Chapter 308
But at that moment, the excitement surging from deep within Lucy had overwhelmed her fear. She finally understood what the initial danger and reward hinted at by the tarot card spread truly were.
The red-haired girl before her, along with the organization behind her...
The path of "redemption" lay within.
"What do you plan to do?"
Lucy had switched to a more respectful tone, asking softly.
First, she wanted to confirm the true purpose of that organization.
"We cannot allow the 'Subverter' from the Pleasure Society to wreak havoc in Bole City; it would cost many lives,"
Xia Er said, looking at Lucy and nodding slightly. "We will control the 'Key Person' and invite you to execute her, Miss Lucy."
Invite me to... execute?
Lucy stared at the "olive branch" being offered, her mind racing.
If they could track the movements of the "Subverter" and even control her, they could certainly handle the execution themselves. So why invite her to carry out the final act and share in the spoils?
The other party was a hidden organization that didn't want to expose itself to the pleasure-seeking Pleasure Society, wanting her to take the lead—this was the only possibility Lucy could think of.
Moreover, she could clearly sense the friendliness being displayed by them—this could very well be her opportunity to delve deeper into, or even join, that mysterious organization.
Would she agree?
Of course, there was no need to think twice. Who would refuse such a powerful organization extending an olive branch?
Though the Pleasure Society was filled with lunatics, the last thing she needed to worry about was their revenge—"revenge" simply didn't exist in the dictionary of those madmen.
In that world, only the living were members of the Pleasure Society; the dead were merely discarded. That was the creed of the Pleasure Society.
"Are you saying that the 'Subverter' from the Pleasure Society, after inciting the Saintly Sect to cause chaos at the Dedton Manor, is planning a secret operation in Bole City?"
A friendship with a hidden organization, a "Subverter" who could take the fall, and the wealth that came with her...
This was a good deal.
She was in!
Lucy’s expression turned fierce with righteous indignation as she looked at Xia Er and declared,
"Such scum deserves to be executed by my hand! After I take care of the Key Person, I will bring her body back to the organization and announce her vile deeds! Let all the members know what she has done!"
"Let me lend a hand as well, Your Excellency."
Xia Er nodded gently, looking at Lucy.
For a long time, Lucy had been the most capable extraordinary person Xia Er had encountered.
Xia Er stood up and reached across the table, extending her right hand.
"To a pleasant cooperation."
**Chapter 174: The Explosive Death of the Key Person.**
(While organizing the foreshadowing, I encountered a small bug; Aivina's manor is number 15, not 13. This mistake started from Chapter 168 and has now been corrected.)
Once the cooperative relationship was established, everything that followed went much more smoothly.
In just about an hour, Lucy received a comprehensive plan, even detailing the exact time she needed to be at a specific location, as if there had been a rehearsal beforehand.
After clarifying the task flow and objectives, Lucy left Manor 15.
She didn’t even need to call her subordinates for help; it would be more discreet that way.
After all, according to the wishes of that red-haired girl, the fewer people who knew, the better.
It was only after Lucy had left that Aivina turned to Xia Er, who had picked up her book again, and asked, "Are you really sure about this? That’s a 3rd-tier 'Subverter'... Will you really send help?"
After all, Aivina hadn’t felt the same fear that Lucy had; she had no idea where Lucy's trust in Xia Er came from.
Just from hearing the plan, she decided to take down a "Subverter"? And she didn’t even know where the target was at the moment...
"Don't worry, the organization has also sent a 'Subverter' to ensure everything goes smoothly."
Xia Er shifted her gaze from the pages of her book to Aivina.
Xia Er's organization had its own "Subverter"...
Why did it feel like they had everything they needed? And the planning for the mission... No, this wasn’t just planning; it was prophecy—just like the things Xia Er had done before.
"Is there anything else you need me to help with before the 7th?"
Aivina, still worried about Xia Er, leaned slightly forward and asked.
At this moment, Aivina was unaware that Xia Er intended to eliminate that "Subverter" just to thwart their plan to assassinate Aivina.
Noticing Aivina's concern, Xia Er closed her book, moved to sit beside Aivina, and said, "Yes."
"What is it?"
Aivina perked up immediately upon hearing this.
Since Xia Er proposed this plan, Aivina hadn’t been able to contribute much; the only help she had provided was teaching Xia Er the etiquette of being a maid...
And to be honest, that teaching stemmed from Aivina's desire to tease Xia Er a little—only to end up being the one teased.
This left Aivina with a twinge of guilt; she didn’t think that teaching and handling a list counted as real help.
"I need you to ensure that my mental state remains stable until the 7th."
As Xia Er spoke, she placed her hand on Aivina's hand, looking into her eyes earnestly. "This is really important to me."
"Mm..."
Aivina nodded slightly, not saying much more.
Healing Xia Er felt like her responsibility; even if Xia Er hadn’t brought it up, Aivina would have regularly checked on her mental state.
But she didn’t complain or feel that Xia Er was in the wrong.
Completing a dangerous task, even if it wasn’t Xia Er but Aivina herself executing it, she would definitely choose the most reliable partner.
Facing a 3rd-tier "Subverter," her own strength simply wasn’t enough; there was nothing to say about it, nothing to complain about.
It was just that not being able to help the one she loved left Aivina feeling a bit down.
"Xia Er."
Aivina lowered her head, her hands folded in her lap, and quietly asked a lingering question, "Was Gema... also your scheme to bring to me?"
When Aivina faced obstacles in her promotion to 2nd-tier, a 2nd-tier cult noble had conveniently appeared, allowing her to deduce that she was a cultist and to counter-brainwash her...
Such coincidences, where a pillow arrives just as one falls asleep, could not be mere chance; they could only be described as miracles—and most of the miracles Aivina encountered had started happening frequently after meeting Xia Er.
Moreover, not long after her promotion, she had encountered Xia Er, who was in a state of extreme mental exhaustion and contamination, and the meeting place had even been prearranged...
With so many coincidences, they ceased to be coincidences. Based on all the things Xia Er had done, this series of events, including her promotion, was likely just a part of Xia Er's scheme.
If it weren’t for seeing Xia Er’s precise plan for Lucy, Aivina might not have brought this up again for a while.
"...Yes."
Xia Er hesitated for a moment but ultimately chose not to lie to Aivina.
If they truly wanted to walk this path together, mutual trust was key. As long as it didn’t involve the system or "uniqueness," which could lead to catastrophic consequences if mentioned, Xia Er wouldn’t hide much.
Upon hearing Xia Er's answer, Aivina felt a slow sigh of relief wash over her.
She was grateful that Xia Er had answered her; otherwise, Aivina wasn’t sure if the seeds of doubt would have taken root in her heart.
"Hmph."
Aivina spread her hands behind her, looking at Xia Er with a slight lift of her chin, letting out a soft huff.
"It sounds like you have a lot more you're keeping from me."
"Oh, far too much,"
Xia Er could sense that Aivina's mood had already lifted. She smiled and continued, "There’s always something you don’t know."
"Someone who can be seen through too easily is just too boring."
Aivina shook her head with her eyes closed, then stood up from the sofa. "Alright, I won’t disturb your reading anymore, Miss Blue Socks..."
"Blue Socks" was a colloquial term in the Ansu noble circle, generally describing a learned woman who loved studying but was not social. Aivina knew Xia Er wouldn’t understand what it meant, so she took the opportunity to tease her.
But just as she stood up and hadn’t walked away, Aivina felt her hand being pulled back.
"Do you have something to do?"
Xia Er's voice came from behind her. Aivina turned to look at Xia Er, who was still sitting on the sofa, and shook her head. "No, why?"
The matter with the Great Western Railway Company couldn’t be discussed anymore; much of the cooperation they had discussed a few days ago had fallen through because of this issue. Aivina was now feeling terribly idle, and if she continued to be this idle, bankruptcy was just around the corner.
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