The Villain Princess survived the Imperial Riot

Although the statue was blown up and only caused a partial landslide, and no casualties were reported, the impact of this incident was even more serious than the rebellion's execution of a hundred corrupt officials.

On the day of the incident, Governor Yunling ordered traffic control in most areas of Yunding City, claiming that he would dig three feet deep into the ground to pull out the little mouse hiding in the sewer and execute it as a warning to the public.

Hestia didn't know exactly when Viola's parents died, but it was definitely shortly after the statue incident.

In theory, the Lilan family had nothing to do with the rebellion. Viola's stall even sold handmade figurines of famous Imperial generals, suggesting she held no hatred for Imperial history and could even be considered a loyal and obedient citizen. However, if the Imperial Police's clerks were incompetent, that would be a different story.

Once you are caught in the cage of the secret police, no matter if you are guilty or not, you will be skinned alive to see if you are good or bad.

"I see. I also think Miss Lilan is very nice."

Iyana agreed, thinking that the princess had turned over a new leaf and wanted to cultivate her own faction.

This is normal. Charles II is ill and the empire is in turmoil. Her Royal Highness, as the granddaughter of the Grand Duke of Lorraine, will be the leader of the Southern Parliament in the future and may even compete for the throne.

Wasn't it that Charles II, with the support of the Imperial Guards, was able to secure his throne by killing all his competitors and even imprisoning his own brother in a golden birdcage?

Iyana was delighted that Her Royal Highness the Princess had become more sophisticated and no longer alienated by her friends and relatives like before, but at the same time, she couldn't help but feel worried when she thought about the struggle for the throne of the empire.

She only hoped that Her Royal Highness could live a peaceful life instead of embarking on that unpredictable road of blood and fire.

"Your Highness, the road ahead is blocked. I'm afraid we'll have to get down and walk a distance."

Clara's voice came from the front of the carriage.

Hestia opened the side window, which was adjacent to the border of the lower city.

Buildings of varying heights are connected together, with sloping roofs made of red tiles and gray kiln bricks, and walls sloping together in a hastily arranged pattern, with stalls in the middle covered with moss and canvas roofs.

The streets paved with cobblestones and gravel were as busy as a rushing river, with beggars lying by the ditch, laborers looking for work everywhere, sailors and adventurers who had taken a break from working in brothels, and a small number of travelers.

Sneaky ratmen and goblins scurried in and out of the cracks.

Although crowded, the streets in the lower city are not inaccessible to horse-drawn carriages. As long as you drive through them confidently, you will always find a wide path.

"Your Highness, we..." Iyana held Hestia's hand tightly.

She was really worried that Her Royal Highness would wave her hand and have Clara drive the car into the crowd.

The princess was capable of such a thing, and the High Knight, who had little conscience left, would certainly obey Tianlong's orders without hesitation.

"Let's go then."

Hestia said nothing more, put on her mink hooded cloak and got out of the car.

The moment she landed, countless astonished glances followed her.

The carriage is majestic, mysterious and noble in color. The shell is engraved with gorgeous patterns and carvings, and the whole body is gilded. Anyone who sees it for the first time will be unable to take their eyes off it.

And when a graceful and cool girl gets out of the car, it is an even more breathtaking sight.

A beauty and a luxury car complement each other perfectly.

It was only at this point that Hestia had not yet become the Fran Butcher, otherwise every civilian present would have regretted not having four more legs and tried to prevent a single living person from appearing within ten miles of Her Majesty the Princess.

Hestia instinctively reached for her waist and touched the flintlock rifle, but she quickly felt relieved when she thought of Iyana's presence.

On the day of the guillotine, this maid just stood at the execution ground and made hundreds of armored knights of free will unable to fight back.

Unfortunately, the maid did not kill anyone in the end. Between humanity and animality, she chose to die for her master.

The beastly princess chose not to cherish such a powerful and loyal servant, so Hestia could only accept him reluctantly on her behalf.

"No. 202, Little Mouse Boutique Lane... Iyana, are you sure there is such a place?"

Hestia examined the signs at the intersections, copper plates nailed to the brick walls with iron nails, engraved with the lane name and door number. She didn't see any place called Little Mouse Boutique Lane.

"Uh...how about I ask passersby?"

Clara was tying the carriage to a stake outside an inn. She raised her eyelids slightly, still meticulously: "No need, Ms. Iyana, I know where this place is."

Volume 7: The Dreamer: . Imperial Censor

The fireplace was emitting warm light, an iron pot was placed on the coals, the aroma of meat was boiling, and the blackened walls were hung with kitchen utensils.

An old square table was next to the fireplace. A pale middle-aged woman was chopping onions on the chopping board beside the table. She rolled the minced meat and potatoes into a ball, coated it with egg liquid, and poured it into the pot with a dried radish and coriander. The smell of spices and lamb wafted out of the window.

A little girl, about seven or eight, was reading at a square table, her eyes far from the paper. She held a stuffed doll in her hands, occasionally glancing out the window at the alley, only to be tapped on the head with a spoon by the black-haired girl next to her, and then reluctantly averting her gaze.

The little guy read the book for less than half a second, then looked at his sister eagerly: "Viola, when will Domis come?"

"Your main task is to study, Alice..." Viola sighed helplessly and said earnestly, "After winter is over, the church school will open for enrollment. You will only be admitted if you perform well enough. If you continue like this, you will..."

"I will only be able to work as a female worker in the dark textile mills and match factories in the future, and I will never be able to become a noble wizard like you, right?"

"Alice, that's not what I meant..."

"Hehe, I'm just kidding, sister." Alice patted her sister on the back and rubbed her cheek against her shoulder. "But I don't have any talent. I'm like a piece of wet wood. No matter how hard I try, I can't light a fire, right, Mom?"

"Alice." The woman with a charming look on her face also glanced at the little girl helplessly, but didn't say much.

Children as young as seven or eight could do child labor these days, sweeping chimneys or dousing boiling machinery with coolant. Alice had a somewhat eccentric personality, but she was also quite clever, and such a child wouldn't be at a disadvantage in later life working as a servant in a household.

Moreover, Alice is just a small account, and the well-behaved and sensible big account next to her has already gained full experience, which is enough to satisfy the woman, and she does not need to ask her little daughter to be a dragon among men like her sister.

Viola whispered, "Read your books carefully, and your work will be admired by others in the future."

"Don't you still have Viola?" Alice took Viola's arm, and was really impatient with being scolded, so she acted coquettishly, "When Viola becomes a wizard master and has her own big house, I will come to your house to be a maid. I will only take half salary, and I just need food and shelter! Okay~"

"Who made me your sister..." Viola couldn't stand the offensive of the little wild cat in her arms, so she could only make her already gentle words even more doting and rubbed the little guy's head. "You can rest for a while, just a little while, and don't run around. There will be traffic control these days, don't cause trouble for the police."

"Oh, that's so boring." Alice pouted. "Why hasn't Domis come yet? She has to bring medicine to Mom every week. This idiot is late again."

"Alice!" Viola's tone finally became serious. "Domis is helping us. This is not her obligation. And you, stop pestering her and affecting her work!"

"Tsk, so what if Domis keeps pestering you? She looks at you like a puppy looking at bacon, her saliva is almost dripping onto the ground!" Alice said with a smart face. "To prevent Domis from affecting your studies, I have a reason to share our family debt and work as a free helper in a boutique!"

"Boom!"

Viola hit her sister on the head with a spoon.

She knew that the little wild cat was not there to help, but was simply going to play at someone else's house.

"Ahem...Viola, put on your school uniform and take this pot of broth to your father."

The woman stirred the pot of soup in the fireplace, then filled a clay pot and handed it laboriously to Viola.

"Oh, there's one more thing. On the way, you can stop by the Little Magic Mouse Boutique and ask Miss Domis to help deposit the gold shield in the bank. There have been rumors that the empire is going to increase taxes again. I wonder when it will be our turn..."

Less than a twenty-minute walk from the docks, Little Mouse Boutique Alley boasted relatively stable security. The most dangerous elements were the police and tax farmers who roamed the streets. The former often arrested suspicious pedestrians under various pretexts and interrogated them until they posted bail. The latter were members of the Empire's designated tax-farming consortium, who, in tandem with local gangs, worked tirelessly to maintain the Empire's finances.

So the woman asked Viola to change into the uniform of Offa College, at least so that she would not be questioned as a prostitute by the police on the street.

"Good mother."

Viola was just taking the jar when she heard a commotion outside.

She cautiously leaned out the window and saw countless heavily armed guards kicking down doors and searching every household. They nearly filled the alley, a dark mass stretching as far as the eye could see. Cries and pleas for mercy filled the air. Men were being tied by the neck and dragged into the snow, while women were being dragged by their hair and thrown into the ditch.

Viola's pupils shrank slightly, and she didn't understand what was happening for a moment.

"Boom!"

The door was pushed open, and Viola almost jumped up in fright, but when she saw who was coming, her heart, which had been in her throat, calmed down a little.

"Domis? W-What's going on outside?"

Domis was a girl of fourteen or fifteen, about the same age as Viola. As soon as she entered the house, she took off her tight gray cloak and untied her hair. Her long golden hair was like a wheat field swaying in the wind. Her yellow and green plaid long skirt was simple and beautiful, like a beautiful girl from a small family.

She shook her head. "I don't know. It seems the police are catching fugitive rebels. You know, those Dobermans are always acting crazy. If you mess with them, you'll never get into trouble. Hey, I'll sit here with you for a while and leave when it's quiet outside."

"Will the police break into our house?" the woman asked worriedly.

"You probably can't hide from them. They'll be searching house to house, but as long as you cooperate with the investigation, you shouldn't be in any danger."

As expected, a heavy kick on the door was heard while they were talking. The cold air outside the door blew into the not very spacious room, and the sparks in the fireplace were blown away.

A policeman in black uniform walked in and scanned the room with a stern expression.

The mother and her two daughters huddled in a corner in shock. Viola protected her mother and sister behind her and stared at the uninvited guest warily.

Domis glanced at the three of them, nodded slightly, and then turned to the police, smiling and asking, "What's going on, Officer? Why is it so noisy outside...ah!"

"The Inquisitor is hunting down the rebels of Free Will. Everyone else, please keep your distance!"

The police pushed her to the ground and made way for her.

A sinister, fat man walked in. He wore a triangular pointed crown on his head, a platinum robe, and held a long staff inlaid with a cross-shaped golden shield in his hand. Around his neck hung strings of gold necklaces, and he looked extremely noble.

The man twirled his beard and looked at the furnishings in the room with interest.

"Sir, such things as rebellion have nothing to do with weak women like us. We are all citizens of the empire who make a legitimate living."

Domis stood up, rubbing her butt, and looked at the fat man with an innocent face.

"An eyewitness said that one of the rebels who attacked the prison was a woman. She is innocent. We have to investigate to find out." The fat man pursed his lips, and several policemen immediately searched the house.

Viola's house was not big. The "kitchen" and "dining room" on the fireplace side took up half of the area, and the remaining half was mats and several stacked boxes containing the family's luggage and property.

"Sir, there is a discovery here!"

A policeman turned over a pile of bedding on the ground and took out several puppets from it. One of them was sewn with gold thread, wearing an imperial crown and holding a wooden sword. It looked majestic... and funny.

"This is..." The fat man looked at the golden puppet and narrowed his eyes. "This is extremely disrespectful! Quickly arrest all these women!"

"That's disrespectful!" Viola was stunned. She didn't understand what was going on and tried to explain herself, "My Lord, you must have seen it wrong. This isn't some other thing. This is the God-Emperor puppet we made. I have great respect for the God-Emperor and the heroes!"

"Nonsense! How dare you say something this crude and crude is, is, is..." The fat man paused and snorted coldly, "And you still say you're not a traitor! Your crime is aggravated. Cuff them all!"

"Wait, Inquisitor!" Domis took a breath, took out a dozen silver guilder bills from her purse, stuffed them into a stuffed doll, and handed it over respectfully. "My sister's craftsmanship does need to be honed, but her loyalty is evident to all, and she has absolutely no connection with the rebels. Please re-examine and make sure not to kill a loyal and honest person by mistake!"

How could Domis not know what this low-ranking Inquisitor was thinking? He was simply trying to squeeze every last bit of money out of the situation. With the rebellion now at such a prime opportunity, if he didn't rip this area clean, he'd be unworthy of his title as Inquisitor!

"Tsk." The fat man weighed the puppet in his hand and curled his lips slightly, "It seems that your loyalty is not enough."

The empire's primary currency was the crown, divided into gold and silver crowns, minted from gold, mithril, and other rare metals. Because of the cross and double-headed eagle on the reverse, they were also called the gold and silver shields. One gold shield was equivalent to twenty silver shields, roughly ten weeks' wages for a working woman.

The weekly salary of a low-ranking imperial censor was only equivalent to that of six or seven female workers. With the empire's finances in ruins, the army and the local officials had to be taken care of first. If these "roaming officials" wanted to live a good life, they could only gather wisdom from the common people.

Domis's sincerity was already considerable, but it was clearly not enough to satisfy the Inquisitor.

The fat man knows one thing very well: wealth is like water in a sponge. As long as you are willing to squeeze it, there will always be more.

"Well, I was in a hurry to leave, and I didn't have time to pray to the Divine Emperor... Mr. Inquisitor, could you please give me some time? When I return, I will pray for you in front of the Divine Emperor's shrine, and strive for the Divine Emperor to bestow upon you more blessings!"

"Haha, it's okay. You can write a letter to inform your family. But before that, we, the dedicated Imperial Censors, must be responsible for the safety of the people. We will not let any suspected traitor go. Don't worry, the Censorate will not let a bad person go, but we will never wrongly accuse a good person either!"