to have become even grander and her eyes flickered. Queen Ellas family background was quite good. It seemed that due to her helping them earn money some time ago through the trade, Queen Ellas family had gained a lot of money and part of it was given to Queen Ella to fund her lavish lifestyle. But this was how a noble life is. Even if they knew that they could spend less if they bought something of lesser quality, none of them would be willing to do that. It was related to their faces. They had to wear the best one. Aurora moved her eyes away and stopped in front of the door. Knock! Knock! "Your Highness, Miss Aurora White is here." "Bring her in." The door opened and Aurora walked inside. At this time, Queen Ella was sitting leisurely on a sofa with snacks in front of her. Each and ever single one of these snacks looked very delicious and luxurious. It was the type of snacks that could only be found in the Royal Family. Aurora moved her eyes away and then greeted Queen Ella. "Aurora White has seen Her Highness, Queen Ella." "Aurora White," Queen Ella called out. "I heard that there wouldnt be any other negotiations in the future?" No negotiations? Aurora was surprised for a moment. "Your Highness, its not that there wouldnt be any other negotiation but that the next water negation will be many years later. If its other trades, it can still be done but might not be possible if it involve the Red Kingdom." "The Red Kingdom, huh?" Queen Ella shifted her position and took some snacks. She chuckled. "It seems that the Red Kingdom is in dire situation. Have you ever thought of helping the Red Kingdom, Aurora?" Helping the Red Kingdom? Auroras mother, Duchess Isabella, is the princess of the Red Kingdom. Even after she had married Duke White, it was impossible for her not to favor the Red Kingdom invisibly to a certain degree. It was only through the agreement between Queen Ella and Duchess Isabella that during negotiate, she could earn more percentage for herself that Duchess Isabella was willing to give more favorable term for the Yellow Kingdom. Even then, Queen Ella could see that it was not impossible for the Red Kingdoms King to give some private gifts to his sister. After all, if it could make the negotiation sided with them more, it would be better. When Aurora took charge back then, Queen Ella really thought that Duchess Isabella was helping Aurora from the back. After all, the first negotiation had Duchess Isabella accompanying Aurora. But later on, it was all Aurora by herself. This made Queen Ella a bit suspicious and she felt that it might be possible for Aurora to do this by herself. This kind of talent... It was a bit terrifying. When one was only a young teenager, would it be possible for them to do this kind of thing? Queen Ella looked at the girl in front of her that didnt seem to be that different from any other girl. She decided to explore more about Aurora and at the same time, she would make sure Aurora would only side with the Yellow Kingdom. Aurora knew what Queen Ella wanted to hear. She could only show a smile on her face and replied, "Your Highness, Im part of the Yellow Kingdom." As long as she is still part of the Yellow Kingdom, she would not do anything that harmed the general interest of the Yellow Kingdom. Of course, Aurora would not tell the details to Queen Ella. "I hope you can stay true to your words, Aurora White," Queen Ella said unhurriedly and then waved her hands. "I have some disobedient maids recently who have been making troubles, could you help me to take a look at them?" Aurora took a deep breathe. She knew that Queen Ella would not let her go so easily if she didnt follow what Queen Ella wanted, so Aurora could only nod. "Yes, Your Highness." Queen Ella smiled and glanced at the maid. "Let Aurora follow you for a while before letting her go. Im sure shell find the punishment to be interesting and it might give you ideas to deal with your own disobedient maids." Aurora still kept the same polite smile. "Thank you, Your Highness." With that, Aurora stood up and followed the maid. Queen Ella watched Auroras back and the smile on her face turned cold. Chapter 113: Show Weakness? Chapter 113: Show Weakness? Aurora followed the maids. She watched everything Queen Ella wanted her to watch. The gory scene in front of her didnt seem to be able to shake Aurora as she only saw everything with impassive expression. It seemed as if nothing could affect her in the slightest bit. Even if it looked somewhat terrifying to a certain degree, Aurora could remain calm. She knew that Queen Ella wanted to see her fear, but Aurora couldnt show it at all. This much... It was nothing compared to the scene when she saw the knights dying in her hands or those bandits whom she killed. ... After one round, Aurora was brought back to see Queen Ella. At this time, Queen Ella could clearly see that Aurora was still calm and composed. It seemed that whatever she had just seen would not affect her in the slightest bit. Seeing this, Queen Ellas eyes narrowed. Is she bluffing or she was truly not afraid of what she had seen before? If it was the former, then Aurora would be a person who was truly hard to deal with and Queen Ella didnt really like such a person. "Have you seen everything, Lady Aurora?" Queen Ella asked, her tone contained some suspicion. Aurora raised her head and her eyes looked straight to Queen Ella in front of her. She knew very well that Queen Ella was testing her. It was mostly because Queen Ella was worried that she couldnt control her. To be honest, the sight that she had seen was not exactly pleasant. Blood splattered and there were also some other marks that was hard to see. But Aurora felt nothing. She could still remember not long ago, she used her own hands to kill some people who wanted to take her life. At that time, Aurora was looking straight in their eyes. She could see that her action had caused them to lose their lives. Watching their lives slowly lost from their eyes... It was far more terrifying than seeing these maids who were disobedient to Queen Ella be punished. "Yes, Your Majesty," Aurora replied, her tone remained calm. "What do you think of my method, Lady Aurora?" Queen Ella asked with a bright smile on her face. Aurora was staring straight in Queen Ellas direction. There was no waves within her eyes as she replied, "Its not very good. They wouldnt be able to work well with their injuries." "Whether they could work or not is their business." Queen Ella snorted. "I only want the result." "I see." Aurora nodded. She knew that Queen Ella was warning her through these maids. But... Aurora really couldnt feel anything when she saw these. She knew very well that these maids who chose to serve to the Royal Family should know what they might face. If the person whom they served is cruel like Queen Ella, then they have to be prepared for the possibility of losing their lives at any moment. Of course, if they served a master who was kinder, then it was possible for their lives to be more comfortable. After all, these maids came from various places. Moreover, the maids in waiting for the Queen were all noble daughters from various families. They all chose to serve Queen Ella for the sake of their family behind them. If they really couldnt stand it, then they could go back to their homes. But it was estimated that their lives would be worse. There were many women who were treated as nothing more than political marriage tool by their parents. Aurora was also the same, so she understood somewhat. Perhaps, the difference was that Aurora was only asked to read and study. While these girls from lower nobility might even asked to work like real maid in their home. So becoming a maid in waiting or even lower ranked maid in the royal palace was already a good position for them. "I hope you can do your best in your study, Lady Aurora." Queen Ella narrowed her eyes. If Auroras result was bad, then Queen Ella could use that to threaten Aurora and scare her, making her think that it was not that easy to be the crown princess. But Auroras result was already at the very top in the Capital Academy. So talking about her intelligence and result would not work for Aurora. Queen Ella thought of another way and simply showed this matter to Aurora, but the response she got was really lacking. This made Queen Ella felt that Aurora was really troublesome to deal with. "Yes, Your Majesty," Aurora replied. She looked at Queen Ella and thought whether she should pretend to be weak instead. But... There was truly no place for her to be weak. Aurora knew very well that if she were to show any weakness, she would only be taken advantage of. Tears had never worked. Not for her. Perhaps, it worked for other people and other women who were weaker and was used to show their weakness. They could take advantage of others who took pity on compassion because of their appearance. But Aurora couldnt. She had so many people who wanted to see her fall that all she could do was to stand up and acted strong. Even if she was feeling unwell, feeling uncomfortable, feeling sad, or anything else, she still has to show the same calm appearance on the surface. Because only in this way... could she possibly survive in this world. Right now, Aurora knew that if she showed that she was weak in front of Queen Ella, Queen Ella would definitely use it to pressure her or to give her various orders. And Aurora couldnt guarantee that these things wouldnt cross her own bottom limit. Besides... Aurora hated it. She didnt want to be given orders by others for her entire life. What kind of life would she has if she has to follow other peoples words all the time? Shes not a doll. Chapter 114: New Term, New Students Chapter 114: New Term, New Students Queen Ella sipped the tea in front of her. Aurora had already left, but Queen Ella could still remember that girls gaze when she looked in her direction. That was the look of someone who has been in power. Tsk! "Who does she think she is?" Queen Ella grumbled. "Just because she has been appointed as the crown princess, does she really think that shes all that powerful?" Queen Ella felt that Aurora is really arrogant. And she really wanted to break that girls wings. That way, it would be easier for Queen Ella to control Aurora and let this daughter in law of hers listened to her. Hmph! ... William and Prince Lester saw Aurora coming out after a while. Her expression remained indifferent and the maids were also respectful. They didnt know what Aurora had seen or experienced, but they didnt ask. After all, it was not their business at all. All they had to do was to follow Aurora and made sure to continue helping her along the way. Aurora didnt return to the Capital Academy right away. She headed to White Family Residence and made her way to Duchess Isabella and Duke White. "Why are you here?" Duke White frowned when he saw Aurora coming back. It was already the new term for the academy and according to the normal time, Aurora should have been in the academy by now. He himself was not working today and planned to rest because Mr. Wren was back. He could replace him in doing his work and Duke White didnt have to work so hard anymore. "Father, Mother, I met with Her Highness not long ago," Aurora said unhurriedly. "I know," Duke White replied. Queen Ella had sent people to their residence, asking for Aurora. But since Aurora was not present at that time, they couldnt let their daughter met Queen Ella. It was only after Aurora returned could they send her to see Queen Ella. "There wouldnt be any other negotiation for the water in the near future," Aurora started slowly. "The other trades would have nothing to do with me." Because if it was other trades, these nobles could also do the negotiation on their own without the need for Auroras presence. Previously, it was handed over to Duchess Isabella because it could be settled quickly during the water negotiation along the way. When the role was replaced by Aurora, these also fell to Aurora. Duchess Isabellas face changed. "How can you not do the work? Its good to be able to help them." Is it good? It was more troublesome because Aurora would have to travel to various places to help these nobles. Without the water trade, Aurora would have no place where she could quickly finish these things while she had to go to the academy. "Mother, I have to go to the academy and will not have the time for this," Aurora replied. "You can take a break." Duchess Isabella snorted. The amount of money that Duke White and his wife received for each deal Aurora made was quite a lot. After all, if it was just a small trade, they would not do it with other kingdoms as it would be too much trouble. They could just trade with the other nobles in the same kingdom. "This year should be fine but you can take a break next year if the break time is not enough," Duke White said. They have already finished most of the trades and there was no need for Aurora to intervene anymore. But starting next year or the year afterwards, there would be other trades that they might be able to do. Aurora listened to her father and mothers words. "Ill talk with the Headmaster in the future about this." "Good." ... Capital Academy Aurora headed to the Capital Academy after her conversation with her parents. It was only then Aurora found a familiar emblem on a carriage. Hes early. Aurora looked at the carriage and then at the young man who was looking at the academy in front of him with interest. The architecture of the two kingdoms, Yellow Kingdom and the Red Kingdom was both similar and different. After all, the terrains were different and there were some adjustment made for the buildings to match the terrains and so on. Besides, there were also the culture and so on. Alright, that was not important. "Your Highness," Aurora called out. Prince Charles heard this and saw Aurora coming towards him. He grinned. "Cousin Aurora, you dont have to be so polite to me when Im here. Dont you usually call each other with names since youre classmates?" Aurora nodded. That was true since the academy wanted them to get along with each other well and thus they could call each other with the name directly. But for some people, the title was sometimes necessary. Crown Prince Edward was one of them. Even in the academy, he was still called as Crown Prince Edward or Your Highness. "Do you want me to call you as cousin, Cousin Charles?" Aurora asked. "That sounds better." Prince Charles nodded. He looked at the building in front of him and pointed at it. "Is this where Im going to stay for the next there years?" Aurora blinked her eyes. "Are you going to be in the same class as me?" "Yes." Prince Charles nodded. "My mother arranged for it to be that way. Besides, Im only a few months older than you." That was true. Aurora looked at Prince Charles and thought about Crown Prince Edward in her class. She had the faint feeling that meeting of the two princes who came from different kingdoms might not go well. Not to mention, the two of them have similar personality and also hated studies. It was estimated that not only the two of them would clash against each other, the teachers would also feel that it was really difficult for the two of them to get along well. Oh well... Aurora would not pay too much attention to it. It was not exactly her business. Instead, it would be good if these two people could spur each other to make progress. Chapter 115: Conflicts Chapter 115: Conflicts While Aurora herself didnt care too much, but there were two annoying people who were watching her in this matter. If she did nothing... they would call her to have a talk. It would be troublesome. "I see." Aurora nodded. Prince Charles smiled brightly. "Now, can you bring me around, Cousin Aurora?" Seeing the excited Prince Charles, Aurora could only nod. Even if she didnt understand why he was so excited about going to the academy, she would not stop him from that. In any case, this should be the first time he went to an academy, right? Eh, she was not sure how the situation in the Red Kingdom. After all, her focus was on the economic situation of the Red Kingdom and she would not pay attention to the education matter of the princes. "Did you not go to the academy in the Red Kingdom?" Aurora asked as she led Prince Charles inside. She motioned for Les to bring her belongings to her dormitory first and she would catch up later. "No." Prince Charles shook his head. He shrugged. "Its not interesting and theyll definitely pay more attention to me if I go there. I cant run away from classes!" In his own private study, Prince Charles barely listened to his teachers words. All he wanted was nothing more than to go out and play. Besides, even if he listened, he couldnt understand any of them. He didnt have any talent in his study. His father still gave him a lot of conveniences and Prince Charles was determined to make a good use of it. But for this matter of coming to the Yellow Kingdom, Prince Charles couldnt refuse. Both his mother and father wanted him to come here and didnt accept even a single world of refusal. It was clear that they were very firm about this. Prince Charles felt aggrieved and helpless, but he had to follow this arrangement. The only good thing was that his cousin was also here and he might be able to pull Aurora to skip class with him. Of course, if Aurora were to know what Prince Charles was thinking, she would tell him that it was absolutely impossible. She was allowed to skip class because the class was not very suitable for her, but Aurora would still attend. It was just that she usually brought other books that even the teachers might not understand. So the teachers in the academy would turn blind eyes if they were to see Aurora read a book. It was not like she was reading a story book. Instead, she was learning something that they themselves might not be able to understand. So the teachers would not ask for any beating by asking questions to Aurora since they might not be able to answer. "Do you want to escape from classes here?" Aurora asked. If Prince Charles were to escape from the classes, it was estimated that the teachers would have a headache. Crown Prince Edwards result was really bad and had only improved a bit in some of them. Even then, he didnt dare to run away from the classes due to his status and the fact that his family was watching his performances. If he dared to run away, it was estimated that his family would come to punish him personally. Crown Prince Edward didnt want that. So he was still a good student. On the other hand, there didnt seem to be anyone who could supervise Prince Charles here. Thinking about this, Aurora felt a faint headache. This job wouldnt fall to her, right? "Well, not right away." Prince Charles scratched the back of his head embarrassedly. He didnt want to give the impression of an extremely bad student to the teachers that he ran away right after they entered the academy. But after a while, he would definitely run away again. Prince Charles has never been a person who could stay in one place for a long period of time. Aurora: "..." She felt that her cousin was really helpless. Thinking about the situation of the crown prince section in the Red Kingdom, Aurora had the feeling that the Red Kingdoms King might be more inclined to pick Prince Brian more than Prince Charles. At the very least, Prince Brian still completed his study well. And from what Aurora had seen, Prince Brian was harder to deal with. On the other hand, Prince Charles was really simple. So simple that Aurora felt headache. The two people who held the title of princes truly didnt suit this title in the slightest bit. "Sister?" As Aurora was taking Prince Charles to walk around, Crown Prince Edward and the others were also walking around. Crown Prince Edward had just come back from his own private study where he had to face his mother and felt annoyed. He didnt like to study but his mother kept on pressuring him to study again and again. This made him annoyed. When they gave out the reasons that he was the crown prince, so he had to learn... Crown Prince Edward was speechless. In the end, he could only follow through with the arrangement while hoping that they could relax the requirement for him a bit more. He couldnt stand having to learn all the time. Now that it was time for the academy again, Crown Prince Edward felt better. At least, the teachers didnt dare to force him too much. He met with Louis, Leon, and the others. He planned to walk around the academy with them and Adela, asking what they have been doing in the holiday when he saw Aurora walking with another young man not far from them. Looking at her expression, she seemed to have a good relationship with that young man. This made Crown Prince Edward frown. He didnt like this scene. Beside Crown Prince Edward, Adela saw Crown Prince Edwards expression and followed his line of sight. When she saw Aurora and a young man she didnt know, she blinked her eyes. When did Aurora get close with another young man in the academy? Chapter 116: Conflicts (2) Chapter 116: Conflicts (2) Everyone who followed Crown Prince Edward knew that Aurora, as Crown Prince Edwards fiance?e, almost didnt have any interaction with other male students. If she was not in the library, she would be in her club room with the other ladies or staying with Crown Prince Edward to help with his studies. Her life could be said to be very boring and monotonous. But it was also because of this that they knew she didnt usually have any relationship with the other male students. Hmm? Aurora heard Adelas voice and turned around. Seeing Crown Prince Edward and the others along with Adela, she showed a polite smile on her face. "Your Highness, Louis, Leon, Adela, and Benny. Its a pleasure to see you again." They all nodded in response and quickly exchanged the pleasantries. Their education as noble made them have to respond. Your Highness? Besides Aurora, Prince Charles heard Auroras way of greeting and instantly guessed who the other party was. Even if he was usually lazy to study and have relatively poor result, but he was by no means stupid. He knew that there was only one prince from the Yellow Kingdom in the academy. Crown Prince Edward, Auroras fiance?. Looking at the blond haired boy, Prince Charles looked at him up and down before coming to the conclusion that he didnt look any different from other people. Aside from the iconic golden eyes, he looked rather ordinary. That was Prince Charles opinion about Crown Prince Edward. "This is?" Crown Prince Edward immediately looked at Prince Charles after they had finished with their greetings. "Your Highness, this is my cousin, Prince Charles, from the Red Kingdom. Hell attend the academy on the same class as us from now on," Aurora said slowly. Prince Charles from the Red Kingdom? Crown Prince Edward frowned when he heard this name. It was not like he was unfamiliar with this name, but it was because he knew that he felt displeased. Not long ago, his father told him that the Red Kingdom will have a battle with the Ice Kingdom. During this period of time, the Red Kingdom will send their prince to study in the Yellow Kingdom and he would be in the same class as Crown Prince Edward. Crown Prince Edward didnt pay much attention to this. It was just a new student. He was sure that the new student wouldnt really interact much with him. But now, he realized how wrong he is. He had completely forgotten that Duchess Isabella is the princess of the Red Kingdom, which mean that Aurora is technically also a princess from the Red Kingdom. It was precisely because of this lineage of hers that the Yellow Kingdoms King paid great importance to her and even arranged for her to become Crown Prince Edwards fiance?e. Prince Charles is Auroras cousin. The two of them were family members and it was only normal for them to interact with each other closely. But Crown Prince Edward felt somewhat annoyed. "Nice to meet you, Crown Prince Edward," Prince Charles greeted with bright smile on his face. "Nice to meet you too, Prince Charles." Crown Prince Edward looked at Prince Charles in front of him and then asked, "I hope we can get along well." "Yes." Prince Charles nodded. Even if he didnt think highly of this crown prince in front of him, Prince Charles would not forget the basic courtesy. "Aurora, shall we go back?" Crown Prince Edward turned his attention to Aurora. Aurora blinked her eyes. How come the conversation turned to her so suddenly? She glanced at Prince Charles beside her and then replied, "Your Highness, I promised Prince Charles to bring him to walk around the academy grounds." "Hes already a big man. Cant he walk around on his own?" Crown Prince Edward retorted. Aurora: "..." This was not the question whether they have already grown up or not but the question of familiarity. She knew very well that it would be impossible for Prince Charles to be familiar with the academys area on his very first day. Not to mention, Prince Charles memorization ability was actually very poor. When she first met him back then, he could even get lost in his own castle. It was a bit embarrassing. "Is there any urgent matter, Your Highness?" Aurora asked. "Do I need an urgent reason to call you?" Crown Prince Edward asked again. Aurora fell silent. Well, it seemed that there truly didnt need any urgent reason. If Crown Prince Edward wanted to, he could directly asked Aurora to follow him without the need to say anything much. Anyway, the two of them were engaged. No one would question it if they were to spend time together with each other. "You speak as if she has to follow your every word." Prince Charles frowned. "Why not?" Crown Prince Edward asked back. "Shes your fiance?e and not your servant," Prince Charles replied. "She can make her decision of what she wanted to do." Aurora passed a glance at Prince Charles. And who usually dragged her around just to escape class before? "Your Highness, Prince Charles still needs someone to bring him around the academy to familiarize himself," Aurora said tactfully. It would be better to talk about this matter rather than about the other thing. Besides, it was pointless to talk about letting her make her own decision when these two people were quite stubborn. Crown Prince Edward snorted and glanced at Louis. "Louis, help Prince Charles get familiar with the academys area." "Yes." Louis was ready to step forward to help Prince Charles. Prince Charles face darkened when he saw this. This Crown Prince Edward was really domineering and somewhat unreasonable, which made Prince Charles displeased. But at the same time, he also knew that he couldnt possibly make trouble here. This is the Yellow Kingdom and not the Red Kingdom. He had to follow their rules if he wanted to adapt well. Because he would still be in this kingdom for the next three years. It was just... Chapter 117: The Game Chapter 117: The Game "Theres no need. I can go by myself." Prince Charles snorted coldly and turned around. In the end, he felt that he still couldnt do that. He has always been a stubborn person and as the prince of the Red Kingdom, when did he suffer so much grievances? No one would dare to oppose him in normal times. But here, Crown Prince Edward has higher status than him. This was also his home ground and Prince Charles could only swallow this bitter loss. "Well..." Louis glanced at Crown Prince Edward. Crown Prince Edward frowned. "Forget him. Lets go inside, Aurora. I have some things to tell you from my mother." He could actually tell this to her tomorrow since it was far from urgent. But since they were already together, there was no problem telling her now. Aurora glanced at Crown Prince Edward and said, "Yes." She didnt care too much about this. The conflict between Crown Prince Edward and Prince Charles would be inevitable considering their personality and poor result. But it was only the initial meeting and the two of them already have a fallout. "I have to go now," Adela said. "My friends are looking for me." "Ok." Crown Prince Edward didnt have time to pay attention to Adela right now. His mind was filled with Prince Charles matter and about how annoyed he was with that prince. It seemed that the next three years wouldnt be a smooth ride. Leon heard Adelas words and watched Adelas trajectory before asking, "Which friend did she see?" Louis, who was right beside Leon, frowned. "Do I need to know?" From the beginning to the very end, Louis didnt really like having more interaction with women. After all, he felt that they were all too troublesome and annoying. There was no one who was good to interact with. Benny didnt even care and simply followed behind Crown Prince Edward. "Ill be back." Louis snorted and shook his head, not wanting to pay more attention to this. After glancing at Crown Prince Edward and knowing this would be a private conversation, he dragged Benny to avoid listening in. Those at high position had to know that there were things they were allowed to hear and things that they were not allowed to. Sometimes, knowing too much is also a disaster. ... Prince Charles didnt walk that far. He simply went to the relatively spacious area in the garden and kicked the rock in front of him, feeling annoyed. This was only the first meeting between him and Crown Prince Edward, but he could see that Crown Prince Edward was targeting him. And this targeting was also very obvious. Because of Aurora? But Aurora is his cousin. They were only family members. Prince Charles didnt understand. But in the Yellow Kingdom, marriage between cousins were actually possible.* In the Red Kingdom, this was not allowed because the relationship would be too close but in the Yellow Kingdom, there was no such restriction. *kick* Another rock was kicked by Prince Charles. Behind her, Adela was following Prince Charles with her eyes glowing slightly. She has been waiting for this day for a long time. There were a total of five men who could be caught in the game. The first and foremost was naturally Crown Prince Edward, the crown prince of the Yellow Kingdom. Hes handsome and had good personality. But when hes challenged, he could be domineering and possessive. The second one was Louis, the prime ministers son and also the smart person in the group. Hes Crown Prince Edwards friend and also a cold person who disliked others who were stupider than him. The game never detailed the reason why he stuck with Crown Prince Edward even if it was said that Crown Prince Edward was not a stellar student. But it could be seen that he should be Crown Prince Edwards support in the future. The third one was Leon, the Duke Suns second son. Hes a lazy person in anything but fighting and swordsmanship. But he was by no means stupid and often stayed in the Student Council Room with Crown Prince Edward. His contradictory personality made many people like him when the game was launched back then. The fourth one was Benny, the marquis son and also the future youngest knight in the Yellow Kingdoms history. He had a straightforward personality and also a brash person who would use his muscle more than his brain. He could be said to be the least favorite but for some reasons, some people still liked such a guy. Adela had to say that he was indeed her least favorite. Because he was simply too stupid. Even with her and Crown Prince Edwards result not really good, Benny could be said to be sitting at the last position. And that position was as stable as the dog. If Aurora was the forever first place, Louis was the forever second place, then Benny was the forever last place. The groups configuration was truly... interesting. And the last person of the five was Prince Charles from the Red Kingdom. Hes a playful prince and also very cheerful and rather naive. But it was his childish and simple personality that made many people like him. When Adela first entered the academy two years ago, she has been wondering why there was no shadow of Prince Charles in the slightest bit. She even thought that she made a mistake. But today, she realized that it was because the plot was too fast for her. Or well, she arrived too fast into the game that the characters had yet to be introduced. Prince Charles would only come to the Capital Academy in the Yellow Kingdom after three years had passed since Aurora entered the academy. This meant today. And the scene from before... it was precisely the scene from the opening background. The difference was... Adela was not supposed to be among the few people who followed Crown Prince Edward today. Chapter 118: Adela’s Act Chapter 118: Adelas Act *cough* The fact that Adela had changed so many things in the game was unavoidable. This was also something that Adela had realized it herself. She couldnt be the same as the real Adela. And her study... It was only at this time seeing Prince Charles did Adela realize that she had actually destroyed the main storyline by herself. Adela in the story is an excellent girl, comparable to Aurora. Her result is always excellent, staying at the forefront. In this way, even if she were to advance a grade, no one would have any opinions and felt that it was as it should be. But now... If Adela were to mention the matter of advancing a grade to her parents, it was estimated that her parents would never agree. After all, Adelas result was not very good and could barely pass. Moving up one grade and her result would be even worse. This made Adela troubled. Should she mention this or not? But if she didnt mention it, she would have no chance to stay in the same class as these people. It was just Aurora chose to forget about it. She decided to play out this event first. Tep. "Who is it?" Prince Charles heard the sound and turned his head. When he saw Adela, he recognized her as the girl who was staying with the few people around Crown Prince Edward not long ago. She is... Uh, he couldnt remember. Aurora did greet Crown Prince Edward and the others once, but Prince Charles memorization ability has never been good. It could be said that he couldnt really remember what she said before. Aside from the fact that Prince Charles had indeed seen Adela before because she was with Crown Prince Edward and the others, he didnt remember anything else. "Im Adela White, Prince Charles," Adela quickly introduced herself. As for why shes here? The excuse in the game couldnt be used because they have only seen each other not long ago. She couldnt say that she was relaxing in the garden, right? At this time, Adela felt that the difference between a game and the real life was really big. In the game, she only needed to follow the instruction for the events to happen but in the real life, it was really hard to make sure she was still following the same instruction. *sigh* "Adela White?" Prince Charles repeated. The surname felt familiar and it was then Prince Charles remembered that Auroras surname was also White. He knew that Aurora still has a sister, but this sister has never appeared. After all, Aurora came to the Red Kingdom because of the negotiation. With the Red Kingdom was about to be in the state of war against the Ice Kingdom, it was unlikely for the nobles of other kingdom to pay a visit to the Red Kingdom. They would rather stay away to avoid being hit by mistake. "Are you Cousin Auroras sister?" Prince Charles asked directly. Adela smiled and nodded. The appearance of Aurora and Adela could be said to be very different from one and another. Aurora had long wavy brown hair with purple eyes. Her appearance was really good and the purple eyes were the symbol of royalty of the Red Kingdom, which hadnt appeared in a long time. The last person who had the purple eyes were their grandfather. Even the current king of the Red Kingdom have purple bluish eyes, which was closer to blue than purple. His children, Prince Brian and Prince Charles, both have blue eyes similar to his. This made some people in the Red Kingdom felt regretful. But not everyone in the Royal Family would inherit the purple eyes. The only good thing was that as long as they were of the Royal Family, there was still a possibility of someone inheriting the purple eyes in the future. After all, this color is the symbol of the royalty in the Red Kingdom. Just like the golden pupil was the symbol of Royalty in the Yellow Kingdom. However, not many people thought too much about this matter. They felt that it was not important to know the reason for the pupil colors difference. Anyway, there was still a faint purplish color on both Prince Brian and Prince Charless eyes, which was already very good for many people. It was just that when they saw Aurora... They would realize that this girl inherited the purple pupil more than her cousins. It was regrettable, but nothing could be done. Anyway, Adela has blond hair and bright blue eyes, which was closer to her father than mother. Even though her mothers eyes were also blue, but the blue was darker. Her appearance was closer to the word cute rather than elegant like how Aurora usually carried herself. This might be related to their difference in personalities. The two sisters truly looked very different. In fact, in the White Family, Aurora was the only one who had brown hair as her father, mother, and even sister all had blond hair. However, there was indeed history of people born with brown hair in her mothers lineage, which could explain why Auroras hair was brown. "That means youre also my cousin." Prince Charles clapped his hand in understanding. He then looked at Adela with curiosity. "Do you have anything to say to me?" While the two of them were indeed cousins, Prince Charles was not close to Adela. This could be said to be their first meeting and naturally, Prince Charles didnt know what Adela wanted from him. If it was Aurora, Prince Charles could say a lot of things. Anyway, Aurora has always been a good listener and even if she might not like it herself, she would still listen to his words. "Im a bit curious about the Red Kingdom," Adela replied awkwardly. Since the event was no longer as how it was, she had to improvise. However, her brain couldnt work really well, so she could only skip a few sentences and came to this. Chapter 119: Adela’s Act (2) Chapter 119: Adelas Act (2) "Huh?" Prince Charles looked at Adela in confusion. "Well... there are many things in the Red Kingdom. Did you also learn these from the classes?" "Yes." Adela nodded. Well, she did learn some bits and pieces but if Adela was asked to mention all of them, then she would have to apologize and run away on the spot. Because her score in the history class was really bad. The difference in the history between this world and her previous world was very few, which made her often mistook each other. This resulted in her unable to answer the tests properly. There would be strange names appearing in her test. Even the teacher was helpless. They felt that Adela was making up names in order to answer the questions that she couldnt answer. Adela also couldnt explain. She couldnt possibly say that these were the names of various things in her previous life. It was estimated that the teachers would want to have a talk with her parents first. It would also put her in difficult situation and this was something that Adela didnt want the most. "Uh..." Prince Charles looked at Adela and then asked, "Did that Crown Prince Edward asked you to tell me something?" He really couldnt understand how Adela suddenly asked about the Red Kingdom behind him. It seemed really abrupt and this made Prince Charles a bit suspicious. Did Adela come here because of Crown Prince Edwards instruction? If that was the case, it could explain why her conversation sounded strange. But if she was not... Prince Charles was confused. "No, he didnt ask me to come." Adela quickly shook her head. She felt that the collapsed event really made things difficult for her. Even if she wanted to proceed in accordance to how the events proceeded.... The result always ended differently. If she knew that today was the day for her to meet with Prince Charles, she would never go to find Crown Prince Edward the moment she came to the academy. But no matter how much regrets Adela had in her heart, she couldnt turn back time. She could only proceed and try to fix the events as much as possible. "This... I just think that even if Prince Charles come from different kingdoms, we still need to get along with each other. After all, the two kingdoms have a good relationship, so I come here to talk with you," Adela replied. This should have been said in the next event but at this time, Adela couldnt think so much. The events had long crumbled and there was nothing that she could do. Adela could only try her best to make her explanation seemed reasonable. Because only in this way would it be possible for her to trigger the events and followed through with the routes that have been determined before. "Get along with each other?" Prince Charles muttered and something seemed to be very reasonable. He blinked his eyes and looked at Adela in front of him. The two sisters surprisingly also quite similar in terms that they would maintain the relationship of the two kingdoms secretly. He thought that it was only Aurora who was working hard but it seemed that Adela was not that bad. For some reasons, Adela in front of him looked a bit more pleasing to the eyes than before. This should have been the first time they met, but Prince Charles felt that his favorability to Adela had increased. "Youre right." Prince Charles nodded. "But whether I can get along with him or not depends on his action too. If hes still like this, then I couldnt guarantee that I can get along with him." Adela nodded on the surface, but her eyes showed her surprise. Because the words that Prince Charles said was exactly the same as the second event between Adela and Prince Charles. It seemed that even if she had destroyed the timeline, there were still some things that would proceed in accordance to the events. This is a good news for Adela. Because she really wanted to see the entire events. "Since youre already here, come with me. Take me to tour the academy." Prince Charles reached out and grabbed Adelas hand. "Ah?" Adela was stunned. In the second event, it was Prince Charles dragging Adela to skip the class, but this time, it was her giving a tour to Prince Charles? But thinking about it, this seemed to be the most suitable. As for being dragged around? Adela looked at the bright smile of Prince Charles and also smiled back. Who cares? As Prince Charles dragged Adela to let her give him the tour, Leon was standing not far from where the two of them were talking not long ago. With his swordsmanship and skills, it was easy for him to hide his presence. Neither Adela nor Prince Charles realized that there was someone else near them. Leon looked at the direction where the two of them left with a thoughtful expression. ... On the other hand, Crown Prince Edward was telling Aurora about his mothers decision to let them stay in the academy even during holiday. To be honest, when Crown Prince Edward heard this decision from his mother, he suspected that his mother was replaced. In the past, Queen Ella would never let her son stayed in the academy during the holiday. Because she felt that her sons learning speed was too slow in the academy. He had to be taught personally! But before this semester started, Queen Ella actually asked permission from the Yellow Kingdoms King to let Crown Prince Edward stayed in the academy. Of course, the teachers have been greeted in advance to teach Crown Prince Edward during the time period when he stayed in the academy. "You have to study during the break time?" Aurora asked slowly. Crown Prince Edward nodded. "My mother told me to tell you, but arent you going somewhere else during the break time?" "No, not really." Chapter 120: Smile Chapter 120: Smile "Huh?" Crown Prince Edward was confused. Aurora didnt immediately explain. During the breaks she would be staying in the academy because there wouldnt be any other negotiation again for the next few years. Unless her father asked her to return or something happened, then it was most likely that she would be staying in the academy. She thought for a moment and then said, "The war between the Red Kingdom and the Ice Kingdom would make the negotiation unlikely to happen, so the trades this time would last at a longer time. For the nobles who want other trades in the middle, they had to do it by themselves." Aurora had explained the nobles representative before her departure before that if there were anyone who wanted to make deals in before the war was over, they had to do it themselves. No negotiation would happen. But this also meant that the water resources ratio would not change for the next few years. For Aurora, it was quite advantageous because this time, the Yellow Kingdom occupied slightly more than usual. This would be advantageous to White Familys territory. "Is that so?" Crown Prince Edward had a look of realization and then nodded. "Ill be in your care later, Aurora." "Yes, Your Highness." The two of them exchanged a few more pleasantries before Aurora left. Seeing Crown Prince Edward left with the others, Aurora heaved a sigh of relief. However, she noticed that Adela was not among these people right now. Her eyebrows lit up slightly. It seemed that Adela has her own idea about what to do. Not that Aurora minded, though. She guessed that Adela was doing some other work just like what she had written in those notes. Even if some of them didnt seem to match again, the rest should still be useful for her. Oh well... Aurora would not bother watching Adela at all time. ... After the meeting with Crown Prince Edward, Aurora went to see her friends from the same club. Annelie was naturally already present in the club room. "Lady Aurora, youre here." Annelie smiled. "I have received a lot of application to enter the club from the new students." Compared to Aurora, who only wanted to come to the club room to rest most of the time, Annelie was the most active. Not only was she so eager to establish her status, she also liked to manage many other things. For this, Aurora let Annelie be the one to manage the recruitment of the new students when a new semester start. From the way it looked like, Annelie had already started working from the very first day after the semester started. "You dont have to work so hard right after the semester start, Lady Annelie," Aurora said before she nodded at the other noble ladies who came to greet her. Annelie chuckled. "I dont have anything else to do but to come here." "You can spend more time with your fiance?." When Annelie heard this, her body froze for a moment before she shook her head. She glanced at Aurora and smiled faintly. "I dont have anything to talk with him. Besides, hes with His Highness and its not easy to talk with him." It was not a secret that Leon spent most of his time staying around Crown Prince Edward. His favorite class was the swordsmanship class where he would usually challenge Benny or train by himself. These two people were respectively the first and second in the swordsmanship class. The difference was that Leons academic performance was still passable while Benny was dead last. "I see." Aurora nodded. It would be better for Annelie to spend more time with Leon since the two of them would get married in the future. But if Annelie didnt want to, then Aurora would not force the other party. Anyway, Aurora could see that Annelie was having fun in the tea ceremony club. Aurora glanced at the side and saw Lucy come in their direction with a wry smile on her face. "Sorry, Im late, Lady Annelie." "Where have you been?" Annelie frowned. "Your task is just to hand over some fliers." "I have to talk with some teachers about the possibility of taking a break in the middle of the semester," Lucy replied with a bitter smile. "Why do you need to take a break?" Annelie asked, this time her tone had some concerns within. Even if Annelie is an arrogant person, she is not a heartless person. Lucy was not someone who would take a break without any reasons. There had to be something that happened in her territory if she were to ask to take a break. "Well, my territory is beside the border and my father is worried that the war will affect the areas around our border. If the situation worsened, I would have no other choice but to return earlier," Lucy explained. Since everyone was noble, there was no problem for Lucy to talk about this matter. In fact, many people knew that she came from the border. After all, her poor performance in the etiquette class and so on was quite eye catching back then. On the other hand, the fact that Lucy was able to be one of the best swordswoman shown that she had learned it for a long time. It seemed that even if she was not a noble, it would not be a problem for Lucy to become a knight. "Right." Annelie thought about Lucys territory and nodded. "In that case, you will have to study more to make sure you can pass the test or you will not be allowed to return." "I know." Lucy nodded wryly. She knew better than anyone that her result was not really good. The academy would only allow her to leave if the situation was really urgent and there was no other choice. Otherwise, Lucy should stay in the academy obediently and didnt talk about returning to her territory or taking any break. Chapter 121: Monthly Test Chapter 121: Monthly Test Aurora nodded at Lucy. "If you need help, you can also ask others," Aurora reminded. "Of course, you have to be careful to whom you ask help from." The situation of these noble children in the academy seemed to be quite peaceful. But in truth, there were a lot of hidden competition and so on behind their interactions. Those who dared to trust others so much would definitely have to suffer. Because not everyone would be kind to others. Aurora herself also knew that if her enemies were to tell her important information, she might use that information against the person who told her. Because in the nobility, there was no eternal friends or enemies. All they saw was profit. As long as it could benefit them, they didnt mind befriending some people or even do some actions that they usually would not do. This was the harsh reality of the nobility. Perhaps, even in many other places such as the businessman, profits have always been their priority. No matter how close their relationship was, it would be nothing in the face of profit and so on. "I will remember this." Lucy nodded without hesitation. Annelie sighed. "Well, thats true." She was more familiar with the high society since her mother often brought her along. In the last break, her mother had brought her to several more tea parties. There, Annelie saw their fake sisterhood. It was something that she herself would have to face in the future. After all, Annelie would eventually make her debut and enter the high society. In fact, almost everyone had to face it. Unless they didnt show their faces at all after they got married. "Lets not talk about this." Aurora smiled. "Shall we have a tea party instead since it has been a while?" Both Annelie and Lucy smiled brightly. "Please, Lady Aurora." "Yes, thank you!" ... Time passed quietly. Aurora had to say that the addition of Prince Charles didnt really change the class that much. In the beginning, he was indeed like a normal good student who attended the class normally. Even if the first meeting between Crown Prince Edward and Prince Charles didnt end in a good note, the two of them simply ignored each other afterwards. Only Adela seemed to be spending more time with Prince Charles. This made Aurora surprised. But she finally understood that the fifth men name that Adela wrote in the paper should belong to Charles. Yes, there were names in that paper. Even if the names were not very clear, but Aurora could still read and guessed more or less when she saw the group of Crown Prince Edward and the others with him. She guessed that Adela must have referred to this group. Plus, given by how long Adela stayed with them, Aurora guessed that they were her goal. But she didnt understand what Adela wanted. Each of them have different personality, goals, and so on. It was not that easy for Adela to blend with them. In the past two years, aside from Crown Prince Edward and Benny who were nicer to Adela, Louis and Leon could be said to be relatively cold and indifferent to Adela. The noble children were taught not to show their real emotions easily. But after interacting with them for a long time, Aurora had more or less guessed their personality. It was quite easy for her to guess their attitude towards Adela when she saw how they interacted with each other. And as time passed, Aurora saw how Prince Charles transformed from a good student to a student who kept on skipping class. He even dragged Adela to skip class once, which was really embarrassing. He had a fight with Crown Prince Edward once because of that. Aurora was not very interested in this matter and simply watched the scene from the side. She could see Crown Prince Edward was angry and berated Prince Charles who also refuted from the side. It was Adela who calmed them all down in the end. This scene made the corner of Auroras lips curled up slightly. If only the real world is as simple as this academy. Aurora shook her head. But just as she thought that her life would be peaceful... Aurora looked at the test paper in front of her, her expression was thoughtful. There was a monthly test to test the students level. Aurora usually able to do everything very quickly and then used the rest of the time to relax and rest. After all, there were so many things for Aurora to do that she barely had any time to rest. She kept on forcing herself to finish her work. It was to the point that Aurora wanted to cry yet there was no tears came out. Because this is her lifes decision and even if she was so tired that she wanted to run out and complain, there was simply nothing that she could do. To achieve her goal, everything was necessary. This was the first monthly test after the semester started. And... The level was more than ten times the usual level. If these students were given this question, Aurora was sure that none of them would be able to answer any of them. Because these questions were all at the level of researchers. In other words, it was far above the level of the current students. Auroras eyes condensed because she was sure that these questions were definitely targeted towards her. If other students were to receive such questions that didnt appear in their class at all, they would have complained. It seems its time for me to talk with the Headmaster. Despite thinking that way, Aurora still lowered her eyes and wrote down the answers of the test paper. Even if the difficulty was increased several times... it was still nothing in front of Aurora. She had read even more difficult books before and thus, she was able to answer all of these questions easily. Chapter 122: Monthly Test (2) Chapter 122: Monthly Test (2) After the test was done, Aurora followed the teacher who carried the exams paper to the Headmasters office. To be exact, she requested for him to bring it here. The teacher couldnt refuse. Knock! Knock! The headmaster, who was busy with the report from the teacher about Prince Charles, was currently having headache. The first two weeks was really beautiful but later on, Prince Charles couldnt help but show his true nature. His laziness simply had no cure. It was no wonder that the Red Kingdom specifically sent him a letter, asking him to help in Prince Charless study. It was just... How should one do this? The prince was really lazy and the headmaster didnt dare to use any coercive measure because this was a prince. Moreover, he was not the Yellow Kingdoms prince but rather the Red Kingdoms Prince. As the headmaster felt headache, there was a knock. He could only put this matter aside. "Come in." The door opened and the teacher came in while carrying a stack of paper with Aurora following behind him. Seeing the two people, the headmaster was surprised. "Miss Aurora?" "Headmaster," Aurora greeted back and then said, "My apologies for taking your time, but would you please check on these papers?" The headmaster looked at the stack of the paper and guessed that it should come from Auroras class. The height was not that high since there were not that many students in the same class as Aurora. The teacher who was carrying the stack of the paper froze and then turned to look at Aurora beside him. "This..." "Bring it here," the headmaster said. He knew Aurora was not the type of person who would talk nonsense, so he would rather see the papers directly. If there was any problem with the paper, he should be able to see it. After all, hes the headmaster and had sufficient knowledge over the courses taught in the academy. If he was stupid, he would not be selected to be the principal in the first place. The teacher felt that there was a heavy burden in his hand, but he could only step forward and put the stack of paper on the headmasters table. If he were to do anything strange at this time, these two people would never let him off. Aurora watched the teachers performance calmly. It should have been hidden very well, but Aurora was someone who was very familiar with acting. She also learned how to observe other peoples body movement to make sure that she could survive. Because the high society required her to master this. So when the teacher tried to hide his nervousness, she had noticed it all. As expected, hes also included. Aurora shook her head internally, but she was actually not surprised about this matter. Because she had guessed that there would be several people who were involved in this matter. The easiest way to make sure the special test paper landed on Auroras table was if the teacher who presided over the exam himself was present. Otherwise, the paper might fall in the hands of other students. At that time, their targeting would not work. The other students would also feel confused because the exams were so difficult. The headmaster himself also noticed this, but he would not draw any conclusion easily. He moved his eyes towards the stack of paper and silently took it to read the content. Naturally, he only read through the first few questions before moving towards the second, the third, and so on. It didnt take long for him to reach Auroras paper. Upon seeing the different first question, the headmaster arched his eyebrows. This question... Even the headmaster felt that it would be difficult to answer. It was not like he didnt have sufficient knowledge but it was more like the question involved several topics at once. Moreover, the tone of the question seemed to be more suitable for discussion rather than direct question like this. The Headmaster sighed deeply and then raised his head. He could see Auroras calm and indifferent gaze and then the teachers nervous gaze were both looking in his direction. "I have seen the papers. Do you have anything to explain, Teacher Rota?" "I... I..." Teacher Rota wanted to answer that there was nothing and that he had nothing to do with it, but when the words came to his lips, he felt that he couldnt speak. There was a suffocating pressure in this small room. Both the headmaster and Aurora were looking at Teacher Rota with indifferent eyes. Any lies or deception was basically useless at this point. The evidences were solid and Teacher Rotas behavior simply confirmed it further. This made the headmaster sighed. "Who asked you to do this?" He knew the teachers capabilities very well. Such sophisticated question was definitely not something that Teacher Rota could come up by himself. Someone else should have helped him. "Thats..." Teacher Rota opened his mouth and in the end, he replied, "I dont know. Someone come to me and give me a lot of money to change the exams answer... He wants Miss Aurora to fall from the ranking." Fall from the ranking? Auroras eyes flashed with faint mockery. She was the first place because the highest place was only the first. But the test questions itself were nothing difficult for Aurora. The Headmaster was one of the few people who knew this matter the best because she had to ask his permission when she left for the negotiation before. "For money..." The headmaster sighed. The people who become teachers were usually not very rich, thus making it easy for them to fall for temptation. This also made the headmaster felt another headache. "Miss Aurora, do you mind letting the academy do the investigation?" The Headmaster asked. If Aurora insisted for the White Family to do the work, then the Headmaster couldnt do anything but to follow Auroras intention. After all, Duke White Family truly had that qualification. "Ill leave this matter to the academy." Aurora nodded. Knock! Knock! "Enter." "Headmaster, theres an urgent message for Miss Aurora." The teacher came in and his face was pale. He turned to look at Aurora and said, "Miss Aurora, its said that Mr. Wren, a vassal from the White Family, died not long ago." Chapter 123: Departure Once Again Chapter 123: Departure Once Again Aurora was stunned. She stood up and looked at the teacher who came in and asked, "Is it true, Teacher?" "Yes." The teacher nodded and handed over the letter in his hand. "Duke Whites messenger said that aside from that message, I have to deliver this to you." Aurora nodded and took the letter. Her face was somewhat ashen, but she still controlled her movement and her emotions to the best she could. After facing the deaths of so many knights before, Aurora had been somewhat tempered with some peoples death. Compared to seeing someone die in front of her eyes, hearing about someones death was not as painful. But facts proved that when the person involved was someone whom Aurora had known and interacted with for a period of time... it was really hard to calm down. On the surface, Aurora still remained calm. She took the letter and read the content carefully. It was from her father. Duke White explained that Mr. Wren was on his way to finish the negotiation when he was attacked by someone in Duke Suns territory. Duke Sun helped to deliver the body, but the person who attacked Mr. Wren remained unknown. There was only some scarce description about who it might be. Moreover, it was also said that what remain of the carriages were also transported back. The bad news was that the copy of the negotiation paper carried by Mr. Wren was gone, which meant that the terms of the negotiation would be known to someone else. It was not good. "Headmaster, I have to go." Aurora looked at the Headmaster and then added, "If possible, I would like to take a long break academically." "Long break?" The Headmaster repeated in surprise. The so called long break was the rule of the academy where excellent student could take a long break if they have something urgent in their family. In exchange, they have to attend the test before or after their long break. This was to ensure that they would not be taking a break illogically. Auroras result has always been at the top and also the best. Moreover, the test result that the headmaster read just now had already proven that Aurora had the ability to answer even the hardest questions that might stop many researchers. There was truly no need for Aurora to stay in the academy any longer. And with the White Familys vassals death, there were many things that Aurora had to do by herself. "I understand," the Headmaster replied. "You dont have to attend any tests and you can take as much break as you need to." Aurora smiled politely. "Thank you, Headmaster. For this incident, you can do as you please." The Headmaster froze. Do as he please? Looking at the paper in front of him that carried a lot of research value, the Headmaster knew that the information might be important for some researchers. Because Aurora seemed to give a different way to look at the problem. If this paper was shown to the other academician and researchers, it was estimated that they would come directly and clamored to see Aurora. Of course, what they wanted was to have a discussion with her. It was just... The Headmaster knew very well that this would also pose troubles because the scandal of this teacher might not be able to be covered. To a certain extent, it could damage the academys image. After all, how else would the Headmaster explain why Aurora had to answer these questions... Wait. Aurora said that he could do as he please... The Headmaster looked at the test paper in front of him. He had no intention of claiming this knowledge as his. After all, the Headmaster knew his ability well and would not oversteps his bounds. He was also not greedy for wealth. If he did, the Royal Family would not place him in this position to watch over their children. He had to be worthy of their trust. But the Headmaster thought about Auroras long break and departure. It seemed that he could indeed use this event.... ... After Aurora came out of the Headmasters office, she made her way to her dormitory at the fastest speed possible. Both Prince Lester and William followed her to the academy and trained here. Of course, they would not train with the other students and instead picked a relatively remote area to train every day when they were not in duty. At night, they would be keeping guard not far from Auroras dormitory. Even if this was the academy and should have been quite safe but just in case they still patrolled and took turns with each other. At this time, Aurora had arrived at the dormitory. She saw Les who had red eyes and then William, who was standing by the guard with an expressionless face. He didnt show any emotion on his face. But Aurora knew very well that William was angry and devastated. Even if William knew that his father had to face danger when he was going out... But none of them thought that it would happen this time. And they didnt think that Mr. Wren would die. There was indeed this risk. Everyone knew because they have faced the paid bandits attack on their way back to the Yellow Kingdoms territory back then. But even if they knew that... they didnt think that it was possible for this to happen. Everything seemed so sudden. "Miss," Les greeted when she saw Aurora. "Pack up everything," Aurora said, her tone was cold. "Were going to Duke Suns territory after coming back to White Familys Mansion." With the leakage of the contracts content, she would need to revise some of them. After all, there might be some people who wanted to take advantage of the contract for themselves. For that, she had to copy the contracts first. Without Mr. Wren to help, her workload would increase a lot. "Yes, Miss!" Chapter 124: Meaning of Vassal Chapter 124: Meaning of Vassal Les worked quickly and William also helped to carry Auroras belonging to the carriage. Honestly, William really wanted to ask Aurora to help him investigate this matter. Yet at the same time William also knew that Aurora had a more important matter to do. This made him rather conflicted. On one side, it was his duty and also responsibly. But on the other side, it was his heart that was full of anger and sadness. The location of the White Family Residence was not far from the academy, so Aurora arrived very quickly. Duke White was already waiting for her. "Aurora," Duke White called his daughter. When he received the news, he was also surprised. After all, he knew very well that Mr. Wren has been helping Aurora to finish some work that she was inconvenient to touch with her status. Besides, some people would feel that negotiating with an adult man like Mr. Wren was more reassuring than a half grown child like Aurora. "Father, can you tell me what happened?" Aurora asked. Duke White shrugged. "Some people are not satisfied with your negotiation with the Sun Dukedom." Auroras eyes narrowed. The only reason why Mr. Wren would be in Duke Suns territory should be for the negotiations with Duke Sun. With the relationship between Duke White and Duke Sun, it was indeed impossible for Duke White to be the one to manage this matter. When the two people met, it would be good enough if they didnt end up pointing their sword to each others throat. "Wheres Mr. Wrens body?" Aurora asked. "Its still in Duke Suns territory," Duke White replied with a frown, clearly dissatisfied with Auroras question. "They brought his body to the nearby city." "Why did the negotiation is not in the Capital City?" Aurora asked another question when she saw her fathers displeasure. As much as she wanted to know more about Mr. Wrens condition and how he died, she knew that it would be useless to ask this to her father. Duke White would not care about this matter in the slightest bit. In fact, he might not know anything about it either. "Duke Sun is busy and refused to finish the negotiation in the Capital City. He has other things to do," Duke White replied. Aurora frowned. While there were indeed some matters that might be more convenient for Duke Sun to do by himself, but did he not want to finish the negotiation? It has been signed by the two parties. If Duke Sun were to back away now, he would have to pay a lot of fee for the damage he had caused. This was based on the agreement with Duke Sun and the other noble. Aurora took a deep breath. "Father, Im going to Duke Suns territory." "Alright," Duke White agreed candidly. He was not worried for Aurora in the slightest bit. Besides, Aurora was very capable and Duke White felt that there was no point in worrying about her in the slightest bit. As long as the negotiation could be finished, the White Family would be able to earn a lot of money. It was good. Aurora saw her fathers attitude and knew that he would not stop her. He only cared about the result and not the process. It was indeed as expected. "Before you go, do you remember what your mother told you before?" Duke White suddenly stopped Aurora. What her mother said? Aurora thought of the time before her return to the academy that her mother wished for her to be able to participate in the trades again. Even though there would be no water negotiation and so on, but there would still be other trades that happened with the other nobles. If necessary, it was not impossible for Aurora to be the third party who benefit from other peoples trade. Back then, Aurora couldnt refuse. Even now, she knew that if her father gave her the order, she couldnt possibly refuse and had to follow it. It was just... "Father, do you want me to continue with the trade arrangement instead of returning?" Aurora asked, her tone was somewhat cold. She felt that this was not the time for her to think about this, but her father felt that this was the best result. It was also because of this that Auroras tone was much colder when she faced her father. Aurora had always known that people of the nobility were cold. They treated themselves as superiors and those below them were worth nothing more than tools around them. They have no value whatsoever aside from being used by the nobility. While she couldnt really refute it that much. Everyone was indeed born at similar condition but it was their family background that made them different. But it was not the basis for them not to care in the slightest bit. Especially since Mr. Wren was going on Duke Whites order. Now, her father was instead thinking about this matter that had nothing to do with this incident. For a moment, Aurora couldnt control her emotions. "Yes," Duke White replied frankly. "I heard from Adela that you didnt have much classes to attend and if theres enough time, its better for you to spend it doing other things more important." Other things more important... In the past, Auroras role was to study and study again. It was to the point that Aurora wanted to vomit blood. But she had to adapt in order to survive and at some point of time, managed to enjoy the process of studying. It had become some kind of her second nature to a certain degree. But... It didnt mean that she was not tired. There were also times when she just wanted to do nothing and simply lie down. Now, her father was simply asking her to continue working instead of studying and didnt give her any chance to rest at all. This made Aurora wonder sometimes whether shes her fathers daughter or not. Chapter 125: Meaning of Vassal (2) Chapter 125: Meaning of Vassal (2) "Aurora, do you hear me?" Duke White called out. Aurora raised her head and looked at her father in front of her. To be honest, she really didnt want to follow her fathers order. But... "I heard it, Father. I know what to do," Aurora replied. "Good." Duke White nodded in satisfaction. He thought about something else. "One more thing, the financial management that Mr. Wren used to hold, Ill take care of it for the time being." Aurora looked at her father and then nodded quietly. "Yes, Father." Seeing that his goal has been achieved, Duke White nodded in satisfaction. "Alright, you can go now." "Yes, Father." After the conversation was done, Aurora walked out of her fathers study room. Her eyes were cold and there was a faint chills when one looked into her eyes. Aurora took a deep breath and saw the Head Butler come to her. "Eldest Miss," the Head Butler called out. "Yes?" Aurora asked in a low voice. "Is there any problem?" "Yes, Miss." The Head Butler took a deep breathe. "Madam hadnt managed the mansions financial for a long time and theres a lot of backlog. Moreover, she spends more lately and I need your help, Eldest Miss." Aurora thought about her mothers order to let her continue participating in the trades and so on sometime ago and the corner of her lips curled up coldly. No wonder her mother didnt want her to give up on the trades and so on. It was all to fund her lavish lifestyle. Nobles spent more than ordinary people and this fact was something that Aurora knew. In order to keep their face, they have certain number of money they had to spend to keep their appearance. Moreover, there were many people in the mansion whose life depended on their master. It cost a lot of money to manage the entire mansion. This was only the necessary cost. But there were also various other events that they might participate in that cost them money. "Does nothing could be done?" Aurora asked. "No, Miss." The Head Butler was nervous. Aurora took a deep breath. "Ill take a look for an hour. After that, everything will be handled by you, Head Butler." Handled by him? The Head Butler was a bit troubled but he could only agree. Aurora sighed and followed the Head Butler to look at the financial book of Duke Whites Mansion. It was good if she didnt see it. But when she saw what her mother did, Aurora realized that even with her earning more money, they were in the state of deficit. Aurora sighed deeply. "Head Butler, did you not tell her about the budget?" Aurora asked. "I told her, Eldest Miss," The Head Butler replied. But whether she listened or not, I dont know. The last sentence was definitely not spoken out loud but both Aurora and the Head Butler knew about this. They even guessed that Duchess Isabella purposely didnt pay attention and simply do whatever she wanted. It was really troublesome. Aurora sighed and flip through the book in front of her. Her eyes flickered when she saw some items that her mother bought. The price... It was wrong. Her mother shouldnt have been scammed, so... Auroras eyes flashed with a glint as she continued to check and then made the arrangement with the Head Butler. ... After finishing with the arrangement, Aurora went to her room and took the documents with Duke Sun from before. It was naturally the copy that she had kept with herself. There were a total of four copies that were made before. One copy was with the other party, one copy for Aurora to submit to the Yellow Kingdoms King once everything was done, one for Duke Sun, and the last one was the backup in her hand. Now that it has come to this point, Aurora had to use this backup contract to see Duke Sun. "Lester," Aurora called out. "Yes, Miss?" Prince Lester replied. He and William were following Aurora and this time, Prince Lester was accompanying Aurora. "Sit down and copy this document." Aurora handed a piece of paper and also a document to Prince Lester. "Make it exactly the same." Prince Lester had a blank look on his face. Even if he had been trained under William in the past few weeks, but he had not been taught the other educations. Well, he was allowed to read by himself if he wanted to, though. Aurora saw the surprise in Prince Lesters eyes and looked at the young prince in front of her. Because of malnutrition, Prince Lester was shorter than her. The two of them were around the same age and if Aurora was not wrong, Prince Lester was a few months older than her. "Are you surprised?" Aurora asked. "Miss, this is a confidential document," Prince Lester said slowly. It wast not like he didnt want to read it. He wanted to read it. Who didnt know that Aurora is a negotiating genius? Many people were full of praise of her and Prince Lester had heard many things about Aurora before even when he was in the Red Kingdom. Well, it was mostly from Queen Rachel who has to face Aurora and felt that the girl was terrible. Their consolation was that Aurora has the Red Kingdoms Royal blood. "Do you think youre not worthy to read it?" Aurora chuckled. She looked at Prince Lester. "I know youre unwilling to remain the same in your situation, so now I give you a chance to grow. Whether you can grasp it depends on your own decision." "The knowledgeable vassal would be more useful than a useless vassal. I bring you because I want to use your ability rather than just bringing you out because of pity or because of your face." Aurora paused for a moment and then added, "Of course, I would not want any white eyed wolf, so you better not forget about our agreement before, Prince Lester." Chapter 126: New Contracts Chapter 126: New Contracts Prince Lester didnt immediately answer Auroras words. His dark blue eyes were staring in Auroras direction before he lowered his head and then said, "Yes." The young teenager, who looked dull and stupid on daily basis, no longer had that look. He was no fool and had understood many things about the world. Because of his life experience, he had to face the darkness of the world and suffer quite a lot. The encounter with Aurora back then was a coincidence. They only met with a brief moment, but she was the only person who could see through him instantly. And later on, she brought him out of that place. Aurora was looking in Prince Lesters direction and smiled faintly when she heard his agreement. "In that case, start to work." Prince Lester slowly lowered his head. He looked at the daffodil flower on the vase beside the table and felt that the fragrance of the flower was a bit stronger today. Auroras eyes looked really bright. Prince Lester took a deep breath and sat down to start working. He had never liked that life as he yearned for freedom and power. Freedom to do what he wanted and power to change his fate... and to protect those whom he wanted to protect the most. With Prince Lester had already started copying, Aurora looked at the documents in her hand and prepared a different negotiation. She had made several plans before. But she took out one that would be most suitable for the situation in Duke Suns territory. After this incident, she was prepared to make two types of negotiation. One was more in the favor of Duke Sun while the other one was in more favor for herself rather than the two parties. Of course, she had to be careful when drafting the contract to avoid people noticing her real intention. ... Aurora finished the drafting of the contracts very quickly and then handed it over to Prince Lester to copy. She checked the copy from Prince Lester and was satisfied when she saw there was no mistake. After all, even a single detail could change the meaning of the words in the contract. She had to make sure that it was clear and it would not make people take advantage in the loopholes. It was not easy for her to do this. There were many terms in the contract that could make people feel headache. Even though Prince Lester was only copying, he himself was trying to understand what Aurora wanted to convey through the contract. The more he read, the more convinced he was that Aurora is really smart. These documents were not easy to write and Prince Lester could see that there were some differences between one contract with the other one. It seemed that Auroras focus when writing the contract was different. Thankfully, the process of copying the contract didnt take a long time and after Aurora checked to confirm that there was no mistake, she went to depart once again. "William, how many knights will come with us?" Aurora asked when she reached down. While she was busy with Prince Lester to prepare the documents and contract, she asked William to gather the knights who will follow her to Duke Suns territory. No matter what, she had to make sure that they bring enough people for her protection. These knights have to be capable knights. There was no way Aurora would want to repeat the same mistake that she made that day. "There are a total of 24 knights, Miss," William replied. "I have carefully select them all." He also knew what Aurora was paying attention to. Naturally, William would not let just anyone to come along. The last incident had scared William. And now... his father had passed away and William would not let anything happened to Aurora. So they have to bring more knights. "Lets go." "Yes!" ... The journey alone would take a long time and Aurora brought more paper for the journey. She was making a few more drafts for the next contract while another paper was used to record about her enemies and those who might have made a move against Mr. Wren. Mr. Wren is Duke Whites vassal. Technically, he was not under Aurora but he did help Aurora a lot in her work since she has limited break time. Her status as the crown princess limited her interaction outside. Her status as a student made her unable to stay outside the academy for a long period of time without any sufficient reasons. Of course, one could take a long break. But the problem was how to convince people that Aurora would still be at the top even when she was staying outside of the academy for an extended period of time. Of course, Aurora was not bothered with this. She knew that the Headmaster would deal with it. Her focus was on the negotiation with Duke Sun and also to see Mr. Wrens body. Between the two, Aurora choose to stop by the city where Mr. Wrens body was located first before going to see Duke Sun. When William heard Auroras decision, he thanked her. Because William knew that the negotiation had to be done as quickly as possible to exert the greatest profit, but Aurora still chose to pay a visit to see his fathers body first. They stopped by the city and went to see Duke Suns vassal who was responsible for taking care of Mr. Wrens body and the knights who came with him back then. It has been a few days, so they have to deal with the body soon. "Mr. Wren and the knights bodies are over here," the servant of Duke Suns vassal said when they reached the special room built to keep the bodies. As the door opened, the strong sour smell of corpse entered their nostrils, making them all frown. The corpses were no longer fresh and it wouldnt be wise to keep them like this. Chapter 127: Decision Chapter 127: Decision "William, after this, separate two knights to bring the bodies back to their families," Aurora said. "Yes, Miss." Williams fingers clenched to form a fist as he looked at the bodies laid inside the room. They have been cleaned to a certain degree, but Mr. Wren and the knights were still wearing the same clothes they wore when they left before. The people here didnt dare to do anything to the bodies. Because they knew the people behind these fallen knights and Mr. Wren was not someone they could afford to offend. William walked inside and looked at his father. Aurora didnt bother William nor asking what William wanted to do. Instead, she went to the wreckage of the carriage and the few items that were left behind. Those people were doing a good job in this regard. The carriage was indeed broken but it was still in the shape of carriage. There were rations and also other items inside and Aurora checked the few things inside before she found a paper slipped between the chair. Aurora stretched her hand and held the paper in her hand. It was wrinkled and seemed to be shoved forcefully to the chair in order to keep it there. Whoever put the paper there knew that there was not much time, so he made sure that no one could find it. Aurora slowly unfolded the paper and saw the content. There were two pieces of paper. The first one was the most important part of the documents that was brought to Duke Sun. Mr. Wren should have been reviewing the content when they were attacked, so he put the documents here. Even if it ended up being wrinkled to the point it was hard to read, it was much better than handing it over to those people. Because when the people who attacked reached the carriage, the first thing they did was to find the box containing the documents. Their intention was very clear. Aurora sighed. To fulfill ones duty until the very end... Thank you, Mr. Wren. Aurora put the first paper to the side and then looked at the second paper. It should be a black paper before and there was a crooked writings inside, summing up to a few words: the mercenary regiment. Mercenary... Aurora was not unfamiliar with this word. For those who were staying at the border, they would be even more familiar with this word because they could find mercenary easily if they were to stay at the border. After all, most mercenary found work through the conflict between the kingdoms. All they had to do was to receive the job that was posted in the hall and then went to finish the job. But with this... Auroras eyes flashed with coldness. It seems that she had some understanding about the people whom she had to face. They were all people who have a lot of money and was not afraid of Duke White Family finding their identities out. Aurora put these documents and then went to see William. William had calmed down and when he saw Aurora, he bowed. "Miss." "Send someone to make inquiry to the mercenary regiment in Duke Suns territory and the areas around here. The mission to attack a carriage belonging to the White Family should be an obvious mission," Aurora said. Hearing this sentence, Williams eyes condensed and killing intent flashed by. "Yes, Miss!" Even if William knew that his father died because of his work to the White Family, but he would not put his hatred to the White Family. From the moment they decide to work for the White Family, it was inevitable for them to experience danger and so on. And William had no intention to leave Aurora. "Miss," William called out. "Yes, William?" Aurora, who was about to go after giving instruction, stopped in her footsteps. William handed his sword to the front and knelt down. Upon seeing this, Aurora understood what William wanted to do. She didnt stop him and instead watched William calmly. "William, do you know that I might not be on the side of the nobles?" Aurora said slowly before William had the chance to speak. "I know." Mr. Wren had told William that Aurora was most likely be against many people in the future. Her life would be dangerous and she might not even be able to live peacefully. But... so what? William had watched Auroras growth with his own eyes and what he wanted the most was to protect her and to see her achieve her goal until completion. Until that time, he would be the sharpest sword beside Aurora. "Even if I might destroy what your father want to protect?" Aurora asked again, her tone remained indifferent. Because Aurora knew that if William were to follow her, he had to face this matter sooner or later. It would be too late if he found out much later and then unable to accept it. Because what Aurora wanted and what Mr. Wren wanted are different. "I believe in you, Miss." William looked at Aurora deeply. She was not someone who would do anything that crossed her bottom line. He had watched her for some time and knew this much. Aurora didnt say anything and calmly watched William. "Under the Sun, I, William Aster, swore that Ill follow Miss Aurora White until the end of my life. Ill be her loyal sword under her hand, completing my every duty. Ill fight bravely when needed and finish all the tasks assigned upon me." William knelt down sincerely. His words were similar to the promise he once made but it was more complete now. Aurora looked at William and took a deep breath. She said in a low voice, "I accept your vow, Knight William." She put a sword beside Williams head, completing the ceremony. From now on, her every action would directly affect William. There was an additional persons life on her hand and Aurora knew very well that this is the path she had to take. Chapter 128: Decision (2) Chapter 128: Decision (2) Not far from Aurora, Prince Lester was watching the scene in front of him. Knights oath. It was an oath only a knight could possibly take. And a knight is someone who wield the sword to protect the weak. After a while, Prince Lester left. He didnt want to disturb these two. ... After settling the matter of Mr. Wrens body, Aurora continued her journey to find Duke Sun to finish the negotiation from before. The cities in Duke Suns territory looked quite different from the cities in other territory. Most of the buildings here were in the shape of square. There were also many buildings made of sand as it was the cheapest materials around. They only needed to take a walk and they could encounter sand. But Aurora didnt pay attention to this. She went directly to Duke Suns mansion and the people there were already waiting for her. When Aurora arrived, she saw a young man standing behind Duke Sun and recognized him as the first son of Duke Sun and also the successor of Duke Sun. If there was no accident, he should be the next Duke Sun. "Duke Sun," Aurora greeted. "Miss Aurora." Duke Sun nodded and then waved to his son. "This is Henry, my first son and also my heir. I hope you dont mind his presence in our negotiation." "I dont mind, Duke Sun," Aurora said slowly. "But there are some matters that we might need to discuss before entering the formal negotiation. Do you mind if he were to listen to it?" Duke Sun smiled. "Hell be the next Duke Sun, so he should also hear about it." "I understand." The two of them had smiles on their faces, but they knew that the negotiation was actually a battle between the two of them. After all, the content of the negotiation would determine whether they could get benefit or not. On the surface, the negotiation would appear peaceful. Both sides needed it. And they would not let their emotions entered their head and affected their judgement. "Please come in." With that, Aurora followed Duke Sun inside. He had been waiting for a long time for this negotiation and when Mr. Wren died in his territory, Duke Sun was already wary. The relationship between him and Duke White was really bad. But the two of them would not attack each other. Because they knew that if they dared to do that, there would be some annoying people who would want to take advantage of the situation and might harm them instead. So, Duke Sun cooperated with Duke White and explained what happened clearly. Thankfully, the one who came here in the end was Aurora and not Duke White personally. If it was Duke White, the two of them might end up on the field rather than the negotiation table like this. "Miss Aurora, do you want to ask about your familys vassal first?" Duke Sun came to the point directly after they sat down. There was no point in exchanging pleasantries as he had cooperated with Aurora several times in the past three to four years. They were more or less already quite familiar with each other. Of course, if there were outsiders present, then Duke White didnt mind showing some proper etiquette on the surface. But this time, it was only him and his son in front of Aurora. There was no need to be so troublesome. "Yes." Aurora nodded. "Did you try to investigate before my arrival, Duke Sun?" Hearing this question, Duke Sun frowned. He did try to investigate before Auroras arrival, but he didnt manage to find anything worthy of attention. The people who were sent to do this should be someone who was paid. Because they did it professionally. Hit, leave no one behind, and took the thing they wanted. "I only know that someone attacked them and that group should be a professional, but I didnt find anything worthy of attention," Duke Sun replied. "My apologies, Miss Aurora." "Its nothing much." Aurora shook her head and then said, "Do you know why theyre targeting the contract, Duke Sun?" The contract... To be honest, Duke Sun didnt think that the contract with Aurora was that much different from the other contracts he had signed. Aside from the fact that it was somewhat more detailed and also involved many other aspects he couldnt think of at the beginning, there was almost no different from the other contracts out there. So when Aurora asked this to Duke Sun, he didnt know the answer. If it was not the contract itself that was special, it might be the agreement between the two dukes that made other wary. "Perhaps, the content of the negotiation?" Duke Sun frowned. "If its leaked, would it affect our cooperation?" Aurora was watching Duke Suns expression as he spoke. He looked confused and didnt seem to quite understand it. To be honest, Aurora herself didnt think that there was any problem with her and Duke Sun cooperating with each other. Because they were able to benefit in this trade, which would enrich the lives of the people in their territory. Its a good thing, no? But some people seemed to think that it was not good and choose to disrupt this trade in the most provocative way. Killing the representative who came to negotiate... No matter what, this death had to be counted on Duke Suns head, which was why Duke White didnt want to handle this matter. He would be angered first. "There would not be any problem with the cooperation," Aurora replied. "The trade agreement is here and would you please read it first, Duke Sun." "Which part do you change?" Duke Sun leaned in and took the document from the table. Before Aurora departed back then, they had already come to an agreement for their trade and what Aurora did was to expand the contract to more people who wanted to trade with Duke Sun. So if she wanted to change the content, she would have to get their agreement again, which could be troublesome. "None." "Huh?" Chapter 129: A True Genius Chapter 129: A True Genius Duke Sun looked at Aurora in front of him. He frowned. "Dont joke around, Miss Aurora. If you didnt change the content, why did you...?" Aurora showed a faint smile. "The original contract has never been leaked out, Duke Sun. You dont have to worry about this matter affecting our cooperating with each other." Duke Sun was stunned. Looking at Auroras calm expression, Duke Sun had the faint feeling that it seemed as if Aurora had known everything and it was still within her control. Or was it because she was too cold? Someone close to her had just died... But then again, he was nothing more than a vassal. Duke Sun sighed. If a vassal of him died, he would feel sad and angry for a while if the death was not natural. But after some time, he would calm down and slowly forgot about that person. Because there was no point in dwelling about this matter for the rest of their lives. It was not like the death of the other party would affect their lives. So aside from the initial sadness, there was not much other feelings left for them to dwell in. But isnt this too fast? Duke Sun didnt understand what Aurora was thinking. "Are you sure that no one will disturb the cooperation?" Duke Sun asked. "As long as you keep your mouth shut about the details of the cooperation, no third party will know, Duke Sun," Aurora replied slowly. "Of course, if you want to change the contract, I have a different one for you to see." After that, Aurora took out the set of contract that was more beneficial to her. This contract would make Duke Sun paid more but on the surface, it didnt look like he lost a lot. Duke Sun sighed and took the contract Aurora handed over. Reading the content, it was not that much different but there were some things that Aurora specifically changed. It seemed that Aurora was doing a good job in maintaining the balance to make it profit both parties. Of course, for Aurora, it would definitely benefit her more. "Shall we discuss more about this new contract before deciding which one to use?" Duke Sun asked and looked at Aurora in front of him. Aurora has the same polite smile on her face. "Yes." ... The negotiation between Aurora and Duke Sun lasted for some time before it was done. At this time, Duke Sun sighed deeply. There were several papers scattered on the table, the results of the fierce discussion between him and Aurora not long ago. Behind him, Henry was looking at the empty seat in front of them with amazement. Aurora had left, but Henry still couldnt hide the shock in his eyes. "No matter how long you stare, shes not going to come back," Duke Sun said directly. "I know, Father." Henry took a deep breath and looked at his father. "Do you think that I can become as good as her?" At least, in terms of negotiation alone, Henry felt that he was far below Aurora. He hoped that he would be able to be the same as her, conforming his father without losing his grounds at all. It looked very cool. Duke Sun passed a look at Henry. "Do you really think that it was that easy for her to grow like this? I cant imagine how strict her education was in the White Family Residence." To be able to make a young teenage girl be so capable, Duke Sun knew that the White Family should have cultivate Aurora ever since she was young. When she was a child, she might not even have the slightest bit of time to play and had to study. Tsk, tsk. "My education is also strict," Henry said, unconvinced. "But youre still not as good as her when youre several years older," Duke Sun replied mercilessly. Henry: "..." That was also true. If he was as capable as Aurora, Duke Sun would hand over more power and management to Henry rather than working so hard all day long to the point that he could barely rest. Duke Sun sighed. "But does being so capable really good?" Hearing this sentence, Henry looked at his father in confusion. Wasnt it good to be so capable like Aurora? She was able to do many things that ordinary people couldnt do, making the work so much easier. Duke Sun didnt explain to Henry. From the moment Mr. Wren and the knights from Duke White died in his territory, Duke Sun had the faint feeling that something has gone terribly wrong. But what it was, he couldnt really describe it with words and still felt that there was something he missed. And when he came to see Aurora today... He knew what he had missed. That was how capable Aurora was. It should have been a good thing for a person to be really capable. Because it meant that he or she would be able to do many things that many other people would not be able to do in their entire life. But at the same time, Duke Sun also understood another matter. And that was Aurora is too young. Other people started to make their name after they had become an adult or close to be an adult. Yet, Aurora had already started to take over her mothers work when she was 11 to 12 years old. If she had done badly and needed the adults help, then it would be nothing. Everyone would only laugh it off and said that the child need more time to study. But no. Aurora did everything perfectly well. So well that many adults were simply not comparable to Aurora in the slightest bit. This talent... It could only be described as terrifying. Because Duke Sun knew very well that when he was around Auroras age, he couldnt do anything like her and still scramble around, being beaten by his teacher for not doing his work well. Chapter 130: Legend Chapter 130: Legend "Shes a true genius," Duke Sun said. "No wonder she has the purple pupils." "Huh?" Henry listened to his fathers words and was confused. What was the relationship of having the purple colored pupil with Aurora being a genius? Henry couldnt think of any connections. Duke Sun looked at his son and sighed. "Youre still young, so you never have the chance to see that era. The era thats dominated by the two geniuses. Why do you think that the pupil color of the people in the Royal Families in various kingdoms are so iconic?" "The Sand Kingdom and the others didnt seem to have such specific trait," Henry defended. "Im talking about Sun Kingdom." Duke Sun glanced at his son and snorted. "The golden pupil and the purple pupils... There was a legend who said that the descendants who inherited these two pupils would be geniuses." Genius? Henry thought about the current Yellow Kingdoms King and also the crown prince... He had the feeling that the word stupid would be more suitable for both of them rather than genius. Even if the current Yellow Kingdoms King was not very capable, but at least he was still able to control the power in the court and so on well. As for Crown Prince Edward? He was simply the shame of the Royal Family. But no nobles dared to talk about Crown Prince Edward openly. They all knew very well that if they dared to do that, their head would not stay intact with their neck anymore. There were some people who would not let them blemish the Royal Family. As for the Red Kingdom? To be honest, Henry was not very clear. Because from what he knew, the current king of the Red Kingdom and his two children didnt have purple pupil. In fact, the previous Red Kingdoms King didnt seem to have purple pupil too. It was the brother of the previous Red Kingdoms King who had purple pupil but he died heroically in the war that saved the entire Red Kingdom, thus making his name sung as the hero. But... No one seemed to say that he was a genius. Well, with him already hailed as a hero, there was truly no need to give him that label again. He was already praised to the sky. "Its indeed a legend in the Yellow Kingdom," Duke Sun said calmly. "The golden pupil is just the trait of the Royal Family without any clear advantage. Some of them are not very good even if they have golden pupils." This was something the nobles in the Yellow Kingdom had long agreed tacitly. That it was nothing more than a legend. If it was not simply a legend, there was no way the current Yellow Kingdoms King would perform so ordinarily. There were many other nobles who were far better than him and there was no clear advantage of the king. Of course, no one dared to speak about it out loud to him. They still treasured their lives. But it was inevitable for them to discuss this matter in private when they could. Because they all felt that the king was somewhat disappointing. This also caused some nobles to let loose their real personality. Many nobles didnt really care about the kingdom as a whole. What they cared the most was nothing more than the benefit they could get because of their position and so on. It was something that Duke Sun also understood. And he couldnt do anything to stop them. Because the current king was already like this and he could only try his best not to make the situation even worse. "Father, do you want to say that the Red Kingdom is not a legend?" Henry asked in confusion. But how could that happen? "It might be a coincidence, but everyone who have purple pupil from the Red Kingdom have terrible talent in various fields," Duke Sun said. "Diplomacy, control, swordsmanship. Even if there were some aspects they were not very good at, their overall level is far higher than what other people could possibly contend." Before the current Red Kingdoms King came to the throne, it was his brother who was actually on the first line for the throne. But the war with the Ice Kingdom was at the peak at that time. And the Red Kingdom fell into disadvantage. In order to win the war, the prince had to lead the soldiers on his own and fought on the frontline. He tried his best to defend the Red Kingdom and it was his final tactic that allowed the Red Kingdom to win. But at the same time, the prince failed to return and died in the battle. It was also from this time that the Red Kingdom declined. The war with the Ice Kingdom was not over yet. Thankfully, that war had already consumed most of the Ice Kingdoms vitality and buried many capable people. Because if these people were still alive after the death of that prince, the Red Kingdom would have long been nothing more than a name passed down in the history. "Is it really right?" Henry was stunned. Duke Sun laughed. "No one knew for sure whether its true or not. But Auroras appearance with the purples pupil had long attracted many people." In the past, Duke Sun would also think that it was nothing more than a legend. There couldnt be someone who was so smart and enchanting that the entire world would feel threatened by their mere presence. But fact proved that he was wrong. After meeting Aurora and saw her capabilities, Duke Sun also realized that there were indeed some people who were so terrible ever since they were young. And... "Some people wouldnt be able to accept her existence," Duke Sun said lightly. Henry was silent. Duke Sun saw his sons serious expression and laughed lightly. "You can treat this as nothing more than a story. But not everyone could do the same and they didnt want a second person who could affect the entire world to appear." Chapter 131: Legend (2) Chapter 131: Legend (2) "Its terrible." Henry sighed. It was not known whether he was saying this to Aurora or to those who target her because of such an absurd reason. But he also understood that for those who believed in the legend, it was not absurd at all. He only felt that this was not fair for Aurora. Because it seemed that even if she did nothing, there would be many people who would target her because of her birth and her features. It sounded ridiculous. "The world has never been fair, Henry. Everyone have different starting line, different end points. What you should do is to pick the path most suitable for you, the path that belong to you and yourself." Duke Sun stood up and handed the documents on the table to Henry. "This might be the last agreement with her, so you should keep it and let it remind you of todays conversation." Henry looked at the documents in his hand. He knew his father was teaching him because he would succeed his father to become the Duke Sun in the future. And this lesson was indeed very valuable. "Yes, Father." ... Aurora didnt know what Duke Sun was talking about with Henry. But even if she was there to listen to their words about her appearance that was quite similar to her great grandfather and her mothers uncle including her abilities and so on, Aurora would just say that it was a coincidence. Would one facial features determine ones talent? Aurora never believed this. But she also knew that there were some strange people who would believe in this because of the talent that Aurora had shown. Besides, Aurora had long known that with the talent she had shown so far, it would be inevitable for her to be targeted by many people. They would not want someone like her to truly be the Queen of the Yellow Kingdom and possibly affect the future development of the kingdom. After all, a queen still has some power on her hand that could allow her to affect the kingdoms future. Even if it was not as much as a king would have, but it was still there. And for Aurora, it was far more than enough. Aurora herself had realized that she had become a thorn in many peoples eyes, which was why the targeting to her had become even fiercer during this period of time. It was to the point of taking the lives of the people around her. "Miss." William and Prince Lester were ready to escort Aurora again when they saw her coming out. "Were going to the White Kingdoms territory." Aurora glanced at William. "Send someone to send a letter to His Majesty, saying that the negotiation with Duke Suns side is over." "Yes, Miss." Prince Lesters eyes flashed and he looked at Aurora. He thought that Aurora would go back to the academy again after this matter was over. After all, Aurora still held the status of a student. It would be more suitable for Aurora to stay in the academy. But Aurora had different idea. She knew very well that there were also some people from the high society who were targeting her. Because of her young age and the fact that she hadnt debuted yet, they couldnt possibly target her openly. It would attract mockery and disdain from others. These nobles couldnt afford that loss of face. But it didnt mean that there was nothing that they could do. They could still do some other things such as giving order to their children who were in the same academy as Aurora. If it was their children who were making trouble, it could be chalked up to childrens quarreling with each other. As for what they were quarreling... That was another question. Aurora had felt tired when she was dealign with the trouble her sister caused her in the past few years. Even if Adela was trying her best to stay low, there were still some strange incident popping up again and again. It was to the point that Aurora wondered if her sister had some strange physique that could attract troubles. Besides Adela, there were also some other nobles. So when Aurora came out this time, she had decided that she would not go back to the academy for a period of time. At least, until she was done with her business out here, she would not go back to Yellow Kingdoms Capital City in the slightest bit. "Lets go." "Yes, Miss." ... Starting that day, Aurora stayed in White Familys territory and managed the business there to a certain degree. However, Mr. Wrens death also meant that Duke White had a lot more problems to settle by himself. He was also the one who managed the money that was previously managed by Mr. Wren to manage the territory. Aurora handed over the work of the White Familys territory to the other vassals who were present there. She had no intention of taking her fathers work. Besides, she believed that her father had his own intention when managing the land, so Aurora would not meddle in the slightest bit. Aurora herself was busy with her guild and also business expansion. The business didnt use her name but instead other peoples name, but it all actually belonged to her. And Aurora used the money for her own use. In this way, more than two years passed by. Despite being busy, Aurora still paid attention to various news from other places. One of them was naturally the war between the Red Kingdom and the Ice Kingdom. After the conflict broke out again, the war still lasted for a long time and no conclusions could be drawn yet. Perhaps, another few years would be needed for them to reach an agreement. But the situation didnt seem to be good on the frontline, so if they were lucky enough, next year might be the breakthrough point. Besides, the Red Kingdoms economy was affected greatly. They would need to reestablish the trades again with the other four kingdoms. Chapter 132: Time Skip Chapter 132: Time Skip Aside from the war between the Red Kingdom and the Ice Kingdom, Aurora also paid attention to the matter of the situation in the Capital Academy. The Headmaster was making a good use of the paper that Aurora shown to him. After all, Aurora was missing for a long time, but Auroras name was always at the top of the list. This made the other students who thought that they could finally escape from Auroras shadow really miserable. Just when they thought that they didnt have to see her name again, they ended up seeing her name very often at the top of the list. It could be said to be quite suffocating. Naturally, this aroused Louiss dissatisfaction. With Auroras name at the top, he was basically the forever second place. When Aurora was there, Louis couldnt really do anything because he knew very well that her test paper... was indeed much better than him. This made Louis really angry. But there was nothing that he could do about it. He could only work harder than before, trying his best to surpass Aurora. It was just the result has never reached his expectation. No matter how hard he worked, he would stay in the second place while Aurora was still on the first place. And when Aurora was absent... Louis came to find the Headmaster once again like what he did when the academy first started back then. He was ready to complain! The Headmaster simply showed the test paper that Aurora answered before. After reading this test paper, Louis fell silent. He left and didnt bother the Headmaster again. Because he understood very well that the gap between him and Aurora was not a simple gap between number one and number two. The questions that Aurora answered had long surpassed the rank of students in the academy. If these questions were given to him, Louis knew very well that he would never be able to answer any of them. Louis knew himself. He was not so capable. And there was also no need for him to learn these things. So Louis finally gave up. He could only accept that his name would forever stay on the second place while Aurora was at the top. Crown Prince Edward was still hovering in the middle, occasionally disappearing from the ranking list. He was not very interested in studying, which resulted in his interest disappearing very quickly. If not because Adela still often asked him question, Crown Prince Edward might not even bother to study. The other students in the Student Council Room? Aside from Louis, the others would definitely not study. Benny was far from being able to study well and his talent was clearly not in this field, so the teachers also turned blind eyes to him. Moreover, Benny went to apply to become a knight some time ago and passed. This made him the youngest knight in the Yellow Kingdom. After becoming a knight, Benny went to Adela and showed off his achievement which also earned him a lot of praises from Adela. Adela had known that Benny would become the youngest knight. But she also felt that it was really amazing. So she was not stingy with her praises. And with her following through the events from the game she had played, she naturally triggered many events over the course of the past two and a half year. It seemed that after Prince Charless appearance, the events could finally be triggered from time to time. The game was really long and there were so many events. Adela didnt remember everything. But she knew that she did it right when she received Bennys knight oath. No matter what, the youngest knight in the kingdom was wiling to follow her, which made Adela really happy. She also followed the events for Louis. After Louis felt troubled because his ranking was not as good as Aurora, Adela came to console him and finally earning his favor and opening up his route. In the game, the scene was really good and Adela was naturally unwilling to miss it. As for Prince Charles? Adela kept on accompanying Prince Charles to skip classes from time to time. There would be different events triggered based on what Prince Charles wanted to do. And it was all really fun. It could be said that Prince Charles path in the game was also the easiest one. Because as long as the first two events were done well and Prince Charles was willing to bring her along when he went out, then the path has been opened. What she could do later on was simply to brush favorability. Unlike the game, there was no indication whether she success or not, but Adela was having fun nevertheless. Putting aside these things... Adela had two headaches. First was Leons path. It should have opened due to a dispute between him and his fiance?e, Annelie. But the two of them rarely contacted each other so there was unlikely for there to be any conflict. At least, so far, Adela didnt manage to find it. The second event was when there was some trouble from his own territory, which made Leon confused. That was when Adela came in. But... Adela didnt know when it would happen. This event was also the most difficult to trigger in the game back then. But the game was much easier than her trying blindly like what she did right now. Because Adela had no clue about when the event would happen. She could only forget about it. As much as she wanted to trigger this event because the subsequent path with Leon was really fun, she didnt want to waste so much time with Leon. There were many other paths that she could trigger. Another thing that Adela felt rather satisfied was the fact that she was now in the same class as Crown Prince Edward and the others. Adela tried to raise this question during the winter break to her parents. Surprisingly, they agreed with her request. Chapter 133: Adela’s Side Chapter 133: Adelas Side In this way, she was in the same class with Crown Prince Edward and the others, which made it easier for her to interact with them. Adela was happy. She didnt know why her parents agree when her score could be said to be average. But since they agreed, she would simply make a good use of this position to stay even closer to Crown Prince Edward and the others. Even though Adela was happy, she also had some troubles. And that was... The events for Crown Prince Edward was usually a confrontation with Aurora. But Aurora hadnt returned to the academy after she came out to do her work not long after the fourth years first semester started. Even now, there was not even a single piece of news about Aurora. At first, Adela panicked a bit. If the events to get close to Crown Prince Edward was missing because of Auroras disappearance, then she would feel unwilling. Because she really like the story of this character and also the interaction with Adela. The events should have started from the beginning of the sixth year or it could be said to be the fifth year for Adela. After all, she was actually one year younger than the other students here. But when the first event happened... Adela realized that Auroras role was actually replaced by Mirabelle. *cough* *cough* During a tea party, Adela looked in Mirabelles direction blankly. Because at this time, Mirabelle was coughing badly and seemed to be sick. And then the servants all panicked... Shouldnt it be Aurora whos being plotted? Adela looked at the scene blankly and the other noble girls around were also confused what to do. They didnt expect that during an ordinary tea party, Mirabelle would suddenly have a problem. Thinking about Mirabelles background and all, these noble girls have a dark face. They wouldnt be blamed for being present when Mirabelle was coughing so badly, right? Uh... Was it because of these foods? Adela felt stupid. "Miss, are you alright?" "Call doctor!" It was chaos with the girls screaming and yelling at each other. The doctor was called hurriedly to treat Mirabelle. Thankfully, the doctor seemed to know how to treat it because he quickly took medicine for Mirabelle to eat. After eating the medicine, the complexion on Mirabelles face turned better. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief. They knew that if something were to happen to Mirabelle here today, they might not be able to get out of the room alive. Many of them were of lower nobility. Even those who were of higher nobility didnt want to make trouble considering the backstage behind Mirabelle. This commotion also alarmed Crown Prince Edward and his friends who came forward. Looking at his cousin whose face was pale, Crown Prince Edward didnt feel too good. No matter what, Mirabelle is still his cousin. "What happened here?" Crown Prince Edward asked and turned to look at the ladies around. Upon seeing that Adela was also there, he frowned even harder. He knew that the relationship between Mirabelle and Adela were not very good. The two of them often fought openly and covertly with each other, which actually looked quite troublesome. Thankfully, the two of them knew their limit and would not truly harm each other. Crown Prince Edward also knew Adela and felt that it shouldnt be her who did this. "We... dont know...." "Miss Mirabelle suddenly cough after eating the snacks." "Yes." "We didnt do anything." These nobles ladies gathered together for tea party. In a tea party, there were not only tea but also snacks for them to eat. These snacks were usually tailored based on the tastes of the nobles present but many of them were the common ones. When Aurora taught Adela about the tea party back then, Adela rushed out before it came to the part where they enjoyed the snacks. In this way, Adela didnt participate in it back then. But it has been several years since then and Adela also learned the proper etiquette for tea party. She had to learn to correct her habit and made them her way of living just to ensure that she would not look unsightly. Now, her etiquette was not bad. Even if it was far from comparable to Aurora, but at the very least, she would not lose her face if she were to have a tea party with other noble girls. Today should be the same. So how did this happen? Adela was confused while the other girls were still trying to make excuse that they knew nothing. "Doctor?" Crown Prince Edward listened to the excuse of these noble girls and felt his ears hurt. He turned to look at the doctor who had finished checking Mirabelle. "Its allergic reaction," the doctor replied. "Thankfully, Miss Mirabelle only ingest a little bit, which would not affect her life too much. If she had eaten more, it might threaten her life." Allergic reaction? Upon hearing this, everyone turned their eyes to Mirabelle in surprise. They didnt know that Miss Mirabelle has any allergy. This has never been told to them. Crown Prince Edward nodded and then asked, "Who host this tea party?" "Your Highness, its Miss Mirabelle." If the host was Mirabelle, she would not purposely put the food she was allergic in into the snacks. After all, she would be risking her own life in danger if she did that. Only a stupid person would do that. And it was too easy to cause suspicion. "Who prepared the snacks?" Crown Prince Edward asked another question, feeling rather impatient. The few people who followed him didnt say anything and let him take the stage. Anyway, it seemed that the crown prince needed to do this because he was angry. "Its Miss Mirabelle too." "Oh wait, Miss Serpentine also prepared the snacks along with Miss Octavia, right?" Upon hearing this, the other noble ladies also turned their head to look at the two ladies. Chapter 134: Tea Party’s Event Chapter 134: Tea Partys Event Miss Serpentine and Miss Octavia were both Mirabelles followers. The two of them were close friends with Mirabelle and often coaxed Mirabelle to make sure they could get close to her. After all, Mirabelles stature was far higher than the two of them. "No." Miss Serpentine quickly shook her head. "Miss Mirabelle didnt allow me to get prepare the food because she didnt like the taste I offer." Despite the similarities in these snacks, many of the snacks were actually of different taste. And it was clear that what Mirabelle liked was different from Miss Serpentine. In this way, Miss Serpentine had no chance to put the snacks that Mirabelle had allergic in into the snacks. She didnt even know what snacks were being provided. Her task was simply to prepare the tea and the wares. After Miss Serpentine said this, everyones attention turned to look in Miss Octavia. From their gazes, it was clear that they put the suspicion on her. "I didnt do it." Miss Octavia frowned. "I have no reason to harm Miss Mirabelle and this time, there also snacks brought by other ladies such as Miss Adela." Hearing her name being called, Adelas heart dropped to the ground. However, she quickly remembered the events that was played in the game and quickly put on an aggrieved expression on her face. "No, I didnt do it. I dont even know that Miss Mirabelle has any allergy." It was half true. Mirabelle naturally would never tell such a private information to Adela. With their relationship was like fire meeting ice, it would be a miracle for the two of them to share their own weakness to the other party. Wouldnt they have to guard against Adela in the future? "This..." Seeing the girls crying and accusing each other, Crown Prince Edward felt headache. He turned to look at Louis, who nodded at him. "Well call the teacher to preside over. Hell be fair and conduct a proper investigation to find out the truth," Louis said unhurriedly. When the others heard this, they nodded. If it was handed over to the teacher, it meant that they would let the teachers investigate this matter. "But we didnt do anything..." someone muttered. "Please cooperate for a while." Louis was still smiling, but there was a faint chill in his eyes when he looked at these female classmates. In the first place, he disliked the girls and often felt they were really troublesome. Aside from Adela who had entered his eyes recently, the other girls were not worthy of attention at all. As for Aurora? Louis could be said to be full of hatred towards Aurora and also unwillingness. Being defeated again and again had long battered his pride, making him hate Aurora very much. But he had to admit that she was indeed very capable. If Aurora was not capable, how did she able to top the monthly exams ranking? Moreover, she also completed a lot of negotiation on behalf of the Yellow Kingdom and made a lot of profit. "This..." The girls shrink back when they saw Louiss expression. They guessed that if they were to step forward and made trouble, Louis would be the first to come to them. Louis then ignored these girls and turned to look at Adela. "Lets go back first, Miss Adela." *sniff* "Yeah." Adela nodded and rubbed her eyes, looking very cute. Crown Prince Edward saw this and nodded, bringing Adela out of the room. He also needed to tell the maids to send his sister back the dormitory so that she would be able to rest properly. The other girls looked at Adelas preferential treatment and they gnashed their teeth with jealousy. It was clear that because of long term contact and familiarity, Adela was already trusted by these people. Even if she wanted to do something, it was estimated that these people would clean up her mess. Adelas background herself was also very strong. As the dukes daughter, there were many people who wanted to fawn over Adela. Besides, her starting point was also the end point for many people in the world. As much as they wanted to reach her height, there were many people who would never reach this point. "Its really troublesome," Annelie commented when she watched this scene. Not far from her, Lucy was also standing there. They didnt participate in the tea party since they were not close with Mirabelle and the few others around her. Why would they want to stay near Mirabelle and accompanied her in the tea party when they were not close to each other? They were not so stupid. And looking at this mess, it seemed that the situation in the academy was getting worse. "Its good that Lady Aurora is not here to see this scene," Lucy murmured in a low voice. Seeing how Crown Prince Edward was favoring Adela, it was not exactly a beautiful sight. Instead, it would make people feel that the Crown Prince Edward liked Adela more than he like Aurora, whos his formal fiance?e. "My fiance? is there, though," Annelie said in a light tone. "Ah... Im sorry." Lucy clasped her mouth shut. Annelie shook her head, indicating that Lucy didnt have to worry about that. While she and Leon were engaged with each other, but their relationship were actually not very good. They barely knew each others activities. Even then, they were mostly living their own lives without affecting the other partys lives. They were as good as strangers. Rather than engaged, those who saw them would rather think that they were acquaintances at best when they saw each other. That was how distant they were. "The marriage between nobles are political marriage," Annelie said unhurriedly. "If you look for feelings and compassion from this kind of relationship, youre bound to be disappointed and only hurt yourself." Lucy listened to Annelies words and looked at the other partys eyes, feeling that even if she said that, there was a trace of sadness within. Chapter 135: Tea Party’s Event (2) Chapter 135: Tea Partys Event (2) And this matter... Lucy also knew that it was the truth. She herself was also part of the nobility and naturally learn about these things from her father. The main reason why she learned swordsmanship was because her father offered her two paths to take. One was to become a proper lady to get married in the future. Second was to lead the territory on her own and the matter of the successor could be discussed in the future. She is a girl. But she also has her own dream and goal. So she chose the second option without hesitation and trained bitterly over the years. If it was not for Auroras help, her etiquette level would never reach this high and she would be humiliated by the other noble girls around her. "Do you want to go there?" Lucy asked tentatively. Annelie passed a look at Lucy. "What belong to me will remain mine but what didnt belong to me will never be mine. I dont have much expectation in the first place, why should I fight for it?" She was too lazy to fight. It would be better for her to spend her time doing other things that she liked rather than focusing on men. Well, if Annelie hadnt met with Aurora, she might want to do it. After all, her mother taught her many things about the high society and the few things that she herself had to pay attention to when she interacted with others. But after meeting Aurora and seeing how Aurora behaved plus seeing Lucy, who fought against her own fate and tried to change her future, Annelie felt that their way of doing things were more valuable and replicable. Rather than wasting her time to chase after someone, it would be better for her to spend her time to cultivate herself. It felt more memorable. Besides, she didnt have any feeling for him. It was nothing more than a marriage contract. "We should go back," Annelie finally said. "Yes." Lucy nodded. ... Adela really felt happy after she heard Louiss words. Because she knew that her action when he was done was really working. The routes were developing in the way accordance to the game that she had seen before. This made her feel more confidence. Anyway, it was also very fun. As for this incident? Later on, Mirabelle woke up and made trouble, accusing that everyone wanted to kill her. She wanted to go and find the person who wanted to kill herself and even suspected that it was Adela who did it. And it was her words that made Crown Prince Edward felt more impatient. Because he knew that Adela would not do this. He had a fierce quarrel with MIrabelle. Adela listened from outside the door and could barely make out some words along with the smashing of vase and other things inside the room. It seemed that Mirabelles temper was out of control. If its Aurora here, the scene would be very different... but did Sister really have any allergy? The scene was very similar to the game but Adela honestly couldnt remember if Aurora had any allergy. Or it should have been replaced by poison since even if Aurora didnt have any allergy, she couldnt possibly be resistant to all poisons. As for the conclusion of the events in the game? It was naturally Aurora was angry, but she didnt throw her temper around. Auroras character development was very different from the explosive Mirabelle. Even if she looked pale and weak, she still ordered fierce investigation. When they were found, Aurora tortured them crazily and even caused deaths. And it was Crown Prince Edward who felt that Aurora was too fierce. She was still alive, why did she have to go so hard to torture these people. He felt disappointed in her. But Aurora didnt think that she did wrong. Its really gory. Adela shivered when she thought that the game CG was indeed not very good to look at. If she had to see those things in real life, then Adela would definitely faint. She couldnt possibly stand such a scene. Bam! The door was slammed shut after Crown Prince Edward walked out. He looked at Adela and the other three who were waiting for him with apologetic expression. "Sorry to make you wait so long," Crown Prince Edward said and his tone had calmed down slightly compared to the time when he was yelling towards Mirabelle inside the room just now. The others nodded. They knew that Crown Prince Edward was not in the good mood, so they have no intention to ask what he did. Anyway, it was good enough that he was able calm down now. "Well, its almost time for class." Leon had his hands behind his head. "Shall we go back there and have some spar in the meantime?" "Sure, just let me win this time," Crown Prince Edward replied with a smile. "No way, your skills are too bad." "Tsk, Louis, how about you...." "Your Highness, I wont spar with you," Louis replied with a deadpan expression. It was clear that even if he were to be forced to spar, he would never agree. "Ugh..." Adela smiled when she heard their conversation and joined in to watch in the fun. This life is really good! ... Time passed quickly and it was already the middle of their last year in the academy. Adela knew that not all events could be replaced by Mirabelle. But there were still one event that she experienced that made Adela felt really good. It was during the time when Crown Prince Edward left for a few days because his mother called him. He brought some gifts back. And he didnt only bring them for Mirabelle but also for Adela. This happened right in front of Mirabelle, which seemed to show that Adela had a high position in Crown Prince Edwards heart. Mirabelles expression when she saw that looked really pale. Chapter 136: Aurora’s Return Chapter 136: Auroras Return Adela had to say that seeing Mirabelle in that situation, she felt really good. After all, she had a bad relationship with Mirabelle. So when she saw the other partys misfortune, she would feel comfortable all over. Of course, it didnt mean that she would actively try to make trouble to Mirabelle. She had no such talent. It would be better for her to spend her time admiring the beautiful... I mean, handsome boys around her. The routes from the game were still being followed faithfully even if there were some differences occasionally here and there. In any case, Adela felt really comfortable. It was just... She didnt have any other female friends. The other girls didnt seem to give her any good look when they looked in her direction. It was clear that they were jealous of Adelas position. They felt that such a good thing shouldnt have come to her lap. She already had the highest possible status below the Royal Family and then she still has the favor of the few people who were close to Crown Prince Edward. What could they do aside from feeling jealous? Anyway, Adela didnt care in the slightest bit. She didnt really need friends who didnt appear in the game in the slightest bit. Because they were all not important people. If they couldnt even be named in the game, it meant they didnt play any important role. In the Student Council Room, Benny looked at the book in Adelas hand with some confusion. "Is that book really interesting?" "Ah?" Adela was half reading and half day dreaming. In a few months, it would be their graduation ceremony. The most important event during the graduation ceremony should be Crown Prince Edwards engagement breaking. Of course, that was if Adela wanted to continue in Crown Prince Edwards path. But the problem was, with some crucial events, it was impossible for her to finish Crown Prince Edwards path. And these crucial events... It was simply impossible to trigger without Auroras presence in the academy. For this, Adela felt a bit uncomfortable. Could it be that she was destined not to be able to follow Crown Prince Edwards path? Adela was unwilling. Compared to Crown Prince Edward, Louis, Benny, and Prince Charles all didnt seem to be that very good of an option. Well, they were not that bad, but her favorite character has always been Crown Prince Edward. So what Adela wanted was to see through the path until the end for Crown Prince Edward. Of course, if she couldnt do that, then Adela would have to choose the other paths. Anyway, the trigger for the last events would depend on Adelas action and not based on others. So if she wanted to follow a certain path until the very end, she only needed to do the last event before the graduation party. If she picked someone else but Crown Prince Edward, there wouldnt be any engagement breaking. After all, it was not necessary. Of course, if Adela had followed through the path of Crown Prince Edward until nearing the last part, it was still possible for this event to be triggered. But at that time, Adela would not be one of the main protagonist and only the bystander watching from the side along with the chosen man she picked. "Its okay," Adela quickly answered when she realized what Benny was asking. Benny was simple minded and reckless person. Even though so, Adela didnt actually like Bennys character that much. If not because she wanted a knight for free who would do all of her bidding, she would not pick Benny in the first place and followed the path. While she would still brush her presence in front of Benny from time to time, Adela didnt have the interest to continue the follow up events anymore. She didnt want to end up with this reckless knight. "Is it?" Benny was looking at the book and then shrugged. He walked to the window and looked outside, his eyebrows arched. "No wonder theres commotion, your sister is coming back." "Huh?" Adela was stunned and quickly stood up. She rushed to the window and saw the familiar carriage stopping in front of the academy. There was also the female figure who had come down from the carriage while being followed by her maids and knights. The familiar familys crest made Adela smiled. Shes finally here. Does it mean that the next event would trigger soon? Adela felt excited when she thought about this. Shes already impatient. ... With the break from the academy, Aurora was able to do many things in the past three years. At the same time, she had also grown up. Her height didnt increase much, but her beautiful face had become more defined and no longer looked so childish. If one had to say, she looked even more elegant and beautiful than three years ago. In fact, Aurora could return earlier. But she had the feeling that it would be better for her to return at this time. The few things that happened in the academy including the few troubles that Adela faced were all sent to Aurora some time ago. It could be said that Aurora still knew what Adela was doing. She had to say, though. Her sister really knew how to make trouble. But to be able to get their heart and attention, its not bad at all. When Aurora saw that the attitude of the few people around Adela had changed, Aurora knew very well that Adela was following the few things that she had written in that paper. Even if some things looked rather unreasonable and strange, but Adela somehow made the people fall for her. This made Aurora feel that things were really ridiculous. While some of these men were indeed a bit stupid, but to be led around the nose by Adela like this... were they idiots? Oh well, Aurora never have much expectation for them in the first place. Chapter 137: Elegant Chapter 137: Elegant These people were all proper second generation. They all have powerful background behind them and also the best education was handed over to them in the golden platter. It was no longer a silver platter again because of how hard their backstage is. But the problem was... These people were all expected to hold important position when they grew up in the future. Oh, except for Leon and Benny. Both of them have older brother who will inherit their fathers title, which was why there was no problem even if their education was a bit of a mess. As long as their own swordsmanship reached a certain level, they would be able to have a bright future. That was why the teachers also ignored these two. Leon himself was not that bad since he was able to pass the cultural classes even if his score was hovering at the passing line and only barely passable. But Benny? It was not an exaggeration to say that he was indeed the stupidest person around. The other three, they were all expected to stand in high position in the future. If there was no upset, Crown Prince Edward will become the king, Louis would be the future prime minister, and Prince Charles would also become the king... Oh the last one was not certain yet. Thinking about the situation in the Red Kingdom recently, the corner of Auroras lips curled up slightly. If Prince Charles continued this way, no matter how much his mother wanted him to inherit that position and worked hard to forge his path, he would never be able to become the king. Well, it was not her business. Aurora looked at the familiar academy in front of her. "Im finally back," Aurora muttered in a low voice. She didnt really want to come back, but she also knew that she had to come back. There were some recent events that told her that if she didnt come back, she wouldnt be able to survive. Was it the will of the world? Aurora didnt know. She didnt really believe in fate. Because she hated it very much. Having her entire life controlled in the hands of others and not able to do anything by herself, Aurora felt rather suffocated. But because she wanted to live, she had to follow through with this. Also... She wanted to follow through with Adelas little events. "Les, bring my belongings back to the dormitory," Aurora gave the order. "William and Lester will stay not far from the dormitory to protect me if its necessary." "Yes, Miss." The three people all answered at the same time. At this time, Prince Lester was wearing a mask to cover his face, so only his mouth and eyes were visible. This was because Prince Lesters appearance was troublesome. It was better to be like this. While the mask would make some people pay attention, the number would be lesser. Tep. Aurora walked in and saw Annelie rushing forward. She smiled helplessly. "Why are you in such a hurry, Annelie?" "Of course Im in a hurry!" Annelie stopped in front of Aurora and crossed her arms. "You havent returned to the Capital Academy in such a long time! I cant see you and only see your letter." "My apologies," Aurora apologized to Annelie with a helpless smile and bowed slightly. Looking at Auroras behavior, Annelie looked at bit at loss for a moment. Because she felt... Auroras movements are too beautiful! People liked beautiful thing and Annelie was definitely not an exception. She felt that the current Aurora looked far more beautiful and elegant, which made her want to watch for a long time. But ah... *cough* Im straight, Im straight, Im straight... Annelie silently chanted in her brain so that she would not be led astray by Aurora. Because seeing such a beautiful girl in front of her, it was a bit hard for her not to be moved. "Hmph!" Annelie looked away and then said, "I forgive you this time." Aurora smiled. She looked around and then asked, "I didnt see Lucy, did she has class at this time?" It should be break time, so the students should have any classes at all. But Aurora couldnt see Lucy at all, which made her a bit curious. "Ah, about this." Annelie quickly took out a letter from her small bag. "Lucy told me to give this to you if you return. She had returned to her territory a few weeks ago because of her fathers order. She estimated that she couldnt graduate with the others, so she asked for an early graduation." An early graduation. It was not impossible to ask since some nobles had to do many things when they were back in their territory. These things could be time sensitive and it was impossible for them to wait for the graduation time. For these people, the principal was willing to make exception. Even if Lucys result was not really good, but she was qualified to graduate. In this way, the principal gave her certificate in advance and let Lucy went back to her territory. "Shes back to her territory?" Aurora asked with a faint frown. Lucys territory was located at the north of the Yellow Kingdom, which was bordering the Mountain Kingdoms. Mountain Kingdoms was a relatively small kingdoms that directly bordered the Yellow Kingdom, the Red Kingdom, and the Ice Kingdom. It was also the kingdom where the water sources that flew into the Red Kingdoms territory and the other three kingdoms territory came from. Thankfully, the Mountain Kingdom was a relatively peaceful kingdom. They would not provoke others. And others also didnt want to provoke them that much. Because the Mountain Kingdom was a place that was hard to attack due to the natural geography. At the same time, it was also harder for them to go there because the mountain routes were rugged. The Mountain Kingdom was used to be self sufficient even if they could be said to be a bit poor. Chapter 138: Talk with the Headmaster Chapter 138: Talk with the Headmaster From what Aurora knew, there was no conflict between the Mountain Kingdom and the Yellow Kingdom. So it sounded a bit strange when Aurora heard that Lucy went back to her territory first because of this. But... Perhaps Ice Kingdom is making trouble near the border? After all, the territory was also near the territory of Red Kingdom. It was not impossible for the war to be brought in even if the chance was low. "Let me take a look?" Aurora asked. Annelie nodded and handed the letter over. It was still sealed with Lucys familys seal. As the heir of her territory, Lucy was qualified to use her familys seal. Aurora opened the letter and read the content on the spot. Lucy herself didnt know the details of what happened in her territory. What she knew was that the situation of the border was not very good and her father asked her to return. With this reason alone, it was enough for Lucy to ask to graduate early and then left the Capital Academy to her territory. After all, the journey from the Capital Academy to Lucys territory would take some time. Her territory was located at the border. And if Aurora was not wrong, it would take around a month to go there. "I see." Aurora put the letter away and nodded at Annelie. "It seems that we cant have a tea party together to celebrate my return." Annelies eyes flashed. After not seeing Aurora for a long time and seeing how elegant Aurora has become, Annelie was a bit greedy to see more of Auroras move. Dont get her wrong. It was purely appreciation of beauty! After all, Annelie didnt want to make a mistake. "Theres no problem to hold a tea party with two people," Annelie said tentatively. Aurora smiled when she heard Annelies words. She could guess that Annelie really wanted them to have tea party together. After all, it has been some time. "In that case, well have a tea party later. I need to report to the Headmaster and meet with His Highness first," Aurora said. Annelie nodded. She knew that Aurora had only returned to the Capital Academy after some time, so there were things that she had to do. She would not want to hinder Aurora from doing what she should do. "In that case, Ill wait in the club room first." "Yes." Aurora nodded. The two of them went their separate ways and Aurora made her way to the Headmasters room. It could be said that she has been a frequent visitor to this place during the time when she was in the Capital Academy. Of course, the other times were mostly because of Adela who made trouble. Even Aurora didnt understand how simple incidents could turn into a misunderstanding when facing with Adela. It seemed as if those whom Adela deemed as her enemies would have conflict with her even if it was not their intention. Aurora never wanted to make trouble for Adela. But for some reasons, there were several times when she was accused that way, making Aurora wondered if there was something wrong with the world. Knock! Knock! "Come in." Aurora walked in and saw the Headmaster was busy with the paper in his hand. He raised his head and smiled when he saw Aurora. "I thought youre not going to return to the academy again, Lady Aurora." "How could that be?" Aurora shook her head. "I still have some unfinished business to do in the Capital Academy." Unfinished business? The Headmaster was rather speechless when he heard Auroras words. By all means, Auroras abilities had long passed the standard for the students in the academy. Even many teachers were actually not as good as Aurora. Did she really want to come here to study? He highly doubted that Aurora could study much when she was here. "You can still attend the classes as usual if you want to," the Headmaster finally said. Anyway, Aurora has always been a good student who didnt make any trouble for the teachers. Even if she was smarter than them, but as long as she was willing to listen to the teachers words, it was all good. "I would like to ask a question, Headmaster." "Yes?" The Headmaster was looking at Aurora, who was still standing in front of him. The expressions on Auroras face looked rather solemn. "There are people from other noble families mixed in the academy," Aurora started slowly. The Headmaster was not surprised that Aurora knew about this matter. In fact, it was quite easy to find out as long as one had enough connection and information gathering ability. After all, these people were not the best at covering their tracks. They were here mostly for the sake of the students that belonged to these noble families. "The academy exists to serve the nobles," the Headmaster replied. He knew about them. But he would not say it out loud nor admitting about it. Because he knew that if he did, he might have to face some questioning from others. Because not all teachers would be happy to know that they were actually under surveillance. But this academy was an academy for nobles. How could those people not send some people to watch over their children? Only some families were either confident in their childrens abilities or confident in the academys ability that they didnt send more people than the people who directly followed the children. For example, Aurora. The few people who followed Aurora were only the maid and the two knights she brought with her. Others? There were none from the White Family. Not only in the present but also in the past, the Headmaster didnt find any. But he didnt ask. He simply pretended he didnt know anything. Because this was the only way the academy could last for a long time. Without the funding and the approval of the nobles, it was impossible for the academy to be able to continue operating for years. Chapter 139: Talk with the Headmaster (2) Chapter 139: Talk with the Headmaster (2) Aurora nodded. She was not surprised by the Headmasters answer. As the person who led the academy, he should have his own means to see through the situation in the academy. After all, he couldnt possibly let other people cause trouble in his territory. "You have such an interesting way to manage your academy, Headmaster." Aurora smiled faintly and looked at the headmaster in front of her. The Headmaster only shrugged and didnt say anything. There were many forces intertwined with various interest. If the Headmaster were to be stubborn and didnt make a good use of this matter, then he would be the stupid one. Because he understood very well that if he were to fight against the current, there would be more than enough ways to make him die without intact corpses. The Headmaster still wanted to live a few more years, so he naturally would not do anything that would hurt himself. The management of the academy itself required a lot of matters. From funding, security, and many others. Even if the Headmaster kicked those people out, he knew that they would only send more people to watch over him. Because this academy had touched the interest of many people. "There are a lot of powerful and important people in the academy. If I wish to survive, I need to be able to balance these forces," the Headmaster replied. In a way, it might be similar to the court. Because it involved a lot of people who were interested, they would pay more attention to the academy. They would not let the academy off easily if it were to do anything that harm their interest. Monitoring was the most basic things. The Headmaster didnt think that he had done anything wrong and his way of managing the academy itself was pretty transparent. In this way, these people shouldnt make any trouble to him. But they did make some moves against some students in the academy. For this matter, the Headmaster was also helpless. He couldnt possibly be involved in every dispute between students and monitoring all of them was also a difficult task. So, the Headmaster simply turned a blind eye of what has been happening. This was the best move for him. "I see." Aurora nodded, not giving any comment to the Headmaster. The Headmaster looked at Aurora in front of him and arched his eyebrows. "I dont think youre here just to complain about my management system, Miss Aurora?" If she was here only to disturb him and made complain about this matter, the Headmaster felt that Aurora simply had too much free time in her hands. "No." Aurora shook her head. "Im here to ask some questions to the Headmaster." "Yes?" "Would you like to remain in this status quo or to change it?" Aurora asked slowly. The Headmaster froze. The status quo that Aurora mentioned should be their current situation in which he had to follow and abide the rules set by the nobles and so on. There was simply no chance for him to do anything else. And so far, this was what the Headmaster had done. He didnt want to challenge the nobles and so on because it would be troublesome. There was also no chance for him to make any move because if he were to do something, there would be more people who would stop him from achieving his goal. Over the years, the Headmaster had gotten used to it. Even if he had some grievances and annoyance, he never voiced it out. The Headmaster looked at Aurora. "Are you speaking as part of the nobility or as someone separated from them?" Aurora is Duke Whites daughter and technically also part of the nobility. The situation in the academy was very suitable for those who were part of the nobility and Aurora should be no exception. But her words seemed to tell the Headmaster that she was willing to change her position. "What do you think, Headmaster?" Aurora replied, not answering clearly. She didnt dare to speak about this matter loudly because Aurora knew that many people were watching her every move. But at the same time, Aurora didnt want to keep this matter all the time. There were some people whom she could talk to about this. The Headmaster sighed. "There would be no free lunch and this old bone couldnt really stand being tossed around." Even if there was a chance in front of him to change the situation and everything, but the Headmaster knew very well that he couldnt take it. He was no longer young and at this moment, what he wanted the most was to be able to rest and manage the academy well. For other things... He couldnt touch and didnt dare to touch either. There were so many times that he wanted to try when he was younger. But there has never been any chance. Now, the chance came when he was already older... And the Headmaster couldnt take it. HIs body wouldnt be able to withstand or to follow through it until the very end. "I see." Aurora was not disappointed by the Headmasters answer. She could see that he was someone who has long got used to this situation. Even if he wanted to fight back, it was hard to do so with his old age. In this way, the Headmaster could only keep this status quo. The Headmaster smiled when he saw Auroras response. She was so calm and composed as if nothing could bother her in the slightest bit. But perhaps it was also because of this that she could reach her current position. "If you do need my help, I dont mind lending some hands. However, the academy couldnt be biased towards their students too much," the Headmaster said with helpless tone. Auroras eyes flickered She looked at the Headmasters expression and understood what he wanted to do. He would basically take advantage of what she would do. But... Its fine. This kind of negotiation worked better than nothing. Chapter 140: Talk with the Headmaster (3) Chapter 140: Talk with the Headmaster (3) "Its good," Aurora replied. The Headmaster smiled brightly. The two of them didnt discuss anything about this matter in details. After all, it would not be good if someone were to overhear what they said. "One more thing, my arrival to the Capital Academy might also attract some attention and problems," Aurora reminded. Since she was going to stay here for the next few months, Aurora was sure that these people would start making their moves against her. She was not sure what they would do. But there was nothing wrong with warning the Headmaster first. Because she would be staying here and it was impossible for her not to let the Headmaster knew about such a matter. "Ah..." The Headmaster sighed. To be honest, there were many problems recently. Almost every three days, there would be trouble that somehow involved Adela again and again. It was to the point that the Headmaster was so tired when he read the report. He even started to wonder if Adela was a jinx. Because there were so many problems. From childish and small troubles to the troubles that could affect the image of the academy as a whole. In the past, Adela did make some troubles. But it was only once every few months, which was not very concerning. At least, for the Headmaster, it was not. After all, there were many other students who also made troubles such as those who kept on sitting at the bottom of their classes. For some students whose parents have great expectation for them, seeing their children performance would make them dissatisfied. Some of them would come to the Headmaster. But lately... The Headmaster was so busy. Now, Auroras return would definitely also attract many peoples attention. "...Do you want to start joining the ranks of troublemakers?" The Headmaster asked helplessly. If this was what Aurora wanted to do, then it was unlikely that the Headmaster would be able to do anything. If Aurora truly wanted to, she would definitely figure out a way to achieve her goal. Shes also really smart. The Headmaster really didnt want to make enemies with this girl. Well, there were also many other people whom he didnt want to make enemies with because it was so troublesome. But for Aurora, he was afraid that he would be killed without knowing the reason. Because Aurora might really do that. "No." Aurora shook her head. She had no interest to take the initiative to make trouble. "But there might be some people who might want to make trouble to me." The Headmaster frowned. In that case, it would be troublesome. Because he was sure that if Aurora planned to retaliate on the spot, there might be a big drama in the academy. He could guess that Auroras experience in the past three years or so were not ordinary. At least, no other students would face so many assassinations and so on before they truly grew up and become the familys head like Aurora. There were so many people who couldnt wait to see Aurora die. If the Headmaster had to say, he felt that Auroras life was truly miserable and this made him wonder how she cope up with it. Because if he was placed in Auroras position, he knew very well that he wouldnt be able to do it. The Headmaster sighed. "Do you need me to do anything, Lady Aurora?" "No." Aurora shook her head and then smiled. "You just have to keep watching and collect enough evidences. Itll be useful in the future." Collect evidences? The Headmaster: "..." He felt that Aurora was going to play a big game, a game that might be able to change the entire academy. The problem is... if Aurora really wanted to toss, then she could truly do it. He couldnt stop her and he had no power to stop her. But... He was really worried for the academy now. "Lady Aurora, do you plan to toss the academy?" The Headmaster asked, his tone was a bit bitter. He was afraid that after Auroras tossing, there wouldnt be any Capital Academy again in the Yellow Kingdom. No matter what, the Headmaster had some feelings for the academy. He didnt want to see the academy disappear. "Dont worry so much. As long as you collect the evidences, you can get away from it," Aurora said. "If I truly want to destroy the academy, would I come to you and say these?" After saying that, Aurora turned around and left. She had said everything that she needed to say to the Headmaster. What happened next in the Capital Academy was no longer something that could be managed by the Headmaster in the slightest bit. He could only watch. Because if he were to get involved, then it would be impossible for him to stay in this position and the Capital Academy itself might be destroyed. *sigh* The Headmaster saw Auroras back and the closed door, feeling really conflicted. He knew that these nobles had their conflicts and so on, which was usually brought in the High Society and so on. But this time... Auroras presence caused the conflicts to be brought to the academy. And it was not only Aurora. Other nobles also more or less have more contradictions with each other, which made the situation worse. One of them was Adela, who made the Headmaster felt great headache lately. And the differences between them and Aurora was that they didnt even know there were more conflicts. It was treated as nothing more than childrens dispute, which was not worth mentioning. But now that Aurora reminded him, the Headmaster knew that the next conflict would definitely be worse. As for who Aurora would face? The Headmaster had no idea, but he might be able to find out through following the clues and evidences in the future... That is only if he had the courage to do so. *sigh* The Headmaster sighed again. He felt that this generation of children were really troublesome. Chapter 141: You Haven’t Changed Chapter 141: You Havent Changed After Aurora left the Headmasters office, she went to see Crown Prince Edward. Since she didnt know where Crown Prince Edward was, Aurora made her way to the Student Council Room. Knock! Knock! "Enter." Aurora entered the room and saw Adela and Benny inside, but she didnt see anyone else. She blinked her eyes and showed a gentle smile. "Its been a while, Adela." "Sister." Adela was also smilingly brightly. She was so happy for Auroras return because this meant that the next event might be triggered soon. Over the past few days, she has been worrying about this. Thankfully, Aurora finally come back. "Have you been doing well?" Aurora asked. "Yes, Sister. Im dong well," Adela replied crisply. Benny listened to their conversation and frowned. He had the feeling that something was wrong, but he couldnt really pinpoint what it was. In the end, he simply stood on the sidelines and watched these two people chatted with each other. In any case, he was not close with Aurora. They hadnt even spoken more than a few sentences to each other due to their differences and so on. "Do you know where His Highness is?" Aurora finally asked. Adelas eyes flickered when she heard this. But thinking that Aurora is still Crown Prince Edwards fiance?e, she answered, "Hes in the field, sparring with Leon and Louis." Sparring with Louis? Thinking of that mans thin arm, Aurora seriously doubted that Louis could even hold a sword properly to fight. It was more appropriate to say that Crown Prince Edward would beat up Louis to no end. "I see." Aurora nodded. "Do you want to go there and see him, Sister?" Adela asked. Aurora shook her head. She had no interest to go to the field at this time to find Crown Prince Edward. Even if she still has her own swordsmanship training, it was not very good and her talent was clearly not in this field. It was only enough to let her protect herself to a certain degree and let her exercise to stay healthy. "Ill wait here. Do you want some tea, Adela?" Aurora asked. "Yes, Sister." With that, Aurora stepped forward and went to the cupboard where they kept the tea. She could see that the location of the items hadnt changed in the slightest bit. Everything was where it should be. She lowered her eyes slightly and started to make tea, her movements was clearly very skillful and elegant. Adela watched from the back. There was a faint jealousy within her heart when she saw this. She knew very well that Aurora was really good and her elegant movements could throw everyone else miles away. It could be said that in terms of etiquette, not many people could compare with Aurora. Aurora turned around and saw the emotion in Adelas eyes. She shook her head internally but didnt say anything on the surface. Only Aurora knew how much effort and time she spent in order to perfect her etiquette. Not only her etiquette, her study and work, were all paid with blood, tears, and sweat over the years in order to reach this rank. But people were used to see the result. They didnt care about the effort spent behind it. Aurora also had no intention of telling this matter to anyone. Because she felt that it would be a waste of time. So what even if they knew? It would not change anything. "Come and drink some tea, Adela," Aurora said, her tone was still as gentle as ever. "Ah, okay." Adela nodded absentmindedly. For some reasons, she felt that Aurora was simply the perfect example for etiquette. It was no wonder that even if she was a villainess in the game, she has so many loyal fans who liked her. Well, it was mostly the men who were attracted by her beauty and talent who were her fans in her previous world. Aurora sat down and drank the tea she prepared calmly. She was ready to wait for a long time. Adela was sitting in front of Aurora, watching as Aurora was still as relaxed as ever, without any trace of impatience or worry. It seemed as if the problem of the world had nothing to do with Aurora in the slightest bit. She looked so peaceful. Bang! The door opened and it was Leon who walked inside. "Damn, next time its a joint attack, Im not being the target!" "I cant let others do the task." Crown Prince Edwards voice came behind Leon, sounded helpless and also amused. "Theres Benny!" Leon complained. "His skills are too good..." Crown Prince Edward shrugged. His words stopped when he saw Aurora was sitting there and raised her head. Three years of not meeting each other, Crown Prince Edward felt that Aurora didnt change that much. She still looked as beautiful and elegant as she used to be in the past. Aurora raised her head and looked at Crown Prince Edward. She showed a gentle smile on her face. "Your Highness, its been a while. You havent changed at all." Hmm? Crown Prince Edward nodded in response and walked inside to sit beside Adela. Behind him, Louis followed while fixing his clothes. He was trying to fight with Leon not long ago along with Crown Prince Edward since this prince had a whim to fight. Now that he saw Aurora was back, he frowned. The memory of him being beaten in the classes and so on appeared in his mind. This made Louis felt rather annoyed. He didnt like Aurora. "Yes. I can say the same to you, Lady Aurora," Crown Prince Edward said slowly. He thought for a moment and then said, "Mother said that she would like to see you if you have time." Queen Ella wanted to see her. Aurora thought about that annoying queen and sighed deeply in her heart. She knew very well that Queen Ella wanted her to get close to Crown Prince Edward and so on. But... Chapter 142: Provocation? Chapter 142: Provocation? Aurora didnt really want to. Previously, she followed her order because she had no other choice but to do it. But after coming out and having a lot of other things to do, Aurora realized that she couldnt stay like this. This was the reason why she hadnt returned for a long time. But now that she had returned, Aurora didnt plan to go and see Queen Ella or it would be troublesome. Besides, she had guesses about what Queen Ella wanted. "I have only returned to the academy and needed time to consolidate my study," Aurora said with an apologetic smile. "I dont think Ill be able to see Her Highness soon, Your Highness." "Is that so?" Crown Prince Edward nodded but didnt seem to care about this anymore. After that, they talked a few more words such as how Crown Prince Edward has been doing and his study. Hearing that his study didnt really have any improvement aside from occasionally above the passing line, Aurora was not surprised. Even with Adelas presence, it was impossible for her to push Crown Prince Edward to change if he didnt really want it from the bottom of his heart. He only studied in order to be able to show off in front of Adela. It was ridiculous. Such a reason would definitely not let him last in his study for a long time and Aurora had guessed that with time, Crown Prince Edward would be beaten back to his original shape. And the result was as she had guessed. After the talk, Aurora left and went to ask around about Prince Charles. The result? Hes even worse than Crown Prince Edward. This generation of princes were indeed troublesome. Aurora shook her head and made her way to the dormitory. Today is the first day she came back to the academy in a while, so it would be better for her to rest first. ... Queen Ella was resting in her room when she heard the news from her maid that Aurora had returned. She was now in the Capital Academy and attended classes as normal as if nothing had happened. But three years... "Do you really think that you can do something even if you go out and stay in the White Family territory for three years?" Queen Ella snorted. She felt that the Capital Academy was really too lax when dealing with a student like Aurora. Because of her position and work, she often went out and didnt even attend classes properly. The maids around Queen Ella didnt dare to speak. They knew that the queen was not in a good mood. Who would be when they were already making many plans but none of them could be executed because the person she wanted to target was so far away. Now that Aurora is back. Its time... "Call him back." Queen Ellas eyes narrowed. "Im sure that there are many people who couldnt wait to see her." "Yes, Your Highness." ... The night passed by quietly. When it was morning, Aurora woke up early and found Prince Lester was already waiting for her. Over the past few years, Prince Lester had been following her and also learned various things. Of course, based on their agreement with each other, Prince Lester would also do various things for Aurora. These were naturally things that were not easy to be mentioned on the surface. Because Aurora had things that she wished to achieve but her position had put constraint on her, making it not easy for her to do everything so freely. Prince Lesters existence had helped her to do many things. "Miss," Prince Lester called out. "Have you figured out whos making some moves upon my return?" Aurora asked slowly as she let Prince Lester into her dormitory. "Yes, Miss." Prince Lester bowed slightly. He spoke a few nobility names and at the last moment, he said, "Her Highness seems to be in a hurry." Her Highness? Aurora arched her eyebrows and thought about Queen Ella. She chuckled and didnt feel too surprised. "That woman only wants everything that she could control and those who are not willing to be under her will be removed." When Aurora saw Queen Ella back then, Aurora knew very well that Queen Ella was someone who would not let others go if they were not willing to serve her. She didnt like Aurora. Because Aurora is too strong. Aurora knew this very well and was not bothered with it. She knew that if she wished to stand on the top, she was bound to offend some people. Queen Ella was just one of the many people who didnt want to see Aurora succeeded and sat on the high position. Or perhaps, she didnt want her son to be led by others? But if that was the case, Queen Ella would dislike Adela more than Aurora because Crown Prince Edward listened to Adela more than Aurora. In fact, if Adela wanted to coax Crown Prince Edward, it could be done very easily. On the other hand, Auroras influence on Crown Prince Edward was very limited. So Aurora concluded that it was not because of Crown Prince Edward that Queen Ella disliked her. She just didnt want to hand over the position of the crown princess so easily to Aurora. "Miss..." Prince Lester frowned when he heard this. Aurora saw Prince Lesters expression and chuckled. "Are you worried for me, Lester? You dont have to be for I know that shell definitely make a move." Prince Lester didnt answer and only looked at Aurora in front of him. His gaze seemed to be telling her that he was not happy that she was putting her life on the line but at the same time, he also knew that he couldnt do anything. Because hes technically her knight right now and it was his duty to protect Aurora, no matter what she was doing or what happened to her. Chapter 143: Waiting Chapter 143: Waiting Aurora smiled. She had to say that after a few years, Prince Lester truly played the role of her knight very well. It was to the point that Aurora sometimes forgot that the person in front of her should have higher status than her. Because the Ice Kingdom behind Prince Lester also has big influence in the world. The war between the Ice Kingdom and the Red Kingdom was only one of the few things that affected many things greatly. "She couldnt do anything openly," Aurora said slowly. "So even if she were to make a move, shell do it covertly. Ill leave it to you to protect my rear." Prince Lester looked at Aurora in front of him deeply and bowed down. "Yes, Miss." Aurora smiled faintly and waved her hand. "You may go." "Yes, Miss." Turning around, Aurora slowly made her way to the balcony and looked outside. There were many other noble students who were busy with other things, laughing and playing with each other. While they would maintain their etiquette as part of the nobility, they were also expressing theirselves freely to a certain degree. It was really nice. If I had been born in lower nobility, would it be possible for me to live a freer life? Aurora muttered in a low voice. The what if conjecture has always been the contemplation points that many people used. Because they knew very well that if their lives trajectory has been different, there would be many different results. But they also knew that this what if is nothing more than pipe dreams. There were many things that couldnt be changed, so they could only accept it. And her own birth family was one of the few things that Aurora could never change. "Les, come inside." "Yes, Miss." Les, Auroras maidservant, has been waiting for Aurora and naturally served Aurora well over the years. While other people would have more trusted maidservants, Aurora had to say that she only trusted Les. The others could only be given trust to a certain degree but not truly allowed to get close to Aurora. "I would like you to inspect the food they sent to me every day." Aurora looked at Les and smiled faintly. "Its going to be a bit dangerous here." "Miss..." Les frowned. She felt that the people in the academy wouldnt do anything like that, but then she was not sure whether these people would truly dare to do it or not. Because Auroras existence alone had made many people wary. "Is it possible for you to step away?" Les asked carefully. "If its possible, I would not come back at all," Aurora said lightly. She didnt know what it is, but she had the feeling that she had to return to the Capital Academy and faced her sister and the others here. There were many people who were slowly but surely pushing her forward so that she would come back to Yellow Kingdoms Capital Academy. Aurora didnt know what to say about these people. But she did need an ending. "Without coming back here, theres no way that things could reach the conclusion." Aurora looked at the window and slowly moved her gaze away. She looked down at her hand and smiled faintly. "Just in case, you have to be prepared." She came back this time not to study or to live a normal life like before. From the moment Aurora decided to go out of the Capital Academy for a long period of time, Aurora knew that there were many people who were already waiting for her misfortune or even death. The use of poison... Was only one of the few basic things. "Yes, Miss." Les bowed and then left. Aurora sighed and shook her head. She had made a lot of preparations.... Now, she just have to wait for them to make a move. ... Auroras arrival to Yellow Kingdoms Capital City naturally made some people moved their thoughts. They knew that the current political situation was not very good. And Queen Ella was not very happy with this daughter in law of hers. She has been trying to make things difficult for Aurora from time to time, but Aurora refused to even see her on the basis that she had to study. Had to study? Looking at the ranking list where Auroras name was still at the very top, Queen Ella knew very well that this was nothing more than an excuse made by Aurora. Even after an entire day, what Queen Ella heard was nothing more than the piece of news that Aurora had attended the class as normal. Heh, did she really think that she could get away so easily? "When will that man come?" Queen Ella asked. "Your Majesty, hell take some time." Queen Ella snorted. "Then, send the words to some others. Im sure that theyll be happy to hear that Aurora is in the Capital Academy. That academys security isnt the best either." With Aurora helping some nobles to win various trades, she had offended those who had similar statuses and eventually pressed back because of these nobles. Moreover, there were also those who didnt have good relationship with Duke White. If they could make things difficult for Aurora because of her father behind her, why not? At least, that was the thoughts of some people behind. So while the surface was calm, there were already some turmoils behind that set off, ready to cause as much trouble as possible. Bang! In the midst of the night, some people who sneaked into the Capital Academy were thrown out again. They came in one piece. And came out in several pieces. Blood stained the grounds along with some other pieces of flesh and blood that splattered the ground. One with weak heart might not be able to stand this kind of view. But the two people who tossed these things out had indifferent expression on their faces. They didnt seem to take this matter to the heart either. Chapter 144: Another Accusation Chapter 144: Another Accusation "The security of the Capital Academy is really bad," one of them, William, commented and his eyes were really cold. Assassination towards Aurora had been quite common in the past few years. It seemed as if these people thought that Aurora had no one to protect her, so it would be easy to send some assassins to take her life. Too bad that none of these assassins were destined to come out alive. "Its on purpose," the other person, Prince Lester, wiped his hand calmly. "With Crown Prince Edward in the Capital Academy, there have always been people from the Imperial Palace send to see him." Staying in the darkness and having good skills, Prince Lester naturally noticed that there were many guards around Crown Prince Edward. In this way, those who wanted to do anything bad to Crown Prince Edward would have to think twice. Of course, the stupid ones would end up like these corpses. "Oh, that stupid Crown Prince Edward," William said coldly. He didnt like Crown Prince Edward. From the beginning until the very end, William felt that he would never like this Crown Prince Edward. Because he could see that this was a person who only relied on his status and wasted his life. He didnt do anything useful and still flaunted his life as if he deserved everything. For William, such a person truly didnt deserve Aurora. If it was not because of Crown Prince Edwards status and Auroras status, the two of them would have never been matched together in their entire life. "Is this what shes worried about?" Prince Lester asked after they had finished and walked inside the Capital Academy again. "Shouldnt be. There are more assassins back then," William said. "And you did a good job, Lester." "Mhm." Prince Lesters eyes were dark. The two of them knew that Aurora shouldnt be worried for the assassination or anything like that. She had faced so many of them over the years that the two of them had long gotten used to it. Thankfully, their skills were more than enough to deal with these people. "Were Misss knights," William said as he slowly walked away. Cleaning up these assassins were not that hard but it was quite tiring and William wanted to rest again. "Thats all you need to remember and how you should act." Misss knight... Prince Lester naturally heard what William said and took a deep breath. He knew very well that it was his duty to protect Aurora, but at the same time, he had to respect her decision. It was just that this matter was a bit difficult. If they dared to fight physically, then Prince Lester would be ready with his sword. But for other matters, he could only stand beside Aurora and protect her as her knight. This is his duty and his position. ... Capital Academy, Auroras side Aurora was staying in the Capital Academy and attended classes as normal. She knew that someone was going to target her, but she didnt make any action and still lived her life normally as if she knew nothing. There were some moves during the night, but her two knights were able to deal with them. It seemed that some people were already impatient or they were being pushed by someone else? Aurora was not sure but they were not the main problem, so she ignored it. Her knights were enough to deal with this small matters. Until this morning, there were many people who suddenly discussed about Aurora and looked at her with the strange look. "Really?" "But thats strange..." "How could it be possible for Lady Aurora to be like that?" Some girls were discussing at the side, their eyes revealed shock and disbelief. They seemed to hear something incredible. Aurora saw their gazes but was not in a hurry. She walked to the classroom and saw Crown Prince Edward rushed towards her. "Is what they say the truth?" Crown Prince Edward asked, his tone was gloomy. Aurora has always looked so elegant and beautiful, making one feel that she was standing at the high place that was hard to grasp. But when he heard what people have been saying, he was shocked. How could it happen? "What is it, Your Highness?" Aurora asked, her tone remained calm. Even if there were already people who were discussing about Aurora not long ago, her expression didnt change in the slightest bit. It seemed as if she didnt realize that there were people who were talking about her. Purely ignorant? It was more like she purposely ignored them. She had no intention to entertain these people. "That youre fooling around outside." Crown Prince Edward nearly bit his own tongue when he said this. He was feeling extremely emotional and angry right now. Because this felt as if the person whom he wanted to spend the rest of his life with was actually actively looking for someone outside. At this moment, he had completely forgotten that he used not to care about the engagement he had with Aurora. But even if he didnt like it, it was still his engagement. He would not let her cheat on him. Aurora shook her head. "Such a thing didnt happen." She didnt like Crown Prince Edward. This much is true. But Aurora was someone who would never let other people grasp her weakness in the slightest bit. Not even the people closest to her would be allowed to know. Besides, Aurora was not really interested in any kind of romantic relationship because she felt that it was too troublesome. Her life was already good enough. Why should she waste her time thinking about someone else? She was not so idle. "But they said that someone testify and provided evidence!" Crown Prince Edwards face was still ugly. Testify? Aurora arched her eyebrows and there was a faint layer of coldness within her eyes. Thinking about the bandits attack from before, Aurora was sure that there was no survivors from both sides. The bandits all died, the knights who come with her all died. So only Les, William, and Prince Lester were present that day. But they would never talk nonsense to smear Auroras reputation. Chapter 145: Rumors Chapter 145: Rumors So... Aurora could guess that this was nothing more than pouring dirty water to her. Since Aurora has always been careful in her move, not letting others find out her mistake in the slightest bit, there were very little materials that could be used against her. None of them could make any waves. So they simply used the most direct methods that they could think of. Throwing dirty water. Forging evidences. Ah. How ridiculous. "I want to see the person who testify," Aurora said, her tone remained indifferent. But those who were familiar with her would be able to see the faint coldness within her eyes that was concealed as soon as they appeared. It was clear that Aurora was angry. She didnt think that their tactic was actually this kind of thing. It was really troublesome. "Thats..." Crown Prince Edward frowned. "I didnt do such a thing, so I want to see who dared to slander me," Aurora said slowly. *snort!* Louis was standing behind Crown Prince Edward, looking at Aurora with displeased expression. "Youve been outside for a long time, who would know what you have been doing during this period of time?" "If youre thinking that negotiation is easy, you are free to step up and take this work from me, Sir Louis," Aurora said as she stood up. "Im sure that your father would be happy to take over this kind of work too." But it was Queen Ella who wanted Aurora to take over this work after her mother. Why? She was not sure, but it might be because her identity could give her a lot of conveniences. While it was true that there were some conveniences, there were also many other annoying things that Aurora didnt want to face if it was possible. No matter what, Aurora couldnt refuse. And if she were to do a bad job, Duchess Isabella would not hesitate to punish her and made sure that she suffered greatly. Aurora knew her mother well. "Thats...." Louis frowned. In fact, he had asked his father about this matter but he didnt explain the reason clearly to him. Because he himself was still a student, Louis never asked about it too clearly from his father. He felt that it was unnecessary for him to ask. Anyway, when he graduated, he would know more about his fathers work. As for Aurora who had already started working even when she was still in the academy? Louis only think that the White Family wanted Aurora to grow up quickly. In any case, Aurora had proven herself capable and even Louis himself was not really a match. But when he heard that there was a scandal about Aurora... he only fell that it was really troublesome. And he didnt like this girl that much. Shes indeed capable. Louis had to admit that because it was the truth, but he didnt want to have any interaction whatsoever with Aurora if it was unnecessary. "If you want to see him, just go. Why so much nonsense here?" Benny said impatiently. He felt that if Aurora wanted to see the witness who saw Auroras scandal, then they could just go directly. After all, there was no point for them to stay here any longer. He didnt think that there was anything wrong with bringing Aurora there. "Alright." Crown Prince Edward also saw that there were many people who were watching them in the classroom. It was already bad enough that people were talking about him and Aurora when he walked out. If he continued to confront Aurora, there would only be more and more people talking about them. Crown Prince Edward still cared for his image greatly. And this matter would only damage his image more. Aurora could see Crown Prince Edwards dissatisfaction, but she didnt say anything and shook her head internally. She didnt have time to care for his injured and battered heart. That was if he truly had a heart. Because at this time, Aurora felt that Crown Prince Edward only cared for himself and didnt care about the truth at all. "Lets go," Crown Prince Edward said and led the way. They all followed Crown Prince Edward, leaving the classroom. Behind the four people at the front, Leon was actually present, but he said nothing from the beginning until the very end. Because he felt that the problem was not so simple. From the time when they entered the academy until now, there seemed to be several incidents that tried to destroy Auroras reputation. It was only a simple bullying at the beginning, which was easy to be ignored by others. After all, who would want to pay attention to such a thing all the time? It was not like they have nothing better to do. But now, the severity of the rumors simply had gotten outrageous. If something like this truly happened to Aurora, wouldnt they knew about it first? Anyway, Leon felt strange. But he didnt know which part was actually the strange one. Because he knew very well that he was not qualified to get involved. Leon thought about his father. It seemed that he had to ask him some questions later. Tep. Soon, they reached the room below. There was a man who was being apprehended by the guards. When Crown Prince Edward and the others arrived, he looked like he was agitated by something. He quickly shouted, "Its her! Its really her! I didnt lie to you and shes really the one...." Bang! Before he could finish speaking, the knight had already punched him in the stomach, making him coughing madly. Crown Prince Edward frowned when he saw the violence, but he didnt say anything. "So, who paid you to slander me?" Aurora asked, her tone was calm and indifferent. The mans eyes widened when he heard Auroras words. "No, its not slander, I really saw that you..." His words stuck in his throat when he saw Auroras look. It was the look of seeing a dead man. At this moment, he knew very well that Aurora was not an ordinary person. Shes a person who had seen real blood. And for a person like her... what he did was futile. "Hahaha..." Swish! Stab! Chapter 146: Handling Chapter 146: Handling "Kyaaa!" "Waaa!" "What happened?" Stab! Splash! The man stabbed himself with the other knights swords. He looked at Aurora with hideous expressions, trying his best to make himself look as ferocious as possible, but when he saw Auroras cold and indifferent gaze, he still felt fear. He knew that he had dug his own grave by coming here today. But so what? He had no other choice. "Ill use my death... to prove my words," The man said bitterly. This was the last resort that he could think of to finish his mission. Besides, his life was indeed worthless. "Miss..." the knight looked at Auroras direction with frown. He was a knight from the White Family territory whom Aurora brought with her but didnt let him get close to her like William and Prince Lester. His position was more like ordinary knights. However, he still came to the academys compound and stayed with the other knights. When he heard that someone was making trouble and spouted nonsense about Aurora, he immediately stepped forward. But now... The situation didnt seem to be good. "This is..." Crown Prince Edward was shocked. Even if he had swordsmanship training, this was the first time he saw a person died in front of him, which shocked him to the very end. He felt nausea. And at this time, he really wanted to vomit. "Ugh..." Louis and Bennys expression was not very good either. They were used to stay in the academy and being the pampered young master of their family. When would they face this kind of scene? It was good enough that they didnt faint like many other students nearby. Behind them, Leon was frowning but he would not frown like the others. Duke Suns territory was located at the border with the Sand Kingdom. While the current situation was relatively peaceful, there were actually some conflicts there. As the young master and also someone who wanted to become a knight, Leon was naturally taught by his father to go to the battlefield early. When they were facing some bandits and so on, he was also present. So even if he were to see someone die in front of him, he would not feel anything much. On the other hand, Benny, who was claimed as the youngest knight in the history of the Yellow Kingdom, only knew the spar of knights. There was no requirement for the knights apprentice to go the frontline personally. So Benny was completely raised in the academy. In terms of sparring and raw strength alone, he will indeed win with landslide against other students and even other knights. But if he were to be sent to the real battle? Hehehe. It would be good enough if he could retain half of his real strength. "This is a deaths statement," Leon muttered in a low voice. Death statement was the type of statement that used ones death to prove. This kind of thing was rare because no one wanted to bet their own lives to make a statement. Even if the statement was made, they would not be alive to enjoy it. What a worthless thing would it be? Unless this kind of statement would benefit someone else, someone whom they treasured with their lives. "Send people to investigate his family, the people he made connection with, and also if theres any unusual amount of money in his possession or people around him," Aurora gave order to the knights directly. "Yes, Miss." "What are you doing?" Crown Prince Edward asked. "Im investigating," Aurora answered lightly. "Hes already like this and youre still investigating?" Crown Prince Edward didnt understand Auroras operation at all. "Do you believe him?" Aurora asked with a frown. "Yes." Crown Prince Edward nodded. Aurora looked at Crown Prince Edward as if she was looking a stupid person. Such a person becoming the king of the Yellow Kingdom, wouldnt it cause this kingdom to be heading straight to ruins? But even if that was what Aurora thought in her mind, she would not say it so bluntly. "He might not be telling the truth and as the person whom he slandered, Im the one who wants to find out the truth more," Aurora said in indifferent tone and nodded at the knight who turned around and left. "Are you going to make the matter worse?" Crown Prince Edward asked, his face was really dark. Aurora turned to look at Crown Prince Edward, the corner of her lips curled up slightly. "Do you think that I should not investigate the truth, Your Highness?" "Hes already dead! And if he wants to use his own death to let people know the truth, he should be telling the truth!" Crown Prince Edward said righteously. How stupid. Most of the students who were present, including the few people who followed Crown Prince Edward thought that way when they heard Crown Prince Edwards words. After studying in the academy for a while, they were also taught some logics and knew some things. Of course, there were also those who had the same thoughts as Crown Prince Edward and felt that the death statement meant that it should be the truth. Because they couldnt think of anyone who would make a lie and even seek death to say this lie. "His words are not necessarily the truth because he might be paid to tell the lie even if it cost his life," Aurora said lightly. "How is that..." "He could be threatened with his family members or the easiest way is to give benefit that will be given to his family members or those who are close to him," Aurora said unhurriedly. "How is that possible?" Crown Prince Edward frowned. Hearing his question, Aurora knew that Crown Prince Edwards stupidity seemed to be worse than what she thought in the beginning. She sighed. Aurora felt that even if she had thought that Crown Prince Edward was stupid, he could still prove to her that his stupidity was actually even worse than that. Chapter 147: I see it Chapter 147: I see it "Ill do the investigation and if youre worried, you can send people to monitor the knights, Your Highness," Aurora finally said this. "But thats..." "Your Highness, the investigation is still necessary. No one shall insult the Royal Familys name openly and blatantly without paying the price. Besides, its unreliable to only rely on his words," Louis interrupted Crown Prince Edwards words. Even though Louis had long known that Crown Prince Edward was stupid, but he felt that he would still be a good king in the future. As for how he came to this conclusions? Louis was not sure. But he knew very well that his role was to follow Crown Prince Edward and to assist him. It was the role given to him ever since he was young. So if Crown Prince Edward made a mistake, it was up to Louis to clean up the mess afterwards. "I..." Crown Prince Edward still wanted to refute but in the end, he stayed silent. He knew that Louis was smarter than him and there were many things that Louis helped him to finish. Because it was like this, Crown Prince Edward chose to follow Louiss words. Anyway, he knew that Louis would not harm him. "Would you like to make the arrangement, Sir Louis?" Aurora asked. "Itll be my pleasure, Lady Aurora," Louis answered with a smile on his face that didnt reach his eyes. It was a fake polite smile. Many nobles on the High Society was very familiar with this kind of appearance. After all, they didnt want others to know what they were truly thinking or anything like that. Faking their smile and appearance was something that many of them were familiar with. Louis was also familiar with it. His father had taught him. "Good." Aurora was also wearing the same fake smile on her face. She was more familiar when dealing with people compared with Louis. The others saw this and felt chills on their back. For some reasons, the confrontation between Louis and Aurora seemed to be full of killing intent. While Crown Prince Edward was dissatisfied, he still let Louis handle this matter. Anyway, he knew that as the king, he couldnt possibly take care of every matter on his own. There would be many people who would help him when he was on the throne. For matters related to the brain and other official matters, it would be better to hand it over to Louis instead. ... The confrontation ended and Aurora went to the knights that belonged to the White Family, giving them orders. "Miss, our order is to stay in the Capital Academy to protect Miss Adela," one of the knights said with a frown. He didnt want to fail his order. "As the eldest young miss of the White Family and also the Crown Princess, do I not have the right to use the knights?" Aurora asked, her voice was by no means low. The few other students who were still watching around could definitely hear her words. The knight felt sweat on his back when he heard Auroras words. If he dared to say no, it was estimated that the White Family would be dragged to whirlpool of public opinion. He had already seen that many people were discussing about this matter. Adding another problem... It wouldnt help them much. "This..." "Well execute your order, Eldest Miss," another knight who was older and more experienced quickly answered. Aurora saw these knights and then said, "In that case, you should hurry and do the investigation." "Yes, Miss!" The knights went out. As they departed, Aurora could see the students were talking with each other and some of them were skeptical about this matter. But it was clear that no matter what the result would be, this matter had already damaged her reputation. Tsk, tsk. Whoever made this move is really ruthless. Who didnt know how valuable the girls reputation at this time is very important? Aurora was not very surprised, though. She knew very well that there were already people who could send assassins to kill her. How could they not use other tactics that could kill her and destroy her future? Even if she didnt actively make enemies, there were many people who wanted to deal with her. It was annoying. ... Prince Lester and the others didnt have much roles to play in this incident. Since Aurora spoke directly to the knights under the White Family to work, they have no other choice but to go there to do the investigation. To make sure they did their work properly, Prince Lester followed them secretly. But he would not show himself. On the other hand, William and Les stayed in the academy to help Aurora with the other matters. "Miss, this matter had already spread to the entire academy and might even spread to the city," Les reported after she had asked around. She felt utterly disgusted by these peoples moves. The incident happened many years ago and there was nothing bad that truly happened, but it was brought up as if something had truly happened. They made up various stories and the speculation was getting more and more ridiculous. These people didnt seem to be willing to wait for Aurora to finish the investigation and keen on destroying her reputation. "I see." Aurora was not surprised when she heard Less words. She had to admit that this incident indeed happened during the time when she was least wary. At that time, she hadnt thought that there would be people around her who would harm her. Because her status as the dukes daughter was more than enough to keep many people away. They didnt dare to offend her in the slightest bit. And the negotiation between the two kingdoms meant that Aurora was representing two kingdoms. She didnt expect that an oversight would happen, which put her in dangerous situation. In the end, it was resolved. But the fact that there were not many witness of that incident remained true. Because she was the one who killed the knights. Chapter 148: I see it (2) Chapter 148: I see it (2) Based on that, there shouldnt be any other knights or witnesses who could put Aurora in difficult situation. She herself also knew that it wouldnt be good to let others held her weakness in their hands, so she eliminated those people. Because she also knew that they were paid. Perhaps, some of them were innocent. But that was just a possibility and she has no time to investigate them all one by one. She had to protect herself. And this is her methods of doing it. This man appeared out of nowhere, saying nonsense about that incident once more. Youre planning to use this incident to shake me up? Auroras eyes flashed with coldness. She had grown a lot ever since that incident happened. Because Aurora knew very well that tears were useless. It could not erase the past nor could it help her because for someone at her stature, tears were nothing more than a sign of weakness. It might be the fault of her own personality, but no matter what, she will not cry again. She had to work hard to solve the problems in front of her. "Miss..." Les interrupted when she saw Aurora fell into a long silence. She didnt know what Aurora was thinking, but there were some people who wanted to look for her. "Theres no need to worry so much about them." Aurora raised her head and looked at Les. "Wait for those knights to return, Im sure theyll bring satisfactory answer." Because if they didnt bring any satisfactory answer, Prince Lester would be the one to make them do their work properly. "Yes, Miss." Les bowed. Even though Les was worried for Aurora, but she knew better than anyone that her task was to follow through Auroras order. No matter what happened in the future, Les would stand by Auroras side and made sure that her Miss would not be wronged. Aurora watched as Les left and then lowered her eyes to the book in front of her. There was no point in worrying about this. Once the evidences were brought up, everything would become clear. As for the case when theres no evidence? The corner of Auroras lips curled up slightly. Theres no chance for it to happen. ... Prince Lester followed the knights from the White Family to pay a visit to the mans residence. These knights were actually the knights that Duke White send to the Capital Academy to protect Adela and watched over her. As Auroras knight, Prince Lester knew very well that Duke White didnt bother to send any knights to protect Aurora. In the past, he would still give some knights to protect his daughter. Those were also excellent knights. And when Aurora was staying in White Familys Territory, Duke White also sent many people to protect her. These knights were not bad. But as many assassinations attempts happened, Duke White became lazier to send more knights to Aurora. It seemed that he felt these knights would only die and waste White Dukedoms money. So he didnt bother to send more knights. Aurora didnt seem to care and had her own people who would protect her when she was in the White Familys Territory. For three years, the relationship between father and daughter became worse or even nonexistent. And now, these knights were only listening to Aurora because of threat. How ridiculous. "Do we really have to do this?" One of the knights asked. "If you dont want to be punished later, you should follow the order," the second knight said lightly. The nobility family has never been simple. If they wished to survive, they would have to follow through the rules and everything. With this matter had already been brought to the surface, there would be many people watching them. They had to perform well. Not for the sake of this mission but for the sake of themselves. "That..." "Dont worry, itll be easy," the third knight consoled the first knight. The first knight could only nod and followed after the other two knights. Behind them, Prince Lester was watching and listened to their conversation. He showed no emotions on his face and only silently followed them. If they didnt do their work well, Prince Lester would make a move. But if they did their job well, then he would pretend he didnt exist. ... This kind of investigation didnt really need a long time. The identity of the man was immediately known because the number of residents in the kingdom was not that large. And those in the Capital City would be recorded. From this, it was made known that his family did receive a large sum of money not long ago and tried to escape. But they were already apprehended. Aurora received the result of the investigation within two days and brought the evidences to Crown Prince Edward and the others in class. As for why the class? It was to make sure many people listened in. "Your Highness, have you received the result from Sir Louis?" Aurora asked when they were in the classroom. The other students in the classroom subconsciously stayed silent when they heard Auroras words. They knew very well that Aurora should be referring to the investigation about the matter of that man who spread rumors some time ago. And at this moment, Adela was in the classroom too. Ever since she was allowed to raise one class and stayed in the same classroom with Crown Prince Edward, she always sat beside Crown Prince Edward. The others were sitting on the other side or behind him. Crown Prince Edward frowned. "I see it." Louis had shown it to him not long ago, saying that he had to know this. And when he read the report, he knew that Aurora was right. But even if he knew that she was right, he didnt feel happy. There was some relief in his heart and the other half was displeasure. He didnt like it when he though that he would be the main topic of discussion once again. Chapter 149: Do You Know? Chapter 149: Do You Know? "So Im correct," Aurora said with a smile. "Someone really did pay him a lot of money." "Yes." Crown Prince Edward was sullen. "But I dont understand why he agreed." Why? There were many reasons. It could be that he cared for his family members or it was because he knew that he would die soon. Perhaps, he would want his death to be meaningful rather than a useless and normal one when he had the chance for it. Many people were living at the very bottom and had to struggle so hard. The commoners were different from nobles as they couldnt do many things and had to be careful when they were dealing with the nobility, law enforcement, and many others. It was to the point that they could even be caught for some small misdeeds that would have been if they were nobles. "Is it important?" Aurora asked. "Yes?" Crown Prince Edward was not sure. Aurora shook her head. "With this rumor clarified, those who dared to speak about it again will be sent to the jail. This should be enough for us. Why bother finding out their purposes in detail?" Hearing this sentence from Aurora, Louis knew that her purpose of coming was simply to say this. It was quite a threat. But... Would others listen? Glancing at the other classmates who came from the nobility background too, it was unlikely that they would listen to her words. At the same time, Aurora was also telling the truth. The nobles were selfish and many of them could easily find someone to do their dirty deeds with the money they held. Who would go and do it personally if they could ask someone else? It was just a matter of paying some money, which they could definitely afford. They didnt have to risk their lives at all. Of course, if the transaction was found out later, they would be in some troubles. But with some money and so on, it would be easy to clear up the problems in the end. "I see..." Crown Prince Edward seemed to understand. These people have nothing to do with him and they were only being used. Even if he knew the reasons, it would not be of use for him at all. In that case, why bother finding out their reasons? It would only make their mood turned worse than before if they were moved or anything. "Ill be going now," Aurora said with a smile and turned around without hesitation. "Tsk." Crown Prince Edward clicked his tongue. Adela looked at this scene and felt that something was wrong. While the events that occurred were similar to what happened in the game, the sentences that Aurora said were different and there was a strong sense of disobedience that Adela couldnt explain. At this time, she even felt that there was something wrong with Aurora but she couldnt tell what it was. Ah, her brain was really not good about this. After that, Adela turned to look at Crown Prince Edward and said, "Sister might be anxious to clarify this matter since it involves her, Crown Prince Edward." "Um." Adela looked at Crown Prince Edward whose attention had turned to her and then continued to talk in accordance to the game. It was quite interesting to think that she was really bad at learning but when it came to this otome game, she could remember them like the back of her hand. Moreover, she could also remember most of the sentences to these target characters. The background story were mostly forgotten, though. Louis didnt pay attention to Adela because he also felt that the way Aurora came to them and left quickly was also strange. It seemed that she only came to them to say that sentence to them. But why? It felt wrong. As someone who used his brain most of the time, Louis really felt that something must be wrong. But what? Louis analyzed Auroras action and move when she came to them. But before he could think of anything, the teacher had arrive and the class is starting. He could only put this matter to the back of his head and stopped thinking about. ... Aurora left the classroom and went to a different classroom. She had asked for different schedule for today by switching the class in order not to be in the same class as Crown Prince Edward. The threat that she said was actually not very useful. Even if they didnt dare to say it publicly in fear that she would hear them talked about it, but it didnt mean that they couldnt talk about it in private. After al, no one would know what they were talking in private as long as their partner didnt talk about it when they came out. And these people naturally refused to talk about this matter because they could be dragged down by it. This was the scary thing about public opinion. Aurora took a deep breath. This matter was easy for her to resolve because these knights were investigating things, but Aurora knew that it would not be so easy in the future. It was not done yet. After the class was over, Annelie came to see Aurora. "Why are you here, Lady Annelie?" Aurora asked with a helpless tone. Annelie didnt immediately answer and instead looked in Auroras direction. "Do you know that there would be someone who talked about you?" The speed was very fast. From the moment these knights moved until they figured out the mans identities to the past relationships and so on, only three days have passed. It was precisely because of this matter that Annelie was suspicious. Did Aurora already know that this would happen? "Im not omnipotent, Lady Annelie." Aurora shook her head helplessly. If she knew what they were going to do exactly, she wouldnt be helpless to stop them. What she could do was to lure them to make a move and eliminate them one by one. Of course, she couldnt tell this to Annelie. Chapter 150: Hidden Undercurrents Chapter 150: Hidden Undercurrents Hearing Auroras words, Annelie frowned. She felt that Aurora should know some things that she didnt tell her. At least, Aurora was not this clueless. At the same time, Annelie knew that Aurora didnt want to tell her. There were many reasons. Besides, the two of them were actually not that close to each other. There was no point in telling others about this kind of matters as they couldnt help in the slightest bit. "No matter what, be careful," Annelie said in the end. Aurora smiled. "Ive always been a careful person. Shall we have some tea instead?" Annelie sighed. The main reason why Annelie and Aurora met with each other and interacted was because of this tea ceremony club. Without this club, it would have been impossible for Annelie to pay more attention to Aurora in the past. "Alright." ... The rumors didnt stop there. For some reason, there were other more ridiculous rumors coming out. This made others wonder what did Aurora do to make so many rumors came out about her. Even if some nobles children were skeptical, some others believed this. In the tea ceremony club, Aurora looked at the newer members of the club who came out of the club in a hurry as if they were being chased with a calm expression. It was as if nothing could bother her in the slightest bit. "Theyre..." Annelie frowned. "I havent been in the Capital Academy in the past three years, so its normal that the newer students have never interacted with me and didnt know me," Aurora said slowly, not very bothered with this matter. Because of her absence, the current students in the academy didnt know much about her. Even if they have heard about her, they have never interacted with her personally. Because of that, they didnt know what they should believe about Aurora and which one was the correct one. For this matter, Aurora didnt care that much. As long as they didnt confront her for some ridiculous matter, she would not care about them either. "Reputation is the most important thing in the High Society," Annelie reminded. It was Aurora who told her about this matter. Well, Annelie also heard about this from her mother in the past, but this was not the main point. If Auroras reputation got worse, how would it reflect her status as the crown princess? This was what Annelie was concerned about. Because she knew very well that the person who could become the crown princess could not have any stain on them. The Royal Family would not be willing to accept such a person either. "I know that," Aurora replied. But even if she said that, Aurora was still making the tea in front of her with impassive expression. Annelie didnt understand Aurora. She had never understand Aurora in the past either, but at this moment, she felt that Auroras aura was even colder than before as if she was rejecting others thousands of miles away. There was a polite smile on Auroras face, making her look elegant and gentle. Yet, there was also the same aura that made it look as if she was refused others to come any closer to her. It was distressing. "I really dont understand," Annelie murmured in a low voice. Annelie really wished that she could be smarter or more perceptive to understand what was happening around her. But no one would explain to her and Annelie also knew that no one would bother explaining to her. Aurora smiled and didnt explain either. She looked at the tea in front of her and sighed deeply. This was not over yet. There were still some things that were destined to happen and Aurora didnt want to stop it. Oh, if they were to disturb her life, then Aurora would fight it. But she would not dare to make any reckless move. ... In the next period of time, Aurora continued to spend her time as usual. There were some people who would talk badly about her but not in front of her. After all, they still remembered Auroras threat. In this way, Auroras academy school life was not interrupted in the slightest bit. She knew what these people were talking and the few things that they talked were wrong, but she was too lazy to stop them. Because she knew that even if she stopped one person, there would be more people talking about it. Rather than destroying her own reputation through doing it with her own hands, she would just let them play with this matter while she herself was busy with her own affairs and finish reading the books in the Capital Academy. After graduating, she would have no chance to read these things again. The other students didnt bother Aurora. Crown Prince Edwards impression of Aurora had become worse and Aurora could see Adela was staying beside Crown Prince Edward from time to time. It seemed that the two of them were talking about something. Something important. Or perhaps... something that was naughty. Looking at the reflection from the window, the corner of Auroras lips curled up slightly. She could not understand why someone would want to stay with Crown Prince Edward if it was not because of his status as the crown prince of the Yellow Kingdom. Perhaps, only someone as stupid as Adela would see him as charming. Oh, along with Mirabelle. That Mirabelle was still sticking with Crown Prince Edward, but she didnt dare to come directly to Aurora. After all, Aurora was not exactly an easy person to deal with and Mirabelle would be beaten up if she dared to show off in front of Aurora and made trouble in front of her. The strong front that Aurora showed in the past was not a joke. But as the rumors got stronger... It seemed that it slowly spread outside, which made some people who originally had a wait and see attitude to start moving their hands and feet. Chapter 151: The Second Prince Chapter 151: The Second Prince Aurora spent most of her time either in the club room or in the library. Because only these two places were quiet enough to let her be in peace. Today, she got a visitor, though. "Second Prince, you dont have to hide if you want to talk with me." Aurora raised her head and looked at the second prince who was hiding and peeking behind one of the bookshelves in the library. She felt that his action was rather hilarious. There was truly no need for him to hide when he saw her no matter how bad the rumors about her out there, right? "Ah..." The second prince came out from behind the bookshelf shyly. He was around five years younger than Crown Prince Edward, being only 12 years old. This was also his first year in the Capital Academy and his study was only slightly better than his older brother. It could be said that the current generation of princes have relatively lower IQ. Aurora looked at the second prince and bowed slightly. "Aurora White has seen His Highness." "Theres no need to be so polite." The second prince quickly raised his hand. "Im just a bit surprised to see Senior Sister here and didnt really mean to avoid you." Aurora smiled. "Yes, Your Highness." The second prince didnt seem to be a person whos good at lying. He was so easily flustered and the excuse was not very good. However, Aurora had no intention to expose his lies. The second prince pursed his lips and looked at the book in Auroras hand. He blinked his eyes and then asked, "Do you like reading so much?" The second prince has only been in the Capital Academy for a short while, but he had heard various rumors about Aurora. As a first year student, he didnt have much interactions with the seniors above his year. Aurora and Crown Prince Edward were both in the sixth year, so the second prince didnt know much about them. He only felt that it was strange for the crown princess to have such rumors spreading about her. With her familys background and her status, who would dare to speak badly about her? And it was also during this period of time that the second prince saw Aurora in the library. To be exact, he saw her every day spending her time in the library. It was completely the contrary to the rumors spreading about her. This made the second prince wonder if the rumors were even true in the first place. How could Aurora be someone who bully others when she looked so peaceful in the library like this? The second prince originally only planned to observe for a short while, but Aurora found him. He could only step forward and explained his purpose. "Reading is a way to enter a different world," Aurora replied. "And it also helps to explore a completely different way of thinking." The second prince nodded. Aurora looked at the book in the second princes hand and smiled. "As long as you learn well, Im sure youll be able to know more, Your Highness." "Ah..." The second prince looked at the book in his hand. He was not very smart and it took him a long time to understand what the teachers were saying. Because of that, he chose to spend some of his spare time to study on his own. Even though the result might not be very good, but at the very least, he was trying to improve himself. Little by little, the second prince would accumulate enough knowledge. "Im just trying to make up my lesson," the second prince replied. Aurora nodded. This attitude is already 100 times better than that lazy crown prince. Perhaps because the crown prince has everything from birth and also promised such a high position after he grew up that he became conceited and felt that everything was already his. That kind of attitude was really annoying in Auroras opinion. "Would you like me to help your study, Your Highness?" Aurora asked. "Can you?" The second princes eyes lit up when he heard this. Auroras result is the best in her year and he had heard that Auroras name has always hung at the first place. It was said that even the teachers might not be as good as her. In this case, the second prince would definitely learn much more if he were to study with Aurora. "Why not?" Aurora asked back with a chuckle. "Then Ill trouble you." The second prince sat beside Aurora and showed the book he had chosen. Aurora smiled and slowly helped to teach the second prince. Upon listening to the second princes inquiries and also what he wanted to know, Aurora knew that the second princes knowledge was still comparable to his peers. It was not very outstanding and could be said to be barely enough. But it was far better than Crown Prince Edward when he was at the second princes age. Coupled with the difference in their attitude, Aurora felt that this second prince would become a better king than the current crown prince. But that would depend on whether the second prince wanted to fight for the throne or not. Because if he didnt want to, he could still live a leisure life as the prince. Just like her uncle in the Red Kingdom. He became the duke with no territory and spent his days living lavishly without the need to worry about anything. It was still a good life. However, he still has to be careful so that he would not be seen as a threat by his older brother or he might be eliminated first. "Do you like studying, Your Highness?" Aurora asked after an hour or two have passed. The second prince have learned enough for the day and he needed rest. Not everyone was raised like her who have to study almost every moment of her awakes time. Chapter 152: The Second Prince (2) Chapter 152: The Second Prince (2) "No." The second prince answered Auroras question. He looked at Aurora. "But I have to study so that I wont become a useless person." Even if his life was destined to be ordinary, the second prince still hoped that it was not completely meaningless. At the very least, he hoped that he could achieve something through his study. Aurora looked at the second prince and nodded. "The study is enough for today. You can review by yourself later, Your Highness." "Ah, thank you very much for teaching me," the second prince said seriously. Whether the rumors about Aurora bullying others were true or not, he didnt care that much. What he knew was that Aurora was willing to teach him and this was already something very precious. Because the second prince knew that with his ability, it would take him a long time to study what Aurora had taught him in a short few hours. This was the difference between having a teacher and having to grope around by himself. The teachers he had in the Royal Palace was not even as good as Aurora. "Youre welcome," Aurora replied and then turned her head to look through the window at the side. The table that Aurora picked was right beside the window, which allowed her to take a look at the scenery outside. The second prince saw Aurora was attracted by the view outside and moved to the opposite side of the table to take a look through the window too. This window of the library could allow them to see the field outside where most students were busy practicing on their own. These students were usually only there during classes or during the break time. Classes were already over for the day, so there were only some scattered students there. What the second prince saw was a group of girls surrounding one person in the middle. It looked like they were trying to coerce her because of their terrifying expression. The second prince frowned. "What are they doing there?" The nobility, especially the knights, were all taught to protect the weak. Seeing this kind of scene, the second prince only wanted to come down and reprimand these girls for bullying others like that. "You dont have to step forward, Your Highness," Auroras voice interrupted the second prince who wanted to rush forward. "But..." "Its said that the weak have to be protected, right?" Aurora asked back. "But not all the weak need you to protect them." The second prince frowned and saw Aurora gestured for him to continue looking outside. He turned his head and saw that at some point of time, three people have arrived on the scene. One of them was also his older brother, Crown Prince Edward. The second prince watched as one of them raised his sword to point at these girls and said something that made the girls stepped back. The other one seemed to be speaking too. He didnt really do anything physically but the faces of these girls turned pale. He should be threatening them. Lastly, Crown Prince Edward hugged the girl who was being bullied and pointed at these girls, saying something harshly. "This..." the second prince was at loss. If he was not wrong, his older brothers fiance?e is this girl in front of him, right? Why did he hug someone else? That kind of intimate action should only be done between couples or family members, right? The second prince didnt know what to say. "Helping others should have a sense of proportion," Aurora said calmly as if the person who was hugging another woman was not her own fiance?. "There are people who already have someone else to protect them." And it was not only one but four people. Aurora could see that Prince Charles was standing at the side but he was not as fast as these three people. Because the relationship between Crown Prince Edward and Prince Charles were bad, they would try to avoid each other as much as possible. Even at times like this, they would try not to conflict with each other because of Adela. Honestly, Aurora thought that Leon would be among them. But it seemed that Leon was not so fixated to Adela as much as the other four people. If reverse harem is legal, they might have long stay beside her. Aurora shook her head. She turned to look at the second prince who looked sluggish. It seemed that he didnt expect to see his older brother like this. "That..." the second prince wanted to defend his older brother, but he saw Auroras playful smile. For some reasons, he had the feeling that whatever she wanted to say, it would not help this situation at all. "This window is positioned at the best position, Your Highness. You can see many things from here," Aurora said slowly. She showed a smile on her face. "There are a lot of interesting scenes you can see from here." The second prince pursed his lips and didnt answer. But he had the feelings that Aurora dislike his older brother a lot. "To become a king, one had to learn how to learn how to treat others with respect and not do anything thats unnecessary." Aurora stood up and looked at the second prince in front of her. The corner of her lips curled up when she saw his expression. "Sometimes, to take what belongs to others, a comparison is all thats needed." After saying that, Aurora bowed and left. She had said everything that she needed to say. How the second prince chose would be up to him. Aurora didnt really care about it because she did this partially on a whim. Only the second prince remained motionless. He looked outside the window where Crown Prince Edward had brought Adela away. Was she talking about that girl or is she talking about him and Crown Prince Edward? The second prince stayed in his place for a while. Afterwards, he left. Chapter 153: The Few Who Realized (1) Chapter 153: The Few Who Realized (1) Leon, who usually followed Crown Prince Edward, has been spending more time in the field to practice. His swordsmanship was not as good as Benny, but it was definitely far better than most people out there. At this time, someone came to him. "Sir Leon, Duke Sun is here to see you." "I know." Leon put down his sword and then walked to one of the small meeting room. There, he saw his father, who was standing beside the window, looking at the students outside the room. "Father," Leon greeted. "Its been a while, Leon." Duke Sun looked at his second son. "I have received your letter and you said that youre confused?" Leon pursed his lips. He knew the trade between Duke White and Duke Sun, which was also an important trade for them that improved the situation in Duke Suns territory over the past few years. The main reason was naturally the agreement that Duke Sun had with Aurora. But all of the sudden, Auroras reputation took a large hit. It seemed as if everyone had forgotten that Aurora was someone who had helped them to make a deal. What kind of person she is, how could they not know? Now, there were many people who said that Aurora was someone who told lies, bully others, and so on. He had never seen Aurora did it. She was only studying like a normal student, but people somehow kept on talking about her. "Its about Lady Aurora," Leon started slowly. "How come everyone seems to put her down when she did nothing?" Duke Sun froze. He looked at his son up and down and then said seriously, "When did you start paying attention to her?" "Arent you the one who said that I have to be as good as her?" Leon snorted. It was his father who told him that Aurora was really capable, which made Leon started to pay attention to Auroras movement. But even if he did pay attention occasionally, it was only about her result in her classes and the negotiation. He had no other intentions. Without his fathers words back then, Leon would not even spare a look to Aurora because he was too busy with his own things and didnt have time to care about other people. "You..." Duke Sun wanted to say that he never said that but then felt that he seemed to have said it a few years ago. He sighed deeply. "Its complicated, Leon." "Tell me, Father. Im not a child anymore," Leon said solemnly. Hes already 17 years old about to turn 18. It was time for him to know about many other things in the world. Besides, he wanted to become a knight and any informations would be important for him to know. Duke Sun looked at Leon and then said, "There are many people who value power and position. They would not care about others who will not interfere in their interest, but what if someone who could control them all appear?" "Control them?" Leon fronted, he didnt understand what Duke Sun said. "Someone who could know your weakness and make a good use of it. Someone who could make a good use of your situation for their benefit and even if you didnt lose a lot, you will still be used by them..." Duke Sun sighed. "You can say that she has offended someone who couldnt stand receiving loss and someone who was out of control. The nobles didnt want someone so smart and capable like her to stand at the top." Because if she did stand at the top, no one would be able to stop her anymore. Duke Sun himself also realized this many years ago when Mr. Wren was attacked in his place. He realized that there were more and more people who started to make their move against Aurora. His territory has been protected heavily, but they still could enter and make a move. What it meant? It meant that they should have hired the best bounty hunters or the likes with a huge sum of money to make a move against a duke. Not everyone could have so much wealth like that to offend Aurora at that time. Because she was still very strong and influential. But the attack still came and it was not the last. Duke Sun could see that there were many people who wanted Aurora to die. Someone even come to him... "But isnt it better for a capable person...?" Leon was about to refute when he saw his father raised his hand to let him stop speaking. "If shes the prince, then yes." Duke Sun smiled bitterly. If Aurora is Crown Prince Edward, then the entire Yellow Kingdom would celebrate. The nobles might feel uncomfortable because of her ability, but they would put up with it. Because they knew that she would definitely bring the Yellow kingdom to a greater heights. Besides, it was not like they lose a lot. But... Aurora is not Crown Prince Edward. In fact, it was Auroras identity as the daughter of Duchess Isabella that made many people turn their heads to look in her direction. Shes the princess of the Red Kingdom. This was something that they worried about. Because Aurora was so capable, it was impossible for them not to put up their guard around her. When they thought about her background and the fact that she had good results after the negotiation in the Red Kingdom back then... Some people couldnt stay quiet. "For some people with special identity, its better for them not to have great ability. Because no matter what your heart actually is, there would be people who suspected them," Duke Sun said slowly. And not only these people who had suspicions, there were also many people who were jealous of Aurora and didnt want Aurora to survive. They would do everything they could to make sure she didnt stand at the top. Even if they paid a lot of prices for this. Chapter 154: The Few Who Realized (2) Chapter 154: The Few Who Realized (2) Leon was silent. He looked at his father and seemed to understand something. Even if Duke Sun didnt explain everything to him clearly, but he was not stupid and could hear the implications behind his fathers words. It was just... "Youre a duke, arent you, Father?" Leon asked. "Cant you make your own decision?" Duke Sun smiled. "I might be a duke, but Im not the person who stood at the highest position. Leon, you have to understand that for me to stand in this position, there are people whom I cant offend and had to listen to." Everyone thought that he was free to do whatever he wanted, but Duke Sun knew very well that it was wrong. He had many things that he couldnt do. Even if he wanted to, there were many restrictions given to him and Duke Sun could only follow through with it. He couldnt show what he truly wanted on the surface or there would be people who would go and accused him for being disloyal and many other things. Duke Sun couldnt afford it. For the people under him who depended their lives on him, Duke Sun had to consider them all and couldnt do everything he wanted to do. He had to listen to these peoples words. "Youll understand if youre in my position, Leon." Duke Sun shook his head. "And theres nothing you can do to change it. Weve been trapped in a high power game and had to make a choice for our survival." Leon clenched his fist. He knew what his father meant. His father also wanted him to make a decision whether to follow the same route as his father or to make his own. After all, he would be separated from Duke Suns family after he become an adult and become a knight on his own. He had decided that he would become a knight and become a noble on his own, getting married and could still inherit her title. It was not bad at all. Or he could decided to fight against the arrangement where he made enemies with the entire world. At that time, it was estimated that no one would be helping him in the slightest bit. Duke Sun saw his sons conflicted expression and stepped forward. He patted Leons shoulder. "You dont have to make your decision right away. Take your time because... this would not be the first time this will happen to you if you continue to stay in the nobility. But in the future, it wouldnt be this severe." Leon stood still as Duke Sun left. He looked at the carpet in front of him with his fingers clenched to form a fist. But he knew very well that for those at the high position, there had never been any chance for them to truly enjoy the power and privilege in this position. To keep their position and to protect the people under them, they would have no other choice but to do things they actually didnt want to. It was really... Disgusting. But this was the way for the nobles to live. Even those at the bottom also knew that there were people they couldnt afford to offend in the slightest bit and thus, they had to follow the arrangement that was made. In the end, it all simply depended on their face and all. That was how it was on the surface. Now, Leon knew that there were many people who were powerful and that they were nothing in front of these powerful people. As long as they didnt touch the interest of these people, nothing would happen to them. But once they did, there would be no doubt that some people would start making a move against them and targeted them in various ways. To the point that they could do nothing but surrender. ... Today, there were several nobles who came to visit their children. Their excuse was that their children would graduate soon and many of them couldnt attend their graduation ceremony, so they wanted to congratulate their children in advance. This kind of excuse was really lame. The Headmaster knew that these nobles didnt really care about the graduation whatsoever because if they couldnt graduate, the nobles would go to him to smash money. Many of the nobility were rich. Those who were poor usually couldnt even send their children to the Capital Academy to study. So smashing some money for the students who have poor result was already the norm for them. Anyway, they were not lacking in money and to achieve what they wanted, it was an easy way. Among these people, Marquess Brown also came. Annelie Brown was confused when she heard that her mother had come to pay a visit to her. When she heard the excuse given that she paid a visit now because she couldnt come during the graduation ceremony, Annelie decided to see her mother. It was strange that her mother couldnt come when her mother didnt really have anything to do but to party and party again. If it was her father who couldnt come, Annelie wouldnt be surprised because her father was indeed a very busy man as the marquis. "Mother," Annelie called out when she saw her mother, who was fully dressed up as if she was going to the party. Marquess Brown was sitting gracefully. She smiled brightly when she saw Annelie who came into the room. "Youre here, Annelie. Take a seat and drink the tea." "Yes, Mother." Even though Annelie was a bit suspicious of her mothers intention when she came here this time, Annelie still decided to follow her mothers words and sat down. Marquess Brown didnt immediately speak and continue to make tea in front of her. Her movements were vey standard and elegant, but if Annelie had to say, it was still worse than Aurora. No one seemed to be better than her in terms of making tea. "I heard that youre in the tea ceremony club?" Marquess Brown suddenly asked. Chapter 155: The Few Who Realized (3) Chapter 155: The Few Who Realized (3) Annelie, who was about to make the tea in front of her, paused her movements. When her mother mentioned this, Annelie had the faint feeling that she knew why her mother came to her today. It should be because of Aurora. Various rumors, which was completely untrue, has been spreading about Aurora during this period of time. This made Annelie who was close to Aurora, felt annoyed. If not for Aurora telling her not to steep herself low, she would have long rushed to talk to them. Amidst these rumors that was totally unreasonable, Aurora acted as if she couldnt hear anything and let them misunderstand her. It felt strange. If it was Annelie, she wouldnt be able to stand it and would want to teach them a lesson to make sure they knew the consequences of offending her. No matter what, their background families should have been the strongest in the Capital Academy below the Royal Family. "Yes, Mother," Annelie answered in a low voice. Marquess Brown nodded and then said, "I hope you can quit." Annelie was stunned. She looked at her mother, who had never interfered in her studys life before with strange expressions. "Why, Mother?" "Do you plan to refuse me, Annelie?" Instead of answering, Marquess Brown asked back. She sipped the tea in front of her unhurriedly and looked at Annelie in front of her. From young, Marquess Brown has always decided on various matters about Annelies life. It was to the point that Annelie had learned about the High Societys situation in advance and learned many other things from her mother. But facing the current Marquess Brown, Annelie was calm. When she was young, she was naturally afraid of her mother. But she was no longer a child. She had grown up. "I want to know the reasons," Annelie replied. "Theres only a months time left before graduation. Itll be strange for me to quit the club I have been in for almost 6 years without any reasons." "Ah... yes, theres only a month left." Marquess Brown sighed. She usually spent her time in the High Society, doing parties from here and there. If not because of the tense situation that her husband told her not long ago, she would not have made this trip today. After all, Marquess Brown trusted her daughter and didnt think that Annelie would make any trouble. Unfortunately... Marquess Brown looked at her daughter. "If you dont want to quit, you just have to stay away during this period of time." Stay away. Even if Marquess Brown didnt tell who, Annelie could tell from Marquess Browns unsaid words of whom that Marquess Brown didnt want her to see. But... As if knowing that Annelie was struggling, Marquess Brown said, "Theres no eternal friendship or enemies, Annelie. In the High Society, the most important is interest. If it harms our interest, you should cut off that ties as soon as possible and dont let yourself make any mistake that would make you pay a high price you couldnt bear. Annelie took a deep breath. She had the faint feeling that something was happening to Aurora that the latter didnt tell her. But now that even her mother came to her like this, Annelie knew that it was true. And it was impossible for Annelie to do anything. Looking at her mother who had a calm expression, Annelie knew that Marquess Brown wished she could do this. For the sake of the Brown Family behind them. "Mother, I..." "Can you do this, Annelie?" Marquess Brown asked slowly. "Dont you know that only those who stood at high position will be able to make a say. Those who fell down will never have a chance to rise up in the slightest bit." Annelie opened her mouth and then closed it down again. She knew that someone was targeting Aurora but looking at her mothers posture, it seemed that this matter would be irreversible. To avoid being involved, it would be better for her to cut off the ties between her and Aurora as fast as possible. It was just... Annelie couldnt just cut off their friendship that had lasted for years, can she? Marquess Brown sighed and stood up. "This is the High Society, Annelie. You have to know that if you want to stand on the high position, the people around you have to be selected carefully. Not everyone can be your friend and not everyone should befriended." Only those who continued to stay at the top should be fiends. Even though her mother didnt say the last sentence, Annelie seemed to know what her mother wanted to say. Annelie was silent. Marquess Brown was not in a hurry. She was enjoying the tea in front of her while Annelie was looking at the cup of tea in front of her that she hadnt touched since earlier. The tea that she used to like so much... It felt really hard to touch right now. Because Annelie knew that her mother must be waiting for her to make a decision. If she couldnt make a decision, her mother would continue to wait for her to do so. Because Marquess Brown didnt want no answer. She had to answer. It was related to Marquess Browns own position and future. In the end, Annelie sighed and raised her head to look at her mother. There was a faint mocking smile on the corner of her lips. Being raised by her mother, Annelie had long known what kind of person her mother is. And at this time, she only had one answer. "I know, Mother." ... After the conversation with Marquess Brown, Annelie walked aimlessly in the Capital Academy. The classes were over and the students were all playing around the place. They have their own activities when they were not in class. But she was not in the mood to play with the other girls. Slowly, Annelies feet brought her to the Tea Ceremonys Club room. Looking at the familiar door in front of her, Annelie hesitated for a moment and then slowly walked in. This shall be... the last time. Chapter 156: I… Chapter 156: I... As Annelie walked in, she saw Aurora was sitting inside. Aurora still looked the same as before, elegant and beautiful. Sitting with a cup of tea on the side and a book in front of her, she looked very peaceful. Her appearance seemed as if she didnt have any worries about the storm outside. Whenever Annelie looked at Aurora like this, she felt that it was really unreal. Aurora raised her head and saw Annelie walking in. She smiled and nodded in the direction of the other party. Annelie hesitated. She wanted to say something, but in the end, she didnt know what she should say. The words from her own mother was still ringing in her ears, seemingly reminding her that she couldnt do everything she wanted to because of the restrictions behind her. But she wanted to explain... "Youre free to stay here if you want to," Aurora said slowly when she saw the confusion and hesitation on Annelies expression. "You dont have to say anything to me." Annelie looked up. Aurora stood up and put the book away. She might not have her debut yet, but she had faced with many people during the days when she was doing negotiations with other kingdoms and so on. She knew very well what nobles people would do. Their children would all be taught to be like them, people who saw their own benefit at the top priority. Not that it was wrong. Because if it was herself, Aurora knew that she would also put her own needs and benefit as the top priority. Hasnt she always done that in the past few years? So even if Annelie decided to follow her familys words, she could understand. She would not blame Annelie. "I..." Annelie opened her mouth and then saw Aurora smiling in her direction, a warm and polite smile. It looked exactly the same as the smile Aurora had always shown in the past. But for some reasons, Annelie felt warmth when she saw it. She blinked her eyes. Aurora stood up and put away the cup of tea in front of her. She walked towards Annelie and patted the latters shoulder before she walked out of the club room. Her expression was light and it was clear that Aurora was very calm and had no other feelings or worry about this matter. Annelie stood still on her place. After a few seconds, she let out a bitter laugh. She was the stupid one. The noble society has always been like this, so what could she actually expect? At the same time, Annelie felt that having no position or power to speak on her own... was really bad. ... It took some time for Annelie to calm down and walked out of the tea ceremony club room. Aurora was nowhere to be seen by now, but Annelie didnt care about this matter. She was thinking about something else. Walking down the hallway, she bumped onto Leon who had just come out of the study room. Annelie looked at the study room. Leon was studying? It was very unlikely. There were a few students who were unlikely to study no matter how much time has passed. One of them was naturally Leon, whose result was really bad. Besides, it was almost the end of the semester and the graduation party was close. Would Leon study at this point of time? Impossible. So there had to be other reasons as to why Leon was in this study room at this point of time. Thinking about the fact that her mother come here specifically, Annelie had the feelings that Leons parents, one of them at least, should be here to see him too. As for what they were talking about... It might be similar? "Sir Leon," Annelie called out. Leon, who was still thinking about his fathers words, heard Annelies call and raised his head. He forced a smile on his face. "Lady Annelie." "Would you like to take a walk together, Sir Leon?" Annelie asked, her tone was calm. To be honest, she just want someone to accompany her when walking around since she couldnt walk around Aurora again during this period of time. Or perhaps for the rest of her lives. Annelie decided not to think about it because she would only feel even more depressed. In terms of identity, Leon is her fiance?, so there wouldnt be anyone who would think much when they saw Annelie and Leon walking together. Even if it was rare, but they were about to graduate and thus, the marriage between Annelie and Leon were actually not that far away. "This..." Leon looked at Annelie in front of him and in the end sighed and nodded. "Alright, Lady Annelie." The two of them walked side by side. Honestly, neither of them knew what to talk with each other. They rarely met with each other and even if they did, they didnt usually talk with the other party. There was no topic to talk to begin with. After some time, the two of them somehow reached the back garden. There were not many other students here as it was usually quite deserted. Only one or two could be seen in the distance. This could be said to be the perfect place to talk without being bothered by others. "Is there anything you would like to say to me, Lady Annelie?" Leon finally asked. He guessed that she should have a reason for asking him to take a walk with her. Annelie looked at Leon. "If I say that I only want to take a walk, would you believe me, Sir Leon?" Leon: "..." He looked at Annelie and shook his head firmly. He would be a fool if he believed that she only wanted to walk around. Annelie sighed and then said, "My mother comes looking for me today and I guess your father should be looking for you too? After all, its rare you dont go looking for His Highness and the others." Chapter 157: Conversation Between Leon and Annelie Chapter 157: Conversation Between Leon and Annelie Leon was silent. Ordinary people should not have known about this. But considering what Annelie just said before that, Leon could only sigh. Even if he wanted to lie, he knew that he wouldnt be able to find any suitable reason to prevaricate this. And should he lie? Leon looked at Annelie and at her expression. Even if it was said that when they reached the high society, they have to learn to hide their real feelings and all, but Leon had the feelings that the current Annelie was still far from it. The conflicts within Annelies eyes were still visible. "Yes," Leon replied. "Is it about Lady Aurora?" Annelie smiled faintly. She seemed to have guessed that for her mother to come to her and for Leons father to come looking for him, the person who targeted Aurora should be someone higher than them. And how many people were of higher status than them? There were not that many. "The world is cruel, isnt it?" Annelie said slowly. There were many noble families who have been helped by Aurora and also created many trades with Aurora as the mediator between them. Her family was not an exception. Annelie was present during that time, so she knew this matter very well. Her family was able to earn a lot of money during the past few years because of the trades proposed by Aurora. But now... They were more than burning the bridges. They even fanned the flames to the other sides to burn the land down too. But at the same time, Annelie also knew that there was nothing that she could do. If she didnt follow her mothers wishes, she would never let her off. And even if she didnt follow the wishes, what could she actually do? She was nothing more than a marquiss daughter and also the future heir. But she has no real power to speak of. In the past few years, she did nothing but to study and to expand her influence and contacts with the other students in the academy. But if Annelie had say, none of these could truly be considered as real power. Shes a useless girl. "Its indeed cruel." Leon had nothing to refute it. He always thought things so simply and when his father showed the harsh truth in front of his face and told him what he had to do... Leon realized that the world was really cold. There was no feelings for each other or bond to speak of. They only cared about their own needs and benefits. Besides... There was nothing that he could do but to stand on that side. "Do you know the main reason?" Annelie asked. Her mother didnt tell her much, either because her own mother truly didnt know or because she didnt think it was necessary for Annelie to know. But perhaps... There was truly no point in letting Annelie knew about it if she was not directly involved. Leon looked at Annelie and then said, "If I said its about feeling and foolishness, would you believe it?" "In this kind of situation, do you really believe in feelings?" Annelie sneered and then shook her head. "But I do know that there are indeed some stupid people in this world and in our society." None of the two of them would speak clearly about who this stupid person was, but they should know who it is. Leon nodded. "It shouldnt involve you, so you just have to stand at the side and do nothing," Leon said slowly. Annelie raised her head and then asked, "How about you?" How about him? Leon didnt immediately answer. The last part of the conversation between him and his father remained in his head. Leon knew very well that he wouldnt be able to escape from doing what he should do or he wouldnt be able to survive. "I have my obligation." Annelie frowned. Leon smiled bitterly. "I know it might be wrong, but Im part of the Sun Dukedom now. My words and actions represent the family behind me no matter whether I want it or not." I know. Because Annelie also had to represent the family behind her. Moreover, she would be the heiress of her family because shes the only child. Her husband would be the next head of the Brown Family. "When we graduate, there are other things to do." Annelie raised her head to look straight in Leons eyes. "You should not forget about that, Sir Leon." After that, Annelie curtsied and turned around. Leon watched Annelies back and showed a faint smile. Of course, he would not forget about that. In fact, he would be waiting for that because that should be his chance. His chance to earn the power that truly belonged to him and to decide on his own fate along with his new family. ... After Leon talked with Annelie, he made his way to the field. Technically, he would become the head of the Brown Family after he married Annelie. However, Leon himself actually wanted to become a knight. It was one of the reasons why he learned swordsmanship seriously. In this way, even if his father hadnt planned to pave a way out for him to stay as a noble, he could forge his own way. During this period of time, there were still some students who practiced. After all, they would only start taking the examination to become a knight after they graduated from the Capital Academy. There would be a lot of pressure too for them, so they have to prepare themselves thoroughly. Just as Leon planned to take his sword, he saw Adela coming in his direction. Thinking about what his father said, Leon sighed deeply. "Lady Adela?" "Leon." Adela smiled brightly. "I heard that youre with Annelie? Why cant I see her?" Adela looked around curiously. Based on the event, it should be Leon and Annelie quarreling when they were in the field. However, Adela couldnt even see the shadow of Annelie, which made her rather confused. Chapter 158: Another Change? Chapter 158: Another Change? Did she come too late? But she had come here as fast as she could when she heard that Leon walked with Annelie on the hallway. Leon looked at Adela and said slowly, "Lady Annelie had returned earlier, Lady Adela." "Uh, yeah?" Adela looked at Leon with some confusion. For some reasons, she felt that Leon seemed to be a bit more distant than usual. They were all students in the Capital Academy and since Adela has been staying beside Crown Prince Edward, they usually call each other with their name directly. But right now, she heard Leon calling her politely. This made Adela a bit confused. Did she do something wrong? "Is there anything else, Lady Adela?" Leon asked slowly, his tone was calm and composed. One wouldnt be able to detect anything wrong just from his tone. "I... want to talk with you?" Adela asked, not sure what she should say. The events shouldnt have played like this. There were indeed many events that were going wrong because of her changing things here and there. But this event shouldnt be changing like this, right? Was it because she came here too late? Ahhh... Adela really hate her timing. "I would like to practice, Lady Adela," Leon replied in an apologetic tone. "Its going to be the knights examination time soon and I want to participate." The fact that Leon wanted to become a knight was not a secret. Crown Prince Edward and the others already knew. While Leons talent was not as good as Benny, but it was still very good and his chance of passing the examination was high. But no matter how high the chance of passing the examination was, one wouldnt know until they took the examination itself. So the preparation was necessary. Now that there was no need for Leon to pay attention to the written examination for other subjects, he could focus on his training. Not that he cared that much about his other subjects if he had to be honest. "Alright," Adela replied when she heard Leons words. She knew that it was his polite words to say that he hoped her to leave. "You can definitely pass the exams and become a knight, Sir Leon!" Leon smiled politely. "Thank you for your kind words, Lady Adela." After that, Leon took his sword and walked to the field. He did come here because he wanted to train. Another reason was also because no one would bother him when he was training. It was the unwritten rules for them not to disturb others who were training in swordsmanship. After all, they wouldnt like it either if someone disturb them when they were training. Leon himself also planned to become a knight, so the other students knew they should not disturb him. Adela stood still on her place, watching Leons back. "It shouldnt be like this," Adela muttered in a low voice. She hadnt even properly reached half of Leons path because it was blocked by this event, which shouldnt have happened in the game. Again and again, Adela was reminded that the real life was different from the game. As much as she liked these characters in the game, but she has lived with them for years in this world by now. Her every action would result in different response from these people. Unlike the games that had been set up that she only needed to click and followed as the main character would not do anything strange, she had to control her behavior and many others here. It was tiring. Forget it if I cant get him, Adela thought to herself. It was not like she planned to follow through his path until the very end. Because even Adela herself knew that she didnt want to pick Leon from the very beginning. He has never even been the choice for her. Because without the marriage with Annelie, Leon would be like Benny, become a knight and had to forge their own nobilitys path. She didnt want to. Her own status was higher than these two because shes a dukes daughter. Why should she look down when she could look up. So from the very beginning, there were only three options for her. Even though Adela felt some pity, but she quickly put the thoughts away and left the field again. The other characters have almost reached the last step. Only Crown Prince Edward was the one that Adela wanted to follow through until the very end, though. Tak! Tak! Tak! Leon practiced hiring the target in front of him, his expression was rather dignified. He knew very well that Adela must have her own reasons for finding him at this point of time. But he didnt want to get involved with Adela too much. She might be a nice girl. But Leon has no interest to care about such thing. Right now, he just wanted to pass the knights examination as fast as possible. After that, there were going to be other things for him to do. ... Auroras side Aurora walked out of the tea ceremony club room and sighed deeply. One of the main reason why she like that room so much was because no one would disturb her when she was staying in the club room. The newer students who stayed in the tea ceremony club room all asked to quit one after another. The older ones, who were still interaction with Aurora, were warned off by their parents one by one. It was clear that their parents had seen that storm was brewing, but there was nothing that they could do but to remind their children not to get involved in either side. Now that she had come out, Aurora simply made her way to the garden not far from the dormitory. The Capital Academy encompassed a large area. There were many gardens here for the students to spend their time. Aurora quickly found Lester, who was practicing with his swords in a clearing area for the students knights near the dormitory. Chapter 159: Calm before the Storm (1) Chapter 159: Calm before the Storm (1) "Miss." Prince Lester saw Aurora coming and put his sword away. "Come with me," Aurora ordered lightly. "Yes, Miss." Prince Lester followed Aurora obediently. There were limitation for the knights who followed their master or miss to the academy. For examples, there were places they couldnt go to except during some special occasions. Most of the times, the knights would stay near the dormitories areas. They would practice on the field nearby that was specifically prepared for them. Aurora also knew about this rule, so she only brought Prince Lester to the chair and desk that was not far from the dormitory. This area was quite remote and there were not many students around. Looking into the distance, Aurora could see other students were laughing and playing with the other students nearby. "Stay here with me." After saying that, Aurora sat down and put the book she has been carrying on the table. This was more like she changing place to read and Prince Lester was brought to make sure no one disturb her. After all, Aurora didnt really want to see others when she was busy reading. There were only a few more books left that she wanted to read from the Capital Academy library. The time from now to the graduation party should be more than enough to read them all. "Yes, Miss," Prince Lester replied. He stood still not far from Aurora, guarding her as the knight. Even though he has never formally took the examination as a knight, but his skills were more than enough to pass that examination if he wanted to. It was just that his identity was truly not suitable for him to participate in the examination. Besides, he didnt really need the title of a knight. It was silent for a while. Only the sound of page turning could be heard for a while. "Miss, would you like to drink some tea?" Prince Lester suddenly asked. "Yes, please." Aurora didnt look at Prince Lester when she responded. "Please wait a while, Miss." Prince Lester bowed and then left to take the equipment necessary to make tea. When reading, Aurora always liked to drink tea. It made her calm and feel peaceful as the smell of the tea and the activity of the reading itself felt complimenting each other. Of course, this was just her preferences. Before long, Prince Lester had returned with the equipment necessary to make tea and started to make the tea that Aurora liked. Over the years during the time Prince Lester followed Aurora, he didnt only learn swordsmanship but also learned how to make tea and many other things. For these small things, Aurora never actually ordered Prince Lester to do it. After all, she didnt plan to let him become her servant. For tea, there was still Les who could make it when she was too lazy to make one herself. William could also be ordered to protect her as hes her formal knight. Though, Prince Lester sometimes replaced Williams role. Soon, the tea was ready and Aurora lightly sip the tea. It was perfect, just the way she liked it. Aurora didnt raise her head from the book in front of her, seemingly engrossed in reading the content. Prince Lester also didnt disturb Aurora and stood still beside her. His eyes watched over the other students who were passing by and looked in their direction but didnt dare to come any closer. "Theres only slightly more of half a year left," Aurora suddenly said. "Have you thought about what you want to do afterwards?" Half a year... Prince Lester knew that Aurora was referring to the agreement between the two of them. When Aurora first came to him and gave him an offer, it was clearly stated that the time limit was only 4 years. It was almost the time. Once the time was up, there was no longer any need for Prince Lester to follow her. Aurora also had no intention of keeping him around. "No, Miss," Prince Lester replied. "I see." Aurora remained calm and indifferent. She looked at the content in the book and sighed. "Do you think the nobility are good, Prince Lester?" Prince Lester looked at Aurora. He would only call his name when there were no one else around them. After all, Prince Lesters identity as a prince was not exactly easy to mention to others. It was not exactly a secret either but there was no need to publicize this matter. The title prince was a dead giveaway. Prince Lester heard Auroras question and thought about it for a moment. "They have their roles to play, Miss. But many of them might not be fulfilling their duties properly." Being able to follow Aurora was also a blessing for him because he could see a large number of different people, especially those from the nobility. He couldnt say that they were all good, but the nobles are called nobles because they have their own duties. "Indeed," Aurora replied in a low voice. They have their own duties to fulfill, which was why they were granted the nobility title in the first place. Or it was because they contributed to their kingdom that they were granted the nobility title without territory. There were many people who were like this. "What do you think is the most important thing for nobles?" Aurora asked again. What is the most important thing? Prince Lester looked at Aurora seriously and then said, "Morality." Pfft! Aurora covered her mouth with her hand. She felt that the other nobles that she had met, this was one word that she couldnt find among them. Because it was really hard for them to have a bottom line when they are doing things. "I dont think that its right," Aurora said. "If theyre a true noble, then they would fulfill their duty," Prince Lester said seriously. "But if theyre not, then they are only using their ability to do what they want for their own benefit without thinking about other people." Chapter 160: Calm before the Storm (2) Chapter 160: Calm before the Storm (2) Aurora listened to Prince Lesters words. She knew that it was not wrong to a certain degree. Because a duty of nobles were many and helping their people were only one of them. It was not even the main priority. "Prince Lester, do you think being a noble is everything?" Aurora asked another question. Is it everything? "No." "Right." Aurora chuckled and lowered her head to look at the book in front of her to read again. "Its not." And only the sound of page turning could be heard. It was peaceful. ... Aurora thought that these kind of days would last for a long time. But she was wrong. Looking at the invitation in front of her, Aurora sighed deeply. "What does Sand Kingdoms Prime Minister doing in the Yellow Kingdom?" Aurora muttered to herself and leaned back. The last time Aurora saw Prime Minister Jake from the Sand Kingdom was during the previous negotiation. After that, there might be some other negotiation with the Sand Kingdoms nobles, but it didnt go through Prime Minister Jakes hand. In this way, there was no need for Aurora to meet with that annoying man. Now, Aurora found out that Prime Minister Jake had somehow come to the Yellow Kingdoms Capital City. And the first thing he did was actually to send her an invitation to meet in a cafe not far from the Capital Academy. "Oh..." Aurora remembered that it was already spring. It meant that the next negotiation would be done soon and if she was not wrong, they had set the negotiations location to be in the Yellow Kingdom. But has the war between the Red Kingdom and the Ice Kingdom over? Aurora was a bit busy with her own private matters lately that she forgot about such an important thing. But even if the war is not over... its not impossible for them to decide and made the negotiation. The one who would usually initiate the negotiation was the Red Kingdom. The main reason was because the river flow through their territory first before going to the lake. Since the next negotiation would take place in the Yellow Kingdom, the Red Kingdom should inform the Sand Kingdom and the Orange Kingdom. That would explain why Prime Minister Jake is here. But... "Should I see him?" Aurora looked at the invitation letter on the table. The letter was polite and one couldnt really fault Prime Minister Jake in terms of etiquette and so on. The problem was whether it would be suitable or not. Aurora thought for a moment before thinking of a suitable way. She looked at the letter in front of her and the corner of her lips curled up slightly. It was feasible. And if what Prime Minister Jake was about to deliver was something important, then Aurora did have to see him. It would be a waste if she were to miss something important by not coming to see him. ... In a short time, Aurora had arrived at the cafe written by Prime Minister Jake in the letter. It was a famous cafe for the nobles and the price was really expensive. There was basically no commoner who could afford the consumption in this place. Thankfully, the service was truly good. And the nobles had praises for this place. As for the price? Even if it was slightly more expensive, the rest was really good. For them, it was enough. Aurora looked around and soon found Prime Minister Jake was sitting beside the window. He was looking outside and looked somewhat absent minded. "Prime Minister Jake, is this your first time coming to the Yellow Kingdom?" "Of course not, but I feel the current Yellow Kingdom is interesting." Prime Minister Jake turned his head away from the window when he heard Auroras words. Upon seeing the girl who came to the table, his smile turned even wider. "It seems that youve been doing well, Miss Aurora." "I can say the same to you, Prime Minister Jake," Aurora replied. From the way it looked like, Prime Minister Jake was not only living well but also gained weight. He looked a bit rounder than before, though he still looked relatively fit. At least, for a man at his thirties, he still looked healthy. Prime Minister Jake laughed and nodded. "Please take a seat, Miss Aurora. You may order food or drinks too. Ill be the one to pay for them." "Thank you," Aurora said lightly and then sat down gracefully. "Now, may you tell me why you come here so suddenly, Prime Minister Jake?" "Havent you guessed the reason for my arrival here?" Prime Minister Jake didnt answer right away and instead asked the question back to Aurora. The smile in his face showed that he was confident that Aurora knew the reason even without him telling her. Aurora raised her head and looked at Prime Minister Jake. She did have some guesses as to why he was here and the reason why he came. However, Aurora felt that it would be better for her to ask him directly. "In that case, let me change the question. Why did you look for me?" Aurora asked and then glanced at the waiter who arrived to bring their teas. She raised her hand and slowly sipped the tea from the cup, enjoying the taste of the tea. Prime Minister Jake laughed lightly. He could sense Auroras vigilance and it was not exactly a bad thing. Because if one were not vigilant and careful, they would be used by others who had bad intention. Well, he also had some unkind intention... "Im here to invite you to my kingdom again," Prime Minister Jake replied. "Back then, you disagreed and I know its not suitable for you to leave. But now that Im here, I think that youll fare better in the Sand Kingdom." Fare better in the Sand Kingdom? Aurora thought about the rumors that was spread about her and chuckled lightly. Well, it seemed that Prime Minister Jake had a point. Chapter 161: Calm before the Storm (3) Chapter 161: Calm before the Storm (3) Prime Minister Jake saw Aurora chuckling and smiled in response. "So, do you think..." "Prime Minister Jake, may I ask what you have heard lately?" Aurora interrupted before Prime Minister Jake finished speaking. Her etiquette taught her not to interrupt others before they finished speaking, but Aurora knew very well hat such etiquette was useless in front of Prime Minister Jake. If he was being left alone, it was estimated that he might even speak more nonsense that could make one angry. Having faced Prime Minister Jake in several negotiations, Aurora knew this very well. Provoking someone seemed to be Prime Minister Jakes speciality. "About how bad you are?" Prime Minister Jake rubbed his chin. "I think that most of them are nonsense. No matter how annoying you are on the negotiation table, youre not the type to bully others weaker than you." Because even without physical bullying, Aurora could already crush others easily with her ability. Why resort to tricks when she could use other upright means? Besides, with Auroras IQ, she would not use such useless and stupid tactics. As Auroras old opponent, Prime Minister Jake naturally knew Auroras ability. If she were to use those kind of stupid tactics in front of him, he would have long defeated Aurora with his speaking ability and others. But no, she won over the negotiation with her skills. It was different from those bullying. "The funniest thing is that many people believed it." Prime Minister Jake looked at Aurora with inquiring look. He could guess that Aurora might have offended someone at the top because this kind of method also existed in his kingdom. But to use it so blatantly like this... Prime Minister Jake felt that whoever did it was really stupid. "Not many people are smart enough to know that theyre actually being used by others," Aurora replied calmly. These people who only listened to the rumors and didnt try to verify the truth were common. They were used to listen to others without using their brain. Even if the statement sounded illogical, they would still follow through and followed whatever was said. This kind of action.... Aurora felt that they were really stupid. But she couldnt really blame them. Many commoners didnt receive any education whatsoever. They were not taught to think but to work and their work didnt really require them to be smart and being able to think or anything like that. So Aurora leave them be. These people could be used by her enemies and could also be used by herself if she truly wanted to. Of course, the premise was that Aurora wanted to. If she didnt want to, she would ignore them. "I know." Prime Minister Jake smiled. "But since youve offended them, there wouldnt be any problem even if you follow me to the Sand Kingdom." Aurora: "..." She could see that this prime minister truly didnt know the word giving up. He still wanted to bring Aurora to the Sand Kingdom as fast as possible and if she disagreed, he would continue to persuade her. "I respectfully refuse." "If youre refusing because of the Yellow Kingdom, I dont think its worth it." Prime Minister Jake clicked his tongue and sipped the tea in front of him slowly. He felt quite thirsty after talking for a while. "Yellow Kingdom?" Aurora repeated and shook her head. If it was only because of Yellow Kingdom, Aurora would not refuse Prime Minister Jakes words repeatedly. Because if Aurora had to say for herself, she didnt have much feelings for this kingdom. Perhaps one would tell that she was too cold hearted. But this was the true feelings within Auroras heart. She didnt care too much about these kind of intangible things. Wouldnt it be better for her to think more about the benefits and other things that she could receive? Aurora admitted. Shes selfish. But even if it was not because of the Yellow Kingdom itself, Aurora had no intention of moving to the Sand Kingdom. "The Sand Kingdom is not very peaceful right now," Aurora said slowly. "There are a lot of frictions at the border too, Prime Minister Jake." Prime Minister Jakes movement of drinking paused. He laughed dryly. "So you also heard about those, Miss Aurora?" Aurora glanced at Prime Minister Jake calmly. She was used to work on various matters and for these things, information could be considered as the most important thing. And for the past few years, she was not idle and had been preparing herself. As for the matter of staying with other kingdoms... Aurora refused. She liked being free. The current state was pretty good and even if there were some unpleasant situation, Aurora had already thought about how to deal with them. Of course, she would deal it with her own way. Whether others agree or not didnt matter. "If theres nothing else, Ill return first, Prime Minister Jake," Aurora said as she stood up. "Theres just one more thing." Prime Minister Jake looked at Aurora deeply and said, "You do know the saying of destroying what one couldnt get, do you?" Aurora paused for a moment, her eyes flickered. She looked at Prime Minister Jake and showed a polite smile. "How could I not know about this saying, Prime Minister Jake?" "Good." Prime Minister Jake leaned back and then said, "See you soon on the next negotiation, Miss Aurora. The other representatives from the other two kingdoms should also arrive soon." So it was true that Prime Minister Jake was here because of the negotiation that would come in a few days. But that negotiations time should be after her graduation party. And Aurora was not informed about this matter. Auroras eyes flickered and she shook her head. "Im afraid youll be disappointed, Prime Minister Jake." Disappointed? Before Prime Minister Jake could ask what Aurora meant, she had already walked away. She had no intention to spend more time with Prime Minister Jake in this cafe today or there would be more strange rumors appearing. Chapter 162: Calm before the Storm (4) Chapter 162: Calm before the Storm (4) Prime Minister Jake didnt stand up and stared in the direction where Aurora left. He felt that the last thing Aurora said to him had another meaning. But if his conjecture is true. "Ah... how stupid..." Prime Minister Jake shook his head. He leaned forward once again and sipped the tea in front of him. It seemed that the situation would be more favorable for the Sand Kingdom if it was true. But... Prime Minister Jake felt that it wouldnt be so much fun anymore. Eh, so be it. I dont have to manage so much anymore. ... After coming out of the cafe, Aurora sighed deeply. Honestly, Prime Minister Jake was a smart person and this kind person was really hard to deal with. But then again, if Prime Minister Jake was not smart, it would have been impossible for him to reach that position in the first place. Aurora went back to the Capital Academy. Upon her arrival, she found that Louis was already waiting for her. From his posture, it seemed that he had long known that Aurora went out to pay a visit to Prime Minister Jake and he was suspicious. Honestly, Aurora felt amused when she saw Louiss action. "Why did you go out of the Capital Academy?" Louis asked when he saw Aurora returning and didnt bother paying attention to him. He heard news from one of the juniors that Aurora went out suddenly. In the past few months after Auroras return, she had never left the Capital Academy and continued to stay here no matter what happened. How could she suddenly come out? It was almost time for their graduation party and Louis was naturally suspicious. "Why should I answer your question, Sir Louis?" Aurora asked back, her tone was calm and indifferent. "Because Im part of the student council and its my task to take care of the students in the academy," Louis quickly replied. Student council? That broken organization was truly of no use ever since they were founded in the Capital Academy. The student council room was used by Crown Prince Edward to laze around and play. Other students who truly wanted to do what the student council had to do were unable to really do anything. Without the support of Crown Prince Edward, they really didnt dare to do anything. Now, Louis wanted to make use of this name? What a joke. "I think you dont understand, Sir Louis. When did the Student Council start to meddle and ask questions to other students for no reasons? Theres no rule that stated students are not allowed to leave the Capital Academy as long as they have the permission," Aurora said slowly, her tone was icy cold. Louis was stunned. He gritted his teeth and his brain turned once more, trying to find another reason to ask questions to Aurora. She was right. The student council had never done such a work before because there was truly no need for them to do it. Now that he had started to do this work... Other students wouldnt believe it. Louis took a deep breath. "I saw you come out and see a man. Are you...?" Aurora raised her hand to stop Louis from speaking nonsense. She didnt have that much patience anymore after being repeatedly provoked by these annoying people. If not because her plan required her to wait until their graduation party, she would have long kicked them all. "Do you not recognize Sand Kingdoms Prime Minister, Louis?" Aurora chuckled. "Right, I forgot you have never truly participated in the kingdoms matter and naturally never saw them. Its almost time for the next negotiation, so Prime Minister Jake come to inquire if he could know more about what I have prepared for the next negotiation." "Ah..." Louiss expression turned dark. He could see the contempt in Auroras eyes when she looked in his direction. There was no need for Aurora to lie about it. They could find out as soon as they made the inquiry. Louis clasped his fingers to form a fist. He felt that the lack of knowledge of Auroras activity made him helpless. She could do whatever she wanted and others could only follow in her footsteps. There was nothing that they could do. "Why do you have a private meeting with him, you..." "Its a public meeting and the people in the cafe can hear our conversation clearly if theyre close enough," Aurora replied. Her way of interacting with Prime Minister Jake was not a secret. Those who attended the previous negotiations knew that the two of them often clashed against each other. "If youre so free to find out about my meeting, how about if you think about how to help with the next negotiation? The situation at the borders are quite tense, Sir Louis. Im sure Sir Leon had known about it," Aurora said and then walked away, ignoring the stunned expression on Louiss face. There were other students nearby and Leon was also there. He had only finished his training and still sweaty looking with his sword beside him. Louis was silent for a while and glanced at Leon. "Is it true?" "Yes." Leon nodded. "My father said that the border is not very peaceful lately." Duke Suns territory was right beside the Sand Kingdom, so if there was any conflict or anything, they would be the first to bear the brunt. Duke Sun mentioned this matter in his letter to him some time ago before Duke Sun come to meet him personally. Leon knew about this, but he was also helpless. Because he knew very well that there was nothing he could do about it. His brother would be the one who face it. "I see..." Louis took a deep breath and also turned around. He knew that there was no point for him to stay here and be the spectacle anymore. However, there were still some students who were whispering around. Leon saw this and shook his head. He also left. Chapter 163: Calm before the Storm (5) Chapter 163: Calm before the Storm (5) Aurora sighed deeply after she was separated from Louis. She could guess that this could be used as another source of rumors, but she was not worried. In fact, she wondered how those people would react if they knew that she had a contract with Sand Kingdoms Prime Minister. *chuckle* Unfortunately, she wouldnt have the chance to see their expressions personally. It was almost time for the graduation party. She also had some preparations to make. For other things, she had no other choice but to put this matter to the back of her head. ... Amidst the strange atmosphere in the academy, time passed quietly. At this time, Crown Prince Edward was looking at the clothes in front of him, trying to pick the one that would make him look the most handsome for the celebration party not long from now. Louis and Benny were in the room, helping him to pick the clothes. Though, they were not very helpful. "You can just pick any of them and its suitable for you," Benny complained. For him, there was no differences between these clothes in front of him and no matter which one Crown Prince Edward chose, it would be suitable for him. He really didnt understand the use of picking clothes for so many hours like this. "No, I have to pick the best clothes." Crown Prince Edward snorted. Louis looked at Benny helplessly and then glanced at Crown Prince Edward. "You look best in gold color, just like your eyes." "Ah, gold color, huh?" Crown Prince Edward nodded. Gold color is the unique color of the Yellow Kingdom and Crown Prince Edward was naturally proud of having this pupil color. But if he were to wear gold, would it look appropriate for him? Crown Prince Edward was struggling. Louis didnt bother with Crown Prince Edward and his eyes moved to the letter on the Crown Prince Edwards table. It was the letter from His Majesty, the Yellow Kingdoms king, to reply to Crown Prince Edwards inquiry some time ago. "Has His Majesty agreed to your arrangement?" Louis suddenly asked. "Ah?" Crown Prince Edward heard this and nodded. "Dont worry, they didnt mean to disagree. You just have to continue with the graduation party as usual." "I see..." Louis felt a sense of loss in his heart when he heard Crown Prince Edwards words. In the past few months, he had gotten closer to Adela and found her to be really cute. She might not be very smart or have any kind of special talent that made people look in her direction, but he felt that she was really good. So when Crown Prince Edward suddenly announced it to him and also wanted to tell his parents, he was at loss. This was the first time in his life to feel that way. From Crown Prince Edwards behavior, Louis could guess more or less about the content of the letter from the Yellow Kingdoms King. He should have agreed. Ah... Why did he agree? "How about Lady Aurora?" Louis suddenly asked. "Huh? Why should I care about her?" Crown Prince Edward asked back. He tilted his head and then said, "It doesnt seem to be that important for me to talk to her, right?" Louis looked at Crown Prince Edward and frowned. He felt that it was not right. "Besides, she has been bullying Adela a lot." "Huh? She did?" Benny frowned. "Should I teach her a lesson in the swordsmanship class?" There were still classes and both Benny and Aurora were both in the swordsmanship class. But because of their genders, Aurora didnt usually have any interacting with Benny. After all, the practice during the class was divided to the boys and girls respectively in accordance to their own level too. In this way, their training would be more effective without breaking the etiquette. While there could be some sparring between the boys and the girls if they wanted to, Aurora didnt usually spar with the boys. So Benny had to be the one to initiate the challenge if he wanted to. "Youre already a knight and you want to spar against a lady? What do you think your reputation would be afterwards?" Louis scolded. He knew that Benny was stupid, but couldnt he think that his own reputation would be the one destroyed if he were to initiate that kind of challenge? As the youngest knight, he was already the strongest in the academy. Many boys were not his match and now he wanted to challenge a girl? What kind of joke it is? "Ah... then I wont." Benny pursed his lips. He couldnt stand seeing anyone bully Adela, especially since he had sworn that he would protect Adela with all he got. When Louis said that Aurora bullied Adela, he only thought about teaching a lesson to Aurora without thinking about what the consequences would be if he made a move personally. But after saying that, Benny was confused what he should do. If he couldnt do it personally, should he ask someone who were close to him? The problem was, these people were all boys... There were no female apprentice knights that he knew because he always felt they were too weak and not worthy of his attention at all. "Can I ask Leon to do this instead?" Benny suddenly asked. Leon was not that weak but he was not that strong either. It should be fine to ask him to do this kind of thing, right? Louis passed a glance at Benny. "Leon is also aiming to become a knight and as a dukes son, do you think his education is any less than you? Its said that he has the best result below you. If the second best in class challenge someone ordinary and that person is also a girl, do you think Leon will do it?" Benny opened his mouth. Thinking that Leon was indeed not someone who liked to bully those weaker than him, the answer would be a big no. "Uh... no." Chapter 164: Preparation before the Graduation Party Chapter 164: Preparation before the Graduation Party Benny slumped. He felt that whatever suggestion he gave, Louis would be the first tone to veto it right away. It seemed that his ideas were all stupid ideas in the eyes of Louis. Then again, it was indeed stupid. "What do you think would happen if your reputation is destroyed like that?" Louis asked with a snort. "Think about the family behind you and dont do anything stupid." Benny nodded his head like chicken pecking rice. He knew very well that if he didnt agree right now, then Louis might start a lecture to him right away. Crown Prince Edward finally turned around after finding a bright gold colored suit and put it away. "Say, wheres Leon?" There were only three people in this room right now. Adela was clearly not here since this was Crown Prince Edwards room in the male dormitory. Even if he is the crown prince, he had to follow the rules of the dormitory and not let Adela came here. Louis and Benny were helping Crown Prince Edward to pick clothes. But Leon... He seemed to be missing. "I dont know," Benny answered crisply. He didnt care too much about Leon and the two of them didnt usually talk with each other aside from fighting and sparring on the field. After all, their swordsmanships were really good. It could be said to be the only thing he cared for too. Other matters didnt seem to be that important. "Hes practicing on the field," Louis answered. "He said that its about the time for the knights examination, so he practiced more to avoid making mistakes at that time." Before coming here, Louis had come to see Leon for a short while, but the latter said that he needed to practice more. Louis had no interest to stop Leon from practicing, so he let that man be. Anyway, there was no point in worrying about it. "I see." Crown Prince Edward nodded. "I thought his skills are more than enough to pass?" "He might be nervous." Louis shrugged. "Heh, weaklings," Benny mocked. In his opinion, there was nothing that they needed to truly be concerned about for the examination. It was really easy and all they have to do is simply to show off their skills and then passed it. It was really easy. Why should one bother to practice more on the eve of the examination? Well, Benny has full confidence in himself. He himself was not nervous back then when he took the examination. So in his eyes, Leon was simply doing a useless thing that had no point in the slightest bit. "Forget it. You should also prepare for the graduation party," Crown Prince Edward said and then looked at the suit in front of him. "What do you think of this suit?" "Its good." Benny felt that all suits looked exactly the same. No matter which one Crown Prince Edward chose, it should be good for him. Louis also nodded. "Its good." He didnt really want to stay here any longer either. It was almost time for the graduation party and he also had to prepare for his appearance. It was just... Louis looked at the letter on the table once more. He still felt really bitter. Benny noticed Louiss gaze and saw the letter stamped with the Royal Familys seal on the table. He knew that Crown Prince Edward asked for something from his father, but he was not sure what it was. "By the way, are you going to take Aurora or Adela to the party later?" Benny suddenly asked. During the time when Aurora was away, Crown Prince Edward would escort Adela to their end of year ceremony. Now that Aurora is here, Benny suddenly felt that Crown Prince Edward might be in for a dilemma. The students have known that Crown Prince Edward and Adela were close. When they saw Crown Prince Edward brought Adela during the end year party, they could see that this Crown Prince Edward... was not quite right. But no one dared to say anything. They didnt dare to. "You dont have to know about it." Crown Prince Edward frowned and kicked Benny out of the room. He felt that Benny was really tactless to ask such a question so openly. Besides, he didnt want Benny to spread the word out before it was time for the graduation ceremony because it would only create more scandal for him. Crown Prince Edward refused such a situation. Louis saw Crown Prince Edwards action and there was a faint haze in his eyes. He suppressed the thoughts in his head and said, "Your Highness, Ill also prepare for the graduation party." "Yes, yes, you may go." Crown Prince Edward didnt care about them anymore and decided to dress up quickly. Seeing this scene, Louis came out of the room. He took a deep breathe and slowly made his way to his own room. As Crown Prince Edwards subject, he had to work hard for the future king. No mistake could be made. Even if he felt stuffy in his heart, Louis knew that he couldnt do anything about it and only followed the arrangement. ... Auroras side As the graduation partys day arrived, she was busy to prepare herself to be ready for the graduation party itself. A woman had a lot of things to prepare, which included the make up, dress and so on. Les was busy helping Aurora to do everything, including her hair, dress, and so on. Thankfully, Auroras dress was not that complicated. But... "Miss, are you sure its enough to do this?" Les asked. She felt that she could prepare more for Aurora and this much was simply not enough. It couldnt showcase Auroras full beauty without enough preparation! "Its enough," Aurora replied. "Theres no need to be so grand." "But this is your only graduation party, Miss." Les felt conflicted when she thought that Auroras preparation was so simple like this. She felt that it was not enough to showcase Auroras real status. Chapter 165: Before the Graduation Party Chapter 165: Before the Graduation Party "The only graduation party..." Aurora repeated and smiled faintly. "Because well only graduate once, right?" Les heard Auroras words and felt that something was strange. She looked at her Miss with some confusion. "Miss?" "Its nothing." Aurora shook her head. "You just have to do enough." Aurora closed her eyes and Les could only start brushing Auroras hair and braided it beautifully. Even though she felt that this was not enough to showcase Auroras beauty, but she would still do her best. On the other hand, Aurora was not very interested in this graduation ceremony. Because she knew very well that this was the day that those people had planned for such a long time to make sure that she could not turn over. But Aurora only felt that it was ridiculous. Their actions couldnt be hidden from her eyes. She was no longer that helpless kid who could only follow what her parents arranged for her. From the moment they gave her freedom to do many things, Aurora was already outside their grasp. She simply didnt show it to them on the surface. After all, it was more convenient for her to do things when they thought that she was still someone under them rather than when she was truly free like this. But... Aurora never planned to follow their arrangement obediently. Brush! Brush! Soon, Les was done and she wiped the sweat on her forehead with a bright and proud smile. "Miss, its done." Aurora opened her eyes and looked at the mirror in front of her. She could see a beautiful brown haired girl staring back in her direction. Part of her hair was braided to the back and tied with a beautiful flower in the middle. Her wavy brown hair fluttered slightly, looking really beautiful. Seeing her appearance, Aurora smiled faintly. "Its good, Les." "Thank you for your compliment, Miss." Les smiled brightly. As Auroras maidservants, Les always wanted to make sure that Aurora looked the best. She felt immense satisfaction from seeing Aurora in this appearance. "I would like you and William to go out first. Theres already carriage prepared for you to go," Aurora said. "Eh?" Les was confused. They should have enough time to pack up later, right? But Les was not someone who would question Auroras decision. If Aurora gave her order, then Les would do her best to fulfill it. "Yes, Miss." Aurora stood up after she was done and looked at the mirror once more. She was wearing purple dress, which of similar color with her eyes. This color looked suitable for her, making her look even more elegant. After that, Aurora picked a fan from the table. This was a fan that she had specifically prepared for her to bring. It could be used to cover her mouth in case she formed a sneer when she heard those annoying peoples words. After that, Aurora opened the door and saw Prince Lester was standing there. Since today was the graduation party, the dormitorys rules were a bit more lax to a certain degree. But they would not let anyone made trouble here today. The students knights were allowed to enter. So Prince Lester was already waiting for Aurora here. Aurora looked at Prince Lesters face, which still wore a mask and then at the suit that Prince Lester wore. She nodded. "You look suitable to wear suits." "Yes, Miss," Prince Lester replied in a low voice. After that, Aurora turned to look at William, who was waiting at the other side. Unlike Prince Lester who had changed into a suit, William was still wearing his knights uniform. "You go with Les as soon as possible. Protect her and if necessary... Kill anyone who dared to block the way." When saying the last sentence, Auroras tone was laced with murderous intent. Having followed Aurora for years and knew what she experienced, William was not surprised. He bowed slightly. "Yes, Miss." "Lets go, Lester. Youll escort me today," Aurora said lightly. "Yes, Miss." The one who should have escorted a lady was their fiance? or it would be changed to close friends or knights if there were none. For someone like Aurora who had an engagement, it was only natural for Crown Prince Edward to escort her. But Aurora knew that Crown Prince Edward should be with her sister right now and didnt have any time to escort her. Rather than coming alone... it would be better for her to ask her knight to escort her. Anyway, it would not be completely wrong in terms of etiquette. "Please be careful, Miss," William whispered in a low voice and then helped Les to carry the luggage. He didnt really understand why it was not him whom Aurora asked to stay behind but instead Prince Lester. After all, the relationship between Aurora and Prince Lester was only temporary cooperation to a certain degree. Without that contract, there was nothing that actually bound Prince Lester. But Aurora still chose him. William didnt understand, but he would still follow Auroras words. Hes her knight. It is a knights duty to listen to his masters words. "Im always careful." Aurora chuckled. She walked out of the dormitory with Prince Lester walking beside her, following her pace without any questions whatsoever. Along the way, Aurora could see some of the noble girls were waiting for their respective fiance? or others to come and escort them. After all, it was what the etiquette taught them over the years. Some of them cast surprise gaze when they saw Aurora left with someone else, but they said nothing. The high level confrontation was not something they could touch with their status. "It is foolish to place your hope on others. It is even more foolish not to use the chance presented in front of you," Aurora said in a low voice, ignoring the gazes of these people on them. Perhaps, the actions of these noble ladies were the most correct ones for them. But Aurora knew very well that there was no point for her to wait or to work on Crown Prince Edwards side. Chapter 166: Graduation Party Chapter 166: Graduation Party A foolish prince who was already hooked on others sweet fragrance. Aurora didnt understand him. And she didnt want to understand. She has never been a person who stood still and do nothing when others provoked her and tried to take what belonged to her. "Im not a flower in a greenhouse," Aurora muttered in a low voice. Many noble girls were those who were only taught to serve their husband and do everything for them. It was as if their existence was simply there for others without any meaning of their own. Aurora refused it. She was born and raised in the highest place and it was also there she faced the thorns and storm that was thrown to her. Ever since she was young, what she was taught was not how to become the decoration but how to become strong. She had to become strong. Because this was the only way for her to survive. Even if the means were despicable, if it could bring her victory, why not use it? There was nothing honorable in being a noble anyway. Prince Lester heard Auroras words but he didnt say anything. He knew that Aurora was speaking to herself and not to him. Perhaps, she just wanted to reassure herself. Because the path that Aurora took was by no means a path that has been taken by others. It could be said that she was the one who forged this path in the first place. It was not easy. Slowly, Aurora made her way to the main hall where the graduation party was located. There were other students nearby who saw her but they didnt approach her. They only cast some curious glance and then left. Most of the students knew that they were not qualified to be involved in this matter. They would not try to be brave and do things they were not supposed to do. "Were here." Aurora looked at the door in front of her and knew that the time has come. Once she stepped in, there was no backing down anymore. The corner of her lips curled up slightly. What is she afraid of? She had faced other things worse than this thing. There was no need for her to be afraid. "Lets go inside." Aurora walked into the main hall with Prince Lester beside her. Upon her arrival, there would be a servant announcing her arrival and many peoples eyes landed on her. There were surprise, curiosity, contempt, and many other gazes. However, Aurora kept a smile on her face. She could see Crown Prince Edward in the distance, holding Adelas hand and looked very sweet and all. But it was clear that he was not happy when he saw Aurora coming in with another man. His expression contorted. Beside him, Louiss face was also dark. It seemed that he was also waiting for Aurora to make fun of herself. On the other hand, Benny just stared in her direction with some annoyance. None of them liked her and Aurora knew this very well. But she was not afraid of them. Aurora nodded and then walked inside, watching the other students who were talking with each other. Seeing how nonchalant Aurora was, the other students also stopped looking in Auroras direction. They were here to enjoy their graduation party. Unless it was necessary, they would not make any troubles here. After some time, Aurora released her hand from Prince Lesters arm. "You can walk around if you want to." Prince Lester glanced at Aurora. He could see her indifference and calmness. It seemed as if nothing could affect her in the slightest bit. But he knew. It was not true. Aurora is also a normal human being. She has emotions and could get hurt because of other peoples action. But she restrained everything and made sure no one knew her real emotions. It was only the calm and indifference that they saw from her. There was a polite smile on Auroras face, but how much of it was her real feeling? "How dare she...?" Crown Prince Edwards face was ugly. He felt that Aurora was simply challenging his authority when she came here with another man. At this time, he had completely forgotten that he himself came here with Adela. He felt that she should have waited for him and didnt come with others. Even if he knew that the person who came with Aurora is her knight, he still felt that she was not respecting him at all. Why didnt she come here alone? Watching Crown Prince Edwards face contorted in anger, Adela pulled his hand. She knew this event happened in the game too, especially if the path she picked was Crown Prince Edwards. "Dont be angry, there are many people watching you," Adela reminded. Crown Prince Edward frowned. He saw the other students were indeed looking in his direction and at this time, he was truly tempted to yell at them and said that there was nothing for them to watch. However, he knew that he would only damage his image if he did that, so he snorted and turned around. Adela watched this helplessly and tried to talk about other things. Beside them, Louiss expression was also not good when he saw Aurora came with another man so easily. It seemed that the preparation he had made before was useless. This made Louis annoyed. And when he turned his head, he saw Adela was talking and laughing with Crown Prince Edward. Louis: "..." He clicked his tongue and turned his head to the side. At the other side, Benny also saw Aurora, but he didnt think too much about it. He disliked her, that much is true, but he wouldnt do anything unless Aurora made a move against Adela. Behind them, Leon watched this scene and silently took a glass to drink. He didnt want to get involved if possible, but he knew that it was impossible. There were too many people watching him. Chapter 167: Graduation Party (2) Chapter 167: Graduation Party (2) The graduation party continued. But everyone could see that the atmosphere was not quite right. Judging from how Crown Prince Edwards face was so dark that it might resemble ink, they guessed that he couldnt accept Auroras behavior of coming to the graduation party with her knight instead of coming here alone. But if it was possible for them to come with others, who would want to come here alone? No one was so stupid that they would pick that option. Soon, it was time for dance. Listening to the song at the side, the corner of Auroras lips curled up slightly. She wanted to see how Crown Prince Edward chose this time. "May I have this dance?" Crown Prince Edward asked Adela when the song changed. Adela, who has been anticipating this scene, smiled brightly and naturally accepted Crown Prince Edwards hand. She knew that the moment Crown Prince Edward asked her to dance, it meant that she was stable on his path. Because the first dance had to be done by those who were engaged, yet Crown Prince Edward asked Adela instead of Aurora. After all, for those who were engaged, the first dance meant a lot. Of course, if one party was not present, then they didnt have to do this. Everyone here understood the etiquette and tradition. But Crown Prince Edward purposely asked someone else for the dance, which meant that he didnt treat Aurora as his fiance? anymore. Many students understood this move. Because they were all from the noble families and naturally received the strict education about this. They knew very well what Crown Prince Edwards move represented. But none of them spoke it out. "Tsk, tsk." Aurora clicked her tongue but the smile never left her face. She was leaning on the wall beside the balcony and watched as Crown Prince Edward and Adela were dancing with each other. If she had to say, their dancing skills were not that good. This was something she had noticed when she danced with Crown Prince Edward many years ago. But she didnt say anything and instead helped to lead him since it concerned their faces. Now, Aurora watched their dance. It had improved slightly. But only a bit. Their talent is not really good. "Miss, do you want to dance?" Prince Lester asked. He was staying not far from Aurora and could see Aurora was looking in the direction of Crown Prince Edward and Adela. At this time, he wondered if she wanted to dance. Dance? Aurora glanced at the two figure in the middle of the dance floor and shook her head. "I have no interest in dancing." If she wanted to dance, she would have gone there and asked Crown Prince Edward. But really... There was truly no point for her to confront Crown Prince Edward. From the very beginning, she had no feelings for him. The engagement was nothing more than a political marriage to tie the two families together. Whether it was her or Adela, there didnt seem to be any differences. When Aurora saw how Adela looked at Crown Prince Edward, she also knew that her sister wanted this man. Either it was because of him as a person or because of the position behind him. Either way, it didnt seem to matter that much. Because Aurora knew very well that whichever it was, Crown Prince Edward turned his attention to Adela too. Without the intention from both sides, how could this dance incident be staged? Aurora knew this as well. She understood everything very well. "Yes, Miss," Prince Lester replied and then didnt say anything else. His dark blue eyes were looking at the two figure who were dancing in the middle and there was a faint killing intent flashed within his eyes. He knew very well that Aurora had worked hard in the past few years. And it was all for this very moment. For these two people who were currently dancing and enjoying their lives on the stage. "You know, even if you work hard for your entire life, it doesnt mean that youll be rewarded in the end," Aurora said slowly. She worked hard for almost her entire life to become the perfect duke daughter and also the crown princess. Every single day, she was asked to study and work to the point where she wanted to vomit blood. There was no freedom, no choices given to her, and there were only orders for her to continue. Aurora had to follow the arrangement if she wanted to survive. No, she had to follow the order if she wished to live well. Because if she didnt follow the order, it was estimated that countless types of punishment would come to her, which would only hurt her. Sometimes, it felt quite ridiculous. She worked hard in order to stay in that position and not to embarrass the family behind her and the Royal Familys face, but they could throw her away immediately without hesitation when her work was done. From the very beginning, they never saw her as a person, did they? "Whats the point of working hard if everything comes to nothing?" Aurora whispered in a low voice as the song came to an end. She knew that it would soon be time for the announcement from Crown Prince Edward. Because when she read the notes from Adela, she had noticed the very important event that Adela marked boldly at the very end. The broken engagement event. A really ridiculous thing. "At least, everything I have studied and experienced can be used for the next part of my life," Aurora said and slowly walked towards the middle. There were many pain and sadness, but everything she has experienced was what allowed her to stand here like this now. In that way, no matter how painful it was, she accepted her entire past. Prince Lester watched Auroras back and slowly lowered his head. He looked at his own hand and took a deep breath. Chapter 168: Breaking the Engagement Chapter 168: Breaking the Engagement Crown Prince Edward was still holding Adelas hand as he walked to the front. He looked around and when he saw Aurora coming in their direction, he smirked. "Just in time, I have an announcement to make." Adela heard Crown Prince Edwards words and felt somewhat excited for some reasons. Because she knew that this was the event that she had anticipated for a long time. Now, it was going to be played in front of her. "Aurora White, from now on, youre not my fiance?e anymore and youre banished from the kingdom!" The bustling venue turned into silent when they heard the crown princes words. Everyones eyes were locked on Adela who was close to Crown Prince Edward and then their eyes moved towards Aurora, who had walked to the center of the hall. Aurora wanted to laugh at Crown Prince Edwards pretentious appearance and raised her fan to block her mouth. This would prevent others from finding out what she was actually thinking, "May I ask for the reason, Your Highness?" Her tone was not in the slightest bit filled with respect, but the one questioned by her didnt seem to realize it at all. Crown Prince Edward hugged Adela and then proclaimed, "Youre bullying your sister, Lady Adela! And such an attitude is unwelcome and unsuitable for the crown princess!" Bullying? Aurora looked at Adela who was still in the Crown Princes embrace and wanted to shake her head. She had never bullied her sister nor she had any interest to do so. She mostly ignored Adela because Aurora knew what Adela was aiming for and for Aurora, it was just some ridiculous matters. But even if Aurora was not interested to do anything, many people still spread those inexplicable rumors. "Just because of petty jealousy, youre hurting her!" Jealousy? What kind of nonsense is it? Aurora looked at the prince as if she was looking at an idiot. Who would want to become his fiance?e if it was not because of the order from the King and her parents when she was young? Their engagement was nothing more than a political marriage. "So, I declare your banishment! This is the end for you, Aurora White!" Raising the fan to cover her mocking smile, Aurora looked at the crown prince and sneered. This is the end? For her or for the kingdom? Because for this day, she had painstakingly prepared a lot of things over the years. "Miss." Prince Lester stood in front of Aurora and raised his hand to protect her behind him. Hes still her knight and it was his duty to protect Aurora. Seeing the undisguised malice from Crown Prince Edwards eyes, Prince Lester frowned. He realized that this incident was indeed ridiculous. Aurora had no reason to bully her younger sister. Even if she did want to bully and teach a lesson to Adela, there was no way other people would be able to notice it with Auroras real ability. She had many ways to achieve her goal without doing it herself. Besides, those rumors about Aurora bullying Adela only came out from the people behind Crown Prince Edward. He, of all people, should have known that this was nothing more than a fake rumor. "Its fine," Aurora said in a low tone and patted Prince Lesters hand with her other hand. The fan still covered her mouth as she looked at Crown Prince Edward and Adela in front of her who were hugging each other. "Do you like him, Adela?" Aurora asked. Even though she knew the answer to this question, Aurora still chose to ask this question at this time. She didnt seem to care about the accusation thrown to her by Crown Prince Edward either. Towards this stupid prince, there was truly no point in explaining anything. "I..." Adela was stunned. Why did Aurora suddenly ask this question to her? There was no such thing happening in the broken engagement event. Adela looked in Auroras direction and saw that purple colored pupil staring straight in her direction. For some reasons, Adela felt that there was some kind of strange gaze in Auroras eyes, but she didnt understand at all. What should she answer? Adela didnt want to destroy this scene. Just as Adela was struggling how to answer, Crown Prince Edward interrupted, "Even until now, you still wouldnt stop bullying your sister, Aurora?" Aurora looked at Crown Prince Edward who seemed to be very indignant as if she had done the most unforgivable thing in the world. Ah, how ridiculous. "I didnt bully my sister, Your Highness," Aurora said, her tone was calm and unhurried. It was clear that whatever Crown Prince Edward said, Aurora had never done any of those. "Dont quibble! I have seen for myself how you treat your sister harshly and also the other members in your tea ceremony club! Such a person is not worthy to be my fiance? nor the member of the nobility!" Crown Prince Edward shouted loudly and proudly. Aurora could sense some people were giving Crown Prince Edward strange gaze but some others were also looking in her direction with indignation. Hahaha. The nobility society was truly rotten and stupid. They thought of themselves so highly and even put the blame on others. "I didnt bully my sister, Your Majesty. Please speak with evidences instead of throwing the blames on others," Aurora answered calmly. If she had to be honest, she was a bit lazy to perform in this event, but she also didnt want to leave her name being tarnished like that. This stupid prince was really annoying. And her equally stupid sister was also really bothersome. Not even once did Aurora bully Adela in their few years staying in the academy, how could Adela not clear about this? "Thats a lie!" Crown Prince Edward snorted. "There are a few people from your tea ceremony club who could give testimony about it! They have seen you bully your sister and you also bully your club members." Chapter 169: Breaking the Engagement (2) Chapter 169: Breaking the Engagement (2) Tea Ceremony Clubs member? Aurora turned her gaze to the side and looked at the few students who stepped forward. Her gaze was indifferent and rather cold, which made these students flinched when they saw Auroras gaze. Year of staying at high place had made Auroras aura rather strong. Not everyone could stand in front of her calmly without being affected. These students were naturally not an exception. But they have already come to Crown Prince Edward, so they still stepped forward. One of the girl raised her head and said, "Yes, thats true. Miss Aurora is really stern and would bully others verbally." Well, only verbally. Because no one had ever seen Aurora got violent with other students and it would not be realistic to put such a blame on her. Aside from during the swordsmanship class, Aurora had never fought with others. Moreover, Aurora hadnt attended the swordsmanship class in years. After her return from the long break, Aurora basically didnt attend the swordsmanship class anymore. So her last fight was more than three years ago. Can they mention that thing? It seemed extremely unreliable and the Crown Prince Edward also knew that there was no point mentioning what had happened for such a long time that people might not even remember it anymore. "Lady Lidia, youre the new member of the tea ceremony club," Aurora said the name of the girl who stepped forward calmly. This was a new student who came during the three years of her absence. Even though they were of the same age, but Lidia didnt attend the ceremony club at all when she was still there. Now she stepped forward and started to speak nonsense? "Ive never attended any tea party with you in the past few months," Aurora added calmly. Lidia flinched. "Im in the room with the others and we all have seen you bullying Adela and many other girls." Bullying in the tea ceremony club? What a joke. Aurora knew better than anyone that she was strict in the early days of the tea ceremony club because these ladies came to her to learn. They wanted to know more about the proper etiquette for the tea ceremony, which was why they came to her. She didnt bully them. At most, she put some pressure on them invisibly without breaking the etiquette nor showing any form of bullying. "In that case, give me examples of what I said." Aurora was calm. "Thats..." Lidia stammered. Even though Aurora can give people pressure invisibly, but her words have always been polite and kind. There was no instance where Aurora talked badly to them nor made them feel as if she was insulting them blatantly. It could be said that Auroras words were actually knife that was covered in honey. Because none of her words sounded harsh or anything like that. But how could Lidia said it. "Stop it!" Crown Prince Edward frowned. "There are many people who have seen it themselves. Why are you still trying to quibble?!" Quibble? Aurora was only trying to defend herself. In the court, even the accused had the right to defend themselves. In the face of such little evidences like this, Aurora didnt understand why Crown Prince Edward was so confident. At this moment, Louis stepped forward. "Lady Aurora, these are records of the time when you made Lady Adela cry. There are also some other girls who cried in your tea ceremony club! Many people want to avoid you in the past few months because of this." After that, Louis mentioned some time, which was mostly happening during their first year of academy. Aurora looked at Louis calmly. The time when these girls cried was because they couldnt do the etiquette well enough. But they were still staying in the tea ceremony club because they knew that they could improve their etiquette through studying with Aurora. Everything was going well. None of them were actually bullied. As for the time when Aurora made Adela cry? That was because of the invisible pressure that she gave to Adela. At that time, Aurora was a bit annoyed with this sister that was not like sister to her and gave some pressure invisibly. But none of her action could be considered bullying. So the list of accusation Louis read out was really ridiculous. "Miss..." Prince Lester frowned, feeling somewhat worried and also felt that these people were really ridiculous. What Aurora had done over the years, how could they not be clear? If it was not because Aurora held his sleeve, he might want to use his sword to shut them all up. Soon, Louis finished reading. "In the view of all these, I will annul the engagement between us!" Crown Prince Edward declared once more, showing the confident smile of a victor while holding Adela close in his entrance. Aurora looked at this scene, not bothered in the slightest bit. She has never liked Crown Prince Edward and whom he wanted to be with didnt have much effect on her. For Aurora, their engagement was nothing more than a political contract. However, there were still some things that had to be made clear. "The engagement is arranged by His Majesty. You need his permission to..." "I have asked for permission! My father agreed with everything I do," Crown Prince Edward cut off Auroras words before she finished speaking. In his eyes, she was only trying to quibble, which was very boring and annoying. Aurora arched her eyebrows. "In that case, Im no longer part of the nobility nor your fiance?e, Your Highness?" "Yes!" "Do you have the authority to do this?" "Yes! My father and your parents have agreed and from now on, youre no longer part of the White Family!" "I see." Aurora nodded. Even after hearing that, Aurora remained calm and composed. "In that case, I wish you happiness, Your Highness." After saying that, Aurora turned around and walked towards the door. She had no interest to entertain Crown Prince Edward and the others any longer. Chapter 170: You… Chapter 170: You... "You..." Crown Prince Edward was stunned with Auroras move. This... She directly left? Did she not want to say anything or anything like that? Not only Crown Prince Edward was stunned, the other students around were also stunned by Auroras decisive action. If it was them who were suddenly disowned by their parents and having their engagement broken, they would definitely cry and having a breakdown. Even if they tried to restrain their feelings, they would not be as indifferent and as cool as Aurora. She looked as if she didnt really care whether she was still engaged or not. Moreover, her movements actually looked a little cool. At least, this was from the perspective of the other noble children around. None of them dared to do the same thing as Aurora. They felt respect from their heart. Of course, some others were unconvinced and felt that Aurora was pretending. How could she be so calm when her entire world was basically destroyed? "Are you leaving?" Louis asked, his tone was full of disbelief. He was the one who proposed this event to Crown Prince Edward. On one side, he wanted to see Auroras embarrassed look. On another side, it was necessary for Aurora to know that Crown Prince Edward would no longer choose her but instead chose Adela. With Adele being Auroras sister, her status was also really good. There didnt seem to be any problem in terms of status alone. "Otherwise?" Aurora turned her head to look at Louis and smiled faintly. "I accept this dissolution of marriage and the banishment. Now, I just need to go, right?" After that, Aurora had reached the door and Prince Lester helped her to open the door respectfully. He didnt seem to pay attention to the other noble children around and focused on Auroras side. "Thats..." Louis was dumbfounded. She accepted it? And the way Aurora accepted it was the one that made many people felt unreal. They felt that they were hearing things wrongly. Some of them, who also wanted to see the high and proud Aurora deflated felt that they couldnt do anything. They felt at loss in their heart. This... Is this it? Crown Prince Edward frowned and turned to look at Adela. "From now on, Adela White is my fiance?e. Shell be the crown princess and the future queen." "Your Highness." Adela also knew that the situation was a bit wrong, but she turned to look at Crown Prince Edward and felt moved with his action. She smiled brightly and tears pooled in her eyes. Crown Prince Edward smiled with satisfaction. Behind them, Benny was watching this scene and turned to look in the direction where Aurora left. There was a strange glint in his eyes. He felt that if Auroras matter was not solved, it was impossible for Adela to be happy. And what he wanted the most was to see Adela happy. As her knight, he had to protect her. Thankfully, he had already told his father about Crown Prince Edwards plan and the knights in his family should have made their moves by now. No one can stop Adela to be the queen. Louis was still at loss, but he quickly accepted it. He felt dissatisfied with Auroras result, but at the very least he managed to reach what Adela wanted. Seeing Adelas smile, he felt conflicted. He was happy and also sad at the same time. Because Louis knew very well that he actually wished to be the one beside Adela instead of watching her be with Crown Prince Edward. Yet, he also knew that she didnt want this. So he couldnt do anything. He could only felt conflicted and silently supported them from the back. "Is it done?" Leon muttered in a low voice when he watched Auroras back leaving. He had heard about Aurora countless times from his father about various matters such as the trades and also the negotiation. From what he knew, Aurora is a strong girl. She would not admit defeat so easily. He knew that he had to stand by Crown Prince Edwards side, but thankfully, there was no need for him to speak at all. Auroras defense was very short. So short that it seemed more like formality. But.... Leon looked outside and furrowed his eyebrows. Many knights were dispatched today and he could guess that their reason should be because of Aurora. As for who sent them? There were many people who didnt want to let Aurora go peacefully. So be it. Leon shrugged and chose not to think too much about it. He should go back and rest because he would have the examination to become a knight quickly. For Crown Prince Edward and Adela? He would give them his blessing. Not far from them, Annelie was watching everything with a fan blocking her face and only her eyes could be seen. And this pair of eyes showed cold and indifferent look. However, Annelie didnt move from her position and could only watch. When the short farce ended, Annelie took a deep breath and turned to look at the other noble students around. "Lets go back." "Ah?" They didnt understand why, but these students decided to follow Annelie. Anyway, there was nothing else for them to do here. ... Drap! Drap! Aurora and Prince Lester left the academy through the front gate. There were guards there but they acted as if they didnt see Aurora. Before going out, Aurora had greeted the Headmaster. In this way, no one in the Capital Academy would stop them. But when they got out of the Capital Academy, the Headmaster couldnt control it anymore. "Miss, the carriage is here," Prince Lester said, guiding Aurora to the carriage that they have prepared before. The carriage had no mark on the body and seemed to be no different from ordinary carriage outside. Without the identity of a dukes daughter, Aurora could no longer use the White Familys family crest. "Lets go," Aurora said. The day is still long. Chapter 171: Escape Chapter 171: Escape Clip! Clop! The carriage went down the street. It was evening and could even be called night. There were no longer that many people who walked on the street because it was really dark. Some people could still be seen carrying lantern, walking back home. There were also some carriages passing by. But the number was small. Tonight, the moon didnt come out. It was blocked by the thick clouds, making the already dark night even darker. Prince Lester was the one driving the carriage while Aurora stayed inside. They didnt turn on the lantern. It was really dark, but Aurora had no fear in her eyes. Even if it was really dark, she had no intention to do anything and would stay silent so as to avoid other people. Its done. Thinking about Crown Prince Edwards unbelievable look and Adelas confused look, Aurora smiled faintly. She could guess that Crown Prince Edward would feel that his pride was shattered because of Auroras action. But she didnt care. The moment Crown Prince Edward decided to use such a high profile method to dissolve the engagement, they were bound to be enemies. Things that could be resolved so peacefully had turned them into enemies. Of course, even if it was resolved peacefully, Aurora had no intention to let Crown Prince Edward go so easily. He had made her waste so much time and effort over the years. And then, he denied everything in the name of love? Who are you kidding? If that one word could encompass everything, why would there be a political marriage and so on? It was clear that for many people, marriages were nothing more than tools for them to expand their influence or to earn more money. For the people in the nobility, they cared for profit more than feelings. Even if they didnt like the other party, they would still try to get along with each other. But for Crown Prince Edward and Adela, they put the word feeling at the very top. It would have been fine if they used this word as the basis to do everything righteously and let the world see their devotion and loyalty. But no. While having an affair with each other, they let Aurora be the one at the front and finished the work that belonged to the crown princess. Giving her a big cake when in truth, he had no intention to fulfill the agreement in the slightest bit. How ridiculous. Aurora felt that their action truly didnt conform to the word love and righteousness was even further away from them. They only made Aurora felt disgusted. If Crown Prince Edward came to her from the very beginning and said that he wanted to dissolve the marriage and then got engaged with Adela, she would have better respect from him. But now... She only felt that he was a useless and stupid prince. Oh well, forget it. The crown prince was really hopeless. Aurora also had no hope that this Crown Prince Edward would be able to do something good. His IQ was still very worrying. Even with Louis by his side, Aurora doubted that he would be a good king. As for Adela... Aurora thought about her little sister, who used to be close to her when they were young. The little sister who was really cute and also really innocent. She didnt know anything about the world outside and the White Family was determined to let it be that way. For their decision, Aurora didnt mind that much. Adela has weak body and it would be good for her to live comfortably. But even if Adela was weak, she was by no means stupid. This was something that Aurora had known when she interacted with Adela in the past. But after the changes happened, Adela was no longer the same Adela as she used to be. She changed. She become stupider, naiver, and had such narrow minded thinking. This made Aurora wondered if she had done something wrong to Adela. When she read the notes that she found from Adelas room, Aurora only held a faint trace of hope that her sister was still there. Unfortunately, her hope was dashed as the next period of time, Adela kept on going against her. Be it intentionally or unintentionally, Aurora could see it. And it was clear that Adela liked Crown Prince Edward so much that she was willing to do anything for him. It was really stupid. Aurora sighed when she thought about it. But it was their choices. She would not stop them. Even if she did try to change their mind midway, but it didnt seem to have much effect. They were too influenced by their feelings. However, it didnt mean that she would accept being used like this by them. The corner of Auroras lips curled up slightly. If they think that everything would be over with that crappy announcement, then they were completely wrong. There would be other things that happened and Aurora would let them know the consequences of offending her. Bang! The carriage shook and Aurora raised her head. "Miss, were getting attacked!" Prince Lester had stopped the carriage and drew his sword. He jumped down and the sword slashed through the man who came to stop them. Slash! Slash! Two people fell down within moments. Prince Lester didnt stop his movement and rushed to the other side of the carriage and kicked the man who tried to open the door before slashing him with the sword. Slash! The door opened and Aurora had already torn part of her dress. Under her dress, she was wearing her training trouser. "Lets run," Aurora said. "Yes, Miss." Prince Lester didnt hesitate and the two of them quickly run side by side with Prince Lester half a step behind Aurora, ready to help her if it was necessary. They have prepared the escape route for tonight and even if there was no carriage, running on foot was also possible. But... It also meant that they have to deal with more people. Clang! Slash! Slash! Chapter 172: Escape (2) Chapter 172: Escape (2) Slash! More and more people came to chase after them. "Run, Miss!" Prince Lester frowned when he saw that the number of knights who chased after them were more than what they thought at the beginning. Who else would send so many knights to chase after a noble lady? Aurora could see that her speed was far from comparable to the speed of these knights. Her training was not very good and even if it was good, the level was far from the real knights. After all, she was not like them who trained almost all day long. Her talent was also not there. Swish! Clang! Aurora raised the sword she brought and blocked the attack from the knight who attacked her swiftly. Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Davis Family. It seems that Benny should be the one to send you." The knights froze in place when Aurora said that. That reaction alone had told Aurora that her guess was correct. Then again, these knights were stupid. They didnt change their attire when they came out. Every knights, maids, servants, from each family would wear different type of clothes depending on which family they came from. The difference might be small but for Aurora who was used to pay attention to such details, it looked really glaring. And the pause these knights made was more than enough for her. Swish! Slash! Making use of the knights surprise, Aurora killed one of them. She turned her head and saw Prince Lester had already solved the other knights who come to them. "Miss, we have to hurry." Prince Lester clearly detected that there were many people who were rushing in their direction. There were many people who didnt want Aurora to escape safely. "I know." Aurora frowned. She had planned everything for today, including her escape. Since she was no longer part of the nobility, Aurora knew that she would never end well if she stayed in the Yellow Kingdoms Capital City. As for how she knew this would be the end? This would be the best result when she considered that her own family members refused to let her off. If they planned to make her reputation turned bad, then they would not want to see her safe and sound. So the best option would be for her to leave this place. Of course, if she wanted to return in the future, she would figure out a way. But for now, it would be best for her to run away. Prince Lester stepped forward and said, "Pardon me, Miss." With that, he lifted Aurora and then started running at the fastest speed possible. Over the past few years, his practice had allowed him to become stronger. Running while carrying Aurora would not pose any challenge for him. Aurora held Prince Lesters neck and looked back. She could see some shadows chasing them and it wouldnt take long for them to be found. Davis Family, White Family, Royal Family,... ah, its really annoying. The corner of Auroras lips curled up slightly. Their hostility towards her was not exactly covered up, allowing Aurora to know that these people didnt exactly have the best attitude towards her. But at the same time, it also allowed her to make enough preparation to face them. Now, they were using the simplest and the stupidest method. Assassination. If she was still the dukes daughter, they would never dare to do this because of the family behind her. But now, they were really outrageous. "Turn the corner at the front and turn the barrel down." "Yes." Swish! Bang! As they passed by the intersection, Prince Lester kicked the barrels down and the content spilled down. It was filled with oil that Aurora had prepared. Oil could be considered to be quite expensive but necessity item. Lantern required either oil or candle depending on their type. And in front of the barrel was exactly a lantern that was knocked off by the sudden move. The candle inside was burning and before long... Blarr! Fire spread out. "Damn it!" "Put it off!" These knights were blocked by the fire and had to stop for a moment. They couldnt possibly let the fire spread in this area since it was not far from the residences of some nobles. If the people from these families knew they were here and did nothing, it would only bring trouble. Drap! Drap! Drap! Soon, Prince Lester and Aurora had escaped from these knights sight. They headed towards one of the gate with least people. Before coming here, Aurora had already bribed them to rest more in the nearby tavern. These guards were usually quite lazy too and when they saw a noble asked them to rest, they would naturally follow. No one wanted to make trouble. In this way, this gate was basically empty during this period of time. "Were here, Miss." Prince Lester stopped and put Aurora down carefully. He looked in Auroras direction thoughtfully but said nothing and then lowered his head. Aurora didnt notice Prince Lesters gaze and opened the side door of the gate. It was the door that they usually used when they didnt want to open the gate fully and only used to let some servants out when it was necessary. "Lets go." They passed through the gate and found Les and William were already waiting for them. The two people smiled brightly when they saw Aurora and Prince Lester coming out. The night escape is a huge success. "Miss, the carriage is ready." "Good." Aurora nodded. She went to the carriage and William became the driver. Prince Lester was responsible for the protection and Les stayed in the other carriage containing their supplies. Inside the carriage, Aurora looked out to the Yellow Kingdoms Capital City. She had left behind a lot of things there. Hopefully these people would appreciate her effort. When thinking about this, Aurora smiled sincerely. Unfortunately, she wouldnt be able to see their reactions in person. It would have been interesting. Chapter 173: Morning Chaos Chapter 173: Morning Chaos Yellow Kingdom Royal Palace "Your Highness, please pay attention to your manners." Crown Prince Edwards face turned dark when he heard this request. He glared at the servant who called him and snorted. Who would have a good face if they were being called so early in the morning? He was still delighted because of his dissolved engagement last night with Aurora and his engagement with Adela. But this servant just had to wake him up so early in the morning and then brought him to the Royal Palace. It would have been fine if there was nothing serious. But... It was his father who called him. Crown Prince Edward shivered when he thought of his father who might even beat him up when he was young because his study was not satisfactory. He didnt dare to disobey. So even if he was annoyed, Crown Prince Edward still walked to the Royal Palace. Soon, he reached the main hall. "Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince is here." The Yellow Kingdoms King raised his head and looked at the young man who entered the hall. Crown Prince Edward was by no means young anymore, but this brat barely learn anything when he was in the Capital Academy. This made the Yellow Kingdoms King wonder if he had done something wrong in the Crown Princes education. After all, even Crown Prince Edwards younger brother seemed to be more promising. But he was just a bit too young. That kid was only 12 years old right now. "Father," Crown Prince Edward greeted when he saw the Yellow Kingdoms King in front of him. He didnt dare to neglect the etiquette in the slightest bit. The Yellow Kingdoms King looked at his son and then asked, "I heard that you dissolved the engagement on your own?" Crown Prince Edward was stunned and turned his head to look at his mother. Seeing his mothers cold look, Crown Prince Edward quickly averted his attention back to the Yellow Kingdoms King. It was just that their small movements couldnt be hidden from the Yellow Kingdoms Kings eyes. The Yellow Kingdoms King passed a faint glance to Queen Ella. When the engagement between Crown Prince Edward and Aurora was decided many years ago, Queen Ella agreed with this engagement. Perhaps, in Queen Ellas eyes, it was good for the two families to unite. But now that Aurora had proven herself capable, Queen Ella didnt want her anymore? The Yellow Kingdoms King could guess that Queen Ella was afraid. Afraid of Auroras abilities that she had shown so far. If Aurora were to truly stand by Crown Prince Edwards side, it was not an exaggeration to say that Aurora might be the one in power instead of Crown Prince Edward. When there was a conflict between Queen Ella and Aurora, who would be the final winner? Even the Yellow Kingdoms King had no guarantee that he would be able to win against Aurora. It was just that he never truly thought about eliminating Aurora because he felt that her ability would be very useful for them. But Queen Ella had different plans. As the king of the kingdom, the Yellow Kingdoms King had many things to do. He couldnt focus on this matter at all times. Moreover, there was a problem at the border with the Sand Kingdom not long ago and the Yellow Kingdoms King was focused on this matter. Coupled with the fact that the Red Kingdom requested for the water negotiation to be renegotiated, it was easy for him to see that the current situation in the Yellow Kingdom was not good. The Yellow Kingdoms King was planning to let Aurora helped with the negotiation since she has been doing a good job all these years. But now... *Sigh* "Didnt you agree, Father? The dissolution of the engagement has the Royal seal," Crown Prince Edward said slowly. "I agree?" The Yellow Kingdoms King let out a rare angry laugh. He turned to look at Queen Ella. "It seems you now know how to fake documents, Ella." "Your Majesty, youve given me permission to deal with this matter," Queen Ella quickly replied. She knew very well that when the Yellow Kingdoms King found out, he might be angry because they had lost a capable vassal. But for Queen Ella, she didnt want someone whom she couldnt control in the slightest bit. Queen Ella knew very well that if Aurora wanted to, she could destroy her after entering the palace. So Queen Ella chose the best choice for herself. "Heh." The Yellow Kingdoms King snorted. "Therell be a negotiation with the Red Kingdom, Sand Kingdom, and the Orange Kingdom. Youll be the one to step forward. If the war between the Sand Kingdom and the Yellow couldnt be avoided, Ill ask your family to fund the expedition." Queen Ellas face changed when she heard this. Queen Ella came from Yelan Dukedom. There were a total of three dukedom in the entire Yellow Kingdom, which is White Dukedom, Sun Dukedom, and Yelan Dukedom. The current Duke Yelan was her brother. The previous Duke Yelan had three children, her, her sisters and her brother. She entered the Palace to become the Queen, her sister become a viscounts wife, and her brother become the duke. Duke Yelan had some trade agreement with Aurora. It was also through this that Queen Ella knew Auroras ability and her achievements. Her brother told her frankly that Aurora is smarter than Queen Ella. Even Duke Yelan himself had to be careful when dealing with Aurora or he would suffer a loss without him knowing it. When Queen Ella heard this, she realized that this daughter in law selected for her son was a bit troublesome. From pleasing to the eyes to an eyesore, it only took a short period of time for Queen Ella to change her opinion of Aurora. This was how everything started. Queen Ella thought that this would be the end, but the Yellow Kingdoms Kings words made her realize that she thought things too simply. Chapter 174: Morning Chaos (2) Chapter 174: Morning Chaos (2) "Your Majesty, theres going to be a war?" Queen Ella asked, her tone was incredulous. How long has it been since the last time the Yellow Kingdom face a war? It seemed to have been a long time ago. Duke Yelans territory was right beside Duke Suns territory and part of their territory also bordered the Sand Kingdom. If the war were to happen, her territory would indeed got hit first. The Yellow Kingdoms Kings words also made her heart sunk. She knew that the Yelan Dukedom was by no means that rich. They were only slightly richer than the White Dukedom after the trades that was established with Auroras help. "Theres that possibility. This is one of the reasons why the negotiation this time is important," The Yellow Kingdoms King still answered even though he felt like throwing this woman out of the palace right now. Queen Ellas heart reached her throat. She seemed to realize that she had done something stupid. So stupid that she might as well dug her own grave. "What war, Father?" Only Crown Prince Edward didnt understand. From what he knew, after the ancestor of their family won the war spectacularly, which also brought the Sun Festival in their Yellow Kingdom, there hasnt been any war again. The Yellow Kingdom was living peacefully with the other kingdoms. Moreover, they couldnt really afford to provoke any war because the resources they have also depended on various trades established with other kingdoms. "Theres a new mine discovered at the border of the Sand Kingdom and Duke Suns territory a few weeks ago. Now, there are dispute about the ownership of the mine because it breached both kingdoms," The Yellow Kingdoms King explained. He felt really tired when he thought about this matter. To be honest, if it was not a valuable mine, he didnt mind letting the Sand Kingdom have it. But when he found out that it was the rare iron mine... There was no way he would let it go. Iron were the main materials to make weapons and if it was given to the Sand Kingdom, they might even lose a lot of money miserably. This was something that He couldnt afford and he didnt want to strengthen the Sand Kingdoms military either. So there was dispute about this matter. How should they divide the iron mine to satisfy both parties. The Yellow Kingdoms King already had countless headache in his head. He knew very well that it wouldnt be easy for him to solve it. Just as he wanted to throw this hot potato to Aurora, there came the news from the Capital Academy about his sons deeds. The Yellow Kingdoms King: "..." He really wanted to beat up this unfilial son. But beating up Crown Prince Edward would not change this situation. The Yellow Kingdoms King knew this very well, so he only called Crown Prince Edward to the Royal Palace. "You deal with it yourself." The Yellow Kingdoms King finally sighed and waved his hand. "Both of you can talk about how to solve it." Talk? Queen Ella looked at Crown Prince Edward. Even though this young man is her son, Queen Ella knew very well that Crown Prince Edward was simply unreliable. This young man would never be able to help her think about anything. At this moment, Crown Prince Edward had a dull look. He didnt understand what the conflict came from. Couldnt they just divide equally? Unfortunately, it was not that simple. If the Yellow Kingdoms King were to know what his son was thinking, he might be tempted to beat up Crown Prince Edward once again. The Yellow Kingdoms Kings son was so unpromising and it didnt seem to be suitable for him to set Crown Prince Edward as the crown prince. But at this time, he didnt care. The Yellow Kingdoms King left the main hall and headed to his study. There were still many things for him to do. The Yellow Kingdoms King didnt want to bother with this matter and now, he just wanted to take care of other troubles. For some reasons, there were a lot of matters that was brought to his attention lately. The Yellow Kingdoms King could only spend some time to manage each and every single one of them even if he actually didnt want to. After the Yellow Kingdoms King left, it was silent in the main hall. None of Queen Ella or Crown Prince Edward talked. The Yellow Kingdoms Kings words not long ago had told them that they were in a big trouble and that he had thrown all of it to them. No matter what the result, the Yellow Kingdoms King would not pay attention to them. But... "Mother, cant we just divide the ownership in half?" Crown Prince Edward asked. "If its that simple, it wouldnt cause so much dispute." Queen Ella took a deep breath. "The iron is a very important resources and both kingdoms would not want each other to have too much." "Is that so?" Crown Prince Edward was confused. Queen Ella looked at her sons expression and took a deep breath. "Call the prime minister and his son. I have to discuss with them." Rather than discussing this matter with Crown Prince Edward, it would be better to call someone else who were more knowledgeable. Prime Minister of the Yellow Kingdom and his son, Louis, were clearly the candidate. After all, the matter of negotiation would also fall on their lap if the Queen couldnt handle this matter. "Oh, oh." Crown Prince Edward nodded dumbly and then ran out. Seeing him like this, Queen Ella sighed deeply. She felt that her son should go to stay in the academy for another year. Wait, no, he should have private education for another year. If this continued, Crown Prince Edward might be removed from his position by the Yellow Kingdoms King. Queen Ella sighed deeply. She thought about her second son who was only 12 years old and only started studying in the Capital Academy last year. Should she shift her focus? Chapter 175: Morning Chaos (3) Chapter 175: Morning Chaos (3) But after thinking for a while, Queen Ella threw that notion away. Not mentioning whether she wanted to or not. The Yellow Kingdoms King might not even agree with her thoughts. The position of the Crown Prince had been decided a long time ago. How could the Yellow Kingdoms King change it arbitrarily? Unless Crown Prince Edward made a terrible mistake that couldnt be forgiven, it was estimated that this position would always be hold in his hand. Queen Ella sighed. She hoped that the Yellow Kingdoms King could be a bit more forgiving when dealing with her. Because if he didnt, it would be impossible for Duke Yelan to withstand the cost for the entire war. ... The Yellow Kingdoms King was angry. This was something that Adela found out when she saw Crown Prince Edward hurriedly call Louis to go to the Royal Palace. The academy term was already over. Technically, they were allowed to go back to their respective home if they wanted to. But Adela was still staying here because she could see Crown Prince Edward here. It was just when she saw Crown Prince Edwards solemn expression, Adela knew that there had to be something bad happened. As for what it is? Adela didnt know. The game basically ended after the broken engagement party and then spending the night together. Of course, the game was not some kind of r18 game, so it was only talking and having sweet time together. There was nothing much. There was a sequel for the game. But in the sequel, Adela was not the main character. After all, her story was basically over in the first story and now, the game was over and Adela wondered what she should do now. It was really hard to decide without any guidance whatsoever. Adela was already used with using the game as the reference. Now that she was told the game was over... Adela felt at loss. "Lady Adela, could you please come with us to the Royal Palace?" Louis called Adela. "Ah?" Adela was still thinking what she should do when she heard Louiss words. She looked in his direction doubtfully. "What should I do in the Royal Palace?" "The Yellow Kingdoms King wants to see you." Adela was stunned. The Yellow Kingdoms King? Are you serious? Adela knew that the Yellow Kingdoms King is Crown Prince Edwards father, but she had never seen him before. Moreover, he belonged to the character that never appeared in the game, so Adela was not sure about the Yellow Kingdoms Kings temperament. Now, they asked her to meet him? "The Yellow Kingdoms King wants to see you, Lady Adela," Louis repeated. "My father is not that bad, so you dont have to worry so much." Crown Prince Edward pursed his lips. To be honest, even he couldnt believe his words. Ever since he was young, Crown Prince Edward didnt really have good impression of his father. After all, the Yellow Kingdoms King is the king first and foremost. The marriage with Queen Ella was nothing more than political marriage. He didnt care that much about his family members. Because of this, the education given to Crown Prince Edward could only be considered as severe. But Crown Prince Edward was really stupid. With Queen Ella helping him from behind, Crown Prince Edward managed to escape from most of his lessons and only learned the basic necessary matters. It was just that this was far from enough. "O...Ok." Adela clenched her hand. "Ill do my best!" Crown Prince Edward and Louis smiled when they saw Adelas appearance. Benny, who was also still in the Capital Academy, naturally wanted to follow Adela when he heard that the Yellow Kingdoms King wanted to see Adela. Unfortunately, he was not allowed to come. So Benny could only sulk at the side. On the other hand, Adela was nervous. The Yellow Kingdoms King suddenly wanted to see her and Adela had no preparation at all. She was trying to think in her mind that the Yellow Kingdoms King should be a good person like what Crown Prince Edward said. But... When Adela saw the Yellow Kingdoms King, she felt that Crown Prince Edward was lying. The Yellow Kingdoms King was really scary. Adela was looking at the Yellow Kingdoms King and the Yellow Kingdoms King also looked back at Adela. The Yellow Kingdoms King felt that he couldnt understand his sons reason for picking this young lady instead of Aurora. Because he could sense that Adela was afraid of him and from the report, he also knew that Adelas talent was far from Aurora. Then why? Is his son blind? The Yellow Kingdoms King sighed deeply when he thought about that. But he couldnt possibly come and ask his son this kind of question. "Are you ready to be the crown princess, Lady Adela?" The Yellow Kingdoms King suddenly asked. Adela was stunned when she heard the Yellow Kingdoms Kings question. When she came here, she thought that the Yellow Kingdoms King would question her various questions related to Crown Prince Edward or perhaps her own study. Thinking about her study that was barely passable... it was clearly not a spectacular score. Compared to Aurora, Adela was far behind. What Adela didnt expect was that the question from the Yellow Kingdoms King was actually this one. This... How should she answer? "Ill do my best?" Adela answered, her tone was unsure. The Yellow Kingdoms King looked at Adelas performance and sighed deeply in his heart. He felt that for a person like her to be the royalty, it would be the same as sending a lamb to the den of wolves. There was no way she would be able to survive without protection. But is this the type of girl that his son liked? The Yellow Kingdoms King had to say that he felt conflicted. But since Crown Prince Edward had made that declaration some time ago, the Yellow Kingdoms King wouldnt refute it so suddenly. Chapter 176: Morning Chaos (4) Chapter 176: Morning Chaos (4) "You may go." The Yellow Kingdoms King finally said. "Yes, Your Majesty." Adela heaved a sigh of relief. As she walked out of the main hall, Adela still didnt understand the reason for the Yellow Kingdoms King calling her to talk. The conversation seemed to be very simple. And it was because it was so simple and nothing important discussed that Adela was confused. Did I pass or not? Adela mulled to herself for a while before throwing this question to the back of her head. It didnt seem to matter that much. The most important thing for her now was to figure out a way to find Crown Prince Edward. Um... which way to go? ... Crown Prince Edwards side At this time, Crown Prince Edward was looking at his mother, Yellow Kingdoms Prime Minister, and Louis who were talking about how to deal with the negotiation. They have received the notification from the Red Kingdom about the next negotiation. But they didnt know that this negotiation would happen so soon nor that they would be the one to do the negotiation. After all, they were used to throw this to Aurora before. Now that they were the one who have to do this, there were a lot of things for them to review before they could truly do their work well. As for Crown Prince Edward? He was of no help and could only look at the discussion made by the three people in front of him. "How many trades are there?" The Yellow Kingdoms Prime Minister, Prime Minister Lat, asked with a strange tone. "There are more than 10." Queen Ella took a deep breath. "If theres truly a war, these trades will be void and the Yellow Kingdom will suffer greatly." Neither of them paid attention to the trades that Aurora helped other nobles to make. For the past two to three years, Aurora stayed in the White Familys territory, but there were many nobles who come to seek help from her. They all knew her reputation, so they treated her. And when they saw the large number of profit they could get from each trade, they were rushing to sign it and even pestered Aurora to make the deal be completed faster. There shouldnt be any problems if the two kingdoms were in the state of harmony and all. But... After looking at the deal carefully, Queen Ella and Prime Minister Lat realized that most of these trades required the people from the Yellow Kingdom to pay first. It was only after reviewing all the copies sent to the Royal Family did they realize it. If it was only one or two or even half of them, it would have been fine. But if almost all of them were like this? Both Queen Ella and Prime Minister Lat realized that Aurora should have done this on purpose. These trade agreements would make the Yellow Kingdom unable to start the war at almost all cost. Because if they did, these nobles would definitely be the first to rebel and riots. They had paid a lot and expected high return from the trades and now, the Yellow Kingdom started a war? They wouldnt be able to accept it. Moreover, two of the nobles here were of marquis rank. If there was a riot.... Half of the Yellow Kingdom would be plunged into chaos. "What a good tactic!" Queen Ella was enraged. She knew very well that Aurora was the one who controlled these nobles. Even if she didnt, she must have a hand in making them agree to this kind of trade agreement. If Aurora was here, Queen Ella would not hesitate to throw this hot potato to that girl. She was getting more and more enraged when she thought about this. "Theres no point in getting angry." Prime Minister Lat sighed deeply. "The most important thing for us now is to determine how we should solve this." How? Queen Ella looked at the pile of trade agreement and then at the request made by the Sand Kingdom to their kingdom about the mines... She felt that there was no other option but to compromise. But if they did compromise, then the Sand Kingdom would have a stable source of iron and would be able to make a lot of weapons. For the Yellow Kingdom, this was something that they didnt want to see in the slightest bit. "Figure out a way to solve it." Queen Ella almost yelled. "I know." Prime Minister Lat took a deep breath. At this moment, he also had hatred for Aurora who had high position but leave the troubles for others. But he also knew that the Crown Princes intention couldnt be blocked even if one wanted it. So he could only do his work. At the side, Louis listened to Queen Ella and Prime Minister Lats words. He realized that the arrangement that Aurora had made so far was the one that put them in trouble. Did she know this will happen? Louis frowned. But if nothing happened and Aurora was still in this position, how is she planning to deal with this mess? Louis didnt understand. But he could only listen to his fathers words and helped from the side. He would also participate in to expand his view. ... Capital Academy The Capital Academy was now relatively peaceful. Well, the Headmaster was looking at the letter in front of him and could only sigh deeply. Even after Aurora had left, there were still some things that he had to manage. That girl was really something. He glanced outside. At the very least, there were some people who would also leave. Leon Sun had finished his knight examination and managed to pass with flying colors. It could be said that it was one of the best result. Right now, he was preparing to depart. "Youre not going to wait until they come back?" Benny asked when he saw Leon had prepared the carriage. Chapter 177: Leaving Chapter 177: Leaving Leon glanced at Benny and shook his head. "No. I need to go back as quickly as possible to my fathers territory." "Now?" Benny was confused. He himself was still going to stay in the Capital City for a while longer. In any case, Adela is still here, so he didnt plan to go back yet. There were also some problems with the knights he sent some time ago and Bennys family had to clean up the mess. Benny himself didnt know the exact details and only knew that there was a fire in the city. His familys knights were near the areas. There were some people who knew about this and reported it, so his father had to clean up the mess. Benny had nothing to do, so he chose to stay in the Capital Academy. "Yes." Leon sighed. "Theres some problems at the border. My family wishes that I can be there to help." Or if he was not there, they hoped he could get married and enter the Brown Family instead. Thinking about his fathers arrangement, Leon didnt know what to say. It was not like he was against it because he knew that this was a shortcut for him to retain his nobility to a certain extent. Otherwise, his fathers wealth was only enough for him to buy a title of a baron for him. Yes, there were nobility who sold their title. But those who sold their titles were only the lower ranked nobles such as baron. But even if it was the lowest ranked nobility, the price could be so high that it could make people want to vomit blood. This title was usually chased by the merchants. These merchants were rich and what they lacked the most was the nobility title. "Ah, border." Benny nodded when he heard Leons explanation. "In that case, Ill see you again in the future." After that, Benny left without hesitation. Seeing that, Leon only shook his head. He and Benny were usually only sparring on the field because they were the first and second rank respectively. Of course, this was only talking about their swordsmanship class and not the cultural class. Leon looked at the carriage in front of him and then at the servants who were still busy moving things. It would take some time before they packed all of his belongings. After all, he would not come back to the Capital Academy anymore. "Sir Leon." Leon heard his name being called and turned to the side. He saw Annelie walking in his direction and smiled politely. He bowed in accordance to etiquette and greeted, "Lady Annelie." "I see that youre ready to return." Annelie pointed at the carriage with her fan. "Are you so impatient?" Leon smiled. "I have nothing else to do here, Lady Annelie." Nothing else to do? Thinking about Crown Prince Edward who was busy in the Royal Palace, Annelie shook her head. She knew very well that Leon was not completely telling the truth. It was not like he had nothing to do but he didnt want to have anything to do here. There was a big difference between these two. The main difference was naturally the attitude. It was clear to see that Leon was starting to alienate the people he used to be close with. It was not a very wise move for the nobility because they had to rely on their connections if they wished to survive. "Are you sure you want to cut off everything?" Annelie asked. "Im not cutting it off." Leon shook his head. "I only took a short break and will come back sooner or later." Right now, he knew that the current Yellow Kingdoms Capital City was in turmoil. The mess that Aurora left behind had only started and Leon didnt want to be dragged into this mess. Just thinking about Crown Prince Edward and Louiss expression when they left not long ago, Leon knew that Auroras revenge had only started. As for her no longer having any nobility title? For some reason, Leon didnt think that this would be any problem for Aurora. Anyway, he didnt want to be here when it happened. "I see." Annelie nodded. She looked at Leon for a moment and then asked again, "Will you regret it?" Regret? Leon looked at Annelie in front of him and then chuckled. "No." Since he wanted to take this path, then he had to be prepared for everything that could possibly happen. If he was afraid, he should have never taken this path in the first place and avoided it at all cost. So even if the ending might be bleak, Leon would not regret his decision. Annelie smiled at Leons answer. She curtsied. "May the sun be with you." After that, the two of them left. One returned to the Capital Academy while the other one left the Capital Academy. Annelie would also go back to her familys residence, but it was not the one in her territory. Instead, she would be going to the one in the Yellow Kingdoms Capital City. She still wanted to watch the commotions here. .... Auroras side While the people in the Yellow Kingdoms Capital City started to find out the problems that Aurora left behind, Aurora herself was enjoying the scenery along the way as they left the Yellow Kingdoms Capital City. Over the years, Aurora had naturally prepared some things to make sure that she would be able to escape safely. This naturally included a residence for her to stay. But this residence was located a bit further away from the Yellow Kingdoms Capital City, so it would take a few days of journey. Moreover, this residence was not within White Familys Territory. It was further to the north. It could be said that Aurora had calculated everything and made arrangement for herself. Of course, she would still contact the few people she left in other territories to help her earn her money back. Chapter 178: Picnic Chapter 178: Picnic In the past three years, Aurora did what her mother told her to do. Duchess Isabelle wanted Aurora to help facilitate the trade between the nobles and also the trade with the other nobles from other kingdoms. While Aurora was a bit resistant, she still did what her mother asked her to do. Of course, she would not leave the White Family territory during that period of time. There were already many people who tried to kill her when she was within the territory. If she were to go out, the number might even increase exponentially. Aurora still treasured her life. She would not take unnecessary risk. "Lets stop here for a while," Aurora gave the order. "Yes, Miss." William didnt understand why Aurora wanted to stop here. Thankfully, there was no knight who chased after them after they escaped for the entire night. Honestly, he was also quite tired after the entire night of driving. "You can rest now." Aurora glanced at William. She herself slept well in the carriage last night. But the others couldnt really sleep because they were driving the carriage and also responsible for her safety. In the first place, four people didnt seem to be enough to truly cover everything they needed. But Aurora didnt really trust others, so she would rather bring as few people as possible. These three were the few people whom Aurora truly trust. "Miss, do you want to eat?" Les quickly climbed down from the supplies carriage and asked. "I want to try cooking," Aurora replied. "Ah, Miss?" "I havent tried it before, so I want to." In the past, Aurora was too busy doing various other things that she didnt have time for herself. She couldnt do what she wanted to do and had to do things that she had to do. Now that she was no longer bound by the stupid nobility and so on, Aurora wanted to try doing other things. First, she could try cooking. Les could only hand the equipment over to Aurora and then taught Aurora. On the side, William leaned against the carriage and closed his eyes. He was really tired and with Prince Lester there, he could sleep first and then switch the task with Prince Lester. Prince Lester himself was sitting on the grass, watching as Aurora learned how to cook from Les. The movements were jerky and it was clear that Aurora could barely do it, but she was smiling. The smile looked much better than the smile she used to show in front of the other nobles before. Because this was a smile from the bottom of her heart. Even though Prince Lester had followed Aurora for a long time, he realized that it was rare for Aurora to smile from the bottom of her heart. She seemed as if she was forcing herself to smile most of the time. The smile never truly reached her eyes. But now, she was smiling brightly. Perhaps, the nobility was truly a restraint for some people as they couldnt do what they wanted to do. And when they were free from this restraint, they would truly smile from the bottom of their heart. But there were also others who truly enjoyed their lives as a noble. It might also have something to do with their own live experiences and what they have to do in their lives. Prince Lester looked away and instead looked at the scenery outside. They stopped by the hill, which has beautiful view. They could also see the road not far from here, it was heading to the north where there were several other nobles territory. One of them was naturally Celeste Familys territory. It was Lucys Family. The residence Aurora prepared was not within Celeste Familys territory, though. But it was not far from there. "Hmm, its done." Aurora looked at the dishes in front of her that was somewhat black because she cooked it for a bit too long. Well, it should still be edible, right? Aurora was not sure. "Dont worry, the taste is good, Miss," Les said while giving thumbs up. Internally, she wanted to cry because some parts felt bitter. It seemed that she wouldnt allow Aurora to get close to the kitchen again in the future. Aurora saw Less actions and felt amused. This girl was saying one thing but from her reaction, it should have been the opposite. "If its not good, you can just say it." Aurora shook her head. "Prepare some bread and snacks. Lets have a picnic together." Picnic? Les looked around and nodded. This place seemed to be a good place for them to have a picnic if they wanted to. "Yes, Miss! Ill prepare everything!" "You dont have to call me Miss anymore," Aurora reminded. "Im no longer a noble by now." It didnt seem to be suitable to call her as Miss anymore. After all, this call first started because Aurora is the eldest lady of White Dukedom. As the dukes daughter, it was only natural for others to call her as Miss. But now that she was no longer the eldest lady of White Dukedom, it didnt seem to be that suitable anymore. "For me, youll always be my Master, Miss," Les said solemnly. She had followed Aurora for a long time and only wanted to serve Aurora for the rest of her life. No one could convince her otherwise. "Alright." Aurora didnt force Les to follow her thoughts. Anyway, if Les wanted to call her that way, Aurora had no reason to refuse either. "Thank you, Miss." Les smiled brightly. Aurora nodded and turned to look at William and Prince Lester. "Come and join in to eat." "Yes, Miss." William had taken an hour to two of nap. He now felt better and more energetic than before. Prince Lester also nodded and stepped forward. Les prepared a cloth for them to sit down and then arranged the food. "Lets eat, theres no need to care too much about etiquette." Chapter 179: Heartfelt Smile Chapter 179: Heartfelt Smile "Yes!" The four of them sat on the cloth and started to eat the food prepared by Les. Well, Aurora also prepared some food, but it didnt look that appetizing. Out of politeness, they still tasted it, but well, it was not really good. Aurora herself also tried it, but then put it down. She felt that she didnt have much talent to cook. Besides, this was also the first time she tried to do it. It was not like she has interest in cooking either. With Auroras insistences, these people all sat down near Aurora and didnt really distance themselves due to their statuses. They felt a bit uncomfortable at first. But afterwards, they just sat down to eat. It was fun. "Your cooking is still the best, Les," Aurora sincerely praised. "Im glad you like it, Miss." Les smiled brightly. As Auroras maidservants, Les naturally knew Auroras taste and preferences. She made sure that the food prepared for their sudden picnic today would be up for Auroras taste. And seeing Aurora so happy, Les also felt really comfortable. It was rare to see Aurora so relaxed and happy like this. Even though there might be some dangers from them stopping midway like this, but to be able to see Aurora being so comfortable and happy, the others decided not to mention it and destroy the atmosphere. Though, William still passed a glance at Prince Lester. Prince Lester nodded. The two of them still paid attention to their surroundings to make sure that no threat came up. There were not many people whom Aurora bring with her because the smaller the group, the better the concealment would be. But at the same time, if they were found, the amount of work needed for guarding will also be higher. Thankfully, these two knights were all very capable. They would be able to handle it. "You should eat more too," Aurora said when she saw the two knights. Of course, Aurora knew what they were worried about but at this moment, Aurora didnt want to think about those things. She has been shacked and burdened with a lot of responsibility over the years. It was time for her to relax a bit. Why cant she? She was no longer a noble and those people were the ones who kicked her out. Even if they wanted to blame her, they couldnt. When Aurora thought about this, her smile become even brighter. In this matter, she would be standing on the higher moral grounds and if they were to ask her to come back, they would not have any sufficient reasons to do so. Ah~ How comfortable. "Yes, Miss," William and Prince Lester responded and started to eat more. But after eating, they stayed a bit further and looked around. It seemed that not many people knew about Auroras disappearance, which allowed the current situation to happen. It was truly... calm. So calm that it felt a bit unreal. "Its peaceful," Aurora murmured. Over the years, Aurora was so busy with so many things that she almost had no time for herself. The little time when she could rest was only when she was sleeping. But even that was not for long. When it was time to wake up, she would be woken up and then faced with many things from the others who came to give report to her. It has always been so busy. But now, she didnt have to do anything. When Aurora thought about this, the corner of her lips couldnt help but curl up even more. It was rare for her to feel peaceful and calm like this. But from now, this should be the atmosphere that accompanied her the most. No one would be able to force her to do what she didnt want to do anymore. Her preparations have been set in place. All that left was for her to walk and follow through this path. William laughed. "Theres no knight chasing. They should not have known that you escaped to the north, Miss." White Familys territory was further down to the south. Other people might think that Aurora would escape in the direction of White Familys territory. After all, she did spend three years there and more familiar with the areas. But Aurora did the opposite. She went to the north that should have been unfamiliar to her. The two knights were still guarding but at this moment, they realized that not many people would be able to guess where Aurora was heading. So even if they wanted to send some people to chase after Aurora, it would not be so easy. "Thats good." Les was relieved that no one come chasing after them. After all, she hoped that Aurora could be free and no longer be bound like before. It was distressing to see Aurora have to do things that she didnt want to do. "Yes, it is." Aurora looked into the diastase and felt the wind blowing on her face. It felt cool to touch. She closed her eyes and enjoyed this rare moment of peace while the others sat not far from Aurora. They knew that they had to go as fast as possible, but they also didnt want to break Auroras mood. So they ended up sitting in silence. What would await me in this path? Everything would be new and different from before but there was not going to be anyone else to tell her what she had to do. She will have to forge her own path. A path that truly belonged to her and bring her to the future she wanted. After a moment, Aurora opened her eyes again. Her purple eyes flickered slightly as she looked at the distance, seemingly seeing something but not quiet at the same time. "Miss..." "Im fine." Aurora smiled and looked at Prince Lester. "We should get going after this," Prince Lester reminded. Aurora nodded. "Yes." They finished their food and clean it up before going in the carriage once more. It was time to go. Chapter 180: Heartfelt Smile (2) Chapter 180: Heartfelt Smile (2) This time, William and Prince Lester changed place as Prince Lester would be the one driving the carriage while William stood guard. There might be no knight in sight yet, but they still have to be careful. Inside the carriage, Aurora looked outside the window in the direction of the Yellow Kingdoms Capital City. The corner of her lips curled up. I have prepared a big gift for all of you. I hope you like it~. With the gift that Aurora had painstakingly prepared for them, they would have no time to care for her. And with this time brought by her, she would be gone by the time they have time to chase after her. ... Yellow Kingdoms Capital City, Royal Palace While Aurora was going away in a leisure manner, there were people from the Orange Kingdom and the Red Kingdom coming to Yellow Kingdoms Capital City. The date for the negotiation was exactly two days after the graduation party. In this way, Queen Ella and Prime Minister Lat truly had no time to rest at all. They would have to work hard and prepare for everything that was necessary for the negotiation. Only when the incident during the graduation party happened did they realize that the time overlapped and coincide with each other. But what could they do? They could only do their best to prepare for the negotiation and reviewed everything that needed to be reviewed. As for Aurora? Who would have the time to search for her? They were all busy with finding the documents and also preparing the contents for the negotiation. The two of them even called other nobles and their assistants to help with this matter. Moreover, they wanted to find out whether she had prepared something for the negotiation but the search turned out futile. And they couldnt find her. So these people could only bite their tongue and continued with their own preparation. Queen Ella couldnt let the war happen. The Duke Yelan behind her would want to kill her if that happen. And the entire dukedom might not be able to support such consumption too. So she was the most desperate one. Crown Prince Edward and Adela were the most idle ones. Well, it was more like, the two of them knew nothing and couldnt help. So Queen Ella and Prime Minister Lat arranged for the two of them to watch from the sides. They didnt have to do anything but watch. And it was honestly very boring. These two people should have been the people who took over this work in the future but because of their current situation, none of them actually knew something about these. They were really useless. Queen Ella and Prime Minister Lat were a bit dissatisfied but at the same time, they decided not to pursue this matter for the time being. These two children were still young. And they would have time to learn in the future. That was what they were thinking. So for the time being, these two people were still free enough not to be scrutinized by Queen Ella and Prime Minister Lat. "I dont understand..." Crown Prince Edward yawned. His mother and Prime Minister Lat worked all night long for todays negotiation. He and Adela had just woken up not long ago and then brought to this room again. Seeing the room was still as messy as before, Crown Prince Edward silently wondered if there was anything useful from them working for so long. He didnt understand anything. "Uh..." Adela looked at the notes in her hand that barely write anything and wanted to cry. She also didnt understand anything. Cant they just throw all the work to Prime Minister Lat? Why should she be here too? At this time, Adela had completely forgotten that Aurora, her sister, had faced the same thing ever since she was young. For Aurora to be able to be respected by others and acknowledged, she had paid a heavy price. For years, Aurora had to work hard and also managed this negotiation. It has never been easy. And then Adela suddenly came and wanted to take this position without working hard nor knowing what she should do in this position. It was really infuriating. Every other people who faced such a situation would definitely feel angry and unwilling. They have worked hard for years, worked while pouring out their sweat and blood, but someone else just took over their work as if it was theirs. They didnt even do anything and everything they have worked for years were handed over. Who could stand it? But Adela didnt understand. Neither did Crown Prince Edward. They were already born in the high position and took everything for granted. That they should have received this and didnt care about others. Moreover, they were really lazy. The things that should have been in their hands and controlled by them were not understood by them. They were really useless. *yawn* Crown Prince Edward yawned again and worked hard to restrain his sleepiness. Not far from them, Louis was also looking at the documents in front of him and glanced at Crown Prince Edward, who was almost asleep. Nameless anger surged in his heart when he saw this before it was forced down again. He knew very well that because of his birth, Crown Prince Edward was destined to be at the high place. A place that many people would never be able to reach in their entire life. It was just... Louis felt a bit aggrieved when he thought that he had to serve this kind of person for the rest of his life. He took a deep breath and started to work on the documents in front of him again. Louis movement attracted Prime Minister Lats attention. He knew his son well and also understood that it was hard for them to accept serving other people for the rest of their lives. But if they wished to survive and gain a lot of power... this was the only way. Chapter 181: Troubles Chapter 181: Troubles Prime Minister Lat patted his sons shoulder. "Youre doing a good job." Louis looked at his father and pursed his lips. He nodded and then focused his attention back to the documents in front of him. For this matter, Prime Minister Lat didnt have much to say. If Crown Prince Edward is a good leader, then there would be no grievances and worry when following him. Because they knew that they could trust their leaders. No matter what, all they have to do was to follow the order of their leader. But if that person was someone who didnt know many things and even still so lazy... Prime Minister Lat sighed. If not for the Yellow Kingdoms King to choose Crown Prince Edward as the crown prince, he would not have ordered his son to follow Crown Prince Edward so tightly. Because he knew very well that the job as the prime minister was very attractive and had gained him a lot of benefits over the years. But at the same time, this was a very hard and burdensome job. Hopefully, everything will be well in the end. Turning his attention away, Prime Minister Lat looked at Queen Ella. "Your Highness, would you like to be the one to lead?" "Yes." Queen Ella took a deep breath. It has been several years since the last time Queen Ella be the one to lead the negotiation against other kingdoms. It was mostly because there were also Duchess Isabella to help her and replaced her responsibility. Later on, there was Aurora to replace Duchess Isabella. With the result that Aurora showed so far, no one had the objection to let Aurora be the representative of the negotiation from the Yellow Kingdom. Now without Aurora, Queen Ella was uneasy. She didnt know how Prime Minister Lat would perform, so she chose to take this matter to her own hand. "Yes, Your Highness," Prime Minister Lat replied. "Edward, Adela, you two should watch." Queen Ella turned to look at the two people who were sitting at the back. "Yes, Mother." "Yes, Your Highness." "Lets go." Queen Ella took a deep breath and led the people to the negotiation room. ... While Queen Ella and the others were preparing themselves, Prince Charles was meeting with his mother who come to the Yellow Kingdom. Prince Charles honestly felt a bit at loss. When he first came to the Yellow Kingdom, he thought that he would be able to spend more time with her and play together a lot. But then he met with his other cousin, Adela, who was really cute and more flexible than Aurora. Compared to Aurora who would stay in class for a long time and didnt come out until it was time, Adela would accompany him to play and didnt care for his study at all. It was really fun. Prince Charles didnt really like studying and there was no one who would supervise him to study aside from Aurora. Even then, Aurora didnt really force Prince Charles and simply reminded him from time to time. It was far away from his own mother who kept on forcing him to study and his teachers who chased him back then. He thought that those days would last forever. But Aurora was called for her work and there was no one but Adela to accompany him playing. Unfortunately, this Adela also seemed to like Crown Prince Edward very much. He didnt understand the reason. This Crown Prince Edward was not as good looking as him and even more stupider than him. In the end, he quarreled a lot with Crown Prince Edward. Of course, Prince Charles still held back most of the time. He knew very well that it was impossible for him to have a complete fallout with Crown Prince Edward when he was still in the Yellow Kingdom. Besides, he didnt want to become the reason why the relationship between the Red Kingdom and the Yellow Kingdom soured. Even if he didnt like studying, he still knew that the Red Kingdom was in a war and it wouldnt be wise for him to attract more enemies for them. So aside from some childish debate, Prince Charles ignored Crown Prince Edward most of the time. And some time ago, Aurora returned to the Capital Academy. Prince Charles saw her. But for some reasons, he didnt want to interact much with Aurora. Perhaps, it was also because he felt guilty when he thought that he barely learn anything in the past three years in the Yellow Kingdoms Capital Academy. So Prince Charles avoided the place where Aurora was located. Aurora also seemed to sense his intention, so she didnt bother Prince Charles nor try to look for him. Prince Charles escaped in such a manner. After that, things seemed to be going in a strange direction. There were many people who talked bad about Aurora. And Prince Charles was confused. From what he knew, Aurora was not the kind of person who would bully others. Moreover, she only refuted when these students talked in front of her but didnt in front of the other students who talked behind her. Did she not realize it? Prince Charles was not sure. But then his attention was attracted to Adelas interaction with Crown Prince Edward, so he went to look for her. When he realized it, it was already time for the graduation party. And then... Prince Charles watched Adela danced with Crown Prince Edward. At that time, he understood that Adela had chosen Crown Prince Edward and wished to stay with him. He felt annoyed. He felt at loss. Before he knew it, it was already the scene where Prince Charles denounced Aurora and cancelled their engagement. He watched as Aurora replied with a calm tone as if nothing would affect her. She looked really dazzling. But then Prince Charles saw Adelas tears. His legs that were about to step out were retracted back. Compared to the strong Aurora, Prince Charles that he needed to protect the weak Adela more. Chapter 182: Troubles (2) Chapter 182: Troubles (2) Then, there was no then. Prince Charles has been staying in the Capital Academy, feeling somewhat at loss. He wanted to find Adela to bring her out to play again. But when he thought that she might not be willing because she wanted to spend more time with her new fiance?, Prince Charles didnt try to ask. But then, he heard that Crown Prince Edward and Adela were called to the Royal Palace for some reasons. Prince Charles now felt bored. He had nothing to do anyway... Or so he thought. Prince Charles looked at his mother, Queen Rachel, who came to the Yellow Kingdom and really wanted to escape. If not because he was worried that his mother would send the knights to catch him, Prince Charles would have done so. "Charles, how did your study become even worse?" Queen Rachel asked, her tone clearly indicated that she was not in a good mood. How could she be in a good mood when she heard that her sons performance was really bad in class? Prince Charles even blatantly skipped many classes when he was here. Queen Rachel nearly collapsed when she heard that. She sent Prince Charles here with hope that he could learn to become better than how he used to be. But instead of becoming better, Prince Charles barely learn anything. Three full years. Without any result whatsoever. "M...Mother..." Prince Charles replied weakly. Queen Rachel was really angry and even when she saw her sons pitiful appearance, her heart was still hardened. Besides, there was another matter that she couldnt understand. "Wheres Aurora?" "Thats..." Prince Charles didnt know how to explain this to his mother. "Did something happen to her?" Queen Rachel asked with a frown. "Yes..." After that, Prince Charles explained what happened in the past few years to his mother briefly. He himself was not very clear about what Aurora was doing outside the Capital Academy, so he could only briefly tell Queen Rachel about it. When Prince Charles reached the events that happened two days ago, Queen Rachel nearly collapsed. "What a good Yellow Kingdom," Queen Rachel said, her teeth gnashed. Even if she didnt know what Aurora was doing, she could guess more or less. Auroras capability was something that even the Red Kingdom coveted, but Duchess Isabella was already married to the Yellow Kingdom. They couldnt just take Aurora to the Red Kingdom so blatantly. So they could only use the tactic of reminding Aurora that she was also part of the Red Kingdom because of her bloodline. And it was also because of Auroras personality that Queen Rachel was rest assured of letting Prince Charles come and stay in the Yellow Kingdom on his own. She had also reminded Aurora to pay more attention to Prince Charles and his study. In the past few years, Queen Rachel had no time to care for Prince Charles. The war had caused the Red Kingdoms King to be busy. Queen Rachel also had to help with many other managements. The price was rising and Queen Rachel felt that the money in her hand kept on decreasing at rapid speed. But there was nothing that she could do. It was only early this year that the situation got better. They run out of money and the Red Kingdoms King ordered Queen Rachel to negotiate more trades and also rearranged the water distribution. They couldnt afford to waste so much money in the war anymore. Anyway, they have caused enough damage to Ice Kingdom and plundered some resources. But all in all... They were actually losing. This trade had to be done to make up for their losses. Originally, Queen Rachel thought about letting Aurora give her more advantage and benefit since Aurora came from the Red Kingdom. But now, it was impossible. Aurora was not even here. The one Queen Rachel had to face was that annoying Queen Ella. "You stay back, Charles. Well talk about your study later." Queen Rachel glared in her sons direction. She felt that she had to start pushing Prince Charles for more study when they returned. That b*tch son had achieved excellent result on the battlefield. Even though the overall situation was not very good for the Red Kingdom as a whole, but they didnt lose too badly when facing the Ice Kingdom. The merit naturally fell on Prince Brians hand. When Queen Rachel thought about this, she would feel as if there was a fishbone stuck in her throat. She couldnt let that b*tch son gain even more advance. But her son... Looking at Prince Charles who was still looking dumb, Queen Rachel took a deep breath. How come her son was like this? "Get out now." "Yes, Mother!" Prince Charles didnt hesitate and run away. He knew that if he were to stay in that room, his mother might punish him severely just like when he was young. When Prince Charles thought about this, he would feel numb. At least, his mother would not punish him right away. Now, he had to figure out a way to make his mothers anger reduce or he would still suffer later. But if Prince Charles had to say, he had no idea what he should do. In this way, Prince Charles wandered around the Capital Academy again. The Headmaster who was watching from his office: "..." He felt that these students were all here to make trouble. Just when he was happy that this generation that was filled with so many important children and troublesome students, he found out that there were still some of them staying in the Capital Academy. Cant they leave? If it was possible, the Headmaster really wanted to kick them out. But he didnt dare to. So he could only watch from his office while sincerely hoping that they would leave at the fastest speed possible. ... Royal Palace Queen Rachel was angry with her son, but she would not bring it out. She went to the Royal Palace for the negotiation and the matter of Prince Charles could only wait. But... She would not let the Yellow Kingdom off so easily. Chapter 183: Unending Troubles Chapter 183: Unending Troubles Prime Minister Jake from the Sand Kingdom saw Queen Rachel coming with huge momentum and arched his eyebrows. He felt that this was the first time he saw Queen Rachel being so emotional. And he could guess the reason. Aside from Prince Charles, there was no one or nothing else that could make Queen Rachel so emotional based on the investigation. But of course, Prime Minister Jake would pretend that he knew nothing. Guess and confirmed guess were different after all. "It seems that youre determined to win this negotiation, Queen Rachel," Prime Minister Jake said, his tone was light. Queen Rachel glanced at Prime Minister Jake. "Youre also confident, Prime Minister Jake." Prime Minister Jake smiled brightly. "Without Lady Aurora, I dont think there would be many people who could push me back." Even in the Sand Kingdom, Prime Minister Jake was known to be hard to deal with. Because he was a person who had risen from the bottom and made a lot of troubles on the court. There were very few people who could make him lost. Aurora was one of them. Now that Aurora was not here, Prime Minister Jake was confident that he could definitely have the advantage in the negotiation. "If youre blindly confident, you might not be able to survive, Prime Minister Jake," Queen Rachel said with a snort. She never liked this confident Prime Minister Jake from the Sand Kingdom. Ever since she could remember, she had lost several times in Prime Minister Jakes hand and could not do anything against him. But even if she did suffer some losses, it was still within an acceptable range. Prime Minister Jake also didnt dare to push too hard. In the negotiation, they have a sense of measure. After all, they were not bitter enemies and even if they wanted to seek profit for themselves, they would not push the opponent too hard. They still wanted a long agreement. "I know~." Prime Minister Jake chuckled and then looked at the door that was opened. "Ah, its already the time." Queen Rachel nodded and walked inside. She saw Queen Ella and Prime Minister Lat who were ready to support her. Sweeping her gaze to the other side of the room, she saw Crown Prince Edward and Adela, who were sitting at the side. The two of them would not participate in the negotiation and only came as spectator. With such important matter on the stake, Queen Ella definitely couldnt let her son make trouble. So Crown Prince Edward and Adela were under strict order not to speak at all during the negotiation. "Its been a while since we meet." Queen Ella showed a smile when she saw them, but the look in her eyes were cold. She could see the fighting spirit of Queen Rachel and also the playfulness in Prime Minister Jakes eyes. Only the representative from the Orange Kingdom looked calm. This would not be an easy negotiation. . . . "This rate wouldnt do, Queen Ella," Prime Minister Jake said as he pushed the documents back. "As you know, the kingdom behind me is dissatisfied with the current rate and wished they could get more." Queen Ellas lips twitched. "This is already very low, Prime Minister Jake. We couldnt give up on that mine." "The mine is important for both sides and in the past few years, the rates have been quite high for us." Prime Minister Jake shrugged. "I dont think you would want to see more trades broken up because the situation is not good, do you?" It was a threat. Queen Ella took a deep breath and looked at Prime Minister Lat who was standing beside her. He was also looking at the documents with dark face. It was clear that they have been taking advantage of the Sand Kingdom in the past few years with Auroras leading the battle. It was unknown what she actually said to make Prime Minister Jake relented and give the favorable rate for them. Now that Aurora was not here, Prime Minister Jake refused to back down. The problem was, neither Queen Ella or Prime Minister Lat knew what Aurora said to Prime Minister Jake before. Queen Rachel and the representative from the Orange Kingdom might know. But why should they say it? Their relationship with the Yellow Kingdom were only cooperative relationship at best. Queen Rachel was more likely to help Queen Ella. It was just... Queen Rachel was full of rage towards the Yellow Kingdom right now. She was not willing to help at all! In this way, Queen Ella had no way to break through this situation. "Lets take a break first." "Yes." No negotiation could be completed in the past few hours. They basically spent their entire morning scolding each other in their heart and none of them were willing to compromise. No one also had the confidence to make the other party relented. It was a big failure. "Its taking so long," Crown Prince Edward muttered in a low voice. "Um." Adela nodded and looked at the few people in the negotiation room. Since it was break time, some of them walked out to get fresh air or to get some lunch. After all, it was already time for lunch. She herself also didnt want to stay in this room if it was possible. "What did you write?" Crown Prince Edward suddenly asked as he pointed at the notes on Adelas lap. While Crown Prince Edward was half dozing when he was in the room, Adela was trying to write notes about what they were discussing. However, Adela had to admit that she didnt understand many things. The words were easy to understand but when they were all joined to form a sentence, Adela was confused. "The notes during the meeting," Adela replied. "Eh, you dont have to do it. Theres already someone whos responsible for writing the content of the meeting." Crown Prince Edward pointed to the person who sit on the opposite side of the room. Chapter 184: Adela’s Thoughts Chapter 184: Adelas Thoughts Adela followed the direction of Crown Prince Edwards finger and saw the person he mentioned. She pursed her lips and didnt say anything else. At this moment, she felt that Crown Prince Edward still couldnt see the seriousness of the matter. But then again... She also didnt understand. Is there any need to work so hard? Adela sighed and then took a look at the information paper that they were given before entering this room. This recorded the identity of the people who came to the negotiation from the other kingdoms. Previously, Adela was too nervous to read this information. She also didnt think that it would be important for her to know. After all, she didnt know anyone from the other kingdoms. But after looking at the information, Adela was stunned. Prime Minister Jake, Jake Hamilton? Isnt this the name of the hidden character in the sequel of the game? Adela was an avid fan of this game before she inexplicably entered the story and become the main character of the first part of the game. The game itself was very popular since Adelas background was already remarkable and many people like her character design. Well, Adela had to admit that she liked it more because she has the same name. But that was not the main focus here. It was this name. The sequel of the otome game was set in the Sand Kingdom with five people as the targets too. However, there were differences from the first game as the sequel was set with different background. The background was the war between the Sand Kingdom and the Yellow Kingdom. Wait... War between the Sand Kingdom and the Yellow Kingdom? Adela was stunned stupid. If she was not wrong, their kingdom was called the Yellow Kingdom, right? Does it mean that there would be a war between the two kingdoms and battle between the two protagonists of the otome game? Wait, no, that was not right. She didnt remember seeing Adela in the sequel. Anyway, the main character in the sequel was the daughter of a baron who came to the Sand Kingdoms Capital City to stay in her mothers best friends house, which is the dukes house. Through this relationship, she would be able to meet with the dukes daughter fiance?, the prince, and a few other nobles there. Aside from the five main targets, there was also one hidden character. The hidden character was precisely Prime Minister Jake, Jake Hamilton. She remembered spending countless nights trying to trigger his characters appearance. But it was really hard because his character could only be encountered if one took the princes path. And the princes path was the hardest because of the large difference in background. Unlike Adela who was a true dukes daughter, the main character in the sequel was a baron daughter. If one was not careful and made the wrong choice, the characters impression on the prince would not be enough to enter his path. After entering his path, the main character had to participate in the war process between the Yellow Kingdom and the Sand Kingdom if she wanted to see Prime Minister Jake. Of course, he was not among the target. But if one could come into contact with him, they could potentially unravel the secret of the Sand Kingdom and also obtain an incredibly beautiful heirloom. That was what Adela was aiming. Unfortunately, she didnt manage to do it because the harsh requirement would need her to grind more. She was too tired. As much as she wanted that beautiful heirloom, she didnt really like the princes design in the Sand Kingdom. She liked the other target. Because she never left the Capital City, theres no chance to figure out the war situation between the Sand Kingdom and the Yellow Kingdom, Adela mused to herself. In this situation, there was no chance for the main character of the two games to meet each other. It was a good thing. After all, if they did meet, who did Adela end up with in the sequel would be a question worth answering. The game developer also didnt want to give Adela any fixed ending since the players were free to pick their own paths. But for the current Adela, it was not a good thing. Because it meant that she would have to face the war between the Sand Kingdom and the Yellow Kingdom. And this war is unavoidable. How come an otome game ended up with war between two kingdoms? Adela didnt understand. If Aurora was here, she would bluntly tell Adela that the main reason why war would break out was because of the interest of the two kingdoms. Moreover, when Aurora realized her parents plan, she decided to make some traps in the trade agreements. As long as she was the one who was in charge, she could make a good use of some other things to cover up this trap. But if she was not the one in charge, the conflict between the two kingdoms would be unavoidable. Originally, they were already in conflict because of the newly discovered mine. But when the interest become greater, then war would be unavoidable. Aurora didnt know about the game whatsoever, but she would not let the people who were trying to use her off so easily. And if Adela didnt take Crown Prince Edwards route, it was estimated that Aurora would not let this trap explode. But Adela didnt know this. And Aurora was not kind enough to let her enemies to know about her real plans. So in Adelas eyes, this war was unavoidable and it was because of the game settings. Even if this was already like a real world, Adela still often felt that this world was nothing more than a game. There would also be the game correction working to help her. She and everyone inside were all characters in the game. Of course, shes the main character and this would never change. Chapter 185: Death Order Chapter 185: Death Order "Adela?" Crown Prince Edward saw Adela was in a daze after looking at the information paper in front of her. He frowned in displeasure. For some reasons, he didnt like Adelas current state. "Ah." Adela pulled herself back from her thoughts. She was thinking about the sequels background and so on, but she also knew that the sequel would have nothing to do with her. Because the main character and the other characters would never see Adela in the slightest bit. There was no chance for them to meet either. There was no point for her to think about these characters in the sequel. But her main concern was the war. If there was truly a war between the Sand Kingdom and the Yellow Kingdom, what should she do? "Do you think this negotiation can be done?" Adela asked in a low voice. "Huh?" Crown Prince Edward didnt understand the meaning of Adelas sentence. He was looking at the information in Adelas hand and then tilted his head. "My mother and Prime Minister Lat can handle this all. Theres no need for you to worry." Is there? Hearing Crown Prince Edwards confident tone, Adela could only nod and try to believe it. But she knew very well that the information from the game that she had known wouldnt be wrong. Perhaps, she should have picked a different choice? For example... Prince Charles? Prince Charles is her cousin on the surface, but Adela knew very well that Prince Charles had no blood relationship with her. Because Queen Rachel didnt really like the king and even though she was the pampered queen in the Red Kingdom at this moment, it was really hard for her to get his attention in the beginning. So she had to trick him one way or another to make him pay attention to her. What would be better than having a child? But it was difficult for Queen Rachel to have the Red Kingdoms Kings child, so she look for someone else. Of course, this someone else was still a person of high stature. This was how Prince Charles was born. And if Adela were to pick Prince Charles, there was also the continuation game for his path. Because unlike the other characters who will never leave the Yellow Kingdom, Prince Charles will go back to the Red Kingdom. When Prince Charles go back, the war between the Red Kingdom and the Ice Kingdom were over. It was only the fight for the throne that was left. But can Prince Charles really win the throne with the current him? Adela frowned. In the game, Aurora stayed in the Capital Academy and helped Prince Charles in his study from time to time. But in the current world, Aurora almost had no interaction with Prince Charles aside from the beginning of the semester when they met at that gate. This is really difficult... ... While Adela was distressed inside the room, Prime Minister Jake came out of the negotiation room and relaxed a bit. He felt that the room was really stuffy. Moreover, he also felt a bit hungry. Unfortunately, before he could leave, Prime Minister Lat from the Yellow Kingdom came out of the room and blocked his way. "Is there anything you would like to say, Prime Minister Lat?" Prime Minister Jake asked, his tone was light and rather playful. If one were to say, Prime Minister Jake always sounded playful except when he was dealing with Aurora. Because he kept on being beaten by that young girl that he couldnt help but had to be serious. If he was not serious, it was estimated that he would be worse off. "The negotiation is not going well. Do you really not care for your life at all?" Prime Minister Lat asked, his words were rather blunt. Prime Minister Jake arched his eyebrows. It was clear that Prime Minister Lat was threatening him that he couldnt return to the Sand Kingdom if the negotiation was not done well. "Youre really brave, Prime Minister Lat." Prime Minister Jake chuckled. "But how severe the degree of the confrontation would depend on how you manage the deal in the end." Seeing Prime Minister Jake pointed at the negotiation room, Prime Minister Lat frowned. He knew that if their tones were softer, it was possible to let the war be the confrontation between the nobles at the border around the mine. It would not involve the other nobles at all. But he was not sure that it would be successful. After all, Prime Minister Jakes attitude was clearly very tough. "Youre not planning on letting loose at all?" Prime Minister Lat asked. Prime Minister Jake smiled. "I have a death order. If I cant finish this deal, theres no need for me to stay." "Ah..." Prime Minister Lat sighed. "Your kingdom is really terrifying." Prime Minister Jake just shrugged and then walked again. "Im hungry, so I wont talk with you again, Prime Minister Lat." Prime Minister Lat didnt try to stop Prime Minister Jake. He knew very well that any attempts to do so would be useless. He could only think of other countermeasure to reduce the impact as much as possible. It was really troublesome. ... Auroras side While everyone was having headache in the Yellow Kingdoms Capital City, Aurora was enjoying a meal in a small city where they stopped by. While it was not impossible to sleep in the carriage, but it would be more comfortable to stay in the cities. Of course, they have to dress appropriately to avoid being recognized as the dukes daughter and so on. After all, there would be a lot of troubles if more knights were sent to chase after Aurora. She did have some people she hired. But they would not come out to help until she reached a bit further. In this way, there were only Prince Lester and William who were responsible for her safety along the way. "The room is ready now," Les reminded when she saw Aurora was still enjoying the food. Chapter 186: On the Way Chapter 186: On the Way "Oh, Les." Aurora smiled. "Sit down and enjoy the food. Its not every time you can eat seafood." Les looked at Aurora speechlessly. "Miss, these fishes didnt come from the sea but from the river." The Yellow Kingdom didnt border with the sea, so it was difficult for them to get seafood. Thankfully, there were also some small rivers aside from the big one that crossed four kingdoms territory. From these small rivers, there would be fishes, prawn, and others caught every month. This were the supplies for the so called seafood. Unfortunately, the distance to the Yellow Kingdoms Capital City was still a bit far. Because of this, there were not many fishes supplied to the Yellow Kingdoms Capital City. Even if there were some, it wouldnt be very fresh. The small city where they stopped were not that far from a nearby lake. Thanks to this, they were able to eat some fishes. "Theyre still called as seafood," Aurora replied with a smile. "Thats..." Les thought for a moment and felt that it was right. Even if they didnt come from the sea, the fishes and so on were still called as seafood. She could only look at Aurora helplessly and said nothing else. Aurora only smiled and looked around her. This time, she was no longer dressed as lavish as she used to be when she still has the identity of the dukes daughter. Her current dress could only be said to be pretty good but it was nothing special. Of course, it was still far better than many other people who were commoners. It was easy to see that she has some status, which made other people didnt dare to get close to her. "Miss, are we going to stay in the inn?" Les gave up and asked another question. Aurora nodded. "Itll still take some time to reach the territory. Itll be better to stay in the inn for the time being." Les nodded. She looked around and felt a bit afraid. This was a small city and also the first time Aurora went out on her own to stay with only a few people. There were only William and Prince Lester. Would it be enough for Auroras protection? Les was honestly worried. Aurora knew that Les was worried about her, but Aurora smiled at Les. "The security in this city is not that bad. There wouldnt be any strange unwanted thing happening, Les." "Really?" Les was surprised. Aurora nodded. When she planned her route, she had specifically selected the cities that had better reputation to stay. It was not like her escape plan was done in a hurried manner. So even if there were only four people in Auroras team, Aurora was sure that nothing would happen to her. The people who would chase her were already busy with other things. After all, Aurora didnt only set up one trap. "Then I can be rest assured." Les heaved a sigh of relief. After talking, she seemed to realize something and turned to look at Aurora. For some reasons, she felt that Auroras speech was a bit strange. Aurora saw Less look and smiled faintly. Of course, she could use the polite speech that was taught to her for almost her entire life. But if she were to do that, she would not be able to hide her identity in this small city. It was not like Aurora couldnt speak informally. But her education didnt allow her to do that when she was in the academy and in her home. So even if Aurora wanted to, she would restrain herself and made sure that her speech would not sound weird. Now that she was no longer restrained by her identity and environment, what was wrong with her changing her speech a bit? This would also help to conceal her identity. She would not be so rigid in her conduct since it would not be beneficial for her. Besides, it was not that difficult for Aurora. She just had to make sure that her speech would not reveal her identity. "Its time to rest." Aurora had finished her meal and nodded at Les. "Yes, Miss." Prince Lester and William would take turn guarding once again. For the two of them, this kind of job was really easy. It was nothing compared to the training they have received over the years. The night passed by quietly. The next morning, they have only prepared their carriage when they saw commotion on the side. A young woman was screaming while running away. There were several big men chasing behind her. "Miss, can I...?" William frowned when he saw this. His knights conduct couldnt stand such a scene and he wanted to step forward to help. Besides, it was his teaching ever since he was young to protect the weak. "No." Aurora shook her head and glanced at Prince Lester. "Call the knights on duty." "Yes, Miss." Prince Lester bowed and then jogged to find the knights who were in duty to patrol the area. For every city, there were people who were responsible for the security and others. It was really easy to find them since their clothing were quite eye catching. William frowned but he didnt step forward and followed Auroras order. After all, he is Auroras personal knight and not a knight without master. So even if his chivalry made him want to step forward, he would not do anything reckless. Auroras order and safety is his priority first and foremost. Drap! Drap! Drap! Before the knights could arrive, there was already someone who stepped forward to stop the men, but he was beaten up all over. William watched this scene with a frown. Before long, the men left after looting the mans belonging. He looked around and found the other people in the city remained motionless as if such a scene would not disturb them in the slightest bit. William could understand the women and children since they were weaker, but why the men didnt try to do anything? Chapter 187: On the Way (2) Chapter 187: On the Way (2) Aurora watched the scene in front of her coldly. She had no intention to step forward to help from the very beginning while Les was staying beside her. "Miss..." William looked at Aurora. Aurora glanced at William and pointed at the man who fell to the ground and his condition unknown. "Rent a carriage to bring him to the hospital." "Yes, Miss." With money, it was easy for William to arrange for someone to send the man to the hospital. The few people who were watching at the side quickly stepped forward to take the job when they saw the silvers. Yes, it was silvers. Gold coins would be too eye catching, so Aurora had prepared enough silver coins and copper coins for her journey. Naturally, there were also some gold coins in her possession if she needed it. The man was sent to the hospital and Prince Lester returned with the knights. He frowned when he saw that there was no one around them. "Miss, sorry Im late," Prince Lester apologized. Aurora shook her head. "No, youre not late. Come with me." The knights who followed behind Prince Lester frowned and wanted to leave. But when they saw Auroras gaze glancing in their direction, their bodies turned stiff and they lowered their heads. For some reasons, they felt as if they were facing someone of high position. For those who were already at high position for a long time, there was a kind of oppression born that could deter those around them. It was this kind of deterrence that Aurora unconsciously exuded due to her long term being on the high position. "William, lead the carriage to that area." Aurora pointed in the direction where the men left not long ago. "Yes, Miss." William didnt understand much, but he still followed Auroras order. Behind Aurora, the knights who were in charge of this area looked at each other and then followed Aurora obediently. They didnt dare to disobey her order and decided it would be best for them to listen to her. Anyway, they didnt usually have much to do. Prince Lester and William didnt ask any questions either and followed Aurora to lead the carriage in the direction where she pointed. The few people who were watching discussed with themselves. "Is it a noble?" "Maybe?" "But if theyre nobles, then it should be fine for them to make a move, right?" "Who knows?" These people knew that it was not that easy to deal with that group of troublemakers. They have been here for a long time and had quite the influence. But if a noble were to make a move... Then it should be fine. The carriage moved forward and finally stopped beside the alleyway. Looking at the side, they could see the group of men were sitting around, counting their harvest from their robbery. And not far from them, there was a young woman. She was precisely the one who screamed and yelling not long ago. Seeing this scene, everyone was dumbfounded. "Miss..." Williams eyes were filled with rage. He couldnt believe that they were actually playing with his emotions like this. When he thought that these people chasing a helpless girl, they were actually in cahoots with each other. How could he not be angry? "Its your job." Aurora glanced at the knights who followed them. "Yes." These knights stepped forward and subdued this group while Aurora signaled William to continue driving the carriage. There was no need for them to stay here any longer. Bang! Bang! The sound of beating could be heard along with screams and yelling. It seemed that these people would not be brought down so easily. Then again, they have been making trouble in this area for such a long time, how could they be willing to be arrested obediently. "Miss, how do you know?" Les was inside the carriage with Aurora this time and she was awed. Aurora glanced at Les and replied, "Screaming and yelling could never truly work. If it could work, would there be any need for one to make themselves stronger?" "Huh?" Les was confused. "Were in the middle of the city and a woman ran away with a group of men behind her. Do you think its possible for her to run faster than the group of men?" Aurora asked back. "No." It was common knowledge that women were weaker than men physically. Even if there were some women who might be stronger because of their training, majority of women would not specifically train their strength. There was no point for them to do so either. "There are many people around and but everyones gaze seem as if theyre watching a show instead of unwilling to help or unable to help," Aurora replied. "Peoples hearts will be cold if theyre faced with the same deception over and over again." Such method of deception was not very common, but Aurora knew that there were some people who would do that. Just like the one who came to trick Crown Prince Edward during that Sun Festival in the past. Many people were unkind. They have selfish heart and wanted the benefit for themselves to the point of breaking their own bottom line. After all, if they knew that they could earn a lot of money through doing such an easy job, who would want to do the hard work again? They would rather choose this easy method over the hard method. And the people who had watched such a scheme again and again. Would they not know? If they were tricked because this was their first time, then it would be fine. But after seeing it several times, if they still fell for it, then it mean they were stupid. "This is a small city before a bigger city. Many travelers come to this place to rest, so its the best place to target some stupid people with kindness but had no ability," Aurora said calmly. If they were strong enough, then it didnt matter as they could really help the woman. But if they were not strong enough? Then they have to be prepared to suffer. Chapter 188: How? Chapter 188: How? Because their opponent would never show any mercy. "How do you know so much in such a short period of time?" Les was confused. She felt that Auroras analysis was correct, but how did Aurora know about it in such a short period of time? They were only in that small city for a while, right? Aurora smiled and didnt explain more. The main reason why she knew that this city was a transition place was because of the number of the inn there. She had seen several inns in just one street, which showed that there were many people who stopped there. Because if there were not many people who stopped in this city, these people would not open an inn. They would go bankrupt first. The main reason for there to be a market was because there were demands for it. For some luxury goods, it was possible for them to make it first and then marketed it so that there would be demands for it. But for most basic things, it was usually because of demands that the market was formed. As for the response of the people, it was something Aurora observed. She was not entirely sure about this. But she also didnt want to be involved with this matter, so she asked Prince Lester to call the knights in duty. Let them deal with this mess. I wonder when will those people finish the problems I throw to them in the Capital City. As the carriage departed, Auroras thoughts wander to the people in Yellow Kingdoms Capital City. Perhaps, when she reached her destination, they would have solved a few things. She was not entirely sure. Anyway, it would definitely take some time. ... Yellow Kingdoms Capital City, Royal Palace> The negotiation took several days. Queen Ella and Prime Minister Jake kept on going on and on. The other two could only negotiate other things with each other because they would only be reduced as spectator if this continued. Crown Prince Edward and Adela were still sitting in the room, listening to the fierce debate between Queen Ella and Prime Minister Jake. They have no chance to interrupt in the slightest bit. In this process, Crown Prince Edward even felt sleepy a few times. He didnt understand anything anyway. On the other hand, Adela felt rather nervous. She was really worried that the war would happen as it was mentioned in the sequel. In that case, it was estimated that there would be many changes in their lives. And after a few days feeling anxious, Adela heard the result of the negotiation between the Queen Ella and Prime Minister Jake. There would be a battle to determine the mine. As for other trades and so on, Queen Ella had to make concessions after concession, making her feel as if the world was about to end. Prime Minister Jake was smiling so brightly after the negotiation was over and the documents were signed. "Its a pleasure to work with you, Queen Ella," Prime Minister Jake said with a big grin. Queen Ella really wanted to tear of Prime Minister Jakes smirk off his face. But she also knew that as the representative of the Yellow Kingdom, she couldnt lose her temper. "Ill tell Duke Sun about this matter," Queen Ella said slowly. "Alright." Prime Minister Jake smiled. While Prime Minister Jake had no worry at all, Queen Ella knew that she would have to be the one to fund the war between the Yellow Kingdom and the Sand Kingdom. His Majesty had made it clear that if there were to be a battle or war, she would be the one to fund it. Thinking about her brother who would be unhappy with this matter, Queen Ella felt another headache. "In that case, we can start with the other matter." Queen Rachel raised her hand. She has finished the discussion with the Orange Kingdoms representative and reached some deals. Now that Queen Ella and Prime Minister Jake were done, it was time for their discussion. "Of course~." Prime Minister Jake was still smiling brightly. Seeing his smile, Queen Rachel was actually tempted to throw a book on his face. However, she also knew that this annoying prime minister could not be offended. There were still some matters between the Red Kingdom and the Sand Kingdom that she has to discuss. "Yes." Queen Ella nodded. Looking at the way Queen Rachel looked at her, Queen Ella had the faint feeling that the next part of the negotiation was by no means easy. She turned her head to look at Prime Minister Lat, who could only step forward with a bitter smile. Whenever Queen Ella felt tired, it would be Prime Minister Lats turn. ... Adela didnt know how she managed to listen to the very end for this negotiation. Crown Prince Edward fell asleep in the middle and once the negotiation was done, he returned to his room to rest again. It seemed that the crown prince was really tired or perhaps, he was simply lazy. Towards this crown prince, Adela truly didnt know what to say. She felt distressed when she thought about the upcoming war and made her way to the Capital Academy. As for why it was the Capital Academy and not the White Family Residence? It was because her father was not in the White Family Residence and was busy with some matters in the White Familys territory. Her mother was also not there because there was a party in another nobles house. She didnt want to go back and stay alone. So, Adela went back to the Capital Academy. The Headmaster who received the news: "..." These students have all graduated, but they still lingered in the Capital Academy one by one. If they were like Aurora and their results were indeed excellent, the Headmaster understood why they wanted to stay and probably visit the library. But these students... They were all the few people whose result was so bad that the Headmaster didnt know what to say. Chapter 189: Conversation Chapter 189: Conversation "Did they say about their reasons for staying?" The Headmaster asked, his tone was full of helplessness. The teachers looked at the Headmaster and knew that the Headmaster had to face many nobles because of the students. It was not easy for the Headmaster to remain steadfast when these nobles were clamoring here and there. After all, it was not that easy to deal with the nobles. "They didnt say, Headmaster." *sigh* The Headmaster sighed and waved his hand. "Forget it, you may leave." "Yes." Looking at the students outside, the Headmaster shook his head and focused his attention on his work. At this moment, he was seriously considering the possibility of retirement. Because he knew very well that it would be difficult for him to stay in this position if the students were to come knocking on his door again and again with their problems. Hopefully, these students who have graduated would not bring their problems back to the academy. He was tired, alright! While the Headmaster was complaining, Adela didnt know anything about it. She was walking around the Capital Academys grounds and finally saw someone she knew, Prince Charles. "Prince Charles, what are you doing?" Adela asked curiously. Prince Charles has just been reprimanded by his mother and was thinking to figure out a way to solve his mothers anger. But it seemed that his mother would not forgive him so easily and would force him to study. When Prince Charles thought about the fact that he would be forced to study in the future, Prince Charles felt that his future was really bleak. He didnt want to study! Thankfully, the negotiation would take days and his mother would not have time to look for him. Prince Charles was too lazy to look for a place outside the Capital Academy and shamelessly stayed here. The Headmaster also didnt say anything anyway. The Headmaster: "..." If he knew what Prince Charles was thinking, he would definitely file a complaint. He didnt dare to say anything to Prince Charles because of this princes status, alright! The Headmaster really wanted to file injustice. But thankfully, he didnt know and didnt have to suffer from this matter. Today, Prince Charles was walking around and kicking the stones in the garden. He had nothing else to do anyway. When he heard someone calling him, Prince Charles was stunned. Turning his head, he saw his cousin standing there looking in his direction with confusion. "Ah, Im just bored," Prince Charles replied. He looked at Adela up and down and felt that she looked a bit different. There was no cheerful smile on Adelas face today. Instead, she looked troubled. "Is there any problem, Adela?" Prince Charles asked. "Ah?" Adela was indeed a bit absent minded. She didnt think that Prince Charles could notice when he usually would not notice anything. Looking at the young mans earnest expression, Adela hesitated. In the end, she replied, "Im worried about the upcoming war." "Will there be a war?" Prince Charles was stunned. The only war he knew was the war between the Red Kingdom and the Ice Kingdom. Then again, Prince Charles was not exactly an attentive person who would pay attention to the worlds situation. He didnt notice that there was another war about to break out. "Um." Adela nodded. "The Red Kingdom?" Prince Charles asked tentatively. His mother didnt tell him anything about the current situation of the war between the Red Kingdom and the Ice Kingdom, so his thoughts naturally landed on his own kingdom. Adela blinked her eyes and then shook her head. "No. Its not the Red Kingdom but the Yellow Kingdom." She was not sure that she should spread this matter to others. But on another thought, Prince Charles mother is Queen Rachel and she was also present in that negotiation. She might even tell Prince Charles about this matter later on. With that in thought, Adela had no qualms anymore about telling Prince Charles about this war. "Ah?" Prince Charles was stunned. His mother would not tell him anything about the negotiation. And it was not like Prince Charles himself wanted to know. He was not very interested in the various matters that his mother often said or involved herself in. For Prince Charles, he just wanted to live a live without the need to worry about anything nor having to do anything. He just wanted to have fun. But it was difficult with the request his mother asked him to do and various other things. "Im worried," Adela said with her lips pursed. "This...." Prince Charles frowned. "Ill ask my mother about this. Dont worry, Im sure that the Yellow Kingdom will be fine!" "Um." Adela nodded. To be honest, she was worried because she didnt know how much damage the Yellow Kingdom would suffer in the war if there were to be one. What if it reached the Yellow Kingdoms Capital City? Then she might want to cry. Because Adela knew that her life would never be the same anymore. "Can you tell me more?" "Yes!" As Adela and Prince Charles was talking, another student was leaning against the tree not far from them, listening in to their conversation. Seriously, these two people should have known that this kind of discussion could only be done in safe location instead of outside like this. But this was beneficial for him. ... Duke Suns Territory After Queen Ella and Prime Minister Jake reached an agreement, they naturally delivered the news to the people in questions. Both Duke Sun and the one from the Sand Kingdom were already impatient. And when they found out that it would be a war, they realized that this wouldnt be easy. Thankfully, it was not a total war of the two kingdoms but instead the war between the two nobles territory. But... "Why did it have to be my territory?" Duke Sun sighed deeply when he received the letter from Queen Ella. His territory only got better recently due to the trades with Aurora and the White Dukedom. But now, it was going to turn for the worst. Chapter 190: The Battle Chapter 190: The Battle "Father, theres also a message from His Majesty," Henry, Duke Suns first son, reminded. "Hmm?" Duke Sun, who was already distressed because of the high cost he have to bear, quickly opened the letter. Upon reading the content, he laughed out loud. Leon, who had only returned home for a short period of time, looked at his father speechlessly. It was rare to see his father so happy like this. "Whats the content of the letter, Father?" Henry asked. "Duke Yelan will be the one to fund the war. His Majesty also said that he had sent a letter to him so that his troops could come to the border." Duke Sun laughed out loud. He thought that he would have to suffer greatly in this war. Who would have thought that the Yellow Kingdoms King would instead ask Duke Yelan to step forward. Duke Sun was very pleased. Of course, since Duke Yelan would be the one to fight the war, most of the profit of the mine that they won would fall on Duke Yelan. But Duke Sun could also get a percentage of the profit without the need to do anything. How could he not be pleased? Duke Sun didnt know what the Yellow Kingdoms King do to make Duke Yelan willing to do this. But to be able to order Duke Yelan like this, Duke Sun felt that the the Yellow Kingdoms King is simply the best. If he was not wrong, Duke Yelan is Queen Ellas brother. Tsk, tsk, the two brother and sister might even have a quarrel because of this matter. "Is this true?" Henry looked at the letter and was dumbfounded. He didnt know that the Yellow Kingdoms King could do this. "Why not?" Duke Sun shrugged. "His Majesty is not the type of person to joke around about this matter. We only need to welcome Duke Yelans arrival. Come with me, Henry. You too, Leon." Leon looked at the letter and nodded dumbly. He already knew that there might be a war since his father had mentioned that matter in the past. But... "Father, do you think someone arranged for this?" Leon asked as he slowly followed his father. Duke Sun paused in his steps. If he had to be honest, He had also thought about this matter. Because the timing was very accurate. It was as if they were waiting for the person who handled this matter to change hands and then all sort of things just happened. But... "Whether theres someones arrangement or not, it didnt seem to be of any use to know and guess," Duke Sun said slowly. "Besides, there are many things that have to happen to lead to this war. Theres no single cause." Leon was silent. His father was right. The war was already inevitable to a certain degree. Perhaps, there were some ways they could avoid the war but it would have been difficult to achieve in normal times. Right now, they have even reached an agreement for this so called war. "I see." "Dont think too much." Duke Sun shook his head. "Come with me to see them and after that, you still have to prepare for your marriage." Leon: "..." He had the feeling that his father was really eager to get him married to Marquis Browns Family. Turning his head to look at his older brother, he saw Henry was stifling his laugh. Henry is older than him, but Henrys fiance?e was one year younger than Leon, so Henry would only get married next year when his fiance?e reached the age. Otherwise, it would not be Leons turn to get married ahead of his older brother. Still, looking at his older brothers expression, Leon was tempted to challenge his older brother to the field. Unfortunately, there was no time. They departed and after a few days of journey, they saw Duke Yelan who came to Duke Suns territory along with his men. Looking at his expression, his face was as black as ink. It was clear that Duke Yelan was displeased by the Yellow Kingdoms Kings decision. But there was nothing that he could do. If he didnt go to the war, then he would be declared treason and the Yellow Kingdoms King might even take back his power and territory. His sister was still in the palace. And his family wouldnt be able to live without this title. Thankfully, the Yellow Kingdoms King still gave him benefit. As long as he won the war, he could get more than 50% of the profit from the mine alone. That should be able to cover the loss from the war. Of course, the premise was that he won. "I will leave it to you, Duke Yelan." Duke Sun was smiling from ear to ear when he saw Duke Yelan. Duke Yelan looked at Duke Sun like this and was tempted to smash a punch to the mans face. But thinking that he still needed Duke Suns cooperation to operate in the latters territory, he held back. Besides, there was no need for the three dukes to fight against each other all the time. Yes, the relationship between the three dukes were not good. It couldnt be considered so bad but there were many times when they wanted to beat up each other. "I know." Duke Yelan snorted. Leon watched from the back. He knew, the war had started. ... The news of the war between the Yellow Kingdom and the Sand Kingdom spread very quickly. At this point of time, Prime Minister Jake had departed from the Yellow Kingdom. Nonsense, if he dared to stay there any longer, there were many people who would want to eat him alive. Besides, he would help the noble to win the war. So he had other things to do. On the other hand, it was the Yellow Kingdoms side that was in uproar because of this war. No one thought that after the Red Kingdom, their own kingdom would also have a war. Chapter 191: New Identity Chapter 191: New Identity But for the time being, the news hadnt spread far. At least, in Auroras place, it hadnt spread yet. "Miss, this is Viscount Arns territory," William said after they reached the location Aurora mentioned. His expression was a bit strange. "Would it be fine for us to stay here?" After all, the noble might help each other and even spread the news of Auroras arrival back to the White Dukedom. If that was the case, then Aurora couldnt possibly stay here. "Of course." Aurora instructed William to stop in front of Viscount Arns Mansion and walked out of the carriage. Compared to the mansion belonged to Duke White, this mansion looked more ordinary. The size alone was only around half of Duke Whites mansion. But considering that this was a viscounts mansion, it was actually pretty good. The nobility title was from baron, viscount, count, marquis, and finally Duke. There were five nobility title and viscount could only be said to be somewhat in the middle low. Moreover, there were so many viscount in the Yellow Kingdom. "Les, youll be in charge of the mansions management," Aurora said calmly. "William, the security, Lester, as usual." "Ah?" Les was stunned. William also looked at Aurora in disbelief before retracting his gaze because he knew that it was impolite. Prince Lesters eyes flickered. He turned to look at Aurora and seemed to understand one thing. Viscount Arn is Aurora. "Get to work." Aurora took out a noble emblem from her pocket and showed it to the guard, who immediately opened the gate while saluting. "Viscountess Arn!" "Go back to work." Aurora nodded and walked into the mansion. Les looked dumbfounded and turned to look at William. "How did she become a viscount so suddenly?" They have been following Aurora for a long time, but they didnt know that Aurora had become a viscount secretly? William pursed his lips. "Buying nobility title." In the past few years, Aurora didnt lack money at all. The trades that she had done worth hundred thousands of gold coins. Moreover, her investment to the talented people she recruited in the White Familys territory had yielded a lot of results. Her money worth doubled or even tripled. Nobility title worth hundred thousands of gold would be nothing in Auroras eyes. Since the title of dukes daughter would not be useful, Aurora simply changed her identity to be Viscountess Arn. It was not like there was no women with nobility title before. Moreover, there were a lot of viscount in the entire Yellow Kingdom. Many of them had no territory on their own and part of them have territory. The Yellow Kingdoms King would have no time to manage and do thorough survey of his nobles. If he did... He would be shocked to find out that Aurora had bought a nobility title for herself and now lived in different territory. "Ooo." Less mouth was opened wide as she nodded in understanding. But she still felt amazed. "Why did Miss buy a nobility title?" Les mused to herself and then shook her head. No matter what the reason is, it was not something Les had to concern herself with. She just have to work and clean up the mansion! Thinking that she would be the head maid, Les quickly went to the previous head maid here to learn more of the mansion. William also didnt stay idle and headed to his post. He had to know the knights in this territory and mansion. Moreover, he had to figure out how big the Viscount Arns territory was as it would do them no good not to know their own territory. On the other hand, Prince Lester followed Aurora. His task was usually to kill the people whom Aurora felt troublesome to deal with herself. It could be said that he was the hidden weapon in her hand. "Im finally here." Aurora nodded in satisfaction as she entered the office room that she had prepared for herself. Viscount Arns territory was really small, even smaller than the normal barons territory. After all, when Aurora bought this title, she only did it for the sake of convenience. There were only two small villages under her and this mansion was located between the two villages. If they needed anything, they could go to the villages. But more importantly, Aurora could now have a place on her own. Her forces were already being moved here. For example, the guilds branch was already built in one of the villages. They also delivered a lot of money for Aurora to make a good use in her territory. The management of the territory itself was handled by the butler whom Aurora hired. Even when Aurora is here, she had no plan to take over the territorys management. She was only here to hide herself. Anyway, Viscount Arns territory was near the border with the Mountain Kingdom and also at the side of Count Celestes territory. Aside from Lucy who might know her, the other nobles territory didnt have children who studied in the Capital Academy. Unless her picture was spread out to find her, it was unlikely for them to find her here. "Its really comfortable." Aurora chuckled to herself and leaned back on the chair. Not having to work at all did make her feel a bit strange. After all, Aurora was not used not having anything to do. But later on, she felt that such a life was really good. Because she didnt have to care about what other people think nor did she have to worry about her mother coming to her and reprimanded her for not doing enough work. She just have to do everything for herself. Speaking about her mother and father... Aurora wondered if the two of them had realized the problems in the territory. After all, Aurora was no longer there and the Butler would no longer hand the report to her but back to Duke White. But before that... "Lester, tell Les to buy a large amount of food." Chapter 192: Watching the Show Chapter 192: Watching the Show "Yes, Miss." Prince Lester went out to do his work. Honestly, Aurora had given this order to Karl to collect food, but there was nothing wrong with asking them to pile up more. Because... The problems of White Dukedom would definitely reveal themselves. Aurora herself didnt actually do anything much with the White Familys territory. After Mr. Wrens death, Duke White wanted to be the one to manage the economy and Aurora handed it over to him. After all, it was indeed Duke Whites work. But she secretly asked the butler to show her the management book. If she didnt see it, she would not think too much. But after Aurora saw how her father divide the money, she understood the real reason why her father wanted to take over the management. He wanted the money. Aurora honestly felt a bit strange with her fathers action because from what she knew, her father was not very fond of money. At least, it was not like her mother who wasted a lot of money through partying here and there. But then Aurora realized her father was doing a lot of activities and also redecorated the mansion. The mansion looked much better. But in Auroras eyes, those were nothing more than useless ornaments. The original mansion was already luxurious enough, but Duke White simply felt that it was not enough, which was why he ended up preparing a lot of things that could enhance that appearance. Aurora could tell that Duke White really like these things. She had to say that his taste was really strange. However, it was also because of his consumption was getting bigger and bigger that the percentage that Aurora separated for them were not enough. They had to raise the tax for the people in the White Dukedom and the amount of money used to manage it was getting less and less each year. When Aurora saw that, she knew that it was going to be bad. The butler said that he had reminded Duke White, but Aurora was skeptical that Duke White would listen. After all, Duke White is a stubborn person and after becoming the duke, he was not exactly the type of person to listen to other peoples words so easily. Aurora herself had no interest to manage her fathers business. If he wanted to continue this way and possibly Destry his own future, then Aurora would let him be. Anyway, it would have nothing to do with her. Aurora had long planned for herself to stay away from Duke White. Besides, based on what she perceived from Queen Ella and Duke White back then, she knew that these two people didnt want to let her stay alive. She might as well leave on her own. Either way, it was not a difficult matter for her. In this way, Aurora didnt have to stay with the White Family and able to stay far away. She simply pushed forward with their plan that they have made without consideration of what other people wanted and finally ended in this way. For Aurora, it was a good result. But at the same time, she was not doing the duties that a noble should do. They were in the high position in order to protect the people under them and to manage their lives to be better. Aurora did none of those. She knew that she indeed has the capability, but she didnt have that sense of responsibility towards the people under. For this reason, she would not bother with the matter of the territorys management and handed it all to the butler. In any case, the butler could do a great job on his own. In this way, Viscount Arn would not have trouble with this matter. Aurora could also do her own things. "The money for the White Dukedom should have almost exhausted by now." Aurora knew that her grandfather had saved quite a large amount of money for the White Dukedom itself. After all, the territory management for such a big area like the White Dukedom required a lot of money. The previous Duke White was not rest assured and piled up a lot of money to use in case of emergencies. But even if he had piled up a lot of money and resources, it was only for the case of emergencies. It should not be used all the time and replenished from time to time. Mr. Wren and the other vassals have been doing a good job so far. But their ability and authority has limit. And it was precisely because of this limit that they were unable to do anything if Duke White wanted to cut down the funds for them to use to manage the territory. Originally, Mr. Wren was the one with the highest power appointed by the previous Duke White. Perhaps, Auroras grandfather had long known that his son is unreliable. But after Mr. Wrens death, there was no more restraints for Duke White. So the situation in the territory worsened. Aurora could guess that this situation would continue for a longer period of time because of her fathers order. She didnt stop him either. In terms of authority, Auroras power was lower than her father. She had no way to stop her father unless she used some other unconventional means. And Aurora was naturally unwilling to use such means for her own father. Shes a selfish person. What she wanted was simply a way out for herself to live without the order from her parents or any other people who wanted to use her for her abilities or position. The problem of the White Family would have been fine if Duke White was given time after knowing the situation. But would he have the time? Aurora knew that he didnt have the time. To be exact, she made sure he had no time. Because the war will start. And when the war started, what the people needed the most would be resources for the war. Chapter 193: Watching the Show (2) Chapter 193: Watching the Show (2) What is the main resource for war? It was naturally food and weapons. Food was required for the soldiers to maintain their stamina and energy to live. Weapons were necessary for them to attack their opponents and win the war. And the Yellow Kingdom didnt have enough of both. The main producers for food was Duke Whites territory. Since their territory focused on farming, they would be able to produce a lot of food as long as enough time was given. Of course, they would need the water resources that were discussed with the other kingdoms. With Aurora there, she had made sure that the water resource was enough. But did the White Dukedoms territory had enough food? The answer is no. Because Duke White increased the taxes and in order to make sure they have enough money to pay the tax to Duke White, they had to sell more food. So even if there were excess in the year with good harvest, it was all gone to pay for the taxes that Duke White required. Part of it was sold to the Red Kingdom that required more food and wiling to pay. The other parts were sold to other territories and a small part was hoarded by Aurora secretly. Of course, she bought it through the normal channel. She would not leave any loophole that can be used to trace back to herself. In this way, it would look like that these food were all sold to the territories who requested them and there was none that was kept privately. When she count the money, she also kept note of the prices when she sold them and then marked it in the note. In this way, no matter who counted it, it would match and no one would find out that some food was actually missing. Anyway, she didnt lack money. The food was piled up in the guild and also brought to this territory. Because Aurora knew that until it was time for the harvest, the price of food will definitely rise. Moreover, this years harvest was not necessarily good because of the weather and the result of the negotiation. In this situation, Aurora just had to make sure that she had enough food for herself and for the people in her new territory to last for three to four years. If she was still the one who was in charge of the negotiation, she would ask for more water because Duke Whites territory would need more. Otherwise, they might not be able to survive the next year. Many people would end up starving. Since Aurora had already known that there might be a small food crisis, she made sure that she had enough resources for herself and her people. As for the others? Sorry, she was not a saint who will care for everyones well being. Being the one in charge, Aurora knew very well that it was impossible for her to care for everyone. There was a limit to resources that she could move and her priority would be her people. Thankfully, the previous yield was pretty good. In this way, Aurora was able to gather enough resources for herself. She hoarded enough food for that reason. Of course, now that she was in this area, it was time for her to gather some other type of food. For example, the seafood. It was rare for her to be able to eat seafood and now that she was living in an area near the lake, she would use her money to trade for it. *cough* Back to the point. The war will start and Duke White had to provide enough food to support the military. Without enough resources in hand, Aurora wondered how her father would deal with this situation. There were a few options. One was to forcefully seize the food but the people who were working in Duke Whites territory would be furious. They have already paid the heavy tax that Duke White imposed on them. And now they have to pay more? It would be a miracle if they were not angry. Another option was through buying the food from others. But at the same time, Aurora also knew that the financial situation of Duke White was not very good. Her mother was spending money as if they were water while her father... was also the same. She couldnt understand the way these two people think. They didnt seem to be able to understand that the money from the territory should also be used for the territory unless they were waiting for riots to happen. Because once the people couldnt have enough, they would definitely start making trouble and the income for Duke White will decrease. In the long run, rebellions might even happen. But that was too far in the future. The current situation would not reach this point. At least, not yet. Of course, if they chose not to solve the problem well, then this possibly will still exist in the future. Ah, unfortunately, I cant see it with my own eyes. Aurora sighed. If it was possible, she really wanted to see this scene with her own eyes instead of staying here and could only hear the second hand news from the people whom she had arranged to stay near Duke White. Even if Aurora was no longer in the Yellow Kingdoms Capital City, she had arranged for some people to monitor these peoples movements. She would not let her life be put on the so called chances. Aurora had to make sure that the development was still within her calculation so that she would be able to stay alive and well. As for weapons? It was because there were only a few territories that produced weapons in the Yellow Kingdom and the amount was relatively small. The Yellow Kingdom has never been a kingdom that was strong in terms of weapons and resources. When reading history, Aurora has been amazed by how the Yellow Kingdom was able to survive with such lack of resources. Chapter 194: Watching the Show (3) Chapter 194: Watching the Show (3) But even then, the Yellow Kingdom still has more than enough resources after a long time accumulation. It was a pity that they didnt make a good use of it. When the war between the Red Kingdom and the Ice Kingdom started, many nobles came to Aurora with the intention of selling their weapon to the Red Kingdoms. They wished to get as much profit as possible from this dispute. Aurora knew that these people should have taken most of their stocks. At that time, she had warned them that they should keep more for the Yellow Kingdom, but these nobles didnt listen. Aurora herself was only a mediator, a third party that earned benefit from the trades. So she still brought the offers from these nobles to the Red Kingdoms nobles, who were naturally interested. Of course, they paid a huge price at that time. After all, Aurora was the one who managed the arrangement and she would not let them off if they didnt hand over a large number of money. The Red Kingdom was also helpless and even if Aurora had said that she had cut down the price, it was still quite unfavorable for the Red Kingdom. For the sake of their kingdoms battle, they had agreed to that price. In this way, the number of weapons left in the Yellow Kingdom could only be said to be extremely small. Even Aurora wondered whether it was possible that there was not even a single one left. Those greedy nobles were not able to see the overall situation of the Yellow Kingdom and only cared for their own immediate profit. So it was impossible for them to think of the consequences from having no weapon. War hadnt happened in the Yellow Kingdom for so many years. Perhaps, not many people thought that it was possible for war to happen again. But then again, she would not go over to these nobles to check one by one. They should still have some reserves, but if the war were to go for a long time, they might run out of resources first. Tsk, tsk. Aurora could tell that the Yellow Kingdoms King would definitely be pissed off when he realized that the strategic resources in the Yellow Kingdom were being being squandered away for the petty profits by these nobles. Not that she cared that much, though. Even if the entire Yellow Kingdom were to be destroyed, Aurora felt that she wouldnt even bat an eyelid. Because before that happened, Aurora would figure out a way for herself to survive first. Anyway, there was not much different for Aurora even if she were to go to other kingdoms as long as they didnt plan to destroy or kill her. Aurora looked outside and saw Les was busy talking with the other maids and so on. It seemed that she would be doing well even if she were to stay here for a long period of time. Aurora could also rest assured to let Les be the one to manage the entire place. After thinking for a while, Aurora decided to check on Les. She walked out of the room and looked at the corridors in front of her. The mansions layout was different from the one in the White Familys territory and Aurora also didnt arrange it to be the same. But as she looked at the scene in front of her, Auroras lips twitched slightly. "What are you doing?" "Miss!" Les saw Aurora coming out and smiled brightly. She showed the large fish in her hand. "The maids told me that this is the best fish in this area and I want to ask whether Miss want to taste it or not?" Aurora looked at the large fish that was around half the size of Less body. It seemed that Les was also quite strong. At this time, Aurora forgot that Les usually have a high job in the mansion. As the maid who was responsible for many things, it was impossible for Les not to exercise and become stronger. After all, if she was not strong enough, she wouldnt be able to do her work well. But still... "You can just say the name to me next time, Les," Aurora said helplessly. "Ah, right." Les forgot about it. "There are not many maids here, Miss. They usually only clean up the mansion and to manage the entire mansion, it might be necessary to hire more people." Hire more people? This mansion itself was not very big but it would still be quite taxing if only a handful of people were cleaning it. Aurora nodded. "You can arrange the recruitment and tell me about the few people whom you want to pick." "Yes, Miss." Les smiled. "Remember to buy a few more fish and prawns," Aurora added. She wanted to eat more of the seafood for the next few days. When she was bored of it, she could always switch to other types of food that she was interested in. Anyway, the other territories here have other types of food they specialized in. And the few territories around this area that Aurora had picked had various other types of foods that didnt usually grow up in White Familys territory. Well, for grains and so on, they still usually import from the White Familys territory, though. After all, the difference in terrains made it impossible for them to grow all the foods they wanted in their territory. "Yes, Miss!" Looking at the excited Les, Aurora showed a smile. But thinking that this would be her next home for the next period of time, it seemed to be worth celebrating. At the very least, it seemed to be much better than the previous place where Aurora was staying before. Of course, it didnt mean that Aurora truly have nothing to do. After all, she didnt want to be caught off guard by some people and would still read the report from time to time. Chapter 195: …” Chapter 195: ... For now, though, Aurora wondered if Duke White had known about this problem and whether he had thought of a way to figure it out. Because she was sure that the Yellow Kingdoms King would never give Duke White a long time to solve this matter. He had a lot of things to manage. And Duke Whites problem was only one of them. One that if Duke White didnt solve, the Yellow Kingdoms King would not hesitate to make sure he would not be able to live well. Aurora couldnt wait for the next report. The corner of her lips curled up slightly. It might be evil, but she took pleasure in seeing these people brought ruins to themselves. And it meant... her plans that she had piled up over the years were not for nothing. She knew how to solve it. After all, she had to leave a back door for herself. But now that they have already kicked her out, they have to be prepared to face these problems by themselves. How fun~. ... The Yellow Kingdoms Capital City, Duke White Residence As Aurora had guessed, Duke Whites situation was not very good right now. After the engagements matter, which he had known in advance, happened, the butler came to him with the annual report as usual. However, he was shocked when he found out that the number of gold he could use was les than half compared to last year. "How come its so few this year?" Duke White asked, unable to accept what was written in the report in front of him. The Head Butler was looking at Duke White with pained expression. He knew very well that Duke White was the one who manage the financial and technically everything in the White Familys territory. But... He didnt do anything that worth the nobility title in his hand in the past few years. Several times, the Head Butler felt disappointed. But as a servant, what could he do but to continue doing his work? He didnt want this either. Now the situation was already so severe and there was no Aurora to help him recover some losses through some other methods. He could only come to Duke White and try to ask him to manage this. Even if the chance was low, the butler didnt have any other choices. Moreover, he had to figure out a way to stop Duke White from squandering their already pitiful funds. Because if it was known that the dukedom have no money, it was estimated that there would be people who would come and question Duke White. Such a large territory and the tax is not enough for them to live? How could they believe it? But with Duke Whites lavish spending coupled with his wife, the Butler knew that the money earned by Duke Whites territory could never last long. When Aurora was still around, she could still figure out a way to earn more money through other sources. After all, she was not so stupid that she would do nothing and let her own family ruined the entire dukedom. However, it was still limited. And Aurora herself knew that there was no point in doing these all the time because if her father and mother didnt change, the situation in White Dukedom would never improve. Without Aurora.. The Head Butler was sure that the entire White Dukedom might be heading towards their own destruction. The power that Aurora held before she was banished was a lot. And there were not many people in White Dukedom who could replace her. Even if Duke White asked him to be the one to manage it... The Head Butler had to respectfully admit that he was incapable. "Theres no new source of income for White Familys territory and theres a lack of funds for development," The Head Butler said slowly. "The main reason why the funds are lacking is because theres no Miss Aurora to help earning money through other sources and the emergency funds prepared by the previous duke has run out." "Emergency funds?" Duke White was stunned. This was the first time he heard about the emergency funds. After all, the head Butler had no intention of telling Duke White about this matter in the beginning. The emergency funds was something that the previous duke prepared in case the territory suffered from bad weather and bad seasons. Since White Dukedom relied on farming, it was inevitable that they would have to rely on nature more than any other territory. For this reason, they needed the emergency funds more. But because of this Duke White, the funds were already run out. If there was still Aurora present, the Head Butler would want to go to her and ask for some help. Auroras ideas so far had helped the White Familys territory to a certain degree and the Head Butler was relieved with her help. He hoped that he could influence Duke White slowly but surely to change. But before he could ask Duke White to change and do more for the territory, it was Aurora who was being abandoned first. The Head Butler: "..." If it was possible, he really wanted to shake Duke White strongly and asked what was in his mind. How could he do that kind of thing to his own daughter? But in the end, the Head Butler had to focus on the problem on hand. He didnt know what Duke White wanted to do with this situation. "This..." Duke White frowned. He could see that with this funds, he couldnt even share anything with his wife because most of the funds would be used for the mansions operational cost. The problem was, Duchess Isabella would never accept this. She loved parties so much that she almost spent every single day partying whenever it was possible. If the funds were suddenly cut off, Duchess Isabella would never be willing to accept this. "What should I do?" Duke White asked. The Head Butler looked at Duke White and took a deep breath. Chapter 196: …” (2) Chapter 196: ... (2) Facing such a duke.... The Head Butler could only be patient. He could only say the few words that Aurora had mentioned before. First and foremost was naturally to cut down his own expense and try to earn back the money through other methods. They could sell these useless ornaments that Duke White spent money to buy or through other methods. After that, Duke White and the Head Butler talked for a long time. For the first time in a long time, Duke White had to listen to many things and also arranged for many things to be done. He felt overwhelmed. In the past, the Head Butler would manage most of this and there was no need for Duke White to be the one to manage it. Aside from the most vital matters that was handed over to him, the rest of the things were handled by the Head Butler. But now, the Head Butler threw almost everything to him. And Duke White couldnt put them aside either. Because almost everything was related to the survival of the entire White Family. Thus, Duke White becomes busy. He missed Aurora a bit, but when he thought about her, there was no longer any trace of Aurora in the Yellow Kingdoms Capital City. The last thing he knew about Aurora was that she had left the Capital City to somewhere some time ago and it was impossible to see her in a short period of time again. Well, there was even doubts whether she was still in the Yellow Kingdom by now. "What do you mean that you cant find her trace at all?" Duke White, who was overwhelmed by work, was dumbfounded when he received the reports from his men whom he asked to find Aurora. It was only after the work was given to him again that Duke White realized how much he needed Aurora to be present. Without Auroras help, it could be said that most of the works couldnt be done at all and everything was thrown into chaos. Even Duke White felt really overwhelmed with this situation. Before Aurora was born, he did work for the dukedom and also reviews these things. But it was already so many years ago. After handing it all to Aurora, Duke White didnt care too much about it anymore and instead used the money that was available for many other things that he had longed to do. And as time passed, the cost just increased. Duke White felt a bit pained when he saw the money flowing out. But when he saw his house... He decided that it was fine. Just a little bit wouldnt hurt. The problem was that this amount continued to increase until it reached the point of no return. What Duke White did was simply to make more trouble for himself. "Master, Miss Aurora has disappeared." The knight was nervous when he was in front of Duke White. They have tried to search for Auroras whereabouts, but there was no trace of her at all in the Yellow Kingdom. There were even questions whether this person truly existed here or not. If not for them knowing for sure that Aurora White is truly a real person, then they would also be dumbfounded. "Have you checked my territory?" Duke White frowned. Aurora spend a long time in a city in White Dukedom. If there was no trace of her in the Yellow Kingdoms Capital City, then she might be in this city. "Master, shes also not there." "What?" After a while, Duke White also received the letter from the people who were in the city inside While Dukedom. From the letter, Duke White could confirm that Aurora was truly not present in that city in the slightest bit. There was not even any trace of her presence. It seemed as if she had disappeared so suddenly. When Duke White received this report, he was truly dumbfounded. Over the years, Aurora had made a lot of relationships with the neighboring kingdom. It would not be strange if she made a deal with them to stay temporarily in their places or something. And it was only then Duke White realized something.... It turned out he didnt know his daughter at all. He threw all the work to Aurora and didnt bother to spend more time to get to know Aurora better. Moreover, he thought that Aurora could do everything well by herself and chose to throw all the work to her. The result? It was nothing more than him not knowing anything about her. He didnt even have any idea when Aurora left the Yellow Kingdoms Capital City or where she might possibly go. In his territory? The White Familys territory was really vast that it was impossible for Duke White to find Aurora in such a short period of time. When he truly found her, it was estimated that these problems would cause even bigger problem. His territory was really big and there were many other cities that Duke White had to check. Aside from the city where Aurora used to stay, Duke White couldnt really contact all of them in such a short period of time. Moreover, how many knights should he mobilized to search for Aurora? If the Yellow Kingdoms King were to find out that Duke White was searching for his daughter in such a fervent way, it was estimated that he would come to question him. And Duke White couldnt possibly tell the other party that he wanted to look for Aurora because he needed her. Why did he agree to that order in the first place? At this moment, Duke White felt that he was simply asking for trouble for himself. With no other choice left, Duke White had to call the Head Butler to help him manage the territory and various other things such as the spending. The Head Butler: "..." He sighed deeply when he saw how incompetent this Duke White is and wondered if the previous Duke White would regret handing over the dukedom to this son. Chapter 197: …” (3) Chapter 197: ... (3) Since he still worked for the White Family, the Head Butler could only help Duke White to do these things. Even if he felt that Duke White should do these things on his own, the Head Butler still chose to help. Because he didnt want to see the destruction of the White Family. The Head Butler had been around when the previous Duke White, which is Auroras grandfather, built his territory. From the barren territory to the way it is right now. In Auroras hand, it thrived even more. But in this Duke Whites hand... *sigh* There were a lot of problems appearing and the amount of money that Duke White could spend was basically 0. Everything had to be spent for the sake of the daily necessities. There were even some things that they have to lower the grades secretly. It would not match the status of a duke, but without doing these, they would not have enough money at all. So they didnt have any other choices. Even now, Duke White had to run here and there to make up for the losses. He was so busy that he felt he had no time to sleep. At this moment, Duke White slowly understood why Aurora seemed to have no time for anything else. She didnt even spend time with them. Because she couldnt. With the situation in the White Dukedom, Aurora would have to work hard every single day to make sure the dukedom had enough money. Money for him. Money for Duchess Isabella. Money for the territory. And so on. Duke White didnt know how Aurora did it, but she managed it anyway. And when these were thrown to him, he couldnt do anything but to lower his own expense and the people around him so that the territory could still run. Duchess Isabella also heard about this matter and was dumbfounded. She has been staying in the mansion honestly for the time being, but it was clear that she was dissatisfied with this situation. She wanted to party. But there was no money to buy new dresses and jewelries again, so Duchess Isabella could only stay at home honestly. Of course, there were still some dissatisfaction. Duke White had to console her that this matter was only temporary and that the situation would turn better soon. So Duchess Isabella reigned her temper. Even though she still wanted to go out and party, she decided to wait until Duke White solved the problem. In the meantime, Duchess Isabella could spend this time with her second daughter instead. And just when Duke White thought that he could mend everything, the order from the Royal Palace arrived. "Theres going to be a war and I have to prepare the foods necessary?" Duke White repeated, his tone was full disbelief. He never heard about the Yellow Kingdom going to war. And the biggest problem for Duke White was the fact that he had to prepare enough food for this war. Looking at the reserve grains in the storage house, Duke White felt that the sky was falling. There was not enough food! The amount of food there was only barely enough for the supplies of the people in his territory. And that was without him considering whether the output this year would be enough or not. Duke White had just barely solved the problem of lack of money for the remainder of the year and already considering whether he should sell more grains. But the amount was not much and the Head Butler strongly against it, so Duke White put down the idea. It was said that they have already sold a lot of grains before in order to cover up the losses of money from him and Duchess Isabellas spending. He would have to wait until it was harvest time to see whether the food would be enough for the rest of the year. After all, Duke White was not sure about it. He hadnt seen the situation on the fields for so many years and only Aurora knew about it. "Would you like to go and check the territory?" The Duke White finally thought that he should do his duties and go, but before he could make that decision, the Yellow Kingdoms messenger came to his place with a shocking news. But the Yellow Kingdoms King asked him to prepare enough food for the soldiers too. Duke White realized belatedly that the situation in the White Familys territory seemed to have worsened... Why... Why did it have to be this very moment? It was as if everything was designed to push the White Dukedom to the bottomless abyss. At this moment, it was no longer a problem whether Duke White could maintain his dignity or not as a duke but whether he could keep his title or not! "No, I cant... I mean... I need to talk with the Yellow Kingdoms King," Duke White said to the messenger. The messenger looked at Duke Whites appearance and fell into silence. To be honest, this was the fourth message he sent out and almost all nobles had the same reactions. It could be seen that the nobles were all unprepared for war and none of them had enough supplies in their territory. If the war were to break out, it was estimated that the Yellow Kingdom would not have enough of anything to support this war. Can they win the war? The messenger suddenly doubted this greatly. But he couldnt possibly ask this question out loud. He could only hope that these nobles had a way to solve their problems and responded to the kingdoms request. "I understand. Ill tell his Majesty about your request." "Thank you." Duke White forced a smile and then sent the messenger out. But after that, Duke White also fell down and felt that there were more problems here. "Head Butler..." "Yes, Master?" The Head Butler responded calmly as if he was no affected by the news just now. Chapter 198: Desperation Chapter 198: Desperation "Find Aurora..." Duke White felt that he couldnt stand this at all. The only person who could possibly figure out a solution is his daughter. No matter how much Duke White wanted to refute this matter, he knew that his daughter is the smartest person around after his father. He felt that the Heaven was truly not fair. He didnt inherit his fathers intelligence, but it was all poured to Aurora, his first daughter. "Master, no one knew where Aurora is," the Head Butler answered. They have already tried to find Aurora in the past few days but the result was futile. No one knew where Aurora went and even if they did have some clues, all of them always resulted in a dead end. Aurora didnt want others to find her. So she made sure that everything was prepared and that no one would be able to find any clues about her. This was the only way it would be possible for her to escape in the end. Those who tried to find her might notice those misleading clues that she had left behind. But in the end, they couldnt find her. Moreover, the investigation and search that they had done were completely done secretly to prevent the Yellow Kingdoms King from noticing. They knew very well that if the Yellow Kingdoms King were to notice, Duke White could be brought to questioning. For example, why did he want to find Aurora and so on. Duke White couldnt explain. The progress of their search has been very slow. Now that Duke White wanted to quicken this progress, it was not possible. He had to wait until the knights were able to find the real clues of where Aurora is. Otherwise.. *sigh* Duke White fell into silence. It was true. Thinking about Aurora who disappeared after the announcement from Crown Prince Edward, Duke White felt that he was truly facing a huge trouble. And this trouble had no way out in the slightest bit. Because Duke White knew that if he wanted to find Aurora, he had to figure out what she has been doing in the past few years and so on. But this kind of thing... It was not easy to do. Aurora was meticulous in her work and not everyone could know what she was planning. Moreover, Aurora has been staying in the White Familys territory for a long time and it was naturally not under the direct supervision of Duke White nor the Head Butler. Neither of the two knew what Aurora did there aside from the few things she reported to them. As for other people who wanted to find out Auroras location? They have been working hard for days and night without any result so far. Moreover, these people couldnt possibly dedicate themselves to find Aurora at all times because they have other things to do. Their reasons for wanting to find Aurora also varied and it was clear that they have their own intentions. However, Duke White couldnt care about them. He just have to care about himself. The problem in front of him... He had to find someone to help him solve it. He was incapable to do it. But he had to! "What to do now...?" Duke White felt distressed. The Head Butler sighed. When Aurora was there and managed many things, Duke White didnt seem to care about Aurora that much. In fact, it could be said that Duke White and the others simply took Auroras presence for granted. And when it was no longer necessary for her to be there, Duke White immediately agreed to Crown Prince Edwards words to remove Aurora from the White Family. Now... Duke White was having a huge headache. "Ill go and see the Yellow Kingdoms King first," Duke White finally said. He wanted to hide the fact that he couldnt come up with enough food for the war. But could he possibly hide it? It was estimated that after a short period of time, other people will know about this matter and tell the Yellow Kingdoms King. At that time, it would only bring more trouble. So Duke White could only come clean about this and hope that the Yellow Kingdoms King would forgive him. It was just... Duke White was sure that things wouldnt be so easy. The Head Butler looked at Duke White and silently lit a candle for him. ... In the Royal Palace, the Yellow Kingdoms King was listening to the report from the messenger and also the few nobles who came to see him. They were all without exception came to report that they were unable to meet his demands. This made the Yellow Kingdoms King felt really bad. He had just asked Duke Yelan to be the main force for the war, responsible for the battle and so on. Duke Yelan himself had soldiers and some resources in his territory but the amount was not much. So the Yellow Kingdoms King had to ask for resources from other territories. Of course, they would be paid in accordance to the amount of resources they brought up and these money would come out from Duke Yelan. Duke Yelan also agreed with this method. No way, he couldnt possibly defeat the Sand Kingdom with only his original soldiers without the help of supplies from other territories. His territory was not that rich. But what if there was no resources? Even if they have money, it would not be able to help the war. "Do you want to say that Duke White also has no resources to help the war?" the Yellow Kingdoms King asked in a cold tone when he saw Duke White coming to the Royal Palace. In the past, he would still be wiling to give Duke White some face because of his position. But right now, he wanted nothing more than to kick Duke White out of the Royal Palace. The war was imminent because the negotiation had to lead to this point otherwise they would suffer more losses. Chapter 199: Suspicion Chapter 199: Suspicion But in this critical moment, Duke White was actually saying that he didnt have any resources needed for the war. No, he didnt say that. But these nobles were all acting that way one by one. Otherwise, they would not come to see him here. It seemed to say that they were all so stupid and thoughtless that they never thought about preparing for rainy days. What in the world they were doing over the years that they didnt have any resources left for the Yellow Kingdoms King? Now, Duke White was coming here, the suspicion of the Yellow Kingdoms King had reached the peak! "Your Majesty..." Duke White opened his mouth but he didnt know how to explain. Could he possibly say that he hadnt truly managed his territory well? If he dared to say that, he was sure that the Yellow Kingdoms King would dare to take back the territory and handed it to someone else! Duke White couldnt say it. Not even if he was beaten to death! "I want you to figure out how to get the resources." the Yellow Kingdoms Kings face was dark. "Even if you have to buy from other kingdoms, I dont care as long as you can get the resources needed and then send them all to Duke Yelan. Hell pay everything!" These nobles looked at each other. Well, if they were allowed to look for other sources, then there would definitely be some things that they could do. But if the cost was not controlled well, they might fall into bankruptcy in the end. Since the Yellow Kingdoms King had said that Duke Yelan would be the one paying, then it would be fine for them to do it, right? However, the Yellow Kingdoms King seemed to guess what they thought. "Prime Minister Lat will divide the budget you have to follow and the amount of resources needed. If you require more money to buy the resources, you have to pay on your own." Even if the Yellow Kingdoms King wanted them to get the resources, it couldnt deplete the entire kingdoms resources either. There should be a limit to how much they could bear. And the Yellow Kingdoms King definitely didnt want to be the one losing in this war. It would be better to let these nobles be the one to bear the brunt instead. The nobles: "..." Damn! Duke Whites face was also not very good. He knew very well that the prices of food was definitely not cheap and he already didnt have enough money in his territory. If he had to pay for the resources on his own, then it was estimated that there would be nothing that he could do but to fell into debt. Thinking about not having enough money to do anything, Duke White felt his heart and stomach hurt. Because he knew that if he didnt have enough money to keep up with his appearance in the future, his reputation would be at the stake. And as the duke in the Yellow Kingdom, how could he not care for his face? So he had to handle this matter well. "You may go now." the Yellow Kingdoms King waved his hand and let these nobles out. He had sent a letter to Prime Minister Lat to manage this matter, but he would need to increase the amount of money sent by Duke Yelan to these nobles. After all, it would be impossible to go by the normal prince considering that they might have to outsource or do other things to get the resources needed. The Yellow Kingdoms King sighed deeply. He knew very well that this war was an important matter for the Yellow Kingdom because the resource that could be obtained rom the war would be able to recoup the losses. But the premise was that they won. If they lose, then everything he had done would be utterly useless. "How could things fall to this point?" the Yellow Kingdoms King mused to himself. Everything has been going well for the Yellow Kingdom so far. They were doing well in the previous negotiations and no problem appeared. The other kingdoms were respectful and they earned a lot of money. When he saw the large amount of money that Aurora won for them, the Yellow Kingdoms King was so happy that he nearly unable to fall asleep that night. He knew that this Aurora was really talented. So he wished that she could work for them for a long time. Anyway, the Yellow Kingdoms King felt that Aurora would be the crown princess and in the future, she would also lead the Yellow Kingdom. There was no problem with her doing the work in advance. But the perfect plan fell through. His stupid son suddenly decided to change his fiance?e and then staged a stupid and ridiculous scene during the graduation party. When he thought about this, the Yellow Kingdoms King really didnt want to admit that Crown Prince Edward is his son. Because he felt that Crown Prince Edward was simply too stupid. So stupid that there was simply no comparison. If Crown Prince Edward was not his son, the Yellow Kingdoms King would not have tolerated him and allowed him to enjoy the princes privilege. Unfortunately, that stupid boy didnt seem to realize that he had responsibility that he had to fulfill. If he was not his son, the Yellow Kingdoms King would not be willing to take care of Crown Prince Edward in the slightest bit. Hopefully, that brat would grow up faster after this incident and learn how to manage many things well. Otherwise, the Yellow Kingdoms King would not step down from this throne and keep it for a much longer time. *sigh* After sighing for the nth time, the Yellow Kingdoms King thought to himself that it would have been better if Aurora is still here. Hmm? If Aurora is still here? As he repeated this question, the Yellow Kingdoms Kings eyes narrowed slightly. Chapter 200: Suspicion (2) Chapter 200: Suspicion (2) There was something wrong. And this something is called Aurora. Because the Yellow Kingdoms King was busy these past few days with the huge workload that came to his table, he had no time to think too much. But after seeing Duke White and these nobles who were so incompetent, the Yellow Kingdoms King was not in the mood to work again. How could he work properly when all he wanted was to beat up these people? But when he was thinking, he seemed to realize something. These troubles started from the moment when Aurora left. The day she disappeared, there was a fire in the city and many properties were lost. There were also some people who said that they saw some people fighting. Moreover, several knights were found dead on the alleyways. At that time, the Yellow Kingdoms King had no time to interrogate the nobles about what they were doing. Because the conflict between nobles were not a day or two. There were a lot of conflicts between the nobles that occurred from time to time. And some of them also resulted in the death of some knights, so the Yellow Kingdoms King didnt think too much about this incident. Even though it was a bit bad, but the Yellow Kingdoms King was used to turn a blind eyes to this kind of thing. After all, to control the power in the court, he had to make sure that not all nobles were completely united. There had to be some balance. So if there were some conflicts out there, the Yellow Kingdoms King didnt care. The fire incident was bad, but it was not something that worth the Yellow Kingdoms Kings immediate attention. He brushed that matter off and then focused on other matters that was more important. "But the timing is very precise." The day Aurora left, there was a battle between nobles and the Yellow Kingdoms King didnt know who were fighting who. He had to send his men to check and investigate if he truly wanted to know. And this wouldnt be easy. Because it has been a while since the incident happened. The nobles who truly participated in might have long transferred their knights away to avoid them being recognized. But now that the Yellow Kingdoms King thought about it... Someone was chasing after Aurora. As for who it was, there were only a limited suspect from the report that the Yellow Kingdoms King received. Aurora is capable and she might have already guessed this much, so she was able to escape in the end. However, the Yellow Kingdoms King knew that Marquis Davis was one of the participants since many of his knights died and he had to clean up the mess. The others? Even the Yellow Kingdoms King was not sure. But he could start from Marquis Davis. And what the Yellow Kingdoms King paid attention more was the effect of this conflict. Yes, the effect... Because after this incident, Aurora completely disappeared and there was no trace left about her presence. In the past, the Yellow Kingdoms King would not care too much about Aurora. And there was another thing that the Yellow Kingdoms King just noticed. And after Aurora left, the negotiation happened to start and they have to replace the person who do the main negotiation to Queen Ella and Prime Minister Lat. It meant that the very person who should be responsible for the negotiation disappeared. For the Yellow Kingdoms King, it was a bad news, which was why he scolded his son. In normal times, these two people were quite reliable. Even though Queen Ella was by no means the smartest queen in the world, she was still much better than many other people out there. As for Prime Minister Lat, he was someone whom the Yellow Kingdoms King trusted to a certain degree. Many works that belonged to the Yellow Kingdoms King would go through Prime Minister Lat first. Hes the main assistant for the Yellow Kingdoms King. They should have been able to do well but for some reasons, they were not able to stop the war from happening. It seemed that the advantage was not in their hands but in the Sand Kingdoms hand. It was completely opposite to the report he heard about Auroras negotiation. And after the wars problem, come the problem of these nobles with the insufficient supplies. It seemed to be telling the Yellow Kingdoms King that he would not be able to win this war. Everything was going in the opposite direction. And the start was precisely the disappearance of Aurora. It was as if someone had already known that Aurora would not be in the same position and decided to use this very moment to strike forward and destroyed the finely placed chessboards that the Yellow Kingdoms King had prepared. But was it truly manmade. Or was it a natural disaster? Because the matter of the mine was not something that many people knew. Even the people in the Sun Dukedom only knew about this matter a few weeks before and it was impossible for them to purposely leak this matter out. Would they tell outsiders who have nothing to do with their territory? But if it was Aurora... it was possible. As someone who had been in power for a long time, the Yellow Kingdoms King was naturally sharp. He realized something was wrong. "Did she...?" The Yellow Kingdoms Kings eyes narrowed. This matter would require investigation and confirmation. But if it was true... Then he wanted to beat up his son and find out where this girl went. Because the Yellow Kingdoms King was sure that if he didnt stop this girl, there might be other troubles in the future. But it could also be a coincidence. the Yellow Kingdoms King took a deep breath. After all, no one would know how the future would be and the Yellow Kingdoms King didnt believe that Aurora had planned everything. Chapter 201: Suspicion (3) Chapter 201: Suspicion (3) While some things have some relationship with Aurora but other things were different. After thinking for a while without result, the Yellow Kingdoms King decided to stop thinking about this matter. There was no point either way. But the investigation had to be done. No matter what, the Yellow Kingdoms King would not let go such a possibility that might exist. ... Duke White and the other nobles ended up being busy. For the next month, they were busy gathering the supplies and sent them to the frontline where Duke Yelan was located. And it was also during this period of time that the negotiation was slowly concluded. It took much longer than before mainly because they have a lot of disagreement and had to counter argument several times before they finally agreed on something. The process ended up taking a much longer time. Not only did the Yellow Kingdom took so much time, the other kingdoms were also in similar situation. The several years gap of not negotiating had made the situation in many fields changed. They had to fight hard for their own benefit. By the time it ended, Queen Ella and Prime Minister Lat were thoroughly exhausted. They sent the report to the Yellow Kingdoms King and then left. Queen Ella still has to pacify her brother who suffered greatly because he had to pay a lot for the war. She didnt even know how many days she didnt sleep after this and her complexion was really bad. The negotiation had thoroughly exhaust her and there were still many other things that she had to do. This made Queen Ella felt really tired. Power is really good and pleasant. But at the same time, there were many things that have to be done if they wanted to keep this power and position. These were their responsibility as they were the leader of Yellow Kingdom. On the other hand, Prime Minister Lat would start educating his son and also manage many things. It was really troublesome. And during this period of time, Crown Prince Edward was also forced to study. He clamored that he wanted to play with Adela, but Queen Ella was decisive. She didnt want her first son to become a useless king. So she decided to be strict. During this period of time, Adela also listened in to the negotiation. Unfortunately, she almost understood none of them. The gap between Adela and Aurora was really large and with Adelas result in class was relatively bad, the end result was also quite bad. When Adela was facing the negotiations from these people who needed thorough understanding in various matters... Adela simply couldnt. In the end, she was also thrown to the study room along with Crown Prince Edward. If she wanted to become the queen in the future, this education would be necessary. No matter what Adela said, the matter of the study was already fixed and she had to study with Crown Prince Edward for a long time. ... At the same time, there was another person with similar fate with them. Prince Charles looked at his mother who had retuned. He has been wondering when the negotiation would be over but when it was truly done, Prince Charles felt that it would be better for his mother to stay there and didnt come back to educate him. Because he felt that it was really hard for him to talk with his mother. "We will return to the Red Kingdom after some time." Queen Rachel looked at her son and took a deep breath. Whenever she thought that Prince Brian had taken more advantage in the Red Kingdom, Queen Rachel would feel as if there was a fish bone blocking her throat. It made her angry and breathless but there was nothing that she could do. Kill him? If she did that, the Red Kingdoms King would definitely kill her and her family first. Queen Rachel couldnt afford to do that. She had to figure out a way to make sure her son is selected as the crown prince. Over the years, she had built a lot of connections with the other nobles in the Capital City and also obtained the qualification to do the negotiation. This time, the negotiations was quite good. Queen Rachel was sure that after her return, her position should increase. The problem was... Prince Charless study was really bad. The competition for the throne itself would be very fierce and Queen Rachel didnt want to take any chance. The result was naturally Prince Charles miserable study time. The three people who were usually lazy in the academy were now facing their own mother or mother in law forcing them to study. These women who have been in power for a long time naturally understood the importance of knowledge. Their pampering of their children were useless. At this moment, they could only go strike hard and try their best to remedy the situation though making these brats study more. Otherwise, there was simply no hope. Anyway, Queen Rachel had to stay here for a while longer to finish the signing with the few other nobles. So during this period of time, Prince Charles was also busy studying. ... Auroras side While the negotiation was still ongoing, Aurora was also busy with her own preparations. Karl had sent her message that Duke White wanted to buy food from the guild and he quoted the price Aurora had asked him to say. In the end, Duke White still accepted it as if he didnt care about money in the slightest bit. "It seems that Duke White is richer than I thought." Aurora nodded when she heard the report. But it could also be because the money was from Duke Yelan. After all, the Yellow Kingdoms King might not want them to lose so he increased the amount of gold that Duke Yelan had to pay for the resources. Anyway, Aurora didnt care where they obtained the gold from. Chapter 202: The Next Step Chapter 202: The Next Step In the end, these gold entered her pocket. Of course, Aurora knew that accumulating more money would be useless, so she planned to use it for other things. The guild had accumulated a lot of capital in the Yellow Kingdom and it was time for her to set her eyes on the other places. For example... The Red Kingdom. Once the war is over, the Red Kingdom will enter a reconstruction time and its also during this period of time that I should be able to develop some other businesses. Aurora played with the pen while thinking about it. To be honest, after arranging Karl to manage a guild and also focused on various trades over the years, Aurora felt like a merchant more than a noble. Because most of the things she had to handle were related to money. Then again, the role of a noble was also basically to manage a territorys economy. In a way, it was indeed quite similar. But anyway, Aurora had no plan to become Viscount Arn for the rest of her life. When the Yellow Kingdoms King noticed what she had done, it was estimated that he would try to find her at all cost. So before that time, Aurora had to plan her escape route to other kingdoms. The first step for that would be to establish the guilds branch. Anyway, the supply in her guild was more than enough even if she were to open a few more trade routes. Of course, she will keep this nobles title as long as no one found out about it yet. Knock! Knock! "Miss, Karl is here along with the Hope Orphanage Dean and Miss Layla are here." Karl was the person whom Aurora found in the White Familys territory. She let him be the one to manage the guild over the years and only checked from time to time. In his hand, it seemed that the guild was really successful. Aurora was also rest assured with leaving the management of the guild with Karl. To a certain degree, Karl was quite trustworthy. "Come in," Aurora said. The door opened and an old man came in followed by a young man and a young woman. The old man was precisely the Hope Orphanage Dean who raised Karl and Layla along with many other children in the White Familys territory. There were not many orphanages in the entire Yellow Kingdom and the Hope Orphanage was one of the few that had relatively better condition. The children in the Hope Orphanage also able to enter the academy if they wanted to. But after they entered the academy, they still had to work for their own tuition. Not all of them could successfully graduated and eventually worked for some nobles or others like Karl. "Miss," Karl greeted and bowed down. Beside him, Layla quickly followed suit. She knew about Karls job, but he didnt explain much to her. He only told her that he worked for a powerful noble and managed a business. But looking at the young girl in front of her, it was hard to believe that Aurora was such a capable and successful noble. "Miss." The Hope Orphanage Dean also bowed his head. He knew more than Layla. After all, he had also met with Aurora before and knew that Aurora is Duke Whites daughter. There were some things that happened in the Capital City and now, Aurora is staying in Viscount Arns territory. The Hope Orphanage Dean also knew that the situation in the White Familys territory was not very good right now. Out of trust to Aurora, he brought the children from the Hope Orphanage to Viscount Arns territory. He hoped that they would be able to live better here. Besides, there were also a different academy in the neighboring counts territory if they wanted to follow similar path to Karl. "This place will be the main base for the guild in the future, Karl." Aurora nodded at these people and then looked at Karl. "Hows the trade with Duke White?" "Everything is going well, Miss." Karl smiled. "He didnt have any complaints about the price and everything has been delivered as agreed. The contract has been fulfilled and were ready to move." The trade with Duke White was the last trade that Karl made recently. Before this, Aurora had reminded him to stock more food during the last harvest season and bought the food at cheaper price. Now, these foods have been sold back to Duke White at much higher price. The difference in the price was pure profit. When Karl thought about Auroras tactics, he sighed deeply. He knew very well that it must be Aurora who made her father wanted to buy the food back and the amount Aurora asked him to stock was within the number needed by Duke White. In this way, they earned a lot. The other trades have been completed more or less and Karl had already arranged for some people to manage the guilds branch in the White Familys territory. Most of the money and other resources have been moved to Viscount Arns territory, though. "Good." Aurora nodded. "This territory is small but its beside a lake and the villagers could learn to breed more fishes. It could be the main source of income in the future for this territory. Aside from that, the neighboring territory..." Aurora and Karl talked for a long time. The Hope Orphanage Dean and Layla were standing at the side, listened to the conversation between Aurora and Karl. They were amazed because in such a short period of time, Aurora had made the plan for the guilds development and also the territorys development. Even though her focus was not to develop the territory thoroughly, she strengthened the area enough for the economy to thrive and there would be enough people to be recited to be her guards. Because what Aurora needed the most was a safe place. "Once it was all done, I would like you to make a road to the Mountain Kingdom and the Red Kingdom," Aurora suddenly said. Chapter 203: The Next Step (2) Chapter 203: The Next Step (2) "A road to the two kingdoms?" Karl was stunned. Road construction was something that a noble might do in order to develop their territory. But this was the first time he heard that Aurora wanted to build a road connecting to a different kingdom. The relationship between the kingdoms could be good and bad depending on the time and situation. If they were in good relationship, trade would be prioritized. But if they were not in a good relationship, then it would be war. And in a war, the road they had built would be used by the opponents too, which would be a bit worrying. "Yes." Aurora nodded. "Viscount Arns territory is not far from the border with the Mountain Kingdom. Theres a valley thats not within anyones territory, which can be used to make road straight to the Mountain Kingdom. On the other hand, the road to the Red Kingdom have to go through the agreement of either Count Celeste or two other nobles around it. Ill negotiate with them when the times come and you only need to prepare the funds and the people." For the matter of negotiation, Aurora trusted herself more. She knew the benefit of having the road done and the relationship between the Yellow Kingdom and the Red Kingdom so far were really good. Of course, Aurora could guess that it might change a bit in the future. How her sister, Adela, behaved would reflect on the relationship between the two kingdoms. After all, Adela is the current crown princess. Moreover, she was not exactly an ordinary crown princess because her mother is Duchess Isabella who came from the Red Kingdom. If the two kingdoms wanted to maintain their good relationship, they have to treat her well. If there was another case like Aurora before, it was estimated that the relationship between the Red Kingdom and the Yellow Kingdom will fall apart right away. The previous one worked because it was also the intention of Duke White and Duchess Isabella. Otherwise, there was no chance for Crown Prince Edward to be so arrogant. However, Aurora was sure that Crown Prince Edward didnt know this. That stupid prince was only doing things in accordance to what he wanted. It was the few people around him who might know about this matter such as Louis or perhaps Leon too. Aurora was not sure. And it didnt really matter that much for her. "Yes, Miss," Karl quickly responded. His mind had already started to think about what he should do next and how to use the resource in his hand to the fullest. No matter what, he had to make sure that he finished his work well. "Pay attention to..." Aurora added a few more things to Karl before sending him away. She also showed the map to Karl, allowing him to know the location for the Hope Orphanage that she arranged in this territory. Viscount Arns territory was really small. But if it was developed well, there was no need for them to worry that much. Aurora herself also wouldnt stay here all the time and the name of Viscount Arn would only be placed there for these people to live in. As for the next Viscount Arn? That would be something to arrange later. Aurora had no time to think about it for the time being. "Prince Lester, come in," Aurora said as she looked up. "Miss." Prince Lester walked inside. When Aurora was talking with Karl and the others, he was waiting outside the door. After all, Prince Lester still held the name of Auroras knight and would not try to eavesdrop Auroras talk with the others. "For the next period of time, accompany me to take a look at the road construction," Aurora said. Road construction? Prince Lester didnt understand why Aurora wanted to participate in the construction personally when it was unnecessary, but he would follow Auroras words. "Yes, Miss." "Also, theres only half a year left before the time is up." Aurora looked at Prince Lester in front of her and reminded, "Dont forget to think about what you want to do before the time is up or Ill make you stay even longer as a knight." Prince Lester blinked his eyes. Truth to be told, Prince Lester was not a formal knight at all. Even though he was technically staying beside Aurora as her knight, but he never attended the knights examination. Unlike William who had truly passed the knights examination, Prince Lester didnt even take one. It was unnecessary. As long as his skills were good enough in Auroras eyes, she didnt ask him to attend the knights examination. It would be nothing more than formality. After saying that, Aurora stood up. "Before that, I would like you to send a letter to Brown Family." "Yes, Miss." Prince Lester left with Auroras letter. On the other hand, Aurora sat back on the chair, sighing. The letter she sent was naturally a letter of congratulation for Annelie and Leons marriage. Yes, these two will get married in a few days. Their engagement has been set ever since they were young and now that both of them were of age, they would get married directly. And this marriage was actually Leon entering the Brown Family instead of the opposite. Most of the time, it would be the women entering the mens family. But in this case, it was the men who entered the womans family because Leon technically didnt have any nobility title. It was his brother who will inherit Duke Suns title. The two children didnt have any objections to this marriage, so it would be hold in a few days. If Aurora had to say, this marriage was really hasty. After all, Duke Sun was still facing the war between Duke Yelan and the Sand Kingdom. There were a few nobles who participated in this war and Aurora didnt remember all of their names. Anyway, Aurora had no plan to get involved with this war. Chapter 204: The Next Step (3) Chapter 204: The Next Step (3) She knew it might happen because the situation between the two kingdoms were not good after they found out about the mines existence. Coupled with the few other trades that was siding more with the Sand Kingdom, conflicts would be inevitable. Aurora herself was confident that the Sand Kingdom would not start any war if she was the one in charge because she knew other things that the Sand Kingdom valued and needed more than the mine. But Queen Ella and Prime Minister Lat didnt know. Since that was the case, they had to use the simplest method to solve the problem, which was through direct fight like this. It was indeed the simplest method. But it was also the method that would cost them the most. From manpower to other resources that they would use during the war, there was a large amount of it and it wouldnt be easy for them to solve the problem without wasting a lot of these important resources. Aurora disliked the war. She felt that only stupid people would directly choose war when there were other options for them. But then again, Aurora would also refuse if she was asked to be the one to take care of the negotiation. She had no interest to help the Yellow Kingdom again after what they had done before. In any case, the war between the Sand Kingdom and the Yellow Kingdom should last for some time. Calculating the amount of food that Duke White bought, he should also guess that the war would not end without at least a few months of conflict. Whether it could be faster or not depended whether either side had more advantages in the war. Duke Sun was the spectator in this battle. With Duke Yelan being ordered to step forward, he should be very happy as he didnt have to be the one in charge at all. And during this period of time, he even have the time to arrange for his sons marriage. Auroras lips twitched when she thought about this. Duke Sun is quite... leisurely. But since he truly didnt have to worry too much about the battle grounds and the result of the war itself, Duke Sun was indeed qualified to become the spectator in this battle. As for Annelie and Leons marriage, Aurora would not attend. The marriage would be held in the Yellow Kingdoms Capital City. There were still many people who wanted to take Auroras lives in the Yellow Kingdoms Capital City. If she were go to there, she would be the same as sending herself to the wolfs den and she might not even be able to get out alive. Unless Aurora wanted to seek death, it was not advised for her to go to the Yellow Kingdoms Capital City. At this time, Aurora had walked out of the mansion and took a walk around the area. There were some servants working here and there. When they saw Aurora, they would stop and greeted her politely. The atmosphere was somewhat similar to the time when Aurora was staying in Duke Whites mansion. It was respectful. Yet, at the same time, Aurora could also sense that the attitude of these servants to her was a bit different from the attitude of the servants when she was still in the White Family Residence. Whats the difference? Aurora mulled to herself and headed to the garden. There were garden all around the mansion that was maintained by the gardeners. These gardens contained various types of flowers that looked very beautiful and suitable to grow in this temperature and weather. "Miss." Aurora nodded at the gardener and then looked at the plants in front of her while thinking. There seemed to be something that she missed. Ah... It was the degree of fear and restraint. Duke White, as someone who held the highest nobility title in the Yellow Kingdom below the Royal Family, was naturally someone who was feared by many people. Not many people were wiling to interact with Duke White if it was unnecessary. After all, they were afraid of offending him without knowing why. On the other hand, the people in this territory seemed to be more friendly to a certain degree. Perhaps, it was because Aurora didnt look scary? Of course if they thought that Aurora is harmless, then they definitely have some problems with their eyes. Aurora finally reached the garden. Looking at the beautiful flowers around her, Aurora stopped. Now that she thought about it, she had almost never stopped when she was doing things. Again and again, studying and working almost every single moment in her life. It was really tiring and exhausting. *swish* The wind blows gently. Aurora looked around her and found a place to sit down. This garden looked really beautiful and Aurora could see various types of flowers that were carefully cultivated in the garden. There were not many people who came here since there were not many gardeners employed by Aurora to maintain the mansions garden. Its really peaceful. Aurora closed her eyes and leaned against the tree behind her. When was the last time she went out to have a walk and not training swordsmanship? It seemed to have never been done before. Because her mother would never let her laze around nor take a break in the slightest bit. For her to be the crown princess, she has to be the best and there was no exception. Right now, it was really calm and peaceful. There was nothing that Aurora needed to worry about. There were knights who will protect her safety and there was also Les who would remind her when there was something she has to do later. Prince Lester would also come to her when there was anything urgent, but the work she has to do was much less than how it used to be. For now, Aurora only wanted to rest. This place seemed to be really suitable for her to rest. From closing her eyes, Aurora slowly fell asleep. Chapter 205: A Nap Chapter 205: A Nap Prince Lester came back after entrusting the letter to the errand boy who usually did this job. He was looking for Aurora and finally found her sleeping. His footsteps stopped. Aurora rarely took a nap. Because she has always been so busy with various matters, Aurora would not take a break in the middle of the day. But today, she took a rare exception to take a nap. Looking at Aurora who was sleeping peacefully, she looked so defenseless and peaceful. There was no fake smile on her face that she showed to other noble nor were there the sense of oppression brought to her subordinates and opponent. Prince Lester looked at Aurora for a moment before turning around and asked for a blanket. The temperature in this place is a bit cold, so it would be better to cover oneself with blanket when they were outside. ... Adelas side Since Adela technically had graduated, she didnt have to go back to the Capital Academy. She planned to spend her time in the White Family Residence with her mother and her father, but the situation in the White Family didnt seem to be that good. Adela looked at her mother, Duchess Isabella, who looked annoyed in confusion. "Mother?" Adela asked, her tone expressed her confusion. "Ah, youre back, Adela." Duchess Isabella smiled at her daughter but she couldnt really bring herself to smile. The things that happened recently made Duchess Isabella annoyed, especially because Duke White cut down the expense that she could use. For Duchess Isabella who loved parties so much, it was too much! She couldnt accept it. But the problem was, Duchess Isabella knew that Duke White truly couldnt do anything this time, so she could only be patient. "Is there anything wrong, Mother?" Adela asked curiously. "Its nothing." Duchess Isabella shook her head and then said, "Marquess Brown is having a tea party for her daughter before her marriage. Do you want to go with me?" To be honest, Duchess Isabella wanted to go to a lot more parties, but she also knew that she didnt have enough new dresses for that. Her husband, Duke White, had told her that it was impossible for her to buy more and he didnt give her that much money. But for this one tea party... Duchess Isabella had to attend. "Marquess Browns tea party?" Adela felt that this phrase was familiar before she remembered that there was a scene in the past where she went to Marquess Browns tea party and then met with Crown Prince Edward there. Thinking about it, it has been such a long time since Adela went there. "Okay, Mother, Ill go." Adela smiled. Duchess Isabella smiled back when she saw Adelas cheerful smile. In the next moment, she thought about something and asked, "About the new dresses..." "His Highness had bought me a lot of new dresses, Mother." Adela thought about it and felt really happy. After the engagement between Adela and Crown Prince Edward was established, Crown Prince Edward also bought a lot of gifts for Adela. In the past, Crown Prince Edward did buy a lot of gifts for Adela, but he had to do it covertly. After all, Crown Prince Edward was still engaged to Aurora and Louis warned him not to bring gifts to other girls openly to avoid people talking about it. So Crown Prince Edward could only buy some small gifts for Adela from time to time. The value was still pretty high but it was not comparable to now. Right now, Adela was able to be pampered openly. This made Adela really happy and she wished that this state could last forever. "Thats good." Duchess Isabella smiled brightly and heaved a sigh of relief secretly. She was thinking about how to make sure Adela still looked the best but didnt expect that this problem has been solved even before this matter was raised. It seemed that Crown Prince Edward truly loves Adela. Thinking about this, Duchess Isabella felt really relieved. In this way, Adela could still appear in that tea party with a new dress and didnt have to face the possibility of appearing in an old fashioned dress. But then, Duchess Isabella thought about her own situation and frowned. While Adelas problem was solved, she still has to solve the problem of her own dress. Should she go to Duke White and ask for money? But from the way Duke White behaved, Duchess Isabella felt that the feasibility of success was extremely low. Ill try later. Adela didnt know that her mother was conflicted. After all, Adela was not really good at observing a persons facial expression. Being pampered by her parents and then being pampered again by the few people she was close with on the academy, Adela was not very keen on observing other peoples meaning. This should have been something that people in the nobility world could do in normal times. But Adela failed miserably. This made it impossible for Adela to truly integrate into the high society. Moreover, aside from the target character whom Adela tried her best to get close to, no one else were close to Adela in the academy. They didnt want to associate themselves with Adela and kept their distance from her. In their opinion, it was not worth it to get close to Adela. Her status might be high because she was the dukes daughter and also the crown princess now, but her attitude and behavior made the other noble girls unwilling to stay close to Adela. "Mother, is there anything else that I need to pay attention to?" Adela asked curiously. After her big failure in the tea party club hosted by Aurora a long time ago, Adela hadnt gone to the tea party again. She always felt that the women were looking at her with mockery. It was as if she should have been able to do this but she failed, which was an embarrassment. This made Adela unwilling to associate with these girls. Chapter 206: Tea Party’s Invitation Chapter 206: Tea Partys Invitation But now that Duchess Isabella told Adela she had to attend Marquess Browns tea party, Adela knew that she had to face these girls again. To be honest, this made her feel a bit unwilling as she didnt know what these people would say in front of her again. But at the same time, Adela also knew that she had to step forward to greet them and face them again. This time, shes also the crown princess. They wouldnt dare to mock her so openly, right? "You just have to remember the etiquette taught to you in class." Duchess Isabella looked at her daughter dotingly and chuckled. "As for other things, you dont have to worry so much. Marquess Brown is not such a narrow minded person." Adela nodded. But what she was actually thinking was the fact that Annelie Brown was close to Aurora back when they were in the academy. To be honest, Adela rarely met with Annelie. As a Marquiss daughter, Annelie status was also high and she has her own social circle. Unlike Adela who spent most of her time only staying around the capture targets, Annelie was famous in the academy and had many friends. It could be said that Annelie truly inherited her mothers hobby and integrated into the high society very well. After her debut into the high society, it could be said that Annelie quickly grabbed many peoples attention. If not for the fact that she was engaged and would get married with Leon, some people might want to take their chance to introduce their children to her. For many nobles, a woman who was capable to be the flower of the society like Annelie was truly the main target of many of them. Because there were not that many capable women like this. In the academy, Annelie never confronted Adela directly and always bypassed her. This made Adela uncertain what attitude Annelie would have towards her. But Aurora rarely stays in the academy in the past three years, so the relationship between these girls shouldnt be that close? Adela was not sure. There were many things that have changed from the game that she used to play. The fact that Aurora was barely in the academy was one of them and there were also the fact that Adela rarely encountered Annelie. Should Adela took Leons route, then she would definitely face against Annelie who was angry. Unfortunately, Leons route was somewhat cut off. Adela was not sure what she did wrong, but Leon seemed to be unwilling to get close to her. And because Leon was back to Duke Suns territory to help with his father and then to arrange for his marriage with Annelie, Adela couldnt really see Leon again. She felt a bit of pity but after thinking about it, she chose to leave it be. There was no point thinking about this. In the first place, Adela never really wanted to follow Leons route and would put him on the side. Because of this, Adela didnt pay attention to Leon in the beginning. The result of it was naturally Adela was not too close to Leon compared to Crown Prince Edward, Louis, and Benny. These three interacted far more with Adela compared to Leon and were more protective of her. When something happened, they would be the first to step forward. It was also because of this that Adela didnt really have many other friends in the academy. Whenever something was wrong, they would be the one at fault instead of Adela. This made them feel suffocated. They were all noble daughters but they were placed lower than Adela. Who can accept this? So these people were not willing to associate with Adela. Duchess Isabella never knew that her daughter was not making good use of her time in the academy to make friends but instead stayed near Crown Prince Edwards side all the time. This limited her contacts, which would have effect in the future. But for now, Duchess Isabella didnt know. And Adela never planned to let her mother knew what she was actually doing when she was in the academy. After all, Duchess Isabella didnt really ask about Adelas study. The expectation from Duchess Isabella to Adela was completely different from Aurora. But now that Adela was about to become crown princess, should Duchess Isabella started to pay attention to this? For a moment, Duchess Isabella felt that she might need to tutor Adela. But that was for later. Duchess Isabella looked in the direction where Duke White was located and decided to have a talk with him again. For this tea party, she wanted to have a new dress and for this, she needed a lot of money. After all, dresses were not cheap. ... Marquis Browns Residence Annelie was confused by her mothers move and didnt really understand why her mother wanted to have a tea party before her marriage day. Time was pressing and for their family to fork out a large sum of money for these two events... Annelie felt that it was not worth it. Marquess Brown saw her daughters expression and smiled faintly. "Do you think that I shouldnt make any tea party?" "Mother," Annelie replied and nodded slightly. "I dont think theres any point in making it." "Nonsense." Marquess Brown chuckled. "Its naturally useful. Youre already in the high society but youre going to get married very quickly and it meant that you wont have many chances to attend the high society party as a girl rather than a married woman. I want you to see their differences and learn to act well." Annelie frowned. Is it different? Marquess Brown sighed. She had experienced it herself, so she naturally knew that the experience for them would be different. "And with more parties you attend, you can also expand your connection. How many friends have you made in the academy?" Unlike Adela who was preoccupied with the capture targets, Annelie had no interest to spend time with those boys. She spent her time following her mothers advice and become famous in the society among the women. Chapter 207: Annelie’s Stand Chapter 207: Annelies Stand So hearing her mothers question, Annelie chuckled. "You dont have to worry about this matter, Mother. Im not stupid." For the nobility, the most important thing for them were naturally their reputation, status, and contacts. Only through having these three would they feel satisfied enough. Money would naturally come with their status, so they were usually not worried. Moreover, Marquess Brown had her steward be the one managing most matters in the residence. She knew proportions and would not be so lavish but would still show her face very often on the high society. "Do you think its possible for you to be the flower of the society?" Marquess Brown asked with a faint smile. Flower of the society was only the unofficial terms used by the people in the high society for the person with the highest impact in various matters in high society. In the past, the flower of the society would refer to either Marquess Brown or Duchess Isabella because the two of them were basically the two people who were most active in the high society. Queen Ella used to be quite active in the high society, but after she became the queen, she reduced her presence. After all, many people would definitely look up to her whenever she appeared. There was no need for her to actively engage in various parties. Besides, Queen Ella had other matters that she had to attend to in the palace, so other women also understood that Queen Ella couldnt always participate in various matters. They understood and had no interest to meddle in this matter. "Mother, who do you think will be my opponent?" Annelie asked back with a faint smile. When she first entered the academy, Annelie honestly thought that the flower of the society would be placed on Auroras hand. Because she had seen how Aurora dealt with these women and how her presence alone was more than enough to make people stepped back and didnt dare to see her directly. She was really powerful. If she truly wanted to, Annelie was sure that Aurora would have long made her place among the women and so on. But Aurora took a different path and instead made connections directly to the families behind these women and held their lifelines through various trades and so on. Annelie had to admit that she didnt understand most of them because they were too complicated, though. But without Aurora in the picture, there were not many noble ladies who could contend with Annelie. That was also if they really want to contend against her. These noble ladies didnt really want to fight for that position because many of them were not qualified. It was usually only the people at the very top such as the dukes daughter or the marquis daughter who would have some thoughts. "Marquis Velas daughter is also quite active in the high society." Marquess Brown frowned when she thought about this. "Shes a few years older and hadnt been very active in the high society lately." Annelie shook her head. "And no one had been able to truly rule the high society, so you dont have to be so worried, Mother." To become the most influencing person in the high society, they needed to have the status and connection. Annelie had both. As a marquiss daughter, she was only lower than dukes daughter but how many duke daughters are there in the Yellow Kingdom? There were only two, Aurora White and Adela White. Aurora had been missing for quite some time and could be said to disappear from the high society. While Annelie was not very happy about this matter, but she also knew that Aurora should also have her own plan. So the only possibility left was only Adela White. But... Annelie shook her head. "Adela White will never be able to become the flower of the society." Her sentence was firm. This was because Annelie remembered Adelas performance in the Capital Academy very clearly. Duchess Isabella might be one of the few people who had high influence in the high society, but this talent of hers was clearly not being inherited by her daughter. Adela couldnt be compared to Duchess Isabella in the slightest bit. If anything, people would even think that Adela was very lacking and might not be suitable to be called as a noble daughter. "What makes you so sure?" Marquess Brown looked at her daughter curiously. Even she could never say this so certainly when she talked about the few other people who contended against her in the past. Duchess Isabella was also a very troublesome opponent. The two of them were very active in the high society and tried their best to make their voices heard. So far, Duchess Isabella was winning against Marquess Brown because of her higher status, but Marquess Brown was not that far off. She has been doing well in this matter. "Because shes basically the only person who didnt pass the etiquette class," Annelie replied with a faint smile. Didnt pass the etiquette class? Hearing this, Marquess Brown arched her eyebrows and chuckled. For the noble girls, they knew very well that the etiquette classes were very important for them and would pay attention intently. This was because they didnt want to lose face and had to try their best to make sure that they followed the etiquette strictly. But Adela did the opposite. Her learning towards etiquette could barely pass and this was also the result of the teachers giving Adela some additional classes after their formal classes were over. So, such a person wanted to be the flower of society? She would be criticized first by the other girls. "Even if her etiquette is not bad, but if her position is high, there might stile be people who want to support her," Marquess Brown reminded her daughter. In this world that valued a persons status very highly, she didnt want her daughter to stumble and fell because she was careless. Chapter 208: Snacks Chapter 208: Snacks Annelie arched her eyebrows. If it was any other noble girls, then Annelie would naturally not look down on them so much. But if it was Adela... "Mother, Ill have to tell you one thing." Annelie looked at her mother and then said, "I might offend her in the tea party." Because Annelie didnt like Adela. In her eyes, Aurora was a thousands times better than Adela in every aspect. Yet that blind crown prince chose Adela who was clearly very ordinary and tossed Aurora away, not respecting her in the slightest bit. This made Annelie furious. But at the same time, she also knew that she couldnt get involved. Even if she wanted to, her family wouldnt allow her to do so. And Annelie also knew that her action would involve the family behind her, so she had to follow their arrangement when they were in the Capital Academy. Now that Annelie had formally stepped on the high society, she didnt want to hold back anymore. She couldnt do anything back then. But cant she do something right now? Even if it was only a little bit. Annelie knew that her actions wouldnt help Aurora much even if she did something, but it could vent the anger in her heart. At the same time, she could also make others see that the girl that Crown Prince Edward liked was actually nothing much. Of course, Annelie had to be careful not to incur the wrath of the Imperial Family. She didnt want to make troubles for the Brown Family behind her either. After all, Annelie still cared for her family greatly. But she couldnt really hold back this anger and annoyance in her heart. Part of it was truly hate towards Adela while the other party was her loath to herself because she was not strong enough to do anything or to show her stance. "I see." Marquess Brown smiled faintly when she saw her daughters look. "I dont mind you getting into a fight with the other noble ladies as we are all both competitors and also friends in the high society. What I want you to remember is to use the method of the high society to deal with them and dont leave any way for you to be attacked back, do you understand, Annelie?" Hearing her mothers words, Annelies eyes lit up. She thought that her mother would stop her, but it seemed that she was thinking too much. "Yes, Mother. Ill naturally play by the rules." Annelie smiled sweetly. She knew better than anyone how to use the rules to teach Adela a lesson. After all, Aurora had already given her the example in the past and through making a good use of their own rule, even Adela wouldnt be able to do anything. "Good girl." Marquess Brown chuckled. She and Duchess Isabella had never seen eye to the eye. The two of them had always clashed during parties and various other events. But the two of them played by the rules. Because of this, they couldnt be blamed by others after the party was over. At most, it was only about their own social influence. The other noble ladies would also only watch. Their husbands understood that this was the normal small quarrel in the high society and would not involve themselves. So their quarrel could technically last for a long time. Now that her daughter was going to be active on the high society, how is it possible for her to be liked by everyone? Even the flower of the society would have people they couldnt get along with. Normally, they would not show it unless their relationship had reached the point of fire and water. Just like Marquess Brown and Duchess Isabella. Now, its our daughters turn. I wonder how your daughter will respond, Isabella." Marquess Browns eyes condensed slightly. She knew about Annelies relationship with Aurora, which was why she made a special trip to her daughter in the academy back then. She didnt want their Brown Family to be dragged into the mess. But right now, everything has been a mess. And Annelie didnt hide her dislike towards Adela, which only made Marquess Brown chuckled. She didnt expect her daughter to be the loyal type. But she also wouldnt stop her. Because her husband said that this might not be the end for Aurora White. What would happen in the future, no one knew. While it was impossible for the Brown Family to support Aurora White openly, there was no problem for them to do some things secretly. And letting her daughter made some troubles within the rules was one of them. ... Auroras side There were some methods that Aurora used to get first hand news from the Yellow Kingdoms Capital City. After all, she didnt want to be left behind from some matters even if she wouldnt be able to attend them in person. It was too bad. And at this moment, Aurora was reading the report about what Annelie was doing and her eyebrows arched. So shell get married soon. Aurora shook her head. If only the timing was better, then Aurora would be able to make some time to attend Annelies marriage with Leon. Speaking about Leon, Aurora remembered that the young man used to be close with Crown Prince Edward. She heard that he seemed to have some disagreement and stayed away from the crown prince, though. But she was not sure whether he truly cut off contacts or not. No matter what, she hoped that he would not do anything bad to Annelie. Because if he did, then Aurora would not stay silent either. Knock! Knock! "Enter." "Miss." Les walked in while carrying a tray of tea and snacks. "The servants have made a new type of snacks with the local ingredients. They hope that you will like it?" "Let me see it." Aurora looked at the tray with some interest and then looked at the cookies they made and also some small dried fish at the side. Chapter 209: Worth it Chapter 209: Worth it "These fishes are really small." Aurora looked at it and then picked up some of them. The dried fish were really crunch when it was eaten and it tasted really good. Auroras eyes lit up. "Its really good, but this wouldnt disturb the ecosystem, right?" Aurora was a bit worried because these fishes were really small. If they all ate the small fishes, then they might destroy the balance here and this was not what Aurora wanted. Les smiled. "Dont worry miss, this fish had already grown up and the size of the adults are only at this size..." As Les explained what the people here told her, Aurora also nodded in understanding. She smiled happily and then said, "In that case, Ill accept these happily." "Yes, Miss." Les slowly retreated and before she closed the door, she could see Aurora was happily eating the snacks and there was a smile on the corner of her lips. Seeing Aurora so happy made Les also happy. Because it was rare to see Aurora smiled so brightly in the past. But in this place, Aurora slowly but surely showed more and more genuine expression rather than the fake ones from before. This made Les really happy. Even if Aurora was no longer using her original identity, but this identity bring her more happiness. So it was worth it. ... Yellow Kingdoms Capital City. It was already the time for Marquess Browns tea party and many people from high society came to pay a visit. The lowest from them were the count and there were no one lower than that. The people who came here were already used to Marquess Browns habit and knew very well that it was hard for Marquess Brown to invite anyone from lower nobility than a count. Unless that person was very remarkable or had something special then everyone should be above counts rank. It was also because of this that they were all very respectful to each other. Everyone here were of high rank and they were not so much nobler than the others. Those of marquiss rank were all respectful to Marquess Brown because they knew that this woman had a much more influence compared to them. Those of counts rank were respectful because they were of lower rank. "Marquess Brown, is there any special guest today?" One of the ladies asked curiously. She saw that the arrangement seemed to put someone else in the master seat instead of Marquess Brown as usual. "Duchess Isabella will be here," Marquess Brown replied with a faint smile. "Her carriage has arrived." "Duchess Isabella?" The people in the room had intrigued look. They all knew that these two women would still attend each others parties from time to time. But they would not always be present because of their bad relationship with each other. Since they couldnt see eye to eye most of the times, they shouldnt try to make troubles at all time. "I see." They all saw as the carriage from Duke White stopped and Duchess Isabella walked out with Adela following behind her mother. Duke White didnt come. To be exact, he was so angry with Duchess Isabella that he didnt want to do anything else. This wife of his only cared about her image and the party, coercing him to give her some money for this party. It was only after Duke White only allowed her to buy one dress that Duchess Isabella stopped. While Duchess Isabella was actually hoping that she could get a full of set of everything, she knew that Duke Whites situation was indeed not very good. She could only be patient with it and try her best to make a good use of this tea party. Anyway, Duchess Isabella would never let anyone knew about Duke Whites real situation. Financial deficit? She knew nothing! In this way, Duchess Isabella still looked as glamorous as she used to be but the gems that she was wearing were the few things that she bought a long time ago but were recently quite trending again. She wanted to show that she was still good and through using gems that she hadnt used for a long time, there wouldnt be many people who noticed it. This was Duchess Isabellas plan. Unfortunately, many people would pay attention to the famous socialite like Duchess Isabella and Marquess Brown. The two of them were very careful in their way of dressing because they knew that for them to hold the top position, they had to make sure their dresses, jewelries, and others were all the best and the latest trend. Otherwise, they would not be able to hold onto this position. "Mother, Ill go inside first." "Yes." Duchess Isabella walked to Marquess Brown and smiled confidently. "Its been a while, Marquess Brown." "Yes, it is, Duchess Isabella." Marquess Brown nodded and looked at Duchess Isabellas attire. "It seems that Duke White is still very generous to you, Duchess Isabella." "Of course." Duchess Isabella raised her chin higher. "But your gems are the gems that you used to use last year?" When this question was raised, Duchess Isabellas expressions froze slightly. She underestimated these womens memory. Even if there were a lot of gems, but Duchess Isabella would always use a new one and rarely wear the same one to two different parties unless it was a special type of gems. Duchess Isabella looked at the noble woman who spoke and said, "You got it wrong. The design is only similar." "Is it?" The noble woman had some doubts but she didnt ask anymore. Since the person in question had explained that way, it would be rude for her to pursue this matter any further. "Lets all go in." Marquess Brown looked at Duchess Isabella with intrigued expression. She had heard that Duke White was being called by the King a few times and was reprimanded. It seemed that Duchess Isabella was lying. But there was no hard evidences. Oh well, she was not in a hurry. When it was time, this matter would be exposed. Chapter 210: Who’s Showing Off? Chapter 210: Whos Showing Off? Some seeds of doubts were planted in the heart of these noble ladies and it was more than enough. Anyway, Marquess Brown couldnt be the one to spread what she had heard from the Imperial Palace. It would be better if there was someone else who stepped forward for this. So Marquess Brown will just wait for that. While Marquess Brown entertained the parents, their daughters gathered on the other side of the room. What the adults talked were usually a bit different from these noble ladies who were still younger. Adela came to the group happily. She was wearing the new dress that Crown Prince Award gave to her not long ago and this time, she planned to show it off. After all, no one else had the privilege to have their dress bought for them by Crown Prince Edward. "Lady Adela," the girls greeted politely. "Um..." Adela nodded and curtsied. However, she looked at their faces and couldnt remember their names at all. In the years when she was in the academy, Adela rarely spent her time with her classmates. The noble girls looked at Adela and sneered in their hearts. They could see that Adela never took them seriously. She couldnt even remember their names and always acted as if she was far above them. Alright, her fathers status was indeed above them. But for other things, Adela was far from comparable to them. This made these girls very annoyed when they saw Adela and too lazy to interact with her. No matter what year the students were, none of them were willing to get too close to Adela. "Miss Adela is getting better at etiquette." One of the marquis daughter had a fan in front of her mouth as she looked at Adela up and down and then added, "But it seems to be severely lacking." Adelas smile that was on her mouth froze when she heard this. The matter of etiquette has always been her sore points. She could never understand why they have to follow so many etiquettes and so on. It doesnt look that good either. Looking at this noble daughter, Adela still remembered the other party as they used to be in the same class. After Adela advanced one class to be with Crown Prince Edward, they rarely met. But this girl was still remembered by Adela because the other party was the one with the highest score in that year. "Lady Kana," Adela replied with a forced smile. "It has been a while." "It has indeed been a while," Kana replied and chuckled. "I didnt expect the famous Lady Adela would still remember my name." The other noble girls were also looking at Adela faintly. They could guess that Adela should not remember their names. While the lower ranked nobles would greet the higher nobility first, but the higher nobility would also respond by greeting their names. However, Adela didnt greet them and simply nodded her head and showed some fancy etiquette, which made some people felt that she had no manner. If not because of Adelas status, it was estimated that these noble girls would not hold back in the slightest bit. "Of course I remember you, Lady Kana." Adela shrugged. Kana looked at Adela and then at the luxurious dress that Adela wore. From the first glance, it was clearly the expensive dress that not many people would be able to get even if they were to exhaust their financial power. Because some things didnt really require financial power but also status. As someone whose family was also of high status, Kana naturally understood this very well. She could guess at once that Adelas dress was very good. But... "I thought that the White Family was in trouble. But it seems that you still know how to spend luxuriously," Kana said slowly. The White Family is in trouble? The other noble ladies glanced at Kana curiously. They knew that Kanas father worked in the palace and might have heard something interesting. These noble ladies liked gossips the most as it was the best time for them to spend their time. After all, not all noble ladies were like Duchess Isabella who had to manage many things and were usually quite idle. "My family is not in trouble," Adela said coldly. "Please watch your words, Lady Kana." At this moment, Adela was really angry. Her family was doing well and when she returned, she felt that her mother was also doing quite well. There was no problem whatsoever, so how come the White Family was in trouble? Moreover, Adela remembered that in the game, the White Family still thrived until the very end. Even in the sequel, there was no mention about the White Familys destruction. Such a high ranked family like the White Family would definitely attract many peoples attention. Yet, there was no negative news whatsoever. There were even some trades with the White Family in the sequel. So it should be fine. "Is that so?" Kana looked at Adele and chuckled. "Considering by how youre still very leisurely and able to attend the party, it might be because you have no idea about the difficulties that your family faced, Lady Adela." "I have said that my family had no problem..." "Is it because you can still spend a lot of money and dress luxuriously..." "This dress is given by His Highness." Adela raised her chest proudly and then said, "But it had nothing to do with the matter of my family." "Is that so?" Kana sneered and quickly used the fan to cover up her mouth to prevent Adela from seeing it. She felt that this girl in front of her was really stupid and didnt understand the seriousness of the matter at all. But this was also good. "It seemed that His Highness still dotes on you very much even though he was busy studying under Her Majesty." "What did you say?" Adela was confused. "As the future crown princess, how can you not be aware of the situation in the Yellow Kingdom?" Chapter 211: Bad Etiquette Chapter 211: Bad Etiquette Kana and the other noble girls looked at Adelas confused look and wanted to laugh. They felt that this young lady was really annoying and should be dealt quickly. If the one in front of them was Aurora, then they would definitely restrain themselves and didnt make any unnecessary moves. Even when they quitted Auroras tea partys club back then, they didnt dare to make it too clear to Aurora. Because they all understood that Auroras power was real and she was not someone they could afford to provoke. Even if she was nothing more than a noble lady, their father had long warned them not to mess around with Aurora. Without the power of the Imperial Family, Aurora alone was still someone they couldnt afford to offend. While these noble ladies didnt understand much, they knew that their father was serious about this, so they would hide their temper. But facing Adela? They were naturally braver. There would be some consequences for offending Adela, but it was nothing for these noble ladies. Their families behind them were not for nothing and it was impossible for Duke White and the Imperial Family to suppress all of them. Moreover, the White Family was already in trouble by themselves. So why should they bother to be so polite? "Its not like I dont know anything! I just focus on other matters..." Adela felt rather suffocated when this point was mentioned. "What other matters? Etiquette?" Kana took a step around Adela and shook her head. "Even your standing posture is quite bad. Im pretty sure that if we were to put a book on your head, the book will fall down in an instant." Adela was stunned and tried to straighten her back. One of the worst etiquette lessons for Adela was naturally this walking posture and all. She even cried when she was facing her teachers because it was not so easy for her to change her habit that she had for so many years. Even after a few years, it was not easy for Adela to fix it. The other noble girls were naturally not so kind to miss this matter. For the people in the high society, they would strike hard when there was a chance. Every single mistake could be amplified to the point of pushing the other party to the corner. Moreover, Adela has a lot of mistakes that these noble girls felt that even if they didnt exaggerate, it would be enough. "Even after all these years, you have never learnt." Kana looked at Adela and chuckled. "How would the face of our Yellow Kingdom be with such a crown princess?" Adela could understand the implication behind Kanas words and blushed in anger and embarrassment. "It doesnt matter that much! Im the one chosen by the Crown Prince." "Through putting down other people and made a lot of lies." "You..." "Do you really think that you can compare to your older sister, Lady Adela?" Kana asked with a faint smile. "I dont need to compare with her!" Adela was angry. The person she hated to compare the most in her entire life is definitely Aurora. The reason was also very obvious, that was because no one dared to compare to Aurora and claim that they would be better. From the intellectual result to her etiquette, everything looked like it came out of the painting. So beautiful that it looked unreal. And Adela knew very well that if it was not because Crown Prince Edward chose her vigorously, it would never be her place to be the crown princess. But she would never say it out loud! "A pity." Kana chuckled, not caring about Adelas embarrassment. When she came here today, she had determined to offend Adela to the fullest. She had disliked Adela for a long time and it was time for her to show her stance and fulfill what she had to do. "If you have even half the skill, you would not be embarrassed here." "You..." "Ladies, I think its enough debate for the day." Annelie stepped forward when she saw the situation was getting out of hands. Even though she had to admit that she enjoyed seeing Adelas face deflated like that, but Annelie couldnt possibly let them make a big scene in her place today. After all, she still hoped to let things passed by peacefully. "Shes the one starting it all!" Adela complained. Annelie arched her eyebrows and felt that Adela was really childish. In the high society, no one truly cared who actually started the fight. "Miss Adela, please calm down. You wouldnt want to ruin your appearance, right?" Annelie said and turned to look at Kana. "Were just talking about how she didnt improve her etiquette much," Kana said. "And its not wrong." "You..." Adela looked around and the other noble girls were all looking at her calmly. Their postures were all very good and everyone was behaved like how a normal noble girl would. At this moment, realization hit Adelas mind. She realized that it was her who couldnt act well in accordance to etiquette. After a moment, Adela turned around and ran. "Is she going to cry again like before?" One of the noble girls there asked in mocking tone. The fact that Adela ran out crying from the tea partys club room was not a secret. Many students had seen that and remembered this incident. Because each and every single one of them had been trained by their family in etiquette. They knew how difficult it was, so when they were in public, they would try their best not to show anything bad. For the sake of themselves, especially their reputation. "Perhaps." Annelie looked at Kana and smiled faintly. "Are you not worried that shell be complaining to her parents?" "Itll be good if she complained," Kana replied with a faint smile. "That way, she could see that the White Family truly had problems. But I guess she wouldnt talk to her parents but to her fiance?." Chapter 212: Premeditated Chapter 212: Premeditated The other noble ladies nodded at Kanas words. They looked at Kana and said, "You have to be careful next. Who knows what the Imperial Family will do." "Yes, you have to be careful." "Dont worry about it." Kana chuckled. She held the fan close to her mouth and thought about her fathers order to her. That was for her to make Adela embarrassed in this party and as long as she did that, he would arrange the marriage she wanted for her. For Kana, this was the biggest blessings. As for why her father suddenly wanted her to do this, she guessed it was because her father wanted to make a deal with the Imperial Family. She didnt know what he had in his hands, but it should be enough to make this arrangement. Annelie watched Kanas appearance and guessed that Kanas action should be under the order of someone else. It was impossible for Kana to be so impulsive all of the sudden. At the very least, Annelie knew that these noble ladies knew proportions well and would not do things that they were not sure of. Because if they were to involve their family in unsavory matters, they would be punished heavily by their family. No one wanted that to happen. Is that you, Aurora? Annelie had only thought about making some little problems in front of Adela but perhaps Aurora had left behind something. But this was also good as it would make it difficult for Adela to blend in the high society. A queen who didnt have anyone to support her? Heh. "Lets not talk about this. How about if we enjoy the new tea my mother brought?" Annelie asked with a faint smile. "Itll be a good idea." "Yes, you can also relax for now, Lady Kana." "Lady Kana, shall we?" Many noble girls didnt like Adela but no one dared to offend her upfront because of her status in the Yellow Kingdom. So while they enjoyed watching the show, they had no interest to get involved directly in fear that they would also be dragged down. Some of them who had worse relationships with Kana even looked at Kana with gloating look. They felt that Kanas future would be ruined after this. Kana naturally saw their gazes, but she didnt care. She knew her affairs well and as long as her father agreed to her request, she didnt mind offending Adela. And there would be other girls for her to associate with in the future after her marriage. Instead, she turned to look at Annelie who seemed to have some guesses about her action. She smiled. "Lets go, Lady Annelie." "Yes." ... Adela ran to the balcony. She slammed the door close and leaned on the wall, feeling exhausted and tired. The mockery from the girls before rang in her ear, making her feel frustrated. So what if she couldnt follow the etiquette well? Is it really that important? Adela didnt want her entire life to be controlled under various etiquettes and many other things. What she wanted the most was for her to be free and able to do whatever she wanted! Cant she do that? Adela looked around and felt even more aggrieved when she thought that Crown Prince Edward was not here. Louis was staying with Prime Minister Lat while Benny went back to his familys territory because of some matters. No one was here to accompany her. Adela felt frustrated. She swore that after she came back, she would have a talk with her mother and complained to Crown Prince Edward! ... Imperial Palace The next day, the Yellow Kingdom King sighed deeply when he received the request from Queen Ella about Crown Prince Edwards fiance?e being mocked. To be honest, the Yellow Kingdom King really wanted to say that Adelas etiquette did need some improvement. But for the sake of the Imperial Familys face, the Yellow Kingdom King only said this matter in front of Queen Ella and then asked for Kanas father, Marquis Hans to come to the Imperial Palace. And after the Yellow Kingdom King said his intention, Marquis Hans expressed his own view. "Your Majesty, my daughter did make a mistake and I plan to send her far away." Marquis Hans sighed deeply. The man whom his daughter fancied was a counts son in a border and Marquis Hans felt that he was not that bad. So under this arrangement, he would fulfill both sides. "But Your Majesty, youre not planning to put my daughters blame on me, are you? I have been busy gathering the weapons that Your Majesty asked from my brother," Marquis Hans asked with a pitiful look. At this moment, the Yellow Kingdom King was silent. The war was imminent and he required a lot of weapons. There were some weapons that were being forged right now and it was under Marquis Hanss brother, who was also a marquis. The two brothers were really hard to deal with and the Yellow Kingdom King knew that he had to be patient to them. "Im not such a narrow minded person, Marquis Hans. You dont have to worry so much." the Yellow Kingdom King shook his head. "I just want to ask about your work aside from this little matter." In the Yellow Kingdom Kings mouth, the matter of Adela had become a small matter. Marquis Hans smiled and said, "Ive grown old, Your Majesty. After this plan is finished, I plan to retire." "Retire?" the Yellow Kingdom King was confused. He looked at the marquis in front of him with confusion. "Are you sure about this?" "Yes, Your Majesty." Marquis Hans smiled brightly. As long as he did things right, he would get a lot of money and he had fulfilled the secret agreement between him and Aurora. He could get a lot of money, far above what he could get as a minister. So why should he stay in this position and possibly incur the Yellow Kingdom Kings wrath in the future? Chapter 213: Premeditated (2) Chapter 213: Premeditated (2) Besides, Marquis Hans were already in his fifties. It was not that strange for him to retire and his son was already married away while his daughter would be married soon. So why should he stay here? Hearing this, the Yellow Kingdom King looked at the marquis in front of him and then said, "In that case, I hope you did a good job in your last work, Marquis Hans." "Certainly, Your Majesty." With that, Marquis Hans left. Only the Yellow Kingdom King stayed on the throne. He had the feeling that there was something that he overlooked. But considering that this matter didnt really involve other things, the Yellow Kingdom King chose not to meddle. It was just some of the noble womens problem, so the Yellow Kingdom King chose not to care. And in this way, this matter was settled this way. Later on, Adela heard that Kana moved away and felt better, not knowing that everyone was getting what they wanted. ... Celeste Familys Territory, Lucys side Lucy actually didnt want to leave the Capital Academy so early. When her fathers letter arrived to her, Lucy knew that the situation at the border was not very good. But she didnt understand how bad it was because from what she knew, the relationship between the Red Kingdom and the Yellow Kingdom was really good. The other border was with the Mountain Kingdom but there was barely any relationship between the Yellow Kingdom and the Mountain Kingdom. It could be said that the people in the Mountain Kingdom was a group of recluse. There was almost no contact at all with them. Geographically, the north west of Yellow Kingdom was bordered with the Red Kingdom. There was also some forest route that was specifically marked for them to travel between the two kingdoms as they have made an agreement with each other. While the two kingdoms were not completely at ease with each other, they trusted each other to a certain degree. Lucy herself didnt know much about it but from Aurora, she found out that the route should be guarded. But Aurora herself had said that the guards for these routes were not very strict. It was relatively loose and there were many outlaws, so if they wanted to pass through the routes, they still have to be careful. And the north border was with the Mountain Kingdom, which was also close to her familys border. The Mountain Kingdom was different with the Red Kingdom and the other two kingdoms that needed peaceful relationship with each other because of the negotiation and so on. Through Aurora, Lucy knew that these kingdoms were united because they needed to manage the water resources. As for the specific, Lucy was not clear. But Mountain Kingdom was different. That lake didnt cross the Mountain Kingdoms territory and even one of the main source of the water came from the mountain in their territory. It was said that they have other water resources that was more important than this one, so they didnt care. In this way, the four kingdoms have conflicts with each other and the Mountain kingdom would not even bat an eyelids. Aside from these four kingdoms, there was also the Ice Kingdom. Ice Kingdom didnt border Yellow Kingdom directly. Instead, they bordered the Mountain Kingdom and the Red Kingdom on the north of these two kingdoms. Because of this, the conflicts were mostly between the Ice Kingdom and the Red Kingdom. Normally, there was no way the conflict between these two kingdoms would spread to the Yellow Kingdom. The chance was small. But there was still that small chance. And Lucy didnt want to take the bet. So no matter what actually happened at the border, Lucy still took the time to return and see her father. She knew better than anyone that if the territory was truly in danger, then her presence might be able to help. Even if it was only a little bit, Lucy hoped that she would be able to help the people in her territory For this reason, she didnt hesitate to return as quickly as possible. Upon her arrival, Lucy looked fro her father. But... "Theres no war?" Lucy was dumbfounded when she heard her fathers words. She had thought of countless possibilities, but she had never thought that her father didnt tell her the complete truth in the letter. Didnt he say that the situation at the border was not optimistic, so he asked for her to return? Now, he said that it was peaceful? Lucy immediately felt that she had been cheated. Lucys father, Count Celeste, saw his daughters expression turned bad and coughed. "I never said that theres a war but the situation is not very good and the border is relatively unstable." Count Celeste didnt mean to lie to his daughter. But he knew that if the situation was not described as serious, there was no way Lucy would return to the border earlier than the appointed time. And Count Celeste felt that it would be better for him to call Lucy back first. He couldnt think of any other way but this one. Because Count Celeste knew that his daughter cared for the people in their territory just like him. This method would be able to make Lucy came back earlier. Thankfully, he made the right choice. But now, he had to explain to his daughter. "Then explain to me." Lucy crossed her arms unhappily. Everyone who had been lied to would definitely feel unhappy. Unless it was their hobby to be lied to by others but most people would not have that kind of hobby. Count Celeste coughed. "Well, while our border is quite peaceful right now but the other borders are not the same. If its necessary, we might be called to help." Called for help? Lucy was dumbfounded. She knew how far the distance between one territory to other in the Yellow Kingdom. Moreover, it would not be so easy to transport soldiers from one place to another place. It was even more so if the location was directly opposite of them. Chapter 214: Lucy Chapter 214: Lucy "Father, youre kidding, right?" Lucy asked. Count Celeste shook his head. "If the war last for a long time, the nobles from other areas will definitely be called. Besides, I think that the relationship between the Yellow Kingdom and the Red Kingdom might be a bit shaky later." The relationship between the Red Kingdom and the Yellow Kingdom? For some reasons, Lucy remembered Aurora, whose mother was from the Red Kingdom. If she was not wrong, one of the reasons why the good relationship was maintained was because of the political marriage of the princess from the Red Kingdom. In this way, Aurora is technically a princess. Though, this identity didnt seem to be that useful. Her sister was also the same. Moreover, with the engagement between Aurora and Crown Prince Edward, shouldnt the relationship between the kingdoms become better? Seeing Lucys confused appearance, Count Celeste felt a bit helpless. He also knew that his daughter was not exactly the brightest person around. However, if she wished to be the next head of the Celeste Family, she had to understand about this matter. "The situation is not very peaceful. Starting from now, you have to read the news and also listen to the rumors spread," Count Celeste said. "I know you dont like to read these, but to be the head of the family, you need to have sufficient knowledge. Reading is the fastest way for you to obtain enough information for what you might need." "How about my training?" "You still have to do it." Lucy: "..." She didnt understand what her father wanted to do, but Lucy decided to follow her fathers order. Anyway, she couldnt really do anything else. In this way, days passed by quietly. Lucy actually missed the Capital Academy and also her friends there. Even though the friendship between nobles were usually quite superficial, but Lucy still missed those people from the Capital Academy. When she was training, her father suddenly called her. "Yes, Father?" Lucy looked at her father strangely. Aside from some official business, her father rarely called her to his office. After all, Count Celeste also had a lot of duties that he had to finish and fulfill. "Theres a piece of news from the Yellow Kingdoms Capital City," Count Celeste said slowly. "Its about your two friends." Her two friends? Lucy was confused for a moment before her eyes lit up. "Is it Lady Aurora and Lady Annelie?" The two of them were of higher status than her, so when Lucy was outside, she still called them politely. Of course, how they called each other in private was another business. It was an agreement they have during the time they were in the tea ceremony club. "Yes." Count Celeste nodded. When Lucy was in the Capital Academy, she still sent letters to him about her activity and also the friends she made. In this way, Count Celeste knew that Lucy was close to Annelie Brown and Aurora White. These two people came from influential family. It could be said that the two of them were of far higher nobility than his family. Even if his rank was a count, but Count Celeste knew that this was mostly because his territory was at the border and he was responsible to protect it for generations. This had allowed them to have higher nobility title. In fact, the size of their territory could only be considered small and even some other viscount might even have better territorys size compared to them. "Have they graduated?" Lucy calculated the time and based on the time, they should have graduated by now. This made her feel a bit at loss. After all, it meant that they wouldnt be able to stay together in the Capital Academy like before anymore. Hopefully they could still meet someday in the future. Count Celeste nodded. "Yes, but its not about that." "What is it?" Lucy frowned when she noticed her fathers solemn expression. From her impression of her father, he would not show that kind of expression if it was not serious. This made her worry. "Well..." Count Celeste thought for a moment and sighed. "His Highness cancelled his engagement with Lady Aurora on their graduation party and got engaged with Lady Adela instead." "Huh?" Lucy felt her brain crashed when she heard her fathers words. Looking at Count Celestes serious expression, Lucy blinked her eyes and process his words. "Lady Auroras engagement is..." "Its cancelled." "How...?" Lucy took a deep breath. "Is it even possible?" The engagement between the two noble families were terminated just like that? From what she knew, this was an engagement with the Royal Family, which should have been highly respected. No one would imagine that this day would come. Count Celeste looked at his daughter and nodded. "Its not impossible and who would dare to disobey the royaltys order?" His words clearly told Lucy that the one who took the initiative to break the engagement was Crown Prince Edward. Lucy pursed her lips and felt that it shouldnt have been like this. How could Crown Prince Edward cancel the engagement that has ben set by His Majesty so easily? He should have the agreement of the Yellow Kingdoms King and the Queen. "Why?" Lucy asked. From what she knew, Aurora was doing her work perfectly and there was nothing wrong with her conduct. Moreover, she was doing a good job in the negotiation as the future crown princess. The other kingdoms were said to respect her very much. How did such a person have her engagement broken? "His Highness said that she bully her sister and the others in the academy." Count Celeste shrugged when he said this. Even if he hadnt been there and didnt know Aurora personally, he knew that this was nothing more than bulls***. For such a capable person like Aurora, he would believe it more if they said that she bullied the ministers. Because she had already made the representative of other kingdoms in tears with her actions. Chapter 215: Silence Chapter 215: Silence Count Celeste is not stupid. And he believed that many other nobles were not that stupid either. They should have noticed that something was wrong, but they chose to follow through with this notion for some reasons. The reasons he thought would be most believable was naturally because the person who wanted this was someone they could not afford to offend. How many people in the entire Yellow Kingdom could not be offended by almost everyone? Count Celeste could count their number with his fingers. "Thats lies!" Lucy frowned. She had been staying in the Capital Academy for so long and had never seen Aurora bully anyone. If they said that she bullied people in the past few months, then Lucy would feel that it was even more wrong. Because in that case, she would have heard about it first before such a ridiculous matter happened. Yet, it still happened. "I know," Count Celeste said. "But many people choose to listen to His Highnesss words." Because hes a royalty and no one wanted to go against a royaltys words. Even if he knew the truth might not be like that, he would still follow the royaltys words for this matter had nothing to do with them. Unless it interfere with their interest, most nobles would not care about these things. To be honest, Count Celeste never met with Aurora. All Count Celeste knew about Aurora came from the news of the people from the Capital City and so on. After all, he couldnt possibly leave his territory and go to the capital city just to confirm whether the rumors were true or not. But through the few nobles who lived around him, some of them had made a deal with Aurora and was full of praise of her. They were happy that they could get a lot of money from various trades that she helped them to make. Each and every single one of them made the lives of the people in their territory become even better. So Count Celeste knew that Aurora is a capable person. Since she was also the crown princess, everyone simply thought that she would be the future queen. They were also respectful to her and didnt dare to offend her. Not mentioning the fact that she would become the queen in the future, her own background as the dukes daughter made many people not dare to do anything disrespectful in fear they would be charged with disrespect towards someone of higher nobility. Thankfully, Aurora was quite approachable and her methods made many people satisfied. But after some time, the wind changed. These nobles seemed to see and notice that someone didnt want Aurora to be famous and kept on making her name. While they didnt know the exact details, they knew very well that this voice was getting louder and louder. There were too many people who didnt want Aurora to succeed. Or there was someone so powerful that he or she could mobilize so many people. Count Celeste knew that his daughter was close to Aurora and Annelie through the letter that Lucy sent back. Out of fear of implication, he asked his daughter to come back first. Now that the matter in the Capital City had finally passed, Count Celeste sighed at how outrageous it was. The statement made by Crown Prince Edward was pure nonsense. A slightly smarter person would be able to notice that what Crown Prince Edward wanted was nothing more than to slander Aurora to the point that it was impossible for Aurora to fight back. The problem was... this princes brain was not so easy to use. The slander he made was so hard to believe for those who had known Aurora before and had heard of her capabilities. So there were many nobles who were skeptical but didnt dare to speak, so they stayed silent. "Thats..." Lucy didnt know what to say. She looked at her father and seeing his calm expression, she felt more annoyed. She knew that the nobles were used to hide what they thought and what they actually think. However, she didnt expect that they would fall so low that they would frame others for what they didnt do. She had interacted with Aurora for several years before Aurora had to leave for the negotiation matters. Because of Auroras position, she couldnt even have a normal school life like many other nobles there. Then again, there were also some noble students who left early because of various matters such as their own home problems or because they have to debut and get married. Lucy herself also didnt stay until the graduation party but graduated early. "Is there nothing that can be done?" Lucy asked again. She wanted to help her friend or do something for them at the very least. But at this moment, she was so far away and Lucy didnt know what she could do to help. These people were all far higher than her in terms of nobility ranking. Count Celeste shrugged. "I dont know the exact situation, but its not really something that other people could meddle about." Lucy pouted but didnt refute her father. She did learn a bit about the situation of the nobles from Aurora during her time in the Capital Academy. From them, she learned that there were some people who would use their power to do what they wanted. It was not that easy for those of lower power to fight back. It was just... Aurora is already a dukes daughter. How did she fall so low? "I know youre worried, but theres nothing that you can do. Im only telling you this to inform you," Count Celeste said. No matter what, Lucy had some interactions with them in the past. She might also be affected because of what happened to these two people, so she deserved to know. However, Count Celeste hoped that Lucy would not try to do anything stupid. "Can I see her?" Lucy asked. Chapter 216: Marriage Invitation Chapter 216: Marriage Invitation Count Celeste shook his head. "No one knew where Lady Aurora is. Its said that after the announcement, she disappeared." "Disappeared?" Lucy was dumbfounded. How could a person disappear? Count Celeste looked at his daughter helplessly. "She might have prepared a way out for herself or it was because of other factors that she disappear..." "She should be fine," Lucy cut off her fathers words. "I believe in her. " Even though Lucy was actually worried that something bad happened to Aurora, Lucy would rather believe that Aurora is fine. In the time when Lucy interacted with Aurora in the past, Lucy had seen Aurora being so capable and acted as if everything was within her grasp. That kind of image had long taken a root in Lucys heart. She believed that Aurora is fine and that she might have used this chance to do something else. As for someone else using Aurora? Lucy didnt believe it in the slightest bit. No one could outsmart Aurora! Count Celeste looked at his daughter and chuckled. "You seem to have a lot of faith in her." Even though Lucy was quite careless but Count Celeste knew his daughter would not give such an evaluation easily. This showed that Aurora should be really remarkable and made Lucy be willing to listen to her and believed her. This was consistent with the reputation that Aurora had built over the years. But even if that was so, Count Celeste was not willing to get involved in this mess. Staying at the border alone was already difficult with so many challenges and so on. If he had to be dragged in other peoples problem, he might not be able to survive in this world. "I do." Lucy nodded. Count Celeste nodded. "The other one is about Lady Annelies marriage with Sir Leon." "Hmm?" Lucy was stunned. She knew that Annelie and Leon were engaged with each other, but she didnt expect that they would get married so quickly. They have only graduated from the academy and these two people were already going to get married? Lucy was in disbelief. "So fast?" "Yes." Count Celeste nodded. "It might be because theres a war in Duke Suns territory with the Sand Kingdom. Sir Leon is married so that he didnt have to be involved in the conflict." Though, from what Count Celeste knew, the main force for the war was actually Duke Yelans soldiers. Duke Sun didnt actually fight on the frontline much. But he would not tell this to his daughter. After all, he was not sure about the situation on the frontline either. "I see." Lucy nodded. Well, the situation at the border was indeed not peaceful but it was the wrong border that her father mentioned to her. Thinking about this matter, Lucy felt a bit annoyed again. She didnt like being lied to. "Do you want to attend the marriage ceremony?" "When is it?" "Four days from now." Lucy: "..." Thinking about the distance from Celeste Familys territory to the Yellow Kingdoms Capital City, Lucy felt that her father should not ask this question to her. It was simply impossible for her to reach the Yellow Kingdoms Capital City within four days. Even if she wanted to attend, it would not be possible. Seeing Lucys unfriendly look, Count Celeste spread his hand. "Its not my fault that the letters arrived late." When he saw the date, Count Celeste also knew that it was impossible for Lucy to arrive in time. At most, she could arrive two days after the marriage was done and gave her congratulatory gifts to Annelie. There was no other options. When Annelie and Leon set the date of their marriage, they might not consider that there were some people who were simply living far away from the Yellow Kingdoms Capital City. By the time the letter of invitation arrived, there was not enough time for them to go to the Yellow Kingdoms Capital City. "Ill send a letter and a gift," Lucy said helplessly. Then again, the marriage between Annelie and Leon was a political marriage. Lucy sighed when she thought about this. Speaking of marriage... Count Celeste looked at Lucy and then asked, "What kind of men do you like? I still need a son in law to have future successor." Lucy was stunned and looked at her father helplessly. "I dont know, Father." "You can choose from the knights in the Celeste house or if you want to, I can ask for them to gather and..." "Stop, stop!" Lucy raised her hand to stop her father from making her marriage arrangement. She felt that if she let her father continued, he might even make an announcement to the entire Celeste territory to find a suitable son in law. Moreover, Count Celestes requirement for son in law was not really that high. As long as Lucy like him and he like her back and willing to be the son in law of the Celeste Family, it was enough. Because the next head of the Celeste Family is Lucy. This was something that Lucy and her father had discussed ever since Lucy was young. Since Lucy had proven herself capable enough, the position of the head will fall to her. In this way, Count Celeste didnt really care about the background of the man who will marry Lucy. A noble would be better, but if she found someone who was not a noble, then he could still accept it. "You can tell me when you make your decision." Count Celeste shrugged. Lucy looked at her father helplessly. "I know, I know, we already talked about this matter before!" Count Celeste smiled and didnt say anything else. Anyway, he had no intention to force his daughter to get married. He will just remind her from time to time. Otherwise, Lucy will never think about it for the rest of her life and Count Celeste would not have his grandchild who will continue the Celeste Family. Chapter 217: Era Guild Chapter 217: Era Guild "Yes, Father." Lucy looked at her father helplessly. "Alright, you may go now. Therell be some people from Viscount Arn who will come here to discuss some things and I want you to follow me to see them," Count Celeste said. "Viscount Arm?" Lucy racked her brain and remembered that this was a small viscount not far from her territory. "Its Arn, not arm," Count Celeste corrected his daughter. If they were to say the wrong name in front of the person in question, it would be a big problem if they were not happy about it. Moreover, it was also not very polite. "Ah right." Lucy grinned sheepishly. She had to remember the name correctly because if she said the wrong thing, she might provoke the other party. "Okay, go back first." "Yes, Father." Count Celeste sighed and looked through the papers in front of him. This was the first time Count Arn come to see him and Count Celeste wonders what they were planning to do. ... Yellow Kingdoms Capital, Duke White Residence After receiving the budget and money from the Royal Family, Duke White ordered his Head Butler to go find some place where they could buy some food. They could even go to other kingdoms if it was necessary to obtain the food they needed. As for the price? Duke White didnt really understand and leave it to the Head Butler. First, they approached various guilds in the White Family territory. Guilds were actually quite common in various kingdoms but most of them were only small guilds. Even if the Head Butler wanted to, they couldnt provide the food needed to cover all the request from the Yellow Kingdoms King. That was until the Head Butler found about Era Group. "There are a lot of food supplies from Era Guild?" Duke White asked in surprise. He had never heard about this guild before. "Yes." The Head Butler nodded and showed the documents to Duke White. "Era Group is built around four years ago and had grown tremendously over the years. They have branch in almost every nobles territory in the entire Yellow Kingdom and its said that theyre very rich and acute in their business." This time around, the Head Butler also found out that the Era Guild come from a graduate of the academy built in the White Familys territory. It was said that he managed to earn money little by little and then slowly grew up to make such a big guild. Unfortunately, this man had no interest to follow other peoples order. Until now, it was said that he had rejected many nobles who come to offer him more funds. He seemed to be operating on his own. Well, not exactly alone. With so many branches, he also has a lot of people who were working under him. "Is it possible to acquire the guild?" Duke White asked. Duke White was now very lacking in money and if he could get this guild and made them work for him, then it was possible for him to get rich faster. For a noble to run a guild was not that strange. Some other noble in other territory even made their own guild to earn more money since the money from the tax was far from enough for them. Besides, it was really difficult for ordinary people to make a guild on their own. The operating cost for a guild is massive. Without burning a lot of money in the early stage, it was really hard for them to grow. On the other hand, the nobles had a lot of money. They only have to make sure that they invested in the right person so that they could earn even more later on. But even if they fail, it was usually nothing for them. Right now, Duke White was really itching to earn more money. With such a big and tempting guild in front of him, how could he not want to? The Head Butler looked at Duke White and said, "We dont have enough money to acquire the guild, Master." If the guild was nothing more than a small guild, then it would only cost a small amount of gold to acquire them. There was some rules and regulations and even if the price was not completely standardized, there was more or less bottom line that people could accept and couldnt accept. But for a well established guild to be acquired, the price would be very high. For the current Duke White who had to carefully count his money, it was simply impossible for him to acquire this guild. He might as well think of other ways to earn money. "Thats..." Duke White opened his mouth and then closed it again. It seemed that the current White Dukedom truly couldnt afford that. When Duke White thought about this, he felt a bit depressed. It should have been an easy thing if this was in the past when he had a lot of money and so on. Yet, he ended up not having enough of anything. Oh, Duke White really felt depressed right now. The Head Butler looked at Duke White and sighed deeply but didnt say anything else. He knew that trying to comfort Duke White would be useless. If not for Duke White and Duchess Isabella being such a prodigal, then they would not have fallen on this situation. But as the servant, the Head Butler knew that he couldnt talk bad about his master. This made him felt even more depressed. It was really hard to be a servant to unreliable master. The Head Butler missed the previous Duke White and Aurora. They were far more reliable than the current Duke White. If the previous duke was still alive until he saw Aurora grew up, it was estimated that the duke whites position would never fall on the current Duke White. Instead, it would skip a generation and fell on Aurora right away. If only it was allowed, the Head Butler really wished it could happen. Chapter 218: Era Guild (2) Chapter 218: Era Guild (2) As for the engagement? How could being a royalty be better than being the duke or duchess? The Head Butler sighed in his heart but kept his face straight on the surface. He wouldnt let Duke White knew what he was actually thinking in his head. After all, Duke White would not be happy and might even kick him out of the White Family if he knew. The Head Butler still want to stay in this job. At least, for the time being. "How about the price they offered?" Duke White asked another question. "Its higher than the normal price but its still acceptable," the Head Butler replied. If not for the urgency to buy more food, the Head Butler felt that no one would accept the price quotation from the Era Guild. But the Head Butler had the feeling that they would not lower the price at all cost. For this matter, the Head Butler could only sigh. The fact that Duke White needed to find a lot of food was being kept a secret. But how could such a thing be hidden from those sharp people? Some people had their own way to obtain information and in that way, there was no way information about Duke White didnt attract the attention of many people? Those who have food in their hands might be trying to figure out a method to earn more money through it from Duke White. This was normal. The Head Butler also knew that as long as they didnt raise the price outrageously, Duke White would definitely buy it. "Okay." Duke White nodded. "Can we fill the goal set by the Yellow Kingdoms King through this guild?" "No." The Head Butler shook his head. "Its only 80% and they didnt have more supplies." "Is it because the price is not high enough?" Duke White asked. Some guilds would also keep some of their stocks and didnt sell it because the price was deemed not high enough. "I tried but they didnt budge, so it shouldnt be the reason," the Head Butler replied. Duke White nodded. "Then, find out where we can get the rest of the food." The Head Butler: "..." Saying it was easier than done. There were not many guilds that had surplus of food and the Head Butler had tried to ask some other nobles. However, most of their answer was very consistent. They didnt have enough supplies for their own, so they couldnt sell it to them. For this answer, the Head Butler could do nothing but to accept it. Because he knew very well that not many people would stock so much food. The news of the war between the Sand Kingdom and the Yellow Kingdom was also quite sudden. Not many people were prepared for this. The Head Butler himself also couldnt do anything. Thankfully, there were many guilds who could spare some and the accumulation was enough. There were also no other competitor because the other nobles sent by the Yellow Kingdoms King were asked to collect different things. "I have bought from several stores and guilds. The budget from the Yellow Kingdoms King is almost used up completely and its barely enough to fulfill His Majestys request." "Wait, theres no surplus?" Duke White was stunned when he heard this statement from the Head Butler. He thought that since the Yellow Kingdoms King had given them so much money to buy the food, there would be some surplus that he could pocket. Anyway, they only needed to modify some of the numbers when submitting the report. "No." The Head Butler looked at Duke White who didnt do anything during this period of time indifferently. The one who did all the work was him and the Head Butler was so tired to do all the negotiation so that it would fall within the budget stipulated by the Yellow Kingdoms King. If it was not because he spent so much time and effort in the past month, there was no way it could fit. The result was that there was no surplus. Oh wait, there are a few copper coins left, but for such a small amount of money, Duke White would never take a liking to it. "Why do you have to spend so much? Cant you do something so that you dont need to spend that much?" Duke White complained. The current White Dukedom was really poor and Duke White felt really uncomfortable when he thought about it. And the channel for him to earn some additional funds and money were gone. Where should he find more money? Duke White felt at loss. "Master, its not possible to earn more money from this matter," The Head Butler replied. Before giving them the number, the Yellow Kingdoms King should have asked his advisor to calculate the amount they needed. In that case, they would have to make sure that this number would be enough. Not too much nor too little. Even if the number might be slightly off, but it should only be a few gold coins and the Yellow Kingdoms King could afford that mistake. Anyway, the one who paid in the end was Duke Yelan. Probably, the only person who would want to vomit blood was Duke Yelan. For this war, he was suddenly dragged in because of his sisters failed negotiation and then have to pay a lot of money to support the war going on. It was estimated that the treasury of Duke Yelan would be emptied because of this war. The Head Butler only felt a bit of pity for him, though. It was good that this was not placed on top of Duke Whites head. "But you should have spared more money!" Duke White was irritable. In the past month, he couldnt buy anything he wanted and the spendings was sprightly controlled by the Head Butler. He was not allowed to buy anything because every time he wanted to buy, the Head Butler would send someone to send it back to recoup the money. There was no money to spend, which made Duke White annoyed. Chapter 219: Duke White’s Trouble Chapter 219: Duke Whites Trouble Not only that, Duchess Isabella has been pestering him lately because she wanted to buy new dresses and jewelries to attend more parties. There were many parties going on outside, but Duchess Isabella couldnt attend them. She could only attend some of them while reusing her dress. For Duchess Isabella who never have any problem with money, this was a very uncomfortable thing. She couldnt accept it. So she kept on pestering Duke White to get money. She wanted more money! As a result, Duke White grew even more irritable because of Duchess Isabellas action. He also realized that things couldnt go on like this. Since he didnt know much about how to earn money, he could only turn to the Head Butler. "Master, do you not remember your education?" The Head Butler asked carefully. Duke Whites face darkened when he thought about this. When the Duke White was still young, his father taught him many things. It was very similar to how he arranged Aurora to be educated because he hoped that someone could replace him to do these. He was not capable enough to understand what his father wanted him to understand. Over the years, Duke White could barely complete his study and knew the basics of what he should do if he were to inherit the dukes position. But the previous Duke White had arranged for the Head Butler to stay in this position so that he could help Duke White manage the territory well. The previous Duke White should have known that his son was not capable enough to inherit his position. But he couldnt possibly let this position fall into the hands of other people aside from his descendants. In this way, Duke White is still the duke. The Head Butler had to help him so that the White Dukedom didnt fall into ruins. Honestly, Auroras appearance made the Head Butler saw light again. Because her ability made him remember her grandfather almost all the time. But... This dream has to be shattered in the end because of the incidents that follows afterwards. The Head Butler sighed deeply. And Duke White was still remembering the shame he experienced when he was young. Because of the harsh training that the previous Duke White gave him, Duke White had to study at all times and cried many times. He hated those times greatly. But it was necessary for the future duke to know these things, so Duke White could only spend his time reviewing as much as possible until he fell sick. After he was sick, the study was somewhat lessened, but it was still too much for Duke White. He couldnt accomplish the goal that the teachers and father set for him. Those were his dark days. Duke White thought that these sets of education was simply impossible to complete. But when his daughter was three years old and started the education, Duke White realized that he was the stupid one. His daughter was able to complete the exercise and seemed to be much better than him. So much that there was no doubt that if his father was still alive, Aurora would be made to be his successor right away. Duke White would be lying if he said that he was not jealous. Seeing how Aurora was able to complete the education and standards by the teachers, he felt that his daughter was better than him. This made him feel really complicated and he left her education in the hand of Duchess White. Anyway, out of sight, out of mind. As long as he didnt see Aurora, he would not think about this matter. Later on, Duchess White asked for his permission to nominate Aurora to be Crown Prince Edwards fiance?e. The crown prince was of the same age as Aurora, so their age was very suitable. They could also cultivate their relationship in the academy and it would be the best if the two of them could get close. As for the successor of White Dukedom? Duke White is still young and he could stay as the head of the family until Aurora had children. One of the children would be the next king while the other children could be the White Dukedoms successor. And if it was impossible, then they could also find a capable man for Adela to become the next Duke White. In this way, there was no need to worry about the successor at all. The proposal was good and Duke White think it was feasible. As for Adela becoming the next White Familys head? It was impossible. Adela has a weak body and often fell sick when she was young. With such a weak body, it was simply impossible for Adela to follow the harsh set of training to become the next head of White Dukedom. After Adela started training, Duke White also realized that this Adela was more similar to him. Similar as in, she was stupider. She couldnt complete the set of training that was arranged for her. Many questions were also often wrong and not like Aurora who could remember everything almost every time she finished. The performance of his second daughter made Duke Whites heart feel more balanced. He has been wondering how could such a monster be born from him but seeing Adela was more normal, Duke White felt more comfortable. It seemed that Aurora was more of an accident. Seeing Adela also struggling with her study, Duke White would treat her kindly. Because he knew that he himself had suffered greatly in the past because of this education standard that was set for them. "I remember." Duke White looked at the Head Butler with displeasure written on his face. "Does that have anything to do with it?" "Master, you have to remember that its not that easy to make money. There are already many businesses under White Family but more than half of them are unprofitable," The Head Butler said bluntly. Nobles could also do business. There was a limit to what type and the number, but most of the nobles would never bypass that number in their life, so they usually didnt care. Chapter 220: Sick Chapter 220: Sick Duke White was not an exception. He also had some small businesses that he asked the Head Butler to manage most of the time. From time to time, Duke White would also go check his businesses to make sure it was still doing well. However, it was usually just thrown to the Head Butler. Until now, Duke White didnt seem to remember the business either. And most of them were not very profitable. After some time, the Head Butler knew that these things were actually costing more money and this made the Head Butler rather helpless. He knew that Duke White was a bit stupid, but this was a bit too much, isnt it? "Then you can just sell them when theyre not profitable." Duke White frowned. He felt that such a thing could be handled by the Head Butler without the need to come to him. Looking at the Head Butler in front of him, Duke White felt even more dissatisfied. If not because he knew that the Head Butler was really capable and also someone whom his father arranged to help him, Duke White might not be willing to let the Head Butler continued to work for him. But he himself was not very capable. Without the help of these people around him, Duke White might not even be able to manage his territory at all. "Selling any property requires your agreement, Master," The Head Butler said indifferently. Duke White: "..." He took a deep breath and felt that it was really difficult for him. "If I sell those business that are no longer profitable, how much money can I have?" Duke White asked. There were also the taxes from the White Familys territory. But the number of the tax itself was not very high. After all, it has increased due to Duke Whites request and by now, it was already hard enough for the people to fulfill it. The Head Butler also saw this and had to lower the tax for the previous years. There were already many people who couldnt afford the previous tax rate. "Not much, about this figure." The Head Butler calculated the minimum amount he could sell these stores for and then write the number to show Duke White. But when Duke White saw it, he was speechless. "It couldnt be that little, right?" The Head Butler simply looked at Duke White. It was indeed that low. Duke White frowned and then asked, "How about if I keep it?" "The maintenance cost and then..." With the Head Butlers patience explanation, Duke White realized that keeping these stores would actually cost more. In the end, he authorized for the Head Butler to sell these stores. The money from the selling would be used by Duke White to buy some things and also to give to Duchess Isabella. Hopefully, it would be enough to fund her partys habit. The rest would be used to fill up the gap that was needed by Duke White. ... Adelas side Life as the crown princess was much harder than what Adela thought. After that negotiation in which she had to take a look and the tea party, Queen Ella felt that Adela was lacking. She still reported to the Yellow Kingdom King, but they both agreed that the two people needed more education. In the end, Adela was asked to participate in the various training to make sure she could become the qualified crown princess. If Adela had to say, it was nightmare. In the first place, Adela was not exactly a person who liked studying. It was even more so when the studying subject was something like this. There were so many things that was crammed to her head that Adela felt dizzy. She didnt understand why the crown princess have to study so much. And alongside her was naturally Crown Prince Edward who also have to study. The two of them didnt like it, but they couldnt escape. In the end, Adela fell sick. "Miss, drink the medicine." The servant felt rather helpless when she looked at Adela who was lying weakly on her bed. Adelas body was actually really weak. In the past, it was really hard for Adela to even walk another step outside her bedroom without her collapsing first. In the end, it took such a long time for Adela before she could act like a normal person. Whenever Adela thought about those days, she would feel that her life was really miserable. Thankfully, she didnt have to come over when Adela was still much younger. Because at that time, Adela was definitely much weaker than the current her and it would be very boring to only be able to stay on the bed. Adela couldnt figure out how the real Adela managed to pass those boring days. After she had become considerably healthy and entered the Capital Academy, Adela had never fallen sick again. Well, she did have some light cold one or two times, but it was nothing serious. At least, she only needed to rest for a bit and drink some medicine to recover faster. Crown Prince Edward accompanied her during that time and Adela was really happy. With her favorite person around, how could she not be happy? As time passed, people thought that Adelas body was no longer weak. After all, Adela didnt get sick much when she was in the Capital Academy, which was not like someone who had weak body. But they were wrong. When Adela got stressed out like this and spent the night awake in the cold temperature, she woke up with cold and fever. Considering that she had to finish the homework given to her, Adela couldnt hold on and fall sick in the middle. This made Adela feel really miserable. Did she have to study so much as the crown princess? What she didnt know was that the content of study for Aurora was more than 10 times harder than her. She also has to study ever since she was young, which was difficult for such a young girl, but she still did it. The study Adela had was far from comparable. This comparison really made the maids who served Adela felt that their young miss was really poor. Chapter 221: Sick (2) Chapter 221: Sick (2) In terms of capability alone, Adela was far below Aurora. But because Crown Prince Edward like Adela, she was chosen to be the crown princess. It seemed not fair for Aurora but it seemed that the position of the crown princess was not only because of capability but also depended on the few people who could decide on this position. "Its really bitter." Adela looked at the medicine in front of her and felt really repulsed to drink it. She didnt want to drink any medicine at all. "Miss, you have to drink medicine to get healthy." "Uuuu." Seeing Adela crying, the maids felt awkward. They could only coax Adela again to make her drink the medicine. It wouldnt do her any good if she didnt drink the medicine. In the end, Adela still drunk the medicine and slumped on the bed with bad expression. She didnt want to drink that kind of medicine again in her entire life. At this moment, Adela really missed Crown Prince Edward. If he was here, he would definitely figure out a way to make her happy instead of letting her sulk like this. Why do I have to become the crown princess, ah? If Crown Prince Edward was not the crown prince, then Adela didnt have to suffer this much. At this moment, Adela felt that she really disliked this position and the few people who forced them to study so much. Before Adela could fall asleep, the maids knocked on her door. "Miss, Prince Charles is here to see you. Do you want to see him?" Prince Charles? Adela was immediately energized but as she sat up abruptly, she immediately felt dizzy. It was really hard for her already weak body to cope up with her sudden movement. "Miss?" The maid who stayed by Adelas side quickly helped Adela to stabled her body and felt really helpless. Adela was really careless and it was no wonder that she used to fall sick very often when she was young. "Uh, let him in." Adela looked at the maid and held the maids hand to stabilize herself. At the same time, she looked at the door with anticipation. She couldnt see Crown Prince Edward during this period of time, which was really annoying. In the past, he would definitely come to her when he heard that she was sick. But now, Crown Prince Edward didnt have time to pay a visit to her. This made Adela annoyed and her dislike to the crown prince and the few people who didnt allow him to come increased. But hearing that Prince Charles is here, Adela was immediately energized. She wanted to see him! In any case, Prince Charles is her cousin on the surface. So even if he were to pay a visit to her, no one would pay attention or feel suspicious about it. At most, they would think that the relationship between Prince Charles and Adela is really good. "Yes, Miss." The maid helped Adela to sit up and then opened the door to let Prince Charles come inside. Prince Charles was actually also detained by his mother to study like Crown Prince Edward and Adela. But Prince Charles had his own way to escape. He didnt like studying and also smarter than Crown Prince Edward in terms of making his way to escape from studying. If one had to say, he was not using his intelligence in the right place. In this way, Prince Charles could still pay a visit to Adela. "Cousin Adela," Prince Charles called out when he entered the room. Seeing Adela was lying on the bed with her face flushed, he felt heartache from the bottom of his heart. "Are you alright?" "Its just some fever," Adela replied weakly. Well, it was not like she wanted to be this weak, but her body condition was really bad. This characters main weakness was indeed her body. It was really hard for Adela to do many things that she wanted to do with such a weak body. Adela really wanted to complain if it was possible. But she also didnt know whether she could return to her original world if she died in this world. Since Adela felt afraid, she naturally didnt dare to try. Besides, what kind of sane person would try to seek death? Adela would not do it. "You should lie down." Prince Charles looked at Adela with distress. He didnt really want to see her look so weak like this. The cheerful Adela is the best Adela in Prince Charles opinion. "Ah, I..." "Come on, Ill help you." Prince Charles stepped forward and helped Adela to lie down. The maids at the side wanted to step forward but took a step back in the end. She felt that these two cousins were really close to each other. After that, Prince Charles and Adela chatted with each other until Adela fell asleep because she was tired. Prince Charles looked at the time and decided to stay here. Anyway, he would only be forced to study again if he were to go back. Rather than pushing himself to study, Prince Charles would rather stay here and be bored to death. Being bored is much better than being forced to do things! This is Prince Charless believe. Time passed quietly. Adela slept deeply. She felt really comfortable sleeping after chatting with Prince Charles. Even though her sickness did make her sleep longer, but Adela felt that it was good right now. Hmm? Hearing noises, Adela slowly woke up. She blinked her eyes and heard Crown Prince Edwards voice along with Prince Charles. However, their tone seemed to be bad? The relationship between Crown Prince Edward and Prince Charles could be said to be really bad. The two of them never got along with each other and whenever they saw the other party, they would definitely fight and quarrel. But... Why are they both here? Adela was confused. At this time, Crown Prince Edward was pissed off. Chapter 222: Conflict Chapter 222: Conflict "Why are you with Adela here? Even if youre cousins, its not appropriate for you to stay in a ladys room!" "I can say the same to you, Crown Prince Edward," Prince Charles replied with a sneer. "At the very least Im her family members while youre just a fiance?. What if you have a change of heart like when you face Lady Aurora?" "Itll never happen!" "Who knows whether its true or not..." As the two of them were yelling at each other, Adela woke up and looked at the two people who were quarreling with blank expression. Who am I? Where am I? What happened?" Adela was thoroughly confused by what happened in front of her. While she knew that the two princes from different kingdoms often fight with each other, she didnt understand why they have to fight in front of her. The maids in Adelas room were also helpless with this situation. They couldnt possibly stop these two people from fighting when they didnt even dare to step forward. One of them had to call Queen Ella and Queen Rachel to come forward and brought these two princes out. They were bothering the sick patient. ... Adela was still dizzy but soon, Queen Ella and Queen Rachel arrived at the scene. They reprimanded the two princes and then brought these two out as fast as possible from the scene. It was really embarrassing that the two of them would fight with each other like that. Moreover, they were still fighting in a ladys room. The two queens felt that they should educate the two princes well. Adela blinked her eyes in confusion and then turned to look at the maid beside her. "Why are they fighting in the first place?" The maid looked at Adela and felt a bit helpless. How should she explain this? The main reason why these two people were fighting was naturally because of Adela. But seeing Adelas confused look and also her weak figure, the maid felt that there was no need for Adela to know about this for the time being. So she coaxed Adela to sleep again. ... Crown Prince Edwards side "Its time for you to study and not to make trouble." Queen Ella really felt that her son was an embarrassment. He made excuse to take a break and then ran to pay a visit to Adela but ended up fighting with Prince Charles there. Couldnt he behaved better and more appropriately? Queen Ella really felt tired with this son of her. Crown Prince Edward pursed his lips and really didnt want to answer. He was already 18 years old, but he behaved worse than a child. It was truly hard to believe that the crown prince of the kingdom was like this. The maids and the other servants who saw this scene all had strange expression. They didnt dare to speak out of fear, but the impression of the crown prince and the others were definitely very bad right now. Queen Ella felt immense headache when she thought about this. But she also knew very well that there was nothing that she could do about this. At most, she would warn the servants so that they would not speak about this matter outside. The problem is... There were many people who saw this scene. "Dont make trouble anymore and continue your study." Queen Ella looked at her son and added, "I dont want to hear you make trouble again." "Yes, Mother." Crown Prince Edward saw his mothers face and could only agree. But his fingers were clenched together to form a fist. He couldnt let what happened today off so easily. When he thought about what he had just seen... Crown Prince Edward took a deep breath. "Anything else?" Queen Ella asked. "Mother, when will Prince Charles leave?" Crown Prince Edward asked. If he was not wrong, Prince Charles and Queen Rachel should leave when the negotiation was over. Now that the negotiation was over, why are they still here? Crown Prince Edward didnt understand. "Theyll leave soon," Queen Ella replied with a cold tone. She could tell that her son was bothered with Prince Charless presence. The relationship between the two princes were indeed not very good and Queen Ella knew this very well. The report from the Capital Academy had told her that these two princes truly couldnt see each other in the same room. They would definitely quarrel if they were to stay in the same room. As for their main source of conflict... Queen Ellas eyes narrowed. She thought that Adela is a simple minded girl and when she saw the latter before, Adela really didnt look that smart. It could be said that she looked rather stupid instead. This made Queen Ella felt that the White Family was really remarkable. One daughter was so smart and excellent to the point that many people could never compare to her in their entire life. The other one was so naive and simple that it was so easy for others to deceive her if they wanted to. The two of them were simply the polar opposite. And if Queen Ella had to say, Adela was actually not suitable to be the crown princess. From her personality alone, it would be hard for Adela to stand on her ground when she was facing others. If she had to fulfill the queens duty, it would be very difficult for her to complete even one. She was a person who was more suitable to stay inside. But she was also the person whom Crown Prince Edward chosen. So if Queen Ella wanted to put Adela away, it would not be so easy to do. Her son would be the one to make trouble first. However, a talk would be necessary. When Adela got better later, Queen Ella would bring Adela to talk and made sure that this girl didnt do anything unnecessary. Adela, who was sleeping, had no idea that someone wanted to see her when she was sleeping peacefully. Chapter 223: Reprimand Chapter 223: Reprimand But even if Adela were to know, she wouldnt be able to escape. It was more like, there was no chance for her to escape in the slightest bit. ... Prince Charless side After being dragged out by Queen Rachel, Prince Charles was also reprimanded. The content was naturally a bit different from Queen Ella because Queen Rachel was telling her son not to pay a visit to Adela so much. They might be cousins, but they were already an adult by now. It was no longer suitable for them to interact so closely anymore. As much as Prince Charles wanted to refute, he couldnt really say anything and his mind was thinking about Adela. When he thought that Adela was suffering so much to the point that she fell sick, Prince Charles felt uncomfortable. He hoped that Adela could stay cheerful and happy as she used to be instead of like this. Yet at the same time, Prince Charles also knew that there was nothing that he could do. Hes only her cousin. And with what his mother said today, Prince Charles might not even able to contact Adela much in the future. "Also, youre not allowed to skip your classes in the future." Queen Rachel felt annoyed when she thought that this brat kept on skipping his classes. She really wanted to tell him to study more but Prince Charles just didnt listen. She felt frustrated. "I know, Mom." Prince Charles could only agree weakly. But whether he would really do it or not was another question altogether. It was clear that Prince Charles could not change his habit overnight. It was simply impossible. Queen Rachel looked at her son and took a deep breath. At this moment, she felt that she and Queen Ella were surprisingly similar in one thing. That is their children didnt like to study. They have to be forced before they could study. It truly made people frustrated. Both of them have great ambitions as they wished their children would be the one sitting on the throne while they would be behind their children, helping them out if they needed it. But the biggest problem was that these children clearly didnt want to study well and kept on making troubles for themselves. What happened recently just made Queen Rachel felt headache. She thought that the problem of Prince Charles disliking study would be cured after he came to this kingdom and had more interactions with Aurora. The result? It was the opposite as Prince Charles barely had any contact with Aurora. That girl was busy for a long time, which Queen Rachel heard while she was waiting for the negotiations matter. And through that matter, Queen Rachel knew that Aurora had a lot of work to do in the Yellow kingdom. It was unrealistic to let her teach just one person unless the kingdom allowed it. Now that Aurora had left, Queen Rachel also couldnt lash out to Aurora and be angry with that girl because it was clearly a useless move. And now, Prince Charless words made Queen Rachel somewhat wary. "Why do you keep seeing your cousin?" Queen Rachel asked. "Ah?" Prince Charles was stunned. He raised his head and saw his mother looking straight in his direction. At this time, Prince Charles felt at loss. He felt that he couldnt say what he was actually thinking in his heart or there would be a lot of troubles. However, Queen Rachel was looking at her child carefully. While Prince Charles liked to pester Aurora before, but he was more measured and would not visit her in her room. Instead, he would inform the servants and Aurora would come out to see Prince Charles. Everything was in accordance to the etiquette. But the situation of Adela was indeed a bit special this time since she fell sick. But even if Prince Charles were to pay a visit to Adela, there was no need for him to stay there for an extended period of time, right? "You..." Queen Rachel had a doubt in her mind and looked at her son carefully. It couldnt be what she thought, right? "Im just worried for Cousin Adela!" Prince Charles hurriedly responded. He didnt want his mother to know the real answer. Queen Rachel was silent. She could guess what Prince Charles has in his mind right now, but she was thinking about another matter. And that was how useless Adela was compared to Aurora even with her status as the dukes daughter. For such a daughter in law, Queen Rachel was a bit unwilling. She was thinking of finding someone of high status befitting of Prince Charles upon their return to the Red Kingdom. But as someone who had taken the Red Kingdoms Kings heart, Queen Rachel knew very well that it wouldnt be easy to sway Prince Charles. If he was really moved because of Adela, then there was truly nothing that Queen Rachel could do. It would be hard to ask him to forget someone immediately. Queen Rachel frowned. How should she deal with this? ... The Yellow Kingdoms Kings side The Yellow Kingdoms King naturally also received the report about the dispute of Crown Prince Edward and Prince Charles in Adelas room. Honestly, when the Yellow Kingdoms King heard the report, his expression turned strange. Why did these two fought in a ladys room? But after he read the complete report, the Yellow Kingdoms King realized that the main reason for their debate was precisely Adela White who was sick. And this debate happened simply because the two of them couldnt see eye to eye. Well, it was more like, they couldnt really tolerate each others presence. *sigh* After reading the report, the Yellow Kingdoms King sighed deeply. He knew very well that Crown Prince Edward was not capable at all. Expecting a pig to fly seemed to be more plausible compared to expecting Crown Prince Edward to study well. "Hows the second princes study?" the Yellow Kingdoms King turned to look at Prime Minister Lat at the side. Chapter 224: Reprimand (2) Chapter 224: Reprimand (2) If this was the past, the Yellow Kingdoms King would not care too much about the second prince. After all, he had already selected his successor and there was no need for him to pay attention to the second prince who would only be a prince for the rest of his life. But now, the Yellow Kingdoms King had to pay attention. Because he knew very well that if he didnt have any other option, Crown Prince Edward would become the king in the future and the future of the Yellow Kingdom seemed to be rather bleak. While the Yellow Kingdoms King loves his son, but he also had responsibility towards his kingdom. If Crown Prince Edward was truly incapable, he would have to reselect his successor. As much as the Yellow Kingdoms King wanted to hand over the throne to his first son, he also knew that he had to care about the situation of the kingdom. He thought that this son of his would change and that Queen Ella would do a good job. But reality proved to the Yellow Kingdoms King that he shouldnt hope too much. This son of his was too unremarkable and could only rely on others. But at that point, wouldnt the highest power be in the hands of others? The Yellow Kingdoms King was truly unwilling to let the Yellow Kingdom be in the hands of other people. His ancestor worked hard in order to build this kingdom not to let it be destroyed in his hands or his descendants hand. He had to pick someone capable. Someone who could truly succeed the Yellow Kingdoms King and become a great king in the future. Prime Minister Lat was silent for a while. Because the Yellow Kingdoms King had selected Crown Prince Edward as the crown prince, he asked his son to get close to Crown Prince Edward. And now, Prime Minister Lat could see that it was hard for Louis to truly distant himself from Crown Prince Edward. The relationship built for 6 years were not so easy to break. But Prime Minister Lat was also disappointed with Crown Prince Edwards behavior during the negotiation and his study. Even though he was already 18 years old, he behaved worse than children. Prime Minister Lat felt that there was simply no future for the Yellow Kingdom if Crown Prince Edward became the king. Unless Crown Prince Edward could change and become better, then it might be better for them to reselect the crown prince. "The second princes study is average, Your Majesty," Prime Minister Lat replied. The study report from the Capital Academy showed that the second prince didnt have much talent for studying either. But even if he didnt have much talent, he was not as hopeless as Crown Prince Edward. At the very least, the second prince was willing to learn and listen to other peoples words. He also didnt make any troubles when he was in the Capital Academy and had made many friends and connection. Unlike Crown Prince Edward who stayed holed in the Student Council Room and behaved arrogantly, he was more approachable. To be honest, the two princes were very different that they didnt look like brothers at all. Prime Minister Lat sighed in his heart. "I see," the Yellow Kingdoms King said slowly. He looked at the report in his hand and then asked, "Do you think its suitable for Lady Adela to become the crown princess?" Prime Minister Lat nearly bit his tongue. Lady Adela? If it was Aurora, Prime Minister Lat will answer yes without hesitation. As much as he didnt like women and didnt think they were capable, but Aurora had proven herself in the past few years. It was hard to refute that Aurora is a smart and capable woman. But Adela? Prime Minister Lat didnt answer. The two girls were very different and he had to say that Crown Prince Edward was really blind. He liked the ordinary one compared to the more capable ones. If Crown Prince Edward was not the crown prince nor the successor to the kingdom, then Prime Minister Lat would not care too much and would leave it be. After all, for these people who would not inherit the throne and pretty much waste, they could simply live their lives well as long as they have enough money. Why should he care about those people who have no lives? They wanted to have fun and just have the beauty who would only care for them and so on and Prime Minister Lat had nothing to say aside looking down on them. But Crown Prince Edward was different. Hes the damn Crown Prince. The consort he chose should be someone who would be useful for the kingdom rather than someone whom the princes liked more. If Crown Prince Edward himself was more capable, then his choice could be ignored. But... Hes not. So the only thing that Prime Minister Lat could think was about how poor Crown Prince Edward is. And the Yellow Kingdoms King didnt seem to be waiting for Prime Minister Lats answer. He took a deep breath. "Lets give them a test." A test? Prime Minister Lat was not sure what the Yellow Kingdoms King wanted to do, but as the subject, he just had to support it. "Yes, Your Majesty." ... Auroras side Aurora had naturally received report while she was on her way to Celeste Familys territory. Looking at the report in front of her, Aurora shook her head. She was not that surprised that Crown Prince Edward and Prince Charles fought against each other. Because when she was in the academy, she had seen them fought several times. Moreover, in the Capital Academy, the reason for their fight can be as small as they were unpleasing to the eyes or as big as rivalries between the two of them. Anything seemed to be able to become the cause for their fight. Even the teachers chose to turn blind eyes to their fights. They would only try to separate the two of them when they fought after informing Queen Ella about what happened. No way. Who made these two people have such a high status? Chapter 225: Aurora’s Moves Chapter 225: Auroras Moves But Aurora knew that the cause this time was a bit unique. She chuckled. "Its not going to be so easy for you to get what you want this time, Adela," Aurora whispered in a low voice. Queen Ella wanted a daughter in law whom she could control so that her position and authority would not be challenged. If not for that, there was no way Queen Ella tried to threaten Aurora in the past. But Aurora was not afraid of Queen Ella and chose to challenge upfront instead. From then on, Aurora knew that it would be hard for her to get the full support of Queen Ella. But Aurora couldnt possibly show her weakness because it would only put her in more difficult position. It was also because of this reasons that Queen Ella didnt stop Crown Prince Edward when he wanted to be with Adela instead of Aurora. In Auroras opinion, it was really stupid. But Queen Ella basically has the power in the Royal Palace in her hand. She would not be wiling to hand it over to anyone else even if that person is her own daughter in law. Because of that, Queen Ella and Aurora didnt really get along with each other. As for Queen Rachel? The Red Kingdom hadnt selected the crown prince yet because they have to pick the most suitable one. The Red Kingdoms King might favor and like Queen Rachel greatly, but he would not give the crown princes position just because of this reason. He needed legitimate reason to give the crown princes position. The power in the Red Kingdom was more divided for a reason. Since Prince Charles didnt like studying and his result was really bad, Queen Rachel would need another reason to strengthen Prince Charles factions. And another method to gain better supporter was through marriage. Queen Rachel would definitely want to find someone who was capable enough to be the daughter in law and the princess. Adela? Marriage between cousins were indeed possible, but with Adelas result so far, she would not be the best choice. Moreover, it would be rather strange to bring the princess back to the Red Kingdom after marrying them out. If Prince Charles really wanted to bring Adela with him, it would not be completely impossible. After all, Adelas background as the dukes daughter was still very strong. The next problem would be the matter of her engagement with Crown Prince Edward. How could a crown princess leave to another kingdom so easily? It would not be allowed. Another breaking engagement events? Aurora chuckled. In that case, Crown Prince Edwards name might truly be written in history as a prince who couldnt make up his mind and break his own engagement twice. That would be quite a record to be written. If it was possible, Aurora really wanted to see it with her own eyes. But it would be difficult. Aurora would be chased by many people if she were to go back to the Yellow Kingdoms Capital City. For her own safety, it would be better for her not to go back at all. After reading through the letter once more, Aurora put it away. She wanted to know how Adela would make her choice but that would have to wait for the next report. She was sure that whether Adela wanted it or not, she would be forced to make her choices soon. Prince Charles couldnt stay in the Red Kingdom for a long time. Queen Ella would want to make sure Adela listened to her. Lastly, the Yellow Kingdoms King would not let such an incident alone without investigating properly. When thinking about this, Aurora chuckled once more. The Yellow Kingdom would definitely be very lively. Ah, happiness can indeed be built from someone elses misery, especially if it was someone whom she didnt have good relationship with. I have never been a good girl, Adela. Provoking her again and again, making use of those tools around her and made things difficult for Aurora, what makes her think that Aurora would stay silent and do nothing? She was not a saint. Aurora was also not someone who would stay silent when she was being provoked. She knew very well that from the very beginning, she simply couldnt be bothered with it. Speaking of which, Marquis Hans did a good job. To be honest, this was done somewhat on a whim by Aurora. She knew that the mines problem will definitely escalate further and might even result in a war and there were only a few territories that could produce weapons. These people had been pitted by Aurora before because they only wanted profit. And Aurora was also too lazy to deal with these people who only thought about money and profit. Since these nobles only wanted immediate profit, she helped them to make the agreement. Of course, with some additional clauses. As for whether the Yellow Kingdom could handle it or not, that was another matter altogether and Aurora was too lazy to follow through the fate of these nobles. Among these nobles, the only one who was a bit different was Marquis Hans old brother. He also wanted to sell the weapons but in a moderate amount and also planned to make more workshops because the previous ones were outdated. Besides, his territorys main produce were not weapons and the Yellow Kingdoms King would not pressure him too much. He had vast territory and located at the border, this was the reason why there were still small weapon workshops there. After some contemplation, Aurora made a deal. She wanted higher profit from the trade and will sell valuable information in exchange for him having his daughter to trouble Adela. At first, he was hesitant. After all, Adela is favored by Crown Prince Edward at that time and the wind seemed to be pushing Aurora down. So Aurora took a step back and let them make a move after this news was confirmed. Chapter 226: Aurora’s Negotiation with Count Celeste Chapter 226: Auroras Negotiation with Count Celeste Since there was no loss for him, he agreed. And the result was surprisingly good. Even Aurora didnt expect that this sister of hers was still so bad and her mental quality hadnt improved at all even after so many years. No one in the White Family seemed to see that Adela was truly not suited for high position. But that girls ambition and greed was not small. This should be a small lesson for Adela and will also slowly cut off Adelas path of establishing herself in the high society. For women in this era, having a place in the high society is very important. Aurora had experienced it herself, so she knew about it. And if Adela truly wanted to be a queen, she would need to think about it. Though, Aurora guessed that Adela might have long fallen before this problem was raised. Well, it didnt matter that much anymore. This was just a small precaution in case Adela suddenly get some inspiration and become more capable. She had to cut down the path from all angles. Aurora smiled to herself and looked outside the carriage. She would reach Celeste Familys territory soon. When she reached the territory, she would discuss the matter of building a road with Count Celeste. She hoped that he would agree with her request. Of course, Aurora would not do it for free. There were also other things to discuss. Another matter that was in Auroras mind was whether Lucy was here or not. The marriage between Leon and Annelie would take place soon, so if Lucy had departed earlier, it was not impossible for her to attend. Of course, if the letter arrived late or she departed late, it would be impossible to go there. Aurora also received an intimation. But it was not an invitation for Aurora White. Rather, it was an invitation to Viscount Arn. In any case, Aurora had no plan to attend. Unless the location for the marriage ceremony was somewhere else but the Yellow Kingdoms Capital City. In that case, Aurora still might come. "Miss, we have arrived," Prince Lester informed. He was the one who came with Aurora again while William was taking care of another matter in the Viscount Arns territory. "Yes." Aurora came out of the carriage and looked at the mansion in front of her. The corner of her lips curled up slightly. Count Celeste was known for being poor and unable to buy many things. It was said that due to protecting the border Count Celeste couldnt afford many things and the territory was also very poor. It was also because of this that many people didnt have good impression of Lucy back then. They felt that she was not worthy to be associated with them. Coupled with the fact that Lucys etiquette was really bad, she really didnt give people a good impression. But looking at this mansion and the people who were living in Count Celestes territory, it was clear that everything was nothing but rumors. The people under Count Celeste was living well. Count Celeste was by no means a poor person. He might simply disliked the noble society and because of the situation at the border, prioritized other things for his daughters education. After looking at the mansion, Aurora looked at the butler who bowed and asked her to come inside. "Please come with me, Viscountess Arn." "Please lead me." Aurora nodded. The butler then lead Aurora inside with Prince Lester following from behind. While Aurora did wear makeup to make her appearance slightly different, but it was not of much help. Those who knew Auroras face would undoubtedly recognize her. Though, there were not many people in this place who have ever met with Aurora before. After all, Aurora didnt come to Count Celestes territory before. His territory has their own way of survival and didnt really need various trades like many other territories. Soon, Aurora reached the guest room. "Master, Viscountess Arn is here." "Please come in." Count Celeste thought that the one who would come was Viscount Arn, but it was actually the viscountess. Not that it would make that much difference, though. Aurora walked inside and saw Count Celeste and Lucy, who was sitting on the other side. Lucys eyes widened when she saw Aurora while Count Celeste was calm because he didnt know Auroras appearance. He only felt a bit surprised because Aurora looked rather young. "Viscountess Arn, its a pleasure to see you." Count Celeste smiled. "Its a pleasure to see you too, Count Celeste. I have heard many good things about you," Aurora replied with a smile. Count Celeste laughed at Auroras words. Who didnt like being praised? But he also knew that this was nothing more than polite words. He knew himself well and that naturally included the fact that not many people were saying good things about him. They didnt really like his straightforward personality and would feel that he was too uncouth. Not that Count Celeste cared, though. As long as these people didnt make trouble with him, then Count Celeste was too lazy to deal with them too. "I have some things to discuss with you, Count Celeste. I hope my arrival didnt disturb you," Aurora said with an apologetic smile. Count Celeste shook his head. Aurora had informed him about her arrival long before her real arrival. He could be prepared and for Count Celeste, it was already very polite and respectful. "Not at all, Viscountess Arn." Count Celeste was smiling. He pointed in Lucys direction. "I hope that you dont mind my daughter listening in. Shes already an adult and I need her to get acquainted with these matters sooner or later." "Not at all, Count Celeste," Aurora replied and smiled in Lucys direction. When Lucy saw Auroras smiling face, she knew very well that the person in front of her is definitely Aurora. Having interact with Aurora several times in the past, Lucy knew Aurora very well. She called out, "Aurora?" "Lucy!" Count Celeste frowned at his daughters sudden words. Lucy flinched a bit and then changed her words, "Lady Aurora?" Aurora smiled. "Yes." Chapter 227: Reunion Chapter 227: Reunion Count Celeste was dumbfounded. It took him some time to understand that Viscountess Arn is actually Aurora White. This was an identity that Aurora made for herself. And no one knew about this. "Im glad that youre fine," Lucy said sincerely. And then she added, "Did you get bullied when Im not there? Do I need to beat up som people?" "Lucy!" Count Celeste was dumbfounded when he heard Lucys words. How did his daughter become someone who would beat up others so easily just from Auroras words?"He felt that he had to reeducate his daughter well before allowing her to interact with Aurora again in the future. "Its fine." Aurora shook her head. "Its good that youre not there at that time." Lucy frowned. With Auroras words, she naturally thought about the broken engagement between Aurora and Crown Prince Edward. She might not be there, but she still heard that Crown Prince Edward practically announced it when they were having their graduation party. The party that should have been enjoyable turned into a farce like that. "If Im there, things might not end so peacefully." Lucy nodded. Even though Lucy is a noble, but she didnt really like to restrain her action. If she didnt like something, she would say it outright and there was no need to pretend or anything like that. This was something that she inherited from her father, who was also a stubborn man. And it was also because of their similar personalities that it would be hard for them to truly integrate into the noble society. "I see." Aurora nodded, not surprised. If Lucy was not being called by her father, Aurora was actually planning to send Lucy away one way or another during that graduation party. In her opinion, there was no need for Lucy to attend and see all of that, which would only. Make her feel more depressed and might do things out of impulsiveness. That matter was already a foregone conclusion. There was no need to cause more trouble than what was already there. Annelie could understand what happened. But Lucy... Well, it might be a bit difficult for this simple minded girl. "Viscountess Arn?" Lucy then asked another question she didnt understand. How did Aurora managed to become a noble and have a title on her own like this? "Its my temporary name." Aurora nodded. "And Im here as Viscountess Arn. You need to remember that, Lucy." Lucy heard Auroras tone that was more solemn than usual and quickly nodded her head. "Yes! Ill definitely remember." While Lucy didnt understand much, she knew that she had to remember not to call Aurora with her real name but instead with this title. It felt a bit strange to call Aurora with that title, though. Count Celestes eyes flashed. He looked at Aurora thoughtfully. "It seems that Viscountess Arn has some projects that she wants to do?" "Yes." Aurora smiled. "I have prepared the proposal. I hope you could see them first, Count Celeste." "I will." Count Celeste had heard many things about Aurora. One of them was naturally about her negotiation and trade contracts. Many nobles wanted to get close to Aurora because they could get a lot of benefit. It was said that even the trades that people were pessimistic about could become successful in her hands. Aurora smiled. ... The conversation with Aurora didnt take long and Count Celeste had already raised the white flag to surrender. He knew that he couldnt argue back and the offer that Aurora gave to him was really tempting. But he would be lying if he said that he had no other concerns when he read the proposal that Aurora showed to him. "I hope your guild can also help me if theres a war," Count Celeste finally said after it was done. "Dont worry. Era Guild can help provide the equipment necessary for battle if you need it," Aurora replied. "Really?" Count Celeste was stunned. He thought that the weapons and the likes were all dominated by a few nobles in the Yellow Kingdom. After all, there were not many people who could obtain these weapons. But Aurora said it as if she could obtain them easily. Aurora only smiled and didnt explain. What she had been doing in the past few years, there was no need to lay all of her cards on the table unless it was necessary. "I wont ask anything else." Count Celeste raised his hand to show that he wouldnt ask any other question. "But I think you would like to talk with my daughter?" Aurora looked at Lucy and replied, "Yes. It has been a while since we see each other." Lucy grinned sheepishly. "You girls can talk and Ill go first." Count Celeste smiled. "Ill prepare everything and let it be constructed in the shortest time possible." Aurora bowed gracefully. "Thank you, Count Celeste." With that, Count Celeste left. He had to do a few things in accordance to the contract he had just signed with Aurora not long ago. Of course, the name of the people who signed the contract was under Count Celeste and also Viscount Arn. Aurora couldnt really sign with her real name. Thankfully, Viscountess Arn was truly a legal name that Aurora obtained after doing some work. Click! The door closed and Lucy turned to look at Aurora. "Where have you been all these years? I thought that you will only go for a few months as usual but it ended up as years." "I have a lot of things to do," Aurora replied with a shrug. "Its not like I dont want to return, but I cant." She has so many things to do that there was no time for Aurora to come back to the Capital Academy. Besides, Aurora also knew that she had nothing else to study in the Capital Academy. When Aurora was in the Capital Academy, she was only there to read some books that interest her. Chapter 228: Reunion (2) Chapter 228: Reunion (2) As for studying? The knowledge that the teachers taught her was already imprinted in her mind. There was no need for her to study again. Even if the teachers were to ask her questions without any warning regarding her studies, Aurora could answer promptly. "I see." Lucy sighed. She knew that Aurora is really busy. "I told you before that Ill let you take a look at my territory, right? Come with me and take a walk?" "The entire Celeste Familys territory is too big to walk around in a single day," Aurora reminded. "Ah, I know, but theres nothing wrong with us just walking a small part of it!" Aurora smiled when she saw Lucy looked exasperated. "Okay." With that, Lucy smiled happily and then brought Aurora outside. The city where they stayed right now was not the main city where Lucy and her father usually stayed. It was a city that bordered Viscount Arns territory, which was used to facilitate todays meeting. Of course, Aurora also knew that there were definitely more mansion and residences for these two when they paid a visit to other areas in their territory. It was a normal thing for nobles and this practice also existed in the White Family. "My father wants me to learn more about the territory before I succeed him," Lucy said as she walked through the street with Aurora beside her. "I have to be honest, though, I dont know many things about the territory itself." Aurora nodded, not surprised. Lucy was a bit careless in many things. This was only one of them and Aurora could see that Lucy would need help to take care of the management when she became the Countess Celeste in the future. Her father would be able to rest later. "There are many things to manage in Count Celestes territory, but Im sure youll manage," Aurora said slowly. "Mhm." Lucy nodded and sighed. "I was thinking of paying a visit to see Annelie and her marriage with Leon. But their letter arrived too late for me to go," Lucy said while sulking. Aurora blinked her eyes. The date for Annelie and Leons marriage was indeed a bit hasty as if they were trying to tie the knot as fast as possible. This made Aurora wondered if there were any other reasons behind these two peoples marriage. Many people might also think the same and do their investigation. "I guess thats her way to tell us not to come," Aurora said calmly. "Huh?" "The current situation in the Yellow Kingdoms Capital City is not very peaceful," Aurora said. "If we come there right now, we might be embroiled in some other unpleasant matters." Lucy frowned. "Then why didnt she tell us clearly? I want to help her..." "Its unnecessary," Aurora cut off Lucys words. "Annelie is not such a weak person that she would ask for others help. If she could handle it herself, then she would definitely do it on her own until everything was over." Lucy listened to Auroras words and thought about it. "Right... youre all very stubborn." Lucy sighed. Aurora chuckled. "I think that makes us three." Hearing that, Lucy laughed. In a way, Lucy herself is also very stubborn and would do things in accordance to what she wanted more than what was actually necessary. For nobles, this kind of action was really impulsive and looked down upon. "Continue the walk?" Aurora asked. "Continue!" Lucy was excited and then continued to introduce her territory to Aurora. Of course, she only told a small part because if she wanted to tell everything, one day is definitely far from enough. And the distance between their two territories were not that close. They have to build the road sooner if they wished to be able to contact more frequently. In the next few days, Aurora would come to Count Celeste to supervise the construction and also talked about other things. In the evening, she would take a walk with Lucy, talking and joking around with each other. It was really peaceful. ... Of course, the same couldnt be said in other place. The Yellow Kingdoms Capital City, Royal Palace Crown Prince Edward looked at his father in disbelief. He though that his father would only reprimand him as usual. It would be nothing much and he would not lose anything. But his fathers words made Crown Prince Edward dumbfounded. "Father, what do you mean revoking my status as the crown prince? You cant do that, theres no precedent of something like this happening...." Crown Prince Edward said hurriedly. How could he not be the crown prince? Crown Prince Edward had lived his entire life as the crown prince. How could it be possible for him to have this status removed? He couldnt accept it! The Yellow Kingdoms King looked at his son in front of him. To be honest, he didnt want to do this either, but Crown Prince Edwards behavior was truly unbefitting of a king. If he only have one son, then the Yellow Kingdoms King would have to grit his teeth and figure out a way to make this crown prince better. But he didnt only have one child. When he first made Crown Prince Edward as the crown prince, Crown Prince Edward was only 5 years old. At that time, the second prince was not born yet and the Yellow Kingdoms King didnt think that he would be able to have a child again. Even if he did have a child, it was estimated that the child would not be able to catch up with the first prince. In that case, the Yellow Kingdoms King simply made Crown Prince Edward as the crown prince. This would help Crown Prince Edward to establish his position first and also to accumulate better advantage. But the reality was far from his expectation. The first prince was worse than trash and the Yellow Kingdoms King felt that the report was truly unbearable to read. Chapter 229: The King’s Decision Chapter 229: The Kings Decision The Capital Academy didnt publish Crown Prince Edward result for a reason and it was mostly to maintain the image of the Royal Family. However, they would still send the real result report to the Yellow Kingdoms King. In this way, the Yellow Kingdoms King also knew the two princes performance in the Capital Academy. It would have been fine if Crown Prince Edward was the only son. But.. Looking at the second princes result that was far better than Crown Prince Edward, the Yellow Kingdoms King felt that this kid was actually much better than his older brother. Because of his business, the Yellow Kingdoms King had no time to spend with his children. These two children would grow up on their own and it was usually Queen Ella who was in charge of their study and the likes. So the Yellow Kingdoms King never knew that his second son was actually more promising. After seeing the second prince during his academic break, the Yellow Kingdoms King felt that this child was indeed much better than the first prince. Rather than pinning hope continuously to Crown Prince Edward, who was obviously very incompetent, it would be better for him to take a look at the second prince. If it was not suitable, then the Yellow Kingdoms King would still have a choice and could pick the second prince. But for the time being, the Yellow Kingdoms King simply wanted to test the two princes. The first step for the test was naturally to tell Crown Prince Edward about the fact that the Yellow Kingdoms King might revoke his crown princes position. "Your study is a mess and I want to test you with the second prince to see your qualification," the Yellow Kingdoms King answered unhurriedly. He saw Crown Prince Edwards expression that seemed to be constipated and sighed deeply in his heart. He knew very well that it might not be easy to accept. But the Yellow Kingdoms King couldnt let Crown Prince Edward remained this way. "But Im..." "As long as your study showed that youre still capable enough, then I will not revoke your status," the Yellow Kingdoms King said calmly. As for whether it would truly be revoked or not, it would depend on Crown Prince Edwards performance. Crown Prince Edward was at loss. He looked at the Yellow Kingdoms King in front of him and then at the second prince who was standing beside him. The second prince was bowing his head, looking respectful, but it was also because of this that Crown Prince Edward couldnt see the latters expression. Even though so, Crown Prince Edward felt that the second prince must look proud. After all, he was able to cause Crown Prince Edward to possibly lose his qualification as the crown prince. This was very humiliating. "How do you want to do the test, Father?" The second prince found that the Yellow Kingdoms King and Crown Prince Edward were silent, so he took the initiative to ask. Hearing this question, the Yellow Kingdoms King looked at the second prince. He didnt know whether the second prince was doing this on purpose or not. But no matter which one the answer was, the Yellow Kingdoms King felt that he looked much better than Crown Prince Edward. "Ill watch your performance during your study," the Yellow Kingdoms King said calmly. Study? Crown Prince Edwards face was dark. No one didnt know that he didnt like studying and now the Yellow Kingdoms King was asking them to monitor their study. He felt that the Yellow Kingdoms King was simply targeting him. "You may go now." the Yellow Kingdoms King waved his hand. "Yes, Father." No matter how unhappy Crown Prince Edward was, he still followed his fathers order to go along with the second prince. After they came out of the main hall, Crown Prince Edward turned to look at the second prince beside him. He didnt usually pay attention to this second brother of his because he didnt think that it was necessary. But now, Crown Prince Edward knew that he might seek death if he didnt pay attention to him. "Youre really good." Crown Prince Edward sneered. The second prince was indeed much younger than Crown Prince Edward, but he was not afraid of Crown Prince Edwards provocation. He knew very well that the moment he decided to fight back and showed that he was better than Crown Prince Edward, he would have to face his brother. Besides, the relationship between the two brothers were not very good. When Crown Prince Edward hadnt gone to the Capital Academy, he didnt pay much attention to his younger brother. In this way, when Crown Prince Edward grew up and entered the Capital Academy, they met each other even rarer. So the second prince didnt feel much when he saw Crown Prince Edward being angry like this. "Thank you for your praise, Elder Brother," the second prince replied. "You..." "I have to study now, so please excuse me, Elder Brother," the second prince stopped what Crown Prince Edward wanted to say and left briskly. He had no intention to listen to Crown Prince Edwards words. Crown Prince Edward felt stuffed in his heart when he saw the second princes action. If it was possible, he really wanted to shake the second princes body and asked him what the hell did he mean? Was it really difficult for him to stay and listen to his words? When Louis came over, he saw Crown Prince Edwards face was as black as the bottom of the pot. He could guess that it should be because of what the Yellow Kingdoms King said and the second princes matter. For this matter, Louis had known earlier. Prime Minister Lat had told him about what the Yellow Kingdoms King said before. But how Louis choose to proceed later on, it would be up to him. Prime Minister Lat would not control his sons action. "Your Highness," Louis called. Chapter 230: Worry Chapter 230: Worry Crown Prince Edward took a deep breath and looked at Louis. "Is there anything?" "Ill help you with your study," Louis said. "As long as your result improves, His Majesty would not remove you from your position." Is it that simple? Crown Prince Edward felt that it would not be so simple, but he didnt know what to say to Louis in front of him. Was his father only warning him or not? "Wheres Benny?" Crown Prince Edward suppress the irritability in his heart and looked at Louis. "His family has some problems, so hes being called back by his family," Louis answered. "Problem?" Crown Prince Edward frowned. "Yes, theres a riot in the Davis Familys territory. I dont know the detail," Louis replied. Not long ago, Benny got a letter from his father that told him the situation in the Davis Familys territory was not very good. Even though Benny is already an adult and also a knight, he couldnt possibly leave his family alone when facing difficulties. Because even if he was no longer a noble in name, his family would still be his backing if it was necessary. Besides, the problem this time was related to fighting. So Benny chose to come back and help his family first. Crown Prince Edward frowned. "How could it happen at such a time?" Louis looked at Crown Prince Edward blankly. "Your Highness, with all due respect, I dont think that Benny would be able to help with your study." Considering that Bennys result was even worse that Crown Prince Edward, Louis felt that it would be better for Benny not to stay when they were studying. In this way, there was no problem even if Benny was not present during their studying time. "I dont mean for him to accompany me or help me to study. I want him to stay with Adela," Crown Prince Edward replied with a snort. He knew that Prince Charles was still sneaking in to see Adela from time to time. That prince made Crown Prince Edward felt uneasy, so he wanted someone to accompany Adela and prevent her from contacting Prince Charles. There were very few people who could possibly contend with Prince Charles without losing their grounds. Moreover, there were not many people whom Crown Prince Edward could trust. Louis and Benny were the two people whom Crown Prince Edward knew that he could trust. Because of this, he hoped that one of them could stay to accompany Adela. Louis would definitely need to help him in his study. After all, Crown Prince Edward would find it unbearable to study by himself. Having Louis helping him, Crown Prince Edward should be able to do better. "I think its fine to leave her alone," Louis said tentatively. He looked at Crown Prince Edward, who seemed distressed and the corner of his lips curled up in a mocking smile. Louis knew very well that Bennys thoughts to Adela was not completely pure. Moreover, Benny had sworn an oath to Adela to protect her. If it was not because his family had some problems, it was estimated that Benny would want to stay beside Adela all day long. But Louis chose not to say anything. It was good if Crown Prince Edward could trust them. Because only in this way would it be possible for Louis to spend more time with Adela in the future. "Your Highness, shall we start studying?" "Yes..." ... Adelas side While Crown Prince Edward and Prince Charles were being called by the Yellow Kingdoms King, Adela also heard about this. She didnt know what happened, but she could guess that it shouldnt be good. It was just... Why? How did things develop in this way? Adela was sure that when she followed the game before, the ending was really good. Crown Prince Edward might not be the most capable prince, but he was really good and wanted the best for his people. There were also Louis and Benny by his side, helping him to secure the position to the throne. In this way, Adela would become the queen in the future. Unfortunately, this part of the game was the epilogue, which meant that Adela only watched the scene that was being fast forward. She had no idea if there were any twist and turn in the middle of the situation. When Adela thought about this, she frowned. Did she change anything about Crown Prince Edwards succession matter to the throne? But she didnt even see the second prince! Moreover, the second prince was also a character who didnt appear in the game and only mentioned in the backstory about Crown Prince Edward. It was simply mentioned that he had a younger brother who was much younger than him, but he was born after Crown Prince Edward was established as the crown prince. In this way, there was no way the second prince could threaten Crown Prince Edwards position. So there was no such scene in the game. Crown Prince Edward would become the king smoothly with Adela. Other people seemed to be making way for them and didnt make trouble for them. But in this world, Adela felt that things were going differently. And she didnt understand why. Even if she had changed some things, she didnt change most other things and let them happen in accordance to how the game scenes were. Adela was confused. So, what should she do now? If Crown Prince Edward was no longer the crown prince, then it mean Adela would not be the queen in the future. Will she be eliminated? A frown appeared on Adelas face. Adela had heard a lot about the throne competition. There were many people who wanted the crown and it was difficult to make sure that there would not be any bloodshed at all. Because many people might do anything in order to get the throne. When Crown Prince Edward was eliminated, would the second price be so kind and let Crown Prince Edward go? Chapter 231: Worry (2) Chapter 231: Worry (2) For some reasons, Adela felt that it was really unlikely. After all, those who could become the king would not allow anyone to challenge their authority. Moreover, Crown Prince Edward and the second princes relationship were not very good. This knowledge was observed by Adela after she had contacted Crown Prince Edward for a period of time. It was not something from the game. Crown Prince Edward had almost never mentioned anything about his younger brother. And when it was time for holiday, Crown Prince Edward would spend most of his time accompanying Adela. When did he have time to spare with his younger brother? What should I do now? Adela is afraid. Everything has been going on as the game stated so far. But now, the world is about to change and there was nothing that Adela could do. It would be a confrontation between the two princes while Adela was staying at the sidelines. She also had no knowledge from the game that she could use. It felt frustrating. "Miss, Prince Charles is here to see you." At this time, a maid came to report Prince Charles arrival to Adela. "Cousin Charles is here?" Adelas eyes lit up when she heard it. She has been playing with Prince Charles several times in the past few days. It could be said that with Crown Prince Edward busy with his own study and so on, Prince Charles was the only one who had time to accompany her. Well, not exactly have time. He made the time through sneaking out when it was possible. Adela was really happy with it, though. She was worried for Crown Prince Edward but when she heard that Prince Charles is here, Adela only wanted to see him. "Adela!" Prince Charles greeted with a bright smile. "I sneaked over this time, so I cant stay for a long time." Adela nodded her head, indicating that she understood. She also wouldnt really expect Prince Charles to stay here for a long period of time. After all, he will be punished by his mother if he were to stay here for a long period of time. Prince Charles saw the crease on Adelas forehead. "Did something happen?" "Well... there are some problems..." Adela was not sure whether she should say this to Prince Charles or not. After all, this was a private matter of the Yellow Kingdom. "Tell me. Ill listen to you." Prince Charles sat not far from Adela. "This..." Adela hesitated for a moment and then sighed. "Alright, its about Crown Prince Edward..." ... White Family Residence While Adela was telling Prince Charles about Crown Prince Edwards situation, this matter also reached Duke White and Duchess Isabellas ear. The two people have been having a lot of troubles because of money and now there were another matter that they have to talk about. "Crown Prince Edward might not be the crown prince anymore?" Duke White asked, his tone was full of disbelief. "His Majesty wanted to test him, Master," the Head Butler replied. "Its ridiculous!" Duke White was angry when he heard that. The Head Butler sighed deeply. Honestly, the Yellow Kingdoms King should have his own thoughts for suddenly deciding this matter. He should also know that the reaction of Duke White and Duchess Isabella wouldnt be good. The two of them agreed with the engagement to be changed on the basis that Crown Prince Edward would be the king in the future. In this way, Adela would become the Queen. Both Duke White and Duchess Isabella felt that this matter would still be a good thing even though she was not the one they have prepared ever since she was young. But since Crown Prince Edward liked it, why not? They have followed Crown Prince Edwards request, but now they were told that Crown Prince Edward might not even be the crown prince anymore? Are you joking? Then what was the point of them sacrificing so many things? "I disagree with this!" Duchess Isabella was angry. She could accept Aurora was no longer wanted by Crown Prince Edward. Anyway, Duchess Isabella was raising Aurora as the successor and not as her child. Every nobility required a successor whos perfect and so on. Duchess Isabella had also seen this from her brother in the past. The current Red Kingdoms King also suffered greatly when he was young. Even if she was not the successor, Duchess Isabella was also forced to study a lot. When she have a child, they naturally couldnt escape the fate of studying. So when Duchess Isabella saw the study plan that Duke White arranged, she simply accepted it. In her opinion, it was good. It was not her who have to study anyway. After Adela was born, she has a weak body and couldnt really stand the stimulation of many things. However, the girl was really cute and would always smile reassuringly to them. Such girl really made them feel warm. Duchess Isabella also likes Adela very much. It was then she decided to raise Adela with pampering, the kind that would be hard to receive by those in the nobility. Perhaps, she wanted to see herself in Adela, someone who was being pampered and loved greatly. Of course, Duchess Isabella would not spend all of her time with Adela as she also has her own life. She would go to various parties that she enjoyed and show off in front of the other women. It was really fun. Duchess Isabella was still thinking what kind of future Adela would have. When she heard that Crown Prince Edward wanted Adela more than Aurora, she was surprised, but she could also accept it. Adela has always been the soft and kind girl in Duchess Isabellas eyes. To be able to enter Crown Prince Edwards eyes should be natural. Because of this, when Crown Prince Edward and Adela got engaged, Duchess Isabella didnt give any protest or anything like that. She felt that even though Adela was such a soft girl, she could become a queen and it was still a very good thing. What she needed to do was to support Adela so that she would not be bullied at that position. Chapter 232: Useless! Chapter 232: Useless! Duchess Isabella thought of everything beautifully. But what she didnt expect was to hear the piece of news that Crown Prince Edward would no longer be the crown prince. Do not! The position of the crown prince and the prince is very different. Duchess Isabella couldnt accept that the future queen she thought would fall to her daughters hand would become the princess. Moreover, Duchess Isabella was very clear of the difference between the king and the prince who failed to become a king. If they were not lucky, they could be killed in the middle. This was something that she had heard very often. Her brother chose not to kill his younger brother because the latter promised not to hold any power and would not try any means to take the throne. Instead, he became the useless noble who only knew how to play around and did nothing all day long. Even though he might want to set his eyes on the throne, he also knew very well that he was incapable to do that. It has nothing to do with him. So he chose to waste his life having fun and doing all things that he liked without worrying about anything. It was also because of his appearance that her older brother decided to let him off. After all, he didnt want to bear the name of someone who killed his sibling. If they could coexist peacefully, then it would be for the best. Duchess Isabella had watched this scene and could only sigh deeply in her heart. She knew that it would not be so easy for her brother to survive. But he still looked as easy going as ever when she saw him last time. It seemed as if the treatment he received would not affect him in the slightest bit. As for how he truly felt? Duchess Isabella never asked him. Now, would her daughter be with a man with that kind of future? Duchess Isabella didnt want it! If that the Yellow Kingdoms King dared to make her daughter suffer that kind of treatment, Duchess Isabella would be the first one to file a complaint. She didnt want to see her daughter suffer in the slightest bit. "Ill talk with His Majesty." Duke White also stood up and planned to go and see the Yellow Kingdoms King. He felt that if he didnt say anything, his daughters fate wouldnt be good at all. "Ill also go." Duchess Isabella felt that it was not good if she didnt come along with Duke White. The Head Butler didnt say anything and simply watched as both Duke White and Duchess Isabella left. He sighed deeply when he thought about these tows partialness. They treated Aurora as nothing more than the successor of either White Dukedom or to be the crown princess. And when Queen Ella showed her dissatisfaction and Crown Prince Edward also expressed his unwillingness, they chose to abandon her without hesitation. It was as if her hard work for over a decade was for nothing. Her entire life was placed in the decision of these people and no one could change it. Even her parents were not on her side. But when it came to Adela, she was able to gain their favor easily. Is it fair? Perhaps, it is and it is not at the same time. The Head Butler sighed deeply but he didnt do anything. He couldnt even do anything. As the Head Butler of the White Family, all he could do was to serve the family well. What his master decided to do, he couldnt interfere. ... Auroras side Aurora had no idea what kind of mess the Yellow Kingdoms Capital City has become. The decision of the Yellow Kingdoms King had attracted a lot of peoples attention and they came forward to express their opinion. For people like Duke White and Duchess Isabella whose daughter was involved in person, they would naturally oppose it firmly. For a person like Prime Minister Lat who had invested in Crown Prince Edward for a long time, he also couldnt accept it right away. But he knew that the Yellow Kingdom couldnt see a king like Crown Prince Edward. When he heard that it was a test from the Yellow Kingdoms King, Prime Minister Lat simply reminded his son to help Crown Prince Edward. As long as Crown Prince Edward behaved appropriately during this period of time, he would still be the crown prince and all of his investment was not for naught. Louis naturally obeyed his father. As much as he felt that Crown Prince Edward was indeed useless, Louis still didnt want his effort to go to waste either. Some nobles who were on the side of Queen Ella also showed their dissatisfaction but it was not much. Because the two children were naturally Queen Ellas children and they only wanted to help their ally. After all, the established crown prince was pretty good in their opinion. Some other nobles who felt that Crown Prince Edward was good would naturally feel that it was inappropriate. Of course, this good was because they felt that Crown Prince Edward was easy to be influenced and be used. Such a king, wouldnt it mean that they could do anything they wanted in the future? Of course, there were also many other nobles who agreed with the Yellow Kingdoms Kings words and methods. They felt that the current Crown Prince Edward was not suitable to be the king. This kind of stimulation was exactly what they needed to make Crown Prince Edward wiling to make progress. Otherwise... such a king was really disappointing. There were even some nobles who were more extreme and felt that the Yellow Kingdoms King was still too soft. It was clear that Crown Prince Edward was not suitable for the title at all. Giving him a chance was simply the same as throwing a stone into the sea. A ripple was caused but it would be drowned by the high wave afterwards. In other words... It was useless! Chapter 233: Departure Chapter 233: Departure Aurora read these response from the nobles with relish. She almost laughed out loud when she read some of their comments that were reported word by word. The action of the Yellow Kingdoms King and his decision had caused a lot of waves. And Aurora had honestly expected this to happen. For some people, a stupid crown prince like Crown Prince Edward was simply the best. Because it meant that they didnt have to worry about him restricting them and able to do many things on their own. But for some others who wished for the Yellow Kingdom to improve and so on, Crown Prince Edward was simply too bad. They didnt want to serve such a king and would rather pick the second prince who was more sensible. Even though Aurora didnt have much contact with the second prince, she knew that he would do a much better work compared to Crown Prince Edward. For the time being, the Yellow Kingdoms King hadnt fully given up on Crown Prince Edward and still wanted to test him. Yet, in this seemingly ordinary move, there were many people who have strong reactions and also watching Crown Prince Edward. Whether Crown Prince Edward could keep his title or not would depend on his performance. And in Auroras opinion, it would be hard for Crown Prince Edward to accomplish anything because that stupid crown prince kept on saying that he wanted to be a good king who cared for his people, yet he didnt want to study. All of his work were thrown to Louis and the others around him. He only wanted the result without the hard work that accompanied it. How could it work that way? There were already many people who were exasperated with this crown prince. Now that Crown Prince Edward was in this position, there might be some people who moved their hands and feet secretly. It must be interesting to see their faces. Aurora shook her head and put the letter away. She knew very well that because of her action, it would be a miracle for her to be accepted back in the Yellow Kingdom. On the surface, it didnt look like she did anything but to face Crown Prince Edward, though. But some people should have noticed what she did by now. There would be many people who wanted her dead by then. Aurora looked outside the carriage. Shes now in a carriage heading to the Red Kingdom. As much as Aurora would like to stay in the Yellow Kingdom, she knew better than anyone that once the people in the Yellow Kingdom found her, she would definitely be killed. Or even worse, a life worse than death. Rather than waiting for such a thing to happen, wouldnt it be better for her to leave first? Viscount Arns territory could be said to be her way to leave a place to the people who have followed her over the years. There were many people who couldnt possibly leave with her. In the end, only four people were leaving. The rest stayed behind. Not that Aurora cared that much, though. Aside from Era Guild, which she had worked hard to build over the years, Aurora didnt have much attachment to the Yellow Kingdom. Is it strange? All Aurora could remember from the days in the Yellow Kingdom was the fact that she couldnt live a life she truly wanted to and had to listen to the words of many people around her who had higher status. They wanted something from her, expect many things for her to do. It was a really tiring life. What Aurora wanted the most was to get away from it and stay in a place far away from these things. "Miss, were about to reach the border," William reminded from the front of the carriage. He was the one driving the carriage and would take turns with Prince Lester later. "Yes," Aurora replied. The construction of the road that was agreed on with Count Celeste was monitored by Karl. She didnt have to stay there and watch until the road was done since Aurora had other things to do. As the leader, Aurora knew that one had to have some capabilities on their own but at the same time, they needed to know that they didnt have to do everything on their own. The reason why they have subordinates was so that they could focus on the most important thing and the other things could be handled by their subordinates. Karl was more than enough for this business dealing. And as much as Aurora would spend more time with Lucy, the two of them knew that they have their own separate lives. There would be time when their path no longer crossed each other. Friends came and goes. It was only natural. "Lets stop for a while," Aurora said. "Yes, Miss." The carriage stopped and Aurora walked out of the carriage. She stretched her hand and then beckoned for Les to take care of the horse. They would still go for quite a distance, so the horse had to be taken care of. Les bowed and then took some water for the horse to drink. Aya looked around her and noticed that this area was quite well maintained. It seemed that the people in the village at the front was taking care of this area. "Miss, water." Prince Lester came and handed Aurora a bottle of water. When they were going out, they also prepared a lot of materials and the one who took care of them were mostly Prince Lester and the others. "Thank you," Aurora said and then sipped some water. She was still admiring the scenery and glanced at the side. Prince Lester was looking in her direction intently as if he wanted to watch her all over, which made Aurora felt a bit strange. "You dont have to look at me all the time, Prince Lester." "Im responsible for your safety, Miss." Chapter 234: Departure (2) Chapter 234: Departure (2) Aurora blinked her eyes. If he wanted to protect her, he could also look around her for threats instead of looking in her direction directly, right? While Aurora was confused, she didnt bother with this matter and looked away. As she sipped the water, Aurora asked, "Have you heard about the recent matters from the Ice Kingdom." Aurora had never restrained Prince Lester. If he wanted to find out about what happened in Ice Kingdom, he could inquire about it. No matter what, Prince Lester came from the Ice Kingdom and should know one or two things about what had happened there. "Yes." Prince Lesters eyes, which were staying on Aurora, finally moved away. "The Third Prince assassinated His Majesty, causing problem on the backline and forced the war to stop." This was actually a bit ridiculous. They were facing the Red Kingdom and everyone was busy fighting on the frontline but there were actually some people who made some moves on the back. There were many princes in the Ice Kingdom because of the kings behavior and habit. Some of the were the legal prince and some others were the illegitimate ones like Prince Lester. Those who were illegitimate were naturally not treated well in the Ice Kingdom and were not really respected by them. It could be said that their treatment was really bad that even servants were living better than them. But they were still there. And in the midst of the war with the Red Kingdom, the people in the Ice Kingdom fell into the turmoil of internal war that had lasted for some time. This even made the war with the Red Kingdom had to be stopped. Otherwise, they would not be able to do anything and suffer a lot of losses. "Several princes have died in the fight for the throne." Aurora played with the bottle in front of her. "And everyone of the royal descents want to have a piece of the throne. Are you also interested in the throne, Prince Lester?" Prince Lester didnt answer. Aurora also didnt expect Prince Lester to answer. Whether he wanted that throne or not, it was not her business. The two of them were only in a cooperative agreement relationship and as much as Aurora liked having Prince Lester stayed near her to help her with various matters, she also knew that he had other things that he had to do. Perhaps, going back to see his parents grave or to take back the throne that might be his. "Do you want to pay a visit to the Ice Kingdom?" Aurora asked. Pay a visit? Prince Lester thought about his hometown and then slowly shook his head before realizing that Aurora was not looking in his direction and replied, "No, I dont want to, Miss." "Not even to pay a visit to your parents grave?" His parents grave? Prince Lester thought about his father who had so many women who were fighting for him and also wanted many other women who didnt want to stay with him. He could never understand why his father liked women so much. These women were very troublesome and being raised in that environment, he had watched what they had done vey closely. Each and every single one of them were willing to do anything just for the sake of having their child sit on the throne. It was an action that Prince Lester couldnt fully comprehend. As for his mother... Prince Lester thought about his mother in the past and pursed his lips. She never wanted him and didnt bother to take care of him. Life in the Ice Kingdom was not much better than life in the Red Kingdom in the past. Prince Lester didnt have any good memories from his past. Even if there were any, he would have long forgotten about it. There were some days where things were easier to handle and bear but there were also many other days that was harder to go through. As for his parents well being... Prince Lester could still remember the day when they wanted to make an agreement with the Red Kingdom and the Ice Kingdoms King wanted to choose a prince to be sent to the Red Kingdom. The legitimate princes have their mother protecting them vehemently. They gave various reasons why their son shouldnt be the one being sent to the Red Kingdom and many others. And some other of the illegitimate princes mother were also the same. The rest were the few people who had lost their mother or their mother didnt care too much about them. Prince Lesters mother belonged to the last. She didnt care for him at all. In fact, Prince Lester felt that she might be happy if he could be away. So when the Ice Kingdoms King finally settled on Prince Lester, he didnt feel anything about his mothers indifference and acceptance. He himself also accepted his fate that no one wanted him. The Ice Kingdom King never asked him. He only asked his mother. Because whether Prince Lester wanted it or not, it didnt matter for the Ice Kingdom King. All that mattered was that they could settle this problem and send someone to the Red Kingdom at the fastest speed possible. No one looked at him directly and realized what he actually thought. At least, that was until Prince Lester met Aurora. She looked in his eyes directly and saw through him in an instant as if she understood him. Even if she didnt say much to him, the words she told him back then was still remembered in Prince Lesters heart. He never needed anyones pity. He didnt need anyones attention either. He didnt even know what he wanted, but Prince Lester swore that he had to live. He had to survive for the future. And in this process, he saw someone who could see him for who he is and extended a hand to help him. Even if she herself was not in the best position to help. Even if his own existence might bring her problem... Chapter 235: Aurora and Prince Lester’s Conversation Chapter 235: Aurora and Prince Lesters Conversation But she did. And Prince Lester will always remember Auroras kindness. But for other people in his life, even his own blood related parents... Prince Lester had to say that he didnt care for them. He knew that his mother had passed away not long after his own departure. And when Prince Lester heard that, he didnt feel anything. It was as if the one who died was someone unrelated to him and the news was only met with indifference. "No," Prince Lester replied. "I see." Aurora nodded and took another sip of water. She was not surprised by Prince Lesters indifference towards his own parents life and death. Because if Aurora had to say, she herself would not care whether Duke White and Duchess Isabella were alive or dead. Even if the two of them were to die and the news were delivered to her, Aurora would not think too much and only nodded at the news. Because in her opinion, there was no need to care about these two. She enjoyed reading about their misery from the arrangement that she had made. But whether they would last until the end or not was another question. And Aurora would only watch them with indifference. Have they ever treated her as their daughter? Or it was a mere tool to succeed the White Dukedom? Or a tool to earn money? Aurora didnt know and didnt want to care about it. "After reaching the Red Kingdom, try to stay low and dont wander around," Aurora reminded. "There are still spies from the Ice Kingdom there." No matter what, Aurora didnt want Prince Lester to lose his life when they entered the Red Kingdom. The war between the Red Kingdom and the Ice Kingdom had only ended not long ago. There were still many remnants of the Ice Kingdom spies who lurked in the Red Kingdom to watch over the situation. In case the Red Kingdom wanted to change their minds midway, they had to be prepared for another war. These two kingdoms were indeed mortal enemies. They had fought against each other for so many years and there had never been any conclusion. It seemed that the battle between the two kingdoms might even last until next generations or even the one afterwards. Unless they could reach some kind of conclusion. But based on the fact that the Ice Kingdom was still adamant on fighting, they should covet the resources that existed in the Red Kingdom. After all, war was mostly because of resources more than any other thing. "Yes, Miss," Prince Lester replied in a low voice. He also didnt want to be found by those people from the Ice Kingdom. If they were to know that he was living well as Auroras knight, Prince Lester was sure that they would come and disturb him. He couldnt let that happen. Aurora held the jug in her hand and slowly stood up. "Lets go back. The horse should have enough rest. Call William and Les to go." "Yes, Miss." This was just a short break and Aurora was able to think about other things. Since she planned to stay in the Red Kingdom next, Aurora had to remember and understand the relationship between the Red Kingdom with the other kingdoms nearby. The Ice Kingdom had a lot of conflicts with the Red Kingdom. Hoping for a stable and long lasting cooperation with the people there would be close to impossible. Aurora also wouldnt think that her existence can change any of that, so this matter was an immediate pass. She would rather think about other methods. The Mountain Kingdom... It has been a secluded kingdom for so many years and Aurora didnt think that they would want to open up their kingdom for trades. She could try to send some people for inquiry and also investigation but she shouldnt expect too much. As expected, the stable ones are only these four kingdoms. Aurora shook her head, not too surprised by this matter. She knew better than anyone that the treaty between the four kingdoms would definitely last for a long time and it was the Red Kingdom who had the advantage. After all, that lake was in their territory but the river flowed to the other three kingdoms. So the control was in the Red Kingdom. If not because of the war with the Ice Kingdom, it was estimated that Aurora would not be able to make that profitable deal back then. At most, she could only ask for a bit more for the Yellow Kingdom. Then again, she would no longer represent the Yellow Kingdom. As for the fate of the Yellow Kingdom next? Aurora felt that they would be fine as long as Crown Prince Edward didnt sit on the throne in the end. That stupid prince might not even know that 1 plus 1 is two much less many other things. After interacting with him, Aurora had lost hope in him. And Adela? Expecting her somewhat naive sister to help Crown Prince Edward was nothing more than a pipe dream. It was more like the two of them would fool around together rather than doing anything that would benefit the kingdom. Besides... Aurora doubted that Crown Prince Edward would be able to keep his position. Even though the news she got was that the Yellow Kingdom wavered and wanted to test Crown Prince Edward, Aurora was sure that Crown Prince Edward would never be able to pass the test. There was no need for her to do anything. That man was basically digging his own grave. Aurora was sure that if Crown Prince Edward has been born in any other family who didnt pamper him so much, he would have to work hard to do whatever he wanted. At the very least, it was clear that Crown Prince Edward would not be able to stay still and wasted his time every day like he did in the past. But there was no if. Chapter 236: Aurora’s Thoughts Chapter 236: Auroras Thoughts Aurora looked out of the window once more, her thoughts fluttered away. There were still some things that she prepared in the Yellow Kingdom as presents. Even though she was sure that some people didnt really need her to make any move and they would dig their own grave, Aurora still proceed to prepare some things. One could not be too careful. And Aurora didnt want to leave any loose ends in the Yellow Kingdom. She might not have any plan to return to this kingdom in the future, but she had to make sure that those who hurt her paid miserable price. Shes a petty person. The first thing to do after this is to find a place to build the Era Guild. Rather than coming as a noble, Aurora liked it more to come as a merchant. Her education might be that of a noble but she lived more like a merchant in the past few years. Of course, her status had given her a lot of advantage. But Aurora would not be able to use it since she planned to hide her identity when she came to the Red Kingdom this time. Otherwise, there might be some people who reported to the Yellow Kingdom about her whereabouts. She had heard that her father was looking for her. Aurora guessed that it should be because of the mess she left behind and her father couldnt handle it. But since Aurora had determined to leave, she would not care what Duke White did and how he handled that problem. It would be better for her to care about what moves she planned to make when she came to the Red Kingdom. With that said, Aurora kept on thinking about various things while she looked outside the carriage. Aurora looked at the Red Kingdom in front of her and thought about her next plan. In order to make sure the people from the Yellow Kingdom would not chase after her, she just have to deal with a few people who wanted her life. Is it hard? Aurora didnt know. But if things were to develop in accordance to what she had arranged in the Yellow Kingdom, it shouldnt be that hard. And if these people continued to behave stupidly, Aurora would not be surprised if they ended up digging their own graves. Honestly, that Crown Prince Edward could only survive so far because there were many people who were cleaning up the mess he left behind. Aurora shook her head when she thought about this. She better stopped thinking about those stupid people. After all, she heard that stupidity was contagious and it would be better for her to think of other things. The carriage continued and stopped in a small village. The carriage that Aurora used was not the conspicuous one that many nobles would use. Instead, it was a relatively ordinary carriage that was hard to recognize. This was the best transportation method for Aurora if she wanted to stay incognito. As Aurora walked down the street, she could hear some people talking. "Have you heard? His Highness had brought victory to the Red Kingdom in the war against the Ice Kingdom." "Huh? His Highness the first prince is only in his early twenties. How is it possible for him to be the one to lead the war to victory?" "Its true!" "Yes! His Highness Prince Brian will return to the Capital City soon and at that time, there will be many people who come forward to welcome him." "Kyaaa!" Aurora listened to their conversation and guessed that the war between the Red Kingdom and the Ice Kingdom were over. It was no wonder that Queen Rachel was so impatient to come to the Yellow Kingdom for the next negotiation. She needed some bargaining chips for Prince Charles. Because Prince Brian already had some achievements on his own on the battlefield while Prince Charles was nothing more than a fledging prince who was struggling in the Capital Academy with poor result. Well, even an idiot could see that Prince Charles was not suitable to be a king. Unless what they wanted was a puppet king who would listen to their words, they would never pick Prince Charles to be their king. Aurora could guess that the Red Kingdoms King should be having headache about this matter too. After all, it would not be easy for him to decide who will be the crown prince when he favored Queen Rachel but her son was incapable. If Prince Charles could change, things would be different. But Aurora could see that Prince Charles didnt have much ambitions in his life. He just wanted to live a fulfilling and fun life as the prince. With such a goal, how could it be possible for Prince Charles to achieve much? Aurora didnt have much thoughts about this matter because she knew that what her cousin wanted to do was up to them. However, she has to say that Queen Rachel was one of the few people that Aurora didnt really like. The two queens from both the Yellow Kingdom and the Red Kingdom were really not easy to mess with. The two of them were really annoying too. They would not allow anyone to challenge their authority and Auroras presence alone and already done that. Even though Aurora didnt do anything to them, these two people were simply too worried and chose to strike first before doing anything else. This action alone was really annoying and Aurora felt that these two people was really not suitable to be the queen. They were too paranoid. While thinking, Prince Lester had already escorted Aurora out of the carriage. Hmm? Aurora walked into one of the inns and stopped when she saw the group in front of her. The leader of the group was wearing a hood, but she could still some traces of the bright blond hair from the corner of the hood. As the man turned to the side, Aurora could see his side face and blinked her eyes. Prince Brian? Chapter 237: Cousins Meeting Chapter 237: Cousins Meeting Aurora tilted her head slightly. She might not have seen her cousin much, but she could definitely recognize him. It was mainly because Prince Brians appearance was around 50% similar to Aurora. While Prince Charles looked more like his mother, both Aurora and Prince Brian were closer to their grandfather. Of course, that was if they ignored the fact that their hair and eye colors were different. Prince Brian has been on the battlefield for a long time, so when someone was staring in his direction, he could more or less feel it. Turning his head, he was stunned when he saw Aurora standing there. Even on the battlefield, Prince Brian made sure that he was informed about the matter that happened outside. From the informations he had received, he knew that his cousin, Aurora White, had disappeared from the Yellow Kingdom. There were many people who were looking for her, mostly because they wanted to kill her. It was unknown whether they could truly find Aurora considering that she was not exactly someone who would leak out her whereabout so easily. Prince Brian had contemplated where Aurora might go. Who would have thought that he would see her in the Red Kingdom? The corner of Prince Brians lips curled up slightly. "Its been a while, Cousin." Aurora was looking at Prince Brian and when she saw his gaze turned from indifference to surprise, she knew that she didnt recognize the wrong person. While it was unexpected to see him here, it was a good thing. Aurora stepped forward with a polite smile on her face. "Its been a while too, Cousin." Behind Aurora, Prince Lester looked in Prince Brians direction coldly. If it was not because of Prince Brians identity as Auroras cousin, Prince Lester might have long hacked him to death. "Shall we find a place to talk?" Prince Brian chuckled. "Yes." ... The Yellow Kingdom, Crown Prince Edwards side. After the order from the Yellow Kingdoms King, the life of Crown Prince Edward was filled with nothing but study. He couldnt even see Adela when he was being confined and restricted in the palace. This made Crown Prince Edward depressed. He wanted to see Adela so badly. It has been such a long time since the last time he could see her freely and that was also interrupted by Prince Charles. That annoying cousin of Adela made Crown Prince Charles really annoyed. Now that the Yellow Kingdoms King wanted to see his performance compared with the second prince, Crown Prince Edward felt more irritable. In the study room, it was not only him and his teacher but also the second prince. Unlike Prince Charles who would openly provoke Crown Prince Edward from time to time in the matter related to Adela, the second prince didnt provoke Crown Prince Edward with words so openly like that. However, for some reasons, his presence alone made Crown Prince Edward irritated. The second prince could see that Crown Prince Edward was annoyed, but he merely smiled in Crown Prince Edwards direction. It was just that this smile looked like a threat in Crown Prince Edwards eyes. This undoubtedly made him feel even more irritable. The announcement from the Yellow Kingdoms King was not long ago, but Crown Prince Edward already looked like he was about to break down. The teacher who was teaching the two princes could see the difference between the two of them very clearly. Even Louis, who was staying beside Crown Prince Edward to help the latter, couldnt really help Crown Prince Edward much. The crown princes mentality was already very bad. It didnt look like he could withstand any stimulation. How did the Yellow Kingdoms King have such a useless son? Everyone but Crown Prince Edward thought this way when they saw Crown Prince Edward in this room. "Your Highness, you have to focus," Louis reminded in a low voice when he saw Crown Prince Edward was not focusing. If this man wanted to keep his position as the Crown Prince, he had to study properly. At this moment, Louis felt that his decision to follow Crown Prince Edward when he was young was really wrong. This person was really useless. Back then, Louis and the other two helped to clean up Crown Prince Edwards mess and didnt care too much about it. Because they were still young and they felt that there would be a chance for Crown Prince Edward to prove himself in the future. After all, Crown Prince Edward was someone who had grand ambition and seemed to be very good. But in the end... Whats so good about this useless prince? If Crown Prince Edward when he was young was still tolerable, the grown up Crown Prince Edward was annoying. Louis could only silently help Crown Prince Edward from the side, hoping that Crown Prince Edward could improve even a little bit. "I know," Crown Prince Edward replied, feeling somewhat irritated. He didnt want to study and if it was not because of his fathers order, Crown Prince Edward would never be here. In the beginning, he did follow the teachers words but as time passed by, their words felt like ancient language that was lulling him to sleep. He couldnt understand any of that. Now that his position as the crown prince was threatened, Crown Prince Edward was more depressed and tried to study more. But his head hurt when he saw these things in front of him. He really didnt want to study. "Alright, you can take a break." The teacher could see that Crown Prince Edward looked like he was about to die and the second prince was also a bit tired. Even though the second prince was younger, but he was more formidable than Crown Prince Edward. It could be said that his study progressed faster. But there was still a limit. If Crown Prince Edward was willing to work harder, then he would be able to surpass the second prince with his longer foundation in the Capital Academy. Chapter 238: Study Chapter 238: Study Unfortunately, Crown Prince Edward didnt even bother studying when he was in the Capital Academy. So his foundation was basically zero. Even in his usual test, his result was basically not announced by the Capital Academy to save his face. There was even a story where Crown Prince Edward tried to make them change his score, but he was being called by the principal instead and this matter was reported to the king and queen. Queen Ella had to reprimand Crown Prince Edward and since then, Crown Prince Edward knew that he could only have his score remained. He felt resentful about this, but there was nothing that he could do. The principal didnt fear them. Even if Crown Prince Edward wanted to threaten him in the name of the future king, the principal didnt budge. So everyone basically knew that Crown Prince Edwards result was far from ideal. The people in his class knew this very well. They have long gotten used to this prince who didnt want to study and didnt even try to study. "Yes." With that, the teacher left. Crown Prince Edward slumped on his seat. He turned to look at Louis. "Has the Yellow Kingdoms King said anything else?" At this moment, he didnt even bother calling the Yellow Kingdoms King as his father anymore. Because Crown Prince Edward felt that the Yellow Kingdoms King was too ruthless this time. Louis took a deep breath and looked at Crown Prince Edward. To be honest, he was really tempted to just abandon Crown Prince Edward here and didnt bother with the other party in the slightest bit anymore. Having to clean up Crown Prince Edwards mess every single time was really tiring. "Lady Adela is permitted to come and pay a visit to you during break time, Your Highness," Louis replied. "Really?" Crown Prince Edwards eyes lit up. "She should be coming soon." Louis sighed and looked at the mess of the paper in front of them. Even though he had tried his best to help Crown Prince Edward in the latters study, it didnt seem to have much use when Crown Prince Edward himself didnt want to learn. The second prince looked in their direction for a moment before turning his head away once more. He had naturally heard about Adela White and also the farce during his brothers graduation party. Having in contact with Aurora, albeit only for a short period of time, the second prince knew very well that the rumors were all wrong. There was nothing that indicated Aurora was such a person. And those who had seen how Aurora usually acted could also feel that something was wrong. While one could also feel that Aurora was acting, but they should not jump into conclusions so easily. Because if they did, they would never realize that they might have understood things wrongly. Those unfounded accusations might as well be the handiwork of Crown Prince Edward because he wanted to change his fiance?. After all, no one didnt know that Crown Prince Edward was close with Adela White in the Capital Academy. Without Aurora in the Capital Academy, these two people looked like more a couple. The second prince sneered and then turned to look at the side. He really didnt want to see his older brother right now. Because if he did, he might not be able to help himself to sneer towards Crown Prince Edward again. The two of them might be brothers, but their relationship was definitely very bad. He had no interest to interact more with Crown Prince Edward. Otherwise, if he was infected by Crown Prince Edwards stupidity, then that would be really bad. He didnt want to be as stupid as his older brother. Knock! Knock! The door was knocked and then a maid spoke out, "Your Highness, Lady Adela is here." "Come in!" Crown Prince Edward was really excited when he heard that Adela had come. The door opened and Adela walked in. After the announcement from the Yellow Kingdoms King, Adela has been worried. She thought that everything would go smoothly just like how it was in the game. But now, Adela realized how wrong it was. Her father and mother were quarreling against each other and also told her the truth that they came to ask questions to the Yellow Kingdoms King. But the Yellow Kingdoms King was very firm in this decision. No matter what they said, the Yellow Kingdoms King would not change it. This made Duke White anxious and even Duchess Isabella felt really annoyed. Yet there was nothing that she could do but to accept it. Because even if she didnt want to, there was nothing that she could do. They could only hope that Crown Prince Edward would perform well. Aside from that, Adela noticed that Duke White and Duchess Isabella seemed to have a lot of disagreement lately. And her mother could no longer spend so much money to buy new dresses and jewelries. This also affect Adela because it meant that there would be many of her dresses and jewelries that were out of season. But when Adela asked her mother, Duchess Isabella would only answer that it was not possible. Adela felt aggrieved. She didnt like this kind of life where she couldnt really do anything. But no matter how vexed Adela felt in her heart, she knew very well that she had to accept it. Because both of her parents said that the financial situation of the White Dukedom was not very good. But why? Adela didnt understand. She felt that the situation should be the same, but why are there problems left and right. From her parents alone and then the problem from the Yellow Kingdoms King and Crown Prince Edward. Everything made Adela feel suffocated. She had only gotten better from her illness and her study was also reduced appropriately to prevent her from getting sick again. But Adela had not escape from the fate of studying. Chapter 239: Taunt and Attack Chapter 239: Taunt and Attack Her break time was longer than the other princes, so Adela took this chance to pay a visit to Crown Prince Edward. While the Yellow Kingdoms King wanted to see Crown Prince Edwards study and performance, he didnt prevent Adela from seeing Crown Prince Edward when she wanted to. In this way, Adela simply made her way to Crown Prince Edwards study room. "Adela!" Crown Prince Edward was happy to see her. "Have you gotten better? They didnt push you too hard in the study, right?" Adela showed a smile and shook her head. "No. They didnt push me hard to study." In fact, the teachers might be afraid that Adela would faint again, so they tried their best to make sure Adela feel comfortable during the teaching period. They would make sure that Adela was not tired, but there were still many things for her to learn. Becoming the queen is by no means easy. Adela was annoyed because of the study and the situation at home was also getting worse. She was hoping to spend some time with Crown Prince Edward to relax her mood. Whenever she was with him, Adela would feel very comfortable. Because of that, Adela hoped that she could spend more time with Crown Prince Edward. "Thats good." Crown Prince Edward smiled and started to talk merrily with Adela. The break time was simply the best time for him too because he could spend it with Adela. As the two of them talked a lot, Louis cleaned up the papers in front of him and sort them all out. There were too many things that Crown Prince Edward had to review because his foundation was simply too weak. This made the progress slow. "Hows your study progress?" Adela asked and looked at the pile of papers on the table. The content didnt seem to be that much different from hers. Well, there were some topics that were not taught in hers but taught to Crown Prince Edward. It seemed that the content study for the prince and princess were different. "There are still a lot to cover," Louis replied. "I see." Adela nodded. "How about you, Adela? Dont you have a lot to cover too?" Crown Prince Edward asked. If he was not wrong, Adela is one year younger than him, so it must be harder for Adela to study compared to him. "Ah, well..." Adela pouted. Crown Prince Edward felt distressed but he couldnt fight back his father and mother. If he could, he would not have to stay in this room and study all the time. Who actually like studying? It was definitely not him. "Dont worry, itll pass soon," Crown Prince Edward said, trying to reassure Adela. If it was possible, Crown Prince Edward also wanted to go to the Yellow Kingdoms King and asked him to stop this trial. But he couldnt do it, so he could only endure. He hoped that it would be done soon, though. The second prince, who heard Crown Prince Edwards words, shook his head internally. He could see that his father was really angry this time. If Crown Prince Edward had behaved more appropriately, the Yellow Kingdoms King would never even give out this proposal. And in that situation, it would naturally be impossible for the second prince to even have a chance to obtain the throne. But a chance is enough. As long as he maximized this chance, Crown Prince Edward will never be able to become the crown prince. To become a king, one had to learn how to learn how to treat others with respect and not do anything thats unnecessary. Sometimes, to take what belongs to others, a comparison is all thats needed. The Second Prince always remembered what Aurora told him in that library. He only asked for her help in study because he had heard that Aurora was really good. Having her helped him had allowed him to save a lot of time. But that meeting also allowed him to understand something else. That if Aurora had wanted to, she might be able to overturn the entire Yellow Kingdom until nothing was left. It was a scary thought. And through talking with Aurora, the Second Prince also started to set his eyes on the throne. In the beginning, he thought that his father had settled on Crown Prince Edward and there was no chance to change it. But Crown Prince Edwards performance made the Second Prince realized that there was a chance. A chance to prove that he was better. Without comparison, people wouldnt think too much. But when the more excellent second prince was compared to Crown Prince Edward, they would be able to see that their first decision didnt seem to be very good. The Second Prince didnt have to be so excellent. In fact, he himself also knew that his talent and ability was limited. If he had to compare to those top students like Aurora or Louis, then the second prince would make his exit first. Because he knew that there was simply no comparison. But since the person he had to compare with was Crown Prince Edward, then there was truly a chance. A chance to prove that he was better. Only through direct comparison would it be visible that Crown Prince Edward was such a bad prince. Since they have a better choice, why pick the lesser one? The Second Prince silently lowered his head. He knew that if he truly wanted that throne, he would have to bid his time carefully. If he were to make any rash move, it was Crown Prince Edward who will benefit. And he had more than enough time. So the Second Prince was very patient. He ignored the two people on the side and looked at his study materials, sorting them all by himself. Unlike Crown Prince Edward who had Louis to clean up his mess, the second prince didnt have any close attendants yet. But he had some friends in the academy. Once his position was confirmed, he could start evaluate these talented students. Chapter 240: Taunt and Attack (2) Chapter 240: Taunt and Attack (2) "Lady Adela, its almost time," Louis suddenly said. The two of them have talked long enough and the teacher will soon return, meaning that the break time was over. He had calculated the time and it should be enough to send Adela back down. "Is it?" Adela was stunned. "Cant we just wait until the teacher come back?" Crown Prince Edward complained. He still wanted to spend more time with Adela rather than studying. "His majesty the Yellow Kingdoms King would not be happy if he heard that youre not studying seriously," Louis said solemnly. Crown Prince Edwards face collapsed when the Yellow Kingdoms King was mentioned. No matter where, he didnt want to hear this title again in his life. He was already annoyed enough by his father and reminding him about these things would make him even more tired. "I know, I know." Crown Prince Edward grumbled. Adela sighed deeply. She also didnt want this, but it seemed that it would be inevitable for her to go back and study again. Thinking about studying, Adelas face also fell. "Your Highness, Ill send Lady Adela downstairs," Louis said unhurriedly. Crown Prince Edward nodded. "Yes, make sure that Prince Charles didnt come any closer to her." Prince Charles was studying not far from the palace. The negotiation was not over yet, so Queen Rachel asked for a place for her son to study. And in order to make sure Prince Charles would not help Queen Rachel and provided a lot of unnecessary help, he was placed in the Yellow Kingdoms Imperial Palace. Queen Rachel didnt mind and leave it be. The previous time Adela came to pay him a visit, Prince Charles made a good use of it to meet with Adela before her return. Crown Prince Edward saw it from the window and feel angry but couldnt do anything. He wanted to be the one to send her down but he met the teacher when he went down and was then dragged to the study room again. Crown Prince Edward really felt helpless about this. So only Louis could go down and escort Adela. "Yes, Your Highness." Louis smiled and turned to look at Adela. "Lady Adela?" "Yes." Adela nodded and followed Louis out of the room. There were not many people in the palace and the distance was also quite long, so Louis was happy. Even if he knew that his thoughts might not be appropriate, but he couldnt help it. To be able to spend even a moment longer with Adela without Crown Prince Edward was already very good. The second prince saw that Crown Prince Edward was smiling happily as Louis escorted Adela out. Seeing the appearance of Louis when he looked at Adela, the second prince remembers the day when the three people come to help Adela so suddenly. The look in their eyes... The second prince had a thoughtful look and then looked at his older brother. He had the feeling that Crown Prince Edward trusted Louis greatly and even trusted Adela to him. But if the second prince was not wrong, Louis should have other ideas. When he thought about this, the second prince chuckled. "Why are you laughing?" Crown Prince Edward was looking at the second prince with a dark face. He had the feeling that this annoying younger brother of his was laughing at him. The second prince looked at Crown Prince Edward and smiled. "I just think you trust your friends a bit too much." "What are you talking about?" The second prince saw Crown Prince Edwards face darkened at speed visible to the naked eyes and thought about Louis and Adela just now. Should he tell his older bother about this matter? There was no need for him to say anything. But... It seemed to be quite interesting. "Dont you think that your subordinate might like your fiance?e?" "Dont speak nonsense! Theyre not like that." Crown Prince Edwards face darkened. They all treated Adela well and this was something that Crown Prince Edward knew. But these two people liking Adela? No way. Adela is his! The second prince could see Crown Prince Edward was about to explode when this matter was mentioned. It seemed that this matter had never crossed in his head in the slightest bit before he mentioned it. Forget it. It was enough stimulation. "Forget I said anything. After all, youre the one who spend more time with them." The second prince spread his hand. "You should better than anyone what their personality is like. Besides, stealing other peoples fiance? is quite uncommon, isnt it?" There was mockery in the second princes tone. He knew very well that Adela was the one who stole her sisters fiance? and even behaved as if it was not their fault. It was to the point that they would throw the blame on Aurora just to make them seem righteous. Really... How did he have such an older brother? The second prince didnt have much interaction with his family members because they didnt expect anything from him. He usually spent it with other nobles and also his other relatives or even his teachers. It might be lonely, but the second prince felt that it was not bad. At the very least, it allowed him to see many things that were different from others. So when he knew what his older brother did, the second prince only felt that his brother was not good. It was said that one should side with their family members. But for the Second Prince, he would rather side with Aurora rather than siding with his older brother. S "You..." Crown Prince Edwards eyes were red and his face was dark. Because he knew that what the second prince said were truly insulting. It was clear that he was insinuating himself and this was something that Crown Prince Edward couldnt accept. "What do you want to do, huh?" Prang! The sound of glass breaking could be heard loud and clear. Chapter 241: Crown Prince Edward’s Incident Chapter 241: Crown Prince Edwards Incident Bang! The teacher, who was on his way to return to the classroom, heard the voices of Crown Prince Edward and the second prince even from outside the classroom. "You...!" Crown Prince Edwards voice sounded really angry. The teacher instantly felt that it was not good and wanted to enter the room when he heard the second prince responded in taunting tone. "What do you want to do, huh?" Prang! Bang! The teacher pushed the door open and saw a vase broken beside the second prince. Pieces of the vase shattered everywhere and the second prince blocked his face with his hand, blood could be seen from his hand. There were some other cuts on his hand too. The Crown Prince, who was about to lash out, froze in his place when he heard the door slammed open. "Your Highness! What are you doing?!" The teachers voice was so loud that almost everyone in the palace could hear them. ... Queen Ella was not having a good time. Her brother sent her a letter, admonishing her failure which resulted in him having to paid a large sum of money for the war. Duke Yelan was by no means rich and after the resources were sent over, the Yellow Kingdoms King had sent people to his territory to take the money. With that action alone, Duke Yelan knew that there was no way out from this. At the same time, he was very angry with his sister. If his sister had performed better, he would not have to suffer so much like this. It was all her fault! Facing her brothers accusation, Queen Ella could only patiently reply and try to soothe him. She knew that Duke Yelan was now on the battlefield with the Sand Kingdom, trying to fight for the ownership of the mine and so on. Queen Ella also had to manage her son, whose study was so bad that she didnt know what to say. Moreover, the Yellow Kingdoms Kings decision not long ago seemed to signal that he wanted to give up on this son of his. When Queen Ella thought about it, she would feel very uncomfortable. But there was nothing that she could do to the Yellow Kingdoms King. She could only ask her son to study. Thankfully, with a strict teacher and having the second prince to study together with him, Crown Prince Edward was still doing well. At least, he no longer run away even though his result was still very bad. On the other hand, Queen Ella was surprised to find that her second son actually performed quite good. She never expected that the prince she didnt take care ever since he was young would show such a performance. Was he really that good? Queen Ella didnt know. She did prefer Crown Prince Edward, but even if the one who was selected was the second prince, she would not complain. Because the two of them were her children and Queen Ella would still be the honorable member of the Royal Family. What made her uncomfortable was that the Yellow Kingdoms King was truly ruthless to Duke Yelan this time. It seemed that he was determined to make sure that the one to suffer would be Duke Yelan. Why? Queen Ella also didnt know and she was tired. As she was reviewing the other documents that she had to process, Queen Ella was just about to take a rest when she heard commotion in the distance. "Your Highness! Its not good. The first prince tried to kill the second prince!" One of the maid rushed to Queen Ella. "What?" ... By the time Queen Ella arrived, the scene had been cleaned up more or less. However, the second prince has his hands bandaged while Crown Prince Edward was sitting on the side, his face was pale. It was only after action did Crown Prince Edward realized what he had done. He attacked the second prince. And he still did it in the full view. Many people had seen him attacked the second prince, which meant that he couldnt escape from this blame. Louis and Adela were also there. The two of them were chatting while going down the stairs when they heard commotion from the back. Naturally, they couldnt return and then they came to see such a shocking scene. Even Adela was full of disbelief. In her eyes, Crown Prince Edward is very good and will never make such a mistake. And everything seemed to have gone awry. Why is everything different from the game? Adela was confused. She knew that she did change some things, but it should not affect the ending considering that she followed the path just like how it was in the game, right? But right now, the situation seemed to tell her that she was wrong. Adela didnt understand. How did the good ending from the game turned into this kind of ending where Crown Prince Edward even attacked his younger brother? "Edward, do you know what you did wrong?" the Yellow Kingdoms King looked at his son and sighed deeply. The battle for the throne has always been a bloody battle. Everyone who has qualification to obtain the throne can use various means to make sure they won in the end. Assassination, tricks, and many others could be used. But this was the first time he saw such a blatant method of killing the other party with their own hands. If Crown Prince Edward was someone with great swordsmanship or something like that, it was indeed possible. Though, it was still very reckless to make a move without any preparation whatsoever. After all, this is the Royal Palace. They had to be very brave if they wanted to kill the member of the Royal Family in this place. Though, the Yellow Kingdoms King could guess that Crown Prince Edward didnt have such intention at all. It was more like, Crown Prince Edward findt even try to use his brain. He was only rushing forward without caring for the consequences. As for the reason? Turning to look at the second prince who was being bandaged, the Yellow Kingdoms King could guess that it should be because of something the second prince said. After all, there was no way Crown Prince Edward would make a move without any reason. Even if the reason was really bad, but it would still be a reason. "No, I didnt mean it," Crown Prince Edward said, his tone was trembling. No matter how dull he usually was, Crown Prince Edward could still see the disappointment in the Yellow Kingdoms Kings eyes. Crown Prince Edward really felt desperate right now. He wanted to say that he didnt mean it and it was the second prince who made the first move. But all words seemed to be blocked in his throat. Because everyone saw him make the move and not the second prince. "No..." In his despair, Crown Prince Edward could only say no. The others watched and turned to look at the Yellow Kingdoms King. It seemed that he had made his decision when he saw Crown Prince Edward like this. It could be said that the second prince had made a good calculation. But then again... The victor is the king. ... Auroras side Aurora had no idea that Crown Prince Edward was in a big trouble now. Because of his action, the Yellow Kingdoms King had been thoroughly disappointed in him. It was easy to guess what would happen to him later on. If Aurora were to know, she would be amazed that Crown Prince Edward had lowered ones intelligence standard once again. It was estimated that Queen Ella would be thoroughly frustrated with this son of her. And other people might be able to take advantage of it. But it didnt really matter for Aurora because right now, she was facing Prince Brian. The two of them went to a room in the inn with their men waiting outside. It seemed that the two sides were going to fight if there were any dispute inside. "I didnt expect to see you here, Cousin Aurora," Prince Brian said. He looked at Aurora up and down and the corner of his lips curled up. "And it seems you have been doing very well." Aurora escaped from Yellow Kingdoms Capital City. One would wonder whether she was hurt in any way. After all, the capital city was tightly guarded and many people wanted Auroras lives for several reasons. She had offended many people yet also being protected by many people who didnt want her to die. It was quite unique. "I didnt expect to see you here either," Aurora replied. "Would you mind telling me why you call me here, Prince Brian?" "I thought itll be nice for us to talk with each other again after a long period of time," Prince Brian said calmly. He looked at the tea that his servant had prepared for him and slowly lift it up. "And I think for someone whos being chased by many people, youre very bold and calm to appear in public." Chapter 242: Negotiation between Aurora and Prince Brian Chapter 242: Negotiation between Aurora and Prince Brian Aurora knew what Prince Brian meant. But she didnt have the intention to explain her reasoning to him. The two of them might be cousins, but they were not close with each other. There was also the factor of the two of them being raised in different kingdoms and should have been in different factions. Oh well, Aurora was no longer part of the Yellow Kingdom, though. Crown Prince Edward had already kicked her out of the kingdom and her family had disowned her. "Not many people knew my face," Aurora said. "And if they did come, Ill just deal with them." Over the years, there were already many people who wanted to take Auroras lives. Ever since her first assassination, Aurora had slowly become numb to having people sent someone to take her head. It was quite interesting to see that she has so many people who wanted her to die because she touched their interest. These nobles were truly arrogant. Not that Aurora minded, though. She just have to deal with them one by one. Over time, those who thought that she was easy to deal with had changed their minds. Many people have died because of her arrangement. Since they wanted to take her life, why couldnt she take theirs? And Aurora had no qualms at all with her action. Because she knew that if she was not ruthless enough, the one who will die is her. And no one would care about her. "So brave." Prince Brian chuckled. But he didnt seem to be surprised by Auroras answer. He guessed that she should have her own way to deal with these people. HIs cousin might be young, but shes very capable. Aurora looked at Prince Brian. "Are you not worried that you will be reported for not being in your supposed place either, Prince Brian?" "Ah..." Prince Brian shrugged and drunk the tea calmly. As one of the commanders of the battlefield, Prince Brian indeed supposed to be with the army instead of staying in this remote village. If some people heard about this matter, it was estimated that Prince Brian wouldnt be better off either. "Then we hold each others secrets," Prince Brian said with a bright smile. Aurora silently took her own tea and sipped it, ignoring Prince Brians words. What knowing each others secret? There were many of their attendants who also knew about this matter. It was not exactly a secret. Of course, their servants and attendant would never leak out this matter. After all, they understood that their masters would not want this matter to leak out. It would not give them any benefit to leak out this matter either. "Are you planning to stay in the Red Kingdom?" Prince Brian finally asked. "Yes." Aurora nodded and looked at Prince Brian. "I need a quiet place in the Red Kingdoms Capital City." Prince Brian arched his eyebrows. "What makes you think that Ill prepare it for you?" "If you want money, I have more than enough." Aurora would not let Prince Brian do it for free. "Besides, do you want to know the negotiations that Queen Rachel had made for her bargaining chips?" Hearing this sentence, Prince Brians eyes narrowed. Between Queen Rachel and Prince Charles, the former worth more attention for Prince Brian. Because Prince Charles is a stupid prince who couldnt think about his own future and didnt have ambitions. On the other hand, his mother is a very ambitious woman who had grasped the Red Kingdoms Kings heart. Unless Prince Charles made unforgivable mistake or the Red Kingdoms King lost his favor towards Queen Rachel, there was basically no chance for him to get the throne. And Prince Brian is an ambitious person. It just wouldnt be easy for him. "What makes you think that I need it?" Prince Brian asked with a faint smile. Aurora sipped her tea once and didnt answer right away. The atmosphere in the room was tense, yet her posture remained elegant and calm. Seeing Auroras behavior, Prince Brian felt that he understood why this girl has become famous among the representatives of several kingdoms. She knew how to exert pressure on others and seize the opportunity in the conversation. His cousin is really terrifying. Aurora raised her eyes to look at Prince Brian, whos taller than her. Even when she was looking up, she showed no disadvantages. "Because only by knowing it in advance could you prepare your countermeasure," Aurora replied calmly. These negotiations were basically Queen Rachels way to expand her connections. Even though she was nothing more than the middleman, she had obtained the benefit of being the contact between the two parties. The negotiation in the Yellow Kingdoms Capital City was only the beginning. Some contract required further negotiation of both parties. This was one of the reasons why Queen Rachel was still in the Yellow Kingdom. She needed to talk with a few nobles who were in the Yellow Kingdom. As for the nobles from the other two kingdoms, they would have to come to the Red Kingdom later for further negotiations. Prince Brian sighed. "You win. How do I know your information is accurate? From what I know, youre not present in the Yellow Kingdoms Capital City during the negotiation time." "I have some people who would share the information for small fee," Aurora replied. As for who it was, Aurora had no plan to tell Prince Brian. Prince Brian heard Auroras words and nodded. With how long Aurora has been the one in charge of the negotiation, it didnt seem to be surprising for her to have made many connections and have various methods. After all, there was no way Aurora made no preparations at all before her departure. "Alright. Shall we made the agreement?" Prince Brian asked. "Yes." Aurora took out a stack of documents. Prince Brian watched this and his lips twitched slightly. It seemed that when facing his cousin, he had to remember that she might have been prepared to make a deal with him. Oh well, as long as he could get the information, it was nothing much. His mother is also rich. The two of them quickly confirmed the terms and condition for each other before signing the contract. It was a very clear contract, one that benefit both of them. At least, in their opinion, it is. After the singing was done, Aurora shared what she knew and Prince Brian told the location of a mansion under his name in the Red Kingdoms Capital City. He would transfer the ownership of the mansion to Aurora upon his return to the Red Kingdoms Capital City. "Its a pleasant cooperation, Prince Brian," Aurora said and continued to enjoy her tea. Prince Brian looked at Aurora whose expression still held the same polite smile. There didnt seem to be any ups and down in Auroras mood at all. This made Prince Brian wonder if Aurora actually had real emotions. "Can you tell me about your next plan?" Prince Brian asked. "If I tell you, you might want to stop me." Aurora raised her head and looked at Prince Brian. "Let it be a surprise for you and the others." A surprise? Thinking about the surprise problem that Aurora had left for the Yellow Kingdom, it seemed that this word was not very good. Then again, the Red Kingdom and Aurora didnt have that much enmity, right? Prince Brian was not very sure. After all, he didnt always pay attention to this cousin of his. Their interactions with each other was also very limited. "I hope you dont plan to destroy the entire Red Kingdom." Prince Brian sighed. "Ill be in a big trouble if you do." Aurora chuckled. "How could one person destroy the entire kingdom? You must be joking, Prince Brian." "As of now, the Yellow Kingdom is having crisis both inside and outside." Prince Brian looked at Aurora meaningfully. "Everything seems to happen at this very moment and if they didnt deal with it carefully, the entire kingdom might be destroyed." The timing was simply very impeccable. It was impossible to be pure coincidence. At least, Prince Brian was sure that Aurora had moved her hands or feet to make some troubles. As for what it was? He didnt know. "There are many factors in play to cause a kingdoms destruction, Prince Brian." Aurora put down the teacup. "Besides, the Yellow Kingdom will not be destroyed. At most, they would have to change some people." Change some people? Prince Brian knew very well that these people Aurora mentioned should be the few people whom she truly targeted in the Yellow Kingdom. Well, now he could confirm that Aurora was indeed involved. But he was not sure he could pry deeper about how deep Auroras involvement in this trouble. There were also things that he knew that he couldnt touch if he wished to stay alive. "I see." Prince Brian could only say that to Aurora. Chapter 243: Negotiation between Aurora and Prince Brian (2) Chapter 243: Negotiation between Aurora and Prince Brian (2) Aurora knew that Prince Brian was curious, but she couldnt reveal more than that. It wouldnt be fun otherwise. "This shall be all, Prince Brian. Im sure you need to rest and prepare for your departure," Aurora said as she stood up elegantly. Prince Brian arched his eyebrows. The main reason why he stopped in this village was indeed because he found some information and not because he wanted to stay here. After all, this kind of small village was not very comfortable. After staying on the battlefield for a long time, Prince Brian missed the luxury at the palace. Of course, he would not return right away. But there were other mansions that he could use to rest rather than this broken inn. "Its a farewell for now." Prince Brian chuckled and stood up. "But Im sure that well meet each other again soon." "Indeed." Aurora was calm. They would indeed see each other again, but that was for later. With that, the two of them came out of the room and saw their subordinates were staring at each other and seemed to be eager to fight. Some of them even had their hands on the hilt of their sword, ready to take it out if it was necessary. Aurora: "..." Prince Brian: "..." "Its time to go back," Aurora said. She felt that these people were really funny. Neither she or Prince Brian had the intention to fight against each other. After all, what was the point? It was not like the two of them were mortal enemies. "Yes." Prince Brian also waved his hand and led his men away. Aurora glanced at Prince Lester and saw him staring in Prince Brians direction. Considering that Prince Lester did suffer in Prince Brians hand when he was young, she thought that his eyes would show his hatred or anger. But there was none of it. There was only calmness. Either Prince Lester had truly put down this matter in his heart or it was because he was good at concealing his feelings. No matter which one it was, it was good that he didnt take any action. "Well rest here for the time being," Aurora said. "Yes, Miss." Prince Lester lowered his head and obeyed Auroras command. Aurora walked back to her room and thought about her next step. Now that she was already here, she would make her preparation as soon as possible. After all, if Adela truly chose to come to the Red Kingdom, she had to prepare a thorough welcome for her. Moreover, there was still the Queen Rachel who might not want to let her off. Hmm~. ... The Yellow Kingdom, Queen Ellas Place The incident where Crown Prince Edward attacked the second prince spread at rapid pace. There were many servants who were working during that time and the teachers voice was very loud when he scolded Crown Prince Edward. Many people heard it. Thus, the spread of the incident became inevitable. Queen Ellas expression was thoroughly dark when she found out that her son, Crown Prince Edward, might not be saved in the end. This made Queen Ella felt immense heartache that she even came to her second son. "Why did you do that? Hes your brother!" The second prince looked at his mother who almost cried and tilted his head. He felt that he couldnt understand why his mother has always been partial to her older brother. Just because he was born first, then he should be the one favored? Just because Crown Prince Edward was made the crown prince, he had everything in the world? Is it his fault that he was born a few years later than Crown Prince Edward? Both of them are the children of their parents, yet the second prince felt that they have never truly cared for him. Perhaps in their eyes, he was nothing more than an additional person that was not necessary at all. Heh. "Why are you laughing?" Queen Ella was furious. "I didnt do anything," the second prince replied. "Its your attitude thats ridiculous, Mother." "Insolent!" The second prince took a step back to avoid getting hit by accident in case his mother truly got violent. Even though the education taught them not to get violent at all time, but the second prince had already offended his mother today. It would not be easy for her to calm down in this state. "Ill go back to rest first, Mother. Im still injured," the second prince said, bowed, and then left. Queen Ella looked at the second princes back and took a deep breath. She had tried her best to pave way for Crown Prince Edward by making a lot of arrangement for him ever since he was young. As long as he used his brain even if it was just a little bit, he should be able to secure the throne easily. Yet, he did none of those. Queen Ella felt that everyone was going against her. She couldnt even rely on her sons. "I have to convince him..." Queen Ella looked at the main hall and took a deep breath. She knew that the Yellow Kingdoms Kings mind was not so easy to change. But she had to try because the one on the line is her son. She couldnt just let Crown Prince Edward suffer. Even if Queen Ella had told herself several times that she had more Ethan one child, but at this moment, Queen Ella could only think about Crown Prince Edward. The second prince had already walked away, his expression was cold. He knew that parents might be partial to one child. After all, it was difficult to make sure that they cared for all children the same. But if the partialness was so much like this... it made the second prince wonder if he had done something wrong when he was young. How ridiculous. The second prince took a deep breath and made his way back to his own palace. He had no intention to stay here. His older brothers charge was already clear. Moreover, the second prince could see that the Yellow Kingdoms King didnt think highly of his first son anymore. Even if Crown Prince Edward would not be punished heavily, he should lose his qualification to the throne. And that was what the second prince wanted. ... The Royal Palace, Adelas side Adela was still like a statue, sitting quietly in the study room. Her parents had gone to confront the Yellow Kingdoms King to discuss about this matter. If Crown Prince Edward is no longer the crown prince, Duchess Isabella would not allow this engagement to continue. And this made Adela confused. Should she agree with her mothers approach or not? Among these few people whom she had contacted ever since she was young, her favorite was naturally Crown Prince Edward. He was really fun and also took great care of her, making Adela very happy. But Duchess Isabella told her very clearly that without the status of the crown prince, Crown Prince Edward would have a difficult life. He used to be the crown prince and had everything in the world. When he lost this status, it was undeniable that Crown Prince Edward would be targeted by those who didnt like him. They didnt dare to make a move before because Crown Prince Edward is the crown prince. But when it changed, could things remain the same? Adela could guess that it wouldnt. And this made her feel dejected. Was she only going to be Crown Prince Edwards fiance?e for such a short period of time before losing it? Adela was 100% unwilling. But it was not like she didnt have any other options. Turning her head to the side, she saw Louis who was sorting out the documents on the table. Prime Minister Lat had arranged for Louis to help him with his work to a certain degree. While it was not much, Louis was already given a position in the court by the Yellow Kingdoms King. In this way, he could check these documents with confidence and didnt have to worry about seeing a secret that he shouldnt see. If Adela has to say, Louis is not that bad either. But she had read the game and knew that what Louis wanted is a woman who was like his mother. A woman who would follow his words unconditionally and always support him. Adela liked this character in the game. But if it was here, she had no intention to be a person like that. So even if there was a choice in front of her, Adela didnt want to follow through Louiss path until the end. It was enough to make him follow her words and become her helper in various matters. Anyway, Adela didnt want to choose Louis. "Is there anything, Lady Adela?" Louis noticed Adelas gaze and raised his head in confusion. "No, its nothing." Adela shook her head. Anyway, Louis is out of the question, so there were only two people left. Chapter 244: Confusion and Hesitation Chapter 244: Confusion and Hesitation Yes, there were only two. Because Leon had already gotten married with Annelie not long ago. Their marriage was not very grand, but it was befitting their status as nobility. Adela didnt attend it, though. She was not close with Annelie and if she came there to see Leon... it would feel rather awkward. Rather than putting herself through all that, Adela felt that it would be better for her not to see them in the first place would be a much better option. Anyway, Adela didnt plan to see Leon. When she tried to advance his storyline back in the Capital Academy, Leon didnt react in accordance to the game and instead looked very different. Adela didnt know what was wrong, but she didnt want to see the strange scenes anymore. In the game, Leon was the only one that had a fiance?e aside from Crown Prince Edward. So advancing their storyline usually required the cooperation of their partner and this was not easy at all. Crown Prince Edwards storyline still advanced because there was Mirabelle in the Capital Academy. Speaking about Mirabelle, she seemed to be called back to her territory. Thinking about the last event where Mirabelle was humiliated back then, Adela was not that surprised that Mirabelle didnt want to stay in the Yellow Kingdoms Capital City anymore. That event should have been Auroras but Mirabelle jumped forward. As long as the storyline advanced, it should be fine. Adela sighed and leaned back on the chair. There were several options in front of her and none of them sounded good for Adela. Prince Charles and Benny. Well, Adela also didnt want to choose Benny. That muscle brained man was suitable to become a knight but if he were to become a partner, Adela could guess that she couldnt stand him. He never thought about anything and always charged forward recklessly. Without the presence of Crown Prince Edward and Louis who helped to restrain him, he might have done a lot of mistakes. Adela sighed when she thought about it. Speaking of which, Adela hadnt seen Benny for a long time. "Louis, do you know where Benny is?" Adela asked. "Sir Benny has returned to his territory." Louis glanced at Adela. "Havent you asked this question before?" "I have?" Adela tilted her head. She didnt seem to remember that. Then again, Adela didnt really pay that much attention to Benny, so she might have forgotten about it. "Yes." Louis nodded. "Its been a long time since I see him, so Im wondering whether he will return," Adela replied. Even though she didnt want to choose Benny at all, Adela didnt want to let go of this chance to have a knight for free. A knight that she didnt have to maintain but would follow her order all the time. It was really good. "Well, the Davis Family seems to have declared their loss not long ago." Louis frowned when he thought about this. He was also surprised when he heard this because from what he knew, the Davis Family had a lot of knights. Moreover, their family members were also strong to a certain degree. They should have been fine when dealing with the bandits and so on. Yet despite all of that, the Davis Family lost miserably. Even Louis had to say that he was surprised with it. They applied for help to the Royal Family and in turn, they would have to give up their territory. Nobles with territory had the obligation to protect their territory. If they couldnt do that, then they were not qualified to have one in the first place. The rules were strict and from now on, the Davis Family would no longer have any territory. Even if the first son still inherited his fathers title, it would be hard for him to go anywhere. Because there was no source of income. For many nobles, their main source of income was their territory. If they didnt have any territory, they would have to figure out other ways to earn money and it would not be easy at all. Benny was precisely in this situation. "Is he alright?" Adela was now worried. Crown Prince Edward had just suffered not long ago and now she heard that Benny was also experiencing difficulties? How come everything turned out differently from the game? In the game, Benny would become a very famous knight because of his superb skill. The Davis Family behind him was also his backing and even if Benny had to go through various missions in order to become a noble, they could still lend him a helping hand. Now, without the Davis Family behind him, can Benny obtain enough merit to become a noble quickly? Adela was very worried. She wanted to have a knight to protect her, but without Bennys bright future, he would be no different from many other struggling knights. It would not be worthwhile to keep him around. "Dont worry, Benny will come to the Yellow Kingdoms Capital City soon," Louis said. "However, he might not have enough time to spend with us because he has to work." Adela nodded dumbly. They were no longer students in the Capital Academy who have nothing to do but to study and then play around. They have grown up and had to take care of a lot of responsibility on their shoulder. It would no longer be the same as they used to be. As much as Adela wished they could always stay the same, it would be highly impossible. Time couldnt be stopped. They would eventually grew up and had to assume the responsibility as an adult. "Do you want to see him?" Louis asked, his eyes darkened slightly. He didnt really like Benny because he felt that this man was really stupid. He kept on doing things that was so stupid that Louis really wanted to knock his head. As for what happened to the Davis Family? While Louis did feel some pity for them, but he had no intention to help at all. He couldnt really help, anyway. "Im just a bit worried." Adela shook her head quickly. She didnt have any intention to find Benny. He should be busy with other things and for now, Adela would not think too much about it. Knock! Knock! "Miss Adela, Duke White and Duchess Isabella are here to see you." Adela took a deep breath. "Come in." ... When Adela was talking with her parents, Louis naturally left the room. He had no intention to eavesdrop, so he walked around the palace. Naturally, he would not break the restriction for guests. There were some places that were off limits for them. Louis felt a bit irritable when he thought that Adela was worried about Crown Prince Edward and now she was thinking about Benny. It was annoying. Prime Minister Lat came out of the main hall with a tired face. When he saw Louis there, he waved his hand. "Father," Louis greeted politely. "Hows Lady Adela?" Prime Minister Lat asked. When he thought about how Duke White and Duchess Isabella behaved just now, Prime Minister Lat have a headache. Even Queen Ella was no match to the two of them when they were so determined. There were also some other nobles who heard this matter and went to see the Yellow Kingdoms King not long ago. They expressed their stances and many of them were not in favorable light of Crown Prince Edward. It could be said that the Yellow Kingdoms King was under heavy pressure from many people. They didnt like him and didnt want such a person to be the king. Crown Prince Edward also listened to the words of the nobles and it could be said that he almost collapsed out of anger. None of these nobles were wiling to speak for Crown Prince Edward. Previously, there were still some nobles on Crown Prince Edwards side because of various reasons. But now? It would be highly impossible for them to stand on Crown Prince Edwards side. They were unwilling to support him now. Because his action had long crossed their bottom line. It was truly an unsightly meeting. "Shes fine, just worried," Louis replied, unsure why his father suddenly asked this question to him. After all, Prime Minister Lat was not exactly a person who would care for a woman. This was something that was out of the ordinary. Prime Minister Lat nodded. It seemed that Duke White and Duchess Isabellas decision was something they made by themselves. Then again, it was not that strange for parents to intervene in this kind of matters. It was especially because there were a lot of profit involved in this matter. "His Majesty had made the decision." Prime Minister Lat looked at Louis and then said carefully, "Prince Edward is no longer the crown prince. His Majesty, the Yellow Kingdoms King, has decided to revoke his title and the competition for the throne is now open." Chapter 245: Choices Chapter 245: Choices Louis was stunned. He looked at his father and then asked, "Father, you mean...?" Prime Minister Lat nodded. "Right now, the nobles are busy changing sides or remain neutral for the time being." No matter whether it was Prince Edward or the second prince who became the king, there would be nobles who won and also nobles who lost. It was simply a competition to see who will lose more and who will lose less. They have to take the bet and chose one side. Or they would remain neutral and didnt get any benefit but would not suffer any loss either. It was up to them. No one but themselves could decide on this matter. "His majesty didnt set anyone to be the crown prince," Prime Minister Lat said and then sighed. "It was unknown whether he still favor Prince Edward or he would turn his head to the second prince." Louis nodded with a frown. So far, the Yellow Kingdoms Kings action showed that he had favored Crown Prince Edward greatly. Making the incompetent prince as the crown prince and even held him up for so many years. It was not an exaggeration to say that Crown Prince Edward was lifted up by the Yellow Kingdoms King alone when he was still the crown prince. Now that Crown Prince Edward had lost the title of the crown prince, he has become an ordinary prince in the Yellow Kingdom. If he wanted to regain the title of the crown prince, he would have work much harder than before. At the very least, he had to prove that he was suitable to be the crown prince and eventually become the next king of the Yellow Kingdom. But with Prince Edwards personality and habit... This might as well be a pipe dream. It was very likely that the position of the crown prince would fall on the second prince. Of crows, unless the Yellow Kingdoms King knew how to make the nobles agreed with his decision when he appointed Prince Edward as the crown prince again. "I see." Louis frowned. He looked at his father and seemed to be able to guess what his father was thinking. "Father, do you want me to follow the second prince?" "If you can, its better be like that." Prime Minister Lat nodded. "But if its not possible, become an ordinary minister would do." An ordinary minister? Louis knew his fathers position was much higher than the other ministers and nobles. Whatever his father wanted to say, the others have to listen to him. Normally, only those with high nobility would be able to do this. After all, the ministers were all those high ranked nobility and so one who were appointed to manage the matter of the kingdom in various fields. But his father, whose rank was naturally not the highest, was able to do this. Louis didnt want to become an ordinary noble and minister. He wanted to be like his father. "Go back for now. The announcement should come tomorrow." Prime Minister Lat patted his sons shoulder. "Wait," Louis called out. "How about Lady Adela?" "She..." ... Adelas side Duke White and Duchess Isabella looked at Adela in front of them. "This is our decision after careful consideration. Its no longer suitable for you to be Prince Edwards fiance?e and from now on, the engagement will be terminated." "But hes the crown prince!" Adela was stunned. "Not anymore." Duchess Isabella shook her head. They were in the meeting with the Yellow Kingdoms King and the other ministers not long ago. The discussion was naturally about what Crown Prince Edward did not long ago. Everyone voiced out their opinion and even felt that what Crown Prince Edward did had crossed the line. Competition for the throne was one thing. But trying to kill his own brother was definitely not a good thing to do. The nobles were not measured for Crown Prince Edward to be the crown prince and after a fierce debate, the Yellow Kingdoms King decided for Prince Edward to lose his title as the crown prince. Only in this way the nobles calmed down. But Duchess Isabella was really angry. She couldnt believe that the Yellow Kingdoms King made such a decision. Because right now, Prince Edward and Adela had an engagement with each other and it would be impossible for Adela to end well if Prince Edward is no longer Crown Prince Edward. So Duchess Isabella tried to fight. But this time, the Yellow Kingdoms Kings will was unexpectedly firm. He was unwilling to give them any chance to say anything good about Prince Edward since these things were useless. Over the years, the Yellow Kingdoms King knew his son very well and it was truly impossible for him to allow Prince Edward to remain as the crown prince. So be it. As Prince Edward no longer be the crown prince, the second princes status became higher. Many nobles wanted to get close to him. Duke White also think that they might need to prepare for a backup and got close to the second prince. But Duchess Isabella refused. "Why cant we do that? Its not like theres an agreement that stopped us from doing this?" Duke White asked Duchess Isabella with annoyance. "If we got close to the second prince, where do you want to put my daughter in?" Duchess Isabella sneered. "Do you really think that its possible for her to get close to the second prince too? Dont forget that their age is very much different and they never come in contact before this." The only time when Adela and the second prince came in contact was when Adela went to pay a visit to see Crown Prince Edward before. But even then, there was no way Adela could initiate a conversation with the second prince. If she did that, wouldnt she be making trouble? So during the time when Adela paid a visit to Crown Prince Edward, she would only stay beside Crown Prince Edward and treated the second prince like air. This was the only way. Besides, Adela didnt know the second princes preferences. The other five people all have their preferences written very clearly in the game, allowing Adela to follow through with their preferences when dealing with them. In this way, the favorability of these five people would increase when they spent time with Adela. As for the second prince? He was a character that was only mentioned but never truly appeared in the game. Even if Adela wanted to, it would be impossible for her to get close to the second prince without knowing what his preferences were. Besides, she had no intentions to get close to other character outside the main targets. What was the point? For Adela, only these five people were the most important ones. The others could be ignored and there was no need for her to even spend a second with them. Now that Prince Edward was no longer the crown prince, Duchess Isabella gave her request to the Yellow Kingdoms King. Break the engagement again. "No!" Crown Prince Edward, who was present at that time, desperately refused it. He had just lost his title as the crown prince, would he also his engagement too? He didnt want it. However, the Yellow Kingdoms King surprisingly agreed candidly. "The engagement was arranged hastily by my son, so we can treat it as if it never exist," the Yellow Kingdoms King said calmly. He had heard about what Crown Prince Edward did when he was in the Capital Academy. Instead of spending his time studying, he was busy playing around with Adela and also do many other things. When the Yellow Kingdoms King saw this, he felt that this Adela was not simple. The Capital Academy still has connection with the Royal Family. Sending some people to monitor Adela was really easy. Through the observation, the Yellow Kingdoms King could see that Adela was simply a stupid and naive girl. She thought that she was very smart, but her action seemed to state otherwise. This made the Yellow Kingdoms King understood that the two people just like each other because they were similar. But... Prince Edward would no longer be the crown prince. If he still wanted to keep his life, he needed a smart woman who could support him instead of a stupid girl like Adela. Two stupid people who knew nothing of the world, they would be eaten clean by the second prince. His second son was not that kind hearted to let Prince Edward go. At least, based on the look that the Yellow Kingdoms King saw from the second prince, he could guess that much. He also felt more reassured to hand over the throne to the second prince. But before that time, the Yellow Kingdoms King wanted to see how the second prince solved the problems in front of him. He hoped that his second son would not disappoint him. Chapter 246: Another Broken Engagement Chapter 246: Another Broken Engagement As for this matter, the Yellow Kingdoms King was thinking how to solve it. Before he could think of anything, Duchess Isabella had already came forward to give him the solution. Of course, the Yellow Kingdoms King agreed happily. On the surface, he remained calm and said nothing excessive, but it was clear that his heart has calmed down. He was very happy that the engagement was dissolved. In this way, Prince Edward could find another woman who was smart enough and know how to support him. As for where to find that kind of woman? There were many nobles who were silent and they were naturally not the neutral party. They were actually leaning towards Prince Edward, but they didnt dare to speak out in case they would be implicated. But when things calmed down, these nobles would definitely stand up for Prince Edward. At that time, the Yellow Kingdoms King would be able to make the arrangement for Prince Edwards marriage. As for now, there was no need to worry at all. "Thank you, Your Majesty." Duchess Isabella was happy when she heard the Yellow Kingdoms King agreed to her request. Duke White frowned at the side and looked at Duchess Isabella with storage look. In his opinion, even if Adela is not the crown princess, but being a princess is also a good thing. After all, being able to be connected to the Royal Family represented a high leap of her identity. But Duchess Isabella had different opinion. As a member of the Royal Family in the Red Kingdom, it could be said that Duchess Isabella knew very well that there were more disadvantage than advantage being part of the Royal Family without real power. So unless Prince Edward could make some achievements worthy of praise, he was worthless in Duchess Isabellas eyes. "Father, this is..." Prince Edward desperately looked at his father, but he found the Yellow Kingdoms King didnt even look in his direction. It was clear that the Yellow Kingdoms King had decided to abandon this son of his. Even though the Yellow Kingdoms King hadnt appointed the second prince as the crown prince, it seemed to be inevitable. Only time was needed. Time to test whether the second prince was truly worthy to be in this position. So the Yellow Kingdoms King was not in a hurry. Of course, he also didnt want to pay attention to this disappointing son. "The meeting is adjourned." the Yellow Kingdoms King swept his gaze across the people in front of him. "I hope you can make your decision soon. The first prince is punished and will be grounded in his palace until further notice." "Father! Father!" That could be the said to be the end of the meeting not long ago. Duke White and Duchess Isabella walked out of the main hall and then quarreled with each other. "Youre too impulsive. What if Prince Edward can make a breakthrough in the future?" Duke White felt irritable. "Moreover, the status of a princess is good for Adela..." "Adela is already a princess!" Duchess Isabella sneered. "Im the princess of the Red Kingdom and as my daughter, Adela is naturally also a princess." The words that were about to be said by Duke White were instantly swallowed back. He looked at Duchess Isabella speechlessly. At this moment, Duke White wondered why did he agree to this political marriage in the past? It felt to be utterly ridiculous. He and Duchess Isabella couldnt really see each other eye to eye. "Youre in the Yellow Kingdom and not the Red Kingdom!" "It doesnt change the fact that..." ... Duke White and Duchess Isabella quarreled for a long time before they finally agreed to tell Adela about this first. So when Adela heard that her engagement with Crown Prince Edward...no, it was now Prince Edward, was terminated, she had a dumb expression. While Adela did think that she might need to choose someone else, being told so frankly by her parents like this still made Adela felt strange. She thought that the process itself would take an extremely long time. But.. Her parents told her that it would be easily done. And now, Adela no longer had a fiance?. "Is it alright?" Adela asked, her voice was low. Duchess Isabella nodded. "Now, come back to the White Family Residence. Well talk about your next engagement later." "Next one?" Adela was dumbfounded. "Youre already 17 years old. Youll be an adult next year, so of course we have to find a fiance? for you." Duchess Isabella snorted. When Duchess Isabella was 18 years old, she was married to Duke White. The marriage was quite grand because it was a political marriage between the two kingdoms. The two of them didnt reject each other. Anyway, it was not like the other party had done something that crossed their bottom line. They just need to get along with each other well after marrying each other. "I..." "Dont decide on things so hastily." Duke White frowned. Now that the engagement has just been terminated and Duchess Isabella had already wanted to find another person to make a new engagement? It was simply too fast. "Dont worry, Ill select carefully. If its not possible in the Yellow Kingdom, we can go to the Red Kingdom too." "Are you going to leave?" Duke White was dumbfounded. "Do you think I dont know what the situation in your territory was? The income is really very little and I want to find my brother to ask for some blessings." "Its not that bad! Dont you speak nonsense!" Adela watched as Duke White and Duchess Isabella quarreled with each other blankly. At this moment, she didnt understand why her parents would argue with each other. Moreover, she was thinking about the better option than Prince Edward. Isnt there still Prince Charles? The law didnt say that marrying cousins were impossible. Moreover, Prince Charles and Adela were not exactly cousins with each other. Of course, this matter was a secret and Adela had no intention to reveal it. When she first thought that the two of them were cousins, she even thought about scolding the developer. Because such a topic is quite... interesting. But later on, the developer explained that the two of them were not related by blood. In this way, the engagement between Adela and Prince Charles would not create a lot of trouble for the game developer. Anyway, with the support of the law, Prince Charles is still a possible target. It was just... Would her mother agree? Adela looked at her mother in front of her who was still arguing with Duke White. Her mother wanted her to get married quickly, but Adela knew very well that she had no intention to get married to just anyone. Ordinary nobles couldnt enter her eyes in the slightest bit. Well, it seemed that she had to figure out a way to talk with her parents first about this. As for Crown Prince Edward? As much as Adela like this character, she knew that it would be impossible for her to be wit him. Moreover, he was no longer the crown prince and only an ordinary prince who was contending for the throne with the second prince. She had to pick the best one for her future. "Mother," Adela called out. "What is it, Sweetheart?" Duchess Isabella quickly looked at her daughter dotingly. "I want to go to the Red Kingdom." ... The Yellow Kingdom, Annelie and Leons side The marriage between Annelie and Leon could be said to be an arranged marriage between the two families. And the two people were not really against this matter. Perhaps, at the beginning, they didnt have the best relationship with each other. But after a while, they still chose this path, so in the end, it was their decision. Right now, the two of them were sitting in the study room, looking through the report that was handed over to them. The matter of the Royal Family was already made known to many people and they also heard about it. Leon, who used to be close with Crown Prince Edward, looked at the information in his hand and sighed deeply. "Prince Edward is no longer the crown prince," Leon muttered in a low voice. Perhaps, this should be expected? Thinking about the days in the Capital Academy where Crown Prince Edward didnt even study well and instead spent his time paddling, Leon shook his head. They were born at the high position with many peoples expectation placed on them. If they couldnt live up to this expectation, what awaited them would be other people taking what previously belong to them. They wanted result. If they couldnt provide it, what was the point of them staying in that position? The nobility is cruel and competitive. Annelie nodded at Leons statement because she had also read this information. "Do you plan to help him as his friends?" Chapter 247: Everything Changed Quickly Chapter 247: Everything Changed Quickly Friends? Leon glanced at Annelie and then shook his head. While he spent a long time in the student council room, especially when he was tired after class and wanted to sleep for a while, he didnt usually interact much with Crown Prince Edward and the others. They all came from good background and have their arrogance and thoughts. While Louis and Crown Prince Edward were indeed arranged to stay together by their parents, Leon was only told to maintain the bare minimum of friendship. There was no need to do anything excessive. Afterwards, Leon saw the circle around Adela and didnt feel that it was good. The IQ of everyone around him seemed to have been lowered several degrees when facing Adela. They were even doing some stupid things. Help them? Leon shook his head. "No, I dont have that kind of plan." "Then its good." Annelie chuckled. Seeing Annelie was already looking through another paper, he asked, "Whats the Brown Familys stance?" "Neutral," Annelie replied. The Brown Family was a family that looked high but they would not so blatantly ignoring those lower nobles either. In the game of thrones, it could be said that they didnt want to seek any profit but they would not take risk either. "Worry?" Leon asked. "Theres no point in participating in it." Annelie shrugged. She looked at Leon with a grin. "Unless you want to personally participate." Leon quickly shook his head. His family behind him were still in the war with the Sand Kingdom. If he were to get into trouble, it was estimated that his family members wouldnt be able to help him. Leon didnt want to make such a trouble. "Good." Annelie smiled. She lowered her head and looked at the letter from her two friends. Neither Aurora nor Lucy were able to attend her marriage, so they only send some gifts along with a letter. The letter told their congratulations and also their well wishes for Annelie. Even if they were not present, they hoped Annelie would be happy with this arrangement. Well, Annelie was not unhappy. It was not like Leon is a bad person either. Annelie looked outside the window. "Sir Benny has just returned to the Yellow Kingdoms Capital City. Do you plan to meet with your friends?" "Hes back?" Leon was surprised. When he prepared the marriage, he had heard about the battle between the Davis Family and the bandits there. It was said that the bandits were unexpectedly strong and caught the Davis Family off guard. They suffered greatly before they finally gave up and asked for assistance. If he was not wrong, the Davis Family had lost their territory. The bandits themselves were dealt with by the force that the Royal Family sent. It was surprisingly fast and the bandits were forced back. But the Davis Family couldnt restore what they had lost. Thinking about the fact that Benny would have to work as a knight even harder in the future, Leon only sighed. "Things changed very quickly." From the carefree teenagers to the adults who had to suffer greatly because of various matters. It could be said that everything seemed to change so quickly that people might be overwhelmed by it. Perhaps, no one would be able to think that everything would change so quickly after they graduated from the Capital Academy. Annelie glanced at Leon and nodded. "Yeah, everything changed very quickly." "Is there anything?" "No." Annelie also wondered what would have happened if Aurora didnt make a move. Probably things wouldnt be so chaotic. And these people wouldt be so miserable. But what did they actually do to make Aurora so determined to destroy their lives? It couldnt be just the small conflicts in the Capital Academy, right? Annelie didnt know. But whatever it is, it was not over yet. And she will be here to watch the show. After all, Annelie had no intention to participate in these messy conflicts. ... Prince Charless side Prince Charles was informed about what happened in the Royal Palace when he wanted to pay a visit to Adela but was stopped by the guard. Knowing what had transpired, it would be a lie to say that Prince Charles was not happy. He was ecstatic. Because this meant that he could pursue Adela freely. Previously, he kept on having conflicts with Crown Prince Edward because of Adela. Now that Crown Prince Edward is no longer the crown prince and his engagement was also dissolved, Prince Charles could stay beside Adela bravely. He didnt have to care about it being inappropriate or anything. But not today. It was estimated that Adela was not feeling good because the engagement was terminated by her parents and the Yellow Kingdoms King, so he would pay a visit to Adela tomorrow. She should have calmed down by then. With that in mind, Prince Charles went back to see his mother. Queen Rachel was also looking at the information brought back by the maids with headache. When she saw her sons expectant expression, she could guess what he wanted to ask. The problem is, Queen Rachel really didnt want to consider Adela to be the one beside Prince Charles. Her status was naturally very strong with the backing of the Royal Family and also the White Dukedom. But her personality was truly not suitable to be a queen. There was no problem with being a princess, but to become the queen, having such a weak personality would only make her easy to bully. Queen Rachel really wouldnt consider such a person to be her daughter in laws. It was not suitable. She wanted Prince Charles to become the crown prince and eventually a king in the future. Naturally, she would want to pick someone who was more helpful. "You cant spend so much time with your cousin," Queen Rachel specifically emphasized the word cousin. She felt that her son kept on forgetting that he is a prince. And that he has things he had to do instead of going to see Adela. Queen Rachel couldnt understand how her son become like this when she had already told him that his goal should be to become the king. "But mother..." "Theres no but. Go back to your study." Prince Charles felt rather exasperated when he heard his mother said that. Even though he wanted to refute, he knew that he couldnt do that. So Prince Charles went back to his study. And a few days later, Queen Rachel told him that it was time for them to return to the Red Kingdom. She had just received news that the Red Kingdom was victorious in the war against Ice Kingdom. That b*stard son has made a lot of contributions and if she didnt anything, their momentum would become even better. In that situation, how could her son become the crown prince? Queen Rachel knew that she had to come back and control the situation. Anyway, with these trades in her hand, she believed that she would have the advantage! All that left was to make sure Prince Charles perform well. Just when Queen Rachel thought that nothing would go wrong, she was informed that Duchess Isabella and Adela would come with her to the Red Kingdom. Queen Rachel: "...." It was said that the main reason was because Duke White and Duchess Isabella quarreled with each other. Now that they were going to the Red Kingdom, it was only natural for them to travel together. Queen Rachel watched her son rushed over to Adela and took a deep breath. She had to be patient. When they arrived in the Red Kingdom, she would arrange for them to stay far away from each other. If possible, there was no chance for them to even see each other. Duchess Isabella watched this scene with a bright smile on her face. Duke White disagreed with her approach, but Duchess Isabella felt that this was good too. Next would be her way to make sure she could survive and have a place in the Red Kingdom. In this way, this strange group headed to the Red Kingdom. Behind them, Benny was silently following after he heard that Adela had left the Yellow Kingdom. Since hes her knight, how could he not follow Adela? Even if others felt that he shouldnt do this, Benny still willingly follow the group to the Red Kingdom. No one could stop him. ... Auroras side "Now Im in the Red Kingdom. William, you will be responsible to check the mansion first and also hire some people to work if the people he prepared is not good. Les, buy some supplies to stay there and Lester, you accompany me." "Yes, Miss." The three people who received the order went to execute it. Prince Lester looked at Aurora and asked, "Miss, where do you want to go? Shall we order a new carriage?" The previous carriage contained their supplies, so it stopped in the mansion. It would take some time before they could use it again. Chapter 248: Date? Chapter 248: Date? "No need." Aurora shook her head. "Lets walk to the square." Walk to the square? "Yes, Miss." Prince Lester didnt know what Aurora wanted to see, but he would accompany her if she wanted to. There was no need for him to question her actions. Aurora changed her clothes so that it would not be so conspicuous. Right now, she looked like an ordinary villager and she also asked Prince Lester to wear ordinary clothes. Aside from looking slightly outstanding, the two of them could really pass as ordinary people. Satisfied with the change in her appearance, Aurora made her way to the square with Prince Lester walking behind her. The Red Kingdom is different from the Yellow Kingdom. First of all, the road was bigger, which meant that there were more carriages passing by from time to time. Aurora could see that many of these carriages belong to the nobles based on the emblem outside the carriage, though. There were also many people who were walking around the street. They didnt seem to be affected by the fact that the Red Kingdom had just won against the Ice Kingdom. Well, the war between these two kingdoms have happened every few years and could last for a long time. However, there were no situation where the enemies reached the Red Kingdoms Capital City. For the people who lived in the Capital City, the only influence was the price of goods that was spiking up to the point that they would feel it was difficult to maintain their lives. "The prices for various things are still pretty high," Aurora commented as she walked down the street. As she had a guild on her own, Aurora had gotten used to pay attention to the pricing in the market. Because only by relying on the difference between the price of the two different places would it be possible for them to make profit. It was the basic knowledge. "During your time here, do you have time to go out and take a walk?" Aurora suddenly asked. During his time here? Prince Lesters face darkened slightly when he remembered the days he spent in the Red Kingdom. Neither Prince Brian or Prince Charles would make his life easy. Not to mention, the king seemed to condone these two to do as they wished. At the same time, Prince Lester never got out of the palace ground. No matter what, his status at that time was a war prisoner. How could they let a war prisoner walked down the street as he wished? He was confined inside the palace, never allowed to see the world outside. If not because of Auroras action to bring him out, Prince Lester would never make it out of that place for his entire life. Perhaps, he might even die there. He didnt know. "No, I have never walked around here, Miss," Prince Lester replied. After following Aurora, Prince Lester had never gone to the Red Kingdom ever again. If he had to say, everything here did look unfamiliar for Prince Lester. "I see." Aurora nodded. "In that case, lets buy some snacks to eat~." "Miss?" Prince Lester watched as Aurora went to the stalls and bought some snacks there. He didnt know the name of these snacks, but Aurora seemed to be quite proficient in this. Her action also didnt show any restraint that should have belonged to nobles. "For you." Aurora raised one of the snack in the cone shape in front of Prince Lester. She noticed that his eyes seemed to be full of surprise as he looked in her direction. Aurora blinked her eyes before smiling. "Are you surprised?" "A bit," Prince Lester said as he took the cone from Aurora. "I learn this from my sister," Aurora replied calmly and turned around while nibbling on the snack. When Aurora brought Adela out to see the Sun Festival, she saw Adela acted like this and saw many other people were also similar with Adela. But those people were usually the commoners and not the nobility. At that time, Aurora somewhat understood that the attitude between nobles and commoners were very different. The commoners would not intentionally follow the etiquette. While it was difficult for Aurora to change her body language, she could change her speaking language. In this way, she would not look that strange when blending with the commoners. "I see." Prince Lester narrowed his eyes. He felt that Auroras statement was a bit strange because Adela should also be a noble like Aurora. How could her action be similar to how commoner was? Because Prince Lester was used to follow Aurora, he didnt have much contact with Adela, so he didnt know that this Adela was indeed a bit different. Of course, even if he knew, Prince Lester would not think too much. There was no point in dwelling in this matter anyway. Aurora didnt explain to Prince Lester. She couldnt possibly say that her sister had changed greatly at some point of time, right? There was no conclusive evidences and Aurora didnt want to be treated as a strange person because of this matter. With that, their conversation stopped and they walked while eating their snacks. Bypassing various stores, Aurora would stop for a while to check the price and the goods before leaving again. "Do you not plan to come inside, Miss?" Prince Lester asked. "No." Aurora shook her head. Right now, she was dressed as nothing more than a commoner. If she were to enter the stores and tried to ask about the high end goods from their stores, they might even kick her out. Because most commoners would not have so much money. Only merchants would have more money but even merchants would not dress up as simple as Aurora. Because these merchants would try their best to make sure they look the best when they came to the stores to strike a deal. "I just need the general prices for now. The luxury price is always open for negotiation." Aurora chuckled. There was no standard price for the high end goods. There were some of them that were much higher than others because the quality was higher and there were also those that was priced more moderately. It usually depended on the quality and also the stores brand. If the stores brand was really good, then there was nothing wrong with them rising the price or something like that. Anyway, the noble usually didnt lack money. Of course, that was excluding the time when they were in crisis because their territory was in trouble or something. Prince Lester nodded at Auroras words and continued to follow her. "Lets buy a few more snacks. The snacks in the Red Kingdom are different from the Yellow Kingdom." Auroras eyes were attracted to the other snacks there. "Its ice cream," Prince Lester recognized one of them. "Do you know that one?" "Its from Ice Kingdom and the Red Kingdom might have imitated them after learning during the war time," Prince Lester replied. Before he was the captive prince in the Red Kingdom, he was the prince in the Ice Kingdom. He still knew some of the snacks from the Ice Kingdom along with some basic knowledge." If he was asked about many complicated things, he couldnt answer, though. He was still very young when he was brought to the Red Kingdom, so there was a limit to how much he learnt about the Ice Kingdom as a whole. "Ill try it." Prince Lester watched as Aurora walked forward again and silently followed her within a certain distance. He didnt need to be right beside Aurora to protect her but as long as she was within the reach, it would be fine. Before long, Aurora had come back with two small bowls of ice cream. She handed one of it to Prince Lester. "Miss, you dont have to buy my portions," Prince Lester said in helpless tone, but he still accepted the bowl. "Its better to eat with someone than alone," Aurora replied calmly and continued walking. "Come on, its not done yet." "Yes, Miss." Prince Lesters eyes narrowed slightly before he returned to normal and followed Aurora slowly. For Aurora, she has been alone for a long time. Her eating time was often separated from her family members because she was busy with her study and so on. Because of this, it might feel lonely for Aurora. But eating with her family members were not exactly the most comfortable thing for Aurora either. After all, those people were not exactly kind to Aurora. Now that she was no longer part of the White Family, Prince Lester could see that Aurora was smiling more and more. Perhaps, not being a noble would be a more suitable path for Aurora. Because if she continued being a noble, it would only restrain her and prevent her from doing what she truly wanted. Prince Lester felt that the current Aurora is the best. Chapter 249: Fun Chapter 249: Fun Prince Lester and Aurora continued their walk. There were many streets in the Red Kingdoms Capital City. With their speed, it was simply impossible to pass through all of them. Moreover, Aurora was still busy buying snacks here and there from time to time. It was clear that there would be no time for her to clear each and every single one of them. When it was evening, they came back. The mansion has been cleaned and Les was waiting for Aurora. "Miss, I have already prepared dinner," Les said. "I have eaten a lot..." Aurora rubbed her stomach. Since she didnt have to care too much about her image, she was enjoying various snacks on her walk not long ago. She truly didnt have much room for dinner. "How about something light?" Les suggested. Aurora nodded. "Alright." "Ill bring it here, Miss!" Seeing Les energetically ran out to bring the food, Aurora smiled faintly. She could see that the few people she brought with her also seemed to be happier. Perhaps, they were infected with her emotions. But it was good. Aurora sat on her chair, thinking that tomorrow, it was time for her to start working. She wanted to establish a branch of Era Guild here and also seized a lot of business opportunities. It will be fun. ... Adela, Queen Rachel, and the others Side Some time has passed ever since the journey from the Yellow Kingdom to the Red Kingdom. Along the way, Adela was really happy because she could interact more with Prince Charles. Even though Queen Rachel was not very happy, she couldnt really be too rude with Duchess Isabellas presence. What she could do was to simply tolerate seeing her son in that kind of state. To be honest, Queen Rachel knew that her son was not suitable to be the king. But what could she do? She only has this one son. If she had more children, she would definitely not pick Prince Charles to be promoted and possibly be arranged to become the crown prince and compete with Prince Brian. "Were here." Queen Rachel looked at her son. "Make sure youre on your best behavior upon your return." "Yes, Mother." Prince Charles could only obey obediently. He knew better than anyone than to offend his mother. Queen Rachel would never let Prince Charles made himself lose his qualification like that idiot Prince Edward in the Yellow Kingdom. Honestly, the drama in the Yellow Kingdom truly made Queen Rachel helpless. How did that stupid prince even got taunted to attack the other prince? They were all princes and should have been taught not to attack each other aside from sparring on the field. After all, their statuses were high and as brothers, they still have to show family affection even if it was only on the surface. There were not many people in the Royal Family who have good relationship with their siblings. After all, they were all competitors for the throne. It would not be easy for them to maintain good relationship when they were thinking about whether the other party would stab them on the back when they were unprepared. Thus, most of the nobility have bad relationship with each other. Even the relationship between the Red Kingdoms King and his brother was a bit subtle. If not for his younger brother to show the lazy appearance and also behaved as a proper second generation who knew nothing but to have fun, there might have been a civil war in the Red Kingdom in the past. At this time, Duchess Isabella was also reminding Adela. "Were going to see the Red Kingdoms King. Dont say anything unnecessary, do you understand?" Adela nodded. "Yes, Mother." At this moment, Adela was thinking about the epilogue of the game for Prince Charless route. While she technically didnt follow his route until the very end, but it shouldnt be too late, right? The epilogue did show the meeting between Adela and the Red Kingdoms King. But the situation in the game was a bit different because at that time, Adela would come with Prince Charles rather than with her mother. Coupled with the support of White Dukedom and Duchess Isabella, Prince Charles would be promoted to be the crown prince and Adela became the crown princess too. These two paths were the only two royal paths. They were also basically the paths with the highest rank as the result at the very end. Being the queen again... Adela smiled slightly when she thought about this. If she could become the queen, it would be very good. At this moment, Adela had completely forgotten the torture of her study back when she was still in the Yellow Kingdom. ... The meeting between these people with the Red Kingdoms King was nothing more than a formality. Before their arrival, the Red Kingdoms King had heard about what happened in the Yellow Kingdom. The strange drama in the White Family made him confused. But then again, the Red Kingdoms King had no time to meddle with someone elses housework. There was no need for him to care too much about it. But the Red Kingdoms King still greeted Adela. "This is your second daughter?" the Red Kingdoms King asked. "Yes, Eldest Brother. This is Adela, my second daughter," Duchess Isabella introduced Adela to the Red Kingdoms King. "Adela White greets His Highness the Red Kingdoms King," Adela quickly performed the etiquette to greet the Red Kingdoms King. Seeing Adelas etiquette, the Red Kingdoms Kings eyes narrowed. He could sense that Adelas etiquette was not as good as Aurora many years ago. Besides, he could see that Adela was really nervous when facing him. The two siblings were really different. "I heard something happened to Aurora." the Red Kingdoms King nodded at Adela and then turned his attention back to Duchess Isabella. Duchess Isabella snorted and nodded. "She disappeared." Even though Duchess Isabella had known what Crown Prince Edward and the others planned at that time, she never thought that Aurora would disappear right after the incident. This made her wonder what did Aurora do to erase her track that no one could figure out her whereabouts. But after that, Duchess Isabella didnt think too much. Aurora was raised to be the successor and Duchess Isabella felt that nothing was difficult in front of Aurora. Since ohs head disappeared, it just meant that she should have find out a way escape or she was caught somewhere else. No matter which one it was, Duchess Isabella didnt care too much. "Do you not look for her?" the Red Kingdoms Kings tone was a bit strange. "There are knights looking for her," Duchess Isabella replied. "Besides, Aurora has been disowned." Disowned? Hearing this, the Red Kingdoms King was baffled. He knew how capable Aurora was. When the negotiation was going on, Queen Rachel had lost several times under Auroras hand. She was just a bit softer when dealign with the Red Kingdom compared to the other two kingdoms. The Sand Kingdom even got special treatment because they were slaughtered greatly by Aurora in the previous trades. The benefit that the Sand Kingdom could receive in the end was limited under Auroras hand. "Why?" the Red Kingdoms King asked with a frown. If Aurora is still part of the Red Kingdoms Royal Family, the Red Kingdoms King would want to tie her to the Red Kingdom as much as possible. In this way, her ability would be used by the Red Kingdom instead of someone else. After all, the Red Kingdoms King knew that if Aurora were to be his enemies, he might have a lot of headache. In the past, the Red Kingdoms King would not even consider this because they were all still family. And no one dared to treat Aurora badly in the Red Kingdom. But now, his own sister told him that they have disowned Aurora. This meant that Aurora was no longer connected to the Red Kingdoms royalty. Hmm? Wait, no, the one who disowned her was the White Family. The Red Kingdoms Kings eyes narrowed slightly. He should find some time to search for Auroras whereabout and then talked with her. If she was not accepted in the Yellow Kingdom, the Red Kingdom would welcome her with open hands. Of course, even if she was unwilling, the Red Kingdoms King would not force her. But some basic surveillance would be necessary. He didnt want such a dangerous person to linger in his kingdom. But first, the Red Kingdoms King would have to confirm Auroras whereabouts first. If she was in the Red Kingdom, then he would have to be ready for a confrontation at any time. "Shes not suitable to be the dukes daughter." Duchess Isabella shrugged. "This was the request from the Royal Family over there. Anyway, theres no point in searching for her by now." The Red Kingdoms King looked at Duchess Isabella and sighed deeply in his heart. How did such a woman gave birth to such an excellent daughter? Chapter 250: Why? Chapter 250: Why? "I see." the Red Kingdoms King nodded. He didnt care too much about Duchess Isabellas stance. Shes just a woman without much power on her own. For the time being, the Red Kingdoms King would let Duchess Isabella stayed in the Red Kingdoms palace. He could monitor her too when she was here to prevent her from doing anything unnecessary. Even if Duchess Isabella didnt really have power, but the Red Kingdoms King didnt want any trouble. "Is there anything else, Eldest Brother?" Duchess Isabella asked. "Is Aurora really your daughter?" the Red Kingdoms King asked slowly. "Yes, of course." Duchess Isabella looked at the Red Kingdoms King with strange expression. "Why did you doubt that, Eldest Brother?" She knew very well that Aurora was born from her since it was such a long night for Duchess Isabella. At that time, she even thought that she might die several times because it was really hard for the child to be born. "No, its nothing." the Red Kingdoms King shook his head. "You may leave." Duchess Isabella and Adela left. Meanwhile, the Red Kingdoms King was still thinking about this matter. He felt that Aurora might be a genetic mutation from her parents considering that she was indeed very different from her parents in many ways. But thinking about his grandfather, the Red Kingdoms King took a deep breath. If she was truly like him... He hoped that Aurora would not bring chaos to the Red Kingdom because of Duchess Isabellas presence here. ... Outside the main hall, Adela looked at her mother in confusion. "Mother, why is His Majesty so concerned about older sister?" She didnt think too much about it at the beginning. But when the conversation turned to Aurora, Adela felt that the Red Kingdoms King was more interested in this topic than any other topic. This made Adela confused because she was sure that Aurora had only come to the Red Kingdom twice. After all, Duchess Isabella told Adela about Auroras basic itinerary. In this way, Adela could know many things. One of them was naturally the fact that Aurora had only come to the Red Kingdom twice. "I dont know." Duchess Isabella frowned. From a long time ago, Duchess Isabella knew that Aurora is capable. Watching Aurora solved everything that Duchess Isabella felt very difficult made her feel breathless and also envy. Even if Aurora is her own daughter, Duchess Isabella still felt uncomfortable deep down. She felt that the comparison between her and Aurora made her look like a scumbag. And this was something that Duchess Isabella really disliked. If only it was possible, Duchess Isabella hoped that she could have Auroras intelligence when she was young. In that way, she would not have suffered so much back then. But at the same time, Duchess Isabella was relieved to let Aurora do the work and she could relax. There were many things that she had to do and Duchess Isabella didnt like any of them. By handing it over to Aurora, Duchess Isabella didnt have that much work over the years. Now that Aurora was not here, it was the head butler of White Family who had to work harder. As for Duchess Isabella? She had no plan to touch those things again in her entire life. She already had more than enough for the first few years of her marriage to manage those things. When Crown Prince Edward made the request back then, Duchess Isabella didnt think too much. Anyway , even if Aurora is capable, it was not like there were no other servant who could do her work. Duchess Isabella dint pay that much attention. What she didnt expect was that the Red Kingdoms King would actually pay more attention to Aurora. This is not good. Duchess Isabella frowned. No matter what the reason the Red Kingdoms King pay attention o Aurora, the girl is no longer here. There was no need for Duchess Isabella to worry so much. She would only waste her time. "You dont have to think too much and just stay here obediently. Ill arrange for you in the near future," Duchess Isabella said. "Yes, Mother!" Adela listened to her mothers words and then went out to find Prince Charles. Soon, she found Prince Charles in the garden with another young man standing not far from Prince Charles. The two of them were talking with each other and their relationship seemed to be quite harmonious. Prince Charles turned his head when he heard someone coming. Upon seeing that it was Adela, Prince Charless eyes lit up. "Adela! Youre here." Adela? The young man, Prince Brian, turned his head to look in Adelas direction. HIs eyes narrowed slightly when he saw this young woman. Aurora and Adela had completely different appearance. If not because some of their facial features remained similar, one might even wonder if the two of them were siblings or not. And looking at Adelas way of walking towards them, Prince Brian could conclude a few things. This young woman is not a threat. But it would be annoying to deal with her. After all, her status was still their cousins and they have to treat her respectfully. Adela smiled brightly and started to talk with these two princes. ... There were not that many people who paid attention to Adelas arrival. Aside from the fact that Adela is the princess of the Red Kingdom because of her mother and she was staying in the Red Kingdoms Palace, there were nothing else that they knew about her. It was more like, Adela barely did anything. She was too busy trying to make time to see Prince Brian and Prince Charles. For this character who didnt appear in the game, Adela was a bit curious. Of course, she would not dare to do anything inappropriate. She didnt know him that much and didnt want to make trouble here. It would not be so easy to clean up if she did make a mess. However, it was not that easy to see either of the two princes. Prince Brian was busy with many matters after the war. He also had some confrontation with Queen Rachel. Adela didnt know what kind of confrontation it was. What she knew was that Queen Rachels face turned black after she confronted Prince Brian and it seemed that her hard work was still far worse than what Prince Brian did. This made Queen Rachel frustrated. These nobles would still side more with Prince Brian rather than Prince Charles. It was as if they couldnt see Prince Charles or they didnt think that he was important enough. Either one made Queen Rachel really angry. She felt that she was being greatly underestimated. Yet at the same time, there was nothing that she could do but to talk with these nobles and try to bring them to her side. These negotiations that was originally her chips were only half useful. Some of the nobles were wiling to side with her but many of them were unwilling. They would rather side with Prince Brian rather than her. Queen Rachel felt deeply frustrated. Moreover, Queen Farah, the other queen of the Red Kingdoms King, also came to greet the nobles who came to see Queen Rachel. Because Queen Farah is a dukes daughter, her status is higher than Queen Rachel. These nobles didnt dare to neglect her. Watching the nobles flattered Queen Farah made Queen Rachel felt as if she was making wedding dresses for others. Her hard work seemed to be nothing more than a joke. But Queen Rachel would not give up so easily. She had to make sure that she managed to gain some advantages in other areas! ... Queen Farah naturally saw Queen Rachels determination and so on, but she only felt that it was quite ridiculous. Because Queen Farah knew very well that the main reasons why she didnt fight against Queen Rachel was because she didnt need to. There were things that the Red Kingdoms King could decide and there were also things that he couldnt. Her background had allowed her to do many things and Queen Farah intended to keep things remain that way. The Red Kingdoms King didnt dare to remove her from her position for various reasons. After another talk with the nobles, Queen Farah went back to see her son in her living room. Seeing her calm son, Queen Farah smiled. Shes proud of her son. "The information you have obtained is very good, Brian. I didnt expect you to have such a good connection in the Yellow Kingdom," Queen Farah said. "Mother, you know the person who trade the information," Prince Brian replied respectfully. "I know?" Queen Farah repeated, her tone sounded strange. "Yes." Prince Brian nodded. "My cousin." Cousin? The first thing that Queen Farah thought in her mind was naturally Aurora. After all, Auroras capability was very clear for everyone to see. In the negotiation before, Aurora was able to dominate the negotiations. "Is it Aurora?" "Yes." Chapter 251: Meeting with Queen Farah Chapter 251: Meeting with Queen Farah Queen Farah sighed when she heard her sons confirmation that it was Aurora. She felt that she should have expected this. "How and why?" "I dont know how she obtained the information," Prince Brian said and looked at his mother. "She should have her own way after staying in the Yellow Kingdom as their main negotiator for years." If Prince Brian had to say, Aurora was really good. She was able to obtain the information that many people couldnt obtain and didnt know how to obtain. But for Aurora, it seemed as simple as eating and drinking. Perhaps, it was simply because she was capable enough. Either way, Prince Brian didnt have much animosity with Aurora and they were even able to cooperate not long ago. Otherwise, having such an opponent like Aurora would make them feel headache. "As for why, perhaps she has her own intention and someone whom she want to deal through us," Prince Brian speculated. Knowing Auroras financial situation, Prince Brian felt that it was really easy for Aurora to buy a mansion in the Red Kingdoms Capital City on her own. There was truly no need for Aurora to come forward and talked with Prince Brian to negotiate this matter in the first place. But she still did. So Prince Brian felt that Aurora had other intentions. Queen Farah chuckled. "In that case, I should go and see her. I would feel uneasy when I thought that such a capable girl might be planning something." Prince Brian looked at his mother speechlessly. He felt that there was no need for them to worry needlessly. Aurora was not going to deal with them since they have no enmity with her. If she really wanted to deal with Prince Brian, there was no way she would agree to his request and gave such valuable information to them. Because if she didnt leak these out to them, it was estimated that Queen Rachel would be able to gain more nobles approval and agreement. Even if Queen Farah has a duke backing her from behind, it would not be able to stand facing so many powerful nobles at the same time. Queen Farah would be in trouble at that time. What Prince Brian did to build his reputation and momentum would not work so well without the support of many nobles. "I will give you her address," Prince Brian said. "Also mother, do you know which noble Queen Rachel pick to find a daughter in law?" "It should be that marquis family. Theyre the highest one who are willing to side with her," Queen Farah replied. "Why?" "I just think that it would be quite messy." Prince Brian shrugged. Messy? Queen Farah was confused. Prince Brian didnt explain and only thought about Auroras words before they went their separate ways back then. She told him that if Adela were to come to the Red Kingdom, there was a chance that she might be aiming for Prince Charles. At that time, Prince Brian felt that it was ridiculous. They were cousins. Even if the law didnt exactly forbid it, there were not many people who did it because the history said that marrying close relatives would bring a lot of sickness to their children. They didnt want their children to suffer, so many people didnt marry their cousins or even distant cousins. They would pick someone who has further blood relationship or even none at all. But Aurora only told him that it was an if and should that happen, he might want to pay attention to the chaos that might ensue because Queen Rachel disagreement. Of course that woman will disagree. Adela would not be able to bring much help to Prince Charles to seize the throne. What Queen Rachel wanted first and foremost was someone who could help her to get the throne for her son easily. Adela? She was not someone who could do it. And if she truly aimed for Prince Charles, Prince Brian felt that it might end up like his mother and Queen Rachel. It would really be messy. "Mother, you might want to pay attention to what she did and lend a helping hand," Prince Brian added. He couldnt do much inside the palace because it was controlled mostly by Queen Farah and Queen Rachel. The two women have been contending their power and authority within the Royal Palace. As the prince, Prince Brian didnt have that much authority nor influence for this matter. So he could only remind his mother. "Alright." Queen Farah believed that her son had his own reasons for wanting her to pay attention to Adela. Even though she felt that Adela was not worthy of attention, Queen Farah was willing to listen to her sons words. The two mother and son discussed a few more things before Prince Brian left. The aftermath of the war was not completely done yet. He still has a lot of work to be done. Queen Farah herself had to go back and out of curiosity, she went to the garden where the princes were usually located. At this time, she saw Prince Charles was being surrounded by two women and looking at his helpless expression, it seemed that the situation was not very good. Queen Farah recognized one of them as the marquis daughter while the other one was Adela. After all, Adela has been in the Red Kingdoms Royal Palace for a few days. It would be easy for Queen Farah to recognize her. So thats what my son meant. Queen Farah shook her head when she saw this. She felt that this Prince Charles might have inherited his fathers really bad trait. That damn Red Kingdoms King even dared to have a relationship with another woman and made her have his child. For this matter, Queen Farah only want to snort. She didnt like the Red Kingdoms King. If it was not for the political marriage that her family arranged, she would not even come here in the first place. Anyway, it was useless to care about this and Queen Farah simply made her way around these three people. No matter how messy they would be, Queen Farah could listen to the servants words retelling her if there was anything important. There was no need for her to watch by herself. Her eyes would hurt if she were to watch this kind of drama. There were already many staged drama that Queen Rachel made over the years and Queen Farah was really tired. Anyway, let that woman toss. In the end, the Red Kingdoms King would not dare to do anything to her. Take her power? Heh. Queen Farah sneered. Even if it looked like Queen Rachel has all the advantages, Queen Farah knew the situation in the Red Kingdom well. While the Red Kingdoms King sat on the throne, he still needed the support of many nobles. Because the war between the Red Kingdom and the Ice Kingdom had hollowed out many resources of the Red Kingdom. Without the support of the nobles, the Red Kingdoms King would be nothing more than an empty title. So the Red Kingdoms King still had Queen Farah by his side. She also had the real power that Queen Rachel would never be able to get in her entire life. Unless that Queen Rachel managed to obtain a lot of power, It would be nothing more than a pipe dream to take over the power that was in Queen Farahs hand. Now, lets meet my niece~. ... Auroras side After settling in the Red Kingdom, Aurora made sure to operate in low key manner. She didnt want the Red Kingdoms King to find out about her whereabouts. At least, not yet. It took her some time to establish her guild and also connection in the Red Kingdom. The guild had already started operating and earned Aurora a lot of money. Aurora had to say that the Red Kingdoms nobles were indeed rich. At least, they were richer than the Yellow Kingdom. Considering that the Red Kingdom has been in war for a long time but they still has this much money, she had to admit that they should have earned a lot during those negotiations with other kingdoms. After all, the negotiations would affect the lives of so many people below them and these nobles did their best to make sure that they were doing well. For their own profit. Though, Aurora could guess that the real money that was in the Red Kingdoms palace was actually not much. After all, they had to fund the war and even if the Red Kingdoms King asked the nobles to pay some percentage, he still has to fork out money himself. No wonder Queen Rachel was desperate to get the negotiations percentage. But if she just wanted to rely on that, it would be impossible for Queen Rachel to truly get rich. Aurora knew very well that only by doing business herself would it be possible for her to earn a lot of money. Chapter 252: Meeting with Queen Farah (2) Chapter 252: Meeting with Queen Farah (2) Of course, Aurora had no plan to advise Queen Rachel. That woman had made a lot of troubles for her and Aurora still hadnt paid back for what she did back then. Besides that, Aurora also established information channels and managed to get various important information from various places. One of them was naturally the Royal Palace as she was able to know what Queen Rachel was doing. Prince Brian is doing well. Aurora nodded with satisfaction when she saw that Prince Brian was using the information that she had shared very well. By making use of the information, he prevented Queen Rachel from having real power and possibly threatened Prince Brians position. Otherwise, it would be a bit difficult for them in the future. As for Prince Brian getting more power with this? To be honest, Aurora didnt care that much and only think that it should have been that way. Hes the legitimate prince and it was only natural for him to obtain a lot of power. However, Queen Rachel has been quite restless lately. Looking at the list of things that Queen Rachel has been doing lately, Auroras eyes narrowed. It seemed that Queen Rachel wanted to eliminate troubles that come to her door. But how could it be so easy? Aurora tapped the table in front of her, sighing. How should she stop this? She didnt really like this arrangement that Queen Rachel made for Adela and her other cousin. Prince Brian has a younger sister, whos even younger than Aurora. She had never seen her, but Prince Brian had told her that his sister is very good. And Queen Rachel should feel that it was hard to target Prince Brian and Duchess Isabella directly, so she planned to deal with their daughters first. Tsk, what a ruthless woman. Knock! Knock! As Aurora was thinking, there was a knock on the door. "Miss, someone with the name Farah is here to see you." Farah? Aurora sat up upright on her seat almost immediately. While she didnt know the names of all nobles in the Red Kingdom, she still knew the names of the few important people. One of them was naturally Farah Paige from Paige Dukedom, the daughter of the current Duke Paige and also the Queen of the Red Kingdom. The legitimate ones. "Please let her come in and prepare some tea." "Yes, Miss." The door opened and Queen Farah walked into the room calmly and elegantly. Her eyes swept the room before falling to Aurora. The corner of her lips curled up slightly when she saw Auroras appearance. If Queen Farah had to say, Auroras appearance was really similar to the former King of the Red Kingdom during the time when the Red Kingdom was in great power. It was truly a coincidence. "Queen Farah," Aurora greeted and bowed in accordance to etiquette. "You dont have to be so polite in front of me. I didnt come here as the queen and only as an aunt who wants to pay a visit to her niece," Queen Farah said and waved her hand elegantly. "Yes, Aunt Farah," Aurora replied with a faint smile. "Please take a seat." Seeing how Aurora carried herself, Queen Farah truly couldnt find any loopholes. Everything looked very perfect and made Queen Farah amazed by how ones demeanor could be so elegant. Queen Farah took a seat and Aurora was also back to her own seat. She smiled. "I would like to thank you for the information you shared with my son." "Prince Brian is my cousin, so its only natural for me to help him," Aurora replied unhurriedly. Queen Farah kept her smile. Who would believe Auroras words? It was clear that Aurora had her own intention when she told Prince Brian about these things. However, she would definitely not be willing to tell others if she had no other intention. After all, it would be best to keep these things for herself. "I see that your business is doing well. Do you need help anywhere?" Queen Farah asked. The business that the Era Guild had was getting better and better. The few people who came to them felt that the service was really good and they could also trade many items that they couldnt sell easily, so many people started coming. There were various services that Aurora did here. Of course, the one who managed everything was Karl. Aurora had no interest to get involved in everything personally. So in just the short period of time when Aurora was in the Red Kingdom, her business had become better and better. It was to the point that there was no doubt that the Red Kingdoms King would pay attention to Aurora soon. After all, with such a huge business under his nose, the Red Kingdoms King would not be so happy. The Royal Family themselves were not very rich and now someone richer than them showed up? They would not be able to stay calm. "If possible, I hope to borrow your familys name, Aunt Farah," Aurora replied with a faint smile. A business without any nobles backing would encounter trouble sooner or later. Even though Aurora had already employed enough people to be the bodyguards and so on, Aurora knew that it was only the beginning. At this moment, Era Guild would not attract anyones attention. But as the scale grew bigger, there would be many people eyeing it. The Red Kingdoms King was only one of them. If Era Guild could have the Paige Familys name backing them, then they could operate with more confidence without the need to worry about anything. Of course, Aurora knew that this would not be for free. She would either need to pay the Paige Family a percentage of her business or they could strike some other deals. "Oh?" Queen Farah arched her eyebrows. She looked at Aurora carefully and smiled faintly. "And what would it be for me?" Talking with a smart person would be easy and Queen Farah knew that Aurora would definitely not allow her to suffer. This was the basis of negotiation and they have to make it seem as if the other party would earn something while in truth, they would earn more. In the past, Queen Farah was also the one who hold the negotiation with other kingdom. So she knew this method very well. "I can share some informations and also a small percentage from some of Era Guilds business," Aurora replied. "Information?" Queen Farahs eyes narrowed. If she was not wrong, the first deal Aurora made with her son was also about information. However, it was information about the Yellow Kingdom. To be exact, it was the information about Queen Rachels movement during the negotiation in the Yellow Kingdom. That kind of information was indeed hard to find for Queen Farah. After all, Queen Farah didnt have much connection there. But now that they were in the Red Kingdom, Queen Farah was confident that her source of information was better than Aurora. In that case, would it be useful for her? Aurora could see Queen Farah was skeptical so she replied, "I have some people within the palace and also other place. I believe you know that Era Guild had already expanded to various cities in the Red Kingdom." Queen Farah nodded. To be honest, Era Guilds rapid expansion was something that Queen Farah felt terrified about. She couldnt figure out how Aurora was able to manage such a big business that cover up such a large area. Moreover, Queen Farah also knew that Aurora should have her own way to do this. "Yes, youre really brave, Niece Aurora." Queen Farah smiled. Aurora chuckled. Is it bravery? She had already made the preparation to enter the Red Kingdom for a long time. But she didnt have the chance in the past because she wouldnt be able to manage many things personally. Now that she was in the Red Kingdoms territory, Aurora had the confidence that she would be able to do this. It was one of the reasons Aurora dared to be here today and did various businesses. Of course, she was also careful enough to make sure that she didnt make any mistake. There were still many people who were eyeing her head. "I also have some people in the palace and from what I know, Her Highness wants to introduce someone to her daughter and niece," Aurora said slowly. "I think shes on her way to see His Majesty as we speak." Queen Farahs face changed when she heard this. Over the years, Queen Farah was already used to deal with Queen Rachel and felt that the few tactics that Queen Rachel used was nothing more than that. This woman was annoying, but it would not do anything that was too harmful for Queen Farah. Now, Aurora told her that Queen Rachel had set her sight on her daughter? Queen Farah felt instant rage in her heart. Chapter 253: More Expansion Chapter 253: More Expansion Aurora could see Queen Farah was trying to suppress her emotion. Any mother who cared for their daughter wouldnt be able to accept this kind of thing and Queen Farah was not an exception. She would not care too much about Queen Rachel deliberate targeting to herself. Because Queen Farah has gotten used to it over the years. She also didnt take Queen Rachel seriously. But when Queen Rachel decided to target Queen Farahs daughter, it would be the same as touching her inverse scale. There was no way that Queen Farah would remain silent to such provocation. "What do you know about this?" Queen Farah took a deep breath and looked at Aurora intently. "Does that mean we reach a deal?" Aurora asked with a faint smile on her face. Seeing Auroras appearance, Queen Farah knew that Aurora had hold onto her weakness. But even if Queen Farah knew about this, she didnt care too much. This Aurora had already hold many peoples weakness in her hand and knew how to use them to make other propel follow her words. If they couldnt hold their grounds in front of her, then they were destined to follow her words and there was nothing that could be done about that. But Queen Farah didnt mind. Perhaps, other people who have dealt with Aurora also has similar mindset with her. They knew that they were being taken advantage of in the negotiation with Aurora, but they also knew that what she could give them was very important. So they were willing to bow their heads down. "Yes." Queen Farah nodded. Aurora smiled and took the paper to write the agreement for both parties. She didnt expect that she would be able to solve the problems that was in her mind very quickly and even gained so much with just one encounter. ... Before long, Queen Farah left. Aurora looked at the agreement in front of her with interest and chuckled lightly. It seemed that even when she didnt try to solve the problems yet, there would be a way opened up to her. And this way was also very interesting. "Call Karl here." "Yes, Miss." While Auroras main basis for Era Guild was in the Yellow Kingdom, Aurora still arranged for Karl to come to the Red Kingdom for the time being. His family members, not related by blood but acknowledged by Karl, have all stayed in Viscount Arns territory. In this way, Karl would have no qualms when he left. He knew that his family were safe. During this period of rapid expansion, Aurora needed Karls help because there were many things that she has to do. It would be impossible for Aurora to do everything by herself and this was where Karl came in. "Miss, do you call for me?" Karl knocked on the door. "Come in, Karl." Aurora looked at Karl, who was brimming with smile from ear to ear. It didnt need a genius to know that Karl should have strike another profitable deal. This was the only thing that could make Karl happy in the Red Kingdom. Without his lover Layla, Karl was usually very indifferent. "Yes, Miss." Aurora showed the emblem of the Paige Family on the table. "From now on, you can put this emblem in the guild. Make sure to put it somewhere conspicuous." Karls eyes lit up. "Miss, weve the backing of Duke Paige now?" Having the backing of a duke would make their operation much smoother. Even Karl couldnt help but feel energetic when he thought that there was a duke behind him. Things would be very different from now on. Back then in the Yellow Kingdom, the Era Guild was able to make a good use of the White Dukedom behind Aurora. As the dukes daughter, why couldnt Aurora make a good use of her family name? She used it for Era Guild. However, upon her return to the Capital Academy, Aurora asked Karl to put the emblem away and slowed down the expansion of the Era Guild in the Yellow Kingdom. What she wanted to do was for him to make a good use of this period of time to accumulate resources and money. These resources and money would be put in Viscount Arns territory before slowly transported to the Red Kingdom. They would be Auroras capital for businesses in the Red Kingdom. Now, more than half of the resources have been used and Aurora had already started to receive a lot of return from the Red Kingdom. Aurora had to say that she was very satisfied. The Red Kingdom was indeed richer than the Yellow Kingdom. It would be much more easier to build businesses in the Red Kingdom. Of course, Aurora didnt dare to be too high profile. If the Era Guild was targeted by someone troublesome, then Auroras investment would be all for naught. Thankfully, they were able to develop well in this period of time and now Aurora received the support of Queen Farah from Paige Dukedom. Everything would be much easier from now on. "Yes." Aurora nodded. "Expand with confidence and if theres any trouble, Im sure that this emblem is more than enough to scare many people." Karl smiled evilly when he heard Auroras order. Naturally, he would make a good use of this backing in front of him. What was the use of a backer if they were not being put at the front to face the troubles? "Yes, Miss." Aurora nodded. She knew that Karl would have no problem implementing this matter and what had to be done to expand the Era Guild was something that Karl knew from the bottom of his heart. This man also had a lot of ambitions. Though, he didnt dare to overstep his bounds. He knew very well that he could only reach this stage with Auroras help and as Auroras servant, he had to prioritize Auroras needs and request. Soon, Karl left. Aurora was still in the room and slowly stood up. There were many rooms in the Era Guilds building and Aurora took this entire floor for herself. She walked to the room next door and found Prince Lester was still busy reviewing the paper in front of him. Era Guild was expanding rapidly and Aurora only have a pair of hand and a pair of eyes. It was impossible for Aurora to manage everything by herself. There were not many people whom Aurora could trust and Prince Lester was one of them. Even though their contract was only temporary, but Aurora didnt mind letting Prince Lester review some of the documents that were of less importance. There was no problem at all with him knowing. At least, Aurora felt that way. "Miss." Prince Lester immediately stopped when he saw Aurora entering. His official status was still Auroras knight. Though, his work lately seemed to review various documents. Thankfully, during the years when Prince Lester followed Aurora, she didnt forget to teach him many things related to business and so on. In this way, when Aurora needed it, Prince Lester would be able to help her. Of course, there were still limit to how much Aurora was willing to share to Prince Lester and let him know. "You can rest for now." Aurora nodded at Prince Lester and sat down not far from him. "Ive decided to have more contact with Queen Farah and Paige Dukedom behind her. From now on, you have to be careful of their enemies when you come out." Every nobles have their enemies. When Aurora was investigating the nobles, she naturally looked into their relationship with each other. Many nobles didnt see eye to eye and it was a bit troublesome. She had to make sure she knew their background information and also their relationship to make a good use of it. "Yes, Miss." Prince Lester nodded solemnly. He had already read the information and naturally knew who Aurora meant by enemies. Since Aurora had picked Queen Farahs side, it just meant that she would be enemies to those who supported Queen Rachel. Even though Queen Rachels plan was thwarted by Aurora not long ago, but she still has a considerable power even in the Red Kingdom. There were many nobles who were willing to side with Queen Rachel. And now, Aurora would become a thorn in their eyes because she sided with Queen Farah. When Aurora thought about this, the corner of her lips only curled up slightly. She has never been afraid of challenge. If they thought that her head was so easy to take, then they are welcome to try. She would entertain them well. "You dont have to be so serious." Aurora chuckled. "There are not that many people who could come close to me." Prince Lester nodded, but he would still pay attention. When it concerned Auroras safety, he had to put it at the highest priority. "It would still take some time before Queen Farah come back. In the next few days, you will help me to sort the paper." Chapter 254: Anger Chapter 254: Anger "Yes, Miss." When Aurora thought that with the expansion of Era Guild, she would have a lot of paperwork, Aurora felt that it was truly a happy trouble. While she didnt really like doing various works again, but Aurora also knew that it was necessary. Besides, she also wanted to see Era Guild having more influence and earn her a lot of money. With a lot of money in her hands, Aurora would be able to do many other things that she didnt think before. It was good. ... The Red Kingdoms Royal Palace Queen Rachel heard that Queen Farah left the palace to take a walk. This has happened a few times each month since Queen Farah didnt really like staying in the palace all the time. Of course, there would be a lot of entourage following Queen Farah to ensure her safety. Even if Queen Rachel wanted to harm Queen Farah, she would not have the chance to do so with such tight protection. Besides, physical harm like that would be the most useless method. Queen Rachel knew very well that she couldnt shake Queen Farahs position through physically harming Queen Farah. It would be better for her to focus her attention on other matters related to Queen Farah. And her plan finally landed on Queen Farahs daughter. The princess was already 16 years old and it would soon be time for her to be engaged. It was just in time for Queen Rachel to mention this matter to the Red Kingdoms King and made some arrangement for Adela too. That was Queen Rachels plan. She purposely picked the time when Queen Farah was away to come to the Red Kingdoms King and presented the information that she wanted. For this kind of matter, the Red Kingdoms King said that he would consider it. Honestly, the Red Kingdoms King knew that the two queens were making troubles for each other behind his back. But he didnt care. In fact, the Red Kingdoms King felt that it was good if these two people could continue to make trouble after trouble for each other. As long as it didnt involve him and didnt make trouble for him, the Red Kingdoms King didnt care that much. This time, Queen Rachel came to him. But before the Red Kingdoms King could come into a decision for his daughter and niece, Queen Farah had already arrived and complained to him. She met with an insolent young man on the street and so on. It was also a coincidence that this young man was the very person that Queen Rachel suggested to him. Even though the Red Kingdoms King was a bit suspicious, but he would still listen to Queen Farahs words. Since she felt that the young man was disrespectful to the Royal Family, then off he go. He also forgot about the arrangement for his daughter. That man is not suitable. What he thought was the arrangement that Queen Rachel wanted to make for Adela, his niece. It was still worth pondering but the Red Kingdoms King would not come into decision so easily. After all, this was not his daughter and he still needed Duchess Isabellas agreement. He would take some time to talk with her later. ... Queen Farah heaved a sigh of relief after she came out from meeting the Red Kingdoms King. She felt that it was her luck to be able to meet Aurora not long ago and have her share this information with her. Even though it was not the best method, but at least this crisis passed. Her daughter would not have to follow that Queen Rachels arrangement. Thinking about this, Queen Farahs eyes gleamed with hatred. She had tolerated Queen Rachel for so many years because she didnt care. Even the Red Kingdoms Kings affection that Queen Rachel held so tightly in her hands, Queen Farah didnt want it. For her, the Red Kingdoms Kings affection worth nothing. But after so many years, Queen Farah realized that this Queen Rachel had started to breach into her territory more and more. Did she think that Queen Farah didnt make any excessive move over the years because she was afraid? Queen Farah sneered. If that was what Queen Rachel thought, then she had to be disappointed. The main reason why Queen Farah didnt make a move was because she was too lazy to do so. But now... Queen Rachel had successfully angered Queen Farah. She would not let Queen Rachel off so easily! Calming her emotions down, Queen Farah made her way to her sons study room. Prince Brians study room was not exactly guarded. There were not many important things here because Prince Brian would put them in Queen Farahs room for safety. Of course, the less important thing would still contain some secret, so it was not suitable to be shown to others. Thankfully, from what Queen Farah knew, her son would always write the information that he stored in the study room with codes. In this way, no one would be able to know the information inside. Prince Brian, who was writing something, raised his head when he saw his mother coming in. "Mother?" He could sense that something was wrong with his mother, but he didnt know what it was. Moreover, he could see that Queen Farah was holding back her rage. This rage shouldnt be directed at him, though. Thinking about this, Prince Brian frowned. "Did Queen Rachel do something again, Mother?" There were very few people who could make Queen Farah angry and Queen Rachel was one of them. To be exact, she was at the top of the list of people who could make Queen Farah angry when she did something that was troublesome for Prince Brian. But at that time, Queen Farah would only be slightly angry and then went to settle the score. This time, Prince Brian felt that Queen Farah was in rage. "I want you to find something for Queen Rachel to do," Queen Farah said in a cold tone. "Okay." Prince Brian nodded and then waved his hand to let his attendant made tea for Queen Rachel. There were a few people whom he allowed to stay in the study room with him, this attendant was one of them. After the tea was served, the attendant left and Queen Farah slowly sipped the tea. When she calmed down, she glanced at Prince Brian. "She tried to make arrangement for your sister. I stopped her in time by coming to the Red Kingdoms King." Prince Brians eyes narrowed. Very good. It seemed that Queen Rachel wanted to play this dirty. In that case, Prince Brian would welcome her to try and at the same time, did many things to that annoying person. He had just thought about a new way to make these nobles stayed away from Queen Rachel. "Its alright now, Mother," Prince Brian said slowly. Queen Farah nodded. "Your cousin has a lot of informations in her hand. Its a good thing that shes not interested in the throne." When Queen Farah was talking with Aurora not long ago, she tried to inquire about Auroras interest in the throne. After all, Queen Farah didnt want to create a strong competitor for her son. However, Aurora was rather blunt in this matter. She would rather be a princess rather than the queen. It was too troublesome. When Queen Farah heard Auroras answer, she felt satisfied. In any case, this meant that if Prince Brian were to be selected as the crown prince, there would be Aurora on the back supporting him. For Queen Farah, this is a very good thing. "I see." Prince Brian nodded. He thought that Aurora only knew some information in the Yellow Kingdom, but it seemed that he underestimated his cousin. Perhaps, no one would think that Aurora had reached into the Red Kingdom so deeply if not for her revealing this to them. The corner of Prince Brians mouth curled up slightly. "If she could support me, that would be a good thing. Of course, Ill make sure to reward her appropriately," Prince Brian said slowly and then looked at his mother. "Are you planning to see her again, Mother?" "Yes." Queen Farah replied. "She asked me to inform her when something related to Adela come up." Adela? Prince Brian didnt expect Aurora to pay so much attention to this sister of hers. It seemed that Aurora had some reasons why she was paying more attention to Adela. Though, Prince Brian would not pry into it. Anyway, the problem between Aurora and Adela was not his business at all. "Will there be anything happen?" Prince Brian asked. "Queen Rachel try to make arrangement for her." Queen Farah passed a glance at Prince Brian. "Do you think that Princess Isabella would take it down so easily?" "Ah..." Prince Brian shook his head. He felt that Queen Rachel really knew how to make trouble. In an instant, she had made troubles in front of Queen Farah and Duchess Isabella. The two of them would never take it lying down when Queen Rachel targeted their daughters. Chapter 255: Temptation Chapter 255: Temptation "I see." Prince Brian rubbed his chin. Since that was the case, then he would have an easier time when he wanted to make some additional troubles. "Im going back now." Queen Farah stood up. She wanted to see her daughter now and made sure that Queen Rachel would have no chance to do things like this again in the future. Hmph! ... Auroras side The situation in both the Yellow Kingdom and the Red Kingdom were not very good right now. At least, in their Imperial Palace, there were many conflicts and so on. Even though Aurora was in the Red Kingdom, she still received news from the Yellow Kingdom from the people she had planted there. Now that these people were busy and there were no one who paid attention to her, Aurora made her way to the royal cemetery. "Miss, why do you want to go here?" Les was confused when she received the order. Not to mention, Aurora also brought a lot of flowers today. "I havent visited my grandfather for a long time," Aurora said calmly. Her grandfather from her mothers side was the previous king of the Red Kingdom. She had heard about how wise he is but he had passed away when she was born. So the least she could do was to pay a visit to his grave and paid her respect. Les said nothing more and waited in the carriage as Aurora walked out to the royal cemetery. Every members of the royal family would be buried here after they passed away unless they committed treason to the kingdom. At that point, they would not be allowed to be buried here. Since her grandfather was a great king, he was naturally buried here. Aurora walked forward with William and Prince Lester following behind her. Before long, they reached her grandfathers tomb. "You can stay further away," Aurora said lightly. "Yes, Miss." The two men retreated a distance away, allowing Aurora to be alone in front of her grandfathers tomb. There were many decorations in this tomb but it was not cleaned properly. Aurora guessed that these people were too busy arguing about various other matters that they forget to take care of their ancestors tomb. Well, not that she blamed them, though. She herself also didnt come here that often and had never met with her grandfather. It was impossible to say that she was close to him. "Grandpa, Im back to the Red Kingdom and Im not leaving again," Aurora said slowly. She has some friends in the Yellow Kingdom, but she didnt want to stay in that kingdom anymore. "I hope youre not angry with my decision. I prefer to stay in the Red Kingdom and live the rest of my life here." Perhaps, the Red Kingdom was not the most prosperous kingdom, but it was better than the Yellow Kingdom. At the very least, Aurora knew that the royal family were more reasonable here. The Yellow Kingdoms King might not be stupid, but he was too indulgent to his wife and first son, which caused Crown Prince Edward to be such an embarrassment. The second prince is better but it would take a long time for him to grow. During this period of time, Aurora knew that there would be many nobles who would make trouble. She didnt want to be dragged into that mess. "The White Family is no more. The man you choose for my mother is not very good, Grandpa." Aurora thought about her parents and shook her head slightly. These two people had never been a good parent to her. But they were good for Adela. She crouched down and put the flower in front of the tomb. "This is for you, Grandpa. And this..." she held one flower in her hand and smiled bitterly. "Is for my sister who had left." Over the years, she hoped that Adela could change back and become the little sister she used to know. But no matter how long she waited and tolerated, Adela never changed back. Aurora had to accept that the sister she knew had died. Perhaps, there was a chance for her sister to come back, but Aurora didnt know how. And she didnt want to continue watching as Adela fell further and further away on that road. If it was her sister, Aurora would not mind doing everything she could to make the future smooth for her. But this Adela... Aurora sighed. "I hope you wont be angry, Grandpa." Aurora smiled faintly. "But from now on, Ill live for myself instead of others and pursue my own happiness rather than thinking about others." She had worked hard for the White Familys territory to the point that she neglected herself. But what she received in the end was nothing more than a family who kept on making use of her. They never cared for her. The only person who cared for her in the past was her sister. But this sister would never return... As Aurora stayed in front of her grandfathers tomb, both William and Prince Lester were staying further away. They didnt want to listen to Auroras words and possibly hear something they shouldnt. *rustle* Prince Lesters eyes narrowed when he heard the voice and signaled to William that he would go forward to check it. William nodded and mouthed, "Be careful." Prince Lester walked forward and after some time, he suddenly stopped and drew his sword to the back. Clang! "Its been a while, Your Highness." Prince Lester frowned and looked at the black clothed man behind him. He recognized the emblem that the man carried and also that face, but... "Im no longer a prince," Prince Lester said unhurriedly. "No, you are." The man looked at Prince Lester stubbornly as if he wanted to make Prince Lester admit his identity. Prince Lester looked at this man and swung his sword. Clang! Clang! Clang! Bang! With a kick, the man was kicked far away from his current position. He coughed and looked at Prince Lester with astonishment. The previously weak prince has become so much powerful. Would it be possible.... "I wont return to the Ice Kingdom," Prince Lester said slowly and looked at the man in front of him. His eyes were calm and there was no emotion even when he was facing someone who should have come from the same kingdom as him. "As the prince of the Ice Kingdom..." "Prince Lester had died the day he was brought to the Red Kingdom as the captive prince," Prince Lester said slowly. "You..." "The Ice Kingdom has abandoned him, so why cant he abandon the Ice Kingdom?" Prince Lester continued and lowered his sword. "The Ice Kingdom is in turmoil because of the matter of the thrones. The princes are fighting for the throne, but it has nothing to do with me." From the very beginning, Prince Lester knew very well that he could return if he wanted to. But even if he return, then what? Recruiting people, usurping the throne, fight against his half siblings? Even until now, Prince Lester could remember the day when he was watching his fathers other wives were fighting against each other, trying to move the responsibility away because they didnt want their children to be the one to be sent away. What they wanted is nothing more than that throne, the disgusting seat just so that they could control the entire kingdom. His mother never cared for it nor did she care for him. Being a prince has no meaning for Prince Lester but pain. Because it made him unable to do anything that he wanted and had to follow the arrangement that was made for him. His opinion had never mattered for them. But now... Prince Lester could feel the respect that Aurora gave to him. She gave him options and he was free to choose whatever he wanted. Their relationship was based on that employment contract and the promise that was made to bring him out of the Red Kingdom in the beginning. By now, it would not matter at all even if he leave. But Prince Lester didnt want to. "Your Highness, the Ice Kingdom can belong to you. There are still..." "For the fight of the throne, the backing of the family is still important," Prince Lester said slowly. "With my mothers background, do you think theres a chance." "But...." "As I have said before, Prince Lester had died," Prince Lester said slowly. "Dont make me kill you." The man looked at Prince Lesters cold eyes and knew that he couldnt persuade Prince Lester to listen to his arrangement and return to the Ice Kingdom. It was clear that Prince Lester wanted nothing of it. He lowered his head, bowed and then left. Prince Lester stood still on his place and shook his head. Perhaps, he could take this chance to go back to the Ice Kingdom because his contract with Aurora has almost reached the time limit. But... He didnt want it. Chapter 256: Identity Chapter 256: Identity "Would you not regret it?" Prince Lester turned his head and saw William stood not far from him. The battle just now should have attracted Williams attention, so he came closer. However, William had no intention to interrupt because he knew that it was Prince Lesters business. "Why would I?" Prince Lester asked back. "If youre the king, you can rule the entire kingdom and have a lot of power," William replied unhurriedly. If there was a chance to become the king, how many people would pass on this chance? Moreover, Prince Lesters identity was still there. He used to be the prince of Ice Kingdom, so he had legitimate background to fight for the throne. There might be people who want to support him to become the king. Prince Lester looked at William and asked, "What do you know about the Ice Kingdom?" "Not much," William admitted. The Yellow Kingdom was located further away from the Ice Kingdom and there were almost no contact. As someone raised in the Yellow Kingdom, William naturally didnt have the chance to hear much about the Ice Kingdom. Afterwards, William was busy following Aurora and learned how to become a knight. There were not much chance for him to study the situation of other kingdoms. After they came to the Red Kingdom, there might be more news about the Ice Kingdom. But it was mostly about the war between the Ice Kingdom and the Red Kingdom. After all, these two kingdoms had conflict with each other for quite a long time. It was not easy for the two kingdoms to calm down. "The Ice Kingdom didnt need an abandoned prince. There are already 10 people who are coveting the throne and had built their power for a long time," Prince Lester said slowly. "Besides, whats the point of becoming the king of that broken kingdom?" For Prince Lester, the Ice Kingdom was nothing more than a broken kingdom. Even if he become the king, then what? He had no interest in the power of a king. They said that a king could do anything he wanted, but Prince Lester knew very well that his father had to measure his actions and words in order to keep his throne. The children on his sides all wanted to sit there. And even if they were all still young, they had already started to show their fangs and started to scheme against each other. Some of the princes might want it. While some others were pushed by their own mother. Prince Lester was not the oldest nor the youngest prince in the Ice Kingdom. He had seen his half siblings fought against each other countless times. Sometimes, the fight will be small. At some other times, it would involve deaths. Everything just for the sake of that power. "Life is limited and I have no desire for that throne," Prince Lester replied. William blinked his eyes and said, "Youre very unambitious." "Yes." Seeing how Prince Lester admitted it frankly, William had nothing else to say. Everyone had their own pursuit in life and William himself had things that he wanted to do. So seeing that Prince Lester was behaving like this, William felt a bit strange. At the same time, William didnt want to care about it. He didnt have that close relationship with Prince Lester and only asked out of curiosity and concern. Since he had received such an answer, then William wouldnt say anything else. "Lets go back to Miss," Prince Lester said. "Yes." Prince Lester could see that William was confused, but Prince Lester had no intention to explain his action. Perhaps, some people would think that he was wasting his chance, identity, and worth. But... Does he really need the identity of the prince of the Ice Kingdom? From the very beginning, Prince Lester felt that this identity restrained him more than giving anything. Even if he could return and received the respect from these people who used to despise him, it would not change what had happened in the past. And coming back to the Ice Kingdom just to get their recognition... He was not so idle, alright. As for his worth, does his worth only came from his identity as the prince of Ice Kingdom? "Youre finally back." Aurora has finished her talk with her grandfather since she didnt have much to say. Because of this, she also heard the commotion and the conversation between these people. To be honest, she didnt expect that the Ice Kingdoms people would come here and look for Prince Lester. It seemed that even if Prince Lester was chosen to be abandoned back then, there were still some people who remembered him. "Miss." "William, you go back first. I want to talk with Lester." "Yes, Miss." William directly left while Aurora looked at Prince Lester up and down. The young prince knew how to hide his thoughts very well, not allowing others to find out what he was thinking at all. And at this time, Prince Lester also looked back at Aurora calmly. He was not afraid of her questioning him about his decision. Because no matter what, Prince Lester would never change that decision. "Have you thought about what you want to do in the future?" Aurora asked. She originally thought that Prince Lester might want to return to the Ice Kingdom and perhaps become a prince again. After all, since he has been treated so badly like that, he might have some thoughts about revenge. For this, Aurora didnt care too much. She had seen some people who were blinded by revenge, people who were too weak to do it, and also people who chose to give up. Over the years, she had met with many people through her constant negotiation. These nobles all have different situations. And it also allowed Aurora to see more about the humans nature. "I..." Prince Lester opened his mouth and looked at Aurora in front of him. He thought for a moment and then said, "Has the time limit up, Miss?" "No, theres still a few more weeks," Aurora replied. "Ill give the answer when the time limit is up," Prince Lester said firmly. Aurora nodded and then turned around. No matter what Prince Lester wanted to do, she would respect his decision. She has never forced anyone to stay beside her and do what she wanted. It would be on the basis that she could negotiate with them. Of course, some negotiation might be a bit more coercive than the others. Everything would depend on how the situation would be. Prince Lester saw Aurora was ready to leave and then asked, "Miss, dont you want to ask anything about the Ice Kingdom?" Aurora stopped and shook her head. "Do I need to ask?" Does she need to ask? The answer is no. She didnt need to. The matter of the Ice Kingdom was clearly not something that Aurora needed to know and if Prince Lester didnt want to say, Aurora would not force him. It was not like Prince Lester is a prisoner. Hes his knight, a subordinate under a fair contract. "Is the identity of a prince really important?" Prince Lester asked quietly. Aurora turned her head and then smiled faintly. "Do you think the identity of the dukes daughter is important?" In the past, Aurora had lived her entire life as the dukes daughter. And as the dukes daughter, she had her own privilege but more responsibility. Those made her suffocated and tired. Now that she had abandoned that identity, Aurora could say for certain that she was living a much better life. A life where she didnt need to be constrained by other people anymore. Prince Lester heard Auroras words and a smile appeared on the corner of his lips. He understood what Aurora wanted to say. "Thank you, Miss." "You dont have to thank me. I didnt do anything." After that, Aurora turned and continued to walk away. Prince Lester watched Auroras back and took a deep breath. A persons worth was determined by themselves. Perhaps, the identity of a certain profession or a position could give them more value on the surface and how they would be treated by others. But first and foremost, they had to learn to respect and value themselves. Only in this way would it be possible for them to truly understand their own value. An identity is just a part of them, not their entire being. Losing an identity of a prince just meant that he had gained a different identity that he could go with. Because here, hes still the knight of Aurora. And Aurora is still the leader of Era Guild and also their master. These so called identities were just how they identify someone and not what defined their entire being. If there was any identity that could define them and would never change, it was the fact that theyre a human being who had their own will and thoughts. Chapter 257: Prince Edward’s Ending Chapter 257: Prince Edwards Ending After that short conversation, Aurora returned to the carriage. William could see the expression on Prince Lesters face was calmer than before. He felt a bit curious but suppressed this thought. It was not his place to ask questions to Aurora and Prince Lester. "Lets go." "Yes, Miss." The carriage soon left and Prince Lester looked in Auroras direction, a smile formed on the corner of his lips. ... The Yellow Kingdom, Royal Palace While the Red Kingdom was messy with Duchess Isabella confronting Queen Rachel angrily, the situation in the Yellow Kingdom was not any better. In fact, it could be said that their situation might be a bit worse. After losing his title as the crown prince, Prince Edward was forced by his mother to study and all. However, Prince Edward was not in the mood to study at all. He was angered by the fact that Duke White and Duchess Isabella made his engagement with Adela void. In the entire Yellow Kingdoms history, he should be the only prince whose engagement was voided twice. First was because it was himself who requested it. The second time was because they refused him. When Prince Edward thought about the second time, he felt immense anger in his heart. He had worked so hard to be able to make Adela willing to stay beside him, yet he was not able to get her in the end. This made Prince Edward thoroughly frustrated. "Youre grounded and not allowed to leave!" This was what the Yellow Kingdoms King said to him and then refused to see him again. Prince Edward hated his father when he saw the Yellow Kingdoms Kings coldness. Day by day, what he heard of what the servants said was about how much the Yellow Kingdoms King cared for the second prince. Their words seemed to tell him that the Yellow Kingdoms King didnt have any expectation for him anymore. He would not allow Prince Edward to become the crown prince ever again with his action. Prince Edward couldnt accept this. He lost everything he used to have and couldnt even leave his residence. There would be many royal guards standing guard to prevent him from sneaking away. With Prince Edwards swordsmanship capabilities, he was definitely far from being able to sneak past them. So Prince Edward could only stay in his palace quietly. There were still teachers his mother sent to teach him, but Prince Edward didnt want to study at all. He kept on throwing his temper and Queen Ella could only try to make her time to pay a visit to her first son. At this moment, Queen Ella looked really haggard. She has been spending a long time trying to convince the Yellow Kingdoms King to let Prince Edward off, but he didnt want to. Moreover, her second son was not very close to her and refused to have intimate relationship. While the second prince still treated Queen Ella as the queen and his mother, but his attitude was not very good and even Queen Ella could sense the alienation that the second prince exuded either deliberately or not. "Mother! I want to go out!" Prince Edward yelled when he saw Queen Ella. At this moment, he didnt care about anything else but only wanted to go out of this palace. Even though he was already an adult, he behaved worse than little child. Queen Ella looked at her son and felt heartache from the bottom of her heart. But she knew very well that the Yellow Kingdoms Kings heart was already firm. "No, you cant." Queen Ella shook his head. "His Majesty would not allow you to go." "Then do something!" Prince Edward was annoyed. Queen Ella took a deep breath and looked at her son with frustration. She has been working hard, alright? For a long time, Queen Ella were worried for her son. She had already worked hard, but why cant Prince Edward see it. The mother and son finally quarreled and Queen Ella left. Prang! Prince Edward couldnt hold back and threw the vase in the room to the ground. He felt really angry that even his mother was not on his side. It seemed as if no one cared for him. Damn, damn, damn. Cursing in his mind, Prince Edward made his way to the balcony. He looked at the situation outside and narrowed his eyes. He looked at his own bed and finally gritted his teeth and made a rope from the bedsheet. Prince Edward couldnt stand staying in this place any longer. Even if the method was not easy to do, he wanted to try it out to get out of here! With this determination, Prince Edward made his way to the balcony and tied the rope he made and slowly made his way down. Halfway down, Prince Edward heard sound of tearing. He looked up. *Rip* Bang! "Kyaaaa!" "Your Highness!" ... The Yellow Kingdom, Royal Palace The second prince could sense his fathers change in his attitude towards him. It could be said that everyone could see that the Yellow Kingdoms King had changed his favorite child and it was possible for the second prince to become the crown prince soon. But the second prince knew his affairs very well. Even though the Yellow Kingdoms King looked like he was full of expectation of the second prince, he could see that the Yellow Kingdoms King was only keeping up with the appearance. It was clear that he still sent some people to pay attention to his older brother. The second prince sneered. He knew very well that the Yellow Kingdoms King thought that he was still too young. For the Yellow Kingdoms King, the older Prince Edward was a much better choice because he had more years to grow up. Ah, it was really ridiculous. The second prince felt that his father was too narrow minded. It was clear that he could stay on the throne for a long time and there was no need for him to hand over the throne to his children. Why should he worry too much about the second prince being too young? But the second prince pretended that he knew nothing on the surface. Because he knew very well that what the Yellow Kingdoms King wanted was a prince who would listen to his order and not someone who would do things on his own. Of course, the premise was that they still has some capabilities. Though, the second prince felt that the Yellow Kingdoms King was still more biased to his older brother. The second prince didnt think too much about it, though. He still has a long time. Unless his older brother changed overnight, there was basically no chance for Prince Edward to regain his status as the crown prince. Moreover, the second prince had never thought about killing his older brother. For that stupid prince, it was good for him to stay as a prince for the rest of his life and didnt bother with the political affairs. He would only be eaten cleanly if he did come. The days passed by peacefully. Just when the second prince thought that nothing would change, he heard from the attendants that Prince Edward had an accident. "My older brother got into an accident? How did that happen?" The second prince was confused. And then, he heard about the fact that Prince Edward tried to climb down from the balcony but failed miserably and broke his leg. The second prince: "...." Even after being grounded, Prince Edward could still toss around so much? The second prince declared that he felt his older brother was really ridiculous! "Ill see him." "Yes, Your Highness." When the second prince arrived at the scene, the Yellow Kingdoms King and Queen Ella were already there. The two of them listened to the doctors evaluation. Looking at their black faces, the result should be bad. Not wanting to provoke them at this point of time, the second prince silently stood at the side and also listened in. After a while, the second prince expression turned strange. Prince Edward might not be able to walk again in this life? It might be because Prince Edward was too unlucky that he hit the stone below the balcony. Based on the doctors evaluation of his injury, they determined that Prince Edward would not be able to walk again. Moreover, he also needed a lot of precaution and so on. The second prince didnt understand half of them and didnt bother to listen either. Whatever they were, it was not important. What he cared about was whether his father still wanted to make Prince Edward as the crown prince. Because from what the second prince knew, a cripple couldnt become the crown prince nor the king. Of course, that was unless there was no other option. Looking at the Yellow Kingdoms Kings dark face, the second prince felt that the Yellow Kingdoms King should be giving up on giving Prince Edward any hope. Its good. Chapter 258: Louis and the Second Prince Chapter 258: Louis and the Second Prince As the second prince has guessed, the Yellow Kingdoms King was indeed thinking about that. However, he had actually made this decision a long time ago. After all, the Yellow Kingdoms King had seen Prince Edwards performance and knew that this young man was not suitable to be the crown prince anymore. With the entire Yellow Kingdom at the stake, the Yellow Kingdoms King would not dare to appoint Prince Edward as the crown prince. Besides that, the Yellow Kingdoms King also knew that Prince Edward had no intention to study at all. Even if he was given power, he would only be used by others. The Yellow Kingdoms King really didnt know how his son could end up being like this. When Prince Edward was young, he was definitely far better than the current him. At this moment, the Yellow Kingdoms King only sighed deeply. He didnt expect that Prince Edward would toss himself to this state either. But perhaps, this is for the best. Because with this, Prince Edward would no longer have any unreasonable wishes and could calmly stay in his residence. As disappointed the Yellow Kingdoms King was to Prince Edward, the latter was still his son and the Yellow Kingdoms King didnt want him to die. Glancing to the side, the Yellow Kingdoms King looked at the second prince and knew very well that in this covert battle, the second prince had won. And he won without even doing anything. "Let him stay and reflect," the Yellow Kingdoms King gave this order and then left. The second prince looked at his fathers back thoughtfully before turning his eyes away. He knew that it would be better for him not to bother the Yellow Kingdoms King for the time being. No matter what, Prince Edward is still the Yellow Kingdoms Kings son. He wouldnt feel comfortable when he thought about what kind of future awaited Prince Edward. "Doctor, you have to do something," Queen Ella said, her tone was pleading. She might have just fought with Prince Edward not long ago, but when she heard that he would become a cripple from now on, Queen Ella felt immense distress. She didnt want to see her son like this. "Your Highness, we have already done our best...." The second prince saw his mother, who was usually very proud and arrogant, was now begging the doctor. He turned around and left. From the very beginning, he knew very well that his mother was biased for his older brother. But seeing this, the second prince only felt his heart slowly turning cold. Perhaps, this is for the best. In the next few days, the second prince heard various commotions coming from Prince Edwards place. His proud brother couldnt accept the reality so easily. How could he be wiling to accept that the previously healthy and strong young man had become a cripple? He should also understand that he would not have any fate with the throne anymore. And it didnt take long for the Yellow Kingdoms King to make a formal appointment and made the second prince as the crown prince. The second prince accepted it. It was not like he could do anything else anyway. But it was also from that time that the second prince realized that the attitude of everyone around him were different. Even his friends in the Capital Academy also became more respectful to him. Whatever he said, they would follow obediently. Even if he only mentioned some things once, it would delivered to him within hours or days if it was more complicated. His every action was being observed by many people and they would try their best to curry favor with him. This taste of power truly could make one feel drunk. It was only at this time the second prince truly realized why Prince Edward couldnt let go of this position. When he was removed from the position of the crown prince, what Prince Edward felt was nothing more than despair. The people who used to curry favor with him had moved away and didnt want to speak with him anymore. The people who used to treat him respectfully now acted cold to him. For the previously pampered Prince Edward, it was truly unbearable. The feeling of being able to control many things was really amazing. The second prince sighed. Most people might not be able to control themselves if they were suddenly in power and had a lot of say in many things. But... The second prince thought about Aurora, who was clearly in high position before for a long time, but she remained low key. When the second prince saw Aurora, it was mostly when the latter was studying in the library. She acted quietly and didnt behave arrogantly. But when it was necessary, she would stand her grounds and show her ability in front of others. The second prince smiled faintly. I want to become a good ruler just like her. Aurora who was far away in the Red Kingdom didnt know that she had become someones role model and this person was still the current crown prince of the Yellow Kingdom. If she knew, she would be speechless. It was not like she couldnt act high profile or arrogant, but it was unnecessary to act that way in front of these stupid students. Besides, what kind of noble would act arrogant all the time? She was not performing a show, got it! Thankfully Aurora was not here or she would scold the second prince for elevating her image unnecessarily. "Your Highness, Louis is here to see you," a student came to the second prince. "Louis?" The second prince, who was reading the book, couldnt remember who this was for a moment. He has a lot of classmates and there were many people come looking for the second prince after he was declared as the crown prince of the Yellow Kingdom. If he had to say, he simply couldnt remember everyone. "Prime Minister Lats son," the student explained. "Oh." The second prince frowned. From what he knew, Louis is his older brothers most loyal follower and also helper. While Louis is a capable person, he has been staying beside Prince Edward for many years and was also close to the other party. One had to admit that his background was quite good, though. It was just that the second prince didnt understand why Louis wanted to come and see him. Moreover, Louis should have already graduated for many years. What is he doing in the Capital Academy? The second prince didnt understand. "Do you not want to see him?" The student asked, feeling that the second prince didnt like Louis very much. "Ill see him," the second prince replied calmly and put down his book. It didnt take long for the second prince to come to the waiting room and found Louis was standing there. Louis froze when he saw the second prince and bowed down. "Your Highness." "Sit down," the second prince said and made his own way to the chairs. "Senior Louis had already graduated for a long time. What brings you here to see me, Sir Louis?" Louis saw the second prince being blunt and smiled helplessly. "Your Highness, I want to know if you need any help in anything. I might not be the best but Im very good at managing..." The second prince listened as Louis tried to elaborate his advantage. His eyes when he looked at Louis looked a bit strange but then he understood that Louis wanted to change camp. From Prince Edward to him. Louis is indeed very good. He has been taught by Prime Minister Lat ever since he was young and his study in the Capital Academy showed that he was very good. However... "Senior Louis," the second prince said after Louis was done talking. "Youre indeed very good, but I dont lack people right now." Louis face fell slightly. "Your Highness, are you not going to give me any chance?" Chance? The second prince looked at Louis with a strange expression and then chuckled. "Havent His Majesty arranged for you to participate in the meetings?" Louis was stunned. He was indeed allowed to attend the meetings, but his status there was nothing more than his fathers assistant. It could be said that he didnt have any power on his own to speak of. "Besides, there are many capable people around me. Why should I pick you?" The second prince stood up and looked at Louis in front of him. "When theres no lack of talent, one should prioritize their personality, am I right?" After saying that, the second prince turned and left. If he had to be honest, the second prince didnt really want to talk with Louis in the slightest bit. But he had to know why the other party tried to find him. He didnt expect the other party would come to him for this, though. Chapter 259: Leon and Annelie Chapter 259: Leon and Annelie The second prince sighed deeply. As the current crown prince, the position has become different. There were also many troublesome things that the second prince had to face. Louis sat there without moving. He understood very well that the second princes words meant that he would not use Louis in his entire life in the slightest bit. Was it because he came to see the second prince so easily? But with the current second princes position, there would definitely be many people who wanted to see him. "Damn it..." Louis cursed in a low voice. Before he went to interact with Prince Edward in the past, Prime Minister Lat had given him reminder that this bet would most likely affect his entire life no matter what the result would be. But at that time, Prince Edward was already the crown prince. The Yellow Kingdom didnt have the tradition of changing the crown prince once it has been appointed. Who would have though that Prince Edwards performance would be really bad over the years? Even with Louis trying to support Prince Edward in many ways, Prince Edward has never gotten better. If there was any performance graph, it would only become worse and worse as time passed by. At this time, Louis didnt know whether he should feel regret or not for his decision in the past. But he knew that his life is over. Even if he tried his best, it would be almost impossible for him to advance in his career. It seemed that he would have to work extra harder if he wanted to have a place in the court. Or he could go back and work in his fathers territory instead. But no matter it was, Louis knew that he could never reach his fathers rank. From that day on, the name of Prince Edward and Louis slowly faded in existence. Not many people even remembered these two people existed. One prince was a decadent and cripple prince, staying in the palace and didnt show himself at all. The other was an ordinary noble. Perhaps, only very few people who could remember them. After all, who would remember people who didnt appear much on ones life? In the Brown Family Residence, Annelie read the news telling that the second prince had been appointed as the crown prince and sighed deeply. She had also heard that the first prince would never be able to walk normally again. That kind of life... would definitely be very miserable for him. But Annelie chose not to participate in this kind of thing. She just had the feeling that Aurora should know the mess in the Yellow Kingdom and should stop making troubles soon. Because her target has already been brought down. While Annelie was thinking about what Aurora might do, Leon came to tell her that the war between the Yellow Kingdom and the Sand Kingdom were over. Duke Yelan did suffer a lot, but they managed to retain half of the mine as per agreement with the Sand Kingdom. "If the end result is that we will divide equally, why fight in the first place?" Leon shrugged. "I dont know what theyre thinking." Annelie: "..." Well, she also didnt know. But it was good that the war was over after a few months. Even though there were a lot of resources burned to do this war, the result should be satisfying enough for the Yellow Kingdoms King. However, it was inevitable for Duke Yelan to be in deficit for a period of time. But with the accumulation Duke Yelan had over the years, this much would be fine. At most, he should be scolding his sister a lot. "Is your father alright?" "My father?" Leon looked at Annelie strangely. "He didnt really participate in the war between the Yellow Kingdom and the Sand Kingdom." "I mean, isnt it still within your territory? If the people were to suffer, they might blame your father," Annelie explained patiently. "Oh." Leon smiled and shook his head. "Dont worry, they understood." The people in his region were already used to see battles and so on. Because resources were hard to find there and before they have stable trade with the White Dukedom, the situation was even worse. Now that they have a battle for resources, these people would not complain much to his father. They understood that this was necessary. "Good." Annelie nodded. Leon shook his head and looked at the letter in his hand. It was sent from Bennys family who were worried because their son left to the Red Kingdom. They didnt have much money left after losing their territory and didnt have much connections to begin with. For some reasons, they knew that he was quite close to his son in the Capital Academy and sent a letter, asking him to find out the whereabouts of their son. But Leon truly didnt know. He had guessed that Benny should be trying to follow Adela to the Red Kingdom but whether he succeed or where he stayed, Leon didnt know any of that. Leon sighed deeply and shook his head. He turned to look at Annelie, who had tossed the letter to the side and now playing with some things on her desk. There was a faint smile on the corner of his lips. For some reasons, he was glad that he was not being targeted by Aurora. His life might not be the best in the entire world, but it was already very good. ... The Red Kingdom, Royal Palace There were not many people who knew the situation in the Yellow Kingdom. After all, they didnt really have the intention to pay attention to this matter. At this moment, Adela was looking at her mother with aggrieved expression. Duchess Isabella had only told her that there would be someone who will see her and this couldnt be refused. "Mother, I dont want to," Adela said coquettishly. She didnt really want to see anyone outside the few characters in the game. These people were all basically unknown to her and Adela didnt want to see them. "This is the Red Kingdoms Kings order, Adela," Duchess Isabella said to her daughter. She actually also didnt want Adela to meet with this noble. But for the time being, shes in her brothers territory and it wouldnt do her any good not to listen to his words. No matter how much Adela didnt want to, she had to listen to her mother in the end. "Fine..." Adela sighed deeply. In this period of time, Adela has been trying to spend more time with Prince Charles. But Queen Rachel would not make it easy for Adela to see him. To be exact, she kept on making Prince Charles study and didnt allow him to see Adela. The chance when Adela could see him, there would be another noble girl who came to see Prince Charles. It was said that his engagement would also be set. For this matter, Prince Charles felt rather helpless. His mother wanted him to be engaged with this girl because of her family background would support him to become the crown prince. Prince Charles was in dilemma. Part of him knew that this was what his mother wanted. But another part of him didnt want this at all. He only wanted to play around and stay with Adela as much as possible. Thus, Prince Charles was more inactive, which made the girls family unhappy. Queen Rachel had to force Prince Charles to behave more appropriately and spent more time with them. Adela was not even allowed to come to the place where the two of them were located. This made Adela feel frustrated. "Benny, are you there?" Adela went to the garden and called out. After she came to the Red Kingdom, for some reasons, she found Benny managed to become a Royal Guard. This made Adela wonder if the Royal Guard didnt do any inspection before selecting people. After all, Benny came from the Yellow Kingdom, but he was able to become the Royal Guard in the Red kingdom easily. Of course, Adela didnt voice out this question. It felt inappropriate. "Yes, Im here, Adela," Benny answered. "Do you think I can avoid the Red Kingdoms Kings arrangement?" Adela asked in a low voice. If it was possible, Adela truly didnt want to follow his order. Why cant she be with Prince Charles instead? Benny was silent. To be honest, he didnt expect Adela would ask this kind of question to him so suddenly. Looking at the current Adela who was filled with frustration, Benny could only answer, "Im sure everything will be alright." "I hope so." Adela sighed. ... Auroras side After the last contact with Queen Farah, Aurora hadnt heard from Queen Farah or Prince Brian again. That was until a letter came to her. "So, the Red Kingdoms King is still listening to his wifes words." Aurora looked at the letter and tapped the table. Chapter 260: Drama Chapter 260: Drama Aurora was not surprised by this. Because she knew that Queen Rachel should have promised a large amount of benefit to the Red Kingdoms King in order to make him agree. If he was being persistent, it would be hard for Duchess Isabella to refuse. Or he could even use coercion to make Duchess Isabella listened to him. Either way, there were many ways. It seems that Ill have to go. Aurora stood up and walked out of the room. "Lester, William, you two will come with me. Were going to the palace." "Yes, Miss!" To be honest, Aurora was not that worried for Adela. She had heard repeatedly that Adela kept on murmuring the so called game correction something. Even though Aurora didnt understand what it was, but she could see that things were very smooth sailing for Adela back in the Capital Academy. Even for things that Adela didnt do anything to, there were many people who sided with her without understanding anything. This made Aurora felt that her sister is really strange. Well, shes not exactly her sister inside. Aurora didnt dwell for long in this matter and made her way to the Royal Palace. Even though Adela did well in the Capital Academy, she wanted to see for herself how Adela planned to deal with this problem in front of her. Moreover, the notes that Adela had written and Aurora sneaked to take a look for herself, there were some things written there that Aurora found particularly interesting. She wanted to see whether things would remain the same as what Adela wrote there. Even if these abandoned notes were not very clear with a lot of crisscrossing marks, Aurora felt that they were very interesting. ... Red Kingdoms Royal Palace At this time, Adela had started to feel impatient. The person whom the Red Kingdoms King asked her to meet is really ugly. Even though his background was a marquis family in the Red Kingdom, but it was clear that they didnt bother to let their children learn swordsmanship. With the boys figure, it would be a miracle if one said that he often exercised. Because there was no trace at all. "Please excuse me for a while," Adela said, forcing a smile on her face and walked into the palace behind her. She really wanted to go and find the Red Kingdoms King to complain. How did he select people in the first place? Adela felt that the person whom the Red Kingdoms King was really bad and didnt have any attractive points in the slightest bit. She just wanted to go back to her mother at this moment. "Where are you going?" The man asked with a frown. "Im going back." "No, Her Highness promise that you will accompany me..." #$%^&*()! ... When Aurora arrived in the Red Kingdoms palace as Queen Farahs guest, she heard commotion from the side. "It seems that I come too late," Aurora commented. She had already come here at the fastest speed possible, but Adela had already made her move and probably finished by now. Oh well, it was not that important, though. She came here because she was curious about what Queen Rachel planned to do. After all, what Aurora knew was limited due to the fact that she didnt have that many people in the Red Kingdoms Royal Palace. What Aurora knew was that Queen Rachel wanted Adela to go away from the Red Kingdoms Royal Palace. "Would you like to go there, Miss?" Prince Lester asked. His hand was holding the hilt of his sword, ready to take it out if it was necessary. He didnt know what the commotion was about, but if Aurora wanted to see it, then he would accompany and protect her. Aurora shook her head. "I have something else to do." With Queen Farahs letter, Aurora was able to enter the Red Kingdoms Royal Palace easily. The maids brought her to Queen Farahs palace where Aurora walked inside and waited there. The Era Guild has already taken roots and now, theres no need to be so wary. In the past, Aurora didnt want to come here and show her face because she was worried that annoying Red Kingdoms King would recognize her. She knew very well that the Red Kingdoms King would never allow anyone to threaten his position. Now that the Era Guild was known to belong to Queen Farahs faction, the Red Kingdoms Kings attention would definitely come. Aurora no longer had any need to hide her presence. This was one of the reasons why she came to the Royal Palace so openly without fearing anything. On one side, she was truly curious what Adela was doing. Tep. Queen Farah sighed and walked inside. She nodded at Aurora and smiled faintly. "It seems that youre a bit late, Lady Aurora." "I come here at the fastest speed possible after hearing your report," Aurora replied unhurriedly. She looked at Queen Farah and smiled faintly. "But it seems that everything has been settled?" "More or less." Queen Farah shrugged. She had informed Aurora the moment she heard that Queen Rachel asked Adela to go to the meeting with the noble. There shouldnt be any accident in the Red Kingdoms Royal Palace with strict supervision. But Queen Farah was wrong. Even in this place, with Queen Rachels plotting, something could still go wrong. That alone made Queen Farah felt rather helpless. It was not like she didnt want to stop Queen Rachel, but when she found out, everything has been too late. Aurora looked at Queen Farahs expression and then asked, "I presume that Queen Rachel has failed?" "How do you know?" Queen Farah arched her eyebrows. "Your expression," Aurora replied. "If she had succeeded, you would only feel anger or frustration. But at this moment, you look somewhat happy and gloating. Given by the fact that neither Duchess Isabella nor Adela had no bad relationship with you, I dont think you would be gloating at their misfortune." Hearing this, Queen Farah was stunned and then chuckled. She had always known that Aurora is very smart, but now, Queen Farah had to add the word perceptive to Aurora. It was no wonder that she has always been at the advantage at various negotiations. "Yes. Lady Adela is really lucky." Queen Farah sighed. "I would have never thought that she actually had someone helped her to bring the mans body out and throw him in Prince Charless palace where his fiance?e is located." With Adelas weak body and petite figure, Queen Farah seriously doubted that Adela would be able to carry a big man on her own. She should have someone to help her move that mans body. As for why Queen Farah was sure that the body was moved, it was because she had seen Queen Rachel arranged for the two of them to meet each other. Queen Farah was sure that Queen Rachel had asked that young man to do something and it wouldnt be easy to make him give up. So the only way possible for Adela to get away was to have someone helped her after making the man stunned. "Oh?" Aurora arched her eyebrows. "This will definitely cause scandal." Nobility treasured their reputation very much. It was estimated that Queen Rachel would have headache cleaning up this matter if there were many people who were to see this scene. "It is." Queen Farah looked at Aurora. "You dont seem to be worried for your sister." "Should I?" Aurora asked back. The report from the Yellow Kingdom had arrived some time ago and Aurora found out that both Prince Edward and Louis has been settled properly. Even though the end result was a bit unexpected in some areas, she didnt dwell on it. As long as Prince Edward lost his chance to the throne, it didnt matter what kind of ending he has. As for Louis, he could no longer become the prime minister. No matter how hard he worked for his entire life, the second prince would never want to use such a person who easily switched side and also very ruthless. Aurora was sure that the second prince would soon find out that the framing and many other things were the few things that Louis did for Prince Edward. If the second prince remained true to his bottom line, he would not want to get close to someone like Louis. Besides, there were many other talented people. Why did it have to be Louis? Now that the dust has settled for the Yellow Kingdom, Aurora would slowly retract her gaze from there. Only Duke White was left and this matter required some time to truly pass. She had already laid the foundation and the rest only needed for Duke White to realize that everything has changed for him. He would not die, but his life would not be very good. But from the few people there, Aurora had noticed that one name was missing. Benny Davis. Chapter 261: Questions Chapter 261: Questions The youngest knight in the Yellow Kingdom. The young man who should have a great reputation and future was now missing. The Davis Family has suffered after failing to contain those rebels and bandits. Of course, Aurora didnt personally get involved in this. She simply leaked out some secret of the Davis Family to some people. They were the one who made the move later on. From her point of view, the Davis Family should have started to reconstruct their family in the Yellow Kingdoms Capital City. The other family members did do that. But Benny was missing. The last report stated that he had come to the Red Kingdom in order to chase after Adela. Aurora: "..." When she read this, her first impression was how stupid is this Benny. It was clear that Adela would never respond to him, but he kept on following her as the faithful tail. Prince Edward had already given up... well, it was more like he was forced to give up. Louis no longer looked for Adela and focused to rebuild his career, but whether it was possible to do that was still a question. Only Benny resolutely abandoned everything to chase after Adela. Even after coming here, Benny should have figured out a way to sneak into the Red Kingdoms Royal Palace and then made his way to Adelaa side. In that way, he could continue to protect her as her knight. In Auroras eyes, Benny is stupid. But she didnt stop him nor trying to obstruct him either. After all, this is his decision and if he was happy with his decision, she would let him be. One could try to convince others but what they do in the end it would ultimately be their decision. Now that Adela was being plotted by Queen Rachel, only Benny would help Adela without hesitation. "It seems that you know something I dont," Queen Farah said helplessly. When she came to take a look at the scene, she was shocked and even wondered how Adela did it. But since chaos ensued afterwards, Queen Farah didnt have the time to care about this and could only try to clean up the mess that had happened afterwards. Of course, she was only the helper. The main person who invited them to the Red Kingdoms Royal Palace was Queen Rachel. So the fault would fall on Queen Rachel. Queen Farah could already imagine the messy scene later. "What do you think would happen later?" Queen Farah asked. Aurora looked at Queen Farah speechlessly. "Im not a prophet, Aunt Farah." There was no way for Aurora to know what would happen afterwards. What she could do was to make some guesses and inference based on the clues she picked up. In this way, she could react appropriately when something happened. "I thought you know." Queen Farah chuckled. Aurora shook her head. "I will know when it happened later. Im sure you will inform me about that, Aunt Farah." Queen Farah smiled and didnt answer. For some things, there was no need for Queen Farah to tell Aurora personally because this girl would be able to know through other methods. For this, Queen Farah could only say that Aurora was really capable. "Do you want to see the Red Kingdoms King?" Queen Farah asked. "He should be available since he had just dealt with Queen Rachel." To be exact, the Red Kingdoms King had just finished scolding Queen Rachel out of anger. He knew that Queen Rachel wanted to matchmake the younger generation, but it was not to cause such a scandal like that. The two noble families would definitely come to the Royal Palace and the Red Kingdoms King threw it to Queen Rachel. As much as he loves Queen Rachel, the Red Kingdoms King knew that this woman was not very good. Now she has to clean up her mess or other nobles view of her would only become lower and lower. "No." Aurora shook her head and stood up. "He will know of my arrival today and will call me to the palace in a few days. In the meantime, I would wait and watch." "Youre very patient, Aurora," Queen Farah said with a smile. "Be careful no to let any opportunity slip from your hands." Aurora hummed in a low voice and then walked out of the room. Queen Farah remained seated on the sofa and sighed deeply. It seemed as if Aurora was doing nothing, but Queen Farah knew that Aurora should have some purpose coming to see her today out of all days. Then again, Queen Farah had no intention to pry into Auroras secret or anything like that. They might be aunt and niece, but their relationship was more cooperative than anything else. ... Adelas side Adela felt happy now. After that incident, the Red Kingdoms King was finally willing to let her play with Prince Charles. It could be said that many people were looking in her direction with weird gaze, but Adela didnt care too much. She was just happy to be able to spend more time with Prince Charles. Prince Charles himself was also happy. The engagement with the woman that he didnt want was called off and Queen Rachel didnt have time to supervise him recently. In this way, he could play with Adela with confidence. As for what happened on that day? Prince Charles didnt understand. Adela herself would not tell Prince Charles that Benny was present on that day and helped her. Without him, it would be difficult to say that Adela to escape from that situation and turned the tables against Queen Rachel. Hmph! "Charles, did you skip your classes again?" When Prince Charles and Adela were playing in the garden, they heard voice from the back. Turning their heads, they saw Prince Brian standing there. He looked at the two of them calmly. "I dont want to study!" Prince Charles pouted. "Its so tiring to study. I would rather stay here and play with Adela." "Youre already 20 years old, Charles." Prince Brian looked at his half brother and shook his head slightly. "You should start thinking about what you truly want to do in the future." Prince Charles froze. He knew that he was already an adult and should do more things. But at the same time, Prince Charles just wanted to play around. He knew his mothers expectation for him and also knew that his existence was bound to make some peoples interest to be moved. But... Prince Charles didnt want to care about it. "Can I do nothing?" Prince Charles asked weakly. Prince Brian chuckled and shrugged. "Thats up to you, Charles. After all, your future belong to you and other people could only comment but what you do is ultimately your decision." Prince Charles nodded blankly. He looked at his cousin in confusion as he didnt understand why Prince Brian would come to talk to him about this matter. It didnt seem to concern Prince Brian in the slightest bit. However, Prince Brian had no intention to tell his real intention to Prince Charles. After all, he was not exactly a kind person. He might act like a brother to Prince Charles, but only he knew himself whether he truly treated Prince Charles as his younger brother or not. Just the fact that Prince Charless mother had made Prince Brians mother suffer was already one point of conflict between the two of them. "Ill see you around, Charles." After that, Prince Brian left. Prince Charles and Adela were standing there, looking at Prince Brians departing back with some confusion. While Prince Charles only felt his older brother was talking strange, Adela was thinking about the epilogue scene in the game. In that game, Prince Charles eventually became the crown prince and Adela became the queen. But the process of how it happened was not exactly written. After all, the game epilogue was basically a time skip into the future that the players wanted to see. There was no need to make it so detailed. "Do you want to become the king, Charles?" Adela suddenly asked. "Huh?" Hearing Adelas question, Prince Charles was confused. He tilted his head and scratched the back of his head. "Well, my mother wants me to become the king." "Im not asking what your mother wants you to do. Im asking what you want to do!" Prince Charles was stunned. He looked at Adela, who was staring at him seriously and started to ponder about it. Putting aside the dream that his mother imposed on him, Prince Charles himself didnt have any interest in the throne. He knew that it was the highest position in the entire Red Kingdom. If he were to sit on that place, he could decide the live and death of many people. No one would stop him from doing what he wanted. But at the same time, Prince Charles also knew that if he were to sit in that position, there would be many things that he have to do. Chapter 262: Conflicts of Position Chapter 262: Conflicts of Position It would be too troublesome. If Prince Charles had to say, he didnt want to bother with it at all. But he also knew that his mother would never stop from making him the king. This was the main reason he would never say what he actually wanted from the bottom of his heart. What was the point? Even if he said it, Prince Charles knew very well that it was impossible for him to fulfill it. He might as well bury it deep in his heart. "I dont want to, Adela," Prince Charles admitted honestly. In front of the person he loved and trusted from the bottom of his heart, he didnt want to lie. Even if this might not be the answer that Adela wanted to hear from him. Adela pursed her lips. If it was just becoming a prince, wouldnt Prince Edward be much better than Prince Charles? Shes not happy now. Among these five characters, her favorite was definitely Crown Prince Edward. If not because of this reason, she would not have disturb her sisters first meeting with Crown Prince Edward. But after Crown Prince Edward was removed from his position as the crown prince, Adela felt that something was wrong. The game ending would definitely be different without Prince Edward being a crown prince. When her parents finally made the decision to dissolve that engagement, Adela didnt resist. Because she herself also wanted the ending from the game. Moreover, she knew very well that Prince Edward would no longer be the same as he should be from the game because his position was different. Because of this, Adela chose to pick the second person whom she knew, which is Prince Charles. The two people with the highest position in the game who could be captured were Crown Prince Edward and Prince Charles. If she followed Prince Charles to the Red Kingdom, she would have a chance to become the queen. At least, that was how the epilogue of the game was written. The problem was, there was no one who could tell Adela how Prince Charles was selected as the crown prince in the end. "Um, are you angry?" Prince Charles looked at Adela like this and feel flustered for some reasons. He didnt want to make her angry, but he also didnt want to lie. Prince Charles felt really conflicted. "Why dont you want to become the crown prince?" Adela suppressed her annoyance and asked in a stiff tone. "Well..." Prince Charles looked at Adela carefully and finally answered, "Its too troublesome and I like free live like now more." If Prince Charles could pick, he would not want to become the crown prince. There was already his older brother who was more capable than him there. It would be better to let Prince Brian be the crown prince while he paddled at the side. But Prince Charles knew very well that he could not voice this out. Because his mother wanted him to become the crown prince and his father also listened to his mother. If he were to say this out loud, the two of them would never approve and would even punish him. Prince Charles might be a bit dumb in some matters, but he was not a stupid person. He could sense the expectation that his mother and father placed on him. Moreover, he also knew that there were not many people who treated him sincerely. Adela was one of the few. Because of this, he was very happy when Adela decided to come to the Red Kingdom with him. It was just, he didnt expect that Adela would expect him to become the crown prince like his mother. "... I see." Adela was trying to control her expression, but she couldnt help show some disappointment. At this moment, Adela didnt understand how did Prince Charles become the crown prince in the game with his attitude. The Adela in the game never talked about this and in the epilogue, it just showed some sweet time together. But Prince Charles did mention that he was thankful for Adelas family for helping him and his mother. ...Family? Adela thought about it and only remembered one important thing... If Adela picked Prince Charles, the broken engagement between Crown Prince Edward and Aurora would never happen. That incident happened mainly because Adela wanted to be with Crown Prince Edward in his path. Should she pick others, this scene was unlikely to happen. For example, if she picked Leon, the broken engagement would be a different scene between Leon and Annelie. While it would be similar, but the scale would be much smaller since their status was a bit lower than Crown Prince Edward. If she picked Louis, there was no broken engagement at all... In that situation, Aurora would still be the crown princess of the Yellow Kingdom and this meant Adelas backing when she came to the Red Kingdom was even stronger. While there were some variations where Aurora still have her engagement dissolved if Adela followed Crown Prince Edwards path but finally changed path to Prince Charles, it would not cause such a big splash. Uhm... Right? Adela felt that something was wrong, but she couldnt pinpoint what it was. "Adela?" "Im going back first." "Wait, Adela, let me explain...." Not that far away from them, Prince Brian looked at the two of them chasing after each other with strange expression. He could sense that Prince Charles was telling the truth about him not wanting the throne. After all, Prince Charles has never been a competitive person. Aside from the swordsmanship class where he wanted to see Prince Brian got beaten up, Prince Charles usually didnt care too much about Prince Brians study. He also didnt care too much about their fathers questions and inquiry when asking about the matter related to being the crown prince. "Even if you dont want it, there are many times when things would not go in accordance to your wish," Prince Brian murmured in a low voice. After that, he silently turned around and left. Just because they were in this position, there would be many people who would watch over them. They were destined to fight against each other because of their difference in position. And there was nothing that could be done to change that. Prince Brian believed Prince Charles words even if it was not directed towards him. But would other people believe it? Those nobles who had made the bet to trust Queen Rachel would never want to believe it. They hoped that Prince Charles could become the crown prince and eventually become the king because it would be the most profitable situation for them. That was all there is. In the end, he would only be forced to fight unprepared. Wouldnt it be better for him to prepare a way out for himself first if he truly didnt want to be in this position? Becoming a prince has always been a blessing and burden. Because they have to be prepared to die at any moment, be prepared to be used by others, and be prepared to fight for power until the very end. Their every action would decide their ending, whether it was good or bad. ... The Yellow Kingdom, Duke Whites side After a fierce quarrel with Duchess Isabella, she left the Yellow Kingdom to the Red Kingdom. Duke White was too lazy to take care of his wife and was busy with other things. At this moment, Duke White was looking at the report in his hand with trembling hands. "H...How could this happen?" Duke White asked, his tone was full of disbelief. Everything was fine not long ago, why now? The Head Butler looked at Duke Whites performance and closed his eyes in despair. He had already seen the sign from a long time ago and warned Duke White several times, but Duke White didnt listen. He kept on going with what he wanted to do and now, there was no way to turn back. "There are still enough money, right?" Duke White raised his head and asked the Head Butler. The Head Butler shook his head. "Master, theres no more money." After selling those stores, there were indeed some gold in their reserve. But Duke White somehow become a prodigal son again and spent those money so quickly. He felt that even throwing these money on the ground would not make it disappear this quickly. "How about the knights? Where are the knights?" "Master, more than half of the knights have died," the Head Butler said expressionlessly. Because Aurora kept on being attacked, the knights that were deployed had to be replenished again and again. Back then, Aurora had asked her father to increase the knights recruitment, but he didnt listen. He didnt think it was necessary to increase the knights and expend more expenditure. A lot of money were also thrown at that time to pay the knights family compensation. Chapter 263: Conflicts of Position (2) Chapter 263: Conflicts of Position (2) That was one of the main reasons why Duke White didnt listen to Auroras words. The Head Butler knew that but he was powerless to do anything. The head of the White Family is still Duke White. Even if they could make decision on small matters, they couldnt do everything arbitrarily and had to ask for Duke Whites approval. At this moment, it was too late. "No, I cant be like the Davis Family... I can stop the riots, right?" Duke White asked and raised his head. "Master, we have no money and resources, how do you think we can stop the riots?" The Head Butler asked slowly. Duke White: "..." That was true. At this moment, Duke White felt despairs. He knew very well that if he turned to the Yellow Kingdoms King for help, he could save the people in his territory. But it would be a big dereliction of duty and Duke White would be removed from his position. Duke White knew very well that it was impossible for him to survive if the Yellow Kingdoms King were to pursue this matter. "Im going to go," Duke White finally said and then ran out of his room. He had to pack up and then prepare to leave the Yellow Kingdom. Even though he couldnt bear the thought of losing his wealth and territory, but at this moment, Duke White just wanted to live. There were still some antiques and so on in his hands that he could sell for money. This should be enough for him to live by himself out there. The Head Butler didnt stop Duke White and he only stood there, his aged face looked much older. "Old Master, your son is truly not qualified to be your successor," the Head Butler whispered in a low voice. He felt that if the former Duke White was still here, he would have slapped his son to death for his incompetence. Nobles were at the high position for a reason and they have the duty to protect the people under them. Yet, Duke White had no hesitation to leave without even thinking for a way to solve the problem in front of them. For a moment, the Head Butler missed Aurora. Even though Aurora seemed to be rather cold and casual when she was dealing with the territorys affairs, she would not let them fend for themselves and would try to figure out a way to solve the problem in front of them. Even if she was young, she was a thousand times better than Duke White. The Head Butler sighed deeply. He walked to the window and looked at the Royal Familys carriage that had arrived in front of Duke Whites Residence. The Head Butler could guess that some lower ranked nobles who were within their territory should have reported this to the Yellow Kingdoms King. The Head Butler was not surprised. Duke Whites dereliction of duty would make it a big crime. And Duke White would not be able to escape the sanction and punishment in the slightest bit. Moreover, there were also many people who were already dissatisfied with Duke White. Some of them have tried to move their hands and feet to Aurora back then. But with Auroras fierce retaliation, they didnt dare to do anything and simply become the quiet chicken. After Aurora had left and disappeared, these people have already started to make their moves once more. Their target this time was Duke White. And the stupid Duke White was still indulging in various things, forgetting the important things that he have to do. The works were all thrown to the Head Butler and he only showed the most important few to Duke White. But even then, none of these problem were solved. It was truly infuriating. The Head Butler sighed and did nothing but watch as these knights rushed into the Whites Family Residence. He was sure that this was the end for the White Family. All the Head Butler hoped was for the two young children of the White Family to be safe and sound wherever they were. Drap! Drap! Drap! Prang! Duke White was stunned when he saw the knights rushing into his residence and shouted, "Who are you? What are you doing here?" Unfortunately, the knights have no time to talk with Duke White as they apprehended him rudely and then brought him down. The servants, maids, and the others watched this spectacle with worry. Some knights wanted to take action but they stopped when they saw the Head Butler came and shook his head. These knights could only lower their heads. They might be the White Familys knights, but they listened to the Head Butlers words more than listening to Duke Whites words. This was because they knew that this Head Butler was more reliable than Duke White. "Let me go!" The Head Butler sighed deeply when he watched Duke White being dragged by the knights. Even though he felt that Duke White was not worthy of this title, he knew very well that watching Duke White from the time when he was young until now, the Head Butler still has some feelings. He felt distressed to see Duke White like this. But as he saw the Yellow Kingdoms King coming inside, the Head Butler knew that there was truly nothing that he could do but to stand aside and watch as everything unfolded. This matter has been set in stone. So no matter how much the Head Butler wanted to step forward and helped Duke White, he knew better than anyone that nothing could be changed. "You... Your Highness?" Duke White was stunned when he saw the Yellow Kingdoms King in front of him. Seeing Duke White, the Yellow Kingdoms King nodded with a faint smile. "It has been a while, Duke White." "Are you the one who give the order, tell them to let me go! I..." "Unfortunately, I cant do that, Duke White." the Yellow Kingdoms King shook his head and looked at Duke White in front of him. He didnt expect that when he was so busy with the aftermath of the war between the Yellow Kingdom and Sand Kingdom, someone would come to him with an important piece of news. And the person in the report was precisely Duke White. After seeing what Duke White had done over the years and the fact that the White Familys territory was now in severe deficit, the Yellow Kingdoms King was enraged. No matter what, hes still the Yellow Kingdoms King and also the ruler of this land. With Auroras negotiation and so on in the past, the Yellow Kingdoms King thought that the White Familys territory would thrive. But look at what Duke White did! He took the money that should have been used for the territory for himself and his wife. Looking at the spending list that was reported by his subordinate, the Yellow Kingdoms King knew that Duke White has been spending a lot of money for various things in the past few years. None of these were cheap. But there were all luxury good that only the nobles could possibly enjoy. Even then, these nobles never dared to buy them every single day like what Duke White did. So the Yellow Kingdoms King knew very well that it was not because Duke White was suddenly rich after the negotiation but because he took the money that should have belonged to his people! What kind of noble is this? The Yellow Kingdoms King was angry and decided to come here in person. Just when he thought that Duke White would be thinking for a countermeasure, this b*stard was trying to escape instead. Looking at the Head Butlers ashen face, the servants indifference, and the maids coldness, the Yellow Kingdoms King could see that Duke White was truly not popular with the servants here. Even when he was treated so rudely, none of these servants dared to step forward. They didnt even feel any pity and only afraid that they would be implicated. The Head Butler was the exception as he had watched Duke White for a long time ever since he was young. There was no way he didnt have any feelings at all for the current Duke White even if this b*stard truly deserved to be beaten. Moreover, the Yellow Kingdoms King noticed that the furnitures and various decorations in Duke Whites Residence were all precious and expensive items. It could be seen that Duke White spent most of his money to redecorate his mansion. Thinking about this, the Yellow Kingdoms King felt that he wanted to beat up this man even more. "You should know what you have done, Duke White." the Yellow Kingdoms Kings voice was icy cold. "I have received reports about what you have done in the past few years and I think that as a duke, you should know that the money generated by the territory is not only for your enjoyment but also to help the territory to get better." Chapter 264: Conflicts of Position (3) Chapter 264: Conflicts of Position (3) The nobles would naturally get a cut of what they gathered from the people. It was their reward for their hard work. But they would only get a small portion while the rest would be used by the nobles to cultivate their lands and increase the livelihood of the people who were living in their territory. This was the normal thing to do. But this Duke White... The Yellow Kingdoms King sighed deeply and waved his hand. Prime Minister Lat, who has been following the Yellow Kingdoms King, looked at Duke White and felt that this duke was really not a good person at all. First his daughter made his son do stupid actions that caused him to be looked unfavorably by the second prince. Now, he himself was proven to be unqualified to be a duke. If Aurora is still here, Prime Minister Lat was sure that the Yellow Kingdoms King would appoint her as the next duke right away. The mess from White Familys territory was still there, waiting for them to help solving it. "Duke White, youre wrong for..." Duke Whites expression was ashen when he heard Prime Minister Lat mentioned all of his wrongdoings in the past few years. He didnt understand what the Yellow Kingdoms King wanted. It was normal for nobles to do these things, right? How many nobles were actually playing and having fun while their subordinates were the ones who did all the work? "I didnt do..." Bang! The knights slammed Duke White from the back, preventing him from finishing whatever he wanted to say. Prime Minister Lat and the Yellow Kingdoms King were watching this scene coldly. They felt that it was already kind enough of them not to throw Duke White out at the first chance it was possible. "...that shall be all." Prime Minister Lat finally finished reading. "I want to appeal!" Duke White roared in anger. He didnt want to be punished without truly having a chance to fight back. Even if he knew that he was indeed a bit derelict of his duty, he had to fight back. "The evidence is already conclusive." the Yellow Kingdoms King looked at Duke White coldly. "Youll be stripped of your title and your territory will be taken back. There will be someone else appointed to do your work." "Your Majesty!" Duke White shouted, clearly very unwilling. However, the Yellow Kingdoms King didnt care and looked at the mansion. "Send someone to sell these things. The gold should be enough to fund the knights to pacify the people." "Yes, Your Majesty." Prime Minister Lat sighed deeply in his heart. When he saw this residence, he had a guess where Duke Whites money all go to. This Duke White was truly a prodigal to spend so much money for these things that have no value aside from appearance. Even if some nobles would occasionally buy one or two for their aesthetic, no one would be insane enough to buy the entire mansions worth of these things. Unless they were extremely rich, the expenditure would be too costly. They would feel heartache for spending so much money for these kind of things that they might not be able to sleep at night. But Duke White seemed to feel that these were nothing. Probably it was because he was not the one working hard to make money, so he felt these money came and went so easily. "Is he going to be imprisoned?" Prime Minister Lat looked at Duke White on the ground, still being pressed by the knights. "No." the Yellow Kingdoms King shook his head. He didnt want to see Duke White again or he would want to beat up this b*stard personally. "Send him out like the Davis Family." The Davis Family lost everything and could only bring their basic necessities when they ran out of their territory. But at this moment, the knights of the Yellow Kingdoms King would not allow Duke White to take anything from the residence. It was essentially tossing him away without giving him any way out. "I understand." Prime Minister Lat nodded and the knights also released Duke White. *cough* *cough* Duke White looked at the Yellow Kingdoms King in front of him and his eyes were filled with hatred and unwillingness. "Your Highness, cant you give me any chance?" Duke White asked, his tone was clearly unwilling to let things end like this. "Chance?" the Yellow Kingdoms King repeated and looked at Duke White. He sneered. "Do you deserve it?" When Duke White heard this, he felt that all reasons were lost and he understood that the Yellow Kingdoms King didnt even want him to live well. Looking at these knights who were watching him tightly, Duke White roared. He turned around and pulled the sword of the knight nearest to him before rushing towards the Yellow Kingdoms King. Even if Duke White was not very capable, but he was also a noble. As a noble, Duke White naturally received teaching in swordsmanship. He still knew how to wield the sword and so on. The Yellow Kingdoms King watched Duke White coldly. Clang! The other knight who was near the Yellow Kingdoms King raised his sword and blocked Duke Whites attack. Bang! The knight kicked Duke White back and the other knights quickly subdued him. "Your Majesty, are you alright?" "Im fine." the Yellow Kingdoms King looked at Duke White coldly. "It seems that you would like to stay in prison so much. Take him away." "Yes, Your Majesty!" "You $%^&*(!" Duke White screamed as the knights lifted him up and then dragged him away. The Head Butler and the other servants watched this farce and sighed deeply in their heart. They knew very well that there was no chance for Duke White to ever return after trying to kill the Yellow Kingdoms King. Even if there was some pains in the Head Butlers heart, he turned to look at the mansion behind him and smiled bitterly. This should be his last day being here. "Your Majesty." Prime Minister Lat also stepped forward to check the Yellow Kingdoms King. "You deal with him and this matter." the Yellow Kingdoms King shook his head. "Ill appoint the next person to be a duke who will also help you." "Yes, Your Majesty." Prime Minister Lat bowed and then left to execute this order. On the other hand, the Yellow Kingdoms King sighed deeply and rubbed his hand. He felt that Duke White was really outrageous and impulsive. Forget it. This family is already very messy and even my son is implicated. the Yellow Kingdoms King shook his head when he thought about Prince Edward. Thankfully, the second prince is a good child and should be able to inherit him in the future. To be honest, the Yellow Kingdoms King himself didnt expect that Duke White would try to kill him. But then again, Duke White had lost everything. He might have bet that with his death, his ending would be different. Unfortunately, he overestimated himself too much and underestimated the Yellow Kingdoms King. There was no way the Yellow Kingdoms King would come out without capable knights protecting him. Walking out of White Familys mansion, the Yellow Kingdoms King thought about who he should appoint as the next duke. He needed three dukes to keep balance of power, so he should appoint a new one soon. As the Yellow Kingdoms King was thinking, he recalled the letter sent to him not long ago. Even I might have been used as chess piece by someone elses game. the Yellow Kingdoms King smiled bitterly. The chaos in the Yellow Kingdom, how could the Yellow Kingdoms King not realize that someone was pulling the string on the back. But even if he knew that, there was nothing that he could do but to face it and try his best to clean up the troubles that were left behind. Honestly, the Yellow Kingdoms King felt really angry when he first thought about it. But now... He just sighed. If he was not capable and strong enough, he should just pretend that he knew nothing. In case that person decided to target him and made him face his demise... But with Duke White, the problems in the Yellow Kingdom should be over. When the Yellow Kingdoms King thought about this, he felt relieved. ... The Red Kingdom Aurora looked at the letter sent to her from the Yellow Kingdom with an indifferent expressions. Her father, Duke White, had actually dug his own grave from many years ago. It was only because Aurora was there that she helped him to clean up the mess to a certain degree. After all, at that time, she still wanted to stay in White Familys territory. If the dukedom fell, then there was nothing that Aurora could do but leaving and it would be troublesome at that time. Now, it should be fine. The new duke that the Yellow Kingdoms King appointed should be able to clean up the mess as long as he had enough funds and have enough brain capacity. Chapter 265: What Did You Say? Chapter 265: What Did You Say? Putting the letter away, Aurora thought about Duke White. His action at the end did surprise her a bit, but the Yellow Kingdoms King should not kill him in the end. He should be able to live, but whether his life was good or not... Well, the answer should be not. Aurora didnt care too much anymore. As long as he didnt die, he should reflect on his deeds over the years and spent his life without bothering others again. Knock! Knock! "Miss, the report about the Yellow Kingdom had arrived in the Red Kingdoms palace. Her Majesty asked you to come because the Red Kingdoms King is calling Duchess Isabella and Lady Adela." "Ah, so its already the time." Aurora nodded and stood up slowly. She could guess that the Red Kingdoms King would no longer tolerate Duchess Isabellas presence after knowing that she no longer had any backing in the Yellow Kingdom. After all, Duchess Isabella truly had no power to speak of. When she had no value, the Red Kingdoms King had no reason to keep her in the Red Kingdoms Royal Palace. That man has always been a cold blooded person even towards those who were related by blood to him. He only showed his tenderness to Queen Rachel, which was why she was able to go rampart in the Red Kingdoms Royal Palace. Even if many people disliked Queen Rachel, there was nothing that they could do to her. The only loss that Queen Rachel experienced was the one from Adela not long ago. Now that Queen Rachel had a chance to get it back from Adela and Duchess Isabella, how could she be willing to let this chance go? So Queen Rachel should be making trouble in the Red Kingdoms palace. "Lets go." "Yes, Miss." ... Red Kingdoms Palace The matter of Duke White in the Yellow Kingdom couldnt be hidden at all. After the incident happened, news traveled as if it had grown wings to the Red Kingdoms Kings ear. He frowned when he saw this. "That old man is really not giving the Red Kingdom any face." the Red Kingdoms King snorted. "But what he did this time has indeed crossed the line. Hes also very stupid." Thinking about what Duke White did at the end, the Red Kingdoms King shook his head. If there was any noble who dared to raise their weapon to him, the Red Kingdoms King would have them executed a long time ago. But the Yellow Kingdoms King still let Duke White alive and only put him in prison. It was already very kind in the Red Kingdoms Kings eyes. But without Duke White... The Red Kingdoms King looked at Duchess Isabella in front of him whose face was pale and Adela beside her who looked stupid. The two of them have never imagined this would happen in their entire life. After all, Duke White is a powerful Duke in the Yellow Kingdom. How could he suddenly have his territory seized from him? It shouldnt happen in normal times. Adelas face was really pale right now. Because she felt that this should not have happened at all. Even if she had changed some things with her action so far, there were also things that she could never touch with her status and so on. The matter of Duke White was one of them. How did such a big dukedom fell so easily? Adela felt that it was truly unreal. Queen Rachel was also in the room with Prince Charles, who also looked at lost. She sneered at Duchess Isabella and Adela. "Now, youre not even a duchess anymore, Isabella." Duchess Isabella knew that if she was still in the Yellow Kingdom, she might not be able to escape punishment due to her relationship with Duke White. She felt resentment in her heart as to why Duke White didnt do his work well. And when she heard Queen Rachels mockery, Duchess Isabella forced herself to calm down. She glanced at Queen Rachel and sneered. "Im still the Red Kingdoms Princess, Queen Isabella." "Thats..." Queen Rachel frowned and turned to look at the Red Kingdoms King. Duchess Isabella is indeed the Red Kingdoms Kings sister, so Queen Rachel couldnt really treat Duchess Isabella impolitely so blatantly like that. "Isabella," the Red Kingdoms King called. "Theres a separate palace in the citys outskirt. Youll stay there with Adela." "Your Majesty!" Duchess Isabella complained immediately. She understood that this was a polite remarks for exile. The palace in the citys outskirt was not very good and the condition was rather dilapidated. How could the Red Kingdoms King send her there knowing such thing? "You might be my sister, but its not appropriate for you to stay in my palace all the time, Isabella." the Red Kingdoms King was calm. "Even my brother lived in another mansion, so why cant you?" Duchess Isabella suppressed the anger that was rising in her heart and looked at the Red Kingdoms King. She has always known that the Royal Family members are cold blooded. After all, she herself is the same. But seeing that she was about to face that kind of exile, Duchess Isabella was extremely unwilling. "In that case, Ill stay in a mansion in the Red Kingdoms Capital City," Duchess Isabella said. "Do you have money?" the Red Kingdoms King asked. Duchess Isabella gritted her teeth. "Yes." When she came here, she had brought quite a lot of money from Duke White. Well, it was more like she took his money so that she could come here and live comfortably. Otherwise, it would be very uncomfortable for her. "Then its up to you," the Red Kingdoms King said. He didnt care too much about where Duchess Isabella lived as long as it was not his palace. After all, he had no intention to take care of this sister of his. "If theres nothing important, you shouldnt come to the Royal Palace." Queen Rachel looked at Adela beside Duchess Isabella and sneered. "After all, it would not do you any good to bother others." Duchess Isabella frowned. She knew that this was Queen Rachels warning to her not to let Adela got close to Prince Charles. With Queen Rachels ambition, it was easy to see that Queen Rachel wanted Prince Charles to fight for the throne. Adelas presence was a great obstacle for this. Duchess Isabella looked at Adela beside her and finally nodded. "I know." Adela looked at loss and then glanced at Queen Rachel who looked like she had won. At this moment, something snapped in her brain. "What makes you think that Prince Charles can become the crown prince with just your effort? You know better than anyone that Prince Charles is the child of you and Prime Minister John. You kept the love letters in your third drawers and Prime Minister John kept it in his study room. There are also several servants such as Melody, Rummer, Elise, Layka, and others who knew this truth. Along the way, there are also several other people who have died for you to protect this truth!" Adela screamed and then dodged Queen Rachel who pounced on her while Duchess Isabella protected her daughter. While Duchess Isabella didnt know how Adela knew all of this, this should be her one and only chance to turn the tables around to Queen Rachel. Probably, through this method, she would be able to survive more comfortably. "The staffs in the Milestone Hotel should also know, especially the manager, since he has been covering for you two to meet up there and have enough fun. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for the Red Kingdoms King who has become infertile to have the second child!" Bang! "What did you say?" the Red Kingdoms King was stunned when he heard this words from Adela. He stood up and smashed the letter in his hand to the ground. "Just ask your good prime minister who have been poisoning you for years!" Adela screamed. "He had long been with Queen Rachel and want to make sure his child is the one who will sit on the throne. This is the only way to make sure that she would not get pregnant with your child..." "Shut up!" Prime Minister John, who heard all of this, was pale. The Red Kingdoms King looked around him and saw the mockery in Queen Farahs eyes. It seemed that this was nothing more than a joke in her eyes. "B*stard! Come over here!" "$%^&*!" ... Aurora, who was standing beside the main halls door, was contemplating whether she should enter or not. The door was not closed and Aurora could still hear the scream and yell from Adela and the others inside. "Its really messy," Aurora finally said. She was thinking of coming in to see some fun, but she didnt expect that what greeted her would be family drama and secret that was directed by Adela and acted by Queen Rachel. Chapter 266: Aftermath Chapter 266: Aftermath "Yes." Prince Lester nodded. Aurora glanced at Prince Lester and then at the door. After thinking it through, Aurora decided that she would not enter and join this mess. It was already more than enough to hear such a secret. Well, it was not exactly a secret. The text that Adela wrote had already written bits and parts about this, so Aurora knew about it. It was just that she had never thought of using this matter to go against Queen Rachel. Because if she did, it was estimated that Queen Rachel would send someone even more powerful to deal with her again. She had enough of being assassinated. "Lets go back." "Yes, Miss." .... The scandal of the Red Kingdoms Kings wife, Queen Rachel, and Prime Minister John couldnt be kept secret at all. With Adelas scream and the fact that the main halls door was not closed for some reasons, there were many people who heard about this. Coincidentally, some nobles came to the Royal Palace that day to discuss some things with the Red Kingdoms King. Who would have thought that they ended up hearing such a shocking secret instead. And these nobles couldnt really keep it a secret, so this matter quickly spread loud and clear to the entire Red Kingdoms Capital City. When the Red Kingdoms King knew about this, he was livid. The evidences for this matter was solid and everything Adela said was true. While the Red Kingdoms King didnt know how Adela knew about this, but he had to admit that she helped him. He immediately ordered people to seize these two peoples familys home and brought these people down one by one. They were all thrown to the jail or being put into the public execution for people to see. Prince Charles... no, its just Charles now, was among them. He never knew about his mothers action and until the very end, he didnt understand how things turned this way. In this way, there was only one prince left to contend for the throne. "Its really stupid of them not burning those letters that could be used as evidence," Prince Brian commented while he had some tea with Aurora. The storm of this matter hadnt completely passed and the Red Kingdoms King was busy working to quell his rage. It was also during this period of time he knew that Aurora had come and heard about this matter too. He completely gave up about his image and simply let Prince Brian to continue his cooperation with Aurora. Anyway, the Red Kingdoms King would not suffer any loss. In fact, he might even profit from Auroras business since she enhanced the business in the Red Kingdom. Though, most of the money would enter her pocket in the end, which was a point that made many people speechless. "It might have been kept as memento by them," Aurora said calmly, not surprised by their action at all. When she saw Adelas stupid brain when she was dealing with Prince Edward and the others back then, she had the feeling that she was also prone to do stupid things. "Now that things are over, will you accept my invitation to stay in the palace?" Prince Brian asked. Aurora glanced at Prince Brian. "Did the Red Kingdoms King ask you to say this?" "You found out?" "Its strange for you to ask me to stay in the palace," Aurora replied. "But the Red Kingdoms King is really interesting. He refused to let my sister stay in the palace but invited me instead." With that scandal going on, the Red Kingdoms King really didnt dare to keep Adela stay in the Royal Palace in the slightest bit. She and Duchess Isabella were sent out and Duchess Isabella wanted to arrange for marriage for Adela. But Adela refused vehemently. And then the two of them were sent back to the Yellow Kingdom where Adela was reunited with Prince Edward. Through the letter, Aurora could tell that their reunion was very emotional. As for what kind of emotion it was, Aurora didnt really care. "Right..." Prince Brian shrugged. He has long gotten used to his father who only cared for benefits without actually caring for the person themselves. It was also because of this that the Red Kingdoms King would not accept Adela but wanted Aurora to be here. The good thing from him was the fact that he would not be so wary to Aurora and wanted to control her. Some people who have been in power for a long time liked to do this. Thankfully, it was not the case for the Red Kingdoms King. Besides... "My father will abdicate soon." Prince Brian smiled and looked at Aurora. "At that time, Ill give you more freedom to do what you want." "So quickly?" Aurora arched her eyebrows and chuckled. "Should I congratulate you in advance, cousin?" With only Prince Brian as the prince was left in the Red Kingdom, it could be said that the Red Kingdoms King could not have any other successor. Of course, that was unless the Red Kingdoms King tried to make a child again. But from what Aurora knew, Queen Farah refused that suggestion vehemently. For her, Prince Brian alone was already more than enough. As for Prince Brians sister, the Red Kingdom didnt really advocate having a female to become the king. So she has no chance to inherit the throne and from what Aurora knew, she also had no interest to fight for the throne. In this way, the matter of the Red Kingdom could be said to be settled. Prince Brian won and no one would dare to compete with him for this position. It was more like... no one dared to compete with him and no one else had the qualification to compete with him. Aurora herself had no interest for the throne. It was better for her to stay in Era Guild and worked hard every single day to earn money and live a comfortable life. Chapter 267: Aftermath (2) Chapter 267: Aftermath (2) "Theres no need for that." Prince Brian chuckled. "I want to ask you if you need more help from me, Sister?" Sister? Being called that way by Prince Brian felt a bit weird, but Aurora still accepted it. No matter what, Prince Brian is still her cousin. And this cousin was different from Prince Charles as they were truly connected by blood. To be honest, Aurora never thought that Prince Charles was not the Red Kingdoms Kings child. After all, Aurora had never paid too much attention to the various strange matter in the Red Kingdom. What she paid more attention to was the things that could be used to trade and earn benefit. Who made her more businesslike? Aurora felt a bit thankful that her father threw all those messes to her. With her able to connect with so many people, they basically knew her abilities to negotiate and made profitable arrangement for various things. This would make it easy for the Era Guild to thrive. Speaking about Era Guild, Aurora had the feeling that some people will soon find out about the fact that Era Guild belonged to her. Aurora never actually hide this matter. But she was sure that her father and probably others who were related to her would feel regret for treating her that way in the past. After all, they had long wanted to take advantage of her but failed miserably. Now that this had happened, there was basically no chance anymore. They were all living a hard life, the consequences of their own choices in the past. "I dont think I need anything more. But the title of the princess is really good, so I would like to thank you." Aurora took out a small box from the side and pushed it to Prince Brian. "I believe you will need this." Prince Brian smiled and opened the box. Seeing the content inside, Prince Brian arched his eyebrow slightly. "My cousin is really rich. Should I be jealous of you?" "The Royal Family is rich enough as long as you dont provoke another war anytime soon," Aurora replied calmly and slowly stood up. Prince Brian smiled bitterly. Who actually like war? If it was not because of the conflicts between the Red Kingdom and the Ice Kingdom, it was estimated that everyone would be able to live peacefully with each other. None of them would be willing to fight and cause so many deaths. Watching Auroras back, Prince Brian said, "See you later, Princess Aurora." Aurora stopped for a moment, nodded and then walked away again. After that incident, there were many things that had changed. One of them was Prince Brians proposal to make Aurora the princess of the Red Kingdom. This proposal was immediately accepted by the Red Kingdoms King. It seemed that he himself was also eager to tie Aurora to their kingdom. The problem was, they didnt have good enough reason to make Aurora stay. After all, technically Aurora is a commoner because of the stupid decisions that the Yellow Kingdoms King made back then. Though, with Duke Whites fall, she would still be a commoner in the end, but they ignored this matter. Because it was possible for Aurora to solve the problems of the White Familys territory with her ability if she wanted to. Anyway, with the Red Kingdoms Kings agreement, all that left was Auroras agreement. Aurora agreed. She didnt think that there was anything wrong with her receiving the title of a princess from the Red Kingdom. It was also true that she has the Royal Familys blood flowing within her. Moreover, her mother was technically the princess of the Red Kingdom. Besides, being a princess of the Red Kingdom only have advantage for Aurora. She would have high status once more and this meant that Aurora didnt have to be so covert in doing things. Even without her cooperating with the Paige Dukedom, she could actually stand by herself. Of course, Aurora would not do that. She was not strong enough yet and it would be good to remain friends with the Paige Dukedom. In this way, there was an additional princess in the Red Kingdom. But even after becoming the princess, Aurora had no intention to stay in the Red Kingdoms Palace. She had her own mansion where she had been staying during the period where she stayed in the Red Kingdom and it was much more comfortable than the royal palace. Aurora looked at the letter in her hand and the corner of her lips curled up slightly. The events in the Yellow Kingdom had been passed to her and she had to say that she was quite satisfied with it. ... Yellow Kingdom The Red Kingdom was unwilling to accept them and Duchess Isabella was unwilling to follow her daughter. So after hearing from her brother that he could let her stay comfortably like her brother as long as she didnt toss around, Duchess Isabella accepted it. Duchess Isabella loved her daughter. But she loves herself more. Between her own future and her daughters future, she cared about herself more. In this mansion, she would be able to live comfortably and there were also people who would serve her. Even though Duchess Isabella couldnt go to any parties and so on, she would not have to worry about her life at all. So Duchess Isabella accepted this arrangement. With his sister accepting this arrangement, the Red Kingdom King felt relieved. But before he could take a breath, he heard that there was a quarrel between Prince Charles and Adela. The Red Kingdoms King: "..." Who did he offend to have these two ancestors making trouble for him day and night? In annoyance, the Red Kingdoms King threw Adela out of the Red Kingdom along with Charles. As much as he didnt like this child, he could see that Charles was full of confusion and never knew the truth of his birth. The Red Kingdoms King wanted to kill the brat too. Chapter 268: Aftermath (3) Chapter 268: Aftermath (3) But after thinking about it for a moment, he chose to throw the boy and Adela out of the Red Kingdom. As for how they would live their lives afterwards? Who cares? The Red Kingdom King only felt that his ear was cleaner after this matter was over. The woman whom he used to love deeply... now he had nothing but hatred for her. Which man could stand having such a green grassland on top of his head? He couldnt stand it. Especially because that b*tch let him raise her son for someone else. This made the Red Kingdom King only wanted to kill her. But death was simply too cheap for her. So he greeted the people in the prison and made these peoples lives as miserable as ever. A few weeks have passed ever since that incident and now, both Charles and Adela had been thrown to the Yellow Kingdom. Alongside them was also Benny who protected Adela well and didnt let anything happen to the woman whom he loved. But it could be said that fight was inevitable. These people didnt know what they were talking about everyday but they kept on having a quarrel with each other every single day and a big quarrel every three days. When they reached the Yellow Kingdom, Adela tried to find her father. But... "He had passed away?" Adela was stunned. She hadnt stayed in the Red Kingdom for more than a few months and her father had already passed away? Wait, if she counted the time, it seemed to be about a year had passed. "Duke White is not doing his work well and imprisoned after trying to attack the Royal Family. There are many people who are not happy to see him and just a few days ago, he was beaten to death," the knight who was in charge was impatient and wanted to kick Adela out. If it was not because of his duty, he would not be so patient to receive Adela. "No... thats not possible." Adela shook her head frantically, full of disbelief. She couldnt believe that her father would actually die. "What should I do...?" Adela felt at loss. She always felt that the entire world was nothing more than a game and that she was living her life like that. Even if something happened, there would be her father and mother who would back her up. But her mother had kicked her out. When Adela recalled the day when her mother kicked her out, she could see the coldness in her mothers eyes. Adela was nothing more than a replacement in Duchess Isabellas eyes. She wanted her daughter to live the life that she couldnt get before and through her daughters eyes, enjoyed the life. But her daughter was not capable enough. So Duchess Isabella stopped this thought and chose to live the rest of her life comfortably by herself. Anyway, no one would say anything to her no matter what she did. Duchess Isabella also didnt have the intention to provoke others after living a good life. Duchess Isabella could no longer work. The work of the White Dukedom had long been thrown to her daughter and for so many years, she was living lavishly. So facing the threat of the Red Kingdoms King, Duchess Isabella chose to accept it. It would be better for her to live a life of a noble woman comfortably for the rest of her life. As for her daughter? Anyway, she liked Charles and Duchess Isabella also saw that there was still Knight Benny who followed her. She was sure that Adela could live a comfortable life even without her presence. So Adela returned to the Yellow Kingdom. And Charles looked at Adela with a complicated look. In the past few months, he truly experienced what it meant to suffer. Every single day, he would feel as if there was someone who wanted to kill him. No one would give him a good luck in the Red Kingdom. The affairs of the queen and the prime minister had long been spread and the Red Kingdom King used his presence to built a good will from the people, saying that he would not punish him and let him alive. Is it compassion? With the current life that Charles experienced, it could be said that he couldnt even live well. This was more like revenge rather than compassion given to him. But can he complain? No one would listen to him. Every single day, Charles had to work like ordinary people and then worry about money, whether the money would be enough for their lives or not. This kind of life made him very tired. And Adela couldnt work. Benny would still help out with other things from time to time but Adela didnt know what to do. She could only sat at home and try to help with some household chores. But the result? If it was not the food was burned, it would be the bowls were broken. The days were very tiring. After a few months of living in the Red Kingdom, they came to the Yellow Kingdom. What they hoped was that there might be some people who could help them here. But the result? There was no one. "Benny, how about your parents...?" Adela turned to look at Benny with hopeful look. Benny shook his head. "Theyre also ordinary villagers now." Seeing Adelas disappointed look, Benny frowned. He liked Adela very much, but he also knew that his family condition was not very good. The only thing that he could do was to guard and help Adela from the back silently. This is his wish. Even until now, Benny knew that he might not be able to stay beside Adela and could only stay to protect her but he had no complaints at all. From the very beginning, Benny never hoped that he could be by her side in the bright side. But at the very least, he would never leave her side. Chapter 269: Fate Chapter 269: Fate "Lets see Prince Edward," Adela finally said after struggling. The other two men looked at each other. Charles shrugged and said, "I heard that hes no longer in good situation. Do you think that he would be willing to see you?" The fact that Prince Edward turned into a cripple was not a secret. It could be said that many people knew about this and this matter had spread all over the street. Even if they could see Prince Edward, would Prince Edward be wiling to help them? "I dont care. I just want to see him now." Adela was upset. She had always been pampered. No matter whether it was in her previous life or in this life, she has always been held in the palm by others. When was it her turn to suffer so much? Adela knew very well that she just wanted to live comfortably and the best choice for her was only Prince Edward. This prince has become a cripple. But... Is there any other choice? Charles and Benny looked at Adela like this and they knew that they couldnt persuade the other party. "You can go yourself," Charles said after a while. "Charles?" "My relationship with Prince Edward is not good," Charles said slowly as he looked at Adelas appearance carefully. The beautiful young girl from before now looked somewhat haggard and lost her vitality. He loves her so much. But he also knew that what Adela wanted has always been a comfortable life. If he was not a prince, Adela would have never talked with him. "That..." Adela frowned. This was true. Even in the game, Prince Edward and Prince Charles would never see each other eye to the eye. They would have various conflicts, most of them were caused by her. "So Ill stay in this inn and wait for you two to come back." Charles forced a smile. "Dont worry about me and just go to him." Benny felt that Charles tone was a bit wrong. He looked at the young man a few more times and realized that Charles had already let Adela go. Because what Charles wanted was to be able to stay by Adelas side on the bright side. But what happened in the past few months, their hard lives as ordinary people, had made Charles realized that he couldnt bear it. He didnt want to drag Adela down either. "Alright." Adela didnt seem to realize Charles thought and was only thinking about Prince Edward. She heard the second prince was now the crown prince of the Yellow Kingdom, so Prince Edwards situation would be a bit worse. But at the very least, he was still a prince. "Lets go." With that, Adela and Benny left. They didnt even take another look at Charles, who was staying on the back. Charles looked at their departing back, his lips curled up in mocking smile. He should have known that Adela never cared for him. "Goodbye." These past few months of working as ordinary people had allowed Charles to learn some things. He thought about the carefree days when he was in the academy and the fact that his older brother and cousin used to persuade him to study. He smiled bitterly. Unfortunately, they couldnt return to the past. If it was possible, Charles really wanted to treasure more of his time and read people better. He was fascinated with all that was fun and never thought about his own future. This made Charles realize everything too late. When it had come to this point, there was basically nothing that Charles could do but to accept it. Slowly, he left. The world is vast and Charles has become an ordinary person in the Yellow kingdom. There had to be a way for him to live. But for what? He didnt know. He just didnt want to die yet and probably try to see more of this world in this way. Starting from that day, Charles never appeared in the Yellow Kingdoms Capital City anymore. He settled down in the nearby city and lived an ordinary life. ... Brown Family After the marriage between Annelie Brown and Leon Sun, the two of them were staying in the Brown Family. At this moment, Annelie was reading the letter sent by Aurora. The two of them might not be able to see each other so often again in the future, but there was totally no problem with them sending letters. Through this letter, Annelie also knew that Adela had returned to the Yellow Kingdom. "Tsk, why does she have to return?" Annelie didnt like Adela. When she thought that she might see Adela in the future, Annelie felt nauseous. She didnt know how to describe her thoughts but when she saw Adela, she felt that the other party had never treated her as a living person. This made Annelie unwilling to see Adela anymore. Unfortunately, the other party had already settled down in the Red Kingdom. *sigh* The other letters mentioned about other fun things that Aurora had seen. She also sent some things for Annelie and Annelie felt better when she saw those things. Knock! Knock! "Enter." "Annelie, Mother is looking for you to buy new dress," Leon said as he walked in while carrying a few books. The two of them were in political marriage, but they basically respected each other and in the past few months, their relationship had become a bit closer. Though, they would still keep their distance when they were outside. "I dont want to go." Annelie shook her head. She really didnt want to go out with her mother. There were so many works here and if she went out, she wouldnt be able to come back until late at night. Who didnt know her mothers capability in shopping? Not many women could match her mother. "Alright." Leon nodded. "By the way, Adela White is back," Annelie said slowly while looking at her husbands expression. She knew that Leon used to be close to Adela in the past. "I heard shes in the Yellow Kingdoms Capital City. Do you want to see her?" Chapter 270: Result Chapter 270: Result Leon was a bit surprised when he heard that Adela White is here. From what he knew, Adela went to the Red Kingdom along with her mother while her father had passed away in prison. Her sister was very capable and has been given a title of a princess in the Red Kingdom, but Adela was not mentioned. This matter has caused some discussion among the nobility, especially those who used to be classmates with these two people. They lamented that fate had turned around. Aurora was kicked out by her parents here but her uncle and cousin bring her the status of a princess instead. And the person who took the engagement was now kicked out of the Red Kingdom. "No. I dont want to see her." Leon shook her head after he heard that. He was not very close to Adela and the person whom Adela flattered the most back then was Crown Prince Edward. For Leon, since he already had an engagement with Annelie, he would not mess around with other women easily. It would not suit the proper conduct of a gentleman. Besides, what was so good about Adela? Leon didnt understand. "I thought that youre going to see your old classmates." Annelie passed a look at Leon and then handed a stack of letters. "Help me send this away. Im busy raising children and had no time to go to parties." With that Annelie stroked her bulging belly. She had to say that this annoying Leons ability was really strong. They had only gotten married for a year and a few months but shes going to be a mother. "Ok." Leon was obedient and quickly walked out. The status of the Brown Family was still very high and many people came to invite Annelie to party from time to time. But Annelie was too lazy to care about them and didnt want to go at all. She could only ask them to refuse through letters. Of course, the one who sent it was Leon. At this time, Annelie looked at the pile of letters and sighed. "Too bad I cant come to see Lucy either." She had received a letter from Lucy. She said that she would marry a knight in her territory. Moreover, her father had already given her the power to manage the territory. It could be said that the situation was a bit enviable. Annelie was happy for her friend, though. She decided to send a few more things to Lucy as present. ... Yellow Kingdoms Imperial Palace The Yellow Kingdom King managed to sort out the troubles in the Yellow Kingdom within the past year. Even though there were still some troubles, it was not as much as it used to be. Right now, he was very tired. The relationship between the second prince and his wife was not very good and the two of them often quarrel with each other. If it was not because the second prince still respected his elder, the situation might have turned even worse. Rubbing his forehead, the Yellow Kingdom King looked at the prime minister in front of him. He didnt change the prime minister, but he knew that the second princes trusted attendants would not be this persons son. "Your Majesty?" "Hows Louis situation?" The Yellow Kingdoms King asked. Prime Minister Lats smile froze. He thought about his son and sighed deeply. "I arranged him to stay in our familys territory. Hes going to get married to the neighboring noble daughter and inherit her familys territory." Since there was no hope for Prince Edward, Prime Minister Lat didnt allow Louis to stay here any longer. In the beginning, Louis was resistant from going back. He wanted to become a powerful minister like his father. But reality told him that the second prince would not give him a second chance. There were many other capable people, why does it have to be him? So Louis gave up. As for the matter of Adela... Louis could see that Adela didnt even look in his direction at all. When she broke the engagement with Prince Edward, she followed Charles to the Red Kingdom. Afterwards, there was basically no news from her. Perhaps, she had long known that he was useless. Louis chose to give up and followed his fathers arrangement. He couldnt get the one he wanted... so he would just make do with whoever his father felt it would be the best for their family. Anyway, Louis still has brother. His current life couldnt be said to be bleak, but it was definitely far from the great future he dreamed should he become the prime minister like this father. "I see." The Yellow Kingdom King nodded, not paying attention to this matter anymore. He looked at the report in his hand and sighed. "Adela is here. If theres anything, you can take care of it." After the matter of Duke White was over, the Yellow Kingdom never thought that he would have to experience Adela coming back. Duchess Isabella and Adela went to the Red Kingdom. And the Yellow Kingdom thought that he didnt have to see them again in his life. Who would have thought that Adela would come back? And she still bring some people with her. The Yellow Kingdom King was determined not to see her at all and just leave this matter to his subordinate. Prime Minister Lat: "..." The pot has to be thrown to him. Sighing, Prime Minister Lat could only agree and said that he would arrange this matter. Should Adela want to do anything, he would be the one to arrange this matter. ... Benny looked at the palace in front of him, somewhat at loss. Prince Edward was willing to let Adela came to see him. But... It seemed that the two of them could no longer be the same as how they used to be. The pair that was very loving with each other was now quarreling against each other, full of indignation for the fate that befall them. Chapter 271: Life [END] Chapter 271: Life [END] Adela cried. She saw the situation of Prince Edward and couldnt connect him with the handsome and youthful Prince Edward in her memory. Prince Edward was irritated. The current Adela was no longer the same as before. Even though Benny and Charles worked hard for the past few months, their abilities were limited and their care to Adela was not as good as before. So Adela was no longer as gorgeous as she used to be. The two of them quarreled. "Why did things end up this way?" After that meeting with Prince Charles, Prime Minister Lat arranged a place for them to stay. Adela was not sure what she did afterwards but she ended up choosing to stay with Prince Edward. Even though his situation was no longer satisfactory... But the rich life made her very tempted. She didnt have to worry about many things and could live a comfortable life every single day. Such situation made Adela just wanted to stay here and never leave. Though, she quarreled a lot with Prince Edward. Benny watched from the side as the two of them quarreled for a month and then somehow got married with each other. He himself was appointed as Adelas knight by Prime Minister Lat and watched as the couple grew like this. Adela realized belatedly that it was not a game. After the game ended, they would still have to live their lives. And her life... is not what she wanted. ... The Red Kingdoms Palace Aurora often paid a visit to the Red Kingdoms Palace to have tea with her cousin. As the princess of the Red Kingdom, she had this right. Though, Aurora didnt care too much about other things. What she loved the most was naturally her own business in Era Guild. The matter from the Yellow Kingdom passed to her and Aurora was happy when she heard that Annelie was about to have a child. She planned to send a lot of things for her friend. Her other friend, Lucy, was also going to get married next season. It would be very lively. As for herself... Aurora had no intention to get married and would just live her life comfortably. There were some people from the Ice Kingdom who came to find Prince Lester, but he refused them outright once again. Aurora heard that there was turmoil in the Ice Kingdom with many people dying. Many capable ministers sided with the wrong prince and ended up killing each other. So many families were destroyed in the Ice Kingdom. This made Aurora marveled that the fight for the throne was really tragic and fierce. Prince Brian was thankful that the Red Kingdom never had to reach that situation or things would never end well. "My father will hand over the throne to me in a few days." Prince Brian smiled as he looked at Aurora in front of him. "I have to thank you for supporting my family well." "I have business dealing with your mothers family, so naturally Ill not treat you badly." Aurora chuckled. She slipped the tea in front of her and said, "I hope that you will not forget me when you sit on that throne." "I wont." Prince Brian was relaxed and leaned back. "Besides, I have to rely on you for the next negotiation." Ah... Negotiation... Aurora looked at Prince Brian helplessly. For some reasons, she was assigned as the diplomat once again. This time, she would represent the Red Kingdom. The two representative from Orange Kingdom and Sand Kingdom were speechless when they saw her. They lamented that the days of being tortured by Aurora would never end. Naturally, they would not give up so easily and still try. Even if they knew that Aurora could suppress them, they still had to show their stance that they were fighting for their kingdom. Aurora was noncommittal about it. She naturally didnt show mercy and made many arrangement that made the Red Kingdom better. Prince Brian and Aurora talked a bit more before it was time for Prince Brian to leave. As the future king, he had a lot of things to do and Aurora herself also had many business in the Era Guild. Coming out of the Red Kingdoms Royal Palace, Aurora made her way to the carriage and went back home. William and Les were still in the mansion and the one who came with her was Prince Lester. She has been going out with him more often recently. "Your Highness, we have arrived." Your Highness? Aurora walked out of the carriage and looked at Prince Lester in front of her with some amusement. "Why do you call me so formally like that?" "Because youre now a princess," Prince Lester replied, his dark blue eyes was staring straight in Auroras direction. A princess. Aurora shook her head and beckoned for Prince Lester to follow her. "The time limit for the contract has arrived. Have you made your decision?" Aurora asked as she continued walking, not looking in Prince Lesters direction in the slightest bit. Prince Lester looked at Auroras back thoughtfully and replied, "I would like to stay by your side, Princess." Aurora stopped and turned around. She frowned. "Are you sure?" "Ive been your knight for a long time, so let me be your knight even longer," Prince Lester replied solemnly. Seeing Prince Lesters look, Aurora finally turned around and replied, "Its up to you." Prince Lester smiled and slowly followed behind Aurora. Rather than coming out, he would rather stay by Auroras side even if his status was nothing more than her knight. Les watched this scene from the window and smiled faintly. She hoped that her miss would be happy. Now that there was no one who would bother Aurora anymore, everything should be heading in the bright direction. "Miss, dont walk too fast or you might fall." "Lester, I dont know you can be so nagging." *chuckle* Aurora rolled her eyes but there was a faint smile on her lips. This kind of life was not bad at all. It was freer and calmer than what she could ever hope. If she had to say, the current her feel happy with her life. - Fin