Amelia’s voice was low as she asked, “How do you know who I am?”
Verna offered a slight smile. “When the Steele Kingdom still existed, Amelia, you, as a princess on the periphery of the royal family, spent most of your time studying abroad at the Sainsol Empire Royal Academy in the South. You thought no one in the North would recognize you, right? But you probably never noticed that I, too, studied at the Royal Academy. We just never spoke, so it’s natural you don’t recognize me. But I recognized you, even though you’ve changed your hair color.”
The Sainsol Empire Royal Academy?
As one of the Three Great Empires, the Sainsol Empire’s Royal Academy was no ordinary institution. Admission was typically reserved for the Empire’s own royals and the children of its various nobles.
It was perfectly normal for a princess from a foreign nation to be granted entry into the Sainsol Empire’s Royal Academy.
Amelia searched through the original owner’s memories and found she truly had no recollection of Verna. But since Verna had recognized her, she probably had indeed been a student there.
“In that case, what is your purpose in revealing my identity? This is not a wise decision.” As Amelia spoke, a hint of solemn killing intent naturally surfaced on her face.
Her journey from the Steele Kingdom’s castle to Bild City had been lined with slaughter and bloodshed. She was no longer the girl who’d felt sick at the sight of blood when she first transmigrated. Now, her display of severity exerted a palpable pressure on Verna.
Yet this pressure only delighted Verna.
“As I said, my purpose is cooperation,” Verna stated earnestly.
“Cooperation?”
“Precisely. Cooperation. I know your goal must be to restore your kingdom. I can provide assistance to you in that regard. And in return, you would aid me in what I wish to accomplish.”
Verna looked at Amelia with piercing eyes.
After recognizing Amelia, she had been quite surprised by her status as a distant relative of the Hicks family. But with a little thought, she was convinced Amelia must have grand designs!
The queen of a fallen kingdom, impersonating a distant relative of a count from another country—her objective undoubtedly had to be leveraging that nation’s power to further her own restoration. What else could it be?
If her aim was restoring her kingdom, then she must have already amassed considerable strength. How else could she even attempt such a thing?
It was precisely these calculations that led Verna to directly approach Amelia and expose her identity. She needed Amelia’s power for herself, and she could naturally offer her corresponding rewards in return!
Restoration? Amelia was somewhat taken aback. She wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about that idea. But if Verna assumed that was the case, she saw no need to correct her.
The moment Verna revealed Amelia’s identity, the bullet comments had exploded into chaos.
The scene presented to the viewers even shifted briefly onto Verna herself, laying her innermost thoughts bare before them. These thoughts were then relayed through the bullet comments, informing Amelia as well.
‘Verna actually thinks I possess a significant force for restoring my kingdom? But the only force I have is Eileen,’ Amelia mused silently upon reading the comments.
“You’re willing to help me reclaim my kingdom, and you also want my assistance in return. So what is your goal?” Amelia asked, looking at Verna.
“I want to become the Grand Duchess of the Luban Duchy!” Verna declared without a trace of hesitation.
Amelia: “…”
Grand Duke Ogden Luban of the Luban Duchy was no longer young and fell ill frequently. It was anyone’s guess when he might depart this world.
Ogden had many children, and who would inherit his position had yet to be announced. However, the Second Prince, Bennett Luban, was the most favored candidate, owing to his gentle demeanor, extensive knowledge, and excellent image.
Of course, First Prince Vincent, Third Prince Dwight, and several other princes all had their own supporters.
As for the princesses, none of them had any backing. Ogden favored sons over daughters and had publicly stated that whatever happened, the next Grand Duke would be one of the princes, never a princess.
Information about Ogden flashed through Amelia’s mind. She gave Verna a complex look and said, “Verna, as a princess, trying to become the Grand Duke of the Luban Duchy presents enormous challenges.”
“I know. But that’s precisely what makes it worthwhile, isn’t it? One day, I will make every flower in the Luban Duchy bloom just for me!” Verna’s eyes were bright, burning with ambition.
But glancing at the bullet comments, Amelia knew Verna was a loser—in the original plot, she would be executed by the victor.
Even Dwight, and the currently most-favored Second Prince Bennett, were losers. It was the silent, unassuming First Prince Vincent who would be the final victor.
Of course, that was the ending from the original plot.
“Cooperate with me!” Verna looked at Amelia with a smile. “Help me become the Grand Duchess of the Luban Duchy, and I’ll help you restore your kingdom. This is beneficial for both of us.”
“Both of those are incredibly difficult tasks.”
“But we are young. I am only seventeen, and you, Amelia, are just sixteen. We still have ample time, don’t we? As long as victory is ultimately ours, that’s enough.”
Verna was full of hope for the future. She wanted to stand atop this world and gaze down at it. That view, she felt certain, must be the most beautiful of all.
Currently, however, her own strength was still somewhat lacking.
Which was why she had concealed the fact that she was a Low-Rank Apostle from everyone.
Which was why she always moved alone, keeping no guards by her side.
And she had been secretly developing some forces of her own.
Ambitious and driven, Verna had her eyes fixed on the Luban Duchy, dreaming of claiming this vast nation for herself.
So, upon discerning Amelia’s identity, Verna was undeniably ecstatic. No matter how she looked at it, Amelia seemed to be an exceptionally suitable partner for cooperation.
Amelia was the queen of a fallen kingdom, yet like her, had once been a marginalized princess. Their shared background was enough to foster resonance.
Furthermore, they both had things they absolutely had to accomplish, yet could not reveal publicly. Wasn’t that a perfect foundation for collaboration?
“Cooperate with me, Amelia. One day, the Steele Kingdom will reappear upon this world, and you, as its Queen, shall declare your return to your people.” Verna urged eagerly.
“How can I trust you? Verna, you need to prove you’re a suitable partner for cooperation.” Amelia thought for a moment, then asked.
