Chapter 49

Li Jia had only walked for the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea with Doreen Winslow when she suddenly stopped, clutched her stomach, frowned, and protested, "No, no, I can't walk anymore. I'm hungry. I need to eat first."

Doreen said speechlessly, "Besides eating, drinking, and having fun, do you have any other interesting things to do?"

"I haven't eaten dinner, I'm starving!"

After saying that, the little yellow chick squatted down on the ground and refused to move another step.

Li Jia and Heladen entered into a marriage. Logically, as the goddess of marriage, Doreen and Winslow should respect her.

On her first day back after registering her marriage, Doreen thought about changing how she addressed him, but as soon as she opened her mouth, Li Jia stopped her, saying that it gave her goosebumps.

Li Jia came from humble beginnings; if she were to be served tea and water and flattered every day, it would truly shorten her lifespan.

So the group continued to interact as before, without any rules or constraints.

It's not Li Jia's fault that they're hungry. The three of them are divine beings and have long since transcended the desire for food. Winslow just loves to study food, and he won't starve even if he doesn't eat.

Only Li Jia is a true mortal; people need food to survive, and they'll get hungry if they miss a meal.

"If you're so tough, then don't eat my cooking again."

Winslow rolled his eyes at Doreen, then took Li Jia's arm and led her toward the noodle stall: "Ignore her, let's fill our stomachs first."

Most of the restaurants on the street were closed late at night, except for this noodle stall with its oil lamp still lit.

Doreen watched their retreating figures and realized that her words had been somewhat inappropriate. She quickly followed and stood by the noodle stall, her tone softening: "Order whatever you want. I'll pay today."

Li Jia wasn't that petty, but since Doreen offered to treat them to a meal, she figured she could take advantage of the opportunity.

It was rare to see Doreen suffer in silence, so Hera smiled and sat down at the small four-person dining table as well.

I ordered two large bowls of hot soup noodles with three times the amount of meat and two bowls of regular soup noodles.

Doreen wasn't hungry, but the aroma from the noodle stall made her swallow hard. Hera, on the other hand, ordered a bowl because she saw that Li Jia had ordered one.

The noodle stall owner was a middle-aged woman. Because she sold noodles, she covered her entire hair with a hood and wore a cloth mask. She was neatly dressed and worked efficiently.

Ancient Greek noodles were not as refined as modern ones. They were made from a wide dough of water and flour, cut into strips, cooked, and seasoned simply.

The proprietress didn't add anything else, just scooped a small half spoonful of salt from the aluminum can, tore off a piece of dried seaweed and threw it in. Once the dough floated up, she poured the soup and noodles into a rough porcelain bowl, sprinkled on a pinch of bright green scallions, and gave it a complimentary braised egg.

A little girl wearing a deerskin hat was helping her. The little girl had round eyes and, although she was young, she was already quite experienced. She was wearing custom-made thick gloves as she served them noodles.

In the North, where the climate is such that selling hot food on winter nights is common, it's rare to see a stall open until the middle of the night. A few groups of night owl diners came intermittently.

All the meat from Hera's bowl was transferred to Li Jia's bowl, so she got four times the amount of meat.

Winslow sighed. This was the nauseatingly sweet smell of young lovers.

Li Jia took a sip of soup and slurped up a few mouthfuls of noodles, instantly feeling warm all over. She lazily said, "Do you know why, among eating, drinking, and having fun, eating and drinking come first?"

"Why?"

Winslow then asked.

"If you don't eat, you'll die, right? And what's the point of having fun if you're dead?"

Li Jia wiped her mouth. For her, eating was the most important thing in the world, and everything else had to take a backseat to eating.

According to Li Jia, none of the love, hate, and passion in the world can compare to the spicy hot pot sold downstairs from her house for 1.8 yuan per catty, with no limit on meat or vegetables.

Those young people who are heartbroken and contemplating suicide, students tormented by their studies, and office workers with dark circles under their eyes, put all your worries aside.

Everyone should eat well.

Winslow agreed with her, adding, "Li Jia is right. Of the seven emotions and six desires, appetite is the foundation of mortal life; all other desires are built upon it."

You need to ensure your own basic needs are met before you can consider what to do next, what your life goals are, and what you are capable of doing.

The proprietress was pulling and cooking noodles, while the little girl stood outside the stall soliciting customers. She was very outgoing and enthusiastic. Doreen stared at the two of them for a while, lost in thought.

After the peak hours were over, there were only four of them left at the stall.

"Viya."

The proprietress's voice carried the aroma of noodles on the night breeze. As soon as she finished speaking, the little girl in the deerskin hat skipped over, her apron still speckled with flour, like a handful of stars.

"Mom, what's wrong?"

She answered crisply, her round eyes sweeping over the pile of meat slices in Li Jia's bowl, and she secretly swallowed.

Li Jia pushed the untouched thick slice of meat in her bowl towards the little girl, her fingertips touching the little girl's red, frostbitten hand. The little girl shrank back in surprise, but the proprietress smiled and pushed her back, saying, "Take it, this customer is kind."

Viya then carefully accepted it, held it in her hand to warm it, and whispered a thank you.

Doreen asked casually, her voice softer than usual, "Why don't you let her stay at home on such a cold day?"

The proprietress was wiping the stove when she heard this. She paused, her breath blurring her features. "Her husband died young, so she relies on this stall to make a living. I don't want her to come, but she gets upset and makes a scene at home. So I just bring her along so I can take care of her."

"I like being with my mom. I can help her with a lot of things. I'm her good helper!"

After swallowing the meat slices, Viya wiped her oily hands on her apron and said happily.

Li Jia stopped picking at her noodles, glanced at Hera, and the other woman knowingly moved the braised egg in the porcelain bowl closer to Viya.

The little girl glanced at her mother, and the woman nodded in acquiescence.

I picked up the braised egg and took a bite, but my ears were perked up as I listened to the proprietress continue, "She's still young, so I need to save up more money. When she's older, I'll send her to school in town. It's better for her to learn a few words than to be out in the wind and sun with me."

"We are strangers in this land. We've heard that the Queen of the North has long since abolished tuition and fees. Why do you still need to go to such lengths?"

Doreen was puzzled. When she left the North, the North had already undergone a complete reform, and children no longer needed to pay tuition or other fees to go to school.

The proprietress sighed and said, "The Queen was kind and preserved the right of girls in the North to go to school before she passed away. Everyone remembers the Queen's kindness. But after King Mel ascended the throne, he intended to abolish this rule."

"He believed that girls should not be able to read and write, but should stay at home to be good wives and mothers. After Queen Fran argued with him, a new rule was reached: both boys and girls could go to school, but girls would have to pay for it themselves."

"Because King Mel believed that girls were weak and could not grow up like boys to join the army and do anything for the Stuarts, even though Admiral Catherine proved that women also possess strong leadership abilities."

Hera suddenly said, "King Mel's decree may not be valid."

Li Jia chewed her noodles and mumbled in agreement, "Exactly! Why can't girls go to school? Boys get free education, but girls have to pay for it themselves. What are those girls who can't afford to go to school supposed to do!"

She put down her chopsticks, patted Viya on the shoulder, and said, "Study hard from now on. Adults will take care of their own affairs."

Viya blinked, nodded as if she understood, but held up the remaining half of the braised egg in front of the proprietress: "Mom, you can have some too."

The woman took the braised egg, put it in her mouth, and her eyes suddenly reddened, but she didn't let the tears fall. Instead, she added another piece of firewood to the stove to make the firelight brighter.

After Viya finished eating the braised egg, she took the initiative to clean up the empty bowl. Hera reached out and handed her the empty bowl. Viya looked up and smiled at Hera, her eyes shining like stars in the North.

Seeing this, the proprietress smiled and added a piece of firewood to the stove. The firelight made the whole stall warm and cozy, and even the night breeze seemed gentler.

After paying the bill, the four of them walked out of the noodle stall together. The little girl stood on tiptoe to help her mother tidy up the tables and chairs. Li Jia looked at the busy couple and said, "It seems that Queen Fran is not as bad as the rumors say."

“A truly wicked woman has no concern for people’s livelihood or the people’s feelings.”

Li Jia kicked away a small pebble at her feet, her voice carrying a hint of certainty: "She can simply remain a high and mighty queen in the palace without having any conflict with King Mel."

"So we have to come and see, don't we?"

Hera glanced at Doreen, and the two remained silent for a moment.

Winslow, having read countless gossip tales, had heard a little about Fran, the wicked stepmother, and asked curiously, "Do you think it's true that Queen Fran mistreated her stepdaughter and was jealous of her beauty?"

Li Jia burped: "I think the chances are very small. If you really hate her, why not nip her in the bud and get rid of her when she's still a baby? Babies are fragile; a cold can kill them."

"Or she could have another child and become the heir to the country."

"But none of these are available."

Winslow added that she recalled the records she had found: Queen Fran had been in the palace for fifteen years but had never conceived; on the contrary, King Mel's health was deteriorating, and the court physicians said that it would be difficult for him to have any more children.

Things are probably not that simple; only those involved know the truth.

"Let's go see the person involved."

——

The moonlight spilled over the top of the palace wall, and a woman sat in front of her dressing table, her cold and indifferent face reflected in the bronze mirror.

She held the gilded comb between her fingertips, combing her fine, dark brown hair, which was as smooth as silk and had a honey-colored sheen at the top. The comb slid over her shoulders with each movement of her hand, combing it again and again.

Fran closed his eyes tightly, listening to the hissing sound coming closer and closer from outside the hall.

The military boots trod across the paving stones, steady as a sharp blade about to cleave the night.

"Queen Fran".

Catherine removed her dew-covered cloak, revealing a silver longsword gleaming coldly at her waist: "What urgent matter has summoned me here so late at night?"

Upon hearing the sound, Fran opened her eyes, revealing a pair of emerald green pupils with slightly upturned corners and a faint golden shimmer around the edges of her pupils. Today, she was wearing a dark-patterned velvet dress, and the cool white of the pearl necklace at the neckline made the skin of her neck appear even more translucent.

Sharp weapons are not allowed inside the palace. The guards outside the palace tried to stop her, but Fran stopped them. She ordered everyone around her to leave, and now only the two of them remained in the huge bedchamber.

Fran understood Catherine's aggressive nature; she had always found fault with him because of Moise.

“Mel wants to strip Moise of her title as Crown Princess and he wants to restore the Harrington name.”

Fran's voice was soft, yet it was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly shattering the tranquility of the hall.

She didn't look at Catherine; her gaze remained fixed on herself in the bronze mirror, as if discussing a trivial matter.

Fran's candor startled Catherine, who had long anticipated King Mel's intentions.

Since the Harrington family made the request to "return to their ancestral line" three years ago, attempting to break away from the Chessco family tree, King Mel has often privately mentioned his "Harrington bloodline".

He believed that since the old king and queen had passed away, the Stuart lineage should not be inherited by the deceased.

The reason the old king agreed to let Mel become the queen was partly because Mel and the queen understood and liked each other, and the old king did not want the queen to marry someone she did not like.

On the other hand, the Harrington family pledged their loyalty to protect Chescot for generations to come.

When the truth was finally revealed by the Queen Consort, Catherine couldn't help but feel alarmed.

Before becoming Queen Consort, King Mel was the youngest son in the Harrington family, whose members had been Stuart Masters of Ceremonies for generations. He and the Queen had grown up together as childhood sweethearts.

Mel, Fran.

He was the most important person in the Empress's life besides her blood relatives.

One is a close friend.

One is the husband.

The feeling of being betrayed by one's closest relatives is unbearable. Looking at the expressionless face, Catherine subconsciously said, "Since the Queen summoned me here, it couldn't be just to tell me this."

“I know you are loyal to Moisés and to Chisco, so this matter…”

"I only trust you."

Fran smiled, saying she had long admired this cold-blooded admiral.

Now, their destination and starting point are the same.

The enemy of my enemy is my ally.

"He won't stop."

Fran's voice was soft, but with an unwavering resolve, as he continued, "He's been trying to change Stuart's name for a long time."

Catherine gripped her sword tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force of her grip on the hilt: "What do you intend to do?"

"I want to protect everything Hawthorne left behind, including her children."

"Her country, her people, I will absolutely not allow all of this to be trampled on."

Hawthorne Chesko is the Queen's full name.

No one has mentioned this name for a long time.

"Leave the guards of Mel's palace to me."

Fran opened the drawer in front of the dressing table and showed the token to Catherine.

"This token can mobilize three hundred palace guards. They are orphans, and are my personal servants, at your beck and call."

Regardless of whether Catherine agreed or not, Fran pressed the token firmly into her hand, brooking no refusal.

Catherine looked at Fran, and the two women remained silent, staring at each other without saying a word.

People often mistake admiration for the same sex for jealousy, and jealousy for the opposite sex for liking.

Catherine understood her meaning, accepted the token, and knelt on one knee: "Catherine Saint Lanfina stakes on the entire honor of the Saint Lanfina Duke's Mansion."

"I will not fail in my mission entrusted to me by Queen Fran."

Fran, seeing her like this, was overjoyed and wept. He helped her up and took out a secret letter from his sleeve, which contained a map of the palace's defenses, with key locations marked in red.

"The Queen's sacrificial ceremony is in three days. Mel will personally go to the palace to worship, and he will have the fewest guards around him at that time."

Fran whispered, "Catherine, your task is to stop anyone from entering the palace. Just ten minutes, ten minutes will be enough. It's time to end this."

Catherine folded the secret letter and stuffed it into her inner pocket, her fingertips clutching the cold token, her back already soaked with sweat.

"And what about you after it's all done?"

"I will go back to where I belong."

"I will be waiting for you at the side gate on the west side of the sacrificial hall at sunset three days from now."

As Catherine turned around, the force of her cloak swept across the lamp wicks in the hall, and in the flickering light, she saw Fran pick up the gilded comb again and slowly comb his long hair.

The figure in the bronze mirror remained indifferent, but a faint red tinge appeared on the tip of his nose.

The moment the palace doors closed, Fran finally stopped what he was doing and buried his face in his palms.

For fifteen years, she endured the stigma of being a "wicked stepmother," guarding everything Hawthorne left behind, watching Mel gradually reveal his ambition, and now she has finally found someone she can entrust everything to.

Meanwhile, Li Jia and the other three were standing behind a wooden screen in the palace, watching the flickering lamplight on the palace wall.

The little yellow chicks watched in terror, but Hera used a telepathic command to become invisible, and they stealthily crept in, witnessing everything as if watching a TV drama.

Only after Queen Fran left her chambers did Winslow tug at Li Jia's sleeve and lower his voice, "Do you think Queen Fran will really take action? What if she's just using Catherine..."

No, it won't.

Li Jia was straightforward: "A queen who can ensure her people can eat noodles in peace will not gamble with the entire country."

Hera and Doreen exchanged a glance, both understanding each other's intentions: they needed to find a way to sneak into the sacrificial ceremony three days later.

If Catherine fails, they might become the last line of defense.