Silver hair cascaded down her back as the piercing afternoon sun dyed the young girl in a hue of gold.
A black velvet form-fitting dress highlighted her curves and slender figure.
A trace of deep thought flickered within her crimson eyes.
Her slender fingers gently rubbed together.
Luo Li reclined on a sun lounger, partially shaded by a large parasol on the balcony.
On the round table beside her sat an array of luxurious and delicious afternoon treats.
Crimson tea rippled gently inside a crystal cup.
Luo Li’s mind couldn't help but dwell on the information she had just received.
Humans were creatures that did everything with a purpose.
Their actions were almost always driven by their underlying objectives.
Some acted for themselves, while others acted for the sake of others.
Some sought fame, some sought wealth, some sought power, and some sought beauty.
Some acted for the sake of their own conscience and kindness, while others acted for their own pleasure and comfort.
There were those who sought to be superior so they could bully others, and those who fought hard for the lives of others.
In short.
Humans were extremely complex creatures, and it was impossible for them to be ‘absolutely fair’ or ‘absolutely good or evil.’
Were demons evil?
Yes.
But demons also possessed humanity. While half-demons were hardly considered sentient beings, high-ranking fiends and pure-blooded demons were perfectly normal intelligent creatures.
Their evil was directed outward, while their kindness was kept within.
They were an extremely xenophobic and selfish race.
And humans... as intelligent beings, were much the same.
For instance, the matter concerning the Borgia family that Luo Li had just heard about.
Although this family didn't have a history as long as the four major noble families or the seven great families, they had been around for at least two or three centuries.
To put it bluntly.
Any system relied on exploiting the labor of the lower classes to sustain the luxury of the upper classes.
This was a biological instinct—intra-species competition.
Even within the same species, creatures fought over mates and food.
Intelligent beings were no exception.
It was only because intelligent beings were more complex that their struggles became more intricate as well.
And this... was the very reason for her suspicion.
The reason she thought so much was that the Borgia family’s behavior presented a puzzling situation.
Based on the premise that everyone acts with a purpose, what was the Borgia family’s goal in taking in that girl?
As a family that had survived for over three hundred years, the Borgia family would have perished long ago if they were merely doing good deeds out of the goodness of their hearts.
The exploitation of the lower classes by the aristocratic system was the foundation of their existence.
Once that foundation was broken, the nobility would cease to exist.
Yet the Borgia family’s current actions, especially regarding that girl, violated that very foundation.
Furthermore, according to what the girl said, the commoners were all very grateful to the Borgia family.
This point made Luo Li’s brow furrow as a faint sense of worry rose in her heart.
In Luo Li’s eyes, that girl was quite beautiful. Although she couldn't compare to herself, she was at least an eight point five out of ten in an era where many people were good-looking.
She could be considered a great beauty.
Yet the Borgia family didn't covet her beauty.
This hotel was incredibly luxurious, but the prices seemed fair.
One mustn't forget that the more luxurious an item was, the higher its maintenance costs.
Take the carpet beneath her feet, for example; Luo Li had one just like it in her Temple.
It was made from the fur of the rare Snow Mountain Rabbit.
In the entire human realm, only the Snow Country produced it, and the output was extremely low.
Most importantly, the fur of this rabbit was so soft that it couldn't withstand normal washing.
Every single fiber had to be meticulously cared for.
Maintaining just this one carpet cost at least several silver coins a month.
Because it trapped dirt easily, it required serious cleaning every day.
It required manual labor to wipe it down, strand by strand.
And that was just a single carpet.
What about the rest of the room?
This was a hotel; it was impossible to have guests every single day.
This meant the hotel’s income could only reach a break-even point at best, making almost no profit.
So why did the Borgia family open such a hotel?
They didn't seek money, and they didn't seek beauty.
Those two were small things; if their family truly wanted them, it would actually be more reassuring.
It was like the famous corrupt official He Shen from her old world.
Why could Emperor Qianlong tolerate such a massive embezzler?
Wasn't it because He Shen didn't form factions? Although he was greedy and lustful, he didn't try to seize control of the court.
But when someone seeks something other than those two things, it becomes very intriguing.
Fame and power.
They weren't using the hotel to network with other nobles, so it wasn't about consolidating the family’s political strength.
That left only one thing.
Reputation.
This had never been a small matter from the very beginning.
Aside from that, nothing else seemed to fit the situation of this hotel.
This forced her to remain vigilant.
A massive family that didn't care for wealth or beauty, and wasn't accumulating military strength.
Yet they sought a reputation?
What did they intend to do?
Luo Li’s mind began to race.
If she were an ordinary person, it wouldn't matter to her how much reputation this family built up.
But she was currently the Saintess, holding both divine power and royal power.
And what royal power feared most was, first, the military, and second... reputation.
Even divine power felt a sense of dread when faced with the word ‘reputation.’
These two seemingly simple words could influence the governing power of an entire nation.
"Borgia..."
This was the most critical reason she wanted to meet the head of the Borgia family.
She really wanted to meet this family head.
Perhaps one meeting would reveal exactly what he was after.
But not right now.
However, the family’s name was now deeply etched into her mind.
She let out a long breath and looked at the dregs remaining in her crystal tea cup.
"Clear it away."
"Yes."
The maid stood up obediently and quickly cleared the table.
The entire process was silent and elegant.
It gave off a very smooth and comfortable feeling.
Training such high-quality maids required a significant investment of time and money.
The Borgia family’s ambitions were no small matter.
Thinking of this, a cold smile played on the corners of Luo Li’s lips.
She didn't yet know what a mere three-hundred-year-old family wanted to do.
But if their goal was royal or divine power, or if they intended to threaten the stability of the Kingdom of the Moon...
She would show no mercy!
After Luo Li finished washing up, she changed into new clothes.
She likely wouldn't have time to wander around today.
She ate a simple meal and then slept until dawn.
The next morning, under the cover of a thick fog, Luo Li walked out of the hotel.
From here, there were two ways to reach Moonrise City.
One was by carriage, and the other was by ship.
The carriage began to move to the sound of bells. In the hazy morning, the horse bells served a great purpose.
One could hear the bells from far away, alerting those ahead that a carriage was approaching.
After a short while, the luxury carriage stopped at the pier.
"My lady, we have arrived."
As long as one stayed at a luxury hotel, they could have almost anything handled for them.
Even if they wanted to take a ship, a carriage from the hotel would take them directly to the docks.
Stepping out of the carriage, she looked up at the scene before her.
Several massive ships were moored along the shore.
The pier was divided into two sections.
One part was dedicated to cargo; even this early in the morning, it was bustling with activity.
Laborers carried sacks on their backs, transporting unknown goods.
The other side, however, was much more quiet and refined.
These were passenger ships, and the large vessel before Luo Li’s eyes made her marvel.
In this era... the technology tree had definitely taken a strange turn.
The massive iron-clad ship before her was a vessel entirely sheathed in iron plating.
On both sides of the ship were enormous oars extending from openings in the hull.
Each opening was wrapped in a specially made waterproof cloth.
This ensured the oars could move normally while preventing rain or seawater from flooding the ship.
The hundred-meter-long giant vessel had five masts standing in a straight line at its center.
Sailors were climbing up and down, checking if the ship was ready to put to sea.
At the entrance, two personnel in white uniforms were checking tickets.
Luo Li stepped forward, and the other party politely blocked her path.
"My lady, please show your ticket."
Luo Li smiled and took out her ticket. The man inspected it and punched a small hole in it.
"Very well, the inspection is complete. Please watch your step as you board."
Luo Li nodded and was about to walk up when she heard a flippant voice from behind her.
"Eh? Isn't this the beautiful lady I saved yesterday? Are you going to Moonrise City too?"
Luo Li froze. That voice was so familiar it made her want to leave immediately.
She turned her head slightly and caught a glimpse of the newcomer.
He had fiery red short hair and a handsome, sunny face, yet he was filled with a smug sense of confidence.
It really was this guy?
Why did he follow her here?
A coincidence?
Ugh... given the situation, it seemed a bit rude not to acknowledge him.
After a moment’s thought, Luo Li gave a slight nod.
"Yes. Are you also going to Moonrise City?"
"Yeah! Going to pick something up."
Pick something up?
Luo Li nodded somewhat blankly.
What kind of thing required a personal trip to Moonrise City?
It was a bit puzzling.
However, it seemingly had nothing to do with her.
Thinking this, she didn't ask further and turned to board the ship.
And the boy behind her followed closely behind.
"Beautiful lady, I don't know your name yet... wait, wait, wait!"
Before he could finish, Izzy’s cry of alarm suddenly came from behind.
Luo Li instinctively looked back at Izzy, only to see him blocked on the steps by the two ticket inspectors.
"Sir, please show your ticket."
"What ticket? I'm with her!"
Izzy spoke without blushing or a racing heart. This guy didn't even bother to draft a lie.
Since when was he with her?
Luo Li blinked in disbelief.
The two ticket inspectors then turned to look at her.
"My lady, one ticket only allows one person to board. If you want a second person to board, you need to buy another ticket."
"Eh? This..."
What did this have to do with her?
She turned back to look at Izzy, only to see a look of anticipation on his face.
Looking at Izzy, who had the expression of an abandoned puppy, she remembered that he had at least saved her yesterday.
It was just a ticket.
Luo Li let out a helpless sigh.
"I'll pay."
Just as she said it, Luo Li paused.
She vaguely remembered giving Izzy two gold coins as a thank-you yesterday. Had he spent them that quickly?
That was twenty thousand dollars!
However, the ticket inspector was not polite at all. He took the money first, then turned and gave Izzy a ticket.
A smile appeared on the corners of Izzy’s mouth as he waved the ticket in his hand and tucked it into his pocket.
"Beautiful lady, thank you for your generosity~ As expected, there are perks to being a lovable handsome youth like me!"
Luo Li’s lip twitched as she glanced at Izzy.
"I only bought this ticket for you because you saved me yesterday."
She shifted the topic, her gaze fixed intently on Izzy’s eyes.
"The two gold coins I gave you yesterday... did you spend them all?"
"Uh!"
Izzy looked at the girl before him. She clearly had a delicate frame and arms so slender they looked like they would break with a gentle snap.
Yet in this instant, the pressure she exerted was even stronger than that of his Uncle Kalan.
This feeling made him feel, for a moment, as if he were facing a King!
"Spent... spent them all."
Looking at Izzy, he didn't seem to be lying.
What a spendthrift!
This was the literal definition of a wastrel.
Twenty thousand dollars!
Gone in half a day?
Even if you visited a brothel fifty times in one night, it wouldn't be enough to burn through that much, right?
She looked Izzy up and down, but he didn't look like he was suffering from exhaustion.
Strange, where on earth did he spend all that money?
Forget it, it was just a bit of money. Although she was a bit stingy, some things had to be spent.
"This is the last time. Don't let it happen again. If you try to extort me like this next time, prepare yourself to meet God."
Luo Li’s expression was a bit sour. That was her money.
Never mind a ship ticket costing ten silver coins.
Luo Li didn't want to waste even a single copper coin.
There were far too many places in the Kingdom of the Moon that needed money right now.
"Beautiful lady, please rest assured. Next time, I'll just hitch a ride on someone else’s ticket."
'Pfft... he really takes it for granted, doesn't he?'
The young girl’s lip twitched. Although he wasn't the only oddball she had met in her life and she was already used to it, she still couldn't help but want to complain.
What kind of person was this?
Forget it, no use wasting breath on him!
She walked onto the deck at the bow of the ship.
A fair number of passengers had already gathered here, roughly one or two hundred by her count, all seemingly waiting for the ship to depart.
Luo Li stood quietly at the bow, gazing at the rising sun where the sea met the sky.
Moonrise City, here I come~
Rate on N.U.
