Cloud Thinking

Chapter 172 Birthday Party

(The plot of the previous chapter has been greatly revised, please refresh and go back to watch it again)

When Helia left the dance floor and took a rest, Eric finally had the chance to talk to her. The ladies usually looked gentle and virtuous, but tonight, when they saw Helia, they pounced on her like wolves seeing meat, and Eric couldn't even get a word in.

And Helia accepted it all. Compared with dancing with men, she preferred sweet and soft girls. Moreover, every time she saw the shy looks of the girls, she would feel good about pretending.

Never mind, the habit of showing off is something you will never be able to change in this lifetime.

"Tonight I have deployed three layers of troops inside and outside. If anyone dares to attack you, I will make sure he has no chance of returning."

"I just observed and didn't see anyone suspicious. There are too many people staring at you, and many of them are strangers. I can't be sure of their purpose. You'd better be careful." Eric advised.

He brought Helia some water and kindly removed the cake crumbs from her mouth.

"I'm just afraid he won't attack me." Helia responded with a smile.

The news that Helia was the person behind the destruction of the underground black empire on the northern border had been out for quite some time, and Eric and Helia were waiting for the big fish, Duke Ronald, to take the bait.

Although the trap was crudely made and obviously straightforward, Helia didn't think that Duke Ronald would do nothing after hearing the news. Even if she couldn't catch him, catching a few small fish would be fine.

As long as the other party dared to come, she would be able to follow the clues they left behind.

The two men's eyes met and they both widened their smiles at the same time, their similar brows and eyes revealing the same shrewdness.

"Ah, Aya, your plan today really caught everyone off guard! You didn't even inform your dear sister in advance. It seems that Aya has forgotten the old one after getting the new one!"

Hilda, who was also wearing a military uniform, stepped between the two of them with a glass of wine in her hand, and complained to Helia with a smile.

"I've always wanted to dance with you, but unfortunately you only dance the male steps tonight, and I don't know how to dance the female steps. I'm afraid we won't have the chance again in the future!"

Helia took Hilda's arm affectionately, pretending to be a little girl, and leaned her head on Hilda's shoulder like a little bird, "Sister Hilda, I can forget you no matter who I forget~"

"But, sister, you haven't learned the female steps? I thought you were just not good at it."

"No, my father raised me as a boy since I was young. After all, I am the designated heir. If I am not tough, the people below me will not obey me." Hilda explained.

"Eh? I thought Uncle Hawke chose you as his heir because of your outstanding abilities. So it was decided so long ago?" Helia was a little confused.

Hawke has three sons and one daughter. According to common sense, with so many sons, he would not choose his daughter to succeed him. Not to mention that his two sons are actually very outstanding. In this case, Hawke has always firmly chosen Hilda? This puzzled Helia.

"I don't know what my father is thinking, but maybe it's because he feels that he owes Aunt Madeline. After all, the position of head of Antonio's family should have belonged to Aunt Madeline."

"If my aunt hadn't been completely indifferent to this, my father would have gone traveling long ago. He wouldn't have had to guard that bitter and cold border for his entire life," Hilda sighed.

Time is the best medicine to heal pain. When they talk about Hawke now, they feel more regret in their hearts. The tears of sorrow have been smoothed out little by little by the years. It is estimated that in a few years, when Hawke is mentioned again, their hearts will be calmer.

"Mother?" Helia was very curious about these past events. When she heard Madeline's name, her eyes lit up.

"Yes, you certainly don't know that in the previous generation of Antonio's family, there were only my father and my aunt. My aunt was a genius in the magic world and showed extraordinary talent at a young age. But at that time, my father was just a second-rate boy who was obsessed with playing all day long. No matter how my grandfather used a stick to educate him, he couldn't make him behave properly."

"So, compared to my useless father, my grandfather prefers my aunt. It's a pity that my aunt is also a wanderer. She is obsessed with magic and has no news from me all year round."

"My father had a very bad reputation when he was young. No daughter was willing to marry him. Until later he met my mother, and in a classic hero-saving-beauty move, he pledged his love to her. That's how they ended up together."

"Not long after they got married, my aunt married into the royal family. Grandpa had fought in battles all his life and was in pain. Seeing that his children were settled, he passed away peacefully, saying that he was going to find grandma to continue their past relationship."

"With no one left at home, my father had to shoulder the responsibility of inheriting the family. For my aunt, my mother, and the family, he gradually grew up to become the great marshal that everyone spoke of with awe."

She was still saying it with a smile, but in the end, the corners of her mouth dropped a little bit, and her eyes were filled with unquenchable longing.

"Sister." Helia didn't say much, just rubbed her head against Hilda's neck and held her hand tighter.

"Oh, after today you will be an adult, why are you still like a child now?" Hilda knew that Helia was comforting her, but seeing that she was dressed in a neat military uniform but looked like a little girl, she couldn't help but teasing her.

Helia's expression changed immediately. She let go of Hilda's arms, pretended to be serious, and said angrily, "Humph, I won't do this again in the future."

"Hahaha! Eric! Look at Aya, she's still throwing tantrums." Hilda patted Eric who was standing aside and listening attentively, then stopped laughing, "I can't be with Aya from now on, you have to take good care of her."

"That's natural. After all, Aya is my sister. Everyone knows how much I love her," Eric replied.

Hilda turned to look at Helia, "That's right, you'll have a sister to love you from now on, so I won't make a difference!"

"Sister!" Helia said angrily. The next second, she saw Stella coming over here. Her pouting mouth suddenly opened again and she waved at her, "Sister Stella!"

When Starley met Eric and Hilda's eyes, her breath caught in her throat. As expected, even though she had prepared herself mentally in advance, she was still nervous when she faced the two of them.

Especially Hilda. After all, before this, Helia had only had her sister, and now her appearance seemed to be a replacement, not to mention that Hilda had always doted on Helia.

"Greetings to His Highness Eric, Marshal Hilda." Starley bowed politely and stood beside Helia.

What a pity, she looked too petite and cute standing among three people who seemed to have been injected with growth hormones, and she did not have the aura and airs that an older sister should have.

"Oh, Aya, you are so lucky to have such a beautiful and gentle new sister." Hilda smiled and nodded to Stella and Helia. It was mostly polite, but it was also a statement of her attitude.

She is not that petty. After all, she is the marshal of a country.

"We're all family, there's no need to be so formal." Eric responded with a polite smile, "It's obvious that Aya really cares about you."

"My sister and I have been separated for so many years. Just as Sister Hilda owes me something, I also owe her something. It's too late for me to be nice to her!" Helia said with a smile.

"Me too. I feel sorry for Aya." Starley gently squeezed Helia's hand, and Helia took the opportunity to half-hug her sweet, soft and beautiful sister in her arms. Starley subconsciously half-leaned on her shoulder, and the two looked very close.

But the smile on Eric's face collapsed when he saw this scene. He had never seen Helia and Hilda so close on weekdays, but why were Helia and Stella so affectionate and affectionate like a couple? It was really...

"Oh! Aya is not usually this close to me." Hilda laughed and joked after seeing it.

The four of them gathered together, talking and laughing. Although they were only polite on the surface, people around them still couldn't help but want to get closer. After all, they represented the future center of power and were the most distinguished people in the empire.

Hilda still didn't like this kind of superficial politeness. She left on her own initiative after not much talking, saying that she was going to find some pretty girls to dance with.

Helia urged Eric to take Stellar with him to socialize. After all, compared to herself, Eric must have accumulated more and wider connections over the years. If Stellar could get to know some people, she would have someone to turn to if she wanted to make a big splash in the future.

She took this opportunity to find Carlisle, who was hiding in the corner and staring at her endlessly. She didn't know what he wanted to do. He used to be a social butterfly, but tonight he was hiding in the corner like a turtle, giving up this rare opportunity to make friends with all the nobles, and just staring at her quietly. It was very strange.

Helia walked up to Carlisle with a glass of wine in hand, and said with a serious smile: "Thank you for being in the basement before. If you hadn't come in time, I'm afraid I would have made a mistake that I would blame myself for the rest of my life."

"It's my duty. Your Highness Helia, there's no need to thank me." Carlisle shifted his gaze slightly and stared at Helia's nose. He had never had such an opportunity to see Helia's face up close before. Now he just felt that the title of the most beautiful rose in the empire was not given casually.

Even without any makeup and just a simple tidy-up, she is still so beautiful that people dare not look directly at her.

God has opened too many doors for Helia.

"I wonder if Captain Carlisle is interested in that pagan?" Helia asked tentatively.

Even though Helia said this seriously, in Carlisle's eyes, it seemed a bit tempting.

"If Your Highness has anything to ask, please tell me directly. I will not shirk any responsibility that is within the Knights' responsibility."

"Well... how should I put it, it is, but not entirely." Helia told her little thoughts, "The pagan hiding in the palace had a grudge against me many years ago. Now she is dead, but Senior Grammy used her remaining breath to track down a location, which is now the location of the Fetteros family, a branch of the pagans."

"I want to wait until I officially join the Knights so that I can carry out this tracking and encirclement mission with you, the commander. After all, you are the most powerful magic swordsman in the palace. I will feel more at ease with you around."

"Believe me, if this matter is done well, it will be a great achievement. I will owe you a favor and will not hinder your career development any longer."

"You won't reject me, will you, Master?"

The last word "Captain" was pronounced by Helia in a lingering and sad way, as if she was spitting out a piece of soft candy, so soft and sweet that one could not refuse it.

Her coquettish request made her seem like she was on the passive side, but if you think about it carefully, you will find that Helia has been in control from beginning to end. She just coaxed people into doing things for her willingly by showing weakness and flattery.

Even if Carlisle didn't want to, she could still give him the order. Moreover, all the information about the pagans and the grudges from many years ago was in her hands. Carlisle knew nothing about it, so he was the truly passive party.

"Speaking of which, I have always been curious about one thing. I wonder if Your Highness can help me solve this puzzle?" Carlisle, who had figured out everything, did not rush to respond, but instead asked another question, "I really want to know why Your Highness targeted me when we didn't know each other when we first met?"