Chapter 103 The Carving of the Second Petal It is said that the most skilled swordsmen can…

The sound of bells echoes into the distance, announcing the arrival of someone in all directions; this is often the city's way of paying tribute to a monarch or a triumphant general.

No one questioned Eleanor's decision.

The royal guards sprang into action as the bells rang; they donned their heavy armor, took up their weapons, and faithfully assembled at various points on the city walls.

The garrison inside and outside the city silently poured out of their camps and formed ranks on the left and right sides of the royal city.

They were like a pair of outstretched wings and sharp claws, carrying the sinister aura of a trap.

However, when a figure rises from the horizon, the reserved passage seems to merge with the melting sunlight, forming a red carpet at the feet of a monarch.

All the cavalrymen—whether behind or on the flanks—became nothing more than a backdrop for the respectful welcome.

The midday sun poured down, turning Andra's blood-stained battle robe into a dazzling pure gold.

Clang—Clang—

She arrived, drawing ever closer amidst the long, drawn-out tolling of bells.

The entire battlefield was deathly silent; no one sounded the horn, as if they feared a giant dragon about to awaken from its dream.

The Nolana people in the distance are as densely packed as a forest.

If the cavalrymen galloping towards the capital were viewed from above, their swift changes in formation would likely remind one of a flock of agile wild geese.

A figure emerged from the crowd, riding alone, tearing through the earth—she was not a sparrow, but a majestic female eagle.

Thump, thump!

The sound of horses' hooves pounded my heartbeat, then abruptly stopped.

Andra reined in her horse and, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, surveyed her surroundings—her sharp gaze sweeping across the entire battlefield in search of one person, someone everyone knew.

Sizzle.

The sun scorches the earth, and perhaps someone is drawing a longbow, aiming at the king's heart, ready to shoot an arrow and take away this golden soul.

But Andra didn't care at all. She stubbornly looked around, searching for Eleanor's figure in every possible corner.

Her long hair flew in the wind, while her sideburns were stuck to her cheeks with sweat, casting deep shadows.

Where is Eleanor?

Is she not coming? Is this another trap? Or has she already...?

I felt anxious, as if my heart was being tormented in a hot pot.

Andra instinctively gripped the hilt of his sword, blinking away the beads of sweat dripping from the corner of his eye.

She loved war and the thrill of taking other people's lives.

Every day and night of conquest is a romantic cycle; she can use battle to suppress the deepest emotions within her heart.

However, her deepest emotion at this moment was not love or hate, but... fear. Fear of Eleanor's death.

Rustle, rustle.

The wind whistled past her ears, and she could almost hear the soft rustling of Eleanor writing on that letter, just like those quiet afternoons of her childhood.

Eleanor handed her the letter—but why didn't Eleanor hide its existence, allowing it to become a deadly conspiracy, instead publicly announcing the bet in the letter?!

"Your Majesty, that must be the princess trying to win you over; she's being affectionate."

"Hehe, that's a very interesting manipulative tactic, Your Majesty. Please don't fall for it."

The young and old, the clever and the shameless Norlanas clapped and laughed in her ear, none of them taking the last sentence of the letter seriously.

But Andra took it seriously.

She really saw it through the letter... Eleanor's eyes, which she had erased in her hatred.

Melancholy yet clear, or perhaps pure sadness.

The girl's lips trembled. Should she apologize? Should she rebuke her? Or should she—

Goodbye, Andra.

Eleanor!

Eleanor, I won't allow you to lie to me again, and I won't allow you to leave me!

Thump, thump, thump.

The sound of horses' hooves ceased, but the sound of heartbeats suddenly rose, echoing the rumbling sound of the tunnel opening.

The heavy door slowly rose as the winch and human power were turned.

Andra's prayers seemed to have finally been answered by the gods, as a slender figure appeared in the center of the slowly opening city gate.

The figure remained silent for a moment, then slowly strode towards the galloping horse.

......

As the two approached each other, without any commands or shouts, everyone present consciously stepped back one, two, three steps... like seaweed being pushed to the edge, leaving behind a still lake.

The guards dared not look away, standing on the city wall gazing into the distance.

Andra's soldiers and the Nolana royal army stared at each other from afar, only daring to glance at the person in the middle out of the corner of their eyes.

They stared intently until Andra's warhorse obscured Eleanor's figure, and only then did they notice that there was another person standing at the city gate.

"Hey, look who's that?"

Unlike the cavalrymen who seemed to want to stop even their breathing, a group of people on the distant hillside appeared quite casual.

News of Andra's approach to the capital had spread far and wide, and Eleanor had sent all the noble servants home to recuperate, so there was no one left to keep these house lords and courtiers under house arrest.

The Wolf King Hetuya, who slaughtered her way through half of Belial and Nolana, was naturally very different from the previous Queen Alisa.

The nobles admired King Hetuya, who was still hung up on his old flame and slowed down his warhorse, and began to ponder how they should treat Eleanor in the future.

They didn't recognize Elsa following behind the princess, but those with good eyesight recognized the crown she was holding.

"Huh? That's... the Crown of Inherited Wisdom!"

One of the heads of the household squinted and hastily put his wine glass aside.

"What? It's actually the Crown of Wisdom!" Everyone exclaimed in amazement, that thing was truly a treasure.

The crown passed down through generations of the Norlana royal family has a very prestigious history, even being mentioned in mythology.

The nobles hadn't been unaware that Eleanor would hold up the crown to "apologize" when Andra attacked the royal city, but King Norlana didn't usually wear this crown.

Why would this power-hungry princess be willing to offer up such a precious treasure on their first reunion? With her wisdom, she should have known that this was not the best time.

Offering the championship at the last minute.

This urgent approach seems more like... entrusting something to someone?

Manhani's face turned pale instantly.

"Haha, what happened to your face?" The nobleman next to her was still laughing and joking with his companions, and nudged her lightly with his elbow.

Manhani stared blankly at the young man holding the crown, who was huddled awkwardly to the side, and said softly, "I was wondering if Princess Eleanor might be... trying to find a way out for Norlana?"

"Pfft!"

Another drunken nobleman retorted, reeking of alcohol, "What's there to be afraid of! Hiccup, with our prince's methods... ha, once she marries him—"

“What if…” Manhani raised her hand and slowly covered her eyes. “What if she simply doesn’t want to?”

......

Andra had imagined countless times what it would be like to reunite with Eleanor.

What should she do?

Draw a longsword? Or shout at her from horseback? Or grab the girl's wrist and question her about what blinded her back then... Did you ever truly love me?

Did you ever love me?

Do you still love me, Eleanor?

Andra's palms were sweating.

She instinctively straightened her back, wanting to sit gracefully on her horse and ask the question from back then.

She should calmly and coldly ask, "What exactly did you mean back then?"

Let Eleanor struggle with how to explain everything.

But the next second, Andra's pupils contracted instantly.

She has lost weight.

Andra's body leaped off his warhorse before his mind could react, and galloped toward Eleanor's swaying figure.

The girl's frail body looked as if it could be easily blown away by a gust of wind.

Why is she so thin? Who bullied her?

The moon-white dress made Andra squint, her heart clenching: "Are you doing this on purpose, Eleanor?"

Her sudden anger vanished the moment she saw her lover's face.

Eleanor's eyes were glistening with tears, and her swollen eyes and lips were trembling slightly.

Those cold, long-conceived questions swirled in my throat, then vanished from the edge of my mind.

Andra couldn't help but ask, "Are you alright?"

Eleanor's lips trembled even more violently, and a few seconds later she pursed her lips and gave a smile that looked more like a grimace.

Why—why are you making that face at me?

Andra clenched her fists, a nameless fire burning within her: You don't want to lie to me? What about the past—were all those past hurts fabricated? Or have you been acting all this time?!

"......"

She gritted her teeth and raised her arm, but then lowered it again as if she were afraid of something.

Eleanor was the same; they kept moving forward, but each time they retreated just before they were about to touch each other.

"I'm sorry, Andra..."

Eleanor burst into tears and covered her mouth and nose with her sleeve.

sorry?

You—you actually dare to say these things to me now?!

How dare you treat me like this? What are you admitting to?!

Anxiety, even more intense than before, rose within my parched heart.

Crimson flames swirled continuously in Andra's iris.

She asked in a hoarse voice, "Why did you push me into the sea back then?"

Andra's voice was full of grievance.

You can tolerate the common people, even the nobles who betrayed you, so why are you so cruel to me?!

Ha, you're willing to patiently help Belle, but you directly sow discord with Hetuya—what's wrong with you, Eleanor?!

Eleanor couldn't refute it; she stammered, "It's...it's because you're too strong..."

"Listen to the nonsense you're spouting, Eleanor!"

Andra's anger burned even brighter, but he barely managed to suppress it because of Eleanor's vulnerable appearance.

She called out her name and took a step, finally standing before her lover.

Andra lowered her body, their foreheads almost touching during the interrogation.

I hate you, Eleanor.

I've thought about it a thousand times, ten thousand times, and I've pondered it repeatedly every night.

You actually betrayed me.

What exactly did your past problems mean, and how are they related to your behavior?

......

Amidst a jumble of thoughts, Andra broke through the last barrier in his heart and gripped Eleanor's wrist tightly.

At least she thought she had used her strength.

Eleanor's pulse beat faintly in her palm.

Andra lowered her head, pressed her cheek against Eleanor's, and whispered, "If you really feel sorry for me..." she wanted to say the last sentence.

But a surge of intense heat emanated from their skin, causing cold sweat to instantly cover her back.

"?!"

Andra quickly stood up straight and held Eleanor's shoulder. "What's wrong? What's wrong, Eleanor?!"

It's acting again, isn't it? You better be an actor!

"Cough, cough... Don't worry... I... I'll let... I'll let the newspapers, they... explain that back then, it was all my fault..."

Eleanor's vision was blurry, and she tried her best to tell Andra not to worry.

She had personally written a long letter and handed it to the newspaper's editor-in-chief, in which she clearly explained that she was the one who pushed Andra into the sea back then.

If this world continues, at least don't resent the Nolana people.

They were just too stupid, stupid enough to believe a silly princess's out-of-place lie.

"I'm sorry... I was so stupid."

Eleanor's eyes went unfocused; she now realized that even a "quick death" could take a very, very long time.

And this medicine... is it really not the kind Eva took?

She suddenly realized something: everyone's constitution is completely different, and the scholars kept these seven bottles perhaps because they thought that each of them could be the same type that Eva had.

Ugh, it hurts, it hurts so much!

The intense pain interrupted Eleanor's thoughts.

This pain wouldn't just last a minute, ten minutes... A strong sense of fear welled up inside her.

The first sense she lost was her vision, and her limbs and tongue also began to go numb. How long would it take for her to experience this torment of severed meridians and complete shattering?

"Eleanor? Eleanor!"

Andra's voice became incoherent and almost inaudible.

"It hurts..." She struggled to raise her hand toward the blurry light and shadow, her fingers brushing against Andra's collar, but she couldn't even grasp it.

But you're right here beside me... holding me, and I... I still don't want to leave.

Eleanor's tears kept overflowing from her eyes, her unfocused eyes gazing longingly at the endless void.

I haven't had a chance to tell you... I love you.

Andra felt a chill run through her body. She hugged her exhausted lover tightly, feeling as if all her courage had been completely stripped away at that moment.

What exactly happened?

She didn't want to understand, but her reason made it perfectly clear what was happening: this idiot—this bastard—she'd taken poison...

You really don't trust me?

Are you that afraid of me?

Do you resent me that much... even though I love you so deeply?

"Eleanor...you...you mustn't die..."

She couldn't even utter a single threatening word, and even with her arms so tightly bound, she could still feel life slowly slipping away from her embrace.

"It hurts...it hurts so much..."

Eleanor struggled, her skin turning a terrible bluish-purple.

Andra couldn't look away; even with tears welling in her eyes, she could still clearly see blood gushing from Eleanor's dazed eyes.

"Andra, let's get married." The girl in my memory had her back to the sunlight.

Her foolish lover is experiencing a slow and painful death, perhaps an hour, two hours... or even longer.

"You're my guardian knight~ You must protect me."

Scenes I don't know when I experienced are mixed with my lover's struggles, piercing my nerves.

The petite, shy girl and the equally shy boy hooked their fingers together and gently pulled.

"I will definitely protect you, Your Highness."

"......"

Andra's soul howled, trying to grasp at everything that was slipping away amidst the tearing pain.

Her hand gripped the hilt of the sword, and she drew the longsword as she had done a thousand times before.

That's really not difficult at all.

It is said that the most skilled swordsmen can decapitate someone in the blink of an eye before the other person even realizes they are dying.

Andra believed she possessed the finest swordsmanship, but she couldn't aim for Eleanor's neck.

Her screaming soul rejected the effortless action and plunged the sword into her lover's heart.

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The author says: A petal shattered in every sense of the word. No one else's fate is described, but if this timeline were to extend, the broken Andra would instinctively shatter everything of others, just to forget a moment of pain.

Fortunately, they have a next life, although the next petal is the shortest [false love line], hehehe, I won't spoil it for now~

There's also a little story about the crown that was originally written in the text, but I couldn't bear to interrupt Eleanor and Andra's embrace, so I'm including it here.

Legend has it that a great flood once submerged the land, and the earliest humans, bewildered and confused, remained on the mountain, too afraid to come down.

The goddess of wisdom, Eva, personally enlightened humankind, saying that the Mother Goddess was willing to grant humankind a bountiful land, but they needed to descend from the mountain and work diligently to create their own future.

Even though they gained wisdom, the humans were still unwilling to descend the mountain; they became smarter and more cautious.

Finally, the ancestors of the Norlana royal family stepped forward and made a solemn promise to the god of wisdom.

“I will lead my daughters down the mountain first. If we can survive down there, my granddaughter will return and bring everyone out of the mountains.”

After hearing her vow, Eva smiled with satisfaction.

So when the ancestor Norlana descended the mountain, the gods broke off the first thorn that had pierced her and bound it into a silvery ring.

Norlana's ancestors did not consider it a collar; she wore it on her head as a crown.

In the long years that followed, one of Norlana's ancestors forged the ore into iron swords.

The moment the sword was completed, sharp spikes sprouted from the crown on her head, resembling upright sword blades.

Legend has it that on the day the Norlana people recorded their first history in their own language, the god of wisdom threw a star from the sky, which transformed into the purest sapphire and landed in a garden full of flowers.

The Nolana royal family kept the crown hidden, and subsequent kings would only wear it briefly on their coronation and festive occasions. It was believed to be a symbol of wisdom that could keep the king from becoming senile.

That rumor was obviously false. There had been mediocre kings in the Nolana royal family, and the crown did not make her any wiser.

Even so, this crown remains a prized possession of the Norlana royal family.