silence and stars

Ild stood up, walked around the empty office, and then stood by the window, looking out at the garden.The hardy Liel rose blooms just fine in cool, humid air.The water column of the fountain was blown away by the strong wind, and it was already out of shape when it landed.

Leo - he was the one who gave the name.Young life is like a distant dream, with a rose-colored filter, beautiful and unreal.

He was less than 15 years old that year.

"I want a sister." Sitting at the dining table, he repeated stubbornly.

Mother Ximena shook her head again and again: "No, Alva and I have already discussed it."

Alva again!Ild was indignant, but he didn't dare to say anything more.Alva Lingard, his never-seen-before father, Baharia-class captain of the Seventh Fleet, died in the First Battle of Anson Roma, leaving Ximena devastated.Since then, no one can challenge the great Alva in front of her.Everything that Alva said casually is the truth, and Alva's preferences are her preferences, and she wants to complete for him one by one what Alva did not have time to complete.

"It doesn't matter if you're a younger brother or a younger sister." Seeing Ild's frustrated face, Ximena quickly comforted him, "You can give him a name."

This is not bad, it has the meaning of declaring sovereignty.Elder felt much better.

Ximena laughed: "That's right, you can think about it slowly."

Ild didn't get inspired until he saw the little guy with his own eyes: "Mom, you see he cries like a lion cub. Let's call him Leo!"

Leo grew up day by day, with soft pale golden curly hair, and would cry and make a fuss if he didn't like it. He really looked like a lion cub, and it was said that he also looked like Alva, who had a fiery personality.Elder had vaguely heard it said, but no one had ever dared to mention it in front of Jimena.How could her Alva be so grumpy?Alva is the embodiment of perfection, never said "no" to her.Even if she wanted stars, Alva would pick them for her.

"Make trouble again, I won't take you next time!" Ximena warned in vain, but of course Leo wouldn't listen, and the cries became louder.The ceremony site is ready, most people are seated, only they are busy at the guest entrance.Yard hurriedly followed, and took away the crying Leo from his mother's arms: "I'll take him outside first, you go in. Leo is good——"

"Mass," Jimena said to the guards, "take two of you and follow them outside."

Ild carried Leo out, and heard Ximena complaining to her brother Alan: "I shouldn't have brought him out, ten Ilds combined are not as difficult as him! He has a very bad temper, and often wakes up in the morning. The humanoid mech I play will get angry when it runs out of battery, and I will also get angry when I don’t put the tableware in his order during the meal. Cry at my place, cry with the nanny, and cry when Mas hugs him for a while, if he doesn’t see me at dinner And Ilde, what's more, the sky is falling from crying! Why didn't I take so much effort to take Ilde back then."

"It's normal, it means you're old. You didn't listen to the advice a few years ago." Alan pointed out sharply.

"Shut up!" Jimena said angrily.She said something again, like how it was when Ild was a child, but they had moved away and couldn't hear her clearly.Elder laughed silently.

The infield ceremony had already begun, he lowered his head and touched the tip of Leo's nose.Leo fell unexpectedly quiet. "Have you cried enough? Let's go in after you have cried enough..."

Two deafening explosions.Everything around was shaking, dust was flying, and there was screaming and crying in the infield.

Within seconds, life and death were separated, and he was left holding two-year-old Leo, who was stopped outside by the guards.Leo was staring at him intently, with his left hand outstretched to grab his nose.

"Don't be afraid," Ild said subconsciously with his mind blank, "Don't be afraid, I'm here."

"Ild! Ild! Ild!" Leo hummed his name like singing, imitating his speech. "Don't be afraid!"

Mas, who had been following them, wanted to take Leo over, but Ild held on tightly.The person who was afraid was actually himself, not Leo.

"Ild! Ild! Ild!" Leo was still humming.

From that moment on, all he had left was Leo.The explosion would have killed him and Leo too, but they had somehow escaped.Ximena and Alain died suddenly, three other guards were killed and a dozen others were injured.

Surrounded by powerful enemies, he can only rely on himself.When was the most difficult time?With sympathetic, resentful or suspicious eyes, he stood helplessly in Anson Palace, with only little Leo beside him; he had just entered university, and besides taking over the responsibilities left by his mother, he also had to face the heavy academic work of law school , took time out to inventory the Carlos’ estate, and met with various partners and competitors; he declared Anson a state of emergency, recalling all bills that had been signed but not yet in force, including the Fourth Amendment to completely abolish the death penalty— Even as King Anson, he has no right to overturn the bill passed by the parliament. It can only be shelved for one year at most, but one year is enough. Under his promotion, the four principal culprits of the bombing were executed.

Ildefonso Carlo, who had just personally created the last batch of death row prisoners in Anson's history, appeared in classroom T31 of Anson University as usual the next day, accompanied by only one guard.When he walked in, everyone immediately fell silent.

Gradually, people began to whisper that the late Queen Ximena had only been tough, but that her son was downright cruel and horrible.Ild knew all about these discussions, but didn't care.He has too many things to do and too few people he can trust.Alan's son, his cousin Ian, was only 15 years old at the time and was still attending the Fleet School.In time, Ian would be by his side, as Alain was by Ximena; but for now he was on his own.

Among the four on death row was Kurt Merman, the mastermind behind the bombing.Merman and Carlo are sworn enemies for generations, and they have opposed each other since the first generation of immigrants landed in Anson.Merman's faction supported the joint immigration plan, Carrow's faction advocated Anson's independence; Merman's faction dominated the parliament, and Caro's faction had supporters all over the streets and corners of Anson.The hatred has been brewing for nearly a hundred years, and Ansen's fleet has also been engulfed in it. Intertwined interests may ignite the entire Ansen wherever they come across.

But he must dig out the cocoons, find out everyone who can be used, and fight against Merman's faction to the end.Kurt Merman died, and his son Jonas inherited the Merman family property and began to avenge his father by any means.Ild must fight, not only to protect himself, but to protect Leo.The two years after the death of his mother and Alan were a long baptism, full of all kinds of plots, confrontations and confrontations, thrilling and exhausting.

One cold night, Ild sat alone in his mother's office.The house is his now.Merman Media or Merman Mining, which one is a safer entry point?He wanted to extract fragments of what his mother had said from his memory.She must have thought about it, but she just didn't have time to tell him.

The windows were open, and the damp cold wind came in, fighting with the warm air in the room.Four-year-old Leo was sitting at his feet dismantling a small flying battleship model, mumbling something.Erde thought, it was too difficult, he knew too little, and the power he could mobilize was far from enough.

If only my mother was still here.He would have had enough time to learn her strategy and calmness.

At this moment Leo threw down the model and stood up with the armchair in his hands, a lock of pale golden curls hanging on his forehead.He looked at Yard hesitantly: "Why are you unhappy?"

Elder was taken aback.He looked at Leo like he looked at his younger self through a mirror.It's just that at this age, he doesn't notice what his mother is worried about.

Leo rummaged in his pocket, found an Akoya instant wild berry candy, and held it up to Ild's mouth: "Here! Don't be unhappy! I'll play with you, every day .”

It had been two years since his mother had died, and Ild had never cried, not in front of other people or alone.But at this moment, he hugged Leo and couldn't say a word, even though his eyes were blurred by tears.The wild berry candy that Leo stuffed into his mouth quickly dissolved, turning into a fresh and fruity sweetness.

The little lion panicked and raised his arms, trying to wipe away his tears.Ild squeezed Leo's hand and whispered, "Okay, I won't be unhappy anymore."