silence and stars

When Ellie Lin walked along the arcade, Leo stood silently behind his brother, facing everyone with a calm expression that couldn't be more standard.But in fact, his breathing was disturbed by Lin Ellie's footsteps.The person who walked over was all his delusions and expectations, and he probably would never have the courage to speak out, let alone expect to get a response.

Lin Ellie did not wear the fleet uniform that day, but wore a rare black and gold color attire. The jacket was decorated with golden decorative patterns on the neckline and cuffs, and Anson Shield was engraved on the belt and epaulets.Leo had seen people in the fleet wearing full uniforms, with all kinds of badges on their chests without exception, but he had never seen Lin Elli.On his left breast are only seven golden stars, symbolizing Anson's seven fleets.

The ceremony was held in the small square in front of Ansen Palace.According to tradition, the newly inaugurated fleet commander will take the oath of office here.In the blink of an eye, Ellie Lin had already walked up to Ild and stood still.Everyone present was watching him. He clenched his right fist and put it on his left chest. He bowed his head in formal etiquette, then raised his head, and said the oath word by word:

I swear allegiance to the Empire of Anson, to His Majesty Ildefonso Carlo, King of Anson, to his heirs and successors.I will earnestly abide by the government and the law.I will stand firm in my duties against all enemies inside and outside Anson.

For a brief moment, Ellie Lynn looked away from Ild's face to Leo standing behind him.In his 18 years of life, Leo was only moved by this moment. He was willing to become Ild's "successor" for no other reason than the oath Lin Elli had just uttered.

Those black eyes, ever steady and unflappable, turned to Ild again.The ceremony continued, and Leo was once again a bystander.How long has it been, a year?two years?At first, he couldn't believe his feelings, so he wouldn't tell anyone about it; but in the end, Leo had to face the reality: he really liked Lin Elli.

On the ground of the square, stones of different colors spell out the coat of arms of the Carlo family. In the center is a black eagle with spread wings and a crown above the shield.The coat of arms had been engraved on shields and embroidered on banners and tapestries by ancestors of the Carlo family long before they moved to Anson.

Leo followed Ild back to his seat. The lengthy process was still going on. The Minister of Defense had just delivered a speech, and the Chief of Staff of the Palace stood up and said something.Leo sat on the left side of Ild, looking at the podium in the middle, his thoughts had already drifted thousands of miles away.

When he was a child, he watched some documentaries before the immigrant period, which were full of dizzying carved walls, ceiling decorations and stained glass, which were too exaggerated and trivial for Anson’s aesthetics, but with the unique texture of that era , which matched the rare gown on Ellie Lin.In the past two years, on the few occasions where Lin Elli could be seen, he always wore the black uniform of the Second Fleet, which matched the color of his eyes.

If it weren't for Lin Ellie, Leo probably wouldn't have paid attention to anything other than Anson at all.Some time ago, the exploration project of a new mine in the Andaman star area was officially launched. Lin Elli flew to the site in person and symbolically released a detector to measure the bottom boundary of the ore body.Leo replayed the ten-second video over and over again, not because of his sudden interest in the exploration industry, but because of Lin Elli's smile.

In fact, mining planets and space ports are too far away from Leo, and battleships, docks, and supply stations are just terms in the mouths of Ild and his staff.His own life is all above ground.The humid sea breeze blows all year round, and there are long coasts on both sides of the southeast of Leer District. The sound of waves hitting the rock wall and the sound of wind are almost never-ending.In Leo's eyes, there is no better place than this.

At the end of the ceremony, it was a banquet as usual, and there were endless courteous greetings.Leo responded with a smile beside Ild, but his eyes flicked to the direction of Lin Elli from time to time.

Seeing an old friend, Yild hugged her happily and said hello: "It's been a while since I saw you! Let's go to Lubov to have a word, he wants to ask you for help."

Together they headed to the other side of the ballroom, leaving Leo alone.He turned his head, just in time to meet a woman with a bad complexion.Leo recognized that this was the newly appointed chairman of the special committee of the Ansen Council. Ild had long said that he was a difficult person, but Leo had not dealt with her directly.

"Your Highness." She stopped, and greeted Leo according to the etiquette, but her eyes were cold and guarded.Leo just nodded without making a sound.

He glanced around from the corner of his eye, and there was no one in his sight who could answer for him.None of Ild's advisors were present, and he couldn't call Ild and old Wiggin across most of the banquet hall.It's up to me.

"Ipama Hall," said the difficult figure dryly, looking up at the beautifully decorated ceiling and walls, "this place is ironic."

Leo replied: "I'm afraid I don't quite understand what you mean."

"Ipama Kahlo has come up with a ridiculous rhetoric to crown herself and then force people to stand here and pay homage to her heir."

When the people next to him heard this, they looked somewhat embarrassed, and Leo immediately shot back: "The Ansen people did not want to be blood-sucked by the joint immigration plan for generations, so they chose a constitutional monarchy. You can oppose Queen Ipama, but you cannot slander her cause. She fought the joint immigration program not for power, but for Anson's independence and freedom."

"A person who came to power by inciting populism, but flaunting what freedom—"

Leo was stunned with anger, his mind went blank for a moment, and he almost wanted to do it.Before he could say anything, someone behind her interrupted her unceremoniously: "I don't know what position you use to say this. Based on the education I received, I wouldn't call the Anson Independence Movement a 'populist'. And I won’t talk nonsense on an occasion like today.”

It was Ellie Lin. Leo had never heard him speak in such a sharp and irrefutable tone before.In the blink of an eye, he had already walked to Leo, glanced at the aggressive chairman of the special committee, and then turned to Leo: "Your Highness, please move."

Leo only looked at him, then hurriedly looked away.No one dared to say anything anymore, the people next to them retreated one after another and watched them go up the steps.The two walked towards Ild together.

Leo knew very well in his heart that Lin Elli helped him out of responsibility-because his surname was Carlo, not because his name was Leo.Ellie Lin probably only regards him as a junior who needs to be taken care of, but so what?Even if the other party was an important figure in the council, Lin Elli didn't hesitate for a second, and stood beside him in full view.What more could one wish for?

They were so close that their arms were almost touching.Lin Elli asked casually as he walked, "Are you about to graduate from Saint Laurent?"

He actually remembered.Leo's heart beat faster by more than one beat, and hurriedly replied: "Yes, I will go to college next year."

"Time flies by so fast," Ellie Lin said.Maybe it's a polite remark, maybe it's not.Time flies really fast...

Viking, chief of staff of the royal palace, was standing close to the wall with Mrs. Sulla, Ild’s friend, and Ild was just a step away. He heard the conversation between Leo and Eli, turned his head and laughed: “A few years ago, the little lion He just clings to me and cries, and it grows so big in the blink of an eye." He looked at Leo with relief and pride, but at this moment, Leo was so embarrassed that he just wanted to disappear into thin air.When will Elder stop calling him "little lion" in front of others?Still in front of Ellie Lin!

Lin Elli's expression fluctuated, as if he was amused, but he kept silent very gracefully.

Leo was even more embarrassed and couldn't say a word.

Ild, O Ild!