Chapter 135 Sisters on Different Paths A sword is swung into the sky, and the world falls silent…
Aside from the usual succession arrangements, Queen Eliza of Belial's first decision was that she wanted to make Princess Myrcella of Norlana her queen.
Such matters inevitably involve some wrangling, but everyone knows that Norlana and Belle will definitely get married.
King Norlana has four daughters, all of whom are princesses. He can't marry Eleanor if he doesn't marry Myrcella, can he?
Eleanor didn't care about the gossip.
After clearing out the Belai rebels, she transported wagons laden with spoils back to the capital of Norlana, eliminating many bandits who came seeking her aid along the way.
The poems sung by the bards in the tavern varied in content, but every guard who followed the princess knew that after defeating three waves of mindless bandits, the remaining waves were all victories achieved by the two princesses who excitedly chased them into the mountains.
When Princess Eleanor entered the capital with her personal guards, freed slaves, and noble followers from all over the country, the streets were lined with flowers and ribbons.
The princess ordered her men to carry the captured treasures through the square and parade them in front of the citizens.
She promised that all proceeds from these riches would be used to build roads and train doctors and skilled teachers, and waved as she walked toward the majestic palace amidst cheers from the crowd.
Before Eleanor even got close to the palace, the main gate slowly opened.
The nobles stood on both sides, smiling obediently and respectfully, while the attendants who went to report hurried along.
"Princess Eleanor has arrived—"
The announcements came one after another, each one filled with pride; anyone who didn't know better would think the master had returned.
The guards behind her looked rather grim: Her Highness has been traveling for so many years, who knows how much affection the King still has for her, or if he has harbored any resentment... Isn't this a deliberate attempt to sow discord?
Eleanor seemed oblivious, dismounting at the long bridge and trotting briskly inside.
She was still very young, but her tall figure already made her look like a mature princess, only her expression still carried a bit of childishness.
"Mother, I'm back."
Eleanor and her attendant simultaneously lifted the curtain, their eyes crinkling with smiles.
She was holding a mahogany box in her arms, decorated with gold depictions of waves and...swimming sea serpents?
It was nearly noon, but Eva was neither sleeping nor eating. She lay on her side on the couch, holding a book in her hands.
Eleanor glanced at it: *The Travels of Gleaners* - an unfamiliar title. Since the widespread use of paper and printing, more and more "leisure books" have been able to circulate.
After her daughter entered the door, Eva lazily put down the book she was holding, yawned, and asked, "You finally decided to come back? And you even married off your sister?"
“...Yes.” Eleanor blushed for a second, then replied confidently.
As for the others, it's one thing, but Mysera really tried several lifetimes, so this is the best ending! If she wants to go on adventures in the future, she'll have her wife to help her financially and physically. What's wrong with that?
Eva chuckled, put down her book, and sat up straight.
Her movements remained languid, but her eyes sharpened. "And... was it your people who spread the rumor that I won't live much longer?"
Eleanor's heart skipped a beat.
That's hard to say.
Even a big merchant like Doni could guess that Eva was seriously ill in her previous two lives. Although Eva's poison has been cured in this life, her lifespan may only be around 40 years old.
This news could indeed have been leaked by a doctor or a self-proclaimed clever confidant.
As the future Queen of Norlana, it would be a mistake for her to admit or deny it here.
Fortunately, she happened to have a way to break the deadlock.
Eleanor understood in an instant.
She lifted the box from her arms and opened it a few steps away from Eva.
Eva was drawn to her daughter's movements and couldn't help but look inside the box.
哢哒.
Inside, there was a gold base inlaid with gemstones, and on the base was a... semi-transparent spherical object, which looked rather soft; it was unclear whether it was jade or a fruit.
When Eva saw this object, a thought suddenly struck her.
If it were a gift from someone else, she would guess it was jade or a special pearl, but her pragmatic daughter would surely have brought something more unusual and useful.
Eleanor smiled brightly, patted the side of the box, and handed over the beads.
"Mother, my king, this is the dragon pearl of the legendary creature—the dragon!"
The Dragon Pearl is a precious treasure born from the body of a dragon, which can prolong life.
Almost all legends have similar accounts. If those with noble blood were not almost eternally youthful, its effects would certainly include the additional benefit of "evergreen".
Eleanor didn't know if it really worked, but she figured that since even the gods and dragons in this world were real, the unanimous legends were probably 70-80% true.
She gently placed the box on her mother's lap, then stepped back without looking back.
"You...you really are willing to spend that much."
Eva gave her daughter a meaningful look.
It doesn't matter about others, but Eleanor is the one who most wants her dead.
Even though she knew her daughter had saved her life after so many years apart, she sometimes felt that the "slander" was true: only when King Nolana died could Princess Nolana ascend to the throne.
Her daughter possessed profound wisdom and was considered by many to be a potential saintly king.
Would such a "sage king" feel that his mother was not "virtuous" enough and want to take action for the sake of the people ahead of time?
This idea grew stronger after witnessing the court intrigues in neighboring Hetuya.
Eva was not a saint; she wanted to live, to live longer, and to leave her own rainbow-colored chapter in history.
Therefore, it's acceptable for "His Majesty the Holy King" to be born a little later!
Eleanor blinked innocently, slowly approached from the left, and then squatted down like a child beside her long couch, leaning against her legs and softly saying, "What is there to be reluctant about? I hope Mother can live a long and healthy life and protect the great land of Norlanna."
Wang lowered his head and looked at the Dragon Ball, speechless for a moment.
After a long silence, Eva stroked her daughter's hair and asked with a sigh, "And what about you? Are you content to always be subordinate to me?"
"Of course I'm not willing!"
The now-grown girl raised her head without hesitation and declared loudly, "But my territory is not just little Norlana; I will become everyone's Anya."
"Oh?" Eva raised an eyebrow: "You want to take over the entire surrounding area?"
"Uh." Eleanor was about to deny it outright when she suddenly realized that she was very different from her previous self, and might really not be able to take a peaceful route to unify the entire continent.
"I will bear everything; I will shoulder all the hardships for you."
The vow passed in a flash, and the princess reaffirmed her resolve.
She nodded earnestly: "I will first promote trade, and then conduct extensive diplomacy. I am willing to form alliances with all peace-loving countries, and I will never let go of any ruler who breaks the alliance and fails to provide his people with a peaceful life."
Eleanor knew, of course, that this was just high-sounding rhetoric; any decision a ruler makes must first benefit his own country.
Most of this continent is flat and open, destined for unification.
She will lay a solid foundation in economics, culture, and even politics. Even if she doesn't take action herself, the next heir will inevitably be unable to resist.
Seeing her daughter deep in thought, Eva twitched her lips helplessly.
Well, judging from Eleanor's performance over the past few years, she's clearly incapable of doing something as crude as what her neighbor does.
Thinking of the house next door, Wang put his arm around his daughter's shoulder and laughed heartily: "By the way, let me tell you a joke, that guy Aguno is dead."
"Oh...ah? How did she die?" Eleanor was initially quite calm; King Aguno hadn't survived several lifetimes. But when she compared the timelines, she became astonished.
What kind of butterfly effect did Aguno create in this life that made him die several years earlier than in his previous life?
Eva picked up her glass, took a sip, and said with a showy air, "How else could she have died? Poisoned by her good daughter~"
As Wang drank, he observed his daughter's expression and noticed that she was initially quite surprised, but quickly realized what was going on.
“Ophelia!” she remembered. “Oh right, you sent Ophelia there as a hostage a few years ago!”
Thinking of Ophelia, Eleanor felt a pang of sadness.
Since being "defeated by her ten-year-old sister," Ophelia's already meager reputation has plummeted.
With the divinely inspired princess around, she didn't even have the right to covet the throne; she could only write and paint in her own royal palace.
Eleanor then engaged in both farming and business, stirring up trouble in various fields. The Hetuyas weren't fools; naturally, they wanted to deepen their ties.
Their original request was for Eva to choose a princess from among the princess's children, give her a title, and marry her off. However, Ophelia volunteered to go there to "connect the two countries and expand trade networks."
To put it nicely, it was essentially about serving as a courtier to the king of a neighboring country as a princess. The difference between her and a hostage was that she had absolutely no power or authority.
However, Eva has always been domineering and capricious, so she didn't try to persuade her.
She directly bestowed upon her daughter, who was determined to "make a name for herself," a white horse and some gold, allowing Ophelia to lead a small "caravan" into Hetuya.
"No wonder, with her around... it would be much easier to poison Aguno."
Eleanor muttered to herself, wanting to laugh but unable to: "I promised myself I'd live an upright life, but Aguno still got poisoned. Sigh."
"How is it?" Eva touched her daughter's cheek with her wine glass.
Eleanor blinked blankly: "What does Mother mean?"
“Aguno is just dead, but we still have Andra.”
Eva rose from the couch and slammed her cup down on the table. Her long, jet-black hair cascaded down like a net as she turned her head. "Take that brat to the Crown Hunt, and turn her from a wolf into a dog groveling at your feet."
"...Mother, she's not a dog."
Eleanor rose from the couch, her long legs supporting her as she looked at King Norlana at eye level. "She will be my wife."
......
Myrcella and the others paced back and forth in the corridor outside the Marigold Palace.
Whenever she saw one of her guards pass by, she would quickly hide to avoid being congratulated on her "marrying King Baelai."
She walked and walked until the sun was almost setting before she saw Eleanor returning from the long bridge.
My sister's steps were a little unsteady, her face was covered in sweat, her clothes seemed to be torn in several places, and her shoes were covered in mud.
She gripped her long sword tightly, looking furtive, as if she had rolled down a mountain for quite some time before finally tumbling down.
If it were in the past, Mysella would have jumped over and teased her, asking her sister how many tons of dirt she and her mother had eaten together.
But today she rushed over and whispered, "Hey, Lily! About that Belle thing..."
After confirming that Eleanor's gaze was on her, Myrcella cautiously asked, "You'll help me reclaim the throne someday, right?"
"..." Eleanor looked at her with surprise: "What throne?"
No, I'm already the Crown Prince, and you're still thinking about seizing the throne of Nolana? Even if we take a step back, Eva isn't dead.
Her action of rolling up her sleeves startled Mysera.
Sister Wang jumped up suddenly, patted her on the shoulder and said, "Belle, Belle! Eliza is a princess, how can she sit on the throne!"
Eleanor's eyes turned dangerous.
She began to wonder if she had been influenced by messages from her past life, and had mistakenly chosen an ungrateful child for little Eliza.
But Myrcella, with a serious expression, patted her chest and said, "This throne is too dangerous; little Eliza can't handle it. Here's what we'll do: you help me eliminate those merchant nobles, and I'll protect my wife!"
Eleanor took a breath, smiled, stepped on Myrcella's foot, and then turned and walked away.
"Hey, Lily, let me tell you, people can—"
Just as Myrcella was about to say something, she heard her sister speak without turning her head.
"If you dare say again that a person only lives once, I'll beat you to death! Then I'll introduce seventeen or eighteen princesses to little Eliza!"
With a flick of the sword into the sky, the world fell silent.
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Author's Note: Myrcella: Human... Eleanor: Interrupting the pre-cast animation.
Everyone can share what kind of side stories you'd like to see! Some side stories will be included in the bonus content section, while others will be added after the main story [rainbow fart]. The main story concludes after the events of "God of War Eleanor," and the perfect recap route will be considered a side story.
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