Chapter 238
It was difficult to find a breakthrough with Aivina, but the girl beside her seemed a bit more innocent. Perhaps I could work my way in through her...
While Isabella was still lost in thought, Charles had already followed Aivina back to her room. After closing the door behind them, Aivina led Charles straight toward the dressing room.
When she opened the door, the space inside was twice the size of the living room in Charles's rented apartment. Clothes hung in abundance, meticulously maintained by dedicated maids.
There were even two glass cabinets specifically for storing various pieces of jewelry, where colorful gems sparkled under the light, instantly capturing Charles's gaze.
Noticing where Charles's attention lay, Aivina said, "The materials for these jewels are practically worthless; it’s just the processing that’s expensive. Pick whichever you like."
"Uh... I’m just looking..." Charles quickly averted his eyes.
To her, those glimmering jewels were not ornaments but piles of gold coins.
Aivina walked over to one of the cabinets and pulled out a new slip dress, handing it to Charles. "Take off your clothes; I’ll help you pick something out."
Having seen Charles's bare body several times before, Aivina felt no embarrassment. Upon hearing her words, Charles willingly stripped off all her clothes and slipped into the new slip dress.
Meanwhile, Aivina, who was rummaging through the wardrobe, could hear the rustling sounds of Charles changing clothes. She fought the urge to turn around, but her hands began to tremble.
Her heart was racing.
Previously, Aivina had helped the unconscious Charles change clothes, but back then, she had been more of a "gentlewoman," avoiding looking directly at her. It was just a normal act of changing clothes.
And when Charles was unconscious, even completely bare, Aivina felt no particular stirrings. But now, with Charles awake, Aivina found it hard to control her gaze, even when she was fully dressed.
"What color do you like?" Aivina asked casually, as if to ease her quickening heartbeat.
"Black, I guess."
Charles tugged at her slip dress as she replied.
It wasn’t that she particularly liked black; she just thought it was a more understated color that would suit her better.
Black, huh...
It’s the color of my hair...
Aivina couldn’t help but let her thoughts wander. She closed the wardrobe in front of her and opened another one filled with black dresses, selecting a relatively simple one.
It was a white pleated shirt paired with a black puff skirt, adorned with fluffy lace ruffles at the collar and sleeves. A black short cape would add a touch of contrast, making it a trendy choice.
Charles didn’t seem to like flashy decorations or lace, so this outfit should work well as a dress, especially with some accessories...
But... when did I buy this dress? I don’t remember at all.
Aivina handed the outfit to Charles. "Try this one on."
After passing the dress to Charles, Aivina moved around her and approached the jewelry cabinet to select accessories.
Once she found a ruby pendant that would complement Charles's red hair, she turned back to see Charles already dressed in the new outfit, standing still and tugging at the ruffled sleeves, looking a bit uncomfortable.
"This dress is too light... It feels like it’ll let in the wind."
The airy fabric brushed against the silk slip dress, making Charles feel a bit out of sorts. She was used to wearing rough, heavy clothes, and this felt too unfamiliar.
It seemed like in a fight, a simple tug would tear the dress apart—definitely not practical.
"You’ll be wearing a cape with it... so don’t fidget."
Aivina had already approached Charles, holding the pendant.
Upon hearing Aivina's words, Charles let her arms drop and stood still, becoming a "dress-up doll."
Aivina opened the clasp of the pendant, holding the chain with both hands. She brushed Charles's long hair back behind her shoulders and wrapped her arms around Charles's neck.
"How much height do those boots give you?"
Charles slowly looked up, meeting Aivina's gaze, unable to resist a teasing remark.
She hadn’t realized Aivina was so much taller than her; it was just a slight difference, right?
At Charles's comment, Aivina instinctively looked down, their noses almost touching, and they could feel each other's breath.
This moment stretched for three or four seconds until Aivina felt Charles's hands gently wrap around her waist. Aivina took a deep breath, slowly turned her face away, and lowered her head.
The pendant had slipped from Aivina's fingers, hanging from the lace in front of Charles. This feeling of being in a position of power brought Aivina an unprecedented thrill. Just as she was about to pull Charles closer and press her lips against hers, she felt a gentle push.
Aivina, whose strength was no match for Charles's, stumbled back, almost losing her balance.
But Charles's grip was firm, steadying Aivina's waist and gently lowering her onto a nearby stool.
In an instant, the tables had turned, and now Charles was the one in control.
A wave of defeat washed over Aivina. It was as if she wanted to retaliate, and she opened her mouth to bite at Charles's lips, but that move only made her the one who was completely defeated.
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Chapter 142: The Great Famine in Beian Su.
"Aivina, are you in there? Please call her for me."
A thin middle-aged man in a double-breasted gray coat stood at Aivina's door. He looked at the armored knight standing guard and adjusted his hat, saying, "I won’t be attending the banquet. I’ll leave once I finish my business."
"Sorry, sir, please wait a moment. The young lady is currently entertaining a guest."
Standing at the door, Nia was like a statue blocking the man’s path. After her response, she remained still, seemingly indifferent to the man's status.
Upon hearing this, the man reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a finely crafted pocket watch. After checking the time, he began to pace anxiously in front of Nia, letting out a sigh.
He seemed to be in a hurry.
"Who is the guest? Maybe I know them."
The man continued to inquire.
In his mind, Aivina's friends could be counted on two fingers, and her social circle was quite small. Perhaps he really did know them.
"Sorry, you probably don’t know them."
Nia shook her head and replied, "It might take... about 30 minutes?"
"Ugh..."
The man let out a long sigh, regretting not having spoken up sooner. But Aivina's excuse of entertaining guests was just a way to keep him waiting out of spite.
Soon, he took out a notepad from his coat, along with a fountain pen and portable ink. After dipping the pen, he wrote a brief message on the paper.
Rip—
He tore off the note, folded it, and handed it to Nia, knowing she was absolutely trustworthy.
"Please give this to Aivina, and let her know that if she wants to go back, she can do so at any time. Her mother will never ask her to do anything she doesn’t want to again."
"I will deliver the note to Lady Aivina."
Nia accepted the note but didn’t say anything further, not even confirming whether she would relay the man’s last message.
"Ugh..."
The man sighed again, feeling trapped in the middle, which deepened the lines on his face.
"Thank you, I’ll take my leave now. I’m just passing through, and I need to send a message; the train is still waiting for me."
He adjusted his gray top hat and turned to leave, heading downstairs.
But he wasn’t leaving just yet; he needed more people to know of his arrival, to let others understand that Aivina had support behind her, and they shouldn’t entertain any thoughts about her.
The man didn’t take the back door but instead descended the stairs directly to the first floor.
"Cough, cough..."
As he reached the second floor, he cleared his throat, the weariness slowly fading. His sharp, hooked nose and piercing eyes narrowed slightly, exuding an imposing presence.
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