Chapter 85: Fishing – A marriage alliance using the renowned and virtuous eldest princess, Nolana…
By marrying off a well-known and virtuous princess, Nolana has really gone all out this time.
The minister in charge of foreign affairs immediately adopted a high-handed attitude, demanding perfection in every aspect.
With enlins, a large number of craftsmen, and grain hanging on their faces like carrots, the Hetuyas became supple.
They not only quickly withdrew the Hetuan people who remained in the capital—intending to seek justice for Andra or at least find the body—but also prepared to elevate the ceremony to the level of a Hetuan king marrying his queen.
Of course, it wasn't King Hetuya who actually married, but rather the young Princess Alisa.
However, the person who came to fetch the bride was not Alisa herself or any of her ministers, but Attila, the eldest princess of Hetuya.
She would be responsible for escorting her sister's wife to Hetuya and holding a grand wedding at the royal court.
The Hetuya people are stingy with land, but very generous when it comes to jewelry.
Before Attila set off, he declared that he would be heading towards Princess Nolana with carts full of treasures—this news stirred up various bandits, who were then easily wiped out by the elite Hetuya army and various merchant guilds, making the trade routes even safer.
Compared to the chaos in Hetuya, the atmosphere in the Nolana court was much more relaxed.
The king's decision superseded everything.
Some nobles believed that Eva was trying to buy time, biding her time in her homeland for twenty years, and then working with the princess to take down Hetuya.
Some nobles are now too lazy to do anything. They want the princess to give birth to a little princess with Hetuya's bloodline. Perhaps in a few decades, they will have an easy chance to usurp Hetuya's power.
However, most people still see this marriage as a transaction to express apology, which only appears more respectable after the tug-of-war between the parties.
So when Ophelia heard from her servants that Eleanor was coming to see her, the usually serene princess raised her eyebrows.
"Please come in quickly."
She turned and strode quickly to the door, personally opening her arms to welcome Eleanor inside.
Ophelia moved swiftly and naturally, placing Eleanor on the chair.
The deeply moved expression on her face truly resembled that of a warm and caring older sister who was excited about her younger sister's upcoming marriage to someone far away.
Eleanor glanced at her with a sigh: how similar this incarnation of Ophelia was to the first.
The two have no direct conflict of interest, and Mysella has been kept in Enlin and unable to return, which has given Ophelia a great sense of security, which is why she can maintain this gentle and considerate facade.
Ophelia politely accepted the teacup from the servant and poured a cup of tea for her sister herself.
"I heard you've been enjoying this kind of herbal tea lately?"
The tender red leaves floated in warm water, adorned with a few candied petals—just the kind Eleanor often drank.
Eleanor lowered her head, looking at the leaf stalks floating in the tea, and shifted her shoulder slightly toward her sister.
"Sister Wang, I'm going to marry into Hetuya. Do you know why?"
Ophelia's heart skipped a beat.
She didn't mind her sister's distant tone; after all, they weren't blood sisters, and there was Crown Prince Myrcella between them, so their actual relationship was indeed distant.
If Eleanor truly married Hetuya to "express her apology and restore diplomatic relations between the two countries," it's understandable that she's in a bad mood at this point.
...But what she's implying now is clearly: I only married into Hetuya because of you.
Why do you say that?
Ophelia's eyelids twitched.
Clang.
The cup in her hand shattered on the ground a second later.
Ophelia covered her mouth in surprise and asked, "You don't actually think I killed Andra, do you?"
Eleanor couldn't help but laugh.
She didn't have the energy to act with Ophelia, and said softly, "Of course I'm not doubting that my sister has anything to do with Andra's death. After all, my sister also knew... that Mother didn't have much time left."
Two seemingly unrelated sentences came out of the girl's mouth.
The second princess stared nervously at her younger sister, leaning forward but pulling her legs back. Eleanor in her eyes suddenly seemed unfamiliar, nothing like the shy child she had seen just a few years ago.
Her mediocre nature resurfaced, and even her impromptu performances required more time to get into character.
Ophelia was more cunning than Myrcella, and she made a decision quickly.
"Why?!"
She let out an exaggerated scream, as if she had just received this shocking news, and slammed her hand on the table.
Footsteps echoed from behind the screen and door, and the hidden servants and guards all left.
Eleanor was very supportive.
She didn't spell it out, but simply ran her finger along the rim of the glass and said in a storytelling tone, "Well, my mother told me this. She said she's not in good health and only has a year or two left to live, so..."
The girl looked up at her most trusted older sister with hopeful eyes and said sweetly, "I will obediently marry the second princess of Hetuya, and maybe I can bring everyone a few years of better days. But the eldest princess is more troublesome... Sister, do you know what title the Hetuya people use to flatter Attila? Goddess of War."
These words gradually faded the shock on Ophelia's face, transforming it into a somber contemplation.
Eleanor pursed her lips and didn't try to stir things up further.
She could guess what Ophelia was thinking.
Ophelia initially struck her as mediocre, but her experiences in her second life added to her sense of baseness and cowardice in the face of adversity.
In every incarnation of Andra, Ophelia was looked down upon, and she mocked her incompetence at will.
Even in this life, because Eleanor insisted on practicing swordsmanship, Andra mentioned Ophelia's talent for swordsmanship when instructing her.
"Don't worry, Your Highness is already quite good. If it were that Second Prince... ha, she'd still be third-rate even in thirty years."
Andra's assessment is probably fair.
Two lifetimes have passed, and Eleanor has never heard of Ophelia achieving anything in battle.
A princess who has no talent for combat, whose only intellectual skill is scheming, and whose legitimacy is further diminished by her younger sister... just how much pressure and anxiety will she endure?
Ophelia raised her head after a long silence.
Her expression was as innocent as her tone of eagerness: "Are you... going to assassinate Attila?"
Eleanor smiled slightly. It seemed that even now, this older sister was still prepared to stay behind the scenes and leave the adventurous work to others.
She reached out and took Ophelia's finger, whispering in her sister's ear, "Mother hopes I can take away as many competitors as possible for you, but Attila... I really can't. Aguno only has these two legitimate daughters now, and they are very precious to them."
Ophelia swallowed hard, as if she could see a nimble black cat leap onto the table and paw at the rickety crystal glass.
"Although I married there, my sister-in-law always had to avoid suspicion from my sister... Attila is a princess who grew up on the grasslands and often leads her troops to raid everywhere. Many warriors rely on her bravery to win, and she is very arrogant."
"She's so skilled in combat that ordinary assassination attempts are useless against her."
Eleanor's skillful narration paints a vivid picture of Attila's prowess and prowess in Ophelia's mind.
"A princess like her is destined to have no right to the throne; she might covet our land—"
She dipped her finger in the tea and drew a rough map on the table, pressing her fingertip firmly on the location of Nolana.
Ophelia stared sharply at the map, as if she could already see herself defeated.
Even if he hadn't been defeated, what kind of image would a king who continuously lost territory after inheriting the throne leave in history?
"Hahaha, is that all you've got?"
In his imagination, the barbarian Attila easily broke through the city gate, impaled her with a spear, and hung her on the city wall.
Those below shook their heads in dismay, and the history books didn't even bother to mention his name, simply adding one more head to the count of King Hetuya's deaths.
Ophelia's breathing became heavy; if she had a choice, she would never want to leave trouble for the battlefield.
She nervously crossed her fingers and looked down at her fingertips as she spoke.
"What can I do? Do you expect me to kill Attila during her wedding? That's impossible!"
Eleanor's eyes flickered as she leaned closer to her.
"Don't worry, we can't do anything that dangerous. I just wanted to ask you..."
The girl's voice meandered upwards along her arm, blossoming into a hazy flower.
"Sister Wang, do you have any poison that can easily kill noble bloodlines? Using that would be much simpler."
Tick-tock, tick-tock.
Sweat soaked the second hand.
Eleanor stared intently into Ophelia's eyes.
The investigation into Elena in her previous life had reached a stalemate because so much time had passed that Eva had erased all traces of her from the world.
Ophelia, however, is different. She is still alive and well. Did she really not receive any of her mother's belongings?
The first Ophelia kept it a secret very well; no one else knew.
The second Ophelia surrendered decisively; those things and those in the know should have been dealt with beforehand.
However, this is now the "safe and sound" third generation.
Ophelia—my insecure, cautious, timid, yet gambling-loving sister, would you risk revealing your trump card to secure your throne?
call......
After ten breaths, Ophelia slowly nodded.
“I have a servant here who is skilled in poisoning. If you trust me, you can take her with you when you get married.”
The fish has taken the bait.
For the first time since Andra's death, she felt a little relieved.
Regardless of what happens next, at least in this life, she is about to uncover the mystery of Eva's poisoning.
Eleanor smiled brightly.
"Thank you, sister. Now I can focus on preparing for my wedding. I hope everything goes well for you in Norlanda."
The girl floated out of the courtyard like a butterfly.
A month later, a servant with delicate features was indeed added to the wedding procession.
......
Andra held up the gold coin to the sunlight, letting the light reflect off its edges until his left eye started to sting slightly. Then he put his hand down and continued to sit on the box, lost in thought.
The Black Lotus had already docked, with the Lightning moored beside it. The two ships were anchored in the harbor, bobbing up and down with the current.
As before, she entrusted the task of selling the goods to her servants—oh, now that she was no longer a princess, she should say to her crew.
These crew members weren't very smart, nor were they immediately usable.
Two months earlier, when the ship first docked, a clever yet foolish slave packed up a treasure and ran away.
Andra mercifully killed her, demonstrating that anyone who violates public property must atone with their death.
She didn't care about commoners or slaves, and directly followed the rules of the former captain of the Black Lotus.
Fifty percent of the spoils go to the captain, and the rest are divided among everyone.
In fact, based on her combat contributions, Andra should have received 80% of the rewards herself. However, she didn't care about this small amount and instead delegated all the trivial matters to others.
The sun was high overhead.
The slaves, who had chosen loyalty because they could not escape, came before her and, under the captain's watchful eye, divided up the gold, silver, and copper coins.
As day turned to night, Andra ended his long day of contemplation and jumped off the box.
Her eyes were no longer empty; a burning flame reignited within them, and even a faint smile appeared on her lips.
"Alright everyone, follow me." She smiled smugly and weighed the gold coins in her hand.
"We made a lot of money this time, we're drinking until we drop tonight!"
Her long, golden-red hair was dyed blood red with mineral powder, and she boldly revealed her scarred left cheek, determined to spread the name "Scarface".
"Captain is wise!"
The crew cheered and followed.
Andra arrived at the entrance of an inn, where the new first mate in charge of money threw a handful of coins at the innkeeper.
The boatload of people was led through the gate, where long tables were lined up in the main hall.
The restaurant owner placed the barbecue grill in the center and diligently selected the fattest lamb to hang on it. The staff ran back and forth, filling the tables with flatbread, side dishes, and stewed bean paste.
......
"Gentlemen."
After a few bowls of wine, Andra, sitting at the banquet, showed no trace of the gloomy demeanor he had during the day.
She picked up another glass of wine and downed it in one gulp, saying cheerfully, "We now have two boats, we can't just sit idle. You should gather as much useful information as possible so you can sell your goods in different places."
The scars on the captain's face resembled magnificent medals, and his words were even more captivating.
The remaining crew members are not the original Sea Wolf crew; they are just laborers responsible for rowing the boat.
Although they possess considerable strength, they lack a truly bloodthirsty personality. Even if they could hone their skills through combat, they would prefer to follow a more respectable path, such as engaging in trade.
So when Andra mentioned it, the group immediately agreed.
Some people, in an attempt to prove their business acumen, spouted nonsense in front of the captain.
Andra simply drank with a smile, not interrupting any of the crew members' drunken ramblings, even though they sounded ridiculous.
She is currently short-staffed, so it doesn't matter whether this group of people is good or bad, strong or weak, because she will screen out all the unqualified people in the coming days.
The table was in chaos. When one person started rambling incoherently, the others at the table couldn't stay sober either.
They started chattering away, discussing what kind of business would be a sure thing to make money.
Most of the people are from Belle, and they know that Enlin's specialties are fresh and have no trouble selling, but unfortunately they don't have Enlin's channels.
Andra's eyes darkened slightly as the crew members spoke of Enlin.
But instead of stopping her, she interjected with a couple of sentences to steer the conversation toward Nolana.
"Ah, if only we had gone to Norlanda earlier!"
A crew member covered his forehead in frustration and exclaimed, "I just heard at the market that Princess Norana is going to marry the princess of Hetuya! Oh dear... Captain—that guy up ahead has so many pearls and fabrics on board. If we could get there in time, we could sell them for a fortune!"
This is an interesting topic, and quite a few people chuckled and reached for it with their forks.
For some reason, the hall suddenly became very quiet, with only the crackling sound of the flames under the roasted whole lamb.
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