Chapter 520
"Thank you, Duke Charles."
...
"Down with him! Down with him!"
"Charter! Universal suffrage! Dissolve the cabinet! Or we'll hang you!"
"Lower the price of bread, and your wallet will be full!"
"Blood and mud stain the velvet! The blood of the North Ansu people is all over your white gloves!"
The carriage struggled through the angry crowd, finally stopping in front of Number 10, the Prime Minister's residence.
With the police's collective effort, a small space was cleared in front of the carriage. Just then, the door swung open, and a somewhat plump female officer adjusted her helmet and said, "Get down, Your Excellency."
Xia'er stepped out and walked toward the open door of the Prime Minister's residence, glancing back.
The throng of people nearly filled the street, most dressed as farmers, with a few in worker's attire, engaged in heated exchanges, defending the Prime Minister.
As Xia'er turned back, it seemed to incite further unrest among the crowd. Some reporters seized the opportunity to push forward, shouting questions about the repeal of the Corn Laws over the police line.
But Xia'er said nothing, merely waved her hand and turned to enter the Prime Minister's residence, where a green-haired maid approached her.
"Lord Xia'er, you’re finally back..." Tara looked at Xia'er, whose face appeared slightly haggard, then glanced at the agitated crowd behind her, gritting her teeth and whispering, "How dare they defy Lord Xia'er’s orders? They will pay for this..."
"It doesn't matter," Xia'er shook her head, then looked upstairs and asked, "Where's Aivina?"
"Lady Aivina is in the study..."
Before Tara could finish, a familiar figure seemed to have heard the commotion outside and had already reached the staircase.
"Xia'er..." Aivina looked at Xia'er, quickly descending the stairs, and raised her arms to embrace her. "Are you alright? I heard someone set fire in front of the Parliament building today..."
"I'm fine, just some minor issues." Xia'er hesitated for a moment before slowly wrapping her arms around Aivina's slender waist.
When did Aivina become so... tender?
Xia'er’s calm reasoning was still at work.
In the past, even when she cared, Aivina would only wear a cold expression in front of others, waiting until they were alone or in the dark to weakly ask if she was okay.
Now, aside from Tara, several other maids and attendants were present, yet Aivina seemed completely unconcerned about her image.
Something felt off.
Xia'er took Aivina's hand directly, and without waiting for her to ask, pulled her upstairs into a room, shutting the door behind them.
Aivina looked bewildered the entire time, and only after Xia'er closed the door did she softly ask, "What’s wrong? Xia'er..."
"I feel...," Xia'er reflected on everything since waking up, her brow slightly furrowed as she searched for the right words in her mind.
Soon, she found the appropriate descriptors.
"Very unreasonable... very strange..." Xia'er held Aivina's hand with her right, gently massaging her left temple with her left, and said, "But I can't pinpoint what's strange."
"Strange?" Aivina looked at Xia'er, hesitating before asking, "Are you... too tired?"
"No, I'm not tired; my mind is quite clear."
Xia'er released Aivina's hand, glanced at the softly burning pale pink scented candle on the bedside, and walked straight to the window. She pulled the curtain aside a bit and looked down at the crowd dispersing under the police's presence.
A wave of coolness surged in Xia'er’s mind, reminding her that she was still maintaining calm, independent thought.
Why did she feel strange?
What was the source of this strangeness?
Xia'er retraced her memories from start to finish but found nothing odd until she reached a place filled with steel and concrete, where she finally sensed the anomaly.
The farmers, reporters, workers below, and the police dispersing the crowd... without exception...
They were all women.
Xia'er’s calm reasoning told her...
This was very strange...
"Don't you find it odd?" Xia'er seemed to grasp a clue, pointing at the crowd below and looking at Aivina. "They're all women, every single one."
"This..." Aivina seemed to struggle to understand Xia'er’s point. After a moment of hesitation, she slowly replied, "Is it... very strange?"
"Exactly, think about it..." Xia'er recalled the scene she had seen in the meeting room and looked at Aivina, continuing, "Your mother, Mrs. Winston, is a woman, right?"
"Of course," Aivina nodded slightly.
"But your father, Charles, is also a woman..." Xia'er seized the key point and asked directly, "How could two women give birth, give birth to you?"
"Ah?" Aivina looked at Xia'er in surprise, her expression slightly odd. After a while, she slowly stepped forward and gently placed the back of her hand against Xia'er’s forehead.
No fever...
"Isn't it normal for women to have children together?" Aivina looked at Xia'er with concern in her eyes. "What’s wrong with you, Xia'er..."
Oh right...
This wasn’t the original world anymore...
Here, it was perfectly normal for women to have children together...
She had really been busy and confused lately...
No, wait...
Calm reasoning was still at work. Xia'er looked directly into Aivina's eyes and asked, "No, Aivina... how can two women have children? They lack that capability?"
Xia'er grasped Aivina's wrist, as if she had found a blind spot, needing Aivina to provide an answer.
But Xia'er’s words and actions made Aivina take a small step back, though she couldn’t retreat far because of Xia'er’s grip on her wrist.
A faint blush crept onto her face as she looked at Xia'er, her voice beginning to stutter.
"I... we just got engaged not long ago... we’re not even of age yet... this... this..."
Seeing Aivina's panic, Xia'er felt a twinge of guilt and released her grip, saying, "I'm sorry... Aivina, I didn’t mean to force you into anything..."
Xia'er raised her hand to her forehead.
Her thoughts were crystal clear, yet the chaotic feelings brought on by the intertwining memories left her feeling disoriented, as if something was shrouded in a thin mist, completely forgotten by Xia'er.
But even the act of forgetting these things had been forgotten by Xia'er.
"You’re tired, Xia'er." Aivina stepped closer to her, speaking softly, "Do you want to rest for a bit?"
"Okay..."
Aivina's voice seemed to have a strange magic, calming Xia'er’s previously agitated mind.
With Aivina’s support, she made her way to the bedside and lay down, attended to by Aivina.
The dimly lit room, with the curtains drawn tight, was illuminated only by the flickering light of the pink scented candle, which made Xia'er feel slightly disoriented.
She slowly raised her hand, intending to extinguish the flame with a nearby golden spoon, but just as Xia'er reached out, Aivina pressed her hand down.
"Rest now." Aivina's voice began to fade into the background of Xia'er’s consciousness. Just as Xia'er was sinking into a tranquil state, a chilling sensation coursed through her mind.
This icy touch felt as if someone had stabbed her brain with ice, instantly jolting her from her drowsiness. She opened her eyes wide, meeting Aivina's slightly surprised gaze.
"I can’t sleep yet; I still have things to do," Xia'er said, sitting up in bed. She rubbed her forehead and stood up. "Just a moment."
Xia'er walked to the desk and began to rummage through it quickly, soon finding a few blank notebooks, but she quickly tossed them aside.
"Could you call Tara for me?" Xia'er turned to Aivina.
"Sure." Aivina nodded without asking further questions, rising to leave the room, not even inquiring what Xia'er was up to.
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