Inside the Sekt family’s mansion, a large patch of pansies was in full bloom.
Madam Donna Sekt, gracefully walked down the corridor, casually handing her mink shawl to the manservant beside her, and then took off her elegant lace feather hat.
“Donna?” The old master of the Sekt family in the garden straightens up, puts down his gardening scissors, and calls out with a frown, “Donna!”
Donna stopped with a cold expression, hearing her old father muttering behind her, “What’s wrong with you these days? You’re not home all day, your face is pale as a ghost, Emilia is worried about you.”
Donna stood silently, the bright sunlight making her face even more delicate. She said indifferently, “You’re overthinking, Dad, I’m fine.”
The woman’s tone was flat, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll go first, Emilia is waiting for me.”
“What did you say? Donna, stand still!”
Old Sekt jumped up in anger, threw his gardening scissors on the ground, “What do you mean by overthinking, you’ve been out messing with men every day for years, is that me overthinking too!?”
“There should be a limit to fooling around, you’re going to lose all the face of the Sekt family! Wait until the day when General Xie can’t stand you, I see…hey, stand still! I’m old, can’t control you anymore, can I?”
Donna doesn’t care at all, leaving the furious old Sekt behind her.
She returned to her bedroom. Pushing open the door, the room was very dim, all the curtains were drawn.
Donna changed out of her high heels studded with small diamonds in the dark, walked to the bed, and could vaguely see a bulge in the quilt.
“..…”
Donna sigh softly, reached out to pull open the quilt, and sure enough, saw her little daughter with her hair rolled into a bird’s nest.
Xie Yinxing looked up with a sad face, she reached out both hands to hook Donna’s neck, “Mom has been acting strange lately, did Emilia do something wrong?”
“How could it be?” Donna looked at her daughter steadily, complex emotions rolling in her eyes like clouds, “Of course not, Emilia is a good girl… she’s Mom’s most important treasure.”
Donna kissed her daughter’s forehead, turned around to take a comb from the dressing table, sprayed a bit of her favorite hair conditioner, and sat by the bed to comb Xie Yinxing’s hair.
“Mom has just been too busy recently.” She said gently and patiently, “So might be a bit tired.”
Xie Yinxing seemed to understand, “Oh…”
Donna thought for a moment, then said, “By the way…I saw your father today.”
Xie Yinxing’s eyes lit up instantly, “Really? Was it really Dad?”
“Mm, but it was just a brief projection, we didn’t get to talk.”
Donna’s eyes spaced out for a few seconds, she said softly, “He is still…the same.”
After combing her hair, Donna let her palm fall from Xie Yinxing’s hair, stroked her cheek, and finally slid to her shoulder and arm.
She casually pinched her daughter’s arm, feeling the hard lump under the delicate skin.
“Mom?” The girl tilted her head in confusion.
In the dim light, Donna’s curled eyelashes trembled twice, and a struggling look appeared in her eyes from an angle that her daughter couldn’t see.
“Emilia…my star.” She closed her eyes and murmured softly, “Mom loves you.”
Suddenly, the bedroom door was politely knocked, and the voice of the manservant came from outside, “Madam, His Excellency Lance is visiting.”
Donna raised her head, “Lance? Audrey Lance?”
Manservant: “Yes, Madam.”
Donna nodded, smoothed her curly hair, and the proud and cold temperament was once again withdrawn around her, “I understand. Please ask him to wait in the west hall for a while.”
The manservant opened his mouth to respond, and the footsteps on the opposite side of the door moved away.
Donna stood up, patted Xie Yinxing’s head, “Emilia, wait here for Mom to finish her business.”
****
In Aslan Star City, the military headquarters suddenly sounded an alarm for the launch of a large mecha.
The S-class mecha “L-Gyrfalcon” rose from the top of the building, the huge shadow gradually shrank, and it quickly climbed high with the whirlwind.
Named after the God of Ten Thousand Eagles, this mecha was cold gray all over, interspersed with white and dark blue patterns, equipped with four mecha cannons and two high-energy particle shields, it was the exclusive mecha of Chen Hanke, the Imperial Honorary Grand Marshal.
The cockpit of the L-type mecha was extremely spacious, with a total of six seats.
The main driving seat was in the front, where the old marshal Chen sat. Two co-pilot seats, each occupied by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the leader of the Black Shark Base.
The remaining three auxiliary seats, from right to left, were occupied by Jiang Jianming, Kevin, and Diana.
Looking at it this way, the composition of this cockpit was quite subtle. Looking at the front row alone, it seemed to be a collection of the strongest forces of the empire; but looking back…good heavens, a disabled human, a boy who hadn’t graduated from military academy, and a weak lady who was already crying.
The analysis slot contained that gem, it had been cut open, revealing the transparent crystal block inside, a beam of scanning light swept over its surface, the S-level intelligence “Tyr” was printing a row of data on the screen.
It was the culprit of this emergency dispatch of L-Gyrfalcon, which even alarmed the crown prince and the chief.
Ryann looked at the gem, suppressed his eyes, and asked the base leader sitting next to him, “So, what is this exactly?”
“It’s hard to explain, you can understand it this way: it is an incomplete state of dead crystal, or a real crystal ore that can be stimulated at any time.”
The black-clothed chief sat upright in the driver’s seat, looking at the rows of data on the screen, and said, “Or to put it bluntly, a time bomb, the button is in the hands of the enemy. This is the technology of the old empire, and the base has only started to try to restore it in recent years.”
Ryann didn’t understand, “A time bomb type, a dead crystal that can be activated remotely at any time? What is the principle?”
Chief: “The principle is the conscious connection between crystal particles, you don’t need to understand too deeply, unless you want to go to the base for scientific research.”
“Anyway,” Old Marshal Chen said calmly, “the situation has already made me very worried. Now we must immediately control Donna Sekt and the people behind her, otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable.”
As soon as he said this, the few people who had seen big winds and waves were fine, but Kevin and Diana both showed horror on their faces, and their faces faded a layer of blood.
Jiang Jianming adjusted his military cap and sighed helplessly, “Old Marshal, don’t scare people.”
Old Marshal Chen laughed in response, raising his white eyebrows, “But there’s no need to be afraid. The Golden Sun Wheel has already gone in the direction of the Sekt family. I asked His Highness the Crown Prince to come over, just worried that too strong opponents will appear again.”
Jiang Jianming glanced at Ryann and knew things in his heart.
Well, commonly known as field suppressor.
The old marshal asked again, “How is the practical application of the technology to crack the mecha interference wave?”
“Um… it’s like this.” Jiang Jianming thought for a while and answered. He had been mixing with the Golden Sun Wheel these days and was a first-line insider.
“The base has already made a system to crack the interference, but the time is too tight and it has not been able to be widely popularized. In the Golden Sun Wheel mechas stationed in Aslan Star City, there should be less than a hundred B-level and above models equipped with the cracking system.”
Ryann said, “That’s enough. This is in Aslan Star City, and there won’t be too many enemies. If an enemy with a high-level crystal bone appears, I will solve it.”
After speaking, His Royal Highness’s emerald eyes looked at Jiang Jianming, frowning and emphasizing, “Remember your duty, be good.” Jiang Jianming read dissatisfaction from Ryann’s eyes. No wonder, he didn’t need to do anything this time, actually, he shouldn’t have come.
He explained, “I’m just worried about Audrey.”
Diana shrank in a corner, clutching the seat belt tightly with both hands, and trembled violently when she heard the words.
Kevin sat on pins and needles next to him, apologized with a hoarse voice, “I’m sorry, it’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have let His Excellency Lance…I shouldn’t have let him take risks alone.”
The black-clothed chief turned to look at Diana and suddenly said, “Little girl, you remind me of myself in the past.”
Diana raised her head from her panic and timidly asked, “What?”
“Being protected, weak, innocent, pitiful, year after year, but thinking that it’s called being true to oneself, that one is naturally like this.”
The chief gave a light laugh, and the electronic sound processed this laughter into a very strange fluctuation.
“Has anyone ever told you that it’s okay to be weak because he will protect you?”
Diana: “Ah…”
“Eight out of ten people who say that are liars,” the chief said gloomily, “If you believe it, when one day he leaves you…”
“No! You–you’re talking nonsense!!” Diana jumped up as if she had been whipped, her face flushed, and she stammered angrily, “Don’t say…”
“The most innocent period of a person is when they are a baby, but a baby can only become an adult by growing up.”
The chief simply said, “If you also have someone you want to protect, you can’t be content with the status quo.”
“?” Ryann turned his head inexplicably, his voice cold, “What are you talking about?”
He instinctively disliked the chief’s expression and was worried about stimulating Jiang Jianming. This disabled human had done too many “not content with the status quo” things.
Anyway, it’s not the first time he’d argued with the chief, so the crown prince naturally continued, “As long as…”
But the chief suddenly turned her head, her aura suddenly becoming stern, “Kaios!”
There seemed to be a struggle of all kinds of emotions in her tone, but the black mask covered all her expressions.
The crown prince was taken aback, what’s going on, he couldn’t judge.
The words he wanted to say were interrupted, what he wanted to say was–as long as you have enough strength, of course, you have the right to protect the people around you and let them live innocently and freely.
But he heard the chief sigh and said softly, “First take care of your own crown princess, Little Highness.”
****
Inside the Sekt family’s mansion.
After Donna left, the bedroom returned to quiet. Xie Yinxing sat boredly on the edge of the bed, swinging her legs alone.
She hummed a popular song recently, then took out that small pistol from under the pillow and played with it for a while, but soon put it down boredly, puffing up her cheeks sullenly.
Perhaps because she was still too young, there were many things she didn’t understand.
For example, where did the friendly His Excellency Laurent disappear to, why did mom start to become increasingly depressed, and what was she going to talk to the big brother of the Lance family.
This is clearly very strange, Xie Yinxing thought to herself.
Didn’t Mom and His Excellency Lance just attend the ceremony together at the palace?
If there is something important, why not say it clearly before?
Xie Yinxing was troubled for a while, then suddenly jumped off the bed.
The west hall, she knew there was a way to get in from outside.
This is not doing something bad, it’s all because Mom doesn’t care about her every day, she can’t help but be curious and want to eavesdrop.
The next thing was a breeze, Xie Yinxing changed into a light outfit, ran out of the bedroom. The weather outside was very good, everything was normal, she greeted her grandfather in the garden, and turned into a small path.
Then, the little girl crawled under a pansy, patted the “soil”, and a square steel plate as wide as an adult’s arm on one side was revealed.
The large mansions of noble families often have these secret passages, which were used for escape in case of emergencies. If people were trapped in the mansion, they could go straight outside from here.
What was surprising was that Xie Yinxing just pushed it lightly, and the steel plate slid open. It was actually not sealed.
Xie Yinxing bit her lip in confusion: Eh, has someone been in the secret passage?
Could it be that Mom just went into the west hall to see the guests from the secret passage?
This is even stranger, and it’s not polite, mom wouldn’t do that.
It can’t be that someone else went in…
If it were an ordinary girl of this age, she might have started to feel panicked at this point.
But Xie Yinxing had been wild since she was a child, and she was not afraid. She rolled up her sleeves, stepped into the secret passage, and even closed the steel plate behind her.
Inside was a dark corridor, Xie Yinxing was not afraid, she had crawled through it countless times since she was a child, and treated it as a kind of “adventure game”, imagining herself and her father exploring in the dangerous environment of the Far Star.
A few minutes later, a piece of wall in the depths of the west hall moved, and then was pushed open.
The little girl crawled out of the secret door, patted the dust, and looked around.
“Your Excellency Lance, you flatter me.”
It was Mom’s voice.
Xie Yinxing quickly hid herself behind a large sculpture, watching her mom and Audrey Lance talking and walking over from a distance.
“I know, I’m not suitable for Xie Yuduo.”
“He is a genius and a hero. Nothing can stop his longing for the sea of stars. In this era, in a certain sense, he is one of those giants who stand out from the crowd.”
Behind the sculpture, Xie Yinxing’s little face flushed, she pressed hard against her pounding chest, and breathed lightly.
She had never eavesdropped on her mom and guests talking, and now her heart was beating so fast that she was afraid her mom would hear her heartbeat.
“But I’m not, I’m just an ordinary woman. At most, I’ve gained some light from my family background and become an ordinary lady.”
The round-bellied vase decorated in the west hall was very shiny, reflecting Donna’s bitter smile. She said softly, “If you want to find a substitute for me, you just need to go to the upper-class ball in Aslan Star City, stand on the second floor and pour a cup of juice down. All the ladies who scream are no different from Donna Sekt in essence.”
The silver-haired youth’s face was as calm as water, “Madam Sekt, please don’t say that.”
“When General Xie was not around, you single-handedly held up the declining Sekt family and raised little Emilia.”
Donna’s bitter smile deepened, she raised her hand to touch her cheek, her expression bleak. “But I feel very tired, Your Excellency Lance.”
“I simply don’t have the ability to handle everything well, I can’t remember how many times I’ve broken down in the middle of the night, thinking how nice it would be if my husband could be by my side, to be my support.”
“I hope he gives up his dreams and career, no longer being the youngest general in the empire, just being a husband who accompanies his wife and daughter, then he would be as mediocre as me.”
“But I don’t even dare to say these words to Emilia… Xie Yinxing, because I don’t dare to let my daughter know that her mother’s heart is so low.”
“You see.” Donna said self-deprecatingly, “I’m just such a woman who looks glamorous on the surface, but is actually weak.”
Audrey shook his head. “You did nothing wrong, this is human nature.”
The two had already walked into the west hall, only a dozen meters away from the sculpture where Xie Yinxing was hiding.
Donna casually touched the newly inserted flowers in the vase on the cabinet head, suddenly turned around, and said with a sad expression: “But truly strong people wouldn’t be so weak, right? Like you, His Excellency the Crown Princess.”
Audrey insisted, “People should not be deprived of the right to be weak, no matter what her background is, or who she marries.”
He lowered his head and smiled, a boundless tenderness in his eyes, “I once said this to my sister.”
Donna’s fingers trembled, she pursed her red lips, it seemed that one of Audrey’s words had cut open the soft piece of meat in her heart.
Audrey: “I originally promised Diana that I would go jewelry shopping with her this afternoon. Because we chose the dress for the ceremony together yesterday, she complained that she lacked a bracelet that could match the dress.”
“…” Pain flashed in the woman’s eyes, but when Donna raised her head, her face was still very calm.
“So you should go, go back, Your Excellency Lance.”
Audrey shook his head. “There’s still time, perhaps, you can recommend some styles?”
His gaze fell on Donna’s wrist. “Your ruby bracelet is beautiful.”
Donna reflexively covered her wrist, hearing Audrey laughingly say: “But it seems…one of them is missing?”
“You should go, Your Excellency.” Donna’s expression became cold.
Audrey: “But there’s still time.”
Donna’s voice had a barely noticeable tremor. “This is advice.”
Audrey suddenly stopped, and asked seriously, “Madam Sekt, what is the most important thing to you?”
Donna’s eyes welled up with tears, she softly bit her words. “It’s my daughter.”
“Now, my only treasure is my daughter. So…do you understand, Your Excellency? For Emilia, I will do anything, even if it’s evil, even if it’s treason, I will do it.”
Audrey: “You won’t, Madam Sekt.”
Donna: “I will.”
Audrey: “But your ruby bracelet is missing a bead, isn’t it?”
Donna was taken aback, her eyes rippling.
“What?”
Audrey’s expression was solemn, he continued, “If on a dark rainy night, ‘accidentally’ drop a bead behind you, even if there is another person watching by your side, presumably the other party would not be able to detect it.”
“But if the next day is sunny, the sunlight reflects on the gem, it’s not difficult to find it, am I right?”
Donna’s pupils dilated slightly. “You…”
“Today’s ceremony is so important, you couldn’t possibly have not noticed that the bracelet you were wearing was incomplete, but you still wore it around.”
Audrey took a step forward, word by word, “Why is that? Are you hoping that someone will find the gem dropped in Laurent’s Mansion and then suspect you!?”
“…”
“——Madam Sekt!”
Audrey’s voice was stern, he took another step forward, reached out, and abruptly tore off the ruby bracelet on Donna’s wrist!
The rubies scattered all over, falling crisply on the floor, bouncing non-stop.
“As long as people are still willing to ask for help, they will definitely be heard; if you are in trouble, the empire will never abandon you. Please believe me!”
Donna’s red lips trembled, quivered, and the tear that had been held in her eye socket finally fell, dragging a sad streak on the lady’s cheek.
“Is that so…Thank you.”
“But it’s already,” she raised her face, closed her eyes in sorrow, “already, too late——”
Footsteps suddenly came, very abrupt in the spacious west hall.
The comer did not come in from the direction of the main door, but from the other side… the direction inside the west hall.
Audrey suddenly turned his head, staring at Donna in surprise.
It was Donna who signaled the servant to bring him to the west hall.
But in this hall, there was already someone else early on?
This person, has he been listening to their conversation just now!?
At this moment, Xie Yinxing, hiding behind the sculpture, had a pale face, and the girl forcefully covered her mouth with her trembling little hands.
“…..”
Even if she didn’t know what exactly happened, but the implications vaguely revealed in the conversation between her mom and His Excellency Lance just now, that sense of fear of the devil’s claw coming from the shadows, was enough to make this young child completely stop thinking.
Thud, thud…the sound of boots stepping on the floor.
Getting closer and closer.
A tall middle-aged man, dressed in a deep blue nobleman’s outfit, holding a cane, leisurely walked in.
He had kind eyebrows and a handsome face, who else could it be if not the long-lost Gerhard Laurent!?
“You are too reckless, Your Excellency Audrey Lance.”
Laurent looked at Audrey, first bowed ceremoniously. “When you perceive danger, you should protect yourself as soon as possible.”
Audrey quickly turned around, abruptly pulled out the gun from his waist, and sneered with his teeth. “Laurent… it’s really you!”
Laurent: “The guards of the Lance family are very good, I’m sorry for this matter, but they died peacefully.”
Audrey’s eyebrows suddenly burst into anger. Laurent looked at Donna Sekt again, at this time she was already pale, shaking like a sieve.
“As for…..Madam Sekt,” Laurent smiled, “Actually, you are braver than I thought.”
“It turns out that a few days ago, you voluntarily agreed to wear this dangerous piece of jewelry, and plotted such a clever plan.”
“But you are not really a smart person, because…haven’t I said it?”
Laurent sighed as if regretfully, “In the right arm of Xingxing, I quietly buried a semi-activated dead crystal a few years ago, I can turn your lively and lovely daughter at any time…”
“Into a combination of rotten meat and crystal blocks.”
