After Swain left Dewed, Sophia has been sullen for the past few days. There were no acquaintances in Tiamat Palace, and since the war had reached the town of Lands, Astrad I College had to temporarily suspend classes, so Sophia had nothing else to do but stay in Tiamat Palace all day.

She thought about moving in with her mother and sister for a while, waiting for her brother to return, but in this huge palace, she only knew some children who had also moved here with her, and no one could speak, and Sophia could not leave.

Sophia sat bored in the garden pavilion, the wisteria was already blooming vigorously, but she didn't have the heart to appreciate it. Holding her cheeks, Sophia looked at the sea of flowers and trees, but what she was thinking about her brother was in her mind.

I don't know how my brother is doing now. Her gaze gradually became empty, and the back of Swain appeared in front of her.

When Sophia was alone in a daze, a child's laughter came from behind the flowers, pulling her thoughts back slightly.

Princess Anna, the wife of Crown Prince Alexander, walked into the garden with a group of children, surrounded by children who had lost their parents and were temporarily living in the palace of Tiamat, because the royal guard needed to maintain elite relations, except for the captain and the captain of the guard, most of the guards were not more than twenty-five years old, so their children were very young. At such a young age, they did not understand the meaning of death, and they only knew a little about the concept of losing their father, and in the palace of Tiamat, which was full of novelties, they quickly forgot about their father's absence.

Sophia had seen the princess from afar before, but she couldn't speak, and she wasn't sure if she knew her.

The princess squatted down, stretched out her arms, hugged the children beside her affectionately, and said in a kind tone: "You can play in the garden, and be careful not to get hurt." ”

"Good—" The children replied loudly to the princess in a childlike voice, dragging out their tones.

These carefree children, with the permission of the princess, immediately rushed to the flowers to play, although the princess had just told them not to hurt themselves, but the energetic children always had infinite strength to drill into all kinds of places.

Seeing that the children were so energetic, the princess let out a long sigh, although she had already given birth to three children, it was still quite difficult for her to bring so many children.

She saw Sophia, who was sitting alone in the pavilion, and smiled as she walked towards Miss Jericho.

Seeing the princess approaching her, Sophia immediately stood up and prepared to salute her.

But the princess smiled and waved her hand, signaling that she did not need to be polite. "May I sit here?" asked the princess.

"Of course, Your Highness. Sophia quickly replied.

The princess sat down, and this noble lady looked very elegant and dignified in her every move, and she was charming. Although she is no longer young, the years have also left a maternal brilliance on her that makes children feel affectionate at a glance.

Although Sophia was much older than those children, she was only a child in front of the princess, and Princess Caterina was a year older than her. Therefore, the princess's gaze at Sophia is also like looking at a child's eyes, soft and loving, like a spring breeze blowing on her body, which makes people feel reassured.

This feeling reminded Sophia of her own mother, and when Mrs. Jane met Sophia, although the feelings were more intense, the essence of this kind of mother was the same, even more real than that of the princess, after all, it was her own child.

"Don't you seem too happy," said the princess, "are you worried about your father on the front, the Viscount Jericho?"

Princess Anna's words surprised Sophia slightly, she didn't expect the princess to recognize herself. But the question caused her to hang her head again, and the falling black hair slightly covered Sophia's face.

Seeing Sophia bow her head, the princess subconsciously thought that it was her father on the battlefield who made her so depressed, so she hurriedly comforted her: "Please rest assured, Viscount Jericho is a great person, he can achieve such a big victory in Lanz Town, and he will definitely be able to come back safely this time." ”

Although the princess's comfort and Sophia's worries are completely incompatible, Sophia is still a little grateful for the princess's concern. "Thank you for comforting me, I didn't expect my father's name to be on the radar of a big man like you. ”

"Now there is no one in the entire emperor who does not know him, and your father is a hero. ”

"Yes, I've been here for the past few days, and I don't know anything from outside. ”

"In times of war, I ask you to bear with me. The princess could tell from Sophia's words that she was not in high spirits, so she stopped talking about the subject, "Are you still used to living in the palace? ”

"No, no, how can it be, it is already a great gift from His Majesty to my brother and me to be able to stay here temporarily, how can I be dissatisfied?" Sophia quickly shook her hand and said.

"That's good, ah, yes, your brother is gone, and now you are very lonely by yourself. Hearing Sophia mention her brother, the princess suddenly remembered Swain, and she also slightly understood the reason why Sophia was sitting here alone.

"It's inevitable that there will be some loneliness, but my brother should be back soon. During the war, I was honored to be able to serve my country. At the mention of her brother, especially when she thought that her brother was coming back soon, Sophia's face immediately showed a smile.

But the smile that fell into the princess's eyes made her feel some sympathy for the young lady. After a little hesitation, the princess decided to tell her the truth. "Actually, your brother ...... It will probably be a while before I get back. ”

The princess's words made the smile on Sophia's face fade suddenly, and she looked at the princess in a daze, her expression was a little flustered, and she didn't understand what the princess meant by this.

The princess bit her lip lightly, although she wanted to make up a white lie, but Sophia was not one of those children, not so easy to deceive. Moreover, even if she didn't tell Sophia, Sophia, who couldn't wait for Swain in a few days, would definitely go to someone to ask. "Michel VII has captured our mission and rejected the call for an armistice, and the rebels are marching on Dwed. However, his arrogant ambitions did not succeed, and he was stopped by the Imperial army on the southern bank of the Lands. ”

"Catch, catch, how could it be ......" Sophia almost lost her soul when she heard the news, and even when she was sitting, her body was shaky, as if she was going to fall at any moment.

Princess Anna hurriedly held Sophia's delicate body so that she would not fall. "Don't worry too much, although he may have been caught, Michelle should not abuse the captives, after all, he is also an earl, even if it is a warring party, he will treat your brother with courtesy. ”

The princess's words did not have a good effect, and Sophia was still depressed, and the soft voice only lingered in her ears, but it did not drift into her heart.

Seeing Sophia's appearance, the princess couldn't help but feel a little distressed, and at the same time, she could understand Sophia's current mood very well. When she heard the news from her husband yesterday, she almost fainted, after all, her daughter was also a member of the mission.

In the end, the soft-hearted princess decided to tell Sophia what her husband comforted her yesterday. Although this news should be said to be top secret, Crown Prince Alexander still said it in order to comfort his wife, and now the princess is ready to tell Sophia the news.

"Actually...... Actually, your brother may not have been caught. ”

These words were like a gospel of salvation in Sophia's ears, and she raised her face and looked at the princess expectantly. "Is this true?" she asked, her lips trembling a little from excitement.

"It's true, that's what my husband said to me. The princess gently hugged Sophia, her lithe body reminding her of her daughter, "Your brother, take my daughter Karin to escape from Porto Leon as soon as possible, although it is not clear where they are now, but at least they should be safe." Don't worry too much, they'll come back safely. ”

Sophia finally breathed a sigh of relief, and the princess's embrace reassured her. Sophia, who had calmed down, only then did it occur to her that it was not only her brother who was in danger, but the princess must also be worried about her daughter.

"I'm sorry for my gaffe......," Sophia sat up straight, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes, "I'm sorry for your trouble." ”

"No, I know how you're feeling right now. The princess looked at Sophia gently, although the corners of her mouth still maintained a gentle smile, but her eyes couldn't help but show a trace of sadness, "When I heard that my daughter Karin might have been captured by the rebels, just like you, I almost fainted, although Alexander told me that she and Count Jericho escaped, but I couldn't get any news of her, I still couldn't rest assured, I still worried about her all the time." ”

Sophia empathized with this sentence, and although she was a little relieved that her brother was not arrested, she was still a little worried. "I really hope they can come back to us soon. Sophia clasped her hands to her chest as if in prayer.

The princess raised her hand, brushed away the hair that covered the corners of Sophia's eyebrows, and gently stroked her face.

"I hope so, too. ”

——————————

After returning to the room, Sophia didn't even take off her shoes, and lay down on the bed. In front of the princess just now, she could barely hold on, but when she was alone, she could no longer suppress the worry and fear in her heart.

"Elder Brother ......"

Tears slowly wet the pillow, and Sophia hugged the only soft pillow that could give her a temporary sense of security, as if hugging her brother could give her a little comfort.

She hardly dared to imagine what would happen to her brother if something had happened, and now that Swain had become an indispensable support, even Lady Jane and her sister Victoria could not give her the same feeling as Swain.

Sophia couldn't help but complain a little about the emperor in her heart, if the emperor didn't send Swain as an envoy, then her brother wouldn't have suffered such a thing, and she also resented Michel VII, for this culprit, Sophia's hatred in Sophia's heart was infinitely magnified by the dark side, and she almost wanted this person to die immediately.

Once hatred arises for a person, coupled with time and thinking alone, this hatred will slowly grow and ferment and become a terrible force. This uncontrollable force can even change a person's heart, making her regard this hatred as an ironclad common sense perception, and will not care about whether it is reasonable or not, or rethink it.

Hate is such an extreme emotion, there is no essential difference from love, they are both extremely strong emotions, but they are guided in different directions. People who are easily driven by emotions tend to be led to paranoia by extreme emotions, and Sophia is such a person, she can love her brother to the extreme, or hate a person to the extreme.

Unconsciously, Sophia had already regarded Michel VII as someone she wanted to kill, and I am afraid that no one would have thought that a fifteen-year-old girl would have such a strong killing intent.

Sophia, on the other hand, would never complain about Swain, and she never thought that what her brother did could be wrong. Even if Swain had told her that she had designed it all, Sophia would only think that her brother was doing it for his grander purposes, and would not feel anything wrong.

My brother has been leaving me alone lately, and it would be nice if he took me with him this time, I seemed to be with him.

Sophia's eyes were already a little red and swollen, and her white teeth bit down on the lace edge of the pillow, venting the emotions that could not be leaned out in her heart.

When I first came, he left me alone in the house and went outside, and he didn't take me with him many times when he went out, and then let me go to school, and I didn't see my brother for a week.

Although she thought of the loneliness in her heart when her brother left her alone, Sophia still did not blame or complain about her brother, and she attributed the reason why Swain left her to the imperial capital, a city that was too noisy.

If only I could get back to Midnight Fort sooner, I don't want anything else, I just want to have my brother by my side as before, always, forever, even if I never leave there again......

Sophia, whose tears were almost dry, finally got tired of crying, she fell on the bed, hugged the pillow tightly, and gradually fell asleep.

Of course, I will certainly grant your wishes, my child.

After Sophia fell asleep, faint, barely visible black threads drifted out of her long black hair and away in the wind.

——————————

After Sophia left the garden, Princess Anna took the children to the dining room for dinner, and then sent them back to their rooms for a nap. After settling the children, the princess still did not hold back the worry in her heart and went to her husband, Crown Prince Alexander.

After a long conversation with Sophia, the worry about her daughter that she had finally suppressed was rekindled. Although Crown Prince Alexander had promised her several times yesterday, she still couldn't rest assured, and wanted to go to her husband again to confirm, or rather, to give herself a little psychological comfort.

After learning from the court attendants that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was in the emperor's study, the princess walked to the room where she usually dared not set foot with trepidation. The emperor's attitude towards her daughter-in-law was better than that of his son, but he was far less kind to his granddaughter Karin, and it could even be said that the emperor's attitude was too polite, so that the princess felt that her father-in-law did not treat her as a member of the family.

The princess walked to the study and stretched out her hand, but hesitated again. Her hand hung in mid-air, and she didn't knock on the door for a long time.

And just when she hesitated, the door suddenly opened, and a young man with freckles on his face and wearing a military uniform was about to come out, and when he saw the princess, he quickly stopped his steps.

The princess didn't know the man, and the young man didn't know the princess. He bowed to the princess very stiffly, and left in a hurry without even saying a word.

"Anna, why are you here?" Crown Prince Alexander, who was in his study, was surprised to see his wife suddenly appear here.

The princess looked into the study, there were many people inside, in addition to her husband, but also her husband's brother Beria, the Minister of War Guderian, the Prime Minister William Noe Pitt Jr., almost all the important people of the imperial government were here.

"Anna, is there anything wrong with you, are the children all right?" the Emperor furrowed slightly, a little unhappy with his daughter-in-law's sudden appearance. Their conversation was so confidential that if the person who appeared behind the door was not Princess Anna but an ordinary court attendant, the Emperor would have thought that he was eavesdropping on their conversation.

"Your Majesty. The princess hurriedly saluted the emperor, and she was a little flustered when she lifted the hem of her skirt, obviously she also thought of the suspicions she might have, "I, I want to ask you, Karin, is Karin really not caught...... I'm still a little worried about her. ”

The princess's answer softened the emperor's expression, although as a member of the royal family, he should be strong and not expose his weak feelings to others, but the emperor himself is often emotional, and he can still understand Princess Anna's feelings.

But Crown Prince Alexander did not think so, he was afraid that his wife's request would annoy his father. "Didn't I tell you yesterday, Karin is fine, why are you still thinking nonsense?"

"I'm sorry, Your Highness. The princess lowered her eyes and did not dare to look at her husband and the emperor.

"Alexander, you shouldn't blame her. The Emperor raised his hand and interrupted his son, who was still about to speak, "Anna, I can understand your feelings, and I assure you that Karin will be fine." In fact, the information we have received is absolutely reliable, and the Southern Corps has defected. ”

"Your Majesty!" Prime Minister Pitt hurriedly spoke up, interrupting the Emperor's words.

The emperor glanced at the prime minister, and the expression on his face did not change.

"Anyway, you don't have to worry too much. The dignified Siliul Empire, can't it protect the safety of a princess?"

"Yes, I see, father. The princess bowed her head and left the study obediently.