Chapter 271

Chapter 58: Taking the Queen Out for a Play!

The dampness after the rain was light and moist, carrying the fresh scent of earth when it brushed against my face.

A shallow puddle formed at the edge of the path, reflecting my blurry figure under the faint moonlight, swaying with the wind. I couldn’t hold back lifting my skirt with both hands, tiptoeing over carefully, and stepping in cautiously.

Ripples spread out from my toes, distorting my reflection before dissipating, only to gather again after a while.

I stepped in again.

“Hey!”

This time, I put more force into it, splashing small droplets onto the surface of my shoes.

“Oh no—”

I hastily jumped back, quickly shaking my foot, but still felt water seep into my leather shoes.

“Childish.”

Victoria’s voice, as fine and soft as a gentle breeze, came beside me. I pouted a bit, feeling somewhat indignant.

How fun it is to step on water, you wouldn’t understand.

Women without a sense of childlike joy…

After shaking off the water from my feet, I turned to her and said, “Victoria.”

“Hmm?”

“That Duke…”

I tilted my head, pausing for a moment.

“You caught him tonight. Should we behead him?”

“Maybe.” Victoria replied calmly, as if talking about something unrelated to her.

“…Maybe?”

I didn’t quite understand what she meant.

“It depends on their choice.”

“Oh…” I nodded.

Then hesitated for a moment, and asked uncertainly, “Do you… not hate him?”

“Hate.”

She said this so coldly, her tone as usual emotionless.

“Then why can you… I mean, how can you…”

I didn’t know how to express myself.

Tonight’s appearance was the person who drove her mother to death, and perhaps even her father’s death was orchestrated by the Duke. If it were me, I wouldn’t be able to stay as calm as Victoria. Perhaps the moment I saw the enemy, I would tear him apart, eating him up with flesh and blood, leaving nothing behind.

I really wanted to know how she could remain so composed, as if nothing had ever happened.

So I asked, but I was afraid that my words might hurt her, so I didn’t know how to say it, but Victoria guessed my meaning.

“You want to ask why I can always appear indifferent? Even if he is a murderer, even if he threw the bloody rose crest of my family in front of me, I can remain unmoved?”

“Mm-hm.”

I nodded repeatedly, then bit my lip, “Sorry, if you think, um… I’m not trying to—”

“It’s okay.” Victoria interrupted me, “Payell. Here, you don’t have to hold back anything. Say whatever you want. I don’t want you to keep things from me, understand?”

“Um…”

In my field of vision, her golden eyes were clear and bright.

She didn’t wait for my reply and continued, “Your question is easy to answer. Imagine one day, when the people behind you are no longer just your parents, relatives, or friends, but millions of subjects looking up to you. You see their hopeful gazes, wanting to do something for them.”

A graceful figure stood quietly beneath the towering winter orchid, with lush green grass on the left and a silent night sky overhead.

Her gaze looked into the distance, where the city was lit up by countless lights.

“You see them, understanding their parents, wives, children, whether they will live comfortably tomorrow, and all their hopes for the future… You realize that everything is in your hands. Any decision you make, good or bad, will be shared by countless others, even if they know nothing about it.”

“By then, maybe you can do anything, or maybe you can do nothing. It’s either building or destruction, one breath

Between thoughts, just like that.

Victoria turned to look at me, her face as bright as the moon, her eyes like stars. The golden crown that shimmered brilliantly merged seamlessly with her hair, casting a faint glow under the moonlight, making her resemble a goddess from a dream.

But she was not one of those ethereal goddesses.

She was the Queen of Eisenbell.

“Peiluo, have you ever seen a battlefield?” After a brief silence, Victoria asked me this.

I gently shook my head. “No.”

I had only seen them in films and TV shows.

But those were works of art. No matter how real or shocking the scenes depicted, they fell far short of reality.

“I have. That’s why I don’t want to see Eisenbell陷入困境 and drenched in blood again.”

… I understood her thoughts now.

I liked it very much. I liked her being such a queen, but…

But I also understood that some things are inevitable once they come.

“What if… the Iron Guard comes, what should we do?”

“Fight back.”

Hearing Victoria’s resolute response, I blinked.

“I will do everything in my power to avoid war, but that doesn’t mean I fear it. If all efforts fail to stop it, I will choose to strike decisively… So Peiluo, please handle the workshop matters as soon as possible.”

“Mm-hm.”

I hummed softly in agreement.

I looked at that face, still radiant even in the darkness, clasped my hands behind my back, and tapped my toes twice.

“Victoria.”

“Yes?”

“Are you tired?”

“Not really.”

“But these troublesome matters every day, you must be tired.”

“So what if I am? I can’t choose to do what I like freely like you can.”

“Occasionally, it’s okay, right?”

Even if one cannot choose what they like, a little rest wouldn’t hurt anyone.

I walked over and took her hand.

“Let’s go out and play!”

“… What?” Victoria seemed confused.

Smart as she was, she couldn’t immediately grasp my sudden change of topic and stood there呆呆地, suddenly looking quite cute.

I tilted my head and thought for a moment, then rephrased. “Let’s leave here and explore. Today is your birthday… no, your coronation day. I’ll accompany you and understand the people’s sentiments.”

Now she finally understood.

“Now?”

“Now.”

“Where?”

“Wherever we want, freely. Like in the songs.”

Victoria hesitated for a moment, then her lips curved slightly upward. “Okay.”

A smile appeared in her eyes, her pupils sparkling like a mischievous little girl. It was the first time I saw her like this, and my heart involuntarily skipped a beat.

“Let’s go.”

Once decided, Victoria wasted no time. She turned around decisively, pulling me towards the guards nearby. As we walked, she took off her crown and handed it to the squad leader.

“Put it back in the palace tonight, you don’t need to follow me.”

The squad leader, trembling, received the crown with both hands, unsure of what to do. “But, Your Majesty—”

“Execute the order.”

“… Yes.”

We quickly returned to our unicorn carriage, lifting our skirts to get in. Once seated, I suddenly felt excited. “Let’s go to the market!”

“First, let’s change clothes,” Victoria said.

I looked down at my own exquisite black evening gown and then at hers, which was even more extravagant, realizing she was right.

“I know a tailor shop not far from home!”

“You decide.”

“Okay!”

I quickly told the driver our destination. As the carriage began to sway gently, the unicorn carriage slowly left the palace and headed toward the brightly lit streets.