Chapter 33
The matter of dehydration syndrome seemed to involve some hidden information. Even when Xia'er asked, Aivina did not provide a clear answer.
Xia'er’s intuition told her that this was no simple issue; it likely involved extraordinary forces.
The Bell Tower District didn’t seem very peaceful either... Xia'er felt she could no longer delay.
Aivina had kept Xia'er around for a while, moving a table to sit opposite her, creating a workspace for Xia'er. She handed over several documents for Xia'er to compile, as if testing her abilities.
Xia'er performed excellently, which only increased Aivina's satisfaction with her assistant. Since Aivina had other matters to attend to that day, she let Xia'er leave early, instructing her to arrive on time the next day.
Thus, at one o'clock in the afternoon, Xia'er clocked out.
With some time left before afternoon tea, Xia'er wandered around the police station, searching for rental housing.
After a while of fruitless searching—either the rents were too high or the spaces too cramped—she realized that finding a suitable place in this area would take some time.
Xia'er was already considering whether to find a hotel nearby for her and her sister, but she didn’t know what excuse to use.
The quickest way she could think of, without needing to explain, was...
To set fire to their old house—though that would be rather cruel to the kind landlord who had rented it to them at a low price, and she certainly couldn’t afford to pay for a whole house.
She needed to find an opportunity to sell the "Avenger" potion to Aivina; after all, with the contract in place, her secrets would remain safe.
As for the "Instigator," she could keep it and see if she could experiment with it in the simulations.
The only problem was that she wasn’t sure if the ritual left by Thomas was accurate—after all, he had been tortured by it to the point of losing his sanity.
With the remaining time, Xia'er made her way to the Jazz Bridge District, entering a dessert shop where she bought a vanilla pudding—costing her a full three shillings—but fortunately, the cake was beautifully packaged and looked delicious, making it a nice little gift.
Xia'er walked towards the place where Ai Mi lived, arriving at the entrance of her villa.
By now, it was nearly two o'clock, and several young ladies, invited guests, were entering Ai Mi's home with their invitations. The garden was already set up with numerous tables and an array of desserts and drinks; the tea party was about to begin.
At that moment, Xia'er suddenly remembered—she hadn’t brought her invitation.
What did she have in her bag?
Two notebooks and two vials of potions; that was the most valuable collection in her satchel.
“Xia'er?!”
A surprised voice called out, catching Xia'er’s attention.
Ai Mi, lifting her skirt, dashed across the garden to Xia'er, her face lit up with joy, as if she hadn’t expected Xia'er to actually come.
Fortunately... nothing awkward happened.
Xia'er smiled at Ai Mi, handing over the vanilla pudding, saying, “That dress looks great on you, Ai Mi.”
“How did you know I love this?!” Ai Mi’s eyes widened as she took the pudding from Xia'er, her smile impossible to hide. “Their pudding is super hard to get! It’s limited edition, and the supply time is random; they don’t even care about making money...”
Xia'er had heard her complain about this in the simulations, which is why she remembered Ai Mi’s favorite treat.
“Let’s eat it together later; it has to be paired with black tea...” Ai Mi said, holding the pudding in one hand and grabbing Xia'er’s hand with the other, pulling her into the garden as if afraid Xia'er would run away.
Xia'er had come this time to repay Ai Mi for the information she had shared earlier.
As the party progressed, everything seemed perfectly normal. As long as Xia'er didn’t mention the Black Water Party, she wouldn’t be asked to leave like in the simulations.
She found a corner to sit down, listening to the conversations among the noble ladies.
It wasn’t that Xia'er didn’t want to chime in; it was just that she couldn’t understand what they were talking about.
Perfumes, cosmetics, jewelry, desserts... This tea party, supposedly about exchanging knowledge, had turned into a discussion about everything except learning.
Aside from the initial mingling, Ai Mi spent most of her time by Xia'er’s side, chattering away, while Xia'er nodded along.
How did she manage to talk for an entire hour without repeating a single topic? Not even one thing overlapped with the conversations in the simulations.
She could really talk; maybe she should share some of that eloquence with Aivina.
“By the way, Ai Mi,” Xia'er suddenly thought of something and spoke up, “have you heard of dehydration syndrome?”
“Dehydration syndrome?” Ai Mi paused, clearly taken aback. Just a moment ago, they had been discussing whether to mix ketchup or strawberry jam with the salad, and now they were jumping to something so strange. Ai Mi shook her head, “I haven’t heard of it.”
“What about unexplained illnesses? In the Bell Tower District.” Xia'er pressed on.
“I’m not sure...” Ai Mi scratched her head, but quickly realized something, looking at Xia'er with a hint of concern. “Is something happening in the Bell Tower District? You’re not...”
As Ai Mi trailed off, she realized she had let something slip and quickly took a big bite of cake to cover her embarrassment.
Xia'er didn’t mind; in the second simulation, she had already known that Ai Mi was aware of her address, but had chosen not to mention it out of consideration for her own pride.
“It’s nothing serious; I just overheard an officer at the police station mention it,” Xia'er shook her head, smiling. “It’s no big deal if you don’t know.”
“The police station?” Ai Mi’s eyes lit up at this, and she suddenly stood up, hands on the table.
“Xia'er, wait for me!” she exclaimed.
Before Xia'er could react, Ai Mi dashed into the villa, and an uneasy feeling surged within Xia'er.
That silly girl... she’s not going to go find her father again, is she?
Hadn’t she already been kicked out once in the simulations? Would she be thrown out in reality too?
As Xia'er contemplated whether to slip away while she had the chance, Ai Mi returned.
“Xia'er, come here for a moment,” Ai Mi said, taking Xia'er’s hand with a smile. “Father wants to meet you.”
Of course.
After hesitating for a moment, Xia'er stood up, letting Ai Mi lead her forward.
This time, without the troubles of the Black Water Party or any ties to the church, she shouldn’t be kicked out...
Although she had been there once in the simulations, it was only described in words; Xia'er had never actually met Ai Mi’s father. Meeting a parent for the first time was still a bit nerve-wracking.
Ai Mi brought her to the study on the first floor. The study was designed to be on the ground floor for the convenience of visitors, indicating that Ai Mi’s father often entertained guests at home.
As the study door opened, Xia'er saw a tall, slender middle-aged man with graying hair and a straight posture, exuding an air of competence.
“Lady Xia'er,” he said, “I often hear my daughter speak of you. Just call me Mr. Moser.”
To Xia'er’s surprise, Baron Moser Hastings seemed quite approachable, perhaps because the reason for her visit was different this time.
“I hear from Ai Mi that you found a job at the police station?” Moser walked over to a few tables in the center of the study, gesturing toward a sofa. “Please, have a seat.”
“Yes, in the investigation department, assisting Miss Aivina,” Xia'er replied honestly, believing this information wouldn’t be hidden from him.
“Aivina Fitzgerald?” Moser seemed a bit surprised.
“Yes, the one living at number 15,” Xia'er nodded.
“You seem to have a good relationship with her,” Moser smiled.
“We’ve only exchanged a few words.”
Moser didn’t dispute this response.
Only a few words? And yet you know where she lives?
“Didn’t you directly ask Miss Aivina about the situation in the Bell Tower District?” Moser inquired directly.
The next answer was crucial; if she answered correctly, she might learn what was happening in the Bell Tower District. If she answered incorrectly, Moser would surely say nothing.
“I’m going to the Bell Tower District with her tomorrow, but I didn’t ask much. Now that I think about it, it feels a bit complicated,” Xia'er replied, her words a mix of truth and deception.
“The Bell Tower District can be quite dangerous... Lady Xia'er, have you considered changing jobs?” Moser pondered for a moment before asking, “I’ve heard you’re interested in law. Would you like to work at the Public Security Court?”
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