Chapter 115 Parting - The framed portrait fell to the ground, and the heart of the bust shattered...

Are children important? Her followers kept repeating "very important" to her, both openly and subtly.

Eleanor believed she had done her best in this life.

She is like a holy king in mythology, focused and selfless in important matters.

She strictly controlled the talents under her command, and the preferential treatment she gave was mostly material. She would never allow anyone to take advantage of her favor to trample on other people's lives.

Using her prophetic abilities and keen intellect, along with the powerful military force of Andra and the generals, she spent decades establishing a relatively fair environment in this relatively backward world.

Eleanor finally enjoyed immense prestige.

It was no longer the gentle, easily betrayed love of a wise princess, but a faith that included respect and expectation.

She could easily wipe out the troublesome enemies, but she couldn't silence the loyal ones.

"Everyone, please feel free to share any suggestions with me. I am eager to hear your genuine grievances and needs."

She said this, and she also had the words "Seek Truth, Seek Reality, Seek Critical Thinking" engraved in gold on the pillars of her study, the main hall, and every public school.

"Your Majesty, you should consider the selection of a princess. Your child must possess extraordinary talent."

“Your Majesty Eleanor, we need an heir.”

"Your Majesty! So many years have passed..."

......

The followers' voices grew louder and more agitated.

They desperately needed a stable heir—they no longer sought to make her a queen, but only hoped that she and King Andra could leave behind a bloodline beforehand.

Unexpectedly, even the system of succession by the youngest legitimate son could not be delayed indefinitely.

Eleanor was constantly tormented by their negative emotions, and every time she went to court or a private banquet, her ears were filled with countless chattering noises.

They meant well; they simply couldn't understand why His Majesty was willing to sacrifice everything for the throne and the people, yet wouldn't even grant him a mere child—a child that could be done by someone else.

Eleanor finally understood some of Andra's feelings; presumably, the first Andra had also endured similar pressures.

The states in this world have not yet fundamentally escaped the feudal system.

She now nominally controls all the city-states, but in reality, she remotely controls this vast area using her prophetic abilities and extrasensory perception.

She was able to recognize and appoint capable people, selecting an excellent city lord for each city-state, something others could not do and could only hope to at least maintain the bloodline for one generation.

“We’ll discuss this later. I don’t want my child to be used as a tool from birth.”

Eleanor used the same excuse to brush it off: "I will only have one child in my life, and I will personally raise her when I am in my sixties, and then step down when she comes of age."

"Please reconsider, Your Majesty—"

Thump.

After a busy day, Eleanor closed the door, shutting out the wailing of her ministers during the morning court session.

She covered her forehead, and dizzying flashes of light appeared before her eyes.

Ha, they cried so miserably, as if she had done something treasonous... She's not a tyrant.

Phew, there are too many things that require her approval; she spent the whole afternoon in her study handling official business.

Eleanor staggered and collapsed onto the soft bed, rolling over onto her back.

Coral... Coral has already been appointed as the city lord by her. The newly appointed servants are all very obedient. Knowing that she doesn't like people hovering around her, they keep their distance and only come over when she rings a bell.

That's fine.

She closed her eyes, forcing her restless mind to quiet down.

Da, da, da.

It was Andra's footsteps.

Eleanor slowly raised the corners of her mouth, mentally tracing Andra's movements.

Someone opened the bedroom door.

Andra changed his shoes outside the door, handed them and his coat to the servant by the door... Another servant held a cup of warm water, Andra took a sip, and went inside.

Eleanor, lying on the bed, smiled, a surge of joy welling up within her.

She sat up, supporting herself on the edge of the bed, and floated lightly towards the approaching woman.

"You're back~"

Andra lowered his head to look at his wife in his arms, whose eyes were curved in a smile, and his cold expression softened.

"Um."

She held Eleanor's waist and kissed her lover's lips. Then she unbuckled his belt and let his freed body lie flat on the soft bed.

Eleanor lay down beside her, nestled comfortably against Andra's chest, and closed her eyes to listen to her steady heartbeat.

Thump, thump, thump.

"Today, they were talking about the children again."

She couldn't help but want to complain to her wife, "We clearly agreed that we would raise one when we're sixty..."

How to raise it?

"...Take good care of it, okay?"

"Phew... I was asking how that child came to be."

Eleanor opened her eyes and looked up to find Andra also looking at her.

So that's how it is. Her focus was on "raising," while the wife's focus was on "how."

They had briefly discussed this issue before.

Because they were worried about the other person's feelings, they were both a little vague about what to say: since it's something that happens after 60, they might as well put it aside.

However, this issue has been like a persistent, deep-seated problem for years, and it has reached a point where it must be addressed clearly.

Eleanor straightened up, looked into Andra's eyes, and said softly, "Would you be willing to adopt? Choose one very outstanding person from among you and my relatives..."

“I don’t accept it.” Andra also sat up.

Her hands rested on her knees, and she looked tired, but her voice remained firm: "I will never accept the transfer of my territory to people who have nothing to do with me."

“…” Eleanor moved her lips.

She knew it; she knew from the beginning how selfish and proud Andra was.

[Then, how about we change to a parliamentary republic from now on? And let's choose the best and brightest to succeed us?]

There's no need to ask such nonsense again. She asked it years ago, and Andra's gaze was too hurtful back then.

Don't say things like that again. I don't want to argue with you.

Yes, the technology she brought allowed them to temporarily transcend this era, but most of the successors lacked both the talent and the luck to carry it on.

No need to rush, it will be more natural to happen in a few hundred years anyway.

Eleanor hugged Andra, sobbing softly against her neck, "Then...then in a few decades, we'll separate, and then you can have your child."

Gesha.

Andra reached out and grabbed her shoulders tightly, squeezing them to make her lift her head.

"Eleanor, stop talking."

She was both commanding and pleading. "I'm so tired... You are too, right? Go to sleep early."

Andra was as strong as ever, but the weariness in her eyes had deepened, and a chilling aura emanated from them when she gazed at them.

"Okay, you've worked hard. If you're tired, take a nap first, and then take a shower when you wake up."

Eleanor embraced Andra, and the two of them drifted into a lightless sleep.

They have too many things to do every day, and can only relax for a moment when they hug each other.

The next day, Eleanor solemnly asked Andra to help her enact a law abolishing slavery.

"It's time."

"Okay." She agreed as always.

......

After Eleanor ascended the throne, a certain balance was broken, and then quickly floated to another balance.

Nolana no longer has Eva, and now King Nolana and King Hetuya walk side by side as lovers.

The royal family has issued brand new Ash gold coins, featuring a relief of two kings standing back to back as their emblem.

The relationship between Norlana and Hetuya, from the upper class to the common people, grew ever closer, like the two wheels of a carriage, carrying all the people on a glorious road.

A bright future calls for expansion.

When Andra heard about the provocations from small, peripheral countries, she was excited.

But before she could even muster her forces, a letter from Eleanor and a diplomatic team averted the conflict.

That's great.

The scribes exclaimed in heartfelt admiration, "How wise our king is!"

Andra was speechless, a strange sense of dread creeping into her heart.

Why? Why would she feel confused about something good?

She spent the next year calmly observing the country, and suddenly realized that it seemed to no longer need her.

Eleanor's wings are so wide that they can carry everyone on their journey.

Fewer and fewer people mention Andra. They know that "King Hetuya was the Holy King's wife," and occasionally they will admire her beauty, saying, "No wonder she was the Holy King's beloved!"

Why is this happening? She's so powerful.

Because...because war has been gone for many, many years.

From the time Eleanor ascended the throne, or even before that, the so-called war was nothing more than the resentment of certain city-state nobles.

The people were content with Eleanor's rule, and even the most foolish among them knew who had brought them abundant crops and fertile land.

Eleanor seemed to have a precognitive ability, always preparing for natural disasters. There were no rebels here, only grateful people. They donated to the orphanage Eleanor ran during every good harvest.

Hertuya and Nolana are stronger than ever, and Belial has always been subservient to Eleanor's management.

The most recent war was the liberation of slaves, but that war didn't require Andra's participation; the warriors chosen by the Holy King were enough.

So no one will remember a sword that has been shelved for so long, no matter how sharp it once was.

Andra looked around and realized that all the talented people in the court and among the people had been discovered and promoted by Eleanor.

Even the Hetuya were no exception; their connection with Eleanor was so close that they didn't need to go through her, the King of Hetuya.

She never cared about you. You were just a useful prop.

You're no longer of any use to her. She's the truly powerful one.

No...that's not how it is.

Andra instinctively retorted, "She...she loves me, everyone knows that! And I'm very useful, very...powerful?"

Eleanor was a very, very good lover; she was just too intelligent, loving, and compassionate—all wonderful qualities, weren't they?

Who are you?

...?

Who will "Andra" be in later generations' stories?

......

[A handsome lover, that's all.]

You are her useful sword, her sturdy shield, and her strongest supporter.

She was merely—the lover of the Holy King.

Your story is about to end, to vanish forever.

Oh, king who is over fifty years old, have you ever created an epic that people sing about?

Your life was uneventful, without any grand events or epic battles; you simply lived a peaceful and uneventful life, dying in bed.

"I love you, Andra." The girl gently cupped her face in her hands. "Never leave me, okay?"

Andra covered his face, his trembling pupils seeming to travel through countless years to the future, seeing a short line about himself in the history book.

Andra, wife of King Eleanor.

......

Another day and night cycled by, and Eleanor had long since grown accustomed to Andra's absence these past few days.

They are all queens, and they all have many things to do. Besides, Aishi City is not the capital or the royal court. If they need to travel back and forth, it will take one or two months.

She was just a little lonely... She looked at the embroidered portrait she had made for Andra beside her, smiled, and held it in her palm, touching the cool glass frame with her skin.

At least in this lifetime, we've always been there for each other, and everything is getting better.

Knock knock.

“Please come in,” Eleanor replied immediately.

She has already delegated many responsibilities, and unless it is a particularly urgent matter, no one usually disturbs her while she is working.

She looked at the secretary who walked in, and after Manhani bowed, she said in a very fast voice, "Your Majesty, there is something we feel we should let you know immediately."

"Andra King left the group a few days ago and traveled alone towards Mount Aphrodite."

Crack!

The frame fell to the ground, and the heart of the bust was cracked like a spiderweb.

-----------------------

The author's note: Their adoration and fear were so synchronized.

The third petal is about to fall, and the next chapter is suitable for playing "I Love You So." It's finally Andra's turn to sing this song to Eleanor.