White waves rolled across the sea, and on the vast, boundless ocean, several large ships sped along, cutting through the waves.

On the flagship Seraphim, the lion figurehead at the bow gleamed in the warm sunlight.

The massive lion statue is entirely golden, and it's not even made of brass; just like its dazzling golden appearance, it is cast from genuine gold.

In fact, the value of this golden lion on the bow alone is enough to be equivalent to several warships.

This demonstrates its exceptional value.

At the beginning of its construction, Isabella originally intended to use brass, since the national treasury had previously used too much gold as compensation to the Yan Kingdom, so it was best to save as much as possible.

While casting in brass may seem somewhat mediocre, it's acceptable if a layer of gold leaf is applied to the outside after casting.

However, the proposal was ultimately abandoned due to strong opposition from the lawmakers.

This is what they said:

"Your Majesty! This is your first overseas visit, representing the will of the nation."

"Does our Sa Ri Kingdom not even have the means to afford a golden lion statue? If we use brass, wouldn't we be laughed at by the Yan Kingdom people later?"

"This is detrimental to national dignity!"

The reasons given by the lawmakers were so compelling that Isabella was unable to refute them.

Of course, she didn't actually intend to refute it.

After all, the suggestion of "casting the ship's head in brass" was just something to be presented to the members of parliament as a formality.

If they don't even mention it and directly use the nation's limited gold reserves to create a luxurious and prestigious golden lion, they might be accused of "extravagance" in the future.

Isabella didn't want to be gossiped about behind her back by some self-proclaimed "clean" officials.

Therefore, Isabella was happy all day after the proposal was rejected.

One reason is that the reasons for the lawmakers' opposition coincided with her true thoughts.

Secondly, it was because of a little bit of selfishness.

The proposal was rejected, and Isabella responded with "let's discuss it some more," and waited two more days for them to come and continue their lobbying.

Two days later, she immediately issued an urgent order, demanding that the shipyard cast the golden lion as soon as possible, and not delay the construction period so as not to postpone the departure time.

During this period, the parliament held countless meetings, large and small, regarding her personal overseas visit, and it took several months before Isabella finally persuaded the members of parliament.

Visiting abroad is naturally for the sake of national affairs.

But putting that aside, as a woman, of course she would still want to travel on a luxurious ship, wear exquisite and beautiful clothes, and dress herself up in a glamorous way.

Go to that country, which is no longer unfamiliar, and meet that king.

She had been looking forward to visiting foreign countries for a long time.

On the night before she set sail, she held the letter from that distant place and read it over and over again, so excited that she couldn't sleep all night.

The ship has been sailing at sea for over a month now, getting closer and closer to that country.

That night.

On the deck beneath the golden lion at the bow, Isabella, draped in a red robe, stared blankly at the night sky, murmuring involuntarily:

"Am I just imagining things?"

Beside him, his loyal confidant, General Eddington, looked puzzled:

"Hmm? Your Majesty, what do you mean?"

James, the head of the guards behind her, looked at Isabella with a puzzled expression.

A delicate, slender hand emerged from her magnificent red robe. It was late September, and the sea was already frosty, so Isabella had put on velvet gloves to keep warm.

At this moment, she points to the boundless night sky.

Eddington and James immediately looked up in the direction Her Majesty was pointing.

A full moon hangs high in the sky.

The moonlight was bright and clear, like a sheet of silver frost sprinkled on the sea.

"The moon is so round," Isabella murmured softly.

Eddington chuckled to himself. He had thought Her Majesty was talking about something special, but it turned out she was just referring to the moon.

He didn't respond, but simply nodded with a smile.

James immediately chimed in with a smile, "Yes, Your Majesty, the moon seems much rounder tonight than before."

"If you hadn't pointed it out, we really wouldn't have noticed, haha."

"You really have a knack for finding beauty..."

Eddington glanced at James, thinking to himself, "You sycophant, you always know how to flatter someone."

Isabella ignored James's words, only muttering:

"It's so round and plump."

Seeing that she brought up the moon again, Eddington looked up at it once more, and said with a smile:

"It's almost the end of the month, and the moon will get rounder and rounder."

As he spoke, Eddington rested his chin on his hand and pondered, "Judging by the time, we should be able to arrive before October..."

Before she could finish speaking, Isabella looked away, pursed her rosy lips, and interrupted, saying:

"I don't know if it's just my imagination."

"It always seems to be rounder than the moon I see in China."

As soon as he finished speaking, Aiding froze, "Huh?"

James was slightly taken aback, but then smiled and said, "Your Majesty, this is definitely not an illusion."

“Because I feel that way too.” He smiled and looked at Isabella.

Isabella simply lowered her hood, a faint smile appearing on her delicate and beautiful face:

"It's all thanks to the Yan Kingdom for establishing stable and safe sea routes between the various islands, which greatly reduced our travel time this time."

As she spoke, she looked at Eddington: "General Eddington, a year ago, it would have taken our fleet several months just to travel to Yan Kingdom. I don't think anyone would have imagined that sailing at sea would have become so convenient today."

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