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

Many eyes were also on Freya's movements. When Freya took Aaron's arm, a small commotion broke out in the audience. This was the first time Aaron had ever appeared in a formal setting. Before, he was just a figure in aristocratic rumors, but since he became famous and appeared in the newspapers, people knew that Freya's partner was named Aaron Brandon, a civil servant in Birmingham, and also the hero who saved Birmingham. Aaron could feel the curious gazes from all around him.

Aaron knew that this was actually what Freya wanted, but he was still preoccupied with the Iron Earl's intentions, his mind a jumbled mess. However, there was nothing he could do about it now.

With another sigh, Aaron figured that since he was powerless to do anything about it, he might as well just watch the performance. So he asked, "Who's that person on stage?"

“Fabian Holmwood, the lead actor and director of the Eagles, you really don’t pay any attention to these things at all,” Freya said, linking her arm with his.

Seeing that Aaron still didn't understand, Freya explained, "They are a performing troupe that has been touring all over the Old World. They previously toured Lucert and were said to be very successful every time they performed. They even performed at the Esgard Opera House in Lucert. This time, they plan to replicate the miracle in Lucert by touring along the railway tracks in Doc. They happened to be touring to Lodoren at this time, so the royal family invited them to participate in the celebration. It is said that after performing in Lodoren, they will return to Birmingham and then tour around the eastern route of the Kingdom of Doc."

Watching Fabian's impassioned speech and performance on stage, Aaron felt that Fabian's achievements were only natural.

"The princess seems to really enjoy his performance and they get along well," Aaron casually remarked.

"The princess loves novelty the most. Even the opportunity for Fabian to come to the celebration and perform was given by the princess. His Majesty the King dotes on Princess Helena and usually grants such small requests. You don't know that not long ago, Her Highness wanted to buy the entire Lodoron, and the performance troupe was naturally included in her collection."

Freya's voice sounded tired when the princess was mentioned. She whispered to Aaron, "Actually, the princess prefers their circus performances to other operas. There are many magical creatures and dwarfs in there."

"They even have a circus?" Aaron was surprised. He had always thought that opera singers were a high-class profession and wouldn't be associated with a commoner's activity like a circus.

"Of course, it is said that they came from across the sea. Before participating in the performance, they went on an adventure to another continent, and naturally brought with them magical things from that continent. They made a name for themselves with these things, but what really made them famous was their performance ability."

"I see."

"However, in the Kingdom of Dok, they are not yet considered top-tier performers. Given their current status, they can only perform on a temporary stage set up in the royal banquet hall. For formal celebrations, real stars will perform."

"who is it?"

“Nadine Cook,” Freya said, straightening her back.

"I see." Aaron nodded.

Unlike his previous era, which was filled with various entertainment activities, the stars who became popular in the kingdom often became national idols, especially those whose fame spread among the nobility. Because they were spread by the nobility, many commoners would also want to see their true charm. They might not have heard of her name, but from the elderly to children, they would all hear her name and her various deeds. However, Aaron was a strange guy; he really had never heard of her.

Here Aaron wants to clarify that he is not the kind of person who is oblivious to what is happening around him. He may have heard about Miss Nadine's deeds, but he may not know her name or may have confused her deeds with those of other celebrities. In any case, he knows that there is a young and famous idol active in the upper echelons of the Kingdom of Dok, and her title is said to be "Flower from Beyond the Heavens".

However, he also understood that female celebrities are actually pure and fragile. As an image carefully packaged with a glamorous appearance, they can certainly satisfy many people's imaginations, especially when the other party is a pure young girl, beautiful in appearance, has a special skill, and can come to a stage like the celebration to perform, she should have the aura of popularity.

"Hmph, you don't seem interested at all." Freya was a little dissatisfied with Aaron's reaction. She was introducing things with great enthusiasm, but Aaron seemed uninterested.

“It’s not that I’m not interested, I’m just thinking about something else right now.” Aaron thought to himself, “I can’t exactly say that all I can think about right now is your father.”

"Is that really the case? Don't let your reaction change when you meet her in person." Freya snorted again.

"Even though she's a celebrity, how beautiful can she really be? Besides, it's not like I haven't seen beautiful people before," Aaron said dismissively.

"Hmph, you think you've seen it all, Mr. Aaron? You think you've seen all the beauties in the world." Freya narrowed her eyes, but quickly smiled and said, "Of course, I'm just kidding. With so many people there, she might not even notice you."

*

Aaron regretted saying those words.

It wasn't because of the singer's beauty.

It was because he hadn't expected things to turn out this way.

Freya regretted saying those words.

She even regretted mentioning the singer and regretted coming here at this time.

She hadn't expected things to turn out this way. No, she should have anticipated it, or rather, she should have been on guard.

The story begins five minutes earlier.

After Fabian's performance, the chef brought out a seven-tiered cake tower filled with white frosting from the banquet hall. This was the dessert session after the performance, so people gathered there. Because they were afraid of gaining weight from eating too many sweets, and also wanted to avoid Miss Helena, Freya pulled Aaron to the venue outside ahead of time.

It was nearly four o'clock in the afternoon, and the sun was shining warmly. There weren't many people in the venue yet, and the stage preparations were in their final stages. Aaron could see a few important figures who had arrived early, such as several archbishops whose names he recognized. He could also see several actors backstage warming up and making their final preparations.

They sat down in their pre-assigned seats, when a pleasant female voice called out from behind them: "Freya!"

The voice was soft and sweet. Aaron was slightly taken aback and turned around. Then he was stunned again because of the girl who appeared in front of him.

Freya opened her mouth slightly, clearly surprised.

A surprised smile appeared before Aaron, and when she looked at you with her bright, clear eyes, she seemed to radiate a faint glow.

“Nadine…” Freya’s voice sounded hesitant.

So this is Nadine, the female singer from the Kingdom of Dok, Aaron thought to himself.

He thought the other person would be a charming and alluring young girl, otherwise she wouldn't have the ability to bewitch everyone. But upon closer inspection, he discovered that she might be a year younger than Freya.

But her beauty was indeed legendary; when she looked up at you with “those” eyes, she was truly stunning enough to bewitch everyone.

She has smooth purple hair, wears light-colored lipstick, and has beautiful emerald green eyes. There are three beauty marks under her left eye, with eyeshadow on them and her eyelashes straightened. Therefore, her delicate, watery eyes are so bright and sparkling. When you are attracted to her, you will find yourself staring into her eyes without even realizing it.

She wore a performance costume made of white, light blue, and champagne. The front of the costume was cut into two parts. One half was three-dimensionally cut into the shape of petals, like a large cluster of flowers blooming on her chest. The other half was a simple and smooth plain surface that covered her chest. Her whole body was like a flower bud wrapped in petals. Her exposed swan neck had a beautiful curve, and her shoulders and back were bathed in a clean and even light.

She was also wearing thin white silk gloves, the soft and elastic fabric wrapping around her palms and forearms, the gossamer-thin white silk outlining her slender fingers, enough to imagine the warmth and softness of the skin under the gloves.

When she stands in front of you, your eyes are naturally drawn to her, as if she possesses the natural aura of a star.

However, what Aaron didn't know was that Miss Nadine was not only a singer, but also of noble birth. This was only natural, as singers who could attract nobles were mostly nobles themselves. This was why she had such a great influence and could even perform at celebrations. This alone was enough to make countless noble boys hesitate to approach her, only able to admire Miss Nadine's beauty from afar, but not daring to harbor any thoughts of disrespect.

As a result, Miss Nadine was quite famous in the circle of noble ladies. In theory, Freya should have known her long ago, but he had never heard Freya mention her before.

But when Aaron came to his senses, he suddenly realized that the girl was a little too close to him, and for some reason, even though she was calling Freya's name, her eyes were fixed on him.

Aaron felt a bit stressed. Thinking about what had happened a couple of days ago, he had a bad feeling.

The girl, wearing pristine white silk gloves, clasped them tightly together. Her beautiful eyes were fixed on her, and she asked in a reserved, melodious voice, "Excuse me... are you Mr. Aaron?"

What's with that tone and that look? "Are you sure you're looking for Aaron? Although my name is Aaron, there are at least tens of thousands of Aarons in Lodoren. Are you sure you're looking for me?" Aaron took a step back.

“I’m looking for the hero of Birmingham, Mr. Aaron,” the girl said, looking at him with her hands clasped together, her expression incredibly earnest.

There seems to be only one Aaron like that. "It's...me..." Aaron said.

The next moment, Aaron watched as the girl's eyes slowly shifted from disbelief to longing, then to surprise, and finally to starry-eyed wonder: "It really is Mr. Aaron!"

Although the other person was a female singer on stage with an obviously captivating acting skill, Aaron felt that the surprise was genuine, completely from a young girl's heart.

Freya, standing to the side, looked utterly defeated.

Because she suddenly remembered that Nadine's favorite thing was anything related to heroes!

And at this very moment, a living hero stood before her, a hero who had just saved her hometown, Birmingham.

So, under Aaron's increasingly uneasy gaze, Nadine's face showed a shy expression. And it seemed that because the girl was not good at dealing with this situation, her face slowly turned red at a visible speed, but the longing in her shy eyes did not diminish at all, but instead became brighter and brighter.

Being stared at like that at such close range was overwhelming even for Aaron, but what was even more terrifying was that this was not all of Miss Nadine's story.

She said in a voice that always made people feel a little shy, "I'm sorry, Mr. Aaron, um, actually I also live in Birmingham, I'm a Birmingham resident..."

"Nadine is also from Birmingham?" Aaron was taken aback. Now that he heard that, it was really inappropriate that he had never heard of Nadine. He began to wonder if he was really being a bit oblivious to what was going on around him.

Wait a minute, so what if she's from Birmingham? Aaron suddenly thought of this question.

“Actually, it’s like this,” Nadine said shyly. “I’ve always loved heroes since I was little, but I’ve never met a real hero. When Mr. Aaron saved Birmingham, I was performing in Lodoran and didn’t know what was going on. Later I found out that Mr. Aaron had resolved such a big crisis and saved my hometown. So I’ve always wanted to meet Mr. Aaron, and today I’m finally able to fulfill my wish.”

Upon hearing this, coupled with Nadine's shy yet longing expression, Aaron was stunned, while Freya wore a look of utter despair.

Freya felt extremely regretful.

She even felt she shouldn't have arrived fifteen minutes before the celebration began, because just two minutes after they met Miss Nadine, the other nobles also arrived, and the scene quickly became noisy. Countless people took their seats around them, so Nadine naturally tugged at Aaron's sleeve and said with a smile, "Mr. Aaron, let's take our seats quickly too."

Aaron accepted the seat without objection, but he soon discovered that, whether it was because of the Iron Earl's family or because the kingdom was rewarding him for his performance in Birmingham, his seat at the celebration was very close to the front. No, saying "very close to the front" is not quite accurate. Strictly speaking, he was sitting in the first row of the audience, with a clear and unobstructed view of the stage.

Chapter 132 Miss Nadine Likes Heroes

As his partner, Freya was naturally positioned next to him, which was normal. However, Aaron never expected that Nadine would also be next to him.

What a coincidence!

Miss Nadine's status seemed to be higher than he had imagined. No, to be able to sit in the front row at the celebration, her status in the kingdom seemed extraordinary. But he didn't know that the staff had actually made room for others when preparing the seats, since no one could refuse to have a beautiful songstress sitting next to them.

But Aaron later learned that the seats in the first row actually served a certain purpose, since they were the audience members closest to the stage. Miss Nadine sat in the first row because she needed to perform at the celebration, and sitting in the first row would allow her to get to the stage faster. Miss Nadine decided where she would sit, which is why she was able to sit next to him naturally.

Aaron was unaware of this arrangement. Well, even if he had known beforehand, he wouldn't have imagined finding himself in this situation. So, Aaron sat upright, while Freya's gaze was murderous, and on the other side, Miss Nadine's eyes were filled with admiration and longing, her face full of smiles. The thought that this smile was because she was sitting next to him made Aaron feel a little overwhelmed.

His stomach ached a little, but he dared not move an inch, because no matter which way he tried to leave, he felt he couldn't take a step.

Most importantly, Aaron discovered that the wooden seats for the celebration were rather narrow. This seemed to be because the seating arrangement for the celebration was centered around families or alliances, so adjacent seats were naturally close together. He and Freya could sit shoulder to shoulder, which was fine in itself, but at the same time, he could feel Nadine's soft shoulder almost touching him.

Miss Nadine was wearing a specially made performance dress, and her legs were naturally crossed at an angle. However, because of Miss Nadine's sitting posture, it was awkward for Aaron to avoid touching her. Now, he could touch Miss Nadine's knees as long as he spread his legs a little wider.

That's not the worst part. The key issue is that Miss Nadine's perfume is extremely fragrant. To be honest, Aaron spends most of his time working in the government building, which is basically an all-male department. The offices are mostly filled with the smell of disinfectant. As a result, Aaron's nose is exceptionally sensitive to perfume. Although her scent isn't very strong, he can smell it with just one breath. Even if he doesn't see her, he can immediately sense that Miss Nadine is sitting next to him, and she occasionally looks at him with "that" kind of gaze. Aaron feels extremely uncomfortable.

Aaron tried to ease the tension, perhaps by making a harmless joke, but as soon as he turned his head, he saw Miss Nadine's dazzling smile shining upon him. That smile was more radiant than the sun. If Aaron were to wear that smile, he probably would turn from the sun to the dark side of the moon in five minutes. But Miss Nadine didn't seem to have that problem. She was full of energy, and that smile was like a natural radiance emanating from her. When she smiled, that radiance was even more intense, to the point that Aaron even thought that, from other angles, Miss Nadine must be glowing.

Moreover, because of the close proximity, Aaron could catch a glimpse of Miss Nadine's alluring profile with just a slight turn of his eye. Upon closer inspection, one could see that Miss Nadine had delicate, downcast eyes, especially when she looked up at you. Her downcast eyes were as tender as water, and the unconscious expression she revealed was incredibly charming. It was only because of Miss Nadine's personality that that charm didn't fully unfold. But one could imagine that as Miss Nadine grew older and more mature, the bewitching allure in her eyes would be absolutely breathtaking.

But Miss Nadine sitting right next to him wasn't the most important thing. The most important thing was Miss Nadine's feedback. To ease the tension, Aaron told a joke he had stolen from Dorne. Whether it was because he told it so badly or because Dorne's jokes were generally bad, even he thought the joke was pretty bad after he finished it. But after listening to it, Miss Nadine covered her mouth with her hand and chuckled softly. Neither her expression nor her intention was any kind of affectation or reluctance. She seemed to be laughing very happily. After laughing, she looked at him with gentle eyes, making Aaron feel like he was a master joke teller who could go on stage and perform right away.

Well, actually, Miss Nadine's smile was alright after she finished telling the joke, but what was terrifying was that the person next to her laughed after she finished the joke, which made things suddenly become scary. Moreover, Freya next to her was making a cold, mocking laugh that sent chills down one's spine.

"By the way, Mr. Aaron, have you ever heard me sing?" Miss Nadine suddenly asked, her smile genuine and full of anticipation, clearly eager to know the answer.

"I……"

To be honest, Aaron had never heard of it before. Record players hadn't been invented in this era, at least Aaron had never seen one. Having never been to an opera house, Aaron obviously couldn't hear Miss Nadine sing, but he obviously didn't want to offend Miss Nadine, so he politely said, "I have heard of it."

"Ah, how wonderful! Mr. Aaron has actually heard me sing." Miss Nadine clasped her hands together, looking genuinely happy.

The smile even made Aaron feel a little guilty. He had lied to the other person, and the other person believed him so much. In fact, he had never heard of her before, was not a fan of Miss Nadine, and had never even heard of her before.

At that moment, a cold, mocking laugh came from beside her, as if judging Aaron's crimes. Freya clearly despised Aaron's two-faced behavior.

But Aaron immediately felt the talkative Miss Nadine unconsciously move closer, which made Aaron stiffen. Miss Nadine continued, "Although Mr. Aaron has heard my songs, I know a lot about Mr. Aaron. I have cut out the photos of all the newspapers that have featured Mr. Aaron and pasted them on the wall, but the photos in the newspapers are all blurry. This is the first time I have seen him in person."

After saying that, Miss Nadine surprisingly fell silent, which made Aaron very nervous. He couldn't be disappointed when he saw her, as he was quite confident in his appearance.

But Miss Nadine seemed to understand his thoughts. She covered her chest with her white silk-gloved hand and said, "Mr. Aaron has a very gentle appearance. I never thought that Mr. Aaron, who has such a gentle appearance, could save Birmingham and fight against Lusset's spies."

Chapter 133 The Celebration Begins

"Is that so? That's the first time someone has said he has a gentle appearance."

Then Nadine looked at Freya with great envy: "It is said that Mr. Aaron went to fight against the Lucretian spy in order to save Miss Freya. I really envy Miss Freya, who is loved and saved by her handsome boyfriend."

Miss Nadine's words left Freya speechless. She stammered, "I...I...I..."

Her face flushed slightly, but Miss Nadine's words struck a chord with her. Freya was indeed very receptive to this approach; even her earlier dissatisfaction had vanished, whether towards Aaron or Nadine.

Seeing that Freya was no longer angry, Miss Nadine smiled slightly at Aaron, her gaze calm.