Chapter 225

Chapter 12 The Falling Blossoms and Flowing Water Part 2

Victoria was silent.

She stared at her disheveled mother in front of her. Her originally cold and somewhat inhuman expression gradually crumbled. A deep weariness and sorrow suddenly appeared in her beautiful eyes.

It looked as if a tightly stretched string in her heart had suddenly loosened and snapped at this moment, “snap” it struck Victoria’s heart, but she tried hard to suppress the pain.

I felt a sudden pang in my heart, feeling somewhat suffocated and uncomfortable.

Margaret whispered something to the Knight Commander, who then waved his hand to signal the Church Knights to step back to a position further away from the church door. After that, Margaret glanced at me, pointed to a spot two rows of seats away from the Empress and Victoria, and walked over to sit down.

That spot was just right—it wouldn’t interfere with their conversation, but if any unexpected situation arose, she could quickly react and take action.

I tilted my head and thought for a moment.

Though I came here to find Ellie, I didn’t expect to see such a scene upon returning to the church. Now that I’ve been linked to the Gate of Truth, I can’t just leave… Moreover, Victoria’s appearance made me feel uneasy.

Let’s see what happens first. If the situation changes, I can still help.

After making up my mind, I walked to Margaret’s side and sat down next to her.

At this moment, I heard Victoria’s slightly heavy voice.

“Mother, do you understand what this means.”

Glancing to the side, I saw the Empress smile again.

“Of course I understand.”

She raised her hand and gently combed through her already messy golden hair, tucking it behind her ears, revealing a face extremely similar to Victoria’s, yet more elegant and beautiful.

“But no matter whether you believe it or not, before that night when things happened in the capital, I understood nothing. I thought all I had to do was help Sister Teresa send someone out of the city during a special period.”

“Special period?”

“Yes, a special period.”

Sitting in armor was uncomfortable. I shifted slightly and leaned lightly against the back of the pew, my eyes fixed on the two golden-haired figures sitting opposite each other not far away, listening quietly to their conversation.

“That day… Sister Teresa suddenly said there was an urgent matter to discuss. Then she told me that the Valen Empire had sent intelligence indicating that a group of extremely wicked heretics were about to sneak into the capital. They were very powerful… She also told me that those heretics were targeting the royal family, Victoria… someone wants your life.”

The Empress spoke softly, as if a white ghost was lingering in the church.

“She asked me to stay calm and wait until the information was confirmed. But a few days later, there were two fights within the city. I saw the huge fires that rose to the sky; Teresa said that was the power of the heretics… Those people could enter so easily, and I immediately realized that there was a problem within the capital, even within the church itself. Later, she said that a major incident was about to happen in the capital, and she urged me to be mentally prepared. If something unexpected happened, I must ensure to cooperate with the church to safely escort a disguised clergy member out of the city. And as the church representative in the capital, she would certainly do everything possible to assist Her Majesty in achieving victory…”

The Empress continued talking, and Victoria listened intently.

Reckert stood silently in the shadows nearby, while Margaret closed her eyes, exuding a pleasant fragrance.

Except for the Empress’s continuous chatter, the entire church was as quiet as if the air had frozen solid.

“It’s laughable, really. I agreed without even asking. To reassure Sister Teresa, I had the personnel and carriages ready three days in advance, making thorough preparations… Then that night, I was terrified.”

“I didn’t expect it to be like this… That terrifying monster, I don’t know how to win… I can only follow what Theresa said and ensure that people are safely sent out of the city… Later, I discovered that she had deceived me.”

The Empress Dowager’s words made me shiver.

I thought about if what she said was true, then almost everything was orchestrated by Theresa alone… She had foreseen everything, arranging everything in perfect order even before we understood the situation, and then turned herself in to die for some unknown purpose.

Truly… a terrifying person.

Margaret, who was sitting beside me, suddenly spoke up: “So, Your Majesty, if what you say is true, you were misled by Theresa with her position and identity in the Church, making a wrong decision without knowing the consequences… Then, who can prove this?”

“Yes, who can prove it?” The Empress Dowager shook her head and laughed, but her gaze had already become calm. “Everyone is dead… Perhaps you could ask the guards that night. But I think, even if they were still alive, they would never admit anything… Holy Princess, I will explain all these matters to you, but now… there is something else I want to say.”

“Mother, are you saying that you did this for me?” Victoria said calmly.

The Empress Dowager looked again at Victoria’s face, her smile as thin as paper.

She did not answer Victoria, but gently shook her head.

“How long has it been since we last sat down and had a proper chat?”

“Three years ago, in spring,” Victoria replied. “We were in the palace, the honey fruit trees in the courtyard bore fruit, and you said I used to love eating them. We talked about things from a long time ago.”

“Yes. It’s rare that you remember; I’ve forgotten.” The Empress Dowager’s smile and her voice became bitter. “When you were little, you loved honey fruit so much, looking forward to the flowers blooming and fruits ripening every spring, then pestering me to make honey fruit pies for you… That was when your father was still around, and you were still a little kid, very cute… How long ago was that…”

The Empress Dowager stared at Victoria’s face, which was exposed outside her armor, lost in thought.

“A long time ago.”

Victoria’s voice remained calm, revealing no obvious emotion.

“It has indeed been a long time… Your father was always very busy, and so was I, with no time to take care of you and your brother. You two were like wild children born in the palace. Your grandfather was old, too old to even recognize his own son… Your father had just taken the throne and was full of vigor. He was like a child eager for praise, eager to do something.”

“He couldn’t stand the corrupt风气in the capital and wanted to change the status quo of the kingdom, imposing many restrictions on the nobility and publicizing the complexity of the parliament’s systems as obstacles to Ethanbell’s progress… As expected, the outcome was predictable. Although your father was brave and daring, he lacked your intelligence… He was too radical, ultimately nothing more than a hotheaded fool… He upset too many people’s interests…”

“Mother.”

Victoria interrupted her.

“Was Father’s death related to you?”

She asked the question again.

I saw the Empress Dowager’s expression visibly freeze. She lowered her head and stared at her feet for a while before muttering, “It had nothing to do with me.”

After finishing, she lifted her head again, her face bearing a pale smile.