It seems that the villain is targeting me.

The boy was obviously very afraid of Umuda. He cried and tried to retreat, but someone grabbed his arms and pulled him out. Someone removed the cloth stuffed in his mouth.

The little prince Rickon had some injuries on his face and his arms were covered with bruises. He cried softly and tried desperately to break free from the knights' hands.

Charles looked at his struggling brother and subconsciously panicked: "Rickon? No, what are you doing - let him go!"

But the knights did not listen to Charles' orders at all.

They still die

Grabbing Rickon's arm, the excessive force caused the little prince's crying tone to gradually become distorted.

"'What are you doing?'" Umuda repeated Charles' words, only to find them amusing. "Isn't it obvious? This is to help you remove the obstacles in your fight for the throne."

Charles snapped back to reality, his eyes wide and looking directly in his brother's direction.

After a long while, Charles finally found his voice again: "No, no... Rickon is... my biological brother..."

"Why are you being so hypocritical, Your Highness?" Umuda said calmly, "or do you really want to show mercy and spare his life?"

"His Highness is still very young, but one day he will grow up and become sensible."

Umuda's face was still smiling, but his voice was indifferent: "Charles, guess what little Rickon will use to repay your kindness today in the future - your head, I think."

Charles felt as if he was hit by a heavy hammer, and his body shook violently.

The smile on Umuda's face became even brighter. He walked to Charles and put a small knife into Charles' palm from an angle where Rickon couldn't see.

He leaned close to Charles's ear and said, "Come on, Your Highness. You just need a little determination."

"Poke it in through his ear," Umuda instructed him with a smile, "you can end his suffering quickly."

The moment Charles' palm touched the hilt of the knife, sticky cold sweat broke out.

His arms, which were tightly held behind his back, kept shaking.

On the other side, the little prince subconsciously looked over because of Umuda's actions, and the familiar figure of his brother appeared in his tearful eyes.

Young Rickon was already consumed by fear. He was unable to cope with such a horrific scene, so he subconsciously turned to the only adult he trusted for help.

Rickon stretched out his arm toward Charles, crying loudly, "Brother! Brother Charlie!"

Prince Charles stood there in a daze.

He stood there like a puppet, lost in thought, as if his soul had died.

The sharp knife fell to the ground along with his drooping fingers.

Charles didn't know how long he remained stiff like that, he only felt the fabric of his clothes on his back was soaked with cold sweat.

At this moment, he suddenly felt Umuda let out an imperceptible sigh.

"You should really be grateful for your bloodline," Umuda glanced at him indifferently. "I thought people from royal families were born to understand the cruelty of the struggle for the throne."

Prince Charles subconsciously opened his mouth, as if he wanted to explain something, but no words came out.

The environment he was in was not actually quiet, but Charles felt that at this moment the surroundings were so dead silent and empty that he could only hear his brother's helpless sobs.

Those tender hands were still praying for protection from their brother.

The young prince cried breathlessly, big tears rolled down his cheeks, and he called Charles' name.

"Brother, brother, I want to go home... I'm so scared, brother..."

What happened next was destined to appear in Charles' nightmares countless times in the future.

Umuda suddenly stood over, reached out and pushed Rickon on the shoulder, causing the boy to stagger two steps and fall to the ground.

The little prince Rickon happened to fall in the path that the cavalry had to pass, and a whole team of knights happened to roar past on that road.

——Maybe Umuda just saw the right moment and gave that push.

The earth was shaking and dust was flying. Dozens of horse hooves trampled over Rickon. His young body was like a rag doll, being pulled back and forth by the flying horse legs, and he didn't even have time to scream.

It was not until the team sped past that the little body fell back to the ground.

The little prince's torso was twisted at an unnatural angle, with large pools of blood beneath him, and there was no sign of life.

It only took a few breaths.

Charles looked at his disfigured brother blankly. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed that the person lying on the ground was the lively and healthy Rickon.

That little face, filled with fear and twisted purple and red with pain, looked so strange.

Umuda stood there with his hands behind his back, his expression normal. This bloody and cruel scene did not move him at all.

He tilted his head back slightly and breathed in slowly in the cold, biting night wind, as if he were smelling a flower.

"The smell of this wind is so good," Umuda smiled. "It hasn't changed at all. It's exactly the same as when I left."

Chapter 84 "I'll kill him before that"

The dim light flickered, illuminating the adjutant's face.

Bi'er had already written the letter as quickly as possible according to Xiaoniao's dictation.

She stamped the letter with the symbol of a shrike and attached a black feather - the Feather Guard's way of sending expedited messages.

In today's upper-class aristocratic circles, the Feathered Guard has become a semi-open secret. The person who received the letter must know who the letter came from and what it means.

After knowing this, the other party will definitely open the letter and read the contents.

Wait until everything is ready

Afterwards, Bier took the feather letter and hurried to the gate of the ancestral home. Xiaoniao and Hongyue Knight were waiting for her there. She handed the letter to Hongyue.

The Red Moon Knight put the letter away carefully and bent down to approach Xiao Niao.

Xiao Niao whispered a name to Hongyue.

The Red Moon Knight didn't ask any questions, just nodded solemnly and turned to make preparations.

While the two were talking, Adjutant Bier stood silently behind Xiaoniao and watched.

In fact, just now in the study, Gwyneth was on the verge of a breakdown, and Bier had been silently watching the expression on Xiao Niao's face as he patiently comforted her.

So far, Bi'er has performed her duties as adjutant almost perfectly.

She took care of every detail that needed to be paid attention to and completed all the tasks assigned to her meticulously without making any mistakes.

She didn't even need anyone to remind her that as a former spy whose identity was questionable, Bi'er knew very well that she should avoid suspicion at certain times.

She should do her job quietly and not ask unnecessary questions.

Bi'er actually regretted it the moment she opened her mouth.

But she had spoken after all, and she couldn't take back what she had said.

"Sir," Bi'er lowered her head and looked at the hem of her skirt, "...who are you going to send that letter to?"

Xiao Niao didn't respond immediately, which made Bi'er nervous.

She was suddenly afraid that she would hear Xiaoniao say something like "That's not the question you should ask."

But Xiao Niao only hesitated for a few seconds before speaking again.

She told Bi'er the recipient directly: "The letter is sent to the Queen."

Bi'er was surprised at first, but then she recalled the contents of the letter and understood what the bird wanted to do.

No wonder this letter can only be delivered by the Red Moon Knight.

Bi'er thought to herself: Hongyue's skills are not inferior to any Feather Guard, and at this critical moment, only she can put the letter next to Queen Catherine without anyone noticing.

"Our people witnessed Rickon's death. It was Umuda who pushed the little prince under the horse's legs," Xiao Niao said coldly. "I'm sure Queen Catherine will be very interested in this information."

Wumuda probably believed in the theory of life and death, where the winner takes all, and his unscrupulousness and inhumanity were largely due to this idea.

But history has taught us the consequences of reckless violence.

All the choices a person makes will eventually reflect back on him or her, and this actually applies to everyone.

Xiao Niao's eyebrows knitted tightly together. "More than a decade ago, this man tried to seize power through fear and intimidation... but fortunately, he failed that year."

Bi'er knew a little about what happened back then. After she realized the impact of that incident, she was scared for a long time alone.

The adjutant couldn't imagine how many people and innocent children would die miserably if the other party succeeded in gaining power.

"This man is a natural sociopath. He's good at demagoguery and is used to manipulating others through fear."

Bier read a hint of murderous intent in Xiao Niao's eyes.

"—Those nobles don't understand the danger of Umuda. If he were in a high position, he would bring disaster to everyone."

Bi'er's arm trembled: "But he is about to gain power now."

"I will kill him before that." Xiao Niao made a statement.

The Prime Minister of the Empire looked at the guards running around in the yard. She didn't say anything else, and a gloomy look hung between her brows.

The adjutant thought a little absentmindedly: This man's face is really pale now.

The blood loss and pain made Xiao Niao unconsciously reveal a fragile expression, and the occasional stiff movements when moving also made it clear to people that she was injured.

But she was actually very nice even when she was injured. She would ask for help even for small things like unfolding a note. Her voice was deeper than usual, and there was a little subtle noise in her breathing.

The weakness of a resilient person always touches people's hearts.

But Bi'er was just an adjutant. She was a competent adjutant and knew exactly what she should do.

It would be better for her not to raise too many objections. The boss has already made his decision, so it is enough for the subordinates to accept it.

"……grown ups."

She didn't want to.

"You can run away, my lord," Bi'er said, trying her best to suppress the trembling in her voice, "You can run away with Hongyue."

"Don't stay in the capital. You will die."

Xiao Niao turned his head slightly and looked at his adjutant with a hint of surprise in his expression.

Then she quickly curled the corners of her lips and smiled at Bier, as if to reassure her.

"I won't die," Xiao Niao felt a little helpless. "What are you thinking? I don't want to die with that guy."

Bi'er looked away, tightly gripping her arms. "But staying in the capital is dangerous. Once those people have their hands free, they'll turn on you. Besides, you're injured, and there's a chance you could get infected..."

Xiao Niao shook his head at her: "Even if I escape, I will still face the pursuit of the nobles, and there will be the risk of infection and illness."

"If you escape, you will be exhausted all day long, but if you stay, you can protect many things.

——And Umuda, even if it is just from the perspective of a half-human, this person cannot stay for long. "

Bi'er pursed her lips and stopped talking.

"...I didn't stay because of impulsiveness, nor did I want to die for the cause," Xiao Niao whispered in self-defense. "In fact, even if I didn't stay, this person would eventually fail miserably - I stayed only to prevent more unnecessary deaths."

Bi'er was silent for a long time: "But why did he fail?"

Xiao Niao replied: "Because of the wheel of history."

This was a completely unfamiliar phrase to Bi'er. A look of confusion was clearly visible on her face, and for a moment she was completely unable to understand the meaning of Xiao Niao's words.

Wheels...What does it mean to mention wheels?

Does it mean that he will kill Umudah by driving a horse-drawn carriage?

The adjutant felt completely confused.

On the other side, the Red Moon Knight completed her preparations. She waved at the bird, indicating that it was time to set off.

Xiao Niao turned his head again and glanced at the adjutant's daughter.

Her tone was gentle but firm: "I'll find time to tell you later, Bi'er."

Take a day off! Sort out the plot

As the title says, I have been struggling with the subsequent plot for a whole day.

According to everyone's feedback, Ale adjusted and deleted part of the outline, and now I have a little idea

I don't want to have a hard chapter... I'm also afraid that the subsequent plot will collapse. I really need to spend some time to sort out the plot.

I would like to apologize to all my friends who have been following and subscribing. The author's writing skills are not good enough, which has led to many unsatisfactory aspects of the recent plot.

Ah Le, stand at attention and accept the beating and criticism!

If possible, please give Ale more feedback so that I can adjust the follow-up and not cheat you out of money or water down the plot!