The defeated saint is also on the way to tame the evil god today

She took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

"Crench."

A faint scent of incense mixed with the heat from burning wood wafted over. Behind the table illuminated by the fire, a majestic woman raised her head slightly, her sharp eyes examining the girl.

There was a reason why Alice was afraid of that person - because she was Alice's mother, Diana Pucht.

"Mom." Alice walked forward with a blank expression.

"You should call me Mother. I should have corrected you."

Diana's voice was like diluted wine, bland and tasteless, but with a sobering bitterness.

"It's just us here, Mother," Alice said firmly.

"Humph..."

Diana glanced at her stubborn daughter and pointed to the seat in front of her:

"Sit down, I need to talk to you."

"Let's talk while standing." Alice was reluctant to sit down.

"obedient."

Diana's voice rose slightly, her voice still like water, but the waves rolling above the water made Alice tremble slightly.

She hesitated for a moment, then pulled over a chair and sat down.

"I'm busy, please speak quickly." Alice still looked unwilling to talk for a long time.

It’s not that their mother-daughter relationship is bad, or that Alice has any prejudice against her mother. It’s just that every conversation like this always ends badly.

As expected, Diana's first words almost made Alice stand up:

"You're spending too much in Winter County. When are you going to cut back?"

"That's a necessary expense, and it's crucial to the future of the city," Alice said firmly. "I can't possibly reduce my spending on Xingsheng."

"She's just a first-year student, why are you betting so much on her?" Diana raised her eyebrows.

"A first-year student? She is..."

"Don't think I don't know about those things, 'October Rain', 'Steam Man'," Diana said in a flat tone. "I just want to ask, why do you trust her to reverse a situation that so many people have failed to reverse?"

"what do you mean?"

"War between the Empire and us is almost inevitable," Diana said bluntly. "Although I don't agree with Isabella of Maple Leaf Palace, I'm not naive enough to think that the war situation will change because of a little girl, especially now."

"I don't think so," Alice said stubbornly.

"That means your judgment was wrong," Diana tapped the table lightly with the tip of her pen. "Right now, the family's finances should be used to expand the private army, prepare refuge facilities, and cultivate relations with the people of Messina. That way, even if we lose at the Citadel, we won't end up with nothing."

"Don't argue with me," Diana interrupted Alice, "I'm talking about the most rational solution. Survival is the prerequisite for the prosperity of the family. Never put all your eggs in one basket, and don't let your emotions get in the way."

Alice was speechless at her mother's words. Indeed, at this critical moment when war was about to break out, spending too much money outside the Citadel was extremely irrational.

It’s not that Alice doesn’t trust Xingmo and the little evil god, it’s just that she has a lot to bear.

First of all, she is the eldest daughter of the Pushet family, and secondly, she is from the Academy City.

"I'll find a way to fill this financial gap," Alice whispered.

"..."

Looking at her daughter's stubborn expression, Diana softened her tone slightly:

"I'll also help you find a solution, Alice. I know your thoughts and the burdens you place on yourself. I was in the same boat as you when I was young, and I suffered a lot because of it. So I hope you can avoid taking some detours."

"You have always been the backbone of the family, sharing a lot of things with me. When I was running the Messina Kingdom, it was thanks to you that I took care of the family business, so I gave you plenty of space most of the time."

"But this time, you must listen to me. We must first think about our family, and then think about how to do more for the world."

"For Sheila, Leah, Mia, okay?"

Hearing her mother say this, Alice didn't know what to say, so she nodded calmly.

"I understand, Mother."

After saying that, she stood up and prepared to leave.

At this moment, Diana called her again:

"By the way, the housekeeper said that you've been checking the accounts and expenses of Maple Leaf Palace recently. Is that true?"

"What's wrong?" Alice's eyes changed.

Previously, Principal Merlin had hinted to Alice that something was amiss with the accounts at Maple Leaf Palace. Since the principal was always a cynical playboy, this rare reminder made Alice take it to heart.

So, whenever Alice had free time, she would use her connections to try to get to the bottom of the Decep family's accounts.

However, there has not been much progress.

"..."

After hearing Alice's answer, Diana understood the answer to the question and spoke softly:

"Don't mess with Isabella Ducep."

"Even though the Citadel is no longer the kingdom of the Decep family, this surname still symbolizes the supreme golden star."

"Besides, cooperating with her is the only way for the city to overcome its difficulties."

After Diana finished speaking, she lowered her head and continued working at her desk.

Alice stood there for a moment, then turned around without answering, pushed the door open and left.

"..."

She went straight back to her study, sat down at the desk and started searching.

Soon, she pulled out a piece of paper with a series of accounts recorded on it.

This is the account of Maple Leaf Palace for the past month, recorded by Alice using the "Dagger of Truth" while peeping outside the financial director's door during a visit to Maple Leaf Palace on business.

She had watched it several times and didn't see anything strange.

The only thing worth worrying about is that Maple Leaf Palace's expenditure in recent months has been more than the total of the previous year.

Something must have gone wrong... Alice thought, and turned the pages faster.

At this moment, an ethereal voice came from the side:

"Miss, you look anxious?"

Alice looked up suddenly and found that her tailor Rose was standing by the bed with an indifferent look on her face.

"Rose? When did you come in?" Alice was a little surprised.

"I've been here the whole time. You were in such a hurry when you came in that you didn't notice me," Rose said. "I was checking your wardrobe to see if you were missing any seasonal clothing."

Looking at Rose's expressionless face, Alice took a deep breath and nodded.

"Thank you, Rose. I have some things to do right now and I might need some privacy."

"Of course, I've finished my inspection and will leave now." Rose bowed slightly.

The tailor walked towards the door, but stopped halfway and glanced sideways:

"Miss, there is one thing I want to remind you of, and that is not to touch too many unknown taboos."

"The unknown drives people crazy. When faced with uncontrollable madness, staying away is the best option."

After that, she bowed again and walked out of the room.

Looking at her leaving back, Alice frowned slightly.

I just tried to check the accounts of the Decep family... and so many people warned me not to continue?

Could it be that... there is something really extraordinary going on here?

Alice calmed down, put the accounts on the table together temporarily, and then spread out the letter paper.

In short, write a letter to Xiaomo first.

......

"Senior said that next month's living expenses will be less..."

Next to the floor-to-ceiling window of the dessert shop, Xingmo's gaze shifted away from the letter paper and looked out the window at the blurred winter county in the wind and snow.

"Actually, I told her before to send less money. Our current savings are more than enough." Xing Mo breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's right, I'm really good at making money~"

Aurora, who was sitting opposite, stuck out her tongue while eating strawberry pudding.

"Ugh, too sweet."

"What unpleasant things have happened again?" Xing Mo asked sharply.

This little thing doesn't like desserts. If she eats them, it's because something bad has happened to her. She is following the "dessert method to soothe her mood" taught to her by her sister.

"No," Aurora stuck out her tongue like a kitten, "Well, actually there is..."

"Tell me about it?" Xingmo leaned forward a little.

"I'm getting a little belligerent," Aurora muttered. "You know, I can't stand the behavior of people like the Sheriff..."

"So we'll just get rid of her?" Xing Mo tilted her head, "Tonight."

A week ago, Xingmo learned from Ina about the "Winter Ball" - the day when all the dignitaries of Winter County gathered together.

The dance will be held tonight.

Tonight, Xingmo will use the photo of the meeting with the members of the Red Moon Cult in the forest as a deterrent to force Jamila to hand over the "Holy Relic of the Sun" that can pass through the storm in the Karadorans Mountains.

To this end, she has asked Miss Ina from the newspaper to make up a series of stories about the photo to make it convincing.

Of course, a photo alone is unlikely to convince the nobles, so Xingmo has prepared a backup plan.

This backhanded trick was too hurtful and quite unethical. Xing Mo struggled with it for a long time before making up his mind...

The dead are more useful than the living...

"No matter what, Jamila will definitely lose power tonight," Xingmo said, "and if nothing unexpected happens, we will be able to enter the Temple of Saint Nero tomorrow morning."

"But isn't this too easy for her?" Aurora stuck out her tongue again. "She just lost power... If you ask me, she should be beaten!"

Where does the violent tendency come from... Xingmo smiled bitterly and reached out to pinch Aurora's face:

"Don't hurt anyone casually~"

"You didn't keep it when you attacked those cultists!" Aurora protested.

"Well, that's right... After all, sinners should be punished..."

Xing Mo withdrew her hand and turned to look at the wind and snow outside the window:

"But... little ancestor, sometimes, living is more painful than dying..."

"If the sinners are allowed to die too easily, it would be unfair to the innocent..."

As he said this, there seemed to be a dark light flashing in Xingmo's eyes.

Seeing this, Aurora was slightly stunned, then chuckled and said:

"No wonder you are friendly with 'Dark String'."

"Hmm?" Xing Mo said with an innocent expression, "Why?"

"Your heart holds both fire and darkness," Aurora pointed out directly. "You have no qualms about transforming yourself into a flame to illuminate others, and you're also relentless in using the deepest darkness to punish those who have sinned."

"That's a cool thing to say," Xingmo smiled, "but... I'm not dark, am I? I think I'm just doing the right thing."

"So, nothing in this world is black or white. There are so many places where the light doesn't reach. Should we label everything black as wrong?"

Aurora muttered, then suddenly smiled brightly:

"Don't panic, I'm not belittling you! As a follower of the evil god, you have to be a little darker!"

"Puff..." Xingmo was amused by Aurora, "Darkness what..."

"Being a little darker helps you navigate life more easily!" Aurora raised her fork. "That's the Aurora philosophy!"

"I support you, I support you." Xing Mo smiled helplessly.

At this time, the door of the dessert shop was pushed open. Miss Alena, wearing a cashmere coat, looked around the shop nervously for a long time. When she saw Xingmo, her eyes lit up and she ran over in small steps.