After being forced to step down, the once-annoying nun eloped with me.

Under Natalia's tutelage, Anna was a well-mannered and good child. Coupled with the cruel treatment she had suffered, this led the people of Bayern to believe she was a good child who needed to be loved.

In this situation, the shop owner was naturally willing to give Anna some candy for free—especially after discovering that the Father of the Nation was also with the child.

Yang Hao gave two of the pastries to Natalia and Naruja. He knew their tastes, so he handed them over without hesitation. But did Elena really like these rough pastries?

Yang Hao hesitated for a moment. After gently placing the candy in Elena's hand, he smiled and said that if she really didn't like it, it was fine not to eat it.

"Question: Why refuse delicious food?"

Elena simply tilted her head in response:

"And it was a gift from you, Mr. Yang Hao? But I have a question... Isn't sugar a very scarce resource in the United Nations?"

"You can't say that—although we don't have sugar cane here, nor do we grow a lot of sugar beets, there's still plenty of honey and sugar beets that we can trade for in the Elf Forest, you know?"

"Question: Isn't it more like getting it for free?"

Under the girls' strange gazes, Elena tore open the candy wrapper, broke the whole candy into two pieces, then put one piece into her mouth. Looking at Yang Hao's empty hands, she finally held the other half to his mouth.

"Relax: Please have some—the sweetness of the candy is a bit bland for me. Although I like it, I think that as someone who often thinks about important things, you may need more sugar intake."

"...Uh? Cough cough...Thank you."

Yang Hao didn't foolishly open his mouth and put the candy in Elena's hand. He just coughed twice, took the candy from her, and then put it in his mouth.

While he knew that Elena, as a synthetic doll, would have a more direct way of thinking than ordinary humans—he truly hadn't expected her to be this direct. Logically, if it was to show concern, wouldn't a simple "Please have some candy?" Why just offer candy to her mouth like that...?

But perhaps this means that I actually have a pretty high [favorability rating] for Elena?

Yang Hao recalled those mobile games on Earth with clear levels of affection, where characters' attitudes towards players would change significantly depending on the level of affection—once a certain threshold was exceeded, the interaction between the characters and players would change drastically... Perhaps his relationship with Elena was similar to playing mobile games?

By continuously increasing favorability by 3, one day I will occupy a very high position in the heart of the synthetic doll, and then be able to send me the country's secrets? That seems pretty good... However, Yang Hao was just joking in his heart.

If real life were as convenient as in the game, with everything you ask for granted and every effort guaranteed to be rewarded...would my past life still be so terrible?

He shook his head, savoring the faint sweetness of the candy in his mouth, when he was suddenly pulled away by Anna, who was puffing out her cheeks for some unknown reason.

The three girls following behind Yang Hao had different expressions. For Natalia and Naruja, this was the first time they had felt the pressure from a synthetic doll... But it's okay!

If they work hard, nothing will be a problem!

The two girls encouraged each other and decided to stop Elena's further direct attacks at all costs!

Then in the afternoon—

Under Elena's influence, they were forced to leave Yang Hao's side and go to the bustling city center with Anna, who was in a playful mood.

............

in the afternoon.

Elena came to the conclusion through a series of observations that Anna was a playful child. Although she was well-behaved and sensible, people's patience has a limit.

Whether it's suppressing your craving for food when you're hungry or suppressing your feelings for someone, anything that needs to be suppressed will eventually be released.

So... Elena deliberately used her advantages to guide Yang Hao and the others to wander freely in the bustling streets, using the guise of "inspection" to keep approaching those amusement facilities that looked really fun—and little Anna, who had been eagerly looking around, finally couldn't resist anymore.

She took Mr. Yang Hao's hand, seemingly wanting His Majesty to play with her. But unsurprisingly, considering his work, Mr. Yang Hao could only decline in the end—but on the other hand, Miss Natalia and Miss Naruja were also there, so Mr. Yang Hao unsurprisingly chose a compromise.

"Go play with your sisters Natalia and Naruja—Dad and Miss Elena will be waiting for you here. Go on your way."

"Waaah..."

"After all, Dad has work too."

Yang Hao's words were like a stabilizing force, making the aggrieved Anna nod. Watching the three of them gradually disappear, Yang Hao sighed and sat down next to Elena, reflecting on whether he had been too ruthless towards Anna.

Anna is still a child who needs companionship. She already lacks parental affection and fatherly love, and now I'm so busy that I've neglected her feelings... Sigh!

"Can't we think of a way to resolve this conflict between work and family?" Yang Hao muttered to himself. But Elena, sitting beside him against the unfinished fountain in a red dress, suddenly spoke up:

"I'm impressed: The United Nations is indeed a prosperous country... If it is truly a country that has only risen from the ground for less than two years, as you say, Mr. Yang Hao, then apart from its sparse population, the United Nations can already be considered a 'powerful nation'."

"Thank you for your assessment... but Elena, that's not what you really meant by deliberately sending them away, is it?"

"Yes."

Elena nodded, a hint of envy flashing in her eyes as she watched Anna and the other two playing wildly in the distance.

But she quickly put her minor emotions aside—she turned to look at Yang Hao's profile, and after carefully examining his weathered face for a long time, she spoke:

"Question: You...you're not actually from this world, are you?"

"That's right."

"Question: Why not defend yourself?"

"Because I understand your way of thinking a bit better—since you've already made up your mind, and I can't hide it from you, it's better to just admit it directly, isn't it?"

Yang Hao openly admitted to the fact that he had already confessed to Theresa and Finn that he was not a native of this world. After all, to be honest, it would be a miracle if he were a native of this world.

He is a resident of another world, and the way he traveled there was actually quite bizarre...

"If I told you that a guy who claimed to be the 'World Consciousness' asked me to travel here, would you believe me?"

Meeting Elena's gaze, Yang Hao recounted what Teresa and Finn only knew: his past.

When Yang Hao first transmigrated, it was during his freshman year of college.

At that moment, the public bus he was on had just been involved in an accident. Most of the people on board seemed to be dead, and just as the dying Yang Hao was contemplating whether he would die as well, a voice suddenly came out, offering to make a deal with him.

The voice identified itself as the "World Consciousness," or rather, "Gaia"—she said she was willing to give Yang Hao a new life. But the price was that he would be reincarnated into another world and assist a "Chosen One" in building an empire.

Yang Hao, at the time, decided to try anything, even if it seemed hopeless. Regardless of whether it was a hallucination or not, he accepted the other party's conditions. After that, he came into this world and, much, much later, met his sworn brother, Benjamin Roman.

From the moment they met, Benjamin treated Yang Hao like a brother. He warmly welcomed Yang Hao and spoke with sincerity—he didn't force Yang Hao to work for him, but simply hoped for a win-win outcome for both parties.

In the end, Yang Hao chose to accept Benjamin's conditions—he would assist Benjamin in becoming king and in uniting the surrounding tribes to build a vast empire. His main task, naturally, would be to strengthen the empire's industrial capabilities.

After all, Yang Hao is not a native of this world. Living in the era of data explosion, even if he just explained the principle of the folding steel forging method that he heard about online, it could bring about a transformation in the entire primitive society. Under such circumstances, if he is only responsible for finding ways to get the livelihood and industry of the new empire up and make people's lives better and better, the pressure on Yang Hao is not that great.

As long as Benjamin remains on the throne, diverting political pressure and ultimately providing support, Yang Hao is confident that he can make the Roman Empire the most powerful empire on the continent of Elusia.

Unfortunately...

“He’s dead.” Yang Hao always sighed with sorrow when talking about his sworn brother. “He died on the battlefield, leaving behind his wife and daughter, and I had no choice but to accept his position. But even so, I had no intention of taking the throne that belonged to Anna. I safeguarded the throne for her; I wanted the Romans to live better lives, but clearly, I was never cut out for that position—at least not for me at the time…”

I failed to protect Benjamin's wife, and I almost failed to protect his daughter... I was saved by Natalia during my trial, and afterwards I met Theresa again... In the end, I suddenly realized something.

I wasn't born in the Roman Empire. Why should I strive for the people of the Roman Empire instead of those around me?

He paused for a moment, his eyes filled with loving affection as he looked at Anna, who was being held and lifted high by Natalia in the distance.

People always feel that others have an obligation to make their lives better. If they can't, then they deserve to be scorned. If they do, then they naturally don't need to be grateful.

They don't understand empathy. They think they would do better if they were in that position, but in the end? Hmph... They like to vilify all mistakes, they like to condemn with righteous indignation, they feel worse seeing others make money than losing money themselves, they would rather everyone end up making nothing than accept the possibility of their own future financial recovery.

So in the end, they can't do anything. They can only stand in the corner and curse the oppression of the nobles without resisting. They can only give up the benefits that are not even far away for petty gains. They will cut off their own channels for acquiring new knowledge because they can't stand seeing their wives and children, who are several heads below them, have more profound knowledge than themselves.

This is the vast majority of Roman people as I know them.

After shedding the filter that Benjamin had given me, I suddenly realized... why should I make them better and better? Wouldn't it be better for me to help the elves, help those barbarians, or even go across the sea to become a librarian than to stay in this shitty place called the Roman Empire?

And then... this is how it turned out. I became the emperor of the United Kingdom, the nun who shared my life became my lover and wife, and Fenya, who provided me with the foundation for revenge and a renewed ideal... just as you can see.

After shedding the burden of the empire my sworn brother placed in me, I discovered that the world is actually quite bright. But... no matter how bright it is, we still seem to have a chance to rest. Elena, do you think my life is the right one?

In response to Yang Hao's sigh, Elena simply tilted her head and said: If this isn't correct, then what is?

Yang Hao looked at her in surprise, while Elena pointed to herself with a very serious expression:

"Explanation: Mr. Yang Hao, if you, as a [visitor from another world], are an existence with an abnormal life trajectory, then my life, that of the synthetic doll Elena, is even more of a mistake."

Because I can't even be considered a true "human." Although the magical dolls treat me as a person, Mr. Yang Hao... besides you, how many people in this world would consider a life form born from a machine to be "human"?

Yang Hao blinked, then shook his head:

"Besides magical dolls, perhaps there aren't any?"

"Definitely not. You and the magical doll are among the very few who are willing to acknowledge me as a [life form]... And that is why, after learning about your past, I completely understand your feelings."

Elena is, in a sense, similar to Yang Hao—only she is more extreme than Yang Hao.

Although Yang Hao is a visitor from another world, he is, after all, a genuine embryo born from a woman's body, a biologically accurate "human"—but what about Elena? A soulless life form born from mechanical and magical technology, can she be considered a "human"?

That's definitely impossible. Even the magical dolls have to admit that Elena can't truly be considered "human." That's precisely why, after discovering that Yang Hao was someone who was willing to acknowledge Elena as human, they went to great lengths to curry favor with him...

...In a sense, if Yang Hao hadn't met Teresa, hadn't met Finn...

Perhaps they are the only friends in the world who can understand each other.

They are both inherently lonely beings in this world—one is a visitor from another realm, the other a being not recognized by most. Their bond is so strong that it could become unbreakable...provided they can meet and become friends.

“Sigh: After learning about your past, Mr. Yang Hao, I actually feel... somewhat happy.” Elena turned her face away. Looking at the three people still playing in the distance but already planning to return, she lowered her head somewhat awkwardly: “Explanation: It’s a feeling of guilt... I... am happy that there is someone who has had a similar experience. I thought I was the only twisted individual in this world... but your existence, Mr. Yang Hao, truly makes me very happy.”

"...Sigh, Elena, I can let it go, but you can't say that to other people, can you?"

Explanation: I say this precisely because you are the person beside me.

...The synthetic doll's soft yet calm words made Yang Hao scratch his head awkwardly.

Then, he simply smiled tentatively:

"...I see. But I already have Theresa and Finn, okay? I don't lack people who can understand me... But Elena, the people who can understand you, don't you still have magical dolls by your side?"

Explanation: This is different.

"But we can still be friends who understand each other, can't we?"

"Happy: Yes."

It seems Elena just needs a "friend".

Yang Hao breathed a sigh of relief. But his confidence in his way of interacting with the synthetic doll prevented him from noticing the small, unnoticed disappointment that flashed in the doll's ruby-like eyes.

They sat on the stone bench, watching Anna and the others, who were tired from playing, slowly walk towards them.

“A question…Mr. Yang Hao?” It was at this moment that Elena spoke up. “If in the future I wish to continue conducting research with you in a private capacity around Constantinople, would you be willing to grant my request?”

“If it doesn’t take long, I’d definitely be willing to agree—but Elena, little Anna will definitely be clamoring to come along again, right? Is that alright?”

"I understand: It's okay. My growth also requires contact with more people... Perhaps if I can get along well with Anna, it will be very helpful for me in the future."

"Then it depends on your efforts."

Yang Hao patted his thigh, stood up, turned around, and extended his right hand to Elena.

Elena took his hand quite naturally, feeling the rough skin of his hand gliding over her smooth artificial skin. A faint blush, almost imperceptible in the sunset, appeared on the small doll's face.