Chapter 116 Let us bury the third petal, the more favored by the gods...

Andra, Andra!

When Eleanor regained consciousness, she was already on her way.

Thanks to technological advancements, even though her physical condition is far inferior to Andra's and she cannot ride for extended periods, Norlana's newly manufactured carriage is quite stable and can travel at full speed day and night with countless horses rotating.

What! Queen Hetuya actually dares to go to Mount Eros? Does she intend to abandon our perfect Holy King?

This news was kept secret from her inner circle, and they each used their unique skills to plan the fastest route for Eleanor so that she could freely change horses and gallop freely.

Clatter, clatter, clatter.

This time, the carriage didn't have bells hanging on it.

Eleanor rubbed her temples and began to reflect on what she had done wrong.

She looked at the distant, rolling mountains, and the memories of her first life came flooding back to her.

The gift bestowed upon her by the goddess allows her to recall the heartache of that time as if it were the first time she experienced it.

What were Andra's feelings as she went to Mount Eros? Was she as desperate and in pain as she was back then?

But why? Eleanor couldn't figure it out no matter how hard she tried.

She didn't start a war or have a huge harem, so what exactly was Andra dissatisfied with?

She always consults Andra before making any important decision.

Is she dissatisfied with the distribution of power, feeling neglected because her lover is too busy with work, or does she fundamentally dislike peace and stability?

They are both similar and neither.

Eleanor kept searching her memory, and in her recollections, Andra always had tightly pursed lips and an expression that seemed somewhat helpless but not quite angry.

For the first time, hyperthymesia and hypersensory perception completely failed.

Andra's actions this time are illogical and extremely confusing.

But Andra is definitely not crazy.

Eleanor believed in Andra's strong will: something must have broken Andra's bottom line, and she had to find out that thing and then turn everything around.

Clatter, clatter clatter.

The carriage continued its journey. King Nolana touched the six bloodstains on the pendant, feeling very fortunate that the petal had been preserved so intact.

There was no option of missing out; even if it meant activating all the bloodstains, she would bring Andra home.

With a whoosh, the wheels slowed down and came to a stop.

Eleanor wished she could jump off before the carriage came to a complete stop, but her light leap was caught by the thorns, and she landed safely.

The priests had been waiting for a long time.

The high priestess in her snow-white robes rushed over anxiously. She pointed to the mountain peak and said, "His Majesty Andra has been up there for a while now. We have sent men to intercept him along the way. You must go and catch up!"

Such behavior is certainly against the rules, and it creates an ironic double standard compared to the original life.

Eleanor nodded gratefully, then threw off her cloak and began to climb the steps.

Where is Andra? No need to think, she just needs to climb upwards.

The mountain wind howled, and the mountain mist enveloped them from both sides.

The followers disappeared into the mist, and there was only the path leading up the mountain, with no trace of the fight visible.

A faint, non-existent bell rang in my ears.

No one tied red ribbons along the way in this life, but she saw ribbons appearing on the branches, swaying in the wind.

As we climbed higher, the thick fog began to dissipate.

Eleanor looked up as if she sensed something; dense bushes surrounded a tree so large it would take three people to encircle it.

Time and space intertwine, and the pursuit and escape become reversed.

The hunter did not hide in the bushes, and the prey did not go onto the path.

"Andra!"

It's hard to say whether Eleanor shouted it out first or Andra stepped out of her hiding place first.

Perhaps she didn't hide it.

The tall young man walked around the giant tree, his long, golden-red hair fluttering in the wind.

"Eleanor".

She called out her lover's name once more, her eyes filled with the sorrow of parting.

Rustle, rustle.

Eleanor's boots slid across the grass as she lunged at her wife with outstretched arms.

Shala.

Her body lost its balance in mid-air, but her lover caught her as always. Their arms touched, and they embraced tightly under the setting sun.

"I'm sorry, Andra... come back with me?"

Tears streamed down her face as Eleanor pressed her chest against her chest and said sincerely, "I can't live without you."

She waited for Andra to recount her pain, to untangle the knots with one perfect answer after another, but the voice above her simply spoke calmly.

"You don't need to apologize, you did nothing wrong."

Eleanor looked up, and her lover pushed her away from his embrace in an instant.

Pat, pat.

Tears fell along with the sound of footsteps, and she was forced to retreat, taking two or three steps back.

"Then...then why did you leave me? I...I never betrayed you!"

Andra looked at her weeping lover, Eleanor, and felt a pang of heartache whenever she cried.

She didn't know how acute Eleanor's senses were, but she believed that the pain she felt couldn't possibly surpass the emotions she was experiencing at that moment.

Tearing - the excruciating pain of actively tearing the soul apart.

"..." Andra stood there, his legs trembling as if he wanted to run away.

Eleanor saw her intention to head up the mountain and eagerly reached out to grab her hand.

"If...if it's about the heir, that's a matter for the children. I can swear, after I turn 60—I will personally..."

"impossible!"

Andra objected loudly, grabbing her lover's arm and forcefully pulling it away. "I don't need it—"

You know Eleanor, you know perfectly well!

I cannot watch you die; I absolutely cannot allow you to be destroyed for the sake of some "child".

But... but...

“It has nothing to do with those.” Andrakin’s red eyes welled up with mist, like a mountain breeze.

It's alright, Eleanor.

I don't care about the details at all; those are just the results that stem from the causes.

"Is that... something to do with Hertuya?"

The wife's expression was so fragile, as if she would vanish with the slightest push.

Andra once felt very sorry for the fragile Eleanor, and perhaps she still does now.

However, a clearer understanding made her shake her head and give a truthful answer.

"No, those things don't matter."

Her mother and two older sisters were worthless on her scales, and as for her mother... although she held special weight, she was merely "someone else" to Andra.

There were only two people she truly cared about: Eleanor and herself.

“Eleanor, my love…” Andra’s shoulders trembled, and her right hand, which had just been raised, slowly fell back down.

Why climb Mount Eros? Because—if I don't, I'll eventually come back to you.

If I want to leave you, I will do everything in my power, even if it's just a vague "faith," when my dreams are shattered.

“Andra!” Eleanor moved her lips, wanting to say, “I will change, I will love you the way you do!”

But no, but no...

She couldn't do it, and she couldn't lie to Andra.

"Please," Andra cried with a coquettish smile, "Don't chase after me, please, please don't continue... If I get close to you, I will lose my dream—my everything."

The decades of time and the possible future are too heavy, so heavy that it's hard to believe that another person can feel its true weight.

Through her blurry, tear-filled eyes, Andra saw Eleanor crying.

You truly are my wise and beloved... My beloved Holy King, can you even understand such profound and somber emotions?

Snap, snap.

Eleanor descended the mountain, while her lover walked towards the summit.

She knew there were cliffs here, and they had swords and daggers.

She could threaten Andra with death, or better yet—with love, with sorrow.

You can do it.

Why not keep her?

Those who cannot stay.

Why don't you want to stay?

I don't know, I don't know.

[What you know]

"Waaaaaaah!"

The king's lament echoed through the mountains, but in the end... her lover walked out of the mountains alive and headed towards the endless plains and the sea.

......

Many, many years later, one afternoon, a group of young people knocked on the gates of the academy.

That was the residence of Queen Eleanor, the place where she ate, worked, and studied with her students.

She spends three days a week handling government affairs and the other three days researching and listening to the voices from various places.

"king."

Wang didn't like being called Anya, so everyone called her "Wang" from the bottom of their hearts, as if Wang was a specific person.

Hudora's granddaughter's smile faded, and she whispered in her ear, "Someone reported that the group of young people... came to return His Majesty Andra's coffin."

Andra... This name stirred up layers of ripples in Eleanor's heart, from small waves to towering waves.

She was still chatting and laughing with her students, but tears welled up in her eyes and splashed onto the white paper beside her.

"king!"

The students approached one after another, but then respectfully stepped back at the teacher's wave.

Only one person stepped forward and took out a handkerchief from his pocket to carefully wipe away the tears from the corners of Wang's eyes.

It was a boy with long, jet-black hair, and she had a handsome face similar to Eva's, even their golden eyes were exactly the same.

However, the child's eyes were pure gold, lacking the depth of amber, making them appear even more radiant.

"It's alright, Anna. Let's meet our interesting little guest first."

Eleanor stood up, her hand trembling slightly as she grasped Anna's.

The young woman who carried the coffin and her companions were welcomed into the garden, where the king set up several tables in the courtyard and treated them like family.

"Please sit down."

The legendary Holy King was completely unpretentious. His daughter Anna took her seat first, sitting quietly to the right of the king.

Seeing this, the young people had no choice but to sit down one by one.

A girl with golden-red hair was pushed by her companions to Eleanor's left, and the young man sat down without any hesitation.

Her cheeks flushed when she saw Eleanor, but she quickly calmed down and said solemnly to the king, "Your Majesty, my mother entrusted me to present you with a treasure! It is probably the only one of its kind in the world—a true dragon bone!"

"What are you thinking? Everyone dies." The strong young man vigorously rubbed the child's head and laughed, "If I die one day, send my bones back, and give her the gift that best proves my bravery!"

Who is it for? Who else could it be?

The girl looked at the elegant woman in front of her and instantly understood everything.

"Dragon bones?" Eleanor chimed in with interest. "The legendary dragon bones? Bring them here so we can see them."

Her expression and tone did not have the so-called queenly demeanor; instead, she was like the aunt next door, kind and friendly.

As soon as the king gave the order, the servants immediately carried in one box after another.

The girl in gold and red turned around and opened the front box, then opened the one behind it, revealing a snake skull with giant horns and the other half of the skull broken off.

These bones emitted a hazy, jewel-like glow under the sunlight.

The young girl stroked the jade-like bone and spoke in a melodious voice: "My mother has been traveling in a vast country for the past few years. She traveled by boat to an island on the edge of that country."

They heard from the islanders that there was a god in the center of the island, and that if they did not feed the children, the god would punish them for their disrespect with a drought.

The group refused to offer their child, so not a drop of rain fell for a whole year.

"The god is lingering on the shore, so they can't send messages. They believe their mother is a dragon-slaying envoy patrolling the court, and she's pleading for our help."

"God? Haha, if there really are gods lingering in the world—that's truly interesting! Let me have a go at them!"

The girl recounted legendary stories, while secretly cherishing even more memories that belonged only to Andra and them.

The dashing swordswoman ignited her gaze and illuminated the future of everyone.

Before anyone could question her, the girl shouted, "Mother—the Queen did not die from that dragon! She could have won easily—it's just...it's just that time has come."

Yes, it just so happens that its lifespan has come to an end.

On the day they used their warships and the people on the shore to force out the dragon that claimed to be a "god," Wang Jinhong's long red hair turned gray in the blink of an eye.

The king's time has come.

The more favored a person is by the gods, the shorter and faster she will age.

Her unparalleled power is about to fade, returning to the River of Blood along with her soul.

The girl and everyone behind her, on the ship, and on the shore screamed in unison, calling out the king's name, lamenting her dying days, and their inevitable fate that they could not change.

The dragon grinned maliciously, cheered in its language, and raised its sharp claws to pierce the old man's abdomen and heart.

"Hahahaha, mere humans—"

Yes, we are but mere humans.

The old man smiled, and the long sword he held tightly in his hand pierced through the dragon's mouth.

"Woo woo woo woo awoo awoo?" The dragon writhed in agony, wanting to curse this shameless human for actually bringing the Dragon-Slaying Divine Sword from the treasure vault?!

That wasn't actually the Dragon Slayer Sword; it was just an ordinary steel sword.

If there's anything unusual about it... it comes from Enlin, a gift of love.

Andra split open the dragon's skull and stopped its heartbeat before it plunged into the deep sea.

The girl finished telling the whole story while crying, and she kept talking and talking until the moon was high in the sky.

Andra has many stories to tell. After leaving Mount Aphrodite, she traveled to many places, measuring bustling streets and desolate wilderness with her own feet, and visiting countries with different customs and cultures.

She helped the oppressed and also drank with tyrannical families.

She once led a large group of people to build a free and unrestrained home, and she also abandoned them without hesitation to embark on a new journey.

She never stopped for anyone.

A group of people, sometimes growing and sometimes dwindling, followed her until the end of their lives, until the very end of hers.

The girl sobbed uncontrollably, and Eleanor, like a mother, held her head and embraced her.

"Mother, Mother also asked me to tell you—"

"If I die, tell Eleanor—you are my own child—and ask her to bestow Hetuya upon you!"

Thinking of her mother's mischievous smile at that time, and looking at the incredibly loving Holy King before her, she simply couldn't bring herself to say those playful, slightly wicked words.

The girl lowered her eyes and whispered, "She asked me to tell you that she loves you very much."

"Haha." Eleanor chuckled, patting her back as she asked, "Child, what's your name? Are you a descendant of Andra?"

The girl choked, feeling guilty but also curious about how His Majesty the Holy King had guessed the joke. Could it be that this king really possessed the powerful prophetic abilities of legend?

She knew how useful it would be to have Eleanor's approval as the "Heir of the Andra Bloodline" in this private yet "public" setting, but this proud child was only willing to rely on herself!

She raised her head and answered loudly, "My name is Elisa. I have always been curious about whether my bloodline is related to that of the King, but I do not wish to deceive you. I do not know the real answer!"

Elisa's name shone brightly above her head, gleaming with the same dazzling golden light as Anna's.

Human beings will eventually perish, but the flame of civilization will endure through the transmission of life.

"Oh, I see. That's a really good name."

The Holy King lowered his head and kissed Elisa's forehead.

"Bless you, my child."

Eleanor declared loudly, "I believe you possess extraordinary talent. If you wish, you may remain in the royal court as a 'general' to assist my daughter Anna and protect this country together."

This scene left everyone breathless, and Elisa's heart raced, her eyes filled with excited glory.

"alright......"

Eleanor stood up and looked around, and everyone could sense her unfinished thought: the king probably wanted to say, "Let's go see Andra together."

But that night she did not open the coffin. She only instructed everyone to transport the dragon bones to the academy's square and piece them together so that a complete dragon could be left for the students to study.

For the next few days, Wang was constantly on the go.

She took Anna and Elisa to visit many people and completed many handovers and changes of authority.

This elder's thoughtfulness quickly made Elisa feel close to her, so much so that the very next day she asked that rather awkward question.

"Your Majesty, is Anna your...biological child?"

A hint of a smile flashed in Eleanor's eyes.

"Are you asking on behalf of Andra?" She answered frankly before the child could blush: "No, talent and character are important qualities of a leader. Blood ties are never the only ones."

She has been searching for children with golden talents for decades, searching and searching.

After searching among royalty, nobles, and commoners, they finally found this golden hope in a small noble family that could barely be linked to the Norlana royal family.

In this respect, Andra was much luckier than her.

Seeing the King's smiling face, Elisa mustered her courage and urged, "Then—then you should go see my mother quickly. I want to send the King back to the grasslands as soon as possible."

Eleanor blinked.

"Don't worry, she'll stay here with me."

That's too domineering! Elisa pouted: "But Mother has family too...the Hetuya people will definitely object, right?"

Eleanor simply smiled and shook her head. "No one will object, I promise."

......

Three days later, on a warm spring morning, the king, trailing a white gauze dress, arrived before the coffin, the hem of her dress subtly dampened by flower petals and mud.

The craftsmen carefully opened the coffin lid.

Inside lay a frail, aged body, her chest and abdomen almost completely severed, the wounds from the crisscrossing claws barely concealed with copious amounts of spices.

Andra...

Tears welled up in my eyes, and childhood rushed back.

Eleanor was transported back to that morning in her childhood, when she was wearing a dress and pressed herself against the doorframe, and saw a handsome young man walking towards her.

"Your Highness, I will be the sword that protects you!"

The boy knelt on one knee, while the girl kicked off her skirt and ran towards him—

In this life, you failed to keep your promise—you broke your word, Andra!

"You liar—aren't you ashamed!" The girl laughed and threw herself into her lover's arms, spinning and spinning to the sounds of bells and birdsong...

The coffin lid was opened, and everyone stepped back to the edge to watch the Holy King walk step by step toward the coffin.

She bent down, and her long, black hair instantly turned snow-white.

Ann. de La.

She opened her mouth, but no sound came out; tears streamed down her face.

Fifty-four years after their separation, Eleanor returned to the arms of her beloved.

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

The author says: We know each other, fall in love, and part ways because of our similarities.

They were deeply in love with certain qualities in each other, and they were also deeply in love with their own dreams.

Whether the choice is right or wrong, or whether it is tolerant or not, it will not affect her love for him.

However deep love may be, separation and pain are not conditions for happiness, so Eleanor's journey will continue.

"I need to think about how I should love you, or whether we should separate."

This chapter is very long, almost two chapters in length, but I couldn't stop writing it, so I wrote it all in one go!