It seems that the villain is targeting me.

Throughout history, this palace has undergone many renovations, and it was only repaired slowly over the next few decades.

Of course, the palace's original design has changed a lot since then.

The place Anna found was indeed a secret passage used for escape and refuge, but later craftsmen thought it was not safe enough, so they sealed it up. Later craftsmen felt that it was not beautiful after being sealed up, so they dismantled and modified it again.

In the end, this place was forgotten by everyone.

The inside of the passage looked pitch black. Anna hesitated for a few seconds, and then somehow went in.

Chapter 125: She vaguely realized that it was irreversible [Refresh within chapter]

"Have you really thought this through, Lucas?"

Gwyneth's brows were furrowed, she was deep in thought, with worry in her brows.

The empress of the empire did not put on too much airs in front of her few blood relatives. She personally picked up the wine jug and poured a glass of low-alcohol mead for her brother, signaling him not to be anxious and to just speak slowly.

"Well," Lucas said, "I am giving up my right to inherit the throne."

Gwyneth had discussed this matter with her brother a long time ago. She found Lucas and told him bluntly that she and Butcher would not have children, so she planned to make him her heir.

This is completely reasonable in law and there are precedents in the past: if the emperor has no children, her direct blood relatives will be the first in line to the throne.

And Gwyneth decided to appoint her younger brother Lucas - he was indeed the most suitable candidate.

Lucas didn't delve into the reason why Gwen was so sure that she and Butcher would not have children.

At that time, Xiao Niao had already been declared seriously ill and rarely appeared in public. Lucas saw all of this and vaguely guessed something in his heart. These guesses made Lucas give up asking the Queen for the reason.

Until now, he proposed to Gwyneth that he would voluntarily give up his right to inherit the throne.

Her Majesty was silent for a long time before she spoke again: "I respect your decision, Lucas, but I hope you can tell me the reason."

Lucas smiled helplessly at her, and Gwen vaguely saw the lively, cheerful and carefree little brother in this smile, just like when they were little.

"Because I know very well that I'm not cut out for that. I wasn't trained that way from the beginning," her brother said, lowering his voice. "You know I'm not cut out for that."

"I am the son of the Tudor family. Now that my father and brother are gone, it is my turn to guard the land of Highgarden," Lucas said. "Eric is gone, and now it is my turn."

Gwen still tried to argue, "I'm not in a hurry for you to come to the capital. You can stay in the territory. Designating an heir is just a precaution to stabilize people's hearts. This doesn't conflict with the rules."

But Lucas still shook his head.

"It was my own idea to give up my inheritance, sister. I never thought of sitting in that position. The capital is great and prosperous... but Highgarden is my home. I was born on that land."

"Perhaps it's because I went through too much back then," the young Duke of Tudor's eyes flickered slightly. "I no longer want to go so far away from home... Besides, there will always be someone to guard the empire's borders for you."

Gwyneth watched as her brother, who used to clamor to become a wandering knight, became calm and reserved. He silently took over the burden that once lay on his father and brother's shoulders, and promised in his heart that he would protect the land where his ancestors had lived for generations - this was Lucas's own obsession.

She couldn't refuse her brother's request.

Gwen's grip on the wine glass tightened silently, and her wrist dropped weakly.

The light golden wine in the cup looked so tempting, but Her Majesty the Queen never touched even a drop of it.

"...I understand what you mean," Gwen lowered her head with mixed feelings. "Don't be too anxious. I'll try to train Anna first. She's still young and very adaptable. There's plenty of time to slowly teach her."

The empire is now very stable, and there will be no wars to fight in the next few decades. Gwyneth will be able to cultivate a king who can maintain the status quo through careful education through words and deeds.

Lucas had the same idea, but after Gwen said that, he suddenly raised his head and looked at his sister seriously.

"I haven't seen Butcher in ages," Lucas said. "Is he okay?"

Gwyneth's heart suddenly felt like it was pricked by a needle, and it hurt sharply.

So much time had passed, and naturally some ministers questioned why the bird's illness had not improved.

But because Gwen deliberately avoided the question about the Queen's husband, the people below observed her words and expressions for a while and regarded the name Butcher as a taboo. No one mentioned this name to the Queen again.

Three full years have passed, and it seems that the entire court has forgotten the existence of this person.

Xiaoniao was once such a free and proud creature, a sharp-tongued shrike that made its enemies tremble in fear.

Gwyneth was silent for a moment, then shook her head. "You've worked hard coming all the way from Highgarden. I've prepared a room for you. You can rest in the palace today."

The Queen obviously didn't want to talk about the bird anymore, but Lucas didn't want to end the topic so easily.

His voice paused slightly and he changed his words.

"Okay," Lucas asked again, "what about you, sis."

"Are you having a good time?"

This sentence seemed to stump Her Majesty the Queen. A few simple words turned slowly in her mind, like a question.

Am I...having a happy life?

Gwyneth couldn't tell.

In the past few years, everything has been gradually getting back on track. There have been one or two rebellions by lords in remote areas, but they were suppressed in the bud in time, and state affairs have been handled more and more smoothly.

Gwyneth was diligent in government affairs and paid attention to people's livelihood. Thanks to her efforts, the rule of the Tudor family gradually became stable, and the disputes among the people caused by the Queen's ascension to the throne gradually subsided.

As the king of this country, she should be pleased with this, but this satisfaction only stayed in Gwen's mind for a short time and could not make her truly happy.

She is busy with official duties every day, dealing with major issues that are closely related to the country.

Gwen didn't think there was anything wrong with this, but she didn't think it was a good thing either. The power that she had risked her life to obtain had now become so boring.

She did not have the satisfaction of getting what she wanted, and her heart was as empty as this palace.

Why did she fight for this power in the first place?

Because I want to avenge my father and brother, because I want to protect my family, because...

Because the bird said to her: I need you, Gwen.

The person she loved so deeply and longed to spend her life with lied to her.

At some point, they had a heated argument—perhaps it couldn't really be called an argument, since it was only Gwyneth herself who spoke from beginning to end.

Her eardrums were aching, she questioned and begged, her face covered with tears.

Say something, anything, Levi, you can't leave me without even a word.

You can't just disappear without a trace.

Fall, in a corner I don’t know.

No one knows where you are going, your adjutant, your knight. If you disappear, where should I cry for you?

Gwyneth didn't get an answer.

This person was so close to her, but she couldn't touch him even if she stretched out her hand.

In the end, she was the first to give in.

Gwyneth watched the bird weaken day by day, from disappointment to panic and then to fear.

Later, she didn't dare to tie her up anymore, but she didn't dare to let her go either.

Gwen wanted to see her smile. She liked the way her face lit up when she talked about something interesting. She wanted to hear her voice when she spoke to her.

Are you having a good time, Gwen?

No, Gwyneth murmured, I'm scared... I'm really scared.

She didn't want Levi to die. Gwen felt that as long as she didn't give up and continued to patiently look for a treatment, her bird could live for a long time.

But she never asked Xiao Niao whether he was willing to rely on drugs to survive like this.

It seems, Gwyneth thought, that I have committed the unforgivable sin.

Chapter 126 Sense and Sensibility

Anna began to regret her impulsive behavior.

She had gotten lost more than ten minutes ago. The complexity of the passages here was far beyond Anna's imagination.

After all, it is a large building that has undergone repeated repairs and modifications. The original design concept has been changed at least eight hundred times. Many secret passages that were originally connected to each other have become dead ends. Some places are too wide and some places are too narrow.

Compared to it, the secret passages he explored in the family castle were just childish play.

Anna soon lost track of where she was. She tried to go back the way she had come, but couldn't find the way she had come.

The surroundings were so quiet that even the sound of dripping water was clear, and from time to time you could hear the rustling sounds of rodents running by.

The dark environment made the little girl feel scared.

No matter how strong and brave a six-year-old child is, there are limits. She called her brother's name, groped along the wall, and turned back in the direction she remembered, trying very hard to find an exit.

But as she walked, Anna felt that the walls on both sides were becoming narrower and narrower, and the passage that she could barely see the road through gradually and completely dissolved into the darkness.

She seemed to have come deeper into the secret passage, and the light could no longer reach here.

Little Anna became even more frightened, and her crying voice echoed in the corridor, which was very creepy.

Later she didn't dare to shout anymore. The increasingly dark and narrow road ahead made her lose the courage to move forward. Anna was tired and hungry. She squatted against the wall, hugging her knees and crying softly.

In the darkness, humans' perception of time becomes dull, and she didn't know how much time had passed.

Maybe it was ten minutes, maybe half an hour. Finally, Anna was tired of crying, and her sobs gradually subsided. She hugged herself aggrievedly, sobbing softly from time to time.

At this moment, Anna seemed to hear a sound coming from not far away. She was startled and quickly held her breath.

That wasn't her illusion.

“…Is there anyone in there?”

Someone was talking at the other end of the passage, the voice was very soft and sounded a little vague.

Anna thought of the stories she had heard before going to bed, about monsters that lived in the fireplace and under the bed, and that would catch and eat any child who left the covers at bedtime.

But when she entered the passage, it was not yet night, and it was probably not time to go to bed. This gave little Anna some courage, and she responded in a low voice.

"What's your name?" the voice asked.

"Anna," she replied.

It was quiet again, and then there was a creaking sound, as if something heavy was being dragged across the floor.

Anna raised her head cautiously, and suddenly a ray of light came in from the left side of the passage.

It seemed that because the obstacle was removed, the sound became much clearer, and Anna could now hear that it was a human voice.

"Are you hurt, Anna?" the man said. "Can you come here by yourself?"

"...I don't know," Anna sobbed again, "It's so narrow here, I can't get through..."

"Don't be afraid, Anna," the voice became softer, "Let's take it slow, okay? Can you tell which direction I'm heading?"

"Hmm," she rubbed the back of her hand across her cheek, "on the left side."

"Okay, left," the man said, "I'll stand on the left now. You can try to walk slowly towards this side. I'll wait for you here."

Anna became a little calmer. Being able to frequently hear human voices in such an isolated and helpless environment made her feel a little at ease.

She began to try to follow the other party's instructions, leaning against the left wall and moving slowly towards where the light was coming in.

The ceiling and the walls on both sides were gradually narrowing, and Anna's back was soon pressed against the stone wall, with both hands supporting the wall.

The child felt a little scared again.

Where was the light that leaked in? She could clearly see it just now.

"Okay, stop, Anna," a voice came from above.

Come here, "I see you."

Anna raised her head with difficulty and raised her two little hands desperately.

A slender hand grabbed her wrist, and Anna cried out softly in her heart.

She thought, this person's hands are so cold.

A force pulled her out of the dark passage. She was only six years old and a fairly light child, so it was not particularly difficult for her to do so.

The sudden bright light from outside made little Anna close her eyes involuntarily.

The vision returned to normal after a few seconds. Anna was sitting on the carpet, her light blonde hair was messy and she looked dusty.

Anna pursed her lips, about to cry, and looked at the person who pulled her out of the secret passage.

Xiaoniao's slightly thin figure was reflected in the child's tearful eyes.

"Thank you, wu... Thank you for saving me..." Little Anna sobbed.

Xiao Niao was stunned when he saw the child's appearance.