Witch Redemption

A deep sense of unease filled his heart, even making him consider fleeing. However, he ultimately suppressed this negative emotion. "No, I've worked so hard for so long. If I give up now, all my efforts will be in vain, and the road ahead will only be more difficult."

Chapter 41 Secret Talks in the Study

It was already around 5 p.m., and as we walked along, many of the long streets gradually changed from deserted to bustling.

Looking around, besides the various adventurers walking on the streets, there were also many natives of the Divine Kingdom in the shops. They started by idly flipping through books and gradually became busy.

Unlike these foreign adventurers who had to travel far and wide to make a living, most of the native inhabitants of the theocratic state acted as shop owners or slaves, controlling many economic lifelines.

Since arriving in the border city of Kobe, Li Lan had already discovered that the living standards of the native inhabitants of the Divine Kingdom were far higher than those of them, the adventurers. They ate well, dressed well, and lived a life of ease. Unfortunately, their numbers were small, and most of them had low reproductive desires.

This may be related to the fact that Kobe is a "diplomatic" border city, with a far more complex racial composition than other cities.

Lost in thought, Lachesis, who was leading the way, suddenly spoke up, "Dr. Roman, we've arrived."

At the end of this long street, what appeared before Li Lan, Lachesis, and the little girl Yu Hui was a tall and magnificent villa building, covering an extremely large area.

Beyond the two-meter-high, gray-white fence resembling a marble structure, one can see a classical garden in full bloom. The abundance of flowers resembles the various climbing roses that Li Lan had seen before her transmigration, such as Pierre de Ronsard, Little Eden, or French Monet, with colors ranging from pink to red to yellow.

Following the gaze of the magnificent "Rose Garden," one can also see luxurious domed pavilions for viewing, and a six-story Gothic spire-like building complex in the distance. No matter how you look at it, this is a "palace" that only appears in literary works or animation works, and its luxury is unimaginable.

Li Lan had always known that the Hank family was aristocratic and quite wealthy, but he never imagined they were this rich.

He slightly withdrew his gaze from the country bumpkin and began to focus his attention on the tall, ornate, and ancient gate in front of him, which bore the words "Hank Family" on its sign.

However, a number of middle-aged and young men dressed in the distinctive black tailcoats of the British Empire were stationed by the door. They all had exquisite cold weapons at their waists and identification tags clipped to their jacket pockets, indicating that they were bodyguards under the Hank family.

At this moment, Lachesis, dressed in a brown-black uniform of the Bay City Chamber of Commerce, stepped forward and expertly conducted the handover. After more than ten minutes of information confirmation, the stern-faced bodyguards made way for Viscount Ivan's adopted daughter to enter with two distinguished guests.

Once the three of them were walking down the quiet corridor, Li Lan couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you Viscount Ivan's adopted daughter? Why are there such complicated restrictions?"

According to his original understanding, this mansion should be considered Lachesis Wagner's home, but just now, Lachesis seemed more like an outsider. Is it sometimes extremely difficult to enter this "palace"-like villa?

Lachesis's cold face showed a hint of embarrassment upon hearing this. "I'm sorry, actually... actually..." She glanced around and said softly, "Actually, I have three older brothers and a stepmother. They don't like me. My father probably didn't want me to have too much to do with them either, so I've lived in other places since I was little. Sometimes it was in underground casinos, sometimes I stayed with my father in the secret room of a brothel, and sometimes I lived alone in some college dormitories."

In short, she was homeless. After she became sensible, Viscount Ivan threw her into various departments of the Beicheng Merchant Guild to participate in training. From around thirteen to seventeen years old, she even followed the guild's adventurer teams for many years.

It can be said that this villa was not only an unfamiliar place for Li Lan, but also not a good place for Lachesis. To this day, all she remembers about the place is a rough layout. As for relationships and connections, she knows nothing about them and has no interest in them at all.

"I see. That is indeed an unfortunate thing."

It seems that being born into a noble family is not necessarily a good thing. This Viscount Ivan may really be determined to break his adopted daughter out of the shackles of the noble family, otherwise he would not have allowed her to be so "wild" from a young age.

As they talked, they arrived at the tall building in the middle of the "garden". Going up the "white jade" steps, they could see many servants dressed in black tailcoats or black maid outfits waiting for a long time. An old woman who seemed to be the head maid immediately stepped forward after seeing Lachesis.

“Young lady, please come with me. The Viscount is waiting for you and this Dr. Roman in his study.”

...... ...... ......

The enclosed study was illuminated as brightly as day by the highest-end magic crystal lamps.

That tall and imposing figure was sitting behind the desk, handling all the affairs related to the "Beicheng Chamber of Commerce" that had been going on recently.

Viscount Ivan Hank, the handsome red-haired middle-aged man, immediately stood up after seeing three familiar figures enter, as if he had breathed a sigh of relief.

Clearly, he had initially worried that the witch, Miss Roman Hydra, would be too afraid to come because the information was vague, but it turned out that this woman's courage far exceeded his expectations.

"Please sit down!"

Ivan gestured for the maid to leave, then locked the study door before going to a corner of the room where the three of them sat down on the black sofa.

It must be said that this Viscount Ivan is indeed a strange man who yearns for the culture of the British Empire. Not only are the buildings and other things highly imitated, but even the servants and furniture all have the unique cultural characteristics of the British Empire.

"First, a grand banquet will be held in this mansion tonight. The theme of the banquet is to announce to many noble families the specific date of Lachesis's marriage to the sixteenth prince of the theocratic royal family."

Ivan spoke calmly, and after he spoke, Lachesis, who had been listening quietly, changed her expression slightly, but she quickly returned to her usual indifference.

This is the fate of most women in the theocratic state. Or rather, in this world, it is very difficult for women to pursue their own love and marriage. Most women, who are no different from others, are like objects, and can only live a dependent life.

Lachesis was aware of this from the very beginning.

No matter what happens in the future, she will never disobey her father and will do everything according to his arrangements, even if her father uses her as a political sacrifice, she will not have any complaints.

Perhaps in her view, pursuing freedom in a theocratic state is an original sin, and her father never deprived her of her freedom, which is her good fortune, far better than anyone else's.

Viscount Ivan didn't look at his daughter's emotions; his gaze remained fixed on the witch who had half her face hidden under her hood. "After discussions with the royal family, the date has been set: December 24th, the birthday of the gods. From today, we have more than three months to prepare."

The plot to eliminate the sixteenth prince is currently known only to Viscount Ivan and Li Lan, so he only needs to give a slight reminder and the witch will immediately know what it is.

Li Lan was never a simple person, and he suspected that Viscount Ivan's words had a hidden meaning. "Have you encountered some difficulties?"

“That’s right, he has a bodyguard now, Sword Saint Connie Dick. I’ll prepare the details about this bodyguard and send them to you when I have time.”

"Very strong?"

“A legendary adventurer, whose strength corresponds to the empire’s military rank, roughly equivalent to a general. He is definitely not someone you can deal with right now, so I will think of another way.”

Upon hearing this, Li Lan gasped. Even the major generals of the Empire could give him a hard time, and now a general had come? Who could withstand this?

"This is a bit troublesome!"

It's not just a little troublesome, it's extremely troublesome!

Right now, Li Lan has no way to deal with the Empire's Major General, let alone Lieutenant General or General. In his opinion, even Viscount Ivan probably has no way to deal with this invincible guy.

"Yes, the so-called generals are basically at the peak of human strength. Once they cross that threshold, they become demigods. Right now, I am indeed helpless against his appearance, so our plan may have to fall through."

Ivan spoke frankly, his face showing no sign of discouragement. "This is how the theocracy does things. The people above aren't fools. They might be able to guess what I'm plotting. The fact that they sent out such a bodyguard is enough to show just how cautious those old fogies are."

Which of those politicians is easy to deal with? If it weren't for Viscount Ivan's special status, he would have been killed twenty-three years ago. Why would he be allowed to live to this day? Even now, he is still under the close surveillance of the theocratic royal family.

Fortunately, he has gradually infiltrated multiple layers of "spies" in Kobe City, so his cooperative relationship with this witch has not been exposed yet. However, he is not sure how long this can be kept secret.

There is only one thing he can be certain of right now: in politics, every cause has its effect, and whether it is good or bad, there will always be signs.

With Viscount Ivan Hank's keen sense of smell, he was confident he could make relevant predictions and take precautions in advance, completely hiding the witch in a pile of secrets.

“Let’s leave that aside for now. Anyway, we have plenty of time. I’ll let you know when I come up with a solution,” Ivan paused for a moment. “Actually, the reason I invited you here tonight is because the sixteenth prince of the royal family and Major General Arnold of the Empire specifically requested it. They mentioned that the last conflict with you was just a misunderstanding. Major General Arnold wants to give you a formal apology, while the sixteenth prince, Randall Richard, wants to meet with you, a member of the dark elf royal family, as a prince to reach a deeper level of cooperation.”

What exactly was going on here was something even Ivan himself couldn't quite figure out. What he was certain of was that this prince, representing the royal family, had probably reached some kind of tacit understanding with the empire. His specific request for Roland Hydra to attend the banquet today was definitely not as simple as they claimed.

This may not only be to test Roman Hydra's true status as a member of the Dark Elf royal family, but more likely to investigate the specific relationship between this guy and Viscount Ivan.

How do you make a judgment? When you can't use torture to extract a confession, all you can do is try your best to communicate and find loopholes in their words to uncover their identity.

Once a loophole is discovered, the real show begins!

“They really flatter me,” Li Lan said, his mood heavy. He hadn’t expected that ever since he offended this major general of the empire, this bastard would still be holding a grudge, giving him no peace of mind whatsoever. “Viscount Ivan can rest assured about this. Actually, I’m quite confident in my ‘words’.”

As a business assistant before the time travel, being able to talk nonsense is the most basic quality of a salesperson. In addition, she also has the "courage" to control her emotions, so Li Lan is not afraid of any questions.

The only thing he feared was force.

Once it comes to the point of "speaking with fists," then it's truly over.

"This is all I wanted to tell you when I called you here. As for the formal attire for the banquet, I have already asked my servants to prepare it for you. After all, this is a banquet for the upper class, and everything must be done properly. After the banquet, you will stay at my residence for the night."

Ivan hesitated in the end and did not say the second half of his sentence. He did not think that this witch had such courage. In the past, this banquet was a time to show one's face. With this guy's conspicuous features, would she really dare to stand up?

Major General Arnold Hopkins of the Empire and Prince Randall Richard of the Theocracy must also suspect that this Roman Hydra is a genuine witch. The reason they made such a request today must be because they believe that Roman Hydra dares not show her face in public.

If Roman Hydra were to directly refuse, although it would not give the theocratic royal family and the empire any grounds for criticism, it would certainly arouse suspicion, and suspicion is often the most unexpected entry point.

But what if Roman Hydra had attended the banquet? What if he had appeared openly and unceremoniously at the banquet, even daring to chat and laugh with these people of high status?

Doesn't that just prove that everything is as Roman Hydra said? She is not a witch, but a genuine member of the dark elf royal family, possessing the charisma and aura that a royal should have?

This was exactly the effect Ivan wanted. He couldn't secretly protect this witch in the long run. If he couldn't get rid of the sixteenth prince this time, he would carry out a series of plans ahead of schedule and calmly face death on December 24th. After that, everything would have to be left to the witch to fend for herself.

Therefore, today is an excellent opportunity to step into the limelight, confirm her true identity, and solve the problem once and for all. That is the key point!

Of course, Viscount Ivan wasn't the only one who thought this way. Li Lan was also very excited on his way here. Although he wasn't a cunning old fox like Ivan, he was still a middle-aged office worker who had experienced a lot of human relationships. His education on Earth had made his mind incredibly active.

It was only after arriving at Viscount Ivan's residence that he gradually understood what the viscount was thinking.

"If you want to live under the system of the theocracy, then you must, to some extent, integrate into the system of this country! If I had chosen to run away when I received the message this afternoon, then everything would have been unimaginable. They claim to be the royal family of the dark elves, but they dare not show their true faces and are timid and cowardly. This will become my weakness!"

It's better to just go for it, since Viscount Ivan is there to cover for us and help cover up the lie.

Thinking of this, Li Lan gradually felt relieved and became even more relaxed and cheerful than usual. "No problem, then I'll have to trouble Viscount Ivan to entertain me tonight."

"Dr. Roman, you're too kind. Lachesis, please show Dr. Roman the way to the tenth bedroom on the sixth floor."

Just before Li Lan was about to leave, Viscount Ivan suddenly remembered something and whispered to Lachesis, "If your three brothers dare to offend you or Dr. Roman in private after tonight's banquet, I demand that you teach them a lesson. The lesson doesn't need to be too severe; just break their legs. I will clean up the mess for you."

Lachesis was stunned for a moment, not expecting her father to utter such cruel words. "For..."

"No reason needed, you don't need to ask any more questions, just go."

What Ivan least wants to talk about right now is that his three good sons have begun to plot to divide up the entire Beicheng Chamber of Commerce. They have been colluding with the Sixteenth Prince for a year now, and the arrival of the Sixteenth Prince will be a huge opportunity.

In particular, this prince would reside at his residence until December, until his marriage to Lachesis, after which he would formally participate in the power distribution within the Bay City Merchant Guild. The distribution of profits was the real reason for the three sons and the prince's restless ambitions; they were constantly plotting to undermine the patriarch.

Sometimes, when I think about it, the reason this family has become what it is today is definitely not because Viscount Ivan neglected to discipline his three sons. Behind it all is the instigation and brainwashing of his loveless wife, Amelida Richard. This is a byproduct of a political marriage and a tragedy he has to accept in his life.

Viscount Ivan was quite special; neither the royal family of the theocracy nor the Dark Order dared to lay a hand on him. And his wife was just as special, which is why he dared not lay a hand on her either.

Lachesis ultimately didn't ask any more questions and quickly led Li Lan and the little girl Yu Hui out of the study.

She always appeared cold and aloof, and not very talkative, but there was only one thing she was certain of: she would absolutely carry out her father's requests.

"It seems that Viscount Ivan's family is quite strange. From what I know of Viscount Ivan, it seems that the only person he truly has a familial bond with right now is his daughter."

Observing this, Li Lan sighed inwardly, even suspecting that this aristocratic family was more like a vortex of power, filled not with kinship but with a great deal of struggle for interests and power. At present, only the head of the family, Ivan Hank, at the center of the vortex, was slowly pushing his daughter out of the vortex, sparing no effort to pave the way for her.

"Well, as an outsider, I can't really comment on this. I should just focus on my own business for now."

"Wait! Wait! A grand banquet for nobles? That means..."

Tonight, it's not just about wearing those glamorous dresses that he finds extremely repulsive; he also has to know how to do the kind of social dances mentioned in novels and movies.

"This is bad! This is not good! What should we do?"

Chapter 42 A Grand Banquet for the Noble Class

In the spacious room on the sixth floor, after washing up, Lachesis led Li Lan and Yu Hui to the wardrobe and searched for dresses to wear to the banquet.

"Dr. Roman, what colors do you usually prefer? And what style do you prefer, the imperial aristocratic style or the theocratic aristocratic style?"

Lachesis's words contained a strange sense of excitement. Usually, she could only "play" with the little loli Yu Hui to satisfy her cravings, but she never thought that she would have a day when she would "play" with this aloof Dr. Roman. It was really making her feel a little unable to stop.

Li Lan glanced at the large number of clothes in the gorgeous wardrobe and felt a headache coming on.

If one chooses the aristocratic style of the Empire, it is similar to the Lolita or Gothic styles on Earth, emphasizing magnificence, luxury, and grandeur, and focusing on highlighting the beauty of the female figure. In contrast, the aristocratic style of the Theocracy is somewhat like nun's attire on Earth, consisting of a long, silk robe paired with a long, flowing hat, and is generally more conservative.

Do you have men's formal attire?

He suddenly asked this question: In the British Empire, even classic garments like tailcoats have appeared, so surely there must be suits too?