The Villain Princess survived the Imperial Riot

"Blasphemy prophecies... there are so many of them," Hestia mused. "These days, any myth with a reputation always carries a prophecy or two. Even archaeological excavations of New World ruins occasionally reveal proclamations of natural disasters and doomsday. Why don't you share them with me so I can consider them?"

"On the day the tower collapsed, the curtain fell in shadow, worms gnawed at the light, the cracks spread evil, the dead walked the earth, and history was no longer in order." The King of Overthrow took a sip of tea slowly, observing the changes in the Queen's expression.

The princess understood, and she thought of the prophecy that Lady Ainiwei had mentioned.

Since the old woman didn't speak directly, she didn't ask any further questions. But now, the King of Overthrow's words undoubtedly matched her original hint.

Witch, demon maggot, chaos, Styx.

"And then?" Hestia asked with a smile.

"I saw the destruction of Heberus in the secret vault of that prophecy."

"Oh."

"Aren't you surprised?"

"Should I be surprised, angry, or even scold?" Hestia said indifferently. "Hysteria is pointless. Or do you want me to call everyone here and tear you, a heretic, into pieces right now?"

The princess's reaction was beyond the King of Overturn's expectations, but the old pirate's deep eyes suddenly flashed, revealing an imperceptible excitement, as if a lone fish that had been swimming in the deep sea for many years suddenly saw a similar fellow.

You have the potential to become a swordsman.

The King of Overthrow was about to make such a comment, but after thinking it over he decided not to.

At least, she had confirmed one thing - the princess in front of her was not a pure Heinbos.

"Actually, I like your attitude," the Overthrown King said. "I'll be staying on the West Coast for a while. About two years from now, I'll be running for Grand Consul of the Republic. If I can gain control of trade with the West Coast, my chances of winning will increase significantly."

"Even pirates are starting to clean up their act these days?" Hestia quipped. "But is this the right attitude to have when asking for help?"

"This is cooperation, not pleading," said the Overthrowing King. "The Maker's power is spreading at an accelerating rate, and His followers are greedily exploiting the world's energy. In the past ten years, the interpenetration of coal and magic crystals has increased several times. The creations of the Tyran elves are evolving at an unimaginable rate. In another twenty years, this sea may no longer harbor pirates but instead become the Tyran people's backyard. The profits from trade with the West Coast will give me more say in the Republic. Helping me is naturally helping you as well."

"You're exaggerating. Lu Xing's filial son and grandson won't sit idly by. He's not dead yet," Hestia said. "You do have a point, though. However, the threat from the Kingdom of Tailan is still in the future, while the profits from the West Coast are within reach. In this cooperation, my efforts and gains don't seem to be proportional."

"I have a collection of twenty-four laws, a relic of an elder from the Orderly Spiritual Path. I'm sure the goblin lady has already told you about it. The holy artifacts of the Orderly Path are useless to me, but they should be enough as a bargaining chip."

"As a bargaining chip, it seems too heavy." Hestia said casually.

She didn't think that the old pirate would hand over the Ritsuzo so easily.

The heavier the stakes, the more you ask for, or it's a pie in the sky that seems to be far away.

"We're in this long-term partnership, so of course we need to maintain steady progress," the Overthrown King said confidently. "Also, judging by your actions, you seem quite interested in the throne of the Divine Capital?"

"So what if I'm interested?"

"Then I advise you to give up this idea."

"Reason?" Hestia asked. "Don't talk about the Tower's oppression and cruelty. That would just be foolish."

"Not all mystical cultivators of the Transformation Path possess the resolve to free the world from its shackles. I simply wish to offer you a message," the Overthrowing King slowly shook his head, "Destiny is poisonous, and there is no antidote."

"..."

"I've met you, and now it's time for me to leave," the Overthrown King said, rising. "My quartermaster will visit you again later. I hope you can resolve the assassin's problem as soon as possible."

The old pirate left, and after she left, the coast and the sunset disappeared into thin air, turning into a huge mural on the wall.

Marilyn asked, "Your Highness, is she from the Heberus family?"

"Just a traitor."

"Is this something I can listen to?"

"Can I still erase your memory?" Hestia said nonchalantly. "I thought the sisters in the sisterhood were very resourceful. Now it seems that charming, mature, and strong women are not to your taste."

Marilyn smiled softly and teased, "As for taste, Her Royal Highness is more to our sisters' liking."

"Fu, then you really have taste."

Hestia didn't take the bait.

The love field is the hunting ground of the Cocoon Sisterhood. If you really believe what Marilyn said, it would be no less than engaging in a secret war with the other party at a disadvantage.

Marilyn continued in a charming voice, "If Your Highness can help us obtain the Three-Word Knot, perhaps we sisters will be willing to serve as slaves in Your Highness's palace to repay your kindness. But then, I only hope that Your Highness will treat us sisters well..."

Hestia admired the mural and pretended not to hear.

……

In the ballroom where gorgeous dresses dance, the lively activities have not yet begun, but classical music has already sounded. Food carts loaded with delicious dishes are gazing out from the ballroom's gorgeously etched crystal windows. On the lawn made up of dozens of meters long tables, the guests who enjoy freedom have already started an open-air banquet, singing and dancing.

Elves, humans, goblins, dwarves, furry animal-eared subspecies, races from all over the world gathered together, and many foreign customs were mixed in one pot, adding more relaxation to the party.

“It’s really lively.”

Viola leaned against the window of the ballroom, gazing at the distant scene. Those who didn't know would have thought this was some grand festival. Even the winter celebration held in Crown Plaza, with its bustling scene of thousands of people, was probably no more than this.

"I was wondering why such a lavish display could be created. Turns out that silver dragon is also a shareholder."

Although it was a world where the two of them lived together, Domis couldn't help but think of the evil princess, feeling jealous and hateful.

"Domis, why do you dislike His Highness so much?" Viola asked curiously. "Cloudtop City has greatly relaxed its restrictions on merchants now. No matter what, she's doing a better job than those bureaucrats of the past."

"When you see the powerful slaughtering your family members wantonly and burning them to charcoal in a huge fire, you will also understand that some people are born to die..." Domis was silent for a moment, then said, "A wise monarch is far more harmful than a foolish monarch. It will only allow a very small number of people to hold power longer."

"Nothing happens overnight," Viola said softly.

"..." Domis took a deep breath and looked at her best friend. "I'm sorry, I didn't express myself clearly, Viola... I don't actually hate that princess, but I always think of some bad things. Will you hate me for this?"

"How could that be!" Viola shook her head firmly. "Everyone has their own likes and dislikes. As long as they're kind, it doesn't matter if they have disagreements. And Her Highness won't blame you for it. She can be a bit harsh sometimes, but she's generally open-minded."

"Don't talk about her..." Domis' throat seemed to be blocked by cotton, and she felt she could hardly breathe. "Now it's just the two of us, so, Viola, don't talk about her, okay?"

"Okay." Viola sighed softly and took Domis's hand. "Want to go out for a walk with me?"

"Ah."

Domis, relieved, leaves the castle with Viola.

This castle manor is a Chamber of Commerce property, located on the coast. It is a club for Chamber of Commerce members to gather for socializing, leisure and entertainment, and business negotiations.

It has everything from shooting halls and fencing rooms to an arena, a racecourse, tennis courts, a golf course, and a dance theater, as well as an attached hotel to accommodate guests.

Domis borrowed the membership status and was familiar with the facilities of the manor. If it weren't for the silver dragon interfering, today would have been a wonderful night.

"Viola, do you remember the first time we met?"

Domis spoke softly as they strolled along the garden path leading to the beach.

"Hmm...about two years ago." Viola thought for a moment. "At that time, our family had just arrived in Genting and couldn't find a suitable place to live, so we had to squeeze into a bunk bed with more than a dozen people."

The black-haired girl certainly remembered it. Back then, she had received a recommendation from the town's church school and passed the test for Genting National Law School.

Viola's spiritual father was a free farmer. After she was admitted to the Academy of Olympia, she sold her family's land in Middle-earth and moved to Yunding City to look for work.

It was such a huge and unfamiliar city that even finding a place to stay became a problem, let alone finding a job. Mr. Li Lan found a place to rent through the introduction of a goblin intermediary businessman. After paying ten times the market price, he discovered that the independent apartment promised by the goblin was actually a shabby room where more than a dozen people were squeezed on a mat on the floor.

The rented house was surrounded by smoke and foul smells, everyone drank the river discharged from the paper mill sewage, the whole street was filled with the smell of ammonia like a large septic tank, and they were just food residues that had not been completely decomposed.

Viola's mother was already in poor health, and she suddenly fell seriously ill. Her father was busy looking for work during the day, so she could only ask around to find a clinic to treat her mother. However, in an environment where human life was worth less than grass, who would need a clinic?

“Two men told me they knew where a doctor was, and then you showed up, and I remember you were dressed like a boy, and your face was so black, like you’d crawled through soot,” Viola said. “I almost didn’t believe you.”

Viola felt scared when she thought about it, especially as she became more familiar with the darkness of the city.

"Hmph, now you know who is better?" Domis said with some resentment.

She dealt with the street thugs who were following them, she helped the Leland family settle down in Little Rat Lane, she helped Viola's father find a stable job as a mover, and she delivered medicine to Viola's mother every week for seventy-two consecutive weeks!

"I'm sorry." Viola took her friend's arm and rubbed Domis's face. "I've always been grateful to Domis, and I don't know how to repay you... I know that I've been a little distant from Domis because of His Highness's affairs, but the affairs of the villa... I'm sorry."

Viola said guiltily.

Her work at the villa is neither busy nor easy.

The princess did not assign her any harsh work, but Viola always cherished every minute at the villa.

She often went to the library immediately after serving the princess in the morning, studying under Aynive until late at night. After the witch incident, she added classical Chinese to her studies and tried to help the princess translate the ancient secret history.

The journey from the villa to home was not particularly long; a round trip in the princess' carriage only took three hours. If Viola really wanted to visit her friends, she still had time.

Viola, therefore, made no excuses, but merely apologized for neglecting the friendship.

"Viola..."

Feeling the black-haired girl's intimate gesture, all the resentment Domis had disappeared.

On the coast, a group of dwarves and midgets were playing lutes, harmonicas and snare drums, while the bearded man with rough hands and feet and the handsome dwarf were dancing lively.

From time to time, a goblin in fancy clothes passed by. When he saw the lively scene, he couldn't help but despise the people and called them "country bumpkins". Then, the drunk dwarves took them as companions and forced them to the campfire to drink.

"These dwarves are the Guild's elite casters, skilled in forging and enchanting." Domis saw the curiosity in Viola's eyes and explained, "I just don't know how long the dwarven craftsmanship can last under the influence of Tailan Manufacturing."

From what we've seen so far, the Thailan elves' strengths lie in energy extraction, metal activation, and large-scale factories, while the dwarves excel at mechanical casting and arcane enchantment. But unfortunately, what the dwarves know, the Thailan elves now know even more.

Yunling lacked a large-scale heavy industry, and even in industries like textile mills, despite comparable technological capabilities, it was still difficult to compete with Tailan. Ultimately, a goblin factory might exhaust two workers daily, but the Tailan elves were willing to let five die.

If Tailan had not found it difficult to enter the imperial market, Yunling Industry would have been on a large scale bankrupt.

Just as Domis was thinking, a bearded dwarf came over with a beer barrel. "Would you like a drink, lady?"

"No..."

"Thank you."

Domis wanted to refuse, but Viola couldn't refuse her kindness.

She looked curiously at the velvet-eared subhumans by the campfire and the exotic cat-eared dancers.

"Refreshing!" The dwarf praised Viola as she drank her beer in one gulp. "From a human girl's perspective, you really have a very bearded face! Come dance, Miss Beard!"

"Uh..." Viola was a little embarrassed. She looked at Domis, "Is it okay?"

"If you want." Domis held her best friend's hand and didn't let go.

Sparks crackled and burned, and black and golden birds danced side by side. Although the demi-humans around the campfire were all country bumpkins who could hardly enter the main hall, this happy environment made Viola adapt more easily.

She only drank two beers, and the perfect amount of tipsiness allowed her to feel the joy of the party more deeply.

Gradually, the girl found that more dwarfs were surrounding her, some of them were wearing skirts but still had beards.

"I have to say, young lady, your beard is really fragrant!" The sturdy dwarf woman moved closer to the two of them and couldn't help but praise Domis. "If you didn't have a beard, you would have been elected the village beauty of the year in my hometown!"