The stars, but they become the gray wind

"Um, Your Highness Charlotte, may I ask what this is..." Olivia asked a little uncomfortably.

"Ma Li must be very tired because of all the study tasks and things she has to deal with recently, right? " Charlotte asked gently to her sister in front of her.

"So today, let's just relax, Mary."

"But Her Highness Mary's study assignment today..." Olivia was obviously still not very reassured about this.

"Don't worry about that. I've already asked my uncle for permission. And my grandmother is very concerned about Mary. She also hopes that Mary can relax once in a while."

Hearing Charlotte's words, Olivia looked at Mary beside her in surprise.

"Okay, then, let's all enjoy afternoon tea together, shall we?" Charlotte smiled as she handed a plate of pastries to Mary. Mary, sitting at the table, felt a gentle hand press against her shoulder from behind. Then, a whisper, so quiet only she could hear it, rang softly in her ear: "Enjoy some relaxing time. This is the result of your sister and I working so hard together, my dear Mary."

Mary felt the tender care of the angel sister behind her whom only she could see and her favorite sister Charlotte in front of her, and she smiled sincerely and happily.

"You said Princess Charlotte is here?" In the Duke of Normandy's office, the female secretary of Indian descent expressed her doubts to the Duke of Normandy behind the desk in surprise.

"Well, he came here alone and hopes that I can allow Mary to take some time off to study and relax." The Duke of Normandy answered the secretary while reviewing the documents on the table without raising his head.

"But I don't think Her Highness Mary's schedule is that tight, right?" asked the secretary.

"Actually, there's another important reason. Her Majesty the Queen suddenly summoned me this morning and asked about Mary's study schedule. After listening to me, Her Majesty also hoped to give Mary some time to relax and hoped that I wouldn't push her too hard."

"Moreover, things have been uneasy in the kingdom recently. Richard has been planning something behind my back and seems eager to replace me." The Duke of Normandy replied calmly while reviewing the documents.

"I understand. I will rearrange His Royal Highness Richard's schedule right away." The female secretary immediately rearranged the schedule skillfully.

"No, there's no need for that. We don't have the time to mess around with Richard, so let him be." The Duke of Normandy paused, then continued with a shrewd expression, "Besides, now is not the time yet."

While the Duke of Normandy was speaking, an invisible drone silently hovered outside the window behind him, monitoring the two people in the office.

注1：海湾战争中，美军舰艇共发射了288枚BGM-109C、D常规海射“战斧”巡航导弹和35枚AGM-86C常规空射巡航导弹，大部分命中目标。

U.S. military aircraft launched a total of 5296 Maverick air-to-ground missiles, of which 4712 hit the targets. In one night operation, a batch of Mavericks hit 24 Iraqi tanks.

Apache helicopter gunships attacked two Iraqi early warning radar stations with Hellfire missiles, officially launching the Gulf War. During the war, the US military launched more than 3000 Hellfire missiles, destroying hundreds of Iraqi tanks and armored vehicles.

Multinational forces launched about 1500 anti-radiation missiles, including "Shrike", "Standard" and "HARM". More than 95% of the Iraqi army's radars were destroyed, and the air defense system was in a dilemma.

My reference here is based on the Gulf War. A surgical and rapid military operation completely destroyed all the armed forces and infrastructure of the world's number one superpower, using only tens of thousands of missiles and more than 300 small-yield nuclear warheads. This is already quite cost-effective. What's more, it took only more than 10,000 missiles to completely destroy all the enemy's armed forces and almost all of their domestic infrastructure within two weeks. This is already a very high combat efficiency. Even Rumsfeld would feel that the combat efficiency and speed of the US military in his military reform plan were still a bit low?

Chapter 74 Kaka, how can you govern the country with such insects?

A plain-looking car drove out of the palace and drove into a small road near the palace where few vehicles usually passed by. It drove all the way to an intersection next to a small woods far away from the palace. At this intersection, there was another car of the same model and appearance waiting here. After seeing the approaching car, the eyes of several people waiting by the car lit up, and they walked forward with joy, opening the door for the passengers in the back seat of the car that had just stopped.

Richard, wearing a black coat and a hat, got out of the back seat of the car, nodded to several trusted subordinates who had been waiting for him there, and then sat in the back seat of a car that had been waiting by the grove, which looked almost identical to the car he had taken when he came.

After Richard got in the car, several of his men also got in silently, and started the car to a secret location.

……

"Your Highness, the plan is going very smoothly. According to the plan, the next batch of troops will return from the New World in three days and will be stationed in the country under the name of Your Highness's guard."

In the back seat of the car, a subordinate with a wrinkled face reported to Richard.

"Thank you so much, everyone. Hearing this makes me feel relieved. Compared to the security level I experienced in the New World while serving in the military, the security level in my own country is really hard to be reassured about."

"I feel the same way! Your Highness! You encountered that kind of thing right after returning to the country. The lessons taught to them by the revolution ten years ago really didn't work at all!" A subordinate who was also sitting in the back of the car said indignantly with his fist clenched.

"What we need is a leader like His Highness Richard who can lead our country forward! Not those incompetent nobles!" Another of Richard's confidants sitting in the car also echoed.

"Although I am not the one who can take on this important task, I care about the future of this country as much as you do. Let us save Albion and get rid of the corrupt aristocracy!" Richard said to several of his trusted subordinates with pretended humility.

"Your Highness is right. How can we govern the country well with such a group of aristocratic insects?" A confidant sitting next to Richard echoed what Richard said excitedly.

"That's right! Only His Highness can lead us to save Albion. His Highness is the only sun in our hearts!!!" Another of Richard's confidants in the car also supported loudly.

And right above the moving vehicle, an invisible drone was moving silently along with the vehicle.

.........

Richard got out of the car next to a statue in a city square and walked behind the statue, where a man with an Indian face and wearing a coat was waiting for him.

"Alas... it's really heartbreaking to lie to subordinates who trust you." Richard walked up to the man and nonchalantly recounted his act of lying to his trusted subordinates.

"Please don't forget, this is a plan you formulated and promoted yourself." The Indian-faced man standing next to Richard reminded him expressionlessly.

"Now that you put it that way, it is true."

"So, what's the matter?" Richard asked the Indian subordinate beside him.

"To be honest, you are as cunning as a raven, but... maybe this can also bring us new opportunities and dawn." The man with an Indian face suddenly said something ambiguous to Richard beside him.

"What are you talking about?" Richard, who didn't understand the meaning behind this sentence, looked at his subordinates in front of him with a puzzled expression.

"I want to defend my hometown, so I bet on you." The Indian man looked at the red-haired Richard in front of him with a very determined expression.

"The young red-haired giant will devour the old and corrupt white giant... Please don't let me down." After saying this to Richard, the subordinate with Indian ancestry turned around and slowly left.

"You are so twisted." Richard muttered softly as he watched his men walking away.

"Don't worry... the so-called heartache is just a lie." After confirming that the subordinate who had gone away could no longer hear his words, Richard silently added his true thoughts.

In the evening, outside the small house in the secret back garden of the palace, Anjie, Chise and others were saying goodbye to Mary and Olivia who were about to leave.

"It's an honor to meet Your Highness Mary today." Qianshi bowed to Mary.

"I also had a very happy time. Thank you everyone. Let's come here to chat again when there is a chance." During this short afternoon tea time, Mary, who had completely relaxed her body and mind, also happily responded to Qianse in front of her.

"Well! We look forward to your coming anytime!" Qianshi said a very formal goodbye to Mary before leaving.

.........

"What a good kid, don't you think?" On the way out, Dorothy chatted with Ange and Chise in a relaxed manner.

"Well, that kid looks like he's upset about something?"

"When we were having afternoon tea before, the child always looked away from us, as if she was worried about something. It seems that the pressure of inheriting the throne still makes her feel uneasy." Anjie said to her companions.

"It seems that no matter which country you are in, inheriting a family business is a difficult thing." Qianshi, who deeply sympathized with this, complained helplessly.

After hearing Chise's complaints, Dorothy and Ange, who had been under similar pressures, looked at each other helplessly.

.........

On the other side, in front of the cottage in the back garden, Charlotte gently took Mary's hand.

"It's getting late, so let's go back. We were chatting so happily that we didn't realize it's already so late." Charlotte said, stroking the back of Mary's hand.

"Sister, thank you very much today." Mary also thanked Charlotte in front of her with a sincere smile, and then she silently added in her heart: [Of course, I also want to thank Angel Sister].

"It's nothing. Although this is all I can do now, I will definitely try my best to help you." When Charlotte said this, the purple-haired girl with a suspicious identity came to her mind. Until today, Charlotte and others have not figured out the specific origins of the purple-haired girl and the forces behind her.

Of course, Charlotte herself knew that dwelling on the origins of the mysterious purple-haired girl would be of practical help to her. She shook her head calmly, sorted out her thoughts, and pulled Mary back to the palace.

"Whether it's about studies or other things you don't understand, you can ask me." On the way to send Mary back to her room in the palace, Charlotte gently reminded her sister beside her.

"Then...sister, are you good at studying?" Mary asked suddenly.

"Well... that's totally... impossible."

"Huh?" Mary was a little surprised to hear an answer that was almost completely opposite to her expectations.

"But maybe it's because I have a goal that I work so hard." Charlotte turned her head and continued in a low voice.

"Sister, I think... I may not be able to do it..." Mary hesitated for a long time before saying this, and finally said to Charlotte in front of her with determination.

"Compared to me, you and Brother Richard are more considerate of this country than I am. You are more suitable to rule the entire country!!"

"Mary, please don't say that!" Charlotte, who was a little frightened by Mary's words, also stopped.

"I...I...I don't want to be the queen of the Kingdom of Albion." Mary hesitated as she said this. She glanced at the shadows of the seemingly empty wall behind Charlotte. A figure that only she could see was leaning against the wall and nodded silently to her as if encouraging her.

"Why must I be the queen? Sister Charlotte and brother Richard are better people and are far more qualified than me." Feeling the silent encouragement from the angel hiding in the shadow by the wall, Mary boldly spoke out what was in her heart.

A few days later, the palace seemed a little depressing in the drizzle. Richard walked through a corridor of the palace and came to the door outside Mary's room. He raised his hand and knocked gently on the door.

"Your Highness Richard?" Olivia came to open the door and looked at Richard in surprise as he stood in front of the door with a smile on his face.

"Is Mary here?" Richard put on a friendly expression and asked Olivia in front of him with a smile.

In the office in the room, Mary was distracted by the boring lecture of the old, old woman Peebles. At this time, Olivia walked into the office and shouted to the two people in the office:

"His Royal Highness Richard has arrived. He wishes to see Mary alone. Lord Peebles, could you give His Royal Highness Mary some time?"

After hearing Olivia's request, and considering that Prince Richard, who was waiting outside, might have come here for something important, Mary's teacher, Peebles, thought for a while, closed the book in his hand, stood up and temporarily left the room to give Mary and Richard some private space.

Watching the old-fashioned woman whom she disliked walk out of the room, Mary breathed a sigh of relief and glanced calmly at the empty corner. The angel sister, whom only she could see, was leaning against the corner and smiling at her.

"Hi, Mary, I want to talk to you." Richard walked into the room with a smile and greeted Mary with a friendly look.

.........

A moment later, sitting face to face at a round table, Olivia, the maid, poured a cup of black tea for Richard who came to visit.

"It's hard studying every day, isn't it, Mary?"

"You've worked so hard, you must have lost weight again, right?" Richard asked Mary about her condition with a seemingly concerned look.

"I'm fine, Brother Richard. After all, as my official duties increase, I'll have a lot to learn."

"Even so, I'm worried about you. You've been studying for so long, you don't have time to rest, right?"

"No, Sister Charlotte invited me to a tea party a few days ago to relax, and I got enough time to rest. It's no problem."

Mary, who was unaware of her brother's true identity, continued chatting without any vigilance.

After hearing Mary's words, Richard's smiling expression changed slightly, but he remained calm and asked his unsuspecting sister, "Does Charlotte come here often?"

"Yes! My sister has always cared about me and is very gentle." Mary seemed very happy when she mentioned her favorite sister.

Richard, who was sitting across the table, seemed to understand something and suddenly chuckled.

"Haha, so it seems like I'm no longer needed."

"No... no, as the next queen, I will try my best to live up to the expectations of everyone, including you." Mary added helpfully, feeling that Richard's mood seemed to have suddenly changed in some way that she did not understand.

Richard, who was sitting across from Mary, suddenly stood up, holding onto the table. He said to Mary, "I'm glad to be able to talk to you. You're more energetic than I thought. It's going to be hard, but keep going!"

"Yes... yes." Mary felt that Richard in front of her was showing a strange emotion, and suddenly encouraged herself.

"Goodbye then." Richard walked to the door, opened it, turned around and said goodbye to Mary with a last smile.

"Her Highness Mary...this?" Olivia, who was also in the room, felt the strange atmosphere and emotions that Richard had just expressed, and looked at Mary, who was sitting at the table, in confusion.

After leaving Mary's room, Richard could no longer hide his unhappiness and smashed a decorative vase in the corridor with one punch.

"Tsk... Even though you clearly don't want to make a fuss, Miogo is the big one."

"It seems that there is no other way." As he said this, Richard revealed a murderous aura.

.........

In the small house in the back garden of the palace, Anjie was fiddling with a large basket of potatoes in front of her.

"This obviously won't solve the fundamental problem. It just makes him feel relieved, but Mary's situation hasn't changed fundamentally." Angela was picking potatoes from the basket while reminding her companions in the house.

"That being said, it has come to that point after all. We can't just do nothing." Dorothy, who was sitting by the window, answered while looking at the drizzle outside.

"Dorothy, don't forget what we are?" Anjie stopped the potatoes in her hand and turned to ask Dorothy.

"Spies, creatures who make a living by lying, and you want to say that there should be no personal feelings involved, right? Of course I know, but..." Dorothy did not continue speaking here.

"Is there any other way?" Beata recalled what Mary had confided to Charlotte on the way back to her room a few days ago.

"Ever since Her Majesty the Queen fell ill, the pressure on Mary has been increasing."

"This is what was expected when Edward was assassinated and the line of succession to the throne rose." Angel on the side silently stated the current situation, then turned and looked at Charlotte who had been silent.

"So what should we do?"

"First, we need to test the situation within the royal family. Although it's pitiful that Mary was forced into this terrible political turmoil, it's not our job. Acting on her behalf would be very risky for us."

"Secondly, we need to speculate on the Duke of Arkham's true intentions and study how much value he has left for us to exploit."

"Third, we need to find a way to get the princess to the throne. Dorothy, you also said that if we want Charlotte to become queen, we have to get rid of the people above us." Charlotte listed the current key points one by one.

"No, but that's..." Dorothy was about to retort when she heard Ange's suggestion to eliminate the competitor, but was interrupted by Ange.

"Besides, Mary's problem can also be solved at the same time." Anjie interrupted Dorothy's rebuttal.

"Our destinies are closely linked, so Princess, please make a decision! Not for others, but for the future we hope for. As long as it is your decision, I will do my best to carry it out to the end." Angel promised the lover in front of her firmly.

But looking at the determined eyes of her lover who was willing to give everything for her, Charlotte seemed very embarrassed.

In Mary's room, Aze, with his optical invisibility field activated, was sitting nonchalantly on a cabinet by the wall. Mary, who was sitting behind a desk not far away, would occasionally glance towards her. However, because of the attention of the old woman Peebles who was lecturing in front of Mary, Mary could only do so covertly.

"Your Highness Mary, please concentrate and don't be absent-minded!" The old woman Peebles knocked on the table with the blackboard stick in her hand and said sternly.