Chapter 337
There, on the desk, lay a notebook accompanied by a fountain pen and ink.
Was she under house arrest, or what? Why was she allowed such freedom to move about, even to record her thoughts?
After a moment's hesitation, Shaer sidestepped the two maids and approached the desk.
Perhaps still reeling from the earlier scene, she chose not to sit on the chair but stood beside the desk, picking up the notebook and flipping to the first page.
It was in Chinese, and in her own handwriting.
**[July 20, midnight]**
**[The explosion seems to have had a significant impact; the police have been patrolling everywhere these past few days. However, after three days, there seems to be no follow-up. Although Ashford is alive, the samples must have been completely destroyed. I wonder if the Society of Joy will let this go.]**
**[On the bright side, the explosion has provided us with ample cover for our move. Everyone except Aivina has basically settled into the new house, while Aivina has chosen to stay at the hotel.]**
**[Due to the explosion, the celebrations for the Queen's coronation were cut short, and the nobles have tacitly decided not to hold lavish banquets during this time. This is not a good time for Aivina to relocate.]**
**[However, the distance isn't too great; I can still visit Aivina at the hotel often, so it doesn't affect us much.]**
Shaer flipped through several pages, finding little of particular use, but one page caught her attention.
**[July 25, 9 PM]**
**[The Society of Joy has been silent these past few days, and even the Orlando Republican Army remains quiet. Although everything appears calm on the surface, it seems a new storm is brewing, just waiting for a spark...]**
**[In the newspapers, the Russell family has been ordered by the Queen to conduct a thorough investigation into the Royal Medical Society explosion. Yet, after all this time, so many "detectives" have failed to uncover even a shred of evidence... Is this really the true strength of the Society of Joy? I refuse to believe that no one of the Fourth Order is involved in the investigation, yet nothing has come to light.]**
**[Fortunately, this has kept the Russell family from focusing their attention on Aivina. Even the police carriage outside the hotel has left.]**
**[When I went to see Aivina at noon to discuss our next steps, I encountered an unexpected visitor.]**
**[Windsor Vitalis Pharos.]**
**[She is the second princess of Ansu... apparently a childhood playmate of Aivina.]**
**[The princess's visit has somewhat disrupted our plans. The police may be gone, but small-time reporters are buzzing around the De Shield Hotel like flies, and they can't be driven away.]**
**[But I can't shake the feeling that the princess's gaze towards me was off... I hope it's just my imagination.]**
...A princess?
Was she referring to that white-haired girl with mismatched eyes?
Vitalis, meaning "powerful, revival, victory" in ancient Ansu, is also the name of the Queen of Ansu, while Pharos is a surname inherited from her father...
Shaer furrowed her brow.
She was merely Aivina's childhood friend.
How had the simulated version of herself fallen to such depths?
**[July 25, 10 AM]**
**[With the princess's visit, Aivina is now practically exposed to the scrutiny of all the nobles. People are curious why the daughter of the "exiled" duke has returned. Aivina had no choice but to move into the new house early and host familiar nobles and nearby neighbors.]**
**[Thanks to the princess's assistance, many high-society guests have written in hoping to receive an invitation... With Princess Windsor's help, it seems that establishing a presence in the city is easier than expected.]**
**[This banquet inevitably invited some members of the Ansu family, including Interior Minister William, who returned to report on his work. Under the princess's arrangement, this banquet is quite grand, as if to wash away the shadows cast over Ansu City by the explosion.]**
**[Feeling increasingly unsafe, I persuaded my sister to go to the Rehabilitation School of the Redemption Society in Bliss City for treatment. Thanks to Lucy's connections, my sister is guaranteed the highest standard of care—after all, Lucy is a regular at the Redemption Society.]**
**[I feel like I have a bit of PTSD from banquets now. To ensure Aivina's safety, I also attended the banquet, but not as a guest; instead, I took on security duties alongside Tara and Nia.]**
**[By the way, Lucy has really been promoted to Executive Director... I guess I’ll have to start calling her Director Lucy from now on.]**
**[July 25, 10 PM]**
**[The banquet has ended, and Nia is missing.]**
Shaer narrowed her eyes at this point.
The shorter the time span, the more events occurred, the fewer words were written, and the greater the matters at hand.
After reading the entries for the 25th, Shaer knew something was seriously wrong.
She quickly scanned the remaining entries.
Almost every day recorded the search for Nia, and Aivina was understandably anxious, but various social obligations kept her from being available. This was crucial for her to establish a foothold in Ansu City.
To keep Aivina focused, the simulated version of herself took on the task of investigating Nia's disappearance, using her abilities to conduct the inquiry while secretly having Tara dispatch some helpers to infiltrate Ansu City.
Lucy also joined the investigation, and her connections could be used openly in Ansu City. The simulated Shaer even drank the "detective" potion for this purpose.
With these helpers, there was no need to worry about the "detective" potion being undigested.
But in early August, Lucy brought back some very bad news.
Her investigation had been halted by the board, and she learned part of the truth there.
Continuing the investigation would involve the Church of the God of Order, and Lucy could not dig any deeper.
This effectively locked Shaer’s target onto the Church of the God of Order.
The simulated Shaer’s investigation also hit a dead end, as she could not probe into the church's internal matters.
However, being in a simulation gave her a certain boldness.
She directly kidnapped Seraphine, a "Crown Guard" from the Russell family who was devoted to the Church of the God of Order—the very person who had intercepted Aivina upon her arrival in Ansu City.
This was likely the simulated Shaer letting personal grudges cloud her judgment, but if she was going to capture someone, it might as well be someone with a vendetta.
With several "Illuminated Bishops" from the Holy Church brainwashing her day and night, Seraphine's mind had been tortured to the brink of collapse, and her steadfast faith began to crack.
After several rounds of torment, she finally revealed the truth.
Nia was already dead.
She had indeed been taken away by members of the Church of the God of Order during the banquet, almost precisely when Shaer began her investigation. Nia had undergone the ritual to connect with the "Otherworld," completely losing her sanity and becoming a steel corpse imprisoned in a dungeon.
This outcome caught the simulated Shaer off guard, but before she could figure out how to break the news to Aivina, Aivina had already guessed Nia's fate from Shaer's expression.
**[Aivina nearly broke down, crying in my arms for an entire night, her voice reduced to a whisper.]**
**[To Aivina, Nia was not just a mature and steady elder, nor merely a guardian and childhood companion; she was more like a grandmother, an important figure who had accompanied her growth.]**
**[I knew that things would not remain calm from here on out... But before considering how to help Aivina seek revenge, I first needed to clarify one thing.]**
**[That is, who gave the orders, and how could I prevent this from happening in reality?]**
**[The royal family, the Ansu family, the Church of the God of Order—these three are like interconnected behemoths... To shake them would only lead to despair.]**
**[But I don’t necessarily have to shake them; I just need to prevent all of this from happening in reality...]**
**[Yes, I know this is a compromise, but without power and strength, what else can I do besides compromise?]**
**[I had Lucy help me find a potion for a "Lawgiver." I need a way that won't raise anyone's suspicions...]**
**[I want to join the Church of the God of Order.]**
Well, well, an undercover operation?
The developments were increasingly beyond Shaer's expectations, and the bold actions of her simulated self had indeed earned her quite a few leads.
In just seven days, the simulated Shaer had digested the "detective" potion, completed the "Lawgiver" replication ritual, and consumed the potion.
And this news, Shaer had Lucy "accidentally" leak to the bishop of the Church of the God of Order during a banquet.
This terrifying speed of advancement naturally caused a stir within the Church of the God of Order. Almost on the very night the news leaked, a high-ranking bishop from the church personally visited Shaer's home, inviting her to participate in the prayer day the following day.
Table of Contents
