Chapter 301
Under the guise of the "Subverter" ability, Shaer appeared to be no different to Aivina than before, her pupils and aura unchanged. Without prior warning, Aivina would have had no way to detect the influence of the "Subverter."
And Aivina, for her part, would never think to be on guard against Shaer using the "Subverter" ability.
—Who would expect an ordinary girl to ascend to a 3rd-tier "Subverter" in the mere time it takes to change clothes?
This transformation was beyond the realm of common sense.
"Why is it taking so long?"
At that moment, Aivina, unaware of any abnormalities, handed over a vial of dye and asked, "Do you need my help with the coloring?"
"Yes."
Shaer lowered her head, her long red hair cascading down as she waited for Aivina to change her hair color.
She could hardly wait, her thoughts already flying to Manor No. 5.
When she saw the Key Person again, she had to thank them for helping her perfect the "Subverter" replication ritual in just one day... and casually ask how they were digesting it.
Her expression would surely be amusing. ^^
A smile crept onto Shaer's face, hidden beneath her long hair, but it faded as she felt Aivina's hand brush through her locks.
"Do you remember what I just told you?"
As Aivina applied the dye to Shaer's hair, she inquired.
Hmm?
Shaer, still looking down, blinked.
It seemed her notebook hadn’t mentioned what Aivina had said.
"I forgot."
Shaer replied directly.
"Your identity,"
Aivina, not at all impatient, reiterated, "is that of a maid at Russell Manor, responsible for welcoming guests, serving tea, and setting the dining table..."
"Though it might be a bit tiring, you can move around the banquet hall, which makes it easier for you."
"When the time comes, the butler will arrange everything for you—I've specifically changed to a new batch of maids, so there are many new faces. He won't be able to tell them apart, and will arrange things in detail..."
Aivina meticulously went over the details again, and finally said, "Just put on this mask and go report to the butler. He should be preparing to take people to Manor No. 5... Don't worry, I'll be there before the banquet starts."
Stepping back to admire Shaer, whose hair had turned completely golden, Aivina looked her up and down.
Though it was a common hair color in Ansu, one had to admit... golden-haired Shaer had a unique charm.
Just as Aivina was about to compliment Shaer's appearance, Shaer took a couple of steps forward, planted a quick kiss on the corner of Aivina's mouth, then donned the mask and said, "Thanks, darling."
It was only after Shaer dashed away that a blush slowly crept onto Aivina's face. She turned to glare at Shaer's retreating figure, wanting to say something in retort, but ultimately pursed her lips and held it back.
"Hmph..."
Aivina slightly turned her face away, taking a deep breath.
Was it just her imagination... or did Shaer seem a bit more cheerful after changing clothes?
Ignoring Aivina, Shaer, eager to find the Key Person and catch up, had already reached the manor's entrance and blended into the crowd.
The leather mask she wore was made from extraordinary materials, one of Aivina's prized possessions.
Anyone who saw Shaer's mask would only think of an ordinary, unremarkable face, and would quickly forget it—only extraordinary beings could sense something was off about the mask.
However, there weren't many extraordinary beings present, and Shaer could use the "Subverter" ability to confuse them, so she wasn't worried.
The reason she wore the mask was merely to cover her eyes—avoiding direct eye contact with the "Nemesis" that could trigger an attack.
Shaer followed the crowd into the banquet hall, starting to clean and set things up.
She didn’t use her abilities to slack off, as that could easily be detected by the Key Person, who was also a "Subverter."
Shaer kept a close watch on the direction of the manor's entrance, until at four in the afternoon, a woman with golden waves stepping down from a carriage caught her attention, locking her target in place.
Not because of her appearance, but because of the family crest and name on the carriage.
Ashcroft.
Only one woman stepped out of the carriage.
Lydia Ashcroft, the true name of the Key Person.
This could only be the Key Person; it couldn't be anyone else.
Moreover, one by one, Shaer also saw others arriving.
From the Chaos Squad, Lucy, Opode...
The "actors" of the stage play were taking their places, waiting for Shaer's command—the show was about to begin.
...
"Miss Ashcroft, please come in."
The butler slightly bowed, addressing the golden-haired woman in a top hat and veil with respect.
The tall, golden-haired woman nodded slightly at the butler, then walked straight into the mansion.
But suddenly, she seemed to sense a gaze and turned her head toward the lake.
There, the servants were still busy setting up for the second half of the evening banquet, working in an orderly fashion, with no one looking in her direction.
Was it just an illusion...?
Lydia frowned slightly, then continued into the hall.
Something felt off... After delivering tasks and information to the Chaos Squad, she should just leave.
In front of Lydia, the owner of Manor No. 5 approached, warmly greeting her. She smiled in response and followed him toward the banquet hall.
During the banquet, Lydia felt a twinge of alarm.
That young lady Aivina had actually advanced to the 2nd tier? It seemed the potion was being digested very steadily; it looked like her promotion to the 3rd tier was a done deal. Was this what talent looked like?
And then there were the 3rd-tier Opode and Lucy... who would have thought that such powerful individuals were hiding in the small city of Bole? Fortunately, neither Opode, Lucy, nor that young lady from the Russell family had noticed her abnormalities.
It was indeed better to stay out of sight; she would leave everything to the Chaos Squad...
The Key Person thought steadily.
She had climbed to this position in the Joyous Society solely through her steady hand... as long as she could incite her subordinates to act, she would never do it herself.
Even her subordinates still didn’t know her true identity; some had never even seen her face before they died.
She could even guarantee that her new identity would take considerable time for even the higher-ups of the Joyous Society to uncover.
This was her style—absolute concealment of her identity.
The Key Person manipulated a passing servant to take the secret letter she had placed on the tray, waiting for the right moment to hand it over to the Chaos Squad.
At this moment, the owner of the manor had begun inviting guests to the lakeside to enjoy the performance of the orchestra hired from Ansu, and people were streaming out of the banquet hall—this was precisely the best opportunity the Key Person had been waiting for.
**Chapter 171: Shaer Hehe... So Many Shaers...**
All the invited nobles and wealthy merchants gradually left the main banquet hall, walking along the flower-lined path adorned with decorative gas lamps toward the lakeside.
The main banquet hall was becoming increasingly empty, but just as the Key Person was about to follow the last two merchants out of the hall, she inadvertently looked up and saw the welcome banner at the entrance, freezing in place.
Bright flowers were tied together with fine threads and wires, hanging at the entrance, with two clear lines of text engraved on it.
**"So glad to see you again!"**
The passionate words and exclamation marks brought no warmth; instead, they sent a chill through Lydia's limbs.
But Lydia didn’t stop; she continued forward, leaving the main banquet hall and walking down the spacious corridor.
The words on the wooden boards were not the previous welcome message but something more personal, and at that moment, only the Key Person was looking at this banner.
Was this banner here before...?
No, perhaps she was just overthinking it...
Her disguise was flawless, and she hadn’t revealed any flaws throughout. Even the members of the Chaos Squad didn’t know her identity.
Even if all the members of the Chaos Squad betrayed her, they would have no way of knowing who she truly was...
Stay calm... all she needed to do now was leave the banquet at the right moment.
Her current identity was that of a frail noble, so leaving wouldn’t raise any suspicions. Besides, many had already taken their leave after the main banquet ended.
What was going on with her lately... Was it the potion's influence? She felt like she had been overly paranoid recently...
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