in the name of the queen.

Chapter 259 Tonight, the blue moon is like water

The dinner is still going on.

There is a short break between the two dances so that guests can interact with each other and enjoy the food.

Most of the guests gained something from this feast, but some people thought too much and got too little, so they were disappointed.

The Duke of Champagne did not get the result he wanted, but Alina's proposal made him a little tempted.

Alina directly refused to listen to his persuasion, which made him feel that Alina's attitude was somewhat overbearing, but he thought of Marco and soon felt relieved.

No matter what, it was better to hang out with Alina than to live in the shadow of that tyrant.

Now that the Liberators have made their decision, all that remains is execution.

The Duke of Champagne figured out that there were many nobles with similar mentality to the Duke of Champagne.

The great nobles were lost in thought as the Duke of Champagne shared the information with them.

She sighed, the country only has so many resources. The upper class eats meat, the middle class drinks soup, but what about the bottom class?
The bottom layer is meat and soup.

Tax-free for one year.

Although she finally broke away when the dance was about to end, and could even turn the situation around and wrap her arms around Sif's waist, she clearly was letting go.

She was able to defeat Marco with an inferior force, proving that she was more ruthless than Marco.

Sif is so disgusting.

Alina set a price for pioneering the land for the nobles, and also planned to offer free trade policies that lowered tariffs to business groups, giving freedom and order to urban residents.

They are willing to accept Alina's leadership, after all, Alina is of the same class as them. But they don't want to get together with those shabby little nobles.

The nobility has a circle and a strict hierarchy.

Alina is willing to give the nobles a not too bad alternative in return for their support.

When Marco was raging, they were struggling to survive. Would Alina be able to jump up if they were replaced?
Alina is no longer the greenhouse flower they knew.

The nobles have turned against each other, and more and more people are planning to join the development blueprint drawn by Alina.

She has followed Roland for more than a year and witnessed firsthand the shocking effects of one year of tax exemption.

After much deliberation, many nobles clearly realized that they could not refuse.

She could only imagine what she could bring to the farmers in the countryside.

Most tax officials are greedy, and it is difficult for them to restrain their desires when they have power. This is human nature, and even Roland cannot change it.

You can't be shameless, this is the consensus of most nobles.

She is like a bird trapped in a cage, able to see the outside world, but its wings are restrained.

This is the last reserve of the old nobles of Jin Yuan Kingdom.

It was painful to fail, but it was even worse to deliberately give her a small advantage.

This feeling is really uncomfortable.

The nobles still have considerable strength, but they are no longer able to determine the direction of the country alone.

The dregs who still exploit the lower class people in the name of tax collection when the country clearly exempts them from taxes, what awaits them is the VIP treatment of the first batch of gallows.

This threshold is an unbridgeable gap.

The upper-class nobles' bottom line for pioneering legions is this threshold.

Just like an entry-level Mercedes-Benz is not considered a great Mercedes-Benz, is a mere knight worthy of being called an aristocrat?

Those soft, white, slender hands were like the caress of an angel in the eyes of others, but when they were caressing her waist, they were like the embrace of a devil, from which she could not escape.

Marco couldn't break this defense, and neither could Alina.

The middle- and lower-class nobles want to open up territory for the country and build merit for their families. No problem. They can form their own group and don't mess around with the old men.

Although a lot of tax revenue will be lost, the increased cohesion and public sentiment will more than make up for it, not to mention the opportunity to clean up the tax official team.

Although the Golden Kite is big, the national treasury is still short of money, and the people at the bottom can only suffer.

Alina, who had made an important decision in little time, was in a good mood. She raised her coffee cup and took a sip. Her eyes wandered to the dance floor, searching for the figure that made her a little angry.

But they also have a bottom line and cannot mix with minor nobles or even common people.

No matter how she changed her dance steps, she could not escape Sif's control.

Alina's proposal is not what they expected, and they must weigh the pros and cons.

The times have changed.

Counts are Daokan, and counts and above are high-level nobles; viscounts and barons are only middle-level nobles; royal knights and knights are entry-level minor nobles, and are even considered civilians with noble certification.

The shrinking of the local territory cannot be changed, so it is better to take it back from the New World overseas than to be left empty-handed and offend the leaders.

Just when Alina was about to make up her mind, her body trembled slightly and her eyes lit up. She thought of what gift to give to these bitter and truly low-income people.

Even when she was forced to the end of her rope and almost committed suicide, she was not as helpless as before.

But you have to draw a red line for them.

What the nobles value more is not temporary gains and losses, but how the family can continue.

She was shocked to discover that Sif, who was only slightly stronger than her, had grown into such a terrifying opponent.

Is this why Sophia chose Sif as her cushion?

Alina felt a little sad inside.

In the past few years, Sif is not the only candidate who has the potential to become the Queen of Transcendents. She is actually qualified.

If her father fully supports her, can't she ascend the throne and proclaim herself emperor?

But Sophia never considered her.

It was painful to be regarded as an enemy by Sophia, but it was even more painful not to be qualified to be her enemy.

Sif, who completely crushed her, was just climbing to a higher level in front of Sophia.

And she is not even a ladder, just a stone slab beyond the ladder.

Alina clenched her fists, dominated by anger.

After a moment, the fist that was almost bleeding from the palm slowly loosened.

When she was angry, she was only angry for a while.

Strength is what counts.

She is not even qualified to be Sophia's opponent.

But once the gears of fate turn, the people involved will gradually get lost, and the original direction of the river of fate will change.

It may be the same, or it may be completely different.

Sophia is not a goddess who has come to the world, so her say doesn’t count!

Alina's eyes shone brightly, like stars.

She stood up suddenly, her consciousness seemed to be traveling outside her body, staring at the stars alone.

If she realizes something.

She vaguely touched upon the true meaning of astrology.

Not deduction, not observation, but immersion in the long river of destiny, bathing in the star power of destiny, and constantly strengthening oneself.

When astrology is practiced to the extreme, it becomes a great prophecy.

Alina's eyes fell on Roland and Sif, smiled slightly, and left quietly.

The party continued, but her part was over.

There are still many things to do next. She will not be confused. She will look up at the stars and understand her own path from the vast universe.

Tonight is the last night of [Faceless One] Alina. When the morning light wakes up the earth, she will return to her journey of exploring destiny and continue on the path of a diviner.

Revenge is over, and she wants to embrace a new world.

Looking up at the stars, human beings are so small. Whether it's Sylph or Sophia, they are both ants under the vast starry sky.

Open your arms and embrace not only the starry sky, but also the entire universe.

Alina left the show early, not even waiting for the dance to end to say goodbye to Roland and Sif.

She believed they wouldn't care about such a trivial matter.

These two guys only have eyes for each other now, and they won't notice even if the person next to them disappears.

On the dance floor, I enjoyed the fulfilling feeling of being held by generous hands around my waist. Roland's hands were firm and warm, reassuring.

In front of Roland, she didn't have to work hard to scheming, she could completely relax, enjoy the soothing rhythm brought by the wonderful dance music, dance gracefully, and indulge in it.

The noisy world seems to disappear from your ears.

The only sounds she could listen to were dance music and Roland's breathing.

There is no need for many words between them, only their eyes can complete the communication.

The battle to seize control of La Cité was not easy.

Although it didn't take long, they were at a disadvantage from the beginning to the end and would overturn if they were not careful.

If Marco was not so extreme and had more people he could trust, they might not have any chance.

A superpower like Jin Yuan can only be defeated from within.

If Marco had been replaced by Alina, they wouldn't be fighting this fight at all.

The climax of the dance had arrived, and it was about to end in less than a minute. Sif finally couldn't help but raise her inner doubts.

"Roland, do you have any special means to restrict Alina? For example, a master-slave contract or a certificate of oath or something like that?"

Roland was almost amused by Sif. He couldn't help but raise the corners of his lips, "Sorry, this really doesn't exist."

"Then how do you control her?" Sif's expression was normal, but she was a little anxious inside.

"She's my friend, why should she control her?"

Roland said calmly: "When Alina was most desperate, I gave her hope. If she can betray friendship like this, is there still trust in the world?"

Sif took a deep breath and adjusted her breathing. What she was most worried about happened.

Roland is usually very cunning, how could he be so confused now.

She reminded tactfully: "I never doubted her character, nor did I doubt your friendship."

Sif didn't notice that when she talked about friendship, her tone involuntarily became more serious.

"But her status has changed. She is now the head of state of Jin Yuan. She must consider the interests of the country. Your friendship with her may, no, will definitely come at the back."

"You told me that politicians are politicians first and people second."

Roland couldn't help but laugh. Sif actually learned to use his words to gag him.

This is really what he said.

Seeing Roland's heartless smile, Sif couldn't help but tighten her hand on his shoulder, and the powerful force was transmitted down her palm.

Roland bared his teeth. Of course Sif wouldn't really hurt him, but the concentrated force was still like a needle piercing his shoulder.

Sif is angry.

Risking her life to fight this battle, she didn't want to draw chestnuts from the fire for Alina.

She even wanted to ask Roland if he had fallen in love with the gentle, affectionate and pitiful Jin Yuan girl, but she held back.

She didn't want to ruin the perfect image in Roland's mind.

An elegant lady will never put her beloved in a dilemma.

Facing Sif's hesitant question, Roland said softly: "Sif, Alina knows what we want. As long as she stands by our side against Sophia, it's enough. Everything else is based on country-to-country rules. It will be done through normal interactions.”

"It's not worth taking such a big risk if you only have multiple allies. If you can be more sure of dealing with Sophia, it's worth it."

Sif's anger was like ice and snow under the blazing sun, melting instantly.

Roland made it very clear.

He is not helping Alina seize power, but destroying the possible Vladimir-Golden Kite alliance.

If Marko was allowed to consolidate power, he would probably share the land with the Vladimir Empire and compete with Sussex for the sea.

He definitely has this ambition.

There is no doubt about Sophia's strength. If Jin Yuanguo stabs her in the back, how can it be fun?
What Roland did was ultimately for her.

Sif's cheeks were stained with the color of frost leaves, like red wine in a glass, delicate and beautiful.

"Yes, I'm sorry, I shouldn't be angry, but I'm really worried about you."

Are you worried that my soul will be seduced by the Golden Kite woman?

Roland smiled and teased: "How could I be angry? You care about me."

He would only be disappointed if Sif, who seemed to have an ambiguous relationship with Alina, didn't respond.

Sif cares about Roland, and Roland cares about Sif.

They are actually thinking of one thing.

Sif raised her head, her eyes as bright as stars were exceptionally bright.

The dance ended, the magic lights slowly turned off, and the whole place fell into darkness, but no one screamed or moved.

This is a small interlude of the dance, creating a little romantic space for the lovers in love.

Only one minute.

If you can't catch it, you'll miss it.

There are many young people who are unable to break through the last layer of window paper. What they need is this acquiescence.

The splendid hall is especially quiet in the darkness.

However, there are also restless sounds in the tranquility.

Some people boldly hugged or even kissed their dance partners, but of course only couples.

If you don't have a good relationship and want to take advantage of the darkness to cause trouble, you will be looked down upon by everyone, and you may even be kicked out of the circle.

Xidai is a place where circle culture is prevalent, and being kicked out of the circle is equivalent to social death.

The upper-class social elite has never lacked the opposite sex, but what they lack is a soul-mate.

So they don't mess around.

Those who can hug here are real lovers.

Roland's breathing was a little rapid.

The last bit of rationality in his brain told him to stop being rational and just be quick.

He obeyed his heart and leaned down.

Just when he leaned over, he happened to touch his soft cheek.

The skin-to-skin contact came faster than he expected.

Roland and Sif's hearts trembled at the same time.

They are all clearly aware of touch points in advance.

Apparently, he/she thinks so too.

Unable to see clearly in the darkness, Roland's lips touched the cheek that came up to him. He only paused for a moment and followed his cheek downwards, finding the same burning warmth.

They fit together tightly without any gaps.

The heartbeat is like an offensive drum, rapid and crisp.

Roland's heart skipped a beat and he launched a charge.

He planned to use this romantic and charming atmosphere to break through the teeth's defenses.

But he miscalculated.

He exerted a little force, and what he touched was not his teeth, but his equally cautious tongue.

They think exactly the same thing.

Take advantage of the darkness, break through the defense line, and reach the other side of happiness.

At this moment, some misunderstandings disappeared, and there was no longer any barrier between them.

Before closing her eyes, Sif cast her peripheral vision out the window.

The half blue moon hangs quietly in the sky, as if smiling.

Tonight, the moonlight is so beautiful.

(End of this chapter)