Chapter 38 Fork in the Road: Before you get a headache, repent first! ...

Before I get a headache, you'd better repent first!

Eleanor jumped off the train and kicked her sister.

"Hehe~" Misella jumped away with a strange cry, waving her arms and playing a game of wild punches with her sister.

"Alright, alright, stop fooling around." Eleanor kicked twice but missed, then angrily grabbed Myrcella's arm and headed towards the garden.

"None of you follow me." She turned around, and the servants all stopped. Only Coral and Andra took a couple of steps forward, watching from a distance, still worried.

Eleanor glanced back out of the corner of her eye and shook her head inwardly: None of Myrcella's followers had come with her.

She then realized that her elder sister, the crown princess, had very few capable servants.

Logically speaking, every princess should have some noble companions who will be natural allies and followers in the future.

Mysella's playmates are quite ordinary in terms of both talent and willpower, and they don't seem very reliable.

Eleanor loosened her grip on her sister's wrist a little, and she suddenly remembered Myrcella from her past life.

My sister also had that carefree attitude back then.

She rode her horse, sword in hand, and carelessly got caught up in a sudden war, then died quietly.

How long did she train as a soldier? Was that army given to her by her mother before her death, or was it assigned to her after her death? Or was it generously sponsored by some great nobleman?

Eleanor was completely unaware of these details.

She fled the capital in haste back then, and as for what came after—what army in the world could compare to Andra's legion?

Mysella, once thrown into battle, was like a drop of water falling into the ocean, disappearing without a trace with a single drip.

Aside from Andra's comforting comment, "Your sister does have some fighting talent; she's very courageous," nobody really cared about Myrcella's actual performance.

Eleanor released her hand and silently walked towards the garden.

Mysella had been squirming and resisting being pulled, but as soon as her sister let go, she panicked and chased after her, yelling "Ahhh!"

Eleanor walked to the gazebo and sat down against the railing. Myrcella plopped down next to her, pressed her shoulder against her shoulder, and pulled her sister into her arms.

"Alright, alright, why are you angry?" She pulled a small leather ball from her bosom and shoved it into Eleanor's hand.

"The weather's nice today, shall we go play ball together?"

The cheerful young man laughed, revealing two rows of white teeth. Eleanor couldn't help but chuckle at his relaxed demeanor. How wonderful, the young man knew no sorrow.

Why did we argue last time?

She fiddled with the small ball in her palm, her nose tingling with emotion.

She started by lecturing Myrcella in the tone of an elder, and then proceeded to cram in a rigid, didactic analysis. Whether Myrcella wanted it or not, she forced her to follow the steps one, two, three, four, five, and six.

That's probably why the child exploded in front of his mother.

She felt wronged, wanted someone's approval, and wanted to resist the seemingly unnecessary pressure I was putting on her.

Eleanor put the small ball aside and took her sister's hand. "Sister, let's talk."

"Okay, what do you want to talk about?" Mysella patted her chest happily. "How about you ask me where there's anything fun to do? Cockfighting is all the rage in town lately!"

Don't gamble.

Eleanor bit her lip and swallowed the lecturing. After a moment's hesitation, she tentatively asked, "Sister, do you really want to be queen?"

What kind of question is this?

Mysella's eyes widened, and after a few seconds she nodded vigorously, almost leaving an afterimage.

"Of course! I want to become a super great queen, and I want everyone to call me Anya!"

She gestured excitedly to her sister, her eyes sparkling.

"I want to ride a really beautiful, really beautiful white horse, even whiter than yours, shining brightly in the sunlight~"

"No matter the enemy, I can cut them down with a single sword strike. I am invincible; every time I return, ministers and citizens line the streets to welcome me, scattering fragrant dew and roses wherever I go."

Eleanor was silent for a moment.

She wanted to refute her sister's overly "simple" idea, but Andra succeeded in every detail.

She asked softly, "Sister, do you want to become king to protect everyone, or do you want to become king and then protect everyone? Is fighting a pleasure or a means to an end for you?"

"Ah," Mysera paused, then hissed and said, "It's mutual, of course. I'll definitely protect those who love me. War and stuff... it's actually quite interesting."

Her answer was flawed, but not too bad for this time of year.

To be fair, it was already quite remarkable that rulers in the feudal era could agree with the idea that "I need to protect the people."

Even Andra, in a drunken frenzy, told her, "Luckily, Hetuya has a large population and a big area, otherwise where would I get so many people to support my expedition?"

What exactly does the love of a king contain? Perhaps it's better not to know.

However, the situation of the older sister is completely different from that of Andra, and the differences between the two are not only the difference in talent.

Eleanor felt a bitter taste in her mouth as she watched her sister's beaming face.

If her deduction in the carriage was correct, unless Mysella relinquished the throne, she would be killed by Eva sooner or later.

My sister's current position is like a stepping stone in a novel; when the time is right, Ophelia will step on her.

Eleanor had already devised a way out for Myrcella: to temporarily retreat to Enlin with her.

Although everyone generally agrees that the youngest legitimate daughter is the heir to the throne, the king still has the final say.

A capricious ruler like Eva should be able to act capriciously one more time for Ophelia, so why take Myrcella's life?

The biggest challenge in this path to survival is that she needs to completely convince Mysella. If her sister shows even the slightest displeasure in front of Eva, the entire plan will immediately fail.

After Myrcella finished jumping around, Eleanor pressed on, "Sister, being king is hard work. Kings need to study hard and handle state affairs well. Do you like handling state affairs?"

Mysella frowned deeply, and after a long while, she pouted and retorted, "Mother plays all the time."

Eleanor nuzzled her little head.

"My mother worked very hard before she ascended to the throne. She not only repelled the Hetuyas, but also had close relationships with many scholars. It is said that she published a book when she was young and was considered to be favored by the goddess of wisdom."

"Sigh~" Mysera sighed, covering her ears and curling up in a ball in the pavilion.

Just as Eleanor thought her sister was going to cheat, Myrcella suddenly lowered her hands and looked into the distance with a wistful gaze.

"Lily, you only live once."

"Um."

Eleanor nodded, then suddenly froze.

Such an answer would be normal on Earth, but it does not conform to the objective facts of the Moonstorm Continent.

Everyone who dies in this world returns to the River of Blood to await the next reincarnation. How could there only be one lifetime?

She hugged Mysera's shoulders comfortingly, "Don't worry, people are reincarnated. Stories say the Great Mother Goddess will lift good people from the river of blood and grant them a happy second life."

Mysella nodded and then shook her head, saying firmly, "No, then that wouldn't be me."

The innocent boy looked up and said earnestly to his mature sister, "I have no memories of my past life, so in my next life I will just be a stranger to me."

"Her name may be Semira, Ramise, in any case—she is not me, and she cannot live my life in my place."

Eleanor blinked, feeling a strange sense of relief.

That's great! It turns out my sister isn't stupid after all; her ideas are quite philosophical in this world.

In that case—why not lend her a hand?

Looking into her sister's bright eyes, Eleanor suddenly made up her mind.

She finally realized that she had been trapped in the emotions of her past life and had not yet truly experienced the pendant's power.

The power bestowed by the Mother Goddess is not only 36 chances to rewind, but also up to six chances to start over in life.

She was willing to give Andra a chance to let things go.

She was willing to give Ophelia a chance to be unrelated to both of them.

Why can't we give my sister another chance to reach the top?

Moreover, these three things are all contained within the same petal, so no matter what caused the three red marks to disappear in the end, it's not a waste.

"Lily, your smile is so ugly." Mysera turned around, startled by her sister's smile.

Eleanor stood up, pulling her sister up with her. "Fine, if you want to be queen, you have to listen to me!"

Misella laughed heartily at her joke, "Hahaha, you're just bragging. What do you know?"

"I don't know how to make you a good king, but I do know how to prevent Ophelia from replacing you."

Upon hearing her sister mention Ophelia, Myrcella immediately became agitated, exclaiming, "She can't replace me!"

Eleanor narrowed her eyes, put her finger to her lips, and whispered, "Yes, in Mother's heart you are the substitute."

Her voice was soft, yet it struck Mysella like a whip.

Just as the hot-tempered girl was about to jump up, her younger sister, who was standing on tiptoe, pressed down on her shoulder.

Eleanor spoke softly in her ear in a low voice.

"I've been trying to get close to Mother to figure this out. Sister, think about it, Mother doesn't assign you any capable people, nor does she let you command the army. You rarely get any opportunities to show your face."

Mysella shut her mouth, her eyes filled with anxiety and fear.

Eleanor nodded silently to herself.

This was indeed the correct way to break the deadlock.

Mysella dared to lash out in front of her mother because she trusted her mother and believed that as long as she made a scene, Eva would grant her request.

The older sister trusted her mother more than she trusted her younger sister.

But this trust did not stem from deep affection, but rather from Eva's high status and her natural role as a mother.

Therefore, as long as Myrcella notices the facts that she has deliberately forgotten, the illusory trust in her heart will completely collapse.

Mysella stammered, "Did Mother say something to you? She...she doesn't want me to be the crown prince...?"

The child's voice grew softer and softer.

The two stood hand in hand in the pavilion.

Eleanor said in a persuasive tone, "Mother actually adores Ophelia. Her affection is completely unreasonable and has nothing to do with how strong you are."

"Why? Orpheus!" Myrcella cried out in despair, and Eleanor quickly covered her mouth.

She patted her sister's back reassuringly with her other hand and whispered, "I don't know either. Anyway, Mother wants to use you as a stepping stone for her. If she really liked you, she would have sent Ophelia to the territory long ago."

"Then, what should I do?" The real child quickly lost his strength, large tears welling up in his eyes. Misella knew very well that she had no one around to talk to.

“A strategic retreat.” Eleanor’s tone grew increasingly resolute.

"Mother is too lazy to deal with the ministers right now and needs you to shield Ophelia from harm, so she won't issue an edict to depose you. But if you continue to stay in the capital, Mother will only keep you firmly under her thumb."

"Then she'll go around telling everyone you're a piece of trash, and then she'll create hype for Ophelia, and everyone will think she's much better than you!"

Leave the capital?

Mysella was caught in a dilemma.

She was terrified of the future her sister spoke of, but if she left the capital for an extended period, wouldn't she fade from everyone's view?

Seeing the hesitation in her eyes, Eleanor pressed her advantage, saying, "Don't worry, we can go to Enlin, that's my territory. As the crown prince, you have the right to recruit and train legions... Why wait for the king's favor?"

Mysella's expression softened, and she stammered, "Will Mother agree?"

It's highly likely. Eva doesn't have much time left, and she might be hoping Mysella gets out sooner so Ophelia can more easily take that position, thus saving her and the ministers from gossiping.

Eleanor did not tell her this; she whispered in Myrcella's ear like a fallen angel.

"This is a good opportunity to test the waters. How old is our mother this year? She still has decades to live~ It's a matter for decades to come. Do you really need to waste your youth fighting to the death with Ophelia in the capital these next few years?"

A few minutes later, Mysella was completely convinced by her sister.

She jumped up and down excitedly in the pavilion, shouting, "Let's go find Mother right now!" She was clearly eager to run to Enlin and show off her skills.

“Yes.” Eleanor solemnly took Myrcella’s hand.

This time, her sister held her hand firmly as well.

......

A lifetime has passed, and Eleanor once again stands before the heavy curtains.

With a slight sway of her skirt, one oil lamp after another was lit. Mysella followed obediently behind, her shoes making a crisp clattering sound.

As Eleanor entered, she saw a scantily clad beauty lift the curtain and leave from behind.

Why didn't I see this concubine last time?

Oh right, the times are slightly different.

They didn't chase and make noise outside this time, saving a lot of time.

Eleanor paid little attention to the passing concubines; her gaze fell upon her mother, who was reclining on a long couch.

Eva was yawning and looked sleepy, as if she had just been woken up by a notification.

“Mother,” Eleanor said obediently, bowing.

"Hmm." Eva's smile didn't reach her eyes.

She hadn't yet had her loyal servants report Eleanor's whereabouts, but it was easy to guess that the assassination attempt had completely failed.

Eleanor shuffled along, her sister Myrcella still being led by the hand, as the two children trotted up to her.

"Mother, I've made up my mind."

The daughter looked up at her with her amber eyes and said, "I—I'm going to take my sister with me to Enlin."

"Oh...what? Hahahaha, you guys are really, really funny!" Eva looked up in surprise, then couldn't help but burst into laughter, clutching her stomach.

Seeing her mother's reaction, Mysella's heart sank completely.

If Mother really wanted her to be the crown princess, she should have scolded her sister by now. But Mother laughed so hard she almost fell over, clearly enjoying the topic.

"That's right, Mother."

Eleanor was unaffected by Eva's reaction. She said matter-of-factly, "I've thought it over carefully. A manor is nice, but my own estate is much larger. I will make it even better and send you many gifts every year."

After Eva finished laughing, she didn't wipe away any non-existent tears from the corners of her eyes.

She clutched her stomach and asked, "Then why did you bring your sister with you?"

Eleanor shook her head innocently, "Because I'm still young, and I need my older sister to come and keep me company."

Eva was speechless.

That's right, a princess this young would definitely not have a prince by her side.

Those minor officials are practically servants; how could she possibly hand over real resources to noble families?

Eva instinctively felt suspicious; the mysterious little princess before her had exceeded her usual abilities and clearly had other plans.

No matter how she questioned them, neither daughter revealed any clues, as if they simply wanted to go to Enlin.

If it were any other city-state, Eva would have hesitated.

Sending the "crown prince" away might trigger a power struggle a few years later. Even if Ophelia were to take over the capital, it would be difficult for her.

But then again, if these two kids could really pull off an army that could conquer the capital from that godforsaken place called Enlin, what would it matter if she abdicated?

"OK."

Having decided to agree, Eva readily accepted. "You can come and have fun once you've finished tidying up the manor."

Eleanor replied softly, "Yes, Mother. I will manage Enlin and your estate well."

"Um."

Eva was exhausted. After signing the order, she waved for her two daughters to leave.

"Come here." At her call, her loyal servants scurried over like shadows and began to tell her what had happened at the slave market that day.

"What? You mean that little Eleanor actually managed to recruit a thousand well-trained war slaves?!" Wang raised his voice.

She instinctively wanted to call Eleanor back and make her hand over the thousand spoils, but then she remembered what she had just signed.

Ah, I see.

Eva's desire to return to the army was extinguished, replaced by a secret expectation.

Since you're so smart, let me see how far you can go.

Eleanor.

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Author's Note: [Sprinkling flowers] I'll try to finish this transitional chapter in one go! I should be able to write another chapter around 6 PM tonight –

The plot is about to fast-forward and explode—hahahaha. The focus of this life isn't simulation management, but rather "discovering something's wrong." As for the focus of the next life—

Andra: Suddenly a chill ran down my spine.