NABC Page 63
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"I like Sister Wuerpe the most," another sharp laugh rang out, the girl's expression twisted with malice.
"So it was you who did this! I'm going to kill you!" Rita II Phosphorus 2II3 Ling'er's vision was a little blurry, but she still pretended to be calm as she spoke.
“Don’t be surprised, Miss. We have many young but devout assassins like myself who specialize in lowering your guard.” Laura looked at Rita, who was struggling in pain on the ground, with a look of pure pleasure on her face.
"Alright, that's about to end too." With a loud crash, Chloris plummeted vertically to the ground, creating a huge crater.
Gisela landed back on the ground, her expression serious as she looked in the direction of Laura. Her steps were somewhat hurried, as if she were very concerned about the girl's safety.
But in fact, she had already discovered that Rita was injured. Although she was furious, Gisela was certain that Rita's life was not in danger in the short term due to her physical condition, so she could barely remain calm. She did not expect the other party to be so well hidden. It was really hard to guard against. Fortunately, she had fooled the other party with her acting skills.
Did the other party really think they had everything under control, and that they had lost their memory?
Laura concealed his dagger behind his back, smiling as he watched Gisela approach. He believed that once the knife struck, everything would be over; Jesus would grant him a fortune he could never spend in a lifetime, and her piety would ultimately earn the high man's praise.
"Your Highness...be careful..." Rita trembled, the blood loss had made her extremely weak, and she shouted it out as if she had used all her strength.
At this moment, Laura didn't care at all what the dying maid could say. After all, the princess in front of him still believed in him unconditionally. The bond between the princess and the girl was so touching. When he killed the girl that day, the girl's last words were also her name.
Isn't being killed by someone you care about a kind of happiness? Thinking of this, "Laura" raised her dagger and stabbed Gisela.
Just as the dagger was about to stab Gisela, a female warrior kicked him, sending him flying into the collapsed kitchen ruins. This caused Gisela's clenched fist to loosen instantly.
"Miss Garibaldi, what are you doing!" Gisela roared, feigning anger.
“Fool, he’s an assassin. The real Laura might have been killed by him long ago.” Garibaldi lifted Gisela by the collar and said to her with a serious expression.
"Impossible!" Gisela looked at the nun holding the scythe.
“Miss Aponia, please tell me this isn’t true.”
Aponia didn't answer, but silently shook her head, which was considered a denial of Gisela's words.
"How could this be!" Gisela frowned. Compared to Laura, who was initially an enemy in disguise, this truth was indeed more troubling for her, since it meant that the other party had died because of her...
“Mother, I’ll leave this young lady’s injuries to you.” Aponia pointed to Rita on the ground and then looked at the old nun who had healed Garibaldi and Gisela.
“Yes, Lady Aponia, I will not let you down.” The old nun bowed slowly to the girl who looked much younger than herself.
Just then, Chloris also struggled to her feet. In front of everyone, she walked unsteadily to Gisela, lowered her head, placed her hands on Gisela's shoulders, and then whispered in her ear:
"How long are you planning to keep acting?" Chloris's whisper made Gisela's expression stiffen, and the other woman noticed her momentary hesitation.
"Then it's not too much for me to ask for some comfort, is it?" With that, Chloris raised her head, cupped Gisela's face, and kissed her roughly.
"Um, you, what are you saying?" Gisela's words were very muffled because her lips were being bitten roughly and her tongue was being controlled by Chloris.
In Chloris's view, the familiar operation seemed to have made Gisela's body act before her mind, recalling some unpleasant past events, but what was the truth?
A moment later, their lips slowly parted. Chloris proudly tried to find the shyness she expected on Gisela's face, but unfortunately, apart from the initial surprise, her expression was too bland, which surprised Chloris.
“Princess Chloris, please don’t do such an unseemly thing.” Gisela looked at the Prussian princess with a serene, almost sage-like gaze.
Don't underestimate me! Gisela seemed to be telling Chloris with her eyes that she was not someone to be manipulated by you!
PS1: Ra!
Chapter 232 Irises Withering in the Alps: Capter93 (Seeking votes)
"Heh!" Chloris was surprised by the reaction of the little fox she had already captured. This made her smile even wider. However, the two knew that now was not the time for entanglement and intimacy, so they almost tacitly turned their gazes to the female assassin who attacked Rita.
"Will you do it or should I?" Chloris asked Gisela telepathically. She didn't expose Gisela's disguise directly because Chloris felt that the little fox had her own reasons.
"Would you be willing to do me a favor?" Gisela asked softly.
"What kind of help?" Chloris asked, crossing her arms.
"We'll be two against one. You help me control Garibaldi and send me back to the military camp. In return, I'll grant you any request." Since Chloris's affection for her outweighed the hostility stemming from their positions, she could indeed make a deal. This way, there was no need to continue the amnesia game, since the two-against-one advantage was in her hands.
As for the so-called compensation, since both of them are women, what can she possibly do to her? No matter how you calculate it, she's not the one who's at a disadvantage.
"Deal! What's next?" Chloris's decisiveness surprised Gisela, but it saved her the time and cost of haggling.
"Help me cover up my amnesia so Miss Garibaldi doesn't suspect anything." Chloris blinked and quickly got into character.
"What are you going to do!" Chloris asked, feigning ignorance as she looked at Gisela who had raised her hand.
"Is there a problem with helping my dearest maid?" Gisela slowly walked up to Lavalli, knelt down, and helped the old woman stop the bleeding and bandage her wounds.
"Your maid? Gisela, have you regained your memories?" Garibaldi, who was standing to the side, seemed quite surprised to hear this, because in her opinion, Gisela should indeed have lost her memory.
Amnesia? Gisela never lost her memory. It was just that when Su Beiming's soul merged with Lin Wei's, Lin Wei's sea of consciousness protected the original body's memories so that it wouldn't collapse due to a large amount of blankness and emotional stimulation. This resulted in her temporarily losing only the specific memories about Su Beiming. Other habits, knowledge, and even skills could still be used normally.
Now, with his recovery, this part of his memory has actually been filled in during this period. In a sense, Lin Wei and Su Beiming have truly achieved integration, just like the complementary relationship between yin and yang.
“Yes, it happened just now when Chloris was bothering me.” Gisela answered Garibaldi’s question calmly, tilting her head. In her eyes, what had just happened was nothing more than a trivial interlude.
"No! This isn't the kind of cute you I want at all." A performance that could have been just a hint would have sufficed, but Chloris seemed possessed by a dramatic flair, kneeling on the ground in despair, as if life had suddenly lost its joy.
“Being cute won’t put food on the table.” Gisela stood up, picked up her coat that had fallen to the ground during the fight, and tossed it to Chloris.
“Put it on. Running around in your underwear like this, we Austrians are ashamed of Prussia.” Gisela looked at Chloris with a hint of helplessness. Although she initially thought Chloris lacked boundaries, this woman genuinely liked her in some ways.
"You're lying! You didn't lose your memory at all!" Garibaldi bit his lip, clenched his fists in annoyance, and glared resentfully at the fox-eared princess in front of him.
“I am and I am not, it’s up to you how you want to interpret it.” Gisela walked step by step toward Garibaldi, a smile that Su Beiming used to have on his lips.
"Does this expression look familiar?" Gisela finally stood in front of Garibaldi, observed her for a moment with a somewhat indifferent gaze, then leaned close to her ear and whispered.
"You!" Garibaldi's body trembled slightly, his eyes filled with nothing but terror.
“Remember, when you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.” Gisela realized that she seemed to have gone too far in teasing this Italian woman.
"Smile, Ga...Ri...Po...Ti." Gisela jumped back a step and stood a little further away from Ga...Po...Ti."
At this moment, Aponia also successfully dealt with the assassin. Seeing that the situation was unfavorable, the assassin chose to commit suicide by poison. Meanwhile, Laura's sister, Lena, buried herself in Aponia's arms and cried loudly.
Looking at the girl who had suddenly lost her sister, Gisela felt a pang of sadness, as if it were all because of her.
“Miss Aponia, it seems it’s time we exchange some intelligence…” Gisela hadn’t finished speaking when a signal flare shot high into the air and emitted a huge light, illuminating the quiet mountain village, which was already only illuminated by moonlight, as if it were daytime.
"Tsk!" Aponia narrowed her eyes and clicked her tongue in displeasure.
“Sir, we can discuss this matter later. The people who were looking for you have arrived, so we should go.” Aponia pulled off her headscarf, exposing her long gray hair to the air. This was the first time Gisela had seen the nun without her headscarf.
At that moment, deafening cannon fire erupted. The shells, like the tolling of bells and drums, pierced the air with a terrifying whistle, accompanied by rhythmic beats, before crashing heavily onto the open ground and onto the houses, creating massive explosions.
Countless villagers were startled awake by the sudden attack. They hurriedly dressed, some peering out of their windows to observe what was happening outside, others fleeing directly outside in the opposite direction of the shells, and still others running towards the church on the hillside. At that moment, the cries of children, the shouts of women, and the coughs of the elderly resounded like a symphony throughout the mountain village.
On a distant hillside, Thiers was watching the burning village with great interest, while four French 12-pound field guns beside her were unleashing their fire—a greeting from the god of war.
Behind her stood hundreds of fully armed French soldiers in blue uniforms, but unlike ordinary French soldiers, they all had a black ribbon tied around their left arm this time.
“My lady, please keep your promise. We will definitely launch the attack.” A nun beside Thiers whispered to her. If Chloris and Rita were present, they would recognize him as the one who led them to this village.
PS1: 0v0!
Chapter 233 Irises Withering in the Alps: Capter94 Sarah Nelson (Seeking Votes)
"No rush, let me enjoy this a little longer, these desperate wails and desperate cries." Thiers closed his eyes with amusement, listening to the pleasure brought by destruction.
Seeing that Thiers wasn't in a hurry, the nun didn't press her any further and had no choice but to step aside, since the Jesuits needed this ill-tempered French woman's help.
“Miss Iberian, your Jesuits were incompetent first, forcing us, the French, to clean up your mess. Logically, I have no interest in taking Gisela's life, nor do I want my soldiers to die in vain. Do you really think that just because you promise me benefits, I'll be completely devoted to working for you?” Thiers turned and looked at the Jesuit nun named Iberian with a cold smile. Thiers made no mention of how the failure was also due to his own negligence.
"What do you mean, Sara Adolf Thiers! Are you trying to break the contract?!" Iberian clenched her fists, looking angrily at the cunning old woman.
"No, no, no! Now that I've already brought the army here, wouldn't breaking the agreement be a huge loss?" Thiers observed the scepter in his hand with utmost composure and calmness.
"You want to raise the price on the spot?" Iberian obviously understood Thiers's plan very quickly.
"Tsk, just say what you want, as long as it's something our Jesus Christ does." Although somewhat dissatisfied, Iberian had no choice but to comply at this point.
"How about Napoleon III's head?" Thiers licked his lips, looking incredibly amused.
"This..." Whether they offer money or manpower, asking them to kill Napoleon III directly is indeed too difficult.
“You definitely can’t do it. If you really had the ability to kill these political figures, I wouldn’t be sitting here bargaining with you. I would be worried about my own head.” Even at this point, the French woman still spoke as if she were joking.
"..." Iberian fell silent for a moment, she really didn't know what this woman wanted to do.
"Give me the list." Thiers changed the subject, looking at Iberian with a serious expression.
"What list?" Iberian frowned.
"A list of your Jesuit leaders in France." To command them, one must first understand them, know who they are, before entrusting them with anything. An organization whose own situation is completely opaque clearly doesn't earn Thiers' trust. Today they might take down Napoleon III for you, tomorrow they might do the same to themselves. Thiers doesn't expect to bind these charlatans to her through self-interest; therefore, she says she relies solely on leverage sufficient to threaten their very existence.
“This is my deposit.” With that, Thiel snapped his fingers. Elizabeth, who was piloting the magic armor, finished charging the magic cannon and fired a shot at the towering church in the distance. The huge explosion caused the centuries-old church to collapse. Seeing the satisfactory result, Thiel turned to look at the nun in front of him.
By deliberately choosing to attack the church, Thiers clearly had two intentions, and how could Iberian not understand them?
"Alright then." Clearly, Iberian had long since run out of options to refuse.
The distant explosions shook the earth, instilling fear in all living beings. The Royal Marines looked with some surprise at the battlefield-like scene not far away. Their gazes then drifted, somewhat bewildered, to the red-haired woman smoking in front of their ranks.
At this moment, the red-haired woman took out her pocket watch from her waist, checked the time on it, threw the cigarette butt on the ground, and skillfully stomped it out with her boot.
"Lord Nelson, should we proceed as planned?" The adjutant beside the red-haired lady asked her respectfully. Sarah Nelson was the granddaughter of Viscount Horatio Nelson, the third Viscount Nelson, and the current commander of the Royal Navy's Mediterranean Fleet.
“It’s 21 p.m. here now. The Jesuits are quite punctual,” Nelson said calmly, casually fiddling with his pocket watch at his waist and gripping his sword hilt with his right hand.
“No rush, we just want the result.” Nelson looked up at the owl that had taken flight in the distance.
One week ago ————
Royal Navy Mediterranean Fleet anchorage in Valletta, Malta
Malta, with its pleasant climate, has been a strategic location for military strategists since ancient times due to its unique position in the heart of the Mediterranean. The early Roman Republic and Carthage fought several naval battles near Malta, which resulted in the island changing hands and being constantly attacked. Later, the Goths, Greeks, Arabs, and Normans also controlled the island.
Of course, the most famous occupation of this place belongs to the Knights Hospitaller (Stewards of St. John) of the Middle Ages. From then on, it served as an important supply base for the Crusaders in the Mediterranean. Later, after the fall of the Eastern Roman Empire, the rising Ottoman Empire repeatedly challenged its hegemony in the Mediterranean. After taking Rhodes, it sent hundreds of thousands of troops to attack Malta in 1565 and 1571. Of course, both attacks were thwarted by the Knights Hospitaller's tenacious resistance and the timely reinforcements from the Spanish Armada at its peak. This made the Knights Hospitaller invincible at sea for a long time.
It wasn't until 1798, when the revolutionary Empress Napoleon I (Polina) arrived here, that the Knights' centuries-long rule over the area finally came to an end. Of course, two years later, the area came under the control of the Royal Navy, and it remained part of the British Empire until the beginning of the story.
It was a peaceful afternoon. Sarah still remembers lying alone on a sun lounger, enjoying the Mediterranean breeze and sipping black tea imported from Ceylon. This was a rare moment of rest for her. As the commander of the Royal Navy's second-largest strategic fleet, her work was far more demanding than people perceived.
Unlike her friends who stayed in the homeland, who could play polo, hunt, race horses, and go to salons in addition to work, she was left alone on a small island in the Mediterranean to endure the wind and sun. Although this was the place where her grandfather had fought, in order to meet everyone's expectations as a descendant of the soul of the Royal Navy and to live up to the Nelson name, she could only work harder than others.
As Rodney famously described her: "Sister Nelson is hopelessly boring."
“(England needs everyone to do their duty.)” Sarah silently recited her grandfather’s words of admonition since childhood, then swirled the black tea in her hand and drank it all in one gulp.
PS1: This Nelson still matches the temperament perfectly.
Chapter 234 Irises Withering in the Alps: Capter 95 The British Actions (Seeking Votes)
“(England needs everyone to do their duty.)” Sarah silently recited her grandfather’s words of admonition since childhood, then swirled the black tea in her hand and drank it all in one gulp.
Just then, a servant appeared beside her, bowed politely, and said...
"Miss, our guests from London have arrived," the servant said calmly.
“Let me guess, it shouldn’t be someone from Buckingham Palace,” Nelson said after thinking for a moment, chin in hand.
"So, it's someone from the Third House?" The Third House was the common name for the cabinet in British society at the time. As is well known, in Britain, Parliament is the core of national power, and Parliament consists of the House of Lords and the House of Commons (the House of Commons plays a leading role).
It is called the Third House because the cabinet participates in both legislation and administration, effectively controlling the legislative process and decision-making power of the House of Commons, including the right to call early elections. The cabinet also subordinates both Parliament and the monarch, thus manipulating legislative power. Secondly, the Prime Minister and the cabinet form the core of the majority party in the House of Commons. The Prime Minister is the head of government, presiding over cabinet meetings, overseeing all government affairs, and possessing the power to appoint and dismiss cabinet members and all senior government officials. They are responsible for formulating and implementing major domestic and foreign policies.
In a sense, the Cabinet's actual status should have been unprecedentedly elevated during Queen Victoria's reign. However, because the world's monarch is a magical being, the British monarch's power is much greater than in history. This is why Sarah would prioritize whether to be the Queen's envoy or the Cabinet's envoy.
Based on personal feelings and her understanding of Her Majesty the Queen, she didn't believe that the heartless Victoria would send someone to visit her, a "key minister." The thought of that overweight woman living a life of luxury in Buckingham Palace made her somewhat angry, after all, she was a model of dedication to the country.
Regarding Her Majesty the Queen, Nelson actually knows a little-known secret: our Queen, who wields the Trident of Poseidon and rules the waves of the four seas, is actually a landlubber. After all, she fell into an ice hole when she was a child because she was too heavy, and he had to pull her out of the sea himself. Therefore, Her Majesty has an innate fear of open water.
"Miss, you seem to be very happy." The attendant could read a hint of amusement in the soldier's expression.
"It's nothing, let's just have our guests meet." Nelson put on his sandals and went inside.
A middle-aged man dressed as a priest and a young man in a suit had been waiting in the hall for some time.
"Nice to meet you, General Nelson. I am an envoy from Rome, and I have important matters to discuss with you." The middle-aged man stood up and extended his hand to Nelson in goodwill. Nelson smiled and extended his hand in simple response.
"Sir Nelson, it's been a long time." The young man with black hair was the next to greet Nelson after the priest.
“White, you’ve acquired some of your teacher’s composure and demeanor since we last met.” Nelson smiled, looking at Prime Minister Palmerston’s prized student with the air of an elder.
“Thank you for your concern and kindness. For the sake of my teacher and Her Majesty the Queen, I will continue to work hard.” White straightened his back and looked at the red-haired lady in front of him with bright eyes.
After all, General Nelson was a hero who saved Britain from the evil Queen of France, and her descendants were naturally no ordinary people either, protecting Great Britain's maritime interests in the Mediterranean.
"Gentlemen, there is a saying in the East that one does not visit the Three Treasures Hall without a reason. So what brings you here today?" If it were simply a matter of military deployment, the Admiralty could issue orders to the Royal Navy Headquarters, which would then relay them to fleet commanders around the world. This meeting seems more like a private one, and it clearly has a deeper meaning: this meeting may be unofficial.
"Haha! My lord, you're still as straightforward as ever." White rubbed his nose, looking at the red-haired lady with a hint of helplessness. Although her beauty and personality were quite unique among the magic users in the Royal Navy, he actually wished she could be a little more tactful.
“Ahem, Lord Palmerston wants you to work with this priest on a task?” White handed Nelson the paper documents from his briefcase.
"The British Empire hopes to obtain the remains of Austrian Princess Gisela Louise Mary. The study of her remains is of great significance to whether the British Empire can continue to lead the times in the future," White added after a brief pause.
"Just nine days ago, the earth-shattering Battle of the Ticino River broke out. This battle was led by the French, who secretly sent as many as four magic users, as well as the famous Italian heroine Miss Garibaldi, to deal with Princess Gisela. Do you know the outcome, sir?"