Chapter 571

The strong bitterness made him frown slightly.

But the rich vitality brought by the decoction did make his pale face redder.

Pink Bear looked at him and suddenly sighed:

"Look at yourself, you are almost older than me."

"Since you know you are old, you shouldn't be an old cow eating young grass. How does it feel to pick up someone who should call you uncle?" Aldridge III retorted.

"Who... who is an old cow eating young grass! I am only 2... a little over 20 years older than her. Is this a big difference?"

Pink Bear beat his chest and stamped his feet, with a look of grief and indignation, "And what is picking up? It was obviously that bastard woman who took the initiative to stick to me. I can't get rid of her. It's because of her that I can't even see my most cherished saint photo recently!"

"It seems that the former saint has indeed untied your knot a lot."

Aldridge III put down the medicine bowl, glanced at him, and then his eyes subconsciously fell on his hands.

As he raised his hands, his sleeves naturally slid down a little, revealing half of his wrists.

On that wrist, there were cracks like broken porcelain, which spread to the sleeves.

Aldrich III retracted his hand and hid the cracks in his sleeves.

Pink Bear saw it, of course. He sighed again, and the grief and anger he had just deliberately felt disappeared with this sigh, leaving only a little heaviness.

"You shouldn't be so anxious, Aldrich."

"It's not urgent, this is in the plan, otherwise I wouldn't have cut that sword half a year ago."

"But the empire has not decayed yet... You deliberately let those guys mess around, but it is shaking the foundation of the empire."

"The moment it really decays, it's too late."

Aldrich III coughed painfully a few more times, turned over his handkerchief, and stared at the blood on it:

"This is my only chance, and the only chance for the empire. You, me, and my sister who died early, didn't you all do it for this opportunity? Oranril, I have no way out, and neither do you."

Pink Bear was silent.

But under his funny pink leather suit, it seemed that there was sticky, rolling, and smelly blood flowing continuously...

"Yeah, we have no way out."

A furry hand stretched out from the pink bear's mouth, holding a cigar, and took a puff of melancholy, and the smoke floated out of his eyes:

"By the way, I dare not look at the saint's photo recently, but the photos of the noble ladies I collected recently are also good, the kind with big breasts, do you want them?"

"Get lost!"

...

...

Cecilia walked along the way she came, strolling all the way.

This time, just as her father said, no one came to restrict her freedom. The deputy commander of the Thorn Legion who came to escort her just now also left on the pretext of having something to do.

As a royal princess, Cecilia likes to be alone, and at most only has Wei'er behind her. There are very few people accompanying her. It is also extremely rare and unique.

The maids and guards who came and went in the palace also knew the temperament of the princess. Each of them only saluted respectfully from a distance and did not dare to deliberately approach and talk to her to build a relationship.

Cecilia also nodded in response to everyone.

Thinking about the deep meaning of the questions her father had just asked, Cecilia turned a corner of the corridor and suddenly heard a commotion.

A large group of maids, guards, and well-dressed nobles, surrounded by a young man, walked towards this side.

"Ah, Cecilia."

The young man greeted Cecilia happily when he saw her, and the people around him stopped chatting and patted their chests to greet her:

"Your Highness, Princess, good morning."

"Yes, good morning."

Cecilia looked at the young man who was frivolous and holding a shy noble girl in his arms. Her eyebrows wrinkled slightly, and then quickly recovered. She lifted her skirt and bent her knees slightly:

"Good morning, Brother Andrew."

"Haha, just call me brother, why be so distant?"

Cecilia's brother, the second son of the current emperor Aldrich III, a handsome man named Andrew, smiled.

"Of course."

Cecilia's mouth curled politely:

"But for Xia, there is more than one brother, calling him like this... I'm afraid I may not be able to tell them apart."

"..."

Andrew's smiling face froze suddenly. I don't know what he remembered, and a hint of anger suddenly appeared in his eyes.

111. Invitation

"Haha, that's true. You do have more than one brother..."

The anger was quickly suppressed by Andrew, but to others, his tone at the moment seemed to be full of gnashing teeth.

The throne, which was already within his grasp, suddenly became uncertain because his brother's brain disease was cured. Even his father showed a slight tendency to favor the so-called "cursed" genius, which made Andrew in a bad mood recently.

But he was not too stupid. He knew that at this juncture, if he still acted recklessly as before, he might really be kicked out by his "brain-dead brother", so even his usual manners and etiquette were much better than before.

"Cecilius, did you just come back from your father?"

Andrew continued to ask with a smile.

"Well, I'll go visit my father."

"I see, it's good to visit, but..."

Andrew suddenly waved his hand, asking the people around him to step aside. He came closer and lowered his voice:

"Did the emperor say anything to you?"

"What? Of course, it's just daily concern."

"Well, in addition to daily concern, he must have said something else. I don't believe that the emperor will only chat about family matters when he sees you."

"Oh?"

Cecilia raised her eyebrows and said with a smile:

"Brother Andrew means..."

"I don't mean anything, I just want to remind Xia that we grew up together, and our relationship is better than that..."

Andrew pointed to his head:

"Brother Albert has a better relationship, right?"

"It sounds... true."

If growing up in the same palace and not seeing each other once a day can be called a good relationship.

Cecilia's eyelids drooped. Etiquette, government affairs, knowledge, and self-cultivation, being in the royal family, there are so many things to learn, how can she have a good relationship with her brothers?

Maybe their relationship was really good when they were younger, but as time goes by, they will gradually become alienated.

"But you misunderstood, brother Andrew. I went to see my father just to chat about family matters. I heard that my father's condition had worsened, so I was very worried, so I brought him some precious medicinal materials. That's all."

"Is that so?"

Andrew looked disappointed.

"If you don't believe me, brother Andrew, how about asking my father?"

"Of course I believe you!"

Andrew's expression became serious and he nodded vigorously: "Xia, how can I not believe what you said? But then again, you won't be angry about what happened before, right?"

"What happened before?"

"Well... it was the order I issued to Muen Campbell, the future brother-in-law." Andrew apologized.

"Ah, is that true?"

Cecilia was a little surprised, as if she had just heard about the appointment for the first time:

"Has he not returned for so long because of the so-called appointment? I thought he died outside."

"Ahem...Xia, what you said is really..."

Andrew coughed twice, a little embarrassed:

"Actually, I am doing this for his own good. I spent a lot of effort to convince a large group of my subordinates to give him this gilding opportunity. When he comes back, with this qualification, I believe he will soon be able to get a powerful position in the center of the empire."

"Alas, there are too many people to lead, and it is really difficult to balance the slightest interest."

Andrew sighed, looking quite troubled.

"Royal brother Andrew is really well-intentioned."

Is he hinting to himself that he is the one that people want?

…Cecilia lifted her skirt again and bowed elegantly:

"Then I will express my gratitude to you on behalf of that dead man."

"Haha, you're welcome, we are all family."

Andrew still nodded with a smile, but his eyes quickly swept across Cecilia's cold and pretty face. After not finding anything unusual, he retreated with a hint of suspicion before Cecilia could react, as usual.

"In that case, I won't waste your time. Next, I will also visit my father. I have collected several antique artworks, and I believe my father will like them."

"Well, then, my brother, take care."

After another round of polite farewells, which were polite but could not really see each other's hearts, Cecilia crossed paths with the team.

"Oh, by the way, there is one more thing."

Andrew suddenly turned around and slapped his head:

"Look at my memory. I originally wanted to send it to your place in person, but now we have met, I almost forgot."

Andrew gestured with his eyes.

Soon, someone beside him handed a gold-plated exquisite letter to Cecilia.

"This is..."

Cecilia glanced at it quickly:

"Invitation letter?"

"Yes, in three days, I will hold a ball in the palace. At that time, all the nobles and celebrities in Belrand will be invited by me to attend."

Andrew's eyebrows flew as he described the elegance of the ball and the noble status of the participants. It seemed that only at this time could he show his confidence as the only crown prince.

"This... is actually an invitation letter issued in the name of the emperor?"

Cecilia turned her hand to open the letter and saw the signature and seal at the end that was more noble than anyone else.

Andrew's expression froze, but he still smiled:

"I did ask for the emperor's consent. After all, the ball was held in the palace. However, I am now the regent. At this time, easing the tense relationship between all parties is also one of my responsibilities, isn't it?"

"..."

Ease the relationship?

Aren't you one of the reasons for the tension between all parties?

Even this ball held in the name of the emperor would arouse suspicion and doubt from all parties.

"Thank you for your hard work, brother Andrew."

Cecilia did not show any abnormality, repacked the letter, nodded and said:

"I will attend as promised."

"Then I will look forward to it. With Cecilia's beauty, she will definitely become the most dazzling pearl of the ball."

...

After saying goodbye to brother Andrew, Cecilia did not rush to leave the palace.