Chapter 832 - 49: The King and the Brother

Chapter 832: Chapter 49: The King and the Brother

Hedan, Royal Port. The moment Estella stepped off the ship onto Hedan soil, that long‑lost sense of solidity surged into her body. The Fertility Magic Ring awakened of its own accord—she was the darling of this land, a Princess of Helden, bearer of Moncalleta’s Divine Favor.

This land was welcoming her home.

Hum... Estella’s ears rang for an instant. Power poured into her like a rising tide; the Fertility Magic Ring drank in that force, and the hollow exhaustion she had incurred to rescue Li Xin was being filled by a vigorous breath of life.

The Golden Tree was also welcoming her return.

It had recovered much better.

Feeling this welcoming breath of life, as a Divine Favored she clearly sensed that Golden Tree—polluted and ruined during her royal uncle’s rebellion, barely salvaged by Sacrificing a King and a Demigod—now brimming with vitality once more, radiating power, greeting her so warmly, drawing so close to her.

Father, the Divine Favored, the iron‑blooded Royal Family, and Teacher Vladimir... She tugged at the corner of her lips. Once, she had naively believed everything was heaven’s chosen grace, a glory unique to the Royal Family. Now, feeling the surging aura of the Golden Tree, as if it had never been damaged at all, its fervent welcome to her return to Hedan, she felt a constraint she had never known in Dragon Capital, never felt at Li Xin’s side.

Yes, the fate of the Divine Favored.

She had gone to Li Long, to Dragon Capital, to meet Li Xin whom she had always wanted to see; they talked, ate happily together, faced enemies side by side, and she savored a peace deep within.

After leaving and then returning, many feelings became clear and distinct. At the same time, her experiences in Dragon Capital had made her much more mature. Moon God’s Court, Night Patrol, Grand Governor, Night God, Bloodthirsty Monarch, Canon Law School, Hundred Martial Hall—every force braided together into a single line.

From trust, to resentment, to the calm of now.

Looked at from another angle, without the Golden Tree’s protection, the Royal Family would have withered long ago, Hedan’s people would be living in misery, and even all of Moncalleta might have become a vassal enslaved by the Black Meteor Empire.

The Golden Tree needed the Divine Favored, and it devoured the Divine Favored. In truth, from the very beginning, the essence of Hidden Power had been equivalent exchange; it was only that when the wheel turned to one’s own turn, one refused to accept it.

Of course, that did not mean she was willing to accept all this.

A mature person must first purge the mindset of the victim.

If you want to change things, courage and strength are only the foundation; what you need even more is perseverance and resolve.

When she arrived at the Royal Palace and had just stepped down from the carriage, a squad of Forbidden Guard was already waiting there. They bowed in salute, and the Captain of the Guard stepped forward. "Princess, His Majesty requests your presence."

Estella glanced at that unfamiliar face of the Captain of the Guard and gave a slight nod. The Forbidden Guard immediately pivoted in unison and led the way ahead; she followed behind with an expressionless face.

In front of the study door, she felt a momentary daze. In her memories, this was her father’s place. She had always come and gone as she pleased, had acted spoiled with him here, thrown tantrums here, pretended to be angry so he would dote on her. Everything was as vivid as if it were yesterday.

Now, this place belonged only to her elder brother, King Hokele.

Before she could knock, the door opened from within—it was Achilles.

"Second Brother."

"You finally came back."

Achilles spread his arms, as if he wanted to hug her, but in the end he only rubbed her head, just as he had when she was a child and had been wronged, then scolded her: "You’ve grown bold, sneaking off to Dragon Capital! Come in. This time you won’t get off so easily."

Estella smiled and followed him inside.

Hokele sat behind the desk, his whole body exuding chill. His eyes were filled with pent‑up anger as he stared at her.

Estella stepped forward and gave a Princess’s curtsey. "Your Majesty, I know I was wrong."

The rage on Hokele’s face paused, a flicker of complexity crossing his eyes. She hadn’t called him Elder Brother, and yet she sensibly admitted her mistake at once. Rare... she had grown up.

He loved this little sister as well. When they were young, how many of her troubles had he covered up and shouldered himself? But now he was King, with all of Moncalleta resting on his shoulders.

He sighed, though his tone remained stern. "What use is knowing you were wrong? Next time you’ll still do the same? Have you ever corrected yourself? This time you vanished without a word and ran off to Li Long! If there’s a next time—if you won’t consider yourself, you should at least think about the price others must pay for your mistakes."

He was currently putting heavy trust in the George Family, spending lavishly to attract talent. So this time he did not wish to touch Celestia, who had helped the Princess run away. But next time, matters would not be brushed aside so lightly.

Estella lowered her head in silence, not retorting willfully as she used to.

Hokele went on. "This time, you did well in Dragon Capital. You didn’t bring shame to our Ola Royal Family, so I won’t pursue the matter further."

Estella raised her head. Hokele forced a smile onto his face. "You led the way in deepening cooperation with the Li Long Royal Family. Without you stepping forward, that little lass from the George Family could never have sealed the deal. When a Princess comes forward, it’s different—the Royal Family can claim a greater share of this line. You’ve done well."

The George Family had always been staunch royalists; but on the other hand, they were strikingly similar to the Zheng Family of the past—both had risen through merit, and the human heart was fickle. The Zheng Family chose to betray their lord; Hokele did not want the George Family becoming a second Zheng. While relying on them, he naturally had to impose constraints.

"Your handling of the aid supplies to Dragon Capital was excellent as well. You are a Divine Favored and harvested a wave of Wish Power for the Golden Tree. Not much in quantity, but its quality is high. I believe you’ve already sensed the change in the Golden Tree’s vitality. But merits and faults offset each other, so your elder brother won’t reward you this time. The inner treasury was looted once by the Song of Hell—it’s not easy right now..."

At this point, a trace of appreciation flashed in Hokele’s eyes. That batch of relief supplies was to be repaid at Dragon Capital’s post‑disaster prices; the profit was huge. If Dragon Capital tried to default or play installment tricks, he would then have more leverage to interfere in Dragon Capital’s affairs, which greatly favored the plans he was drafting.

"Little Sister, even if you got that much money, you’ve nowhere to spend it. His Majesty is busy with state affairs; money is needed everywhere. Why not hand the profits from this line over to the inner treasury?" Achilles said.

Estella looked at Achilles, then at Hokele on the throne. "Second Brother, how could you do that—turn my merit into your favor? I was going to dedicate it to His Majesty anyway, hmph!"

Achilles’s face flushed red. On the throne, Hokele burst out laughing. "Second, you sly dog. This is Little Sister’s merit; no one can take it from her!"

Hokele truly felt at ease now. This line was very important and had to be held firmly in his own hands. The same went for George; they had to be reminded who bestowed the grace and for whom they were truly working.

"Achilles, no matter how hard times get, we can’t strip the Princess of her dignity. We must leave her something to earn pocket money from—keep a portion of the enterprises for her to play with."

Achilles scratched his head, shrugged helplessly under Estella’s glare. "That was my oversight. I’ll arrange it. I was thinking of skimming some benefit, but that’s gone now."

Hokele and Estella both couldn’t help laughing. "You rascal, leave those married noblewomen alone. They come complaining to me every day."

The "Prince of Good Wives" had the entire Hedan nobility on edge. The key was, those women went to him willingly, wave after wave, even helping him cover it up. The nobles guarded against Achilles like thieves; his reputation was rotten.

Hokele turned his gaze back to Estella, studying her. "Rest well for a night. Tomorrow, dress up and go meet Frederick, Crown Prince of the Black Meteor Empire."

Estella’s fingers curled slightly as she met his eyes head‑on. "Your Majesty, this time things went so smoothly largely thanks to the Withered Wood Monastery’s help. Now that I’ve returned, of course I must go back to the Withered Wood Monastery to fulfill my vow."

Hokele’s brows knit lightly together. Estella smiled faintly. "Even if we’re to marry, it’s not time yet, is it? What is easily obtained is rarely cherished. Surely the gem of Moncalleta herself can make him wait a little longer?"

Hokele and Achilles both looked at Estella in some surprise. What had she gone through on this trip to change so much?

"Very well, Estella, you’ve grown up," Hokele said with a smile. "Then don’t see him for now—let him stew a bit. A mere Prince indeed doesn’t yet deserve you. You’ve just come back; settle in first. I’ll send word to the Monastery and have your Senior Sister Jialan come pick you up."

Estella’s gaze flickered; she had the instinct that something was off. But looking at Achilles’s eyes, she could only smile and bow. In his good mood, Hokele let them go.

Estella left that study—now beginning to feel unfamiliar to her—together with Achilles...