It seems that the villain is targeting me.

She couldn't figure it out.

"Bi'er?" Xiao Niao's voice rang in her ears, "Are you listening?"

The adjutant shuddered. Butcher was standing in front of her, looking at her with a puzzled look. She came to her senses and quickly replied, "Ah... Sorry, I was distracted just now."

This was really a rare thing for the serious and rigorous Bier, but Xiao Niao did not blame her too much. Instead, he repeated what he had said before.

"...Anyway, I'll be leaving Highgarden in a few days," Xiaoniao said. "It's easy to run into danger when traveling outside, so you should stay here."

Bi'er's eyebrows drooped.

She actually had some guesses about Xiao Niao making such an arrangement, but when these words really came out of Xiao Niao's mouth, she still inevitably felt lost.

As if making a last-ditch effort, Bi'er said, "But I'm your adjutant. If you can put yourself in danger, then of course I can too."

Xiao Niao shook his head. "After the war, Highgarden will become our rear area. By then, Gwen and I may not have the time to focus on this area, but we need someone experienced enough to manage the affairs of the rear area. I have recommended you to Lady Tudor."

This can be considered a promotion. Managing a territory has always been the exclusive domain of university scholars and important officials, and is far more honorable and prestigious than being someone's adjutant.

"...I'm not sure I can do this well," Bi'er whispered. "I've never shouldered such a big responsibility before."

"Don't underestimate yourself, Bi'er," Xiao Niao smiled at his adjutant. "You're growing very fast. Sometimes you're even more thoughtful than I am. After I leave, you'll be able to take over many things."

This is indeed the case. Bier has already started to deal with some very important matters. When Xiaoniao was unconscious before, it was Bier who decisively concealed the fact that Xiaoniao was sick, and led the entire team to High Court smoothly in her name.

She is a person with great potential and talent, and has never made any mistakes so far.

Since Xiao Niao said so, Bier had no reason to refuse and could only agree.

Xiao Niao felt a little relieved when she saw Bi'er agreed. She looked at the sky outside and said, "It's getting late, and I still have some things to deal with today... I need to go to the study and take a letter to Mrs. Tudor. I won't be attending dinner."

Bi'er nodded and asked, "Do you need the kitchen to prepare some food? Nuts and snacks and the like will be ready soon."

She knew that Xiao Niao preferred various snacks to regular meals, such as crispy fried fish or roasted nuts.

Sometimes the bird would steal a midnight snack, and more than once she had caught the great Imperial Chancellor gently rummaging through kitchen jars to steal cookies—even though the doctor had advised against it.

"Okay, thank you," Xiao Niao said, "Oh... by the way, if possible, can you give me some more figs."

When did the master start liking figs? Bi'er was a little surprised, but she didn't ask any more questions. She prepared a plate of food according to Xiaoniao's request and asked the maid to send it to the study.

About two or three hours later, Bier suddenly received an urgent letter, which needed to be given to Xiaoniao for review within the day.

She then put down what she was doing and hurried into the study with the letter.

But after knocking on the door, surprisingly, the voice inside did not belong to Butcher.

"Come in." Gwyneth said from behind the door.

Bi'er walked in as she was told. The windows of the room were open, as if for ventilation, but because the fireplace was burning very brightly, the room still maintained a comfortable temperature.

The adjutant couldn't find Xiao Niao for a while, so she had to explain her purpose to Gwen.

"Is it a letter?" Gwyneth said, "Put it here first. I'll tell her."

I don’t know if it was Bi’er’s illusion, but Gwen’s voice seemed to be deliberately lowered and sounded very hoarse.

Seeing the adjutant's puzzled look, Gwyneth smiled slightly.

"…be quiet when you go out," Gwen's voice dropped to a whisper, "Levi's asleep."

It wasn't her illusion, Gwyneth's voice was really a little hoarse.

Bi'er suddenly raised her head stiffly and looked at a long sofa that was placed in a relatively hidden place not far away.

The adjutant lady only took a quick glance and didn't notice that there was a person sleeping there.

Xiao Niao was sleeping there, covered with a blanket and a familiar-looking coat draped over his shoulders. He was wrapped tightly from head to toe, with only half of the back of his head and his scarlet ears, which looked as if they were about to bleed, exposed.

Her physique is such that once her ears start to burn, the heat is difficult to reduce and they will remain red for a long time.

what……

She quickly averted her gaze.

The adjutant subconsciously lowered her head to look at the table in front of her. On it was a plate sent from the kitchen. The nuts inside had not been touched much, but most of the figs had been eaten.

Seeing that she was staring at the plate, Gwyneth kindly pushed the food towards her: "Would you like to try some?"

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The changes seemed to happen inadvertently.

An often mentioned view is that two people become more and more similar after marriage, gradually becoming similar in everything from the time they wake up in the morning to their preferences in choosing daily necessities.

For Xiaoniao, the deepest feeling is that there are more unintentional touches.

When walking side by side on the street, elbows will accidentally bump into each other, when discussing business, heads will unconsciously lean on shoulders, and occasionally when handing over papers or cups of wine, fingertips will inevitably touch.

After doing this more often, you will get used to it. Besides, Xiaoniao doesn't hate being touched like this. Playing with fingers and stroking feathers are within her tolerance range. She won't be angry if you pinch her earlobe quietly, but if you go any further, you will attract the warning gaze of the Shrike.

Gwyneth has been particularly clingy recently, wanting to cuddle with Little Bird even if they only have a short moment together.

Gwen understood that Xiaoniao would soon leave Highgarden.

Now the affairs of the territory have been basically dealt with. The rebellious vassals have been eliminated, and the wavering centrists have also defected to the new head of the family after that meeting. In addition, with the reinforcement of two legions, High Court now has the capital to fight external wars.

The capital was quiet for a while after suppressing the legion mutiny. Although various palace coups, assassinations and poisonings were in full swing, these were power struggles within the royal family and had little to do with the lower-level soldiers and civilians.

There have been no large-scale wars in the past few months, but Xiaoniao knows that war will break out in a month or two. Lords from all over the country will prepare to send troops. By then, the rebellion will be fought and the rebellion will be suppressed. It will surely be more lively than the Chinese New Year.

Xiao Niao basically knew when the lords would start fighting: because in the ancient agricultural society, the time when soldiers could go out to fight was often relatively fixed.

Before the emergence of professional legions, soldiers were farmers tilling the land when they were not fighting. They would only put on armor and become soldiers when war required them. The limitations of agricultural production made the army's campaign time relatively fixed, basically around March.

The Hamilton family, the only family in the empire with a professional legion, was severely damaged in the coup d'état by the great prince. It took them a lot of effort to quell the civil strife in the capital. At this time, it was difficult for them to devote their attention to attacking the princes who were ready to make trouble.

The rest of the lords were unable to support professional soldiers born for war, not to mention that the preparation of various supplies also took time. They could only lie dormant, store food and grass, recruit soldiers, and wait for the opportunity to go to war.

Now is the best time to win over allies. Xiao Niao had already released carrier pigeons to deliver the message to every possible ally. Based on the feedback received in the past few days, she already had an idea of the candidates she could win over.

The Duke of Tudor left valuable political assets to his daughter. He was a duke with great military achievements and great reputation, and he already had many allies - at least the family of Gwen's mother was easy to win over.

Moreover, after that square speech, the entire empire, from the duke to the pawn, knew that General Banuel was murdered for no reason by Charles I and his reputation was discredited after his death.

People generally sympathized with the Tudor family's plight and believed that Gwyneth's uprising was forced - revenge for the unjust deaths of her father and brother was a legitimate reason and resonated far more with the people than the royal legitimacy claimed by the Hamilton family.

Due to these factors, there are quite a few allies willing to stand on Gwyneth's side.

Xiao Niao set the departure date for the day after tomorrow.

She wanted to build up momentum for Gwyneth before the war started. The more allies were willing to stand on their side, the smoother Gwyneth's path to becoming queen would be in the future.

Gwen knew she was about to leave, and she became more and more reluctant to leave.

Intellectually, Gwyneth knew that, given the current situation, this two-pronged approach was the most efficient, and as a leader, she should also consider the overall situation.

But emotionally, the girl only felt unspeakable grievances.

It's only been a little over two weeks since they got married, and they have to separate before they can even get along well. It's a bit cruel, if you have to say it.

She hadn't had a nightmare since Butcher came to Highgarden. She lay in her bed filled with the scent of birds, surrounded by a sense of security.

Now, she only needs to turn slightly to hold Xiao Niao in her arms.

The Shrike's wings gently covered her body, creating a warm and peaceful sleep for her. The heavy responsibility and burden did not disappear, but it seemed no longer so unbearable.

But the time of departure was approaching, and just thinking about it made Gwen feel uncomfortable.

She hasn't left yet, but I seem to have started to miss her.

Gwyneth groped under the quilt and hooked Xiao Niao's fingers. Her body remembered the slightly higher than normal

Human body temperature.

Suddenly, Gwyneth remembered something.

She shook her wrist gently and moved closer to the tired and docile bird.

"Levi," Gwen whispered, leaning against the pillow, "You haven't fulfilled my request yet."

Xiao Niao was confused by this incoherent sentence. She murmured "Hmm?" and reopened her eyes that had been closed. She looked at Gwen with some trouble.

She turned her face blankly, and there seemed to be a hint of grievance in her eyes when she looked at Gwen, as if she had been bullied for no reason.

That look made Gwyneth feel lustful, but at the same time she felt that she should hold herself back.

Gwen's voice churned slightly as she continued, "...We haven't danced yet."

Xiao Niao recalled for a while, and it took a long time before he remembered that this happened when the two of them were still in the capital.

He promised to agree to one of Gwen's requests, and later she proposed it in the banquet hall: she wanted to dance with him.

That was actually not a very pleasant memory. It was the turning point of the story. What happened after it almost turned Gwyneth's entire life upside down.

So that promise seemed to become a regret in her heart, and even a hidden pain that could not be mentioned easily.

Because of this, Gwen canceled the dance program at the wedding reception without even thinking about it.

It was not until Xiao Niao was about to leave her again that she remembered this matter again.

"Levi," Gwyneth unconsciously stroked the bird's fingers, she clenched them a little tightly, "can we make a new agreement?"

Xiao Niao looked at her without saying anything, wondering what she was thinking.

"...When you come back to me, I'll give you a dance," she whispered. "We can dance together then, okay?"

After Gwyneth finished speaking, she waited silently for the bird's answer.

She thought she would get the answer soon.

But the fact is, until her consciousness was blurred and she was about to fall asleep, she did not hear the word "OK."

Gwen also felt that Xiao Niao had actually agreed to her in the end, because she kept holding her hand back and did not let go even after she fell asleep.

About ten years later, a very interesting folk rumor was recorded in a piece of unofficial history.

It is said that at that time in the capital, there was a young writer who was unfortunately involved in the political struggle at that time, and because of his reckless actions, he became a victim of that political struggle.

According to the laws at the time, the writer would be sentenced to death.

For the poor young man, this sentence seemed a little too harsh.

But if you knew what kind of rebellious remarks he had made, you would think it was very normal for this guy to be disliked and hated.

According to rumors, a high-ranking official felt sorry for the young man's talent, so he came to the prison and secretly handed a painting to the young writer, and tried to smooth things over so that he could present the painting to Her Majesty the Queen.

The young man looked at the painting given to him by the official and was puzzled.

He had never heard of the rumor that His Majesty liked paintings. Moreover, the painting technique in his hand was not very advanced, and there was no mark of any famous artist. It was just the work of an ordinary painter.

Although the painting was carefully crafted, it was not worth saving his life.

But the young writer had no other choice. As if holding on to his last straw, he timidly presented the painting to the Queen.

However, to the young man's surprise, after seeing the painting presented to him, His Majesty was silent for a long time, and then he actually pardoned his death sentence and commuted it to exile to a remote area of the empire.

This young man left the bustling capital and continued to write in that remote and cold village.

He later wrote a series of works that have been passed down through the ages, including the story "The Shrike and the Rose", which later became a household name.

The writer once wrote in his memoirs that he was inspired to write this story because he saw the painting at that time.

It was really a very ordinary painting, without any profound meaning or special painting techniques. It was more like the painter accidentally saw a scene and then copied it directly with a brush.

The painting depicts a magnificent palace with young men and women dancing in the background. The focus of the painting is on a blonde girl.

She seemed to be trapped in the crowd, and someone grabbed her wrist and pulled the girl out of the crowd.

The only thing worth mentioning is that the guy who pulled the girl out was half human, with only one complete arm and bird-like wings on the other side.

The blonde girl looked surprised, while the other person had a smile on his face. The picture froze at the moment when she stumbled out of the crowd, the two holding hands, as if they were saluting before a dance.

It is said that it was after seeing this painting that His Majesty pardoned the young man's death sentence.

Some people say that the Queen took the painting to the banquet hall that day and stayed there alone until dawn.

Chapter 102: Gradually Unbalanced Heartbeat (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)

This year's spring seems to be coming very slowly. Even the seeds of plants buried in the mud are reluctant to sprout. The weather is still very cold.

The wind felt like a sharp knife blowing on my face.

But as time passed, winter was finally coming to an end, and the truce period agreed upon by the lords of various places was coming to an end.

Xiao Niao stood at the windowsill of the study and looked at the scenery below. She breathed quietly, and the smell of wind and earth filled the air.