Cloud Thinking

"Well, I heard everything you said. Now it's my turn." Helia put down her crossed legs, leaned forward slightly, and got closer to Ianhill, staring at him. "How did Mr. Ianhill know so much information about the Morrogan religion?"

"If I remember correctly, the ban on the Morogen religion was only lifted ten years ago, and you look to be in your early twenties. You remember things that happened more than ten years ago very clearly."

"I am really getting more and more curious about you."

Although Helia did not take out her wand and did not carry any threatening weapons, she crossed her hands under her chin and looked at Ianthil with a smile on her face. It should have been a beautiful and ambiguous situation, but Ianthil only felt the omnipresent sense of oppression, an invisible, uneasy, alarming threat.

But he just smiled and replied: "I am a traveler who has traveled all over the world and a wandering bard who likes strange books. Every time I go to a place, I learn about the local customs and rumors. The more I read and hear, the more I know."

It was an impeccable answer, but Helia didn't really want to know Ian Hill's true identity and origins. She just tried to test him out of warning. At least for now, although this guy was mysterious, he didn't bring her more trouble. He even gave her a rare and important clue.

Some people are like this. Although you cannot trust them, their value is there. You can give up on them out of caution, or you can choose to use them prudently. Helia belongs to the latter.

Helia smiled slightly and did not continue to ask questions, accepting the other party's extremely perfunctory answer. Finally, she invited him, "This Sunday is my sixteenth birthday party. I hope you can come to attend."

"Okay, I will definitely come."

Helia's sixteenth birthday party was held in a grand manner. Of course, there was never a year when her birthday party was held in a shabby manner. His Majesty Claude's favor for Her Royal Highness the Princess was reflected in every grand banquet held for her. He used the grand banquets to silently declare to the world: Helia was his jewel in the crown and his most beloved daughter.

And Helia came to Antonio's house this year. It is hard to say whether it was a reconciliation between Claude and Hawke or an intensification of the conflict, but since Antonio's family accepted Helia's arrival, it meant that at least the relationship between Helia and Hawke had been reconciled, and they were no longer uncle and nephew who did not recognize each other as before.

This is a good thing, so the Antonio family is going to hold a big banquet to celebrate it, especially Hilda and Lady Iena, the two of them are busy running around and doing everything themselves, just to make sure Helia has an unforgettable birthday party, which also makes up for Helia's absence in the past few years.

Helia also temporarily put aside her pursuit of Charles and Ian Hill. This was her first birthday in this world. Unconsciously, she had been living in this alien world for almost a year. Recalling the bits and pieces that had happened before, Helia suddenly felt that Elroy's evaluation of her was not wrong. She was really a troublemaker.

Whether it was in the palace, Carter's College, or now, she seemed to want to cause trouble wherever she went. She didn't cause any trouble in the palace because she was not used to it and because of Claude's pressure. But since she left the palace, it was as if her destructive nature had been released and she couldn't calm down at all.

Helia: I'm young, so what's wrong with being a little active? This is called being good at hands-on work! Being creative! Being young and energetic! Do you understand?

In the days leading up to her birthday, Helia was busy trying on dresses. Lady Iena basically called all the famous tailors in the city to design the most perfect dress for Helia. But she was not satisfied with them no matter how hard she tried. Helia put them on and took them off again. Not to mention that each of these dresses was very complicated. The tailors had spent their entire lives trying them. Helia tried on so many dresses that she felt like vomiting.

"Hilda, which one is better, the green one or the snow-blue one?" Mrs. Iena felt a little overwhelmed after looking at it for a long time, so she had to call her daughter, who had no femininity at all but was still a woman in terms of physiological structure, for advice.

"Ah? I think they all look pretty. Aya is beautiful. Even when she wears rags, she looks better than others." Hilda lazily slumped on the small sofa beside her, propping her head up to look at her sister who was dressed as beautifully as a flower, with a silly smile on her face.

When she was very young, she wished she could have a younger sister. Unfortunately, Lady Iena gave birth to four sons in a row, all of whom were the bad boys she hated. She thought her dream of having a younger sister was about to be shattered, but later she learned that her aunt Queen Madeleine had given birth to a daughter. Although that was the daughter her aunt had sacrificed her life for, and her father's attitude towards the princess' younger sister was unclear, she still wanted to see this younger sister.

But later she followed her father into the army and could not leave the military area without reason. Moreover, she was so busy with work that she could not even go home, let alone go to the palace tens of thousands of miles away to see Helia.

Until now, when Hilda saw Helia for the first time, she liked this sister from the bottom of her heart. Not only was she beautiful, but she also had a good personality. Of course, even if her personality was not good, she would not dislike her. She was the sister she had been thinking about for a long time. Antonio's family was famous for recognizing relatives but not reason. No matter how weird Helia looked, she would not hate her.

"Tsk! It's no use asking you to come. You're not as good as Okale." Mrs. Iyena scolded her impatiently, but Hilda just smiled.

If the soldiers outside heard this, they would probably be shocked. Hilda was famous for her ability and she did everything well. Although she was a woman, her ruthlessness was enough to impress Hawke. Otherwise, how could she have entered the army smoothly as a woman, and be valued by Hawke and climbed to her current position?

Compared to Hilda, Okalai is a little weaker in strength, but he is more cautious, careful, and thoughtful. It can be said that he is born to be a deputy. If nothing unexpected happens, the head of the Antonio family in the future should be Hilda, with Okalai and Blot as assistants.

Some people always say that Okalai and Hilda were born in the wrong body, but Helia doesn't think so. Can't women have strength far exceeding that of men, and can't men have delicacy and gentleness? It's a complete gender stereotype.

"Mother, sister, Aya." Okale did not come, but Blot, who had been busy, took the time to come. Compared with Hilda, he gave a lot of suggestions. Lady Iena kept nodding with satisfaction, but Helia could not understand what they were saying at all.

After some effort, with the help of Blot, Iyena finally succeeded in picking out Helia's birthday dress. It was a stunning dark red dress, which seemed nothing special at first glance, but a closer look revealed its unique charm.

The design of this dress is simple yet elegant, with smooth and natural overall lines, but what is truly amazing is the careful attention to detail: the neckline is inlaid with small and delicate diamonds, sparkling with a faint but charming light; the cuffs are embellished with delicate lace edges, adding a touch of softness and romance; a black satin belt is tied around the waist, cleverly outlining Helia's slender waist curve.

In addition, the skirt is embroidered with exquisite patterns, which exude a mysterious atmosphere. These seemingly insignificant decorative elements complement each other, making the whole dress more gorgeous, noble and tasteful.

Helia was also quite satisfied with this skirt. It didn't reveal much and was very comfortable to wear. Unlike her previous dresses, which made her feel as if she was being restrained and very uncomfortable after putting them on, she could even run in this one and do a complete set of radio gymnastics without any problem.

She specifically asked for the name of the tailor and decided to see if she could take him with her when she returned to the imperial capital. She really couldn't stand the designs of the court tailor. They simply didn't conform to the normal structure of the human body! She was already so thin that she was just a bag of bones, but the dress still made it difficult for her to breathe, not to mention the high heels on her feet. Why would a teenager like her wear high heels?

It seemed that thanks to Helia's birthday party, Satted was particularly peaceful these days, and there was joy everywhere - Madam Iena invited people in the city to celebrate Helia's birthday together, allocated money to invite entertainers from all over the country to perform in Satted, and held a grand banquet. No invitations were needed, as long as you came, there would be food. The event was even grander than Helia's birthday party in the imperial capital.

Helia also sent food, books, toys, etc. to the children of the Duru Orphanage, but unfortunately, Charles was taken away by the doctor for treatment when she went there, so she didn't get to see him. But according to Jepas, Charles was in better health and in a better mood during this period, and there was nothing unusual.

Inexplicably, Helia was not happy about the peace and quiet during these few days of leisure. Instead, she felt uneasy that a storm was about to come...

Birthday party day——

Hawke and Lady Iena came on stage first and officially announced to the invited guests that Helia was also a member of Antonio's family. This sounded insignificant, but in a sense, it was a symbol of the easing of the conflict between Hawke and Claude over the years, and Helia would serve as a bridge of communication between the emperor and the marshal.

Then, Hilda and Okalai, dressed in well-cut military uniforms, walked in front with steady steps. Blot, wearing a suit that matched the color of Helia's dress, held Helia's hand and walked in slowly and gracefully. Behind the two of them followed the handsomely dressed little adult Hullik.

The guests at the banquet were all nobles from various places, who gave Helia a great show. Even Chico took the time to attend, bringing a gift from Claude - a set of extremely rare aquamarine diamond jewelry, which was said to be priceless and was taken out by Claude from his own collection.

Helia first danced the opening dance with her male partner for the party, Blot, and was soon pulled over by Hilda to dance another song. Okalai ate and watched at a table outside the dance floor, while Hulick ran off to show off to his good friend.

I have a princess sister! Isn't that awesome? You don't have one!

After Helia and Hilda had a lot of fun, Hawke came over with Iena. To Helia's surprise, Hawke had his hair combed back? It was obvious that he had dressed up carefully.

When she looked at Lady Iena, who was kind to her even to the years, Helia seemed to understand why Hawke would deal with her. After all, she couldn't let people think of the plot of "Beauty and the Beast" when they saw them, right?

"Have you decided what you want for your birthday present?" Hawke asked.

Helia nodded. Ever since Hawke brought it up that night, she had thought about it seriously. She would probably not stay in Suttered for a year, which meant that she only had one chance to make a wish to Hawke. She had to ensure that she was safe in Hawke's territory first.

She now faced two not-so-obvious threats. One was external. The black magicians might still be hunting her down. After all, the evil goddess had said she wanted her life. Even if Neytina died, there were still other great believers. However, as long as she stayed in Perkinsburg and didn't go out, it would be difficult for them to touch her.

Secondly, the threat from Hawke still exists. Antonio's family is indeed very good to her, and her brothers, sisters and aunt are all very friendly to her, but Hawke's attitude towards her is still unclear. It is difficult to tell whether he is not touching her now for emotional or rational reasons.

Emotionally, they are uncle and nephew, and are family members connected by blood. However, judging from Hawke's attitude towards his children, it seems that he values ​​their worth more than their blood relationship, which is very similar to Claude.