Chapter 6 The Innocent Noble Lady
1358 Words
On Gwen's beautifully contorted face, her smile was icy.
The vast hall fell silent in an instant.
"You're too tense," she said with a smile, instructing the maid to bring Allen a fresh cup of hot tea. "I don't think I'm that dreadful, do I?"
"What I meant was, the royal family could assign a capable assistant to aid you... It's quite a burden to oversee such a vast region alone, isn't it?"
She spoke softly, her words tinged with concern.
The tense atmosphere that had just solidified melted away instantly. In Gwen's ice-blue eyes, there was a gentle shimmer.
Had she meant this all along? Allen breathed a sigh of relief, hearing his heartbeat in his chest.
Knowing full well that such words could be misunderstood, she still said them. Meaning she deliberately wanted him to misunderstand.
Firstly, to warn him. If the governance was not up to standard, the royal family could revoke everything from him at any time.
Secondly... to plant a royal spy by his side.
Both were in the royal family's best interest. It was undeniably clever.
It seemed the rumors in the capital were not unfounded.
The rumors in the capital went, "Princess Gwen is the sharpest arrow in the eldest prince's quiver."
Allen had once thought they were just flattering her.
It was well-known that princesses were the symbols of the kingdom's beauty. Most of them were made up of sugar, crinolines, and jewels. Affable, gentle, and beautiful... they were a collection of wonderful adjectives, yet had nothing to do with "power."
But facing Gwen, he genuinely felt a treacherous sense of crisis.
"Ugh... Princess Gwen is so scary..."
Sia bit her lower lip, listening intently to the conversation between Gwen and Allen, thinking to herself.
Although she couldn't understand the serious topics they were discussing, like famine and public safety, from her brother's terrified expression, Princess Gwen was reprimanding him, right?
Her brother was already trying his best. Sia pouted, her face screwing up into a ball.
"What's wrong?" Gwen perceived the change in her expression and looked at her. "Are you not feeling well?"
Sia was startled and shrunk back, afraid to reply.
"Sia?" Allen quickly called out to her.
"P-Princess, I'm fine..." Sia shook her head, trying to calm her panic and flashing a sweet smile.
"You haven't introduced her to me yet," said Gwen, glancing at Sia. "Who is this lady?"
Sia was endearing. With a round face, round eyes, and delicate skin, she looked like she had been pampered since birth.
"She's my younger sister, Sia Carell," Allen introduced. "She's young and doesn't know the rules. Please forgive her."
"If it weren't for her pestering to meet you, I wouldn't have brought her here so abruptly," he smiled apologetically.
Why did her brother say that about her? Sia felt a bit upset. Since meeting Princess Gwen, her brother's eyes had been glued to her, ignoring Sia completely.
"Since she's a lady of the Carell family, I naturally have no reason to blame her. Besides, she hasn't offended me," Gwen said softly. "Did you understand the things we just discussed?"
Sia swallowed, furrowing her brow, nodding half-understandingly. "Princess, can I ask you for a favor?" Sia made a decision, looking Gwen in the eye, her watery big eyes looking pitiful.
What's going on with her? Allen wondered. Could it be she wanted to ask Princess Gwen for help, that's why she insisted on coming?
Gwen didn't take her words seriously. What outrageous request could a little girl make?
"You can ask. I'll do my best," Gwen said.
"If it's Princess Gwen, you can definitely do it," Sia exclaimed, her face flushing with excitement.
"I want to ask you to revoke the deportation order for the refugees."
Sia's words shocked everyone in the room.
The "deportation order" targeted refugees who had illegally fled to the territory of Linxi from the war zone between the neighboring kingdoms of Salir and the warring kingdoms of Fodelra and Linxi.
When one door catches fire, the fish in the adjacent pool suffer. The long-standing dispute between the two kingdoms had caused a large influx of refugees into Linxi, causing numerous problems.
In fact, the deportation order for refugees was issued personally by Gwen after her inspection tour of the Westmin region.
Sia's "request" for Gwen to revoke the "deportation order" was essentially a public challenge to the royal family.
Interesting... Lancaster arrived late, his emerald eyes filled with interest.
How would she handle this?
He had changed into the black and red uniform of the knightly order. Standing beside Gwen, he looked more like her knight commander than Eyle.
Meryl thought to herself, He looks barely decent in this outfit, just about worthy of our princess.
Seeing that Gwen didn't respond, Sia thought she hadn't explained clearly and continued.
Her voice was urgent. "Please... those refugees are really pitiful..."
Sia thought of those people, pallid and homeless, being driven away by the military, and she was close to tears.
They had lost their homes, so why couldn't they stay and live in Linxi?
Sia couldn't understand. She felt that this was a cruel order. Princess Gwen, who was so kind, shouldn't do such evil deeds.
Gwen watched the tears welling up in her eyes without hesitation and spoke decisively.
"This is the king's decision. I have no authority to change it."
The "deportation order" for refugees was one of the policies proposed by Tier and her to Sifus, which couldn't be revoked just like that. Looking at the innocent Sia in front of her, Gwen suddenly felt nostalgic.
She had once been like this too.
"But...!" Sia still wanted to convince her. Meeting Allen's warning gaze, she hesitated but continued regardless. "Princess, are you a cruel person?"
Gwen:... No, the cruel person is standing behind me. The one with green eyes.
If Sia had offended Lancaster instead of her, she would probably have been dragged away and executed already. That tyrant wasn't one to show mercy to women.
She didn't want to entangle with Sia further. But she didn't expect Sia to cry harder and her words to become even more outrageous.
The innocent Sia was tears-eyed.
"How can a cruel person rule Linxi?"
Allen was on the verge of a breakdown. He regretted bringing Sia and even more so for not shutting her up in time.
If these words angered Princess Gwen, he couldn't save Sia's life!
But Gwen didn't get angry as he had imagined.
She suddenly smiled, a hint of desolation in her smile.
Gwen thought of Lancaster from her past life. Everyone said he was cruel, but it was this cruel person who swept through the human kingdoms and achieved unification.
She also thought at that time that Lancaster was unworthy of ruling the empire.
Until the war flames reached the soil of Linxi. Dean was killed in battle, and Lancaster fought all the way to the capital...
She woke up from her dream.
Hadn't she been as naive as Sia then? Hoping for so-called "kindness" and "mercy"...
"Your sister is very cute," Gwen said, resting her chin on her hand.
Seeing her smile, Meryl stepped forward and handed Sia a handkerchief to wipe her tears.
How dare she be so presumptuous as to give the princess orders?
Sia cried in hiccups.
Allen's eyes met hers unexpectedly, and he could only awkwardly nod.
It seemed that the princess was not angry?
"I can't explain it to you clearly in a short time..." Gwen opened the investigation report submitted by the knightly order yesterday and flipped through it.
"But I think you're a smart girl and should be able to understand..."
Flipping to a page, she neatly tore it out and placed it lightly in front of Sia.
It was a message about refugees invading land and disrupting public safety.
Sia quickly wiped away her tears. Before she could read the tiny, dense words on the paper, Allen yanked her up and forced her to bow.
"My sister was out of line, Princess," Sia apologized, mimicking her brother. But she still felt unconvinced in her heart.
Wasn't she right?!
- Writer
