Chapter 252
"No, this can't go on any longer," Tara thought, feeling her position as the first servant under the Mother Goddess precariously threatened. She quickly spoke up, "My Lady, I've brought your clothes."
"Oh, good. Thank you."
Xia'er withdrew her hand and said, "Gather everyone. We need to head out soon; there's still work to be done."
"Understood!"
Tara nodded vigorously.
"Lady Xia'er!"
"Help her change into something clean and send her back."
As Xia'er walked toward the door, she didn't look back. "She'll help us gather intelligence."
"Yes..."
Tara's mood visibly sank, casting a resentful glance at the frail silver-haired woman sitting in the corner.
Heh, the "goddess" you speak of is right in front of you, yet you remain oblivious. Just wait; seeking the Mother Goddess's mercy through underhanded means is ultimately a dead end. Her favor will always fall upon those who diligently serve her!
In the early hours, a carriage rolled out from a barn on a farm in Boleun City, heading toward the city under the hazy rain-soaked night.
Behind it, several carriages bearing different merchant and noble crests also emerged from the barn, blending into the darkness.
...
Knock, knock, knock—
In Boleun City, at No. 15, Duke's Bridge District, Russell Manor, in the third-floor room of Aivina.
A soft knock echoed from outside the door.
Nia quickly rose and walked to the door, slowly turning the handle to peek at the maid outside.
"Weren't we told not to disturb the young lady's rest?"
Though Nia's cold armor bore no expression, her tone sent a chill through anyone who heard it.
"Lady Nia, Miss Xia'er is downstairs..."
"Xia'er?"
Nia's tone softened slightly, but anger quickly followed.
At such a chaotic time, with Aivina gravely injured, Xia'er seemed utterly unconcerned, not even bothering to check on her. This left Nia feeling resentful.
The Russell family was doing everything they could to suppress news of Aivina's assassination attempt for the sake of their reputation and public stability, secretly sending someone to take Aivina away.
But the young lady could hardly endure the bumps of the journey right now.
To put it bluntly, William hadn't spoken a single truth; the Russell family had made no changes since the young lady's departure.
Tap, tap, tap.
Footsteps echoed from the end of the corridor.
Soon, a figure clad in a black double-breasted suit and a deep brown cloak stood before Nia.
After a moment of silence, Nia stepped aside, but she keenly sensed that something had changed about Xia'er.
Is that... a potion?
She drank a potion? Which route did she take?
Xia'er removed her rain-soaked cloak and hung it aside, slowly approaching Aivina, who lay on the bed.
At that moment, Aivina was not wearing any clothes; her left cheek, neck, and the area above her waist were wrapped in bandages soaked with extraordinary medicine.
Severe burns, multiple fractures—if it weren't for a physician familiar to Aivina arriving promptly to treat her wounds, she might not have made it this far.
Aivina's brows trembled slightly, as if she were enduring pain even in her unconscious state.
Xia'er gazed at Aivina, as if trying to imprint this moment in her mind, even though she could have chosen not to come.
After standing in silence for a while, Xia'er turned to leave, reaching for the rain cloak to drape over herself as she passed by Nia.
"What are you planning to do?"
Nia sensed that the atmosphere was off; her armor emitted a faint hum as she inquired.
"To do something I won't regret."
Xia'er smiled slightly, nodded at Nia, and said, "Take care of Aivina."
With that, Xia'er turned and left.
At that moment, Nia felt her entire armor tremble at the sight of Xia'er's shark-like grin.
How could... how could she have chosen this path? Even in this situation...
Nia wanted to call out to Xia'er, to say something, but she realized she had no standing to lecture her. Instead...
Instead, she hoped Xia'er would catch the mastermind behind the attack and deliver her own form of justice.
After a moment's thought, Nia hurried after Xia'er and called out to her.
"Xia'er."
When Xia'er stopped, Nia extended her hand, offering a family crest and an unopened letter.
This was Aivina's Russell family emblem, along with a letter from Adele in Orlando, assuring their safety.
"With this crest, you can mobilize all the forces of the Boleun City police."
Nia spoke.
She believed that if it were the young lady, she would do the same.
Of course, the young lady might act out of trust, while Nia sought to use Xia'er’s hand to exact revenge for the young lady.
If she didn't have to stay by the young lady's side, she would have followed Xia'er to help her carry out her plan.
"Thank you."
Xia'er nodded slightly, taking the crest and letter, tucking them into her pocket before turning to head downstairs.
Watching Xia'er’s figure gradually disappear around the corner of the staircase, Nia turned to gaze out at the rainy night.
Tonight in Boleun City, peace was unlikely to reign...
...
Clop, clop, clop...
Several black steeds galloped through the streets, their riders clad in black steel helmets and dark rain cloaks. These were the mounted police of Boleun City, who should have been resting at this hour.
Yet they seemed relentless, riding swiftly toward Bell Tower Alley.
At this moment, Bell Tower Alley was anything but peaceful. Even at night, many stood in the rain, chatting idly by the roadside—most factories had closed, and this time of day was usually their working hours.
The brief unemployment had created a throng of drunks wandering the streets, and occasionally, a group could be seen beating someone—typically a refugee from Orlando who had escaped or been transported here.
Such attacks had become a daily occurrence over the past half month, with unemployed workers venting their frustrations on the more vulnerable Orlando immigrants.
Even staying indoors in rented rooms could attract violence and looting, and when detectives learned that the victims were merely refugees, they would conduct only a cursory investigation, hastily closing the case.
The mounted police rode through the streets, soon stopping in front of a small, standalone building.
Dismounting, they drew their service revolvers, and the lead detective strode to the door, kicking it open.
"Hey! Hey! What are you doing?"
A burly man, lounging on a sofa with his mistress, turned over and sat up, hastily covering himself with clothing, looking bewildered at the armed police at the door. "Winston, this must be some misunderstanding."
He paid his protection fees on time every week, and had done nothing wrong recently, so logically...
"Where are those military-grade explosive barrels?"
The lead detective aimed his gun at the man's forehead, speaking coldly.
"Explosive barrels? What explosive barrels?"
The man's expression remained unchanged, but inside, he was alarmed, cold sweat trickling down his back.
This was a secret that even other factions of the Blackwater gang were unaware of; how could the police know...
Bang—
A gunshot rang out, the bullet piercing the man's shoulder. The lead detective's face remained impassive as he said, "You'd better not harbor any illusions. We have solid intel."
"Ugh..."
The man clutched his shoulder, groaning softly. At that moment, he realized the detective across from him was not joking.
Meanwhile, similar scenes were unfolding across various locations in Boleun City.
From nobles to thugs, anyone who might be connected to the bombing incident or the Orlando Republican Army found detectives waiting at their doors.
The corrupt cops, who usually did nothing but embezzle, were now like rabid dogs, biting indiscriminately, as if some sense of purpose compelled them to act this way.
At that moment, on Gem Avenue, a red-haired girl walked through the rain-soaked night, seemingly taking a solitary stroll.
In her hand, she held a letter, softly reading its contents aloud.
"I've arrived at the poorhouse, Xia'er. I'm doing well. Please send my regards to Aivina and Amy. However, here..."
"In the bedroom I entered, there’s no mattress to be seen, just some straw spread across the floor."
Table of Contents
