The Ladies always praised his looks: blue eyes like a clear sky, bright scarlet hair like a rose, a handsome face, and a body sculpted like a Roman statue.
However, that gorgeous look only evoked traumatic memories for Helena.
She met the Second Prince during her execution in her first life. Helena caught a glimpse of his face before the blade cut off her head. The Second Prince commanded the Sinner Punishment, which led to the Bloody Riot breaking out. This caused her to steer clear of him in her second life. She wanted nothing to do with him.
Yet there she was, bowing down to him.
"My, who is this? I've never seen you before."
Cold sweat dripped from Helena's forehead. Her head remained lowered as
fear crept into her mind. Her tongue felt stiff, and her mouth was shut tight. She should reply to the Second Prince before he took offence.
He shifted his attention from Helena. "Brother, why don't you introduce me to this beautiful woman?"
Helena was confused by those words and raised her head. "Brother?"
Helena realised that the Second Prince had been speaking to Heli. She stared at the man beside her, dumbfounded. "You are the Third Prince?!"
"Hahaha… I suppose the cat is out of the bag now."
Helena went from being anxious to having a full-blown breakdown. She knelt on the ground immediately. "I have committed discourtesy towards the Third Prince! Please punish me!"
"Calm down, Lady Blackmoore! It was my fault for lying about my identity!"
The Second Prince laughed at her behaviour. "Heliodor Aurelius, it was out of character for you to do that. Is this woman that important?" He wrapped his arm around Heliodor's shoulder. "So, who is this lady?"
He sighed and introduced her. "This is Helena Blackmoore."
The Second Prince was stunned. "The Saint of Angles Street?"
Helena was bewildered. "Do you know me, Your Highness?"
"Ha! You're more famous than you realise! Your reputation has reached the palace because you transformed a slum into a living space. My mother really loves that story, you know. Although... we thought it was only a fairy tale. The story sounds too good to be true."
Helena could not believe her ears. Two princes had already recognised her from name alone. Why had she never received an invitation to the Royal Ball? As she pondered the question, the Second Prince gently took her hand and kissed it. His reputation as a Casanova preceded him. Whenever a beautiful lady appeared, he would whisper sweetly in her ear.
Were she a naive girl, Helena would definitely fall for him. However, Helena could see through him. She was just a toy, ready to be discarded once he was bored with her.
"My name is Ruby Aurelius. I hope you remember that, Lady Blackmoore.
Helena gently withdrew her hand. She did not want to prolong her stay in that place any further. Helena made up a fake excuse on the spot to flee from the place.
"I... I have an appointment to visit the orphanage! I bid both princes farewell!"
She curtsied and ran as fast as she could. The guards were taken aback by her behaviour.
"I've never seen a noble lady run in the palace before."
"Me neither."
Prince Ruby laughed at her. It was clear that she was desperate to escape him. He watched her figure disappear from his sight. That woman had certainly caught his attention.
"What an intriguing lady."
Helena almost reached the entrance. She only stopped running when someone called her name.
"Lady Blackmoore!"
Helena turned around and was surprised to see Prince Heliodor following her. He eased off a little and took a moment to catch his breath.
"Lady Blackmoore... wait. I have... I have something to tell you..."
"What is it, Your Highness?"
He darted around for a moment, then whispered in her ear. "Maybe the thing you are looking for is not in the book. I heard there's a hidden information guild on Angles Street. Perhaps you can try your luck there."
Prince Heliodor had just given her some valuable information. Helena had never considered that possibility before. The information guild may know something about the Paradise Star. She received that information from a demon after all. It might be something forbidden or dangerous.
"Thank you for your help, Your Highness."
"You're welcome, Lady Blackmoore."
Helena returned home empty-handed. There was nothing to write in her notebook. She let out a sigh as she thought about Prince Heliodor's words. Helena had no idea that an information guild existed on Angles Street. In the past, she just sent an attendant to find information for her. That was a stupid move. Now she had no idea where it was. The current Helena would have to seek help to find the place.
Only one person came to her mind.
Adham Whitesmith loved the holiday. He enjoyed sleeping in and having a day free from hard labour. Today, he just came back from buying groceries. The apples were cheap, and the bread was fresh from the oven. He strode down on bustling Angles Street until a hand pulled him into a dark alley.
"What the—"
"Pssst, it's me!"
Whitesmith was surprised to find Helena dressed as a commoner. He raised an eyebrow. "I assume you want to experience peasant life? It's not a good idea. This place can be dangerous without a guard."
Helena grinned and made a specific hand gesture. "Who said I didn't bring one?"
Violet jumped out from a building and landed in front of them. Adham was startled by her sudden appearance. He almost fell to the ground in shock. Violet ignored him and spoke to her master.
"Did you call Lady Blackmoore?"
"It was nothing, Violet. You can return to your post."
Violet nodded and disappeared from view. Adham stood there, mouth agape, too astounded by her servant. "Uh… what is she?"
"My personal maid."
"I don't think a maid could jump from a two-metre building and move like an assassin." He observed his surroundings, making sure that nobody could overhear their conversation. "So why did you drag me into this alley?"
"I need your help. Do you know where the information guild is?"
He beamed at her. "Well, you've come to the right person! Mercenaries have many connections! I even know the boss of the information guild personally."
"Can you show me the way?"
"No, I'm busy." Adham carried back his groceries. "Just go home. I don't work on holiday."
Helena put a pouch of coins in his hand. Adham had a change of heart in the blink of an eye. "I'll show you the way! Follow me, Ma'am!"
Helena rolled her eyes. Adham would have never been this greedy in her first life. Nevertheless, she followed him from behind. They went deeper into the dark side of Angles Street.