Xiao Xun’s eyes widened in disbelief, “Then when I went back, that sumptuous dinner spread…”
“Although it wasn’t my birthday, it was the first time I visited that place.”
Xiao Xun let out an “Oh,” “That’s a very memorable day too! By the way, didn’t you say you were going to tell me why you went there?”
Mu Jiahe looked at the blue moon outside the window, her thoughts drifting back eight years.
“Back then, I had just begun learning meditation with my teacher, who is now the High Priest of our Saint Roman Empire. My teacher asked me to use my divine sense to scan for spatial rifts…”
Xiao Xun slapped the bed, “And then you found this place?”
Mu Jiahe’s expression turned slightly angry, “Interrupting someone is impolite, no matter which world you are in.”
Xiao Xun clasped his hands together, “Sorry, my mistake. Please continue, I promise not to interrupt.”
Mu Jiahe took a deep breath, calming herself.
Then she continued, “Originally, this was the bedroom of my father and mother. My room was below. Later, my mother passed away due to illness, and my father remarried my stepmother. My stepmother also brought two daughters who were older than me.
These two daughters were actually my father’s biological daughters. But in order to marry my mother, the eldest princess of Bantuladel, he sent his original wife, my stepmother, and their two daughters to the countryside.
Speaking of this, she sighed, “Later, my mother’s health was always poor, and my father was often away on campaigns and rarely returned. The last time my father saw my mother was possibly at her funeral. By then, my stepmother and her two daughters had already arrived. After they came, they took over my room and made me do chores like the servants.
As she spoke, her anger grew, and she sat up, “Later, things improved a little when I began studying magic with my teacher, but I lost my father’s love forever. The last time I saw him was at his funeral. My two sisters and my stepmother looked at me as if I were a devil. They probably thought I had died somewhere no one knew about. What I never expected was that my stepmother’s eldest daughter had an ‘improper relationship’ with her uncle, the man who murdered her own father…”
The story concluded with a grand finale, “Finally, with the help of Gelyah and my teacher, I eliminated my uncle’s forces and ascended the throne as queen.”
After listening to Mu Jiahe’s story, Xiao Xun sat up cross-legged, reflecting on what she had just told him, “This story… I feel like I’ve heard it somewhere before?”
Mu Jiahe said with surprise, “Is my story that famous?”
“Do you know the Brothers Grimm?”
Mu Jiahe smiled, “I know the Wright brothers.”
Xiao Xun looked speechless, “The two you mentioned invented airplanes. The ones I’m talking about have definitely heard your story.”
Mu Jiahe clearly didn’t know and quickly asked, “How would they know? Are they noble young lords from some prominent family?”
Xiao Xun explained, “Not quite. They aren’t from this world, but they know most of your story and even made a story out of it.”
Mu Jiahe seemed to have figured something out, “What story are you talking about?”
“Cinderella! Although your story is missing a pair of ill-fitting crystal slippers, a fairy godmother with a pumpkin carriage, and that ‘face-blind’ prince. By the way, in our world, people usually call her Cinderella.”
After hearing Xiao Xun’s explanation, Mu Jiahe directly pulled out the pillow behind her back and threw it at him, “Hmph! I’m telling you my personal family matters, and you’re treating it like a made-up story.”
Xiao Xun caught the pillow, looking wronged, “Really, in the story you just told, I heard not only Cinderella, but also Hamlet…”
Seeing Mu Jiahe’s unfriendly gaze, he quickly shut up and lay down obediently by the bed, ready to roll off at any moment.
However, Mu Jiahe didn’t blame him. Instead, she said with her back to him, “Wake me up when it’s dawn. Don’t oversleep again.”
Today was the sixtieth anniversary of the founding of the Saint Roman Empire. As the absolute ruler of Saint Roman, Empress Selapeas, dressed in her most beautiful and solemn military attire before dawn.
On this solemn and dignified day, the grand balcony at the very top of the castle was elaborately decorated.
Salutes boomed, and the imposing royal honor guard emerged from the castle, holding spears, marching in perfect formation, and standing on both sides.
These were the twelve strongest and most robust men in Saint Roman. Their armor alone weighed over eighty pounds.
Selapeas emerged from the master bedroom, walked slowly towards the large balcony opposite, holding a golden scepter. After ascending twelve steps, she stood before all the citizens of the capital and began one of the most important segments of the day: the King’s speech.
Selapeas stood on the balcony, waving to her subjects below to offer her highest greetings, and then a microphone appeared before her.
“My dear subjects, Saint Roman has bloomed from the mud, shining like starlight. My Radiant family has blazed a trail, establishing the world-renowned Shengduo Dynasty, which has now endured for sixty years under my rule.”
Below the balcony, outside the castle, countless citizens were cheering. Men took off their hats and waved to the Empress on the balcony, while women blew kisses towards the balcony.
“For sixty glorious years, we have successfully repelled numerous foreign invasions, vigorously developed our economy, and promoted the burgeoning growth of our agriculture, animal husbandry, and aquaculture industries. All of this is inseparable from the hard work and dedication of every subject of Saint Roman. Our goal is one: to live good lives. And we…”
Xiao Xun was lying half-reclined in the bedroom, listening to the loud and resonant voice, “It seems our陛下 watches too many seven o’clock programs.”
After praising the country extensively, she also commended several friendly nations to Saint Roman, and finally, made a few sarcastic remarks about the beastmen and the Winter Tribe, who were currently at war with Saint Roman.
The speech concluded, followed by the military parade. Each division of Saint Roman sent its most outstanding forces to display before the citizens of the capital and the nationwide audience who could receive live information, and to be reviewed by the Empress.
Although this world had electricity, it did not have television. People could only listen to the live sound effects via radio. To see the images, there was only sky broadcasting, using magic to project the live scenes into the sky.
As long as people looked up at the sky and listened to the radio, they could see the scene, which felt like a mirage.
After the military parade, came the grand float parade that Empress Selapeas had mentioned to Xiao Xun.
Xiao Xun had already exited the castle through another gate before the float parade. On the castle balcony, only direct descendants of the Radiant family were allowed to stand.
Looking at these floats, he couldn’t help but exclaim, “These people have such vivid imaginations! If you brought these floats to my world, no other amusement park would stand a chance.”