Hilde nodded.
Then he took Sofia and Dioni's hands and walked towards his room.
"Xiao Xuexue."
"what happened?"
"I'll trouble you to take care of the things outside."
"……it is good."
Although Xerxes was not invited, it didn't matter.
Dione was crying so much that Sophia had to comfort her for a long time along the way, while Hilde just walked in front without saying a word.
However, looking at Hilde's back, Sophia also felt how much pressure her beloved was under. Hilde's slender shoulders seemed to be crushed by this invisible pressure. However, other people could not see it, but Sophia could feel it.
Hilde has a kind of stubbornness.
She really doesn't like to show her true emotions in front of others.
Sophia could see through Hilde's stubbornness.
When the news of Pericles' death reached Byzantium, Hilde burned Pericles' letter in the fire. However, looking at the burning letter in the fire, Hilde must have felt lost and sad. Pericles and Hilde had been fighting for more than ten years, and in the end, their fight ended in this way - it was really sad. And the death of her father may have shaken Hilde's iron-hard heart.
But Hilde said nothing.
Because of this.
There is a copy of Pericles' letter.
Sophia knew that Hilde might burn the letter without even reading it, so she had opened the letter in advance, copied the contents, sealed the letter intact, and gave it to Hilde. Sure enough, Hilde's actions were all within Sophia's expectations. Seeing that Hilde really did this, Sophia kept the copy of Pericles' letter hidden, waiting until Hilde really felt that it didn't matter anymore, and then she would take it out and show it to Hilde.
Now, Sophia almost died, but finally returned safely. Hilde was able to face this matter gracefully and calmly. Sophia was not surprised, but felt relieved. In this way, Sophia was relieved. Even if one day she really left Hilde or met with an accident, Hilde would definitely be able to do her own thing well without her.
"Dione."
At this moment, Hilde stopped at the door of the room.
"what happened?"
"You go back and rest first."
"But..." Dione looked at Sophia reluctantly, but she finally nodded, "Okay, call me anytime if you need me."
"Okay, have a good sleep and spend time with Sister Sophia tomorrow."
There is a special meaning behind Hilde's words.
But Diony couldn't hear it.
After coaxing Diony away, Hilde opened the door and hesitated for a moment.
The Kings who can't balance the fourth quarter of the third tune
"what happened?"
Sophia asked curiously.
She reached out her hand and gently placed it on Hilde's back.
"Now there are only two of us."
"Well... let's go in first."
Hilde sighed and walked into the room.
Sophia was also very considerate and closed the door, and then took a look outside. After making sure that no one was there, Sophia smiled and walked towards Hilde. At this time, Hilde stood in the middle of the room with her back to Sophia. She didn't say anything, but just silently watched the flickering candlelight in the room. It was obviously a rare moment of reunion, but Hilde seemed absent-minded and didn't take the initiative to welcome Sophia's arrival.
"Sissi."
Sophia walked up behind Hilde.
"sorry."
"No, it's not your fault, it's my fault..."
"It's my fault. I overestimated my strength. As expected, fighting a god is still very risky. If it weren't for Lady Artemis risking her life to save me, I'm afraid I really wouldn't be able to come back." Sophia stretched out her hand, hugged Hilde's waist tightly, and put her face against Hilde's neck. "I really thought I couldn't come back... and I would never see you again. Hera is terrible. She is very obsessed with Lord Nyx and wants to find Lord Nyx's location through me. To achieve this, she can do whatever it takes..."
Sophia's body was shaking.
She is afraid.
The feeling of fear in the divine realm almost tore Sophia apart.
Even though Sophia had been very calm when she came back just now, now that they were alone, Sophia could no longer control herself. Speaking of her experience in the Divine Realm, Sophia's despair during that time was almost indescribable. She was trembling with fear, but she didn't cry, as if she was holding back her emotions. Perhaps Sophia had her own concerns, and she was holding back even in front of Hilde.
"I am really scared."
"Sophia..."
"I was afraid that if I was captured and disappeared, would Xixi still be able to do her job well? If I was gone, would you do something irrational, which would lead to even worse consequences... I was really afraid. But fortunately, Xixi did a good job. I know that during the time I was away, Xixi handled everything very well and did everything very well. This way, I feel relieved."
Sophia's words.
It was like a sharp knife piercing into Hilde's heart.
She quickly turned around and held Sophia in her arms.
"Sophia, I'm sorry..."
"Xixi, why are you apologizing? It obviously has nothing to do with you."
Sophia reached out and placed her hand on Hilde's cheek.
"You are the respected King Basilius, the hope and pride of the Greeks. If you don't know what to do because of me, that would be too much. I will never allow you to become such a person, Sissi." Sophia smiled gently, but said something that made Hilde extremely painful, "Rather, it's me who caused trouble for you, Sissi... I'm sorry."
"It's okay, it's okay..."
Hilde felt a strong sense of powerlessness.
When she became king.
Everything familiar is disappearing.
She had once vowed to protect the people she loved, Sophia, Aspasia, Dione... As the number of people around her grew, this kind of protection became increasingly inadequate. Defeating Apollo and saving Dione from his hands was almost the absolute thing that Hilde could do. Now, Hilde, who had become Basileus, needed to protect millions of Greeks. In front of these millions of people, Sophia and the others seemed less important.
Of course, it’s not unimportant.
Only relatively speaking.
Although this statement is cruel, it is indeed true.
The fate of the empire and Xerxes' wish were related to the well-being of millions or even tens of millions of people. Hilde thought she was not a savior, but she could not do it. Under the premise of keeping the country running smoothly, she could also perfectly protect the safety of those around her. Originally, Hilde still had illusions, but when Sophia was captured and she was powerless, that illusion was completely shattered and disappeared.
The cruel reality.
Completely crushed Hilde.
It was as if reality was mocking Hilde and saying: You can't protect the people around you.
Now, Sophia is back, but Hilde knows that it was just luck. Artemis's return to the divine realm was a life-or-death choice, and it was not easy to bring Sophia back safely. If there was any mistake, I'm afraid that not only Sophia, but Artemis might not be able to come back alive...
"me……"
Hilde's heart is now in torment.
But Sophia did not blame her.
Instead, she praised Hilde for being able to handle the current problem when she was not around. Sophia's gentleness was more like a torture to Hilde, making Hilde feel breathless. At this time, Sophia seemed to see Hilde's pain and said, "Sissi, I told you this before."
"what?"
"You are the king and the emperor. Your duty is to serve this country and its people. Although I am your family, Sissi, you must know that your love cannot be limited to me alone. You must give your love equally to your people."
"..."
Hilde shook her head.
"I can not do it."
"Sissi!"
“I can’t do that!”
Hilde finally broke down.
These days, she tried to put Sophia's affairs aside and concentrate on handling political affairs.
However, in the process of dealing with the matter in Athens, the emptiness, fear, and guilt in her heart have been tormenting Hilde. When Sophia came back just now, Hilde also tried to act as if she didn't care, because she was the king and she didn't want others to see her overly emotional. She couldn't let others see that someone was her weak spot. However, there was no one else here, only Sophia, and only Sophia was here, and Hilde's inner sadness surged out like a tide.
"I really thought I lost you!"
"Sissi..."
Sophia smiled and stroked Hilde's head.
“If one day, if I really disappear, please don’t be so sad.”
The third tune, the fifth section, the most precious treasure
"impossible……"
Hilde's hands tightly grasped Sophia's clothes.
The power that cannot be controlled.
Sophia felt a sharp pain.
This was the pain from the depths of Hilde's heart, an indescribable pain. Although Sophia's words just now were sincere, they were the greatest harm to Hilde. Sophia's understanding and reasoning were like sharp knives, cutting off pieces of bloody flesh from Hilde's heart. She finally couldn't hold on any longer, and tears kept flowing down Hilde's flawless cheeks and onto Sophia's chest.
"I can not do it……"
"Sissi, it's okay."
"I know I was in so much pain when you were captured. I felt like I was abandoned by the whole world. I could only immerse myself in work and work hard for the future of the empire. Only in this way could the pain be reduced by half!"
"..."
Looking at Hilde crying.
Sophia's heart was also gripped.
She was the one who was taken away, and her sadness was different from Hilde's.
After returning safely, Sophia was relieved to see that everything in Athens was in good order. Greece or the new Greek Empire had not fallen into an uncontrollable disaster because of her capture. She was particularly afraid that the entire empire would be implicated because of her, and Sophia would feel that she was guilty. However, the final result still made her feel relieved, and she was relieved and satisfied with Hilde's decisiveness.
But other than that—
When he saw that he was no longer there, Hilde was able to handle the matters at hand.
Sophia suddenly had a feeling.
The feeling of being dispensable.
Although she knew that this was just the sequelae of her own wild thoughts and she didn't need to think that way, she couldn't help but feel so depressed just now, but she didn't show it at all. And now, Hilde couldn't help crying in her arms, and this feeling of being needed made Sophia's heart feel like a warm current, and it was instantly moistened.
"I won't leave you."
Sophia hugged Hilde gently.
"I'm just afraid that one day, Xixi won't want me anymore."
"no, I can not……"
"You are the emperor. I have only been gone for a short time, and my Sissi has become the emperor of Greece, the Greek Basilius. In a blink of an eye, she has become a very remarkable figure. From now on, I, a female slave from Carthage, may not be in the eyes of His Majesty Basilius." Although Sophia said this, she still had a gentle smile, and it was obviously a joke. After hearing this, Hilde couldn't help but burst into laughter, and was amused by Sophia's words.
"Ha, haha...what nonsense are you talking about?"
"Is not it?"
Sophia gently cupped Hilde's cheek.
"Then will I always be your princess?"
"Not anymore."
Hilde reached out her hand and gently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes.
"You are the imperial concubine now."
"What difference does it make? Besides, I can't give birth to a child for His Majesty Basilius."
"There's no need to pass on the family line. If it doesn't work, I can just use my invincible Creation Library to think of a solution." Hilde felt much better. She gently hugged Sophia in her arms and said, "But it's great that you're back... It's all my fault. I'm too weak. If I were stronger, I would have personally entered the Divine Realm and rescued you."
