I'm here to save the world, what are you doing?

"Your behavior of dismissing the maids from your palace is already strange enough. If someone sees me coming out of your palace..."

Lucius could already imagine the furious expression of Emperor Laoden.

"What are you afraid of?"

Before he finished speaking, Octavia had already leaned leisurely on his arm, her silk nightgown slipping off to reveal half of her snow-white shoulders:

"It's good that father knows. We are in love with each other anyway."

"If I'm lucky..."

She quietly stroked her flat belly with one hand, and a dimple appeared at the corner of her lips with a sly smile:

"We can get married right away with the baby, and have my father agree to marry you both me and Plotina."

Lucius:? ? ?

Turtle, you are such a ruthless person!

If you were really allowed to continue to be the first princess, Emperor Lao Deng would probably be exhausted early.

That's a miserable life.

Seeing Lucius's surprised expression, Octavia smiled.

"Why? Could it be that a young lord is afraid of rumors and my father's anger?"

There was a blatant provocation hidden in his words, directly targeting Lucius's pride and responsibility as a man.

Lucius immediately suppressed his surprise and smiled confidently and calmly.

"If you are a bird, then I am a bird too."

"Oh?"

Hearing Lucius's frank answer, Octavia's eyes flashed with a strange light:

"It seems that my young lord does have an admirable sense of responsibility."

She nodded with satisfaction, then took his hand and walked towards the restaurant:

"Come on, I'll prepare breakfast for you."

"Although I don't cook often, I hope you won't be disappointed."

To Lucius's surprise, Octavia's cooking skills were indeed quite good.

The two enjoyed breakfast while chatting about various topics in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.

After the meal, Lucius originally planned to leave the palace through the inner court path, but he changed his mind halfway.

Now that we're here, why not go see Plotina?

Accompanying the elder sister at night and the younger sister in the morning, and treating them equally, this is called health.

——Well, mainly because he always felt guilty if he didn’t see Plotina.

Last night, as they were whispering to each other, he seemed to hear the melody of "Clair de Lune".

He vaguely remembered that this seemed to be Plotina's favorite piano piece...

...................

Plotina's bedroom is located in a garden on the east side of the inner court. The morning sun shines through the gaps between the leaves and falls to the ground, and the gentle breeze brings bursts of floral fragrance.

In the garden, roses, lilies, lavender and other flowers are in full bloom, surrounded by carefully trimmed shrubs. These evergreen shrubs are like loyal guards, embracing the entire garden.

A path paved with white pebbles winds through the flowers to a small pavilion in the center of the garden.

There is a fountain next to the pavilion, and the sound of gurgling water brings a bit of vitality to the quietness.

Plotina sat alone in the pavilion, gazing into the distance in a trance.

She was wearing a lavender long dress, with her long black hair casually scattered on her shoulders. She was not adorned with any jewelry, but she was still breathtakingly beautiful.

However, those grey eyes were now filled with weariness, and the faint blue under their eyes hinted at the fact that he had not slept all night.

The corners of her mouth drooped slightly, her slender hands were folded on her knees, and her whole body exuded an indescribable sadness.

Plotina's gaze lingered for a long time on a laurel tree in the corner of the garden.

It was a tree that had grown very lush and tall, with luxuriant branches and leaves and a broad crown, swaying gently in the morning breeze.

In the summer of her six years old, she and Lucius, under the watchful eyes of their mother, held hands and planted the laurel sapling in the corner of the garden. The sunshine at that time seemed as bright as it is today.

Memories come flooding back like a tide.

Plotina still remembered that on the day of planting the tree, she had just smeared some dirt on Lucius' face with the intention of playing a prank, but the petty villain actually grabbed a ball of wet soil and stuffed it into her dress.

His mother's laughter, Lucius's smug expression, his own angry look, every detail was still vivid in his mind.

With him by my side, every day is happy.

I naively thought that such happiness would continue forever year after year like the growth rings of a laurel tree.

Ah, we were so innocent and cute back then, and we could make promises of "forever" at will.

It wasn't until I grew up that I realized that when people say "forever", they are actually only promising the present moment.

There is a laurel tree in the yard, which my husband planted in the year of his death...

Oh, you're still alive and well, that's okay.

Time flies, and the small sapling has grown into a tall tree.

The pure feelings between her and Lucius had long been shattered by the storms of fate. The most ironic thing was that all of this was caused by her own hands.

When I die, I hope Lucius will plant a tree and let the tree watch over my future journey.

"Plotina."

A familiar voice suddenly came from behind her, interrupting her thoughts.

Plotina blinked, her heart skipped a beat, and she thought she was hallucinating.

"Plotina, what are you thinking about? You're so lost in thought."

Lucius' voice rang out again, this time clearer, with the warmth and rhythm she remembered.

Plotina finally turned and looked behind her.

When she saw Lucius standing there, an indescribable feeling suddenly surged into her heart, as if a whole box of paint had been knocked over, and all the emotions were mixed together.

He wore a simple white shirt with the collar slightly open, revealing the outline of his collarbone.

The breeze ruffled the strands of hair on his forehead, and the eyes that she was so familiar with were filled with the light of the entire summer.

He just stood there where light and shadow intersected, as beautiful as a phantom walking out of memories.

I was just thinking about him in my mind, and he appeared just like that, and what a coincidence, he was so visually impactful.

This is too coincidental and too cunning.

Plotina complained secretly in her heart, but the corners of her mouth rose slightly unconsciously.

"Why are you here? Have you had breakfast?"

She asked softly, trying to hide the surprise and nervousness in her voice.

"Because I wanted to see you, I came here."

Lucius spread his hands and walked out to the perfect position he had carefully chosen for a long time.

He looked directly into Plotina's eyes, his tone leisurely and frivolous:

"Why, can't you even look at your wife?"

"It's my fiancée!"

Plotina corrected with a slight blush on her cheeks.

But it was undeniable that this intimate name made her heart beat so fast that it seemed like it was about to jump out, and her breathing became slightly rapid.

"It's only a matter of time. Wouldn't it be nice to let you get used to it in advance?"

Lucius explained with a smile, as if it was a matter of course.

Lucius: Plotina, how can you be so ungrateful?

Think about it, what else do you have now besides this title?

Your sister has already taken possession of Brother Lu, and you are still hesitating about what to call him.

Alas, I am too thin-skinned after all.

If it were Xiao Ai, she would definitely accept it happily.

"......hehe."

Plotina took a deep breath, managed to calm herself down, then raised her chin and spoke in a pretentiously arrogant tone:

"It seems that Master Lucius is nothing special. He has already been captivated by the charm of this princess and fallen at her feet after only a few encounters."

"Indeed."

Lucius did not refute, but nodded calmly:

"The first time I saw you, I had a familiar feeling, as if we had a story together somewhere before."

His voice was low and tender, and he looked at Plotina softly:

"Besides, Her Highness is so beautiful and lovely, it's only natural that I would be moved."

These words made Plotina's heart beat even faster.

Lucius' words seemed to imply something. Did that "familiar feeling" mean that his memory was gradually recovering?

If that was the case, how would he view her as someone who selfishly tampered with his memory?

These thoughts swirled in Plotina's mind, making her feel deeply conflicted.

If Lucius could remember the memories that she had erased, the good times they had spent together, then his love would surely return to her.

But once he regains his memory, it will destroy his original intention, and Lucius may also suffer misfortune because of him.

She didn't dare look Lucius in the eye, fearing that her heart would be seen through.

"Hmph, what a cliché pick-up line..."

Plotina hummed softly, her fingers twisting the hem of her skirt unconsciously, trying to hide her inner throbbing.

"You are terribly superficial. Your worldview is dictated by your appearance."

"You just think I'm pretty, but you don't know anything about my inner self. What if I'm a bad woman at heart?"

"Now, Your Highness, are you willing to give me a chance to understand your inner self?"

Lucius asked back softly.

This answer was beyond Plotina's expectations.

She had thought Lucius would give his usual glib excuse, but she hadn't expected him to give such a sincere response.

"...Aren't you doing that right now?"

As she spoke, Plotina's voice softened unconsciously, and she patted the seat beside her:

"Come and sit down first."

Lucius walked towards the location indicated by Plotina, and in the process, he also noticed the laurel tree in the corner of the garden.

Thinking back to Plotina's fascinated expression while staring at the tree and the question at the banquet last night...

wrong!

Lucius finally realized that things were not simple.

Damn, is this bitch Plotina pretending to be Lugo?

It’s just that we can’t be sure yet, and we need to test it out in simulation.

Hehe, if Brother Lu confirms this guess, just wait and see how Brother Lu will explode with you.

Sitting down next to Plotina, Lucius was able to examine her face closely.

With just a quick observation, I noticed her slightly haggard face and the dark circles under her eyes.