Gardenia of Blooming Desire

Chapter 167: To Incite A Big War

After that night, Emperor Leopold went to Golden Princess Elena's palace a few times to take Camille back, but he was rejected. Not only by the Golden Princess, but also by his own daughter. Camille was so scared of him that she hid behind Golden Princess Elena every time he came to the palace.

No matter how powerful he was, Emperor Leopold finally realized that he was so powerless in front of his daughter. No matter how many soldiers he could command by force, he couldn't force his daughter to forgive him.

Days by days, the Emperor's wish to reconcile with his daughter couldn't happen. Soon, he was busy preparing for the imminent war. Great Arctyr would soon invade Golden Camellia with full troops, and it was expected to be a long war, probably longer than people would expect.

Thus, to mend his heart slightly, Emperor dispatched one of his spies to watch over Camille in the Golden Princess' Palace. The spy would report regularly about Camille's training to be a golden princess and her growth.

"She is training intensively with Golden Princess Elena?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Watch over her, interrupt if needed. I don't want Elena to make her despicable. Camille is a really good child," Emperor said to his spy. The spy nodded, because whenever he observed Princess Camille studying, training, or just playing, it gave him peace.

She was such a gentle soul.

"Camille, you can stop acting like a gentle soul, that spy was gone to give a report to Emperor Leopold," Elena said.

Camille finally stopped her gentle act, she clicked her tongue in annoyance. Because the real training of the Golden Princess was vastly different than the one they showed in front of that spy.

"Ma'am, how could you know whether the spy was watching or not? Because I don't see anything," Camille asked.

Elena smiled mysteriously and replied, "Intuition."

Camille had been training to be a golden princess for a few months already. Her basic necessities were fulfilled and she was well protected. The training Golden Princess Elena gave was actually useful, such as creating faade, scheming, deciding the sacrifice for greater good, and prioritising your goal no matter what.

Golden Princess Elena also didn't forget about Camille's talent in painting, she let her develop it as a hobby. It was a heaven for Camille, except for one thing.

"Can I visit my mom now?" Camille asked.

"You know that once you do that, you will be regarded as a traitor, right? Due to the incoming war, your mom is basically a prisoner in Golden Camellia now. Don't worry, she is given a better food ration now."

Camille knew that she couldn't visit her mom, because the war is coming, her status as Great Princess Arctyr is extremely sensitive. And Emperor Leopold refused to return Celine back to Great Arctyr, because Celine might voice her experience as she was treated like dirt in Golden Camellia.

It would ruin Golden Camellia's name in front of everyone.

'If I can't visit mom, then I just have to make the war happen faster and greater, so Great Arctyr can defeat Golden Camellia and reunite us.'

There was an idea sparking in her head, Camille took her painting tools instantly and started mixing colours. Elena raised her brows, "Are you planning something? Do you need my help?"

"Mhm, I do. I need your help to smuggle this particular painting to the Great Arctyr," Camille said. She ignored Elena after that. Elena smirked, Camille was extremely smart indeed. It seemed this kid was going to incite war even more, so she could be free. At least, based on her needs now, her only vision was to reunite with her mother.

'A true Golden Princess.'

***

Half a year later, Great Arctyr's battleships came to Golden Camellia. The Golden Camellia's army and navy was prepared against the attack of the Great Arctyr, but it surprised them when the Great Arctyr actually came with full power.

No, it was more. Great Arctyr came with foreign fleets, probably from their other allies. It was such a shock for Golden Camellia, because they were not prepared to fight against such incredible power.

The war was inevitable as the golden harbour's water became red with blood. Dionde City, the main economic capital of Golden Camellia was destroyed in just a few hours. It was taken by Great Arctyr easily.

The surviving Golden Camellia soldiers ran away from the area as the Great Arctyr's soldier was massacring anyone in their way. They were like a raging demon. Fortunately, the city had been emptied before.

"WHAT?! WE GOT ANNIHILATED?!" Emperor Leopold was extremely shocked, because with the news from the surviving commander. They already planned to exhaust Great Arctyr's manpower with drawn out war, but it seemed it would be hard.

Because somehow the Great Arctyr's soldiers had extremely high morale. As if all of them had the same purpose and were ready to die without any remorse. They were like a raging bull charging at everyone and slaughtering without fear.

Emperor Leopold's back went cold, he finally realized the seriousness of this war. He needed to exhaust all the Golden Camellia's resources in order to protect the country, or else, the country would be ruined.

'And she would be taken away.'

Emperor Leopold remembered about Camille. He had been listening to her growth every day and it pleased him more and more. Soon, it was hard for him to draw the line between love and hate with his daughter.

Because Camille was really the kind of daughter he wanted, a pure golden royal, prodigious, well mannered, sensible, beautiful, she was like a treasured gem.

But he also hated her because of her mother. That troublemaker Celine who was the cause of the war.

'I don't care about Celine, if it's necessary, I will send her right away. As long as Golden Camellia can be saved, tainted names can fade slowly. But if Celine was taken, then Camille would also'

"What is their demand? Only Great Princess to be returned?"

"No, Your Majesty," the commander was unsure if he should tell the demand, he gulped, "Great Arctyr doesn't want Great Princess only, they want Great Princess and Princess Camille to be returned back to Great Arctyr. They also want you to kill your Empress personally."

Emperor Leopold's face was red with anger, he slammed the table, "Then we shall fight them until our last breath! How dare them!"

'I will not let them touch Eva and Camille!'

The war also stressed Empress Eva out, she was unable to cope against the pressure from the noble houses in Golden Camellia because of her status. And with her husband busy with war, she couldn't report and asked Leopold to punish every single noble who dared to slander her.

Ludwig, her son, had also started to be more and more rebellious. Since he couldn't meet with his sister, Camille, he became gloomy and then turned violent to his teachers. Some noble teachers even refused to teach him anymore, because of his explosive tendency.

"Ludwig! This is the eleventh teacher that you hit! What is wrong with you?!" Empress Eva scolded her son. Ludwig only rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"I said I want to study with Big sis! I will not study until I can see her!" Ludwig was craving for his big sister, because in his eyes, his sister was really the perfect and most gentle person.

He met with a lot of noble kids around his age or even older, and they tried to court him. But because of Ludwig's golden circle trait, he could sense their impureness, their desire to own him so they could gain something. It was so obvious that it made him sick.

'Only Big Sis Camille is pure! She helped me, smiled at me, took care of me, because she likes me wholeheartedly! Unlike others!'

Six years old Ludwig had the wild idea in his head that he and Big Sis Camille were destined to be together, that feeling only grew more and more every day.

Empress Eva got a headache from her son's behaviour, she got no place to vent too. Because she couldn't just beat Celine and Camille like before, both of them were protected under certain circumstances.

'This all happens because of that slut and her slut kid!'

***

"It seems your idea is working well, amazing," Elena clapped her hand slowly. Camille smiled blissfully. It was really a simple plan, but it was very effective to boost the Great Arctyr soldier's morale.

"Well, that painting is very beautiful anyway," Elena praised her.

Camille asked Golden Princess Elena to smuggle the painting of her and her mother hugging with a smile on their face to Great Arctyr. There was a symbol of the Great Arctyr on the top of their head, and there was a text she wrote on the bottom left.

'My mom, Celine Hessel Signe, said that the Great Arctyr is a great country, where people prosper and are happy! But I never know what happiness is, we are trapped in this dark place, beaten to death. I want to meet with the people in Great Arctyr, so I will know happiness! Maybe one day, we can return to Great Arctyr, to our home.

- Camille Camellia-Signe'

Camille giggled happily, she was ecstatic hearing the amount of Golden Camellia's soldiers died in Dionde City. Rather than a war, it was more of a massacre. The report even said that the city was destroyed and blood splattered everywhere.

"Tell me, Camille, do you feel sad?"

"Sad? Why?"

"Well, you caused the massacre of Golden Camellia's soldiers and the ruin of Dionde City," Elena asked.

"Well, it is a war, their death is inevitable. Golden Camellia will restock their manpower anyway, they might draft slightly younger men too. Isn't it very effective to destroy the reputation of Emperor Leopold in front of the peasants?"

Elena nodded, her wrinkled lips smiled satisfied, 'I taught her well, she is able to incite a big war by herself easily and left untouched. A true quality of a golden princess.'

It might be normal to hear that kind of explanation coming from an old king or queen, but coming from a seven years old kid? It would be too scary to listen for some people.

Camille couldn't wait to meet her mom, it had been almost a year since she saw her face. And she missed her constantly, the guards around Cold Palace only increased every day, giving her no room to smuggle something for her mom.

'Mom, we will reunite, trust me!'