Chapter 102 Preparations Before the Curtain Falls It seemed so... held in the princess's hands.
The army's advance was like wildfire, scorching the fortified villages and overgrown weeds it passed by.
Wherever Andra went, the people there would startle like birds, spreading news of the killing to every corner of the land.
She kept winning.
The Nolana people couldn't figure out how she could lose.
Andra bypassed the dense fortresses, while the nearby city-states, under the control of various powerful families, remained silent.
Only Eleanor's most loyal followers are still fighting, but they can't hold back the wandering Andra. They are always delayed by bad weather, strange terrain, and the sudden appearance of "bandits". There are very few teams left that can fight Andra.
Moreover, Andra was leading her elite troops at breakneck speed, and they couldn't keep up with her pace at all. They could only pray that fate would allow them to meet at the corner.
Thirteen days later, a trivial record was delivered to Eleanor.
The young man who delivered the letter fell to the ground unconscious as soon as he dismounted. Fortunately, some of Eleanor's companions knew a little first aid, which saved his life.
Eleanor read the report line by line, then silently put it aside.
She sat there expressionless for a few seconds, then covered her face and let out a bitter sigh: Andra... is too strong.
...Her guerrilla tactics were almost invincible in a world where individual bravery could overwhelm the group.
To defeat Andra at her peak, you must trap her in the middle of a closed battlefield and surround her forces with several times the number of troops, leaving no gaps.
The classic tactic of surrounding three sides and leaving one open is very effective against others, but if used on Andra... she will definitely seize this gap and turn around to escape.
Eleanor flipped through all the reports on the table; they were from different people.
Some daughters of high-ranking nobles were tipping her off and reporting their own mothers.
Disabled civilians acted as war correspondents, risking their lives as wanderers to get close to the fighting army and write detailed reports for her.
......
They pieced together Andra's movements using a series of records.
Over the course of more than ten days, Andra experienced three skirmishes and two decapitation assassinations.
She lost over a hundred elite soldiers, leaving thousands behind on the blood-soaked battlefield.
That was an enemy that no human could rival.
Intelligence sometimes contains the recorder's subjective fears, but Eleanor saw a possibility of breaking the deadlock in these analyses.
Andra is not invincible; she almost killed Andra at the very beginning, but it was just too difficult.
Eleanor calculated the casualty ratio between the two sides and kept reasoning in her mind: assuming those nobles had not betrayed them, they should have been able to keep the reckless Andra in Norlanna forever.
I can defeat her fair and square... as long as I can completely control the city-state and its soldiers in some timeline.
She grasped a glimmer of hope in her limited attempts. Unfortunately, that hope did not belong to her in this life.
With a snap, the moment she closed the report, a thin sheet of white paper slipped out from the crack.
Princess Eleanor, run!
Andra is here to seek revenge on you; she's very abnormal.
There was a small abbreviation at the end of the sentence, and she guessed it from Andra's network of relationships: "Eliza".
...Is she the princess of Belial? She's such a kind person.
She would risk sending me this paper because she was afraid that I was still "deeply in love" with Andra and might accidentally fall into an extremely tragic situation.
Perhaps Andra made some arrangements in Belai that made the princess feel uneasy, which is why she couldn't help but speak up to warn her.
Eleanor felt a pang of emotion, but more than anything, she was worried for Eliza: Andra hated betrayal above all else, and if she discovered the act of sending the letter, Princess Eliza might suffer a terrible fate.
Eleanor stroked the smooth petals, rose, wiped the paper against the candle flame, lit it, watched the ashes dissipate in the basin, and then walked toward the door.
Pat, pat.
She had already persuaded the noble servants to go home on leave, and her clear footsteps echoed in the corridor.
Eleanor silently recited the new research findings of this life in her mind, repeatedly memorizing one name after another.
Andra will be here soon.
She knew that when the bells rang and the messenger announced in a trembling voice, "His Majesty Andra is waiting for your arrival outside the city," it would be her final farewell to this world.
You actually have one more chance.
Reason whispered in his ear, "You have stationed tens of thousands of men in the capital. They can easily defeat Andra's forces and annihilate her most trusted elite troops."
But that's meaningless.
She responded to herself patiently.
She could already guess what would happen next: Andra's team would be defeated by her, but Andra herself would survive.
The vengeful spirits will join forces with Hetuya's cavalry, and engulf Enlin and many other city-states in a raging inferno.
She carefully studied Andra's governance methods after becoming the Pirate King and King of Baelai, and concluded that Andra simply did not care about the people's livelihood.
If Andra as a pirate could at least be considered a great pirate who would share the spoils with his subordinates, then Andra as King of Belai – his actions showed absolutely no concept of a ruler.
She didn't care at all about being overthrown; the Belai were just fuel for her journey to Norlana.
"Andra, what comes to mind when you look at that beach?"
Andra has given a completely negative answer to that question with his actions.
She saw nothing.
Or worse, she doesn't want to see anything at all.
*Slap*
Another figure approached quickly from behind, and Eleanor momentarily mistook it for Myrcella.
However, the dead will not return.
She turned around, stared blankly at the somewhat unfamiliar young man, and it took her a while to remember who he was.
It's Elsa, the daughter of Scarface Doni. Andra even copied her mother's nickname.
In previous lives, Elsa mostly followed the path of military service, but this life is different.
Because Eleanor valued education highly and did not focus on it after rescuing the slave army, young Elsa worked alongside scholars and eventually became a scribe's apprentice.
A hint of sadness flickered in Eleanor's eyes as she thought of the slave legion.
She had so many things she wanted to do in her life, and in order to promote schools and lay the foundation for the imperial examination system, she basically ignored those people who lived in the cracks.
This path was not viable, and in the end, all she could offer everyone was a "tomorrow."
Eleanor looked at the hesitant young man and smiled gently. "It's a day off today, aren't you going home?"
"...Your Highness, are you really going to marry Andra?"
Realizing her words could be misunderstood, Elsa quickly pulled up her hood and anxiously explained, "No, I didn't mean to question your decision... I'm afraid—I'm afraid you..."
Tears welled up in her eyes from anxiety.
This statement was rambling and disjointed, but Eleanor could probably guess what Elsa was trying to convey: she was afraid that she didn't want to marry Andra and would be killed by an enraged Andra.
Even though most uninformed people—such as the nobles who surrendered early on—believe that "Princess Eleanor's bet and this war are just a game between lovers. Andra has chosen to travel light and go all out, so Eleanor will surely welcome him with a grand wedding procession."
As for why Eleanor didn't rush to prepare for a grand wedding... that's hard to explain, but since she didn't mobilize the royal guards, she must have chosen to marry Andra.
During their house arrest, the nobles still mingled and joked at night: "Princess Eleanor has a very good sense of propriety." "Yes, His Majesty Andra also has to act like he can't live without Nolana, chuckle."
"So please let me come with you!"
Elsa mustered her courage and took a step forward.
Eleanor smiled wryly. "Child, this is hardly a glorious task."
At that moment, Elsa didn't realize that the princess was her age. She retorted as if she were talking to an elder, "I know, then may I stay with you?"
Elsa had prepared many lengthy reasons, such as her current mentor's love of recording history and her desire to become a meticulous recorder herself.
But when she saw Princess Eleanor's lonely figure just now, only one thought remained in her mind: she did not want the princess to be so lonely, so frail and alone as she walked towards the terrible Andra.
She was prepared to be rejected by His Highness again, but Eleanor simply smiled.
"Okay, just remember to stay away from me then."
"Yes!" Elsa nodded quickly, afraid that Eleanor would change her mind.
She didn't care about the suggestion to stay away, since the situation wouldn't be suitable for a minor character like her to get too close.
Clang—Clang—
Just as Elsa bowed to take her leave, the bells outside the hall suddenly rang out, their booming sound vibrating in our ears.
This is...
Princess Eleanor's shoulders stiffened for a moment, then Elsa brushed past her. She turned and ran quickly towards the winding corridors.
"It's Andra. Let's go change our clothes."
"Yes!" Elsa's eyes welled up with tears.
What kind of formal attire will Your Highness wear?
Those sour grapes all said that His Highness would definitely wear a gorgeous wedding dress, but she secretly bet in her heart that His Highness would wear a very imposing outfit, like a battle robe, and proudly face the invading enemy!
She excitedly followed Eleanor to the dressing room, only to see the princess rummaging through the closet and casually pulling out a moon-white long dress.
This dress doesn't have many extra embellishments, and the embroidery looks somewhat familiar; it's probably an old dress that's been worn a few times.
Why wear such plain clothes?
Elsa frowned. She wanted to remind the princess to be mindful of the occasion, but she didn't want to be so impolite.
Eleanor turned around and said softly, seemingly oblivious, "What kind of clothes do you want to wear? Let me help you find some."
If you're dressed so simply, what kind of complicated clothes could I possibly wear?
Elsa paused for a moment, then raised her head and said seriously, "Since Your Highness intends to intimidate the enemy with a simple demeanor, then so will I!"
After she finished speaking, she patted her chest vigorously, indicating that the blue robe often worn by researchers was the perfect fit.
Eleanor smiled, pursing her lips. "Alright, now let's go—and finish the last three things before we leave."
Three things? Andra's army is already at the gates, and you still have three things to do?
Elsa was anxious and quickened her pace to catch up with Eleanor.
*Slap*
Eleanor went to the royal treasury, opened a secret room in the corner, and took out a crown from a box in the center of the room.
This crown is dazzling, with silver metal intertwined to resemble thorns and swords, and inlaid with sapphires symbolizing wisdom.
It felt so heavy in the princess's hands that Elsa immediately raised her hand, afraid that it might accidentally fall to the ground.
The moment she raised her hand, she realized her overstepping of bounds: a mere commoner, no, not even a nobleman, should not touch the symbol of the Norlana royal power!
Before Elsa could pull her hand back, Eleanor had already placed the crown firmly in her grasp, startling Elsa into gripping the thorns at the edge, letting the sharp spikes pierce her fingers.
"You...! Don't hold on so tightly." Eleanor scolded her gently, wiping the blood from her hands with a handkerchief, and then took the crown and placed it on the lid of the box.
"But Your Highness, that is, that is—"
“It doesn’t matter.” Eleanor shook her head. “Go to the washroom and rinse it off. After you’ve applied the medicine, come and hold it. I’ll put it on a soft cushion.”
"......yes."
Elsa's eyes reddened, and she quickly turned and ran outside.
After the child's figure disappeared from sight, Eleanor took out a cushion, placed the crown in it, and then tiptoed into the depths of the vault.
Even knowing that she had sent everyone away, she still had a guilty feeling.
Because of this second thing... no one but herself would want to see it. In a sense, it's a betrayal of all her companions and a violation of her promise to Andra.
Eleanor smiled wryly and pulled out a puzzle box, rotating the code layer to the correct pattern.
The box opened with a snap, revealing a row of seven bottles and jars made of different materials, mainly metal and glass.
These bottles contain poison left behind by Ophelia, and Eleanor has noted where she kept them.
Scholars repeatedly tested Wang Jie's entire stockpile of poison using vicious death row inmates, and found that the properties of these seven bottles of poison were most similar to those of the toxins found in Eva's body.
Eleanor picked up the small silver bottle in the middle.
This bottle of poison is the most suitable; after a person drinks it, the poison will take effect within half an hour to three hours, and then the person will die quickly.
She unscrewed the cap and drank it all in one gulp.
Glug.
Poison is bitter, not sweet at all. If it were Eleanor in her first life, she would have vomited it up even if she was forced to swallow it.
But she only frowned slightly before swallowing all the bitter medicine.
A distinct burning sensation began to affect my esophagus, and my breathing became slightly rapid, but it's okay... another hour will be enough.
Eleanor gripped the doorframe, her fingers trembling slightly.
I'm sorry... Andra, and everyone else.
She was not in despair, so she could not easily pluck the entire petal; however, she had to embark on her journey home today.
Before her tears could fall, they evaporated in her eyes. Eleanor gritted her teeth and stood up straight.
The first Ophelia died under mysterious circumstances, and this incarnation of Eliza has also issued a dangerous warning.
She didn't trust Andra, so she was unwilling to stay and face the potential revenge, but the most important reason was indeed—hope.
She must preserve those fragmented memories of her life, fully record all the shortcomings and corresponding improvement methods, and lead everyone towards a better future.
If she lingers any longer, she may succumb to the agonizing imprisonment and torment. It would be better for her to depart today—on the day she has chosen.
"Your Highness, I'm back!"
Elsa ran over briskly, and this time her hands holding the crown were very steady.
In contrast, Eleanor hid her hands inside her long sleeves.
Elsa thought the princess would lead her into another secret room and take out a scepter or a contract.
However, Eleanor went down the stairs to a place Elsa had never been before—the underground lounge where the court slaves lived.
"So they lived beneath the palace..." Elsa murmured with a sigh.
Eleanor nodded and said softly, "I've been building part of the above-ground lounge over the past two years, but unfortunately, it's too late."
Actually, it wasn't time that was too late, she didn't explain to the child beside her, but simply rang the bell in her arms.
The sound of bells echoed and reverberated through the tunnel.
The slaves gathered with their companions along the roads and ran together toward the source of the sound.
"Gentlemen, please leave the palace as soon as possible. You can go to the manor in the suburbs. Your contracts and termination fees are all kept there and can be retrieved at any time."
Eleanor stood on the stone platform, ringing her bells and proclaiming, "I, in my capacity as Princess Norlana and the Acting Regent, declare—you are free!"
She kept repeating it, calling it out many, many times.
Even the last few slaves who were unwilling to leave slowly left the princess's sight with tears in their eyes.
"Your Highness."
Elsa brought over tea, her face full of disapproval, and said, "It's better to have a servant come and inform us about this kind of thing."
"Cough cough cough... Elsa." After finishing her tea, the princess took a deep breath and said, "Actually, this is... the most important thing for me."
"Eh."
The young woman looked bewildered. Before she could get an explanation after her reply, Eleanor had already turned and headed for the stairs.
"Let's go, don't keep Andra waiting."
The princess's weak voice was somewhat faint, and it disappeared at the end of the corridor in an instant.
Elsa opened her lips in a daze: I always felt... that Princess Eleanor just now was like a seriously ill young girl, lying behind the bed curtains, softly calling out to her lover.
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Author's note: Eliza is truly kind. She risked everything to tell Eleanor not to come over, that there are no love-struck people here (although she was completely wrong).
For Eliza, letting Eleanor marry Andra was actually the safest option, because even if Eleanor packed her bags and ran away the next day, Andra wouldn't care.
In this timeline, while Andra has developed PTSD regarding betrayal, her standards for people have lowered: as long as you don't betray her, she's fine with it and doesn't need to care. (Except for Eleanor.)
Incidentally, if there really were an "if" scenario where Eleanor didn't take the poison and promised Andra she would make it up to her in the future, there would indeed be many scenes that need to be highlighted but can't be posted... The biggest difference from the first life would probably be that Andra would become more clingy, more terrifying, have supergravity, and her court life would become a very orderly and bizarre tale for others.
(Palace staff: Thank you, there won't be this line [cracks])
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