In the Name of the Queen

"Sir, please wait a moment."

A timid voice sounded from behind.

It was sweet and soft, even trembling.

The voice was that of a soft girl who could make several people cry with one punch.

Roland stood at attention and turned around.

His quick action even scared the girl.

Very good, the judgment was completely correct.

Although the girl's straight and tall figure was somewhat inconsistent with the expected image, the cowardice in her expression was completely in line with his guess.

With a slight upward curve of his mouth, Roland smiled with satisfaction.

The girl had a pretty face and looked a little socially anxious. She took a few deep breaths before whispering:

"Sir, I'm sorry to bother you. I'm Alina, an international student at the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts. My final assignment is to paint a portrait of a melancholy noble. Can you help me?"

The soft and beautiful girl begged in an almost pleading tone. No real gentleman would be willing to cruelly refuse.

But Roland could.

After all, he was not a gentleman.

Even if he was, he didn't have time to waste now? If nothing unexpected happens, he really only has three days left.

Although he couldn't bear to disappoint the girl, he still shook his head firmly.

"Sorry, I'm not a noble, and my time is very precious."

"I know that real nobles will not allow foreign civilians to paint their portraits. But your temperament is very noble, and you can be a model. By the way, I will pay, and the price is five times that of ordinary models!" The girl plucked up the courage to raise the offer.

Five times? Oh, you said it earlier.

If it weren't for the approaching breath of death, Roland would accept it without hesitation, but thinking of the urgency of time, he could only refuse with pain.

"Not now. Portraits take time, and I'm very short of time these days. Give me your detailed address, and I will provide door-to-door service on weekends, how about it?"

Today is Tuesday, and the essay champion will be announced on Thursday.

If he can live until Sunday, he still has to find a way to make money to live.

Life is never just about the immediate, there are more complexities in the distance.

She gave too much, and it would be a bit rude to refuse again.

The girl quickly took out the charcoal pencil she carried with her, touched her pocket, took out a handkerchief, wrote down a string of addresses and stuffed it into Roland's hand.

"I don't want others to know."

Roland raised his eyebrows and smelled the smell of extra money, "Secret commission?"

"Double the reward!" The girl understood Roland's eyes.

"You are such a generous employer, as you wish."

Roland stuffed the handkerchief into his pocket and turned away.

Looking at his back as he left, the girl's eyes, which had just been a little timid, gradually became clear.

She took out her glasses from her pocket and put them on, squinting her eyes and staring at Roland's back, with the corners of her mouth slightly raised.

Originally, she was only attracted by Roland's slightly melancholy temperament, but a woman's sixth sense told her that Roland was different.

After secretly observing with astrology, she found that his fate was illusory and could not be observed.

For astrologers, every unobservable person is a high-quality resource.

Deciphering the fate of the unobservable may help her become an observer or even an astrologer.

Let alone five times the remuneration, she wouldn't care even if she paid ten times more.

She only offered five times because she was afraid that the exaggeration of the quotation would scare Roland away.

Normal people would be wary of sudden windfall.

Roland didn't take the part-time modeling task he had agreed to do on weekends seriously.

His main task now was to stay alive.

He didn't rush back to the post office, but went to the Great Library.

There is the richest collection of books in the world, many of which are spoils of the expansion of the empire.

Citizens of the empire can apply for a borrowing card and browse various books.

This is a benefit that the empire gives to all citizens.

Unfortunately, in an era when compulsory education was not yet universal, reading was a privilege of the elite class, and the huge library was deserted.

Roland went straight to the third floor of the library, found the "Imperial Imperial Power Law" and "Imperial Criminal Code" and other legal provisions, and sat down in a corner.

Sussex has its own national conditions, and the monarch's power is not absolute.

The constitution stipulates that state power is shared by the emperor, the nobles, and the citizens of the empire.

This Imperial Power Law is both a confirmation of the imperial power and a restriction on the imperial power.

If you want to exploit loopholes in the law, ugh, use legal weapons to protect yourself, and it is necessary to be familiar with the legal provisions.

Roland wanted to find a clause to restrict the emperor's abuse of the power of punishment, but he was soon disappointed.

Although the Imperial Power Law has imposed many restrictions on the emperor's power, making the emperor vaguely tend to be a mascot, this law still has a lot of room for maneuver.

In the last clause of the emperor's power, it is not surprising to find the all-encompassing pocket.

Additional clause: The honor and dignity of the monarch shall not be violated. If the monarch himself determines that it is an offensive act, he can make a free judgment. The judgment shall respect other legal provisions as appropriate.

The special clause is very long and stipulates many situations. Translated into human language, it means:

If the emperor thinks you deserve to die, then you are dead.

Roland closed the law and whispered: "Fuck the autocracy! It's too inhumane."

"Sir, do you also think that freedom and humanity cannot be restrained? I invite you to join the Free Utopia Society."

Just as Roland was about to return the book, a low voice sounded from a dark corner.

When the deep voice was about to say a few more words of persuasion, Roland had already disappeared at the door like lightning.

Don't get close to me!

Although he hated autocratic rule in his heart, Roland was not an idiot.

Productivity determines production relations, and changing the social structure is not something that can be done by a middle school boy shouting a few slogans. In an era of low productivity and when the means of production are basically in the hands of monarchs and lords, it is still a long way from the evil capitalism. Talking about utopia?

He didn't want to be a cross pendant in the Square of the King.

Unexpectedly, Roland disappeared without even giving him a chance to meet. The bearded man who walked out from behind the bookshelf looked increasingly deep and thoughtful.

As soon as he rushed out of the library, Roland was stopped by a newsboy.

"Sir, would you like a copy of the Sussex Sun special issue?"

What toilet newspaper? I don't have time.

Roland was about to leave when he suddenly thought of the accurate current affairs news in the Sun that day, and stopped to take out two coins.

"If the content is wild enough, have a copy."

The newsboy looked at Roland with a smile, shook his head, and whispered, "Sir, this special issue is about the interesting secrets of Her Highness Sylph, so the price is a bit more expensive."

"How much?"

"One shilling."

It's six times the price, why don't you go and grab it?

Roland took out a shilling silver coin without hesitation and stuffed it into the newsboy, snatched the newspaper, and hurried away, reading as he walked.

When he was about to return to the post office, Roland crumpled the newspaper into a ball and stuffed it into the trash can.

It is worthy of being called a toilet newspaper. You are really good.

The eight-page feature report did not even have a high-definition, uncensored portrait of Her Royal Highness the Princess, only two pictures covered with gauze.

But the toilet newspaper is not completely useless.

The newspaper published that Her Royal Highness the Princess likes cats and sold her jewelry to donate 107 pounds of gold coins generously during the tsunami three years ago.

This is not a small amount of money. At the price at that time, it could buy a single-family house with a yard on Belfa Street.

The newspaper also mentioned the princess's teacher, the current Minister of the Interior, Walder.

This is an old official who is fair and cautious.

After reading this information, Roland felt a little relieved.

The image of a girl who likes cats, is kind-hearted, and is taught by a strict teacher gradually took shape in his mind.

Such a cute little princess shouldn't mind a joke about her being pregnant before marriage in a novel.

If she doesn't mind, then there's no way!

The more pure and innocent the princess is, the more she values ​​her reputation.

Her kindness will probably only make Roland's death less painful.

Damn toilet report, twelve pennies are gone.

Try to keep a calm expression, Roland, who is exhausted, is ready to go upstairs to punch out, but he runs into Lisa who is rushing downstairs.

Before he greets her, Lisa grabs his sleeve.

"Don't leave yet! Tell me, when did you meet such a cute girl? You didn't even tell your sister."

"What cute girl? Even your sister can't talk nonsense."

Lisa didn't give Roland a chance to quibble. She pushed him into the reception room, poked her head out from behind him, smiled at the girl who was drinking tea, silently greeted her with her mouth, and disappeared.

She is indeed a cute girl.

It would be better if her intelligence ability was as weak as the Sussex Military Intelligence Agency.

Roland sat down opposite with an expressionless face, and said in a somewhat cold voice, "Ms. Alina, the time we agreed on is the weekend, not now."