Chapter 237
Xia'er nodded and followed the maid, but instead of taking the main road bustling with people, she veered into the garden, planning to enter the estate through the back.
This scene happened to catch the eye of someone in a carriage.
“Father, who is that?”
The girl, peering out of the carriage, pointed at a modestly dressed girl walking away in the distance and curiously asked, “Why doesn’t she have an invitation?”
“Not sure, probably just a maid who hasn’t changed yet,” the blonde man replied, casting a disinterested glance at the red-haired figure. None of the nobles he knew had a daughter with red hair.
“She’s not a maid! Didn’t you see how respectful the maid was to her? She must have a high status and is definitely familiar with Aivina. I bet you!”
The girl seemed a bit unconvinced, insisting.
“Instead of pondering this, why not think about how to strike up a conversation with Miss Aivina later?”
The man rubbed his temples and said, “Sit up straight, maintain your composure!”
“Hmph.”
The girl reluctantly sat up straight but couldn’t help muttering, “I told you, trying to get close to Aivina is pointless. She’s not the type to be flattered…”
“Then your pocket money for next week…”
“No!!!”
“Quiet!”
Meanwhile, Xia'er, walking toward the back garden, turned to glance at a certain carriage, blinking in confusion.
What was that noise? An air raid siren?
However, upon realizing it wasn’t a commotion, Xia'er lost interest and entered Aivina’s estate through the back garden, making her way to the study on the second floor.
It seemed Aivina wouldn’t be free anytime soon, so Xia'er decided to take advantage of the time to read—after all, there weren’t many other forms of entertainment available.
The maid who had guided Xia'er quietly closed the study door behind her and slipped over to Aivina’s side, whispering that Miss Xia'er had arrived.
Aivina glanced at her pocket watch; her important guest had arrived early. She handed over the matters to the butler and headed toward the study.
Gently opening the door, Aivina saw Xia'er standing by the bookshelf, engrossed in a book. Xia'er seemed oblivious to the sound of the door opening, still focused on the pages in her hands.
Aivina quietly closed the door, stepping softly on the plush carpet as she approached Xia'er.
What she didn’t know was that Xia'er had already shifted her attention from the book the moment Aivina opened the door; she merely pretended to be reading, not turning around.
Three meters… one meter…
As Aivina’s footsteps neared, Xia'er turned around and asked, “Aivina? When did you get here?”
Aivina, who had just raised her hand, discreetly lowered it, shifting her gaze to the book in Xia'er’s hands. “Oh, so you understand Faluosi?”
Though Aivina tried to act as if nothing had happened, her method of changing the subject was somewhat clumsy, like a kitten caught in a prank, pretending to be busy grooming itself.
“I just remembered something. Didn’t you say you’d take me shopping for clothes? Why did you leave early?”
Xia'er suppressed a smile and asked.
“A guest arrived early, and Nia came back to handle it,” Aivina replied, shaking her head. “I’ll make it up to you next time.”
“If you don’t mind, you can wear one of my old dresses for the party… Though they’re old, they’ve only been worn once or twice.”
Worn only once or twice…
Aivina’s generosity exceeded Xia'er’s expectations. She felt she might not even need to buy new clothes; she could simply wear what Aivina no longer wanted.
After all, she didn’t mind wearing Aivina’s clothes, though Aivina might have some reservations.
“I don’t mind.”
Xia'er seemed to recall something and asked, “An important guest?”
Even the son of a prince visiting Bole City would come to see Aivina, and she wouldn’t even need to visit them herself… The visitor must hold a high status?
Taking a deep breath, Aivina replied slowly, “It’s a family member who came without notice. They probably have some important information… This was supposed to be just a regular gathering for exchanging information.”
Xia'er nodded, feeling a twinge of envy for Aivina’s network.
Aivina simply didn’t like to initiate conversations or engage too deeply with others, but that didn’t mean she lacked emotional intelligence.
Her attitude toward Hastings showed that even if someone was just a friend of Xia'er’s, Aivina would still treat them with respect and dignity, never showing a sour face.
“Exchanging information, huh…”
Xia'er pondered for a moment and asked, “Are all the guests extraordinary beings?”
“No, hardly any extraordinary beings,” Aivina shook her head. “Just business.”
“Business…”
Xia'er nodded, suddenly feeling a sense of sophistication.
She knew almost nothing about business, but she was curious to learn more.
After all, judging by Aivina’s lifestyle, it seemed that making money through business was much faster and safer than Xia'er’s methods.
Suddenly, Xia'er realized something and asked, “Is your money… all earned by you?”
Aivina looked puzzled at Xia'er’s question. “What else would it be?”
Huh? Isn’t it from the family?
“While I did leverage the Russell family’s name and initial capital, every penny I spend is earned by me,” Aivina explained, realizing she hadn’t shared this with Xia'er. “I hold the majority shares in the company, the mines, and the factories.”
“So you’re super rich now?”
Xia'er asked, surprised. She had always thought Aivina was spending family money, around one or two thousand pounds a month, but now it seemed Aivina was wealthier than she had imagined.
“I could directly take out over ten thousand to help you buy a title, but that would bankrupt the company,” Aivina shook her head. “What I’m doing is just small business; the real big business is in Ansu and the overseas companies.”
“I see…”
Xia'er nodded, forming a rough estimate of Aivina’s wealth.
Her assets must start at twenty or thirty thousand pounds, but the actual cash she could access probably wouldn’t exceed seven thousand pounds; any more, and the cash flow might get tangled.
“Are you short on money?”
Aivina asked, observing Xia'er’s contemplative expression.
“Me? Not really. The organization pays me,” Xia'er replied, shaking her head.
Even for the “Performer” potion, Xia'er wouldn’t borrow money from Aivina unless absolutely necessary. After all, Aivina had so many ways to obtain potions that money wasn’t a must.
She could even have Tara gather cultists to storm Ansu City, then take advantage of the chaos to grab a bottle of “Performer” potion and perform the ritual herself, but that felt like using a cannon to kill a mosquito.
“Have you checked in yet?”
Aivina asked, looking at Xia'er. “You seem quite free.”
“Yeah.”
Xia'er nodded, rubbing her stomach. “I overindulged in snacks and desserts.”
“Shall I pick out a dress for you?”
Aivina’s gaze naturally shifted from Xia'er’s face to the bookshelf, seemingly distracted by the titles.
“Sure.”
“Let’s go to my room.”
Upon hearing Xia'er’s response, Aivina turned and walked toward the door, with Xia'er following closely behind as they exited the study.
As soon as they stepped out, Xia'er spotted a girl with golden curly hair tied in a ponytail, standing in the gallery admiring the paintings. The girl looked surprised and slightly bowed her head to greet them as she heard their footsteps.
“Good afternoon, Lady Aivina, and this beautiful young lady.”
“Good afternoon, Isabella.”
Aivina nodded slightly, acknowledging the girl.
As they passed by, Xia'er mimicked Aivina’s gesture, gently nodding and smiling, “Good afternoon.”
Soon, Aivina led Xia'er past the ponytailed girl and directly up the stairs, while the girl remained behind, watching their retreating figures, nodding thoughtfully.
Just as I suspected… that red-haired girl is not ordinary.
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