in the name of the queen.

Chapter 327 The price of peace is Roland?

The Vatican City Museum was once the palace where the last emperor of the old empire with the title of the Great ascended the throne. After the establishment of the Republic, it was confiscated by the government and converted into a museum.

The exhibits in this museum mainly include daily necessities, weapons, armor and various trophies of famous emperors from the old empire.

This museum carries the past glory of the Kingdom of Jin Yuan and also records the decline of the old imperial power. After the museum was rebuilt, it also displays the relics of the freedom fighters.

After overthrowing the old empire, Mr. Carlo raised his arms here and announced that the people of Jin Kite would embrace freedom and move towards a republic, and would no longer have to be slaves of the emperor and the nobles.

On the same day, his daughter Alina was born.

He had high hopes for Alina, hoping that she could inherit his will and let the light of freedom shine in every corner of Golden Kite.

Twenty-two years later, his daughter Alina ascended the throne in this museum.

The joke of hell is just that.

The freedom fighter who overthrew the monarchy was killed by another freedom fighter, and his daughter who finally stepped forward to clean up the mess ascended the throne and became emperor in the place where he overthrew the monarchy.

At four o'clock in the morning, Alina stood alone in front of the Vatican City Palace with an expressionless face.

No one knew what she was thinking, and no one approached the site where the coronation ceremony would take place in a few hours.

Alina stood quietly, closing her eyes, trying to listen to her father's voice.

Unfortunately there is nothing.

If the father could cross the River Styx safely, he would have been arranged to enter reincarnation a few years ago and become a brand new baby who lost all his memories.

If he cannot cross the Styx, his father's soul will completely dissipate and become nutrients for the Styx.

Alina knew very well that even if her father did successfully pass through reincarnation and embrace a new life, he would be a completely different person and would no longer have any blood relationship with her.

In short, she will never have a father again, nor will she hear anyone's teachings.

Except Roland.

Alina heard footsteps behind her.

You don't need to look back to know it's Roland. He didn't hide the sound of his footsteps, and his even and steady pace had the ability to calm people.

Alina didn't look back, and whispered softly: "Roland, did I do something wrong?"

Roland said frankly: "I don't know."

"Don't know?" Alina turned around suddenly and widened her eyes.

"Of course I don't know. There are some things that the parties involved can never judge right or wrong. We can only leave it to history to judge."

Roland looked at Alina's eyes shining in the night sky and said calmly:

"It is definitely not the best system to have the wise or the strong guide the direction of the country, but sometimes it is the most appropriate system. For example, if no one is in charge now, it may take several months just to discuss whether to join the Free Alliance. By the time the results are reached, it will be too late for anything else."

"We just need to do our job and leave the judgment of right and wrong to future generations."

Roland's words did not express his opinion, but "don't care" is also a strategy.

Alina accepted Roland's advice, let out a long breath, and said slowly:
"You are right. The future of the country's 53 provinces, 7 overseas provinces, and 130 million people rests on my shoulders. I have no choice.

"Thank you, Roland."

There was an indescribable feeling in Alina's eyes. Roland did not look at her, but waved his hand and asked:

"Let's not talk about that for now. When you invited Sophia, did you think she would come?"

"Although the possibility is not high, I have indeed considered it." Seeing Roland's avoidance of gaze, Alina's eyes showed a little more disappointment, and she spoke calmly.

Roland nodded and reminded softly: "Have you ever thought about saying anything to her? If it's a petition for peace, I suggest you save your energy."

He was really afraid that Alina would become childish in diplomacy.

Peace is the most expensive luxury in the world. It can only last long if it is watered with blood and courage. Peace given as alms is not peace but poison.

Alina rolled her eyes at him in dissatisfaction and muttered unhappily, "Mr. Prime Minister, do you think my political literacy is so poor?"

"Negotiation without strength is meaningless, so I will prove to Sofia that I have the strength to discuss and coexist peacefully with her on an equal footing."

This time it was Roland's turn to be surprised.

After careful observation, he was sure that Alina was not drunk or confused by the fever, she was conscious and could be responsible for this statement.

"Do you have a new trump card?" Roland couldn't help but express his curiosity.

"Yes, it is related to my identity, but I cannot reveal it to you before using it." Alina lowered her head in embarrassment and murmured softly.

Roland helped her without reservation, but she had difficulty speaking up about this matter. Although she had her own reasons, it was also a bit unkind.

Seeing Alina's cautious look, Roland knew that this girl always had a knot in her heart, thinking that he had helped her too many times and couldn't repay her, and she had a knot in her heart.

Roland didn't want this knot in her heart to become more and more serious, as it would seriously affect her state of mind in continuing to move forward on the road to stardom.

He reached out and held Alina's somewhat awkward hands, and said calmly:

"No matter how many favors we have owed, they were all repaid the moment the soul-blood connection was established. We don't owe anyone anything now, or in other words, there's no need for us to care about these things."

Life is so precious. After Alina came to power, she did not change her heart and continued to stand with Roland to face Sophia, who was almost invincible in their perception.

Not only that, she also took the initiative to ask to establish a soul-blood link, binding her life and soul to Roland.

As Roland said, no matter how much favor was owed, it has been repaid.

Alina let out a long breath, and her eyes gradually brightened, like the brightest stars in the night sky.

Neither of them spoke anymore.

At this moment, no words are needed to understand each other's feelings.

Whether in fate or life, they are tied together.

As time passed, the stars gradually dimmed and the sky in the east turned pale.

Alina opened her mouth and tried to muster up the courage to say something, but Roland was one step ahead of her.

Roland released the slender hand in his broad palm and said with a smile:

"It's almost dawn, and it's time to prepare for the coronation ceremony. From now on, we must devote all our efforts to preparing for war, and leave other matters for the future."

Alina held back her words. She nodded, looked at Roland's concerned eyes and the gradually brightening sky, and said softly, "Okay."

Some words can only be said at a certain moment.

Roland spoke before her, not because he couldn't understand her mood, but because he just happened to understand it.

He neither rejected nor accepted, but left it to the future.

Perhaps it was because he saw the disappointment in Alina's eyes that Roland broke the inner taboo and made a promise to Alina with a huge flag.

"Alina, the scenery of my manor is quite nice. After the return, I would like to invite you to stay at the manor. Do you have time?"

"Have!"

Alina answered without hesitation.

She understood what Roland said.

If Roland treated her as an outsider, he would have invited her to be his guest for a while, rather than asking her to stay for a short time.

Roland's meaning was very clear. He didn't want to be distracted before his return, and he wouldn't deceive himself after his return.

This promise instantly relaxed Alina's frown, and her slightly pale skin became a little more healthy and rosy.

All doubts disappeared in an instant, and Alina, who looked a little haggard just now, immediately became radiant.

Seeing her energetic appearance, Roland's lips curled up slightly.

Although he inserted a flag that was neither big nor small, he did nothing wrong.

If Alina is allowed to spend the last few months in anxiety, she may become the weak link that causes problems in the final battle.

Sif had figured it out long ago that the existence of the soul-blood link made their destinies inseparable.

If they survived, Roland couldn't imagine the possibility of them being separated.

Should I say to a girl who is willing to share her soul and life, "You are free, you can pursue your own love"?

If someone has a good temper, it might be a slap in the face, a little punch, and crying and hanging.

If you change to someone with a bad temper, you will get a few hundred dollars at most.

Roland no longer avoided his true inner feelings, took half a step forward and opened his arms.

Alina looked at Roland in surprise, picked up the hem of her skirt and rushed over. She was not worried about falling, as Roland would catch her gently.

As she expected, Roland easily put his arms around her slender waist and gave her the strongest hug.

The morning light appeared in the east, and the originally bright stars gradually disappeared in the sunlight.

Roland and Alina hugged each other and said goodbye. They did not notice that someone was watching them silently on a mountain not far away.

Seeing Roland and Alina separate, the azure figure standing between the light and shadow flashed and disappeared, as if it had never appeared.

After getting on the carriage that came to pick her up, Alina looked back at Roland.

He stood by the roadside, looking at her tenderly, with a smile on his lips.

Roland's smile blended into the sunshine, filling her heart, dispelling the haze and lighting up the world.

Until Roland's figure disappeared from sight, Alina finally lowered the car curtain reluctantly and sighed:
"Roland, why did you get drunk that day?"

She did feel a little regretful. Although Elaine ignored the overall situation and acted rashly, she did create conditions for her after all.

However, Roland drank too much and fell at the last step.

Despite a chaotic night of alcohol-fuelled intimacy and embrace, she was still a virgin.

Alcohol makes their distance zero, but prevents their distance from becoming negative.

This is good. It would be a shame if the first memory was lost in the hangover.

The ideal first time should be in a hot spring sprinkled with rose petals, experiencing both pain and joy in the gentle comfort of nature.

Fortunately, Roland was really drunk that day.

Alina's cheeks flushed and her heart beat happily like a restless deer. Fortunately, the sound insulation of the carriage was good and her heartbeat did not escape.

The carriage stopped at the Palais de Cité. When Alina stepped out of the carriage, she had already regained her calm and stern expression.

She walked towards the dressing room with an expressionless face and let the court lady dress her up and put on her dress.

I'm sorry, Roland, but the power I'm about to show Sophia doesn't entirely belong to me.

That is the power of the vain walker.

After reaching the seventh level of Stargazer, the star paths diverge and Stargazers can choose a suitable promotion route.

Alina's choice is the Vanity Walker.

The blood of the stars flows in her body. Emperor Bonaparte also had a sister, who chose the path of the False Walker.

The end point of astrology is prophecy.

The promotion option for the False Walker is to create a fabricated ending with lies and then lead people towards this false ending.

If everyone believes it, the false ending will become a reality.

This is the false practitioner.

Play with people's hearts, manipulate lies, and use people's trust to turn lies into reality.

People who are proficient in astrology often have very accurate predictions. If they mix some reasonable-sounding personal opinions into the accurate predictions, it is difficult to detect.

Even if someone sees through it, they will be swept up by the public's cognition and have to accept the false ending. This is the horror of the false walkers, they have the ability to change the outcome.

But it is also a very difficult path for a false walker to walk. How to weave lies that are infinitely close to the truth on the premise of being real determines the upper limit of a false walker.

This may have been difficult for Alina in the past, but now she is full of confidence.

She once hid in darkness, used death to cover up her existence, and finally dealt a fatal blow to Marco with the help of Roland.

This successful experience is a classic example of false words coming true.

She once chose the Faceless Man as a node on the star path to the other side, so it wasn't too sudden for her to choose the Void Walker again.

Sophia possesses unrivaled strength, but can you see through her false words?
The corners of Alina's lips curled up slightly, she was a little curious.

The coronation ceremony proceeded in an orderly manner.

Both the Minister of the Interior and the Grand Chamberlain suggested that Alina follow the coronation ceremony of the old empire, but Alina flatly refused.

She has gone against her father's ideals, but she has her reasons.

The situation has changed. She is shouldering this responsibility with the support of the people, not for any personal gain.

But she couldn't use the old empire's coronation process, as that would cause too much harm to her father and would also seriously stimulate the freedom fighters who participated in the struggle and are still alive.

Her ascension to the throne in a simplified process was her final tribute to these freedom fighters.

Although Alina tried her best to consider their feelings, an accident still happened during the coronation ceremony.

A gray-haired old man threw rotten eggs at Alina.

The rotten egg was stopped before it flew a few meters, and the old man didn't even have time to finish shouting his slogan before the military police who quickly rushed over covered his mouth and dragged him away.

There was a commotion among the crowd.

Many ministers were so frightened that their faces turned pale, but Alina was the only one who looked calm.

If you want to wear a crown, you must bear its weight.

If you can't even handle such a small storm, you'd better go home and get married early.

The gendarmes were also a little annoyed. If they hadn't considered the consequences, they really wanted to beat this dishonorable and stubborn old man to death on the spot.

The old guy is already old, but instead of staying at home, he has to be the first to take action.

The gendarmes were speechless. Because of this old man, not only would they not get the bonus, they might even be held accountable.

The old man's protest was obviously an isolated case. Those who could participate in the coronation ceremony had undergone political review and were basically innocent and reliable.

The old man was a loyal fan of Mr. Carlo, so there was certainly no problem with his background, so he was allowed to participate.

What evil could Alina's father's followers have in mind?
The old man did not have any bad intentions, but his loyalty was to Carlo, not to the unfilial daughter who "betrayed her father's governing philosophy."

After the episode, Alina went to the Vatican City Palace for her coronation.

Saint Christine, as the clergyman presiding over the coronation ceremony, personally held the crown for her.

This is also the result of compromise.

According to the rules, only the Pope of the Divine Court is qualified to crown the emperor.

Christine's crowning of Alina would be an encroachment on the Pope's authority and a belittling of Alina, which is definitely not acceptable.

So the final process was to hand the crown to Alina and have it worn by the emperor himself.

Just as Alina raised the crown and prepared to complete the coronation, the discordant voice rang out again.

"Wait a moment!"

Alina looked back, her brows furrowed, she couldn't believe her eyes.

It turned out to be Mr. Renault.

Renault is about fifty years old. He has followed Mr. Carlo for many years and has served as his adjutant for a long time. He is loyal but a little eccentric.

When Carlo was murdered, he was filled with righteous indignation, fought his way out of the City of Cité, and fled with Mr. Robert.

When he learned that Alina was still alive, he immediately swore allegiance to Alina.

His firm attitude stabilized the morale of the exiles and played a key role.

After Alina became the Liberator, he actively contributed and became the most loyal minister who supported Alina in the cabinet.

Alina had thought of countless scenarios, but she had never thought of his objection.

But after thinking about it carefully, Alina felt relieved.

After all, Renault is loyal to his father, not her.

"Uncle Renault, if you have anything to say, wait until the ceremony is over."

Renault's eyes were filled with fatigue, and his hoarse voice echoed in the hall.

He mustered up the courage to look Alina in the eye, wanting to see guilt, helplessness, and the avoidance of facing him in her eyes.

However, no.

Alina's eyes were calm and fearless.

The words that Renault was holding back seemed to be frozen, and he couldn't utter a single word.

He originally planned to ask Alina whether she had forgotten Carlo's will, but he couldn't say it under Alina's cold gaze.

The cold sweat on his back soaked his entire spine.

"Uncle Renault, since you have nothing to say, I will crown you. You and your family are loyal to my father. Yesterday, my father came to me in a dream and said that he missed you very much."

Renault's legs went limp, and his courage to question disappeared.

The coronation of an emperor is often accompanied by blood and gore. He may have the courage to question Alina with his own head in his hands, but he cannot question her with the heads of his entire family.

Forget it, Alina is Carlo's daughter, she must know Mr. Carlo better than he does.

He can't control this matter.

Renault showed an honest smile and said awkwardly: "Alina, I'm old and want to retire and go home to spend time with my family."

"Uncle Renault, let's talk about these things later. This is not the cabinet meeting room."

Alina neither agreed nor denied it. She put on the crown without any hesitation.

The moment the crown was put on, melodious music started playing.

This piece of music was written to praise the achievements of the Bonaparte family.

Nice to listen to, but soulless.

But this is not important. What is important is that the Bonaparte family is now the royal family of the Republic.

The coronation ceremony was over. When Alina put on the crown, she saw a figure out of the corner of her eye and her fingertips trembled slightly uncontrollably.

She is still as fierce as ever and always takes the initiative.

Sophia clapped her hands lightly, and the clear sound seemed to lower the temperature in the hall by several degrees.

"Alina, congratulations on becoming the first emperor of the Golden Kite Republic. Your father changed the Golden Kite Republic, and you changed it back. Perhaps this is a kind of reincarnation."

"Thank you for your congratulations, Sophia. Although this congratulations is not very sincere." Alina's expression did not change at all, and she responded tit for tat.

A suggestive smile appeared at the corner of Sophia's lips.

She asked softly, "What sincerity do you want?"

"Peace, peace of this era."

Although there were many idle people around, the atmosphere had reached this point. Instead of haggling at the negotiation table, it was better to put the problem in public and let everyone know that it was Sophia who did not want peace. At least she could stand on the moral high ground.

Sophia was a little surprised.

She knew Alina would negotiate with her, but she didn't expect her to say that.

Taking advantage of the situation, he planned to make Sophia the villain who started the war.

If it were anyone else, they probably wouldn't know how to respond reasonably at this point, without losing face or falling into Alina's trap.

But Sophia is not an ordinary person. She never cares what others think.

The smile on her lips widened, and the temperature in the hall dropped lower.

"Are you begging me for peace?"

Sophia's laughter echoed in the hall, shaking the huge crystal chandelier on the ceiling back and forth.

Seeing that the crystal chandelier was in danger of falling down at any time, the guests standing under the chandelier ran around in fear.

Since Alina dared to say this in public, she must have been prepared.

She smiled and said, "Begging and granting do not apply to equal relations. You are a queen, and I am also a queen. You are not qualified to speak like this."

"If you insist on war, the final result can only be a peace without a winner."

"The entire continent will be reduced to ruins in the flames of war, the people will suffer devastating disasters, the population will drop by tens of millions, and countless families will suffer the pain of losing their loved ones."

Alina's voice trembled slightly as she slowly said, "Both your country and ours will be exhausted in this protracted war and eventually replaced by a new power rising in the wild land."

"Is this the ending you wanted?"

Sophia narrowed her eyes and asked softly, "Is this the result of your divination?"

"This is the result of looking up at the starry sky and observing the movement of the stars." Alina said frankly.

Every word of this sentence is true, but taken together they are misleading to Sophia.

Alina was indeed stargazing, and she did come to a conclusion.

But her conclusions came not from stargazing, but from false talk.

Will Sophia believe it?
Alina tried to remain calm under Sofia's scrutinizing gaze.

This is the biggest test of her acting skills.

Although cold sweat broke out on her back, her expression remained unchanged.

Sophia instinctively felt that Alina was talking nonsense, but she couldn't find any flaws.

Although she knew a little about astrology, she was just an apprentice in front of Alina.

She wouldn't talk nonsense in a professional field, but she could find flaws in Alina's expression, eyes and even micro-movements to indicate if she was lying.

But there really isn't.

Sophia narrowed her eyes and was about to speak when an idea suddenly flashed in her mind.

The corners of her lips slightly raised, and she said softly: "Whether you are willing to admit it or not, our country is stronger than yours. If I make a not excessive request as compensation, is it reasonable?"

"It's reasonable, but the request can't be too excessive." Alina said concisely.

Sophia's smile was a little strange, which made Alina feel a little uneasy, and her next words made Alina completely petrified.

"If your country's Prime Minister Roland is willing to come to my country to serve as Prime Minister and serve me wholeheartedly for five years, I am willing to give this world the gift of peace."

Alina's mind went blank, and Sif, who was watching the show, was also dumbfounded.

Before Roland could say anything, the two queens reacted and refused in unison.

"Absolutely not!"

(End of this chapter)