At a time like this, I certainly can't let myself gain the reputation of an ungrateful person.
Sigh... fine. I'll explain, and while I'm at it, I'll show some gratitude to this Izzy.
"I see. I understand. Please rest assured, my lady; we will certainly give you an explanation regarding this matter."
He paused slightly at this point and then asked:
"May I ask where you are currently staying? I would like to report the outcome of our investigation to you in a timely manner."
From her attire to her appearance and temperament, the woman before him did not seem like an ordinary person.
Naturally, she had to be treated differently.
In this era, if one lacked even this much discernment, it would be truly difficult to survive.
"That won't be necessary. I'll be leaving here tomorrow to visit relatives in Moonrise City."
"I see. In that case, I won't trouble you further. Withdraw!"
With that, the leader, Kalan, turned and glanced at Izzy.
"You brat, I'll settle the score with you later."
Izzy scratched the back of his head, looking a bit embarrassed, a shy smile on his face.
However, the two streaks of nosebleed ruined his bashful demeanor.
Instead, it gave off a strong sense of dissonance.
"Safe travels, Uncle Kalan!"
Watching the departing City Defense Force leader, Izzy waved his hand and didn't forget to add:
"Don't forget to help me ask for some medical expenses! Ask for more! Send it to my house tonight and just give it to my sister!"
Kalan, who was walking away, stumbled and almost fell.
He glared back fiercely at Izzy before turning to leave.
Looking at this ridiculous Izzy, the surrounding onlookers gradually dispersed.
I looked down at the apple in my hand and then at this guy.
Hmm... Forget it, I won't reward him with an apple; I haven't even had enough myself.
"Are you alright?" I asked tentatively.
Izzy greeted me with a face full of indifference.
"Of course I'm fine. A single punch won't ruin such a handsome face as mine. You can rest assured."
'Who the hell is worried about your face?'
'I'm worried about whether there's something wrong with your brain.'
But looking at him now, he hasn't gone completely senile yet.
"Mr. Izzy, thank you for earlier. I don't have much to offer in return."
I took two gold coins from my sleeve.
"These two gold coins can be considered my thanks."
As soon as he saw the money, Izzy's expression instantly turned sour.
"When you see injustice, you speak up and act. As an adventurer, I couldn't just stand by. This has nothing to do with money."
Oh?
I really underestimated this person.
I thought he was after money, but he actually has a chivalrous heart?
Just as I was thinking this, Izzy's hand reached out.
His face still bore that righteous expression, but his eyes kept darting to the side.
"However... well, you see, I've been injured so severely; it's only normal to accept a little money, isn't it?"
"Of course, I'm not doing this for the money. I'm doing it for medical treatment. Look at this handsome face of mine."
"It's been beaten into such a sorry state. I have to get it checked out, right?"
Luo Li blinked. This was truly the first time she had met such a person.
Handing over the gold coins, Izzy even took a moment to verify them seriously.
Then he nodded and tucked the two gold coins away with satisfaction.
"Thank you for your patronage! I've decided that we're friends!"
'Friends my foot!'
'You're clearly just here for the money!'
Luo Li couldn't help but roll her eyes.
When she was the Saintess, she rarely encountered someone so shameless.
"Mr. Izzy, since the matter is over, I won't trouble you further. You should go get checked out first."
"Eh, alright! See you around!"
This guy is truly an oddball.
Luo Li shook her head with a wry smile, hoping she wouldn't run into him again.
She turned and walked towards a nearby luxury hotel.
Luo Li, of course, wouldn't stay in a commoner's inn.
That kind of place really didn't suit her.
Mainly because her skin was too delicate.
Even slightly coarse bedding would be uncomfortable.
After paying a two-gold-coin deposit, she left her apple and asked the kitchen to prepare it.
Then she went up to the second floor.
She opened the door with the hotel key.
The room was quite large, and a young girl stood by the door, ready to serve at any time.
It had to be said that people of this era certainly knew how to enjoy themselves.
The luxury of this room was not something an ordinary family could compare to.
Moreover, hotels like this were often specifically opened for passing nobles.
Such hotels were naturally incredibly luxurious.
A massive crystal chandelier hung overhead.
Thick carpets covered the floor.
Every corner was kept immaculately clean.
This wasn't like Earth.
If a room was a bit messy there, at most there would be a complaint.
But in this era, it was very easy to go out of business.
After all, the power held by nobles was too great.
To run such a hotel well, there had to be a significant investment of capital.
And one had to ensure that everything was perfect so that those fastidious nobles couldn't find even the slightest fault.
"Noble lady, is there anything I can help you with?"
"Nothing in particular. I'm going to rest; you may leave."
She had been walking all morning, and her feet were tired. She would nap for a bit and see about other things in the afternoon.
The girl nodded.
"Very well. Do you plan to take a short rest, or do you intend to sleep until evening?"
"Just a short rest."
Luo Li raised an eyebrow. Was there a difference?
She walked quickly into one of the rooms.
"My lady, this room can serve as a place for a short rest."
"Oh, thank you."
Luo Li thanked her.
But she didn't leave.
"You are..."
"My lady, I will provide a massage for you to ensure that your afternoon nap allows you to relax completely, both in body and mind."
'This hotel even has this kind of service?'
'As expected, nobles really knew how to enjoy themselves.'
After a brief hesitation, Luo Li reached out and took out two silver coins, asking tentatively:
"Is this enough for a tip?"
The girl didn't speak but lowered her head and held out both hands.
It seemed she would accept whatever Luo Li gave without any complaints.
Well, setting everything else aside, this attitude was something only a corrupt world like this would possess.
Placing the two silver coins in her palm, the girl quickly tucked the money into the waist pouch she carried.
Then she took out a comb and other items from her bag.
"My lady, please lie on the bed."
"Alright."
"Um... is it convenient for you to undress?"
"It's not."
It was fine to undress in front of other young nuns, but in front of a stranger, she really wasn't used to it.
"Then I will massage your head and feet to help you sleep."
"Mm."
Luo Li slowly closed her eyes, and the girl's hands were placed gently on her forehead.
She began the massage.
The pressure was neither too light nor too heavy, just right. As the massage continued, Luo Li truly began to relax.
In the three and a half months since she had transmigrated, this was the first time she was enjoying a bit of daily life.
This feeling allowed the tension that had gripped her entire body to gradually fade away.
"My lady, you seem to be very tense on a regular basis; even the muscles in your shoulders are tight."
"Mm~ I suppose I've been too tired these past few months~"
Luo Li responded softly. It had to be said, this was truly comfortable.
'Nobles really knew how to enjoy themselves.'
She was indeed too tired. Although she had slept well the previous night, it was completely different from this feeling of total relaxation.
Every muscle in her body felt as if it had lost all its strength, and her entire body sank deep into the bed.
Drowsiness flooded her mind, and her eyelids began to grow heavy.
"My lady, my lady, the two hours of your afternoon nap have passed. Shall I prepare afternoon tea for you?"
Through her haze, the girl's voice reached her ears.
Luo Li slowly opened her eyes, still a bit dazed.
"Nara, what time is it? The refugees outside the city..."
"Nara? My lady, have you... not fully woken up yet?"
Being suddenly interrupted, Luo Li snapped awake, suddenly realizing that this was not her temple.
Right, I'm still in Luocheng.
Suddenly, I miss Brilliant City a little.
They still don't know that I'm alive.
Calculating the time, it hasn't even been twenty days yet. Brilliant City shouldn't be in chaos.
No... it would actually be best if it were in chaos.
That way, another portion of the cancer could be rooted out.
"My lady, what about the refugees outside the city?"
The young lady looked bewildered.
"It's nothing. Afternoon tea? Prepare it, then. I want the best desserts."
"My lady, the best desserts cost at least several gold coins. Your deposit..."
"Oh~"
Luo Li nodded and casually took five gold coins from her sleeve.
If converted to the currency of my old world, this would be fifty thousand dollars.
"This should be enough, right? Go on. Keep the rest in the deposit."
"Very well."
The young lady saw the five gold coins but showed no surprise.
Even her attitude remained very calm.
Clearly, the owner of this shop was indeed a formidable person.
To be able to train someone to this extent was not something an ordinary person could do.
Thinking of this, Luo Li couldn't help but ask.
"Which noble family does the owner of this hotel belong to?"
"In response to my lady, our owner is the head of the Borgia family."
'The Borgia family?'
'So it was the property of a third-tier noble family.'
In Luo Li's mind, she had already divided the nobles of the Kingdom of the Moon into five tiers.
The first tier consisted of the four major noble families that had been entrenched in the Kingdom of the Moon for a thousand years.
Garnet, Dressas, Alvin, and Cromwell.
These four families could be said to be the most powerful, influential, and formidable of all the nobles.
Now, the Garnet family had been purged. Although their main industries were in Seaview City...
Other cities still had their businesses.
Those industries had probably been swallowed up by other local families by now, hadn't they?
The second tier consisted of the seven noble families just below the four major ones.
Norman, Anjou, Lancaster, York, Stuart, Hanover, and Saxony.
The third tier was composed of the rising stars, Julius and Borgia.
Luo Li didn't know much about these two families, but she had a general understanding.
The Julius family mainly focused on the transportation industry.
The Borgia family, as seen here, focused on the hospitality industry.
Because they didn't have large-scale fixed family industries, these two families weren't considered part of the seven great families.
However, they were far wealthier than the thirty-three minor noble families that followed.
After that, the fourth tier was the thirty-three minor noble families.
That old man Audis, the Von family, was in this category.
This also included the slave master Cavendish family, whom Luo Li had dealt with, and the Rowan family, who were rivals of the Cavendishes.
The fifth tier consisted of about a hundred or so fallen minor noble families, which weren't worth mentioning.
Borgia was a third-tier noble family, wealthier than the thirty-three minor noble families, but not as powerful as the seven great families.
Better than those below, but not as good as those above.
"Borgia... I see."
Luo Li had paid little attention to this family because they rarely meddled in things like mining.
Nor did they exert much influence over the country.
Overall, they were a family with decent strength but one that didn't stand out.
Luo Li nodded.
"How does your owner treat you? How are the conditions here?"
The girl was startled, seemingly surprised by Luo Li's question.
She looked Luo Li up and down carefully.
"My lady, in what capacity are you asking?"
'The young girl trained by the Borgia family actually had such high standards?'
'She even knew to ask for my identity.'
Suddenly, I'm starting to get a little interested in the head of this family.
"Just asking casually. If it's not convenient to say, then don't."
"My lady, although I don't know your identity, I can tell you with certainty that the Borgia family is the most friendly family to us ordinary people that I have ever seen."
Hearing this, Luo Li raised an eyebrow.
Such praise was not something an ordinary family could earn.
"Why do you say that?"
"My lady, what kind of person do I look like to you?"
Luo Li was confused for a moment and looked the girl up and down.
"You are well-mannered and well-educated. I think you must have been specially trained, right?"
"Yes. That is why I am very grateful to the Borgia family."
The girl's voice was a bit raspy.
"My home was a farming household in an unnamed small village in Moonrise City."
"Including me, there were seven children in the family."
"A few years ago, the Kingdom of the Moon suffered a great drought, and my family could hardly put food on the table. Because I looked decent, my father wanted to sell me to get some money to raise my younger brothers and sisters. I accepted my fate. At that time... I was only thirteen."
"Did you not resist?"
"Resist?"
She looked up with a bitter smile.
"If I had resisted, those six younger brothers and sisters would have all starved to death."
Hearing this, as the ruler of a country—even if that drought from a few years ago had nothing to do with her—these words felt like a bayonet stabbing into her heart.
It gave Luo Li a feeling of suffocation.
"Then... what happened later?"
"Later? I was spotted by the owner. The conditions he offered gave me hope for my life."
"What conditions?"
"He said he would give my family a sum of money and have me receive five years of training. Then, I would work here for free for five years. Once that time was up, regardless of whether the money had been paid back, the debt would be cleared."
"If I wanted to continue working here afterward, I could. If I didn't, I could leave at any time after those five years."
I see.
The Borgia family... it seems necessary to meet the head of this family.
By the way, what was the name of the head of this family?
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