"Mr. Casma, the environment here is quite nice, and the facilities are very complete. I just don't know how much longer I'll have to stay. As you know, our shop relies on me to keep things running."
"Hehe... yes, it is indeed a good place."
Casma chuckled but did not answer Aiya's question.
Aiya's heart trembled, and a bad premonition suddenly washed over her.
For this ruthless young master of the Borgia family to visit her in person and be so polite was ominous.
It was like a weasel visiting a chicken for the New Year—he certainly wasn't there out of the goodness of his heart.
"Yes, it's quite nice. It won't be inconvenient to stay here for a few days."
Aiya habitually tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her expression composed.
She was testing him with her words, trying to find out how many more days she would be confined.
However, the blue-haired youth before her still didn't answer her question.
"I wonder if Miss Aiya has some time now? Let's take a walk to the central square."
The central square?
What was he planning to do? What was there?
These two questions instantly popped into Aiya's mind.
She thought this, but her face didn't betray a thing.
She knew this man was difficult to deal with; if she could avoid his invitation, it was best not to go.
"Mr. Casma, I'm a bit exhausted tonight. If possible, perhaps tomorrow..."
"It's good that you're free. Then, Miss Aiya, please."
Before Aiya could finish, Casma raised his voice, directly cutting her off.
It seemed she had no choice but to go on this trip.
But what exactly did he want to do?
Aiya's heart was full of doubt, but she dared not show it. She simply smiled and nodded.
"Since Mr. Casma is so gracious with his invitation, please allow me a moment to freshen up and fix my makeup before we head out."
"Mm, very well."
"Then..."
"I'll wait outside the door. It's just makeup; it won't take long, right?"
Casma's face was still filled with a smile as warm as a spring breeze.
It was impossible to tell what he was thinking from those slightly narrowed eyes.
But his words made one thing clear.
She had to go, whether she wanted to or not.
"Then I'll have to trouble you to wait for a moment."
"No rush, no rush. There's still enough time."
Enough time for what?
Aiya began to feel a trace of fear.
This was definitely no friendly banquet, but she no longer had any room to refuse.
Casma turned and left the room, closing the door behind him.
Aiya maintained her smile as she watched the door until it clicked shut.
Only then did she rush forward and lock it.
After thinking for a moment, Aiya took a pill from her bosom and hid it behind her left molar.
Then she quickly grabbed her bag and touched up her makeup.
For a socialite like her, such things were second nature.
With a few strokes of her brow pencil and a touch of red on her lips, she made her makeup slightly bolder.
Standing before the mirror, Aiya took a deep breath and clenched her fists.
She silently warned herself.
'Don't be anxious, don't be afraid. Don't show any flaws. Forget everything and act just as I do when receiving guests.'
Slowly exhaling the breath in her chest, Aiya's expression returned to a proper smile.
Then she turned and walked out the door.
Inside the room... it was as if nothing had happened.
Downstairs, unlike the lack of preparation when Aiya was first brought in, Casma had a rather luxurious carriage waiting.
"Miss Aiya, please get in."
Aiya looked up at the carriage before her.
Technically, it was now the morning of September 27th. In the late autumn morning, the breeze was quite chilly.
However, this carriage was not fully enclosed.
It was an open-top carriage.
Unlike the enclosed ones, this open carriage had only four pillars supporting the roof connected to the chassis.
Thin gauze curtains hung from the roof, making the vehicle look very elegant.
Inside, there were only two rows of seats, front and back, with a round table in the middle.
The table was covered with delicious delicacies.
Such carriages were usually used by nobles in the summer to enjoy the cool air while traveling.
It was now late autumn, and in the early morning, the cold wind blowing on one's face was enough to make the heart shiver.
Why use such a carriage now?
What exactly was this Casma trying to do?
Aiya stole a glance at Casma, but the smile on his face hadn't changed at all.
Aiya resigned herself to her fate, took a deep breath, and stepped onto the carriage.
Casma, standing nearby, gallantly offered his hand to assist her before boarding himself.
Aiya sat facing the rear, while Casma sat facing forward.
Inside the carriage, the delicacies on the table were clearly freshly prepared, still steaming.
"Mr. Casma, do you intend to have a candlelight dinner with me?"
Aiya flashed a brilliant smile and pointed to the table of food.
"However, given your status, is there a need for such a grand display?"
Looking around, at least five hundred elite guards were following the carriage.
All of them were clad in helmets and armor, fully armed.
"No, I'm here to see you off. As for a candlelight dinner... that won't be necessary. This meal is for you alone to eat. I don't have that kind of luck."
Casma pointed at the table with a smile.
Aiya's brow furrowed slightly. There was a double meaning in his words.
She looked down in the direction Casma was pointing.
The dishes on the table were indeed very lavish, but one thing was strange.
Despite two people sitting there, there was only one set of cutlery on the table.
Only for her?
Seeing her off?
While Aiya was momentarily stunned, a cold sneer curled the corner of Casma's mouth.
He spoke to the attendant beside him.
"Start the announcement."
In the next second, the soldiers surrounding the carriage suddenly shouted in unison.
"By order of Lord Byron, execute the accomplice of the demon colluder and apostate, Aiya Russell!"
"By order of Lord Byron, execute the accomplice of the demon colluder and apostate, Aiya Russell!"
The moment she heard those words, Aiya couldn't help but feel a daze. She instinctively looked up at the man opposite her.
His face was still filled with that spring-like smile, as if he didn't think this was a big deal at all.
At the same time, Casma made a gesturing motion with his hand.
"Please, don't let it go to waste. This is your last banquet."
Aiya's hands trembled slightly, and her face changed drastically. Her smile vanished, replaced by eyes full of fury.
"Casma... how dare you?"
"At this point, is there anything I wouldn't dare? It's do or die."
As a socialite, Aiya had seen all kinds of people.
But today, facing this nearly hysterical Casma, a trace of admiration actually rose in her heart.
In this situation, being able to recognize reality and throw oneself in regardless of the cost required a certain kind of courage.
And it was true.
Since he had gone this far, there was no turning back.
He had only two paths now: either fail and die, or succeed and become king.
"You want to use my life to lure Izzy out?"
Based on the time, the delay she had caused should be enough for the Saintess and Izzy to leave Casma's sphere of influence. With Izzy's cleverness, escaping safely shouldn't be a problem.
"Correct," Casma said, still smiling broadly.
Aiya's eyes narrowed slightly.
"I'm afraid I alone won't be enough."
Unexpectedly, Casma shrugged indifferently.
"It doesn't matter. You're not the only one close to him."
Aiya's heart jumped at those words.
"You... despicable!"
"Heh, history is written by the victors."
As the carriage moved further away, the shouting grew louder.
Luo Li, dressed in her Saintess's robe, sat in this small room of less than twenty square meters, resting with her eyes closed.
It was less than four hours until eight o'clock.
Though she felt somewhat anxious, she knew there was nothing to do but wait.
Beside her, Izzy glanced at Luo Li. Seeing no trace of anxiety on her face, he couldn't help but feel a bit discouraged.
He turned to look toward the door just as Hubert, wearing his mage robes, walked in.
There was some sweat on his forehead.
"Phew... Saintess, the matter is settled. I've hypnotized those two laundry women; they won't remember you."
Luo Li slowly opened her eyes, glanced at Hubert, nodded, and closed them again.
Although she couldn't sleep now, she needed to conserve her energy.
Once the dragon cavalry regiment arrived, Moonrise City would inevitably face a slaughter.
All the local nobles who participated would surely face a massive purge.
At this moment, Luo Li was also weighing the pros and cons.
Could she use this opportunity to purge the nobility nationwide?
First, she had to admit one thing.
She couldn't.
Right now, in the Kingdom of the Moon, Brilliant City and the northeast region were under her jurisdiction.
But...
First, Brilliant City had just gone through a major war, and the northeast region had been swept by the demon army.
Both regions needed time to recover and were unable to fight again in the short term.
If she carried out a large-scale purge of the nobility, it would inevitably lead to resistance and war.
At that time, Brilliant City and the northeast region would have to face the other nine major cities of the Kingdom of the Moon.
In terms of productivity, military power, and financial resources, Brilliant City was at a total disadvantage.
The only thing she possessed was a just cause.
In other words, this idea could only remain a thought.
Doing it would certainly feel good, but the consequences would be disastrous.
Even if she actually took the other nine cities during the chaos and reclaimed the power of the Kingdom of the Moon, she didn't have enough people to manage the country.
Currently, those managing the major cities, subsidiary cities, small towns, counties, and villages were all branches of these noble families.
A massive purge was fine, but it would cause the national strength of the Kingdom of the Moon to decline for at least fifty years, or even centuries.
When it finally recovered, it would only take longer.
She had never thought of integrating faith, political power, and military power into one.
Divine power, royal power, and military power could be unified in her hands, but they must not intersect in other aspects.
Otherwise, it would be the greatest hidden danger for the Kingdom of the Moon.
Come to think of it... she could indeed use the priests of the Holy See to temporarily take over the nobles' power.
But over time, it would inevitably lead to the merging of divine and royal power.
Things would be even more troublesome then.
Therefore, a massive purge was impossible. Even if she had to suffer some grievances, she had to endure for now.
She couldn't do a full purge.
However... the nobles in Moonrise City were courting death.
Once this crisis passed, she would certainly make a bloody example of them in Moonrise City.
This city and its surrounding areas could be placed directly under the jurisdiction of Brilliant City afterward.
Acting on impulse would feel great, but she couldn't bear the consequences that followed.
As she weighed these issues, she also thought about what to do after securing Moonrise City.
To develop the economy, the steam engine had already been invented, and the next step was a trial run.
Coincidentally, once she had Moonrise City and the northeast region, she could develop railways along these two directions.
At least two lines back and forth.
No! Four lines would be enough.
If manpower and resources were sufficient, even eight wouldn't be too many.
She would build these two main lines and then radiate outward from the main cities to control the entire province.
To get rich, build roads first.
In the past, although goods were cheap in Moonrise City, transportation costs were very high.
As long as these trains were operational, the prices in Moonrise City, Brilliant City, and the northeast region could become almost equal.
At the same time, it would create more job opportunities.
Mm... the more she thought about it, the brighter the future seemed, and for a moment, she forgot the irritation in her heart.
Revenge is a dish best served cold!
She would remember this grudge.
While the girl was lost in thought, a faint shouting suddenly drifted from the distance.
She had been relying on the quiet environment to focus her mind and conserve energy.
But now that it was getting noisy, Luo Li was forced out of her thoughts.
She looked up at Izzy and Hubert.
"What is happening outside?"
Luo Li asked.
The two men looked at each other.
Hubert stood up.
"I'll go out and take a look. Be careful, and don't answer if anyone asks questions."
"Go and return quickly."
"Yes."
Hubert nodded and walked out of the small hut.
Only Izzy and Luo Li remained in the room.
In the past, great heroes of old had endured extreme humiliation to bide their time.
Compared to those predecessors, this small grievance was nothing.
She was still far from their level.
"Saintess, I..."
Luo Li glanced at Izzy. Since a moment ago, he had been fidgeting restlessly, as if sitting on nails.
He couldn't calm down at all.
But this was normal.
With Aiya's life or death unknown, his behavior was understandable.
It only showed that Izzy cared deeply about Aiya.
But the fact that he could hold back and not sneak out now was enough to show that Izzy was worth cultivating.
Of course, the road ahead was still long and needed to be taken slowly.
"I know you're worried about Aiya. But Izzy, you must remember that only if I live can we all live. If I die, neither you nor Aiya will survive."
That Casma was now determined to kill her.
A person who could become this desperate would never be soft-hearted.
Any witness would have to be silenced.
And the best way to silence someone was to make them a dead person.
So she was certain that if she died, everyone involved would be purged afterward.
Then, this secret would forever become a forgotten tale.
"I know, but I still can't help worrying. But please rest assured, Saintess... at least I won't act impulsively again."
"Mm, that's good."
Appropriate praise helped make the relationship between superior and subordinate closer.
Just then, Hubert suddenly rushed in.
He whispered in the girl's ear:
"Aiya is about to be executed."
Rate on N.U.
