The candle flame is dim, and the shadow is lonely.

With a scroll in hand, Queen Mary sat at a table in the back of the church, stunned as she watched the candles light up with sparks.

The Church of the Dusk, the oldest building in town, no longer has the pomp and circumstance of the original gathering of believers. On the day of Mass, the chapel is no longer the first choice of the inhabitants, and people are more likely to go to the chapel open to the public at the headquarters of the Order, just to get closer to the Son.

Therefore, Queen Mary was the only one left in the church, except for a few vulgar maids sent by Cumberland.

Putting down the books she had memorized, Mary turned back to look at the walls full of drawings and drawings. Some of them are paintings by famous artists who have been copied with the help of the "Memory" ability, and some are original designs of costumes or buildings.

The cold wind of late autumn ran down the cracks in the room and into the small space, blowing the candle flame flickering on and off, and Mary shivered, and had to reach out to protect the fire.

Once the flames were straight up again, she glanced at the red frost marks on her hands, and then looked back at the furnishings in the room. A dilapidated wooden bed, a crumbling wardrobe, and a sloping bookshelves.

When she escaped from the Silver Ring, Mary's jewelry had already been pawned, and the Knights paid her weekly "salary", so it stands to reason that even if she was not rich, this money was enough to have food and clothing. However, she is accustomed to court life, and her requirements for use have far exceeded the ability of ordinary people to bear, and life is more like a tempering for her for the rest of her life.

The knock on the door sounded slowly.

A touch of joy appeared on Mary's face, and the long-awaited visitor finally arrived.

"Your Majesty, I'm back!"

A crisp and melodious voice came first, and then the hood on the gray cloak was lifted, and a skilled face appeared in front of Mary.

The joy of a long time made the queen unload her usual defense, hugged the woman in front of her, and choked in a low voice: "Cathy, being able to see you again is the best gift my Heavenly Father has given me!"

As Queen Mary's former personal maid, Cathy was a little at a loss for this unprecedented contact: "Your Majesty the Queen......"

"Don't call me Her Majesty the Queen anymore, I have nothing to do with that kingdom anymore. Mary pulled Cathy to sit on the edge of the bed, looked at the other and asked wistfully, "How is the thing I asked you to do in the letter?"

Cathy took off her cloak, looked at Mary beside her, leaned over and sat away a little: "As you said, there are many people in the Silver Ring City who have expressed their willingness to take refuge. ”

Mary nodded slightly: "The situation in the Silver Ring City...... Isn't it okay?"

Cathy pursed her lips, "It's not good, in order to show 'friendliness' to the allies, the council chamber agreed to bring the barbarian army into the city. The barbarians from the north, they do whatever they want in the city, and the inhabitants are miserable...... By the way, do you want to know how His Majesty Guy is doing......"

Hearing this familiar name, Mary was stunned for a while before she realized that this man was her husband: "No...... From the moment I left the Silver Ring, the man had stepped out of my world. Over the years, I've pinned all my feelings on him, using luxury and wealth to get a ridiculous sense of security. In the end, when I stepped on the guillotine with one foot, I discovered a sad truth, it turned out that a woman with no ego and no power was just a plaything that could not be posed......"

"Your Majesty the Queen......" Mary's eyes flashed with something Cathy couldn't understand, and the latter shrank back again, "What are you going to do?"

Mary looked at the wall painting and said slowly, "Did you know, Cathy? I've heard people say in the past that after a dying experience, people value their lives more. I've already died once, and I long to get out of that messy life and find a reason for my future existence. ”

Mary stretched out her right hand and gently stroked the sketch of the "Twilight Cathedral" on the wall: "The era of the Silver Ring has come to an end, and the stage of Twilight is rising......"

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After reviewing the government affairs file, Todd walked out of the kingdom's council hall, shivering in a biting cold wind, and when he looked up at the sky, a flying snowflake fell on the tip of his nose.

Touching his hand to his nose, Todd only touched a few water stains.

Today is December 3, 1171 in the Kahma, and the arrival of winter is a sign that the year is coming to an end.

Todd looked at the tiny snow particles in the air, and his thoughts flew back to the day he first arrived in another world.

Two years ago, on that snowy night, a cold hut, the corpse of a teenager, and the cellar where the brass pipes were kept, he even counted the remaining lives in hours.

A year ago, in the church on a snowy night, the Order was faced with an existential dilemma, choosing to die like a hero or a coward to breathe, and he finally made a decision to die and live.

And now, Todd lowered his head and looked at the holy robe on his body, which had been made by dozens of weavers all night, and there was endless emotion in his heart. The king, he never dreamed that he would become the monarch of a country like this.

"Your Majesty!"

Huggins walked from the other side of the corridor with the paperwork in hand, walked up to Todd, and bowed.

Todd looked at the knight who had followed him since he first came to the Otherworld, remembered the old time, and nodded.

"Your Majesty, the registration and screening of residents in the town has basically ended, and here are the results of all the statistics. Huggins handed Todd a piece of paper full of words, and continued, "There's been a strange thing in Twilight lately. ”

Todd looked at the paper in his hand, looked down and asked, "What's the strange thing?"

Huggins scratched the back of his head: "In the streets of Twilight City, there have been a lot of scholars in recent days, who come from various countries and work in different industries. I sent people and followed them, and these people gathered here and didn't do anything drastic, just looked around, and had an occasional meeting or two. ”

Todd looked away from the paper, "Scholar?"

"I compared the identities of these people and found one thing in common, these people were all former students of the Royal Academy of Taylor. ”

Listening to Huggins' words, Todd remembered the 'special guest' Tristan had sent months ago: "Do you suspect that these people are related to Terrence?"

"There is no evidence. Huggins spread his hands: "And these people don't have any unusual behavior, Your Majesty, do you need me to send someone to warn them?"

Todd thought for a moment, shook his head and said, "Don't alarm them, keep an eye on these people." ”