[Infrastructure] Rose kissed Barcelona

Two plump women walked around the lilac bushes and appeared in front of Joey and Mercedes.

Colorful ostrich feathers are inserted into the shiny coiled hair covered with pearls, and heavy diamond necklaces are wrapped around their fat necks. They hold small fans decorated with velvet in their hands, blowing out a strong fragrance, and revealing their white hair by the way. And the huge shiny ring on the fat finger.

His face looked familiar, but he couldn't call out his name for a moment.

Joey thought, probably one or two of the many female relatives in the huge Bourbon family.

When the two saw Joey and Mercedes, their faces changed in an instant. They immediately lowered their eyes and bowed their heads to salute, then looked up at Joey with some awe, and pursed their lips.

Why don't you speak?

She is still waiting for them to make a move.

Joey: "..."

Several people:"……"

Joey finally couldn't bear it any longer, and leaned over to Mercedes and asked softly, "Why don't they talk anymore?"

The moment he heard these words, even with his head down, he could see the faces of the two women turning red quickly, as if they had been greatly humiliated.

"Joey, are you serious?" Mercedes stared at her in surprise.

"Can I be more serious?" Joey looked at her very sincerely.

Everyone was silent, as if they were waiting for her to speak—this silent scene was too weird, as if they were playing a game where whoever spoke first would be cursed, which made her feel goosebumps.

"Well..." Mercedes said cautiously, "If you haven't greeted them, Your Highness, they can't speak to you first-this is determined by the protocol order and the rank of the title. Women with lower ranks cannot greet you first. The tall woman spoke."

Ah, Joey remembered.

She actually forgot this one - she can't be blamed, after all, there are two people's memories in her mind, and it's normal to forget some rules and regulations that haven't been used for a long time.

There is indeed such an ancient and cumbersome court etiquette.

Now the queen and princess are not in the country, and the king has no queen, so I am ashamed-Joy is the woman who currently ranks first in the concierge order in this country.

Joey was asking sincerely, but the two women were guilty of gossiping just now, and at this moment they probably understood the princess's forgetfulness as a deliberate humiliation.

Humiliation generates great anger, and this anger sometimes even breaks through a certain conventional awe——

"It's just a princess, do you really think of yourself as the savior?"

The older woman gritted her teeth at the other person, "Is what we said wrong?"

It's a pity that even though she was going crazy with anger, she didn't dare to speak directly to the princess.

"We are just worrying about the king and the country, but someone wants to jump out and be a good person—oh, she probably thinks that she can win a good name for herself by doing this?"

Eh, this is transferred to yourself?

That would be more fun.

Joey had been going too smoothly during this period, he had no goals to strive for, and he was about to grow mushrooms in his free time, so he was aroused at this time.

The lady continued to say: "But who doesn't know, the dignified princess, she stays in the capital dishonestly, but runs around outside alone, and hangs out in men's social circles! God, who would dare to marry such a woman?" Where's the woman—"

"To shut up."

The crisp but firm voice sounded, and everyone was stunned for a moment.

Even Joey turned his head in surprise and looked at Mercedes who clenched his fists angrily.

Is this the little girl who only dared to wipe her tears silently when she heard people speak ill of her a moment ago?

"Mrs. Jilian, I thought you were a good person. When I first came to Madrid, I treated you sincerely. I thought you treated me sincerely and wanted to help me integrate here."

Mercedes looked into Mrs. Jilian's eyes, and his voice was neither high nor fast, but every sentence he said was very solemn, with a weight that could not be ignored.

"However, my sincerity was exchanged for your deceit and betrayal."

"I admit, I'm sad. I'm not a strong person, and I cry when I'm sad. I also know that I'm not smart enough, and I often have to accept the consequences of my stupidity."

She raised her eyes, and there was a strange indifference in her eyes, "But that doesn't mean I can tolerate your shameless slander of my true friends."

"While you're dancing at the gaudy ball, she's trying to make people's lives better. You spend your whole life wondering whose dresses are more colorful, who has more jewels, whose man More focused. And the things she pays attention to are much nobler and greater than yours."

"—but all you care about is who dares to marry her! How ridiculous."

"In the future, when people talk about Princess Rose, they will talk about how many outstanding contributions she has made, not whose wife she is. I understand, you are just jealous, just like I also deeply envy her, owning my forever Like an unattainable lifetime.”

"Joy, let's go." Mercedes pulled Joey up and left.

"My God..." Joey was so shocked that he was almost speechless, and was dragged away by the angry little girl, "How did you do it?"

I still wanted to teach her to quarrel, but now it seems that she is very powerful.

And with an elegant and calm temperament, she deserves to be the person who will be the queen.

Mrs. Ji Lian and her companion are still standing there, watching them go forward.

In the Royal Palace of Madrid, who doesn't know that the 17-year-old girl whom His Majesty the King loves is kind and harmless, weak and deceitful, and never speaks harsh words?

"If I don't talk, you'll have to talk to them," Mercedes whispered, "then they can quarrel with you, Your Highness."

"...So you just say it for me?" Joey couldn't laugh or cry, but a warm current surged in his heart.

Some people seem to be gentle without edges and corners, but in fact, maybe they just haven't touched the insurmountable bottom line.

She had been watching silently in the palace, and she felt that Mercedes was as harmless as a quail, which was indeed too fragile.

But when she thought about it now, this little girl was only 17 years old—what was she doing when she was 17 years old?

I'm afraid I can't do better than her.

"I'm not lying." Mercedes' voice was softer, his neck with light shattered hair lowered, slightly reddened, "Your Highness, I really envy you. I don't have any companions to talk to, so look I have read a lot of books, and read a lot of newspapers... I have been paying attention to you, and I have seen every success of yours!"

"But I can't do what you do... I don't even know if I can marry the person I love smoothly. I don't know anything, I have nothing, and I probably can't be a good queen, and I can't give the person I love Bring what he needs most..."

"Honey, you have to have a little faith in yourself, and a little faith in Alfonso."

Joey pulled her shoulders, looked at her moist black eyes and said.

I really didn't expect that one day I would actually comfort my fiancee for my younger brother.

"Of course I know that some people say that the king should marry a foreign princess, or a woman from another powerful political faction in the country. Don't worry about it-in fact, I kind of pity them. After all, in their eyes, a country needs to develop. , there is probably only one way to take a shortcut by relying on nepotism."

"But, believe me, no country or people can be strong in this way. To earn respect, you can always rely on yourself."

"And you don't know anything anywhere." Joey couldn't help but glanced at her again. "You are obviously very knowledgeable. It seems that you have read a lot of books."

In any case, this little girl's vision is not so good to be able to fancy herself - Joey thought without shame.

"...I don't have anything else to do." Mercedes said shyly.

"Alfonso is very thoughtful. He is working hard to develop the economy, strengthen the military, and resist threats from neighboring countries." Joy looked at her, "I'm just asking—what else do you think he can reform? "

"Perhaps...education?"

Mercedes thought for a while and said, "I think the government invests too little in education now, and many people are illiterate. The nobles and the church do not want the peasants in their land to be literate, thinking that it will corrupt their minds and threaten their rule. "

"But I think, if the vast majority of people in a country can't even read a book, how can that small number of people compete with other countries with more talents?"

"You are amazing." Joey couldn't help applauding the little girl, "I didn't even think of it. You have to believe in yourself, you will be a good queen—"

She blinked, then continued with a smile, "Believe in your future husband, too."

Mercedes blushed suddenly.

"Oh, that's right," Joey clapped his hands in frustration suddenly, "I just remembered, didn't you just talk to them first, so they can talk to you later—"

Mercedes couldn't help covering his mouth and laughing: "Your Highness, I haven't married Alfonso yet. My title is not as high as Mrs. Jilian's."

"That's just right!" Joy suddenly became happy, "Anyway, you're going to get married soon, and you'll be the queen after you get married—shut up and never talk to them!"

……

Although people in the palace were shocked by the friendship between Mercedes and Princess Rose, who had just returned to Madrid - after all, the two girls seemed to be completely different styles, but no matter how many political and court turmoil Yun Gui, the pre-wedding ball in December came smoothly according to the king's plan.

Even the people of Madrid embraced the king's choice faster than the nobles did - newspapers wrote with emotion that the 17-year-old future queen was as beautiful as a night in her native Andalusia, with thick black hair.

On the night of the grand ball, thousands of bright electric lights were lit in the Royal Palace of Madrid.

There was an endless stream of distinguished guests invited from all over the continent to congratulate the young king of Spain on his happy wedding.

"Your Highness, I have always admired your reputation."

Prince Arthur of England took off his tall hat and saluted Joy.

As the third son of Queen Victoria of England, Arthur was one of the representatives of the British royal family invited to attend the wedding of the King of Spain.

"I was invited to attend the king's wedding, and I was entrusted by my mother, Queen Victoria, to discuss with you about the football league."

"That's really great! It's an honor." Joey bowed and nodded to him.

Putting on the gorgeous and exaggerated banquet palace dress again for etiquette, she always felt that she was walking unsteadily.

"However, it seems to be the time for the dance." Arthur smiled and stretched out his hand, "I wonder if I can have the honor of inviting Your Highness to dance with me?"

The gorgeous waltz "The Blue Danube" played slowly.

This song was born in Austria only a few years ago, but it has quickly become popular among the courts of various countries and has become one of the most popular dance songs.

The music is beautiful, the gorgeous palace dance floor is beautiful, and the dance partner beside him is also handsome, but Joey is half-hearted, secretly preparing for the negotiation after the dance.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Your Highness!" It really wasn't a good thing to be distracted, she accidentally stepped on Arthur's foot.

"It's okay, I'm honored-I seem to be one of the few dance partners of His Highness." Arthur smiled and took her hand and let her turn in a circle.

While turning this circle, Joey suddenly caught a glimpse of two figures among the crowd holding goblets by the dance floor.

She couldn't help but blinked - read that right?

Taking another step, she secretly turned her head and took another look——

Saint George.

Two men in tuxedos were standing at the edge of the dance floor.

One was Sarasate, holding a violin——Joy remembered that she had also heard that Sarasate had been invited to the palace to play a solo before, but she couldn't arrive early because of previous performance arrangements.

And the slightly younger and thinner figure next to him is... Antonio.

With a calm face and a tall and straight figure, his eyes followed her vaguely, and there seemed to be no special reaction.

An inexplicable heat suddenly climbed up Joey's cheeks.

...this is not right.

She obviously didn't do anything, why did she just feel her head "buzzing" suddenly?

The author has something to say: Thanks to Qianli Yingti, Salted Fish King Sherlock, and Shuiyan for their nutrient solution~