Chapter 668
The version of myself in the simulation seemed to have anticipated this, for as soon as Xia'er opened her eyes, she found herself face to face with Tara.
It appeared that the version of me in the simulation had prepared in advance... This meant that the plan was still being executed smoothly, and the simulated self had not met an untimely end due to unforeseen circumstances.
At that moment, Xia'er felt a flicker of curiosity about what would happen if her simulated self had died prematurely. Would she appear at the same time and place as the simulated self's demise? Or would it simply count as a failure of the simulation? Would she still be able to return to this point in time?
Xia'er didn't know, so it was best to avoid any accidents.
“Lord Xia'er.”
Tara slightly bowed her head, noticing the shimmering silver light before her and the complete transformation of Lord Xia'er. Yet, she seemed entirely unfazed, respectfully saying, “All the materials have been placed at the Russell Duke's residence. Would you like to review them now?”
Placed at the Russell Duke's residence instead of being carried with her?
Was there danger in the simulation?
Hadn't the nemesis already been dealt with? And it was a Level 5 nemesis at that.
“Is everything alright?” Xia'er asked directly, following Tara.
She wanted to see if she could glean any information from Tara to prepare herself in advance.
“Everything?” Tara continued leading the way, pondering for a moment before replying, “Are you inquiring about Nula Island? The laboratory there is operating normally, and today’s data was just sent over from there.”
Nula Island...
Xia'er recalled the world map, knowing it was an uninhabited island belonging to Ansu, far removed from civilization...
Now, that little island had become a testing ground?
It seemed like there were no issues after all...
To ascertain what had transpired during this time, Xia'er quickened her pace, intending to return to the Russell Duke's residence.
As soon as Xia'er emerged from the underground passage, she felt a gaze fixed upon her.
Following the direction of the gaze, she looked not far away.
Behind a pillar, a white-haired girl with heterochromatic eyes was peeking out, staring blankly at her.
The girl’s eyes were filled with confusion, seemingly unable to comprehend why Xia'er had entered with red hair and emerged with long black-blue locks.
“Xia...er?”
The white-haired girl’s voice was somewhat unclear, but it was evident from her tone that her intellect seemed a bit off.
It was Windsor.
The moment Xia'er recognized the girl, she couldn't forget that face, which bore a resemblance to Princess Vitalis. After all, the shocking scene from the simulation when she first arrived at the glass house in the garden was too striking to forget.
However, Xia'er felt no empathy for her.
It was fortunate that Windsor had become somewhat daft; if she still possessed the twisted personality influenced by the potion and the brain of the other world, she might have already become a victim of Xia'er’s blade.
Hadn't it been said during the simulation that Windsor had been taken away by Princess Vitalis? Why was she still here?
Was it because Xia'er hadn’t chosen this place as a testing ground, making her removal unnecessary?
Regardless, it didn’t matter much.
Xia'er chose not to respond to Windsor’s call, simply following Tara as they headed straight for the palace entrance.
Ignored by Xia'er, Princess Windsor appeared a bit dejected. Leaning against the pillar, she watched Xia'er’s retreating figure, tears streaming down her face, unsure of what to do.
She just felt a strong affection for that beautiful, cold girl, but she had lost all memory of her previous misdeeds.
In the courtyard before Windsor Palace, Xia'er spotted another figure just stepping down from a carriage.
Also a white-haired girl with heterochromatic eyes, but with a cooler demeanor, she approached Xia'er directly.
“Xia'er... Your Excellency.” Princess Vitalis stood before Xia'er, slightly bowing her head, lifting her skirt, and performing a curtsey. “May I have a moment of your time to chat?”
Princess Vitalis knew that a year ago, she might have had the chance to discuss cooperation with the girl before her on equal footing. But now, if she wanted to do anything, she could only request it from Xia'er.
Xia'er’s power had grown beyond what Princess Vitalis could reach. The influence Xia'er wielded now was such that even if Qiangyin were still alive, they would only be left in awe.
“Sorry.” Xia'er lifted her gaze slightly, looking at Vitalis with a weary smile, “I’m busy.”
“Lord Xia'er, the carriage is this way.” Tara noticed that Xia'er had no intention of conversing and began to lead her onward.
Vitalis, left in the dust, took a deep breath and did not pursue Xia'er any further.
She had hurried over upon hearing that Xia'er had arrived at Windsor Palace, but she hadn’t managed to say a word. This sense of defeat left her feeling frustrated.
Vitalis had indeed aspired to replace the queen and become the new Queen of Vitalis. She wanted to reclaim royal power and implement her vision of peace.
She had thought that after Qiangyin's death, with the covert support of the Russell family and her own popularity gained from the Orlando Republican Army, she could achieve a true unification of Orlando and Ansu.
However, the subsequent developments had exceeded Vitalis's expectations.
The disaster in North Ansu was resolved in an instant by Xia'er... and the credit for developing the antidote went to a doctor named “Adele.”
Though Xia'er had never shown her face, Princess Vitalis knew that Xia'er was undoubtedly pulling the strings behind the scenes.
Without Xia'er’s approval, even if the antidote for the “Rotting Plague” had truly emerged, no one would dare to present it and face the backlash from the Joyous Society alone.
This turn of events rendered Vitalis's standing in North Ansu almost irrelevant. While the council and its members began to praise her, everyone with clear eyes knew that Princess Vitalis would become the next queen.
Yet, Vitalis felt herself being increasingly pushed out of the center of power, as the royal family had become little more than a figurehead.
During Qiangyin's reign, he needed to leverage the royal banner to manipulate the various families and fulfill his war ambitions.
But in today’s Ansu, although the power had ostensibly returned to Vitalis, in reality, all extraordinary forces had been consolidated by the Russell family.
Even more terrifying was that nearly all major extraordinary factions within the Ansu Empire had formed partnerships or even subordinate relationships with one person... that was Xia'er.
Now, the core of power in Ansu no longer revolved around the royal family; wherever Xia'er was, that was where the power lay. The royal family had become a hollow shell, and no matter what Vitalis wished to do, she could only operate from a mortal perspective.
Because the royal family had lost all extraordinary power...
Vitalis could only be considered the future queen of Ansu, while now, Ansu truly had a “queen” of the extraordinary world...
Vitalis was losing her grip on Ansu.
“Sigh...”
Vitalis sighed softly as she walked toward Windsor Palace.
“Elder sister... elder sister...”
Windsor’s stammering voice rang out, and Vitalis turned to see her younger sister approaching.
A faint smile appeared on Vitalis's face as she opened her arms, embracing her clumsy sister who was running toward her, gently ruffling her white hair.
Vitalis's innate desire for control seemed inherited from someone, an aversion to things she could not control, while anything she could fully command brought her joy, including her relationships.
Previously, Windsor's volatile emotions had made it difficult for Vitalis to acknowledge her as a sister.
But now, with Windsor reduced to a fool, a being she could completely control, it brought Vitalis a sense of delight...
She slowly lowered her head, gazing at Windsor, who was grinning foolishly in her embrace, and smiled gently in return.
In terms of character and ambition, Vitalis and Qiangyin were strikingly similar.
If Vitalis had been fortunate enough to receive a measure of “uniqueness” like Qiangyin, she might have achieved similar success, leading Ansu into a new era of glory.
Provided, of course, that she hadn’t encountered Xia'er.
...
“Lord Xia'er, everything is here.”
In Aivina's room, Xia'er sat on the sofa, looking at the two boxes of materials on the table.
This batch of materials seemed to be significantly more than the last... It appeared that the research pace had indeed picked up considerably.
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