Chapter 510
She was a Level 3 member of the Pleasure Society, and it would be easy for Charles to kill her... but she was more than just that. She was also a member of the Pharos Medical Society and the daughter of a great noble family in the Devor Federation.
If anything happened to her, it wouldn't just trigger an investigation by the extraordinary organizations; it would also lead to a serious diplomatic incident.
Ansu was still in chaos, and if a duke's daughter were to die here, it was hard to imagine the kind of turmoil it would unleash...
After all, Aivina's family was still around, and Charles didn't want to create too much disorder in Ansu.
He just needed to erase Mond's memories of Adele and implant the subconscious suggestion to "leave Ansu as soon as possible."
Another crucial reason was that Charles couldn't afford to kill a Level 3 member of the Pleasure Society every time he arrived at a new place... While they wouldn't retaliate for the death of a single member, if they misinterpreted it as a hunt for their members, they would definitely take action.
Having already executed this plan a few times before, subduing Mond went quite smoothly. The only downside was that he had to use the same plan as before. Charles transformed into the "Subverter," consuming 5 points of destiny to instantly subdue Mond, then let Aivina modify his memories.
Once everything was done and all traces were cleared, the group boarded the carriage to return.
This time, they weren't heading back to the Russell Marquisate but to Charles's new home—this marked his "third first time" at his new residence.
It wasn't until he brought Aivina back to his room and lay down on the bed that Charles let out a long sigh.
The troubles that had plagued him for so long... were finally over.
Only a few minor details remained to be handled... like Ashford still retaining memories of Adele, which would need to be addressed once Ashford woke up, or perhaps Aivina could use "therapy" as an excuse to secretly erase his memories.
"You look really relaxed."
Aivina climbed onto the bed, looking down at Charles, and said calmly, "I haven't seen you show that expression in a long time... before, you were just putting on a fake smile."
"Really?"
Charles raised his hand, wrapping it around Aivina's slender waist, gently pulling her closer.
Their bodies pressed tightly against each other.
.
.
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PS:
Packing is such a hassle!!!!!!
Moving!!!! So exhausting!!!!!!
Good night!!!!!!
Chapter 266: You Can Call Me Charles Russell (4275 words)
"So, does that mean... everything has been resolved?"
"Pretty much... things should have settled down now."
On the bed, Aivina lay on Charles's chest, chatting with him in a casual manner, both enjoying this moment of relaxation.
Especially after everything Charles had been through, holding Aivina made him feel like he didn't want to move at all.
It was as if a tightly wound string had suddenly loosened, leaving Charles feeling so drained that even opening his eyes seemed like a monumental task, as if he were under the influence of some "coroner's" potion.
He felt like his energy was running low, and lying there with Aivina seemed to be slowly "recharging" him.
"So, do you have any plans for the future?" Aivina tilted her head slightly, looking at Charles's face, and asked softly.
"Plans?" Charles stared at the ceiling, his thoughts beginning to drift.
If all went well... he would wait for the system to finish upgrading and then acquire the remaining pathways...
To save time, he could even tackle some of the more difficult potions or time-consuming rituals in reality... like the "Blood Painter" and the "Performer."
Without the constraints of the strong sound, obtaining the "Performer" potion and ritual should be easier.
As for how to acquire them, Charles already had a plan in mind.
He would seek out Princess Vita.
With the sudden demise of the strong sound, Princess Vita would likely be celebrating somewhere, eager to seize the power of the strong sound for herself.
Charles wouldn't concern himself with how Vita would vie for power, as long as she didn't interfere with his own plans.
"Maybe I should learn more about the potions and rituals..." Charles replied.
"That makes sense... you still haven't taken any potions yet," Aivina said, suddenly recalling something. She propped herself up on her arms, slowly lifting her body to look down at Charles. "By the way, there's something I need to tell you."
"What is it?" Noticing Aivina's hesitant expression, Charles asked, "Is it urgent?"
In the previous simulations, he had experienced this day multiple times, and Aivina had never mentioned anything important.
"My father wants to see you again," Aivina looked into Charles's eyes, her expression somewhat uncertain. "He... said that if you come to see me, I should invite you to have a meal with him."
My father wants to meet me?
Charles blinked.
He had encountered Charles several times in the simulations. Overall, he was a mature and composed old-school nobleman, though sometimes a bit stubborn in his thinking.
Why did he want to see him?
Was it because of the strong sound incident? Or was it... because of Aivina?
Regardless, when the strong sound stormed into the hotel that day, Charles had come to the rescue and saved Aivina. He was still Aivina's father, and sooner or later, they would need to have a serious conversation.
"Sure," Charles nodded and asked, "When?"
"How about tonight?" Aivina tentatively suggested. "Or should we wait a few more days?"
"I'm fine with it," Charles nodded. "Let's do it tonight."
"He should be at the Parliament Building or Vitalis Palace right now. I'll have someone inform him..."
As Aivina spoke, she was about to straighten up and get out of bed, but Charles grabbed her shawl that was hanging down.
"There's no rush..."
Charles gently pulled Aivina closer to him.
"Stay with me a little longer..."
...
"William, do you know why I called you back from North Ansu?"
Interior Minister William Winston stood in front of the desk, looking at the serious and stern middle-aged man before him, slowly shaking his head and saying, "I don't know."
"Robert will soon announce his resignation as party leader, and he will recommend you as the new leader."
"And Her Majesty the Queen will directly accept the Prime Minister's proposal to dissolve Parliament and hold new elections."
"The Conservative Party has lost its backbone, and in the upcoming elections, the Liberal Party will gain most of the votes in the House of Commons. The one who will take the position of the new Prime Minister... is you."
Charles looked at William, speaking firmly.
"This..." William seemed taken aback. He had only been in North Ansu for a few days, and the internal situation had turned upside down. The Conservative Party, which had previously held a majority, had suddenly collapsed.
Wasn't the imperial policy promoted by the Conservative Party also endorsed by the Queen? Why would she side with the Liberal Party?
"We advocate for resolving the North Ansu issue. How could the Queen..." William said, bewildered, looking at Charles and asking, "What on earth happened?"
"You just need to prepare well. I'll help you sort everything out," Charles stood up, looking at William and said, "I know what you want to do, and I believe it's good for Ansu... it might just offend a few people."
"Charles..." William looked at the man before him, who felt somewhat unfamiliar, and slowly exhaled, saying, "You've changed."
"Perhaps," Charles's thoughts began to drift away.
He had once been solely focused on the eternal survival of his family, only to realize in hindsight that his own family was on the verge of falling apart.
He wasn't sure if it was due to his conversation with that red-haired girl, but Charles knew that when he saw Aivina again and met her cold gaze, he realized he had made a mistake.
If given the chance to choose again, he would place his family before the family name.
If he couldn't even maintain a happy family, what kind of cohesion could a family held together by such means possibly have?
"Have you seen little Aivina?" William looked at Charles's expression, as if he understood something.
"Yes," Charles nodded. "She has returned home."
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