Raise Joan of Arc to be an empress, then discard her.

At this moment, they felt the shaking of the carriage stop. Aaron didn't react much, but Flora took a deep breath, came out of the carriage, and said to everyone, "Leave the rest to me. I will take him into Alice Palace."

"Yes."

Hearing the complete silence outside, Aaron got out of the car. He first took a breath of fresh air, then looked ahead and saw the familiar Alice Palace. How long had it been since he had been here? He was filled with emotion.

While he was still in a daze, the gold bracelet on his wrist suddenly popped open on its own. This bracelet actually had such a smart function. Flora hurriedly reached out and caught the gold bracelet.

“This is the core area of ​​Esgard. Once you’re here, you’re completely safe,” Flora said.

"Is it safe now...?"

Aaron looked at the Alice Palace in front of him and slowly walked inside.

The labyrinth set up during the Mad King's era has been completely removed, replaced by a magnificent palace. And whether it was his imagination or not, he felt that all the palace maids and guards in the palace had been removed today, because he didn't encounter a single person when he entered.

Suddenly, he stopped, because he had arrived in front of the palace hall, and he stopped because he had seen that figure.

That name, which for a long time could only be heard on posters, in other people's rumors, in newspapers, and in news that concerned the whole world.

Joan of Arc.

She had changed, but when she stood before Aaron, he still felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity: that stunningly beautiful face he had long known, her perfectly grown and mature figure, and the majestic and noble imperial aura of the First Emperor.

That's a quality that only someone who has spent many years at the highest level in the world can possess, and only the loneliness of being at the top can truly reflect the mindset of such a person.

In that instant, Aaron thought of many things.

When he woke up in the Dok Kingdom's colony one day and saw her for the first time in the newspaper, he couldn't believe it for a long time. It was Joan of Arc. The Joan of Arc in the poster was a majestic empress. The woman who exuded the demeanor of an emperor in every gesture was actually his former student.

How exactly did his former student become the supreme leader of the Lucerne Empire step by step, and how did she lead the entire Lucerne Empire to rise to power? This remained a mystery in his heart. He didn't know what she had gone through, or how much influence he had had on her.

"Teacher..." At this moment, Aaron heard that very familiar yet strangely unfamiliar title again.

Was he worthy of being called Joan of Arc's teacher? For a moment, even Aaron himself didn't understand.

It turns out that the insecure girl from many years ago was actually just the shell of a strong soul. Behind that fragile appearance, there was a strong soul that could become an emperor.

But now, having lived three lifetimes and experienced so many great events, Aaron is calm. He looks at Joan of Arc with a calm gaze. After all, he could remain unfazed even when the seven kingdoms attacked the Lucerne Empire, let alone a small scene like this.

He could indeed smile at Joan of Arc and say, "Yes, I'm back."

However, after saying this, Aaron remained silent.

There was no other reason than that he didn't know what to say.

They had so much to say to each other, and so much time had passed since they last met, which was why he didn't know how to start the conversation.

Explain where he's been all these years. Explain why he's in the Kingdom of Dok. Explain why he hasn't returned.

Or perhaps nothing needs to be said, because it is a reunion of the two after many years, so there will naturally be a warm atmosphere.

As these thoughts subsided, Aaron's multitude of ideas gradually faded, and he calmed down. He stared blankly at the girl in front of him, and without realizing it, he became slightly lost in thought, as if he had suddenly forgotten his tension and the passage of time.

This wasn't because he was no longer nervous, but because he suddenly realized that Joan of Arc had grown up.

She is no longer the student who used to follow him around; she is now the queen of the most powerful country in the world.

She had probably experienced just as much as he had, and although he was her teacher, in a sense, he was already an old man. So what could he say to Joan of Arc, a young woman in her prime, or rather, a former student? What else was there to say?

And just then, just as he had expected, after gazing at each other for a long time, Joan of Arc finally gave him her first smile.

It was a smile completely different from the one on the poster. Apart from Aaron, probably no one else in the world had ever seen it, but it was an extremely familiar smile to Aaron. It was the smile of Joan of Arc when she saw Aaron at home at the age of nineteen. It was as if they hadn't not seen each other for more than ten years, but had just gone to the headquarters of the Obsidian Knights in the morning and returned at noon, and that was the kind of smile they would see when they met Joan of Arc.

"Welcome back, teacher," she said softly, as warm as the afternoon sun.

“Yes, I’m back,” Aaron said. What else could he say? That was the only answer he could give. Just as he had thought, after going through so much, they didn’t really need to say anything more. At this moment, they both knew that just being able to see each other was the most precious thing, and nothing else mattered. So, a smile involuntarily appeared on his face.

However, the long smiles always come to an end. After a long silence, they still needed to start a conversation. Aaron thought for a moment and decided that as the elder, he should speak first. So he said, "I never expected to meet in this way. I never dreamed that such a scene would happen."

“No, teacher,” Joan of Arc shook her head and said, “I have imagined this scenario many times. And teacher, do you know that I have been working hard to realize my idea all these years, so that I was able to bring you back.”

“Is that so…yes…after all, your status is different now than before…” Aaron said.

Joan of Arc shook her head: "However, things aren't entirely as I planned here. I originally intended to..."

"You mean...?"

"I originally intended for them to take me directly to my bedchamber."

Aaron: "???"

"Are you kidding, teacher? Are you scared?" Joan of Arc chuckled like a mischievous child. Her smile made one forget she was a young empress and instead reveal her as a teenager.

"No……"

“Although this place is large and spacious, it is indeed lacking in too many things…” Joan of Arc looked around: “There is nothing here… This is not a place to entertain a teacher…”

“That’s true…we should at least have a table, or at least some black tea…” Aaron could only chime in.

"Yes, for example, preparing some tables and a bed."

"Forehead…………"

While Aaron was in shock, Joan of Arc seemed to suddenly realize something, paused for a moment, and then, as if realizing her lapse in composure, said, "I'm sorry, did I scare you, teacher? Forget about what just happened. After all, I'm just an ordinary person now, and I may not be used to the current situation yet."

Aaron broke out in a cold sweat. He suddenly realized how right he had been not to let Flora tell Joan the truth.

“Um… Joan of Arc, I think we can do a lot of other things, like catching up… having some tea… and talking about the changes over the years…”

"Indeed, and then we waited until evening... before going home together."

"Our home?" Aaron was taken aback.

"However, that place isn't ready yet... no... actually it is ready... but it's not satisfactory yet... so it might be necessary for the teacher to stay in my bedroom temporarily..."

"Um... I'm fine with staying anywhere, after all these years..."

Joan of Arc stubbornly shook her head, displaying, unusually, or rather for the first time, the majesty and unquestionable authority of an empress before Aaron: "I have already made arrangements; the teacher will stay in the palace tonight."

"Alright, you're the Empress, you're the boss..."

“That’s good then…” Seeing Aaron’s reaction, Joan of Arc smiled again and slowly approached Aaron. Aaron could smell the fragrance on her that only people of very high status possessed. At the same time, she took his arm with her soft hand: “Then let’s talk about some topics that are of interest to us first, such as what about Teacher’s fiancée in the Kingdom of Dok, Miss Freya?”

"Um...this..."

Although Joan of Arc was supporting him, Aaron's entire body was covered in goosebumps: 'This...this...are we really going to talk about this right off the bat...I think we've just met, there are many other things we can talk about, this really isn't urgent...'

"Is that so?" Joan of Arc, like a young girl, held up a finger, feigning ignorance, and said, "But I am very interested in this matter. Don't you find it interesting, teacher?"

"Or perhaps..." Joan of Arc smiled again, "Is Master still hung up on his fiancée? It might be difficult... but I can find a way to bring her over to reunite with you... but before that, she needs to meet me first..."

"This one……"

As Aaron turned his head away, Joan of Arc gently stroked his arm. Although her fingers were slender and soft, Aaron felt goosebumps rise all over his arm. Perhaps it was because she displayed both the innocence and romance of a young girl and the majesty of an emperor, leaving Aaron at a loss.

“Um… Joan of Arc… I think…” Aaron hesitated for a long time before finally uttering his first words after the silence.

“Teacher…” Joan of Arc interrupted Aaron’s spellcasting once again, shaking her head and placing her slender, fragrant fingers suggestively near Aaron’s lips. She said to him, “Teacher, perhaps you have some misunderstandings about me.”

"Misunderstanding?" Aaron blinked, not understanding what she was talking about.

"You might think that after so many years, Joan of Arc is different from before. She has become an empress, more mature, composed, and graceful, so naturally she wouldn't care about these things..."

Chapter 235 Reminiscing about the Past

“Isn’t that right? So many years have passed… I’ve seen a lot about you, and I think you’ve definitely matured, and you’ve done a great job,” Aaron said, speaking very softly so that his lips wouldn’t touch Joan’s fingers, because his fingers were very close to his lips.

But Joan of Arc seemed to be teasing him, laughing as she said, "Because I don't really care about those things, or rather, they're not the same as what I care about most. In essence, I'm still the same Joan of Arc from many years ago, just like you said, the Joan of Arc who always followed you around. I haven't changed at all over the years. I may have become stronger and more composed, but those are just shells. And I won't wear those shells in front of you, Teacher."

“But you were a very good child before… I was proud of you. I often worried that you might be bullied because you were too well-behaved.” Aaron said that he genuinely believed it, and his eyes shone as he spoke, like a parent who wholeheartedly believed in their child. That look made Joan momentarily dazed. She didn’t know if it was because no one had looked at her like that for many years, or perhaps because she knew in her heart that she wasn’t really like that. Now, being looked at like that, Joan’s body trembled slightly. She hadn’t shown such a shocked, complicated, and shaken expression for many years.

“But teacher… I have to tell you the truth.” After a long while, Joan of Arc said with a smile.

"What truth?" Aaron sensed that something was very wrong, but he still put on an expression of trying to believe Joan of Arc, even though that was what he secretly hoped for. He had already sensed that something was amiss.

“I was just pretending,” Joan of Arc said with a smile.

“Actually, I’ve been enduring this for many years.” She continued with a smile, saying the words that made Aaron break out in a cold sweat: “But now it’s all right, I finally don’t have to endure it anymore.”

"Um... what does this mean?" Aaron already had a premonition, but he still asked.

"What do you mean?" Joan of Arc feigned ignorance. "Even now, teacher, you still have this question? Why don't we rest for a bit, and then I'll slowly tell you the truth? Or do you want me to tell you the truth all at once now?"

The smile on her face carried a gentleness familiar to Aaron, but at the same time, it was also very meaningful and elusive.

“No… I do think we have a lot to talk about, like… you’ve changed a lot.” Aaron started to change the subject.

Aaron's words were half evasive and half sincere. For example, her voice was still gentle, but the content was mostly an unquestionable command. The queenly majesty she had just unintentionally displayed also proved that she was no longer the girl she once was.

Thinking of this, Aaron's expression slowly became somewhat complicated. Yes, so many years have actually passed.

Perhaps it was Aaron's words that affected her, or perhaps Joan of Arc herself knew this well, for she also fell silent, which was rare for her. Fortunately, Aaron showed a gentle smile at this moment and simply shook his head.

“Teacher, I’d like to take you somewhere to see the sights,” Joan of Arc said suddenly after seemingly pondering for a moment.

"Don't you have any state affairs to attend to today... After all, I've noticed you're usually quite busy..." Aaron said.

"Are you concerned about me? Or are you bothered by what I do?" Joan of Arc replied with a smile, "It doesn't matter. I have been waiting for this time for more than ten years. Even if the world were to be destroyed tomorrow, I would still make time for it. My teacher won't care. Besides, I have been cultivating these ministers for more than ten years for this day. They are not so helpless without their queen."

"Where are we going... We can't really go to your bedroom, can we..." Aaron was sweating...

“Guess,” Joan of Arc said with a smile.

"........."

As evening fell, the entire city of Esgard was bathed in the gentle glow of the setting sun.

They are now located on the outskirts of Asgard, with factories to the north and residential areas of varying heights and bungalows to the south. This is the border between the two areas, and it is home to most of Asgard's most honest workers and ordinary people. In the evening, many workers are going home from get off work, and you can see children and middle-aged women on the streets. They were probably the lowest class of people in Asgard, but now they have a job that can make a living.

"Come back for dinner!" someone called out from inside the bungalow. It was a somewhat childish female voice. Looking in the direction of the voice, a thin woman stood there. She was clearly blind, with a terrifying blankness in her eyes, but she looked quite well and spoke with a strong voice.

"I'm back. I earned some extra money at work today. The team leader gave me some extra change because he saw how hard I was working, so I bought some extra bread." A man who was clearly half a head taller than her walked into the house with his head down and gently stroked her face as soon as he came in.

"Big guy, you're doing this again as soon as you come in. Last time you smeared dust on my face, and I didn't even notice if someone hadn't pointed it out," the girl said reproachfully, her face flushed with embarrassment. She snapped, "Go wash your hands, we're about to eat."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry... I forgot to wash my hands. I'm always so clumsy." The big man smiled shyly, a towel slung around his neck, and went to the basin next to him to wash his hands.

Turning a corner, on the rooftop of a low building, two figures watched them silently.

"They're still alive." After staring at them for a long time, until their figures gradually blurred in the sunset, Aaron turned his head and said softly, his expression unreadable.

"It was only much later that I heard about them, and from them I learned about the teacher, and then I learned that the teacher had saved them," said Joan of Arc, Queen of Lucerne, beside him.

"Did you help them on purpose without letting them know?" Aaron asked.

Joan of Arc shook her head: "I wouldn't stoop to such a cheating act. In fact, when I learned about their situation, they had already settled here. They were very lucky not to die in the war, but they are able to live a happy life now mostly because of themselves. They are very strong people. When they find their happiness, they will desperately hold on to it. To be honest, this isn't the first time I've seen them today. Seeing them like this makes me feel very happy."