The Regressed Princess - Chapter 71

Chapter 71: Belai — For Some Reason, She Could Sense From Her Lover’s Expression…

The carriage swayed across the plains, deeper and deeper into the heart of Belai.

Known as the land of a thousand lakes and the nation of the sea, Belai possessed magnificent outlets to the ocean. Many of its city-states were built on small islands, and its capital, Philli, was constructed along the coast, looking like a seashell washed up by the currents.

Consequently, Belai’s shipbuilding industry was highly developed, and its utilization of tools was unparalleled. From a historical perspective, Belai’s geographical conditions were a gift; the fishing industry and maritime trade alone were enough to make its citizens “eat until their mouths were slick with oil.”

Unfortunately, in this era, the lives of the Belaian people were rather awkward.

Fish resources are finite, and humans cannot live on fish alone. The overly abundant water resources meant that their agriculture was quite stunted. A large part of Belai’s land had to be reserved for human habitation, and the remaining parts were not suitable for grain, but rather for cash crops.

Freshwater lakes should theoretically be ideal for irrigation, but the fertile lands were narrow and frequently flooded by shifting rivers. The people of the Moon-Mist Continent had no concept of intensive farming or constructing water conservancy projects to combat nature. If they sowed seeds the first year and harvested nothing the second, how much “iron-headed” resolve would it take to try again a third?

Therefore, the survival of the Belaians relied heavily on trade. They were the most commercially oriented nation on the continent, and merchants held a very high status.

Belai also had royalty and nobles, but the most suitable identity for traveling was that of a wealthy merchant. Eleanor investigated intelligence directly in the name of the Marigold Chamber of Commerce, selling the goods carried by the caravan as they went. By the time they reached the outskirts of Philli, there was a tidy profit left over even after accounting for the costs of food and leisure. Furthermore, to temporarily mask her identity, she hadn’t brought many of Enlin’s specialties, such as glass, porcelain, silk, or certain spices.

Upon entering Belai, the air felt damp in the nostrils, and even the wind hitting one’s face carried a faint saltiness.

Swish.

Andra pulled back the curtain and tapped on the window. “Eleanor, is that the sea over there?”

“Yes, we’re almost at Philli.”

Eleanor was sitting properly in her seat, but the youth beside her suddenly threw an arm around her shoulder and pulled her into a hug.

“Princess, do you plan to visit the new ruler of Belai?”

Andra chatted while hooking her finger under Eleanor’s chin, as if stroking a cat. Eleanor was dazed for a moment and didn’t push the finger away, entering a serious discussion.

“Yes. Let’s go see the King they just replaced. It will make the report to Mother look a bit better.”

Their way of addressing the King of Belai was subtle, alternating between “King” and “Ruler.” Generally, when referring to the Kings of Hetuya or Nolanna, everyone defaulted to “King,” whereas the monarchs of smaller nations were easily called “Rulers.”

Belai wasn’t actually small; if all the city-states and lake areas were connected, it would look like Nolanna sliced in half and stretched out. Was Belai poor? Not at all. How could a place where wealthy merchants congregated be poor?

The reason the position of the King of Belai was awkward was that her power was extremely decentralized. The nobles of Belai were different from those of other countries; they changed frequently, and the transmission of status did not rely entirely on bloodline. The various city-states operated under an early form of democracy, preferring to elect great merchants as new city lords.

The power of these city lords shifted constantly. To maintain stability, they usually belonged to the same chamber of commerce, so power could be viewed as being passed down to the “most capable” within that same guild. This strange tradition left the Belai royal family in a very awkward position.

They held many state assets and could be seen as the largest wealthy merchants in Belai, but the King of Belai wasn’t necessarily the best at business among them. Her “chamber of commerce” privileges were somewhat laughable compared to the authority of other kings.

As a result, the outside world had little interest in the succession of the Belai throne. For instance, if King Aguno of Hetuya died suddenly while Eleanor and Andra were traveling there, they would stop immediately and wait for the diplomatic team sent by Eva to catch up. Then, the two groups would rush to the Hetuya court to mourn—and incidentally help Andra seize the throne.

According to news from the caravans, the previous King of Belai had passed away half a month ago. They were traveling at the time, so they missed the news. The one who inherited the throne was not the King’s daughter, but her elder sister. The reasons behind this were intriguing, but they had nothing to do with Eleanor; the business would continue regardless of who was in charge.

As she chatted idly with Andra, she pondered the steps to kill her. She had spent years conditioning Andra to think that “Eleanor has a fetish for dressing her lover in heavy gold jewelry” specifically for this assassination. No sane person would suspect that their lover had planned to sink them into the sea, laden with gold, since the very beginning of their meeting.

“How about we go play by the sea tomorrow? It’s your first time seeing the ocean, too.”

Andra pulled a wooden comb from her robes, gently running it through the little Princess’s black hair. The rustling friction made Eleanor squint her eyes; in a daze, she saw the Andra of the first life. She used to be like this as long as the two of them were together, she loved doing things for her. Whether it was peeling an apple or combing her hair, Andra enjoyed it immensely…

“In a few days… let’s go in a few days…”

Eleanor gave a hazy refusal.

The “first time seeing the sea” in this life was the finale she had prepared for Andra. Everything would turn into foam in the sea, and furthermore—she was unwilling to give Andra the leisure to learn how to swim.

“Am I really going to kill Andra?”

A somewhat cowardly voice, one that had never appeared before, whispered in her ear—a voice identical to her own.

The memories of the past six years converged into a transparent river, with Andra’s silhouette in every segment. The exquisite girl had grown into a handsome youth; the figure supporting her arm under the sun and practicing swordsmanship with her was always blocking the way ahead, saying those words that had never changed: “I will protect you.”

I will protect you, Princess. I love you, Eleanor. “Don’t worry, I’m here.”

Her promises were like treasures that would never fade. The Andra of this life… had done nothing wrong.

“She loves me so much… what exactly are you doing?”

The cowardly voice wept in grievance: Andra is such a wonderful lover. You are a pair of birds that can only fly by leaning on each other. The so-called ‘hunting party’ was trained entirely by Andra. She worked completely according to your wishes; she settled so many troubles for you, both in the light and in the dark, whether they were dangerous assassins or annoying city lords!

An invisible scale appeared in her mind. On one side was killing Andra; the other side was filled with massive weights, each representing a thorny trouble, a piece of soon-to-be-damaged interest, and… fragments of love.

“Is it worth it, Eleanor?”

This voice protested with its tiny strength: Andra is so good to you! She loves you with her whole heart and soul. You trusted Messara; why can’t you give Andra one more chance? Her best years and only love have been poured into you!

“Alright.” Andra picked up a lock of her lover’s hair and braided it with a lock of her own into a small black-and-gold braid, then looked out the window once more.

Eleanor surfaced from her chaotic thoughts, looking along with her.

It was the season for spring plowing, and the narrow riverbanks were crawling with farmers. Some were bent over sowing seeds, while others were “gleaning the sea.” This gleaning was worlds away from the playful frolicking of Earth’s vloggers. A group of poorly clothed people clutching crude pottery jars and wooden buckets ran back and forth along the river. Whenever they saw a small fish or a scallop washed onto the bank, they rushed into the waves to grab it, then ran a long distance to dump it into the overseer’s bucket.

The entire riverbank and the lakes belonged to the various chambers of commerce or the royalty. These busy people were not working for themselves, nor were they performing labor service or paying taxes; they were repaying debts. They were a special product of Belai called “debtors.” As the name implied, they were commoners who owed massive sums to the guilds, and the guilds had plenty of ways to make them pay back the debt, in life or in death.

The corners of Andra’s mouth slowly curled up.

Eleanor looked at her handsome profile and asked softly, “What are you thinking?”

Andra responded instinctively.

“Mmh, the efficiency of these people seems higher than that of average slaves. Don’t you think.”

She stopped halfway, suddenly sensing something, and looked back. Even though her lover’s expression was vacant, Andra changed her tone—saying softly, “Of course, your measures in Enlin are the best. Changing tools is what increases efficiency the most.”

Why can’t I give Andra one more chance? I have—more than once.

She answered that tiny voice silently.

Do you think Andra has changed much?

She clearly hasn’t changed at all.

Andra kissed her lover’s forehead, then looked out the window in a great mood, thinking of who-knows-what. Their hands were held so tightly.

Eleanor bit her lip, blinking to let a tear fall quietly.

How nice. We are indeed walking on the original path… without a single deviation.

Belai clearly had the most intense commercial atmosphere, so why did Nolanna possess the largest market on the continent?

Eleanor sat in the carriage as Manzhu presented the Marigold Chamber of Commerce credentials to the city guards. This credential exempted them from entry fees, as every part of the guild’s operation involved even higher taxes. Everyone knew how much profit Belai made from the trade of porcelain and silk, so much so that upon seeing the Marigold Chamber of Commerce emblem, even the low-level gate officials let them through with a smile.

Upon entering Philli, the sound of gurgling water was everywhere. Eleanor’s carriage was guided to a designated spot to stop, and she took Andra’s hand as they stepped down.

Vehicles would not be used for the rest of the journey within the city, as clear flowing water surrounded the entire city, converging into networks of canals. Bridges of all sizes reached in every direction, but there were more boats than bridges, and more people than boats. Row upon row of sampans were painted in vibrant colors, their shapes resembling Earth’s gondolas.

They swayed in the water with colorful flags, carrying the multicolored people of Philli. Locals leaned on oars, waving their arms desperately to solicit guests from the shore.

At this moment, Belai’s Philli overlapped with Earth’s Venice, together forming a brilliant oil painting.

Nolanna’s markets were two in number, luxurious and spacious. How many markets did Belai have? Countless. They were scattered in every nook and cranny. Some boats were fixed to the shore or river corners, filled with colorful goods. The boat owners shouted in simple dialects, saying things like “No cheating here, no cheating here,” to express their commitment to fair deals.

Most houses along the banks of Philli were short and narrow, with each passage allowing only one or two people to walk sideways. From time to time, the people of Philli and their teams crossed paths; fortunately, Eleanor had intentionally left the main body of the group outside the city, so each polite yielding didn’t take much time. Occasionally, they met warm and nimble locals who would smile at them while walking, then perform an acrobatic move, vaulting over the railings and leaping past them.

Children peddled flowers and seashells along the way, giggling as they coaxed Andra into buying an expensive rose for the “most beautiful sister.” As they walked, a window or door would open nearby, and a reliable-looking middle-aged man would appear to sell exquisite home ornaments.

Andra followed closely by Eleanor’s side. Even though her arms were full of clusters of flowers, her movements in shifting her field of vision were as agile as ever.

Tap.

Eleanor suddenly stopped.

Andra wanted to ask: What do we do next? But she was willing to indulge her little Princess, so she looked at Eleanor without a word, waiting for her to propose the next step of the itinerary.

Eleanor remained silent for dozens of seconds. The tiny voice in her mind was crying and making a fuss, trying to stop her from asking that question.

Eleanor closed her eyes for a moment, then turned her face and asked softly, “Do you want to visit the King of Belai? If not, we’ll find an inn to stay for a few days and have a good time in Philli.”

Andra tilted her head in surprise: The Princess means choose one or the other?

This was a bit strange. Eleanor clearly loved the aquatic scenery of Belai. Why couldn’t visiting the King and sightseeing be chosen together? What was the hurry?

The doubt flashed by, but at this moment, what Andra cared about most was Eleanor’s gaze. For some reason, she could sense numbness and… sadness from her lover’s expression.

Don’t be sad, my Princess. Nothing is worth your grief.

The youth suddenly took her lover’s arm, her other hand supporting Eleanor’s waist.

Thud! She jumped onto a sampan holding her.

Splash!

Water sprayed everywhere. Andra set Eleanor down gracefully in a spin, flicking a gold coin to the shouting owner. She looked intently at her lover and picked up an oar.

“We’ll visit first, and then we’ll go see the sea together! Hahahaha!”

She laughed freely, pushing off the riverbank with the oar. The small boat instantly drifted far away, leaving behind shimmering ripples of water.

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