Chapter 2: A neighboring country on the edge of Hetuya's vast territory, cracked and broken, is also...

Eleanor ignored the burning gazes of others.

She slowly rose, took the eldest princess's hand, and led her to her seat, giving Melissa a friendly smile out of the corner of her eye.

With a loving smile on her face, the Queen said gently as always, "Come, bring the child here so I can see him. Don't walk too fast."

The wet nurse steadily carried the child toward the queen, while the guards stood silently in their posts, ready to draw their swords and spears at any moment to execute anyone who offended Angie on the spot.

Those weapons were unnecessary today, and the wet nurse's face was filled with the joy and pride of presenting a treasure. She bent down like a mother, showing the baby to her beloved Angie.

As the wet nurse bent over, Melissa, who had been staring at the Queen, held her breath: It is said that the Queen has a very sharp eye and can see at a glance whether a person has a precious potential—will she bless my child?

Will she... choose my child?

Eleanor stared intently at the baby, a purple phantom gathering above the baby's head.

This was a gift she received when she traveled through time; she could see through a person's real name after concentrating, and roughly deduce that person's "character" from the color of the name.

Simply put, she can quantify all of a person's talents into numerical values, and the color of the name represents the range in which the total values ​​are added together.

Ordinary people are white, those with too many flaws are gray, those with a little talent are green, those with strong abilities in a certain area are blue... This child is purple, a genius in a sense.

As Eleanor looked away, she happened to pass by Melissa's line of sight. The young princess's eyes were bright as fire, burning with ambition.

Unfortunately... the Queen chuckled inwardly: Of Andra's 52 daughters, 12 had purple names.

She nodded demurely.

The girl seemed to have received the best answer. She knelt down eagerly and prostrated herself before the servants stopped her. Then she raised her hands and said loudly, "Please give her an auspicious name. This child will surely be very filial and love you wholeheartedly!"

Eleanor did not refuse. Before Melissa, many mothers longed for her to name their children, as if it were the greatest honor. Each of them wished their child could be her real daughter.

That—the princess who can inherit everything from Andra.

Eleanor lowered her head, strands of her dark hair hanging down the edge of the bed, which were carefully lifted by the servants and fell back onto her clothes.

She thought for a moment and said softly, "Let's call this child Felia."

Felia - named after the goddess of flowers, meaning "elegant flower".

The Queen has given each of her princesses a name filled with blessings, and this time was no exception.

Everyone wore an expression of "I knew it," except for Melissa, who was particularly excited, as if she had heard some touching promise.

She bowed repeatedly, her expression and movements humble yet secretly pleased.

"Alright, take good care of the child from now on." Eleanor waved her hand, and the servants silently walked between them.

Melissa hesitated, wanting to say something, but seeing the Queen's sickly appearance, she could only reluctantly bow and leave.

......

The rose-red headscarf disappeared behind the door. Eleanor raised her hand and touched Annoya's lowered head. "What's wrong?"

"Mom, I—my daughter has grown up now, and I can come to the palace to keep you company anytime." The eldest princess smiled and rubbed her hand, just as obedient as when she was a child.

Eleanor looked at her with pity.

Due to the existence of those of noble blood, most countries in this world implement a system of succession by the youngest son, making Annoya's position as the eldest daughter quite awkward.

In order to save the life of her birth mother, the former First Queen, the child did not drink the blessed water until she was 12 years old, and thus voluntarily gave up her status as a princess and became a "princess".

Eleanor didn't care how much sincerity the child had for her. The decades of unwavering greetings, affection, and devoted service were enough for her to smooth over some morally irrelevant troubles for Annoya.

“…” Annoya remained silent for a long time.

She remained silent in her mother's arms for a long time before finally saying in a soft voice, "Please take care of yourself. I'm really looking forward to the birth of my little sister. No matter what happens, I'll always be on your side."

"Hmm?" Eleanor frowned slightly. Annoya's words were practically a direct indication that something very unpleasant was about to happen, and that it was definitely related to Andra.

She waited for her daughter's answer, but her daughter just giggled and nestled against her mother like a child, telling her some interesting stories from inside and outside the palace.

Without a doubt, the child dared not denounce his high and mighty mother—daring not to offend the supreme ruler of the country.

Eleanor understood perfectly.

She listened patiently for a while, then patted Annoya's hand and said, "Alright, you're not a child anymore. Go back and get some rest, and don't miss your meal."

“Yes, Mother.” Annoya replied with a smile. She lifted her skirt and walked out of the palace gate, like the head pearl of a necklace, trailing her attendants as she gracefully departed.

Eleanor gazed out the window, only looking away after the eldest princess had completely disappeared from sight.

The attendant closed the gauze window at the right moment, and the Queen's gaze returned to Hudora.

The confidante approached Eleanor quite naturally. She placed her right hand on her heart and spoke in a tone befitting an important matter.

“My esteemed master, you need not worry about the issue of succession.”

Eleanor was slightly dazed: Hudora did not use titles like Queen or Angel, but instead called her "Master" as she always had.

She remembered that Hudora had said something similar before.

...You don't need to worry about the issue of heirs; the great Anya will only let your own daughter inherit everything.

“The great Anya will certainly respect your opinion, and she will never allow anyone to displease you.”

...

What does this mean? Eleanor felt like she was stuck in a tangled mess: Who's upsetting me?

The girl was humble, the baby was adorable, the daughter was filial, so the only one who made a mistake was... the only one...

The people around were more silent than the night itself.

The guards and attendants were frozen into a stain on the entire painting, their breaths barely audible.

But they must have heard Hudora and the Queen's voices, and everyone present was absolutely loyal to Eleanor and Andra.

“Master,” Hudora whispered in her ear, “I still believe Anya longs for your child the most. If… another princess must be chosen, I will make sure you have that child completely.”

A layer of goosebumps crawled up my arms.

Eleanor pulled her arms tighter: It's so cold, it's disgustingly cold.

Hudora, do you know what you're saying?

Her most trusted confidant, the steward who oversaw most of the chambers of commerce, a minister who used to communicate with her about finding talent in agricultural machinery and water conservancy, is now conspiring like a demon to steal a baby from another mother's womb.

Whose fault is this?

Eleanor looked up, intending to glare at Hudora, but heard a vicious voice echoing in her mind.

It's all your fault, Eleanor.

If it weren't for you, things wouldn't have come to this.

All the decisions were made by you. You're the one giving everyone the cold shoulder and making baseless accusations against them—do you think you're some kind of good person?

"Enough, stop talking!" Eleanor raised her hand and pressed it down firmly.

"Yes." Hu Duola stopped speaking at the right moment. She bowed respectfully and gracefully, took two steps back and waited to the side.

Huff... Eleanor took a deep breath, swallowing the urge to cough. It sounded like a hundred flying insects were constantly buzzing and chirping in her ears.

The severe headache subsided a little after a few minutes.

She rubbed her forehead and said softly, "Bring me all the important matters that have been happening in and around the palace recently. Tomorrow, bring my annotations to court and discuss them with everyone."

“Yes, Angie.” Hudora agreed without hesitation, and then quietly left as the table full of scrolls was brought in.

The servants inside also changed shifts at the same time without anyone noticing. Everyone's movements were swift and skillful, perfectly matching the Queen's daily routine that had remained unchanged for years.

Eleanor sat down at the table with Coral's help.

Some of the scrolls were only accessible to her and Andra, so the servants had to retreat behind the curtain, leaving the queen to laboriously unseal the scrolls and look through them alone.

This year has been blessed with favorable weather, and there have been no disasters in the country's major grain-producing areas.

No major incidents have occurred that have reached the Emperor's court yet... Food reserves are not very sufficient, after all, Andra is always waging war on various fronts...

Eleanor's pen paused on the scroll: "How about we discuss it with her next year, announce a retirement for the young and middle-aged, allocate funds for their retirement, and allow more young and middle-aged people to return to the country or settle down on the border?"

After all, the conquered territories are growing larger and larger, approaching the limit that the royal family can control, and the rule and control of the newly occupied territories are also very important.

A myriad of thoughts converged in her mind; her years of experience assisting in government had given Eleanor some knowledge of various matters.

Many things are interconnected, and almost every measure depends on resource allocation and grassroots officials... People's livelihood must be guaranteed.

She knew that Hetuya, known as the land of gold, had plundered vast amounts of gold from its surroundings through war and the tributary system.

This gold was naturally very expensive and useful, but it couldn't be directly converted into food to instantly fill the stomachs of the entire nation.

But in Hetuya, Andra's will was absolute. This monarch seemed to be the embodiment of the god of victory, accumulating immense energy through victory after victory.

Moreover, compared to the surrounding countries, Hetuya's life was far from one of widespread poverty and suffering. In fact, thanks to the monarch's numerous victories and the queen's brilliant strategies, the common people were quite well-off.

So the idea of ​​"persuading Andra" only lingered in my mind for a moment, like countless times before, before being swept away by the waves and buried in the abyss.

Eleanor unfurled the scrolls and annotated each of the specific events and questions on each scroll.

Of course, the most important matters would be gathered in advance and sent to Andra by urgent letter and fast horse.

The king will maintain his unwavering trust in the queen and, upon his return, repay her selfless devotion with a loving kiss and boundless respect.

Years ago, Eleanor would always smile genuinely as she handled these affairs, recalling Andra's face and imagining the surprised and relieved look on her lover's face when he returned.

But now she just mechanically wrote the last word, put down the pen with a thud, slowly closed the scroll, tied it with a rope, and handed it to Coral who came forward silently.

"Ahem... Take it, give it to the clerk."

There weren't many things to handle today, but her movements were rather slow.

Once everything was settled, the sun had already sunk below the horizon, and the servants lit dim lamps in every corner of the palace.

Eleanor's chambers were the darkest, and the queen lay drowsy with her arms outstretched, letting the servants help her change her clothes, eat, and wash.

Her health had been deteriorating for more than 20 years, and she had to go to bed early every day after dinner, otherwise she would suffer from chest pains.

Even the best doctors couldn't find the specific cause, and even Andra's nationwide bounty for the legendary miracle drug was to no avail; all that remained were a few more swindlers' heads chopped off in the mass graves.

......

The bedside lamp was gently extinguished by her lips.

Eleanor didn't care which "sister" had come to fawn over her; she lay on her back in bed, her mind drifting aimlessly.

It would be great if we had a light bulb and a cell phone.

She thought to herself: If only I had a cell phone...

I can then communicate with Andra.

"Then I won't think about Andra all the time."

The malicious voice rang out again.

"Hmph." Eleanor sighed softly: "I've been sick for so long, I've become so paranoid, always thinking about pointless and sarcastic things."

rustle.

Suddenly, the bed curtains around them vibrated slightly, and a dark shadow slowly fell from above.

Hmm, is this another hallucination?

Eleanor was too lazy to move. She blinked in the darkness and vaguely made out a familiar outline.

Manju.

The queen did not speak, but merely moved her lips.

And her most loyal captain of the guard slowly knelt down by the bedside... This made Eleanor's heart sink.

The last time Manzhu acted similarly was upon learning of her sister Jingji's death. What other bad news could possibly compare to Jingji's passing?

Eleanor pondered blankly: so many years had passed, and her former followers had only died during that period of wandering. After Andra officially ascended the throne, all the survivors were properly settled... so what exactly happened?

"Your Highness Eleanor."

Manju stopped calling her Angie and knelt on the ground, saying slowly and deliberately, "Nolanna has fallen."

Nolana? Oh, Nolana.

The neighboring country on the edge of Hetuya's vast territory is also—my former motherland.

She felt herself loosen the blanket, float up to the ceiling, and roll over to look down.

She saw the woman on the bed coldly raise her face and ask the person kneeling beside the bed a question.

So - it's Andra.

"Yes." Manzhu buried her face deep into the carpet, into the darkness.

[“Yes, who else could it be?”] The malicious voice burst into laughter. [“Andra—your dear Andra!”]

A note from the author:

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

Due to worldview differences, all gender-neutral terms in this book refer to women.

For example, the system of inheritance by the youngest legitimate son here—of course, the use of "son" instead of "woman" in the [droopy-eared rabbit head] is mainly to prevent misjudgment.

The system of succession by the youngest son: Because the "noble blood" in this world possesses a long youth, and 99% of the highest rulers are "noble blood," the country generally uses the system of succession by the youngest son. In this way, when the daughter is 20 years old, the mother may already be close to 90 years old, which is just the right time for generational change.