Chapter 242
“Don’t you know? The upper-class nobility of Gu Ansu has two types of pure bloodlines when it comes to hair color: one is black, and the other is red,”
Isabella chimed in, “I remember it being passed down that red-haired individuals have Orlando noble blood, while black-haired ones are from Ansu.”
“Look, Miss Aivina has black hair, which is considered a sign of pure Gu Ansu lineage.”
Is there really such a saying?
Xia Er shook his head, choosing not to respond.
From Xia Er’s previous memories, the red hair brought back more painful recollections than pleasant ones.
Especially in Ansu, red hair is often associated with witches, immorality, and debauchery. The lower the social class, the deeper the prejudice against red-haired individuals.
Listening to Isabella, it was also possible that the Ansu government was spreading rumors about the Orlando nobility, belittling and slandering them. Xia Yu Er was just caught in the crossfire.
Meanwhile, Aivina, who had nearly finished dealing with the surrounding nobles, let out a small sigh of relief and scanned the area for Xia Er’s figure.
Soon, she spotted Xia Er sitting with two other beautiful girls, her brow furrowing slightly.
Xia Er… how is it that in just a few minutes, he’s already made friends with another pretty girl?
Whether it was out of possessiveness or simple curiosity about what they were discussing, Aivina made her way to their table. While others were seated two spaces apart, Aivina directly sat down next to Xia Er.
“Phew…”
Aivina feigned a sigh of relief, then turned her expressionless gaze toward Isabella and Amy, saying, “You two carry on; I’ll just take a break here.”
“Those nobles are really overzealous, Miss Aivina.”
Isabella smiled knowingly, “Like a cold that just won’t go away.”
Aivina certainly wouldn’t dare to say such things herself, but Isabella was stepping in to voice Aivina’s frustrations, perhaps hoping to leave a good impression on her.
After all, Aivina now seemed quite fed up with conversing with those nobles.
“Exactly.”
Aivina nodded, feeling a deep resonance with that sentiment.
“We were just talking about hair color. I mentioned that Miss Xia Er’s hair color might come from the upper-class nobility of Gu Ansu.”
To keep the conversation flowing and avoid an awkward silence, Isabella quickly picked up the thread of their previous discussion.
At the same time, by sitting next to Aivina, she confirmed that her judgment had been correct.
That red-haired girl was indeed Aivina’s good friend, and her earlier move to approach Xia Er had paid off; otherwise, she wouldn’t be sitting at the same table as Aivina now.
But just then, an unwelcome voice broke the moment.
A portly nobleman, whose girth seemed ready to burst his formal attire, plopped down in a seat just one space away from Aivina, wiping the sweat from his brow and offering a somewhat apologetic expression as he spoke:
“Sorry to interrupt your conversation, ladies… Honorable Aivina Russell, you must consider my earlier proposal… to persuade Lord William Winston to lift the ban on grain exports.”
“This isn’t just my idea; it’s shared by other grain merchants as well. These massive losses are an unwarranted disaster for us…”
At that moment, the portly man was interrupted by Isabella, who said, “Mr. Balfour Huntington, if you have such a request, why didn’t you speak directly to Lord William earlier?”
“Now that Lord William has already left on the train, even if Lady Aivina sends a letter, it would take him at least half a month to receive it.”
Her every word was aimed at helping Aivina fend off the portly nobleman. She had noticed how he had been pestering Aivina while she was chatting with Xia Er.
The interruption irked the nobleman, and he shot a disdainful glance at Isabella.
A mere daughter of a painter dares to interrupt me?
After giving Isabella a dismissive glance, Balfour turned his attention back to Aivina.
Perhaps feeling a bit riled up from being interrupted, Balfour’s tone grew less courteous.
“Lady Aivina, you must persuade Lord William to change his mind… How can we restrict grain exports?”
“Are we to suffer losses to save those lazy, poor souls? And to ban Orlando’s grain exports? That’s an interference with sacred free trade!”
His fingers thumped heavily on the table as he continued, “Please make sure to relay to Lord William that if the government continues to restrict exports, we will cease to supply grain to the market.”
“The imported grain has already been stuck at the Orlando port for three days. If this export ban isn’t lifted, we will refuse to accept this batch of grain and will not unload it.”
“Even if the grain in the warehouses and on the ships rots, we will not allow it into the market. Lift the ban! That’s our bottom line!”
With that, the portly nobleman stood up, turned, and began to signal his attendants, preparing to leave.
“If you have any issues, you can always go to Ansu and express your views in the House of Commons, let them vote on it,”
Aivina said calmly, “Instead of venting your frustrations here, it won’t do any good.”
“If you’re here to discuss business, I welcome you. But if you’re just looking for me to be your mouthpiece, I’m sorry, please leave.”
Aivina remained expressionless, as if she had grown accustomed to dealing with such nobles and wealthy merchants. These people, unable to reach the upper echelons of the Russell family or get close to William, seemed to treat Aivina as a mere conduit for their grievances.
Of course, their attitude was still relatively mild. If they were allowed to speak in the House of Commons, they might directly confront those high-ranking noble members.
After all, this was about their interests, and interests are their lifeblood.
At that moment, Aivina felt a warm little hand resting on her lower back, gently stroking her.
“Are you okay, Aivina?”
Xia Er looked at Aivina’s impassive face, a hint of worry in his eyes.
Though Aivina still wore a blank expression, Xia Er could clearly see a trace of fatigue in her gaze. It seemed that William’s arrival had inadvertently steered the party in a direction Aivina found hard to control.
“I’m fine.”
Aivina shook her head, then stood up, nodding slightly to the others as she said, “Sorry to interrupt your conversation.”
It seemed Aivina realized her presence had disrupted the previously relaxed atmosphere, so she got up and left the table.
Watching Aivina’s retreating figure, Xia Er found himself at a loss for how to comfort her.
After all, in the realm of politics and commerce, Xia Er was utterly clueless and couldn’t offer any help.
However, from the portly nobleman’s words, Xia Er had gleaned some insights.
The developments in North Ansu… seemed to exceed Xia Er’s expectations.
A sense of unease settled in her heart.
Logically, the city of Berlun, where she resided, was quite far from Orlando in North Ansu. No matter how much chaos erupted there, it shouldn’t affect her here.
Moreover, she had simulated events over forty days ahead, and while she hadn’t interacted much with Aivina during that time, her notes indicated that the famine had little impact on Berlun.
The biggest events in Berlun were still focused on the factories themselves; perhaps the workers’ protests here were what Xia Er needed to pay attention to.
Xia Er’s power was limited; she couldn’t save everyone—she could barely protect herself and those around her, let alone think about being a hero.
Staying safe and avoiding trouble was her core thought at this moment.
Though it was clear that a peaceful life was no longer in the cards, Xia Er could at least strive to avoid causing trouble and ensure a safe life for herself and those around her.
Peace and tranquility were what mattered most.
Tonight, she would find a moment to… simulate the future.
Xia Er opened the simulation interface, glancing at the previously expired simulation time.
[Future: 30 Days (Saint Year 741, July 31, 23:59) (Cost: 100 Destiny Points)]
[Past: 1 Day (Saint Year 741, July 1, 23:59) (Cost: 10 Destiny Points)]
[Old Days: ***, *** Days (???) (Cost: 10,000 Destiny Points)]
The time was precisely at 30 days, requiring 100 Destiny Points… If she waited until after midnight to simulate, it would drop to 29 days, and within 30 days, only 10 Destiny Points would be needed.
And this past simulation…
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