The Wheel of Chronos

After the disintegration of the seven major city-states, how to distribute land and administrative divisions has become a new problem. As the main densely populated central state, it is particularly difficult to plan.The Federal Empire is a multi-ethnic and multi-lingual united country, and it is the homeland established by the surviving human beings on the earth after the catastrophe of the doomsday in 2038 AD.The parliament finally formulated a new administrative division bill, and selected the most prosperous cities of the major ethnic groups and countries in the old era to name the divisions. The general streets and landmark buildings in the divisions were basically restored to their original appearance.Since then, the Chinese ethnic group has the Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou districts, referred to as the three Chinese districts.The Berlin region is populated by Germans, while the British are concentrated in the London region.In addition, there are Tokyo and Seoul regions where Japanese and Korean descendants live, New York region where North American descendants live, and so on.

Westminster Abbey, a holy place for Protestants, is located in the west of London.The main chapel of the cathedral is the main venue for this meeting, and it is already crowded with people. The nobles who arrived at the venue took their seats according to the seats they had already arranged. Except for the whispering voices of a few people, the hall seemed quiet, solemn and orderly.

When Sharon Spencer, who was the last to arrive, stepped into the chapel, she attracted the attention of many people. Even those whispers disappeared as she stepped in, and the whole chapel became audible.Her face was stern, and her expression did not change too much.He walked to his seat under the guidance of a young priest.The metal sound she made while walking echoed in the hall, and many people present showed sympathetic expressions.

Her seat was against the aisle, and beside her was a lady in a long black dress, her silver-white hair was meticulously combed behind her head, and she was wearing a violet draped cap, sitting upright with her eyes down, as if she was asleep.Sharon recognized her as the widow of the Earl of Leicester. Since the two never had a child, she is currently the heir to the title.This is a taciturn old woman who is over seventy this year.

Sharon put the silver pocket watch in her hand back into her vest pocket, raised her hand and took off her hat, saluted Lady Leicester, and then sat down gracefully.Jack, the old butler of the Spencer family, sat in the servant's seat behind her, tall and straight, silent.

"The Earl of Sunderland (the title of the Spencer family is Sunderland) is a bit late." Lady Leicester beside her suddenly spoke to her.

"There is a funeral at home, so I'm late." Xue Lun replied softly. Her voice was pleasant and pleasant, and her conversation was elegant and decent, but she was frosty and repelled thousands of miles away.

"My condolences..." Lady Leicester nodded to her.

Sharon nodded in return.

It's so pitiful, every year on Christmas Day, it's the death day of the family. I lost three relatives in one day, and I also fell into a disabled body. Such a young and beautiful woman can't even wear skirts and dresses, and can only cover up with men's clothes. The mechanical prosthesis on the right side of the body is really pitiful.Lady Leicester thought silently in her heart.

At this time, with the rhythmic sound of the golden rod hitting the ground six times, the side door of the chapel opened, and the ceremony officer at the door sang loudly:

"God's grace, the glorious eternal emperor of the world federal empire, the guardian of light and freedom, Your Majesty Empress Muli is here! God's grace, the Duchess of St. Letien, the supreme chief of staff of the three armies, Her Royal Highness Queen Lani Come! God-best grace, the Countess of St. Letien, the Royal Knight of the Rose, the Rear Admiral of the Imperial Navy, and Her Royal Highness Princess Tianyang are here!"

All the nobles present stood up and took off their hats, and saluted the three members of the royal family who came out of the side door.Sharon raised her eyes and saw that the three members of the royal family dressed up were walking slowly towards the center of the chapel along the red carpet.Their clothes are thick church robes, the color is deep black and navy blue, and there are silver crosses around their necks.

The crown of gold and jewels on the head of Her Majesty the Queen shone dazzlingly. She is already in her 50s, but her appearance seems to have been fixed at 30. She is still young and handsome, with a magnificent bearing like the rising of the golden sun. Blowing towards the face, people dare not look at it for a long time.The long hair of the shawl is braided into two braids and tied behind the head, like an olive branch on the head of a Greek god. "This hairstyle is to support the crown" - Sharon inexplicably remembered a gossip about the royal family that she saw many years ago. At that time, she laughed for a long time, but now she can't smile at all.

Queen Lani, who was following Her Majesty the Queen, was still so glamorous, and the diamond tiara made her look like a fairy, following every step.She is probably the most beautiful woman on this continent, even she can't compare with Her Majesty's beloved daughter, Princess Tianyang, her wisdom and calmness, mature and elegant charm, Princess Tianyang is far behind.

However, Princess Tianyang, who was at the end, still easily captured the hearts of countless young men and women. Her whole body gathered all the advantages of Her Majesty the Empress and Her Highness the Empress. Her tall and straight figure and beautiful face combined all the advantages of the East and the West. , her dark brown eyes shone like stars, her long black hair was coiled up, and the exquisite and beautiful princess crown shone on top of her black hair, complementing her snow-white skin.She has a solemn face, with an indescribable nobility exuding from her heroic brows, which are very similar to Her Majesty the Empress. The beautiful red lips inherited from Her Majesty the Empress have a natural and beautiful curvature. Even if she never smiles, it always makes people think that she is smiling meaning.

Really blessed... Even though Sharon had seen the three members of the royal family on various occasions, she was still amazed by their extraordinary looks.What she admires most is Her Majesty the Empress. She ascended from an ordinary soldier to the throne of the emperor and became a hero who saves all mankind. This incredible heroic deed has long been an epic that everyone has recited.From five-year-old children to eighty-year-olds, no one does not know the experience of the empress.All those who have personally experienced the Lebyron Revolution can still recall the moment when Her Majesty's sacred and passionate voice sounded in their minds. The Nine Gods System, which symbolizes the imprisonment of thoughts, collapsed, and all human beings were liberated.The generation of Xue Lun's parents is also the generation that respects Her Majesty the Empress the most. To them, Her Majesty the Empress is a god.

The queen, queen, and princess walked up to the prayer platform slowly. The cardinal of Westminster Abbey bowed to them, and the three royals returned the salute gracefully.The Archbishop took a step forward and opened the ancient Bible on the prayer platform.The memorial ceremony officially began.This is the London area, where Protestant Christians live. Westminster is the eternal holy place in the hearts of the people of the London area. Even if there was a serious collapse accident that killed a large number of people, the glory remains after reconstruction.

Christmas Day six years ago was a nightmare day for Westminster Abbey. There were thousands of nobles and ordinary people who came to Westminster Abbey to worship on that day, but it happened to be such a lively day. Westminster Cathedral suddenly collapsed for no apparent reason.A large number of people who came to worship were killed innocently, and most of the survivors suffered from disabilities.

Sharon will never forget that day, the day she and her step-sister Josephine died. When Josephine pushed her down the steps, she was hit by the Zenith and died on the spot. The trajectory of her life A drastic shift has taken place since then.Earlier that day, her father and stepmother also died in a plane crash hundreds of kilometers away.All of a sudden, she was the only one left in the Spencer family.She regretted countless times why she came to Westminster with her sister that day. If they hadn't come, if she had insisted on taking Josephine to taste the newly opened dessert shop, wouldn't such a tragedy have happened? on them.

But if there is no if in this world, she will never be able to undo all of this, forever...

Tears dripped slowly from her drooping left eye and shattered on the prayer table in front of her.The sacred and solemn voice of the archbishop in red circled and echoed in the chapel, as if he was slowly sending him to heaven with the thoughts of the world.

Old Jack stared at the slightly trembling back of the hostess, his old eyes hidden behind the half-moon glasses slowly condensed with tears.

An hour later, the ceremony ended, and all the participants, led by the church staff, left the table one by one and went to the dinner hall.Xue Lun was still at the end, holding her silver eagle cane, walking lightly and unhurriedly.In fact, according to her position, her status among the nobles of the empire is not low, and she should be at the forefront.Dukes and marquises are extremely rare in the empire. They are titles that can only be obtained by the royal family and military and scientific research personnel who have made great contributions. Therefore, the earl is already the top of the nobility.Most of the aristocratic class inherited from the old era lost their titles during the Libyron Revolution and became commoners.The Spencer family is one of the very few old nobles who supported the Great Revolution. The Earl of Sunderland's name reached its peak again in her father's generation because of supporting the Great Revolution and the Queen.This ancient family has been passed down from the time of King Charles I of England in the 15th century to the present. The most famous family ancestor in the old era is none other than Princess Diana at the end of the 20th century.

The banquet hall was bustling with people, and the surroundings of the royal family members were especially lively. The nobles took turns to toast and chat with the royal family members, but Sharon seemed not interested. She brought a glass of champagne by herself and came to the terrace outside the banquet hall.Old Jack stood at the glass door of the terrace, waiting silently.

Drink the cold champagne with the winter wind in December, and the cold seeps into the bone marrow.She put the wine glass on the edge of the stone pillar railing on the terrace, took out a silver pocket watch from the pocket of her vest, held it in the palm of her left hand and slowly rubbed it.Suddenly, she pressed the button above the watch, and the retro-style silver pocket watch was opened, revealing the dial with several cracks. Under the dial were three hour hands that would always stop at 10:11:30.

She stared at the pocket watch for an unknown amount of time, until someone called her from behind:

"Miss... Her Royal Highness is here."

Xue Lun's mind was brought back to the present, she narrowed her dry eyes, she turned around, and saw Her Royal Highness Princess Tianyang standing at the door of the terrace.She hurriedly took off her hat and said:

"His Royal Highness is here in person. I am terrified. It is impolite for me not to visit the princess."

The princess came to her side slowly, only then did Sharon realize that the princess's height was similar to hers, but the princess should have worn high heels, if the heel difference was removed, the princess' real height might be a little shorter than hers.

"The Earl of Sunderland is too polite. I have heard about the Earl for a long time. It is our fault that the royal family has never visited you in person. The Queen Mother and the Queen Mother wanted to meet you in person, but they couldn't get away, so let I will come here on my behalf." Princess Tianyang said softly, her voice was extremely soft and pleasant, her words were clear and her tone was melodious, and when she spoke with someone, she always made the other person feel like a spring breeze.After finishing this very official speech, she suddenly winked mischievously at Sharon, and said:

"I also very much hope that the Earl of Sunderland can take advantage of the precious opportunity to let me hide from those pestering people." After finishing speaking, he cast a glance towards the main venue.

Xue Lun smiled, this was the first time she showed her face tonight, but the funnyness didn't reach her eyes.

"Earl Sunderland, you have such beauty, you should smile more." Princess Tianyang said.

Xue Lun just shook her head helplessly, then changed the subject and said, "Your Highness the Princess can just call me Xue Lun."

Princess Tianyang raised her eyebrows and said with a smile: "Then... the Earl, would you like to call me Tianyang?"

"..." Sharon was at a loss for words for a moment.

Princess Tianyang pursed her lips and said, "Since that's the case, it's fair for me to call you Earl and you to call me Princess."

Sharon spread her hands and shrugged her shoulders, which meant: I'm all depending on you.

This action made Princess Tianyang notice the pocket watch in her hand.The princess seemed to feel something suddenly, staring at the pocket watch for a moment, said:

"Excuse me, may the count lend me this pocket watch?"

Sharon hesitated for a moment, and after a while, she untied the watch chain clipped on the vest, took off the pocket watch, and put it in the hands of Princess Tianyang.When Princess Tianyang's hand touched the pocket watch, an unexpected electric current hit Xue Lun's left hand and the princess' right hand through the pocket watch. They both trembled for two seconds at the same time, and the images of each other reflected in their pupils seemed to be weirdly distorted. for a moment.This sudden strange feeling made the two of them very surprised. They stared at each other, as if they were wondering if it was static electricity.It's just that the static electricity is a bit too strong, and it lasts for a long time, which is very unusual.

But in the end, neither of them mentioned this unusual feeling.After the princess took over the pocket watch, she carefully held it in her hand and looked at it carefully. The cover made of sterling silver was delicately carved with patterns of irises. The irises are purple and inlaid with purple mother-of-pearl bit by bit. The handwork is extremely delicate.On the bottom of the case, the initials of "S·S" are marked with ancient English letters in cursive.Opening the watch cover, the broken dial and the stopped hour hand made the princess's heart stab slightly. The inside of the watch cover was empty, and there was no picture of the princess imagining embedded in it.

The princess hesitated to speak, and finally returned the pocket watch to Sharon.Sharon suddenly said:

"It was a Christmas present from my step-sister Josephine just before she died, and we were standing in the middle of the spiral staircase on the south side of Westminster Abbey, and she handed me the pocket watch and told me This was specially ordered by her from a magical watch shop more than half a year in advance, and it cost her more than a year's pocket money." Xue Lun smiled wryly, "She was only 16 years old at that time, and the next second the pocket watch came into my hands, The roof over our heads is collapsing..."

Princess Tianyang was silent.

"Hehe... I'm being rude..." Xue Lun lowered her head and smiled lightly, with a slightly embarrassed look on her face. She shouldn't have mentioned this in front of the princess. Someone to talk to.For some reason today, I felt the desire to confide in the princess.

"She loves you very much...otherwise how could she..." The princess hesitated to speak, she seemed to want to say something but she held back, and said instead, "How could she sacrifice her life to save you."

"I'd rather go with her..." Sharon said softly.She glanced at the princess nonchalantly, expecting to hear grandiose comforting words such as "sorry" and "the dead cannot be brought back to life", but she didn't expect the princess to say "she loves you very much".Josephine is indeed the person she cares about the most in this world, even surpassing her biological father. Even though they are not related by blood, their deep affection for each other can surpass that of sisters.

"Count, there are some things that I am not qualified to say. But as the child of the empress, I always shoulder responsibilities that ordinary people don't need to shoulder. Let me say it, and you can listen to it. Right, in this boring It's time to pass the banquet." She said, "Now the empire is facing internal and external troubles, and there are many crises. The outer Lemuria continent is eyeing, and there are New World religion fanatics making troubles inside. The countdown to war mentioned by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Defense at the press conference is not sensational. I have received a transfer order and will go to the forefront of the artificial island chain in the near future. I am afraid that the war will come soon. The Spencer family, yes The hero who supports my mother has always had a great plan to help the world. As the only heir of this generation of the Spencer family, the glory of the family and the peril of the empire may be more important than many things. The death of a relative The sadness that comes is indeed unbearable. I have never experienced it, and I am not qualified to comment. But if a person is immersed in sadness for a long time, he will be depressed after all. The empire needs talents like the earl. In the current extraordinary period, every member of the empire People are indispensable. Earl, if you are interested, you can come to me, and I can arrange a job for you. I believe that the senior generals trained by the Supreme Military Academy can definitely make a difference on the frontline battlefield."

While speaking, she raised her right wrist, held down her bracelet, and sent a friend request to Sharon at close range.

Sharon was silent for a moment, then raised her wrist to accept her request.

"Then, I will take my leave first. I hope we can meet again soon." Princess Tianyang smiled at her, turned and left leisurely.

Sharon looked at her back, with a gleam of coldness in his eyes.

"Miss... It's getting late, are you leaving now, or..." Old Jack stepped forward and asked respectfully.

"Let's go, there's no need to waste time here," Sharon said.

Old Jack asked hesitantly: "Does Princess Tianyang intend to recruit you?"

"That has nothing to do with me." Sharon said indifferently, "The only thing I have to do is to find out who is behind the murder of my relatives. Everything else has nothing to do with me."

After finishing speaking, she closed her pocket watch with a "snap", and led Old Jack away from the banquet without a sound.

The author has something to say: the three chapters of the opening article have been updated, and the two main characters of this article have appeared.

This article is a combination of British steampunk and cyberpunk, so the protagonist is set to be a pure British.I personally like some gadgets worn by the British people, so I specially wrote the pen and ink.Regarding the name of the main character, I intentionally chose an easy-to-remember name, hoping to reduce dyslexia.When writing Leigh Byron, many people commented that the names of foreigners are too difficult to remember. The advantage of this article is that there are not many characters. (laugh)

Some small knowledge points in this chapter:

1. The heroine was born in the Spencer family, which is a famous British aristocrat. There are many celebrities, especially the princess.The most famous one is Princess Diana at the end of the 20th century.

2. The flower language of iris: desperate love.