Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

Compared to the mess that was Victoria, Shelag really made Vina envious.

It is said that even the saint occasionally goes to Rhodes Island for vacation... This kind of treatment... Well, actually Vina will take a vacation for herself occasionally.

However, generally speaking, when she takes leave, she will leave behind a lot of things to deal with, which will make her doubly miserable after returning to work. There is no other way. As the Speaker of the Londinium Parliament, there are too many things that require her personal approval.

Alas, you can’t envy other people’s things… Just focus on the work at hand.

But at that moment, deep within the Holy Mountain of Kalan, Enthiotis was pushing a secret border trade agreement onto the table. Enya's fingers crumpled the pages of the scripture, and she quickly glanced at the document. After confirming that it would not have any negative impact on Kjerag, she nodded and signed. However, after signing, just as Enthiotis was about to take the document, a bell was placed on it.

Enchiodis looked up and saw Enya's dark face. He frowned and said, "I admit that I was wrong not to tell you about the deal with Victoria in advance, but I have already taken care of this matter. As long as Victoria signs, we can get more industrial support, and they will even send engineers to help us build a factory. I think that's enough."

"That may be true, but Master Enthiodis, if I remember correctly... you should understand that you are no longer the head of the Shivaash family. You are now the Minister of Finance of Kjerag. Before discussing the signing of such a treaty with Miss Vina, couldn't you say hello to me first?" The holy bell in Enya's hand is a relatively special existence in Kjerag's tradition. It is not easy for ordinary people to lift the weight of this thing.

But Enya is different. She is a saint and has the ability to fully control the holy bell. That is why she just put the holy bell on the document. It is really difficult for Enthyotis to pick up the holy bell.

"I think this is just an insignificant communication issue—" Ensiodis explained. "Besides, the final decision is yours. If you don't like it, you can simply refuse to sign. I will continue to discuss the treaty with Miss Vina, and it's fine to follow your proposal. But since you've already signed... that means you're not dissatisfied with my plan. So, I think it's harmless to skip some formalities, right?"

"Guess why rules are called rules? Because without rules, there's no order! Enchiodis, you dare to skip the process today and sign it yourself tomorrow! Don't think I don't know what you're up to!"

"Your Excellency Saint, you are too kind. My signature is meaningless. Only with your approval can I let go and perform."

"You used to be like this! Changing the subject and being sarcastic!"

"I don't think it's called sarcasm. It's called the art of language. Enya, you're no more unfamiliar with it than I am, right?"

The two siblings looked at each other, feeling that a fight was about to break out in the next second. At this moment, the door was pushed open. The two siblings subconsciously raised their heads, and almost at the same time saw Noah peeking out.

"Did I come at the wrong time?"

"..."

"..."

For a moment, the two siblings were silent, but Enya finally shook her head and said, "No, we just finished discussing this. Miss Noya, please come and sit here. What brings you here so late?"

"It's nothing urgent..." Noya had just finished interrogating her ancestor, and her blood pressure was a little high. Luckily, her ancestor wasn't in front of her, otherwise she'd have to find a pickle jar and stuff her in there to pickle for a year. "It's just... I know something, and I think I should discuss it with you. After all, it involves Victoria's palace secrets..."

"Palace secrets?" Enya chewed on the term. For some reason, her angry mood suddenly became good. It was probably because she had some gossip to listen to.

There should be no one in the world who doesn't like to gossip, let alone it was said by Noah. Noah never says things without basis, so you can imagine how explosive this palace secret is.

Even someone as calm as Noah lives in Bengbu, let alone Enya and Enthiotis?

"I'd like to hear the details." Enthiotis waved his hand, signaling Enya to be patient for a while, and both of them pricked up their ears.

Noah sighed first, then explained the source of the information somewhat awkwardly.

——She was talking to her ancestors at that time.

Her ancestor is the legendary Protector of Victoria, a fairy hidden in the mist of history. Her existence itself is the history of Victoria, so most of the secrets she tells are credible.

At first, Noah thought that her ancestor was just accidentally involved in the palace coup, but she didn't expect that this incident, which could be called the Victorian version of the Night of the Black Knife, was actually caused by her ancestor's small push.

After the death of the old Duke of Caster, Elizabeth naturally inherited the position of Duke of Caster. With the support of the royal family, she soon had her own position among the eight dukes. At the beginning, she worked closely with her brother and promoted many policies to improve people's livelihood. It can be said that they were a golden pair.

Those dukes were not fools. They had long realized the role of the royal family in planting Elizabeth as a pawn in the aristocracy. However, no matter from which angle, Elizabeth's succession was reasonable and legal. In addition, the Grey Hat Corps in Elizabeth's hands at the time - which was arguably Victoria's strongest intelligence force - made many nobles feel insecure.

It can be said that Victoria at that time had indeed entered a period completely dominated by the royal family. Noah knew all these things before, so there was nothing surprising about them.

However, the good times did not last long. Soon, at some unknown time, rumors about the Duke of Caster and the late emperor began to spread among the people. Logically, such rumors would not have caused any bad consequences, but Elizabeth soon realized that the problem was out of control.

Initially, she only sent out the Gray Hats to eliminate the rumor at its source before it spread, but the Gray Hats who went to the streets found nothing without exception. The rumor was like a ghost, and the source could not be found at all. This was the first time such a situation had happened. Elizabeth could not help but begin to doubt that if there was no such situation between them... it would be fine.

The thing is... they do have...

As the saying goes, lies hurt little, but the truth cuts sharper. Feeling guilty, Elizabeth began to doubt herself. However, she couldn't go to the palace to discuss countermeasures with her brother. If she were discovered at this time, it would only provide evidence for the rumors. Under the current circumstances, it would be best for the two of them not to contact each other, as any contact could be taken out of context.

Obviously, Elizabeth wasn't the only one who had doubts. Her brother, Alistair II, must have the same doubts as her...

They could not be defeated. If this matter were exposed, it would only make the entire Victorian royal family a laughing stock.

She calmly analyzed the situation. Although they could not communicate with each other, she was confident that her brother would be able to come up with a solution. She just needed to wait for the opportunity to cooperate.

Indeed... her brother had indeed come up with a solution, and it was very quick... so quick that it made people... feel that he might have planned it all along.

Alistair II decided to appoint a queen.

-

"This is a perfectly normal response... Honestly, Alistair II's approach here is spot on. The best way to deal with unstoppable rumors is to release another bombshell, causing these unfounded and unsubstantiated rumors to self-destruct," Enthiotis commented. In his opinion, this was indeed the most reasonable move. Enya nodded beside him. Although the two siblings often argued, they were surprisingly consistent in this regard. "Is there anything wrong with this?"

"Yes, this decision is correct...but..." Noah sighed, "If everything is just a rumor, then it is of course the best decision, but what if it is not a rumor?"

The description just now was based on Elizabeth's perspective. When Noah described this process, he described it from an objective perspective. In other words, the two siblings only now realized... if the rumors were true, if the two siblings really had that kind of... feelings, then the act of establishing a queen, in Elizabeth's view... was undoubtedly a betrayal.

"And... the idea of ​​having Alistair II establish a queen was proposed by my ancestor, the Duke Protector." Noah closed her eyes. "Alistair II at the time naturally thought it was a good idea, so he immediately implemented it. In fact, if my ancestor didn't know about the affair between the siblings, it would have been a reasonable idea... But she does."

"..." Enthiotis was silent. He was thinking about what he would do if he were in that situation. The conclusion he came to was exactly the same as Alistair II's. As a monarch, he must put the overall situation first. Establishing a queen is the simplest way with the least sequelae. But... what if Elizabeth didn't think so?

Enya was also thinking about the same question...but there was one thing that was clear between the two of them.

"...Is it possible that the Duke of Protectorate would handle this matter in this way?"

"I just wanted to have some fun," Noah replied through gritted teeth. "My ancestor, although she possessed basic morals, was still not human. So the reason she appeared before Alistair II and made such a suggestion was essentially because she thought it would be fun..."

Yes, just because it's fun.

The Protector of the Country, her own ancestor pushed Victoria into the abyss of betrayal and humanity.

Human nature...can never stand the test.

Chapter 46: Meeting

"First of all... my ancestor was truly utterly immoral. I've already called her over, and no matter what Vina decides, I'll stand by her side." She made her stance clear to Enchiodis and Enya. Regardless, Vina's father was wronged by her ancestors; that was undeniable. Even if it meant Vina falling out with her, she could accept it. "Secondly... Enchiodis, I think this operation needs some revisions."

"I have no objection to this. I didn't expect that there were so many secrets behind this. If this is true, then Duke Caster is actually a pitiful man." Ensiodis nodded. He actually felt some sympathy for Duke Caster, his open enemy. Perhaps, their enemy has never been Duke Caster, but the corrupt system of Victoria.

Although Vina is a sober person, she cannot fight against the lingering poison of Victoria on her own. Although the Duke of Caster is also a victim, she has now become the perpetrator, so the plan will not change. They still need to overthrow the Duke of Caster, and they already have the most important truth in their hands, that is, the illicit affair between the Duke of Caster and the late emperor.

But... this truth will also hit Vina today. After all, she has to break away from the royal family no matter what. In the eyes of others, she is still the representative of the royal family.

If the Duke of Caster's affair with her aunt is exposed, Vina's reputation will probably be affected. For this reason, Noah will share this information with Vina and let her make the decision.

Fortunately, the Faceless Man was on their side, otherwise she wouldn't have known how to contact Vina. The Faceless Man was also responsible for the security of Victoria's visiting delegation. After learning about Noya's purpose and the reasons why Duke of Caister betrayed the late emperor, he felt a mix of emotions. He had never imagined that Duke of Caister would have such a past, from the eldest princess of the royal family to the Duke of Caister, from the most staunch royalist to the silent man who allowed other nobles to stab the late emperor.

There is a complete logic behind her actions, and they are not simply for profit or to expand her power.

Part of the reason why Duke Caster decided to betray the late emperor was because the late emperor's own decision itself had big problems. On the one hand, the late emperor's purpose was obviously to be a dictator. In order to expand his royal power to the maximum, he even wanted to control other dukes through Duke Caster's intelligence. However, he did not expect that the old Duke Caster had already realized this, and also predicted the fact that the brother and sister would inevitably break up through the late emperor's actions.

As for those messages that suddenly appeared... most of them were the backup plans left by the old Duke of Caster.

In a sense, the old Duke of Caster was indeed more than one step ahead of the late emperor in his calculations, especially in his calculations of people's hearts. Although the late emperor was smart, he ignored the importance of human nature. When facing the pressure of public opinion, the first thing he wanted to do was not to stabilize his sister, but to shut up the people and use the enthronement of the queen to stabilize public opinion as quickly as possible. However, for the eldest princess Elizabeth, this move was tantamount to betrayal.

After the late emperor established the queen, the two siblings were essentially alienated from each other. A relationship that grew out of sin was naturally prone to collapse.

Combined with the ideas instilled by the old Duke of Caster before his death, the transformation of Elizabeth Victoria Caster is not so strange. In a sense, Elizabeth actually had the opportunity to take power during the chaotic period after the death of the late emperor. After all, the legitimate heir to the throne, Vina, fled the palace and her life and death were unknown. In fact, she was the legitimate heir. Even if she did not intend to ascend the throne, it was more than enough for her to be a regent.

But she didn't do that... In a sense, it also means that this person is not someone who is greedy for power.

In essence, the tragedy of Queen Victoria and her siblings stemmed from an illicit love affair and was destroyed by the Queen's endless desire for power.

The late emperor may not have truly betrayed Elizabeth. In the eyes of the Faceless Man, Elizabeth simply did not hold enough weight in the face of imperial power.

The young monarch, desperate to seize power, orchestrated Elizabeth's seizure of the Duke of Caster, attempting to elevate royal authority over the nobility during his reign. His perverse lust for power led him to ruthlessly exploit those around him, including his own sister. The tragedy had already been foreordained from the moment Elizabeth married the old Duke of Caster.

"Precocity is not a gift, it's more like a curse." Noah sighed. She was also a precocious person, so she could understand better that precocious children lose the barrier protection brought by their childishness and are forced to face the intrigues and tricks of the adult world, which can easily distort their still young hearts. Noya is still lucky, as she has the Linguang family and other families who can provide her with the correct values. But in Victoria... Before the late emperor ascended the throne, he saw too many conspiracies and compromises. His father was frustrated under the shadow of Frederick III, the great emperor who had made great contributions in the War of the Four Emperors. The War of the Four Emperors seemed to have established Victoria's hegemony... but at the same time, the power of the nobles who had gained a lot of military merits in the war began to get out of control.

When Frederick III was alive, he was able to suppress these military nobles, but after Frederick III died, no one could suppress this bloodthirsty beast.

The Iron Duke was a powerful duke who clearly ignored the royal family. He had no right to participate in the Council of Nobles, and even refused to attend royal summonses. This humiliation was fresh in the memory of the young Alistair II. After ascending to the throne, he was determined to restore the greatness of imperial power and made many plans. "According to my ancestors, she had seen many monarchs who attempted to control Victoria as dictators, but almost without exception, they all failed. Victoria was too powerful, and these nobles were never willing to let the Emperor decide everything for her. Victoria was more of a patchwork of states than an empire, with people simply recognizing a leader."

"It's hard to refute your argument, especially when it comes from some legendary Protector of the Nation." The faceless man shook his head helplessly. "This is why many monarchs have tried their best to eliminate powerful nobles before their death. Otherwise, they will naturally leave a huge mess for future generations."

"...Fortunately, I was not born into the royal family of Victoria..." Noah began to feel a stomachache when she thought that if her ancestors had not left Victoria, she might also be one of the eight dukes, or even... there might be a risk of marrying into the royal family.

"Ahem... Anyway, I've already arranged your meeting with Lady Vina. But as before, you'd better disguise yourself—after all, your face is too famous." The Faceless Man coughed twice and didn't respond to Noya's question. After all, rehashing this matter would be treasonous. "How about the face of that unknown musician from before? I could write one less report, too?"

"Of course it's possible, but if someone sees me entering the diplomatic corps with this face...will there be trouble?" Noah couldn't help but worry.

"Don't worry. It's easier to make up the identity of an unknown musician than a stranger." However, the faceless man was still professional and quickly helped Noya analyze the reason. "And, actually, the reason is easy to find. After all, Duke Caister really admires you."

"...I wish she wouldn't care so much about me." Noah still felt a little guilty. After all, he was the victim of his ancestors' immoral deeds, and he was still a little weak psychologically. "Okay, how do we act?"

Noah stretched out his hand, and as the gray matter covered his face, Noah's facial contours soon changed, and his hair was dyed back to black. Although it was just a change of skin, Noah's disguise was still very effective. The height and skin color that had been changed were basically perfectly restored. The nameless musician - Lilith Noelle, this was the identity that the faceless man helped her to make up. Not only did he get a name and identity certificate, he even gave her a student status at the Royal Academy of Leithania. She was set to be a traveling musician who had just arrived in Kjerag today.

This identity was practically flawless, matching any angle. This demonstrated the Faceless Man's profound mastery of this field. If Noah hadn't known this person didn't exist, he'd likely have believed they existed. Thanks to the Faceless Man's meticulous approach, Noah also obtained a set of fake IDs—though these actually had official registration numbers and could be easily traced online.

"Everything is ready. Next, give your business card to the guard, claiming you're planning to meet with Duke Caster. Just say you're going to Victoria for a concert. Duke Caster is very busy right now and won't see you right away. I'll notify Miss Vina to come out and receive you. If Duke Caster leaves his office, I'll remind you. Before then, you can talk freely—the soundproofing here is excellent."

The faceless man gave instructions and even prepared a special set of clothes for Noah to prevent him from being exposed.

"Mr. Faceless Man, do you do these things often?" Noah was shocked. In the beginning, she tried to instigate the Faceless Man to test whether she could gain companions in this way. However, she did not expect that Mr. Faceless Man had such a high level of professional ability. With this set of methods, he created a non-existent person out of nothing. This should not be the level of connections and skills that ordinary people should have, right?

You know, writing a reasonable and flawless resume is not an easy task, but the faceless man completed it as if it were a piece of cake.

"Thank you for your compliment. After all, I'm an agent. To be alive today, I must have some skills." The faceless man waved his hand. "Time is limited. I wish you good luck."

Following the faceless man's instructions, Noah disguised herself as an innocent and unknown musician and came to the Victoria visiting group's destination. After showing the guard the Duke of Castle's business card, she was taken into the room by the guard, who said he was going to make an announcement and asked her to wait here for a while. He also prepared some black tea for her.

Victoria's black tea is very famous. Noah used to often import some high-quality black tea from Victoria. The Duke of Caster could enjoy the highest quality tea among the highest quality tea. Noah blew on it slightly and took a sip. Soon the fragrance of the tea made her smile knowingly.

"If you like, I can give you some." At this time, Vina finally appeared in the living room, "Victoria's black tea is the most generous gift we give."

"Victoria is rich in resources. Are you being modest, Vina?" Noah also smiled. Back in Rhode Island, she and Vina had a good relationship. With the Faceless Man's arrangement, Vina naturally knew that the person in front of her was Noya in disguise. "Ahem, time is limited, so I won't be polite. Vina, first of all, I want to apologize."

"……Apologize?"

"...My ancestor, no, my great-grandfather, was the Protector of Victoria, the legendary Unicorn. As the head of the Kirilet family, I have an inseparable connection with this ancestor, so... I must apologize as well."

Noah was very humble, but Vina didn't like it at all. She immediately stepped forward and pushed her back to her seat. "Anyway, what you said was done by your ancestors. It has nothing to do with you. I won't take my anger out on you."

"...Just listen to me first." Noah lowered his head and whispered, "That Protector of the Country... you should have met him, right?"

"Indeed, she's a very special person..." Back then, in the deserted palace, Vina had indeed met the so-called Protector of the Nation. The Protector, using the image of Clovisia, the leader of the Self-Defense Army, had promised her many things, even wanting her to become the new emperor... but in the end, Vina refused. She hadn't returned to her homeland to become the new emperor, but rather to stand with the people. "If it were just that, I wouldn't mind."

"It's not just this matter... my ancestor also made suggestions to your father." Noya sighed. "Simply put, the irreparable rift between your father and the Duke of Caister and his sister was also related to her advice."

"..." Vina frowned. With her intelligence, she had already understood most of it once Noah said this. However, she obviously did not expect that Noah still had a huge bomb waiting for her.

"And...your father and the Duke of Caister...had...in the past..." Noah was at a loss for words when she got to this point. However, looking at Vina's upright eyes, she finally gave up her shame and said, "They had an affair."

"...?"

"……Um."

"????"

"...I know you're excited, but this is true. I've verified it... by diving into Duke Caister's memories."

"Wait a minute, you mean my dad and my aunt...huh?"

"...Yes. Literally."

“…Fuck.”

Vina is not just a spoiled aristocratic lady, she is also a gang leader who roams the streets. When she heard the news that made her world view collapse, she instinctively swore.

"[Victorian curse]."

Chapter 47: Selling Art, Not Your Body

"[Victorian curse]."

This was probably the first time that Noah saw Vina so excited. She stood up and paced back and forth in the reception room with a frown on her face. She seemed to want to confront Duke Caister for a moment, but then she stopped. Finally, she returned to her seat obediently, crossed her hands in front of her chest, and thought for a long time before she uttered a word.

"You might as well not tell me."

"I know, but it's related to my ancestors after all. I can't hide it from you... Margaret once said that if you go against your conscience and hide the truth from the world, there is no honor. Although I'm not a knight, I have my own honor that I must protect, or you could call it my bottom line. If I conceal this, my conscience will be uneasy."

"So you chose to make me feel uneasy." Vina complained unhappily, "And even if I knew about this... what can I do..."

"...Well, I only guarantee you the right to know. As for how to deal with it... when my ancestor comes, I'll let her beat you up. How about that? But I don't think you can kill her."

"...Well, we'll talk about it later."

Vina knew that venting anger wouldn't solve anything. Even if the strategist had come up with a bad idea just for fun, she couldn't do anything about it. Although she was the president of the Victoria Londinium Council, she also had many unsolvable problems. In comparison, she admired Noya's decisiveness more. She truly understood what she should and shouldn't do. This clear bottom line was admirable and trustworthy.

No wonder the Doctor and the others trust Noah Kyrielight so much.

"Although I have already asked about this matter once, I want to try again. Miss Noah, are you willing to return to Victoria and resume the position of Protector of the Country?" Vina really didn't mind Noah coming back to be the ninth duke. The eight dukes were enough to give her a headache anyway, and she was not worried that Noah would trip her up. It would be purely beneficial for her to come back to be the Protector of the Country.

But Noah just smiled and shook his head.

"I cannot be the so-called Protector of the Realm, Mr. Speaker."