In the house of the Sector family, large pansies are blooming.

Mrs. Donna Sect walked gracefully down the corridor, handing the mink fur shawl to the servant beside her, and took off the graceful lace feather hat.

"Donna?" The old Patriarch Sect in the garden straightened up, put down the gardening scissors, and frowned, "Donna!"

Donna stood still with a cold expression, and heard her old father muttering behind her: "What's the matter with you these days? You don't come home every day, and your face is pale like a ghost. Emilia is worried about you."

Donna stood silent, the bright sunshine made her face whiter and tenderer, she said indifferently: "You think too much, Dad, I'm fine."

The woman's tone was calm, "If there is nothing else, I will leave first, Emilia is still waiting for me."

"What are you talking about? Donna, stop!"

Old Sect jumped up angrily, and threw the gardening scissors on the ground, "What do you mean by overthinking? It's because I overthink it when you go out to find men every day for the past few years!?"

"There should be a limit to nonsense, the Sektor family will lose all their face! When Major General Xie can't stand you, I think... Hey, stop! I'm old, I can't control you anymore, right?"

Donna didn't pay any attention, and left the furious old Sect behind.

She went back to her bedroom.Pushing open the door, the room was very dark, and all the curtains were drawn.

Donna changed her high-heeled shoes inlaid with small diamonds in the dark, walked to the bed, and could vaguely see a bulge in the quilt.

"..."

Donna sighed softly, went up and stretched out her hand to pull the quilt away, and she saw the little girl whose hair was rolled into a chicken coop.

Xie Yinxing raised her small face in frustration, and she stretched out her hands to wrap around Donna's neck: "Mom. Mom has been wondering recently. Did Emilia make any mistakes?"

"How could it be?" Donna looked at her daughter steadfastly, complex emotions rolled over her eyes like flowing clouds, "Of course not, Emilia is a good child...she is mother's most important treasure."

Donna kissed her daughter's forehead, turned around and took a comb from the dressing table, sprayed on some of her favorite nourishing hair conditioner, and sat by the bed to comb Xie Yinxing's hair.

"Mom is just too busy recently." Her movements were gentle and her voice was patient, "so she will be a little tired."

Xie Yinxing seemed to understand but half understood: "Oh..."

Donna thought for a while, and then said, "That's right... Mom saw Dad today."

Xie Yinxing's eyes lit up all of a sudden: "Really? Is it really Dad?"

"Well, it was just a short projection, and we couldn't talk."

Donna's eyes were blank for a few seconds, and she whispered, "He's still... the same."

After combing her hair, Donna dropped her palm from Xie Yinxing's hair, stroked her cheeks, and finally slid to her shoulders and arms.

She pinched her daughter's forearm casually, and felt the hard lump under the delicate skin.

"Mom?" The girl tilted her head in doubt.

In the dim light, Donna's curled eyelashes trembled twice, and at an angle that her daughter could not see, there was a look of struggle in her eyes.

"Emilia...my Xing Xing." She closed her eyes and whispered, "Mom loves you."

Suddenly, the door of the bedroom was knocked politely, and the voice of the servant came from outside: "Miss, Your Excellency Lance is visiting."

Donna looked up, "Lance? Audley Lance?"

Servant: "Yes, miss."

Donna nodded, stroked her curly hair, and that haughty and glamorous demeanor was withdrawn from her surroundings again: "I understand. Please go to the West Hall and wait for a while."

The servant opened his mouth to answer, and the sound of footsteps turned away from the opposite side of the door.

Donna stood up and patted Xie Yinxing's head, "Emilia, wait here for mom to finish her business."

...

In the sky above the military headquarters in Aslan Star City, the alarm for a large mech to take off suddenly sounded.

The S-class mecha "L-Caidongqing" rose from the roof of the building, and the huge shadow gradually shrank, and it rolled up a whirlwind and quickly climbed higher.

Named after the God of Eagles, this mecha is cold gray with white and navy blue markings interspersed. It is equipped with four mecha cannons and two high-energy particle shields. It is the exclusive mecha of the honorary commander of the empire, Chen Hanke..

The interior of the L-shaped mecha cockpit is extremely spacious, with a full six seats.

One was in the driver's seat, and Marshal Chen was sitting there.The two co-pilot seats are His Royal Highness the Prince and the leader of the Black Shark base.

The remaining three support seats, sitting from right to left are Jiang Jianming, Kevin and Diana.

Seen in this way, the composition of this cockpit is very subtle.Just looking at the front row, it seems to be a collection of the strongest fighting forces in the empire; but looking at the back row... Good guy, a disabled person, a boy who didn't graduate from the military academy, and a weak lady who was so frightened that she was crying.

The gemstone was placed in the analysis tank, and it was cut open to reveal the transparent crystal block inside. Scanning beams swept across its surface, and the S-level intelligent brain "Tyl" was printing rows of data on the screen.

It was this time that L- Haidongqing dispatched urgently and even alarmed the crown prince and the chief culprit.

Lai An looked at the gem, lowered his eyes, and asked the base leader sitting next to him sideways: "So, what is this?"

"It's hard to explain, but it can be understood in this way: it is an incomplete dead crystal, or a true crystal mine that can be excited at any time."

The black-clothed leader was sitting in the driver's seat, looking at the rows of data on the screen, and said, "Or to be more blunt, it's a time bomb, the button is in the hands of the enemy. This is the old empire'sTechnology, the base has only begun to try to recover in the past few years."

Lai An didn't understand: "A time bomb-like dead crystal that can be activated at any time? What is the principle?"

Leader: "The principle is the conscious connection between crystal particles. You don't need to understand too deeply, unless you want to enter the base for scientific research."

"In short," Old Marshal Chen said calmly, "I am already very worried about this old man. Now we must immediately control Donna Sektor and the people behind her, otherwise the consequences will be disastrous."

As soon as he said this, the few people who had seen the storm were lucky. Kevin and Diana both showed panic, and a layer of blood faded from their faces.

Jiang Jianming lifted his military cap and sighed helplessly: "Old Marshal, don't be scary."

Old Marshal Chen responded with a smile and raised his gray eyebrows: "But there is no need to be afraid. Jin Rilun has already gone in the direction of Sekt's house. Please come over, His Highness. I am just worried that there will be another too strong opponent."

Jiang Jianming glanced at Lai An and knew it.

Well, commonly known as the town.

The old marshal asked again: "How is the actual application of the cracking technology of the mecha interference wave?"

"Well... that's right." Jiang Jianming thought for a while and answered, he was hanging around Jin Rilun every day during this time, and he was the first-line insider.

"The base has already made a system to crack the interference, but the time is too tight and it has not been popularized on a large scale. Among the Jinrilun mechas stationed in Aslan Star City, there should be less than one hundred B-level and above mechas.The model is equipped with a cracking system."

Lai An said: "Enough is enough. This is in Aslan Star City, the number of enemies will not be too many. If there are enemies with high-level crystal bones, I will solve them."

After all, His Highness's green eyes looked at Jiang Jianming, frowned and emphasized: "Remember your obligations, be good." Jiang Jianming read dissatisfaction from Lai An's eyes.No wonder, he didn't need to do anything this time, in fact, he shouldn't have come here.

He explained, "I'm just worried about Audley."

Diana huddled in a corner, clutching the seat belt tightly with both hands, trembling violently when she heard this.

Kevin was sitting on pins and needles next to him, and said hoarsely with guilt: "I'm sorry, it's all my fault. I shouldn't let Lord Lance...I shouldn't let him take the risk alone."

The black-clothed leader looked back at Diana, and suddenly said, "Little girl, you are very much like me before."

Diana raised her head from her panic, and said timidly, "What?"

"Being protected by others, weak, innocent, and pitiful, like this year after year, but I think that is called being loyal to myself, and I should be like this by nature."

The leader smiled lightly, and the electronic sound processed the laughter into a strange wave.

"Did someone ever tell you that it doesn't matter if you are weak, because he will protect you?"

Diana: "Ah..."

"People who say that kind of thing are probably liars," the leader said quietly, "If you believe it, when he leaves you one day..."

"No! You—you're talking nonsense!!" Diana bounced up as if she had been whipped, her face flushed, and she stammered angrily, "Don't say that..."

"The most innocent period of a person is a baby, but a baby can only become an adult when it grows up."

The leader just said indifferently: "If you also have an existence that you want to protect, you can no longer be content with the status quo."

"?" Lai An turned his head inexplicably, his voice was cold, "What nonsense are you talking about?"

He instinctively didn't like the expression of the leader, and was worried that it would irritate Jiang Jianming. This crippled human being had done too many "uncomfortable with the status quo".

Anyway, it was not the first time to argue with the leader, the crown prince continued naturally: "As long as..."

The leader suddenly turned his head, and his breath came down sharply: "Keos!"

There seemed to be a thousand emotions struggling in her tone, but the black mask covered all expressions.

The crown prince was stunned for a moment, what happened, it was impossible to judge.

What he wanted to say was interrupted. What he wanted to say was - as long as he has enough power, he is of course qualified to protect the people around him and let them live a pure and comfortable life.

But he heard the leader sigh and said softly: "Take care of your own crown princess first, Your Highness."

...

Inside the house of the Sect family.

After Donna left, the bedroom returned to silence.Xie Yinxing sat on the edge of the bed boredly, shaking his calf alone.

She hummed a recently popular song, took out the small pistol from under the pillow, and played with it for a while, but soon put it down bored, and puffed up her cheeks sullenly.

Perhaps because she is too young, many things do not understand.

For example, where did the good-natured Lord Lauren disappear, why did her mother start to become more and more depressed, and then she was going to talk to the brother of the Lance family.

This is obviously very strange, Xie Yinxing thought to himself.

Mom and Your Excellency Lance, didn't they just attend the ceremony together in the palace?

If there is something important, why not make it clear in person.

Xie Yinxing struggled for a while, and suddenly jumped off the bed.

West Hall, she knew there was a way to get in there from the outside.

It's not a bad thing, it's all because of her mother ignoring her every day, so she couldn't help being curious and wanting to eavesdrop.

The next thing was familiar, Xie Yinxing changed into light clothes and ran out of the bedroom.The weather was fine outside, everything was normal, she said hello to grandpa in the garden, and turned into a path.

Then, the girl got under a pansy, patted the "soil", and a square steel plate with one side as wide as an adult's arm was exposed.

The big mansions of noble families often have such secret passages, which are used for escape in case of emergencies. If people are trapped in the house, they can go directly to the outside from here.

But unexpectedly, Xie Yinxing just pushed it lightly, and the steel plate slid away.It was actually not covered.

Xie Yinxing bit her lower lip in doubt: Hey, did someone go in through the secret passage?

Could it be that Mom was the guest who entered the west hall through the secret passage just now?

It's even weirder, and it's not polite, Mom can't.

It's not like someone else went in...

If it was an ordinary girl of this age, thinking of this, she might have already started to feel flustered.

But Xie Yinxing has been wild since she was a child, and she was so courageous that she rolled up her sleeves, stepped into the secret passage, and covered the steel plate with her backhand.

Inside is a dark corridor, Xie Yinxing is not afraid, she has climbed countless times since she was a child, and regards it as some kind of "adventure game", imagining that she and her father are exploring the dangerous far interstellar space together.

A few minutes later, a wall in the depths of the West Hall moved and was pushed away.

The little girl crawled out from the secret door, patted the dust, and looked around.

"Your Excellency, Lance, you are awsome."

It was mother's voice.

Xie Yinxing hurriedly hid herself behind a large sculpture, watching her mother and Lord Audley walking over while talking from a distance.

"I know, Xie Yuduo and I are not suitable."

"He is a genius and a hero. Nothing can stop his yearning for the stars. In this era, in a sense, he is one of the few giants who stand out from the crowd."

Behind the sculpture, Xie Yinxing's face flushed red, and he pressed his chest hard, breathing lightly.

She had never done such a thing as eavesdropping on her mother's conversation with guests, and now her heart was beating so fast that she was afraid that her heartbeat would be heard by her mother.

"But I'm not, I'm just a mediocre woman. At most, I've got some honor from my family and become a mediocre lady."

The round-bellied vases in the west hall are very smooth, reflecting Donna's wry smile. She whispered, "If you want to find my replacement, you only need to go to the high-class dance party in Star City of Aslan and stand on the second floor.Splash a glass of juice down. All the screaming ladies are not fundamentally different from Donna Sektor."

The silver-haired young man's face sank like water: "Mrs. Sect, please don't say that."

"When Major General Xie was away, you alone supported the declining Sect family and raised little Emilia."

Donna's wry smile deepened. She raised her palm and stroked her cheek with a gloomy expression, "But I feel very tired, Your Excellency Lance."

"I don't have the ability to handle everything well. I can't remember how many times I broke down in the middle of the night, thinking how great it would be if my husband could be by my side and be my support."

"I hope he will give up his dream and career, stop being the youngest major general in the empire, and just be a husband who accompanies his wife and daughter, so that he will be as mediocre as me."

"But I don't even dare to say these words to Emilia Xie Yinxing, because I dare not let my daughter know that her mother's heart is so low."

"Look." Donna said mockingly, "I'm just such a glamorous little woman who is actually very weak."

Audley shook his head: "There is nothing wrong with you, it's human nature."

The two had already walked into the west hall, only ten meters away from the sculpture where Xie Yinxing was hiding.

Donna caressed the newly planted flowers in the vase on the cabinet, and suddenly turned her head and said sadly, "But really powerful people are not so weak, right? Like you, like Your Majesty the Crown Princess."

Audley insisted: "No one should be deprived of weak power, no matter what her origins, or what husbands she married."

He bowed his head and smiled, with infinite warmth in his eyes, "I once said this to my sister."

Donna's fingers trembled, and she pressed her red lips tightly, as if something Audley said had cut the soft flesh in her heart.

Audley: "I promised Diana that I would accompany her to pick out jewelry this afternoon. Because yesterday we picked out the dress for the ceremony together, she complained that she lacked a bracelet that could match the dress."

"..." Pain flashed in the woman's eyes, but when Donna raised her head, her face was still very calm.

"Then you should go, go back, Lord Lance."

Audley shook his head: "It's still early, maybe, can you recommend some styles?"

His eyes fell on Donna's wrist: "Your ruby bracelet is beautiful."

Donna clutched her wrist reflexively, and heard Audley say with a smile, "But it seems... that one of them was lost?"

"You should go back, Your Excellency." Donna's expression became cold.

Audley: "But it's still early."

There was an imperceptible tremor in Donna's voice: "This is advice."

Audley stopped suddenly and asked earnestly, "Mrs. Sect, what is the most important thing to you?"

Donna's eyes filled with mist, and she said softly, "It's my daughter."

"Now, my only treasure is my daughter. So...do you understand, Your Excellency? For Emilia, I will do anything, even if it is evil or treason."

Audley: "You won't, Mrs Sect."

Donna: "I will."

Audley: "But your ruby bracelet is missing a piece, isn't it?"

Donna froze for a moment, her eyes flickered.

"what?"

With a solemn expression, Audley continued: "If on a certain dark rainy night, you 'accidentally' drop a bead behind you, even if there is another person watching, the other person probably won't be able to notice."

"But if it's sunny the next day and the sun is reflecting off the stone, it's not that hard to spot, am I right?"

Donna's pupils dilated slightly: "You..."

"With such an important ceremony today, you can't walk around without noticing that the bracelet you're going to wear is broken."

Audley took a step forward and said word by word: "Why? Are you expecting someone to discover the gems that fell in Lauren's house, and then suspect you!?"

"..."

"—Madame Sect!"

With a dignified voice, Audley took another step forward, stretched out his hand, and snapped off the ruby bracelet on Donna's wrist!

The rubies were scattered and fell to the floor crisply, bouncing non-stop.

"As long as people are willing to ask for help, they will definitely be heard; if you have difficulties, the empire will never abandon you. Please believe me!"

Donna's red lips trembled, trembling, and the teardrop in her eyes finally fell, leaving a sad water mark on the lady's cheek.

"really? Thank you."

"But already," she raised her face and closed her eyes sadly, "already, it's too late—"

The sound of footsteps came suddenly, very abrupt in the empty west hall.

The visitor did not come in from the direction of the gate, but from the other side... from the direction inside the west hall.

Audley suddenly turned his head and stared at Donna suspiciously.

It was the west hall where Donna signaled her servants to bring him.

But in this hall, was there someone else early in the morning?

Has this person been listening to the conversation between the two of them just now!?

At this moment, Xie Yinxing, who was hiding behind the sculpture, had a pale face, and the girl covered her mouth with her two trembling little hands.

"..."

Even if she didn't know what happened, the meaning vaguely revealed in the conversation between her mother and Lord Lance just now, the fear of the claws coming from the shadows, was enough to make this young child stop thinking completely.

Knock, knock... the sound of leather boots on the floor.

Getting closer.

A slender middle-aged man, wearing a dark blue aristocratic attire, walked in leisurely with a long staff in his hand.

He has kind eyebrows, good features, and correct facial features. Who is it but the long-disappeared Gerhard Lauren??

"You are too reckless, Your Excellency Audley Lance."

Lauren looked at Audley, and first bowed politely: "When you perceive danger, you should act wisely and protect yourself as soon as possible."

Audley quickly turned around, pulled out the gun at his waist, and sneered between his teeth: "Lauren...it really is you!"

Lauren: "The guards at the Lance family were excellent, I'm sorry about that but they went peacefully."

Anger suddenly flashed between Audley's brows.Lauren looked at Donna Sector again. At this time, her face was already pale, and her whole body was shaking like chaff.

"As for... Mrs. Donna," Lauren smiled, "Actually, you are more courageous than I imagined."

"It turns out that you voluntarily agreed to wear this dangerous jewelry a few days ago, because you conspired such a clever plan."

"But you're not really smart, because...didn't I say so?"

Lauren sighed regretfully: "In Xing Xing's right forearm is a semi-activated dead crystal that I quietly buried a few years ago. I can make your lively and lovely daughter anytime..."

"Turned into a combination of rotten meat and crystal blocks."