Ch. 911..920

Chapter 911

Chapter 911

It was late at night when all was quiet.

Someone appeared in the west palace.

Martin did not let anyone accompany him as he walked slowly into the palace alone. He came to Helene's bedside and touched her dry chestnut-colored hair. Aurelia also had hair of the same color.

He took a deep breath, feeling the urge to cry rising in his throat. Time really flew by. The siblings who used to pick seashells by the beach were now both in middle age. Everything had changed, yet everything remained the same.

Helene was sleeping soundly, holding onto the small pillow even in her dreams. Martin tried to move it, but it was held too tightly, and he could not take it away. He smiled gently, tears shining in his eyes. "I know you all think I should give the throne to Aurelia, don't you?"

The light in Martin's eyes gradually returned. There were now hints of sincerity and nonchalance. He spoke to himself at Helene's bedside.

"I really didn't expect Aurelia to be your daughter and my niece.

"My throne was taken from you, so it's only fair that I return it to you...

"But Helene, being a country's ruler is no child's play. The monarchs of Southeast Aciatic may not have real power, but they represent the whole country and must be able to deal with complex international scenarios.

"Alexander grew up by my side, and I taught him everything myself. I'm very satisfied with him. But Aurelia... She grew up in the slums and never received any education. When she first came here, she couldn' even write her own name. How can the country have a queen like her?"

Helene moved a little, turning her face to the wall.

It was just like when they were children, and she would turn her back to him when they had a fight. Martin had to coax her for a long time and even give her a doll before the little princess would forgive him. Tears streamed down his face. No matter how many dolls he gave her now, she could never go back to how she used to be.

"Helene, it's all my fault." Martin sobbed in a low voice. "I promise I'll make sure Aurelia lives a good life. She'll have a lifetime of glory and wealth... but I can't give her this throne!

"Helene, I'm sorry.

"I'm sorry..."

News that Alexander was to inherit the throne quickly spread throughout Southeast Aciatic. He had the highest support and was the most popular in the previous public opinion polls in the country. Ascending to the throne now was basically what everyone expected.

This day, Cordelia was reading a storybook to Zuko at home while Zephyr was studying baby food recipes on his phone. He had promised Zuko that he would personally prepare three meals a day for him, making sure he remembered the dishes his father made when he grew up. He vowed to win over the boy's appetite to prevent him from going wild outside and not even coming home.

Cordelia laughed out loud. "Someone wanted to exile his son to the frontier last time!"

"Who said that?" Zephyr glared. "This is my son!"

He was affectionate with his son on ordinary days, but as soon as they were competing for Cordelia, his son immediately became a picked-up stray.

After studying the recipe, Zephyr hurriedly entered the kitchen and started practicing. He was inside for a long time, so Cordelia was worried that he might have turned the kitchen into a warzone again. She handed their son over to the nanny and checked on him.

Sure enough, there was not even a place to stand in the kitchen...

Mr. Z Hamerton was standing with his hands on his hips, having just finished a battle with this meal. When he saw Cordelia come in, he had a victorious smile.

Cordelia forced a smile. "Darling, what did you make?"

She leaned over to take a look and found that the appearance was not bad. The mashed potatoes were even made into the shape of a bear's head, with ketchup squeezed out for the nose and eyes. Zephyr proudly asked her to taste it. Cordelia tasted a little of the leftover mashed potatoes on the plate, and her face changed before she forced out a smile.

"How is it?"

"Well..." She could not find the right words to describe it, so she leaned toward fatherly love. "This meal is filled with a father's love, deep like the ocean and tall like a mountain..."

'As if a tsunami and an earthquake!'

Zephyr was quite proud and was ready to feed his son with it. Cordelia was just about to stop him when their butler's voice came from outside.

"Ms. Cordelia, Mr. Zephyr!"

"What's the matter?"

The butler's face was serious. "Prince Alexander is here."

Cordelia and Zephyr exchanged a glance. Alexander was already confirmed to be the next king, and he was not someone they could easily offend. However, Cordelia felt a little uneasy in her heart for a moment.

Zephyr saw through her thoughts and directly took her hand to lead her to the living room.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm meeting our guest with my wife!" Zephyr said innocently.

"He's here to see you!" Cordelia pursed her lips and smiled, shaking off his hand and walking ahead by herself.

After entering the living room, Cordelia bowed at Alexander. She was graceful and gentle, saying softly, "I know Your Highness came here today to speak to Zephyr. I won't disturb you here. You can take your time to talk."

"Don't..." Alexander quickly stopped her. "Mrs. Hamerton, please don't misunderstand!"

"Don't worry. I won't misunderstand!" Cordelia smiled openly. "You guys talk. It's easier for you to talk without me here.

"Also, you can rest assured." Cordelia looked at Zephyr with her playful doe eyes. "I'll give you a special pardon today and won't ask you any trap questions!"

Zephyr was startled and could not help but laugh lightly.

When Cordelia left, Alexander looked at Zephyr somewhat embarrassedly and lowered his eyes. After a long silence, he murmured, "Mrs. Hamerton's reasonable and understanding. I'm very happy that you have such a good wife."

Zephyr remained calm as he looked at him and kept a distance from him. "Your Highness, you can speak your mind if you have anything to say."

"I..." Alexander's lips moved, but the sentence was difficult to say.

In fact, he came today just to see Zephyr. He would soon become the king of Southeast Aciatic. When he was a prince, he could like Zephyr in secret, but as a king, the country had to be his priority in everything he did. He could no longer have any personal feelings and could no longer meet Zephyr casually like that.

Alexander took a deep breath and tried to make his pounding heart return to its normal rate.

He summoned up the courage and smiled lightly. "Zephyr, after we finish meeting today, there may never be a chance like this to meet alone again.

"I'm here today to fulfill a past wish, in a way.

"There's something I've always wanted to tell you... and that is, I like you."

Zephyr was stunned. He looked up at him with a sharp edge flashing in his eyes.

"Don't get me wrong. I just want to say this out loud." Alexander looked at him. "I just hope there will be no regrets in my life the day I put on the crown."

It was because Alexander would no longer belong to himself from that day onward—he would belong to the whole country.

Chapter 912

Chapter 912

Zephyr had a momentary look of surprise on his face.

Alexander smiled calmly and softly said, "Actually... you should've already known, right? Mrs. Hamerton's so smart she must have told you about it.

"Zephyr." Alexander looked at him seriously. "What I said today stops here. I won't bring it up again in the future.

"When I ascend the throne and we meet again, I'll be the king, and you'll be my subject. Everything between us... will follow the rules!"

Alexander smiled and wanted to shake hands with Zephyr, but the latter hesitated and did not shake it. Alexander's hand remained hovering in the air, which was slightly awkward, but it was within his expectations.

"It's okay." He put his hand down. "I've said everything I wanted to say. There are no regrets now. I'm really happy to see that you're living so well. Treasure your wife. She's a very good woman." "I know," Zephyr replied without much emotion.

"As for your son, his status in Southeast Aciatic will also be noble in the future."

"Your Highness..."

"I'll protect them." Alexander's voice was feathery soft. "I'll do my best to protect your wife and child."

Zephyr's heart clenched.

Alexander was an unexpected person in his life. He never thought that his simple act of helping back then would be remembered by him for so long.

"Your Highness, thank you for your kindness," Zephyr said seriously. "In the future, my son will spend more time in Centrolis."

"You really don't have to reject me like this." Alexander smiled lightly.

"It's not rejection, but..." Zephyr looked into his eyes. "Since we're talking about it, I'll tell you my thoughts. When I helped you back then, it was just a small matter. And I really dislike people who use their power to bully others. That's why I helped."

"I understand, I understand!" Alexander interrupted. "It's just... I couldn't control my feelings.

"Zephyr, I've been different from others since I was a child." He lowered his eyes and smiled self-deprecatingly. "Maybe I'm not really a man—"

"That's not true."

Alexander was taken aback, looking up abruptly and meeting Zephyr's deep gaze.

"During my time in Southeast Aciatic, I heard a lot about you." Zephyr looked at him. "You've done a lot of good things for the country and the people and are very loved by the people of Southeast Aciatic. You live up to the title of the prince, and you'll be a good king in the future too."

"You..." Alexander was pleasantly surprised.

This long praise actually came from Zephyr.

Zephyr smirked and reached out his hand. There was a pause before he patted Alexander on the shoulder.

"Even if your orientation is different from the norm, it doesn't stop you from being a real man and a really good person!"

"Zephyr..."

"Your Highness." Zephyr spoke sincerely. "The future of Southeast Aciatic will definitely become better and prosper under you!"

Alexander's nose stung, and a complicated feeling surged in his heart. He wanted to say something, but his throat felt stuck, and he could not say a word.

He knew that the future would be long and difficult and that there might be obstacles along the way. However, with Zephyr's words, he no longer feared anything. "Thank you." He finally squeezed out these words after hesitating for a long time.

"It's getting late. I should go back." Alexander pursed his lips and smiled lightly, turning to leave the villa and walking into the yard.

Zephyr came out to see him off, and the two of them stood in the courtyard, smiling at each other.

The night was beautiful, with a crescent moon hanging in the deep blue sky. The fireflies in the rainforest and the stars in the sky shone harmoniously.

Alexander turned his head slightly, his reluctant gaze lingering on Zephyr's sharp profile.

"Here will do," he said softly. "Your wife and son are waiting for you at home."

Zephyr clasped his hands together and bowed respectfully. "Your Highness, take care."

"Uh... Zephyr." After hesitating for a while, Alexander gathered his courage and asked, "Before I go, can you fulfill one more wish of mine?"

"Hmm?"

"Can... Can I hug you?"

Alexander's voice was very soft. He quickly lowered his head like a child who had done something wrong after he spoke.

Zephyr was stunned for a moment. He smiled and took the initiative to step forward and give him a hug, patting him on the shoulder. They then separated swiftly.

Chapter 913

Chapter 913

Alexander's mind turned blank, and his heart pounded. By the time he could react, Zephyr was smiling at him warmly.

The light hug just now represented their friendship, but to Alexander, it was a treasure he would keep in the bottom of his heart forever.

After a momentary stupor, Alexander beamed happily. His steps were lighter as well. He made his way out before turning back to wave at Zephyr again until he completely faded into the dark night. Zephyr took his time standing in the front yard.

The soft night breeze blew. He took a deep breath and hurried his way back inside. He could not wait to hug his wife and sniff her out.

A shadow flashed in the trees not too far away as a telephoto lens retracted slowly.

When Zephyr stepped inside, instead of finding Cordelia, he was greeted with an aroma from the kitchen. He smiled and strode in, hugging the busy woman from the back.

"Yikes!" Cordelia was frightened and swatted the hands on her hips right away.

"Are you a cat? How did you walk so quietly!?"

"Darling," Zephyr called her huskily with his chin perched on her shoulder.

"What?"

He did not say anything, merely smiling and calling her again, "Darling."

"What is it?"

"Darling!"

Cordelia frowned and turned around to place a hand on his forehead. "Are you sick?"

Zephyr chuckled and pulled her into his arms. He just wanted to call her. There was no other reason.

"A chat with Alexander, and you turned silly?" Cordelia rolled her eyes without heat.

Zephyr spoke honestly. "Cordelia, do you know what Alexander told me?"

"I don't want to know."

She did not want to know, but he would report it anyway.

"He said that he likes me."

Cordelia winced and stared at him with her big eyes. "And? Are you proud of it?"

Zephyr was not trying to joke with her. Instead, he asked seriously, "I want to know... your thoughts about it."

Cordelia paused, warmth coursing in her heart.

Zephyr had only lied to her once-that was pretending to be Marcus. From then on, he had said that he would not keep anything from her no matter what happened.

He did keep his promise. He had not kept anything from her and even told her about Alexander's confession.

Cordelia smiled. She gave it a thought and answered seriously, "I think Alexander's a nice guy. He didn't try to break us up and protects us however he can. We should be grateful for him."

Zephyr wrapped his arms around her waist with a gentle gaze.

Cordelia added, "And liking someone isn't a sin. To confess it so openly like Alexander did requires immense courage. I'm impressed by him."

"Really?" Zephyr smirked and pinched her nose lightly. "There aren't many who can impress Mrs. Hamerton, huh!"

"Of course! Your wife has a high standard. Regular people can hardly be considered!"

"But there are so many people who like me. Why are you only impressed by Alexander?" Zephyr stroked his chin in feigned confusion. "You couldn't wait to rip Nelly and Ava to shreds when you met them last time."

"Rip them to shreds?" Cordelia froze. "Was I so savage? I reasoned with them nicely!"

Zephyr was rendered speechless. He recalled each time Janine reasoned with him... The mother and daughter-in-law were so similar!

Chapter 914

Chapter 914

Cordelia stretched her shoulders and neck. Recently, Zuko had gained a lot of weight and turned into a little chubby ball. Plus, the little baby who had just learned to walk did not seem to like walking anymore and kept asking to be carried by his mother.

Every day, Cordelia carried Zuko, who felt as heavy as two bags of flour in her arms, so much so that she had muscle inflammation in her shoulders.

Zephyr quickly dragged her to sit comfortably on the couch and massaged her shoulders and neck.

Cordelia was not done with what she was saying, though, and continued with the previous topic. "Why don't I dislike Alexander? Because he's really nice.

"The others, like Nelly and Ava, approached you with ulterior motives, but Alexander's sincere to you." She looked up at him and smiled playfully. "Honey, your wife can always tell who's sincere no matter how silly she is."

"Oh?" Zephyr smiled and asked deliberately, "How can you tell?"

"Alexander's sincere to you like how I am to you!" Cordelia blurted.

Zephyr's heart jolted, and he looked at her tenderly, reaching out to stroke her face.

"Birds of a feather flock together," Cordelia said softly. "It's easy to sense your own kind with just one glance. So, how can those hypocrites like Nelly and Ava compare to Alexander?

"Besides, I'm not afraid of Alexander liking you." She grinned proudly.

Zephyr was pleased. "Why?"

"Because you'll always be by my side!" Cordelia turned around to go behind the couch and hugged his neck. "Because... my husband will never leave me in this life, the next life, and the life after the next!"

Zephyr felt extremely happy. Sweet delight erupted in him. He rubbed her cheek with his thumb and looked at her with deep affection.

The starlight shone through the window. The atmosphere was perfect.

However, Mr. Z Hamerton perfectly demonstrated what it meant to be carried away by one's own happiness in the next second. "Oh? Never leave you?" He was so happy that he did not know what he was saying. "Darling, you're pretty confident! Hahaha..." Cordelia's smile froze instantly.

"What do you mean?"

Zephyr suddenly came back to his senses, and a chill ran down his spine.

"Zephyr Hamerton!" Cordelia pushed his hand away. "Explain to me why I can't be confident!"

"You think I don't deserve to be so confident?" Cordelia's voice suddenly rose in pitch.

Zephyr was stunned. He wanted to cut his own tongue.

"Oh, so you can't tolerate me now?" Cordelia did not get angry but laughed. "So, you have other plans?"

"Darling!"

Zephyr knew that he had caused a big disaster. Forget kneeling on a pineapple. It would be difficult to appease her rage even if he lay on a bed of pineapples! "Cordelia, let me explain-"

"It's okay. There's no need to explain it," Cordelia interrupted calmly with a raise of her hand.

Zephyr swallowed. She seemed calm, but it felt like the calm before the storm to him.

Cordelia sat back on the sofa and casually picked up her phone, calling Rowan with a relaxed tone.

"Dad, have you had dinner? Oh, uh, Zephyr's not feeling well and needs acupuncture. Can you come over?"

Zephyr was rendered speechless.

Cordelia made another call.

"Neil, how many people are there in the elite squad of the Harrises' troops? Oh, 300-500? Do they need training? Heh! Don't be shy. Your cousin-in-law can help them practice!" Zephyr was alarmed.

Shortly, Cordelia made a third call. "Hey, Carter, are you still in the lab? Is there no one testing the new medicine you're researching? Bring it over to your brother-in-law! He has nothing to do anyway!"

Zephyr rushed into the kitchen, quickly fetched the food that Cordelia had prepared for their son, and hurried upstairs to be a caring father. The only person who could save him now was his chubby ball, Zuko!

Suzanne opened her eyes slowly. Her head felt heavy, and it hurt like needles were prickling it. She looked around. She was in the palace's secret chamber, and it was incredibly dark.

In the past, this was the place Victoria eliminated opposing forces for Carmella...

Suzanne shuddered and could not help curling into herself to back away. As she backed into the corner, the cool wall seemed to have dried blood from before.

The wooden door creaked, and footsteps coming to her rang. Suzanne froze and stared wide-eyed into the darkness.

"Oh, you're awake?" Luxurious gold-threaded shoes came to a stop in front of her.

Suzanne looked up. The owner of the shoes smirked, the smile cold and vicious.

"Your Highness..." Suzanne was weak.

Victoria crouched in front of her and grabbed her chin. Her long and sharp nails painted in red pierced into her flesh.

Suzanne gasped in pain only to hear Victoria's snicker.

"B*tch, this is the consequence for betraying me!

"Joy's under Auntie, and I can't catch her, so... you'll have to be her scapegoat!"

Victoria hacked a hard cough, and a masked person in black came in with a syringe. Suzanne, who knew what it was, paled in horror.

"No, no..." She begged on her knees. "Your Highness, pardon me. I... I just lost my rationale, I still want to serve you!"

Victoria was unfazed. "Inject it into her!"

"No!" Suzanne's blood-curdling scream echoed in the secret chamber.

Following Victoria's order, the person in black went forward to hold Suzanne down and aimed the cool syringe against the vein on her arm. Once it was injected, she would live a life worse than death. "Your Highness! Your Highness!" Suzanne begged for mercy, wailing. "Your Highness, I was wrong. Don't do it, please, Your Highness!"

Victoria smirked icily. Just when the needle was going to pierce through Suzanne's skin, she suddenly called out, "Stop!"

The person in black stopped instantly and shoved Suzanne to the ground.

Suzanne shook uncontrollably as she slumped to the ground.

Victoria padded to her and looked down at her. "Do you really want to keep serving me?"

Chapter 915

Chapter 915

Suzanne trembled in fear as she looked at Victoria with horror. This was a good opportunity...

If she continued to be stubborn and Victoria really injected that thing into her, she would not be able to resist even if she did not want to obey her. Victoria would use it to control her, and if she could not control her, she would give her an overdose and kill her!

Suzanne's teeth were chattering. Her only thought now was that she must not die.

After calming down and kneeling on the ground with her hands clasped together in a respectful bow, she said, "I've been with Your Highness since I was 15 years old, and I've worked hard all these years... I know that betraying Your Highness is unforgivable, but please give me a chance! I... I have my reasons!"

"Is that so?" Victoria sneered. "What reasons do you have?"

"It's... It's the Irwin heiress," Suzanne said, her voice trembling. "Ms. Cordelia said she could cure my little brother, but the condition was that Joy and I be witnesses..."

"I knew it was her!" Victoria gnashed her teeth and turned her hateful gaze back to Suzanne.

"Your Highness, please give me another chance! I'll do anything for you, no matter what!"

"Anything?"

"Yes!"

Victoria smiled and tossed her an envelope. Suzanne reached out tremblingly. She looked at Victoria's expression and tried to calm herself down to open the envelope. In the dim light, she saw the people in the photos clearly.

"P-Prince Alexander?

"And... Mr. Z Hamerton?"

"Hah, you have good eyes!" Victoria glanced at her. "Since you're willing to do anything, then help me with this. After it's done, I won't treat you badly!" Suzanne gulped and nodded in silence.

These days, Aurelia felt like she was dreaming as she seemed to be living in the midst of fog and clouds. It was like a dream that she would never wake up from.

All of a sudden, she found herself to be someone with power over thousands and under one in the palace. She was a presence surrounded by stars and adored by the masses.

The king had placed the crown on her head, and the dukes and counts addressed her as 'Your Highness'. Even the servants who once treated her with disdain now prostrated before her, their obsequious faces as if they were about to kiss her feet next.

Aurelia was not used to being treated this way by others. She touched the pigeon blood ruby on her crown and the embroidered dress on herself, feeling disbelief at all this. What was even more unbelievable was that the crazy Princess Helene in the west palace was her mother...

Aurelia slowly walked over and squatted in front of Helene. Helene sat on the bed, holding the same pillow and calling it baby. Aurelia's heart jolted, and her eyes turned red as tears flowed down her cheeks. After learning about her identity and background, she was shocked, and her mind went blank. When the blankness disappeared, the eruption of rage was like a volcano's. She hated it but did not know who to hate.

Should she hate Martin? Carmella? Her outrageous adoptive parents? Perhaps the one she should hate the most was fate itself...

Aurelia took a few deep breaths to hold her tears back and leaned toward Helene, calling out softly, "Mom."

Her voice was soft, and Helene was still immersed in her world, so she did not hear her at all.

Aurelia smiled and touched the pillow in Helene's arms. Helene finally felt it and slowly raised her gaze, focusing it on Aurelia for a while. Perhaps recognizing her, Helene suddenly grinned and said, "You, it's you!"

"Mm!" Aurelia nodded vigorously.

Helene suddenly remembered something and panicked. "I don't want to. No medicine!"

"Shh!" Aurelia smiled and held her hand. "We're not taking medicine. I already poured it out in the courtyard. Don't you remember?"

Helene looked around and finally smiled in relief.

"Yes, yes, it was poured out," she murmured to herself. "My girl, you're the best to me in this palace!"

The tears that Aurelia had just held back suddenly surged up again. "Mom, can you hear me calling you?"

Helene hugged the pillow, lost in thought as if she was daydreaming. Her eyes were unfocused, staring off into space.

"Never mind, it doesn't matter if you can't hear me." Aurelia lowered her head and smiled. "You're my mother anyway, and I'll rely on you for the rest of my life!"

"Hmm!" Helene looked at the pillow in her arms, murmuring, "Baby, my baby..."

"This crown was given to me by the king," Aurelia whispered. "I... I should call him uncle, right? But I can't bring myself to do it... Hah, heaps of relatives, and from the royal family no less, suddenly appeared after I had been alone for so many years. It's a bit overwhelming for me.

"Mom, how should I integrate into this family?"

Helene did not respond and continued to hold the pillow, smiling and occasionally rubbing her face against it.

Aurelia forced a smile. "Mom, it'd be so nice if you could wake up! Living alone in the basement, I often imagined having a mother by my side to protect me... I sang and danced with the nomads in the square to earn some tips, and when I returned home, I'd always imagine walking in to see my mother at home, who had made delicious food and tidied up the room... I imagined her smiling at me, buying me beautiful clothes, and tying my hair into a pretty ponytail....."

"No, no ponytail!" Helene suddenly looked up.

Aurelia was taken aback, meeting the woman's cloudy eyes.

The marks of the years had been etched on Helene's face, but her maternal love had not diminished with time. She might not know that the girl in front of her was the little baby she had once held in her arms, but the natural bond of blood family made her want to take good care of Aurelia.

The hearts of a mother and daughter were connected. She could feel the pain Aurelia had endured.

"No ponytail, not nice!" Helene shook her head seriously.

Aurelia smiled through her tears. "Then what hairstyle looks nice on me?"

"Come!" Helene gestured to her. "Turn around! Turn around!"

Aurelia pursed her lips and obediently sat on the bed to turn her back to Helene, letting her long chestnut hair fall down to her waist like a shiny waterfall. Her hair was thick and glossy.

Helene picked up a wooden comb and gently combed her hair. She then picked up two hair parts from either side of her temples to create a beautiful princess hairstyle.

Aurelia smiled happily in the mirror, her first time feeling so joyful over a hairstyle.

"You have a small face and fair skin. The princess hairstyle is the most beautiful on you!" Helene said seriously, "Don't tie a ponytail anymore. Just wear a princess hairstyle-a princess hairstyle!" "Okay!" Aurelia held Helene's hand and smoothed the messy hair at the latter's temples.

This hairstyle must have been the one Helene had when she was young. It was hard to imagine how beautiful Helene had been in the past.

Chapter 916

Chapter 916

A while later, it was time for Helene to take her medication.

Aurelia had specifically asked Rowan about this before, hoping that something could be specially made so Helene could take it without fear or resistance.

Rowan had summoned the researchers of children's medicine with a troubled look... and Helene got her special medicine. It was in the shape of a firefly, and it was candy flavored. It even had a special name -Firefly Power Pill.

Aurelia took the water and medicine from the servant and told Helene with a smile, "Time for your power pill!"

Helene was happy, but she frowned. "I've taken it for so long. Why am I still not a firefly?"

"You really want to become a firefly?"

Helene quickly nodded.

Aurelia asked, pointing at the pillow, "What about your baby when you fly away after becoming a firefly?"

Helene looked horrified and scooped the pillow into her arms without saying a word.

"Sorry, I said the wrong thing!" Aurelia hurried to explain, "Mom, when you become a firefly, your child will also become a firefly!"

"Really?"

"Yes!" Aurelia said with a smile, "Didn't you say I'm the best to you in the west palace? Do you believe what I say?"

Helene took a moment to ponder before she nodded seriously. "Yes."

"Then take the pill." Aurelia handed it to her. "You'll recover fast with the firefly power, and you can only protect your baby after you recover, right?"

Helene approved of what she said very much, so she took the pill without kicking up a fuss and even drank two big glasses of water. Rowan had said that she needed to drink more water to increase her metabolism rate so the medicine would be more effective.

Aurelia kept her company for a while, and Helene soon fell asleep.

Aurelia got up to walk out of the palace.

It was currently in the afternoon. The sun baked the ground lazily, and the plants were drooping meekly from the high temperature. The cicadas on the tree, too, were buzzing listlessly. The sky was azure without any clouds to block out the light.

Aurelia sat in the main hall where the AC ran on full blast, and five servants fanned her gently at the back. Three maids stood beside her, and two more crouched before her to serve her fruits.

As soon as she stretched her hand, feeling thirsty, the three maids beside her quickly picked up the glass from the table to place it in her hand with all smiles.

Aurelia was baffled by their care.

She had repeatedly asked them not to crowd around her like this, but the group kept repeating the same thing like a broken record, "Taking good care of Your Highness is our duty and an immense honor!" They even flashed a standard smile with eight teeth after saying that.

Aurelia winced at that and could only give up.

Despite that, the palace made her uncomfortable. She was a kitten used to freedom, and suddenly being locked in a cage-even when it was a gilded cage-this was not a world she could get used to. A maid came in to report, "Your Highness, Mr. Harris is here."

Aurelia paused. Her heart then began to thump beyond her control.

The moment Neil stepped inside, she was first dazed, staring at him before she watched him bow.

He looked so handsome when he bowed, especially with his hands clasped together and his fingertips meeting his nose. There was a rugged seduction at that moment.

Aurelia coughed and put up a front... She was still a princess. No way could she act like she had never seen a man!

This time, it was Neil's turn to be stunned.

What was the girl doing? Who was she sitting so straight and properly for? Did she not know that she looked dumb sitting like that?

Neil smiled and purposely revealed the ring on his ring finger, stroking it twice.

"I... I have to talk to Mr. Harris in private." Aurelia looked around. "Can you all leave now?"

"Well..." The servants and guards looked at each other, troubled.

Chapter 917

Chapter 917

It was not like they could defy the princess' order, so they left respectively after some hesitation. When the last guard left, he closed the door of the hall inside.

Aurelia kept up her act before breathing out in relief upon confirming that everyone at the door had left.

Neil cracked a grin and spread his long legs, about to dash over to hug her, when...

"Hold on." The girl's voice was stern.

"Mr. Harris, stand there and talk if you have something to say."

"Huh?" Neil was taken aback. What the heck had gotten into the girl?

Aurelia peeked at him. It was fun to see him being knocked back. She decided to continue teasing him.

"Aurelia, what are you trying to do?" Neil asked in a low voice.

"Aurelia?" She arched her brow. "Mr. Harris, how dare you address me by my name now?"

'F*ck!' Neil seriously suspected that the girl had secretly taken the medicine used to treat Helene.

"Come on, stop it!" Neil walked forward as he said, "It's not easy for me to enter the palace. I've only gotten to sneak in with my dad in preparation for Alexander's coronation... Aurelia, our time together is precious. Let's "

"Hey!" Aurelia tried her best not to grin. She crossed her arms in front of herself and shot him a look. "Stand back there!"

"You..."

"Why? Do my words as the princess hold no significance to you, Mr. Harris?"

Neil gripped his hands, feeling his temples throb. His rushing blood was so close to surging out of his head.

It would have been fine if the girl was being serious, but she was not! He saw the quirk on her lips just now! She was just pranking him.

"Fine, I'll stand here," Neil said through his gritted teeth. "Your Highness, anything else?"

"Well... it's like this." Aurelia forced back a smile and decided to prank him for good.

"I'm not benevolent. I hold grudges."

Neil looked at her in a daze. "What?"

"I remember you treating me as a murderer the first time we met, uncle."

"Well..."

"The second time we met, it was in the hospital, and you mocked me. You also pressed my head."

Neil was rendered speechless.

"After that, I stayed in the hotel, and you hit my head every time I got less than two sentences in with you!"

"Uh..."

"And when you gave me my Southeast Aciatic temporary residence permit in the helicopter, you threw it to me! And it hit my head too!"

Neil covered his face.

A man towering over six feet standing rooted with hands covering his face as he waited to be scolded like an elementary school student was truly a refreshing scene in the palace. "Uncle, do you have a grudge against my head?"

"Go on then." Neil chuckled genuinely. "How do you want to go about this, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth?"

Aurelia giggled and lightly stepped toward him to stand with him while he was distracted.

"How's there a grudge between us?" Aurelia's gaze was tender as she told him softly, "You're the best uncle in the world!" Neil was on cloud nine.

"Even though I'm not taking revenge..." Aurelia smiled. "We can still... settle our past score!"

Aurelia moved fast. Before Neil could react, she had gone behind him and flicked the back of his head-hard and loud!

Chapter 918

Chapter 918

Neil's eyes widened like saucers in that instant!

"You..."

He was the center of attention, adored by everyone, since he was a child. For the first time in his life, his head was hit!? Unacceptable! However, when he turned around and saw the girl giggling, his heart melted like cotton candy under the sun.

"I didn't realize your hand's so strong when you're so thin!" Neil smiled.

Aurelia jutted her chin and threw him a triumphant look.

Neil went closer step by step, his charismatic face devilish and playful. He forced Aurelia to a corner.

Like the last time, he had a hand against the wall and bowed slightly. All that was reflected in his eyes was the girl.

Aurelia's face heated up. The big hall was dead silent, and all she heard was her pounding heart.

"You... What are you doing?" She put up her princess status. "How dare you be rude to me!?"

She had no idea that she was nothing more than a feisty kitten in front of him. There was no threat, and all he wanted to do was to pick her up by the back of her neck and take a good sniff. Neil's voice was deep, like the cello. "Your Highness, I've bowed just now!"

"You... You're being rude now!"

Neil lifted his hand and showed the ring on his ring finger. "If I remember correctly, you gave this to me."

"Huh?"

"Your Highness' marriage can't be decided by yourself."

"..."

"Something so big should be left to me!"

Aurelia froze and was wrapped up in the man's arms the next second. She struggled, and her head was held down.

Neil pressed her head to his chest.

Aurelia blushed as she hit him. Her lips were pulled into a smile, and she turned her face away, letting out a full-blown grin where he could not see.

Neil's voice was husky. "Your Highness, you aren't used to the palace, huh?"

"Mm..."

"Come on. I'll take you out for some fun!"

As soon as he said that, a pillow ambushed the back of his head!

"Aacl!" Neil was extremely disgruntled by the unexpected hit.

"Who the f―" He swallowed his curse back when he saw who it was and warmly called out, "Mom!"

Aurelia was stunned by the swift change.

"Mom, you're awake?

"I'm actually here to visit you today, mom. I was just chatting with Her Highness because I ran into her in the hall just now!

"How are you feeling, mom? Still, taking the medication? Don't worry, Mr. Irwin's my uncle. He uses the best medicine on you. You'll surely be fine!

"Mom..."

Aurelia's jaw dropped.

As expected of an award-winning actor-he was amazing in changing his attitude!

Despite that, it did not seem to work with Helene.

Chapter 919

Chapter 919

Helene stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at Neil. Then she quickly ran over to Aurelia in an attempt to keep the two of them apart with her frail body.

Neil did not dare to act up in front of her and obediently stepped back, nearly covering his head with his hands.

"Bad man! Bad man!" Helene puffed out her cheeks. "It's the same bad man as last time, bullying my baby!" Neil could not explain himself. It seemed like all the "moms" he had just called were in vain!

"Mom, it's not like that," Aurelia said awkwardly with a soft voice. "Uncle didn't bully me. He..."

She suddenly remembered something and looked at Helene in surprise and joy. "Mom, you recognize him!?"

Helene's mind was unclear, and she often did not recognize people, but she recognized Neil as the bad guy from 'last time'...

Aurelia was so happy she almost shouted out loud.

"Mom!" She hugged Helene. "It looks like Mr. Irwin's medicine really works. You've improved a lot from before!"

"Mr. Irwin..." Helene became confused again and turned to look at Neil, muttering, "No, no, he's not Mr. Irwin. I know Mr. Irwin. I saw him when I was young. He's much more handsome than him!" Neil froze up instantly, his brain buzzing.

Never mind that he could not compete with his father. He could not even win the Southeast Aciatic pufferfish!?

He did not know if there would be more blows coming from Helene later.

"Hmph, bad guy!" Helene glared at him again, grabbing Aurelia's hand tightly and whispering, "Girlie, come back with me... Don't hang out with him! He's a bad man!"

"Let's tell General Harris and let General Harris deal with him!"

"Girlie..." Helene whispered, "General Harris has guns. He's specially trained to deal with bad guys!"

"Pft!" Aurelia laughed so hard she bent over. She made a funny face at Neil before obediently following her mother.

She had been deprived of motherly love for 18 years, so she cherished this feeling. Neil could only stand aside for the time being... It was not like he could run away!

Neil looked dazedly at the mother and daughter's backs as if he had suffered a 10,000-point attack. He sighed deeply before he smiled and turned to walk out of the palace.

The plan had been going well. He was going to secretly take Aurelia out of the palace, change themselves into something more casual, and the two of them would go out and have fun like a regular couple. They could go to the amusement park, where she could ride the carousel, and he could take pictures of her. The ice cream cone would melt under the sun slowly, the colorful cotton candy would be squashed in her hand, and she would eat it messily. Her happy giggles would become a diamond permanently embedded in his heart.

Now, though...

Noah was still in Martin's study, and the edict seemed to take a while to draft.

Neil had nowhere to go, so he wandered aimlessly into the palace. A small part of the palace was specifically opened to the public, attracting a large number of tourists from all over the world every year, but this area was separated from the main part of the palace.

Bored, Neil walked toward the open area. Like other tourists, he bought a ticket and walked in.

The area was quite fun-it was without the solemnity and oppression of the main palace and exuded a more tolerant vibe.

The place was bustling with people of different skin and hair colors. Various languages could be heard chattering and laughing as they enjoyed this beautiful afternoon to the fullest.

Neil was about to take a selfie and send it to Aurelia when he saw someone following him on the screen.

His heart skipped a beat. He turned around, but the person seemed to have disappeared.

He furrowed his brow, and his first thought was there was a paparazzo there... so he pretended to continue taking selfies. When he raised his phone again, sure enough, he saw someone sneaking behind him on the screen!

This time, Neil did not hesitate at all. He turned around and rushed over. The person was startled and ran forward, but Neil grabbed the person's shoulders and flung the person before the person could run far. "Ah!" cried the woman and fell to the ground, still remembering to use her hat to cover her face while she fell.

The commotion here attracted many onlookers. Neil was about to call the security guard, but he heard the woman call him shakily, "M-Mr. Harris, it's me!"

Neil was stunned.

"Mr. Harris, can we talk somewhere else? I have something important to tell you!"

Chapter 920

Chapter 920

Neil composed himself and crouched down to lift her hat, revealing that it was actually Suzanne!

"Your face..."

Suzanne looked sad and frantic, quickly wrapping her veil around herself to cover the scars on her face.

Neil bit his lips, already guessing what had happened.

"This isn't the place to talk." He helped her up. "Let's go somewhere quiet."

Suzanne trembled all over as if she was afraid of the light. Her hat and veil covered her completely as she followed Neil timidly.

The two of them arrived at a cafe outside. Neil asked for the shop to be cleared, and the owner served Suzanne a cup of milk tea.

Suzanne instinctively flinched when the owner put the milk tea on the table. Neil's brows furrowed, thinking of the scars on her face. "Mr. Harris..." Suzanne calmed down. "I was taken by... Princess Victoria."

Neil's heart dropped.

Actually, the Irwins had sent people to protect Suzanne and Joy after the court trial ended. Now that Carmella was sentenced, Joy could pull herself out of the whirlpool unscathed, but why was Suzanne... "Because my brother's still in the hospital." Suzanne's voice was quivering. "I went home to get some daily necessities one day, but I didn't expect Princess Victoria's people to be waiting for me at home. I was careless that day. I left the bodyguards to look after my brother at the hospital, so I didn't have anyone with me. That's how I was caught."

"And then?" Neil narrowed his eyes.

Suzanne lifted her veil to reveal the bloodied scars that were shocking to behold.

"These are all done by Her Highness." She teared up. "Her Highness asked me to help her. If I don't, she'll inject me with drugs... I agreed to help her, and that's how I escaped."

Neil's guard was up instantly. "What did she ask you to do?"

Suzanne took out a few photos.

The two people in the photos were Zephyr and Alexander. Although they were taken from a distance, the two people were still easily recognizable. The angle the photos were taken in was also specially considered. The completely normal embrace was captured in a way that looked like there was some ambiguous relationship between them.

Neil was stunned. There was a bad feeling in his heart. On the surface, he remained calm and smiled slightly. "That's all?

"Alexander's close to both the Harrises and the Irwins. He's also Zephyr's schoolmate. It's not surprising for them to hang out. What can a few photos prove?"

"Mr. Harris, don't you... understand?"

Neil was taken aback.

Suzanne chuckled bitterly. "You're well aware of it, actually. There's no need to hide it between us. You know very well what kind of person Prince Alexander is!"

"You..."

"If Prince Alexander were to inherit the throne, he wouldn't be able to marry a queen in a conventional way, would he? Moreover, Southeast Aciatic is conservative and will not accept such a king!" "What do you mean by that?" Neil's face darkened. "Are you saying that Alexander is not fit to be king? Hah, whether or not he can be king is not for you to judge!"

"I know it's not my place, but that's what I wanted to tell you today, Mr. Harris!" Suzanne was emotional. "This is all arranged by Princess Victoria. She took these photos and asked me to spread this news..." Suzanne took out her phone and scrolled through many accounts.

"Her Highness asked me to register all these. She also asked me to hire paid keyboard warriors to stir the public opinion online!

"She wants everyone to know that Prince Alexander is not a normal man! She wants to ruin Prince Alexander!"

Neil clenched his fists and gnashed his teeth.

"Mr. Harris, I wanted to go to Ms. Cordelia and Mr. Zephyr after I escaped... but the Irwins are far away, and all the tickets here are registered under real names. If I took the bus there, it'd be easy for Her Highness to track me down!

"Later, I heard that you came to the palace with General Harris today, so I waited for you.

"Mr. Harris..." Suzanne burst into tears. "Princess Victoria's ruthless. I can't possibly serve her anymore! My only concern now is my brother..."