r18novel Chapter 328 Don't Force Me
Chapter 328 Don't Force Me
Chapter 328 Don't Force Me
Since Tai Chi returned, Annie has never let it leave again.
She didn't know what to say to Aaron at that moment, and she didn't know how to face her own identity.
Anne filled the food box and left the room for the Heraldry.
The Heraldry is rarely full, and it's the same now; only Anne and another Heraldry officer are in the hall.
Although both of them worked at the Royal Heraldry, Anne knew little about him.
Or rather, they didn't meet very often.
Members of the Heraldry often need to represent the royal family and leave Platinum Castle to carry out missions.
Anne rarely went out, presumably at Jonas's behest.
Moreover, ever since Jonas saw the scar on Anne's back, he has restricted the others in the Heraldry and made Anne do whatever she wanted.
In other words, aside from her daily work, if Jonas didn't personally assign Anne tasks, Anne would just sit idly in the Heraldry.
That's how it is now.
This made Anne very uncomfortable.
She never wanted to be treated specially, whether it was because Anne was a woman or because of her possible true identity.
Anne understood from a young age that if she wanted something, she had to fight for it herself.
What others give away is always the trash they don't want.
Anne decided she had to talk to Jonas.
The reason it has been delayed until now is precisely because Anne has been avoiding communicating with Jonas.
Whenever the two were alone, Jonas would talk to Anne about her identity.
But Anne didn't want to hear or talk about anything related to it; she even wished it had never happened.
But Anne understood that avoiding the issue wouldn't solve it, so she decided to talk to Jonas about it when he returned from his meeting.
After a long time, Jonas returned to the Heraldry.
Anne went directly to him: "Mr. Jonas, I hope you won't show favoritism towards me and treat me as an ordinary herald."
"No, Anne, you're a woman."
This inexplicably annoyed Annie: "So what?"
"Have you forgotten what Lu Wen planned to do to you in the room? Annie, women are inherently unsafe, especially someone as beautiful as you."
Anne could never forget it.
What happened that day was the most terrifying thing that Anne had ever experienced in her life.
She had encountered danger before, but she was with Aaron then.
She only needed to comfort herself, because she believed that Aaron would definitely save her.
But it's different here; no one here is someone he can rely on.
Therefore, Anne could not refute it, so she could only plead:
"But at least—don't leave me idle."
"Doing nothing is a kind of happiness, but you're right, Annie. If you want to improve your abilities, you have to gain experience through tasks. Okay, Annie, I'll assign you more tasks as appropriate."
"Thank you, Mr. Jonas."
Jonas stroked his beard and nodded with a smile:
"Annie, I'm so glad you finally took the initiative to contact me. I'd like to talk to you about some things from the past. If you want to hear them, I'll have everyone leave right now."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Jonas," Anne turned her head away, "but please don't mention that matter again."
"Hmm—Annie, running away won't solve anything; you need to face it."
"I don't want to face it," Annie said in a low voice, "I've already accepted my life, so why do they have to tear my previous resolve to shreds? Why do I have to give up, give up, and give up again? This is so unfair to me!"
"Injustice is the norm in this world, and many more people experience far more unfairness than you can imagine. Anne,"
Only through polishing do bricks and stones shine.
"I don't want to shine," Anne turned around, "and I can't."
"You shine far brighter than you think," Jonas patted Anne on the shoulder. "Besides, Anne, you also have responsibilities."
"I don't want it to be like this!"
Anne took a step forward, moving to a position out of Jonas's reach.
"Don't push me, Jonas."
"Annie—" Jonas's voice was heavy. "Alright, Anne, think it over carefully, but please do it as soon as possible. It's been almost two months since that day, Anne. If you're really as strong as you think, you shouldn't run away."
I wish I were that strong, Anne thought sadly, but once I thought about it carefully, I always had a premonition that I would lose everything I had ever cherished.
Anne composed herself, turned around, and bowed to Jonas again:
"Sir, please assign me a job."
"In that case, Anne, go to the dungeon."
Anne looked up abruptly: "The dungeon? You mean I have to go see that woman?"
"Um."
"No, sir, I don't want to see her. Please send someone else for this one."
"You're the one who told me not to treat you specially. Now I'm offering you a normal job, why aren't you willing to accept it?"
"This—I—"
Anne was speechless and could only bow to Jonas before heading to the dungeon alone.
Holding a lantern, she hesitated for a long time at the corner of the dungeon stairs before finally entering the dungeon.
The woman sitting in the dungeon pounced on Anne as soon as she saw her, especially since she was a woman.
He cried out, "My daughter! My daughter—"
When Anne heard these sounds, she felt as if a knife was slowly but surely cutting into her heart.
She had fantasized countless times about who her mother was.
But now, when she learns her true identity, and that the person before her is her mother—
Anne, however, didn't know what to do.
"Daughter! Caroline! Come here, let me take a good look at you!"
"My mother has gone mad because she lost me and misses me," Anne thought, while all I wanted to do was run away.
Anne felt like she was a beast.
She mustered her courage, took a step forward, and observed the appearance of the madwoman in the cell.
The other person looked old, with half of their hair white and their eyes bloodshot.
It's obvious that she's a pitiful woman.
The woman spent most of her life in filth and stench, but her love for her daughter never faded.
Anne used to think that her parents probably didn't love her, which was why they chose not to have her.
It seems she was wrong.
As the woman repeatedly called her "daughter," Anne's eyes inexplicably welled up with tears.
She was no longer afraid of this terrifying madman, and instead walked towards him.
When Anne got close enough, the madman grabbed her and pulled her to the fence.
She grabbed Anne roughly, her nails digging deep into Anne's flesh.
it hurts.
But it's better than heartbreak.
The woman screamed wildly, saying that Caroline was back, that her daughter was indeed alive, and that she would never let her daughter go again. She scratched and clawed at Anne, who felt that she must have broken her skin and bled.
But for some reason, the crazier the woman became and the more her body ached, the more Annie felt sad.
Anne reached out and hugged him.
"Mother, I'm back."
The other person, who had been hurting Annie's hands, suddenly stopped.
She took a step back and looked Anne up and down.
Two lines of tears welled up in her eyes.
After that, her whole being became blurry.
To be precise, it was Anne's eyes that were blurry.
Ah—Anne thought—she recognized me.
Anne pressed herself against the bars and reached her hand into the cell:
"Mother, I'm back."
"Oh God, bless you—"
Tears streamed down the woman's face, and she reached out her hands, trying to respond to Annie.
But just then...
The woman's hand suddenly stopped.
She backed away step by step, shaking her head repeatedly:
No, you are not my daughter—
Anne was puzzled. She felt that her mother must have recognized her, so why would she say that?
"I am your daughter, I am Caroline—"
"—No! You're not!" the woman yelled, interrupting Annie. "Go away, and don't come looking for me again!"
"Huh?"
Why is this happening? She clearly misses me so much. Anne's thoughts were in turmoil, and I had acknowledged my identity, so why was she denying it?
But if she was certain I wasn't her daughter, why did she look so desperate?
The woman, tears streaming down her face, retreated to the corner.
She crouched down and hugged herself.
And he would occasionally steal glances at Annie out of the corner of his eye.
"Mother--"
"Don't call me that anymore! No! I'll never go crazy again, and please don't come here again!"
"Huh?" Anne was completely unable to think straight. "Mother—"
"Don't call me that, please, go, go!"
With a reluctant expression, the woman humbly begged Anne to leave.
In the end, Annie still left.
She wiped away her tears before daring to walk up the stairs.
Afterwards, they returned to the Heraldry.
Jonas immediately noticed that Anne's expression was off, and the fact that he sent the other people in the Heraldry was proof of that.
He asked, "What did the princess say to you?"
Anne told him the truth about what had happened in the dungeon.
However, Jonas laughed:
"That's wonderful! The princess is all better!"
"Huh?"
"Her unwillingness to acknowledge you proves that she has regained her logical thinking. She is unaware of your current situation and the potential changes she might bring to you, so she prefers not to acknowledge you."
"Oh, Anne, she denied your identity precisely because she was certain you were her daughter. Anne, even though she was trapped in a dark dungeon, even though she had just recognized you, she chose to sacrifice herself for you in the very first moment."
"Your Highness Caroline, that is your mother, Yolanda Hughes, a mother who loves you with all her heart."
In Anne's vision, Jonas's face gradually blurred, distorted, scattered, and overlapped.
The scalding liquid clung to Annie's cheeks, slid down her neck, onto her chest, and dripped into her heart.
Annie felt a tightness and pressure in her heart.
Oh my God—my mother and I.
Anne really wanted to cry out loud.
But she dared not cause too much of a commotion.
Annie asked tearfully, "Sir, what kind of person was she?"
"Queen Yolanda was a gentle woman, so gentle that even the hot-tempered Mitchell couldn't bear to raise his voice in her presence. She was kind to everyone, but God was too unkind, inflicting so much suffering upon her."
"But thankfully you're still alive, Anne. Princess Caroline, you are Princess Yolanda's only salvation. You must save her."
This is your responsibility.
Anne wiped away her tears with her sleeve and looked at Jonas:
"What should I do?"
"First, you have to accept your original name, Caroline Sinclair."
Anne nodded. "I understand."
Jonas patted Anne on the shoulder: "Good girl, Your Highness, although the situation is urgent, please don't worry. I will formulate a plan as soon as possible. Rest assured, as long as I personally intervene, the landscape of the royal city will be reshuffled."
Anne nodded: "Then now—"
"Just be patient."
Finally, Anne has come to this point.
But since things have come to this, Annie is determined to get to the bottom of it:
Why did I disappear from the palace back then?
"The king was assassinated, but only I may know the details of this matter more clearly."
Jonathan paused, then continued...
"His Highness Mitchell once killed his Henhenjien here, but I never believed that His Highness would do such a thing."
"But then I figured it out. After Mitchell left, the long-lost Duke Bob Capello suddenly appeared in the royal city."
"And it was because of his instigation that Mitchell was captured by the loyal dog during the war. It was also because of him that the court's power was weakened, which led to King Claude's assassination."
"You mean, Bob Crowder is my enemy?"
“Dong,” Jonas shook his head, “I think Dong has a motive for doing this, and I’ve noticed that Bob and His Highness have never been seen together since the Battle of the Hills began.”
"I've been thinking about the reasons behind this, but I've finally come up with a possibility: if the two people are actually the same person, then it makes sense."
"Whether it's Bob or His Highness after his return, although Fontaine has no problem speaking, their stance seems strange no matter how you look at it."
"Therefore, I suspect that these two people might be imposters. Bob disappeared again after the king's assassination and has not been found to this day, which further supports my idea."
Anne was confused and didn't even have the patience to listen any further.
"Just tell me the conclusion."
"The conclusion is that there may be someone who can impersonate others at this moment. He killed Duke Bob, Mitchell, Prince Gene, and His Majesty Claude all by himself. It was also that person who took away the Duke who was with the King at the time, which is you, Princess Caroline."
Anne took a deep breath.
She dared to think deeply.
The appointed day has arrived again.
Anne went to the agreed location and found that Lola was already waiting there.
Thank goodness, she was not in danger.
But Anne still held back her complaint: "Lola, why didn't you come last month?"
"Sorry, Annie, I have something to take care of."
"Is Dong a dangerous matter?"
Lola shook her head.
That's good.
Anne forced a smile and patted Lola's head.
But Lola suddenly said, "Annie, you look like you have something on your mind."
Is it that obvious?
But since that's the case, Annie decided to tell him everything that was on her mind.
Sometimes, Anne felt incredibly lucky to have met Lola.
Laura was always willing to be Anne's listener.
And no matter what you tell her, she will keep it a secret.
Now, Anne really doesn't know what to do about the truth of her origins.
Anne wanted to hear Laura's comforting words, to hear her tell Anne that nothing was wrong.
however.
Laura, however, said, "Aaron might be your enemy."
Enemy.
Anne has only one enemy.
That was the man who killed her father, the man who killed her grandfather, the man who kidnapped her, and the man who drove her mother insane.
If that person is Aaron, does that mean Anne and Aaron are mortal enemies?
And Aaron was precisely the person Anne cared about most before.
To shut up.
Parrot.
To shut up.
Lola.
"Dong is Aaron!" Annie shouted. "Dong could definitely be Aaron!"
Laura said, "He can do it, you know, he's very strong."
To shut up.
Lola, why don't you shut up?
All I want is for you to comfort me and tell me that the prisoner has been found by Dong.
I, Dong, wanted to hear you say this.
"It's him, Dong!"
Anne yelled at Lola, and she yelled at herself.
"That person can transform into someone else's face!"
However, Laura said:
"Aaron seems to be able to as well."
Oh my god... Laura.
You're so close to me, how can you possibly understand my heart?
Do you think you can fool me?
Why do you insist on forcing me?
"That could be him, it could be him," Anne shook her head frantically. "He raised me, he—in any case, it could be Aaron."
"Even if Dong is him, he must be connected to your enemy."
ah·..-·
"Lola—stop talking—"
"Annie, have Dong ask Aaron."
"Do you think he'll tell the truth?!"
"I think he will," Laura said earnestly. "He cares about you a lot, and regardless of whether he's your enemy, I think that's for sure."
That's why Anne looked at Lola, "I'm so scared, but Lola, why do you understand completely?"
"Lola, what if he tells me he really is connected to my hatred? What should I do if I can get revenge? Lola, would you be willing to kill Aaron for me?"
Laura fell silent.
"Look, even you are willing to help me with this."
"Then I'll help you," Lola said, taking a step forward.
But these words only frightened Anne: "Lola, how could you do this? I may have a grudge against Aaron, but he has only been kind to you. How could you be so heartless?"
"Me, heartless?" Lola's voice was full of grievance. "But Annie, what do you want me to choose?"
Do you still want to hear Dong's voice? I'm just being unreasonable.
So can you please shut up and stop pushing me?
Anne was very patriarchal.
Later, the Duke brought up this topic with Lola.
Anne Dong wanted to speak again.
But Lola pressed on: "Annie, tell me, what should I do?"
You should ask yourself that question!
Annie roared, even though she herself was the one suffering the most and feeling the most confused right now.
However, at this very moment, Lola still had to ask Anne what to do.
Anne said coldly, "Lola, you're a grown woman now. Aaron has told you many times that you should have your own thoughts. Don't always rely on me to make decisions for you."
Lola was clearly startled; she stood frozen in place for a long time before stammering:
"Then—then I'll go ask for you, okay?"
Good heavens, why are you forcing me?
"Shut up, Lola."
"If I find out that his hatred is related to you, I'll tell you. If it's true, then I won't tell you anything. Is that alright?"
You haven't improved at all.
In this way, even if Dong says, wouldn't I already know the outcome?
"Shut up, Lola."
Dong is trying to force me.
"Annie, what do you want me to do?"
Anne stared coldly at Lola.
She had thought Lola was her lucky charm, but now it seemed she was actually Dong Xing's.
Lola, it turns out we've been getting each other in the first place.
Anne's expression was as cold as steel as she looked at Lola with indifference:
"You can go now, Laura."
"Huh?"
"I told you to leave!"
"Annie—to Dong Qi, I know what I did to upset you. Since you want to talk to me again today, I'll come again next month—and don't come next month either."
"Oh? Well then—I'll come back the month after next."
Don't come the month after next either.
"That time, that time, that time—"
"—Don't come!" Anne shouted angrily. "Never come looking for me again."
Lola stood there, stunned.
Suddenly a gentle breeze, baked by the late summer sun, blew by, but it made Annie shiver.
Two lines of tears slid down Lola's sunglasses.
Lola stepped forward, muttering to herself, "To Dong Qi."
Until she reached Anne, Lola, while begging for forgiveness, tried to hug Anne.
"Please forgive me, I'm sure I'll make the same mistake again. Dong wants to see me, Annie—"
"Dong must call me Annie again!"
Anne resolutely pulled her hand away from Lola's and stepped back to create some distance.
"I am Anne Booker, and I am also your sister. I am Carolyn Sinclair."
Tears streamed down Lola's face, her voice filled with anxiety:
"Annie, what are you saying?"
"Are you still listening to Dong, Laura?"
Anne quickly turned around, bent her index finger, and gently wiped her eye.
He then started walking towards Platinum Castle, heading towards the center of the storm.
She left behind only one last sentence, casting it into the chasm she herself had torn open between herself and Lola:
"This is a complete break."