Chapter 21 Victory or Defeat: I can deceive her, hurt her...

A gentle breeze blows, and leaves fall in abundance.

Two horses galloped through the forest, one in red and one in white, alternating as they went.

Eleanor tightened her grip on the reins, giving Andra a cold glance at her side.

Even though she was riding the best horse and her riding skills weren't too bad, she still couldn't ride as easily as Andra.

That's how it was in her past life. Even though she was naturally loved by animals and was unlikely to be harmed by unfamiliar animals, she was still far less manipulated and controlled than Andra.

Is this due to natural talent, or is it caused by different auras and personalities?

"Your Highness rides very well. There shouldn't be any danger ahead. Shall I go to the rear to protect you?"

Andra slowed down and strolled over to the princess. She shook her head gracefully, her long hair rippling with dazzling waves.

Eleanor took a deep breath: the sixty years of her previous life had been far too long; in her subconscious, Andra was like a king shrouded in mist. Yet, how lovely and considerate she had been at the beginning.

She forced a smile.

The little princess tilted her head and nodded, then drew the "precious bow" given to her by her mother.

This bow and arrow is truly interesting; the bow body is made of extremely dense and strong wood, similar to the mulberry wood found on Earth.

Its intended purpose should be as a collectible, exquisite toy, because women in this world who have gone through three puberty stages generally possess superhuman strength and can easily draw a full bow.

This delicate bow is not only shorter and thinner, but its curvature is also quite different from the powerful bows commonly used by others.

Its accompanying arrows are lightweight and cute; they feel hollow when you pick them up and weigh them. The arrowheads are sharpened bone pieces; it's hard to imagine how much manual labor it would take to make such a set, making them a natural anti-counterfeiting feature.

This bow and arrow must have been a treasure of some concubine, right? Perhaps Mother hadn't had time to bestow it upon a specific person yet, and this time she just happened to bring it out.

Eleanor twirled the bowstring with her fingers, then suddenly realized something was wrong: she wasn't wearing finger guards or arm protectors, making her vulnerable to injury!

Ta-da, Ta-ta.

The crisp sound of horses' hooves approached from behind, and Andra smiled shyly: "Oh, Your Highness, I just realized I forgot to help you put on your protective gear."

She said she would help her get dressed, but her first step was to unfasten the clasps on her chest and arms, and take off the furry shawl and arm guards.

"Andra, what will you do then?" Eleanor bit her lip as soon as she blurted out; there was no need to ask her!

Sure enough, upon hearing the little princess's subconscious concern, Andra smiled like a cat that had stolen a fish.

"Don't worry, Your Highness, I won't get hurt."

She casually draped the shawl and arm guards over the princess, then removed the finger cots and handed them to Eleanor. Andra's movements were fluid and gentle, with a decompressive quality, like smoothing out a piece of felt.

"You're so cute." The girl's golden hair brushed against her cheek, her voice soft and gentle.

Eleanor looked up and saw Andra's genuine admiration.

Her face gradually flushed, but she refused to show any weakness in front of Andra, and simply raised her hand to pat her lightly.

Andra couldn't help but smile.

She loosened her grip on the edge of the finger cot and waved playfully at Eleanor. Then, as if afraid of being hit, she spurred the reins and steered the chestnut horse backward.

“Your Highness—isn’t this just right?” She paused deliberately behind her before saying, “Only when I look like this will your mother feel at ease.”

The smile vanished from Eleanor's eyes when King Nolana was mentioned.

She certainly wouldn't interpret it as the flirtatious banter of her past life, because even the most oblivious person could hear the clatter of hooves: the guards were "hiding in the shadows."

They deliberately made a little noise to greet Princess Hetuya and their own princess.

They couldn't afford to be caught cheating; Eva's view of Andra was always "just being alive is good enough."

As long as it doesn't actually harm their lives, it doesn't matter if they're crippled.

So—should we deliberately lead Eva to confront Andra?

A very tempting idea came to mind.

Yes, the Hetuyas could take the opportunity to start a war and harass the border.

But when have the Hetuya people ever let Nolana off the hook during times of famine? Agnus and Attila won't be truly enraged; they'll most likely just extort some money and resources as compensation.

Even if there's a very small chance they actually want to help Andra "get revenge," it will at most result in a small-scale conflict.

Glug.

Eleanor drew back the bowstring slowly, and the delicate arrow aimlessly at the distance.

Should I do this? Can I do this? Will I do this?

Why can't I do that?

A snow-white wild rabbit came into view.

It emerged from the grass, cautiously rubbing its teeth together, and chopped up tiny blades of grass to stuff into its lips.

Eleanor slowly lowered the arrow.

Andra will be very strong in the future, extremely strong.

...It was I who helped her; it was I who gave her the initial soldiers, lieutenants, and all the knightly equipment.

She is Andra, and she will face a chaotic world a few years from now.

She only needs one person, one horse, and one sword to raise an army, and then, with their strength, they sweep across the battlefield, gradually becoming a huge wave.

I'm the one who bestowed countless accolades upon her, and I'm the one who helped stabilize her home front!

It's you, but she seems... to have never cared about stability, right?

The rabbit suddenly raised its body, its little red eyes fixed on a certain spot.

Eleanor tightened the bowstring, her fingers throbbing slightly.

In her previous life, Andra wore a crown and her blood-red robes fluttered in the wind.

She laughed heartily, splashing waves of blood on the battlefield, her charge into the fray like boiling metal.

Invincible. She is invincible.

If she is allowed to grow up strong and healthy, she will be invincible.

So what kind of Andra is vulnerable?

[What you know]

The girl, cleansed by the river of blood, seems to have returned. "She" stands in the river, half-submerged at waist level, gazing at her.

Yes, I know.

Andra, who could be deceived, hurt, and killed—

Whoosh—

The arrow, carrying its accumulated power, flew with the wind towards the swooping hare.

A girl with a marigold in her hair, a girl who ignores danger to date her in the garden, a girl who holds her toes and washes them in the stream, a young man whose face is flushed after an argument...

She had also seen Andra vulnerable, gentle, and angry—the living, breathing—

Whoosh!

The arrow pierced the white rabbit's body, splattering drops of blood.

"Ha...ha..." Eleanor was in tears.

I've seen it—I know that Andra, who would protect me no matter what, is the most vulnerable.

Pat-pat, tap-tap.

Andra dismounted and picked up the rabbit from the ground. She drew her arrow and turned around, startled: "Your Highness?!"

She tied up the rabbit Sasa, put it in the bag on the horse's back, and ran to Eleanor's side.

The girl cautiously reached out to touch the little princess's arm, her neck involuntarily tilting slightly. "What's wrong?"

“…” Eleanor took a deep breath.

Her eye hurt a little, but the focused girl in her field of vision remained clear.

Coral, what if I can't pay that person for helping me?

[Eleanor - My Other Self, how can I defeat the invincible enemy?]

Can I deceive her, hurt her... kill her?

"Your Highness."

Andra dared not offend the princess, but with one hand on the horse's back and the other protecting Eleanor's body, she said earnestly, "It's alright, I'll be by your side. I will do my best to help you win."

Her last sentence was spoken so softly that Eleanor seemed to hear the young man from her past life holding her hand and whispering in her ear, "I will protect you forever, my love. Even if the sea dries up and the rocks crumble, even if time erodes everything."

What did the little princess say back then?

I can't remember, Andra.

I don't know how much your love for me weighs, and perhaps, I'll never know.

And my love for you... isn't it just as heavy?

I don't need eternity or three lifetimes; I just need a lifetime that isn't so happy.

She looked into Andra's clear eyes, searching for a hint of love.

He immediately smiled and said, "Forget it."

Let's just forget about it. Didn't I already decide to let each other go?

Being powerful is not your fault.

For the sake of our past love, let's part amicably and grow together, Andra.

"I'm fine...it's just," the little princess wiped away her tears, sniffling a little shyly, "that bunny is so cute~"

"..." Andra was speechless for a moment, then burst out laughing with Eleanor.

......

"Oh, that's what she said?"

Eva was having a picnic on the lawn when she heard the messenger's story and laughed heartily.

She swallowed the strawberry the beauty had given her, and watched listlessly as the small hourglass beside her slowly dripped away until the last grain of sand fell.

"Okay, it's my turn."

She pushed away the beauty in her arms, swayed her shoulders, and casually mounted her minister's chestnut horse.

Eva's languidness vanished the moment she straightened up.

A genuine, joyful smile appeared on her face.

"Ha." Wang chuckled briefly. Without any further commands, the horse shot off like an arrow, its hooves clattering on the cleared mountain path.

The hares and birds scattered in fright, and the guards spurred their horses on desperately to keep up with the king's speed, but only those who had set out earlier were able to keep up with him.

"Cry—" The cry of an eagle echoed through the sky, and the king of the forest suddenly raised his head, his eyes flashing with a sharp light.

She pursed her lips and easily drew back the exaggeratedly powerful longbow. Its maker had absolutely no intention of making things easier for the archer; every accessory was imbued with the roar that would make the arrow explode.

Buzz—

The arrow pierced the air with a deafening roar, penetrating the eagle's chest!

Whoosh!

The beautiful bird folded its wings and plummeted from the sky.

Tap tap, tap tap.

The guards rushed out, each carrying a bag, eager to bring back the prey for the king.

However, Eva simply put away her bow with a blank expression and looked in a certain direction of the forest.

There... Hmph, they didn't obediently guard the outermost perimeter.

She smiled and sped off into the forest as far as the eye could see.

A note from the author:

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The next update is on Wednesday—don't worry, I'll be posting three chapters that morning! And if nothing unexpected happens, I should be able to maintain daily updates, muah! [Stand-up rabbit head emoji] From now on, I'll choose either 9 AM or 12 PM to update!