Bad woman, am I pretending to be bad?

Making no attempt to conceal her hostility, the girl named Ansuna turned pale under Leona's sharp words, biting her lower lip as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she didn't dare to utter a single word, only lowering her head and bowing submissively.

“It is I who have offended your eyes, Ms. Bathory.”

Ansuna, the clothing merchant... is this yet another insignificant obstacle blocking Bathory's path to wealth?

Well, seeing this scene, perhaps Charlotte needs to add a bit of political significance to this gathering.

Although it was only a little bit, it changed the nature of the already dull gathering, making it feel sour and bloated, almost like the stench of feces, making people nauseous.

With a soft sigh, Charlotte glanced at Miss Parrot and patiently waited until she paused her writing before asking a question.

"Melina, is this how tea parties are in Tingen? A group of young ladies take turns showcasing their talents like merchandise, for the higher-ranking nobles to evaluate their abilities?"

Melina's expression froze for a moment, then she frowned. It was clear that Melina was quite averse to what the girl had mentioned, which perfectly matched Charlotte's impression of her.

A girl who has completed her upward social mobility, endured a life of hardship, has not yet been corrupted by the world, still retains a kind heart, unlike the noblewoman.

"...I don't know, this is only my second time in the Sunrise Courtyard, but it must be more than just a regular occurrence during the Winter Tea Party."

"So, what do you think, Melina?"

Looking at the girl with her head slightly bowed and eyes filled with shame, Charlotte wanted to ask her more questions in order to learn more about her.

After all, everyone who has never been affiliated with Bathory may be able to help him in the future.

"I......"

Miss Parrot glanced at the girl with slight hesitation, and seeing the encouragement in her silver-gray eyes, she felt a slight sense of trust and a desire to find a kindred spirit.

She has been ridiculed by others far too many times, so much so that she is extremely cautious even when expressing her small ideals and hoping for some affirmation, for fear of being denied again.

Perhaps she had only met Miss Watson for the first time today, but her unique charm made her subconsciously feel more expectant and hopeful.

"I don't think people should interact like this. Whether they are commoners or nobles, or even among themselves, they should all be equal."

Oh, just as I guessed, this is indeed a rather naive idea.

Although she is very pure, she is also very malleable. With deliberate guidance, she may be able to develop further and become one of the forces that help her to excel.

Aspirations, admiration, and mutual encouragement are also important aspects of friendship.

So, straightening her back, spreading her fingers, Charlotte pursed her lips, as if reminiscing to herself, or perhaps revealing her true feelings.

"In my homeland, the Duchy of Plantagenet, philosophers and intellectuals organized a movement that integrated old ideas and opened up the brilliance of reason."

"The imbalance of aristocratic dictatorship and the ignorance of religious dogma may have been the root cause of the conflicts and turmoil that arose in that land, rather than the factional strife within the royal family, but rather the enlightenment and self-awareness of the people."

The news she had read in the newspaper, the character she had previously created, and the similar histories of the two lifetimes were all recounted in a delicate tone by the girl's slightly deep voice.

With her voice in her ears and her eyes fixed on him, Melina was momentarily captivated by his intellectual brilliance and composed demeanor.

"Freedom, equality, and importantly, the belief that people's lives can be improved through effort."

"Whether it be famine, disease, or poverty..."

The thick fog dissipated, and the midday sun reappeared in the clouds, casting a sliver of light that landed precisely on the person's fair palm, creating a drop of brilliant light.

Holy and gentle, like a preacher in your presence.

[Bounty] You guys can take a look.

First of all, thank you all for reading this far. This is truly the greatest encouragement for me.

Next, I'll talk about updates to this book.

Four thousand words a day is the bare minimum for updating; sometimes, when I get into the flow, I might add another two or three thousand words. (This is unpredictable.)

Writing requires composure, and polishing requires time and patience. Some people may not like this gentle, slow stroke, while others prefer the straightforward, hard strokes of a pen. But I still have my own principles.

After explaining all that, we got to the topic of the bounty.

A normal update is 4,000 words, with a maximum of 6,000 words added per day. Let's start counting from today until the end of the month.

One extra chapter for every 100 monthly tickets, 10000 rewards, or 100 blades; five chapters for a silver treasure chest and 18 chapters for a gold treasure chest.

Please rest assured about the writing progress; I haven't abruptly stopped writing a book yet. These rewards are a great motivation for me to keep writing.

Finally, no matter what you do, just reading my book is my greatest encouragement. Love you all~

The starting data is as follows; we will calculate upwards from here.

Monthly ticket: 489

Reward: 166000

刀片 ： 213

I hope I can pay it back, sob sob ┭┮﹏┭┮

Chapter Thirty-Four: The Opening

Not only Miss Parrot, but also the young bird and the drooping peacock were all attracted by that deep voice and captivated by that dignified posture.

Even though it was just a whisper in each other's ears, and only the two of them could hear it, everyone could feel the weight of those words.

The music from afar continued, and the flattery of the nobles was boisterous. They surrounded Bathory's daughter, jostling and pushing and shoving, while the rising sun slanted elsewhere, only tilting down on the four lonely figures, as if at the boundary of light and darkness, a contradictory group.

The former is in the dark, the other is in the light.

Bathed in the soft light, the silver-haired girl opened her arms and spoke softly. The three girls all looked at Charlotte, like homeless birds looking at a tucked-up, comforting old tree.

"The Principality of Plantagenet, equality, freedom..."

Her eyes grew clearer, as if she had been enlightened. Melina raised her head, her expression revealing a thirst and urgency for knowledge.

"...Can hard work really change our lives?"

Softly murmuring to herself, Winnie slowly clenched her knuckles, as if gathering her resolve.

So, Josephine, you come from a country across the sea, from a land we have no idea about.

Without responding, Sophie simply watched the girl quietly, falling into a long silence.

“I do come from that turbulent land. Although I do not come from a prestigious family like Ms. Bathory, I have received a complete education and graduated from a university with a degree in culture and thought.”

Charlotte had already come up with the excuse that she came from the Duchy of Plantagenet. Being from a nearby city wouldn't stand up to scrutiny, while those countries that only appeared in the newspapers were more distant, mysterious, and unknown.

As mentioned earlier, even if the pace of technological development is stuck in the steam age, the corresponding historical events are still exactly the same as in the past. The Duchy of Plantagenet did indeed have an enlightenment movement, and now, due to the infighting among the royal factions, the people's uprising has plunged into strife.

Since even local reports are unclear about the situation, isn't that just giving them free rein to do whatever they want?

however--

"The Duchy of the Golden Flower? Those Anglo-Saxon settlements? Don't laugh, I heard that someone there actually wants to cut off the king's head and establish a country without any nobles? That's insane, how can a bunch of lowly people possibly govern an entire country?"

Unlike the young ladies who pondered, the noblewomen who happened to pass by merely heard Charlotte's account, casually uttered a few sarcastic remarks, and walked away as if trying to avoid her.

Upon hearing this, Melina frowned and immediately retorted.

"How can you say that? Nobles also come from the common people, so there should be no distinction between noble and lowly."

"Shhh."

Charlotte chuckled and shook her head, glancing at the silent peacock as she spoke, subtly implying something.

“Miss Melina, there’s no need to pay them any mind. Those haughty noble ladies only want to hear what they want to hear, unless an external force completely shatters the environment that shaped them.”

"Break?"

It was a whisper tinged with confusion.

"Perhaps, as that lady suggested, we should cut off the heads of nobles?"

With a slight upturn of her lips and a playful, teasing tone, Charlotte asked in return.

"Isn't this...isn't this too extreme, too violent? It's clearly..."

Startled, Miss Parrot stumbled slightly as she instinctively tried to deny it, but the girl didn't give her a chance to speak.

"No, Melina, you told me before that you were also one of those working people, that you too suffered unfair treatment and humiliation. If—"

"The blood shed by nobles can be contained in a single cemetery, but the figures who disappeared under the smog due to the oppression and exploitation of these people probably cannot be contained even by the entire Tiber River."

Charlotte raised her hand to point to those faces, each more beautiful than the last, yet all so alike, and her tone grew even heavier.

"Or do you think that the instantaneous death brought by a knife or axe can compare to the slow slaughter of hunger, cold-blooded humiliation, cruelty, and grief? You have experienced these things, so you should know better than I do."

"But Miss Watson, you're also a noblewoman!"

Her mind wavered, and her intellectual and playful temperament vanished. Melina did indeed pursue the ideal of equality, but she was unable to process the overwhelming amount of information or answer the questions that went straight to the heart.

"noble?"

Upon hearing the question again, Charlotte did not laugh, but silently looked at the former and softly began to speak.

“Miss Melina, what do you think nobility is? Indeed, we have wealth, land, and more opportunities.”

"But I don't think that's a reason for being born noble. We are able to live a prosperous life, read more books, learn more knowledge, and see the world with a broader perspective because of the grace of the people."

The girl's voice grew clearer and higher.

"That is why we should bear their share and use this knowledge to guide and direct, whether it is the improvement of laws or the development of tools."

"The former promotes equality and maintains order, while the latter frees up hands and eliminates hard work."

The plain chanting faded from my ears, but the lingering resonance of the voices remained.

Indeed, taking that step in this world is difficult, dreamlike, and unrealistic, but what does it matter? Once the decision is made, we will live together and die together.

"Miss Watson..."

For the first time, the idealistic dream was affirmed by theory. The development of both material and spiritual things reached her ears. Melina gripped her pen tightly, her heart trembling with excitement.

"This is what a nobleman should look like."

Sophie, who had also heard the concluding remarks, was lost in thought and could not take her eyes off the girl for a moment.

She is fickle, cunning, and hypocritical, yet she holds firm to her principles.

She is mysterious, she is knowledgeable, she could have been high above, but she was willing to bow down and speak out for the suffering.

If before, the little peacock was only filled with gratitude, now she was truly captivated by this dazzling charm and couldn't help but want to go to the person's side, hold up an umbrella for them, and shield them from the wind and rain.

My thoughts were in turmoil, but just then, a commotion arose from the crowd in the distance, and from the center of the stage.

It was mocking laughter, a sycophantic uproar.

Looking down, the former bird girl was sitting on the ground, suffering the merciless ridicule and scorn of many noble ladies.

It wasn't without reason. Just now, after hesitating several times, Winnie finally mustered up the courage, overcame her timidity, and took the initiative to walk to the center of the gathering, intending to grab a girl on the edge and ask her about Kxia.

She was probably the one among the three who most desired the temporary job. The girl's words emboldened her, and she tried to take the first step. However, these rich girls were all busy flattering Leona, so how could they be moved by a stranger?

Because of her frequent questioning, the girl being questioned became impatient and shoved Winnie, causing her to lose her balance and fall, getting covered in dust and looking quite disheveled.

Perhaps it was because of the commotion, or perhaps it was because of the clumsy way the woman fell into the mud, but the usually proud Mrs. Bathory did not restrain herself at all, and instead laughed with great interest.

As if given approval, all the noble ladies followed suit, even taking the initiative to ridicule, mock, and humiliate that sparrow girl, which was not excessive at all.

"Look at this country bumpkin, he can't even walk straight!"

"I think her father probably spent a few stinking bucks to buy the letters from some lady so she could get some acquaintances."

“Miss Leona is too lenient. She never scolds these mud ducks. They can’t even stand up straight, yet they always shamelessly participate in tea parties, as if that makes them nobles. They’re so stupid.”

During their verbal exchanges, they freely enjoyed the former's ugliness, revealing the stark and blatant class disparity.

Seeing this, Melina looked at Charlotte with some hesitation, as if worried about the bird girl's situation.

“Miss Watson, that young lady doesn’t seem to be doing well, we…”

"I will sever all ties with her, who is traveling with me."

"...?"

Her expression froze, and just as Miss Parrot was about to speak, she saw the silver-haired girl already sitting up.

"Of course, that was just a lady's joke, what I meant was—"

Straighten the boutonniere, raise your neck, restore the aristocratic demeanor to your posture, and let your dashing temperament shine through your gait.

Her gaze held a hint of sternness, and her walk exuded a chilling aura. She was more dignified than any young lady and more assertive than any nobleman.

Finally, don't forget the indifference in her eyes.