The Goddess's Struggle (3)

"Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for interrupting your enjoyment. I am not feeling well, so I will be leaving now. I hope you will continue to enjoy the banquet."

After offering a perfectly impeccable apology, Antasia turned and left gracefully without even glancing at the Crown Prince on the ground.

In Antasia's heart, all her fantasies about the eldest prince vanished at this moment.

As expected, the girl's imagination was ultimately just a dream.

Reality is far crueler than one's dreams.

Qin Chu did not immediately give chase.

Wadsworth arrived late, after Qin Chu had nearly beaten the eldest prince to a pulp. Wadsworth glanced at the bloody mess on the ground and frowned.

Good heavens, the Hero really knows how to be ruthless... He's beaten so badly he's almost unrecognizable.

"Third brother, drag Lance away and treat his injuries..." Wadsworth's tone was extremely indifferent.

This reaction also delighted Wadsworth's other sons, who knew that their eldest brother had completely angered their father. Although there were many competitors, their opportunity had finally arrived.

"Brother Qin, Antasia you." Wadsworth rubbed his temples, feeling a bit of a headache.

The most pressing issue now is how to handle the aftermath. Antasia absolutely cannot be harmed; if she were to do something rash like drowning herself, that would be a huge problem.

Just as Antasia worried that damaging relations with the Empire would bring disaster to the Duchy.

Wadsworth also had things he had to consider. Although the Ice Grand Duchy was cold, backward, and poor, perhaps it was precisely those terrible living conditions that gave rise to a group of the most outstanding warriors on the Skyvault Continent.

Among the soldiers fighting the Magic Creature, those from the Ice Grand Duchy were the fiercest and bravest.

If anything happens to Antasia, these people will probably immediately mutiny.

Meanwhile, Antasia, who had left the banquet, did not return to Qin Chu's palace.

She was like a homeless ghost, wandering through this bustling city.

The river flowed gently, reflecting the stars and the moon, and a warm, soft light emanated from the exquisite houses... The whole world was quiet.

This is a beautiful city, but it only makes Antasia feel lonely and helpless, even colder than the snow and ice of the Ice Country.

As the night breeze blew, Antasia subconsciously tugged at the dress Angelica had carefully prepared for her.

She didn't know how much time had passed before Antasia finally stopped. She was by a river, the water gurgling. For the first time, she abandoned the etiquette of a princess and sat down on the grass by the river.

With no one else around, Antasia was finally able to let go of her forced composure. Crystal-clear pearls streamed down her cheeks, leaving two clear streaks on her fair face.

The drops trickled down her pointed, fair chin and onto the dress at her chest.

Ah... no, this won't do.

Antasia gently shook her head, wiping away the tears on her face with the back of her hand.

I can't cry... This dress was specially prepared for me by Miss Angelica. I don't know how much Mana cost, but it certainly wasn't cheap. I can't get it dirty.

But... I can't stop the tears.

No matter how rational, mature, or elegant she is, she is still just a girl.

From a young age, she was taught to be loyal to the eldest prince and to dedicate all her love to him... From childhood, she was taught how handsome, dashing, elegant, and gentle the eldest prince was.

Perhaps he really was a very handsome man, but what did elegance and gentleness have to do with him?

He was slapped in front of so many nobles in public...

She was a princess too.

The shattering of her dreams and the unprecedented humiliation dealt a severe blow to Antasia.

People are most prone to extremes under such circumstances.

Having suffered such humiliation, losing all face for the Ice Country, he probably has no right to return to his parents.

A small bottle appeared in Antasia's tiny hand, containing powder made from the petals of the Night-Sleep Flower.

Once you eat it, you'll fall asleep very quickly and never wake up again.

Everyone in the Ice Country carries a bottle... because they often need to go out and fight Magic Creature, magical beasts, and wild animals. Not every hunt is successful, and if they fall into the hands of wild animals, they will be eaten alive.

Watching your body being torn apart and gnawed away by wild beasts is an unpleasant experience, but the Night-Sleep Flower can alleviate much of the pain.

The city's indifference chilled Antasia to the bone, though of course there were good people among the residents.

Antasia smiled slightly. For example, the Hero was such a kind person, rescuing her from those assassins, sharing food with her, taking her to his dwelling, and even risking a complete falling out with the Empire to stand up for her when she was being humiliated by the Crown Prince...

That not-so-handsome figure left an indelible impression on Antasia's heart.

She placed her little hand on her heart, and felt a warm feeling inside...

That's precisely why she couldn't cause any trouble for the Hero.

She was probably a hot potato right now. With Lord Qin Chu's kindness, he would surely accept her... But she couldn't do that; she couldn't cause the Hero any more trouble.

Perhaps it would be cleaner for me to simply fall into a deep sleep like this.

Antasia twisted open the bottle's seal, looked at the powder inside, a sorrowful smile on her face, and prepared to pour all the powder into her mouth.

Just as Antasia raised her little hand, a pebble suddenly flew from behind.

With a sharp crack, it hit the bottle precisely, sending it flying into the river.

Antasia turned around in surprise, and Qin Chu's figure was right behind her, the moonlight casting a hazy glow on his face.

A sudden wave of panic washed over her. She pressed the back of her hand to her eyes and quickly stood up. "Hero, what brings you here?"

"I'm fine, I just wanted to get some fresh air. I'm sorry you saw me looking so unpresentable."

Qin Chu didn't answer immediately. He simply stretched lazily, then lay sprawled on the ground, tilting his head to the side and picking up a blade of grass from the nearby grass. The emerald green blade swayed up and down at the corner of Qin Chu's mouth. His large eyes were fixed on the moon overhead, and he mumbled indistinctly:

"Decent?"

"Please, I've never cared about that stuff."

"Honestly, imitating the way people in high society talk is exhausting, even more tiring than fighting Magic Creature."

Antasia was somewhat surprised by Qin Chu's sudden change in behavior from before. The Hero now lacked any gentlemanly manners or noble elegance, but Antasia didn't dislike him. In fact, she felt that he was more real, as if she had gotten a little closer to the Hero.

"Stop thinking about killing yourself..." Qin Chu muttered, "It's really not worth it to commit suicide for someone like the First Prince."

"Besides, who do you think would be happiest if you died? It would definitely be the First Prince. That guy finally has one less obstacle to overcome; he'd probably jump for joy."

Antasia was somewhat taken aback; she knew her lie hadn't fooled the Hero.

"That's what you think..."

"Were you humiliated tonight?"

Antasia nodded.

An unprecedented humiliation.

"Was the eldest prince also humiliated?"

Antasia nodded again, "It was you who did it, why are you asking me?"

"So, who do you think suffered a more severe humiliation, the First Prince or you?"

Antasia was stunned for a moment. Although her future husband didn't love her at all, and although she had been slapped... compared to that, the Crown Prince had been hit on the head with dozens of bottles, his head was cracked open, and he was covered in dirt...

Moreover, not many people saw the scene of the eldest prince hitting himself, but everyone clearly saw the scene of the eldest prince being brutally beaten by Qin Chu.

The eldest prince's status is even more prestigious; he is the heir to the next emperor... It seems that the eldest prince has suffered far more humiliation than I have.

Thinking about it this way, I did feel less upset, and even a little bit of pleasure.

"Haha, do you feel much better now?" Qin Chu said with a smile.

"Also, you don't need to worry about the Ice Country and the Empire breaking up. Wadsworth has no intention of letting the eldest prince inherit the throne. That fool is finished."

"Moreover, now is the time to fight against the Magic Creature. Before the Magic Creature are pacified, the Empire must maintain good relations with the Ice Country."

"So there's no need to worry about so much."

Antasia stood blankly beside Qin Chu, pondering what Qin Chu just said.

As the night wind tousled her long hair and skirt, her will to die seemed to have truly dissipated considerably.

The Hero's carefree and fearless nature is a quality I do not possess.

Because the Ice Country's national strength was far inferior to that of the Empire, Antasia was always cautious, fearing that her actions might be unbecoming of the country, offend someone, or bring trouble to the Duchy.

But now that I think about it, it seems like I overthought it.

Although the empire appears powerful, the country has long been rotten from within; perhaps, it is nothing more than a powerful shell.

Moreover, the Hero was right. If he were to die now, the happiest person would definitely be the eldest prince... but his parents would be saddened by his death.

Did I just have a brain fart? To do something that hurts my loved ones and pleases my enemies?

Her emotions gradually calmed down, and then she was surprised to find that she wasn't actually that sad... she even felt a sense of relief, as if she had finally broken free of her shackles.

After calming down, Antasia's intelligence gradually returned. Perhaps she didn't love the Crown Prince as deeply as she thought.

This so-called love is merely an illusion created by the long-term indoctrination of the etiquette teacher.

When she was by the Crown Prince's side, she felt only tension, fear, and trembling, unlike the relaxed, joyful, and peaceful feeling she had when she was with Qin Chu.

She sat silently beside Qin Chu, resting her chin on her hand and gazing at the night sky.

Letting the night wind tousle his hair, which fell onto Qin Chu's face, the Hero warrior even opened his lips and bit a strand. What could hair possibly taste like...?

The eldest prince only ignores himself, letting others laugh at him and slap him in the face...

But the Hero will rescue me from the assassins, share precious food with me, take me in, prepare beautiful dresses for me, praise my beauty, and stand up for me when I'm bullied...

Under the moonlight, Antasia's fair face suddenly broke into a silly smile.

This spirited woman from the Ice Country has emerged from her false romance and weakness; she has come to understand her own heart.

Her beautiful eyes glanced at the Hero beside her, and she suddenly leaned over.

Her icy white, jelly-like lips came close to Qin Chu's ear and whispered softly:

"Hero... you must take responsibility for me..."

"Huh?" Qin Chu was a little confused. What did that mean?

"It's because of you that I made this decision," Antasia said with a gentle smile.

"What decision?"

"I want to annul the engagement!"

Many thanks to Fengtian Nangan and book friend 20211004121829093 for the 500 points reward. Thank you for your support.

Chapter 146 The Goddess's Struggle (3)

Break off an engagement!

Antasia's words surprised Qin Chu.

For a princess of the Ice Country to break off her engagement with the Crown Prince of the Empire is a decision that no ordinary girl could make. The pressure involved could be enough to break a girl's heart, and most girls would probably just choose to silently endure it in this situation.

The consequences of breaking off the engagement would be unbearable for her and her country.

Antasia initially intended to endure it silently, and even considered suicide, never considering the option of annulment.

Being jilted was a great humiliation for the Crown Prince and for the entire empire. The Ice Grand Duchy would not be able to bear the consequences if the empire were to be enraged, but Antasia resolutely chose this option.

Have you thought about this carefully?

"Of course, the Ice Grand Duchy is holding off the majority of the Magic Creature on the northern front of the Skyvault Continent. If the Empire truly intends to harm the Ice Grand Duchy, then I will request my father to withdraw from the front lines and allow the northern Magic Creature to advance unimpeded. After all, if they become completely hostile, the Ice Grand Duchy will either die at the hands of the Magic Creature or at the hands of the Imperial Army. Since death is inevitable, why not take more people to hell with them? I think Wadsworth will definitely consider this carefully."

"Because the Empire's long-term exploitation of the Ice Grand Duchy has already caused discontent among many people in the duchy, I think many people will be willing to do so at that time."

Antasia's voice was icy.

This girl displayed extraordinary determination and sharpness.

Qin Chu suddenly laughed heartily. That's right, that's how it should be. When you're not even afraid of death, then it's others' turn to be afraid of you. Antasia finally understood this principle.

In the first playthrough, Antasia committed suicide because she couldn't think straight, which resulted in a mutiny and rebellion in the North, causing the Imperial Army to sacrifice hundreds of thousands of soldiers.

They were even invaded by Magic Creature at one point, suffering heavy losses and going through a very difficult period.

As long as Antasia can grasp this point, there's no need to worry about the Empire's threat, at least not until the Hero quells the Magic Creature... As for Qin Chu, the Hero, he'll probably be the one to quell the Magic Creature, right?